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ravendruid · 3 months

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Be In My Eyes - Chapter 29

You can read the previous chapters here or on AO3. Happy belated Valentine's day <3 (I promise I didn't plan this!) Summary: Time to dress up for Keyleth's date with Vax.

The week rushed by like rapids, especially when, on Miresen morning, every single one of Keyleth’s teachers reminded their classes that the clock announcing finals had officially begun ticking. One month. Keyleth had one month to prepare for what she assumed would be the worst week of her college life. She could only hope her teachers took pity on the first years. By that evening, Keyleth had a meticulously developed study schedule, color-coded by class, to help her organize her time. Would she be able to keep up with it, though? She had to. The last thing she wanted was to fail a class and have to repeat it next year. She decided to try out the schedule that week, rotating between the library and the quiet apartment and inviting her roommates to study with her—which Vax’ildan almost always gladly accepted.

The exception happened in the middle of the week. Although the holiday itself wasn’t widely celebrated in Emon, the Night of Ascension was still a holiday for those who celebrated, so the University had given them the day off classes. That day, Keyleth, Percy and Pike decided to occupy a table at their favorite café, staving off the snow that fell outside with steaming cups of hot cocoa. She had asked the twins to join them, but Vax had explained to Keyleth, alone in his bedroom as he bundled up with the hoodie Keyleth loved so much and a thick woolen scarf that had seen better days, that he and Vex’ahlia had a tradition to pay homage to their mother during the holiday, so they would be going to the nearest temple to make an offering, and then go out for a meal and celebrate their memories of Elaina (Vax had finally shared his mother’s name with her). Keyleth pondered asking to join them and do the same for her mother, but she figured that it was something the twins preferred to stay between just them. Besides, neither she nor her mother were particularly given to deities.

But the week rushed by nonetheless, and on Folsen evening, when Keyleth opened the fridge and saw a container with freshly made soup and a sticky note from Vax (I hope this helps you stay warm), the girl was ready to put on a pair of fuzzy socks, her warmest pajama and curl into a ball on the armchair and read until her eyelids drooped. Alas, her dream was interrupted by footsteps walking down the corridor as Keyleth removed the steaming bowl from the microwave.

“Oh. Hi Kiki,” Vax greeted. He was wearing a new long-sleeve pajama shirt (black, as usual), a pair of black sweatpants, and his hair was braided away from his face—it was about time that he heed not only Vex’s but also Keyleth’s advice about braiding his hair before bed.

“Hi, Vax. Thank you for the soup,” Keyleth nodded in gratitude. She sat at the kitchen table and started to eat. Vax joined her, sitting on the chair in front of hers, elbows on the table and resting his chin on his hand.

“How were classes?”

“Exhausting.”

“Are you ready for tomorrow?” Vax asked smugly. Keylth looked at him confused, then remembered they were going out… on a date. “Please don’t tell me you forgot about our date?” Vax asked, outraged, seeing the look of realization on her face.

“No... I—I’m sorry.” Keyleth apologized, embarrassed. Vax merely laughed and shook his head. “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Oh. What should I wear?” Keyleth asked, trying to get any possible clue from him.

“Something comfortable and warm.” The answer didn’t reveal anything substantial.

“What time are we leaving?” Keyleth tried another route.

“Do you think eight is too early?” Keyleth shook her head. She was used to waking up early, even during the weekends, so it wouldn’t make a difference in her schedule. “Then, we need to leave the apartment at 8:30.”

“Why so early?” Keyleth asked, finishing her soup.

“It’s a bit far and we need to take transportation. It’s going to be a whole day thing, so you might want to clear your schedule.”

Somewhere so far away that they needed to take an early transportation, that would last the entire day, and that she needed to bring warm, comfortable clothes? Where the hell was Vax taking her? “Should I bring anything special? Food? Entertainment?” Keyleth pushed further.

“We can make some sandwiches and bring snacks for the day. Water, too. As for entertainment, that’s what I’m there for, right?” Vax winked. Keyleth blushed and giggled, covering her mouth with her hand.

“I’m sure you will,” She teased. Vax slapped the table softly and grabbed her empty bowl. Keyleth got to her feet, wanting to stop him, but he waved his hand at her in dismissal and washed her dishes for her. Keyleth couldn’t stop herself from biting her lip at how caring Vax was to her. He had made her dinner, kept her company while she ate—even though he looked like he had been ready to go to sleep—and washed her dishes afterward. I don’t deserve someone so good like him.

“You should go to sleep,” Vax said to her, wiping his hands on the towel. He approached Keyleth and kissed her forehead before he turned to the hallway leading to the bedrooms. “I’ll see you first thing in the morning, Kiki,” he said and disappeared towards his bedroom. Keyleth stood in the kitchen, watching Vax walk away. Only when his bedroom door shut behind him did Keyleth release the longing sigh she had been holding and grabbed her bag to head to bed. Keyleth thought she was going to have trouble sleeping due to anxiety, so the faster she went to bed, the sooner she would fall asleep. However, Keyleth wasn’t expecting the fluttering of butterflies in her stomach, a sensation that seemed to calm her more than agitate her, so she fell asleep as soon as her head hit her pillow.

—

By the time Keyleth walked into the kitchen the next morning (her personal backpack open in front of her in preparation to get stuffed with snacks), Vax’ildan was already at the stove, stirring eggs and plopping two slices of bread in the toaster. On the island sat an evidently larger backpack—a camping backpack—seemingly full and ready to go. Keyleth stumbled on her feet, coming to an abrupt stop as she gawked at Vax’s bag, then at hers, so small in her hands. She didn’t have time to say anything because Vax was already smiling at her and greeting her.

“What’s that?” Keyleth asked, all manners forgotten.

“Our stuff for today.”

“That looks—”

“Heavy? Don’t worry. It’s mostly light items. I made a few sandwiches, packed snacks, water and a thermos with peppermint tea.” Vax said nonchalantly, dividing the eggs between two plates. “Don’t worry, I added a lot of honey to the tea,” He added, seeing Keyleth’s stunned face.

Vax set the plates with scrambled eggs and toast on the table and returned to grab two mugs of coffee. Keyleth finally set her backpack down—now completely useless—and sat at the table. They ate in silence, Keyleth avoiding looking at Vax too much, and then she left him to do the dishes while she returned to her bedroom to finish getting dressed.

They left the apartment at exactly 8:30—like Vax had planned—after Keyleth replaced her small backpack for her regular knitted crossbody purse with just her personal belongings. Since the sun was shining bright and warm in the clear, blue sky, Keyleth left her thickest jacket behind in exchange for a crochet cardigan with sunflowers covering a beige high-neck shirt and a crochet dark green skirt. She pondered wearing pants for a moment, but then she found a pair of thick winter tights, and her problem of wanting to look cute and fight off the cold was easily solved. Meanwhile, Vax was–well… Vax (still incredibly hot, as usual, nonetheless). He wore his regular black, ripped pants, leather jacket and boots. The only difference was that he had replaced his band and graphic t-shirt for a seemingly brand new plain black high-neck shirt, so tight that Keyleth had held her breath when she first saw him before he put on and buttoned his jacket.

They took a bus not far from campus, mostly filled with old ladies who gave the pair a weird look—which Keyleth knew was due to her overall sunshine personality, Vax’s dark and broody appearance and the camping backpack he carried—and they sat in the empty back, Vax setting the packed bag between his legs. They stayed in silence for a while, watching the city pass by slowly. People walked on the sidewalks, bundled up in their snow coats and scarves, couples held hands and stopped to watch the shop windows, and children threw balls and built snowmen in the park they passed by, much like what Keyleth and her friends had done a few weeks before, and which, eventually, led to her being in that empty bus, sitting so close to her crush—more than that, actually—that she could practically hear his heart beating in his chest.

“It’s such a nice day,” Keyleth said, more to herself than to him. Vax hummed. His hand found hers on her lap and he took it, intertwining his fingers with hers. Keyleth still looked out the window, now more to try to hide the blush in her cheeks at the gesture. Vax had been so touchy since last weekend… since he shared so much of his life with her. It was like he couldn’t bear to not touch Keyleth, as if her skin on his calmed him. Keyleth wasn’t complaining. She loved every touch, every chill down her spine, every kernel of warmth and softness that emanated from Vax, and she never wanted it to end.

“Is this the part where you kidnap me?” Keyleth asked twenty minutes later when the city landscape outside had given room to large fields and forests. They had officially been out of the city limits for five minutes, and she still didn’t know where Vax was taking her.

“What if it is?” Vax teased, wiggling his eyebrows and smiling mischievously at her.

“Then I regret to inform you that my father will not yield to any ransom requests. Unless you would like a chicken or two in exchange for giving me back.”

Vax snorted and brought her hands to his lips. He kissed each knuckle softly and then said, “I doubt your father wouldn’t give all the money in the world to have you back, Kiki.”

Keyleth wasn’t sure if the heat in her cheeks was because of his gesture of the implication that Vax knew her father loved her so much he would ruin his finances for her.

“Our exit is coming up,” Vax announced, releasing the grasp in her hand and getting to his feet. Keyleth followed him down the aisle, and when the bus stopped in the middle of nowhere, where the only sign of it being a bust stop was a single pole with a hanging sign, Vax gestured for Keyleth to descend before him, following her as he shouldered the backpack.

“Now I’m really concerned,” Keyleth said, looking around. They were surrounded by tall trees on a single road with practically no traffic. She had no idea where they were in regards to the city proper, but it was clear they were somewhere remote.

“Do you trust me?” Vax asked, extending his hand to her. Keyleth’s answer was weaving her fingers through his and walking by his side in silence.

During their short walk parallel to the road the bus had taken, Keyleth glanced sideways at Vax, who looked relaxed and smiled so brightly he could supply enough energy for a small town. His mood was contagious, and soon Keyleth found herself relaxing and smiling as well, walking hand-in-hand with him down the sidewalk and then up a smaller road.

“No way,” Keyleth exclaimed as they reached an ornate iron gate connected to rock pillars. Above it, high enough where a tall van could cross without touching it, was an iron sign that said Emon Botanical Gardens. Keyleth couldn’t hold her joy at the sight of it, and neither could Vax, apparently, because he was shaking with excitement at her reaction, grinning brightly at her, eyes shining like ambers.

Keyleth squealed in delight as they approached the portico, where a woman waited at the ticket booth. Vax stepped ahead of her and exchanged a few words with the woman that Keyleth couldn’t hear—although, from the look of it, they were familiar with each other—and then signaled her to the barriers that opened on their own accord.

“What?” Keyleth asked, surprised, crossing it behind Vax.

“Students don’t pay entrance,” Vax explained.

“Do you come here often?” Keyleth asked as he walked towards a large wooden board with the map of the park. She stopped abruptly in front of it, gaping with an open mouth at how large the area was.

“Vex and I came here often when we needed a break from the chaos of the city,” Vax explained, picking a pamphlet from the holder. “It’s really peaceful. Here,” He handed Keyleth the pamphlet. She opened it to see a smaller-scale map of the park on one side and short descriptions of what the park contained on the other side.

“This park is huge. We’re not going to be able to see it all today,” Keyleth pointed out, noting all the smaller flower gardens, the several ponds and fountains, the orchard and forests of different kinds of trees. “There’s a waterfall?” She asked, not really expecting an answer. “And a butterfly garden!” Her excitement turned up a notch if it was even possible. Keyleth loved butterflies.

“Where would you like to start?” Vax asked, smiling at her. Keyleth pointed at the greenhouse not far from there, and he nodded. He let her lead the way, even though he probably knew the garden so well that he didn’t need a map anymore.

The greenhouse spawned over a long distance, covering plants from all regions in Exandria, from flowering cacti of the Marquesian deserts to blooming flowers of the Zemni Fields and even a few darker, mysterious flora from the distant lands of Xhorhas. No matter where Keyleth looked, she was welcomed with fragrant scents, a rainbow of colors, and a whole new universe she wanted to explore until the end of her days. She took several minutes to photograph flowers and plants she had never seen before and write notes on the notebook app on her phone, setting up a mental note to return with her camera and a proper notebook. When Keyleth finally uncoiled from where she had been squatting for ten minutes, photographing and copying information from the small description sign next to a bloom of snowdrops, Vax coughed to get her attention. Keyleth’s head snapped in his direction. She had completely forgotten why and who she was there with, so a blush spread on her cheeks as she apologized to Vax bashfully.

“It’s okay. It’s adorable.” He brushed it off, holding out his hand for her to take. Keyleth grabbed it, looking at Vax inquisitively. “Let’s go. I have a surprise,” Vax said, pulling Keyleth with him.

They exited the greenhouse through a side door onto a gravel path. Keyleth’s excitement built up quickly once she saw the first signs pointing in the direction they were going, saying Butterfly House. She found it weird that the butterfly house would be open in the winter since she hadn’t read anything about it in the pamphlet, but maybe it was climate-controlled so they could have viewings year-round. However, Keyleth’s excitement and hope died a little when their path was closed by a barrier, where a note hung from the middle: “We regret to inform the butterfly house is closed until further notice.”

“Vax, what are you doing?” Keyleth asked as Vax transposed the barrier and held out his hand for her. “It’s closed.”

“I know. Trust me,” Vax said. Keyleth followed him down the last of the gravel path and then onto a smaller side path that led to the back of the building. She had no idea where Vax was taking her, but Keyleth trusted him with her life, so she followed as he squeezed her hand tighter in his grip.

“Hello there,” A man greeted the pair when they turned a corner. Keyleth came to an abrupt stop behind Vax, bumping against his back. Shit, we’re screwed, Keyleth thought, knowing they were trespassing.

“Hey!” Vax greeted the man back. He let go of Keyleth’s hand and dropped his backpack on the floor next to the door she realized the man was holding open. Vax then walked towards the man and hugged him tightly. Keyleth finally took a good look at him. He was smiling kindly at them, crow’s feet around his eyes. He seemed to be in his early forties, perhaps, with sun-dappled skin, wild and crazy-looking dark hair, and a black beard streaked with gray, neatly kept in two braids.

“Is this the lady I’ve been hearing so much about?” The man asked Vax, looking around his shoulder to Keyleth with an even fonder smile. Vax laughed and nodded. He extended his hand to call Keyleth over, wiggling his fingers.

“This is Keyleth,” Vax introduced when she laced her fingers with his. Up close, Keyleth could see the man’s glowing blue eyes and all the signs of someone who had a happy life, even if labored. “Keyleth,” Vax continued, pointing at the man, “This is Kerrek.”

“Kerr is fine,” The man said, extending his hand. Keyleth took it. The handshake was strong but soft at the same time as if Kerrek was holding back on her. His hands were calloused, and there was some dirt under his fingernails, confirming the hard labor Keyleth assumed he did.

“Nice to meet you, Kerr,” Keyleth said politely. Vax had never mentioned him, yet the man seemed to have heard about her. She tucked the information in a mental file to ask Vax later.

“Are you sure it’s okay?” Vax asked, nodding at the building. The man nodded and replied with a wink, “Go ahead lovebirds.”

Keyleth blushed, but Vax chuckled. He looked at her nervously and pulled her inside the building with him, the door closing behind them. The temperature changed immediately, and Keyleth was forced to discard her cardigan with Vax’s leather jacket, leaving them on a bench by the door, and pulled the long sleeves of her shirt up to her elbows. She then followed Vax down a dimly lit hallway to a second door.

“Ready?” Vax asked her. Keyleth swallowed hard and nodded.

Keyleth wasn’t sure what she expected, but walking into a brightly lit, hot and humid jungle was not it. The roof was a domed glass that let the bright winter light in without any of the cold, and everywhere Keyleth looked was covered with trees and plants, vines and moss. Once again, she allowed Vax to guide her down the tiled path until they came to a rounded room fully enclosed in class. In the center, a stone bench acted as a barrier to flowers and greenery, and around them—

“Oh. My. Gods.” Keyleth whispered, still not believing what she was seeing.

Butterflies—dozens and dozens of butterflies—flew everywhere, from branch to branch, between flowers and vines, up on the glass ceiling and around the walls. Vax led Keyleth into the middle of the room with a soft hand on the small of her back, stopping by the stone bench. Keyleth spun slowly in place, noting every color, wing shape, and different type of butterfly.

“You might want to close your mouth before a butterfly flies in,” Vax teased. Keyleth snapped her mouth shut but didn’t look at him, still mesmerized by the display.

“Vax, this is—” She stopped herself. A small swarm of five butterflies dove to her and landed on her hair and outstretched arm. Keyleth swallowed a squeal of delight as she turned to face Vax and brought a beautiful blue-winged butterfly between them.

“That’s a morpho peleides,” Vax offered. Keyleth nodded, still awestruck.

“Their wings aren’t actually blue, but—”

“Iridescent, yes. It’s caused by a diffraction of the light from the—”

“Tiny scales on its wings.” Keyleth finished. She looked up at him, surprised that he knew about it.

“I’ve been coming here for a few years. I’ve learned a lot about them,” He explained coyly. Keyleth swallowed, feeling a wave of warmth flow down her body. The butterfly beat its wings and took off to a high branch. Keyleth followed it with her gaze.

“It’s beautiful,” She whispered, still looking at the emperor on the other side of the room.

“You’re beautiful, Keyleth,” Vax whispered back. She whipped her head back to him, only to realize he was so close to her that their breaths mingled with each other. Vax brought a hand up to cup her cheek and leaned in, making Keyleth’s stomach jump.

Oh gods, is this happening?

“Can I kiss you?” He asked. Yes. Yes! A million times, yes!

“Please—” She practically begged.

Time stopped, or maybe it was Keyleth’s heart that stopped. Something stopped, for sure. Keyleth’s eyes drifted closed, and she surrendered herself to the warmth of Vax’s hand on her face and the firm hold on her waist as his lips touched hers. The kiss started soft and tentative. As if Vax was scared. Keyleth’s hands slid up Vax’s chest to wrap around his neck, pulling him closer. The kiss deepened, full of longing and something else Keyleth’s brain could not decipher in that moment. Some time passed, although Keyleth couldn’t tell if it had been seconds, minutes, or days. But eventually, Vax broke the kiss, his piercing gaze on hers, assessing her. Keyleth smiled against his lips, willing her heart to stop beating so fast. Vax opened his mouth to say something, but Keyleth shushed him before he could utter a word by kissing him again.

Keyleth poured all the intensity of her need for Vax into the kiss. Although she had no idea what she was doing, she had read quite a few romance books, so she pulled all that knowledge off the pages and kissed Vax passionately. When her tongue brushed against his lip, Vax opened to allow her in, the hand on her face lowering to join the other on the small of her back, pulling her harder against him. Keyleth could feel every inch of Vax’s body, her tongue thoroughly exploring his mouth until it met his tongue and started a dance she didn’t know the steps for. Keyleth stopped leading, then, and started following Vax’s experienced instructions. The heat on her body was overpowering, but it was Keyleth’s happiness that screamed the loudest in her ears, together with the thrumming beating of her heart.

When they finally pulled apart—when Vax pulled apart—they were both panting, eyes wide as saucers fixed on each other, and smiling. Keyleth willed her lungs to work faster and reminded her heart to slow down, lest she pass out from sheer emotion. Her legs were trembling like reeds on a storm, and if it weren’t for Vax’s firm hold on her, Keyleth would surely fall to her knees in front of him.

“That was—” Vax tried, but his breath was still ragged. Keyleth chuckled and nodded, rubbing her nose against his. Their breaths were warm and sweet like a summer night, Vax’s kiss-swollen lips so, so inviting. Tempting. “Gods, Kiki. You’re—” Vax didn’t finish. He leaned his brow against Keyleth with closed eyes and breathed slowly. Keyleth did the same, following his lead once again. He smelled so good and felt so warm and cozy, just like home. “You’re going to be the death of me, Keyleth.”

“I’m sorry,” Keyleth giggled. Vax kissed the tip of her nose. “I’ve wanted to do that for a while,” She confessed.

“Me too.” Vax tugged at the fabric of her shirt on the small of her back, twisting and turning the hem between his fingers. Keyleth gave him a questioning look that made him swallow nervously. Finally, after taking a long breath that puffed against Keyleth’s lips, Vax said, “Kiki, you know I’m in love with you, right?”

Oh. Keyleth’s heart almost leaped out of her chest. It was one thing to feel the love Vax didn’t hide from her, and a completely different thing to hear him say it (like actually say it). Keyleth let her hands slide down from his shoulders and splay on his chest. The jack-rabbit beating of Vax’s heart on Keyleth’s palm made her smile softly as she spoke, “I know. And I–I think I feel the same way.”

“You think?” Vax asked. His tone wasn’t mocking but uncertain.

“I’m scared,” Keyleth admitted, at last, the feeling she had been trying to repress for a while. “I’ve never felt this way for anyone before and it’s so scary.”

“I know,” Vax replied. His thumbs rubbed tight, reassuring circles on Keyleth’s back.

“My dad was so devastated when my mom died. I—I‘ve never wanted to feel that, or worse… make someone feel like that. I–” Keyleth hesitated.

“Yes?”

“I never thought I would have what they had. I never thought someone was going to fall for me, or that I would fall for anyone. I promised myself when I was young that I would never fall in love and yet…”

Vax smiled. He rubbed the tip of his nose on Keyleth’s and said, “I understand completely. You know about my father. I don’t have the best examples of what a loving relationship is. I never thought I would ever find happiness in my life, much less something so pure as love. We don’t have to be in a relationship, Kiki, but if you’ll have me, I’m yours.”

“I don’t think I’m ready to be with someone… yet.”

“That’s okay. I’ll wait as long as it takes,” Vax brushed a strand of hair and tucked it behind her ear. Keyleth smiled fondly at him, basking in the feel of his touch, but her smile faltered as she asked him a question she had been dreading.

“And what if I’m never ready?” Knowing that Vax’s answer could mend or break their future was enough to send her spiraling, so Keyleth closed her fists on his shirt, keeping her aloft, keeping her mind steady and grounded.

“Then I’ll always be here as your friend. I’ll only take what you want to give, Kiki. Never more than that.”

“You would stay?” She asked, her voice wavering.

“Of course. I’m not going anywhere, Keeks.” Vax replied, kissing her forehead. Keyleth slumped into his embrace, sliding her arms under his armpits and holding tightly. She waited for the first signs of the imminent panic attack to retreat down to her stomach and vanish. Only then did she uncoil to her feet, releasing Vax completely, and smiled.

“Thank you for understanding.”

“You’re very important to me.” Vax pulled away, but instead of completely letting go of Keyleth, he twinned his fingers with hers and asked, “Are you ready to head back into the cold with me?”

Keyleth nodded and allowed him to pull her with him, retracing their steps to the back door, where they put their jackets back on and Vax slung his bag back on his shoulders. Kerr was still waiting outside, moving crates and boxes when they exited. He turned to Vax and Keyleth with a fond smile, dropped a box on the ground and walked to pat Vax’s back.

“Make sure you and your sister come over for dinner soon, will you? You’re welcome too, Keyleth.” Kerr added, turning to Keyleth.

“Oh. Thank you for the invitation.”

“I’ll talk to Stubby and let her know,” Vax replied.

“It was nice meeting you, Keyleth.” Kerr extended his hand. Keyleth took it again, shaking it softly with a smile.

“It was nice meeting you too.”

Vax and Keyleth spent the rest of the morning wandering through the multiple flower gardens, fountains and ponds, albeit sad-looking in the middle of the Winter. When the sun reached its apex in the sky, Vax took Keyleth by the hand down a secluded gravel path and into a small clearing of pine trees (the few trees that still had their canopies). Vax removed a thick blanket from the bag, spread it on the floor, and sat down, patting the ground between his legs for Keyleth.

“I should have known you were bringing picnic stuff,” Keyleth said. She sat between Vax’s legs facing him, her legs crossed between them. Vax took another blanket from the bag and set it on her lap, covering both of them.

“You think I would pass up the opportunity to have an outdoor meal with you?” He scoffed. Keyleth didn’t reply. She grabbed the thermos of tea he passed her and took a sip. It was sweet, just the way she loved it, and it warmed her from the inside out. Vax then grabbed two sandwiches and a bag of chips, and they ate while observing the nature and enjoying the quiet. They didn’t run into many people during their walks in the garden, which Keyleth could only assume was due to the cold weather and the fact that most of the plants were dead.

“We should come back in the spring,” She said after a while.

“I already planned on bringing you back.”

“So, what’s the story with Kerr? How do you know him?” Keyleth asked, passing Vax the thermos.

Vax took a sip of the tea, closed the bottle and set it by his side. He then lifted the blanket from his and Keyleth’s legs and gestured for her to turn around. Keyleth did, scooting and resting her back against his chest. Vax covered them again and wrapped his arms around her waist, letting his hands rest on her stomach, where he started rubbing circles with his thumbs. Keyleth basked in his warmth. She could never get enough of the feel of Vax’s arms draped safely around her.

“Do you remember what I told you about what happened with Vex?” He asked her. Keyleth nodded. She knew it was a difficult subject for him. “Well, after all that, Vex and I decided to leave Emon for a while. We found this garden. We lied and told them we were high school students, and they believed us. Mostly because we looked like high schoolers. We found this spot right here, secluded enough that no one could stroll into us, and we made it our place. We had a small tent big enough for us and Trinket.”

“One day, Kerr caught me after the park closed, but instead of calling the cops on us, he extended a helping hand. At first, he invited us to have dinner with him and his wife. Hot homemade meals were hard to come by at the time, and Vex was getting thinner every day, so I said yes. They heard our story, and just like you, they grew angry at our father. But most of all, they felt bad for us and wanted to help us.”

“That’s really nice of them,” Keyleth said. Vax nodded. He buried his cold nose in her neck, making her squeal.

“They asked us to stay with them until we came of age, but Vex and I… we had been living on our own for a while, and we—we might have been too proud to take such a huge offer. But we did accept a job offer to work here, and we enrolled back at the highschool, using Kerr’s home address as our location. We often went to Kerr’s for warm meals and never refused their invitation to stay on cold and rainy nights.”

“Kerr and his wife treated us like we were their own children. We finally caved in and moved in for our final year of highschool. They even motivated us to go to college and helped us apply for scholarships and everything. Their house is a home to us.”

“I’m glad you found them. I’m glad Kerr didn’t call the cops on you.” Keyleth said, turning her head to see Vax. She nuzzled her nose against his jaw, making Vax smile.

“I’m glad too. I don’t know if we would still be alive if it weren’t for Kerr.”

“I’m glad you are. It brought you here… to me.” Keyleth whispered and gave Vax a soft peck on the lips.

“Have I mentioned how beautiful you look today?” Vax nuzzled against Keyleth’s neck. She giggled and nodded in response. “Did you make your skirt?”

“I did. But my grandma made my cardigan.”

“They’re so pretty. You’re both very talented.”

“I’ll make you something one day,” Keyleth promised.

“Are you cold?” Vax asked, tightening his embrace.

“No. I’m never cold when I’m with you. You’re always so warm and cozy.”

“Hmm. Same. You’re like a ray of sunshine. You’re so happy and cheerful. It’s contagious sometimes.”

Keyleth thought about his words. People often said she was a ray of sunshine, that she lit up any room when she walked in, but Keyleth didn’t feel that way. She was happy. Keyleth did feel joy in life and enjoyed being around her friends and family. It was the moment she was left alone that Keyleth dreaded the most. When she was by herself with her thoughts, her fears and grief. She had witnessed a few episodes where Vax had preferred to be alone, where his mood was extra broody and grumpy. She understood that better than Vax probably thought.

“Kiki?” Vax called her. Keyleth turned sideways, buried her head in Vax’s chest and grabbed the jacket on his stomach. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No,” Keyleth mumbled against his chest. Vax’s hands cradled the back of her head and he pressed a kiss to her hair. He stayed like that and waited until she finally spoke again. “I’m not as much of a ray of sunshine as people think I am. I also have bad moments—bad days, even.”

“I know. I’ve noticed your moods.”

“You have?” Keyleth asked, looking up. Vax nodded and caressed her hair down her back. “You must probably think I’m a fraud then.”

“You’re not a fraud, Kiki. Not everyone can be happy all day, every day. I know you try hard to hide the bad side, but you can trust us… you can certainly trust me. I want you to be yourself when you’re with me, even if that means you’re picking at the skin of your nails or chewing on your lip and the inside of your cheek. I won’t be bothered by your jumpy knee or your shuffling around on your seat.”

Oh shit. Vax knew all her fidgets. Was she really that obvious, or was he just very observant? Keyleth always tried to hide her anxiety in front of everyone, and she was almost sure that she did a good job at it, but she had always been more relaxed with Vax. She had always felt safe with him. Of all people, Vax would be the one to understand Keyleth’s faults the best.

As if he read her mind, Vax added, “You and I aren’t that different, Kiki. Depression and anxiety often go hand in hand.”

“I suppose I might have some of yours, too,” Keyleth admitted. It wasn’t for nothing that her father had made her see a professional when she hit puberty.

“And I have some of yours. It’s perfectly valid to have them both, and if someone ever gives you grief about it, tell me, and I’ll punch them.”

Keyleth snorted at the offer. Some of the weight on her chest lifted, but there was something heavy keeping her from being blissfully happy: finals. History proved that academic high-stress situations were not good for Keyleth. “I don’t think you can punch our professors or finals.”

“Ah. Is that what’s eating at you? Here I was, thinking you were freaking out because I’m extremely handsome, and I make your heart almost leap out of your chest.” Keyleth looked at Vax to see him smirking at her. Her face reddened in response. “You’re going to do great, Keeks. You’re smart, talented, and a great student. All our professors love you. If anything, you’re going to do so good that they will need to expand the grading system just to accommodate your knowledge.”

“You’re exaggerating, Vax. I’m not as smart as you or Pike. And I’m falling behind in Anatomy. You’ve seen my midterm grade.”

“Fine, the human body doesn’t agree with you. Does it matter? Are you in Biology for it or for plants, Keyleth? Didn’t you say you were going to drop Anatomy next year anyway?”

“Yes, but I still want to have a good grade,” Keyleth all but pouted at Vax. Couldn’t he understand the high expectations other people had on her? She had always been a top-of-the-class student in high school, and people expected her to maintain that or do better in college, never to go below their standards.

“Keyleth, love. You had a 16 in the midterm,” Vax grabbed her shoulders and looked at her earnestly. “All your assignments have been above 18–and yes, it counts even if I helped you. Even if you have another 16 in your final, you will still get at least a 17 at the end of the semester. I know it’s not as good as an 18 or a 19, but you are still in the top five students in Anatomy, and I know for a fact that you, miss I-will-not-rest-until-I-have-straight-20s, are the best student in your degree.”

When Vax put it like that, Keyleth had to concede to his logic. She knew that she would need a really bad grade on her final to drastically lower her final grade in Anatomy and the general average, as a consequence, but even though it was a low possibility, it wasn’t impossible.

“Fine.” Keyleth pushed Vax away and got up, straightening her skirt. “I guess you’re right.” She said and walked away from him. Keyleth didn’t need to turn her head to see the look of confusion on his face, but she still peeked and threw over her shoulder, “Let’s go see the waterfall… unless you’re done with our date?”

She laughed as Vax scrambled to his feet and packed everything inside the backpack. He was by Keyleth’s side in a matter of seconds, holding her hand and dragging her down the path. Keyleth giggled at his reinvigorated spirits, feeling slightly better herself, too. Vax was right, she knew that, and while she still had a hard time letting go of that particular anxiety, Keyleth knew she had in him a safe harbor.

“Vax?”

“Yes.” Vax looked at her expectantly, grinning from ear to ear.

“I might barge into your room this month to ask for reassurance. Is that okay?” Keyleth bit at her lip. Vax let go of her hand, only to wrap his arm around her shoulder and pull her to a stop. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, giving Keyleth a soft, ghostly peck on the lips that made her want more, and said, “I can’t promise I’ll be decent, but my door will always be unlocked for you, Kiki.”

“Good,” Keyleth whispered against his lips. “I might come to collect some hugs then… even if you’re not–decent.”

The kiss was sensual and unhurried, filled with promises of more kisses to come, hugs to be given, and reassuring words to be whispered in the dark. By the time they arrived back at the apartment, lips red and kiss-swollen, the subject of finals was completely gone from Keyleth’s mind, instead filled with the scent of pine trees and snow and the wonderful time she spent with Vax in nature all day. A much needed-rest before the chaos.

#critical role #cr fic #vox machina #vaxleth #modern au #college au #be in my eyes #three notes about this chapter:#1. I don't know shit about plants and butterflies. So if something is wrong don't yell at me #but feel free to correct me (gently. I'm sensitive)#2. the grading scale I used is from 0-20 where 20 is the highest grade possible.#this is the grading scale I'm most familiar with #3. The butterfly area was inspired by animal crossing new horizon's butterfly section in the museum.#particularly the round room with the fountain.#Also by the time y'all read this I will probably have some news to share :P

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criticallyacclaimedstranger · 1 year

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Who's Gonna Pay Attention To Your Dreams? [a Jay & Frankie fic]

Read on Ao3

Fandom: Triple Frontier

Ship: Frankie Morales x Jay ‘Lady’ Ray (OFC) **Series masterlist**

Warnings: the usual jay & frankie language (that means swearing), drinking, jay fucks with someone trying to pick her up, Pining Idiots!

Words: 1,839

Summary: It's just a normal night out with the guys for Jay and Frankie, but both of them are suddenly Feeling Things about the other. Frankie drives Jay home and walks her to the door. Does he have a chance with her?

A/N: Title is obviously from Drive by The Cars.

Taglist: @amneris21 @apascalrascal @harriedandharassed @kikis-writing-world @lovesbiggerthanpride @miraclesabound @mswarriorbabe80 @pazizz @paulalikestuff @rambling-in-purple @trinkets01

Saturday night at the usual dive is just getting started as Jay finishes her drink, and the bartender raises the volume of the music. Something old and very 80's by Bon Jovi is playing, but she doesn't pay attention to the music as she instead leans back in the booth, listening to Benny regaling her and the rest of the guys with some entertaining story from his visit to the gym earlier that day. The punchline is a good one, as it always is with Benny, and she joins the others in a hearty laugh.

"Who's up for more drinks?" Will wants to know when the laughter has died down.

"Duh," Jay scoffs. "You buying?"

"Might as well."

"Hold on," Santi intervenes, fixing Jay with his velvety brown gaze. "You have an admirer."

Frowning, Jay looks around, and sees a tall, lanky guy looking at her from the bar. His tight t-shirt and pumped arms tell her that he spends a lot of time at the gym working to reduce the leanness, but that he constantly skips leg day, and that his muscles are just for show. The kind of man who likes the idea of a no-nonsense girlfriend but can't handle it when she benches more than he does.

"Yeah," she sighs, "that's definitely the type that I manage to attract. Scrawny puppies who think they're tough."

"You've been through a few," Benny agrees, "but you could always ruin another one."

"Is that a challenge?"

"It's not a challenge when it's too easy for you," Will points out, and Jay chuckles.

"True that."

" But I gotta admire his balls," Santi insists, "staring at you like that, even when you're surrounded by four guys. He has to be really into you."

"He doesn't know what he's into," Frankie mutters, low enough for the others to take no heed. Jay does, however, throw him a questioning glance, but he just pulls his cap down to shield his face, and stares into his empty glass.

"Well?" Benny clearly wants to see blood, so Jay sighs theatrically.

"Fine."

She gets up and heads straight towards the guy, who immediately straightens and offers her a friendly smile when she joins him by the bar. She gets the bartender's attention, orders another round, then turns to the guy.

"You know that staring and not coming over to talk isn't going to get you laid, right?" she deadpans, leaning one elbow to the bar. He smiles a little bashfully, clearly sweeter than he tries to present himself.

"You're here, aren't you?" he quips.

"That still doesn't mean you're getting laid."

"Start with a drink?" he suggests easily. "What are you having?”

Jay throws a disdainful look at the man’s cheap bourbon. “Not that.”

He orders two glasses of Scotch, and Jay nods approvingly.

“Now that’s a drink.”

Before the guy has even touched his glass, she has poured the contents of it into her glass and proceeded to emptying it. The Scotch burns smoothly down her throat, settling as a warm weight in her belly, and she hums in approval when she puts down the empty glass.

“Yeah, that’s the good stuff. Thanks.”

With that and a friendly nod, she turns around and walks back to the booth where her teammates have been watching her with bated breaths.

“You’re just too bad, Ray,” Benny shakes his head when she slides into the booth.

“You know that if a man did that to a woman, she’d cut his dick off, right?” Santiago points out. "So it's reverse sexist."

"I think that guy can take one for the team," Frankie defends her demurely. "Men have done some pretty fucked up shit to women for a long time."

Jay glances at him, surprised - yet not - at his stand. Frankie is a good one, she knows that, but she still doesn't expect him to stick his neck out in an environment as hegemonically masculine as the military. But he does, maybe not stridently, but he's always there with a quiet remark in her favor. And it has birthed some kind of strange feeling in her, one that she can't entertain or nourish in any way, because if it had a chance to grow, things would get complicated.

"He started it," she shrugs dismissively. "How is it that I can't go up to a fucking bar for another drink without having men throw themselves over each other trying to buy me one?"

"Yeah, you have it so hard," Santi rolls his eyes. Jay gives him the finger.

"Fuck you."

"Anytime, anyplace, sweetheart," he gives her that smoldering smile that she knows makes other women weak at the knees, but to her it's just phony.

“Not even on your birthday,” she retorts.

A young brunette comes over with their drinks and to flirt with Will, for whom she has a soft spot. Jay grabs her beer and drinks, eyes cast down to keep them from wandering over to Frankie, who has an annoyed line between his brows.

"Goddammit, I have to take an Uber," Jay mutters when she, very intoxicated, exits the bar later that night, followed by Frankie. Benny and Santi already left earlier, having found company for the night, Will was picked up by his girlfriend Serena, and Frankie honestly didn't feel like even trying to find someone to warm his bed tonight.

"I can drive you," he offers quietly: too quiet, in fact, for Jay to hear him as she curses low over her current state while tapping open the app on her phone.

"Jay!" he says, a little louder, and now she's looking at him, blue eyes unfocused from alcohol, a quizzical line in her forehead.

"Frankie!" she barks back, then grins. He has to grin back, then he snatches her phone from her hands.

"I'm driving you," he tells her.

"It's not on your way," she protests, "and give that back, or I'll kick your ass."

"I'd like to see you try."

"I'll do it on Monday during that exercise op Tom threatened us with," she slurs, reaching for her phone, but Frankie keeps it away from her.

"I'm driving you home," he repeats, taking her by the shoulder and leading her to his truck. He had two beers, the last one two hours ago, and feels fine to drive, and drive her home he shall.

"I'd be fine in an Uber," she mutters as she gets into the passenger seat and is awarded her phone back before Frankie closes the door and rounds the truck to the driver's side.

"I know," he tells her, ”But I don't mind."

He'd never tell her that he feels protective of her. Not that she wouldn't be able to defend herself against a possible creep, even in her state he's more than positive that if the need arose, she'd sober up in a heartbeat. No, he just feels better driving her himself. He wants to make sure she makes it all the way into her apartment without any hitches.

Jay buckles up and looks at Frankie as he does the same. "I could've taken an Uber, you know. I'm not that drunk."

"I know," he nods, turning the key in the ignition. "But as I said, I don't mind."

She hums and sinks into the seat a little, redirecting her stare out the window shield.

"Last time I took one, the guy drove like an idiot. I do prefer your driving, it's so smooth."

"Thanks." Frankie smiles a little as he turns out on the road, shifting as slowly accelerating. There's no traffic until he hits the main road leading out of town, and he turns on the radio. The pining voice of Benjamin Orr fills the car: Who's gonna pick you up when you fall? Frankie listens to the lyrics, painfully aware of how relevant they are tonight, glancing at Jay in the passenger seat. Jay, with her baggy jeans, worn-down Converse, zip-down hoodie, crew cut, and zero pretense.

Who's gonna drive you home tonight?

He's driving her home, and he's feeling a lot of things about it.

"Pfft," Jay suddenly scoffs. She leans forward and turns the radio off. She settles back, eyes fixed on the road ahead, and yawns. Frankie bites back on his questions: Are you tired? Take a nap if you feel like it. Are you feeling okay? Do I need to pull over?

He chides himself for those thoughts. Jay could always hold her liquor. He settles into a silence that he quickly discovers is quite comfortable. Jay's presence is palpable, but in a good way. He likes it that he can drive her home without them having to speak to each other.

"Thanks for the lift," she says when he parks outside her apartment building. Unbuckling his seatbelt, Frankie nods.

"No problem."

"What are you doing?" she frowns at him when he gets out at the same time as her. He shrugs as he starts to walk towards the front door of her building.

"Checking under the bed for monsters before you go to sleep," he tries to joke, but realizes immediately that it was a bad idea to think about Jay's bed. It sets off a tiny pull deep inside him.

It's Jay, for fuck's sake, Jay "My Lady" Ray, his teammate who is fully capable of killing him with her bare hands. Jay, whom he trusts completely. Jay, the most competent, stubborn, funny, tough person he knows.

"My hero," she quips in her most sarcastic voice, but lets him follow her in. She takes the steps quite easily, but when she's about to unlock the door, the keyhole proves difficult to find. Frankie takes the key from her and opens the door, stepping in before her.

"All clear," he tells her, ”No monsters in the entry."

He turns back to her just as she trips on the threshold and falls headlong into his arms that he promptly, instinctively opened for her. He expects her to pull back from her stumble against his chest, but instead her hands come to his shoulders, and she stays where she is. Slowly, she raises her gaze to his, the light of the stairwell spilling into her unlit apartment just enough for him to see the blue in her eyes, and her lips separate for a second before the upper comes down on the lower one to wet it.

God, he wants to kiss her.

The thought has barely passed through his brain before Jay takes a step back.

"Good night, Fish." She sounds a little shaken, but maybe he's imagining it.

"Good night," he replies automatically, handing her the key. Her fingers are warm when they touch his.

Frankie closes the front door behind him and heads down to his car. Before he drives away, he watches the lights come on in her window. Jay's shadow move behind the curtain and eventually, the window turns dark.

Not until then does he start the truck and drive away, heart beating for new and impossible reasons.

#frankie morales #frankie x lady #lady jayne ray #triple frontier fanfic #francisco catfish morales #francisco frankie morales #francisco morales #my fic

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nochi-quinn · 9 months

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campaign 3 episode 68: I'm not making the 'nice' joke about next episode bc last time I did that someone died

okay let's see if I can get through this one without having a panic attack ten minutes in

(that's why there wasn't a liveblog last week)

I was making a sandwich during sam's ad and came back to Suddenly Bear

and then I saw "Baldur's Gate 3" in the subs and it all made sense

"that is your wife" which wife, laura, marisha or liam?

a teensy weensy little demon pact

oh, we have that autobots shirt sam's wearing

kiddo wears it to school for jersey days :D

Graz'tchar

throw it in the hole

talking weapons: not even once

ashley what

swordmance

per spoilers in the group chat, Sword Bad

that thing is twice his size isn't it

ashton has the brain cell

"I don't care about you" letters

King of Fuckingwhere

A NEW HAND TOUCHES THE BEACON

travis' face

but who's on the council

ashton: please hold

grizzly man

ashton is the best narrator in this moment

yeah yeah hell yeah

fcg in his mind palace

matt doing the mass effect codex voice

prince fruitoftheloom

s a m u e l

STOP GIVING TRAVIS CURSED SWORDS

travis

sam

both of you

fresh cut "I can fix him" grass

fcg: the vibes are rancid

nigerian demon prince

"you can eat my ass, this is my card right now"

king butterknife

oh hell

hate THAT

NICE

"he barely listens to us"

liam :(

how fuckin old is ludinis

kiki :(

kiki!

keyleth pace urself

I love that cloak so fucking much

the Hand of the Tempest does sound really fucking cool

liam you can't make me cry that's illegal

everybody hates the raven queen but keyleth especially hates the raven queen

(okay they don't all HATE the raven queen, I'm just saying)

liam: that winged man, that beautiful angel, that absolute specimen of masculinity -

matthew so help me god not the tr - I HATE YOU

"those who call themselves gods" dang

it must be nice, it must be nice, to have asmodeus on your side

but no dogs. no dogs on the moon.

they just run right off the damn thing

just do dark moon magic in the room of the head of state who just recovered from an assassination attempt, nbd

until her what now

travis and marisha

"I've got wind chimes where my name should be"

"fuck off, ghost!"

oh y'all were gonna get blood fountain'd

vox machina road trip

"there was an accident and here I am"

ashton lore ashtON LORE

TITAN BLOOD

travis: that was me! :D

oh we got chair perch

"vast and frightening"

the key is to stop trying to apply logic to your friends

I'm assuming this is the blight tree from - IT IS THE BLIGHT TREE

"the enemy of my enemy is a dick"

marisha: you KNOW what I'm saying, just TELL ME

"all our allies are dead or doin' stuff"

what IS dorian doing. give me my boy back.

liam and his tea

keyleth's BEEN elementals. several of them!

"how are we gonna make fun of that name, it's too hard to pronounce"

oh kiki :(

stop saying entities

quick go find milo

cut ludinis off at the root

highlander the bitch

vecNA

"I READ BOOKS >:("

"you battled an earth titan" "I mean TECHNICALLY"

delilah alarm weewooweewoo

fearne would be a choice chaos deity

milo-joe dream team

"don't tell him I said that"

"he is a brilliant mind with specific limitations"

"I can feel my heart rate rising!" and then he went into cardiac arrest

I fully recognize ashton's tone re: fcg trying to contact dancer, that is a parent's "redirecting a child away from an inappropriate choice" tone

I feel like it's dancer tbh

it's time to d-d-d-d-duel

"oh changebringer, what the FUCK does that mean"

it IS dancer

"the changebringer…..sucks"

matTHEW

listen, I remember some of those vm planning sessions, this is high strategery

marisha: leave me aLONE

you're gonna carry that weight

oh no I'm gonna cry again

SAVIOR BLADE

oh shut the fuck up

just put me in the fucking ground

can laudna get a tattoo? would the skin just kind of. fall off?

#critical role #spoilers #crititag #liveblog #reaction post

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krazykiki05 · 1 year

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Rum on her Lips

Kiki had a rough week and was looking forward to the Madi Gras Party at the Mikealson Compound. Hosted by the Mikealson Family. Their inner circle was invited and then some. Distant friends and allies. Even some enemies who wanted to make peace like Damon Salvatore.

Klaus knew he shouldn't have let Elijah invite him. But he had hope his younger brother would keep him in line. Klaus didn't want to have to rip any hearts out on the night his girlfriend has looked forward to so much.

Damon had befriended Kiki swiftly. Oblivious to who her boyfriend was. Kiki didn't feel like telling him because she notices how some people walk on eggshells around her just because of who's bed she sleeps in. Therefore, Damon and Kiki were drinking buddies the whole night.

Klaus decided to give his girlfriend some space tonight, let her have fun with her friends. He spent hours mingling with old allies and watching over the party above. That's when he first spot Kiki with his old enemy. He grips the metal rail effectively denting it, but allowing it for the time being. He keeps a close eye on them the entire night.

It was around 1:30 am and the party was winning down. Klaus thought he ought to get his girlfriend to bed. He found her and Damon at a random table sharing a bottle of the good stuff while laughing. Klaus rolls his eyes. "Darling. Party's over it's time to head to bed." Klaus announces. Kikis eyes light up up at the sight of her boyfriend.

"Klaus! Oh my gosh I haven't seen you all night!" She was hammered. Her speech was slurred and movements languid. Klaus turns to Damon.

"How much has she had to drink?" He asks. Damon thinks.

"Uh, enough to have fun." Damon answers. Klaus glares. "A little bit of everything." Damon confessed.

"Babe, I missed you!" Damon looks surprised.

"She's your girl?" He asks Klaus. The hybrid nods.

"Can you walk, Darling?" Klaus asks. Kiki scoffs.

"Pfft, yeah. Been doing it since I was two." Kiki answered. Kiki stands up. She takes one step in her heels and almost falls. Klaus was quick to catcher her.

"Alright, Love, up to bed with you." Klaus muttters. He bends down to scoop Kikis legs. Kiki exclaims lightheartedly, not expecting to be picked up. She immediately snuggles into her boyfriends arms.

Once in their bedroom, Klaus gently lays Kiki on the bed. He unstraps her shoes and places them next to the bed. He makes the mistake of removing her dress without warning. Kiki gets the wrong idea and bites her lip. "Undressing me, are we?" Kiki asks in a low voice. Klaus gives her a bored look.

"Not tonight, Darling." Klaus presses a kiss to her forehead for emphasis. Kiki pouts.

"Why not? Youre so hot and sexy." Kiki tries to up for a kiss but Klaus pushes her back onto the bed. He quickly grabs his shirt from the edge of the bed. He tossed it there this afternoon when getting changed for the party. He makes Kiki put it on.

Once Kiki accepted she wasn't getting any, she began to grow tried. Klaus tucked her into bed like a child.

#klaus #klaus mikealson fanfiction #klaus mikaelson one shot #klaus mikaelson #tvd klaus #joseph morgan

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basils-phot0-album · 2 years

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Agere ask game!!

Albedo

💡- How did they discover age regression?

Discovered age regression through Klee. He was babysitting her and wondered what it would feel like, to be a child, to be simple and carefree. Albedo eventually asked Lisa if she had any books on ways to achieve that feeling. After finding the book and giving the method a few tries, he regressed for the first time, in the middle of a cold, (almost) empty library…Let’s just say that he probably should’ve brought someone with him.

📈- Age range?

2-10, during his first regression, he dropped down to two but after a while they started regressing to older age ranges. What age Albedo regressed to is heavily based on the conditions they regress in.

🍼- What’s their favourite age regression accessory/gear?

Liquid Motion Hourglasses, they’re pretty, easy to carry around and very entertaining. The part that Albedo likes the most is the fact that it looks like paint. Always has to be supervised when using them as they’re usually made out of glass and can be broken with enough force, he will also try to put the hourglass in his mouth (I don’t blame him though, they look edible)

💕- Do they have a caregiver?

Yes, he has 2 caregivers. His first caregiver is Lisa as she was the first to find out about his regression since she was in the library when he regressed and rushed over to the source of the scared crying. Kaeya is their second caregiver since he was trying to finish up some paperwork when he heard noises from the library and exuded to investigate. After calming Albedo down, both Lisa and Kaeya decided to offer to be his caregivers, but not after a discussion with Albedo when he was big.

🧸- What’s their favourite toy?

A puppet named Kiki. Kiki is a gift from Klee that she made by putting googly eyes, a face and thread arms on a decently sized paint brush.

👒- What do they like to wear when they regress?

A plain white T-Shirt and soft shorts with constellations on them!

🎮- What’s their favorite thing to do when they’re small?

Finger painting! He also enjoys playing with Klee and going on hikes.

✨- How are they different when they regress?

He is somehow quieter when he is regressed, only answering via nodding his head or answering in short sentences. Although he is a lot more curious, will be asking “Why?”, “How?”, “Where?” And “What?” for as long as possible when given the chance. He can also get a little sassy or mischievous but it’s all in good fun!

🎨- What does their ideal nursery/playroom look like?

Like this!

🐬- What is their ideal play date/regression day like?

Albedo’s ideal regression day is probably just roaming around and doing whatever they like. If it’s a playdate he’ll just drag the other little around if they want to tag along. He also likes telling his playmates random facts about birds and rocks or the history of certain areas. Nobody can ever say that they’ve learned nothing after having a playdate with Albedo.

🧁- Favorite regression snack/meal?

He doesn’t exactly have a favorite meal but he’s taken a liking to Boba tea, specifically the Wintermelon flavor. It has a mild flavor but is still sweet enough to please him and it's very refreshing! He also really likes hard candy, like lollipops.

🥳- A holiday that they love celebrating while regressed

Hmmm, maybe Easter! I’d imagine that he loves painting eggs

🤸- Do they have another regressor they play with?

Amber! She loves going out on walks with him and she calls it an adventure! She also really likes learning new things and Albedo likes teaching people new things so they go hand in hand. Ambers is also ok with Albedo going quiet because she likes to talk for him. They’re basically best friends

🔮- Do they like to play pretend?

Not really, but they do like to pretend that they’re in a jungle and are exploring undiscovered places when they’re with Amber

❤️- Who knows about their regression?

Kaeya, Lisa, Amber, Klee, Sucrose and Timaeus!

☀️- What triggers their regression (positive)?

When he’s around someone he’s comfortable with or sometimes he just regresses randomly!

🌀- What triggers their regression (negative)?

Overwhelming environments, when experiments he’s carrying out are giving him a hard time :(

🌈- What about their regression is unusual, unexpected, or non-traditional?

Albedo is actually very capable of defending themself, albeit in a destructive and frantic way. Usually it’s not Albedo in danger but anything that may even try to hurt him. (R.I.P hillichurls)

👾- Favorite game to play while regressed

Simon says!

🐾- If they also pet regress what to? (If they don’t pet regress what’s the favorite animal?)

I know that Crystalflies or Fireflies aren’t animals but he really likes them! Foxes are also one of his favorites

🎲- Is their regression voluntary or involuntary?

Involuntary!

🏳️‍🌈- Are they LGBTQ+ or neurodiverse?

Yes, Albedo uses He/They/It pronouns and Identify’s as Starboy gender!

🃏- Random headcanon about their regression!

Almost always has a surprised/shocked expression whenever it sees anything that it’s interested in, it’s really adorable!

AAA IVE BEEN SO EXCITED TO FINISH AND POST THIS SO IM GLAD ITS DONE :D

Idea Credits: @/decopaci

#genshin age regression #age regression #albedo #albedo Genshin impact #basillyheadcannons

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lunatic-fandom-space · 2 years

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Episode 7 Time

Ugh I kinda hate that Aphmaus doin her little youtuber intro in front of every episode in these earlier ones bc its like. how the fuck am I supposed to work that shit into the start of literally anything else much less a more conventionally told story

Idk she walks around town n runs into Kiki and her lil hamster party

Something about Kikis design just really irks me and Im pretty sure its her oversaturated darkish pink shirt, even more so when its combined with that bright red hair and big bright red heart on her chest. When I redesign her I'll probably replace it with a more earthy pink tone

The exchange between Kiki n Aphmau can stay the way it is mostly, I'll definitely have to tweak it though and completely rework that last paragraph so it doesnt sound like an obvious explanation of a game/mod mechanic

Zenix is also nearby saying "What strange adorable creatures" which is cute, I think I'd like it a lil bit more if he was maybe also petting/holding a hamster while saying that

She has some fun w/ a hamster in the enclosure, Im kinda hesitant on giving her a pet like that ngl, but I feel like a hamster is a bit less of a 'deal' than her dog so yea, I'll see what I'll do

If she keeps the hamster, she'll drop him off at her house (or maybe in the chicken enclosure idk) and then walk around town talking to everyone, if she gives it back to Kiki she just goes to talk to everyone in town right away

While shes doing that, she runs into Paul ofc and they have the same lil exchange that they have in the OG

Once shes done w/ all of that she goes over to the beach to start building that boat where she meets Brenden, who just finished the docks and is Exhausted. He says the thing about the docks being done AGAIN while wheezing and panting a bunch, Aphmau tells him he did a good job like in the OG and Brendon just thanks her without mentioning poop, thank god

Then she also goes to talk to Garroth, their exchange is also mostly the same except Im changing the line "I'm having an item delivered here for the boat" to smth like "I/Zenix and I have had something built for the boat, we should get it tomorrow" bc I feel like they kinda mentioned that the village is cut off from all the other villages but then they didnt fully realize that that would make things like this difficult yknow?? (or me and whoever wrote this just have a different definition of "cut off" lol)

Aphmau starts trying to build the boat, maybe Brendon offers to help once hes rested properly bc he seems to know a lil more than Aphmau. At this point we should probably do another small timeskip and show the boat being built via montage equivalent or by just showing small snippets and interaction. I'd also like to get Paul and Kiki on board (ha) bc they also know about what happened and they need all the help they can get

I'd also like Garroth and Zenix to help a lil or at least offer some emotional support. Like, I dont remember Zenix at all and I do know that most of the big moments for Garroth n Aphmau come later but some small cute interactions before that could be nice

Okay nvm I watched further ahead in the episode and what she ended up building was more of a raft or smth which could probabls be built by a single person in like 2 days if they had some skill and patience lol. Im keeping those previous points though bc I like the idea of this being a bit of a bonding moment despite it all (and I'd kinda like Aphmau to be a pretty skilled builder in my version idk why)

EDIT: NVM SHIT I MISSED SMTH; so Zenix sneaks onto the boat and looks into the chest/maybe puts something in it??? Dont remember what it is or what it leads up to so Im keeping for now

So yea, thats it for this one babeyyy

#lunas mcyt shit #my mc/d rewrite

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dr-docktor · 18 minutes

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Local Docktor wakes up at 4:30 am, feverishly writes about his own OCs like he’s a young Victorian man dying from mysterious illness and he needs to write his will.

Ugh this group makes me so insane. I love when the team of misfits and outcasts and found family falls apart <3 I miss them every day

warning for a high school school exploding? Nobody dies but one of ‘em gets hurt pretty bad

Revon has always been an odd kid.

Deadly silent, even in his movements, the only thing that ever alerted people to his presence was the click of his cane against the stone tiles.

Yet here he lay on the floor, screaming at the top of his lungs. Almost louder than the ringing in his ears. Almost.

He was going to kill Chuzu personally. Doesn’t matter if his cane snapped in two in the ensuing events of the explosion. He was going to claw tooth and nail to watch the life drain out of those wide blue eyes.

Speaking of which… there’s the bastard! Standing just a few feet away, facing the massive fire that raged through the halls. The guy gently sways back and forth on his feet almost as if he were in a daze. He pays no mind to his friend’s screams, the motherfucker.

Gathering the courage to let his hands unclamp from around his ears, Revon could only stare in horror as the palms come away stained with blood.

He wonders if he stopped screaming. he can’t exactly hear it, but his mouth definitely feels closed. Whatever. That’s the least of his worries. He first needs to deal with the bastard who started this.

There’s some sick satisfaction to being right. Chuzu had been acting off for months and yet nobody listened to his concerns. So much difficult investigation work, incinerated in seconds. Revon no longer cares about the motive like he normally would. He no longer cares about the how or even about who could be the true mastermind pulling the strings. Instead his vision tunnels and all he can see is the betrayal of what he thought was one of his only friends.

“ABONHANDS!” He screeches, hauling himself to his feet using the wall for support. At least he thinks he yells. He still can’t really tell.

“CHUZU ABONHANDS, YOU COWARD! COME AND FACE ME!” No answer. The guy doesn’t even turn around.

Pure rage burns brightly in Revon’s chest, threatening to consume him entirely. He’s never been impulsive. But hey, his parents did always say Chuzu was a bad influence.

Revon weakly pushes his long hair out of his face, preparing to lunge at the man who ruined everything. The man who fueled his paranoia for months on end. The man who took their friendship, something so rare and so sacred for Revon, and quite literally blew it all up.

He shifts forward, gritting his teeth against the sharp pain flaring up in his hip. ‘This is for Salem, you dirty-‘

His thoughts are cut short by a hand grabbing the back of his shirt, yanking him back with a surprising amount of force.

Kiki.

God, Revon wishes he knew what she was saying. Knowing her, it would be something inappropriately funny. But her face is deadly serious, eyebrows knitted in worry as wshe realizes he can’t understand her. She pulls his arm across her shoulder, insisting he leans on her for support.

Reluctantly, he does. The seething rage in his chest finally starts to fizzle out, leaving room for exhaustion. There’s very few things more humiliating than being dragged around like a useless little rag doll by your friend. But for once in his goddamned life, Revon is willing to put his pride aside. After all, there’s much more pressing matters.

It’s not until Revon’s knees hit soft grass does the crushing weight of everything start to press down on his shoulders.

One tear. Then another. And then a third.

Sobbing and wheezing violently, he can’t help but wonder if this makes him weak.

After all, Revon has always been an odd kid with a nasty habit of bottling any and all emotion. But no matter what, he’s still just a kid.

#oc stuff #my writing #at least Kiki and Revon stay in touch #I love those two #bitchy siblings <3

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romeoandjulietyouwish · 2 years

Note

'i'm not who you think i am' + vexleth or vaxleth 👀 (also i think getting any hate for setting a personal boundary is ridiculous, you are allowed to set your own fandom boundaries and its YOUR blog you can post whatever you want on it!! people can unfollow if they want to disrespect the boundaries that you've set or get blocked)

Keyleth can't imagine why Vax would ever be in love with her. She's awkward and anxious and annoying. Never in her life has she ever been the kind of person people are attracted too, she's nothing like Vex. Which leads to where she is right now, pacing in front of Vax's bedroom door in their keep.

She wants to talk to him, to ask if he was joking. But it's almost like her anxiety is physically stopping her from knocking. She swallows thickly and shakes her head, she can do this. No she can't. Keyleth starts to walk away from Vax's door when it swings open.

Keyleth freezes as Vax looks at her, already wearing his pajamas. She suddenly wishes for her staff, it comforts her to have something to hold onto, to put between her and the things that make her uncomfortable.

"You okay?" Vax asks with a slight frown.

She takes a deep breath, "Yeah, um, can I talk to you?"

He nods and holds the door open for her. Keyleth quickly walks past him. She hasn't been in his room since they moved in and she finds that unlike her, he's done a bit of customization. There's a plush rug on the stone floor, his array of knives hang from the wall, and she can see his clothes spilling out of the dresser drawers.

Vax plops down on the edge of the bed, but the implications of sitting beside him are too much for her so she just sort of stands in front of him, pleating the hem of her shirt anxiously. "Vax, I-I'm not who you think I am."

Vax looks confused. "Are you trying to tell me you're a spy?"

"No," Keyleth groans, frustrated with herself. "I mean, I think you think that I'm someone different than I am. I'm not attractive or-or sexy or confident."

Vax slowly rises to his feet and touches Keyleth's arms, "Kiki, I find you very attractive. You're beautiful." She flushes deep red and looks at the floor. "I have no false ideas about who you are. You are silly and optimistic and yes, awkward, but that's not a flaw. I love you, Keyleth, because you're incredible and because you're not like anyone else."

She just stares at him, not quite understanding what he's saying. But he just smiles at her with that same soft smile and quietly says, "You're amazing, Kiki."

Before she can stop herself, she darts forward and kisses him quickly. She only realizes once she pulls back that it was her first kiss. She covers her mouth in surprise at her own actions and anxiously looks at Vax. He's just looking at her with a dopey grin.

"Was that okay?" She asks, lowering her hand.

Vax nods and runs a hand over his hair, "Do you think I could do that again?"

Keyleth laughs breathlessly and nods. He pulls her towards him, wrapping her into his arms as he kisses her softly.

prompt list

#thank you so much for you comment as well <3 #my fic #critical role #vox machina #tlovm #the legend of vox machina #vaxleth #vax'ildan #vaxleth fic #keyleth #vox machina fic #critical role fic

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romeave · 2 years

Note

have you done a garroth fit check or zenix? what about jeoffery? sorry i just miss bitches lol

wait brendan had like 2 outfits {at least mys, forgot for mcd} and they were drab as hell if memory serves right

Garroth has a lot of fits so he gets his own post but here is everyone else anon!!

MYSTREET FIT REVIEW - BRENDAN

MYSTREET - CASUAL

Brendan's casual fit screams background character. Dark green shirt with black pants do nothing to help him stand out. The red converse are the only part of his design that stands out, but I'm not really sure why they're there in the first place (maybe a refrence to Kiki??).

Luckily for Brendan, he's so minor his boringness adds to the design instead of detracting.

7/10

MYSTREET - SUMMER

Brendan took everyone's insurance money and bought himself whatever...this is. Pink and deep teal is a banger color combo, but the red sneakers still seem out of place. I'm also not sure if he's wearing a one piece or just a coordinated two piece. Might be a swimsuit but there's no reason for Brendan to wear one.

5/10

TOTAL SCORE - 6/10

—

MYSTREET FIT REVIEW - JEFFORY

MYSTREET SEASON ONE - CASUAL

Lovingly bland. Dorky sweater in a similar gray/white/green to his Jury uniform is both recognizable and weather appropriate. Khaki pants fitting of a dad. Gorgeous.

10/10

PHOENIX DROP HIGH - CASUAL

Jeffory in the uniform is really just okay. The abundance of green eye brunette boys in PDH make him come off like a background character. Fairly certain Zane’s goons in PDH s2 stand out just as much and Jeffory does, and they don't even speak.

4/10

PHEONIX DROP HIGH - FORMAL

Apologies for the poor lighting. Jeffory only wears his formal fit at prom so we never see it in a good atmosphere. From what I can tell, its really just a basic black and white tux. There's a black strip near the collar that could be a bow tie or a ribbon. And the lapel flowers compliment his eyes.

8/10

TOTAL SCORE - 7.3/10

—

MYSTREET FIT REVIEW - ZENIX

PHEONIX DROP HIGH - UNIFORM

Fortunately, Zenix's hair and eyes are neutral and don't clash with the blues of the uniform. Zenix buttons his blazer the same way Gene does, which is a neat little character detail I enjoy very much.

8/10

PHOENIX DROP HIGH - CASUAL

Zenix really said minecraft bad boy. He has stolen his grey and black striped hoodie from Zane’s closet, a direct homage to Garroth considering Zenix to be like his little brother in MCD. The white undershirt and black pants fortunately steer clear of flat white and black, which are saved for accessories and shoes. Keeling the entire fit in grayscale allows the values to stand out, making the design readable.

9/10

MYSTREET - CASUAL

Hate the whitewashing but the fit itself is nice and funky. Love the black jacket with the white fur and the bright red/pink buttons. Putting the button color on the shirt stripes is s neat idea, but it clashes with the gray. The blue of the pants is the same value as the brown of his weirdly coordinated belt/shoes.

5/10 for the jacket alone

UPSIDE DOWN STORIES - CASUAL

Zenix's Laurance arc, made dumber by the addition of a white shirt under the polo. This implies that UP!Zenix is supposed to parallel Laurance?? Which is a weird choice since UP!Zenix acts nothing like Laurance. Jesson later gives any notable Laurance traits (soccer captain and popularity) to UP!Zane, who is a combination Jeffory/Garroth/Laurance hybrid...who is not Zenix. Deadass UP!Zenix doesn't have any parallels outside of this one fit. Unless normal Laurance is notoriously into peanut butter Laurance stans help me out here-

1/10

SIDE STORIES - CASUAL

Again, loses points for whitewashing. The burgundy brown varisty jacket with matching shoes is fine, if not bland. Adding the white t shirt and normal denim jeans really gives off high school Garroth energy. Look at that he evern has a baseball bat. At least the chains on the jeans are a tiny, but in character detail

4/10

TOTAL SCORE - 5.4/10

#aphmau #aphmau mystreet #mystreet #aphmau zenix #aphmau laurance #aphmau brendan #mystreet brendan #mystreet zenix #mystreet jeffory #aphmau jeffory #jeffory the golden heart #fit review #phoenix drop high #aphmau shadow knight #no seriously laurance fans does he like peanut butter??

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btsqualityy · 2 years

Note

::Kins is 40//Kiyoung is 50//Youngjae is 55::

(I feel that they should take place months Aiden is in kindergarten so he’s not home all day)

Youngjae stops by his brothers house after hearing he’s in a relationship. Kiyoung just woke up from a night a pure debauchery and let his brother in.

“You look fucked up!” Youngjae snickers. “You got mauled by an animal.”

Ki smiles and touches his neck. “Yeah I know. What are you doing over here?”

“Who are you dating?” He asked looking through his cabinets.

Ki starts the coffee machine. “None of your business that’s who.”

“Nope. Your business is my business my dear young brother. No tell me who it is or I can find out on my own. You know I have my ways.” He said settling on some lucky charms.

Kiyoung groaned. “Asshole.”

“You can tell me.” Youngjae begs.

The younger sighed. “Kinsley and Mason Kim.”

Youngjae dropped the spoon into the milk. “Shut the fuck up! But weren’t you just friends with benefits?! You’re in a relationship with a couple? Don’t they have kids? What the fuck! Explain!”

Kiyoung explained everything to his brother minus a few details.

“KiKi…how is this going to work? You know this is a throuple right? You all agreed to be in a romantic, loving, relationship together but how is going to work? How are you going to be able to romance them separately with the actual married couple might start feeling some type of way. Do you really think Mason is gonna let you fuck his wife unattended?” Youngjae went on a complete brig brother rant. “I know you’re close with them and I just don’t want you hurt.”

Ki got up and hugged his brother before walking to the fridge and getting out the eggs. “Thanks hyung but we talked out the logistics. And Mason said that Thea honestly fine with me being with Kins solo. Trust is big with us.Just after we finish up we need to check in. Happened yesterday and it was fine….”

“Huh?” Youngjae asked but heard a noise coming down the hall of the massive penthouse. Kinsley came into view wearing Kiyoung’s white dress shirt and boxers. “Wow…” Youngjae breathed out.

Kinsley was on the phone and was checking in with Mason. Mason must have said something that made her blush. She said her I love yous and hung up. She looked up and waved at Youngjae shyly. Kiyoung turned from cracking the eggs in the skillet and opened his arms for Kinsley.

“Morning baby” he said softly as he looked down his ‘girlfriend’. Kiyoung kissed her sweetly. Youngjae couldn’t pick his mouth off the counter. He has NEVER in his 55 years on the earth seen Kiyoung act sweet. Even to his multiple partners. “How do you like your eggs Kins?”

Kinsley nuzzled into Ki’s chest. “Unfertilized.” She joked.

“Same” Ki said laughing and squeezing her tight to him. “But really..”

She smiled. “Scrambled.”

Ki kissed her forehead one more time and shooed her off to relax. Youngjae put his bowl in the sink and looked at his baby brother.

“I’m speechless really…” he said patting Kiyoung’s shoulder and lowered his voice. “But I’ll say this… if Mason hurts you because I don’t believe in violence towards women, I will have his ass kicked ass. I know people.”

Kiyoung snorted. “Thanks hyung…”

I’m sorry, the casual intimacy will always make my heart race 😭😭🥵but Youngjae really would be so surprised because literally everyone in their industry knows how protective Kim Mason is over his wife 🤣

#choi kiyoung

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cheri-translates · 3 years

Text

Headcanon - When he realises that you aren’t taking care of yourself

Original title: 当他发现你不好好照顾自己

Original writer: 池离子 (chi li zi)

[ VICTOR ]

Working overtime at night, you finally complete your work and return home fatigued. You haven't had dinner, and only drank a cup of coffee and took a bite out of a sandwich in the afternoon.

You slump on the sofa, so tired that you don’t feel like moving an inch. The shops have closed. Because you’ve never had the time to eat at home, there’s no food available. Your tummy grumbles, but you don’t have the energy to search for food.

"Ding dong."

"Ding dong ding dong."

Who is it...

You drag your tired body to open the door, and what enters your line of sight is Victor’s expressionless face.

"Ah... Victor. It’s already so late... what’s up?”

"You’ve only returned home at this time?”

He seems a little angry.

"I was working overtime... How did you know? Were you squatting downstairs or something?”

Before you even finish speaking, your stomach grumbles inappropriately.

This is so awkward.

"You haven't eaten?"

You nod.

Victor squeezes into your house, walks straight into your house, and takes off his coat before draping it on the sofa.

"What are you doing?"

"Cooking dinner for a dummy."

"Ah, wait...”

You try to stop Victor from opening the refrigerator, but it's too late.

Victor opens your refrigerator, which isn’t even powered. Inside, there are only two bottles of glucose supplements.

You watch as his face darkens.

“You don’t have food at home?”

"Nope...”

"Snacks? Biscuits?"

"...nope...”

“How do you normally settle your meals?”

“I... would buy bread from the store. But I didn’t have time this morning so I skipped it... it’s too late now and the stores are closed. And I didn’t have time to cook.... and the food I make isn’t even nice!”

Victor takes two steps towards you, clasping your waist with both hands, and frowns.

"You’ve become thinner.”

You respond happily. "That's great!”

Victor releases his grip on you, puts on his suit jacket, then walks over and takes your hand.

“What?”

"Forget about the rent for this apartment. Come back with me. I’ll cook three meals a day for you. And I’ll pick you up at night.”

"A certain dummy can't take care of herself, so I’ll take care of her."

"Resign from your company. Come to work at LFG. The salary is high, and you’ll get to send your boyfriend to work.”

[ GAVIN ]

You’re truly a careless person.

You’d fall down on the street, crash into trees while walking, knock your head against low walls, hit your elbow when you lift your hand, and bump your toes against furniture when doing household chores.

As such, your body always has bruises. Sometimes, they appear without you even noticing.

Today, you accidentally cut your fingers while slicing vegetables. While cooking, you were also scalded by the hot oil, resulting in blisters.

Ah, what a dismal life.

Doing some mental calculations, you realise that today’s the last day of Gavin’s mission, and the day he returns home.

Rinsing the blisters on your arm with cold water, you continue dealing with the dishes in the pot.

You’re going to prepare a table of food for Gavin! That boy must be incredibly hungry after working outside for so long.

Click.

You hear the sound of the door opening, followed by a voice in the hallway.

"MC--”

“Hey!” You respond. “You’re back! You came back at the right time - dinner’s ready!”

Gavin changes into a pair of slippers, removes his outer uniform, and heads to the bathroom to wash his hands. You’re currently serving the final dish of stir-fried cabbage, and the table is all ready.

Gavin sits across from you, meticulously eyeing the dishes before him. Without any hesitation, he delivers praise. “Smells good. You’ve worked hard.”

“Hehe, go ahead and eat. I’m really confident in my cooking skills!” While speaking, you hand Gavin a pair of chopsticks.

Taking the chopsticks from you, he catches a glimpse of the blisters on your arm, and the band-aid wrapped around your finger.

“What happened?” He asks frantically, setting down the chopsticks and taking your hand in his.

“This one was due to hot oil... this one was when I was cutting vegetables. I’m okay now!”

You slowly extricate your hand from his. Gavin looks really worried. He stands up and walks to you, carefully looking you up from top to bottom. As expected, he discovers two new bruises on your calf.

“And this?”

“The one on the left was caused by the corner of the bed... the one on the right was because I bumped against the corner of the table...”

Gavin’s eyes are filled with worry, and he hugs you.

"Why are you so careless... why didn’t you tell me over the phone?"

You pat him on the back.

“You already have many things to worry about! I can’t make you worry about me too... Besides, you don’t always tell me when you get hurt either...”

You feel the arms around you tighten.

“I’ll tell you next time... so you have to tell me too. I’ll try to accept fewer missions, and spend more time at home with you. Okay?”

“Good, good! Commander Gavin must make sure that I don’t get hurt again!”

"Mm.”

[ LUCIEN ]

It's late at night. Walking out of the elevator, you stand at your door, looking for the keys to open the door to your house.

"Click."

The door opens, but it isn’t yours, but your neighbour’s.

"Little Butterfly.”

It’s Lucien. He opens the door, half of his body out as he peers at you.

"Lucien! Good evening!"

"Why did the Little Butterfly return home so late?"

"Ah, I worked overtime..."

Lucien shuts the door and walks out, standing in front of you. He has changed out of his usual white coat and white shirt, and is currently wearing loose home clothes. Feeling his stare on you, you rub your head in embarrassment.

“W-what’s wrong? Is there something on my face?”

“Have you not been resting well? You’ve got heavy dark circles...”

“Ah, this...” you look at him in embarrassment. “It looks really bad, doesn’t it... I’ve had too much work on my hands these days, so I’ve been having trouble sleeping at night since my mind’s filled with work even though I’m obviously tired...”

Lucien takes your hand.

"Come."

"Huh? Where are we going?”

"To my house.”

You’re pulled into his house, and a sweet-smelling aroma wafts over to you, making you feel drowsy.

"There’s a spare pink toothbrush and toothpaste on the counter. There’s a set of pyjamas I’ve been wanting to give you. I’ll bring it over for you. Sleep at my house tonight, okay? This aromatherapy assists with sleep. I promise that you’ll have a very good sleep."

You’ve stayed over at Lucien's house before. The previous time, it was because it was too late and you didn't bring your house key, so you had no choice but to knock on Lucien's door for help.

You brush your teeth and put on the one-size pyjamas he bought you. The fragrance and warm light in the room make you slump on the bed very quickly.

Lucien covers you with a thin quilt. The heater is turned on, making the place especially warm and cosy.

You feel him sitting at the side of the bed, a warm hand on your back, patting your back and coaxing you to sleep.

"Little Butterfly... don’t go back... live here with me, and you can sleep well every night..."

"Mm... mm..."

Admist his gentle voice and gentle tapping, you fall asleep.

[ KIRO ]

You’re on your period, but the company’s affairs are getting busier and busier. Every day, Kiki can see your pale face as you shift between various departments.

By the time you get home, the heater has stopper operating.

You’ve always felt cold easily, no matter what time of the year it is, and whether you wear shoes and socks.

At the end of a busy day, you collapse on the sofa while covering your stomach, but it just hurts more and more. Because your hands are cold, it's perhaps more accurate to say that your stomach’s covering you.

"Click--"

You heard the sound of the door opening.

"Miss Chips!!"

Kiro's energetic voice drifts over.

This is your home, but you gave Kiro a key, and he occasionally stays over at your home without notice. He just finished filming a drama today. After rushing through a dinner with the producer, he bought a lot of snacks and visited your place.

"Ro Ro... ooh..."

You lie on the sofa and stretch out your hand to him. He tosses down the bag of snacks, grinning while giving you a hug.

You tousle his short blond hair as he nuzzles against your chest. When he reaches out to grab your hand, he ends up grabbing a cold object.

Lifting his head, he sees that it’s ndeed your hand.

"Miss Chips, why are your hands so cold..."

He releases his hold on you, then covers your hands with his. Unfortunately, they aren’t sufficient to warm you up.

"Want to take a bath? Maybe your hands will feel a little warmer."

You frown.

"I don't want to! I'm so tired... also, my stomach hurts so much. I... can’t take a bath right now.And my feet are so cold..."

Kiro tilts his head to look at your feet. Soon after, a pair of thin socks are pulled onto your feet.

"Miss Chips... why don't you lie down on the bed? You’ll feel warmer under the covers..."

"I’m tired-”

Even before you finish speaking, Kiro’s arms reach behind your back and knees. He lifts you up steadily, and easily carries you to the bed.

After he covers you with a quilt, you watch as he hurries out. After a short while, he returns with a cup of hot ginger tea and two warm water bottles.

Placing the cup into your hands, he heads to the end of the bed, placing a warm water bottle underneath your feet. Once you’ve finished drinking the ginger tea, he hands you the other water bottle.

"Miss Chips... if you don't feel well, let someone else handle the work. Don’t tire yourself.... I’ll come over more often next time, to make sure that you’re taking good care of yourself.”

Soft blonde hair once against nestles against your chest.

[ SHAW ]

You’re almost late, and you’re rushing to the company. The scorching sun beats down on your pale face.

All of a sudden, darkness overcomes your vision.

When you regain consciousness, you find yourself lying on a hospital bed. A noise is at your ear, but you’re still in a daze and unable to comprehend what is being said.

Turning your head towards the sound, strands of lavender hair occupy your vision. Your eyes widen. It’s Shaw.

“Hello, hello? Are you deaf? Can you hear me?”

Mustering the final bit of energy you have, you return his words.

“Lower your volume. I’m not deaf.”

Shaw purses his lips.

“You’re still in the mood for jokes. You scared me to death. If I didn’t see you collapsed on the street while skateboarding to class, you might still be lying there right now.”

"Thanks...”

Shaw leans in closer, staring at your intently.

“Mary Sue, the doctor said that you have low blood sugar. Didn’t you have breakfast?”

“I didn't have the time... I worked overtime till late yesterday, and didn’t get enough sleep. I was almost late this morning, so how could I have time for breakfast...”

Shaw ponders for a while.

“That’s not right. If you’re fainting like this, it’s not because you didn’t have breakfast. You didn’t eat last night, did you?”

You nod.

“It was so late... I was so tired, so I skipped dinner...”

"Tch.”

Once you’re discharged from the hospital, Shaw moves into your place.

In the mornings, he’d shake you till you get up, and you’d enjoy the breakfast he prepared. At noon, you’d receive the snacks he buys for you, garnering envious glances from female colleagues. When you work overtime at night, he’d appear in your office with his skateboard and a bento box. After returning home from a long day of hard work, he’d retrieve a small cake from the refrigerator like magic.

“Shaw, stop feeding me. I’ve gained five pounds.”

He spins you around twice, pinches your tummy, then chuckles.

“That’s just right.”

–

More translated and original works: here

–

[ Permission to translate ]

池离子: OK! Just state that the source is LOFTER池离子. Also, if you’ve posted it, could you also take a screenshot for me? No need for the whole thing - just a little will do!

#mlqc #mlqc cheri shortcake

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criticallyacclaimedstranger · 2 years

Text

Fic: Talk

Read on Ao3

Fandom: Triple Frontier

Ship: Frankie Morales x Jay ‘Lady’ Ray (OFC) **Series masterlist**

Warnings: Nothing, just Benny being terrific and Frankie being soft and caring.

Words: 1,257

Summary: Frankie and Jay have been dating for a couple of months and Frankie's having some difficulties. Luckily, Benny is the best friend anyone can have.

Taglist: @amneris21 @apascalrascal @kikis-writing-world @pazizz @paulalikestuff @rambling-in-purple

”Well, I don’t need to ask you how your weekend went, Fish, I can see for myself that it went just fine!”

Heat threatens to rise on Frankie’s neck but he pulls on his green army t-shirt, hiding the scratches and bite marks on his back, and manages to keep cool. It’s not like he hasn’t heard Monday morning banter before. It’s just different now that the banter is about him and Jay, not him and, well, anyone else, casual or steady.

He turns around and looks at Benny, who’s grinning widely, accompanied by his brother and Santi.

“How is Jay?” Will asks, as if he didn’t see her himself this morning when she and Frankie arrived at the base in the same car. She’s getting changed in another part of the complex, with her squad. It’s been a few months since she transferred but it still feels strange.

“She’s good.”

“Does she have similar signs of a just fine weekend…?” Pope smirks, ignoring the dark look from Frankie.

“Knock it out.”

“No, come on, Fish, tell us what she’s like in bed!” Pope prompts, true to himself. He always was the sexually outspoken one. Benny would be worse had he not been such good friends with Jay that it felt like talking about a beloved sister’s sex life.

“Not gonna happen, man.” Frankie turns back to his duffel bag to finish his change of clothes. A field exercise is waiting and Tom’s going to check in on them any minute to tell them to move their asses.

He also doesn’t want to talk about Jay. The guys going to pick up on it, know that something’s wrong. And he doesn’t want to admit that their relationship isn’t perfect. Too much is at stake for him and Jay not to work, their long friendship to start with. Her career, which she already says suffers for her choices: there are some people on this base who never believed women should have been allowed in special forces, and these women dating their colleagues is just a sign to them that they were right. If this relationship crashes and burns, Jay would have risked her reputation for nothing.

She says she doesn’t care but Jay always cares when questioned because of her gender. She has worked too hard to get to where she is to have her legitimacy as a Delta Force operative disputed because of what she looks like between her legs.

Jay, with her tough, can-do-it-myself-and-will-never-ask-for-help attitude. It’s frustrating as hell sometimes.

“You all right, man?” It’s Benny, of course. He’s the emotionally attentive one.

“Sure.”

In the corner of his eye, Frankie sees Benny shake his head.

“I’ll probably regret this but I’m still gonna ask you: what’s up?”

Frankie glances over his shoulder to see that Will and Pope are expecting an answer as well. With a deep sigh, he slumps down on the bench and bends down to pull on his boots.

“I thought I knew Jay,” he says slowly, focusing on the lacings of his left boot so that he doesn’t have to look at anyone. “It’s just… she seems different. It’s different dating her.”

“What do you mean, different?” Pope frowns. Frankie leans his forearms to his knees, bends his head to scratch the back of his head.

“Like… she’s so independent.”

“Yeah?” Benny scoffs. “It’s Jay.”

“I know, but… she won’t let me do anything for her.”

“That’s Jay for you,” Will shrugs as he puts on his jacket. Frankie sits up straight and looks at the amused bunch around him.

“I’m trying to be a good partner but she won’t even let me carry the groceries.”

“I don’t know what to tell you, man,” Pope shakes his head. “It’s Jay.”

“But… we’re in a relationship now,” Frankie tries, still not seeing it. “I can’t be in a relationship and just… have her do everything.”

“Figure it out or lose her forever,” Pope tells him cruelly before grabbing his hat and marching out: the conversation is over for his part. Will follows him but takes a moment to stop by the door and encourage Frankie:

“Don’t overthink it, Frank. You two are good together.”

“Thanks, man.”

“Get movin’ before Tom gets here.” With that, Will’s out the door. Benny pats Frankie’s back.

“You know what your problem is?” he asks rhetorically. Frankie raises his face to him, an expectant look in his eyes.

“You expect Jay to be different just because she’s your girlfriend now.”

“I’d never try to change her!” Frankie protests immediately, and Benny throws him a lopsided smile.

“None of us would, if we wanted to keep our balls. But you gotta remember that she is who she is, and she’s not going to be your li’l girlfriend all of a sudden just because you feel like you have to be a strong macho man who gets stuff down from the high cupboard for her.”

Frankie’s staring at Benny in disbelief by now. “Who the fuck are you, Dr Phil?”

Benny shakes his head and puts one foot up on the bench to lace his boot. “Nope. But I was beat up pretty badly by Jay yesterday at the gym, and afterwards she told me in great detail about how everything up until now has been perfect but the minute you two are out of bed, you’re being overprotective of her.”

Frankie opens his mouth to say something but finds that he doesn’t know what. Benny grins as he laces up the other boot.

“That’s right, we talk. And I think the two of you should too.”

“We did yesterday, when she got back from the gym,” Frankie mutters. No wonder she had been in a better mood after the gym: she got to beat up a man and then bitch about her issues. They had talked it out, apologized to each other, then fucked each other’s brains out, but the heart of the matter had not been identified. And here Benny was, telling him straight out what he himself had failed to see: he couldn’t be the kind of boyfriend he was used to being with other women, because Jay wasn’t like other women. Jay wasn’t impressed with for him being a soldier, didn’t admire him for his strength and service. She was with him because he was sensitive, kind, funny, had a big dick and sensational pussy eating skills – or so she had told him, with a wink and a kiss.

He groans and leans his face into his hands, rubbing his brows.

“Fuck,” he grunts. “You’re right.”

“Of course I’m right,” Benny replies smugly. “I’m good with the ladies.”

“One of them, at least.”

“You know, you should forego her a little. Take initiative instead of picking something out of her hands. Chicks like that and Jay is no exception.��

“How the hell would you know that?” Frankie demands as he gets up and grabs his hat and jacket. Tom’s going to be here at any moment to yell at them.

“Is there any woman in the world who doesn’t like it when men do household stuff without being asked?” Benny points out as he follows Frankie out of the locker room.

“That’s sexist, hermano. Not all women – “

“Whatever, man.” Benny shoves him playfully as they get outside. “But Will’s right about one thing.”

Frankie raises his eyebrows at him.

“You two are good together.”

Frankie smiles and looks down to hide his flushed cheeks under the bill of the cap.

“Thanks, Benjamin.”

#my fic #triple frontier fanfic #francisco catfish morales #francisco frankie morales #frankie morales #frankie morales x ofc #frankie x lady

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lonewolfel · 2 years

Text

Hunter’s guide for taking care of humans: Chapter 4

Here on AO3

Inspired by this post made by @sergeantsporks

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3

Warning: death in dream

Hunter finally got the human to leave him alone by giving her pen and paper. He didn't pay attention to what she was doing. So he was shocked when a vine tapped him. He whipped around. Luz set down the piece of paper that she had been holding that had the vines.

"What?" Hunter asked.

"So tell me about yourself," Luz said. Hunter frowned at her.

"There is nothing to tell. You know everything." Hunter said

"It doesn't have to just be about your dark mysterious past," Luz said. Hunter glared at her. "It can be something simple like what your favorite color is." Hunter didn't make any move to say or do anything. "You do have a favorite color, right?" Again Hunter didn't say anything. He turned back around and went back to his work. "We need to find you a favorite color quick. You always wear gold, but that is a part of your uniform. You wear a blue undershirt...is it blue?" Hunter tried his best to ignore her.

"She isn't going to leave you alone till you answer her." Virgil chirped far too cheerfully for the situation.

"I know." Hunter hissed to the bird.

"What?" Luz asked.

"Are humans unable to be quiet?" Hunter exclaimed. Luz frowned and crossed her arms.

"Nope just me," Luz responded. She stuck her tongue out. Hunter rolled his eyes. Then Hunter picked up the sound of footsteps. He has never been so grateful for the castle's echoing hallways. He shot up and rushed over to Luz. He placed a hand over her mouth. The person finally reached his door and knocked.

"Golden Guard, sir the Guard Captain wishes to speak to you." The person at the door said

"Very well, I will be there in a moment," Hunter responded. He listened for a moment and once he listened to the footsteps leave. Once he could no longer hear them he removed his hand from the human's mouth. His glove was wet.

"How'd my glove taste?" Hunter asked in amusement. He wiped his hand on her shirt.

"Like leather," Luz said. She made a face of disgust. Hunter smirked at that.

"I'll be back," Hunter said. Hunter grabbed his mask and put it on. He moved towards the door and Virgil followed. Hunter pulled his hood up and stopped his palisman. "Stay here with the human. Keep her out of trouble."

"I'm capable of staying out of trouble." Luz huffed

"You?" Virgil asked

"I'll be fine," Hunter said. With that, he left the room. He paused for a moment concerned about leaving the human alone and awake in his room, but he didn't have a choice.

He walked towards the guard captain. It was just an update on scout positions and preparations for the Day of Unity. Overall, it was a quick meeting. Hunter was about to head back to his room when he was stopped by the last person he wanted to deal with.

"Golden Guard, I wasn't aware that you had returned," Kiki said. Hunter frowned under his mask and turned to the small demon.

"I returned last night," Hunter responded.

"I assume that you were successful having returned the very day Emperor Belos gave it to you," Kiki said.

"Not that it is any of your business, but yes I was. I was after all the one that got Titan's blood." Hunter said. He smirked under his mouth. He saw the hand on her head clinch slightly giving away her annoyance.

"I would be careful if I were you. After all, disobeying the Emperor will eventually catch up to you." Kiki said. The threat was clear. It set Hunter on edge since he had two things in his room that he shouldn't have. Though Kiki isn't bold enough to actually search his room. Certainly with the favor that he has gained with his uncle.

"I'll keep that in mind," Hunter said. With that, he walked away. He couldn't stop the anxious feeling that caused him to feel as if his skin was shrinking. He would have to be careful to ensure that Luz and Virgil didn't get found. He opened his door and was met with his wooden staff being swung at his head. He grabbed the staff and removed it from his attacker's grip. There was a grunt and Hunter saw the human. She was curled up in pain. He closed the door and dropped the staff. He grabbed her shoulders and moved her back onto the bed. "Virgil, can you grab me a pain killer potion?" Virgil chirped and flew off to the closet.

"I didn't realize it was you," Luz said. Virgil returned and gave the potion to Luz.

"Next time if you hear someone hide. Like this, you are no match for anyone not to mention it will get both of us caught and in trouble." Hunter said. Luz drank the potion.

"I'm stronger than you think," Luz responded

"Trust me I'm not underestimating you, but trust me you can't fight your way through the castle with a cracked rib and no backup," Hunter said

"You wouldn't help?" Luz asked

"I'm not a traitor," Hunter said. "Get some rest." Luz went to stand up but he stopped her. "What are you doing?"

"Getting off your bed," Luz responded.

"Why?" Hunter asked.

"Cause where would you sleep," Luz responded.

"On the floor. You're hurt so you get the bed." Hunter responded. Luz smiled slightly.

"Thank you," Luz said. Hunter removed his mask. He rolled his eyes.

"It's nothing," Hunter said with a shrug.

~~~

A dark shadow loomed over Hunter. He stood frozen in his spot. His mask shattered on the floor before him. His heartbeat racing in his ears was the only thing that he could hear. He felt the need to escape, run, hide, fight anything but remain frozen. He wanted to scream, but nothing could escape his throat.

"HUNTER" Luz called. Then there were frantic chirps behind him. Finally, the spell over Hunter seemed to lift. He turned around and saw that both the human and Virgil were grasped tightly in Emperor Belos's grasp. He didn't know what to do.

"So this is how you thank me? After I took you in after your mother's death. After I gave you a home, a staff, magic, a purpose. Everything you are is because of me. AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?!" Emperor Belos said in anger. Hunter collapsed onto his knees. He felt tears run down his cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Uncle," Hunter said.

"You brought in a thing of wild magic, the very reason our family is dead and a criminal into our home." Emperor Belos said

"I'm sorry," Hunter said

"Hunter, please," Luz begged

"She is human and a wild witch. You know what happens to wild witches." Emperor Belos said

"No," Hunter said in shock.

"No." Emperor Belos repeated "NO!" Emperor Belos threw Luz to the ground and his arm became a long spike. It ripped open Hunter's side. He then turned and slit Luz's throat. Her dark eyes glossed over as dark red blood pooled under her on the floor. Emperor Belos's arm turned back to normal and he doubled over in pain. Emperor Belos took Virgil and broke him open. He then breathed in the palisman's green essence.

"No!" Hunter cried.

Hunter shot awake sitting straight up. He was gasping for breath. Virgil flew over landed on his shoulder and nudged the teen's cheek. Hunter to them into his hands.

"I won't let him hurt you," Hunter whispered. He didn't want to risk waking the human. "Either of you."

#toh #the owl house #owl house #toh belos #kikimora #toh hunter #golden guard #the golden guard #hunter the golden guard #luz noceda #luz the human #luz the owl house #hunter palisman #cardinal palisman #fan fiction #fanfic

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recurring-polynya · 3 years

Note

[Renji birthday] Hey, hi. What about Orihime does smt to surprise Renji for his birthday, a thank-you him helping her at New Year celebration? Include fireworks that Renji secretly enjoys? Thanks. Anything (fic, hcs, sketch..) is fine.

I’m sorry this is late, but it’s still the Renji - Orihime Birthday Weekend, so I think it’s okay!

I love the idea of the Renji - Orihime BroTP, but somehow it’s so hard for me to write, I always do a bunch of false starts or get stuck. For this round of prompts, I was trying to do the ones that inspired me the most and I liked the idea a lot more than I had ideas, if you get my drift. Anyway, I love them both too much, though, so I muscled through.

I’m sorry if this is a little ramble-y and quite silly and I didn’t manage to squeeze in fireworks (I’ve written several fireworks scenes in the past and didn’t want to repeat myself), but what it is is four thousand words long. Also, I managed to remember that Kon exists, this is possibly the first time I have ever put Kon in anything. I hope you like it!

Read on ao3 or ff.net

🎁 🎈 🎊

“Inoue,” Renji hissed. “Why am I here?”

Orihime took a quick step backwards as Keigo ran past, screaming. Ryo followed a second later, also screaming. Renji, who had served at Squad 11 for many years, managed to leap out of the way just in time. “It’s Ichigo’s birthday party,” Orihime explained. “He wanted you to come.”

“It’s not though,” Renji pressed. “It’s Arisawa’s birthday, and we’re at Arisawa’s house. I don’t think Arisawa even knows who I am.”

“Yes, she does, silly,” Orihime replied. “I told her lots of stories about you and she said she wanted you to come. There’ll probably be a football match later, and Ichigo told her we could have you on our team, as long as he got Rukia.”

“I got hauled in all the way from Soul Society for football?” Renji asked, sounding not-at-all upset about this.

“No, I told you! Ichigo wanted you to come.”

“But it’s not his birthday.”

“But it is his party. He and Tatsuki share, you see, because their birthdays are so close and they have all the same friends. It’s Tatsuki’s year to host the big friend party. Ichigo just had a little family party on his actual birthday.”

“Ohhhhh,” Renji replied, finally understanding. He nodded for a moment. “What’s a family party?”

---

Orihime cleared her throat, and tapped her in her palm. “Thank you all for coming to this very important meeting.”

Chad, Ichigo, and Tatsuki were all crammed together on Orihime’s couch. Rukia sat on the arm, next to Chad, Kon in her lap. Uryuu sat in Orihime’s desk chair, which she had hauled in from her room.

Orihime thwapped her pointer against the large pad of paper on an easel that she had borrowed from the Student Health Advisors Club. On the first page, she had drawn a large picture of Renji and written his name. “It has come to my attention that Our Friend Renji has never had a Family Birthday Party.”

“Quick question--” Tatsuki interrupted. “Is he wearing a… fur bolero in that picture? And is the bone dragon an actual thing or just...Orihime artistic spice?”

“It’s a cowl,” Rukia said, at the same time as Chad said, “It’s a stole,” and Uryuu said “It’s a capelet.”

“Thank you, that cleared up nothing,” Tatsuki replied.

“It’s his bankai form,” Ichigo said, grumpily. “His sword turns into a giant flying snake skeleton that screams like a pterodactyl. It’s super sick and he let me ride on it twice and that cape thing is really soft, actually, but he says it gets hot. As far as I know it has nothing to do with his birthday.”

“Er, no, I just got carried away while I was drawing,” Orihime admitted. “Your bankai is very cool, too, Kurosaki-kun.”

“Got it, right,” Tatsuki nodded, sounding very much like she just wanted to move on. “He doesn’t have a family?”

“I think you’re worrying over nothing, Orihime,” Rukia said, sounding a teensy bit defensive. “Many people in Soul Society don’t have families. If there’s anyone in Soul Society who’s good at scraping up friends to spend a holiday with, it’s Renji. Everyone likes him. Half the Gotei turns up at the bar for his birthday parties.”

“I know that,” Orihime said quietly. “I know that because last New Year’s, when I was lonely, he played badminton with me, even though he was very, very hungover and pretending like he wasn’t, and then he went and rounded up all my friends in the middle of the night, and before he left, he told me there was nothing wrong with making your own holiday. But family birthdays are different! Family birthdays are about the people who love you most doing special things, just for you!” Orihime set her jaw. “When I was little, Sora always tried to make my birthdays super special! We didn’t have a lot of extra money, but he would take the day off just to spend it with me and we would go to the park or watch movies or he would let me paint his nails and braid his hair. He would take a picture of me and put it in my special birthday album with my height and weight and current favorite food.” Orihime’s mouth snapped shut. Everyone was staring at her. She’d said too much, just like she always did. Her cheeks started to burn.

“When I was little,” Ichigo suddenly said, a little bit too loud, “my mom told us that we could have whatever we wanted for dinner on our birthdays. One year, I…” he paused, his eyes darting over to Tatsuki. “I had just seen Kiki’s Delivery Service, and I was obsessed with that fish and pumpkin casserole the old lady makes?”

Orihime gasped, and clapped her hands over her mouth.

Uryuu rolled his eyes. “Who wasn’t, Kurosaki?”

Ichigo snorted, but his shoulders relaxed a little. “Anyway, it took her most of the day, and I think she must’ve gotten really frustrated at some point because me and my sisters got sent over to Tatsuki’s house so the Old Man could help her. It came out kind of lumpy and huge, but it was delicious, it was exactly what I had imagined it would taste like.”

“I remember that thing,” Tatsuki added. “She made us come over for dinner because there was so much of it. It was incredible.”

“We didn’t do Birthday Dinners for a few years after she died,” Ichigo said slowly. “But then after Yuzu got good at cooking, she said she wanted to try doing it again. My dad really likes the Godfather movies and he always used to ask for spaghetti for his birthday, which it turns out isn’t that hard to make. Karin and me helped out, and we’ve been doing it again ever since. We don’t usually do fancy stuff, it’s just nice to get to pick.”

“Ichigo made me omurice on my birthday and let me use his body to eat it!” Kon announced.

“You didn’t have to tell everyone that,” Ichigo stammered, turning pink. “It’s the only thing I’m good at making.”

“My abuelo always used to sing Las Mañanitas on my birthday,” Chad put in. “First thing in the morning. Sometimes he would come into my room and wake me up. Sometimes I would come down for breakfast and he would be there, with his guitar. He wouldn’t even say ‘good morning’ until he’d sung Las Mañanitas.”

Orihime’s spirits lifted a little. “See? That’s exactly what I’m talking about!”

Rukia crossed her arms over her chest. “Renji gets up at the crack of dawn. I’m certainly not going over to his place to sing at him while he mixes up his horrible protein beverages.”

“Well, it wouldn’t have to be exactly that,” Orihime went on. “I just thought, since his birthday was coming up in a few weeks, maybe we could throw him a party here, in the World of the Living that was… I don’t know… a little more heartfelt than just going out drinking.”

“I think that’s a very thoughtful idea, Inoue,” Uryuu said.

“Oh! I was worried you wouldn’t want to help, because… you know.”

“I had a row with Ryuuken last week,” Uryuu sniffed. “I’m honestly in the mood to do something nice for a shinigami. Besides, it’s Abarai, he doesn’t really count anymore.” He paused for a moment. “You either, of course, Kuchiki.”

“You wanna have it at my house?” Ichigo offered. “Since me and Tatsuki are the only ones with backyards, and I don’t imagine Tatsuki would want to explain this to her mom.”

“I appreciate that,” Tatsuki put in. “I can help though, if you want. In my family, we like to decorate, and I still have a bunch of streamers and balloons left over from last week.” She gestured at Orihime’s drawing. “We could probably make him a banner or something out of that. It’s pretty good!”

“Oh, that’s such a good idea!” Orihime exclaimed. She should have known her friends would be helpful. She flipped to a new page on her notepad, and began to write things down.

“I can help decorate!” Kon piped up. “I am very artistic, you know!”

“I can bring my guitar,” Chad offered. “I don’t know if Abarai wants to hear me sing…”

Ichigo shoved him in the shoulder. “Shut up. We always want to hear you sing and you never do. If Renji doesn’t want to hear you sing, he’s got no taste and also, he can suck it.”

Rukia rubbed her forehead, like she felt a headache coming on. “Renji goes to all his friends’ poetry readings and community theater and open mic nights. I am sure he would be overjoyed to be serenaded by Chad.”

“What about you, Uryuu?” Orihime asked. “I know you and your father don’t get along, but is there anything that you associate with feeling special on your birthday?”

Uryuu’s face contorted for a moment. “Ah, there is, but I’m sure it’s not helpful.”

“Maybe it will give us an idea,” Chad prodded.

Uryuu frowned. “Well, when I was very small, my mother used to make me a new kimono every year. She was… a very skilled seamstress.” He frowned. “I don’t have Abarai’s measurements, and besides, he couldn’t take it back to Soul Society anyway.”

Kon perked up. “Ichigo! Ichigo, are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Ichigo jabbed a finger Uryuu. “Yuzu just got a bedazzler and she has a ton of t-shirt paint! We could bedazzle him a t-shirt! For his gigai! I’ll even keep it in my closet for him with all of Rukia’s crap!”

“Kurosaki, no,” Uryuu insisted.

“Kurosaki, yes,” Ichigo insisted. “It’s like you’ve never even met the man. I’m gonna make the most Renji t-shirt you’ve ever seen and he’s gonna love it so hard he’ll make me his new best friend.”

“I want to help,” Chad put in.

“You may,” Ichigo replied magnanimously.

“It was my idea-- whoa, Rukia, watch out!” Kon cried as he went tumbling to the ground.

Rukia was practically crawling over Chad, trying to punch Ichigo in the head. “He’s my best friend, you ass!”

“He is for now,” Ichigo replied ominously.

“You are my beloved protege, but I will end you, Kurosaki.”

“Kuchiki-san?” Orihime asked tentatively. “Do you think you could come up with a way to get him to come here? I think it should be a surprise, so you would probably have to make up a story...I understand if you don’t want to.”

Rukia looked up from where she was half-hanging over Chad’s shoulder. “Of course I can do that. I love lying to Renji. He can usually tell when I’m lying to him, but he’ll go along with whatever I say anyway.”

“Oh, good!” Orihime replied, a wave of relief washing over her. She had no idea how they would get Renji here otherwise. Mr. Urahara, maybe. Maybe.

Rukia’s brows creased as she rearranged herself to sit on the back of the couch between Chad and Ichigo. “Did you think I would say no?”

“Well… it didn’t seem like you thought this was a very good idea.”

Rukia’s cheeks colored and she waved her hands. “No, no! It’s not that at all! I think it’s a great idea! It’s really sweet of all of you. Renji’s so easy-going, people always… never mind! I’ll help however I can!”

“Try to find out what meal he might like,” Uryuu suggested. Kon was now sitting on his head. “That sounded nice and I can help cook.”

“That’s a no-brainer,” Rukia replied. “He hasn’t stopped talking about Chad’s burritos since the Advance Team mission ended.”

“Burritos are easy,” Chad agreed, “especially if Uryuu helps.”

“What about you, Rukia?” Tatsuki asked. “You have a brother, right? What do you do for family birthdays in Soul Society?”

Ichigo made a Big Yikes face, and Rukia shoved him in the head again. Orihime had stayed with the Kuchiki siblings when she was training in Soul Society, and while Byakuya could be pretty stiff, she was under the impression that he and Rukia were both working to have a better relationship.

“Kuchiki birthdays are very formal,” Rukia said regally, and then frowned. “Mostly, a bunch of Honored Relatives come over for dinner and you have to wear fancy clothes and it’s kind of a pain.” She thought for a moment. “Brother gave me a beautiful set of colored pencils for my last birthday. It’s hard to buy him presents, because he’s so particular and he usually just buys the things that he wants. He writes a lot of letters, though, so I went to my favorite stationery store and bought him some pretty paper I thought he would like. I figured that if I picked wrong, he could just use it to send letters to people he hates.” Rukia’s eyes softened. “He really liked it, actually. I guess he’s not very used to getting gifts that people have spent any time thinking about.”

“Thoughtful gifts are such a nice idea!” Orihime nodded eagerly.

“It’s hard, though,” Uryuu added, “because of the whole matter conversion issue.”

“What,” Ichigo bit off, “is not thoughtful about a t-shirt covered in rhinestones?”

“If all of you help me think of something, I will buy it for him back in Soul Society,” Rukia promised. “Not sunglasses, though. I already bought him sunglasses.”

“Isn’t his birthday, like a month away?” Ichigo frowned.

“Sometimes I plan ahead! Shut up!” Rukia scowled. “Brother and I also like to make each other cards. Brother is an amazing artist, obviously, mine hardly compare to his, but he is very gracious about my efforts.”

“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea, Rukia!” Orihime agreed, writing down “cards” on her notes. She looked over her list. “I think this is shaping up to be a very good birthday!”

---

“Thanks for agreeing to come along,” Rukia said to Renji when he showed up at her front door on the morning of August 31. “How’s your head?”

“I feel great, but I hydrate tirelessly and also, I wasn’t the one who got into a drinking contest with Captain Komamura. How’s your head?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Rukia replied.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to just go? I’m sure I can-- did I read your text right? Ichigo got his soul stuck in Kon’s lion body and we have to go get him out? I… can probably handle that if you need to stay home and sleep it off.”

“Learn to read, oaf. Ichigo got his soul stuck in Kon’s lion body and we are going to laugh at him. Obviously, I wouldn’t miss that for anything.”

“Ahhhh, okay, that makes a lot more sense!”

“C’mon, we should get moving before Orihime takes pity on him or something.” She waved him inside. “Don’t worry, Brother said it was fine to use the family senkaimon.”

“Ah, good morning, Captain!” Renji said, his voice bright with nervous energy.

Rukia turned around and blinked. Sure enough, Byakuya was looming in the foyer. He had definitely not been in the entry thirty seconds ago.

“Good morning, Lieutenant,” Byakuya replied. “How delightful to see you in my house on a Sunday morning.”

“Brother, we talked about this,” Rukia pressed. “We had a whole discussion.”

Byakuya ignored her and plowed on. “I did not expect to see you today, but since you are here, I have something for you.” He held out a handsome, hardcover book. Gingerly, Renji accepted it and frowned at the cover. “It is the next book in the Tales of the Iron Army series,” Byakuya explained. “You are a fan of that series, are you not?”

Renji’s mouth gaped a little. “This isn’t… out… yet…”

“The publisher is an acquaintance of mine,” Byakuya said, looking off into the middle distance. “He offered me an advance copy, so I asked for two.”

“Uh, um, thanks, sir!” Renji managed.

“Think nothing of it,” Byakuya said stiffly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am extremely busy this morning.”

Rukia stared, gape-mouthed at the spot where Byakuya had been standing a moment previous. She wasn’t allowed to use shunpo in the house.

“What?” Renji choked out.

“Sometimes people just give him things,” Rukia shrugged, trying to play it off, but secretly fuming. She had told Byakuya that Renji was coming over and to (1) not mention his birthday and (2) not be weird. 0 for 2, Brother.

“Rukia,” Renji reiterated, and when she finally looked over, he was holding up a little slip of cardstock that had apparently been tucked into the front cover of the book. On it was painted a little watercolor Wakame Ambassador. He was wearing a humorous hat. In Byakuya’s immaculate calligraphy were the words ‘Congratulations. You are now older. You will still never defeat me.’ Renji stared at Rukia, as if this were somehow her fault. “W-h-a-t?” he mouthed very slowly and deliberately, no actual sound coming out of his mouth.

“Give me that!” Rukia snapped, grabbing both the book and the card out of his hand. “I told him we were going to the Living World, I don’t know why he couldn’t have given you this when we got back. Mikan!”

Rukia’s loyal maid immediately appeared at her elbow. “Yes, miss?”

Renji blinked. “How does everyone in this house move like that?”

“Hold onto this for Renji until we get back, okay? You can put it with the, um, other stuff.”

“Yes, miss.”

“What other stuff?” Renji asked, a grin tugging at the side of his mouth.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You just said ‘put it with the other stuff’?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“You must have misheard, Lieutenant Abarai,” Mikan added sweetly.

“Maybe you should clean your ears out once in a while, dummy,” Rukia suggested.

“Are we really going to the Living World today, or was it just a ploy to get me over here?” Renji asked, doing a double take when he realized that Mikan had disappeared again.

“We’re really going!” Rukia protested, marching into the bowels of the house. “‘A ploy’, ha! You wish.”

“It is my birthday,” Renji pointed out, sounding a little suspicious.

“And we had your birthday party last night! What more do you want?”

“Nothing, actually! Very good birthday, as birthdays go!” He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “Thanks for coming, by the way.”

Rukia rolled her eyes. “As if I wouldn’t come.”

Renji shrugged. “Well…you didn’t, for a long time. And those weren’t as fun. So thanks. For coming.”

Rukia opened her mouth and then closed it again. She didn’t know what to say to that.

Fortunately, Renji had a keen instinct for changing the subject when things got awkward. “Were you there when Rangiku’s boob fell out? She says that since it was the right one, it’s a sign that this is going to be an auspicious year for me.”

“I did! I was talking to Momo and we were basically at Ground Zero when it happened! I can’t believe Hisagi was in the restroom.”

“He’s probably still sobbing about it.”

They continued to recap the best parts of the party as they traveled through the senkaimon and picked up their gigai from Urahara’s, but there was something nagging at Rukia, something that had been nagging at her ever since Orihime, with her giant, squishy heart, had suggested that Renji deserved something better on his birthday, something which Rukia knew was unequivocally true.

“Oi, Renji,” she said suddenly as they turned onto Ichigo’s street. Renji was in the middle of a story about Iba’s sideburns, but she’d heard it before, and they both knew he was only telling it to fill the time.

“Eh?” he replied.

“I, uh, I just wanted to say, I’m sorry that our birthdays were so shitty growing up,” she said quickly. “Sorry in the sympathy sense, not the guilt sense. We were just kids, it’s not like there’s much more we could have done. Just... it sucked and it’s not fair and I’m sorry.”

Renji was staring at her with a look of mild horror on his face. “You thought our birthdays sucked?”

Rukia stared back at him. “They weren’t great, that’s for sure.”

Renji’s face fell a little. “Oh. I’m sorry you feel that way. We… we did try, you know. I remember stealing blankets for your birthday, to make sure we had enough for all of us. We always used to try to make sure we had something to eat that day, too.”

Rukia flushed. “I wasn’t talking about me, dummy!” She paused. “You did? Crap. Now I feel even worse.”

“My birthday’s in August,” Renji shrugged. “We didn’t need to worry about freezing our asses off. And we almost always managed to do something fun that day. Going fishing or making a bonfire or lying on the roof and looking at the stars.” Renji gave a rueful little chuckle. “You know, it’s fun when everyone gets together to get smashed on my birthday, but there are so many people and you can hardly hear what anyone is saying. Those old days… I dunno. I guess maybe they just felt a little more personal. When we were here on Tatsuki and Ichigo’s birthday, Orihime was telling me about family birthdays, and I think our old birthdays were a lot like that. Just some nice time spent with the people I like best.”

“You’re such a sap,” Rukia said, trying to keep her voice from wobbling.

“Like you didn’t know that,” Renji snorted. “I’m definitely gonna give Ichigo a hard time, but I’m actually kinda glad he managed to pull this bonehead move on my actual birthday. It’s a good excuse to come see him, and I got to spend a little quality time with you, to boot. Was kinda nice to see the captain, actually, even though he made a quick exit.” Renji sucked his teeth for a moment. “After we get Ichigo sorted, I don’t ‘spose you’d mind taking a little stroll around town and seeing what the other kids are up to today?”

Rukia had her hand on the gate that led to the Kurosaki back yard. “That… could probably be arranged.” She pushed the gate open.

“SURPRISE!”

Confetti filled the air. Someone was blowing an air horn. Everyone (except Uryuu) was wearing very bedazzled t-shirts. Even Kon, sitting on Chad’s shoulder, wore a tiny one with an even tinier lion on it.

“Happy birthday, Renji!”

“Happy birthday, you old geezer!”

“We made you burritos!”

Rukia looked up at Renji. He had one hand clapped over his mouth and his eyes were wide. “Happy birthday, dumbass,” she said softly.

“Excuse me, I will be right back,” Renji said, turning on his heel and walking out the gate.

Orihime’s eyes went wide. “Oh, no! What did we do?”

Rukia held up her hands. “Just give him a second, he’s fine.”

The Karakura kids barely had time to exchange worried glances when Renji burst back in through the gate, at full volume. “What the Hell is this?” he roared. “And where did you get those t-shirts?”

“We made them!” Ichigo shouted back, and thrust a poorly wrapped bundle into Renji’s hands. “We made you one, too!”

Renji enthusiastically tore open his present and held up its contents. “Rukia,” he gasped. “Rukia, look.”

“Chad drew the Hihiou Zabimaru,” Ichigo explained proudly. “I was the one who wrote ‘OH YEAH!!’”

“It’s so beautiful,” Renji sniffed. “Here, Rukia, hold this!” He shoved the shirt into Rukia’s arms and immediately began to wrestle off the one he was currently wearing.

“Uh… buddy…” Tatsuki frowned, trying to throw her hand up in front of Orihime’s eyes, but also unable to tear her eyes away. “That is… a lot… of tattoos…”

“It’s okay, we’ve all seen it,” Orihime reassured her, pushing Tatsuki’s hand away.

“Never mind seeing it again,” Kon added philosophically.

“How does it look?” Renji asked, once he’d gotten dressed again. He was flexing his biceps for good measure.

“It’s a little tight,” Rukia replied, but it didn’t stop her from looking.

“That’s how hot people wear their clothes, Rukia,” Ichigo informed her. “Get with it.”

“I love this so much!” Renji declared, looking down at his own torso again. “I can’t believe you all made this for me. I am so happy!”

“Brace yourself, Abarai,” Uryuu said, “but this is about 1% of the birthday festivities Orihime planned for you.”

Orihime’s cheeks turned pink and she waved her hands frantically. “Everyone chipped in, I hardly did anything!”

“We know you don’t like cake, so we put a candle in a burrito for you,” Ichigo said, jerking his thumb toward the picnic table. “Come sit in front of it, so Chad can sing you your birthday song.”

“We saved you the lawn chair without any wobbly legs,” Kon added generously.

On his way past, Renji slung his arm around Orihime’s shoulders. “Thanks, kid,” he murmured.

Orihime looked up at him. “You’re our friend and I just wanted you to know how special we think you are on your birthday.”

Renji stared at her for a moment, an expression on his face like he wasn’t sure how to make words come out. Suddenly, he tightened his elbow around his neck and crashed the knuckles of his other hand fiercely into her scalp. “I love all of you, too!” he laughed.

“You can’t noogie Orihime!” Ichigo and Tatsuki yelled at the same time, and promptly tripped over each other in an attempt to tackle him. Uryuu flung a pinecone at Renji’s head. With his typical perfect aim, it would have been a direct hit, except that Kon had leapt from Chad’s shoulder directly into its trajectory and got beaned in the face instead.

Orihime was laughing and shouting “That tickles, that tickles!” Renji was cackling. Chad stood, dumbfounded, his guitar hanging around his neck.

“Rukia… avenge us…” Ichigo groaned from the ground.

“On one hand, it’s his birthday and Renji should get to noogie whomever he wants,” Rukia declared loftily. “On the other hand, Orihime is a precious angel. On the third hand, suck it, Abarai!”

She launched herself at him.

#renji's birthday 2k21 #my writing #please excuse my kon liberties #i've read too many murderlight fics

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