#we have plenty of hawks and it was much bigger

[darkwood-sleddog]

Bird knowledgeable tumblrinas…what bird is this scream?

#not dogs #bird #birds of tumblr #birdblr #I know it’s a bird of prey #and I saw a very large bird of prey flying over the yard a few days ago #it was about to land on the deck bht I scared it #and I couldn’t get a good look at it #not sure if juvenile bald eagle #or a golden eagle? #not pictured here just sound #but it was solid and brownish golden #we have plenty of hawks and it was much bigger #raptor friends help

[traumxrei-archive]

【 iii. picture perfect shopping 】

summary: for a debutante, one must be the most eye catching at the ball. yuu decides to take floyd shopping with them. what they didn’t realize was how picky the prankster would be when it came to their outfit…

word count: 1.6k

author’s note: floyd leech my beloved <33 i love this guy sm, and i feel like he’s one of the twsties who’d have rlly good fashion ^^

[ the perfect debutante series | or read on ao3 (coming soon) ]

"Master~" Floyd groaned, fiddling with his tie. "Do I have to wear somethin' so uncomfortable?"

Today Yuu was supposed to go clothes shopping. Floyd, who had previously looked bored out of his mind, suddenly shot up and volunteered himself. And since none of the others protested, the rest was history.

"Why not?" The corners of Yuu's lips twitched as they buttoned Floyd's vest.

Yuu supposed that they had a bit of a mischievous streak when it came to their own maids. Especially with Floyd Leech. It wasn't often that they had something to tease the maid with.

Floyd grabbed their hand, stopping them in their tracks, "Aren't I supposed to dress you?" 

"I suppose," Yuu glanced up, his eyes boring into theirs. "But wouldn't you rather do something more interesting instead?"

Floyd seemed to switch tactics, "Can't I wear my normal uniform? These pants are too stuffy."

Yuu thought about it. About the way Floyd preferred loose skirts that fell just above his knees. Or the way his apron was always stained with something or another from running around all day. Wearing fitted pants probably felt strange in retrospect.

But they had to appreciate how Floyd looked from an aesthetic point of view. The pants all but accentuated his height, coupled with a fitted coat and vest. Floyd looked the spitting image of a young master rather than a maid. (They patted themself on the back for choosing such a perfect outfit.)

"Hmm, but you look handsome like this too," They smiled because Floyd was always weak when it came to compliments.

They knew they won the argument as soon as Floyd released a long sigh "If Master says so~"

"Besides, we aren't trying to attract attention. If it weren't for the ball..."

Floyd grinned then, "Don'tcha worry, all I gotta do is get you lookin' the best at the ball, right Master?"

Turned out that Floyd was quite picky when it came to clothing. Maybe that was why Jade seemed quite apologetic as he was sending them off. What they thought would be a simple shopping trip turned out to be a quest for "only the best that fit Master," as Floyd put it.

"This material...isn't it on the cheaper side?"

Or, "Nah, this color doesn't match your eyes."

Or, their personal favorite, "Master, you're rich, so shouldn't you get a bigger rock?"

Yuu would’ve laughed at all of Floyd’s comments if it wasn’t considered rude to the store owners. The good thing was that Floyd had basically done the hard part for them. He had chosen a suitable outfit on their behalf, swathing them in Night Raven grey, adorned with gold trimmings. And then there were the boots made out of leather from a foreign land. Yuu probably would've chosen without worrying too much about quality if it weren't for Floyd, but he seemed determined to watch over their purchases like a hawk. 

Their feet were getting a bit tired, but Yuu couldn't bring themself to say no when Floyd entered another store.

"This time we'll find a good brooch," Floyd said as he opened the door, letting them into the store. "Something bi~g and shiny so that those garbage minnows won't look down on you."

"I'm sure I don't need it," They reassured.

Yuu knew why Floyd was worried. There were plenty of unsavory rumors going around about them, after all. It had been happening for a long time, ever since they attended NRC. 'The young heir is socially inept', or 'A mere teen cannot inherit the Night Raven Duchy, much less an orphan!', or even their least favorite rumor, 'The loyalty of their staff is due to their status.' It didn't matter much to them anyway. By the end of their Debutante, they would make sure that no one would be able to run their mouths about the Duchy or their people.

"Welcome, customers!" The salesman greeted cheerily. "Please have a seat." They both took a seat, and soon the scent of tea leaves seemed to fill the room as they waited. Floyd was already eyeing the display cases, eyes calculating. 

The store owner poured them each a cup of tea. His eyes glanced between the two of them before finally landing on Floyd, “What would you like to see, good sir?”

Ah. It seemed that this store owner had mistaken them to be a servant, and Floyd their master. It made sense, given the more simplistic clothing they decided to use if only to disguise their shopping trip. Floyd expression had dropped. They could feel the anger starting to radiate from the maid.

“Hey,” There was a cold expression on Floyd’s face. “Don’t look down on my Master like that.” Oh Sevens.

They tugged at his sleeve, before whispering, “Floyd, don’t—" 

“Master?” The owner glanced at them for a moment, not even noticing that he interrupted them. “Are you sure?”

And that seemed to be the final straw for Floyd.

He slammed his hand on the table with a loud bang and Yuu's heart felt like it stopped in their chest. Horror dawned on them as they watched the table shake, the tea set wobbling before shattering with a spectacular sound. CRASH! Hot tea spilled all over the surface of the table, splashing Floyd's arm.

“Floyd!" They hurriedly grabbed his arm, jerking it from the steaming puddle of tea.

Floyd continued to glare at the man, “It seems there’s a minnow who doesn’t know his place.”

They injected as much authority as they could into their voice, “Floyd Leech, I want you to calm down. This behavior is far from appropriate.” They watched as Floyd’s shoulders tensed, conflict passing his expression. The store owner didn’t dare to move either, face frozen in shock.

An eternity seemed to pass before Floyd released a harsh breath, “As your benevolence wishes, Master.” A frustrated expression crossed Floyd’s face before he was turning toward them, sinking to the ground. His forehead pressed against their knee, and Yuu fought not to comfort Floyd for a second.

Instead, they looked up. Yuu stared at the spilled tea with disdain, “Well? Clean up the mess. I'll compensate for the broken tea set.” 

“Y-Yes, of course,” The man seemed to sweat even more as he bowed. “And...may I know your name?” The nerve of him to ask after all that.

“Your ignorance astounds me. Most know me as the heir to the Night Raven Duchy.” And the owner turned white as a sheet. Good. That should teach him not to forget their face ever again. As the man stumbled out, they turned their attention to Floyd.

Yuu finally let their hand card into Floyd’s hair, “Floyd. You’re not upset with me, are you?”

“‘M not,” His voice was muffled, and they could feel him press his cheek against their knee. “Are you mad at me?”

They let out a light laugh, brushing the hair out of Floyd’s eyes. He was staring right at them now. “I’m not. I understand why you were offended. Now he’ll never forget my face for as long as he lives.” Floyd had a bleeding heart when it came to those that challenged their status, more than any of their other maids. And that big of a blunder coupled with the fact that the debutante was soon… It was no wonder Floyd had snapped.

"But Master..." Floyd was pouting now. "You don't hafta compensate him."

"I have to compensate him for the damageds. But the Night Raven Duchy will never give him another penny ever again," Yuu held up their palm. "Now show me your hand.”

Floyd obediently lifted his arm, which was all but soaked in tea, “It doesn’t hurt.” The skin was reddened slightly, and they frowned, wishing that they had intervened quicker.

“Still, we should have the doctor take a look later. And you should get changed,” Yuu traced over the wetness of his sleeve. “I…have your uniform. It's in our carriage, down the block.”

Floyd’s head shot up, eyes glittering, “Really?”

They nodded, sheepishly, “If you really were uncomfortable in those clothes, I wasn’t going to force you to keep wearing it for the whole— Woah—“ Floyd stood up, leaving the store before they could finish their sentence.

The owner finally returned. They wondered if he timed it so that Floyd would leave before he entered. They glanced at him, “Do you happen to have a fitting room here?”

“E-Excuse me? This is a jewelry store, but we—“ The door opened almost violently as Floyd walked back in, expression dangerously dark once more. They tapped a finger against their arm. The owner coughed, “W-We have an empty storage room at the back, p-please go ahead, your grace.”

“Thank you,” Yuu brushed off their clothes before offering a hand to Floyd. “Shall we?” Floyd seemed happy to lead them to the back, and more than happy to change back into his normal attire.

Yuu chuckled at the sight of the lopsided headband and the carelessly tied apron. Riddle and Jamil would have a heart attack if they saw what Floyd looked like as he exited the store.

Floyd stretching ahead of them, “Kinda wish I could've beaten him up a little~”

"Floyd Leech, that is unacceptable," They said with mock seriousness, as Floyd laughed cheerily.

And watching Floyd skipping down the streets, pointing to another store up ahead, well... They couldn't say no.

thank you for reading ^^ if you’d like to read more, check out my masterlist ! like the art ? look at more of dumple's works on insta !

[ prev chapter | series post | next chapter ]

#/trau writes #floyd leech #twisted wonderland #twst #floyd leech x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader

[stories-and-chaos]

Shrike: How to Train Your Exorcist

[Hazbin Hotel reader insert as Alastor’s “darling life and death partner” Ace x ace relationship, both parties are moderately sex favorable.]

[One shot, word count 1425, Cw: mild cursing]

—————

There was barely a month before Extermination Day. The Hazbin Hotel was packed for the first time with residents; cannibals and your avian demons, preparing to defend against the exorcists. The cannibals were used to ripping their prey to shreds. They needed practice hitting weak spots and wielding angelic weapons instead of their teeth and claws.

Your flock had flight and agility but the majority relied on hit and run tactics. They needed to learn not to dash off but continue their attack. Fortunately a couple of your followers had a more hawk-like design and the hunting ability to match. And you of course had the look of a butcher bird; you had plenty of experience taking down opponents.

“Alright you lot! We’ve got techniques you need to learn if you’re going to last longer than thirty seconds on extermination day. Angels are used to being unopposed in the air; they fly down, attack, then fly off to their next victim. So we take advantage of that.” You paced in front of the gathered demons.

You were short, but most of your people weren’t much bigger. “Exorcists aren’t going to be looking above themselves for targets. Even a small fighter diving at high speed can knock their target out of the sky. If we can grab and spin them, we might even break bones when they hit the ground.”

Some of the more delicate members of the group looked at each other dubiously. “Not to mention, they don’t fight together. They hunt down targets individually. Which means we can team up against them.” Now they looked more curious. “We don’t even have to make direct contact; two or more of us diving right next to them at top speed is going to hit them with our wakes. Knock them off balance and they’ll be easy targets for Pentious’ ranged weapons.

“We’re all going to have angelic steel weapons. Slash at them as you dive by, you might hit limbs or a wing. If you’re lucky, you’ll hit the neck. Ultimately, our goal is to disrupt them in the sky and get them to where the cannibals can finish them off. Now, let’s start with diving runs.”

You ended up holding multiple target dummies aloft with little whirlwinds. The demons weren’t very accurate at first, but they picked up the concept quickly. Before the week was out, more than half were knocking the dummies off their perches and almost all were trying weapons during their dives.

Alastor was doing his own preparations, but he did help setting up the targets. His tentacles held them in place when you needed a break. He also amused himself by making surprise attacks to keep the fliers on their toes.

You hauled Husk over at least once a day to join the flight group. He still didn’t like having wings, but you pointed out he needed every advantage he could get. And you knew how rusty the former Overlord was. So you shoved him right into the lot for practice.

The one you couldn’t get a hold of was Vaggie. She was spending all her time instructing the cannibals, then working with Charlie after. You’d seen her new wings and according to her royal girlfriend, the former exorcist had been in Hell for years. If Husk was rusty, Vaggie likely was too.

Ten days before the early Extermination, you walked up to Vaggie after the group’s lunch break. “Let’s leave the troops to Charlie for the afternoon, ma petite. You’re overdue for some time with me.” You linked your arm in hers and essentially dragged her with you. Charlie tried to come with you, but you waved her off. “Not to worry princess, I’ll give her back in one piece!”

“What the hell are you doing?” Vaggie didn’t really sound angry, just annoyed at your pushiness.

“I am giving you something you badly need.” You brought her to a patch of grass near your flock’s training area. You had told everyone to clear out of the sky in this area; this wasn’t a group session. “You’ve got those pretty new wings, cher. Let’s prove they’re not decorative, hm?”

With that you launched into the sky, hovering about twenty feet above the ground. “I know how to fly, Y/N.” Her voice turned harsher than usual as she joined you. “And Carmilla already showed me how to fight angels.”

You smiled, got a bit more altitude, and raced past her in a dive that sent her spinning in the air. “Carmilla, for all her skill and charm, is sadly limited by gravity,” you said, pulling out of your dive. You grabbed Vaggie’s arm as you passed her again, this time pulling her up with you. You brought her face close to your own. “We are not.” Before she could respond, you grabbed her shirt, spun her in the air and threw her toward the ground.

She managed to get control and brake before she hit the ground. “Allons’y cher. You know how to beat angels?” You summoned a stiletto in each hand. “Let’s make sure you can beat them where they feel strongest; the sky.” Vaggie pulled out her spear before launching herself at you.

She was right; she did know how to fly and fly well. It seemed flying was like riding a bike, you never really forgot. But she was also out of practice and had never sparred with someone like you. Someone willing to fight dirty, with tooth, talon, wings, and every bit of strength in your small frame.

That first day, she could barely touch you. But by the end of the day you could tell she was getting more fluid before the tiredness set in. She had a grin on her face as she begrudgingly said, “Okay, you’ve got a point. I need practice.”

“So you’ll be here tomorrow afternoon?” She rolled her eye and agreed before finding Charlie. You stretched your wings out and Alastor manifested behind you. “Looking like you were enjoying yourself today my dear.”

“I did, cher. Husk refuses to spar with me and none of our followers can quite keep up. Despite the situation, it’s fun to find someone who can.” You smiled up at him and placed your hand in his outstretched one. His shadows enveloped you, delivering you to the hotel suite.

Alastor led you to the table and pulled out your chair. “We’ve hardly been able to spend time together recently. Will you let me have your attention for the night my dear?”

“Gladly, darling.” After dinner (gumbo that reminded you of quiet nights both in the living world and Hell), the two of you relaxed on the couch together. You each had a book to read; the only sounds were the turning of pages and the chirps and drones from the bayou. Just being in each other’s presence helped calm your nerves about the upcoming battle.

The following week was packed with training and preparing the hotel’s grounds for the attack. Vaggie showed up every day after lunch to practice with you. As a former exorcist, she was experienced with various weapons already. She picked up on your style without too much difficulty.

Two days before the deadline, she grappled you in midair. Her remaining eye glowed as she continued her movement, spinning you with her own body as the axis. Like you had to her the first day, she flung you to the ground, her rotation giving the throw more force.

Too close to brake, you resorted to cushioning your fall with wind. Once your head stopped spinning, you looked up at her and started clapping. “Well done, cher!” You rustled your feathers, getting everything back into place before taking to the air again. “Now, let’s make sure you can do it again.”

It turned out she could. Neither of you could manage too many in a row without getting a wicked headache. But Vaggie had a grasp of everything you could show her in those ten days. Much of what you had practiced together was new for her, meaning it was one more way to catch the angels off guard.

Inevitably, Extermination Day arrived. You waited with the rest of the defenders. Vaggie had her wings hidden for now; none of her former comrades knew she could fly again and she wanted it to be a trump card.

Golden light rained down, Vaggie rallied those around her with Charlie, you and yours took to the sky to teach the rest of the exorcists a lesson.

——————

@whitewolfsoldat @edgyboi10000 @ch3sire-blu3 @clearly-awkward @badatpunz @bengewatch @chewbrry

#hazbin hotel #hazbin fanfic #hazbin vaggie #hazbin alastor #alastor x reader #asexual alastor #alastor #vaggie

[theofficersacademy]

Midsommar 2022 : Prompts and Memes Part 2

In for a treat, or just getting tricked?

[ COSTUME ] Forgot your demon costume? Vendors have set up stalls in town offering all sorts of accessories to get customers in the Midsommar spirit. Pointed wax teeth are subtle but expensive, but you don’t need a heavy purse to rent out a glittering cape or a fancy hat. With the damage fines this high, you better be careful not to get them dirty!

[ FORTUNE ] An old witch sits in the shadows of the alley, claiming that she can speak to the dead. She beckons all who pass by to visit her.

[ PERFORMANCE ] This is a festival for street performers! Everywhere you go in Garreg Mach, you’re bound to find some sort of show - from puppet theater to firebreathing and tests of strength and skill. Stop to marvel at Fódlan’s talent, or maybe try showing off your own!

[ SCARE ] Many of the children that run past you are dressed in strange costumes, pretending to be all sorts of characters. Witches, animals, scarecrows… even some of your classmates are showing off sharp false teeth and glittering capes. Costumes like these are part of the festival spirit this time of year!

[ SECRET ] While the festival is supposed to be family-friendly, and indeed more children than usual run through the streets, you catch wind of a tavern in some forgotten alley of the town where one can go for some “adult” entertainment. Like wine tasting. Just wine tasting. (don’t tell the clergy).

[ CARVING ] With the spring harvest comes an abundance of turnips. So many that merchants have brought them to Garreg Mach by the bushel to sell them for Midsommar. Once believed to ward demons and other monsters away if one carved a face into them, the turnip carving tradition is now little more than a fun activity for children to do with their parents.

Food stalls crowd the town square, visitors hawking sweet and savory snacks...

[ PIES ] Spiced meat pies or delicate strawberry pies? Pick one and dig in at this bustling pie stall! The owners have a special challenge, if you choose to accept: any brave soul that can scarf down twenty of these delicious pies will receive a very special prize! 

[ JELLYBEAN ] One particular stall catches your eye: piles of little bean-shaped gummies shine in the lantern’s light, all too colorful to ignore. Clover honey, strawberry, peaches… With so many choices, you can’t help but take your time looking over the vendor’s selection. Strangely, he nods and gives you a knowing look. “Ah, I see. We have the same… interests, do we?” From below the table, the vendor pulls out a heavy wooden box, opening it to reveal an array of jellybeans. While they are as colorful and delectable as the ones on the table, their labels are more than a little troubling. Sweaty socks? Essence of skunk? “Excellent for tricks… though you didn’t get these from me.”

The return of the Magic Club’s special haunted corridors!

[ SHOW OFF ] You, of course, are a brave soul, keen of eye, and have some people to impress. Friends? Crushes? Rivals? You scoff at the mere idea that someone could scare you with some cheap parlor trick and roam about the hallways with crossed arms and plenty of skepticism.

[ SCREAM ] All your friends are gone–dead, probably, when you remember their terrified screams as they thrashed against the firm grip of a bloody butcher with a rabbit mask. You also remember the way the cleaver glinted in the cold light. Your feet pound against the tile as you flee from your pursuer, the butcher’s twin with a chicken’s face and an even bigger knife. You trip, fall, get back up again. You trip, fall–why the hell are you falling so much? A “corpse” springs to life in front of your path, but a solid punch sends them reeling. You don’t look back. All you can do is scream, and run.

#toa announcements #toamidsommar2022

[demetriandelibinaryboyfriends]

Pride Month Character Sexuality Headcanon Moodboards 1. Yasmine - Lesbian 2. Demetri Alexopoulos - Gay 3. Moon - Bisexual 4. Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz - Bisexual

Next up is everyone's favorite Demetri Alexopoulos-obsessed slightly evil predatory bird boy, Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz! Unlike with Demetri, I am fully aboard the Bisexual Eli Express. Justice for bi guys!!! We need more in media because it is in fact sexy and valid to like dick AND boobs!!!

Now, quick disclaimer that there is not a single mlw Eli ship that I personally fuck with in the least. I've been pretty loud about the reasons for my immense distaste of H*wkM**n, and could in fact write a 20 or so page essay on why they're one of my all-time NoTPs if prompted. Furthermore, my first impulse upon seeing any other female character paired with Eli (or...really, any character who isn't Demetri, or possibly Miguel in extremely specific circumstances) is to keep said pairing approximately 491263844976 feet away from me. BUT, despite my personal feelings of revulsion upon seeing Eli paired with anyone who isn't his soulmate Demetri Alexopoulos, I fully believe Eli is bisexual and that there's plenty of textual evidence to support this!

So let's dive in!

The first thing that comes to mind is how Eli vents to his mom in the 2x05 flashback about how he's "never going to get a girlfriend." Granted, as I've mentioned in some other posts, high school dating is often more about social status (i.e. being seen as "desirable" enough to get an SO makes you more popular) than genuine romantic attraction. BUT Eli voicing his concerns to someone he clearly trusts more than most people indicates to me that he wants a girlfriend more than just for show--he's attracted to girls.

I have a friend who since moved on from the fandom who did autistic analyses of Eli, and pointed out that he's often uncomfortable with eye contact. Pre-Hawk, the only two people we see him make consistent eye contact with are Demetri and his mom. This seems like a pretty good indication that these are the two people he trusts the most, and can most honestly "bare his soul" and be himself around. Another reason I think his vent to his mom about worrying he's never going to have the experience of dating a girl has authenticity to it. I can't compare this to Demetri's interactions with his mom, unfortunately (and it's a damn shame!!! I demand to see Ms. Alexopoulos in S6!!!), but I can say for certain that Eli has expressed wanting a girlfriend from a (presumably) vulnerable and honest place, while S1 Demetri only ever seems to do so performatively.

As previously established, there is no bigger H*wkM**n loather than I. I make no secret of this. HOWEVER!!! I feel like it'd be naive--and maybe even dumb--to pretend that there isn't at least some physical attraction there. Granted, they're definitely emotionally incompatible in a way I wish the show had the balls to actually address (like how the fuck is a pacifist gonna last in a relationship with a dude who loves fighting more than just about everything else lmao), but I can buy they find each other physically (and probably sexually) attractive. Moon basically says as much when she's dumping Eli in S2! They very much strike me as one of those teenage couples who are all over each other 90% because of hormones. I'd say the main difference between them and Dem and Yas is that the performative aspect doesn't seem to be there. While Dem and Yas feel like they're putting on a show, it seems like Hawk and Moon really were just that horny.

So throughout S2, we see Hawk treat Moon in kind of a possessive way, and more as arm candy to make him look good than as her own person (yet another reason I am such a Hater lmao). Despite this, he spends so much time in S3 and S4 moping over her and pining for her that I do think they had somewhat of an emotional connection, even if it was pretty surface-level. I still think their relationship was mostly based on looks and social status, but him being that hung up on winning her back (a frankly unhealthy thing that should not have been narratively rewarded btw) instead of just moving on to some other hot girl who'd give him the time of day indicates that Moon was more than just a beard.

So like. I feel like if you weren't convinced that Eli has feelings for Demetri, you wouldn't be reading a post written by tumblr user demetriandelibinaryboyfriends XD But to briefly summarize: Eli spends much of the show shooting Demetri Yearning Looks and being the only one amused by his antics. Even when they're falling out, Eli is borderline obsessive about harassing Demetri when he could just ignore him and focus on his Cool New Karate Friends. He often seeks Demetri out in fights in a way that feels pretty damn fruity. He's pretty physically affectionate with Demetri, and never seems to mind when Dem is physically affectionate with him (to the point of near cuddling in S4). This is...unusual for teenage boys, to say the least! Oftentimes even the straight ones are so terrified of being perceived as gay that they're super stingy about all but the most "no homo" type of physical affection. The fact that Dem and Eli pretty liberally put their arms around each other and give each other little gestures of physical affection makes me think that they've been in a homoerotic friendship so long that they like. Don't even realize it comes across as kinda gay??? Like Miguel and Demetri are physically affectionate too, but it's much more casual and doesn't feel as intense.

Also worth a mention that Eli is literally simping for Demetri so hard that he joins Demetri's karate dojo right after being terribly traumatized and deciding to quit karate. Why??? Because Demetri said some encouraging things to him, cuddled him on a couch, and basically confessed his love by being like "hey I'll always care about you no matter how you wear your hair or what name you go by." This man is whipped as fuck. His actor basically confirmed he won the championship for Demetri! And lest we forget, the final push that got him to betray the dojo he'd previously devoted his entire life to--also led by a dangerous war criminal sure not to take betrayal lightly, might I mention--was seeing Demetri in danger. Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz is in fact Down Bad.

So I'm not a big fan of the migu/eli ship for reasons I don't want to get into here, but imo it's completely possible Eli had feelings for Miguel at some point (I just don't think they were ever reciprocated because Miguel is in love with Sam!). He definitely idolizes Miguel and puts him on a kind of "coolness" pedestal that feels like it could easily be romantic. He also gets so obsessed with avenging Miguel that he breaks the arm of the other guy he has a crush on, so...there's also that!

Come to think of it, there are actually some really interesting parallels between the Miguel/Eli and Moon/Eli relationships. Both are kind of a case of Eli getting really enamored with this idealized idea/concept he has of a person and getting so wrapped up in that that he has a fundamental misunderstanding of and neglects the actual person's wants and needs. Hence why he's so confused when Moon and Miguel tell him they don't want him in their lives if he's going to be an ass--this isn't how the doe-eyed ever-adoring hot girlfriend and stone-cold, super aggressive badass bestie he built up in his head were supposed to react! Why are they acting like independent people with agency who don't conform to the versions of themselves in Eli's fantasies???

(This is also why I think Demetri's the healthiest and most sensible romantic partner for Eli btw. Eli doesn't idealize and borderline deify Demetri the way he does for other people he has feelings for/seems to have feelings for. He's known Dem so long that we can reasonably extrapolate any feelings that developed were based in the Demetri that was actually there, and not a fictional version he built up in his mind. In fact, it almost seems like Demetri knows Eli has a tendency to do this and won't let Eli project an untrue version of Demetri onto the real guy. That might be why Demetri staunchly refused to change himself to go along with Eli's karate shenanigans in early S2--he was basically saying "I am who I am, and I refuse to become this impossibly glorified image you're projecting onto me." And I can't blame him--I actually get really annoyed when people try to put me on a pedestal, and will often go out of my way to break their illusion that I'm whatever perfect, wholesome box they try to shove me in XD Bottom line being that between Moon, Miguel, and Demetri, I think Demetri has the healthiest relationship with Eli because it's, at the end of the day, the most honest and doesn't hinge on any untrue and unfair projections.)

At the end of the day though!!! The fact that Eli is able to separately idealize both a guy and a girl and both in a pretty romantic or romantic-coded way is pretty damning proof to me that he is in fact bisexual! Look, not all bisexuals process their feelings in healthy ways okay aiksjuuhfkdhg

He dyes his hair ALL THE DAMN BISEXUAL FLAG COLORS. And on the order they're on the flag, too??? Red (S2 - S3) to purple (S4) to dark blue (S5)??? Fucking wild. If this was a fanfiction I would joke about it being too on-the-nose, BUT NO. THIS IS CANON MATERIAL IN THE SHOW.

Okay, I'm sorry, but. NO non-queer dude dyes his hair bright-ass colors like that. Red or blue maaaaybe, but PURPLE??? NO. Straight men simply do not dye their hair purple. Like speaking as an LGBT I'm here to tell you that in the community, brightly colored hair (but especially more "flamboyant," girly colors like purple or pink) basically a signal that says "hey, I am also queer!" ESPECIALLY if you're a dude. Straight girls dyeing their hair bright-ass colors is more common, but I have never known a single straight guy to. And that's because it's associated with being gay af.

Also I can't tell you the amount of times they've put this dude in bisexual lighting. The ones I can think of off the top of my head are S2 Valley Fest and the S3 arm break, but I'm sure there are more I'm forgetting. Demetri is there both the times I mentioned. Hmmmm.

Took some liberties with the bisexual flag in this moodboard to better fit Eli's vibe...and also like. These are literally the three colors he dyes his hair in canon. I had to XD

I'm still not over that btw aksjdkhuef like it's so bisexual it's PAINFUL

I really like how this one came out <3 Hopefully I was able to capture the full scope of technonerd, avian motifs, and that one S3 angerboi I-want-to-punch-everything-and-everyone arc!

Btw the top middle picture is just supposed to be neon fire because our boi is Fiery™️, but then I realized it...kind of also looks like a mohawk??? So kudos to me for the accidental character accuracy XD

Okay so. Would you believe I have several more of these that I didn't have the chance to post? ^^; I uh. Guess I'll have to make July Pride Month 2.0 and post them then XD This is what happens when I'm too overambitious in my shitposts, eh?

As always, pic credits available upon request!

#eli moskowitz #hawk #cobra kai #aesthetic #moodboard #ck pride month moodboards #bisexual #cobra kai season 1 #cobra kai season 2 #cobra kai season 3 #cobra kai season 4 #cobra kai season 5 #happy pride 🌈 #lgbt #lgbtqia #queer #queer pride

[psychosistr]

La Vie en Rose- Chapter 3

Summary: Some time has passed and our paranormal pair has proven to the higher-ups that they have what it takes to handle a bigger mission. Are these two up to the task?

Notes: Alright, time for the MEGA CHAPTER! Get ready for more spooks, magic rituals, and emotional bonding!

-First Chapter-

To both of their surprise, Wildcard and Bokor’s partnership seemed to be going well after the rockiness of its first day. Most of the pair’s assignments consisted of either investigating reports of hauntings in FOWL facilities, removing a ghost here and there (some of the reports were fake, either from someone seeing things that weren’t there or a malfunctioning invention making odd sounds or sparks), or stealing magical or supposedly-cursed artifacts from museums that High Command had plans for. All in all, they were fairly short, easy to handle missions that the two were able to knock out in just a few hours.

This left them with plenty of time before or after each assignment to relax on their own..or, as was becoming slowly more common, together. Bokor preferred going out to eat over getting take-out or pizza deliveries taken to his room, so he would go out for at least two of his meals every day and made a point of letting his partner know where he was going and asking if they wanted to join him. If Wildcard said yes then he’d offer to pay (which usually meant charming the staff into giving them free meals), but, if they said no, then he didn’t push the issue and gave them their space. He still had a bad habit of flirting too much and occasionally sticking his foot in his mouth during conversations, but he at least made it clear to Wildcard that he was trying, so that helped ease things between them quite a bit.

Things still weren’t perfect, per se- Bokor sometimes forgot to inform Wildcard of whatever plan he came up with or to ask for help because he wasn’t used to having someone who actually could help him, the two had bumped into each other or accidentally thrown something at/near the other a few times, and it was becoming increasingly clear to Wildcard that their partner had a temper that would flare up whenever things weren’t going his way- but the common ground they’d found made it easier to talk to each other both on and off the clock, and that slowly helped the two get used to each other’s habits and behaviors during missions.

One morning, however, Bokor invited Wildcard out to the café for breakfast as usual, and explained that the two had been given a much more involved assignment this time.

“There’s an outpost in the mountains that’s been vacant for a few weeks now.” Bokor explained after taking a sip of his usual coffee order. “Apparently, some idiot up there broke an ancient artifact said to contain many trapped souls from a war waged centuries ago, and now all of those spirits are haunting the outpost. A few mediums have already tried to clear it out, but they weren’t up for the challenge.” The hawk’s usual confident smirk found its way to his beak as he eyed his partner across the table. “Sounds like the perfect chance for us to prove that we’re the best FOWL has to offer.”

Wildcard’s eyes lit up at the opportunity, taking pause from drinking their juice. “A high stakes mission? It’s about time!” They beamed, already feeling excited from the idea of travel and getting to make a statement to the higher ups. Their fingers tapped at the table in excitement. “Don’t get me wrong, everything we’ve been doing up until now has been fun, but this- oh man. I can hardly wait.”

Bokor grinned when he saw his partner’s enthusiasm, clearly hoping for that kind of response. “I feel the same way, mes petites chéries.” He picked up one of the chocolate filled croissants from his plate and took a bite between each sentence. “I will have to order some tools and supplies since this will be a bit more involved than our usual work, so if you require anything let me know and I will add it to the order before we leave. Also, I prefer to stay on-sight for these types of mass exorcisms- saves time getting started and ending work every day- will that be alright with you, or would you rather book a motel for yourself?”

“Hmmm…” With the time they had spent together, Wildcard had certainly grown far more comfortable with their partner, to the point they enjoyed teasing him every now and again. They hummed as if in deep thought over the idea, even though they already knew their answer. “Haven’t gotten to camp in quite some time...you might need to put an order in for two sleeping bags then.” They held up two fingers and laughed gently.

The joke earned a quiet chuckle from Bokor. “I will see what I can do. If nothing else, I could always just order one extra large sleeping bag for both of us- I don’t think you would take up much room, petites.” One red eye winked at them, but his tone of voice made it clear that this was more good-natured playful teasing rather than flirting this time. He still flirted quite a bit when given the chance, but he’d come to enjoy Wildcard’s joking & teasing and responded in kind when given the opportunity.

Already sensing that type of response, Wildcard had crinkled up their straw wrapper into a ball and tossed it at him. “Oh, you would want that wouldn’t you.” They rolled their eyes and leaned on their hand as they looked at Bokor. “Honestly...I know you’ve got a literal charm to get people enamored by you, but it’s a miracle that with the actual relationships you’ve had, anyone could take you seriously for too long. You’re always joking around.”

Unlike their first one, Wildcard’s second joke earned a much weaker laugh and a smile that didn’t quite reach the hawk’s eyes. In fact, he glanced away in an attempt to avoid eye-contact altogether. “Aha, yes...I suppose that’s true…”

“Ah well...you are handsome and you do make people smile, so I guess you have that going for you.” Completely unaware of how awkward things had gotten, Wildcard went back to eat their fruit salad. “Anyway, any idea when we have to leave then?”

Bokor tried his best to shake off his partner’s previous comment, finishing his croissant before answering to give himself a moment to compose himself. “Whenever we want, honestly. That is the benefit of this type of work- no deadlines to meet.”

“Then could we go as soon as we can? I’d love to get out of the city more…” They twirled their fork between their fingers as they thought about it, softly smiling. “Fresh mountain air sounds lovely this time of year. I know we’ll be working, but even just getting to go somewhere new is a vacation in itself.”

Seeing the shrike so happy made the smile on Bokor’s face more genuine and returned the briefly lost joy to his eyes. “Weeeeeellll~” He drew the word out on purpose, his voice taking on a slight lilt as if he were about to let them in on a secret. “I may omit certain details from my mission reports from time to time…details, for instance, on exactly how long I need to stay on-location to finish my work. Not because I like getting paid to relax and take in the sights, of course. I would never do that.” He smirked in a playful way and winked at them.

The implications were not lost on Wildcard, a similar expression coming across their face as they twirled some of their long feathers with their finger. “Nooo, of course not. That would be oh so irresponsible after all, and we get called to do sooo many missions.” They laughed, feeling even more joyful than before. “I’ll have to pack a game or two for the occasion then.”

“I should warn you- I am quite the card shark.” Bokor chuckled as he finished his meal.

“Maybe so, but you’ve never played against a wildcard before.” The shrike smirked. “It’s not a perfected skill or anything...but I’m pretty confident at card games. Especially against cheaters. Used to beat them a lot in my training days.”

Bokor gave them a challenging smirk. “Oh really? Well, we will have to put those skills to the test, mes petites chéries.” He finished his meal and got up from his seat. “I have a few calls to make to get everything in order. Think you will be ready to go by noon?”

Wildcard followed him out. “I think I can manage that. I’ll have to reschedule some prior arrangements though clearly, you know how busy my calendar is.” They remarked sarcastically, leaning against Bokor’s arm for a moment. “Just knock on my door when it’s time to go, Henri.”

Bokor’s step faltered for an instant at both the other’s sudden proximity and the use of his first name. If they’d looked up at the right moment, they would have caught the slight flush to his cheeks and the way his eyes widened before he quickly schooled his features into one of his usual grins. “D’accord. I will try not to keep you waiting, petites.”

“You better not.” Wildcard laughed, doing a small twirl as they went the other way. “I just have to get some things of my own. And before you ask, no, I don’t need your ‘discount’ for it.” They shook their head in amusement. “See you later.” 

Bokor watched them walk away with a smile, tipping his hat to them. “I shall count the seconds, mes chéries.”

Stopping by a nearby convenience store, Wildcard decided to use some of the first skills they were taught at FOWL: how to swipe and steal small objects and get away with it. They employed their abilities by getting themselves some snacks for the trip, both for themselves and some chocolate they knew Bokor liked having. It felt nice getting something for him, especially with the amount of times the man treated Wildcard to things. Of course, it was never out of his pocket, a brief glance to the cashier reminded Wildcard just how flustered and enamored the fox would get whenever Bokor visited.

Something about those interactions started to bother Wildcard, just a small bit. It wasn’t that they were against Bokor using a charm he worked hard to perfect so he could get people to give him what he needed, but something about seeing Bokor flirt with others and hear him say sweet things just made Wildcard feel different than they did when they first met. Back then, it was impressive and a bit annoying, but now it was just annoying and...something else. Something Wildcard didn’t want to think about too much.

They walked down the motel hallway, slowing down slightly as they passed Bokor’s door. Despite being practically neighbors, the partners never went into each other’s rooms. That was probably for the best, it let them have their privacy, but Wildcard did find themselves wanting to knock on his door just to see him again. A desire they shoved down in favor of going to their own room to pack, prioritizing that over something as trivial as company.

A few minutes before noon there was a heavy but rhythmic knock at Wildcard’s door, like a tune to an old song.

As much as they hated to seem desperate, Wildcard opened their door shortly after the knocking stopped, a shoulderbag in hand. “Hey, is everything good to go? No troubles?” 

As expected, Bokor was waiting at the door with a large hiker’s backpack slung over one shoulder and a smile on his face. “Of course not, mes chéries. Everything has been taken care of and our supplies will be there when we arrive.”

“That’s a relief, I’d hate to be let down so soon.” Smiling, Wildcard locked their door and walked alongside their partner. “Any idea how we’re traveling to the mountains? I’m fine with walking there, but if you’ve got a better idea, I’d love to know.”

“Depends,” Bokor said while walking out of the motel with them, slowing his pace to make sure he stayed beside them. “How do you feel about bikes?”

That seemed to make Wildcard stop entirely. Before Bokor had a chance to ask what was wrong, Wildcard looked at him with an embarrassed expression. “I, uh…can’t ride a bicycle if that’s what you’re asking.”

That...actually made Bokor pause for a moment and stare at them. He blinked twice, needing a moment to process this information, before he covered his mouth to hold in a laugh. “O-Oh...that is good to know…” It took him a minute to compose himself so he could talk without laughing, but the grin still clear on his face made his amusement known. “I meant a more motorized variety- and do not worry, petites, I will be driving, so you can simply relax.”

Wildcard’s entire face turned red and pulled their collar over their head to hide in their shirt. “You’re such a jerk! Lead with that next time, dumbass!” They were clearly just flustered and not meaning what they were saying, but they still felt quite foolish from it all. They almost collided with a wall trying to walk away from the man before pulling their shirt down again.

Bokor chuckled quietly as he easily caught up to them, placing a hand on their back to help steer them away from the wall. “Désolée, mes petites. I will try to be more direct in the future.”

Giving a low hum of annoyance, Wildcard pouted. “Tu peux être une telle douleur...but I’m not complaining too much.” They rested their head against Bokor’s chest, still trying to shield away their blush until they could feel it fade.

Bokor couldn’t fight the fond smile that found its way to his face or the way his hand rubbed the smaller bird’s back in a surprisingly gentle gesture for such a large man. “Je vais essayer d'être plus doux à partir de maintenant, mes petites.” He held the door open for them as the two left the motel, taking them out to the parking lot in the back of the building.

“Well...in my defense, I haven’t ridden a motorcycle either...or know what kind you have.” Although they had gotten past their flustered embarrassment, a small blush remained on their cheeks. “Is it a sidecar situation where I hold the bags or do I have to hold onto you the entire trip?”

Fishing a set of keys from one of his pockets, Bokor winked down at them while leading the way through the parking lot. “Well, it does have a sidecar...but I certainly wouldn’t complain about the second option, either.” He eventually stopped in front of what looked like a large, custom-made motorcycle with long breezer-style handlebars, a deep red paint job with bird-skulls emblazoned on the side with black rose petals surrounding them, and a matching sidecar that seemed big enough for two people with how it was proportioned.

Wildcard gave a long whistle before climbing into the sidecar. "All the same to you, I think I'd prefer this. Maybe if you behave I'll think about riding with you on the way back." They winked before gesturing for Bokor to pass over his own bag.

“I will have to be on my best behavior, if that’s the reward I’ll get.” Bokor complied with the unspoken command and handed them his surprisingly heavy backpack. “Bon matin, mon coeur. J'espère que vous êtes prêt pour une séance d'entraînement.” He got situated on the bike and started it, revving the engine a few times with a pleased look on his face. “Hmmm, c’est beau.”

Bracing themselves, Wildcard found themselves hugging onto the large backpack. It was loud, they knew they wouldn't be able to speak over the engine so they took a deep breath in preparation before nodding that they'll be alright to go. A step outside their usual comfort zone, but one they were willing to try.

Bokor, though not saying anything directly, noticed and acknowledged Wildcard’s discomfort with the situation as a whole and started the ride off nice and slow for their sake. While he’d normally show off a few tricks or stunts to impress whoever his passenger happened to be, he felt that the shrike would not be as appreciative of his usual antics and decided to err on the side of caution for the time being. He made sure to keep the bike steady, go slow on the turns, and even obeyed the speed limit until they were safely out of town and out on the open road.

Once they were out of the bustling city, Wildcard managed to relax more, opening their eyes and looking at the scenery. While still keeping the bag close as something to latch onto, they at least let the breeze go over their face and feel the sunshine on them. They took a deep breath and visibly started to relax more, resting their head on the bag and contently letting themselves enjoy the ride.

Bokor saw the shift in his partner’s mood from the corner of his eye and allowed himself to relax a bit as well. Being out on the road on a nice day with the fresh air blowing past him was one of his favorite feelings in the world. Having someone whose company he actually valued enjoying the ride with him, however, made everything feel that much more vibrant and worthwhile.

By the time they had to go more off road to get to where they needed to (FOWL would never make their pathways easy after all), Wildcard snapped out of the almost nap they slipped into and sat upright as they were jostled. "Ugh, can't say I love this." They whined to themself, hoping for the ground to flatten out again soon.

Bokor searched the area for the markers he was told would lead them to the outpost, keeping his hands on the handlebars and steering them through the bumpy terrain as carefully as possible.  He knew off-roading was not very pleasant and wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible for his partner’s sake.

Once the bike had come to a stop, Wildcard felt a bit dizzy, but otherwise fine. They dramatically collapsed back into the sidecar’s seat. “Well that was fun...until it wasn’t...but even then it wasn’t the worst.” They decided with a small laugh. “Thanks for taking it easy on me.”

“Of course, mes chéries, I wouldn’t want you to get sick on your first ride.” After parking the bike and putting the kickstand down, he stood and stretched his stiff limbs. Once he felt he had enough sensation in his hands and feet again, he offered his partner a hand up from their seat.

Wildcard smiled, taking Bokor’s hand as they got out and on their feet. As much as the comments they had gotten about their small height teetered on annoyance, there really was such a difference in size between them. They could feel it just by how easily Bokor’s hand could wrap around theirs, and didn’t even register that they were still holding onto him.

While they didn’t notice it, Bokor certainly did. Not wanting to ruin the opportunity by calling attention to the prolonged contact, he chose instead to take both his bag & theirs with his free hand and sling the packs over his shoulder. “Let’s go take a look at our temporary ‘home’.”

“A-ah, alright.” Wildcard started to feel the warmth from his hand and let theirs slip out casually, a faint blush on their face. “I can carry my stuff if you want, you’ve already got a lot. You seem to have practically packed your whole room in that bag.”

Although he missed the feeling of their hand in his, Bokor tried not to let it show as he walked with them towards the outpost’s entrance (keeping both bags for now). “You’re not far off, mes chéries. I tend to move around a lot. I rarely stay in one place for long before I get sent somewhere else..so, I have gotten used to living out of a single bag- it makes relocating easier.”

“I get that.” They gave a smile, holding their hands behind their back as they looked around. “I think I only really have one or two boxes of personal belongings at this point...most of which are clothes or small trinkets I thought were nice. Nothing I’d be heartbroken at losing or anything but still...things that are mine.”

Bokor nodded, understanding how they felt. “As long as you have something that is yours, it can make any space feel familiar.” He patted the pouch on his belt thoughtfully. “Anything that I feel that way about stays with me at all times.”

“A smart move to make for the traveling type.” As they laughed, they felt a chill suddenly pass over them that made them freeze. It didn’t take long for Wildcard to shake off the presence, but it certainly did kill the mood quite a bit. “Geez, we’re barely at the entrance and I can already tell this place is filthy.”

“You felt it too, hmh?” Bokor looked up at the building, his expression serious as if he were analyzing it despite not being able to see inside….then again, with the way his eyes glowed, it wouldn’t be too surprising to find out he could do that. “We are going to have a lot of work ahead of us..”

“Ancient spirits are so nasty compared to the ones who recently died. They fight back a lot more, don’t have intentions on leaving places, and don’t even start me on the ones that aren’t aware of modern social cues and ask for my gender.” Wildcard stuck out their tongue before pulling it back with a disgusted look on their face as if it tasted something bad. They covered their beak as the door opened. “Geez...I’m not going to relax until this is dealt with. Got a long day ahead of us…”

“I’ll set up a few safe rooms for us first. The kitchen, bathrooms, and where you sleep are always a priority for long-term living in haunted locations.” Bokor said while stepping inside and looking around. He spotted a stack of boxes and shipping crates a few feet from the door. “Those must be our supplies. I suppose I should be grateful they at least made it inside..”

“...it’s weird hearing that so officially. A ‘haunted’ location.” They held onto themselves, looking around the building as they spoke. “Everything I’ve ever done with spirits and ghosts was just accidental, or by happenstance. Before I met you, I never had to specifically be called on to do these types of jobs, to put myself into these kinds of situations.” Wildcard turned to look at Bokor. “Not that I mind at all, I’ve actually enjoyed getting to test my limits through this sort of thing. It’s just...an odd feeling. Getting to do this sort of thing properly.”

“You get used to it after a while, I suppose.” Bokor patted them lightly on the back with a quiet chuckle before going to inspect the boxes. “I have about thirty years of experience, so it is a bit more ‘normal’ for me.”

Wildcard simply gave a small laugh. “Trust me when I say I lost all meaning of the word ‘normal’ since the day I was born.” They walked over, peering in. “Sooo, what did you end up getting?”

“Some food, the sleeping bags, and toiletries.” He explained while checking and sorting the boxes, making a stack of what he just listed. “The rest are tools and materials for my rituals.” The next set of boxes he opened and organized contained a wide assortment of items: Bottles of dried flowers, herbs, and other dehydrated plants. Still living plants in small pots ranging from basic flowers and herbs to small shrubs and baby trees. Swatches and rolls of fabric along with spools of thread and twine in an assortment of colors. Some tools like a mortar and pestle, some knives, canisters of petrol, and boxes of matches. More morbid items such as jars of ashes or bags of bones marked with pictures of different animals. And, most oddly of all, a pair of domesticated black chickens- one rooster and one hen- in a crate with some chicken feed.

The shrike’s beak twitched even thinking what those could be used for. “Well, I’m glad that you’ve got your toys for the job. All I can do on my end is say I’ll be ready when you need me, Bokor Baron.” Wildcard gave a bow, as if a servant to their partner.

Bokor looked back at them and chuckled, amused by their little show. “I am sure your assistance will make a world of difference, mes chéries. After all, I usually have to prepare everything myself, and now I have you here. While I may not be able to teach you my own style of magic- the loa I pray to can be volatile to my own people that they’re related to, but they’re even worse when outsiders try to deal with them- having an extra pair of hands to help make charms, prepare materials, and handle other important steps will take a lot of pressure off of me.”

That, at least, seemed to make Wildcard relax more. The very idea that they were considered useful to someone else made them smile brightly. “Just talk me through the steps and I’ll do whatever you ask.” A faint memory rang through Wildcard’s head that made them giggle. “I live to serve.”

Grinning at his partner’s antics, Bokor shook his head and picked up several of the large boxes and crates with ease (mostly the ones containing plants and food). “Well then, you can ‘serve‘ me by helping me find the kitchen. I want to get these taken care of before they spoil.”

“Oh, right away, your royal highness.” Wildcard turned with a flourish, proudly walking down the hallway as they peered into the empty rooms. The outpost itself was a decent place, but it was clear the agents stationed here left in quite a hurry. “Wonder if any rations survived the time here?” They wondered out loud. “I can’t say I’m not used to eating canned foods and non-perishables. That’s all I got when I was on guard duty.”

“I refuse to eat that slop unless it’s an emergency.” Bokor’s face scrunched up in disgust at the thought. “I have endured that too many times already.”

"Desperate times and all that. I could only actually cook a few meals when I had actual ingredients." Wildcard looked over at him before looking away again, twirling their long feathers. "Maybe someday I could make something for us. If we get the chance, that is."

Bokor noted the shrike’s adorable behavior with a smile on his face. He wouldn’t dare say something and risk alerting them to how cute they were being, for fear of putting an end to it, but he’d certainly enjoy it in secret when they weren’t looking. “I think we will have plenty of chances, petites. I made sure to order lots of fresh ingredients.” He lifted the large boxes of food he was carrying in one arm with a proud smile on his face. “And I am no slouch in the kitchen, either.”

"I'm counting on that then. Just you and me…" Another chill went down Wildcard's spine, breaking the mood. "...or at least it's going to be real soon." They warned any spirit listening.

Bokor glanced around, taking mental note of any particularly strong or dark energies he sensed nearby. “I believe a proper smudging is in order when we find the kitchen- it will lure out the weaker ones and drive out their stench.” He made it clear to any spirits listening that this was meant as both an insult and a very clear threat.

Wildcard shuddered again, holding their arms once more. They were very used to cold temperatures but something about this place felt colder than the former northern base of FOWL. "Hey, Henri? In all your years of experience with this stuff, have you ever been possessed by another spirit?"

“Oh, plenty of times.” He answered as if it was the most casual thing in the world. “Accidentally a few times when I was younger and just starting out, but I learned to control it by the time I was thirteen. A big source of my power now comes from allowing spirits and loa I’ve formed contracts with to possess my body and lend me their strength. It can be dangerous sometimes..as I said, they can be volatile…sometimes they will refuse to give up control…sometimes they will try to hurt me or anyone nearby………..and sometimes they will even try to kill me and those around me…”

“Should I be worried?” They asked, peering into a room they could identify as a kitchen and gesturing Bokor to follow them in. “When you’re possessed- should I be worried that they want to hurt you?”

Bokor obeyed their unspoken command and followed his partner’s lead. “I would say to worry about yourself first, mes chéries. I can protect myself from harm easily, but I would hate to regain control and find out that I hurt you...or worse…” He set the boxes down once they were both in the kitchen and took a moment to think. There was a pensive, almost hesitant look on his face as he mulled something over in his mind. Eventually, he came to a conclusion for whatever mental debate he had been having with himself and reached into his pouch, pulling out a small but stiff, protective bag of dried and preserved five-pointed leaves- each one covered in different runes and symbols. “Here, hold onto these.” He handed the bag to the shrike carefully. “If it ever looks like I might hurt you or myself, take one of these and place it on my forehead.”

Wildcard took the bag with utmost care, looking between it and his partner. “And if I do that, you won’t be hurt?” Their eyes seem pleading, as if already upset by the notion of harming him. “Can you promise me you’ll try to not get hurt?”

Red eyes glanced away, not sure if he could say no when looking at the other bird’s pleading expression. “I...will do my best...but it would be best to use those as a last resort..” He was doing his best to pick his words carefully- he didn’t want to cause his partner any more stress over this. “This method is not ideal for me. It leaves me weak and vulnerable for a while...I become tired, lethargic, and have to rely on my charms and tools because my magic won’t work in that state...in all honesty, I normally would not give these to someone else because it would put me at such a disadvantage if they tried to kill me...but…” Mustering up the courage to meet his partner’s eyes again, Bokor looked back down at them with a trace of sincerity and vulnerability slipping into his normally-guarded gaze. “I...I trust that you would not do that to me…”

The shrike’s eyes changed from worried to...something else. Wonder? Surprise? It was hard to put into words. All they could do was delicately keep the leaves close to their chest as they processed the meaning of them. “...I’ll do my best.” They said quietly, placing the bag down on a nearby countertop in favor of wrapping their arms around Bokor. “I promise if it comes to that, I will protect you from harm. I won’t let anyone or anything hurt you.”

To say Bokor was surprised by the sudden embrace would be an understatement….but..well, it certainly wasn’t an unpleasant surprise, by any means. After taking a moment to process things himself, his large arms gently wrapped themselves around his partner. “Merci infiniment, mes chéries.”

Wildcard gave a small hum in acknowledgement, letting themself enjoy their partner’s warmth. They glanced to the floor as they enjoyed their moment before spotting a small, writhing spirit-like creature crawling near them like a bug. They stomped their foot down on it, hearing the telltale shriek before it faded away as if it was never there to begin with. Regrettably, Wildcard pulled away from their embrace. “Right. More talk later, for now we should get going or we won’t be able to deal with everything before nightfall. And I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how hard it’ll be being in a building of ghosts at night.”

“Right..” Bokor looked just as frustrated as his partner at the interruption and returned his focus to the boxes he’d brought in with him. “Let’s start with smudging the room- that should draw out anything else hiding in here.” Rifling through the supplies, he soon pulled out a few small sticks, some leaves and blades of grass, a jar of some crushed and powdered green plant, some twine, and a thin roll of cloth. Setting everything down on one of the counters, he started arranging everything within the cloth in a certain order that he seemed all too familiar with.

Since Wildcard didn’t know how to help him with these things, they focused on simply opening some of the cupboards and finding more of the small insect creatures to squash. They grabbed a spatula from a drawer and used it to whack at whatever they could spot while Bokor kept going with his preparations. At one point they ended up killing a regular fly accidentally, though they supposed it wasn’t a big loss. 

Soon Bokor had finished arranging everything in the cloth and rolled it into a shape similar to a burrito. He grabbed some twine and used it to both tie the parcel shut and secure a small seashell to it near the end. Once he finished, he looked around and saw the opened cupboards. “You have good instincts, petites- opening every door and cupboard in the room is the first step for a smudging ceremony.”

“Yeah? Well, I’ve never been a fan of pests.” Their foot slammed down to emphasize their point, exhaling a breath of mild exhaustion. “It’s all yours then. I believe in you.” Wildcard stood in relative proximity, though kept their distance to let Bokor do his thing. They watched in interest, still holding their spatula weapon in preparation.

Bokor opened the rest of the cabinets and cupboards, making sure all doors in the room were open. After that was done, he quickly unplugged or removed the batteries from every electrical device in the room (including the smoke detector) that he could get to and turned off the lights. Though it was dark, the subtle red glow from his eyes made it easy to tell where he was and where he was looking- this became even easier when he pulled a matchbook from his pouch and lit one of the sticks long enough to set the end of the cloth bundle furthest from the shell on fire.

“Light one if you need to see, but do not turn the lights back on until I have finished.” Bokor said while tossing the matchbook to his partner. With his preparations done, he took his place in one corner of the room and began muttering silent prayers while allowing the flames on the bundle to burn the cloth-end away and reach the materials inside, producing a fragrant smoke that smelled of cedar, sage, tobacco, and something sweet but earthy. He then started slowly walking around the room clockwise, always making sure his left side was near the wall, and gently wafted the smoke around using movements from his free hand that synced up rhythmically with his prayers.

Even in the darkness, the whole thing fascinated Wildcard to watch. They sat up on a counter, idly letting their legs swing as they waited. They wondered how long it took Bokor to master his craft, and what types of people could have taught him to do these sorts of things. Even if in the end it doesn’t matter, Wildcard felt like learning more about their partner someday. They wanted to know him more.

Bokor focused on his prayers and wafting the smoke around the room, not reacting to his partner’s staring in the slightest with how focused he was on the task at hand...in fact, he seemed a little too focused at times..almost as if he were in a trance. This seemed to be common for him once he started one of his rituals; even during their first night together, when he was capturing the spirit that Wildcard had caught and controlled, the prayers he spoke so rhythmically had taken so much of his focus that he didn’t even realize his partner’s strained condition or react to them until he was finished.

This time seemed no different- his eyes becoming half-lidded and hazy as he repeated his prayers over and over again. Even as the doors and cupboards began to shudder, shake, and open & close at random, he paid them no mind. By the time he’d made it halfway around the room, many smaller spirits had begun to make themselves known either by shrieking as if they were burned and crawling out from their hiding places or falling out of the various cabinets and cupboards to wander around frantically for somewhere else to hide.

Deciding that they wanted to do something to be useful, Wildcard hopped off of the counter and went to deal with the ones they could catch. Simple, forceful whacks at the things they could see in the darkness, relying on sound more than sight. It wasn’t perfect however, as one small creature decided to jump straight onto Wildcard’s face, causing them to shriek in surprise. “You little-!” They hissed out before crushing it in their hand and shaking it off.

Bokor, oblivious to his partner’s plight, continued his ritual undisturbed by the shrieking and writhing spirits being crushed around him. By the time he finished his loop around the room and filled the kitchen with smoke, the bundle in his hand had burnt away to the point where the flames had reached the shell at the end. As the flames and smoke made contact with the shell, it glowed a deep red color and the smoke around the room shimmered with the same hue. The smoke began to twist and move as if it were alive and ensnared any spirits it came in contact with, pulling them all towards the center of the room.

Wildcard shifted and crawled backwards away from it, worried what might happen if they touched it themself. It was odd, suddenly they felt just as helpless as the dying spirits. They kept their eyes focused on the smoke, keeping themself out of harm’s way. As they did, a familiar and painful phrase echoed through their mind.

“It would be better if you just weren’t around here.”

They kept themself closed off, holding onto themself until things were over again. Focusing on their breathing and ignoring the sounds around them as they sat in the near darkness.

Once all of the spirits were gathered in the center of the room and what was left of the cloth bundle had burned down to the base, Bokor reached into his pouch and pulled out a small jar. With one hand he popped the jar open while the other moved in a swirling pattern. The smoke reacted to his movements almost instantly, gathering and condensing into a thick ball along with the ensnared spirits before following a sharp gesture that guided it all into the waiting jar. He quickly closed the lid to the jar as soon as the last bit of smoke entered it, closing his eyes as well and ending his prayers.

When he opened them again, the look in his eyes was back to normal as he checked for any traces of either leftover smoke or spirits. Seeing none, he found the lightswitch and illuminated the kitchen once more. “Bien, looks like that got all-” Bokor stopped mid-sentence when he spotted his partner and the state they were in. “Petities..?” He hurried to their side, looking them over with a concerned expression. “Are you alright, mes petites chéries? Were you hurt?”

With the lights back on, Wildcard managed to snap themself out of their state of mind. They looked up at Bokor, finally seeing his familiar gaze. “I-I’m alright, honest. Just got a little spooked by some of the stray spirits, they can get a little desperate wanting to live, you know?” They weakly joke, uncurling themself from the ball they were in and moving to stand up again. “Looks like you managed to clear everything out, that’s good. Means we can relax a little bit here now.”

Bokor, still not looking convinced that everything was alright, tried to think of something he could do to help improve his partner’s spirits- Oh...that gave him an idea.. “For the moment, yes….but new spirits can creep in if we do not take preventative measures.” He walked back over to the crate of fresh plants and pulled several of the smaller potted ones out, holding a couple of them out towards Wildcard. “Would you mind helping me secure the room? These need to be placed as close to each corner of the kitchen as possible.” While he wasn’t sure if it would help, he at least wanted to try making his partner feel useful and distracting them from whatever was bothering them.

Wildcard looked at the small plants with interest, putting down their spatula and taking them in hand. “Sure thing...these are cute in their own right.” They smiled, turning to look for a corner to place the pots.

“Though not as cute as you, mes petites chéries.” He teased with a playful wink before placing the jar of captured spirits on a counter and pulling what looked like a stick of homemade black chalk out of his pouch. Entrusting the plants to his partner, Bokor directed his attention towards the task of drawing intricate runes and symbols along each of the walls, the floor (making sure to place them in areas where they wouldn’t be stepped on easily), and even using his height to his advantage by standing on top of an empty counter to draw some on the ceiling.

Satisfied with their task, Wildcard craned their head back to look at Bokor. “I can only assume you leave the hapless fools that return to this place to deal with the mess later, and not expect me to try and get a mop up there when we’re done.” They laughed at the idea.

Bokor chuckled as he finished his scrawling on the ceiling. “While that would be entertaining to watch, we are not janitors. If they want this place clean, then they can clean it themselves.” He stepped down from the counter with a smirk. “Besides, it’s fun freaking them out and telling them it’s dangerous to remove the runes or plants too soon.”

“You can be such a jerk. I love it.” Wildcard continued to laugh, wiping a small tear from the corner of their eye. “Well, since this room is secured, can I get you anything? A drink or snack or something?”

Bokor looked at the boxes of food he’d brought in. “We should probably put those away, first- no telling how long they were left at the door. It also would not hurt to see how much they left us to work wi-” He went to the fridge and started to open it, but the instant he saw inside he reeled back with a look of disgust & horror on his face and slammed the door shut like something might jump out at him. “Fils de pute! Quelques semaines, mon cul! Répugnant!!”

“I take it no one bothered to clear out the fridge before leaving?” They shook their head, reaching into their pocket to pull out a scarf and gloves they kept on them and tied the scarf around their beak. “I may not be a janitor, but I’m used to cleaning after others. Even learned from Ammonia Pine herself. Stand back, I’ll clear it out.”

Bokor gladly backed away from the fridge, one hand over his beak as if trying not to be sick all over the recently cleansed kitchen. “Merci, petites...ugh….I cannot stand people leaving that sort of mess...disgusting…”

Before opening the fridge door, Wildcard looked at Bokor. They stepped over to a cupboard they opened, pulling out a medical kit they spotted earlier and pulled out a small bottle to which they carried over to their partner. “Here, it’s rubbing alcohol. If you feel nauseous, sniff it carefully and you’ll snap out of it. If it’s more like you feel you’re going to be sick and throw up instead, start humming.” 

Bokor took the bottle with a small, grateful smile. “Is first aid another one of your skills, mes petites? If so, I think I might need to get sick so I can have such a lovely nurse taking care of me.” He laughed quietly, trying to distract himself and recover some of his lost pride from his earlier reaction rather than just flirt this time.

“I’ll have to rent a costume for the occasion.” They rolled their eyes and gently pushed Bokor away from the fridge area for his own sake before pulling a trash can over and getting to work. “No, honestly reading medical manuels was one of the time killers I had working up north. Paid off whenever I had to take care of myself alone.”

“That is certainly a handy skill to have in your arsenal.” After taking a few breaths to steady himself, Bokor started sorting through the food in the boxes to get everything ready by the time Wildcard finished- just because he couldn’t stomach going near a filthy fridge of moldy food didn’t give him an excuse to sit around and let his partner shoulder the workload, after all.

As tempting as it was to give Bokor a play by play of every furry, blue or otherwise completely disgusting item pulled out from the fridge, Wildcard decided to be merciful and quietly and quickly worked to clear it all out. The freezer would be fine, they noted, but once they emptied the fridge’s contents into a tied up garbage bag, they looked under the sink for more cleaning equipment to wipe things down. 

“Well, if it’s any consolation, they did leave us a few cases of beer here. I’d think those will have lasted.” Wildcard said as they went to scrub. “Should just be another moment, dear.”

Bokor, distracted by his own task, almost didn’t notice the pet name….almost. “Bien. I should be-” Once his brain caught up to what was said, he stopped for a moment to look at his partner. “What was that last part..?”

“Hm?” They looked out from the fridge, tugging down their scarf in case they were muffled. “I said I’ll just be a moment.”

“No, after that.” Bokor smirked, feeling more confident now that he had a moment to process what he’d heard. “You said something that started with a ‘d’ and ended with an ‘ear’, mes petites chéries.”

“...where did you hear me say ‘disappear’?” Wildcard looked positively puzzled, tilting their head slightly. “I don’t want you to leave or anything like that.”

“You- no, you d-” Bokor had to take a moment to collect himself. Was his partner being serious right now, or were they just that good at lying with a straight face? He honestly couldn’t tell… “You said ‘dear’, chéries- ‘Should just be another moment, dear’.”

“Did I?” They thought it over. “Huh, maybe I did. Sorry about that, must’ve been a slip of the tongue.” Wildcard stood up, finished with their work and went to wash their gloves in the sink. “Though in my defense, you call me petites, chéries, and all sorts of other nicknames on a daily basis.”

“I never said I disliked it.” The hawk was quick to add, not wanting his partner to think he had any problem with it. Quite the opposite, actually- he really enjoyed it. Maybe a little more than he should have, if he were being honest with himself…

“Well, I’ll try to pay more attention to what I call you.” They shook off a bit of the water dripping from their hands before looking Bokor dead in the eye and simply drying their hands off on his shirt with a smirk.

The shrike’s bold action caught Bokor completely off-guard, leaving him sputtering in disbelief for a moment. “Wh-? You-! I-!” He eventually just started laughing- a much louder, brighter one than the usual quiet chuckles he’d leave rumbling in his chest. “You...You are truly one of a kind, mes chéries...but that’s what I love about you..”

While his laughter made Wildcard smile, his words made their head shoot up to look at him. Their face turned red as they let those words cycle in their mind, gray hands shaking a bit before they turned away entirely. “W-Well! We- uh- w-we don’t have all day! Unless you want to sleep in the kitchen, we should try and clear out some more rooms and, uh…” They trailed off, unsure what to even say.

Bokor, still in a good mood from the smaller bird’s antics, failed to notice their suddenly flustered state and simply patted them on the back. “Do not worry, petites, we will get the bathroom and our ‘bedroom’ cleared before nightfall.” He quickly put the food in the now-clean fridge, humming to himself as he organized everything to his liking.

Hearing the phrase ‘our bedroom’ so soon after hearing the flirtatious man compliment them so fondly made Wildcard all the more flustered. They tried to shake whatever thoughts came to mind and smacked their cheeks to focus. “Grand secousse… I’m going to scout ahead. I’ll try and find a room and bathroom near here for us to use, then come back.” Wildcard didn’t wait for a reply and simply darted out of the kitchen down the hall.

Bokor looked back at them over his shoulder as they left. He was confused by their sudden shift in mood, but didn’t get the chance to say anything before they left. His partner certainly was an odd one….but, like he said, he liked that about them, so he shrugged it off and quickly finished filling the fridge and cupboards with food.

Wildcard tried to calm themselves down, trying not to be completely awkward over the ordeal. They hadn’t heard people say they liked them much- let alone loved things about them. That coupled with some sparks of affection Wildcard had towards their partner made it all be...a handful for them.

“Keep it together, keep it together…” They warned themself, fanning their heated face as they looked around the rooms. Thankfully, they hadn’t seen any vicious or relatively strong spirits in the outpost yet, just more of the small ones like in the kitchen. Poking their head into one room, it seemed to be the staff lounge, with an ensuite bathroom and some couches in the corner. “Okay...okay this will be good.”

Deciding this, Wildcard turned to go back, only to come face to face with a drooling spiritual monster. They screamed out of pure shock more than anything, instinctively jumping backwards and punching through the spector’s face.

Bokor heard the scream right as he was finishing with the food and his head shot up, barely missing the top of the fridge in the process. “Wildcard?!” He ran towards the sound of their voice without hesitation (thankfully the momentum he gathered made the fridge shut behind him, because that was the last thing on his mind at the moment), snatching the bag of leaves they left on the counter along the way just in case things turned dire.

Thankfully, by the time Bokor arrived, he was met with a comical sight.

“You stupid, disgusting, son of a-!” Wildcard was cursing like a sailor as they controlled the spirit that spooked them and threw it around every wall in frustration. It was clear from their red face that they felt some form of embarrassment and were dealing out the emotion through spiritual violence. 

Once they realized that Bokor was around, Wildcard grimaced and finished the spirit off by smacking it down hard against the floor repeatedly until it faded away from existence. They breathed heavily as they worked to catch their breath again. “...I was startled. I hate jumpscares.” They quietly explained.

Bokor had been prepared for any number of possibilities when he heard his partner’s startled scream earlier: A fight against a dangerous spirit. A greedy ghost trying to possess them. Even the worrying possibility of them being injured.

Seeing the shrike brutally pummel the specter so flawlessly was not something he’d immediately thought of, but it was quite a sight. All he could do once it was finished was stare at them for a moment and breathe a quiet, almost awestruck “incroyables” before shaking himself out of his daze and finally walking up to them. “Are you okay, mes chéries?”

“Yeah, I’m alright…” Taking a deep breath, Wildcard relaxed. “Sorry for worrying you like that. But I did find a room for us to use. You think this works?” They hooked a thumb behind them to indicate the breakroom, acting as casual as ever despite their earlier display.

Bokor opened the door to the breakroom and looked inside. “This is perfect, petites- an excellent find. Plus, we can save time by clearing out two rooms at once.” He turned back to them with a smile. “You really are something else. Having you here is making this go so much more smoothly than my other jobs.”

That made Wildcard smile, and twirl some of their black feathers. “Well...I like helping you. So...I’m just glad you want me around in the first place, you know? It’s nice being useful...”

“You are extremely useful, mes chéries.” One large hand settled gently on the smaller bird’s shoulder, a genuine smile on the taller one’s beak. “I have had many partners since I joined FOWL, but none of them were of your caliber. Normally, I have to do most of the work myself and re-clear a room because they’ve run off somewhere before I was done sealing it or gotten attacked by some low-level spirit that was out of their league. You have already proven yourself to be stronger, braver, and infinitely more useful than all of them put together.”

They looked at him warmly, a small hand resting over top of Bokor’s and stroking the back of it with their thumb. “You’re certainly the first person to tell me that sort of thing...thank you, Henri. I’m glad to have met you.”

“As am I, mes chéries.” He gently took their hand and leaned down to give it a kiss before opening the door to the breakroom for them. “Now, let’s prepare our room, shall we?”

Wildcard nodded, allowing themself a moment to calm their fluttering heartbeat before following in. “You know, if there’s a lot more ghosts like that drooling disgusting bastard earlier, I might have to ask you to make me some sort of spiritual flamethrower so I can just decimate them. Even an amplified baseball bat would be nice- I just want to destroy them.” They punched at the air as emphasis.

Bokor grinned and chuckled at the imagery. “With the right plants and tools, I think I could make that happen.” He started opening any doors in the room and unplugging any easily accessible electronics. “If nothing else, the baseball bat could work if we found one made from cedar.”

“I’ll put that on my birthday wishlist then.” They smirked, going to open some cupboards themself to help out. To their immense annoyance though, some of the handles were just slightly out of their reach, leaving them to hop on the tips of their feet to try and reach them. 

Bokor noticed this and walked over with a quiet chuckle. “Having trouble, mes petites?”

“Shut up, not everyone is born a skyscraper, you know.” Wildcard managed to get the last tall cupboard open, turning to look at Bokor with a mild glare and their hands on their hips. “I can handle myself from down here just fine.”

“Never said you could not, petites.” He said with an amused grin and a wink. “But, for the record, I do not mind helping you reach some of them.”

“Yeah, I know, I just figured I’d do them anyway.” They huffed, clearly not actually upset and relaxing more. Realizing the room was in a similar state as the kitchen now they glanced away. “So uh...you’re going to do what you did before right? With the smoke?”

“Smudging.” He answered. “And yes, I just need the supplies from the kitchen.”

“In that case, maybe we could divide and conquer.” Wildcard looked around at the smaller spirits lurking. “Despite the reports, this main floor seems relatively easy in terms of the ghosts. If I went off to deal with some of the ones hanging around the rest of the floor while you did your smudging here, then we’ll both be making progress and can take on the second floor together. I feel like that’ll help us with time and energy.”

Bokor seemed hesitant at the suggestion, but thought it over and eventually nodded. “Okay…but call me if you need anything or if anything worse shows up.”

“Don’t worry, you’ve already proven that you'll come to me like a knight in shining armor if I call out.” Smiling fondly, Wildcard stepped forward and rested their head against Bokor’s chest, hearing a faint heartbeat. “Be safe while I’m gone.”

The rhythmic thrumming in his chest picked up a bit when the shrike laid their head on him, but Bokor tried to keep his voice even as he placed a hand on their back gently. “You as well, mes petites chéries.”

“I will. Promise.” They replied quietly before pulling themself away. They had a slight skip in their step as they left the room. “Try not to miss me too much! And don’t let me have all the fun either!”

Bokor chuckled quietly and called after them. “Hey, save some fun for me!” He shook his head but the smile on his face never faded as he went back to gather the necessary materials and start the ritual.

Time went on, with both agents set on doing what they were tasked with doing. Bokor performed the smudging with no issues while Wildcard ran around the base wrecking any spirit in sight, even using a big one to swallow the smaller ones in the process. It felt like a twisted game in a way, one that Wildcard was happy to be winning at. 

They kept to their word and didn’t go to the higher floors where they felt stronger presences lurking, likely the soldier spirits that were released all that time before. They weren’t some foolish overconfident fighter, they knew their limitations and knew they’d need their partner for them to successfully handle that floor. But the notion did excite them, after all, the sooner the base was cleared, the sooner the pair could enjoy their vacation. For now though, they regrouped back with Bokor in the break room, bringing their own bag in and holding out some water bottles.

“Here, drink up.” They offered one bottle to him before taking a swig of their own. “Hah...I don’t know much about your practices, but I can only imagine it can take a lot out of you. I wouldn’t want you dehydrated.”

Bokor managed to finish the smudging as well as get the runes and symbols drawn across every wall of the room by the time Wildcard returned. As he finished placing the last of the potted plants in the corners, he looked at his partner with a grateful smile. “Merci, mes chéries.” He took the bottle and quickly gulped down half of it with a satisfied sigh. “This work can be taxing on me…especially all of the smoke- that will dry out your throat quickly if you're not careful.”

"I can imagine…" Wildcard looked to be in thought before reaching into their bag and bringing out the chocolate bar they bought for Bokor earlier. "This was going to be for after we were done, but you could use the sugar boost. These are the ones you like, right?"

Bokor was surprised at first, but soon took it with a smile. “You have a good memory, mes chéries.”

"I try to pay attention when I can, though I think you give me too much credit." They softly laughed with a blush, going to sit on a nearby couch for a short break. 

Bokor sat heavily on another couch, easily taking up half of it. “So,” He started while unwrapping his chocolate bar and taking a bite. “How does the rest of this floor look?”

"Pretty good, didn't seem to have any problems yet. I mostly just cleared out whatever I saw, but none of them were worse than that one I encountered earlier." Wildcard pointed up. "Upstairs is where things will get a little risky I'd think. Likely where the source of it all is, the boss level if you will."

He nodded in agreement while taking another bite. “Just what I was thinking. I feel a lot of strong energy up there...not surprising since most spirits tend to linger in either the highest or lowest point of a building, depending on what type they are.”

“Makes sense.” They tapped at their water bottle, thinking things over. “I’ll admit, I don’t exactly have a lot of experience fighting ancient spirits. I’ve only really dealt with recently dead ones in my life, anything else I simply ignored. Not much point telling someone about it when you’re the only one who sees them, and most of the time they weren’t doing anything anyway. So, I’m not sure how things will go for me up there, but I’ll try to not get in your way and do my best to hold my own.”

“I have confidence in your skills, mes chéries, you have a very strong spirit and that will serve you well.” He finished his chocolate bar and tossed the wrapper in a wastebasket across the room. Afterwards, he took a moment to think before looking back at them again. “I do not usually do this...but..it might be best for me to explain some of my rituals and practices to you. If you know what to expect, then that might make it easier for you to know what to do and plan around it...and, if you feel comfortable with it, having an extra pair of hands to help get things ready would make everything a lot easier for me when a stronger spirit shows up.” As an afterthought, he quickly held a hand up in a pacifying gesture. “But, again, it’s only if you feel comfortable helping with it and want to help- I won’t hold it against you if you don’t. I know my practices can be…..unsettling, for some…” Red eyes glanced away as he finished his statement.

Although he didn’t say it outright, it was clear from the look in his eyes and his body language that most would have (and probably had) turned down his offer for this very reason: People found his rituals, charms, prayers- his practices in general- to be unsettling and maybe even a bit creepy. Given what the shrike had seen so far, it probably wouldn’t be too hard to believe that others would be bothered by it but the treatment had clearly left a mark on Bokor, even if he tried to hide it.

While Bokor was looking away, Wildcard got up to sit on the couch just next to him. They looked up at him with focus and attention. “You’re not unsettling to me. Any fear I have just comes from ignorance and worrying about you. I want to know more so I can get past that, and be a better partner for you.” There was no trace of doubt in their eyes, no sign of lies.

Bokor was surprised when he felt the weight shift on the couch and looked down to meet the other’s eyes. The conviction and honesty they showed was certainly a surprise...but, it was a pleasant one. The subtle traces of anxiety and worry left his expression and a small but grateful smile took their place with ease. “Merci infiniment, mes chéries.” He took their hand in his and gave it a light squeeze to express his gratitude without overstepping any boundaries.

Smiling, Wildcard moved to lean against the man comfortably. “Talk me through it. I’m listening.” They reassured as they gave a light squeeze back.

Bokor settled in comfortably, a fond smile on his face as he started his long and detailed explanation. He gave vivid descriptions of everything he could think of- from the rituals he performed and the ghosts they worked best on, to the charms and tools he used and why certain materials or patterns were necessary for them to work properly. He even told them of the different healing arts he’d studied and what kinds of salves, potions, and elixirs he could make, as well as what he usually carried on him. It was clear from the animated movements he made and the gleam in his eyes that he’d spent most of his life studying and perfecting his craft because it was something he was truly passionate about.

Wildcard watched him go with fond amusement. He seemed so lively all at once that the joy felt contagious. They felt at ease, just listening to Bokor ramble on about topics for far longer than either anticipated while their hand moved to idly trace circles along their partner’s shirt. Something about his warmth made Wildcard happy just sitting there next to him. 

If Bokor noticed the other’s idle touching, he chose not to comment on it. Instead, he continued with his explanations and let the arm closest to his partner rest along their shoulders and back comfortably.

It was a bit odd for him, personally: Normally, he’d do such a gesture on purpose as a gateway to more physical contact with less than pure motives in mind…...now, however, with Wildcard, he did it simply because he felt comfortable with them and enjoyed the contact as it was. Having someone he could talk to so openly about his voodoo and hoodoo practices, as well as someone whose company and contact he genuinely enjoyed, was a very new experience for him, but one he quickly found himself enjoying more than he ever thought he would.

At one point, Wildcard’s gaze drifted over to the clock on the wall, and their smile faded away with realization. “Oh... it’s gotten late already. I didn’t even notice the time pass.” They said that, but they didn’t seem to make any effort to move quite yet. “I suppose we should go put some of your skills to work now, huh?”

Bokor finally looked at the clock as well, feeling a bit disappointed at the thought of getting up and losing the physical contact he had with the small shrike. “Oh...I guess…” He quickly cleared his throat, trying to cover up the disappointed tone that had slipped into his voice. “I mean...we could, if you want to………...or we could spend the night prepping a few charms, have some dinner, and get an early start tomorrow..?” He wasn’t looking for excuses to stay on the couch and relax with his partner. Nope. Of course not. That would be ridiculous. He was just….being pragmatic! Yeah, that’s what he was doing! That was his story and he would stick to it with his dying breath if need be.

“Hmmm…” They thought it over, letting their eyes close and nuzzled against him. Wildcard really did feel comfortable here, and a bit tired from their work earlier. “...I suppose we could do that. We’re at least safe in the rooms we prepared after all.” They softly laughed, not used to simply ignoring work, but not finding it in them to complain about it.

Bokor’s expression brightened instantly when they agreed. “Exactly! No need to rush and exhaust ourselves, after all. Plus, this will save us time tomorrow by having the charms ready ahead of time- we will easily make up for any time lost tonight.”

“Yes, I’m positive that’s your only logic right now, Henri.” Wildcard teased before finally moving themself away. Not standing up, but at least sitting upright and stretching their arms up with a quiet whine. “Suppose the real question now is craft or dinner first?”

“Most of the plants we need are still in the kitchen, so we could start gathering everything and decide from there.” He suggested, reluctantly moving his arm off of them so they had freedom to stretch as they needed.

“Mmm, sounds good.” As the finished, Wildcard stood up, turning to boop at Bokor’s beak with a finger. “Come on then, can’t have us falling asleep on the couch like this. Maybe later we can get drunk and rest then.”

Bokor chuckled quietly and stood as well, stretching his arms above his head. “I doubt there’s enough alcohol here to get me drunk, but it would be fun to see how many drinks it takes to have you falling over yourself, petites.” He booped them back, a playful smirk on his face.

“You don’t know- maybe one of my hidden talents is a strong immunity to alcohol.” Wildcard giggled playfully.

“We shall see.” He elbowed them very lightly on the way out of the room. “Though, if you manage to drink ME under the table, then that goes beyond talent- you would have to be immortal….which, at this point, I think I could believe with how amazing you are.” He held the door for them with a wink, letting them leave first.

Wildcard placed a hand to their chest in an overly dramatic way, giving a short curtsy before going out of the doorway. “My, what a gentleman...surprised some lucky person hasn’t swept you off your feet already.”

“Oh, plenty have tried.” Bokor followed them out, having to lean down to get through the doorway without hitting his head. “But none of them were up to my standards.”

"Is that right? Aren't you mister popular then." They tried to keep the bitterness out of their voice at the idea. Bitterness that shortly turned to souring their mood and left them shaking it off.

Bokor merely shrugged as he walked with them. “I have no interest in weak-willed people who fall for me simply because of a charm. Plenty of people have asked me out under its influence, but their feelings are artificial. The charm is handy for getting what I want, but it also shows who is really worth my time and who is not.” He sighed and shook his head with a slight frown. “Unfortunately, everyone else who has shown immunity to it has either been some sort of immortal creature who found me ‘interesting for a mortal’- and I do not like essentially being seen as one of those extra intelligent pets that people record for entertainment- or they outright detest me. It is….rare for someone to genuinely enjoy my company without looking down on me…”

The small scowl they had before left their face entirely, feeling a bit of shame for being envious of something that clearly bothered Bokor. “...well, take it from someone who has never had anyone interested in them romantically; it’ll hopefully happen someday.” Wildcard weakly laughed. “You’re a wonderful person to be around in my opinion...you’ll find someone you’ll like too, I know it. You’ll find your equal.”

Bokor’s frown lifted into a small smile when he heard that, looking back down at his partner. “Merci, mes chéries. I...hope you are right..” He placed his hand on their shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. “And, for what it’s worth, the fact that no one has asked you out already is a cosmic level tragedy. Clearly, you have not been around anyone with good taste so far. You are smart, talented, strong, and beautiful- anyone lucky enough to capture your heart would be the most fortunate person in the universe.” His observation ended with his hand sliding down their arm to their hand, gently grasping it, and bringing it up for a light kiss.

Wildcard stared at him, a faint blush on their face and almost looking like they could cry. “...you know, you’re the only person who has ever called me beautiful. And you actually make me believe it. So...thank you for that.” They bit their beak as if trying to keep from saying something else.

Bokor smiled more, a soft laugh in his voice. “I will say it as many times as you want until you can believe it yourself- you deserve it.”

They brought their hand back, dragging both down their face as they took a deep breath to calm themself more. “C-come on...we can’t just stand around here all day with you complimenting me like that. There’s more important things to do...”

“While I disagree with that,” One red eye winked at them before Bokor continued walking to the kitchen with them. “I will stop for now….but I can’t guarantee I won’t start again later.”

“Henri, you kill me…” 

As they re-entered the kitchen, the decision on what to do first was made simply by hearing Wildcard’s stomach growl. Dinner first, charm construction afterwards. The pair looked through their supplies to try and decide what to make, with a teasing moment involving the shrike implying the fridge might still have disturbing things in it, only to reassure things were fine. 

Bokor was less than thrilled with the idea of seeing more unnaturally fuzzy abominations in the fridge, but only shuddered a little before opening it and looking over their available ingredients. He began rattling off possible recipes for what he could make- some of it was simple diner food, some was classic French cuisine…and a surprisingly large amount of it was French-Creole or Cajun cuisine.

“I have to admit, I haven’t tried most of those things.” Wildcard’s eyes sparkled in wonder. “Would you be willing to make your favorite for me? I could help with preparing things with your instruction. I’m no Osprey, but I’m pretty alright with a knife.”

“Well, in my opinion, nothing beats a good old fashioned pot of jambalaya.” He decreed while gathering the necessary ingredients, but hesitated before touching the peppers. “How much heat can you handle, petites?”

“I can handle up until ghost peppers I think, been a long time since I challenged myself.” They gave a shrug with a smile. “What? I can handle intense flavors. And spice is my favorite.”

“Comment es-tu si merveilleux?” A quiet chuckle rumbled in his chest and he grabbed a few of the peppers at his disposal. “I’ll have to make it spicy, then- good creole food should always have some kick to it.”

“It’s nice that you have a lot of connection with your heritage like this.” Wildcard remarked, getting out some pots and rinsing them simply. “Where I’m from, one of our trademarks is eating snow with maple syrup. It’s as sweet as you imagine, but it’s surprisingly not bad.”

“Really? I have to say, I'm not used to seeing snow, let alone eating it.” Bokor grabbed a knife and cutting board, leaning over Wildcard easily to give them a quick rinse. “Maybe we can visit sometime and you could show me around.”

“I’d be happy to. Just try to wear something warm if we do.” Laughing, Wildcard leaned their head back against Bokor’s exposed chest from his low collar shirt. “Something tells me you don’t do too well in colder climates, my Henri.”

The “my Henri” certainly did not go unnoticed by the taller bird and it made something warm bloom within his chest, especially with the way their head rested against him. “I am not too worried...after all, if I get too cold, I’ll have you to help warm me up.”

“My, first you call me beautiful, now you say I’m hot. What am I supposed to get from that?” Still softly laughing, Wildcard moved away, ducking under Bokor’s arm to dry off the pots they were washing. They kept to their playful tone. “Careful, keep that up and I might get the wrong idea about our partnership.”

Bokor prepared to say something back- something playful and flirtatious that would likely make the shrike laugh or roll their eyes and he would enjoy the reaction either way- but was stopped by an errant thought: Or maybe it would be the RIGHT idea.

The more he thought it over, sneaking little glances at his partner the whole time to see their smiling face and gauge how it made him feel, he realized that he wasn’t necessarily opposed to the idea. Wildcard definitely met his requirements for a romantic partner- as he said earlier, they were smart, had a strong spirit, were talented, they seemed to like him, and he found them quite beautiful. On the other hand, though, he had noticed the negative reactions they tended to have when it came to his flirting with others, and he wasn’t sure if that was because they thought it was annoying, or, perhaps, there was a slim chance they were jeal-

“Merde!” He hissed when he felt a sudden stinging pain along his finger. Looking down, he noticed that he’d gotten careless while scrubbing the blade with his fingertips and accidentally cut his thumb. Quickly setting the knife and cutting board on the counter to avoid getting them dirty again, he grabbed a paper towel from a nearby roll and tried to staunch the bleeding.

Alarmed by the sudden sound, Wildcard’s eyes went straight to the injury. “Henri-!” They chose to skip over any instinctual nagging they felt like saying about how he should’ve been careful, deciding the situation right now was more important. Thankfully, the medical kit they found was still out on the side and they brought it closer as they gently held onto Bokor’s arms. “Come on, let me see that…”

“It...It’s just a scratch..” His attempts at reassuring them were easily undermined by the forced smile on his face and the rapidly spreading red color overtaking the white paper around his wound.

"Oh, come off it. You don't have to act tough around me, and I definitely don't want you to lie to me." Guiding his wrists over, Wildcard pulled away the stained paper and examined it. "Ouch. It didn't go too far, but I can imagine that would sting. It'll be alright though, we just have to clean it first."

Moving the other items out of the sink, Wildcard brought Bokor's injured thumb under the water, letting the blood run off it. Their gaze was focused, their own fingers gently massaging the large palm they held. Satisfied, they turned off the sink and searched the first aid kit for a simple disinfectant spray. "This will just sting for a moment." They warned before applying it. 

A muffled grunt managed to make its way past his beak, but otherwise it stayed sealed to avoid letting out any further hissing or expletives like before. He was already embarrassed enough for being so careless, he wouldn’t make it worse by complaining or whimpering like a child.

"There, the worst of it is over." Still keeping care, Wildcard took a bandage and made sure to apply it in a way that wouldn't get in the way of where the thumb would move. "Oh, and one last thing-" Not leaving time to react, Wildcard quickly kissed at the bandage, laughing quietly as they did. "To help with the pain. It's not a superpower or charm or anything, just something comforting I suppose."

Bokor felt his face heat up and silently prayed that the flush stayed closer to the brown feathers where it would stand out less. Still, despite the flush of red across his face, he managed a smile. “I don’t know, mes chéries, you seem to be my luckiest charm lately.”

"If that really were the case, you wouldn't have gotten hurt at all." Still holding Bokor's hand gently in their own, Wildcard looked at him. "Are you alright?"

Bokor offered them a reassuring smile, a gentle squeeze of his hand around theirs accompanying it. “I’m fine, petites- I have had far worse than this.”

"I don't doubt it but…" They sighed, pulling away and closing the first aid kit. "If something is distracting you like that, I'd like to help how I can."

Darn it, now he felt guilty for making them worry… “It’s nothing important. My mind just…wanders sometimes.”

Wildcard looked at him, reaching up and brushing back some feathers from Bokor’s face. “Well...try not to wander too far or I won’t be able to find you, alright?” They managed a smile, turning away and going back to drying the pots.

Bokor looked down at the shrike with a soft, thoughtful expression. “Do not worry, mes petites chéries…I will always find my way back to you, I promise.” Trying not to think too much about it and risk working himself up again, he leaned down and gave the other bird a light kiss on the top of their head before drying off his own dishes so they could both get to work.

The kiss made Wildcard’s world shake, though they tried their best to not show it. Silently they went to focus on preparing their meal, occasionally talking to get things going. It was a positive side of their strong partnership that they didn’t stumble around one another in the kitchen and were easily able to sense each other’s presence. They could effortlessly work around each other and got the jambalaya to the point of stewing. 

Wildcard stared into the pot as they stirred it, watching each bubble as they thought things over. They really felt more at home with Bokor than they’ve ever felt with anyone...and it scared them. It scared them to think of what that exactly meant.

Not too surprisingly, Bokor was going through a similar internal dilemma while making a quick and easy side of cornbread to go with their meal. He’d never had anyone he felt so comfortable working around...well, not since-

He quickly shook that train of thought away. Those traitors did not deserve to be in his thoughts. They’d all decided that he wasn’t worth keeping around and made him leave without a second thought, so he would show them the same courtesy. Just like everyone else in his life since then..

The thought of past relationships gone wrong in his life brought the hawk’s mood down more than a little bit and caused his train of thought to spiral somewhere dark and depressing. Wildcard liked him now, but how long would that last? Would they eventually tire of his antics? Decide that one ritual or practice was too creepy to tolerate? Tell him they needed a short break and make false promises for calls that never happened? Or would they grow to either fear and/or detest him to the point of making a subtle attempt on his life?

While he didn’t honestly believe the last one was a possibility- not with his sweet and caring partner who fretted over a cut from a kitchen knife- the others still felt like an all-too-possible reality looming in the horizon...one that he hoped to avoid as long as possible, but still an inevitability he feared may come to pass.

Sneaking a side-glance at the shrike as they stirred the stew on the stovetop, Bokor felt an odd mixture of calm joy and lingering sadness at the same time. If this time with his sweet chéries would eventually come to an end, then he’d try to enjoy it for as long as he could.

The silence had to be broken at some point, and it came when Wildcard stopped stirring. “I think I’ll lose my arm if I keep this up much longer.” They remarked, rotating their arm around. “It smells great though, you think we can eat soon?”

Hearing his partner’s voice brought Bokor out of his melancholy thoughts and he quickly poured the cornbread mix into the cast iron pan so he could put it in the oven before checking the jambalaya. “It’s almost ready.” He took a spoon and pulled out a small clump of rice to show them the texture. “We just need to wait for this to soften a little more- it should be finished by the time the cornbread is done.”

“Alright, that sounds good, my de-” Wildcard managed to stop themself that time and simply smiled. “Sounds good. Would you like to eat here or shall I get the table set up in the breakroom?”

Red eyes scanned the room, ignoring the almost-nickname that made him want to smile, and he eventually looked back down at them. “We should probably eat here: It will save us time when we start working on the charms.” He grabbed some paper towels and started cleaning off the counters so they’d have somewhere clean to eat. In doing so, he found the jar of smoke and spirits from earlier that he’d forgotten about in his haste to go check on Wildcard. “Ah...should probably also take care of this before it falls off the counter and undoes all our hard work..”

Wildcard looked at the jar with interest. “Wow...hardly seems like a lot when they’re all in there like this.” Carefully, they brought a finger up to tap at the glass, hearing the spirits moan and causing Wildcard to giggle. “Yeah, yeah, I know-” They copied one of the moaning sounds with surprising accuracy before laughing again. 

Bokor couldn’t help laughing as well, giving the jar a slight shake to mess with the spirits further. “Is copying voices another of your amazing talents, petites?”

“It does come in handy, mon gratte-ciel haut.” Wildcard answered the question by replying in Bokor’s voice with a smirk. They cleared their throat before continuing in their own voice. “I’ve messed around with my fair share of people with mimicry. I’m only really able to do it with sounds I’ve heard a lot of or memorized.”

Bokor gave an impressed whistle when he heard the reply in his own voice. “You just keep amazing me, don’t you?” He chuckled quietly and reached into his pouch to retrieve the green bottle of spirits. “Pardon.” He said before starting a quiet chant and opening the bottle.

Just like before, the red entity began to form behind him and spread down his arms towards the bottle and jar in his grasp. As he chanted and prayed, he brought the jar and bottle closer together until they almost touched. He then popped the top off of the jar with his thumb and turned the jar upside down with its opening facing the mouth of the bottle. The entity spread down past his hands and formed a sort of funnel between the two openings, making sure nothing escaped as the spirits within were sucked down into the bottle.

As much as Wildcard didn’t want to look at the intimidating presence, they did. They stared hard at the red entity, focused on its looming and surrounding aura. A part of them almost wondered if they’d have any control on such a spirit, but the greater part of them didn’t want to risk hurting Bokor if they tried. So, they watched, and kept themself firmly standing as they did, as if warning the entity not to try anything. 

Once the last of the spirits had been drained into the bottle and Bokor’s chanting had reached its end, the entity began to slowly withdraw and disappear. Just like before, Wildcard felt the faceless being looking at them intently. It almost felt like they were being studied…

It vanished by the time Bokor closed the bottle and blinked himself back to awareness. Quickly putting it away and pulling out the notebook in its place, he muttered to himself and counted on his fingers. “Between here and the other room..let’s see...they were small...so, that should be….ten..” He opened the notebook and flipped to the middle, adding ten tally marks to the page.

Wildcard exhaled by the time things had gone back to normal before looking over at him in confusion. “What are you up to there?”

“Keeping track.” Bokor said as he finished the tally marks. “I have to write them down before I forget..”

“Why? I thought that High Command doesn’t care about that sort of thing?” They looked at the notebook, seeing just how many tally marks were scrawled upon the page and how far into the book Bokor was. “Is there a limit of how much you have to carry or something?”

“No, it’s…” He paused for a moment, debating if he should tell them or not. Would they understand it or just think he was making it up? They’d believed him so far.. “It’s...my tribute counter.” Flipping back through several pages of tally marks, he eventually reached a page closer to the beginning where some of them had been scrawled over as if to mark them off the list. “The power I wield comes with a price that must be paid to the loa I formed a contract with. I think of it as a ‘landlord agreement’- he is willing to grant me his power, but I must repay him with either one powerful soul or five weaker ones every lunar cycle.”

“Oh...I-I see…” That worried Wildcard, though it went without saying. They could only imagine what sorts of things could happen if the deadline wasn’t met. “And you’re alright? Not running low or anything? I can go get more-”

Bokor smiled a little, grateful for his partner’s concern. “I am fine, mes chéries.” He showed them the many pages filled with intact tally marks. “This is why I plan ahead, so that I do not find myself desperate at the last minute. I make sure that I have at least two years worth of souls stocked up at any given moment, that way I will not be in danger if I need a break or am too injured to hunt down new souls. I am also working towards a ‘retirement fund’, so I can live comfortably for several years even after my body is no longer able to perform exorcisms.”

Wildcard looked over the pages, sighing in relief. “That’s good then...I would really hate to lose you to something like that.” They looked like they had something else to say on the matter but chose to stay quiet, tucking back their feathers. “It’s good that you think that far ahead.”

Bokor closed the notebook and put it back in his pouch. “Well, I have had to look after myself for a long time now, so I try to be responsible in keeping up with things necessary for my survival. I…have not had anyone else I could rely on for it..”

“...well- knock on wood anyway, but-” Wildcard smiled at him. “I’m not planning on going anywhere. So...if you ever need a helping hand at all, I hope you know you can come to me for that. Work or otherwise, I want to be there for you. You aren’t alone.”

Bokor’s heart leapt into his throat at those words. How long had it been since someone had told him they wanted to be there for him? Since he didn’t feel alone? Probably not since- No. No. He would NOT give those people the privilege of being in his thoughts.

“I….I appreciate that.” He managed to say after a moment, giving them a small but grateful smile. “I really do. Merci infiniment, mes chéries.”

“You’re very much welcomed.” They replied softly, taking Bokor’s hand in theirs and giving it a gentle squeeze. “You make me feel seen. I just want you to know that I see you as well.”

“That means the world to me.” Bokor’s smile grew a little more, giving their hand a squeeze in return and bringing it to his beak to give it a kiss. “You make me feel like the star I have always wanted to be seen as, and I will make sure you always feel the same.”

Giving into their desire for comfort and security, Wildcard moved forward enough to wrap their arms around the man, hugging him tight. “Me too…” They managed to say, nuzzling their head against Bokor. 

A moment passed, and all Wildcard could do was sigh. “This...this isn’t a normal partnership, is it…? I haven’t been in one long enough to tell…”

“Honestly...neither have I..” Bokor held the shrike close, one hand gently resting against their back. “But...this feels different for me, too. I don’t think I have ever had anyone who makes me feel the way that you do. It is odd and new..but...not in a bad way.”

“It’s confusing.” They said honestly, their face burning up from admitting to all this. “I don’t know what I’m feeling. I don’t know why I’m feeling like this either. I can’t tell if- if I like you more than I should or if my brain is just latching onto you because you’re the first person to ever show kindness to me.” It was a subtle change, but Wildcard’s shoulders shook slightly with emotion. “Push me away if this is all too much. I’m not supposed to burden you after all, I’m just meant to be your partner.”

The hand on the smaller bird’s back moved up enough to rub between their shoulders soothingly. “You will never be a burden to me, mes douces chéries.” Bokor told them with absolute certainty. “This is just as confusing for me- you are the first person to make me feel this comfortable and cared for, so I don’t know if what I’m feeling is just gratitude and happiness for having someone who finally understands me..or….or something more..”

That brought out a soft laugh. “I guess we’re both clueless then…” Turning their head, Wildcard looked at him with glossy eyes and a small smile. “Can we...keep doing what we’ve been doing and just figure out the details later then? Until we can figure things out more…”

Bokor returned the small smile with one of his own. “D’accord. I think we both need time to figure this out.” The hand not on the shrike’s back went up to tenderly cup the side of their face, one thumb caressing their cheek soothingly. “But don’t expect me to stop flirting with you- your smile and laugh are too precious for me not to do so, mes petites chéries.” He said with a lighter, more playful tone to hopefully lighten the mood.

Wildcard laughed louder, leaning into the touch with a hum. “Then don’t expect me to stop calling you foolish- someone has to bring you down a peg every now and again, you handsome charming dummy.” Kissing his wrist briefly, Wildcard pulled away from their embrace. “Now, can we eat? You’ve been tantalizing me with a delicious meal for so long.”

Bokor chuckled quietly, glad to hear his partner’s laugh again. “As you wish, petites. It would be rude to keep such a beauty waiting, after all.” He shot a quick wink their way before returning to the stove to check on their food.

Despite the instinctual desire to say otherwise, Wildcard found themself too happy to complain, moving to rest against a counter and await their shared meal. This was pleasant- it felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from their chest and they sighed dreamily as they looked at Bokor.  “Such a gentleman.” They half mocked.

“Only when I feel it’s worth the effort.” The hawk teased back as he took the cornbread from the oven and began to serve the food. After plating the slices of bread with a drizzle of honey and spooning two good portions of the fragrant and colorful rice dish into two bowls, he carried the dishes with ease over to the counter his partner was resting at and skillfully slid them their share before setting his own down nearby. “Bon appétit.”

"Merci. This looks amazing." That captivated twinkle came back to their eye as they looked at their dinner. As much as they wanted to simply dive right in, Wildcard willed themself to at least take a moment to blow at their spoonful to cool it down. After taking their first bite, the tingle of spices hit their tongue, giving them a pleasant rush. "Delicious…" They gushed, resting a hand on their warm face before going for another spoonful.

Bokor watched their reaction with a fond smile, finding it adorably endearing, before taking a bite of his own. He gave a pleased hum at the taste and closed his eyes to savor the flavor. “Mhhhh...dhat’s some good ol’ fashion home cookin’ righ’ dhere.” Red eyes instantly opened and his free hand flew to cover his beak so fast that he practically smacked himself.

Wildcard's eyes widened slightly. "That's new. Or rather, not something I've heard from you before." Curiosity took over as they noted the very sudden reaction to the accent. "What's wrong?"

With a great amount of reluctance, Bokor removed his hand from his mouth, but couldn’t meet his partner’s curious gaze. “...It’s….embarrassing…don’t like letting people hear that...” He muttered quietly, trying to return to his previous “normal” accent.

Hearing the two in succession was an interesting experience: His usual accent was definitely nice to listen to with its ambiguously French influence- it was refined enough to sound like someone who grew up in a predominantly French speaking country but moved to an English speaking one at a young age, giving his voice an exotic sort of charm- but, after hearing the other, it seemed almost forced if one listened closely. What he had just spoken in still had inflections of French in it, but with more of a southern drawl that made it very easy to tell where he came from in Louisiana, and it held its own charm for how comfortable and genuine it sounded compared to the more elegant version.

Wildcard took note of such differences, especially with their talent for studying voices. They reached over to stroke Bokor's arm soothingly. "I like it. It sounds nice, it sounds like you. How is that embarrassing?"

“.....” The hawk’s eyes glanced down at the shrike’s small hand on his arm. It gave him a nice, reassuring feeling that helped him speak. “People hear it an’ think I’m ‘uncultured’ or ‘uneducated’.” He allowed himself the freedom to speak in his natural accent, though it felt weird after covering it up around others for so long. “Somethin’ ‘bout accents from dhe south gives people dhat impression, I guess..”

“I see…” They allowed some silence, simply focused on comforting Bokor through their touch and giving a gentle smile. “Even still, my point still stands. I like hearing the real you and not someone you’d have to be to please others. It’s your choice in the end and I respect whatever you choose, but if this is easier for you, and it’s just us…” Wildcard trailed off with a shrug, hoping they got their point across okay.

Their point certainly did get across to him, even if it was a bit odd to hear after so many years of being told otherwise. “....Well….if it’s just you an’ me, petites...I..I think I could try dhat…” He managed to say with a slight smile. This would take some getting used to for him- everything with his partner seemed to- but it was a pleasant change of pace.

They smiled and took their hand back. “Cool, now eat before your food goes cold, dummy.” The shrike gave that light giggle they often had whenever they felt completely open with their partner. Wanting nothing more than to enjoy their meal, they kept on eating and enjoying every moment of it. “So good…”

Bokor’s smile grew at the sound of their giggle, he always found it adorable. He ate with them, giving a pleased hum every now and then. “Gotta say, it’s been a while since I ate somethin’ dhis good. Hard t’ find authentic New Orlins cookin’ way out here.”

“Clearly there has to be a day where I try making this for you then.” Wildcard stirred in their bowl as they thought it over. “I mean, I can’t say I’ll be as good as this the first time around, but I’d be willing to practice for you.” 

“Dhat just means I’ll have more chance to enjoy something you made just for me.” He winked at them as he tore off a piece of his cornbread. “Don’ think I’ll be complainin’ ‘bout dhat, mes chéries.”

“Heh, yeah well-” As they were distracted, Wildcard accidentally spilled a rather large spoonful of their meal that ended up landing on their shirt. They cursed, it thankfully wasn’t hot but they were incredibly embarrassed to be acting that clumsy in front of their partner. “Damnit...sorry, one second.”

Stepping back from the counter, Wildcard took off their small coat and vest, examining how far the stain went. They scowled, noticing it soaked a notable stain on their split colored button up and completely without shame pulled the shirt off of themself.

Bokor nearly choked on the lump of cornbread he’d been in the process of swallowing, the rest that was in his hand falling onto the counter. He hit himself on the chest a few times and eventually managed to calm down the coughing fit that overtook him. “I...I gotta say, petites..” His voice was a little raspy from his recent coughing fit, but he still managed a slight smile. “I didn’t think you were so….bold like dhat…….not dhat I’m complainin’, of course..”

“Hm? What are you on about? I just want to get this soaking.” They responded simply, walking over to the sink to do just that. Wildcard didn’t particularly feel like this was too abnormal, especially since they felt perfectly comfortable with their own body, though they did manage to look over at Bokor’s somewhat flustered response. “...is this bothering you?” 

Bokor quickly shook his head. “No, no, course not. Opposite, actually..” Red eyes snuck a few glances, but he tried to be somewhat respectful and not openly stare (even if he did like what he saw). “I’m just….surprised...normally I don’ get treated t’ sights like dhis ‘til I’ve bribed someone with a few drinks…”

The implication of what that meant at least got a faint blush out of Wildcard, but nothing quite like when they were usually flustered. “Yeah, well, it’s just me.” They shrugged, unsure how else to explain it as they used their damp hand to try and clean off the stained white feathers on their chest. 

Although he tried to be respectful (and he tried really, really hard), Bokor couldn’t help looking a bit longer each time his eyes slid back over to his partner’s exposed torso. “Well….I really like ‘just you’...si belle..”

Glancing back up, Wildcard walked over to Bokor, looking at him in silence for a moment before flicking the water from their hand at his face with a laugh. “Calm down, handsome. I’m getting a new shirt from my bag in the break room. I’ll just be back in a few.” They smirked and tilted their head as they looked at Bokor. “Think you can manage that?”

Bokor chuckled and wiped the water from his face. “And be without your beauty for dhat long? Hmmm...it’ll be a struggle, but I’ll try my best.”

“Try for me then.” Wildcard leaned up on the tip of their feet and kissed Bokor’s cheek, smiling warmly afterwards. They turned and left the kitchen feeling even better than they had been. Even without labels, they knew that that felt right to do and ultimately made them feel very, very happy.

Bokor watched them leave with an adoring smile and appreciative gaze. One hand came up so that brown fingertips could trace over the still warm spot on his cheek. “Oh, Henri..” He sighed to himself with a light laugh and a shake of his head. “You’ve got it bad…” Despite the completely accurate assessment, he couldn’t be bothered to feel bad about it- not when such simple tokens and gestures of affection left him feeling lighter than he had in years.

<-Previous Chapter Next Chapter->

End Notes: Oooh, things are getting spicy between them, lol >x3 Up next we have a more....dramatic way of dealing with spirits.

#darkwing duck #dwd #fowl agent Bokor Baron #wildcard #bokard #oc #not my oc #and #my OC #la vie en rose #thefriendlyfour #ghost and spirits #ghosts #spirits #magic

[sugarrushproductions]

One Was Never Meant To Be

Undercover

"Uh, you're gonna have to explain, cause that sounds kinda crazy," Hawks says, allowing only a little confusion show. He knew they're his 'superiors' but doing something like this? "Wouldn't I be better suited for search like Gran Torino and the others?"

"Where did you hear about that?" The man asked. The man in question was staring out the window, a stoic look on his face. He was always stricter president of the commission. He covered his mouth quickly, annoyed that he let that info slip. Well, he wasn't aware he wasn't supposed to know. The hero commission always hid things from everyone, especially him.

"We need your assistance," the woman standing in front of the man's desk, the president, said. "It's final Hawks. You've already proven how sharp your eyes and ears are."

"After Kamino, and the kidnapping, and attacks," the vice president said. "We've misread their strength. We rushed in at Kamino and didn't gather enough intel. Especially about those biologically engineered humans." Yeah they rushed in, but what else were they supposed to do? A kid had been kidnapped by the League, they did the best they could to get him out.

"That's where you come in. You are to infiltrate the league and find out how they get their information and what their movements are."

"And why am I the one chosen for this?" Hawks asked, keeping his tone as neutral as possible. The fact of the matter was, Hawks was already fairly sure what the reason was. Just a question of whether they'll actually say it or not. "You really want me to sit back and ignore what they're doing?"

"Well, as the youngest hero and the name you've made for yourself," the president said. "You're the only one who can."

"You're indifferent to prestige and fame, and you're focused more on your own durability," the vice president said. "We think there is no one more suitable than you." Hawks couldn't help but glare, especially since they weren't saying the real reason.

"Is this absolutely necessary?" I ask. 

"Think of it like this," the president states. "By going after them from the inside and outside, we can cut off their retreat and box them in."

"And you're asking me because I have absolutely no way of refusing you, is that right?"

"I won't try to deny you, you're not wrong there. We got lucky you weren't able to make it to the fight in Kamino." It was silent as Hawks thought for a moment. Thought about how they never mentioned the safety of the kid or the civilians. How much damage it caused. No, it was always about the bigger picture, stopping the villains.

Still, this was a necessary evil. He guessed.

"A secret investigation into the league," I say as I bow. "If getting my hands dirty will help everyone sleep better at night, I'll gladly take on the challenge." Even though he practically had no choice.

"Thank you, Hawks."

"Now, is that all? I got patrol in a few minutes." He really didn’t want to be here longer than he had to.

"Ye-" 

"No," the vice president interrupted her. "I want to give you one piece of advice."

"Ok, lay it on me," I sigh. Probably trying to tell me to not go to fast or let something slip or-

"Don't get in too deep." 

Not what he expected.

"What the hell does that mean?" He glared at Hawks, likely at his use of language. The hero found he didn’t care.

"It means that you need to remember that these people are cold and calculating. They don't care for anyone's well-being but their own."

"Obviously. What do you think I am?" 

"He's just saying it as a precaution," the president said, trying to defuse the rising tension. "We've lost many people  that way."

"Whatever." Hawks huffed, ruffled his feathers and turned to leave the room and the building. They didn't dismiss him, but he couldn't stand to be in there anymore. However, he left a single feather in the doorway to listen to what they said once he left. Hawks wanted to confirm his suspicions about why they chose him. After all, there were plenty of qualified heroes that didn’t make it to Kamino.

“Are you sure about this?” the vice president asked. 

“The risk for him turning is as much as anyone else,” the president replied. “His parentage means nothing.”

“It means everything! Like father, like son.”

“That is a mostly unfair statement. He has always shown that he’s willing to save civilians, even at five years old.” 

“I’m just saying that we need to be careful with him.”

Hawks couldn’t take it anymore and called the feather back. Like he would forget what they've done and all the people they've hurt. Like he would become a villain. Like he would be his father.

Hawks shook his head and settled his wings, wondering just how he would go about getting in the league anyway. Probably should've stayed and asked them. Didn't matter. 

He’d figure it out on his own, like always.

Next

Index

#mha dabi #dabihakws #dabi my hero academia #dabihawks #pro hero hawks #hawks x dabi #dabi x hawks #mha #mha fanfiction

[husband-steve-cortez]

You know as much as Kamil is devoted to his people I think he also definitely has a selfish streak (in a sort of canon typical to da2 kind of way) that I don't think warrior tank Kamil would have.

That is to say, even though Kamil is plenty blunt and aggressive, he actually prefers to avoid fights, especially fights that are bigger than him so to speak, and he avoids being put into the middle of anything.

And I'm coming back to like...I like to make jokes about Hawke kissing Anders in front of that chantry explosion and all, and that some Hawkes have a secret sense of relief that Anders has finally blown this powder keg open so we can get to the fight instead of stewing and waiting for something to happen.

And I think that second one is kind of how Kamil feels, but for a non-mage Hawke where Bethany isn't in the circle there isn't as much as a personal stake or personal drive to really hate the chantry or Meredith as badly, it would be more of a relief and something he'd want to kiss Anders for if Bethany were in the circle and Meredith had directly threatened her safety.

But Anders is right here with him, and in this world state what he wants most is to take Anders and get the hell out of Kirkwall, and Anders of course won't hear of it, and it causes some tension between them.

And when the chantry is blown up Kamil's thoughts are mostly along the lines of "So that's what he was planning" "holy shit Anders" "I've got to get him out of here" and the rest is just confetti.

#oc: Kamil Hawke

[matthewhillsocialdesign]

Quotes about time & being present

I did some research online and through a few books to find some really thought inspiring quotes about habits and the pasage of time. 

I looked heavily at the Stoics (Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus, Zeno of Citium).

And also at some modern takes from authors like Ryan Holiday and great thinkers like Stephen Hawking. 

The only wealth which you will keep forever is the wealth you have given away.

– Marcus Aurelius

Life, if well lived, is long enough.

– Seneca 

No man is free who is not a master of himself.

– Epictetus 

It is the nature of the wise to resist pleasures, but the foolish to be a slave to them.

– Epictetus

No loss should be more regrettable to us than losing our time, for it is irretrievable.

– Zeno of Citium 

"You are afraid of dying. But, come now, how is this life of yours anything but death?"

– Seneca 

Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.

– Charlie Chaplin

“What good is your success if you miss every sunrise and sunset?”

– Ryan Holiday

“We must practice temperance now, in times of plenty, because none of us know what the future holds - only that plenty never lasts.”

– Ryan Holiday

“In a world of distraction, focus is your superpower.”

– Ryan Holiday

“We must master ourselves unless we'd prefer to be mastered by someone or something else.”

– Ryan Holiday

“The fact is, the body keeps score. The decisions we make today and always are being recorded, daily, silently and not so silently, in who we are, what we look like, how we feel. Are you making good decisions? Are you in control . . . or is your body?”

– Ryan Holiday

“If the first step is just showing up, committing to doing something each day, then the next step is finding something to focus on getting better at each day. And in this, where cumulative improvement meets compounding returns we can harness one of the most powerful forces on Earth.”

– Ryan Holiday

You become what you give your attention to 

– Epictetus 

Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection 

– Mark Twain 

Maintain perspective. See the bigger picture don’t get stuck on the details.

– Lesson of the Stoics

Be Tolerant with others and strict with yourself

– Marcus Aurelius 

Intelligence is the ability to change 

– Stephen Hawking 

Change is inevitable, growth is a choice. 

– John Maxwell

The nearer you come to a calm mind. The closer you are to strength.

– Marcus Aurelius 

No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it. 

– Albert Einstein

Distraction wastes our energy. Concentration restores it. 

– Sharon Salzberg

Success is walking from failure to failure.

– Winston Churchill 

Thinking is difficult. That’s why most people judge. 

– Carl Jung  

The body says what words can not.

– Martha Graham 

Change is about noticing what’s no longer working… And stepping out of the familiar, imprisoning patterns. 

– Edith Eger

Instead of taking your next inhale… Simply receive it. 

Before you ask what should I do today? Ask what should I remove today? Create the space you need to succeed. 

– James Clear

#weekeleven

[jimsmovieworld]

HALLOWEEN ENDS- 2022 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The final part of David Gordon Green's Halloween trilogy.....

As a die hard Halloween fan i had a lot of ideas going into this movie as to what would happen. I genuinely cant remember the last time i was this suprised by the direction a movie took.

I also cant remember the last time i watched a movie and couldnt decide exactly how i felt about it. There are bits i loved and bits i didnt agree with at all. Its rated 5 stars for enjoyment not 5 saying its a 5 star movie. As a die hard halloween fan its hard to see a new one on the big screen and not have a blast...

Ill start with the parts i liked or loved:

Giving us the Halloween 3: Season of the witch blue font was very cool. The start of this movie i really loved. The haddonfield radio station and the song playing set a fun tone.

The opening scene itself with Corey and the little boy i thought was really good. I was ofcourse expecting Michael to have been in the house, interesting misdirection. Enjoyed them watching "The Thing".

Loved watching Halloween Ends and not knowing what would happen next.

The film introduces a lot of new ideas, some of them are extremely ambitious and i appreciate that. I get there are some fans that wanted a more conventional Halloween film. But we have those already. This is now the 13th Halloween film. To me, part of what makes this franchise so much fun is that a lot of the movies are so different and go in crazy directions. Even some of the ones that i thought were whack after first watching (Rob Zombies Halloween) i have come to love in there own way and will enjoy an occasional rewatch of.

Alyson and Coreys relationship was pretty interesting. Love Alyson. Andy Matichak was great as her and would love her to reprise the role one day. Corey and Alyson having a sort of doomed love story where they teased running away together was really intriguing and not something weve seen before in Halloween.

There were plenty of good kills in this film (not many by Michael but we'll get to that).

The parts of the ending that i did like were:

Laurie faking suicide to trick Corey.

Corey actually killing himself to frame Laurie.

Liked Laurie and Hawkes flirting in supermarket at start of the movie.

Liked Laurie looking at the photo of her Lynda and Annie from 78.

Michaels body being destroyed in a meat grinder was the most definitive death he has had in any of these movies and i liked that.

The closing shots where it revisited the houses where the killings had happened (like in previous movies) except this time you dont hear Michael breathing, then dont fear the reaper plays.... i loved that whole sequence it was great.

This film really expands Haddonfield a lot....

It feels like a much bigger and more layered place now. In Halloween Ends its almost portrayed as being like Derry in Stephen King books. Like the place holds evil and turns people evil. Did they stick the landing with this idea? No i wouldnt say so but again i like they trying new things.

Now something i didnt like:

CoreyMania.

Corey is essentially the main character i believe he gets more screen time than anyone. I liked a lot of it but thought it would have been better if he had been part of the previous two movies. Im not a fan of when a trilogy waits til the last movie to set up something this big. Like waiting til the rise of skywalker to set up Palpatine wtf.

The moment where Corey looks in Michaels eyes and there seems to be some kind of transference.....

That came out of nowhere and didnt seem believable to me in line with the previous movies have established. Seemed wrong to me that Michael wouldnt have killed him. Them teaming up absolutely shocked me. I would never in a million years have guessed this.

The idea itself isnt that crazy. We nearly had Jamie Lloyd become the protege killer but they turned her into a deaf mute instead. Seeing Michael team up with someone was very interesting but while watching it i was just in shock. Think this will be less jarring in future viewings.

One of my biggest problems with the film and now the trilogy at whole is there handling of Michael Myers....

Theyre description of him is constantly changing back and forth and it gets ridiculous.

Halloween 2018 ignores the unkillable supernatural Myers of the previous now non canon sequels and firmly establishes him as a human man.

Halloween Kills establishes him as now more than human. By killing he transcends and gets stronger. The film ends with him appearing dead after taking considerably more damage than any person could. He then pops up and kills a huge mob of people.

Halloween Ends he is a man again. An old and weak old man living in the sewers. They also establish that killing heals him. Why wasnt he healed after killing the mob? Or after killing people in the film?

The constant changing of Myers strength and ability is bizarre and frustrating.

The scene where Corey takes Myers mask off his face was awful. You cant do that. It felt like a modern day Busta Rhymes moment. Now sure Myers got the last laugh but this was one of many moments that made Myers by far the least scary he has been in any of the Blumhouse trilogy. And theyre his fucking movies!

Myers doesnt show up for at least 40 mins in this movie and has little screen time. Again this would have worked better if part of a spin off and not the last part of his trilogy.

The handling of Myers relationship with Laurie is also puzzling.

Although some people say otherwise, these movies to me, seem to be saying Laurie isnt important to Michael. They started in the first one by changing it so they were no longer brother and sister. Im fine with that but think they then take it too far.

In 2018 Halloween, Michael doesnt seek out Laurie, he is killing aimlessly and is brought to her house by others.

In Halloween Kills he doesn't go looking for her.

In Halloween Ends, the final fight only happens because he goes there to get his mask back from Corey. The final fight which most of the movies marketing is based around just wasnt good enough. By the time it finally happened it felt obligatory and lacking importance because its unclear how much Michael even cares about Laurie anymore.

Some major problems with the presentation of Laurie also.

First of all she seems to have gone at least slightly mental which i understand due to what shes gone through. But a lot of the time i dont see this version of Laurie as being even remotely the same person as we first met in 1978.

Dont even see her as being the same person as in the previous two films? I think 2018 Laurie was the best version of her from the new trilogy.

The whole explanatation that she is now living her life free of fear. That she lives in a regular house not set up with traps is insane. The only reason she survived 2018 was because of how prepared she was. She knows that and knows Myers is still out there? After he killed Karen she would want revenge now more than ever and would have bought bigger and better traps. Shes literally an old woman at this point. So when she just straught up beats Myers in a fight at the end i was disappointed. At this point Myers is a shell of himself but still.

What the fucking hell was this all about?

I was shook!

Halloween Ends was a very surprising film. Despite having lots i disliked i havent been able to stop thinking about it and cant wait to watch it again. David Gordon Green must have for sure known this film would be divisive. But he made the film he wanted to make and i applaud that. And if you dont like it then its fine because before long, someone else will come along and make a different version of it.

The shape never dies!

#halloween #halloween ends #michael myers #movie #film #movie review #horror review #new movie #haddonfield #jamie lee curtis #david gordon green #slasher movie

[fiskergorman64]

Ikea Responds To Balenciaga Copying Its Ninety Nine

Let’s say that’s just a dangerous pair of pretend Balenciaga Speed Trainer with poor high quality management. Then, the pretend Balenciaga Speed Trainer isn’t as curved as the legit one. The counterfeit Speed Trainer is much less curved and this is an important factor of our real vs fake Balenciaga Speed Trainer comparison. As you'll be able to see in the image above, the 2 replica Balenciaga Speed Trainer pairs have the “C” and the “G” wanting too massive than the the rest of the letters. The fake Balenciaga Speed Trainer pair has the textual content a tiny bit smaller than the legit one, however this can be tougher to spot. Mostly original poetry however the writer regularly unknown. This page also incorporates a small comedian e-book on Roger Wilco's journey as a prisoner of war Stalag Luft I . [newline]And with “And Just Like That…” now streaming on HBO Max, we can’t help but surprise what new types will quickly become iconic in their very own right. But the designer – among each her and Carrie Bradshaw’s favorites – wasn’t the one method she channeled her character. The distinctive dress also featured pink tulle peeping out from the facet of the skirt, paying tribute to the tutu she wore in the show’s unique opening credit over twenty years in the past. There are a quantity of things you would possibly need to consider earlier than buying replica sneakers on DH Gate. The unique Balenciaga Hourglass shoulder bag is a simply iconic design that might be as related and in vogue in 50 years as it's now. Of course, we settle for that one pays for the prestige of a respected designer brand. However, a bag that costs round $2000 is out of the query for most ladies. These wonderful Balenciaga Hourglass dupe baggage come in two sizes. The large model for these events whenever you want plenty of area and a smaller one for on an everyday basis use. We are going to call just a few that can assist you with Balenciaga Triple S authentication. The primary issues to watch listed below are the stitching and the fonts. The stitching must be clear, every separate sew equal in size and form to every other one. The pretend pair here sports activities smaller and much messier stitching, which can’t be an excellent sign. The most blatant recommendation about it will be to google the product code, however it does not instantly show the authenticity, as a end result of product codes can easily be replicated. We make positive that our inspired replicas use all of the same detailing that an original would have. In this fake vs real Balenciaga Speed Trainer comparability, you'll have the ability to easily discover how the fake Speed Trainer pair is banana-shaped. Some replica Balenciaga Speed Trainer has the letters “C” and G” bigger than the real Speed Trainer pairs. This just isn't going to happen on an authentic Balenciaga Speed Trainer pair. There are many replicas of the Balenciaga Speed Trainer and it is important for you to know tips on how to spot pretend Speed Trainer pairs. See what it's like to get my item authenticated Real expertise, not self claimed. Join the Legit Check Club More bang on your buck, with more benefits and more included. Completing the look with a Carrie-approved accessory, Parker paired the show-stopping type with satin pink stilettos, along with an Erdem bag and jewelry from Fred Leighton and Larkspur and Hawk. One of the largest shoe trends to endure 2020 and 2021? This look certainly extends to the sneaker department and is carrying on into 2022. Golden Goose’s fluffed-up Superstars, exclusively out there at MyTheresa, are the last word move for all-around consolation with cool-factor. Hsu says they “offer a high-fashion stance on everyone’s beloved streetwear important.” Plus, they go together with absolutely anything from your favorite sweatsuit set to leggings and ankle-grazing clothes. Hsu suggests combining them with skirts or attire, a perfect search for feminine-leaning style. Cnfashionbuy is a website that offers completely different trend merchandise, such as shoes, garments, and so forth., and can additionally be one of the Balenciaga shoes replica suppliers. However, Cnfashionbuy is simply a platform to offer a show channel for the settled retailers, and is not answerable for the supply or high quality of the products. So on the Cnfashionbuy you ought to buy Balenciaga footwear replica or different Balenciaga replica from different retailers. best replica balenciaga handbags The mesh must be smaller and have a extra modern, delicate look, as properly as being more durable and agency. The fake, on the contrary, can be greater, less sturdy and total low cost looking. As for the font, the pretend one has barely bigger letters and fuzzier shapes. If you need to purchase Balenciaga t shirt replica or Balenciaga fabric replica, please check BenzinOOsales frequently. wikipedia handbags They are shipped free of charge in 30+ nations worldwide. We notice virtually every month that it is getting harder and harder to distinguish authentic gadgets from fakes, as a result of replicas are getting fairly good.

#balenciaga replica #best replica balenciaga handbags #balenciaga bags replica #replica balenciaga #best balenciaga replica #replica balenciaga bags #balenciaga replica bag

[haleigh-sloth]

What are some things that need to happen in bnha before the story ends? Is there anything in the story if it doesn't happen you will be upset about?

Well, things that need to happen that I think a lot of people agree on is:

💫Villain saving and redemptions

Some sort of follow up on their hero system changing.

I’m not worried about the former, but the latter isn’t much of a focus here in this final arc. Which is fine with me for now since this is very much a character driven story as opposed to a world building one. The individual characters are what make it, while the world they live in is more of an explanation for the characters’ actions. However, I don’t think the whole plot should be ignored. I don’t agree that it should be THE main focus, because as I said for me personally the characters drive the story, and their personal conflicts I am much more invested in. And if the hero society issue was meant to be as big a focus as some people want it to be, I feel that the HPSC would be a much bigger focus throughout the whole thing. But it’s not and is more of a teeny tiny side thought for Hawks’s character and Lady N’s, who imo mostly plays into the villain redemptions more than anything. BUT—I still think there should be SOME kind of answer at the end. Like “we will change it, it may not happen now or on screen, but we will change it.” I’d be happy with an FMA-style ending in this section of the story (well for the characters too tbh).

Now, for me personally:

💫Todoroki family reunification, as in, Touya goes home and lives there and is with his family the way he needed to be when he was a kid. This scenario includes having the LOV as friends too, but for me, he needs to go home and be with his family. His mom and siblings deserve a life with him. Whether Endeavor is a part of that or not doesn’t matter to me, but his mom and siblings and him deserve each other.

💫Shigaraki and Midoriya heart to heart--addressing everything that's been built up the entire story between them and releasing everything that's been held in the whole time.

💫Shigaraki/Deku and Toga/Ochacko friendships. This is super important to me because this entire story’s conflict has been built upon the differences in ideals and opinions AND misunderstandings between people who have caught each other’s attention over and over again throughout the story, and influenced each other. Touya even said it in chapter 349–this battle isn’t between armies, it’s between individuals. Shigaraki and Deku & Toga and Ochacko are those individuals that this battle somewhat centers around. So for me, I need to see that follow up and see that they HAVE reached that understanding, absorbed each other’s ideals, and can continue to influence each other as they get through life together.

💫Kurogiri helping Aizawa realize that Shigaraki (and in turn, all of the LOV) are people to save and not people to kill or defeat (or lock away forever) and for him to fight alongside the heroes and help defeat AFO

Shigaraki and Nana meeting again. There is unfinished business there.

All the previous redeemable villains making a comeback and fighting in the final battle: Lady N, Gentle, Compress, whoever else I'm missing

AFO and Yoichi backstory. I definitely don’t want a ton of this content, but I want some. I think AFO is pretty basic as far as villains go, but as much focus as Hori puts on families and the way they impact peoples lives, I’d hope he would follow up on this brother feud that led to the current state of things.

Some sort of consequence/clap back/recognition for Hawks's murder of Twice. I don't want a stupid revenge plot from Toga, I've said that plenty. But I want something. I personally feel that at this point it may not be as big as it should, but that it'll somehow come up again when Twice is used in the final battle.

Whatever the fuck is going on with Machia

💫 An overall happy ending with everyone living a happy life together

If it has the 💫 next to it, that means that for me it’s either non-negotiable and I will dislike the story if it doesn’t happen or my opinion of the story will just fall very drastically if it doesn’t happen. The rest are things I would like to see, but can live without if it just doesn’t happen.

#bnha #boku no hero academia #shigaraki tomura #anonymous #bnha asks #shimura tenko #todoroki touya #Dabi #bnha league of villains #bnha lov #toga himiko

[keilemlucent]

best nest: headcanon special

best nest headcanon for salem’s ver of rut season hawks? say no more my dudes (nsfw at the end)

physical changes:

there’s a bunch of these in the fic so lets get into it fellas

so in general, from the brief articles i researched, birds can go through some physical changes during a mating season for like a number of reasons but also realism be damned it was fun

i hc hawks as having weird nails, rut-season or not. normally, they’re darker at the cuticle and grow a bit faster than normal. rut-season? they grow very fast, fully-blackened, curl a bit. he can cut and file them, but it’s sorta fruitless as they grow quickly and are a bit thicker and thereby harder to deal with

eyes? keigo’s pupil shape is always a little off, but during rut-season, they’re nearly fully slit shapes.

wings!! plenty of bird species have changes in their plumage come mating season. typically brighter colors and pattern changes. keigo’s don’t change from their crimson, just have patterns made by small, thin, nearly clear filaments. it gives them a lil iridescent effects. the patterns are symmetrical between the wings and probably add contrast that might change the shadow/highlights of the feathers?? maybe creating an illusion of his already huge wings looking bigger?? this is me spit balling

in addition, they are very sensitive. in general, keigo is just oversensitive as fuck. especially if he hasn’t n*tted in the past hour or so. dude gets pent up fast.

alright now to whaat everyone wants to talk about

keigo’s fat cock

dude just needs to breed! dicks gotta impress potential mates and damn does it. a lil thicker, a lil longer, nasty huge balls. immaculate as y/n said

i haven’t even mentioned pheromones, but the dude is reeking of them whether he wants to or not. they probably don’t have a wide range of feelings and urges they can induce. prolly like horny & safe. but like hey isn’t that what we all want??

the fangs are just because of the cute edits like?? have u seen them? adorable. 

there’s no biological reason its just What I Wanted

emotional changes

this has got to vary whether kei has a ‘mate’ or not

in the case he doesn’t already have an established mate, the dude is just horny. balls to the wall wants to fuck everything in sight constantly. secure a mate, get them in nest, fuck until babies. easy

oooo but with an established mate?? there’s emotion rapport there. 

keigo isn’t a complete bird so there’s human dimensions to his rut- an established mate with like a background would elicit more of these feeling

basically like, protective!! gotta keep them safe and happy because they need to Have my Children but also bc love you know??

i imagine there might be some cognitive dissonance between like instinct and emotions here, especially in moments where its been an hour or two since y’all banged

besides the point, kei’s is gonna be an aftercare king once he gets some of his need to rail you outta the way. mostly because you’d be undoubtedly wrecked and if he wants to not have be pulp and nut by the end of his rut, he has to try and take care of u as he can

in the fic when i said he ‘handles the details’, i imagine this would be stocking up on easy to prepare food, medicine and like topical aids. just to help u out!!!

the chirps

the chirps

if we’re going full bird, we’re going full bird

lowkey it just sounds cute, kei letting go a little and falling into his more instinctual patterns and he just lets lose some bird sounds

over the course of the rut, you probably end up figuring out what certain tones and vocalizations mean

happy chirps, sad chirps, needy chirps, lil comfort coos, things like that

the nest

im a cancer and a homebody so this part is ~*self indulgent*~ 

basically, protective of his mate right?? gotta keep them safe 😤

most surfaces in the home are padded with some sort of blanket or sheet

literally i can see keigo dropping an insane amount of money on just nesting supplies, sleeping with them and scenting them before situating them just right all around

this is probably a long process bc it has to be perfect before he ruins it with u that’s part of the fun

in the fic, there’s a bed against wall windows which is just a nod at the central part of the nest being a spot where keigo can get a good, high vantage point to see any potential threats 

idk if keigo’s like “damn better fuck them near a window so i can scare of competitors” or “if we’re this high up i can always see if someones coming at us” 

whatever the case it’s definitely more instinct avian brain 

in the end, the whole nest is scattered with his softest feathers, his smell and pheromones. perfect. chefs kiss.

and lastly u gotta except the nest!! 

keigo’s put days into making it just for u two, and you gotta basically like, claim it and him 

once u do, it’s fucking time my dude

horny shit (nsfw) (warning: somnophilia) 

im practicing getting filthy on this account bare with me

in classic rut fashion, he is going to rail you until he’s sated and instinctual somewhat confident you’re pregnant. that’s the core of the whole rut right??

i’ve hc’ed him as having some agency during despite his need to stuff you with nut, but im truthfully not sure how much agency. 

point blank he’s gonna wreck you!!

face-down, ass-up preferred. feelings primal and nasty. 

he likes marking you up too oooo boy. you’re the only person who’s gonna see him for the next few weeks but he’ll  be damned if you’re not covered in scratches, bite marks and hickeys in your most sensitive spots

makes kei coo with pride, seeing you all fucked up and claimed by him. especially if you’re sleeping next to him, fucked out and safe in his arms. all the parts of his brain are sated and that’s probably the only time he can get proper rest

lowkey there’s probably a fair amount of cock warming involved, just ambiently. keigo wants you close, safe and filled with cum and what better way to assure this state other than keeping his nearly perma-hardened cock deep in your cunt for hours on end

he’s nice enough to grind up into you every once in awhile, help you come even in your sleep to keep you comfy and holding his cock just right in your cunt

ugh the existential peace kei must feel when he’s balls deep in his mate while in their nest..... ugh. wow. fucked out dream <333

#salem writes #hawks x reader #takami keigo x reader #enjoy :'^)

[angelkurenai]

Imagine having a crush on Charlie Hunnam and Dean, your bodyguard, getting extremely jealous when, during an interview, you can’t stop flirting with the man who is also there as a guest.

“You know, all jokes aside, you seem a lot more calm this time. You're usually stressed out to go on interviews, no matter the host.” Dean remarked, his eyes taking in your figure.

Seriously, why don't you spread your legs a little more, I didn't quiet get the message yet. you almost said, and you most certainly thought, but only bit the inside of your cheek and looked away from Dean.

Your bodyguard leaned casually against his seat, knowing fully well just how distracting he was to you like that but not giving a damn. The suit did wonders, not that he needed it to. Though you had a growing suspicion he was well aware of it and was doing it on purpose just to get you back for everything you'd put him through.

“Well, for one I've had time to relax.” you shrugged, looking away, finding it easier to speak when you weren't looking at him “And I did plenty of it, to the point I'm looking forward to get back on the spotlight. Maybe you should try some of that? You are more stressed tonight.”

“You mean vacation?” he raised an eyebrow as you hummed.

“The kind of vacation that's meant to make me relax?” another questioned which you nodded your head at.

“Oh that kind of vacation, I see. So-” he paused, giving you a look “Not the kind of vacation that's a torture for me, filled with ice-cold showers and morning shots of whiskey because you're walking around in your bikini all day long and refuse to change unless it involves dressing down more? That kind of vacation?” he paused, eyebrow raised as he expected an answer to that before adding “Mind your own business.” he muttered, voice deeper as he glanced at the driver who had been not-so-subtly listening in.

“I-” you parted your lips to answer but ended up shrugging anyway “Guilty. But also, sorry not sorry. Besides, that's not the point here. I mean it, you could really use some vacation. Lately it seems that whenever I have an interview you're more stressed than me and my manager combined.”

“Do I? I wonder what the reason might be. Oh maybe it's the fact that last time I remember, you took part in a game that involved buckets of water being poured on you while wearing a white dress and what I rather vividly remember very little coverage underneath. And you-” he pointed a finger at the driver “If you dare google that, you're fired. Trust me I will know.”

“Yes, sir. I didn't hear a thing, sir.” the driver said with almost wide eyes, knowing fully well not to challenge Dean. It didn't matter how, he wasn't going to risk it.

Meanwhile, all you could do was roll your eyes “It was not buckets, only glasses of water. We were playing water war and just because you were giving me looks all night, I lost and Jimmy won. So yes, I blame you for that. Besides, I was wearing underwear, alright?”

“At this point I really wish you weren't. Wouldn't have been as... traumatizing.” he struggled a bit to say the word because if he really used the one he felt like, the one he wanted to, then he didn't know if you'd make it to the studio. But given the snort the driver gave then it couldn't be more wrong of a choice for a word.

“Social media didn't see it that way, as far as I remember. Including several celebrities I know of.” you shrugged, smirking “I don't know about you, I had plenty of fun.”

“And I had plenty of heart-attacks.” he muttered instead, mostly to himself.

“Either way, you don't have to sweat it this time. Graham doesn't have any sort of games, not of that kind anyway.” you brushed him off “Nothing to worry about.”

“Nothing to worry about. Nothing my ass. Son of a-” he sighed heavily, dragging a hand down his face.

At this point he would certainly take all the water the ocean had to offer, instead of whatever that fancy colored liquid that sat in the glass on your hand was. A glass you hadn't missed the opportunity to refill at least twice so far. And while that on it's own wasn't such a bad thing, combine it with a ridiculously attractive man who happened to be your celebrity crush – as you never failed, not for a second, to point out to Dean every time you got the chance – and a lack of inhibition and you had the perfect recipe for a catastrophe. Or Dean's death, whichever came first.

“So as you can imagine, now there's a bit of a problem there now. Mostly whenever I'm on a flight and what not.” Charlie explain as Graham nodded his head and you looked at him with a concerned frown.

“But it's not like it's left a problem with your hearing in general, right? You- you can hear well from that side of-” Graham started speaking.

“Well, generally speaking I can- I'm sorry what?” but as he was talking, Charlie started speaking at the same time only to pause and ask the question back instead, which made all of you burst into laughter.

“Wait- hey you!”

“Ah gotcha huh?” he grinned, his smile only getting brighter when he glanced in your direction, your giggles a tad louder and more easy thanks to the alcohol in your system. It was exactly that which had Dean on edge. One of the many signs that the alcohol was doing its job.

Much like the easy and inviting smiles. Much like the way you'd bite your lower lip at times, when he spoke. Much like, even when you were speaking, instead of looking at the host, your eyes would constantly jump on the man next to you on the couch. Much like when you laughed at something funny he said, your hand would rest on his shoulder or, worse, when it rested on his thigh. And if that wasn't driving Dean mad as it was already, when the actor only seemed to relax under your touch and lean in closer, it felt like he could only see red and that the tie around his neck was choking him. He was about to loosen it only to remember he had done that long ago. If there weren't people there, he'd have long ago jumped from his seat and started pacing around like a lion in a cage. His jumping leg was certainly proof of that, what with all of his twitching. He huffed, shaking his head before he narrowed his eyes at the scene before him. Every little action that unfolded before his eyes was proof of why he hated not being able to intervene when you had a little too much to drink.

“Territorial much, aren't we Deano?”

He remembered you asking with a smirk on your lips, which had very quickly and easily turned into a grin - if not a slightly drunken one - when you'd clearly seen the way his eyes had only darkened and his jaw, clenched and all, had twitched. The look he had given you was of a warning one, telling you not to test him further but after a party where you've had a little too much too drink and even more to flirt, with all those actors and celebrities around, you only saw it as a challenge. He knew real well he was being territorial, he didn't need you to ask. He had nearly punched a guy when he got his hands on you, and it was expected after he had been fuming in the corner and watching like a hawk when said hands lowered even further down your back and you leaned into him all giggling and touching. He was bound to explode and it came as no surprise that, even drunk, you would take notice of it and use it to your advantage. Granted, he couldn't pin you on the wall and mark you down nor slam you against the bathroom wall and have his way with you, but he could come up with ways to get in the way.

Not that the alcohol seemed necessary anyway. Snapping back to reality, the scene before him verified his thoughts. The way the man was looking at you, his undivided attention all yours, his eyes on you at all times and, even worse, his lingering touches could have very easily made you fall into his orbit without even a single drink needed.

“And here I thought that walking away with a bruise or two from the set of Marvel was too much. Oh how I love green screen now!” you laughed “I mean I've had several injuries before, but most of the time they're far too stupid to talk about. Besides, I always look one step away from total meltdown doesn't make much of a difference if you add an injury or two to the case, so- Cheers to that!”

Your words, as you raised your glass, earned a laugh from everyone around you, Graham not missing the opportunity to speak “See? That's exactly why she is my favorite guest! This is what everyone now calls is a total mood!”

The man next to you, who threw his head back and then looked at you with absolute adoration written all over his face “Oh I doubt that even at your worst you could look anything short of perfect, darling. In fact I feel like I should have received a warning, to make sure I was more properly dressed or something. I didn't know I'd be sitting right next to an angel tonight.” his accent wasn't making things easier as Dean could practically see you swoon.

“Oh, look who's talking. Please, don't have a single doubt Mr Hunnam, I can't take my eyes off you tonight!” you smiled, or more like smirked, at Charlie, whose smile only got bigger when he heard your words.

“Now it's my turn to blush, please.” he offered you a smile which you could only describe as adorable, if not irresistible given how you bit your lower lip “I mean, I'd say it's just me but I believe that everyone will agree when I say that I don't think there would be a single injury that can take from the beauty sitting next to me right now.”

“Why you flatter me so much, Charlie, but you say that only because you're too good and because you haven't seen me in the morning.” you pointed out, loving to see him raise an eyebrow “The whole rise and shine is the exact opposite of what I do. One, because I don't rise, I could stay in bed all day long, and two, because I can only shine as much as a black hole does.”

“While I could definitely argue with you on that one, dear, I'll only say that it's impossible to believe. I don't doubt for a second that you're any less beautiful. That could be just my imagination, sure, because I have no personal opinion or experience but-” he shrugged while the audience cheered for him and you laughed behind your hand, and the man lowered his head in slight embarrassment and rubbed the back of his neck “Besides-” he cleared his throat “In all seriousness, now, there is nothing wrong wanting to stay in bed till late.”

“And even more when there's good company for cuddles, right?” you raised a suggestive eyebrow at him, making him bite his lip in return as he lowered his head while laughing “Besides, I am never one to deny a man his chance at seeing how I really am in the morning.” you shrugged not in the least bit innocently, because Dean knew that look and the whole body posture you had and it had him gritting his teeth, before the audience cheered even more loudly at you “For- You guys! For research purposes, clearly. So that Charlie can testify that I am indeed the... human equivalent of a black hole in the morning! That's all.”

Your giggles could barely be heard as the audience clapped once more, some of them laughing as well. You instead bit your lip before taking another sip of your drink, Charlie doing the same.

As if by some miracle, or at least for Dean, this time it was Graham who spoke up “Why, for some reason, I feel like I am third-wheeling here? And I thought it was my show. I feel like you won't even realize it if I'm gone.”

“No Graham, of course not!” you reassured him with a smile “You know you're my favorite host! You're the star of this show, the one that makes the rest of us shine and bring out the best in us! The one who makes us laugh and have the time of our lives in the show! The one who makes us look forward to this! The one-” you paused , snickering as you glanced at Charlie “Boy am I drunk already?”

Everyone along with Graham, laughed. Well, everyone except for Dean, who looked like he was going to pounce any given second now, especially with how his arm was casually resting on the back of the couch, almost over your shoulders “It's alright, I think we all realised it by the second complement in a row.”

“Well, at least let's all be honest. It's at least slightly less embarrassing than me recounting mildly gross if not horrifying stories of all the injuries and infections I've gotten. Which, thank you, by the way, for, Graham. It's-” Charlie paused, nodding his head “Exactly as I pictured spending my night. Speaking about the times I got a moth in my ear and ran down a forest naked, while such a lovely lady is sitting next to me.”

“Oh trust the lady, she is very much enjoying the conversation, worry not!” you giggled and he grinned, finally resting his arm on your shoulders and giving you a squeeze.

“You're mostly welcome!” Graham laughed “But, speaking of- I noticed this and I wanted to ask you myself, this seems like a reoccurring pattern with you Charlie, isn't it? Like, I always hear you saying that you got sick this or the other way and you- correct me if I'm wrong, but you are someone who takes pride in their personal hygiene.”

“I- I'm a germaphobe, you can go ahead and say it.” he laughed “Yes, it's one way to describe it. Of course I- I do take pride in my personal hygiene but I do think it's exactly that which gets me. You know how these kinds of things end up turning against you? Well, yeah, that's what happens with me. I get sick all the time.”

“There is a saying about that, isn't it? I think I've heard it somewhere but I can't, for the life of me, remember it right now.” you mumbled with a deep frown.

“Oh yeah, you attract the most that which you fear the most.”

“Ah, yes! Yes.” you nodded your head, pausing only half a second before looking back up at nobody in particular “Oh how I fear Charlie Hunnam!”

And that was all it took for the crowd to erupt into cheers and for Dean to groan as he let his head fall into his hands. There was no need to look any more, the way the actor's eyebrows rose in interest and a smile spread on his face. He knew what was to follow, and he didn't mean just the interview, and that meant he had to prepare himself for whatever he had to do to keep and... if need be, maybe finally, mark his territory. But unlike any other time, he knew, it wouldn't be as easy.

“You- what? You guys! I was only... I'm just saying what every lady and gent here is thinking, that's all. Me? I'm just more or less... drunk. Drunk more than I initially assumed.” you laughed, shaking your head despite your burning face “Aah Graham, how I hate you.” you gave a sweet smile to the host and friend of yours as all he did was laugh at your misery.

“Ah Graham, how I love you.” Charlie said, laughing “Can we-” he looked away and around at the crew as he lifted his glass “Can we get come more of that here? Lovely drink. Truly lovely.”

“Lovely night.” Dean grumbled to himself, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest, eyes hard as he glared at the man before him and next to you. But truth was he knew that it was only the beginning of the night if not the beginning of a very long and tiring journey, which he didn't know if he'd make it through. Why?

Because as if on cue, as if he'd read Dean's thoughts, Charlie's eyes met his. The smile vanished from his lips for barely a few seconds, making Dean straighten his back and narrow his eyes at him. Because he'd, maybe, finally met his match. That's why.

#supernatura #supernatural imagine #supernatural fanfiction #supernatural one shot #supernatural x reader #dean #dean winchester #dean x reader #dean winchester x reader #dean imagine #dean winchester imagine #dean fanfiction #dean winchester fanfiction #dean one shot #dean winchester one shot #charlie hunnam #charlie hunnam x reader #charlie hunnam imagine #charlie hunnam fanfiction #charlie hunnam one shot #jensen ackles #jensen ackles x reader #jensen ackles imagine #jensen ackles fanfiction #jensen ackles one shot

[jaybird-fanfics]

Thing Of The Past |Ch.16|

⚠️Warnings: This story contains adult/sexual themes, graphic violence, and harsh language, please read with caution. Some of the plot from bnha/mha had been altered to better fit this story line.

Uncut Version Here

Previous | Next

🔞Minors DNI🔞

Y/n had finally made it to her destination, it was a fairly large and lively city, one she would easily get lost in. And she did a few times before actually finding the hotel she was suppose to be staying, well more like hiding, in. Her jaw dropped as she looked up at the huge lavish hotel. The sun shined off the golden structure, the sign of the hotel was just as bright, it reading: 'Golden Sanctuary'.

"Hm. A little too snobby for me." Y/n laughed awkwardly. As snobby as it is, it's where she needed to be. As she walked in, she reached inside her pocket and pulled out a card that Hawks had given her the night she left. For proof and money, he said. She reached the front desk, where a well dressed man stood behind it with a smile. "Ah, welcome miss. How may I assist you?" His voice was smooth like butter. "Um, my friend sent me here for a vacation. He told me this would all be paid for ahead of time."

"I see. May I have the name of this friend of yours?" Y/n handed him the card, his eyes widened upon reading the card. "My! What an honor it is to have Hawks' lovely girlfriend here!" Y/n's cheeks heated up. "Oh no no! I'm not his girlfriend! I'm just a friend!" She explained quickly. "Hm, of course." The man winked before ringing a bell. Three women in gorgeous suits were quick to arrive. "Please show this young lady to the penthouse suite."

"P-penthouse?" Y/n blinked. The three women bowed their heads before taking her luggage and guiding her to the elevator.

The elevator made it to the very top of the building, dinging as the doors opened to reveal large double door. One of the women opened the doors letting the other two in with the luggage, and Y/n. Her breath was taken from her lungs as she entered the room. Upon entry the first thing seen was a living room, right across the way was a balcony behind glass door and windows. She could practically feel the comfort of the couches just by looking at the expensive design. Speaking of, the carpet was a white as snow, with a black curvy design. A large flat screen TV hung from the marble walls above a fireplace.

"Is there anything else we can do for you, miss?" One of the women spoke. "N-no thank you, very much. You've done plenty." Y/n smiled softly. "Then we will leave you to make yourself comfortable. If you need anything don't be afraid to give us a call." With that, they left, leaving Y/n to bask in the suite. She removed her shoes before entering further. She walked down the hallway, to her left was a bathroom. With a white pericline tub that sat by the clear as day glass window that outlooked the entire city.

To her right was one of the master bedroom, inside there was the largest bed she had ever seen. Soft to the touch, and covered in expensive looking pillows and blankets. She had another excellent view of the city from the room. She went to the closet, that she swore was bigger than her room back home. Along with another bathroom. She strolled back trough the hallway, on the other side of the living room, was another hallway. Down there would be another bedroom.

The kitchen sat just beside the main area. Again, this kitchen and dinning room would take up half her house. A basket sat on the table, inside was chocolates, candies, fruit, roses and two letters and well as slippers and folded white robe. The first was from the hotel.

"We thank you for choosing Golden Sanctuary. Please enjoy the complimentary food we've provided for you in your fridge as well as the welcome basket and house slippers and robe. We hope you enjoy your stay."

Y/n smiled as she set down the kind letter before slipping on the comfortable white slippers. The name of the hotel written in gold on the top of the slippers. She unfolded the robe, the softness of the cloth on her hands and the fresh smell of the robe tempted her to the bathroom to quickly change before heading back to red the other letter.

"Hey there kiddo. If you're reading this it means you've made it to the hotel. I'm hoping everything is to your liking?"

"Oh hell the fuck yes it is Keigo. Thank you so much!" Y/n sighed a breath of relief. She could get use to living like this. She would have to really think of something to do for Hawks when he comes to get her.

"Sorry to force this sudden move on you all at once. But, I'd rather you be alive and somewhere far away then dead. You mean a lot to me kid, if you were to get hurt, I don't know what I would do. But don't worry, it's all temporary."

That part made her pout slightly. "I wish it wasn't."

"I'll come back for you, I promise. Then, we can do stuff like this more often together. Just wait for me until then ok? See you around, kid."

Y/n smiles softly. "Yeah, I'd like that Hawks." She held the letter close to her chest. She yawned and stretched out her limbs. The trip here had made her exhausted. She set the letter down before heading to the master room and flopping down on the unbelievably soft bed. Her body sank into the plush memory foam. "I'm half tempted to steal this and bring it home with me...somehow." She giggled.

Her comfort was short lived, as she heard her phone buzz. She groaned and reached across at the nightstand to grab it. Her face scrunched into annoyance as she read the name that appeared on her screen.

Dabi.

'Can't a girl get some relaxation?' That's it. She was going to give him a piece of her mind. She answered the phone, not even giving Dabi the chance to talk first. "You just don't know when to quit do you?"

"...Y-Y/n? You actually picked up?"

His voice sounded horse, like he were sick.

"Yeah, I picked up so I could tell you to fuck off! Why do you insist on calling me after I made it clear that I didn't want to see you again! It's like you-" She was cut off by Dabi.

"I know, I know I shouldn't be talking to you...But please...please listen to me."

Y/n rolled her eyes but kept quiet.

"Y/n. I'm about to fight Hakai, me and the league are. And you know how dangerous that dude is. So I just wanted to talk to you one last time."

One last time? What was that suppose to mean? "Dabi what are you-"

"I know I've been nothing but shitty to you. I promised myself a long time ago that I would protect you. That I would never let anyone hurt you. But I hurt you, I've hurt you a lot. I didn't deserve you then, and I sure as hell don't deserve you now."

"Wait a minute a Dabi. Why are you saying this all of a sudden?" Y/n asks.

"Y/n...if I manage to live through this, though those chances may be slim...there's something I want to tell you. Something I've been meaning to tell you for a long time."

"Dabi?"

"I gotta go Y/n. I'll be seeing you."

"Dabi! Wait!" He had hung up before she could get another word in. Only then had she noticed her heart has been thumping rapidly in her chest. He was actually going to fight Hakai? He wasn't on his own, but neither were most of the heroes that challenged Hakai before either. Though Y/n had no feelings for Dabi, or that she'd like to admit, that didn't mean she wanted him dead. Even after everything he's done, she didn't want him to die.

"Dabi...please don't die..."

Two days had passed since Hawks had sent Y/n off, and in those two days, Hakai had not shown up anywhere. Every report he had received had all been dead ends, adding to the stress and weight on his shoulders. It made him worry even more for Y/n. Now that he knows what she looks like, could he have tracked her in secret? No. He couldn't have. Not without him noticing. But in the back of his mind, he couldn't ignore the thought. And so, he found himself flying over to the city Y/n was in. In his place, the number one hero Endeavor would be in charge of taken down Hakai.

It took him all day, but Hawks finally made it to the city. He hurried to the hotel, where he was immediately welcomed by the staff and recognized by the guests. Swiftly ignoring them he approached the front desk, and informing he was here for Y/n. He was sent on his way after rejecting the staff that offered to guide him up to the suite. The elevator ride felt like forever but he finally made it to the suite.

Taking a deep breath he knocked on the door. After a minute or so, Y/n opened the door. She looked...tired.

"Keigo?" Y/n Looked up at him. "You're back? Does that mean you stopped Hakai?" She asks. Hawks grinned shyly. "Heh. No, in fact we can't even locate him anywhere. But I have Endeavor on the case as we speak. Y/n's brows furrow. "Oh. I see." Hawks gave her a confused look. "Something wrong?" Y/n shook her head. "I just...don't like him very much is all. I'd rather not talk about it, if that's ok."

"Oh, uh, sure. Yeah, don't worry about it." Y/n invited him in, they both made their way to the balcony. The view of the bright beautiful city at night was breathtaking. Hawks leaned on the rail and sighed heavily. "You ok?" Y/n asks. "Hm? Oh, just a little stressed that's all." Hawks chuckled. "My wings a little sore from flying all the way over here."

"You flew here?" Y/n gaped. "It was faster. Well, a little faster." Hawks cracked his back. Y/n placed her hand just above Hawks' right wing, he flinched and moved away. "I'm sorry! Did that hurt?" Y/n asked in a panic. "N-No it's just. Uh, gotta be careful when touching my wings, they're a little sensitive, especially after flying for so long."

"I see." Y/n muttered. "Sorry." She turned her attention back to the city. "...It makes two of us, being stressed." Hawks glanced over at her. "That's no good. What's got ya stressed?" He asked. Y/n knew it wouldn't be wise if she told him the real reason. So with a sigh she answered.

"About Hakai." She was half telling the truth. Hawks places his hand gently on her shoulder. "Hey, it'll be ok. We'll take him down and he'll be gone for good. I won't let anything happen to you Y/n." She looked up at Hawks, her eyes shining along with the lights of the city. "You promise?" Hawks gave her a reassuring smile. "I promise."

"Keigo...Thank you for doing all this. You really didn't have to." She said with a soft sighed. "Hey, come on now." Hawks gently stroked the side of her cheek. "Of course I have to. I would do it for anyone I cared about." Before his hand left her cheek, she gently grabbed with her own. "Even if that person didn't know what they wanted?" She asked, confusing Hawks. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not entirely sure. My heads telling me one thing, but my heart is telling me another...Keigo, how do you really feel about me?" She asked. "Honestly." Hawks took a moment before speaking. "You mean so much to me, Y/n. I don't want anything bad to happen to you..." He leaned in closer. "I want to keep you safe..." Closer. "I want..." He paused momentarily. "I want you." He closed the gap between them as his lips met her own.

A few seconds took Y/n to ease into the kiss. Her heart was beating wildly, while her mind was wary. Hawks pulled her in closer by her waist, deepening this kiss. Y/n felt the wetness of his tongue lick at her bottom lip, asking for entry. She hesitated before opening her mouth slightly, letting his tongue intertwine with hers.

She sighed a breathy moan as Hawks ran his hand gently through her hair. He lead her back into the room and back to the master bedroom. He laid her on her back as he hovered over her, he parted away from her lips, letting her take a deep breath. He sat up and removed his jacket and shirt, revealing his toned pecks and abdomen. He lowered his head down to her jaw, peppering kisses down her neck, to her collar bone, to just above her breasts. He loosened the robe just enough to where he could view her chevage. He looked back at her, looking for any kind of discomfort.

Instead, she was looking away from him, her eyes seemed to be filled with uncertainty. He paused his actions and leaned closer to her face. "Y/n?" She glanced at him, tears at the corner of her eyes. "What's wrong?" He asked, worryingly. "N-Nothing. Keep going." Hawks leaned back and raised an eyebrow. "Clearly something's wrong."

Y/n shook her head. "I said it's nothing." Hawks looked down at her hands. Her right was clenched tightly to the sheets while the other fidgeted and shook. "Is this...your first?" He asked, Y/n shook her head and covered her face. "Hey." Hawks spoke gently. He leaned down and brushed the hair from her face. "Y/n, you can tell me. I won't be mad."

"...I can't stop thinking of him..."

He knew exactly what that meant. There was a slight pang in his chest, but he ignored it. Y/n came before his jealously. He got off of her and laid at her side. "I'm sorry." She whimpered. "No. Don't be sorry Y/n. This isn't your fault."

"But...I thought...I thought I really wanted this. You were everything he wasn't. You were kind to me. You cared about me. You even went out of your way to bring me to such a nice place. And I really wanted to love you but...I can only think about him. When you kissed me, touched me, it all reminded me of him. I'm so sorry Keigo."

"You really do love him, don't ya?"

Y/n nods, lip quivering as she tried not to cry. She couldn't even bare to look at him. This was all so wrong. No matter how many times she says she doesn't care, she doesn't love Dabi, all she could think of was him. She did love and care about him. All she wanted was to be with him, as much as it pained her to say it. It was so very wrong.

"He called me. He said he and the league were going to fight Hakai." That caught Hawks' attention. "He said that it might be the last time he ever spoke to me...he might be dead as we speak..."

Hawks got up and put his shirt and jacket back on. "I'm not going to sugar coat it Y/n. I don't care what happens to Dabi in the slightest." He sighed. "But, if he still alive...I'll let him go. Just this once. And if he doesn't get his shit together, the next time I see him, I'm taking him down." Hawks felt Y/n's arms wrap around him. "Take me with you." She begged.

"No. I can't do that. I said I would protect you." Hawks tells her. "Please! You can take Dabi in now if you want! But I need to know what he wanted to tell me before you do! If he's alive, I wanted to part ways with him properly, you have to take me with you!"

Hawks turned to her and hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry Y/n. This is for your own good." He let her go and made his way to the front door. "Keigo!" Y/n hurried after him. "Keigo please!" Hawks ignored her pleads and walked to the elevator. Y/n stopped just before the elevator. "Keigo please..."

"If I'm not back to get you before the weeks out, you can leave. But until then, for my sake, please stay here." He pressed the button before stepping in. He turned back to face Y/n. "You're not mine Y/n. You never were, but I still want to keep you safe. I have no right to say it but...I love you Y/n." The elevator doors close, and just like that, Keigo was gone, leaving Y/n all alone.

Her fist clenched tightly at her sides. "Sorry Keigo. But I'm not going to let you or Dabi die..."

#dabi x reader #touya x reader #touya todoroki x reader #todoroki touya #dabi is a todoroki #mha dabi #bnha dabi #my hero academia spoilers #boku no hero academia spoilers #slight hawks x reader #hawks x reader #keigo tamaki x reader #hawks #bnha keigo takami #bnha hawks

[azucanela]

chapter ii

pairing: bakugou katsuki x fem!reader

warnings: cursing. mentions of a bomb.

word count: 3k

summary: the internet is enamored with the idea of y/n l/n and bakugou katsuki, two renowned pro heroes, dating. the first issue? the pair rarely interacts. the second issue? apparently, they hate each other, not that anyone knows about that bit. of course, after one night of many mistakes, the whole world knows.

series masterlist

THE MEETING WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL. AT ALL. Or at least, that’s how it seemed in Y/N’s eyes. Seeing as the only thing that had come out of it was… spending more time with Bakugou. Which was the opposite of what she wanted to do at the moment seeing as she despised him. Y/N actually had a feeling that any further interactions with Bakugou would only end in more chaos. So, Y/N decided she would set to work, as she would any other day. 

Ignore the problem until it goes away, right?

Slipping on her hero costume feels like a chore, pulling the gloves of her suit on with a grimace. They only served as a reminder of her inability to fully control her ability— though Y/N was known as someone with some of the most impressive quirk control. There was always that underlying feeling, of course that feeling never belonged to her. It had always been hard, shutting out the emotions of others, Y/N had found that those who feel the most strongly were the ones she would avoid.

Clearly she had failed.

Regardless, those emotions tended to be distracting as she went about her day. Y/N had learnt to ignore them, to block them out for periods of time, but in a career like hers it was unavoidable. The pain, the rage, the panic, the pure feeling of fear. It could get overwhelming and that often put her at a disadvantage. Emotions were viewed as a weakness, and oftentimes allowing your emotions to get the best of you resulted in unnecessary deaths. But allowing the emotions of others to do so? 

It got even worse when she actually activated her quirk to its fullest extent.  With a single touch, she could utilize the abilities of a person— all their abilities. When it came to quirks, if you controlled your quirk well, so could she. Otherwise, she would adapt the skills of a person, their intelligence, their athleticism, even their hobbies. Y/N could even the fact that she’d made it through UA to this ability. After all, she’d never been athletic, but her classmates had been. 

But her setback had always been a pain, especially in battle, Y/N felt the pain of whoever’s quirk she mimicked. If they were shot, Y/N felt it as if she had been shot as well. She’d never experienced someone dying on her. Nor did she want to. But Y/N was capable of holding as many quirks and capabilities as she could handle— and pain added up very quickly. 

It had been worse when she was younger, but Y/N had grown during her time at UA, and now she was capable of ignoring the emotions of others to an extent, and her pain tolerance had grown exponentially. 

Y/N was grateful for her success, for the agency she’d been working at. She was not grateful for the looks she got on the way there, Y/N could feel the whispers of those who watched her enter as they walked past. Though she could only hope her own staff had more respect for her. 

Her lips pressed together into a tight lipped smile as she entered, and Y/N found herself bracing for whatever could greet her. And to her delight, it appeared that everything was normal. Save for Lorelai’s presence by the entrance, her phone in hand. As though she had known Y/N had entered, the girl in question looks up from her phone before Y/N even has the chance to speak.

“We need to go over our plan, Y/N.”

In response, Y/N waves her off, continuing down the corridor. She smiles to those who greet her, mumbling back to them as Lorelai follows her. “Actually, I need to plan my first patrol of the morning.” She says, looking back to her friend momentarily.

“Then I’ll plan. And my plan includes a real nice fake dating scheme, kinda like those movies.”

Almost instantly Y/N turns around, glaring at Lorelai— who simply offers her a smile in response, clearly pleased with herself as she begins to move alongside Y/N rather than behind her. Y/N had no doubt that they would plan a fake dating scheme if it came down to it, unless she got involved that is. “So?”

“Well, the fake dating scheme was an actual option but you clearly don't like that.” Lorelai mumbles out in response, now holding a tablet as she guides them into a room. “Aside from that, basic press events together,” Lorelai looks up from her tablet pointedly, “where you actually look like you’re enjoying yourself, should amend the situation easily enough.”

Y/N raised a brow, taking a step around the long meeting table where those who worked at Hawk’s agency would soon congregate for their weekly assignments, “a little too easy if you ask me.” She looks to Lorelai, “Bakugou agreed to this?”

“I’m sure his PR team will convince him.” Came her response, shrugging as she took a seat on the table and crossed her legs. “We can do a public statement but there’s no real reason for making this a bigger thing than it already is. It would only end badly.” 

With a frown, Y/N’s eyes drift back towards the window. They’re still on the first floor so it’s not like she’s seeing much, but it’s almost astonishing, how there are people just… going about their days without a single fear in the world. All Might’s downfall had eradicated the mindset but on days like these it felt as though not a single thing had changed. As though there weren’t still dozens of underground organizations planning horrid things, and there weren’t hero agencies like her own devising ways to stop them.

Hero Society was a fragile, and corrupt thing. 

Y/N had watched as they threw children into every battle, she remembered when she’d been forced to do such things herself. She had watched her comrades, her friends, nearly die for a cause they were too young to comprehend. And she watched as civilians criticized them for not doing enough. Why did her publicity even matter? Shouldn’t that be the least of her concerns? Y/N found it funny that she needed to do well in polls to do her job well. It was the only real way to guarantee access to certain information that low ranked heroes didn’t get. 

With a sigh,Y/N turns back, brows furrowed, “so when does this start?”

Placing the tablet beside her on the table, Lorelai rests her palms against it and leans back against them, “next week probably. Haru still needs to work out the details with the rest of the PR team and Bakugou.” 

A small laugh escapes Y/N as she mumbles out, “it takes a whole team to keep that man from ruining himself.”

“Most Pro Heroes have a PR team, Y/N. You’re one of few exceptions.” Lorelai corrects, looking to her. It was true, Y/N was aware that more popular heroes often had teams of people coordinating their social media, schedules, public outings, and more. 

Y/N tilts her head at Lorelai, “why is that?” 

Lorelai raises a brow at her friend’s words, “what, you want to get rid of me?”

Y/N laughs once more, shaking her head, “no… it’s just—” She turns to face her friend, “when I hired you I couldn’t really afford anyone else. Now I can. But you do all the work by yourself.” Biting her lip, Y/N asks, “why is that? I could get you an assistant or something, easily.”

“Well you aren’t exactly the most problematic,” Lorelai responds, offering her a small smile.

Nodding, Y/N pulls out a chair at the head of the table, taking a seat, “but you also have plenty of other clients—”

The door opens, drawing their attention to the person who stands there, one of many heroes who worked at the agency., Pro Hero Telen, a simple hero name with an equally simple quirk. But his ability had saved them numerous times in battle. He pauses as he enters, “is it— is it not time for the briefing? Have I interrupted something? I apologize I can—” 

He moves to shut the door but Lorelai simply hops off the table, collecting her tablet as she heads to the door and rests a hand on his shoulder, “don’t worry— we’re done here, right Y/N?” Y/N simply nods, and Lorelai offers her a smile, “be careful today.” She mumbles out, before turning back to Telen. Y/N doesn’t know what she says, but he pales and nods before entering. Shortly after, everyone else seems to file inside, and Y/N finds herself sighing as she spins around in her chair as she waits. 

It would be a long day. A very, very, long day. 

BAKUGOU WAS TIRED. He really was. Working at Endeavor’s Agency meant long hours, endless paperwork, constant cases. And right now he was assigned to the current big thing; the Stain copycat that had yet to be caught. Unfortunately, this guy didn’t seem to be an amateur like the rest. Of course, whoever it was, they’d primarily been attacking minor Pro Heroes, until recently. 

Slowly working their way up the food chain of heroes until they ended up coming across someone who was relevant. It was inevitable, at one point whoever it was, they’d bite more than they can chew. Trying to take on a hero that surpassed their skills, whatever those skills may be— or they would slip up. Leaving behind some sort of evidence that would result in their capture. 

The only issue was, there was no telling where or when this would be. How many would have to die before they were caught? Bakugou didn’t necessarily want to know, and it was his job to make sure no one ever knew how many. 

A job he was failing. Alongside Deku, who had also been assigned to the case, it was a curious partnership but he had no choice to make it work. And his publicist had insisted that any presence with a hero like him would be good publicity. After all, most of the public knew about their little rivalry so it would make him seem diplomatic in a way. But Deku was…

“So… the gala, huh.”

Well, he was Deku.

“Shut up.” 

Thankfully, they hadn’t run into any reporters, though he was sure someone had caught pictures of them on duty together. Which was bound to end either ridiculously well for him, or incredibly poorly. It was always hit or miss with the press and Bakugou despised the entire aspect of the job. It was the one thing he could admit he was bad at. He wasn’t the most approachable, meaning it was rare for reporters to approach him in the first place due to his renowned temper.

The pair was making their way through the streets of the city, patrol was normal but they were currently on their way to the police station. They were supposed to be collaborating with the police to handle this copycat, and for some reason Deku was… panicked. It was subtle but the guy had been practically sweating bullets since Endeavor told them they’d need to work with the police. 

If Bakugou was honest this whole job was busy work. Why else would Endeavor’s agency be working on it? The Number One hero had to have better things to do. Maybe this was a punishment for what happened on the last mission they went on.

Bakugou frowns at the thought, electing to push those thoughts to the back of his mind as they come to stand in front of the Police Station. He finds himself bringing a hand to rub his temple. It was definitely going to be a long day. And he hadn’t even spoken to Haru about how the meeting with Lorelai went yet. Not that he wanted to know at this point, Bakugou had a feeling he wouldn’t be satisfied with any solution they proposed.

He really didn’t feel like dealing with any of this. So, Bakugou finds himself thinking that it might be time to use all those vacation days he’d been holding onto since he’d started working with Endeavor. They were piling up after all.

With a huff, he and Deku make their way up the steps up the police station, and Bakugou pushes the door open. It’s busy inside, as expected. A bustling atmosphere that reeks of blood, sweat, and tears, literally. There are some people seated, likely waiting to be processed, they’re handcuffed and Bakugou is fairly sure he recognizes one of them. Not that he has the time to dwell on it as they move through the police station.

One of the officers makes their way towards them, “you’re the heroes Endeavor’s agency sent?” He asks, looking to Deku, brow raised. “Welcome back.” 

Bakugou looks at Izuku incredulously as they begin to follow the man through the mess of a building, “the hell is that supposed to mean?” He hisses, but Izuku’s face has already flushed as he covers it with his hands, shaking his head.

“It was one time, how do all of you know about it!” Izuku cried out, and Bakugou finds himself glaring at his partner for the day, even without context.

The officer simply laughs, waving him off as they make their way into a room. There stands the police chief, Kenji Tsuragamae, and a few others seated at some of the many seats in the room, in front of white board that seems to be more of a mess than those around them. They look tired, exhausted even. 

Tsuragamae seems to notice their presence, clapping to garner the attention of the few inside the room, “everyone, please welcome the Pro Heroes from Endeavor’s agency. They’ll be assisting us with this case moving forwards.”

The officers seem rather unimpressed, and since Izuku still seems rather embarrassed for some reason, Bakugou finds himself stepping forwards, “what’s going on?”

With a sigh, he goes to answer. But he doesn’t get the chance as an explosion sounds and the building shakes. A siren goes off above them and suddenly the sprinklers began shooting out water as a woman entered, “sir! There’s been an explosion.”

Bakugou fights the urge to say, no shit, as he and Izuku exchange looks, “is it an attack?”

“On the police? That’s bold.” The officer from earlier comments as they all rise from their seats. But the fear in the room is abundantly evident as they all await her response, anticipation amongst them all. Because who would do such a thing, and so strategically placed on the day

The woman only shakes her head, and this time a man appears beside her, based on the way he’s dressed— Bakugou would have to guess he’s a plumber of some sort, but the man simply explains, “we think it’s an issue with the boiler room.” 

Bakugou finds himself rolling his eyes, “then why are you still here?” He turns to the rest of the room, “get on with the briefing and get the damn plumber down there.” He grumbles out, before taking a seat once more and redirecting his attention back to the chief, gesturing for him to carry on with his presentation. All the while Izuku is apologizing rather profusely for his attitude.

Now, crime had worsened exponentially after All Might’s downfall. It’s not that other heroes were suddenly less capable, although some were discouraged by the fall of the greatest hero. It’s just that All Might was a symbol. Even years after the fact, Bakugou could still see it. Things had changed. Although in recent times, crime had lessened thanks to the work of today’s Pro Heroes, there were still… issues.

Many had gone the vigilante route as a result of the League of Villains and Stain— and speaking of Stain, there had been several copycats over the years, people who agreed with his ideals and his actions. Which is what brought them here. The issue at hand was this most recent copycat was… decent. Most of the time it was amateurs who didn’t plan that far ahead, quick and easy to catch with minimal casualties, if any. 

Essentially, the police had nothing on him. Just a list of his victims and what they had in common. They were underground heroes, like that of his own teacher from UA, but something about them seemed off, different from what they’d seen in other copycats in the past. They weren’t like the flashy heroes you would find, the ones who seemed… fake. The ones most targeted because they fit Stain’s idea of a false hero.

And even then, there was no being sure which were the victims of this copycat and which were that of others. As the anniversary of Stain’s capture grew closer, more attacks were popping up. 

Shaking away these thoughts, Bakugou grimaces. All he had gotten from that briefing was that they knew nothing, had done nothing, and were going nowhere. Which wasn’t necessarily encouraging. So far, there were four confirmed victims of the copycat, and three additional deaths that were viewed as possible victims of the copycat. Technically, one of the copycats, but that wasn’t something he necessarily wanted to think about. 

Yeah, he would definitely be taking those vacation days.

#this is not the end series #bakugou x reader #bakugo x reader #bakugou katsuki x reader #bakugo katsuki x reader #katsuki x reader #katsuki bakugo x reader #katsuki bakugou x reader #bakugo x you #bakugou x you #katsuki x you #katsuki bakugo x you #bakugou katsuki x you #katsuki bakugou x you #bakugo katsuki x you #bnha x reader #mha x reader #bnha x you #mha x you