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a-d-nox · 5 months

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wyrd web: what to gift a person based these three numbers

this is just a theory of mine because these bubbles of the matrix should represent earthly desires. this is not to say that you can't enjoy things not listed in your category / under your energetic number. this is simply what i believe people with these numbers would enjoy receiving as a gift.

1 - the magician

flowers / garden seeds, gear for their passion project(s), business/self-help books, a tarot/astrology/mediumship reading, art supplies, things that are homemade/artisanal, careof for brain support, things for their computer or car, a diary or journal (moleskine), sunglasses or blue-light glasses, joke books (for the dads with 1 placements here), paid classes, rosetta stone subscription, genetic tests (ancestry.com or 23&me), manicure/pedicure voucher, merchandise from their favorite singer / group / tv show / movie, mittens / fingerless gloves, house plant, sewing/knitting/crocheting supplies, stationary, or tickets to a concert

2 - the high priestess

things that support their spiritual practices, things that support feminine health (hum women's probiotics bundle, honey pot oral vaginal care probiotic, etc), bake goods / baking gear, barbecue sauce sampler / grilling gear (for the dads pt 2), bar in a jar (for those of drinking age) or really any beverage tester kit, bath/spa kit, beach vacation, boat, cruise, careof for brain support, truly nice melons boob butter, candles (it doesn't have to be yankee candle either - bent candles, spiced votive candle, etc) or candle making kit, imported cheeses, clothing staples (blue jeans, black turtleneck, etc), juice cleanse or other things that support digestive health, cooking classes or meal kits (hellofresh, homechef, etc), a tarot/astrology/mediumship reading, or outdoor cameras or other home security tools

3 - the empress

pillows, stuffed animals, rose quartz, personal celebrity cameo, clothing, tickets for an art museum tour, ballet tickets or classes, art supplies, makeup pallets and/or brushes, flowers, jewelry, candy/sweets, money, bells / wind chimes, clothing, designer pieces, cosmetics, dolls, a trip to a fancy restaurant, fruit basket / dried fruits, gardening supplies, jewelry, concert/orchestra tickets, poetry book, tickets to a play, a purse, lingerie (if y'all are close like that), trip to a vineyard (for those of drinking age), couples' dancing classes, or a wallet

4 - the emperor

skincare, rock climbing voucher or some other physical activity they enjoy, an adrenaline rush activity (skydiving, bungee jumping, etc), careof for brain support, crafted wooden objects (cutting boards, tables, etc), coffee trials/samplers, sunglasses, blue light glasses, hair care products/supplies, scalp treatments/care, oral health care (thera breath, whitening products, etc), meditation app subscriptions / in person sessions for meditation, or a planner

5 - the hierophant

moss agate (don't question how random that sounds this is some intuitive stuff), artwork, an architectural tour, beauty products/supplies, historically significant objects, pastries or sweets/candies, earrings, sour dough starter kit, jewelry in general, piano/organ lessons, singing lessons, a wallet, or any classes where they can learn something fun and new to them

6 - the lovers

car stuff (seat covers, cup holder coasters, etc), bicycle or bicycle accessories/gear, books (the more educational the better), briefcase / work tote, bus tickets for a day trip, gym membership or soulcycle classes, crystals, a standing desk / cute office supplies (for the work girlies both those who work in office and from home), hand & foot message, manicure voucher, newspaper subscription (i am a fan of new york times, washington post, and the new yorker), language classes or rosetta stone subscription, magazines subscription, merchandise from their favorite singer / group / tv show / movie, train trip, or we're not really strangers card packs

7 - the chariot

gardening supplies, hermit crab, baked goods, bath products / beauty products, boat, cruise, car stuff (seat covers, cup holder coasters, etc), truly nice melons boob butter, juice cleanse, gut health thrive market kit, glassware / blown glass, stuff they need / need for their home (security system, chest freezer, etc), hotel or bed & breakfast stay, kitchenware, lake trip, pearls, real estate / land, restaurant voucher / gift card, silver jewelry, shopping gift cards, a trip, or intention journal

8 - strength

amusement park tickets, supplies for their passion projects, ballroom dancing classes, tea sampler, games (video games or board games), movie theater gift card, personal celebrity cameo, flower garden supplies/seeds, stuff for their pet, or a belt

9 - the hermit

pet related gifts (if they have a pet that is), bookshelves (they probably need one), juice cleanse, gut health thrive market kit, a cat, clothing, oral health products (thera breath, whitening products, etc), stationary, emergency preparedness (ready to eat meals, fire blanket, etc), cook books, dining ware (new plates/bowls, cups / glassware, silverware, etc), food subscriptions (home chef, hello fresh, pickle of the month club, bokksu japanese snack box, etc), careof subscription, gloves, herb garden kit, a one way ticket to anywhere, or a hiking trip

10 - wheel of fortune

incense, cleansing herbs, bow and arrow, sapling, land, dried berries, budget book, gym/exercise membership, religious/spiritual/philosophical books, poker set, cloth (if they like sowing), wool (if they like weaving, crocheting, and/or knitting), wool clothing, a coat, trip to a country or place they have never been, oral health products (thera breath, whitening products, etc), etiquette classes/books (this is great for the traveler because they are often interested in learning customs before going on their trip), figs, fruit basket (like edible arrangements), honey sampler / royal jelly, horseback riding lessons, lottery tickets, merchandise from their favorite singer / group/ tv show / movie, shoes, really any game, any subscription they have not tried, things that support their spiritual practices, or book on positive mindset

11 - justice

personal celebrity cameo, tickets to a ballet or to an art gallery, air purifier, portable heating pad, spa voucher, cosmetics, lingerie (if y'all are close), closet organizational items (space saving hangers, linen bins, accessory hanger, etc), pastries and sweets, diamonds (perhaps propose to your lover), a dress, tickets to a fashion show or exhibit, flowers, a luxury chair, jewelry, concert tickets, poetry books, any quartz pieces, chocolates dipped strawberries, hair extensions, logic puzzles, a voucher for an escape room, or a kitchen/baking scale

12 - the hanged man

bar in a jar (if they are of drinking age), a book on angel numbers, a book on natural medical remedies, ballet classes or tickets to see a ballet, bath bombs and other bath goodies (salt, bath table, candles, sugar scrub, bath teas, etc), beach vacation, tea or coffee sampler, butterfly farm kit with caterpillars, disposable camera or a camera they would like (polaroid, filming, etc), scientific kits (geode kit, grow your own crystals, etc), cigars (for the dads in your life), unsolved mysteries or crime kit, dance classes, smutty/romance/fantasy books, fairy garden, a tarot/astrology/mediumship reading, budget book, makeup palettes or other cosmetic they enjoy, concert tickets, paint, poetry books, clue the board game, a pass to an indoor pool, a book on poppet making, meditation membership or a voucher for in-person sessions, or something to support their curiosity for new spiritual insight

13 - death

hermit crab, a jumping spider, a reptile, homeopathic books for natural cures and remedies, operation the game, butcherbox subscription, a book on how to cook and trim meats, beginners chemistry kit, a colon cleanse, sea monkeys, unsolved mysteries or crime kit, philosophy of death books, books on magic, magic the gathering the card game, period products (portable heating pad, the diva cup, etc), poisonous plants (belladonna, foxglove, lily of the valley, etc), a frog pond, a scorpion, a snake, a burr/boo basket (these people love seasonal stuff), or marie kondo's life changing magic of tidying up

14 - temperance

a hunting trip, bow and arrows, books on religion or philosophy, book of devotions, book on dream meanings (hello, freud haha), a certification course or college class, horseback riding lessons (for the newbie or a younger sibling or your child/niece/nephew), horse drawn carriage ride (for the couples *smirk*), logic puzzles, things that support their goals, or a book of angel number meanings

15 - the devil

a fan or air conditioning unit, if you have the land for it a cow/horse/goat, kinetic tape, arnicare bruise cream (this is a joke... unless...), coal or a diamond (this is also a joke... unless...), a clock or a watch, cuticle trimmer (and other nail care things), room darkening curtains, a happy lamp, lotion/cream, hat/scarf/gloves, hair products (extensions, shampoo subscription, etc), leather fashion-ware, gardening supplies, ice maker, or a juice cleanse

16 - the tower

tiger balm or other pain relieving ointment, acrobatic/gymnastic classes, homeopathic books for natural cures and remedies, first-aid kit, baking kits, barbecue sauce sampler, barbecue sauce sampler / grilling gear (for the dads), gift card for haircut, dollar shave club (for the dads pt 2), metal works (spoon handle rings, metal roses, etc), boxing lessons, boxing match tickets or monster truck tickets, butcherbox subscription, a book on how to cook and trim meats, crafted wooden objects (cutting boards, tables, etc), cactus plant, beginners chemistry kit, cookbook, pocket knife or leatherman/multitool, tool kit, jenga, emergency kit, food, first aid kit, merchandise for their favorite superhero(es), electric lighter, liqour or bar in a jar (if they are of drinking age), rock music (a vinyl or concert tickets), pepper plant, pipe for smoking (if they like to smoke that is - my grandfather had a collection), lego kit, or lincoln logs

17 - the star

friendship bracelets, a fan / ac unit, model airplane, flight lessons, compression stockings/socks, architectural tour, astrology reading, car stuff (seat covers, cup holder coasters, etc), club memberships (golf, racket ball, sam's, etc), electronic devices (a new phone, amazon fire stick, solar portable charger, etc), movie on blue-ray or dvd, movie gift card, a camera (polaroid or another type they have been eyeing), disposable cameras, camera gear, shadow work journal, aesthetically pleasing bluetooth retro radio, streaming service subscription, a book on health or mental health, or a book on positivity

18 - the moon

abstract art, bar in a jar (if they are of legal age), a fish, a fish tank, tickets to an aquarium, cocktail book (if they are of legal age), a fishing trip (for the dads), book of conspiracy theories, the conspiracy theory map, a crystal ball, unsolved mysteries or crime kit, a jellyfish, a tarot/astrology/mediumship reading, a camera (polaroid or another type they have been eyeing), disposable cameras, camera gear, poetry book, hydroponic starter system, games that involve bluffing (clue, poker, herd mentality, etc), shoes, sleeping eye mask, silk pillow cases, new bed sheets, bonnet, socks, a computer keyboard, typewriter, a book on shadow work, a puppy, or a book on dream meanings

19 - the sun

maine coon, autobiographical books, ballroom dancing lessons, poker set, oral health products (thera breath, whitening products, etc), card games, personal celebrity cameo, circus fruit basket, chocolate gold coins, classes that encourage creativity (create it and break it sessions, pottery classes, etc), jewelry or an engagement ring (if it's been more than 2 years y'all should know what you are doing at this point), flowers, indoor herb garden, tickets to race of some sort (cars, horse, sporting events, etc), sporting equipment, ivy plant, a pottery painting voucher / gift certificate, or something for their passion project / hobby

20 - judgment

a reptile, ant farm, a guide on astral projection, operation the game, the chameleon game, clue game, unsolved case files game, grand theft auto video game, assassins creed video game, dungeons and dragons the game, yahtzee, emergency preparedness kit, magician kit, poisonous plants (belladonna, foxglove, lily of the valley, etc), the divine comedy, puzzles, a rodent of some sort, or lingerie (if y'all are close)

21 - the world

gardening supplies, acoustic guitar, air conditioning or fan, architectural tour, teddy bear, snow globe, boots, calendar or planner, supergoop (sun protectant) products, wooden objects (cutting board, chest, box, etc), carpet, clay (air drying or via kiln), a clock or watch, compression stockings/socks, collectible coins, pain patches or kinetic tape, crystals, budget book, lotions for dry skin, dried fruits, gloves/mittens, hair care products, ice machine or ice making trays, ice cream subscription, pottery classes, rain coat, real estate or land, zen sand garden, sculpture, or snake

22 - the fool

flight lessons, model airplane, a flight to anywhere, car stuff (seat covers, cup holder coasters, etc), an astrology reading, bath products, biking gear, movie theatre gift card, clock or watch, club memberships (golf, racket ball, sam's, etc), mood lighting or strip lights, a train ride, fun magnets, motorcycle accessories/training, microphone (maybe they are filming or recording something), patterns for cross stitch / knitting / crocheting, a camera (polaroid or another type they have been eyeing), disposable cameras, camera gear, stuff for the tv (surround sound, sound bar, streaming subscription, etc), or classes for one of their interests

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citystars · 10 months

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(★)―――includes: octavinelle dorm

(★)―――synopsis: relationship headcanons

(★)―――warnings: none! If anything pls tell me <3

Azul!!

Azul is the kind of person who genuinely cares about getting to know you. He takes notes on his phone, jotting down your interests, likes, dislikes, and everything you share with him. It's his way of showing how much he values you and your unique qualities.

Azul is someone who thrives on love and support, so he appreciates it when you shower him with affection.

Whenever his gaze falls upon you, he can't help but wonder how he got so lucky to have you in his life. It's as if he's constantly in awe of the fact that he managed to capture your heart. Sometimes, when you catch him staring, he can't help but blush and become a bit flustered.

After a long day, Azul becomes incredibly cuddly. He seeks comfort in your arms, finding comfort in the warmth and safety you provide. It's during these moments that he truly feels at peace.

When it comes to dates, Azul loves to spoil you by taking you to fancy places. He wants to create memorable experiences for both of you. And when he's feeling particularly romantic, he'll kiss your hand or gently brush his lips against your knuckles, a gesture that shows his admiration and affection.

While Azul enjoys spending quality time with you in private, where he can truly be himself, he also takes pride in showing you off to the world. He loves to see you shine, so he often gifts you beautiful jewelry or accessories to wear. Additionally, he enjoys bringing you to the lounge where he works, allowing you to hang out and spend time together in a relaxed environment.

You are one of the very few people whom Azul trusts enough to reveal his merman form to. It's a testament to the deep connection and trust he feels with you.

He cherishes the moments when he can share this part of himself with you.

When it comes to food, Azul can't resist your cooking, even if it may be a bit high in calories. He appreciates the effort and love you put into preparing meals for him, and he savors every bite.

Lastly, Azul is the type of boyfriend who loves to surprise you with little gestures that show he's thinking of you. For example, he might bring you flowers in your favorite color simply because he saw them on his way back. These small acts of thoughtfulness are his way of reminding you how special you are to him.

you two share a sweet, yet corny and comfortable relationship you both plan to cherish for a long time. You're his safe place

Jade!!

Jade is seriously the most patient and loving person ever. I mean, seriously, he treats you like you're royalty.

And let me tell you, he always knows when something's not right and can practically read your mind.

But here's the thing, even though Jade can predict your every move, they can't resist your cute reactions.

He's not just all talk, he actually shows his love by giving you head pats. I mean, who doesn't love a good head pat?

Jade loves to surprise you by sneaking up from behind and giving you hugs.

If you ever need a butler, he totally up for the job.

Jade spoils you with so much attention and affection. It's like you're his number one priority.

He also loves giving you small gifts. It's like he's the king of thoughtful surprises.

He will give you discounts at the lounge, maybe even free drinks

Oh, and let's not forget about the hiking dates. Those are a regular thing with Jade. He loves taking you on his hikes, especially if you're into mountains and all that nature stuff.

Jade is like your personal bag holder. He carries everything for you, even if it's just a little handbag.

He enjoys discovering you peacefully dozing at your desk, allowing him the opportunity to gently tuck you in and bestow upon you a tender goodnight kiss.

Before each outing, he thoughtfully presents you with a bouquet of vibrant wildflowers, a gesture that never fails to bring a smile to your face.

So, you've got yourself a real gem. Jade, he's patient, loving, and always there for you.

Floyd!!

Floyd is... something

He loves to shower you with hugs whenever he sees you. We know he also has a thing for giving you the silliest nicknames.

But one of the most adorable things he does is spin you around every time you meet. It doesn't matter if you've just seen each other or if you're in the middle of a conversation when he arrives, he'll run to you and spin you around.

This can sometimes confuse the people around you, and it may catch you off-guard (which he absolutely loves), but it's all done out of pure love.

The sound of your laughter and the way you squirm around to get down brings him so much joy.

When he finally put you down, they always end the interaction with the sweetest kiss he can muster before running off, feeling fulfilled and already looking forward to seeing you again.

He also enjoys surprising you with kisses, and he loves cuddling with you.

He even enjoys swimming with you in their eel form, which can be quite a unique and fun experience.

However, it's important to note that he can be possessive and slightly aggressive toward others when it comes to you. Floyd wants you all to himself, which sometimes leads to him being a bit rough with anyone who tries to come between you two.

Floyd is like a shadow, always sticking to you wherever you go - between classes, at the lounge, during lunch, you name it. It might seem a bit intense, but hey, you're the only one who can keep his mood stable for long periods of time.

And boy, does he love to dance with you whenever he gets the chance! He wants the whole world to know that you're his. You've got an eel plushie in your room, and he's got a shrimp plushie in his. It's clear that you two are a perfect match. No matter what you do, it only makes Floyd love you even more.

A/n: Jade's and Floyd's parts were short I sorry for who was excited about the twin I'm not great at writing for them -Astra☆

#citystars☆#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #azul x reader #twst azul #azul ashengrotto #jade leech x reader #twst jade #jade leech #floyd leech x reader #twst floyd #floyd leech

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wing-ed-thing · 6 months

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Those Called Jinchūriki (Naruto x Jinchūriki!Reader x Gaara) Part I

Synopsis: There are only so many Jinchūriki to meet, and Naruto is outraged by your treatment. Unable to do much himself, Naruto enlists the help of Gaara to set you free and grant you sanctuary in the Hidden Sand.

Word Count: 2k

Tags/Warnings: No Reader Pronouns, Jinchūriki!Reader, Slight Angst, Gaara isn't in this chapter

Notes: It's always been my personal hc that Naruto considers "jinchuriki" a slur. I'm pretty sure this is canon, but I haven't been able to track down manga evidence so don't fight me on this.

Considering how formal the event was, Naruto was eerily well-behaved.

He had insisted on coming, and after making himself more of a nuisance than ever, Tsunade had placed him on the mission with one strict condition: don’t cause trouble. And so he sat, a mocktail in one hand and leg bouncing as he stared directly at the entrance at the top of the stairs. He didn’t hear Yamato notifying him that appetizers had been served, nor did he notice his new squad leader hovering over his shoulder, following his gaze up the carpeted steps.

Naruto couldn’t wait to meet you.

You were the reason he had traveled all this way to your little land that hardly had a place on the map. You were why he had donned his finest clothes to attend this prestigious political gathering and waited patiently for your arrival. The moment he saw you, his eyes went wide.

The guards opened the ornate double doors with spears in hand as you emerged at the top of the grand staircase—elegant, layered fabrics draped over your shoulders, binding stiffly around your waist and neck. A golden chain littered with charms, ornaments, and sacred tags crowned your head, swooping adornments around the circumference of your skull.

You stopped at the top of the grand stairwell. You held a stoic expression on your face, remaining only cordial as you took the skirt of your robes in your hands and bowed deeply. Naruto’s bright irises glittered at the sight of you.

A holder of a tailed beast, dressed in fancy clothing and presented for all to see— Naruto’s chest ached with bitter happiness as he watched you live out his deepest dream and desire. He glanced toward the back of the room, where a decorated table sat waiting for you, elevated slightly taller on the ground where all could see you.

Like royalty.

A host of a tailed spirit, respected.

“Presenting… the Jinchūriki!”

Naruto whooped and hollered, nearly jumping out of his seat in applause. But his praises were swiftly silenced as a roar of laughter and jeering erupted from the crowd on the room's lower level. Naruto’s forehead knitted, causing him to stop mid-clap. He swiveled in shock, scouring the room in search of answers as he sank back into his seat. He turned around, mouth agape, to make eye contact with Yamato, who only shrugged. Yamato looked about as confused as Naruto, his stare trained on you as his lips subtly contorted downward.

The people swarmed you as you walked across the room to your table, faces smooshing around you as your indifferent guards put mediocre effort into keeping a walkway for you. Naruto couldn’t help but jump up from his seat, joining the nobles and political figures who crowded you. He jumped at the back of the mob, head bobbing over the sea of greased hair and overcomplicated updos.

Naruto shouted your name, but the commotion drowned out his voice.

You were never seen in public, after all.

You eventually reached a single table at the opposite end of the dining room. Naruto could see the top of your headpiece as he raced around the perimeter of the crowd. Little by little, the ornately decorated tablecloth appeared, matching the jewelry adorning you. You sat on the plush cushion, your guards finally able to keep the floor of people at least a few feet away from your table.

People, but apparently not Naruto.

You could only watch on in alarm as he slid between the legs of a nobleman, slipping on the hard tile floor as he scrambled between the guards and right up in front of you. He slammed his hands down, causing your silverware to rattle and you to jump. Your wide gaze darted around, searching for a guard to get this crazed madman away from you.

You stared, restraining your concerned expression as you wordlessly watched him. He huffed, catching his breath, even reaching across the elaborate table setting to help himself to your glass of water as he held out a hand. Not knowing what else to do, you offered him a cloth napkin.

“Hiya! My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and wouldn’t ya believe it, but I’m also the host to the Nine-Tails and—”

Naruto stopped short, the sight of you stealing his words from his lips. It wasn’t the expensive jewels that littered your skin or the delicate fabrics, but the thick metal collar shacked around your neck. The weight of it left visible irritation on your skin from years of wear, bunching your robes and pinching at your collarbone. The cuffs were painted in ancient runes, spelling “Jinchūriki” exclusively and repeatedly.

Naruto’s attention dropped to your hands, following the long stretch of chains from your neck to your bound wrists. The sleeves of your robes were folded up neatly to accommodate your bindings that held your hands less than a shoulder’s length apart.

“What the hell?” he uttered, breathlessly horrified as Naruto’s baby blue irises flicked up to yours. Your eyes were about as wide as his. You placed a delicate touch on the table's edge, rising slightly from your seat.

“Nine-Tails?” Your gaze explored him and darted frantically over his face and hands. You spoke lowly, almost in a whisper. Panicked concern painted your face. “Where are your bindings?”

He was torn away in an instant.

It all happened in a moment, from the time Naruto introduced himself to you to the moment a guard grabbed him around the torso from behind in an attempt to wrestle him to the ground. Naruto kicked, struggling against the tight grip that pinned his arms.

“Wait—”

“Sit back down!” you were commanded.

You shot back down in your seat without a second thought, spine erect. In the chaos, Naruto’s team rushed around in the background, trying to intercept the commotion, but too many people had crammed together. Naruto elbowed the guard in the face, thrashing his arms to break away and make a mad dash back toward you.

His team members came in from the sides, engaging with the guards and attendees alike as they tried to avoid a violent confrontation. Yamato placed himself between the crowd and Naruto, arms and flat palms held out in front of his body. His assertive pleas for everyone to take a second were disregarded.

Naruto’s hand wrapped around the link between your cuffs, tugging your longer chain as he held your bound hands up. You flinched, jerking your hands back, but his grip was too firm. The movement caused your eyes to twitch shut as you turned your head. You had little idea what was happening, let alone catch the rage simmering on Naruto’s expression.

“What the hell is this?” His shout cut through the commotion, bringing the entire hall to silence. You spotted orange from where you flinched, your head nestled between your arms. Your face slowly rose to catch a glimpse of black and orange markings etched across Naruto’s cheeks. He held up your bound hands again. The crowd backed up. The guards had broken from their confrontations with Naruto’s team to protect the gathering of elites with spears pointing forward. A strangled growl tore from Naruto’s throat as he repeated himself, “What the hell is this?”

Naruto’s grip closed around your cuffs, the tips of his rapidly sharpening fingernails causing tension in the metal. The entire room looked upon him in terror as you all watched his fox-like trains bubble to the surface. Even as tears gathered in your waterline, you waited motionlessly, watching like a cornered animal.

“Is this how the Land of Paper treats its sacred spirits?” He dropped your chains and stormed forward, causing the crowd to retreat with horrified gasps. The guards moved to confront him before Yamato swooped forward to forcibly hold Naruto back by the torso.

“Naruto, stop—” he hissed.

“How dare you!” One of the guard’s noses contorted into a foul, disgusted wrinkle. The rest of them came to surround the Hidden Leaf representatives. His lip curled as he held up his weapon. “And how dare the Hidden Leaf lack enough decency to bring a feral Jinchūriki to this gathering!”

“Don’t call me that!”

“Naruto!” Naruto jerked forward in Yamato’s grip. He lowered his center of gravity, just barely able to restrain him. You sat face down on the table, the ornaments on your hair pointed outward like defensive horns, covering the back of your head with your arms. Your chains hung over it all, anchoring you to the room’s disturbance.

The guard turned to Sakura, who happened to be the closest, with a snarl.

“Take your Jinchūriki pet and leave. You Leaf Shinobi are no longer welcome here.”

“Please, we have no malicious intent—”

“Out!” The soldiers moved closer with their pointed spears.

“Go to hell!” Naruto yelled as Yamato tried his best to wrestle him away. You barely rose from your cowering position, but Naruto managed to meet your eye. He pointed directly toward you. “I’ll come back to save you! Don’t you worry!”

The rest of the team followed, having no choice but to abandon their mission in disgrace.

The commotion ended as soon as it started. A few servants swooped in to clear away spilled beverages, and the hosts resorted quickly to damage control.

“What excitement!” one of them laughed nervously over the gather. The rest were easily convinced to laugh along. Uncertainly dizzied your head as you wondered what just happened.

***

“What the hell, Naruto?” Yamato shoved Naruto’s shoulder up against a wall at the back entrance. Naruto’s head bowed, unreadable, as Yamato held his shoulder pinned. The Jōnin was quietly seething himself.

With the Akatsuki slowly making their way across the country collecting tailed beasts, it was integral to make contact with the Land of Paper. While most tailed beasts made homes in large, established shinobi villages— or entirely off the grid in solitude— the Land of Paper continued a long tradition of keeping their tailed spirit for strictly spiritual and ornamental purposes. Compared to the Bijuu cultivated for wartime, Yamato had been informed that you hardly stepped outside your secluded temple, making you a prime target for the Akatsuki.

They needed to talk to the important people gathered in that dining room, but now all that was squandered.

“I understand you’re angry—” Yamato resigned with a heavy sigh. He turned to rub his hands over his face, letting Naruto crumble to the ground. Yamato took a sharp intake, fist pressed against his lips. —“But that was not helpful, Naruto. We needed to get on the good side of a lot of people in that room. I don’t know what you were thinking—”

A single sniffle cut off Yamato’s rant.

Then another.

“I’m sorry, Captain Yamato.” Naruto’s voice was small. He curled in on himself, fingers weaving through his messy blond hair. Yamato stood in front of him silently. The rest of the team held their tongues, giving Naruto and Yamato their space as Sakura tugged Sai away. Naruto’s body jerked with his sobs, tears falling into his folded lap. “I’m sorry.”

Yamato’s expression melted at the sight of him, and with another deep sigh, he knelt down to Naruto’s level.

“I was angry too,” he admitted, one wrist resting on his bent knee. “I didn’t know they treated Jinchūriki like that. If I had known—”

“Don’t use that word.”

Yamato paused, staring deeply into the top of Naruto’s head. He studied his unmoving form, a soft concern in his dark eyes. Yamato placed a gentle touch on Naruto’s arm.

“What word, Naruto?” It took a moment before he answered, his voice muffled as Naruto spoke into his knees. Yamato sat fully on the ground, repeating Naruto’s name softly and assertively. He leaned forward on his knees. “What word shouldn’t I use?”

“Don’t call us Jinchūriki.” Naruto sniffled. “Please.”

Thank you to all who liked, reblogged, followed, and supported. Your support means so much and is greatly appreciated.

Notes: You know, it's here, it's cheesy. The direction of this kinda reminds me of the style of early 2010s fanfic? Does that make sense to anyone else?

#naruto x reader #naruto uzumaki x reader #naruto #naruto fanfic #naruto fanfiction #naruto shippuden #naruto uzumaki #x reader #x you #reader insert #naruto x y/n #naruto x you #naruto scenarios #naruto scenario

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hometoursandotherstuff · 7 months

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Interesting 1998 modern, stylized Hacienda style home in Scottsdale, Arizona. 5bds, 6ba, $5.890M + $286mo. HOA fee. (Why do all these homes in deserts, on mountain tops, and the middle of nowhere have HOAs?) Note: Membership to the Desert Mountain Club is not available with this property. Well, excuuuuse me. This home is not good enough for the Desert Mountain Club?

Now, there's an unusual mantel- I've never seen an accordion style mantle.

I guess when you use the bar, you push it away from the window?

Wow, is this home fancy. An arched nook just for the sideboard and a half wall overlooking the living room in the dining room.

The kitchen has direct access to the terrace. Nice exhaust hood, but the thing I like most is the pop of turquoise.

Cozy family room. Love the ceramic fireplace. What is that wood on the wall? Looks like a built-in cabinet.

The pool room has a stunning fireplace and a view of the fountain on the patio. Look at the high chairs so your opponents can watch your moves.

The movie theater has snack tables, but it needs a fancy snack counter.

Wow, look at the sink in the powder room. This is luxurious. What? No soap holder? How tacky, a bar of soap sitting on the rim.

Primary bedroom has a great mountain view and lovely fireplace.

The en-suite is beautiful, but that tub enclosure is too big. I'd have sit on it and swing around.

The shower has a nice big seat. Good platform for bathing the dog, too.

The closet has a built-in jewelry case the size of a wall.

Imagine relaxing on this terrace.

Cozy, rosy, little den.

Nice shower with a chaise longue.

Secondary bedroom has a window seat with a shell-like molding above the window.

The lower level rec room even has a full kitchen.

Terraced patio has a gorgeous fireplace.

Yikes, the infinity pool makes it look like you can swim right off the mountain.

The property measures 1.74 acres.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/11155-E-Honda-Bow-Rd-Scottsdale-AZ-85262/8079385_zpid/

#adobe mansion #desert house #houses #house tours #home tour

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knightofhylia · 2 years

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Basic Spirit Contact Etiquette

We’ve all seen some sort of ghost-hunting show in our lives, whether you were an avid Ghost Adventures fan or looking for scary things to watch on Halloween.

Here I’m whipping up a guide based on my 10+ years working with spirits on how to approach spirits respectfully and conduct yourself during contact whether in your own home or another location. This is focused on the types of spirits you may encounter while on a ghost investigation.

Before Contact

Consider who you are bringing with you. Take into account the location you are going to. If you are in the south investigating a plantation with a crew of all white men it might get a little tense and spirits will probably not like to respond, or respond harshly. Most of the time when shows actually think about this is if they are going to a prison or something and they bring girls to attract ghosts. Think about the spiritual background of the people attending. People of different backgrounds will react to and attract different types of entities.

Bring an offering. No one wants to do anything for free, so, give a little ‘thanks’ for the spirit's time and energy by bringing a gift. This can be almost anything! Do your research if you are investigating a specific location. Time periods, regions, specific people, and general areas can give you a clue on what to give. If you really don’t have much info, there are some good (generally) universal offerings.

Energy

Spirits need energy to manifest like I need energy to manifest myself out of bed sometimes. There are a couple of different ways to do this.

Candles are a great, cheap, easy way to offer a little energy to the spirits. PLEASE USE CAREFULLY. Make sure it has a stable support such as a holder if its a tapered candle or bowl if it is a pillar candle. Place a plate underneath to catch any wax runoff. I’m not going to go deep into candle colours, but the ones I personally use are purple for psychic boost, white for general and cleansing, black for protection, or blue for insight.

Crystals and rocks are a very common offering as well. This doesn’t have to be fancy, honestly a little quartz goes a long way sometimes. I personally have a pouch that has my stones for spirit contact specifically that I take with me to help me connect. I’m not going to go super extensive into the meanings of the crystals, you can find that other places, but these are my go to:

Labradorite: good for intuition and heightening senses

Spirit Bomb Quartz: I’m gonna be honest, I bought this mainly because it looked like a kidney stone I had, and it's one of Yusuke Urameshi's powers. But! It’s quartz so it’s always good to have around.

Azurite: good for mentality clarity and receiving messages.

Lapis Lazuli: My favourite stone <3. Good for connecting with inner guidance and intuition.

Music is great for bringing in spirits. Music is this incredible source of energy that carries over despite language, time period, or place. We all love music! Music can change a room in a minute. With music you are transported to a different time and place. This is great especially for spirits from older periods as it brings out a lot of nostalgia and emotion. Music also helps you get into the right headspace for communication as well.

Special objects are used all the time in ghost shows. Personal belongings such as jewelry, books, or clothes work well. Toys and crayons for children have been known to get them to come out and play. Things from the person’s time period or hobbies they did can help draw them in as well.

Food

Food is what gives us energy, and that doesn’t change much in the spirit realm either. Some good basic foods to bring are things like bread, fruit, baked goods, tea, or alcohol. I've found unless there is specific trauma around it, most spirits accept alcohol/cigarettes. Consider the time period or region of your location.

If you are investigating an old house or mansion, what food was popular at the time? What food was popular in the region? Try and give something that is familiar or would be a treat for them. Crack open a cold one for the spirits in your haunted bar, maybe offer up some peanuts or chips to bring the people in. Invite the lady of the mansion some nice tea or cakes and a chat.

If investigating a hospital/mental ward/prison, consider bringing something from the outside world. From my personal experience there is nothing someone wants more after a long stint in the hospital than a big burger. These people died eating the blandest shit imaginable (if they weren’t starved) so try something they wouldn’t have been able to have before. You don’t have to cook a wagyu beef steak, but cookies or sweets could go a long way in winning the favour of more shy or angry spirits. Bring milk and cookies to the children’s ward for a treat! Give the kids the sugar they couldn’t have in this realm!

What do spirits do with food?

Think about all the energy you put into cooking! All the stirring, kneading, heating, cooling, oils, herbs, meats, water, all has energy that gets combined and condensed when food is made. In my mortal opinion, spirits can feed off of this energy like we eat food. This is why I think some food offerings shrivel quicker. The energy from the cow used to produce the milk is carried down through the milking, pasteurization, packaging, distribution and receiving of one single bottle, gaining more energy each step of the way. Machinery used to make food feeds into that energy as well as the people who make it. You ever buy food and can taste the energy of the overworked underpaid worker who made it? Homemade items are usually the best, but store bought works just the same.

I also believe that the spirit can manifest to physically eat the food. This could either be an apparition or manifesting in the form of an animal.

If the food is store bought I might suggest cleansing it spiritually before offering it.

What to do with the food?

There are a couple options here. The easiest one is just leave it and let nature take its course. Liquids are usually poured on the ground or drain. If you are not on your own property I would suggest other methods such as burying(if it won't harm the wildlife) or (SAFELY) burning. I would use a big fireproof bowl such as a glass or metal mixing bowl (probably best if it’s not the one you use in the kitchen). If you are able to leave it overnight and come back to it, take note of any changes to the food! I like to keep my offerings out overnight but if it is going to spoil or stink then whenever you are done/they are done is fine.

Incense

Fire is an amazing element! Prometheus ain’t getting his liver eaten eternally for nothing! Fire can turn herbs and resins into magic in a flash. There’s a reason incense has been used for centuries in ritual practices all over the world. This can be done with sticks, cones, resins, bundles or loose. If you are going to burn incense PLEASE do this carefully as well.

Herbs and plants I usually burn are mugwort, wormwood, damiana, sandalwood, lavender, and cedar. This can be done either as a blend or individually. These are usually burned on a charcoal disk or as a stick if I can find one.

Resins are also common for rituals and spirit contact. There’s a reason Christians love to hotbox themselves with frankincense and myrrh. Shit works! These take a little more work so I suggest planning ahead if you are going to use these.

If you’re a cop you have to tell us!!! Ok now that the cops are gone this might sound wack, but in my experience, ghosts love drugs. I have yet to encounter a spirit who did not like weed. I have been told specifically to smoke weed with my spirits to help charge and cleanse them. Taking a rip from a bong invokes all four elements and helps center yourself. I wouldn’t suggest toking up in a haunted mansion, but a sprinkle of flower or kief on a charcoal disk can work as well. Use tobacco wisely as it is sacred to many Native cultures. Use Native grown tobacco and treat the herb with the respect it deserves. White supremacy and capitalism have tainted tobacco to be what it is now. If offering cigarettes, I suggest using the more organic ones. That being said, if you know a specific brand the spirit likes, opt for that one. I would suggest burying this offering as burning it may cause health issues, set off fire alarms, or leave a harsh smell.

Consider the type of haunting or spirit you are going to interact with. What do previous reports say the activity is? What type of location is it? What was this land before something was built here? I will briefly cover different types of hauntings and spirits that are common for ghost investigations. This is by no means all-encompassing but I’ve gathered this much from observations.

Active haunting. Classic ghost haunting. This type of spirit is aware of their surroundings to a degree. Usually conscious of the fact they are dead but not always. Common characteristics are:

Footsteps

Lights flickering

Feelings of being watched

Temperature drops

Hearing voices

Apparitions (full body, partial, shadow beings)

Mild physical activity (touching, doors closing/opening on their own, minor movement of objects)

Residual haunting. More common for places of tragedy, this type of spirit is usually not aware of their surroundings and instead are repeating moments of their life. Most characteristics apply from active hauntings to residual as well. The main difference is activity is done in a pattern. Common characteristics are:

Activity that comes in cycles or patterns i.e. specific times of day/year, specific places

Footsteps

Movement of specific objects

Voices or audio that does is not in response to the living word

Apparitions seen around same place/time

Poltergeist. This is the more active type of haunting. Most horror movies are based on this type. This type of haunting usually happens when a spirit is very powerful, usually angered or annoyed. The spirit is very aware of its surroundings. Common characteristics are:

Apparitions of all kinds

Footsteps

Doors slamming

Wall banging

Intense physical activity (things being thrown, moved, broken, or disappearing)

Physical presence (cold rooms, being able to push or grab people)

Behaviour change in people (more aggressive, sad, or just strange behaviour in general)

There is a lot of bleedover in regards to the categories, but it is usually determined by intensity and frequency of objects.

During Contact

Ugh, nothing pisses me off more than people back-talking ghosts when they are trying to make contact. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar folks. Here’s quick do’s and don'ts of making contact with spirits.

Do:

Bring an offering

Announce your presence when you come in and state your business. Be polite and introduce yourself. Spirits are more likely to warm up to you if they know what your doing.

Explain your equipment as you set it up or use it. Show them where to talk on recorders, I can almost guarantee someone from the 1800s probably doesn’t know about REM pods, EMF detectors, and video cameras. Explain using simple language but remember you are not talking to a child (unless you are). Demonstrations of equipment can help you test out your gear and get the spirits used to it. Evidence doesn’t start when you turn off the lights, record as you set up in case curious ghosts have things to say

Thank the spirit when it responds! If you ask for a sign and they bang the wall, thank them! Even if it’s scary stuff like slamming doors it’s still good to thank them.

Don’t:

Provoking the spirits by taunting isn’t going to do shit but get you cursed. Y’all know what I’m talking about. Early seasons Zak Bagans shit. ‘I’m not scared of you! Come out and face me! Show yourself coward! Attack me!’ Okay dude good luck with that attachment!

You are a mere mortal in the presence of something you don’t understand, don’t be an asshole about it. Talk to them like they are people because they probably were once! Talk in a respectful tone and be humble.

Don’t get mad if they don’t respond. Be mindful of where you are and what you’re talking about. If you are asking a spirit about a horrific event, accept that they may not want to talk about it. The type of haunting may not be fit for the type of investigation you’re doing.

NOT EVERY GHOST IS A DEMON OR EVIL. I’m so tired of every time someone has a negative interaction with a ghost it’s a demon. Maybe they’re just pissed off you’re in their space? Don’t throw around random labels just because you’re uncomfortable.

Debunking is always good to try but disregarding unexplainable things discourages spirits from trying. Or they may try harder and you might not like what they do!

Ending Investigation

Show your gratitude. Dispose of your offerings properly and thank the spirits for their time and energy. Clean up any mess you may have left.

Cleanse the space. Everyone likes to cleanse differently so I won’t go into it too deeply. Personally, I like to burn incense and use sound. I find ‘cleansing tones’ on Spotify and turn my bluetooth speaker upside down so the speaker is directly touching the surface. I believe this helps dispel negative energy. Other ways are using a bell, using cleansing water, visualization etc. Take only pictures, leave only footprints type of deal. This is especially important for places of violence or negative energies.

I advise walking out of the space backwards so nothing can follow you and cleansing yourself when you are done. Too often people go into these spaces, rip the bandaid off the spiritual wounds and then leave. It’s cruel to keep these spirits bound to these places for our entertainment.

Only YOU can prevent spiritual fuckery!

Note: the source leads to an outside blog that is co-run by me. Some of the words may have been changed in this edition, but this is not plagiarism, i wrote both! The URL is randomly generated for now but it is still a legit website. Feel free to check out the other posts!

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woeswrites · 28 days

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Yandere Hannibal Lecter

Warnings: Alluding towards torture, Yandere themes, Obsessive behaviors,

Notes: Hannibal's done! A fic idea I had shortened down into whatever this is lol

Hannibal sure loved his dinner parties

Needless to say the community did too

To satiate the numerous requests for more he'd decided it was time to out-do himself yet again

A gathering to celebrate summer solstice would do

He'd spend a considerable amount of time in preparation

Handwritten invitations

A completely unique menu

And last but certainly not least, the gathering of ingredients

As he finished off the last of the swine he could already see his vision coming together

'The day of' quickly approached

Hours he spent slaving away in the kitchen

Finally he'd be able to enjoy himself and entertain his guests

He'd meticulously picked out his visitors for this event

You were very much not among those he'd selected

His eyes trained against your figure

A simple glance and nothing would have been amiss

But Hannibal was not the average onlooker

One by one he picked up on curiosities about you

Your darting eyes scoping out the place

Your suit, new but definitely not costly enough to fit in with the rest of the crowd

And one last thing, that fancy watch of yours

Hannibal excused himself from the clique who had entrapped him with their formalities

A few quick greetings here and there and he was by your side

"Forgive me, but I cannot seem to remember your name. All the party planning must be clouding my memory."

You were quite surprised at the host's appearance

Its not like you were in a group of people

On the contrary, you were alone, on the outskirts of the room

"No need to ask forgiveness. This is actually our first time meeting. Y/n-- Monroe's plus one. It's nice to meet you."

Hannibal gracefully accepted your handshake

He didn't feel the need to mention that he'd already encountered Monroe and his companion that night

That would ruin the fun

He'd strike up a conversation, all the basics (weather, occupation, etc.)

It was safe to say Hannibal didn't believe the accountant lie

He felt your callouses earlier, those were hands of labor

But, yet again, that was something he kept to himself for the time being

By the time you started looking a little antsy someone was calling for Hannibal

"Hostly duties. I hope to catch you again before the party's over Mr. L/n. Do try some of the horderves, I hear the chef's fantastic."

As soon as you escaped the interaction you were back at it

Scanning the various rooms for anything light enough that was worth taking

Elite parties like this were like taking candy from a baby

It's not like these millionaires would notice a few pieces of jewelry missing anyways

Especially not while they were off getting drunk with their friends

Hey, even if they did

You'd soon be gone without a trace

Or at least you thought so

While everyone else was mingling downstairs you'd managed to worm your way into the master bedroom

Luckily you'd brought a pretty bulky satchel with you

Everything and anything that looked valuable was slipped inside the bag

While questioning whether or not the gold candle holders were worth the space they'd take up you heard something

Footsteps

The function was still thriving downstairs (as evident from all the chatter and music)

Perhaps a random partygoer felt the urge to explorex

You weren't too worried about it before they started sounding closer

And closer

It was evident they were heading your way

It was too late to hide

They were practically already here

You quickly clasped your satchel together again before the man fully stood before you

"Well look at what we have here."

"Hannibal! You're just the man I had wanted to see. I have completely gotten lost. Where's your bathroom?"

Your sheepish smile did nothing to convince the man in front of you

Instead he'd locked the door behind him

"If you're trying to be secretive about your motives, maybe you should be careful about wearing your spoils before you've fully left the scene of the crime."

Hannibal points at the watch on your wrist

You might have been wearing it but it was definitely his

You tried to rectify your actions

You clearly had never been caught before

All of the goods were thrown onto the ground

You backed away, begging him to forgive you for you actions

"You know, I really hate the rude. I don't know what more ill-mannered than stealing."

Hannibal approached slowly, rolling up his sleeves

You tried backing away but couldn't get too far

"I'm sorry-- I'm so so sorry!"

"No you aren't. But you will be."

Just like that you were out

It took a second for you to realize you were awake again, your vision obscured by some sort of cloth

Hannibal would eventually reveal your surroundings

You were in his basement, a sight not many were privy to

It probably had something to do with the meats hanging down there

You had to fight the bile that rose up your throat

Hannibal grabbed you by the chin, forcing you to look at him

"We're gonna shape you into a good boy. No matter how long it takes."

He wheeled a cart over to you, the tools a little too fuzzy for you to make out with how bad your head hurt

"Don't look so scared. A little cooperation and maybe this won't hurt so bad Mylimasis."

He'd break you down over time

There was no other option

#he/him #male reader #Hannibal Lecter x male reader #hannibal lecter x reader #yandere hannibal #yandere hannibal lecter #possessive love #NBC Hannibal #yandere NBC hannibal #hannibal #hannibal lecter

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powpowpunchout · 1 year

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Looking Forward To It

Super Macho Man laid across the purple, velvet seats of his limousine as he scrolled through his flip phone.

He grumbled to himself every time he hit a wrong button. His fingers were far too big for this new phone. He only got it a couple days ago, and while he did love the glistening, metallic blue cover, along with his initials spelt out with tiny, round, silver diamonds–yes, real diamonds, as if he’d ever use faux ones–it just wasn’t cutting it for him. It was way too small.

Yeah, yeah, it wasn’t ink-stained like the one he had to throw away, but how’s he supposed to text the ladies and call his friends if he keeps hitting the wrong buttons?

The world truly gives Macho Man its hardest challenges.

Macho Man shifted onto his side and adjusted his seatbelt. With the way Macho was laying, the seatbelt was going more across his neck than it was his chest. He didn’t care about whatever ‘safety hazards’ this potentially had, he preferred this pose over sitting up right and having the belt constantly dig into his pecs.

Without taking his eyes off the phone, Macho stretched his arm out and grabbed his drink off the personal bar that sat across from him.

The bar wasn’t anything too fancy, unfortunately. Just a sleek, black countertop with a thin, white light going along the edge. There was an assortment of glasses placed on the shelves underneath the counter–the glasses were held in place by mounted drink holders to make sure they wouldn’t fall over and shatter–and placed below the shelves was a small fridge compartment he could pop open to help himself to a fine array of liquor.

A fine array of liquor that he wasn’t drinking, because it was noon. That’s not prime drinking time.

Instead, he was having water in a wine glass with his initials on it.

As soon as he brought it to his face, the limo hit a bump and water splashed him.

He sat right up and cussed. He grabbed a fistfull of napkins on the counter and started patting down his blue and white striped, deep-v, cotton cardigan. He shuddered as he felt the cold water seep through the fabric and touch his skin.

“Ey, a heads up next time would’ve been great!” Macho Man shouted at his driver as he wiped the water off his face.

“Sorry sir.” He heard his driver say, his voice muffled by the rolled up window that separated the driver’s compartment from the passenger’s.

Macho Man huffed and continued drying himself off.

He was thankful his hair and slim, black jeans barely got a drop on them, but his golden necklace wasn’t as lucky. He paid good money for that dang thing–

Macho Man stopped. His eyes darted around.

Where was his phone?

Macho Man searched around until he spotted it on the black, carpeted floor, laying right next to a plastic bag. He was careful not to touch the bag as he reached out for his phone. There wasn’t anything nasty in the bag, just his ink stained robe and speedo, but still. He didn’t want to touch it.

Honestly, just thinking about those stains started to tick him off. He thought they’d be easy to wash off, that he could send them over to his personal washer and they’d come back spotless, but that’s not what happened.

Instead, he got a call from his washer saying they tried everything they could and had no luck, so Macho threw the clothes into a bag and went over to his tailor, who only shrugged and said he wasn’t able to do anything except suggest a seamstress. Her name was Mallow, she was apparently a good friend of his tailor’s and apparently ran a real high end boutique.

Macho remembered the written description his tailor texted him the other day. The outside of it was white and had large windows, along with a couple of potted plants by the glass front door, while the name of the boutique–’Mesmerize’--was written above in golden cursive.

It was also pretty dang far from his mansion. It better be worth the trip.

Macho’s phone let out a little ‘Bing!’ sound. He barely lifted his brows when he saw he got a text from some jewelry brand’s representative that was interested in having him model a couple of their products.

He’ll answer it later. If he even feels like talking to them later.

He already had, like, three other brand deals he had to meet up with after the boutique, and he wasn’t looking forward to any of them. Those meetings were always so painfully boring.

Speaking of boring, this ride was boring. Macho Man turned his head towards the window and watched as the limo passed by a bunch of fancy looking stores and restaurants, along with–

Macho Man’s eyes widened. He pressed his face against the glass.

Did they just pass by Bear Hugger? He could’ve sworn they passed by Bear Hugger just moments ago.

Macho turned back around and folded his arms. He was kinda tempted to stick his head out the window and holler Hugger’s name, but unfortunately, that’d be too ‘attention grabbing’.

That sucks.

Usually, Macho doesn’t care about what garnered people’s attention, but apparently his driver did. His driver was also the reason this limo ride was probably his most boring one yet. They couldn’t blast any music, they couldn’t flash any colorful lights, and Macho couldn’t stick his head outta the windows or the sunroof. Heck, even the limo they were in was probably his lamest one.

It was short, only having about eight seats, while the exterior was white. The only things remotely interesting was the license plate, which just had Super Macho Man’s initials on it. There was also a thin line of gold that stretched across the bottom of the limo, which was the only pop of color it had. Other than that? Absolutely, painfully boring.

All because his driver didn’t want to ‘be spotted and swarmed by fans again’, and he was ‘tired of putting up with screaming people and flashing cameras’.

Macho Man rolled his eyes at the recollection. That guy needs to live a little.

If his fans went outta their way to chase down his limo, all just to say ‘Hi’, you bet Macho’s gonna give them a ‘Hi’ back. That’s dedication he can respect. Plus, it’s attention! Who doesn’t like extra attention?

‘Bald Bull.’ A voice in the back of his head said. Macho groaned.

He already felt like garbage when Bull told him a whole bunch of freaks started blasting his phone a couple days ago, he does not need a reminder.

Macho started to fiddle with the chains of his necklace. How was he supposed Bull’s number was gonna get around to so many people? How was he supposed to know they’d bombard Bull’s phone for hours on end?

He slumped against the seat and stared at his phone.

Maybe he should call Bull again.

Macho dialed his number, but as soon as he hit the green button, a message popped up.

‘THIS CALLER DOES NOT EXIST.’

His chest stung the moment he read those words–

Macho snapped his phone shut and threw it across the limo.

No it didn’t.

It’s cool. It’s whatever.

He doesn’t even care that he chucked his phone away. He needed a new one anyway.

He’s got bigger things to worry about, like those brand deals, and his stained clothes, and–

He turned his head towards the window again.

The fact that it’s cloudy. That’s another thing to worry about. What if it rains and his outfit gets all wet? Can’t let that happen.

Macho Man rubbed his temples.

He’s talking about the weather of all things now. This ride’s really taking a toll on him. He can’t wait till they finally reach the boutique.

~ ~ ~ ~

“...Then suddenly my neighbor comes knockin’ at my door–and usually we get along all fine ‘n dandy…” Bear Hugger rambled as he struggled to open a large bag of mixed bird seeds.

Piston Hondo nodded along. He held his arms behind his back, the feeling of the oversized, loose sleeves of his dark blue haori hitting him just above the wrists bothered him more than it should. And while he could roll down the sleeves of the crimson, buttoned up shirt he wore underneath, he’d prefer not to. His shirt’s sleeves were longer than his jacket’s; if he rolled them down, it’d look uneven. It’s such a minor thing, but it’d pester him to no end.

“...But she’s knockin’ at my door, I open it, and BOY, I have never seen her so angry since th’time I accidentally punched that tree through her window years ago. So I was thinkin’: Uh oh.” Bear Hugger was so focused on trying to open the bag that he didn’t notice he was starting to drift to the left. He almost ran into a garbage can, but Hondo quickly grabbed him by the end of his brown and white plaid jacket and pulled him back.

The path they were walking on was rather narrow. On the right of them was a cement fence that stood taller than Bear and completely blocked the view of whatever was on the other side, save for the tops of trees. On the left were black lamp posts, flowers that sat in thin, rectangular cement pots that completely contrasted the plants' loose and free forms, and the occasional wooden bench and trash can. Past the lampposts was a road, and despite there being numerous signs telling people to drive slowly, people just rushed on through, which made crossing to the other side to reach the stores quite risky.

“Thank ya!” Bear flashed Hondo a smile before he continued, “Anyways, I thought I broke somethin’ of her’s again, but instead she shoves a dingy lookin’ box in my hands ‘n tells me to keep my pets under control. I open th’box and out pops Knack!”

Hondo raised his brows. He’s met Knack a couple of times before. One of Bear’s many animals he’s helped care for in the past. Knack was much smaller than the other squirrels Hondo’s seen, one of his ears had been cut off due to a barbed-wire injury, and he was the type that preferred to lay around and snack.

“Turns out the li’l feller was gettin’ tired of waitin’ for me to feed him–and whatever my neighbor was cookin’ must’ve smelled mighty tasty, cause he went and snuck right in!”

Hondo tilted his head towards his friend, “Did you not feed him at the usual time?”

5 PM was the ‘usual time’ Bear went to his front yard and fed whichever animals were patiently waiting on his lawn. He used to feed them multiple times a day, but narrowed it down to one because he didn’t want to ‘spoil them’. Not that it made any difference. Hondo’s seen how much Bear feeds those animals. They were well beyond spoiled.

“Well, I was–” Bear’s cheeks turned a rosy pink, he stopped messing with the bag of seeds, “I got caught up with stuff.”

“Stuff?” Hondo repeated, his serious, monotone voice never changing, “Was it so important that you had to subject those animals to starvation?”

“Starvation–?! They hadda wait an extra ten minutes at most, they were fine!”

“I cannot believe I am friends with such a heartless man.”

“Awh, knock it off!” Bear pouted before turning his attention back to the bag, “Bad enough all those critters gave me the saddest pairs of eyes I’ve ever seen–and all that cryin’ they did! My heart nearly shattered last night, I don’t need t’feel guilty all over again.”

Hondo let out a chuckle, his stoic face shifting for just a moment.

Hondo then adjusted his white headband and looked up.

The clouds were thick and dark. What started as a gentle breeze in the morning had grown into strong winds that carried a familiar, fresh, earthy smell.

It was probably going to rain soon.

How wonderful.

Hondo was looking forward to it, honestly. There was nothing more calming than the sound of water hitting pavement and roofs. The vibrancy of the plants that followed after, along with the scent of a just-drenched city was perfect.

Hondo looked back to the path and saw a water fountain up not too far away. It was shaped like a deep bowl, its color a dark gray and its surface far from smooth. Horizontal lines were carved into the surface and stretched across the entire base; if you were to run your fingers from the top of the fountain to the bottom, you were guaranteed to run into tens of little bumps along the way.

Surrounding the fountain was a wide, stone path, and in between the path and the fountain were little, light purple flowers.

Then there was the freestanding, wooden awning that stood above the fountain. It was nearly as tall as the cement fence, but unlike most awnings, this one didn’t have any fabric, which left its wooden pillars above bare. In a way, Hondo found it charming.

As Hondo and Bear got closer to the area, Hondo saw that the two benches placed under both sides of the awning were empty. Usually there’s a good handful of people who liked to meet and chat here, but most people were out eating lunch or scared off by the possibility of it raining.

Hondo turned to the hedges. There was an opening in the middle that led to a descending staircase that’d take them to the city’s park–

“Oh–!” He heard Bear Hugger cry out, followed by the sound of seeds scattering to the ground. Hondo whipped his head around and saw Bear holding the now half-empty bag close to his sky-blue shirt.

“Darn.” Bear said, a little, saddened expression on his face. He combed out the seeds that fell into his beard before shaking off the ones that got caught in the bottom folds of his loose jeans. A couple did manage to land on top of his brown, laced up boots, but they quickly slid off as soon as he stepped over the fresh puddle of seeds.

He joined Hondo through the hedges and down the stairs. He took one last glimpse behind and saw a couple of birds helping themselves to the seeds. He chuckled.

“Welp, least they ain’t goin’ to waste.”

Hondo nodded.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Hondo started as they traveled down the cobblestone steps, “What were you busy with last night?”

“I told ya already,” Bear said as he grabbed onto the sleek, thin, black railing, “stuff.”

Hondo pressed his lips together. He clearly wasn’t going to get an answer, best not to pry.

Up ahead, just a few steps away, was a stone, square landing with a sign welcoming them to the city’s park. Neither of them bothered to stop and read it, they’ve been here plenty of times before.

The sign–and heck, the entire staircase down–was surrounded by an array of flowers, bushes, and trees. Most of the flowers were vibrant shades of blue, yellow, and purple, while the bushes and trees were perfectly trimmed. There wasn’t a branch out of place.

The men turned to the left and continued walking down.

The stairs were built in a zigzag-like path along a steep, luscious green hillside, which was a popular area for kids–and Bear Hugger–to sled down whenever it snowed.

Hondo eyed the trees they passed. Some barely reached his height, while others towered above them. Bear could probably name every tree that was here. Hondo? He could only name a few.

Hickory, oak, walnut…

There was one tree Hondo recognized yet never remembered the name of. But he did remember that they start to grow berries at this time of year. They were round, a bright red–sometimes orange and yellow–and they were incredibly tough. Hondo’s never bitten into one before–Bear even recommended against it; personal experience apparently–but he has plenty of those same trees around his neighborhood, and every time he’s crushed one with his foot, he was more than surprised to find the berry completely unscathed.

It’d be impressive if those berries weren’t so annoying. They were about the size of an eyeball, and it felt like one of those trees produced hundreds of those things. They were a horrible slipping hazard. And when those berries finally did crack open? They’d release a foul, musky odor and stain the streets with streaks of red.

In this park, however, those berries were nowhere to be seen.

Whoever was in charge of keeping this particular park clean did an excellent job at it. No berries or twigs covered the stairs, fallen leaves were raked away, there weren’t any vines or branches that wrapped themselves around the railings either. The lampposts scattered around didn’t have a single scratch on them, and the benches looked brand new despite being here for years.

The sound of running water caught Hondo’s attention.

They were approaching a small, arched, red-cedar wooden bridge that went over a thin, rushing creek, with a waterfall to the left of it.

Hondo crossed the bridge, but stopped and waited for his friend, who was observing the little fish that swam through the water.

Hondo listened to the water that trickled by. He listened to the tiny splashes that came each time one of those fish briefly leapt out.

He took a deep breath. That earthy smell was growing stronger.

He stared down the path that waited for them. A long, smooth, beige path surrounded by trimmed grass and all sorts of flowers. There weren’t any fences protecting the plants, the people in this area knew better than to trample what wasn’t theirs.

And at the very bottom of the hill? There was a pond with a fountain in the middle where the creek poured into. Hondo spotted a couple of ducks swimming through the pond. That’ll certainly put a smile on Bear’s face.

There was also that dark-wood pavilion not too far from the pond. Rectangular with a deep, red roof, it had a couple of picnic tables underneath it that made it the perfect spot to sit under when storms struck or the sun scorched.

“Ey, Hondo! Lookit this!” Bear called out.

Hondo went back to the bridge and to his friend’s side. Bear then pointed to the creek.

“There’s a li’l frog in there!” He sounded so excited when he said that.

It took Hondo a moment, but when he narrowed his eyes, he could see it. A tiny, muddy-green frog sitting atop a rock looking perfectly content, not minding to drops of water splattering onto its skin.

“Ya know, I used to hunt for frogs when I was real young.” Bear said as they continued walking, “Anytime it rained at my ma’s, I’d go runnin’ out ‘n search through those puddles to see if I could find any. There were some real big ones.”

“Yes, I remember you mentioning this.” Hondo said, “I also remember you mentioning you were always covered in mud whenever you returned home.”

“Awh, yeah. Drove my ma nuts! Always had to clean after myself ‘n do the laundry to make it up to her.”

As the two neared the pond, they sat on one of the wooden benches nearby.

The sound of the waterfall, mixed with the sound of the fountain and leaves rustling with the wind, was quite soothing.

Bear shoved his hand into the bag of seeds and tossed them onto the sidewalk. Sure enough, a few ducks were already making their way over.

“Speaking of which…” Hondo whispered before turning to Bear, “Were you able to get that ink off of your overalls?”

“Nah.” Bear replied, happily watching the ducks waddle towards them.

“I see.” Hondo lowered his brows, “I am sorry to hear.”

“What? Why on earth are you apologizin’?”

“Your clothes got ruined.”

“Yeah, but it happens. I got plenty of extras, and I can just wear that stained one whenever I’m workin’ on m’projects ‘n stuff. ‘Sides, yer not th’one who got ink on it.”

“Regardless.”

Hondo reached into the bag and grabbed a handful of seeds. He scattered a few of them out, his movements stiff.

“Hey, at least that ink explosion’ll make for a funny story when we all get together at th’bar.” Bear playfully nudged Hondo.

Hondo sharply exhaled. Maybe it’s because his sense of humor was different from Bear’s, or maybe it’s because that ‘ink explosion’ happened recently, but he didn’t find anything particularly funny about the situation or Macho Man’s negligence.

“I’m just thankful Overload won’t be joining us there.” Hondo gently closed his hand around the seeds, “The way he snapped at you for simply checking on him that night? It infuriated me. I cannot imagine myself being anywhere near that man outside of the ring.”

“I mean, th’guy lost.” Bear Hugger shrugged, “I can definitely understand gettin’ all riled up bout that.”

“Yes, but in what world is it okay to lash out like a child? There’s far better ways to handle anger rather than taking it out on the stadium’s property.”

“I’m–well–” Bear fumbled, “Shoot, I know. Some people just get real worked up–ya remember when you used to act like that?” For some reason, Bear wore a smile on his face when he said that, as if recollecting a fond memory.

“I do and it sickens me.” Hondo said, curling his hand into a tight fist, “But even then, I never took my anger out on others. I never pushed away staff members for merely doing their job, or shouted at people for something as minor as fingers tapping.”

That comparison bothered him much more than he wanted it to. To imply his past aggressions were anywhere near the level of Overload’s felt like an insult to his character.

Hondo was more than aware of how immature his anger got when he lost or became too critical of himself, but that’s where he thrived where Overload could never. Self awareness. Hondo has never seen a moment of reflection from that man. There was never a moment where he stopped and thought to himself that perhaps he had gone too far. Instead, he’d just shout and storm out of whatever room he was in, too pathetic to even tackle his problems head on.

Hondo remembered one instance–one singular instance–where, in a fit of rage, he tore a door from its hinges. He remembered the scene so vividly, despite how long ago it was.

He remembered being in the stadium’s bathroom. He remembered how freezing it was in there, how there was a faint, musky smell in the air. He remembered Bear Hugger and Great Tiger trying to talk to him, trying to calm him down, but all Hondo did was raise his voice louder and louder until he couldn’t stand staying in the same room with them anymore. He remembered how he clutched onto the metal knob and slammed the door shut, only to hear a snapping sound followed by a loud, echoed BANG when the door fell to the ground.

He remembered the shocked expressions on Bear and Tiger that night, and he remembered staring at the scene for what felt like an eternity.

And he remembered that slow, awful realization of how destructive that festering anger inside of him was.

After that, Hondo took the time to look within himself and think. Hondo learned how to better control his anger. Hondo had friends he could rely on. Overload had none of that. And with his behavior? He didn’t deserve it.

The fact that Overload had been called out time and time again, not just by other boxers, but by the higher-ups for the several instances he had broken the stadium’s property in the past, yet nothing has changed twisted Hondo’s stomach into a burning knot.

The amount of times Hondo has witnessed Overload’s foul behavior before, the times he had to stand idly by while Overload shouted at people–at his friends–over something as minor as a foot tapping or humming–such minor things that everyone else could ignore just fine–truly disgusted him.

And as bitter as it was to think about, Hondo knew it didn’t matter what he–or anyone–said to Overload. The responses were always the same. A scoff, a roll of the eyes, perhaps a grumbled insult or two before he carries on with his day, or in some cases, stomps out of the room like a child.

It only took Hondo that one instance to realize he needed to change. How long would it take Overload?

As Hondo’s knuckles turned white, he thought to himself.

In a bitter way, Hondo did not care if Overload was stuck like this for the rest of his life. If he’s refused to listen after the numerous times he’s been called out, then so be it.

A foul man such as Overload deserves to be stuck in a pit of his own misery.

“Hey, ya alright? I didn’t wanna bring up any bad memories.” Bear’s voice pulled Hondo out of his thoughts.

“Yes. Fine.” Hondo said. He brought his head down and saw a duckling standing right next to his black shoes, staring right at him, eagerly waiting for him to drop his fistful of seeds onto the ground.

Hondo uncurled his fist, but instead of whole sunflower seeds and cracked corn sitting in his palm, there was powder.

“Sheesh, didn’t know ya were crushin’ them that hard.” Bear threw his brows up, “I kept hearin’ that crackin’ sound comin’ from ya, ‘n I was gettin’ afraid that ya were breakin’ ya fingers or somethin’.”

Hondo let out a dry chuckle with no smile to accompany it. He let the powder run through his fingers before grabbing another handful of seeds and scattering them about.

He then leaned against the bench’s black, metal armrest before propping his head up with his hand, watching the duckling eat with the other birds and squirrels.

The two men sat there, letting the sound of chirps and a running creek fill the silence between them.

A strange feeling of shame started to gather inside Hondo’s chest, sucking away whatever warmth he had until he felt hollow.

“After this,” Hondo said, trying to ignore the sensation, “there’s a store that we had passed by that looked rather nice. I believe it was an antique store? If you would like, we–”

“An antique store?!” Bear hollered, scaring away some of the birds, “Don’t gotta say no more! Course we’re gonna go after this! I haven’t been to one of those in forever. Ya always fine the darndest things there–”

Bear’s rambling, his beaming face, the joy radiating off of him from that single offer was just what Hondo needed to smother whatever shame had built up inside of him.

His tense body slowly started to loosen. He then pressed his back against the bench and–

A drop of water hit Hondo’s nose. He blinked.

Another drop followed.

As the rain started to come down and washed away the remains of his foul mood, as Bear’s voice filled his ears, Hondo felt a faint smile make its way onto his face.

~ ~ ~ ~

Macho Man stepped out of his limo, his bag of stained clothes being carried by a single finger.

He scowled.

This boutique didn’t match the description his tailor gave him at all.

The walls weren’t white, they were a porcelain color. Clearly. You wanna see something sparkling white? Take a look at his smile. That’ll paint the perfect image for you. But this boutique? Not white. He can say that with confidence.

And the windows? They weren’t even that large. They were maybe the size of his torso at most. And why didn’t his tailor mention the cream-colored borders around them? The borders that stuck out horribly from the wall. That felt like a pretty important detail to mention.

And those bushes placed in short, cement pots surrounding the front of the store? Don’t get him started.

For starters, they were placed. Not planted. Macho Man could see the bushes were clearly still sitting in their plastic, black pots that the stores shoved them in, and weren’t actually planted into the cement pots themselves.

Second off, the bushes themselves looked like they haven’t gotten a good trim in months. Too many branches and leaves were sticking out in front of the door, and Macho knows the moment he tries to squeeze past them, his clothes will get all scratched up and ruined. And the flowers they had–those were just as messy as the bushes. They were pink, puffy, and about the size of his fist, and they left a pile of petals underneath them. Great.

And why didn’t his tailor say anything about the vines that crawled up the walls? Some leaves were even dangling in front of the door. Do they really expect him to just waltz on through that as if there’s no bugs on those leaves? Ridiculous.

And the store’s name–’Mesmerize’–the one his tailor claimed was written in gold, was obviously not gold. Even with his sunglasses on, Macho could tell it was rose gold.

The outside honestly looked awful, but seamstresses are known for designing clothes, not exteriors, but this ‘Mallow’ person was on super thin ice now.

Macho’s scowl only grew when a drop of rain hit his lens.

He wants to get this over with. It looked like he was the only one here at the moment. Everyone else was probably out getting lunch, something he’d love to do right now.

Whatever. The service here better be good.

Macho Man pushed open the door as he took his sunglasses off to clean them. A little bell chimed out. He felt the tip of a leaf run across the back of his neck and shuddered.

The first thing to greet him was the intense smell of vanilla. Despite that, he didn’t take his eyes off his sunglasses. He kept his head down, walking ahead while he used the end of his cardigan to make the lens spotless.

He was able to get a decent look of the floor at least. It was a light brown wood–and he wasn’t sure if he was just hungry, or if the smell of vanilla was messing with him–but the color reminded him of caramel. He was also able to spot small, fluffy white rugs scattered around with white, round-topped tables on top of them.

“Hi!” A cheery voice called out, “How can–oh.”

He raised his head slightly, locking eyes with a short woman who sat behind a marbled white counter. She had a short, curly, dark brown afro, her skin a sepia brown, and she was wearing some sorta detective get-up? That was the only thing Macho could think of when he saw her cotton candy-pink trench coat with black buttons. Pinned onto the coat was a white name tag with the name ‘Mallow’ on it.

Behind Mallow looked like some sorta work area? There were a couple of large tables with their tops completely covered in fabric, threads, papers, sewing machines, and whatever else clothes-makers have. There were shelves and racks filled with a bunch of other materials that looked horribly arranged, and the walls had a whole bunch of posters and post-it notes tacked onto it. What a mess.

He brought his attention back to Mallow, who was still staring at him wide eyed.

“Super… Macho Man?” She said with a tilt of her head. Her dark red–almost purple looking–lips stayed open, like she wanted to say more, but couldn’t find the right words.

Macho Man smirked and hooked his glasses onto the collar of his sweater. He knew exactly what was going on here. Who wouldn’t be left speechless by the sight of his giant, glistening body and smoking hot face?

“I see ya already know me. You a fan?” Macho leaned against the counter.

“Your name’s like, plastered right on your top.” Mallow said, pointing to his name that’s been embroidered in blue thread on the top right of his cardigan, “And Michael told me you were stopping by. Not to mention the article about you. Something about nasty ink stains on your robe and speedo?” There was a hint of a lisp in her voice as she spoke.

Macho slumped at the mention of that paper. And his tailor. Thanks, Michael, for ruining his chance to surprise this woman with his arrival.

“Yeah. Check it.” Without warning, Macho dropped the plastic bag of clothes right in front of her. Mallow recoiled and quickly rolled away in her seat.

“Relax.” Macho rolled his eyes, “The dang thing’s clean. Ya think I’m just gonna drop soiled clothes on ya?”

The lady brought her legs to her chest, completely hiding her white, turtleneck crop top with her black leggings, “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

She grabbed a pen resting atop a nearby table and rolled herself back to the counter. She used it to open the bag and cautiously peered inside, almost as if she was expecting to see a dead animal in there.

“You tried washing it?”

“Yeah, ya think I’m an idiot or somethin’?”

She frowned, “Well, seeing how you’re not wearing a shirt under that cardigan like any normal person would–”

“Alright, well normal people don’t have a rockin’ bod like me. I can’t just go around censorin’ myself like that!”

“Censoring your–” Mallow sputtered before burying her face in her hands, “Can you just tell me what I can help you with?”

“Well I can’t get the ink out, yeah? So can’tcha just, ya know, whip up a new one?”

She lifted her head, “A new speedo or a new robe?”

“Can ya do both?”

She opened her mouth–but Macho spoke over her.

“Nah, yeah, you can totally do both. How much will it cost?” Macho Man was already digging his hand into his back pocket, ready to whip out a check, but the lady shot out of her seat.

“Now hold on just a second!” She said, “I gotta see if I even have the materials, first of all, and second of all, I gotta see when I have the time to work on your clothes. I got other customers too, you know.”

“Are those other customers also super rich boxers?” Macho raised a brow.

“No, but they came before you.” She said, patting down her trench coat before walking to a white door on the other side of her work area, “I’m gonna go check some stuff, you better not move a macho muscle of yours.” She gave him a glare before she slammed the door shut. Macho couldn’t help but grin.

Yeah, her words were drenched in absolute irritation, but she did acknowledge he was muscular. And macho. So that’s a win in his book.

Super Macho Man waited.

And waited.

This is torture.

It’s only been a minute yet it felt like an eternity.

Does she really expect him to just stand here when he’s got things to do? He’ll give her five minutes tops before he ditches this place.

Macho Man slipped his hand into his pocket again and took out his flip phone. He opened it and skimmed whatever text messages he had. Nothing too interesting. A message from some cologne representative he’s gotta meet up with later today, another boring message about a brand deal, this one being about some fancy, golden wristwatches, and–oh! A message from his personal cleaning crew.

He opened it up and skimmed the contents. They finally cleaned out all the ink in the locker room, and they fixed up Overload’s locker as he requested. Macho smiled. Man, Overload’s probably gonna be so happy when he sees his locker all patched up.

Macho Man then raised his head and scanned the boutique’s interior, something he’s neglected to do since the moment he stepped in here.

The place wasn’t too colorful. Just white walls decorated with framed paintings of pink flowers sprinkled around, along with rose-gold poles drilled into the walls that were used to display whatever clothes Mallow had. And above the clothes was–

A thin, white shelf with candles on it? That looked like a fire hazard waiting to happen.

Macho then looked to the round-topped tables he had passed by earlier. They were displaying all sorts of accessories. One particular table that caught his attention had a small, rotating stand that showed off a bunch of shiny jewelry–jewelry that would probably snap into pieces if he even attempted to put it on. They looked way too small for him.

As Macho’s eyes traveled across the boutique, the sound of rain and quiet, smooth jazz filled the silence.

Then his eyes landed on the window at the front of his store. He could see his limo out there.

He sighed. Oh, how he wished he could be driven back to his mansion and take a dip into his hot tub instead of standing here.

It wasn’t like this place was bad or anything, just super lame. Not to mention the smell of vanilla was starting to make him sick.

Okay.

He knows Mallow told him not to move a muscle, but she’s not gonna know if he quickly popped his head out the door to get a breath of fresh air. It’ll literally take a second. Not even that.

Macho walked over to the door, gently tossing his phone up and catching it in the air–then he stopped.

He looked down and saw something horrible.

Absolutely gut wrenching.

Sitting by the door was a newspaper rack.

And on that rack?

Was that awful paper about the night he got ink splattered on him.

He grabbed the paper, nose scrunching as he stared at the blurry image of him trying to hide his face.

He’s been trying so hard these past few days to avoid this slanderous story. To divert his eyes. To ignore the people who’ve asked him billions of questions about it. Seeing that picture of him–all dirtied and shameful–plastered everywhere was absolutely dreadful. So dreadful, in fact, that anytime he saw the photo? He looked the other way.

This was his first time actually holding the paper.

He knows he shouldn’t read whatever was written below. He knows there was a great chance that fans and onlookers alike have voiced their criticisms inside. He knows if he reads this, his mood will get completely ruined–

But what the heck, he’s gonna read it anyway.

He skimmed the article.

Okay. Bunch of boring words so far. It’s just reciting everything Macho’s experienced first hand. He can just skip over this and go right to the fans’ opinions about–

“Looks BAD?!” Macho hollered when he saw those words of a fan written out. He gripped onto his phone, nearly breaking the dang thing.

Who allowed this to be published? Who allowed this low life journalist to drag his name through the mud?

‘Looks bad.’ Oh, how Macho would love to hunt that person down and tell ‘em to say that to his face.

Macho buried his face into the paper, too angry to properly read and process the rest of the words. He was too caught up thinking about that one punk who said he–THE Super Macho Man–looked bad in ink stains. That look may have been unintentional and ruined his expensive robe, but you know what? He killed it in that outfit. He made it work. Just like how he can make anything work because–

Macho Man gasped.

All that anger left in a flash when he saw one particular sentence.

‘...On the night Super Macho Man briefly teased off his latest look, Octave Overload had lost yet another to Don Flamenco in a failed attempt at trying to claim the Belt of the Major Circuit…’

Macho Man can’t believe it.

He and Overload were mentioned in the same newspaper together!

This is amazing.

This is the best paper in the world, actually.

Doesn’t Overload like to collect newspaper strips? Macho Man saw a few of them hanging inside of his locker a couple of times. He should totally snip this out and give it to him.

Is Overload gonna be in the stadium tomorrow? He should check.

Macho flipped through the pages, eyes frantically darting through the paragraphs in hopes of seeing another mention of him and Overload in the same section again, but all he ended up seeing were more fan opinions and an interview with some guy who hates Sandman or something. Less cool, but he’s still totally taking this paper along.

The sound of someone clearing their throat snapped Macho back into reality. He whipped his head around to see Mallow back behind the counter, hands on her hips. Macho tucked the paper between his arm and walked over.

“So,” He said, “How’s th’schedule lookin’?”

“I’ll be able to start in about two weeks, three at the latest.” She then glanced at the bag of Macho’s clothes before looking at Macho himself, “It’s been a while since I’ve made anythin’ like a speedo, so I’ll have to get the materials for that.”

“And how long’s it gonna take for you to–ya know–actually make th’clothes?”

Mallow lowered her brows, “With a man as big as you? I’d give it six days, maybe more or less dependin’ on how busy my store gets.”

Macho Man groaned. He hated waiting.

“And how much is it gonna cost?”

“Well…” Mallow thought to herself before she sat on her chair and opened up a drawer. She took out a calculator, which made Macho Man groan again. He hated numbers.

And he hated waiting because of numbers.

“Ya know what–” Macho whipped out the checkbook from his back pocket, “Gimme that pen.”

Mallow hesitantly did so. Macho snatched it and started scribbling away.

“Th’clothes here looks good. I’m sure whenever ya finish my robe, it’s gonna look more than good, and I’m sure ya gonna charge some big, fancy price, so let’s just start out with a thousand and ya lemme know if ya need more along th’way.”

“A thousand–!?”

Macho tore off the check and shoved it in her face. She grabbed it, eyes as wide as saucers.

“And I’ll give ya an extra hundred if ya lemme take th’newspaper.”

“Mister–” Mallow sputtered, “Mr. Macho, those are, like, $1.50 each. I don’t–”

“Alright, alright. Here.” Macho wrote in his checkbook again.

He ripped the paper off and threw it onto the counter. Mallow grabbed it by one of it’s corners and pulled it towards her, absolutely baffled when she saw a check for a hundred and fifty dollars, along with–

His phone number?

She brought her head back up, a puzzled expression on her face.

“I’m gonna go now. Got places to be, babes to see. Just text me any updates bout my clothes, got it?”

“Yea–Yeah… Got it.” Mallow said, eyes still wide.

Macho nodded, “Good.”

He spun around and marched outta the boutique and right to his limo.

He opened the backdoor and tossed his phone onto the seat, grumbling a bit as rain drops managed to get inside and soil the inside of the car, but whatever. It’ll dry.

He slid inside and slammed the door shut.

While it sucked that he got water all over his clothes and hair again, he wasn’t really trying to keep himself dry anyways. No, his focus was on keeping the newspaper dry instead.

He took the paper out of his arm and unfolded it, smiling to himself when he saw it was completely spotless.

Hopefully Overload’s at the stadium tomorrow. He’s gonna flip when he sees this newspaper article.

#punch out #punch out!!#punch out wii #punch out super macho man #punch out oc #punch out piston hondo #punch out bear hugger #fic #art

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lcrcmcrie · 1 year

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Merry Christmas everyone!

@cagenewman, @alejaalverez, @xespietamayo, @rafaelcb, @joshlane, @ycseniarivera, @dahliadumont

Cage

We've been through a lot this year! And we have our kids to thank for that. First a jacket, because I heard you need one and this one is nice and warm. Next is a mystery puzzle kit for you and Colton to do together. Lily picked that one out.

Aleja

You love the ocean, so I did find some jewelry that's made from seaglass and thought it was perfect. Next is some nail polish for you and Lucia. Enjoy!

Espie

I found this necklace to be quite pretty and really simple. That's kind of the best, mm? Next is something the kids can enjoy together. Lily tells me this game is really fun so get ready to have some family game nights soon!

Rafael

To a man who deserves lots and lots of coffee in the morning. You have a lot of patience, so you deserve a fancy thermos! And a fanny pack, which Lily insisted on because she said that you'll look cool.

Josh

You bring warmth and joy to so many people just doing what you do. I found this neat lamp that is a barometer and will tell you what the air pressure is like outside. Neat, huh? Next is a bag, use it for work, leisure, travel. You deserve something nice!

Yesenia

To a lovely girl who has lots of creativity and wonder in her life! I found these gorgeous air plant holders that I think you'll love. Next is a nice, fuzzy blanket that will keep you warm all through these long winter months.

Dahlia

First of all, I found these earrings really cute and fun. This is something that reminds me of you! And next for the mug, because of the time I spilled your coffee. Hope you enjoy these!

#gifting to: cage newman #gifting to: aleja alvarez #gifting to: ezperanza tamayo #gifting to: rafael bardales #gifting to: josh lane #gifting to: yesenia rivera #gifting to: dahlia dumont

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transskywardsword · 1 year

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Waker, or Wind, the Hero of the Winds and holder of the Phantom Sword

Age: 19, 12 during his first adventure, 13 during his second.

Pronouns: he/she

Sexuality: Pansexual

Nickname: Sailor, or, if the group feels like poking fun, the Just Hand.

About: Waker is a laid-back youth with a cocky smile and dry humor who could talk a queen out of her crown. He swears like the sailor he is and has a mischievous streak a mile wide but hides deep insecurities behind humor. He is an amputee, having lost his right leg in a shipwreck that almost took his life. He is quite a good carpenter and engineer after working on boats for so long and is great with his hands—though he is missing two and a half fingers, one on his left and one and a half on his right. He finds the story quite embarrassing and never tells it, instead giving a different wild, grandiose story each time someone asks. He is determined to find new land for Hyrule’s people to keep King Hyrule’s final wish alive, and outside of pirating works tirelessly to do so.

He’s still in awe at forests after spending his life with so few trees. He tells Tetra everything he sees on his travels with the heroes through the pirate stone in hopes she can find something similar for New Hyrule. He has a full tattoo sleeve and is working on getting more tattoos done

Waker holds himself to a standard he would never hold another to. He is the first to jump to provide comfort, especially to the younger heroes. While Waker still holds the morals of a hero, years spent being Tetra’s first mate have instilled quite a bit of a pirate’s spirit in him. He is not as ruthless as his fellow pirate crewmates and would rather spend more time feeding the gulls at the crow's nest or riding down ropes between sails than plundering. He isn’t as lazy as Tetra paints him to be but still is one to goof off. He’s quick to challenge someone to a duel, often Tetra, and the two have a running tally of who can beat who that has always been neck and neck. Waker is beloved by his crew and takes his job as first mate very seriously. He is skilled in defusing situations, especially during pirate battles, and has prevented multiple skirmishes and aided in quick captures because of that. He holds dozens of plunders under his name, loves fancy jewelry that he sends back home, and is well known for how well he treats his captives. He is good at keeping Tetra’s hair trigger anger in check, which is always good for everyone involved when plundering a ship. He has a strong sense of justice and is not afraid to stand up to Tetra if he thinks she is crossing a line, which the crew admires him for. He’s known as the Just Hand across the seas for his treatment of prisoners and his strong sense of morals when raids are taking place. You know you will be safe if the Just Hand is on the ship that invades yours. Still, Waker is not above violence when it comes to trafficking ships or cruel captains—the Just Hand’s dedication to upholding justice goes both ways.

Waker was deeply affected by Ganondorf’s return. He’s fiercely protective of Tetra, which bothers the pirate captain significantly, feeling she is being babied, and is even more protective of his grandmother and Aryll. He writes them daily even though he knows it will take weeks for them to find a Rito to send letters to them, and constantly digs through plunder for things he thinks will make them happy. He’s terrified they’ll be injured when he’s gone, or they’ll stop missing him, or worst of all, his Granny will pass while he’s on the seas. He worries constantly about their safety, and while Tetra has tried to help, she’s not the best suited for comfort. Waker is prone to depressive episodes that he disguises as laziness, and Tetra is always quick to defend him when others complain about it. Her trauma might not show itself in the same way, but she recognizes trauma when she sees it and knows that Waker needs a friendly, loving touch, not annoyance and pushing. Waker feels embarrassed and self-conscious, thinking that he is the only person in the heroes’ group struggling so deeply. Obviously, all the heroes are dealing with trauma, but most are good at hiding it, leaving Waker feeling isolated. He never tells anyone for fear of being laughed at.

Waker also struggles with the fear of things not being real. Following his adventure in fighting Bellum, Waker and Tetra found no one remembers their adventures. When they finally tracked Linebeck down, they found he remembers them but had gaps in his memory of their actual adventure, leading to Waker having a breakdown over being unsure if his fight was a delusion or not. Tetra assured him at if the three of them remembered, even if not fully, and if he still had the Phantom Sword it must have been real. Waker now struggles with lingering terror that things are delusions and frequently uses the pirate stone at night to talk to Tetra in secret about it. She wishes desperately she was able to get him the help he needs.

Relationships:

Tetra: Waker’s other half, best friend, and partner in arms. He’s her first mate and takes the job very, very seriously. He may goof around with crew, but he knows how to be responsible with Tetra’s ship. It’s unsure when they started dating—as they grew older the two of them grew into the relationship smoothly and without a need for labels. They are prickly in front of others, with Waker flirting and poking fun and Tetra quickly shooting him down and barking orders, but it’s mostly played up for laughs among the crew, and in truth, they greatly care for and respect each other. Gonzo claims to have been traumatized by walking into a make-out sesh between the two in Tetra’s cabin. Tetra insists to the crew that it didn’t happen, as she is too mature for ‘teenage face sucking’, and Waker finds her embarrassment adorable. Waker deeply admires and respects Tetra, more than any person he knows. He thinks she’s stunning, faults and all.

Waker knows that, as much as he loves Tetra, she is far from a perfect person. She’s brash, quick to anger, and too often resorts to violence, but Waker brings out the good in her in a way no one else ever has. He believes in her and while she would never admit it, it makes her want to be better and meet his expectations. He is good at redirecting her anger and helping her when she gets too upset, and his mere presence is enough to make her reconsider acting rashly. Waker makes her a better person, and she loves him for it. Tetra is as determined as he is to find land to build New Hyrule. Her experience with Ganondorf changed her, making her think more of the big picture instead of treasure and plundering. Waker feels the same; King Hyrule was determined for him and Tetra to live anew, and the two teens are determined to make his final dying wish come true. She may be a pirate, but she’s spent most of the past few years exploring, and while Waker is on his quest with the heroes, he and she communicate through their stones to keep updated on any new land they see. They are determined to make New Hyrule a place for everyone.

King Hyrule: `King Hyrule was Waker’s first father figure in years and Waker’s dear friend. Waker’s father died when he was very young in a fishing accident and Waker was hesitant to connect with older men afterward, feeling that they might replace the already flimsy memory of his father. The King of Red Lions/King Hyrule (Waker struggles to know which name to call him) managed to crawl his way past Waker’s walls anyways and provide him with support as someone who loved him unconditionally. He saw him as a person and not just the means to an end when Waker was dealing with the emotional crisis that came with taking up the mantle of the Hero of the Gods. When Waker, who was never very religious, had a religion-fueled breakdown over knowing it was the Gods who destroyed Hyrule, King Hyrule was there to comfort him and bring him a better understanding of his own belief system. His humor rubbed off on Waker, something Waker hasn’t actually noticed, and Waker misses him desperately. The dull, lifeless boat that once was the King of Red Lions is meticulously cared for by Waker, kept in Jabun’s cave on Outset. Waker paints and oils the boat regularly, keeps the sail in tip-top shape, and on very special occasions, or when missing King Hyrule becomes just too much—or when the trauma of his adventures becomes too much to handle, not that Waker would admit it—Waker takes the boat out treasure hunting in the Great Sea. He’ll drift in the waves’ current and watch the sunrise with his boat filled with loot and talk to the boat as if it could still hear him, telling it about his adventures, about Aryll growing up, his love of Tetra, and how much he misses him. Sometimes he swears he hears a voice in the wind, a deep masculine voice whose words he just can’t quite make out. He keeps this knowledge to himself, scared that he might be going crazy. He tells the boat about his struggles with his mental health when the night sky is pitch black, with no stars or moon, and how he fears his paranoia and constant fear of delusions might mean he’s insane. It is on nights like those that he misses King Hyrule so much it hurts.

Linebeck: Brash, rude, cowardly, and greedy, Waker found he greatly disliked Linebeck as soon as he met him. Waker normally would take time to read someone better and see what was going on beneath the surface, but with Tetra taken and Waker away from his loved ones, he wasn’t ready to give someone the benefit of the doubt. Still, he found himself having to get in between Linebeck and Ciela enough times that he had to argue on Linebeck’s behalf. He had to explain away Linebeck’s behavior to Ciela, or at least give him enough legroom to survive a journey with the fairy, forcing him to look at Linebeck more closely as a person and eventually come to the conclusion that Linebeck wasn’t a dick, just emotionally constipated and lonely. Once he decided this, Waker spent more effort into trying to see a better side to Linebeck and to actively bring it out of him. Linebeck was resistant to friendship, but between Waker’s banter and patience, it developed anyways.

Waker had been without a fatherly figure since King Hyrule passed, and it made him nervous to feel Linebeck approaching that position in his life. Still, when Linebeck was taken by Bellum he was shattered, and fighting him was one of the more horrifying things Waker has ever done. Eventually, the barrier between the two broke and a close parental relationship sunk in. When Waker woke up on Tetra’s ship after his adventure to stop the ghost ship he was horrified at the thought that Linebeck was just a figment of his imagination. He sailed tirelessly for weeks with Tetra having his back the entire time until he was able to track down Linebeck; the sailor remembered Waker and Tetra but little of the adventure. Tetra and Linebeck had watched helplessly as Waker broke down in tears, and all Linebeck could do was hold his son and promise to never leave him. Now, they don’t see each other often but exchange letters frequently, and Linebeck keeps an eye on Aryll and Granny for Waker. Linebeck has helped Waker be a better sailor, liar, and drinker.

Quartet: One of Waker’s two best friends. Their humor compliments each other, and while they are wild apart, together they are complete menaces. They are determined to give Twilight grey hairs and Sky a heart attack. As the best storytellers of the group, the two of them often work together to entertain the group. Waker knows Quartet is hiding something (his connection to Shadow), though he isn’t sure what, but he has been slowly trying to breach the subject with the other hero. He is prepared to tell Quartet his best-kept secret from his travels in exchange for Quartet’s honesty—that by the time of Ganondorf’s death, he felt guilty over killing the man. He wanted to find some way to find Ganondorf peace, some closure, to tell him that one could covet without destroying, but instead, he sunk a sword into his head. He knows Quartet won’t judge him for how he feels about his Ganondorf but is instead waiting for the right moment to share.

Wilds: Waker’s other best friend. The two of them love to adventure together, splitting off from the group and scampering away at night to explore the world around them. Wilds’ world is sprawling forests and grasslands, something Waker does not have, and it fascinates him. The two of them love koroks, and Waker was ecstatic to find they exist in Wilds’ world as well. Waker is good at filling Wilds’ comfortable silences, and Waker can calm him and talk him down from his spiraling better than anyone else. Wilds is also disconnected from reality, dealing with hallucinations of his dead loved ones and frequent flashbacks, and he and Waker support each other in their struggles over what is real or not. Together, with Quartet, they are absolute menaces and exhaust Sky and Twilight to no end, though the two men secretly love their antics.

Items: Waker’s most prized possession is the Wind Waker, which he keeps hidden on him at all times. He fights with the phantom sword but also keeps numerous knives on his body at all times. He carries his sister’s telescope on his hip and is fiercely protective of it, and is never without his spoils and bait bags. He relies heavily on his grappling hook and korok leaf, and for ranged attacks prefers a boomerang over a bow. While it is unwieldy to use and doesn’t often come in handy, he always keeps the skull hammer on hand. Most importantly, he keeps his sailor’s pendent tied tightly around his wrist, though the other heroes know little of its actual uses. He prefers the Hero Shield over the other shields.

Positives: Waker is kind and excitable, with a wonderfully dry sense of humor and a strong sense of justice. He may seem lazy, but he is dedicated to making the Great Sea, and by extension, all of Hyrule, a better place. He loves fiercely, choosing Tetra above all else and thinking of his family, both biological and chosen, every moment of every day. He is a skilled sailor and while he is not as good as Wilds, a pretty sufficient cook. His survival skills are impressive for someone who spent so much time with so little access to anything but water, and with Wilds’ help, they are only getting better. Out of everything though, he is most dedicated to helping create New Hyrule. King Hyrule’s wish for hope is something Waker is determined to uphold, and he wishes desperately to see new land in his lifetime. He is a king in the making, though he doesn’t know it yet, and will not call himself king when New Hyrule is founded. At the moment though, he is still just a boy with a passion for justice and a love of the world around him.

Negative: Waker’s journeys have affected him significantly emotionally and mentally. They have put a strain on him that he hides very, very well from all but Tetra. He struggles with reality and constantly fears that the people and things around him are not real. Meeting with the other Links has helped as they hold similar traumas, but he refuses to believe that they might be handling it as badly as him. He is borderline overprotective of the people he loves, especially Tetra, leaving her feeling babied and like he doesn’t trust her, which has led to numerous fights. He’s just terrified of being helpless during a crisis again like he was when Aryll was first taken. He struggles with depression and bouts of exhaustion, though he would never, ever tell someone other than Tetra, and hides them as just being obnoxiously lazy.

#heroes gate #hg waker

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