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#i am so glad my faith was “tested” for a bit cause i feel like you have to experience that as a Christian at some point in order to
crusaderchinchilla · 1 month
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i'm so sorry, i've been so inactive lately...! this time, the reason is not personal struggle/distress. i have been incredibly incredibly busy with studies, work, and life changes, but they are good changes! i am really doing better now, and i am so so thankful to the Lord; i am so happy that i finally feel myself growing closer to Him, and my love for Him grows every day
i wanted to really sincerely thank everyone who prayed for me or sent me nice messages after that vent i posted a while back, it means so very much to me. the ppl on here are so kind and lovely! <3 (also, i am not ignoring my asks- i'll respond as soon as i have the time to give thoughtful input!)
this blog is not abandoned and i will return to regularly scheduled Christposting sooner or later!
hope you are all doing wonderfully, mutuals, and God bless you all!
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idyllic-affections · 9 months
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HI can you do me a favor and help me figure out baizhu?? i love his character but i have never played genshin impact and watching through walkthroughs? yeah no thanks (i mean cmon 48 hour walkthrough JUST for inazuma??
like, his personality and lore? i mean, i'm doing my own research about him rn by reading through the wiki and ill also watch cutscenes later but i just need some insight!! u can 100% just use this to rant about him, i am desperate 💔 how does one write for him!! how do you write for him!? help 😭😭i love him sm i wanna write him AT LEAST a bit accurate to character
if you don't mind of course! feel free to ignore this! take it easy aph, have a great day!!💞💞
aph's baizhu analysis.
hi kaiser hello <333 that is SOOO valid tbh inazuma specifically is a headache for multiple reasons... i think i'm going to watch someone else play the fontaine archon quest (...i did this with baizhu's story quest too LMAO) because i have no genshin motivation, but there are a couple people who are wanting to hear my thoughts about lyney lynette & freminet. THAT'S NOT THE POINT THOUGH I WOULD BE SO DELIGHTED TO HELP YOU FIGURE OUT BAIZHU i love him so much he is so dear to me... as a professional baizhu liker i would be glad to help you out. if you need me to, i can explain anything in more detail! just let me know <33
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first and foremost, baizhu is generally a very gentle, benevolent, and patient character. he's got sass to him, but generally is very kindly about everything he does. also my guy is so stubborn. god. he is so stubborn.
^ additionally, he is well-trusted by children because of his soft demeanor. they generally aren't scared of check-ups performed by him.
regarding his stubborness, baizhu tests his own medication on himself. he will also poison himself to gain a better understanding of what poison he's working with. he's stubborn with things like his own health and the way he tests medications.
now, this may be more of a headcanon, but... about baizhu's supposed cowardice. yeah. i don't think that's true. do you know the distinction between being harmless and being peaceful? one who is harmless can cause no damage. one who is peaceful can cause damage, but chooses not to. i believe baizhu is peaceful, not harmless. to me, his supposed cowardice is... not genuine. i don't see it, but this opinion may vary depending on who you ask i think.
he is a good-hearted person canonically...
...however.
bro also, canonically, has shady business practices. i personally write these business practices in a very particular way; that being, baizhu overcharges people who he knows can afford to be overcharged. he overcharges the wealthy.
^ similarly, baizhu may sometimes charge nothing at all. he does this when he knows someone can't afford what they need. he generally does his best to make healthcare accessible. he's so real for that.
this is a little headcanon-y, but baizhu cannot stand people claiming to heal illness through piety and faith. he fucking hates that.
^ that headcanon is based off of the fact that he has legal dealings with yanfei about people selling fake medication and whatnot.
i don't know if you know baizhu's entire backstory yet, but the general idea is that changsheng is something akin to an adeptus and has been making contracts with people to keep herself alive for (presumably) a few centuries.
her power enables her hosts to use what baizhu refers to as a "secret art" to heal folks ailed by anything from injuries to poisonings... but of course, there is a drawback. the user of this art transfers whatever their patient is suffering from onto their own body. this is why baizhu is disabled and chronically ill; he has taken on probably every condition known to man fr but we love him for being so kind.
changsheng can only make contracts with pure of heart people. people who aren't genuinely, truly good literally are not viable for her contract. she will die without a host (presumably because her power is slowly draining and she can no longer sustain herself without the support of another being's life force).
^ going off of that, this is part of the reason why baizhu seeks immortality (and do be sure to remember that his pursuit is not a secret. literally all of liyue knows AJSKSHAKFHF... but do also keep in mind that changsheng's contract is a secret so he doesn't tell people about that part). he doesn't want her to die, but he also doesn't want another person to take up her contract and continue the cycle. i also like to think that he doesn't want to leave qiqi alone but that's just me being insane over dad!baizhu he's so fatherly in my brain please hear me out on this one /lh
to stop qiqi from fulfilling orders, if i recall correctly, someone would have to hug her and tell her they love her the most. baizhu does this, but the effect is greatly diminished when he says it. the only reason baizhu sounds insincere when he tells qiqi "i love you the most" is because he believes every life has equal value. he loves her, but not the most, because he is enamored with life in general. this detail about his character is often the topic of angst in fic, but it's important to remember that baizhu is not incapable of love because of it. he is just... not someone who would put ultimate value on one life, because again, he believes all life has equal value.
yes, he does use qiqi for his own ends and research about immortality HOWEVER. however. he is not neglectful or abusive in any way towards her. he treats her well.
because she is a character closely related to baizhu, here's a little detail for the silly snake: changsheng canonically has no filter. she says whatever the fuck comes into her little brain. she's silly. i adore her. she is not bad though! her intentions are generally good.
baizhu doesn't like taking things from people for free. he has difficulty accepting gifts... which often come from the general population of liyue.
generally, what i find to be helpful when learning to write a new (playable) character is reading their voicelines and lore. reading voicelines can help you figure out any particular speech patterns or diction that characters are inclined towards using!
i promise i am not trying to advertise my fics LMAO but if you need a reference, and you want to see how i write him personally, please let me know! i have a few pieces in which i feel like i wrote him well.
i love when people ask me to help with characterization ausskgkgng so if there's anything else i can do please don't hesitate to say so <3
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it's a long ask, but I hope you'll read this bec the ending of it is especially for you all. A bit personal in the middle, which if you'd like you can skip, I include that because I know nobody of my life would get it. So here goes nothing.
Why is it always one step forward, two steps back. Just as we get to have a sliver of hope, something new takes it away.
The fandom doesn't know who I am, so I'm comfortable saying this, but I can't say this to the people of my life. My life has been a mess since December last year, but being here on Tumblr used to make me feel happy and safe, nobody knew me here, nobody I know is here. Since January, I was forced to distance myself from this last safe place that I had. But by March, I decided to follow this till the end. It may sound silly, but mostly because I thought maybe if I'm unable to control the things in my life, maybe focussing on something that I have no access to (i.e. his life), might help me escape. Perhaps, there was another aspect to it. Maybe I thought it'll help me believe again that life is just and fair, I feel so naive now. It may sound like I've lost hope, but I haven't. Deep in my heart, I wish to see things clear for him, obviously for his sake and his kids' sake, but also for my own faith in the idea of EGBA. I feel I am projecting my own life and hopes onto this. It's funny because alot of the bigger messups that happened in my life, happened right around the same time in his. But today is a sad day, both for him and me.
That being said, I just want you guys to know that every morning when I wake up, and I open Tumblr, the gifs, jokes, pics and videos that you guys share give me some respite and help me smile. EVERY MORNING. So maybe some of you may be feeling lost/sad/angry, idk. But I want you all to know that little things that you guys do, as simple as making a cute edit, is helping someone far far from where you all are, and this is my way of showing gratitude. I wish I could do it without being an anon, but I'm not ready for it rn. Maybe one day I'd openly start to talk to you people without hiding behind this anon button. Until then, THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU. I don't care about those who think I'm crazy to believe in something that they believe is a lost cause, but my hopes is as strong as their conviction is. But even when hopeful, we're allowed days we have less hope than usual, but as long as we spring back, I think it's alright.
Thanks for entertaining me.
I would like to find enough words, and definitely better than these, to express what I feel right now but believe me, I'm not be able at this moment.. your message touched me so deeply, I really feel so shaken and overwhelmed that I can’t think correctly and rationally enough.
You don’t know how much everything you wanted to share here is so close to my own experience, it made me enormously glad that you did and no matter if you did as an anon... yours is a positive message, true and so sincere, and it says so much about the beautiful person you're and the richness of your emotional life. Life often puts us so fuckin hardly to the test I know, but in the times when we think are the worst always comes something that throws us an anchor to save us and to move on, in one way or another you know, and I feel that you and I are both sharing the same anchor.
If you'll ever want to do that, feel free to contact me by private message, in any way feels you more comfortable.. it would give me an immense pleasure. I don’t care who you are, the most important things about you, and the only ones that really matter to me, I already know and that’s enough for me.
Thank you wholeheartedly for your beautiful words to all of us here in fandom, I’m sure that each of us will be deeply happy.
Love you, whoever you are. ❤️❤️❤️
#egba 💫✨
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pandajaye · 3 years
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Todoroki Family Ties (Part 9)
Characters: Enji Todoroki, Stepmom!OC!Ivy (Ivy is black btw), Child!Shoto Todoroki, Teen!Touya Todoroki, Preteen!Fuyumi, Child!Natsuo
Fandom: My Hero Academia/Boku No Hero Academia
Warnings: pregnancy, hospital, hysteria, child abuse, Aquaphobia, upset child, abusive family, neglect
“Enji, it’s okay. Please try to calm down. Everything is going to be fine.” Ivy comforted her husband, putting a hand on his leg in an attempt to keep it from bouncing so much. “I know, I know. Just a little nervous, that’s all.” He sighed, looking down at his hands while he rubbed his palms. They were the only ones in the room right now. It was cold and white everywhere apart from the delightful little flower clusters. The atmosphere was mostly quiet except for the tapping of keyboards and damp sounds of phones ringing in some of the offices.
“I mean…. what if it’s true? How could I be so careless? I should’ve been thinking clearly. I should’ve thought more about you. Things were just finally going so right and I was so distracted by excitement. So many good things were falling in to place. It’s…. It’s all my fault that we’re here today.” He brought her hand up from his thigh and kissed her knuckles. “Please, forgive me.” All she could do was smile at how nervous he was. “Forgive you for what, baby? Nothing bad has happened. Being here is a big part of the journey. It’s where our path is decided for us. I’m excited. You should be, too.”
Enji wrapped his arms around her with a tight squeeze. “You’re right. You’re absolutely right.” She always did know how to make the best of a situation that seemed frightening. Maybe it was the way of words. Maybe it was the sweet and calm voice that did it for him. Whatever it was, he was happy to be able to access it. Having her next to him was going to make this move a lot smoother, and he couldn’t ask for anything better right now.
Their moment of peace was interrupted by a nurse dressed in lovely pink scrubs. “Todoroki?” Her voice was gentle and nice as well as her smile while she patiently waited for the two to stand and follow her. On the way to their room, Ivy glanced into the rooms they passed. In one, a couple was finding out some good news. They looked excited. In another, a woman seemed to be having a good check up. And the last one was different than the other two. A woman leaned against her sad husband as she cried. The doctor also had a sad and sympathetic look on her face. Those sure were some interesting situations to witness. Which one would represent her and Enji’s?
“This room right here. Doctor Akari will be right with you.” The two parties bowed to each other before she left and they entered the room. Enji looked around the room and sighed. It was so weird to be here again. The rooms had changed a bit since the last time he was on this same floor seven years ago. ‘Wow. Seven. I’m getting old.’ He was quickly brought back to reality by Ivy. “I’m really glad we’re here today. This is good.” Her smile brought so much ease to him. How lucky is he to have someone like her.
A quiet knock on the door gathered their attention. In walked an older woman. Her hair was still a dark brown so she couldn’t have been that much older but you could see some of the age in her kind face. There was a bit of height difference between them, her being taller than Ivy, shorter than Enji of course. She carefully closed the door behind her before setting her chart on the table and introducing herself. “I’m Dr. Akari, nice to meet you today, Mr. and Mrs. Todoroki.” She shook their hands and continued. “Amazing, I never thought I’d be meeting, let alone working for the number two hero. I guess dreams do come true.” Enji blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Heh. Always nice to meet a fan.”
“So. We’re here for a verification today, correct? How are you feeling? Mrs. Todoroki, is this your first?” Ivy nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I-I’ve really never been in any type of situation like this before. I’m excited and kinda nervous. Sorry.” Dr. Akari held Ivy’s hands in her own. “Sweetheart. You don’t need to apologize. Being nervous is apart of this. A big part. That’s not to say that it’ll be a bad experience. It is what you make it. And I have so much faith that this is going to be an amazing and beautiful new part of your life. You’re going to be great at this.” Her smile was warm and reassuring. Maybe everything really will be okay. “Should we get this thing started?” Ivy looked at Enji and back at Dr. Akari with a grin. “Let’s do it.”
The test and results took no time at all to come back to them. “Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Todoroki. You’re having a baby.” Excitement quickly grew on Ivy’s face, brown eyes big and full of tears when she looked at Enji who hugged her tight, kissing the top of her head. “Wonderful news! Wonderful! Wonderful!” He was so energetic and happy like a child himself. The fifth child and he’s still taken aback as if it’s his first. Ivy stayed a little calmer herself. “I’m so happy. This is everything I’ve ever wanted…. A dream come true.” The doctor hugged Ivy when Enji finally pulled away. “I’m so happy for you two. You have my full adoration. I know you’re going to be an amazing mother. Before you know it, you’ll have a quirky and spontaneous bundle of joy in your arms.” Ivy froze.
‘….Quirky?’
Enji thanked the doctor a few more times before leaving and while they walked to the car, he noticed something was off about Ivy. She kept her gaze towards the ground and hadn’t said a word since leaving the doctor’s office. After a short walk they arrived at the car, Ivy got in the passenger seat and patiently waited for Enji to get in and close his door. As soon as the car door shut, Ivy broke down hysterically… “FUCK! FUCK! FUCKING! FUCK!” Honestly, it scared him a bit. She was fine a few minutes ago and now she’s upset? “IVY? WHAT’S WRONG?” She started hyperventilating, forcing him to pull Ivy into his lap and hold her. “Breathe! Breathe. Slow down. In….. Out….” It took a minute before she could match his breathing. Eventually, they were in sync and she began to calm down and got back into the passenger seat.
“Alright. What in the hell was that?” He didn’t mean to sound irritated, he was just genuinely confused about what just manifested. “I-I’m sorry but…. I-I can’t do this. I-I-I can’t be a mom.” Tears were still falling but she tried to wipe them away as fast as they came. “Wha…. What do you mean?” His brows were furrowed and his face contorted. “Enji…. I-I was so excited at first. And, I still am in some ways…. But…. what happens when…. w-when we have this child…. and they don’t have a quirk because of me? I wasn’t even thinking about it until Dr. Akari said the word quirky and all of a sudden it hit me. My child is going to be weak because of me…. They’re going to hate me. I know you want a strong child with a strong quirk but I-…. I-I can’t give you that.”
To be honest, he hadn’t thought of it either. But that was the old him anyways. He’s grown since then. Quirks aren’t everything to him anymore. Just her. Just his family. No matter what skills they had or didn’t have. He loves them in every aspect. “Ivy…. I don’t need you to give me that. I want you to be happy and healthy. I want to have this child with you no matter what happens. As long as you’re both okay, that’s what’s important. I know how I used to be. And I’m still sorry and trying to atone for it. I’m learning and growing every day because of you. I appreciate and love you so much.” His large hand held her cheek as he searched her eyes for a sign that she understood him.
A wave of safety washed over her as she leaned into his hand. So much calm after one random storm. “You’re right. You are learning. You have grown. And I am beyond proud of you. I’m sorry for my outburst. It wasn’t all about you. Being quirkless has always been a problem for me. Way before me and you. You’ve improved in ways that…. he never did.” Her gaze shifted to her feet when thoughts and feelings she had long ago returned. “Who?” When her gaze came back her eyes were brimming with tears of numb pain.“My dad….”
From a very young age, Ivy was victim to some of the most impactful abuse that young girls have suffered for centuries. Familial. Being the outcast, the one child that didn’t make the cut. Worked hard and reprimanded for occurrences out of her power. Her power. The center of everything and the reason for her suffering. More commonly known as a quirk, her ability should have been water manipulation. It ran in her family. They’ve always been connected to it all. Oceans, lakes, rain, dew, snow. A gene for telekinesis brought in from one of her great great grandparents but no one remembers which one.
“LET’S GO, LET’S GO, LET’S GO!” Nami James Emaraki, Ivy’s father, blew hard into his whistle. It’s not that common for a ten-year old to have to do burpees and laps on a Saturday morning. Especially since she’s not training for anything. “YOU SLACK AND I SWEAR ITS ANOTHER TEN LAPS!! YOU ALREADY MISSED BREAKFAST SINCE YOU WANNA SLEEP IN, I’M PERFECTLY FINE WITH YOU MISSING LUNCH CAUSE I’LL STILL EAT BUT YOU WON’T!!!!” He wasn’t kidding either. That threat wasn’t the least bit empty.
“I-” Her foot slipped and caused her to face plant. She lifted her head and a stream of blood ran from her nose. “OW! UGH! H-Help, please!” Rolling his eyes, he stomped over to her, grabbing a fist full of her hair. “Sure, I’ll help you. Usually salt water helps with things like that. Let’s get you a lot of salt water.” He looked at the pool and smiled. “How about 10 ft?” Panic flooded her entire body so quickly it almost made her dizzy. Or maybe that was from the quick face plant and loss of blood.
“N-No! Please!” Ignoring her, he began dragging her to the deep end of their pool. “I’m so sorry, I can keep going! I can keep going! Daddy I can keep going!” She couldn’t help but cry and scream for forgiveness because he always had such a terrible punishment for her. The closer they got the more she struggled. “DADDY PLEASE! PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE NO! NO-” He tossed her in with a grunt and picked up his stopwatch. “Hurry up. You don’t wanna drown, use your quirk to get out!”
But that was the issue. Ivy was quirkless. It never showed up when it was supposed to. They hoped she was a late bloomer but it wasn’t looking very hopeful. Her father and uncle did everything they can to bring it out of her. They were so close they moved into two joint houses for each of their families, between the two homes, a facility with a large indoor pool that they used to coach swimming and have opened for water sports and activities. Every child in their family has used this pool to get better at their quirks. But Ivy was the only one forced into fearing it, unlike her siblings and cousins.
The eldest children were Ivy’s older twin brother and sister who were six years older than her, as well as a male cousin four years older than her. They were taught everything with care and detail. How to swim, how to make waves, etc. Next, her cousin that was but a few months older than her. He also experienced the life of being the middle child like her. Ivy was born next. Treated like all the other kids until she reached the age where quirks usually had already appeared in their family.
Four. When the family pediatrician attempted to explain that her quirk would never come in due to an extra joint in her foot, that of which the absence of would determine if the power would ever come in. Her father was so upset when they got home, he grabbed her by the ankles and dunked her in the water a few times before dropping her in the 5 feet. Her mother stood and watched as paramedics revived Ivy, pretending very well to be concerned.
Yet, here he is now. Watching her sink as she loses oxygen. Destined to be a corpse at the bottom of the pool. But just before tragedy could wrap her up in its claws, her father washed her back onto the side of the pool with a wave. There she laid in a puddle, lungs full of water. “So damn dramatic.” Unrightfully annoyed, he preformed mouth to mouth and saved her, smacking her when she accidentally spit up water in his face. “You’re a disgusting excuse for a daughter. But just you wait, you’ll be a hero soon enough. And you’re gonna be supporting your family after we’ve been so supportive of you. Get your ass up and come inside when you’re through acting like something wrong with you.”
Nami didn’t even look back after he started walking way. He didn’t care if she ever got up. To him, she has two options in life. Become a top pro-hero. Or die. And some days, she wished he wouldn’t save her. Some days she wanted to stay at the bottom of that pool knowing she wouldn’t be able to breathe. Ivy couldn’t help but wonder, what’s the point of living if your entire family is already disappointed in you?
During lunch, her mother Eimi asked her about today’s training. “How did it go today, Ivy?” She smiled, looking between her and her father. Ivy didn’t want to answer so she kept her mouth shut. “Ivy, your mama is talking to you. Answer her.” His fist slammed down on the table. The back of her throat burned from swallowing her need to cry. “Ivy? Answer her, girl, can you not hear?!” She flinched at him raising his voice. With a quiet sigh, Ivy spoke, carefully trying not to let her voice crack. “It w-was fine, mommy. But….” She couldn’t take it anymore. She had to speak up.
“B-BUT DADDY TRIED TO KILL MEEEEE!!” Cries broke out of her throat. “CONTROL YOUR DAMN VOLUME RIGHT NOW!” He tried to grab her arm but she ducked out of the way. “MAMA I FELL AND HURT MY FACE AND MY NOSE WAS BLEEDING AND HE THREW ME IN THE POOL AND ALMOST LET ME DROOOOOOWN!!!!” Tears dripped from her chin as she trembled and sobbed. Eimi just looked at Nami and shrugged. “Well, Ivy. Maybe if you stopped pretending your quirk isn’t there, you could have saved yourself. So I don’t want to hear it.” Ivy was horrified and offended by every word out of her mother’s mouth. “WHAT? BUT MOMMY-” “THAT’S ENOUGH! YOU’RE GOING TO YOUR ROOM!” Before she could run, he grabbed her and carried her to her room as she struggled. “I HATE IT HERE! I HATE IT, HATE IT, HATE IT!!” Once the door slammed close, she hugged one of her stuffed animals tight and cried. And cried. And cried. Until she cried herself to sleep.
Ivy had ever only known Hell on Earth. Her siblings before her were treated with respect. Even her baby brother and even younger baby sister got to see the best from their parents. Ivy was the one that they wanted to depend on. Their goals for her were to make her one of the most famous Pro-Heroes ever. Then use her paycheck to further their lives. She would put them on the map and be their little bank. But the older she got, the more she fought back. Until finally they realized she’d never be able to help them anyways.
Ivy was shunned and kicked out of her home. Forced to learn the way of the world. She made her way through three nice jobs and even college. Out of all the smoke and fire, she emerged through her trials and tribulations and began working at Endeavor’s agency. Her hardships didn’t end there but shortly after, everything started to work out for her.
Her past was filled with evil but it never influenced her to become a bad person even after never getting her quirk. She realized that quirks never really mattered. It was the love that she never received. Love that she’ll be giving to this baby. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if her child ever had to go through what she went through.
The world outside was so beautiful as they drove home. She looked at Enji and smiled. He sparkled in the sunlight. Those beautiful blue eyes focusing on the road while he held her hand up and kissed it. “You’re gonna be okay, Ivy. I love you so much. You’re going to be a great mom. And, I hope i can be a great father. On the fifth try.” The reassurance made her grin. “Thank you, Enji. Thank you.”
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dancingthesambaa · 3 years
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The Smell of Plum Blossom Tea Ch 6
Summary: Just like a butterfly wing, a single act of kindness can change the course of the future, it certainly did for MK as a black-furred monkey put out a hand towards him.
Rating: Teen and up
Chapter 6: And So It Begins
“I’m back,” MK tiredly said as he dragged his form out of the blazing sun and into the cool restaurant, “orders delivered, traffic long and people angry, but food is delivered.”
“Great, but you still have another delivery,” Pigsy replied as his back was turned.
“Just one,” he grinned, “compared to the other ten this will be a piece-,”
He slammed down 30 orders down in front of him on the already bustling counter.
“Of cake,” he deflated as he saw the monumental amount of food. “What the-Are we feeding an entire town?!”
“Close. Party, though I should have charged their ungrateful asses extra for the rush order,” he growled out, “who gives an hour warning Huh?!”
“Apparently them,” he groaned as he picked up and carried the whole load into the car.
“And when you get back, there are a dozen more orders to take care of,” Pigsy called out.
“Got it bossman,” he yelled out, then he slammed the door closed and he sat up straight with a grin, “alright this won’t be so bad.”
“BEEF? BEEF?!! I WANTED MISO! GET IT RIGHT YOU STUPID DRIVER! The voice yelled out at MK as the two stood at the doorway.
“I’m sorry but-,” he winced as he was cut off by the rude woman screech.
“You better be sorry! I could have your job for this big of a screw up! You are nothing!”
“Technically I just delivered your food,” he whispered to himself.
“What did you just say?”
“Nothing!” He put on his best service smile, “I’m very sorry about this, how about I take your food back so that I can-.”
Splat
MK watched as the woman threw down her food in a fit of rage.
“There’s your damn food, now pick it up and get me a new one,” she spat out.
MK looked down at the pile of food that Pigsy put his sweat and blood into slowly dripping off the stone stairs. He took a deep breath as he put his hand in his pocket to subtly squeeze the stress ball and looked at the woman.
“I’m not cleaning that up,” he deadpans and walks back to the car.
“What?!”
“Also,” he rolled down his window when he got in the car, “if you would like to order for a party, next time call ahead of time.” He then quickly drove off until he could no longer hear the yells of the angry woman.
He rode until he reached the grocery store, parked at the edges of the lot where there were barely any cars, unbuckled his seat belt, and laid his head on top of the wheel.
“I. Hate. People. Sometimes.” He lightly banged his head with each word then he leaned back and took out the ball and squeezed it a few times. “I really do.”
He likes to think of himself as a pretty optimistic person, after having his whole life turned around and learning things can get better, he likes to think that the world can be good. But days like these, people like those, make him really put that side of him to the test and today he very much failed that. He should be glad that he didn’t go off on her, like what Pigsy did when some dude tried to scam him or Mei when she is feeling very competitive over some a-holes, but at the same time that sounds amazing.
He squeezed the ball a little tighter.
“I really want to see Dad right now,” he muttered to himself. It would be so easy, just one yell to him and he would be over in less than a second. “I really want him right now…but I made a promise to myself that I would do this without him.”
So he took a deep breath, lifted his head, put on his music, put away his rainbow stress ball, and slowly began his drive back to Pigsy restaurant.
It was during that drive back that he got a call, “Hello?”
“Hey MK, it’s me,” he stopped as he heard Pigsy's voice, he had a feeling he knows what this is about.
“Heyyy Pigsy, I’m almost at the store,” he tried and failed, to sound casual.
“I just got off a call with a very rude customer who said that you threw down her food when she was being oh so kind,” he bluntly said, “even mentioned about assaulting her.”
“That is so not how any of that went down!” He immediately said, “she yelled at me for saying that I made her food wrong and I told her that it can be redone, but she decided to instead throw down all of that food herself and told me to clean it up! Who does that?! And all of this was after she put her hand all through that food, which is so gross by the way, I mean other people are eating that, cause I know she ain’t-,” he was cut off by Pigsy chuckles.
“You don’t need to explain anything, I know you for far too long to even think that you would put too much salt in someone's food let alone throwing it down on the ground.”
“Oh,” he calmed down as he released the tension from the wheel, “that’s good.”
“Yeah, I told it to her straight just exactly how I felt about her being an utter ass to not only myself but my employees. Let’s just say that she was not happy about that and threaten to sue,” he could almost hear him shrug.
“What no!” He tried to stand up, only to realize he was still in the car and he was still buckled up. “I am so sorry!”
“Don’t be, cause jokes on her the world we live in has become pretty up to date with security and, more importantly, security cameras,” he said with a grin, “I don’t think she’s gonna get a single cent when everything that went down was all on video.”
MK let a smile spread across his face, bless technology and all its glory. “That’s good.”
“It sure is. Do you want to take a breather when you come back? I know that woman was more than a handful that what you're used to,” he asked in concern.
“Nope,” he cheerfully said, “I am A-Ok! Just get those next orders ready for me so I can deliver!”
“Well if you're certain, get your ass back here on the double,” he said, but the teenager could tell it was more playful, “we got orders waiting to be delivered.”
“On my way!” He saluted to no one and hung up. “Alright! Let’s get a move on!”
‘Make sure to add the cohesive before the mixing,’ the voice silently thought to himself.
“It would be so easy just to make that jump, hell my youngest kit sister can make that and she’s not even a month old,” a voice bragged.
‘Combine the Feins roots with the Elia petals first to dilute the solution.’
“All I’m saying is that if you try to jump off the cliff of perils then I sure as hell am not catching you,” another voice deadpanned.
“Nahhh I would be fine.”
‘…dice the Oran berries and Pecha then add when the next stage is ready.’
“If you count being splattered into tiny little pieces fine, then, by all means, go ahead,” another voice sighed.
‘Make sure that the color is a deep orange hue and not dark yellow, that can-,’
“Ye o little faith.”
“No, you are of little sanity. Even my younger gremlins know better,” she shot back.
‘That can easily violate the substance,’
“But they don’t have the certain skills like I do,” they bragged.
‘…leading to a-,’
“It still wouldn’t be a wise thing to do,” a deep voice pointed out.
‘Leads to a-,’ his vial cracked in his hands as he was once again interrupted.
“No, but it would be fun-.”
“I swear,” everyone turned to face the irritated monkey, “to all things good in this world and the next, if you dumbasses don’t shut the fuck up in the next five seconds I will make the Piñata fiasco at the Boiling Isles look like a god damn nap compared to what I’m gonna do to you.”
“Sorry, were we disturbing you,” Yanyu cheekily said.
“You little-”
“Awwww I’m soo sorry,” Daiyu mocked.
“I swear-”
“We didn’t mean to interrupt your monologue,” Minsheng smirked, “you know it kinda reminds me of Flicker when you do that.”
“That’s it!” He slammed down his ingredients, opened his drawers, and took out a roll of duct tape, “come here you little bastards!” He yelled out as he began to chase down the three annoyances.
“Same as usual,” Bohai sighed as he drank his tea.
“One would think not to mess with Mac when he’s like this,” Ahmed commented.
“Especially when he’s in his mood.”
“Especially that.”
“Now shut it,” he proudly said as he sat on top of his third victim.
“Hey hey!” Daiyu struggled to break free, “we were trying to lighten your mood fuzzball.”
“By annoying the shit out of me,” he growled as he taped her beak shut. “Fat chance, anyone else,” he looks over to his other two remaking friends.
“I say nothing,” the jellyfish put his tentacles up in surrender.
“While they may have been a bit well-,”
“Fucking annoying,” the monkey bluntly said.
“Yes that, they did have a purpose to their madness,” the lion pointed out.
“What? What could they possibly want badly enough to annoy the absolute fuck out of me?!”
“You have empty bird nest syndrome.”
“…what?”
“I said-”
“I heard you the first time!” Macaque interrupted, “I do not have that! I am use to MK not being home day to day, so why the hell would you thi-,”
“For days,” Yanyu said once she ripped the tape off her mouth, “but not for longer than a week.”
“Same difference!”
“Nah pal it ain’t,” the bunny demon said as they chewed on their own tape, “I can see it as bright as day, you have been extra moody and hella sad these past couple of days. It’s just like mum, whenever one decides to leave the warren, she gets all glum and broody for days.”
“I am not broody!” His tail swished violently.
“But you do miss him,” Ahmed stated.
“I don’t-”
“And it’s okay if you do.”
“I don’t miss him, I can visit anytime,” he stated.
“You still miss him being there, being next to you,” the lone human gave his ponytail a playful tug and sat next to Mac, who was still sitting on top of the tied-up vulture. “Take it from a big sister, when Shu moved out to live in the dorms I was so happy for him, but as time went on I noticed that I didn’t hear his off pitch singing in the afternoon nor did I hear his voice amongst my gremlins over who gets the last brownie. I didn’t miss him, hell I could video chat with him anytime, but I missed his presence, you know.”
Macaque just gave her a hard look before sighing, “He used to hum to himself whenever he was bored,” he admitted as he got off his friend and slumped down next to her.
Yanyu just patted his shoulder as he continued.
“I know I can just visit him, but my kid is growing up, he’s learning to stand on his own and he should have his own life separate from me.”
“Yeah imma stop you there,” Sheng rolled his eyes, “you are being one over dramatic monkey right now if you think that just because he’s doing his own thing, doesn’t mean that he doesn't have time for you. Hell, you are the one demon he will always have time for no matter what.”
“But-”
“Ain’t no buts about it fuzzbrain,” Daiyu squawked out once she feared the tape off, “your hatching adores the shit out of you and if you don’t think he won’t spend time with you then you are dead wrong.”
“He should have that time to himself, he is just starting out all on his own…without me…,” he slumped in depression, but quickly shot up due to a shocking touch, “OW! FUCKING WHY BOHAI!”
“You're being an idiot,” he smugly said as he lowered his tendril.
“Thanks,” Yanyu nodded to him, “and he’s right. I know that this whole thing won’t end with this so here’s what we’re gonna do. The six of us are going to go to Qián city.”
“…why the fuck are we going to the underwater city of Shanghai?” He incredulously looked at her.
“Cause you seriously need to relax.”
“I don’t-”
“You spent most of your time in the garden or prepping medicine that you don’t need,” Ahmed calmly said as he cleaned up the mess that Mac made.
“…you may have a point, but I don’t really feel like I should leave, what if MK or Mei happens to call?” He said.
“Well one, I know damn well that your hearing exceeds that city's borders,” Sheng points out.
“Okay true.”
“And second, we have the beauty of phones, which allows people to fall from far away,” Yanyu slowly told him as if he was a child, “I taught you this in one of our first lessons.”
“Don’t patronize me,” he muttered, “but I don’t-”
“You either go willingly or Kit Kat over here is going to drag you,” she pointed to Ahmed.
“He wouldn’t-”
“I really would,” he had to stop a smile at the utter betrayal in the monkey's face.
“I could beat your ass again,” he grumbled.
“You very well could,” he agreed, “but then you would also have to go against everyone else and they will happily drag both you and me off.”
“Fine!” He throws his hand in the air.
“Got ‘em!” Sheng high-fived Yanyu.
“Told you he would cave in eventually,” the vulture grinned.
“But we are going there to strictly relax, that means no explosions, arsons, paralyzing, hacking, or prison riots.”
“What about stealing and graffitiing,” the bluenette raised her hand.
“If there assholes, be my fucking guest, but your ass better not get caught.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be more stealthy than sneaking into the police hub to get rid of the evidence,” she cockily stated.
“What?”
“What.”
“…you know what the less I know the better.”
“Good choice, so let’s get packing!” She excitedly said as she, Daiyu, Minsheng, and Bohai exited the infirmary.
“So are you gonna tell them that the game dealers there are more than likely to scam them before or after they get robbed?” Ahmed curiously asked.
“After, they need a lesson on not annoying the fuck out of me when I’m working,” he gave a mischievous grin.
“Quite rude of you,” he grinned.
“But you're smiling too.”
Ahmed chuckled lightly as the two left the infirmary.
It was a quiet day at the restaurant, the dinner rush had just ended and all that was really left to do was wait for the store to close and clean up what’s left. The only customers inside were Mei and Tang, both of whom have long since finished eating and are currently just chatting, or laying down, with MK over the counter.
“So how’re your online classes treating you?” Mei asked.
“Great!” He perked up as he took his eyes off the creepy butterfly in the corner of the restaurant, “I’m just about finished with my general study.”
“Ooo, does that mean you finally have a major in mind,” Mei leaned in.
“No I do not.” He cheerfully stated.
All of them, including Pigsy who was listening in, facepalmed.
“Mkkk,” the nineteen year old groaned.
“I knowww,” he slumped down, “but it’s hard deciding what to do for the rest of your life.”
“Well that is okay,” the historian softly said, “you're still young, you have your whole life ahead of you. Besides, college is not for everyone.”
“Yeahhh, so how’re your classes going Mei Mei?” MK turned to his friend, “I know you been taking some of the engineering courses.”
“Ugghhh, don’t get me started,” she slumped down in her seat, “I love it, but that is seriously kicking my ass right now. If I didn’t like to make sweet ass rides then I would have totally just dropped it.”
“Let me guess, for racing,” MK said as he sprayed down the counter.
“Duh, I’m gonna be so fast that when they're only halfway, I've already passed that finish line baby!” Mei screamed.
“Shhhhh,” Tang hushed as he held his head against the cool counter, “not so loud please.”
“You okay there Tang?” Pigsy asked as he moved closer to his friend, “you’ve been like that ever since you got in.”
“Yeah, it’s just this headache has been killing me and my usual medicine isn’t doing a thing,” sighed as he leaned into the warm hand touching his head.
“Doesn’t seem like you have a fever at least,” the pig mutters.
“Do you have any coughing, sneezing, nausea, or any other symptoms?” MK curiously asked as he sat up.
“I have been feeling a bit nauseous,” he murmured.
“Sharp ringing in your ears on and off?”
“Yesss,” he groaned out.
“Hmm hold on,” MK quickly went upstairs, everyone heard faint shuffling noises before he came back down as fast as he was carrying a small baggie, “Can I use your stove and teapot?”
“Go right ahead,” Pigsy agreed.
MK gave a quick smile and they all watched him make a pot of tea, but instead of teabags, he added some of the plants that were inside the bag.
“Here you go,” MK presented the tea to the historian once it was done.
Tang hesitated for a moment before accepting the cup, “…what is it?”
“Medicine. Drink,” he gave him a wide-eyed look.
“...alright,” he shrugged his shoulders and joked, “if this kills me, just burn my corpse.”
“Drink,” MK commanded once more.
Tang drank his tea instead of retorting back and his eyes widen at the taste of it.
“Are ya dead?” Mei asked.
“Feel the poison seeping in,” the pig demon joked.
“This is really good,” he complimented MK and he began to drink more.
“Thanks, it’s Dad’s special recipe diluted when it comes to dealing with migraines,” he happily announced.
“Diluted? I can already feel my migraine already going away, how bad is his if this is diluted?” Tang asked with much concern.
MK grimace as he shared a look with Mei. He can’t help the memories all filtering in of his father lying in bed clutching onto the headphones as it tightly covered all six of his ears. There is never a pattern to when this happens, but he knew to keep a pot of tea hot and a bowl of mango or other non-citrusy fruit available on those days.
“It’s pretty bad,” was all he said.
“Oh,” both adults shared a look before Tang put on a grin as he slurped down his tea, “well this really works, what in it?”
“It’s Feverfew Tea with some Pika berries,” said MK.
“I’ve heard of Feverfew, but I don’t think Pika rings a bell,” Pigsy hummed totally missing Mei’s shocked face.
“Why I never-,”
“No, it’s not pokemon,” MK quickly shut that down before she got to her rant.
‘’Awww,” she deflated.
“It’s from Kunlun peak.”
Tang immediately choked on his tea, “AK! Did you just say Kunlun peak!”
“Yep!”
“What’s so special about that,” she glumly asks.
“Mount Kunlun is known to be a mythical mountain that hikers and historians have been searching for centuries,” Tang began, “It’s said to hold both mythical animals and plants, each having extraordinary potential within them as even the Gods from above go down there for certain herbs and items needed for their potions. It just lays there on top of the highest peak, but no person nor demon has ever had a straight map leading there and you’re telling me your Dad, Macaque, went there?!”
“He goes there a few times a year,” the teenager proudly says.
He looks down at his tea with sparkles in his eyes, “I’m drinking magic tea made from the legendary mountain,” he gave a big slurp as he inhaled it and stood up.
Pigsy eyed the drink, neither teenager knew if it was in envy or jealousy.
“But I’m impressed MK,” Mei playfully punched his shoulder, “look at you being all smart about medicine.”
“Well I hear Dad mutter on and on about different types of herbs and their properties on a day to day basis, that it eventually gets stuck in my head you know,” he joked then he paused as an interesting thought occurred to him, “wait a moment.”
They all watch MK have a silent conversation to himself, complete with waving hands, multiple facial expressions, draw a few sketches on his notepad, and finish with a final glow of his eyes as he leaped up in the air.
“That’s it!”
“What’s it?” The owner said.
“Why didn’t I think of this before!”
“Think of what before?” The historian asked.
“It was seriously in front of me this entire time!”
“MK, I swear if you don’t tell us what’s up right now I am not liable to my next actions,” Mei threatened.
“I can be a Doctor!” He leaned forward in excitement, “or at least something along those lines!”
“You can be pop’s assistant!” Mei started to get excited alongside him, “how the hell did I not think of it either?!”
“I don’t know!”
“It does suit you,” the demon agreed. He knows the kid is smart, he has seen his grades, so it’s not far fetched to assume that he can do this rigorous task. “Hope you have good study habits, I know mines was absolute garbage back in school.”
“With notecards and all,” MK hates studying, his brain goes brrr during those times, but he can’t thank Yanyu and Bohai enough for teaching him different tricks to help keep focus. “Now I’m thinking maybe of being a pharmacist, cause I don’t think I do well with surgery.”
“There are also the ones who diagnose the disease using the X-ray thingie,” she snapped her finger as she tried to remember.
“Radiologist,” Tang called out.
“Yeah that!” She pointed to him.
“Ooo that also sounds interesting,” MK and Mei continued their animated talk as both adults watched.
“It’s nice to see them so happy,” the noodle lover let out a content smile as he drank some more of his tea.
“I hear that,” Pigsy then looked at the man cup in confusion, “by the way you’ve been drinking, I thought you would have already been finished by now.”
“With my first cup yes, I’m on my third one now.”
“How in the-I didn’t even see you leave this area!”
“Magic tea is magic,” was all Tang said.
Pigsy exploded, “That doesn’t explain shit!”
“Well too bad,” he gave a loud slurp once more.
SLURPPP
“You know what, two can play that game,” the human was confused when the pig demon got up and left the room. He was no longer confused as he came back with a cup of tea in hand.
“You wouldn’t dare,” Tang threatened the pig.
The pig looked him straight in the eye and, with a sly smirk, drank down the tea.
SLURRPP
“You heathen!” He shrieked as he banged his hands on the counter and stood up, “how dare you drink my magic tea!”
“Well next time don’t be rude as fuck!” He shot back and got in his face as well.
“That’s rich coming from you!”
“Says the freeloader!”
“Oh here we go again! You know, if you wanted some tea you could have asked!”
“My stove, my cups, my pot, mine.”
“But it was made for me!”
“Yeah well-wait hold up, you feel better right,” Pigsy dropped his screaming as he softly asked his friend, “no drill pounding in your head?”
“Yeah I’m fine now, it really does work miracles,” Tang also lowered his voice.
“That’s good.”
“…they really do act like an old married couple,” Mei announces, MK facepalmed as both adults separated from each other and yelled.
“WE ARE NOT!”
“I’m really sorry about such short notice,” the panda bear demon on call apologized once more to Macaque as he was quickly gathering his ingredients.
“Don’t apologize, shit like this happens,” he waved him off, “I’ll take me a couple of days, a week at max, but I’ll be there before the poison reaches its peak.”
“Thank you,” the panda bowed to him.
“Make sure to store away any semblance of caffeine, alcohol, or anything high in potassium, those are the fastest ways to speed up the process,” he instructed him.
“I’ve been meaning to take away Mink coffee stash, now I have a reason,” he chuckled, “I’ll see you soon.”
“Will do bossman,” he hung up the call and called another number as he continued to pack. Once it picked up he put a smile on his face, “Hey Comet, how’s it going?”
“Good!” The twenty year old happily responded. “You wouldn’t believe it, but the classes are actually kinda easy to understand. They’re still tricky, especially the tests, but Yanyu was right about you teaching this. It made almost all my classes so much easier thanks to you.”
“Aww, that’s another one for my ego,” he joked then he put on a more serious tone, “but I didn’t just call you here for a chat kiddo.”
“Why what’s up? Is there something wrong?” MK suddenly asked as he leaned in, “Do I have to get Mei here and help kick some asses?!”
“Snrk, no nothing like that,” he let out a snort, “you know Po right?”
“Yeah, he’s the panda demon who comes in to get pain relief, muscle relaxants, and other types of medicine for his students? Does this have something to do with him?”
“Close, his disciples messed up big time and accidentally inhaled a bunch of toxic fog when they faced off against an elephant demon.”
“How can an elephant make poison?” MK questioned.
“Magic can do the weirdest of things, I mean I’m a monkey that can do shadow magic,” he pointed out.
“True, okay so he’s gonna come over to pick up the antidote? I don’t see what’s the big problem?”
“Here’s the bad part, Po can’t make a round trip, cause the time he gets back, all of his students…might not be alive,” he gently told him.
“…oh, so what’s gonna happen?”
“Well, I’m going to have to make a house call, which means I'm gonna have to go away for a bit and it’s pretty far, so I won’t be able to hear you.”
“…okay.”
“Okay?”
“Okay!” MK gave a big grin to him, “Don’t you worry bout a thing! I’m an adult now Dad, I will be just fine!”
“You have grown up,” he gave a gentle smile, “I’m glad to hear that, but remember to call if there’s any trouble. I may be far, but I will come running if you need it.”
“I will! Now finish packing and save some lives!”
“I will, I’ll see you in two weeks shooting star.”
“See ya later old man!”
Macaque hung up the call with a smile as he resumed his packing. He wished he could have hugged his kid goodbye, but he was in a time crunch as he zipped everything up and quickly jumped out of the treehouse and began to move within the shadows of the trees.
He really does love his shadow powers during these times.
“Duh du Duh,” MK hummed out as he danced his way over to the food delivery destination with the headphones blaring in his ears. He then lifted it to call out the order name when he heard a silky voice interrupt.
“It feels like I waited for an eternity for this moment, is everything in order?”
“Just making the final adjustment mother,” another voice replied and this is when he opened his eyes to see that this was no ordinary food order as an ominous group stood before him.
“Nope,” he immediately whispered as he silently jetted off to hide behind a pile of rocks, but he peaked his head carefully out to see and his eyes widened.
“Finally after all this time,” the woman continued.
‘No way.’
“We have the means to lift Monkey King staff.”
‘It is!’
Standing before them all, wrapped in vibrant viridian vines and burrowed underneath a garden left untouched by the destruction laid around it, was the legendary Monkey King staff.
Things were about to get interesting.
No joke, the delivery scene with the lady is something I had to experience before. There are people who truly treat food workers lower than dirt, which is stupid to me cause why would you disrespect the people making your food? It’s like insulting the people who manage your money.
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Watercolors & Waterfalls || College!Stanley Uris x Reader
Day 4 of Fictober
Fandom: It (2017/2019)
Pairings: College!Stanley Uris x [gn]College!Reader
Requested: Hi! Could I get a college Stan x reader where she’s an art student and always doing silly stuff and like booping his nose with paint and he acts like “ugh quit it” but he’s actually so in love? Thank youuuuu!
A//n: Hiya, honey! Thanks so much for requesting, and such an adorable one too! I could picture it as soon as I read it and I'm glad to finally be getting to it. It's not as long as I wanted since I didn't have all day to work on it and get it published in time, so I hope to come back and expand later. But hopefully this will do for now. Hope you enjoy! **** UGH okay i SWEAR i got this done before midnight, its just the whole editing process took a lot longer than anticipated and my day today was pretty busy.
Fictober Day 4: "that didn't stop you before"
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"I seen a rainbow yesterday, But too many storms have come and gone, Leavin' a trace of not one God-given ray,"
Stan looks up from his text book when he realizes he's reread the same paragraph for the fourth time. Stan looks up from his text book when he realizes he's reread the same paragraph for the fourth time.
You sat across from him at your desk preparing the last of your supplies, paint somehow already on your brow before your watercolor canvas as you bounce around in your seat to your radio.
"Is it because my life is ten shades of gray, I pray all ten fade away, Seldom praise Him for the sunny days,"
Stan watches completely perplexed as you spout the lyrics almost perfectly while you make slight adjustments to your work with the pencil behind you pulled from behind your ear. You were completely captivated by the music and the task before you, and completely unaware of his stare.
"And like his promise is true, Only my faith can undo, The many chances I blew to bring my life to anew," you began painting, your hand managing to stay steady as your body continued to bounce with the beat. "Clear blue and unconditional skies, Have dried the tears from my eyes, No more lonely cries,"
Oh, how Stanley wished he had his camcorder.
"My only bleedin hope is for the folk who can't cope, With such an endurin' pain that it keeps them in the pouring rain, Who's to blame for tootin' caine into your own vain? What a shame, you shoot and aim for someone else's brain, You claim the insane and name this day in time for fallin prey to crime I say this system got you victim to your own mind. Dreams are hopeless aspirations in hopes of coming true. Believe in yourself the rest is up to me and-"
"DON'T GO CHASING WATERFALLS!" You pull your head up to look at your boyfriend of four years with a grin before diving back in. "Come on Stan, I know you know it, -THE RIVERS AND THE LAKES THAT YOUR USED TO."
Stan sighs, not bothering to fight the eye roll that brings him back to his text book. Nor the tight-lipped smile that crept up on his face. All the while missing the playful grin you wear as you continue to belt the lyrics.
"I know you're gonna have your way or nothin' at all, But I think you're moving too fast,"
"And I thought we agreed to get some work done, today?" He asks, with a look of hidden playfulness.
You easily return his look with a cocked brow, your eyes pulling away from the small pool of blue water that swirled with your brush.
"I am getting my work done," you answer. "Aren't you?"
His textbook falls back flat on the desk as he looks at you from across the wooden table, perturbance written all over his face. But your smile only widened when you spotted the look in his eyes that never left when you were around. No matter how stressed Stanley got, how angry, his eyes always held a certain softness for you. You set your brush down, now leaning on both your folded arms as you met his gaze. He was much too tall for the dorm chair he sat in now, his skinny frame towered over the desk in a long hunch that all piled onto of the table across from you.
"You said I'd be able to study," he says.
You shrug. "So study,"
Another flat look. "Y/n, I love you but you're kind of making it impossible."
"Oh yeah? How so?"
"You know exactly how,"
Your eyes fall away from his, your hands coming to lazily pick up your brush and fingers fiddling with the bristles. You can still feel his eyes drilling into yours, but you merely focus on wet beads of paint that spill onto your fingertips as you wear an exaggerated look of confusion.
"I don't know what your talking about," your innocent tone is laced with sarcasm.
Stan sighs. Don't be fooled, he adores every minute he spends with you which was why he was so eager to come to your dorm when you asked him to sit in for reference. Your current media study was watercolors, and to test your limits a bit, you had asked your loving boyfriend if he would be your reference model. He was your inspiration after all, and he adored your work. Anytime you did anything outside of school - which was a lot, mind you - Stan would make a HUGE deal about it and talk his way into keeping it. His dorm walls were completely filled with your artwork, he was no doubt your biggest fan. But today?
Well, today was another sit in day, probably one of the last ones so to speak. You had already had a few so that you could sketch him - he was NOT allowed to look, which frustrated him greatly - and he had quickly learned to bring something to do keep him busy. Unfortunately for Stanley, pressures had begun to rise in his classes as of late and Stanley was, to put it delicately, a rubber band ready to snap.
So here he was, sitting before you and your mini tabletop easel he wasn't allowed to peek at as you met his stern gaze with a mischievous glint in your eye.
"Y/n, I mean it-"
You freeze as you stare at your boyfriend with your jaw hanging open in a smile. While playing with the bristles, several blue droplets of paint had gone airborne and landed all across his face. His eyes were screwed shut, lips pursed uncomfortably as blue streaks fell down his face, painting his skin.
Finally, when he's sure he was clear of paint getting in his eyes, he opened them to find you still frozen with the goofiest look on your face.
"...Whoops." you chuckle.
He just blinks at you, and before he can speak you slowly extent your brush and dot his nose with paint. "...Boop."
He shakes his head in disbelief, lips puckered as he tries fighting a smile; a battle he sorely looses. You match his grin, the undeniable love sick gaze in his eyes behind that playful anger he wore.
"You're gonna pay for that," he says finally.
You scoff. "Seriously? It was accident!"
You laughed again. "And then, yeah, the other was on purpose. But its cool though, cause you look adorable."
Without breaking his gaze, he dips his fingers in your glass jar of paint water, and flicks his hand your face making you recoil. Your playful fury surfaces, and you rise to your feet to tower over him.
"Are you challenging me, Uris?" You asked. "If so, don't expect me to play by the rules, cause I won't. I won't hold back,"
He rises to meet your eye level, eyes squinting, palms on the table and your noses inches apart.
"That didn't stop you before,"
You smirk, left hand going unnoticed as it wrapped around the mason jar of paint water that sat on the desk beside you.
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wouldduskwood · 3 years
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Jake's POV Descendants of Despair Part 59
Though having a purpose helped to distract me from what could have been, I still could not shake the mixture of feelings. The fact that she loved me so much she would commit herself to me, it was something I never really imagined would happen. Especially not with someone that genuinely loved and trusted me. I didn't deserve her. I wanted to be strong enough to leave her, before I hurt her. I was making myself miserable with it. I forced myself to focus on what we were doing, temporarily forget what had happened, but it was tough.
Finally, I was drawn into the nuances of human behaviour. As I read, the lies, the deceit..it was no wonder she had never trusted anyone. They all had a hidden agenda. Usually it was for an entirely selfish reason. Where MC and I had both been selfish in ways, they had usually been either for survival or to protect each other. The selfishness I saw on these websites were all purely to protect the self from their own lies and betrayals. So many people cheating on the people they supposedly loved. When I considered my relationship with MC, there was no way in hell I could see myself ever wanting anyone else. I knew she felt the same. It was inconceivable to me that this many people thought it was okay to have sex with whomever they pleased.
“Jake...uh...I’m glad you’re not a real boy...if being a real boy means this shit.” She sighed as she indicated the screen. “I’m not sure we are going to be able to pull this off too well. I won’t be able to see her reaction to things so won’t be able to know whether she is lying or shielding things and you won’t be able to tell me what your thoughts are. I think our best bet is going to have to be to make the meeting as short and to the point as possible.”
I nodded, both perplexed and horrified at what I was reading on the screen. “I guess this is one reason I am glad I went into hacking...the other people that are hacking as well all know that we are hiding stuff and very likely lying to each other. It’s like an unwritten social code. But this…” I groaned, indicating the screen with disgust. “We may have to do this soon so I don’t have too much time to freak out.”
“How quickly can you get an earpiece sorted?” She asked. My mind quickly drifted to the pieces I already had. I was relatively sure I had everything I'd need. “That won’t take long, I think I can piece one together myself. Can you sort out a meeting. Uh...I’m not sure where to take her that doesn’t look like a murder house.” I replied hesitantly and was somewhat taken aback when she giggled in response. “It’s nothing, just you didn’t mind giving Dan the illusion of a murder house, taking him to the abandoned warehouse,” She grinned. “Dan needed a good dose of fear,” I snickered. It was unfortunate that the surroundings hadn't seemed to get through to him. I'd have to try harder next time. “Can you sort a place? I trust you to find somewhere that won’t terrify her or out me.” I suggested.
I began to work, examining the small pieces I had as well as the tech that I could connect remotely to it. As I worked, I glanced at her every now and then. “Wait...I’m thinking about this all wrong,” She stated, breaking the silence and causing me to pause in my work. “I was thinking of a building that would give the illusion of comfort for Lilly and security for us, but I realised that is just stupid. What about the lake in Duskwood. We take an offshoot away from the main area and wait there. There won’t be cameras and it’s highly unlikely anyone will be around.”
“Hm, as long as we stay away from the forest, although if we go near it we could possibly run into the man without the face and then we may get a chance to end it once and for all.” I grinned, then forced myself to stop. Knowing her, somehow the man without a face would track her down and I'd be stuck with Lilly somewhere else. There was no way I should have been joking about it. “You’re right, that’s probably the most comforting place for Lilly. If we leave quickly we won’t be too likely to strike anyone else. Can you set it up?”
She grabbed her phone and as she looked for Lilly's contact, I quickly pulled up the mirror of her phone and Lilly's on my screen.
Lilly
MC: Hey Lilly
Lilly is online
Lilly: OMG where have you been?
MC: Something happened so I had to leave where I was staying, but I’m good now.
Lilly: Really? Is there something that you aren’t telling me MC?
I wondered briefly how she would tackle this. Would she tell Lilly the truth? Would she talk about me? Would she mention her love? Logically I knew that it was much safer if she was vague, but still I couldn't help but hope.
MC: Yes actually, Jake has asked me to set up a meeting with you. He was a bit nervous reaching out himself in case you refused.
Lilly: OMG really, he wants to meet up? Oh I’m so nervous!
MC: Listen, it won’t be a long meeting, you know how his life is. Just don’t get too excited for something he may not be able to provide for you.
Lilly: OH yes I do understand but still...I’m going to meet my big brother!
MC: I will contact you soon with timing, but it will be at Duskwood lake. Can you find a private area somewhere around there and then give Jake the coordinates or let him track you?
Lilly: Yes I think I know a place. I’ll do that. I’ll be waiting by my phone!
As I watched Lilly's phone, I saw she had disconnected too. That gave me a bit more faith in my half sister. She hadn't told anyone of the impending meeting. I hoped that it would stay that way. I closed MC's screen and kept Lilly's open, just incase.
She had disconnected quickly, cutting Lilly off before she could ask anything more that might elicit too much information being shared. I turned to her with a smile. “Nicely done.” I partially expected an angry reprimand at breaching her privacy, but to my pleasure she just continued speaking. She really did want me to know her as much as I wanted her to know myself. “Sorry I lied a bit. I thought it was best that she didn’t know too much.” She murmured. I smiled. “It’s fine, you did well. I’ll have this up and running soon. Do you want to sort out some food? It’s been a while since we last ate and we should still have something in the car.” She nodded thankfully, which pleased me too. I was getting good at taking care of her...and myself in the process. Maybe I was the nurturing type.
I busied myself with the fine art of piecing together an ear piece out of bits and pieces I had pulled out from a small pouch I kept amongst my tech gear. It was a tedious process but it felt good to be doing something worthwhile. I was interrupted in my work when she carried a meal over to me. She had put a fair bit of effort into her presentation, was I was thankful for. It made the unappealing array of food somewhat more palatable. We ate in silence then I began working again while she watched. When I glanced at her, she was looking at me.
“Okay, I’m going to test this. So, I have managed to hook up a rudimentary microphone as well as the ear piece. It will transmit okay, but it may be staticky so you will need to be aware it may be hard to hear things. I should be able to hear you fine from this part here.” I said, indicating various parts of the creation. Her expression confused me. “Uh, I’m pretty sure it will work…” I mumbled, suddenly self conscious.
“You’re incredible,” She murmured, instantly wiping away my self conscious feeling and replacing it with joy. I became oddly proud of the small part I played in this. “Let’s give it a go then I’ll message Lilly. We will try and do this tomorrow!” I smiled nervously then gave her a quick kiss, attempting to refrain from pouncing on her then and there. Together we tested my equipment. I walked various distances away to test the range. It seemed pretty reliable, and it was probably the best we had anyway. “Contact Lilly. Set it up,” I mumbled into the microphone, nervous about the direction my future would take now that my half sister would be involved. Maybe she could talk some sense into me. Help me save MC from pain...
Part 60
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mca-attack21 · 4 years
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The Sacrifice
Hi guys, this was an interesting concept that I thought I would try out. I haven’t quite decided if I want to leave it as a stand-alone or add a second part. Anyways, grab your bow-ties and enjoy!
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You had gone on so many incredible adventures with The Doctor. As a side-effect, you had often been placed in dangerous situations, but you were never truly scared because you always knew that the Doctor would come for you. You knew that at the end of the day, everything was going to be okay because that was who he was, the man who saved the universe. You loved him with all of your heart and you chose willingly to put your faith in him. 
But this time was different. This time you were absolutely terrified.
The Doctor and you had traveled to a planet to waste some time as Amy and Rory were ‘honeymooning’ in Amsterduke. You would never pass up a chance for one on one time with the Doctor and were excited to see what the day would bring.
And everything was going great, at least until the two of you were captured. When you woke up, you were being held in some type of pod. You couldn’t move to even begin to try to get out. You saw that across the room the Doctor was strapped down to some sort of table, the aliens were hovering over his seemingly unconscious body.
“Why are you doing this?” you yelled gaining their attention.
“We have been waiting for centuries to find someone with time vortex energy to use as a stabilizer. He refused us, so we are going to take away his option to disagree with us by making him autonomous,” one of the creatures said bluntly.
“What does that mean?” you asked already afraid of the answer.
“We will end his independent brain function, and put his body in a permanent state of homeostasis. But don’t worry, he won’t feel it.”
“You’re going to kill him!” you yelled.
“We have no other choice. But don’t worry, as he stabilizes the ruptures in time, his existence will be rewritten, you will not remember him,” the creature tried to reason.
Your mind rushed as you realized what it had just said and with complete confidence you said, “Use me.”
“What?” the creature, who you later learned was the leader, asked.
“I am covered with vortex energy, and am entirely willing, let me take his place,” you pleaded.
“Stop, what you are doing,” he order those that were working on the Doctor. He then turned back towards you. “You would be erased from time like you never existed.”
“I know, please, just let me take his place.” 
“Why would you do that?”
“Because he is the most important man, the last of his kind, the savior of the universe. Killing him would devastate the world, but me? It wouldn’t even leave a mark.”
“Do you love him?” he asked.
“More than anything in this world,” you answered sincerely.
“Okay, we will test you, if you are compatible we will make the trade and let him go free, you have my word.”
With that, you were escorted to another room where a female came in and ran tests.
“You are very brave,” she said.
“Thank you,” you mumbled.
“Don’t worry, we can make it to where you will never feel it.”
“What if you don’t? What if I want to stay cognizant? To be able to remember everything?”
“You would be in agonizing pain, why would you want that?”
“Because then I wouldn’t lose him.”
“It would ultimately be up to you, though I wouldn’t recommend it.”
The tests came back and it was confirmed that you were compatible. The leader came back in and said that it was the most honorable thing to make a sacrifice for love. He asked if there was anything that you wanted to do before they put you in the capsule. You asked him for the chance to say goodbye to the Doctor and the ability to make a phone call to assure he’d be taken care of afterward. He agreed.
As you were led back to the room, you tried to prepare yourself. You knew that you could never tell him what you were about to do. He would try to talk you out of it, but the leader had been clear that it was you or the Doctor. If you tried to escape, he would kill you both and after what you witnessed earlier, you knew that he could. You took comfort in the fact that the Doctor wouldn’t remember any of this. You knew that if he did he would blame himself and it would absolutely tear him apart. But it was okay because he never would.
You put a brave face on and pushed the door open. The doctor was now sitting up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He still looked awful, but managed to shoot you a weak smile as you entered.
“I don’t know how you did it, but you saved me, they are letting us go,” the Doctor said.
“Well, I figured it was my turn. You’re always saving me,” you replied taking a seat beside him. ‘But not this time’ you thought.
“I just need about an hour to recover and then we can go back to the TARDIS and forget any of this ever existed.”
Those words hurt you and you hadn’t really realized that you’d started crying until the Doctor reached up to wipe your tears.
“Y/n? What’s the matter?” 
“It’s nothing, I’m just glad that you’re okay. I was scared for a minute there,” you answered.
‘Even if that means that I will never see you again’ 
“Come on Y/n, I’ll always be okay as long as I’ve got you,” he promised.
This sentence brought more tears, which caused him to pull you into his arms with a painful inhale. You had to remind yourself that this was the only way. It was either you or him. And he would be fine, he wouldn’t remember you, he’d still have the Ponds and River. He would still be the Doctor, alive to fight another day. 
Without really thinking, you whispered, “I love you.”
“I love you too, Y/n,” he whispered into your hair.
The two of you stayed like that until there was a knock on the door signaling that your time was up. You felt like it wasn’t enough time, but you knew deep down that no amount of time could have ever felt like it was enough.
“That’s my cue, I have to go check on something. Just stay here and rest up,” you faked a reassuring smile.
“Oh, okay,” the Doctor said with confusion in his voice. He could tell that something was off, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.
You gave him a tight squeeze and in a moment of weakness you kissed him. You hadn’t even really meant to do it, but something inside of you took over. The Doctor was slightly caught off guard, but happy nonetheless. Another knock was heard at the door and you pulled away, leaving the Doctor with a slight pout.
You walked towards the door, knowing better than to turn around and look at him again. He mistakenly took this for embarrassment over the kiss.
“Was I that bad?” he joked, longing for you to smile over your shoulder and laugh.
But as you refused to look at him, he realized that it was something else. You hesitated for a moment as you reached the door and said, “Goodbye Doctor, thanks for the adventures,” and without missing a beat exited the room.
“Wait? What do you mean goodbye? Y/n?” he asked trying to push himself to his feet ignoring the aching in his muscles and the fire in his lungs. He watched as the door shut behind you and tried to force it open. His hearts sank as he realized that his feeling that something was wrong was being confirmed. He forced himself over to his suit jacket to get his sonic, knowing deep down that he was running out of time. But it wasn’t there, someone must’ve taken it. 
He was starting to panic, he was trapped in here while you were out there. He wasn’t there to protect you. He was also incredibly frustrated as he now knew that you were hiding something from him, him. That could only mean that you were about to do something incredibly stupid, something that you didn’t think he’d be able to fix, something you didn’t want him to see. A tear rolled down his cheek, that wasn’t your decision to make. He forced himself back over to the door, and tried to open it. The exertion eventually came to much and he sunk down with his back against the wall. He felt so helpless, this was all his fault. And for the first time in a very long time, the Doctor cried. But even as the tears fell, he started to forget why he was crying.
By the time the door opened, he was surprised to see who entered. For it was the woman who perplexed him endlessly. The one he was pretty sure that he was going to marry someday.
“Hello Sweetie,” River said with a smile, though he saw the sadness in her eyes, but, he knew better than to ask. Spoilers.
“River? What happened? Where am I? Where are the Ponds?”
“Amy and Rory are on a honeymoon adventure in Amsterduke. You decided to come here and waste some time, but bit off a little more than you could chew. Your captors almost killed you, but it’s okay, everything has been handled. Should we go find the TARDIS?” she asked pitching him his sonic.
“Of course,” he said, though he had this strange feeling that something was missing.
River grabbed his coat, which he gratefully accepted. Something was missing, where was his bow-tie? Oh well, he had plenty more in the TARDIS. Though he couldn’t help but feel a bit out of sorts. The two of them made their way back to the TARDIS and the Doctor made himself some tea to help his body rebalance itself. When he returned to the console room, he was surprised at River’s unusually quiet demeanor. 
“So, aren’t you going to ask where we are this time? Pull out our diaries, do the whole nine yards?” the Doctor asked, trying to lighten the mood.
“Oh, of course,” she said smile brightening her face. River knew how to put on an act for him. She was practically the only person alive who knew what had actually happened that day. But she could never tell him, time didn’t work like that. If there was any chance of getting you back, the Doctor would have to remember you for himself.
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fandomscombine · 4 years
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Proud of You
My first ever George Weasley x Reader fic! This is basically a whole dose of fluff, I hope you like it!
BG: George asks you to try out their new invention for the joke shop, but won’t say what it does.
(Plus guest appearances by Angelina, Lee and Fred!)
WC: 1248
This is a part of @im-a-writer-right​  ‘s Writing Challenge ~2K Followers Celebration~ And I have used the prompts:
7. “You just have to trust me.”
26. “Stop making that face. It’s too cute.”
>>>MASTERLIST<<<
>>JOIN MY WRITING CHALLENGE!<<
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George Weasley, the other half of the ingenious pranksters the whole of Hogwarts has ever known. The twin of Fred Weasley. The better-looking chap as you like to say it as George Weasley is of course your loving boyfriend of 2 years.  That and seeing the scrunch of Fred’s eyebrows and George’s wide smile whenever you say it.
You and George are what many people say are the cliché. Yes, your relationship took the friends to lover trope. But what can you say. How couldn’t you fall for someone as loving and caring as George. The shift in your relationship came so naturally that it just felt right.
Hugs lasted a little bit longer than with everyone else and ‘accidental’ touches seem to linger on. Heck you guys were acting so much like a couple that people assumed you two were together even before you had the talk about your feelings and making things official.
It started as an offhand remark from the twins on waiting to start a joke shop. You remember that exact moment clear as day.
It was the last week of fifth year, you were all sitting in the courtyard enjoying the cool summer breeze, talking about what N.E.W.T subjects and future careers.
‘I’d be a professional Quidditch player’ piped Angelina.
‘Then I’d be a Quidditch commentator’ said Lee. ‘So, I’d could boast about how amazingly talented Angelina is!’
‘Being an Auror sounds exciting doesn’t it?’ you voiced out.
‘You’d be an amazing Auror y/n’ George said.
‘You really think that Georgie?’ You said softly, being touched from the compliment.
George wraps you in his arms. ‘Whatever you put your mind to, I know you would be amazing.’
Leaning closer, his kisses you.
You feel your cheeks heat up.
‘Oi quit it you two!’ exclaimed Fred.
You laugh. ‘I thought you’d be used to the PDA now?’ Raising your brow at him.
‘Yea but you both have only been dating for 3 weeks and I still can’t stand the picture of my brother and my best friend eating each other’s face off!’
‘oh come on Fred, you act like they haven’t been touchy for like a whole year before all this.’ Countered Angelina.
Fred threw his hands up in the air ‘Yeah but there wasn’t any snogging then!’
‘Aww is little Freddie, weirded out being the third wheel?’ teased Lee.
Fred shot him a look.
Leaning over to touch his hand ‘Fred it’s totally fine, you could have told us and we’d tone it down if it helps’ You give him a soft smile.
‘We will?’ George blurted out; a shocked expression written across his face.
While Fred gave his thanks.
‘So how about you Freddie?’ Driving back the conversation back on track. ‘What do you have planned for the future? I bet you and Georgie boy here have something cooked up already!’
‘Well… my dear y/n’ You turned to George who was rubbing the back of his neck.
‘We plan to get a joke shop started.’ Stated Fred.
‘Yea, we already have some products ready to go’ Continued George. ‘But there’s still a lot of work to do.’
‘But mum doesn’t think it’s worth it’ sighed Fred. ‘She thinks we’re wasting away.’
But you saw that twinkle in their eyes.
‘Oh boys…’ looking at their defeated faces. You grabbed both their hands ‘I believe you can do it. You are smart, though not in the typical booksmart way. You guys are innovative and creative, and I do genuinely have absolute faith that you will launch a successful joke shop.’
That seemed to brighten their faces. ‘Besides, a wise man did say ‘Whatever you put your mind to, I know you would be amazing.’’ You quoted, winking at George.
--
Over the summer the twins had spent inventing sweets for their Skiving Snackboxes. So far they have successfully developed Puking Pastilles and Nosebleed Nougat. The latter, you had the unfortunate to try before they perfected the antidote. (You had spent a good 3 hours sporting a bloody nose)
‘Come y/n, just have a little bite!’ George pleads. Leaning forward, you felt the common room sofa shift under the weight. ‘Fred and I already tried it and it works fine.’ He drops what looks like a fudge bar onto your hand.
‘You absolutely sure about that?’ You gave him a questionable look. ‘Cause I swear George, if it’s like when you asked me to try that Nosebleed Nougat—’
‘Nope nothing like that.’ George chuckled and raised his hand up ‘I promise!’
‘What does it do anyway?’
‘You just have to trust me.’
You gave in, knowing he won’t give you a straight answer. You were about to bite into it when-
‘Oh before I forget’ He grabs the chocolate bar and broke it in half. ‘ It’s supposed to be eaten by 2 people.’ Turning to face you fully, he clinks his piece with yours. ‘Cheers y/n/n’
‘Cheers Georgie’
The chocolate was delicious, you thought. How they managed to capture the blend of both the bitterness and the sweetness, you had to asked.
‘Thanks love! The flavouring actually took us a while to get right, but I’m glad you enjoyed it!’ said George loudly, though that could be due to your closeness to each other but there was a slight reverb you just can’t seem to place but chose to ignore it.
You were about to reply when— scrunching your brows and mentally rewinding the past minute 'Wait a second, I didn’t say that out loud did I?’
You were still deep in thought when something cut your concentration, ‘Nope you didn’t love.’
You turned your head up to George so quickly you swear there was a snap.  You had your eyes wide and mouth open in realization to what could only be the result of that sweet invention.
Upon seeing your face, George double over in laughter.
‘AWWW HAHAHHAH Y/N’ He was clutching his stomach. ‘YOU SHOULD SEE YOUR FACE.’
It took a while for him to calm down, but your face still had the same shocked expression.
‘Seriously y/n, stop making that face. It’s too cute.’ He teased, bringing his right hand to close your opened jaw.
To test out your theory, you internalised what you planned to say. ‘Georgie?’
‘Yes y/n.’ He replied. This time you were ready, and indeed did not see his lips move.
‘OH MY GOSH Georgie! Is this what I think it is?’ Your eyes go wide again.
‘What do you think it is?’ He asked cheekily.
‘A telepathy chocolate?’
‘Damn right! The chocolate gives the takers an hour of telepathy.’ He beamed.
‘Oh George!’ You hugged tightly. ‘I am so proud of you! This is amazing!’
You realised you also said that in your head. So, you broke the hug and kissed him over and over again.
‘I am so proud of you Georgie’
*You kiss him on his forehead*
‘This is amazing!’
*You kiss his left cheek*
‘I’m so proud of both you and Fred.’
*You peck his right cheek*
‘This is some cutting-edge magic you guys did.’
*You give a little kiss on his nose*
‘You’re gonna be some successful joke shop owners and inventors in the future! I bet my life on it’ You stated confidently, cupping his face between your hands.
‘I love you George’
‘I love you too y/n’
*And finally to cap it all off, you closed the small distance between your faces and kiss him with all your love.*
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pretty-setter-bois · 3 years
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just kids
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request; none.
summary; burnt-out gifted children smoking on the roof, finding themselves and each other.
word count; 904™
warnings; swearing, mentions of tabacco and cannabis, mentions of creeps, mentions of kidnapping. 
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     THE NIGHT IS cold, but even colder is the breeze that brushes along your uncovered thighs and threatens the hem of your dark skirt. wearing fishnets does little to help avoid the drop in temperature.
suna wordlessly passes you the joint, and you take a long drag. you ignore the way his wrist flicks towards you, motioning for you to return it.
he finally takes it from you, finishing the last bit remaining before putting it out.
you lean back on your palms, staring at the reflection of the moon.
“we’re fucked.” you chuckle sarcastically, letting yourself down on your elbows.
“what do you mean?” suna asks, eyes focused on the bright, large sphere in the sky. “we’re on the roof, and everyone’s asleep. i’m pretty sure we weren’t caught.”
“that’s not what i meant.” you giggle, looking at him. “we really are disappointments to society, aren’t we?”
he leans forward, propping his elbows on his knees and letting his head rest in his palms. “maybe.”
“imagine auntie caught us? we’d never be allowed to hangout again.”
“mom thinks you were helping me study.” he informs. “matter of fact, she thinks you’re home now.”
you smile sadly. “it’s nice to know she has some faith in me.”
“she doesn’t know you’re getting c’s.”
you sigh, smile instantly dropping.
when had it all gone wrong?
“you’re saying that like you’re doing any better than i am.”
“yeah, you’re right.” he admits. “but i have volleyball going on for me.”
“hmm.” you hum silently.
“what do you have going on for you?”
you stop for a moment. “do you have another joint?”
“that was my last one,” he clicks his tongue. “and it was kind of why i called you over here. can you call your dealer again?”
“oh my god, rintaro.” you wipe your hands with your eyes. “i told you i didn’t want to associate with him anymore. you do it.”
“yeah, but he gives you a discount.”
“because he’s a creep!”
“please, just this once!”
“you said that last time!”
the sound of shuffling interrupts your arguing, causing you to look at each other as your blood ran cold.
suna turns over to lay on his stomach, peering his head just slightly into the window, trying to see who was in the hallway.
“just grandma.” he mutters, safely turning around to flop on his back, matching your position.
“you didn’t tell me she was staying over,” you look at him. “you didn’t even introduce me this time!”
“grandma thinks you’re the girl with the pigtails that gets 120% on tests.”
“oh, wow.” you run your hands through your slightly greasy hair. “i’m glad i ditched that hair years ago.”
“your hair’s looking a little greasy, you know.”
“yeah,” you breathe out. “i haven’t showered in a few days.”
“make yourself presentable if you wanna greet grandma.”
“i will.” you nod.
a serenading silence surrounds the two of you, your eyes stuck watching the moon.
“what time is it?” you ask.
he takes his phone out of his pocket — surprised it was fully charged, but he never really went on it when hanging out with you — and checks the time.
“3 o’clock, you might wanna start heading back now.”
“yeah, you’re right.” you grumble. “mr. watanabe has been on my ass to hand in my literature essay.”
“but you love literature?”
“no motivation.” you sigh.
“hmm,” he nods, not wanting to reflect on his own wellbeing. “any other assignments?”
“miss yoshida wants my lab report, too.”
“you sure you’ll get enough sleep?”
“sleep?” you laugh. “sleep is out of the question, and if i’m lucky, i’ll be able to finish both of them before school starts.”
he looks at you, concern in his usually half-lidded eyes.
“i’ll sleep during school if you pay attention for me?” you raise an eyebrow.
“yeah, whatever.” he helps you get down from his roof. “don’t forget the dealer.”
you shake your head to yourself, but offer him a wave to know you heard what he said.
it only takes a few seconds before you hear footsteps behind your own, and you think that you should have been more careful if you wanted to avoid being the victim of a kidnapping.
you sprint with the blurry eyes and little stamina you have left, the footsteps easily catching up to you.
“you’re kind of slow, you know? not just athletically, too.”
that was suna’s voice.
“what… are you… doing here?” you turn to face him, bending over your knees and panting.
“you’re an idiot if you think i’m going to let you walk home alone at this hour.” he shrugs, tucking his hands into his hoodie.
“thanks.” you exclaim, and you both begin to walk.
even though none of you speak, there is a silent exchange. you and suna. you’ll always be there for the other, even if they aren’t there for themselves. no matter how bad it gets, how good it gets, or what happens, you’ll continue to be by each others side.
you arrive at your house, and suna helps you up the window you left open when exiting.
“hey, rin.” you whisper shout as he begins to walk.
“yeah?” he turns around.
“you and me, always together?”
“yeah.” he offers a rare, lazy smile.
“stay safe on your way home.”
“i will.”
he turns around, not wanting you to see the smile on his face. a smile that he only smiles for you.
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NOTES ♕❣⁂ღ
hello! i haven’t posted an imagine in a bit so here’s this!
it’s a bit rushed because i haven’t been feeling very creative lately.
please tell me if i missed something, thank you :)
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Dear George || Gred and Feorge
pt 1 || pt 2 
description: Though he didn’t like to speak of it, George struggled after the war. He’d let himself lose step of things in the comfort of soft bodies and the hope of forever. Sleep escaped him. Worry consumed him. A spark of hope came from the cunning Gwendolyn. George tries hard to squash any thoughts down, to escape the cycle of mistakes. 
a/n: I am so shocked y’all liked the last chapter! I hope y’all keep liking it. I’ve been hoping to convey my intention through this fanfic well, and I hope my messages about different types of health start to come through. 
warnings: anxiety
Pairing: George x OC
Wordcount: 1.6K
“Hey Gred!” Fred was smiling brightly at his brother as George came through the fireplace. Fred was standing in their kitchen in front of a series of potions that he was going through dose by dose. His cane sat atop the counter next to a pile of product prototype sketches.
The elder of the twins hadn’t had too much to drink, seeing as it had been so long since he’d been able to, but it was just enough to keep him quite happy. He forced another potion down his throat, wincing at the taste. He’d complain about how many he had to take, but he was simply happy that the number was going down. “Where’d you go off to with Gwen?” If it had been a few months earlier, Fred would be quite confident with the answer to that question, but now he wasn’t quite sure.  
They hadn’t really talked about George’s behavior after the war, but Fred was happy his brother seemed back to himself. George, for a short while after the war, had thrust himself into a series of ill advised relationships. The girls had all been a tad off their rocker but then again, George had been the same. Fred knew his brother was seeking companionship instead of actually dealing with the after effects of the war.
Really, Fred was much less worried about him nowadays, though the fact George couldn’t sleep was cause for concern.
He was curious about what had happened with Gwen though. He hadn’t seen her since before the battle, and tonight he hadn’t really gotten to talk with her. Hopefully she’d start coming back to London more often.
George raised the bottle of potion and the satchel of tea he’d been given as he walked towards the kitchen. “I told her that I can’t sleep and she helped me out.” There was a bit of hope in his chest that had gone away several months before when his other routes of relief had petered out. He’d sat with Gwen during potions. He knew she was good at this, and had faith in her.
He frowned as he noticed Fred all ready for bed and already working on his medicines. George wouldn’t say he coddled his twin, but after the war he’d been the largest caretaker in Fred’s life. More so than anyone else in the family. “You need any help there mate?”
With a shake of his head, Fred downed the rest of his potions. “Nah, I’ve got it.” He gave George a smile, quite certain as to what his partner was thinking. “You can take a break now.” As much as he appreciated all the help George had given him, it was nice to be a bit more independent now, and Fred wanted to start taking more care of himself.
Unsure of what to do with himself, without the task of taking care of his brother, George nodded and took the potion Gwen had given him. “I’m going to try and sleep.” Fixing the tea was next on his list, and he was hopeful that this might work. He situated himself next to Fred in the kitchen, leaning against a counter across from the stove as he flicked his wand to start the tea.
“Let’s try and work more on the Concentrating Candies tomorrow. I’m pretty confident we can get the recipe right with a little more tweaking.” Maybe they could get Ron or Lee to help out. Testing the candies on themselves time after time wasn’t always much fun. “We ought to get more test subjects this time, it’ll help out our sample size.”
Last time they’d made the candies too strong, and had spent the day hyperfocused on the shop. At least everything had gotten cleaned, George mused.
Fred nodded as he chugged the contents of a water glass. After taking those potions for so long you’d think he’d be used to the taste, but that wasn’t the case. He tried not to shudder as he focused on what George was saying. “That’s a good idea.” He knew what test subjects George was thinking of. “Let’s ask Ron. I think Lee’s busy tomorrow.”
Ron was more likely. He’d been quite helpful after the battle. When the twins had returned to their shop, it had been ransacked. Their inventory was all over the floor, shelves were broken, and there was enough soot to suggest that several small fires had taken place somehow. Fred had reckoned there’d been some misplaced spells when they’d left. The twins and Ron had been able to fix up the shop itself, and it looked almost as good as new. The problem they had now was replacing lost inventory. It was like starting from square one.
“I’ll pop over to his place in the morning and ask him to come over and help.” George stretched as he moved away from the counter. He was in a strange grey area at the moment, where his body felt tired from a long day, but his mind was far too awake to let him rest. “G’night Forge. Call for me if you need anything.” He clapped Fred on the back before walking out of their small kitchen, down the hallway and into his room.
Part of him was tempted to just head to bed and hope for the best. He took a sip of his tea, and decided against the idea. It hadn’t really worked for him in the past, and after all he’d promised Gwen a letter written tonight. With a flick of his wand he moved all of the clutter off of his desk, and sat down with a piece of parchment.
Gwendolyn, Gwen, Dear Gwen,
It’s about 1 a.m. I just took the potion that you gave me tonight, or yesterday, depending on how technical you want to get, and I’m drinking the tea. I hope you know that the potion tastes like piss. The tea is quite nice though, seems like something Mum would like. If everything works I won’t complain, and I’ll be sure to visit and pay you back somehow. If this works we aren’t even anymore, I’ll definitely owe you. Start thinking about what you want, alright?
Turns out I didn’t need to rush home back to Fred, he was quite alright without me, got all ready by himself. I shouldn’t be so surprised. He’s gotten loads better. It’s been almost a year since the battle after all.
George frowned and re-read what he had written. It was quite a frank telling of what was going on, but at the moment he was just tipsy enough to not really care if he was getting too personal.
It was weird. I haven’t minded taking care of him in the least, I know he’d do the same for me in a second, but it was almost disappointing that I couldn’t help this time. I’m happy, I’m very happy, but I don’t know quite what to do with myself at the moment. Have you got a potion for mixed feelings? I’d like to buy that one.
You wanted a joke didn’t you? One that isn’t an ear pun?
My friends say I say too many skeleton jokes. I suppose I ought to put more backbone in them.
Still a pun, but you ought to like it. I can’t exactly turn a phrase in a letter after all.
Fred and I are going to be working on our Concentrating Candies tomorrow. Those school aides I told you about. It’s a tricky recipe so far. First batch made us more distracted. Second batch made us sick. Third made us too focused. We did get quite a lot done on that last one though, so at least it was closer. We’re hoping to just get something done that will help students focus enough to not get easily distracted during a test or while studying, but it’s easy to get to too much or too little.
We’ll be doing the next batch tomorrow. I’m going to see if Ron or Lee can help us, it’s a bit better indicator if something works if more people can test it.
It’s actually really nice talking to you again, even if it’s just been tonight and through letters.
You ought to come by London more. Your old friends miss you here.
Don’t you want to open a shop up in Diagon Alley? There’s a lot of empty places now, that are going for pretty cheap. You ought to look into it. We could be neighbors. That would be nice. We don’t know a lot of people who live here. Fred and I are the youngest ones here.
I hope your Dad didn’t mind me popping over. From what you told me though he was probably happy to get another customer.
If this potion works I’ll be buying them from now on. It’s only fair.
George finished off the last of his tea, and felt himself growing more and more drowsy as time passed. Still, he wanted to finish the letter before he went to bed. He’d promised after all. 
 A lot of us that used to be on the Quidditch team, or at least on the Gryffindor one, are talking about doing a small game together. I’ll let you know when it’ll be. I expect you to come to it and play with us.
No more hiding away in Wales.
I was actually really happy when Fred suggested we do a reunion tonight. It was all slapped together, but it was really nice to see him well enough to go out and excited to see all his old friends together. I think it’s been hard seeing people visit him just because he’s been unwell.
I’m glad you came, it was fun talking to you.
I’m actually getting pretty beat now, so I guess you were right, relaxing before bed works pretty well. I think your potion is helping too.
I’ve got to go to bed now, so I’ll send this with an owl to you. I expect a response as soon as you can. I’m not letting you go so long without talking to anyone again.
From George From Gred Sincerely George George
George did a quick read over of what he had written before shrugging. It was a pretty personal one, but he trusted Gwen enough with all of this, and he was too tired to rewrite the damn thing.
Quick as he could, he folded the letter into an envelope, sealed it with a bit of wax, and handed it to the owl he and Fred shared. “Take this to Gwen, alright Peeves?” There was a muffled hoot in response, before the barn owl took off out of the window.
The redhead stretched and let out a yawn. He could already feel the fact that he was going to sleep quite well tonight. That was certainly going to be a pleasant change of pace.
Climbing into bed, George expected to be hit by the typical wave of concerns and busy thoughts that kept him awake all too often. Tonight though, he felt much more at ease. It wasn’t as if he thought Gwen was wrong when she said writing a letter would help, but he hadn’t exactly thought that writing down his thoughts would have such a big impact. Turning over onto his side, he shrugged the blankets on top of himself and closed his eyes.
For the first time in a very long while, George Weasley slept well.
taglist: @harrysweasleys @geeksareunique @insearchofnewdreams @notstandingstill-imlyinginwait @lumos-barnes @thatfuckingliardavidtennant @slytherinqween @xinyourdreamsx @skiving-snackboxess @wildfire-whizbangs @dwarfwizard-from-panem @diary-of-an-onliner @answer-the-sirens @woakiees @black-widow-fangirl @theheirofnightandday @summerstardust @whysoseriouspadfoot @chocok22 @myhopesareanchoredinyou @siriusblackisme @illusivedaydreamer @zeeneee @writingwitchly @wolfpotter12 @obsessedwithrandomthings @carolinesbookworld @shadowsinger11 @pit-and-the-pen @summer-writes @peachesandpinks @ickle-ronniekins @gweaslvy @alpinewinchester
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teriwrites · 3 years
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2020 Writing Wrap-Up
Something that I do every year on the 1st is go back through absolutely everything I’ve written throughout the previous year and compile it into one massive word document. Everything from outlining notes to unfinished short stories to my NaNo project wind up in that file, where I like to read back and reflect on what I’ve gotten done through the year. 
Every year, I end up having written more than I expected, and this year was no different! 
Total for 2020: 203,119!
This is the first recorded year (I think it’s year 4 that I’ve done this for?) in which I’ve cracked 200K! It’s also the first year I’ve ever actually followed through on my resolution to share some of my writing online! So as rough as 2020 has been, I still somehow managed to break some personal records in writing. Which probably has everything to do with the fact that I joined this community earlier this year, and it’s been incredibly encouraging and supportive!
I also branched out a bit more this year in a few ways. I worked on some poetry and prose, which is not something I’ve put a lot of time into before so tends to be a challenge. It’s nothing that I’ll be posting anytime soon, but it was fun to work on in the moment, which is especially important in such a wild year as 2020.
One snag that I definitely hit was the fact that I have a lot more unfinished work than most years. A majority of the short stories I started working on never got finished. But I can’t even be too upset about that, because I totally loved being able to read back on even the fragmented pieces I ended up with. And while I do think a large part of that (for me) is discipline over inspiration, I’m willing to accept that, sometimes, things will remain unfinished. And it’s okay to stop working on them. 
My overall focus shifted a bit this year, too, which was interesting. I worked more on longer things than most years - started out the year by finishing my first draft of Castle on the Hill, continued making some edits and reworking its outline, did a large part of Beneath Alder Creek’s first draft in November. Right now, I’m working on what I expect to be a novella by the time I’m done with it. It’s a big contrast to the usual, short and snappy short stories that fill most of my previous wrap-up files. But I still definitely write those sometimes, and it’s nice to be able to try stretching and testing my own boundaries. 
This is the part of my wrap-up where I go ham throwing in some of my favorite out-of-context quotes from a variety of different things I’ve worked on. Some of them might be familiar, a lot probably won’t. I’m going to post it beneath the thing so this doesn’t become even more absurdly long!
Some of the ~highlights~ of 2020:
First Thoughts in the Morning: wow the sexual tension between me and the alarm clock right now. Later Reflection: wtf? (a literal note on my notes app that I included because I Cannot remember writing any of this and it made me laugh)
Edriele’s gaze trailed down to the woman’s armor, and her stomach twisted. “Where did you find your attire?” The woman glanced down in surprise, as though she’d forgotten she was wearing it. “It was fitted to me when I gained my ranking. I suppose it draws attention, but after my confrontation at… you mean to ask me whether I’m impersonating a Knight!” “The thought had crossed my mind,” the Sister replied dryly. (novella WIP)
“Do you need to make a stop at your house before we head to the chapel?” Leslie asked as they started off. “What for?” Winnie asked. Leslie looked pointedly at the tip of her galoshes poking out from beneath her dress. With another roll of her eyes, Winnie sighed. “Oh, I suppose so.” (Beneath Alder Creek)
When the third meeting for the Society of the Hidden Immortal Tribe was called for the decade, I knew heads would roll. Gathering the entire society together took months. Everything had to be hush-hush; that was the entire point of spreading ourselves out. Plus, every time a letter arrived in the mail, it was a reminder of the idiot who had decided we needed a name change. Everybody agreed that being deemed the ‘S.H.I.T.’ was humiliating, but nobody could agree on a better title, so it had remained the same for nearly a full century. That was the problem with living forever. You always had more time to make decisions, and, in the end, nothing ever got done. (S.H.I.T.)
When she leaves, I’m not sure I remember a word of what she’s said. But as the stresses of the semester wash back in, and my mind clears like being pulled out of a dream, I suddenly understand how one could crash upon the rocks without realizing they’d ever changed their course. (A Modern Siren)
When Georg arrived later, he found Klaus leaning forwards onto the table, staring vacuously at one of his textbooks. "Studying hard?" he taunted as he approached and dropped into the seat Ingrid had been occupying. "I talked with Ingrid," Klaus explained. Georg's eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise, but he quickly recovered and looked pointedly at Klaus' posture. "Go that well, then?" "She said I'm arrogant and completely self-involved and that I never take what a girl says into account whenever I'm on a date." With a haunted gleam in his eye, Klaus stared up at his friend. "I think she's right." "Well then it's a good thing somebody pointed it out," Georg offered, and he turned to his work. (Castle on the Hill)
Takemoto Hana rested a hand over her face. She couldn’t see the swirling of darkness over her head, but she heard the whine behind its words. With a wry smile, she asked, ‘Do you not know how to brew tea?’ ‘Of course I know how to brew tea!’ The dark spirit’s voice boomed with a defensive defiance that rang false in the funny little woman’s ears.  (The Funny Little Woman)
“None of us want to be here right now,” Edgar called out to the hall. “None of us want to go back through the handbook and listen to the steps of proper etiquette in immortality. But it seems that, once again, it’s necessary.” “Dammit, Dave,” muttered the man next to me. I said nothing, but I couldn’t help but agree with the sentiment. Dave was… how do I describe Dave? To call him an idiot would be underestimating his craftiness. To call him a genius, I’d have to ignore all of his dumb antics. Cruel was too strong. Misguided was too innocent. Mischievous fit best, but even that fell short. Dave was a trickster god, if ever one existed. (S.H.I.T.)
Ridiculous, he told me with a self-conscious laugh of someone who didn't expect to be believed. I smiled, but I didn't join in. (The Little Roads)
“Hey, where did Alina go?” Lorelai asked. Zoe shrugged, but Jaiden cleared his throat. “I think you crossed one of her boundaries, Lo. She specifically asked not to involve her girlfriend in this, and then you did anyways. I know we needed the help, but friendships have to be built on mutual trust, my dude. You should’ve at least let her know your plan before you went behind her back.” The two women stopped and shared a look. “Hey, Jaiden,” Zoe asked. “Do you know the capital of Canada?” He shook his head. “I dunno, Ontario?” “Amazing.” (Mirror, Mirror)
"We had a bet going over whether you'd make it in time," Hans told him. "Did you win or lose?" Josef replied. Hans flipped a 5-Deutsche Mark coin over to Peter, who grinned as he pocketed it. "I'm glad you have so much faith in me." Josef's voice dripped with sarcasm. (Castle on the Hill)
Taliesin reached over his head and grabbed at one of the low-hanging bows, picking leaves from it. “I’m not sure.” Winnie stopped. “What do you mean?” “I mean that I don’t know.” (Beneath Alder Creek)
While she attended to these, the man beside her began to stir. Ella could see him out of the corner of her eye, attempting to push himself up into a sitting position. ‘You may want to lie back down,’ she told him, scrubbing uselessly at her skirt. The man continued to sit up anyways, pressing a hand against the side of his face. ‘Am I killed?’ ‘No, but your savior may be.’ Ella threw her skirt back to the ground. ‘When the Madame sees the state of me, I’ll be spending my future afternoons off making a new dress out of the fabric scraps.’ A frown crossed the man’s face as he considered her words, followed by a scowl of understanding. ‘You work for them. The bourgeoisie.’ (Cinderella)
Ingrid took the seat and began digging through her bag for a book. As she did so, she explained, "There were no other tables open in the building - even in the quiet section upstairs - so I figured that I would just ask the first person I recognized if I could sit with them, and well... here we are." "Don't worry about it," Georg answered when Klaus found himself dumbstruck again. "Just ignore the oaf, he'll leave you alone." Ingrid shot a grin at Georg, and Klaus suddenly wondered whether it was a good idea to have the two of them sit together. (Castle on the Hill)
Up ahead, I could see the glass walls of the bus stop. Usually, I waited for the bus leaning against the metal frame of the stop, leaving the seats inside open for children on their way to school. But the seats were empty now. I still avoided them. (Flo’s Magical Emporium: The Pandemic)
Now, I ask that you do not feel too much self-pity. For as easy an error as it may be to mistake a visiting aristocrat’s son for the hired help, the true talent in such a display causing his immediate departure lies within you alone. And to think that the meeting was the work of your father’s tenuous sway over the court! Well, I am sure the time away will do him some good, lest you begin to consider that you’ve ruined his position as well as your prospects. (Dearly Detested,)
Edgar was at the front of the lecture hall, and standing beside him was Dave, smirking as though at some private joke that only he was in on. He was wearing sunglasses, despite the dim lighting of the room, probably because he thought he looked cool. I rolled my eyes. What a tool. (S.H.I.T.)
 The work is different now. Countryside pathways winding through the forest lie forgotten for years without the familiar steps of a traveler. Off beaten paths in the city are never unknown for long, and sometimes streets that were once crossed by thousands a day fall back into obscurity. (The Little Roads)
“How much time will you give me to think on it?” she asked suspiciously, wrapping her arms around herself as though afraid they’d reach out to him if not kept in check. “You have all the time in the world,” the golden man said. “The boy’s, however, runs out with every passing second.” He extended his hand. (Beneath Alder Creek)
You ever met a rich person? Not comfortably wealthy. Not ‘my Uncle Kenny is a lawyer’ rich. Not even ‘widow answering the door to her manor on a hill dressed in fine silk’ rich. No, I mean proper, so-much-money-you-literally-can’t-spend-it-fast-enough rich. They say it isn’t worth Bill Gates’ time to pick up a $100 bill off the floor because he’ll have earned more in the time it takes to grab it. That kind of rich. They seem to be bred for times like these. Their houses are a source of endless entertainment – movie theaters, bowling alleys, personal gyms with a view of the sprawling landscape they overlook like cruel dictators. There’s no need for them to leave during a pandemic; they have access to the equivalent of a luxury resort most families have to save up month to visit. Necessities can be stockpiled in one of the useless extra spaces in the house. I mean, I once had to hide out in a luggage room for a contract. That’s right. An entire room dedicated to holding luggage, bigger than some of the apartments I’ve rented. I thought their residential labyrinths were my greatest source of grief. But social distancing? I’m one bad contract away from retirement. (Bounty Hunter During a Pandemic)
Shaking his head, Detlef pulled a new sheet from his notebook. “Look, I’m just saying, if we can get the satire right, we can be a modern Jonathan Swift.” “I don’t want to be a modern Jonathan Swift, I want to be a student actually passing his debate course!” Peter snapped. (Castle on the Hill)
Moonlight illuminated the German’s fair hair and pale skin, the effect more malevolent apparition than man. (Face on the Other Side of a Dark Window)
Back then, he’d been known for commissioning the exact same portrait of himself every hundred years, hanging them in a hallway in his manor and trying to pass them off as his line of ancestors to any of the locals. It had been a far less skeptical age, and Dave had earned himself a small band of worshipers before Jeff Goldblum himself had been forced to intervene. (S.H.I.T.)
Clara stood before the board of advisors assisting with her thesis. She was one, very intense paper away from her M.A., and she wasn’t about to risk it all by being too proud to ask for help. When she’d made the appointment to meet with them, she expected a series of questions surrounding her topic. Instead, they’d opened by offering her a job. “You want me to steal from the school?” Dr. Pye wrinkled her nose at the suggestion. Next to her, Dr. Pritchard said, “Don’t think of it as theft, dear. It’s merely redistribution.” Clara hadn’t amassed tens of thousands of dollars in debt to be lectured on the definition of robbery. “Either way, it involves me sneaking into the Chemistry department and taking a huge risk to get you some new toys to play with.” (Origins: The Ghost)
“Why is undermining Pryderi so important to Queen Ceridwen that she would risk breaking a timeless alliance just to dismantle them?” Her stomach twisted into a knot, protesting against the answer. “There are few members of the Dusk Court that we know by title.” A shadow passed over Enid’s expression. “The Lord of the Undernell is second only to the Queen.” “Great deeds build the reputation of one in their own court. Cruelty builds it in both.” Taliesin buckled under Winnie’s weight as she suddenly leaned against him. (Beneath Alder Creek)
“Why are all my friends so quick to endanger themselves?” I muttered as I packed up Midas’ crate. Natalie swiveled around from the candy aisle. “So you’re finally willing to admit that we’re friends?” “Save it.” (Flo’s Magical Emporium: The Pandemic)
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gale-gentlepenguin · 5 years
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ML Fic: Soulmate Survey Part 5 (10,000th Post)
(Master post)
(I hope you all enjoy it)
______________________________________________________________________
“City of Love? Ha! There is no love in this city!” The akuma shouted angrily at the sky.
The akuma in question seemed to be a mix of human and bird. With sharp Eagle like talons on her feet. Her Arms were replace with large hawk wings that she used to fly. Beautiful Green feathers covered her wings and body which looked like a giant bird, leaving her head and neck that looked to be the only human parts of her, having Eagle eyes and a mask reminiscent of a butterfly, with her long wavy brown hair. Around her neck was a necklace with a small golden eagle creature on it.
There were countless feathers piercing the ground all over the place. It seems the akuma was leaving quite an impression.
A cat themed hero jumped onto a roof where a red clad heroine was observing.
“Afternoon Bugaboo. And what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you today.” The cat flirted.
“An akuma unfortunately.” The heroine said with her usual serious tone. Though she seemed more annoyed then usual. Not that she ever was happy to fight an akuma but she was not really in the mood for an akuma attack.
“So what’s this one’s deal?”
Ladybug simply pointed to the akuma with little enthusiasm as if on cue the akuma answered the cats question.
“How can this be a city of love when there are callous men who will abandon you without notice! One minute they are messaging you how excited they are to see you and then next they don't bother to show up and ignore your calls! So long as I, The Harpy am here, no woman will ever be hurt by a man again!” The akuma exclaimed.
“She has been saying that for 20 minutes.” Ladybug stated clearly irritated.
“So you're saying she has been Parroting her point?” Chat noir Inquired with a smirk.
Ladybug rolled her eyes but with a smile on her face.
“Just see if you can beak her interest for a bit and Ill try and get the jump on her.” Ladybug insisted, now in a slightly better mood.
Chat noir smiled at her pun. I wonder if Marinette will share my fondness of puns. If he remembered right her dad loved puns. So she should be use to hearing them. I bet she has a few good ones. He quickly pushed those thoughts out of his head. Akuma now, daydreams later.
“Ill be sure to make sure to ruffle her feathers.” He punned one last time with a wink before heading off. 
The harpy was looking around, it seemed that most of the people were taking cover.
“You know I agree, men can be jerks. Thats why I prefer women.” the black clad hero commented, causing the akuma to turn around.
“Chat noir! The horrible half of the miraculous duo!” The Harpy hissed.
“Its actually adorable. Thats okay, most of the akuma keep getting that one confused. its a common...” Chat noir bantered only to be interrupted by an incoming barrage of feathers coming at him.
Using his cat like reflexes, the blond managed to dodge the sharp feather.
“Yikes! You can poke an eye out with those.”
Chat noir decided to jump down to avoid more feathers.
“Hold still you mangy Alley cat! You men are all the same, leaving at the first opportunity! Just like Curtis! ”
Chat noir couldn't help but wonder what this Curtis guy did to make this akuma so mad, and if he should feel worse for Curtis or for her.
Ladybug swung her yo-yo around the akuma’s wing. The akuma turned to see Ladybug and looked betrayed.
“You are actually helping him? He is just a nasty male. He will break your heart.”
Ladybug felt a pang of guilt as she heard the akuma say that, if things go how Marinette wants, she might be the one who unfortunately breaks hearts. 
“I wouldn't worry about Chat noir, I have an itching feeling that you should worry about  your wing.” Ladybug answered with a smirk.
“My wing? Why would I worry about my... why is it so itchy?” The akuma exclaimed in surprise.”
She looked at the yo-yo and noticed that the string and the yo-yo itself were covered in a mysterious powder.
Ladybug reveals a small ladybug print canister. The akuma realized it was Itching powder.
The Akuma tried to scratch her wing but if she tried to with her other wing, she would fall.
The Harpy shrieked and tried to get away.
“Chat noir!” Ladybug called out as the akuma was flying away and taking Ladybug for a ride.
“I am on it.”
Chat noir gave chase to the bird akuma who flew around in circles trying to get ladybug off.
But while distracted she didn't see the cat jump from the roof she was flying a bit too close to and he snagged her necklace.
“NO!” The Harpy cried out in horror. Ladybug used that as her signal to let go.
Chat noir activated his power to break the necklace which released the Akuma.
Ladybug quickly captured and purified the black butterfly.
“Bye bye little butterfly.”
Ladybug tosses the canister into the air and all the damage from the fight was fixed.
 The Harpy turned back into her normal form. Now no longer covered in green feathers she was wearing a simple yet fashionable summer dress and her eagle eyes were replaced with lovely green eyes. Looking like a woman in her late twenties.
Ladybug and chat noir fist bump to celebrate.
After their congratulations, the two approach the woman to check on her.
“Are you okay? You seemed really upset when you were an akuma?” Ladybug inquired.
The woman spoke with a saddened tone.
“I am sorry for all the trouble I have caused. I was just upset with Curtis standing me up. We had met through this matchmaker app, that one that shows your compatibility. We really hit it off after he messaged me and we seemed to have a lot in common. He acted so sweet and thoughtful, we were planning to meet up for the first time today but.. but he stood me up on the date...” The woman started tearing up. “I thought he was going to be different!”
Ladybug and chat noir felt her words strike a cord. It sounded a lot like the app that they were familiar with. Was it not as accurate as they were lead to believe?
“Well, I guess putting your faith in an app could be...” Ladybug began to say before getting interrupted.
“Angela!” A voice called out.
The three looked to see a man with short honey blond hair and brown eyes, holding a bouquet of flowers, clearly exhausted.
“Thank goodness you are okay. I am so sorry for being late. The subway broke down and I had no signal to call you. I messaged you as soon as I was out explaining everything. Then when I saw that Bird akuma attacking I couldn’t help but worry so I went looking for you.”
The brunette pulled out her phone reveal she had 10 texts and two missed calls.
“Oh. Oh my I am embarrassed. I am sorry for assuming the worst, Curtis. I thought you had stood me up and...”
“Stand up a spectacular women like you? Assume I am dead first.” Curtis said with a soft smile.
The two laughed at the comment, showing that there was something between them.
Ladybug and Chat noir could tell the couple were having a moment and decide to let them be.
The two make their way to a rooftop as they let the two lovebirds talk.
“Seems like things worked out for her.” Chat noir spoke, he was far more relieved.
“Yea, I am glad the guy didn't actually stand her up. Sounds like that app she used didn't steer her wrong.” Ladybug agreed, also feeling relief about the revelation.
“It sounds like there might be something to it.” Chat noir commented. “Purrhaps we should test our own compatibility Ladybug. Have you considered making an account?”
"Who says I do or don't already have one?” Ladybug teased.
“Oh? So my lady is searching for her soulmate? How strange, I have been right here the whole time.” Chat noir joked.
Ladybug laughed.
“I assume you don't, since you have ‘your soulmate’ so close.” Ladybug teased.
“Purrhaps or Purrhaps I do have one.” Chat noir purred.
“You already used that pun earlier kitty.”
“Fur real? I guess I am not on my game today.” Chat noir admitted.
“Its fine, don't force the puns on my account.” Ladybug assured.
Chat noir smile shifted from his usually cocky smirk to a softer smile.
“Hey Bugaboo, could we go on patrol sometime in the future, maybe in like in a week or two? Maybe see if Andre’s stand needs protecting from akuma?” 
Ladybug’s expression softened. Chat noir was setting her up with the opportunity to address something that may become relevant. If it does, then she will need to tell chat noir the truth, that she is gonna have to give him a solid no, but if not, then she has the perfect person to cheer her up.
“I would like that. How about two weeks from now. I will be free then.” Ladybug answered just before her earrings beeped.
“Sounds good, we can go over details later, unless you have decided today was the best time to reveal ourselves.”
“Keep dreaming.” She playfully flicked his bell. “Later kitty.”
Ladybug took off from the rooftop, leaving the cat smiling with a feeling of melancholy.
“Well now its time to wait and see.”
Chat noir heard his ring beep and headed off back home, thinking about how to go about the promised meet up depending on how things go.
_______________________________________________________________________
“What do you mean you can't delete my account!” An angry brunette shouted over the phone. She was doing her best not to pull out her hair in frustration.
“I am sorry Ms. Dupain-cheng. But as I have stated before you do not have your password and you did not use the pin we provided to your email to reset your password. Until you utilize that code to reset your password and create a new password so you can get into your account. You can not delete the account through any other method.” The tech support representative answered.
“Why can't you send the code to my new email that I provided?” Lila asked, her agitation clearly showing.
“As I have said before, it breaches are security guidelines. Is there any reason why you wish to delete your account?”
“Its because there is a clearly something wrong with my list.” She insisted with clear frustration.
“I will scan your account for any anomalies, one moment.”
Lila stood by the phone waiting.
“We have looked over your account, there are no glitches or errors. Also, may I be the first to congratulate you on being the first to receive 100% compa.....”
Lila hung up and she grabbed a pillow to scream into.
This had to be some sort of nightmare. How could there be no way of dealing with this!”
Chris was in his room sleeping. She was relieved that Chris was a heavy sleeper. Considering Nino’s hobby, being able to sleep through loud noise was a must in this family. Though this was the only remote solace she got out of this hellish scenario.
Not only did Marinette top the list of compatible matches for Adrien, she was a 100% match with him and it was completely legitimate. It was like getting hit in the face with a metal bat.
Lila was racking her brain. There must be some way to stop this nightmare.
She tried to get Marinette’s account deleted but that wouldn't work without having access to her email. Marinette was not going to willingly give out her password to her of all people. Marinette was one of the few people that didn't trust her and if she tried anything, Marinette would find out.
She needed to think, she would find a way to beat that pigtailed brat. There was no way she was letting Marinette get Adrien. Not while she could help it.
_______________________________________________________________________
Hawkmoth looked through the window. He was still sour from his recent defeat, however he did notice something to brighten his mood. There was so much potential negative emotions loaming over Paris. The possibility of break ups, jealousy, and loneliness. All coming from one singular reasoning, it was an all you could eat buffet for his akuma, but not one of them was strong enough to warrant sending out another akuma yet. He would wait, there would be another strong negative emotion source sooner or later.
“It seems there is a negative to something that lets you find your soulmate. I fortunately already found mine, I just need to get her back.” Hawkmoth spoke aloud.
He was going to wait, he knew he could let the emotions fester into something far stronger, something that Ladybug and Chat noir couldn't handle.  Perhaps he might stir the pot to make things go faster. He would need to make a plan, but for now he had other matters to attend to. He had to attend to ‘Civillain matters’.
_______________________________________________________________________
“An interview?” Adrien responded in surprise.
“Yes, your father has scheduled an interview for you this Friday. The network has been wanting to do an interview with you for some time and your father believes it would be a good time to do so to promote the newest fragrance.” Nathalie explained. “As always, keep yourself composed and don’t let out too much information. Avoid any rumors they might be mentioning.”
“Okay. Would it be alright if I took my friends with me?” Adrien suggested, hoping Nathalie would be willing to let him take someone.
Nathalie looked at the blond and considered the proposal. As long as Gabriel is informed and the guest doesn’t cause trouble, one may not be an issue.
“You may bring one person. I don't think your father would approve of more then that. Just be sure they are well behaved.” Nathalie answered before leaving Adrien to his own devices.
Plagg popped out of the teen’s shirt.
“Oh an interview. Do you think you can request the green room to be stocked with Camembert?” The cat Kwami asked as he floated beside him.
“I will ask for some, but I need to decide who I am gonna take with me. I am surprised I am even allowed to take someone.”
“So you are gonna take the baker girl right?” 
Adrien felt a faint blush appear on his face.
“W-why would you think that? I could invite Nino or ...”
“Adrien, don't try to bullshit me. You suck at lying.” Plagg commented.
Adrien sighed.
“Am I really that obvious?”
“Yes.”
Adrien knew he wanted to bring Marinette. Sure bringing Nino would be a blast, but this would be a good way to see how Marinette would react to being apart of some of the things he does. Plus even if the compatibility test doesn't work out, he would still like to get closer with Marinette. She was a wonderful person, and she deserved to get to see what it was like when she makes it as a designer, answering questions about her latest fashion line and what not. 
“I will give her a call to see if she isn't busy.”
“Good luck Casanova.” Plagg chuckled as he reclined in the air.
Adrien felt his pulse quicken as he looked for Marinette’s contact information.
_______________________________________________________________________
Part 5 is finished (I was hoping the 1000+ notes streak in 24 hours would be kept alive. I guess I got my hopes up too quickly . I just want to say 1000 notes or not I love reading all of your feedback and you guys keep me inspired to keep writing this)
If you want part 6, please let me know. I love hearing feedback and it feeds my impulsive need to write. And I am just gonna say it.
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skelebonecentral · 3 years
Text
Hothouse rose chapter 1
a reverse harem with the lust boys
first we gotta meet the basic skeles
words under cut
Frisk was your cousin.
They’d run away, a week after their mom passed away. Your aunt, their other mother, was frantic and your whole family had gone out searching, as well as most of the town. You’re so glad it was your dad’s oldest sister who first caught sight of the monsters and not the sheriff or someone not quite as sensible.
Frisk came back from the mountain that loomed above your town with a whole civilization behind them.
Yeah, they tried to hook their mom up with Toriel, the strong, kind, and welcoming goat woman who was the Queen of the monsters, but Frisk was just a very romantic kid in general. They flirted as a hobby, it was hilarious and you were so glad they were back and safe to continue cracking you up with it.
They hugged everyone and apologized for scaring them, that they figured out that just because they were hurting didn’t mean it was okay to hurt other people, when they finally got the chance to exit the monsters’ camp after the police and government and all kinds of things showed up.
Still, you had to admire them for how much they grew up if that was what they wanted to say right away. Well, sign. Frisk was mute, after all.
Having them home was so nice, and their new friends were awesome.
You met Toriel first, of course, and her ex-husband, Asgore. You felt sorry for the big fluffy guy, he looked so hopeless and sad when Toriel would glare at him. And Frisk called him Dad, that was so cute, cause he just lit up. It was weird, though, feeling so pitying toward a ten foot tall goat man with huge horns and a long golden beard who had been alive for centuries longer than you.
Still, you liked both the goat people, and Monster Kid, Frisk’s new bestie who ran around with them. He was…well, he was a monster kid. Lizardish, with a tail and yellow-orange scales, but no arms to speak of. It made him top heavy, since he was humanoid, so he fell over often. Frisk seemed very fond of him, and you were glad. They hadn’t had a lot of luck making friends with other human kids at school before all of this.
But Frisk, being the eternal matchmaker they were, decided YOU needed to get in on this whole monster friend business.
Of course, you didn’t realize it until Gyftmas. It was a monster holiday from Snowdin, a small town Underground, that centered around gift giving and involved Santa for some reason? Anyway, the monster community was holding a carnival inside the local event center (it was mid-September so there weren’t any OTHER holidays to do) and your little cousin, being the ambassador, was of course invited and they brought you as their plus one.
Did you forget to mention that Frisk was the ambassador for monsters? They are. Well, at least in name. That’s their official title, is Ambassador, but they’re more like a figurehead while Toriel and Asgore handle the actual statecraft. The adults do let them cut ribbons and make speeches, but they’re just not ready for something that complicated. They are only six, after all.
But back to the carnival, Frisk brought you, and took you to a particular booth.
The booth was decorated with several action figures from an old 80’s cartoon that you used to love watching reruns of, and the sign above said, “THE GREAT PAPYRUS’ TRIVIA BOOTH!”
Frisk beamed as they dragged you, and looking in the booth, there was a very tall soldier-looking fellow who seemed to be a skeleton.
“HELLO, DEAR FRISK! I SEE YOU BROUGHT A HUMAN WITH YOU!” he called exuberantly, waving with bright red mittens. He had a black something or other on under the white chest piece of…oh that’s not actually armor. As you got closer, you’re now aware its made of fabric and the lines and emblem on the front are felt pieces sewn to it. The big round shoulder pads are attached, too.
Frisk signs eagerly, “Hi Papyrus! This is my cousin, Y/N! I wanted them to try your trivia!” Their hands are going very fast, and they’re bouncing, so they’re very excited about this.
“OH!” the skeleton stands up, showing his very obvious spine in his black whateverthatis and the odd ultra-short shorts that match his chest piece. “HELLO, HUMAN Y/N! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS AND IT IS A PLEASURE TO MEET A RELATIVE OF MY DEAR FRIEND, FRISK!”
He holds out his hand, and you shake it, feeling the long fingerbones underneath and finding yourself grinning like an idiot. Holy heck, an actual skeleton was talking to you. Your inner child was screaming with joy in their Jack-skellington slippers. Frisk had to have known…well, how could they not, your room is covered in Halloween and skeleton themed knickknacks.
“H-hey, Papyrus, I’m super glad to meet you, too!” you didn’t mean to stammer but you’re trying not to freak out as your arm is nearly shaken from its socket. He’s so STRONG!
Frisk giggled and signed something too quick for you to parse, and Papyrus let you go, “OH, ALRIGHT! HAVE A GOOD TIME, FRISK! YOUR COUSIN AND I WILL HAVE A BATTLE OF WITS!”
They scampered away and left you with the skeleton, who pulled out a fold out chair, setting it in front of his booth and then sitting in his own behind the counter, “ALRIGHTIE THEN! HUMAN Y/N, YOUR CHALLENGE SHALL BE TO ANSWER TEN QUESTIONS ABOUT MONSTER CULTURE. THE MORE YOU GET CORRECT, THE BETTER YOUR PRIZE! BEING FRISK’S COUSIN, YOU SHOULD DO VERY WELL!”
“Don’t be so sure, Papyrus. I have some wicked test anxiety,” you joke, and he blinks his sockets at you.
“NO NEED TO BE NERVOUS!” His smile seems set in his long jawed skull, but it actually tilts up a bit more, “SOMEONE WHO LOVES OUR FRISK IS BOUND TO BE A GOOD LISTENER AND KIND SOUL, SO I HAVE FAITH IN YOU. FIRST QUESTION!” he whipped out a set of cards, “WHAT IS KING ASGORE’S FAVORITE DRINK?”
You smile, happy it’s one you know, “Golden Flower Tea. He likes tea in general but that’s his favorite.”
“CORRECT! WOWIE, AND SO CONFIDENT!” Papyrus seems just as pleased as you are, “NEXT ONE! WHAT WAS THE FIRST SECTION OF THE UNDERGROUND CALLED?”
“Ah,” you had to think a moment, then said cautiously, “I think it was the Ruins?”
“YOU’RE RIGHT.” Papyrus then set two further action figures from the same set as his decorations, “THESE WILL MARK YOUR SUCCESSES! ALRIGHT, NEXT!” He shifted his sockets in a comical manner that you had to fight your instinct to laugh at, “HOW MANY MOVIES HAS METTATON, OUR BELOVED STAR, PUT OUT AS OF TODAY?”
You blink…and you have to guess because you honestly don’t care for Mettaton’s version of movies, “28?”
Papyrus’ jaw just falls open, and he sets another figure on the counter, “I THOUGHT FOR SURE THAT WOULD STUMP YOU! I’M FLABBERGASTED. YOU MUST BE A VERY DEDICATED FAN OF METTATON, JUST LIKE MYSELF.”
You blush, “N-not really. His music and dancing are great, but the movies go over my head, I guess. I only watched one because Frisk wanted me to…”
He chuckles, “AT LEAST YOU ARE HONEST. I WATCH THEM FOR THE FUN OF SEEING EVERYONE ELSE’S REACTIONS, HONESTLY. AND THE SET DESIGNS! THEY’RE VERY WELL DONE, AFTER ALL.”
“Oh, yeah, I did notice that. I bet a lot of Broadway plays would love to get his input on that front.”
Papyrus perked up, “BROADWAY? I KNOW A STREET BY THAT NAME BUT I GET THE FEELING YOU’RE REFERRING TO A THEATER OR SOMETHING SIMILAR.”
“Kind of?” you quirk your mouth a bit, not really smiling but thinking about it, “It’s a street in New York City with lots of theaters on it that’s famous for having the best in plays and musicals in the country. It’s really a cool place, from what I hear.”
“OOH! I SHOULD LOOK UP MORE ABOUT THAT LATER. ANYWAY!” He gets out a set of note cards, “I WROTE ALL THE QUESTIONS DOWN SO I COULD HAVE LOTS OF CHOICES. YOU’RE DOING A LOT BETTER THAN SOME PEOPLE!”
You were getting excited now, wondering what he could ask.
“OKAY! WHAT WAS THE NAME OF OUR LOST PRINCE?”
You frown. That was a serious question, and you think back to Frisk’s descriptions they would give you now and then of their time under the mountain. “Asriel.” You remembered thinking his name sounded angelic.
“ANOTHER FIGURE FOR YOU!” Papyrus plops the next figure on the desk and…
“Is that the villain? I didn’t know they even made a figure for him.” You can’t help yourself, not when you’d loved his antics as a kid. “Lord Verminator, looking good.”
Papyrus gasped, “YOU LIKE ALIEN WARLORDS OF JUSTICE?! I THOUGHT HUMANITY HAD FORGOTTEN THIS CLASSIC SERIES! I HAVE EVERY FIGURE EVER MADE EXCEPT FOR THREE, AND EVERY EPISODE ON VARIOUS VHS TAPES. I WILL HAVE TO ASK FOR FRISK TO BRING YOU OVER AND HAVE A MARATHON!”
You nod eager, “I know I haven’t been able to see every episode. I only got a few episodes they put on an old cable channel but it was so good. I managed to salvage some merch from antique stores, but it’s never been enough.”
“THERE WAS MORE THAN ACTION FIGURES?!” Papyrus is awestruck, orange sparkles appearing around his skull. “OH THIS HAS TO BE FATE! MY FIRST HUMAN FRIEND HAS A GROWN-UP COUSIN WHO LOVES THE SAME SERIES AS I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS? SERENDIPITOUS!”
You finally laugh and nod, “You’re so peppy! How did Frisk manage to keep you a secret? I wish we’d met sooner now.”
His sparkles increased, and he began pumping his fists up and down eagerly, “DO YOU REALLY MEAN IT? BECAUSE IF SO, I AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY! LET’S GET THIS QUIZ OVER WITH SO WE CAN GUSH ABOUT OUR FAVORITE THINGS INSTEAD!”
He takes a notecard and asks, “WHAT IS THE SYMBOL OF OUR KINGDOM CALLED?”
“The one Toriel wears, right? I think…it was the Delta Rune?”
“YES!” the card was set down, a figure was placed, and another card picked up, “WHO IS THE CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD?”
“Undyne.” You sigh, “She tried to suplex me the first time I had to go to Toriel’s to pick up Frisk.”
“OH, THAT WAS YOU?” Papyrus tilts his skull, and you notice his sockets are slightly uneven. You also notice you like hearing him talk, even though he’s very loud. “SHE TOLD ME SOME HUMAN CAME AND MANAGED TO DODGE HER GRAB. SHE’S BEEN TRYING TO GET FASTER AFTER THAT.”
You want to comment, but Papyrus gets another card, “WHO CREATED THE CORE?“ he stops, frowns, then tosses the cards behind him, “THAT ONE WAS ACTUALLY A TRICK QUESTION, BECAUSE NOBODY KNOWS WHO DID IT! AND AS MUCH AS I LIKE TRIVIA, I’M MORE EXCITED ABOUT TALKING WITH YOU.”
Smiling, you take his elbow when he offers it, despite him being two feet taller than you, even in his flat bottomed red rain boots, “That’s pretty flattering. What was the prize for the quiz, though? I’m curious.”
“A DATE WITH YOURS TRULY!” Papyrus laughed, “NYEHEHEHE, BUT I HAVE A FEELING HUMANS WOULD BE RATHER INTIMIDATED BY SOMEONE AS HANDSOME AND CAPABLE AS MYSELF, SO GIVING YOU A TOUR SEEMS MUCH NICER.”
Papyrus led you around the event center, pointing at the various booths and explaining them, even sometimes introducing you to the monster manning it. You didn’t see hide nor hair of Frisk for the rest of the evening, but you didn’t really notice. Papyrus’ enthusiastic rambling and genuine glee at showing you around kept you glued to his side gladly.
When the crowds had thinned out considerably, you asked, “Papyrus, this has been the most fun I’ve had at a fair in years. I’d really like to do more cool stuff like this with you, so maybe we could exchange numbers?”
He froze, then turned, big sparkles appearing again, including inside his sockets, “WOWIE, REALLY?! OF COURSE WE CAN! I REALIZE IT IS LATE AND HUMAN BEINGS NEED PLENTY OF SLEEP TO BE HEALTHY, UNLIKE THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SO LET US HURRY!”
He shoved his phone into your hand and you gave him yours, typing in your number and naming yourself with a balloon emoji on the end to remind him of the fun fair you’d shared together. You get your phone back as you hold out his, and it says “THE GREAT PAPYRUS” with a skull emoji and a gold medal one on the end.
“Perfect! Feel free to text me whenever, but I might not answer if I’m busy or sleeping.”
He nodded, “I UNDERSTAND! I WILL PROBABLY BE TEXTING YOU QUITE OFTEN, BUT FEEL FREE TO TAKE YOUR TIME. UNDYNE SAYS I TEND TO RAMBLE WHEN I’M EXCITED. AND I’M ALWAYS EXCITED! ESPECIALLY WHEN I MAKE A NEW FRIEND.”
You nod and bid him goodbye, getting a back-cracking hug, before he rushes off into the fair and you head toward your car. Frisk had texted you earlier to say they were going home with Toriel, so you rode back alone, glad for the break so you could process your night with the personification of optimism that was Papyrus.
--
You got texts from Papyrus every day. Multiple texts in a row, about ten different times a day, and about just about any subject that was on his mind at the time.
“JUST GOT BACK FROM MY MORNING JOG! I HOPE YOU’VE HAD A GOOD MORNING SO FAR!” at 5:30 am.
“IF YOU NEED ANYTHING AT THE STORE TODAY, I WORK AT SMILE MART! MY SHIFT IS FROM SIX TO TWO, SO FEEL FREE TO SWING BY FOR A VISIT.”
“I LOOKED UP BROADWAY FINALLY! THERE’S SO MUCH TO LEARN! IT’S BEAUTIFUL!”
“UNDYNE IS STILL DOING SPEED TRAINING TO TRY AND OUTMATCH YOU. I CAN’T WAIT FOR YOU TWO TO OFFICIALLY MEET ON BETTER TERMS!”
That was the general gist of his messages, just little windows into his day and topics that related back to earlier conversations.
You would answer him between classes, since you were a freshman in the local college, and once you were off around noon, you’d head to Smile Mart and see Papyrus in action.
The first time you actually were able to see him at work, he was meticulously arranging the dairy section, making every gallon of milk have the handle facing the same direction in his white button up, black pants, and bright pink apron.
Hearing you approach, he snapped upward and his face lit up, “HUMAN Y/N! HELLO!” Standing to hi full height and brushing himself down, he posed like a soldier at parade rest, “HOW DO YOU LIKE MY DAPPER WORK ATTIRE?”
You smirk a bit, just in an effort not to laugh out loud at that pose and speech combined, but answer honestly, “You make it look good.”
“THANK YOU! I’M AWARE!” he grinned, then got back to his task, “THANK YOU FOR COMING IN. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR TODAY?”
That sounded suspiciously like a work script rather than just Papyrus being himself, but you shrug it off, “I don’t need anything in particular at the dorm, so I’m just gonna grab one of those yogurt and fruit smoothie drinks over there when I head out. best breakfast treat.”
He looks at the items you’re pointing at, then nods in approval, “FRUIT AND YOGURT ARE GOOD CHOICES FOR A MORNING BEVERAGE. AND DORMS? ARE YOU PERHAPS A MEMBER OF THE CLERGY?”
You do laugh at that, “No! No, I’m a first semester freshman at the university. You have to spend your first semester on campus if you live more than a certain distance away and unfortunately, my house isn’t in the right range.”
“OH. THAT’S QUITE INTERESTING!” He rubs his chin, “I WAS ACTUALLY CONSIDERING GOING TO THE COLLEGE MYSELF, BUT SANS ISN’T EXACTLY A FAN OF IT.”
“Is that the brother you told me about at the fair? The one who sleeps?” Papyrus had mentioned he had a brother who was lazy and slept a lot, but not the name.
“YES. HE NAPS ALL NIGHT AND FREQUENTLY DURING THE DAY ALSO!”
You grin as he waggles his brows. He had noticed how you didn’t like his wording when he’d said the same line about “napping all night” at the fair, and now he teases you with it. “Still called sleeping, Pap.”
He chuckles good naturedly and shrugs, “WHATEVER IT’S CALLED, THAT’S WHAT SANS DOES. SLEEP, EAT, AND EMIT SLIME.”
“He emits slime?”
“SOMETIMES. FRISK SAYS THAT IS ACTUALLY CALLED DROOL UP HERE. NOW I’M WONDERING IF MY BROTHER IS RELATED TO DOGS BECAUSE THEY’RE THE ONLY ONES I’VE SEEN WHO DROOL QUITE AS MUCH AS HE DOES WHILE SNORING.”
The visits become routine after that first one. When you get a break during his shift, you just go to the store and buy some kind of single serving drink. Yeah, you wish they were in cardboard cartons or glass instead, but all your bottles do go into your recycling bucket at your dorm. It’s more an excuse to talk to Papyrus, anyway.
He asks more about the university, and when you ask him what he’d major in if he did attend, he has a very good answer already, “SPORTS MEDICINE! I’M A VERY GOOD HEALER NATURALLY, AND I LOVE ATHLETICS OF ALL SORTS, SO WHY NOT COMBINE MY TWO PROCLIVITIES INTO ONE CAREER PATH? UNDYNE DOESN’T NEED ME ANYONE ELSE IN THE GUARD NOW THAT WE’RE UP HERE, AND I WANT TO BE HELPFUL.” He scratched his chin a bit before adding to the end, “WELL, MORE HELPFUL THAN I AM CURRENTLY ANYWAY.”
That’s a great idea, you think, and you encourage him to go for it. After all, he’s got so much energy, you’re sure any course of study will be a breeze.
It’s kind of surprising when, a few weeks later, he texts you excitedly, “I GOT MY ACCEPTANCE LETTER! NEXT SEMESTER WE’RE GOING TO BE CLASSMATES! ONCE IT’S TIME, LET’S CHOOSE OUR SCHEDULES TOGETHER!”
Wow, he really does go for what he wants, doesn’t he?
--
Great was definitely the least you could say about Papyrus by the time you two were meeting up on the first day of the semester.
He had already invited you over to his house several times, Frisk had dragged you along on lots of outings with the skeleton, and you had braved a meeting with Undyne and her adorable wife, Alphys, as part of a celebration for Papyrus’ acceptance into college.
So when his unique figure came striding up the sidewalks on campus, you immediately ran to meet him and got scooped into a twirling hug with your mutual giggles echoing off the old gothic revival buildings around the ovular clearing.
“Papyrus!”
“Y/N!”
As you were set down, you beamed up at him, “I’m so glad I didn’t start my gen ed until now. We have all semester together.”
“I KNOW! SURE, I HAVE TO TAKE THAT ONE NUTRITION CLASS WHILE YOU’VE GOT CHEMISTRY, BUT OTHER THAN THAT!” He’s bouncing on his heels and utterly pleased, and noticing his bouncing is what draws your eyes to the shorter figure next to him.
Another skeleton, about your height and blinking at you with white lights in his large, round sockets, stood next to Papyrus and waved lazily at you, “heya.”
“Oh my gosh, you must be Sans!” you were excited to finally meet Papy’s brother. “I dunno how it took this long for us to end up in the same place but I’m so glad to meet you!” You offer your hand and it gets taken with a long “pffffffffffffffffft” sound.
“SANS! I TOLD YOU NOT TO BRING THAT TODAY!” Papyrus sounds equal parts furious and embarrassed, as the bright orange glowing on his cheekbones betrays.
“had to, bro. can’t skip the classic gags,” Sans takes his hand back, revealing a small red whoopie cushion in it.
You stare, surprised, “Oh my gosh? I didn’t know anybody even used oldies like that anymore. Or did actual harmless pranks like that. Consider me impressed; you’ve got better taste in humor than most of MeTube.”
That seems to shock the smaller skeleton before you, making him lower his hand slowly. He was wearing a blue hoodie jacket over a white shirt with small stains on the chest, and black basketball shorts with white socks and pink house shoes. “uh. thanks.”
“DON’T ENCOURAGE HIM,” Papyrus huffed, “HE’LL START PUNNING AND THEN WE’LL BE HERE ALL DAY.” He pulled you forward, away from Sans, and waved at his brother, “HAVE A GOOD DAY DOING WHATEVER ODD JOBS YOU HAVE TODAY, BROTHER! I WILL BE ENJOYING MY TIME LEARNING WITH MY BEST FRIEND!”
“I thought Undyne was your best friend?” you say as he speeds away from a perplexed looking Sans, who you wave to with a helpless expression.
“SHE’S MY BEST FRIEND, TOO. YOU CAN HAVE AS MANY BEST FRIENDS AS YOU LIKE!”
--
Classes go smoothly, but you begin to notice….
Well, you see Sans pretty much everywhere.
Leaving your one class you don’t have with Papyrus, you see him snoozing on a bench outside.
While leaving your part time job sorting all the incoming books for the library on campus, there he is again, at one of the computers looking up jokes.
Even while you’re out getting a haircut, you find him running a little hotdog cart. Finally, you have to ask him what he’s doing.
“Heya, Sans,” you go up to the stand, which is currently empty. “Been seeing you around a lot.”
“why didn’t ya say hi, then, kiddo? my brother sings your praises daily, wouldn’t have minded saying hello.” He’s just got a green apron on over his outfit from before, and you smile.
“I don’t wanna intrude. Just thought I’d ask what was up, y’know? Normally it’s just students at the library. How’d you even get in the computer without a student id?” That had been bothering you for a bit.
“oh, easy. I’m faculty.”
Your brain shorted for a moment, “You…are?”
“yep,” he chuckled, waving you to a seat next to his cart. “turns out a monster phd converts pretty well to a human one. Just consulting with the physics department right now, but once the political climate settles some more, who knows?”
Something bubbles up to the front of your mind, “Oh. Oh! Papyrus said you liked physics once. I guess it’s more of a passion for you than he let on.”
“heh, used to be. might be again. dunno yet.” He looks across the street, away from you. “anyhow, frisk and pap both seem to think you’re the bees’ knees.”
You tilt your head a bit, but then see the little buzzing insects around a flowerbox on the other side of the street. “Oh! hahah, good spot. Yeah, I’m pretty lucky two really cool people decided I’m interesting enough to look after.”
Sans hummed as you both watched the bees, “yeah, they’re both kinda neat folks. My bro’s the coolest though. biased, I know, but it’s true.”
“I can’t argue there,” you feel happy thinking about Papyrus, “He’s taken to school like a fish to water. I really love finally having a friend who’s so positive. Not that my roommate’s not cool, but she’s as tired as I am usually.”
“you got a roomie?” he hums, “then why spend time with my bro? surely you’ve got more in common with her?”
“Hah!” you actually laughed. “I’m a linguistics major, Sans. She’s a botanist. Her side of the room is covered in so many plants I have to take sinus medication 24/7. Nah, she’s a good person but we have nothing in common other than living space and shared love for cheesy family-friendly rom-coms.”
You had gotten so involved with watching a particular bee rolling around a tulip that you didn’t notice when Sans faced you again. “so if she decided to get into a fight, you wouldn’t back her up?”
“Oh, no, I’d pull her out and tell her off for fighting. But she’s always in the greenhouses or labs, so I doubt she’d find anybody to fight with even if she wanted to. More likely to squeak like a dog toy and hide, if we’re being totally honest,” you turn to Sans smiling, but his expression makes you freeze.
His lights were out and the haunting blankness of his huge sockets made you shudder.
“kid, you better be telling the truth. My brother’s the best, but people take advantage of his kindness. If you hurt him, you’re gonna have a bad time.”
Nope, you were not going to stand for that. Getting up, you bolted, and as soon as you made it back to your dorm, you texted Papyrus.
You: Papyrus, we need to talk about your brother.
Papy: WHAT HAS SANS DONE NOW? YOU TWO HAVE BARELY EVEN MET!
You: We talked today and he threatened me.
It takes more than two seconds for an answer. Clearly you’d managed to rattle Papyrus (heh).
Papy: TELL ME EVERYTHING.
You explain yourself, how you kept seeing Sans around when Papyrus wasn’t there, and the incident after your haircut today.
Papyrus doesn’t answer in text, and after a moment or two you get a call from him.
“Papyrus-“
“I AM MORE SORRY THAN WORDS CAN SAY FOR WHAT MY BROTHER DID TODAY.” His voice was hard and serious, something you’d never heard before. “I DON’T BLAME YOU IF YOU’D RATHER NOT TALK ANYMORE AFTER THIS, BUT I ASSURE YOU I WILL HAVE A SERIOUS DISCUSSION WITH HIM ABOUT WHAT HE DID. APPARENTLY, FROM WHAT I GATHER, HE DID THE SAME THING TO FRISK.”
He’d threatened a child?! Not just any child either, your COUSIN! Who saved his people from captivity! You were about to ask about that when Papyrus continued. “FRISK SAYS IT WAS JUSTIFIED, BUT I’M NOT SURE HOW. BUT YOU? YOU HAVE NEVER HARMED ME, NOR ANYONE ELSE, AND HAVE DONE NOTHING TO DESERVE IT. SO, NOW THAT I’VE SAID MY PIECE, WHAT DO YOU THINK?”
You have to turn your brain back on to think for a moment. Papyrus was very dear to you, he was sweet and lifted your spirits no matter what. Still, with a scary protective brother, you weren’t sure if you wanted to be near him anymore.
“Papyrus, I like you. You’re my best friend. But I can’t feel safe around Sans and I’m kind of scared to come to your house ever again. We still have classes together, but I think if we’re going to be friends still, we can only meet out in public or at my place.” Even saying that makes you nervous. Nobody’s ever done this before, threatening you just out of nowhere.
“THAT’S REASONABLE. I CAN HEAR HOW SCARED YOU ARE, Y/N, AND I’M….WELL, INCREDIBLY ASHAMED TO HAVE BEEN PART OF WHY YOU’RE FEELING THAT WAY. THIS WILL NOT GO UNSEEN TO, I SWEAR IT!”
Tears were starting to leak out of your eyes at this point, your adrenaline leaving you tired and scared, but you smile, “I have faith in you, Papyrus. Just…I’m just scared now. I’m gonna try to calm down and I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”
“YES, THAT IS A GOOD PLAN. TRY TO BE KIND TO YOURSELF UNTIL I CAN BE KIND TO YOU INSTEAD…” There was silence, and then a very soft, worried, “I love you.”
That was enough to get you sobbing, “I love you, too. Be safe.” You had to hang up now, and you curled up under your covers to hide from the world.
--
As soon as he hung up the phone, Papyrus quickly wiped his sockets. He, too, was crying at the thought of his dear friend, who he loved fiercely, being terrified and menaced by HIS BROTHER of all people. But he was going to fix this.
Yes, he’d been far too late to fix what happened with Frisk, and Frisk themselves didn’t seem too upset by it, but YOU certainly were. He could feel it in the way you’d spoken, how very close he’d been to losing his best friend. He still might lose them.
But he’s going to make the effort to try not to.
Taking several deep breaths, Papyrus left his room and went down the stairs. Sans was on the couch as he’d expected, flipping channels on their TV.
“hey bro, what’s up?” Sans had his normal expression, and it made Papyrus furious.
“BROTHER. I KNOW WHAT YOU DID.”
Sitting up, Sans looks confused, “what do you mean?”
Papyrus took another breath, feeling his ribs fill to capacity with the cooling air that helped calm him, “SANS, I JUST GOT SEVERAL VERY FRIGHTENED TEXTS FROM Y/N, AND THEY WERE ABOUT YOU.”
Ah, there, the permanent smile on Sans’ face drooped significantly, “oh.”
“YES, OH.” Rubbing his sockets, as they had started burning like he was going to cry again, Papyrus asked, “DID YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS WOULD DO TO ME BEFORE YOU THREATENED THEM? DO YOU EVER CONSIDER HOW THIS COULD HAVE MADE THEM SO FRIGHTENED THAT THEY NEVER SPOKE TO ME AGAIN? OR IS THAT WHAT YOU WANTED? DO YOU WANT ME TO BE ALONE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE, SANS?”
“n-no, no that’s…I don’t want you lonely, paps, I just want you to be safe.” Sans’ voice and eyelights were both small and shaky. Good, he realized how serious this was.
“I KNOW YOU DID THIS TO FRISK, TOO, AND I’M JUST…SANS, YOU CAN’T THREATEN PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG!” He wanted to move, to do something dramatic, but Papyrus just couldn’t with the weight of his frustration and disappointment. “I LOVE THEM BOTH, AND YOU…YOU DON’T SEEM TO CARE WHAT YOU BREAK ON YOUR WAY TO WHAT YOU CONSIDER MY SAFETY. I’M AN ADULT, SANS, NO STRIPES ANYWHERE, AND I’D LIKE YOU TO TREAT ME LIKE ONE. I KNOW I’M OPTIMISTIC, I KNOW I’M SILLY, BUT THAT’S HOW I LIKE TO BE. I LIKE BEING A GOOD INFLUENCE FOR PEOPLE, AND IF THAT MEANS SOMETIMES I GET MY HEART BROKEN, THEN I LEARN, DON’T I?”
Sans was just staring at him, but he finally found his voice, “but paps, they aren’t like other folks. They’re humans, they have a lot more power and-“
“I KNOW THAT.”
Closing his mouth that had opened to argue, Sans listened. “SANS, DO YOU THINK I WASN’T SCARED WHEN FRISK CAME? I WAS TERRIFIED! I KNEW THEY COULD DUST US BOTH WITH A MOVE, BUT I HAD TO AT LEAST MAKE THE EFFORT TO SHOW THEM THAT WASN’T WHAT HAD TO HAPPEN. I WANTED TO CAPTURE THEM, YES, BECAUSE THAT WOULD HAVE MADE UNDYNE AND EVERYONE ELSE SO PLEASED WITH ME, GIVEN ME MORE OPPORTUNITES TO MAKE THE FRIENDS I WANTED. BUT…THEY LIKED ME.” Papyrus was at a loss. “THEY PLAYED ALONG WITH MY ACT AND SEEMED HAPPY WITH IT. SO I CHANGED MY MIND. I DIDN’T FORGET WHAT THEY COULD DO, WHICH IS WHY I TRIED TO GET UNDYNE TO BE FRIENDS WITH THEM, TOO. I DIDN’T WANT HER TO GET HURT EITHER, OR FOR HER TO HURT FRISK.”
Oh the tears were back and Papyrus scrubbed them away angrily, “BUT NOW I’M WONDERING IF I SUCCEEDED IN SPITE OF YOU! I’M WONDERING IF YOU DIDN’T THREATEN EVERY PERSON I’VE EVER TRIED TO BEFRIEND JUST OUT OF SOME TWISTED SENSE OF PROTECTION!”
Sans just looked at his hands, bones looking ashen as Papyrus tried to hold back his sobs. Had…had he been hurting Papyrus more than helping him all this time? Yeah, Frisk had posed a threat but the kid had made good. Really good, if he had to be honest. And he had seen nothing to really make Y/n any more dangerous than they were. And now Papyrus was crying.
“SANS, I DON’T BLAME YOU FOR BEING AFRAID OF WHAT HUMANS CAN DO TO US, BUT I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT YOU DON’T TRUST ME ENOUGH TO MAKE MY OWN DECISIONS ABOUT FRIENDS. IT HURTS, AND…AND EVEN THOUGH I’M SURE YOU DID IT OUT OF LOVE FOR ME I JUST CAN’T FORGIVE YOU FOR THAT RIGHT NOW,” sniffling a little, Papyrus couldn’t even look at his brother. “I’M GOING TO STAY WITH UNDYNE FOR A FEW DAYS. I HOPE YOU CAN LEARN HOW TO…WELL, NOT DO THIS AGAIN. THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES MORE. SOMETHING.”
Escaping back up the stairs, Papyrus quickly packed three days’ worth of clothes and essentials, then ran out the door. He just couldn’t believe his older brother had betrayed his trust like this.
--
It was pretty awkward with you and Papyrus after that.
You tried to talk like normal, but he was sad, and you were scared.
Two months after the incident, you got sick of it. “Papy, let’s go to Bungle Land.”
“OH?” he perked a little, “WE HAVEN’T BEEN FOR A LONG TIME. OKAY.”
Grinning, you took his hand and ran to your car, giving him the option to drive if he wanted. He had his license, but just hadn’t gotten around to buying the perfect car for him. But he refused, wanting to save driving for his own dream car, so you let him move the passenger seat back as far as he liked while you drove to the local theme park.
And you had fun. Papyrus was an adrenaline junkie and took you on every ride, while you were a game shark, trying your hand at the carnival games and loving the useless and low quality plushies you won from them. You both had a lovely collection of little birds, though Papyrus had exchanged five of his for a larger plush of a super hero, more to his tastes, from this trip alone. Thank stars for your yearly pass, and the lovely guest vouchers that came with it.
Finally, as the sun was going down and you were hungry, Papyrus guided you toward one of the stands before a familiar voice made your heart freeze, “hey you two. Pretzels and lemonade?”
Papyrus’ expression soured, “SANS, DO YOU REALLY THINK THIS IS THE TIME FOR ONE OF YOUR ODD JOBS? WE WERE HAVING FUN.” He’d gotten an apology from Sans a while back now, and a Promise not to repeat his blunder, but he still wasn’t sure of Sans’ intentions for Y/n.
“I really didn’t think you’d be here today, pap, swear on my bones,” Sans looked exhausted and held up his hands. “but tell me what you want and I’ll make it while I do something I’ve been meaning to.”
You just say you want a pepperoni pretzel and a cherry lemonade, and Papyrus goes for a normal pretzel with a blue raspberry lemonade, but you’re nervous. The skeleton had threatened you, after all, even if your fear of him had mostly shifted to annoyance at his cheek in doing so.
Getting your food, Sans said softly, “I know I’m nobody’s favorite person right now, so I’ll make it short. I realized I’ve been overbearing, stepped over a lot of lines, and need to work on myself. I’m really sorry, y/n, for acting like you were going to hurt papyrus when I don’t even know you. it was wrong, and I’m going to try and see a therapist to get a hold on my…paranoia.”
That…was honestly one of the best and most sincere apologies you’d ever had. You can’t help smiling, and you can almost feel the pride radiating off Papyrus for his brother. “Okay, Sans. That was a proper apology, and you haven’t done any stalking that I’ve noticed so…apology accepted. I hope your therapy goes well.”
He looks so relieved, shoulders sagging noticeably, but his smile turns more genuine and he nods, “okie dokie. Go have fun, and I’ll see you at home, paps.”
“YES YOU WILL! YOU’RE GETTING THE IMPROVED VERSION OF SPAGHETTI TONIGHT FOR THAT!” It’s heartwarming to hear the excitement in his voice, and the brighter smile on his face, “YOU DID A GOOD THING! BYE, SANS!”
“Bye, Sans,” you add, and he waves you both off. Even if he was the one who finally apologized, you felt a weight off of yourself as well, and his gaze no longer made you feel like demons were on your back.
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little-astro-naut · 3 years
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serendipity | namjoon
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serendipity n. the phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for In which you are a university student working at a vintage/book store, and Kim Namjoon is a tad clumsy.
college/university!au
pairing: kim namjoon/reader (gender not specified in fic!) genre: fluff!!! just a wholesome read in general word count: 1.9k warnings: none, unless you need a warning for namjoon being the cutest clumsy dork note: Happy New Year!
Taking a 2021 leap of faith by posting my first fic ever, and it's for the ever lovable Kim Namjoon of BTS. This has been sitting in my WIPs for so long, but I'm glad I finally got the guts to just sit down and finish it. This fic is just a short happy little thing that I wanted to welcome the new year with, so I do hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
May this year be much, much better for you all. Thank you for clicking on this tiny thing, and enjoy!
[crossposted to AO3]
The day begins like usual.
You wake up at around seven in the morning. It takes a few groans and some burrowing under the covers before you reluctantly leave the comfort of your bed to get ready for another day of school. Today is Thursday, you note. Just one more day after this until the sweet, sweet embrace of the weekend.
On Thursdays, your classes begin at nine in the morning and end at three in the afternoon, after which you walk a few blocks down the street from your university to your part-time job at the little vintage shop right across the convenience store.
It’s owned by a pleasant, middle-aged lady with a love for collecting antiques, trinkets, books, and other unique finds she’s stumbled upon in her numerous travels around the globe. She often drops by the store when she isn’t away on another trip, waltzing in through the front door, clad in her signature ensemble of an expensive silk headscarf, a flowing floral dress, a pair of vintage designer boots, and a pretty little purse that magically fits everything and then some.
She’s like a real-life Mary Poppins—that is, if Mary Poppins had the aesthetic of a suspiciously rich 50-something lady whom you can usually find day drinking at some obscure Spanish restaurant. You don’t really know where she gets the money to own all that she does and travel five times each month (A small vintage shop at a university area surely wouldn’t make that much money, right?), but you don’t need to know. The elusiveness is part of her charm.
You met her one day as you were intently reviewing every single item on the shelf to score some hardbound anniversary edition copies of your favorite classics for cheap. She had noticed you frequenting her store, and finally offered you a part-time position due to your sincere—albeit novice—appreciation for quietly valuable things, and you said yes on the spot. It meant extra money and a 20% discount to your favorite shop, after all.
The walk to the store is short—a five-minute stroll along pretty rows of old brick apartments and quaint ice cream parlors and small restaurants with cuisine ranging from Japanese to Mediterranean. Your usual brisk walk becomes a leisurely pace today, thanks to the rare early dismissal from your Contemporary Asian Art elective, your last class of the day.
Breathing in the fresh afternoon air and looking up, you take time to admire how green the trees are at this time of the year. It’s calming to watch the leaves sway gently with the breeze, giving way for sparse rays of the sun to illuminate patches of the ground like tiny twinkling stars. Your eyes absentmindedly scan the sidewalk for the bits of sunlight that pass through.
The day feels brighter and kinder when you’re not hurrying, you think to yourself.
The mellow tingle of the chimes interrupts your reverie, announcing your arrival to the shop.
“Hey!” Taehyung, your co-worker, greets you with a smile as he packs away a small stack of readings and notes in his messenger bag. “Got a big exam today so I may have to go a little sooner, is that okay?”
“Yeah, don’t worry about it. Good luck on that test!” You smile back, taking a seat behind the counter as you review the day’s transactions so far. “Wow, that’s a good number of purchases today—and it’s only three p.m.”
Taehyung swings his bag over his shoulder and ruffles his already messy black hair. “Right? Oh! Remember that really handsome guy I told you about? Broad shoulders, cute smile, even cuter laugh? The one from my English class?”
You give him an enthusiastic “YES?” in acknowledgment. Taehyung has not shut up about him all semester, but it took just one chance encounter on campus with “really handsome guy” to prove to you that “really handsome” was a gross understatement, and that if you were in his position, you’d never keep your mouth shut either.
“He came by this morning. Must’ve left his magical touch on the store.” Taehyung pauses, wiggling his fingers around to illustrate his point.
Taehyung’s silly action makes you snicker, but the gravity of his statement hits you all of a sudden, causing you to widen your eyes in response. “Wait. You mean I missed him!?” You frown in disappointment, and Taehyung gives you a sympathetic nod. “Damn. Well, at least he bestowed enough magic to help you survive that huge exam.”
“Not just survive it; I’m gonna ace it.” Taehyung winks. “And hey, I’m certain Mr. Eye Candy’s left enough magic in the store for you, too, out of his kindness.”
“When you finally get the guts to ask the guy out, tell him thank you!” You laugh and give each other one last wave before he skips to the exit, almost bumping into a customer who has just entered the store. They bow to each other in apology.
“Good afternoon! How may I help you?” You stand up from where you’re seated to make yourself available to the tall boy in a black cap and blue shirt. Funny, you haven’t even seen his face yet, but you already think the denim is a good look on him. Not a lot of people don’t look like a joke in denim shirts, but even fewer people are blessed with the ability to look amazing in them. The first customer of your shift, whoever he is, is one of those people.
He takes clumsy steps through the entrance, retreating the arms that pushed the door open back into his pockets. The cap on his head, however, is doing nothing to help you get a better glimpse of the boy who has kind of piqued your interest.
Then he topples over a whole stack of books on display up by the front of the store. Now you’re really interested.
As he picks up a couple of books from the floor, the “SALE” sign beside also falls with a muted thud when it hits a hardbound copy of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. He looks up from where he’s knelt on the ground, searching for someone to whom he can address more of his profuse apologies before standing up in shame, waiting for the cute person behind the counter to approach and also maybe but hopefully not reprimand him for his stupidity.
“Oh, shit,” you hear him whisper in panic. “I am so sorry about that. I’ll fix it.”
He tries, at least.
His eyes meet yours as he straightens up, as if to admit defeat against the on-sale books still on the floor. You’re chuckling, walking towards him and effectively pretending you are not the least bit fazed by the stranger’s slightly obscured puppy eyes and mild panic and how he towers over you while being as threatening as a lost child.
“Need some help?” you chuckle again—out of nervousness more than anything, if you’re being honest—and he reciprocates shyly.
“Sorry about this.” He gives you a sheepish smile as he adjusts his cap and scratches the back of his head. It’s quick, but it’s more than enough to give you a perfect glimpse of his handsome face: timid eyes, full cheeks, and a guilty smile boasting of a dimple on each side.
You lag for a moment upon the unobstructed sight of him, but almost immediately catch yourself. A brief clearing of the throat and you begin picking up the books sprawled on the floor between the both of you. He quickly bends down to try and be of assistance, picking up a few and checking to make sure he made no damages to any of the copies before returning them to the display rack.
You both reach for the dog-eared paperback edition of Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being at the same time, and you could’ve sworn a sudden spark jolts you the moment your hands meet.
He’s the first to look up. The boy in the cap waits to meet your gaze as you blink to yourself a few times before deciding to check on said boy in front of you. Now it’s your turn to say sorry, and you’re not really even sure why. Just felt like speaking would help make this less nerve-wracking for you and your now pounding chest.
And then he snorts. It’s not even supposed to be a pleasant sound, but it tickles your ears and heart in a way that requires all of your willpower to keep yourself from melting into a puddle right then and there. He picks up the book, stands up straight, and looks at you—still smiling, still so attractive it honestly hurts. The softest of giggles leaves his lips, and you really, truly, die a little.
“Sorry, um…” He scratches his head. Maybe a cute habit of his? He has no real followup to that apology, so he pretends he didn’t say it and just continues with the next thought in his head.
“I’ve been looking for this for so long.” He lifts the copy of the Kundera novel in his hand.
Ah, the book. You almost misunderstand.
“I’ve wanted to own this in this particular cover, but for some odd reason, it wasn’t in any bookstore I’ve visited before.”
“Oh, well then, I’m glad you found what you were looking for here.” You smile shyly.
“This and more, really,” he whispers to himself, and you don’t quite catch it.
“That copy’s actually also our last of that novel. If you had come by on any other day it might have been gone already,” you explain, mentally patting yourself in the back for finishing your sentence without stuttering.
You fidget with your fingers, praying for a reason to continue speaking with the beautiful stranger and the courage to maintain eye contact the way he’s effortlessly doing.
“I’m glad I dropped by today, then.” He stares at you for a moment, hoping you catch just what he really means before his eyes turn into crescent moons when he scrunches his nose to give you a playful grin.
It seems that your prayers work. Without missing a beat, you find uncharacteristic confidence from within your nervous bones to respond, “I’m glad you did, too.”
“Maybe I should drop by again tomorrow,” he says, your answer giving him a boost of confidence. “And the next day, too, maybe?”
“We restock books on Fridays and Saturdays. I’m off then, so my friend Jimin will be the one to assist you if ever.” You smile, teasing.
“Hmm, how about Sunday?”
“We’re closed on Sundays.”
He purses his lips as he holds back another fit of giggles, shaking his head lightly. He has been nothing but a dork and a dumbass this whole time, and yet, luckily, it seems like it’s working. So he pushes it.
“How about I make it simpler by just asking you out right now? Since it’s your day off, how does tomorrow sound?”
You laugh at this, before coyly looking at him to say, “What makes you so sure I’ll say yes?”
“Just trying my luck, really.” He laughs, too.
“Today must be your lucky day, stranger.”
“Kim Namjoon,” he responds, perfect smile still there on his face. “My name’s Namjoon.”
“Well then, Namjoon, today’s your lucky day.”
And mine, too, you think to yourself. You hope Taehyung doesn’t forget to extend your gratitude to Mr. Eye Candy.
a/n: Thank you for reading! Feel free to drop by my ask for comments, suggestions, or just to say hi!! Constructive criticism is welcome, but please be kind! I'm very new to this so I would greatly appreciate kind feedback.
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fan-clan-fun · 4 years
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History of VineClan
Please don’t steal this idea! I’ve been working on it for more than 4 days!
I’ve left this in my inbox for  bit trying to understand what you meant by steal your idea. Im assuming you still want me to post this publicly, since you submitted it to me, but in future if you are afraid of someone stealing ideas perhaps maybe you can send a personal message and we can talk things through and discuss your ideas privately! Im always open to dms.
Formation- Vine was a loner who ran away from his father and then met a small group of cats who needed guidance and became their leader and taking them to the Trees of Time.
Many moons ago, BadgerClan, ShadeClan, the lost clan, SunClan, and the other clans, SnakeClan and StreamClan were dead. But now a new dawn is rising.
Thats quite a start, a new clan rising from the ashes of the old ones! Do the current day cats know much of the clans? Or are they basically starting over from scratch?
Rivals- After Vine and his group left the Woods of Water, another group, the Rogues of Roaming moved in and injured one of Vine’s best friends, Blue.
There was almost a war but Blue stopped it. The area is now known as the Roaming Rainfalls.
Always good to have some rivals. Do the rogues become their own clan as well?
Age- VineClan is old. Vinestar and Bluestar are remembered and celebrated every 12 moons
Old is... not quite a helpful descriptor. Perhaps a better way to indicate the age of a clan is through how many leaders have reigned, and for how long, or how many generations have passed. 
Shaping Events- The elders told the story of how Blue stopped the war and the tales of the lost clans are less told than the founding of the clans which is very often. The bold and faithful BadgerClan, the tricky yet helpful ShadeClan, the sharp and qualified once missed SunClan, the passionate and quick SnakeClan and the kind and courageous, water-loving StreamClan
Okay so I see here that some stories of the old clans still survive, but there is still a lot of info you could expand on the old clans and the current association with Vineclan. How does Vineclan see themselves? Are they still the only clan now?
Heroes and Villians: All the living peaceful medicine cats, warriots and kits want to be like Bluestar and all the battle-hungry warriors and kits want to be like Rainstar. The villains are the Rogues of Roaming and VineClan’s greatest enemy.
Each side has the Hall of Fame.
There’s the Hall of Heroes and the Hall of Villians.
I’m glad to know you are thinking of some of them, I would love to hear the stories of your favorites!
Territory 
VineClan’s territory Slope Woods by Day Twowalkers and the Twilight Twowalkers. Fires always come in the greenleaf and floods in leaffall every 48 moons. In those times, they go live in the Fire’s Flood Field (A Shelter Place). Some common animals are bugs, frogs, snakes, lizards, chipmunks, or squirrels. There may be foxes, raccoons, or porcupines as well. Look up in the trees, and you may see birds or bats.
Sounds like standard North America, although choosing a specific region might help you come up with details especially for some fun unique names. 
On RainClan’s territory there is Training Valley, The Hunting Hills, the best place for hunting, Harmony Hills, every moon there is a truce where cats can talk and have fun and they share news and advice. The medicine cats go to the Star Cave with the Moon Crystal. Cats who are not medicine cats go to the Star Hollow and meet their ancestors with the Lightstone. It only works in the daytime.
Ah okay I see here that there is a second clan. There is also a lot of information to unpack in this paragraph. I do like that there are different ways to interact with your ancestors and that your average clan cat can still commune with Starclan, and the Day/night motif of spiritual connection here as well. 
Camp
The camp is hidden in the slopes. Climb up it and you hop in it. It is guarded throughout the day. Over there is the nursery, the biggest den, the one with the huge sand wall. Cats have to leap over it just to get in. Only VineClan cats have that kind of strength and speed for that. The other smaller sand den goes into an underground cave where the apprentices sleep. Scouts sleep on top of the slope or the trees. Guards sleep in a pile of sand with there breathing devices called Sand Breathers so they can sleep and breathe easily. Hunters sleep underneath a pile of prey, so they always get first pick. That big pile of sand and leaves with a small sand wall. The Sand Gem is where the leader gives meetings and the leader glows whenever they sit on it. On top of the gem is where the leader sleeps with the rest of his family. The medicine cats sleep underground. There are two types of herbs, Sand Herbs, that can be kept underground, mostly for wounds and diseases. Sky Herbs are plants that are supposed to be kept outside, in the Green Den that’s open but protected with a bright surface that you can see through it. Poison Plants are spread out all over in the Roaming Rainfalls and the darkest, deepest corners of the Slope Woods.
I see a lot of interesting concepts here! I am fascinated by the implication that these cats have some form of technology or magic, to create the Sand Breathers and the hard clear surface (glass?) protecting the Green Den. I would love to hear more about those aspects, since technology and magic are things I tend to enjoy. As for the hunters sleeping under prey, that sounds a bit uncomfortable, I certainly wouldnt like to sleep under a pile of carcasses which might bleed or be dirty or stinky. So why did they choose to do that? Are they afraid their clanmates will steal their food?
Build: Cats that were born from Guards have a remarkable amount of strength. Cats who are born from Scouts have an unbelievable amount of speed, an average amount of both is how they become a Hunter and anyone who was born from a certain rank (Hunter, Guard, Scout) always is born with that ancestry. 
I see you have gone for a more Tribe-like divisions of skills and build. If you have a certain build are you basically destined to be in that position, or can cats choose?
Pelt: Black cats are considered lucky and white cats with any other eye color than blue are considered unlucky. Any cat with a white pelt and blue eyes is not blind but very powerful and will be automatically chosen for deputy and given 12 lives if they’re evil and want war, 15 lives if they’re average and like a regular leader, 18 lives if they want everlasting peace and is good and kind.
I dont quite understand this. When white kittens with blue eyes are born, are they basically destined to be leader? What happens if there are two in the same clan at the same time? What is the significance of the number of lives? How does the clan or even Starclan itself decide how many lives to give them? Can they read their minds and intentions? Whats to stop a cat who says they want peace from getting those extra lives and then causing chaos? How does living that long affect those cats, or do they die of old age? While this is an interesting concept in theory, you might want to think this through a bit more, you dont have to discard it completely, but you do have to consider the ramifications and consequences. 
Clan Roles- 
Leader 
The leader is voted for every 48 moons and if they are a white cat with blue eyes, there is no vote needed. If they are a white cat with blue eyes that’s good, they get to be leader for 144 moons. If they are voted again, it’s 96 moons.
Ah some more info, but still very confusing. If leaders are voted for every four years (48 moons) normally, what happens to leaders who havent lost their nine lives by that point? Do all leaders (other than white cats with blue eyes) get regular nine lives? Why do white cats get to be leaders for so long, and do their extra lives sustain their bodies that long? Are you saying a white cat with blue eyes could live and rule for 238 moons (almost 20 years, 144+96 moons)?
Deputy
The deputy is the leader’s Vice President and is chosen by the leader.
Medicine Cat
They follow the Code of the Stars. An apprentice is chosen with a trial. A trial starts at 5 moons. There are two tests: Intelligence and Heart. Intelligence shows how much you know. Heart shows how much you’re into it.
In order for kittens to pass this trial, are they all taught basic information and knowledge about herbs? What qualifies a cat to be chosen as medicine cat apprentice?
Elders
The elder’s average age is 65 moons. The oldest elder is The Protector of the Knowledge, the second oldest elder is Head Elder and reminds elders of their duties like their Daily Walk guarded by 1 Scout and 2 Guards and their Ceremony Seats and the Head Elder is like the deputy’s assistant who helps with everything and The Protector of Knowledge tells knowledge whenever needed.
I feel like I am missing a lot of info here, that there is a lot more to dive into. Its really nice to see Elders having their own positions and duties though at least!
Warriors
There are Hunters, Guards, and Scouts. Hunters are average, Guards are strong and Scouts are quick.
Okay, well Im not sure why Hunters are considered average, since that sounds a bit demoralizing, but I suppose that if the Guards and Scouts are elite warriors it might make more sense.
Queens
The Kitter is the cat who has been in the nursery for the most and assigns Kitsitters who take care of the kits after the age of 4 moons and stop at the age of 9 moons when a kit moves out of the nursery and into the apprentice den, so the queens can go back to their original role. The Kitsitters are mostly former queens or their fathers. The Protector of Knowledge mostly takes on an apprentice and there are called The Apprentice of Knowledge and they teach the 6-9 moons, the Way of the Warrior.
I see your cats are considered kits for longer than canon. Are these intermediate moons kind of like school? Why are medicine cat apprentices chosen so young before their schooling even begins?
Apprentices
They are apprenticed to 15 moons. The Protector of Knowledge mostly takes on an apprentice and there are called The Apprentice of Knowledge and they teach the 6-9 moons, the Way of the Warrior. The requirements to become a hunter is to hunt the most prey from sunup to sundown. Guards have to fight each other and the Top 3 becomes a guard. Cats who have failed have to take the test next moon and if they fail till they’re 18, they become a hunter. Scouts go into a race and the Top 3 becomes a scout and the 4th, 5th and 6th placers become Trial Scouts and if they fail their mission, they become hunters.
So I notice that there are two different ways to become a hunter, but they seem a bit contradictory. You mention that to become a hunter you need to hunt the most prey. Does that mean only one becomes a hunter? Or is there an amount each cat needs to hunt to pass their trial? And failed scouts still automatically become hunters without having to pass the same trial as regular hunters?
Kits
Kits are raised by their mothers from the age of 1-3 and their Kitsitters from the age of 4-9
Code of Conduct
The regular warrior code.
Laws
Punishment is placed in front of the StarClan Court and if it was minor it’s mostly cleaning out the elder’s den. Middle is suspension. Major is mostly banishment.
Mates
There is a ceremony for mates who want to be together forever.
Leader: Welcome, cats of VineClan who have wanted to be with (male cat) (rank) and (female cat)(rank) and today: we thank you for being here to share this extraordinary day. You may sit. Now, (male cat) do you, of your own free will, take (female cat) as your StarClan watched mate, to cherish and defend—as long as you both shall live?
Male Cat: I do.
Leader: (Female cat) do you, of your own free will, take (make cat) as your StarClan watched mate, to cherish and defend—as long as you both shall live?
Female Cat: I do.
Leader: With the promises you have made and with the power invested in me with all of StarClan watching, I now pronounce you mates for life. You may touch noses the bride.
(They touch noses and some purring may be made and that’s when the kits and apprentices leave.)
I see you have drawn heavily on modern human marriage ceremonies for your mateship ritual! But are there provisions if the cats break up? Or marriages where the cats aren’t strictly male and female?
All the other ceremonies are the same. Here’s two new ones.
The Protector of Knowledge Ceremony
Leader: You are the oldest cat (name of cat) and hereby should be known as The Protector of Knowledge for as long as you live. 
Head Elder Ceremony
Leader: You see the second oldest cat (name of cat) and have proven your loyalty many times over and you are hereby known as Head Elder until the Protector of Knowledge hands over his/her power to you.
Naming: The kits are named after whatever the queens want their names to be.
Afterlife: Cats can go into whatever age they want too in the afterlife and there’s plenty of prey and instead of a dark slope there’s a light sunny field.
Thank you for sharing about your clans! I think there are a few things you might need to expand on and think through, if you would like we can chat in private as well if you are worried!
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