#second favorite egret

[lamentationsofalonelypotato]

You Call It Madness But I Call It Love

Chapter 1: You Shouldn't Have Answered The Door

Pairing: Soldier Boy x f!reader, Reader POV

Summary: When the reader left Payback 40 years ago after a falling out with her childhood best friend she never looked back, but when two men show up to her apartment and start asking her questions about the past, the reader begins to think those things can’t stay hidden and starts to question what’s real and what’s fantasy.  This is a re-telling of The Boys Season 3, where the reader is a supe who's known Soldier Boy since 1927. The chapters will fluctuate between past and present. This is chapter one of my "You Call It Madness But I Call It Love" series. (I'm so bad at summaries please forgive me!)

Word Count: 3.6K

Warnings: References to sex, Cursing (once or twice), Soldier Boy might be, is, really, absolutely, a little OOC,

Note: This is told from Reader's perspective. Any references to the reader is made using you or your. There is minimal use of y/n. I tried my best to proofread, but nobody's perfect. If you don’t like, don’t read, but if you do like, you’re my favorite!

Internal Monologue is in first person and is in italics

Masterlist

Chapter 2

******************************************

Present Day

Your head rests against your forearms on your desk, jerking upwards as a loud rhythmic knocking assaults the front door of your apartment.

What?

You think to yourself, rubbing your face with your hands. Your sketchpad was laid open on your desk beneath your head, the rough sketch of an egret bowing its head along the bank of a small pond splayed over the page in shades of gray. It would be the first in your new series of nature paintings that you would be unveiling in a month.

At least I didn't poke my eye out with the pencil. You think eyeing the sharpened point of the pencil that was dangerously close to your face a few seconds ago.

You turn your wrist to glance at your watch and note the time. It was an antique, square faced and strung on a simple black band, a reminder of a past life that you couldn't bear to part with.

Who would come see me at 8:00 am on a Monday?

For a minute you try to remember if you'd received a call from the curator of the gallery downtown, or if there had been a meeting or a lunch with your agent to discuss your next installment of work, but nothing comes to mind.

When you officially retired from being a hero you decided to become a full time artist, a hobby you had since you were a child. You hadn't expected it explode. You had enough money from your heroing career to live several lifetimes, not unwelcome given the fact that you couldn't die, not in the traditional sense at least, so art was supposed to just be a way for you to off steam. But you were happy with your life now, a lot happier than you had been when you were a hero on Payback. The thought of your previous employment with Vought sours in your mouth followed by the unavoidable thought of Ben that you push down with a well practiced sigh.

You didn't feel like reliving all that over again right now, though you knew it would probably happen later. It came in waves, especially at night when you found it difficult to sleep, the melatonin wasn't working, and all you really wanted was a hard drink.

Sobriety sucked.

The knocking persists, rattling around in your head like a bee trying to get out of a plastic cup.

"Fine. I'm coming." You shout standing up from your desk and making your way from the wall that serves as your studio towards the front door of your apartment, while trying to rub away the line the page made on your cheek.

Your apartment was the one extravagance you allowed yourself. Despite the amount of money you had, flashing it had never been a priority even in your hero days. The apartment was open concept with exposed brick walls, tall North facing windows that angled away from the inside and jutted outward over a raised wooden floored area that served as your studio. A large modern kitchen sat just to the right of the front door with stainless steel appliances, on another wall a tv hung above a leather couch and held a dark hallway that lead to your bedroom and the guest bedroom, the other walls were covered in your work, and the final wall held several bookshelves with art supplies and your vinyl record collection. A collection you started forever ago and that continued to grow with each passing year.

Need to get another bookshelf. You note looking at the limited space that remained.

You look through the peep hole in the solid metal apartment door. A tall dark haired man wearing a Hawaiian shirt and a black duster and a thin younger guy with brown curly hair stare back at you.

"I don't want to buy any girl scout cookies." You shout through the heavy metal of the door.

The younger guy snorts.

"y/f/n y/l/n?" The dark haired man asks an accent tilting the ends of his words.

"Who's asking?"

He pulls out a badge, holding it up to the peep hole. "I'm Agent Butcher, this is Agent Campbell. We’re from the CIA, here to ask you a couple of questions about Soldier Boy."

At the mention of Ben's hero name you pause. You had avoided thinking about your former best friend as much as possible over the past forty years. Your relationship with Ben was complicated, the final few days you spent together even more complicated than the early years.

It hurt to compare what your life with him was like before you both became supes to the life you had together after. You had grown up together, forced into close proximity because your parents were friends and then became best friends yourselves. You stayed friends, before you both got injected with Compound V and a few years later moved on to Payback together. You were the only person able to keep Ben in check and as violent as his temper was, he didn't like to cross you. You were the only person who knew the real him, had been with him longer than anyone else. Not that he ever admitted that to you or admitted that he cared about you, but you thought somewhere deep down that he had to, felt at least something for you.

That was the problem. You were in love with him, cared deeply about him, cared more about him than anyone else you'd ever had in your life. On the night you finally slept together you were happy, you thought he felt the same way, and then the next day at his premiere you found him in the bathroom with Countess bent over a sink. The fight that followed had been your resignation from Payback and also the reason why you weren't there when Ben died.

Your jaw clenches together at the memory, followed by guilt. You were always there for him, you had his back just as he had yours, but the one time you hadn't been there-

You open the door to look at them. "The singer?"

"What?" Agent Butcher looks confused.

"The artist? Soulja Boy-" You arch a brow feigning confusion. "Because honestly I don't understand why the CIA would be asking me about that."

“No.” Agent Butcher holds up a photo.

You keep your face impassive. It’s a photo of Ben and you at a movie premiere the week before he left to go to Nicaragua. Both of you were standing in your supe suits, your own was a sleeveless black one piece suit with purple embellishments that traced from the sides of your ankles and stretched up under your armpits, while a dark hood covered your head and a black mask hid the bottom of your face. You always thought you looked more like a supervillain in it, but you were thankful that it hid your identity. It was so long ago, but you still remember that night clearly. The ridiculous movie, the afterparty where everyone was so tipsy and the smell of alcohol burned against your nose, and finally when you went to the bathroom and found Ben and Countess together, the immeasurable rage followed by heartbreak that you felt when you saw them.  Not to mention the fight that followed when Ben trampled all over your heart and stated that you meant nothing to him.

“You’re here to talk to me about my mom?” You flit your eyes back to the two men standing in the doorway, easily slipping into the lie that you and Legend invented.

“Your mom?” Agent Campbell looks confused.

“Yeah. Indigo? I mean y’all can come in if you want-“ You open the door wider, understanding that they won't leave, before you begin to move towards the kitchen. “I apologize in advance. I’m not quite myself, I was up late working.” You pause halfway into the kitchen. “I’m going to make some coffee, you guys want some?” You eye the man in the black coat. "Or tea?"

“Coffee is fine."

You find the coffee filters and shuffle through the cupboards to find a bag of coffee, still trying to wake up. Staying up late wasn't unusual for you. You tended to find the urge to create in the wee hours of the morning, not to mention everything that happened in the past kept you up.

You open the bag of coffee to smell the grounds, thinking that it will wake you up, but as soon as you do the smell of Agent Butcher and Agent Campbell washes over you.

You could smell the compound V in their veins pumping through their bodies with every beat of their hearts.

So, they're supes. You think to yourself, pouring the grounds into the coffeemaker. Which means they probably aren't from the CIA.

Despite the realization, you weren't worried. Your particular ability was a well-kept secret, a secret that only Ben knew despite you being on Payback. Stan Edgar and the others had believed that "Indigo," the hero name assigned to you, had enhanced strength and senses, but it was more than that. You had an ability that, if brought to the public, would probably land you in a government facility. Laying low had it's perks, your freedom was one of them.

You watch them begin to walk around your living room examining the artifacts of your new life, the one you crafted when everything fell apart. There wasn't anything in the living room to arouse suspicion that you were the original Indigo. The only remnants of your past life that remained were in a wooden trunk at the back of your walk in closet, hidden behind a collection of paint splattered overalls almost identical to the pair you were wearing right now.

"You've got a nice place." The younger guy says looking around.

"Thanks. It's rent controlled. I got lucky-" You fiddle with the coffeemaker to buy yourself some time.

Why were they here to ask me about Ben? It had been 40 years, hardly seems relevant now. And why were they pretending to be CIA?

"You're an artist?" Agent Butcher asks, staring at the canvas sitting on an easel by your desk. It was a collection of multicolored dark greens that swirled together, flecked with pieces of gold that shone in the brilliant sunlight from the wall of windows where your studio was.

"Yeah. And I tend to paint my best at night. Hence the coffee" You turn, placing your hands on the island to face the two men.

“You’re really good.” Agent Campbell says examining some of the canvases on the wall.

“Thanks.”

“So your mum eh?” Agent Butcher turns to look at you. You note the smirk on his face and incredulous raising of his brow.

He doesn't believe me. Hard not to. I don't age.

“Yes?” You raise an eyebrow to challenge him

“You look a lot like her.”

“Thanks. I think there’s a compliment in there somewhere.” You look from Butcher to the younger guy who has moved on to look at your vinyl collection. "And I'm pretty sure that most kids look like their parents. But I'm not a geneticist."

"NO WAY! You have a signed copy of Billy Joel's Glass House!" Agent Campbell shouts holding up the vinyl cover in awe.

"Yeah." You can't help but smile at his enthusiasm.

"How did you-“

"Hughie." Agent Butcher sighs.

The younger guy now identified as Hughie puts the record back with a frown, before turning back to the collection.

“But you have the same name.” Agent Butcher's eyes flit to yours.

“She named me after herself. I’m sure the CIA can locate my birth certificate."

“Right.” Agent Butcher smiles, but it’s tight lipped.

You stand there for another minute looking from Agent Butcher to Hughie, trying to think of why they're here. "So what do you want to know?”

“Well is your mum around-“

You allow your shoulders to droop and take in a shaky breath. "She died about a year ago. Cancer."

They weren't the first to come here and accuse you of being Indigo. Legend and you had come up with the farce to protect you, help you start over, but you hadn't wanted to part with your name. So other precautions were put in place: a funeral plot was purchased and a death certificate was issued as was a fake passport, I.D, and birth certificate that made you thirty two rather than over one hundred.

“Really? I thought Indigo-“ It’s enough to make Hughie turn around and look at you.

“Don’t read everything Vought says." You interrupt. "That experimental shit they put in her veins may have made her powerful, but it couldn’t protect her from that.” You sigh again to sell the lie, before turning to the coffee maker, to pour them and yourself a cup. "There should be some milk in there, sugar's in the bowl." You gesture to the refrigerator and the small blown glass sugar bowl on the counter next to the coffee maker.

Hughie moves into the kitchen to pour himself a cup, but Agent Butcher continues to eye you suspiciously.

“It wasn’t in the news.” He grunts.

“They covered it up pretty well. I mean do you blame them? One of the first supes gets killed by something like cancer. Can’t be good for Vought given they pride themselves on showcasing unstoppable heroes. I mean can you imagine if Homelander or Queen Maeve died of something like cancer? Doesn’t look good.” You shrug your shoulders and take a sip from the coffee in your hands. “What did you want to talk to her about?”

“Soldier Boy.” Butcher moves to the coffeemaker and it takes a strong amount of willpower to stop the urge to turn towards him, but you know that you need to act indifferent.

“Did she talk to you at all about him?” Hughie moves to one of the bar stools on the opposite side of the island with his coffee in front of him.

“Yeah.” You look down at the mug with a sigh, rolling the warm glass between your hands. “He really did a number on her. Plus towards the end she started seeing him everywhere."

The emotion that you summon is not fake. You allow a small amount to trickle over the dam you built to protect yourself from falling back into the pit you fell into when Ben broke your heart and then died. When you broke every piece of glass in your apartment and threw your couch through the wall.

“I’m so sorry for your loss.” Hughie looks sincere when he says it.

Why is someone like him hanging out with this guy? You think to yourself eyeing Agent Butcher again.

“It’s been hard. But I took care of her, sometimes it was only me. It’s kind of hard to restrain an 103 year old with super strength.” You smile to yourself at the joke.

“So you’re a supe?” Hughie takes a sip from his coffee mug.

“No I was just able to talk her down. Guess that first batch of Compound V doesn’t work the same way. Never transferred. Plus my dad wasn’t a supe so maybe it just diluted.” You shrug, the lies weaving easily through the air. 

“But she did talk to you about him?” Agent Butcher presses. He's leaning against the counter to your left.

“Yeah.”

“And?”

“I mean what do you want to hear? There’s a lot.” The mug sends a pleasant warmth through your hands as you hold it, but does little to stop the chill of the past from creeping up your spine.

“Start at the beginning.”

“Well.” You take another sip of coffee. “I don’t know details-details but- I just know that she grew up with him, they were from the same neighborhood in Philadelphia.  All that shit they made up about Soldier Boy being from a poor family was just propaganda. His dad owned half the steel mills in the state of Pennsylvania. Used to invest in property with my grandfather. Soldier Boy and my mom were friends. When he got the Compound V shot, she did too. They were looking for female and male volunteers. I think he asked her to? Or-“ You shrug your shoulders to push away the memory of the day Ben told you about the experiments. When he told you he was finally going to make something of himself and convinced you to go with him.

“They were dating?” Agent Butcher asks.

The question makes you pause. It was difficult to think about that, difficult to relive the memories of Ben continuing to push you away and his final refusal to admit he loved you. Ben never did say that to you. You had been through so much together, so many years as friends and then after the night you finally were together he threw you away like you meant nothing.

“No, but he really hurt her-“ You avoid their gaze.

“What did he do?” Hughie asks leaning forward on the counter.

“They had been through a lot together and I think when their friendship began to transfer to relationship he pushed her away. My mother said something about him refusing to admit he loved her. I think the last straw when she caught him with Countess.”

“Do you know anything about how he died?”

The memory of the phone call strikes you in the chest, when Stan Edgar himself called to tell you Ben was dead. When the darkness swallowed you whole and all you felt was guilt and heart break over the fight you had and how you left him alone when he needed you most.

“It hurt my mother a lot. Broke her. She never really got over him, no one was good enough, not even my dad. She drove him away too and then it was just us.”

“Was she there when Soldier Boy died?” Hughie spins the coffee mug in his hands.

“No. She left Payback  before that mission. It was right after she caught Countess and him together.” You force a shrug. “I think she regretted not being there. She was almost as indestructible as him, but I think she felt worse because they had a big fight right before.”

“So she didn’t know about Nicaragua or the thing that killed him?” Agent Butcher raises an eyebrow.

You cock your head to the side feigning confusion. “What are you talking about? Soldier Boy got vaporized in a nuclear explosion.”

“Well I think we’ve wasted enough of your time.”

They get up to leave.

“Wait-“

 Agent Butcher turns to look at you. 

“Why are you asking me about him? It's been what? Forty years since he died-"

"That's classified love. Thank you for your time."

You watch them leave, but listen to them as they walk down the hallway.

“So do you believe her?” Hughie’s voice echoes in your ears.

“Not a bit. Maybe we trail her for a day. See if she really is an artist." Agent Butcher grunts. "At least until we go to Russia."

Russia? Why would they go to Russia?

You stand there for a second, holding the coffee mug in your hands. As you do the memories of the past 90 years wash across your mind, breaking through the damn that you built to protect yourself.

You were friends for years. You loved him since the moment you met. There were good times before the serum and then the bad, when he got famous and you were there to keep him in check. Sure you may have annoyed him, but he liked that about you, that you were able to bring him back from the edge. The day you finally had sex you remembered it, it was special, or you thought it was. You were excited that finally he loved you as much as you loved him. But then it all fell apart. That fight hadn’t been pretty. When you left him you felt yourself begin to slip, you didn’t eat or drink for days and when you finally got the phone call you thought it was him trying to apologize, but it was Stan.

You think again about Russia and finally your mind drifts to Countess.

She was the one that said that the Russians killed Ben, she saw it happen, saw his body get taken away-

Your jaw clenches together in anger and frustration as you remember the last time you saw her, when she taunted you and you almost ripped off her head. You never heard it directly from her that Ben was dead, only heard it from Stan. Of course the ridiculous funeral for Ben that you were expected to go to would mean that you saw her, but you hadn't gone, didn't want to keep up the charade. Instead you went to Philadelphia and walked the streets aimlessly with a bottle of whiskey in your hand, remembering what it was like when you were kids. Sometimes you think it all would have been different if you never got the injection, if you said no when he showed up in your bedroom and asked you to come with him. He was your oldest friend. The only real person you'd ever loved or cared about. The memory of the fight rings in your ears but you push it down.

You think again about Countess.  She was the reason why Ben and you had the fight. The reason you weren't there in Nicaragua. Regret spikes in your chest. You should have been there that day, should have tried to save him. You always had each others backs and the one time you weren't there he died.

Maybe it was time to pay her a visit.

**********************************************

Thank you for reading! If you'd like to be added to the taglist for this series let me know :)

Taglist: @roseblue373

#jensen ackles soldier boy #soldier boy x reader #soldier boy x you #soldier boy x female reader #the boys #the boys fanfic #soldier boy #the boys amazon #jensen #soldier boy/ben #soldier boy fic #soldier boy fanfiction #jensen ackles #the boys series #the boys season 3

[sleepyfan-blog]

Netted

Author’s Note:this is mer-nadesir’s debut! I hope you enjoy the fic :D

Next

Tagged: @egrets-not-regrets @kit-williams @bleedingichorhearts @the-pure-angel 

Warnings: injuries, blood mention, poor fishing practices

Summary: You find an astartes caught up in a hooked fishing net, and help him get free.

You hear a low, warning hiss from the tangled mass of netting and hooks that washed up on your favorite beach. Something large and upset struggled within the taut metal cording and was bleeding red blood, the hissing intensifying as the wickedly sharp hooks bit into midnight blue flesh. Was it smart for you to approach this frantic, injured creature as it struggled? Probably not, but there was something very human sounding in the pained sounds that left the being.

“Woah… Hey… Just stay still and I'll get you out of this.” You call out to the being, hoping that your soothing tone of voice would help convey your intentions, if whatever this is didn't understand English.

A large eye the color of a moonless and starless night glares at you suspiciously from a gap in the netting as dagger-sharp teeth gnawed at of the entangling knots as his large head whipped sharply from one side to the other, desperately trying to get himself free “Why help? Strangers.” the astartes growled out.

“Because you need help and are in pain. Will you let me come closer to help you out of the net? Or is there someone I can contact who you do trust to get you out of this?” You asked, keeping your voice even and calm, making sure not to make any sudden movements, so as to not further distress the trapped astartes.

The large mer struggled in the net as a low and pained growl rumbled in his chest. “... My shiver is far from here. I am… Was scouting when this happened.” He stares hard at you, midnight black eyes trying to pierce through your soul. “... If you deliberately hurt me, I will come for you. There is nowhere in this world, or in any other, that I won't be able to track you down and bring you to swift and bloody vengeance.”

This was far from the first time you’d been threatened by an injured and likely anxious astartes, and it was unlikely to be the last, considering the fact that you worked in emergency medicine. “I will do my best not to hurt you on purpose without warning. If I am moving something that is likely to cause you pain, like removing the hooks imbedded into your skin and muscle, I will warn you beforehand. Deal?” You knew better than to say so that he could brace for pain - nor did you have any pain reliever on hand that would work fast enough that wouldn’t be flushed from the Astartes’ system before it could hope to have any effect on him. You’d intended on going for a moonlit stroll down your favorite beach and hadn’t anticipated meeting an astartes in physical and medical distress.

The large, midnight blue astartes stared at you for several long moments before accepting with a rough “Reasonable. I agree.”

You nod, making careful and deliberate movements toward him, telegraphing what you were doing, so as to reduce the likelihood of accidentally startling the mer. Once you reach his side you look up at him, knife in hand, waiting for his agreement for you to start cutting through the netting.

“... Begin.” He huffed after several seconds, though there was a tiny smile lifting the corners of his lips. He seemed to be grateful that you were being so careful of his potential boundaries.

You nod and carefully begin to cut away at the netting binding him in place. Every so often you give him a moment or two of warning before carefully unhooking and pulling out the metal hooks imbedded into his flesh.Once you have his arms free, you offer the knife to him hilt first, silently offering to let him continue to free himself. 

To your surprise the midnight blue astartes shakes his head and says “Continue. Your hands smaller. Better able to get hooks and knots… Doing well.”

You smile a little at his praise and continue to work on freeing the trapped astartes. All told it took you a couple of hours to ensure that every bit of rope and hook was out. You’re grateful for your medical training, which allows you to switch off the part of your brain that is absolutely delighted at the thought of being able to touch an astartes this much. Many of them large, well-muscled and handsome, and this midnight blue and dark red astartes is strikingly handsome, even bloodied and clearly exhausted. “Do you feel any lingering pain anywhere?” You ask as you resist the temptation to run your hands along his chest and tail - for purely professional reasons - some of the hooks were small. 

“Some, but I am healing… Thank you, for helping me.” The Night lord rumbled, cupping you chin with one of his large hands, pitch black eyes shining with mischief. He tilts your chin up and kisses you, his lips chapped but warm.

#warhammer 40k #space marine husbandry sentience #space marine husbandry #my writing #night lord oc #oc: nadesir #x reader #adeptus astartes x reader #cw: injuries #cw: blood #cw: bad fishing practices #mermay 2024 #Celestial Seas AU

[medical-anon-whau]

Pen-Thief Update

warnings: none

Tag: @egrets-not-regrets

warnings: none

summary: I complain about Pen-Thief Alpharius

So, I've worked with the patient who lives with Alpharius the pen thief. In that time I've noticed several things about the large teal gremlin:

For one thing, he can shapeshift. The second time I visited this particular patient, there appeared to be a Salamander Apothecary tending to them, who told me that he would be taking care of them for the day, and for me to leave... And as there are occasions when my schedule and another provider's overlaps and I wasn't informed beforehand due to a breakdown in communication, I left the house to call the agency I work for in my car.

When I found out that this particular patient didn't have any Apothecary visits scheduled - either at a clinic, in the hospital or at their home for the month, I tell you that I was very worried and nearly called emergency services to report an astartes having broke into a chronically ill and vulnerable person's home for who knew what reason...

And Pen-Thief Alpharius turned back into his usual form, having apparently decided that I had been tricked into leaving. Panic over, I went back into the home and ignored his sullen pouting and occasional transformation into different Apothecaries and their orders to go away.

I did tell my agency about the fact that Pen-Thief can and will shapeshift in order to try and trick us, so that the rest of this particular patient's care team will have forewarning about that specific behavior of his.

A second thing that I've noticed is that he resource-hoards. Canned goods, sealed bottles of medications, bandages, gloves, masks, anything that he can get his grubby teal hands on, he will steal and refuse to give back unless his bonded human talks him into it...

One of his favorite supplies to steal is pens. He's figured out that I - and other caregivers - need to be able to fill out the paperwork in regards to the patient within a certain time-frame and... I guess he's decided that stealing the pens will drive us away? Or is a passive-aggressive way of showing that he could take anything he wanted from us? It's very annoying.

Jokes' on him, though. We will be switching to a paperless system by the end of the month and neither the charging cords, nor the laptops that they're issuing us are staying at the patients' homes, so nyeh. Take that, you teal bastard.

In the meantime, I've taken to stashing extra pens in my car - which he hasn't broken into (as far as I know - and I have deliberately left out things I know he likes to take in semi-plain sight as bait) and also in my bra.

I excuse myself to the bathroom to take out the pen, then return and fill out the forms as he sulks in a corner or looms over my shoulder.

The temptation to buy a spray bottle and filling it with vinegar to spritz this mischievous hydra when he tries to cause trouble... But would it help? Or will he escalate things further? Heeeeelp!

#space marine husbandry #space marine husbandry sentience #alpha legion #alpha legion shenanigans #Pen-Thief Alpharius

[bokutosmochi]

I'M LOOKING RIGHT AT THE OTHER HALF OF ME ♡ BOKUTO KOTARO

bokuto kotaro x fem!reader

"two orders of ice cream sandwich for bokuto kotaro and anon please!"

ingredients? you and bokuto take a stroll through the park and meet two teenagers leading to a heartwarming misunderstanding.

what's it? fluff

allergen warnings? n/a

sugar level? 1.1k

regulars? @tokyometronetwork @tahonet

parlor's note? i made bokuto into the biggest animal lover here because,,, he seems like he would be one

bon appetit!

as much as msby's ace player loved volleyball, there were things about off season that he has grew to appreciate too; he could visit his junior akaashi, their batch of fukurodani graduates would hold their reunion around that time, and most importantly, he had more time to hang out with you. besides, just because it was volleyball's off season doesn't mean he couldn't play the sport he was in love with, right? you and him spent many hours of your free time playing it.

"i'm so glad you have so much more free time now, kou." you hummed, leaning your head against his bicep. you had an arm around his as the both of you strolled through tennoji park in osaka.

"me too, angel!" he beamed at you, his signature grin on his face and warming up your heart. you could feel the way he loved you through the way he looked at you alone, and the thought made your heart flutter wildly in your chest.

the park you were in was so beautiful and there were so many things you could do.

they hosted the tennoji zoo which your boyfriend was too happy to indulge in. you were worried his smile would cut through the skin of his face when he caught sight of the various animals they had.

he waved countless times at the animals they had in their animals of the african savanna zone. you noticed that he seemed to be particularly fond of the egyptian goose, the lesser flamingos, the giraffe, and the red panda. he found the spotted hyena's cackles to be contagious too.

after that section was the animals of the asian tropical rainforest zone. at first, you didn't think that you've ever seen bokuto as lively as he was looking at the animals in that section such as the egyptian rousette, the japanese raccoon dog - "oh my god, baby! look at how chunky he is!" he exclaimed, tugging at the sleeve of your shirt -, the siamang, and the brown kiwi. odd as it was, he also seemed weirdly intimidated by the lion-tailed macaque.

after that, you proceeded to the section that you thought he would be the most excited for -- the aviary zone. despite the fact that they did not have any horned owls, bokuto still had a soft spot for birds. several of the birds he liked he saw in the zoo today such as the little egret which he kept on saying hello to, the common mallard, and the chinese spot-billed duck. in the surrounding section, they also had polar bears, laughing kookaburras - which he shared a quick hoot with -, and california sea lions.

but what the real highlight of bokuto's zoo experience was going to their petting zoo. remember when you thought that bokuto has never been livelier as when he was visiting the asian tropical rainforest zone? you were wrong. he was much livelier petting and making friends with the noma horses, the long earred goats, and his personal favorite, the rabbits.

bokuto was next to vibrating when you exited the tennoji zoo. glowing and with a sparkle in his sunshine toned eyes -- it matched his personality, you thought.

"gahhh!! all the animals there were so cute! i can't wait to go to another zoo! maybe we can get a dog together too?? after all, we already live together, it's gonna be so fun!" he threw his hands up in the air. "i want a big dog! and i want it to be a rescue too so we can give the doggie a second chance!"

he looked at you with wide, hopeful eyes and tilted his head to the side "what do you think?" but before you could get a word out, you were interrupted by a fan of his.

"oh my god! bokuto kotaro of msby black jackals!"

two teenage girls ran up to the both of you wearing msby jerseys. one of them was wearing atsumu's with a skirt, and the other was wearing sakusa's with a pair of pants.

"we're such big fans of you!" the exclaimed when they stopped in front of you. "my little brother even started playing volleyball because of you! he said he wanted to be as cool as you."

bokuto thanked them for their support, and ever the great role model, offered to give the girl's brother a video message; there really was a reason why your boyfriend was always the one to be chosen by msby black jackals' pr team whenever an interview or a promotional video had to be done. everyone naturally gravitated towards him and his cheerful personality, and he's just generally very likable.

you thought that you were just going to be in the background like you always were whenever bokuto was approached by fans, but you thought wrong. "hello," they greeted you. "you and bokuto are always so cute. the way you support each other? ugh!" she squealed. the person she was with laughed at her friend's behavior. "it's true! you're literally relationship goals. i'm glad bokuto put a ring on it, you seem so sweet and genuine."

immediately, your face heated up and your eyes widened. "n-no, he hasn't put a ring on it. we're not engaged or married." you laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of your head as the two girls simultaneously went ohhhh. "well, that's just another tale of online news reporters spreading untruths, i guess." she shrugged. "i'm sorry for the misunderstanding. i hope the two of you have a good rest of your day." she bowed deeply before they both walked away.

you were about to turn to bokuto to share a laugh with him because of what just happened, when you were crushed to his chest. he gave you the type of hugs you usually received whenever you take him to the airport for an away game, or the type gives you after away games that he couldn't bring you to. his signature bokuto bear hugs. "yet." he mumbled into your hair. "i haven't put a ring on it yet, but one day, you'll be mrs. bokuto! i swear you will!"

i get: reblog

you get: owl stuffed toy

#a date with u event #order of the day! #order up for bokuto! #one matcha mochi #with a side of coconut italian ice #bokuto fluff #bokuto x reader #bokuto x you #bokuto one shot #bokuto kotaro fluff #bokuto kotaro x reader #bokuto kotaro x you #bokuto kotaro one shot #haikyuu fluff #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu x you #haikyuu one shot

[forestgreenivy]

I got a lot of bird pictures to share. Starring my favorite bird, the Egret. In the second photo is an Egret sharing a dock with a muster of storks.

#they were showing off for me today cause they missed me too #photography #birdlr #wild birds #birding #bird watching #egrets #coastal birds #nature #wildlife photography #wildlife #lowcountry #south carolina #coastal #coastal aesthetic #beach #beachlife #oceancore #ocean #sea creatures #dm me #outdoors #adventure #me #message me #dms #let’s talk #let’s be mutuals #let’s be friends #marsh

[selkiewife]

TYRION APPRECIATION MONTH

Prompt: A Dance with Dragons

Favorite Quotes from Tyrion’s POV

He had been thinking of those guardsmen during his flight, trying to recall how many there had been. You would think he might remember that, but no. A dozen? A score? A hundred? He could not say. They had all been grown men, tall and strong … though all men were tall to a dwarf of thirteen years. Tysha knew their number. Each of them had given her a silver stag, so she would only need to count the coins. A silver for each and a gold for me. His father had insisted that he pay her too. A Lannister always pays his debts.

She loved me. She was a crofter’s daughter, she loved me and she wed me, she put her trust in me.

The dwarf studied the dish before him. The smell of garlic and butter had his mouth watering. Some part of him wanted those mushrooms, even knowing what they were. He was not brave enough to take cold steel to his own belly, but a bite of mushroom would not be so hard. That frightened him more than he could say. 

“I have no wish to die, I promise you. I have …” His voice trailed off into uncertainty. What do I have? A life to live? Work to do? Children to raise, lands to rule, a woman to love?

Stronger than Tommen, gentler than Stannis, with a better claim than the girl Myrcella. A savior come from across the sea to bind up the wounds of bleeding Westeros.” (Illyrio to Tyrion)

“Viserys was Mad Aerys’s son, just so. Daenerys … Daenerys is quite different.” (Illyrio to Tyrion)

When he was still a lonely child in the depths of Casterly Rock, he oft rode dragons through the nights, pretending he was some lost Targaryen princeling, or a Valyrian dragonlord soaring high o’er fields and mountains. Once, when his uncles asked him what gift he wanted for his nameday, he begged them for a dragon. “It wouldn’t need to be a big one. It could be little, like I am.” His uncle Gerion thought that was the funniest thing he had ever heard, but his uncle Tygett said, “The last dragon died a century ago, lad.” That had seemed so monstrously unfair that the boy had cried himself to sleep that night.

Tyrion listened to Illyrio’s snores, the creak of the leather straps, the slow clop clop of the team’s ironshod hooves on the hard Valyrian road, but his heart was listening for the beat of leathern wings.

Are you down in some hell, Father? A nice cold hell where you can look up and see me help restore Mad Aerys’s daughter to the Iron Throne?

In the dream he had two heads, both noseless. His father led the enemy, so he slew him once again. Then he killed his brother, Jaime, hacking at his face until it was a red ruin, laughing every time he struck a blow. Only when the fight was finished did he realize that his second head was weeping.

I am traveling through years as well as leagues, Tyrion reflected, back through history to the days when dragons ruled the earth.

Tyrion closed his eyes to bring her face to mind, but instead he saw his father, squatting on a privy with his bedrobe hiked up about his waist. “Wherever whores go,” Lord Tywin said, and the crossbow thrummed. The dwarf rolled over, pressing half a nose deep into the silken pillows. Sleep opened beneath him like a well, and he threw himself into it with a will and let the darkness eat him up.

“I understand hate well enough.” From the way Griff said the word, Tyrion knew that much was true. He has supped on hate himself, this one. It has warmed him in the night for years.

As the nightingales fell silent, the river larks took up their song. Egrets splashed amongst the reeds and left their tracks across the sandbars. The clouds in the sky were aglow: pink and purple, maroon and gold, pearl and saffron. One looked like a dragon. Once a man has seen a dragon in flight, let him stay at home and tend his garden in content, someone had written once, for this wide world has no greater wonder. Tyrion scratched at his scar and tried to recall the author’s name. Dragons had been much in his thoughts of late.

Laughing, the septa walked to the prow of the boat. It was her custom to bathe in the river every morning. “Plainly, this boat was not named for you,” Tyrion called as she disrobed. “The Mother and the Father made us in their image, Hugor. We should glory in our bodies, for they are the work of gods.”

His uncle had taught him a bit of tumbling when he was six or seven. Tyrion had taken to it eagerly. For half a year he cartwheeled his merry way about Casterly Rock, bringing smiles to the faces of septons, squires, and servants alike. Even Cersei laughed to see him once or twice. All that ended abruptly the day his father returned from a sojourn in King’s Landing. That night at supper Tyrion surprised his sire by walking the length of the high table on his hands. Lord Tywin was not pleased. “The gods made you a dwarf. Must you be a fool as well? You were born a lion, not a monkey.” And you’re a corpse, Father, so I’ll caper as I please.

Griff had even insisted that Tyrion help with the cutting and sewing. No doubt he meant for it to be humbling, but Tyrion enjoyed the needlework. Lemore was always pleasant company, despite her penchant for scolding him whenever he said something rude about the gods. If Griff wants to cast me as the fool, I’ll play the game. Somewhere, he knew, Lord Tywin Lannister was horrified, and that took the sting from it.

Tyrion took a mordant pleasure in inventing the details of the colorful life of Hugor Hill, also known as Yollo, a bastard out of Lannisport. The best lies are seasoned with a bit of truth. The dwarf knew he sounded like a westerman, and a highborn westerman at that, so Hugor must needs be some lordling’s by-blow. Born in Lannisport because he knew that city better than Oldtown or King’s Landing, and cities were where most dwarfs ended up, even those whelped by Goodwife Bumpkin in the turnip patch. The countryside had no grotesqueries or mummer shows … though it did have wells aplenty, to swallow up unwanted kittens, three-headed calves, and babes like him.

Not mine. I carry mine own sorrows with me, everywhere I go. He thought of Tysha and wondered where whores go. Why not Volantis? Perhaps I’ll find her there. A man should cling to hope. He wondered what he would say to her. I am sorry that I let them rape you, love. I thought you were a whore. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me? I want to go back to our cottage, to the way it was when we were man and wife.

The ruin was sad enough, but knowing what it had been made it even sadder. There was laughter here once, Tyrion thought. There were gardens bright with flowers and fountains sparkling golden in the sun. These steps once rang to the sound of lovers’ footsteps, and beneath that broken dome marriages beyond count were sealed with a kiss. His thoughts turned to Tysha, who had so briefly been his lady wife. It was Jaime, he thought, despairing. He was my own blood, my big strong brother. When I was small he brought me toys, barrel hoops and blocks and a carved wooden lion. He gave me my first pony and taught me how to ride him. When he said that he had bought you for me, I never doubted him. Why would I? He was Jaime, and you were just some girl who’d played a part. I had feared it from the start, from the moment you first smiled at me and let me touch your hand. My own father could not love me. Why would you if not for gold?

“Wherever whores go,” he said. And where is that? Tyrion wanted to ask him. Where did Tysha go, Father?

“If it please Your Grace to call me Yollo or Hugor, so be it, but know that I was born Tyrion of House Lannister, trueborn son of Tywin and Joanna, both of whom I slew. Men will tell you that I am a kingslayer, a kinslayer, and a liar, and all of that is true … but then, we are a company of liars, are we not?”

“Stand aside!” someone shouted, far away, and another voice said, “The prince! Protect the boy!” The stone man staggered forward, his hands outstretched and grasping. Tyrion drove a shoulder into him. It felt like slamming into a castle wall, but this castle stood upon a shattered leg. The stone man went over backwards, grabbing hold of Tyrion as he fell. They hit the river with a towering splash, and Mother Rhoyne swallowed up the two of them. The sudden cold hit Tyrion like a hammer. As he sank he felt a stone hand fumbling at his face. Another closed around his arm, dragging him down into darkness. Blind, his nose full of river, choking, sinking, he kicked and twisted and fought to pry the clutching fingers off his arm, but the stone fingers were unyielding. Air bubbled from his lips. The world was black and growing blacker. He could not breathe. There are worse ways to die than drowning. And if truth be told, he had perished long ago, back in King’s Landing. It was only his revenant who remained, the small vengeful ghost who throttled Shae and put a crossbow bolt through the great Lord Tywin’s bowels. No man would mourn the thing that he’d become. I’ll haunt the Seven Kingdoms, he thought, sinking deeper. They would not love me living, so let them dread me dead. When he opened his mouth to curse them all, black water filled his lungs, and the dark closed in around him.

“Griff brought me up?” He must hate me, or he would have let me die.

“I know that she spent her childhood in exile, impoverished, living on dreams and schemes, running from one city to the next, always fearful, never safe, friendless but for a brother who was by all accounts half-mad … a brother who sold her maidenhood to the Dothraki for the promise of an army. I know that somewhere out upon the grass her dragons hatched, and so did she. I know she is proud. How not? What else was left her but pride? I know she is strong. How not? The Dothraki despise weakness. If Daenerys had been weak, she would have perished with Viserys. I know she is fierce. Astapor, Yunkai, and Meereen are proof enough of that. She has crossed the grasslands and the red waste, survived assassins and conspiracies and fell sorceries, grieved for a brother and a husband and a son, trod the cities of the slavers to dust beneath her dainty sandaled feet.

“Trust no one, my prince. Not your chainless maester, not your false father, not the gallant Duck nor the lovely Lemore nor these other fine friends who grew you from a bean. Above all, trust not the cheesemonger, nor the Spider, nor this little dragon queen you mean to marry. All that mistrust will sour your stomach and keep you awake by night, ’tis true, but better that than the long sleep that does not end.”

“Westeros is torn and bleeding, and I do not doubt that even now my sweet sister is binding up the wounds … with salt. Cersei is as gentle as King Maegor, as selfless as Aegon the Unworthy, as wise as Mad Aerys. She never forgets a slight, real or imagined. She takes caution for cowardice and dissent for defiance. And she is greedy. Greedy for power, for honor, for love.

“You are the last of her line, and this Mother of Dragons, this Breaker of Chains, is above all a rescuer. The girl who drowned the slaver cities in blood rather than leave strangers to their chains can scarcely abandon her own brother’s son in his hour of peril.”

“I lied. Trust no one. And keep your dragon close.”

The slave soldiers of Volantis were fiercely proud of their tiger stripes, Tyrion knew. Do they yearn for freedom? he wondered. What would they do if this child queen bestowed it on them? What are they, if not tigers? What am I, if not a lion?

“...but the girl’s true sin cannot be denied. This arrogant child has taken it upon herself to smash the slave trade, but that traffic was never confined to Slaver’s Bay. It was part of the sea of trade that spanned the world, and the dragon queen has clouded the water. Behind the Black Wall, lords of ancient blood sleep poorly, listening as their kitchen slaves sharpen their long knives. Slaves grow our food, clean our streets, teach our young. They guard our walls, row our galleys, fight our battles. And now when they look east, they see this young queen shining from afar, this breaker of chains. The Old Blood cannot suffer that. Poor men hate her too. Even the vilest beggar stands higher than a slave. This dragon queen would rob him of that consolation.”

He rolled off feeling more ashamed than sated. This was a mistake. What a wretched creature I've become... Her back was crisscrossed by ridges of scar tissue. This girl is as good as dead. I have just fucked a corpse. Even her eyes looked dead. She does not even have the strength to loathe me.

“The gods are blind. And men see only what they wish.”

Some allies are more dangerous than enemies.

The dwarf did not need to be a prophet himself to foresee how Benerro and his followers might react to a second Targaryen. Griff will see that too, surely, he thought, surprised to find how much he cared.

He wondered how much his father had hurt when the quarrel punched through his groin, what Shae had felt as he twisted the chain around her lying throat, what Tysha had been feeling as they raped her. His sufferings were nothing compared to their own, but that did not make him hurt any less. Just make it stop.

“I am no lady,” the widow replied, “just Vogarro’s whore. You want to be gone from here before the tigers come. Should you reach your queen, give her a message from the slaves of Old Volantis.” She touched the faded scar upon her wrinkled cheek, where her tears had been cut away. “Tell her we are waiting. Tell her to come soon.”

She might be a dwarf, but she was also a woman, and women were bad luck aboard ship. For every man who tried to rub her head, there were three who muttered maledictions under their breath when she went by. And the sight of me can only be salt in her wound. They hacked off her brother’s head in the hope that it was mine, yet here I sit like some bloody gargoyle, offering empty consolations. If I were her, I’d want nothing more than to shove me into the sea. He felt nothing but pity for the girl. She did not deserve the horror visited on her in Volantis, any more than her brother had. The last time he had seen her, just before they left port, her eyes had been raw from crying, two ghastly red holes in a wan, pale face.

“I know her name.” He hated her name. Her brother had gone by the name of Groat, though his true name had been Oppo. Groat and Penny. The smallest coins, worth the least, and what’s worse, they chose the names themselves. It left a bad taste in Tyrion’s mouth. “By any name, she needs a friend.”

On moonless nights the water was as black as maester’s ink, from horizon to horizon. Dark and deep and forbidding, beautiful in a chilly sort of way, but when he looked at it too long Tyrion found himself musing on how easy it would be to slip over the gunwale and drop down into that darkness. One very small splash, and the pathetic little tale that was his life would soon be done. But what if there is a hell and my father’s waiting for me?

He was reading the girl’s account of the day she and her sister were taken by slavers when Penny entered the galley. “Oh,” she said, “I thought … I did not mean to disturb m’lord, I …” “You are not disturbing me. You’re not going to try to kill me again, I hope.” “No.” She looked away, her face reddening. “In that case, I would welcome some company. There’s little enough aboard this ship.”

My hands …” Tyrion turned them over, inspected them, coiled them into fists. “… my hands are crusted with old blood, aye. Call me kinslayer, and you won’t be wrong. Kingslayer, I’ll answer to that one as well. I have killed mothers, fathers, nephews, lovers, men and women, kings and whores. A singer once annoyed me, so I had the bastard stewed. But I have never killed a juggler, nor a dwarf, and I am not to blame for what happened to your bloody brother.”

Tyrion Lannister had scant experience with other dwarfs. His lord father had not welcomed any reminders of his son’s deformities, and such mummers as featured little folk in their troupes soon learned to stay away from Lannisport and Casterly Rock, at the risk of his displeasure.

“I thought I wanted to die,” she said, “but today when the storm came and I thought the ship would sink, I … I …”

“You realized that you wanted to live after all.” I have been there too. Something else we have in common.

An honest kiss, a little kindness, everyone deserves that much, however big or small.

“Prophecy is like a half-trained mule,” he complained to Jorah Mormont. “It looks as though it might be useful, but the moment you trust in it, it kicks you in the head. That bloody widow knew the ship would never reach her destination, she warned us of that, said Benerro saw it in his fires, only I took that to mean … well, what does it matter?” His mouth twisted. “What it really meant was that some bloody big storm would turn our mast to kindling so we could drift aimlessly across the Gulf of Grief until our food ran out and we started eating one another.

Tyrion gave her a lascivious grin. “A clever slave deserves a clever master, and you lot all look like fools.” That provoked more laughter from the bidders, and a scowl from the auctioneer, who was fingering his whip indecisively as he tried to puzzle out whether this would work to his benefit. “Five thousand is an insult!” Tyrion called out. “I joust, I sing, I say amusing things. I’ll fuck your wife and make her scream. Or your enemy’s wife if you prefer, what better way to shame him? I’m murder with a crossbow, and men three times my size quail and tremble when we meet across a cyvasse table. I have even been known to cook from time to time. I bid ten thousand silvers for myself! I’m good for it, I am, I am. My father told me I must always pay my debts.”

Tyrion gazed across the Yunkish camp to the walls of Meereen. Those gates looked so close … and if the talk in the slave pens could be believed, Meereen remained a free city for the nonce. Within those crumbling walls, slavery and the slave trade were still forbidden. All he had to do was reach those gates and pass beyond, and he would be a free man again. But that was hardly possible unless he abandoned Penny. She’d want to take the dog and the pig along.

Penny began to cry as the armorer was fastening her own into place. “It’s so heavy,” she complained. Tyrion squeezed her hand. “It’s solid gold,” he lied. “In Westeros, highborn ladies dream of such a necklace.” Better a collar than a brand. A collar can be removed.

The fact that there were any good wells at all within a day’s march of the city only went to prove that Daenerys Targaryen was still an innocent where siegecraft was concerned. She should have poisoned every well. Then all the Yunkishmen would be drinking from the river. See how long their siege lasts then. That was what his lord father would have done, Tyrion did not doubt.

Tyrion did not dispute him. The most insidious thing about bondage was how easy it was to grow accustomed to it. 

Sometimes he wanted to slap her, shake her, scream at her, anything to wake her from her dreams. No one is going to save us, he wanted to scream at her. The worst is yet to come. Yet somehow he could never say the words. Instead of giving her a good hard crack across that ugly face of hers to knock the blinders from her eyes, he would find himself squeezing her shoulder or giving her a hug. Every touch a lie. I have paid her so much false coin that she half thinks she’s rich.

He had even kept the truth of Daznak’s Pit from her. Lions. They were going to set lions on us. It would have been exquisitely ironic, that. Perhaps he would have had time for a short, bitter chortle before being torn apart.

Nurse did not expect us back. He had looked around at other faces. None of them expected us back. We were meant to die out there. The final piece fell into place when he overheard an animal trainer complaining loudly to the pitmaster. “The lions are hungry. Two days since they ate. I was told not to feed them, and I haven’t. The queen should pay for meat.”

What do you miss, Halfman?” Jaime, thought Tyrion. Shae. Tysha. My wife, I miss my wife, the wife I hardly knew.

“They say all Lannisters are twisty snakes.” “Snakes?” Tyrion laughed. “That sound you hear is my lord father, slithering in his grave. We are lions, or so we like to say. But it makes no matter, Kem. Step on a snake or a lion’s tail, you’ll end up just as dead.”

“… even giants fall if you slice their feet off. Once they’re down, they’re no bigger than you.”

#tyrionmonth2022 #tyrion lannister #tyrion quotes #asoiaf #valyrianscrolls #late submission #long post #tw rape. #tw slavery. #tw suicial thoughts.

[theghostofblackbunnymask]

May I ask for yandere Punz alphabet? 🙋🏾‍♀️

Author's note- Of course Love! (I don't remember if I proof read this or not)

Warnings- Gaslighting, Murder, Dehumanizing someone, Starvation, Dehydration, Greed, Drowning, Physical Abuse, Cults Mentioned (Eggpire), Lack of freedom and No freedom of speech.

Yandere Punz Alphabet

Affection: How do they show their love and affection? How intense would it get?

Punz isn't the most affectionate guy out there, but that doesn't mean he doesn't like cuddles and stuff.

Punz main form of showing affection is gift giving, giving various gifts such as jewelry and clothing.

Blood: How messy are they willing to get when it comes to their darling?

Since Punz is a Mercenary, he knows how to get rid of evidence quite well, so if he were to kill someone, nothing of their will be found, not even the body.

Cruelty: How would they treat their darling once abducted? Would they mock them?

Punz wouldn't really mock you, but he'd definitely tease you about how easy it was and how you should've learned how to fight.

Punz would give your space since getting a new home takes time to get use to, so Punz will respect your space for at least 2 months, and if you're not use to it by then, too bad!

Darling: Aside from abduction, would they do anything against their darling’s will?

Killing people, and forcing you spend time with the Egg, and maybe even forcing you to join the Eggpire if you're not immune to the Egg.

Exposed: How much of their heart do they bare to their darling? How vulnerable are they when it comes to their darling?

Punz let's his guard down when he's around you, because he knows how easy he can take advantage of you, so he doesn't need to worry if you hurt him, cause he would just say he didn't feel a thing.

Fight: How would they feel if their darling fought back?

He would find it hilarious, this man is a lover of chaos, so you fighting him like this makes him love you even more, but sooner or later he'll just get bored and give you a punishment.

Game: Is this a game to them? How much would they enjoy watching their darling try to escape?

Yeah it's a game to him, reminds him of when he and the Dream Team would play manhunt, so he'll just treat it as such. He'll most likely find you in a day or 2, but if the egg helps than within a few hours.

Hell: What would be their darling’s worst experience with them?

You pissed Punz off, and by pissed I mean pissed. Punz dragged you by your hair and held a knife to your throat, slowly digging it into your neck, and in front of you is one of your family members or friend, who is tied to a table.

Punz would tell you to kill them as he digs the knife into your neck as it begins to bleed, and he'll also say the sooner you kill them the less damage your neck will have.

And if you don't kill them, Punz would yell, insult and Gaslighting you into doing it, seeing you stab the body of your loved one over, and over and over again, until they stop moving. You crying while blood is all over your hands, shirt and face, and not to mention you can barely make a sound due to your throat. Punz would call you a good doll before sitting you down and patching up your neck, in the same room as the dead body.

Ideals: What kind of future do they have in mind or/with their darling?

To live in a mansion and be fucking rich, while causing chaos within the server.

Jealousy: Do they get jealous? Do they lash out or find a way to cope?

If Punz is jealous by someone he doesn't know/care about, it's on sight, he's killing them with no second thoughts.

Now if it was one of his friends (Ex: Dream), then he'll tell them to back off.

Kisses: How do they act around or with their darling?

Punz is pretty chill around his Darling, but he will threaten and hurt them if they misbehave.

Love letters: How would they go about courting or approaching their darling?

Punz would most likely flirt with you and invite you to Manhunt games, and maybe even give you things you like.

Punz would also send you letters and be kinda romantic.

Punz would basically be a simp.

Mask: Are their true colors drastically different from the way they act around everyone else?

I mean, it really depends, because Punz can and will hurt you, but he's also pretty chill and respects some of your privacy.

Naughty: How would they punish their darling?

Depends on what you did.

If you pissed him off by misbehaving or annoying him, he'll most likely put you on a collar and a leash, tie you to a pole in a pitch black basement and keep you there with no food and water for a few days.

If you escaped, HAH, enjoy going insane for the next few hours cause he's hunting you down. And once he gets you back he'll probably stick your head underwater and drown you, and after he would force you to say things like you love him and you'll never leave him.

If you were to insult or disrespect the Egg, this man would either A- Take one of your canon lives, or B- Beat you until you can barely move, and then starving you for 2 weeks.

Oppression: How many rights would they take away from their darling?

Freedom, Freedom of wearing what you want, being humanized and the freedom to think for yourself

Patience: How patient are they with their darling?

Punz is pretty patient with his Darling, but, depending on what it is he could lose it rather quickly.

Quit: If their darling dies, leaves, or successfully escapes, would they ever be able to move on?

If his Darling dies, Punz would beg the Egg to bring them back, and if the Egg can't bring them back he'll visit your grave everyday and leave gifts for you, and and he'd keep some of your items so you would always be with him.

You already know what happens if you escape.

Bold of you to assume you can leave Punz by saying you don't want to date him anymore.

Regret: Would they ever feel guilty about abducting their darling? Would they ever let their darling go?

I don't think he'll feel bad, yeah he may be upset because you don't want to be with him, but that doesn't make him regret what he did.

Stigma: What brought about this side of them (childhood, curiosity, etc)?

Possibly the greed for more.

Tears: How do they feel about seeing their darling scream, cry, and/or isolate themselves?

If you scream because of him, Punz would tell you to shut up. But if it's because of someone else, he would demand every piece of info about that person.

If you cry (Not punishment related) he'd comfort you and give you some of your favorite snacksl

Unique: Would they do anything different from the classic yandere?

He'll treat you more like a pet than a person.

Vice: What weakness can their darling exploit in order to escape?

The fact that Punz can be a simp sometimes, not all the time, but sometimes this man's lovesickness is too much to contain.

Wit’s end: Would they ever hurt their darling?

Only if necessary.

Xoanon: How much would they revere or worship their darling? To what length would they go to win their darling over?

When Punz is in simp mode he will worship you and do whatever you want, if it makes you happy he'll do it.

If he's just normal Punz then he wants you to worship him, like a good puppy.

Yearn: How long do they pine after their darling before they snap?

3-4 years.

Zenith: Would they ever break their darling?

His main goal is to break you and then morph you into his perfect pet.

#punz x reader #punz oneshot #punz imagine #yandere dream smp #yandere dream #yandere dream x reader #yandere mcyt #yandere mcyt x reader #Yandere Punz #mcyt x reader #dream smp x reader #dreamsmp x reader #dream smp

[reversemoon255]

Tropical-Rouge! Precure

So I've pointed this out before, but it's weird how all of Toei's heroes, apart from Revi/Vice, are all concurrently white. We've got Zenkaiser whose second in command is red, Gammamon who's the first main Digimon to not be a primary color, and, the subject of today, Cure Summer. While pink isn't as set in stone as red is for Sentai, white is more often a second-in-command-ish color (White, Egret, Rhythm), though I suppose all 3 of the aforementioned heroes are also very colorful apart from being just white. Zenkaiser and Summer both have stripes of their team's colors, and Gammamon evolves into four different Digimon (red, blue, green, and black). It's an interesting change of pace, and I'm very curious as to why they decided to do this.

The Good: This was a very strong season. Coming off the very mellow Healin' Good Precure, Tropical Rouge is immediately bursting with energy in contrast. Manatsu is very much like Kamen RIder Fourze’s Gentarou; she's a character that undergoes very little development herself, and is instead a positive force of change for the people around her. That being said, she might also be one of the weakest characters on the team, and is a strange instance of the team leader not being the main character. I liked Sango, but she was also kind of weak. She wasn't a bad character, and her individual character episodes were always interesting even if not my favorites, but the other girls each had a backstory and development that was built up throughout the season, while Sango felt mostly like a background character. I found Minori to be very funny, partly because of how much more animated she was when a Precure than she was normally. Her story was built up throughout the season, and the finale was technically her payoff. Asuka was definitely the strongest of the original four, with a very strong overarching plot that popped up very often over the course of the show. My only real issue with her story was that the student council prez was very antagonistic toward the group throughout the show, but had a somewhat abrupt face turn right at the end. Laura, despite starting the show as the team's "fairy" and not being the leader, was the main character. She undergoes the most development of all the characters, usually is directly involved in everyone else's to a greater extent than even Manatsu, and most of the ongoing plot is centered around her. At the beginning, I had the feeling they were going to speed her along to getting her legs, which I thought of as a bit of a cop out, but the way they developed her character made me quickly start rooting for her to get them. I don't think the show would be as good as it was without Laura around.

The overall plot was interesting, too. Every time we got a bit of information about the Procrastination Queen it got me theorizing about what her end goal was, what her connection to Cure Oasis was, and while I think a few of my theories were a little more interesting than what actually happened, it was still cool to see the mystery answered in a very Precure way.

Lastly, the animation this season was phenomenal. Episode 29 is probably the best animated episode in the history of the show. I can't help but feel that they took all the time and manpower they would usually use for their Spring/Summer movie on it. And it's not a one-off instance, as there were periodically some amazing animated moments.

The Bad: I brought this up briefly, but while Laura, Minori, and Asuka were all well developed, Manatsu didn't have any development and Sango had so little she sometimes felt like a side character. Honestly, some of the villains felt more developed than them, which is odd considering they were the first and second members of the team. Don't get me wrong, I really like that they broke the norm and made the fairy character the focus of the season, but I also really enjoyed the interactions between Manatsu and Laura, and it would have been nice if Manatsu was more important to Laura's story.

Just because it bothers me so much, I do want to bring up the Asuka vs Prez thing. This is probably American vs Japanese ideals, but when we learn their backstory during the train episode, Asuka is entirely in the right, IMO. She catches their opponents cheating, does nothing but grabs one of their wrists to stop them and yells, which are pretty understandable reactions, and the Prez gives the cheaters exactly what they want and drop out of the match, something they didn’t have to do at all. Asuka also didn’t want them disqualified or anything, she just wanted to beat them at tennis, which is a very honorable way of going about things. And even if Asuka got understandably upset and left the room, the Prez had over a year to talk to her and try and patch things up and get her to rejoin the team, but instead she acts like a jerk toward her. I like that they end the show on good terms, and being friends with Asuka improves her personality, but I would have liked an apology or admission she put her supposedly best friend in a pretty unfair situation.

And as much as I enjoyed the plot we got, it was very sparsely added to. Basically, every time we went through a full round or two of character focused stories we'd get a small tidbit. I really wish there was a bit more sprinkled in, as at times it felt like I could skip maybe half the series and still get the full story. This form of writing also made it awkward right after Laura learned about the memory erasure, as she was still going on about being queen even though it felt like she was having second thoughts the episode before.

Overall, this was a very good series, my gripes aside. I might have to go rewatch Heartcatch (which may be apropos as this season crosses over with it), but Tropical Rouge may surpass it as my second favorite season of the show on the merits of Laura's character arc alone. It's definitely hard to beat Go! Princess in my books, but during the first half of the show I was wondering if it would. Despite my complaints about Manatsu and Sango, I still like them, and the individual episodes are still strong even if they don't always move a character's or the overarching plot forward.

I'm not super excited about going into another season with a baby. I've aired my conspiracy theories about that already, so I won't go into it here. I'm kind of excited that we're getting a male main character, since we haven't really gotten that since Go! Princess and Happiness Charge. I guess my opinions going in are very neutral, so let's hope it's a good one and my worries will be easily and quickly subverted. Still, I've never watched a season of Precure I thought was bad, it just probably won't be as good as this one.

#Precure #Review #Finale #Pretty Cure #Glitter Force #Tropical-Rouge Precure

[livlepretre]

What are absolute must sees in New Orleans? Planning a trip.

Gosh, so many wonderful things to see and do!

If you’re visiting the French Quarter, there are so many amazing things to see and do there other than just Bourbon Street.

Free Tours by Foot is a local tour company (pretty much what it says in the name— free walking tours, although I think you need to sign up ahead of time/can choose to tip your your guide) which I really like and have signed up for both with out of town friends and with local friends. They have all sorts of tours— cemetery tours (the famous Cities of the Dead), architectural tours, ghosts tours… I would avoid anything labeled a vampire tour though since we don’t have vampires in this city, just ghosts and loup garoux! There’s also a Garden District tour which, if you’re into architecture, is pretty neat.

On that note, there are two house museums from the 1700-1800s in the Quarter— the Herrmann-Grima House and the Gallier House (James Gallier is arguably Nola’s most famous architect, and it’s his home which is now open as a museum).

It’s also always fun to stroll through Jackson Square, to see St. Louis Cathedral and maybe have your fortune told. The French Market sells all sorts of interesting knick knacks, and is right next to Cafe Du Monde on the edge of the Square.

For authentic live jazz music, Preservation Hall is a must— they do like 3 shows a night but you have to get in line early.

I would have to recommend Antoine’s for authentic New Orleans creole cuisine— you can enjoy some of their famous dishes in the casual Hermes Bar, or make an occasion of it and dress up to dine in the regular restaurant. They usually do a ~$20 prix fix 3 course lunch around the holidays, with 75¢ martinis, if you happen to be visiting later in the fall. (Many of the “Grande Dame” restaurants in the city offer prix fix meals— definitely worth looking into!)

Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar is the oldest continuously operating bar in the country— it’s a fun place to stop off if nothing else!

The New Orleans Museum of Art is located out in City Park, which is an incredibly picturesque backdrop crawling with the city’s famous Live Oaks. The sculpture garden is also pretty amazing there, and depending on the time of year there are outdoor movies in the garden. Also, Cafe Du Monde has a second location at City Park for beignets.

For other live music venues, I recommend wandering down Frenchmen Street— there are tons of bars and venues with live music most nights, and you can just come and go as your fancy takes you. The Maple Leaf Bar uptown also has great local live music (but it’s LOUD— expect your ears to ring).

I DEFINITELY recommend taking the streetcar from Canal Street all the way Uptown to Audubon Park. It’s a great way to take in the sights of the city in a calmer atmosphere than the Quarter.

Audubon Park is probably my favorite place in the whole city. It’s just a really peaceful place to enjoy towering live oaks, egrets, herons, and picturesque views. It can be especially refreshing to grab a daiquiri and enjoy it while you walk. (Also we have a GREAT zoo which is right by the park)

If you want incredible views overlooking the river, consider grabbing a cocktail at the Hot Tin at the top of the Pontchartrain Hotel on St. Charles Avenue. Some other famous bars are the Sazerac Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel, the Carousel Bar, and the local favorite, Cure.

If you want to shop, go to Magazine Street. It’s filled with tons and tons of locally owned businesses.

If you want to see some alligators and can travel outside of the city: Jean Lafitte Swamp Tours out in Marrero is the way to go.

Finally, it’s a good idea to check what local festivals might be going on during your visit! I know pretty much everything has been pushed into the fall this year due to covid, so the chances are good there will be something unique and fun happening in the city!

#anonymous

[sparky-kasane]

for the ask game, punch out or precure

(you don’t have to do both you can just do one *pat pats you*)

We be doing both /pos

Blorbo (Favorite Character/Character I think of the most): For punch out, Aran Ryan. And for Precure, there's honestly a lot but I gotta go with Yayoi/Cure Peace

Scrunkly (My baby/fren shaped): Out of the punchies Mac and Birby. For the Pretty Cures, URARA/CURE LEMONADE. NO ANDS IFS OR BUTS ABOUT IT /npa /pos

Scrimblo Bimblo (underappreciated fave): For the punchies, The referee. For Precure both Saki/Cure Bloom and Mai/Cure Egret. Splash Star is underappriciated, period.

Glup shitto (Appears for half a second and I won't shut up about them): For punchies, it's a character who's only mentioned; Aran's Sister(s). For Precure, He appears for a few episodes but is defeated and purified pretty quickly. I'm referring to Daigan from HUGtto.

Fun fact, Daigan beat Pisard's record of the villain to be defeated the fastest. Only dofference is that Daigan has a greater influence and an actual personality.

Poor little meow meow (problematic/unpopular fave): For punchies, it's the Rat man again. For Precure, it's DEFINITELY Mephisto.

Horse plinko (I would give them jelly donuts, take them all away /ly): For punchies, Macho Man. For Precure, Gonna go with Pisard. Anybody who's made it past episode 5 knows why. /npa

Eeby Deeby (You're going to the shadow realm, jimbo): For Punch out, Macho. Just for the gay crimes. For Precure, it's a tie between Joker (gay crimes) and Marmo (sheep crimes)

#save on everything at Christmas in July

[puppyluver256]

[Image descriptions: Three Pokemon Trainers with the fan-made Pokemon Chikret, Calflame, and Haymuth. Three more images break them into individual Trainer and Pokemon pairings.

The first image is the feminine Pokemon Trainer. She has light skin, shoulder-length brown hair, and blue eyes. She is wearing a pink hat with button badges attached and a Pokeball design, a purple short-sleeved shirt under a creamy yellow shirt with ruffled trim, a green wristband, blue shorts with pink lace trim, aqua knee-high socks, and pink and blue slip-on shoes. She has a tan backpack with purple straps on her back, and as she is walking forward she is looking back and waving at those behind her. Beside her is the fan-made Pokemon Chikret, which is a blue egret-like creature with big blue eyes. It has its wings outstretched and is running alongside its Trainer.

The second image is the androgynous Pokemon Trainer. They have somewhat light skin, short dark brown hair, and trey eyes. They are wearing an aqua green hat with teal accents and a blue Pokeball design, a purple button-up shirt over a darker purple shirt, a green wristband with an aqua Pokeball emblem, a green jacket tied around their waist, denim cutoff shorts with purple and pink leggings underneath, and purple slip-on shoes. They have a tan backpack with purple straps, and are scratching the back of their head nervously as they walk. Beside them is the fan-made Pokemon Calflame. It is a small calf with red fur and eyes, stubby horns, brown hair on its head, and orange and yellow hair on its tail resembling fire. It is running alongside its Trainer in an attempt to keep up.

The third image is the masculine Pokemon Trainer. He has medium-brown skin, short blonde hair, and green eyes. He is wearing a backwards-turned green and black baseball cap with a Pokeball design, a red collared shirt over a dark violet t-shirt, a green wristband with an aqua Pokeball emblem, denim pants, and green and grey running shoes. He has a tan backpack with purple straps on his back, and he is excitedly running ahead. Beside him is the fan-made Pokemon Haymuth, a yellow and green mammoth covered in grass-like hair. It is happily running alongside its Trainer to keep pace with him.

End ID.]

-----

Introducing the player characters for Pokemon Plow and Circuit! And yes, there are three basic options available, the "girly" one that people taking my survey decided was their favorite, the "neutral" one, and the "boyish" one. And I gave the players the design elements and starter Pokemon based on what shared their placement in that survey: everything with girly placed first, everything with neutral placed second, and everything with boyish placed third. ...Okay so there were a few ties in there, but I settled them with coin flips hehe. So how do they look? If you wanna draw 'em yourselves sometime and make 'em look however you want I can throw the base ref atcha that shows the basic options, though feel free to get crazy with the hair and eye colors as I can imagine that the realm of salon dyes and colored contacts could lead those bits to some wild fun hehe :3

While the players' skin, hair, and eye color can be determined by the hypothetical player (and the hair and eye color can be changed later), these are the looks I'm going to personally stick with for any Cantessy drawings featuring the player going forward.

For storytelling purposes only, each of these player characters has a hypothetical "real" person behind them who made them look as close to themselves as possible. The girly character is Mira, and she chooses Chikret when playing Pokemon Plow. The neutral character is Briar, and they choose Calflame when playing Pokemon Circuit. And the boyish character is Jake, and while he will eventually choose Haymuth, he is currently more focused on other games and will play either Plow or Circuit when he can get both as he'd rather have the full experience. Wait, why am I so specific on which version the players pick? Weellllll...if ya know, ya know. If not, you'll find out :3c

💖🐶 Check out my pinned post for ways to support my artwork, among other things! 🐶💖

~If you like, please reblog to show your friends! Likes are appreciated, but reblogs let more people see my content! If you have something to say, feel free to give feedback in tags/comments/replies as well!~

Pokemon and related concepts © Nintendo/GameFreak Cantessy player characters, Chikret, Calflame, Haymuth, the Cantessy region, and artwork © PuppyLuver Studios

#pokemon #pokemon trainer #fakemon #cantessy region #cantessy trainer #chikret #calflame #haymuth #jess drew the thing #sfw #image description #long post

[queen-parasoul]

Okay I’m going off about the potential Renoir/Contiello dynamic now because I’ve been on my shit about it for at least two years and have barely mentioned it. (Squigly is still conscious b/c plot convenience.)

Parasoul meets Squigly and Leviathan a la Squigly's Story Mode, so not the best first impression on both ends. When they next meet after Marie’s defeat, there are a lot of clarifications and awkward apologies.

The Contiellos’ second impression is Umbrella. Squigly and Leviathan didn't even know there was another Renoir kid since she was born after their death. They feel a little silly they couldn’t tell from the name.

After all that nonsense, Umbrella and Squigly become best friends.

Umbrella has trouble making friends with kids her age, and she’s really excited to be able to share the things she likes with someone. On the other hand, it’s refreshing for Squigly to experience some childlike chaos after being raised among more poised people her age.

Umbrella starts taking up instruments so she can play while Squigly sings.

They have tea parties with ice cream. They share their favorite music. They eat macaroons and talk about their hobbies at sleepovers. They relate to the loss of their mothers sure but also they just have fun as kids because that’s wholesome and they deserve it.

Leviathan finds Umbrella charming, if a handful at times. He gives her a pass as a Renoir, though Hungern...unsettles him.

Squigly eventually takes the Egrets’ place as Umbrella’s “babysitter”. They’re a good pair because Umbrella is more likely to listen when Squigly says something is ill-advised.

Parasoul and Squigly more strongly feel solidarity of their mothers being Skullgirls, which is one reason why Squigly felt confident in trusting Parasoul. However, their elegance and maturity also make them compatible despite mostly differing interests.

They play chess together, which was the icebreaker for their friendship. Usually though, they hang out by doing their own separate things (reading, listening to music, etc.) in the same vicinity and occasionally conversing.

Parasoul, being a lone wolf, is not surprised that her first friendship was kickstarted by shared trauma and spending extended periods not talking.

Parasoul takes the time to ask Squigly what could be done to improve how Meridian culture and traditions are treated, since she doesn’t have a personal understanding of the arts.

Their fighting styles mesh well together, especially once they coordinate all the napalm and fire that gets thrown around.

Squigly and Umbrella enjoy the fact that because the rest of them get along, Parasoul and Leviathan have to try and get along too.

Family history aside, their personalities clash in every direction. They never stop bickering, it just gets gradually friendlier.

Leviathan sees a lot of Franz’s traits in Parasoul which makes him wary of her, but starts to recognize her brand of empathy in her open mindedness to parasites and care for Squigly.

She also promises Black Dahlia's death to him, which helps.

They find a surprising amount in common, from the kind of responsibilities and hardships they face to what annoys them about other rich people.

Sometimes they chat while Squigly and Umbrella are occupied or asleep, drinking tea and coffee by the fireplace.

Leviathan won’t tell anyone Parasoul watches Annie so long as Parasoul doesn’t tell anyone Lev reads trashy romance novels.

Leviathan still begrudges previous Renoirs (and makes it known), though he softens up on Franz and Nancy after learning about the situation seven years ago.

Everybody else comes to the conclusion that the Renoirs and Contiellos being at odds was the universe’s counterbalance to the fact that they are a powerhouse when they work together.

#skullgirls #parasoul #umbrella #squigly #leviathan #skulltalks #there's more but this is most of it #i just *clenches fist* LOVE THEM

[enbyleighlines]

This is prompt 3 of 3! Thank you again for so many amazing drabble requests! I’ve really enjoyed working on these

Here is Jiang Cheng / Nie Huaisang: Flowers

—

Jiang Cheng quickly realizes that there is one downside to taking Nie Huaisang to a zoo for their first date. Namely, that it sets a prescedent for more unconventional dates. It’s not like he can fall back on the traditional dinner and a movie. Nie Huaisang’s expectations are probably a lot higher than that.

So after some deliberation, and some internet research, Jiang Cheng decides to take Nie Huaisang to a botanical garden.

On the drive over, however, Jiang Cheng starts to doubt himself. Is a botanical garden too grandiose for a second date? Or perhaps it’s too archaic? Will Nie Huaisang think Jiang Cheng is trying too hard?

These thoughts plague Jiang Cheng until he arrives. Then he catches sight of Nie Huaisang, and his frontal cortex momentarily shuts off.

Nie Huaisang is wearing sunglasses and a wide-brimmed sunhat, with a vibrant yellow flower tucked into a green ribbon. They also have on a short-sleeve blouse with a high collar and pearl-like buttons, jean capris, and sandals with more flower-themed buckles. They look like a preppy socialite, but somehow they make it look good.

It’s eerie, how just one glance can make Jiang Cheng feel like he’s gone braindead. He shakes his head, forcing his mind to reboot. Then he strides over.

“Hey, Huaisang,” Jiang Cheng calls.

Nie Huaisang removes their sunglasses, and gives Jiang Cheng a smile that reaches all the way up to their eyes. “Cheng-xiong,” Nie Huaisang greets, “Hi! I hope you brought sunscreen.”

“Sunscreen?” Jiang Cheng repeats dumbly.

“Yes, sunscreen!” Nie Huaisang pulls forward a small bag they had on their back, and fishes out a tube of sunscreen. “We’re going to have clear skies all day. I brought some extra water, too, in case we get thirsty.”

Jiang Cheng marvels as Nie Huaisang cups his hand and squeezes some of the sunscreen into the palm. Their hands are so soft.

“You really thought of everything,” Jiang Cheng says. He can still feel the warmth of Nie Huaisang’s touch even after they pull away. The effect is only slightly lessened when he begins rubbing the cool sunscreen into his skin.

Nie Huaisang shrugs and looks away. “I like to be prepared.”

Jiang Cheng knows that Nie Huaisang can get a little dodgy about compliments. That’s only one of Huaisang’s many oddities and complexities. They can be so confident one minute, and so bashful the next. Even after being friends for years, Jiang Cheng is still figuring them out.

“Anyway,” Nie Huaisang swiftly shifts the subject, “Which path do you want to take first? I’ve never been here, so you can lead the way.”

“I’ve never been here before, either.”

Nie Huaisang blinks. “Really?” They ask, “How’d you know this place existed? I’ve never even heard of it!”

Jiang Cheng winces, but he stays honest. “I did an internet search.”

There’s a second of silence, and then Nie Huaisang bursts into a stream of delighted giggles. It’s the kind of full-body laugh that makes the skin around their eyes wrinkle.

Jiang Cheng flushes. “Hey—”

“That’s cute,” Nie Huaisang interrupts, before Jiang Cheng can get the wrong idea, “That’s so cute! Cheng-xiong, you’re too cute.”

Now Jiang Cheng flushes for a different reason. He glowers off into the distance, since he can’t muster the nerve to glare at Nie Huaisang directly. Jiang Cheng has never thought about himself as cute before. He wants to keep being cute, for Huaisang.

“Sorry, I’ll stop laughing.” Nie Huaisang reaches over to take Jiang Cheng’s wrist. Their thumb presses against his pulse. “Let’s head into the garden.”

—

The botanical garden is, Jiang Cheng learns, far more interesting than he had anticipated. He chose it only because he knows Nie Huaisang likes pretty scenery, and what could be prettier than a giant garden? But even Jiang Cheng finds himself mesmerized by the vast array of plants. He had no idea there were so many different kinds of trees.

It’s kind of like walking through an enchanted forest. The narrow pebble paths lead them in winding circles, over a babbling brook, through curtains of willow trees, and into a maze of flowers.

Nie Huaisang is insatiable. They keep stopping to take pictures with their small camera. They even take the time to read the carved stone plaques detailing each plant’s scientific name. Their eyes burn with a fire Jiang Cheng remembers from their first date, in the wolf enclosure. Jiang Cheng also learns that when Nie Huaisang is in laser focus mode, little can be done to win back their attention.

But there’s something about standing back and watching Nie Huaisang get all fired up over mundane things that makes Jiang Cheng supremely happy.

The flower maze is not only a feast for the eyes, but for the nose, as well. The fragrance in the open air is crisp and not overwhelming, like it might have been in an enclosed space. The flowers themselves almost look unreal. They are far more varied than Jiang Cheng thought possible. Many droop like bells, while others have intricate patterns on the petals.

Nie Huaisang all but swoons over them. They spend the most time by the orchids, admiring the unique shapes and textures of the petals.

Some of the orchids are so strange that they seem like they belong on a different planet. Jiang Cheng catches sight of one with feathered edges, like the wings of a bird. The scientific name reads: ‘Habenaria radiata’.

“Hey,” Jiang Cheng says, “Come check this one out.”

Nie Huaisang turns and loudly gasps. “A white egret orchid!” They coo, and squat down to get eye level with them.

“A white what?”

Nie Huaisang doesn’t dare tear their gaze away as they breathlessly explain, “A great white egret is a kind of bird. It’s also called a great white heron. They’re my favorite kind of shorebird. So elegant, just like these flowers.”

The flowers are indeed very pretty, but Jiang Cheng can’t help but stare at Nie Huaisang.

Their eyes are sparkling, their lips parted and soft, their faint smile hypnotizing... Jiang Cheng takes in all of these features, trying to imprint it in his memory. Nie Huaisang is so... cute. Not just on a surface level, but all the way down to their big, easily overexcited heart. How did it take Jiang Cheng this long to see it?

But that’s not quite right. Jiang Cheng has always seen how special Nie Huaisang is, it’s just he’s never allowed himself to focus on it before. If he did, he might have to investigate his attraction to them.

Such a thing would have been impossible, when Jiang Cheng was so insecure about his manhood. Now he’s free to admire Nie Huaisang’s beauty all he wants.

Nor is he limited to simply stand back and stare.

When Nie Huaisang straightens back up, Jiang Cheng tilts their head towards him with a finger.

Nie Huaisang’s breath catches, their lips still parted and soft.

Jiang Cheng leans forward, in a soundless request for permission. Huaisang meets him halfway, joining their mouths with a breathy sigh.

Conscious of their location, Jiang Cheng keeps their kiss short and sweet. Yet, when he pulls away, Nie Huaisang seems dazed, like they’re waking from a deep dream.

“What was that for?” They whisper.

But Jiang Cheng can’t give voice to his thoughts. He’s never been good at that, and besides, it would probably just come out wrong. So he kisses them again, on the lips, and then one peck for each cheek.

Nie Huaisang giggles under the barrage of affection. Their skin is warm with a blush that makes their face rosy pink.

“Jiang Cheng,” Nie Huaisang murmurs, speaking softly into the space where they’re sharing the same air, “Thank you for taking me out. I’m... I’m so happy.”

Jiang Cheng cups Huaisang’s flushed face in his hands and gives them another kiss on the mouth. This one lingers, with Jiang Cheng savoring the sweet, vaguely minty taste of Huaisang’s breath.

They part again. Nie Huaisang giggles. “Jiang Cheng,” he pleads, “Say something.”

“I appreciate your passion for this stuff,” Jiang Cheng tries, “You just... appreciate things so damn much.” He hopes Nie Huaisang understands what he’s trying to say, because he’s sure he’s messing this up. “It’s... cute.”

“You’re cute,” Nie Huaisang retorts.

“Thanks,” he returns, awkwardly.

“Mm.” Nie Huaisang presses a kiss to Jiang Cheng’s nose.

And then they continue on down the path of flowers. Jiang Cheng holds Nie Huaisang’s hand in his, fingers interlocked. It’s incredibly romantic, and Jiang Cheng immediately feels good about the location he’s picked for their date.

He’s just going to have to keep getting creative for their subsequent dates...

#sangcheng #asks #drabbles #leigh’s writing #mo dao zu shi #mdzs modern au

[lockwoodandcofanfic]

Lockwood and Co: The Delirious Diver

Word count: 1532

Lockwood scrambled to the door to open it, tidying himself as he did. As he opened the door I heard a squeak and a gasp. From Holly and Jamie respectively. Standing in the doorway was the imposing figure of one of the richest men in the city, Lord Gabriel Egrets. Lockwood, after seaming stunned for a second, quickly regained composure and flashed his million dollar smile.

"Lord Egrets. Welcome to our operation."

"Ahh, Lockwood, call me Gabriel. I see you got my message. I'm sorry this was on such short notice, but I'm having some problems. Supernatural problems." Lockwood nodded and responded.

"Of course, our specialty. Lets sit down and I'll have our new assistant get you some tea and biscuits. How would you like your tea?"

"Hmm. I'll take a splash of cream in mine, if it's not to much trouble."  Jamie left to the kitchen flipping through a notebook, probably looking to remember how we like our tea. The rest of us sat down in the parlor to discuss business.

"So Gabriel, what problems are you having? Please, leave nothing out that could possibly help us".

"It all started about three month ago, the house would drop several degrees in temperature for no reason. Then stuff started moving. A dish could vanish for a few days and then reappear on the opposite side of the house. But it was only this month that the maids started hearing voices. They all described the voices as being young children, usually female, and some of the younger members seeing a small child, with bloody eyes at the end of a corridor. But a few days ago one of our maids was found dead. She had been severely ghost touched. The other maid who found her right before she died said that she was rambling about Abilene, who according to the maid who found her was her younger sister who died a few years ago by being hit by a car." Lord Egrets sighed and stopped to breath, which gave Jamie the opportunity to set down the tea and biscuits on the coffee table.

"Ah, the tea," Lockwood interjected, "Thanks Jamie. Did you get all that?" The tea had finished a while ago and Jamie had been standing there taking notes on a clipboard with case papers on it. She nodded and took a seat. "Sorry for the interruption, is that all?"

"I wish it was" Lord Egrets said with a sigh, "After that happened, I told all the staff to leave and take a paid vacation, and filed a DEPRAC report. They sent a team of Night Watch children. But they quit, even before midnight, fleeing the house. They also reported the same noises and a child with bleeding eyes, along with what they assumed was a poltergeist that threw any object at them." He stopped and looked down,"This house has been in my family for centuries and I can't think of leaving it or rebuilding it." He looked up again with tears forming in his eyes and a look of desperation so intense it surprised me. "You have to help me, please. It's all I have after my parents died. I don't care how you finish the job as long as you don't burn down the house."

This time Holly spoke up. "Of course we will help, Jamie, can you tell us what you think of this case? And drink some tea, it will help your nerves." He started to drink as Jamie gave her two cents on the matter.

"It seems like we will be dealing with two ghosts, possibly three. A poltergeist and one other, From the description, most likely a phantasm, and possibly a fetch. All of them seem to be Type Two ghosts. I'd say our best bet is to thoroughly research the house and location, and see if it says anything in the archives. After that, check the house in the daytime, followed by a stay overnight in a chain circle, that has been at least twice reinforced. After that we should base our plan of action after what we have researched and experienced." Lockwood looked pensive, and nodded.

"I agree. Unfortunately we are booked until next week. The next day we will be free for a night check will be next Sunday"

The Lord looked up. "Any time works for me. The quicker the better."

"Of course. Especially with such an esteemed client such as yourself." Lockwood gave a quick smile to Lord Egrets, as well as Jamie for her analysis. I have to say it was impressive how well she was able to analyze the situation. "Is that all? I don't mean to imply anything, but have there been any..." Lockwood paused, trying to find a word, or phrase, "tragic deaths that could be linked to your house? A party gone wrong, a passionate lover, you've heard stories of the like. Again I do not mean any offense towards you or your family. " The lord sat there pensively for a moment before speaking again.

"No offense taken. There was the death of my wife a few years ago, but to my knowledge there was nothing left unfinished that I haven't taken care of. And all her belongings have been incinerated, except for a few items, like her wedding ring that I have in a sliver lined box. Not to mention her coffin was laced with silver and lavender. That was always her favorite scent..." He trailed off, reminiscing about his late wife.

"Other than that I know of no tragic accidents relating to my home. But of course, there may be one I am not aware of. I honestly don't care about what happened in my house." His despair and nerves were getting the better of him again. "It's all I have left and I have to save it. Please. I'll do anything. Pay any price."

Using my most soothing voice (albeit I'm not very soothing, Holly is much better at that) I try to calm him down a bit. Lord Egr- Gabriel, have some tea. And please. Take a cookie. If it will help soothe your mind, George can get to the archives and start researching for information. There is a good couple of hours before we have to go out tonight." Gorge looks a little taken aback. But Holly shut down his retort. Gorge's face contorts into a resentful scowl.

"Would you do that for me? Oh, I knew it was he right choice to come here. Thank you! Oh thank you!" He stands up, shaking with excitement, having not noticed George's sour face. He sits back down again, slightly more serious. "And for all this help, what do you want? I'll pay double, not triple the normal price."

Lockwood rattles off our normal prices from memory. I can see Jamie taking note of the prices. Lockwood then gives the approximation of what it would cost.

"Of course, we don't know exactly, but that would cover our equipment, transportation, and the like. Most likely it will be paid in increments because of the large project. Small payments for daytime visits and overnight observations. The largest charge is going towards fighting the ghost and finding the source."

"That's no problem Lockwood. As soon as you show up I'll wire the money strait to your account. As for the final night, whenever that may be, I'll pay half up front. As soon as you confirm that the source or sources are gone, the money will be sent." He looks confident that we won't be fail.

"Ah. Standard practice for large hauntings. Of course. Is that all?"

"Yes. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart." He stands up, puts his hat and coat back on, and leaves. Lockwood leaves it assist him out the door.

As soon as Lockwood comes back George explodes. "LUCY! You know I've been looking forward to sitting down and reading all week. Why did you-" Lockwood cut him off.

"George. I'm sure Lucy just said that to make him feel more comfortable. However it might be good to get a head start on that. You might as well take Ms. Lynn with you for help." George huffed and stood up.

"Fine Lockwood. I'll go. Jamie, leave the notes with Lucy, and come help me at the Archives. You said you worked as the assistants to the head of the research department right? You know how to research correctly?"

"It's been a few years since I've worked that position, but yes. I know how to  navigate the archive." Their voices fade off. Holly leaves, probably to go clean something, leaving me and Lockwood alone with the tea. The air is tense, but neither of us do anything about it. We've been like this since the Fitties Incident. Eventually Lockwood speaks up.

"So Luce, what's on Ms. Lynn's notes there." That breaks the tension and we start talking about the case. Discussing strategies, cases that have come up in the news, doodles on the Thinking Cloth, general banter. Later Quips drops by, and we break the news about the new agent. It's like always, just another happy day at Portland Row.

#locklyle #lockwood #lockwood and co #lockwood and co. #lockwood and lucy #ghosts #hauntings

[kyuanagisachan]

Opinions On Futari Wa Max Heart/Splash Star Cures

Hello~ (♥´∀｀)／ today I will be rating my favorite season, Futari Wa Precure/Max Heart, and Splash Star Precure~

For those of you who don't know what Precure is, it is a popular franchise in Japan entertaining thousands of people and is in its 16th season, Star Twinkle Precure, currently. It all started back in 2004 when Cure Black and White walked into Toei Animations that the birth of a whole new world was about to begin. So let's get started!

5th Place Cure White

White is my..... 3rd fav character overall in Futari Wa Max Heart and out of all the other cures. But low out of the other cures on this list. why is that? Well Honoka just wasn't very interesting, she is leader of the Science Club and is the smartest girl in her school, and that's pretty much it. She had a few episodes making her the main focus, but in the end it felt that Nagisa and Hikari just got more episodes focused on them than Honoka. But must say that her character design is very subtle and looks very easy to fight in having her being one of the best cures that can physically fight. And she is also very adorable~

4th Place Cure Bloom

A lot of people say that Bloom is technically Nagisa 2.0, and their not right but not wrong either. Design wise, yes the two look very similar. Personality, kinda, Bloom and Black are very similar, but I might have to explain that a different time, but why is Bloom this low? Idk she was never TOO interesting, but I've only watched one episode of Splash Star so my opinions might change later on xDDD.

3rd Place Shiny Luminous

Honestly, Luminous is my second favorite cure of all time! Even if she is weak physical wise, she still is a wonderful and adorable character. And yea, the reason why she is in between is of course she could have had better fighting skills, she fight physically once I remember, but the animation was so bad that I'm not going to get into it xDDDD.

2nd Place Cure Egret

Welp, I absolutely love dis girl for at least one reason, she is absolutely adorable~

1st Place Cure Black

OMG HOW CAN BLACK NOT BE MY FAVORITE CURE OF ALL TIME!?!? Now I'm gonna start with how Black is the best .

She has amazing leader qualities!

She is absolutely hilarious here is some proof

If you can't laugh at that, you probably have no soul xDDD.

She is absolutely the strongest cure in existence.

And her relationship with Honoka is absolutely beautiful, if you haven't ever watched All Stars Memories, IT IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE BECAUSE IT SHOWS HOW STRONG NAGISA'S MEMORIES WITH HONOKA ARE!!!

I mean come on! How can you not cry at that scene!? (Also how can you not ship the two together ^^)

Welp that's it, next will be YES! Precure 5! GO GO!

Cya!

#futariwaprecurmaxheart #futariwaprecuresplashstar #Myprecureratings

[ame-this]

The highlights of this weekend so far. Friday, I started my forst batches of wine (not pictured but soon to follow). I caught some little golden goblins camped out on my antique wash stand. Today was a day at the park/family reunion. My lichfriend @alonelylich made an appearance (honestly what a champ or coming out in the heat to be surrounded by my relatives). Also picutred as some painted egrets for a local business sponsored art thing. Took some picks of my favorites. Second to last set is the same bird on either side (titled Monring and Evening on the Bayou I think).