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equestrianwritingsstuff · 3 years

Note

For the bad things happen Bingo... burns for villain?

Circle for completed, heart for requested

Thank you so much for the ask!

Quick warning that may need more context than a word or two. In this snippet, Villain saves a child and they are buried. Some may call this "minor whump", but the child is never hurt whatsoever.

I don't know if this exactly fits "burns" but I think it does.

Scathed Skin

@badthingshappenbingo

Warnings: explosion, burns from explosion, broken bones, starvation, fever, buried alive

*not edited*

Fourteen

Villain ran into the next room, greedily scanning the interior.

Thirteen.

He pushed away from the doorframe and sprinted into the next room, but that was also devoid of the assumed ticking.

Twelve.

Villain checked out the next room. A child, young in age and tiny in stature was cowering in a corner, sobbing.

"Hey, hey, hey," Villain soothed, bounding over to the child and picking her up. "I'll be okay, alright?"

"Where's my mommy?" The child cried. "I want my mommy."

"Yeah I know, I know," the villain whispered, rubbing the child's back and hoping that her mother was one of the people who managed to escape.

Eight.

Villain ran out of the room with the child. He couldn't disable the bomb now.

So he ran towards the exit, knowing he would have to jump and somehow break the child's fall.

Six.

The ticking started to get more consistent and more intense. Villain looked up, the exit was only five feet, four feet, three feet...

One.

Villain knelt to the ground, wrapping the child with his arms and legs- his whole body- as an earsplitting boomed sounded throughout his ears.

Pain ripped at his back and he fell forward, careful not to harm the child. She was hysterically screaming now.

Villain groaned as black spots danced at his vision, but those weren't his top concern. The ticking had returned, symbolizing another bomb threat.

Villain pushed himself to his feet, though stability abandoned him after one crisp second. He stumbled over to a wall and leaned against it, still holding the child and breathing heavily.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Villain's ears perked and he turned to exit the building, but found that the exit was decimated. He sighed and took off half-sprinting, half-limping, the other way as agony pierced every cell of his being.

He barely made it to the stairs before he collpased sideways, head banging against the floor, making a hollow thud sound. Stars illuminated the black dust in his vision, making him wince and grimace.

The feeling of wet slowly snapped him out of it. His eyesight somewhat cleared as he felt more in-tune with his limbs- or was it just adrenaline?

The child was crying into his shirt, hugging him madly. He grunted, wrapping his arm around her comfortingly, but that only made her wail harder.

"Shh, shh, it's okay. We are going to be alright, okay?" Villain whispered just as another explosion sent a wave of buzzing discomfort through his ears.

The floor beneath him rattled and creaked before it caved in. Villain and the child fell, but Villain was able to twist around and use his mutilated back to break the young girl's fall.

His body connected with the tile floor. He barely registered the whistle of a kettle before dirt and debris crumbled around him, and inevitable unconsciousness took hold.

He awoke sometime later on his side, cheek pressed into the floor. He groaned and winced in pain as the world flared up around him. Blinding lights shot at his eyeballs as rocks and glass bit into his back.

Villain floated around in that whirlpool of pain as his senses struggled to snap back into it. Memories dabbed at the bruises in his head gingerly.

There was an explosion, then pain, then nothing.

But that was only once sentence that was missing a lot of facts.

He started to become aware of another presence looming over him. It started with the faintest of breezes against his forehead, then a noise like a whimper.

The child.

Villain tried to blink away the haze in his vision, but it only made things even foggier and thick.

"Sir?" The child squeaked when she realized that Villain woke up. "Sir, where's my mommy?"

Her words went right over Villain's head; heck, he hardly came to the conclusion that someone was speaking.

His limited span of sight started to double, then triple as consciousness was snatched away again.

When Villain regained consciousness the second time, he found that he was much more aware of his surroundings.

They were trapped in a somewhat capacious room. Villain's leg was trapped under a wooden beam and was so painful that it had to be broken.

The child was drawing figures in the dust and dirt. Apart from a very dirty face, she didn't appear to be harmed.

But nonetheless, Villain asked out of courtesy, "You good, kid?"

The girl blinked a couple times before nodding. Gosh, she hardly looked ten.

Villain looked around. It seemed that they were trapped in some sort of kitchen. It was very tiny and by some miracle, the various blocks of plaster and heavy metal pipes didn't crush them.

But it did crush the only possible food supply, but the girl seemed to have grabbed a cereal box.

"Hey, give me that," Villain said, trying to pull himself close to the girl, but immediately scream in pain as he tugged at his leg. He collapsed fully on the ground, groaning and somewhat dazed.

The girl pushed the box towards him. It fell over and landed on his face. Villain shakily tipped it over and looked inside.

It was half full. Or empty, depending on how you looked at it.

"Is there anymore food in those cabinets?" Villain asked, nodded towards the dark colored cupboards.

The girl shook her head and pulled her legs in. Her dirty face was tearstained with crusty eyelashes. She had been crying while Villain was unconscious.

"Hey, we'll be okay," Villain soothed as he thrusted his hand into the box. "We are going to have to ration. Ten pieces twice a day, not that we can exactly tell the day."

That wouldn't be enough, but it would have to suffice.

"Okay," the girl squeaked, crawling over and picking out ten cheerios. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten." She smiled and popped a couple into her mouth.

Villain dozed off a little after that, back and leg in scorching pain, not enabling a truly restful sleep. The girl also slept, or Villain thought, her back was turned towards him.

They somewhat bonded too. The girl started to talk about her barbie and My Little Pony roleplays and even asked Villain to join. He played along a little bit, awkwardly voicing Applejack, before exhaustion took its toll and he fell asleep mid-sentence.

He was getting sick and he knew it. The pair ate their alloted cereal in silence, both knowing that they would soon run out.

"I'm hungry," the girl complained one day- the first complaint in who know's how long.

Villain gave her a sympathetic smile and pushed half of his cheerios over. He wasn't that hungry anyways.

His head started to hurt as he felt fever set in. He couldn't sleep anymore other than periodic, short-lived black outs. But he always awoke more dizzy and tired than before.

Soon after, the fever started to worsen. He would thrash in his sleep and wake up more entangled than before. It hurt, everything hurt and there was no relief.

The girl was his only source of light. She would watch him with wide eyes, bright gaze never faltering. He would reach for her in half-consious states, desperate to know if she was okay.

He quit eating entirely, allowing the girl all the food, but still she ate her twenty pieces a day.

Once, Villain woke up so weak and exhausted that we couldn't even turn his head to look around. He groaned, staring at the floor with a dull gaze.

"Sir? Sir are you okay?" The girl asked, voice thick with sobs. "Are-are you dead?"

Villaim forced himself to peel up his eyes to look at her, but could only keep the look for so long before his eyelids drooped again.

The girl crawled over and picked Villain's head up an inch from the ground. Like a ragdoll, he allowed total and utter control of his head and neck.

"We'll be okay," Villain wheezed, closing his eyes as pressure built in between his eyebrows.

The girl dropped his head just as the fever pulled him under again.

The girl crawled back to her spot, laid down, and also took a nap.

Neither knew of the rescue team just feet above them.

#bad things happen bingo #injured villain #self sacrifice #feverish villain #broken bones #explosion #tw burns #writing #villain whumpee #villain caretaker #child whumpee #not really #but just in case

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hanahaki-neko · 3 years

Text

Across Millenia | Venti x Reader

He never once forget about her. Even after so long. But Venti never expected to meet her again,after all this time

note : reincarnation AU. again this is a work from wattpad but i hope y’all enjoy it. this is from my early days so excuse me if the fic is bad lmao

Windwheel aster. That was her favourite flower. Even as a little wind spirit he'd keep a breeze blowing through the field to ensure that they don't wilt. Sure he was just a tiny insignificant being in the world with little to no power over the whirlwind surrounding the city,but at least he made sure the flowers where she would often go was always there to greet her.

Y/N and the bard would make their way through the city. She would smile in delight whenever she sees the little windwheel asters. True that they only grow in places that has gentle breeze. One without or one with too much fierce would kill them. The girl and a few others that had one of these flora on their windows or balcony never really did realize that the tiny spirit was the one who made sure they're still alive.

He cared about both of them so much. They had grown so close and even spend almost every hour together. Talking about the most trivial of things and doing everything together

"You two are just like twins." She laughed when he tried to shift and look like the bard.

"Well maybe he can sing with me by the tavern sometime in the future."

He loved her. He loved her so much. He didn't care if a little wind spirit and a human can't be together,or did he know if this was okay. But he never really had the guts to tell her properly. The bard knew of his feelings and was completely on board. He'd go to where she'd usually be and spend time together,sometime leaving him be with her while he went to get some drinks. He loved the bard for his supportive nature and he loved Y/N for her kind and gentle soul.

Watching the windwheel aster spins gently,and watch the dandelions scatter around when blown. "They're just like you when you float around." Said the girl,and he giggles in response. He loved the look of peace and serenity in the comfort of those flowers,despite the tyrant's rule.

Whatever would made her happy,he would do. Bringing cookies when she's feeling peckish,to visiting her during sleepless nights and keep her company. Comforting her when she feels sad. He would make sure that she keeps smiling everyday.

He would watch over both the bard and Y/N to ensure their safety. He would also support their decision and wishes. So when the bard voiced his objection against the tyrant's control over the city and seeing the girl also agreed,this little wind spirit too decided to join the rebellion. Rallying up the citizens to overthrow the tyrant,the chaos that came over,it was pretty overwhelming.

He did his best with his powers to assist them. Many bloods were drawn,many lives lost. They were separated as he went with the bard. Swords clashed and screams of pain an agony echoed throughout. But for freedom, nothing is too much of a price.

Is it?

He watched in horror,as the arrow pierced his chest. The bard fell to the ground with a thud as others rushed to his aid. The tower crumbled down as the tyrant is no more,but in the fight to obtain freedom, the bard had lost his life. Just as he thought this couldn't get any worse,the little spirit noticed that the girl was nowhere to be seen. He flutter around in panic,already crying his tiny heart out. And it just shatter into a million pieces when he saw her underneath the rubbles of the building. He cried and pleaded for others to save her. But no one could as the damage had been done. Cuts from swords and a stab wound by the spear was the end of her.

"No,no,no,this can't be happening!' He knew he should've told her to stay out of the fight. She shouldn't have grabbed that sword and fight alongside the others. She smiled weakly with grief hidden underneath upon knowing the fate of her friend the bard. She tried to reach out a hand to the spirit,which he could only held a finger with his tiny body.

"Make sure the freedom stays with them,okay?"

He did his best to keep that promise. He knew that both the girl and the bard would be glad to know that their effort weren't in vain. Their funeral was held and weep he did for a period of time unknown to anyone. How long had it been. Almost over three millenia by this point? It's been so,so long and yet it's one of the memories that stuck with him.

Fly fly away

Like the birds in the sky

See the world on my behalf

To the heavens you may fly

The song never once left his memory. The ones sung by the bard and the girl. Whenever he walks the land of Mondstadt and hear the people drink and party,Venti couldn't help but feel just a bit nostalgic. He toured the city and the land that he should've been govern, simply singing and telling tales to those who would listen. Just doing anything other than reigning over the city.

He was taken back to reality when Aether called him. Venti stood beneath the tree in windrise as he looked to the windborne traveller.

"Shouldn't you be on your way to Liyue by now? You're going to miss the rite of descension if you don't hurry." He said.

"Well we should make if it we use the teleport points. It might take only a few days and the rite is probably still a week away." Paimon replied.

"And i kinda want to spend just a bit more time with you before we depart,if you don't mind? And you know maybe take a commission or two." Aether asked.

Venti smiled,"Might as well visit Mondstadt and pick up a few audiences." They all walk back to the city where once again he sings and tells many tales. The tale of how Mondstadt becomes the city of freedom it's known right now. How the people of old times fought the tyrant. The memory of his past clouded his thoughts,and he almost cried during his performance.

Aether treated him to lunch at good hunter afterwards and they had quite the uneventful day,really. The traveller was talking to Katheryne about some commissions when Venti felt someone approaching them. He glanced over to see who it was and he was,how to put it- surprised? Dumbfounded?

The same silhouette and appearance, the h/c hair might have been a different length in the eyes,but everything else was exactly the same. Venti kept starring at her,lost in time gazing into her e/c eyes. She looked back at him and smiled a little greeting them.

"Hi. I'm Y/N,the one who commissioned for the whopperflower hunt?"

"Oh,yeah. What's up with that?" Paimon asked.

Vent completely tuned out the entire conversation. Was it possible? Is it the same person he knew back in old Mondstadt? Just being able to see her brought back the abundance of memory he had. 'Get it together,Venti. At least say something to them.' he thought to himself. He jumped a bit when Aether tapped his shoulder,asking him something he didn't quite catch.

"H-huh? What?" He looked at the traveller.

"I said can you accompany Y/N while me and Paimon check out the horde of whopperflowers and get some nectar?"

"Oh! Oh,yeah,sure."

"Geez,he's been spacing out a lot today. What's wrong with that tone-deaf bard." Paimon sighed before the two of the left the city.

Venti is now left alone with Y/N,with both of them not really knowing what to do or say to each other. "I don't think we've officially been introduced. I'm Y/N,an alchemist." The girl said trying to break the silence.

"I'm Venti. Though you might know me if you've come and listen to my performance before this encounter." He replied to which she smiled and nodded a little.

"Say,you..want to take a walk around Windrise? The weather's nice today." He offered.

"Well,i can't progress my research until i get the materials needed."

She accepted the offer and he took her hand and led her to one if his favourite spot. Holding her hand felt exactly the same as it did all those years back. Her hands felt small against his, though it would've been the opposite in the past. The two sat down under the tree and exchanged stories. Time flies when you're having fun.

"You like flowers?" He spoke after noticing her holding a certain set of them.

"I guess? I like windwheel asters most, though." She smiled in reply.

He couldn't help but think 'just like her' as she went on to tell about how she grew some of these at her house. How they only grow in places with gentle winds blowing through. He of course knew of this fact,but he didn't mind listening to her rambling about them. He'd listen with a small smile plastered to his face the entire time.

"So, you're an alchemist..but what's with all those bandages?" He asked this time after seeing her wrist wrapped in one.

"Oh, it's just some accidents on the lab and some scars i got from foraging for materials." She said,a nervous laugh followed after.

He felt a slight pain in his chest at the thought of her getting hurt. Even back then she would sometimes ger her knee scratched or fell down and trip every now and then. 'Still as fragile as ever', He said to himself. He told her more about what he saw during his travel across the land,but sometimes he noticed that she's blankly starring at him,

"Hey,Y/N. What's wrong?" He asked.

No response.

"Hello? Teyvat to Y/N?" He called again.

That seems to get her out of her little world,she shook her head a bit, regaining focus,"o-oh,what is it?"

"You've starring at me for quite a while now. Were you charmed by my good looks,perhaps?" He said teasingly.

"Wha- no! That's not it." She stuttered back,her hands up in denial and face blushing a deep shade of red.

"It's just...i feel like i know you well before meeting you here."

"I feel like i've known you for a long time."

This time Venti was the one not responding to her words. If he wasn't sure,he sure as heck is now believing she was the same Y/N he knew and loved. Perhaps she didn't have the memory her past self had,but that didn't matter to him,he was overjoyed at this point.

"Well, maybe you've seen me perform before and just didn't remember." He said, looking away and hiding a soft smile.

"Or maybe you've known me from way before." He whispered under his breath.

"Hm? Did you say something?"

"No,i was just thinking about putting on a show tomorrow in front of the statue for others to hear yet another heroic tale." He smiled at her.

"I hope you would come and watch me sing,dear Y/N."

"I won't miss it for the world." She smiled back,chuckling.

His eyes soften as he grabbed her hand which surprised her at first. He leaned in and kissed her lips,earning a gasp in response and a blush as well. He stood up as his smile curved into a grin.

"Then i shall look forward to tomorrow." He said putting the windwheel aster over her ear.

Venti bid farewell and without waiting for a response took his leave while she was still shocked,trying his best not to blush in front of Y/N. When he got far enough he just crouch down and mumbled something incomprehensible to himself. It was bold of him to do something like that in the first place, especially when they just met earlier today. Sure he knew her from like 2600 years ago but she had no recollection of him.

Still,somehow she was once again here before him. He'll protect her and made sure she's safe. He will never let anything bad happen to her. It will take some time for them to get to know each other all over again,but he didn't really mind.

He's really looking forward to her coming to see him perform tomorrow.

Y/N on the other hand was still recovering from the entire information overload. Face still a bit red from the entire oreal. From afar she could hear Aether and Paimon calling out to her. "Heeeyy! We got that nectar you waanted!" "Oh,t-thanks." She pulled herself out of her own little world to take the materials she asked for and paid them for their works. But just as soon as they left looking for the bard,she once again was lost in her own thoughts.

They just met today,but it felt like she had known him forever. Some of his 'old' tales felt all to familiar. And she was beyon surprised when he suddenly kissed her.

But somehow she didn't mind.

The sense of familiarity she had when talking to him put her at ease,and she felt like there's nothing to worry about. She felt safe when she's with him. And a part of her couldn't help but want to know him better.

She put a finger over her lips, still not reall over the fact that he kissed her so suddenly,then to brushing against the flower he put on her. But she smiled, thinking that he's way bolder than he looks.

She can't wait to come and watch him sing tomorrow.

#genshin impact #genshin impact fics #venti x reader #venti #the drunk bard #neko writes #hey may be a god #but he's not used to romantic relationship #i know ironic considering he sings songs about love a lot #probably

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bluemoonbeam15 · 3 years

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Hey, so I saw this video and it got me thinking. What if the reason Hopper bullies the ants for food so much is because he molted into a locust during a time of famine? Maybe his family didn’t have anything to eat and he had to do anything he could to stay alive? What if because of this change he’s always hungry, and that causes a lot of his outbursts? That poor bug. If Flick knew maybe he would’ve shown him more mercy or reached out.

https://youtu.be/uURqcI08IC4

^That’s the vid.

This is actually the first time I've been introduced to the differences between a locust and a grasshopper. For a long while, I assumed they were two different species in the same genus or family.

After watching the video and doing more research, it turns out the only defining difference between them is their psychological state. A grasshopper is only defined as a locust when it is surrounded by others of its kind and it essentially "panics" and grows manic and savage. That's why locusts are known for wreaking havoc on crops, it's like a manic episode for them.

This manic state happens when the sensory glands on the grasshopper's hind legs are rubbed constantly over a period of 4 hours. So, when they are surrounded by more due to famines, that spot is getting rubbed and it drives them crazy.

In comparison, it's similar to how a cat will oftentimes bite when you scratch that spot at the base of its tail. That spot is actually a sensitive gland that, when touched, overstimulates the cat's senses.

Based on my research, the molting that transpires during this psychological change is because of the stressful environment of being overcrowded. Kind of like how people themselves will lose more hair when stressed or a lot of animals shed their fur when facing anxiety. It's a consequence of the circumstances more than a method of adaptation.

That being said, I tried researching to see if locusts could go back to being grasshoppers, or essentially reverse that psychological state. And, unfortunately, came upon controversial answers. It's one of those, yes and no type questions.

This means I get to interpret the information however I want! XD

So for this short story, I'm going to be assuming that the psychological state can be reversed when they are distanced from the other grasshoppers (locusts). However, because they have already been in that manic state, Hopper and Molt find themselves in dangerous territory where the glands on their legs are much more sensitive. Meaning, they have a higher chance of reverting back to that manic state if they are too stressed.

Additionally, I'm twisting it a little bit from what we see in the movie. Now that these glands are more sensitive, the brothers are prone to be driven into a deeper manic state than what they were initially in. Especially Hopper, who was shown in the movie to be more on edge compared to his brother. Thumper's mentality is a prime example of this deeper state. So, Hopper and Molt -- mainly Hopper, but Molt must also tread lightly -- can easily be coaxed into that savage state if the glands are rubbed.

<><><><><><><><><>

"Come on! You'll have a great time, I promise!" Flik tugged on Hopper's arm. It was times like these he wished he weighed even half of what Hopper did.

The grasshopper didn't have to resist much. "Kid, I don't think that's such a good idea," he scratched the back of his neck.

Flik dramatically groaned, "But everyone will be there! Do you realize how often the Monarchs throw a huge party like this? Every ten years! This is our chance to meet them in person! The Monarchs, Hopper!"

"Yeah, no, I get it, really...but it's really just not my scene," Hopper unclasped Flik's hands from around his arm and stepped back. "You can go without me. The Circus Bugs are going aren't they?"

The ant gave a defeated huff, "Well, yeah..."

"Well there ya go," Hopper shrugged and nudged Flik toward the entrance of his room, "You'll have the time of your life. Go and enjoy yourself."

Flik spun around, "But it won't be the same! It's just for the night, Hop."

He sighed, "Flik--"

"Please?" The ant drooped his antennae back, lip quivering and eyes doleful. It was the most pitiful thing Hopper had laid eyes on.

His resolve lasted about five more seconds before he dropped his head, "Alright, fine...I'll go."

Flik laughed in victory, "You won't regret it!" He pulled Hopper with him down the tunnel.

"I highly doubt that."

____________________

The lightning bugs were flashing around, creating a mystical ambiance. Flik was awed at the plethora of species dancing and conversing with each other. The Monarchs held their celebrations in The City, which seemed fitting for a social creature.

Unfortunately, some of the creatures there weren't exactly social...

Flik laughed as Heimlich immediately zoned in on the food table, clearing a wide path among the crowd. "See Hop? Isn't this great?" His question wasn't answered. "Hop?" He looked around behind him, pinpointing the grasshopper a ways off.

Hopper tried staying calm, biting his lip unconsciously. There were just...so...many...insects. So much noise and racket. Where was Molt when he needed him? Lucky idiot made the excuse of helping Dr. Flora restock her infirmary. Now here he was. Why didn't he just say no? All the voices seemed as if they were blaring in his antennae.

"--op?" He blinked his eyes open, not realizing he'd squinted them closed. Flik was looking up at him worriedly, "You okay?"

"Huh? Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine," Hopper gave a wavering smile, "Just...enjoying the view," his heart felt like bursting from his chest at the sight. Everyone was just inches from each other...swarming the area.

Flik, in all innocence, gave an encouraging smile, "Well come join the fun! You can't enjoy yourself just standing here!" He went behind the grasshopper and nudged him forward.

Hopper jumped back when another insect brushed against him, "Wait, Flik! This isn't--"

Another insect bumped into them, apologizing offhandedly before moving along. Flik was small enough to not worry too much about the overcrowding. He lived in a colony for goodness' sake. Hopper felt the world spinning around him as more insects kept sliding past. To any other insect, the faint brushes of their wings against their leg would have passed them by. For Hopper, it felt like lightning jolting through his body at every touch.

While everything blurred around him, the sound of Flik calling his name was becoming white noise. A scream pierced through the chaos of his senses.

"Everyone watch out!"

"Be careful!"

"What's wrong with it?"

Flik was pulled back by the arm just as a claw sliced the air in front of him. Gypsy pushed Flik back cautiously. He stared wide-eyed at his friend, "W-What's happening?"

Hopper was doubled-over, clawing at his head momentarily before lashing out at the closest bug to him. A dragonfly fell back trying to get away, "It's gone savage!" she screamed and scrambled back into the crowd. Everyone started panicking and pushing to put distance between them and the grasshopper.

"Hopper! Are you okay?" Flik stepped forward, but Gypsy kept him back.

The grasshopper flattened his antennae baring his teeth at Flik and stalking toward him. His pupils were dilated, wings flared out, and breathing manic. Flik swallowed and shakily called out again, "Hop?"

Like a blur, Hopper lunged forward with claws sheathed. The crowd dispersed in a panic. Gypsy moved Flik behind her protectively, "Dim! Rosie! A little help over here!"

She closed her eyes shut as Hopper snarled and came inches from her face. A heavy thud directed her attention to the rhino beetle beside them. Rosie was perched on his back, working quickly to shoot her webbing around the grasshopper. Hopper tried cutting through the material but it wound tightly around his arms, immobilizing him.

"Man, what the heck happened?" Francis and the others dared walking up to Hopper, earning a hiss in response. "He...he's acting kinda like Thumper."

Flik stepped out from behind Gypsy, keeping his eyes focused on Hopper, "Hop? What's wrong buddy?" He yelped when the grasshopper snapped his jaws toward him. "Th-That's not Hopper..."

Gypsy put an arm around Flik's shoulders, "Let's take him back to the colony. Maybe Dr. Flora knows what's wrong."

_______________

"Goodness! I-I can't say I have anything of use," Flora frantically searched through her herbs. Hopper was on the floor still wrapped in the webbing, his back pressed against the rock-slab bed.

Molt walked in with some supplies in his arms, catching sight of the others, "Oh, you guys are back early!" His smile dropped when he saw his brother. "Hop!" the supplies were quickly forgotten about. Molt slid to the ground beside his brother, "Aw, Hoppy, I knew that party was a bad idea."

"You know what's wrong with him?" Francis tossed a seed at the grasshopper's head, making him snarl and push against his binds.

"It was probably 'cause o' the crowd," Molt cautiously brushed Hopper's antennae back, ignoring the growls. "The stress can make grasshopper's go savage."

Francis snorted, "Stress?"

"Well, yeah," Molt shrugged. "That and...say, were there a lot o' bugs swarmed together?"

Flik blinked, "Yeah, it was a party."

"Did he run into anyone? Or brush against anyone?"

Slim rolled his eyes, "The place was so crowded you couldn't take one step without touching someone."

Molt hummed, "Well that's why he went savage. We grasshoppers have a gland on our legs that's sensitive to touch. It's overstimulating and drives us crazy." Tentatively, he drew a claw over Hopper's leg, making the grasshopper squirm and growl from the sensation. "It's a survival tactic for when there's no food. We'll join a swarm of grasshopper's that will trigger those sensations and drive us to find food."

Flik felt a bit braver to sit down beside Hopper, "Is that why you guys were in a gang? For survival?"

"Yeah, a drought hit us bad at our old home and we were forced to find others to get food."

The ant looked back at Hopper, taking in his demeanor. Was Hopper savage back then? He certainly hadn't acted this wild. But he was definitely on edge. He was just...hungry. Starving, actually. Driven on fear for his own survival.

Gypsy kneeled down in front of Hopper, "Well, I can't do much for that gland. But I do know how to relieve stress." She forced her thumbs beneath his jaw to keep him from biting, pushing her other fingers against the back of his head. "There's a pressure point called 'the gates of consciousness' that helps relieve stress." She carefully pressed down on the back of his neck.

A deep shudder coursed his body before going limp. Gypsy felt his jaw relax and she slowly drew back, lifting his head up, "Alright, Dear, let me see." He blinked his eyes open groggily. They were back to normal from what she could see, "There we go. How are you feeling?"

Hopper groaned, "What...What happened?"

"You went a bit...feral, Dear," Gypsy sat back as Hopper took in his surroundings.

"Feral?" Everything began returning to him. He remembered the party, the lights, bugs, crowding, touching...

He shuddered at the memories, "My head hurts," he groaned.

Gypsy rubbed his temple and began cutting through the webbing, "I can imagine. We'll get you some poppy seeds to sleep it off." Dr. Flora was already getting the medicine together.

Flik wrung his hands together, "I'm sorry, Hopper. I shouldn't have pressured you into going. Why didn't you tell me this would happen?"

"What was I supposed to say?" Hopper gave a mirthless laugh, "I'd go savage if anyone touched me? Yeah, I don't think you would've believed me."

Dr. Flora handed Gypsy a few poppy seeds. "Here, eat these," she placed them in his hand. Hopper took them and laid his head back against the bed. She patted his knee and stood, "You get some rest, Dear. That headache should be gone by morning."

Flik hesitated, "I hope you're not mad."

"Me?" Hopper peeked an eye open. Flik nodded, "Why would I be mad? You didn't know, kid. On the bright side, I got to leave early," he chuckled.

Flik laughed a bit too, "Yeah, and I won't force you to go to another party again. I promise."

Hopper squinted, pinching his fingers, "I'll go to small parties, how about that? And just with our friends."

The ant grinned, "Works for me."

#a bugs life #hopper #flik #request #ask #anon ask #prompt #fanfiction #gypsy #molt #francis #slim #dim #rosie #circus bugs #writing #zootopia vibes tho

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bookish-black-girl · 3 years

Text

story trigger warnings: racism, microaggressions, underaged drinking,

Hmm so Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry? Let’s review:

This was another read that gave me cover envy once I discovered it sometime last year! The US cover is cute, but the UK cover (and the one I bought) is PRETTY!!! Alright, now on to the bookish content and my thoughts.

Unfortunately I didn’t love this book, but I liked it enough for 4 stars and it’s a nice addition to my shelf. I’m on a mission to collect as many Black couple YA books as I can lol.

Ugly Cry is a story of growth. It’s story of facing your fears, of finding your own strength, of not feeling “Black enough” as a Black person, and for this review I’ve decided to add select quotes and use that as a vehicle to guide this post.

A “real Black guy,” as I’ve heard it put around the halls of our predominantly white private school, which makes me wonder about the authenticity of my own Blackness. I’ve never heard anyone call me a “real Black girl.” In fact, I’ve only ever heard the opposite. I bet he never has to deal with white people telling Black jokes around him. Must be nice.

I never attended a private school, but I did participate in the IB program in middle and high school, and within that bubble it was a trip to see my Asian and white classmates seem to be all in, up, and about Black culture (mostly music and entertainment) and there was I who felt like an actual fraud. I wasn’t listening to the newsest rap album nor was I plugged in to the current updating shows on B.E.T. And I laughed it off. Or just withdrew into my group of friends. I wasn’t shy y’all, but I was anxious as heck and I know there are things I should have put my foot down on but...didn’t. (I.e. the n-word)

The anti-Blackness is real, and like Quinn, you hear the bullshit for a long time and let it slide, but you never stop feeling uncomfortable and you don’t say anything in the present because you never put your foot down in the past.

I stand close to Carter because, if I’m being honest, I am scared. It feels like they can see the other in me.

and

REASONS I WISH WE’D BEEN FRIENDS SOONER Maybe then I would feel more welcome in Black spaces. Hanging with Olivia makes me feel okay to show the parts of me that are rooted in my Blackness. Like, for once, I’m not trying to come out of my skin. Like an entire hemisphere of Quinn Jackson comes alive, and I never even knew that side of me existed.

This is a jumping point off of my previous point, but takes a left instead. While I was reading this, at the time I was trying to pull my memories of growing up and laying them side by side with Quinn’s experience, and this may be more of a “me” experience, but this [tik tok video link] came to mind.

Long story shot, Quinn doesn’t really experience any trauma from her own community (from what’s revealed in the story) but I do know that a lot of times I didn’t feel comfortable being around Black people as a Black person because I was afraid I wouldn’t measure up. I was already getting some side eye from close family members, me and my brother both, and it’s something that makes me skittish to this day whenever I find myself in a group of Black people who are my age. It’s weird, and I’ve gone on a tangent, but it’s something I’m working on, and while Ugly Cry didn’t go in that direction, I wonder if there are any (current) books that do.

“Anyway, I need more Black people in my life. I didn’t realize, until now, how important that is. There’s something about having Black friends that makes you feel . . . whole.” I close my mouth, whole ringing in my ears. I know exactly what he means. Having Olivia and Carter in my life, even for such a short period of time, has been life changing. I’ve had conversations and experiences with them that I could have never had with Matt, and especially not Destany.

Which brings me to...a reason why this wasn’t a full 5 stars. I can’t figure out how I feel about Quinn’s dad and his deal. At first, what I projected on Quinn made me go “mmmm, what if it’s her dad who actually went through this?” However, the support from the text was insufficient in supporting this SO I still am unable to piece out how I feel about him and his relationship to the story, other than to add addition external conflict for Quinn and her journey.

I’m about to face the biggest bully at Hayworth. I look at Olivia, the septum piercing in her nose like a crown above her lips, her chocolate-brown eyes caked in black liner, long and skinny braids in a high ponytail. But I’m with the biggest badass at Hayworth, the girl who’s actually beaten boys’ asses. I nod. I’m ready.

OLIVA!!! (and)

“Bitch.” Livvy spits the word. The sound is so rich, it sounds like a slap, like palm colliding with cheek. They both recoil.

It’s comical how fast she went from ‘just a character’ to ‘GOD I LOVE THIS GIRL SHE IS THE BEST!’. Olivia had every right to steer clear from Quinn once she was told how Quinn added in her smear campaign with her photography, but she doesn’t. She’s an amazing friend to Quinn, is her hype-woman, and a solid character on her own.

Final thoughts? I appreciated Carter’s character (the love interest) and adored his relationship with Olivia and his younger sister. It’s his (previously unknown to the reader) crush on Quinn, and his quest to help her cross things off her list and find her blackmailer that lends this entire story to be the perfect adaptation for a Netflix or theater release movie.

The subject of dealing with a family member with alzheimer's is a plot B/C type deal, but also informs and colors Quinn’s world. All in all, it was a fun, quick read.

#blaire reads excuse me while I ugly cry #bookish talks #joya goffney #spoilers #long post #excuse me while I ugly cry #I think this might be how I do my reviews on here moving forward??

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weartirondad · 4 years

Text

Chaos, Yet Harmony

Summary: 3 times Peter made Tony watch Star Wars and the 1 time it was Tony's idea.Or: Peter Parker is unapologetically a geek and Tony quickly realizes that there's nothing he wouldn't do for him.

A/N: this is part of the @irondadsecretsanta and is my gift for @aslanscompass. It was a ton of fun & I wish you all a wonderful Christmas <3

Check out all the other AMAZING fics HERE !

FF.net I ao3

Tony was wary when he answered the call at 10 past eleven at night.

He had learned early on that late night calls from teenage vigilantes were never a good sign and that, really, a call at any time from a teenager was a rarity and should always raise a red flag. So, yeah, he was wary but he felt like he was entitled to.

Next to him his fiancée was curled around the dark green plush blanket like a cat and regarded him, staring at the lit up screen of his phone, in amusement. “Don’t yell too much.”

He rolled his eyes and accepted the call, “No promises.”

“Mr. Stark?” came the breathless voice of none other than Peter Parker through the speakers and already he could feel his blood pressure rise and tried to breathe out deliberately slowly.

Calm, Stark, you’re calm.

“The one and only,” he answered and was almost proud of how calm and collected he sounded. Oh how deceiving voices could be.

“Oh!” The kid sounded actually surprised and paused for a second in which Tony could only hear the telling thwip thwip thwip of hectic webbing.

Not the best sign but he was calm. So very calm.

He was also already on the way to the nearest window, two steps from calling a suit. Pepper behind him was now openly laughing but he didn’t look back because –

“Great! I might need a little help here. Something.” Thwip. “Something came up.” Thwip. “Sorta.”

“Sorta?” Calm.

“I mean.” Thwip. “It definitely came up. Yup.” Thwip. “Definitely. How far are you from Queens?” Thwip.

“Three minutes,” he sighed, giving up on the act of sounding completely aloof, half waving to Pepper before turning around, stepping into his suit and jumping out of the window. There went the nice, cozy night he had planned.

“Kid? You still there?”

There was a long moment of no rambling and no thwiping and it was unsettling. If Tony knew that getting late night calls was a bad sign, he was sure as heck that random pauses in late night calls where close to the calling of the apocalypse.

“Huh? Yeah. Just, uh.” Thwip. “Try’na avoid getting hit.”

Jesus.

If anyone was going to test his body’s ability to handle stress it wasn’t his own superhero gig or some spandex wearing traitor, it was a goody-two-shoes kid dressed up as a spider.

“Okay, great. You keep doing that and tell me what’s going on.”

Just keep talking, kid, tell me you’re alive.

Peter started talking and while he sounded a little too excited for his taste he let the familiar sound calm him down. As long as Peter was talking, Tony could convince himself that he didn’t have to panic just yet.

He could already see Spider-Man flipping towards another building when a message from Pepper blinked up on his HUD.

Get home safe. Both of you. I’m heading to bed. Love you.

“That was wild, Mr. Stark! Like, super wild. Super mega wild. Super-duper mega –“

“Wild?” Tony suggested in mock seriousness, setting down on the landing pad and watched Spider-Man land gracefully behind him. The second the kid had solid ground under his feet he ripped off his mask and took in a big gulp of air. His hair was mussed, cheeks red and his usually light brown eyes dark, pupils dilated so much not much of the iris was left to be seen.

Typical signs of an active sympathetic nervous system, his mind supplied unsolicited.

“Steady,” he ordered roughly when a bony shoulder bumped into his arm but there was no real force behind it when he reached out to wrap an arm around him to do the steadying himself. As soon as he had him under control he led them to the kitchen to get one of the nutrition bars he had started keeping in stock for Peter’s mutant metabolism.

“S’rry.” The kid grinned up at him sheepishly, rubbing at the mess of curls on his forehead in a poor attempt to tame them. “What’re we gonna do now?”

He raised an eyebrow in silent amusement. “It’s midnight, buddy. You should probably get to bed sometime soon if you wanna make first period.”

“But –“ Peter looked disoriented for a moment, eyes flying back and forth between the clock and Tony felt for him when his searching gaze fell on him. He looked so hopeful, as if he was lost and Tony his compass and he was so certain that he would lead him back home. The genuine trust in his eyes pierced through him and immediately he felt lacking. Thank goodness that deflection was his second nature.

Shoving two granola bars into Peter’s hand, he took a step back to give himself some space to reorient.

“You’re too excited to sleep?”

There was a vigorous nod that had crumbs falling everywhere.

“Figures,” he sighed, “The aftereffects of adrenaline are never fun.” He watched the teenager devour the second bar in mere seconds, mind whirling with doubt. “Do you want me to stay with you until you are tired enough to go to bed?”

Wide eyes found his and, mouth still full, Peter gave a timid nod, uncertain question marks clear in the twinkle of his eyes and the way he cocked his head to the side slightly.

“Okay, let’s make some tea and put on a movie. What do you wanna watch? Frozen?” He turned around to start rummaging through the kitchen for herbal tea.

That must’ve been enough for Peter to finally swallow his food and get his bearings. “How do you even know about Frozen, Mr. Stark? Are you a fan?” he quipped.

He half-turned, kettle in hand, grinning when Peter plopped down on the couch and immediately tucked himself into the blanket Pepper had neatly folded and stashed on the arm rest before she had gone to sleep. “Have you been outside last year? Show me someone who doesn’t know about Frozen.”

“Fair point,” Peter agreed easily, mind obviously already a step further. “What’s your favorite Star Wars?”

“Uh,” Tony put the kettle on the stove, “I have seen about as many Star Wars movies as I’ve seen Frozen movies.”

“You –“ The way Peter turned must put a painful strain on his neck but he looked too scandalized to notice. “What?”

The kettle whistled and he put in two bags of Pepper’s herbal tea before replying, “I have never watched Star Wars.”

“Oh my –“ For the second time that evening Peter looked utterly confused which, for a kid that smart, was especially amusing. “What rock have you been living under? I thought everyone knew Star Wars. Especially old people.”

“Hey!” He admonished but had to admit that it lost much of its brunt when he put down two steaming glasses of tea and started tugging at the blanket to cover Peter’s foot fully. “Be nice to me.”

“I’m being super nice, Mr. Stark. ‘Cause I’m gonna introduce you to a galaxy far, far away. The best galaxy.”

Tony watched in amusement as Peter ordered F.R.I.D.A.Y. to put on Episode IV and then looked eagerly back at him. “You’re gonna love it.”

“This is supposed to make you tired, squirt,” he reminded him, tapping his knee gently.

“It will,” he promised, “Star Wars always calms me down.”

The way he said it made Tony pause, made his heart ache with the harsh reality this kid had had to face and how bright he still was despite of it. Instead of an answer he pushed the glass of tea into his hands and made sure he was all tucked in before starting the movie.

Surprisingly enough Peter wasn’t lying. Halfway through the movie his breathing had evened out so much that Tony thought he was already asleep, cheek mushed into one of the big pillows, curled in on himself.

When the movie was over he stirred, slurring “G’nna watch the rest t’morrow?”

“Maybe let’s split it up a little, whataya say?” He reached out to brush some of his curls from his forehead, surprised by the gentleness of the gesture. “But we can watch them together if you want to.”

“Promise?”

“Pinky promise, kiddo.”

ii.

With Peter it wasn’t exactly hard to notice when something was off.

Even Tony, who admittedly was often too caught up in his own world to be fine-tuned into other people’s feelings and was much more comfortable fixing a cranky robot than moody human, could see it from a mile away. Or maybe that was a new kind of sense that began and ended with Peter Parker’s wellbeing. Oh well, he tried not to dwell on that.

The thing about Peter was that, when he was fine, his entire being radiated contentment, his voice tripped with excitement and his eyes shone with laughter. On a good day he was the picture perfect golden retriever puppy and similarly receptive to hugs and hair ruffles.

Today, though, his usual exuberance had visibly deflated and when he came to the workshop he punched in his code and then continued to scuff towards his workstation with only a passing hello. That was not the Peter Tony knew and, frankly, it was worrying to see someone normally so eager and lively so … lacking of life for lack of a better word.

The thing about Tony was that he was, by his own standing, probably the least equipped to deal with someone having a bad day. Heck, his own bad days usually ended in working through every meal, chugging coffee by the gallon and seeing no sun light for hours on end and even he knew that wasn’t healthy.

So he kept quiet at first and let Peter work in hopes of it calming him down because what did he know about healthily dealing with teenage angst on a Wednesday?

He kept a close eye on him, though, because for how much Tony didn’t think he was equipped to handle Peter’s bad days he also wanted to chase the shadows from his face and the hardness from his stance however cliché that sounded.

He wanted to help, he did. He just didn’t know how. So he watched from afar and contemplated.

When Peter dropped the screw driver a third time and was getting more and more agitated with the web shooter he was working on, Tony decided to stage an intervention ‘cause what the heck. He hated seeing the kid so down.

Rolling his chair over to the teenager’s work bench he picked up the tool before Peter could. “You wanna tell me what’s up, squirt?”

Peter glared, which was about as intimidating as a golden retriever puppy glaring, “Nothing,” and reached for the screw driver. Which Tony pulled out of reach at the last moment. Which made him look even more like a puppy. It was all in the big brown eyes, he decided then.

“You’re a terrible liar.”

“I have a secret identity.”

“Which I found out about in like a day.” He leaned back with a grin and started throwing the screwdriver in the air and effortlessly catching it.

“You’re Tony Stark,” the kid gave back with an eye roll, catching the tool before Tony had the chance to. “But I’m fine, honestly.”

“I mean,” he crossed his arms and watched him turn back to his web shooter rather listlessly, “considering that you not being fine usually means you’re bleeding out in an alleyway I’m not entirely reassured.”

“I’ve never bled out in an alleyway.”

“Yeah, because I flew in to get you before you could.”

“Why do you even care?” Peter snapped at him, a flicker of teenage annoyance dancing in his eyes before vanishing in the time it took Tony to ponder the fact that even this seemingly perfect kid could be annoyed. Finally. “Sorry,” he sighed, proving yet again how much better he was than literally anyone else, “I’m just annoyed.”

If that wasn’t a break-through, than he didn’t know what was. Silently patting himself on the back, Tony reached out to turn Peter’s chair so he was facing him and gently took the screw driver from his hands, putting him down on the work bench before giving the kid his full intention.

“What are you annoyed about?”

He shrugged indifferently, not meeting his eyes, “I don’t know. I just... Ned and I got into an argument and he was being so… so stubborn about it. Like, it wasn’t even that bad but he just wouldn’t budge.”

“Oh no, a stubborn teenager. Someone call the zoo we’ve found an endangered species,” he deadpanned.

Peter glared again but Tony could also see him bite down on his lower lip to keep it from curling upwards.

“Sorry, sorry. What did you and Ned fight about?”

“It wasn’t a fight… not really,” he corrected, “And it was dumb. Like, really ridiculous to be so annoyed about it. It’s not… it’s just stupid.”

Cocking his head to the side ever so slightly he raised an eyebrow and repeated calmly, “What did you argue about? I mean, if you don’t wanna talk about it that’s fine but if it’s got you so up in arms about it maybe you should is all I’m saying.”

“You’re gonna think it’s stupid,” Peter pouted.

“Maybe,” Tony shrugged, “But it’s still okay to be angry about something stupid sometimes. You don’t wanna know about half the things Rhodey and I fought about back in the days. Still do, actually.”

“Now I kinda do,” Peter grinned, then paused. “We argued about the Jedi code.”

“You… argued about the Jedi code,” Tony repeated dumbly, “Like… The Star Wars guys running around in wardrobes? They have a code?”

Big brown eyes flew up to meet his, full of indignation “Of course they have a code! There’s actually a couple different versions of it which is what we were arguing about because he said –,“ Peter stopped speaking midsentence, mouth slamming shut audibly. “It doesn’t matter… You don’t… you don’t have to listen to this, honestly, Mr. Stark.”

He made sure to school his expression and started speaking deliberately slowly, “Peter. I know I don’t have to listen to this. And, as you’ve pointed out before I am Tony Stark and you know I rarely do anything I don’t want to but, kid, you gotta know at this point that I like having you around and I like talking to you. That doesn’t just hold true when you’re your usual bubbly self but also, and especially when you’re not. This is clearly important to you. And if it’s important to you, I’m interested.”

He waited until Peter gave him a nod of understanding, timid as it may be, and leaned back in his chair again, “So tell me about this discourse in the Star Wars fandom.”

The kid didn’t have to be told twice and Tony felt his soul settle when he watched him perk up and dive into what must’ve obviously been weighing him down.

“Okay, so the Jedi code most commonly used goes like: There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge etcetera which, you know, it’s mostly meant to be used as a mantra for meditation to, like, get to a place where you don’t let your emotions overtake you and stuff. And I get that, I do.”

When Tony gave an earnest nod to show he was listening, Peter continued. “But it wasn’t always like that. It used to be: Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge, and so on. And I like that one better because it acknowledges the fact that Jedi do have emotions like everyone else, too, right? I think that’s important! And this whole black-and-white view of ‘There’s no emotion whatsoever’ makes me so mad!”

He was gesticulating wildly, cheeks reddening with fervor as he spoke.

“Putting aside how hypocritical the whole thing sounds, you can’t make people think that having emotions will put them on a direct path to the Dark side when so much of the goodness of the Good side comes from how much they care. It’s all about controlling those emotions enough to not make bad decisions based on them but – Why can’t there be peace with emotion? By giving their Padawans the feeling that they’re in the wrong for being… well, for being people they just make it so much easier for them to fall to the Dark side!”

“It just – it makes me mad how black-and-white they want to make the world seem. And by doing that they start lying to themselves and to their students and what good does a code do when it’s impossible to hold yourself to it? You can’t just go around telling people there’s no Death but the Force when that is, objectively, a lie. Whereas Death, yet the Force acknowledges that people die but gives you the closure of knowing where you’ll find them again and the belief that they’re still with you, somehow. I think … I think that’s beautiful.” Once he was done he slumped together on his chair.

“Feeling better now?” Tony asked, reaching out to pat the top of his head.

“Yeah, a little,” he sighed, “I’m annoyed that we even argued about it but I also don’t like how he wouldn’t even listen to my point of view, ya know?”

“Well, did you listen to his side?”

“I mean,” Peter blinked up at him sheepishly, “Kinda?” The corners of his lips tugged upwards and he gave a shrug, “Maybe not as much as I should have,” he admitted with a sigh. They fell silent for a moment, Tony giving Peter the time to work through the wall his mind had built up.

“Guess I’m gonna text him an apology for not listening and that it’s okay that we have different opinions.”

“Atta boy!” Tony grinned at him and while he knew none of Peter’s maturity was his doing, his heart still swelled with pride of how good Peter was.

“Can we watch Star Wars now?”

“You got your homework done?”

Peter rolled his eyes. “Yes.”

“Hungry?”

He laughed, exasperated, “Nothing some popcorn couldn’t fix.”

Tony smiled, then sobered and gave him a once over. “You okay?”

Peter nodded, a lone strand of curl bobbing back and forth, smile soft and true. “Yeah.”

Well, that settled it. He clapped his hands once and got up from his chair in a swift motion. “Then let’s watch... What comes after Episode six?”

“Episode one!” Peter jumped up, grabbing his wrist like a child pulling their parent towards a candy store, “You’ll finally meet Anakin. And honestly that’s exactly my point! Maybe if they hadn’t told him that all emotion is bad –“

He let himself be dragged upstairs and listened to him rambling over the Jedi code and he realized, in that instant, that he was truly, irrevocably happy.

iii.

“I cannot believe I let you put me into this,” he complained, his voice breathy and rough.

Peter pulled on his white robe and fastened his light saber in its holder for the umpteenth time. “To be fair, you were the one who wanted a mask. I wanted you to go as Obi Wan.”

“He is blond, Peter,” he shot back like he had the last hundred times they’d had this conversation. He looked around through the dark lenses of his mask, the HUD he had installed blinking up to scour the crowd for possible threads, and sighed, “I miss the days where I was oblivious to Star Wars and didn’t have an annoying teenager dragging me to these things.”

“No, you don’t.”

He was glad the mask hid his smile at the easy banter. It was bad enough Peter knew exactly how wrapped around his little finger he was, he didn’t have to show it time and time again.

“Okay, I don’t. But you still owe me one.”

“But Mr. Sta-a-ark,” he said, dragging his last name for at least two more syllables than it had and looking as pitiful as if he’d actually just lost his hand, “I’m already being punished enough. We’re going to MOMA next semester.”

Despite himself, Tony could feel the fondness shine through as he chuckled, “Excuse me, are you actually voicing dislike in something? Are you actually my Peter Parker or have you officially become a rebel now?”

The kid giggled, honest to god giggled, and shrugged, “Guess there’s a lot of things you don’t know about me, Mr. Stark. I do dislike things!”

“Really? Name three.” He raised an unimpressed eyebrow, leveling Peter with a glare before realizing that the gesture was completely lost in his costume. Not even the tone translated. He really needed to figure something out for that next time. He couldn’t have his natural charm get lost in the Dark side.

The thought made him stop dead in his tracks – thankfully still unseen by the Jedi next to him. Next time? He hated this costume with a passion why would he consider wearing it again?

Unbeknownst to the inner whirlwind that were his thoughts, Peter actually answered his question after floundering for a bit.

“Well, I don’t like bad people. And hurricanes. And MOMA. Even though, MOMA really never did anything to me, I’d just rather go somewhere else y’know. I mean, it’ll probably be kinda nice anyway? So yeah, maybe I don’t not like MOMA. But – I still don’t like, uh, racists?”

Ah, yeah, that was why he was actually thinking about a next time in this ridiculous outfit. Because of Peter freaking Parker.

“Those are all very good things to dislike, Mr. Parker, but I was actually hoping that all people with a little decency and common sense disliked those things,” he teased. “Just admit that you do not have a single mean bone in your body and that it’s physically impossible for you to dislike anything.”

“That’s not –“

“I love your cosplay, man!” some guy in a badly made Yoda costume whose ears were precariously close to falling off the side of his head and were only held in place by a few strands of grey fuzz interrupted him and the disturbance would have annoyed Tony had Peter’s face not started positively lighting up at the compliment.

“Thank you!” he replied easily with a face splitting grin, “I love yours, too. What’d you use to make the ears?”

“Just papier-mâché”, Yoda replied, obviously taken aback by the interest in his own costume by someone with an obviously home-made light saber. He seemed excited, though, and started rambling about something until he let his eyes wander to the side and took in Tony’s appearance for the first time.

“Oh my god,” he gasped, yes, gasped, and gaped at him like a fish pulled out of water, “That is the best father and son costume ever! Can I take a picture of the two of you?”

And before Tony could so much as utter a word, Peter had already nodded his consent and leaned against him with a huge grin on his face and the other kid was fumbling for his phone and started snapping pictures of them. And then a selfie, because of course.

“Is this real life?” he breathed out almost silently.

“It might just be fantasy,” his sassy AI replied instantly, earning him another gasp and round of big, wide eyes from Yoda.

“Did your mask just reply to you? And did the eyes light up? How did you do that?”

“It’s just a, uh,” very high-tech AI system that was talking back to him, “it’s like Google glasses.” He cringed internally and could feel more than see Peter snicker against his side.

“Oh, like the ones Tony Stark always wears?”

By now Peter was having to work so hard on holding back his laughter that he had gone almost rigid, grinning from ear to ear and happily answering for him. “Yes, yes, Tony Stark is totally wearing Google glasses.”

“Ah, well, I think yours are cooler anyway. I mean you’d never find Tony Stark at the Star Wars midnight premiere.”

Oh, don’t I wish, he thought, ruefully imagining how comfortable he could be on his own couch right now.

Peter, though, Peter was loving this which made him reconsider his earlier statement about the mean bones in his body.

“Yeah, you’re way cooler than Tony Stark. Right, dad?”

Oh for goodness sake. That sassy dad should not do the things to his heart that it was currently doing. That could not be healthy.

“Sure,” he cleared his throat to get rid of the pesky emotions in there, “I mean, Tony Stark is a pretty cool guy but, uh, yeah, so much cooler.”

And, as if someone had heard his prayers, the doors to the movie theater were opened and a reverent murmur went through the crowd before people – droids and aliens, Jedi and Sith alike – started wandering in and taking their places and finally, finally the thing they were actually here to see could begin.

Tony would complain about that day to anyone who would listen (and to some, like Pepper, who wouldn’t) but when Peter sent him one of the pictures the Yoda guy had taken, he framed it and put it up next to the picture of him and Rhodey proudly presenting Dum-E in his lab.

Until, of course, when he broke it in a moment of uncontrollable grief because looking at all he used to have just hurt too dang much.

iv.

“You coming, kiddo?”

The voice came out of nowhere, startling him so much he almost toppled over the front porch’s wooden railing he was leaning against.

“Wha-“ he whirled around and his heart simultaneously sang and sank, “Oh, it’s just you.”

“Yeah, just me. Sorry to disappoint.” The quip fell from his lips easily but his mentor’s dark eyes shone with concern. Somehow that made the lump in his stomach grow even heavier.

“That’s not – I mean, uh, I’m not –“ he stumbled over his words, cringing at how high-pitched his voice sounded even to his own ears, “Sorry. I’m –“

He stopped midsentence when he realized that he wasn’t sure what he wanted to say and just shrugged, coupled with a small smile that was definitely fake and evidently did not convince Mr. Stark of anything.

He was still coming closer, slowly and careful of the shiny prosthetic that sat where his arm used to be.

The image made Peter sick and he tried to focus on his face instead. There were a few more wrinkles than he remembered, especially around his eyes and mouth – from laughing no doubt. He was sporting more grey hair, too, and he looked comfortable in his dark blue cardigan where he used to wear suits or band shirts. He looked exactly like someone who lived happily in a lake house.

“You okay, squirt?”

He snapped out of his spiraling thoughts and, on reflex, started nodding.

“See,” he stopped when he was next to him and leaned against the railing, too, facing Peter who turned to face the small boat that was moving ever so slightly with the lake’s small ripples. “I don’t believe you.”

Huh.

“You’re not okay.” It was a statement, leaving no room for him to argue.

“But –“ He was cut off and a part of him was glad for it because what was he going to say anyway? He was a bad liar and Mr. Stark good at reading him. That, at least, was something that hadn’t changed.

“None of us are really okay and that’s okay,” Mr. Stark said and turned to watch the lake now, too. “Or so I’ve been told repeatedly. But, as I’ve also been reliably informed, we have to talk to each other to get better.”

He shrugged and crossed his arms in front of his chest, tugging both hands under his arm-pits to keep them from shaking.

“No talking, I take it?”

He shrugged again.

“Would you let me hug you?”

His head snapped up instantly. The question came as a surprise but sounded honest and hesitant and attentive and it made his head spin. But, when he took a moment to think about it, he ended up nodding. He didn’t think there was a whole lot he would refuse the man for a while.

Almost immediately he was being wrapped into a strong healthy arm and pulled close until Mr. Stark could bury his face in his hair and take in a deep breath. He couldn’t help but notice how heavily his mentor was leaning against the railing while holding him but he also noticed how his entire body seemed to loosen as the hug went on, how tension and worry slowly sept out of his stance.

Peter noticed the same for himself, too, and somehow that made him want to cry.

The arm around him was steady and it held him together when everything had seemed to fall apart and his head was spinning and he felt his eyes tear up and his heart beat speed up and he suddenly wished that he could stay here forever.

Which was ridiculous. Mr. Stark just wanted to give him a quick hug and go on with his day. He couldn’t know how liberating his touch felt, how cared for and valued and loved Peter felt just by being in his arms and he couldn’t just tell him. He couldn’t –

But it felt so nice.

“Hey, hey, bud,” Mr. Stark sounded worried and it felt like he wanted to pull away and Peter’s breaths started coming in quicker at the thought. There was a sound somewhere in the back of his throat and Mr. Stark stopped pulling away but still loosened his grip.

“It’s okay, kiddo,” he shushed him and Peter had to swallow down a sob because this was getting ridiculous but it felt so nice, “It’s gonna be okay, I promise. It’s gonna be okay.”

After a moment he had caught himself enough to not start breaking down and gave a nod. “I’m –“ he sniffed and whispered, “Thank … Thank you, Mr. Stark.”

For a moment it seemed like his mentor wasn’t going to say anything but then he gave a small smile and pulled him into his side instead. “Anytime, kiddo. Now let’s watch Rogue One. The Force is telling me it’s time for a high stakes-tragedy-comfort movie.”

Despite himself, Peter let out a wet giggle. “There’s never a wrong time for Star Wars, Mr. Stark.”

“I know, I know. It’s tradition. Or so you keep telling me,” he said and the fondness in his voice almost made Peter cry again.

He didn’t, though.

They went back into the empty lake house – May, Pepper and Morgan were having a girls day apparently – made themselves comfortable on the big couch and put on the movie as if they had never done anything else. They moved like a well-oiled machine, like a team that had been working together forever.

Peter was curled into Mr. Stark’s side and his thumb was constantly caressing his knee and it felt wonderful. It felt like home.

The lump in his throat never left.

Somehow it kept growing with every passing minute and with it the loneliness and while he felt right at home it also felt like he shouldn’t. His body felt out of place, as if all the pieces of him had never truly reintegrated, leaving him with holes in his being that he wasn’t sure how to fill.

He watched Chirrut Îmwe blindly walk across battlefields and single-handedly eliminate an entire garrison, trusting the Force to keep him safe and the blazing desire for that kind of certainty hit him unaware.

Maybe that was the whole problem, he realized slowly, as he watched Galen’s message to his daughter and that was when the first tear fell, silent and painful.

Ever since he had come back barely anything had seemed certain anymore. There had been things he had believed to be unchangeable but then a mad Titan had snapped his fingers and his beliefs had turned into dust alongside his body and half the universe and then he had come back and everything had been different and even things that appeared to be the same just weren’t.

May had been gone, too. They still loved each other the same way they always had. Unconditionally. Unquestioningly. Easy. She never had to miss him, never faced a world without him in it. She was the only constant he could claim but everything else –

He couldn’t understand how it had been five years and Mr. Stark had a wife and a kid and a lake house and how he could have still missed him with all that. How he could’ve even had the time. Why would he miss Peter of all people? And, and…

Mr. Stark’s affection was different now. Fiercer, gentler, more… more parental. Or maybe it wasn’t different but he was more open with it. He looked at him the way he looked at Morgan and he couldn’t make sense of that. He couldn’t.

Why would anyone miss me?

He kept circling back to the same question.

Whywhywhywhy- Why me?

He didn’t notice he started full on crying until suddenly the screen in front of him was blurry and his cheeks were wet and his breaths came in rough. He tried to breathe through it, to keep his body calm and steady so Mr. Stark wouldn’t notice but it made his lungs feel like they were on fire trying to keep it all in.

As if he had read his thoughts Mr. Stark’s hand moved up from where it had been resting on his knee and started rubbing slow circles into his scalp. He didn’t move otherwise, made no attempt to pull away and when he spoke his voice was barely more than a whisper.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Did he? He knew if he started talking, he’d start spiraling and he’d lose the last ounce of self-control he was clinging to. He didn’t want that.

He shook his head, but his body started shaking more violently anyway when he couldn’t breathe through the sobs anymore.

“Shh, that’s okay, buddy, that’s fine,” Mr. Stark murmured, “But stop trying to bite down on your tears. I know how much that hurts. It’s okay. Let it out. I’m here.”

He kept talking – quietly, soothingly, calmly – and at some point Peter’s body decided to listen and he stopped trying to keep quiet and when the first sob broke through his lips he buried his head in Mr. Stark’s stomach and let himself cry.

It hurt and more often than not Mr. Stark had to remind him to slow down his breathing so the oxygen could reach his brain and it didn’t seem to ever stop. But it was also freeing.

Every sob that tore through him gave voice to a pain he had buried inside like needles in his soul that he was pulling out one after the other. For the first time since he had come back he felt like he could breathe again.

His lungs were finally uncurling fully, the weight that had been sitting on his ribcage was gone. He could breathe and at first he gulped in the air like someone pulled from certain death through drowning. He felt like he had been suffocating for weeks and this was the first time someone had pulled his head above water again.

“Slowly, squirt, slowly. Breathe nice and slowly, the air’s not going anywhere, I promise.”

And if Mr. Stark promised to keep his head above water it must be right. After all, Mr. Stark always kept his promises.

They didn’t exchange anything other than those small reassurances and soothings until the end of the movie. And Peter shed a few tears when the inevitable happened but he was tired and cried out and so emotionally drained he wasn’t sure he would ever be able to feel again.

Still, when Princess Leia appeared on the screen he felt the same flutter of hope in his chest that he always felt when he watched it and his soul settled.

“Hope,” she said on screen and the single syllable word echoed through his body, spreading like a bonfire and melting places that had been numb for days.

Everything was going to be okay.

When the credits started rolling, that’s when Mr. Stark started talking again starting with a cough to clear his throat that sounded like he had been crying, too.

“I know you may not want to talk about it, Pete, but I feel like we should.” He sighed and he sounded sad and strong at the same time. More importantly, though, he never stopped running his fingers through his hair. “You may not have heard but I’m a responsible adult now. Someone who makes kids talk about their problems.”

Peter snorted and Mr. Stark gave a chuckle.

“Granted, Morgan’s tears are usually about whether or not we’re letting her have that second juice pop but we do talk about that.”

“You give her the juice pop, don’t you?” His voice was scratchy but Mr. Stark didn’t comment on that. He laughed quietly.

“It depends, honestly. On whether or not Pepper is around when the tantrum starts.”

“You’re a great dad to her,” he whispered in reply and if he had thought he had calmed down just half a minute earlier then his heart felt like splitting open again now. He couldn’t put the finger on it, didn’t want to admit to himself that it was jealousy of the time they had that he would never get. He hated himself for thinking about it. If anyone deserved a family it was Mr. Stark and Morgan was the sweetest child. It was just –

Morgan belonged with her family, she was a Stark through and through – stubbornness and smarts and all. And Mr. Stark belonged with Pepper and his daughter, too. He knew that. He wanted that for them.

He just – he had thought that he had kind of belonged with Mr. Stark, too, but how could he now that he had been gone for five years? How could he ever belong anywhere ever again?

“As they say; practice makes perfect,” Mr. Stark spoke, completely oblivious to Peter’s thoughts, “Guess it gets easier the second time around.”

For a moment he forgot to spiral into self-doubt and angst and stopped. A Second… Second time? Huh?

As if he sensed the wordless question, his mentor pulled him closer and buried his face in his hair again. It seemed to soothe him as much as it calmed Peter. He seemed comfortable this close. Happy, at home.

“See, squirt, I know that I didn’t raise you. I would never take that honor and privilege from May and your Uncle Ben and your parents. They made you in the person you were when I met you and that person was already better than anything I could have ever hoped to achieve. But then,” he paused as if unsure how to continue, “We did meet and I did get the honor of being in your life, of mentoring you, of caring for you. I made a lot of mistakes at first and – My biggest mistake was trying to keep you at arm’s length.”

“I don’t – I don’t understand,” Peter whispered, pushing himself up far enough to meet his mentor’s eyes that were glistening with unshed tears. His gaze softened even more when he saw his own tear stained cheeks and red rimmed eyes and there was a shadow of anguish and a spark of love in them.

“I know,” he sighed, never breaking eye contact but shifting them into a more comfortable position, “You can’t understand because I never told you. Not really. But, Peter, you have to know, that you’re my kid. You are as much my kid as Morgan is. You made me want to be a dad, made me want to prove that I could because I wanted to be one to you and I didn’t want to fail you. And –“ he stopped and a shudder went through his body, “And then I did. I failed you and I – I never forgave myself for that. And I never stopped missing you. God, I missed you so much, Pete.”

But … “Why would you… Why me?”

“Because, Peter. Because you’re my boy and I love you and the world was so much darker without you in it and because every awful moment would’ve been less awful with you and every good moment would’ve been perfect. I – I kept going, I went on because I had to. Because there were Pepper and Rhodey and then Morgan. I had to keep going but that doesn’t mean I didn’t miss you every single second of every single day.”

“I’m scared that I don’t belong anymore. That I don’t belong anywhere anymore,” he admitted finally. The shameful confession uttered so quietly that the words almost got lost in his mentor’s heavy breaths on his cheeks.

“Oh,” Mr. Stark looked at him stunned, like he had grown a second head for a good moment before leaning forward and pulling him back in, holding him tighter than he had ever held him. Both arms folding across his back with the prosthetic cutting into his skin but it didn’t matter, it didn’t. Because he felt held together in place, in a place where he belonged and where he was wanted. He was being anchored and kept from drifting off into the infinite vastness of space and he was so incredibly grateful.

“You belong here, kiddo,” he took in the fierce words in his ear, let them run down his back and warm him like a hot shower after a cold day. “You belong with me and you belong with May. You belong in Queens and you belong here, in this lake house that has been planned with your bedroom in mind. You belong with your family and, for as long as you let me, I will never let you go ever again.”

He cried some more after that – cried himself to sleep that night in fact – but Mr. Stark was there the whole time, holding him, whispering reassurances and tickling a wet smile out of him eventually. The next day was a little bit better. The self- doubt didn’t evaporate, didn’t leave right away.

Some days were worse than others, some were better. Some the voices in his head had him going mad with why’s and what-if’s and some days he couldn’t even hear them over Morgan’s giggles and May’s bad jokes and Mr. Stark lecturing Dum-E.

Coming back wasn’t easy by any means and it did take a while but a couple of weeks later, he jumped out of Happy’s new SUV, running up to the front porch and flying into Mr. Stark’s waiting arms, and his thoughts hummed happily with only one thought.

I’m home.

#irondadsecretsanta #irondad #iron dad #irondad fic #peter parker #tony stark #star wars #josis fic #chaos yet harmony #merry christmas!!

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breathings-of-the-heart · 5 years

Text

Imagine Relating to Mikasa about Loving someone in the Military

Your aura was serene as you looked out into the secluded area of the camp, the small lake in front of you glistening in the sunlight. Surrounded by trees and foliage that became sparse around a glade above, it was a final destination to a well-hidden trail that weaved through the small forest. Overgrown grass gave hint to the passage of time and trivial importance of the path.

Birdsong echoed from the branches above, filling the early morning silence. You sat on the rooftop of an old servant’s quarter cabin, a perfect view of the training grounds on your right. The sun was just beginning to rise, lighting everything with a dull yet fiery orange color.

Privacy, you found, didn’t help to ease your heartache.

A quiet zipping sound signaled the end of the period of solitude, footsteps bouncing off the wood growing closer.

“I didn’t think anyone else came up here,” a firm voice said, an underlying tone of reservation within it. You turned around, lips tugged upward to give you a friendly appearance.

“It’s a hidden treasure, isn’t it?” you conversed kindly. “Would be a shame if it could only be appreciated by one person.” There was an air of hesitation in the other female, and you turned back towards the view of the other soldiers littered amongst the clearing.

“Don’t leave on my account, Mikasa. I don’t bite.”

Crossing your legs, you smiled as Mikasa took a seat next to you. Her grey eyes appeared troubled, and you followed the trail of her fixed look.

Eren.

You had been told about the powerful young Ackerman’s unmitigated loyalty towards her adoptive brother. Saw the same wistful look she believed she hid so well inside yourself, engraved within those telling irises. Sighing in understanding, you stole a glimpse at her pensive expression.

“I know exactly how that feels,” you sympathized, burning with shame. “At this point it's useless to try and deny it.”

“Pardon?” Mikasa asked curtly, growing dishevelled. Although, she knew exactly what you were talking about. It was made obvious by the straightening of her spine and clenching of her fists.

“You have it better than most, believe it or not.”

She was quiet for a moment.

“Right,” she said finally, snorting sarcastically.

You could tell she was getting defensive. Trying to rectify the situation, you inspected at the self-given bite mark scar on your hand, a painting on your skin representing a bond of trust that connected Squad Levi to Eren, holding it out for Mikasa to see. Her eyes widened a fraction.

“It’s in everyone here’s best interest to protect Eren, even at the cost of our lives. Heck, to someone with half a brain, that’s a small sacrifice,” you explained softly, running a finger over your reddened flesh. “You don’t have to question our motives or intentions. Eren is humanity’s best hope, without question, and we will all do everything we can to ensure he is alive to succeed. It doesn’t matter whether we have an emotional attachment to him or not. You have a whole regiment looking out for Eren simply because everyone wants a future.”

Mikasa absorbed this information, letting it sink in. Yet it seemed to do little to comfort her. She stared at her scarf, bringing a hand to touch the soft material. With indignancy, the young woman buried her pale face in the fabric.

“What makes you think you understand?” she shot, tugging it down suddenly in an act of discontentment.

As if it were second nature, you looked away with meaningful intent, finding Levi amongst the crowd down below. Mikasa raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing carefully on where your own gaze fell. She seemed surprised, but was catching on quickly. You didn’t have to say anything for her to comprehend.

“I know you have your own reason for being here, which certainly doesn’t involve titans or humankind,” you spoke, biting back a bitter laugh. “But rather, something… someone in between. Just don’t invest everything in what your heart wants. Not in a world where pure things are so easily taken away.”

You paused, focus narrowing on Levi. His lips moved quickly as he gave orders, perspiration sliding down his temples. His cleaning handkerchief was tied around his neck and he sported a matching one over his hair, broom in one hand. Heartbreak pierced like a thorn in your chest at the sight.

“Because if you do,” you whispered, focus directed at your lap now as cold numbness set in place, “you only ever get hurt in the end.”

When your eyes flickered upwards once again, Levi was staring right back.

~~~~~~~

“Out of all the people, in all the infinite realities...”

The look of hopelessness brimming in your eyes was an odd sight for Levi to see. Normally, you were an open book. A ray of optimism. Something he pointed out on numerous occasions had the potential to be your downfall; but now that he lost the ability to read those telling countenances, the man didn’t like it.

You were acting weird.

“...why does it have to be me and Captain Levi?”

Well, weirder than usual, at least.

“(Y/N).”

The beckoning of a superior normally caught anyone’s attention, but even that didn’t shake you out of a daze.

You had been staring off into space for a solid five minutes, leaving the room the captain assigned you to clean subpar in his eyes. Levi pinched the bridge of his nose, repeating your name with more exasperation in his tone. Yet you remained, just as before, unresponsive.

Rolling his eyes, the raven swept your legs out from under you without a second thought, deciding that he didn’t quite like this unlively version of you.

There was barely enough time to muster a shriek of surprise in response, but one reflexively slipped out of your mouth as you tumbled to the ground, butt first. You looked at the raven in disbelief, and he prepared himself for a slew of insults to fill the air. He thought his mere presence would set you off edge. Start an onslaught of witty banter like it usually did.

Yet it never came. You schooled your features, silently standing up to grab the broom that had fell along with you.

“Sorry, Captain,” you muttered, resuming to sweep the floor.

“I was too busy thinking about what I’d do if ever I lost you,” your heart begged you to confess. “Too busy figuring out what it is you mean to me.”

The Captain “tch’ed” and looked away, finding himself to be unsatisfied with this reaction. Instead of saying what he should have, though, which was something along the lines of “can you please just talk to me, (Y/N)?”, he tightly gripped your chin to meet his eye, simply responding with:

“That’s five minutes off your lunch break, brat.”

He expected a word of protest from that, for certain. He was counting on it. Something, anything to get you to speak, considering it had been two days without much of it. But when even that was ineffective in getting a rise out of you, Humanity’s Strongest exhaled in frustration as he harshly let you go and walked away, leaving you to your work with a surprising amount of dissatisfaction manifesting in his gut.

What was going on in that head of yours? More importantly, though,

What was going on in his?

You loved each other. It was merely a question of who would be the first to accept that fact.

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howdoyoudothedew · 4 years

Text

Another long SPN post

This time it’s notes from my WIPs. I never actually really wrote any of these, but tags and titles are included. Anyone can use these as starting points for a fanfic, have fun

Henry/Balthazar Summary: When Henry’s mentor, Benny, doesn’t return from the war Henry is saddened. He refuses to believe Benny died. Won’t even entertain it. On the way to find his missing mentor/father figure, he meets Balthazar. A strange man with a british accent and a habit of flirting with everyone, especially him. He finds Benny. He finds love. THen Balthazar tells him he’s from another time period and has to go. The last chapter is Balthazar saving Henry from Abaddon. Side note: Henry has blue eyes that Balthy apparently likes to wax poetic about Chapter One The day’s circled on his calendar. ‘Benny comes home’. That would be today. Or, it would’ve been. He had gotten the letter a week ago. ‘Benjamin Lafitte died in the war. We send our condolences.’ The letter, of course, wasn’t actually as cold and unfeeling as that. But it didn’t matter. Because it felt like that. It felt like someone had taken him and shoved him in an ice bath. He couldn’t believe the letter. He wouldn’t believe the letter. Benny had promised he’d live through this war. And if he had to find him, then by golly he’d find him. Even if he had to do it on his own. Henry snuck out of the bunker that night. A pack of food was the only thing he brought with him. That, and a picture of him and Benny. No one caught him on the way out. He knew the passages too well. He stole a bike from the garage, and left. There would be no note left in his absence. No trace of where he’d gone. Because if he’d left one, he worried that they’d try to find him. Find him and drag him back. But he couldn’t go back. Not now. Not without Benny. New section He’d been on the hunt for four days now. Had traveled from Lebanon, Kansas to Chattanooga, Tennessee and was slowly making his way to the Georgia coastline. His plan was to check coastal cities first. Then he’d work inwards till he covered all of the US. He only hoped Benny would return here and not go to another country. This is where he runs into Balthazar It’s when he’s asking a bartender if he’d ever seen Benny, while showing his picture Balthy comes up to him and says “Are you from around here, because you’re a perfect ten.”

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Don't Make Bets With Love Goddesses Five chapters Alternative meeting, canon divergent, Gabriel is Loki, Aphro has her son arrow multiple people, but Gabe bypasses them all “You cheated!” “That never seemed to matter to you before, now how did I cheat?” “Eros shot Sam with an arrow!” “My son’s arrow never touched the Winchester.” Everyone has what the humans would call a ‘soulmate’, not everyone finds them and they're not always romantic. It looks like Gabe found his, though.

Chapter One Explains how Loki has messed around, yet has never fallen in love “I will never fall in love” the Norse god boasted. He was talking out of his ass, and Aphrodite knew it. Loki bets Aphrodite that he will never fall in love She accepts with a wicked twinkle in her eye Aphro has never been able to pass up bets, especially when they deal with love He was close once, with Kali, but it ultimately fell flat It didn’t even actually fall flat with Gabe, but with Kali who could sense his growing attachment and cut off their involvement before it could happen. They had made a promise to each other that their thing would remain ‘no strings attached’. Then years where nothing happens

Chapter Two Sam enters the scene He’s tall and handsome; funny, sarcastic, witty. And he’s one of the only people Gabe has ever met that won’t take his crap. That will see right through it. Gabriel vows right then and there that he won’t fall in love with Sam.

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Different Circumstances Summary: Where the first meeting isn't of a boy with demon blood and an archangel, hidden as a trickster god, disguised as a janitor. Nor is the second meeting, or the third, or even the fifth. Until suddenly it is and the world seems just that much more messed up. Six chapters Tags: Canon divergent, Canon universe, 5 + 1 format, fluff, angst

Chapter One High school Gabe is the ‘bad kid’ They bond over pranks, and Gabe teaches Sam a few tricks

Chapter Six Sam connects all the dots and realizes the few people he had met in his life, the ones other than Jess that he had clicked with on automatic, were all the same person. Where all the trickster, Loki the god of mischief, and Gabriel the messenger of God. He hadn’t even clicked with Jess as quickly as he had seemed to click with each and every version of Gabe he had met. And now he was gone.

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To Heal A Soul Summary: Castiel isn't the only angel who tried to save Sam Winchester from the Cage. But while Castiel got a body, the other found only a soul. Tiny and broken, frayed at the edges, yet still somehow alive curled up in the corner of the Cage. Gabe keeps and heals Sam’s soul until he feels that it could be replaced with minimum consequences, when he does replace it there is still a battle. Gabe can’t help him with this battle, none of Team Free Will can. Gabe's dog is Max Chapter One Gabe gets Sam’s soul, just his soul, from the Cage because he knows what’ll happen if he puts his soul back in his body after Lucifer had ripped it out Sam gets a different… form type thing. Like, I don’t know Gabe uses pagan magic to give Sam a body like his own Explains to Sam the situation

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Stacy’s Dad (Lafittz) Tags: help me for i know not what im doing, i love this song and had to do this though, babysitter!garth, single father!benny, female teen oc, benny is older than garth by a few years, dilf!Benny, Notes: I'm sorry for the dilf tag, but I thought of it and it was too funny to me to not include it. Garth’s turned twenty a day ago, and is babysitting Benny’s kid (she’s twelve, so it’s not exactly babysitting) Benny’s thirty (his wife and him had Stacy when they were eighteen, they married right out of high school) Garth asks Benny out, saying that he promised him when he was eleven he’d go out with him when he turned twenty Stacy and Garth go to the pool, where Benny may work as a lifeguard Or, Stacy met Garth during her freshman year and they hit it off immediately as friends But Stacy liked Garth, and when he met Stacy’s dad it was practically love at first sight. (Because he's mushy like that) Or Benny and Andrea had her at sixteen, and Benny was estatic. Sure, it was early and he wasn't sure if he was ready, but he'd be damned if he didn't try to be a good father.

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Scarecrow Summary: Remake where Cas is a “hunter” who Dean picks up on the way to ----, he's working the same case and they decide to pretend to be a couple to solve it. Also, instead of Meg, Sam runs into Gabriel because he picks him up on the road before he got to Meg. Sam’s part is inspired in part by the honeythief amv. Tags: s01e11 Scarecrow, rewrite, i tried, canon divergent, canon hopping, beginning unchanged, fake/pretend relationship, bonding(????) Dean picks up Cas either along the road (a parallel of their brothers) or at the food place he and Sammy split A man slid into the seat Sam had vacated, black hair Dean could only describe as bedroom hair, piercing blue eyes, and a trenchcoat. “So you're going after the missing couples, too?” The other couple isn't there, instead the people there immediately assume they're a couple Cas immediately goes with it and when Dean asks about it later he simply shrugs and explains that this job seemed to require some falsehood

---- Short ficlet where they find Narnia. “I thought you'd already been to Narnia given how deep inside the closet you are,” Gabriel joked.

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Sabriel Anniversary Sam: Gabriel, I figured we could go where I first fell in love with you. Gabriel: Sam, I'd rather not… Sam: Why not? Gabriel: I have bad memories there. Sam, in surprise: Bad memories? I mean , sure we tried to kill you Gabriel: Lucifer killed me. Sam: Oh… Oh! You were thinking Elysian Fields? I meant Crawford Hall! Gabriel: What? Sam nervously rubs the back of his neck while looking away: Yeah… Could never really get you out of my head after that. *looks back at him* Even when I really wanted to. ----

Everytime they find Gabriel again, Sam wants to ask Gabriel to help. He wants him to stay. Though he tells himself it's not for him, but the world. But then they leave him behind in that ring of holy fire. And he… dies. At the hands of Lucifer. Sam thinks that's it. But then he shows up again, only to save him and leave him. (But it wasn't just him- it was Castiel as well, he has to remind himself for the next few weeks till it sticks.) So this time Sam swallows everything down, and he tells himself it's okay. Gabriel would've never stayed. And that's fine. Then Gabriel's back again, and he finally agrees to be on their team. He finally agrees to simply stay, even if it isn't for him. So of course he has to die all over again. ----

A rebound. Gabriel knows that's exactly what this is. After knowing Sam for all these years, he can read him. Read him easier than he can read himself. Heck, he knew Jess and Sam’d date the second he saw them together. And just as he knew, a month later they were dating. So yeah, Gabriel knew how to read Sam and how he felt about others. Romantic feelings just weren't there for him. Sure, Sam sounded sincere. He truly believed he liked Gabriel, and Gabriel knew that. But he knew his best friend and he knew the feelings were just his body’s half-assed attempt at fixing whatever hole Jess had left him with that he refused to recognize.

“I'm not ready.” It's not a lie. Gabriel isn't ready to date anyone, even if he loves Sam with all his heart. But he refused to be a rebound. He told the girlfriend Sam has before Jess- Ruby- as much when she gave him her twisted blessing after Sam broke up with her. If Sam knew that's what he was looking for in Gabriel, it would crush him. The poor kid would feel terrible, and Gabriel knows it. That is something he won't allow. Sam deserved happiness, but it couldn't be with him. Not now. Maybe not ever.

---- Crime Cleaners crime scene cleaners sam and dean who get roped into something well above their paygrade by two particular Novaks, possible villain being Luci and Lilith, who is his 'queen' they definitely get help from their friend Bobby and the Novak's friends Charlie, Rowena, and Rowena's girlfriend, the coroner Billie Or, serial killers God and his Righteous Man, who are secretly Dean and Cas. Gabe and Sam are the ones trying to find them.

----

John Winchester and Chuck Shurley meet the parents thing. John first meets Cas, and Dean explains that Cas is his husband. Then he meets Gabriel, Sam’s bondmate-husband- and an archangel. When he mentions how weird this is, Gabriel is the one who points out that “If you think it's weird that your son in laws are angels, just remember that their father in law is literally God.”

----

Normal au, Gabriel shows up out of nowhere because he has to do a blood sugar test to check for diabetes or some shit and he just grabs Sam: “I need your blood.”

#supernatural #sabriel #destiel #laffitz #henthazar #spn prompts #spn fic ideas

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alltingfinns · 4 years

Text

A Scandal in Belgravia

So I’m back on this.

The swoosh on some sped up footage in the previously, don’t remember noticing that.

This episode’s start gets so much funnier if you read some of the fic written between this and the previous episode.

Silly song now becomes more dramatic in TRF.

What did Irene offer Jim to get him so riled up? If it’s the plot plane plan that would explain why Sherlock is needed alive. But his emotional reaction... maybe he’s already been trying to get it on his own. Indicates possibly that Jim has been looking for a way to get to Mycroft.

“You’re typing a lot.”

This montage is nicely done.

Arguing about the blog.

The pouncing on the title.

He’s so hurt. He knows ash!

“We do watch the news.”

“You said boring and switched the channel.”

First time where “people” = John.

And the hat.

“It’s time.” I never thought about the waiting period.

Ehh, Hudson called up to the next floor so John’s room? Boys?

Ha cool, a SAAB. An old one too. I’d guess a 900 model from the early nineties.

Lestrade probably makes these calls a lot.

I get Sherlock’s confusion, he’s just in a sheet it’d make sense for him to be humiliated.

Their silent conversation + John’s acceptance of the absurdity.

That was a pretty long look on Sherlock’s lap and then asking about pants.

The Swedish subtitles on Netflix just referred to John as ”kronans gosse” I love it!

John took the queen liking his blog as a point in their argument.

I always like looking at John during the sheet bit.

Mycroft and John conversing in subtext that you need to remember their original conversation from a whole series/three episodes ago. And people think johnlock is too subtextual.

They made “the woman” a work title clearly to explain why Sherlock would refer to her that way. A bit harder to work in the context from ACD canon. It would be weird if Sherlock in modern times went “a credit to your gender” for defeating him.

Sherlock’s reaction Mycroft’s veiled assertion settles the question, I think. He’s making a “damn, he’s got me there” face. Mainly because John’s presence, if we considers his previous statement. If it were just him and Mycroft he’d just say “just because I haven’t done it doesn’t mean I can’t understand it!”

Btw, in case you think my typing speed is phenomenal I am hitting pause when something gets really interesting to me.

The parallel of checking the pictures have the “obvious” reading of romantic set up. But Sherlock is still learning details of a case he has been given so another reading is that while he’s targeting her she’s targeting him.

My reading is backed up by Sherlock’s immediate demeanor. His interest in her didn’t really appear until he found out she didn’t ask for anything. Blackmailers are a dime a dozen, but someone making a point of threat against the reputation of the BRF without asking for direct compensation? That’s someone with a plan and someone who can give him the kick he feeds of from casework.

John getting the last word in only for Sherlock to get the laterer word in.

Pinching an ashtray from the aforementioned BRF, whom himself mentioned as his first client with a navy, just to make John laugh? Some things are priceless but for everything else there’s MasterCard.

Okay, I had to back up a bit but: I don’t know who’s getting these pictures for Irene, but the last one that makes her smile is focused on John. She sees Sherlock more naked in the pictures where he’s fully clothed in the back of a cab than when he was in just a sheet on the pavement.

More parallels. This is really about their similarities. Could still be considered romantic foreshadowing “they’re made of the same cloth” type.

Ah yes, punch me.

That little dialogue snippet about “punch me” usually being subtext is what got me to first watch this show.

In general I have a lot of issues with how they handled Irene. But I especially don’t think I get the nudity in this scene. It reveals to Sherlock immediately that his ruse was all in vain since she either a) knew he was coming anyway or b) usually greet priests in distress while stark naked and might therefor just be stark raving.

Unflappable John Watson. Oh dear, my flat mate who I just beat up is sitting in front of a naked dominatrix with his vicar collar between her teeth. “I’ve missed something, haven’t I?”

He doesn’t like being a third wheel either. “I had tea too! Just so you know. In case you thought Sherlock got tea at the palace by himself. I was there too. The tea was lovely. Just the right temperature.”

Dammit.

Now I want tea.

Wait wait wait! When did John put his “date” shoes on? Only time it makes sense is when Sherlock was looking through his disguises. (He definitively wouldn’t wear them to traipse around the muddy crime scene.) Maybe they’re part of his “battle uniform”? Also obviously Sherlock can only “deduce” date because he knows what shoes John wears on dates. This isn’t really clothed people are easier to deduce.

How is he not deducing the heck out of her make up and ear piercing? Is it because she’s acting so extraordinary that her indicators become harder to contextualise?

Or is that whole thing just a plot hole?

And her comes her actual opening chess move. Nudity and banter was just setting up the pieces.

“Somebody loves you.” She pressed John’s big red “DO NOT PRESS” button right away. Later she says Jim told her how to play the Holmes brothers, but he definitively gave some pointers on John as well.

There’s something about John’s facial movements when Irene says he knows exactly where to look. Hard to compare with the sheet scene because of the different angles. But yeah, John is bi.

“You do borrow my laptop” with such an angry glare.

Wait are Irene’s shoes those shoes that are expensive because they’re red on the bottom? (I do not care enough to google their names.)

And it’s when John starts to smile that Sherlock does his verbal keysmash. Officially Ben said it was because Irene was paying attention to John instead of him, but she does that a number of times previously and has had quite a moment of getting cosy at John. But up until then John has been a bit standoffish. Of course you can only take so much of a pretty lady flirting with you before your smile reflex gets activated. Also he whips his head immediately at Sherlock in medical concern for his friend and Sherlock can speak clearly again.

Sherlock thinks he knows her game now as he makes his move getting her to confirm that the pictures are in the room.

Imagine the egg on his face if John hadn’t managed the smoke alarm in time.

“Amazing how fire exposes our priorities” should be part of a collection of lines that are only said once but thematically repeated throughout the show.

Some would argue maybe “I really hope you don’t have a baby in there” could be added but I don’t think it could be considered as repeated enough thematically.

Sherlock being his usual demanding self about turning off the fire alarm. The fool! Doesn’t he know how hard fire alarms are to turn off? (Maybe just a problem for me...)

Okay sure, easy enough with a gun, but impractical as a long term solution.

Umm, excuse me why does he go “no disrespect but you were clearly born in the 80s” in an episode from 2012? The most she’d be is 32, so clearly she looks at most like that then. Why would she be insulted by that? Also he earlier called a dude unhealthy, stupid and with bad breath in front of him without clarifying level of respect. So basically he’s needling her by adding that. That’s the most positive spin it can get.

John apologising for not stopping /forewarning about a whole bunch of trained killers sweeping in? That is diehard loyalty.

She’s staring hard at him as fire exposes his priority.

She actually does give him a clue by looking down the moment he looks at her. Never thought of that.

He heard something click wrong, looked at her for additional clue so she looks to the side “get out of the way”.

I love that John’s priority is medically inclined in the action scene, checking the vital signs of the guy that got shot.

“Observant?” “Flattered?” Honestly he shouldn’t be so surprised by the first bit as it was obvious some kind of observation + deduction got Sherlock the code.

As usual Sherlock gives zero fucks about gun safety. I feel John at some point is going to tie him down and lecture him about it. “We do not scratch our heads with the barrel of a gun, and we don’t call for the police by shooting in the air!”

You know if you’re knocking him out cold regardless, you don’t need him to drop the phone first. You just wanted the beating to be literal.

“He’ll be fine. I’ve used it on loads of my friends.” Yeah no, tell the doctor what chemical knockout drug you just put in a former drug addict!!

I wonder how much of dream Adler is actual Adler speaking to a drugged out Sherlock.

Could be nothing with the only real part being “hush now, returning your coat”. Would make sense for a dreaming brain to jumble the two cases together.

Start of series 2 we get to see Sherlock’s bedroom while John’s remain a mystery after 4 series.

John is not on the top of his game this episode. “What woman?”

And so it begins.

Mycroft does not have “shut up Hudson” privilege.

That whole phone noise discussion is punctuated with embarrassment.

Ah the gaping jaw that set the sails for the lestrolly ship.

“Christmas is canceled!” I love when John banters with Sherlock.

Sherlock is mean to Molly, but to be fair she kind of blundered a bit with the others and Sherlock complaining about John being away was clearly something he told in confidence. Telling Greg and John that their loved ones are betraying the trust put in them is general misanthropy, but Sherlock probably feels justified in needling Molly about a crush that he figures none of them know anyway.

Oh John’s look there. Greg clearly knows too what is coming but John has the recognition factor.

“Oh shit. It was me. Still me? She still has a thing for me?”

For a sort of dramatic moment it still has one of John’s absolutely funniest facial journeys. “Wait, you apologised? You know what an apology is? Are you feeling well?”

Obviously Irene’s text signal gets a lot of funny moments, but nothing will beat the timing of this one. And now I am imagining Jim with a pair of binoculars sitting across the street and telling Irene “now, send it now, it’ll be fucking priceless!”

And Greg “wait really?” When you’re not sure what your consultant can do to surprise you next.

I believe I made a post about it earlier but Jeanette’s boyfriend just said he’s been keeping track up till 57 on text messages that his platonic flat mate gets where the signal is a woman moaning.

“Do you ever reply?”

Jeanette starts working on her break up speech about then, I believe.

Molly nervously gulps a drink. Now Molly is everyone’s favorite John mirror. Medical professional with a crush on Sherlock, and whose favored type of outfit involves knitwear. John usually takes a drink at emotionally difficult times. Is this Molly handling her rejection, or showing what John is doing/will do without showing John?

Mycroft. If they passed a new law why would Sherlock know about it before you?

“How did Sherlock recognize her from... not-her-face?”

Mycroft answers with a smile and leaving the room.

“I got plans”

“No” I know you. If it’s a date you’ve probably bungled it already. Regardless if it is or isn’t you’ll still prioritize my brother because you always do.

John really goes for the superconfident strategy when dating, huh? “I always thought I was great.”

“I’ll even walk your dog!”

“I don’t have a dog!”

“No, because that was the last one...”

Always thought you were a great boyfriend, huh?

When even your landlady who got out of her marriage through execution thinks you bungled it, you probably bungled it.

Think I’ll break here and continue the rest of the episode tomorrow.

#rebecka’s sherlock rewatch #johnlock #john watson is bi #john watson is a disaster #jealous john watson

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slbp-holiday-exchange-blog · 6 years

Text

Kitten

A Kojuro/MC fic

Fluff/Angst/Supernatural

A holiday gift for @princeanderfels from @quincette

I hope you enjoy this! This is meant to be fluff, but the execution demands a dose of angst that hopefully I have ended in a hopeful note.

She is fighting a losing battle with her illness but she’s not Katakura Kojuro’s precious girl if she’s not resourceful. A Katakura family heirloom and a conversation with Shigezane start an adventure that would probably cost nine lives.

“Weak as a kitten.”

“Best to make her as comfortable as possible.”

Did the doctor think she wouldn’t be able to hear him? She heard everything. And it hurt. The subtle (no, not at all subtle – her mind supplied) suggestion in his words had hurt more than this unnamed malady that had been piercing invisible pins and needles, and viciously twisted them, into her limbs, relentlessly, day in and day out.

There had been brief respites, on warm sunny mornings. Brief periods of painless bliss that fanned the embers of hope inside of her, enough to fight off the next wave of pain.

She closed her eyes. She was so very tired.

“Trust me to get better, as I trust you to come home to me, Milord.”

“I trust you, my precious girl.”

Every time she thought of giving up, she replayed her own parting words to Kojuro, and his to her. He trusted her to keep her promise of fighting to get better. As she was sure he was currently fighting to come back alive from the battlefield to come home to her. She had asked him to trust her, to not giving up hope on her. And he had granted her that. She would not fail him. One does not squander Katakura Kojuro’s trust.

Not without trying, at least.

So, she moved, slowly, swimming through a sea of painful sensations her world had been reduced to. She felt her hand grasping the door and sliding it open, she felt the threshold of the tatami inside and the wood on the verandah outside, warmed by the early spring sun.

Oh, the sun felt so good on her skin. Just a little bit more…

“Doll!”

Oh. No. She’d been caught.

“Shigezane-sama…” she said with an effort.

“What are you doing!? You’ll catch a cold!”

It was not often that the jovial Date cousin sounded upset. He did now. Already she felt one of his hands on her arm, trying to haul her back in, presumably.

“No. No no no no no, please, Shigezane-sama…!” she fought him off.

She felt the hand fall away, and when she opened her eyes, she saw him kneeling next to her, blocking the draft. His face was shaded from the sun but she could vaguely see his frown.

“I-I just… wanted to feel the sun. It’s warm here, Shigezane-sama. You can feel it too, right?” She smiled, even through the pain, the sun did feel good. “Would you help me? Please?”

She heard Shigezane’s sharp breath. “But the doctor–“

“He said to make me as comfortable as possible, did he not?”

Shigezane let out another sharp breath. There had been a pause before she heard him curse softly under his breath, and the next thing she knew she was sitting on the edge of the verandah, comfortably propped on his left shoulder.

“This is the only way I would let you soak up the sun in the open air, got it, doll?”

She sighed. “You’re very kind, Shigezane-sama.”

“Tell that to Kojuro when he murders me for letting you do this.”

She couldn’t help to chuckle. “You’re supposed to be recovering in your bed yourself.”

“Hmh, but it’s such a lovely day to visit my lovely erstwhile neighbour,” he said. “Might cheer her up.”

His back was broad and warm.

“Cheer her up you did…”

She couldn’t see his face, but she could tell that he’s smiling by the slight movement of his shoulder.

They sat together for a while, letting the bush warblers in the budding plum trees fill the silence with their chirps.

“How’s your hand, Shigezane-sama?”

“I think it’s trying to turn into a flipper now,” he said, showing her his bandaged hand. “Do you think I have a chance competing with Bontenmaru for Kojuro’s affection?” He chuckled.

It’s strange how her lips smiled but her eyes stung with unshed tears upon hearing that. She fought the urge to cry.

The bush warblers’ chirp did not manage to drown out the soft sob that escaped her lips.

“Hey,” Shigezane said. “Don’t listen to what the doctor said – I mean, you did hear what he said but I mean, uh, don’t believe the entirety of it, alright? I mean, he said it’s unlikely I will be able to hold sword like I used to with this hand. He said I’d be lucky if my fingers don’t fall off tomorrow, but they will likely be stuck together – disgusting right? But, doll – “

She felt his good hand squeezing hers.

“One way or another, I will keep fighting, you see. I still have my other good hand or god forbid I will train my new flipper to hold a sword if I have to.”

She wasn’t sure if she was crying or laughing at this moment. Or if the edge of her vision was blurry from tears or pain or medicine or all of them combined.

“I am going to be alright,” he continued, “That’s why I think you’ll be alright. Heck, you’re stronger than me. You’re Kojuro’s best student, you know that?”

Like his laughter and his optimism, Shigezane’s conviction was infectious. By the time he shifted her body and propped her to lean on his raised knee so she could see his face, she was smiling again.

“Thank you,” she whispered as he dabbed her tears with his sleeve.

“Want to tell me what that shrivelled old sourplum told you?”

She let out a shaky breath, “That it’s best to make me… comfortable… because I, I am weak as a kitten…”

Shigezane snorted. “That’s all?”

“… like I’m going to die soon, Shigezane-sama,” she looked into his eyes. “Some days, I felt like it too and I am terrified.”

“He doesn’t know that. And he doesn’t know how strong you are. Hell, I just found you clawing the floor to get to the sun. You –“ he squeezed her hand again and this time she squeezed back, “ – are one kitten with helluva sharp claws.”

He grinned and even with the pain, it was impossible for her not to crack one too.

“That’s more like it. Did you know that there was this crazy lord who brought his cat to the battlefield? Outfitted with this special little armour made of coins and stuff?”

She chuckled and shook her head, “No…” The pain felt distant now. The medicine she took in the morning must have taken effect. Her senses felt dulled somewhat and the tears she had shed earlier has made her chest felt lighter and her eyelids heavier.

“It’s true, they have a picture of it in this book, I’m sure Kojuro has one in … –“

She didn’t hear the rest of the story. Still leaning on Shigezane’s raised knee, she let her tired body succumb to sleep.

***

When she came to, she was snugly cocooned inside her room. Her limbs felt numb this time, which was marginally better than the pain, but she knew it wouldn’t last. The numbness would soon splinter into thousands of pins and needles lodged under her skin again. Trying to distract herself, she traced back the day’s event, and her conversation with Shigezane.

She clenched and unclenched her hand, it felt like she was feeling her own skin through a layer of dumpling skin. She replayed his words, his conviction. “Kitten with sharp claws…,” she murmured. There’s nothing she wouldn’t give to be able to transform to one now if that means she could escape her ailing body.

“There was this crazy lord who brought his cat to the battlefield…”

A cat…

“It’s an odd thing to be able to say that you’re the first cat that’s ever taken a liking to me.”

The crazy idea came to her so suddenly, so forcefully and she was so desperate to catch it that she leapt out of the bed and dashed to the door.

Or so she had meant to do, for she collapsed halfway.

“Milady!” the chambermaid assigned to her to her room had woken up and cried out. Her voice was followed by the sounds of hurried footsteps and bedding being thrown away.

She, they – there were more than one tonight – came to her side.

They must have thought I would die soon.

“Milady you shouldn’t –“

“Fetch the doctor!”

Oh, why couldn’t they be Umeko, Matsuko, or Shiro or someone who knew her from her commoner days instead of these young servants who had only known her as ‘Milady’? The title she would take a long time to grow accustomed to. Had she had the time.

“No. No!” she screamed, using their hold to haul herself up. “Please, I need to go…!”

When it only served to make them tighten their hold on her, she realized she needed to change her approach. She steeled herself.

“Fetch Shigezane-sama now or I swear I will have Kojuro-sama strip your hide.”

She recognized the fearful silence that followed her words. She had experienced it firsthand, more than a handful of times, but never as the caused of it. Never in her wildest dreams, she had thought she would one day learn from Yoshihime, let alone channel the Date matriarch’s deep-rooted disdain for commoners through words.

But desperate times and all that.

“Now!” she growled.

It had taken all her strength to keep herself upright until one of the servants assigned to her went running to do her bid.

Only when Shigezane was in her chamber, wild-eyed and concerned, and she had banished all her attendants from the room, did she let herself collapse in his arms.

“Take me to Hachiman shrine, please. Take me to Kita-san, Shigezane-sama.”

***

Having been raised in a shrine with a considerable collection of sacred relics and artefacts, Kojuro was no stranger to supernatural things. He was mostly unfazed by them, and handled them like he handled everything in life – collect enough facts and think of the most effective strategy to get his objectives.

But this was… something else.

Something was following him like a cloud of… good luck. Now, most people would chalk this up to some god’s blessing but Kojuro wasn’t one of them. The universe, he believed, would always constantly balance itself, and if by some accident he was bestowed a good fortune, then he must be prepared to overcome an obstacle or a setback, as it is the way the world works. That’s why dark magic would never really work in the long run.

Good fortune made him suspicious. He has turned his tent upside down in search of an ornate temari – in case all of it was Kogiku’s work. It was unlikely that the Katakura family’s zashiki warashi could convince Kita or Shigetsugu to slip the artefact into his belonging, but just in case she had managed to do so.

But no temari in sight. And knowing Kogiku, if indeed it had been her, she would have been too proud of her work not to take the credit. This… thing that’s been happening to him, whatever it was, it had felt gentler, and manifested in more subtle, small things.

Despite his general incompetence at tidying up, he had never lost a brush during this campaign, or cracked an inkstone, or woken up to find he had spilt ink everywhere during sleep. In the past, he had often fallen asleep without eating his ration to find the rats had gotten into it in the morning. But never in this campaign. In fact, no mention of rats anywhere in the reports he was inspecting.

These small things might escape his notice had it not been culminating in one pivotal incident during a recent skirmish with the enemies. An enemy scout had noticed them during one of their nocturnal outings. He had been stealthy and fast, and he would have gotten away and warned his camp had it not been for something that attacked him, immobilizing him enough for his party to capture him.

That something might have been an animal, for he had found scratches and bite marks on him. Genya only shrugged and smiled when he quizzed him whether that was Oboro’s work.

“Whatever it was, it was definitely the work of a good bitch, huh, Kojuro-san?” he had said in his typically lazy drawl and coarse language, breaking his disguise as Masamune’s kagemusha for a few seconds. Kojuro had a sneaking suspicion that the shinobi had known something more than he let on. But again, Genya had always known more than he let on.

These things that most people would thank the gods for, they made him feel apprehensive. Because they started to feel like a compensation. The universe had not been kind to him and his precious girl of late, and these, he feared, were the flipside of some great misfortune that’s coming their way.

Deep down, he was terrified for her. She had promised him to fight to get better. And she had never let him down, as his page, as his lover. But some things were beyond the mortal control and mortal realm.

Her letters had stopped coming. Kojuro told himself that it was because they had made camp in a rather remote location recently. But her last letter had been short, and her penmanship – usually neat and expressive, a mirror of his own style – had been rather clumsy. It must have been difficult for her to write at that point and…

… and not even all the fortune in the could compensate for her life. So, he had said in his prayers, wishing for her health and his victory in every shrine he had found during his campaign trail, where he had stopped and played a song or two with his flute as a small offering. He needed blessings and help whenever he could find them.

***

When it dawned on him that the ambush had not meant to capture the small party he led, but to lead them inside that dark, dead-end cave, it clicked.

This is is the great misfortune.

“FALL BACK!” he shouted. “GET OUT OF THE CAVE, NOW!”

But his soldiers couldn’t hear him as a blast shook the cave. A sound of explosions, falling boulders and sliding earth followed suit, and all the sudden it was pitch black.

***

There were thirty of them, some were injured, few critically. And a handful of horses.

Kojuro had had greater losses. Much greater. But he had always managed to scrape through.

He had a nagging feeling in the back of his head that told him he’s not so sure this time. He mustn’t let that uncertainty grow louder. He needed to strategise.

If it’s any consolation, Masamune was safe back in the camp.

“Do you think I can let them know that I’m not Masamune? Might be good for their morale,” Genya whispered next to him when he had finished taking stock of their trapped party.

“No. Not yet,” he whispered yet. “There must be a way out.”

***

There was not, a way out.

There was an underground river at the back of the cave though. So they had water…

They could butcher the horses for meat.

They had enough cloth to fight the dropping temperature at night.

They had oil and flint stone to make fire.

They had sustenance. But they had no way out.

And they had no way of letting the outside camp know. Not even to warn Masamune, who was now left without his eyes, his claws and his body double. The size of the Date army was of a small comfort, but Masamune was about to be severely disadvantaged.

He needed to find a way out.

***

Still no way out.

He had sent one of his men into the water, in case there was a way for them to swim out of the cave.

He had gone for quite a time Kojuro feared he had drowned. Then he resurfaced only to say that there was indeed a way out, but it was too small for anyone to swim through.

They decided to butcher one horse.

Kojuro shook his head lightly when Genya raised an eyebrow, repeating the question to reveal his identity.

No, not yet. There must be a way out. He would not so easily give up.

He had promised to return to her.

***

He woke up to find two of his injured men had succumbed to death in the freezing night.

They buried them under the rocks. He played a song that brought tears to some men’s eyes, and say some words to rekindle the fire in their soul.

They decided to butcher one more horse and drank the little sake they had left.

It must have been the third day.

The stale air began to take the stench of human waste.

Kojuro still shook his head to Genya’s unspoken question.

Exhausted, but unable to sleep, Kojuro thought he saw a pair of glowing eyes. He blinked, and it disappeared. He thought he heard a splash.

But all his men were accounted for. No one had been throwing himself into the river.

***

Fifth day. Two more men. Two more horses. The morale was declining.

They still closed their eyes and smiled when they hear his song. But he could see the exhaustion seeping into their bones. He could feel it in his own flesh.

He thought of his precious girl. He thought of Masamune. He thought of Shigezane and his injury. He hoped they were in a better state than his own.

But he still shook his head to Genya’s question. No, they are not at that point. He needed to keep his faith that there would be a way out before they got to that point.

The shinobi had ditched his Masamune impersonation, keeping only his tone of voice and his eyepatch. Kojuro let it slide. It was dark anyway – they had decided only to keep one torch lit.

The air was foul.

Kojuro told himself that it was a sign that they were still alive…

… not the stench of death coming for them.

***

Seventh day.

They had butchered all the horses, tearing apart their carcasses and preserved what they could.

He had dragged Genya to a secluded alcove and punched him for making a joke that maybe they would soon need to eat each other to stay alive. To his credit, the shinobi seemed to regret his words.

“Tomorrow,” Kojuro said, letting his grasp on Genya’s (Masamune’s) armour fall away. “We’ll tell them tomorrow,” he said to him before dismissing him to tend to his bruised cheek.

He still believed they would find a way out, but couldn’t ignore the little voice on the back of his head that said his men needed something to hold on to. They needed to know, at least, were they to be buried alive, that they had done so to save their lord and the Date clan.

He thought of Masamune, hoping that he had enough resources to clinch the victory.

He thought of Shigezane, hoping that his recovery back in Yonezawa went well – Masamune would need him more than ever if –

If…

No.

He would come back to her alive.

He had promised.

He wondered how much longer he could keep his exhaustion from showing.

***

Eighth day.

He didn’t sleep at all that night.

Hoping for the best, prepare for the worst. Everything happens for a reason. Didn’t he brace himself for a misfortune to come, seeing a string of good luck that had followed him around lately?

Prepare for the worst. That he must.

Rising the morale of his men had always come easily to him. This time, though, his throat wouldn’t work for a few long seconds before he managed to call them to gather round.

Have faith and know that your sacrifices have saved our lord and clan.

He meant to say that, like he had practised again and again inside his head.

But before he could.

A distant rumble, and the cave shook.

“Gunpowder!” Genya hissed next to him. Kojuro couldn’t tell if the shinobi was alarmed or excited. He could tell if he was either. At this point, any changes to their situation would be welcomed.

Another rumble, another shook, louder this time.

And another and another. Louder each time. Someone know they were there and trying to blast their way in.

Or so he thought, he hoped.

It could still be the enemy, could it?

No. It would be much more make sense for them to let us be buried alive.

Unless they wanted to take something? Masamune, perhaps? Genya’s cover hadn’t been blown, maybe to keep as hostages?

“STAY BACK!” he shouted to his men. “HOLD YOUR WEAPON AND STAY VIGILANT!”

The sunlight, when it came through the hole created by the last blast, was blinding. And when the crescent of Masamune’s war helmet emerged from the light, he knew that the loyalty of some twenty men behind him would be his forever. And he had never been prouder.

But soon a worrying thought dawned on him.

If his great misfortune had been repaid with this miraculous rescue, would he have to pay this one with an even greater trial?

***

He was exhausted, yes. But nothing so serious that would keep him from a debrief with Masamune. But his lord had banished him to his own tent and sent a small army of attendants to attend to him, from making sure all his scraps and cuts were taken care off, his belly filled with warm food and then, to prepare a hot bath in that strange gilded basin, a gift from the Western trader that Masamune had insisted on using and bringing with him everywhere, one of his very few rare indulgences.

The hot bath did wonders for his body, enough that he could enjoy a few hours of sleep. It was midnight when he woke up. And it didn’t take long for his restfulness to give way to restlessness. He took time to retrace the documents left on his desk. Nothing major. The important ones would be kept in Masamune’s tent following his absence.

And still, no more letters from her.

That familiar anxiety returned to his chest, beating its wings inside his ribcage.

He needed to do something to both take his mind off the worst scenario that kept popping inside his head and take him one step closer to returning home.

Just like that, he heard a commotion coming from Masamune’s tent.

“Fetch the physician!”

***

The wild dogs in the forest.

The startled horses.

The errant arrow.

The shoulder’s fist, and his pointy boots.

The falling boulder.

The underground river.

The cold.

Cats have nine lives. Didn’t Luis, or Fran said that to her once? She wondered if only Western cats have that many lives. Or if she, during the few weeks’ time between the Hachiman shrine and this camp, had truly squandered most of them.

She counted seven.

But maybe, she was mistaken. Maybe she had had eight. Maybe she had died more times that she remembered.

And that she was currently on her last one.

Masamune’s hands felt so good she could forget the dull ache radiating from the core of her small body.

“Does it hurt?” she heard him say.

She replied by nuzzling his palm, purring.

Masamune chuckled. His hands were so big and so gentle. So was his smile. If only, she thought, everyone can see this side of him, no one would follow him for other reason than love.

“You should go see him,” he said again.

No. She jerked. No. He mustn’t find out.

“Sssshhh, I will not tell, calm down,” he said again, tucking her back into his lap when he thought she was about to slink away. “Just focus on getting better. You did well. You saved them. You saved us.”

She closed her eyes and purred louder. Yes, that, that was worth everything. Even if death came for her soon, she would have no regret.

At least that what she thought. The furry body she currently occupied, on the other hand, seemed to disagree with her. She could hear its thought, whatever god it was that had been kind enough to lend her this tiny, resilient body with its sharp claws and teeth, it chided her, scratched her dulled minds to consciousness and clawed her back from sleepiness.

I’m sorry, I have disappointed you, have I not? I have squandered your lives, for my own selfish gain…

But thank you, truly…

The meowing sound turned louder inside her head, urgent, almost angry. But she was so drained, and it seemed so effortless to just let the darkness take over.

She heard her name, spoken by Masamune’s voice, echoing the urgency of the voice inside her head. She blinked, too weak to purr. Masamune called her again. She wished she could answer him. Yes. I am fine. Thank you. Thank you.

“Fetch the physician!”

That voice again, the low rattle of the thousand needles Masamune reserved only at the direst of situation.

I must be dying. Again.

***

Milord Kojuro-sama,

I am losing this battle. You said to me once, a wise general must be plan and hope for the best and prepare for the worst. I am no general but I am ashamed to admit that I am not sure what to prepare at this point in time. Of if a preparation meant I have no more faith in my ability to get better, like I told you I would. The doctor (I am tempted to call him a sourplum, like Shigezane-sama does, at this point) has barred me from the kitchen (too strenuous an activity a lady must not endure! I start to think everyone has forgotten my life in this castle as ‘Ýahiko’). I hated him for it, but I should like to quit before I earn the same reputation with food preparation as you do – if you would forgive me for a little joke. I have missed you so.

The sourplum (I gave in) told me I might lose my ability to write soon. He didn’t say it in so many words (he thinks of as a ‘delicate lady’ who should avoid a messy affair like writing and just let a clerk read to me), but I can read between the lines much better than when I came to serve the clan. You’ve taught me how to. I would probably frown upon my shoddy penmanship. For that I shall retire for now. I will still be writing. But you may find this book not quite so filled up like the previous one upon your return.

But I will gladly talk your ear off with all the boring things happening to me during your absence. How I (and you little turtle Bontenmaru, who has been my steadfast companion to whom I pour my heart out) long to hear your voice and your music and feel your touch. I pray for your safe return. And in my ability to heal.

***

It was like hearing her own words in her own voice – young, sometimes wry and admonishing but never for long, for deep down she is a sunny and forgiving soul he had come to adore with all his being. The last entry in her journal had started with a sombre note, but gave no sign of surrender at the end.

The penmanship was considerably clumsier than her last letter to him. How much had her condition worsened after this she wrote this?

Words choked on his throat and his eyes stung.

“Precious girl,” he managed.

A soft mewl came from the bundle of fur on his chest.

He had run to Masamune’s tent following that commotion for fetching a physician, expecting the worse. Had Masamune been hurt? Poisoned? Enemy shinobi? The fact that Tanaka had made an aborted move to block him from entering Masamune’s tent had made him suspicious.

But never, in his life, he would have thought to walk into something so strange. Masamune, visibly panicking. But not for his own life. At a glance, he had appeared to be unharmed. He had looked distressed.

And before he could ask him what’s wrong, he had noticed the bundle he had been clutching.

He would have recognized that cat anywhere.

The first and the only cat who had ever taken a liking to him.

The physician had been visibly miffed when he had arrived to have the Lord Date ordered him to tend to his pet. But Masamune’s glare had been enough to silence whatever resentment he might have harboured. But in the end, he only shook his head. The cat could live or die, it’s all in the hands of the gods now. Best to keep her warm.

Kojuro had sat in silence in one corner of the room then, trying to make sense of the situation. The sheer impossibility of the situation had made it difficult for him to see the whole picture even when that voice at the back of his mind had been faster in guessing it.

She came to see you, idiot.

To be with you.

In whatever form she can.

A cat.

In another situation he would have admired her resourcefulness, her using a seemingly useless family heirloom. But the cat had been dying.

“Read it.”

Masamune had thrust her journal into his hands then and turned back to quiz the physician.

He had read the last entry, written by her hand. And he had read a letter slipped between the journal’s pages. He had recognized his elder sister handwriting, pleading “Bontenmaru-sama” to take care of this cat that he knows so well, for Kojuro’s sake. And to keep her a secret, as she does not wish to spend her days in pain, and away from Kojuro. And if it must be, she would assume all the blame for allowing her to go through with such an outrageous plan.

His first reaction had been to rage, to indeed blame his sister for fulfilling his girl’s utterly foolish wish.

But then Masamune had handed her that bundle of fur, all curled up and seemingly sleeping, into his hands, and his heart had shattered into pieces.

“She didn’t want you to see her like this, or turn her back to her broken body that has become her cage. But I convinced her that you deserve to have a say in it.”

So there they were, inside Masamune’s tent, warmed by the burning fireplace.The One-Eyed Dragon had mumbled an excuse and left the space to them.

Still reeling from the conflicting emotions churning inside his chest, Kojuro curled up around her, keeping her warm and close enough that he could feel her laboured breathing.

“My precious girl,” he said again, feeling his heart broken anew when her ears perked up and she cracked her eyes open.

She mewled softly. It sounded like a complaint.

He smiled, “I’ve been such a fool.”

***

No, she thought. No, please don’t blame yourself.

She knew he’s going to think this way. It had been one of the good reasons she didn’t want to reveal herself to him.

“I respect your decision to keep yourself a secret from Kojuro. But I too, owe him the truth. You are his happiness. Therefore, I command you to reveal yourself to him.”

Spoken like a true lord of the clan. What else could she do but to obey her lord, her lord’s lord, to be exact? But that had been a lie. She had been exhausted. And yes, she had missed Kojuro. Dying in Masamune’s lap after being commended for saving the clan was not bad. But the truth was, she had missed the Dragon’s Claw terribly. It had been such a torture to shadow him, see him, hear him, watch him over, without being able to reveal herself.

So, there she was, curled up in bed with her beloved lord. Just not in the way they had used to.

“My precious girl.”

She had always loved his hands. Much larger than her own, they are rough with callouses and graceful at the same time. They’ve written the most beautiful words, played the most beautiful notes from reeds and flutes… and coaxed the strangest sounds from her own body. Oh, how she longed for his touches.

Seemingly sensing this, he gingerly touched her with his fingers. Tentative, gentle strokes, on her head, along her spine. Then, when she nuzzled into his palm, he scooted closer and petted her in earnest.

Oh, that feels lovely.

She purred. And he made a sound that was half a chuckle and half a sob.

Oh, no. She mewled. This is not your fault.

“I had an inkling, that something was happening, all the small things…”

Mmmm, yes. I did good, didn’t I, milord? It’s strange, this elated feeling that sprung from inside of her. It was hers but it was something else’s too, the cat’s own.

“My food.”

Mmm, the camp cook did a decent job, she thought. But she could do so much better.

“And the absence of rats…”

They were foul. But they sated the tiny little cat god inside her body.

“That enemy scout.”

His boots had been shard. But her claws and teetch were sharper.

“You were in that cave with me, weren’t you?”

Yes, yes, I was.

“I thought I was seeing things, hearing things… I thought my own mind was haunting me. I thought of you and what if I fail our promise.”

She pawed weakly at his hand. She shared the fear of failing to fulfil their promise, too.

“But you didn’t let me.” He cupped her head, stroking the markings between her eyes reverently with his thumb. She’s such a beautiful cat like she is a beautiful woman. “I heard a splash that night. You swam out, didn’t you? You let Masamune know where we were trapped.”

Yes, I would have died a thousand deaths and I would still do it for you. She mewled.

He sobbed. “I miss hearing your voice.”

It hurt, the sadness and the hint of fear in his voice, usually so calm and gentle.

His lips, so close to her face, were dry and cracked.

If she could lean a bit further and give him a kiss, she could turn back and let him hear her…

But then, could she? Let him hear the voice he had loved so much? Her human body had not been hale and healthy for a while… who could say she would turn back to her human body and sound, look, the way she had been? The multiple deaths she had experienced in this borrowed little body, would those have an effect on her human body? Who could say? Not even the tiny other presence inside her body could answer.

So she touched his lips with her paws instead.

I love you. I love you.

He took her paw between his fingers, gently squeezing them. His eyes were bloodshot, the crow’s feet around them made him looked tired instead of distinguished.

“I have been a harsh taskmaster, have I not?”

No, no, you have been the best teacher, the best lover I could possibly have.

“I would have failed our promise if it weren’t for you. I should have – I should have –“

She felt helpless. She knew something like this would happen. This man was hopeless. He would blame himself and take responsibility for every misfortune that befalls the clan on his worst days.

She licked his finger and mewled and purred.

What would you do without me?

“What would I do without you?” He laughed. It sounded strange between his sobs. “You’re such a sweet cat, but remember when I told you I liked you much better in your human form?”

Ah… He was bargaining, this infuriating man. If she had the energy and her human form, she would have shaken her head.

“I remember when you woke me up that morning, hale and healthy, with lips so red, the most tempting lips I have ever seen in my life…”

Yes, she remembered waking up naked, clinging to him, after they unknowingly broken the curse the previous day by kissing. She remembered feeling so relieved she leapt out and got dressed and put on the rouge he bought for her. The rouge she had smeared on Kojuro’s lips soon after. The rouge that had kept them in bed until well past noon that day. The rouge they would forever associate with gentle morning, heated tangle of limbs and sounds, and messy bedding.

“I would give my own life to have that morning again.”

Oh, my precious man…

“You asked me to trust you to take care of yourself in my absence.”

She mewled, she knew where this was going.

“Don’t you think it will be fair if I ask you,” he paused, seemingly coming to a silent decision, “If I ask you to trust me that I can take care of you, in whatever state you might be if you turn back?”

Oh, my dear lord. I do not wish to impose upon you so….

And in her heart of hearts, she was selfish. He did not want his memory of her eroded and reduced down to taking care of an invalid.

“I am a selfish man.”

Like I am a selfish woman.

“I don’t want to let go of you. I am asking you to take the risk of turning back. Just so I can feel you in my arms again.”

No.

“To hear you telling me about your beautiful mundane days.”

That’s not fair.

“To hear you berate me yet again for making such a mess of my room.”

But you know this would happen. This would happen if you let him see you. He would bargain, he would negotiate, he would. You know this. She berated herself.

“To feel the warmth of your skin and your lips as I drag you into my bedding as you try to wake me up from my sleep.”

She meowed. Stop.

“Take the risk for me?”

Stop.

“Let me share your pain.”

Don’t do this to my resolve.

“I love you.”

I love you, therefore you must let me go.

Even her cat body would not listen. She had no strength left to run. And damn this man, she couldn’t bear to disappoint him even now, when she should have made everything simple by going away.

So she nuzzled his lips.

And hoped.

***

Few things inspired this fic, mainly elements from Kojuro’s My Eternal Love Story ES (where MC is diagnosed with beriberi) and the Seductive Superstition ES Epilogue (where MC is turned int a cat by Katakura family’s magical manekineko and turned back into a human with a kiss).

Also, I imagine the cat like the bakeneko featured in the bakeneko arc of the anime series Ayakashi (the Bakeneko arc is so beautifully drawn it remains a few anime that had made me cry).

Also, a 2014 artwork ‘Warrior takes armoured cat for a walk’ (着甲武人猫散歩逍遥図) by Noguchi Tetsuya.

There will be a smutty epilogue. Fingers crossed. My masterpost is here.

#2017slbpholidayexchange #princeanderfels #katakura kojuro #kojuro #slbp kojuro #samurai love ballad party #slbp #submission

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sugaabooga · 7 years

Text

Badboy!Woojin

Pairing: Park Woojin x Reader Genre: badboy!Woojin (sorta) Summary/Extra: sry for not updating consistently!

Warnings: HARASSMENT, KIDNAPPING

before i start lemme just say how much i love park woojin like omg

he’s my bias yall

so basically, badboy and fboy!Woojin scenarios brings me to tears

Anyway let us get on with it

So badboy!woojin would be the one kid sitting in the back of the classroom with his black hoodie and earbuds/headphones in/on his ears ALL THE TIME

He’s really really quiet and no one really knows what kind of person he is

He doesn’t have any friends since no one approaches him

He’s very intimidating

I mean who wouldn’t be intimidated if he never talks to anyone, has a hood over his head, glares at everything, has cold eyes, never smiles, never frowns, never shows any type of emotion!?!!?

He’s just a very mysterious dude that no one ever talked to before

So obviously he would become the target when playing dare or dare

It was a normal day where you and your friends were hanging out at the park and it’s when Sohye and Yoojung suggest to play dare or dare that you realize….

Something’s up

The dares for your friends aren’t that bad

“Go down onto the playground and block all the kids from going down the slide.”

“Act out a battlefield scene by yourself over by the bench”

“I dare you to go to Sungwoon sunbae and do aegyo”

You would have done any of those rather than having a freakin dare where you have to

“Date Park Woojin for two weeks”

“WHaAhahAHhaAHt!!?!?!”

You weren’t a person who turns down a dare, but nope

I don’t think you’re ready to convince the most mysterious and the super quiet badboy of your school to DATE you

Sohye notices your discomfort and says it’s a bit too much, but Yoojung ain’t havin any of it

“It’s Park Woojin, Y/N. It can’t be that hard. Just approach him a few times and BOOM. Before you know it, you’ll be dating him”

You frown

It wasn’t really like Yoojung to keep pushing these types of things but maybe she was curious about Park Woojin like the 99% of the school’s population

Not only were you slightly intimidated by Woojin, but you also didn’t want to date someone just bc of a dare

But after almost an hour of arguing, you give in

You stress out about the stupid dare you’ve ever got for the whole entire day

The dare is the only thing that’s on your mind from the time you sleep, in your dreams, and even until the morning when you enter your classroom to see Park Woojin with his hoodie over his head that was resting on the desk

You take a deep breath and take timid steps to the empty seat next to him

You hear the sudden silence take over and the hushed whispers bc

Why was someone going over to Woojin and WAAHHHHAAT

SITTING NEXT TO HIM!?!!?

After you slip into the cold seat, you shoot sharp glares across the room to shut the judgmental high school students

That’s when woojin opens his eyes to see what’s going on

He knew that it was never this quiet in class even when the teacher was teaching a lesson

Woojin slightly lifts his head and sees what it’s all about

L/N, Y/N

That one girl that woojin always noticed giving him pitiful glances and small smiles whenever they made eye contact

Woojin didn’t like being pitied

But when you looked at him with a certain sadness in your eyes, it didn’t feel like pity to him

It felt more like a feeling of….understanding almost

But that’s all you ever did

You never tried to spark a convo w/him or ever tried to acknowledge his presence without telepathy

So seeing you sitting next to him with a deathly glare pointed at everyone, made Woojin shocked and confused

He was so sure it was some kind of dare or some type of blackmail if it meant that someone...YOU were sitting next to him

If it was voluntary…..

Man that takes some guts

Anyways, the whole class period goes by with Woojin trying to ignore your deafening presence, and you trying to ignore the stares and whispers directed at the two of you

Woojin was used to the stares and gossip about him so he really didn’t mind it anymore

But for you, it was a first

When class ends you sigh and offer a small smile at woojin who’s glancing at you from time to time

You’re ready to leave, but when you stand up, you hear woojin call your name and your like

NSDFISYGURWVHNCMSOOIFYHFDSCNJS

!?!?!!!?!?How the heck does he know your name?!!???!??!

He’s just hella observant

You try to calm yourself and your shock as you let out a hum, turning around to face him

You actually expect to be met with a small smile on his face and his eyes not cold and piercing like they were now

Yea...woojin don’t seem too happy

“What’s your game?”

He spits out and looks at you with an annoyed expression

You freak out bc ONE his frkn satoori and voice is like

Oh MA GAH

And the other part of you is like ‘what am i supposed to say?!!?!?’

“Uh...What do you me-”

“Don’t act dumb. If sitting next to me was some kind of dare or joke, just stop.”

He gives you one last death glare and leaves the classroom in almost a calm way, but radiating anger, that it scares you

Nonetheless, you feel super bad and so stupid for even thinking to do the dare

At lunch you tell your friends the dare is off but it ends up getting Yoojung calling you ‘weak’

You get annoyed and pissed off bc it was just a frkn dare

So yah you two aren’t on good terms anymore

After school you’re walking home and get lost in all your thoughts

Woojin, yoojung, midterms, grades, your ap classes…..life

You’re so in your thoughts that you look up after a while and notice

You had no idea where the heck you were

It had to be the next neighborhood over, but you had never seen this part of town before

And it was pretty sketchy seeing that there was no one on the streets that had houses lined up on each side

Not to add, but all the houses had their lights off and the curtains closed

A sudden breeze blows through and gives a weird chill up and down your spine and that’s when you hear a shuffle from behind you

You start walking faster, toward anywhere really bc you didn’t know this part of town

Your pace did no help bc the person or thing behind you just matched your pace when you sped up

You clench your fists and start to break out in a run when the thing/person puts a hand around your wrist, making you scream reallyyyyy high-pitched, enough to crack the windows

The person covers your mouth, having you freak out even more and when you open your eyes you see this middle-aged man with a dark hoodie and black mask over his face

But you can tell he’s grinning at your panicking sight

You struggle against his grip around you, but he’s too strong and no one’s coming out of their houses to see the commotion

You feel less and less air coming through your lungs since the guy’s literally choking you and you feel your legs giving away and your body shutting down

You died

So i guess end of story

Bye guys hope you enjoyed badboy!woojin

And im working on regret pt.2 so stay tuned!

thxx

Lol jk

Im not that mean

Your horrible coughing wakes you up

You see a blurry black figure and for a second you think it’s the pycotic kidnapper who almost killed you

But then you hear a familiar deep, husky voice that’s asking you if you were okay in satoori and a slightly panicked voice

It was Park Woojin

“W...Woojin?”

Your voice is raspy and you literally croak it out

But you can’t care less bc you’re actually alive

“OMG Y/N! I thought you were dead!”

“Ha.Ha. Oh darn.”

You laugh that turns into a nasty cough and woojin hands you water

HE’S SO CARING TO YOU

After you’re a bit better you ask woojin what had happened and why you were in the backroom of a bar

Woojin explains how he and his close hyungs were taking a walk around the neighborhood and saw a girl collasped on the ground and a man backing away from her

The girl was you obviously, but they couldn’t find out who the man was, however the police are tracking him down

Woojin’s hyungs own a bar in the middle of your neighborhood and that was the closest place they could go to w/your dead weight

You slightly blush and thank him but then apologize for what happened at school

you tell him that it was all a stupid dare to get you and him dating for two weeks, but since you feel bad and have a conscience, you decided to decline it and sorta ruin a friendship bc of it

Which you still did not understand bc it was a simple, dumb dare

Woojin breaks out into a smile and OMGWROUEWEJD

HE SURPRISES YOU AGAIN

S N A G G L E T O O T H

And his smile is so cute omg

You’ve never seen him smile before

Okk and a bit of a time skip

So you and woojin start getting closer after that whole weird event

You start off as friends but obviously you guys have mutual feelings for each other but that’ll be another story for another day

You and yoojung mend your friendship back together

You still don’t know why she was so sensitive about the whole thing

And you have a healthy friendship with Park Woojin

You sit w/him in the classes you have together (which earned some weird rumors and glances the first few days) and you guys eat lunch together

You guys share earbuds

lol

So cute

And yah

I’ll be making a friend/boyfriend!woojin au to explain all the rest

So basically that’s it for badboy!woojin

Tho it wasn’t really a badboy!woojin lol

Will try to make it better like nxt year

#wanna one #park woojin #bulletpoint scenario #wanna one scenarios #park woojin au #badboy!au #park woojin scenario #thx #enjoy #yay

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rdpshop · 4 years

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Tips On How To Save Money

Living on a tight budget, and just not too sure where to cut corners? Learn these tips on how to save money and relieve the stress from paying bills.

Basic Tips On How To Save Money

When you think about saving money, your first thought might be, "that task is for those that don't have money". However, that is farthest from the truth. Did you know, the really "well-off", uses coupons whenever they can? Some might think that is being greedy or "penny-pinching", but it is really just good sense. However, tips on how to save money, is more than just about using coupons. We will be going more in-depth on this, but for now, here are the bare basic tips. Stop spending on non-essential things Use coupons and discounts whenever possible Cut the thermostat back to just what you can tolerate Plan your trips to save gas Turn off all lights and electrical items that are not being used Take showers and not baths Try and take less showers Reduce shower times Buy generic brands of commodities, such as foods and clothing Get rid of cable TV and look into streaming apps Cook your own meals and stop going out to eat When cooking meals, make enough for leftovers for lunches and such to last the week All of this makes perfect since, but it also sounds incredibly dull. Sadly, you will want to follow most of these in the above list. However, there are ways for it not to be so boring. The Non-Essentials

I am sure I am going to offend some people with what I am about to say, but believe me, I say it because I am giving it to you straight. Plus I have a good amount of experience dealing with it. Many people do not see smoking as a non-essential thing. My brother was a chain smoker, was to the day it killed him. He had no money, and I was always having to help pay his bills. But whenever he had a few bucks, it went towards cigarettes. All I can say for people that smoke, and yet having a hard time paying their bills. "Get your head out of your butt and stop smoking". Food and water keep you alive, cigarettes kill. Then there are those that really kill me, with even more ridiculous things like tattoos, piercings or alcohol. It is just common sense, when you start making money to burn, go blow it on stuff like that. However, if you have kids to feed and are barley making it, all that non-sense shouldn't even be a consideration. I have seen it too many times, where people I have known with families, actually find themselves in a dilemma on paying bills or to go get a tattoo. What the hell is wrong with someone like that? As a parent, and I speak from experience, you sacrifice most everything for your kids. Pay bills first, then "splurge money" goes towards your kids, not cigarettes, tattoos, beer, piercings, hair and nails. More Non-Essentials

Mentioning kids got me to thinking about spending money on them. When you love your kids, you will spend money on them even when you don't have it. However, there is nothing wrong with not spoiling them. And when you do buy them things, mostly games and toys, look at second hand purchasing. Trinkets around the house can really look great but do you really need them? Same with cars and trucks. I see so many people in my area, that are having a hard time to make ends meat, go buy big trucks when a car would be better. If your income depended on you needing a truck, then you should look for one that will be economical. However, I have seen people that just have to have a truck. One that gets 12 miles to the gallon, but just use it for transportation. If you are living tight, then be sensible and practical, wait till you make the big bucks to go splurge. A List Of The Non-Essentials Any type of smokes, like cigarettes, cigars, pipes or weed Alcoholic beverages Soft drinks Fast foods Tanning beds Tattoos Body piercings Home decorations Name brand foods Fancy hair salon appointments Nails and manicures Top brand apparels

How to Save Money In General

Depending on your situation, is going to determine what kind of savings you need to make. The above non-essentials are based on an extreme situation of having no money and trying to survive period. However, your situation may be that you have a decent income but just not putting back the savings you feel you should. Learning how to save money is about understanding waste. Water Works

No matter the situation, let's look at options that should fit anyone. As mentioned earlier about showers. Some people take 3 or 4 showers a day, this can be cut back to two showers max a day. Also the length of time you take showers could be trimmed. My ex could stay in the shower for 30 minutes or longer with the hot water almost on max. Needless to say, those became expensive showers. Thinking of hot showers, the hot water heater comes to mind. Water Heaters have thermostats, ensure that it is set to, no higher than 125°F. Using hot water for other things, like washing dishes. If you have a dishwasher, avoid washing small loads. Ensure that the dishwasher is fully loaded before using it. This also applies to washing clothes in the washing machine. Washing your vehicles, house or driveways is another expense that you can cut the cost on by a one time investment. You can buy an electric pressure washer, it doesn't have to be super high powered. With a pressure washer, you get high pressure with low volume consumption. What that means, you can blast the dirt off things quick, but use a heck of a lot less water. Water Savings List Try not to extend beyond 2 showers a day Try to cut your shower time to a minimum Take showers, not baths, filling a bathtub uses high gallons of water Run the dishwasher fully loaded instead of running multiple times on small l0ads Run the washer and dryer on full loads, do not run multiple small loads Use an electric pressure washer for automotive and outdoor cleanings If you have a swimming pool, try to keep the water clean to avoid refilling it For swimming pool owners, check with your water company to see if they offer discounts for pools Ensure you have no water leaks in your water lines, water heater and indoor/outdoor faucets Electrical Works

I covered the water heater above, but ensure it is set 125°F or less. Sometimes it cost a little money to save money. If you haven't already, change all your light bulbs over to LED. They last far longer than an incandescent bulb, but more importantly, they use far less electricity. If anything electrical is not in use, turn it off. Most electronics today, are designed to use less current. However, if everything is running at once, this is still a drain on the electric bill. Be sure to turn off lights when not in rooms. Be sure to keep your heating and air thermostat set to where the temperatures are tolerable. Constantly changing the settings or setting it too high or low will run your utility bill up. Again, back to spending money to save money, there are your appliances. Check all your appliances to ensure that they are energy efficient. Washer and Dryers are two of the biggest energy hogs, switching them to the current styles can save you electricity and water. If you run extra heaters around the house, try and use the energy efficient ceramic heaters. They produce a lot of heat but draw very little amps. Electrical Savings List Ensure your water heater thermostat is not higher than 125°F Replace all light-bulbs with LED or energy efficient bulbs Turn off all lights and electrical devices that are not in use, run them as you need them Adjust your heating and air thermostat to tolerable temperatures Avoid constant and erratic heat and air thermostat changes Recommend using a programmable heat and air thermostat Have your heat and air unit cleaned and serviced regularly so the unit runs more efficiently Make sure all appliances are energy efficient, especially the washer, dryer and dishwasher If running additional small heaters, use energy efficient ceramic heaters Depending on the type of water heater you have, if older, wrap tank with a thermal blanket Make sure your attic and floor spaces are properly insulated Ensure that all windows and exterior doors properly seal and are energy efficient Installing storm doors and windows will help keep the heat and air in

Know Your Exact Income And Expenses

It is kind of hard to learn how to save money, if you are not aware of how much you have to spend. Your income is the budget, it should be what determines how much you can spend. Sadly there are folks that don't understand this concept. The one thing you have to do before before doing anything else is to figure out how much money you have coming in and how much that has to go out. Usually you figure it monthly, even if your paycheck isn't monthly, the majority of your bills will be. You can use a calculator, pen and pencil or follow the trend and get an APP. There are three decent apps to use for tracking your expenses. EveryDollar, Mint and YNAB, although cost may incur to use these apps. Click HERE to see more apps. If you like using a spreadsheet, but don't have Microsoft Excel. It is free to use on Google Sheets. How To Save Money By Making Expenses Visible No matter the app or tracking method used. Once you have your income identified, then a list of every expense you have, savings should become clear. You will want to categorize your expenses, "essential", "non-essential" and modify. Many people, really don't want to know how much they spend a month. However, it is necessary if you trying to figure out how to save money. Your chart should show you things like utilities, rent/mortgage, and automotive expenditures like gas and maintenance. These type expenses are harder to trim down. You can reduce utilities, however, these still stay is a general range. You should average that range as a constant monthly expense. Cable TV, entertainment, alcohol, nail salon, tanning bed visits and going out to eat are expenses that can be trimmed down or removed. As mentioned earlier, there are ways to reduce the cable TV bill, Learn More. The Essential Items Electric/Gas Bill The only savings you can produce with this type of expense, is as mentioned earlier. Water Again, the only savings you can produce with this type of expense, is as mentioned earlier. Rent/Mortgage It is possible to negotiate a new contract with a landlord or refinance your house. However, the chances of changing this expense are not that high. Consider this as static expense. Automotive Fuel and Maintenance - (Can be modified) As far as fuel, for gasoline engines, unless you are towing something, reduce your octane to save money at the pump. For maintenance, you should try doing some things like changing your oil yourself. Daycare This is an expense, if needed, that there really is no reduction. However based on your income and situation, there are government and other organizations that can help. Food - (Can be modified) I know many people love the brand name foods. However, if you start trying generic brands, you should find some that can be replacements. Also plan your meals at least week by week. When cooking for dinner, make enough for leftovers for lunches through the week. Apparels - (Can be modified) We all have favorite brands of clothes and shoes, and some brands we have to buy just for the fit. Although, buying lower brands names to generic brands can be a big savings. However, buying too cheap of clothes and shoes can be expensive. If a generic brand shoe last you two months, whereas a named brand last up to a year, that is something to consider based on cost of shoes. Trash pickup - (Can be modified) Some subdivisions and communities like condo complexes require you to pay for garbage pickup. But for those that do not have that kind of obligation, consider taking off you own garbage, if city/county convenience centers are within a practical driving distance. Communications - (Can be modified) Telephony can be a big expense. Most people have dropped their landlines and went full on cellular. But if you haven't, consider dropping the landline. Most landline services such as AT&T are way over priced for what they offer. On the average a landline cost $50/month, and what you get for the money is nothing. With a cell phone, you get unlimited everything, caller ID and long distance for under $50 a month. A landline with all of that would be around $100 or more. As for cellular devices, such as you cell phone, you can reduce the bill for those as well. Cell phones have become more of a trend, than just for basic functions. Dial and Ring are the two most important factors. However, people seem to have the need to get into debt to get an iPhone that cost around $1000, when an Android that cost around $200 will do more than you really need. Now comes the internet. If your plan is too live on your phone or tablet, then you can cut the internet service to your house. Why have WIFI, if you are always getting your internet through cellular. Most cell phones can be used as Hotspot's, so you can always supply your router with internet from your phone. Tablets and iPads have the same capability. For cable internet, check around for better rates. You can also negotiate better rates and or packages with you internet provider. The Non-Essential Items Smokes - Cigarettes, Cigars, Pipes, Other Stuff I understand that it is hard to just up and kick a habit like smoking but lets do the shock value here. Just based on cigarettes, not anything else, lets take a look at what you are spending per year on something that is killing you. If you are a 1 pack a day smoker, that averages just over $2000 per year. 2 packs put you over $4000 per year, and 3 packs a day puts you over $6000 a year. There are some states that this average will increase by a lot, as some states, the cigarettes are far more expensive. The other smokes are far more than cigarettes, a lot of money to pay for something that kills you. What is spent on smokes, is far more than your utility bills combined per year. To me, it's a no brainer. Spend $2000 to $6000 per year on smokes or around $1500 to $2500 on electric and water. Alcoholic Beverages Many claim they have to have a beer, wine or liquor to relax and unwind. So how much stress are you putting upon yourself to support this bad habit? The average spending on alcohol fluctuates, but you can say around $1200 to $1800 per year. Again, this is what the electric or water bill would run a year. If you need to relax and unwind, have sex, go for hikes, go for runs, join a gym, watch TV or movies. Play games, take up a hobby, work around your house or yard. So many better ways to relax and unwind that doesn't cost you a lot of money, and is better for your liver. Even if you don't cut alcohol out completely, get a handle on how much you are spending a month on it and try to regulate it to fit your budget. Soft Drinks Soft drinks taste good, especially with meals, but it is so bad for you. Al that sugar is bad on your teeth and causes weight gain. This is definitely a non-essential that can be cut back on or cut out completely. Water is far cheaper and is much better for you and your kidneys. Some families spend up to $850 annually on soft drinks. This can be cut back if not eliminated all together. Fast Foods With how busy people's lives are now, it seems it's always go, go, go. So fast foods are almost a must, but really is something that should be cut out entirely. Fast food is not healthy, causes weight gain and makes you feel like crap. Not to mention the prices keep going up, that it is no longer a cheap fix to a quick meal. Meal planning would be your best option to avoid eating out so much. When cooking meals, make enough for left overs for work lunches. Also buy what is needed to make lunches throughout the week. It cost around $10 to $15 a week for stuff to make lunches. Fast Food for lunch everyday will cost on the low average, $30. Tanning Beds If you are making good money, then this type of expense is trivial. However, if you are on a tight budget, this is something that isn't necessary. Go outside and sit in the sun, it is free and there is no time limit. It cost between $180 to $450 per year for tanning sessions. This isn't a huge expense but if you are tying to get the most out of your budget and put money back for a nest-egg, this can be a cost to eliminate. Tattoos People spend anywhere from $100 to $2500 a year getting inked. A related cost goes towards tattoo removals, which ranges from $200 to $500 per session. This is a 100% non-essential, that the cost can be avoided completely. If you have money to burn, go for it, but living on a budget, this kind of money can pay bills and feed you. Body Piercings Body piercings run from $20 to well over $100, depending on the body location. That is just for the service, the jewelry for the piercings can be into the thousands if you are buying diamonds or expensive elements. On the average people spend $30 to $50 on jewelry for each piercing. This type of luxury can add up quick. Again, if living on a tight budget, this shouldn't even be a consideration. Getting inked is a trend, not a necessity, and the cost of this luxury can be the difference of clothing yourself or your kid, to wearing nothing at all. Home Decorations It seems like home, just isn't a home without some trinkets to give the place accent and a personality. However, it can be very expensive, especially if you are one to change out decorations every quarter or more of the year. This is a cost that can be cut back on or removed. While you don't want to live in a box with 4 blank walls, you also don't want to freeze in the winter because you spent the money for the electric bill on wall paintings. If you are on a tight budget, use second hand decorations from thrift stores or flea markets. Reuse old decorations and just rearrange them. On average people spend anywhere from $400 to $2500 a year on some type of house decorations. This includes outside decorating as well. Food Cost and Brands It may scare you to know, but the average American spends more than 6% of their annual income on groceries. That is about $250 a month, per person. Food is one of the highest expenses a person has per year. We have to eat to survive, but these cost can be trimmed down. You have to look at what kind of foods you buy and what brands. Season mixes are ridiculous in name brands, however you can get the same thing in a generic for 75% less in cost. How many things do you buy that you end up throwing away? I am really guilty of buying a bag of salad and never opening it. You can save, by trying different generic brands and planning meals. Unfortunately this is one of the hardest task to accomplish, especially if you are trying to plan for a family. What we eat is mostly based off how we are feeling at the time. Same goes for buying groceries, never go to the store hungry. Cut back or eliminate junk foods. Junk foods are expensive and bad for you, so it makes sense to attack that expense first. Hair and Nail Salon Expenses We all have to get hair cuts, and it is a hard skill to try and learn, just so you can cut your own hair. So it makes sense that you have to spend the money for a trim. However, the fancy hair styles, perms and coloring isn't really a necessity. If your budget is tight, this can be an expense to cut back on. Most people are capable of cutting their own nails, even painting them for that matter. Perms cost from $30 to $150. A coloring cost $60 to $150. Nails can cost from $30 to $60, depending on the colors and the salon. I understand that women like to look their best, and we men appreciate it. But again, if living on a tight budget, that is good amount of money that can buy groceries. Top Brand Apparels Looking at statistics, it claims the average American spends about $160 a month on clothes and shoes. The average family spends around $1800 per year, close to $400 of that is on shoes. Unfortunately clothes wear out, so there isn't much you can do to make them last any longer. However, washing them certain ways can extend the life a little. Try to reduce how much you wash your clothes. It isn't too uncommon for some people to wash their pants and shirts at the end of the day, everyday. Washing your clothes too much will wear them out. It is best practice to wash your clothes one time during the week. Buying top brand apparel can be a waste of money. Some lower name and generic brands are just as good. Although, this is a trial and error type thing to find what does work and last. Shoes are a good example, take name brands over generic. If you have to buy 10 pair of generic shoes throughout the year at $20 a pair. That isn't saving money if you only had to buy 2 pairs of a name brand at $65 a pair. That would be $240 for generic and $130 for name brand per year. The lesson is to buy smart, not necessarily cheap. Just like car tires, buying a cheap tire that last a year, where a name brand last you 3 years, where is the savings? Expenses That You Can Modify

These type of expenses would be credit cards, helping your credit score, insurance contracts and things like appliances that are consuming too much resources. The concept is to save money, and in doing so, means stay out of debt. You would think a credit card would be the wrong thing to use. Well if you are getting cash back for using it, then you might change your mind. The Power Of The Card Paying cash for most things is a good way to save money and stay out of debt. If you do use credit cards, pay the balance off each month. Many credit cards offer cash back rewards, so purchasing everything with a cash back card, you will make money. Let's say you spend $3000 a month with a cash back card, your annual earnings could be around $360, depending on the percentages. If you have cards that offer 0% interest, many of these cards get you discounted prices on merchandise. So if you buy a sales item that is discounted 20% based on using the card. Then pay the balance off next billing statement, BAM!!!, you just saved some bucks. If you travel frequently, you can build up points that will get you a free stay at certain hotels. This also applies to building up airline points. "Rewards" type credit cards can get you flyer miles, free checked bags, lounge access and other airline discounts. For renting a car, you can save from purchasing the insurance that is offered by the car rental service. Many people are unaware of car rental insurance is provided by their credit cards. You would want to verify that your card offers this feature. Of course none of this is valuable if you don't pay your balance off at the end of the month. Other Card Benefits Another way to save money, find out if your card comes with the "Price Protection Benefit". This means that if you buy an item and the next day the price drops, your card holder will adjust the price. It is also worth finding out if your card provides extended warranty coverage. Buying extended warranties can get expensive, but some cards offer that as a bonus. This will help with electronics and appliances greatly. Retail cards are usually high interest, however, they also can be used to your advantage. Many store cards offer a 0% interest with a no tax or a discounted purchase price. Same as above, take advantage of these offers and then pay the card off. Many retail stores credit cards are also rewards cards. This means discounted prices and often cash back or points accumulate. If you already have credit card debt, look for new cards that offer a 0% balance transfer. These often are for 6 months to a year introductory. As mentioned, credit cards are a powerful tool to save money and reduce debts. However, they are also very dangerous to use and can put you into bankruptcy. By paying off your credit card balances monthly, this raises your credit scores. With higher credit, more options open up for you if you ever need a loan. A higher score really helps with purchasing a car or a house. Insurances and Warranties You can make a relevant savings by switching all types of your insurances to one company. Several insurance companies will give you huge discounts for signing up your home, auto, health and life, under one provider. Of course you should shop around and get quotes before deciding on any one company. Home warranties can often be renegotiated, also when shopping for better pricing for insurances, see if any of the companies include or offer home or automotive warranties. You should carefully look over any automotive type warranties. Many times the way they are written, they sound better than what they really are. Sometimes that high end warranty is covering stuff that doesn't even apply to you or your vehicle. I have been in the automotive industry for over 40 years, and most of the time, the aftermarket or 3rd party warranties are completely useless. You could save money by dropping them all together. Appliance warranties are often worth the purchases, depending if it is a manufacturer warranty. However, some 3rd party warranties are designed to take much of your money and give nothing in return. Many of the manufacturer extended warranties give you discounts on filters, maintenance items and repair parts. Usually they are very fair priced. My new GE Fridge is like $70 to extend it for another year. Considering my $50 water filter is only half that with with the warranty, it is well worth it. Telephony

Communication cost such as telephones, both cellular and landline, should be analyzed. Cell phones quite often start getting charges that you really don't need. You should frequently look the bill over and make sure no new charges are showing up. Landlines are a waste of money for home use. I am old school and I love the idea of having a physical line run to the house for emergencies but they ask too much. On the average, the cheapest you can get a landline for is around $45 a month. That is completely limited and no long distance. However, if you already have a telephone line run to your home. Some state laws, require that a line stay active so you can dial 911. You would have to check with your local phone companies. Cellular companies offer a landline option that runs around $20 a month. With that, you get everything your cell phone service provides you, as far as phone features. I think this a great tip on how to save money. You are paying less than half for a landline with better features. It is also worth getting a quote from your cable company about a VoIP phone. However, with cable companies, they will give you a great, 1 to 2 year low price contract, that will go up significantly after it runs out. The cellular companies are more consistent and do less of the marking scam deals like cable providers do. You can do like most people do and just drop the landline and save $45 or more a month, and just use your cell phone. Cable TV and Internet Most people have cable for internet, with that said, you already have the means for streaming TV, rather than pay your cable provider for it. Cable companies are really bad about raping the consumer for TV channels. Their package line ups are designed to only give you about a third to half of what you want per package. This means you have to end up getting close to the highest priced package to get just specific channels you really watch. They really get you if you have kids, you only get some of the kid's channels on the lower priced packages. What these cable companies are not realizing, they are putting their TV service out of business with their high prices. Streaming apps are where everyone is going. Hulu offers most new episodes of TV shows the next day. They are also now offering Live TV. So if you have cable internet, drop the TV service and spend less money getting apps for the stuff you really want to watch. Read More On Streaming Channels

Bill Pay Automation

One method talked about for saving money is to automate all your bills by setting up reoccurring payments. The theory is, your outgoing payments will be consistent, as far as managing a budget. You know a certain amount is already spoken for each month, and bill pay will always be on time. It sounds great, and the younger generation loves the idea, but here is what happens. Your automatic payments increase without you knowing it. If you are on a tight budget, and a unexpected expense comes up, you just bounced a check. For an example, you know that you bring home $2000 every month. You know that $1850 is automatically deducted each month to pay bills. That leaves you $150 in the bank. Boom, your car tears up and you need a repair that cost $140. You feel it is OK, because you will have $10 left in the bank. So now you try to pay for the repair with a card or check. Turns out you have insufficient funds. Because it is all automatic, you weren't aware that your rent went up $20 and your cable bill went up another $10. Best to not be lazy, and handle your bills manually each month. If you set it to automatic, then you need to monitor your bills every month to avoid this situation. However, if you are not on such a tight budget, automatic can be a good way to ensure the bills get paid. But sometimes that messes up, and then you just took a hit on your credit score. I highly recommend not setting up automation, and if you do, make auditing a monthly religion.

How To Save Money With Home Efficiency

When it comes to your home, no matter if it is a house or an apartment, heat or cold escaping out the door and windows is wasting money. If you live in an apartment, you are limited on what you can do to when it comes to insulating. However, you can do some simple things that will help save you money on your heating and air bills. Blinds and Curtains Not everyone is a big fan of blinds and or curtains, but they can be a big help on saving money. Blinds give any home an elegant look, if you get the right kind. You may be unaware that blinds can help control the temperature in your home. By adjusting how much light comes in, you are actually adjusting an exterior heat source. So if it is a hot summer, and you are blocking out the sun, it helps the AC keep the interior cooler. Visa Versa, in the winter, let more sun in to help heat a room. Curtains are really a big help, especially if they have an insulated backing to them. They also work in both directions in summer and winter. The insulated backings, keep the cold out and keeps the heat in. Although, they also keep the heat out, and the cool in. Not to mention they actually help keep down moisture that seeps around windows and french or slider doors. Windows and Doors If your house has older windows, such as wooden or aluminum types, these are letting the heat and cold escape or enter. Even though it would be an expense to replace your windows, you will make it back up in the savings. Having a vinyl "thermal - double pane" window installed, would be your best option. Check with you local tax preparer office, or your utility company. Tax credits and sometimes electric company credits can be obtained from making your home more energy efficient. The same applies for doors on credits. If your doors are older and wooden, they offer little insulation factors. Also the older door frames have poor sealing abilities around them. The newer insulation filled metal doors are the best. If your doors are newer, consider adding storm doors to them. Not only do they add an elegance to your home, it also provides an added insulation factor against temps and moisture. Storm doors and storm windows can be added to any home. No matter if your doors and windows are old or not. If you want to add a bit more insulation to your house, consider storm doors and windows. There is also the "poor-man's" way. That is taking plastic and covering your windows during the winter. It may look funny, and people may ridicule, but it does make a difference. Even placing towels at the bottom of your exterior doors during the winter can help on the electric bill. The Thermostat Most newer homes come with programmable thermostats. They are actually designed to be controlled remotely by apps now. Having an "all out" smart thermostat can be awesome, however, the really important feature is the programmable part. By using a programmable thermostat, it stops the constant adjustments many of us want to make throughout the day. It also can be set to run the heat and air unit less during the hours no one is at home. Again this is spending money to save money, however the savings will pay for itself in the long run. The two thermostats I would recommend can be purchased through Amazon. The best one is a bit pricey, but you get some great features. Checkout the Honeywell TH9320WF5003. The other thermostat is about half the cost but performs well and gives you what you need to get your heat and air bills under control. Take a look at the Honeywell RTH8560D1002. I am not trying to push a sale on you, I have done carpentry work for many years and the Honeywell's have always been the best thermostats you can buy. You can get other brands even cheaper at Home Depot and Lowes. The main goal is to get your climate control regulated to cut your electric and gas bills down. Your Central Heat and Air Unit I wanted to talk about your HVAC unit for a moment. This will vary depending on the area you live in. A lot of areas use "Heat Pumps", which are good and efficient when it comes to heating and cooling your house. However, for areas that have winter temps that stay below 28°F or colder, Heat Pumps suck. Heat Pumps use the same compressor to heat and cool the house. However, when the temperatures drop below 28°F and stay there or keep dropping, the Freon can no longer compress properly to heat the house. When this happens, there are electric heating strips that kick in to heat the house. The issue with this process is, it shoots the electric bill sky high. Not only are you running a compressor that isn't providing heat, but now you are turning on heating elements that suck up electricity. The solution for people that live in areas with these type temperatures, is a "Dual Fuel Heat Pump". This type system runs like a regular heat pump, however, when the temperatures get too low for the heat pump to work, the unit shuts off the compressor and turns on the gas furnace built inside. Gas heat will quickly heat up any house. Gas cost less on heating than electricity does, where extreme lower temperatures occur. This is another investment but something you should look carefully at. Heating and cooling is your highest bill you will have outside your mortgage payments. Saving Money With Insulation Attics A house will only keep the cool and warmth in as long as there is proper insulation. If you live in an older home, you may want to check how much insulation your floor joist and attic have. It is recommended to insulate to R-38 in attics, or 10 to 14 inches thick. The quickest way to know if you have enough insulation in your attic is a visual check. If you look across the span of the attic, you should not be able to see the top of the horizontal part of the roof trusses. That would be the boards that run flat that you can step across. If you do see the top of the boards sticking through the insulation, you need more insulation. I have found 8 to 10 inches thick to work really well, of course the thicker the better. A tip on attics; Depending on what type of entry door you have to your attic, ensure that there is insulation on the backside of your door. Also make sure it is enough to lap over the edges to help keep the air out. For pull down latter types, they do make a foam insulation you can incorporate into it. Floors and Crawl Spaces For floor joist, the most common way is to place R-19 insulation in between the joist. Always remember that the paper side, no matter if it is crawl space, walls or attic, faces towards the living area. This is a moisture barrier and must be in contact with the underside of the floors. Look for insulation that has fallen down or where it isn't completely covering a section. Here is another way to really help insulate and save money in a crawl space. Use foam insulation board against the inside crawl space walls. Unlike fiberglass, rigid foam insulation boards do not absorb water, support mold or allow air to pass through. Also ensure that your crawl space door is sealed and insulated. While you are in your crawl space, inspect the moisture barrier plastic that should be laying on the ground. If there are any holes, rips or tears that are exposing raw earth, apply new plastic over those areas. Trapped moisture can cause the floor to seem excessively cold on your feet. Not to mention the moisture will cause mold and mildew and rot your floor joist.

In Conclusion

These tips on how to save money included knowing the essentials and non-essentials expenditures. Of course before you can really save money, you need to know exactly how much money you have coming in and what you are paying out. Using a spreadsheet like in Google Sheets is a great tool. They even provide an already made monthly budget template to use. We went over many home money saving tips, such as utilities, rent, mortgage and insulation. Saving money by watching and adjusting your phone and cable bills. Tips on how to save money are really common sense and most everyone knows the basics. The truth is, it is a matter of mindset and discipline. We are all spoiled to some degree, we live in a country that you can get what you want in some form or fashion. Credit is available for everything these days. So when you're making money, you want to buy things. Another issue is that life has sped-up and it is so fast paced now. So between your wants and the fast pace, keeping a budget can get hard. Like anything, if you want it, you have to work at it. So if you want to manage and keep your spending in check, you have to train yourself. Site Index Read the full article

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