#must draw more pico

[dracomeir]

Pico Dankworth from @shadesofnavy's AU

#pico's school #picos school #pico dankworth #fnf pico #pico #short pico supremacy #hahaha imagine doing proper backgrounds #or knowing how to draw a gun properly #you think you have him cornered? nah #I love short Picos #I stared too long at refs to draw this #pico pico pico #oh you're still reading? hi! #must draw more pico #dracomeir's art

[totkdaily]

Day 24: Woodland Stable, and Kilton

I travel through Hyrule Forest Park and stop at Sepapa Shrine. Then on through the dawn rain. 

I cross the bridge and spy a smoke signal close to one of the Satori banners - they've lasted longer than I thought, which bodes well for future spelunking.

The fire belongs to Domidak and Prissen - nice to see them still knocking about! They can't reach the treasure in the bog. They don't have Rauru's arm as I do. There's only three bomb flowers in it - helpful, but hardly treasure. They're after Misko's treasure too, heading to Eldin for it. There seem to be a lot of people looking for it - presumably the appearance of the caves opened up a few more hiding spaces... Which begs the question: how did Misko hide things there in the first place? How old is the bandit's legend, exactly?

Still, Domidak and Prissen must be right that there's something hidden here, in the Rauru Settlement Ruins.

And there's whatever's inside Rauru Hillside Cave.

Horriblins, and bog. And further in… a clear pool, and fairies, and a diamond.

I ascend from the fairy pool and come up right by a closed Great Fairy bud. It can't be a coincidence. And down the hill… that must be Woodland Stable. I try to speak to the Great Fairy Tera, but she refuses to leave her bud for anything but a violinist. Let's see if we can find her one. 

Gliding down the hill to the Stable would have been easy if not for the skeletal bokoblins, but make it and summon Pumpkin from wherever I left him behind. He doesn't seem to mind. 

Penn is here, as I hoped. He's interviewing a conductor and a violinist. On the night of the Upheaval, a blonde woman scared off their horse - wild thought, but… Zelda? How could she have been here the night of the Upheaval? Unless she got back before I did, overlapped her own timeline? Maybe I've been wrong about her appearances - maybe she somehow mastered time travel in the past, and that's how she's everywhere and nowhere at once? If only she'd stop to talk to me.

The troupe's wagon is broken. I can fix that. In the morning. 

But as I head round to sit by the campfire I spot a familiar purple balloon - Kilton! I race around the pond to greet him. Have I got monster parts for him.

"Big Brother?" someone calls from the cave. A figure perhaps even more bizarre than Kilton emerges. His name is Koltin, and he's trying to turn himself into a Satori. He wants a bubbul gem to do it. I hadn't thought of trying to make it do that. Is that possible? Kilton seems supportive, though, and I've always trusted him.

I head into Pico Pond Cave to get this bubbulfrog for him. One gem, two lizards and a ruby later, and I'm back. 

He gives me a bokoblin mask in exchange - not bad.

He eats the gem. Nothing happens.

Before I can give him the rest of the gems I have, he disappears. I guess he'll have to wait until next time.

Kilton's heading to Tarrey Town in Akkala, and if I visit there he'll let me know where his brother's ended up. It's possible. I could head there after Death Mountain. 

I head back to the stable and take a quick look down the well. There's a hot spring at the bottom. I wonder if they can draw hot water from here?

Enough. I need to sleep. I manage to catch a couple of hours' sleep by the campfire before dawn.

#totkdaily #day 24 #totk #loz #zelda #legend of zelda #i would die for kilton #koltin i might have to get used to

[minusgangtime]

Not feeling like drawing right now so lemme give you descriptions of the minus gang of the experiment AU:

Scientists diary log entry: 1

Beta: enfused this what appeared to be a female wolf with a Gorgan like snakes on his head,he does not have power to turn others to stone,but the snakes do function as a useful defense tool and a lot of extra eyes,the wolf’s eyes and hands have become more reptilian as a result,and for some reason,my assistant seemed to have given him top surgery scars,why she did that,I dunno,but it makes him happy.

MB: he was a normal bird like human with a scar on his neck,after I gave my assistant her assignment,he now has bat like wings now only on the bottom of his precious wings,but also on the shoulders on his arms,he has bigger bat ears and long fangs,with piercing red eyes,I modeled him after a vampire bat,so to satiate his new hunger,he must eat a lot of juicy meat,hope my assistant dosent mind working overtime~

Blue: once a normal humanoid dog,once I got my hand on him,I made him a living puppet,his furr is half natural,some parts being made of wood,he moves stiffly like a stop motion character,he has marionette handles on his back if you pull them you can stop him completely and control him,for some reason my assistant made wooden wings for him as well,as if that would help him hate her any less,ha!

GF: as the first demon in containment,I had to cut off her horns to knock her out before sending her to my assistant,she now resembles a wind up doll,a little cracked but I’m sure that’s cause if my assistant’s worthless mistakes,she also now hears a quite lovely dress that I will say looks nice,when moving,she also moves pretty stiffly,the key on her back is the key to moving her,turn it left,she can’t move,turn it right,she can move,what angers me most is that my assistant found her horns and stiched them back on! That fucking idiot,she’s lucky she has demon magic or else SHE would be the one begging for mercy.

Pico: quite an anomaly,a dinosaur in the modern age I COULDNT pass up an opportunity to see what I could do to him,my assistant infused radiation into his DNA allowing him to be granted with more strength,and be able to melt anything he wishes to,careful my useless assistant,he might wanna melt you one day.~ hahaha!

-mod Shelby

(Oh my 👀")

#mod speaks

[megamangxtheadventure]

CHAPTER 26: SECRETS OF THE FUNKIN MASTERS

THE PAST INSIDE THE RUINS OF THE FRIDAY NIGHT FUNKIN BUILDING

Protoman duke nukem, Garfield, Jon mikey sykey and heero yuu where exploring the burned out ruins of the funkin building

"this is where the funkin masters used to harness there magical powers of funkin" said jon arbunkle

"what is funkin" asked heero

protoman explained it "the funkin masters used to the song of creaton to bring things into the reailty they had true power over song maggic to change world" protomon said

"but they got hurburis and lost control of the funkin power creating monsters and thats when the call of gorefield seductioned them with poiwer"

they walked into ruins witch was covered in dark blood and evil glows "this was beautlful place once but the funkin masters where tempered by evil they say sonic.exe once and wanted to create lots of new sonic.exes thinking they could ocntrol; them but they lost control and the sonic.exes destoryed the funkin masters" said mikey

garfield clanched his fisti "WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO MAKE MORE SONIC.EXES ONE WAS BAD ENOUGH!!?!?!?!?!"

"because the power of darkness was seduction garfield they wanted to create there own sonic.exes in hopes they could use the funk to controling them" jon replied.

suddanly there was fat man it was DOCTOR ERGGMAN BUT HE HAD A RED FACE AND HOLD INSTEAD OF A MOUTH "Doctor egfgman? no you are not him you are a .exe" said heero as he got into a kung foo defanse pose

"i am STRAVED AND I EAT PEOPLE" he said and a robot metal sonic with a high tech cooker in its chest unit was there "THIS IS MY NEW ULTMATE ROBOT AIR FRYER!

protoman fired his buster and attacked with sheild "its one of the abominations created by the huboobris of the funkin masters do not let guard down!!!"

garfield lunched a series of punchings at air fryer but it was too powercul as he punched him into a wall "i should eat cat i love that cat" straved drolled

"not on my watching" heero yuu said and pushed garfield out of the wall and helicopter kicked at air fryer but the robot broken heeros legs and throwed him into its chest closing the door to the air fryer as heero banged on the class "save me" he shed as the air fryer turned on

"air fryed boy is really good in fact air fryers are very health you know and reduce fat contant while keeping good taste" straved laughed

"DO NOT KILL FRIEND" said protoman shooting.

staraved laughed as heero boiled and died to death "YOU CLEARLY DON'T OWN AN AIR FRYER HAHAHA!"

but it was fake h eero used double magic to fake being in the air fryer "big mistake" he said and pressed the self destruct button blowing the air fryer metal sonic up at the cost of his own life

"NO AIR FRYER WAS LIKE A SON TO ME NOW YOU ARE THE MENU!" straved said as duke nukem shot him with double shotguns "THE ONLY MENU HERE IS A BULLET IN YOUR FACE!"

before straved could attack PICO SHOWED UP SINGING WINGS OF A BOY THAT KILLED ADOLSCENANCE FROM GUNDAM WING AS STRAVED AS COVERED IN ENERGY DRAGGING HIM INTO THE ABYSS "go b ack to hell .exe!" pico said.

mikey sykey was shocked "you are a funkin master but i thought the power of gorefield destoryed your forms"

ppico nodded "That is right hackblood master my comrades the funkin master drawed on the power of gorefield to create sonic.exe copies and we where corrupted and lost however i was able to send the horrors to gorefields own realm with the corrupted masters now i guard this place"

"What will happen" asked protoman "there are dark forces that will one day want to break the seal and free gorefield they must be stopped"

but then gunfire happan and pico was shot a lot and ELON MUSJK WAS THERE "i invented a gun that is also a phone haha" he said and was texting on his gun "i am so very clever and smart"

"WHY DID YOU KILL HIM WE TRUSTED YTOU!" said jon

Elon laughed "i do things my way and putin gived me a lot of money to take you losers out and i want power and people to like me so i will build a new world where i can do anything i want and nobody can stop me!"

duke nukem aimed his guns "I will stop you!"

"no you won't because the kremlin knows you are here and are sending mig fighters to bomb this temple so welcome to die" elon said and jumped on a ladder as a helicopter takened him away and the building explodes.

PRESENT DAY PRESENT TIME

Protoman waked up in doctor light house now upgraded with the new megaman gx turbo technology "you have been asleep a while but now you have been outfitted with the same power and upgades your borhter megamangx has so you can fight against the coming evil" doctor light said as protoman got up and feld his new form

"FROM NOW ON YOU WILL BE PROTOMAN X!!" doctor light said.

the wall exploded as a sonic.exe with a zip mouth and long noodle arms had came "I AM HUNTER A SONIC.EXE AND I WILL TURN YOUR ORGANS INTO PAIN" it sytreached and coilled everywhere and cryed blood"

rOLL hit with a broom "did the illuminati already break the gorefeild seals" roll asked as protoman used the proto x buster to blaster it "no it must be a free one they recovered but i wont letting it, liv for long much" and he fired machine fun lasters but they did not doing damage

"i am unkillable becuse of horror and pain hahahahahahahaha" said hunter

Twat walsh then comed in with a rockat gun "we already have sonic.exes helping us with horror and pain will we get rid of deganermates and make world white and pure free of the weak and worthlass haha" and he started blowing the lab up

protoman x kicked him so hard he wented head first into the tolet in the bathroom next door "always some weak minded hateful humans that think they can control darknass you never stop do you" protoman x was not impress

HUNTER then went to the bathroom as his mouth opened into the size of tunnel and consuming matt walsh and zipped the mouth back up as he fareted out the screaming soul of what was once mat wash "useless people get eated" hunter laughed..

then Cirno peppino spacgetti brick gustavo had come in as cirno thrwoed the case at protoman x "TAKE IT THE PRIMSATIC RAIN BLADE!" she said

the case creacked up as the rainbow gem katana was there glowing was aura of massive powerful "now i am complete" protoman x said as he used his LIMIT BREAKER LEVEL 1 RAINBOW SEVERNCE NEWTYPE JUSTICE and sliced hunter up as he exploded then slashed him 2000 times as the sparkles and power purified all the darkness and made him stoip existing forever "perish to not existing you abaomination" protoman x said and shilved the blade in the blade holder.

"this is powerful weapon tell the lunar doctor thank you" protoman X said.

but circno said something else "your brother megamangx is in gensokyo but something has happened not just nazi but now taliban has invaded with the help of william afton" cirno said.

"then we better go to stargate command" doctor light said.

GENSOKYO

shadow the hedgehog and oemga where at human villain spying on the talban leaders "FUN IS BANNED MUSIC IS BANNED EVERYTHING THAT IS NOT RELIOGON IS BANNED YOU WILL OBAY US!" said the leader as all the women in gensokyo where chained up

"look over there its andrew tates lost boys and the man behind the slaughter" shadow whispered as they saw william afton in a purple cape leading the talicban

remilia and Ran catached up "we need to do something about this we can't let these talban losers have there way with our world" ran said

shadow was thinking "if we could get them and the nazis to kill each other we could weaken them and megamangx could take down afton" and they made plans.

to be continued.

#megamangx the adventure #megaman gx #megaman #fanfic #fanfiction #friday night funkin #pico #william afton #remilia scarlet #straved #sonic.exe #garfield

[s1nk1ng-s0n1c]

Updated pinned post because my last one was TRASH

Hi everyone, welcome to the one and only Tumblr blog that is really garbage, super disgusting, mega ugly @s1nk1ng-s0n1c blog!

Now, everybody's fav blogs-

.<Blogs>.

@fl33tway-sup3r-s0n1c

@tbh-cr3atur3-alucard

Here

@azkth3b01z

@fl33tway-ss0n1c

@fl33tway-v3ntz

@ta1lz-3x3

@newgrounds-weirdo

@fl33tways-bruh-acc0unt

.<friends>.

@wowiexist0

@the-phobia-doctor

@peepaw-william-says

@ask-picos-school-lca-au / @soulvee-animationz / @puppyclownz

@p1co-s1mp

@artzy-bro

@ace-alien-with-anxiety

@softie-flaky15

@friendlyfox34

@jotas-vent-acc

@zethuseslatinoamericano486

@chipsoapart

@violet-of-the-stars

@neneandhanzoukinnie

@neon-draws-sometimes

Fun facts:

Autistic

Minor

OCD

Loves oranges (feel free to send me sum orange thru my inbox Please and thank you)

Loves drawing (will mostly draw pico's school 👉👈)

I forgor

She/her please!!!

Muse list and rules!

|

|

V

Name: S1nk / Sink

Age: 22

Gender: Male

Pronouns: He / Him

Sex: Pansexual and Trans!!

Height: 5"6'

Weight: 15kg

Likes; Water, LGBT community, his friends

Dislikes: getting severe aquaphobia near oceans, transphobic and homophobic people, being alone

Info:

S1nk1ng S0n1c is a kind, sweet guy, but can get really aggressive towards babysitting, he babysits someone who is like 18 years younger than him. He's a huge bitch but can make friends with you in no time! Btw if you feel lonely or stressed and you see a green hedgehog (no not Scourge Sonic leave me alone) in the distance, run up to him! He's gonna make you company.

Name: S1nk jr / Sank / Sink jr

Age: 4

Gender: Male

Pronouns: he/him

Sex: bisexual

Height: 1"2' (he's like the size of a crumb)

Weight: 7kg

Likes: everything but death

Dislikes: death, being abused

Info:

He's small af. He gets babysat by Sink, sink hates him very much

Name: M1nuz-Sunky / Minus-Sunky / Minus Sunky

Age: 14

Gender: male

Pronouns: he/him

Sex: Transgender, Gay, Poly

Height: 5"3'

Weight: 28kg

Likes: singing Milk v2

Dislikes: silence

Info:

Minus Sunky is very fragile, you must be careful with him or he will break, he is a huge brat and bully but acts like a brave and good guy. He is very chill with Sink jr hanging out with him, if he does, Minus Sunky is just gonna ignore him. He is very chill with you and will make friends in no time!

Rules:

DO NOT call me by he/him, I'm fine with she/her, she/they or she/her/they, but a He/Him from you on this profile and you're gonna get it!

Please for the love of God feed me oranges

Don't even try to enter here without your friendly face on, your happy mood ready and some fun ready to come out of you!

and one more thing,,

DNI if you are Racist, Homophobic, Transphobic, Pro-shipper, LGBT community hater, etc!

Now, with that out of the way, I hope you enjoy this profile!

#pinned post #artists on tumblr #my art #sinking sonic #sunky.mpeg #Sunky #Friday night Funkin

[jubilantwriter]

Local Sunfish Taking Requests for Short Drabbles

Hey guys!  I’m in a bit of a creative rut, mostly because I took a break from writing and now I’m struggling to get back in the mood for it.  So in order to remedy that, I’ve decided to open up for a handful of requests!  I’ll be taking ten asks sent to my inbox, anon or not, and will be writing short drabbles no more than 1k long.  Accepted requests will listed down below, and completed requests will be linked back to the list for easy navigation.  

My rules are:

Must be for fandoms I’ve written for previously (please see my page, “Tags for Fanfics” for the full list)

Ships are allowed, but I draw the line at incest, pedophilia, etc.  You know the drill.

No NSFW requests, sorry folks

Heavy topics are okay, but if I find a request that is too dark even for me (i.e. graphic torture), then I will be turning it down

I will be picking and choosing the requests I write for based on: personal comfort level, my ability to best portray the scene, and if it is feasible to complete under 1k

Request guidelines:

A brief summary/description of the general scene you’d like to see; 

If you’d prefer to just see a specific trope, that’s fine too

If it’s a specific au, I’d prefer it to be something I’ve written before just because prior knowledge is a lot easier to manage than researching it

Specific fandom and characters, including:

Ships if applicable (remember to detail dynamics if there’s a specific portrayal you want to see!)

Platonic relationships (friendly or hateful)

Genre if applicable (i.e. romance, tragedy, comedy, etc etc)

Something I can manage for under 1k, meaning no full blown plots!  Those tend to get away from me very quickly

Request List Currently:

Jaspvid College Graduation

Iroha/Rin with Third Wheel Len

Red and Green Journeying/Camping Together

GF and BF Teach Pico to Skate

(Available!)

(Available!)

(Available!)

(Available!)

(Available!)

(Available!)

#things i scribble #if you guys have any questions feel free to ask them! #its been a long time since i've done this #i also have a job tho so the completed requests will be churned out... slowly #at a reasonable pace

[bestprintbuy]

Just Sold Real Estate Postcard Template Design Psd Free Obtain

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Although it employs a misleading preview, it gets the viewer to open the next web page. You might want to dial it down, yet there are some notable concepts to pay consideration to as regards just listed postcard wording. The example above tries to tell the reader that certainly one of their neighbors just listed their house for sale. It then presents the reader one thing for taking action. First and foremost, when despatched to the neighbors of the house, they are almost assured to be learn. Every house owner needs to know what a home of their group sold for, assessing the worth of their very own residence.

Yaretzi Galicia, 7, reads within the residing space of the family’s one-bedroom condo in Pico-Union. Magdalena Garcia, middle, mom of six, has dinner with husband Edgar Galicia, left, and a good friend within the family’s condo within the Pico-Union neighborhood. Today, many higher-income areas are still protected against most new development. Housing particularly set aside for low-income residents stays in short provide. Median incomes for Latino households in the county, at $60,000, stay 35% lower than these for white households, per census data.

Nevertheless, probably the most essential component is how effectively the property is promoted. Use this free template to plan the advertising, gross sales, and growth on your real estate enterprise. You at all just sold real estate postcard times want to ask for a referral as soon as you’ve closed a deal, however a reminder each six months is a approach to reach clients who might not have had a name for you when you first asked.

For more details about tips on how to maximize the potential on your real estate advertising campaigns, try our Tips for Just Sold Postcards. Explore our recommendations for the best real estate unsolicited mail services to resolve which might be the most effective firm to help your advertising strategy. Amazingmail® – This automated unsolicited mail solution leverages event triggers and information from your CRM to instantly create personalized and highly relevant direct mail touch-points. Improve the outcomes of your recruiting and retention applications and help your brokers elevate their shopper and lead nurturing activities.

The Just Listed postcard is the proper place to start because it’s a mainstay of the promotional technique for any profitable Realtor. What higher introduction to potential new purchasers can there be than demonstrable success attached just sold real estate postcard to your contact information? Alternatively, addContent your personal lists after which choose which lists you’d like to include within the mailing.

[parasyte-brainrot]

shinichi vs. shimada looking kinda different here

#parasyte #friday night funkin #teehee im actually proud of this #also just realised #pico n shimada r similar in a way #ones a school sh00ter #and the other is a school canibalist #ALSO #this is the first time ive ever drawn shimada #i must admit as much as i do not vibe w him #i need 2 draw him more

[uwusenpaiuwu]

Baji Being A Menace To Society (And Your Relationship) 2.0

Sequel to: Baji A.K.A. The Worst (Best) Matchmaker

Summary: Baji’s at it again, acting out-of-pocket and creating chaos for absolutely no reason, other than to see you suffer. In his own Baji-esque way, of course.

Pairing: Sano Manjiro | Mikey x Male Reader

Warning(s): Boku no Pico is mentioned, but there is absolutely nothing graphic; mentions of masturbation

Note(s): I am so sorry if it isn’t funny. Sadly, I am but an amateur writer, not a comedian. Still, I hope you all enjoy! ^^

"(Y/n), want some ice cream? My treat."

Usually, you'd be the first to jump at an offer for a sweet treat, especially when you don't have to pay. However, as of now, the word 'ice cream,' when said by Baji, instantly triggers your fight-or flight-response. Paired with the fact that he’s broke as hell, your suspicions only increase for the sudden indulgence.

Since you know you're no match for the long-haired menace, your body automatically prepares to flee, legs twitching to lurch into a sprint. Unfortunately for you, just before you can get the fuck out of there, your hand is being grabbed by Mikey, who leisurely begins to tug you along to claim your dessert.

“You like ice cream, right?” he turns to ask, eyes unbelievably soft when looking at you.

And because you’re weak for him, all you can do is nod stiffly, trading in your sanity for the pleased grin that spreads across his face, his confident strides thereafter likely a result of him successfully remembering another miscellaneous fact about you, as has been the case since you officially started dating him. From the most trivial of things, like which brand of pens and pencils you prefer, to the slightly more important stuff, like ice cream being one of your favorite desserts; he’s made the effort of remembering them all.

He really doesn’t need to do any of that, ‘cause you’ll love him either way, but the conscious decision to do so is what makes you love him even more.

Zoning back into reality, you shake your head to reorient yourself. It isn’t the time to be going over the reasons why you’re such a lovesick puppy.

No, there are other things to worry about, mainly Baji.

You squeeze Mikey’s hand as you’re led to the nearest ice cream parlor to try and calm yourself. It works for the most part, especially when you get a reassuring squeeze back.

‘Right,’ you tell yourself, ‘it’s going to be okay.’

After all, Baji wouldn’t do anything too drastic, right?

~~~

You were wrong. So, so wrong.

Despite nothing having transpired yet, every alarm in your head is going off, pounding at the door of reason to get you to wake up and realize that it’s Baji you’re talking about, the same person that sets cars on fire when hungry and punches the first unfortunate soul he passes by on the street when sleepy.

You really should’ve listened to your survival instincts and ran. Alas, it’s much too late to escape, leaving you to wallow in your anxiety, while you wait for misfortune to strike.

And strike it does.

“Please, don’t sit next to me. You make me nauseous.”

“That’s cruel. I bought you ice cream, and you treat me like this?”

Yeah, he may have bought it, but you refuse to eat it because of how intensely Baji is staring at you. Fucking weirdo.

"Oh, do you want some of mine instead, (Y/n)?" Baji accentuates his question with a sensual lick to his ice cream from the edge of the cone to the finessed peak, making you extremely uncomfortable as he stares you down with the full motion.

As slowly as he licks his frozen treat do you slowly raise your middle finger, eliciting chuckles from the other occupants of the table.

You think you won that mini battle, though?

Ha! Nope.

Baji mirrors the vulgar action, not once breaking eye contact as he dips the tip of his finger directly into his ice cream, pulls it out, and proceeds to lick that, too.

Disgusted, you promptly avert your attention elsewhere, praying that Baji won’t continue being, well, himself.

Your prayers fall on deaf ears.

"It's cold!" As soon as the exclamation leaves your mouth, your blood runs glacial, knowing that you've unintentionally played into Baji's trap. The appearance of a sly, almost feral, smirk when you whip your head around to glare confirms what you already know.

The curtain has risen, and you’re standing center stage in a performance you can’t break free from.

"Aw, can't let it go to waste,” Baji continues, reaching over to scoop the ice cream you’re 100% certain he purposely spilled on the front of your shirt, with his fingers.

Then, to your horror and everyone else’s shock, he asks, without an ounce of virtue to his name, "Want me to lick it off with my mouth?"

Chifuyu is seated on the other side of the table, hiding his face in his hands. “Baji-san...”

"It'll stain if it dries like that." Dear God, how you wish to un-see Baji batting his eyelashes at you.

“I don’t care!” At this point, you’ve resorted to clumsily scooting your chair as far away from him as possible, which isn’t actually as far as you’d like considering your surroundings. Hell, so long as you put some distance between yourself and the crazy bastard that wants to see you suffer, you don’t mind having to force yourself halfway onto Mikey’s lap. (The firm hand that keeps you steady by the waist proves that your presence isn’t unwanted either.)

"Geez, (Y/n), you're such a scatterbrain."

Seeing Baji sell the line with a slow tugging of his hair behind the ear has you torn between laughing and dying a little more. Truthfully, his acting is frighteningly impressive, and you would’ve applauded his performance, if not for the fact that the role he’s playing still haunts your dreams.

By this time, most of who accompanied you to the ice cream parlor have figured out what kind of drugs Baji is on this time, which also means that those fuckers have seen, or are at least aware of, the cursed trilogy of questionable porn that’s being reenacted before their eyes, with you as an unwilling co-star. Those that are puzzled as to why people are shoving their fists in their mouths to refrain from laughing are obviously God’s favorites.

“The fuck is going on? I wanna laugh at Baji’s dumbassery, too.”

“Pah-chin... I think it’s best you don’t know.”

Interestingly enough, the one you’re most concerned about hasn’t said anything yet, splitting his attention between observing the scene unfolding and eating his portion of a deluxe sundae.

Then, out of nowhere-

“I understand.”

You and Baji freeze where you are, each of you grasping the other’s collar, you to shove him away, and him to draw you closer.

“(Y/n),” Mikey says, your name rolling silkily off his tongue in a tone much too fond for his next words, “if you like roleplay, just tell me.”

...

“Huh?”

“I’m fine with pissing, remember? So, roleplay shouldn’t be a problem.”

Heat rises to your face at an alarming pace, and it continues to climb as Mikey takes your free hand in his, which serves not to comfort but to unintentionally remind you of the humiliating experience from a few months back. And just when you convinced him that you didn’t want anything to do with getting freaky with the body’s excreta, too.

“You’ve got it wrong! I don’t- arfghfgh?!”

Your prayer to help cool down your flushed cheeks must have been heard, but you’re pretty damn sure you didn’t ask for Baji to shove his ice cream in your mouth!

“Oh, yeah. (Y/n)’s a fuckin’ geek when it comes to roleplay,” the unhinged bastard speaks in your stead, indifferent to the nails clawing at his hand clamped over your mouth. “You should try it with him. We were doing a scene from his favorite anime.”

Mikey tilts his head, interest positively piqued. “Which one is that?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know, leader?”

Mikey raises an eyebrow.

Baji opens his mouth.

You lunge.

It’s a series of events that happens in the blink of an eye and ends with loud crashing as you tackle Baji to the ground.

“Listen up, Baji Keisuke. We took an oath that day, and if you dare utter a word of what went down, I’ll consider that a breach of the code of secrecy and take you down, making sure you drown in a pit of your own shame and despair.”

Surprised to have been pinned down so quickly, it takes a while for Baji’s brain to catch up, but when it does, he’s frustratingly unfazed at the threat.

“Oho~ How scary. Too bad for you, I have no shame.”

“Not even if I tell Mama Baji where your porn stash is?”

That has the great Baji tensing up.

“You wouldn’t dare use an underhanded tactic like that.”

Your lips turn into a wicked grin. “Are you sure? I have as much dirt on you as you have on me, and like you, I won’t hesitate to use it to my advantage.”

If your grin is wicked, Baji’s is downright evil, showing off his sharp, gritted canines and all.

“You got balls, (Y/n),” he snarls, “but mine are bigger.”

The boy beneath you opens his mouth, and faster than you can stop him, he just...does it.

“(Y/n) (L/n) watched Boku no Pico and liked it!”

Silence.

Silence is all that’s heard for a good, long minute following the booming roar of the revelation.

You dare not look up to gauge everyone’s reactions, instead keeping your icy glare fixated on Baji, who looks smug as shit for having caused the glorious eruption of heat to spread like wildfire across your entire body, from the tips of your ears down to where your skin disappears under the collar of your jacket.

This...

This is war.

Taking in a deep breath, you answer his uncalled for declaration with your own thunderous shout of, “Baji watched Boku no Pico and jacked off to it! Twice!”

Baji laughs. “Oh, pray tell, saintly (Y/n), how many times did you jack off to it?”

“None of your fucking business, asshole.”

“Pretty fucking sure it is, since we were in the same room.”

Someone chokes, while you choke Baji.

“We. Swore. To. Secrecy. You. Asshole,” you practically growl, with each of your words accompanied by a ruthless back-and-forth shaking of the other boy’s person.

“Let up on the choking, dude. I’m not into that. You, however-”

Unable to take the ceaseless slander to your name anymore, you reel your fist back, but, upon seeing Baji’s cheek turned to you, jaw jutted out, as if inviting you to take your best shot, you hesitate. You know you wouldn’t be able to pack enough of a punch to actually leave an impact on him, which is terribly upsetting.

On the bright side, there’s still one tactic you can use that’ll be just as effective, a technique courtesy of your health teacher, who happily taught it to the class to use in case of an emergency.

Technically, it’s meant to be used to assess a person’s level of consciousness, but you suppose it can be used to get back at inconsiderate idiots, too.

“Ow! Ow! What the fuc-! Ow!”

You keep a straight face as you continue to rub your knuckles against his sternum, fully intent on delivering the worst possible pain to the current bane of your existence. It brings a sort of sadistic satisfaction to hear the ever prideful Baji’s screams of pain, and while it doesn’t completely undo the damage done, it does help soothe your wounded self-esteem.

“You want me stop? Beg for it.”

“Pissing, roleplay, choking, and begging? Goddam- OW!”

Your reign of terror comes to its untimely end when you’re lifted up into the air by the armpits, and through the haze of your power trip, you realize that Baji’s saving grace is Draken, who proceeds to carry you out of the parlor with ease.

“People are staring,” he coolly explains when you protest to having unfinished business.

Pouting, you cross your arms over your chest. “It’s his fault.”

Once outside, Draken doesn’t immediately put you back on your feet, until Mikey strolls out of the parlor. Only when the gang leader has his arms outstretched to you are you promptly deposited on the ground and taken into his embrace.

“Are you done letting off some steam?” is the first thing he asks you. Even though you can’t see his expression, the way he holds you and the way he cradles the back of your head, handling you with the utmost care, is indication enough that there will be no reprimand for, essentially, assaulting your division commander. (You would argue that it was an act of self defense against verbal harassment, but whatever.)

There’s just an overwhelming amount of love. So, so, so much love for each other.

“Yeah, I am,” you eventually answer, followed by a content sigh.

“Good.”

Naturally, that’s the perfect time for the tinkling of the bells above the parlor door to pilfer your attention. Baji’s appearance causes your face to morph into a scowl.

You cling tighter to Mikey, peeking over his shoulder to flip the ravenet off and mouth, ‘Go to Hell.’

As always, Baji answers your attempt to appear opposing with an obnoxious smirk.

‘See you there.’

~~~

“Boku no Pico, huh?”

“Draken, don’t laugh! Baji forced me to watch it!”

“All 3 episodes?”

“Twice.”

“...”

“...”

“Favorite scene...?”

“As if I’d have one.”

"Actually-"

“Ahh! Shut up! Why are you here, stupid Baji?! You live in the other direction!”

~~~

“Hey, (Y/n). Want to try doing the same thing with me?”

You look up, perplexed. Mikey literally just walked into the room, and that was the first thing he said to you.

“Do wha-?”

Your breath catches in your throat when you turn your head, only for you to come centimeters from bumping noses with him. And because he can, he lovingly knocks your foreheads together, too.

“It’s okay. I promise it’ll definitely be fun.”

You should feel ashamed for recognizing the same sequence of lines from Boku no Pico so quickly, though any coherent words are overtaken by an incomprehensible, high-pitched screech, a feat achieved solely by a teenage boy going through puberty.

A combination of shock and amusement crosses over Mikey’s features then. He’s never heard you make that sound before.

It’s cute. Strains the ears quite a bit, but cute.

While Draken lurks beside him, questioning Mikey’s standards of what constitutes as ‘cute,’ you’re sprinting across the room, red-faced, to Baji, who’s already grinning from ear-to-ear.

“Stop tainting my boyfriend, you piece of shit! Give him back his innocence!”

(Unbeknownst to you, whilst immersed in your fit of hysterics, your use of the word ‘boyfriend’ has a certain blond beaming.

“Did you hear that, Ken-chin? He called me his boyfriend.”

“Wow, congrats.”

Mikey either doesn’t give a shit or is simply too smitten to acknowledge Draken’s apathetic response.)

Baji blinks, unable to believe what you’re trying to insinuate. “Innocent? That little gremlin motherfucker?”

Both of you look in Mikey’s direction. When he sees you staring, he breaks out in a smile and throws a wave.

Your heart involuntarily skips a beat at the sight, and, okay, you’re convinced. Mikey deserves better than knowing of that cursed series’ existence.

Clearly, you’re down bad for Toman’s leader, and as such, Baji figures he can use that to quench his boredom for the day.

“Ooh, if only you knew what he gets off to.”

The tone in his voice instantly rouses suspicion. You narrow your eyes at him. “I don’t care what kind of porn he gets off to.”

“Porn? Nah, ya silly goose-”

“Don’t call me that.”

Baji ignores your comment as he moves to sling one arm around your shoulders, the other raising up to mimic an obscene tugging motion that no teenage boy is a stranger to.

“He jerks it to yo-”

BAM!

One second, Baji is lazily hanging off of your person, the next, he’s sprawled out on the floor, face down, and groaning in pain. You expect nothing less after witnessing him receive a rather impressive flying kick to the chest from Mikey.

Before you can assess the full damage, your view gets obscured by a pair of keys.

“Wanna take my bike out for a spin?”

Yes, you know Mikey is trying to divert your attention from whatever Baji was going to say, and, yes, you probably should check on the figure that has yet to get up.

But do you really care?

You take one glance at Baji’s concerningly unmoving body and quickly come to a conclusion.

You do not.

That being said, you quite literally drag Mikey and, by extension, Draken out of there, chanting an excited, “Let’s go!” on your way, abandoning Baji to wither on the ground.

Baji?

Baji feels betrayed.

~~~

"Chifuyu?”

“Hm?”

“Y’know, I was joking.” Baji flips onto his back with a grunt. “Man, who knew Mikey was all grown up?”

The vice captain of the first division hums, seemingly uninterested in his commander’s musings.

It goes quiet for a few minutes, the sole instigator of noise being Chifuyu flipping the pages of his manga.

Unpredictable is Baji, and the same goes for his train of thought.

“I should punch Mikey for kicking me.”

“No, you’d get beat up.”

“...”

“I should punch (Y/n) for Mikey kicking me.”

Truly, unpredictable and senseless.

“You’d still get beat up.”

Baji opens his mouth to argue.

“By Mikey.”

He promptly closes it.

“Fuck it. I’ll keep spicing up their relationship as payback.”

Sighing, Chifuyu closes his book to crouch down next to him. “Baji-san, with all due respect, you’re an asshole.”

Baji Keisuke has experienced betrayal twice today.

And he deserved it both times.

#mikey x male reader #sano manjiro x male reader #sano manjirou x male reader #mikey x reader #tokyo revengers x y/n #tokyo revengers x male reader #tokyo revengers x reader #Tokyo Revengers #Sano Manjirou #sano manjiro #manjiro sano #manjirou sano #i tried #im so sorry #pls dont cancel me #PSA: don't masturbate in the same room as baji

[extorchic]

TOP 5 SK8 Episodes

So I got tagged by @akira-cr to make this list, it took some time but I think I've sorted out my mind, thank you for considering me 😊. Now here comes the list, sorry if it's supposd to be objective, but I'm gonna let my heart out over here (It's gonna be a long post and I'm not gonna cut it ):

NUMBER 5 - Episode 6 - Steamy Mystery Skating?! (A.K.A. The beach episode 🏊‍♂️)

Well this is supposed to be "breather" episode, and it's basically the one that sold the series to me. I like how fun and chill this episode is, although it does (further) foreshadow Reki's insecurity issues. The music is of course SUBLIME! "Seize the Moment" is probably my favorite insert song of all time! (it's been present in Reki's beefs as well, but here it really reflects the fun nature of his character and the show overall). And of coruse, FANSERVICE, not so much in how the boys were in swimsuits (though I gotta admit Reki does look good in them), but on the RENGA interactions!

That hug gave me life! How Langa was worried 24/7 about Reki being injured, at the end when they skated together to escape from the Bantu! I gotta admit that I have some mixed feelings about the implications of Reki being attracted to the faceless girl (I mean, Bi rep is very important too), but I guess my shipping side was just as jelaous as Langa was supposed to be (according to the fans LOL).

NUMBER 4 - Episode 11 - King vs. Nobody (A.K.A. Reki rising! ✨🌺🌞⚙️)

Reki is, without a doubt, my favorite character. He doesn't need to win, he doesn't need to be super flashy while skating, he just needs to be himself. He's been through a lot, many people (including me) have felt tremendously related to him, and seeing him in this episode is just satisfying. With his issues behind, with a promise to skate with Langa after he wins and no longer fearful, Reki rematches against Adam; and the way he does is fantastic! Taking advantage of his creativity, observative skills and mechanical knowledge on skateboarding, he faces up against the main boss and manages to not only endure his violent ways (which were gruelling to see, TBH), but also SOUNDLY HUMILIATE HIM in front of the whole S Community!

Yes, Adam, the "God of S", in the ground covered in mud by a boy almost everyone dissmissed! It was really sunshine through rainfall! I must also add how much I liked to see his renewed relationship with Langa, how much they treasure their company after patching up. I want to elaborate on this in its own post but I personally see that their interactions from this point on are more, I don't know, tender, caring, still playful but not in an entirely comedic way. The way they see each other is also deeper, anyway, it's just what I see.

NUMBER 3 - A DRAW: Episode 8 - The Fated Tournament! and Episode 9 - We Were Special Back Then (A.K.A. The month in which I was in an emotional crisis because of anime sk8t3r b0is 🍎🐍😭🛹❄🍵🌸 )

This is the point in which I got into the show, and the fandom (Yeah, haven't been around for too long). At this point the show wasn't the same, and I realized it when I caught up. Though there were some cool skating scenes in these episodes, the events that caught my attention were outside the road (Yeah, this was no longer just a skateboard anime, it's a whole lot more). Though I had been mainly focusing on Reki and Langa, I really liked having more backstory related to Joe, Cherry, Adam and Tadashi. Seeing how Adam went through a terrible childhood, convoluted teeange years to culminate in an adult with too much power for his own good and a twisted sense of "love", along with some extremely serious psychological issues was very interesting.

I acknowldge him as a complex villain, but that DOES NOT justify what he did to Cherry. This only proves that just because we know his backstory, we don't have to sympathize with him (Adam's just such a terrible person). On the RENGA side, we see Reki avoiding Langa after their rift, and how this affected both. We have Langa's sadness increase scene after scene, as well as his passion for skating dwindling as progressively. Reki on the other hand, just falls deeper and deeper in his depression, but also being unable to stop thinking about Langa, and he ends up going to S to see the latter's match against Joe. It's hard to see whether there's envy, jelaousness, frustration, admiration, pining or fear of being left behind in his mind. It must have been hard for a 17 y/o.

Reki also defends Langa from people speaking behind his back and shouting his name during the race boosts Langa's performance tremendously. This culminates on Reki realizing that the thing he actually wanted was to skate alongside Langa, not on the side, not as support, but together, he just couldn't. There's also the scene which may or may not confirm that Langa's feelings for Reki are more than just friendship! (Felt represented, for reals).

NUMBER 2 - Episode 7 - We Don't Balance Out (A.K.A. This was supposed to be a fun show!😭⛈️💔️)

I wrote a lot about the episodes in the previous spot, but this is the one that flipped the tables, the game-changer, and the one that hit closer home. It is a sad episode, no races there, it's just here for us to see how the circumstances affect the characters. It was hard to see how Reki, who at this point had been nothing but supportive and proud of Langa, starts to see him flying farther from him. Is it jealousness? Dissatisfaction? Is it fear of loneliness? Adbandoment issues? Is it feeling inferior? Frustration? Not being able to improve? Admiration? Care?

And on top of that a broken promise. I just can't imagine how hard is it for a 17 y/o to deal with all of those conflicting issues in his head, as well as the toxic competitive environment on the "S Community". This just came to show that he wasn't just the excitable, goofy sidekick character, he goes deeper than that, and makes him relatable. We also see a deconstruction of the cool, aloof prodigious character in Langa, as he just can't comprehend what's going on with Reki, and he's hurt by it, but still needs to figure out his own ambitions and desries. This leads to the emotional conclusion of the episode (which in turn left me in the aforementioned 4-week-long emotional crisis, thank you)

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Episode 12 - Our Infinity! - The race was cool, the Renga hug gave me life and everyone had a happy ending

Episode 5 - Passionate Dancing Night! - Despite the beef between Langa and Adam being cool, we start to see Reki worrying about Langa and opening up to him, further deepening their bond.

Episode 2 - Awesome for the First Time! - There's just something special about sharing something you're passionate about with someone else. Watching Reki teaching Langa the basics of skateboarding was heartwarming

NUMBER 1 - Episode 10 - DAP Not Needing Words

After 4 weeks waiting, the anticipation for this episode was gargantuan. Reki's depression was hitting its lowest point, bordering in self-harm, and hurting others as well. Langa continues to look for Reki after seeing him briefly at the hospital while visiting Shadow and we get to see this loving scene where he watches videos of Reki learining how to skate. After confronting Tadashi and realizing that he loves skating because it's fun, he returns home to find out that Langa had been waiting for him but left shortly before he arrived.

This leads to a heartful reunion, where words can't express their feelings, so they resort to do their thing, to skate, and that's where the feelings flow. This is when Langa tells Reki how he admires him tremendously and Reki understands that Langa'll be there by his side, and leaves his fears behind. With a mutual desire to skate together infinetely and a new dap, they rekindle their bond. People watched this show for different reasons, and though I like the skateboarding aspect because it looks cool, my interest leans more on the relationship aspect, and Reki and Langa's is so deep and intimate, and I liked seeing it grow from zero through different hardships (in other words, in all of the years I've been in a fandom, I had never shipped any other pair like these two, I needed to say that).

So I guess it's time to tag some people:

@pico-sour, @sleebycryptid, @elizabethslee, @itsamole, @kaorucherry, @blueflame97, @trieizieme, @tardiskitten, @lady-pendragon-9

So, if you've read until this point, thank you very much (I know it's not supposed to, but this post is yet again a very long "I love Renga" one, but it's what my heart wanted me to write 😅). I'd love to see people other than the ones I tagged showing their lists 😃

#sk8 the infinity #sk8 #sk8 reki #reki kyan #sk8 langa #langa hasegawa #sk8 renga #renga #lanreki #rekilan #top 5 #sk_8

[dracomeir]

Pico gives me life, and happy brain chemicals, and much joy, and makes me smile every time I see him. He’s a cutie and a hottie, and I wanna squish him.

#just Pico #fnf #friday night funkin #pico's school #picos school #fnf pico #pico newgrounds #random thoughts #I’m just really really happy #pico pico pico #just look at him #I must draw him more

[bsidebf]

bsidebf's 100+ follower raffle!

So many of you are here because of my fics and art! I'm very thankful for all of you being here and I want to give back to my followers!

I'm going to be doing a request raffle! You could either get a oneshot fic request or full illustration from me. Here are the rules on how to enter:

You must be following me (I will check!). If you are not following me you will be disqualified.

Reblog and/or like this post to enter the raffle. Each like and one single reblog will count as separate entries, so if you want to double your chances do both! If you reblog multiple times I will only count one of them, but you can still reblog multiple times if you really want to.

Watch for me to announce the winners on Friday night, April 16th! Depending on how many people enter I might extend the deadline!

There will be a total of three winners!

More info on what you're allowed to request from me below the cut, if you'd like to get any ideas ready. Good luck to you all!

Either:

If you want something shippy pretty much any ship is allowed as long as it's not toxic/gross (no children ships, no abusive ships, etc)

Nothing se//xually explicit. Jokes are probably fine, just use discretion and good judgement. I won't do even a joke if you are a minor or your age is not visible on your account.

Nothing that erases canon identities (Boyfriend being mspec, Whitty being asexual, etc). You can certainly throw your own headcanons into the mix otherwise!

Only Friday Night Funkin' characters, or characters from adjacent fandoms and characters (Spooky Month, Pico's School, Tankman, Updyke, etc). Of course, mod characters are perfectly fine as well.

I'll make stuff for mod AUs (Minus, etc) as long as I have some semblance of the plot or what you're looking for. I am not familiar enough with Corruption AU to create for it, and I won't create for the EATEOF AU.

If you have anything specific in mind, please tell me! The more specifics the better.

You will see my work to be approved by you before it is posted here/on AO3.

No "genderbends." No exceptions.

I have the right to turn down any request or part of a request during discussion. Obviously, we can still figure out an alternative.

Illustration:

Up to 3 characters in one image.

Image will include a simple background, usually a pattern or something, but this is flexible.

I cannot draw gore really, I'm just not good at it. Blood is fine though, and we can discuss specifics if you really want something like this.

I will draw in my normal style or a chibi style, but I cannot easily emulate the FNF style (or the other listen fandom styles for that matter), sorry.

If you are kin with any of the characters in the illustration, I'll gladly add a "don't tag (character) as kin unless you are (your username)" onto the post if you want.

I will gladly draw your OCs and self inserts, as long as it is related to FNF.

Fanfic:

Up to three characters interacting in the same scene. That being said, there can easily be more characters involved or mentioned.

Nothing too graphic (lack of skill), no dwelling on abusive/traumatic situations for too long, depending on what it is. I will not write about Sarvente's faith due to my own religious trauma, but I will gladly write her otherwise.

No song fics, but if you would like a fic based on a song that is fine.

No crack fics.

Gen, fluff, angst, all allowed. I'll write pretty much anything from a day at the park to major character death.

I am not comfy writing OCs or inserts due to fear they'll be written poorly, but I'll gladly do an "x Reader" type story.

Fics will likely be around the 1000 to 1500 word mark, but may be shorter or longer.

#fnf #friday night funkin #friday night funkin' #my post #text #bsidebf 100 follower raffle

[hexalianrebel-blackfeathers]

Crossfire

Panda’s Notes: Hey, it’s a new fandom. >w< I kind of fell in love with the chaos and characters from Friday Night Funkin’, so I’ve got a few stories in mind. This one is based on this piece by @fluffymary!

Find it on AO3!

John didn’t have a side. Demons, mortals; the blood of both ran through him. All he really knew was war. The smell of the gunpowder; the ringing in his head from explosive shells; the sounds of tanks and jeeps rolling across their battlefield and the men calling—

“Sir!!” He flinched out of his inner monologue and spun around to see one of his soldiers panting softly in the doorway. “He’s back again.”

As if on cue, there was a chorus of shouts under a melody of loud gunfire. Usually, John wouldn’t bat an eye, but today, he snatched his helmet and the staff leaning beside his door.

“Get Squad 17 together; tell them it’s time.”

The soldier sprinted down the hall, and John took a brisk march in the opposite direction. As he passed the infirmary windows, he could see several soldiers already appearing in beds; and with enough frequency that they quickly began to appear on top of each other. The kid certainly wasn’t slacking this time either.

The soldiers that had recovered were quick to fall into line behind John as he made his way out of the building and onto the field, fanning out to return to where their weapons had fallen from their deaths.

The air screamed as something tore through it at supersonic speeds, and the bullets from several soldiers’ guns were redirected or ricocheted back into their own or a fellow soldier’s face. A cloud of dust suddenly appeared, swirling around the little beast that caused it with his sudden stop.

Fully clad in red and green scales, carrying a beast of an automatic rifle, and excitedly whipping a long tail was the brat they’d met all those weeks ago; and had been continuing to meet every time the bastard needed to blow off steam or something. The little dragon glanced over his shoulder, eyes glowing bright green as he smirked with sharp teeth at John.

John only huffed as the dragon disappeared in a burst of speed, and he drew a strained breath as he felt blood strike his face from a soldier that happened to pass near him. Oh, he was going to teach this kid a lesson alright…

“Sir, do you copy?” John’s radio crackled softly on his shoulder, and he glanced around warily before tipping it closer to catch his voice.

“Copy. What do you want?”

“Squad 17 is in position. On your mark, sir.”

John smirked this time, drawing his staff from its holster on his back and stepping forward. “Everyone, you know what to do.”

The soldiers mobilized quickly, scattering away from the main area and gathering up in a tight group on the target practice field. Many were less than thrilled about the position they knew they were in, and they could only clutch their riot shields and brace when the call went out.

“Here he comes!” Someone shouted, and indeed, the beast could be easily spotted perched on a lamp post and sneering down at them. The rifle in his hands glowed with his green aura before he ripped it into the pair of Uzis they were all too familiar with. The second he vanished, soldiers were dropping and vanishing left and right as bullets ripped through them.

John took his time approaching; there was nothing more that the little bastard seemed to enjoy beside playing with his prey. In the meantime, he leaned into his radio, reconfirming the position and preparation of every member in Squad 17. He could feel a surge of power swirl around him and his staff, and he couldn’t resist the smile on his lips as he finally called out to their attacker.

////////////

Pico adored the battlefield. Miles away from any cities or towns to damage or helpless people to put at risk; dozens of targets to mow through for his personal speed tests; and, most importantly, he knew he couldn’t kill any of them. Pico had known about the “Tankman’s” power long before he’d first been summoned to this place by Lilith’s own abilities. He’d always assumed it was just some kind of rumor; one if his mother’s exaggerated stories.

But here he was again, watching the same soldiers he’d shot through the head reemerge from the main building to come rushing back to the fray.

Fuck whatever Heaven’s got; this was the life.

He must have been a damn sight, tail wagging all over the place. He hadn’t razed like this since he was little, and even then, it was with his mother over his shoulder making sure he was sticking to the targets and locations she’d been assigned. Nothing like letting a fully loaded toddler do your job for you, after all.

He was smacked out of the casual memory by a bullet bouncing off of his armored hand. An attempt to disarm him, probably. Yeah, right. He lunged into a run, his aura spreading out around him. He never got tired of the way bullets hung in midair, easily redirected by a slap from his hand or tail and usually finding a new target in one of the soldiers firing at him. He paused again to catch his breath, unable to keep from laughing to himself as he rolled his shoulders and checked the stopwatch he’d mounted on his rifle.

He felt a sort of tingle as a new, powerful aura hit his senses. The half-blood; the leader; the Tankman. He glanced over his shoulder, sneering a bit fiendishly at the man before zipping off and sending a shot through the soldier that was running by him. He adored pissing him off almost more than mowing through his soldiers. Almost. Nah, no he didn’t.

He spotted a crowd growing at the far end of the training field, and he made his way to the top of a lamppost to get a good look. They were practically lined up, every other row bearing riot shields that wouldn’t stand a chance against Pico’s shots while the others were taking aim.

“Here he comes!” Someone called, and they all seemed to brace and cringe.

Oh, well, now he had to flex. He made a show of transforming his rifle into his favorite pair of Uzis before lunging down into the crowd. The sounds of his guns couldn’t even reach him with how fast he was moving, and he couldn’t resist tackling some soldiers to the ground to make room for a sweep of bullets before shooting them as well. His average time was coming up; he just knew it. He needed a good finisher. Maybe something flashy…

“Alright, you little shit!” Pico flinched at that familiar voice, looking up from his position of standing on a soldier’s chest. Oh, perfect! A high level tag. It’d be a first, for him at least, but taking Tankman down a peg in front of all his soldiers would be a fantastic note to head home on.

“This little game of yours ends now, ya goddamn salamander!” Tankman barked at him, holding a…a fuckin…glowing stick?

Pico blinked, capping the soldier he was standing on before turning to face his target. Why was it taking so long for him to catch his breath? He could have been over there by now. He scoffed as he caught sight of Tankman’s smirk; what’s a little headache if he got to punch that jaw in?

His aura spread out as he prepared to rush, and whoa, whoa, time-fucking-out!

He was dizzy; way too dizzy. He stumbled to a stop, keeping his distance from Tankman; but he was still shaking. His guns vanished, and his head cleared a bit. He could see the staff in Tankman’s hand glowing, and when he narrowed his eyes to hone his demon senses, he could see purple lines and symbols etched into the ground around him. Unfortunately, such an effort threw his head back into a spin, and he found his butt hitting the dirt as his tail and scales shifted off of him to leave him seated there in his school clothes. He pushed his red curls out of his face, panting softly as he glanced around at the soldiers surrounding his new little cage. Shit; there went his run.

“Men, I’d say Operation Coyote was a complete success.” Tankman said with a grin as he stepped forward, and the soldiers cheered and laughed around him.

Pico growled as he locked his gaze on Tankman. His face shifted suddenly as his eyes glowed, flames wisping between the gaps in his teeth as he—promptly faceplanted into the dirt from the sudden lightheadedness.

“Aw, isn’t that cute?” Tankman jeered as others chuckled, and Pico looked up to see him kneeling beside the edge of the circle, which seemed a lot smaller now than it had a minute ago. “He tried to do the scary eyes.” The man popped the visor off of his helmet, and Pico’s face fell as bright purple eyes bored into him from pitch black sclera.

Tankman sneered for a moment at Pico’s speechless staring, standing up as he reattached the visor. “Heh, and that’s how you do it, kid. You like your new playpen, brat?”

Pico blushed a bit, embarrassed, and quickly got to his feet. “It’s tacky, old man.” He growled, clenching a fist and trying a punch. He wasn’t surprised when his hand couldn’t go past the circle, but he was surprised when Tankman’s hand came through to grab him by his shirt.

“Yeah, it’s an older setup;” The man hummed, easily dangling Pico’s human form as the kid kicked against the barrier. “It’s amazing what you pick up when you’re raised by Demon Hunters, eh?”

Pico snarled softly, trying to pry those deceptively strong fingers off of his collar. “When I get out of here, I’m gonna fucking—!" He was shut up when his face was yanked against the barrier.

“You’re not gonna do a damn thing, you shitty little snake-spawn!”

Pico had winced a little at what he assumed must be the “Captain voice” he’d heard rumors about, a cheeky smirk seating itself on his lips to mask his nerves.

“We’re getting sick of your games, runt; and it’s about time you were put in—”

“What?!” Pico shouted exaggeratedly, tipping his head back and kicking the barrier again. “I-I can’t hear you; some old fuck blew my eardrums out with his bitching!”

He just knew Tankman was glaring at him through that stupid visor, and Pico couldn’t help laughing tauntingly until he was dropped on the ground. The man drew his hand back, resting it on his hip as the other tightened its grip on his staff.

“Men, next step. Get started.” He ordered shortly, stepping backwards.  

Pico scrambled to his feet. Okay, he was fine as long as he didn’t use his powers; no problem. The soldiers were regrouping, and about ten of them stepped closer to the circle with staves or wands or whatever conduit they carried. Pico growled softly; he had a feeling he knew what they were doing, but dammit, he couldn’t tell which of them was going to attack first. He glanced over his shoulder, sure that they’d go for his blind spot, only for something to lash around one of his wrists.

He yelped, planting his feet and trying to lean back. He did his best to suppress the instinct to use his demon strength, and he growled angrily as he was forced into a tug-of-war with at least one full-grown man who didn’t look like he was having much of a problem keeping the magic coil still. The soldier beside him seemed to perform the same spell, another coil of magic energy zipping around his free wrist.

“Ack! F-Fuckers!” Pico barked, his sneakers dragging in the dirt for a moment before he was yanked down to the ground. He cried out as his tongue got caught between his teeth, and he struggled to find traction to pull against the magic ropes.

“Not bad, boys.” Tankman called, sauntering into the circle. He rested his boot heavily on Pico’s back, and a pair of soldiers managed to wrangle Pico’s flailing legs from outside the circle. “Well, kid, not so tough now, are ya?”

Pico growled up at him, but dammit, he couldn’t think of a response. They’d actually caught him.

“Pfft, no stupid quips either, huh?” Tankman jeered. “Damn, that’s almost sad. Stevie! Front and Center!”

Pico could hear footsteps running toward them, and another soldier made an effort to pass through his sightline and give him a wave.

“Hello, Pico.” He said almost politely, carrying a book under his arm; and Pico hated how genuine he sounded. “Ah, sir, the spell’s ready when you are.”

 ////////////

John couldn’t help a roll of his eyes when Steve greeted the little brat, given the position they were all in. He was a sweetheart to a fault.

“The spell’s ready when you are.” Steve said with a smile, the book floating out of his palm as his hands glowed. As the pages flipped rapidly on their own, John cracked his knuckles and grinned.

“Good to hear it.” He chuckled, removing the glove on his left hand. “Hit me, Stevie.”

Steve took a deep breath and spread his fingers, and John felt magic wrap around his arm. It coiled and tightened between his fingers, supplying his powers without the circle draining them away. His arm shifted: a dark black-purple form with sharp fingers, meant to reach and pull at souls and the essences of life itself.

“Alright, kiddo…” John hummed, curling his fingers and sneering when he caught sight of the brat looking up at him. “Time to learn ya a thing or two about messing with soldiers.”

The kid yelped when John’s hand clutched at his shoulder, and John’s eyes glowed behind his visor as he forced the brat into a partial shift. Scales quickly covered his back, and half of his head became dragonesque, glowing eye included. The soldiers restraining him had to plant their feet and pull as he got a burst of strength to fight.

“Stevie?” John huffed, setting his knee on one of the kid’s legs as his free hand gripped a handle on his belt.

Steve knelt in front of their captive, smiling in that calming way he does. “Now, Pico, I can imagine how upset you must be, but I’d suggest you keep still. All we’re going to do is a sort of test. Research purposes.”

“Fuck you…” The brat hissed, and John smacked him on the back of the head with his free hand before he could stop himself.

“Don’t fucking talk to Stevie like that, shitstain.” He growled, returning his hand to his belt to finally pull up the knife he’d been unsheathing. “Since you don’t want it sugar-coated, I’m going to scrape some scales off you so our boys can find out what kind of bullshit makes you so damn bulletproof. Knowledge is half the battle, you know.”

The kid’s glowing eye turned to him, a mouth half full of sharp teeth trying to snarl.

John just rolled his eyes. “Yeah, kid, I’m so terrified.” He flipped the knife in his hand, angling the blade against the boy’s spine.

Despite the fact that he’d spent at least an hour sharpening the damn thing that morning just for this, it simply rattled along the scales like a tire of the off-road track. John sucked his teeth, his shifted hand clutching tighter when the brat tried to kick again.

“Knock it off!” He barked, sounding closer to a whine from where John was kneeling.

John bit back a chuckle, but a smirk played his lips as he set the tip of the knife at the back of the kid’s neck. “Why should I? You haven’t quit shooting up our battlefield every other day for weeks! I’d say this is the least of what you ought to get.”

Steve was eyeing the kid curiously, and he took a seat on the ground to look a little closer. John crisscrossed the knife along the scales at the center of their prisoner’s back, growing a bit frustrated when he realized he was only dulling his blade.

“I s-said quit it!” The kid’s voice pitched to a squeak, and he tried and failed again to pull. John actually paused this time, quirking an eyebrow.

“Ah, I see!” Steve suddenly said, smiling happily as he tipped his head to try and make eye contact. “You’re a little ticklish, aren’t you, Pico?”

The kid promptly looked away from him, not even letting out a growl this time.

Steve smirked a little, crossing his arms. “Oh, you’re very ticklish; my mistake.” He corrected teasingly, purposefully raising his voice a bit and giggling at the look the kid must have given him.

John rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Takes one to know one, Stevie.” He said with a little smile of his own, attempting to curb his frustration with that cute blush on Steve’s face. Of course, after all this hassle, the damn kid’s dragon hide turned his sharpest knife into a tickle tool.

Wait a fucking second…

  ////////////

It probably would have been easy for Pico to just tell Tankman that his demon form was pretty blade-proof, but he couldn’t resist the chance to upset him a little for putting him through this. He quickly regretted that decision when the knife managed to catch his nerves despite not breaking through his armor.

“Knock it off!” He insisted, trying to keep any giggles from slipping into his voice. That “Stevie” guy was watching him closely, and Pico was too focused on trying to struggle to hear whatever Tankman was saying. A shiver shot up his spine when the knife made zigzags across it, and damn him, that tickled so bad!

“I s-said quit it!” He squeaked out, still unable to escape the magic coils on his limbs.

“Ah, I see~!” Stevie said playfully, watching Pico’s face as he struggled. “You’re a little ticklish, aren’t you, Pico?”

The human half of his face felt hot, and he looked away from that stupid smile. He was just trying to get Pico’s guard down; he just knew it.

“Oh… you’re very ticklish; my mistake.” Stevie taunted, raising his voice enough that a few soldiers behind him actually reacted.

Pico gasped indignantly, and Stevie just giggled. Oh, he didn’t care how nice this guy was; Pico was lighting him up next time. He heard Tankman scoff, and he realized the knife wasn’t touching him anymore.

“Takes one to know one, Stevie.” Tankman teased, but then he seemed to pause as Stevie was pouting at him. Pico blinked and shook his head as it suddenly started to shift back to fully human. He didn’t have the leverage to look over his shoulder, but he saw Stevie and a few soldiers behind him smile and snicker.

Before Pico could figure out what was going on, he found himself laughing loudly and trying to struggle again. Tankman’s fingers were digging and scribbling over his back and shoulders, occasionally giving more firm scratches right over his spine. His hands crawled up and shoved into the spaces between his shoulders to flutter along his neck, ripping a squeal out of Pico’s mouth as he tried to scrunch his shoulders up to his ears.

“Gee, Stevie, I’d say he’s definitely pretty ticklish~” Tankman taunted, wiggling his fingers against Pico’s neck where he could. “The little brat’s caught my fingers.”

Pico, indeed, was making an effort to keep Tankman’s fingers pinned where they were despite the squeaky giggles he kept pulling out of him. This was embarrassing enough as it was.

Tankman leaned slightly, and Pico heard him whistle. There was a bit of a murmur, and a few footsteps crunched on the dirt.

“Oh, quit being a bitch, he can’t hurt you. Now, come here.”

Pico tried to look back, only to squeak and squirm when Tankman so much as twitched his fingers. Another weight set itself on his left ankle, and he could feel his sneaker being worked off.

“W-Wait a minute; that’s not fa—!” He tried to protest, giggles mixing in as Tankman leaned over him.

“Oh, yeah? And why is that? Your little dragon paws tickwish too?”

“Fuck you!” Pico shot back, unable to keep from laughing when the new soldier scratched gently at the sole of his foot, seemingly tracing the snake patterns on his sock.

“You know what I think is unfair?” Tankman continued, letting his nails drag one last time as he finally pulled his hands away from Pico’s neck; Pico still hesitated to let his shoulders down. “I think it’s pretty damn unfair that you keep running in here taking pot-shots at my soldiers just for shits and giggles.”

Pico had to bite his tongue to keep from giggling as Tankman aimed a poke between his shoulders to punctuate the line.

“So, obviously, it’s only fair that they get a few pot-shots at you. And hell, if bullets aren’t going to work, we’ll stick to what does.”

Tankman’s hands burrowed into Pico’s armpits, and the poor kid shrieked and yanked his arms down. “Ohoho! There it is! That’s a tickle spot, alright!” Tankman’s left hand came to pry at Pico’s right arm, his free hand scribbling faster and digging to draw out loud squeals.

Fingers were scribbling all over his foot, and someone else was digging into the back of his knee. He let out a cackle when someone’s hand found the soft part of his side, almost catching the edge of his stomach. Stevie still sat in front of him, ruffling Pico’s hair with one hand while the other gave gentle scribbles around his ears that made him giggle even harder.

“Sir, why don’t we flip him over?” Stevie suggested. “Get the poor thing out of the dirt.”

“Heh, yeah?” Tankman asked playfully, hooking his hands under Pico’s arms. “Or do you just want to find out if his tummy is as bad as yours too?”

“John!” Stevie scolded with a chuckle, and Pico flailed a bit as he was lifted up. Two soldiers grabbed his wrists, and—Wait, when the fuck did his hands get free anyway?! Pico didn’t have a chance to think about it, since several soldiers’ hands returned to their positions of scribbling or pinching around his torso.

Pico’s voice was lost in squeals and cackles as he tried to writhe. That same bastard had ahold of his foot again, and someone else was reaching over to scratch under his toes. An arm was hooked around his leg, and fingers scribbled under his knee; a claw-shaped hand vibrated and squeezed around his stomach, catching the edge of his bellybutton every time he squirmed; knuckles dug and twisted against his ribs; and there was some feather-light tracing under his chin and down his neck.

Pico was a damn patient person. He’d have been willing to forgive all that shit.

If the fuckers weren’t teasing him!!

It was mostly the fact that they were laughing at him that irked him—no, he was not just going loopy from his own laughter, the soldiers were chuckling at his ordeal like fucking sadists—but the cooing in his ears and to each other about ‘how cute’ he was, and ‘poor thing’ and ‘Maybe we could let him go if he’s learned his lesson~”

Oh, yeah, that Stevie guy was so dead.

Tankman laughed beside him, arms crossed for a moment as he tapped his foot. “Nah, maybe a little longer. Kids like him tend to need some tutoring, y’know?”

Stevie gave him a little push, chuckling, and Pico tried his best to find some clarity.

A little headache was worth the glow that came to his eye.

  ////////////

John shook his head as he observed the chaos. Poor kid was kind of getting destroyed. Not that he didn’t deserve it, of course, but John certainly didn’t envy him right now.

Steve approached him with a smile, softly nudging John with his shoulder and adjusting his glasses with his thumb. “The guys are ruthless as usual.” He commented, sidestepping the poke John tried to give him.

“Yes. I’ve trained them well.” John chuckled, only to snicker and shake his head as a few of his soldiers broke off into their own little tickle fights.

“Think they should let up a little yet? I almost feel bad for poor Pico.”

John wanted to roll his eyes, but they stuck on Steve as he smiled fondly. “Yeah, no.” He snorted. “Good cop ain’t on call today, Stevie.”

“Maybe we could let him go if he’s learned his lesson~?” Steve suggested, raising his voice so the kid could hear him.

John let out a laugh, crossing his arms over his chest. “Nah, maybe a little longer just for that. Kids like him tend to need some tutoring, y’know?”

“John, you’re terrible.” Steve giggled, punching his arm lightly, and John chuckled with him until he felt something.

He looked up to see the kid glaring at him as best as he could through all that laughter, one eye glowing a bright, flickering green. He rolled his eyes and smirked.

“Yeah, kid, I’m so scared…” He huffed, stepping forward and kneeling in front of him. “But as long as this circle’s up, your powers aren’t getting you any—”

Something rattled, and John spun around for a second. It had sounded like it was right against his head, as if he was wearing a rattlesnake around his neck.

Rattlesnake…

“John?” Steve called hesitantly, looking around for a moment as well. When John’s eyes fell on him, they widened fearfully before he could catch himself. A tiny spot of green light rested perfectly still on Steve’s chest. As he was pulling his staff from over his shoulder, a hail of bullets came down fast enough to turn Steve into a fine mist and hard enough to rip deep burrows in the dirt where he once stood.

“Stevie!!” He cried out, eyes narrowing sharply as he turned around. “Men, get back; get behind me!”

The air itself seemed to rattle with gunfire as the soldiers around the bastard kid were quickly thinned out. Those who had managed to get behind John were encased in the purple shield he cast. Slashing lines were cut deep into the dusty earth, cutting through anyone in their path, and, as John was quick to realize, upsetting the ground enough to break the barrier spell they’d spent so long setting up.

The kid seemed to realize, too, since he shifted quickly into his demon form and curled up tight to protect himself. The rattling came closer until bullets were battering John’s shield. He growled to himself, and the soldiers around him attempted to aid him in boosting the shield’s power, but it seemed to chip faster with their effort.

It burst within seconds, and all of John’s soldiers were gone before he could blink. And to top it all off, John’s body was thrown to the ground by a weight attempting to cave in his ribs. A heavy boot came down on his collarbone. When he was finally able to open his eyes, he found himself staring down the barrel of a rifle, his helmet lost or broken somewhere during the chaos.

Two rattling tails swayed slowly in his peripheral. Less than he was used to; she wasn’t too mad. The gun was shoved up against his cheek as she ground the toe of her boot into his neck.

“O-Okay, easy, easy! Krotalía!” John choked out, grabbing at her ankle with one hand.

“Sergeant John Captain…” She hissed slowly, eyeing him through the sights. “I was starting to think you’d forgotten my name. Maybe got your hand shot off in a way ya finally couldn’t fix it. Would explain why ya never write me anymore.”

John could hear his soldiers’ footsteps coming from the main building, but they knew to keep their distance from this one.

Krotalía continued with a snide chuckle. “But, nah. Here I find you: still in one piece; still running the boys up and down the field; and most importantly: Picking on my goddamn kid!”

“Ma, I was fine!” The kid suddenly argued, stepping forward half shifted. “I could have handled them!”

John saw one of Krotalía’s tails split into two, and a gunshot rang out as the kid was thrown backwards with a little squeak.

“Oh, we’ll be discussing your punishment in a second, ya little hell spawn.” She snarled, but John could see her smiling over her shoulder.

“Alright, Rattlesnake, cut the shit.” John huffed, giving a small grin of his own. “Let me up. We’ll chat, yeah?”

Krotalía hissed faintly, unable to keep the smile off of her lips as she finally pulled the gun away from John’s face. “Yes, let’s…” She stepped back, turning away from him and giving her son a playful kick where he was lying.

John sat up with a wince, coughing softly and spitting some blood between his teeth. “So, who wants to talk about how your little brat has been razing through our battlefield like clockwork for the past few weeks?”

The woman chuckled, lifting her kid up by the back of his shirt and setting him down. “Yeah, I had a feeling he’d been getting some training in somewhere. He’s been getting awfully competitive with me lately.”

John glared slightly; fuck him for expecting a mischief making snake bitch to discipline her mischief making dragon brat.

She laughed at him though, resting her rifle over her shoulder. “I know that look, Johnny; you read like a bad script.” One of her tails whacked her kid to nudge him forward. “Go on, Pico. Make nice for once.”

The kid crossed his arms and looked away, thumping his tail on the dirt behind him; and when he finally looked up at John, he just stuck his tongue out and blew a raspberry.

John snorted before he could catch himself. “Y’know, if you’re going to act like a four-year-old, maybe you should expect the tickle monster to get ya again next time too.”

He blushed brightly and snarled, shifting suddenly and attempting to lunge, only to be caught in one of his mother’s tails. “Dammit, Pico!” She growled while John just laughed again.

She set him on his feet again, and he shifted back to a mostly human shape before she gave him another whack on the back of his head this time. He grumbled angrily and stepped forward, extending a hand.

“…You know I’ll be back, right?” He asked, hinting a smirk.

“You gonna call your mommy to bail you out then too?” John teased, but he was quick to accept the handshake before the brat… Ugh, before Pico took it back. He even ruffled that mess of red hair as he chuckled and let go of his hand. “Krotalía, you don’t have to make him apologize. We’re all friends here, yeah?”

Pico spit out a little spark of flame and tried to pout, but he couldn’t help smiling a little. Krotalía looked between the two of them and rolled her eyes with a sigh.

“Boys…” She snickered, slipping one of her tails around Pico to guide his turn away from John and the soldiers. “C’mon, kid. Let’s go over those numbers you got.”

Pico had bounced excitedly at the idea, but he glanced back as they were walking. He drew one of his handguns from thin air and sneered right at John. “I’ll get you, old man…” He growled playfully, getting a little smack on his arm by his mother’s tail.

John chuckled, shaking his head. He’d look forward to it.

“John!” John glanced back to his troops, and the crowd parted slightly to let Steve run up. John smiled as he caught him in a hug, sighing softly over his shoulder and squeezing him tight.

“Are they already gone?” Steve asked softly, having to fix his glasses when John let him go. “That’s a shame. I wanted to speak to her.”

“You would say that after getting fucking shredded, wouldn’t you?” John chuckled, giving Steve a playful shove before addressing the soldiers that had gathered.

“Alright, men! I’d say we handled that pretty well, all things considered…”

There was a chorus of chuckles and murmurs in agreement.

“Now, I think we all know damn well this isn’t the last time we’ll be seeing Pico rushing through here. More importantly, the kid’s not gonna fall for that trick so easily again. It’s time I put you all on some heavier demon hunter training.”

He glanced back at Steve, who was already flipping through his summoned spellbook. “Game on, Stevie?”

Steve smiled fondly and shook his head. “Game on, sir.”

#a panda writes a thing #friday night funkin #friday night funkin pico #tankman #Tickling #fnf tickling

[kickthebabylol]

How i think fnf characters draw themselves to me personally

Keith: beginning. Just needs a little more practice. :)

Gf/cherry: has drawn much but likes the chibi style.

Pico: can't draw for shit.

Senpai/ayumu: has drawn a LOT. And i mean A L O T. He really loves anime (he is funking a Japanese child. He acts like an anime boi). He just makes himself out to look a bit creepy in his drawings. Can't even get the left eye correct like the right eye (basically this whole desciption except for the japanese part is me irl tbh).

Skid n pump: their fnf icon. They think drawing lile this cute and it is. They just need practice on drawing bodies though.

Monster/lemon demon: you get the point of him.

Daddy dearest: likes to fill the page with xed out drawings of his terrible drawings of himself. Really needs practice if hes gonna do that.

Mommy must murder: S T I C K P E R S O N.

A n d.....thats it....oh! Spirit cannot draw. He has no hands.

[jubilantwriter]

Moments Kept like Fallen Leaves

(AO3)

Summary: Boyfriend was always different, and being different means being shunned by everyone around him. Whispers follow after him no matter how much he covers his ears, and his mother can't shield him from the ire of their village. He's never known what it's like to have a friend - a real, true friend. Maybe that's why he was so attached to the little bird he found one day. And maybe that's why he was so attached to the boy with fiery hair and a mysterious past.

The leaves fall around them with every passing moment, and he wishes that for once, just once, the world would be kind to him and give him this one little thing.

Pico smiles, and Boyfriend wishes nothing more but to spend another passing moment with his best friend.

Word Count: 20728

(A/N: This has been on my AO3 for quite some time, and I figured now is as good a time as any to start cross posting my fics from AO3 onto Tumblr again.  This one was definitely one of my bigger projects, and one I’m still proud of!  I even wrote a “rap battle” sorta thing for it (check out the tags for the backing track since it’s a bit of a spoiler)!  So anyway, I hope you folks enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed creating this au!)

////

Don't go into the nearby woods, his mother had told him. There are monsters there. As much as he'd like to heed her words, the woods were just... right there. Full of tasty berries and little creatures to play with, he's sure! And it'd just be for one day.

Only for a day.

The little boy with bright blue hair laughs as he runs into the woods, away from the prying eyes of the town, away from the whispers and judging, scornful looks of the townspeople as he runs farther away from troubles he doesn't quite understand. The woods are inviting. Quiet, but at the same time, noisy. It fills him with calm, with how the shadows fall from the trees and cast such wonderful shapes on the ground. Here, no one can ask him strange questions that he has to answer.

"Why is your hair blue?"

"Can't you speak?"

"Where did your father run off to?"

"Can't you do what you're told?"

And better yet, he can run away from the accusations tossed at him like sticks and stones.

"You must be why your father never returned."

"I heard your mother is a witch."

"Such strange hair, you must be cursed."

"Stay away, strange child."

If he runs away from all the bad words, they can't hurt him anymore. No one can be mean to him if he's in the forest. No one can hurt him if he's in the forest. His mother told him there were monsters in the woods, but she'd yet to see the monsters in the town.

Boyfriend slows to a stop and sits down by a tree. He rubs his eyes and sniffs softly. It's nice to know that no one else can see him when he's crying. No one to make fun of him, no one to fake obligatory worry, and certainly no one who will sneer at him for it. Better yet, his mother won't have to worry if she doesn't know anything.

A crash catches his attention, and a loud thump sounds next to him. Whatever landed brushes against him, and the boy startles and hops away, skittering behind another tree and hiding. What was that?! It felt big and warm and… human-like. A monster?! He gulps, waiting for the creature to move.

Nothing.

He waits for a few minutes. Still, nothing happens. After another moment, he decides to creep closer as the sense of danger passes to curiosity. A helpless chirp immediately draws him in, and his eyes catch sight of a little fledgling of a bird. A chick, maybe? But a little too big to be a chick and - as Boyfriend gently prods at its feathers - there's very little down feathers left. So, not human-like at all. It must have been his imagination. The little bird flinches and makes a high cry, flapping a single wing and trying to hop away from the child.

Ah. It's hurt.

"No no, shhh, it's okay!" Boyfriend holds his hands up to show he means no harm, but he doubts the bird can understand him. "I won't hurt you!"

Still, the bird attempts to puff out its feathers at him and cries again. It actually makes it a little cute. He giggles, and that only makes the bird angrier.

"Ah, sorry!" He backs up a bit on his knees and gives some distance between him and the bird. The brownish feathers are mottled with blood, and it looks like something tried to claw at it. One wing looks badly broken, almost mangled even, and an urge rises up inside him. He should help the poor thing! Surely, his mother would know what to-

A drop of water lands on his head, and he looks up to see the stormy clouds drifting above them. The bird seems to notice too, as it huddles lower to the ground, trembling a bit at the notion of a storm. Boyfriend turns back to the bird and holds his hands out to it. "Here, just hop into my hands!"

It stares at Boyfriend's hands before looking back up at Boyfriend. He smiles brightly and tries to coax it closer. "I promise I won't hurt you! Let's just get out of here before the storm starts." The bird stares some more at his hands before a drop of water lands on its head. With a startled chirp, it hops into Boyfriend's hands, and he carefully cups the chick close to his chest before he goes off running.

The trees are a blur as he races against the storm, precious cargo held in his hands as he continues to run for his cottage. It's one of the few times he's happy to have it on the outskirts of town - less distance between home and the forest! He bursts into his small home, startling his mother as she stands by the fire.

"Boyfriend!" She holds a hand over her heart and sighs. "I've told you not to do that so many times!"

"Sorry sorry," he mumbles, hiding the bird away from his mother's eyes. Unfortunately, she already notices his odd, hunched over form and squints suspiciously.

"What have you got there, little one?"

"Nuthin'." He curls away from her as she approaches, but her keen eyes spot the bundle trying to peek through his fingers. She raises an eyebrow in surprise.

"A bird?"

"A chick!" he corrects, revealing the hurt thing to her eyes. Her mouth forms a small "o" as she looks at the cowering creature. "It's hurt, and I couldn't leave it alone. It's still a baby-" At that, the bird makes a sound close to a squawk, and his mother chuckles at the sound.

"Hmm." She eyes the little thing as it huddles closer to Boyfriend's hands, trembling under her gaze. "...It is a youngling, little one."

"And it's hurt!"

"And it's hurt." She nods in agreement and smiles at her son. "Tell you what - we'll nurse the little one back to health, but after that we must release it back into the wild, alright?"

"Okay!" He agrees easily and smiles down at the bird as it looks up at him. "We can do that."

"Shall we name the little one?"

"Hmm..." He holds the bird up to eye level as it looks at him curiously, previous wariness seemingly gone as he grins brightly. "I dunno!"

His mother chuckles as she ruffles his hair. "We can always name it later."

"Yeah!"

His mother and him prepare a resting spot for the bird on a chair. Old tunics make a soft nest for the chick as Boyfriend rests his chin on it to stare at the bird. The bird stares back with an unblinking gaze. He hums a lullaby his mother sometimes sings for him, and the bird visibly relaxes at the melody. The sight of it makes Boyfriend nearly jump up with glee - maybe the bird is already starting to trust him! Before he can do anything else however, his mother approaches with a cloth filled with a variety of foodstuffs. He looks at the strange collection before looking back up at his mother.

"What's all this?"

"Well, we don't know what kind of bird this one is," she begins slowly, "so we must test out each and see what it prefers."

"Don't all birds eat the same things?" He tilts his head to the side as the bird tries to eagerly see what's in his mother's grasp.

"No, my silly little dear." She chuckles and sets the cloth down before the bird. "You see, some birds may prefer seeds like these here." She points to a small mound of them that the bird expressively ignores. "Others may prefer berries and fruits." She points to the small gathering of berries, to which the bird also ignores. "And others prefer bits of meat." The bird happily hops over to the small strips of meat she has laying down on the cloth and eats it all.

"It didn't even touch the other stuff!"

"Indeed, it did not."

"I always eat aaaall my food."

His mother laughs and pulls him close into her arms as the bird hops back into the nest. "Yes, my little heart, you always do."

"I'm not picky at all!"

"No, you're not."

"OH!" Boyfriend exclaims excitedly and claps his hands. "I know what to name it!"

"What are you going to name it?"

He points at the bird happily. "Picky!"

The bird squawks unhappily as his mother laughs. The fire crackles in the background and for once, Boyfriend feels as though the world doesn't hate him.

~(*v*)~

"Picky, you can't flap your wings."

The bird cries back at him defiantly.

"No! Mama says you have to heal up first, and that means resting and eating lots of food and not flapping your wings!"

Picky caws at him and tries to flap its wings again.

"No!!" He cups the little bird up in his hands and scowls. "This is for your own good! If you don't rest, then it'll never heal-"

"What're you talking to?"

Boyfriend flinches at the voice. He turns his head and sees a trio of children from town. The small pasture he found must’ve been closer to town than he realized. They look down at him, unimpressed by what they see.

Ah.

These kids don't like him, as do many of the others in town. He looks away with a nervous smile and holds the confused bird closer to his chest. His voice softens to an almost unintelligible level.

"Um, no one-"

"Gods, I can never hear a word you say." The tallest kid steps forward and frowns, before leaning forward to see what it is that Boyfriend is trying to shield from them. "...Is that a bird?"

"Mmm..." Boyfriend angles his body away from the taller kid, blocking Picky from their sight.

"Hey! I just wanna see, dummy!" The taller kid shoves him harshly, making Boyfriend gasp and fall over backwards. Still, he keeps a protective hold on Picky even as the bird struggles to get out. Right, who wouldn't want to fly away from this situation?

"He's got a bird in his hands!"

"Why?"

"We can eat those, right?"

"Roast them over a fire!"

"Oh, is it a chicken?"

"He's keeping a chicken!"

"I wager he doesn't know how to take care of it."

"We should take it from him." All three of the children focus on him with grins on their faces, hands reaching out to take another one of his things yet again.

"N-no..." He scrambles back as fast as he can, but a pair of hands are already trying to pry his fingers off Picky, another pair holding him in place as he struggles. "Stop it! It's hurt!"

"Hurt?" The three children look to each other as their grins widen. "That means we can eat it!"

"I can ask my ma to prepare it! She's real good at cooking chickens-"

"NO!" At his yell, Picky pecks viciously at the hands grabbing onto Boyfriend's hands. The child shrieks, backing away quickly as Boyfriend quickly turns and bites at the hands keeping him in place. The other child yells in pain and releases him, giving Boyfriend enough time to scramble up and run away. He charges towards the forest as the children behind him start to yell and pelt rocks and sticks at him.

"Get out!"

"Don't come back to town!"

"Changeling!"

A rock hits the back of his head hard, but it's the least painful thing Boyfriend's felt yet. He continues running until the trees surround him, and he curls up by the roots of one as he sobs softly. The bundle in his arms chirps loudly, craning its head up to look at him. For a moment, he wants to believe it's out of worry and concern, even though it has a broken wing. Right, Picky's the one who's actually seriously hurt. He scrubs the tears in his eyes away and gives the bird a wobbly smile.

"It's okay. I'm okay. Um, that was scary, huh?" The bird shifts in his arms as he keeps it cradled safely. "They're always like that. Sometimes, there's even more of them! I don't think they like me much." Picky chirps at that, and it makes him laugh. "I think it's 'cause I look strange? Lots of people say I'm um... I'm probably a child of a fae, or maybe I'm some kinda changeling? But mama says that I'm definitely her child, no matter what the townsfolk say. She says it's not my fault I have... strange looks." He hums nervously as he tries to keep himself from crying again. "But um! I won't let them hurt you. You still need to heal, and I'll just avoid that part of town." Much like he avoids most parts of town without his mother. He had thought that little corner was safe but... apparently not. "It'll be okay. It'll be okay because you have me, and I'm really good at running away! And no one likes the forest much s-so..." He bites his lip and looks away from the bird to stare up at the sky, willing the tears to go away. "No one's gonna hurt us here, okay? It'll be okay. It'll be okay."

The bird chirps softly and nuzzles its head against his chest. He wants to believe it's for comfort, and the thought of it is enough to let the tears flow freely.

When he returns home, his mother is frantic with worry as she gathers him up in her arms and tends to his scratches and the bit of dried blood on the back of his head. He doesn't say anything, knowing his mother will go yell at the children's parents and make the townsfolk scorn her more. All the while, Picky watches from its little nest as Boyfriend stares back blankly.

~(*v*)~

The forest, he finds, is the safest place to let Picky out to have some sunlight. He sits them down by the tree he's grown to recognize and watches as the little fledgling hops about on the ground. It never strays too far from Boyfriend, so he has no worries of it wandering off somewhere, and sometimes it hops back with a pretty leaf to present to Boyfriend. He takes it with a giggle and adds it to his growing pile of leaves. Each time, the bird chirps happily and hops off again, no doubt to find another leaf.

"You know," Boyfriend says out loud, despite knowing that the bird cannot understand him, "I don't get why everyone is so scared of the forest."

The bird turns back to him and chirps, before turning back and hopping about once more.

"It's really nice out here! And I haven't heard of any wolves yet. But I guess they're more around at night, huh?" Boyfriend idly taps at the tree bark as he looks up at the sky. Through the leaves of the tree, he can see the clear, blue sky above, fluffy white clouds drifting idly by as the wind gently jostles the leaves of the trees.

It looks so beautiful up there. He wonders what it's like to fly in the sky like a bird, to be free from troubles he can't understand, away from the scorn of others when all he has to focus on is the sound of the wind and the rush of the air flowing around him.

"It must be nice to be a bird! Do you get to visit faraway places?"

The bird merely gives him a faint call, and Boyfriend giggles at the response.

"I bet you get to eat all sorts of fresh meats too. Does this mean you're the kinda bird that hunts? Mama tells me that sometimes hunters use birds to help them catch prey, though they usually come from the more rich folk. Castle folk, I think."

He's never seen the castle. His mother says that it's a bit far from where their town lies, and he takes her word for it. Though he thinks it would be nice to see it one of these days. Town squares bustling with people he's never met before, food a plenty, and maybe... maybe even a friend for him to meet!

He'd like that.

"I bet you could visit the castle any time you want! You could probably see aaaaall the things the castle towns have! Maybe see new people, or other birds, or maybe even new animals! All we have here are rabbits and hares, sometimes other birds, and the farmers sometimes take their sheep out to the fields to graze..." A nudge catches his attention, and he looks to see that Picky has a new leaf in its beak. He takes it with a smile and holds it up to the light.

It's big and green and unbroken. No tears in sight! He wonders how Picky can find the most perfect leaves for him like this.

"Thank you!" The bird chirps and settles on his knee, looking up at him with wide eyes. He carefully scratches the top of the bird's head like his mom showed him, and Picky leans into the touch. "You know, I wonder if you can understand me sometimes." The bird blinks and looks back up at him, head tilted curiously. "It'd be amazing if you could, you know? Like, I could ask you if you were a girl or a boy, or if you'd like to eat something other than meat, or if your nest needs more stuff..." He trails off and lolls his head up to look at the sky. "Maybe I'd ask if you know how to sing like the other birds I see around here! Or maybe if you know how to fly yet. Mama says you're pretty young."

The bird squawks and puffs its feathers out. Boyfriend giggles and gently scratches its head again. It's enough to calm the bird, and the feathers lay back against its body. A breeze blows gently across them, Boyfriend feeling relaxed and at peace. He wishes all his days were like this. But the gentle rays that fall from the sky take a warmer tone, signaling that it's time for them to go home. He scoops up his leaves and hides them in a hollow of their tree before cupping Picky up and cradling him against his chest.

"Time to go home!" The bird chirps back at him, and Boyfriend makes the march back.

Today is one of those days that requires an entrance without fanfare, so he keeps himself tame as he sits at the table, Picky situated next to him. He asks his mother a simple question as she works on their dinner. "Mama, do you think Picky is a boy or a girl?"

"Hmm, I wouldn't know." She doesn't look up from the pot she's stirring from. "What do you think?"

"Hmm." Boyfriend turns to Picky as Picky holds his stare. "Boy?" Picky puffs its chest out. "Girl." Picky pecks at his hand lightly. With a grin, Boyfriend turns to his mother with his decision. "I think he's a boy!"

"Oh? And what makes you say that?"

He looks over at the bird as it settles in close to him. "I just know!"

~(*v*)~

"Mama says your wing is all healed but..." He pokes the bird sitting on the forest floor, ignoring his irritated squawk as Boyfriend lays down close by. "How come you're not flying away?"

Picky hops from foot to foot, not straying too far from Boyfriend as the bird looks up at the trees. Boyfriend looks up as well and tries to understand what the bird is thinking. A thought crosses his mind. "Do you not know how to fly?"

The bird smacks his wing against Boyfriend's face. He sputters, whining as he rubs his face. "That's mean! I'm just asking!"

Picky squawks again, hopping some distance away from Boyfriend and settling down. Boyfriend rolls over to him with a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that you don't know how to fly." The bird looks at him before gently rubbing his face against Boyfriend's cheek. He giggles and sits up, carefully scooping the bird into his hands. "So does this mean you can fly? Why don't you?"

Picky huddles down in Boyfriend's hands, a familiar tremble coming back. Boyfriend blinks and brings the bird up closer to his face. "Are you... scared?" He looks over the bird again. The wounds from that day have healed up, but the feathers have yet to grow over it to conceal the scars. He's not sure if the scars will ever be concealed actually. He hums and cradles the bird close to his chest in hopes of comforting him. It seems to work as the trembling slows to a halt within a few minutes.

"That's okay. I get scared too sometimes, after something bad happens." He scratches the top of Picky's head and continues talking. "Mama says that even if bad things might happen again, I still have to take chances. She says that sometimes, I just have to be brave." His finger pauses in its movements as he stares off into the distance. She'd said that about the other children, that he'd have to one day face them again and make them stop. He doesn't think they'll ever stop. Not until he's forever gone from their sight. But he shouldn't tell Picky that. If one of them can get away from here, he hopes it's his little bird friend. "So maybe you just have to be a little brave! But don't worry," he brings the bird eye level again and smiles, "I won't let you do it alone."

He helps Picky up a tree, placing the bird on top of his hair as he climbs a tree and then placing him on the branch. Once he's back on the ground, he holds his hands out and calls out to the bird.

"Try jumping and flying!"

He watches as the bird hesitates, cowers, and then simply...

Leans to the side and falls.

Boyfriend yelps and quickly catches the little thing. Picky flaps a bit in his hands, looking around bewildered and a bit puffed out.

"Goodness," he huffs out, shaking his head. "Okay, maybe another day?"

So they go out to the same spot day after day. He places the bird in the tree and hopes he'll try flying again.

Some days he manages to hop off and flap his wings, only to freeze midair with Boyfriend catching him before he flops to the ground. Other times he manages to get some lift for a minute before once again falling into Boyfriend's arms.

"It's okay," he reassures the bird with a smile. "We'll do this however long we need!"

They try again and again. Boyfriend tries climbing up higher in the tree, plopping the bird down in higher branches before climbing down.

Day after day, they try again and again. Every time a bit of progress is made, he cheers Picky on and it perks the bird up from each failure.

It's on his eleventh birthday that Picky flaps excitedly from his nest.

"What's it?" Boyfriend turns to the bird as he swallows down a bit of his lunch. "Hungry?"

The bird flaps his wing in Boyfriend's face, making the young boy sputter in surprise. "You stop that! What is it then?"

The bird looks towards the door and back at Boyfriend with an eager flap of his wings.

"...You want to go out?" Picky lets out a happy cry at that. Boyfriend jumps up from his seat excitedly. "Alright! Let's-"

"Young man, finish your food."

"Yes, mama." He quickly shoves as much as he can into his mouth before scooping Picky up in his hands. "We'll be back soon!"

"How did you finish-"

He's gone before he can hear the last of her sentence, racing out to the forest-

A wing slaps his chest. He skids to a halt, looking down at the bird. "Huh-?"

Picky climbs and clings to his hand carefully, talons digging in experimentally before tightening just enough to not break skin. Slowly, Boyfriend closes his hand into a fist and brings the bird to eye level, tilting his head much like Picky normally does.

"What are you doing?" Picky flaps his wings and directs his head upwards. Boyfriend looks up as well, not seeing what the bird sees. He looks back at the bird. "I don't get it."

Picky lets out a cry and grips tightly to Boyfriend's fist and flaps again, almost dragging Boyfriend's fist up with him. Surprised, Boyfriend pulls his fist down and looks at the bird again. "What do you want me to do?"

Picky squawks and flutters his wings.

"I wish you could talk to me."

Picky looks up at the sky and back at Boyfriend, his wings going up quickly, halting, and then going down quickly. Boyfriend tilts his head to the side and he swears that Picky sighs at him. The bird tries again, this time only jerking one wing up, before bringing it down quickly. Boyfriend blinks, mimicking the motion with the bird on his hand and immediately feeling stupid. However, the bird seems pleased, almost bouncing in place when he is lifted quickly into the air. Did he...?

Boyfriend bites his lip and takes a chance, leaning to the side for a bit of a dip, before tossing the bird up into the air with force. Picky lets go of his hand, flaps his wings, and...

And he flies. He gains height and flies in circles around Boyfriend, the boy hollering and cheering as the bird flies with ease.

They did it. They did it! He can fly again!

Picky lands on his fist and immediately, Boyfriend tosses him back up. He goes back up and flies and soars and releases a shriek that Boyfriend's never heard before, but it sounds right coming from Picky. The bird lands on his shoulder this time, and Boyfriend laughs as he cups a hand gently against the bird to keep him steady.

"That's amazing! You did it! You can fly again!" And then a thought hits him. "You can... fly again." He tries not to let his somber thoughts dampen his cheer, and he keeps a smile on his face bravely. "I guess that means you have to go, huh?"

The bird carefully flutters a bit until he's back on Boyfriend's closed fist, now eye level with the boy as he tilts his head curiously.

"Well, I mean, you're all healed up, and you can fly again so that means you're... you're good to go, right?"

The bird doesn't answer him. Of course he couldn't, he's a bird, but Boyfriend always felt as though he could understand Picky just a little bit.

"Um, if you're gonna go... will you promise not to... forget me?"

Picky blinks, before leaning in closer and gently nuzzling against Boyfriend's cheek. The boy chuckles softly and sniffs, brushing the tears away from his eyes. "A-and, if you um, if you fly over any of the castle towns, do you think you could... bring me back a friend?"

Picky tilts his head to the side before gently slapping him with a wing. Boyfriend giggles and carefully hugs the bird to his chest.

"Okay. I don't know what that means, but if you can, stop by for a visit?"

Picky squawks, and Boyfriend takes that as a "yes". With a smile, he tosses Picky up one last time.

The bird circles above for just a moment before beating his wings hard and soaring off high into the sky. Picky's gone without another word or call. Still, Boyfriend waves after the bird until he can't see him off in the distance.

"Son? Is everything alright?" His mother calls from the cottage, and he quickly wipes his tears away and puts on a bright smile.

"Yes!" He points up to where Picky disappeared and speaks soft enough for just his mother to hear as she comes up behind him. "He's finally gone home."

~(*v*)~

A year passes. Nothing much changes, he finds. The children still hate him. The townsfolk still keep their distance. And he's still without a single friend.

He sits out in the forest next to his favorite tree and looks over the leaves his bird friend once gave him. Picky always did hold favor over the green ones. The color has all but dried away, leaving the leaves crispy, brown, and dry, but the memories still lay fresh in his mind. It's not much, but it's enough to keep a smile on his face. He wonders how Picky is doing, if the bird is off on adventures, seeing new places and new faces.

He wonders if the bird still remembers him.

A shadow crosses above him, too big to be a bird's. Still, he looks up, hoping to see a familiar shape.

Nothing. Just the pale blue sky. He sighs, and closes his eyes. As he drifts off, he hears a flutter of wings just above him.

He wakes up a few hours later, and a brownish red feather rests in his lap along with a few green leaves, perfect in shape and completely unblemished.

Carefully, he picks up the feather and measures it against his arm. Looking back up at the sky, he hopes that maybe the bird has come back for a visit.

"...Picky?"

No answer.

Still.

He smiles and holds it close to his heart.

Maybe next time.

~(*v*)~

Another year passes. He finds himself spending more and more time out in the forest. No one follows him into the forest. Too dangerous, too scary. The children jeer and yell that they hope he gets eaten by bears and wolves. He knows that will never happen. The bears and wolves all live deeper in the forest, away from the real monsters in town.

He walks to his favorite tree and starts when he sees... someone? Already there. He stumbles, stepping on a twig, and catches himself against a tree as he regains his balance. No way. No one ever comes this deep into the forest. When he looks back up, there's no one there. No one except...

"...Picky?!"

The bird shrieks and flaps its wings, perched on a branch in his favorite tree. He yells and the bird soars to him, landing on his arm and butting his head against cheek.

"Picky!!" He carefully hugs the bird against his chest and laughs. "Your tail feathers look different now! Sorta red- is this how you’re supposed to look all grown up? And you've gotten bigger! You're so heavy now, it's almost hard to lift you!"

The bird squawks and slaps his face, and Boyfriend realizes just how much he's missed his attacks.

He sits down against their favorite tree and chatters away about how much has changed since the bird has been gone. Minutes drift by like seconds, and Picky moves from his arm to his knee as he listens attentively, head tilting this way and that as Boyfriend goes on about how his mother is doing, the latest harvest, how Boyfriend has been trying to figure out which trade suits him the best - and avoiding the obvious topics.

Still, as best he tries to avoid what hasn't changed, Picky pecks lightly at a scar on his arm. Boyfriend laughs nervously and tries to hide it against his body.

"That's- that's nothing, don't worry about it."

Picky squawks and adjusts his footing on his knee, clearly unsatisfied. He's unable to hide from the bird's sharp eyes and breaks under pressure.

"...Okay. I guess- y'know, the others, they... still don't like me. And, um, they've gotten more... violent? I guess, with their methods. It doesn't help that some of them are learning to hunt too, so... But uh! This was an accident!" He points to his scar and laughs nervously. "I'm pretty sure of it! The kid didn't realize how sharp his knife was and- um, even he looked scared when I started bleeding so... I'm sure he didn't mean it!"

Picky's feathers puff out, and he knows the bird well enough that it's a show of aggression. There's nothing much Picky can do, however. He's just a bird. To appease his friend, Boyfriend reaches over and scratches his head like he did when he was younger.

"Don't worry about it! I'll be fine." Somehow, the bird manages a look of skepticism that makes Boyfriend laugh. "I mean it! I want to say that I'd like to hear what you've been up to, but you can't talk." The bird nonetheless squawks at that and slaps his chest with his wing, making Boyfriend laugh once more. "I'm sorry! But I just won't be able to understand all of it." He hums and relaxes against the tree, closing his eyes as he basks in the slowly dying lights of the sun. "Y'know, sometimes I wish you were... human. So that we could talk and stuff. Like real friends. It's kinda funny. You're like, one of two other creatures I can talk comfortably with. And there's nothing wrong with talking with you! It's just that you're..." He drifts off, not sure what he wants to say.

Not here all the time?

A bird?

Not human?

He opens his eyes, the warmth of the sun disappearing as he offers Picky his arm. "Well, I'd rather not think about it. Are you still gonna be here tomorrow?"

The bird tilts his head, and Boyfriend smiles. "Well, if you're not, have a good flight, friend."

He tosses the bird up lightly, and Picky flies up to land on a high branch. His eyes follow after Boyfriend as he leaves the forest with a wave.

The next day, Boyfriend hears of a hawk that attacked a good chunk of children his age. There was sure to be scarring left on their faces and arms. He runs to the forest after that, looking for Picky. But when he approaches their favorite tree, the bird has long since gone.

~(*v*)~

He's fourteen when the ostracization begins to eat at his insides. Nothing he does can please them. Everything he does only riles them up more, so he takes to running to the forest the moment he finishes with his chores.

Today was supposed to be like any other day. Do his chores, avoid the others, and run to the forest. He did just that too, so nothing was supposed to change.

Except.

When he approached his tree, someone else was already there.

Another child.

No one's ever followed him out here before. He steps on a twig - of course he steps on a twig! - and the child turns at the sound. Boyfriend quickly hides behind another tree, but he knows he's too late when he hears footsteps approaching. When they get right next to the tree he hides behind, he immediately flings his arms up to his face and braces himself.

"Listen! I-I don't know what you want, but I'll leave you alone if you leave me alone, so please-"

"Hey, hey," the boy says, his voice slightly deeper than Boyfriend's, "I'm not here to hurt ya."

Blinking in surprise, he lowers his arms just enough to see the boy better. "...You're not lying?"

"Honest." The other boy holds his hands up to show he means no harm. "I'm uh, I'm not from... around here."

"...Oh!" Boyfriend nervously lowers his arms and instead rubs them. "Sorry. Habit."

"It's okay." They both stand there awkwardly, Boyfriend's eyes flitting this way and that as he avoids eye contact. The boy shuffles his feet awkwardly, before stepping away to give him some space. Moments pass in awkward silence as neither of them seem to know what to say. Instead of speaking, Boyfriend chooses to just leave even if it means he'll have to sacrifice his moments of solitude to return to his mother. As he turns to leave, he hears the boy speak up hurriedly.

"W-wait!"

Boyfriend freezes in place.

"I, um, I was just here to rest for a moment. You don't have to leave because of me."

Still, Boyfriend doesn't move.

"We can... sit by the tree together? I haven't really gotten a chance to talk much to anyone in a while so..."

He hesitates. The boy isn't going to ask about his hair? He's not going to accuse Boyfriend of strangeness? That's... oddly new. Curious, he turns to face the boy, and is met with a shock of bright red hair. A ginger. They say those with red hair have a stronger penchant for magical crafts. Maybe that's why...?

The boy looks at him with wide eyes before looking away. "It's okay if you don't want to," he says softly, "I get it."

Boyfriend swallows hard. Those words feel too familiar for him to ignore. "No, we can rest together." Boyfriend quickly points to his favorite tree, the one the boy was standing under earlier. "Um, how about over there?"

The boy again looks at him with wide eyes, before brightening with delight as he nods his head in agreement. It startles Boyfriend, to have someone so excited to actually be around him. It's... new.

They settle down next to each other, and it's the first time that Boyfriend notices the bulky, green cloak the boy wears around his shoulders. There’s a large lump just under the cloak that Boyfriend thinks must be a pack. A traveler, it looks like. But isn't he a bit young to be traveling by himself?

"Um." Right. Conversation. Boyfriend was never good at those but he has to try now. "What's... what's your name?"

"My name?" The boy once again looks startled before he quickly gathers himself. "It's... Pico."

"Pico?"

"Yeah." There's another moment of awkward silence. Suddenly, Pico speaks hurriedly like he'd forgotten the next step of communication. "A-and you? What's uh, what's your name?"

"Um... Boyfriend?" Boyfriend fidgets where he sits. This is so unbelievably awkward. Neither of them seem capable of basic conversation.

"Boyfriend," Pico repeats softly, almost in relief. Still, he says nothing else after that, and Boyfriend struggles to make conversation appear out of thin air.

"Um! So... what... brings you... here?" Stunted. Awful. Why does he speak words like that?

"I... travel around a lot." Pico scratches the back of his head, looking at the forest in front of him. "I don't usually stay in one place for more than a day, unless I really like the place. Then I come back and visit if I do like it."

"Oh." So he is a traveler. He's doing what Boyfriend wishes he could do. It’s just that he feels... inadequate to travel by himself. He plucks at the grass by his feet as he tries not to compare himself to Pico. "That sounds fun. I wish I could do that."

"You could," Pico says almost too quickly, "I mean, when you're ready for it, that is."

"Yeah." Boyfriend looks up towards the sky and reaches for it. "Makes me wish I were a bird honestly. They're always ready to travel."

"I guess. But they're not always ready from the get-go. Sometimes they need help along the way. Sometimes they just need help getting started."

"You think?"

"Yeah, I know- uh, I mean, I've helped raise a lot of birds so I'd know."

"Really?" That strikes Boyfriend's interest, and he turns to Pico fully. "What kinda birds?"

"The um, the hunting kind?" He combs his bangs back nervously, as if unsure how much he's allowed to reveal. "Like... hawks and stuff."

"Oh! I kinda know about hawks!"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, I helped nurse one back to health."

"Tell me about it."

Somehow, he does. The words flow easily as he talks about Picky, and the boy listens easily, making comments here and there and even asking questions, as if he's genuinely interested in the conversation! He talks and talks, and Pico listens so attentively that neither of them notice the sun dipping down in the horizon. They both startle as they realize the sun is setting in the distance, and Pico gets up quickly.

"Oh, it's getting dark out."

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Despite having only known the boy for barely a day he feels... oddly familiar. His offer gives the boy pause as he considers it with great difficulty. Finally, Pico shakes his head sadly.

"I can't, sorry, I have to get a move on."

"You're leaving already?"

"Yeah, but." He takes hold of Boyfriend's hand and squeezes it. It's warm and firm and makes Boyfriend wish he'd known Pico sooner. "I'll be back by the next season."

"Oh. Oh! Does this mean you like it here?"

"Well," Pico shrugs and pulls his hands away with a smile, "I like the forest at least."

"Okay, um, if you're ever back, will you be at this tree again?"

"Of course." Pico pulls the hood of his cloak over his head and waves, backing into the shadows of the woods as he does so. "I'll see you again, Boyfriend."

"Goodbye!" He waves until he's sure he can't see Pico for good. A flap of wings gets his attention, and he looks up at the darkening sky to see what it is. Nothing is evident except for a shape flying in the distance that he can't make out. What he does make out, however, is a single feather that floats down in front of him. He holds his hands out and allows it to land in his grasp.

A brownish feather.

...Picky?

~(*v*)~

True to his word, the mysterious boy returns with the next season. Not much has changed since the last time he's seen Pico, but somehow, he still finds the words to speak as they sit by the tree and talk about whatever comes to mind. Or rather, whatever comes to Boyfriend's mind. And each word he speaks, Pico listens attentively, never once interrupting and letting Boyfriend speak as freely as he wants.

By the end of the night, Pico knows of Boyfriend's troubles and woes. He's angered on his behalf which has never happened to Boyfriend before, aside from his mother. The boy looks ready to march into town to start a fight, but Boyfriend stops him, insisting it's not worth the trouble.

"But you're getting hurt!" Pico argues. "That makes it worth the trouble, right?"

Boyfriend doesn't know how to argue that. He keeps his mouth shut and looks to the ground. Instead of answering the question, he instead offers a quiet, "I just don't want you to get hurt because of me."

It's enough to quiet Pico, but not enough to calm him down.

Unlike Boyfriend, Pico doesn't say much about himself. He keeps quiet, preferring to listen to Boyfriend speak than speak about himself.

Still, Boyfriend notices the scars that litter his form. From the flashes of skin that Boyfriend manages to see, the boy manages to have a scar engraved in each patch. It worries Boyfriend, what happens to Pico and what had happened to Pico.

If he asks, however, Pico will always answer. "I got this from a fight with a bear," he says, the scars long and deep enough that Boyfriend doesn't feel stupid for believing him on the spot. "I got this from a friend. She was angry with me one day," he says, pointing to a pale line on his neck. "This, a hunter mistook me for prey and fired an arrow at me," he says, revealing a rounded scar on his arm. He paused then, half in thought as he rolled his sleeve down. "I get shot at a lot, actually."

"That's not good!" He grabs Pico's arm and shakes him a bit, startling the other boy. "You're getting hurt all the time, and then you get upset when I get hurt-"

"Wait wait, no, it's not the same thing." Pico pats his hand comfortingly and doesn't remove it from his arm. "I know how to defend myself. Each scar is from my own mistakes. But not you. People attack you for no reason and you're defenseless. That's what really makes me mad."

"I'm sorry," Boyfriend says as Pico's eyes widen.

"No no, it's not your fault. Listen," the ginger runs a hand through his hair as he thinks, his eyes lighting up as he comes up with something, "listen, I can- I'll show you how you can defend yourself, alright? So you don't get hurt as often."

"I don't know..." It's not like defending himself will make them stop.

"It's better than nothing. At least-" The boy hesitates, searching Boyfriend's eyes for something before taking a deep breath and looking away, "...At least do it for me."

Well, how can Boyfriend say no to that?

Pico starts teaching him moves to fight off anyone who "tries to hurt Boyfriend ever again", so Pico says. Boyfriend doesn't mind - he likes it, actually! Sure, it's tiring and it leaves him sore and winded, but Pico stays for longer than a day. In fact, Pico stays for a few more days before he's forced to leave, saying he can't linger in one place for too long. When Boyfriend asks why, Pico simply answers that it's better that he keeps on the move.

"In case someone finds me," he says, before giving Boyfriend's shoulder a pat as a farewell. "But I'll be back next season! So you better keep practicing while I'm gone!"

"I will!"

Even if it's by himself in the forest, just practicing and remembering what Pico's taught him is enough to make him smile. He'll make the ginger proud of him for sure!

~(*v*)~

The next season comes around, and Pico is sporting a fresh wound on his arm. Despite Boyfriend's worry, he waves it off with a smile and asks instead, "So how's your training going?"

Boyfriend shows him how far he's gotten, but his eyes don't stray from the stained cloth tied around Pico's arm as the boy continues to point out where he can improve.

"How long are you staying?" Boyfriend asks, fidgeting a bit as he waits for a response.

"...I can try for a few days."

"Great! Then you'll be here tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

The next day, Boyfriend stumbles towards their meeting tree with a basket full of food. Pico's surprise delights Boyfriend as he pulls out dishes his mother helped him pack.

"You don't tell me much about your adventures but," he pulls out a meat pie and presents it to Pico with a bright smile, "I imagine you don't get to eat many homemade goods often! I helped my mom with these, so hopefully they're still tasty."

"I..." Pico takes the pie with a stunned expression. "Thank you..."

"Of course! It's the least I can do since, um, since we're friends, right?"

Pico's head snaps up as he stares at Boyfriend as he fumbles.

"I mean, I think we are, b-but if we're not, I mean, that's okay too, I won't overstep my-"

"No. No! We're friends!" Pico takes Boyfriend's hand with his free one, smiling brightly as he squeezes it tightly. "We're friends."

"...Yeah! Friends!" They both stare for a moment before breaking into giggles, leaning into one another as they enjoy the warmth of the sunlight.

And it's then that Boyfriend realizes a single thought: food has never tasted as good as it did before this moment.

~(*v*)~

A season comes and goes, and instead of the familiar figure of the boy in green, a familiar bird is perched waiting for Boyfriend. He calls out to it happily, and Picky lands on his arm gently with a green leaf in his beak. Boyfriend takes it graciously, holding the leaf up in the sunlight as he examines it. Perfect, whole, and a bright shade of green. He's surprised that Picky managed to find a green leaf in this season, but the bird had always been very picky.

"I missed you!" He says, hugging the bird to his chest. A low grumbling noise sounds from the hawk, but he knows that Picky isn't grumpy in the slightest. He sits back against the tree and lets Picky climb onto his knee. "A lot's happened since you've been gone. I made a friend - a real friend! Like, a real human! He's smart and travels around, just like you! He also doesn't stay long but..."

Picky listens attentively, tilting his head this way and that as he listens to Boyfriend ramble about how amazing he thinks Pico is. Even if the bird doesn't quite understand him, Boyfriend finds it nice just to be able to talk about Pico to someone else for once. Just like always, time passes quickly for Boyfriend when he has his one-sided conversations with Picky. But the bird listens, and that's all that matters in the end. As the sun begins to set, Picky leans forward and rubs his head against Boyfriend's cheek. The boy laughs and scratches the top of his head.

"Aw, leaving already?"

Picky flaps his wings but remains on Boyfriend's knee.

"Alright. I wish you could meet Pico one day, he's really nice! I think you'd like him."

Picky gives himself a shake, his feathers puffing out slightly before settling down back against his body. Boyfriend hums and offers the bird his hand.

"Maybe you guys will come across each other on your travels. He's not very hard to miss! He's got bright red hair, and he wears this green cloak, you know, like the leaves you always get me." The bird climbs aboard and Boyfriend gets up, ready to launch the hawk back into the air. "If you see him, give him a leaf too! I think you both like the color green." The hawk is thrusted into the air, and as he soars away, a parting shriek is heard as wings beat heavily in the air. He waits for the silhouette to disappear before heading back home.

The very next day, another familiar form is standing by the tree. He waves eagerly at the boy in green as he calls out to him.

"Pico!"

"Hi, Boyfriend."

"You wouldn't believe it- my bird friend came back for a little visit yesterday! You just missed him. I wish you could meet him one day."

"...Mm."

"Your cheeks are all red, is everything okay?"

"O-of course, don't worry about it!"

~(*v*)~

Another year comes and goes, but Boyfriend doesn't face it alone. Sure, Picky appears less and less, but in his place, Pico appears. When Boyfriend expresses his worry for the gradual disappearance of the bird, Pico explains that birds live shorter lives than humans, so maybe the hawk was living past his prime and could no longer visit. The explanation saddens Boyfriend, but he accepts it easily as time continues to march ahead. As such, the other children age into teenagers, just like Boyfriend, and while they grow more aggressive, Boyfriend puts what he's learned to use and keeps himself from being knocked about too often.

Sure, he still ends up with bruises and the scuffles turn into beatings, but at the very least, he can say that he's not making it easy for them.

Pico growls under his breath, tending to Boyfriend's scratches and bruises with salves and ointments he's collected during his journeys. Boyfriend likes listening to Pico's tales, but today, the ginger is more focused on the state he found Boyfriend in at the tree.

"I swear to the gods, once I get my hands on them-!"

"It's okay, it's okay." He takes Pico's trembling hands and squeezes them tightly. "It's not as bad as when I was a kid."

"Not as bad?!" Pico scoffs and takes Boyfriend's face into his hands, gripping it softly to avoid hurting him any further. "You're still getting beaten! If they'd actually try and see you for who you are-"

"I can't change them, and neither can you." Boyfriend shrugs but places his hands over Pico's nevertheless. "But at least there's you?"

Pico's eyes search Boyfriend's before sighing, his sharp eyes softening as he pulls Boyfriend in close. "...Right. You still have me."

Boyfriend laughs and wraps his arms around Pico's shoulders as the other teen pats his shoulder awkwardly. "You know, you're still really bad at hugging."

"I'm trying my best," Pico mutters.

"Just do what I do! Here," he pulls away just enough to take Pico's arms and wraps them around his form. "Arms here, and then you squeeze tight, like I've told you!"

"Like this?" Pico pulls him in close and squeezes very, very tight. Boyfriend makes a strangled noise and wheezes.

"Too tight!"

"Sorry, sorry." Pico lets go sheepishly as Boyfriend breathes easily. Despite the bruising hold, Boyfriend still smiles and opens his arms wide.

"Try again, but this time not as tight!"

"...Like this?" Pico carefully wraps his arms around Boyfriend's back and pulls him in close yet again. Boyfriend wraps his arms around Pico's shoulders and rests his cheek against him. The ginger's arms give him a little squeeze that's tight, but not too tight.

"Yes," Boyfriend says softly, settling into the hug and closing his eyes. "Just like that."

Silence remains between them for a moment, only the sound of their breathing and the song of the forest filling up the void between them. After what feels like a comfortable eternity, Pico finally speaks.

"I'll get you out of this wretched place," Pico says softly, "I've found a way to earn money, and if I save up enough, I'll be able to take you from here, and we'll be able to live however you want, be it settling down or continuing on foot from place to place."

Hesitantly, Boyfriend pulls his face away far enough to look into Pico's sharp eyes. The teen looks serious and confident, and the promise sounds too good to be true.

"...How?"

Pico smirks and presses his forehead against Boyfriend's. "I know a thing or two about surviving all on my own. And I've found a way to use my skill to the best of their abilities."

"Will you be okay?"

"Yes, of course I will be." His smirk softens into a smile as he pulls Boyfriend back into their hug. "I have to be, right? Because I'm coming back for you."

"Right," Boyfriend breathes out against him, burying his nose against Pico's neck. "Of course."

Quietly, he takes the moment to memorize Pico's scent. He smells like fresh forest leaves with just a hint of drying blood.

~(*v*)~

Seasons come as seasons go. Years pass by like the leaves drifting in the wind, and Pico continues to arrive in his timely fashion, never arriving late, but never staying for too long.

Each wait has Boyfriend yearning to see his friend more and more, impatiently watching for the signs of change outside his window and visiting the tree every day, despite knowing that Pico won't show for a few more moons.

While the seasons continue to change, the relationship they hold only remains stable, growing stronger even with each little visit. Pico always brings little trinkets with him as well, as if to make up for the lost time between them.

A pretty rock that shines in the sunlight.

A pressed flower from a faraway place.

And most curiously enough.

A green leaf.

"I dunno I think it's just- it's a nice reminder. Of where we met," he mumbles as Boyfriend stares at it with wonder. The blue haired boy can't help the chuckle that escapes him as he holds it up to the sunlight to see the little veins that travel through the leaf. It reminds him of Picky.

"I like it," he says sweetly, smiling when Pico perks up at his comment. "Tell me more about your journeys?"

The passage of time shows with how much they've grown. Pico is bulkier now, the cloak that used to swamp him when he was younger now barely wraps around to cover his arms. He notices that Pico begins collecting more and more scars with each visit, and though the ginger brushes off his concerns, he can't help but worry about how frequently he collects them. And despite how much bigger and stronger Pico has gotten, he still treats Boyfriend with a softness that's never left him since they were boys.

A feather falls from within Pico's cloak, and Boyfriend picks it up. It's long and brown, the color reminding him of a certain bird. Pico squawks at the sight of it and makes to grab it, but Boyfriend holds it behind him.

"Where'd you get this?"

"I uh- it must've- maybe a passing bird dropped it and I didn't notice it fell on me!"

"Jeez, why are you acting so embarrassed then?" Boyfriend laughs as he backs away from Pico's lunge. "It's just aaAAAA-" The heel of his foot catches on a root, and he yelps as he falls backwards.

"Boyfriend!" Pico lunges again and wraps a hand behind Boyfriend's head, tucking him close to his body as they both fall down with pained grunts. As Boyfriend opens his eyes, he gasps as Pico groans above him. The ginger had braced his hand against Boyfriend's head, softening the impact with the ground. His other arm is braced next to his head, keeping the ginger from collapsing completely on top of him. As a result, Boyfriend's face is awfully close to Pico's, their lips merely a breath away from each other. Sunlight beams down over them, and it catches Pico's red hair wonderfully, highlighting the fiery hues as Boyfriend notices each and every freckle on the teen's - adult's? - face as Pico slowly opens his eyes.

Their gazes meet, sharp green eyes boring into soft blues as they simply stare at each other.

And then Pico shrieks, pushing himself away from Boyfriend with a bright, red face.

"Gods! S-sorry, I-!"

"It's okay! It's okay!" Boyfriend pushes himself up quickly and waves his hands frantically, trying to calm his panicking friend. "I'm okay, I'm not hurt, it's fine!" He laughs nervously and struggles to meet Pico's gaze as a single thought bounces around his mind relentlessly.

Pico's grown up to be unbelievably handsome.

"I um, I think I'll head off a bit early today." Pico's voice cracks as he gets up and pulls the hood over his face.

"O-okay." He doesn't stop the ginger, too flustered to really think clearly before he squeaks and rushes to grab his arm. "Wait! You'll... you'll come back tomorrow, right?"

Pico stops momentarily, and he turns to gaze at Boyfriend from under his hood. With the hood on, Pico looks threatening, scary even as the shadows give his sharp eyes a hard glint that's otherwise easy to miss in the sunlight. But those sharp eyes soften when they land on Boyfriend, and it's impossible for him to ever fear the man.

"Of course I will."

As Pico pulls away into the shadows, Boyfriend takes the moment to cover his face with his hands and shrieks softly.

God, he's really handsome when he's scary too.

~(*v*)~

It's not something he's too proud of. It's not a workable skill, nor is it useful for anything other than soothing people who want to hear him, and that's only been two people so far in his life.

Still, Pico lies chest down on Boyfriend's lap, folded arms resting on Boyfriend's thighs as he rests his chin against his arms. Boyfriend can practically hear the smirk in his voice as he speaks with that jokingly pleading tone of his.

"Come on, your voice is pretty. Sing for me, please?"

Boyfriend blushes and sighs, his fingers combing back Pico's hair as he relents.

"Fine. But you know I don't know any songs."

"I should memorize some for you, and then you can sing them back to me."

"Wouldn't it be better if we sang them together?"

"Well, I'd have to sing them to you first, right? And then you'd practice by singing them back to me."

"And then can we sing together?"

"Of course."

"Do you still want me to sing?"

"I'd like you to. But humming is alright too. I just want to hear your voice."

It's a good thing Pico can't see his face right now.

"What should I hum?"

"That lullaby your mother used to hum for you."

"That's your favorite."

"It's your favorite too."

"Yeah, you're right." He rests his head against the tree, fingers idly running themselves through Pico's locks as he hums into the open air. After a moment, Pico's throaty hum matches in tune with his, and a sweet melody dances through the air as he smiles. When the song ends, Pico speaks up once again.

"You know, I've seen minstrels and bards on my journeys. People pay them for the music and performances they put on. I think you'd do well with your voice, just singing as you do now."

"I suppose." As nice as it sounds, to use his one talent for something that can aid in their future, he knows it to be too good to be true. "But I don't think many people would appreciate my looks."

"What's wrong with your looks?" Pico pushes himself off Boyfriend's lap and frowns, turning to look Boyfriend dead on. "There's nothing wrong with them."

"But the townspeople-"

"-Are blinded by their fear and hatred to see the beauty in front of them." Pico cups his face and tilts his face this way and that, looking at him carefully. "I see no scars marring your face, nor a single blemish. Your eyes are a shade of blue that mirror the sky above us, and your hair is unique and bright in a world full of so much darkness." Pico grins as Boyfriend blushes and tries to look away from him. "Personally, if no one else wants to notice how handsome you are, then I won't have to worry about anyone else admiring your looks, now do I?"

"Wh-what does that mean?" Boyfriend stammers, his ears burning from Pico's comments.

"It means-" Pico suddenly sucks in a breath and drops his hands from Boyfriend's face. Boyfriend looks over to and sees that his face has also taken on a bright hue. Their eyes meet, and Pico looks away with a frown as he crosses his arms. "It means nothing. Don't worry your head over it."

"Pico?"

"Hush." Without warning, Pico leans forward and presses their foreheads together. Boyfriend's breath is stuck in his chest even as Pico avoids looking him dead in the eyes. "No matter what anyone says of you, you're handsome in your own right. If anyone knew you for who you are, they'd realize that your blue hair makes you no less a threat than that of a blue flower. Someone else out there will realize it too, I'm sure of it."

Boyfriend blinks slowly before realizing that the tips of their fingers are just barely brushing each other. If he moved them closer, then their fingers would be interlocking.

Would he want that?

Before he can answer his own question, Pico pulls away and begins to kick about the forest floor.

"Pico?" The taller man doesn't answer, instead making a grunt and leaning down to pick something up. A green leaf is presented to Boyfriend, and he can't help the laugh that bubbles past his lips as he takes it from the man. "...Thank you."

Pico shrugs and sits down next to him as Boyfriend holds it up to the sky to look at the veins. They sit together in companionable silence, and Boyfriend chooses not to comment on when their fingers brush together once again just to slowly interlock.

~(*v*)~

Something odd happens when Boyfriend reaches the age of twenty. Well, odd is the wrong word for it.

Something... worrying happens.

Pico begins showing up less and less. The taller man assures him that everything is alright, that he's just working harder to save up enough to ensure Boyfriend will be alright in Pico's care, but the man looks tired with each visit. Even when his face lights up at the sight of Boyfriend, Boyfriend can't match his enthusiasm.

His body is covered with scars. A new one had graced his features not too long ago, slicing over a green eye as Boyfriend cupped his face tenderly.

"It's alright," Pico soothed, holding onto Boyfriend's hands and leaning into his touch. "I'm tougher than I look. I promise that I'll always come back, no matter what."

No matter what. That's what Boyfriend repeats over and over again as he waits for Pico by the tree.

Days pass, and still he waits.

Seasons pass, and still he waits.

A year passes, and he's now twenty-one. And still, he waits.

He paces back and forth in the forest, another season on the horizon and he looks around for his dear friend. Where is he? Where has he been? Pico never misses his visit, and yet he's missed so many!

He paces and paces and grips tightly to his hands as his expression remains resolute.

No matter what, he'll believe in Pico. Even if another year passes, he'll still believe in Pico.

The sun sets, and his friend has still yet to make an appearance.

...That's alright. Boyfriend's sure he's busy on his journeys. Pico will be back, he always is. Until then.

Until then...

Boyfriend clenches his fists and heads back home.

He should pick up a trade, shouldn't he?

Pico can't be the only one saving coins for their journey together. Perhaps... He remembers the hood that Pico wears to conceal his hair and face.

Maybe that's what he'll do.

"Mama!"

"Boyfriend?"

"Can you make something for me?"

Until Pico comes back, he'll be working his hardest in another town. He can't just make Pico do all the hard work. And he'll be so proud of Boyfriend too, being able to work for himself! Once Pico comes back, it'll all be okay.

Yes. That's right. Because he will come back. He always does. And while he waits, Boyfriend will work and prove to this horrible town that he's capable of being more than an outcast.

He'll prove them all wrong.

~(*v*)~

Another year passes with no sign from Pico. Boyfriend buries his growing worry with his work, having found a trade in making instruments in the town over. No one knows him here, and they treat him like a normal person so long as he keeps his hood up. No one knows of his blue hair, and they care less about what he looks like under his hood so long as his work ethic continues.

He carefully carves the hollows and bodies needed for lutes and fiddles and even the ever complicated hurdy-gurdy. It's not easy work, but it pays well, and the old man who takes him in despite never having been made an apprentice in the trade is kind enough to show him the bare basics. Surely, someone else would have been well-fitted for the trade, but the others in the town are more focused on farming and blacksmithing and the like.

How incredibly lucky it was for Boyfriend to find a chance like this.

As he works, he listens to the old man's tales of shows that used to come by the town every once in a while. Shows that justified his trade as musicians would come to his shop and look at his wares in hopes of something that sounded more beautiful than what they had. Nowadays, a few people come by now and again to look at his instruments, and as much as he appreciates the youth that come by with great interest, very rarely do the streets and town square fill up with the sounds of music.

Boyfriend looks at the instrument in the old man's hands, watching how he turns the crank and presses the wooden keys to make such lovely notes flow from the finished product. He remembers Pico's words, of how pretty his voice sounded when he hummed, and if he were to sing.

"Can you..." The old man perks up at his voice, Boyfriend having barely spoken to him aside a few mumble queries here and there. "Can you teach me how to play some of the instruments? I have a friend who said I could sing... really nicely. I'd like to sing for him, one day."

And the old man's eyes soften.

"Of course, young one."

In between moments of work, the old man experiments with him to see which instrument suits him the best. Something that requires his hands to do the work, but allows him the ability to sing freely without hindrance. The lute is an obvious choice, but Boyfriend struggles to make sense of all the strings and how to position all his fingers to make the right noises, and it frustrates him greatly. Still, he refuses to give up and looks to the old man for aid. It takes time, and unfortunately, he now has a lot of time to work on this new skill. The old man teaches him old songs and tunes to practice with. Words and music begin to flow from the workshop as Boyfriend slowly and gradually understands the lute more and more.

A year passes, and Pico still hasn't shown up. But that's okay for now.

He has something to work on, something that'll make Pico smile when he sees him again.

Boyfriend hums a tune as he carefully plucks through the strings as the old man smiles.

Perhaps by the time Pico returns, he'll have created a song that Pico would like to hear over and over again. Just like his mother's lullaby.

~(*v*)~

Boyfriend turns the age of twenty-three. He's still mastering the lute, still working on his trade, still saving up money for when he sees Pico again.

Still waiting for Pico to return.

His mother asks who it is he's waiting for.

"A friend," he says softly as he looks out the window. The forest is quiet and ever present in the distance. "Say, why did you always tell me to stay away from the forest?"

His mother looks up from her stitching, Boyfriend's cloak being mended in her hands. "Why, there are creatures out there that could latch on to someone like you."

"Someone like me?"

She smiles, and he can't tell if it's sad or content. Perhaps she's hiding more than she's letting on.

"Well, that's what I used to think, anyways. But you've lived this long, sneaking off into the forest to meet this someone of yours. I suppose they've done a good job at keeping you safe and away from the creatures of the forest."

He sputters, standing up quickly from his chair as he waves his hands frantically in front of her. "I didn't-! I've never-!"

"Little one," she says with a soft chuckle, "fledgling hawks don't just fall into open fields, now do they?"

"No, they fall from..." He bites his lip and looks out at the only place with trees in the distance.

"Hm, no matter. I always felt that little hawk was a bit special." Before he can ask what she means by that, she cuts the thread from her needle and holds up her handiwork. "There we go! All fixed up and ready to go."

He takes it and puts it on. No holes and tears. With a smile, he takes it off and hangs it back on its hook. "Thanks, mama."

"Of course, my son."

He sits back down by the window, gazing out at the forest. A part of him wonders why his mother stays here, in a town that seems to hate them both when other places could welcome her readily. What keeps her here when she could be leaving to somewhere better? He turns to his mother as she's putting her supplies away and asks, "Are you waiting for someone?"

She halts in her movements, looking up slowly to face her son. Her shoulders droop, and he can tell with certainty that this smile is a sad one. "I used to. But I've long since come to realize that he will never return."

He doesn't ask who it is she was waiting for. "You know, one day, I'll have to leave. What will you do then?"

"I suppose I'll leave too." She hums, looking around their little cottage before looking at her son with warmth in her eyes. "There's not much left for me here if you're gone. But I suppose it's for the best of us both, hm?"

"Will you be alright?"

"You doubt my abilities to live, my son?" She chuckles good-naturedly and shakes her head. "Don't you fret about me. Just make sure you don't make the same mistake as me and wait for someone who may never return."

"No." He shakes his head and returns his gaze to the forest. "He'll return. I'm sure of it. I have to show him how much I've done. All the new things I've learned."

"Of course." The creak of her chair has him looking up, and she stands besides him, her hands resting on his shoulders as they both look out to the forest. "Just promise me you won't be heartbroken if he takes too long to return, and that you won't blame yourself, as I have blamed myself."

A distant look crosses her features as he studies her from where he sits. His hand comes up to squeeze hers as he smiles.

"Okay. I promise."

~(*v*)~

He's twenty-four when he begins to play his lute in the forest. The old man had suggested that he play in the town square for practice, but he politely declined the invitation for another time. Music sounds different in a forest than it does in a square surrounded by buildings and people. He needs to be ready for when Pico returns.

He plays his music, listening to the echo of the notes as he finetunes his music to movement of the forest.

Pico has yet to arrive, and the worry continues to spike inside him as he plays the instrument by himself.

...He's been by himself this entire time, hasn't he? Avoiding fights, venturing to the next town over, working on a trade, working his music-

Pico would be proud.

He'd be so proud.

He wants to tell him all of this.

He misses him.

He misses the sound of his voice. The way he'd hug Boyfriend against him like he was someone precious. How he'd light up when he'd see Boyfriend coming. Pico's favorite food was meat pies, so Boyfriend always made sure to bake him the freshest ones. He's gotten good at baking them too, he's been practicing. His mother says that they taste better than the ones he made years ago. He knows how to sew too now, his mother taught him after he tore his cloak one too many times.

He can fix Pico's cloak now. It's his favorite, after all, he's never seen without it. What else does he know how to do?

Oh, maybe if he learns to hunt as well with a bow and arrow. That would be helpful! He could help find food with Pico once he gets back. They could go on journeys together, like Pico promised. It'd be nice to see new places with Pico by his side.

...

He's learned so many things. But he should learn more. Maybe if he learns more, Pico will come back sooner. Maybe it'll lessen the painful wait. If he learns really well, and really good, maybe Pico will be so impressed that he'll come back.

There's so much he wants to tell him.

He wrote a song for him. It's nice, he thinks. The old man said so too. It'd be nice to sing it for Pico too, in the forest, sitting by their favorite tree.

...

His mother made him promise not to blame himself if Pico never came back. Not to be heartbroken like her if he never came back. Is this what happened to her? Someone she trusted so deeply who promised, who swore to always come back, and always did come back, did they finally fail at returning?

It couldn't possibly be on purpose, right?

He's sure they wanted to return to his mother.

Much like he's sure Pico wants to return to him.

...

Pico will return. He promised. And he always comes back. He won't be heartbroken, because Pico will come back. He always does. He just needs to trust him.

...

He trusts him.

But Boyfriend doesn't trust the world to be kind to him. It's always been cruel, hasn't it?

...

He trusts him. He'll come back. He always does.

...

It used to be so easy crying alone.

~(*v*)~

He's twenty-five now. The old man convinced him to play in the town square, and so he did. People applauded him, cheered him for his music, even dropped him a few coins. It made him feel good to have people like him for once. Even if it meant having to hide his hair, it was a small price to pay in comparison to the life he led before.

There's whispers of a famous group of minstrels coming to the town fairly soon. They have bards, acrobatic shows, and, it's whispered, a creature that's neither fae nor human. Something caught in the in-between. None of it truly interests Boyfriend, but the old man nudges Boyfriend with a wink.

"Maybe you can shove off your skills when the minstrels arrive, hm? They may take you in if you perform well enough."

"I don't know," he laughs half-heartedly. "If they like me, that means I have to leave, right?"

"Mm, yes I suppose so."

"There's someone I'm waiting for."

"Ah yes, this again." The old man nods his head knowingly. "Have you considered that perhaps, you should go out and find him yourself? Perhaps waiting in place will only make things worse. Maybe joining this group may help. You could travel from place to place, and while you do so, you could look for this person you're waiting for."

Boyfriend blinks slowly. He's... never really considered that before. He's used to waiting. Waiting for Picky, waiting for Pico. Perhaps the old man is right. He has to take chances, right?

"Perhaps I'll give it a try."

"That's what I like to hear!" The old man chuckles and smacks Boyfriend's back, surprisingly strong for his age. "Now let's work on your technique..."

Time passes quickly, thankfully enough. Instead of working on instruments to sell, the old man dedicates his time to Boyfriend and making sure he has a chance at being considered by the minstrels. Tips are drilled into his head as the old man has him practice over and over again in the town square. By now, the townspeople are familiar with his hooded presence. Children gather around him as he plays his music, laughing and singing along to the lyrics he sings often enough that they happily mangle it by accident. He gets requests for songs people like, and he plays it willingly. Even his own mother ventures out of the cottage just to watch him play.

The day the minstrels arrive, he forces himself to swallow his anxiety and head out to the nearby open field they've set up at. Wagons encircle the area as music flows through the air, the smell of freshly made food wafting through the air as he hugs his lute close to him. He spots the old man in the crowd, watching the minstrels performing. There's a group of musicians playing music as a young woman performs tricks in time with the music. He creeps closer, standing close to the old man as he watches the show.

A beautiful young lady dances as the band plays behind her. An older couple who resemble the young lady sing together, their vocals mingling together wonderfully as the song continues. Boyfriend keeps his gaze on the young lady, her long, brown hair swaying with her movements as she leaps through the air on the wooden platform. When the song ends, she pauses on an impossible pose, her body twisted to show off her flexibility as the crowd cheers loudly at the performance. She untwists herself, smiling widely as she waves to the crowd.

Meanwhile, the older male musician steps forward as he rests his hand proudly on the young lady's shoulder. "Thank you, thank you! We appreciate your support. And now, a little teaser for tomorrow's events. Men!"

The young lady flinches, her smile faltering a bit. Curious. He follows her gaze as a pair of brightly clothed men drag out something large and heavy and covered in a white cloth. They leave it onto the wooden platform, and she looks noticeably uncomfortable. What could it-?

The musician pulls off the cloth with a flourish, and inside it sits...

...Picky?

Boyfriend blinks, the cage much too large for the bird, but more than that, a sense of horror creeps through him as the hawk he's known since a child looks absolutely haggard. A shackle is attached not only to one of his legs, but to his neck as well. The hawk looks absolutely beaten, eyes hardly even open as he breathes hard and heavy. Boyfriend takes a step forward, his mouth dropping open as he calls out the familiar name.

"Pi-!"

The musician's booming voice interrupts him, but his cry doesn't go unnoticed. As the man speaks of how this bird's looks are deceiving, the young lady focuses her gaze on Boyfriend, her eyes wide with surprise.

She heard him.

Quickly, he tugs the hood further over his face and disappears into the crowd. He pushes past the townspeople, muttering apologies as he tries to escape. He needs a plan, a way to free the bird. Whatever it is that the minstrels are doing to him is cruel, and the once proud hawk has been rendered nothing more than a shell of his former self!

As he takes a step forward to leave the circle of wagons, a hand reaches out and drags him into one of them. He tries to shriek, but another hand covers his mouth.

"Shh!" A feminine voice whispers in his ear. "Don't let them hear you!"

He quiets immediately, but he squirms in his captor's grasp nonetheless.

"I'll let you go if you promise not to run away." Her voice is surprisingly soft, soothing even. "You... you recognize the hawk, right?"

He doesn't nod.

She sighs and keeps her grip on him. "He's... papa and mama aren't treating him right. They told me that it's all part of the business, that it's to keep him in line but..."

He stiffens at her admission, and when she lets him go, he doesn't bolt. Instead, he turns to face her, a mixture of emotions roiling inside him as he tries to understand the situation.

"How... where did you find him?"

"Papa's been tracking him down for years," she mumbles, rubbing her arm nervously as she fails to meet his gaze. "I never understood why, but mama told me it was because he's of a rare kind. A success that somehow got loose a long time ago, and now lives in the wild."

"What does that mean?"

"I don't really know," she frowns and hugs herself, "but it probably has to do with the whole, not quite fae not quite human act."

"That doesn't- what do you mean, not quite fae, not quite human?" He knows Picky. The hawk is nothing more than that - a hawk! The woman looks at him bewildered.

"What do you mean? You recognize him, don't you?"

"Of course I do, I nursed that hawk back to health when I was a child! I know what he looks like healthy, and whatever your parents are doing to him is awful."

"Do you really not know...?" She shakes her head. "Never mind, that's not important. You're right, my parents are treating him awful, and I've been trying to figure out a way to set him free but... there wasn't much I could do by myself. Unless, unless you could help me?"

As if he'd turn down a chance to save Picky.

"Of course!"

And the woman smiles and finally looks him in the eye.

"Perfect. Um, before we continue, can I ask for your name?"

"It's Boyfriend," he says quickly, wanting to keep his focus on Picky.

The woman smiles brightly and claps her hands together. "That's a nice name! My name is Girlfriend, and I think I... have a sort of plan."

"Tell me about it."

~(*v*)~

There's a moment where her father takes Picky out of his cage, she told him. It's the best time for an escape attempt. All she needs is a distraction, and if Boyfriend can keep all the attention on him, she should be able to free the hawk before her father can react. It's a terrible plan with barely any thought put into it, but he can't come up with anything better.

He holds onto his lute tightly. It's a good thing he's practiced his songs so much.

The event happens near the end of the day, before sunset. He watches from the front of the crowd as the cage is dragged out yet again. As the cloth is removed, Picky sits at the bottom of it, almost lifeless. Boyfriend grits his teeth and keeps himself from jumping forward too soon.

Not yet, not yet.

"And now, the grand finale!" Girlfriend's father approaches the cage with style, what looks to be a long, thin stake held tightly in his hands. He prods the bird roughly, nearly making Picky topple over as Boyfriend bites back a yell. Stop that, stop that! Can't he see he's hurting Picky?! "Come on now," he hears the musician say, "time to give the people what they want!"

The bird refuses to move, so the man rolls his eyes and kneels close to the cage, whispering something to the hawk. Picky visibly flinches and draws his wings around him. He looks for Girlfriend, wondering when her cue for him to move will come when he hears the crowd gasp around him. His eyes are drawn back to Picky except-

The hawk grows larger and larger until-

A head of bright, red hair emerges from behind a pair of large wings. Familiar hands come to grasp the bars of his cage as the man inside slumps forward.

The scars on his arms are familiar.

That hair is familiar.

A pained cry escapes Boyfriend as he sinks to his knees, the crowd around growing wild and rambunctious at the spectacle.

No.

It can't be.

Pico?

Girlfriend's father picks up a chain - the chain connected the shackle wrapped around Pico's neck, and his neck is red and angry and that shackle is hurting him - and approaches the cage to unlock it. Boyfriend watches in horror as Pico is yanked forward, forced onto his knees as he notices the new scars covering his body, his torso completely covered in them as his friend is dressed only in torn trousers, and that's Pico, this is where Pico has been for the past five years, five goddamn years he's been trapped like this-

"Behold!" The musician announces to the crowd as they go wild. "A winged man!" He pulls at Pico's wing, stretching it out as Pico kneels there limply. "Those rumors of the castle magicians playing with life can finally be confirmed! Is he fae? A man? No, he's neither! What could he be but nothing more than," he leans forward to the crowd to entice them closer, "a monstrosity?"

Boyfriend jumps to his feet, his mind filled with rage. How dare he call Pico that when he's the one who has him in chains?!

A low whistle catches his attention, and he glances to the side to see Girlfriend's gaze switching from him to her father, and he thinks, finally.

Boyfriend steps loudly onto the platform, earning the confused gasps of the crowd as he faces the musician. "Oi, old man!" He yells, grabbing the attention of Girlfriend's father. Besides the man, he can barely see Pico flinch, the ginger turning slowly to the sound of his voice. Not now, don't focus on Pico now. Just focus on distracting his captor. "Quite strange that you have to rely on your final act to draw the show to a close!"

"All good shows need a good closer," the musician scoffs, "and this is a fantastic closer, don't you think, my good people?"

The crowd cheers excitedly as Boyfriend grits his teeth.

"You're just hiding how terrible your music is by hiding behind him!" He points to Pico, and the musician sneers at Boyfriend. Boyfriend smirks. He's seen worse.

"And what of you? Is your music any better than what I showed the crowd yesterday?"

"I'd wager so. After all, I don't need to rely on a wife or daughter to help me carry out a performance!"

"Is that so?" The musician growls and motions for his band to begin playing music. "Well then, I'll show you who the true musician is-"

Boyfriend laughs arrogantly and points mockingly at the man. "What, so you're still going to depend on a band to help you get through it? I can at least play my own lute!" He quickly strums a jaunty tune on his lute, sneering at the man in front him like the children of his town used to sneer at Boyfriend. "Unless... you can't even play your own instrument?"

The crowd breaks into curious murmurs as the man's brow twitches.

"Alright, you little pest, I'll show you what a real musician sounds like." The man holds out his hand, and a lute is quickly placed in it as the band backs away with fear.

"That's only if you remember how to play your lute to begin with!"

The older musician growls, waving his wife away as he motions the band to play the beginning rhythm. Boyfriend listens carefully, taking note of how the song flows as the man lifts his hand and begins to strum in tune with the music. Impromptu lyrics pour from his lips as Boyfriend readies himself for the challenge.

The older musician poses cockily, hands strumming his lute wildly as he begins their lyrical battle. "So, tell me boy, if you truly think you're skilled ‘gainst me-"

"Sir, be assured, my skills better rival your quick beats-"

"I've won the love of crowds, they’d know my skill is true!"

"You're a fool to be proud, to think their love’s for you!"

"If you think you can win, with notes that near anyone can sing-"

"You should know that's the goal, remembered for notes that hold some soul!"

"You think that you can, just step up and take this very show away from me? You'd best be ready when, I take away the winnings and crush the very future you-”

"Of course you'd think that's what’s at stake! There's more to this then, aiming for wealth when I know what's the truth right here. With nothing left to lose, but your pride for when you choose to deny that you've become the only losing fool here!"

"I have more fame than some nobody like you could have-”

"I need no fame when they're all chanting my name, the end-"

"There's no the end until this is settled with rhyme-"

"You've failed to rhyme, keep time, and make lyrics that shine!"

"What do you have to prove? Other than that you're-"

"Looks to me you haven't quite seen, the crowd knows what I mean! Here's fact: your act never had impact!"

"There's not a chance they'd pick you over me, a, king!"

"You're not a king, though jester is a nice, good, ring!"

"They'll never choose some kid like you!"

"Then step aside and let them choose!"

The band finishes playing as they both step away from each other, panting as Boyfriend's fingers ache from trying to keep in time with the song's changing pattern. He looks out to the crowd as they cheer loudly from the debacle. The musician's wife steps up and commandeers the stage. "Alright, good people, the only way to settle this is to see which one you preferred. For those who believe my husband had the upper hand, please cheer!"

A good sizable chunk of the crowd cheers, and Boyfriend swallows nervously. That sounds like a lot of people. The wife smirks at him, clearly thinking he's already lost. She gestures to him next, calling out to the crowd, "And for those you believe this hooded boy had the upper hand, please cheer now!"

A rolling roar comes from the crowd as the townspeople cheer for Boyfriend with all their heart. Those who recognize his voice chant his name like they did during the challenge, and he smiles widely when he spots the old man in the crowd. The wife growls before forcing a smile on her face as she looks towards him.

"Well, the people have spoken! It looks like you've won. I guess you can claim your prize now."

"Did we even settle on a prize?" he asks, arms crossed as he lifts a concealed eyebrow at the pair. "Or did you two simply forget that we were fighting for nothing more than talent itself?"

They both stiffen as nasty snarls curl on their lips. The husband steps forward and grabs the front of his cloak suddenly, shaking Boyfriend and yelling. “Now listen here, you cretin-”

Too surprised to react quickly, Boyfriend’s hood falls down, revealing his bright blue hair as he scrambles to pull it over. He hears gasps from the crowd as the husband stares in shock, only to smirk as he tightens his grip on Boyfriend.

“Well well well,” he begins, pulling him in closer as Boyfriend struggles in the husband's grasp, “looks like we found another freak for our show-”

A cup is flung at the husband’s head as a familiar voice shouts from the crowd. “Unhand that boy at once!”

Boyfriend looks over and catches sight of the old man as he yells angrily in his defense. Rocks and other trash gets flung at them, the husband being pelted as the crowd screams in anger.

“Unhand him!”

“Let him go!”

“You lost, release him!”

They… they cared about him. They cared about him enough to actually try to protect him, unlike his hometown. The realization makes him tear up. Pico was right-

Wait.

Pico.

He needs to get away from here! Boyfriend claws at the hand gripping his cloak tightly and finally bites down on it. The husband shrieks and lets him go, only to grab his hood and hair instead. Remembering what Pico taught him, he slams the heel of his palm under the man’s jaw, hearing the satisfying loud clack of his teeth smashing together as he releases Boyfriend. For good measure, he swings his fist into the man’s face, making him stagger back enough for Boyfriend to make his getaway. The wife yells in shock as she catches her husband, and the crowd goes into a frenzy as he races from the platform and into their safety. They help him disappear into the crowd, the townspeople running wild around him as he ducks down and easily blends in. He only gets so far when-

The wife shrieks, and he knows the chase has only just begun.

"The bird is gone! Find that boy and drag him back here!"

Despite her angry words, the crowd does nothing to aid in the musician's plea. Instead, the townspeople quickly part ways to help make his escape speedy, no doubt having watched the entire rescue happen as the musicians were all distracted. He smiles at the familiar faces in thanks as he disappears past the wagon carts, nearly barreling into Girlfriend as she holds a tired hawk in her hands.

Pico!

Boyfriend takes the now bird from her and cradles him in one arm, his other grabbing her wrist as he takes her through town. There are a few townsfolk here and there, but they otherwise ignore them as they race through, ducking behind shops and cottages and huts, never once looking back. He listens for the sounds of anyone else chasing them, of angry yelling or anything like that, but... nothing comes. Girlfriend tightens her grip on his hand, and looks over to see her biting her lip as a strange gleam settles in her eyes. She catches him glancing at her and smiles.

"Don't worry about me! I just have... a few tricks up my sleeves."

He takes her word for it and tugs her along, leaving the nice town behind them as he makes for the forest. The trees provide shelter as he maneuvers through them, years of wandering and trusting the forest to keep him safe manifesting with each knowing step he takes. Instinct demands that he make a beeline for his tree, but Pico is hurt. Luckily, the forest is close to another safe haven nearby.

They break away from the trees, the journey oddly shorter than he expected. Nevertheless, he drags them to his cottage and slams the door behind him.

"Mama-!"

"Boyfriend, I've told you many times al- oh."

Boyfriend smiles sheepishly at his mother as Girlfriend stands innocently by his side. As he’s about to say something, the bird in his arm decides that now is the perfect time to become a man, and Boyfriend shrieks as Pico’s deadweight makes him collapse onto the floor.

“Hello!” Girlfriend says sweetly.

“Oh my,” his mother says, laundry falling from her hands as she looks over the scene before her, “oh dear.”

“Mama, I have no time to explain but-” Boyfriend easily hoists Pico up, taking on his full weight as he nods to him. “This is Pico, and she’s Girlfriend.”

“Pico’s hurt too!” she adds helpfully. “My parents are after us, but I’ve managed to conceal us for as long as I’m able. We should be safe for a bit, but there’s only so much I can handle.” It’s then that they notice the stain in her smile as Boyfriend moves quickly towards his room.

“A mage?” his mother questions, studying Girlfriend with a curious but wary gaze.

“Of… of sorts.” Girlfriend laughs nervously and rubs her arm, before shaking her head and clapping her hands to gather her thoughts. “We need to move soon, but because Pico’s hurt, it’ll be better if we tend to his wounds first before they can get any worse.”

“Mm, that’s not good,” his mother adds, looking to Pico’s tunic-less form and limp wings. “Well then, I’ll look for my ointments and salves.”

“May I help too?” Girlfriend asks as she bends down to pick up the dropped laundry.

“Oh thank you, dear, yes, of course.” With a smile, she guides Girlfriend away as Boyfriend focuses on getting Pico comfortable. Carefully, he lifts Pico up and onto his bed, positioning him just so to keep his wings from being pressed uncomfortably against the back of his bed. Pico remains dazed as he looks around the room, still processing where he is as Boyfriend looks over his form.

Ugly bruising litters his arms and chest. Worse so is the shape he’s in - Pico is noticeably skinnier given how easily Boyfriend could carry him earlier. But what draws Boyfriend’s ire are the new scars, more deliberate and purposeful than the scars Pico would have from their youth. Some of the wounds are fresh too; while not actively bleeding, he can tell that the scabbing process wasn’t quite complete with some of the wounds and it dizzies his mind with what they must have done to him. The iron shackles still remain around Pico’s neck and leg - the chains that once connected them to his cage look melted off awkwardly. It must have been Girlfriend’s doing. He’ll have to ask her to remove them completely once they enter the room.

He sits on the bed, careful to mind the limp wings. The movement startles Pico into awareness, and the wings fly up to cover himself protectively. With a yelp, Boyfriend places his hands tentatively on the wings, wanting to open them up, but unwilling to hurt Pico any further.

“Pico…” he calls out softly, “it’s me, Boyfriend.”

Pico’s trembling stops for a moment, before it resumes as he makes his muffled response. “Prove it,” he growls out, “prove to me you’re not some vision.”

A vision? Boyfriend’s chest squeezes at the implications as he presses his forehead against the sleek, brown feathers. “When we were younger,” he begins, “my mama and I didn’t know what to feed you. She gave you all sorts of food, but you’d only eat the meat, so I named you Picky. But you were always Pico, weren’t you?”

The trembling stops. Pico parts his wings just a crack, allowing Boyfriend to see his green eyes again. Boyfriend smiles and refuses to part the wings even more.

“You like to give me green leaves. They’re always perfect - no tears, no browning, and no holes. You told me it’s because the leaves remind you of where we first met. At our tree.”

Pico’s eyes widen as the wings part some more, allowing Boyfriend to see his face fully. There’s disbelief in his expression, fear and anxiety as if he’s unsure of what he’s hearing. All Boyfriend wants to do is wipe that expression away and make him smile. He missed his smiles so, so much.

“You taught me how to defend myself because you hated how I was treated in town,” Boyfriend whispers, reaching a hand in slowly. He lets it linger in the air as he continues, waiting for Pico to decide on what to do with it. “So one day, you decided to teach me how to defend myself. I still remember.”

“I know,” Pico whispers back hoarsely, and Boyfriend can only imagine the kind of abuse they put him through with that shackle around his neck, “I saw that punch. Very nice.”

“You saw?” He hadn’t seen Girlfriend in the crowd as he faced off against her father, so he assumed she was hiding somewhere away from the stage.

“Yes, hard to miss since Girlfriend kept taking peeks at the battle. She wanted to wait for you.” Pico coughs, his wings parting just enough that Boyfriend is able to squeeze in closer, crawling over Pico’s lap to cup his face.

“Shh…” With a soothing hum, he rubs his thumb under Pico’s eye as he waits for the coughing fit to subside. “I think I’ve proven I’m real, right?” He smiles as Pico leans into his touch, rubbing his cheek against the palm of his hand. “I’m not a vision.”

“Not a vision,” Pico murmurs back, brows furrowed together as he raises a hand to cover Boyfriend’s. “You’re here.”

“Yes,” he says back, his voice choked with tears as he presses his forehead against Pico’s, “and so are you. You’re back.”

“I…” Pico’s words drift off, the man blinking quickly as he clings to Boyfriend’s hand. “Your hand, it feels different.”

“Been working on a trade.” He holds up his other hand and shows off his callouses. “I thought maybe I could save up too, so that you wouldn’t have to work so hard.” Maybe even show off a bit. But he’ll save that for later, once they’re all relatively safe.

Pico reaches for his other hand and rubs a thumb along the calluses that formed over the years. He frowns, speaking softly as he asks, “Has it really been that long…?”

“About five or so years, I’d say.”

“You counted?”

“What else was I supposed to do while I waited for you to come back?” Despite his words, he settles on Pico’s lap and holds his face tenderly between his hands as the ginger’s face grimaces.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers.

“Don’t be, it’s not your fault.” Boyfriend’s thumbs wipe at the corners of his eyes gently. “I’m just happy you’re alive, and here, and with me.”

“They were chasing me,” Pico explains regardless, trying to reason away the years of waiting and longing and pain even though Boyfriend doesn’t need an explanation. “They’ve been chasing me for years, but it got worse when they managed to track me down. They were relentless, I couldn’t risk leading them back to you. And then when they caught me, I tried-” His voice breaks, and Boyfriend pulls Pico into his arms. Pico wraps his arms tightly around Boyfriend and buries his face against his shoulder, sobbing through his words. “I tried escaping so much, I tried so hard to come back to you I promise.”

“Shhh, I know, I know.” He cards his fingers through Pico’s hair, scratching lightly at the top of his scalp. The ginger relaxes slightly at the feeling, his wings coming to drape over Boyfriend’s form protectively.

For a moment, all that matters is the warmth of the other as they pull impossibly close to each other. Boyfriend buries his face in Pico’s hair and breathes in deeply. He doesn’t smell like the forest anymore, but the stench of blood still clings to him. It smells differently though. He hugs Pico tightly and refuses to let go. A minute passes before Pico pulls away from him and takes his hands instead. He rubs his thumbs over Boyfriend’s calluses and hums with his scratchy voice.

“Guess I don’t have to tell you I’m Picky anymore, huh?”

Boyfriend laughs softly and squeezes his hands. “No, I figured it out pretty recently.”

“I’m sorry I kept it a secret for so long.”

“Don’t be, I wager it wouldn’t have been easy trying to explain it.” He interlocks their fingers together and holds tight. “But why do you have wings?”

“It’s… a long story.” A haunted look flashes in Pico’s expression, and the ginger looks away as he drops their interlocked hands into their laps. “But I promise to tell it to you someday.”

“Of course. Say, um, Pico.” Nervousness spikes up in Boyfriend as Pico meets his gaze, but his mind is made as he swallows hard. “I, um-”

“We found the salves and poultices- oh dear, are we interrupting something?” His mother loudly enters the room, making the pair of men untangle from each other frantically. Boyfriend scrambles away from Pico, only to topple backwards off the bed with a squeak as a result. Pico lunges forward to catch him and only succeeds in buffering Boyfriend’s collision with the floor, hand wrapped around the back of his head as the birdman himself half dangles over the edge of the bed.

Even from his embarrassingly upside vantage point, Boyfriend still finds it in himself to yell at his mother. “MAMA!”

“Goodness, I guess we did.” His mother chuckles good-naturedly as Girlfriend covers her mouth in surprise. “We’ll be leaving these here then.” The medicines and bandages are left on the bed, alongside a bowl of water, a cleaning cloth, and a large tunic that’s been sliced into on the back. “Come, Girlfriend, we need to continue packing supplies before it’s too late.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Hold on!” Boyfriend is helped back onto the bed by Pico, and he calls out to the woman that helped rescue said man. “Girlfriend, you’re the one who broke his chains, right?”

“Oh, yes!” She turns right back around with a smile, as if completely forgetting the earlier debacle. “It’s a little- um, spell! Yes, that I learned when I was younger.”

“Can you do it again?” He points to the shackles still around Pico’s neck and ankle. Girlfriend’s smile droops a bit as worry settles in her features, and she fidgets about as she stares at the shackles apprehensively.

“I can… try but. It might- it might hurt him if I’m not careful and- well, I’m not very, um, refined? Yet, with my skills…”

“I believe in you!” Boyfriend puts on a bright smile to cheer her on and Pico nods along.

The encouragement works wonders on Girlfriend as she quickly loses her hesitance and rushes to Pico’s side quickly, a finger slipping between the metal and his neck on both sides as she pinches the metal between her forefingers and thumbs. “It might feel a bit hot, but I’ll do my best not to hurt you.”

Pico smiles and speaks with his gravelly voice, “Since when have you?”

The added confidence makes her brighten, and Boyfriend watches in amazement as the metal turns red hot under her grasp. As it melts between her fingers, he can’t help but wonder if the magic keeps her fingers from burning with the metal. The shackle around his neck drops apart onto the bed, burning the sheets a bit as it cools. Pico quickly picks the pieces up and shakes them in the air as Boyfriend coos excitedly.

“That was incredible!” He scoots over to watch her work on the other shackle. “I’ve never seen magic like that before- or really, any kind of magic!”

“It’s a… family tradition!” She explains as Pico snorts.

“Could you teach me sometime?” Boyfriend doesn’t know if he holds any kind of magical prowess, but with his strange hair, maybe there’s something within him that just needs to be awakened? Surely his hair isn’t just for show like some defect.

“Oh! I um, can try! But it’s all rather…” Again Girlfriend struggles to find her words as she looks nervously away from the two of them, instead focusing on the last shackle.

“She inherited her powers,” Pico speaks up, massaging his throat and watching as she melts off the other shackle. “It’s not really something she knows how to teach. Or can, even.”

Girlfriend keeps silent as she holds the two halves of the shackle in her hands. Her brow furrows together, deep in thought with an unhappy frown as she squeezes the shackles tightly. “Sometimes I wish it wasn’t inherited,” she mumbles softly.

Pico and Boyfriend share a look before looking back at Girlfriend. Boyfriend leans forward and gently covers her hands with his. “It’s okay. I think I know how you feel, even if it’s just a little.” Girlfriend looks up and blinks at him, before turning to Pico as he nods in agreement.

“We’ve all got a little something we never asked for.” The winged man shakes his wings for emphasis, smiling when she giggles. “But at least we won’t have to cope with it by ourselves anymore.” She looks between the two of them with a bit of wonder, and a bit of relief. Her shoulders relax as she faces Boyfriend with a shy smile.

“Is it alright if I… may I please hug you?”

“Of course!” Boyfriend opens his arms wide, and the woman wastes no time in falling into them, embracing him tightly as though they’ve known each other for years.

“Thank you,” she mumbles into his shoulder, squeezing him once before pulling away with a teary smile. With a quick shuffle, she slides off the bed and walks over to Pico, hugging him without asking as he grunts in surprise. Burying her face against his shoulder, her arms slide perfectly in place just beneath his wings as she sighs happily. “It feels nice to finally hug you without metal in the way, or behind my parents’ backs.”

He chuckles softly and pats her head, letting her squeeze him with a familiarity that leaves Boyfriend wondering. “Now you can do whatever the hell you want.”

“Yes!” She pulls back with a teary, lighthearted grin. “And- oh! The first thing I want to do is continue packing for our escape!” She stands up quickly and rushes for the door, looking back to smile brightly at the men. “I’ve always dreamed of going on an adventure!”

“We’re running for our lives-” Pico tries to correct, but she’s already gone with an excited laugh. He sighs and shakes his head, making Boyfriend laugh as he scoots closer to his friend. “There are times when she reminds me of you,” he says with a tired frown.

“Is that a bad thing?” Boyfriend asks, taking one of Pico’s hands and tangling their fingers together.

Pico looks down and squeezes, before returning his gaze to Boyfriend’s blue eyes. “...Sometimes.”

“...Why is it bad?”

“Back when I was still… trapped, she was the only one who seemed to care about how I was doing, how I was feeling.” He shrugs, wings fanning out to curl around the pair. “She’s sweet, kind, and very empty-headed, like you.” Pico pokes his cheek and chuckles when Boyfriend pouts at the insult. “Being near her wasn’t bad - I just couldn’t help but notice the similarities. And similarities are just that - similarities. She wasn’t you, and she never will be. But noticing all those little things… It reminded me how much I… missed you during those years.” He rubs his thumb against Boyfriend’s palm as his voice softens. “I missed being able to hold your hand like this. Or listening to your voice. Missed being near you. Missed feeling your touch.” He leans forward and presses his forehead against Boyfriend’s. “Missed feeling like this.”

“Like this how?” he whispers softly.

“Like…” Pico flounders for a moment, and he resembles the awkward boy Boyfriend met under their tree’s shade all those years ago. “Like I’m finally home.”

“Welcome home,” he says with a smile. “I’ve missed you too.”

“Mmm.” Pico wraps an arm around Boyfriend’s waist and tugs him closer. The room darkens, and for a moment Boyfriend wonders if the sun has already set. But a quick look up has him seeing Pico’s wings curled around them protectively. He reaches a hand out and strokes the feathers. Soft and smooth. “I’ve always wanted to do this,” Pico whispers.

“Really?” Boyfriend cups his face as Pico leans into his touch.

“Really.” He tilts his head curiously, his green eyes drifting to Boyfriend’s lips. “There’s one other thing I’ve wanted to do as well.”

“Show me, please?” He can feel every bit of Pico’s warm breath as they lean closer to each other.

“Gladly.” The distance closes as Pico presses his lips softly against Boyfriend’s. Boyfriend closes his eyes, his hand drifting to cup the back of Pico’s neck. Another arm comes to pull Boyfriend closer to Pico, and he’s fully embraced by the ginger once they part. They separate only for a moment before Boyfriend leans in for another kiss. His lips linger, pressing closer as he settles in Pico’s lap. They part once again, but instead of a lingering kiss, Pico presses a kiss to his closed eyes. With a laugh, he opens his eyes and finds his… friend? Smiling back at him. Another kiss is pressed to his neck, his cheek, his forehead, before another one finds its way to his lips. Boyfriend’s own lips chase after Pico’s, choosing instead to grace him with little, short kisses over and over again until Pico’s laugh escapes him.

He could kiss him again. In fact, he wants to kiss him again. But Pico’s staring at him with half-lidded eyes, so entirely filled with affection and love that it’s impossible to tear his gaze from him. How did he manage to live without his lovely face for the past five years? The words escape him before he even has the chance to think.

“I love you,” he says breathlessly, Pico’s eyes widening in surprise as his cheeks grow redder. “I love you,” he repeats, smile wobbling as he realizes how close he’d been to losing Pico forever to some wandering group of minstrels. “I love you so much.”

“I-” Pico’s blush spreads to the tips of his ears as he looks away. He bites at his lip as tries to regain his composure. Boyfriend runs his fingers through his locks, scratching lightly at Pico’s scalp in just the right way to get him to relax. With a sigh, Pico buries his face against the crook of Boyfriend’s neck as he clutches him tightly. “I… I love you too. Always have.”

Of course. Boyfriend can’t help the affectionate sigh that leaves him as he follows Pico’s example and nuzzles against his shoulder.

He knows there’s things to do. Things they have to do to prepare for the long journey ahead of them. Perhaps they’ll never come to know of a place where they can settle. Perhaps they’ll be able to start anew somewhere far, far away.

They’re going to have to leave their favorite tree behind. The thought doesn’t bother him as much as he thinks it should. With himself completely wrapped around Pico, he finds that he doesn’t care too much about it. They can always find another tree, another place with more green leaves so perfect he’d think they were enchanted to always look so perfect.

Find a new place to call home. Turn over a new leaf. The thought makes him smile, despite whatever dangers they must face.

There’s many things they need to do. He knows this. But for the moment, he really doesn’t care. It’s warm in Pico’s arms, warmer than he’s felt in years. And anyway, Pico needs some semblance of rest. Yes, he can put off worrying about the future for later.

For now, all that matters is Pico, and his familiar scent of blood…

Blood…

Blood.

He tears himself from Pico and pulls his wings open gently, greatly startling his… lover? Lover. The thought makes him blush for a moment, but he shakes his head to clear it, lunging for the bowl of water and rag. Ugh, how could he forget?!

“Boyfri-?”

“Hold on, I forgot, I’m so stupid-” He cleans the dried blood off of Pico, the ginger blinking blearily before he too remembers the state he’s in.

“Oh, gods, we-” He looks at his own bare chest as Boyfriend frantically cleans him up, and a startled laugh escapes him. “You’re making me just as empty-headed as you are.”

“Hush.” Boyfriend grabs the salves and ointments, smearing them over Pico’s wounds and injuries.

“You did a really good job at kissing my thoughts out of my head, after all.” Pico teases him relentlessly as he hands Boyfriend the bandages.

“I said hush!” He gently wraps up the wounds, keeping his movements tender as he wraps the bandages around Pico’s neck and ankle. “I hope your thoughts are returning now, we’re going to need them soon.”

“Hmm.” Pico hums as he reaches for the tunic, pulling it over his head as his wings slip through the slits. “We’ll see about that.”

“What do you-?” His wrists are grabbed as Pico places gentle kisses over the insides of them, looking up at Boyfriend with a wink. “Pico!”

“What?” he purrs out, pressing another kiss to his jawline. “Just trying to make up for lost time.”

“We can do that when we’re away and safe from here.” Regrettably, he pulls away from Pico only to feel his wings wrap around them again.

“Can I steal one more moment from you?” Pico’s smile is sweet, as is his gaze as he looks up at Boyfriend. “And then we can prepare and leave.”

It’s always hard for him to say no. Especially when Pico looks at him like that. It’s been years since he’s seen that pleading look in his eyes. “...Alright.”

Pico’s smile brightens as he pulls Boyfriend in for one more kiss. As he closes his eyes and melts into Pico’s embrace, he hopes they’ll share more moments like this into the future. If he gets to keep Pico near him, then he doesn’t care what the future may hold for them. It doesn’t matter how many dangers they’ll have to face - he’ll face them head on without a single thought. And it doesn’t matter where they go, or where they end up either.

Anywhere can be home.

As long as Pico is here with him, anywhere will be home for them.

~(^v^)~

Goodbyes aren’t easy. But they are necessary.

His mother holds him tight in her arms as he hugs her back, and she pulls away, she smiles a knowing smile before patting his cheek. She’ll be okay, he knows she will. Still… His fingers dig into her own cloak as if he’s still her little boy.

And in some ways, he is. She smiles, and it’s happy and sad at the same time. It’s enough that Boyfriend starts to cry, so she steps closer and wipes his tears away, humming her lullaby for him as he hugs her one last time.

“I’m so proud of you. You’ve grown up to be such a fine young man.” She presses a kiss to his forehead before pulling away one last time. “I love you, my sweet heart.”

“I love you too.” He feels a hand land on his shoulder, and he looks over to Girlfriend smiling sadly but encouragingly. With a steadying breath, he smiles for his mother as brightly as he can. “Stay safe.”

Her own smile is just as sad, but just as bright as she nods her acknowledgment. “You too, my dear. Keep your friends safe.” With that, she pulls her own hood over her head and walks away with her own traveling pack. The trio watches as she holds a hand out and snaps her fingers. A bright flash has them shielding their eyes, and when their vision returns, his mother is nowhere to be seen.

Gone, just like that.

...Wait, did she just-?

“Boyfriend, did you know she could-?”

“Uh, no.”

That’s a question he’ll never get answered.

Goodbyes are difficult. But they must be done.

The trio walks through the forest of his childhood. So scorned and loathed by the townspeople, it was his only reprieve and special place for as long as he could remember. They pause by his tree, wherein hides his collection of leaves that Pico had given to him over the years. It’s bittersweet, knowing he may never see this forest again for who knows how long. He presses his forehead against the tree and whispers softly to it.

“Thank you, for everything…”

The forest rustles around them softly as he pulls away from his tree. Pico nods for them to continue as Girlfriend lingers by Boyfriend’s side. He doesn’t follow immediately, something catching his eye as he bends down to pick it up.

A perfect, green leaf. He smiles, twirling it between his fingers before jogging up to Pico’s side with Girlfriend in tow. Silently, he slips it into Pico’s grasp. Pico brings up to his face in surprise, a small smile gracing his features before he turns to Boyfriend to kiss his forehead.

There is sure to be leaves no matter where they go. But this one is special to them. Their fingers interlock as Boyfriend wraps an arm around Girlfriend’s shoulders.

Goodbyes can mean the end. But they can also mean the beginning of something new.

The trio step out from the forest, and a new sight graces both Boyfriend and Girlfriend’s sights as they gasp at the rolling fields before them. He’s… never seen much past the two towns. But there’s beauty in discovering something new. Especially at the side of his lover and friend.

Girlfriend squeals excitedly as Pico chuckles at their unabashed enthusiasm.

“You two ready?”

There will be dangers. There will be things that Boyfriend’s never faced before. He’ll have to learn skills and help fend off new challenges. But he’s not doing it alone.

He’ll never be alone again.

Boyfriend shares a grin with Girlfriend before looking back over to an amused Pico.

“Of course!”

He may never see his loving mother again. And he may never see his beloved forest again. But he thinks that it’ll be okay regardless. He can put one foot in front of the other and never have to look back to his past. Never does he have to stay in place, waiting and waiting and waiting ever again.

He can move forward and never stop moving forward.

They all take their first step towards a new adventure, a new life, a new beginning, and Boyfriend smiles brightly as the birds sing above him.

And for once.

He thinks everything will be alright in his life.

#fnf #friday night funkin #fnf boyfriend #pico newgrounds #fnf pico #fnf girlfriend #fnf daddy dearest #fnf mommy mearest #fantasy au #spoilers beware in the tag #i dunno why but i just love winged people i just do #anyway so i accidentally made pico a snufkin variant so thats in line with my tastes #ALSO the rap battle is rapped to DAD BATTLE #i spent a while making this rap battle i STILL think i can improve it #but i also dont want to touch it anymore #ive considered making a sequel because uh #i really like this au #i remembered i cant curse in the tags or its less likely to show up so theres a couple tags gone #check out the ao3 link it might be easier to read on there

[mariasdumblifeblog]

5 Interesting Nonfiction Titles

1) Republic by Plato 

Plato’s strategy in Republic is to first explicate the primary notion of societal, or political, justice, and then to derive an analogous concept of individual justice. In Books II, III, and IV, Plato identifies political justice as harmony in a structured political body. An ideal society consists of three main classes of people—producers (craftsmen, farmers, artisans, etc.), auxiliaries (warriors), and guardians (rulers); a society is just when relations between these three classes are right. Each group must perform its appropriate function, and only that function, and each must be in the right position of power in relation to the others. Rulers must rule, auxiliaries must uphold rulers’ convictions, and producers must limit themselves to exercising whatever skills nature granted them (farming, blacksmithing, painting, etc.) Justice is a principle of specialization: a principle that requires that each person fulfill the societal role to which nature fitted him and not interfere in any other business.

2) The Colossus of Maroussi by Henry Miller

Like the ancient colossus that stood over the harbor of Rhodes, Henry Miller’s The Colossus of Maroussi stands as a seminal classic in travel literature.  It has preceded the footsteps of prominent travel writers such as Pico Iyer and Rolf Potts. The book Miller would later cite as his favorite began with a young woman’s seductive description of Greece. Miller headed out with his friend Lawrence Durrell to explore the Grecian countryside: a flock of sheep nearly tramples the two as they lie naked on a beach; the Greek poet Katsmbalis, the “colossus” of Miller’s book, stirs every rooster within earshot of the Acropolis with his own loud crowing; cold hard-boiled eggs are warmed in a village’s single stove, and they stay in hotels that “have seen better days, but which have an aroma of the past.”

3) Women and Power: A Manifesto by Mary Beard

Mary Beard addresses in one brave book the misogynists and trolls who mercilessly attack and demean women the world over, including, very often, Mary herself. In Women & Power, she traces the origins of this misogyny to its ancient roots, examining the pitfalls of gender and the ways that history has mistreated strong women since time immemorial. As far back as Homer’s Odyssey, Beard shows, women have been prohibited from leadership roles in civic life, public speech being defined as inherently male. From Medusa to Philomela (whose tongue was cut out), from Hillary Clinton to Elizabeth Warren (who was told to sit down), Beard draws illuminating parallels between our cultural assumptions about women’s relationship to power—and how powerful women provide a necessary example for all women who must resist being vacuumed into a male template. With personal reflections on her own online experiences with sexism, Beard asks: If women aren’t perceived to be within the structure of power, isn’t it power itself we need to redefine? And how many more centuries should we be expected to wait?

4) Creators, Conquerors, and Citizens: A History of Ancient Greece by Robin Waterfield

With more information, more engagingly presented, than any similar work, this is the best single-volume account of ancient Greece in more than a generation. Waterfield gives a comprehensive narrative of seven hundred years of history, from the emergence of the Greeks around 750 BCE to the Roman conquest of the last of the Greco-Macedonian kingdoms in 30 BCE. Equal weight is given to all phases of Greek history-the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods. But history is not just facts; it is also a matter of how we interpret the evidence. Without compromising the readability of the book, Waterfield incorporates the most recent scholarship by classical historians and archaeologists and asks his readers to think critically about Greek history. A brilliant, up-to-date account of ancient Greece, suitable for history buffs and university students alike, Creators, Conquerors, and Citizens presents a compelling and comprehensive story of this remarkable civilization's disunity, underlying cultural solidarity, and eventual political unification.

5) Famous Greeks: Biography of Philosophers, Playwrights, Poets, Historians, Scientists, and Great Leaders by Mazimum C. Jerri

Ancient Greece was in many ways the birthplace of Western civilization. It was Greece that gave the world the idea of democracy, Western philosophy, the Olympics, and influential works of Western literature. Situated at the junction of North Africa, Western Europe, and Asia, Greek culture and philosophy have played a large role in shaping the development of Western and world history.Over the years, the boundaries of Greece have shifted, but the country is made up of key regions - Macedonia, Athens, Central Greece, the Peloponnese, Thessaly, Epirus, the Aegean Islands, Thrace, Crete, and the Ionian Islands.

Sources:

https://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/republic/summary/ 

https://www.amazon.com/Colossus-Maroussi-Second-Directions-Paperbook/dp/0811218570

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36525023-women-power

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34927445-creators-conquerors-and-citizens

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/famous-greeks-mazimum-c-jerri/1139119251

#greece