#AND ANY TIME HE LIFTS HIS ARMS UP?? JAIL. PRISON.

[ughgoaway]

Ok but did you see Matty’s arms at the last couple shows agsjdshdldks -

also those beans make me wanna barf -🌻

...don't even get me STARTED. WE NEED TO CLOSE THE GYMS. GET RID OF HIS PERSONAL TRAINER. ITS GOING TOO FAR NOW GUYS.

his arms are just so big and I need to leave teeth marks in him NOWWWWWWWW!!! I also need him to put me in a chokehold pls and ty <3

(the beans make me wanna barf too bestie don't worry)

[thewritetofreespeech]

Could I request Astarion and his s/o getting into a sass competition where Astarion ends up confessing to her by accident and now he's all flustered?

Astarion x Reader

“Can’t you go any faster?”

“I’m not exactly as well versed into taking these off as I am in putting them on, darling.” Astarion quipped at you as he fiddled with the lock on your cuffs.

Being somewhat of an anti-hero liaisons these days, the group had been pinched on some trumped up but completely true & legal charges of petty theft and larceny. Your options were fight, flight, or get arrested when confronted by the guards and charges. And since you couldn’t fight a whole city’s worth of Iron Fists, and running also seemed unplausible as you’d have to come back to the city sometime, you decided to take you lumps and went to jail. Luckily, where there’s a will there’s a way. Or in this case: a vampire with a lockpick up his sleeve.

“Why did you wait to do me last anyway? Just to see me suffer?”

“Well,” Astarion cooed, “it does have a certain visual appeal.”

You clicked your teeth and rolled your eyes. “Could you just hurry up? I’m starting to lose the feeling in my hands. All the blood is rushing out of them.”

“Oh, well, we wouldn’t want that.”

“Well, if you want my blood again, you should be more sympathetic to my pain.” You told him. Sighing heavily as one arm was free and Astarion moved on to the other one.

“Don’t you threaten me. Besides, if you won’t give me what I want, I’ll just move on to some other lucky companion in our camp.”

“Ha! Like anyone else would have you.”

Astarion frowned. “I’ll have you know that there are plenty of people who would welcome my teeth at their necks. Hundreds. Thousands!”

“Yeah. One blood obsessed drow and…who was the other one you tricked again?” You pulled at the shackles, which jiggled the irons and knocked the lockpick free, but unbroken. The vampire growled at you.

“I tricked you easy enough, didn’t I?”

“Only because I took pity on you.”

“Pity?!”

“Yeah.” You told him. “That poor, sad, puppy dog ‘please feed me’ look was just something I couldn’t say no to.”

Astarion growled again. “That is not how it happened. Besides, if you didn’t like it you wouldn’t keep asking for more.”

“Oh sure. Blame the victim.”

“You are not a victim!” He snapped at you. He seemed a little wounded by that one. Maybe you went a little too far. “Gods.” He cursed under his breath with a frown. “You are lucky I love you so much, otherwise I would just leave you here, chained up, and never bite you again. No matter how much you begged me.”

The lock finally snapped open and your arm fell to the side. You lifted it to rub your wrist but were uncharacteristically silent.

“Would it have been too much to expect a thank you??”

“Did you just say you love me?”

Astarion froze for a moment. A little wide eyed at your question. He seemed to be racking his brain for a moment. Trying to remember the conversation before an ‘Oh. Shit.’ expression came over his face. “What? Oh, that. Figure of speech darling, of course.” He let out a single nervous cough after that and a rushed, “let’s go meet up with the other.” Before he turned on his heels and made a speedy exit.

You rub your wrist one more time as a soft, shy smile came to your lips behind his back. You follow after him and meet up with the others. Waiting just outside the prison for the two of you, as apparently just around the corner was enough of an escape from the mighty Iron Fist.

“Ah! I just love this fresh air.” You exclaim, followed by more comments on how dusty & dank your cell had been, but really just watching Astarion’s shoulders tense.

You spent the rest of the day subversively tormenting Astarion. Making comments on how much you loved the weather, or loved a dress in a window. How much you loved dinner that night. How much you loved getting a good night’s rest that night.

By the time everyone had gone off to their respective tents for the evening, Astarion had apparently had enough and slunk up to yours. “I know what you’re doing. Now stop it!” He hissed.

“But I thought you’d love it.”

“Stop it!” He hissed again. If he could right now, he would blush. You were tempted to let him feed on you for a moment to get the full effect. “I mean it! How would you like it if I threw every verbal misstep in your face? I don’t keep bringing up the time you said Ibis instead of Ignis, now do I??”

It was pretty funny when that bird showed up.

“So, are you upset that you said it and I’m teasing of you, or are you upset that you didn’t mean it and I keep bringing it up?” You honestly didn’t know which answer would be worse at this point. You felt bad you had wounded his pride to the point that he came to talk to you. But you also don’t think you could take it if he told you that he didn’t love you.

Astarion just stood there for a moment, thinking, before he sighed and waved you off. “Just…knock it off ok. I’ve had quite enough today. I’m going to get some sleep and I’ll see you in the morning.”

He turned to walk away and just before he fell out of ear shot you called to him. “Hey Astarion,” he looked back over his shoulder at you, “I love that you could come and talk to me about this.”

He huffed, but you could see the corners of his mouth struggling to keep down. “Oh shut up.”

[pinkdevil0725]

If y'all remember the post that has 3 aus, how familiar the danger, gay dads au (movie ver) and one of those aus were mine. So I'll give you a few details

⚠️: might have some s#xual content, rape or other

-In this au, Nimona didn't exist in the time where amb and bal were alive, because gloreth actually got rid of her for good a long time ago and the kingdom still built the wall at that time.

-At the ceremony, where queen Val will pronounced the knights as heroes of the realm (or idk) and CHAOS happened with her dead because of Ballisters sword

-Bal got his arm chopped because of ambrosius, the chandelier fell to the ground destroying the floor, and Bal fled leaving Ambrosius

-After all that, Ambrosius was in his home (an apartment or house) thinking about everything... And that Bal lied to him

-After a few weeks and months, Ambrosius got bitter and MAAYYbee a teensy or more cruel. Fans of his got afraid of him and decided to give him some space

Not so sure about this one- the director made him lead the institute and he was chosen to be ruler of the kingdom (idk about this one, I'm not sure about it)

-After 2 years, Bal was found in his hideout by Todd and other knights and they brought him to Ambrosius for him to make a decision of what they should do to Ballister

-Ambrosius took a look at bal while he was kneeling on the ground with his head down, not looking at Ambrosius. He noticed that Todd and his dummies beat him up and he is covered in bruises on his face

-Amb told them to let them go and leaned into Todds ear saying "leave him to me, we won't put him in a jail cell. I'll just make him my prisoner and give him some punishments that he deserves..."

-Todd nodded to him and told his dummies to let bal go and they left

-Ambrosius told bal to stand up but he was frozen in place, so he lifted his foot, put it on his shoulder and pushed him to the floor roughly, making him cry in pain after what Todd and the others did

-Amb asked again and this time he stands up. He ordered bal to follow him and he obeyed

-while they were walking, other people in the hallways noticed that ballister was there but stayed silent and didn't ask any questions about it

-They went to Ambrosius room and he let Bal go in first. Bal went in and shivering in fear of what Ambrosius is going to do to him next

-Then Ambrosius grabbed him by the neck and put him on the bed, still holding his neck.

-Ballister grabbed ambrosius wrists, trying to loosen them a bit to make him breathe but while doing that, Ambrosius just tighten his grip and gave bal (some sort of) punishment

-------------------

- In the morning, Ambrosius was the first one the wake up in the room. He just layed there while bal was sleeping and bare

-Ambrosius then left the room (he has clothes on before he got out) and he went to another room, filled with office materials and a board with sticky notes, pictures etc

Aaaand the rest is history, this au is still in progress with how it ends and what happens next. And with how I came up with this au is idfk why, it just came out in my head after a while of watching the movie. Anyway heres a digital art i did:

"Prisoner au"

[luna-rainbow]

I recently saw what might be the single worst Bucky take I have ever seen in the comments of a Youtube video. Brace yourself.

This person was saying that mind control is like the "Nuremberg defense" - namely that a soldier was "just following orders" and should not be used for Bucky because all soldiers are obligated to refuse to follow immmoral orders and they should be held responsible for the consequences of not doing so.

Also. Mind control is a "get out of jail free" card for moral reponsibility and if you believe Bucky had no agency or choice you must also believe Steve forced him to stop being the Winter Soldier.

Is this not the wildest, craziest thing you have ever seen?

Sigh. Children will latch onto the latest shiny word they've learned and throw it around to defend their blorbo, which I'm going to assume in this case is one Anthony Stark again.

Firstly, not all soldiers who pleaded "superior order" ended up having that plea dismissed; some were acquitted based on the recognition that they did not know the legality of what they were ordered to do.

Digging into it, the Nuremberg defence was not about soldiers refusing to comply with "immoral" orders -- because it's hard to define "immoral". Is it immoral to blow up another human (soldier) or bring down a building for your country, for example. It's specifically around war crimes, and when the soldier is aware it is a war crime but carries it out anyway.

Assuming this argument was in the context of the Stark murders (almost always is), the first question is, was it plain murder, was it a war crime (killing of a civilian), or was it part of armed conflict?

In which case we must return to Bucky's identity and mental state at the time. The war had ended in 1945, but Bucky was never allowed to leave the war. He continued on as the Winter Soldier, and the name wasn't just there to be fancy. He was perpetually imprisoned in a war of Hydra's making, hence his encounter with the Starks was not, in his mind, a civilian meeting a civilian (hence, it's not the type of "murder" that gets trialled in civilian courts).

Secondly, the Starks were transporting the serum, the genesis of which was a military project. Stark himself is an arms dealer who works closely with the American military. Therefore, is he really a civilian during the time he was killed? While political assassinations is its own ethical kettle of fish, his execution could be seen as part of an armed conflict tactic between two opposing sides.

Thirdly, the Nuremberg defence fails when the soldier is aware they have been ordered to commit a war crime and nevertheless chooses to comply. Bucky didn't even know his own name, how does anyone expect him to know the Geneva Conventions (which, by the way, was ratified in 1949)? He was ordered, as a soldier, to kill an enemy scientist transporting a military load. He had no frame of reference to work out who he was, who Howard Stark was (Stark recognised him, there was no flicker of recognition when Stark called him "Sergeant Barnes"), the context of the assassination, let alone make any judgement about the morality of killing him.

Not to mention the most important point which is that Bucky himself was a prisoner of war tortured into obedience. In other words, even if he had awareness of the immorality, he was forced to commit the acts under duress (and not under superior orders). And that in itself forms its own legal defence.

I...don't even know what to say about the last paragraph apart from the fact that their brains have melted out of their ears.

Steve literally gave agency back to Bucky. He gave Bucky the choice of finishing the mission or choosing to believe him, and for the first time, the Winter Soldier disobeyed his order.

People will literally look at a scene of a guy not lifting up a finger to defend himself and say "WAAAAH HE FORCED HIS ASSAILANT TO ATTACK HIM." I just--

[complexparadox1]

My Love, My Light, My Angel

Anotha one! Kazutora x Fem!Reader. This is set in the Black Dragon timeline, around a year after Chifuyu was killed by Kisaki. You and Kazutora are old childhood friends. He's been avoiding you since he got locked up but fate has other plans! Smut OBVIOUSLY, Fem!reader, reader is a florist who majored in art and literature cuz I felt like it idk. Enjoy!

When you had walked out of your apartment that sunny fall afternoon you hadn't expected much from the day. But walking down the street you spotted a familiar head of black and blonde hair that stopped you in your tracks almost immediately. It couldn't be. "Kazutora?" You called out, heart thudding in your chest wildly.

Kazutora froze in his tracks, his heart skipping a beat as he heard his name being called. He turned his head slowly, his honey-colored eyes meeting yours. For a moment, he couldn't find the words to respond, his mind swirling with conflicting emotions. "It's... been a while." he finally whispered, his voice tinged with a mix of surprise and hesitation. He took a step closer, peering at you with a hint of longing in his eyes.

His gaze lingered on you, taking in your features, the way you had grown and changed over the years. Memories flashed before his eyes, the shared moments of laughter and friendship, but also the pain and guilt that lay buried deep within him. He knew he shouldn't let himself get too close to you again, but the pull was undeniable.

Just to hear his voice once again sent your head to spinning and your heart thundering in your chest. thirteen years, thirteen years since you'd last seen him. Ten years he'd been in jail and three years after that where you simply hadn't been able to find him. "How have you been? I've missed you." The last part was said softly, and it was true. You had missed him terribly. For all that had happened, with Valhalla, with Baji, it had not changed your feelings towards him at all.

Kazutora felt a pang of sorrow at your words. He had missed you too, more than he cared to admit. The weight of guilt and regret settled heavily within him, but he couldn't help but crave your presence. "I... I've been surviving," he replied, his voice filled with a mix of pain and longing. "It hasn't been easy, but... I've been trying." He looked down for a moment, a flicker of vulnerability crossing his face. "And yeah... I've missed you too. More than you know." His gaze lifted to meet yours again, his honey-colored eyes searching for any sign of forgiveness in your expression. Deep down, he wondered if he even deserved it after everything he had done. Chifuyu had forgiven him, Baji had used his final breaths to absolve him of his murder. But you were different. He couldn't be sure you would forgive him. But he still couldn't deny the warmth that washed over him at the sight of you standing there.

In nearly the same moment he said he'd missed you, before you could really even process what you were doing, you found yourself hugging him. As if afraid he would vanish once more from your life if you didn't hold onto him with as much strength as you could muster. Kazutora's breath caught in his throat as you wrapped your arms around him, holding him tightly. It was a bittersweet sensation, feeling your warmth after such a long time. His body stiffened for a moment, unsure of how to respond, before he finally relaxed into the embrace, his arms hesitantly finding their way around you. "Where have you been? I...I tried to look for you after you got out..." You managed to stammer, you had tried diligently to find him after he'd gotten out of prison to no avail. When you had tried to visit each and every time he had declined your visit. "I'm sorry," he whispered softly, his voice filled with a mix of guilt and regret. "After... after what happened with Baji, I... I needed to distance myself. I thought…I thought I was toxic, that being around me would only bring you pain." He tightened his grip, his voice trembling. "But I never stopped thinking about you. I wanted to reach out, but...I was afraid. Afraid you wouldn't want anything to do with me anymore." He pulled back slightly, his honey-colored eyes locked with yours. "I'm here now, and I want to make things right, if you'll let me." You had practically melted into his touch while he spoke. His familiar smell making you practically dizzy and your heart thrummed happily within your chest despite the heavy words he spoke. "You don't need to apologize Kazutora. You aren't toxic, you were a kid, we both were...what happened with Baji was horrible, but I never stopped wanting to be a part of your life Tora." His old childhood nickname slipped off your tongue with ease despite it having been so long since you had last called him that. Your heart clenched up near painfully in your chest. "I don't wanna lose you again... you're my best friend."

The weight of guilt that Kazutora had carried for so long began to lift ever so slightly as he heard your words of understanding and acceptance. A faint smile formed on his lips, tinged with a mix of relief and affection. "You still remember the nickname," he murmured, his voice filled with a touch of nostalgia. "I promise you, this time, I won't let go. You won't lose me again." In that moment, Kazutora felt a surge of hope, a glimmer of light in the darkness that had consumed him for far too long. He reached out to wipe away the tears that had gathered in the corners of your eyes, his touch gentle and tender. "Hey, don't cry," he whispered, his voice filled with sincerity. "I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere. Okay?" As he spoke those words, a flicker of warmth filled his heart. He knew the road ahead would be filled with challenges and dangers, especially with his current mission to dismantle the corrupt Black Dragon gang. But having you by his side, he felt a newfound strength, an unwavering determination to protect you and cherish the bond that had been rekindled between you. You nodded your head and were quick to bury your face in his chest trying to hide the tears that flowed down your face. The emotions of the moment overwhelming you entirely. "I'm holding you to that promise, Tora. Whatever happens I don't wanna ever lose you again." You sniffled softly, arms squeezing him just a bit tighter. Kazutora had been, and would always be, a large part of your world. The last thirteen years had been hard without him, painful to the point of being nearly unbearable. To have him back at your side felt perfect. "So you wanna come to my place for lunch? We can catch up?" I asked once I'd pulled my face from where I buried it on his chest, my tears having dampened his shirt slightly.

He had gone for so long without a shred of warmth or comfort in his life. Having you standing here now, your arms still embracing him, it felt as if he'd been wrapped in a warm fuzzy blanket and he couldn't help but to fall into the comfort of you. Even though you were crying, your tears dampening the fabric of his shirt, you still provided the same comfort you had always given him even as young children. He held you close, his arms providing a comforting shelter as your tears wet his shirt. He gently rubbed your back, offering silent support and reassurance as he listened to your words. "You won't lose me again, I swear." he whispered, his voice laced with determination.

As you suggested going to your place for lunch, a small smile graced his lips. The idea of spending more time with you, catching up on the years that had been lost, felt like a lifeline amidst the chaos surrounding his life."Yeah, that sounds good," he replied softly, his eyes meeting yours. "I'd love to catch up, to have some time together away from all the chaos. Just...being with you." With a final squeeze, Kazutora released his hold on you, his hand lingering on your cheek for a moment before he slowly withdrew it. Stepping back, he began to walk alongside you, his heart brimming with a mix of anticipation and nervousness.

As you both made your way to your place, Kazutora couldn't help but let himself believe, even if only for a moment, that perhaps love and redemption were not so far out of reach as he had thought for so long. Once you'd arrived to your apartment you were quick to order lunch from a local Chinese place. Waiting for the food you and Kazutora settled into the couch. Now that he was sitting here you couldn't help but stare at him, it almost felt like this was all just some crazy dream.

Kazutora settled comfortably on the couch as you ordered lunch, his eyes occasionally glancing over to steal glances at you. The warmth and familiarity of your home enveloped him, offering a sense of peace he hadn't felt in a long time.

Everything about Kazutora had changed in thirteen years time. Corded muscle stretched taut along his arms, his once rounded cheeks sunken in to make his jawline more pronounced now than it had ever been in childhood, his voice lower and had a smoother quality to it now too. Kazutora was no longer a teenaged boy; and your brain struggled to process this fact. It didn't take long to realize you were staring at him too much and your cheeks flushed a bit with embarrassment. "So, what have you been up to, where have you been?" There's so much lost time to catch up on, so many things that have probably happened in his life and your own that the other wasn't aware of. He noticed the blush that tinted your cheeks as you caught yourself staring at him, and a small, gentle smile curved his lips. The silence lingered for a moment before you finally spoke, breaking the spell. "I've been... on the move, mostly," he replied, his voice carrying a touch of weariness. "After getting out of prison, I found myself caught up in some dangerous business. I couldn't stand by and watch as my friends were consumed by the corruption of the Black Dragon gang. So, I've been doing everything I can to dismantle them from the inside."

He paused for a moment, his gaze focused on his hands, his tone tinged with a mix of determination and regret. "It's been a rough ride, dangerous, but I couldn't let them destroy what we had, what we shared in the Tokyo Manji Gang…. it's…they're not what Baji would have ever wanted them to be." His eyes flickered up to meet yours, the weight of his mission evident in their depths. "But enough about that. I want to know everything about you. What have you been up to all these years? How did life treat you?" His voice softened, a genuine curiosity shining through his words. You nodded your head quietly. The Tokyo Manji Gang had been in the news a lot. Prostitution, Gambling, Murder, they had gotten a lot darker than you had remembered them being when Kazutora had once been a part of the gang. The fact that he was trying to help his friends, more than that the people that had once been family to him, was noble. But it also made a knot of worry form in your stomach. "That's a lot to try and take on all on your own Kazutora." You murmured the words softly your gaze meeting his. It was a dangerous path to walk but one you knew that if anyone could traverse with any level of safety it would be Kazutora. He had always been smart, quick thinking. "Uh, well graduated highschool after you left." You didn't want to say locked up because it feels wrong, you had both been so young back then. "Went to college, ended up majoring in arts and literature. Got a job working as a florist now so life's been ok I guess." It's been lonely too, unbearably lonely, but you don't say that. You have a few friends, sure, but no one ever even came close to the closeness that you and Kazutora had once shared. You smile at him softly, heart feeling at ease for the first time in too many years. "It's good to have you back though...life just hasn't been the same without you" your voice sounded sad, almost wistful, you couldn't help but to wonder how things would have been if he hadn't been locked up. If he hadn't joined Valhalla, if all the horrible events that followed had been avoided.

Kazutora listened intently as you shared your journey over the past decade, a mix of pride and melancholy tugging at his heart. His eyes traced the lines on your face, still as beautiful as ever, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret for the years of loneliness you had endured. "I wish I could have been there for you, to support you through all those years." He murmured, his voice laced with genuine remorse. His fingers ran through his blonde-highlighted hair, a nervous habit he had developed over the years. "But I'm glad you found something you're passionate about, something that brings you joy." Your heart thuds heavily in your chest. This moment feels so right, so perfect. To have him back here even after all this time just felt right. "You don't need to apologize." You said the words with a gentle tone. "Look at you, you're so much different, better." There was no more derangement in his eyes, no more delusion, instead his gaze was gentle, kind, and filled with nothing but affection. "I'm happy you got better, that's all that I ever wanted." Too many times you had tried to pull Kazutora from the darkness that had taken over his mind and too many times you had failed. To see him doing better now felt like a weight off of your chest. A soft smile formed on his lips as he met your gaze, the weight of his turbulent past momentarily forgotten with your words.

His fingers reached out, brushing against your hand, seeking connection and reassurance. His voice grew softer, tinged with vulnerability. "I've missed you, more than words can express." When his hand brushed against your own your fingers were quick to move to interlace with his. "Your hands are still always cold huh?" You asked him with a grin, Kazutora had always had cold hands, a bit rough and calloused from all his fighting while being in the gang. There had been a time where you had known every knick and scar that lined his knuckles. The familiar teasing about his perpetually cold hands had brought a chuckle to his lips, breaking the tension in the room, and he squeezed your hand gently."Yeah, I guess some things never change," he replied, his voice filled with a mix of fondness and playfulness. "I'll never have those warm, gentle hands like someone who works with flowers all day." His honey-colored eyes sparkled, his gaze locked with yours. You could feel your heart skip a beat at his words and you gave a small smile. "Suppose we are a perfect contrast to each other then hm?" You both were in more ways than just the temperature of your hands, you had always been two sides of the same coin. "I'm glad you're here with me now. It feels like coming home." He said the words softly: The scent of the flowers in your home mingled with the comfort of your touch, creating a sanctuary where both his mind and body found solace. "There's so much we can do together, so many possibilities," he continued, his voice growing softer but filled with an unyielding determination. "We can build a future that's different from anything we've known. A future carved out of our own choices, our own happiness."

As he spoke those words, conviction radiated from him. Kazutora knew that the path ahead wouldn't be easy, that challenges and dangers awaited him in his mission to dismantle Black Dragon. But with you by his side, he felt a newfound strength, a renewed purpose to protect, to love, and to find redemption not just for himself, but for the two of you. "I can't wait to see it all come together." You murmured, feeling as if you were practically on cloud nine just thinking about it.

Leaning in closer, Kazutora planted a gentle kiss on your forehead, his lips lingering for a moment before he pulled back slightly, his eyes searching yours. "I'm grateful to have this chance with you. And I promise, I won't let go this time." With those words and the feeling of his lips pressed against your forehead, almost feather light, you felt your whole being practically stop. Looking up at him, those same amber eyes you had always so adored you felt years worth of feelings flood back all at once. The absolute enamorment you had once felt with him hitting like a train. Kazutora was not the boy you had once known for certain. But he was still the person you had been in love with all those years ago, and those feelings bubbled up to the surface once more. "I definitely won't let you let me go. You're stuck with me now, I'd probably die if you just disappeared again." The words came out hushed and quiet but they were spoken with a certain conviction and mixture of tenderness and vulnerability filled Kazutora's honey-colored eyes. The weight of your affection and unyielding dedication bore down on him, gently sweeping away the remnants of his self-doubt and fears. A soft smile played on his lips as he reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair behind your ear. "I won't disappear again," he reassured you, his voice filled with a newfound determination. "I've learned my lesson, and this time, I won't let anything or anyone pull us apart. We'll face the challenges together, find strength in each other." His gaze locked with yours, his voice dropping to a hushed tone, resonating with sincerity and love. "You mean everything to me. The thought of losing you again, it's unbearable. I'll fight for us, for our future, no matter what stands in our way."

As the emotions sparked between the two of you, the chemistry that had always been present in your past encounters blazed to life once more. The room seemed to shrink, the world outside fading away, leaving only you and Kazutora, locked in an intimate connection that transcended time. Unable to resist any longer, Kazutora leaned in, his lips capturing yours in a passionate, lingering kiss. In that moment, the weight of the past slipped away, leaving behind only the promise of a future filled with love, redemption, and the unbreakable bond that had endured through the years.

Both of your mouths moved against the others with a gentle desperation, tenderness, desire, years of pent up love you had felt for each other pouring out in an instant through the touch. You were drowning in all things Kazutora as the kiss deepened. Gently your arms moved to slip around his shoulders pulling closer to him, needing that connectedness with him like air in your lungs. Caught in the passionate embrace, Kazutora felt his heart race, matching the rhythm set by the fervent exchange of your lips. The taste and feel of you after all these years left him intoxicated, a wave of desire crashing against the shores of his being. His hands moved instinctively, caressing the small of your back, holding you closer, as if he could merge his existence with yours. The world around the both of you faded away completely, as if there were only the two of you, entwined in a dance of affection and longing. Every touch, every movement was laden with emotion, and as the kiss deepened, Kazutora couldn't help but feel a healing balm spread through his wounded soul. His mind, which had once been plagued by the darkness from his past, now found solace in the warmth of your touch, the shared passion and mutual understanding. In this moment, there was only the present, the intensity of your love threading together the broken pieces of his spirit, infusing him with renewed vitality.

The room seemed to pulsate with the raw desire and yearning of your entangled bodies as you clung to him, lost in the depths of your shared connection. Kazutora's breath mingled with yours, his touch tender yet possessive, as he savored every stolen moment, desperately wanting to etch this memory into his very being. The moment felt like a dream, warm and comfortable. Wrapped snuggly in the other's embrace felt like home, a home neither of you had ever known anywhere except for in the other's arms.

As the kiss broke, a thin sheen of sweat coated Kazutora's brow, his chest heaving with the weight of emotion and arousal. His honey-colored eyes bore into yours, filled with a mixture of tenderness and hunger. "I need you. I've always needed you." he whispered, his voice rough with desire. Looking into his eyes which smoldered with such deep emotion your heart swelled with love and desire for him. The warmth of arousal pooling in your stomach. "Need you too Tora, Love you so much." You spoke in a breathless whimper words that had been left unspoken for far too long. He was all you had ever wanted and you were putty in his hands malleable and waiting to be shaped into whatever he desired. As the words spilled from your lips, their breathless vulnerability rang in Kazutora's ears, intertwining with the rhythm of his racing heart. Your declaration of love ignited a flame within him, fierce and unyielding, setting his entire being ablaze with desire. His hands, calloused and strong, cupped your face gently as he looked into your eyes, his gaze filled with a mixture of adoration and need. The weight of his past mistakes, the pain he had carried for far too long, dissolved in this moment of raw connection and vulnerability. "My love," he whispered, his voice filled with a profound tenderness that mirrored the intensity of his emotions. "I've longed to hear those words from you. To know that you're all mine, as I am all yours. To feel the depth of your love and desire." With a gentle, yet possessive hold, he brought his lips back to yours, a hunger laced within the kiss. His touch radiated with reverence, as he explored the soft contours of your mouth, mapping every inch of your being that he had missed for so long. The world outside ceased to exist, reduced to nothing but the dance of your entwined bodies.

Every caress, every whispered breath against your lips carried the weight of a promise. A promise to cherish, protect, and love you unconditionally. Kazutora's fingers glided along your skin, tracing the outlines of your body with a reverence born of both desire and worship. Lost in the frenzy of passion, the room became a sanctuary where time ceased to hold meaning. Each movement, each touch and shared breath, deepened the connection between you. The years of longing and unanswered desire melted away, replaced by the intoxicating presence of the person who had always held your heart. In this shared intimacy, Kazutora found solace and redemption. In your embrace, he discovered a love that could heal wounds and shield his fragile soul from the torment of his past. And as your bodies entwined, the flames of desire consumed them both, Your hands moved to feel every single inch of him you could reach, his neck, his shoulders, his arms. Fingertips that were feather light mapped every curve and plane of his body you could touch just as his did. As if trying to commit every single inch of him to memory. Were you blind and he mute you would know him by the feel of his very soul alone as it had always been between you two.

Nothing could, or ever would, hold a candle to him. Not when Kazutora was as bright as the sun itself. For all his past darkness he had always been your light, your comfort. It felt as if each graze of his hands set you ablaze in only the most pleasurable of ways. The fire of desire burned brightly within Kazutora as he reciprocated your fervent caresses, his body humming with anticipation and hunger. The intensity of your touch, swift and deliberate, sent shivers cascading down his spine, causing his pulse to quicken with fervor.

It didn't take long for you to crave more of him, to long for him like water, the desperate need to slake your thirst for him which had built up to a crescendo. Your fingers found the hem of his shirt moving to tug it off of him, his shirt slipped off his frame, pulled away by your eager hands, and the brief moment of separation only heightened the ache of longing between you. As your lips found his once more, the connection reignited, casting you both into a realm where time was irrelevant. "Love you s'much Tora." You murmured sweetly between your interlocked lips as small huffs and whines forced their way past your teeth and into your interconnected mouths

A symphony of sighs and whispers danced between your intertwined mouths, the subtle vibrations of your voice sending ripples of pleasure coursing through Kazutora. His skin tingled beneath your delicate fingertips, every inch of contact fostering a new depth of intimacy. With every brush against his chest, his breath hitched. The amalgamation of love, desire, and sheer need welled up within him, as if he were a vessel overflowing with the elixir of passion. In this electrifying moment, it felt as though he could not get close enough to you, his every sense consumed by the taste, scent, and sensation of your being. "Mmm, my love, my angel" he murmured against your lips, the words muffled by the shared heat of your mouths. His hands roamed your body with increasing urgency, seeking to memorize every curve and dip, just as you had done to him. The smoldering heat of his honey-colored eyes reflected the depths of his affection, staring into the windows of your soul.

The symphony of desire between you intensified, a chorus of sighs and moans woven into the fabric of your shared passion. Each fleeting moment of separation only served to fuel the hunger for more. Kazutora's chest rose and fell with each ragged breath, his body aching, yearning for the culmination of your desires. The two of you became entangled within a universe of love and raw sensuality. Lost in the shared ecstasy, you found solace and salvation in each other's arms.

Kazutora's body trembled under the trail of your hands, responding to your every touch with a mix of exhilaration and vulnerability. The need that radiated from you fueled the passion between you, rendering the room electric with desire. His skin tingled as your fingertips traced lines of fire across his form, igniting a wildfire of sensations and ardent longing. A soft growl of pleasure escaped him as your lips broke apart for a brief moment, only to reunite in a passionate collision. The taste of your breath, the sound of your murmured words seeped into his very core, eliciting a symphony of desire to reverberate through every inch of his being. He reciprocated with fervor, his lips molding against yours in a dance of overwhelming longing. Beneath your fingertips, the warmth of his bare chest welcomed you, a canvas on which the stories of your affection were etched. The connection between you grew with an intensity that defied explanation, a language that needed no translation. The room, now charged with anticipation, seemed to pulse with the rhythm of your intertwined bodies. As a chorus of soft whimpers and small huffs spilled from your lips, mingling with his own desperate sighs of pleasure, Kazutora's hands explored the expanse of your body with an unrestrained hunger. His fingers caressed the curves of your back, electrifying each inch of skin they trailed, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. "My angel." he murmured against your lips, his voice threaded with a mix of adoration and longing. "I ache for you, yearn for the taste of your skin against mine." He said softly as clothes were shed, barriers falling away one by one, Kazutora succumbed to the intoxicating bliss of your touch, abandoning himself to the waves of pleasure that crashed upon the shores of his ravaged soul. Each breath, each movement, became an act of worship, a testament to the love that had endured against all odds. In the sizzling heat of your joined bodies, all doubts, insecurities, and the burdens of their past dissolved, replaced by a union born of profound affection and desire.

It didn't take long for you to find yourself with your back pressed into the cushions of the couch, with Kazutora tapping the tip of his hardened cock against your core which dripped with slick arousal that had built up from feverish touches. Your core aches, almost as painfully as your chest does because having him hovered over you like this is divine beyond imagination. All of the things you had never dared even dream coming to fruition in a single moment. “You'll take care of me, Tora?” You managed to practically whisper between soft breaths, his touch burned through you like a raging inferno. The walls of your slick wet heat flutter and tense seeking what he's yet to give as he once more runs the tip of his cock through your slick covered folds, testingly, savoring this moment. The room felt sweltering, the air heavy with anticipation and unspoken promises. Kazutora's honey-colored eyes bore into yours, filled with a mixture of intensity and tenderness as he positioned himself over you, his hardened length teasing your slick entrance. Every nerve in your body pulsed with desire, your core aching for him, craving the consummation of this union.

The weight of your question, laced with vulnerability and trust, hung in the air between you. Kazutora's gaze softened, the fire in his eyes mingling with a tenderness that could move mountains. He brushed a stray lock of hair behind your ear, his touch gentle yet possessive. "I'll take care of you, my angel." he whispered, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down your spine. "I'll protect you, cherish you, and ensure that every moment we spend together is filled with ecstasy and adoration." With those words hanging in the air, he pressed forward, the tip of his throbbing member parting your slick folds, the sweet friction causing a sharp gasp of pleasure to escape from both of you. He paused, savoring the exquisite tension, allowing you to accommodate him, to feel every inch of him as he gradually delved deeper into your wet, pulsating heat. Your bodies intertwined, Kazutora's movements slow and deliberate, as he relished in the sensation of being one with you, his body merging with yours in a symphony of pleasure. Building with each rhythmic thrust, deepening the connection between you.

The room became a sanctuary, a haven where nothing else mattered but the two of you, bound in a vortex of passion and love. The sensations overwhelmed your senses, the slick heat of your core gripping him tightly, driving both of you to the brink of ecstasy. As your bodies moved in a synchronized rhythm, the symphony of moans and gasps filled the air, a testament to the fervor that consumed you. Each thrust was a declaration of your shared desire, passionate, loving, and hungry.

The world outside stayed momentarily suspended, allowing you to revel in the intoxication of this shared desire. In the heat of the moment, the flames of bliss burned brightly.

The feeling of him pushing in, bottoming out your cunt almost torturously slow has your hands flying to cling to his shoulders. Moans, mewls, and soft whimpers of his name escaping from between your parted lips. The stretch feels overwhelming in the best possible way, because his thick member brushes along every single soft, spongey, pleasurable spot that lines the inside of your dripping wet core. You're drunk on him before he even truly begins thrusting. His leaking tip pressing practically into your womb over and over. "Tora love you, love you Tora. My Tora." The words were babbeled and soft between heated moans and whines each time his tip hit deep yet again. Kazutora's movements were measured, each thrust deliberate and exquisitely slow as he delved deeper into the depths of your throbbing cunt. The air became heavy with the sounds of your moans and mewls intermingling with the soft whimpers that spilled from his own lips.

Your grip tightened on his shoulders, fingers sinking into the muscles, as if anchoring yourself to him amidst the swirling sea of sensation. The depth and stretch enveloped you, he filled you to the brim with a pleasurable ache that bordered on euphoria. Each brush of the thick, pulsating member inside you sent sparks of ecstasy dancing along your nerves.Between heated moans and whimpers, the words of love and adoration tumbled from your lips, your voice a melody laced with devotion. They merged with the panting breaths and gasps that escaped Kazutora's mouth, their delicious intertwining creating a symphony of raw passion.

"my love," he whispered hoarsely, his voice blending with the rhythm of your shared desire. "You…you feel so right, so perfect. You were made for me." He practically growled the words as his thrusts began to grow more urgent, deeper, and faster, building a crescendo of pleasure that threatened to consume you both. The room spun and spun with the heady intoxication of your union, and you surrendered yourself to the wave of ecstasy on the horizon.As Kazutora's movements became a blur of pleasure. Every thrust was infused with a powerful intent, pushing you closer to the edge, to the release that awaited you both. Together, you danced on the precipice of passion, on the cusp of that would wash away all earthly worries all the years spent apart.

With each shuddering breath, your moans and cries danced through the air, an offering to the higher power that was Kazutora. His name slipped off your lips like a fervent prayer, a testament to the profound connection that existed between you. In this moment, he was everything, your love, your light, your universe.

As you came around his length the world around you blurred and faded into insignificance. Stars exploded behind your closed eyelids, shimmering fragments of ecstasy that illuminated your vision. Your body awash with waves of delight. Tremors wracked your form, your core convulsing with the aftershocks of your release. Your slick heat clung to him, embracing Kazutora's cock snuggly as he continued the steady rhythm of his thrusts, pushing you higher still. Far past your peak and bordering on overstimulation. Your skin glistened with a thin sheen of sweat, evidence of the intensity that had consumed your bodies. His movements became effortless, gliding in and out of your trembling heat with a fluidity that spoke of deep familiarity and undeniable connection. Every tap against your tender cervix sent sparks of overstimulation and renewed pleasure shooting through your veins, amplifying your cries of his name, along with babbles of love and devotion.

As Kazutora neared his own peak, his movements became more frenzied, his thrusts deep and urgent. Whines and whimpers and a few spat curses flowing from trembling lips. With a final sharp growl of pleasure, his rhythm faltered as he came pumping you full of his hot sticky seed. Small whimpers fell from his throat as his cock twitched out its release inside of your plush walls.

In the aftermath of your climactic release, you lay entwined, panting and sated, the air around you heavy with the scent of passion and the profound connection that bound you together. With each blissful breath, you reveled in the aftermath of your shared desires, knowing that you had found a love that was unparalleled, a love that would endure through the tumultuous storms of life. Bathed in an ethereal glow that matched the euphoria coursing through both of your veins. Your bodies both trembling and weak from your post orgasmic haze but still clinging onto each other tightly. "Love you Tora." You managed to murmur in a half dazed voice, feeling entirely overstimulated and your mind a bit cloudy. Kazutora had laid his larger form against yours pressing soft kisses into the soft sensitive skin of your neck. "I love you my angel." You were his light, his love, and he would never let you go again.

[archiveikemen]

"No Room To Breathe" Story Event: Chapter 1

Liam Evans

This is a fan-made translation solely for entertainment purposes with no guaranteed perfection. I do not own any of the original content. Please support CYBIRD by buying their stories and playing their games. Reblogs appreciated.

❥･• Warnings and FAQ

My lover had the curse of a cat, which meant that he had to periodically satisfy his curiosity.

That’s why Liam would go thrill seeking with Alfons night after night.

I wanted to be with Liam for tonight, so I asked to tag along with them—

Kate: Why am I being hung mid-air…?

Liam: You’re not having fun? Al, pull Kate back up. Quick, quick.

Alfons: My, you have such little perseverance. You’re always so quick to complain.

Alfons, who was holding onto both of my ankles, slowly lifted me.

Kate: Oof… I thought I was going to die.

Alfons: Wasn’t that a fresh new experience? So, did you manage to confirm whether there are any security guards inside?

Kate: I- I was too scared to do that!

Tonight, Alfons and Liam were trying to steal an artwork from a museum for fun.

The truth was that the artwork was stolen by the museum, and they planned to steal it to return it to its original owner.

Kate: Can’t we just have a proper talk with the museum's director instead of going to such lengths?

Alfons: Aren't we committing this crime to help others, precisely because lawful means won't be effective?

Alfons: Your way of thinking is as unnecessarily serious as ever.

(... I get the feeling they just want to sneak into a museum in the middle of the night because it's thrilling to them.)

And to prove my point, what they were about to do tonight wasn't one of Crown’s missions, it was entirely their own idea.

Liam: Kate! Al!

Liam: Looks like the security guard went into the room in the back. Now’s the best time to sneak in.

Liam: Kate, are you coming too? I’ll make sure to hold your hand the entire time.

Liam extended his hand to me with a sweet smile, the gesture making my heart flutter.

I held his hand, happy to see Liam smiling while living in the moment without fearing for his tomorrows.

(... I’m weak for this smile.)

Kate: Got it, let’s go.

— That decision was a huge mistake.

…

Security Guard: S-Stop right there, the three of you…!

Alfons: Ahaha, as expected of an incredibly well-known art museum in England. What excellent security.

Kate: This is not the time to be saying such things!

We were running around the place to get away from the security guard who heard the commotion and came out to investigate.

(Ah…)

I accidentally stumbled in a corner, and Liam swiftly caught me in his arms.

Liam: Kate…

Click. The security guard fastened something on mine and Liam’s hands the moment we stopped running.

(This is… no way…)

(Handcuffs!?)

Security Guard: *pant* *pant*... I finally caught you. You guys are fast.

Security Guard 2: Oi, I’ll go after that guy with a shady looking smile. You watch these two.

(... If Liam were the only one here, he’d be able to disappear and escape.)

But I knew that Liam would never choose to leave me behind.

(... What should we do? If we get handed over to the police…)

Liam: We got caught, huh. But being locked up in jail with you might not be such a bad thing.

Liam: Ah, but if the other prisoners fall in love with you… I might kill them all.

Kate: Liam, I don’t think this is the right situation to be saying—

Liam: Fufu, I’m just kidding. I won’t let you get arrested by the police so easily.

Liam: Because I’m the only one who’s allowed to touch and monopolise you.

Liam grinned like a Cheshire cat and said loudly,

Liam: Al, you’re watching us from somewhere, aren't you? Sorry, but we need your help here.

Alfons’ Voice: And what will I get in return for helping you?

Liam: How about drinking all you want tonight and I’ll pay for your bill?

Alfons’ Voice: One more time?

Liam: Geez. You can eat all you want too.

Alfons’ Voice: Deal.

Security Guard 1: Uwah! Where did you…

Alfons: Hm? You just caught a pair of dogs, I’m one too.

Security Guard 1: W-Why are there three dogs here?

Alfons removed his black leather gloves and touched the nape of the guard’s neck to create an illusion using his curse’s ability, the guard widened his eyes in shock.

Liam: Thanks, Al. Come on, let’s escape before the illusion wears off.

Liam: Kate, I’ll carry you. Hang on tight.

…

After sneakily stealing the artwork and leaving the museum, the two of them laughed loudly while walking down the street.

Liam • Alfons: Ahh, that was fun.

Kate: I FEEL LIKE MY LIFESPAN GOT SHORTENED…!

Alfons: Oh, you don't seem to have enjoyed yourself. That’s too bad.

Liam: I’ll definitely take your enjoyment into consideration next time, please don't abandon me…

Kate: I can never abandon you, Liam. Just be sure to keep the danger factor in moderation.

Liam: Fufu, okay. I’ll be careful.

Alfons: By the way, how long do you two intend to keep those handcuffs on?

Alfons: I won’t judge if you're into that sort of play, though.

Kate: Oh, right. We have to take this off.

Liam: Don’t worry, Kate. Al is a pro at unlocking things. So—

Alfons: Let’s see…

Alfons reached his hand around my shoulder and touched the handcuffs.

Alfons: Goodness! These handcuffs have some numbers on them. Look.

Upon hearing those words, I looked down at the handcuffs to see a small device resembling a clock attached.

Kate: … 24 hours left…?

Alfons: I’ve heard of this rare type of handcuffs with a time lock. It will only unlock after 24 hours.

Liam: … :0

Kate: I-In other words—

Liam: We can’t remove it until 24 hours is up…?

Alfons: Ahaha!

…

The next morning, Liam and I woke up to the handcuffs still linking our arms together.

— 12 hours left.

Liam: Not like it’ll magically come off when we wake up.

Liam: But being stuck with you until the time is up makes me happy.

Liam smiled sweetly while staring at the handcuffs.

(He’s so cute…)

Liam twirled my hair around his finger as we laid in bed.

Liam: Do you hate being in this situation? Is it bothering you? Do you want to take this off?

Kate: I don’t hate it.

Kate: I know this will be a little bit inconvenient… but I’m also kind of excited.

Liam: Excited?

Kate: Because it’s rare to be able to be this close to you at all times.

Kate: And I’m relieved that it's you I’m stuck to… mm… mmph…

Liam: You’re so adorable, Kate. And I’m so, so happy…

While kissing me repeatedly, Liam gently held me down on the bed.

Liam: … I wonder how far we can go with our hands cuffed together?

Kate: How far…

Liam: Kissing you isn’t a problem. But can I take your clothes off with one hand?

Kate: Liam, don’t take my clothes off… ahh

Liam: I can’t fondle them using both of my hands, so I’ll lick them instead. You like that, don't you?

Liam: Are you feeling more sensitive than usual? … mm… so cute…

Kate: … ahh, it’s still morning…

Liam: I love doing it in the morning too. Because I can see everything about you clearly.

Kate: … ahhh

…

We explained our situation to William and Harrison while having a late breakfast.

William: — So this is what happens when you sneak into an art museum to satisfy your curiosity.

Harrison: That’s what you get for being curious. But this is a rare type of lock that that guy (Alfons) can’t unlock.

Alfons: My, my, it appears that you're enjoying this perverted play.

Kate: Whoa! Please don’t appear out of nowhere so suddenly. Also, what do you mean by “enjoying”...

Alfons: You shouldn't tell lies. I can see the numerous hickeys on your neck…

Kate: Huh?

Harrison: Al is lying. Geez, you're so gullible.

Liam: I mean, I did kiss Kate’s body a lot this morning, so it’s not surprising if she has hickeys on her.

I was flustered by the bombshell comment Liam so nonchalantly made, and William smiled quietly.

William: Victor said that Kate and Liam can be on break until the handcuffs come off.

William: Because they most likely won’t be able to go on missions with their hands cuffed together like this.

Liam: Really? Victor’s so understanding, as always.

Harrison: But don't you have rehearsals today? Weren't you making a huge fuss over next weekend’s premiere?

Liam: Yup, that’s right. Kate, can you accompany me to my rehearsal?

Kate: Of course. Please do take me with you.

Liam: Mm, thanks.

I would usually just see Liam off to his rehearsals without tagging along, in order to avoid getting in his way.

However, it was inevitable for me to be by Liam’s side all day today.

(Even so, I don’t think our situation is too bad.)

Alfons: Liam, Liam. … What will you do?

[legacyshenanigans]

Late Night Shenanigans

The Lads gets caught during a heist, and Marvolo comes to help them.

(Ominis, Leander, Garreth, and Sebastian sat in a prison cell in the middle of the night)

Ominis: *arms folded leaning on the wall*

Garreth: *sat on the floor, drawing things into the dust on it*

Leander: *sat on the concrete bench in there, looking worried*

Sebastian: *pacing back and forth in the cell, thinking*

Leander: Sallow will you STOP pacing? You're putting me on edge.

Sebastian: Well I'M the only one trying to think of a way to get us out of here. *frowns*

Garreth: Without our wands? Not likely..

Ominis: *sigh* All of you shut up..We'll be out soon. Marvolos coming.

Leander: What? How do you know?

Ominis: Told him I'd probably be home by 3am after he brought me into town at 2am to meet you fools..And it's now around 5am I reckon..He'll be out looking.

(No sooner did Ominis say that, Marvolo wandered into the cell area, spotting them all in the cell and smirking, walking over)

Marvolo: Well well..

Ominis: About time, Brother. Get us the hell out of here.

Marvolo: Have you and your pals been having fun? *chuckles*

Sebastian: Tried to break into J.Pippins..Got caught by the nightguard that bought us here.

Marvolo: Amateurs. *playful grin* Any other folk know you're here?

Leander: No, just that one guard.

Marvolo: Good. Makes things easier.

Nightguard: *walks into the room* Erm?! Excuse me?! *frowns* Who are you?

Marvolo: *turns and smiles* Oh, Hello *casually holds up his wand* Imperio.

Nightguard: *gasps as the spell takes over, just standing there*

Marvolo: Be a good chap, open the cell.

Nightguard: *opens the cell*

(The lads step out)

Marvolo: Where are their wands?

Nightguard: Desk drawer..

Marvolo: *motions for the lads to grab their wands*

The lads: *rush over to get them*

Marvolo: Sit at your desk..

Nightguard: *walks and sits*

Marvolo: Any paper work been done on these fools yet?

Nightguard: No.

Marvolo: Excellent. *uses another spell to make the guard fall asleep. Then uses a memory charm and get rid of the memory that they were ever here before he turns to the lads* Right..Quickly..Let's go.

(They all leave)

Garreth: Thank fuck for that.

Leander: You can say that again.

Sebastian: Thanks, Marvolo..

Marvolo: *walking to his car* I suggest you all plan your outings better..Ominis get in the car.

Ominis: *wanders over to the car*

Sebastian: Can we get a lift?

Marvolo: Oh for fuck sake..I get you all out of jail, and now you want me to drive you places? *clicks his tongue in irritation* Why don't you all just come to the Manor too, and I'll cook you all a lovely breakfast..

Garreth: Oooooh *smiles* That would be nice!

Marvolo: I'm taking the piss..

Garreth: *sad face* Oh.

Ominis: Marvolo, have a heart, they can sleep over at our home though. We need rest after tonight.

Marvolo: *sigh* Fine..All of you, get in.

~

[a-million-usernames]

Things That Go Bump

Warnings: None Word Count: 1,085 As always, you can find this over on AO3.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

The question is posed with such confidence, almost as if Adam hadn’t just screamed as loudly as you when one of the haunted house actors had made their way through the line to scare a large swath of the crowd. Admittedly, he is just as fearful about being here as you are, he just won’t ever voice such thoughts aloud. Not when he’s trying to impress you, still after all this time together.

“Yes,” you reiterate for the umpteenth time tonight. “Of course I do. Do you?”

“Yeah.” His head nods vehemently, like a bobble-head that’s been tapped just a little too hard. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m good. I’m. Good.”

You can’t help but snort at his response, eyes rolling of their own accord. He doesn’t have to admit that he’s on edge about being here, you can see it plain as day in the way that he’s acting. Screams from inside the attraction can be heard, and instinctively you reach for him, your hands wrapping around his bicep to hug yourself close to him. Adam turns to press a kiss to your forehead, muttering to you that it’ll be alright just as the doors part to allow the two of you entry after nearly an hour's wait in line.

The first room is decorated to look like a jail; red paint is splattered onto the walls to simulate blood, and various zombie decor is scattered throughout the space to give a gruesome effect. Already, the unease has settled in, and you grip Adam with as much strength as you can muster, keeping yourself plastered to his side as the two of you step further into the room.

“This is fine,” he says, doing his best to put up a front of being unimpressed and unbothered by the room. “There’s nothing in here, it’s all just decorations and shit.”

You exhale a whine, eyes darting around in search of something, anything that can potentially pop out and scare you. “I don’t know, Adam, I —”

The sentence dies on your tongue the moment that a man dressed as a zombie in prison garb leaps out from one of the mock jail cells, his loud shriek along with an accompanying strobing light elicits a scream of terror on your part as well as Adam’s. It’s an instinctual reaction, the way that Adam shoves you in front of him to shield himself from the cause of his fright, and it’s this action that causes you to scream even louder in terror.

“Don’t shove me in front of you, you dick,” you cry out as the fear ebbs away to laughter.

“Fuck, fuck, shit, I’m sorry.” Seeming to come back to himself, he immediately corrects his error and draws you back to his side, a protective arm wrapped around you when he does so.

Once again, your eyes sweep back and forth, and back and forth, searching for any hint of more terror that is sure to head your way. To your left you spot what looks to be a man in a cell and you lift a hand to point. “There’s someone in there.”

Adam turns to look, and quickly, he shakes his head in response. “No. No, that’s a dummy. It’s fine.”

The two of you step forward with the intention of walking past the cell. You’re nearly all the way past when a hand reaches through the makeshift bars and grabs your elbow.

Another scream rips through the room involuntarily, the sound echoed by one produced by Sackler.

“Ah, fuck ,” he yells out into the room, clutching you tighter to his side even as he startles into a jump. “Shit ! Don’t do that!”

You’re unable to help yourself, once again bursting into a fit of laughter. “I’m sorry! They grabbed me!”

Nervous laughter fills the space until the two of you make your way successfully out of this room and into the next. Unlike the last room, this new one resembles an old, decrepit home; the wallpaper is stained and torn, exposing old wooden slats of the hold mock home.

“Oh, no,” you whisper to yourself, still clinging to Sackler for dear life.

“It’s fine,” he says, just as he’d done in the last room. His confidence has seemed to return, though neither of you is certain for just how long.

A grumble of mild irritation sounds in response to his words. “That’s what you said last time,” you quip, the two of you making your way slowly but surely throughout the room.

Sudden movement catches your eye to your right as a large photo on the wall drops to reveal a man in a mask just as they lunge out towards you. Both you and Adam scream in unison, and his instinct to get away from the scare as quickly as possible causes him to drag you with him as he flings himself at the opposite wall.

But you aren’t safe there either.

Another photo drops, and just like with the man on the opposite side of the room, this actor scares the two of just as badly as the first. Adam’s quick to grab you like before, this time hurriedly pushing you out of the room and into the next.

The remainder of the rooms carry on in the same fashion, with both you and Adam inadvertently scaring each other while also being scared by the actors within the confines of the haunted house attraction. By the time the two of you exit, stepping out into the cool night air, you’re winded and your hearts are racing a mile a minute, thumping wildly in your respective chests.

“You are the worst haunted house partner,” you tease, thumping a hand against your chest in a vain effort to get your heart to slow its crazed beating.

Adam laughs, any and all fear he’d displayed now left behind in the confines of the attraction. It’s like watching a light switch flick from off to on as his signature grin makes a reappearance. “Yeah, but you had fun though.”

Your eyes roll of their own accord, head nodding in spite of yourself. “Yeah, yeah. So what if I did?”

“C’mon, Kid,” he says, reaching to put an arm around you once more as screams filter out from the haunted house, “what do you say we go grab us a bite to eat?”

“Oh, and some cider!”

Sackler chuckles, turning to press a kiss to your forehead. “And some cider.”

[daidonzo]

Chapter 21 - This world is only going to break your heart

You were staring at Chishiya from across the room.

He had said, very naturally, helping you close a collar that could blow your head off at any moment around your neck, that during this game you should pretend not to know each other.

"Excuse me?" You were still fuming because of that almost-kiss that had left you standing there, opening and closing your mouth like a goldfish, with your eyes shut.

"It's a hearts game." He stated.

"You told me…"

"I am not using you, but they will. You are not a liability, but us caring for each other is."

You had accepted after a while, because it did make sense. You just didn't like that it had to be like that.

So there you were, in the central guardroom of a prison (apparently penitentiary center was just a fancy name for jail), surrounded by two types of people: one, those who looked scared and were trying to make themselves seem smaller so that nobody would focus on them… And two, those who looked just plain bored and uninterested.

There was actually a third type: Chishiya. Observing everything and everyone, having placed himself in a position where he was able to watch any player that would come in, arms crossed, wearing the hood of his white jacket and hiding his face in the shadows.

You guessed you didn't fit into any of those categories either, because you were nervously fidgeting, shifting your weight from one leg to the other, drumming your fingers against the wall.

"Difficulty, Jack of Hearts." You looked around you. The palms of your hands started to sweat.

"He is not going to let you die." You whispered softly, so that nobody else could hear you. Even if they would, they wouldn't have understood, since you had used your native language.

But you had doubts, of course you did. Because knowing Chishiya as well as you did (would you say you knew him well? Or just more than others?), you knew he was ruthless, selfish and stone-hearted. He wasn't like that with you, though. Or was it all just a role he was playing?

He had betrayed Arisu and Usagi, after all.

You shook your head to get rid of those thoughts. They were not true. It was just the anxiety of having to play this foolish game.

The voice continued, and the only screen present in the room lit up. "Game: Prison Cell. Rules: guess the suit that appears on the back of your collar. However, you cannot see your own suit." You lifted your hand towards your own collar, and tried to move it. No, it wouldn't shift. "The time per limit round is one hour. Five minutes before the time is up, enter one of the prison cells and guess what your own suit is." A corridor illuminated. It was, just as the woman's robotic voice had said, full of holding cells.

"If you do not guess your suit correctly, the game is over for you. When time runs out, your collar will explode, and you will die. In addition, your suit will change at every round."

"But we just need to have someone tell us what it is, right? That'll be easy!" Exclaimed a guy wearing a striped t-shirt and overalls, standing next to Chishiya. He seemed too nice to be here. And to have survived this long.

"Prison Cell is a test of how much can you trust others." The voice kept going. "In addition, the Jack of Hearts has secretly joined the game as one of the participants." Of course they had.

You looked at the young man who had spoken. You felt sorry for him, especially after seeing the look on his face now.

You found that you were not too worried. Chishiya would tell you your suit. You would tell him his. Both of you would survive this. Unless one of you lied. But… None of you would, right?

This was what the game was all about.

"Clear condition: Every hour, this will be repeated. The game is cleared when the Jack of Hearts, who is hiding among you, is killed. Prohibited activities: use of reflective objects or surfaces. You may also not use violence or weapons to kill others."

Basically, you couldn't just go crazy, like Aguni did on The Beach and start shooting everybody. You had to trick the Jack of Hearts into trusting you, and lie to them about their suit.

"There is no time limit."

This game could last forever, then.

"There is plenty of food. While participating in this game, the days remaining on your visas will not be reduced. The game starts now." A countdown of one hour showed up on the screen. "You may pass the time anywhere you like until it is time to enter a prison cell."

You looked around. No one had yet moved, but groups were starting to form.

You couldn't trust anyone. Anyone except the blonde man who had decided to pretend like you didn't know each other at all. You looked at him, but he wasn't looking on your direction.

"I have an idea! Why don't we make a team and tell each other? Then nobody can lie." A very pretty girl with space buns and a blue dress had spoken, a smile on her face. People rushed to join her. But what the others didn't notice is that she was clearly establishing herself as the leader of said group. And, if she decided to lie to someone and get rid of them, they would all follow. Or maybe you were reading too much into this.

You grunted, pressing the bridge of your nose between your index and thumb. You could feel a pounding headache coming up.

"Hey!" The pretty girl, who had introduced herself as Urumi, was coming towards you. "Do you want to join our team? It's okay if you don't want to. Oh, maybe you don't speak…"

"I do." You said simply, smiling as wide as you could given the circumstances, hoping to fool the others. You realized you sounded scared, and switched to a more cheerful tone. "Both, I speak your language and would like to join! Thank you so much!"

Surprisingly, Chishiya and the guy in overalls joined the team as well.

You started to tell each other your suits.

You breathed deeply when your turn came, lifting your hair so that the others could see the back of your neck.

"Spades!" Urumi giggled. The others did as well. But you didn't fully relax until you heard Chishiya's voice.

"Spades."

They were not lying, then.

But still, when it was time to enter the prison cell and declare your suit, you didn't feel calm.

What if they had lied? What if Chishiya had lied, as well, just to not be discovered by the others? He wouldn't have done that. He loved you. He had said so himself.

Was everything that had happened between you two just a lie? A preparation for this moment?

"Spades." You whimpered, barely audible.

The door made an opening sound. So they hadn't lied to you. He hadn't lied to you.

You were still alive.

And so was everybody else.

Nobody had died.

You saw the guy with the overalls smile at Chishiya, his excitement at being alive being met with a blank, unemotional stare. You sighed. Would it kill him to show a little bit of kindness and compassion towards others? The poor guy just wanted a friend, someone to trust.

So you got close to them, and smiled, as bright as you possibly could.

"Hi! I'm so glad everything worked out so well! What's your name?"

The blonde man looked at you, probably wondering what the hell you were doing, but you ignored him.

"I'm so glad, as well! My name's Ippei, what's yours?" You told him. "Oh, so nice!"

"Thank you! And what about you?" You turned to Chishiya, looking at him directly in the eyes. You had to pretend like you didn't know each other, that didn't mean you couldn't meet in game, did it?

And just as it had happened in a theme park after a game of diamonds in which he had saved your life, a long, long time ago, the man stared back. Only this time, he couldn't avoid the half-smile present on his lips.

"Name's Chishiya."

[pedrito-friskito]

casino royale (working title….) - triple frontier/oceans eleven crossover

I’m so intrigued!!!

heidi!!!!

ok detail wise…when I saw oceans eleven crossover/au I mean it…turning my favourite movie into a fic? let’s GO 🤍

and a healthy sneaky peek for you because I love u (and it just fell out of me when I opened my notes!)

You spot him the moment he sets foot in the casino, and it prompts you to slink into the shadows, disappearing into the labyrinth of slot machines and blackjack tables. Santiago Garcia looks exactly the same, even after three years in jail.

You wander around for a few minutes, trying to throw him off your trail. You can’t tell if he’s noticed you or not; he always did have a good poker face. But clearly your judgement is off, because not two minutes after you’ve settled onto a stool at the bar and ordered a drink, he sinks into the space beside you, and calls your real name.

Lifting a brow, you sip your drink, nodding at the bartender who just set it down in front of you. “You must have me confused with someone else, sweetheart,” you drawl, biting at the straw. “My name is Ella. Ella Fitzgerald.”

He smiles, that kilowatt, movie star grin. His hand extends towards you. “Pleasure to meet you, Ella. I’m Danny Ocean.”

You wrinkle your nose. “Like the movie?”

“Just like the movie.” He laughs. “You got a favourite slot machine in this dump, Ella?”

“Not here,” you say, “my favourite’s over in the lounge at Caesar’s. Stupid old thing with dragons and gold coins. But they don’t open till late, eleven I think.”

“Eleven?” he repeats.

You nod. “That’s right.”

Santiago nods. “Good to know. You have yourself a good night, Miss Fitzgerald.”

+

He’s waiting for you, in the doorway to the lounge. “Hi, Ella.”

You’ve had enough time since your first encounter with him to think things over, and to remember that you’re supposed to be partially pissed at him, if not slightly glad to see him. “Santi. How was prison?”

“Oh, y’know,” he quips, corners of his mouth lifting in a grin, “little crowded, little loud. The hell you doing all the way out in Reno?”

He’s dancing around the point. He was always good at that. “You saw Frankie?”

“I did.”

“Is he waiting outside?”

“He’s not.”

“You know, you’re a shit liar, Santiago.”

His hand flashes out and grabs your elbow, steering you towards a darker corner. To any passerby, you’d look like two people having a very…intimate conversation, but the cover works. “I’ve got a plan. There’s a part for you in it. Big takeaway.”

You purse your lips, glaring at him. “How big?”

“Eight figures. Each.”

Your brow lifts. It’s already an intriguing number. “Frankie in?”

“He’s only in if you are.” You sigh, and Santi squeezes your arm. “C’mon. I don’t think there’s a man alive who loves someone the way Frankie loves you.”

“He fucked up, Pope.”

He grins at the nickname. It just slipped out. But then his face goes almost solemn. “I know he did, Ace, but give the guy a break. He’s been through hell. We all have.”

You lift your brows, ignoring the prickling warmth in your chest at his use of your old callsign. Only Frankie, Santi, and the Millers were ever allowed to call you that. “Yeah, some more than others.”

[aggimaginary]

The Bad Guys season 1: Our Own Story (chapter 6) - Online Dating

First Previous Next

Intro

Mr. Wolf: Yeah! I'm bad!

Mr. Snake:You're bad!

Ms. Tarantula: He's bad!

Mr. Hornet: She's bad!

Mr. Piranha: We're bad!

Mr. Shark: Who's bad?

The Bad Guys: Yeah! We're the Bad Guys!

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*Some time ago in prison*

Diane was visiting the Bad Guys in jail where she was waiting in the visitation area. When they were called, a cop opened the door for them to see Diane, and they sat at the same table with her,

"Hey, guys. How was jail time doing?" Diane asked in concern.

"I have to be honest, it's a bit boring and no fun..." Snake started, but he was cut off when Wolf wrapped an arm around him to make him stop.

"But it was kinda great, Diane! We spend a little time together, we do service, and..." Wolf then shifted to Piranha and Hornet's sides, "And these two have some kind of chemistry together!"

"W-w-wait, what?!" Piranha exclaimed.

"Excuse me?!" Hornet squeaked.

"You're both stubborn and aggressive," Wolf pointed.

"I am not!" Piranha and Hornet answered in unison while crossing their arms.

"See? You always agreed with each other," Wolf teased them again.

"No, we don't!" Piranha and Hornet shook their heads.

"I am definitely seen a couple here!"

"You're not! Because I'm not! Phew!"

"Besides, Wolf. We're both guys! Two guys shouldn't be in love!" Piranha pointed,

"That's gross." And I'm a hornet, and he's a piranha. It won't work out between us," Hornet added.

"Uhh, Hornet, I'm a tarantula and you're a hornet. It worked out between us," Tarantula reminded.

"Yeah, but we weren't in love, are we? Plus, we're the same size, so we're supposed to be good," Hornet said.

"And Piranha, I thought you heard about the LGBTQ+ community. Everybody is part of it," Diane reminded.

"Yeah. And Hornet, you're pansexual. You're supposed to be in love with anyone!" Shark exclaimed.

"Yeah, well, I'm not feeling it yet, alright? Not even to any of you yet... Well, except for Webs, I already tried her, but it didn't work out," Hornet replied.

"You just need to get out there, and meet someone," Diane stopped when he realized the Bad Guys were still in jail, "I mean, you can find someone else here in prison."

Hornet rolled his eyes and groaned, "Ugh, whatever."

"Yeah, I don't think I have feelings for Hornet. And I'm not sure about the community you're talking about. I'm not into romance anyway," Piranha told Diane as he hopped off the seat, and wanted to head back to his cell.

When Piranha left and Hornet wasn't listening, Snake chuckled as he whispered to Wolf, "I think they won't last a month not realizing they like each other."

Wolf smirked in agreement as he held a fist with Snake bumped into it.

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9 months later

At the Bad Guys' hideout, Hornet was sitting on the coffee table, typing on his tiny keyboard which was connected to his helmet, and the screen showed interesting profile pictures on a certain website.

Tarantula was climbing up the table, and noticed Hornet typing on something, "Hey, whatcha doin'?"

Hornet was surprised that Tarantula was behind him, and quickly turned to her, "Uh, nothing!" he turned his helmet off quickly, and grinned nervously at her.

Tarantula lifted a brown, and guessed, "Are you… applying for an online blind date?" Before Hornet shut his helmet off a second ago, she caught a glimpse of what Hornet was researching about.

"No!" Hornet lied as he tried to cover up his secret activity, but Tarantula made a non-resisting smile that convinced him to tell her. Hornet sighed in defeat as he turned his helmet on to proceed with his business, "Yes."

"Then it's good for you! You never have anyone since… me," Tarantula mentioned awkwardly.

Hornet nodded as he didn't want to remember what happened between him and Tarantula, but he changed the topic as he said, "Well, things can be a bit boring, so I wanna try something else for once."

In truthHornet was looking for a date becauseas things got a little awkward between him and Piranha. It happened since the Gala of Goodness last year. He suddenly developed feelings for Piranha, his best friend. And he carried and hid these feelings for a while, even in prison. He even denied it in front of his friends. "I think it's time to put himself into the friendzone with Piranha. This has gotta stop! Just to save their friendship."

"You know, if you want a date, you should have a fake name, fake biography… and a fake species," Tarantula suggested," I know people weren't scared of us anymore, but that's what online dates do. And besides, this is your first time having online dating. You can't reveal yourself online all of a sudden. This is just baby steps."

Hornet was suddenly impressed that his ex-girlfriend knew about online dating, even though he was the one to be online all the time. He then turned to her as he was interested in her advice, "How can I do that?"

"Here. I'll help you."

When Tarantula grabbed Hornet's keyboard, Hornet followed him into her room.

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Meanwhile, Wolf came out from the elevator with a box in his paws. He opened the box, and revealed it to be a medium-sized gun, featuring a green glow.

"Oooh, this is gonna be good!" Wolf laughed as he was excited to use it someday.

Then, Snake slithered from his room when he noticed Wolf holding a gun green gun, "Watcha' got there, Wolf?"

"Oh, Diane lend me one of her weapons. Can't believe this is the first thing she gave us when we started our vigilante business." Wolf explained, "It's the WCFI XI Green Energy Gun."

"Oooh, one of Crimson Paw's coolest gadgets. I always wanted one of these," Snake came closer, wanted to hold it.

But Wolf yanked the gun away from Snake before he could even poke it, "We just have to use it wisely, Snake. We don't want it to fall into the wrong hands."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Snake didn't want Wolf to continue his warning, "What if we can use that for our personal things?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, maybe heating things up, even fried some food," Snake then moved towards the fridge, and took out a frozen hotdog, "Look, we could make a hotdog barbeque."

But Wolf still disapproved of this idea as he moved backward, still holding the gun, "Now, now, Snake, this weapon is not a toy. I think we should keep it up here until the time being."

"Oooh, so you're now my mom?"

"I'm just saying that since this is the first weapon Diane has ever giveus, we mustto put this to good use."

Wolf then put the gun on top of the highest shelhe couldto reach. He had to put that gun so no one would there to mind or touch it, not even Snake. After he put the gun on top of the shelf, Wolf walked back to the elevator to repair his car for the next heist. While he was gone, Snake looked at the partial view of the gun that was laying at the edge of the shelf. He smirked sinisterly while flickering his tongue out. Despite Wolf's warning, Snake still wanted that gun.

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In her room, Tarantula typed on her computer to make Hornet his own account for online dating. Hornet was watching her reviewing her job.

"Hmm, Painkiller24. Sounds good to me," Hornet said.

"So, I'll leave the profile picture blank, and I have to make you a biography," Tarantula said while continuing to the next step Hornet watched her typing his fake biography.

"Wow, that's a good one," he smirked after reading it.

"And… submit!" Tarantula pressed enter as Hornet's account was completed, "Okay, so maybe this will take a while to find you a date, so just sit back, relax, and…" They heard a chime from the computer, and turned to see a notification. "Whoa! Looks like you got one!" The tarantula chuckled.

"Let's see that!" Hornet moved the mouse, and clicked on the notification to see who had chosen him. He read the username in the notification, "BigEater30?! Hmm, nice username."

Tarantula clicked the username to open its profile page, "Well, there was no specific gender, and the biography is good. Looks like you got a date!" She then turned to Hornet while opening the chat box for him, "Here, chat with them!"

Hornet was a little nervous at first as he wasn't sure if this is a good idea, "Umm… what should I say?"

"Just say something like you were talking to me," Tarantula smiled as she stepped aside, and let Hornet take control of the keyboard.

When Hornet moved over, he gulped nervously, and started typing while speaking, "'Hello. I know we just met here online, but would it be great to meet you in person?',"

When Hornet sent the message, it replied after a few seconds, and he read it, "They said yes!" he felt so relieved that he finally found someone to date, and it was not his best friend, Piranha. One of these days, these feelings will be gone.

"Wow! Everyone believes in love at first online meet!" Tarantula laughed proudly.

Hornet went back to typing on the keyboard, "'Where would we meet?'!"

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Later, when Hornet left Tarantula's room, Hornet flew dreamily as Piranha, who was sitting on a chair, noticed him. "Hey, Hornet, little buddy, you look happy," he said.

"Oh, I just… Oooh, I can't keep a secret from you! I got a date!" Hornet squealed.

Piranha gasped. He was devastated inside. Hornet, his best friend, his crush, got a date? Wow, that was fast… but it's for the best anyway. Piranha didn't want to make things awkward between him and Hornet after their 4 years of friendship. He pretended to be happy for him, "No way! Really?!"

"Yep! They said they're gonna meet me on this street!" the hornet showed a paper where the address was written.

Piranha's eyes widened surprisingly, "Whoa! You gotta be kidding me! I have to meet my date in that same street too!"

"Wait, what? Really?" Now that's a shocker. Hornet would date someone else to get away from his so-called crush, but then, he has a date as well, and Hornet couldn't escape from it while his date is coming.

"Yeah, I met them on an online date."

"Wow! That means both of us are gonna have a blind date tonight! Maybe we can make it a double date!" Hornet was too nervous to think. Why did he invite Piranha for a double date?!

"Sounds good to me. Though, I'm a little bit… afraid," Piranha admitted. He wasn't afraid only because he has a new date, he was afraid because he might screw up because his crush, his best friend, will be with him the whole date night.

Hornet rolled his eyes, and tried to show support, "Pfft, knowing you, you were never afraid, you always lose your temper. What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid that what if my date doesn't like me because… you know," the piranha reminded his reputation as one of the Bad Guys. This was a good excuse to keep his feelings for Hornet a secret.

Hornet nodded as he agreed to the point. Then, he got an idea, "Hmm, you know what you need? A wingman. I can come with you." Darn it! Here we go again! What does Hornet have to be a good guy of the Bad Guys? Hornet then understood this must be one of the reasons his family abandoned him in the first place.

Piranha suddenly blushed as he couldn't see his date with Hornet closer to him. He'll go blush on Hornet, not his date, "Oh, no. I don't want to interrupt your date, I can ask Shark. Besides, he used to hit on the ladies."

Hornet rolled his eyes, but felt relieved that he was able to get away from this without doing anything to make an excuse, Oh well, I'll just see you there with your date and your wingman."

"What about you? Who's your wingman?" Piranha asked.

Hornet's arms dropped as he realized he didn't have a wingman, "I don't have one."

"Well, you better have one, Hornet," Piranha said, "Besides, you also have the same reputation as the rest of us. I don't think you'll be able to pull this off." In this way, Hornet's wingman might get him and his date away from Piranha and his date.

Hornet looked down, and realized Piranha was right. Meeting his new date alone would be a problem because of his reputation. He needed someone to support him, and he knew who it would be, "You're right. I do need someone. Thanks, Piranha," He quickly flew away

"No problem…, buddy," Piranha answered. He had to sound supportive of his best friend. Sure, Piranha was bumped out Hornet found a new date, but he was doing the same thing, and it was one way to move on from his feelings for Hornet.

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In her room where Tarantula was busy on her computer, Hornet came in, and closed the door behind him.

"Hey, Webs," Hope he didn't interrupt her.

"Hey, Hornet, what's up?" Tarantula put her computer to sleep as she turned to the insect.

Hornet was too nervous to ask his ex-girlfriend for help, but he calmed down, and asked, "Uh, I wanted to ask you… since you help me with my date, I still need your help," he confessed, "Would you be my wingman… or winggirl for tonight?"

Tarantula was surprised by this, "Oh, me? Why can't you ask Wolf or Snake or Piranha or Shark?"

"Piranha also has a date, and he got Shark as his wingman, and Wolf and Snake were too busy, so you're my only choice left," Hornet said.

"Well, I have nothing to do tonight, so… sure, I can be your winggirl," Tarantula said.

Hornet beamed as he flew towards Tarantula and threw his arms around her, "Thanks, Webs! You're the best!" Tarantula hugged him back. But, they quickly released before feeling awkward about the hug, "Umm, I hope this doesn't change anything between us," he said.

"No, not at all. I'm happy to help a friend," Tarantula reassured him as Hornet smiled back at her before flying out of the room. When Hornet was gone, Tarantula just shook her head while chuckling, "Oh, Hornet, you're hopeless without me sometimes."

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At night, it's Snake's chance to get that gun when no one is looking. He had to get that gun to barbeque his hotdog. He stretched his tail all the way up to the gun until…

"Hey Snake," Snake was startled when he heard Piranha's voice as he and Shark, who were wearing their formal tuxedoes, "What are you up to?" Piranha asked.

"Nothing! What do you think I was doing?!" Snake yelled while eyeing Shark and Piranha, who both walked towards the elevator.

"You don't have to be mad about it," Shark rolled his eyes before the elevator door closed.

"I'm not mad!" Snake yelled. When the coast was clear, Snake proceeded to slither his tail all the way up to the shelf to get the gun, but then, he heard another voice behind him.

"Hi, Snake!" Hornet greeted him as Snake stood still casually while staring at him and Tarantula, "How's it going?"

Snake groaned, "Ugh! Hornet, what's with the third degree? It's none of your business how it's going!"

"Why are you so mad?" Tarantula asked.

"I'm not mad!" Snake yelled.

"Okay…" Hornet murmured as he and Tarantula went to the elevator to leave Snake alone.

When Tarantula and Hornet left, it was Snake's chance to get the weapon. He slithered his tail all the way up, and grabbed the handle of the gun. Finally, he got it!

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Later, Wolf came out of his room and, called out to his best friend, "Snake, have you seen the others? I haven't seen them all day," But then, much to his horror, he saw Snake using the gun to cook his frozen hotdog. The green laser came out from its point to cook the frozen food, "Snake, what are you doing with that weapon?"

"What? Making it useful," Snake just finished cooking the hotdog.

"But that's not how we're going to use it!" Wolf yelled while marching toward Snake

"At least it was used," Snake pointed while still holding the gun

"That's it! Give me that!" Wolf grabbed the gun, and tried to snatch it away from Snake.

"Hey, hands off!" Snake hissed as he kept his grip on the gun.

The two started a tug-o-war with the gun, but their hand/tail accidentally turned the power level of the gun, and pulled the trigger, causing the gun to fire green lasers around the place, vaporizing small objects in place.

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Outside the Bad Guys' hideout, at the bridge where Hornet had to meet with his date, Tarantula fixed up Hornet's bow tie.

"Okay, I think that's done," she said.

"Too bad Piranha and Shark won't be with us. They will be coming here too, and we should have gone out together," Hornet smiled as he fixed his helmet.

"You know Piranha, he would be so mad if not everything is perfect," Tarantula reminded.

While waiting for his date, Hornet used that chance to talk about his feeling for Tarantula, "You know, Webs, I know the two of us didn't work out, but I'm happy you're still a good friend to me."

Tarantula looked back at Hornet with an appreciating smile, "Of course. You boys are my family, and I don't care if I'm the only girl. I just want a group of animals I can depend on, and who can depend on me, and that's you guys, even you, Hornet. Ever since we met, I haven't thought of anything about you other than being a friend. And I'm glad you're my friend. No, not a friend, but a little brother."

Hornet nodded, "Me too, Webs. You're like a big sister to me, and no matter what happened between us, you're sticking around for me, and I appreciated that."

Tarantula and Hornet shared a hug before breaking away. Hornet then pushed the button to put the lens on.

"Do you have to put your helmet on?" Tarantula pointed.

"Just in case my date was too afraid of me," Hornet explained while blushing shyly.

Just then, Tarantula felt someone coming with her setae as she guessed, "Oh, that must be your date!"

"Yes!" Hornet exclaimed excitedly as he turned, "Fun-loving BigEater30?" He pushed the button for his lens to see clearly.

"Hola, Painkiller2—" His date spoke until it was revealed to be Piranha with Shark as his wingman. Piranha shouted in shock when he saw Hornet, and realized he is his date, "HOOORRRRNEEEEEEEEEETT!"

"PIRANHAAA!" Hornet screamed in horror when he realized Piranha is his date.

"Uh-oh," Shark squeaked.

"Oh no," Tarantula facepalmed.

Here it goes again. Another awkward moment between them. Both Piranha and Hornet tried to date other people to get away from their feelings for each other, but instead, they were dating each other! Their online dates were each other! So much for trying to get away from each other, but Piranha and Hornet couldn't escape from their feelings for one another, even if trying to avoid them.

Just then, a green flash of just hit the bridge where the four Bad Guys were standing, and the bridge disintegrated into dust, causing the four to fall down.

Luckily, Shark landed on his feet safely, "Yes!" But he forgot that his three other friends fell down towards him as Piranha was the first one to crash onto Shark, then Tarantula, and lastly, Hornet.

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Back at the hideout, Wolf and Snake continued to fight for the gun, causing them to accidentally made a mess around the place, vaporizing small objects, and leaving explosive specks of dust on walls and floors. But the moment the gun pointed downwards, the laser shot under them, causing Wolf and Snake to jump in surprise, and dropped the gun in the process.

Wolf and Snake fell on the floor, and both panted tiredly from their fight. It took a few moments to catch their breath, and noticed the mess they made. They then looked at each other while panting. They saw the looks they made, and realized they were fighting against each other all for that stupid gun, and almost got themselves or each other killed. That was far worse than their fight at prison last year.

"What are we doing?" Snake whispered as soon as he got up.

"Yeah, what are we doing?" Wolf repeated in guilt, approaching Snake and picking up the gun.

"Maybe we're taking this a little too far," Snake admitted while looking around their almost destroyed hideout, then down at the gun

"Yeah… and maybe we can just keep the weapon until it's the right time to use it," Wolf said.

"Agreed."

But first, let's put things back where they used too," Wolf suggested as he reversed the optional knob of the gun, and he shot at all the disintegrated objects, returning them back to normal. Even the bridge outside when both Wolf and Snake noticed the bridge was gone after their fight.

After everything was fixed, Wolf and Snake joined together to put the weapon inside a glass box, and Wolf put it up on the top of the shelf. He even pushed it further so no one would see it to attempt to steal it.

When that part was over, Wolf and Snake looked at the mess one more time. All of the disintegrated objects were back to normal, but there are other stuff, which wasn't affected by the gun, scattered all over the floor, even broken pieces of fragile objects.

Snake asked, "So, what are we going to do now?"

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Minutes later, Wolf and Snake didn't bother to clean up. All they did was watch TV. To their surprise, the elevator made a sound, "Ding!"

When Shark, Piranha, Tarantula, and Hornet came out of the elevator with embarrassed faces, they found their hideout was a mess, and Wolf and Snake were watching TV on the couch.

"Uh, guys, what's with the mess?" Tarantula asked the two.

Wolf sniffed before asking, "Why do Piranha and Hornet smell like sweat and shame?"

The four cringed in awkwardness as they couldn't explain what happened.

"Uh, Well… You see, um…" Piranha stammered.

"We, uh…" But Hornet couldn't hold it as he confessed without a specific explanation to avoid the awkwardness and embarrassment between him and Piranha, "You know what? I don't care. I met my date tonight, and I am pretty darn proud of myself!"

Piranha smiled as he followed Hornet's method, "You're right, bud. I met my date tonight. My date is so little, and I think maybe he'll… I mean, she'll call me tomorrow."

"You may be disappointed," Hornet deadpanned as his best friend rolled his eyes.

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Credits:

Sam Rockwell - Mr. Wolf

Marc Maron - Mr. Snake

Craig Robinson - Mr. Shark

Anthony Ramos - Mr. Piranha

Awkwafina - Ms. Tarantula

Rhenzy Feliz - Mr. Hornet

Zazie Beetz - Diane Foxington/The Crimson Paw

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Author I.M. Rally

Co-Author TU4QU0I53T4IAN6L3

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So you're a tough guy Like it really rough guy Just can't get enough guy Chest always so puffed guy I'm that bad type Make your mama sad type Make your girlfriend mad tight Might seduce your dad type I'm the bad guy

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When Wolf teasing Piranha and Hornet as a couple is a reference from Hannah Montana: Get Your Gum.

Piranha and Hornet's surprise date scene was a reference to Kid vs Kat: Something About Fiona.

When Piranha, Shar, Tarantula, and Hornet asking Snake what he was doing and why he was mad after asking the first question was a reference to The Loud House: Tea Tale Heart.

The last scene of the chapter was a reference to Family Guy: Halloween On Spooner Street.

Note: The reason Hornet didn't fly when the bridge got vaporized and Piranha, Tarantula, and Shark fell was because Tarantula was holding his leg, pulling him down with them and preventing him to fly.

Special thanks to TU4QU0I53T4IAN6L3 for helping me name the new weapon Diane gave away to Wolf.

This is the first chapter focused on Piranha and Hornet's relationship, so… there will be more to come about in future chapters.

First Previous Next

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

Mitch Sago

"The train trip to Hull was long and tiresome. The older of the two officers wondered if we should be handcuffed during the station stops along the way, but the idea was abandoned. At one point during the trip I shared a seat with an RAF officer who had been in training in the west and was returning to England. After I'd made a couple of trips to the washroom at the end of the car, he asked me if I was aware that one of the Mounties always followed me. I told him that I was and explained the situation. He was deeply shocked and said that in his country people like us were either in the armed forces or working in production. He could not, for the life of him, understand what was wrong with Canada where people like us were locked up and denied a chance to serve their country. 

We arrived at Hull jail some time near midnight. We were brought to the office of the camp commandant, who was waiting for us. He looked the typical officer of the British Imperial Army, in which he had served at one time. His uniform was impeccable, riding boots polished to a fault. He could have been a movie stereotype. He paced up and down for a moment as Tom and I watched in silence.

Finally he picked up the detention papers on his desk and asked Tom McEwen his name. When Tom told him, the commandant looked annoyed and asked for his real, Russian name. He found it hard to accept the fact that a Communist had a Scottish name. After Tom repeated his name a few times, the commandant told him that it really didn't matter since he would henceforth be known and addressed as H4.

After giving the commandant my name (its foreign sound vindicated his backward theories), he advised that I would be known as H5. I was numb with fatigue and my first impulse was to tell him to shove it. Instead I told him I had a name and would continue to answer to it. He replied that I would behave according to the rules, or else. It was obvious that we were not going to see eye to eye on this, or any other, issue.

We were then escorted down the corridor to the heavy metal door of the prison inside. We heard voices lifted in song on the other side of the steel door. It was a song I had never heard before, and it moved me to tears. These were our friends and colleagues singing the Kananaskis song, a Canadian adaptation of the stirring song of the German prisoners of fascism-"The Peat Bog Soldiers." The commandant had given our boys permission to stay up and greet us upon our arrival. I remember the crowd of fellows gathered at the door as we entered, the greetings, hugs and handshakes, And I recall one of the boys shouting over the bedlam, "Geez, what took you so long?" It was an unforgettable moment.

The prison camp was a whole new world, gray and claustrophobic. Time was two-dimensional: inside and outside. Inside, each day was confined by stone and steel, barbed wire and bayonets. There was a sense of waste, of suspended animation. Outside, humanity fought for it's life and its future. All of us were garbed in POW uniforms with the red circle on the back of the jackets as insignia and target. We were marked men, prisoners of war, in uniforms decreed by international law. We had consistently opposed the enemies of our country, in return for which we had been imprisoned behind stone and barbed wire.

One of the great burdens of doing time in a concentration camp, in addition to the deep sense of injustice, was the indeterminate nature of the sentence. The question of "how long" had no answer. There was always hope that public opinion and protest would give that answer or that the war would end soon in victory for the allied cause. These were our only two doors to freedom.

Our overriding concern was with the war and the smashing of fascism. This was inseparable from our concern for freedom and our own participation in that struggle. We suffered with news of every setback and cheered with every victory on the battlefields of Europe, Asia and Africa. We urged our countless friends and supportive groups on the outside, by whatever means were open to us, to do all in their power to strengthen the war effort at home and abroad.

This spirit pervaded life in the prison camp. It was expressed in many ways, and in a variety of modest creative ventures. There were the beautiful poems by J.S. Wallace. Joe was already widely known as a great and talented labor poet. A number of his poems on the war against fascism were set to music by Ben Swankey and myself. While in prison he Wrote many others on the theme of man's inhumanity to man and on life in prison. Joe and I became close friends in Hull, and upon my release I took copies of most of his poems to try to arrange for their publication. I arranged for his first book, Night is Ended, to be published by Contemporary Publishers in Winnipeg. It was published in the fall of 1942, with a foreward by Margaret Fairley and an introduction by the poet E.J. Pratt.

The Flame of the Future Our country's young and our army's young.  But we hurl at our foes defiance! For we march as heirs of heroic years, And we march in a world alliance. For we march as heirs of heroic years, And we march in a world alliance. Our hopes are high and our hearts are high, As we march to the final battles! But if die we must, better deathless dust- Then the life-long death of chattels. A people in arms, we fight on as one, The flame of future inside us! While the glorious dead march on ahead, And the women we love beside us. While the glorious dead march on ahead, And the women we love beside us. Hull jail, 1942

A representative of the International Red Cross came to check conditions and to list materials and equipment we could use for recreational and cultural activities. There were many requests by our committee and individuals. I asked for an easel, paints, brushes, paper and canvas for art work, and for a supply of plaster of Paris for a project I had in mind. The commandant assigned the cells on the main deck as studios or workshops for those who needed space. I was one of four or five who accepted the offer.

My first project was to paint a number of posters for the war effort. I had no idea if they would ever be used or even see daylight, but I went ahead anyway. When the commandant saw me working on the first poster, "The Nutcracker," he became excited and asked if he could take it to Ottawa for the consideration of the wartime information people. I told him I would be happy to see it used, or even if it suggested an idea to one of their artists.

The work was slow. After I had completed two more posters and they were sent to Ottawa, I asked Major Greene. the commandant, if I could get photocopies of my work as keepsakes, regardless of what ultimately happened to the posters. He promised to try to arrange it, but nothing came of it. Only after I was released did I find out that two of the I also made poster-size sketches of my family from photographs and mailed them home. I made quite a few for my colleagues from their photos. After many weeks at the easel, I turned my attention to a project with plaster of Paris that became quite popular. I set out to make ash trays modelled on a caricature of Hitler's face. First I made a master copy, which had an elongated open mouth for ashes and cigarette butts; "Butts Here" was lettered on the chin. Ben Swankey and I devised a system of mass production and manufactured hundreds of the Hitler ash trays. Not only did my colleagues take a few to send outside, but hundreds were taken by officers and guards-even by a representative of the Red Cross.

There were two other projects in plaster of Paris that gave me many hours of pleasure, and also many headaches, and which helped occupy the time. I decided to make bookends from a reproduction of two hands that would give the impression of holding a row of books together. I selected a model with hands best suited for the purpose, and from which a plaster mold would be made. On the first attempt, we couldn't remove his hand, which was encased in a box of plaster. As we wrestled with the problem, dinner was announced. The model walked into the dining room with this clumsy box at the end of his arm. There were many good-natured jibes by those seated at the tables. When we got back to the problem at hand, some twelve sets had been made before the forms finally chipped and broke. We added a base and gilded the hands to complete the bookends. They looked attractive and we had many requests for more, but the one-armed diner incident discouraged other models.

The last plaster project was a bas relief mask of a facial profile. I decided to experiment on my own. I used highly refined sand as the base for the mould, and it worked. I mounted the copy on a polished wooden plaque and sent it home. I found out later that it was never displayed at home because my mother saw it as a death mask. I made another bas relief profile of John Navizivsky. He was good-humored about the whole thing, and quite cooperative. He also sent the finished product home to his wife. The detail was remarkable. Some years later, when I met the sculptor in Kiev who was preparing a bust to John's memory, I remember thinking how useful that bas relief might have been.

During this period, when arts and crafts were a feature of life in the prison, a number of fellows turned to woodcraft with surprising results. Painstaking weeks of work went into the production of tea trays and jewellery boxes, with intricate inlays of specially selected pieces of wood. Then came the stains, lacquers, and a high polish that gleamed like glass. Some of the army officers asked if they could buy the finished articles, with offers of $100 to $150 for a beautiful tray or jewellery box. My wife still has the jewellery box that Tom McEwen sent her as a gift.

The climate inside and outside the prison camp changed as time and the war moved forward. Not only did we feel that our release would soon be ordered, but so did the military officers and guards at Hull. Attitudes were changing. This could be seen in the way the guards on duty outside the small compound where prisoners could enjoy the sun would peacefully snooze with their rifles stuck in the ground on their bayonets. We'd wake them up when we saw an officer approaching. Public pressure was mounting for our release. People from every walk of life were demanding an end to the injustice. The first to be released, beginning in the early summer of 1942, were the critically ill. The authorities did not want any of the prisoners dying on their hands. But a number of the sick who were released died shortly after their return home.

A judicial commission was set up to effect the release of anti-fascist internees. The government had already made the political decision to free us. The commission would make it appear that we were released by due process of law. Our legal counsel, J.L. Cohen, advised us to appear before the commission and go through the motions of a formal hearing. This would be a different exercise from the one in Winnipeg a year earlier. That one was a whitewash to justify our internment; this was a formality that would authorize our release."

- William Repka & Kathleen Repka, Dangerous Patriots: Canada's Unknown Prisoners of War. Vancouver: New Star Books, 1982. p. 189-194

[chubbycaucasianchristiancloseted]

“Fact-Checks” from the left are amazing!

“Fact-Checks” from the left are amazing! If it’s something negative about the left it’s “they said they didn’t do it, we couldn’t find any proof, so it’s “mostly false””, but when checking the police “even though they deny it, there is no proof that they didn’t do it so it must be “mostly true””.

Why did we completely believed the “private autopsy” the family got and no the official one form the Medical Examiners? Do people not have faith in our institutions? Was Chauvin allowed to have his own “private autopsy” completed and then believed?

The race card is played over and over again in this. Holding someone at gun point only gets you 5 years in prison? Apparently when “Big Floyd” got out or prison, in 2013, he turned his life around, was involved in church and served as a mentor….then why did he have so many narcotics in his system and why was his tolerance for these drugs so high? Ahhh probably just unlucky, the only time he ever had drugs in his system was also the only time he interacted with cops.

Direct Quotes:

As cities worldwide erupted in protests over the death of George Floyd — a Black man who died after a white police officer knelt on his neck for about nine minutes in Minneapolis

No one thinks that he should have died in his arrest, but what I find despicable to be is that everyone is pretending that this man lived a heroic lifestyle when he didn't. …I refuse to accept the narrative that this person is a martyr or should be lifted up in the black community. ...He has a rap sheet that is long, that is dangerous. He is an example of a violent criminal his entire life — up until the very last moment."

The claims in this meme are a mixture of true and false, as we'll document below. In brief, the alleged crimes and time periods are mostly accurate, with the caveat that Floyd was convicted of theft in 1998, not armed robbery.

Not all the crimes resulted in prison time, but rather jail sentences; no evidence suggests a woman involved in the 2007 charge was pregnant; it's an exaggeration of toxicology results to claim Floyd "was high on meth" when he was choked by a cop, and there's no proof that Floyd was "getting ready to drive a car" before his fatal encounter with police other than the fact that officers say they approached him as he sat in the driver's seat of a vehicle.

According to court records in Harris County, which encompasses Floyd's hometown of Houston, authorities arrested him on nine separate occasions between 1997 and 2007, mostly on drug and theft charges that resulted in months-long jail sentences.

As to the details of Floyd's arrests, the first occurred on Aug. 2, 1997, when he was almost 23 years old. According to prosecutors, police in that case caught him delivering less than one gram of cocaine to someone else, so they sentenced him to about six months in jail. Then, the following year, authorities arrested and charged Floyd with theft on two separate occasions (on Sept. 25, 1998, and Dec. 9, 1998), sentencing him to a total of 10 months and 10 days in jail.

Then, about three years later (on Aug. 29, 2001), Floyd was sentenced to 15 days in jail for "failure to identify to a police officer," court documents say. In other words, he allegedly didn't give his name, address or birth date to a cop who was arresting him for reasons that are unknown (the court records don't say why police were questioning him in the first place) and requesting that personal information.

Between 2002 and 2005, police arrested and charged Floyd for another four crimes: for having less than one gram of cocaine on him (on Oct. 29, 2002); for criminal trespassing (on Jan. 3, 2003); for intending to give less than one gram of cocaine to someone else (on Feb. 6, 2004); and for again having less than one gram of cocaine in his possession (on Dec. 15, 2005). He was sentenced to about 30 months in jail, total, for those crimes.

Lastly, in 2007, authorities arrested and charged Floyd with his most serious crime: aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.

He pleaded guilty in 2009 and was sentenced to five years in prison. He was paroled in January 2013, when he was almost 40 years old.

Two days later, the county released a statement that attributed Floyd's cause of death to "cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression" —which essentially means he died because his heart and lungs stopped while he was being restrained by police. That announcement came just hours after Floyd's family released findings of a separate, private autopsy that determined Floyd had indeed died from a combination of Chauvin's knee on his neck and pressure on his back from the other officers.

According to the county's postmortem toxicology screening, which is summarized below and was performed one day after Floyd's death, he was intoxicated with fentanyl and had recently used methamphetamines (as well as other substances)

More Specifically, Floyd tested positive for 11 ng/mL of fentanyl — which is a synthetic opioid pain reliever — and 19 ng/mL of methamphetamine, or meth, though it's unclear by what method the intoxicants got into his bloodstream or for what reasons.

But more complex is proving whether "he was high" at the time of his fatal encounter with police. While everyone's reaction to and tolerance for such drugs varies, and the effects of mixing drugs can be totally unpredictable

Also, Hennepin County medical examiners stated Floyd's blood levels made it seem like he had "recently" used meth in the past, not that he was peaking on a high from it, and the county investigators did not list the drugs as Floyd's cause of death, but rather as "significant conditions" that influenced how he died.

In January 2013, after Floyd was paroled for the aggravated robbery, people who knew him said he returned to Houston's Third Ward "with his head on right." He organized events with local pastors, served as a mentor for people living in his public housing complex, and was affectionately called "Big Floyd" or "the O.G." (original gangster) as a title of respect for someone who'd learned from his experiences. Then in 2014, Floyd, a father of five, decided to move to Minneapolis to find a new job and start a new chapter.

[sinsofthelady]

Know Your Enemy

Pairing: Megatron/Reader Summary: Megatron kidnaps Optimus Prime's human ward and decides to force her into obedience. Rating: M Warnings: Rape Words: 3,600+

Story is under cut! I also have this posted on my AO3 account under the same name.

Trees whisked by, blurring into shades of green and brown as they flew past them. Her palms stung from smacking against the glass window enclosing her, much like a glass prison. The bleary sky only added to her feelings of being sent to jail, facing punishment for a crime she never committed. Gradually, they descended until they were below the treetops, settling into a small clearing in the thick of the forest.

A cry came from her as the Decepticon she had been in transformed, forcing her out and onto the cold floor. Her nails dug into the debris, scraping at the dirt as she spurted, collecting herself. Was there still a use for fighting? Her head still spun from the last time she gave a retort and the ‘con—Skywarp, she thought his name was—had flicked her with just a finger. A knot had already formed where he had touched her, and she rubbed it, instinctively. It served as a stark reminder of how much more powerful Cybertronians are than she is.

Her retort came out in the form of a whimper as she forced herself up into a kneeling position. She had no idea where he had taken her. Even if she knew how to track her location up in the sky, Skywarp would teleport from location to location, making it impossible to know where he was taking her. A likely reason why he was the one to kidnap her, she decided on.

Reverberations echoed up through her bones, as though something large and heavy was approaching them. Each step made her hair rise on the back of her neck. Deep down, she knew who to expect. Who else did all the Decepticons answer to?

Skywarp pushed himself off the tree he rested against, the bored look on his face morphing into a look of morbid curiosity. “Lord Megatron,” he greeted, his voice curling with a certain smugness. “She’s here as you requested.” He gestured his hand out to her huddled form.

Fear clenched her heart, sending a jolt of icy blood coursing through her veins. She had never seen him before, at least not in person. Optimus had made it clear she was not to ever cross paths with Megatron. He had given her explicit instructions to never go out onto the field in case she encountered any Decepticons. She had scoffed at the notion once, chalking it off as wishful thinking on his part. By hanging around the Autobots, she had placed a target on her back.

It was just a matter of time before she was taken by the Decepticons. All of Optimus’ efforts had only delayed the inevitable. Anger burned within her. Why hadn’t they taken the time to prepare her for the ‘ifs’? If she met Megatron, they should have talked to her and prepared her for what she should and shouldn’t do. But they didn’t. Instead, she sat on her knees and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hold herself from crying in front of a genocidal warlord from another planet.

A distinct sound of metal brushing against metal as Megatron transformed came from behind her, and she fought the urge to look behind her. “As you have, Skywarp. You are dismissed.”

For a fleeting moment, relief trickled over her as she watched Skywarp dip his head. His lips curled into a smug grin as he jumped into the air, transforming into his alt-mode. Soon, he warped out of sight, and a weight lifted off of her shoulders. One less Decepticon for her to worry about. But the memory of Megatron standing behind her, out of her view, sent the short-lived relief slamming against a brick wall, shattering like a burst of stars before her feet.

“You’re Optimus’ pet,” the gravelly voice came from behind her. She forced her gaze straight ahead, focusing on memorizing every groove and every knot in the pine tree in front of her, trying to forget Megatron was a few steps away. “Are you not?”

Lying was an option—but would it do her any good? He knew her well enough to take a gamble on kidnapping her. A warlord older than her entire species wouldn’t make a careless gamble unless he was damn sure who he was after was who he wanted. “I’m not his pet,” she grumbled.

A digit tapped her on the top of her head. Confusion washed over her in the form of a shiver. Wasn’t Megatron roughly the size of Optimus? Optimus always had to be careful when he tapped her, which was already a rare enough occurrence because one of his digits was almost the size of her head. The digit that had tapped her was much smaller than it should have been.

Megatron gripped her hair, tugging her head back so she could look up at him. “No? You listen, you obey. He protects you. He cares for you. Is that not a pet?” His optics were thin slits of red piercing down on her, but that wasn’t what had caught her so off guard.

“You’re—” She broke off, gasping for breath. Her chest rose and fell with quick, shallow breaths.

Megatron loosened his grip on her hair as he walked around her, pausing in front of her. “Smaller than you expected?”

She swallowed back the lump in the back of her throat, and she repeated her earlier mantra. I will not cry, I will not cry, I will not cry. “Yes,” she forced out. She winced, hearing how her voice broke.

A low rumble, much like a laugh, came from Megatron. He trailed two fingers along her jaw before roughly grabbing her chin, forcing her to keep her eyes on him. “You should be thanking me, pet. Taking into account of your smaller organic size. Now,” he said, his hand slipping away from her jaw as he backed away, “undress.”

A light, nervous laughter escaped past her lips. “What?” She searched his features for any sign that this was an attempt at a joke. But the way his lips twisted into a frown confirmed that he wasn’t joking, and her body slumped backward, propping herself up on her elbows. Words refused to leave her; all she could manage was to shake her head in a feeble attempt to answer him.

Megatron knelt in front of her, gripping her knee harshly, only lessening his grip once she cried out in pain. “I am offering you a chance to cling to some dignity. I suggest you take it. Take your clothes off—all of it—or I will remove your pathetic garments myself. You have fifteen seconds to decide,” he said as he rose back up to his full height, or as tall as he could be in this smaller form. He was almost two feet taller than she was. She furrowed her brows in confusion; how was it even possible for him to shrink?

She squeezed her eyes shut; she didn’t have the time to think about what he should or shouldn’t be able to do. Her time was rapidly ticking down. As if someone else had taken control of her, she removed her clothes with stiff movements, refusing to look up and catch Megatron’s cold expression. Her heart raced, painfully, against her ribcage as she dropped her bra onto the ground. Dirt scraped under her nails as she dug her fingers into the debris, bracing herself to push herself up and remove the rest of her clothes.

Megatron shook his head, slightly. “Stay on the ground.”

Anger and embarrassment burned behind her eyes as she glared up at him. “I have to get up if you want me naked,” she spat. Other Cybertronians seemed to understand aspects of human culture, such as the importance of clothing and what it means for someone to be without it. Optimus had once walked in on her changing at the base. For the remainder of that day, he struggled to look her in the eye because of his embarrassment. It had been amusing to see the leader of an alien race act so human in a way.

“Wants and needs are different things. Do not confuse the two,” his voice came as a warning, and she dared not look back up at him. There was nothing human, nothing kind, in the way Megatron treated her.

“This is degrading,” she mumbled. Tears threatened to spill out, but she leaned back, propping herself up on her elbows again, and wriggled off her jeans and underwear. She sat back up on her knees, wrapping her hands over her breasts. Alien or not, the thought of exposing herself to anyone made her stomach roil with anxiety.

Megatron let out a cross between a laugh and a scoff. “Is that not the point? A pet must be degraded to know its place.” He stepped closer to her, placing a hand on her head, digits brushing along her hair before gripping it, forcing her to look up at him. “You will submit, and you will obey me,” he pronounced carefully, letting each word settle over her.

Tears stung the back of her eyes as she glared up at him. Her mind swirled with all the insults she wanted to hurl at him, but some level of common sense kept her from voicing any of them. Iron Hide’s recollections of past battles hung heavily in the back of her mind. Despite being up against many Autobots, Megatron had been able to hold his ground. Even Optimus, a skilled warrior in his own right, seemed hesitant to engage Megatron in battle.

The thought of Optimus instilled some hope in her. With the help of other Autobots, he took care of her and made sure she was protected from Decepticons. Part of it stemmed from his guilt over inadvertently involving her in their war, and he saw it as his responsibility to ensure her well-being. “Optimus will come for me,” she said in a low voice, trying her best to keep her voice from wavering.

The corners of Megatron’s lips lifted into a sardonic smile. “Skywarp is useless if not for one thing. You are here with me, and thousands of miles away lies your phone. I believe that is what Prime and his ‘bots used to track you.” His hand trailed down, gliding over the bare skin of her shoulder and arms.

A shiver ran down her spine, and she winced away from his touch, as if he was tracing acid over her skin. “Don’t touch me,” she hissed, glaring up at him with all of the hatred she felt burning inside of her. Pain pulsed up and down her arms as Megatron gripped her wrists, harshly, and pulled her back towards him. Air whistled past her teeth as she gasped in shock. Even in his smaller size, he was far more powerful than she could handle.

Red optics pierced down into her eyes as he pried her arms open, watching her for any sign of disobedience before raking his gaze over her naked skin. Finally, he spoke, letting each word settle over her like a series of blows. “No one is coming to save you.” He knelt, bringing himself down to her level as best he could. He cast a shadow down on her as his frame towered over her. “As much as Prime cares about his pets, he fails to properly take care of them. If he truly cared about your safety, he would have had you chipped. I will fix that later.”

Fear pulsed within her like a bomb about to go off, and she glanced past him. There was nothing but trees and bushes for as far as she could see. How far was she away from another person? Was there cell service out here? In the rush of being kidnapped, calling for help had been the last thing on her mind. She had been overcome with a primitive terror, immobilizing her as she met her first Decepticon.

She narrowed her eyes at Megatron, tired of her fear getting the best of her. “Optimus will find me.” A cell tower had to be nearby Skywarp, and if her phone had a signal, then Optimus and the rest could track him down and make him tell them where she was.

Megatron let out a dry laugh, and his lips curled into a sardonic smile. “Let him come and see the way you beg.”

Pain coursed up and down her body as Megatron pressed down on her, pinning her beneath him. Tears brimmed in the corner of her eyes as she gasped for breath; her lungs felt as if all the oxygen in them was being forced out of her. “Get off!” she cried out, pressing her palms against his heavier frame.

He reached down and grabbed one of her hands, squeezing it uncomfortably. A warning of what he could do to her. “You organics are so fragile. I could crush you right now.”

Fresh tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes, and she scrunched them close. You already are! She bit back her retort. Her chest rose and fell with labored breaths, forcing herself to familiarize herself with the weight of the Decepticon leader pressing himself against her. “Do it,” she hissed out, snapping her eyes open and glaring at him. “Kill me.”

Time passed between them in the form of her chest rising and falling. The weight of her words seemed to still the forest, and the way Megatron regarded her—as if he had considered it—made her blood turn cold. He gave her no time to process his actions as he released her wrists and gripped her jaw, sending shockwaves of agony deep into her head and down her neck. She let out a muffled cry; her jaw felt as if it were about to crack under the pressure.

Megatron loosened his grip, but she had a feeling it wasn't for her comfort. “I have every intention of killing you, pet.” His digits traced along her cheek, past her temple, before knotting in her hair, pressing painfully against her skull. “You will return to Optimus, but you will always remain here.”

His free servo snaked down, forcing her legs apart, and her eyes shot open. A shot of horror bolted through her veins. “N-no,” she forced the word out, trying to push him away. She knew it was an impossible feat, but instinct did not listen to practicalities. It listened to the way her heart hammered, painfully, against her ribcage. It listened to the labored breaths she took. It listened to the cries of pain filling the space between her and Megatron.

This shouldn’t be possible, she wanted to say, but no words came from her, at least no coherent words. Megatron seemed to sense the question budding within her, or maybe he wanted to mock her further. “Did Prime never train his little pet?” His voice curled with disgust as he spoke Optimus’ title. “Always leaving others to do his dirty work.”

Fear paralyzed her, forcing her into a subservient acceptance of the weight on top of her and the blinding hot pressure pressing between her legs. Both of Megatron’s servos gripping her hips, painfully tight, ruined any illusion of the pressure pressing against her being a digit. “Please,” a final plea fell off her lips. She couldn’t think straight—everything she had thought she knew about Cybertronians was about to be ripped from her.

“Please, I’m not rea—” she broke off in a sharp cry as pain pierced her, and she gripped the plating of his chassis. Tears blurred her vision and stung her eyes as heat rolled off from whatever Megatron used to penetrate her. It must have been connected to him in some form, as he responded in kind, letting out a small groan.

“I could keep you,” Megatron said, static fraying the edges of his voice, making him sound distant, as if he wasn’t on top of her, holding her down. “I could keep you, and Prime would be none the wiser.”

Pain and fear had mixed, and she bit her bottom lip hard. The taste of salty iron burst into her mouth, but she refused to respond to him. A heat had begun to take fire inside of her—a literal heat, not the heat of arousal. Hot fluids pressed against her inner walls with each slow thrust Megatron took, and stars blurred her vision.

“Or,” Megatron said, breaking off into a grunt as he picked his pace up. “I could leave you at Prime’s steps. Let him see how well you handled my spike.” The low baritone of his voice sent shivers down her spine, and he dragged a digit along her jaw, guiding her to look at him. “Do you still think Prime will save you?”

Anger contorted her features, but she remained silent, refusing to give him any further response. She had this much left of hers to control. Her words, what she said, were hers and she wouldn’t let him take those from her, too.

Hot air escaped from Megatron’s vents, reminding her of a human huffing air out in frustration. A scowl twisted his features, and he bent his head closer to her. “You should be honored, little fleshling. I chose you out of your entire pathetic species to mate with.”

Mate with, his words echoed in her head, and her eyes widened in a sickening realization. Even with Megatron above her, she had been reluctant to accept that it was possible. Making excuses and reverting to ignorance of alien anatomy was simpler. But there was no ignoring it anymore. Her heart slammed against her ribcage, painfully, and she feared she would black out from pain or shock.

Had she had a bit more fire left in her, she would have snapped back that she wasn’t chosen for her merit—not that she wanted to be chosen—but that she was a pawn, a tool used to strike out at Optimus and demoralize him. Instead, she gave in, silently praying for the ground to open up and swallow her whole, perhaps to never let her go from its embrace.

Megatron seemed to have grown tired of talking. Instead, he focused solely on her body, eliciting whimpers from her with each harsh thrust of his metal hips slamming against her softer thighs. She knew there would be bruises all over her lower body once he was finished. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when Megatron had finally satisfied himself inside of her, spilling a much hotter fluid into her cunt.

Finally, she let out a cry of pain, and lashed out, desperate to remove the hot fluid from herself. A short-lived cry, cut off abruptly as Megatron smacked her, the harsh metal of his knuckles breaking open the skin of her temple. And she lay there, dazed and in pain, as he spent the last of his fluids inside of her, only pulling out when her whimpering had stopped. With it came the hollowness of it all crashing on top of her like a tsunami. No longer did she feel as if she was about to be torn apart from him; no longer did he press her down into the cold earth. Hot fluids trickled out of her in his absence, and she forced herself up with trembling arms. The last bit of desperation still clawing inside of her, hoping to free herself of any remaining traces of him inside of her.

“Look at me, pet,” Megatron said, and she did with great force. Fear drove her into obedience, afraid he’d decide he wasn’t done. Her eyes widened in horror, seeing what he had used to penetrate her. She would never have predicted that they—Optimus, Bumblebee, any of them—could reproduce sexually; it had never crossed her mind. But there was no denying what he had done to her, and a pulse of grief shot through her veins, filling her with ice. Her eyes burned, staring up at him with no tears left to produce.

“You will walk back to Prime. Let him see the way his pet was used. Let him know who has touched you. Let him see he has failed you,” he said. A wave of anger rushed over her like the coming of a tidal wave—gradual and certain, and she knew he got what he wanted in the end. Megatron gestured in the direction behind her. “The nearest road is west. I am sure you know what to do.”

She nodded, her body moving on autopilot. Wasting little time out of a fear he would change his mind, she stood up on trembling legs and collected her scattered clothes, and left him behind in that small clearing. Never once looking back at him as she rushed into the thick of the forest.

She would never tell herself, but a part of her stayed in that clearing with Megatron. A part of her died that day. But she pushed on, brambles and thin branches snagging at her clothes, slicing at her skin, until finally, she reached a road, collapsing onto the pavement.

***

Bright lights shined down on her, and she flinched away from them. “She needs more time,” she heard the distant voice of Ratchet. He sounded defeated, helpless. Her lips twisted into the ghost of a frown, and she blinked open her eyes, wincing at the harsh light. A groan came past her lips, and she tried to bury her head further under the covers.

“I need to see her, Ratchet,” Optimus said, and she lifted her head, groggily. Consciousness slowly gripped her, guiding her back to reality. Optimus called her name, gently, as if he was worried saying it too harshly would blow her away. And it might have, as she flinched under the sound of his voice.

Megatron’s voice rang clear in her head, do you still think Prime will save you? She turned her head away from Prime. No, she didn’t think he could save her anymore.

[seriesxwriting]

I’m gonna end up in prison anyway.

JJ maybank x you! <3

JJ is upset about jhon B being in prison and takes it out on you… but JJ soon realises he’s in the wrong and apologises confessing his love for you at the same time <3.

Warnings- kissing and swearing. I think that’s it.

Also just wanna say that I know all my writing has been outer banks characters but more characters are coming soon I promise. I’m just obsessed with this show at the moment :)

“JJ your an idiot!” I yelled at him once he’d climbed in to the speeding car explaining what he had tried to do. “well I’m going to end up in jail anyway so who fucking cares” JJ ran his fingers through his blonde hair avoiding eye contact with me sitting tight in the seat next to him.

“I fucking care JJ” I mimicked him in a calmer tone.

He looked at me still panting from the run “you alright?” Pope eyed his best in the mirror from the front seat. “Just a shit day” he inhaled and exhaled loudly turning his whole body away from me and staring out the window.

What the fuck was he thinking trying to bust jhon B out with that plan! We needed to prove his innocents not go on the run again.

Ki drove us back to where we were staying in silence. Her and pope went off in to the night talking about some random stuff, giggling some might say flirting. “y/n” he called out when I was walking away from the car minding my own business “what”.

JJ came around to my side climbing out of the white suit he was dressed in tying it around his torso.

“You still mad?”

“I’m not even mad JJ I’m -just worried” I stuttered trying to think of the right words so I would give him any clues to how I really felt about the boy.

“John B is in prison! I needed to do something It’s him you should be worried about” “I am! But I’m worried about you as well your acting like an idiot your not going to prison JJ so stop blaming all your shit on that, it’s not down to you we’re all doing everything we can to free him but your choices there down to you! So watch them”

“None of you are doing anything” he scoffed, I went closer to take his hand in mine. “why do you think your going to prison?” I whispered looking up at his beautiful eyes holding his hand in to my stomach.

“Because I am! Im going to end up in prison anyway so what’s the point” he shouted pulling away from me looking up at the sky with the roll of his eyes.

“well I’m not gonna let you!”

“You can’t do anything about it y/n were all fucked! ki just got kicked out of her parents house Pope hasn’t been home for days! My dad is a dick head- so is Sara’s and you, I don’t even know what your doing here you could go back home to you warm fluffy bed any time you wanted… John B is already in prison it’s just a matter of time before we’re ALL in there too” he shouted at me with tears in his eyes.

I wanted to hug him because he was in pain but he’d hurt me.

“FUCK YOU! I’m a pogue”

“are you? Do you want to be in prison with us” JJ asked me calmly with a hint of a smile.

I pushed him on the chest and he stumbled back a bit looking at my face knowing he’d hurt me.

“your upset …about John B I know, but you don’t have to be such an asshole! If you wanna fuck your life up and go prison be my guest JJ… but you won’t see the others in there, don’t say I didn’t try to help you because that’s all I’ve EVER tried to do” I shouted with a tear sliding out my dolled up eyes. Side looking him before turning my back with attitude and leaving JJ stood there. Alone.

I couldn’t believe I was actually in love with that ass, he’d never spoken to me like that how I knew he was just hurt.

But I wasn’t going to take that it’s not acceptable, no one should be spoke to like that and if he wanted me to forgive him he was gonna have to work for it. I went to sleep soon after that, on the beat up sofa with scrappy blankets feeling empty inside, though I didn’t get much sleep overall.

I tossed and turned for what felt like hours, playing back the conversation in my head overthinking it. finally getting to sleep around five am.

“Don’t tell me how to wax my bored!” Is what I woke up to.

My head was clanging from lack of sleep and the sun glaring down at me through the dusty window.

“Boys, SHUT UP” I sailed out to them, not being in the mood to be awake yet “sorry y/n! JJ is just being an idiot”

“what else is new?” I wondered to pope coming out into the straight heat blocking the sun with my hand.

Kiara and pope laugh at me while JJ stood there looking guilty underneath his sunglasses. His face showed that he regretted what happened last night but I really wasn’t interested at the moment. He’d pissed me off.

“Don’t you think he’s using to much wax?” Pope pointed at the bored in JJ’s hands.

“don’t tell me how to wax my bored! Jeez”

JJ lifted up his sparkling sunglasses up on to his head in anger at pope.

“I’m just saying…” “guys seriously stop it!” Kiara looked up giving them daggers clearly getting annoyed. “Remember when y/n suggested you shut up, listen to it!”

“wait shhh.. do you hear that?” JJ rotated his head and eyes away from me peering in to the distance of the road “is that…” I trailed off listening out. Jhon b swerved around the corner in his van with a huge smile on his face. The feeling in the air changed immediately.

“JHON B?!” Kiara jumped over the sofa throwing her magazine on the floor running towards him excitedly flopping in to his arms

The boys followed jumping in to a happy group hug I didn’t Wanna disturb. Though it did put a smile on my face.

“what the hell bro?” JJ slapped John B on the back with a beautiful smile fixed on his face. It was nice to see him genuinely smile.

“They let me go” he smiled shrugging while everyone took a step back.

“Come here” jhon B laughed putting his arms out to me, I’d stayed in the dorm frame the whole time just watching. I bounced over and we met in the middle hugging tightly. “Ugh it’s so good to have you back” I whispered softly

“but they just let you go?” Pope questioned confused.

“Sure did- charges were dropped, wheres Sarah?” He looked around and then at me.

“She didn’t come back last night” JJ sighed so I didn’t have to answer “she went to meet wheezie and didn’t come back” he explained again in more detail when John B looked at me for answers again.

Suddenly out the corner off our eyes we saw a speedboat heading to us, with topper and Sara. The confused ,but happy to be reunited, pogues all ran towards it but gently my wrist was grabbed. Stopping me from following.

“can I talk to you?” JJ asked with a sad soft face pointed to the floor,

“maybe if you actually look me in the eyes for once” I told him while folding my arms defensively so I’d get out of his grasp.

“I’m- sorry I’m so sorry y/n, I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that you didn’t deserve to hear that, it came from a place of anger and worry and sadness it wasn’t meant for you”

“That’s what I said to you JJ, I also said I was here for you but you can’t push me away like that” I attacked him with guilt “I know that…” “but theres a reason” JJ fixed his top setting it straight and looked dead into my eye.

This time he took my hand…myy heart beat quickened as I grew more nervous thinking about all the possible things he could say.

“Uh… okay, I really like you..y/n” JJ confessed with a smirk.

“W-what?” My words didn’t know how to come out and my body insisted on making me look like an idiot. I forgot got how to control my body, my mouth was open in shock with What the boy had just said.

“me?”

“Yes, you” JJ’s laughed filled my ears flicking his blonde hair out his eyes . “I said all that’s shit to you yesterday because I know I’ll never be good enough for you… and that hurts so I fucked things up.. but I don’t wanna fuck this up”

“You didn’t fuck anything up, I like you too” I told him softly snaking my hands up to his face holding it so he was looking at me. It was all such a rush.

“but you need to work on your eye contact because you have such pretty eyes” I smiled against his soft lips before kissing him.

Our tongues entered each others mouths and my hand held on to his blonde hair for support. We both pulled away out of breath and burning with the excitement of young love. leaning out foreheads on each other’s.

“Fucking hell y/n, I’d thought out every possibility about how this would go but none of them where like that” he breathed quietly, giggling holding my waist and bringing me closer to his body.

“I promise I won’t ever shout at you again”

“I can deal with the shouting JJ ,it’s the part where you put your self down! That hurts me because I believe in you”.

He looked taken back, “no one- has ever spoke to me like you have” he whispered in realisation, “well then you better fucking listen to what I have to say huh” I raised my eye brow chewing on my bottom lip

JJ nodded his head grinning down before pulling me in to a hug.

“thank you” he whispered in my ear. “For what?” I looked at him funny “for not giving up on me” “no I like you too much” I shrugged looking at the floor to distract my smile.

“I promise I won’t ever give up on you” I told him seriously.

JJ beamed and leant in for another kiss warming my heart and securing me in his strong arms.

[toodamnloyal]

The deck of the doomed little packet ship emptied quickly of sailors and pirates once the two ships were untangled from each other. It was a shock to realize that he was perhaps the last person still standing aboard her, watching the retreating back of the pirate captain as he clambered aboard Revenge, again like this whole thing had been simply a day in the park. Like there was nothing unusual about chasing the small vessel into a raging storm, splintering it by having bore down on the deck with the frigate, nothing unusual at all about standing on the deck until the last moment and sauntering away. Theodore watched as the man recovered from the slip and swung himself up over the rail and only then did the spell holding him in place break, he looked around and realized that the deck was indeed empty and he still held in place by the rope he’d been using to keep from being swept over by the waves that now towered far overhead.

Quickly the young officer started trying to untie himself, the rope had only been wrapped about his wrists but now it was tight. Theodore tried unwrapping it, then as time weighed on him, as the deck became more swamped and he feared being drug under or left behind, his motions became more frantic. “Let go.” He bit out through grit teeth, then again more pleadingly as he looked about for his lost saber and jerked his arm. It finally did release and he breathed easier. He was alone… he sighed … he could run now… he backed away from the railing, changing shapes in a ripple of feathers and half opening his wings… he could perhaps make his way out of the storm… they couldn’t be too far from land… the Caribbean was full of islands… or if not land then perhaps another ship, nobody would mind a crow sheltering out of the weather for a while. Surely.

Even knowing it was horrible idea but still feeling the need to at least try Theodore tried to fly away. No sooner did he launch from the deck than that terrible driving wind almost wrenched his wings from their very sockets. His feathers were ripped out, wings feeling like they’d snap and there was no hope of making an escape from the pirates or the storm. He barely managed to direct his path toward the bulk of Revenge and crashed into the side of the ship and immediately changed back to his human form just in time to grab hold of the netting on the hull in order to clamber aboard. His arms ached… His whole body ached from the short flight of mere seconds and Theodore hoped nobody had seen, or at least not noticed his stupid stunt. He was breathing hard by the time he heaved himself up over the railing and fell flat onto the deck, managed to lift shaking arms to push hair and water – and a few loose feathers, out of his face. ‘Wonder if I have any of those left or if I’m bald now.’

He sighed and managed to sit up, shivering now from pain as well as exhaustion and the soaking wet cold. Where had the Captain gone? Theodore shaded his eyes from the wind and rain to look for the man, again hoping that his little attempt to flee hadn’t been noticed, or that anyone who did see wouldn’t connect a wind-blown bird to their prisoner. He stood up, braced himself against the railing and suppose he should wait until someone told him what to do…did this ship have a jail? Was he supposed to presume he was wanted in the great cabin? Theodore stood on the mostly-empty deck and waited.

The Success was sinking, and The Queen Anne's Revenge was at risk of going under with her. Edward's crew, at the very least, seemed to be taking the danger seriously. The rushed to work at disentangling the ships, some of them hurrying to get back aboard the more sea worthy of the two.

One man did press a bottle of wine taken from the stores of The Success into Edward's hand. Edward looked it over, reaching a hand out to steady himself as the ship rocked beneath him. He was the only one who seemed oblivious to the danger around them -- and whether that was because he really didn't understand the very real threat of drowning that was quickly approaching or he just didn't care was unclear.

Tad did not respond to any of Theo's calls for him. The man would, very unfortunately, never know retirement.

Edward finally looked up from the bottle of wine, having let Theo talk the entire time he was reading the label.

"Hm? Yeah... I'm Blackbeard. Right. Not terrible interested in taking a swim for a sword, unless it's valuable. Standard issue?" he tossed the bottle over his shoulder and started to make the ascent himself, climbing ropes and splintered wood with the same nonchalant attitude that he had on the deck. He could deal with the Lieutenant later. It was assuring to know that there weren't any other officers aboard the ship. This wouldn't become a problem later, beyond the obvious repairs that would be necessary for The Queen.

The rain slicked everything beneath Edward's hands and he momentarily slipped, catching himself with a sharp laugh.