#but maybe it's just the fatigue talking haha

[starryserenade]

Myth and Magic Ch. 17: Echoes

Fic Description: When Tir Na nÓg--the fabled land of the fae--falls to a dark power, the destinies of two young mice are set in motion. As each struggle to make their way in an ever-darkening world, they must learn to trust one another, or risk forever losing that which they hold most dear.

Chapter Description: The mice find themselves in Tir na Nog through no choice of their own. As new perspectives are uncovered and new magic explored, new tensions start to flare as well.

Links:

AO3

Prologue

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter: Coming Soon

She was furious, more than he’d ever known her to be. He could feel it before he even entered the palace, its rotting wood and withered leaves darker than they’d been when he’d left. There was an aura of darkness that surrounded the ballroom, and an overwhelming pressure as if some great power was about to snap. 

He tread lightly, but proudly, his head held high as he strolled towards the throne room, knowing full well who’d be waiting for him there. He’d had about enough of that witch and her temper, and all those promises that never seemed to be fulfilled. Perhaps he’d finally tell her off this time, finally demand she keep her promise…

The doors swung open at his touch, and he found more than one figure standing before him.  Magica was there in the shadowy form she so often donned, and the wicked look on her face smothered all his courage. Beside her, two Sidhe held a sopping wet Mortimer who spat and cursed at them to no avail. Oswald would have laughed at that, under normal circumstances, but he had a nagging feeling that now was not the time.

Magica grinned through the shadow of her wispy facade, a horrible smile that worsened the silent fury blazing behind her eyes. But Oswald pretended he didn’t notice, only approached as usual and cast an unimpressed glance at the half-drowned rat before him, before looking back to her. 

The witch laughed and looked sharply at Mortimer. “Look who’s arrived! Care to tell him about your recent endeavor?”  

Mortimer scowled, and Oswald nearly chuckled, realizing Magica’s rage was fully directed in the mortal king’s direction. He’d done something incredibly stupid, no doubt, which really came as no surprise. The only thing that was surprising was how long it took Magica to notice his ineptitude. Oh well, better late than never.

“What happened?” This was petty, and Oswald knew it, but he couldn’t resist. “Go for a swim?”

The loathing in Mortimer’s eyes was incomparable, and hilarious, as the rat grumbled some words Oswald couldn’t understand.

“Our precious king here,” Magica seethed, still through that horrifying grin, “let our princess get away again. Not once, but twice. ”

Mortimer wrenched his wrists away from the Sidhe. “I would’ve had them,” he spat in Magica’s direction. “If your little monsters hadn’t gotten in my way!”

At once, the shadow encompassing Magica’s form flared and dispersed into a lofty stormcloud of smoke, looming over Mortimer who cowered almost immediately. “You WASTED the most powerful spell I’d granted you for sheer PRIDE!” She screeched, her voice like no creature Oswald had ever heard. “That gem in that crown held ONE spell,” The cloud was sporadic, shifting and flashing madly. “ONE! And you used it to defy ME.”

It finally settled back into her form as she composed herself, though the storm remained flashing within. “And now my best Sidhe has vanished.” Her voice had grown darker, more deadly. “But still you claim ignorance.” With a final furious whirl, she whipped around to face him. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t strip you of every ounce of power here and now.”

Mortimer turned a ghostly white and swallowed. “You need me.”

She laughed again, and the sound sent chills up Oswald’s spine. “I hardly need two of you.”

Oswald drew in a sharp breath as Magica approached him, her misty hand tracing his chin as he stared straight ahead. The feeling was ice cold, like death itself had just touched him. “I’ve got a loyal soldier right here. Isn’t that right?”

He didn’t like this one bit, not at all. But he nodded stiffly, though his fur rose on end. “Y-yes, Your Majesty.” 

“That’s what I th-”

“TH-THE FAERIE PRINCE IS ALIVE!” Mortimer burst out at once, and all the strength left Oswald’s bones. Magica was still just beside him, but she froze, and slowly turned her head. 

“What…did you…say…”

Mortimer stared at Oswald, a subtle smirk lighting his face as the rabbit’s eyes widened. He shook his head faintly, and his nose twitched. How did Mortimer know? The glamour over Mickey should have been foolproof–Oswald’s own magic (well, borrowed magic) kept it alive, kept the mouse hidden and unrecognizable from everyone , even other fae. Unless..?  His fingertips brushed against the orb in his cloak, and he reached out with his mind, tried to sense the magic he’d been lending. But he couldn’t. It was gone, as if something had severed the connection. Shoot! He’d gotten complacent, lazy even, and he’d missed that somehow. It meant only one thing–that Mickey was out there, wings and all clear as day. There was no arguing this, or hiding him further if Mortimer continued. Magica would know. She always knew.  Don’t ! Oswald commanded silently, with nothing but a desperate glare shot Mortimer’s way. But there was no stopping him now. If there was one thing you couldn’t do with that rat, it was trust him. This would serve him quite well, so he was bound to take advantage of it. Oswald’s foot thumped tapped lightly against the earth, a nervous habit he’d never really been able to break.

“That’s right,” he continued, the smirk on his face widening. It was nice enough that this little tidbit might be enough to save his life, but that it would ruin Oswald’s standing with the queen? Even better. “The other prince. The one Oswald swore he got rid of? He’s not gone at all. Remember that little mouse who’s been running around with the princess? Saw it myself. Sprouted wings right in front of me. Big ones. Royal ones. Didn’t seem to understand it either…which means someone else had cast a glamour on him. Take a guess who that was.”

Magica’s eyes had fallen back to Oswald, and they were blazing furiously, even more than they had when she’d first accused Mortimer. He took a step back and swallowed. The smell of rotting wood flooded his nostrils, as if the tree itself was bent on reminding him who was responsible for all this. But it wasn’t him, he argued furiously in his mind. It wasn’t his fault. Even so, his eyes fell to the throne where this had started. Really started. And he saw himself there below it, looking up at a king who refused to listen. 

“Mac Lir’s kelpies…they took her! You have to help, please!”

“Nonsense m’boy,” The royal had taken another sip of wine. “There are no tragedies here.”

“You’re wrong!” Oswald had hissed, and he’d balled up his fists and broken free from the grip of the guards. “You’re wrong, and mother would have known better.”

And the king’s eyes, all clouded with falsities, had cleared for a moment. Just a moment. And Oswald took it to plead his case.

“You told me once, it was the dragons’ fault she’s gone. That they’d tricked you. Please… please don’t let them take ‘Tensie from me too. You can stop this. Make them give her back to me! Just talk to them, there has to be a reason they’re doing this!”  

There were legends that a dragon’s magic could blur the lines between life and death, guide lost souls back to the waking world. If they hurried, there might still be time to convince them. He could save her. He could bring her back. 

The king was silent. For the first time in ages, there was no lofty smile upon his lips. It looked as though he might have responded thoughtfully, if he’d had even a moment more of clarity. But then the cloudy look in his eyes returned, and he chuckled loudly. “The dragons have long since been banished, and they can do us no harm. Forget about your silly mortal, child! Eat, drink, and be merry as the rest of us are!”

Something had snapped in Oswald then. There’d been a fiery thread of goodness in him that had outlasted that of his peers, something kept alive by love, and by hope. It flickered out in that moment. Or quite nearly, at least, if there was even an ember of faith left there. In the dark chasm that remained, a seed of hatred and distrust took root. 

He’d stormed out of the throne room, feathers flying around him in a dark whirlwind. There were other ways of getting help. Deep threads of magic no one had dared touch in centuries. If his own father wouldn’t listen, he’d find his own way of doing things. He blinked, and found himself back in the present, Magica’s venomous glare closer than it had been before. 

“We had a deal… ” she hissed, a quivering whisper that thrummed against his ears.

How could he have known back then, what she would have demanded of him?  He had no qualms with standing up to those dragons, and his magic had been a sacrifice he was willing to make. But that the little child he’d protected for so long would be the one he’d be asked to dispose of? Of course he hadn’t. He couldn’t. His rage had blinded him but even then, his love for his brother was something he hadn’t been able to overcome. So he’d found a way around it. Erased him from existence as much as anyone would ever know and, so he’d thought, simply given him a new lease on life.

Stupid. He’d been stupid. Ignorant and selfish, as much as his father had been. And he wondered now, if he was beginning to understand how one could fall so deep without ever being the wiser.

Magica’s smoke slithered around him. “I should have known you’d lied.”

Abruptly, the mist swept through him and he drew in a sharp breath, shuddering as the intense chill encompassed his body. Those glowing eyes narrowed, and then she darted to Mortimer and gave him the same icy stare. By the time she’d come center, both of them were shivering breathlessly, faces pale with fear. 

“You’re both useless, ” she spat. “An idiot and a traitor, that’s all I have to work with.” Her gaze swiveled back to Oswald. “You can forget about your precious sweetheart. Let her rot in Dubnos, for all I care.”

The fear turned to anger and Oswald rushed forward, pulling a sword from its sheath and slashing it through the apparition. It didn’t hurt her–he knew it wouldn’t–but he was filled with a fury beyond all reason and as the mist separated and reformed, Magica’s eyes blazing with shock and indignance, he stood there poised to fight her with whatever he had.

“I did plenty to earn her back!” he growled through bared teeth.  “I’ve done everything you’ve asked for for nearly a decade!”

“NOT. EVERYTHING.” Magica approached him again in a flurry of mist and shadow. “ Everything hinges on the fate of those two little mice. The egg’s power is almost gone but for as long as they’re alive, all that we’ve worked for is at risk!” 

“He’s my brother, ” Oswald hissed. “He doesn’t even know what he is. He’s no threat.”

“HA!” Magica laughed, and Oswald clenched his fists. “You have no idea who and what I’ve sacrificed to get here. It’s the price you pay for power, dear. You should have known that from the start.”

“I never wanted power-!”

“You wanted your lover back! Guess what that takes?” 

Oswald swallowed and looked away.  

Magica’s demeanor softened, not in any semblance of comfort or kindness. But that air of manipulation, of selfish ambition, flooded back into her countenance.  

“Ah, poor dear…Didn’t quite understand what the price would be, did you? Well…” He shuddered as she slithered around him again, her whispered promises like frost on his ears. “I might be persuaded to give you another chance…unless, of course, you’ve given up on rescuing your little sweetheart…”

A thread of mist snaked around his forehead and without any warning, he found a jumble of memories flooding back into his mind. Memories that had become faded enough to dull the pain of loss, but now returned as strong as if they’d happened yesterday. How could he refuse a chance to bring back those moments, when he remembered every small touch, every glimmer of laughter as clear as day?

“No…” he half-choked through the pressure in his chest. “No, I…of course I haven’t…”

“Then tell me everything you’ve done, and all you know,” Magica whispered through a too-wide grin, and glanced back at Mortimer too, who no longer seemed quite so satisfied with his means of deflection. “Perhaps there’s time to salvage both your efforts yet.” 

~~~~

“Min…” 

Mickey wasn’t even looking at her when he uttered her name, a cracked sort of whimper. His hand hovered just an inch or so from his neck, like he’d been about to pull it free, but there was nothing there.  The look on his face was sheer pain at first, and when his eyes finally found her, her heart nearly broke. She knew then he’d seen it too. Or…or more than seen it, maybe, because he was panting for air like he’d been robbed of it just moments prior. 

“Oh…oh, Mickey…” She forgot her own guilt and rushed to check all over his chest and his back for those horrible wounds, and to hold his face in her hands when she found only traces of them. All those tiny scars she’d noticed before, scrawled across his skin and shimmering through his fur, they seemed clear as day now. Remnants of that awful net. 

Mickey hardly responded to her touch at first. He was still in a daze, still trying to pinpoint what exactly was reality. Was that…was that a memory? It was so strange, being able to recall himself in a time before that day where he’d woken up all alone. Stranger still, was that…he felt it all. Not just the wounds that sent tremors rippling through his body, but…but…

He heard Minnie’s voice, faintly piercing through the fog, and looked at her. Echoes of pain still shot through his nerves, but her touch made them all meaningless. And he remembered then, as he sunk into her hand, what he’d felt in that moment that must have been so long ago.

There was more sadness there than fear, at first. He’d been meaning to do something–he still couldn’t recall what. But it was important. Important to him at least. Something had happened and he just wanted to help. The sound of the river had filled his ears and he supposed he’d gotten careless, thinking about…about someone, because before he knew it his wings had brushed against something unnatural, seized up at their touch, and his whole body had been snapped into a net of sorts that burned him no matter which way he moved. 

He’d struggled as much as he could, but nothing had ever drained him of strength so swiftly as this. With some desperate squirming, he’d managed to pry open a bit of the net and shove his arm through, ripping through some of the rope. Some of it gave way and he thought he was free, but then his ankle had caught and thrown off his balance and in trying to catch himself, his left arm had shot through the now-dangling part of the net and got him more twisted than before.  Now his right wing kept him suspended, never having made it through the gap, and a fraying bit of iron-thread rope hung dangerously close to his neck. He hadn’t noticed that, either, and so tried one last time to free himself by thrashing wildly, desperately in the trap’s hold. That was a mistake. Some upper threads snapped so that what still lay connected to the tree acted as a sort of cinch, and pulled the net so tight around him that he let out one final gasp of pain and found he could no longer breathe. His chest was wrapped too tight and his throat was bound, slowly being pierced by that stray thread. Some small creatures–his mind was too hazy now to see them clearly–had tried to free him at some point, but to no avail. They seemed just as helpless to the rope’s venomous powers as he had been. 

His vision had started to slip and then he’d heard her, voice riddled with a heartache and desperation that made a sense of duty flood his bones all over again, even if he could do nothing with it. 

“Geal!” It sounded like she’d been crying. “Geal, please, I…I need you!”

He knew that name. How did he know that name? And why did he try to respond to it, almost instinctively, when it reached his ears? Of course, that hadn’t worked. No sound escaped him when he opened his mouth, save for a pained sort of wheezing. 

But it didn’t matter anyways, because then she was there. Minnie. Both the Mickey of the past and the Mickey of the present, consciousness strangely split between the two, marveled at her despite their pain. She entered through a gap in the brush, bathed in a patch of moonlight that shone through from above. His vision was blurred and his strength nearly gone, but still he lifted his head to see her. Even with her face all streaked by tears, she was lovely. Angelic, even.

He thought to apologize, as his vision started to fade, for not being able to do whatever it was he’d been trying to do, because he was certain now it had been for her. It had to be.

She gasped lightly at the sight of him and then pulled something from her side, a jeweled blade, and narrowed her eyes. He hung his head, unable to hold it up any longer. Thoughts themselves were quickly fading, but the essence of them remained. He knew only he wasn’t afraid. Not of her nor of the dagger she held. His body shuddered. He felt cold metal pressed against his wing, and then a wonderful sense of relief as the ropes gave way.

Back on the riverbank, nuzzled against Minnie’s hand, he smiled inexplicably. Minnie seemed as worried as ever, and pressed in close.

“Mickey?”

He grinned and echoed her cradled hands with his own to her cheeks. His eyes shone brightly as they stared back at her, unphased by pain, invigorated by the revelation flowing through his mind. It wasn’t exactly a pleasant first memory to recover, and yet to him it was the most wonderful of all, because it meant one thing. 

“I knew you,” he whispered and let out an almost frenzied sort of laugh before leaping up, and half-twirling around the riverbank. His wings moved along with his excitement, carrying him a few inches off the grand in little flutters of joy. Fireflies, or some fae equivalent, fluttered about his heels.  “I…I knew ya, and I…I wasn’t scared or nothin’. And Min!” He made his way back to her and drew her to her feet, taking her hands in his fingers and giving them a flurry of playful little kisses while she stood there, trying to decide whether she should be giddy or overwhelmed. What resulted was something between the two, with a shaky sort of smile gracing her lips as she held his gaze. “Min, you saved me.” 

The smile faltered then. “Wh-what?” she breathed. “Oh, Mickey…I…that’s not what I…well…did I..?”  

Noticing her uncertainty, he let the excitement soften into something more gentle, and took her in close. Gosh, was she pretty, the way she looked up at him with those deep, curious eyes. He’d been so caught up in his own self-loathing that he’d nearly forgotten the feeling, like he wanted to laugh and cry all at once. But if he knew her all that time ago…if he’d cared about her even then, and if she’d saved his life so willingly, then her visions had to be wrong. At least, as far as he figured. Maybe he was wrong, but even the possibility of the former was all he needed to spark a bit of life back into his heart.

Though he didn’t know it, the light in his wings grew a bit brighter.

“Don’t ya see?” Mickey breathed, and he drew a hand across her cheek. Strangely, her whole countenance brightened, too, and she flushed a brilliant shade of crimson. “You cut me outta that net, Minnie. If y’cared enough to save me then, and if I…well, if I felt what I think I felt…then we can’t have been enemies.”

Her eyes widened a bit and then darted off to the side like she was thinking it through. “Oh, Mickey…do you think…but then how..?” She drew back and scanned his face, lips pursed in deep concentration. 

Though they’d seen the same thing, she’d not felt this memory in the same way he had. But … it was his memory, not hers, and whatever doubts she might have had over his words were utterly destroyed by the sheer joy painted across his whole face, undeniably honest and pure. It melted her heart, the way he looked at her now, even after his eyes had been flooded with pain only moments ago. 

I knew you.

That felt true to her, too, and right beyond all else. She’d been so scared of the future that she’d neglected her past, shutting it out for fear it might tarnish whatever possibilities they might have together. So scared he wouldn’t fit the puzzle in the way she’d hoped he might. Now she wondered if he really was the very piece she’d been looking for all along.  All that time spent alone in those icy depths, pining for someone to warm her heart back to life…he’d done that, hadn’t he? She’d been looking for familiarity and thought it lacking, but she felt it now, something deeper than she could have ever seen on the surface. This new spark in his eyes felt like home. It felt like hope.

I know you, too.

Minnie thought it, but didn’t say it out loud – still felt like that was something that should be saved for a moment when she could explain just how and why.

She became acutely aware of the bell in her pocket, somehow still there despite her change in dress. It prickled with a strange energy, and she thought back to the rabbit who’d given it to her. He had answers, or so he claimed. Falsehoods or otherwise, she felt at once that Mickey should know. 

Fumbling with the right words to say, Minnie parted her lips to try to explain what had happened in the time they’d been apart.  Then a branch snapped behind them, and both mice jumped, blushing a bit guiltily because each really had pressed quite close to the other. They parted now, relinquishing their touch just enough to seem decent, though Mickey never truly let her go. He kept a hand to her all the while but made his way in front of her to face the noise and took a stance like he was ready to fight a giant should it emerge from the trees. 

It was not a giant, not by any means, and Minnie snorted, holding back a flurry of giggles as the figure in question emerged from the foliage. Mickey let out a sigh of relief, a breath he’d been holding, and smiled as he knelt to the ground.

“Max, buddy,” he chuckled softly at the little boy who stood yawning in front of them, rubbing his eyes sleepily. “What are ya doin’ awake, pal?”

“Caaaan’t…” he smacked his lips together and yawned. “Can’t…sleeeep…” 

The two mice exchanged an amused glance. These were the machinations of a curious child who didn’t want to sleep. Though neither of them could really blame him, because here they were at heaven-knew-what hour chatting away. Seemed like a poor example to send him back to bed in that regard. 

“New world, hm?” Minnie whispered, coming up beside Mickey. There was a playful, friendly lilt to her voice, and Max grinned as she spoke. “It’s terribly exciting, isn’t it? Just makes you want to stay up all night long I bet.”

Max’s eyes brightened and he nodded, those two little front teeth gleaming in the moonlight. “Papa says we’re in a alter-rit dime-nention!” Minnie laughed softly at that and held out her hands for him to grab onto. 

“Well, here,” she giggled, taking him by the hand and guiding him to where they’d been sitting before. The willow hung above them and the child scrambled over its roots, slipping all over the moss and grass as he came to sit beside Minnie, his little feet dangling out over the river.  Mickey had followed them over and sat on his other side, making sure Max was tucked snuggly between the two of them. “Mickey can’t seem to sleep either…” Minnie continued, and a look of playful indignance crossed Mickey’s face. He flicked her gently with his tail, but she caught it with her own and left him blushing like a fool when she’d tangled them up together behind their backs. “...so I was just about to tell him a story.”

“Ohhh, were ya?” Mickey chuckled, a light little smirk across his face.  

“A story!” Max exclaimed. “What kinda story?”

“Yea, what kinda story, raindrop?”

“Well, a fairytale, o’course,” Minnie answered in a gentle hush of a whisper. “Now, do you boys want to hear it or..?”

Max was loudly hushing Mickey before she’d even finished the sentence, which only made it harder for the mouse to quiet his laughter. When Minnie shot him a glance, her lips turned up in a humorous grin, but stern nonetheless, he finally drew in a few breaths and shook his head. 

“‘Course! ‘Course…” he nodded, placing his hands in his lap, a too-serious look plastered across his face. His eyes still twinkled with humor. 

Minnie kept a wary eye on him, anyway.

“There was once upon a time, long ago…”

And Mickey was snickering all over again.

“All right, then,” Minnie huffed, raising an eyebrow as she glanced his way. Max mirrored the face she gave him. “Mickey, you tell the story.”

He stopped snickering, and the look he gave her made her realize at once that she’d made a mistake. “Gosh, me?” he smirked, and ruffled his feathers behind him. “Well, if I have to.”

“Now, hold on-!”

“ There was, once upon a time not-so long ago,” he began in a voice that echoed her own introduction, that smirk still hovering on his lips. “A beauuuuutiful princess. The most beautiful princess y’ever did saw. In fact, she was so pretty that everyone who saw her couldn’t help but look ‘er way. An’ her name was Min-”

Minnie jerked her tail, which jerked Mickey, who yelped and drew it back into his hands, rubbing it tenderly. “Hey!” 

Max groaned miserably and fell backwards into the grass. “Your stories are awful .”

“Mickey Mouse, I’m thrilled you’ve gotten your smile back, but if you can’t take this seriously then you can march yourself right back to camp!”

“I was here first! ”

Minnie wrinkled her nose and stared at him, and he did the same in playful mockery. But then the fierceness of her scowl won him over and he gave in, rolling his eyes with an exasperated sigh. “All right, fine!” he sulked. “How about we share? ”

She thought that over for a few moments, pursing her lips as she glared at him, wondering how he might plan to sabotage this (and really, there were a good many ways he could). Then Max threw up his hands and let out a puff of frustration. “I. want. a. story!’ 

Minnie sighed, and Mickey grinned. 

“All right…” she groaned. “You can start it out. But no shenanigans this time.”

Mickey rolled his eyes but nodded briskly. “If y’say so.” Then he cleared his throat.

“There was, once upon a time long ago, a really (really) pretty princess...” he started, and though Minnie watched him closely, she didn’t object. “...that lived in a…in a castle on a beautiful lake. Her name was…er…”

“ Sulis ,” Minnie finished for him, offering up a name from another story she'd once heard told. Mickey's eyes darted over to her. He’d calmed himself more now, and his tail had found hers again, so they wrapped around each other in a tiny thread of comfort. Max was starting to settle in for a listen, and had drawn himself up to sit so he could watch them weave their tale. Minnie hesitated, unsure if she wanted to continue with the words in her head. Mickey would know, of course, the half-truth to the tale, and even now he’d already set it up for her. With a breath, she carried on.

 “ ...and she was due to take the throne. Due to be wed to her true love, and become queen.” She saw Mickey’s eyes widen, and watched him carefully. He didn't know everything about her story. “ But on the day of the wedding, her love was lost, and she was cursed…cursed to forget his face and his name, and all she’d grown to love him for. And so for many years she waited, until one day she disappeared, and her kingdom fell to ruin.”

She swallowed and nodded Mickey’s way. Max was already growing drowsy again, leaning up against her and blinking with heavy eyelids. Not much longer, and he’d be asleep.

Mickey tapped his fingers against the grass for a second before moving on, voice quieter than before.. “ ...some…well, some people thought she was gone for good. But others said she’d been taken up by the faeries and turned into somethin’ new.”

Max was hardly paying any attention now, so Minnie whispered a humored question Mickey’s way. “Turned into what, exactly?”

He grinned at her, and that sly smile returned. “A…a…a fish, ” he decided at last, and snorted when she laughed. Max stirred, but only slightly. “ But she was the most beautiful fish in allllll the world.”

“Ah, here we go again.”

“And one day, a sad, ol’ fisherman set out t’catch her, on account of her beautiful scales and all.”

“Did he?” 

“Not even. Made a whole fool of himself and she had to turn back into a princess just so she could catch him instead. And when she’d rescued him and brought him back to shore…well…”

“...Well..?”

Max had finally fallen asleep, and Mickey drew a wing over him as he leaned against his arm. He tried not to move too much as he spoke. 

“Well, I…I dunno,” Mickey chuckled and his cheeks flushed pink. “Haven’t quite figured that out just yet.”

“If you could make up any ending, what would it be?”

Now Mickey was a deep shade of crimson and if Max hadn’t been tucked so comfortably underneath his wing, he would have squirmed nervously under Minnie’s softening gaze.

“I…I s’pose…I’d have the princess find her prince again.” He seemed a little sad when he said that, like he’d just admitted something to himself without realizing he was doing it. But then Minnie reached across to him and set her fingers to his hand.

“What if the fisherman was the prince?” she asked sweetly. “And he just doesn’t know it yet?”

Mickey’s lips parted to respond, but no sound escaped them at first. Then he stammered what he’d consider a pathetic sort of question. “I-is that what you think would happen?”

She scanned him again with those kind, searching eyes, and a soft smile lingering on her lips. Then she let out a delicate laugh, and rose to her feet. “Oh, I suppose only time would tell, either way.” And though Mickey wanted to press her further, he managed to keep from bursting out into a million little questions as he gathered Max back up into his arms and followed Minnie back to camp.

#I felt really good about writing this one #until I didn't lol #but maybe it's just the fatigue talking haha #I should be asleep #byeee #storiescomealive #myth and magic #myth & magic #mickey mouse #minnie mouse #mickey x minnie

[jaiden-zhou]

(2) casual iso <3

contents: headcanons, reader is a uniqlo employee for plot purposes, self indulgent

part 2,, i couldnt help myself alright? its a little rushed but i just needed to get this out

this part is inspired, actually this whole casual iso thing is inspired by @angelltheninth 's pining! iso post

its actually really funny how i love pretty much all their posts and writing for at least six months and now just started following them thats how often i see their content in my feed i just never hit the follow button im sorry

part 1, part 3

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.

iso who starts giving you a discount on your drinks, just as long as you give him your employee discounts in uniqlo and the exclusive early news on unreleased lines and collabs

iso who talks to you like everyday now haha

iso who then starts to pine for you, hard

iso who most to all of the time has his eyes on you not just when you speak, he actually almost tripped on a curb because he was so focused on you

iso who low-key craves your attention, after the first time you hugged him after he accompanied you home, he's started wishing he could hug you for long periods of time

iso who gets teased by yoru and phoenix for crushing on you, he's already embarrassed enough with the realization he likes you

iso who gets flustered with every physical interaction you two have, hugs? freezes up a bit before wrapping his arms lightly around you (poor baby's a little awkward), tugging his hand along? cheeks dusted pink, the occasional brush against his fingers? ears a little red <3

iso who started carrying bluetooth earbuds when he's out with you instead of headphones, it gets him to focus on you more, and maybe.. you two can listen to music together.. with his earbuds

iso who insists on giving you his jacket (the one that you found for him cough cough) when he sees you tense and shiver in the cold, he can handle it so just take the coat, man's not taking no for an answer

iso who out of habit, sub-consciously leans more towards you to hear your voice better, sometimes he stops himself and gets a little embarrassed with how close he is to you

iso who at any location, on the bus or train, at the movies, at any point if you're falling asleep, he's going to tilt your head towards his shoulder. it's fine you're too much into sleep to see his faint blush and endearing eyes on you

iso who sometimes pays for your food, you've had a rough day at work? snacks on him, some customer got on your nerves? he's got you a drink to cool you off <3

iso blushes a lot when you thank him, sometimes it's that same earnest smile you gave when you got him that jacket, sometimes it's a tired relieved smile with a small quiet thanks and your eyes are looking at him so sweetly and a little dazed from fatigue it makes his breath hitch and heart race a bit. "always.." he murmurs

iso who starts getting a little jealous when he's around you yet your attention is mainly on someone else, it gets a little much for him

iso who is a little noticeably annoyed when he sees you doubling over in laughter from gekko's stories, you two seem to be having a lot of fun

iso who doesn't know how to deal with how he's feeling, so whether he realizes it or not, he starts creating a bit of distance

iso takes his leave silently, going to the tea shop to work even on his day off to get his mind off of his envy

iso who left his phone on do-not-disturb full silence and in a locker so he doesn't look at it, meaning he doesn't see the worried texts and numerous calls to him from you asking if he's okay and where he went off to without telling you

iso who on his break in the back still without his phone and doesn't take mind of the bell that rings whenever the door opens and he just thinks it's another customer

iso who is surprised when it's you showing up through the door in a bit of disarray, heavy breaths, and chest heaving from exhaustion

------

"granny!" you barge through the door in labored pants. "granny, have you seen where zhao yu is? he hasn't picked up at all."

the elderly woman's mood is quite calm, maybe too much for your worry.

"oh yes, he's here, zhao yuuu! come out!" she beckons iso before he steps out curiously, eyes wide when they meet your own.

"what's goin' on-"

"where have you been?!" you cut him off in an approaching fury. "i've been texting and calling for hours, why didn't you tell me you left? why didn't you tell me where?"

he senses you're upset with him, pissed beyond what he's seen from you. and he panics.

"i.. granny called me in to ask me to work-"

"bullshit, yu." ah, you caught him. "if that was the case you would've at least told me, why?"

iso's hesitant, and his eyes show it the most when they lock contact with your hardened gaze before it softens into a vulnerable, pleading one.

"please.. don't lie to me." and his resolve breaks when he hears the pain and desperation in your voice. iso's head hangs low and his eyes are now everywhere else but your own. "you made me really worried."

"i know, i know." he admits quietly and he can't help but lean close to rest his forehead on your shoulder. "i'm sorry.."

he's so quiet about it, ashamed about how immaturely he handled it and causing you stress, akin to somewhat like a kicked puppy.

"i'm sorry i tried lying to you," he starts off again, your hand swinging over his shoulder and the other at the back of his head to bring him in an embrace. he spills, voice is a little muffled against your shoulder. "i'm sorry i left without telling you, worrying you and having you run to find me. i'm sorry for not picking up or responding at all, that was childish of me.."

"but why?" you begged for a reason, he's closer to you than ever, torso flushed to yours and your grip firm, it makes him feel like he's melting as he indulges himself more into your arms. still hesitant.

"i'm.. sorry, i was.." he pauses, his face heating up with having to admit this to you of all people. "i didn't like.. i.."

gosh he'll never hear the end of this from yoru and phoenix.

"i was jealous" he whispered so quietly, if he was any farther than now you wouldn't have been able to catch it and honestly, he was hoping you didn't.

"oh, yu.." his heart soars at your soft voice. you pull away with a light giggle, just enough to see him, his face flushed with a slight pout.

you lightly brush his fringe apart, caressing his face and pressing a soft kiss to his forehead in a silent confession. iso's eyes are squeezed shut, red in the cheeks as his stomach does flips before giving into his desires and burying his head into the juncture of your neck to hide away from embarrassment. <3

#iso x reader #iso fluff #iso valorant #valorant iso #valorant #valorant protocol #valorant x reader #i want me a man like iso pls god have mercy #zhou’s daydreams

[snapscube]

I am adding a probably temporary but still serious "no game suggestions" request to my ask page. I really do appreciate that people want to share stuff with me, and trust me it's like... in the grand scheme of things a good problem to have??? But it HAS reached the point where I am simply... Extremely Exhausted because a VAST MAJORITY of game suggestions I get are things I have either already played, have talked about my plans to play or not to play many times, or have my own reasons for not really being all that interested in. The cases in which someone actually enlightens me to a game I didn't already know about in some fashion have been very few and far between, which I don't say to come across as like "Oh I Am Simply More Enlightened" and more just to express that, when you get AS MANY asks of this variety as I do (and believe me, it's a lot) you can maybe see why this fact becomes a point of fatigue haha.

Anyway, please don't let this make you nervous about reaching out to my inbox for basically anything else :) I love getting asks and I love talking with people! I just hope to cut back on this one specific thing just a tad for the near future! Thanks for understanding!!

[your-local-hollow-lover]

Hi!! Could you do a scenario where Grimmjow has to handle/comfort his overworked S/O? I’m curious as to how he would react

Certified, he's the worst at these types of things.

Grimmjow finds it exceptionally irksome when he's around and you lack the energy to keep up with him. Why does he even bother visiting you anyway?

"Hey, stop being pathetic, get up," he says, poking your head.

This deep into your relationship with him, you understand there's no malice in his words. He's not intentionally mean; it's just his way of talking. Yet, you're too fatigued to pay him any mind.

"Go away. I'm exhausted," you say, snuggling further into the pillows of your bed.

A brief silence ensues.

"Why?"

This makes you peek at him. He wears that silly expression with furrowed brows, a mid-annoyance look reflecting his own struggle to comprehend something. It's cute enough to draw a tiny smile to your face.

"One of my coworkers quit last week, and all of her work has fallen on me, which wouldn't be a problem if my paycheck increased accordingly, but no! Haha, God forbid we get paid fairly for what we do," you blurt.

Your head throbs, announcing a migraine. You know Grimmjow doesn't grasp these human matters, and that somehow makes it worse.

"Withdrawing's for cowards," he states.

Or maybe he does understand?

"Do I kill them?"

Never mind. At least he asked. You sigh.

"No. Look, I like spending time with you, but right now isn't the best moment for me. I'm so overworked I could cry, and it would mean a lot if you didn’t kill or destroy anything for the night.”

You don’t have the heart to kick him out. Hueco Mundo is, after all, much worse than unpaid extra hours. You just hope he doesn’t take your tiredness in a bad way.

On his part, Grimmjow just looks at you like there’s no remedy in this world to cure your feebleness. However, whenever he sees you in a similar state of mind, he can’t help but feel an uneasiness twisting inside his guts, as if his stomach was making a knot.

When you catch him at his lowest moments, when he’s willing to allow you a glimpse of them, you always provide soft things that bring a close sensation of existing free from distress. It would be fair if he reciprocated it now.

A tiny gap leaves your mouth upon sensing his weight over the bed, and then his body over your own, not in a looming, predatory form for once. He just lies on top of you, close enough to feel the tip of his nose brushing your nape, far enough not to crush you under him.

Oh, lord, you want to kick him, but just then, you hear it: a soft vibrating sound that comes and goes steadily, like a purr. The same sound he made a couple of months ago while you played with his hair. You said it was relaxing, that you liked it.

A warm feeling washes over you. You scoot closer to him, and he lets you, his arm now keeping you tucked at his side. The purr intensifies. It lulls you to sleep. When the alarm clock rings the next morning, Grimmjow is no longer there, but the warm feeling remains.

#omg girl this has been oh my inbox for so long I feel ashamed #i'm so sorry i hope you still want it #grimmjow jaegerjaquez #grimmjow jeagerjaques #grimmjow x you #grimmjow imagine #grimmjow x reader #bleach grimmjow #grimmjow bleach #grimmjow #bleach fanfic #bleach

[maccreadysbaby]

A Hundred Ways to Become a Wayne

batfamily + oc insert

tw: none

wanna read more? here’s the table of contents!

want to read the first fic in the hundred days series so you understand what’s going on here? here it is!

nico is not having a good time right now okay :(

part thirty-four

❝ WINDSTORM ❞

THURSDAY — SEPTEMBER 3 — 3:00AM

ELEVEN DAYS LATER, GOTHAM WAS ODDLY QUIET. Barbara and Alfred had been monitoring the Batcomputer. There had been no metahuman attacks in Batman’s absence, no gangs to bust or mobs to stop — it had all been reduced to petty crime the cops could handle all by themselves, which Bentley found both really strange and really lucky. No one had gone missing. The Secret Keeper hadn’t been seen.

Maybe Davis was able to talk her out of mind control? (Could that happen?) Or maybe he’d… y’know. Used his hands on her? Bentley wasn’t sure, but whatever it was, he was thankful for the momentary peace. (Even though it made him sort of worried about Davis.)

He’d been doing school online for a while now, as had Asten and Nico. None of them were thrilled to go back, especially since Dr. Keene was, according to the classwork and emails Bentley was getting, still working there. Damian had gone back a few days prior.

Nico was getting ahold of his powers; both of them. Sometimes he sent Asten and Bentley videos of him trying stuff out, like the fact that he was so fast he could run up walls and on the ceiling, or that he could do things without people seeing him. The abilities from Dr. Keene, as far as they’d figured out, were air-based. They were harder to get a handle on — he could make the wind blow, even inside (which mostly happened when he was upset) and he’d also taught himself how to make a little tornado in his hand. (Give the asthmatic air powers, haha, how funny, Keene.)

Asten was doing pretty okay, too. Bentley hadn’t heard of anything going on with him — no powers had surfaced, just like none had surfaced for Bentley. It made sense, since Nico was in the Synchronizer the longest. 

Bentley had gotten his sling off, and was regaining movement in his shot shoulder. He was (maybe) becoming less of an emotional trainwreck? He wasn’t sure — it was sometimes hard to tell the difference between feeling better and ignoring them.

Life was largely going back to normal; Tim had been better for about a week, and was eating a little more since they still weren’t patrolling, Bentley thought. They’d gone back to having dinner as a family in the dining room. It had taken some time, but Dick started to talk again; maybe not as much as he typically did, but talking. Jason didn’t stop having nightmares, but he stopped screaming about them so much, which Bentley assumed was good? Alfred got Bruce to sleep. Duke made a 1520 on his SAT. 

The only thing that was still sort of wrong — besides the entire empire Bentley had built out of lies — was Damian.

He still wasn’t really talking to anyone. He’d fallen into a repetitive, precise routine of school and life. Even Dick was getting the cold shoulder, and they were all pretty clueless as to why.

But Bruce was handling it. Everything would be fine — everything was going to go back to normal, just like Bentley hoped. It had to. Right?

And then came the fateful Thursday night.

Bentley was sound asleep, with two people by his side: the heaviest sleeper he’d ever met, and the lightest sleeper he’d ever met. (Aka, Dick Grayson, who could sleep through a hurricane, sprawled on the foot of the mattress, and Jason Todd, who could wake up from a fly sneeze, situated on the left side of Bentley’s bed.) Of course his phone had to start ringing when the clock struck 3:11am.

Jason stirred immediately, as did Bentley, who fumbled tiredly in the pitch black for at least ten seconds before he found the device on his nightstand. He recoiled when the bright screen hit him in the face, the caller ID reading: Nico.

With a few blinks to rid himself of fatigue and right his mind, Bentley put the phone to his ear and whispered: “Hello?”

“Bentley,” Nico’s voice came through. It was quiet, and sounded soft and thick, like maybe he was about to cry? “I need you.”

Bentley pushed himself up on his elbows. “What’s wrong?” Jason was almost immediately sitting up, watching him, listening.

“It’s Asten,” He replied. “He came to my house… what is today? Thursday? He came to my house on Saturday because he wasn’t feeling good, and Sam is out of town. My parents are in Morocco until Monday, but he said it wasn’t too bad, that he just needed someone to keep track of medicine times and stuff.”

Bentley glanced over, making brief and somewhat-disoriented-from-the-dark eye contact with Jason. Dick was still knocked out on the bottom of the bed.

“He’s so sick, Bentley, he can’t even get up. He’s barely eaten anything since he got here. I basically have to fight him to make him take medicine and drink water, and then he just throws it all up,” Nico explained, voice getting thicker as he spoke. “His fever is a hundred and four, and he isn’t making any sense, and I… I’ve been trying so hard, but I…” 

Bentley frowned deeply when Nico sniffled with a soft sob. “I can’t handle it. I don’t want to be alone. Every time he falls asleep I’m afraid he won't wake up.”

Bentley flinched a little when Jason’s hand landed on his arm. He met his blue eyes in the dark, blinking a few times to adjust to the light. “I’ll drive over there to get them. You stay and help Alfred get ready.”

Bentley didn’t have it in him to argue.

“Jasons going to come get you,” Bentley said into the phone, swinging his legs off of his bed. “It’ll be okay — just remember to breathe. Do you want me to stay on the phone?”

Nico sucked in a deep breath, and then let out a shuddery one. “No… it’s okay. I’ll have to get our stuff together.”

Bentley nodded as he flicked his lamp on. Jason was already out of the bed, muttering quietly to an only half-awake Dick. “Jason’ll be there in just a few minutes. Don’t worry.”

“Okay…” Nico muttered. “Okay. Um, actually, I do want you on the phone, just in case?”

“Okay,” Was Bentley’s response.

Now, Nico was famous for being a little bit dramatic every now and then, so Bentley wasn’t really sure what to expect. Not that he assumed Nico was lying, just that he may have been blowing it a little bit out of proportion.

So, after he’d helped prepare a guest room and collected several of the sickness supplies most recently used on Tim, he really hadn’t expected for Asten to look so… so…

Bad.

His heart fell into his toes when Jason, Asten, and Nico came through the front door. Jason was carrying Asten, who looked suddenly very, very small. He was paler than a sheet of paper and coated with a sheen of sweat, shivering despite wearing a large black hoodie and gray sweatpants. His expression was contorted into one of discomfort, eyes shut tightly, but he didn’t seem awake enough to comprehend anything. He seemed… out of it. Like Tim had been.

Nico was also in a state of distress. His blonde hair was a mess, and he was wearing a t-shirt and pajama pants that looked like they might’ve been newly stained. (Bentley didn’t want to know what it was.) The whites of his blue eyes were bloodshot, and his ears, nose, and cheeks were red and splotchy from lots of crying. He had two bags — his own school bag on his left shoulder, and Asten’s on his right. 

Bentley, who had been at the top of the stairs, thudded down to them. “The guest room next to yours is ready.” He said to Jason, who kept moving, heading up the stairs with a quiet thanks. 

When Nico made it within four feet of Bentley, he looked like he was going to cry again.

“Hey…” Bentley tried, grabbing Asten’s bag from Nico’s arms. For a split second, it looked like Nico might’ve tried to hug him, but he stopped himself at the last second and followed Jason up the stairs.

“Thank you,” Was his short reply, his voice thick and muffled just like it had been on the phone. He never looked at Bentley.

“You’re welcome,” The redhead replied, following behind him. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Define okay,” Nico muttered, shaking his head lightly. “Chances are, no. Not at all. But I’m not sick, if that’s what you meant.”

Bentley said nothing.

Bruce and Dick and Alfred were at the ready when they arrived — they had Asten situated in the guest bedroom and were checking things like his blood pressure and temperature before Bentley could even fully comprehend what was going on. He and Nico just put the bags in the bedroom floor and stood on the sidelines. Alfred suggested that Asten needed a drip. Jason ran and got it. Bruce called Nico’s parents. Dick got a cold washcloth and a puke bucket. Alfred kept asking Nico a bunch of detailed questions. Jason called Asten’s uncle. Dick checked Nico’s temperature. (It was fine.)

Everyone was moving and talking and doing things, and it was so chaotic that no one but Bentley really noticed when the wind started to blow inside the Manor.

He glanced over at Nico, who had taken up residence next to the open guest room door. He had his fists clenched really tightly by his sides, so tightly his knuckles were paling. His breathing was a ragged mess, and his eyes — his irises were white.

Oh no.

Bentley, who sent a panicked glance to the family members in the room (thankfully no one was looking at them), wasted no time whisking Nico into the hallway and shutting the door quietly behind them.

“Hey, hey. It’s okay, he’s going to be okay,” Bentley tried. Nico started to pace as soon as they made it out of the room, the breeze following them as they moved. His hands — no, his whole body — seemed to be shaking vigorously, and he was starting to cry again. That type of crying where you can’t really breathe.

“I hate this,” He wept, seeming to purposefully position himself facing away from Bentley, a few paces in front of him, too. “I hate everything. I hate life.”

“Nico-“

“My parents don’t even try to talk to me anymore. Which I did to myself, I know, but it still hurts,” He explained, bringing his arms up to hide his face even though he was facing away. “I haven’t slept in three whole days trying to help Asten, but of course it isn’t working. Why would it? I can't keep up with everything that’s happening to me and I already need a refill on my inhaler which sucks because you’re only supposed to use one a year so now my parents think I need to go to therapy for my anxiety and… and I feel so terrible and sad and alone. I’m so lonely, Bentley. I’m not good at being alone.”

Bentley sighed lightly, empathy bubbling up inside of him. He knew so vividly what Nico was going through that it wasn’t even funny.

“You’re not alone,” Bentley said softly, daring to step closer, echoing what Jason told him in the library. The wind was whipping his hair and tugging at his clothes. “You have me.”

“Don’t get closer,” Nico turned and threw a hand out toward Bentley, hiccuping a spluttering pitifully. His irises were very white, glowing white even beneath all the tears. “I might hurt you. I… I can take the air out of your lungs without even meaning to. I’m dangerous. I can't let you near me.”

Bentley furrowed his brow. “Why not?”

“Because… if you hug me I’m gonna break. And if I break now I might… I might kill you. I might kill all of you. I can’t control this.”

As if on queue, the wind blew and howled down the hall so violently that Bentley literally stumbled from the force, catching himself only by thumping into the wall. (They were going to wake up the whole house.)

“I shouldn’t have come. I have to go,” Nico muttered, wiping at his eyes, then he turned on his heel and made for the stairs.

“Nico!” Bentley tried, following behind him despite the strong wind that was trying to push him the other way. “Please don’t leave. You said you’re not good at being alone, and now you’re going to go be alone?”

“I don’t want to be alone. I have to be alone so I don’t hurt you,” He hiccuped, thudding down the foyer stairs toward the door. Bentley paused momentarily when Nico’s feet, his shoes began to crackle with yellow lightning. Was he about to run?

“Please don’t leave,” Bentley tried again, following him down the staircase. “Please. It’ll be okay — you can control it. You’ll learn.”

“How many people will die before I get it? Eight? Ten? Fifty?” Nico whipped the front door open and shook his hands out by his sides. “I have to go. I can't be here.”

Bentley opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He took a breath but nothing came in. His lungs, hic chest began to constrict painfully, like all of the air had been vacuumed out of him. He brought a hand up to rest on his shirt, tugging at it to no avail. Don’t panic. Panicking would make it worse.

A glance up toward Nico, and Bentley saw his own deep brown eyes glowing white in the reflection of the window next to the door.

Okay, so panic. He really was going to die, wasn’t he? He tried his best to gasp and wheeze for air but nothing moved. His whole chest started to burn like it was on fire and he couldn’t speak to get Nico’s attention. He frantically tried to gasp in air that never came, and his eyes began to water — maybe from fear, maybe from the fact that his chest felt like it might explode, maybe both. He didn’t even realize Nico had seen him until his voice came:

“Bentley! No, hey, no, this can’t be happening!” 

Through his panic and the black that was beginning to creep into the edges of his vision, Bentley managed to comprehend that Nico’s white eyes were now very close to him, and his hands were resting on either side of his face. “No, stop it, breathe! Please breathe, please, please, please, please-“

Bentley’s lungs were burning like he’d breathed in a gallon of water and his heart was pounding out of his chest. Nico looked around desperately for help but, even in a Manor that housed a dozen on a good day, found none. Was this what it felt like to drown?

“I can’t make it stop, I can’t…” Nico cried, lurching forward and engulfing Bentley in a hug. “Please, please, please, please, please, please, please… Please, stop it. Please, stop it!”

Bentley was starting to feel more like a wet noodle than an actual person, and it was getting difficult to hold up his weight. Not to mention that the black in his vision was getting bigger. Was this really going to be the end of him? For real? He wasn’t even eleven yet. He couldn’t die before he’d made up with Damian.

“Please stop,” Nico begged. He was practically the only thing keeping Bentley from hitting the floor. Everything seemed to be buzzing, and he was really heavy, and his head and chest were so tight and on fire and burning.

Was he really going to die at Nico’s hand?

“Please stop,” Nico begged, and it seemed like he was talking to the torrential wind that was whipping the foyer’s curtains around — Bentley hadn’t even noticed how hard it was howling until then. How was no one else hearing it? “Please stop.”

Bentley’s vision was shot. His hearing was fading into a dull ring. He felt Nico’s arms tight around him, and he was dying.

“Stop it. Stop it, stop it, stop it!” Nico sobbed violently. He breathed in deep and groaned frustratedly, then shouted, loud enough that the whole house could probably hear him: “Stop it!”

And just like that, the wind stopped, and Bentley gasped.

Breathing air had never felt so good — his gasps slowly put out the fires that had erupted throughout his body and eased the tightness and pain in his chest. It felt like a whole new sensation, like the air was personally warding off the blackness in his vision and the ring in his ears. He choked on nothing and fell into a violent coughing fit as his body came back online.

“Oh my God!” Nico said, pulling back and examining Bentley to make sure he was actually, literally breathing. He was still sobbing, probably harder now, and had an iron grip on Bentley’s shoulders. “Oh my God. I almost… I almost…”

“It’s okay,” Bentley wheezed, coughing so hard he thought his lungs would splat on the floor. “It’s okay. I’m okay. I’m okay.”

Nico let go when he determined Bentley was stable enough, taking a few steps back and drawing his inhaler from a pocket in his pajama pants. “I almost killed you.” His dull blue eyes were trained on the floor, almost like he was dazed. “I almost killed you.”

“But you didn’t. You controlled it,” Bentley tried, still heaving and breathing heavily to replenish the oxygen in his body.

“But what happens next time? If I can’t?” Nico questioned, shaking and sucking on his inhaler a few times. His hands were shaking vigorously. Tears were still streaming down his face in an uncontrollable manner.

“You will. It’ll get easier,” He said. “Just… please stay.”

Nico put his inhaler away and wrapped his arms around himself, his whole body shaking with his sobs. “What if it doesn’t stop next time?”

“It will,” Bentley reassured. “Please — you said you needed me. I’m right here.”

He attempted a Bruce-move by opening his arms invitingly. “I trust you. Powers can't change that.”

Nico just sort of stared at him for a solid ten seconds. Bentley was about to call it quits and back down, but then Nico threw himself at him, wrapping his arms around his neck, sinking into it and crying like he hadn’t had a hug in weeks. (Little did Bentley know, he really hadn’t.)

They never realized that, despite the yelling and windstorm, absolutely no one else in the Manor had heard a thing.

—

dedicated to @sassenashsworld 💚

—

tag list! (If you want me to remove or add you, ask in comments!)

@fleur-alise @sarcopterygiian @flyrobinflyy @skylathescholar @gayboss-too-close-to-the-sun @xiaonothere

#oc; bentley #oc; bentley whittaker #mb; a hundred ways to become a wayne #oc; asten evans #oc; asten #oc; nico rockefeller #oc; nico allen #oc; nico #ov; secret keeper #ov; the secret keeper #batfamily #batman #tim drake #batboys #dick grayson #red hood #nightwing #damian wayne #oracle #barbara gordon #bruce wayne #alfred pennyworth #jason todd #cassandra cain #orphan #red robin #stephanie brown #spoiler #duke thomas #signal

[snowmist-hashira]

Hi 👋 it’s me a person you’ve never talked to in your life . Hehe just kidding, I would love to request a Yuichiro x reader when you have the time. Yuichiro has had a challenging day and finds himself super tired and short fused. He ends up coming off as harsh to the reader (maybe Mui too) without meaning to because of it. Then regrets it and feels absolutely awful hating himself, very angsty. I’ll leave it to you if the reader is understanding or not. Take your time please queen and no pressure 🐬 💚!

[Chapter title: Mending Broken Words]

[Requested] Yuichiro Tokitou x Reader

Wattpad:(One shots) Tokito Twins x Reader Archive:Kimetsu No Yaiba: Tokitou Twins x Reader Details: ♠ Information ♠ Master list: ♠ Yuichirou Tokitou ♠ Word count: 2,369

Artist: やなみ

Links; Twitter & Pixiv

To be honest, this story hit me right in the feels. I'm not sure if it's because I can relate to it so deeply, but it definitely brought tears to my eyes. Here's the angsty one-shot, nee-san :'3 and I hope it evokes strong emotions in you too, just like it did for me, HAHA. I really enjoyed writing this piece, despite the heavy emotions involved XDD

I'll be posting two fictions of Yuichiro x Reader today, a small low-key celebration for 250 followers~ Enjoy~

Due to being a hashira, Yuichiro was constantly burdened with numerous missions and patrols. There were times when he couldn't even find a moment to rest, as his schedule was packed to the brim. He couldn't complain, though, as he had willingly joined the Demon Slayer Corps alongside his brother. However, the exhaustion had taken its toll on his body, and it wasn't something he could easily shake off, no matter how much he wanted to.

Yuichiro trained the low-ranked members, including Y/n, his exhaustion and irritability were evident. He pushed them harder than usual, his patience wearing thin. The continuous missions and lack of sleep had taken a toll on his normal reserved demeanor.

"Come on! Is that the best you can do?" Yuichiro barked, his voice filled with frustration, his fatigue made him less tolerant of any mistakes or shortcomings.

Everyone was determined to prove themselves; they tried their best to keep up with Yuichiro's demanding training. Sweat dripped down their foreheads as they performed the techniques, struggling to meet his expectations. Despite their efforts, they couldn't escape Yuichiro's short-tempered outbursts.

"Focus! Concentrate on your breathing and your movements," Yuichiro snapped, his tone harsh. "You need to improve if you want to survive out there!"

As the grueling training session continued for hours, exhaustion began to take its toll on everyone, including Y/n. The intensity of the exercises and Yuichiro's relentless demands had pushed them all to their limits. Some of her fellow demon slayers were already sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath.

Y/n's body trembled with fatigue, her breathing heavy and erratic. She could feel the sweat soaking her clothes, clinging uncomfortably to her skin. Her posture slouched, and she instinctively reached for her knees, trying to catch her breath.

Recognizing that Yuichiro's strictness might be an attempt to push them to their limits, Y/n, who had a closer relationship with him compared to the others, gathered the courage to speak up. “Yuichiro, I think we could use a break," she suggested.

Y/n's suggestion hung in the air as Yuichiro's gaze bore into her. The intensity in his eyes sent a shiver down her spine, and she felt a sudden tension in the atmosphere. It was as if he had stripped away his usual warmth and replaced it with an unfamiliar coldness.

Yuichiro's voice was sharp as he responded, his tone laced with irritation. "A break? You think you deserve a break after that pathetic display? We're demon slayers, Y/n. We don't get breaks when the demons are out there, ready to attack us."

Y/n's heart sank at his words. The harshness in his tone was a stark contrast to their usual interactions. She had always thought she had a special connection with him, but in that moment, it felt like she was a stranger in his eyes.

"Well..." Y/n stuttered, taken aback by the harshness in Yuichiro's tone. While she understood his point, she couldn't help but feel that he could have conveyed it in a gentler manner.

Yuichiro immediately noticed the expression on Y/n's face, and a pang of guilt washed over him for his outburst. However, his annoyance still lingered, and he couldn't bring himself to soften his words. "Whatever, take your breaks then, I don't care," he spat, before turning and walking away.

Y/n couldn't contain her worry and frustration any longer. She hurriedly walked up to Yuichiro and grabbed the sleeve of his haori, hoping to halt his determined stride.

"Yui, I understand that you want to train us for our own improvement, but we can't keep pushing ourselves like this. We're already giving our best," she voiced out, her voice filled with genuine concern. However, her efforts to soften his demeanor were met with indifference.

"Trying our best?" Yuichiro repeated, his voice dripping with venom. "Well, it seems like your best isn't enough, especially since you're not even a Hashira," he added, his words cutting through the air with a harshness that sent a pang of hurt through Y/n's heart.

The moment the words left his lips, Yuichiro felt an instant pang of regret. But what could he do now? The damage had been done, and there was no way to take back his hurtful words.

Y/n felt the weight of Yuichiro's words pierce through her like a dagger. The venomous tone in his voice struck a deep chord within her, and she couldn't help but flinch at his words. Her breath caught in her throat as she struggled to find a response. The pain of his words washed over her, and she couldn’t help but welled up tears.

“You’re no better than a demon.” Y/n's voice cracked as she snapped back at Yuichiro, her words filled with a mixture of pain and anger. Tears streamed down her face; the hurt etched on her features as she struggled to hold back her emotions. Biting her bottom lip to suppress any sniffles, she pushed past him forcefully, distancing herself from him.

Yuichiro stood frozen in place, his earlier indifference replaced by shock and regret. The impact of Y/n's words hit him like a punch to the gut. He watched helplessly as she ran away, the sound of her footsteps echoing in his ears.

Realizing the gravity of his words and actions, a wave of guilt washed over Yuichiro. He never intended to hurt Y/n, especially not to this extent. He clenched his fists, frustration and regret mingling within him.

The weight of his own words bore down on him. The realization that his exhaustion had caused him to lash out at someone he cared about left him feeling utterly disappointed in himself. He couldn't believe that he had let his fatigue get the better of him, allowing hurtful words to slip from his lips.

With every step he took, Yuichiro's self-directed frustration grew. He clenched his fists even tighter, the intensity of his grip reflecting his inner turmoil. His frown deepened as he berated himself for his lack of control, feeling like the most useless person in that moment.

In his attempt to make amends, he searched for Y/n in the usual places he would find her. Eventually, he spotted her, but to his surprise, she was not alone. She was with his twin brother.

Yuichiro's heart sank as he stumbled upon the scene of Y/n sobbing in Muichiro's arms. The sight pierced through him, intensifying his guilt and regret. He felt a mix of emotions—jealousy, regret, and a deep sense of remorse for causing Y/n such pain.

Yuichiro looked at the comforting scene between Y/n and Muichiro, a pang of jealousy stirred within him. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of resentment towards his younger brother's ability to easily connect with others, especially when he himself struggled with expressing his emotions. The feeling of inadequacy intensified as he compared himself to Muichiro.

Yuichiro's conflicting emotions overwhelmed him as he stood hidden, observing Y/n and Muichiro. The turmoil within him made it difficult to make a clear decision on whether to enter the scene or leave. In the end, his emotions got the better of him, and he chose to quietly withdraw.

He then heard footsteps approaching from behind, he turned around to find his younger twin, Muichiro, standing there. The sight of his brother softened Yuichiro's gaze, momentarily easing the turmoil within him.

His eyes remained averted, unable to meet Muichiro's gaze as he wrestled with his own emotions and the consequences of his actions. "How... How was Y/n?" He asked, his voice quivered with a mix of concern and guilt.

"She's hurt," Muichiro replied, his voice calm and soft. He understood that Yuichiro wouldn't have lashed out without a reason. Sympathy and concern radiated from his touch as he placed a comforting hand on Yuichiro's shoulder.

"Nii-san, you should go talk to her. It's better to make amends before it's too late," Muichiro suggested, his intentions pure and well-meaning. However, a surge of jealousy unexpectedly welled up within Yuichiro upon hearing his brother's words.

The stirring of jealousy within him intensified his inner turmoil. He couldn't help but feel belittled, as if his own actions and abilities were inferior to his younger twin's.

His fists clenched involuntarily, and a mix of frustration and resentment washed over him. The jealousy that had been brewing within him threatened to consume his rationality.

Yuichiro forcefully brushed off his younger brother's hand, his glare piercing and intense. Muichiro's eyes widened in surprise, struggling to comprehend the sudden change in his brother's behavior.

"Do you think you're better than me now, Muichiro? Is that it?" The words escaped his lips, fueled by his inner turmoil, his resentment and jealousy momentarily overpowering his better judgment.

Muichiro's eyebrows furrowed, a mix of concern and pain crossing his face, his voice carried a hint of hurt as he tried to clarify the misunderstanding.

"Nii-san, I never thought of that," Muichiro replied softly, his voice tinged with confusion. "I would never think I'm better than you. I'm just trying to help and find a way to make things right. I care about both of you."

Seeing the genuine pain in Muichiro's expression, his older twin’s heart sank. The realization of the harm he had caused and the contrast between his own behavior and his brother's gentle nature intensified his self-hatred. He despised himself for his outburst, for his inability to convey his feelings properly, and for… Not being more like his brother.

A mix of remorse and self-disgust washed over Yuichiro. He longed to undo his actions, to go back in time and handle the situation differently. But in that moment, overwhelmed by his emotions, he couldn't bring himself to face Muichiro. With a heavy heart, he turned away, unable to bear the disappointment he saw in his brother's eyes.

Muichiro watched silently, his expression a mixture of concern and sadness, as his older twin walked away.

Yuichiro gritted his teeth in frustration, the weight of his actions and the self-loathing that consumed him becoming almost unbearable. Regret coursed through his veins, and he felt absolutely awful, hating himself for the hurt he had caused and for not being able to control his emotions.

He was an emotional wreck, unable to find solace or escape from the turmoil within him. Tears welled up in his eyes as he fought to contain his overwhelming emotions, feeling like he had hit rock bottom. The heaviness in his chest made it difficult to breathe, and his mind raced with self-critical thoughts.

Yuichiro desperately wished he could turn back time and handle things differently, to prevent the pain he had caused. He yearned to find a way to make amends, to show those he cared about how deeply sorry he was. The torment he felt was consuming him, leaving him feeling lost and broken.

His feet carried him aimlessly, his mind consumed by guilt and regret, he stumbled upon Y/n sitting alone on a bench. The sight of her immediately sent a pang of remorse through his heart, intensifying the weight of his actions and the pain he had caused her.

Just as Yuichiro was about to turn away, Y/n's eyes caught sight of his figure, and their gazes locked in a moment, his heart ached as he caught sight of Y/n's red, tear-filled eyes. The sight of her pain intensified the guilt within him, making it difficult for him to meet her gaze. He averted his eyes, feeling the weight of his remorse as he stared down at the ground.

“Yui. Come here.”

Yuichiro hesitated for a moment, unsure of how Y/n would receive him. But her gentle and soft voice beckoned him, breaking through the barrier of guilt and uncertainty. He took a deep breath, finally yielding to her request and slowly walked towards her, taking a seat beside her on the bench.

The silence hung between them, heavy with unspoken emotions. Yuichiro could feel the weight of the pain he had caused and the necessity of his redemption. His hands fidgeted nervously as he tried to find the right words to express his remorse.

“Y/n… I’m so-“ Yuichiro's voice trailed off as he started to speak, but Y/n cut in before he could finish his sentence.

"I'm sorry, Yuichiro," Y/n interjected, her voice filled with remorse. "I didn't mean to provoke you with my words earlier. I understand that you're just trying to push us to improve, and I appreciate that."

Yuichiro's eyes widened in surprise as Y/n interrupted his words, he was taken aback by her humility and her willingness to take responsibility for her own actions, despite his initial hurtful words.

Yuichiro's throat tightened, his voice caught in a mix of emotions as he finally found the courage to speak.

"No, Y/n, it is I who should be sorry," Yuichiro interjected, his voice filled with sincerity. "I was the one who started it all, and I had no right to lash out at you. Please, don't apologize for snapping at me. I was in the wrong…”

Y/n wrapped her arms around Yuichiro, pulling him into a gentle embrace, he initially felt the urge to break away. He believed that he didn't deserve her comfort and kindness after the hurtful words he had spoken. But the sincerity and warmth in her gesture spoke volumes, touching his heart in a way he couldn't ignore.

“I forgive you.”

A mixture of emotions swirled within Yuichiro as his head nuzzled against her chest. Tears welled up in his minty orbs, threatening to spill over. The weight of his guilt and remorse became intertwined with a glimmer of hope and forgiveness, slowly mending the broken pieces within him.

Yuichiro's voice trembled as he expressed himself, “I’m sorry for lacking…” Feeling vulnerable and weak in that moment. But before he could continue, Y/n's gentle voice interrupted him, her words washing over him like a soothing balm.

"You're more than enough for me," she whispered, her voice filled with sincerity and acceptance. Those words resonated deep within Yuichiro, piercing through the layers of self-doubt and insecurity.

Tears flowed freely from Yuichiro's eyes as he released a shaky breath, finally allowing himself to believe in the possibility of forgiveness and redemption.

#demon slayer kimetsu no yaiba #fanfiction #demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #one shot #female reader #x reader #fluff #heartwarming #kny x reader #kny x you #anime x reader #demon slayer x reader #anime x y/n #demon slayer x y/n #demon slayer x you #kny x y/n #kny hashira #yuichiro tokito #yuichiro x reader #yuichiro x y/n #kimetsu yuichiro #yuichiro tokito x reader #yuichiro x you #kny yuichiro

[reineyday]

i posted this mishanks fic where shanks takes calculus 1 as an elective for fun thinking rayleigh's gonna teach it only to be confronted with ray's TA mihawk teaching the class instead.

in the a/n i mentioned that mihawk's having a bad morning and shares an open-concept office with the other warlords, all doing their phd's in the same department, and someone asked what they were specializing in. i thought about it enough that i figured i'd just post my reply here too. 😂 i am but a humble bfa-haver, so if any of these topics seem wrong or unlikely, let me know! 🥲 it's all based on their devil fruits (if they have them).

i was thinking mihawk is probably getting a doctorate of philosophy in mathematics, inspired long ago by his swordsmanship practice (both in meditation and in analysis of movement and connection) and tendency toward logic and rational thinking. he also likes problem-solving. rayleigh has a joint appointment professor job at new world, and while he teaches mostly hard mathematics, he also teaches philosophy courses. mihawk is following a similar path of research, and thus chose him as a supervisor.

i think it might be interesting if boa was studying philosophy as related to the subject of love and logic. rayleigh is her supervisor as well, because he did his own thesis back in the day on picking apart aristotle's body of research in the modern lens, and she's focusing on aristotle's three sources of affection/types of objects that are loved and lovable (the good, the pleasant, and the useful). she probably has to be talked down from some heavy-handed metaphors on turning to stone lol.

croc is probably studying something that has to do with the physical properties and manipulation of sand, especially in its power to change topographies over time, and perhaps branching into individual uses of sand as a method of force. he probably thinks about sandblasters too much.

moria... hmm, sciography (study of shadows) and the neurological and psychological effects differently-shadowed spaces have on a person. sciography is something that mostly architects use when designing spaces, but he's interested more in the effect on one's psyche in (un)lit spaces as opposed to the art and design of it all.

kuma uuhhhh actually kuma's devil fruit is already pretty philosophical, seeing as how he can repel actual concepts. if you can repel pain and fatigue, what's stopping him from repelling something like gender, or time? so he could be doing research on human constructs in society and challenging the way society is structured, but that seems more like a humanities subject so maybe he's researching actual physics and delving into something extremely niche about how things get repelled on a molecular level, even by the human touch.

doffy's doing something in the physics field as well. something about gravity and thread and force and manipulation. no one's actually sure, they just know it always ends in him tying invisible string to literally anything and everything in the office and saying it's for his thesis whenever he pisses someone off, which is always. and yes, the worst thing about him is he's always getting good grades, which makes them wonder if it really IS for his thesis, which then makes them somehow even more pissed off, because there shouldnt be any good reason for tripping over all this goddamn thread all the time in the office. 🤦🏻‍♀️

and jinbe is studying movement in water and the human kinetics of it all, also inspired by the martial arts that he does. benefits of training in water, how it strengthens the muscles in different ways, etc. etc. mihawk is very interested to read his paper when he's finished haha.

#rei rambles #one piece #mishanks #seven warlords #shichibukai

[cosmicjoke]

okay cosmic. i am back again for another analysis from you. we have talked a bit about megumi fushiguro but not in depth and as you know he’s my favorite jjk character. so i was just wondering your in depth thoughts/analysis on him. lots of people call him “boring” and “useless” which i disagree and i always love reading what you have to say about characters even if it isn’t the same as me(which it almost always is tbf). anyway it’s ok if you don’t have anything to say about him just would love to hear your thoughts if you do 🩵

It's funny, because Megumi was initially my favorite character on JJK too, before it became Gojo, and Megumi still remains my second favorite, so we have essentially the same characters in our top two spots, haha.

Overall, I never enjoyed JJK the same way I do say Attack on Titan, so I've never put as much thought into it. I only read it once through, and I admit that the fatigue of getting through so many battles, with so many pages of exposition explaining how some characters cursed technique works, made me pay less attention, so I've forgotten a LOT of the details of the story, including character names, etc.... I would have to re-read it I think to really develop a better understanding of it and its characters. So I'm afraid I won't be able to offer a great deal of insight or really thoughtful analysis the way I try to with AoT and its characters. But I'll try my best here.

I have no idea why anyone would call Megumi useless or boring. Maybe because Sukana was able to bring out the full potential of the Ten Shadows technique, and people think by comparison, Megumi is a failure. But it's an absurd comparison to begin with. Sukana is literally ancient and has been around forever, while Megumi is, what, 15 or 16 years old? He's just a kid who hasn't had any kind of chance yet to develop or reach his full potential. And even still, calling him useless is a purposefully false accusation. He's been integral in numerous battles and conflicts in JJK, essential in his friends ability to walk away with their lives.

As for calling him boring, again, I don't know why anyone would say that about him. Maybe because he generally tends not to show a great deal of emotion? But then, you and I both know how stupid it is to assume a character doesn't feel anything just because they don't engage in dramatic displays of emotion. I think it's obvious that Megumi is dealing with a lot of repressed trauma, both from the abandonment by his father, and the situation with his sister. That, on top of the horrors he and the other jujutsu students have to face daily, and I think it's just made him a very guarded person. But the devotion he feels toward his sister betrays what a caring person he really is. He never abandoned her, even when she fell into a coma. He would always make time to visit her, and did everything in his power to protect her. So while Megumi affects an attitude of detachment, I think it's pretty obvious how much he actually cares about everyone around him. Like when he first meets Itadori, he acts like he can't stand him and doesn't care what happens to him, but it's Megumi who first requests Gojo's help with Yuuji, and we see over and over again how much he actually cares for him, and all his friends, and how deeply it impacts him whenever any of them gets hurt or dies.

I actually think Megumi is probably going to be essential in some way to defeating Sukana. I haven't been reading these last, several chapters, but I've been keeping up with spoilers, and that's just the sense I'm getting. There was so much build up to Megumi's potential, with Gojo's lessons with him, with Gojo telling him he had the potential to surpass him, Sukana's taunting and then stealing his body and technique, etc... So unless Gege drops the ball on his own foreshadowing again (which is always possible, considering the shitshow that his writing has been lately), I think Megumi is likely to become the actual hero of this story. I think he's been being set up to take on that role since basically the beginning. The character that, on the surface, seems the least invested, or declaring his own detachment from people, being the one to actually save the day, would be a classic hero trope. Our main players right now in Itadori and Yuta falling to Sukana, and needing Megumi to overcome him in order to save their lives, would make a lot of sense to me. Like defeating Sukana from within, after being underestimated and after Sukana's attempts to destroy Megumi too.

Of course, I could be totally off base, and whatever happens with Megumi could just be another, underwhelming bleh moment, kind of like what just happened with Kenjaku and his story and connection to various characters going absolutely nowhere, lol. So who knows. I don't really trust Gege as a writer at this point. But maybe he'll actually manage to pull off something worthy of Megumi's character. He's due for something like that, considering the way he butchered Gojo's ending.

#jjk #megumi fushiguro #jujutsu kaisen

[throwaway-yandere]

!!!Yandere Genshin/Reader 2.5k Follows Mini-Event: Secret Penpals (Masterlist)!!!

cw: contains yandere themes, including stalking, possessive behavior, etc. do not engage if you’re sensitive to the topics mentioned. prioritize your mental health first, you matter.   

Time remaining: █ days, █ hours, █ minutes (closed!!! please wait until Thoma delivers all the letters &lt;3)

✧ Inazuma is currently holding another Irodori Festival and the Yashiro Commission and Yae Publishing House has a secret pen pal service going on... Perhaps you should write a letter and hand it over to Ms. Hina! Who knows, maybe you'll find another Paimon!

Possible Rewards: A new friend : )

“How is the list, Gorou?”

“Well, I got the names of some of the penpals. We got Always-So-Busy Sakabashira, Widower Momiji, A Headless Knight, Calx, and a couple more weird and whimsical names… There’s like… around 10 or something.”

“Ah, I see, Sakabashira is █████ isn’t it– wait, even Calx is joining? Isn’t he a Mondstadter?”

“Aren’t you one too? Now that you mention it, there’s a couple of foreigners joining this event– we even got someone from Snezhnaya.” 

“Haha, where do you think Blue Eyes White Dragon could be from? Betting on Liyue.”

“Hmm… I have a hunch that they’re from Fontaine...”

“But what if they’re yokai, though?”

...

“... Do yokais play TCG?”

"... I know Itto does…"

[match-up event guidelines under the cut]

—-------

SALUTATIONS! Mx. Ansy here– thank you so much for the 2k follows! I don’t celebrate White Days so this will be the reason why this event exists. No clue why that happened, but for the celebration’s sake, here’s a mini event as my thanks!!! (Even though it’s long overdue since I’m at 2.5k hahahaha…) 

Thank you to everyone that followed, liked, left comments (omg), reblogged, etc. ILYSM!!!! <3 (Don’t worry, I’m still working on the idol au ehe. I need you all to know about music composer!Tighnari’s mental fatigue.)

Here are the event guidelines and an example of how this works provided by “Ms. Hina” and “Fixer”!

Event Guidelines ✥:

NO NSFW MESSAGES. (Please remember someone is writing behind all this lmao. I’m asexual so my humblest apologies.)

Feel free to go nuts with your pen pal's name! No need to use the word “anon”. As long as you kept your identity a secret, you’re safe! There’s no real rule, just make sure it’s not longer than 6 words. 

Why is six words the maximum? Well… My best friend, Fried Tofu With All The Frills, “suggested” that it’s better that way…

Remember who runs this event behind the screen. Expect stalkers, monsters, etc. to respond to your letter.

You don't know who your pen pal is. Don't name who the receiver of your letter is. This is luck-based, and if I'm feeling like a gremlin I might just send your letter to Reckless Pallad if you do this lol. 

As the event name suggests: some might get villain NPCs & non-yandere character/s. Welcome back to another round of RNG if you aren’t already fricking tired from artifact grinding.

Only one penpal per person. No repeats. Every time I do an event, the yanderes are loyal.

Are you reading the guidelines? Good. Take note of this specific instruction or else I won’t add your letter to the event registration: greet your pen pal with a “Happy Irodori Festival!” or anything similar. That’s how I’ll know you’ve read everything.

Your letter could be around 200 words max but don’t feel forced to hit that threshold haha. Talk about whatever you want then send it in this blog’s ask box! I’ll pass it on to Ms. Hina or Fixer ♡

The response you’ll receive varies, but expect a minimum word count of at least 100 (some characters just won't write long). Hard to fit things with a single letter. Maybe your pen pal would be desperate enough to write 2 pages on their first reply. But don’t count on it. I’m trying my best to give out short replies to this event. The last idol event had 2k-6k word counts (when my plan was 1.8k max). This is me trying my best to exercise self-control lolololol.

Every letter is made on Canva. Huge shoutout to that website for carrying my SHS career and this event because I have S-tier garbage handwriting.

Also, a huge shoutout to @/watatsumiis! General inspired me to do this event, so please check his works if you want to read fluffy fics that’ll make you giggle! He provides such amazing brain rots, I swear. Unlike this gremlin right here, he’s wonderful and wholesome both as a writer and a person.

Well then, time for an example! Please copy Ms. Hina’s lead when you write your letter &lt;3

Tutorial/Example ✥:

“Dear Secret Penpal,

Happy Irodori festival! My name is Miss Hina, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I know that festivals tend to make everyone exhausted, so whoever this letter is addressed to, I hope you’re taking care of yourself. Remember to eat and drink water regularly! Even when to be honest, I already know who you are. I’m not great at talking about myself, but if anything is troubling you, don’t keep it all muzzled up inside.

- Ms. Hina”

The “penpal”’s reply (example only!!!):

Hmm, wonder who that could be? /s

Have fun!!! Happy Irodori Festival!!! (even though it’s windblume rn. I just can’t think of a book-based genshin event so lol here’s an advanced irodori patch for everyone.)

List of penpals/Masterlist:

SOME ARE CURRENTLY A SECRET

Don't get too cocky, though. Some of them aren't who you think they are ehe

"Calx" - Luthien

"Deshret" - Lisa

"Blue Eyes White Dragon" - ????

"Always-So-Busy Sakabashira" - Second Hand Of Time

"A Headless Knight" - Choco Found In Puppy's Tummy

"Widower Momiji" - Starlight

"Big Ears" - Honey On A Stick

"Fixer" - Tofu

"Fratello" - ????

No name - Vermiculis Creatio

No name - ????

#ansy-writes #yandere genshin impact #just a small event! #yandere genshin impact x reader #yandere genshin #thank you for 2.5k ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ #not tagging who the characters are here yet. #yandere albedo #yandere alhaitham

[elizabethplaid]

Self-portraits - Jan 20, 2024

I got these two pairs of glasses in 2015, both from Beverly Hills Polo Club, via Sears Optical. For the past few years, I've worn the brow-line regularly. I don't bother wearing any while at home, though.

I don't wear my plaid glasses (right) as often as I used to. The frames feel heavy, and the lenses are more scratched. Aesthetically, I feel more like "me" when I see myself wearing 'em. I'd love to have another pair like my old half-rims, but I wouldn't want to get rid of my plaid frames.

Jewelry wise, the plastic "henna" choker has been my signature for almost 20 years now, along with my septum ring. Started wearing the silver bell necklace after mom passed, maybe a bit before. I love the sound - so delicate and close. When wearing earrings, it's always 2 pairs, often dangly things that chime as they clink together.

I'm probably still giddy from talking with my friend (though I'm feeling fatigue creep up, haha), but I really like how I look today. Just me, classic me; the me I know and love and love to look at.

#daily notes #picture of me #long hair #queued post is queued

[dreamingcloudie]

The idea of Dottore being with an anemic!reader is so fun to me. Like we’re talking constantly cold, but so used to it that you could take them out in the middle of a snow storm and they’d be unfazed. Stand up? Boom you’re now passed out on the ground. The paleness? Bruh you look dead. Medicine? Yeah, no. You’re body doesn’t accept it so it doesn’t even help. You got like 24 hours of sleep? Haha, you still got horrible eye bags and still feel fatigued. Wait, dude - my heart acting up and it’s not the cute love-lovey kind it’s just heart problems due to the anemia…

Oh dear, I'm sorry this took me a while to reply!

Huhu, the moment i finished reading this, the idea of Dottore being so worried and maybe even... obsessive towards the reader popped up. In his eyes, you're just so fragile and he must do everything and anything in his power to keep you safe and sound within his compound. Nothing would happen to you if you're constantly within his care... right?

The cold? Doesn't matter if you're used to it. He'd hug you and and warp his giant coat around you anyway.

Can't stand up? Oh well, he'd just carry you then.

The medicine is not working for you? That's fine, he's the great Doctor we're about, the smartest man in Teyvat. There are no problems he couldn't solve...

This just gave me a new idea for a fic. Who knows, maybe I'll write it some time :)

Thank you for sending this in, nonnie!! Appreciate ya ❤️

#cloudie.chats

[gingeraleluke]

congratulations on 2k mads <33

4 the sleepover can i ask for dolled up 4 any one of these pics ?

ALSO HELP I WAS TRYNNA SEND AN ASK BUT ACCIDENTALLY UNFOLLOWED U T^T

HAHA ITS OKAY!! i’m gonna combine these asks because they are pretty similar but i’m gonna change some things so hopefully you still enjoy :)

slight cw! an anxiety attack if you squint.

BASED ON THIS PICTURE

everyone knew that y/n liked vinnie.

everyone but vinnie.

it was any time now where he’d find out.

she didn’t do a good job hiding the fact and was practically a super fan of his behind closed doors. she met vinnie through her brother max, who became one of vinnie’s closest friends, and since her and max were so close, she’d often join them on hangouts.

hence why the three of them were in paris.

the two boys had left y/n at the airbnb to go do god knows what, leaving the girl to study and finish up her schoolwork. she didn’t want to keep the boys from having fun so she insisted that they go on without her.

but two hours went by and she became lonely.

grabbing her bag, she called an uber to take her to the skate park, where she assumed the boys would be. putting her phone down on the bathroom counter, she quickly fixed up her hair before going to wait outside for her ride. how was she supposed to know that they were actually in the streets of paris taking pictures and posing with cigarettes? she wasn’t omniscient and sure as hell couldn’t read minds.

once she got to the skate park, she walked around aimlessly, her black shoes carrying her feet across the entire park, looking for them.

she saw the silhouette of two boys, one seated while the other one was skating on the half pipe.

“hey!” she waved, squinting to try and make out their faces. the boy seating looked up from his phone while the other one came to a complete stop.

wrong people.

“oh, sorry! my bad, i uh, thought you were someone else.” she awkwardly apologized, letting out a dry laugh and walking off, thinking over what to do in her head.

where the hell could they be?

she felt the back pocket of her ripped jeans, feeling for her imaginary phone. she pulled out her bag, looking through the contents as she assumed she just put it in her bag and forgot.

then she realized that she left her phone on the sink of the airbnb.

fuck.

she panned over, checking to see if the two boys were looking at her, but saw that they weren’t. pacing back and forth, she tried to take deep breaths and keep calm.

curse vinnie for being so damn heady. two hours without him and she already longed for his presence.

“hey, um. i’m sorry, could i borrow a phone? i need to make a call.” she chirped, raising a hand up and bringing attention to herself. she hoped that they spoke english.

the brunette boy stayed seated while the edgier blonde one, stopped his board and walked towards her, holding out a phone for her to use.

“thank you.”

she quickly dialed vinnie’s number.

she couldn’t remember max’s, despite being his sister, and yet she knew vinnie’s like the back of her hand. all those nights that she read those familiar digits and just wishing that she could have the courage to call him.

she silently prayed that he’d pick up, but he didn’t.

“your call has been forwarded to an aut—“

“fuck.” she huffed, realizing that he wouldn’t answer since it wasn’t a number he recognized. the blonde boy snapped the phone out of her hands, clearly annoyed as he walked away.

what the fuck do i do now?

“hey, wait!” she watched the two guys walk faster before the skated out of her view.

“fuck.”

she didn’t know what to do and her brain was so fried from studying that she didn’t have the power to move. she remembered the boys talking about going to the skate park and hoped that they hadn’t gone yet.

maybe if i just wait here, they will come..

i’ll just wait for a few minutes.

dropping to the side of a half pipe, she clutched her purse to her chest and sat cris-cross, her eyes closing ever so slightly from the fatigue before the sleepiness consumed her.

◦◦,`°.✽✦✽.◦.✽✦✽.°`,◦◦

max and vinnie arrived an hour later at the airbnb, throwing their stuff on the counter and beginning to raid whatever food they could find in the fridge.

“y/n, we’re back!” vinnie heard max call out as he went to town on the leftovers he found, hungrier than ever.

“she’s not here.”

“huh?” vinnie asked, his chewing paused and his body gone still.

“she isn’t here and her phone is here.”

“shit.” vinnie sighed, trying his best to conceal the panic that was rising into his body. “well where do you think she’d be?!”

he looked at max before the two of them realized.

“i’ll get her.”

◦◦,`°.✽✦✽.◦.✽✦✽.°`,◦◦

there she was, her hair sprawled out against the ground and her graphic tee shirt tucked into her jeans. her mouth was left open slightly and small snores left her body.

she’s sleeping.

the boy felt bad yet was amused by her state. being unconscious in the middle of a foreign country is not the safest thing for a girl like her to do.

“y/n?” he whispered, leaning down so his necklace swung. “hey.”

she woke up to the soft shaking on her shoulders, opening her eyes and feeling the hard surface beneath her, pressed against her cheek.

“vinnie?”

“yeah, i’m here. you really need to be supervised at all time you know?” he smiled. her eyes were half open and she was fading in and out of sleepiness.

“i’m tired.”

“yeah, me too y/n. let’s go.” he held onto her hand, lifting her up so she was standing. the girl wasn’t ready for his next move as he swiftly picked her up and carried her bridal style back to the car. his small grunts and footsteps were music to her ears in that moment.

peeling open her eyes, she looked up at him. “so pretty,” she murmured. her eyes danced over his appearance and the boy tried to hide his blush. before he could reply, the girl was knocked out in his arms.

now vinnie knew.

COME JOIN THE SLUMBER PARTY!

#vinnie hacker #vinnie hacker x reader #2k sleepover #dolledup

[sixpossumsinatrenchcoat]

Four More Years (ch 4/5)

Just posted the very emotional culmination of my sweet & silly lil Omori timeskip and now I am unraveled, incapacitated, generally bereft. If you enjoy dopamine please consider swinging by. Text preview below, story link below that!

At 10:34 PM, there’s a friendly patter on the door. Sunny wrenches it open with relief.

Kel looks tired, his smile a little faded. But he still brightens when he sees Sunny. “Hey, buddy! What’s going on? You miss me?”

“Yes. A lot.” 

Kel looks surprised, and then pleased. “Pfft, well. Hey. Back at you.” He peers over Sunny’s shoulder. “...Where is everyone?”

“Gone. Having a nice night.”

“Aw,” Kel laughs, not unsympathetic. “And they left you all alone?”

Sunny nods grimly.

“Aw, Sunny!!! I woulda come sooner if I knew you were all on your lonesome!”

“It’s okay,” sighs Sunny, who’s being extremely brave. “I’m glad you’re here.” 

When Kel grins, the fatigue washes off him a little. He smells a little like a sports bar and a lot like the YMCA, sweat and bleach and rubber. His hair is tied in a scruffy half-ponytail but a few locks have pulled loose, curling around his chin. He makes the whole room feel warmer. 

But he also looks tired. Or… not tired exactly. He feels muted, his natural glow slightly dimmed. More than you’d expect from just getting worn out on the court. His smile isn’t lying, but it’s only about 80% honest. Maybe he’s taking the loss harder than usual? 

Sunny grabs Kel by the wrist, yanks him toward one of the kitchen stools. “Are you okay?”

“Huh? Yeah, for sure! Why wouldn’t I be?”

Sunny shrugs. You tell me.

“It is all good, dude! I’m just, uh…” Kel’s left hand finds the back of his neck. “...I dunno. Probably a little tired. Sorry! I didn’t mean to kill the mood.”

Sunny has been having a neutral-to-poor night. If any mood could be flushed out of the brush, it deserved to be shot. “Don’t worry about it.” 

Kel grins sheepishly, still rubbing the back of his neck. 

Sunny’s frown deepens. Kel isn’t as obvious as Basil, but he’s nowhere near as sly as Hero. He’s obviously feeling down about something. But of course he’ll never bring it up. 

That’s fine. Talking isn’t what either of them does best. Sunny gives Kel’s wrist a last squeeze and pads over to the French press. 

“Sunny?? It’s—” Kel glances at the clock on the wall, a cracked wheel of oxidized copper that shouts a different birdcall every hour. “—10:40 at night???” 

“It’s okay,” Sunny tells him. “It’s decaf.” 

Kel watches, looking increasingly delighted, as Sunny brews a half a pot of decaf and then pulls out a carton of orange juice. He pours half of one and half of the other into his thermos, a tall black mug with a screw-on lid. But he doesn’t hand it over. He takes one sip and grimaces, mostly to make Kel laugh. Then he slips it into Basil’s backup backpack. 

“Are we going on an adventure?” Kel really must be tired. He sounds almost as wary as he does excited. 

“Just a small one.”

Sunny’s been saving this caper for a rainy day. Ideally, he would have scoped out the roof of his complex months ago. But Basil’s anxiety can be very occasionally inconvenient when exposed to even mildly life-threatening peril. The route Sunny scouted isn’t an escalator with a guardrail, but it’s not a particularly tricky climb. Basil just isn’t in the demographic.

Taking a page from Basil’s book, Sunny dumps a few more treats into the backpack, more or less at random. Then he hooks his keys onto his belt loop and looks at Kel. 

“Are your motor skills impaired?” he asks seriously. 

“Haha, whaaat! No way! Or, I mean… not… a lot? No more than if you didn’t get enough sleep.”

Sunny never gets enough sleep. “Cool.”

To get onto the roof, all you have to do is slip out the window onto the fire escape and climb a few ladders, till you hit the one that’s gated shut. Then just swing over the railing, scramble up the outside of the scaffolding, and hoist yourself over the gutter. 

Sunny leads the way. He makes Kel hang back while he tests his weight, making sure he’s not leading them into a meat grinder. But the rusted metal holds. The only hitch comes in the form of a flurry of pigeons that explodes out from under the gutter, pelting Sunny with feathers and dust. 

“Sunny!!!” Kel gasps. 

But it’s fine. These days, when Sunny is overwhelmed, he doesn’t lash out or flinch away. If you don’t move, you can’t hurt anyone. He closes his eyes and tightens his hold and then the birds are gone. 

He looks down at Kel. “Should be safe now,” he says calmly.

Kel’s eyes widen and he grins—a real one this time, wide and wild. “Right behind you!!”

The roof is everything Sunny hoped for. It's dusty and empty and high-up enough that when you look to the north, you can see a little sliver of the sea peeking between the high rises. There’s a big white trapezoid right in the middle, presumably the service entrance to the roof. The door is welded shut and the backside is a sloping plane of rough tile, but the sides are all empty white. 

Sunny’s eye widens. A whole empty wall… A great white canvas pressed up against the sky, off anyone’s radar, and high above the cop cars wailing on the streets below. The possibilities are almost paralyzing. 

Kel studies his face and then shakes his head, grinning crookedly. “Man, you are like, the coolest, you know that?”

Sunny gives him a baffled look. He hasn’t even done anything.

“I’m serious!! You’re just… It's like there's so much in your head that it all comes spilling out. Like you take all the bullshit, all this horrible pointless suffering and make it so everyone can see it, and so everyone who sees it can feel it. It’s—” Kel’s smile wilts at the edges. “I can’t even imagine, seeing like you.” 

“I’m supposed to be cheering you up,” Sunny points out.

“Huh? Who says I need cheering up?”

Sunny’s frown deepens. No one said. Kel is just… muted. Like the light inside him needs a change of batteries. But he’s not sure that he knows how to say it. 

“You’re just. Not as… bright? Still very bright,” he reassures him, when Kel’s eyes widen. “But, it’s—” He grimaces. “I don’t want you to lie.”

“Wh— I would never!!!”

“Not with words,” Sunny says, frustrated. “With—” He gestures at Kel’s stance, his easy smile. “Just. It’s okay if you’re not happy.” 

He stops. Kel is looking at him with that ache in his eyes, even worse than when he first arrived. He looks lonely. But that doesn’t make any sense. Sunny is right here. 

Sunny huffs impatiently. He’s not sure why he even tried doing this with words. That’s never been how he and Kel talked. He turns on his heel and wanders toward the northern edge of the roof, where you can see the fog rolling up the hill. Then he plunks himself down on the edge and flaps a hand at Kel. 

“Come drink your horrible drink.” No one else is going to.

Kel chuckles and goes where Sunny wants him. “...I guess I maybe am a little off tonight, huh.”

Sunny gives him a look. Do you want to talk about it doesn’t work on Kel, because Kel never wants to talk about anything that might bum anyone out. “Talk about it.”

Kel snickers. “Aw, it’s nothing really. Or, I guess it’s a lot of little things?”

“Like what.”

“Man, you’re persistent tonight, huh?” 

Sunny reaches into his borrowed backpack, silent, and hands Kel a slice of dried mango. 

“...Are those just loose in there?”

Sunny nods. 

Kel sputters a laugh and takes it. “Aw, I dunno, Sunny. It’s really pretty stupid.”

“Okay.” Feelings usually are. 

Kel snickers, gnawing on the edge of his mango. If it were daytime, he could see clear to the ocean. But at night it’s lost to fog. 

“I guess it’s just… It kinda feels like… everyone’s growing up? Like, figuring out what you want, and how you wanna live and stuff. And I’m the only one who’s just... not.”

“Aubrey is legally homeless,” Sunny points out.

“Yeah, cause she wants to, like… fuck the establishment, and blow up the IRS and shit!! Every day she looks more like herself! And Basil, hah, he’s—” Again, there’s that strange flash of hurt. “You know. Getting… everything he ever wanted, probably. And you!!!” He turns to Sunny with stars in his eyes. “God, you’re, like… taking all the cool shit in your head and pushing it out into the world and it is so exciting to watch, Sunny! Really!! It’s—I can’t believe how exciting it is, just watching you go around and look at things and make them important, just by seeing them.” 

Kel drums his heels against the side of the building, his sparkle dimming a little. 

“...You’re all so fun to watch, and I’m just kinda the same dumb kid as always. Like everyone’s running ahead, and I’m stuck trying to catch up.”

“But you’re the one who ran ahead.”

Kel blinks. “Huh?”

“When we were all—” Sunny gestures toward dissociative fugues, waking nightmares, drownings and stabbings and eyes gouged out. “You’re the only one who figured out how to live with yourself. On your own, without anyone’s help. And then you pulled us out after. It’s just that we’re finally catching up.”

“Yeah, but— No. Come on. That’s different. And anyway, it’s not like I was—” Kel hesitates. “Hey. When you were still… inside. Did you ever… Could you even hear me?”

Sunny’s head tilts. He heard Kel all night long, in Headspace. But that’s probably not what he means.

Kel looks out over the sleeping city. In the Glittering Harbor, you can only ever see the stars at twilight, after the sun’s slipped behind the world but before the fog has dragged its way onto the shore. But at night, you can see the city lights reflected in the clouds. 

“...I used to talk to your door all the time, Sunny. All the time. For years, like maybe one day you were just gonna answer. It’s like— Even if I know something’s never gonna happen, I still can’t get over it.”

“But it did happen,” Sunny says, confused. “You brought me back.” 

Kel laughs, but it's not a happy sound. It makes Sunny feel all upside-down and sideways. “Yeah. Yeah, maybe. Or—I don’t know. Maybe it just would’ve been some other—”

“No,” Sunny tells him firmly. “No one else could have done it. I would have died instead.” He doesn’t want to upset anyone, but it’s true. He was dying in that house. He was dying so slowly all the time, all the time he was awake. Every day he was a little less alive. He would have drowned in the bath, or got so confused and afraid that he would slide a knife between his ribs to make the nightmare stop. Or you’d fall down the stairs, Omori chimes in. You’d break your neck so you couldn’t move or call for help and then you’d starve down there, on the floor where it happened, and it would be weeks before anyone knew. “And—I didn’t hear you, at the door. Sorry. I was… not very awake. But I heard you in my dreams all the time. Sometimes even when I couldn’t find anyone else. So maybe some of it did get through. I don’t know. I don’t think about it very much.” 

Kel is looking at him with surprise. Sunny feels a little surprised, too. It’s probably the most he’s said all at once in… He’s not sure how long. 

“You saved me,” Sunny reminds him. “And brought us all back. And you’re doing fine, anyway.”

Kel sputters a laugh. “Aw, geez, Sunny. You always know just what to say.”

Sunny famously does not, but whatever. He studies Kel’s face and frowns. That laugh was honest, but Kel’s smile is lying again. “Are you sure there isn’t something else?” 

“H-Huh?? I—” Kel looks away, toward the horizon. “Aw, I dunno. I mean. I guess I… don’t really wanna talk about it.”

Sunny can understand that. There are lots of things he doesn’t want to talk about. “Okay. Then… tell me what to paint up here.”

“Woah!!!” Kel yelps. “For real?”

He nods.

“Sunny??? That’s too much responsibility!! I don’t know the first thing about art!!”

Sunny rolls his eye. “Everyone knows about art." Art is just whatever makes you feel things. "Anyway, I’m the one who’ll paint it.” 

“You’ve got me there,” Kel concedes. “Hmm… You could paint… a t-rex… that’s also a cyborg. A whole ranger squad of cyborg dinos!!” 

“Were they recreated by science?” Sunny asks seriously. “Or did they survive the extinction event, and now they’re the dominant species?” 

“Definitely the second one. Oh, oh, or you could paint Hector! Hector would be a great muse!”

“Hector has always been my muse.”

“Mine too!!” Kel is starting to sound more like himself. “What about a big ole garden? I bet Basil would like that.”

“Basil is never going to see it.” When Kel looks taken aback, Sunny clarifies, “He doesn’t like… danger.”

“It’s just a mural though?”

Sunny snickers. “He wouldn’t want me climbing up here.” 

Kel looks surprised, and then guilty. “Oh! Ohhh. Okay, yeah, I can totally see that. But then—is it okay that we’re up here?”

“He can’t tell me what to do,” Sunny sniffs. Anyway, Basil wouldn’t actually try to stop him. He would just clamp his jaw shut and swallow his misgivings and proceed to spend the night vibrating in terror. “It’s just nicer to come up here when he doesn’t have to know.”

“Hey, whatever works.” Kel darts another glance at him. “Okay, I have a real idea, but it’s stupid.”

“Those weren’t real ideas?”

“I have another real idea, but it’s stupid. And super not original. But if I really get to pick, then… I think you should paint us.”

“All of us, or the two of us?”

Kel shrugs vaguely. “I guess it wouldn’t be very smart, though, huh. I mean. It’d be pretty obvious who did it.”

“Not necessarily.” There are lots of ways to paint something without painting it. Abstraction has always felt more real than realism, anyway. The eye isn’t a camera. Every image is passed through a hundred different filters, how you’re feeling and what’s on your mind and whether you’ve had anything to eat. Overly literal representation is just a shadow on the wall of the cave. To say something true, you need to tell a few lies. 

It's like with Basil's photos. No matter how much you paid for your equipment, a photo of a sunset will always pale in comparison to the genuine article. You have to spend a while fucking around with the contrast and the color to make an image that feels even close to true. 

Sometimes the real world feels like Headspace. All of these layers stacked on top of each other, all of them accurate, no one of them true. Sunny could paint a perfect replica of Kel Rodriguez—messy curls, easy smile—and it would be accurate, but not honest. Or he could paint a blurred, warped animation smear, and it would be honest, but not true. Or he could paint a living sun, lurid orange and yellow and brilliant blue-white, and it would be true, but definitely not accurate. But all of them would be real. 

“Can you already see it?” 

Sunny startles. Kel is watching him fondly. “Sorry.” 

“Don’t be!! I told you, I love seeing you think.” Kel stops short, his fingers tapping an anxious beat against the gutter.. “...It’s late, huh? I should probably get going.”

Sunny sags. He’d been hoping to talk to Kel about everything they’ve been talking around: Kel acting weird, and Sunny feeling weird about it; Basil’s advice, and what Aubrey thinks that Kel might think. But he can’t unload that whole complicated tangle of feelings when Kel already looks so low. Paying attention to what other people want is tiresome, but important. Sunny wants to be good to the people he loves. 

“Okay,” he sighs. “Just stay behind me. I have to check for pigeons.” 

#omori suntan #omori #omori timeskip #omori fanfic #omori photobomb #suntan #photobomb #post-good end #college AU #sunkel

[spicykaraage]

After Training - Story Translation

[Prologue]

Tezuka: Huff… huff…

Tsuge: One round left! Raise the speed to the max!

All: Yes!!

—

Momoshiro: Finally done…! I ran as fast as I could…

Ryoma: Hey, Momo-senpai. Can you not lean back against me.

Ryoma: You’re heavy.

Momoshiro: Whoops, sorry.

Kawamura: Momo and Echizen take pride in their endurance, but even they’re worn out from all that.

Oishi: They’ve really upped the ante with this hypoxic training now, so I don’t blame them.

Oishi: Even Eiji who has a lot of experience with this said he was struggling. Are you okay, Tezuka?

Tezuka: Yes.

Kawamura: It’s been about a week since they started adding this hypoxic training after practice, but I’m still not used to it.

Tezuka: I’m not under the impression that it’s simply for more training. I believe theres another purpose to it…

Tsuge: That concludes today’s practice!

Tsuge: And an announcement: starting tomorrow, a special training regimen shall be held.

Ryoma: Special training?

Kawamura: Starting tomorrow… That’s pretty short notice.

Momoshiro: What’ll we be doing?

Tsuge: You will be training for several days at a high elevation campsite.

Tsuge: There will be temperature differences due to the change in elevation as well. Be sure to prepare yourselves.

Tsuge: That is all. Dismissed!

All: Thank you very much!

Oishi: We’re really gonna be training in a high altitude? I guess now would be the best time.

Kawamura: It’s pretty hot down here at this camp, so it’ll be a lot cooler up there.

Kawamura: This’ll be another addition to our progress.

Tezuka: Yes, it will.

Tezuka: However, this training is completely new to us, so we may run into unexpected incidents.

Tezuka: Everyone, don’t let your guards down.

Ryoma: Got it.

[Episode 1]

Kirihara: High altitude training, huh.

Kirihara: I’ve heard about it on TV and other stuff, but what exactly is it supposed to do?

Kaidoh: Marathoners do it, it’s probably to increase your stamina.

Inui: That’s right. In addition, your oxygen levels and intake are supposed to improve.

Yanagi: In short, it’s training so that your body will become less fatigued.

Kaidoh: Sounds like my kind of training, then.

Kirihara: Nice, you would know all about it, senpais!

Yanagi: Gathering data on our training is essential.

Mizuki: So it appears our hypoxic training was in preparation for this high altitude training.

Kaidoh: So hypoxic training and high altitude training go hand in hand?

Inui: We’ll be facing changes in atmospheric pressure, oxygen levels, and environmental differences.

Mizuki: Therefore, it’s necessary for us to train and get our bodies more accustomed to higher altitudes.

Kirihara: …So what?

Yanagi: So it means the hypoxic training we’ve been doing was to prepare us for this high altitude training.

Kirihara: Oh, I see!

Kaidoh: How did it not click the first time.

Chitose: Whatcha guys talking about?

Mizuki: We’re discussing tomorrow’s training.

Chitose: Oh right. I’ve never done this kind of training before, hopefully it’ll be fun.

Chitose: Maybe it’ll improve the Selfless State, it’ll be good to push myself even further.

Mizuki: Try not to get too wrapped up in it and burn yourself out.

Chitose: Haha, I’ll be careful.

[Episode 2]

Fuji: We’ve pretty high on the mountain now. The air’s getting cooler.

Tezuka: It’ll be cold now that we’re in higher elevation. We should close the windows.

Fuji: Oh yeah? Good thing I brought my jacket with me then.

Oishi: Even still, I’m excited to be training in a place with clean air.

Oishi: We may even be able to see more stars at night since we’ll be higher up.

Ryoma: What’s this campground gonna be like?

Kikumaru: I’ve actually heard good things about it.

Fuji: Good things?

Kikumaru: Yeah! I heard we’ll be staying in a beautiful cottage and be picking fruits and vegetables!

Kikumaru: We’ll definitely be eating good.

Tezuka: Oh…

Ryoma: Well that’s better than I was expecting.

Fuji: Glad to hear we’ll be doing other stuff that isn’t just training.

Kikumaru: The campsite is actually a pretty popular glamping area.

Kikumaru: I can’t wait to explore it~

Oishi: I’m surprised you have all this energy after that training we did.

Fuji: Are you interested, Tezuka?

Tezuka: About?

Fuji: I figured you’d be a little happy since we’re going to the mountains.

Tezuka: We’re going to train, not have a vacation.

Fuji: Fufu… If you say so.

Tezuka: …

[Episode 3]

Kite: So this is the campground. It looks quite pleasant if you ask me.

Kai: C…

Kite: ? What is it, Kai-kun.

Kai: So cold!!

Hirakoba: It really has gotten cold now that we’re higher up.

Chinen: The wind is really chilly.

Tanishi: Ughh, I want something warm to eat!

Kite: You’re all pathetic. Complaining simply because of the cold.

Kite: They told you to prepare for this, did they not.

Kai: Yeah, but I didn’t expect it to be this drastic.

Hirakoba: For real. Let’s just start this training or whatever.

Chinen: …

Tanishi: What’s up?

Chinen: It’s better behind Kei-kun since the wind won’t hit you.

Tanishi: So I’m a windshield now, huh!

Hirakoba: Oh, yeah I don’t feel the wind anymore.

Kai: Chinen, Rin, don’t hog him. I wanna get behind him too.

Hirakoba: Hey, don’t push me out of the way.

Chinen: We were here first.

Kite: Good grief…

Kite: So you’re all going to play oshikura manjuu now, are you.

—

Tsuge: Gather around, everyone!

Tsuge: Today all of you will be doing circuit training.

Tsuge: Put your belongings away, then return here after. Dismissed!

All: Yes!!

[Episode 4]

Ryoma: Kuh… It’s harder doing sit-ups, my body feels heavier…!

Kintarou: Is this another “hypoxic” thingy?

Krauser: Huff, huff…

Ryoma: I didn’t expect the air to be so thin…

Krauser: The slightest movement makes it hard to breathe…

Kintarou: What, you two already tired?

Ryoma: Never said that.

Ryoma: You look pretty winded, Kintarou. Are you tired?

Kintarou: It’s hard, but I can keep going!

Kintarou: Hey, let’s move onto the next training. We should have a competition!

Ryoma: It’s always a competition with you, isn’t it…?

Ryoma: Well, either way I won’t lose.

Krauser: I can keep going as well…!

Kintarou: Alright! C’mon, let’s go.

—

Yuuta: …

Mizuki: You’re interested in what they’re up to?

Yuuta: Not really, I just don’t wanna lose either.

Yuuta: I need to be keep training and adapt to this new environment…

Mizuki: You want to do your best as an upperclassman, I see.

Mizuki: A good attitude to have. Now, let’s move onto the next training session.

Yuuta: Right!

[Episode 5]

Koharu: Huff, huff…

Yuuji: Koharu, are you okay!?

Koharu: Oh, Yuu-kun. I can’t do it… any longer…

Yuuji: Koharu!

Tezuka: What’s wrong, you two.

Oishi: He’s fallen over…! He must not be doing so hot…

Koharu: My heart was pounding against my chest, and my breath grew faint…

Koharu: But when I looked at Yuu-kun, I…

Yuuji: Koharu, wait a minute, Ko—

Tezuka: The hypoxic conditions must’ve really put a strain on you. You should stop your training and move lightly.

Yuuji: What the hell, you just interrupted my punchline.

Tezuka: Mm… Is that so.

Oishi: Was that supposed to be a gag? You had me worried…

Koharu: I do appreciate the concern, though.

Koharu: But I won’t deny that the air here is rather stifling…

Tezuka: Here, drink some water.

Tezuka: You’ve been sweating a lot. Be careful and keep yourself hydrated.

Oishi: We need to look out for each other with this training.

Koharu: You two are as sweet as can be, how won-der-ful…

Yuuji: You cheater! I’ll kill you!

—

Oishi: We’re all having a hard time getting used to this training.

Tezuka: Mountains are no easy feat, no matter how much hypoxic training you’ve done beforehand.

Tezuka: A single change in climate can weaken your condition. Even though we’ve prepared ourselves for any outcome, we still must be as vigilant as possible.

Oishi: Right, of course.

Oishi: …

Tezuka: ? What is it, Oishi.

Oishi: Well. you’ve just been more chatty than usual, Tezuka…

Oishi: If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re happy to be here.

Tezuka: Really?

Oishi: You must be excited since we’re training in the mountains, right?

Tezuka: Fuji said the same thing, I’m not here to have fun just because it’s one of my hobbies.

Oishi: Haha. There’s nothing wrong with admitting it.

Tezuka: …

???: C’mon you two, it’s time to stop.

Oishi: Hm? That’s…

[Episode 6]

Kawamura: C’mon you two, it’s time to stop.

Kawamura: It’s about time to take a break, and the coaches told us from the beginning not to be reckless.

Momoshiro & Kaidoh: Huff… huff…

Momoshiro: You heard… Taka-san… If you wanna give up… now… would be… the time…

Kaidoh: Quit screwing around… That’s what… I should be saying… to you…

Tezuka: What’s all the fuss about?

Momoshiro: Captain Tezuka…

Kawamura: We were training together, but then these two decided to have a competition…

Kaidoh: Hah… hah…

Tezuka: (Their breathing is off. Both of their breaths are repeatedly short and erratic…)

Tezuka: First, fix your breathing. Relax your whole body, then breathe in slowly through your nose, and out through your mouth.

Momoshiro & Kaidoh: …

Kaidoh: …I feel better.

Momoshiro: Thanks a bunch.

Tezuka: The oxygen is thinner in higher altitudes, be more careful with your breathing.

Tezuka: If you want to compete, that’s fine, but there’s no point in training if you wear yourselves out.

Kaidoh: Okay…

Momoshiro: Nice going though, Captain. You’re used to the mountains, aren’t you.

Kawamura: If there’s anything else we need to know then by all means.

Tezuka: Of course…

Yukimura: How very interesting.

Shiraishi: How about you fill us in, too.

Momoshiro: Huh? What’re you two doing here?

Yukimura: Most of us don’t know what to expect in the mountains, right? So it would be best to consult someone well-versed about it.

Shiraishi: The more we know, the less likely something will go wrong.

Kaidoh: Captain Tezuka can definitely give you a crash course on the mountains.

Tezuka: If my knowledge can be of use, then so be it. First…

[Episode 7]

Ibu: …Thanks for the food.

Kamio: What the heck, Shinji. You hardly touched your food.

Ibu: Because I’m not that hungry, okay. I ate enough, now leave me alone.

Kamio: The only thing you’ve eaten is the pickled vegetables.

Kamio: More training means more calories being burned, you should make sure to eat enough.

Kamio: Here, I’ll share my spinach ohitashi with you.

Ibu: I don’t want any, though…

—

Jackal: Seems a lot of people don’t have much of an appetite.

Marui: Akaya’s conked out. Well whatever, I’ll just eat his leftovers.

Jackal: That’s what you’re concerned about.

Yukimura: Hey guys, you got a moment.

Tachibana: There’s something we’d like you to try…

Ibu: Tachibana-san.

Marui: That smells good. Whatcha got in the pot, Yukimura-kun?

Yukimura: Earlier today, Tezuka taught me how to make a vegetable soup that’s good for when you’re in the mountains.

Yukimura: He even helped us make this.

Tachibana: It’ll warm you right up if you’re cold, and it helps keep you hydrated.

Tachibana: I think it’d be the best thing to eat if you don’t have an appetite…

Tachibana: How about it, Shinji, wanna try some?

Ibu: Thanks.

Kamio: Oh, me too!

Jackal: Well since we’re already here, let’s have some too.

Marui: Yep. I’ll give some to Akaya later.

[Episode 8]

Fuji: We’ve been training up here for a few days now…

Fuji: Everyone’s gotten better at the training and rallying compared to when we started.

Inui: Thanks to Tezuka’s knowledge on the mountains, we were able to progress faster than expected.

Inui: I was able to complete the basic training quickly and had time to spare for the higher level training.

Fuji: Fufu, I see.

Inui: Now to record the data.

Fuji: There’ll be a lot more where that came from.

Fuji: By the way, I haven’t seen Tezuka for a while now.

Inui: Yes, he’s been…

—

Kite: Tezuka-kun, I have something to ask of you.

Tezuka: Oh, Kite. One moment, please.

Tezuka: Now you’ll know what to do next time that happens.

Sanada: That’s very helpful. I knew consulting you was a wise decision.

Sanada: I will let Yukimura know as soon as possible. Thank you.

Kite: …

Tezuka: Sorry for the wait, Kite.

Kite: I wasn’t expecting to wait my turn. You’re quite popular, Tezuka-kun.

Tezuka: …If you’re just here to make jokes, then I’m going back to my training.

Kite: Hold on. I came to ask you about treating hypothermia in the mountains.

Kite: For those of us who’ve been on top of staying hydrated, the lack of oxygen has not been an issue…

Kite: However, for those not accustomed to the cold of the alpine mountains, it severely hinders our movement.

Tezuka: Hm…

Kite: To be honest, it pains me to ask this of you, but I’d like to know what I should do to make my club members move faster.

Tezuka: They’re your club members and you’ve been watching them, shouldn’t you know?

Kite: Are you sassing me because of that joke I made earlier.

Tezuka: Did it come off that way?

Kite: …You’re difficult to read.

[Episode 9]

Kawamura: Today’s the last day for the high altitude training.

Kawamura: It was way harder than I expected at first, but now that it’s almost over I’m kinda sad.

Momoshiro: Welp, we got a hard session of long-distance running we gotta do now.

Kawamura: Let’s run our hearts out and head on back.

—

Kawamura: How you feeling, Momo?

Momoshiro: I ran so much but don’t feel winded.

Kawamura: Right. That means the training’s paid off.

Ishida: That’s right, Kawamura-han.

Kawamura: Oh, Ishida-kun.

Ishida: You don’t seem fatigued at all. It appears you’ve become accustomed to training in the mountains.

Kawamura: R-Really? But I feel like you and Momo are the ones who’re still in top shape…

Kawamura: Not to mention I’m just following the advice Tezuka gave us…

Momoshiro: So what, doesn’t mean you haven’t grown ‘cause of it.

Ishida: You just took that advice and used it to improve.

Momoshiro: You should have more confidence, Taka-san!

Kawamura: Haha… Thanks, you two.

Kamio: You’re so stubborn. How long are you gonna follow me?

Kirihara: You’re the one that ran in front of me!

Momoshiro: What’re you guys racing for?

Kamio: We’re not racing. Kirihara’s the one who thinks it’s a competition.

Kirihara: You literally looked at me and grinned when you got in front of me…

Kamio: Oh, did I?

Kamio: Well, whatever. Don’t you fall behind either, Momoshiro.

Kirihara: Wh—hey!!

Kawamura: They’re both super fast.

Momoshiro: Well, now that he’s said that I ain’t gonna lose, I ain’t!

Kawamura: Ah, Momo…!

Ishida: He went on ahead.

Kawamura: He’s already so far ahead. The energy in that guy.

Ishida: In that case, let’s up our pace as well.

Kawamura: Right. We can’t let those three leave us in the dust.

Kawamura: Let’s finish this high altitude training with a little competition, Ishida-kun!

Ishida: I accept your challenge. I won’t lose either.

[Episode 10]

Tsuge: So you’ve all finished your running.

Tsuge: That concludes today’s training, the high altitude training regimen is now completed!

Tsuge: You’ve performed well to this point. You will have a day of respite for tomorrow.

Kikumaru: Huh…!

Kirihara: For real!?

Tsuge: You are free to do as you please so long as it’s within the limits of this campground.

Tsuge: Behave accordingly. That will be all.

Fuji: A vacation day, well that was unexpected.

Chitose: That’s pretty cool of the coaches to do.

Mizuki: It was a tough training regimen. I suppose we could consider it refreshing ourselves before returning to the training camp.

Mizuki: Relaxing in the midst of all this nature would be rather nice.

Kirihara: What should we even do?

Kirihara: Take a look at the info board for the campground, it looks like there’s all sorts of stuff we could do.

Kikumaru: For real. Candle making, kayaking, and hiking.

Chitose: I wanna…

Kintarou: Chitose! Shiraishi wants to talk about what we’re gonna do tomorrow!

Fuji: Looks like you’ve already got plans with Shitenhoji.

Chitose: This’ll be fun.

Kintarou: Chitose?

Chitose: I’m coming!

Kirihara: I’ll go talk to my senpais too.

Kikumaru: Hey hey, Fuji. Let’s all do something together too!

Fuji: We should. Let’s discuss it with Tezuka later.

Mizuki: According to the info board, there’s a hill nearby that’s covered in cosmos that are in full bloom. I should invite Yuuta-kun to come with me.

Fuji: …

Kikumaru: Tomorrow’s gonna be fun~

[Episode 11]

Kikumaru: Whoaa! There’s cosmos all over the place!

Yuuta: The cosmos over there called chocolate cosmos.

Fuji: Eiji, Yuuta. Say “cheese”.

*click!*

Yuuta: Wha, Big Bro. You suddenly whipped out your camera.

Kikumaru: Yay! Peace!

Tezuka: The cosmos are beautiful under this blue sky.

Momoshiro: The view’s nice and all, but is anyone else feeling hungry?

Mizuki: Bread is better than the songs of birds, huh.

Mizuki: Good grief… I wanted to spend a peaceful time enjoying this beautiful view, why did you all have to come?

Yuuta: Oh come on, Mizuki-san. Let’s all have a good time together.

Mizuki: …Very well then.

Mizuki: There’s an open space right in that area, how about we go have lunch over there.

—

Fuji: Tezuka, would you like some tea?

Tezuka: Yes, I’ll have some.

Kikumaru: Ah, a dragonfly! Tezuka, don’t move.

Tezuka: Mm…

Momoshiro: Careful now, Eiji-senpai!

Kikumaru: Ah! My omelet! Thanks a bunch, Momo.

Tezuka: Is it okay to move now?

—

Mizuki: Quite the lively crowd there.

Mizuki: …Oh?

Yuuta: What is it? Mizuki-san… Ah.

Mizuki: Well would you look at that, seems we have a little visitor.

Yuuta: Haha, the way it moves its mouth so much is so cute.

Mizuki: Perhaps we should move away so we don’t disturb it.

Mizuki: ! The wind…

Yuuta: Mizuki-san, your handkerchief…!

[Episode 12]

Kawamura: I-Is that your handkerchief caught on that branch?

Mizuki: Well at least it didn’t get blown too far.

Mizuki: But it’s too high, I’m unable to reach it no matter how much I try.

Yuuta: Alright then, I’ll go up and get it.

Oishi: Don’t. Those branches are too thin, they’ll break if you try to climb them.

Fuji: Yuuta’s a pro at climbing trees, but yeah that’s too dangerous.

Ryoma: But if the wind gets to it again, it’ll get blown away.

Mizuki: I appreciate the concern, but I cannot allow you to do something dangerous, Yuuta-kun.

Kawamura: Oh. Maybe he could reach it if he climbed onto my shoulders?

Fuji: Good idea. I know you’d be able to support him, Taka-san.

Yuuta: Well I’m used to trees, but this should be fine…

Yuuta: Kawamura-san, you’ve got this?

Kawamura: Of course. Leave it to me. Okay, lemme bend down.

Kawamura: Ready…!

Kawamura: Well? Did you get it?

Yuuta: A little more to the right… Ah, it’s hard to move like this isn’t it?

Kawamura: I’m totally fine. Moving to the right.

Yuuta: Just a little more… There!

Yuuta: I got it!

Yuuta: Thank you very much, Kawamura-san.

Yuuta: Here’s your handkerchief, Mizuki-san.

Mizuki: Thank you very much. You’ve been a big help.

Fuji: That’s Taka-san for you. Thanks for supporting Yuuta.

Oishi: He’s got some pretty strong shoulders.

Kawamura: Ah, it’s nothing, really.

Yuuta: It felt pretty nice seeing things from up high.

Ryoma: Hmm…

Kawamura: Echizen, did you wanna ride on my shoulders too?

Ryoma: …No. I’m not a kid.

Fuji: Fufu… Denying it as usual.

[Episode 13]

Kirihara: Look at all those grapes! Aren’t they huge?

Marui: Yeah! They look so good!

Jackal: You hardly ever see them grow that big.

Niou: The grape leaves are blocking out the sunlight. The wind’s also nice and cool.

Yagyuu: Niou-kun, it won’t take much to cool you off.

Kirihara: Yeah, Niou-senpai.

Kirihara: C’mon, let’s hurry and pick ‘em and fill our baskets.

Niou: …That’s our kouhai, always taking the initiative.

Marui: How about we have a competition while we’re at it. Let’s see who can pick the most.

Yagyuu: That’s a large basket you’ve got there, Marui-kun.

Jackal: Are you sure you’ll be able to carry that?

Marui: I’ll be fine. I’ve got this no problem.

Marui: …Jackal does.

Jackal: Me!?

Niou: Thanks, but I’ll take my time picking them.

Kirihara: Let’s meet at the entrance in an hour!

—

Kirihara: All of them have been picked here. I didn’t realize how popular grape picking was.

Kirihara: I’ll check over there… Hm?

—

Marui: Mm, not as much as I wanted…

Jackal: There were other pickers, so yeah.

Yagyuu: Oh? Kirihara-kun’s not back yet…

Kirihara: Sorry I’m late!

Marui: Yeah, no kidding… Huh.

Niou: Check out that bounty.

Kirihara: Hehe, I found a secret place that was full of them.

Yagyuu: The size and luster of them are wonderful.

Kirihara: I won’t be able to eat all of them, obviously. Feel free to dig in, senpais.

Jackal: Thanks, Akaya.

Marui: Okay, don’t mind if I do!

Kirihara: Whoa, so good!

Yagyuu: They have just the right amount of sweetness.

Jackal: Hey, Bunta. You’ve stuffed your face so much you look like a hamster.

Marui: I can’t help it. They’re so good.

Niou: With how much we’ve got here, there should be enough to give to Yukimura and the others.

Yagyuu: Yukimura-kun went vegetable picking with the others, didn’t he? I hope it was an enjoyable experience for him…

Kirihara: Let’s go meet up with Captain Yukimura after eating.

[Episode 14]

Kenya: …

Shiraishi: Kenya, ease up a little.

Zaizen: Checking the candle every ten seconds isn’t gonna make it cool off any faster.

Kenya: I know I know, I just hate waiting.

Chitose: Yeah, classic Kenya.

Shiraishi: Waiting for the finished product is one of the joys of making something by hand.

Kintarou: Hey hey, what should we do next?

Ishida: The wax is now in the mold. Let’s take things slow so the air doesn’t get in.

Chitose: Don’t get too crazy now, it’s hot so you gotta be careful.

Kintarou: Got it!

Zaizen: …He’s gotten even more excited now that you said that.

Kenya: You haven’t even done anything yet, Zaizen.

Zaizen: There’s too many flowers to choose from. I wanna make sure it looks good.

Kenya: How about these red and white flowers?

Zaizen: Those are the same ones you used, Kenya-san.

Shiraishi & Ishida: …

Shiraishi: If you don’t know which flowers to use, then how about these light green ones?

Ishida: Maybe even add a little gray coloring to the candle while you’re at it.

Zaizen: Captain Shiraishi, Shihan…

Zaizen: You’re just telling me to use your favorite colors… Well, whatever.

—

Chitose: Alright, I think it came out pretty good.

Shiraishi: Wow, those colors are really pretty.

Chitose: It’s a gift for Miyuki.

Ishida: Thinking of your sister as always, Chitose-han.

Kenya: I know she’ll really appreciate it.

Chitose: Haha, glad to hear it.

Kintarou: Now look at mine!

Zaizen: ? Why’s it shaped weird.

Ishida: Kintarou-han, that’s…

Kintarou: It’s a kokeshi candle!

Chitose: Kokeshi? Oh, so that’s…

Kenya: A reminder of Osamu-chan and the others? That’s really nice of you, Kin-chan.

Shiraishi: Since we’re still in the process of making them, how about we make our own?

Kintarou: Let’s all make kokeshi candles!

[Episode 15]

Tezuka: …

Oishi: Finally found you, Tezuka. So this is where you’ve been.

Tezuka: Yes… I was stargazing for a bit.

Oishi: The starry sky down at the camp is nice to look at, but up here the stars are even closer.

Oishi: Kinda sad we won’t be able see this starry sky anymore.

Tezuka: Yeah…

Tezuka: I am eager to see the results of our training once we return the camp.

Tezuka: However, I will also miss being in the mountains.

Oishi: Yeah, we’ll be heading back down tomorrow morning.

Tezuka: By the way, why were you looking for me?

Oishi: Oh, right. Well, you see…

—

Kikumaru: Took you long enough! You two.

Oishi: Sorry for the holdup.

Fuji: Here. Take a sparkler, Tezuka.

Tezuka: Okay. But, what…

Inui: Eiji found them on sale at one of the camp’s souvenir shops.

Kawamura: They were cheaper since summer’s about to end, so we all split the bill.

Kikumaru: And since we’re all here, let’s have some fun with ‘em!

Fuji: It sounds like a lot of fun, right? Tezuka.

Tezuka: As long as no problems come from it, that’s fine.

Kikumaru: Alright! I’ll go get the others then, be right back!

—

Kikumaru: Yay! Aren’t these sparklers so beautiful?

Inui: I see, in order to produce the bright yellow color Eiji has, they’ve utilized the flame’s reaction…

Kikumaru: You don’t need to analyze this stuff!

Kawamura: Oh, it changed color.

Oishi: Red, then green, then blue… How pretty.

Tezuka: …

*click!*

Tezuka: …Fuji.

Fuji: Fufu… Sorry. You just looked so at ease that I had to take a picture.

Tezuka: It’s fine, I don’t mind.

Fuji: Thank you. Now let’s get a shot with the sparkler.

Tezuka: Okay.

Tezuka: (So we return to the training camp tomorrow. And practice will resume…)

Tezuka: (I’m glad we were given this unexpected vacation…)

[Epilogue]

Tezuka: Ha…!

Kawamura: Tah!

—

Chitose: Those two are on a roll.

Mizuki: As expected from the high altitude training.

Mizuki: I’d expect nothing less than a top-tier performance after those days spent on the mountain.

Chitose: Oh, yeah…

Mizuki: And it appears they’re not the only ones who are in top shape, are they?

—

Kirihara: Rah!!

Ryoma: Huh!!

Kirihara: Stubborn, aren’t you.

Ryoma: So are you.

—

Chitose: They look like they’re having fun.

Chitose: Watching them makes me wanna play too.

Mizuki: Then let’s finish our break and resume practice, shall we.

—

Kirihara: Huh? Today’s practice is over already?

Kawamura: It went by like that. Is it because are bodies are lighter than usual?

Kirihara: I would’ve done this high altitude training sooner if I’d known it would be this effective.

Kawamura: Inui did say it works even better if you’re consistent with it, we should do it again sometime.

Chitose: I think I’ll stay and hit some more today.

Mizuki: I’d like to gather more data as well, allow me to accompany you.

Tezuka: …

Ryoma: Captain.

Tezuka: What is it, Echizen.

Ryoma: You gonna keep going, too? How about you be my partner.

Tezuka: …Vey well. Get onto the court.

Ryoma: Here I go, Captain Tezuka.

Tezuka: Come, Echizen…!

[STORY END]

Where did Tezuka find those ingredients? Breath of the Wild?

#tenirabi #tenipuri #my post

[em-writes-stuff-sometimes]

I agree with my fellow Anon:

As much as I love Ilibitsos and the smut - I'm looking forward to future installments' potential for more plot and maybe some cuddling and a hot make-out sesh or two lol

Oh, me too - it's been getting a little fatiguing constantly trying to rephrase "he stuck his dick in her and nutted". If I had a hardback thesaurus, it'd be worn down from the use for this series alone; luckily, I use da internet for that, haha. Plot shall return, though I will confess I'm nowhere NEAR approaching Episode 8 events; I've got other works planned before I get to that point, even. I love making Daemon and Babey just talk and show casual intimacy through that, like just absentmindedly leaning (cuz Daemon's a leaner, if you know you know) or playing with his hair or just dogpiling because. It's a nice way of conveying their bond without drawing attention to it, which to me feels more grounded and realistic. I'm so happy you're enjoying, though! Thank you so much!

#fanfiction comments

[kingdoms-and-empires]

Hello, Are you there ?

Im here lol, i just took a nice 2 weekends off KaE to rest up and gonna be focusing on the patreon side story for Remiel until it releases!

Also found some nice steam summer sale deals and nagged a few games! games i wont be having the time to play...

Honestly it's like im collecting video games rather than playing them lol

Other than that and work, life has been going good so far! Just needed some me time to relax and now think about KaE for awhile (spoiler, i totally did and wrote ideas lol) and played some Bladestorm Nightmare, Symphony of War, and Stellaris! I almost got back to playing Titanfall 2 campaign again and it made me wanna really make a space epic with mechs and shit just to see if i can pull it off and give yall a good mech WIP...but like i needa finish KaE first haha

Speaking of ideas, ive thought about and entertained some other WIPs id be interested in doing. So far I've got

Roman Zombies (set in the era of Trajan, a zombie outbreak occurs during the Roman expansion of the middle east. The story would follow a roman citizen trying to survive in the middle of zombies with swords and spears. probably 100k words long.)

Roman Expeditions (This one is actually closest to actually being done by me. Game would work like Crusader Kings in that the player follows the descendants of a roman bloodline. You start lowly as a Plebian Velites and embark on every Roman Expedition or war throughout the generations with a different character trying to help your family rise through the social ranks of the Hastati, Pricipes, and Triarii to become Equestrians and finally Senatorials. The Pyrrhic Wars, Punic Wars, Makedonian Wars, Pompeian conquests, Gallic Wars, British Expeditions and wayyyy more. This would probably be a multi-book series of maybe 200k words each. Short and sweet so i don't get fatigued with the research of each military affair. Also would be genderlocked male for obvious reasons.)

And finally i was thinking of that space epic idea with the battleships mechs and etc! For anyone worried...this are just ideas I've thought of, ill still be working on my baby KaE, but i wanted to put the ideas out there so i can claim i thought of it FIRST!!!!!

Shit, i talked alot lmao...i needa sleep, byeeeeee

#kingdomsandempires #questions