#< for reachability don’t hurt me

[yourinaudiblename]

Lesbian Undyne and Lesbian Alphys

Frisk: Actually that’s a lesbian flag. It’s what you are ^w^

Undyne: Lesbian? That’s lame. IM A MOREBIAN!!!!

[solesoldier]

it’s frankly amazing and dumbfounding how little my family actually knows about me and how little they care to remedy that

[charliemwrites]

Part 6 of SpecGru (former 141) reader; Simon’s perspective again.

Content: brief implication/mention of reader having idle suicidal ideation. In the way of “I don’t care if something happens to me” kind of way. Happens during a phone call between Price and reader’s new captain.

Please be careful and safe. If someone needs this part summarized, let me know. I love you all very much <3

Here’s the truth of it: Simon never meant for you to leave.

You were too close, that was true. He did everything short of actually hurting you to drive you away. Treated you like a plaything, took your kindness and patience and feelings for him for granted. Left you cold and alone in a hospital bed — unable to see you pale and half-dead all because you were so goddamn headstrong…

That had put it all in vicious perspective. That he couldn’t keep you safe; knowing him, following him, would surely end with you on a metal table rather than a clean hospital bed.

In hindsight, he knows it was as much for his own sake as yours, trying to force that emotional distance between you two. But he just… he can’t do it. Not again. Not you. You’d break him.

But he never meant for you to leave. Not really.

Maybe take an extended solo mission. Or just break off the romance of it all. Maybe you’d stay away for a while, give him time to sort out his feelings and shove the useless ones back into the pit they belong in.

He didn’t expect you to be gone as soon as you could stand.

“You said yourself, Simon, she’s too young and reckless. The 141 can’t afford to babysit her,” Price explained.

“She nearly got you killed, LT,” Soap pointed out. That was before he found out that you were gone for good, not just on disciplinary leave.

And when he did…

“No. No, she dinnae…” he wiped a hand down his face, eyes going a bit glassy. “Why? Why would she… didn’t we mean anythin’ to her? I know we were all a bit on the rocks but ‘s just cos she gave us a scare…”

Gaz took it the hardest, showing up most morning with red-rimmed, puffy eyes. He tried texting you a hundred times; they never went through.

He and Soap begged Price to reconsider, saying that he had no right to kick you out without consulting the rest of the squad.

“I just told her that she should consider transfer,” Price corrected, steely.

“Same fuckin’ thing, ain’t it?” Soap raged. “What else ‘s she gonna do when it’s her captain sayin’ it?”

And Price had finally crumbled, his stubbornness giving way to a clearer head and regret in the aftermath. Simon knew how he felt; had been haunted with the same gut-wrenching feeling for two weeks by that point.

“You’re right. I shouldn’t have…” he wiped a hand down his face. “I’ll call Laswell, see if she can put us through.”

As it turned out, your new team had deployed you almost immediately. You were gone, relying on teammates you barely knew, and there was no guarantee when (or even if) you’d be reachable again.

When Laswell put Price through to your new captain instead, he scoffed down the line.

“That how the great John Price sends off his own?” He gruffed.

“I take care of my own,” Price replied, narrow-eyed.

“That’s explains it then, doesn’t it?” A shifting on the other end. “Well, she’s one of mine now, at least; better off that way I think.”

He was on speaker phone with the SpecGru captain. Shouldn’t have been, but it wasn’t a confidential call. So the rest of the 141 was there, vibrating with the effort to stay quiet.

Simon balled his hands into fists, arms crossed. He didn’t trust anyone with one of theirs. No, you belonged right there with the rest of the 141. They could keep you safe, keep you alive.

“The hell is that supposed to mean?” Price growled.

“Let me just ask you this, Price. And only because I need to know how to take care of her.” A pause, shuffling of papers. Something heavy and almost… hesitant in the silence before- “Did she always have this DNR order?”

Price’s office turned to ice. Simon’s entire shuddered, cored out. The arm of the chair Soap was occupying cracked. Gaz’s hand was covering his mouth, blood draining from his face.

“No,” Price answered, voice little more than rust.

A grunt on the other end.

“Thanks for the insight,” your new captain replied, sounding nonplussed. “At least you were good for something.”

The line droned, dead.

—

You’re standing with the rest of SpecGru, beaming like each and every one of them hung a star just for you. They orbit like you’re the sun, even Nikto, holding you in his arms, letting you lean back against him.

(You used to look at Simon like that. Used to let him hug you like that on the occasion he was weak and gave into the temptation to hold you.)

Every time he looks at you, it’s like a stranger with your face all over again.

You hold your shoulders differently. Tilt your head different. Have a certain control over your facial features better than any mask Simon’s donned.

Today you’re dressed down from your tac uniform. Specifically, your long-sleeve thermal has been replaced by a sleeveless gym shirt. It reveals that tattoo he caught only a glimpse of before — a big, intricate thing from your shoulder down your wrist.

(He and Johnny were going to go with you for your first tattoo. You asked them for all sort of recommendations. Enjoyed tracing Simon’s sleeve when he let you.)

There are more scars too. Burns, bullet grazes, jagged knife marks and patches from bad scrapes.

Nova is finishing up the wrapping on your hand, the other already done. You’re listening to something Russ is spouting off about, whatever it is making you laugh loud enough to be heard where Simon is lurking.

“C’mon,” Johnny says, bumping shoulders with Simon. “Know we fucked up yesterday, but we can try again. Maybe letting her beat the shite out of us will help clear the air, aye?”

Simon forces himself to look away. He already knows you won’t be glancing over.

“Yeah,” he replies. “Maybe.”

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Masterlist

[annewithaneofthegreengable]

Mr Long Legs and Ms Pocket Size

Summary: Toto loves that his girlfriend has to cling to him like a koala whenever she wants to kiss him. OR how Y/n has to constantly pull off the highest heels just to stand next to her “giant” boyfriend.

A/N: I will add a small smau right below so stay tuned u guys!

Toto and his girlfriend, who he lovingly calls his 'short stack,' wake up every day with a smile on their faces. They start their day with a kiss, normally she would have to hold onto him just to give him a peck on the lip. As they go about their morning routine, Toto can't help but grin as he watches her attempt to reach things on high shelves, which is often caused by him because he often teases her by placing things on the top shelf that are out of her reach, knowing she would have to call him for the help. 

“Damn you and your heights, who would put their everyday mugs on the highest place on the cupboard!”

“It’s not that high, Schatz. Look! It’s very much reachable. Well, compared to my size of course. Here you go.”

“New information, in case you don’t know… I am not your size”

“I’m pretty much aware of that, you are rather pocket-size, Liebe.”

His girlfriend playfully rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You know very well I'm not as tall as you, you oversized giant," she said with a hint of amusement. 

"But I guess being so towering has its downside. You're constantly losing things behind the cabinets and on top of the fridge. I suppose height isn't everything." Toto chuckled, wrapping his arm around her waist. 

"Height has its benefits, especially when it comes to pulling pranks on my short stack girl," he said while kissing her neck.

“Have you grown? Liebe.”

“Just for today, so pretty much yes.” Y/n grins then lifts her shoe high enough to reveal heels that make Toto’s jaw drop a little before he begins laughing hysterically. 

“Gotta pull off these bad bitches right here so that the press can take a picture with both of us without cutting your legs out of the frame.”

“There’s no way you’re gonna survive the whole day with those on.”

“Watch me! Toto.”

“Please! For the sake of me, just wear something flatter, like trainers, or your flats.”

“Nope.” She said with the sound pop “p”. 

Y/n is well aware that Toto enjoys the benefits of such a height gap, but it's enjoyable to tease him about being able to close the space on occasion.

"Shall we go?" Y/n asks making Toto sigh looking down at her feet again before nodding.

“If you ever feel any sort of discomfort please come to me right away. Yes? Liebe”

“Alright, Mr Long Legs”

Y/n confidently struts towards the door with Toto trailing behind her. As they step inside the paddock, they are immediately greeted by a swarm of press and fans clamouring to catch a glimpse of the famous couple. Toto watches in amazement as Y/n effortlessly strikes a series of poses, her confidence and poise perfectly fitting the larger-than-life persona she had adopted for the day. Despite her high heels, she didn't falter and instead embraced the spotlight with grace, leaving Toto in awe of her confidence and charisma. He also couldn't help but feel a little nervous at the idea of her wearing such high shoes all day, but his girlfriend was determined to make a statement. 

“Someone is a bit taller today?” Lewis said chuckling.

“Yes, Lewis. I’m even at your head level today. Still not quite George’s height but one step at a time, right?”

“Impressive… But I prefer the tiny boss to be tiny. Because those heels can break your toes or something.”

“It’s quite hurtful now but don’t you dare tell Toto. I’m trying to stay above a little longer today. Maybe till the race ends, then I will take it off.”

“Promise?”

“Swear on my toes, Lewis. Now get in the car. “

As Toto listened to Y/n's exchange with Lewis, he couldn't help but feel a pang of worry deep in his chest, with a little pang of jealousy as he heard Lewis make the comment about preferring her to be tiny, but he quickly pushed it aside. In his eyes, his girlfriend was perfect no matter her height. He knew how determined and fierce she could be, but the thought of her hurting herself in those towering shoes left him feeling uneasy. As Lewis walked away, Toto approached Y/n with a small frown, as he gently lifted her foot and carefully removed her heeled shoes, he couldn't help but notice the slight tension in her expression. He could tell she was disappointed that her attempt to be "taller" had come to an abrupt end. But he knew that her safety and well-being were his top priority, and he wasn't willing to risk her getting injured just for the sake of appearing taller. As he lowered her feet back to the ground, Toto looked up at her with a mixture of concern and affection "You know," he began, his tone tender, "you're perfect just the way you are, Liebe. Whether you're towering in those shoes or not." He gently ran a hand up her slender leg, his touch affectionate. "I don't care one bit about your height. I just want you to be safe and comfortable. That's all that matters to me."

Y/n couldn't help but soften at Toto's words, her disappointment at having to remove the heels fading in the warm glow of his affection. "I know," she replied, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. She reached down to brush a stray lock of hair out of his eyes, her touch gentle. "I just wanted to stand a bit taller for a change, you know? But I understand where you're coming from." She gave him a grin. "Next time, perhaps I will try on some wedges platform?”

liked by mercedesamgf1, lewishamilton, georgerussell63 and others

y/n_user: Can someone tell him to give me some of his height?

mercedesamgf1 we will try tiny boss

y/n_user Thanks admin! I appreciate ur help lewishamilton Can u tell him to save some for me also! Much needed it y/n_user Go find ur own! This is mine already

user_1 Mrs Long Legs now

user_2 Those shoes could kill

user_3 Can u save some for Yuki too

y/n_user Noted user_4 Tell Yuki to take it from his bf gasly

lilymhe Pretty heels for ma wifey

y/n_user Stop it wifey they're killlinggg meee lilymhe U can always sit on my lap wifey mercedesamgf1 Please stop calling my missus your wifey - toto user_1 the boss has joined the chat mic drop

user_5 Not toto using the company acc

liked by mercedesamgf1, lewishamilton, georgerussell63 and others

y/n_user photo dump and date night with my Mr Long Legs and he calls me his Ms Pocket Size so screw the heels

user_2 She looks so good!

user_3 THEY ARE THE POWER COUPLE!!

user_1 Dear mr future husband pls take note

lilymhe love you beautiful!

user_6 ATE and left NO CRUMBS

lewishamilton gorgeous - toto wolff

lewishamilton i don’t have instagram - toto wolff

y/n_user pls give lewis his ig acc back old man!

user: nOt the sign off by toto himself 😭😭

mercedesamgf1: finest couple ever! 😮‍💨

user admin— you’re so real for this omg user admin knows what’s up user can toto fight? user can’t fight for a championship that’s for sure

mercedesamgf1 the boss says you’re gorgeous

user GIVE THIS PERSON A RAISE FOR THEIR HARD WORK mercedesamgf1 so true

[omiiomiaaus]

LET YOU GO | Toji Fushiguro

Emotionally unavailable Toji x reader Drabble

Angst, hurt no comfort lol, Toji finks you deserve betta than what he can giv ya. Broke asf Toji, umm he’s like 33 and you’re like 25, megumi is like 9 or something idk whatever makes sense I guess lol. she/her pronouns used, Not proofread bc I’m lazy. Short asf and mid asf

The only thing Toji was good at was keeping to himself and making you feel like you would never be fully a part of his life.

“you and me?” he questioned. “There is no you and me, baby.”

the only thing you could do is hold in your tears, because Toji Fushiguro will never let you break down his walls. He was completely un reachable, and he wasn’t about to let you make him vulnerable to his own feelings, or so he thought.

“You’re just wasting your time, sweetheart.” He continues, having audacity to still call you pet names. The same ones he said when he was sweet talking you into his bed.

“Toji, why can’t you just let me be there for you?” You said, a futile attempt to get him to listen to you. “You sound desperate baby, it’s not cute.”

“Stop it.. stop being so mean, I don’t get it.. I do everything for you, why can’t you just..” you couldn’t even finish your sentence, you didn’t want to give up on him but at this point you were just making a fool of yourself in front of him.

“Why can’t I just what? Love you? Why can’t you just open your eyes and realize I’m not the kind of guy who’s gonna settle down with a girl who’s got her whole life ahead of her.” He spat out, looking down at you with disbelief. “I got no job, I got a kid that’s almost half your age, and a shitty apartment with my mattress on the floor… you want that?”

The look in his eyes made you feel inferior, his gaze judging your soul. “Stop trying to make me hate you.. when did things go wrong? Why are you pushing me away?” You asked, hoping to get through to him.

“You deserve a man who’ll give you what you need. I got nothing going for me, what makes you think I’ll be good to you?” He said, softly this time. He looked away, shaking his head and letting out a soft sigh. “You think I won’t love you because you have nothing to your name?” You asked. It hurt to think he thought of you so superficially.

“It’s not about you loving me, it’s about me being good enough.” He yelled, immediately going back to his stoic nature.

“Toji don’t you get it?” You yelled back at him.

“I’ll love you no matter what! I don’t care if you have nothing, I don’t care if I have to live in the darkest corner of the world… I love you, I need you and I want to have you with me always!” You felt like your heart couldn’t take much more rejection. But you realized that Toji was slowly cracking. He went from pushing you away for no reason, finally showing his true concerns.

“Please…” you said, barely above a whisper.

“It’s for your own good” he said while turning his back to you, getting ready to walk away and out of your life. Something caused you to jump up and hold on to him when he started to leave.

“Wait Toji please don’t leave!” You yelled, voice desperate. You held on to him so tight. This isn’t how you want to remember him, you wanted to remember the Toji that reciprocated your affection.

He pulled his arm out your grip forcefully, causing you to stumble back a little bit.

“What about megumi? He needs me!” You plead again, trying to find anything to get him to let you stay in his life. He turns his head back side eyeing you, back still turned towards you. “He has to learn heart break at some point.” He said coldly.

“So that’s it? You’re just gonna walk out my life after all these years… you’re just gonna shut me out that fast?”

“Just forget about me.”

That was the last thing you remember of Toji Fushiguro. The pain he made you feel and the words he spoke that night would always be held in your mind. Memories resurfacing of when you two were happy together, it felt like your mind was taunting you.

AN: hope you enjoyed… lowkey want to make a pt 2 bc I always want to have lore to my fics LMAOO but I might not… depends.

- omi

[bwabys-scenarios]

Reunited

Part 25

Illumi x Reader x Feitan

part 24

part 26

taglist: @tsukilover11 @mercyboluthecrazychicken @sxyriii @shidoni-san @living4tomrua @lemonslut @honeylunalove @sugarrushdaydream @canthebest1

if you’d like to be ADDED to the taglist, please comment a red heart ❤️, make sure you’re able to be tagged/mentioned, and have your age in your bio(IF YOU ARE ALREADY ON THE TAGLIST, YOU DON’T NEED TO ASK TO BE ADDED AGAIN!!)

warnings: feitan calls reader fat, reader gets insecure about it… he’s mean but he does feel bad about it eventually!!!

It had nearly been a week since (Name) had saved the strange man, and she still hadn’t been able to learn his name.

He was still rude and violent if pushed, but he had chilled out considerably. Feitan allowed her to feed him and took his medication when asked, if begrudgingly so.

It was a sunny afternoon, the smell of her lemon tree calling to her. It had been a while since (Name) had made lemonade, because it was a lot of work for just one person.

But now she had a guest, and decided that it would be worth it now.

Feitan sat on the couch, watching some random program on the tv absentmindedly. He glanced at the girl pulling a pair of socks on near the front door.

“… what you doing?”

(Name) looked up after tying her shoe. “I’m gonna pick some lemons! Do you like lemonade?”

He never answered her immediately, so (Name) continued getting ready until he replied.

“Sometimes.”

She hummed. “Is there a reason you only like it sometimes?”

“Too sour.”

(Name) patted herself on her shoulder for being able to hold a conversation with him for longer than five seconds. “Okie dokie! I’ll make sure it’s nice and sweet then.”

Feitan didn’t respond, only watching her leave with a raised eyebrow.

(Name) returned 30 minutes later carrying a basket full of lemons. Her forehead was covered in sweat as she dropped the basket off on her table.

Feitan turned to watch her, a habit he had picked up within the past two days. Whenever Feitan didn’t understand something, he’d observe it until he did.

(Name) wasn’t very easy to understand, however.

The girl at down and began to juice the lemons, humming to a song that Feitan didn’t know. The citrusy smell of lemons filled the air as she toss the remains of the lemons into a plastic box.

Feitan turned his attention back to the TV. He didn’t find her that interesting, but he caught himself stealing glances at her as she worked.

“Hmm, this should be enough…”

He heard her chair squeak as she stood, carrying the lemon juice to a pitcher, where she added sugar and water.

“It’s ready, I’ll bring you a cup!”

She sat a cup of lemonade in front of him, making sure the straw she provided was reachable. He waited for her to walk back to grab her own cup before taking a sip.

(Name) had made it sweet enough to satisfy the man’s needs, Feitan downing the drink in seconds. He hadn’t realized how thirsty he was.

——————

“Hey, no offense, but you’re gonna need to bathe. You’re starting to smell.”

Feitan looked up at the woman hovering over him with a towel and a change of clothes in hand. He scowled at her, a growl in his voice.

“How I bathe if can’t move arms? Stupid.”

She waved her hand dismissively. “I’ll help you, of c-“

“No.”

(Name) groaned. “Ugh, I thought we were over this by now. Why won’t you just let me help you?”

He gave her a warning look, causing the girl to cross her arms in defiance.

Feitan narrowed his eyes at her, making sure her eyes were on his hands as he sharpened his nails into points. “Warning you. Don’t touch.”

She sighed and stepped back. “At least let me give you a sponge bath or something. Wouldn’t it feel nice to be clean?”

He hesitantly looked between her and the mirror facing the wall.

His hair was greasy, and he doubted he smelled good. Feitan didn’t know why this made him feel slightly insecure, but he reluctantly nodded his head.

“Okay, but stop if I say. Or hurt you.”

Feitan followed her into the barroom, sitting on the edge of the tub as she warmed up the water.

“I’m gonna remove your bandages, alright?”

He nodded and watched as her fingers delicately unwrapped his bandages, being careful not to brush against his wounds. He found it amusing how she jerked back when he made even the slightest of movements, looking up to make sure she hadn’t hurt him.

Once finished, she stood up and grabbed a rag, wetting it with soap and water before gently brushing it over his back.

He tensed at contact, shooting her a glance as she gently rubbed at his sensitive skin. Next, she moved to wash his chest, looking away bashfully.

This didn’t go unnoticed by the man. Did she find him attractive, or was she embarrassed to be bathing a man, one she didn’t really know at that? Either way he found it quite funny how she shrunk under his intense gaze, looking everywhere but his face as she washed him.

She applied some cleanser to his face, holding back a giggle at his grumpy expression. He looked kind of cute when he wasn’t biting at her fingers!

She rinsed his face, careful not to get any soap in his eyes. Feitan usually just washed with water and whatever soap he could get his hands on, so this facial cleanser was a new experience for him, one he didn’t entirely hate.

“Okay, I’m gonna wash your hair now. I’m gonna need to get in the tub to do this.”

She rolled up her pants legs, the man watching her as she did. (Name) stepped into the tub, turning on the removable shower head and wetting his hair.

Feitan had to admit, having someone play with his hair felt good in more ways than one. Her fingers combed through his locs with care, asking him several times if it was okay.

“… it’s okay. Keep going.”

She didn’t judge him for his dirty hair, only diligently cleaning it. (Name) didn’t once make him feel uncomfortable or hurt him, something that made him relax under her touch.

He stiffened when she added the conditioner, not used to the texture of it. “This helps keep your hair soft so it doesn’t tangle. Wanna see the bottle?”

He looked over the bottle with a curious eye. It was a woman’s conditioner, strawberry scented. Although his pride didn’t want him smelling like a girl, he couldn’t help but find comfort in the soft scent.

She finished washing his hair by rinsing, grabbing a towel to dry it off. “Okay, almost done. I’ll dry your hair and then you can change into some fresh clothes.”

Something about her talking through every step felt reassuring to the man. She treated him so gently, like he was glass that would break with too much pressure. The woman didn’t know how wrong she was to think that. It was her that could easily be crushed under his foot like a bug.

So why did even the thought of harming her make him uneasy?

“There! Do you feel any better?”

Feitan looked himself over in the mirror. He still had dark circles under his eyes and a frown on his lips, but his hair was neatly(or well as neatly as possible) brushed and his face clean of any dirt or blood.

He looked nice, handsome even.

‘Wonder if she thinks I’m handsome…’

Wait, where did that come from?

The man stood up and left without another word, kicking the door to his bedroom shut behind him.

———————

His stares only intensified the following days, but now he was beginning to follow her around the house. (Name) would be cooking dinner, look over her shoulder, and he’d be there, just observing her.

He didn’t seem to understand that what he was doing would be seen as creepy to some people. In his mind he was trying to figure her out and what she wanted from him, and why she acted the way she did.

(Name) would attempt to place a hand on his shoulder or brush his hair out of his face, just for him to run away and stare at her from a distance. He was kind of like a skittish cat.

She didn’t understand his strange behavior. What did he want from her?

“Are you gonna tell me your name yet?”

The two were sat down at the dining table, Feitan sipping on a milk shake she’d prepared for him. He stopped sipping to look at her suspiciously.

“Why you need to know?”

“It would be a lot easier to talk to you if I knew your name.”

He frowned. “Don’t need to talk to me.”

This went on for a few more days, the man’s eyes following her wherever she went. It was almost like he enjoyed sneaking up behind her, causing her to jump in fright when she turned around. Feitan didn’t have a lot of control over his current situation, so this was his way of taking control.

At the two week mark, Feitan was able to walk for a few minutes before needing to rest. His weakened body frustrated him to no end.

“Do you have any family that you can contact?”

Feitan looked up from his lap to see (Name) standing in front of him. She was carrying a basket on her hip, the sound of clinking jars telling him she’d filled it with the jam and jelly she’d been making.

“No family, but some… acquaintances.”

She nodded and opened up her notes app. “Can you tell me their numbers? We don’t have signal out here, but I should be able to call them when I get to town.”

He eyed her for a moment, searching for any malicious intent behind her e/c eyes, but there was none. Feitan sighed and started listing out numbers, barking out insults when she needed him to repeat it.

“I give you my boss’s number. Don’t waste his time, tell him Feitan asked you to call. Say I got hurt, but alive.”

(Name) paused, glancing up at him as she typed the number into her phone.

“So… your name is Feitan?”

He scowled. “If you know boss’s number, my name doesn’t matter.”

She looked back to her phone before responding.

“It’s a nice name.”

——————

Feitan watched her leave, smirking when she tripped on some gravel. Over the past two weeks he’d come to know her as a bit of a klutz, constantly tripping over her own two feet.

For a moment he wondered how easy it would be to kill her. She was weak, even in his current state he could end her life easily. It would be tough to eat by himself and keep his wounds clean, but feitan had been through worse.

Just the thought of her blood on his hands made him pause. An uncomfortable feeling settled into his chest. It felt wrong to think about killing her, as if it were taboo. He shook his head.

‘Just a random woman, no reason to not kill her. Already knows your name, she is a liability.’

He nodded to himself, glancing at the mirror across from him. He watched as his face twisted into an uncomfortable grimace as he imagined taking her life.

The man hadn’t even bothered to remember her name, so why did he care if he killed her or not? It confused and annoyed him.

‘Whatever, think about that later.’

Feitan used her absence as an opportunity to do some light exercise.

(Name) didn’t prevent him from doing what he wanted, but she would hover over him if she thought he was overexerting himself, which he found endlessly annoying.

He started with some sit ups. They were easy to do without the use of his arms, and would help build up his core strength.

——————

(Name) sat behind her booth at the farmers market, typing the phone number and pressing call.

It rang for a few seconds before being picked up, the sound of a man’s voice on the other end.

“Hello?”

(Name) blinked. ‘Wow, that’s the voice of a handsome man…’

“Um, hi! I’m calling on behalf of Feitan!”

The line was quiet for a moment before he answered. The man seemed amused, a laugh echoing into the receiver.

“Oh, really? Why’s that?”

“Oops, sorry just one second!”

(Name) handed a woman a jar of canned peaches, thanking her for her patronage. Once finished she quickly replied.

“Sorry, I’m working right now but he asked me to call you because he was hurt during… a mission? I think that’s what he said. Both of his arms are paralyzed and he’s just now able to walk easily again.”

The man hummed. “I see. Who are you to Feitan?”

(Name) laughed. “By the way he looks at me you’d think I’m his worst enemy, but I guess I’m just the person that found him. Oh, do you need my address? Sorry, I know how suspicious this all must sound. I’d put him on the phone but we don’t have any signal at my house, I had to go to town to call you.”

“You’re fine, miss. I can tell by your voice you’re not lying. Send me your address and I’ll send one of my comrades to check the situation out when they’re available.”

“Of course!”

The two chatted for a bit longer. He was much more talkative than Feitan, introducing himself as Chrollo. The man seemed interested in her, asking random questions that sometimes teetered on too personal. She didn’t seem to care about that too much, answering to her best ability.

“Hmm, that’s interesting. You’ll have to send me some of that jam.”

“Definitely. Are you a fan of jam and syrup, Mr. Chrollo?”

“Chrollo is fine, and yes. Especially when they are home made. There’s something endearing about the domesticity of it.”

(Name) didn’t really understand what he was talking about, but hummed in agreement none the less.

“Well, I must be going (Name). I had a nice time talking with you. If you can’t reach me through calling, text me. I am usually busy with work, but I’ll respond eventually.”

(Name) nodded, but quickly realized he couldn’t see her. “Yes, I understand. Thank you for speaking with me!”

“Oh, and one last thing before you leave.”

(Name) paused, saying silent and waiting for him to continue.

“Tell Feitan I said to be… careful with you. Excuse his behavior please, he is not used to women. Especially when they dote on him, I imagine it must be hard for him to handle.”

“Oh, I see. I’ll make sure to tell him. Goodbye Chrollo, be safe.”

The man paused at this, if only for a second. “You as well, (Name). Goodbye.”

—————

Chrollo clicked the button to end the call. He stared at his phone for a moment, a soft look in his eyes.

Throughout their conversation, he had been carefully asking questions that would help him delve into her psyche. She passed his tests with flying colors, not giving him a single red flag to grab on to.

She obviously wasn’t bothered by Feitan and his behavior in the slightest, even having an endearing tone when speaking about him. Although she had only known the short man for 2 weeks, it was clear the girl cared for his well being.

“He’s in good hands. Though, it might be best for you to pay them a visit to see the extent of his injuries, and the steps we should take next.”

A hulking figure of a man stepped into the light, crushing a now empty can of soda in his fist. “Little Fei is getting special treatment from a dame? Never would have thought he’d allow that.”

The man let out a barking laugh, slapping a hand over his knee. Chrollo smiled softly, crossing his legs. “Try not to damage any of the woman’s belongings. She’s caring for a fellow spider, Feitan at that, so her works cut out for her.”

Uvogin’s laughing died down, the man serious. “Do you think she may be the one?”

Chrollo hummed, looking off in thought. “Maybe. Depends on how Feitan’s feelings develop. With the fact she’s still alive, I think there’s hope.”

Chrollo had a soft spot for his short friend. Feitan may seem cruel and unapproachable, but behind the layers of coldness and anger was the need to be loved. Although he was better at hiding it from most people, Chrollo, Uvogin, and Phinks knew better than anyone that Feitan needed the soft touch of a woman in his life.

It may be strange for a thief to care that much about their friends love life, but the Phantom Troupe weren’t exactly the most normal of people.

“I know you’re a great judge of character, Uvo. If she seems off, don’t hesitate.”

Uvogin grinned, his teeth bared. “Trust me, I won’t.”

——————

Feitan sat up when he heard the sound of the doorknob jiggling. He could sense (Name) behind the front door, unlocking it.

“Feitan, I’m home!”

He stiffened at the sound of his name before he remembered giving it to her just hours before. The man stood and walked into the living room, watching her open empty jars and set them in the sink to wash later.

“Talk to boss?”

She nodded, brushing the dust off her hands. “Yes! He said he’s sending someone to check on you.”

Feitan nodded. He’d expected that. Chrollo was a great leader, and any great leader would make sure the people working for him were safe and in good health. He was kind like that, having saved Feitan more than once from fates worse than death.

“Anything else?”

“Oh. He said to… be careful with me.”

She seemed to have not wanted to say that, busying herself with unloading the jars. He raised an eyebrow, approaching her.

“Already am careful. If I wasn’t, you’d be dead.”

He wasn’t lying, he’d certainly held back even when lashing out against her. It would be a hassle to clean up a dead body when he couldn’t move his arms, at least that’s the excuse he gave himself for not ripping out her throat with his teeth when she touched him.

“Oh. Well thanks for not killing me.”

That’s a response he hadn’t been expecting. No, she shouldn’t give him a sweet smile and thank him for sparing her life, that’s not what she was supposed to do. She was supposed to be scared, flinch from his touch and avoid him, leaving him to his own devices so he could ignore her presence.

She had a habit of making things much harder on him.

“… don’t thank me, idiot.”

Despite his petty insults, she continued smiling as she scrubbed the jars clean.

—————

“Feitan!”

The man looked up to see (Name) running towards him from outside, kicking off her dirty shoes before walking in.

“… what?”

She smiled down at him. “You should come outside with me today!”

“… why?”

(Name) giggled, walking around and grabbing various items. A towel, an umbrella, and a foldable chair we’re among some of the items being snatched up.

“It’s nice out so I’m gonna swim! The water might feel nice on your body.”

He raised an eyebrow at her, glancing between the girl and her ever growing hoard of items she planned on bringing with her.

“I don’t swim.”

She tilted her head. “You can’t swim?”

“No, just don’t enjoy it.”

She bummed. “Well, if you don’t like swimming you can just dip your feet in the water and relax under the sun. I’ll bring an umbrella if you get too hot!”

She beamed at him, her eyes shining. He tried to think of an excuse to not go, but each one was quickly shot down in his mind.

If he said he wasn’t feeling well, she’d stay and dote on him, if he said he was tired she’d tuck him into bed and stay by his side to make sure he wasn’t getting worse again.

Feitan couldn’t think of anything, so he nodded.

“Alright… just for a little while.”

——————

Feitan regretted his choice almost immediately.

The girl was quick to run off, stating she needed to change. He didn’t understand why that was necessary, she should have been able to swim in what she’d already been wearing. Then he remembered.

When most people swam, they wore bathing suits.

(Name) walked out of the bathroom wearing a simple pink one piece, pulling up a pair of white swim shorts over her hips as she walked out. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her, his gaze lingering on her chest and ass.

She wasn’t what he thought his type was. He’d never been interested in women, but from what he’d seen men usually liked thin women with small waists and large breasts.

She certainly had large breasts, but she was not thin. It was obvious when he woke up with her pants hanging on his waist that she wasn’t a small girl.

But he couldn’t help but find his eyes glued to her figure. She was attractive, and he hated her for it.

“Feitan, are you ready? I’ve got some shorts and a tshirt for you to change into if you’d like.”

He didn’t really see a point in arguing, so he allowed her to help him into the shirt.

—————

Feitan had to admit, it was nice out.

The sun shone in the sky, but it’s rays were gentle. The countryside (Name) lived in was usually sweltering hot, even Feitan breaking out in a sweat, and he’d been raised in a desert. But right now, it was a comfortable amount of heat, just enough for Feitan to be able to nap.

The girl set up a spot for Feitan to sit before lathering his exposed parts in sunscreen. He didn’t complain, mostly because he knew how his fair skin would fare if she didn’t.

“Okay, now my turn!”

She slipped her shorts off right in front of him and set them by his feet. He watched as she lathered herself in sunscreen, humming as she did.

There was something strangely fascinating about her unaware nature. Did she notice him staring at her with his intense gaze, eyes darting from her ass, to her thighs, to her face, and back to her ass?

He felt a little bit embarrassed, not because he felt shame for viewing her in such a way, but because he should have more control over himself.

In his 25 years of life he’d never felt the need to look at a woman the way he was now. What was she doing to him? She was pretty, something that Feitan was still processing.

“I’m gonna go swim now, just call for me if you want to go inside!”

She was quick to run, tripping over the river rocks before getting up and running again. He snickered to himself, watching as she jumped into the water.

(Name) surfaced and let out a squeal, complaining that it was cold.

“If cold, get out.”

She pouted at this and stuck her tongue out at him before diving back into the depths.

——————

“Feitan! Feitannn look!”

The man opened his eyes to see (Name) waving to him from the water. He raised an eyebrow.

“What?” he asked, annoyance clear in his tone.

“Watch!!”

She dipped under the water, only for both of her legs to stick up out of the river, wiggling them around. (Name) surfaced, taking in a breath before smiling at him.

“Did you see? I did a handstand?”

‘What is she, a kid?’

He scoffed and leaned back against his chair. “You can’t do one on land? Dumb.”

She didn’t reply, so he opened an eye to see her expression had soured. “Hmph.”

The girl dipped back into the water, swimming a bit further down the river until she was out of sight.

‘What’s up with her?’ He thought, watching her until he couldn’t anymore. ‘Whatever.’

The man dozed off, letting sleep take him.

When he woke up, about an hour had passed. He opened his eyes and peered around.

He didn’t immediately spot (Name) but when he did he bursted into laughter.

“What are you laughing at?”

The girl sat on the riverside, her cheek red with an imprint the shape of a fishtail. She held a bucket, the sound of something thrashing inside it clueing Feitan in to what might be in there.

“You- you got slapped by fish!” He couldn’t help but double over in laughter, his amusement only increasing when she huffed.

“I MAY have gotten smacked by a fish, but at least I still caught it! It took a while because it kept slipping out of my hands-“

He stopped laughing for a moment to stare at her with a dumbfounded face. “… you catch his hands? Do you not have net?”

She didn’t reply, but he could see her working out the answer on her face, her pout slowly turning into an embarrassed expression.

“Well. It’s caught.”

If she was anything, (Name) was certainly entertaining.

Feitan stood and walked over, peering into the bucket.

He was surprised to see the fish took up most of the space in the large bucket, bearing its strangely sharp teeth. He glanced back up at the girl, raising an eyebrow.

Was she some kind of mountain girl? How did she catch this beast of a fish with only a slap of its tail to show for it?

———————

“Did you enjoy your nap?”

Feitan glanced at the girl who was toweling off next to him, tearing his gaze away when she caught him staring. “It was okay.”

She bummed in response, dropping the towel and bending over to pick up her shorts. The woman pulled them up over her thighs, jumping around to get them over her ass.

“Ugh it sucks putting on clothes when you’re all wet.” She complained, unaware of the man’s eyes on her form.

“Should have dried off more.”

She nodded with a sigh. “Yeah, you’re probably right. I’m not very patient, though.”

She sat down at the edge of his chair, her thigh brushing his. Feitan pulled away, shooting her a glare. He still didn’t like any unnecessary physical contact, using his knee to prod at her side. “Move.”

She glanced back at him. “I just need to put my shoes on, it’ll only take a second.”

Feitan would regret the next words out of his mouth for a long time, physically cringing at himself far into the future.

The man shoved his knee into her back. “Gonna break the chair, fatty. Get up.”

For the first time since he’d come to be under her care, (Name) listened immediately.

She was strangely quiet, her usually constantly moving body completely still, rigid even.

“… sorry. You’re right.”

Feitan watched as she picked up her towel and wrapped it around her shoulders. “… I’m going inside to make dinner.”

With that she left without another word, her steps careful and quiet.

Feitan didn’t think anything of this reaction at first, just scoffing before lying back down to nap again.

——————

He first noticed her strange behavior when he walked inside to see her wearing a thin long sleeve shirt and pajama pants. She usually wore a pair of shorts and tank tops around the house. He didn’t blame her, it was hot, even during a day as nice as that one.

He watched her stiffen when he walked in, pulling at the fabric around her stomach nervously. “Welcome back. Dinner is almost ready.”

Feitan walked past her to the bathroom, grunting in response.

The next thing he noticed was she didn’t make herself a plate during dinner.

She would usually eat as she fed him, stealing bites of her food as he chewed his. Tonight, she just fed him quietly.

After he was finished, (Name) would peek at him from the kitchen, quickly turning away when they’d make eye contact. This was weird behavior, even for her.

“What you want?” he asked, peering at her from the corner of his eye. She stiffened at his question, playing with the hem of her shirt.

“N-nothing. It’s just late, so I assumed you’d be sleeping soon.”

He hummed. Wanting to test something out, he faked a yawn. “Yeah.”

Feitan walked to his room, peeking through the crack in the door.

(Name) leaned against the counter to see that he had left before sighing, pulling her long sleeve shirt off to reveal a tank top underneath. She fanned herself as she made her plate of food, sitting down at the dinner table and eating alone.

Feitan may sense, but the man was perceptive. Why was she acting like this?

He had only two people he could think about asking, but quickly shook the thought from his head. Why did he care if she was acting strange? As long as she performed her duties, it didn’t matter.

But still seeing her shrink under his gaze uncomfortably made him… nervous. He didn’t like it.

He climbed into bed, looking up at his ceiling. A frown pulled at his lips, the man falling into an uneasy sleep.

[seanofbeankeep]

With all news that high % of uneducated voted for Trump. Or those uneducated on politics and what tariffs mean etc.

There’s lot of posts mocking those who are now only learning the mistake they made at the election. I understand this desire to get angry at them. To get angry at the uneducated for not educating themselves before voting. Like it is bloody frustrating when the information is out there and so obvious etc etc Brexit and Tory victories always brought out worse in me, bitter hatred, deep disappointment, feeling of fuck it all.

But

It’s also a failure of the opposition that their message never reached these people. Or only reached them afterwards. Campaigners need hard look at where they failed. Not just blaming others and moving on not changing or adapting strategy etc

Left wing politics has always strived to improve literacy levels for uneducated and often working classes who are always left with no options in past. You got to know that person could easily be you or in another life could be you. Esp with misinformation fooling not just uneducated etc

But more so

If your message is not accessible to the uneducated and illiterate. If it only reaches those with privilege to get into higher education. Your movement isn’t about freedom or equality and it will fail.

Peasant revolts, working class movements before libraries were public show that you don’t need high literacy to understand oppression and inequality. They feel and see it when overworked, when hungry, when they have no money and the boss has more for less work. They are reachable and aren’t always your enemies if the root cause is a poor education and lack of accessibility to the information. The liars who exploit their lack of education are the enemies.

No matter how hard it is or how much other message is louder. You shouldn’t give up or not try. This shit is struggle, it’s tough, it always has been but every now and again someone or some message breaks through and you’ll never find it if you don’t believe it exists or you don’t try. Even in the face of being ignored, mocked or rage.

Too many politicians do give up easy on this but often grassroots activists who live there don’t. Make sure to support people fighting with heart who haven’t given up yet to get the message through. You got to help them or start the long discussion and strategy meetings on ‘how can we reach those who are not engaged, not highly educated, who vote based on misinformation etc’

Note: because bigotry is part of this election this is not a call to put yourself in dangerous situations with people who want to hurt you. Yeah cut those people out. Find safe communities. This is more aimed at political campaigning or those who want socialist message to be heard to all which can be delivered directly or indirectly these days

[xentari94]

I don’t usually read much from Screen Rant but- that whole article on how Tech could very well be 100% alive as cx2 just boosted my fucking morale so much. Like- I know it’s stuff that’s already been gone over but still… no matter how many times I’ve heard it, hearing it again is what keeps me hopeful.

Tech, sweetheart, come back beautiful we need you 😭🧡🙏🏻

I know it’s gonna hurt like hell to see him so lost, and I don’t know if he’ll ever be able to get back to where he was pre fall, but I have faith he’ll be okay.

I honestly think now that this is what they meant when there had to be a consequence from going against Tarkin. It had nothing to do with Tarkin, and sacrifice doesn’t always have to signify death. Tech’s alive, but the possibility is high that he’s lost a part of himself. Along with this marking the end of his days as a soldier, the only thing he’s ever really known.

This isn’t a happily ever after. Happily ever after would be Tech recovers fully and as much as I hate to admit it, I don’t see that happening. I want it to happen, but realistically… I mean the show could take it either way. But this could be what is supposed to be the bitter-sweet ending. Everyone lives, but each has been individually changed, and not all positively as such in Tech’s case.

And that is why I too feel like it will be partly Omega who finds a way to help him because of what Tech once told her. It will be far from easy, and he’ll need all his family, but as a whole they find a way to adapt like they always have.

I don’t think they will return to Pabu, not because they wouldn’t be welcomed back, I believe even Tech would be even after what’s happened if Shep were ever to find out it was him as cx2. I don’t think Shep would blame him for something that Tech did not want.

They wouldn’t want to put Pabu on the radar again. So that steady life Hunter wants for Omega might not be reachable with who they are, always having to remain on the run, but that’s okay. As long as they have each other, Phee as well because I see them all grouping after this, then the future isn’t bleak. There’s promise. Hope.

[blowflyfag]

Pro Wrestling Illustrated: 1995 THE YEAR IN WRESTLING. March 1996

MOST POPULAR WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: SHAWN MICHAELS 27,783 votes

The day after WrestleMania XI, “Psycho” Sid Vicious attacked Shawn Michaels, the man who was employing him as a bodyguard. What happened next put Michaels on the road to winning our Most Popular Wrestler of the Year award for the first time.

When Shawn’s good friend Diesel, who had been his enemy for several months before this incident, saved “The Heartbreak Kid” from further punishment and chased Sid away, fans responded with cheers for both men that set Michaels on a course toward unprecedented popularity. Those who once enjoyed despising him became eager to embrace him. And even before Michaels became a full-fledged fan favorite, he had his share of fans. 

“Michaels always struck me as being extremely arrogant,” wrote Nate Suarez of Montreal. “But now I'm seeing a different side of him. He’s more appreciative of the fans. He’s still cocky, but I can overlook that now.”

What Michaels has in abundance is charisma. He is naturally a very attractive personality, and the fans responded to that.

“He’s very charming,” wrote Sandra Trell of Cheyenne, Wyoming. “He’ll do something that’s really rotten, but then he’ll give the crowd a certain look, and everybody will think his opponent deserved exactly what Shawn did to him. It’s like I cheer in spite of myself.”

It doesn’t hurt, of course, that Michaels is a handsome man. For some of his supporters, that is more significant than any wrestling maneuver he uses.

“My heart skips a beat everytime I see him on TV or at the arena,” gushed Roberta Ashanti of St. Paul Minnesota. “How could you not love him?”

However, it isn’t Michaels’ good looks that have carried him to the peak. He is without question one of the sport’s outstanding technical wrestlers. ”That’s why I like him,” wrote Sam Gray of North Bergen, New Jersey. “Forget all that glitz and the hype; the guy isa terrific wrestler. He could beat anybody in the world.”

Clearly, Michaels is the most popular wrestler in the WWF, and one who doesn’t mind sharing the spotlight with his friend Diesel. After the Sid fiasco, Michaels displayed no jealousy toward “Big Daddy Cool” while he was World champion. It is an attitude that added to his popularity.

Next year could be different. Michaels could turn rulebreaker again. But for now, Shawn deserves all the favorable attention he gets.

RUNNERS-UP

STING: 17,728 votes

First runner-up: Last year’s winner is the most popular athlete in his federation, WCW. Sting even hears a few more cheers than his friend Hulk Hogan. One possible reason: He seems more sincere and reachable than the “Hulkster.” Supporters respect Sting for always playing by the rules and for not abandoning WCW for other opportunities. 

DIESEL: 13,450 votes

Second runner-up: He isn’t quite as popular as Michaels, but “Big Daddy Cool” still has a wildly enthusiastic following. Aside from displaying vastly improved skills, Diesel has proved himself quite articulate in the talk-show circuit, and that doubtless has won him fans who don’t normally watch on TV or travel to the arenas.

HULK HOGAN: 11,831 votes

Third runner-up: a decade ago, Hogan was more popular than any professional wrestler ever had been. Today he hears a few more boos, but there are still thousands of loyal “Hulkamaniacs” who believe there’s nobody better than their man. It is a popularity that persists on the strength of what he has done on the movie set, but in the ring.

VOTES FOR OTHERS (8,730)

Some of the top vote-getters who did not capture a runner-up spot include: Bam Bam Bigelow, Tommy Dreamer, Bret Hart, Public Enemy, Razor Ramon, Randy Savage, Tracey Smothers, and The Undertaker.

[desmaterializandose]

On living and loving.

I must do well and be kind, at least for thy who have done it for me; cherishing and bringing a smile to nature, for someday I laughed and felt loved when useless. Things could be better, but only by improving it in the sake of others; and the distance that I stretch my endearment and efforts, devotion that I gave to the garden, is equal to the meaning it gathers. Essentially, caring for those that are still to come is the ultimate state of realization. It isn’t because our eyes stare at this starless sky, that no eye shall ever be flooded by the mesmerizing waltz of galaxies. The proportion in which we complain about and loath existence is the exact same proportion by which it gets more and more dreadful. Although experience have a deep and long-lasting suffering possibility, it still one flavor of the substance from what we extract all the succulence and peace reachable; by itself, being is no more than the capacity of being, therefore it has no moral, only perspective and perception. Strong enough to love being hated, receiving hatred without passing it along. Picture turning forgiveness in armor and joy as weapon. Don’t blame the cosmos for its traumas, heal it. The improvement of life is achievable, and it starts by dealing with its aggression, handling its blows and all the feelings that arise from it without hurting it back. We are the world, and, to me, the world is you too. Seeking well-being, choose the lesser evil and the greatest good; this is not summarized on loving everything, neither trying to hurt nothing. The pleasure or pain that comes from a smell is dependent on the nose that it arrive. Don't try to make all your fruits sweet for every taste, but take care of the fruition by the sake of those that will rejoice in its flavor, and be respectful about the danger it delivers to the wrong appetites. I don't really know why I love, and maybe that is love. There are causes, otherwise we won't have the effect, but its unpretentious and self grateful state reach the peak of grace and sublime, because it only gives and manifest, and doesn't have the slightest need. Having good and evil in our own way of being, anger really show up together, like two faces of the same coin. Some species of it hurt the beloved, and also the other way around. It is a complex and emergent feeling, which the definition shouldn't be held by something simple as that fairy alike tale of flowers and springs. It has its shadows. On its depths, come from the happiness of having others in spite of the reality not being what we want it to be. Satisfaction that arises from being exactly what we are in the place we live and surrounded by what we have, even if it hurts, and sometimes we wander lost. Nexus in coexisting, while we feel it on ourselves, it's also an experience shared with between all stuff, and through which we share a little of our souls. This connection is what attach all inside the same event-horizon, and make the whole bigger than the sum of its parts. If we see fire, ignore or spread it and all we see turn into smoke. To receive, we give. Lacking and thirst is crucial for growth, and to evolve. What is already full can't be fulfilled. No matter what, we are living, breathing through all souls, in spite of all the ways that we could be not; my issues, human troubles or life on earth adversities; we are along with us, including animals, trees, bacteria and whatever more hide on the ground or beneath the stars. Gigantic universe, within where energy beat hearts and matter do poems. Nerves are a gift for those who seek enlightenment. We are between immeasurable possibilities. Infinity is more than enough to stack adventures and happy encounters. There's just too much to not smile any. Ain't exit to dying, so living is our own sacred ritual. We are not the main characters of the story, as there is none, all interact as supporting roles. Everything that can, will happen. The emptiness of the universe is room to nurture endless forms. The soul garden.

[raccoonfallsharder]

here are a few sneak previews of what we’ve got going on (this is really more to organize my thoughts and force myself to come up with titles than anything else)

upcoming rocket raccoon fics behind the cut

1. Window Across the Galaxy

aka long&angsty. hoping to start posting on Sunday or Monday.

Slooowww burn + eventual smut. elements of hurt/comfort because rocket is the saddest-angriest boy. Slight AU starting pre-GOTG volume 1 (but will hit most of the same major plot points).

Rocket is captured by a Ravager crew hoping to get rich off the excessively large bounty on his head. Throwing a wrench in everyone’s plans is the Terran girl they hired to do some freelance assessing on a recent haul of goods they’ve seized from a Xandaran luxury liner. Oops.

She looks at the rusted bars, and back to her brute of a tour guide, and sighs heavily. Slowly, she turns back to the cage, swaying toward the bars so she can peer in at eye-level. She’s immediately face-to-face with the creature. His ears are still pressed flat against his head, fur bristling, and he’s gazing back, clearly suspicious and probably - justifiably - feeling more than a little bit mean. She’s suddenly certain that if she got close enough, he’d take out her eyes. There’s no helping herself, is there? One corner of her mouth twists up in exhausted resignation and she nods. “Welp,” she says solemnly to the raccoon, “fuck me, my dude.”

2. Blackmail Material

(codename: pwp???). will probably post part 1 in a week or two.

just pure fucking smut. this was gonna be two parts but I'm leaning toward three now (smut // fuff // smut). probably takes place sometime after endgame but before volume 3? not that it really matters tbh because there is NO FUCKIN PLOT HERE. ur girl's got a praise kink so that'll definitely be featured per usual.

basically: rocket finds your vibrator.

“I’ll tell you what,” he offers up, still grinning that shit-eating grin. “I won’t say a word and I’ll give it back to you. You can even keep whatever batteries are in it.” That sounds too good to be true. You raise a brow and cross your arms in front of your breasts. “If?" “If you let me watch you use it,” he challenges, eyes daring you. “For science.”

3. Domestic Scenes in Space Travel

(codename: ok sweatshirt girl.) i dunno -maybe post the first one by mid-august?

Comics-inspired but not exclusive - just a buncha feel-good fuffy one-shots and equally feel-good smutty one-shots. Series of slice-of-life readerxrocket one-shots following The Very Boring Adventures of Space Pilot & Sweatshirt Girl.

“Just try not to push any buttons or pull any levers till you know what they do.” You snort. “I fully intend to keep my hands completely to myself unless I have your explicit permission to touch.” Rocket leers. “That could be fun.” Your eyes narrow. “Space Pilot, I’m gonna need you to focus on the task at hand so I don’t end up accidentally jettisoning us.”

4. Other Duties As Assigned

(codename: schemers, dreamers, & multicalendar memers) i don't have an intended outcome for this fic yet so while i am VERY much enjoying it, i first need to grapple with whether or not i'm okay posting something that may be unfinished. i usually try to avoid that.

I have no idea whether this will get smutty or not (probably, knowing me?). Begins five months after The Snap.

Natasha Romanoff is an administrative nightmare - a fact that does not go unnoticed by the (interim) captain of the Milano. First she demands that the remaining two Guardians of the Galaxy be reachable via a primitive Terran messaging system, and then she can't be bothered to read the frickin' emails.

Thank fuck she's hired a new assistant.

**THIS MESSAGE IS ENCRYPTED** To: <nromanoff@aee.org> From: &lt;rocket@aee.org> Subj: re: WHAT THE FUCK RED Date: Monday, September 24, 2018 7:34am well that’s probably the nicest message I’ve gotten since I hacked the internet I’m gonna have to kill your boss though

(a super-secret spoiler sidenote - i have a formula and I shamelessly overuse it, so there are no surprises here: girl falls first, raccoons falls harder. every fuckin time friends.)

[solarbird]

First: Kamala Harris is doing an interview on Fox News today. That’s important. Every Republican not deep, deep, deep into the cult has given other Republicans permission to vote for her. Watch for how it goes. Early votes are skewing real hard Democratic; we can only hope this starts an avalanche.

Now, back to the shitgibbon:

This wtfery happened a few days ago. Repeatedly. They’re all here. Watch his markov chain generator malfunction.

This 39-minute-long what-is-even-happening happened Monday. He stopped his town hall and decided just to hang out on stage and listen to music for half an hour. (More video.) Most of the time he just stood there, then occasionally he’d dance a little.

Even the Russian propagandists made fun of it. They normally puff him up as serious and important and this was too much even for them. It felt very much like a “look at this clown we’ve put into power. Look at him. Isn’t it hilarious?” victory lap.

He didn’t do much better yesterday, cancelling an interview with CNBC before keeping his appointment with Bloomberg News and the Economic Club of Chicago, where amidst his many lies he also said everyone in the world ever is and has been totally wrong about tariffs being bad for the economy (Smoot-Hartley turning the Panic of ’29 into the Great Depression be damned) and also that children could do the jobs of auto workers.

Get out on the assembly line, kids. Build some more gas cars. Maybe we’ll buy you an ice cream before the ocean floods the coastline some more.

Where, oh where, are the New York Times’s “too old” people now? Where is the drilldown? Where is the baited breath, watching for the stutterer to stutter a little again and declare him senile, broken down, and infirm? Ah, but they want him in office – so why would they do that?

People on TikTok were mostly “he is so high.” I think they might’ve messed up his dosage.

The argument that the real plan is to get him into office and then immediately trigger the 25th Amendment in favour of Couchfuker Vance still doesn’t quite hold up to me – they’ll Weekend-at-Bernie’s this motherfucker until he literally falls over dead, since he’s the God Emperor, and also since that gets Vance a de facto third term without changing or ignoring the Constitution. And he’s not continually breaking down, he’s okay enough a lot of the time. Not all of it, maybe. But enough.

But I have to admit, the Vance idea sounds less unreasonable every day.

The problem of course is that when he’s not having a McConnell-esque stall-out, he’s promising to us the armed forces against his political enemies and making it illegal to say things he doesn’t like, all while his fascist friend Mike Flynn keeps rhapsodising about executing anyone who opposes him.

That’s the hard, ugly reality. They don’t even need him to do that, or really, any of the work of Project 2025. He’s never given a single fuck about policy, just about power and hurting people, and they’ll deliver that for him in spades, all while they end secular government in the United States.

That is Vance’s agenda, after all. And that of his backers. All they need from Trump is the occasional scribbled signature.

He’s signed a lot of autographs. It’s all muscle memory at this point. He’ll do that just fine.

And that’s absolutely all they need.

So. I’ve already given you all the arguments I have to reach anyone who might be reachable. People on the fringes of the cult, people who “don’t like politics” and “think politics is boring” so refuse to pay attention. Trump here himself is destroying the idea that he’s the “vote for my wallet,” given what tariffs will do to prices and the economy, but here’s a bit from Rachael Maddow with more thoughts on that whole nonsense. Maybe you’ll find some good arguments in there.

We’re very much in the home stretch, team. Don’t hold anything back, because as I keep saying, this one is for all of the marbles. Bring everything you’ve got and leave it all out there on the field…

…’cause we’re gonna need it.

20 days remain.

[lizard-shifter-noms]

Still Subject to Change Chapter 19 (NEW)

——————————————————————————-

Hello everyone! i decided to repost arc 1 of SSTC

(the chapters were way too long and had a bunch of typos but hopefully this will make reading easier)

this Story contains Vore, Dont like dont read.

if there are still any grammatical errors i’m sorry.

——————————————————————————

Nea stared for a few seconds, waiting for anyone to make a move.

As that didn’t happen she shrugged and turned to the other two Knights that had stayed behind.

“Get some blankets and bedding material, i don’t think they are going to move”

The knights hesitated and she snapped at them.

“I said ta get Blankets! Are ya deaf?”

She raised her helmet a little which sent the two under her order running through the door in order to fulfill her command.

Now we were alone with her.

She turned back to us and rummaged through the barely reachable pocket in her tunic under the armor and pulled out a keyring with various keys in different sizes after a few seconds.

“Gotta open tha door of course”

She walked past us right towards the over to the big wooden door that was tall enough that even i wouldn’t have to duck much.

What the fuck was that even built for?

I heard the telltale click of a lock opening after Nea fumbled a few seconds with it and then shoved the door open as much as she could with her shoulder.

The oversized wooden gate was just a bit too big for her to do that alone.

I decided that since I was apparently staying there anyway I might as well help and pushed the door the rest of the way open with my head.

One thing was still weird to me though, She was the least freaked out person about my big and fuzzy stature I had met and she freely sent away the other Guards, meaning she was alone with us now with no backup should anything go wrong.

Asking couldn’t hurt right?

“Hey, Nea right? How come you are so…chill with a big green beast right next to you?”

She looked at me with something akin to amusement in her eyes.

“Same story as ta how i got to be such a high ranking guard, i’ll tell ya when ya are all somewhere warm”

Well now I was intrigued, and I wasn’t the only one as Arthur and Robin slowly walked through the entrance after me.

The inside was spacious enough, with a hayloft and some straw strewn about.

Aside from that and a few torches here and there it was empty and rather dimly lit.

Hey, maybe Robin and Arthur could sleep on the elevated platform, might be fun for them.

Looking back I could see Nea doing her best to close the door and actually manage, a job I was sure usually needed at least two men judging by how I had to push against it.

Maybe closing it was easier than opening it, who knew.

The door closed with a clack and the cold air that had seeped in disappeared.

She turned back to us and made a shooing motion.

“Pick a spot and get Comfy, no idea how long those guys are going ta chatter each other ears off”

Her weird nonchalant demeanor was kinda funny, I had a feeling a manticore could charge in and she wouldn’t bat an eye.

And I kinda liked her accent, it was not something I had heard before.

Since it looked like I was supposed to wait here until whatever Rikaad did with those guys I might as well get comfy, I didn’t want to make an entire army angry at me after all.

In the end I just laid down on the floor with some hay so the ground was a bit more insulated. 

The wood was still warmer than blank stone though.

I wasn’t even in place for one second and Robin had already claimed a spot right next to me, shuffling into the fur of my arm and using me as a pillow.

Arthur had a bit more hesitance and slowly went over to us while not breaking his line of sight with Nea.

He ended up settling next to Robin on the floor, hand near where his sword should be.

Nea herself dragged a three legged stool from somewhere over and set it a fair bit away in front of us.

“So, i’m sure ya want answers, can’t give much of them as my knowledge is limited but i can tell other stories too if ya’d like?”

She was really trying to be friendly, but I didn’t think anyone else in the room was in a good mood.

We just stared at her in silence, until.

“When can we see Rikaad?”

Robin had piped up and immediately buried into my fur again.

Nea looked not too surprised by this question.

“I guess after they are done talking, However i don’t know for how long they decide to talk, so might be in an hour or tomorrow who knows”

Well that was not very useful, but at least we could see him at some point.

Before I could think of something to ask Arthur had stood up.

“Say, what the fuck is going on? And if Rikaad is heir to the throne why wasn’t he ever in the castle? Why was he living downtown?

And why did nobody tell him? Just WHAT THE FUCK in general!”

I had pinned my ears back at his sudden outburst, and even Nea seemed taken aback by it.

She composed herself quickly enough though.

“Well i don’t know the details, tha only ones that do are the highest ranking schmucks, but as far as i was told it was for his own protection, personally i suspect that a previous Heir was murdered but that’s just a rumor”

Finally some useful information, even if it wasn’t much.

Maybe I should just ask her to tell us what even happened one thing after the other.

“Nea? Maybe it’d be easier if you just tell the story of what even happened, like how did you know which person to look for? And where were we?”

“Oh yeah, good idea! Shoulda have done that from tha start i guess”

She made herself a bit more comfortable on the wooden stool and then turned to us again.

“About i dunno, three days ago? We got the order ta go and get some guy from the School dorms as the king had died about six hours prior.

When we got there the headmaster informed us that the man we were looking for wasn’t there, hadn’t been for some time even cuz he ran into the woods with some other student to retrieve someone else and just didn’t come back.

So tha head Guard decided ta send us out into the snow and search for him, that sucked by the way it was cold as fuck.

But yeah, after we didn’t find him in the city Norrin had us go out into the woods, at night, i really wanted ta strangle him for that.

And the rest, well ya were there, though i have to say i wasn’t informed that we were looking for tha Heir, i really wish i had known that sooner and not just last minute”

Huh, so that’s what was going on, and I guessed that it was technically my fault too.

If I hadn’t taken Robin that day they would have found all of them where they were supposed to be.

Nothing I could do about it now.

It was kind of funny though that even the people that were supposed to search for him didn’t know what was going on.

“Well, that’s all, any more questions before I go look for tha idiots that were supposed ta get blankets?”

Oh right, she sent the other two knights to get that.

She also did say she would tell the story of how she became a Guard.

To be honest she was kinda sympathetic, and she didn’t really hesitate to call her coworkers schmucks, which was funny.

Better ask before she left, she had already stood up.

“You said you’d tell the story of how you managed to become guard, And i have to say i’m curious, i didn’t think the old king allowed Women in his ranks”

She turned back to us and I could feel Robin shrink even more into my fur.

“Yeah right, I did do that. Well, I used ta be a farmhand, I lived right next to tha forest and one day a patrol was there n’ said they were looking for a Drake.

I found it, it got into my shed, and I ended up beating the thing to Death with my grampas Helmet.

I also might have kicked some of tha soldiers and I guess they were impressed? Whatever, it did land me a pretty good job at least.

Well see you later if those idiots don’t come back soon”

Before anyone could do anything she had already vanished out the door.

What a kickass lady, I wasn’t sure if I believed the Drake story though, those things were dangerous enough if you were with a group.

Taking one on alone? With nothing but a Helmet? Surely not.

I wasn’t the only one that thought so either, judging by Robin’s nervous Question.

“You think she really killed Drake? Those things are like, twice the size of a horse!”

“No idea, but she is a high ranking Guard so maybe?”

Arthur meanwhile had left his spot next to us and climbed the elevated platform in the other half of the room.

I couldn’t make out what he was doing very well but it looked like he was staring out a window.

“Arthur? What are you doing?”

He turned to face us.

“I’m trying if I can see anything, like maybe I can see Rikaad in one of the windows?”

Sure, I didn’t think it would help any, especially since the castle was on the right side of us and the platform faced forward so he wouldn’t be able to see much.

Whatever gave him peace of mind, I was far too tired to think at this point and needed sleep.

I had taken the first watch today and the last watch yesterday so I had been awake for way longer than I should have, and then we had to walk even more through the snow after the Guards found us.

My legs definitely wouldn’t cooperate for the next six hours, not that my brain would either.

I Lifted my arm and put it down on the other side of Robin before dragging both closer to me and laying my head down.

Robin was now smooshed against the side of my head and leaning against my arm, sort of forming a narrow furry space he could squeeze between and use as a source of warmth.

Those fucks still weren’t back with any Blankets after all.

Arthur had meanwhile climbed down again and it took him a few seconds to find Robin nestled against me.

“You know what sleep sounds like a good idea”

He walked over and just fell face forward into my side, not caring that he was still exposed to the cold air.

For once the tail was useful, I curled it around me so the fluffy tip of it would cover Arthur and shield him from the cool air in the oversized room.

We could worry about what would happen when we weren’t so tired anymore, and for now Rikaad was okay,

if he really was King they wouldn’t hurt him.

I laid my head down and sorta trapped Robin by doing that, but I knew he wouldn’t wake up before I did so it was fine.

I was asleep within seconds, safely curled around both Arthur and Robin.

I woke up some time later to the sound of the door creaking and opened one eye to look.

Nea had come back and she was carrying something that looked like fabric, the blankets she said she’d get.

I couldn’t have been asleep for long then.

She looked around confused for a second before her eyes settled on my side.

Arthur’s arm was sticking out from under the fluff and decently visible.

She then placed the blankets on top of the stool she had sat on earlier and left again.

Since there was no danger or even any sort of problem I felt like I could go back to sleep.

If anything wanted to hurt the two little men right beside me they would have to go through me first.

I closed my eyes again and the dreamland welcomed me back.

The next time I woke up was because someone kept shoving at the underside of my jaw.

“Donovaannnn Move, i wanna get up and you are trapping me!”

My head jolted up and Robin let out a rather adorable squeak.

“Sorry, I thought I would wake up before you, you okay?”

He was now half draped over my arm but nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes, I’m good, now let’s go look for Rikaad!”

Ah, right, so all of this wasn’t a dream then.

I slowly stood up and saw that Arthur was also awake.

“Alright, where should we look first?”

“I suggest the door”

All of us whipped our heads towards the voice at the same time.

And we weren’t mistaken, Rikaad was standing in the doorway, no idea how he had managed to pull the squeaking hinge open without us noticing though.

It wasn’t even a second and I could already see a ginger blurr zip past me,  immediately latching onto the taller human with a big smile and squeal of delight.

Arthur also walked over as fast as he could, not full on sprinting though.

I didn’t know if I should go over just yet as well, they knew each other for way longer than i did so i just stood awkwardly there staring at them.

I could see that Rikaad had been given new garments, a dark blue vest with purple trim and red undershirt as well as dusty brown pants and a pair of shoes.

There also was some sort of gold insignia on his chest and he was wearing a light blue sash.

I didn’t have to think about whether i was wanted in that awkward group hug or not as Robin winked me over and i realized that all of us did not fit into the doorway at once, I would shove them away if I tried.

Robin stopped clinging so tightly to Rikaad but still refused to let go and instead dragged him inside.

No doubt that if Rikaad had just stood there he wouldn’t have budged a millimeter, but he just went with it anyway.

I kinda didn’t know what to say, one one hand he was still the weirdly stoic Rikaad i knew and on the other he was the Heir, So what the hell was I supposed to do?

Also i ate the guy not even a few days ago.

As it turned out I didn’t have to do anything as the nagging question we all had was voiced aloud by Arthur.

“Soooo uh what the hell? Can you PLEASE explain? The best we got was some lady telling us that they walked through snow to go find you”

Rikaad nodded curtly.

“Of course, it might take a while so we best sit down somewhere”

Since there wasn’t really anything in here aside from the hay and the stool with the blankets on it I just sat down where I was.

Realizing that I was still a lot taller than everyone else I laid down on the floor again and Robin immediately jumped to use one of my crossed arms as a backrest.

Arthur just sat on the floor where he was and Rikaad did the same, crossing his legs and making a straight back.

Yeah, I could kinda see his bloodline with him sitting like this.

“So tell, what is going on?”

I was really curious, like why did they put him in a civilian household?

That didn’t make sense.

At least he was willing to explain, and that he did, luckily a lot more coherent than Nea too.

“Well, I was informed that the reason i was placed into a foster family was that every other heir was killed pretty soon after being born, rather violently too.

So there was a murderer that specifically targeted the Royal bloodline and I was sent away and declared dead to the public.

I was supposed to leave with them the moment the old king had died and take his place.

But they couldn’t find me at the dorms, you all know why, so they sent a search party to find us and bring us back to Kamerasca.

Any questions?”

That… did answer a lot of things really,

like why he was not in the castle in the first place and of course why the knights were willing to go into the forest at night.

But to be put into a foster family and not even know it?

What about his adoptive parents? It was impressive that they never told anyone but now that Rikaad knew what would they do?

Those were far too personal Questions though, so I wasn’t gonna ask.

Arthur also didn’t really look like he had questions , just horrified at the prospect of assassins in the castle, which, fair enough.

Robin however-

“So I’m the only normal one here? Whyyyy, thats dumb”

Ah yes, Problems and priorities.

Though I would not call him ‘normal’ of all things, He was a chaotic little ginger that spaced out sometimes and made nice flower crowns.

His comment however seemed to have confused Rikaad a bit.

“What do you mean by that? Arthur is pretty normal too”

He didn’t know! Oh that was going to be awkward, if Arthur even told him.

On that thought, why did Robin know of Arthur’s heritage?

He only told me as far as i knew.

Maybe he told it during the time I was unconscious?

Whatever it might have been, that wasn’t going to save him from Rikaads intense gaze that clearly wanted an answer.

Arthur had stayed tight-lipped for a few seconds before he finally came out with the truth.

“You’re not the only one with royal blood, so it’s kinda my fault that the Maringand Guards stuck us in the tower? I’m really sorry about that though, my uncle’s a dick like that”

As I had thought it was awkward as hell, At least for Arthur’s sake I decided to stay out of it.

I even put a paw in front of Robin and hugged him closer to me so he would keep his chattery mouth shut.

Rikaad took it in stride though, and he didn’t ask specifics, probably to not bother Arthur about it even more who was visibly uncomfortable.

“So I take it you can’t go to Maringand anymore?”

Arthur sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

“Yeah pretty much, also they think i’m dead and they better keep it that way”

I had a feeling this conversation was going in an even worse direction,

at least for me.

“Why do they think that?

I thought you said you escaped through a sewer?”

Arthur was silent for a few seconds, likely realizing what he had given away just now.

“Nevermind! Say what’s the plan for now?”

He rushed out an octave to high.

Rikaad still looked at him a bit suspiciously but thankfully let it drop.

Gods i didn’t want to explain that fuckery, especially not after getting stabbed by him.

I could feel Robin trying to break free from my hold and gave him a bit more space so he wouldn’t have my paw in his face anymore.

“Yeah what do we do now? Do me and Arthur have to go back to school? What about Donovan?

Where is he gonna stay? And what about the no Fae rule your old man made? Is that still in place?”

It looked like he wanted to say even more but I nudged him in the side to make him shut up for a second.

“Breathe, you look like you’re going to fall over, we can look at all this later, yeah?”

He very predictably pouted and made puppy eyes.

It was sadly very effective, so I had to look away.

I looked at Rikaad instead, Robin had brought up a few very good questions, what about me? What was I going to do now?

I wouldn’t really mind living in this weird shed if it got a bit spruced up.

There was of course the possibility that i would have to leave, I didn’t entertain that thought for long.

“You can of course all stay at the castle, you are my friends, I’m not going to send you away!

As for the rules the old man made i will look them all over individually”

It was a relief to know that we could all stay here, even if it was weird to think that it was literally the castle.

Another thought came to mind, the closer we had gotten to Kamerasca the colder it got, did he know anything about that?

Because this was way past freaky weather.

“Did you find out why the weather is so fucked?

This extreme cold can’t be normal”

He shook his head.

“Sadly not, but i do agree with you that this is not normal, i will look into it”

That was probably a good idea, if this went on all the crops would die and the people of Kamerasca would starve.

Not a pretty fate.

“Maybe Oakley knows what to do? He knew about the Ardua thing too!”

All eyes in the room went to Robin, he, Well he wasn’t wrong but it took multiple days to get to Oakley’s place.

And Arthur was the one to point that out.

“It takes ages to get to his shack, and there’s no guarantee that he does know, or even wants to help at all, i mean Kamerasca has not been nice to the pointy eared folk”

It was kinda funny that he said pointy eared folk instead of Fae, but we didn’t actually know if Oakley WAS Fae, he might just be weird.

Also it took a Human a few days to get there, about a week at the shortest.

I wasn’t human, and my legs were way longer so i probably could make the journey in about three days minimum.

“I could go? If i go alone i’m way faster, and Oakley kinda expects me back anyway so it’d be rude to just not tell him that i live here now”

Yeah it would be an asshole move to not say anything, so just because of that i had to go there.

The others seemed a bit apprehensive about letting me go into the woods alone.

“Are you sure?”

I looked at Arthur who was the only one to voice his concern out loud and nodded at him.

“Yes, and that way i can give him back the compass too, so i’m going”

Judging by the light filtering through the dusty window I had plenty of time to prepare myself before going out.

I didn’t really need anything though, not as Ardua.

I looked to Rikaad, he was now king so he probably had to give the okay.

I Wasn’t really sure how this worked.

He nodded and stood up.

“I think that is the best we can come up with, at least for now, and the sooner we find out what is causing this the better.

We could also renovate this place a bit till you come back”

A smile sneaked its way onto my face, I didn’t dare show teeth though.

“That would be nice, well then i better go there as soon as i can right?”

Before anyone could answer there was a knock on the door and a somewhat familiar face entered, it was that Guard guy, Norrin.

“I deeply apologize for disturbing you, but we arrested someone that said he knew you? He looks rather weird though”

Someone weird looking? I was admittedly the weirdest thing in Kamerasca, even before all of this, so who could that be?

“How weird are we talking about? And what’s his name?”

Even Rikaad seemed a tad confused, I doubted that he knew many weird people anyway.

“He did not say his name but instead of arms he has wings, he also got a tail-”

He did not get to finish his sentence as we had all stood up and ran past him out the door.

There was no one else we knew with that features besides Oakley, So it had to be him.

PREVIOUS / NEXT / OVERSIGHT

[flameswallower]

Reading For I'm In Your Walls

It’s not a place, exactly, but the best way I can describe it is still: once I found myself in another place. And when, later, certain other things happened, that place returned to me, and I found to my surprise that it was familiar. I’d expected to go somewhere, but I thought it would be an undiscovered country, and it wasn’t. I’d been in this room before.

0.

It’s a different place, but it’s not a different location. Maybe a better way to put it would be that you suddenly perceive new aspects of the place you start from. Imagine if you were a carpenter ant chewing through a portion of wall and one day, briefly, you could see the whole house. Or smell it, with your antennae. It wouldn’t seem like your home. It wouldn’t feel like somewhere you completely recognized.

But it does seem like my home. That’s the part that I think is unusual. It feels like I’m actually supposed to be there. It feels like I was born in it, but someone threw something over me— like a bandage over a hole in the skin, like a plastic cup over an ant— and I forgot. But maybe I’m wrong about that, maybe everyone feels/would feel exactly as I do. When I’m not there, I kind of wish I was. It’s hard to remember, moreso as time passes between visits. The parts that are great and the smaller parts. The parts that hurt. It’s hard to remember exactly what it feels like and how it’s different— but it is different! It’s hard to remember what you can see through the windows of that room.

I.

Like how many things are made of paper and smoke; they look solid, but you can push through them with a thought. Paper walls don’t have to contain you. The difference between you and an ant is not very much (zoom in) is everything (zoom in again) is nonsense; there are just shapes and pieces of material (zoom out) is ordinary and vast. You can hold her in your hand and you’ll never know each other, but you’ll know she’s there.

XXI.

The difference between you and a house is that houses were built to serve you. Similarities: good bones, weeping, black mold. The joy of inhabitants. You, the dream of so many cells, so many bacteria. The culmination of so many thoughts inside your brain, which you know looks and feels like clay. A clay city of ghosts. A maze of many rooms. A million tiny yous looking back through the windows, and then other things behind them (it’s not just solipsism). Other things like quick flashes of lightning, patterns.

X.

It’s hard to remember any of that. Yeah, it’s like trying to smell the air off the Ionian Sea by looking at old vacation photos. That specific quality of the air, not your general impression of what it was like, synthesized later. The air as you breathed it in the moment, in that specific place, at a specific time.

Only the place and time I’m talking about may be reachable, may come back, may be called.

[f1shbonez]

"Wanna tell me what happened back there?" (Ekko to Jinx)

The fight was over. Jinx knew it the moment she was dropped into a cold, dark tunnel. The memory of knees, arms and elbows throbbed long after the people she’d fought so hard against were gone. As the binds around Jinx’s wrists were cut, she began to flex and release her fingers, coaxing the blood back into them. She remained motionless as Scar cut the last of the binds and darted from the room. There was a heavy thrumming noise as the steel door was pulled shut and then she was alone.

Why was her heart still pounding like the fight wasn’t over? Aching from where she lay plastered to the floor, Jinx began to push herself back to her feet. At first it was hard to do anything but drift through the space. A hollow sense of resignation began to swallow up the bottled screams and sobs that were only just beneath the surface.

The tunnel was blocked up and full of heavy shadow from the dim light inside. Unfamiliar with the space and her predicament Jinx began to pace, slow and lost. Just out of reach, two white eyes followed her every move.

“--Don’t. Say. Anything.” Jinx growled under her breath towards the apparition, feeling herself turn rigid under Mylo’s stare.

“Yeah, like that’ll make any difference.” The retort was swift to do its damage, earning a wince from Jinx as she turned to pace under the brightest patch of light in the dark. Sure, she’d already screwed up. Was talking to people only she could see going to undo today’s screw up? Not exactly. It didn’t usually make her feel any better, either.

Jinx’s blood continued to boil at the memory of Scar, the rope and being manhandled into a pretty large, but obvious cage. Everything was ruined; the second chance, the progress she’d been making, Ekko starting to trust her. Gone. Even Scar himself didn’t hide the fact that there was no real benefit to holding onto her. There was no coming back from this…was there?

The thought stirred a mixture of fear and shame within Jinx. If she’d MEANT to do damage to Scar, a mug to the face would never have been the plan! Somehow it didn’t even feel worth raising that when defending her case. How long were they gonna leave her in here anyway? What was going to happen next? The look on Ekko’s face flashed through Jinx’s mind again, punctuating the raw, mournful sense of hurt taking root in her chest.

“Why can’t I do anything right?” She breathed, sinking to the ground again next to Claggor in a wordless plea for an answer. Claggor didn’t speak. He never did.

Bowing her head, Jinx felt silent tears begin to run down her face. It didn’t take long for the ugly feeling to bleed through the cracks in her composure, building to quiet sobs. She stayed like that for a long time before the ache of dead eyes became too much to bear. The faint noise of life on the other side of the tunnel door was a reminder of everything bad. No. Quiet. She needed quiet.

Retreating to the furthest point of the dead-end tunnel, Jinx hunkered down in the dark. A broad, empty shelving unit sat unused in the pitch black, offering a refuge from the wide open mouth of concrete. Ignoring the ache in her muscles, Jinx clambered onto the shelves, coiling in on herself once she reached the top. It was safer up here. Better. Not immediately reachable when Scar and his cronies came back.

It felt like hours until the outside world came knocking. From atop of the shelves, Jinx flinched, throwing a hand out in front of herself to ward off the light and whoever was coming with it. From behind her arm, she squinted, feeling her muscles bracing themselves at the sight of Scar before he stepped aside, allowing Ekko to enter.

Freezing for a moment, Jinx watched. No weapon. No crowd. Scar didn’t seem to be coming in either. Slowly, with no shortage of hesitation, Jinx lowered her hand.

"Wanna tell me what happened back there?"

Silence.

Blue eyes danced between Ekko and the door. It’d be pretty hard to overhear everything they said from way back here. A wounded silence stretched as Jinx dissected the question. Yeah right, like Ekko cared what she had to say.

“You saw for yourself.” Jinx muttered, knowing the futility of trying to defend something she couldn’t put words to. Why bother? The Firelights had every reason to think the worst of her. Trying to say anything to disprove that would just be a lie.

Sore, bloodstained arms coiled tighter around her body as Jinx shifted, avoiding Ekko’s gaze. She didn’t want to look at his face. She didn’t want to see him angry at her, or upset, or disappointed. She hadn’t meant for any of this to happen!

“I couldn’t do it.” The simple words tumbled from her mouth, but there was pain in the admission. It was a fuck up so big, that it no longer mattered that she’d tried.

[sebastianshaw]

Ok so I’m gonna put on the Eternals movie and try NOT to be here, and I’m going to endeavor not to be here for the rest of the week. Literally nothing happened, no one did anything, just March is often a depressive month for me but THIS time around I’m getting massive mood swings so I vacillate from wanting to end this blog and disconnect from everyone I know (I AM NOT GONNA DO THAT) to just this rapid fire manic OOC posting and being super hype, sometimes within the same day, anddd I’m also doing that thing where I’m just eternally doomscrolling and getting upset at shit that makes no sense. So basically I’m putting my brain in timeout from screentime until it can behave a little better, or at least going to try. I’m absolutely still reachable though, because I know me, I’ll definitely be logging on. But I’m gonna try to be here a little less this week is all. Again, I am fine, I just get Really Weird in March, probably because the weather gets all over the place.  Also!  Little housekeeping-y thing! Since it’s come up a few times this month with new or new-ish folks: Shaw’s not a nice muse. He is a monster. I mean that. Just because I disagree with the direction current canon has taken him on a few points does not change this. He does not care if your muse is a sweet ray of sunshine, or gives him everything he wants, or is an adorable child/kitten/whatever. Now, there is nothing wrong with any of these. There is everything wrong with Shaw. He will not be kind. He will not be gentle. He will not be nice. Shaw could not possibly give less of a shit about anyone’s feelings, and he’s only going to care about someone being hurt if it’s somehow directly impactful to him (ex: if your muse is a useful tool to him) He does not grow to care for people in time, he does not soften up when shown sweetness, non of that. I know a lot of people give their bad guys a softer side on tumblr, and I’m not knocking that, it’s great if they wanna explore that, but it’s not what I aim to do with Shaw. You didn’t do anything wrong I swear, but also pls don’t expect him to not be himself either <3 Believe me, I do feel bad when he’s awful! But I’m also dedicated to keeping him to what I feel is IC. Also I super duper hope my tone doesn’t sound like...angry or anything, since I’m absolutely not, I’m going for more an “explainy” type tone, but I know tone doesn’t carry well on the net so I figure I should specify. I just wanna make sure I’m on the same page with folks so there’s no crossed wires with what’s expected vs what you’re gonna get! ^_^ Communication is key after all! Have a lovely night and a lovely upcoming week, my good folks!