#the sheep are becoming a lot more dog broke

[vaqro-a]

PREFACE : ㅤㅤㅤ ㅤi would like to state that i do not acknowledge the name that was formerly attributed to cole cassidy,ㅤ the one most often referred to as "the cowboy's dead / old name." ㅤㅤi don’t believe that the choice made by blizzard provides even the bare minimum in terms of restitution to their employees, ㅤnor do i believe that it takes sufficient measures against that terrible man. ㅤㅤhowever, ㅤi am aware that the former name connotes a recognition that he does not require ; ㅤfor this reason,ㅤ i have refrained from using it at any point in this or any of my pieces regarding this character, ㅤand i have no intention to use it. ㅤㅤin my canon, ㅤCOLE CASSIDY,ㅤwhile not the name he was born with, ㅤis the name he adopts and becomes his most recognizable alias throughout his life. ㅤㅤwith that out of the way, ㅤlet us begin dissecting the many identities of one cowboy.

carlos josé mendoza cárdenas was a boy that came from a joyful and complete home.ㅤㅤ he spent his childhood on his family's ranch, ㅤwhere he was responsible for the care of the sheep and cattle, ㅤrode horses, ㅤmade friends with the farm dogs, ㅤgot into trouble with his siblings, ㅤand received cuddles from his father. ㅤㅤon more than one occasion, ㅤhe slept off while resting his head on his mother's deep blue serape. ㅤㅤup until the age of twelve, ㅤthe sky appeared to be boundless, ㅤand each daybreak heralded a fresh opportunity for him to embark on an exciting new journey. ㅤㅤcarlos cárdenas died alongside his family.

what walked out of that massacre made his way to texas, ㅤand much like the case of many other orphaned children following the crisis,ㅤ no one really paid attention to just another abandoned brown child on the streets.ㅤㅤ soon enough, ㅤhe found himself working in a pork meat plant as a waste collector. ㅤㅤcassidy was the one he decided to go with when he needed a name. ㅤㅤcole came after, ㅤonce he was fired from the pork factory, ㅤwhen he signed theㅤ[  equally phony  ]ㅤdocuments required to get a job on the megafarm which he would work a few more years. ㅤㅤcole cassidy emerged through this process as a young man who was rough around the edges yet kind, ㅤwith fire in his eyes and a keen aim. ㅤㅤa sunset chaser, ㅤa leader of a criminal organization, ㅤa firearms dearler. ㅤㅤa rebel without a cause.

a blackwatch agent. 

cole developed a remarkable aptitude for performing undercover work as time passed. ㅤㅤthe cowboy was a true chameleon when it came to adopting new identities, ㅤinfiltrating new areas, ㅤand obtaining information from a diverse range of individuals, ㅤdespite what appeared to be his natural inclination for being loud and brash. ㅤㅤin the same way that he was one of the best marksmen on the ground, ㅤgabriel reyes relied on him as his eyes on the field for the purposes of reconnaissance and surveillance.ㅤㅤ this kind of operation certainly required a lot of different fabricated identities, ㅤand for a man who already had to craft himself anew, ㅤit was simple to develop something that held traces of himself but was yet far enough from the baseline to avoid being compromised. ㅤㅤit also gave cole the opportunity to write and perform other stories,ㅤ experience different lives, ㅤand a way for him to get a glimpse into what the small kid who lives inside of him may have grown up to be.

among other names, ㅤcole cassidy is also known as :

JOEL MORRICONE ㅤㅤdenotes himself as a coffee drinker, white hat wearer, and pundit for hire, ㅤwho was born in mexico but raised in the united kingdom. ㅤㅤhe takes a deep interest in both criminal activity and political matters ; ㅤㅤhe maintains his own blog with weekly updatesㅤ[  whenever feasible  ],ㅤ  and he also contributes columns and thoughts to an independent newspaper.ㅤㅤ joel had been in what seemed to be an endless relationship with bernard baldwin, ㅤa much older baker from los angeles ;ㅤ nevertheless, ㅤafter joel lost his arm, ㅤbernard broke up their relationship. ㅤㅤsingle and recovered from the physical and emotional trauma, ㅤjoel now is doing a significant amount of travelling throughout the world to report on the proliferation of the null sector and many other unsavory activities.

BRUNO LEONE ㅤㅤis a single, ㅤitalian young man. ㅤas a result of his brother enzo's untimely death in vienna while closing his photography studio,ㅤ bruno was unable to complete his education and so never received his diploma.ㅤ bruno was forced to abandon his studies as a result of the impact of the loss of his brother,ㅤ who represented everything he had to offer in the way of a familyㅤ[  mother being an addict who overdosed when they were eighteen, father having walked out when the twins were two  ]. ㅤㅤbecause he is now saddled with debt,ㅤ bruno is forced to take odd jobs in order to make ends meet and continue living his life.ㅤㅤa memorable occasion was eight years ago, ㅤwhen bruno was fire from his job as a waiter for mouthing off against his manager ; ㅤhe had only got the job a month prior but had no patience for pushy employers and the snob clientele of the establishment.

MAVERICK LOGANN ㅤㅤis a bounty hunter and contract killer, ㅤand his place of birth is unknown. ㅤㅤa man who appears to care about very little, ㅤif anything at all, ㅤother than the amount of money in his pocket. ㅤㅤas a hired assassin, ㅤit would appear that he specializes in sniper and long - distance kills. ㅤㅤa vicious individual who does not like to have his boundaries tested yet appreciates a job well done when he sees it.

JEROME MCGINNISㅤㅤ is a skilled tradesman who is married to courtney and is a father to a beautiful daughter called alicia.ㅤㅤ a canadian citizen who resides in quebec with his wife and daughter, although the the majority of his time these days is spent away from home due to job obligations.

CARSON REEVES ㅤㅤis a fitness trainer and is currently single.ㅤㅤ grew up in wales as the son of a mexican immigrant mother and a welsh guy for a father.ㅤㅤ his parents got a divorce when he was a child.ㅤㅤ although he never attended college, ㅤhe did participate in badminton and rugby while he was in high school but was never good enough to play professionally.ㅤㅤ possesses a vicious temper and spends entirely too much time on the couch watching television and drinking beer on the weekends.

JEFF WAYNE ㅤㅤis a prominent american socialite. ㅤㅤbecause of the omnic crisis, ㅤjeffrey "jeff" wayne was an orphan and had to go through a number of different foster homes before finally settling down with carmen and reagan wayne. ㅤㅤafterwards, ㅤhe was raised in a life of plenty and luxury by his adoptive parents, ㅤwho provided him with everything but the love and attention he so desperately craved as a child. ㅤㅤmet his girlfriend, ㅤbrianna, ㅤwhile he was in college studying economics and philosophy. ㅤㅤshe passed away in a tragic accident not long ago.

#META. #there it is. #i could elaborate on which situation cole uses each name but i think i am leaving this one as it is. #and they can be later explored individually? #idk. thoughts #but this was also an opportunity to clear up on the name thing and where i stand with it #anyways now i can do adult things like house chores and food <3

[sea-salt-child]

That Which Is Seen

(I'm sick so I'll be uploading a bit of the fanfiction on tumblr. The main deal is on AO3)

Chapter One: 1022 Doors

It was around 3 PM on a dreary, hot summer day. The kid pulled his mom along, excited to see the new cards at the store. She was tired, yes, but glad to see him happy about something, given his mood had been very poor these last few days.

The noise that broke through the air was unpleasant. At once, all the speakers blared out the tinny sound of microphone interference for what seemed like forever.

The boy suddenly covered his ears and squatted down onto the floor.

Slowly, a voice resolved itself through the ringing. A man, frantic, barely intelligible, trying to get it across to everyone. Trying to make it known. Speaking the words that would be burned into this corner of the city for years to come.

“The God of Random Numbers-! It’s a God! I saw it, I saw it outside, from the tower- it spilled and- and it was-” Words growing nonsensical. “Ripoffish”, “Understandable as a snapshot”, “Returnlike feedback”. Silence in the building, people paralyzed, drinking from the fountain of knowledge. “Alunacy, rinterion casts, spreading forever inside but now everted again, castipools and maid made nonsiege, holding me before any of you and- and- and-”

The audio was cut off all of a sudden. There was nothing at first, one could have heard a pin drop. The child remained on the floor, the mother stuck in place, unable to reach for him.

Someone, somewhere, moved.

Everything exploded into chaos.

-- Teeth --

It’s quiet in the little room, the place where you rest every night. Reds and blacks, toys scattered around, blankets and treats atop colorful counters.

The little sheep that looks more like a cushion is atop the tea table, besides a knocked down cup. It’d be soaked if it weren’t for the magic of dreams keeping its fleece warm and fluffy. On the floor, next to all the crayons and papers, having spent a while drawing and drawing and drawing, the black cat cries in its sleep.     The fox, who is always up late, is nowhere to be seen.

You rest your head on the sheep, sighing heavily into him. So nice. He’s smelling like tea now, heavy and floral.

From the dark, the Ringmaster calls your attention, just a pair of yellow eyes floating, undefined. 

“It will be morning soon. You’ll wake up with the birds.”

You whine and turn away, refusing to hear any of it. 

“I’ll just stay here until late. I don’t wanna go wake mom up again.”

Don’t wanna repeat all these tedious morning rituals, all these reminders that something broke that cannot be fixed. 

“You’ll want to be awake for today. Lots of things happened.”

“And how would you know? You are just a dumb dream thingy.”

“...What about this, then. If you don’t wake up, then, when the fox shows up, you won’t have your proxy up.”

That’s what he calls them. The little animal things. The loneliness mementos. They showed up one day and never really left, along with this room and its master. All of it comforted you, yeah… but also came to remind you of how empty you are inside yourself. Like inhabiting a room far too large, becoming unable to fill everything in at once.

Whenever you wake up, he promises to leave your proxy up as well, so you may belong in some sense. A stand in that fits in place… and you don’t want to not have it up for something like a reunion.

“Mean.”

“Uppy up. Come on.”

Uppy up.

…

You open your eyes.

The room is still dark, with the windows closed as they are, but sunshine still manages to break in through the sides and top, refusing to be stopped by even the best efforts of the curtains.

Standing up, you hear the dogs outside. They don’t come into your room. They don’t know you at all- and neither does she. You yawn, stretching, stretching the dream away. The details peel off and fall to the ground with a pitter patter, lost like dandelion fluff on a windy day.

Long ago, you liked to stay up late. Not anymore, not really. It’s always harder to do this when she’s already awake and going about her day. When the unsettling feeling of being in a haunted place has already flooded in and you have to reveal yourself as its ghost.

Nothing acknowledges you as you open the door and leave your room.

Hers is nearby. The door doesn’t even creak when you push it open. You approach, but don’t try to wake her yet. Instead, you pick up the laminated card you have prepared for this.

YUYA’S FAQ FOR MOM!!

Q: Who are you?!

A: I’m Sakaki Yuya! Your son! 

Q: I have a son? A: Yes you do. But you forget me every time you don’t think of me for a while. 

Q: How?

A: God did it to me! 

Let’s get food. You always leave a ton of reminders around the house because of this, so you can check them to know what we had planned for today :D

…

That’s just how it is. 

It’s not just mom, not at all- everything and everyone forgets all about you so very quickly. You vanish from the mind, from any records, from everything. 

You try to take it in stride. You really do!

It’s not easy.

Shaking mom awake always takes a bit of effort. As always, she is surprised, but someone this given to just adopting anything in adoption range, she doesn’t freak out or anything, even if she seems worried.

You hand her the card and worry turns to confusion, then to something odd and almost pained before settling on a smile.

“Well… let’s do as this says, hm? A big breakfast is bound to break the tension here.”

She’s nice.

Mom’s always nice.

But she can’t recall you at all. She’s just meeting a stranger every day, trying her best to be a mom, but being unable to connect with all your history. But you do recall her, in her entirety, with each passing day, from the beginning.

She forgot about you, who were right there on that day and ran, swept by the crowd.

It isn’t long before you go downstairs to watch some TV while you wait for the food to be ready. The signal is really touch and go in the Isolated Zone and most channels are just straight up blocked. Usually you can at least count on some reruns of shows and recent-ish duels from the outside world, but it seems today is not your lucky day.

You groan and eventually settle on the only channel that is ever available all day long- the dumb LDS news channel. 

In the days after the tragedy, it was used to broadcast all kinds of news and help reorganize the newly created Isolated Zone into some semblance of order. Nowadays it mostly just shows ads and occasional updates that amount to “Nothing new under the sun! Sorry folks, you’ll just have to rot in this place for some more years!”

“Here, it’s all ready. Pancakes. We may need to go to the market tomorrow, though… Here’s hoping that those guys stop being stingy about flour of all things! They got us stuck, they will have to deal with me baking my way through this!”

You snicker as you sit down to eat. Indeed, pancakes. And, in true “every day of my life I watch Michio’s show reruns” fashion, scrambled eggs fancied up with all kinds of side ingredients. And orange juice.

“I can go fetch extra if they refuse to give you enough. Their computer is stuck registering me as new every time.”

You fork some of the pancakes. So fluffy. So sweet. Yoko bonks you over the head.

“I refuse to believe I raised you to be that tricky, young man!”

A little wind blows your hair. It’s from her fan. The little hand fan she had that day, now stuck forever buzzing, embedded to her arm.

“You are gonna get my hair tangled on that thing!”

She rolls her eyes- but does move away to take her own seat. More forkfuls of the pancakes as she eats her own breakfast. 

“So. What are you plans for today, dear?”

She really can’t ask for anything more specific. You shrug.

“I’ll go see if anyone feels like dueling over at LDS, I guess. Just spend some time outside. Uh, tonight we were meant to replace the post its and reminders together, also. They are fading again.”

“Oh.” She, does sound genuinely sad, hearing that. 

It’s a nice thing, how much she cares about commiting you to memory somehow. Sure, it has made the house a mess of corkboards, reminders, photos, pinned messages, recordings- but it is a physical reminder that you aren’t being given up on. 

Her voice picks up again.

“Well, then, I’ll make sure to look for some fun supplies to make them more lively together! Ah, I wish we were at the old house… your dad had enough supplies of glitter and colored papers to last an eternity.”

“What’s the point of entertainment if you don’t get to overuse glitter?” You joke, downing the last of the pancakes with juice, made very sour by the sugar in your mouth, before moving onto the eggs.

“Maybe the point is to not make this house an uninhabitable sparkly hellscape, how about that?”

…

“I wonder what happened to the old house.”

“I bet Syuzo-san is taking care of it. Same about the school.”

“You’ve talked about him before.”

“Mmhm, it’d be weird not to. He was a good friend of ours. He had a small daughter, around your age I think?”

“I’m fourteen, mom.”

“Then you should be the same age. She was a very sweet girl.”

“...I think we were friends.”

“Aah, so nostalgic! It makes me want to climb up that tower and kick those stuffy executives into action! I’d give anything to get back out.”

“Don’t get into too much trouble!”

“Shouldn’t I be the one telling you things like that?”

You finish up the food and stand.

“Maybe! But you don’t even know if I’m a troublemaker for you or not, so!”

“Well, those aren’t exactly comforting words” She replies, light hearted. “Wash your teeth before you go.”

---

The sky is grey. Grey and streaked with odd colors. This is how it has looked since that day, though the exact hues of it change often. 

The world always seems fuzzy under these shimmering lights. You suppose it fits for somewhere as weird as the Isolated Zone. It, at least, is no weirder than the metallic chambers containing small floating voids in this place or whatever is going on with the graveyard.

There are currently 43 people alive in this place, out of thousands that were first caught in the initial outbreak. Out of them, 12 are employees over at LDS- the tower from which it all spewed forth. Further 15 were students at their dueling school. The remaining 16 are civilians. Civilians like you and mom.

Needless to say, having so few people around kind of makes this place a ghost town. You  used to like exploring, given all this freedom- but. Over time, it sort of became too depressing to handle.

Reminders of those that are no longer, everywhere. Houses collecting dust, frozen in the moment, capturing the last seconds of people you never got to know. And the mall, the epicenter of the tragedy, where even now corpses still turn up and have to be hauled away.

It’s a fossilized world.

A tragedy, still in motion to this day, finishing off at a glacial pace while everyone pretends like somehow this will get solved. 

You wish your dad hadn’t disappeared when he did.

Yes. Disappeared. Without a body, without any proof he may have died, you refuse to even think of that possibility. No way he would just abandon you forever. 

Ah… haha! You lower your goggles onto your eyes and spin in place, putting on a big smile. God, that was a depressing train of thought! No need to think so hard about that kind of thing just because you are going to the stupid tower!

The duelist kids that live there aren’t always up for a duel, and they are very tough- especially since you haven’t been able to update your deck in forever.

(No one has been able to. The biggest card store was in the mall. Someone exploded there, they think. They became everywhere and can’t be washed off the walls)

Still! Those are the people that you can play with and play with them you will! It’s all about having fun in the end, right? Putting on a show and trying to get a smile out of them. You, mostly end up making a fool of yourself, really, but since no one can actually remember you, it’s no big problem. 

Can’t ruin your reputation if no one knows you, ever!

Though, something is… wrong, today.

Very wrong.

You almost run into one at first, since they are almost invisible save for that… vibration. That contained shudder in the shape of a door. Once you acknowledge one, however, your brain fills in the blank. 

Today, around LDS tower, there are 1022 doors.

And from inside the one right in front of you, a scream.

That voice… that’s, it’s someone you know, right? One of the girls you’ve dueled with sometimes- her name is Nene. Her name is Nene, she has always been a quiet, timid girl, and now she is screaming her heart out.

You rush inside. 

Darkness.

An immediate tightening in your chest. These doors, you suddenly know, are connected to each other and themselves. This is a fractal pattern that repeats in tinier and tinier paths that wind down to the smallest pieces of you. By the wonder of these connecting ‘lines’ and ‘loops’ and their manifestation as things: ‘vibration’ and ‘doors’,  things exist, including you in this space, with your feet upon a whiteblue path made of disjointed ceramic pieces.

It isn’t just you and Nene here.

It shakes, it flutters, it is close by. You know it, because everyone does. Everyone knows, everyone is resonating with it ever since. The God that crawled from the tower and made itself known. The God that spreads a changing tune.

Your mouth waters.

Her yells suddenly turn into retching and you are snapped back to reality. To, to this reality adjacency. What is this? Where is this? It is a parallel imitation of the world and it runs into you as a problem down to the smallest parts. There is no scale at which there is a concrete yes or no.

The path winds and divides and you take all intersections at the same time as the world becomes unable to recall all your past trajectories. Everything in here is a rough translation of the woes outside.

Your brain feels scrambled and you know you can’t stay for long or it might stay that way.

Two, three, five, one, seven, half and a quarter and skipping stones.

It breathes down your neck.

It is an absence and it is everything at the same time. It is really a snapshot, spread everywhere but also along everytime. 

Ah- she’s there. Just around the corner. On her knees, staring, unable to move, making strange noises, shaking, shaking, shaking.

The air is full of static as you approach. It cuts into your skin and you shield your face with your arms. Repulsion, incompatibility. Objects rain from above.

Crayons, blankets, chairs and toys. You are suddenly terrified that the God of Random Numbers will rip the proxies off your head and leave you alone in an emptiness larger than life.

Eyes closed, you kneel besides her.

“Nene-”

“How did it get out? How did it get out?!”

“Nene, get up, let’s go. Let’s go.”

“Everything was inside.”

“We can’t stay. Come on.”

She is reluctant to stand up, but does so, unsteady, and you support her.

“Ah- ah! Ah! It’s going in, in a box. It’s going in a box-! Who is there?!”

She struggles. Unable to open your eyes for your own good, you drag her away. Static clings to her and leaves shallow cuts. It has forgotten you.

“They can’t- it’s getting taken-”

The world is unwinding. Something critical really did get taken. How does a God fit in a box? How does change fit anywhere except for in the space between skin and flesh?

When you open your eyes, the darkness is full of the same red velvet as the room in your dreams. Is the Ringmaster here? Everything is raining down and the only reason why you even notice you went through the door again is because there’s suddenly light.

Light, fluorescent and burning.

Somehow, you wound up in the main lobby, coming in through the doors to the building. 

The woman at the front desk- and you don’t remember her name right now- almost jumps in surprise and right away, hits a button, calling for some help.

She approaches and you do your best to stay upright, supporting the girl that is bleeding all over. Thankfully, the woman takes the burden away from you.

But the shaky voice hangs in the air.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Someone, I saw someone coming out of Yusho-san’s old room and, and I went to follow them because they were going towards the card room no one is allowed to enter. And, and they went through one door and suddenly all was so dark-”

…Dad’s room?

Why…?

Your head hurts.

A pair of people come in, there are hushed words you barely understand. One of them asks who you are and you can only shake your head. Did the Ringmaster fall out? Did the proxies hit the ground and disperse in that dark room? You want to fall asleep and see. 

“Look at me- kid-”

Someone moves your goggles up. 

Why are you tearing up?

Someone, at the magical epilogue of everything, neglected to tell you something important, right?

“Someone came out of dad’s room?”

“What-”

They wouldn’t know a thing. No one really knows a thing. 

“Did Yusho have a kid?”

“I don’t know.”

You step back. 

“Kid, if you know anything about this, it is critical that you tell us about it.”

Someone else is coming down. Four- this is one third of the total workforce here.

“The card is gone.”

The lady from the front desk is already leaving with Nene to the infirmary.

“What card.”

Someone steps towards you. Tension. Hostility.

“Listen. It will be best to comply, here-”

Your head droops to a side. Words fall like water, so as to wash it all away.

“Do I know you?”

There is a moment of confusion as the context of your presence here becomes blurry, distant, then gone. As once again, everyone in this world forgets you. Information that hates itself, that kills itself, that dips into the dark to never return, that is quieter than dreams, more fragile than anything else.

You turn- then run out and away.

-- Lungs --

At first, you fought against it, tooth and nail. Tried to fight against anyone who came into your room to give you food, tried to sneak out, even tried a daring escape through the window, nevermind the height. 

They always caught you and put you back inside without problems.

This weirdly warm and nice room. Stone walls, a fluffy bed. Better food than you could ever afford in Synchro. But also, the unforgivable stripping of your freedom and the weight of being so far away from your one friend.

Eventually, you had to switch up your strategies. If brute force wouldn’t work, you might need to gather information- a difficult task for someone stuck in a tiny room like this.

So, whenever someone would come in, you would ask them to stop and chat. Say you were lonely. That you wanted to at least know a bit about your current whereabouts. 

You noticed that the kids coming in often said they had no time to indulge you, staring with big empty eyes, dulled into something dangerous and strange. Not a human expression. Something unnerving, that would be more at home in the face of one of many chained mutts stuck to tiny yards as guard dogs back home than in a person.

You memorized schedules and the people who would arrive. Took note of their strangeness. How often someone might come in injured and simply not acknowledge anything around them besides their duty.

“Hi, I’m sorry to bother you, but, can you stick around a little longer? It’s been really lonely in here and, this is all still so confusing. I want to know more-”

That day’s person stared at you.

A sharp smile.

“Yeah, yeah. You’ve been asking for that. I actually asked if I could actually chitchat with you and I was given the clear~ Not right now though. There’s lots of classes coming up. I’ll be in charge of bringing you dinner some nights and we can talk then.”

Yes. That was… a couple months ago, now? 

If you had been hoping to gather information that would be useful in your escape, your conversations with him dashed that hope altogether. He was glad to let you know about Academia and how it worked, but never let slip anything useful, really.

You did come to understand it all better, though. The kind of despairing nest where you got stuck. What those stares meant. The kind of horror you were now roommates with.

He spoke of everything calmly.

You chided him much when war was first brought up- but he didn’t care for your impassionate words. It was like speaking different languages, really. 

But still. He was sassy and could be weird, but seemed… just as lonely as you. Playful at times, then gloomy other days, but always trying to be a pleasant enough presence bringing you the tricklings of news you could get in here.

Though he would have disagreed, you really started to think of him as a fellow prisoner more than anything. 

No point in hating someone like this. No point in hating the people bringing you food. If anything, your fury should be well aimed at the people you never got to meet in this place. The Professor he spoke of with reverence. The staff running this shitshow. 

“Do you like the meals you get here, Rin-chan?”

“Yeah. I guess. You guys get some nice stuff.”

“The fish sure are fresh~”

“If they weren’t I would have to question what kinda nincompoop is the chef!”

He kicks his feet. 

“It’s a lot of work, feeding an army. But you do get special treatment on that front.”

“Getting real tired of being treated as special, honestly.”

Though, in this place? Maybe she isn’t. 

Sometimes she smells blood.

Two of the kids that used to be in the rotation to care for her have died.

“You should be friendly with whoever comes to replace me as your conversation partner~”

She blinks.

“What? Are they going to card you or-”

He laughs, then shakes his head.

“No, silly! Don’t jump to conclusions!”

“Well, excuse me if I was worried for a second there, what with this place being a glorified kid meat grinder and all!”

“No need to be so disrespectful~ But, I’m going to go on an extended mission.”

“I thought there was a minimum age to join the Obelisk Force?”

That’s something she learned from him. The organization of some ranks. How he was basically set up to join the elites when time came. 

How his time in the spotlight would last three years at most before, as he’d put it, having to be put away with all the other old toys for discarding.

“Yeah, yeah, but I requested a special job. Can’t be giving you the details of it~ But I still wanted to let you know, just in case they assign someone much more boring and much less cute than me.”

“You are so full of yourself that sometimes I wonder how you haven’t just burst yet.”

He pouts.

“Maybe I should have just left without a word, then!”

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t actually. But that’s just because I’ve been meaning to ask you something and, it’d be pretty complicated to do that with you gone on vacation.”

“Vacation, pft. Whatever, you can ask away. Try not to ask anything stupid.”

You bring your legs up on the bed, hugging onto them. He is next to you, relaxed, as had been the norm for a little while now.

“What are you hiding from?”

“Excuse me?” 

But his voice has gained an edge.

“I always found it weird that a self proclaimed elite student like you would take on a role like this. Everyone else who comes by has the red uniforms- slifer, right? So. Why would you come here for? Why would you actually ask to get to spend time here? You never even pushed me for information on Synchro beyond what I was comfortable giving you, so you didn’t really gain any- strategy stuff for Academia-” The words are kind of jumbled. Much less cutting and to the point than they were in your head before tonight. 

“So. Are you hiding from something here?”

He pauses.

The silence is impossibly heavy.

“Rin-chan.” Serious. Plain. Detached and distant. “Have you ever asked my name?”

…

“No.”

“But you are asking something pretty big now. About me. When you look my way, that’s a duel soldier you are looking at, before anything else. Something that isn’t a person in the same way you might be.”

What’s this?

“I’ve been playing nice with you. Didn’t try to get anything out of you, even though you’ve been trying your hardest to get something out of me. If I told you what you want to know, though, I’d be playing an emotional manipulation card the size of the moon. I’d rather be more subtle than that, really.”

It’s that expression on anyone else. The one like a chained dog.

The one like someone far away from themselves.

“I’m just the person here to talk to you. Enrichment in your enclosure. Same as the bookshelves and blankets. Up until now, you were glad to see it that way, weren’t you?”

Because you are trapped here.

And you need to get out.

“Don’t make that kind of upset expression, Rin-chan. I’m not mad at you or anything. I did just give you all the answer you could hope for, didn’t I? But tell me. Would knowing the things I haven’t told you about yet make you think any differently?”

“...I, don’t think so. But, even then! There’s so much stuff in here that is, just fucked up, just wrong-  I worry-!”

“You pity me. And you want me to help you get out. This isn’t personal at all.”

He says it matter of factly.

It’s true. It really is.

You want to go home. You want to speak to Yugo again. To have fun together and dream dreams larger than life. You want to bicker over trivial things, you want to be able to complain about his latest carefree nonsense. You want to be held back from starting up a fight by him. You want to enthuse about finding a house with warm water, still. You want to visit the institution where you grew up to teach kids to duel again. You want to run, you want to scream at the top of your lungs. You want to go home. You want to go home.

You want to look up at the crisscrossed skies. 

This place is hateful and so, you hate. 

Hate the bed. The food. The warmth. The conversations. 

You hate it all.

But you asked that question anyway.

You look at the floor, wishing you could burn a hole right through it the way tears are burning in your eyes.

“...Just let me go.”

He stands up, crossing his arms behind his head.

“I can’t. I won’t. Unfortunately, the next person is also not going to let you go, either. In that way, we become interchangeable.”

“Don’t say that.”

“Well, if you wanna believe it’s gonna be any different with the next one, you are free to get disappointed~ But, for what it’s worth, it’s been nice talking to you, Rin-chan.”

That’s not what you meant. That’s not it.

And so, he heads for the door. 

“Wait-”

“Don’t worry. It’s like I said. I’m not mad. It’s natural that a prisoner wants to escape.”

The door closes.

You feel so stupid. And so weirdly cruel, despite being the one stuck in a room. That person is still nameless. The world is still outside. Everyone is still bleeding, here and everywhere. The window still opens onto the infinite darkness of the ocean.

When was it that you started hoping you could be friends?

-- Hands --

You would never act like this in real life. Not at all. It’d be beyond embarrassing to be taking a dream this seriously about something so dire. It’d be cruel.

Just cruel.

But here? In this grey velvet room, sitting among proxies and toys and impossible things and reminders of what life was like before the war? 

It’s different.

You can be that much more irrational, that much more hopeful.

It’s been months now since Ruri’s disappearance. There’s no clues about what happened- she was last seen among the people who went to adjust the cover in that building. The one place where Academia dares not stick its nose. 

The house of something that shouldn’t have been uncovered.

Everyone else who went that day was found in pieces.

“You’ll be able to look for her soon, you know”, speaks the Ringmaster.

That has been his promise all this time, unwavering in its certainty, as though it could see into the future somehow with those golden eyes of its. A part of your brain aware of more than the conscious self, a part of this sad room that is much too large for you.

“Soon, soon, but never soon enough. I’m getting tired of this. Why can’t you just tell me where the hell Ruri is?”

“It wouldn’t be right.”

“Wouldn’t be-”

You grit your teeth and, without thinking, end up picking up the heftiest thing nearby and chucking it into the darkness around the Ringmaster. The toy train hits the ground, passing straight through the apparition.

“It’s fine for you to make a mess here. Don’t worry. You don’t have a choice but being patient.”

“We’ve looked for her everywhere.”

“Everywhere you know of.”

“I just need to know she’s okay. That she somehow survived.”

Bits of people strewn like tinsel around a christmas tree. There had been some kind of explosion, light, laughter. The cover was blown back. Little animals sat in dark corners, unnameable. Torsion, something that just broke like a dam, a nauseating smell.

“You know she did. What use is my reassurance then? You won’t even give it to your friend, won’t even share it.”

That would be too much. Shun, I heard it in my dreams that she’s okay. That  we just need to be patient. 

It would hurt him like a knife and you’d likely get kicked for your trouble. No, no, you can’t share this, it has to stay in the room. 

“You wouldn’t understand it.”

“What will you do now?”

“Nothing. Enjoy my stay. Wait for some of the other proxies to disappear before I go.”

“Do they make you feel lonely?”

This question again.

“Sometimes.It mostly makes me wish I understood this dream. What it means, if it means anything at all”

“This place is walking after midnight.”

“That’s a reason to like it.”

Golden eyes glimmer.

“I’m glad you said that. Now, let me just, do one small thing- it is important, so that you’ll be able to understand things better.”

Huh?

The curtains close on the onlooker.

And-

A voice. An intruder’s voice, flooding in, flooding in, flooding in.

“Who?”

#yugioh #yugioh arc v #sakaki yuya

[avengerscompound]

Bartoned - Chapter 37

Bartoned - A Hawkeye Fanfic

Masterlist PREVIOUS //

Buy me a ☕ Rating:  E

Warnings:  Family angst, birthday parties.

Pairing: Clint Barton x F!Reader

Word Count:  1818

Summary:  Clint’s name has become synonymous with fucking things up.  When you have a one night stand with him, your whole life gets Bartoned.

Chapter 37

Holding a birthday party for a one-year-old was a very odd experience.  For starters, Nattie had no idea what was going on.  As far as she was concerned it was just a regular day, only there were a bunch more balloons around the house, which was very exciting for her.  She would throw them up in the air and chase them until she fell on her butt, giggling.

Along with that, Nattie didn’t exactly have friends.  There were older kids who played with her and she got excited to see, but they often got bored of her and went to do things she wasn’t yet able to do.  So the people coming today were mostly the adults in her life that loved her.  Which meant family and close friends.  So along with the juice boxes and plates of candy and baked treats was a cooler full of beer and antipasto platters.

The other very strange phenomenon was that because it was a kids party that adults were attending, most of the adults arrived early to help set up for the party, so 90% of the people who were invited were there almost an hour before the official start time.

Still, it was exciting to think that one year ago today this little life had entered the world and changed your life forever.  Seeing her walking around and saying the collection of seven words (which now include mama, dada, no, yes, baby, and shoes), excited that all her favorite people were there showering her with attention was exciting.

By the time the party officially started and the kids showed up, Nattie was already waning because she was overstimulated.

“We should do the presents and cake before she has a meltdown,” you said, picking her up off the ground because she’d decided that throwing herself down on the grass and whining was the best thing to do right now.

“Hey, Nattie,” Kate said.  “You hear that.  Presents!”

You took a seat in the swing chair with her and swung it gently back and forward while she sat beside you.

“Here, I’ll go first,” Natasha said.  Handing over a small box.

Nattie had no idea what to do with it and immediately tried to throw it off the edge of the chair.  Clint caught it and started pulling off the paper with the box in front of her.  “Look, bub, it’s a present.”

“No,” Nattie grumbled and took the gift wrap off it and started swinging it around.  You started laughing and Clint opened the box.  Inside was a little gold chain with an arrow clasp and a plate with ‘Natasha Katherine Barton’ engraved on it.

“That is so lovely.  Thank you, Nat,” you said.

The next gift was from Kate and contained a selection of various kid’s Hawkeye merchandise, including a little dress with pale purple arrows on it, and a homemade bear in what looked like Clint’s Avengers’ uniform.  Nattie was a little interested in the bear but still it was the paper that kept her attention.  After Kate was a gift of books from Bucky, Steve, and their kids.  She did show interest in one of the Spot books and ignored the next three presents in a row while she flipped up the flaps in the book looking for Spot.  When it got to Tony’s giant gift that he wheeled around from the side, she suddenly gained a whole lot of energy.  He’d gotten her an electric kids car that was Iron Man themed.  Both she and Cruz immediately got in it and began driving it around the backyard.

“I think we might have lost her,” you said.

“Ha, I won the best present,” Tony teased.

“Alright, now,” Pepper said.  “No one likes a brag.”

“Then why do they hang out with me?” Tony joked.

“You can just do the rest of the gifts when we’re gone,” Bruce said with a shrug.  “It’s no big deal.”

“Besides we should do cake,” Kate added.

You and Clint got up and were heading to the kitchen when a man with red hair came around the side of the house, holding a large, brightly colored box.  You knew you recognized him from somewhere but you couldn’t quite place it.  “Barney?”  Clint said, sounding confused.  That’s when it hit you.  This was Clint’s brother.  You’d met him at Clint’s birthday when you’d first hooked up with Clint and he’d gotten you pregnant.  It had been such a brief interaction, you’d forgotten about him.  Clint had mentioned him since but he’d always spoken about him like he was a dead man, and it had never clicked that his brother was still out there living his life.  Yet here he was, right in front of you.

“Hey, Clint, Guess what?”  Barney asked.

“You’ve got my money?”  Clint answered.

“No, chicken butt,” Barney said, “When are you going to learn that?”

Clint scowled at his brother and tapped his hand on his leg like he was trying to decide what he wanted to do.

You stepped forward and greeted Barney, giving him your name and holding out your hand.  He took it and pulled you into a half-hug, kissing your cheek.  “I met you, right?  At the party.  I didn’t know about… well -” he gestured to the kids playing around the Iron Man car.  “Which one is my… uh… is it a niece or nephew?  I got them a present.”

“Niece,” you started to explain but Clint cut you off.

“What are you doing here, Barney?  Who even told you?”  Clint asked.

“Uh, that was me,” Kate said.  “I know he took off with your money, but I also know you love him and he hasn’t even met your kid yet.  Or your soon to be wife.  And you’ve got a bachelor party coming up. You know you want him there.”

“If I’d known…”  Barney said, moving toward Clint.  “Come on, man.  You’re my brother.”

“How could you have known?  You came to my birthday, stole $50 grand from me, and took off without a word,” Clint said.  “How could I have told you?”

“Maybe,” you said looking around.  “We should take this inside?”

“Yeah, okay,” Barney agreed.  “Can I give… the kid… the present though.  It really needs to come out of the box.”

“Sure, come meet her,” you said gesturing to the car.

“Her?”  Barney asked.

“Yeah,” you said.  “You have a niece.  Natasha.  We call her Nattie.”

You took him over to where Nattie was playing and he crouched down.  “Nattie, this is your uncle Barney,” you said.

“Bwee?”  She said looking up at him.   You lifted her out of the car and she struggled to get back in.

“It’s okay, kiddo,” Barney said.  “I just wanted you to see the present I got you.”

He opened the box lid up and a puppy popped its head out.  It was little and yellow and looked like it was part labrador.  All the kids immediately went crazy.  Trying to pat it and play with it as it wiggled and licked them all.  Nattie sat on the ground and let it push her over and lick over her face.

Steve approached and put his hand on your shoulder.  “I can supervise this if you want.”

“Thanks, Steve,” you said, kissing his cheek.  “Barney?  Want to get this over with?”

He nodded and stood up, following you and Clint inside.  You decided that while you were there you might as well get her cake ready to go out and you went and pulled it out of the fridge.  It was a large sheet cake with a fairy on it and you put it on a tray and went about getting plates, napkins, a candle, and a knife while Clint and Barney talked.

“You got her a puppy?”  Clint asked.  “Without even asking.”

“Kid should have pets,” Barney said.  “And besides, who are you kidding that a dog is an issue.  You’ve been saying you wanted one since you were a kid yourself.”

“You shoulda called first.  Asked.  Something...” Clint said, crossing his arms over his chest.  “You shoulda called when you left with my fuckin’ money.”

“Come on now,” Barney said.  “This isn't about the money.”

“Oh yeah, you're right.  Maybe it's about the time you tried to kill me,” Clint snarked.

“Which time?”  Barney asked.  He was aiming for a joke but it missed completely and you stared at him open-mouthed.  He laughed feebly.  “So he hasn't told you anything about me?”

“I know about when you were kids in the circus,” you said.

“Right,” Barney said, running his hand through his hair.  “Well, I'd say I was the black sheep, but dad wasn’t exactly a fine upstanding man.  We’ve had some… Friction.”

“That's putting it lightly,” Clint grumbled.

“You're still my brother though, and you're a dad now.  I wanna …”  Barney paused and shook his head.  “I want to be an uncle.”

Clint didn't say anything, he just looked down at his feet.

“So when did this happen?  I know I met you at the party, but I barely remember you.  Didn't figure you were dating,” Barney asked.  “I thought Tony was into you.”

“He was and we weren't,” you said.  “Clint and I hooked up that night for the first time and had a little accident.”

“Shit,” Barney said.

“Was a bit of a surprise.  We worked it out,” you said.

“And you're getting married now?” Barney asked.

“Yeah.  In October,” you said.

“You think I might be able to come?”  Barney asked.

“How will I even know where you are in seven months?”  Clint asked.  “You think I didn't try to find you?  You think I didn't want to get my brother's advice when all this shit went down?  That I didn't want to have you meet Nattie when she was born?  You disappeared.”

“I took a big chunk of your money,” Barney reasoned.  “This time I won’t.”

“You might,” Clint huffed.

You looked between the two men and furrowed your brow. “How come I never knew any of this?”

“Yeah, Clint,” Barney added.  “Why is that?”

“Because I don’t like talking about my lying, stealing, trying to murder me brother,” Clint said. “So sue me.”

Barney frowned.  “Come on, man,” he said. “I’m your brother.  Think about everything we’ve been through.”

“Fine.  Fine.  You’re invited but I’m not keeping my hopes up,” Clint huffed.

A smile broke out on Barney’s face.  “Great,” he said and pulled Clint into a hug.  “You’re gonna have such a great, bachelor party.”

“You better have brought things for that puppy too,” Clint grumbled as he returned the hug.

“Yeah,” he said.  “It’s in my car.” 

“Alright you two, grab the plates,” you said, lighting the candles of the cake.  “Cake time.”

The three of you went back outside singing happy birthday.  Nattie was asleep by the time the cake was cut.

// NEXT

#clint barton #clint barton x reader #hawkeye #hawkeye fanfic #fanfiction #reader insert #bartoned

[murfmontain]

Hey it’s me.

Disclaimer: similar grammatical use as a dyslectic poet. Where to begin. where To begin. where to Begin. Ahh I know a place where I can start. It was a cold day in mid December 1995... No that might be a bit to far. What about. As a kid, I was always getting into trouble at school  or... No, I feel like that's still a bit much.

hmm let's just start with this.

Hey I'm marvin. I've always felt that from a young age I've had this urge to experience and create. Whether it was to experience laughter from my classmates, as I did something silly which often got me in to trouble, or to create something out of thin air, the noise of a sheep for example which I could do be pulling my throat a certain way, or just act out a character that I just made up a few seconds ago. For me going through this unrewindable clock which we refer to as life was more of seeing what life had to offer me instead of the other way around. Sure I tried at school but then would quickly be distracted by that..... hey what is that little fly doing on my screen, shooo shooo little buddy you're distracting me from...... uhhm..... what was I saying again.

Anyway. As I grew older and started to learn that: "hey you're 15 years old now you need to have figured out how you're going to contribute to society" proved to be a lot harder then I thought. There was a sense off jealousy towards people whom already knew that they'd want to be a dentist or go into the financial world and follow whatever their dad has done. Meanwhile I was thinking if I play my cards just right I might get that girl I like to kiss me (which I did manage to do but as everry first kiss goes it didn't go as imagined)

At some point the constant drilling of People telling you: " you need to make something of yourself kid you better start figuring out what you want to do for a living." Would leave its mark on you and you start thinking what you want to do with your life. Well I still really liked creating and exploring, although as a 15 year old there is not much exploring to do travel wise. The luck I had is that my family owned a restaurant on a Greek island which meant that I could fly up and down to Greece every so often and find myself exploring the vast variety of life that existed on the beaches and in the waters of a magical little place called Zakynthos. Like the slightly overweight white man that's eating his third burger that afternoon, or the topless lady that walks around in the shallow waters just enough to make you think that she enjoys the looks she is getting. All jokes aside when finding myself in the sea for hours on end, spending countless days in nature, having this love for creating and making people laugh I finally started to understand what I wanted to do for a living. So I think you will have guessed it by now.

I wanted to join the marines.

Yup.

As the always ever so optimistic and gullible me I wanted to see the world and thought what better way to do so then the marines. Getting payed to go overseas and learn about cultures you otherwise would've never found yourself going to sounded amazing. Only realizing that after spending 2,5 years being trained by Military personnel, graduating the pre army school and passing all my intakes. That on the day of fitting my uniform for the upcoming 2 years of my life, being trained to become a sergeant might actually mean, Travel the world and possibly die for a country that has never really loved you and you gradually lost your love for. So I called up the Sergeant who I enlisted at and told him that this was not the job for me.

After hanging up the phone I felt relieved, confused once again on what to do and felt that the diploma I now had was probably worth as much as the paper I wipe my.

Anyway. Fast forward a few years and having had a few jobs in and out of the country I fell in love for the first time.... take it away john.

John Lennon: "DON'T YOU KNOW ITS GONNA LAST. ITS A LOVE THAT LASTS FOREVER. ITS A LOVE THAT HAS NO PAST."

I found out that trying to make a long distance relationship work money might actually be a thing that is truly useful. Flying up and down every other weekend or so, the flowers I'd get at the local flower shop, the restaurants bills that I would pay for as a true gentleman and the hotels we'd stay at as little holidays came with a price tag. So while trying to keep a job, a long distance relationship, giving it all at an acting school (yes I finally did something with acting) and expressing my deep love for getting absolutely and I mean utterly sh*t faced every second that I would have for myself proved to be somewhat difficult.

Heavy drinking ----> angry girlfriend -----> lot's of flying over and fancy make up dinners -----> more working -----> more drinking -----> angry girlfr.... you get the point.

So I tried to drink less. wasn't getting any happier. Broke up after a toxic year and a half. wasn’t getting any happier. Quit my job. wasn't getting any happier. So i had to figure out a different method. That method basically came down to running away as fast as I could. Being so in love with acting you do spend countless hours watching movies and series yourself and after finishing Californication for I believe the 4th time it felt like I had enough experience to run away as fast as I could to a little state called California. Well my family didn't thought so and said I was better off trying something a little bit closer to home. So we settled on Spain.

Ahhh.... Spain. I packed my backpack which was actually my brother's backpack but since he wasn't using it I figured it be better off in my possession, as it still is up to this day. As probably every person, hiker, traveler, adventurer, dog lover, cat lover, I’m more of a dog person myself...... what was i saying again. Ahh right as probably every person ever I packed my bag up to the brim, made it way to heavy and eventually paid the price for it by injuring my knee up to a point that it still hurts some days. Not that every person destroys their knees on the first hike they do, but they will probably pack their bags a bit to full. With my fully loaded container on my back I set off to Saint jean pied de port and started a trip that would become a life changing experience.

but for now its time I go and have myself some Lunch.

See you in the pages.

Does that qualify for a blog? well... in my world it does.

[bakubabes-tatakae]

The Man With The Shadows

Author’s Note: If anyone wants to be in a taglist for this feel free to let me know! Happy to do it for anyone!

(Yami Sukehiro x Reader)

Summary: Yami has his hands full with the Black Bulls. Y/N might be a member of the Silva house, but she was disowned for being in love with a commoner. Together they lead this band of misfits, one chaos driven mission at a time.

AO3 Link

Part One:

Word Count: 2,090

It was a normal day in the Black Bulls hideout. Pandamonieum was always afoot, there was never a dull moment in this place. Magna and Luck flew about the place, fireballs bounced off furniture, lighting strikes left marks on the floors. Charmy sat at her usual table, enjoying some delectable snacks made by her sheep cooks. Gauche sat at another table, admiring a picture of the adorable Marie, something we all thought odd, but we let it happen anyway. Vanessa laid on the couch, still hungover from the night before. Everyone was just the same as they always were, just a little more intensified with the Captain not here to supervise. 

Yami Sukehiro, the Captain of the Black Bulls, was out at the entrance exams for the Magic Knights, looking for some fresh meat to bring home to us. When Yami was away I was in charge, something that I tried my best at, but the luck just wasn’t there. You would think that being the girlfriend of the big, bad, Yami Sukehiro, would at least strike some fear in them, but these jokers didn’t seem to have a fearful bone in their body. They all knew that when Yami returned and saw the place in shambles they were all in for it. 

When the doors opened nobody but I seemed to notice. A young boy with ash blonde hair pushed it open and stood in front of us. “I’m the newest member of this squad, fresh from Hage village.” A fireball from Magna that was just hit back toward him by Luck began careening toward the boy. As he began to speak again the fireball hit as his feet, sending him flying out the door as he hollered his next words. “I’m Asta!” He name began to echo as he got farther from the door. I cringed as I saw Yami’s figure start to appear. 

The rest of the squad hadn’t even noticed. Magna was screaming at Luck again. “Okay, now I’m really mad. Are you ready to take me on!?” 

Luck was jumping away from him. “Nope, not really, but lets go!” 

Fireballs started to fly everywhere again. I face palmed and looked around at them all. Vanessa was starting to awake next to me. She sat up a little and smiled at me. “Hey baby girl.” 

I smiled at her and laughed. “How’s your head feel?”

She groaned. “Why is it so loud in here? I should have skipped those extra drinks. My head is killing me.”

Gauche was getting agitated really fast. I could see it in his body posture. Finally he exploded, turning to face the two fighting in the common area. “Enough! Shut up damn you!”

The young boy hollered again, trying to get everyone’s attention. “I’m Asta from Hage village! I’m a Black Bull now too. Some day, I’m gonna become the Wizard King!”

I watched him and glanced at Yami, giving him an apologetic smile. Yami took a drag from his cigarette and shrugged at me. 

Gauche was getting angrier by the second and so was I. He exploded for a second time before I could even get a word out. “Come on, give it a rest you idiots! You’re going to wake up my sister with all the noise you’re making! DAMN IT!” 

Vanessa’s hangover was just making her grumpy. “Get over it you freaky sister lover!”

I slapped her arm. “What the hell happened to you?”

She scratched the back of her head. “I remember getting into a drinking contest with some guy, but after that…” She smiled at me and laid against my shoulder. “Will you please shut up!” She hollered at the two that were destroying the hideout. “I’ve got the mother of all headaches.”

Magna stopped what he was doing and looked at her. “That’s your own problem you drunk!”

Vanessa and I stood up quickly, the three of us got right into each other’s face. Vanessa was seeing red. “What did you say?”

“You heard me.”

I pointed at him. “At least she’s not a virgin street punk!”

“Virgin street punk, where do you get off calling me that?”

Luck flew over to where we were. “Better be careful,” He spoke to Magna. “Get distracted and I’ll get you.”

Magna’s short attention span once again got the best of him. He turned and started toward Luck. “Oh yea, then come here and give it your best shot.

I groaned loudly and walked away, headed toward Yami. More chaos went on behind us as I got to him. He wrapped one arm around my shoulder and kissed the top of my head. Our height difference made it a perfect opportunity for him. I looked up at him and gave him the same apologetic smile from before. “I tried to keep them in line, but you know how they are.”

Yami chuckled. “Don’t worry about it princess.” Princess was my name when he knew we were the only two to hear it. Finally, Yami had had enough. The power of his magic radiated off of him, a shade of purple surrounded his body. “Alright, I’ve had enough.” He took his arm off my shoulder and before I could object to him doing it, his fist hit the wall beside us as hard as he could. “Quit breaking stuff already!!” The wall collapsed a lot more around where Magna had sent a fireball through the door. 

Asta was in shock. “Oh man, now it’s way broken.”

Everyone finally turned around, finally noticing that Yami had come back. The group all came running toward us, all talking to Yami at once. Magna fought his way to the front. “How was it? Did you find us an arrogant newbie? I can take him down notch if you want.”

Luck shoved Magna’s face and moved him to the side. “Please sir, can I go against you today?” He began to punch the air. “Come on, don’t hold back. 

Vanessa grabbed my arm and pulled me into her, shoving herself in front of Yami. “Now, now, forget all about these little brats. Wouldn’t you rather come out for a drink with us?”

Charmy sat patiently, waiting for Yami to look over at her. “Hey, hey, try this.” She held a cupcake out to him. “It’s really good. Take a big bite, go on.”

Gauche was impatient as usual. “I’m sorry, I can’t take it anymore, may I please go see my sister?”

Yami laughed at them all and grabbed my arm, stealing me back like Vanessa had from him. “Yea, yea, glad to know how much you all missed me.” He took another drag from his cigarette. “Now shut up, will ya?”

They all sat down at once on the floor, like obedient little dogs. They spoke together. “Sorry sir.”

“I’d like you all to meet our new…” Yami looked around. “Huh? Where’d he go?”

We all looked over when we heard the faint talking of a young boy. Asta was underneath Grey, whom was in her form of a giant man. “Please help me. I can’t breath.” Asta was reaching out for us. 

Instead of helping him Yami got frustrated. “Quit messing around!” Grey stood up and Asta made his way over to us, standing next to me since Finral stood on the other side of Yami. “Now, as I was saying, this shrimp here is our other new member.”

Asta looked over at him. “What do you mean other?”

Yami ignored him. “Go on, tell them your name or something.”

“Yes sir. My name’s Asta from Hage Village. It’s really nice to meet everyone.” 

Everyone was quiet for a second, until Magna broke the silence. “You’re from Hage? That’s out in the middle of nowhere.”

Yami looked to his left. “Finral, introduce everyone, would you?”

Finral looked at the group in front of him. “Sure thing sir. Let’s see, where to start.” He looked to his left. “You know Gordon Agrippa. Not always the easiest guy to talk to, but he’s good people.” Finral moved on. Next he stood in front of the pink haired witch. “Next we have Vanessa Enoteca. Tends to pick fights when she’s drunk, but she’s good people.” 

Vanessa glared at Finral. “Picking fights? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She looked over at Asta. “Hage village, way off on the outskirts of the kingdom?”

Asta smiled. “Yea!” 

Vanessa got close to Asta and he blushed and looked shocked. “To make your way from a little back water village like that to a Magic Knight Squad, you must have worked so hard. Nice kiddo. How about I give you something as a reward, huh?” Before she could say another word Vanessa threw up on the floor in front of her.

I turned and hid my face in Yami’s shoulder, trying not to let her see me laugh at her expense. Finral continued, not even acknowledging Vanessa anymore. “Alright, let’s continue, shall we?” 

Luck stood up in front of the two of them as Vanessa threw up again. “Hey, do me next!”

“Luck Voltia, a battle freak who’s addicted to fighting, but he’s good people.”

“Nice meeting you.” Luck smiled. “So hey, do you like to fight?”

“Uh, sure.” Asta didn’t seem to confident in his answer. 

“Yea?! That’s cool. I love it.” Luck punched the air again. “What do you say? Wanna go?”

“Well, uh…” Before Asta could finish speaking Gaucha stepped up to him. 

Gauche held out a sister of Marie in front of his face. “Hey, see her?” Asta was confused now. “This is my sister Marie. She’s an angel.”

“Yea?”

“Listen, if you lay a finger on her, then you die.”

Asta yelped a little and Finral interrupted. “Gauch Adlai, loves his sister a tad too much, but he’s good people.” Finral pointed toward Charmy. “This here is Charmy Pappitson, a big eater, but she’s good people.”

She raised her arm while eating a muffin. “Nice to meet ya!”

“And this is Grey, I don’t really get him, but he’s good people.” They walked over to Magna. “Then there’s Magna Swing, a street punk, but he’s good people.” He pointed to himself. “And I am Finral Roulacase. Lady Killer.” 

I stepped forward a little and smiled, interjecting. “But he’s good people.” Asta turned to me and smiled a little, chuckling. 

Finral’s eyes flattened some. He knew I was mocking him. He put his arm out toward Yami and I. “And finally, we have the Black Bulls fearless leaders. Co-Captain Y/N Silva and the great Captain Yami Sukehiro.” 

Yami took a drag of his cigarette and wrapped his free arm around my shoulder again. “There are other members, but they’re either on missions, or on leave, or… I don’t know…” He smiled at Asta. “Think you can play nice newbie?”

“Yes sir! We’re gonna get along so well! Like I said before, IT’S REALLY NICE TO MEET YOU GUYS!”

Vanessa stood up and walked over to me, leaning into my arm. “My god, is he trying to kill me?”

Yami chuckled. “That’s something I didn’t notice before, you’re as loud as you are short, aren’t you?”

“Yea!” 

“Shut up.” Yami turned and looked at him menacingly. “Alright, let’s go. Give him a good workout, but don’t kill him.”

Magna was the first person to stand up. “Did you hear him? Yami wasn’t us to make sure you get a good workout.” Magna had a diabolic look on his face. “That’s just what I’m gonna do.” He crossed his arms. “A pathetic runt like you? And from where? Hage? A village almost no one had ever heard of before. Not much mana either. And you’re the newest member of the Black Bulls? You gotta be kidding me? I don’t know what some magic poor hick like you could have possibly done to impress Yami. Do you wanna wear the robe that will prove you’re a member of the Black Bulls?” 

Asta was like a starving animal, he reached for the robe. “Yea, I do, gimmie, gimmie!”

“Wow, you’re really excited. You want it that bad? Okay, but first you need to earn the approval of Yami’s chief subordinate, me, man among men, Magna Swing. This marks your entry to the black bulls. A true baptism by fire.” 

I looked over at Yami, hoping he would stop Magna, Magna had never been one to go easy on people. Yami smiled and kissed the side of my head. “Don’t worry Y/N. Everything will be fine.”

Updated: 5/13/2020

#yami #sukehiro #yami x reader #yami sukehiro #yami sukehiro x reader #the man with the shadows #black clover #black #clover #burakku kuroba #burakku kuroba imagines #fanfiction #black clover imagines #burakku kuroba fanfic #burakku kuroba fanfiction #black clover fanfic #black clover fanfiction #anime imagines #anime #imagines #anime fanfic #yamisukehiroxreader #yamixreader #asta #magna #magna swing #swing #vanessa enoteca #vanessa #enoteco

[ryocos]

I'm alone on my birthday again, so here's 24 puns ❤️

What did the alien say to the pitcher of water? Take me to your liter.

What happens when you eat too many spaghettiOs? You have a vowel movement.

The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray was a seasoned veteran.

Sausage puns are the wurst.

What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear.

Why shouldn’t you trust atoms? They make up everything.

What’s it called when you have too many aliens? Extraterrestrials.

Want to hear a pizza joke? Nevermind, it’s too cheesy.

What do cows tell each other at bedtime? Dairy tales.

Why can’t you take inventory in Afghanistan? Because of the tally ban.

Why didn’t the lion win the race? Because he was racing a cheetah.

What happens to nitrogen when the sun comes up? It becomes daytrogen.

What’s it called when you put a cow in an elevator? Raising the steaks.

What’s america’s favorite soda? Mini soda.

Why did the tomato turn red? Because it saw the salad dressing.

What kind of car does a sheep drive? Their SuBAHHru.

What do you call a french pig? Porque.

What do you call a line of rabbits marching backwards? A receding hairline.

Why don’t vampires go to barbecues? They don’t like steak.

How do trees access the internet? They log on.

Why should you never trust a train? They have loco motives.

Is your refrigerator running? Better go catch it.

The future,the present and the past walked into a bar.Things got a little tense.

I saw an ad for burial plots, and thought to myself this is the last thing I need.

I just found out I'm colorblind. The diagnosis came completely out of the purple.

I'd tell you a chemistry joke but I know I wouldn't get a reaction.

Have you ever tried to eat a clock? It's very time consuming.

I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.

Read enough of our funny puns, and you'll be punstoppable.

Yesterday a clown held the door for me. It was a nice jester.

I used to go fishing with Skrillex but he kept dropping the bass.

The wedding was so emotional even the cake was in tiers.

What does a house wear? A dress.

Why can't bicycles stand up on their own? Since they are 2 tired.

I owe a lot to the sidewalks. They’ve been keeping me off the streets for years.

Imagine if alarm clocks hit you back in the morning.It would be truly alarming.

Why is a skeleton a bad liar? You can see right through it.

What do you receive when you ask a lemon for help? Lemonaid.

A man sued an airline company after it lost his luggage. Sadly, he lost his case.

What does a dog say when he sits down on a piece of sandpaper? Ruff!

What do you call crystal clear urine? 1080pee.

At my boxing club there is only one punch bag. I hate waiting for the punch line!

An untalented gymast walks into a bar.

Einstein developed a theory about space, and it was about time too.

I was accused of being a plagiarist, their word not mine.

My friends say they don’t like skeleton puns. I should put more backbone into them.

Let me FILL you in on my trip to the dentist.

Why does the singer of Cheap Thrills not want us to Sia?

Traveling on a flying carpet is a rugged experience.

Cartoonist found dead in home. Details are sketchy.

The old woman who lived in a shoe wasn’t the sole owner,there were strings attached.

Did you hear about the crime in the parking garage? It was wrong on so many levels.

My new diet consists of aircraft, its a bit plane.

Have you ever tried to milk a cow which has been cut in half? Udder madness.

Why are there fences on graveyards? Because people are dying to get in.

Why do trees have so many friends? They branch out.

Models of dragons are not to scale.

Never discuss infinity with a mathematician, they can go on about it forever.

Why don’t some couples go to the gym? Because some relationships don’t work out.

Don’t trust people that do acupuncture, they’re back stabbers.

A persistent banker wouldn’t stop hitting on me so I asked him to leave me a loan.

I ordered a book of puns last week, but i didn't get it.

People say i look better without glasses but i just can't see it.

Don’t judge a meal by the look of the first course. It’s very souperficial.

I relish the fact that you’ve mustard the strength to ketchup to me.

What do you call a young musician? A minor.

Police were called to a daycare yesterday, where a 2-year-old was resisting a rest.

If artists wear sketchers do linguists wear converse?

I changed my iPod name to Titanic. It’s syncing now.

Jill broke her finger today, but on the other hand she was completely fine.

I smeared some ketchup all over my eyes once. It was a bad idea in Heinz- sight.

I flipped a coin over an issue the other day, it was quite the toss-up.

I got hit in the head with a can of soda? Luckily it was a soft drink.

I heard that the post office was a male dominated industry.

I never was good at counting

I feel so honored that on your birthday you would think to send me puns! T.T

But don’t worry pun anon, there are three kinds of people in the world. Those who are good at math and those who are not.

#asks #pun anon

[leatherbookmarking]

I need more on your Su Minshan wife and child oc for reasons! (I once had thoughts on a post canon lxc going a bit depressed mad and escaping to Moling Su to try and find out why jgy trusted sms so much more than him, when that broke, and I just have a lot of feelings about post canon Moling Su and need to hear yours)

SORRY @ragless for replying to this ask (checks) 70 years later! i was being myself which is a very time-consuming activity.

ANYWAY yeah post canon moling su is super interesting because they’ve got, what, nothing? aside from teleportation talismans, which. is a lot. but also everyone hates them now and their sect leader is dead! and also sort of left his disciples in the burial mounds as soon as things went a little bit pear-shaped, so like, thanks, zongzhu! i really wonder what those disciples did later, like, did they bring them along to yunmeng, were they like, ok, we’re out, bye!, something else? so yeah, this is my jam.

and lxc going there, trying to find answers? get to know those people? get to know who su minshan was and why jgy picked a traitor over er-ge? dear god i can FEEL how reading such a fic would feel like, oh, one hell of summer holidays!!! god. god. love that. if you have a post on that, i’d love to know more!!

WIFE AND CHILD OCS in which i am like mxtx here because they still don’t have names. i’ll have to name them at some point, but nothing’s coming to me. welp. anyway, i was thinking -- why not make them both salty underdogs who bond about that? or maybe not even that, maybe they’re met by a sheer accident! perhaps barely established sect leader su was passing by another small sect’s house, and they had an unmarried daughter, and they were like, okay, we can work with that? except the daughter is older than sms and actually divorced, but sms really isn’t looking for love, what he needs is a helping hand, any, even just one (1) literal hand, so like, yep, there we go.

also hm that got rather long so i am going to put a cut right there

and as much as i love a previously underappreciated and unloved character finally being someones #1, here i’m interested in a... subversion? not exactly, of that. there’s no big romance, they don’t even gradually fall in love after getting married, slowly discovering that the other one is a good, sensitive person! no, they’re primarily partners. the wife is here to get out of the parents’ house and finally have her own place, he is here to establish a sect and also have his own place. they’re both black sheeps of the society, more or less, either because her husband didn’t like her or because he was scared and wanted to live, and they’re shitty reason to look down on someone, so they end up bonding anyway. once they’re a bit more established, they even have a daughter and i already love her, because she has her father’s narrow lips and her mother’s narrow eyes, essentially becoming the most suspicious-looking child ever devised. and she’s a frog girl, because frogs are cool.

now, about their situation post canon -- did sms even think to leave a letter, saying his wife and child and disciples didn’t know about his Schemes, and thus shouldn’t be judged for what he’s done? or maybe he knew no one would care about that anyway -- you don’t need to punish or be violent towards someone to ruin them, just not paying attention is enough? who are his disciples and what do they think? there has to be a reason why they’re in moling su and not, say, somewhere else, even if that reason is ‘well, they’re locals, so’. do they abandon the sect and try to join one that’s... not even more powerful or richer, just ‘less looked down upon by everyone and their grandma’s dog’?

the daughter, who’s like 5-7, is simply missing her father. what about the wife? does she have a too-late realization that she was in love with her husband, actually? or maybe she wasn’t, but loved him in her own way, and she’s both furious at this asshole for leaving her alone with all this mess (he didn’t even survive! he didn’t even go to fucking dongying with lianfang-zun, they both died! what’s the fucking point! how can you fuck up that badly, minshan!!!) and sad because there used to be someone living with her, sharing her bed and dinner table, and now he’s gone?

and now, the teleportation talismans, the masking spell etc? and here i will allow myself a digression, because: people say he’s a bad cultivator, but like, he’s unremarkable next to hanguang-jun, and who isn’t! wwx says in the novel himself that his cultivation is high. he knows his sword forms and guqin tunes, and i will never be not in awe of the guqin trick in burial mounds went. do you even just fucking play Evil Music in front of Music Masters Clan -- LAN QIREN, BABEY!!! -- and they don’t notice a thing because they think you’re just Bad? poetic cinema. poetic cinema. also, about that: in the drama, he uses a mask instead of a masking spell, but i’m really into the concept of someone who’s been ignored, feels unnoticed and invisible next to hanguang-jun™, dabbling in cultivation methods that use exactly that. i think i’ve mentioned somewhere at some point eloped xiyao using talismans/spells/something that doesn’t cover your face or alter it in any physical way, but makes it so anyone who looks at you has absolutely no idea what you look like. the epitome of unremarkable and ‘uh, they looked... normal?’. i think that would be super neat for moling su to develop. WEAPONIZED ‘eh, nothing special’.

anyway: so moling su have all that, except is it a known fact, or do they know su minshan just happened to vanish at some point? because i think teleportation is a very neat trick that can both help and make someone’s life hell, and su-furen would probably have a problem, because: should she take care of stuff, educating the disciples and essentially serving as a sect leader/regent (even though she’s not the best, either at cultivation, talismans or general sect-leading, she was a wife and that’s a separate soup of duties to fill), or should she look for (yet another) husband, for her own security and safety of her disciples? what about her daughter, though? she knows what people are like, she can’t just trust them to treat her well.

ETC, ETC, I JUST. it’s so interesting!! i accidentally gave myself moling su sect feelings, lol. also, i have this cracky idea of su-furen committing Microaggressions to the chief cultivator his excellency hanguang-jun, ranging from raising her eyebrow by one mm after something he’s said to using teleportation to butt into his night hunts, deal with the thing and quietly go home, and like. who would it be. jiang cheng. jiang cheng being kinda torn between (BIG SECT LEADER SCOFF) and ‘fuck, okay, that was entertaining, do that again’.

i don’t know how comprehensible this post was, but!! thanks for the ask, i got to ramble lol;;

#ragless #answered asks #man i really should draw my girl ocs at some point huh

[vendettacanons]

Random Headcanons I thought up-

// With no rhyme or reason. Includes FAITH, Far Cry, and GTA muse headcanons... but mostly FC 5 and ND since I’ve been on a kick

FAITH: The Unholy Trinity

Lisa used to and still owns a Raggedy Andy doll that she got from her father and mother for her third birthday. It’s a really big comfort to have when she has nightmares or his anxious about something. (Additionally, she had a really big crush on Raggedy Andy when she was younger.)

Lisa is sensitive to touch and values certain textures over others. She loves soft and fluffy things as they bring her a sense of comfort and happiness.

Lisa’s favorite animals to care for are baby animals and animals with soft fur. Sheep, fluffy dogs, baby deer, kittens, and rabbits are all animals she adores.

Lisa is a pescatarian. She’s chosen this diet of her own volition for two main reasons: she doesn’t like the idea of eating red meat or poultry but she knows she needs some protein in her diet and feels better about eating humanely wild-caught fish in comparison. She also does it because she’s been informed that avoiding red meat is healthier anyway and she finds that knowing that helps encourage her to eat more.

FAR CRY

Prior to the Cult taking over, Boomer was regarded as being a quiet, brave, and loyal dog who never so much as growled unless it was an emergency. Since losing his family, he’s become much louder. He barks openly and aggressively, especially when he’s scared and will snap at people if he’s caught off guard.

Boomer now has a Far Cry New Dawn verse. He was taken in by the Cult and kept in John’s bunker, where he was treated with some of the remaining Bliss. Fortunately, it didn’t alter his appearance but it did improve his athleticism and prolong his lifespan.

Cheeseburger really likes pancakes in addition to cheeseburgers. Fluffy buttermilks with syrup are his favorite treat. He also adores barbecue food.

Like Boomer, Cheeseburger also has a Far Cry New Dawn verse. He was taken into a bunker in Jacob’s region and treated with some of the more modified Bliss that was originally used on Judges. It altered his appearance and made him stronger as well as more docile towards the Edeners.

Horatio has separation anxiety. After losing his family to the Highwaymen, he’s quick to bond with the kind humans of Prosperity who saved him. Anyone he’s traveling with he sticks close to. He squeals whenever they go into a place he can’t follow and will circle them when they emerge again. He’ll do tricks for them and boldly defend them from any other creature threatening them.

Horatio loves a good fight. This boar was well known for chasing off bears, wolverines, and cougars that got just a little too close. He’s even been known for shaking off shotgun rounds.

Horatio loves chickens. He grew up surrounded by them and loves to playfully heard them and help them dig up treats. Chickens love him too, and will routine roost on his fuzzy back or build their nests close to him. Horatio was once even found to be helping incubate a clutch of hen’s eggs.

Though Jerome Jeffries is a pastor, he tends to be very tolerant and  understanding in his beliefs. To him, faith is supposed to be a   supporting force for love and acceptance, not a leg for hate to stand on.

Jerome’s PTSD, both from the military and from his run-ins with the cult, mostly affects his sleep. He has nightmares about what the cult has done and what it will do if the Resistance fails.

During  the early defection of the flock from his church, Jerome's wife Joy left him to follow Joseph Seed's path, taking their daughter with her.   Joseph ended up drowning her by accident during one of his routine   baptisms (after which he stopped performing them himself and designated that responsibility to John Seed.) While he does have a note from Joy about her leaving, he doesn't know anything more about her fate.

The Judge is very much into gardening. They know the meanings behind all kinds of flowers, enjoy growing fruits and vegetables, enjoy making floral arrangements, and generally just find tending to the earth relaxing.

When at Prosperity, the Judge tends to stay by themselves and avoid going near anyone they used to know. They hide it well, but the comments they’ve received from some of their old friends hurts them. (This was only worsened after a small misunderstanding led to them being hollered at by Nick and the subsequent attention it drew to them became a lot to bear.)

The root of the Judge’s behavior lies in Joseph’s manipulation of them. Because of him, they sincerely believe that the end of the world as they knew it was their own fault. They gave in to the idea that they were the lamb that broke the seven seals and cause the Collapse. They were also convinced that everyone else knows this too, and that if not for that reason, then they are hated because their friends believed that the Judge abandoned them and joined the enemy; that they willingly joined Joseph and chose to stay with him for 17 years instead of being manipulated to do so (of which the comments have only unknowingly reinforced this idea). Because of these reasons, The Judge insists on punishing themselves and avoiding their old friends because they are unworthy of and unlikely to ever receive their forgiveness.

Despite their routine avoidance, the Judge never truly stopped thinking about their friends and they still care for them even if they believe the feeling is not mutual. If one looks closely enough, they’ll find the names of everyone they came to care about carved into their bow.

Generally speaking, the Judge does not like being the center of attention in any capacity. They do not like being watched or spoken about, they stick to the shadows and avoid most contact really. The only individuals they truly interact with on a consistent basis are Timber, Horatio, Eden’s animals, and an wild animals that approach them.

Trained as one of the finest Chosen to ever be, the Judge is catlike and graceful in all of their movements. They can move completely silently, sit perfectly still for hours, and hit an accurate target from anywhere. They can also lift a greater amount of weight than should be possible for someone of their size (and they are much leaner than they look beneath that outfit).

Staci went through Eli’s reprogramming routine and while he’s not longer so prone to violent tendencies, the effects of Jacob’s conditioning still linger. Hearing “Only You” will send him into an intense panic attack. He’ll scream his throat hoarse and run for cover, he’ll claw at his ears, and he’ll generally be inconsolable for a period during and afterwards.

In the wake of his conditioning, Staci is generally very submissive and conflict aversive. He has a hard time making eye contact, carrying conversations, and is generally very passive in the wake of aggression. He’s eager to please and even more eager to stay under radar. Unlike before, his desire to be appealing is less to impress and more to stay safe, and when he can’t prove himself useful, and tries to make himself as undesirable of a target as possible.

One of Staci’s greatest talents is guitar. He can play phenomenally and he can sing pretty well. In the wake of his time with Jacob, he hasn’t touched the instrument or made any attempts to sing, but he still could if he tried.

As an older dog, Timber’s endurance and joints aren’t what they used to be. He can still run like a puppy, just for not as long and he’ll need a rest afterwards.

The humidity aggravates the mild arthritis in some of his leg joints, so Timber enjoys swimming in the cool waters of Hope County to compensate. They ease the pain and the movement is generally easier than walking. Plus, he just likes swimming.

Timber used to be the leader of a relatively benign pack of wild dogs. They used to sometimes travel with kind humans, hence his understanding that not all people are bad. Eventually though, they were killed and his pack was taken by the Highwaymen.

Timber himself is incredibly inquisitive and perceptive. He can point out enemies, find key resources, learn about and recognize materials by name and smell, and knows how to maneuver over, under, around, and through certain obstacles. This includes opening doors, getting up into high places, and digging impressive tunnels.

To some extent, Timber could be considered an emotional support animal. He seems able to read the emotions of other beings around him and will comfort them if he finds that they are distressed.

Grand Theft Auto

In addition to being Steve’s glorified secretary, Andreas was unofficially designated the social media manager for the LS branch. He runs the FIB Bleeter page and it’s not marked anywhere so he really could post anything on there and no one would know.

Andreas is prone to bouts of anxiety with seemingly no source. He has no real explanation as to why, but he gets this sudden sense of dread or the feeling that there’s danger inexplicably and at random.

Andreas is really averse to wearing the color yellow. Not just because he thinks it makes him look unflattering, but because it dredges up a lot of bad memories for him. Additionally, he’s not fond of gold accessories for similar reasons.

#you’re a natural : headcanon #// ooc #‘’ trouble found me ‘’ // far cry #‘’ i don’t ever wanna leave this town ‘’ // gta #‘’ it’s been a difficult year ‘’ // faith #tw eating disorder mention #tw violence mention #tw death mention #tw manipulation mention

[hydra-collector]

Let Me Go: Chapter 4

AO3 

Chapter 1 Chapter 2  Chapter 3 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8

Pairings: Intrulogical

Characters: Logan Sanders, Remus Sanders

TW: suicide mention, cursing, depression, killing

Words: 1450

Summary: Fluffy + angsty chapter with a much-needed discussion.

“That was my sheep!”

“Finders keepers.”

“You didn’t keep it, you killed it!”

Both were laughing, despite the tragedy of Remus’s dead sheep meat. They’d managed to get Logan interested in Minecraft, and now they played it any chance they could together. They’d built a shared house by a lake, possible dreams for their future, though neither of them would say it.

“Wait, Logan, I was mining-”

Logan was kissing Remus’s cheek as he stole the diamonds his partner had discovered, keeping him distracted enough.

“Lo, my diamonds-”

Remus was crushed while trying to keep upright as they desperately attempted to reclaim what was rightfully theirs. Logan toppled over on them, crossed over their chest and face to face with them. Remus was awkwardly laying down on the couch with their legs bent and feet holding on to the cushion, hoping not to fall.

“We’re dating and this is awkward.”

“Not if I kiss you, Re.”

Logan smiled and pressed his lips to his partner’s, practically feeling them melt from the affection. They wrapped their arms around him, holding him close and tight. Logan dropped his controller and dug his hands into Remus’s hair, soft and fluffy. They broke from the kiss and Remus nuzzled their head into Logan’s shoulder, who dug his head in their hair.

“You’re hair looks so fluffy for it to be so oily,” Logan said, muffled.

“It’s my specialty.”

Remus kissed Logan, but this time with the limit of how far their head would turn. It ended up being placed on his jaw, which soon became his nose as he turned his head, surprised. Logan rolled over, giving Remus a chance to sit up a little more and him to look in their eyes. He leaned up to kiss them back on the nose, which they scrunched at.

“You’re adorable.”

“I’m the trash enby.”

“Logan’s trash enby, remember? That means I get to call you adorable.”

“Lo-Lo’s trash enby.”

“I don’t care for silly nicknames, Remus.”

“Yes you do, you’re blushing.”

“I’ve been blushing this whole time!”

“See, you’re blushing more!”

Remus gave him another small kiss on the nose.

“You’re blushing more now.”

“Remus-”

“You’re so fucking cute when you’re flustered, Lo-Lo.”

Logan’s cheeks somehow went redder, seemingly prompting Remus to kiss them.

“How many times will you kiss me before I’m free?”

“Until I can’t kiss you anymore.”

Remus began to live up to that promise, changing position so they and Logan were both lying on the couch. They kissed his cheek quickly a few times before giving him a longer kiss on the lips.

They laid, faces so close, bodies sharing warmth.

“Yknow, the only reason I brush my teeth is for you.”

“I feel so loved, Remus. My partner is doing basic actions for a human just for me.”

Remus’s face fell.

“Lo, I think we need to talk about that. Basic human actions. Taking care of yourself.”

“Remus, it’s fine, I’m going to be fine now.”

They brought their hand up to his cheek, cupping it softly.

“We both know that’s not how it works.”

Logan didn’t have any other response than taking Remus’s hand and rubbing it, avoiding looking at their face.

“Lo, what can I do to help you?”

“I don’t want to be your burden,” he replied softly.

“You won’t be. And if you ever are, I’ll tell you ‘this is affecting my own mental health.’ We’ll work it out. But now, I can help you, so I want to. I just need to know how.”

“You… being there for me is really helpful. I can forget for a little while and it brings me further from… the edge.”

“Why that day? Why did you decide to...”

“I guess it just stopped being life. When Virgil asked me why my leg was bleeding, I should’ve been scared. But I didn’t care. About anything. About my life.”

“Is now appropriate to give you a hug?”

“I could use one.”

It didn’t take much effort to move into a hugging position, and once they were there neither ever wanted to let go.

“What does it feel like? What drives you to that. Depression.”

“It feels like… well, I’ve seen it described a lot like a black dog, following you. I disagree. To me it’s like… these dark chains that tug at every inch of your being, exhausting you every day. Your arms, your legs, your mind, but most of all your heart. There’s just that neverending weight that you can revel in sometimes, even, but it’s crawling emptiness like a parasite just dragging you along. You begin to feel like you’re not even you, just a vessel for these black chains. And when it gets too much, death seems just as empty as you already are.”

Logan was surprised to hear a sob from Remus, and leaned back to see their face. He wiped away their tears but they shook their head.

“How do you live with that?”

“You don’t. It isn’t living.”

“How could my presence help with that at all?”

“Well, it does and it doesn’t. When you’re around, none of the weight is gone, the chains are still there, but I feel like you’re there, holding some up for me. That’s why it’s so easy to feel like I'm a burden. I feel like you’re sacrificing yourself to hold me up. I’ve managed this way for, what, four years already? Why should you-”

“Logan, you’ve felt this way for four years?”

“Oh. Yeah.”

“When I first met you, you felt like this? I’m so sorry I wasn’t there. You should’ve told me.”

“...I was scared. But you did know, at least a little bit, right?”

“I guess. You had some obvious depressive episodes, but I didn’t know you actually wanted to- I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Should I kiss you?”

Logan sighed, closing his eyes as he did so.

“You really should.”

They did so, Logan’s eyes still shut. He held on to their hand, just glad to feel them there. When it was over, Remus kissed his cheek and set their head on his shoulder for him to lean against. They were nearly going to fall asleep like that when they were interrupted by Logan’s mother.

“Logan! Remus! It’s eight already, Remus has to go home!”

“Fuck.”

They gazed, eyes just opened, at Logan’s half conscious face. They decided to cup his cheeks and kiss him awake.

“Hmm?”

“Your mother.”

“I bet we could fit in one more kiss, Re.”

“Hm. You complain about me calling you Lo-Lo but-”

They were interrupted by Logan’s lips meeting theirs for a moment.

“Shh. We don’t mention that.”

They both started chuckling softly, ignoring the second “Logan!” for a moment.

“It is time for you to go, though.”

Logan attempted to sit up, but found it more difficult than predicted.

“Oh. Right.”

“C’mon, I’ll help you.”

Remus helping him turned out to be carrying him bridal style and gently spinning around a few times before setting him in his wheelchair.

“Wow, you’re gonna spin me around when I have a medical balance issue?”

“You’ll be fine.”

Logan glanced at the abandoned controllers on the couch and Minecraft waiting for them to return.

“I take full responsibility for not playing Minecraft.”

“I’m not arguing. You stole my diamonds anyway, it was a lost cause.”

Remus and Logan found their way down the stairs somehow to be greeted by Logan’s mom.

“It’s 8:12 already! I’m not angry with you, but Remus has to get home. They live too far away for me to drive them back later than 8:30 or so. I’ll go get the keys, Remus, please get ready to leave.”

“Quick, before she comes back.”

Logan’s mother would approve of him dating Remus, but he still wasn’t out to her as asexual, so she’d likely be worried they would fuck or something. No more hanging out alone. Anyway, Remus considered it to be fun, having a secret relationship.

Remus leaned down and Logan kissed them sweetly and desperately. He needed it after talking about such heavy topics.

“We should have a sleepover at my house this weekend. We could kiss all night, Lo.”

“What if your parents found out?”

“All the more interesting.”

“Re-”

“Well, are you ready to go?”

Logan’s mom had become a bit of a second mother to Remus, whose parents were as LGBTphobic as they come. They couldn’t dream of coming out to them, so Logan’s family was what they had.

Logan felt bad for being so selfish, but it meant he had an excuse to hang out with Remus more often.

Logan blew them a kiss as they waved goodbye.

#sanders sides #sanders side fic #logan sanders #remus sanders #intrulogical #ts logan #ts remus #tw suicide mention #tw cursing #kissing #tw homophobia #tw transphobia #grays fics #let me go

[baddadjokez]

514 Dad Jokes

What do you call a fake noodle? An Impasta.​I would avoid the sushi if I was you. It’s a little fishy.​Want to hear a joke about paper? Nevermind it’s tearable.​Why did the cookie cry? Because his father was a wafer so long!​I used to work in a shoe recycling shop. It was sole destroying.​What do you call a belt with a watch on it? A waist of time.​How do you organize an outer space party? You planet.​I went to a seafood disco last week... and pulled a mussel.​Do you know where you can get chicken broth in bulk? The stock market.​I cut my finger chopping cheese, but I think that I may have greater problems.​My cat was just sick on the carpet, I don’t think it’s feline well.​Why did the octopus beat the shark in a fight? Because it was well armed.​How much does a hipster weigh? An instagram.​What did daddy spider say to baby spider? You spend too much time on the web.​Atheism is a non-prophet organisation.​There’s a new type of broom out, it’s sweeping the nation.​What cheese can never be yours? Nacho cheese.​What did the Buffalo say to his little boy when he dropped him off at school? Bison.​Have you ever heard of a music group called Cellophane? They mostly wrap.​Why does Superman gets invited to dinners? Because he is a Supperhero.​How was Rome split in two? With a pair of Ceasars.​The shovel was a ground breaking invention.​A scarecrow says, "This job isn't for everyone, but hay, it's in my jeans."​A Buddhist walks up to a hot dog stand and says, "Make me one with everything."​Did you hear about the guy who lost the left side of his body? He's alright now.​What do you call a girl with one leg that's shorter than the other? Ilene.​I did a theatrical performance on puns. It was a play on words.​What do you do with a dead chemist? You barium.​I bet the person who created the door knocker won a Nobel prize.​Towels can’t tell jokes. They have a dry sense of humor.​Two birds are sitting on a perch and one says "Do you smell fish?"​Do you know sign language? You should learn it, it’s pretty handy.​What do you call a beautiful pumpkin? GOURDgeous.​Why did one banana spy on the other? Because she was appealing.​What do you call a cow with no legs? Ground beef.​What do you call a cow with two legs? Lean beef.​What do you call a cow with all of its legs? High steaks.​A cross eyed teacher couldn’t control his pupils.​After the accident, the juggler didn’t have the balls to do it.​I used to be afraid of hurdles, but I got over it.​To write with a broken pencil is pointless.​I read a book on anti-gravity. I couldn’t put it down.​I couldn’t remember how to throw a boomerang but it came back to me.​What should you do if you are cold? Stand in the corner. It’s 90 degrees.​How does Moses make coffee? Hebrews it.​The energizer bunny went to jail. He was charged with battery.​What did the alien say to the pitcher of water? Take me to your liter.​What happens when you eat too many spaghettiOs? You have a vowel movement.​The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray was a seasoned veteran.​Sausage puns are the wurst.​What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear.​Why shouldn’t you trust atoms? They make up everything.​What’s it called when you have too many aliens? Extraterrestrials.​Want to hear a pizza joke? Nevermind, it’s too cheesy.​What do cows tell each other at bedtime? Dairy tales.​Why can’t you take inventory in Afghanistan? Because of the tally ban.​Why didn’t the lion win the race? Because he was racing a cheetah.​What happens to nitrogen when the sun comes up? It becomes daytrogen.​What’s it called when you put a cow in an elevator? Raising the steaks.​What’s america’s favorite soda? Mini soda.​Why did the tomato turn red? Because it saw the salad dressing.​What kind of car does a sheep drive? Their SuBAHHru.​What do you call a french pig? Porque.​What do you call a line of rabbits marching backwards? A receding hairline.​Why don’t vampires go to barbecues? They don’t like steak.​How do trees access the internet? They log on.​Why should you never trust a train? They have loco motives.​Is your refrigerator running? Better go catch it.​The future,the present and the past walked into a bar.Things got a little tense.​I saw an ad for burial plots, and thought to myself this is the last thing I need.​I just found out I'm colorblind. The diagnosis came completely out of the purple.​I'd tell you a chemistry joke but I know I wouldn't get a reaction.​Have you ever tried to eat a clock? It's very time consuming.​I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.​Read enough of our funny puns, and you'll be punstoppable.​Yesterday a clown held the door for me. It was a nice jester.​I used to go fishing with Skrillex but he kept dropping the bass.​The wedding was so emotional even the cake was in tiers.​What does a house wear? A dress.​Why can't bicycles stand up on their own? Since they are 2 tired.​I owe a lot to the sidewalks. They’ve been keeping me off the streets for years.​Imagine if alarm clocks hit you back in the morning.It would be truly alarming.​Why is a skeleton a bad liar? You can see right through it.​What do you receive when you ask a lemon for help? Lemonaid.​A man sued an airline company after it lost his luggage. Sadly, he lost his case.​What does a dog say when he sits down on a piece of sandpaper? Ruff!​What do you call crystal clear urine? 1080pee.​At my boxing club there is only one punch bag. I hate waiting for the punch line!​An untalented gymast walks into a bar.​Einstein developed a theory about space, and it was about time too.​I was accused of being a plagiarist, their word not mine.​My friends say they don’t like skeleton puns. I should put more backbone into them.​Let me FILL you in on my trip to the dentist.​Why does the singer of Cheap Thrills not want us to Sia?​Traveling on a flying carpet is a rugged experience.​Cartoonist found dead in home. Details are sketchy.​The old woman who lived in a shoe wasn’t the sole owner,there were strings attached.​Did you hear about the crime in the parking garage? It was wrong on so many levels.​My new diet consists of aircraft, its a bit plane.​Have you ever tried to milk a cow which has been cut in half? Udder madness.​Why are there fences on graveyards? Because people are dying to get in.​Why do trees have so many friends? They branch out.​Models of dragons are not to scale.​Never discuss infinity with a mathematician, they can go on about it forever.​Why don’t some couples go to the gym? Because some relationships don’t work out.​Don’t trust people that do acupuncture, they’re back stabbers.​A persistent banker wouldn’t stop hitting on me so I asked him to leave me a loan.​I ordered a book of puns last week, but i didn't get it.​People say i look better without glasses but i just can't see it.​Don’t judge a meal by the look of the first course. It’s very souperficial.​I heard Donald Trump is going to ban shredded cheese, and make America grate again.​I relish the fact that you’ve mustard the strength to ketchup to me.​What do you call a young musician? A minor.​Police were called to a daycare yesterday, where a 2-year-old was resisting a rest.​If artists wear sketchers do linguists wear converse?​I changed my iPod name to Titanic. It’s syncing now.​Jill broke her finger today, but on the other hand she was completely fine.​I smeared some ketchup all over my eyes once. It was a bad idea in Heinz- sight.​I flipped a coin over an issue the other day, it was quite the toss-up.​I got hit in the head with a can of soda? Luckily it was a soft drink.​I heard that the post office was a male dominated industry.​Why isn’t suntanning an Olympic sport? Because the best you can ever get is bronze.​What do you mean June is over? Julying.​Why is Kylo Ren so angry? Beause he’s always Ben Solo.​These reversing cameras are great. Since I got one I haven’t looked back.​The candle quit his job because he felt burned out.​Our maintenance guy lost his legs on the job, now he’s just a handyman.​Going to bed with music on gave him sound sleep.​A magic tractor drove down the road and turned into a field!​I met some aliens from outer space. They were pretty down to earth.​The plane flight brought my acrophobia to new heights.​My phone has to wear glasses ever since it lost its contacts.​I, for one, like Roman numerals.​How do mountains see? They peak.​The show was called Spongebob Squarepants but everyone knows the star was Patrick.​This is not alcohol, water you thinking?!​Novice pirates make terrible singers because they can’t hit the high seas.​I told my friend she drew her eyebrows too high. She seemed surprised.​The earth's rotation really makes my day.​If I buy a bigger bed will I have more or less bedroom?​Two peanuts were walking in a tough neighborhood and one of them was a-salted.​Two ropes were walking in a tough neighborhood and one of them was a-frayed.​What kind of shoes do ninjas wear? Sneakers.​I got a master’s degree in being ignored; no one seems to care.​After eating the ship, the sea monster said, I can’t believe I ate the hull thing.​Smaller babies may be delivered by stork but the heavier ones need a crane.​A bartender broke up with her boyfriend, but he kept asking her for another shot.​I had a pun about insanity but then I lost it.​He couldn’t work out how to fix the washing machine so he threw in the towel.​Why does the man want to buy nine rackets? Cause tennis too many.​Why don’t cannibals eat clowns? Because they taste funny.​If I got paid in lots of Pennes I would make loads of pasta.​I thought I saw a spider on my laptop, but my friend said it was just a bug.​A doctor broke his leg while auditioning for a play.Luckily he still made the cast.​The tale of the haunted refrigerator was chilling.​Why are frogs so happy? They eat whatever bugs them.​If you wear cowboy clothes are you ranch dressing?​I was addicted to the hokey pokey but I turned myself around.​Simba, you're falling behind. I must ask you to Mufasa.​I bought a wooden whistle but it wooden whistle.​The bomb didn't want to go off. So it refused.​The sore mummy needed a Cairo-practor​I feel sorry for shopping carts. They’re always getting pushed around.​The display of still-life art was not at all moving!​On Halloween October is nearly Octover.​Pig puns are so boaring.​Why couldn’t the dead car drive into the cluttered garage? Lack of vroom.​What do you call Samsung's security guards? Guardians of the Galaxy.​What does Superman have in his drink? Just ice.​How does a penguin build it’s house? Igloos it together.​Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.​The safe was invented by a cop and a robber. It was quite a combination.​What do you do when balloons are hurt? You helium.​One hat says to the other, "You stay here, I’ll go on a head."​How many tickles does it take to make an octopus laugh? Ten tickles.​When does a farmer dance? When he drops the beet.​When the scientist wanted to clone a deer, he bought a doe it yourself kit.​If people ask how many puns I made in Germany I reply, "nein"​Did you hear about the invention of the white board? It was remarkable.​If Donald Trump becomes president, America is going toupee.​Can February March? No, but April May.​I hate Russian Dolls, they are so full of themselves.​What do you do to an open wardrobe? You closet.​The magazine about ceiling fans went out of business due to low circulation.​So what if I don’t know what apocalypse means? It’s not the end of the world!​Some aquatic mammals at the zoo escaped. It was otter chaos.​A backwards poem writes inverse.​Getting the ability to fly would be so uplifting.​I asked my friend, Nick, if he had 5 cents I could borrow. But he was Nicholas.​The soundtrack for Blackfish was orcastrated.​Where do you imprison a skeleton? In a rib cage.​There’s a fine line between the numerator and the denominator.​I used to work at a hairdresser but i just wasn’t cut out for it.​Why is metal and a microwave a match made in heaven? When they met, sparks flew.​The lumberjack loved his new computer. He especially enjoyed logging in.​Garbage collectors are rubbish drivers!​When the church relocated it had an organ transplant.​Lettuce take a moment to appreciate this salad pun.​The scarecrow get promoted because he was outstanding in his field.​Sleeping comes so naturally to me, I could do it with my eyes closed.​I never understood odorless chemicals, they never make scents.​What do prisoners use to call each other? Cell phones.​Why was dumbo sad? He felt irrelephant.​When a clock is hungry, it goes back four seconds.​Old skiers never die. They just go down hill.​Did you hear about the pun that was actually funny? Neither have we.​You know why I like egg puns? They crack me up!​Want to hear a pun about ghosts? That's the spirit!​I used to make clown shoes… which was no small feat.​Did you hear about the human cannonball? Too bad he got fired!​What happened when the magician got mad? She pulled her hare out!​Did you hear about the circus that caught on fire? It was in tents.​The one day of the week that eggs are definitely afraid of is Fry-day.​A hen will always leave her house through the proper eggs-it.​The man who ate too many eggs was considered to be an egg-oholic.​All the hens consider the chef to be very mean because he beats the eggs.​Eskimos keep all of their chilled eggs inside of the egg-loo.​Under the doctor’s advice, the hen is laying off eggs for a few weeks.​I had a real problem making a hard-boiled egg this morning until I cracked it.​The best time of day to eat eggs is at the crack of dawn.​The chicken coop only had 2 doors since if it had 4 doors it would be a sedan.​Crossing a cement mixer and a chicken will result in you getting a brick layer.​That reckless little egg always seems to egg-celerate when he sees the light turn yellow.​Hopefully this egg pun doesn't make your brain too fried or scrambled.​Don't ever have multiple people wash dishes together. It's hard for them to stay in sink.​People using umbrellas always seem to be under the weather.​I dissected an iris today. It was an eye-opening experience.​What was Forrest Gump’s email password? 1forrest1.​What planet is like a circus? Saturn, it has three rings!​Before my father died he worked in a circus as a stilt walker. I used to look up to him.​Why did the lion eat the tightrope walker? He wanted a well-balanced meal!​I really look up to my tall friends.​I hate negative numbers and will stop at nothing to avoid them.​Long fairy tales have a tendency to dragon.​It takes guts to make a sausage.​Why shouldn’t you give Elsa a balloon? Because she’ll “Let It Go”!​What do you call cheese that’s not yours? Nacho cheese!​How do you make a tissue dance? Put a little boogie in it​What do you get when a witch goes to the beach? A sand-witch!​Where do cows go on Friday nights? To the mooooo-vies!​What did the mommy tomato say to the baby tomato? C’mon, ketchup!​Why did the banana go to the doctor? Because he wasn’t “peeling” well!​What did one snowman say to the other? Do you smell carrots?​Why didn’t the skeleton go to the dance? Because he had no body to go with!​What is a pirate’s favorite letter? Arrrrrr!​What does a piece of toast wear to bed? His pa-JAM-as!​What does one eye say to the other eye? Something between us smells​Why did the chicken cross the playground? To get to the other slide!​What happens when an egg laughs? It cracks up!​What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear!​Why didn’t the teddy bear want dessert? Because he was stuffed!​Why can’t you tell a joke while ice skating? Because the ice might crack up!​What do you call a pig that knows karate? A pork chop!​What’s mommy and daddy’s favorite ride at the carnival? A married-go-round!​How did Cookie Monster feel after eating all the cookies? Pretty crummy!​What do you call a skunk who flies in a helicopter? A smelly-copter!​What do you get when you shake a cow? A milkshake!​How do you catch a squirrel? Climb up a tree and act like a nut!​Why did the bee get married? Because she found her honey!​What did the ocean say to their airplane? Nothing, it just waved!​Where do eskimo pigs live? In pig-loos.​What’s a dinosaur called when it’s sleeping? A dino-snore!​What did the cookie say to the annoying cookie? Crumb on!​Why did Mickey Mouse go up in space? To find Pluto!​What does Olaf eat for lunch? Icebergers!​What letter is always wet? The C!​How do you throw a space party? You planet.​How was Rome split in two? With a pair of Ceasars.​Nope. Unintended.​The shovel was a ground breaking invention, but everyone was blow away by the leaf blower.​A scarecrow says, "This job isn't for everyone, but hay, it's in my jeans."​A Buddhist walks up to a hot dog stand and says "Make me one with everything."​Did you hear about the guy who lost the left side of his body? He's alright now.​What do you call a girl with one leg that's shorter than the other? Ilene.​The broom swept the nation away.​I did a theatrical performance on puns. It was a play on words.​What does a clock do when it's hungry? It goes back for seconds.​What do you do with a dead chemist? You barium.​I bet the person who created the door knocker won a Nobel prize.​Towels can’t tell jokes. They have a dry sense of humor.​Two birds are sitting on a perch and one says “Do you smell fish?”​Did you hear about the cheese factory that exploded in france? There was nothing but des brie.​Do you know sign language? You should learn it, it’s pretty handy.​What do you call a beautiful pumpkin? GOURDgeous.​Why did one banana spy on the other? Because she was appealing.​What do you call a cow with no legs? Ground beef.​What do you call a cow with two legs? Lean beef.​What do you call a cow with all of its legs? High steaks.​A cross eyed teacher couldn’t control his pupils.​After the accident, the juggler didn’t have the balls to do it.​I used to be afraid of hurdles, but I got over it.​To write with a broken pencil is pointless.​I read a book on anti-gravity. I couldn’t put it down.​I couldn’t remember how to throw a boomerang but it came back to me.​What did the buffalo say to his son? Bison.​What should you do if you’re cold? Stand in the corner. It’s 90 degrees.​How does Moses make coffee? Hebrews it.​The energizer bunny went to jail. He was charged with battery.​What did the alien say to the pitcher of water? Take me to your liter.​What happens when you eat too many spaghettiOs? You have a vowel movement.​The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray was a seasoned veteran.​Sausage puns are the wurst.​What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear.​How did Darth Vader know what luke was getting him for his birthday? He could sense his presence.​Why shouldn’t you trust atoms? They make up everything.​What’s the difference between a bench, a fish, and a bucket of glue? You can’t tune a bench but you can tuna fish. I bet you got stuck on the bucket of glue part.​What’s it called when you have too many aliens? Extraterrestrials.​Want to hear a pizza joke? Nevermind, it’s too cheesy.​What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta.​What do cows tell each other at bedtime? Dairy tales.​Why can’t you take inventory in Afghanistan? Because of the tally ban.​Why didn’t the lion win the race? Because he was racing a cheetah.​Why did the man dig a hole in his neighbor’s backyard and fill it with water? Because he meant well.​What happens to nitrogen when the sun comes up? It becomes daytrogen.​What’s it called when you put a cow in an elevator? Raising the steaks.​What’s america’s favorite soda? Mini soda.​Why did the tomato turn red? Because it saw the salad dressing.​What kind of car does a sheep drive? A lamborghini, but if that breaks down they drive their SuBAHHru.

#dad jokes #puns #jokes

[library-with-tales]

Bungou Stray Dogs Band AU that I spontaneously came up with like a second ago.

Based off the mobile game if you haven’t noticed. Someone probably already thought of this buuuuut I like my idea so here we go:

World setting

Port Mafia, Armed Detective Agency and The Guild are music agencies while the other smaller groups are just bands (haven’t read manga yet but I’m aware there are other groups). The Special-too-long-of-a-name people are the big boy cooperation (I am so uneducated with the music world why do I do this to myself).

Port Mafia are filled with talented people yes, but they have the habit of straining the music artists sometimes (this will be relevant in a bit) and are more focused on the monz. If you want a reference, their music are on the same level as your good ol’ big pop groups, the real famous on the radio ones.

Armed Detective Agency (in this case they’re called Armed Music Agency, yes they are still armed) is a smaller agency since they prioritize quality and feelings over quantity and catchiness, which makes them pretty indie tbh, They have songs that don’t particularly appear on the radio a lot, if not, not at all. Though they’re talented all the same.

The Guild are basically the equivalent to K-pop and J-pop, not quite famous in Yokohama, but definitely famous enough to go on tour there.

Atsushi’s arc

There were a few ideas for him (music school was in the draft but I dunked it faster than I pulled it up) but it boils down to one thing: Atsushi accidentally becomes a famous singer from an old video he made when he wasn’t fully into music yet. He, being the oblivious guy he is, suddenly starts gaining fans and is beyond confused yet appreciates it very much.

Though not sure why people are calling him the Beast below The Moonlight (Plot twist, you big stupidhead, that was the title of the old song you made). He goes along with it though, calling himself Moon Tiger, which is so him honestly.

Anyways it’s not Dazai if he doesn’t try to drown himself so while Atsushi’s vibing by the open canal he just sees him. Like canon, Atsushi saves Dazai. But the thing about Atsushi is; he’s camera shy and most of his videos have him covering his face and out of camera view, so Dazai doesn’t immediately recognize him as the famous youtube singer.

As thanks, Dazai treats Atsuhi to dinner with Kunikida, and Dazai has a hunch that Atsushi is Moon Tiger so they start a small convo about it. Atsushi’s all; “ERRRRMMMMMMM” and he wants to leave until:

“Y’know, whoever Moon Tiger is, I’d totally pay a lot of money to hear him sing.” Dazai hums. Kunikida kinda agrees to this, saying how talent like his shouldn’t come totally for free. Atsushi doesn’t ask for donations or get youtube money (because he dunno how :( ) so he’s almost flat broke, and this kinda perks his interest.

“Actually, uh, I kinda know Moon Tiger. I didn’t want to bring it up because I thought you’d ask for autographs or something ha ha. I agree with the paying part.” Atsushi you’re low key greedy ngl, Pre-Bullshit Atsushi was greedy. Money-eyed hoe. “If you want I can get you to meet him, but he won’t wanna show his face so it’s gotta be somewhere he can hide himself while still being able to sing.”

“Done!” Dazai holds his hand out like it’s some sort of deal. “I know a place.”

I’m sorry Dazai, but I’m not smart or sexy as you, so I don’t know the place. Let’s go with the regular canon spot, yeah? And Dazai listens while Atsushi sings behind a big crate and when Atsushi is done, he expects money but he gets a thunderous applause instead and suddenly his identity is revealed and everyone is clapping and staring at him super amazed.

And Atsushi faints from being too overwhelmed. 

Anyways, things happen, some parts are alike to canon, some parts aren’t. Atsushi’s main goal in this AU is to get over his terrible stage fright while simultaneously trying to avoid clashing with Port Mafia, who at first, wants to recruit him before he fully signs the contract with AMA.

I don’t know how battles would work in this, but they happen.

Dazai’s backstory

So my man Dazai amirite?

Not a surprise, he used to be under Port Mafia. At some point he does numerous collabs with free lancer Chuuya because Chuuya’s little sheep band had an issue with copyright with Port Mafia (oops). 

Onto the main course though: Odasaku.

Ango is in charge of Oda and Dazai, who usually does music together because they’re friends (hurray). But Oda had long gave up on doing vocals because his throat just couldn’t handle it, he much prefers writing music and Dazai doesn’t mind because he never has extremely big ideas anyways.

A clash with Mimic happens and Mori’s all: We need more music we need to stay number one. And so -I dunno how- he forces Oda to finally use his voice to sing via Ango’s persuasion.

Oda completely loses his voice in the end, like he completely damaged it, and he can’t handle the music industry anymore so he leaves. And Dazai’s all: “Don’t go please.”

And Oda writes on his phone and holds it out for Dazai, “This agency. It doesn’t care much for music, does it? I used to sing because I liked singing, because there were feelings in it. But slowly this agency stopped me from being able to do that. Dazai. Don’t you think you should sing with feelings too? You’ve never made an opinion on my ideas, is it because you can’t or you won’t?”

And Dazai realizes he only likes doing music because of the people around him, especially Oda, and now that Oda isn’t in Port Mafia anymore, it just isn’t the same. He’s been making music to grab people’s attention and not much because he wanted to. So he decides to change and switches agencies.

(His relationship with Akutagawa is as straining as canon; “I don’t care about how you made this dumb song, it’s not good enough! How will anyone want to listen to this crap?” Now Aku’s music are catchy and all but lacking in meaning.)

Other things

Yosano’s music is pretty rough, but it literally lets all the feelings out, so it becomes pretty nice. So you know that music that cures this and cures that? That’s Yosano’s music, except it’s really hardcore. I don’t know how she does it, she just does.

Kyouka is the daughter of two big music geniuses and is expected to be the same, so she gets an immediate acceptance into Port Mafia and it nearly breaks her until Atsushi meets her. During a concert or something -because in the end, Atsushi’s still the fan boy type- Atsushi goes up to Kyouka and asks if she’s okay and stuff.

“I’ve made 35 songs, but I can’t...hear my own voice, my own music...” Your Lie in April ref do not hunt me please. 

Ranpo is known to have serious in depth meaning behind his music, and a good 20% are just matryoshka songs (he gives out stuff if you find out if his song is an in depth meaning one or just nonsense that somehow speaks meaning while having no theme at all)

Poe’s are somewhat the same as Ranpo, except they’re more like stories to be honest, and his songs get numerous fan interpretation and so far, Ranpo always gets it right. The only one who ever does without missing a beat (ha ha got em.)

Debating if I should just make Kunikida an agent or a music artist that just likes writing songs rather than performing them.

Naomi could be an idol ngl but she’s not, she’s her brother’s number one fan! (She’s a secretary in the agency.)

Chuuya’s more famous for his pretty looks than his music at this point, but it doesn’t mean he’s a shit music artist though.

Higuchi is Aku’s agent.

Kenji’s songs are so happy and go-lucky it makes anyone listening to it feel pumped up. Hence his music are often used in AMVs or sports exercise (what a range!)

Yumeno’s music are those cursed type of songs that weren’t meant to be creepy or weird to begin with (e.g Tonight You Belong To Me, it’s an innocent song yet it can be taken as horror(?)) but end up becoming one anyways.

Dazai’s songs are so sad sometimes but they’re always upbeat. A weird yet perfect balance for his listeners.

That’s all I got! Honestly, don’t really know how to develop The Guild in this, maybe one day I will. 

#bungou stray dogs #bsd #band au #dazai osamu #atsushi nakajima #kunikida doppo #yosano akiko #odasaku sakunosuke #kyouka izumi #akutagawa ryuunosuke #yumeno kyuusaku #edogawa ranpo #edgar allen poe #higuchi ichiyo #kenji miyazawa #tanizaki naomi #nakahara chuuya

[dahlyah-grimshatter]

Wanted

“Just there. See them?”

Captain Alan Davis lowered his spyglass, before handing it over to his junior companion. The young Lieutenant Wil Demonte was next to peek through, catching sight of the small gathering just outside the ruins Durnholde Keep. No mistaking it-- Horde refugees, trekking off to Light only knew where. 

But they weren’t alone. 

The four of them sat, huddled together facing each other. A dog paced around them, as if to keep them rounded up like sheep. No ordinary dog, either. As the sun started setting behind the two Alliance soldiers, the canine’s fiery mane contrasted all the better against the cold and dim stone ruins behind him. Not far off stood the dog’s master; a hooded figure, with blazing red eyes. Too tall to be a gnome, too short to be human. A dwarf. Dark Iron, if Wil had to guess. He could see the rifle she carried slung over her shoulder, casually.

She waved.

“Aye, sir. Seems she sees us, too.” Wil reported, handing the spyglass back to his superior officer.

Alan sighed, closing up and securing the spyglass in one of his horse’s saddlebags. The flare had caught his attention, but he hoped it meant there would be some action or something. But looking now, it was apparent the exciting part was all done. He didn’t seem terribly eager to ride out at some Dark Iron Dwarf’s beck and call. Especially some vigilante. He wore the disdain on his face well enough for Wil to read.

“... What do you wanna do, sir?” he asked the Captain, tone implicit of his willingness to follow his lead.

“Let’s check it out, I guess.” Alan huffed, spurring his horse on. “Keep up.”

The two cantered off from Thoradin’s Wall towards the ruins of Durnholde. A short enough jaunt into the Hillsbrad region which, technically, fell under Stromgarde jurisdiction now. With the Fourth War over and done, and the Alliance firming up their hold in the region, it made sense for soldiers stationed in Arathi to help keep the peace up and around the entire northern region. At least, anything south of Quel’Thalas. That was a problem for another day. 

Wil was an experienced rider, learning early on in his youth how to keep himself from falling out of the saddle. His experience had only grown since. In part, that’s why he wanted to become a proper cavalier. And the war broke out just in time to make that goal a reality. He looked up to Alan Davis, who unofficially took on the role of young Wil’s mentor when they were stationed together. The five or so years of time in service Alan had over Wil had left him somewhat jaded and terse. But Wil didn’t mind. He happily rode beside Alan, grateful for the continued opportunity to learn how to be a better cavalier beneath his proverbial wing.

The two tugged the reins of their steeds, slowing and then halting them as they arrived. Alan dismounted first, grunting as his boots hit the dirt path. He eyed the Dark Iron, making little effort to hide his displeasure from her. Wil followed along, jogging a bit to catch up.

“Let me do the talking, yeah?” Alan instructed.

Wil nodded, apparently starting to comply right away. They approached, stopping just a few paces from the Dark Iron, who grinned up at the pair.

“Oi, lads. Glad y’ saw m’ flare.” she piped up, tone jovial. “Dahlyah Grimshatter. Bounty Hunter.”

The introduction came with no somatic additions; no handshake, no nod, nothing. Dahlyah simply eyed the two humans, looking fine and prim in their Alliance blue. Alan met Dahlyah’s standoffishness with his own, simply eyeing the dwarf with an almost judgmental expression. But that didn’t stop Wil from nodding to her, in a token etiquette. His mother raised him right, after all.

“Lieutenant Wil Demonte, Stromgarde’s Sixth. This is Captain Alan Davis of the same, Miss Grimshatter.” he rattled off, practiced and professionally - breaking Alan’s directive immediately.

“What’ve you got for us, Miss Freelancer?” Alan sighed, disregarding the offered name in favor of a more derogatory title, as he looked past her to the four Horde captives.

“Jus’ some folks wanderin’ ‘bout where they ought not, aye?” Dahlyah replied with a shrug.

It wasn’t anything Dahlyah wasn’t used to. Dark Iron Dwarves weren’t the most popular lot here on the surface. Gods, they weren’t even that popular under Blackrock. She’d endured her share of dirty looks and sneers from dwarves of other clans, humans, gnomes… even the elves, in all their diverse types, all unanimously seemed to turn up their noses to the Dark Iron. She shrugged it off, never letting it bother her. She had her own opinions of all the races; and her own wasn’t above her judgment, either. Thankfully, it hadn’t cost her too much business, with the Dark Irons formally joining the Alliance.

Her hunting companion ran up beside her, sniffing the two soldiers curiously. Like his mane, the dog’s eyes burned a bright red, making for a rather intimidating sight! Wil nearly took a step back as the canine approached him… but relaxed as the beast’s jaw relaxed to let out a friendly panting tongue. He sniffed Wil, curiously, before nuzzling up against his leg.

“--Oi, an’ this ‘ere’s Ridley.” Dahlyah added. “Seems ‘e likes yeh, lad.”

Wil smiled at that. He grew up with dogs, back home. None like this, though! He found himself fascinated by the animal’s fiery mane and burning red eyes. But aside from those unsettling features, a dog was a dog! He reached his hand out for Ridley to sniff at; smiling like a giddy child when the bloodhound licked it instead! His tongue was so warm, it was weird! He eyed the dog’s mane, wondering if it was safe to touch. He thought better than to try, though.

Alan wasn’t nearly as enamored by the beast. He stepped past Dahlyah, eyes affixed to the four Horde refugees. Forsaken, all of them. His lip curled, as if to snarl at the undead abominations. They read him well enough, huddling a bit closer as if in fear for their unlives. They remained quiet for the same reason. The Captain took it as a point of pride, that his presence alone seemed to terrify these vile creatures. He scanned over their faces once by one; two men, two women. One looked like she died young. 

“Please release us, sir.” one of the men spoke up, his voice hoarse. “We’re not soldiers. And we’ve no allegiances to the Banshee Queen. We just want to get to Quel’Thalas to--”

He was cut off quickly when Alan slammed his boot into his hunched back, knocking him forward into the others. 

“--I didn’t say you could speak, deader!” he shouted.

Dahlyah glanced over her shoulder at that, her grin diminishing as she pulled her rifle from her shoulder to instead hold it ready in her hands. She watched Alan and his interactions with the refugees carefully. Wil did the same, peeling his attention from Ridley long enough to watch his senior counterpart work. His expression was… attentive. It spoke well enough of his conflicted feelings. Alan straightened his tabard, as he turned back to the bounty huntress - giving one final warning glare to the once again silent dead.

“Alright, let’s wrap this up, yeah?” he cleared his throat. “How much were you promised a head, Gun-for-Hire?”

Her smirk returned, as she shook her head. Her finger slipped down the side of her rifle, resting gently at the trigger.

“... Oi, think yer mistaken, Cap’n Davis. I ain’t ‘ere t’ collect on these ‘ere deaders,” she explained, “I’m ‘ere fer you.”

Before Alan could even blink, he found himself staring down the dwarf’s rifle, his nose close enough to sniff the gunpowder. He took a step back, gasping-- reaching for his sword, then not, all in an instant. He was confident bullets flew faster than he could unsheath it, anyway. Wil was equally caught off guard, hand grasping the hilt of his blade in Alan’s stead.

“--Dunnae, lad.” Dahlyah barked at Wil, eyes and rifle still trained on Alan. “Ridley still likes yeh, aye? Best t’ keep it that way.”

Wil looked down-- sure enough, Ridley was right there in front of him, eyes piercing as he looked up at the human. His demeanor was much less friendly - nearly snarling at poor Wil now, with ears perked and mane glowing just a bit brighter. Wil couldn’t so much as scratch his nose before Ridley would set on him, close as he was. Slowly, he took his hand off his weapon, blood draining from his face.

“W-What’s the meaning of this!?” Alan demanded, scowling at the dwarf. “I’m an officer of the Alliance military, and I--”

“--Y’know damn well why I’m ‘ere, Alan Davis!” she cut him off, proving she could shout a lot louder.

Her eyes practically burned into the Captain’s, a noticeable heat brimming off the metallic bits of her armor. Even her breath was hotter, like a dragon spewing fire. Smoke billowed out from her nostrils-- or so it seemed, anyway. Her fury set quickly, a far cry from her relaxed and casual demeanor just moments prior. She turned, slipping the barrel of her rifle up her arm to keep it trained on her target, while freeing her hand to tug a folded slip of paper from beneath her pauldron.

“But ‘m guessin’ yer partner ‘ere dunnae. Seems too nice t’ git int’a th’ shite yer doin’.” she grumbled a bit, holding the paper out for Wil to relieve from her.

He did so slowly, mindful of the blazing bloodhound practically attached to his leg at this point. He stepped forward, looking for an opening to maybe help Alan out of this predicament-- but a sharp growl from Ridley urged him to reconsider. He retreated with the paper a few paces back from the dwarf, and slowly unfolded it.

“Wil, it’s a fake! It’s obviously a--”

“--Let ‘im read, hotshot.”

It made no difference; Wil was far too curious now what the paper was, even without Alan trying to talk him out of reading it before it was even unfolded. He straightened the page, and looked it over.

WANTED

For crimes during times of war, including; - Maltreatment of prisoners - Dereliction of duty - Conduct unbecoming an Officer - Treason

A bounty of one thousand five hundred gold has been placed on;

ALAN DAVIS CAPTAIN, STROMGARDE’S SIXTH CALVARY DIVISION

In the name of his Majesty, King Anduin Wrynn

The bottom was stamped with a seal familiar insignia of Stormwind Intelligence, and signed with a scribble that read well enough as ‘M. Shaw’. 

“... Alan, what does this mean?” Wil asked, still re-reading the words over and over again. “Maltreatment? Dereliction? Fucking T-Treason, Alan!? What is this!?”

Alan didn’t respond. He didn’t see the point, now. Denying it, downplaying it… Wil was smart. He’d see right through it.

“Yer buddy ‘ere likes beatin’ on prisoners. Killin’ ‘em, too. Dunnae care wot they are. Orcs, deaders, taurens.” Dahlyah elaborated, eyes still narrowly focused on her mark. “Ain’t all y’ pretty blue Alliance brass th’ hero-types, aye?”

Wil found himself speechless, simply looking at Alan, then back to the parchment. The words seemed to cut him, deeper and deeper each time he read them. He knew Alan had no love for the Horde, and had heard him say some pretty terrible things about them. But until now, he figured it was just talk.A bit of roughing them up, but not crippling them. Not killing them.

“... What’s the treason, then?” Wil finally asked, addressing Dahlyah-- as if he couldn’t handle even speaking to Alan at the moment.

“Prisoner exchange, in Arathi. Cap’n Davis ‘ere killed two elves wot were supposed t’ be handed back t’ th’ Horde. Gutted ‘em, left ‘em fer th’ raptors.” Dahlyah explained. “Thought ‘e covered up ‘is tracks well ‘nough. Cost two o’ yer own when th’ exchanged dinnae go down. But Alan ‘ere dinnae care, aye? Got ‘is vengeance. Ain’t that right, lad?”

“Is that… true?” Wil looked to Alan, eyes misting and brow furrowed.

Again, silence. But it said it all. Alan kept his gaze on Dahlyah, lip quivering on the verge of a snarl. His hand tensed, opening and closing in a steady, nervous rhythm. A tell. One not lost on the Dark Iron.

“--Easy, there, Cap’n. Ask yer buddy there if’n that poster mentions bringin’ yeh in alive anywhere.” she warned. “Poor lad’s read it ‘nough times now t’ know it by heart.”

“... Shut up. Shut UP!” Alan snapped! “You fucking sellsword! You think you know what it’s like to be a soldier? To fight an enemy, and watch them take everything you love away from you? You have no idea! All you care about, all you fight for, is gold! You’re a greedy goblin with a license and a rifle! Not a real soldier! Not a real hero!”

It was then that, all riled up, Alan made his last mistake. He was backed into a corner, antagonized by this uppity Dark Iron nuisance! He acted without thinking, making one last ditch effort to get out of this impossible situation! Wil barely got a breath out to try and stop him, before Alan Davis, Captain of Stromgarde’s Sixth Calvary Division, took hold of the hilt of his blade to draw it. Before Dahlyah Grimshatter, greedy goblin with a license and a rifle, pulled her trigger.

~*~

Back in Stormwind, two Royal Guards hefted the bagged corpse up onto a cart, before spurring on the horse to start hauling it off. Dahlyah watched just a moment longer, as the clerk - a gnome, coming up no higher than Dahlyah’s chin -  finished counting up the gold pieces. One by one, as he slipped them into a small burlap sack. The Dark Iron’s hand idly scratched Ridley’s mane, fingers running through it to send embers floating off in the air. She sighed.

“... And fifteen-hundred.” the clerk finished counting aloud, dropping the final coin into the bag with a clink. “Looks like he gave you some trouble, hm?”

“Nah, nae too much.” Dahlyah replied, taking the sack from the Gnome, with a nod. “Nae as much as ‘e gave yer lot, seems.”

She offered a forced smile, and a final nod to the clerk, before turning to depart. 

Payouts weren’t always this sad. But this one felt tainted. Cursed. Perhaps if Wil hadn’t have been there, things would’ve gone differently? No, Alan was plenty eager to fight with him present, just the same. Still, she couldn’t get him out of her mind; the way his voice wavered, that heavy betrayal hitting the poor kid hard. It made her feel like the bad guy after all, robbing poor Wil of someone he clearly trusted and looked up to. 

No, she wasn’t the bad guy, she told herself. Alan Davis had his job, and didn’t do it well enough. And she was just doing her job-- and clearly, did it better than he did his. This was just how it was, sometimes. He wasn’t wrong when he said she wasn’t a real hero. But she never said she was. Never set out to be. Work was work. Running bounties put “kibble in the bowl and bullets in the chamber” she always said. And today’s payout would make for plenty of both. 

And that was the point of it. That was the intent. No, she wasn’t a hero.

She was a hunter.

#character story #Dahlyah Grimshatter #Dark Iron #Bounty Hunter #Warcraft #Azeroth #Arathi #Durnholde #Forsaken #Wanted

[andrea-lyn]

Holiday prompt! Michael's a single dad (mother didn't want the kid so he raises her all on his own.) And he's the cutest fluffiest daddy to his little princess. But he's lonely. Alex has his little princess, his beagle Buffy. But he's lonely too. Michael and Alex have some kind of meet-cute and fall in love. Alex bonds with Michael's daughter and Michael/his daughter bond with Buffy. And they become a sweet little family in time for Xmas! (I loooooooove your writing btw!!!!)

what are you doing new year’s eve?michael/alex, pg-13

“Buffy! Hey! Whoa! Easy,”Alex pleads when Buffy takes off through the park, hellbent on gettingsomewhere, yanking on Alex’s arm as she bolts. 

Usually, she’s a great dog, but when there’s a lot of commotion going on, shecan get excitable. It’s probably Alex’s fault for bringing her to the fall fairlike this, but it’s one of Roswell’s few events – not to mention that Kyle hadtexted him that if he didn’t attend and kept sitting alone in his cabin, therewould be consequences. So here he is, out at the fair, while Buffy tries tomake him lose yet another limb because she wants him to go somewhere.He’s almost got her under control when the toe of his prosthetic digs into adivot in the ground and sends him flying. Alex hears someone’s shout of alarm nearby.He braces himself for the impact, but then it … never comes.Instead, he’s face-first in someone’s chest, hearing a high-pitched giggle nearhim. “Hi doggy!” a little girl says to Buffy, and Alex grabs at a pair ofshoulders (very nice, very strong, very handsome shoulders) to pull himself outof whoever’s chest he’s gone right into. When he looks down, he sees Buffy licking the girl’s cotton candy (she can’t bemore than four and she’s also very easygoing, because she clearly doesn’tmind). Alex stares up nervously to find himself in the arms of a handsome man,which is usually the kind of thing that only happens in his dreams.“Buffy, stop it,” he manages to eke out, even if he’s not looking at the dog. “Tori, don’t let the dog get your cotton candy,” the man says, and he sounds alittle like he’s echoing Alex’s tone. “Hi,” he says, breathless and a littlestunned as he looks at Alex. “You always meet new people like this?”“I think my dog had some designs on your daughter’s cotton candy.”

Alex collects himself and steps back, running through the list of likelypossibilities why this handsome man isn’t a prospect for Alex. Even thoughthere’s no ring on the man’s finger, there’s a daughter, which means that thewife is somewhere around here and though his dog may be trying to be amatchmaking little fiend, even she can’t know about the complications that hehas to face in a town like Roswell where his prospects can be counted on asingle hand. “She’s cute,” the man promises, and ducks down to haul Tori up by the waistinto a flying position. She screams happily and peers upside-down at Alex witha head of blonde curls bouncing. “I’m Michael and this is Tori,” he introducesthem, while Tori waves at them.“I’m Alex,” he says, tugging on the leash to get control, “and this is Buffy,”he says, bending to try and get some of the cotton candy out of Buffy’s mouth.“Sorry, I should let you get back to your family, your wife must be waiting forthe both of you.”It’s the wrong thing to say from the way Michael looks hurt, echoed on Tori’sface.“I don’t have a Mommy,” she says quietly. “Daddy says that she has importantbusiness somewhere else, but one day he’s gonna fall in love with someone elseand I’ll get a new Mommy or Daddy then.”“Tor,” Michael hisses.Alex blinks as he tries to rapidly process all of that. He can’t imaginethat Michael had intended for his daughter to out him like that. “Sorry, I’doffer to unhear that, but…”“It’s fine,” Michael says, even if he looks a little uneasy. “Her Mom and Igrew up together in a group home and a while ago we tried to have something.She got pregnant and she didn’t want the baby, but she had some pretty strictviews on that, so I offered.” His smile softens as he stares at her withadoration. “Best decision I ever made.”“She’s pretty cute.”“So’s your girl,” Michael replies, and when Alex gives a confused look, Michaelgestures to the dog. “Buffy, huh? You must’ve been a big fan.”“Or just a really big nerd,” Alex clarifies. “Are you new to Roswell? I feellike I haven’t seen you around, because I would’ve noticed…” He trails off, hiseyes widening before he admits something really stupid like ‘I would’ve noticedsomeone as hot as you’.“I lived here for a while when I was a kid, but then I got moved to a fosterparent in Albuquerque. Only came back for a job recently, but it’s funny howmuch the town hasn’t changed.” Michael hasn’t shifted his gaze from Alex’smouth the whole time he speaks. “At least, in some ways. I don’t remember ithaving someone as handsome as you around.”Alex glances to the side and blushes, wondering why he’s ignoring the pick upline.“It, um…I…” He’s not used to people flirting with him, so he thinks he’sallowed to be somewhat off balance. “Thanks?”“Yeah, no problem,” Michael replies with amusement. “Listen, Tori dragged meout to this thing because she said I was being Mr. Sad Dad sitting all aloneand working on the car, but I don’t really know what you do at a fall fair. Youwanna…explore with me?” he asks, biting his lip and arching his brow in a waythat has Alex reading all the way between the lines into the other thingsMichael might be asking with a question like that.“Yes!” Tori says, jumping up and down excitedly, already coming over to try andtake the leash. “Please? Please, please? I can hold Buffy,” she says veryseriously. Alex is still stunned that he literally fell head-first into this man’s chest,who happens to be bisexual, and wants to explore the fair with him. His luck isn’tusually this amazing, and yet, here he is, looking down the barrel of an offerhe can’t refuse.“Yeah,” he says. “I think I owe someone a cotton candy replacement.”“Yes!” Tori squeals. “And then we’ll play games, and ride the ferris wheel,”she lists, sliding her hand along the leash that Alex is holding to help, whileMichael falls into step at his side, casually bumping his shoulder ever once ina while, “and we’ll get pictures drawn and go pet the sheep…!”“All that, huh?” Alex teases.“Maybe even more,” Michael agrees, and leads them off into the fair. His dog is a remorseless matchmaker, he decides, but seeing as Michael keepstouching him in all these small little ways, keeps feeding him fair food, keepsgrinning in that sweet and overly perfect way, it’s not like he minds. When the night’s over and they’re parting ways in the parking lot, Michael’sgot a sleeping Tori in his arms, giving Alex an apologetic look.“I’d give you my number, but my hands are kind of full…”“It’s okay,” Alex rushes to insist, not wanting to put expectations on Michaelfor one good afternoon. “I’m Alex Manes, I’m out at a hunting cabin justoutside of town, but maybe I’ll drive in sometime and visit the both of you. Iknow Buffy would love to see you again.” He breathes in and decides to go forbroke. “I know I would, too.”“Okay,” Michael replies, with a considerate nod. “Michael and Victoria Guerin,”he says. “Look us up or we might just have to come find you.”Alex waves them off, thinking about how that threat had sounded far toogood. Maybe Alex will have to hold off on the finding, just to see what happens next.*On Thursday evenings, Alex attends the local library with Buffy for a sessionin the kids’ section. Buffy mills around the kids to soak up affection whileAlex reads stories, plays his guitar, and sings. It's something he’d picked uprecently when the weight of being alone at home had begun to crush him. Hehasn’t really had anyone for years and it’s not like he and his family getalong, which means that other than his dog, he doesn’t really have anyone inRoswell.He used to have Kyle, but then he’d picked up that doctors without bordersrotation last month and Jenna’s off on another tour, so here he is.The kids are great, though. They love hugging and cuddling Buffy (and his dogis an absolute terror who preens as she encourages it) and Alex likes having anaudience, even if it’s children. His day job involves programming, which ispretty lonely in itself, so getting out and doing this is a godsend. He makes it through the first story and song before he looks into the crowd ofkids and sees a familiar head of curls and a beaming gap-toothed grin directedback at him.Tori waves eagerly at him, bouncing in her seat. Alex laughs as he waves back,noticing that Buffy’s decided where she’s going to stay, which happens to be inTori’s lap. Alex pushes that thought out of his mind that where Tori goes,Michael is also probably there. It still affects his next song choice, pickingsomething closer to a ballad than a happy upbeat song.When story time is over, Tori jumps up. “Come on Buffy!” she whistles andclaps. “You gotta go back to Mr. Alex, now,” she says.“Alex is okay,” he says with a laugh and a warm smile for the girl. He digsinto his bag for a treat to get Buffy at his side, patting her head when shereturns to him. “Hey Tori,” he greets her. “You liked story time?” “I did!” Tori agrees. “I never got to do this, but then Daddy found out thatyou were here and he said we should come, cuz you never called us.” It’spetulant and she’s got her hand on her hip, like Alex is in trouble, which he’scertainly feeling even though it’s all turned out for the best.His favorite people in the world have come to see him play music and sing andread stories. Even Tori’s stomping mad mock-fit can’t change that.“I definitely made a mistake,” Alex promises, hand over his heart. “How about Ipromise to take your Daddy out for coffee and bring you, and then I can make itup to you?”Tori squints at him, like she’s thinking about it, but then nods. “Okay, butyou gotta guess what I’m gonna be for Halloween, Alex!” Tori demands, jumpingup and down a little. Alex laughs as he keeps her in, a hand gently on her shoulder to prevent herfrom drifting too much. “What are you gonna be?” he asks, her energy just alittle overwhelming, and he wonders how the hell Michael does this on his own.“An alien!” she says loudly. “I’m gonna have antenna and green skin and…”“Tori, volume,” comes her father’s voice.Alex blushes slightly, knowing that he’s probably been lurking around, butstill, glancing up to see Michael in a soft-looking sweater is enough to catchhim off guard. Alex wants to wrap his hands up in it and tug Michael towardshim, bury his face in his shoulder, and kiss his way up his neck before…He’s in a children’s library section. He should not be having these thoughts.“Hi,” Alex says, staring at him. “Hey,” Michael replies, coming to stand behind Tori. “You never called.”“You said you’d come find me if I didn’t,” Alex replies, heart pounding in hischest. “I figured if you were actually interested, you would.” And here he is. “So,if Tori’s dressing up as an alien for Halloween, what’s her Dad going as?”Michael lets his gaze slide over Alex and shrugs, like he’s not so sure hewants to give it away so easily. “I mean, you could always come with us,” hesays, which makes Tori’s face light up with delight, whispering ‘yes, yes, yes’and tugging on Alex’s hand, even though Halloween isn’t for another week andchange. “Then you could see what I’m dressed up as.”So they’re doing this, are they?“Okay,” Alex hears himself agreeing, because he’d be an idiot not to. “I guessI’ll see the both of you on Halloween.”On trick-or-treating night, Alex shows up in town with Buffy. She’s wearing littlealien antennae to match Tori and Alex has dressed up in his very finest vampirefangs and contacts (mostly because his go-to costume from Rocky Horror PictureShow probably isn’t appropriate for public consumption). Tori is, as expected, an adorable little alien. Her father is dressed up as acowboy, with that black hat looking way too good to be true. The pantsalso happen to be a little too tight and look like a strange material that hasAlex questioning them.While Tori is off collecting candy, Michael fills him in on why that is. “Theyran out of the normal cop costume for adults, so uh, this is the stripperversion from online.”Alex gapes at him as he wanders up to collect Tori, wondering if he’s going tobe able to test out those pants and see how easily they come away. His heartpounds in his chest as he thinks about it, hoping against hope that maybehe’ll get that. For now, he’ll enjoy the view. *It's the day.Today’s the day Alex has to decide if he’s going to attend the family Christmasparty or whether he’s going to turn it down another year in a row. On the onehand, he loathes his father and he knows the feeling is mutual, so the lastplace he wants to be is under his roof. On the other, it’s going to be a lonelyChristmas otherwise. It’s the thought he’d been debating while standing in theliquor store for the last thirty minutes mulling over the same bottle ofwhiskey.“I know it can’t be that complicated to decide on the booze, so whatever’s onyour mind must really  be weighing youdown.”Alex startles, glancing to the side to see Michael standing there with abasket. “It’s not Sunday,” Alex jokes, which is when they meet up to go groceryshopping together. He hugs the bottle of whiskey a little tighter against hischest to try and dispel the way he feels so unsure, wishing that he could makethis decision easily, but he can’t. Obligation and hope that his awful familywill decide this is the year they stop being terrible looms. “What, I can’t stalk you on Fridays, too?”“I would’ve picked a nice restaurant for dinner if that was the case,” Alexjokes, but it feels empty. “What’s up?” Michael asks. “Man staring at liquor like that for as long as heis, it’s never a good thing.”“I have to tell my family today if I’m going for Christmas dinner or not,” Alexsays. “I keep waiting until the last minute and that’s today.” With only a weekto go, they want to know how many places to set and Alex knows that he alwaysputs it off because of his indecision, but he usually folds and goes, only toregret it.“What happens if you don’t go?”Alex shrugs and puts the bottle in his basket. “The same thing that always happens.Buffy and I have a night in where I make something for dinner that she eats offmy plate, I get stupidly drunk, and then I wish I’d gone. It’s why the last fewyears, I do go, and then they call me names, ask me if I’ve thought aboutconversion camps, and are total assholes for the whole night.”It’s a lose-lose situation, basically.“You’re ignoring the very good third option here,” Michael says, his facestormy the moment Alex mentions the conversion came. “Come spend the day andevening with us,” Michael says.Alex had never counted on there being a possibility of a win in thissituation. Yet, it catches him off guard. Even though he and Michael have beenspending a lot of time together over the last three months, it had neveroccurred to him to even ask to spend the holiday with Michael and Tori, but nowthat he’s brought it up, it’s the only Christmas gift he actually wants. He’s sure that his face is filled with a desperate longing (something else hefeels around Michael all the time, which means it’s a normal look for him thesedays).“It’s Christmas,” Alex hears himself protesting, instead of screaming yesthe way he wants to. “I don’t want to intrude.”“My foster siblings are all out of town and you’re Alex,” Michael says, shakinghis head like he can’t believe Alex thinks he’d be intruding. “You’re basicallypart of our family already. Tori adores you, and she loves Buffy. Sometimes, Ithink she loves your dog more than she loves me, it’s causing some realemotional issues…” he deadpans, but he’s still smiling. “Alex,” he says andreaches out to rest his hand on top of Alex’s. “Can you please let me have whatI want for Christmas and come spend the day with us?”He wouldn’t be alone. He wouldn’t be at his awful family’s house.Instead, Alex would get to indulge in the third option, one that he’s neverconsidered until this very moment. “We’ll be there,” he hears himself saying.Suddenly, the whiskey in his basket doesn’t seem half as necessary because there’sgoing to be an air of celebration instead of doomed certainty about what hisfuture holds.“I can’t wait,” Michael says. “Neither of us can. You’re family, Alex,” hesays, before heading to check out.Alex watches him go, fighting that desperate urge to grab Michael by the collarso he can kiss him and tell Michael that maybe they’re family, but Alex wants tobe so much more. He’d be family and partner and boyfriend and lover. He’d beeverything, even a second father to Tori, if she’d have him. By the time he resolves to do something about it, Michael’s out of the store,but with the holidays looming near, Alex knows that he’s going to get hischance. *“There’s only a minute left! Sixty!” Tori begins the countdown, her armswrapped around Buffy as she lies on the floor, watching the television. She’shyperactive on the chocolate that she’s been snacking on all night to stayawake, much to Michael’s chagrin (and Alex’s guilt, seeing as he’s been the onefeeding it to her). She keeps counting down, even as Alex shifts on the couch,staring at Michael.It’s been such an incredible back half to the year. Ever since they met at thefall fair, Alex can’t imagine his life without Michael. Every Thursday he has adedicated fan in Tori in the front row at the library, with Michael lurkingnearby. The Christmas they’d spent together had been perfect in all the mostsurprising of ways, and on a regular basis, Michael had started to take Alexout for coffee once a week on top of their usual grocery store date.Alex’s loneliness has begun to ebb away, almost like it had never existed inthe first place.“So, new year coming up,” Alex says, adjusting the blanket they’re under asTori jumps back and forth with Buffy trying to paw at her feet. “You got anyresolutions you planning on making?”Michael’s attention is fixed on Alex, reaching up to adjust the glittery silverparty hat that he’s wearing. “I’ve been thinking about it,” he admits, “andyeah, I think maybe there’s one that I’m meaning to take on.” Alex absently rubs his fingers over Michael’s hand, massaging out the cramphe’d gotten when he’d been opening up the champagne bottle to have it ready togo. “Yeah?” he murmurs.“Yeah,” Michael says softly.“…five! Four!”“You gonna tell me?” Alex asks, heart pounding in his chest.Tori screams one and the television goes wild wishing everyone a new year, butAlex barely hears any of it because Michael leans in and cups his cheeks tobear him to the back of the couch with the kiss that Alex has been dreaming ofsince they first met. It takes him all of a frantic half-second before Alexremembers to kiss back, parting his lips to deepen it while tangling hisfingers in Michael’s curls to tip his head to the side, pushing back to makethis more equal.Breathing heavily by the time he eases back, Alex sags back in happy disbeliefto see Tori grinning at them, jumping up and down and wriggling withexcitement.He’s fed her way too much chocolate.“Happy new year!” she announces and throws herself into a hug in Alex’s arms,snuggling in and yanking on Michael to pull him in. “Does this mean that I’m gonnaget Buffy at our house too?” Alex should feel like his emotions have been wounded what with Tori only caringabout Buffy’s presence and not Alex’s, but he closes his eyes to feel Michaelpressing his temple to Alex’s head, adjusting the blanket to curl all three ofthem under it. “We’ll see, okay?” Michael murmurs. “I gotta make sure I keep my resolution tokiss Alex every day for the next year going, so maybe if he says yes to usmoving in with him, I can do it.” He grins at Alex hopefully, raising bothbrows. “I know it’s fast, but I also think you know that we’re both lonely onour own and this thing, us? It’s working,” he guarantees. “So…what do youthink?”Alex, who’s already been thinking about them as his family for ages, knows deepdown that it could be too fast. And yet, at the same time, they’ve gone monthswithout a kiss as they built a foundation together that could support this asthey try. The worst that can happen is that it falls apart and Alex loses it. No, that’s not it.The worst is that he never tries and doesn’t get it at all. For that,Alex is willing to take the risk. He cups Michael’s cheek as he leans in tokiss him again the way he’s been wanting to for ages, pressing soft kisses tohis lower lip as he eases back to stare dreamily at Michael. “Your daughter’son a sugar high, so I’m gonna say this real quietly,” he murmurs. “But yeah,you can move in with us,” he whispers, and seals that promise with a kiss.He can feel Michael’s grin against his lips, and the little sound of victoriousdelight sends frissons of pleasure through Alex. He has to let them movein, though. After all, Michael has a resolution to keep and Alex feels verystrongly about making sure that you keep to your word, especially when thereare kisses at stake.

#malex #michael/alex #2019 holiday gifts #single father michael #dog father alex #ofc child #holiday fluff #with a meddling child #roswell new mexico #Anonymous

[distinguishednachotale]

The DJ

Previous Chapter

Chapter Four

A farmhouse cottage stood swallowed beneath a field of lush green grass, a wooden fence surrounded the boundaries with beautifully tended to flowers weaving their way through the timber. A cobblestone pathway led to the front porch where a middle aged couple were enjoying a quiet Scotch to wind down the end of the day, a pipe hung loosely from his mouth while she had her feet up on the his lap enjoying a soft massage. The farm was running smoothly, enough profits coming in to put on another farmhand allowing the older man to spend a little less time in the fields and more time enjoying the company of his now retired wife.

 “Have you heard from Everly this week?” James wandered out loud, knowing the answer would still be a ‘no’ but hoping that even an e-mail had been exchanged, a photo or anything. With a sigh Leticia shook her head. “Did we do something, do you think?” The silence between themselves and their daughter as painful, they didn’t know her address to visit, their e-mails and text messages went unanswered. Occasionally she would send a two or three word response, but never any detail. Their older son, Angus, worked on the farm with them; his house across the road where he, his wife and four children lived. It was a rare day that the grandchildren didn’t wander across to their Grandparents house to spend time together. To have the polar opposite from their daughter was eating away at them.

 “Oh, speak of the devil.” Leticia smiled widely, her mobile phone lit up with a photo of her beautiful daughter and her name. “Oh Everly, my love we were just talking about ye.”

 “Mrs McCarthy, it’s Richard Madden. Uh, I’m not sure if you remember me,”[/I

Sitting forward and pulling her feet down from her husbands lap, a frown crossed her face, “Richard, has something happened to Everly?” It wasn’t like Everly to call, let alone having someone call from her mobile. “Please, lad, tell me.”

 “I’m sorry, Mrs McCarthy. I was trying to help her leave him, she was coming back to life and, god, she was her again…” Though a broken voice and breaks to compose himself Richard told the McCarthy’s all he knew. The phone placed on loud speaker so both parents could hear of the journey their daughter had been on over the years without them knowing. Angus had wandered into the yard with a cheerful ‘Hello’ only to stop when he saw the look on his parents face. Running to them he heard the tail end of the explanation, the attack.

 “He broke a lot of bones, her wrist, two fingers, jaw, cheek bones, eye socket, ribs.. Her rib punctured her lungs, there’s a tube in there at the minute to fix that. Uh,” His voice broke looking at the sleeping figure before him, your jaw wired shut to help it heal while an oxygen mask covered you face gently. “They fixed her liver, it was lacerated as well as her right kidney. I’m sorry, I’m sorry I couldn’t stop him.”

 “It’s not ye fault, laddy. Thank you for finding her. We’ll get a flight-”

 “I’ll have my assistant organize it, one less thing to take care of. Angus, can I get you a flight too?”

 “If ye could, Rich. I’ll bring Ma and Pa over.” Jotting down their details on his own phone Richard sent everything to his own assistant to have organised, flights and hotels to be close to their daughter at hospital. Bidding them farewell he promised not to leave her side again, to stay with her and keep her safe until they arrived. You hadn’t woken up since you were found, the Doctors assured Richard this was common when suffering trauma and a severe concussion; rest was the bodies natural defence.

 Police had been by to take statements after scouring the trailer for evidence to link Nate to the attack, evidence was taken from beneath your fingernails; his skin and DNA was trapped there from you clawing at him. He had been found, drunk and covered in dried blood in his hotel room. He was sure he had killed you, hoped he had killed you. Disappointment was evident when he found out you were alive, fighting for your life despite his attempt to end it.

 The following morning Richard had not yet moved, occasionally he was brought a coffee or a sandwich by the kind nurses; otherwise he sat there watching your every breath. You’d had a small turn overnight, your heart rate dropping dangerously low but it was stabilised quickly by the Doctor’s on hand. The swelling was increasing, as expected. The broken bones were being inspected by a orthopaedic surgeon, plastic surgeon and ear-nose-throat specialist to ensure a healthy recovery with minimal facial scarring.

 Two days passed before your family arrived, they had quickly taken their belongings to the hotel before coming straight to the hospital to be with you. Leticia had crumbled upon seeing her only daughter so broken, bruised and damaged. James was quiet, trying to stay strong for his wife while feeling his own heart shatter upon seeing his baby. Angus turned to rage, having to immediately step back outside to regain his composure. Richard followed him outside, wanting to make sure he was alright.

 “Its one thing to hear it, ye ken. But to actually see it…” Angus ran his hand through his shaggy hair, pushing it off his face. “I’ve never wanted to kill someone before, but now. Thank you for finding her.”

 “I’m expected back on set this evening, re-shooting some scenes with a stand in for Ev, I’m sorry I’ll have to leave soon. Are you going to be okay-”

 “She’s awake.” Richard and Angus both jumped hearing your Father speak, his voice shaking with both relief and sadness. Walking in they saw you laying very still, eyes open and breathing slowly with trepidation. The ache and pull in your side told you your lung was damaged, you were afraid to breathe too hard or deep.

 “Angus and Richard are here too, Evey.” Your mother quietly told you, running her hand over your hair gently. You flicked your eyes over to the figured standing near the doorway, hardly able to make much out with your limited vision. Any calm quickly faded when you attempted to move your mouth, the wires on your teeth bound together keeping your jaw closed and still, it caused an immediate panic inside you.

 “What’s going on?” Angus worried, looking a the heart rate machine escalate into fast rhythm as your body jolted. “Doctor!” He darted out the door searching for help. Richard recognised the look on your face, despite the swelling he could see your fear. Crouching beside you he softly placed his hand on your cheek and ran his thumb gently and slowly.

 “Shhhh… Ev, I know you’re scared.” You raised your hand to your jaw and mouth, he picked up your non verbal worry. “It’s wired, Love. It’s a little broken, it’s going to be a couple of weeks wired to heal. But I’m sure you’ll find a way to talk our ears off still.” He teased lovingly. “There’s a tube in your nose, I’m sure it’s uncomfortable. It’s your feeding tube, you can’t eat for a little while either. There’s another in your lung, just keeping it inflated for now…” James, Angus, Leticia and the Doctor’s watched as your heart rate lowered as Richard explained what was happening, neither of you breaking eye contact with each other.

 Three weeks passed, filming was rearranged so Richard could do his part quickly to be alongside you as you healed. Your jaw was released, you were unable to eat solid food still due to the pain but had enjoyed being able to slowly have spoonful’s of soup, and the occasional sneaky liquid treat brought into the hospital by your brother and Richard. The tube in your lung had long been removed, stitches still in place helping the skin recover from being open. The swelling around your face had gone down dramatically, your eyes were open fully but a dark shade of blue still. New’s had spread around the media, a news outlet had gotten photos of you being taken away from the trailer - you had unwillingly become the face of domestic violence, a pressure you were not ready for.

 You had been taken back to Scotland to finish healing at your parents farm, Richard had brought himself a little time before he had to go into intense filming of his upcoming program ‘Bodyguard’ to be with you. His role was going to leave him drained, he knew it. Between rest and physical therapy, you ran lines with him when and when he was doing his workouts you watched from the porch while admiring his physicality.

 “I forgot how fresh the air is here,” You breathe in deeply, leaning back as Richard ran a brush through your hair softly. Putting the brush down he ran his finger tips gently through the strands of your long hair, tying it into a loose bun at the nape of your neck for you. “You don’t have to do all this, you know?” Looking back behind you, Richard had his eyebrow raised at you.

 “Stop protesting, ye stubborn woman.”

 “I’ll miss you when you have to go.” Sadly the time was coming, you both knew it. “Although I won’t miss my Pa making me sleep with the door open.” James had allowed Richard to sleep in your bed with you under the condition the bedroom door remained open, a traditional man and not wanting anything to be happening under his roof. Although nothing had been said, the mutual feelings you had for one another had you spending your nights curled up safe by his side; nightmares and anxiety were common overnight, the security of having Richard there was soothing.

 “You know as soon as you’re ready, my house is ready for you.”

 “The movers are getting my things from my house this weekend, moving it to storage.”

 “Have them bring it to my apartment, no point moving it twice.” The warm sun shone down on you both, a picnic rug beneath you both as you sat in the front yard of the farm. Over the fence you could see your Pa, brother and farmhand moving the sheep into the next yard; the well trained dogs doing their part to herd the sheep over. It was peaceful hearing them call to the dog in Gaelic, you missed hearing the language you had grown being spoken to in.

 “I don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost you again,” You told Richard, looking over at him

 A soft kiss was pressed against your lips, “You’ll never have to find out.”

#richard madden #richard madden x ofc #richard madden fanfiction

[godlyborn]

end of an era. | keaton & rory.

date: june 12, 2020 characters: keaton arkwright & rory mikaelsohn summary: keaton and rory talk about their relationship.

Keaton walked Sheep over to the Zeus cabin. It had been odd these last few weeks with the two of them moved out of their apartment, and back where they were a few years ago. Something was still off, and Keaton knew it. She had been off, different then before everything. If he was being honest, he was also off. The last few conversations with his therapist, has been making him realizing things about himself, about him and Rory, that he couldn't keep his mind off. He was too afraid to voice them though. Voice them into reality, or voice them and hurt Rory. "Go get Mama," Keaton said, letting Sheep of his leash to find Rory. Keaton followed Sheep, and after the dog greeted Rory, Keaton wasn't too far behind. "Hey."

Rory had left the front door open, anticipating Keaton’s arrival.  Sprawled out on the couch, she was trying her best to get out of her own head for a minute, not wanting everything that’s been on her mind lately to weigh her down. The jingling of a leash pulled her attention away, and a bright smile appeared on her face when she caught sight of Sheep running towards her. Dropping down to the floor, she let the dog jump on top of her and fussed over him. “Hi Sheepy!” Her bed felt colder and it was weird to adjust to not having her dog or her boyfriend to curl up with her at night. Piper was starting to warm up to cuddling at night, but it wasn’t the same. “I missed you so much, baby boy!” Herring footsteps, she looked up, her grin now directed towards Keaton, though she couldn’t get off the floor because of the dog sprawled on top of her. “Hey, babe.”

Keaton smiled when he saw her, taking a seat next to her on the floor. "How was your day?" Keaton asked, letting Sheep roll over so that he was laying in the middle of the two of them, belly up.  "Where's Piper?"

When he sat down next to her, Rory leaned over to give him a quick kiss. With Sheep now off of her, the smile dimmed slightly, and she could feel her brain kick start once again, especially at his question. “It was alright,” she started, busying herself with looking around the room for the cat in question. “Pipes is around here somewhere, she ran off after a toy before so she could be anywhere honestly.” She made a few whistling noises, and while Piper didn’t make herself known, there was a thump from somewhere farther in the cabin. “Bailey isn’t here so that must be her.”

Not too long after the thump, Piper came running in, tripping slightly over her big for her paws. Piper rolled up next to Sheep and Keaton scratched behind her ears. “So, uh, the apartment is all clean, and the landlord just said to give him the keys within the week.”

Rory shook her head, laughing slightly as Piper tripped. That cat went from dopey idiot to sweet love bug in five seconds flat, and she never failed to find it endearing. The smile fully fell off of her face as Keaton spoke again, and she pressed her lips together as she nodded. “Alright, yeah. I’ll drop mine off before my shift on Tuesday.” She felt awkward, about the situation they found themselves and everything else that was running through her head. Rory knew that she needed to talk about it, and soon, but she was unwilling to just yet. Instead, she gave him a small smile as she looked up at him. “Do you want me to bring yours too? Or did you already drop it off?”

“If you want, I was going to ask you the same thing,” Keaton replied with a small chuckle. Keaton took off the key from his key ring, a moment of silence flooding over them. “So uh, how’s Bailey? I haven’t seen her in a while.”

Rory only felt more awkward as the silence seemed to drag on.  She busied herself with pulling her hair-ties out of her braids, making quick work of taking both of them out of her hair.  "Oh, she's good, running around all the time as usual.  We're both still getting used to living together again." She shrugged.  "How's everything over with your sisters?"

"They're good, we've been working in the forges a lot. I think I've come to know at least 4 classic rock albums by heart by now," Keaton replied. "Blue's been in and out with her geefs, and Morgan, is y'know, Morgan," he replied. "Though like you with Bailey, we're getting used to being in the same cabin together again, at least Blue and I, I've never lived in the cabin with Morgan before."

Rory laughed slightly, she remembered the other Heph kids mentioning Morgan's obsession with blasting classic rock while in the forges. "Yeah, that makes sense."  She paused, but realized that was pretty much her reply to everything Keaton had said and instead moved to fuss over Sheep again.  "And hows my Sheepy boy settling in?”

"You know, Morgan loves Sheep, when he's not with me, he's usually with her," Keaton replied.

Rory nodded her head, Blue liked Sheep too, so she knew that her boy was in good hands between the three of them.  "Good, I knew she would love him.  It's hard not to with this cute face." She took another minute or three to pet Sheep and center her thoughts.  Taking in a breath, Macey's voice sounded in her brain.  This is your life, Ror. Take charge. Her eyes slide shut as she let out a shaky breath.  She knew what she needed to do and while she wasn't quite sure she was 100% ready to pull the trigger, Rory knew she couldn't keep pretending.  "I think we need to talk."

Keaton's mind was on so many other things, Rory's voice brought him back. "Oh, yeah?" he asked. "What's up?"

Rory let out another breath, not being able to help the flare of annoyance that flared in the pits of her stomach.  The last thing she wanted was to do all the work in this conversation, therapy already made her feel emotionally drained almost constantly and this didn't help whatsoever.  This is necessary she reminded herself, but still couldn't bring herself to look Keaton in the eyes.  "We need to talk about us, Keat."

Silence fell between the two of them when Rory mentioned talking about them. Their relationship had been on his mind fo a while now, even he's talked to his therapist about it, and even his therapist thought what was going on between the two of them was unhealthy. Keaton let out a slight sigh, almost relieved that he wasn't the one to bring it up, too scared to. "Uh, yeah."

Now turning her entire body to face Keaton, she found the words disappearing from her brain.  The two of them have been awkward lately, which yeah made sense since they moved out of the apartment, but it seemed to be more than just that.  Rory's brain had been going in circles since the minute that apartment door shut behind her the night of their fight and her therapist had finally been able to help her start to understand everything that had been making her feel so on edge this whole time.  "I love you, Keaton. You know that I do.." Her voice trailed off, her throat feeling as if it had closed up on her suddenly.

Keaton let out the breath that he had subconsciously been holding when she started her sentence, but trailed off. They had been at two different points in time, but it seemed to come together when she opened up the gates to what seemed like a break up conversation. "I love you too, but you're breaking up with me, aren't you?" he asked, relieved that she was the first to mention it somewhat first. "I'd be lying if I wasn't thinking about it too."

She froze at his words, letting them ring in her head before her body reacted.  Sagging slightly, she let out an almost relieved sounding sigh.  "Yeah, I am."  This was a terrible thing to be relieved over, but the tears that welled up in her eyes were ones of genuine sadness.  "I just think I need time, we both do.  There's so much stuff I haven't let myself get over yet and I feel like I'm just....not me."  Rory had always been very aware of the person she was at her core, but as time went on and all the trauma started to pile up in the dark corners of her mind, she felt that person slipping away from her.  "I just need to be me again and I can't let myself become this dependent person." She reached out, gripping his hand tightly as the tears fell down her cheeks.  "I need to do this for me.  I've done everything for everyone else for so long, but I can't do that anymore."

When Rory started crying, Keaton didn't really know what to do. He wanted to hug her and tell her it would be okay, but this was happening, this wasn't a fix it situation. He wanted this too. "I want that for you too," Keaton replied. "I don't want this, but I think that it needs to happen. I don't know. I want you to be who you are, and I know who you can be, and I love that about you, and I want you to be happy, and I know that for you to do that, it's not with me." Keaton broke eye contact with her, feeling weird not comforting her when she's crying. "I don't want you to become dependent, especially on me, because I'm a mess right now too, and I'm just realizing so much shit I never realized before. I'm so dependent on you, and our relationship, that I don't even know who I am. That's not your fault at all, to clarify, that's a me thing. I don't want that for you. As of late, I've been a shitty boyfriend, a shitty person really." Even though he wasn't hugging her, he still let his thumb rub circles into the back of her hand that she had in his.

Blinking the tears away, Rory intently listened to everything he had to say and just felt so grateful that he understood where she was coming from, that he even agreed with her that this needed to happen for the both of them to heal.  "Don't blame all of this on you, I haven't exactly been girlfriend of the year or anything lately." She leaned her cheek against the couch and froze so Sheep could get comfy again, tucking himself closer to her lap when he saw the tears in her eyes.  "I want you to be so happy, Keaton and I wish that I could that person to help you figure out who you are alone, but I can't be right now.  I let all this shit basically take over my life and you don't deserve someone like that holding you back from figuring out what makes you happy."

“It’s crap to say that I don’t want you to help with that. You have so much going on, that I know you need to work through too, and I don’t know how to be there for you,” Keaton said. “You’ve done so much for me already, and you need to do things for you, and I need to learn that I shouldn’t be so dependent on someone who isn’t myself. I don’t know if that even made any sense.” Keaton sighed and then looked up at Rory again. “We’re not who we were months ago, or hell, even years ago when we met. You’d never hold me back. What happened Rory, that shit was traumatic, it’s understandable that you need to figure out yourself and figure it all out, without me, especially for the fact that I look like a complete idiot trying to help you, because you were right when we fought, I don’t even have my own shit figured out. I’ve been running for so long, and I guess when you started running, I didn’t want that to happen. It fucked me up, and it’s a shitty road to go down, and I didn’t want you to feel all the hurt that I felt, that I still feel. It’s the last thing that I ever wanted.”

Rory shook her head.  "That doesn't mean I had the right to say it.  I was too proud to say that anything was wrong with me, or maybe I was just too scared to admit it.  But what it was, it didn't change the fact that no matter what, you tried to help me.  Doesn't matter if your way of doing so helped or not, but you tried and I'll always be grateful for that." A sad smile grew on her face, and her free hand moved to rest gently on his cheek.  "We're definitely not those kids anymore, but we need to figure out who those kids became separately if we have any shot of figuring out if we work together anymore."

Keaton leaned his head sideways against the couch. "Aren't you scared though?" he asked, and then sighed. "I know we both need it, but I'm scared I'll just fall into myself."

"Oh, I'm terrified. But being terrified of myself is what got me into this hole in the first place, so." She shrugged and the humor in her voice had almost a depressed tone to it.  "I'm tired of being scared."

Keaton let out a small laugh, it was almost comical how he didn't believe they would get to this point. "How did we even get ourselves here, Rory?"

Rory's brain quickly flashed through everything they've been through, all the trauma between them that they were too young to handle.  Now that she was looking back, she almost wondered how they hadn't reached this point earlier.  "I don't know, Keat.  I guess everything finally caught up to us."

Keaton looked forward again, his hand rubbing the top of Sheep's head. "Yeah, I guess so."

#d:keaton #d:keatonrory #keatonrory #keaton #discord

[kyosohmastan]

If you've read Another any headcanons about what kind of parents all the couples of Fruits Basket end up being? :3

oooh this is going to be fun. I started a head canon post, but haven’t gotten around to finishing it. This is my push to do it now! WARNING SUPER LONG POST AHEAD.

Hajime

After Hatori and Mayu had Kinu, Tohru was very set on having a baby soon. She always wanted children, but the new Sohma baby gave her that desire to have one soon. On the other hand, Kyo was more reluctant as he never imagined himself having kids. His biggest fear was that his child would go through the same troubles and heartbreak as he did. After talking it over with Tohru, she convinces him that they’ll raise their children differently from how he was brought up and that he will certainly be loved because he has them. He couldn’t say no to her after that so they started trying right away.

When Tohru found out she was pregnant, she was excited, of course. She thought the best way to tell Kyo would be over dinner after he got home from work. When she did, he was equally as happy, although still concerned. He hugged Tohru and smothered her in kisses. :3

Throughout her pregnancy, Tohru could not comprehend the idea of bed rest. She always wanted to maintain the housework. Kyo would beg and demand her to back down and tried to convince her that he would take care of cooking and cleaning. She would reluctantly back down, but she always felt so useless. When Kyo was out, she’d sneak in a little easy cleaning from time to time.

The Sohma family along with Tohru’s friends all came to visit when Hajime was born. Kazuma cried when he first held his grandson and he was so happy for Kyo for having his own family. He couldn’t wait until Hajime was old enough to where he could teach him martial arts.

As he got to his toddler years, it was very easy to tell he had similar personality traits as both Tohru and Kyo which they found amusing. He had a natural urge to be kind to others and although it would take a lot for him to get angered or moody, when he did, he was exactly like Kyo. Although his angry side was a bit of a pain, it made Kyo secretly happy that he could relate to his son on that aspect.

Disciplining Hajime didn’t come easy for Tohru since she was always too kind to a fault. But Kyo was able to correct him on his shortcomings and he always did it in a loving manner, taking the time to lecture him on the things he was doing wrong. Tohru would always chime in with giving him some praise on what he was doing right. But for the most part, Hajime was a well behaved kid since Tohru taught him good manners.

On days when Kyo and Tohru weren’t working, they’d take an outing to the park or go visit the Sohma estate where Hajime could play with the other kids. 

Kyo was thrilled that Hajime had taken an interest in martial arts and it’s something they bonded over. When he wasn’t in school, he’d spend the day practicing with his dad and learning from Kazuma as well as  listening in and joining Kyo’s classes.

Around 13 - 14 years old while at the the Sohma estate, he’d be asked if he could change into a cat or he was told he was a monster (which is canon btw). That would leave him very confused. One day, he ran into Kyo’s bio dad who mistook him for Kyo and demanded what he was doing back there. Hajime had heard from his dad about his relationship with his actual father and had been told that he was very hostile towards Kyo which infuriated Hajime that someone would treat his dad that way. Hajime corrected the man by saying that he was Kyo’s son and basically told him to fuck off lol. And he defended his dad by telling him that he was a great person and an amazing father.

Hajime told his parents what the Sohma’s had been accusing him of and wanted to know what it all meant. Over the years, he had become aware that something was off within the family as Kyo would seem tense and nervous whenever the family would say he looked just like him. Kyo and Tohru thought he was old enough to know so they explained the zodiac curse and how it affected Kyo. It was hard for him to believe at first, but it made sense. Much to Kyo and Tohru’s relief, the knowledge of the curse didn’t dishearten Hajime. He was just glad to know the answers to the questions he had for years. He replied to Kyo with “I’m glad you don’t have to live through that pain anymore.” To which Kyo broke down in tears.

When it was time for Hajime to leave home to go to high school, Tohru was very sad to see him go, but he let him do what he wanted. She still saw him as her baby so seeing him go was hard, but she knew Kinu would take good care of him. He would still come back home and visit his family whenever he could.

Mutsuki

Yuki and Machi always knew they were going to have children so they tried shorty after getting married.

Machi didn’t make any grand announcement about her pregnancy to Yuki. She told him while they were watching T.V., as if she were telling him they were getting a dog. He was like “Oh, cool,” with his sweet smile.

Mutsuki was a very happy kid and very social. He was obsessed with Hajime, always asking his parents when he would see him next. Yuki as well as Kyo were glad their children were getting along so well. It meant a lot to see them like that.

Mutsuki had really good manners, but as he grew, Yuki could see the eccentric side to him that reminded him a lot of Ayame and he was very annoyed that his son took after his brother more than him. Machi, on the other hand, found it hilarious.

Speaking of which, Ayame dotted on Mutsuki and spoiled him rotten. He made a lot of his baby outfits that suited a girl more than a boy and Yuki had no choice but to have him wear them as Ayame demanded so.

Because he was like Ayame, he was a bit of a troublemaker. Yuki would passively correct him to which Mutsuki would reply “But Uncle Aya does it.” And Yuki would be like “DON’T IMITATE EVERYTHING NII-SAN DOES!” Machi would tell him to chill and that Mutsuki was doing fine.

Yuki and Machi would constantly tell Mutsuki to clean up after himself, but he would argue with “You guys don’t clean, so why should I?” They saw his point and eventually let the issue go and they all made messes together. But they bonded over it so it was worth it to his parents.

On days when they weren’t busy, Yuki and Machi tooK their son out as they saw the importance of spending quality time with him. Mutsuki loved the snow so they always went on a lot of outings while it was snowing. Often times they would just take long walks together and just talk.

When he entered his preteen years, Yuki thought it was about time to tell him about the curse which Mutsuki took well. He wasn’t going to let the family’s past effect him and he was going to move forward. He thought he was so fortunate to have such a loving family now and that made Yuki very emotional. (again canon :) )

Yuki and Machi happily saw their son off when he left for high school. Machi was all for him starting his own life, but Yuki was a little more sad about it. He made him promise to visit them often.

Riku and Sora

They were accidental babies. Haru and Rin never planned to have children so when Rin discovered that her period was late, she panicked and tested right away. Haru was there with her when she took the test and Rin nearly fainted when it came out positive. But Haru ended up being cool with it and was like “Well, what’s done is done.” Once the news sunk in, he was internally happy that Rin was having his child.

She pretty much had a near heart attack when they found out they were having twins and couldn’t come around to the idea until the babies were born and motherly instinct took over. She loved them instantly. Haru was pumped to have twins if that meant there’d be double the Rin running around.

Riku grew up kind of isolated and wasn’t a social boy which worried Rin, but Haru understood that that was just who he was. Riku liked visiting with his parents though and he got along really well with Rin since they have similar personalities.

Sora was the complete opposite and the black sheep of the family. She had lots of friends and was very bubbly and brought all the life to the family dynamic. Haru adored her while Rin struggled with how to handle such a spirit so much more energetic than hers.

As a teenager, Sora had boyfriends from the time she was thirteen much to the uneasiness from their parents. But they knew what it was like to fall in love with each other at a young age so they let it go. Riku was very protective of his sister though and he scared some of the boys who tried to make a move on her.

Kinu

Hatori and Mayu were married for about a month before Mayu got pregnant. Since they were older, they didn’t want to wait too long to have a child.

Kinu was a very bright kid and loved learning from her father. Although, she never planned to be a doctor. But she enjoyed it when he’d tell her everything that had to do with the medical field.

Hatori was a natural father having cared and looked after the younger Sohmas since they were children. He spent time with her whenever he could and let her show him her passions too which he took a lot of interest in.

Mayu wasn’t as close to Kinu as Hatori was to her, but they still got along well. Mayu and Kana were always there when she needed some girl talk since there were some things she didn’t feel comfortable discussing with her dad.

Hibika and Chizuru

Hibika was the child that Ayame and Mine hoped for. She was just like them, having a passion for fashion at an early age. Her parents taught her everything she knows about fashion design and when she grows up, she wants to take over their shop.

Ayame and Mine had a harder time understanding Chizuru, but Ayame was always trying his best to accommodate him. Although, Chizuru would rather have little to do with his parents. But when he gets older, he appreciates how much they put up with his moodiness. He sometimes had to run the shop while his parents were out which was a bit of a pain, but he never put up a fight about it since he knew his parents worked hard. 

Shiki

Shigure wanted a child, but Akito was a little more hesitant. She was afraid of treating her child the same way Ren treated her and she wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Shigure assured her that she’s grown to be a much better person so she would make a great mother and he would be there to help raise him along the way. That was enough to convince her to give it a try.

They waited until Akito was in her late thirties to have a child. When Shiki was born, Akito was very overprotective of him to the point where Shigure had to try to reason with her that he needed his own freedom once in a while. Even so, Akito still kept a close eye on him and whenever he would go out, she’d call to check up on him constantly.

Akito was the strict parent whereas Shigure was a lot more carefree and acted like more of his friend than his father. The only time Shigure’s fatherly side came out was when Shiki had done something bad. Then he’d give him some much needed wisdom and advice.

Mina

After settling into his career, Momiji found the woman he had always dreamed of, one who was a lot like Tohru and he fell in love with her. Five years after they married, they had Mina and Momiji was over-the-moon ecstatic to have a daughter he could love and spoil.

Growing up was hard for Mina since her dad was always on business trips. Whenever Momiji would return home, she would get so excited and she’d meet him at the airport every time and greet him with a huge hug. For Momiji, the best part about returning home was seeing his daughter and his wife. 

On his days in town, he would play baseball with Mina and she would notice just how much energy her dad had even though he’s older. One time she asked him why that is and Momiji let it slip “I used to be a bunny.” Mina was confused over that and asked him what that meant to where Momiji replied, “I’ll tell you when you’re older.” She’s still contemplating what that meant to this day.

Whew. Well, there you go, Thank you for the question! Writing these really made me want to write some furuba fanfiction!

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