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squishytenya · 21 days

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semblance of touch - part two

prologue - part one

pairing - bakugou x gn!reader

warnings - press, harassment, negative comments, food descriptions, swearing (title from sedated by hozier)

Sleeping in Bakugou’s room was not the ideal way for you to spend your night. His bed was on the opposite side of the room to the ensuite so you couldn’t even piss in peace without that annoying tingly burn returning to your wrist and chest. Not to mention, for all his explosions and yelling, Bakugou was a surprisingly light sleeper. Whenever you would shift on the rickety camp bed, it would creak and wake him up. This was how you learnt that Bakugou needs a full 9 hours of sleep every night, or he’s a grouchy shit come morning.

As made evident by…

“Are you just having fucking toast for breakfast?”

Your shoulders fell as you sighed. There was no reason for you to turn around and look at him, he had looked the same since you got up: arms crossed over his chest and practically smoking at the ears. Not that this was anything out of the ordinary. You clenched your jaw. There had been non-stop criticism since you woke up. Whether it was about you not making the bed, or taking too long to shower or even the way you brushed your teeth. An issue had been found with every action you made.

“Unlike some people, i’m not Gordon fucking Ramsay” you began, “and I am more than okay with my toast thank you”

You punctuated the last two words by slamming your butter knife on the counter, making the other occupants of the kitchen grimace. The other members of your class had been witness to you two going at it all morning and had been appropriately walking on eggshells around you both.

“Move the fuck over” Bakugou grumbled, pushing you out of the way with his hip.

You harrumphed around your bite of toast, but slid to the side nonetheless. You watched curiously as he pulled out ingredients from all over the kitchen, clearly he does this often. You couldn’t help the way your eyes travelled across him as he cooked. The blonde had left the room in some sweats and a black vest that showed off his lean torso and upper arms. His muscles flexed gently when he pulled the bag of rice out of the cupboard and you had to bite your lip to keep yourself from saying something stupid. Your jaw dropped when he had the nerve to run one of those scarred hands through his spikey locks, the other thumbing at the waistband of his sweats. The glint of tan skin that peaked through the gap in the fabric made your mouth water and you couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like gripped between your teeth.

“You gonna eat or stand there like a moron”

Snapping out of your stupor, you peered towards the table. Maybe you were staring for longer than you thought. He had managed to make a decent sized breakfast for the both of you in the time you had been staring at his aggravatingly enticing figure. A fillet of perfectly grilled mackerel lay on a small porcelain dish, accompanied by a small, squarish bowl full of rice. The rice was paired with a dusting of toasted sesame seeds and a flawlessly fried egg on top - the round yolk glistening in the light of the kitchen. There was even a portion of seaweed sheets on a dish between the two meals. His mum must have raised him well. An embarrassingly loud grumble emitted from your stomach.

“Tch, I told you toast wasn’t enough”

You scrunched your nose up but sat down in silence anyway. You would keep your mouth shut forever if it meant he wouldn’t take this breakfast away from you. Staring at the food, you creased your brows. Why would he go through all the effort of making a full breakfast for you if he supposedly hated you as much as you hated him?

“I’m not having you follow me around all day complaining you’re hungry,” he explained, “now fucking eat��

“Calm down, blondie, I was just checking if you poisoned the fish” came your retort.

Still, you leant forward and took a bite of rice, adding some mackerel and egg before bringing it to your mouth. You let out a moan at the explosion of flavours. For all the shitty things about him, Bakugou could cook. The fish was perfectly tender, with a slight smokey flavour from the grill and the seaweed added an adequate crunch to the mix. It was probably one of the best meals you had eaten in your life thus far. You steeled yourself and decided not to inflate his ego any more than you already had. Still, you couldn’t stop little satisfied noises escaping your lips with every bite of the meal you took.

A grunt in front of you made you look up. Bakugou had a look on his face that was indecipherable to you. His eyebrows were furrowed and his jaw was clenched in what looked like pain. The soft skin of his cheeks were stained a deep red and he was pointedly avoiding eye contact with you.

“Uh dude are you okay?”

He nodded and pushed his now empty plate to the centre of the table roughly. The clash of his plate on the wood caused you to flinch but you were more focused on his figure as he retreated into the common area and planted himself on the sofa. His shoulder still seemed tense, you had no idea what you did to make him angry at you now. Continuing to stare, you watched as Denki perched on the sofa arm and opened his mouth to make a comment - for which he was promptly shoved back off the sofa arm and fell to the floor.

“What the fuck” you whispered under your breath.

Jirou snorted from behind you where she was leant against the kitchen counter with Momo and Mina. The tallest of the three was making intense eye contact with her cup of tea and Mina was almost fuschia trying to hold in her laughter. You pursed your lips. Personally, you being stuck with a man that hates you was not something that you found overly funny. It already felt like you were being a burden to him, other people’s humour was not helping.

“Don’t laugh at me,” you whined, “I’m stuck with him and all I’m doing is making him hate me more”

That appeared to be the final straw for the small, pink girl who let out a terrible guffaw at your comment. You stood, confused, and watching as Jirou shoved an elbow into her ribs.

Momo met your gaze and her eyes softened.

“Oh honey, he doesn’t hate you” comforted Momo, “he’s just like that”

“that doesn’t fill me with confidence Momo”

She smiled warmly and patted your shoulder. You heard the grumbling from the living room get progressively louder and turned to see Bakugou with Denki’s collar in his grip - arm raised as if to strike him. Sero and Kirishima were behind him, trying their best to hold Bakugou’s arms back and get him to release his grip on their smaller friend. Denki was simply hanging lax, arms up in a surrender. The electric boy had a smug smirk on his face, which was apparently the cause of his attacker’s ire.

It was kind of sweet to see his friendship with his little squad. As much as he won’t admit it, he was impressed with Kirishima’s abilities and they became fast friends in your first year. And with Kirishima came the rest of them, like baby ducks. A smile broke across your face at this. It was undeniable, you were rather fond of them all.

“Oi shithead, we’ve got stuff to do” you yelled across the room, “let him go we don’t have time for this”

Katsuki scoffed, but dropped the grip on Kaminari anyway. He had no choice but to follow you to the lift but he kept as much distance as he could from your retreating figure. You noticed his apprehension but chose to keep your mouth shut. There was no need to rile him up more than he already was. Besides, you needed to get ready for whatever meeting Aizawa had set up for you two to attend.

—

You fiddled with the fabric of your hero suit, rubbing the soft fabric between your fingers. Because of how close you were to graduation, you and your fellow students were being pretty much treated as pros already. This was fine, some of the more popular students were already receiving merch deals or agency offers. But it also meant the more annoying side of hero work, like paperwork and the dreaded press conferences. Luckily, you hadn’t been in enough high level accidents to warrant needing to do many conferences. Besides, Aizawa usually handled them for your class as most of the incidents you got up to involved the whole class somehow. Really, UA needed to give that man a raise.

Unfortunately for you, the girl’s quirk had affected so many people that a press conference was needed. Maybe, in any other situation, this wouldn’t be a terrible thing. However, Bakugou was sort of renowned for not being a people person. This also meant that the main bulk of the press conference would fall onto your shoulders, just to ensure your lovely little patrol partner didn’t make this whole thing a bigger mess. For someone so insistent on being the top hero, he really needed to work on his social skills.

As the crowd of reporters and civilians flooded into the small room, you felt your breathing pick up. Fighting villains? Small fish compared to this hoard of vultures. At least villains made it clear they wanted to harm you. Reporters hid their true intentions behind sugary-sweet words and blinding smiles, only to tear every word apart in their columns. You gnawed on your lip.

“Hey, will you calm down,” Bakugou urged from his seat next to you on the stage.

You hummed in response, not finding it in you to be able to meet his gaze. You had never experienced something like this going wrong, but you had certainly seen it. It took you back to the USJ incident. Seeing the way the reporters had grilled your teachers scared you, especially how they nitpicked and raged at their answers in writing after. How ungrateful they were astounded you, truly, they had no care that these people had just saved all their asses. Not that they would show it even if they were, nice words didn’t get readers.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” you faltered.

“Look” Bakugou stated, pulling your chair round to face him, “if I promise not to start an argument, will you calm down?”

You couldn’t stop the small laugh bubbling out of your mouth at that. At least he was self aware, you supposed.

Turning to look at katsuki, you drank in his figure. He was wearing his hero suit, sans his heavy gauntlets. The mask hid most of his expressions from the camera but you could still see that piercing red gaze trained on your face. He was somewhat sunk down in his chair and he had both of his hands tucked in his pockets, looking like he would rather be anywhere in the world but here. For once you agreed with his sentiment.

“Yeah” you breathed, “yeah, okay, i’ll try”

And with that, the questions began.

“Is there any new information about the effects of the quirk?” one reporter inquired.

“We have our best experts on it now, but it doesn’t seem to be life threatening, only slightly painful” you explained, “but we’re hoping it may ware off on it’s own”

That seemed to satisfy her question and she perched back on her seat, noting down your comment on her notepad. You let out a relieved breath. The next few questions you answered professionally, just as you had been trained, and didn’t let your performance falter once.

“What’s being done about the offender?” one reporter quipped.

You stared at her, this was the woman who grilled your professors after the incident all those years ago. Her shiny brown hair was pulled back into that same ponytail and the ever-present sneer on her face hadn’t changed. Both you and Bakugou had hoped she wouldn’t show her face around you again - she was rather known for being difficult to deal with.

“I’m sorry, I'm not sure who you’re referring to?” you question.

“The offender, the one who did this to all these people?”

You tilted your head at her. Surely she couldn’t mean Ayami, not that sweet little girl. You had talked to her since, she was shy but boisterous and you could tell she had a future as a pro - if she so wished. Her sweet little face appeared in your head.

“She’s a five year old,” you stated with finality, “her quirk had just manifested, she was scared - nothing will be done about her”

A few murmurs echoed in the room. The general consensus seemed to agree with you, it had been reported the cause of the incident was simply a particularly scared child.

“But she's dangerous, is she not?” the woman continued to prompt, “if this was an adult they would have been imprisoned - she could’ve killed you”

You bit your tongue.

“Are you saying you’re simply going to let this danger out onto the street, into a kindergarten like every other child, I fail to see how that is adequate hero work from you-”

“She’s not dangerous, it was an accident” you began, but you were cut off.

“Are you suggesting we put a five year old in prison?” Katsuki asked from next to you.

His body was lax in his seat but you could see his fists clenching on his thigh under the table. Regardless, he kept his face schooled and his voice tone neutral.

The woman floundered, trying to make an excuse for her comments.

“She’s a child. She was scared. So what, are you saying we just stick everyone in jail when this stuff happens? That you’ve never had an issue with your quirk?”

The woman had gone pale by this point, wavering where she stood.

“And I don’t think I appreciate the implication that my partner is inadequate because they refuse to punish a child” he rounded off his statement.

Aizawa leaned forward in his chair from his space in the centre of the table. He seemed aggravated at the woman's comments, and yet you saw that same amused face from earlier under his veneer of his teacher persona. Bakugou had been oddly eloquent in his critiques. If that had happened three years ago he would’ve bit her head clean off.

“I think that’s enough for today” he mused into the mic, “the doctors on the case will be taking any further questions”

You cast a mean look to the reporter. Pushing your chair out, you smiled at the screech it produced and stomped out of the conference room. From the sounds of the footsteps behind you, you could tell the angry blonde was following close behind. Trying desperately not to let your anger show until you were safely away from the venue. The heavy doors of the building smashed against your shoulders while you hurried out of the building. You didn’t bother to check if anyone heard you. The anger simmered in your stomach. It had been pretty obvious that the conference was not a good idea, neither you or Katsuki had the appropriate experience and those hyenas would stop at nothing to get a good scoop. But to go so far as to insult a little girl? That was a moral low, even for them.

You didn’t even notice the rain pattering against your suit until you were shocked out of your rage by the grip of someone's hand on your shoulder. You span in surprise, gripping the offending hand in yours. It turned out to only be Bakugou. In your anger you hadn’t realised he was following you. Not that he had much of a choice you thought to yourself. In your anger, you had forgotten the quirk rule and your flustered state had allowed you to ignore the slight burn building up in your chest.

“And you told me I should walk slower”

It felt somewhat inappropriate to laugh at his comment, considering what had just happened. But you couldn’t stop a smile from breaking across your face. The rain was a small drizzle, not enough to annoy you, but enough for the gel in your partner's hair to start drooping. Taking note of his pinched eyebrows, you nodded towards him. After all, it wasn’t just you that had been affected by the comments made. Gently, you took a step towards him.

“You okay?”

He snorted.

“You’re asking if I’m okay?” he mused, “you were gonna strangle that woman”

You twisted the role of your boot on the ground, moving your gaze to your shoes. Embarrassment flushed your cheeks. Not that you thought you lost your cool, but it was still embarrassing that he had noticed your temper flair in the way it did. If you were going to be a pro hero, you had to gain more of a handle on your emotions. A tsk sounded from in front of you.

“You handled it fine, she was being a bitch” he growled

You let a breathy laugh escape you at his language. Regardless, you nodded at his sentiment.

“C’mon, I need to get out of this stupid costume,” he said bluntly.

He punctuated his statement by walking past you, dragging his fingertips along your arm delicately. The pads of his fingers just skimmed your damp arm but it felt like the impact of a car on your body. You shivered at the feeling. The tingly-burning sensation erupted where his skin had brushed yours. You smiled at his withdrawing figure and followed along behind him.

taglist - @bby-chloe

thank you guys for reading! sooo Katuski's getting defensive hmmm (¬‿¬) I'm hoping to bring more of the quirk side of things in next chapter so if u wanna be tagged let me know <3

#bnha x reader #bakugou katsuki x reader #bnha imagine #bnha angst #bakugou x reader #bakugo x reader #bakugo imagine #bakugou katsuki imagine #bakugo katsuki imagine #choose your own path #semblance of touch series

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anineillustration · 10 months

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Here's one of the drawings I contributed to the fantastic Hari Conner's new book Into The Tower which is coming out in September! It sounds super good and all the other artists are amazing, I'm a little star struck.

✨You can pre-order here if you so wish ✨

#illustration #into the tower #hari conner #book #book illustration #choose your own path #anine boesenberg

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haridraws · 10 months

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✦ COVER REVEAL! ✦

Into the Tower is a choose-your-own-path, masquerade ball fantasy heist into a spellbinder’s tower, with multiple special endings for each character and some incredible guest art from some of my favourite illustrators.

It's available to pre-order now from IDEALLY YOUR FAVOURITE INDIE BOOKSTORE or also here

psych, that link ALSO lets you support indie bookstores!!! It also has more info, artists and previews of the first pages.

FAQ Is it queer: yes. Can you topple the government? Yes. Can you become lost forever in the twisting realm of memories and fears that’s the source of all magic? Yes. Can you make friends with a woodlouse? YES.

~ INTO THE TOWER ~

#Into the Tower #fantasy books #choose your own adventure #that's actually a specific trademark and tbh this book has different mechanics so it's actually #CHOOSE YOUR OWN PATH #interactive story #I'm genuinely so excited about this one. Also the cover perspective was a living nightmare but I feel it worked out in the end

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dogfruit01 · 1 year

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CAMP CANIDAE PROLOGUE - part one

will kate investigate or run?

vote for what will happen next here

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cilil · 6 months

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cilil's Halloween special

ʚ𖦹ɞ Author's Note: It's that time of the year, revelers and travelers, and I present to you a little something I made to celebrate the season (and another milestone). This is a fun and silly choose your own adventure story with a couple of options and a tiny bit of romance and innuendo sprinkled in. I hope you enjoy (and that tungle doesn't randomly eat posts or links, fingers crossed)! Happy Halloween!

ʚ𖦹ɞ Featuring: Your top choices - Melkor, Mairon, Námo, Oromë, Nienna, Varda and Yavanna

ʚ𖦹ɞ Warnings: / (Just a tiny bit of spooky and the dork lords being their dork lord selves)

ʚ𖦹ɞ Additional mystery: Out of the seven objects described in the first scene, two are in fact real and in my possession right now. Can you guess which ones? (No, there are no hints in the story itself as it isn't about me, but maybe some of you know me or have a hunch. Happy guessing!)

It is not the first time that your fëa has found itself wandering the Path of Dreams in your sleep, though it looks different today. The sky above the great trees and hedges surrounding you is dark, stars twinkling weakly in the distance, and the only light comes from the full moon peeking through ghostly clouds. The gentle breeze carrying formless whispers from the forest is sharper and colder today, and the voices you hear are distorted and erratic.

You wonder if this is Irmo's doing as you hasten along your path, if he has twisted the normally peaceful dream realm into one of nightmares. Or are other spirits out there that were roused by your searching thought, displeased by your presence or perhaps even curious?

Instead of the golden gate and winding paths that would lead you to Lórien, you find a lonely, ancient-looking pavilion. It's overgrown with ivy, nearly covering it in its entirety. You have never heard any tales about such a location existing on the Path of Dreams, but your curiosity compels you to explore.

There is no one inside, nor anywhere nearby. It seems to you as though this pavilion hasn't seen visitors in a long time, yet it isn't empty: Pillows sit on the floor, their vibrant colours faded, surrounding a small table with various objects on it.

You examine the objects. Which one catches your interest?

☞ An old book with a rich emerald cover and silver ornaments. Its pages are yellowed and written in an ancient language you don't understand.

☞ A perfectly cut and polished almond-shaped gem. It seems to be a ruby or opal at first glance, shining with a warm light from the inside.

☞ A bouquet of flowers in a carved pumpkin. The plants all look as if they were freshly cut and harvested, but upon closer examination you see that they were preserved with wax.

☞ A bronze letter opener in the shape of a dagger. When you run your finger across it, the edge and tip of the blade are sharper than expected.

☞ An ancient telescope with strange symbols engraved. It's pointed at the roof of the pavilion, making you wonder what you are supposed to see there.

☞ A simple silver necklace with a pendant shaped like a budding rose. It seems unassuming at first, but the longer you look upon it, the more you feel like it might have been blessed.

☞ A diadem with countless gems and pearls. Once it has drawn your gaze, you are in awe of the way it sparkles and glitters even in the twilight.

If you enjoyed, please consider liking and reblogging!

Read more? main masterlist Get tagged for my writing? tag list form

taglist: @a-contemplation-upon-flowers @asianbutnotjapanese @a-world-of-whimsy-5 @bluezenzennie @edensrose @i-did-not-mean-to @melkors-big-tits @melkors-defense-attorney @singleteapot @wandererindreams

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greekmythcomix · 6 months

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TELL ME, O READER, THE STORY OF THAT RESOURCEFUL MAN…

Try a sneak peek preview of the Odyssey Gamebook:

Let the Muse of Epic Poetry, Kalliope, inspire you to tell a tale worthy of the generations to come!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

A brief word from the late C6thBCE philosopher Heraclitus:

‘A man’s character is his fate.’

If you’re reading as Homer’s Odysseus, you will at least get home.

If you choose a different path… well, that’s a different fate, and a different story.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Read the story, then tap the ‘Go to…’ option you prefer in order to move on.

You are Odysseus. Go to 1.

#greek mythology #tagamemnon #greek myth #homer #greek myth retellings #odyssey #odysseus #gamebook #interactive story #interactive fiction #choose your own odyssey #choose your own path #odyssey retelling #you are Odysseus

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thesparklingwriter · 6 months

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taking fate into one's own hands

04—acquaintance

Word count: 1.3k

navi | taglist | masterlist

You look at him carefully. Perhaps this whole act he’s putting on is an attempt to be more personable. But it’s in your best interests to, at the very least, get along with the man you’ve been promised to. When it comes to loveless marriages to bind nations, divorce isn’t an option. There’s no going back.

“Alright, I’ll eat dinner with you.” You say quietly, and the sides of Morax’s lips quirk upwards. You’re convinced for a second that you made it up somehow, for even when he’d spoken to you as a dignitary, he hadn’t smiled once.

“I hope your room is to your liking,” He says, as you follow behind him. “If there’s anything that it is lacking, please do let me or one of the help know.”

You glance at him, convinced that he can’t be in earnest. He’d been so stoic when you first met him, and even once he’d come clean in regards to his identity, his emotions towards you had seemed to be nothing more than detached amusement.

“Everything is alright, thank you.” you say, bowing your head in gratitude to the man who places your food on your table. You hadn’t considered the change in cuisine and you steel your expression as well as you can, in order to not show your hesitation to eat the unfamiliar food. The butler pours you each a drink, a glistening pale wine, and bows as he excuses himself quietly. Besides your plate, there are golden chopsticks, and then a fork by its side, its dark silver tone standing out against the rest of the tableware. Is it some kind of test?

You glance worriedly between the two, as Morax’s unruffled gaze settles on you.

“You seem troubled. If I may, might I request that you speak freely?”

You glance down at the cutlery again and back up at him, shaking your head softly.

“Nothing troubles me.” you whisper, picking up the two chopsticks as confidently as you can, arranging them in your hands as subtly as you can. You haven’t seen anyone eat with chopsticks for a long time, and suddenly realise you should have waited for him to start so you could copy his technique.

You attempt to pretend to take a sip of your drink or look at the spices on the table to delay your eating, but Morax simply watches you with an even gaze as you quietly panic.

“Is the food not to your taste?” he asks you, finally looking away from you to pick up a fork. “I find that sometimes chopsticks make eating take longer than necessary. I used your arrival as a reason to justify getting some new cutlery.”

You blink at him. “Pardon me if I speak out of turn, but I had always believed you were a firm believer in traditions.” you refuse to relinquish your chopsticks, too embarrassed to admit that using them was a front to try and impress him. You hadn't realised you were acting in a way that might win his favour—and the thought of it surprises you.

Morax’s eyebrows quirk slightly at your implied question, carefully trying to craft an answer that wouldn’t make you question your presence in the palace too much. Perhaps the reaction you’ve had towards him so far is out of fear that you’re not Liyuean enough from him and his people. It wouldn’t be an absurd thought, but if the situation in your home nation remains as rocky as it is now, he wouldn’t want you to return. He certainly want to be the reason you go back, either.

“Ah,” he says quietly, chewing his food. “That is a common misconception. Perhaps when it comes to certain meetings and negotiations, it is true that I remain true to the conditions that have always been stipulated by ancient Liyuean law. However, I myself, think there isn’t much to be learned by holding steadfastly onto tradition in day to day life.”

You gape at him. “So I’m not to be hated by every member of Liyue for not hailing from here?”

Morax sighs. “I cannot speak for my people. I sometimes find they can be stubborn and they often do not like change.”

“You are not filling me with confidence.” You reply drily. Morax fixes you with an even stare, wanting to make sure you listen to his next words.

“I do not seek to deceive you.” he replies evenly. “As of right now, our arrangement is unofficial. Thus you have every right to choose how you wish to proceed. If you cannot bear to stay here with me for a moment longer, you may go home at any point.”

“But what would come of my kingdom, or of me?”

“That would be subject to negotiation. But in situations like that, Liyuean law isn’t particularly favourable for foreigners.”

The word foreigner hits you in your chest. Of course, you didn’t expect to be treated as if you were from here, but to be categorised as something else entirely? It stings, regardless of how you feel about the situation with Morax.

“Your food,” he prompts quietly. Even though you’re almost certain that he isn't going to smite you for using the fork instead of the chopsticks, you refuse to put them down, instead choosing to use them with varying degrees of success.

He watches you carefully, before silently switching to his own chopsticks, quietly pleased with the way you snatch looks at him to copy his form. Slowly, but surely, he’s beginning to understand the way your mind works.

“Have you any interest in looking around Liyue? I’m sure a tour could be organised, if that’s what you wish.” he says to you, once you’ve finished. The food is good, almost as good as the food was at home before things began to go south.

You want to say no, and to stay within the confines of your new room for as long as you can manage, but the lack of clothing is beginning to worry you. When you don’t immediately reply, Morax tries again.

“Have you everything you need?” He says. “If you aren’t interested in looking around the harbour’s stalls as of now, you can always request what you need from the help, and I’m sure they’d be happy to oblige. The choice is yours.”

You take a bite of your food, and try not to cringe at the sudden spice you taste, trying to calmly take a sip of your wine.

“Let me finish my dinner before I make that decision,” you say quietly, and Morax simply nods, his eyes narrowing at you slightly. You don’t notice, almost entirely focused on trying to finish the rest of your food without falling apart.

Compared to where you come from, Liyue is loud. Even when you’re deep in the mountains as you are now, the birds and crickets and bugs are louder than they ever were at home, and it makes for a somewhat settling feeling.

“Whilst we’re on the topic of shopping,” You say quietly, ashamed in advance of the words you’re about to say. “It’s not a secret that my nation wasn’t the most prosperous, my existence here is evidence of that—”

“You are here as a guest. Nothing is expected of you in a monetary or emotional aspect unless you are able and willing to provide. Do not worry about things that are unnecessary.”

Your naivety manifests itself in the raucous beating of your chest in response to his words, and you find yourself utterly embarrassed by how easily swayed you are by a basic display of human decency and respected boundaries.

“Alright,” you say quietly. His words have removed him from the centre of your decision and it’s only yourself to consider now. But perhaps that makes the decision harder.

(didn't have enough character left to write what reader says like i usually do sorry lol)

notes: i'm afraid that doing the polls like this will nerf this series even more but its less work for me so :3

i like to pretend that i don't really care about notes and stuff on my posts but for this series specifically the lack of engagement is gagging me lol i've tried so much to get it more out there but ahhh

taglist: @ainescribe @tartigglez

#genshin x reader #zhongli #zhongli x reader #zhongli fluff #zhongli fan fiction #genshin fanfiction #choose your own path #[🧡]—taking fate into one’s own hands #zhongli fan fic #genshin fluff #genshin impact #zhongli fanfic #fanfiction #zhongli royalty au #royalty au #genshin polls #polls

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slightlyrebelliouswriter23 · 1 year

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#another one!#choose your own path #tfota #jurdan #holly black #jude duarte #cardan greenbriar #the folk of the air #the cruel prince #the wicked king #the queen of nothing #judecardan #jurdannet

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katieaki · 3 months

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January 5th was the first anniversary of resuming writing Wasteland Pony Express, my post-apocalyptic lesbian serial western, after a false start during early covid. Since restarting, I've updated the story every two weeks based on the votes that readers make on a poll, except for the brief break I took to get married! So far, the whole story is just under 114k words and we're still going!

The story is a non-dystopian, post-apocalyptic, japanese-american-centric lesbian weird western with leather dyke blood cultists (who are the good guys), written by a japanese-american lesbian cowboy enthusiast. It's got a lot going on:

it's a western, but not an OLD WEST western.

it's lesbo-centric in post-homophobic society.

lesbian heartbreak and yearning.

horsies.

butch/femme but also some new butch/butch um... situation.

sexy psychic (?) vampire (?) nuns in a haunted house convent.

society structured around married NBLW gods of life & death.

horse girls. horse MILFS, honestly.

there's a lot of WORLDBUILDING but also there's a good deal of like, tomboy-on-tomboy wrestling if that's more your deal.

If this seems interesting to you, my patreon has everything you'd need to get involved, whether you want to read everything that's already been written, or if you just wanna get caught up and hop into the action as it stands.

✨part one summary✨ ✨part two summary✨ ✨part three summary✨

#I think Twilight Lou is the best Lou I've ever drawn #she looks so happy. so innocent.#her truest self #Wasteland Pony Express #katieakipresentsthewasteland #original fiction #original content #oc #lesbian fiction #interactive fiction #choose your own adventure #queer western #western romance #lgbtq fiction #choose your own path #cyoa #Lou #Louetta Primrose

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squishytenya · 23 days

Text

choose your own path <3

pairings - readers choice x gn!reader

warnings - forced proximity quirk, crying, quirk accidents, exact warnings on each character post (each character's chapter will be linked at the bottom of this post when they are written)

welcome! I've kind of always wanted to do one of these so here it is! it's kind of soulmate au inspired and each of the choices is based on a popular romance novel trope :) hope you enjoy

I have a few specific characters planned for each imagine but if there is any you would like to see - lmk and I'll write it <3

The dust flew up around your face, sitting thick in your throat and causing you to force out a cough. This was certainly not how this was supposed to go. A simple patrol, one of your first since becoming a pro, it was supposed to be nothing more than dealing with a few muggings. Instead, the shrill cries of a young girl had pierced through the night. You and your partner had shared matching looks and flown down the street as fast as you could towards the noise with your hearts racing.

As it turns out, it was not the girl you would be saving. The screaming changed as you grew closer - morphing from fear to frustration and a hint of anger. Well, as much anger as a tiny five year olds body could muster. She was running frantically around, tripping on the rubble that she had somehow pulled up from the ground with her tantrum. And she seemed to be… tapping people? Not slapping per say but placing her tiny hands on people anywhere she could reach. Every time she placed her small palm on another person's skin, her little shoulders dropped in what you realised was relief. Unfortunately, the people she had tapped in her frenzy seemed to absorb the pain. Within seconds, almost everyone in the crowd around her had been sent to their knees, groaning in agony.

You shared a look with your partner and nodded at them - stepping towards the volatile child.

“Hey sweetie, it’s okay” you attempted to comfort her apprehensively.

“what’s your name?”

There was no indication, to your shock, that anyone else had tried to even converse with the toddler. The way she froze in her movements caused you to step back, until she turned her gaze on you and her brown eyes filled with tears. Her trembling body made your heart ache. Obviously, this was some kind of late quirk manifestation that had taken the poor girl by surprise. Yet, you still couldn’t understand why nobody seemed to want to get near her.

That was, until you noticed a pale yellow glow emitting from her palms. The young girl seemed to be just as panicked at this as you felt and started to move, as if to shake the glow from her palms. Her futile attempts only caused her breathing to pick up its pace again and she stumbled.

“We can help you” you spoke soft and slow, gesturing to your partner, “you just gotta come here okay? Tell me what's got you so worked up”

The brunette girl sniffled, rubbing her face with her glowing palms. Pain curled in your chest at the sorry sight. Reaching forward, you moved your hand onto her shoulder and gripped it softly. It had been taught to you in training that younger civilians reacted well to physical contact, as it often reminded them of their parents. Not that you had paid much attention in that section of class, but you did remember some useful things. You would have to thank midnight for the tip once this is over.

Wailing, she curled in on herself and her head rolled back. Tear-filled eyes bore into yours and she started stuttering out apologies, the soft yellow glow growing more intense. The light emitting from her hands seemed to heat up as it intensified and the air around it started wobbling like the sun on a hot day. Squinting, you moved towards her to attempt to stop her touching another person. It didn’t seem to cause too many issues but you needed to keep the public away from the girl’s grasp until you knew the full extent of her quirk.

“I’m sorry” she screamed, in obvious pain now

“Sorry- I can’t stop it! It hurts! Want it to stop”

Before you could stop her, she reached towards your arm with her glowing fingertips outstretched. Your partner let out a shocked sound and shot forward towards the two of you.

It was no use, her tiny hand closed around the exposed skin of your wrist.

And… nothing.

Reaching behind you, you waved your frantic partner off. It wasn’t that bad, just a bit of heat. Certainly, the civilians around you were just reacting dramatically to the heat emanating from the little girl's hands. A slight tingle, sure, but nothing more than that. Honestly, you didn’t know what the other people in the area were making such a fuss about. It could probably be explained as a small energy quirk mixed with growing pains. It happened to the best of you.

You smiled warmly at the young girl again, despite your heart pounding in your chest. Oddly enough, light and that warping heat still remained on the hand that hadn’t touched you. Hmm you thought, maybe the quirk separates in her body? The girl's squirming seemed to confirm your theory - not quite the agonising pain you had witnessed a few seconds earlier, but definitely not comfortable to her.

Once again, your partner stood beside you and quirked an eyebrow. You shrugged in response.

“I don’t know what the big deal is, it was a bit warm but that’s pretty much it” you explained.

“No!” the young girl in your arms protested, “it doesn’t work like that-”

Your partner, shocked by her sudden outburst, moved closer to you. His action seemed to shock the girl huddled in your embrace and she reached towards his chest with her glowing hand. The entirety of her hand pushed against his chest, sending him reeling back at her surprising strength. Your eyebrows almost hit your hairline. That was certainly ammo to tease him with later on in your patrol, you thought to yourself.

Blinking, you set her on the ground. The warmth emanating from your wrist sharpened, causing you to clench your fist and shake your arm. The attempt to lessen the feeling proved futile. Burning sensations travelled up your arm, engulfing the rest of your body in the curling flame. You grunted as the scorching heat flowed through you like a flow of lava in your veins. Gripping your chest now as the burning seemed to swirl around your heart, you glanced over to your patrol partner and observed he seemed to be fairing the same way you did.

Desperately, you reached for your radio, dropping the now hysterical girl to the ground as gently as you could. Murmurs picked up in the crowd around you, obviously shocked at the immediate effect of the quirk. The metal of your radio was a cool relief against your feverish skin.

You gasped when the receiver crackled to life.

“Help requested” you almost sobbed, “two down in the market square… there’s been a quirk incident - we need help”

Bursts of the flame sensation flickered up to your head at this point. It felt like your whole torso had been set on fire. Sinking to your knees, you grasped your head in your hands and bit back a scream. Your chest heaved under the strain. Frantically, you gestured for the crowd to move away from you and your partner but made no attempt to move closer across to him.

“Ayami!” came a frantic voice from across the clearing.

“Mommy!”

“Sweetie, what have you done?”

“It was an accident” the little girl was in tears now and you reached to comfort her in earnest.

Not getting far, you clutched your hand to your chest as the flame feeling engulfed your eyes - spreading bright yellow into your vision. The young girl's cries were still ringing in your head as your eyes closed and you hit the cold ground.

Your head was swimming. There was no way of telling how long you had been out but your body held the same exhaustion as it did when a fever had just broken. The light above you was industrial and way, way too bright for your very tired eyes.

“They’re awake”

You grunted.

“Wish I wasn’t”

A familiar snort rang out across the space you were in.

“At least we can rule out a change in their charming personality.”

“Fuck off Katsuki”

You raised your middle finger in the general direction of the comment, eliciting a snort once again. You supposed you had to get up and face the world at some point. If you were safely in hospital, it most likely meant that the young girl from the night before had been contained.

“The girl,” you murmured, “she okay?”

The person next to you (mina, you assumed by the smell of her perfume) kissed their teeth - a less than comforting noise. You groaned again, this would probably require way more paperwork from you than you were prepared to do right now.

“Yeah, she’s fine - the old lady’s got something to tell you though.”

–

“You’re shitting me right?”

Recovery girl cast you a look over the rim of her glasses. Cringing, you began to apologise to the smaller woman but she cut you off.

“I’m sorry to tell you, but you will have to remain close to him” she explained, “we don’t know when the quirks effect will wear off, none of the civilians are back to normal yet”

You huffed, crossing your arms against your chest. This was just your luck really, exactly what you needed after a week of night shift patrols and shitty takeout dinner. The poor girl in the street had some kind of tethering quirk, none of the civilians hit had been able to separate themselves from each other for longer than five minutes without that burning sensation coming back full force. Each time she touched someone with one other hands, whoever she touched with the other was stuck with them until someone could figure this quirk out.

They’d been essentially sorted into pairs by the girl’s quirk. Like the game snap! Your brain helpfully supplied. The maximum distance they could go without hurting each other was a mere 8 feet.

8 feet was not enough space for you.

You and your partner had only patrolled together twice and now you were stuck within a room's distance of him the whole time. Sure, it was better than whatever that feeling was - but you were less than happy about it.

Knock knock.

Speak of the devil and he appears. You knew he was due to come in because the warm, mildly painful, tingle had started up again on the same wrist. Brilliant, this is my life now.

You looked up and made eye contact with your partner…

bakugou part one // part two

#bnha imagine #mha imagine #choose your own path #bakugou x reader #bakugou imagine #kirishima x reader #kirishima iamgine #aizawa x reader #aizawa imagine #iida x reader #iida imagine #todoroki x reader #todoroki imagine #midoriya imagine #midoriya x reader

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