#but i'm declaring it Bird Time instead

[scalar]

16 and 17 if u feel like it!

16. Post a picture from the beginning of the year

here are some turkeys roosting from last january (that's another thing i learned, that turkeys roost in trees?!)

17. Post a picture from the end of the year

and here are some chickens from december

#thanks! #also the intent of the prompt may have been 'picture of yourself' #but i'm declaring it Bird Time instead #interactions #ask meme #annieisyourfavourite

[rendy-a]

OML I READ UR Malleus and Sebek courting mini fics and so cuteee AAAAAAAAAA

May we have a continuation? Where they receive a gift from reader?

Thank you ahead!

~~~🌟🎃

I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Here is a little more about how it might be when you gift him in return. I must say I had a lot of fun writing Sebek's part. He is such an amusing character to write.

Grim sat up from the small bed you’d set up for him in the corner and shouted, “Stop bringing that junk in here!”  You look over at him apologetically but still move over to your old nest and drop in the armful of fluff.  Grim shows his disapproval by growling.  “Sorry, but it has to be done!”  Grim’s brow furrows and he shouts, “Well then do it in your own room!” Then he burrows back into his own bed and pulls the covers overtop of him, hiding your nonsense from view. 

You were sorry, you really were but honestly, this was your room.  They all were.  It had been years since you’d married Malleus and become the consort of Briar Valley’s Prince.  As for Grim, you were a pair for such a long time that he’d joined you in moving to Briar Valley when you’d married.  You set him up in another room in your suite.  After a few years, you’d admitted to Malleus that you weren’t so fond of sleeping in the nest.  He’d laughed and moved you into a more standard bedroom.  It had a large comfortable bed and, after sleeping on twigs, you’d been ecstatic.  Grim, on the other hand, had resented your invasion of ‘his room’ and chosen to move into the room with your abandoned nest. 

‘No, not abandoned,’ you admonished yourself, ‘just preserved.’  It was still intact in the adjoining room, waiting.  Waiting for… well, you couldn’t finish that thought and instead, shook the fluster from your face and returned to the garden, seeking out more items to fill your empty nest.  Spring was the perfect time for your hunt as many trees in the garden dropped large pods of silky material to pollinate.  You pushed aside the long grasses looking for them.  “There are some in the west garden,” Lilia said suddenly.  You choke back a yelp.  Over the years, you’d become better at not being surprised by Lilia.  Or at least better about showing it.  He’d also become your closest conspirator in this matter.  When he’d seen you tucking a handful of feathers into your pockets, he’d looked at you with such an expression of glee that you’d have thought it was a gift for him and not Malleus.  But, you supposed, he had been waiting for quite a long time.  “I’d better go grab them before the wind takes them away then!”  He gives you a wink and you trot off.

The book (lent by Lilia all those years ago at NRC) had been clear; it was the job of the courting dragon to gather sticks and branches to create a nest to welcome a new partner into their life.  You’d remembered the first branch Malleus had given you fondly, a gift as good as a declaration of marriage.  Then it was the job of the partner to eventually fill the nest with warm, soft, and fluffy material to prepare for the next phase.  So here you were, tramping through bushes; looking for seed pods, feathers and really anything natural that you could find that would make a good stuffing for your nest.  It wasn’t easy though, not considering the size of the nest you had to fill.  You wished that Malleus had been a trifle less eager to impress when he’d been courting you; it would have made your job now a bit easier.

“Here,” came a voice from behind.  You look up and see Silver holding out a basket of feathers and fur.  “My bird friends had gathered too much for their own nests and wanted to share this.”  You smile back, “I’m sure they had a basket laying around too.”  At this Sebek bristles.  He’d never fully accepted you as the Consort of Briar Valley but, over time, he had come to a certain sort of understanding about your place here.  As long as you made Malleus happy, he seemed to gain a certain amount of satisfaction in assisting you.  “Just be grateful it’s for the great Malleus!  I couldn’t accept the young master having dirtied or rumpled feathers in his nest, so I was forced to find that basket.”  You smile at the young guard and see his cheeks flush in response. 

Really, it was like all the friends from your past school days were still here rooting for you and Malleus to have a happy ending.  It made you rather hopeful yourself.  You give them a nod of thanks and add your own finds to the basket and set off to your room.  With this basketful, you figured you’d be around halfway done.  If you gathered the rest of spring, and factoring in the rainy season, maybe by hmm… Bump!  You run into an unexpected obstacle.  You think you might fall and clutch the basket tightly only to blink after a moment and reassess.  You hadn’t fallen at all; you’d been caught in the arms of your loving husband. 

“My treasure, are you harmed?” Malleus asks in concern.  You hug the basket tighter, trying to hide the contents from his view, “Ah, no dear, I’m fine.  Thank you for catching me.”  Then you place a sweet kiss on his cheek before attempting to slip away.  You almost accomplish it before you feel his grip on your sleeve, holding you back.  “You wouldn’t be trying to hide something from me, would you my precious one?”  For a moment, you consider trying to evade his question but decide you’d rather be honest with him.  You sigh and hold out the basket, “It was supposed to be a surprise.”  He looks inside at the collection of fluffy things inside and back at you with wide eyes.  “You…you aren’t upset, are you?”

Instead of answering, Malleus quietly walks into your old room and stops at the edge of the nest.  You walk carefully to his side and peer inside at the fluffy collection you’ve started.  You wait for him to say something and when he doesn’t you look up at him and see a tear rolling down his cheek.  You reach out and hold his hand tightly, then grab the basket from his hand and drop the collection into the nest.  You both stand there, side by side in the twilight, until you finally decide to break the silence.  “I know we technically aren’t compatible like that, but I remembered when we married you said that there were ways it could happen if we used magic.  I was watching the trees bud and the birds making nests and it was like, I just knew it was time.”    

You hold out the last feather from your basket and Mallues takes it from your hand and gently places it into the nest.  Then he smiles in a way he so rarely does, fully radiant and content; it reminds you greatly of the day of your wedding.  When you meet his gaze, he picks you up and twirls you around while you both laugh.  You had a long way to go to finish collecting the lining for your nest, but you know you’ve collected the most important part: the agreement of your partner.  And soon, Grim would need to move again.  This room was going to return to what it was always meant to be, a nursery.

Family was important to the Zigvolt clan.  Sebek had older siblings and, by now, many nieces and nephews; all of which felt like were visiting today.  You and your spouse had run all over the house minding the little ones while your grateful in-laws took a break.  You had just corralled a little green-haired boy, whose fang toothed smile reminded you greatly of his favorite uncle, when the small hand pointed over your shoulder and a surprisingly loud voice demanded, “What’s that!”  You follow his hand to see him pointing to the two rocks that sit side by side on your mantle.  A fond smile crosses your face, “Those rocks?  Those are something special for your uncle and I.”  Then comes the dreaded word, “Why?”  You pause, unsure if this was the sort of story to interest such a young child, “Oh I don’t know.  Ask you Uncle when you are older.”

“NONSENSE!” comes a voice from the kitchen and you see your spouse striding over to you.  He transfers the little boy from your arms to his own. “It’s a fine story to inspire the youth with.  COME CHILD and I will tell you the story about my MOST ROMANTIC spouse and their gift to me.”  You’d like to just shake your head and walk away but you know it’s probably best to follow them and make sure he gets the story right.  Sebek can be prone to some…minor exaggeration...where you are involved.

They arrive at the mantle and the child points at the pebble Sebek had gifted you all those years ago.  “I like that one, it sparkles inside.”  Sebek frowns, “Forget that common rock and pay attention to the THIS AMAZING TREASURE!” Sebek tries to shift the attention of the boy to the plain looking rock that sits next to it, and you can see the puzzlement in his face.  Instead of trying to explain, your spouse is just standing there, smirking with an intense look of pride on his face.  It is probably time for you to take over.

You place you hand on Sebek’s shoulder, gaining the attention of both the boys.  You smile at your nephew and point to the sparkling rock.  “Your uncle gave that to me when we were in school.  He told me that he found it while visiting a ruin with Lord Malleus.”  Your nephew gasps and states in awe, “With the young Lord?”  You glance over and see Sebek preening at the attention being given to Malleus; some things never changed.  “Then he gave it to me as proof of his love,” you smile fondly at your spouse. 

“So, then you gave him this rock?” a small voice interjects.  “Yeah, that’s right,” you reply.  He seems to consider that for a long moment before carefully turning back to you and informing you, “Well there is something I’d like to say about that rock, but Master Lilia says if you can’t say something nice then you should say anything at all.”  You are HIGHLY amused by his cheek and not offended at all; you know your rock is rather plain.  However, when you turn to look at your spouse, you can see that Sebek’s eyes are wide with shock as though he cannot fathom how to reply to such an outrageous statement.  You chuckle to yourself at how adorable he looks before continuing.

“Hmm, that is true,” you begin, “but you see, I looked all over for a special rock to give to your uncle.  I wanted it to be just as amazing as his was.”  Your nephew nods sagely.  “The only thing was, I couldn’t find one.  I had these friends in school, see, and we used to walk all over after class.”  Ace, Deuce and Grim; ah, the bittersweet memories of friendships grown distant over time.  “And they would help me look for my special rock.  We looked for 3 years straight but never found it.  Then I went on my internship year, and I had to look alone.”  You smile sadly at the small child who seems very invested in the outcome of your quest, “But you found it, right?  You had to because you married my uncle, right? Right?”  You barely contained your laugh but when you looked at your spouse to see him nod eagerly at each ‘right’ you no longer were able to hold it back.

You let out a merry chuckle, “Well, I certainly looked that whole year in every free moment I had but, no, I never did find it.”  You look down at the boy whose mouth is making a perfect O in surprise.  “That’s not how stories are supposed to go.”  He tugs at Sebek’s shirt, “Uncle, tell her that isn’t how its supposed to go.”  Sebek turns to your and practically shouts, “THAT’S NOT HOW IT’S SUPPOSED TO GO!”  You wonder if he has somehow gotten so caught up in the moment that he’s forgotten he knew how the story ends. 

“All right, all right,” you wave them down.  “Well, after internship we all went back to school for graduation where Master Lilia and Silver have come to accompany Sebek back to Briar Valley.  I felt like I had no right to ask to go with them, considering I’d never properly confessed my feelings with my own rock.  I was just standing there, wondering where I’d go and what I’d do when Silver just picked up my bag and asked if I was ready.  So, I went.”  You smile fondly at the memory of Silver, who was like another brother to you at this point, and the way his easy generosity had included you into their group.  You ignore Sebek’s grumbling…something about Silver and how Sebek was perfectly capable of carrying your bag…

“When we got home, Sebek took me to meet your Grandpa and Grandma.  At the door of the house was this rock.”  You smile and point at your plain looking rock.  “That rock,” Sebek finally contributes, “was always showing up there.  I think it was earth fae or something playing a joke.  I moved it so many times, but it always ended up back on the front step.”  You lean in and wink at the boy, “That’s when I knew that was my rock.  Its not flashy or exciting but whenever he comes home, there I would be.”  You meet your spouse’s eyes and share a moment that needed no words.

“Then what?” a little voice interrupted.  “Well, you don’t want to know the rest,” you reply gently.  “Is it kissing stuff?” he asks as though that was the grossest thing he could imagine.  You nod at him in affirmation, “It’s kissing stuff.”  He rolls his eyes and signals his uncle to set him down, which he does.  As your nephew departs, you notice your spouse looking at you with a familiar look in his eye.  “So, what now?” you ask him, “Is it kissing stuff?”  He flashes you a fang-toothed smile, “It’s kissing stuff.”  And it was.

#twst #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #malleus draconia x reader #malleus x reader #sebek x reader #sebek zigvolt x reader

[nogenderbee]

♡˗ˏ✎*ೃ˚ 𝔽𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕙𝕝 𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕗 ₊˚ˑ༄

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ anon request: hihi! platonic blade, welt, jing yuan and dan heng with a teen reader who is like fischl?

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Hello! Sure! I'm sorry because I kinda made it for fem!reader but if you're alright with just changing princess for prince and so on here and there, it should be alright to read for any gender!

Anyway, hope you enjoy either way!

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ platonic

✧ Dan Heng is certainly surprised by your acting, tho every child has their phase he thinks...

✧ he doesn't want to accidentally ruin your childhood so he just goes with it

✧ and if you call him your royal knight? He'll actually be proud from that title! Maybe he won't admit it but he feels somehow happy you're always picking him for ant exploration

✧ tho he's often surprised with your language... you're a teenager and you speak so elegantly? That's certainly useful skill but how the heck did you learned that?!

✧ he's gonna call you whatever your imaginary name is, even if something completely different is in your papers

"I humbly declare you a loyal knight of Prinzessin der Verurteilung!"

"I'll do my best to not fail you then. You can trust me."

✧ if you even have a raven, he'll be even more interested in you... they allowed you to have a raven on the Express? How did you convinced Pom Pom?

✧ either way, he doesn't care if you're just trying to live tour fairy tale life as long as you're happy

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

@miya-akane @toyaswif3y - come get your quiet but scary trabilazer!

✧ it's easy to say that Welt does NOT get you kids... he's aware you have your imagination but you're certainly taking it to another level

✧ you're not playing your role as a Prinzessin, you're living it!

✧ he doesn't know if he should be happy or afraid how creative you are

✧ but he's acceptive so he'll agree on your ideas, as long as they're not anything dangerous

✧ when it comes to change of your name... I feel like he'd cross out your real name on any paper and replace it with the preferred one

✧ he's trying his best to catch up with you so the first thing he does is ask you if anything besides your name changed too!

"Just your name? Are your pronouns still the same? Do you need help of specialist? Or are you just discovering yourself?"

✧ he's trying his best and he's not afraid of showing it, if it means making sure you're comfortable!

✧ but if you decide to have a bird... it may come with few additional rules and you may need to keep it in a cage for a little while

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

@vodka-glrl - come get your father of the express!

✧ Jing Yuan is actually always happy to hangout with you and get to know more about your world

✧ he's always playing along with you, but it actually sounds like he's serious instead of playing because you're a child! Maybe he genuinely believes in it and just doesn't admit it out loud?

"And you may be first guess to witness my renovent palace!"

"I'll be more than happy to accompany you, young lady."

✧ similar to men above, he'll correct anyone and anything that contains your legal name, changing it to your prefered one. Because why would he ignore it after you trusted him and told him about your little secret?

✧ when it comes to your language... he was a bit surprised at first but now he responds the same way!

✧ don't be surprised if someone asks you one day what did you do to General because he sometimes speaks like that in public too... he's just too used by now

✧ and if you have a bird? Feel free to let it fly around Xianzhou as long as it's trained well!

✧ in fact, he'll be more than happy to see your tricks if your bird knows any

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

@miya-akane - come get your soft general~

✧ Blade is accepting your imagination but he doesn't even try pretending like he believes in it

✧ you can give him 10000 arguments how it's definitely real and he'll reject all of it with just "no", so I say you don't waste your time...

✧ but he's not complete meanie, he'll accept your prefered name with ease

"I do not know anyone named Y/N! I'm Fischl! Prinzessin der Vertolung!"

"Fischl? Sure, at least it's easier than your real name..."

✧ he may act like he doesn't care but he'll state daggers at anyone who gets your name wrong

✧ he just goes "would you like to repeat yourself?" with most murderous gaze of his, so you can be sure this person will never get your name wrong again

✧ but he definitely is surprised by your language... he's a bit surprised you're so young and speak fluently like that...

✧ but he doesn't question it more than needed and just brushes it off as some teenager games, not bothering to care as long as you're not bothering him with it

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

@vodka-glrl - come get your cold man!

#star rail #hsr #x reader #star rail x reader #hsr x reader #dan heng #welt yang #jing yuan #blade #star rail dan heng #star rail welt #star rail jing yuan #star rail blade #platonic #star rail platonic #headcanons #star rail headcanons

[lavineyou]

A Twisted Bond: Trapped in the Depths of Manipulation

Warning: Angst? A/N: Might make more chapters of this if i manage to gain enough motivation to do so... I think y'all can see how i'm that bias towards Miranda LMAOOO okey enjoyyy hopefully? idk

You had been by her side for as long as your memory allowed. From the moment you emerged from a deep slumber, she was the first face you beheld. With her cold blue eyes, long flowing blonde hair, and a pallid complexion, she seemed like an ethereal being.

In those initial moments, she regarded you with a gaze that made you feel like a mere specimen in her grand experiment. And as if to confirm your suspicions, it didn't take long before she revealed that you were indeed a subject of her unsettling antidote injections.

Try as you might, resistance was futile against her overpowering strength. It was a harsh realization that struck you mere minutes after awakening.

As you reflected on those memories, a sigh escaped your lips. A decade had passed since that fateful awakening. Now, you served as her loyal subordinate in the village, functioning as her watchful eyes and attentive ears alongside the crows she strategically positioned throughout the area.

Unlike the lords who handled general tasks and experiments, you were assigned to the most specific and delicate missions she desired. Whether it was eliminating a troublesome villager, uncovering infidelity among the inhabitants, or acting as the messenger between the lords, you executed each task with unwavering obedience.

As you made your way home, a sense of weariness settled upon you. For the past nine years, you had resided in this modest abode. You vividly recalled the day when Miranda, your enigmatic overseer, had expelled you with the declaration, "It's time for you to prove your worth." Unconcerned with her words, you had forged your own path.

Walking through the village streets, you exchanged warm smiles and greetings with the unsuspecting villagers. To them, you were known as the helpful carpenter, a facade carefully crafted by Miranda to ensure your seamless integration into this community of unsuspecting lambs—lambs primed for her twisted experiments.

But beneath that veneer, you were a wolf in sheep's clothing, concealing your true nature.

As you approached your dwelling, the heart of the village, the familiar sound of wings flapping reached your ears. With a resigned sigh, you instinctively glanced upward, spotting a perched bird on your head. Taking hold of it, you entered your home, preparing for yet another encounter with Miranda.

Upon turning around, your eyes met the sight of the blonde woman who had haunted your thoughts. Standing before the wall adorned with pictures you had carefully arranged as decorations, she appeared lost in contemplation.

"I hadn't expected your return," you uttered softly, your confusion mounting. After all, she only resurfaced when she required something from you.

Minutes passed in silence before she finally spoke, her voice laced with a hint of annoyance. "I thought I had made my arrival quite clear," she replied, her brows furrowing as she tilted her head. Perplexed, you furrowed your own brows, struggling to comprehend her cryptic words. "Of course, you wouldn't have noticed. You were too busy mingling with that village girl instead of fulfilling the duties I had assigned you," she declared stoically, causing an uneasy gulp to rise in your throat as you lowered your head.

Anger simmered within her, and you knew it well. It was the wrath that consumed her when her desires went unfulfilled. Gathering your courage, you reasoned, "Mother, I have diligently accomplished everything on my list for today." You nodded, hoping to convey your commitment, but she hummed skeptically, still refusing to meet your gaze.

Her attention turned to a portrait of you and Elena, her eyes fixated upon it. "You're growing soft, Charlatan," she hissed, her words like venom. Bewildered, you raised your head, furrowing your eyebrows in protest. "I haven't..." you began, but she abruptly shifted her focus, her face devoid of its usual mask.

A scowl etched across her features, her eyes piercing into your soul like a thousand daggers. With an explosive motion, she hurled the portrait against the wall, shattering the glass and splintering the frame. "She's corrupting you, my dear lup," she spat venomously, referring to Elena.

Drawing closer, she seized your cheeks in an iron grip, her fingers digging into your flesh. Holding your waist, she pressed her lips against yours with a mixture of urgency and aggression—an expression of her seething anger. As you reciprocated the kiss, her hand slid from your cheeks to the back of your head, deepening the connection.

When she finally released your lips, your faces remained in close proximity. Opening your eyes, you beheld her, her eyes shut and her mouth slightly parted. With a heavy sigh, you rested your head against her shoulder.

This had become the routine in your life for years on end—an existence where you served as her plaything, a tool to further her control over the village, and a source of pleasure. Strangely, you found solace in this twisted dynamic, as if it were the only reality you deserved.

In your eyes, she was perfection incarnate. And despite yearning to build a life with her, to bring back her daughter and create a genuine family, you were painfully aware that such dreams were forbidden.

Because, in the end, you were nothing more than an experiment—a used tool, a discarded plaything.

#mother miranda #mother miranda x reader #fanfic #resident evil village #lavineyou #multichapter #hopefully #angst #more angst

[fetusgooseandjuice]

You Kept Your Promise

Pairings: Natasha Romanoff x fem!reader

Summary: After spending the day in each others arms binge-watching movies, Y/N and Natasha fall asleep with smiles on their faces. But when Natasha gets an urgent call in the middle of the night, she has to live up to her promise to protect Y/N.

Word Count: 4,856

Warnings: Car accident | Mentions of blood

Natasha's POV:

I woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside. Taking my time with opening my eyes, I could tell that it was fairly early in the morning considering how the sun was only partially up.

I turned my head to look at the clock that sat on my nightstand, it read 7:12 am. My body fell into the routine of waking me up around this time because I liked to have an early morning run. It helps me wake up and start the day feeling productive before going into work.

But today was one of the days where I didn't have to go into the compound. I could stay in the comfort of my own home with the love of my life. I looked down when I noticed the weight on top of me only to see Y/N sound asleep. Her head laid in the crook of my neck, her legs tangled with mine.

She looked so peaceful when she slept. I could feel her breath on my neck. Her eyelashes tickled her cheeks and I smiled to myself when she tried to shift closer to me, but didn't get very far since she was already practically on top of me.

I lifted my hand with the intention of moving it under her shirt to rub her bare back to lull her into an even deeper sleep, but that was all thrown out the window because when my hand made contact with her back, she began to stir.

Her eyes fluttered open, looking up at me with her mesmerizing Y/E/C irises. When saw me already gazing down at her, she shyly giggled.

"Good morning, detka. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up." I said softly, continuing to rub her back.

"It's okay, Tasha. How long have you been up?" she mumbled, tiredly rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Not very long. Just a few minutes. We both have clear schedules today, so I was just gonna let you sleep." I told her.

She nodded her head and stretched her legs before relaxing in my arms again, "What did you want to do today? Did you already have plans?" she questioned.

"I was planning on spending all day in bed, cuddling with the girl that I love so damn much." I gently pushed her onto her back to hover over her and pepper kisses all across her face.

She laughed at my antics, letting me peck her face until I tried to connect our lips, "Nooo, I have morning breath." she turned her head, making me kiss her cheek instead.

I frowned when I missed her lips, "I couldn't care less, moya lyubov'." I responded, turning her head back so I could softly kiss her.

Relishing in the feeling of not only her lips on mine, but also the happiness I felt having her with me and being able to wake up to her everyday.

"I love you." she whispered when we pulled away.

I stroked her cheek with my thumb, "I love you more."

I pecked her lips one more time before rolling off of her, getting up to change into a pair of sweatpants and tank top.

"What does my princess want for breakfast, hm?" I asked, looking at her.

"You're going to make me breakfast?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Oh of course, darling. Wanda has been teaching me how to not set the kitchen on fire so I might as well use this opportunity to put my skills to the test, right?" I grinned at her.

"Wait so this means no more frozen food when you offer to make me something?" she teased, sitting up.

"Hopefully." I answered with a light chuckle, grabbing one of my hoodies out of the closet and helping her put it over her head.

I know she likes to wear my clothes on lazy days, so I don't even wait for her to ask anymore. I grabbed her hand, leading her out of our bedroom and into the kitchen.

"Anything you have a taste for?" I turned around from the cabinet to glance at her.

She hummed while thinking, "Can we have pancakes?" she asked with a grin.

"Pancakes it is." I declared, taking out all of the ingredient and utensils to make them. But when it was time to pour the ingredients into the bowl I paused, forgetting what the measurements were.

She noticed my hesitation and chuckled to herself a little, "Do you want some help?" she questioned, about to jump in and assist me.

"No no no, I got it. I'm making you breakfast for once, so you just sit there and look pretty." While I said the last part I lifted her up to sit her on the counter, giving her a kiss to emphasize my request.

She agreed and sat back while I threw random measurements of the ingredients into the bowl, beginning to stir. When the pan was heated up, I poured some of the batter in and waited for the bubbles to form on top like Wanda told me.

"So what did you wanna do after we eat?" I asked as I turned around to face her, but the second I did she was standing there blowing flour that was in her hand onto me.

She started giggling while I chuckled in shock, "You little-" I set the spatula down on the counter before starting to chase her around the kitchen.

We were laughing and she squealed when I caught up to her, wrapping my arms around her waist from behind to pull her back into me.

I began to tickle her and we playfully struggled like this for a few minutes until I spun her around and pressed her against the fridge with my hands holding her waist, catching her off guard by deeply kissing her.

Her breath hitched, but when she realized what was happening a second later she wrapped her arms around my neck and brought me closer. The kiss only lasted for a few moments before she pulled away to catch her breath.

I nuzzled my forehead against hers, "God I love you so much." I whispered and she pulled my head down by the back of my neck to connect our lips in another searing kiss.

My hands started to wander, moving under her shirt and circling her waist. But our moment was interrupted when she practically jumped out of her skin at the startling sound of the fire alarm. I looked towards the stove to see flames in the pan, smoke rising into the air.

"Shit shit shit-" I mumbled to myself, rushing over to move the pan off the burner trying to put out the fire.

Y/N ran to open a couple windows before grabbing a towel and standing on the counter to wave it under the smoke detector, attempting to get it to stop beeping.

I eventually got the fire out and the alarm stopped ringing. Even though the only thing that burned was the pancake, I still had a pout on my face because my girl was hungry and I just burned her food.

Y/N noticed my disappointed expression and walked over to give me a hug, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"It's okay, baby. We can just find something else to eat. It's not that big of a deal." she reassured me while I let my hands rest on the small of her back.

I shook my head, "No, I'm still making you food. You don't have to worry about anything because I will figure this out."

I guess I was a little bit too determined to do this, but I didn't care.

"M'kay, but I hope you know I'm not eating that..." she trailed off with a chuckle, looking at the extremely overcooked pancake.

"That's not even my fault. You distracted me with that little stunt, and those perfect lips of yours." I whined.

"Okay, maybe I did. But you and I both know you're not really mad about it." she teased with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Just sit your cute butt back up there while I try this again." I playfully sighed, tapping her butt before starting to make another pancake.

~~~

After finally managing to make some edible pancakes for the both of us, we ate breakfast. Y/N had decided on binge-watching movies and cuddling the rest of the day which I had no objections to. I would never pass up a chance to have her in my arms.

Now that it was dark outside and the time was getting closer to 8:00 pm, I ordered dinner from her favorite place which just arrived. I made sure that her meal was exactly how she liked it before bringing the food into the living room where she was waiting for me on the couch with the film paused.

"Here you go, detka. You didn't have to stop the movie for me. We've seen this like ten times already." I spoke, putting the box of food on her lap and placing a quick kiss on her head.

"Don't be silly, Nat. This is your favorite part." she smiled as I took my previous spot on the couch beside her and she snuggled into my side.

"Alright, press play then." I chuckled and she pressed before we started to eat.

"Why did you break up the encounter with my pet python. Because I discovered he had a crush on me." I said the words along with the characters in the movie.

"You do that every time." she giggled.

"Because every time you laugh, and I like making you laugh." I swallowed a bite of food and then turned my head to kiss her temple.

We finished dinner and watched the rest of the movie while Y/N curled further into me. Laying her head on me, I wrapped my arms around her.

I was about to ask her what she wanted to watch next, but when I looked down she laying on my chest fast asleep. I looked at the clock which read 10:48.

"Y/N," I whispered to wake her up, but she didn't move a muscle.

"Come on, darling. We'll be more comfortable in our bed." I softly said, but once again she didn't move.

I smiled to myself, grabbing the remote to turn the tv off. I stood up, picking her up along with me. Carefully stepping over the blanket that fell off of us and onto the floor, I made my way to the bedroom.

I gently laid her down before climbing into bed too. She unconsciously moved closer to me, her head falling onto my shoulder. I pulled the blankets up, making sure that she was covered and then pulling her into my arms.

"Good night, dorogoy. I love you."

~~~

Later in the night, my eyes opened at the sound of my phone ringing on my bedside table. I quickly silenced it so it didn't wake Y/N, looking at the clock on the table. 1:16 am. Whoever was calling me at this time better have a good reason for it.

I glanced at the screen, and it was Steve. Sighing, I slipped out from under Y/N and walked out of the bedroom before answering the phone.

"What? Is it urgent?" I spoke in a hushed voice to not disturb my loves sleep.

"A little bit. The guys that Fury were tracking down were more than one step ahead of us. They've known we were looking for them this whole time. We received a recording from them saying that they have each one of our locations, and they’ll take us out one after the other. Fury needs all of us at the compound ASAP so we have everyone accounted for at all times. Bring Y/N too." he explained over the phone.

"Y/N? Why does she need to be involved in this?" I furrowed my eyebrows out of concern.

"It's just precaution. Y/N is close to you and he doesn't want them trying to use her against us. We don't know what these guys are planning to do. Clint is even taking his family to the safe house before coming here."

"How long is he expecting us to stay?" I asked.

"Not sure. I'd assume until we get them off our backs and this whole thing blows over."

I exhaled, peaking through the cracked open door to make sure she was still asleep, "Alright, we'll be there in a few." I responded before hanging up the phone.

I re-entered the bedroom and walked over to my side of the bed which was where Y/N was currently laying.

"Y/N, detka. Come on, wake up." I whispered, placing my hand on her hip to coax her awake.

"Hm." she murmured, half asleep.

"I know you don't want to wake up, darling, but we've got to go." I told her, and this made her open her eyes.

"What? What time is it, and where are we going?" she mumbled, sitting up.

"It's 1:20. I'll explain in more detail once we get in the car, but we're going to stay at the compound for a little bit, Fury's orders. We can pack some bags but we've got to be quick." I tried to speak in a calm voice to make her not panic.

We've been together for a while, so it's not unusual for her when I have to jump up and leave suddenly. But I've never had to bring her with me before, so this was different.

Okay, but why?" she spoke in a hesitant voice.

"I don't have much time to explain right now you just have to trust me, and you trust me right?" I asked, trying to comfort her.

She nodded her head. "Good. Now just pack some of your clothes, and I'll worry about everything else." I responded.

"Okay." she mumbled quietly.

I leaned in to press my lips to her forehead, letting them linger there for a few seconds before patting her thigh and standing up.

"Alright, let's go." I said and we both changed out of our pajamas, I obviously had to put on my leather jacket that was hung up on the closet door.

As she stuffed clothes into a duffel bag, I made sure my gun was loaded before putting it in my pocket and packing some of my own clothes.

When we were ready I carried the bags out to our white Lada Niva, putting them in the trunk. She got in the passengers seat while I got in the drivers.

"Nat, can you tell me what's happening now?" she said while buckling her seatbelt.

I exhaled, "We made a mistake when tracking down these people, and now they're tracking us. They know where everyone on the team is, and Fury thinks it'll be safer if we're all together. I needed to bring you with me so they don't try to do anything to you."

"They're coming after us?" she sounded nervous.

"We don't know who they're targeting first which is why we're staying at the compound for a little bit. So we're not alone." I buckled my own seat belt and started the car.

"What're they going to do when they get to us? Are they gonna hurt you?" her voice wavered.

I sighed, putting my hand on the side of her face to stroke her cheek, "I don't know, moya lyubov'. But if they try you know I can handle them."

"I'm scared." she confessed.

"I know. I know you're scared, baby. But I've got you, okay? You know i'll never let anything happen to you, yeah?" I spoke in a soft voice.

She nodded her head before looking down. I moved my hand from her cheek, tilting her chin back to look at me so I could lean in and gently kiss her lips.

I knew we really needed to get on the road, but I couldn't move forward with anything else knowing how afraid she felt with how sudden and quick all of this was happening. I had to take a few minutes to comfort and talk to her.

I let her choose when to break the kiss, not wanting to pull away until she was ready so I knew that she was okay.

"I love you, detka." I said against her lips when she pulled away, gazing into her eyes

"I love you too, Nat." she whispered.

At that, I settled into my seat and took the car out of park. The ride to the compound was a little over half hour since she and I bought a small little house in a more rural area.

But the whole drive, I kept one hand on the wheel while holding her hand with my other. I got her to talk about other things to take her mind off the situation.

As she started talking about what she hoped to cook with Wanda, my eyebrows slightly furrowed when I noticed a van make the same turn as us once again. I readjusted the rear view mirror to get a better look.

Considering how late at night it is there are barely any cars out on the roads right now, and it's been behind us for the past few minutes. So now I'm beginning to think it's not just a coincidence.

I continued to nod my head and hum, listening to what Y/N was saying I didn't worry her while making one last wrong turn to which the van also followed.

At this point, it was clear to me that the van was following us. I took my hand out of Y/N's momentarily so that I could reach under the seat and press the emergency button.

There was one in every team members vehicle so that it would subtly alert the rest of them that help was needed. But just a couple seconds later I looked into the rear view mirror, and the van was no longer there.

I didn't know whether to relax or stress more, so I just kept driving on the route to the compound while staying alert. I tried to keep Y/N distracted, but it didn’t last very long.

As we reached the bridge that would take us across the water, out of the side-mirror I saw something fly under the car, and then I heard the explosion.

I felt the sudden wave of heat and the cuts piercing through my skin from the windows shattering. The car flew into the air, rolling over multiple times before crashing into the guardrails, the front of it hanging over the bridge.

"Fuck-" I whispered to myself, lifting my head from where it limply hung forward when the car came to a stop.

I glimpsed out my window, checking to see if what caused this was still there. But even after looking out of the passenger window, I saw nothing. What I did see was that the explosion damaged the main structure of the bridge, making it very unstable.

Looking over at Y/N, she was still conscious but in shock. I could see the pieces of shattered glass in her hair and on her clothes, the bleeding cuts on her face.

"Shit, detka are you okay? What hurts? Tell me what hurts." I said, reaching over to cup her cheeks and wipe blood off her face.

"I-I'm okay, Nat. I'm-" she cut herself off, gasping in pain when she moved her leg.

I shifted my gaze down to see a big shard of glass piercing her thigh, "Oh god, okay. Don't take it out, leave it there because it's stopping the bleeding. I'm gonna get us out of this, it'll be okay."

When I unbuckled my seatbelt I fell forwarded into the dashboard, causing the car to rock more. We both let out a shriek at the sudden motion, and I cursed myself for causing her more fear in a situation like this.

I quickly realized that the only way out was through the shattered rear windshield since the front of the car was hanging over the bridge.

“I’m gonna climb over the seats so I can get out through the back. Don’t move I’m gonna get you out after, alright?” she nodded her head and I kissed her forehead before carefully crawling over the center console, climbing out of the window.

I turned around, now focusing my attention on getting Y/N out, “Okay unbuckle your seatbelt and climb over the seat the same way I did, slowly though.” I called out.

She undid her seatbelt and started climbing over the center console just as I did, but the car suddenly shifted again, leaning further over the bridge. She yelped, slightly falling back.

“Come on, dorogoy. You’ve got it, move slowly.” I tried to calm her down.

She did as I told her, but the sound of a car engine caught my attention. I turned my head to see the same van that was following us earlier come to a stop at the end of the bridge.

I cursed under my breath. I couldn’t deal with these guys right now when Y/N is still in the car. I watched as the doors opened and at least ten people got out, stalking towards us.

In my head I was contemplating what to do, but I didn’t have to for very long because I recognized one of Clint’s trick arrows stunning a few of them.

Steve, Yelena, and Wanda also made themselves known by starting to attack them, giving me time to focus on Y/N.

When she got to the backseat she was now close enough for me to reach into the window and pull her through it. I set her on her feet, but she winced as the leg that had the shard of glass stuck in it gave out, and she collapsed into my arms.

“Oh I’ve got you. Here, get on my back.” I bent down so I could carry her on my back while she wrapped her legs around my waist, and her arms around my neck. I still held onto her, but if I needed to use my hands then I would be able to.

I didn’t really know where to go. I had to get Y/N out of here, but with everything going on around us there really wasn’t a safe place for me to take her until the team took care of those guys.

So I just resulted in getting off the bridge before she’s gets caught in the crossfire. But just as I started to move the car toppled over the bridge, and into the water.

The bridge was already unstable enough, so when this happened the bridge shifted tremendously causing me and everyone else to stumble over their feet. Already being close to the edge when I tripped, I fell over the bridge.

Out of instinct I threw my hands up and managed to grab onto a metal bar that was loosely hanging from the frame of it, Y/N was still holding onto me.

She shrieked out of fear and I grunted while struggling to hold on with both hands. I started to grab the edge of the bridge to pull us up, but it shifted once again before I got the chance.

This time it caused Y/N’s grip on me to falter, her arms and legs slipped from sound me. Before she could fall I took one hand off the bar to grab her hand, holding onto her for dear life.

I tried pulling her back up, but I struggled and my hand was slipping.

“Nat- Nat you have to let me go or we’re both gonna fall.” she stuttered out, but I ignored her words.

Letting go was never an option in my mind. It never would be.

I mustered up as much strength as I could and started to pull her up once more, grunting through gritted teeth. I managed to lift her up enough for her to be able to latch onto my back once again, wrapping her arms around neck and her legs around my waist.

I put my held onto the bar with two hands again, but before I did anything I saw Clint’s head peeking over the edge out of the corner of my eye.

My eyes widened in relief, “Clint, pull us up!” I yelled and he ran over to where we were, giving me his hand and he pulled us back onto the bridge.

I laid there for a second to catch my breath before standing up, helping Y/N up too. I looked around and saw the people that they were fighting spread out on the ground unconscious.

A voice and a hand on my shoulder pulled me out of the thoughts, “Come on, the cars are over here.” Clint said with a small smile.

I nodded my head, picking Y/N up bridal style and following the team to the cars. When we arrived at the compound I took Y/N to the medbay to get her leg looked at by Bruce.

We were there for about an hour as he removed the glass and stitched her up, then I was able to bring her back to my room that I rarely used anymore since I moved out of the compound.

We borrowed extra clothes and changed into them, finally being able to rest in bed. I laid on my back and wrapped an arm around her while she cuddled into my side.

The room was comfortably silent until I spoke up, wanting to talk about something that was on my mind, “Why did you choose me?”

She looked up at me with a slight frown, “What do you mean?”

“This isn’t the life you deserve. Having to flee from your house in the middle of the night is not the ideal life. You deserve someone who has to protect you from the cold weather outside during winter, not from people who are actively trying to kill you. And someone who’ll propose to you with the biggest diamond ring in existence. I can’t give you any of that Y/N.” I told her, staring at the ceiling.

She lightly chuckled, “Natasha if you’re worried about money and material things, I’d marry you with paper rings for all I care. And as for the rest of it, I knew what came with your job. I knew what you did was dangerous, but I still yes when you asked me to be your girlfriend because I love you. I can’t imagine being with anyone else because you are the life that I want.”

I finally looked down at her, “I just hated seeing you hurt.” I whispered, my eyes glossing over.

“Oh, Nat-” she began, sitting up on her elbow to look into my eyes and wipe away a tear that escaped with her thumb, I kept my arm around her waist.

“Before all of this happened you promised that you would protect me, and you did. There’s only so much you can do to prevent things from happening entirely, but you got us out of the situation. You literally hoisted me up onto your back with the strength of one arm while holding on for the both of us.” she smiled at me.

“Yeah, I guess Steve’s ridiculous and unreasonable workouts have a reason after all.” I chuckled.

“See?” she smiled.

“And here we are now. Laying in bed, me in your arms, safe and sound. You kept your promise.” she whispered the last sentence, dropping her forehead onto mine.

I closed my eyes inhaling her comforting scent, “Well I’d be a terrible girlfriend if I broke it.” I joked with a grin.

“Yeah, you would.” she teased.

I smiled, lifting my head off the pillow to capture her lips in a passionate kiss. Her soft hands came up to cup my face, mine stayed on her waist and the small of her back.

After all that happened I didn’t want to pull away, ever. I still couldn’t understand why a sweet, gentle girl like her would want to be with someone like me. But if it was what she wanted, then I would happily oblige and keep her safe with me.

“I love you.” she whispered when she pulled away.

My hand came up to caress the side of her face, “I love you more.” I said against her lips.

She laid back down, curling into my side and laying her head on my chest. I wrapped my arms around her in a protective manner, planning on falling asleep after I knew she did.

But I still had one thing on my mind.

“You would really marry me with paper rings?” I curiously questioned.

I felt her chuckle, “Of course, Nat.” she responded, I could hear the tiredness in her voice before she let herself start to fall asleep.

“Good to know.”

#natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff x fem!reader #natasha romanoff x you #natasha x reader #natasha marvel #natasha romanov #natasha x y/n #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romonova #natasha mcu #natasha fluff #natasha fanfic #natasha angst #natasha alianovna romanova #natasha romanoff fanfic #natasha romanoff fluff #natasha romanoff angst #natasha romanoff mcu

[ashoss]

Hii!! This is waterunderthebridge12, I just stumbled across your art of The Robin Declaration and it made my entire week <3333. I love Duke so much and I'm so glad there are others who love him too!!! I would love if you dropped your Duke-centric fic recs, I've only read a few good ones (that aren't just him being an outsider) so any recs are appreciated!

oh my god! hii! im so glad u liked the silly little doodle lol i would love to do an actual drawing for either The Robin Generation or the Robin Declaration !! they were such fun reads and i absolutely adored the way you portrayed all of them <33

unfortunately i dont really have a lot of duke-centric fics but i have a couple!

WHEN EARTH FINDS STARS. by orpheusaki

duke & jason, pre-WAR and signal

15.8k words, 4 chapters (unfinished)

"Let it be known that I completely detest the implications of what this situation is mirroring," Red Hood grumbles to himself and it's the longest string of words Duke has heard from any so-called Gotham vigilante, let alone the one who's known for shooting more than he is talking. "The fuck?" Duke mutters, because if he's already going to die, he might as well try and make sense of it. "I'm not going to care about whatever sob story you have," is what Red Hood replies with instead of explaining, "Where are your parents?" "Gone," is all Duke says, because it's really none of this guy's business. It's also the truth. Somehow, Red Hood sounds even more anguished about this information than Duke is, "Ah shit." (Duke steals the tires off Red Hood's bike and somehow gains a family.)

YOU HEAR ITS SONG FROM THE MORNING BIRDS. (series) by orpheusaki

duke & bruce, duke & batfam

9k words, 3 words (unfinished)

A series of Duke Thomas centric works, mostly featuring his growing relationship with his new kind-of-dad-boss-friend, Bruce Wayne.

Keep Your Head, Your Backbone, and Your Heart by MrMich

duke & tim, alfred, bruce

54k words, 6 chapters

The last thing that Duke expected on what was supposed to be just a regular patrol was being suddenly thrown five years into the past, coming face to face with a darker, more violent Batman than the one he knew, a broken family, and a Tim who was a foot shorter than Duke, and not even Robin yet.

A silent shadow flitted past him, just barely visible on the cave walls. He went rigid, tracking the shadow in the corner of his vision. And then he dropped to the floor, just in time, as a familiar black gloved fist passed overhead. He just barely missed being hit by the punishing blow that would have landed right on his temple for a sure concussion if he hadn’t dodged. “Batman?” Duke yelled. He somersaulted forward, just barely avoiding another strike. “B, what are you doing?!” “Who are you,” came the growled response. A shiver crawled down Duke’s spine at the grim hostility in Batman’s voice that promised violence, and something tightened in the back of his throat.

Family-- by incorrectbatfam

duke & batfam

3.3k words, 1 chapter

“Your assignment over the weekend is to write a poem about your family.”

Strange Bedfellows by snackbaskets

duke & steph & jason

2.7k words, 1 chapter

Little known fact about bats: they're AWFUL at sleeping alone. At least, the ones in the Manor seem to be, if the half-conscious kind-of-maybe siblings using Duke as a body pillow are any indication. When did he sign up for this?

Ghosts Of The Past by PlatitudinalTeen

duke & martha, thomas, duke & bruce

7.2k words, 1 chapter

Shortly after moving into Wayne manor, Duke discovers he can commune with the dead when his grandparents, Thomas and Martha Wayne begin to accidentally haunt him. ------- "No powers?" Duke repeated, even more confused as he tried to recall everything he had ever heard about Ghosts. "So, you can't possess anyone or make the lights flicker? What about telekinesis and all the other scary stuff from the books and movies?" "Those things can only be achieved by malicious spirits, dear," Martha told him. "We may be ghosts, but we aren't vengeful." They had made peace with their deaths, and even if they were still tied to the manor, it was exactly where they wanted to be. Thomas chuckled. "Yes, that's more of our son's department," he quipped, using his fingers to mimic Batman's ears. "Vengeance is a young man's game, really."

Starshine by zodarii_dae

duke & bruce, reverse robins

3.6k words, 1 chapter

Duke Thomas is a Gothamite, through and through. There’s not a lot he knows for certain, but he knows that the bagels are great, that Bruce Wayne is stupid rich, and that Batman will always protect him. That’s just how it is. So when Batman promises to bring him to his family, he believes him. Neither of them expected it to happen quite the way it did, but it all works out for the best. Or How Duke loses his parents, gains a new family, and becomes a vigilante- in that order, with some stuff in between.

necessary reminders by Quillium

duke & batfam

5.2k words, 1 chapter

Duke, as Signal becomes known and as Duke becomes part of the Wayne family.

*ao3 acc needed

hope you enjoy !!!

#there is a severe lack of duke content and it makes me really sad #duke thomas #fic recs #long post #ashbox

[depressofiasco]

Peng x Mortal! Reader Headcanons

They/Them pronouns for Peng and reader.

Fluff! But Peng is also a lil toxic lol. I love this bird and I need more content for them so I'll probably be fixated on them for a bit.

Catching the romantic interest of this bird is basically a death wish. They don't even realize they like you at first because "romance isn't something they'd waste their time with."

Trying to have a regular conversation with Peng almost always leads to them becoming distracted by you in some way. Whether it be your smile or the way you hang onto their every word, it drives them crazy.

Of course, this is taken out on you via taunting, putting you down, pretty much convincing you you're meaningless because they can't distinguish butterflies from annoyance.

They'll vent to Yellowtusk about it because he's the only one they feel will listen to them without giving them a headache.

"I get so annoyed when they're around, yet I don’t want them leaving my sight... Like they'll run off and die if I'm not babysitting them. I don't get it..."

"It sounds like you enjoy someone's presence for once, brother."

"...Maybe you're not as wise as I thought."

Yellowtusk doesn't take offense because he knows Peng will be back to "complain" about you again. It both worries and amuses him.

If by some miracle you see through their prickly exterior and show interest in them, Peng will only get worse before they get better. However, they'll be more egotistical, (If that's possible) boasting instead of putting you down- as much.

Peng will flaunt to the point they're performing for you as they train, always making you attend the training sessions and claiming it was so you'll learn a thing or two. Wukong definitely helps with this, only because he wants an excuse to scrap with Peng, but he also heavily ships you two on the down low.

If you confess first, Peng will be shocked into silence for the first time in their life. You expect them to yell at you, say something like "I know," or even hit you.

You don't expect Peng to swiftly turn around and fly off without a word.

Sending you through a brick wall would have been less painful because they proceeded to ghost you for the next few days as they assessed their feelings for you.

They return days later after avoiding you. The closest thing to an apology you get is Peng gifting you your favorite snack.

"I have thought it over, and I've decided to humor," They gesture between the two of you, clearly out of their element. "... This."

Peng confessing first under normal circumstances is unlikely. Wukong would probably have to step in and start getting too close to you for Peng's liking. They don't even know why they care until your attention is consumed by the Monkey King.

Peng has to come to terms with the fact that not only do they want your attention, but they want you. Peng realizes just how easily you could slip from their grasp if you reject them or get swooned by another.

What do they do? Well, if demanding you be their spouse doesn't work, they'll try human courting methods like gifts or dates. Of course, they see that as a waste of time as well and contemplate just kidnapping you(which Yellowtusk advises against).

When you two officially get together, Peng hides the relationship from Azure, Macaque, and Wukong. Any public display of affection is strictly prohibited. Not because they were afraid of you being taken away, no, but because they felt weak for falling for a mortal.

This causes issues between you two, but it was to be expected. Peng isn't too affectionate in private either, at least not in a regular sense.

When Peng sees how much this hurts you, they do make an effort to show signs of love. Maybe they'll give you a backhanded compliment or run their talons over your scalp gently.

The longer you two are together, the more they open up to the idea of showing you they care for you instead of assuming you know. Eventually, they declare your relationship to the rest of the group(proudly).

Wukong is ECSTATIC - to Peng's dismay. Yellowtusk, Azure, and DBK are happy for you two. Macaque keeps his opinion to himself, even if it was obvious he was concerned for your well-being. It was Peng, after all.

Things do get better after that. You two have your disagreements, but Peng gets better at listening to you.

Most birds stick with their mate for life, that's not much different for Peng. Even if they aren't affectionate in the ways you crave sometimes, they protect you with their life.

Only they can belittle you and get away with it.

When they're tired, they'll fluff up next to you and take a power nap. No, you're not allowed to leave. You'll hear low chattering from their beak as they bask in your warmth. Mention it, and you'll be sent into the stratosphere.(And they'll whine while denying they do it.)

Will fly you places and pretend you're being a burden. In reality, they enjoy seeing you so easily impressed by their wings. Peng definitely shows off their wings every chance they get after that, whether it's to shield you from the weather or pull you closer.

Will eventually let you kiss their beak. The reaction is priceless as their feathers fluff up, and their pupils dilate ever so slightly.

Peng definitely purrs if you manage to get them that comfortable.

Doesn't directly say I love you. They don't want to admit someone made them soft enough to express it verbally. That, and they're not entirely sure how to be genuine sometimes. They learn a lot from you. If you give them words of affirmation, they'll return them—if not a little aggressively.

They'll rub against you affectionately to cover you in their scent and then carry you around.

You'll never go hungry with Peng as a partner. They bring you food before you realize you're hungry and somehow know what you're craving.

Still belittles you, but it's somehow in an endearing way.

No one can make them feel bad about being with you now. They present you at their side as their amazing partner. Anyone who has anything to say can meet an early death.

#peng x reader #lego monkie kid #reader insert #lmk peng #golden winged peng #peng lmk #x reader #lmk x reader

[strawbby-shortcake]

"What Animal Do You Think You Could Take in a Fight?" ✧˚ · . [all gn! reader]

☽｡⋆ JACK/THE NARRATOR You and Jack were sitting outside at a quiet cafe and there were little to no civilians passing by. He looked up towards the sky with his black shades and sighed. He seemed to be bored.

You snapped your fingers in front of his face and his gaze met yours. Well, you weren't actually sure if he was looking at you. You couldn't tell where his eyes were, only that he tilted his head.

"What," Jack mumbled.

Someone's cranky today. As he is, like, literally every day.

"What animal do you think you could take in a fight?" you asked.

Jack scoffed and shook his head, "Oh my god. How much time do you have?"

You shrugged and checked your imaginary watch.

"According to my calculations... all day."

He took off his sunglasses and stared at you intensely.

"Honestly speaking, maybe an armadillo."

ੈ✩‧₊˚ MARLA

You coughed as Marla blew cigarette smoke in your face. She never did stop smoking, even though every time you saw her, she promised to quit.

"I'll quit smoking forever next week, okay?" she teased, knowing full well she won't.

"Hell will freeze over before that ever happens," you laughed.

She playfully swatted your shoulder, and you threatened to take her cigarettes as payback. She quickly hid the carton to protect them from you.

"Hey, Marla, what animal do you think you could take in a fight?"

Marla glanced at you and smiled. You could see her sharp cheekbones clearly.

"You," she replied, blowing another puff of smoke at you.

Your eyes watered as you resisted the urge to cough. Fanning away the cloud with your hand, you gave her a "seriously?" look.

She simply cocked her head like a puppy and grinned.

シ TYLER DURDEN

Tyler was getting his waiter outfit on for his late night shift, and you were fixing his bowtie. He didn't know how to tie it correctly around his neck.

"What animal do you think you could take in a fight?" you asked, tightening the bow.

Tyler adjusted his sleeves and pondered for a moment. Before answering, he took a deep breath and placed both hands on your shoulders.

"That's a very good question. In fact, I'm glad that you asked. See, I think I'm strong enough to take any animal in a fight- especially gorillas. The whole point of fighting the animal is not to win, but to become the animal yourself. This is how you achieve great results, and scars. I've never fought any animals before. I think I should try it someday. Actually, this gives me an idea. We could release all the animals out of the public zoos! We could form an animal fight club. Instead of them eating stale peanuts, they'll finally taste sweet revenge against those that ridicule them. And let's not forget..."

You zoned out for a couple minutes while he was ranting. Maybe you shouldn't have asked Tyler that question right before he had to leave.

"...and what an amazing question that was! Thank you, truly. I know what my next objective is now. While I'm gone, I need you to search 'how to help animals escape from the zoo without anyone seeing.' Okay? Wonderful," he concluded.

He quickly left the house with a task assigned for you. You guess that there was no other choice than to complete it. In Tyler We Trust.

ʚɞ ROBERT "BOB" PAULSON

You and Bob were sitting on a park bench watching birds fly around, peck at the ground, and chirp. He seemed focused on them for some reason.

"Psst, Bob," you whispered, nudging his arm with your elbow.

"Hm? Yes? Oh, what do you need?" he asked, turning his attention to you.

He's got a serious case of sweaty pits.

"What animal do you think you could take in a fight?"

Bob's eyebrows furrowed as he tapped his chin like an enlightenment thinker. Talk about using brain power.

He raised one finger in the air and declared, "I choose peace."

"That wasn't the question, Bob," you chuckled.

"Doesn't matter, I choose peace. I love the animal kingdom. I would never hurt a fly nor an alligator."

He had a point; he couldn't harm a fly even if he tried. And he did try once, but poor Bob burst into tears before swatting it.

What a sweetheart.

[END]

#fanfiction #fight club #fight club fanfic #fight club x reader #jack fight club #narrator fight club #tyler durden #x reader #tyler durden x reader #fanfic #marla singer #robert paulson #big bob #fight club meme #haha #hilarious #canon maybe #we love it when tyler goes on a tangent

[multiverse-imagines]

Its ok!! take as long as you want to read the manga, I really didn't want to spoil any of the content for you so I asked first.

Well if I can request for something (without spoilers I swear)

How would Vash treat someone who appears tough and stoic on the outside but inside is actually a crybaby who usually cries for his safety and worries too much for him? I'm a person without much strong feelings but he makes me cry every time he does something stupid or just bc I love him. Feel free to delete if it makes you uncomfortable, though!

Concept based loosely on the post of Vash "if a man was a rubber chicken" this one kind of veered off the original idea I had, ending up being a bunch of little drabbles in one sort of coherent story. Please enjoy!

I also wanted to post this as a declaration that I've finished the manga! (And let me tell you I am screaming, crying, and throwing up in love and excitement.) You had an ask pertaining to the manga, and I wanted to be able to notify you that I can take requests from the manga with integrity now! Two birds and all that~

Reading between the lines

Your grandmother had always told stories about items that her grandmother had when she lived on Earth. The one that always stuck in your mind was called "A Rubber Chicken." A flailing piece of rubber that made a loud screaming noise, apparently not sounding at all like a real chicken.

It was always something so bizarre about the planet your family, your species, came from. They hadn't found it necessary to make such an item on Gunsmoke, so you were left wondering what an item would be like. 

That was, until you met Vash the Stampede. You were walking home from a day shift at work when you heard gunshots a few blocks down. Crouching by a barrel, a loud thumping was heard in the hardened sand of an alley. A gunshot almost made your ears ring, but it was drowned out by the noise of a screaming, spiraling, red coat that flew past you.

The man inside it almost seemed to slow down in mid air as you took in his features of spiked blond hair, and amazing blue eyes. His mouth hung open as the sound from his mouth seemed to be slowed. He flailed around the corner, only to be caught by one of the Sheriff's boys, and he scrambled off in the opposite direction. Once they all passed yelling something about their six billion double dollars, the street became quiet. 

"…What just happened?" You couldn't tell if you had said those words out loud or not. 

You stood once again, and made your way home. Flicking on the lights of your living room, you found the red coated man sitting on your couch.

"Thanks for leaving your key in an easy place!" He smiled, "say, you're that pretty lady from the alleyway! Sorry for scaring ya! You'll let me crash here until tonight, right?" He was giving you puppy dog eyes that made your heart swell. Did you really have a choice? This was Vash the Stampede. It almost seemed as if there'd be less of a chance that the town would crumble to dust if you just let him be.

"Sure, do whatever, I'm gonna be making dinner soon." You shrugged.

It was that next morning you were run out of town for your one time association with Vash. Luckily he hadn't made it far when he scooped You up on the Tomas he'd gotten, and began dragging you along on his journey. 

You had obviously hated the fact that people were so unwilling to help Vash, that anyone who even associated with him was a target. But if there was anyone you'd be okay with being on the run with, you were happy it was Vash.  Not that you needed to tell him that.

🙏

Despite your inability to show your true feelings, a problem you'd had since your neglectful childhood, Vash seemed to be a master at sussing out your real feelings. He was always able to react based on what you wanted your words to mean, instead of how they sounded to everyone else. 

Stopping in a town, the two of you stopped at a restaurant.

"Hey, I'm short on cash until tomorrow, can you buy us dinner tonight, and I'll buy your drinks tomorrow night?" He pressed his hands together begging; his eyes sparkling as he peeked over little orange glasses.  You couldn't deny the grumbling in your stomach, and you didn't want him to go hungry either.

"Go ahead and order whatever, don't you think for a minute that I'll forget those drinks you're offering in return." You grimaced and scratched the back of your neck, trying to hide you reaction to his cute face.

"Thanks! Well drink and have fun tomorrow night! The bar in this town has the best prices, and quality booze!" He laughed as the waitress returned to take your order.

🍗

During your travels, you got to know the red coated man in ways you didn't think most people ever did. He wasn't some scary blood thirsty typhoon that everyone presumed he was. You remember trying to swat down one of the buzzard-flies, only to have Vash grab your arm at an inhuman speed. 

"Please don't kill it. It's just hungry, like we are." He slowly released your hand and broke off a piece of the cooked meat he had made. The fly buzzed off, content with its meal. The astonished gaze of his inhuman abilities stayed on your face, but your heart swelled at his kindness towards everything, and the fact he shared such a limited supply of food with such a small, seemingly insignificant creature. 

👕

On a night you two had to share a room at an Inn, he finally showed you his scars. Your face couldn't emote the sheer curiosity, worry, and pity that stopped your heart, and strangled your throat. 

"I don't like to show them. It's the kind of thing I don't like pretty women like you to see." He blushed as he dug into his bag to retrieve a shirt from his bag. 

"Well. I don't think you'd be you without those lessons learned, and that would suck." You said harshly as you looked away to give him privacy, but the blush on your face told Vash all he needed to understand. You didn't see the reciprocal blush on his own face. As he slid the shirt onto his torso.

🍻

"Please, listen to me." Vash said, making you hunker down on The basement of a friend's house, "I need you to stay here. This is too dangerous this time. I'll come back for you, I promise." He explained as hastily as he could, curling a lock of hair behind your ear with the exposed finger of his right hand.

"Vash, let me help, I helped last time." You insisted.

"No. Not with my brother around. I… I can't let him get to you." His eyes conveyed such worry that you swore you could see tears pricking his eyes. 

"Make sure you come back to me. You still owe me that drink." Your voice shook for the first time since you were a kid as you felt a tear slide down your face. Vash's face raised in astonishment as he'd never seen you cry before. His face softened to a smile, eyes twinkling with something you could only describe as… love.

"We'll have that drink when I come back." He pressed a kiss to your forehead, "I love you." He whispered as he brushed another stray tear from your face and he slipped up the stairs of the basement and out of the house, leaving you alone.

🤞

You laid in the bed of the Inn, tangled up with Vash, your head on his chest. There wasn't a tense muscle In your body.

"Comfortable, Mayfly?" He asked, his hand rubbing small patterns into your back.

"My arm is asleep." You complained, but nodded as you ignored it and cuddled into him. 

#trigun #vash the stampede #vash x reader #trigun brain rot #This was fun!

[rans-rubbish]

Memory • Xiao

Description: You promised him you'll come back, thousands of years later he still believes you. Is it finally time for you to meet again?

A/n: English in not my first language so sorry for any mistakes, not proofread. Also idk what to do for part 2 huhu T-T

Tags: [reincarnation] [angst/little comfort] [reader died]

Fire and explosion lit up Xiao's dim eyes, sparks of light making it seem like he held the galaxy in his pupils. Those same eyes looked at you, not with the usual soft and loving gaze but instead with regret and despair.

"Xiao... please dont look at me like that" you pleaded.

You reach out your hand to touch his cheek, where a few tears have started to stream.

He dared to be weak around you, even when he's at war.

"Dearest, keep your eyes open, will you?" He clutched your hand.

"I will, I will." you chuckle.

You look up to see the blood-stained clouds. The once blue sky was now red in colour, and reflected nothing but the misery of the world.

"Once the sky is clear and the dust have settled, promise to find me at our spot." You requested.

"I promise, i promise to find you even if it takes a thousand years." Xiao declares.

As you take your last breath, Xiao cant help feel infuriated towards the deities and gods, for dragging those who are innocent in a war full of violence.

~

Xiao recalls your last moments while sitting beside a lake.

After millenniums he still remembers all the little details. How can he ever forget you, when you were the only one who made his life worth living.

Ever since that war, ever since that moment he has promised to protect the innocent people of Teyvat. He knows it's what you would've wanted.

Whenever he felt turmoil, he would go to your favourite place. To your spot.

The place was tranquil and quiet, as if a leaf falling can be heared. Tall trees surrounded the area and lush greenery filled the territory.

A small, clear lake can be found at the eye of it. With small fishes and big boulders around it.

He'll never forget that time you tried taking a seat on one of those rocks and took a swim with the koi.

He also recalls that time you made flower crowns using the flowers around the forest.

And that time you climbed a tree and couldnt figure out how to go back down.

He misses those times, he misses you. A lot.

Xiao doesnt notice but after thousands of years, he's slowly starting to forget your face. When he tries to picture your features in his mind, he misses a couple details or sometimes he cant remember the spark in your eyes and how they reflected the stars.

While in a trip down memory lane, he lost track of time and soon the moon began to rise.

The lake was even more beautiful at night with the moon casted on the crystal waters.

He can only wish to stay here forever, but unfortunately he's gonna have to leave.

Songs of night birds and barks of animals filled the night, behind the chime of wild animals were the sound of breaking leave and footsteps.

He didnt think much of it as in can only be monsters, and he really didnt want to spill blood around this area so he ignored it and headed to the direction of Liyue's towns.

That was, until he heard a voice.

"Uhm hello? Is anyone there? Please I dont mean any harm! I'm just lost" someone called out.

Xiao can feel his heart racing, his mind was lost in thought. He feels like his chest is about to burst.

Is it really you?

He knows the chances are slim, and he doesnt want to get his hopes up. But part of him still yearns that it's you he's facing right now.

"Stop right there! Dont move an inch closer" He said, eyes wandering around, looking for the person who spoke.

Xiao spotted a figure near the trees, a floor length cloak covering their face and body.

"Please, I was traveling to Liyue but my horse wandered off to the forest! Now I cant find my way back on track." They said as they took of their cloth, trying to prove they're human.

As the cloak drops to the soil, so does Xiao's heart.

How can someone, have such similar voice and figure as you?

Could it be...?

You took a step closer to him leaving the shadows. The dim moonlight illuminated your face.

"Y/n?" Xiao whispered.

#reader insert #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin x you #genshin impact x gender neutral reader #genshin x gender neutral reader #genshin x gn reader #genshin impact x gn reader #genshin x y/n #genshin impact x you #genshin impact x y/n #genshin impact xiao #genshin xiao #adeptus xiao #adepti #genshin xiao x reader #xiao x you #xiao x y/n #xiao x reader #xiao fluff #xiao angst

[harus-simp]

Flourishing feelings

-Gyuvin x reader-

Warning:a little angsty but just for a second, overall really fluffy

Author's note: I haven't written anything for gyuvin yet, so I figured this concept would be really fitting for him. I love the different flower meanings so yeah that's my inspiration basically hehe

(I've also put some pictures so you can know which flower I'm talking about)

Hope y'all enjoy :))

°□°□°□°□°□°□°□°□°□°□°□°□°□°□°□°□

On his way back home gyuvin stops by a small flower shop whose worker might be one of the main reasons he comes back frequently.

Gyuvin hadn't been a guy to express his feelings throughout gifts at all, he tended to be more of a touchy person who enjoyed being around those who he liked and was comfortable around with. However, all that would change one day due to a simple and not organised visit.

.

.

.

After a tough week of exams and preparing for his next dance competition our guy here was coming back home as his dance instructor declared that day off due to all the hard work everyone had put into the choreography they were preparing.

He felt relieved to have a proper rest since he had been overworking himself a little bit. The warm and sunny weather made his way back way more pleasant and peaceful, birds chirping quietly, leaves falling softly and sun hitting his face gently.

He couldn't ask for a better day. He kept walking and walking humming softly until was almost reaching his house. That was until he noticed what seemed to be a...flower shop? He didn't recall to see one there.

But what really grabbed his attention was the person standing outside wearing a beautiful smile on its face and waving at everyone who passed by her with heart-warming words.

"Have a nice day sir!"

"Take care of yourself m'am!"

"Good luck with the exams kids!"

Wow a real angel fallen from heaven. He was so mesmerised he didn't notice how he had stopped completely in his tracks watching them.

As he watched how the figure was no longer into his sight he got out of his trance and like in a sort of frenzy his feet guided them into the shop.

As the bell ranged while he entered the door and saw the interior of the place you were with another customer, when you saw him you smiled warmly indicating him to wait for a bit.

After it you waved goodbye to the kind gentleman who was buying flower for his wife and approached him with that smile that enchanted him to go there in the first place.

"Hello there, what can I help you with?"

Oh shit! He hadn't thought that far.

"Umm- I was looking for some flowers for my mom"he made up at the last minute.

Yeah that sounded convincing,good job gyuvin 😌

"Oh what a great son"you giggled cutely making him stare at you hypnotised."Sure, is there something in particular you are looking for?"

"Oh, not really-umm-, I was hoping you could help me with that?"

The way he was tripping over his words felt so cute and adorable to you.

"Of course, follow me!"

He did as you said and followed you through the shop stoppinf once you did so.

"Well here I have some yellow tulips, the Victorians gave it the literal meaning of there's a sun in your smile, so they're the perfect flower to radiate happiness"

His mouth opened in awe as he heard the lovely reason for your recommendation of a gift.

"Or you could gift her this precious begonias, they are used to give as a thank you to a family member or a friend, they simbolize gratitude, singularity and at times caution"

"Oh wow, umm-I like both I think?"

"Would you like me to put both of them into a bouquet?"you said giggling softly at his confused state and right after it his lit up expression

"Yes please"

While you were at it he couldn't help but comment a few things.

"You seem to know a lot of things"

You figured out he was talking about the flowers so you answered him eagerly.

"Of course, I love to know the meaning of flowers, I think it'd much more special when someone gifts you something knowing of it instead of just picking a random one don't you think?"

He smiled at you shyly nodding softly in the process.

"Sorry, what's your name?"you asked him

He was startled for a second looking at you with a puzzled expression not expecting your question. He felt hopeful you had found interest in him as much as he had found interest in you.

"Gyuvin, Kim Gyuvin"

"Perfect, from gyuvin to...?"

He saw how you were signing a little card that was intended to be like a dedicatory making feel embarrassed.

"Umm-just 엄마(eomma) is fine"

You nodded and wrote what he told you, but you then grabbed a little card with the contact of the shop and wrote something else behind it.

"Well here you go gyuvin,I hope I can see you soon around here"

"Oh but I haven't payed yet-"

"I know, this one's on me, I hope your mom enjoys your little gift"you say winking at him

"Oh-thank-thank you"

His stuttering made your heart fuzzy and filled with giddiness.

"Could I at least get your name"

"It's y/n, l/n y/n"

As he got out with the bouquet he was not planning to get at all he was curious of the content of your business card, and as he flipped it he saw a number that didn't seem to be the same one as the one from the shop(yes it was your personal contact, how could you not give it to him)

Oh how nervous and happy he felt.

.

.

.

You eventually started talking and after some time you both grew closer to each other. He visited you almost every day and visited the shop once a week. He always used some excuse to go there like buying something for his mom, a friend's birthday, a gift to his dance instructor, but you caught onto it quickly. I mean he kinda said that his friend yujin's birthday was on two different days (but could you blame him?)

After hanging out for a while your conception about him changed completely from this shy and adorable guy to a much more extroverted and teasing person. And you loved (him) it.

...

Well you may have developed some sort of crush for him, he was so attentive and payed attention to your liking towards flowers. In fact the reason he came to visit you to the flower shop was so he could listen to you talking about all their meanings. It's true you could talk of it at any moment but gyuvin particularly liked it when you were on your work place, your comfort zone.

Speaking of feelings, guess who was so in love with you he couldn't stand it anymore? Of course it was him. Since your first encounter he had found you so beautiful and mesmerising, but getting to know you was a privilege he didn't want to share with anyone, so yeah he fell hard, really hard.

And he didn't even hide it, he was so obvious about it. His friends noticed it really easily, specially when he brought you to his dance competition to cheer for him and you gave him some hyacinths.

"These are known to express games, sport and fun, so they're perfect to give for rooting for someone"

"Oh, then I must win at all costs,hehe"

All the smiles and the heart eyes he was giving kinda gave it away that he was head over hills for you to his friends,and even his dance instructor! However he kept pushing it away and denying it in spite of how obvious he was.

The reality was that he was too shy and scared to confess and get rejected by his crush, specially after he had such a comfortable and special relationship with you.

When he finally accepted his feelings and his friends encouraged him to confess he felt like he had a chance with you so he was preparing to confess.

As he remembered you loved gifts that had meanings behind them, he decided to keep that in mind.

As he went to your shop he stepped confidently inside after making some research about flowers.

"Hey y/n"

"Hey gyu, what can I help you with today?"you asked

"Well I was actually planning on taking a bouquet of gardenias please"

"Oh, does someone have a crush?"you asked teasingly

"Yes"

"Oh, who's the lucky one?"

"Well, there's this friend I've known for years so I now have collected the courage to do so"

"Oh, I see"you said with some disappointment present in your face.

He noticed your furrowed eyebrows and your sad tone,and was about to ask you what was the cause of it until you interrupted him.

"Hope you get accepted, good luck gyuvin, this one's on me" you said faking a smile

"No-no, I'm not letting you do that"

"Of course you are, now go for it" you told him as you gave him the bouquet and got him out of the shop.

.

.

.

When you were returning home you felt horribly sad and hopeless, just when you thought you could have an opportunity with him you were left there heartbroken and hurted. You couldn't imagine him with someone else.

Once you got to your door you noticed a bouquet of gardenias with a small note attached to it.

~I know I told you I had a crush on another person, but that was just a lie so you didn't suspect anything. I actually love you y/n, hope you can accept my feelings <3-gyuvin~

You couldn't believe your eyes, he really liked you back! Almost crying out of desperation and happiness you picked the bouquet with a smile bringing it inside and texting gyuvin.

-Took you long enough idiot, but I love you too. Take me on a date already will ya?🙄-

°◇°◇°◇°◇°◇°◇°◇°◇°◇°◇°◇°◇°◇°◇°◇°◇°

엄마-eom ma=mom

Gardenias= simbolize secret love/admirer and are a way to say :you're charming". Gifting them is a sweet and romantic gesture and a wonderful way to express your true feelings to someone.

#boys planet #boys planet drabbles #boys planet fanfics #boys planet reactions #boys planet headcanons #boys planet x reader #kim gyuvin #gyuvin #kpop

[eventinelysplayground]

A Birthday Drink.

It's May 1st which means it's Theo's Birthday! Happy Birthday to that handsome man that at least I adore. I had a different fic planned out originally but with the visit from my Mom there was no way I could devote any attention to it so went with this instead. It was an idea I had awhile back that I figured would come together quickly with minimal modifactions and it did. This fic jumps ahead in time to when the twins are grown up. Arthur and Theo are at a bar having a drink when a case of mistaken identity interrupts them. Just pure fun WC approx 1034.

The bar was different but the drinks were the same as two old friends sat talking at a table.

“Now that your visit is almost over I dare say I'm going to miss seeing Mitsuki every day. Perhaps I could convince her to stay here with me instead.”

“That won't happen.”

“Oh I don't know, it's been long enough she could be bored of you by now. Perfect time to swoop in and encourage her to try something and someone new.”

“Is your mind ever not in the gutter?”

“Only occasionally.”

Theo groaned at Arthur's smirk before taking a sip of his whiskey.

“This is why we put Comte in charge of the boys while they're at university.”

Arthur scoffed and put his hands over his heart dramatically.

“You wound me Theo.”

“Knock it off y-”

Theo stopped talking as he noticed two young women staring at them from the corner of his eye.

“Friends of yours?”

“No but I certainly wouldn't mind becoming friends with them.”

Arthur leaned back in his chair and Theo shook his head.

“Well well looks like they're coming over.”

Theo took a quick glance and sure enough the two young ladies were moving in their direction and the expressions on their faces were not happy.

“You sure you don't know them, they look pretty annoyed.”

Arthur didn't have time for a retort before the ladies were almost at their table.

“Why hello lovelies to what-”

Arthur's greeting went unacknowledged as the two ladies came to a stop beside Theo and crossed their arms over their chests.

“What do you think Claudette, does this look like a family dinner to you?”

“Not in the least.”

“I can't believe you lied to us!”

“Huh?”

Theo looked up at the women confused.

“Don't try playing dumb with us!”

“It's bad enough you can't decide between us but now you're lying to us.”

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

The women were glaring at Theo and Arthur started laughing so hard he nearly fell over in his chair.

“Ladies, ladies please. My friend here truly isn't playing dumb, I'm afraid you've mistaken him.”

“Pardon me? I think I would recognize my own boyfriend.”

“So would I.”

“Boyfriend? Dat kleine boefje, I'm not Vincent!”

“Oh really?”

“Just how dumb do you think we are?”

“I'm not, I'm his…cousin.”

“Cousin?”

Both ladies repeated Theo's declaration back at him skeptically making him sigh and look to Arthur for help. Arthur as usual was quick on the uptake and reached out, taking the hand of the closest young lady in his own.

“I assure you my friend is telling the truth. This is Vincent and Arthur's cousin Theo.”

“Just like Vincent's father.”

“Of course! They're related on their father's side after all.”

Theo glared at Arthur.

“I don't know…”

“How can we be sure you aren't lying to us to try and help get him out of trouble?”

“Lie to two such lovely birds as yourselves? On my word I would never do such a thing, perhaps my friend here can prove it to you somehow?”

The ladies looked at each other and then one leaned in to briefly whisper in the other's ear before they turned their attention to Theo.

“Alright prove that you aren't Vincent.”

“Yes, prove it.”

Theo put his drink down on the table and turned in his chair to face the young women.

“You said you're both Vincent's girlfriends right?”

The ladies nodded in agreement. Theo then took off his coat and began rolling up his right sleeve.

“Here then, take a look.”

Theo held out his forearm to the young ladies one of whom grabbed it while the other ran her fingers over it.

“There's no scar?”

“But that's impossible!”

“Unless what we’ve told you is the truth and he isn't Vincent.”

The ladies withdrew their hands from Theo and he rolled his sleeve back down. He never would have thought there would be a day he'd be happy about Vincent's old fencing scar and yet here he was. The ladies exchanged glances and then clasped their hands together.

“We’re so sorry!”

“You both just look so much alike, like twins!”

“Yes! You look more like Vincent's twin than Arthur does.”

“Don't worry about it, we've heard it before.”

“You know though…if you're that identical, then maybe we wouldn't need to fight over Vincent.”

“Oh!”

The ladies were now smiling at Theo while looking him up and down.

“I'm afraid you're too late ladies.”

Arthur rose from his chair and slipped an arm around each of the women's waists.

“Theo here is a married man.”

“Oh.”

“That's too bad.”

“Now now ladies don't pout, you're far too lovely for that. If you'd like I'll gladly keep you both company tonight and I promise I'll make it a night you won't forget.”

Arthur gave the young women his familiar charming smile while caressing their waists and they both blushed slightly before nodding in agreement.

“Excellent, I'll join you at your table in just a moment.”

Arthur and Theo watched the ladies return to their table across the room. Theo picked up his drink and took a big swing of it while Arthur fished out his wallet.

“As much as I'd like to spend the evening with you-”

“Go on, but I think they're going to be disappointed with you.”

Theo smirked at Arthur but he just shrugged his shoulders.

“Experience and charm will always win out Theo.”

Arthur set down some money in front of Theo for their drinks and then he smiled at him devilishly.

“Though maybe not always, that would explain nicely why Mitsuki fell for you instead of me.”

“Klootzak.”

Theo took another sip of his whiskey through a wry smile and Arthur placed a hand on Theo's shoulder.

“Don't stay too much longer or you'll be late.”

Arthur headed towards the young ladies’ table but he turned back around after only a few steps.

“Oh and Theo, Happy Birthday old chap. I hope you have as much fun tonight as I plan on having.”

With a wink Arthur turned back around and walked off while Theo chuckled to himself before downing the last of his whiskey.

#ikemen vampire #ikevamp #ikevamp fanfic #ikevamp theo #ikemen vampire theodorus #ikemen vampire theo #ikevamp arthur #Starlitmanor-network

[shroudkeeper]

It was a habit to dampen and numb her emotions, and thoughts when in combat, it is the only way she could ensure that she stayed focused, but also remained in control of the umbral force she was manipulating. There is always a risk of being rejected and misunderstood by those who would assume her nature was all but benign. Afterall, wisps of darkness and twisting shadows did not always indicate the best of intentions.

Thus, one could only fathom what he may have thought at that moment, when she had not taken notice of his presence, until she turned and met his startled gaze. Oh, she wished his glasses were resting on the bridge of his nose instead, to shield her from the language of fear reflected in his eyes.

The reins of her control were loosened and caused her worries to arise; the anxiety of this moment toppled over any foundation of control she had set in place. This beautiful sound of birds, of the gentle breeze, the whispers of spirits, it all became deafening silent, even the sudden change in weather hardly warranted her acknowledgement as the skies darkened around them and the first droplets of rain declared the approach of a storm.

Kikyo desired to slip into the comforts of the mottled shadows cast around them, but her feet were affixed to the ground, she had lost grip of her scythe, and became as still and breathless as the protection stones that led them up the mountain.  

“Mistress Takahashi,” all became still and time froze as her mind raced with different outcomes of this encounter. It was not until his voice broke through that she dared to breathe, riddled with confusion but a tenderness she did not think would come when speaking to her.

And when he sees the recognition of her name, not even the sound of the downpour can conceal his approach against the puddles made by the forceful water careening sideways from the gusts.

❝ Please, my lady. ❞ Hancock tentatively reached for her hands whilst speaking gingerly, fighting against terrible conditions they now faced. He gathered courage instead of falling into fear realizing an audience of small spirits that were witnessing his approach from behind the gorin-tō near them.

She wanted to pull her hands away, afraid he may feel her frigid touch, but he did not stray and only closed the distance between their bodies.

❝ You gifted me your trust when I already deceived you prior and then offered to protect me this entire journey. I will not turn from you now, even if I may not understand what is happening. I want to see every facet of you, even the parts you are afraid may scare me from your side.

I'm not going away, I will bear it with you, if you would allow me. ❞

Against her ear he spoke, shielding her from the pelting rain shower as he brought his arms around her slowly, carefully, until her smaller form pressed to his own.

#ffxiv #ffxiv screenshot #ff14 #hancock fitzgerald #kikyo takahashi #sorry for the two different set of shots #I crashed once and then had to do it two other times because the weather conditions changed #ffxiv writing

[strixcattus]

The Narngreg

I can't be certain, but I think I'm late again.

Even though this week is "only a bird if you want it to be" it's pretty clear that, whatever this guy is, it's a mammal, and the general idea I was picking up was that it's specifically feline or feline-adjacent... I mean, the only golden-spotted mammals that also feature black and white (and isn't that a lot of visual information for one of these entries!) that I know of are cats.

"Sleeping in caves" makes me think of hibernation (though I have my suspicions that this is supposed to be some sort of Biblical allegory with the "three days" bit), so I'm opting to go with a "what if there were a feline equivalent of bears?" interpretation—and as for some other parts of the description, well. If you thought human pregnancy and childbirth were rough...

Did a bit of experimenting with brushes on this one. Mostly in time-saving interests, but there's an interesting effect here.

The Narngreg

The Narngreg (Narngreg placidus) is a carnivorous mammal found mainly in Europe and western Asia. Its form is large and stocky, with black-and-white fur, and it can be immediately identified by its unique pattern of white stripes interspersed with pale golden spots. In winter, they enter long periods of sleep, though this is not true hibernation.

Male and female Narngregs act very differently with regards to their territory and their fellow Narngregs. Males are free-roaming and do not mark territory, and when they meet fellow males, they will almost always fight, if not to the death than to severe injury and complete surrender of the other. Females, on the other hand, mark their territory and do not generally trespass outside of it—on the occasion two females meet, often when one is a youngster who has yet to declare territory, they will usually let one another be, and they only fight when both are desperate for food or territory.

These patterns are reflected in their mating habits. When mating season arrives, the males will mate much more readily than the females—a female Narngreg who has decided she will raise cubs this year has no trouble finding a mate, but the males who every year are intent on fathering cubs must fight one another for the privilege.

If a female does become a mother, she has an arduous journey ahead of her. A Narngreg's pregnancy lasts nearly a year, and especially in the later months takes a heavy toll on her body, demanding her to increase her appetite massively. When it is time for her to give birth to her litter—usually two to three pups—she will find a secluded spot and enter a labor which can take over a day to complete and leaves her thoroughly exhausted. It will then take her some days to recover enough to walk, at which point she will be ravenously hungry.

Likely due to the toll of mothering cubs, female Narngregs mate very rarely. Instead, to ensure the survival of their litter, they will keep their cubs close by for up to the first two years of their lives, teaching them to hunt and protecting them from danger at first, and once their cubs are able to carry such tasks themselves, the family unit will support one another in matters of both food and safety.

When the cubs are ready to leave, they usually do so without prompting from their mother. Males set off to wander the land alone, and females will stick close by at first, politely avoiding their mother's hunting grounds, before settling into their own territory.

Legend says that Narngregs are the sole natural predator of the Choglaem. As there are no Choglaem to be found in Europe, it can be surmised that the Narngreg was overly successful in this regard.

#narngreg #bestiary #worldbuilding #fiction writing #Strix draws things

[astraltrickster]

Thing is, AI is a nuanced topic. Most big tech advances are. I think the only one I've EVER been super close to that was almost 100% cut-and-dry was NFTs and the "metaverse" sucking ass, and even THAT...well, the former at least originated from an extremely poorly thought-out implementation of a potentially good idea (i.e., an anti-attribution loss registry to counter the damage of unsourced reposting, since convincing people outside of artist communities that YES that shit is rude as fuck BECAUSE it has the potential to be actually damaging is like talking to a wall).

There are good uses of it. There are horrible uses of it. We made the necessary breakthroughs in calculation at one of the WORST possible times, socioeconomically speaking. That doesn't mean we can unmake them. It's putting nearly every single common ethics violation in the world of tech as a whole into the spotlight, from the lack of protections against datamining to the abuse of outsourced labor in moderation work and much more. It didn't invent any of them, and in fact is BETTER about some of them than many other things we just let slide (and shouldn't). Technology marches on, in this form or any other. It changes industries and workflows. It CAN be for the better. The BOSSES always push to make it for cheaper and worse. This isn't the first time it's happened - not even in your lifetime if you didn't have to lie about your age to get here - and it will not be the last. It's just the most visible relative to its absolutely horrendous timing.

I'm in agreement with...some of the more technically-oriented circles I work with irl that it can be genuinely useful. I PERSONALLY do some hobby work in trying to make it more human-positive, for both accessibility and safety, as well as where that overlaps with just...fun. I'm in agreement with both the popular attitude among actors and commercial artists that the way corporations want to use it is absolutely fucking disgusting, and the recognition that a lot of people out there (especially on the fucking bird site) are being total fucking assholes with it. I'm in agreement with labor organizers that we need to place contractual and cultural limits on how it can and should be used. It's a complex subject!

Because of that complexity, I don't mind AT ALL if someone comes to a different conclusion about using it for small-time funsies than I do.

I DO mind when people resist the shitty usage via reactionary sentiment ("this tech is LAZY and DEGENERATE and ANYONE who uses it for ANY reason is a GREEDY ENTITLED SMOOTHBRAIN PARASITE!" - let's play "count the dogwhistles" btw!), blatant ableism ("there's NO ONE in the WORLD who's SO disabled they ACTUALLY need this to help with anything from basic communication to self-expression, or if there are it doesn't COUNT because the COMPUTER did it, not THEM!"), misinformation about how it works (e.g., the copy-paste myth - if that was how it worked ChatGPT papers wouldn't be absolutely full of fictitious citations and AI hands wouldnt look Like That, you realize this, right?), missing the forest for the trees (please do call out asshole usage of AI but not to the point of just forgetting that people were stealing other artists' WIPs to "finish" and making hoaxes and deepfakes and lean-staffing and cheating people out of credits LONG before we had this way to do it and they WILL continue to do so with OTHER new tech as well, an asshole will be an asshole no matter what tools they have; fighting the tech instead of the assholery will only let it happen again as soon as the method changes), using frameworks to fight that asshole usage that are ACTIVELY counterproductive (if it's legally declared that using your work as less than ONE BILLIONTH of my starting point, or developing a style too similar to yours, is infringing on your copyright, this will have WAY more negative impacts than positive; I sure hope the author of your favorite thing isn't the type to go full Anne Rice or JKR; plus even when ignoring the assistive usage of AI as we very much should not, GPT detectors throw a lot of false positives at non-native English speakers, so crackdowns against its usage end up hurting a lot of very vulnerable people far more than they hurt the people using it to do actual tangible harm), or just plain using it as an excuse to bully random other people who individually have about as much power to impact The Issue as dropping a soggy pea on the floor does.

...I also mind when people go full There Is No War In Ba Sing Se about it, but that's not a problem I encounter as much here on tumblr.

#tech #ai tag #current events #serious tag

[fritextramole]

striving to find the right road

part 3 of a Vanessa Abrams playlist - best heard in order

tracklist and quotes under the cut

Feeling Good ~ Nina Simone

Dragonfly out in the sun You know what I mean, don't you know? Butterflies all havin' fun You know what I mean Sleep in peace when day is done That's what I mean

Everyday People ~ Sly & The Family Stone

I am no better and neither are you We're all the same, whatever we do You love me, you hate me

The Adults Are Talking ~ The Strokes

You were waitin' for the elevator You were sayin' all the words I'm dreaming No more askin', questions, or excuses

High School Never Ends ~ Bowling For Soup

The whole damn world is just as obsessed With who's the best dressed and who's having sex Who's got the money, who gets the honeys Who's kinda cute and who's just a mess And I still don't have the right look And I still have the same three friends And I'm pretty much the same as I was back then High school never ends

The New Year ~ Death Cab for Cutie

The clanking of crystal Explosions off in the distance

Atomic Dog ~ George Clinton

Why must I feel like that? Why must I chase the cat?

The World Is Ugly ~ My Chemical Romance

These are the lies and the lives of the taken These are their hearts, but their hearts don't beat like ours They burn 'cause they are all afraid But mine beats twice as hard

Picket Line ~ Bobby DePace

My head is getting weary and my body is worn But i’ll keep on walking til i can’t walk no more

Royals ~ Lorde

Life is great without a care We aren't caught up in your love affair

War on the Workers ~ Anne Feeney

Listen up, we've got a war zone here today Right in our heartland, and across the USA These multinational bastards don't use tanks and guns it's true But they've declared a war on us, fight back! It's up to you

What Is Hip? ~ Tower Of Power

So you became part of the new breed Been smoking only the best weed Hanging out with so-called hippest set Been seen in all the right places Seen with just the right faces You should be satisfied But still it ain't quite right

Seven ~ Sleeping At Last

How wonderful to see a smile on your face It costs farewell tears for a welcome-home parade A secret handshake between me and my one life I'll find the silver lining, no matter what the price

Right Back Where We Started From ~ Army Navy

Love is good, love can be strong We gotta get right back to where started from

Stand by Me ~ Ben E. King

If the sky that we look upon Should tumble and fall Or the mountains should crumble to the sea I won't cry, I won't cry No, I won't shed a tear Just as long as you stand, stand by me

Baby I Need Your Loving ~ Four Tops

Some say it's a sign of weakness for a man to beg Then weak, I'd rather be If it means having you to keep 'Cause lately I've been losing sleep

I Heard It Through The Grapevine ~ Marvin Gaye

You could have told me yourself That you love someone else, instead I heard it through the grapevine

The Hollow Sound of the Morning Chimes ~ TOPS

You've been up all night Clangin round The thoughts that you cannot make right

Big Wheel ~ Samia

I got a lover in my bedroom Or the smell of him at least If he's somewhere getting smarter On a free man's odyssey

Expert In A Dying Field ~ The Beths

The city is painted with memory The water will never run clear The birds and the bees and the flowers and trees They know that we've both been here And I can flee the country For the worst of the year But I'll come back to it

Train in Vain (Stand by Me) ~ The Clash

All the times when we were close I'll remember these things the most

Right Place Wrong Time ~ Dr. John

I was in the right trip But I made it in the wrong car

Nasty Gal ~ Betty Davis

I said, you went around tellin' everybody Yeah, you just put me down now You dragged my name in the mud All over town

#gg #ggplaylists #vanessa abrams #gossip girl #source: senamarais