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devildomditzy · 7 months ago

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You’re late for your date.

Like, Late late.

And of course, if the situation were switched, you wouldn’t have minded.

In fact, you would have expected it.

But you are you and Mammon is Mammon.

So of course, his leniency for being ignored is next to zero.

He leans against the front door inside the common room of the House of Lamentation. And he looks at his watch.

4:00

You’re an hour late.

And of course, Mammon tried to play it cool at first, swiping through his D.D.D with an unimpressed look on his face. He’s cool. Nonchalant. His brothers can’t know he’s internally freaking out;

Because he’s totally not.

Of course not. No way. Not over you of all people.

But he can’t hide the jitters so graciously given to him by his nervous system.

“Are you being stood up?”, Satan calls from a nearby armchair in the room, not bothering to look up from what he’s reading.

“I ain’t being stood up! They’ll be here, they’re just…busy. Yeah, that’s it. They’re busy.”

Asmo lays upside down on the couch, scrolling on his own D.D.D.

“Of course they stood him up, they’d much rather go on a date with mwah”, he gloats from his position.

“Oi! Shut up will ya?!”, Mammon screams back, now standing rigidly, hands balled up at his side in anger, leaning into the conversation, ready to make it an argument.

As he takes another breath to get a word out, Satan cuts him off.

“Where were you going anyway?”

“Yeah, where?”, Asmo brightly echos back.

Mammon sighs, body relaxing as he slouches back into his leaning position.

“We were supposed to go to Devil Coast ‘bout an hour ago. But of course MC ain’t got a bone of urgency in their body.”

He grunts, frustratingly looking down at his D.D.D. Twenty-five messages. No replies. What was up with ya?

Asmo cackles wildly, “Maybe they forgot about you, hm?”

Mammon’s face begins to heat up with anger.

“Listen here you little-”

Satan once again cuts him off. “We all know there’s no way they’d forget about Mammon. He’s much too loud”, he says, turning his page.

“Would y’all shuddup? Jeez”, Mammon’s tone becomes lethal in a way his brothers know they should stop pushing, so they do, shooting each other concerned glances.

“Have they texted you back at all?”, questions Satan.

Mammon sighs, “No, not yet.”

He looks down at his phone, scrolling through your message thread.

2:50 PM

Mammon: Yo! Ready to go?

Mammon: I’m by the front door, I’ll be waitin’ for ya.

Mammon: Remember to bring your coat ya dummy, cause I ain’t letting’ you borrow mine this time!

Mammon: Okay

Mammon: Maybe I would let ya borrow it if you really needed it and were shivering and stuff and needed The Great Mammon’s help to warm ya up.

Mammon: But you gotta say please 😜

2:57 PM

Mammon: Alright, where are ya?

Mammon: Thought we agreed on 3:00

Mammon: Do ya need more time gettin’ ready?

Mammon: Tryin’ to look good for your first, huh?

Mammon: I’ll wait a little longer for ya.

3:10 PM

Mammon: Hurry it up, will ya?

Mammon: I understand wantin’ to look nice, but it’s ten after! Ten!

Mammon: Ya know, you’re the only human that keeps me waitin’ like this!

3:30 PM

Mammon: Okay, yer bein’ kinda ridiculous right now.

Mammon: I mean come on, ya gotta date with Mammon. THE Mammon. Ya know how lucky you are?

Mammon: Alotta people would kill to be in your position.

3:35 PM

Mammon: But of course I wouldn’t go with them. I wouldn’t go on a date with anyone but you, okay?

Mammon: That’s why you need to get yer ass down here!

3:40 PM

Mammon: You’ve got some nerve makin’ THE Mammon wait around for ya!

3:45 PM

Mammon: Whatever, isn’t like I wanted to go out with ya anyway.

Mammon: I was doin’ this for you, ya know.

Mammon: Why would I wanna be see around with some lousy human?

Mammon: What am I, yer babysitter?

3:55 PM

Mammon: Look, I didn’t mean that, alright?

Mammon: Please come down.

“Are you sure they’re not asleep?”, Satan ponders curiously.

“Nah, I don’t think so. We’ve been talkin’ about this for weeks”, Mammon says defeatedly, bringing his hand up to rub the back of his neck.

“Are you sure they’re okay?”, Asmo asks, voice laced with concern.

“Okay?!”, Mammon shoots his attention to the avatar of lust. “Wah- what- why wouldn’t they be okay?”

Asmo looks around sheepishly, bringing his nails up to his lips to bite them, something he never does unless he’s either A) super stressed or B) covering something up.

Mammon steps towards his brother, anger beginning to boil, knowing what his mannerisms mean. “Whadda you know that I don’t?! C’mon, spill it!”

The urgency in his voice compels Asmo to speak, knowing how sensitive his brother is when it comes to you.

“Well… I promised them I wouldn’t tell you…”

“Tell me what?!”

His brother remains quiet for a moment.

“Asmo…”, Mammon threatens dangerously.

“Ugh, okay I’ll tell you”, Asmo sighs, mumbling quickly under his breath, “MC, please forgive me!”

Mammon stares at his brother impatiently as he starts,

“Well, MC came to me the other day after class. I knew something was wrong because there were tears in their beautiful eyes”, Asmo lays his hand across his forehead as if he were faint.

“Skip the dramatics and keep talkin’!”

“Okay, sheesh. So MC came to me and told me they haven’t been feeling very good lately.”

“What, are they sick or somthin’?”

“No no, nothing like that. More like, their brain feels sick? They said they don’t really know why, but they’ve been feeling bad about themselves lately - which I told them was totally ridiculous! AND I offered them a full makeover WITH facial and they denied it, but that always makes ME feel better.”

Asmo pouts before continuing, “Plus, with all the extra work Lucifer and Lord Diavolo have been giving them with the student council, they said they feel like they’re under so much pressure, they’re gonna crack soon.”

“Why ain’t they tellin’ me any of this!?”

“Because,” Asmo says annoyed, “they don’t want to upset you!”

“What? That’s ridiculous!”, exclaims Mammon.

Asmo matches his volume, “I know right?! That’s what I told them! But they said you were so excited about your date that they didn’t wanna ruin it- hey, where are you going!?”, Asmo yells as Mammon walks out of the room.

“Where’d ya think! I’m gonna go talk to MC!”, Mammon yells back.

So that’s why you weren’t there? You’ve been hurting? For awhile it seems, and you didn’t tell him?

He’s gotta admit, he’s a little hurt. But he knows this isn’t about him right now.

It’s about you.

Mammon didn’t know he would be nervous to see you until he was standing in front of your door. What if says the wrong thing and makes it worse? What if he can’t help you at all? What if he made you feel this way?

Okay. He realizes with that last one that he’s spiraling. Time to fix this.

He lifts a shaky hand to your door, knocking three times rhythmically - the one you know is his knock. And only his.

He cringes when he hears your weak voice choke out a small “come in”.

The room is dark; All the lights are out and it’d be pitch black save for the window next to your bed, illuminating your form, a shivering lump hiding under your blanket.

He lets out a sigh as he walks further in. He should have known about this. He should have been able to pick up on this. Boyfriend of the year, huh?

You sniffle as you pop your head out from under your hiding place.

“H-hey Mams”, you hiccup, giving away the tears that still stream down your face. “I-I’m sorry I ruined our date. I should have texted you, I-I just…”

Mammon walks till he’s leaning right over you, hands on his hips. “Uh-uh, I don’t care about that right now. What I do care about is you, mainly why didn’t ya tell me you were feelin’ like this before our date?”

The tone is his voice gives way to his own hurt, and you can’t help but start to cry again at the sound of it, knowing it’s your fault.

“Shh, shhh,” he quickly sits down on the bed next to you and puts an arm around your shoulders, pulling you into a hug. “I ain’t mad at ya or anything, I just wanna know why.”

He knows why; Asmo told him. But, he wants to hear it from you.

You pull your arm out from under the blanket (and Mammon’s hold) to wipe your face. “I’m fine really, it’s just”, you sniffle, but Mammon cuts you off.

“Ya clearly not, c’mon MC”, he says, oceanic eyes meeting yours and - it’s hard not to crack under that gaze. “Tell me what’s the matter, please.”

Mammon stares at you in silence, signaling that it’s your turn to talk, and he would quietly listen. As long as you trust him, he’d always listen to whatever it is you have to say, no matter what.

You sit up a little straighter, pulling your arm out from under the comforter to wipe your tears. Composing yourself, you look into his eyes. His face softens at the sight.

Clearing your throat you start, “I don’t know. I’ve just been so overwhelmed.”

“Overwhelmed with what? All that work Lucifer and Lord Diavolo keep pushin’ on you? Tell ‘em to shove it!”

You shoot him a dangerous look. “We both know I can’t do that.”

“Sure ya can, I do it all the time!”, Mammon proudly declares, making you smile brightly and chuckle.

“And you always end up hanging from the rafters”, you laugh.

“I never said I got away with it”, he replies, smiling just as brightly back.

Your giggle peters out as you begin to speak again. “I’ve got so much more work to do and so little time to do it”, you frown. “And I’ve been pushing myself really hard! And- I dunno. I guess it’s taking a toll on me.”

“Yeah, Asmo said you were havin’ it pretty rough.”

At the mention of Asmo’s name, you shoot upwards in shock.

“He told you?!”

“Course he did. Did ya forget which ones of us you can trust with secrets?”.

You grumble in anger. “That little - UGH! I’m gonna kill him.”

“Let’s put murder on the back burner,” Mammon says, pushing your shoulder to lay you back down in your slouching position. “How’s ‘bout ya tell me what’s really bothering’ ya and I’ll help ya threaten the primadonna later, yeah?”.

You give him the side eye, but collapse under his gaze. Curse those eyes! You swear he can put you under some kind of truth spell with those things.

“Fine. I guess… it’s just… I…”

“Any day now, Treasure.”

You make an exasperated noise and glare at him. “You know it’s not fair to use that word on me when I’m upset.”

“When you’re upset at me. And yer not upset at me right now, right? Please say right”, he finishes his sentence with a sense of urgency, now worried that he could be the cause.

He’s wracking his brain for anything he could have said or done recently that made you upset. Are you mad at him cause he teased you the other day when you did your makeup differently. He told ya he only did it cause he liked it. Are you mad because he cheated off of you in potions class? Well, he’s your first, dammit! You should be helping him anyways. That’s what a loyal subject does.

“No, no it’s not you. I just haven’t been feeling very good about myself lately.”

“What! That’s ridiculous!”, he shouts and - he’s trying to be helpful in his own way, but his raising voice makes you wince. He notices, quickly shifting his tone. “I mean, what’s there not to like, doll.”

You smile to yourself at the nickname. He’s trying his hardest to be sweet. You should try your hardest to let him in on your thoughts a bit too.

“I don’t like the way I look. I’m not pretty, I’m not cool, I don’t even know what you see in me.”

“Don’t be dumb, MC!”

“Mammon, look at you! You’re you. You’re one of the seven demon lords of hell, you’re a whole model, and you’re one of the coolest guys I’ve ever met - Devildom, Human Realm, or celestial! You know you’re hot, so I’m worried…”, you trail off quietly.

“Worried bout what, MC?”, he asks at your hesitance, worry evident in his eyes. He places his hand on top of yours on the bed without breaking eye contact.

“…I’m worried that one day you’ll realize you’re too good for me and leave.”

“Leave? Whaddaya talkin’ about? How would I leave? I live here too ya know”, he says, poking your nose.

“You know what I mean, Mammon”, you say swiping his hand away from your face. “You’ll leave me.”

Mammon rolls his eyes, waving a hand towards your direction dismissively. “Oh yeah, I’ll leave you alright. That’s exactly why I was waitin’ for ya at the door for an hour to take ya on a date. Cause I wanna leave ya soooo bad. Do ya see how ridiculous you sound?”.

You sigh, eyes looking towards the bedsheets as you play with his hand that has found its way back to yours. You don’t look up as you speak. “See, I didn’t even come down for our date. Or text you. I just moped around up here. Im a terrible partner. And I’m sure you’re gonna realize it soon.”

Mammon makes a ‘tch’ noise with his tongue, before grabbing you by the chin and making you look into his eyes, making you gasp in surprise.

“And ya think I’m such a great boyfriend, huh? I’m just the best? The guy who spends his free time at the casino runnin’ up scams? The guy who used ta blame his screw ups on ya to get outta trouble? Yeah MC, I’m a real peach. Cream of the crop if ya ask me”, he lectures, voice dripping with sarcasm.

“What are you trying to say”, you question, grabbing his wrist to take his hand off your chin, to which he carefully obliges.

“I’m sayin’ that I’m not so great myself. But you still love me, right?

“Yeah, and?”

“Exactly. I’ve got flaws, we’ve all got flaws, even father had flaws, clearly”, he mumbles the last part under his breath.

“I wouldn’t stop lovin’ ya over any dumb thing like looks or status. In fact, I can’t think of a single reason why I’d stop lovin’ ya, ya dumb human. Sorry ‘boutcha luck, but yer stuck with The Great Mammon forever”, he jokes, ruffling your hair.

“What about when I die? I’m human, you’ll outlive me by a long shot. Don’t you want to be with someone, I don’t know, with the same…life span as you?”

“Nah, I’ll still love your dumbass skeleton when you’re a stupid ghost.”

“How romantic.”

“Listen. My point is I’m yours and you’re mine. That ain’t changin’, alright? And I’m not mad ‘bout our date, we’ll reschedule it. Just next time, ya could let me know before I stand by the front door for over an hour like a jackass. My brothers got enough to make fun of me over already.”

He pulls a little smile out of you with that last one.

“And about all that student council junk Lucifer and Lord Diavolo keep thrown’ on ya, I’ll talk to them. Maybe they’ll let you divide it up between all of us, alright?”.

You sniffle, wiping your face once more and shaking your head in an affirmative nod. “Sounds good. Thank you, Mams. I’m sorry.”

“C’mon now, quit yer apologizin’. It’s fine. You apologize for somethin’ like that again, I’m tellin’ Beel you ate his pudding from Madam Screams.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Oh, I’ll dare alright, ‘n then some”, he jokes, tackling you to the bed. “Why don’t we watch a movie or somethin’. You gotta make up the lost date time you owe me.”

You laugh at his antics, agreeing. “Okay, okay. I’m on it.”

As you sit in front of your shared DVD collection to pick tonight’s selection, you throw your voice over your shoulder.

“Hey Mams?”

“Yeah?”, he asks from his spot on your bed, scrolling on his D.D.D.

“Thanks.”

“Anytime, Treasure.”

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tiramisuucakeee · 2 months ago

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MINECRAFT KITTEN ★

( high school! reader x highschool gamer! niki )

IN WHICH: niki, always immersed in games, teasing you for forgetting your minecraft cat, couldn’t help but notice you had a new friend — someone who wasn’t him. but it wasn’t until one night at a festival, standing beside you under the fireworks, that he finally realized something. and for once, he didn’t need a screen to understand what was going on.

read more !

a loud screech echoed through your headphones as you watched niki's avatar fall off the cliff, crashing to the ground and losing all of their health in the process.

"ain't no way-" you started, but he quickly cut you off, telling you to shut up, not in the mood for any teasing. it was 3:57 a.m. on a school night, but that was the least of your concerns.

"this is all your fault, i told you i didn’t like this world," niki grumbled, leaning back in his gaming chair, his eyes scanning the big screen as he re-entered the world.

"zero game in minecraft, zero game in real life," you mumbled under your breath, but having a microphone connected to your earphones was absolutely no help, since he heard every word you said.

"you're so not funny, i get tons," niki clicked his tongue, watching the village come into view as he sprinted toward it.

"yeah, tons of bad grades," you laughed, taking your eyes off the screen for a moment. a soft click echoed from outside, and you noticed a light flicker on from beneath your door, casting a faint glow across the floor.

as he was about to curse you out, the sound of footsteps creaked through your house. you quickly lowered the screen’s brightness and muttered, "my mom’s awake, i’ll see you tomorrow, niki, bye!"

"but wait, what about our cat-" he started, but you disconnected from the discord call, your modded avatar vanishing from the minecraft world he’d created. now the only thing he had left to do, was to sleep, as you were gone.

the next day came pretty quickly, during lunch, you made your way to his classroom. your found him sitting at his desk, hunched over, eyes glued to his nintendo switch. he barely noticed as you slid into the seat in front of him, pulling out your lunch and setting it down.

"so, you really dipped on me last night?" he said without looking up, moving the controller of his switch with a little more force than necessary, as he started fighting a random huge pokémon with his small pikachu in pokémon sword and shield.

"my mom was awake," you replied, popping the lid off your tupperware and stabbing a piece of meat. "you know how it is."

he clicked his tongue but finally glanced up at you. "yeah, yeah, whatever. still can’t believe you left me hanging like that. our cat was waiting for us, too."

you raised an eyebrow. "so? he barely even likes you. not even my cat in real life likes your annoying ass." you extended the fork with food towards him, as he let you feed him. when niki was concentrated in his game, he could shut out the whole entire world, and completely forget about anything. that was the reason why your mom always packed you extra food for him, knowing you were the only one who got him to pay a little less attention to the screen.

you pulled the fork back, watching as niki chewed without a care in the world, still immersed in the game. his focus was intense, and the soft noises of pikachu screaming an attack was the only sound that seemed to break through his concentration.

"you're not even listening, are you?" you teased lightly, watching as he barely glanced at you before nodding in acknowledgment. his thumbs were a blur against the controller.

he smirked, clearly unfazed. "i’m listening. you were saying something about how a little demon cat doesn't like me." his tone was casual, like he was just humoring you. but there was that hint of curiosity in his voice, the kind that meant he was listening more than he let on.

“mr. whiskers is nice,” you scoffed playfully, changing the subject. "anyway, i was going to tell you that there's this festival coming up, since tuesday of next week is a free day," you said, trying to sound casual. "and a friend of mine, invited me to go with him and his friends."

niki didn’t take his eyes off the screen, but you could tell his attention was piqued by the way his fingers slowed on the controller. he didn't exactly say anything right away, so you continued, trying to sound casual. "everyone is talking about how it'll be fun, so it's gonna be pretty packed. i know you don’t like extremely crowded places but you should join us."

"who’s this friend?" niki asked, finally glancing at you, his voice sounding just a bit sharper than usual. it wasn’t so much that he was interested, but more like he was curious in his own way.

"oh, remember, i’m the manager of the school boy’s volleyball team?" you said, leaning back a bit. "that’s how i met the captain, won- i mean, jungwon. he’s nice. a year older, but-��

"won?" niki interrupted, his tone suddenly flat, as if the nickname itself had an edge to it. he looked at you then, eyes narrowing just a fraction. his attention on the game was gone now, replaced by something else. "you guys close or something?”

you raised an eyebrow, sensing his change in mood. "close? no. i mean, i don’t know, he's just... he's just a friend. we're all friends, won, jake, kai, taehyun and i, you know. i hang out with the team often." you tried to brush it off, but you couldn't help the feeling that niki wasn’t as casual as he made it seem. it was like you’d hit a nerve.

niki didn’t respond immediately. his fingers paused mid-game, and his gaze lingered on you for a few moments. the air between you two shifted, and even though he tried to mask it, you could tell he wasn’t thrilled at hearing you talk about another guy.

"so, are you going?" he asked, a little more distant than before, but you knew that tone. it was his way of pretending not to care. still, there was something about it that made you smile to yourself. he didn’t like you talking about other guys, but he wasn’t going to admit it.

"i want to," you replied, shrugging it off. "i’ll see if it’s actually worth going, he said there will be fireworks, and different kinds of games, and a lots of food stalls."

niki didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t argue either. instead, he gave a half shrug, his eyes flicking back to the screen. "i’ll think about going too," he said, and even though his words were dismissive, you knew he was quietly processing it.

you let out a quiet laugh, not sure if you were teasing him or just amused at how easily he shut down the subject. before you could comment, he stood up suddenly, stretching his arms out like he had something else on his mind. "come on," he said, his usual aloofness creeping back in. "let’s go to the vending machines. i’m thirsty."

you raised an eyebrow at him, watching as he walked toward the classroom’s door without another word. "you know, you’re acting pretty weird right now," you said, following him down the hallway. "it’s just a guy."

niki gave you a side glance, but his expression was unreadable again. "i’m not acting weird," he muttered, as if that would somehow make it true. "i don’t care about your other friends, i’m just thirsty."

you couldn’t help but smile to yourself, knowing exactly what was going on. niki was reserved, always keeping his emotions tightly locked up, while you were, well, the complete opposite. a social butterfly who loved to stir things up and keep things light. but you knew him well enough to sense that he cared more than he let on, even if he was never going to say it out loud.

two days later, you were at volleyball practice, chatting with the team during a break. the gym buzzed with the sound of sneakers squeaking on the polished floor, the occasional thud of a ball being spiked, and the light banter between the guys. jungwon, the captain and libero, had just tried some ridiculous move, a roll across the floor in a desperate attempt to save the ball, and you couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"wow, amazing, won," you teased, grinning. "really thought you were going to pull off something like that, huh?"

jungwon groaned, rubbing the back of his neck as he stood up, his face slightly flushed. "it was supposed to be a dive, but the ball wasn't where i thought it was." he shot you a sideways glance. "i thought you were supposed to be the manager, not my personal critic."

"hey, i'm just helping you improve your style," you said, playfully flicking his shoulder. the guys around you, jake, kai, and taehyun, all chuckled, having seen the whole thing unfold.

"style? that was more like a disaster," kai, the middle blocker, teased, tossing the ball to taehyun.

jake laughed too. "yeah, but i'll give him credit, he looked really elegant rolling around on the floor."

jungwon threw his hands up in defeat. "you're all jerks, you know that?" but the smile on his face gave him away.

as the team continued to joke around, you stayed close to the group, leaning against the bleachers. you could feel jungwon inch a little closer as he joked back, and you teased him some more, throwing playful comments his way. it was all casual, but you couldn't help noticing how natural it felt being around the guys, especially with jungwon close enough that his shoulder brushed yours every now and then. since you started being a manager for the team, he had gotten really protective over you, almost like an older brother.

just then, the doors to the gym swung open with a loud creak, and niki walked in, his eyes scanning the room. as soon as he saw you, his gaze darkened, and he made a beeline for the entrance to the court, his hands stuffed into his dark hoodie pockets, his expression closed off.

you immediately spotted him and froze for a second. your heart did that funny little skip it always did when you saw him, but you quickly forced it back down, trying to play it cool. "hey," you called out, waving as you approached him. "you never come to practice, what's up?"

niki glanced at you, but his eyes quickly darted to the group of guys around you. you could tell he wasn't exactly thrilled by the scene. "nothing serious," he muttered, but his voice was a little more clipped than usual. "just wanted to ask you something."

you raised an eyebrow. "what's going on? you look like you've seen a ghost."

niki didn't answer right away. his gaze flicked over to jungwon and the others for a second before his eyes landed back on you. "you told me you'd go to the game store with me today," he said, his tone low but definitely a little frustrated. "i left you a hundred messages, but you completely forgot."

you blinked, momentarily thrown off by his bluntness. "oh, crap," you muttered, cursing under your breath. "i'm so sorry, i totally spaced and forgot to tell you about staying later. i got caught up here with practice, we’re meeting another school tomorrow and-"

"of course," niki interrupted, his voice flat. "it's fine." but you could tell it wasn't fine. it never was with niki. when he said it was fine, that usually meant he was irritated and pretending it wasn't a big deal.

you winced, guilt crawling up your spine. "hey, i really am sorry, okay? i didn't mean to leave you hanging, i promise i’ll make it up to you."

there was a moment of silence, then niki sighed, looking around at the guys. he seemed to hesitate for a second before he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "whatever. just don't forget again."

you nodded quickly, catching the faint flicker of irritation in his eyes. "i won't. promise. how about we walk back home together alright? i’ll buy you something from the convenience store. practice ends in about fifteen minutes."

niki glanced at the gym’s double doors, then back at you. "fine," he said shortly, but there was a hint of resignation in his voice, like he was done with the whole thing but didn't want to make it a bigger issue. "i’ll wait for you."

you gave him a quick smile, trying to make up for it. "thanks for understanding, niki." he didn't respond, but the tension in his posture seemed to ease just a little as he turned to head up to the highest bleachers. your eyes followed close behind, glancing back at the guys, who were still laughing and messing around.

later that week, friday evening, you were sitting at home, boredom creeping in as you scrolled through your phone. without much else to do, you hopped onto discord and checked your friends list, only to see niki’s activity status showing he’d been on genshin impact for the last 14 hours.

you couldn’t help but laugh a little, shaking your head at how dedicated, or maybe just obsessed, he could get over things. the thought of him locking himself in his room all day just to farm for a character was both amusing and slightly concerning.

without a second thought, you tapped on his profile and hit the video call button. it rang for a few moments before niki’s face appeared on screen, his dark hair slightly messy, eyes half-lidded, and an unmistakable paleness to his skin.

"hey," you said, raising an eyebrow. "what’s going on with you? you look like you’ve been through a war zone."

niki groaned, clearly annoyed at the interruption, but there was a slight rasp in his voice when he answered. "i’m sick," he muttered, sounding a little congested. "i already told you, didn’t feel like going to school today." his face scrunched up as he wiped his nose, clearly not in the best shape.

you squinted at him through the screen. he looked like he wasn’t exaggerating. his usual energy was gone, replaced with a tiredness that made him look more exhausted than usual. "sick? are you sure?" you asked, your tone softening. "you look like you haven’t slept in days. you should be resting."

niki rolled his eyes, clearly not wanting to hear it. "i’m fine," he muttered, shifting the camera angle to show his screen. genshin impact was open, and he was in the middle of a mission, talking with npc’s. "i’m just trying to farm primos for xiao."

you let out an exasperated sigh, shaking your head. "niki, seriously? you’re sick, and you’re still playing that stupid game?" you almost couldn’t believe it. you were the one who got him to play hoyoverse games, but he was the one who ended up playing more than you. "you’re gonna make yourself worse."

“aw, so you care about me,” he looked back at you, a mischievous grin tugging at the corners of his mouth, though it was a little strained. "anyway, what else am i supposed to do? i’m already stuck at home. i’m on five pity, and the banner is coming out tomorrow." he sighed.

you rolled your eyes. "fine, fine. but if you’re so determined to farm, i’ll help you. just rest, okay? i’ll log into your account from here, get your missions done and farm domains."

niki gave you a half-smile, knowing full well he was probably better at the game than most people, but also knowing you were ridiculously good at it. your character builds were 10 times better than his. "you’d do that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"yeah," you said, leaning back against your chair and grabbing your keyboard to search for the game. "go make yourself some soup or something. i’ll get you all your xiao mats up, emo boy."

"don’t call me that. i hate that you’re better at this than me," niki muttered under his breath, but you could hear the faint amusement in his voice. "whatever, i still beat you at mario kart. just get me the stuff already. i need it."

"damn, not even a thank you," you said mockingly, already loading up your own game. you shot him one last look through the phone, noticing the way his shoulders seemed to relax just a little, like he was grateful for the help, even if he didn’t show it.

"thank you," he said quietly, the exhaustion finally showing in his eyes as he leaned back in his chair, as he hoped he would get better soon, but nothing seemed to go his way these past couple of days.

niki spent the whole weekend locked up in his room, barely able to escape his mother and sister’s watchful eye. they insisted he stay inside, rest, and recover. especially with the festival coming up and you telling them about inviting him. "y/n won’t want you being sick," she had told him, her voice gentle but firm. "you could use this as a chance to make more friends too, with the volleyball kids she runs around with."

niki, feeling exhausted but too tired to argue, spent the day in his computer or scrolling aimlessly through his phone, but his mind kept drifting to you and the festival. he knew you’d probably end up ditching him for your new friends and jungwon. after all, you two were practically inseparable, surrounded by people. you were made for that world, always the social extrovert, flitting from one group to the next, effortlessly fitting in.

and jungwon? he was just like you, outgoing, friendly, always in the center of everything. it made sense, right? you two should end up together. he was a perfect match for you.

but then there was niki, sitting in his room, playing games, not bothering with social stuff. he was reserved, quiet, the guy who stayed on the sidelines and didn’t need to be the center of attention. maybe he wasn’t made for your world. maybe he wasn’t even someone you’d think twice about, even if you told him you considered him your best friend.

it was a stupid thought, but it lingered in the back of his mind until the buzz of his phone broke him out of it.

he glanced down and saw your name on the screen. ‘what now?’ he thought, his heart giving an odd little flutter in his chest, but he quickly opened the message anyway.

‘hey, guess what? i got you the zelda game card you wanted for your nintendo! it’s been out of stock for a while, but i managed to grab one for you. i know you’ve been looking for it! i hope you get better in time for the festival, and for this to cheer you up. ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡’

niki’s eyes widened as he stared at the picture of the game attached to your message. it was exactly what he’d wanted, and he had no idea how you’d gotten it. he hadn’t mentioned it to anyone in a while, so how did you even know? his chest tightened. it wasn’t just the gift. it was the fact that you remembered. you didn’t do this for anyone else. not for jungwon, not for some other guy. you did it for him.

and then, as he stared at the message, it hit him all at once.

you cared. you cared about him. and that made him feel... well, he wasn’t sure exactly how it made him feel, but it felt different, like you were someone who saw him in a way others didn’t. not just as the quiet guy who played video games, but as someone worth thinking about, someone worth doing something nice for.

niki’s face flushed. ‘damn it,’ he thought, running a hand through his hair. he liked you. he liked you a lot more than he realized, and that realization hit him harder than he was ready for. he quickly typed back, his fingers moving almost too fast for him to keep up with his own thoughts.

‘u didn’t have 2 do that… but thanks. rlly. it means a lot.’

he stared at the message for a second, unsure if he should add anything more. but he left it at that, feeling a little awkward, a little embarrassed by how vulnerable he felt. he put his phone down on the bed, his heart still racing in his chest. he tried to shake off the feeling, but it didn’t work. something had shifted. and now, he couldn’t stop thinking about it.

it wasn’t just the way you smiled, or how your eyes softened when you spoke to him, it was the little things. the way you noticed when his mood shifted, how you always seemed to understand him without needing to say a word. you made him feel seen in ways no one else had, and he didn’t know when it had happened, but somewhere between your shared moments of silence and laughter, his heart had quietly slipped into a place he wasn’t ready to acknowledge.

you cared about him. and niki, with a soft blush creeping up his neck, was finally ready to admit it to himself. he was head over heels for you. and he had to make sure you knew about it, only, he had no idea how.

tuesday night, the festival was in full swing, the park buzzing with life. strings of twinkling lights hung overhead, casting a warm, golden glow over everything below. bright red lanterns danced in the evening breeze, and the distant hum of music mixed with the laughter of families enjoying the night.

everywhere you looked, there were games, colorful booths with prizes, spinning wheels of fortune, and carnival rides that lit up the dark sky with neon colors. the sweet scent of cotton candy, roasted chestnuts, and sizzling food wafted through the air, drawing people toward the food stalls. couples walked hand in hand, kids ran around excitedly, and the whole scene felt like something out of a dream.

you stood at the entrance of the park, your fingers tapping nervously against your phone. the boys from the volleyball team were around you, chatting and laughing, but your attention kept drifting back to the screen. you had dressed up in your prettiest clothes, hoping to catch his attention. you had even taken the time with your makeup, but despite your effort, you couldn’t shake the growing feeling of disappointment.

you had texted him. called him. multiple times. but niki hadn’t replied, hadn’t even read your messages. the little ‘delivered’ icon beside each one seemed to mock you, and with each passing minute, the knot in your stomach tightened. it was starting to feel like he had bailed on you completely, leaving you standing there, vulnerable, in front of your friends.

jungwon, who had been standing just a little further from you with a lighthearted grin on his face, seemed to sense your unease. his gaze softened as he walked over, putting a gentle hand on your shoulder. “hey,” he said, his voice calm and reassuring, “i know you were hoping niki would show up, but… don’t let it ruin the night, okay? you look great. and we’re all here with you. it’s the festival, after all.”

you nodded, trying to smile, but the weight of your disappointment was hard to shake. jungwon noticed, his eyes sparkling with the familiar warmth that made him so easy to be around. “and if it helps,” he continued, “i’ll buy you and the guys some strawberries with chocolate and marshmallows. how about that? it’ll lighten up the mood.”

you laughed softly, a small but genuine smile tugging at your lips. “you know me too well.”

jungwon’s grin widened. “it’s my job to know my friends,” he said with a wink. “come on, let’s enjoy the festival. there’s still plenty of fun to be had.” his words were comforting, but there was a part of you that still couldn’t help but feel that small sting of disappointment. you tried to push it aside, focusing instead on the atmosphere around you. on the lights, the laughter, and the simple joy of being surrounded by people who cared about you. maybe the night wouldn’t go exactly as you’d imagined, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t still be special.

just as you were about to nod and join the others, a sudden vibration from your phone made your heart skip a beat. it was a notification. niki had finally read your messages. your heart raced as you opened the chat, only to be met with a single, short text from him.

‘running late. konon didn’t like all of my clothing choices. said i looked too emo????? be there soon.’

a sigh of relief escaped your lips, but it came with a tinge of guilt for doubting him in the first place. still, as you glanced up at the bright lights of the festival, you couldn’t help but feel a flicker of excitement. maybe niki was running late, but at least he wasn’t gone. and with the boys around you, it seemed the night was still full of promise.

"guess what?" you said, looking up at jungwon. "he’s on his way. niki’s coming."

jungwon gave you a knowing smile, his eyes sparkling. “hey, that’s great, tell him we’re either at the food stalls or in line for a game. now, let’s get those strawberries, yeah?”

the group of you laughed and joked as you ate, the mood lightening with each bite. it felt good to be surrounded by your friends. even if niki had made you wait, the night was still shaping up to be fun. after finishing the strawberries, you all made your way toward the ferris wheel, the soft music from the ride drifting through the air. the line wasn’t too long, and the boys were excited, already bickering over who would be paired with who.

just as you were about to get in line, you saw him. niki. he came rushing toward the crowd, his footsteps quick, his eyes scanning the people. his hair was slightly messy, and he looked a little out of breath, like he had sprinted the whole way there. he looked around frantically, and just as he caught sight of your group, his expression softened, a small, sheepish grin tugging at the corner of his lips.

“sorry, sorry,” he muttered, breathless, “konon and my mom made me change my clothes like a hundred times. i swear, she’s always making me late for everything.”

you couldn’t help but laugh, feeling the tension from earlier melt away. "it’s okay," you said with a smile, but your heart was racing a little faster now, just from seeing him. "you made it."

niki gave you a quick nod, his eyes shifting to the boys around you. “hey. what’s up?” he greeted them with a relaxed wave. despite the rush, he seemed completely at ease now. it was like all the nervousness from earlier had disappeared. he wasn’t bothered by your friends anymore. he wasn’t worried about the fact that you were all together, laughing, sharing the night. instead, there was only one thing on his mind, you, and how pretty you looked tonight.

kai playfully clapped him on the back. “you’re so late, but glad you made it. the ride’s about to start. get in line, you go with y/n.”

niki gave a slight roll of his eyes, but there was no real frustration there. in fact, he was beaming, his gaze flickering back to you. for a moment, the world felt a little quieter, like everything around you had blurred out, and it was just the two of you standing there, with the bright lights of the festival surrounding you like a halo.

you glanced at him, and when his eyes met yours, there was something new in them. something more confident, something certain. niki smiled softly, and this time, it wasn’t that carefree grin he usually wore when he was teasing. this one was different. this one was filled with meaning.

“you look good tonight,” he said quietly, his words just for you.

your heart skipped, a smile tugging at your lips before you could stop it. “thanks,” you replied, your voice softer than usual. “you don’t look too bad yourself, niki.”

you and niki, along with the rest of the group, had eventually made your way into the ferris wheel, the towering structure glowing against the night sky. you could hear the soft creaking of the wheel as it spun, the occasional shout of excitement from people already on the ride. the boys were already joking around, kai teasing taehyun from the carriage ahead. but for you, the excitement was mixed with a twinge of unease.

you didn’t really like heights.

you were trying to keep calm, to play it cool, but you felt that familiar knot in your stomach tightening as you looked around. niki must have noticed, because when you both settled in, he shot you a quick glance.

“you okay?” he asked softly, his voice a mix of concern and teasing. “i know you’re not exactly a fan of this.”

you laughed nervously, trying to act nonchalant. “i’m fine. it’s fine,” you said, though your grip on the side of the carriage betrayed you.

niki raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced, but instead of saying anything more, he simply reached over and took your hand. his fingers intertwined with yours, offering comfort in that simple gesture. as the ride started moving, you felt your heart race a little, but his hand in yours made it feel a little more manageable. with him there, you could breathe just a little easier.

the carriage slowly ascended, and you tried to focus on the view, forcing yourself to look out at the twinkling lights of the festival below. but as the wheel climbed higher and higher, the world around you seemed to tilt, and you instinctively squeezed niki’s hand tighter. you could hear the distant laughter and chatter from the crowd, but the heights, those dizzying heights, made everything feel overwhelming.

“don’t worry, you’re safe with me,” niki murmured, his voice calm as he gave your hand a gentle squeeze. “i won’t let anything happen to you.”

his words, quiet and reassuring, helped settle some of the panic in your chest, though your heart still fluttered with nerves. he shifted slightly, leaning in closer as the ride made its way to the top, the festival sprawling beneath you like a patchwork of lights and colors. from up here, you could see everything, the food stalls, the carnival games, the laughter of families far below. it was beautiful, breathtaking, but the height still made your stomach churn.

as you reached the very top of the wheel, the carriage slowly came to a halt. for a moment, the ride felt suspended in time, like the entire world below you was frozen. you tried to focus on the view, but your heartbeat quickened, and your palms began to sweat.

then, suddenly, the speakers crackled, and a calm, neutral voice echoed from below. “we apologize for the inconvenience, but it seems the ferris wheel has experienced a slight malfunction. please remain seated. we will resolve the issue within the next few minutes.”

this had to be a sick joke.

your breath caught in your throat. a malfunction? the words hit you harder than they should have. panic surged in your chest as the wheel remained still, suspended high in the air. below, everything seemed so distant, too far away, and you were stuck up here, vulnerable and exposed.

niki immediately noticed the shift in your demeanor. his hand tightened around yours, and he moved closer, his shoulder brushing against yours. “hey, hey,” he said, his voice low and soothing. “it’s alright. it’s just a small problem. they’ll fix it. everything’s fine.”

but it didn’t feel fine. your mind raced, your breathing quickened, and you could feel your heart pounding in your chest. you hated being stuck in places like this, unable to move, unable to control anything.

niki must have sensed your fear, because without saying another word, he shifted closer, wrapping his arm around your shoulders and pulling you into his side. “i’m here,” he whispered, his voice steady. “nothing’s going to happen. just breathe, okay? i’ve got you.”

you tried to steady your breathing, but it was hard. the space around you felt so open, and you couldn't shake the sense of vertigo creeping up. but niki’s presence beside you was like an anchor, grounding you in a way nothing else could. his steady grip on your hand and his arm around you offered a sense of security, his warmth a comfort amidst the rising panic.

he didn’t let go of you. his fingers gently traced circles against your palm as he held you close, his voice soft but constant, reassuring you that everything would be okay “we’re fine,” he murmured. “just focus on me. focus on my voice, okay? i’m right here.”

you nodded, trying to calm your racing thoughts. his closeness, his steady presence, helped push back the panic that had threatened to consume you. the ride was still paused, but you felt a little more at ease with each passing second, comforted by the way he held you, by the way he made you feel safe in a place that usually made you feel so small and vulnerable.

and as you looked out at the view again, it wasn’t quite as overwhelming. it was still beautiful, and though the world was far below you, niki was there, right beside you. and for once, it didn’t feel so bad to be up here.

you leaned into him, feeling the warmth of his arm around your body and the gentle pressure of his hand still holding yours. it was strange, how in the midst of all that panic, just being near him made everything feel better.

after a few more seconds of silence, you glanced over at him, managing a small smile despite yourself. "if they take too long to fix this, we’re going to miss the fireworks," you said, trying to make light of the situation. the fireworks were supposed to start soon, a grand finale to the evening, and the thought of missing them made a small ache form in your chest.

niki chuckled softly, a light laugh that made the air feel a little less heavy. “you really do love your fireworks, huh?” he teased, nudging you gently with his shoulder. “don’t worry, i’m sure we’ll see them. they can’t keep us up here forever.”

you nodded, though you still felt a little uneasy, not sure how long this delay would last. but niki’s voice was steady, and the way he stayed close to you made everything feel just a little bit safer. as you sat there, the ferris wheel slowly swaying slightly in the breeze, something shifted inside you, something that had been building throughout the night.

you looked up at niki, his face soft in the dim light, his expression calm but genuine. his dark eyes, that familiar glint of mischief and warmth, were fixed on you, as if nothing else in the world mattered at that moment except being here with you. and you realized, for the first time, just how much you actually liked him.

it wasn’t just the teasing banter, or the way he made you laugh, or even the way he’d made you feel safe in the middle of your fear. it was something deeper, something you couldn’t quite put into words. the way he cared, the way he was always present, always ready to be there when you needed him.

you shifted slightly in your seat, feeling a little vulnerable with this realization, but you couldn’t hold it back any longer. your heart was beating a little faster, but it wasn’t out of panic this time. it was something else, something that made your stomach flutter and your chest feel lighter.

time seemed to stretch in that moment, like everything had slowed down just for the two of you. the music from the festival, the laughter, the buzz of excitement. all of it faded into the background. the only thing that mattered was the soft rhythm of your breathing and the way your hand felt in niki’s.

you couldn’t remember who moved first, whether it was him or you, but there was a magnetic pull between you, something undeniable. the space between you narrowed, and suddenly, your lips were meeting, gently at first, like a question, a hesitant step forward into the unknown.

it was a soft kiss, but it felt like everything. each tender graze of his lips against yours, a shiver of warmth spreading through your chest. feeling him so close to you. for a split second, everything else was lost. the heights, the festival, the malfunctioning ride. they all vanished. it was just you and him, a fleeting moment that felt like time had stopped. you were there with him, fully present, feeling a pulsing connection that surpassed any words.

then, just as quickly as it began, it ended. the kiss was gone, but the feeling remained, like a warm glow spreading through you. the suddenness of it all left you breathless, your chest still tingling, your heart still racing.

and then, like a mirror to the fluttering beat of your heart, the first firework burst in the sky behind you. the colors exploded in a brilliant rain of lights, reds, golds, blues, illuminating the dark sky. they filled the air with so much beauty, but it didn’t compare to the feeling that still lingered in the air between you and niki.

you pulled back a little, eyes meeting his. both of you were silent for a moment as the fireworks continued to light up the night. the air between you felt electric, the shortest kiss leaving you both with something you couldn’t shake, wanting more.

neither of you spoke, not yet. words weren’t needed. you could feel the energy between you, quiet but intense, like the fireworks themselves, a series of bright moments strung together in the vastness of the night.

niki’s fingers tightened around yours again, just a little, a silent reassurance that he was still there, that he was present. and in that moment, you felt the warmth of his hand grounding you, reminding you that this moment, this feeling, it was real. "look," he whispered, his voice softer than before, as another explosion of lights filled the sky. "we're in the middle of this."

you glanced at him again, his face illuminated by the fading lights, a soft smile playing on his lips as he looked out at the horizon. and in that moment, it felt like the world, and the whole sky was yours.

BTW: corny ass niki fic i loveeee it LMFAO. also, a big thank you to xiao from genshin impact for being my #1, and kozume kenma for inventing the nintendo switch.

EXTRA:

masterlist.

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uyuforu · 3 months ago

Note

Hi! When you draw a solar/lunar return/natal chart on astro.com, what asteroids would you recommend to include? Apart from the ones you get if you choose the "Astrodienst w. asteroids“ drawing style. I‘ve been ignoring them for years and I feel like I‘m missing out lmao, but having to type the asteroid numbers out is really bothersome to me 😭💀 Thank you in advance <3. Also sorry if you have a post where you talked about something similar. I tried to look before asking but I couldn’t find anything

I have a list of all asteroids I have, and depending on what you wanna see, you can check those here ^^

Romance Asteroids

° Juno (3) (marriage and soulmate)

° Destinn (6583) (destiny)

° Groom (5129) (groom)

° Boda (1487) (marriage)

° Briede (19029) (bride)

° Union (1585) (how do we meet fs)

° Eros (433) (kinks and sex)

° Kiss (8267) (kiss style)

° Lovelock (51663) (how do we fall in love)

° Cupido (763) (how do we fall in love)

° Valentine (447) (cute, pure, tender love)

° Amor (1221) (passionate love)

° Alma (390) (Soulmates/ Twin Flames/ Karmics/ Soul Links)

° Alinda (887) (kissing, making out)

Fame Asteroids

° Fama (408) (fame, rumors, gossips)

° Europa (52) (fame and recognition)

° Mireille (594) (easily gaining people’s love and admiration)

° Glo (3267) (glowing shining, attention)

° Lumier (775) (where do you shine)

° Populus (8647) (being popular and well known)

° Musa (600) (inspiring other)

° Starr (4150) (shining, standing out)

° Zeus (5731) (gaining fame)

° Varuna (amazing and incredible fame) (20000)

° Fan (151590)

Money Asteroids

°Abundantia (151) (having a lot of money, abundance and inheritance)

° Mony (7782) (how can we obtain money)

° Fortuna (19)

° Tyche (258)

° Banks (13956)

° Gold (4955)

° Midas (1981)

Spiritual Asteroids

° Teller (5006) (Tarot abilities)

° Apollo (1862) (talents)

° Kalchas (4138) (divination talents)

° Horus (1924) (linked to 3rd eye)

° Arrokoth (486958) (astrology talents)

° Estrella (11697) (shining, beauty and talents of astrology)

° Merlin (2598) (magic and prophetic abilities)

° Spirit (37452) (seeing spirits and entities and communicating with them)

° Telephus (5264) (linked to telepathy)

° Aura (1488) (Ability to see the real aura or intentions of people)

° Karma (3811)

° Erda (894) (our past life)

° Spirit (37452) (our spirit guys)

Talents Asteroids

° Dones (21965) (our natural gift)

° Probitas (902) (being good and excellent)

° Carrera (3050) (our career)

° Industria (389) (our career)

° webb (3041) (the internet)

Psychology & Medical Talents Asteroids

° Hylonome (10370) (psychologist abilities)

° Makhaon (3063) (talent for medicine and healing)

° Anahita (270) (creative and therapeutic talents)

Writing & Communication Asteroids

° Calliope (22) (writing and singing)

° Erato (62) (writing poetry, romance and erotic matters)

° Biblialexa (51895) (writing or reading books)

° Murray (941) (excellent communicator, writer, speeches, etc)

° Elatus (31834) (good at speaking in public, amazing speeches)

° Kleopatra (216) (being loved and admired by our communicating skills)

° Mnemosyne (57) (good communicator, good at telling stories, good at acting with our voice)

Acting Asteroids

° Thalia (23) (ability to entertain and comedy)

° Lumiere (775) (acting abilities)

° Melpomene (18) (acting abilities and dark writing)

° Actor (12238) (being an actor)

° Mnemosyne (57) (good communicator, good at telling stories, good at acting with our voice)

° Fantomas (242492) (Acting skills)

Singing & Musical Asteroids

° Cantor (16246) (sings a lot and talent in singing)

° Harmonia (40) (singing abilities)

° Singer (10698) (singing abilities and talent)

° Terpsichore (81) (dancing and singing)

° Piani (10573) (related to piano and playing instruments)

° Euterpe (27) (musical talent)

° Echo (60) (beautiful voice)

° Melpomene (18) (Muse of Singing)

Painting & Cooking Asteroids

° Pintar (33103) (painting)

° Van Gogh (4457) (painting)

° Picasso (4221) (painting)

° Cook (3061) (cooking abilities)

° Baker (2549) (baking abilities)

Sexual Asteroids

° Eros (433) (kinks & sex)

° 1988 XB (7753) (extreme sexual activity)

° 1996 TL66 (15874) (discharge, squirting)

° 2002 XW93 (78799) (group sex)

° 2005 PQ21 (134210) (porn, extreme sexual activity)

° 2010 EN65 (316179) (discharge, orgasm)

° 2000 CO104 (999004) (orgasm, ecstasy)

° Alinda (887) (rough, passionate sex)

° Ignatius (3562) (our kinks, the one we keep as secret)

° Kama (1387) (how we have sex, our sex style)

° Lust (4386) (our sex style, what turn us on, our sexual desires)

Children & Home Asteroids

° Child (4580) (inner child)

° DNA (55555) (our DNA, children)

° House (4950) (our home)

Hoping it can help! You can also check those on other types of chart ^^

#astrology #asteroids #uyuans

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yanderes-galore · 8 months ago

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May I ask for lmk Macaque with your list of prompts 59, 57 and 22 :3

Sure! Here's sadistic shadow monkey that follows you around :) I really do love him, lol. Hope you like the plot (It isn't much but I'm sure him learning you have other friends... opens old wounds.)

Yandere! Macaque Prompts 59, 57, 22

"Are those friends of yours? Are they your everything?"

"You're stuck with me, like it or not."

"They never loved you. Only I love you."

Pairing: Romantic/Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Emotional manipulation, Stalking, Jealousy, Possessive behavior, Clingy behavior, Forced relationship/companionship.

Macaque had recently found a new toy to mess with. He had always been one to mess with humans for his own amusement. Mischief was one of his favorite things.

Speaking of favorite things...

"You aren't ignoring me, are you~?" His voice echoes around you, shadows changing shape on their own. You had grown used to such anomalies recently. Shadows following you around had been something you were dealing with for months.

"Aww, come on, sweetheart! Did you really think I'd just leave you alone? You're far too interesting for that...."

Just like that the shadow monkey manifests, piercing yellow eyes staring into you as he materializes. He has a grin on his face, arms crossed as he circles you. Here he was... your forced companion.

"It's just so boring without you in my sight, Y'know?" Macaque purrs, acting like he ever let you out of his sight. He follows you from the shadows and in animal form. Really... there's no way he ever takes his eyes off you.

Which is why he felt he should 'cut in' when he saw you with a group of supposed friends.

"Didn't even bother to invite me~?" Macaque pouts playfully, dramatic as ever. He then wraps his arms around you, fur tickling your skin as he flicks his tail. He can feel your body tense under his touch, making his grin return stronger. "I thought you loved me~? Aren't we friends?"

Macaque can see your teeth grit at his comment. In response he really rubs it in, nuzzling into you playfully with a sigh. Oh how he loves your little reactions.

"Not now, Macaque." You say, trying to shoo him away but the monkey stubbornly stays. You had just had finished hanging out with your group of friends before Macaque stepped in. So luckily... they didn't have to see you try to shake off a shadow monkey.

"Why~?" Macaque whispers, tail swaying as his grip tightens. "Were those friends of yours?" Macaque coos, circling so he's in front of you. His grin is teasing... but also appears to be hiding something underneath. "Are they your everything?"

"Yes?" You answer, making Macaque lean back and cackle. You glare at him... only to pause when he stops with a serious expression. He looks... irritated.

"Oh, sweetheart..." Macaque purrs, staying close to you. "Do you really think they care about you?"

"Hey, what's your problem!?" You growl, pushing at the monkey as he grips your hands. He grins, holding them up to place on his cheeks with a cruel look in his glowing eyes.

"What? Don't believe me?" Macaque frowns in a growl, playing with your mind. He doesn't like the idea of you having other friends. Really... you deserve so much better.

"Of course I don't!" You hiss, pulling your hands away as Macaque frowns.

"Really now?" Macaque tilts his head before giving a concerned look. "If anyone knew the truth, it would be me!"

You look at him confused, Macaque humming with a nod of his head. He begins to circle you again, occasionally prodding at you affectionately. He loved when you squirmed.

"Don't give me that look, dear! Can't you tell?" Macaque prods, leaning his head against you. "If I can follow you around... Then I can follow them! Which means..."

Macaque notices the hurt in your gaze, leading him to quickly latch onto you.

"Oh, don't worry... that's why I'm here!" Macaque chirps, embracing you. "You look like you're about to cry... it's okay... just let me comfort you~"

Macaque knew how to use his words. He knew just what to say to manipulate others. You, poor oblivious thing, looked like you believed him.

Which made it much easier to lure you in all for himself.

"They never loved you. I heard it myself!" Macaque nods, playing the role of looking genuine as he sees your eyes water. Such a bittersweet look. "Really, only I love you."

"You're lying..." You whisper, the monkey leaning closer to your face.

"I swear I speak only the truth." Macaque whispers, tilting your chin up. "Cross my heart and hope to die."

Macaque observes as you stare ahead, not quite trusting him. He understands, he's a known liar. In fact, he's lying right now.

But your emotions are quick to take over rational thinking.... It's not like you can prove him wrong, right? Maybe your friends really are just pretending.

"I see..." You whisper, Macaque smiling when he realizes he has you wrapped around his finger.

"You never needed them anyways, sweetheart." Macaque shakes his head, humming while he pets your hair. "Seriously, they were so dull."

You can see Macaque stick out his tongue in disgust before returning his attention to you. You swore his piercing eyes dilated as he wraps his tail around you. You couldn't believe this.

"Well, I think it's time I made you feel better." Macaque hums, patting your back playfully before grabbing your hand. "How about we go on a little walk? Get something to eat?"

You look hesitant. Macaque wasn't someone you could necessarily trust. Although... he's been working on getting better lately, right?

It's not like he's hurt you....

"Again with the looks?" Macaque pouts. "Yeesh, the truth hurts, doesn't it?"

You nod and Macaque hums, a grin returning to his face before he pulls you into him.

"Well, come here then!" Macaque sighs, embrace tight against you. "I'll be here to comfort you... maybe even teach them a lesson for you, yeah?"

Macaque chuckles darkly, eyes half shut while he holds you tight against him and presses his face beside your ear.

"After all, You're stuck with me, like it or not, sweetheart."

#yandere lego monkie kid #yandere macaque #yandere lmk

234 notes · View notes

lowaltitude · 30 days ago

Text

Dial Tone 3 | Matt Rempe

- NHL, New York Rangers - x Reader

❪ FEM! ❫

───── ❝ description + disclaimer ❞ ─────

𖥻 Matthew Rempe x FEM!reader, in which a wrong number friendship is more than you'd hope for. OR he falls first, he falls hard, he's NYC's biggest enforcer.

𖥻 PART ONE HERE. PART TWO HERE. 4.2k words

back by popular demand <3 ty for all the nice messages

───── ❝ ❞ ─────

Wednesday, May 29, 2024 Today, 9:57 PM MANHATTAN: I don’t know how else to convince you. What do you want me to say?

I read the message over and over as I made my way back to the hotel, my friends chatting around me. Their voices blurred into background noise as my thoughts tangled into a confused mess. It didn’t add up—none of it did. The tension between my heart and my head was unbearable.

By the time we got to the hotel, my friend tried to rope me into ordering late-night room service, but I waved her off, mumbling something about needing a shower. She gave me a curious glance but didn’t push.

The shower didn’t help. If anything, it made my thoughts louder, like the steam had cleared space for more doubts to crowd in. Wrapping a towel around myself, I padded over to the bed, plopped down, and grabbed my phone. I stared at Manhattan’s messages for what felt like the fiftieth time, gnawing on my thumbnail until it ached.

I didn’t want to believe him. But at the same time, there was something about his words—his tone, even through text—that kept me hesitating. He didn’t sound like a liar. He sounded genuinely… confused. Frustrated. Desperate, even.

Before I could overthink it any further, I tapped his contact and hit the FaceTime button. My heart pounded as it rang, each chime echoing louder in my ears. What was I even doing?

The screen shifted, and suddenly, he was there. A real, live version of him, staring back at me. His familiar sharp jawline, messy dark hair, and warm brown eyes that I’d seen countless times in photos. He looked tired, his face serious but soft with concern.

“Hey,” he said quietly, his voice lower than I expected, tinged with a nervous edge.

I froze, staring at him in disbelief. For a moment, I couldn’t speak. I could barely breathe.

“Say something,” he urged, his brow furrowing. “Please.”

“You’re…” I finally whispered, shaking my head. “You really look like him.”

“Because I am him,” he said, leaning closer to the camera. “I’m Matt. Everything I’ve told you, every message, it was me. I wasn’t pretending. I wasn’t using anyone else’s photos.”

I blinked, my mind racing. “But why—why wouldn’t you just say that? Why hide it?”

“I didn’t mean to hide it,” he said quickly, his words tumbling over each other. “When we first started talking, it wasn’t about… me being Matt Rempe. It was just about us. I liked that you didn’t know who I was. It made everything feel… normal. Real. And then it got harder to tell you as we got closer.”

I sat there, stunned, gripping my phone so tightly my knuckles turned white. “You should have told me,” I said, my voice trembling. “Do you know how confused I’ve been? How much this feels like some giant joke?”

“I know,” he said, his expression pained. “And I’m sorry. I should’ve told you. I just… didn’t want to ruin what we had.”

“What we had?” I repeated, my voice rising slightly. “Do you even know how ridiculous this all sounds? You’re saying I’ve been texting you—a professional hockey player—for months and you didn’t think that was worth mentioning?”

“I was scared, okay?” he said, his voice breaking slightly. “I didn’t want to mess things up. I didn’t want you to see me differently.”

I stared at him, the weight of his words sinking in. My mind was a storm of disbelief, anger, and a flicker—just a flicker—of something else. Hope? No, that couldn’t be it.

“I don’t know what to believe,” I admitted finally, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Then let me prove it to you,” he said, his gaze steady, almost pleading. “Ask me anything. Anything you want to know. I’ll tell you the truth. No more hiding. I promise.”

I swallowed hard, my heart thundering in my chest. “Okay,” I said quietly. “Why should I trust you now?”

“Because,” he said softly, his eyes locking with mine through the screen, “I’ve never lied about how I feel about you.”

I stared at him through the screen, my emotions swirling. His words hung in the air, heavy but sincere. He wasn’t asking for my trust—he was begging for it, his honesty shining through despite everything.

“I don’t know how to do this,” I admitted, my voice trembling. “I don’t know how to just… move past it all. It feels so messy now.”

Matt nodded slowly, running a hand through his messy hair. “I get it,” he said softly. “I screwed up by not being honest from the start. But I’m here now, and I’m telling you everything. I don’t want to lose what we have. Even if that means we have to take a step back or… or whatever you need.”

I bit my lip, my mind racing. It wasn’t like I didn’t care about him—clearly, I did. That was part of why this felt so complicated. “I just… need to figure out how to trust you again,” I said quietly. “I want to, but it’s going to take time.”

“Take all the time you need,” he said immediately, his tone earnest. “I’m not going anywhere.”

A small, tentative smile tugged at my lips. It wasn’t everything, but it was something—a start.

He seemed to relax slightly, his shoulders losing some of their tension. “Thank you,” he said simply. “For giving me a chance.”

I nodded, letting out a shaky breath. “Okay,” I said, a little more firmly this time. “We’ll figure it out. One step at a time.”

Matt smiled softly, the kind of smile that made it hard not to feel the warmth behind it. Then, as if realizing something mid-thought, he said, “You look really pretty, by the way.”

My cheeks flushed instantly. “What?” I stammered, caught completely off guard.

His eyes widened slightly, like he hadn’t meant to say it out loud. “I—uh—sorry. I wasn’t trying to make things weird,” he said quickly, a hint of color creeping into his cheeks too. “It just slipped out.”

Despite myself, I couldn’t help but laugh, the tension between us easing just a little. “You really need to work on your timing,” I teased, shaking my head.

“Yeah,” he said with a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his neck. “Probably not my best move.”

We sat there in silence for a moment, the weight of everything still present but less overwhelming. Somehow, that small, awkward compliment had cracked through the heaviness, making things feel just a bit more normal.

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” I said finally, my voice soft but steady.

“Tomorrow,” he echoed, his tone hopeful. “And… thanks. For real.”

I ended the call, setting my phone down on the bed beside me. My mind was still a mess, but for the first time in hours, I didn’t feel completely lost. We weren’t fixed, not by a long shot, but maybe, just maybe, we were on the path to figuring it out.

───── ❝ ❞ ─────

The next morning, I woke up feeling like my mind had run a marathon overnight. The emotional weight of everything still lingered, but there was a small sense of clarity cutting through the fog. Matt and I had talked, and while it hadn’t solved everything, it had opened the door for us to start moving forward—if I wanted to.

I stared at my phone, the FaceTime app still in my recent calls list. His face was fresh in my mind, the sincerity in his eyes as he told me he hadn’t lied. He’d seemed so genuine, so earnest, that it was hard to hold onto the anger I’d felt the night before. But trust wasn’t built in a single conversation, and I knew that forgiving him wasn’t the same as forgetting what had happened.

I dragged myself out of bed and got ready for the day, meeting my classmates for breakfast in the hotel’s bustling dining area. The chatter of everyone’s plans for the expo helped distract me for a while. My friend nudged me as we filled our plates.

“You seem more like yourself today,” she said, offering me a warm smile.

“Yeah,” I said, nodding. “I think I just needed to sleep on some things.”

She gave me a curious look, clearly wanting to ask more, but she let it go. Instead, she launched into a story about a panel she wanted to attend later, and I let myself get swept up in her excitement, grateful for the reprieve.

Later that afternoon, as I wandered through the bustling expo floor with my classmates, my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a text from Matt.

Thursday, May 30, 2024 Today, 1:22 PM MATT: Hope you’re having a good day. No pressure to reply, just wanted to check in.

I stared at the message for a moment, feeling a pang of guilt. He was trying so hard to make things right, to give me space while still showing he cared. After a moment’s hesitation, I typed a quick reply.

ME: Thanks. It’s been a good day so far.

His response came almost instantly.

MATT: Good. You deserve that.

A small smile tugged at my lips, and for the first time in days, I felt a flicker of hope that maybe we could figure this out.

Here’s the continuation of the story from the morning setup:

The rest of the expo flew by in a blur of panels, exhibits, and conversations, but no matter how much I tried to immerse myself in the experience, my thoughts kept drifting back to Matt. The weight of everything between us lingered, a mix of uncertainty and cautious optimism.

By the time evening rolled around, our group gathered in the hotel lobby, buzzing with excitement about our plans to head out one last time before our flight the next morning. My friend looped her arm through mine as we headed toward the subway.

“This trip has been so much fun,” she said, her voice brimming with enthusiasm. “I can’t believe it’s almost over.”

“Me neither,” I said, offering her a small smile.

She tilted her head, studying me. “You sure you’re okay? You’ve been a little… I don’t know, quieter than usual.”

“I’m fine,” I said quickly, not wanting to get into it. “Just tired, I guess.”

She didn’t push, but I could feel her concern as we navigated the crowded subway.

When we returned to the hotel later that evening, everyone scattered to their rooms to pack and get ready for the morning. I unlocked my door, stepping inside and letting out a long breath. The past few days had been such a whirlwind that it felt strange to finally have a moment to myself.

I sat down on the edge of the bed, my phone in hand. My conversation with Matt from earlier lingered in my mind, his words replaying over and over.

MATT: Good. You deserve that.

There was something so simple yet so sincere about it that I couldn’t shake the feeling it gave me.

After a while, I decided to FaceTime him again. I needed to see his face, to talk to him without the filter of a screen full of text.

When the call connected, he answered almost immediately, his expression a mix of surprise and relief.

“Hey,” he said, his voice warm but cautious.

“Hi,” I said, suddenly feeling shy.

For a moment, neither of us spoke. The silence stretched between us, heavy with everything we hadn’t said yet. Finally, I broke it.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about… everything,” I admitted.

“And?” he asked, leaning forward slightly.

“And I think I want to move past it,” I said. “I’m still not sure how to fully wrap my head around everything, but I know I trust you enough to try.”

His shoulders relaxed, and a soft smile crossed his face. “That’s all I could ask for. Thank you.”

I nodded, letting out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.

We talked for a little while longer, and slowly, the tension between us began to fade. At one point, he paused mid-sentence, a thoughtful look crossing his face.

“What?” I asked, tilting my head.

“You look really pretty,” he said, the words tumbling out before he could stop them.

My cheeks flushed, and I ducked my head, a small laugh escaping me. “Matt…”

“Sorry,” he said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I didn’t mean to make it weird. It just kind of slipped out.”

“It’s okay,” I said, smiling despite myself.

The silence stretched for a moment before I stood up, moving to the dresser to start packing my suitcase. I couldn’t afford to leave it until morning—not with the early flight looming.

“Hold on, I need to get some packing done,” I said, propping my phone on the nightstand so I could still see him.

“Packing?” he asked, his brows furrowing slightly.

“For the flight tomorrow,” I said, folding a shirt and placing it neatly in my bag. “This trip really flew by.”

“Oh,” he said softly, the weight in his tone catching my attention.

I glanced at the screen, catching the flicker of emotion in his eyes before he quickly looked away. For a moment, I felt a pang of guilt.

“So… tell me about the NHL,” I said, trying to shift the mood. “What’s it like playing at that level? I mean, you’re on one of the biggest stages out there, right?”

He hesitated, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “It’s… surreal, I guess. Every game feels like a dream, but there’s a lot of pressure too. People are always watching, analyzing, expecting you to be at your best.”

“I can’t even imagine,” I said, shaking my head as I zipped up one compartment of my suitcase. “Do you ever get used to it?”

“Not really,” he admitted with a laugh. “But you learn how to focus on the game and tune everything else out. It’s the only way to stay sane.”

I nodded, reaching for another stack of clothes. “It must be tough, though. All that travel, the media, the fans…”

“It can be,” he said, his tone softening. “But it’s worth it. You know, for moments like that win last night—or even the little ones, like seeing a kid in the stands wearing your jersey.”

I smiled at that, imagining what it must be like to have such an impact on people.

As I worked through my packing, I noticed he was unusually quiet. When I glanced back at the screen, his expression was unreadable, his gaze distant.

“Matt?” I prompted gently.

He blinked, snapping back to the present. “Sorry, I was just thinking.”

“About what?”

“About how this was my chance to really meet you,” he said, his voice tinged with regret. “And I blew it. You were here, in New York, and I didn’t even know until it was too late.”

I paused, the weight of his words settling over me. “It’s not like I made it easy,” I said, trying to lighten the mood. “I did kind of spring the whole surprise thing on you.”

“Still,” he said, shaking his head. “I’ve been talking to you for months, and then you were here, and I—” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I just wish I’d done things differently.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. The sincerity in his voice made my heart ache, but there was no undoing what had already happened.

“You’ll just have to make up for it next time,” I said softly, offering him a small smile.

His eyes met mine through the screen, and for a moment, the sadness faded, replaced by something warmer, something hopeful.

“Next time,” he echoed, his voice steady. “I’ll make sure of it.”

As I finished packing and we said our goodnights, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of his words lingering in the air. Maybe this trip hadn’t gone as planned, but there was still a chance—however small—to turn it into something meaningful.

───── ❝ ❞ ─────

The next morning, I woke up to the soft buzz of my phone alarm. My suitcase sat by the door, neatly packed and ready to go, but my heart felt heavy as I got dressed for the flight home. The trip had been a whirlwind, full of unexpected highs and lows, and I wasn’t sure how to feel about leaving it all behind.

At breakfast, my friend chatted animatedly about the highlights of the trip, her enthusiasm a welcome distraction. I nodded along, adding a comment here and there, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Matt—and the bittersweet regret that we hadn’t met in person.

As the bus pulled up to take us to the airport, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. A part of me thought about ignoring it, not ready to face whatever emotions his message might stir, but curiosity won out.

Thursday, May 30, 2024 Today, 8:30AM MATT: Hope your flight goes smoothly. Let me know when you get home safe, okay?

His words were simple, but they carried an unmistakable warmth that made my chest tighten.

ME: Thanks. I will.

I hit send and stared at the screen, debating whether to say more. Before I could decide, the bus lurched forward, and I slipped my phone back into my bag.

At the airport, the usual chaos of check-ins and security lines kept me distracted. My classmates joked about the trip, already planning to compare notes and photos when we got home.

It wasn’t until we were boarding the plane that I let myself pause. As I settled into my seat, I opened my messages again, scrolling through the thread with Matt. The FaceTime from last night lingered in my mind—the honesty in his voice, the look in his eyes when he said he didn’t want to lose me.

Taking a deep breath, I typed a quick message.

ME: I’m sorry we couldn’t meet this time.

I hesitated for a moment, then added:

ME: But I’m glad we talked.

I hit send and slipped my phone into airplane mode, unsure if I was ready to see his reply yet.

The flight home felt longer than usual, each mile bringing me closer to reality and further from the whirlwind that had been New York. By the time we landed, I felt a strange mix of relief and longing.

As soon as I turned my phone back on, his reply popped up:

MATT: Me too. This wasn’t how I wanted it to happen, but I’m glad you gave me a chance to explain.

A small smile tugged at my lips. Maybe things hadn’t gone perfectly, but they weren’t broken beyond repair. And maybe, just maybe, the next time I found myself in New York—or wherever life might take us—we’d finally get the chance to meet face to face.

As the bus rumbled along toward the airport, I let out a sigh, leaning my head against the window. The cityscape zipped by outside, its bustling energy already feeling like a distant memory. I turned slightly, catching snippets of a hushed conversation coming from the row ahead.

“Seriously, he was so hot!” one of my classmates whispered excitedly.

Her seatmate, a guy who sounded more bored than anything, let out a massive yawn. “DM him on Instagram or something, I dunno.”

I couldn’t help but smirk at his nonchalant response, but my curiosity was piqued. Peering discreetly through the small gap between the seats, I caught sight of her phone. She was scrolling through photos from the hockey game, her finger pausing as she zoomed in on a close-up shot of Matt mid-game, his determined expression and jersey number 73 clearly visible.

“I don’t even know his name, idiot,” she muttered, sounding genuinely frustrated.

A chuckle slipped out before I could stop myself. Both of them turned to look at me, their expressions a mix of surprise and curiosity.

I met their gazes with a small smile and said “Matthew Rempe.”

The girl blinked in shock, her phone still clutched in her hand. “Wait, you know his name?”

“Yep,” I replied, leaning back in my seat and pretending to focus on the passing buildings again, my grin widening as I felt their stunned stares linger on me for a moment longer.

The city faded further behind us, but a small part of me couldn’t help feeling like it wasn’t quite done with me yet.

The bus continued its steady rumble toward the airport, the familiar hum of the wheels against the pavement a comforting background noise to the awkward silence that had settled around me. I could feel the weight of my classmates’ stares, their curiosity palpable. The girl who had been talking about Matt was still looking at me, trying to process what I’d just said.

“You know him?” she asked, her voice quieter now, more in awe than disbelief.

“Yeah,” I said casually, trying to hide the rush of emotions that were swirling inside me. “He's, uh, kind of a big deal in hockey. I mean, not just in New York, either.”

She looked down at her phone again, scanning the pictures. Her seatmate, who had barely seemed interested before, now leaned forward.

“Wait a minute,” he said, suddenly more engaged. “You’re saying you know the guy in the picture, like for real?”

I raise an eyebrow “What? No, I’m friends with a bunch of the hockey guys. I just know when players are famous. This guy’s like a huge fighter, gets kicked out of games all the time. I just happen to recognise him from the news.”

“What news?” the girl asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

“He’s just one of those guys that pops up in highlights a lot, you know? The big hits, the fights—stuff like that gets shared everywhere.” I shrugged, keeping my tone casual.

“Wait,” the guy next to her said, leaning in slightly. “You follow hockey? Like, actually follow it?”

I hesitated, suddenly aware that I’d said too much. “Not really,” I lied, hoping to downplay it. “I’ve just… been around it enough to pick up some things.”

“Been around it how?” the girl asked, still skeptical but clearly intrigued.

“Uh, my cousin’s super into it,” I said quickly, grasping for an explanation that wouldn’t sound suspicious. “He drags me to games and talks about it nonstop, so I end up knowing more than I care to admit.”

The girl nodded slowly, seeming to buy the story. “Huh. That makes sense, I guess. Still, it’s kind of impressive that you recognized him so fast.”

“Yeah,” the guy added, giving me a curious look. “Most people wouldn’t even know who he is, let alone the fact that he’s a fighter.”

I shrugged again, trying to brush it off. “Like I said, highlights. Plus, the hockey world isn’t that big. You hear names and start connecting the dots.”

The two of them exchanged a glance but didn’t push the conversation any further. I could feel the tension in my shoulders ease as their curiosity shifted elsewhere.

Filled with the usual chatter about flights, plans for when we got home, and last-minute souvenirs people wished they’d bought. I stayed mostly quiet, I pulled out my phone, unable to resist texting Matt about the interaction.

ME: So, a girl on this bus thinks you're hot.

His reply came almost immediately.

MATT: Is it you? 😉

I rolled my eyes, biting back a laugh as I typed a response.

ME: No, not me.

A pause, then his next text popped up.

MATT: Oh 😑

I couldn’t help it—I burst out laughing, earning a few curious looks from my classmates. Covering my mouth, I quickly typed another message.

ME: Don’t look so disappointed. You’ve got plenty of admirers, apparently. MATT: Yeah, but only one that matters.

I stared at the screen, my smile softening. Despite everything, Matt had a way of making me feel like the center of his world, even from miles away.

ME: Smooth, Rempe. MATT: Just honest.

I shook my head, the thought of him sitting wherever he was, probably grinning at his phone too, was enough to make my heart feel lighter.

MATT: I don’t know what’s weirder, you not calling me Manhattan… or the fact that I’m still calling you San Diego.

I snorted, earning a glance from my friend across the aisle, which I quickly waved off.

ME: Well, you are Matt now. Guess I need to adjust. MATT: Adjust? You’re acting like this is a big change. ME: It kind of is! You went from a mystery nickname to being an actual recognisable person. That’s a lot. MATT: Fair. But for the record, you’ll always be San Diego to me. It suits you.

I rolled my eyes, feeling the familiar warmth creep into my chest that his texts always seemed to bring.

ME: What does that even mean? MATT: It means you’re sunny, laid-back, and somehow manage to leave me speechless half the time.

My cheeks burned, and I shook my head at his unabashed flirting.

ME: You’re impossible. MATT: And yet, you’re still texting me. ME: …Point taken. ME: I guess Manhattan suits you too then. Big, flashy, kind of impossible to ignore. MATT: So... do I get to know your real identity yet, Batman?

───── ❝ ❞ ─────

to be continued... hehehe

75 notes · View notes

stone-stars · 9 months ago

Text

in which murph has a very normal time at the hands of his players

Transcript:

Murph: Wel-come back to Bahumia everybody! [Jake, Emily, and Caldwell echo him with "Bahumia!". Caldwell sounds incredibly enthusiastic.] Murph: He's so excited! Caldwell Tanner, thanks for being here. Caldwell: Ye-ah! Murph: It's not your turn yet, dude! Caldwell: I'm so sorry sir! Murph: Okay? I'm your Dungeon Master Brian Murphy, joined by Jake Hurwitz-- Caldwell: Bahumia! Jake: [laughs] Hey! Dude! Murph: Caldwell! Caldwell: Sorry! Emily: [laughs] Bahumia! Bahumia! Jake: I'm trying to rhyme, man! Murph: Quit stepping on him with your enthusiasm! Caldwell: I'm just so ready to go! Emily: Bahumia! Jake: I worked really hard on this. I di-- [sighs] well forget it. Fuckin' forget it. Murph: No you gotta! Emily: Bahumia! [Overlapping crosstalk as Caldwell and Murph encourage Jake.] Caldwell: You've got this. Murph: You got this. Jake, go ahead, don't let these two enthusiasms get in your way, alright? Jake: Yeah. Alright, no, yeah. I got this. I got this. Yeah. Caldwell: Whoo! He's got this! Jake: Fighting alongside-- Caldwell: You've got this man! Do it! Murph: Stop! You have to stop! Jake: I know I got it! I'm doin' it! (Calder voice) Fighting alongside a frog and a bard with my brand new sword, Shard. [Emily and Caldwell laugh.] Murph: Yeah! Pretty good. I do feel like we built it up though, at a certain point. And there was just-- there was no way you could fully deliver. Jake: Yeah. It would've been perfect if I got it out clean right up top as soon as you introed. Murph: Yeah, if we did a super low energy intro. [Jake: M-hm. Yeah.] Caldwell: I think it was great man, I think it was amazing, I can't wait to hear it again! Murph: Who is this person. And then of course we've got Emily Axford-- Emily: Bahumia! [Everyone laughs. The others continue laughing harder as Murph talks.] Murph: Ohh. Okay?? That's the name of the world. Her character's name is Calliope Petrichor. If for some reason episode 57 of campaign 3 is the first thing you've listened to. That's Emily Axford. (laughing) She plays Calliope Petrichor. She did say before we started, I think almost as a counter-bit to Emily's bit, before we started (laughing) Emily said "I'm not gonna do a rhyme I don't feel like it." And I said "wild energy to bring into the episode!" so Caldwell went the opposite and went overenthusiastic. They're just fucking with me! Everything we do is just an inside joke to make me upset. Caldwell: And now you're caught up! Murph: Yeah, and now we're caught up. Caldwell: Bahumia! Murph: And-- [laughs] and Bahumia. And-- Uh, and then of course we've got Caldwell Tanner-- Jake: (yelling) Bahumia! Emily: Yeah!!! Jake's in on it!! Caldwell: See, it feels good! It feels good. Murph: Okay. Caldwell Tanner, of course, plays Sol-- Caldwell: Ohhh, Sol Bufo [Murph: Okay.] I'm feeling fine, just found out I'm two of a kind, [Emily: ooh!] and now I'm gonna go and find out if Swag's still alive. I'm really trying to thrive here. Bahumia. [The others laugh. As they talk, Caldwell laughs too.] Murph: You lost me. But you had me for a moment. And that's more that can be said for the other guys. Jake: Wow. Emily: Bahumia. Murph: [laughs] Bahumia. Jake: Bahumia, guys. Murph: Sure. Hey guys, Bahumia. We did it. We did it everyone. Alright? Everyone settle. Settle? Okay?

[The others sigh as if relaxing, and chorus "yeah."] Murph: Ready? Alright. Let's do-- let's do-- Caldwell: Eldermourne. Murph: Not the right campaign. Not the correct campaign. Caldwell: Shit, sorry. Murph: Let's go ahead and do a little-- [laughs as Emily interrupts him] recap-- Emily: That's Calliope's middle name. [Everyone laughing.] Murph: (through laughter) Shut. The fuck up. Everyone. Alright. [Pause as everyone continues to laugh.] Jake: S-- sorry. Murph: So last time, you left Calder's home to pursue Gowan to the Ice Knife, but received a call from Albin along the way-- [laughs] Shut up, dude. Jake: Bahumia. Bahumia. [Everyone laughs.] Murph: This is precious information! Jake: Bahumia! Emily: Bahumia! Bahumia. Caldwell: (exaggerated) Bahumia! Murph: Yeah, okay. You guys are like pokemon now? [The others laugh.] Okay. Alright. Worst bit ever. Okay. [Jake: Bahumia] You recieved a message from Albin--

Murph: -- You were greeted by a ghostly message in the ice that said Friends… Murph and Emily: Betray! Emily: I remember! Murph: You remember. Good job, Em. Jake: Holy shit. She's back. Murph: You get a sticker. Emily: I wrote it in my notebook. Murph: Very good! [Emily: Yeah, yeah, yeah.] That almost makes up to your behavior for the first three minutes of the show [The others laugh.]

Murph: And that's where we are now. Caldwell: Alright! All my real betrayal heads get ready! Emily: Yeah! Caldwell: This is where it starts! Murph: [laughs] Shut up. All of you. [Everyone laughs.] Caldwell: (through laughter) I can't. I have to talk for another hour at least. I'm so sorry. Murph: It's all good. Alright. So--

Murph: Sweet, well we'll talk more about this over on our Patreon. That's patreon.com/naddpod that's N-A-D-D-P-O-D-don't sing yet-- [Emily and Jake start to sing "We"] Caldwell: Bahumia! Murph: Yeah, remember that. [laughs] D-- Do you guys remember that? Uh-- Emily: Bahumia! Caldwell: What are you talking about, man? Murph: Bahumia! Does anyone else have anything they'd like to plug? Emily: Bahumia! Murph: Bahumia, yeah. Jake: Oh, yeah, I would love to plug Bahumia. Murph: Yeah. Check it out. Campaign 1, campaign 3. Caldwell: The world. Emily: Oh! [Murph: uh-huh] Uh, actually can I plug Bahumia? Murph: Great. Really good job, guys. Awesome. Caldwell: It's an incredible world. Incredible place. [Murph: yep!] Check out all of the incredible environs there. Murph: Yeah. Check it out. Uh- You can follow us on, uh-- Emily: Bahumia. Murph: You can follow us on social media that we may or may not use. @ chmurph's me, @ caldy's Caldwell, @ eaxford's Emily-- [Emily: @ bahumia] -- @ jakehurwitz is Jake-- Jake: I'm actually-- I'm actually @ bahumia. Murph: Follow our campaigns on Bahumia-- Emily: I'm also @ bahumia. Murph: I don't think you are. And you can tweet about the show using #naddpod that's N-A-D-D-P-O-D. [They sing "We are, We are" as the audio fades out, but Caldwell and Jake replace the words with "Bahumia"]

#naddpod #ba2mia #not actually tagging this as bahumia because. well. it's ba2mia #tumblr HATED the format of this one. just. absolutely would not let me do it #i got there tho. i persevered. for bahumia.#real insane energy from them this ep #naddclips #brian murphy #emily axford #caldwell tanner #jake hurwitz #c3e57

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leohnoz · 11 months ago

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Leaders 2 + Edits

MORE leaders (or adjacent) from clangen blogs i follow! First post here

TW for flashing/flickering in the video, blood, and eyestrain for close-ups. Those close-ups, credit @'s, timestamps and extras below.

0:00 - Splinterstar, 0:38 - Amberstar/feather, 2:57 - Honeystar

@songclangen

1:02 - Cinnamonstar

@silkclan

1:37 - Ashpaw/sight

@ashpaw-is-alone

2:01 - Rapidstar

@horizonclansfate

2:30 - Dancingstar, 2:39 - Partridgestar

@silverclangen

3:25 - Poppypaw

@lostclanwc

3:41 - Kestrelstar

@echoes-in-echoclan

4:08 - Froststar, 4:35 - Branchstar II, 5:14 - Brindlestar

@through-frost-and-flames

5:38 - Fallenstar

@poppyclangen

6:16 - Pearlstar

@aphidclan-clangen

7:05 - Shadestar

@tidalclan

7:29 - Flyquiver/star

@clanoflotus-clangen

7:54 - Pythonback

@rise-of-littleclan

8:16 - Brownleaf

@the-path-of-dreamers

9:02 - Leapstar

@nectarclan

9:48 - Messing with backgrounds

Notes:

-forgot to save the image without my watermark on all the cats... so had to go back and redo it all

-redrew Twistedeyes because of the 3d effect on her, and redo Fogstars/Foamstars fade effects

-generally fixing little mistakes from the first batch

-had to go back thru Songclangen because HONEYSTAR

-lots of forgetting to resize these cats

-forgot to record for a few

-went back and fixed Leapstars face, didn't like it

-messed around with placements a lot

Edits:

@fallenclan, @whispering-clan, @juniper-clan, @we-are-dogclan, @bitterclan

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undertale-npcs · 4 months ago

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Undertale NPCs tournament Round 2 summary

Round 2 finished up a while ago! Let's catch up on what happened...

The new characters, understandably, were generally more popular than the round 1 NPCs. There are also maybe 1 or 2 outliers who need to be wrangled in, lest they dominate forever. The man says two words the whole game... Let's check out some points of interest:

The most popular character of Round 2 was:

Onionsan!

Onionsan (60.9%) won against Inn Kid (39.1%) with 1556 votes. I have to assume it's because they are an unavoidable encounter. Everyone has interacted with them so many people know them. Maybe. I genuinely don't get it. This was also the { Most Popular Match }, with 2555 total votes!

The least popular character of Round 2 was:

Clam Guy!

Clam Guy (4.2%) lost to River Person (95.8%) with only 51 votes! I think he had the opposite problem as Onionsan, you have to backtrack to a room you have no reason to backtrack through to see him. Also he only talks about water. Not very interesting! This was also the { Most Agreed Upon Match } ! Probably because he was paired with River Person.

The least popular match of Round 1 was:

Fourth Froggit (66.5%) vs Scarf Lady (33.5%)

This match ended up having 653 votes, and was match 26/32. The amount of votes this had is way larger than the first round! I'm glad :) Both of these characters are kinda nothing but I was surprised there wasn't a bigger following for the wall Froggits.

Thank you for your participation!

I should have a summary of Losers Round 1 up soon. Tomorrow perhaps? And Losers Round 2 will be starting later after that!

And, for the nerds, under the cut are the stats for each poll of round 2:

Match 1 | 1005 votes Red Thundersnail 15.9% vs Nice Cream Guy 84.1%

Match 2 | 923 votes Library Loox 24.6% vs Wrap Mouse 75.4%

Match 3 | 1003 votes Business Snail 38.3% vs Politics Bear 61.7%

Match 4 | 1094 votes Cinnamon 34.2% vs Goner Kid 65.8&

Match 5 | 1337 votes Distant Guy 28.8% vs Dress Lion 71.2%

Match 6 | 1158 votes Inn Rabbit 56.1% vs Nacarat Jester 43.9%

Match 7 | 1008 votes Snowdrake's Dad 33.7% vs Ragel 66.3%

Match 8 | 959 votes Wall Eyes 59.9% vs Oni 40.1%

Match 9 | 2151 votes Ruins Mouse 44.9% vs Heat Flamesman 55.1%

Match 10 | 1097 votes Library Lizard 46.6% vs Donut Guy 53.4%

Match 11 | 952 votes Fox Head 27.3% vs Loren 72.7%

Match 12 | 946 votes Hotland Mouse 43% vs Rabbit Girl 57%

Match 13 | 1063 votes Echo Flower Explainer 16.1% vs Grillby 83.9%

Match 14 | 954 votes Gift Bear 70.3% vs Hotdog Harpy 29.7%

Match 15 | 1174 votes Box Lover 25.7% vs Ice Wolf 74.3%

Match 16 | 934 votes Resort Janitor 79.1% vs Wisp-like Business Dude 20.9%

Match 17 | 1316 votes Ferry 18.8% vs Bird That Carries You Over A Disproportionately Small Gap 81.2%

Match 18 | 771 votes Homeless Snail 34.9% vs Wrong Number Song Guy 65.1%

Match 19 | 903 votes Skateboard Girl 51.9% vs Drunk Bun 48.1%

Match 20 | 821 votes Big Mouth 28.6% vs Fuku Fuku Fire 71.4%

Match 21 | 2555 votes Inn Kid 39.1% vs Onionsan 60.9%

Match 22 | 930 votes Father Slime 68.1% vs Kid Slime (unhatted) 31.9%

Match 23 | 951 votes Waterfall Mouse 23.8% vs Snowman 76.2%

Match 24 | 1015 votes Watching Man 88.8% vs Hand Receptionist 11.2%

Match 25 | 1509 votes Thundersnail 54.7% vs Clam Girl 45.3%

Match 26 | 653 votes Fourth Froggit 66.5% vs Scarf Lady 33.5%

Match 27 | 887 votes Snowdin Mouse 60.9% vs Ficus Licker 39.1%

Match 28 | 658 votes Hotland Bakesale Spiders 66.3% vs Rabbit Kid 33.7%

Match 29 | 1220 votes Clam Guy 4.2% vs River Person 95.8%

Match 30 | 863 votes Ruins Bakesale Spiders 62.6% vs Snoring Guys 37.4%

Match 31 | 978 votes Red Bird 52.1% vs Business Manticore 47.9%

Match 32 | 1065 votes FOLLOWER 3 40% vs Rock 60%

#summary #undertale #poll #tournament #utdr #bracket #tumblr poll

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defjux · 13 days ago

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64 of my favorite Hip Hop releases of 2024 Anything outside of the top 20-30 the order doesn't really matter much, but I think all of these releases are dope and worth your time. I'll post another list soon with the rest of my favorite albums from this year in other genres, but the hip hop list is tradition for me at this point. Hopefully there's something new here for you to enjoy. I'm sure there's a few releases that went under the radar for me, so if anyone has suggestions i'm all ears. As always, the album titles below will have the bandcamp link/spotify url as a hyperlink if either are available. Oh yeah, feel free to let me know what your favorite albums of the year were, i'd like to know - any genre, it doesn't have to just be hip hop. Peace. Chart with Album Titles included

1. ELUCID - REVELATOR 2. Ka - The Thief Next To Jesus 3. AKAI SOLO - DREAMDROPDRAGON 4. Mach-Hammy - #RICHAXXHAITIAN 5. Cavalier - Different Type Time 6. The Fortunate Ones (Anwar HighSigh & Dr. Quandary) - RESIN 7. Armand Hammer - BLK LBL 8. Kenny Segal & K-The-I??? - Genuine Dexterity 9. ShrapKnel - Nobody Planning To Leave 10. Sunmundi & klwn cat - Lived and Born 11. Nakama - EMBERGO_ 12. Lee Scott - To Tame A Dead Horse 13. Dead Players - Faster Than the Speed of Death 14. Oliver The 2nd & Heather Grey - Desert Camo 15. Navy Blue - Memoirs in Armour 16. Nuse Tyrant - Juxtaposed Echoes 17. Phiik & Lungs - Carrot Season 18. Nickelus F - MMCHT 19. DJ Muggs & Raz Fresco - The Eternal Now 20. Joshua Virtue - Black Box: JOSHUA IS DEAD

21. Duncecap & Steel Tipped Dove - The Need To Know 22. Jak Tripper - The Wild Dark 23. Mary Sue - Voice Memos From A Winter In China 24. Midnight Sons - Money Has No Owners 25. Revival Season - Golden Age Of Self Snitching 26. JPEGMAFIA - I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU 27. Boldy James & Conductor Williams - Across The Tracks 28. Sasco - The Hottest Year on Record 29. yungmorpheus - WAKING UP AND CHOOSING VIOLENCE 30. Hester Valentine - Valenta 31. Deca & Deal. - Bough 32. Serengeti - KDIV 33. Mavi - Shadowbox 34. cunabear - What Dollar$ Can't Buy You 35. Rap Man Gavin & postureless - Memories, Dreams, Reflections 36. Sadistik & Maulskull - Oblivion Theater 37. Oddisee - And Yet Still 38. Roc Marciano - MARCIOLOGY 39. Noveliss & Hir-O - Cyberpunk Rhapsody 40. Tyler, the Creator - Chromakopia 41. Rich Jones & SINAI. - Sour Dub 42. Freddie Gibbs - You Only Die 1nce 43. Vince Staples - Dark Times 44. Javi Darko - DEATH OF AN IMMORTAL 45. bromethugzine - THUG ZINE issue 002: WORLD-SPIRIT 46. Teller Bank$ & Ed Glorious - The Pride & Glory 47. Nxworries - WHY LAWD? 48. Cavalier & Quelle Chris - Death Tape 2 49. R.A.P. Ferreira - The First Fist to Make Contact When We Dap 50. Lupe Fiasco - Samurai 51. Lt Headtrip X Bloodmoney Perez - EMBLEMS 52. Chuck Strangers - A Forsaken Lover's Plea 53. Daniel Son & Futurewave - BUSHMAN BODEGA 54. MIKE & Tony Seltzer - Pinball 55. Kendrick Lamar - GNX 56. Estee Nack - SYSTEMATICALLY WE WERE NEVER FREE 57. Ja'king the Divine - Children of the Scorned 58. Big Flowers x Messiah Musik - Save The Bees 59. Shape - Midnight Geometry 60. Sleep Sinatra & bloomcycle - Memory(ummm…) 61. Skyzoo - Keep Me Company 62. Common & Pete Rock - The Auditorium, Vol. 1 63. NAHreally & The Expert - BLIP 64. IMP - Idle Hands

#album of the year #2024 hip hop releases #music recommendations #ELUCID #brownsvilleka #AKAI SOLO #mach-hommy #cavalier #armand hammer #nakama #sunmundi #lee scott #shrapknel #navy blue

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sugolara · 2 years ago

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𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐓𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝

Feat. Katsuki Bakugo, Shoto Todoroki, Izuku Midoriya x fem! reader

An ongoing series.

Synopsis: After a deadly virus leaks all over the world, every country is forced to close down its borders and airports to prevent anyone from coming in and out. Though, it's too late for some people. The dead have risen and are looking for revenge.

Cw: gore, quirkless! au, apocalypse! au, zombie! au, weapons, death, heavy angst, lots and lots of blood, cannibalism, suicidal thoughts, updates thursday/sunday, slow burn, wd: 1k - 5k, its a quirkless! au, so u.a is a private high school with general education along with classes that have hands-on experience; like a trade school.

✓ HEAVILY EDITED: s1 - s5 has been heavily edited as of 7/15/24 - 9/16/24, s6 - s9 has finally been edited as of 9/16/24 - 11/22/23, so a few things may not make sense if you are re-reading or the comments do not make sense.

Inspired by, ''The Walking Dead''

Table of contents:

Season 1: The beginning of us. Episode 1: Begin Episode 2: Not alone Episode 3: Gone but not forgotten Episode 4: You belong in this world Episode 5: Because all life is precious Episode 6: Musutafu, we'll meet again Episode 7: Izuku: I'd always thought there be more time

Season 2: The setting I lived for. Episode 8: During these two weeks Episode 9: Diopside, like your eyes Episode 10: For the first time in a long time Episode 11: Determined to survive, stay alive Episode 12: Imperturbable Episode 13: Almost complete Episode 14: Katsuki: You are going to beat this world

Season 3: The completion of us. Episode 15: Away with you Episode 16: Three months ago Episode 17: Disappear Episode 18: Thin ice Episode 19: Nothing else to lose Episode 20: My savior Episode 21: Shoto: Everything you would be will be gone

Season 4: The torture realization. Episode 22: Trouble Episode 23: For however long that'll be Episode 24: The fallen city Episode 25: Stay who you are Episode 26: Here with you Episode 27: All together Episode 28: F/n: A soul yet to be mourn

Season 5: The dawn to you. Episode 29: Back on road Episode 30: Lost Episode 31: Safe in your arms Episode 32: And so it begins Episode 33: At stake Episode 34: To be forgiven Episode 35: Familiar face

Season 6: The journey to you. Episode 36: Solace Episode 37: A stab through my ticker Episode 38: Never to easy Episode 39: To good for death Episode 40: Dreams of my hateful memories Episode 41: A stroke of luck Episode 42: Be aware Episode 43: Bait Episode 44: A thump in my heart Episode 45: Belong to me Episode 46: One step closer (Towards you)

Season 7: The ache in my heart. Episode 47: Sorston Episode 48: Bitter tenderness Episode 49: Here to stay Episode 50: The start Episode 51: Powder Episode 52: Good morning and goodbye Episode 53: For they may be my last Episode 54: An end to sorrow, grief & regret Episode 55: Even when I'm sleeping Episode 56: Reporting to duty Episode 57: I dream of you like I'm afraid tomorrow will be the last I see you

Season 8: The beauty of choice. Episode 58: Not who you were Episode 59: Just you, me and the others Episode 60: The Plaza Episode 61: The other side Episode 62: To be ready Episode 63: You're here Episode 64: My dear Episode 65: Secrets you'll soon share Episode 66: Discard me Episode 67: To wish you well Episode 68: For as long as we live Episode 69: Like a flower I bloom and then later fade away

Season 9: The missing. Episode 70: I'll see you in a while Episode 71: So wait for me Episode 72: Hushed secrets Episode 73: I wanna get it through to you Episode 74: It won't be long Episode 75: My heart echoes Episode 76: Amend Episode 77: Consumed in dark Episode 78: When you wake up, you'll remember this, I promise you Episode 79: Just a little longer Episode 80: Last man standing

Season 10: The end of us. Episode 81: The day came in which you left me Episode 82: And all I have is nothing but memories of you Episode 83: While I pass these lonely hours listen to my lullaby Episode 84: Flurry night

To be continued...

Playlist!

Space junk - Wang Chung Wolf - First Aid Kit Into The Black - Chromatics My Life In Rewind Run Boy Run - Woodkid Bad Before Good - Day One You're so Cool - Jonathon Bree So Bored - Gorgeous Bully Operations - Duster Civilian - Wye Oak Can't Stop - Red Hot Chili Peppers Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns N' Roses Skyfall - Adele Up the wolves - The Mountains Goats Be Gone Dull Cage - Kiev Into Dust - Mazzy Star Tomorrow Is a Long Time - Bob Dylan Poison Tree - Grouper Rhymes Of An Hour - Mazzy Star You Are The Wilderness - Voxhaul Broadcast Running - Delta Spirit People, Turn Around - Delta Spirit The Lion's Roar - First Aid Kit Pain - Boy Harsher Setup - Favored Nations This Old Death - Ben Nichols Revolution - Red Shahan Mr. Splitfoot - Paris Motel The Man Who Sold The World - Nirvana Beautiful Mess - Balian The Day The World Went Away - Nine Inch Nails Empty Words - Bowery Electric No Longer Making Time - Slowdive Hush - Trills Struggling Man - Emily Kinney The Last Pale Light In the West - Ben Nichols Blackbird Song - Lee Dewyze Step Away From the Cliff - Blue-Eyed Son Take Care (To Comb Your Hair) - Ty Segall Paradise - Silverberg No Peace At All - Aldous Harding Glad I Had a Friend - Galt MacDermot Machine Gun - Portishead Shadows of Planes - Duster Save Us from Ourselves - Digital Daggers Salt in the Wound - Delta Spirit I'm No Heroine - Emily Wells It's All Right - Sam Cooke To Build A Home - The Cinematic 6 Underground - Sneaker Pimps Edge Of The World- Dayshell Bye Bye Bye - School of Seven Bells You Are Not Alone - Mavis Staples Welcome - Harmonia & Eno '76 Hope We Can Again - Nine Inch Nails outside - Oneheart sleepless - Odyzon Arsonist's Lullabye - Hozier It's All Over - Johnny Cash The Stars Just Blink for Us - Say Hi Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division Knockin' On Heaven's Door - Guns N' Roses Runnin' Down A Dream - Tom Petty Fly Like An Eagle - Steve Miller Band Alesund - Sun Kil Moon Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd Wicked Game - Chris Isaak 1908 - Repulsive Rule of Rose OST - Playing Airship I Shall Cross This River - The Black Atlantic Easy Way Out - Low Roar Don Abandons Alice - John Murphy Wherever You Are - Ulrich Schnauss Waitin' Around to Die - Townes Van Zandt Hope Prevails - Jesper Kyd Take Me Home - Lazyroom A Song For You - Leon Russell

taglist: @mikeyswifie @k0z3me @sky-angel101 @stevenknightmarc @nahwajinswhore @mn-0p @a-helen113 @azrral @mary-jinx @chixkadee @flowers-4-you @im-the-groot @v3n7s @karishaetheblog

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wub-fur-radio · 9 months ago

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420,000,000 Reefer Fans Can’t Be Wrong Punk Gunk, Garage, Psych & Other Wild Shit — Volume 420

Our annual 4/20 holiday mix — 19 "New Rockophonic" HIGH Fidelity Recordings for your holiday (or any day) listening pleasure. Featuring musical joints from Th' Losin Streaks, Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds, The Cavemen, Astral Magic, Sonnyskyes, Drunk Mums, Mean Jeans, Bass Drum of Death, and 11 more bands who can’t be wrong.

Apologies to The King (still America’s favorite pillhead/narc/rock icon). Legalize Marijuana Everywhere Now! End the War on Drugs!

▶︎🎶 Listen on Mixcloud

Running Time: 59 minutes, 53 seconds

Tracklist

I Mean You (2:50) — Th’ Losin Streaks | Sacramento, CA

This Generation (2:55) — Opinion | Occitanie, France

Flowers On My Grave (2:57) — The Cavemen | Auckland, New Zealand †

The Boy Had It All (3:22) — Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds | Tucson, AZ

Echoes All Around (3:36) — Sun Dial | England, UK †

Let's Take a Ride (4:02) — Astral Magic | Finland †

Clean My Head (3:43) — The Brooms! | Portugal

I'm Flying Too (2:57) — Sonnyskyes | Long Beach, CA

L.S.D. (2:30) — Acid Tongue | Seattle, WA

Something You'll Never Find (3:18) — The Cripplers + Alicja Trout | Memphis, TN

He Lost His Mind (2:47) — The Revox | Switzerland †

Last Day on Earth (2:34) — The Satelliters | Germany

Saturday (1:48) — Drunk Mums | Melbourne, Australia

I Don't Give a Shit Anymore (2:24) — Mean Jeans | Portland, OR †

Mindwater (3:45) — Still Animals | St. Louis, MO

And Here We Are (4:34) — Misty Lanes | Sydney, Australia

Revelations (3:43) — Levitation Room | Los Angeles, CA

White Vine (3:12) — Bass Drum of Death | Mississippi †

This Might Be The End (2:57) — The Decibels | Sacramento, CA †

All tracks released in 2024, except those marked † released 2023.

#psychedelic rock #garage rock #punk rock #indie rock #neo psychedelia #music mixes

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socially-awkward-skeleton · 4 days ago

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Chapter 8 - Blow the House Down

[Also Available on AO3]

Shadow Dance Masterlist

Summary: The remaining members of the 141 stage a prison break to free Soap, Ghost, and Los Vaqueros from being "detained" by Graves and Shadow Co.

Warnings/Tags: Minors DNI, swearing, character with trauma, established relationship, military inaccuracies, canon-typical violence, includes some in-game dialogue

Pairing: Captain John Price x Fem!OC - 3rd person POV (Rory Sinclair)

Word count: 4.1 K

A/N: the further continuation of Rory's story, this follows and expands upon the COD: MW2 reboot canon. Told from Rory's POV

November 3, 2022 04:57 - Las Almas, Mexico

The hazy gray of dawn slowly began to lighten the sky, yet the golden gleam of the sun remained absent. Cloud cover built overnight acting as the fuel to be burned away in the tinder box of morning radiance.

From the depths of the receding darkness of the night, the purring engines of two white vans raced down a dirt road, flood lights shining a path towards the exfil point, scorching a hole through the bleak black around them. Skidding to a halt just outside the prison walls, the desert’s powdery sand scattered up behind them and drifted down past the headlights, caught in the rays of the high beams as they parked beside an abandoned vehicle. A chorus of gunfire in the distance greeted them as bullets sliced indiscriminately through the air. Thunder claps of ammunition exiting the chamber rolled over the vast landscape of rocks, cacti, and wild grass, echoing out and silencing the cries of coyotes and the calls of owls.

Three figures in shadow exited the vehicles, heading towards the prison walls. Their heads on a swivel, eyes peeled for possible enemy activity as they scurried towards their point of access. It seemed as though Shadow Co. was being kept busy, and considering the other vehicle left to the side, someone else must have taken it upon themselves to stage a coup against Graves, an attempt at cutting the head off the snake, one that acted as the perfect distraction for the other members of the 141.

Price’s strides were long and purposeful as he led the way into danger, relaying the rules of engagement to the two soldiers in his wake before they started for the top of the wall. “Expect heavy enemy fire. Take only the shots you need,” he said with a quick glance over his shoulder at Rory, his eyes sharp. “We’re here to get our people out, not clear the zone – this is an extraction, not an offensive.”

With ropes and ascenders in tow, they made their way up to the top of the wall of the fortress of a prison. Watchtowers stood guard to their left and right, overlooking the prison yard of weathered cement and weeds prying their way through the cracks, sprouting into overgrown shrubs. Below, the distant flashes of muzzle flares glimmered across the ground like fireflies dancing at dusk, burning motes of light traveling in the gloom of the coming morning.

Bonfire Night had come early, and they had arrived just in time to enter the fray.

Taking position behind the barrier of concrete, Rory lowered to a kneeling position, placing her rifle on the cover wall. Searching through her scope, she caught sight of the white bone of Ghost’s mask as he, Soap, and the members of Los Vaqueros fought their way through the Shadow Company resistance against them. “We’ve got friendlies coming from our one o’clock,” she called out.

“I see ‘em,” Gaz confirmed while scanning the battle zone below. “They’ve got company.”

Enemy combatants waited for them, scattered throughout the field that the escapees would be forced to cut through. Enough bodies to make it a problem.

Taking a steadying breath, Rory tapped her practiced finger against the trigger and the bullet collided with the back of a Shadow’s thigh while hiding behind cover. A pained groan carried across the expanse of open asphalt, his reaction leaving him open to another rear assault. Without wasting a moment as he dropped, unphased by the quiet tinkling of her bullet casing dancing across the ground, she lined up the angle and with a precision hit, cleared the x-ray from the route.

“Keep that up, Ror,” Price barked approvingly. “I want that route kept clear.”

With a nod, she returned to the comfort of her scope. But that old, reliable feeling of the weight of a weapon in her hands didn’t last long as the low hum of rotors coming to life alerted the group to the appearance of a helicopter heralded by their arrival.

Soaring overhead – all black, predatory – hunting them down, it swooped in low. The searchlight washed them in bright, white light, stinging their eyes while hair and clothing whipped violently against them under the current blasted from rapidly spinning blades.

“Focus on that field, Lieutenant,” Price commanded in a hoarse bark, raising his voice above the sound of the aircraft to be heard. The brim of his boonie hat fluttered and flapped as he readied his weapon, tucking it tight against him and taking aim. “Gaz and I’ve got the bird.”

There were times when she could tune out the whole world while staring down her rifle, a reprieve from the continuous noise of her head that she had learned to get along with. Finding the calming point of peace as everything else blurred into white noise. This, however, was not one of those times. The controlled chaos that ensued only increased their chances of success, Shadow Co. were caught with their pants down and they were all too happy to take advantage of that.

Streaks of fire shot out towards the enemy helicopter from the field opposite them, burning comets in the sky of hot lead ricocheting off the fuselage, sparking against the metal and pinpointing the exact location of their allied forces. Joining forces with the concentrated bullet spray of Gaz and Price’s weapons – the combined weight of heavy fire still wasn’t enough to bring it down.

The loud pinging in Rory’s ears of bullets not quite making their mark caused her to squint, gritting her teeth while reacting to something akin to nails on a chalkboard. A high pitched screech that pinched at the very nerves in her gums, sending shivers to course up her spine and lock her ligaments. Clearing her head with a sharp intake of breath, her lungs holding just to the edge of aching, she once more fired out into the black abyss below and was met with another cry of agony.

“All stations, this is Bravo-6,” Price shouted his orders over the radio, his low growl carrying over the prison barracks walls. “Get down!”

A grenade lobbed into the hovering chopper and the resulting explosion finally caused it to lose control, the fire spreading through the cockpit and flooding the interior like a sinking ship. Crashing into a nearby wall, swallowed up in a giant cloud of smoke and flame, the stench of fuel rose up into the air along with the thick, black fumes that darkened the sky once more.

“All Bravo and Vaqueros… Top o’ the wall. Get here and I’ll get you out. How copy?”

“Loud and clear, Price. Comin’ to ya…!”

Ghost’s gravelly voice responding over the comms had her breathing a small sigh of relief. They weren’t anywhere near to being in the free and clear, but it was a small concession she would keep a tight grasp of.

The glint of a green flare sparking to life caught out of the corner of Rory’s eye as Price tossed it down to the ground below, grabbing the attention of their team. The caustic, potent stench of burnt rubber spewing forth as the gas burned off to light the way, mingling with that of the wreckage in the corner – the fiery mass of metal like a solar flare in her scope.

“Be advised, ropes deployed. Find ‘em and climb.”

“Roger, that.”

The friction squeal of Soap and Ghost’s ascenders on the ropes grew louder as the braided nylon became taut, the two men rising to the top of the wall, vulnerable while Shadow continued firing off potshots towards them.

Her rifle continued in a rapid succession of percussive bangs as bodies dropped like crumpling ragdolls around the field, sacks of meat and marrow made obsolete with a bullet. Lives taken all in service of keeping her team alive and well. It was a common thing for her not to feel much remorse while taking on the enemy, having learned to ignore that voice in her head repulsed by the thought of killing, teaching herself to see it as inconsequential. Calcification of her conscience. Her or them. But in this case, knowing these were traitors – even if simply following orders like she did – made it all the more simple to shred them with each perfectly positioned shot. As the enemy popped out of cover, it became a game of whack-a-mole, a carnival shooting gallery of targets. Easy picking. Her heart rate maintained at a steady beat as rescue efforts went on around her, letting it all fade into the background, a muted distraction. Take aim, take a deep breath, hold, and then fire.

The first heavy tactical boot made contact with the edge of the wall with the rough scuff of sole on weathered cement, and the breeze ruffled through the dark fluff of Soap’s mohawk as he reached the heights at the peak of the wall, the rough leather of his gloved hand reaching out to meet Price’s as he was pulled up. Flood lamps above cut sharp streaks of fluorescent light over the sergeant’s face, showing off the weary lines etched around his eyes. His gear stained with blood, it was clear Shadow hadn’t made things easy.

“Sergeant MacTavish,” John greeted, voice hoarse and rasping like steel wool. His hand rested on Soap’s shoulder, giving one of his trademark pats – ever the handler to his pack of unruly mutts.

“Good to see you, Captain.”

Soap’s Scottish brogue was an oddly comforting sound after everything that had come to light with Shepherd and Graves, and hearing it, even over her shoulder as Rory continued to fire, made any worries about him and Ghost being in danger instantly fade, settling whatever nerves were hidden under the mask of calm control.

She rose, rifle in hand, and rested her foot on the wall, the small chunks of chipped away cement crumbling under her foot. Glancing away from her scope for a moment, she tipped her head to the side and made visual contact with the big, blue puppy eyes of MacTavish. “Good to see you in one piece, sergeant.”

A wry grin curled the Scot’s lips, tipping his head eastward. “Ah, ‘the missus’. Thought y’ were supposed t’ be in North Africa, Lamb?”

She hummed, adjusting the rifle in her arms. “Heard your arse needed saving.” Returning to her duty, she changed the angle of her fire, focusing on shorter range, and picked off the Shadows who had closed in around the escaping soldiers. Her bullets buzzed past members of the Los Vaqueros, skillfully missing them, even in tight confines as they lined up to get to the ropes dangling over the edge of the prison wall.

Shadow forces under fire retreated to the safety of walls, towers, and roofs – Cockroaches, she thought with a sneer, the lot of them. Men and women that were hand selected by Graves himself. Knowing the sort of man he was made her question just what these soldiers were willing to do, what lines they might straddle, others they might cross, and it all made something inside her tense. It took a certain type of person to become a PMC, to pull away from the rigidity of governed rules, the type of person who wanted to make their own. Breaking free of the structure, the form…

Given pause for a moment, her stomach clenched, that quiet voice in the back of her head a timid whisper about whether she was any different at all. She had gone in with good intentions, but that had paved the way to hell. All too aware of what she was capable of, handpicked by Price, willing to forgo the usual channels to complete a mission–

The brief moment of reflection under a starry sky and with bloodshed down below was quickly swallowed back down. Sometimes it was best not to think on those sorts of things.

The next boot met their position with a heavy thud, the weight of a walking fridge behind it, as a long leg swung over the barrier. Rifle hugged tight to his chest, the same way Rory held hers, Ghost scanned their surroundings from on high, dark eyes behind the mask penetrating the gloom below, quietly observing, meeting Gaz’s greeting with a curt nod.

“Garrick. Price.” Ghost’s attention lowered on Rory’s back as she maintained cover fire. “Nice shootin’, Sinclair.”

“I do my best,” she muttered while taking out another Shadow with a clean shot to the chest. Soap looked between Price, Gaz, and Rory still laying down fire, a hint of confusion in the lines of his brow and around his eyes as he caught his breath. “How’d you know?” “Laswell,” Gaz replied. “Soon as Shepherd went dark, she called us.”

“Laswell, still solid as a rock,” Ghost said, the usual stoicism giving way to a hint of pride hidden behind the handsewn skeletal visage.

As the squad caught up, the Vaqueros began their ascension, beginning with – who Rory assumed was the leader – a grim looking man, his stubbly jaw clenched tight, eyes burning with fire. The sting of betrayal and the need for revenge after being imprisoned by a former ally cut into every sharp edge of his features.

Soap, seemingly friendly with the man, gave the introductions. “Colonel Vargas, meet Captain Price, Lieutenant Sinclair, and Sergeant Garrick.”

“Thanks for the assist –” Vargas glanced over his shoulder at the sound of yet another shot going off and the cry of pain that followed it reaching his ears, studying Rory for a moment, brow cocking as he watched her catch stray Shadows and keep his men alive. “Suppose you’ve been the one keeping my men under cover fire, huh?”

She pulled back from her scope, releasing the extractor as another casing fell to the ground and chimed softly at her feet. “Suppose so.”

A half grin curled his lips, showing off sparkling teeth. “I’m impressed,” Vargas said, nodding his head. “You’re one hell of a marksman, Señora.”

“Guess that’s why the Captain keeps me around,” she said with a smirk, flipping the wave of hair that fell in front of her eyes back, and glancing past Alejandro’s shoulder at Price, holding his stare until he dragged his tempest gaze away from her, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it smirk curling the corner of his mouth.

“Well, perhaps I could assist,” Alejandro said, immediately getting into position beside her and helping to lay cover fire down for his men against Shadow Company. “Cheers,” she said with a grin that had yet to fade from her face. “Happy for it.”

There were still at least a dozen men below that needed to climb, moving targets for the Shadow forces to take aim at, while the others remained corralled together. Fish in a barrel. Her hand tightened its grip on her weapon, holding it steady against her as she observed the muzzle flares flashing like fireworks before the sound of the gunshots met them. No longer facing singular guards and scouts, there were now roving packs to contend with. Armored vehicles. Snipers.

“Gaz, Soap, Ghost – Overwatch – Now!” Price commanded.

A storm of lightning and thunder held contained within prison barracks rained down. Pot shots taken at the wall sent dust and debris falling like hail into the faces of the men trying to climb to safety. Chaos swirled and explosions rang out as soon as Soap got his hands on a grenade launcher, nearly vibrating with excitement over the newfound artillery power.

The ground shook, rumbling up below their feet as the tectonics of the battlefield shifted, becoming aggravated, an open wound. For everything Shadow threw at them, they met it in kind, holding them off.

“Got snipers on the roof.” Price growled. “Take ‘em out, Ror.”

“My pleasure.”

Her rifle swung to the left, taking into account the new wind speed and direction as it breezed over the peaks of her cheeks and tousled the loose waves of her hair. Lining up her shot, crosshairs set, eyes narrowed, seconds felt like hours as she listened to the steady rhythm of the beat of blood in her ears – like holding a shell and hearing the ocean. Her gloved finger whispered over the metal of the trigger, and with a sharp breath sucked between gritted teeth, the air was punched from the enemy sniper’s lungs, their life taken in the blink of an eye.

The wall they had claimed steadily filled with escapees, and once the last man had reached the top, Price pulled back from his firing position. It was time to pull out. This wasn’t the war, it was just a staging area, one that let them see the enemy in action, spot their weaknesses and plan how to use it against them.

Pointing out the ropes they had entered with, Price barked out his orders, “Down the wall. We are leaving!”

Repelling down with ease, soldiers streamed over the wall to freedom on the other side. One after another, boots hit the sand, weapons kept at the ready. Until the prison was out of sight, they weren’t clear of danger.

In the distance, the sky had become a deep indigo blue with the coming morning as a sliver of orange cut across the horizon line. Fire in the sky stretching out, slowly climbing above the mountain ridge. Each fine, tensile ray like the sharp edge of a blade slicing through the darkness that blanketed the land.

Soldiers lined up, waiting at the bottom of the wall for the Captain to arrive – always the first into a foxhole and the last to leave – it was just one of the many things that he did that commanded the respect of his team. The reminder that there were still those that held some sort of honor in a world full of liars, cheaters, and traitors. People desperate for strength, power… control. Things that seemed to seep from Price’s very pores, exuding from him – a born leader. They trusted him to have their backs, to not leave them behind and he had never failed in that duty.

Uncoupling himself from the rope upon making landfall, Price’s heavy brow furrowed as he looked out towards the horizon. With a command, the group split into two, retreating into the safe confines of the vehicles there to extract them with the same rush as a holiday crowd through an airport.

Climbing into the passenger seat up front, Rory took her spot beside Gaz behind the wheel. The vehicle rumbled forward, his hands steady at ten and two, following Alejandro in the other van as they were led to safe harbor where they could amass for the next front. The mission had become more than just a search for missiles – another end of the western world threat – the lives of their own had been made into fodder so others didn’t have to face the consequences.

Glancing over at Garrick, the rising streak of sunbeam blazed like a molten core amongst umber as he watched the road ahead, the fierceness having grown behind his eyes since the first time she had met him. His stare was now as focused and piercing as the Captain’s. Coming into his own, it was a remarkable thing to witness. He was as much a soldier as the rest of them were, the war they were about to face just as personal to him.

Tight jaws, scowls, and narrowed eyes abounded in the vehicle. The electric buzz of anger rolling like a charged current around them. Would have been easier if they just came clean to start with, if they hadn’t been sent on a wild goose chase, she thought, eyes fixed on the rear lights of the vehicle in front of them. Tidying messes was something she had gotten used to in her career – the dustpan and broom of colonial powers – but it was the sheer hubris behind Shepherd’s actions that annoyed her most. A man who had grown far too used to thinking himself above it all, the untouchable, as if the law and truth held no sway over him. That he was incapable of being punished for the things he felt he had a right to do because he was under some false impression he knew what was best.

A reflexive twitch shot through her, fingers curling into a fist on the armrest of her seat. She had come face to face with men like that before, seen the monstrous things they were capable of. Men who deemed themselves worthy of the power they had amassed. Violent means were an easy tool for them to cling to, the lives of others meant little in the path of their own personal crusade. For greed, for dominance… for trying to do a little good in a world of bad. Her eyes lifted to the rear-view mirror and landed on the back of John’s head before meeting her own reflection glancing back at her.

Fuck, need a cigarette. Anything to ignore the hypocrisy that swirled in her thoughts, jaws of razor sharp teeth that lay in wait, ones she still tried to pretend weren’t there despite claiming the opposite.

“Shepherd burned us.”

Ghost’s rasping voice filled the back of the van, contempt rife in every word, drawing her back into the here and now, tearing her from the inside of her head before she was dragged down into the bog of things she buried deep.

“He sent Graves and his Shadows to kill us and round up Los Vaqueros.”

“We know why.”

“The missiles,” Rory started, filling in the void Price had left behind, looking back over her shoulder at the two hulking squad mates they had just saved. “The ones you found. They weren’t supposed to be out in the wild. It was a mistake. One Shepherd and Graves are both at fault for. You lads and Los Vaqueros just happened to be the unlucky recipients of their efforts at trying to bury it.”

“Bury it?” Soap snarled, dark brows knitting with the deep set furrow between them.

She nodded, her eyes flitting to Price, noting the rigid lines of his shoulders. He was stewing in silent rage. She could only imagine the thoughts brewing behind the eyes that gave nothing away, a placid surface hiding jagged points of ice and cruel riptides. “And you weren’t the only ones,” she added, glancing over at Soap. “You were right about how I should still have been in Africa. The mission I’d been on, the one to collect Botha, ties right back into this. Hassan had come to him first to transport the missiles to America. Had information that could have saved us a lot of trouble.” Rory turned back to face the road they drove on, her voice a low murmur of regret, “He ended up dead because of it.”

“Steamin’ Jesus. What the hell is Shepherd doin’?”

“He’s like most at the top, Johnny.” Ghost sat stiff against his seat, his mass locked down and only his head on a swivel. “Ready to drop ya at a moment’s notice t’ keep ‘imself in power.”

If Shepherd thought this was the best course of action to clean up his mistake, he had been dead wrong. He’d only gone and made things impossible for himself, gaining the ire of a whole squad of soldiers who had done all manner of questionable things in their careers in order to meet the successful end of a mission. A foolish thing, indeed. It wasn’t like they hadn’t all come with their own reputations when he had backed the creation of the taskforce. A captain who had been sent into brutal conflicts all over the planet, making the tough decisions no one else wanted to, ruthless in his endeavors, a man only an absolute numpty would want to make an enemy of. Two lieutenants who had both been through their own versions of hell, facing torture and pain, who knew what was necessary to survive at all costs. And two sergeants, while young, full of piss and vinegar, and not yet quite as cynical as their veteran leaders, were treading the same path into the bowels of the dark parts of the world few others ever saw.

Shepherd was in for one hell of a reckoning.

“That’s why we’re going to take him and Graves out of the picture,” Price husked, his head angling sharply to the side. “Get rid of a problem before it gets worse.” His glare darkened, the cold machine of a soldier ever present in those bottomless steely blue eyes. “Then we focus on Hassan.”

#call of duty #call of duty fanfic #cod fanfic #cod mw2 #cod modern warfare 2 #captain john price #john price #simon ghost riley #john soap mactavish #alejandro vargas #kyle gaz garrick #oc: rory sinclair #skelly writes #fic: shadow dance #chapter 8

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catsukiiee · 5 months ago

Text

# IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING NICE TO SAY, THEN SHUT UP!

౨ৎ prohero!katsuki bakugou x bookstore!owner fem!reader. | Chapter 4

wordcount ; 1,428

paragraphs ; 57

content warning ; using a knife defensively.

chapters 1 - 3 can be found here

Katsuki Bakugou POV.

“The crime rate around here has really taken a turn for the worse. We definitely need more heroes patrolling the area; it could help cut down on the crime.” Izuku kept mumbling to himself, while Kirishima stood right next to him, both looking pretty worried. Cops were coming and going, and the atmosphere was heavy, but all I could focus on was her.

How many days had passed since the explosion? That haunted expression in her eyes kept replaying in my head, and I wished it wouldn’t.

“Katsuki.”

The way she clung to me felt intense; I couldn’t tell if my heart was racing from the adrenaline or just because I had her so close.

“...Katsuki.”

Damn, I should’ve checked in on her after everything that happened. Maybe I could swing by her little shop and just take a quick look, nothing more than a few seconds.

“DYNAMIGHT!”

“Dammit, What?!”

Iida loomed over me, hands planted on his hips, and I could tell he was gearing up for a lecture. Before he could start, I pushed past him and headed straight for the table where Deku and Kirishima were chatting with a couple of cops.

“Nice of you to finally show up, young Bakugou,” All Might said with a warm smile before turning his attention back to Tsukauchi, who was deep in conversation.

“The guy behind that massive explosion is linked to the same gang as the one who tried to rob that bakery, and that woman… what was her name?” He glanced at a paper, then said the name that had been echoing in my mind for weeks, maybe even months.

It's a bookstore you fucking idiot..

“Her quirk was powerful enough to crush that guy’s windpipe from the inside. He’s in critical condition at the xx hospital. We’ll interrogate him about the attack once he’s stable.”

From the inside? That’s intense, but hey, that’s my girl.

…

….

…….

Wait, did I just say my girl? What the hell is wrong with me?

Closing my eyes tightly, I ran my hands down my face, feeling the weight on my shoulders suddenly increase. "I could talk to a few hero agencies close to the area about moving their patrol schedules around that area," Tsukauchi suggested.

"No need to bother with that," I said, avoiding eye contact and absentmindedly rubbing the back of my neck. "I’ve been in that area a few times myself; I’ll patrol there with a few of my sidekicks. If they see the Number #2 Hero patrolling, they’ll definitely back off, seeing a few sidekicks from smaller agencies will only make them sneaky, not scared off."

I kept talking, but all I could think about was seeing her on my patrols. "They’ll move their criminal shit elsewhere; we’ll just have heroes and their sidekicks waiting when they move."

The room fell silent, and I glared at everyone. Izuku was the first to speak, surprise evident on his freckled face. "Kacchan? You’re volunteering to patrol?"

This little shit.

"Huh? I’ve volunteered before!"

"Only because you scared some poor elderly couple and promised to patrol their area as an apology."

"Oh shut up!"

After some more planning the meeting started coming to a close, I had no other reason to stay any longer than I needed to and headed out, mumbling a goodbye to Izuku. Ignoring the weight of his stare on my back, out of everyone here he had no business silently questioning me.

As soon as I arrived home, I made a beeline for the shower. As soon as I stepped under the shower, everything felt muted. The hot water running down my body was nice, but it didn’t compare to how amazing her hands felt. I shut my eyes and pictured her again, all dirty and bloodied, yet still somehow stunning. My body tensed as I ran my hands over the spots where she used to hold me tight. “What the hell is wrong with me?”

After finally stepping out of the shower, I realized it was already close to midnight. It was too late to visit her shop, but I knew where she lived. The thought sent a shiver down my spine. "This is getting out of hand," I thought, shaking my head.

With a sigh, I decided to go see her anyway. It was Friday night, and the streets were sure to be bustling with people. I quickly changed into dark clothes and put on a mask before heading out. Maybe my stealth training would finally come in handy.

Readers POV.

You leaned against the doorway of your house, arms wrapped around your stomach. “Mom, I’m fine, just get in the car,” You shouted, brushing off the worried expression on her face as she climbed into her vehicle.

“Just call me if you need anything, alright?”

You didn’t respond, just gave a quick nod and headed back inside. The quietness of the house felt both heavy and soothing; you embraced the stillness for a moment, closing your eyes and taking a deep breath.

You truly weren’t sure how long you stood there in the hallway, eyes shut, and head tilted back, that silence was broken by a loud thud from upstairs, right where your bedroom was.

Your bedroom... where the window was left ajar because your mom insisted you needed some fresh air.

Shit.

Quickly you grabbed a knife then crept up the stairs, hoping the floorboards wouldn’t betray you with any creaks. Pausing for a moment, your ears strained to catch any sounds. Then you heard it—the one floorboard in your room that always squeaked, the one right by the door.

Gathering all your courage, you burst into your bedroom, swinging the knife at the shadowy figure in front of you. Your body was screaming in terror, but you kept attacking, slashing at the figure again and again.

“Goddammit! Calm down!!”

Your heart leaped in your chest, your feelings kicked in before your brain could process what was happening. The knife slipped from your grip just as he seized your wrist, pulling you close so you couldn’t move anymore. You stood there, blinking into the darkness until your eyes adjusted.

The first thing you noticed was the concern in his red eyes, the rest of his face hidden behind a black mask.

“Dynamight?”

“I told you to call me Bakugou.”

Right, I totally forgot about that…

We stood there in each other's arms in complete total silence, the look of concern in his eyes slowly softened into a look that made your stomach flutter. “Are you okay?” His voice came so softly, like if he spoke too loudly, you’d crumble right then and there.

You didn’t respond to his question, not out of shock or surprise. You simply couldn’t bring yourself to speak or even blink, fearing that this might all be a dream. Your silence didn’t seem to faze him either, as he slowly loosened his grip on your wrist until your arm fell limply by your side, both his arms now wrapped around you securely.

I want to kiss him. It’s such a wild thought but I want to do it.

Without thinking, you leaned in and pressed your lips against his masked covered mouth. He didn’t tense, flinch, or move away. He simply stood there for a second before squeezing you so tightly it almost hurt, the pressure of his lips pressing down on yours made your heart flutter.

“Wait.” He suddenly pulled back, lowering his mask to reveal his entire face. Your cheeks flushed at the sight. “Come here.” His voice was barely audible, but you didn’t care, his lips meeting yours again as soon as the mask was removed.

The kiss started off gentle and sweet, then escalated into a passionate, deep kiss, teeth and tongues clashing as he pushed you against the wall. Your hands tangled in his hair, messing it up, while his hands pulled you closer by your shirt, mingling heavy breaths with soft moans.

You kissed him until you needed to catch your breath, gazing into each other's eyes as your chests rose and fell with each breath.

"Are you alright?"

"Very."

He erupted into laughter at your answer, you joined in, laughing until your chest tightened and you both fell silent once more. "Can you stay?" Your voice was barely a whisper. You despised how vulnerable you sounded lately, but being in his arms erased that feeling.

"I'll be wherever you need me to be," he whispered into your hair, giving you a gentle squeeze.

oh em gee you guys finally kissed 🤭 he totally won't act like nothing happened in the next few chapters

౨ৎ TAG LIST.

@binnieonabike

#katsuki bakugo x reader #my hero academia x reader

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