#BOY I'D LOVE YOU FOREVER IF YOU GAVE ME A COOL ROCK

[hollowtones]

my month-late PAX West post (& a catalogue of some things I saw and did and bought in September / late August)

PAX West was very fun this year. It was my first ever PAX and it was my first convention at all in maybe a decade. Any excuse to see friends is a good one & I love hanging out with the RTVS crew whenever I have the time and money to travel. ^_^ I even got to see some friends I've never seen in person before!!! (Thank you to Jill and Evan for the "Petal Crash" pin & thank you to Taxi for stealing my name tag by accident.)

I am very shy, and I have very severe social anxiety that causes me a lot of problems in my day-to-day life, so I almost didn't go to the RTVS meetup. People there were very sweet, though, so I'm glad I did. It feels very heartening to have people come up to you and tell you what the things you've made have meant to them. It was very hard to not cry. LOL

If you stopped by to say hi, thank you very much. I've been thinking about it through all of September and smiling a lot about it. ^_^

The rest of this post is largely pics of things Puzz and I picked up for ourselves. (And a little bit of talking about some other things we did.) I thought it would be fun to catalogue them. I tend to be a little thrifty, so I got to splurge on my wife. LOL

These were mostly things we got for Puzz because I didn't want to worry about lugging things home in a suitcase. But she keeps telling me they're our things, which makes me smile every time I think about it. Some of the pins are for me. I'd like to put them on my backpack... Hopefully they don't fall off. Jackie and Dodogama are friends.

The "Chicory" bag is a bit of a funny story. Puzz and I saw the "Beastieball" booth in the corner of the indie section. Very fun demo. Very cute booth. They have cool merch! I thought I saw Lena Raine working the booth, and I got really shy & nervous about making a poor impression, so I just kind of hid behind my partner. (I wish I had said hi, in retrospect... but we live and we learn...) So we just kind of shuffle off to the merch desk and talk to a very nice man there while we pick up some things. I work up the guts to say that I really like these games and that they mean a lot to me!! The guy says, well thank you, that means a lot to me and the team. Wow! Real swell guy, I'm thinking to myself. A day or two later Puzz and I are out to lunch with some friends and I just suddenly go eyes wide & mouth agape because I put two and two together in my head and realize Oh holy shit that was Greg Lobanov wasn't it. LOL

Puzz found a cheap copy of "999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors" for the DS at a retro game store's pop-up. They also had "A Bug's Life" for Game Boy Colour and a strategy guide for "Gex 3", both of which I wish I had picked up.

Mr. Basculin was a gift from Jake. Good news! Mr. Basculin is still alive.

This is all stuff that was given to me as gifts. (Aside from the con badges. They make you pay for those.) You've probably already seen the Bibi that Jake made me. "Chicken Run" was also from him. "Zapper" was from Puzz and the Gumby game (& the Bad Boe sticker) was from Scorpy. These games fuckin suck asshole!!!!!!!!! I'm obsessed with them & I'll cherish them forever. I also got a little rock and a human dog keychain.

I think Scorpy said a fan gave this to him at PAX East to pass to me eventually. I'm having a hard time reading the @ on it, but on the off-chance you see this: thank you so much. Every time I think about it I get a little teary-eyed. I want to get myself a little picture frame for it. (This is the first time someone's given me fanart like this before, and it made me very emotional. LOL)

Puzz and I only got 2-day passes for PAX, so we spent the rest of our time in Seattle hanging out with friends and seeing the sights. I don't feel like digging all the photos out right now, but we went to a really fucking nice jazz club (Dimitriou's Jazz Alley - great ambience, really good food, we saw Keiko Matsui live which was life-changing), we visited MoPOP (I hadn't been in years! It was alright! Puzz had some capital-t Thoughts about the whole place which was fun to listen to!), we rode the trains, I got a big bag of Dicks, we walked around downtown. There was this really nice coffee shop that I keep having dreams about, so I hope I can go back to Seattle soon. (Or at least eventually, next year.) Then we went to Portland for a day to say hi to a friend because the state was nearby.

Then we went back to Puzz's place in California. Then there was a major heatwave & a bunch of wildfires nearby... So we didn't have the chance to get out much in September. But that's okay. We've both been tired lately & I think we both badly needed some dedicated Not Doing Things time. It's just a shame that it was enforced by Dangerous Weather Conditions.

We got to visit some local friends and I got to try out more Bog-Standard Mediocre American Food. (Dunkin Donuts is just Tim Hortons. Olive Garden is kind of scary but the salad was really good and the breadsticks were fine. I had a middling hamburger from Jack In The Box tonight. Their milkshake was very good. I'm sure I'm forgetting others.) I went to a Macy's for the first time and the layout of the store made me have a panic attack. We went for nice walks and saw lots of nice critters and plants. I got to swim! I watched a mediocre PlayStation presentation! I turned 30 years old! Puzz took me to a very fancy and really nice Italian place for my birthday, in case you were worried that I was only eating garbage here. LOL

We got a lot of books.

Maybe too many. Also a Miles Davis vinyl for myself & some Gunpla as an early birthday gift for Puzz. And also the cookbook was a gift from family. But I'm very excited to tuck into more of these, hopefully soon. Some were for me and some were for Puzz but knowing us we're going to go "hey, I liked this one, you check it out" or "hey, I didn't like this one, but maybe you will" for a lot of them. I'm gonna start with "Annihilation" and the game essays book. ("House of Leaves" is a second copy for us, because my copy was originally Puzz's and I wanted them to be able to read it too.) I don't have room in my bags for much more than what I came here with, so we're gonna ship some of the books to each other when we're done reading.

It's been a very nice month... I feel very thankful to have a life full of love like this. I don't think I have anything else to add to this post! Thanks for reading.

[thebirdandhersong]

.

[fabledresources]

𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟗 ; a collection of prompts from taylor swift's 1989 tv! some prompts might have been slightly adjusted to work better as dialogue, but most remain unchanged!!

"𝐒𝐋𝐔𝐓!"

" being this young is art. "

" what if all i need is you? "

" got love-struck, went straight to my head. "

" got lovesick all over my bed. "

" love to think you'll never forget. "

" lovelorn and nobody knows. "

" i'll pay the price, you won't. "

" if i'm all dressed up, they might as well be looking at us. "

" if they call me a slut, you know it might be worth it for once. "

" if i'm gonna be drunk, might as well be drunk in love. "

" send the code, he's waiting there. "

" the sticks and stone they throw froze mid-air. "

" everyone wants him, that was my crime. "

" the wrong place at the right time. "

" i break down, then he's pulling me in. "

" in a world of boys, he's a gentleman. "

" you're not saying you're in love with me. "

" you're not saying you're in love with me, but you're going to. "

" it's a big mistake. "

" it might blow up in your pretty face. "

𝐒𝐀𝐘 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐆𝐎

" i've known it from the very start. "

" we're a shot in the darkest dark. "

" the waiting is a sadness. "

" i would stay forever if you say don't go. "

" why'd you have to lead me on? "

" why'd you have to twist the knife?

" walk away and leave me bleeding. "

" why'd you whisper in the dark just to leave me in the night? "

" your silence has me screaming. "

" you kiss me, and it stops time. "

" i'm yours, but you're not mine. "

" i'm trying to see the cards you won't show. "

" why'd you have to make me want you? "

" why'd you have to give me nothing back? "

" why'd you have to make me love you? "

" i said i love you, you say nothing back. "

𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐊

" you went to a party, i heard from everybody. "

" you part the crowd like the red sea. "

" don't even get me started. "

" did you get anxious, though? "

" i guess i'll never, ever know. "

" you grew your hair long. "

" you got new icons. "

" from the outside, it looks like you're trying lives on. "

" i miss the old ways. "

" you didn't have to change. "

" i guess that i don't have a say now that we don't talk. "

" i call my mom, she said that it was for the best. "

" remind myself the more i gave, you'd want me less. "

" i cannot be your friend, so now i pay the price of what i lost. "

" what do you tell your friends we shared dinners, long weekends with? "

" truth is, i can't pretend it's platonic. "

" i don't have to pretend i like acid rock or that i'd like to be on a mega yacht. "

" guess maybe i am better off now that we don't talk. "

" the only way back to my dignity was to turn into a shrouded mystery. "

" guess this is how it has to be now that we don't talk. "

𝐒𝐔𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐁𝐀𝐍 𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒

" you had people who called you on unmarked numbers in my peripheral vision. "

" i let it slide like a hose on a slippery plastic summer. "

" all was quickly forgiven. "

" you were so magnetic, it was almost obnoxious. "

" flush with the currency of cool. "

" i was always turning' out my empty pockets. "

" i didn't come here to make friends. "

" we were born to be suburban legends. "

" when you hold me, it holds me together. "

" you kiss me in a way that's gonna screw me up forever. "

" i had the fantasy that maybe our mismatched star signs would surprise the whole school. "

" you'd be more than a chapter in my old diaries with the pages ripped out. "

" i know that you still remember. "

" we were born to be national treasures. "

" you told me we'd get back together. "

" i broke my own heart 'cause you were too polite to do it. "

" you don't knock anymore and my whole life's ruined. "

𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐓 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐎𝐖?

" i slept all alone. "

" you still wouldn’t go. "

" i see your profile and your smile on unsuspecting waiters. "

" you dream of my mouth before it called you a lying traitor. "

" you search in every maiden's bed for something greater. "

" was it over when she laid down on your couch? "

" was it over when he unbuttoned my blouse? "

" was it over then? and is it over now? "

" your new girl is my clone. "

" and did you think i didn't see you? "

" at least i had the decency to keep my nights out of sight. "

" only rumors about my hips and thighs and my whispered sighs. "

" i think about jumping off of very tall somethings just to see you come running. "

" say the one thing i've been wanting. "

" if she’s got blue eyes i will surmise that you’ll probably date her. "

" you search in every model’s bed for something greater. "

[omniblades-and-stars]

“Lou-Bug, you decent?” Daddy asked gently as he knocked on the thin wooden panel of her childhood bedroom door three times.

Lou groaned and wiped her eyes. She was sprawled on her stomach across the entire surface of the twin bed that creaked and moaned just about as much as she did as she shifted to look over at the alarm clock.

2:14 P.M., it taunted.

Lou groaned again and tried to sit up, finding that she had an empty beer bottle still clutched in her left hand, and that her bed was damp and smelled like beer. At least it was beer, and she hadn't quite fallen so far as to be literally pissing drunk. She was still wearing the same pair of sweatpants and tee-shirt that she'd been wearing for the last two days. And as she turned to sit up, she caught a whiff of herself. A charming mixture of old beer and sweat that rankled her nose and made her stomach turn a flip.

She was disgusting, and she was disgusted with herself.

“Yeah, I'm dressed,” she croaked out and closed her eyes, shielding herself from the shards of jittering light caused by her current state of hungover consciousness. The posters of boy bands and swimsuit models on her wall all stared down on her in judgment, mocking her with their beautiful, clean skin, and perfectly styled hair.

Her dad slowly opened the door, holding a small cup of water in his hand, and a bottle of aspirin in the other. He quietly sat down next to her, passing the cool glass to her waiting hands and then set about opening the bottle. He waited until she took some of the medicine and drank the rest of the water before fixing eyes that looked terribly similar to hers on her, with a concerned bent to his thick brows.

“Louie, heard you cryin’ last night,” he said quietly. He rested his hands, slightly wrinkled and weathered by the sun and his carpentry, on his knees.

She looked down at her feet and tried to fight the trembling in her lips, but she lost the battle and tears began to fall. “I'm stuck, daddy. Every time I look at that offer to go back to Ariake … I just,” her voice faltered and she gave over to quiet sobs. As Joseph Miller wrapped his arm over her shoulder and pulled her in tight to his side, she whispered, “I can't go back. I'm too scared to go back.”

“Bug, you know I'd love it if you stayed here forever, but it ain't good for you,” Joe said kindly. “Baby girl, you don't have to go back to Ariake. You don't even have to go back to bein’ in a lab. Honey, there's a whole galaxy just waitin’ for you to go and show it your smile.”

Lou smiled and wiped her eyes on the back of her hand. “You're such a sap,” she rocked her shoulder into his chest. “If I leave Earth, I won't get to see you as much.”

“Bug,” he started sounding very serious all of a sudden, “Don't you ever put your life on hold for your old man, you hear me? I ain't goin’ nowhere. I'll be here whenever you get a chance to come visit. Don't stay in this shit town just cause I can't leave it.”

“I wouldn't even know what to do if I left.”

“I bet there's technology out there that would blow your mind, baby girl. It's just waiting for you to get your hands on it and make it better.” He suddenly wrapped her neck in the crook of his arm and rubbed his knuckle against the crown of her head, “Or you can take all that money you got and just go enjoy your life dingbat, have an adventure. Hate seeing you like this.”

Lou couldn't help but erupt into fits of laughter as she pushed Joe back and made a passable attempt and smoothing her greasy hair back down. “Fine, fine. I see your point. I'll think about it.”

“Good. Now, please, for the love of God and all things holy, please take a shower. You smell real fuckin’ bad, Bug. Like a dead possum. You might need to burn these clothes-”

“Alright, alright. I get it, old man. I'll shower soon as I slam a sandwich.”

Daddy patted her knee a couple of times before standing and crossing to the door, “That's my girl. See ya in the workshop later? Could use your help.”

“If the headache goes away, I'll be there.”

Joe Miller knocked on the wood paneling of her door three times again as he gently closed the door. His knocking was followed by a fit of gasping coughing. Lou grimaced as she heard him knocking on the door to his bedroom three times as he entered.

It was a knocking day again.

[pastel9girlbunny000die]

The monster trio Destroying their s/o Nest !

{The idea of the trio destroying their omega's nest was really funny to begin with}

Warning: None, well there is slightly little bit if bad language

Monkey D.Luffy 🍖🍖🍖

🍖Luffy didn't know what happened

🍖One minute he was care freely running around than the next he tripped landing on a pile of clothes blankets and stuff animals .ect

🍖In all honesty he didn't think much of it, I mean it just clothes...

🍖But No!

🍖This dumb meat brain picks it up stuffing the items into whatever drawer or closet he could find, thinking he did a good "clean up" duty.

🍖And just runs off to continue playing with Usopp and Chopper.

🍖Later on when you return with Sanji from the local market that the Sunny is currently dock at.

🍖"Thanks for the help, (Y/n)." Sanji said as he and placed down the groceries in the kitchen.

🍖"No prop." You smiled leaving the cook to his work, the blond gleefully started cooking for dinner knowing he has a lot to do.

🍖With Luffy on the crew he won't just be feeding one person more like an army in fact.

🍖(Y/n) left as they walked back on deck feeling the warm air and relaxing atmosphere around them it was all quite but all good things must come to an end.

🍖"Hey, (Y/n) check out this beetle it's as big as my hand look look!" (Y/n) turned seeing their captain, (Y/n)'s alpha their bonded mate.

🍖Luffy happily ran to his omega wanting to show them the bug which they flinch at, (Y/n) despised insects just as much as Nami and Sanji does so naturally they back up a little away from their lovingly childish alpha

🍖"No thanks Luffy but I'm going to take a nap."

🍖"Yeah! Than I'll take one with you." Luffy jumped around excited to spend time with his s/o.

🍖Placing the bug down rush after his omega following them down to a specific room below deck.

🍖When (Y/n) open the door they seemed a little confused thinking they must have walked into the wrong room.

🍖No this is the right room

🍖What happened ? It's all gone!!!

🍖An omega's Nest usually a place where an omega can be comfortable, whether if they are in heat or just having a bad day.

🍖But where's (Y/n) nest?

🍖"Luffy where i-is my n-nest?" (Y/n) questioned pointing at the empty room infront of them tears building up into their eyes body trembling as they point to the "missing nest" looking over their shoulder at Luffy who seemed confused.

🍖The alpha could scent that their omega is in distress and anger.

🍖"Nest? Huh?... All that was in there was a blankets and pillows what nest?"

🍖"Luffy what happened to my nest?" At this point Luffy's s/o was in full blown tears sobbing and whimpering.

🍖"(Y/n) I don't know what you're saying? All I did was clean up you know being grown up like you said." Luffy laughed being clueless like always.

🍖"Luffy you idiot!" (Y/n) yelled slamming the door in Luffy's face.

🍖Don't worry he didn't stay clueless forever, Nami saw the he thing go down.

🍖Gave him a hell of a beating.

🍖Afterwards explains to him what he did wrong in the most simplest way possible to screw it through his thick head.

🍖(Y/n) with a tears stain face and a sad look quietly took out blankets and pillows where every they could find some scenting a few stuff animals, working on repairing thier nest little whimpers leaving thier lips everytime the fortress flops apart.

🍖Soft knocks traveled from the door catching (Y/n) attention.

🍖"hey~" Luffy's head peaks through a purr leaving his mouth as he tries to lighten the situation and calming his omega.

🍖"What?" (Y/n) says wanting to sound mean but it came off more of a sob.

🍖"Sorry. My omega." Luffy placed his strawhat onto (Y/n) head it was filled with his scent calming down the sad omega, the hat (Y/n) wore many times before Luffy wouldn't easily let others wear it, other than those who he trusts with all his heart.

🍖"I'll help you." Luffy sat down on his knees next to (Y/n) taking up a few pillows into his arrms

🍖"Thank, you Alpha." (Y/n) wrapped their arms around Luffy's neck taking in a long breath of his scent.

🍖"Can, can you also scent a few things, please."

🍖"Yeah!"😃

🍖"And I'll start with you!"😚

🍖"W-what?!"😳

Roronoa Zoro ⚔⚔⚔

⚔Yes Zoro knows what nesting is

⚔The only way he knew was when his s/o direactly came up to him and told him.

⚔He didn't mind he secretly thought it was cute, rare to see such a adorable omega, his omega crawled into their nest looking all comfy and happy.

⚔But over time he started missing clothes, he just shrugged it off, not really caring cause he knows you have been sneaking some of his stuff into your nest.

⚔Like every omega they want their alpha's scent near them for comfort emotional times or during heat.

⚔He couldn't care less

⚔but he'd still scent anything you ask, he would even do it when you don't ask.

⚔But there's one thing (Y/n) wanted more than any piece of Zoro's clothes in their nest

⚔Zoro's haramaki.

⚔It was hard for them too just go up and ask him for it, he'd say no cause he usually carrying his swords with it.

⚔So all they could do was steal it when the marimo was in the shower.

⚔It was successful!

⚔The green haired swordsman, Alpha didn't noticed it was missing till he tried placing his swords in thier place but instead dropped to the ground though to the missing Haramaki that was not around his hips.

⚔At first he thought he must have misplaced it.

⚔He even ended up looking in the laundry room but no luck.

⚔Until his omega that means the whole world to him came to his mind, you must have seen it right?

⚔At first you denied it, "No. I haven't? Last I saw it you were wearing it." (Y/n) try their best to keep Zoro's off their tail and laying to your alpha feels like your betraying them.

⚔Somehow he ended up looking in your nest, he felt bad about invading your privacy but he has to have his Haramaki back he just gotta.

⚔But it was also weird that (Y/n) stop asking for stuff to be scent or being scented themselves.

⚔Zoro dig through the tent like nest pulling out blankets and throwing pillows out.

⚔Found It! His precious Haramaki.

⚔"Why would (Y/n) lay?" Zoro mumble to himself putting the Piece of clothes back on.

⚔"No! Stop destroying my nest!" A voice yelled at the alpha from behind as he was tackled to the ground.

⚔"Why did you had to find it this soon, I was going to give it back later." (Y/n) pouted giving Zoro puppy eyes tugging at the material around his hips.

⚔"So you took it, you know it's not good lay to you alpha, little omega~" Zoro smirked in quick movement pinning his omega down beneath him sitting in between their legs.

⚔"Bad Boy/Girl~ but why my Haramaki?" Zoro purred sending shivers down your spine the omega in you turned on by your dominant alpha, just hovering over you.

⚔"I wanted something... you use everyday."

⚔"mmmh~"

⚔"Well I'm going to have to punish you, I skipped too many training and napping sessions looking for this."

⚔"Wait, alpha-" (Y/n) was shut up before they could finish as the alpha above took them right there and then...

⚔Next thing you took was his bandana😏

Sanji Vinsmoke 🚬🚬🚬

🚬Sanji loves your nest, his in there everytime when you allowed it made him feel so special. Because he is. He is your alpha mate duh. especially when you have your heat😏

🚬Butttttttt now his currently in a huge crisis.

🚬how did it happen... well...

🚬A while ago he finished making some delicious tropical drinks for the ladies and yours is made the best of the best.

🚬He made it exactly to your liking with every thought of you in mind, it made his alpha very pleasing to serve you.

🚬Despite what genders his omega is or how they met, he'd be on his hands and knees giving you all he has.

🚬He happily bouncing into the room where his omega's nest was built.

🚬"Look what daddy brought you my pup~" Sanji sang kneeling down to the nest opening the cover looking in the nest like tent.

🚬His smile dropped when his s/o was nowhere to be seen, thinking you must have left for the bathroom or something?

🚬"Oh well."

🚬Suddenly the ship rocked, a wave or one of Luffy's stupid doings.

🚬.... That was the least of his worries...

🚬The drink slipped from the tray spilling into (Y/n) nest!!!!

🚬😱!!!!!!!!!!!😱

🚬This was the end of him.

🚬That bring us to how he ended up in this situation to begin with.

🚬"No no no no no no !!!" Sanji panic pulling out the wet blankets and pillows with some of his shirts or pants.

🚬You just recently gave him free access at anytime to be in your nest, after this your not going to near your nest in his life time again

🚬He broke your trusts

🚬He shattered his nesting fantasies

🚬Its all down the drain

🚬is what he currently felt like while pulling all the wet stuff out.

🚬At some point the blanket he was pulling got stuck so he pulled harder bringing down the hole nest came crashing down.

🚬Now his fucked.

🚬Sinking to his weak knees as he tears drip from his eyes he got to an ugly sobbing, and his scent change to a gloomy disgusting scent one that he doubt you would want to be scented in.

🚬And worst of all fear of you declining a bond between the two of you.

🚬...

🚬(Y/n) opened the door immediately catching the sight of their alpha on the floor kneeling infront of the door his forehead though the floor boards.

🚬"Daddy, what happened?" You looked at your destroyed nest behind him and his scent made you hold you nose shutting it tightly for the first time, glance back down at the blonde, worried and confused.

🚬"Icameintogiveyoudrinkthanshipmovelostbalancedroppeddrinkonnesttridetockeanbutmadeitworstpleasedontleavemeilldoanything!!!!!!"

🚬"Huh?" (Y/n) titled their head to the side not getting anything he said, kneeling down on front of him, "Its okay, I can just fix the nest stop crying, is okay alpha." (Y/n) purred letting off a relaxing soft and sweet scent as he cooled him down his nerves stopped sky rocketing.

🚬Rubbing his back helped and your soft caring loving words lighten his atmosphere and his hopes.

🚬"Pup~"

🚬"Yes, daddy?~"

🚬"Sorry."

🚬"it's okay I'd never hate you for something that wasn't your fault, is fine your honest with me and tried to make it all better."

🚬"My pup~" Sanji yelled his mood completely turned squeezing the daylights out of his s/o

🚬"But you not allow in my nest for the next 2 weeks."

🚬*Sanji Instantly cried again*😭😭😭

[metalheddie]

Are You Lonesome Tonight?

summary: Reader and Spencer's relationship is on the rocks, but they manage to work it out.

tw: light swearing, arguments

word count: 2.3k

genre: angst/fluff

a/n: This is a songfic after "Are you Lonesome Tonight" by Elvis! This one is honestly one of my favorites to write :0 and don't worry, it's not super sad, just a little :)(Reader goes by she/they)

This has been going on for far too long now. Y/n couldn’t take it anymore. They felt alone in their own lovers’ arms, he was like a stranger, a ghost of the man they once knew. They loved him still, so much, but he was distant and he never talked to them about the things he was obviously stressed or drained from.

Y/n just wanted to help him but he never gave them a chance to, they’re actively being pushed away and it’s a pain that they never thought they would experience in this lifetime. So they decide to talk to Spencer about it.

“Spence…?” She calls from his bedroom doorway. He’s sitting on his bed cross-legged surrounded by piles of books, and his head in his hands.

The case he had just gotten back from was a difficult one, to put it mildly. Teens held hostage by another student, who was a lot like Spencer. Too smart for his own good and always overlooked by his peers. He couldn’t save them all and it was eating him up inside. He didn’t look up from the page he was dwelling on. Re-reading and trying to fit all the pieces together that he missed. You hated seeing him like this. Broken and isolating himself, throwing himself into his work where he would eventually drown.

You walk over to the bed and place your hand on his knee. He flinches back away from your touch. He’s never done that before and it breaks your heart. You retract your hand and sit on the ottoman next to the bed. You both sit in the uncomfortable silence for a little while before you say,

“Spence… I know you’re having a difficult time right now, but I really think we should go on a walk or something, just to clear your head-”

“No, y/n. I’m fine. I don’t need your help right now. Just leave me be.” He said with venom in his voice. He’s never talked to you like that before, and it hurts like hell.

“I- ok I will, but Spence at least let me get you some water or something, please just let me help-” you tried to reason with him.

“I said get out! I don’t need you here!” he shouted. That was the last straw for you.

“Fine! I’ll leave you here for the next week and a half dwelling on all the things that you could have done when you should be trying to recover from all this. All you do is push people away when you’re upset and you never think of the consequences or the people you hurt in the process.”

You lost your cool then. All the pain you’ve been feeling for the past couple of months spilling out like a dam bursting.

“The BAU’s Golden boy who could do no wrong, huh? Well, I think that’s bull. Don’t call me until you put your big boy pants on and want to talk about what’s going with you.”

Y/n could see his jaw clenching so hard his teeth might split, but at that moment they could care less. She was done being the subject of his emotional whiplash. With that, you left with tears streaming down your face and a heart so heavy you thought you would collapse from the weight of it.

~

It’s been a week and 4 days since y/n has talked to Spencer. There hasn’t been a call, text, email… nothing. She misses him of course, but she has to stand her ground. It’s so difficult not being able to pick his big beautiful brain for ideas for her songs. Y/n realized she depended on him more than she thought. She wants to pick up the phone and call him so badly, to tell him that she’s sorry and that she went too far, but pride is holding her in an iron grip and it’s almost suffocating.

All y/n has been doing is working on their covers and desperately trying to find inspiration for their next song. They haven’t had any luck so far, their mind is too preoccupied with how Spencer is holding up after what happened that night. To try and distract themselves from their own mind, they put on their favorite oldies playlist and lay on their floor.

The first few chords of their favorite song play and then,

Are you lonesome tonight

Do you miss me tonight?

y/n closes their eyes and lets a few tears slip past their lashes. Oh, how they miss their lover so…

~

Spencer hasn’t left his apartment all weekend. Wading in the guilt he felt over hurting the most important person in his life. He hadn’t meant to snap at them like that...or any of the other times it happened over the last few months. He’s pacing his apartment trying to distract himself from his own mind.

On Monday as he walks into the bullpen, he tries to keep his microexpressions in check so the team doesn’t try to profile what he’s going through. All he wants to do is get his paperwork done and go home. To do what? He’s not sure, especially because his partner won’t be there with him. Just thinking about it like that makes him tear up. He’s eventually able to pull himself together with a few deep breaths, but not without Derek catching on at the last minute.

Derek looks up from his paperwork right as Spencer hangs his head in an attempt to stop the tears from falling. Derek knows how private Spencer is when it comes to his love life, hell he’s only met his partner once the whole time they’ve been dating. He knows something’s wrong and he cares about the kid, so he walks up to him and says

“Hey, boy genius, what’s on your mind?”

Spencer turns to him, trying to keep it together. “Just thinking about this case….” He held up (what he thought to be) a random file.

“You sure about that, kid?” Derek said while reaching for said “file” which really turned out to be a loose page of his handheld calendar with a red heart around one of the days.

Derek only had to look at it for a moment to know exactly what was wrong. He was having relationship problems and suddenly he was floundering. Derek knew that feeling all too well, knowing that the job had put such a strain on his past relationships.

Spencer whips around and stares at the page, tears welling in his eyes that threaten to spill. He grabs at it and takes it back without a word. He’s embarrassed and upset and this day isn’t going as smoothly as he’d wished. Derek pulls up a chair and clears his throat to get his attention. Spencer turns to him with a look he can’t quite read. He says,

“Look, kid… I know relationships can be tough, especially in this line of work, but we have to push through the bad stuff to get to the good parts that we’ll remember forever.

Spencer sat in silence, contemplating his words.

“Do you love her?” he asks, even though he already knows the answer.

“Yes… A thousand times yes. When days and cases get really bad, she’s the only thing that keeps me going…” tears glistening in his hazel eyes.

Derek nods and leans forward. “Go to the place you think she might be… you mentioned she sings at that jazz club uptown right?”

Spencer nods, knowing where he’s going with this.

“Ok, so tonight you’ll go and see if she’s there.” Giving Spencer a small smile and pats him on the back.

He leaves for his desk and leaves Spencer alone with his thoughts once more. He would do anything to see his lover again...

---

That night Spencer found himself at the Black Rabbit Jazz Club, all by his lonesome. Sitting at the bar waiting for open mic night to start. He was replaying their fight over and over again in his mind when he heard the first chords of Y/n’s favorite Elvis song flow through the speakers. Then he heard it… The voice he’d come to know and love, filled with honey and gold.

Are you lonesome tonight?

Do you miss me tonight?

Are you sorry we drifted apart?

He turns in his chair to see Y/n, in a sleek black cocktail dress with fishnets and 40’s style heels. She’s always had an affinity to dress to the club’s feel. Her hair is situated to frame her face beautifully and the spotlight she’s given makes her look like an angel, his angel.

Does your memory stray to a brighter sunny day

When I kissed you and called you sweetheart?

They’re scanning the crowd to find a spot, or someone, to focus on to pour their heart into. Suddenly a familiar face appears to them in the crowd.

Spencer

It takes everything in them not to jump off the stage and run to him. Instead, she chooses to pour her heart out to him the only way that would seem to fit, through song.

Do the chairs in your parlor seem empty and bare?

Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there?

Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again?

Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?

At this point, Spencer is in awe of his partner. Holding eye contact with her as she sings, knowing how much emotion is behind those words. He’s shed a few tears at this point, but she’s not finished.

She steps off the stage with the mic and walks through the tables and chairs in the audience gracefully. She says,

“I wonder if you're lonesome tonight, Fate had me playing in love with you as my sweetheart. Act one was when we met. I loved you at first glance,”

She was looking right at him now, baring her soul to him while he stared in awe into hers.

“You rambled your facts so cleverly and never missed a clue. Then came act two. Honey, you lied when you said you loved me, and I had no cause to doubt you. I'd rather go on hearing your lies, Than go on living without you.”

At this moment Y/n had let go just enough to let a single tear fall past her lashes, creating a faint trail of mascara with it. Though it was getting tough to hold it together, the show must go on.

“Now the stage is bare and I'm standing there, with emptiness all around, and if you won't come back to me then make them bring the curtain down.”

Spencer dropped his head to hide the tears falling from his eyes then. Seeing them so emotionally exposed in front of him like this was rare. Especially after putting up with so much.

By then Y/n had made their way back onto the middle of the stage and sang the ending lines of the song while staring at their lover.

Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again?

Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight…

She reached out to him as she sang, and as the ending chords played she placed her hand on her heart.

After the song ended there was roaring applause, for the performance and the show she put on as well. She thanked the audience and exited the stage. She made her way out the door and Spencer followed. He rushed after her so fast he barely missed her leaning on the brick exterior. She looked up at him, slightly startled. They gazed at each other, wondering who would make the first move. After about 2 minutes y/n reached for his hand, hoping he wouldn’t pull away.

He meets her halfway and they start on the walk home. It’s wordless, but there’s no negative energy, no tension to be felt. As they arrived at Spencer's apartment door he went to unlock it and y/n wrapped their hands around his waist and leaned their head on his spine. A subtle gesture to let him know that they loved him. After going inside and sitting on the couch together, Spencer finally speaks.

“I’m so sorry. For everything. I’m sorry for not being there when you need me, I’m sorry for putting my own insecurities and self-doubts before your feelings, and most of all I’m sorry for being selfish, y/n. You deserve so much more than being cast aside. I love you so much.”

y/n’s bottom lip quivered as she tried to hold herself together so she could speak too. She took a deep breath to calm herself and said

“I’m sorry too. I should have never said those things about you and your job. God, you're wonderful at what you do and I should have never used it against you like that. I was being stupid and I wasn’t thinking. Can you forgive me, even after all of that…?”

He took y/n’s hand and kissed the back of it, he pulled her in close for a tight hug and cuddled into her. She quietly cried into his shoulder as he whispered sweet affirmations in her ear to help her calm down. After a while, her breathing evened out and her sniffling stopped. She moved to be face to face with him and gently placed her hands on the side of his face and pulled him into the sweetest kiss he could have ever imagined. If she claimed her lips were made of honey, he wouldn't doubt her for a second. After a beat or 2, they pulled away and decided to order in and watch Doctor Who, and all was well.

Fin~

[gayninjas]

(1/2) Okay so I'm still new to Naruto so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Also, this is long. I'm sorry. I'll split it.😅

Out of the K12 kids, Naruto, Sasuke and Neji were fucked over by Konoha (either by their clans, the old man hokage or the villagers). I'd include Rock Lee but I think he was just bullied as a small kid for being... weird? or not having chakra?? And he worked super hard and that didn't last long.

Anyway, I've read plenty of reviews about how the series ended poorly and how messages like "you can change your fate" were disregarded. That the the Naruto franchise would've done better staying an actiony, ninja shonen that focused more on changing the shinobi system instead of turning into the forced romantic shojo that it became. I agree with all of that.

And I said that to say this, I really am disgusted with how things went for Naruto, Sasuke and Neji. Naruto doesn't receive any apologies from those who should give him one (like the villagers! I think the old hokage bastard died so.. no apology there I guess). Like, I know Iruka apologizes to him and I don't know why. I know Iruka was Naruto's first bond, what'd he and only him have to apologize for.

Not only that but Naruto just accepts everyone and then hides the fact that those in charge of Konoha planned the Uchiha massacre!!! (Does Sasuke know he's doing that?) It's ridiculous to just hide the genocide committed by the state (because he's patriotic? Wants to stick to the status quo as much as possible while trying to change things??). And it's somehow worse to hide it when you have this intensely close relationship with the lone survivor of that genocide.

Like, why write Naruto like that? To receive no actual closure (imo) on how he grew up in Konoha and tp make him a top tier bootlicker

included the second part of the ask

(2/2) With Sasuke, that genocide happened and he was just left to his own devices on the outskirts. And he's treated as a villian for justifiably wanting to "destroy" Konoha and wanting a revolution. It gets under my skin how much the K12 kids don't give a fuck about stuff like this. (I like all of them (except for 2) and stuff like this sours my opinion on them)

Not only is he treated as a villain, it appears that no one pay's for the Uchiha massacre (except for Itachi?) which is bullshit. It's just swept under the rug. And THEN Sasuke is written to become another Konoha bootlicker??! He has to go off on his own to atone for his sins? What!

And finally Neji. He died as he knew he would, for the main house family. I will hate that forever and always. His destiny didn't change. Little!Neji in the chunin exams exposing how fucked up the Hyuuga clan is, no one (except Naruto?) cares. He gave Hinata a chance to back out before he killed her, which was allowed, she didn't, he was about to end it and then 4 teachers(?) jump in to save her because, special treatment. Can't let the (former) Hyuuga heir die, she means more than the other kids.

And he was treated as an antagonist for being rightfully pissed off. But no, he just gets over it I guess after befriending Naruto, the Hyuuga clan continues with its slavery bullshit and he dies sacrificing himself for Hinata. What a way to go.

And I know they don't address the slavery Neji wanted to abolish in Boruto. They just ignore it and act like everything's fine and dandy. Naruto isn't one of those series where things just happen offscreen and we know it's cool, right? They can't just expect ppl to think the Hyuuga clan changed right? They don't even focus on them, Neji died and so did any relevance to the Hyuugas because Hinata doesn't do anything.

(Had Neji lived I know he also would've been turned into a major bootlicker too)

In conclusion I can't stand how these 3 boys were screwed over by the village in many ways and then screwed over by bad writing. It's irritating. I love Naruto but there's so many problems with it.

i tried to be concise, hope i covered everything!

I agree that if the Naruto franchise didn’t end off with lackluster romance plots and instead gave closure for all the things they left open ended after the end of the war it would have made a much better ending to the series.

Kishimoto had even admitted he had trouble writing romance in as he hadn’t ever planned on it. He never considered it that relevant so when they did include it, the whole thing felt so forced and awkward it was even kinda ooc for Naruto and Sasuke (scenes like narutos flat ‘im not in touch with my emotions’ reaction to hinatas confession that butchered his character were an absolute pain to sit through)

Nejis death being an awful plot devise to develop NH was a terrible move, like neji sacrificed himself for someone who moments later held narutos hand and went "his hands are warm"??

Don’t even wanna list anything I dislike about ss cause their marriage is so lifeless i feel dead thinking about it.

As for the villagers, they were happy to alienate a poor kid who couldn’t fend for himself and let him believe he was a demon and was deserving of it all but then started licking his boots when they realized they had the equivalent of a nuclear weapon desperate to protect them, and even then they weren’t remorseful of their actions, its all very sickening really,

I think the whole end of Naruto was handled in a way that went against the characters values? like I can easily imagine Naruto being rightfully enraged at the people who issued the massacre of hundreds of innocents, and he wouldn’t ever think of hiding anything like that, especially from the victim who was also his friend??.

How they wrote sasuke as someone who now fucking bows down and becomes a soldier for a village that destroyed him and has done nothing for him is just absolute bs. Although with sasuke, even if one argues his loyalty was for Naruto, the patriotic lines are just too much.

As for the rest, I don’t have much to say cause they never tried to understand why sasuke was doing what he did, they only saw a power hungry uchiha who was seeking revenge.

And yes nejis end was tragic for all the wrong reasons, i was more pissed than sad watching it. He was treated as a tool for nh and his anger at the hyuga clan and their issues was brushed off without much thought because the series never delved into it or resolved it.

And yes we got no real closure for the uchiha massacre, all the messed up things in the hyuga clan and the way Naruto was mistreated his whole life etc. Its aggravating how they expect us to believe its all fixed and fine now

I really do love the pre shippuden arcs like the zabuza and haku arc especially though. They were the peak naruto experience for me and are always the scenes I reminisce and often get nostalgic over.

[yukiokumura]

First Lines Meme

Tagged by @bluewindfall and @tonguetiedraven ! Thanks!

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag 10 of your favorite authors!

So this is a little complicated for me since I tend to write with Rynoa so I'm gonna have to look through my stories and pick the ones I started. I'll start from the newest first. Let's see...

1. Wherever you are, father, please forgive me. If You Can't Beat 'Em - Blue Exorcist - written with Rynoa

2. He couldn't breathe. Parasomnia - Blue Exorcist - written on my own

3. Renzou climbed out of the helicopter, his eyes wide and his head on a swivel. The Turing Test - Blue Exorcist - written on my own

4. He was starting to overheat and in times like these, Toudou knew there were very few things that worked. Cooling Down - Blue Exorcist - written on my own

5. Shima Juuzou goes rock climbing to relieve stress. Rock Climbing - Blue Exorcist - written on my own

6. Yukio's eyes opened to the sight of an empty pillow. Three's A Crowd - Blue Exorcist - written with Rynoa

7. Little Leonardo was a strange boy growing up in the lush city of Rome. Finding You Again - Blue Exorcist - written on my own

8. Renzou turned the tube around between his fingers, inspecting the pinkish red liquid moving beneath the glass. Sensei's Lips Are Cherry Flavored - Blue Exorcist - written on my own

9. Rin didn’t know where exactly he was going. One Last Time - Blue Exorcist - written on my own

10. He was growing addicted to it, Sidon could tell. Beneath The Rolling Waves - Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild - written on my own

11. “I can’t. Fuck the deal, Mephisto. I don’t fucking care. Just come and pick them up. I can’t do this anymore.” 5 Times Shiro Almost Gave Up and 1 Time He Didn't - Blue Exorcist - written on my own

12. His chest rumbled with a deep purr as he pressed himself deeper into the plush mattress and surrounding pillows underneath a thick and warm comforter. Lion Around - Blue Exorcist - written on my own

13. He smelled the thick scent of blood before he opened the door. A Stranger in Your Shoes - Blue Exorcist - written on my own

14. “Okumura, c’mon.” Side By Side - Blue Exorcist - written on my own

15. “So you’re sure this doesn’t have any side effects?” Schleckerei - Blue Exorcist - written with Rynoa

16. Shiro clutched his chest and let the shotgun hang at his side as he attempted to catch his breath. Forever Yours - Blue Exorcist - written with Rynoa

17. It was the school's tradition that every student in the first grade had a pen pal with a student from another city. Until Next Time - Blue Exorcist - written with Rynoa

18. It all started in the beginning of first grade. Sincerely - Blue Exorcist - written with Rynoa

19. A crack filled the air on the roof of Namimori Middle as Hibari sidestepped another blow from the leather whip. From Teacher and Student - Katekyo Hitman Reborn - written with Rynoa

20. The burn of alcohol sinking down his chest was a pleasant feeling, though he never really liked the taste. I'm Sorry Papa - Blue Exorcist - written on my own

So I did skip a couple in my Ao3 because those were started by Rynoa instead of me. As for tagging, I suppose I'll tag @29rynoah, @thefoulbeast, @evanescentrainbow, @uuuuutan, @inuyoshie, and whoever else wants in. Feel free to tag me!

Now I love first lines and I definitely feel like I got better at them over the years. Especially when I went as far back as I did and just... god I cringed at the first lines of Sincerely and Until Next Time. What a slow start! If we ever make some sort of anthology fic for easier reading, I'd love to rewrite some of the earlier chapters. I'll have to convince Rynoa lol. We definitely got better over the several years since we started Lettersverse.

Lion Around I'm not really too proud of either. I had a concept in my head but had no idea how to write it or go about it. Honestly, it's less of a fic and more of a concept so I didn't put much effort into it.

For the most part, though, I feel like the first lines are all pretty decent-ish? Which is tough for me to say because I'm usually hard on myself! But I'm definitely happy with most of these!

[orthogonals]

Hey, I saw that you are taking prompts. I very much enjoyed your Achilles/Patroclus story so I'd be thrilled if you wrote more in that universe. Maybe a take on their relationship from another person's POV (eg Briseis, Thetis, Chiron...) Or a crossover with Merthur? :)

Thanks for the ask! Achilles/Patroclus always sends me in an emotional spiral. I wrote this for “their relationship from another POV,” hope you enjoy!

~A note on prompts: I won’t have much time to answer the in the coming months, but still feel free to send them in, and I’ll get to them when/if I can!~

through their eyes

rating: T

words: 1509

summary: Aristos Achaion, they called him. Plucked from the spilled blood between Thetis’ thighs and granted a prophecy by the Gods. He flashed past the other boys, quick as an intake of breath, and Peleus’ face shone. Menotides turned to Patroclus.

“That is what a son should be.”

–

Five times Achilles and Patroclus were the subject of observation during their lives, + one time they weren’t.

read on ao3!

i.

The games beat a broken path through Opus, a thousand calloused feet rubbing the dry dirt raw. Menoitides directed the affair with customary severity, ordering servants out to break rock and clear track until even the seething sun had taken rest. He held a hard nub of determination that his games would hail as the best of the generation, would bear glory upon his shoulders. Glory to rival the glow of Apollo himself; glory enough to erase the festering blight of his weak son, his simple wife.

The youngest boys formed their line, eyes glinting with excitement and the thrill of victory. Peleus’ son stood half a head shorter amongst them, impossible to miss. He reflected light like a piece of glass in the sand. Beside him, Patroclus fiddled dumbly with the wreath. Menoitides clenched his teeth until his jaw clicked.

Aristos Achaion, they called him. Plucked from the spilled blood between Thetis’ thighs and granted a prophecy by the Gods. He flashed past the other boys, quick as an intake of breath, and Peleus’ face shone. Menotides turned to Patroclus.“That is what a son should be.”

And when Menotides exiled Patroclus to Phthia, shame and anger warping inside him, he spared the stupid boy only one parting wish— that he might learn something from Achilles’ shadow.

ii.

The fire cast Peleus’ chambers in a mute glow. Dim crackling filled the spaces between his words, a second voice mingling to tell the tale.Peleus sat deep in his chair, arms dangling like grapevines. Day by day, age seeped further under his skin, to his bones. He hardly felt like the man who had served Heracles and rode with Jason.

Achilles shuffled in the shadows, his eyes a glint of green from the dark. Peleus traced Achilles gaze to Patroclus, who had tilted his mouth in a sweet grin. Achilles’ teeth flashed white in return, and the smile was almost unnatural to see on his son.He remembered youth, of quick heartbeats and rushing hot blood. Of furtive glances at the sweat-coated curve of muscle that stretched across the back of his general. But Achilles, great as he might become, was not yet a man, had not experience nor understanding.

A hand shot out and circled around Patroclus’ ankle. Achilles’ snicker, half-covered, rolled into the air from his corner. Peleus did not miss the light brush of Achilles’ thumb against Patroclus’ heel, the softening of Patroclus’ face.

He called for an end to the night, carefully slipping mention of a servant girl who wished to bed Achilles. The sudden shutter of Achilles’ face confirmed all that remained unspoken.

iii.

The wind stirred the trees and sent air unfurling, crisp and clean, through the leaves. Chiron shifted his tail at the breeze, nosing the scent in the atmosphere. Rain was due by nightfall. He inclined his head towards the boys, a lecture on weather-reading in mind.Achilles and Patroclus were crouched in the grass beyond him, huddled so close that their hair brushed. Chiron heard their soft murmurs of conversation as they probed the ground for herbs. Their fingers touched and lingered among the green blades.

It was unusual for a hero to have remained so long in the crags and caves of Mount Pelion, more unusual still to have done so with a companion. Chiron never asked his heroes to go, yet the day always came when they donned armor and rode to battle.Young Achilles was birthed with greatness sighed above him, sticking on lips like honey. He would take whatever measures necessary to make the words true. Chiron knew Achilles, saw his unerring limbs and swift feet. Saw his blank eyes, the mark of all heroes.

Blank for all but Patroclus, who melted Achilles like brown sugar over fire, shifted his balance from half-god to half-human. Such a thing was as rare as juniper in spring, and Chiron could do little but to protect Achilles’ link to humanity.

Chiron called for them, amused as they leaped back from each other with pink cheeks.

iv.

Briseis lingered by the tent, the flap of the entrance thick and coarse beneath her fingers. The flat bottom of the plate pressed, heavy and cool, on her hand. She glanced at the berries rolling about on its surface, ripe and fat with juice. Their thick skins, washed clean, gleamed in the fading light like pearls. Her pulse thrummed in her neck. She would ask Patroclus today. The berries bumped off each other as she reached to open the tent.

A soft moan stopped her hand in midair, the ties still loose in her palm. She redid the ties with practiced ease, hissing quietly, and quickly backed away. Another sound joined the first, followed by an unmistakable sigh: “Achilles.”

Briseis stopped, eyes wide as the emerging moon, filled with a horrendous wonder.

A response. “Patroclus,” each syllable drawn out and rounded, the word infused with sweetness.  More moans carried away by the evening air, stretched sighs that faded even as they reached Briseis’ ears. She willed her legs to move and carry her away, but they were frozen, stuck to the ground.

Finally, after the sun had slipped from the sky, came the sounds that peaked and tapered away slowly, leaving only breath behind.

“Patroclus.” Achilles’ clear voice, somehow warmed. “Therapon, philtatos.”

“Dikos mou,” Patroclus replied, the words sounding muffled by skin. She listened to his gentle kisses, her Greek proficient enough to understand what he had said.

Dikos mou. Mine.

Briseis left, haunted by the sounds of Patroclus’ love.

v.

The ground hummed as Patroclus spoke, the throat of a melody. Thetis felt his pain course through the earth, making the grass shiver. He spoke of her son with words soft like cotton, as yielding as a freshly plowed field.

Humans were weak, rarely logical and far too easy victim to their emotions. Thetis expected Patroclus to rage of his anger, speak seething of the gods. To lament Achilles and curse his hubris. To give bitter insult to Neoptolemus, his refusal to give Patroclus proper rest.

Instead, all she felt from him was love, strong and coursing.

Below, Achilles’ sorrow speared through her in waves. Hades did not welcome those of Olympus, and her son ached like a limb, a part of her own body. Patroclus’ words washed over the grief that laced her skin, hers and Achilles’ together, soothing as a balm of yarrow.

As always, the salty spray of the sea sang to her, crowded the edge of her senses. But for the first time, she closed her mind to the waters and let herself listen. The hill vibrated beneath her feet.

She scooped away the stone like jam, carving the name with one dark fingernail. PATROCLUS. Together, with her son. In writing as in life, as forever in Elysium.

She smiled as she told him.

~vi.~

Agamemnon whirled towards Diomedes, face white and contorted.

“They have no sense of propriety.” He spit out the words through gnashing teeth, fury tightening his lips.

Achilles and Patroclus giggled at Agamemnon from behind an oak tree, fingers laced together. Patroclus gave him a hard eye roll, and Achilles blew a raspberry before quickly ducking back behind the trunk. Their laughter carried over, tinkling like windchimes.

Agamemnon clenched his fists until his veins popped. “This needs to stop. I will go to Hades himself if I must.”

Diomedes gnawed eagerly at his leg of lamb, letting out a chorus of appreciative moans.

“DIOMEDES!” Agamemnon stamped his feet. “Useless slob!”

Diomedes finally extracted his mouth from the half-eaten roast, lips slippery with oil and bits of herb plastered around his face.

“Give it a rest, Mem.”

“I will not—”

“Just because you got in a spat with your old lady—”

“DO NOT MENTION CLYTEMNESTRA!” Agamemnon toppled dangerously at the intensity of his yell, face coloring from white to purple.

“Look.” Diomedes sighed dramatically and placed a greasy hand on Agamemnon’s shoulder. Agamemnon immediately ducked away, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

“You’ve been on about this for, like, three thousand years of their time.” He pointed a finger upwards with emphasis. “When you first started ranting, we were still pissing in holes. In Elysium. Now, we have state-of-the-art toilets with bidets. Bidets, man.”

Agamemnon blanched, eying Diomedes like a particularly stubborn piece of mud on his shoe. “You talk about toilets. While eating.

“Just. Why don’t you go bother Odysseus and Penelope for now? They’re also looking pretty sickeningly happy.”

Odysseus and Penelope waved at them from the distance, and Agamemnon threw up his middle finger.

“Or, go to the sauna or something. You’re always less stressed after a spa trip.”

“Ugh.” Agamemnon grumbled, throwing another stink eye at Achilles and Patroclus, who were now sitting on the ground and giving each other butterfly kisses. “Fine. But I will get them. Mark my words.” He backed away slowly, keeping a menacing stare trained at Achilles. A rock caught his heel, and he stumbled over himself, tripping and falling with a thump.

Elysium echoed with laughter.

[punkscowardschampions]

Ali & Carly

Ali: Heyo boo Ali: thanks for Rocky wrangling with me today, you're now also his fave so, add that to your tally Carly: its k i had fun Carly: hes a cutie & cool kid Ali: me too Ali: yeah, he's alright, but cocky enough so I ain't telling him Ali: dunno where he gets that from 😏 Carly: ha Carly: yea idk Carly: no clue Ali: i'm sorry Ro was being off btw, I'm working out why but trust it wasn't you, babe Ali: been neglecting her lately, everyone wants a piece of me Ali: hard life Carly: idc its me too Carly: nobody wants a piece but you Ali: I just told you that ain't true, and Rocky is ruthless, he called one of my customers a 'big bum witch' the other day Ali: no tip for me, thanks dickhead Ali: but I want all of you regardless Ali: willing to throw hands Carly: aw Carly: this town is full of big bum witches tho Carly: my ma back for one Carly: but are you willing to use those hands for good too or Ali: awks if that was your Ma, like hey gurl, I think you rock it Ali: your daughter ain't bad either Ali: you know it, IOU 'cos we couldn't make like we were in the backrow of the cinema Carly: unless she been lying about where she at i think youve avoided meeting the in laws again Carly: k cuz you kno i need to collect soon Carly: bored Carly: just back and zoned out so fast Ali: ain't even got exciting stories from their galavanting? fucking rude Ali: at least when we go AWOL we also go wild Ali: make things happen, lads Carly: my ma's good for nothing but hairspray and peroxide Carly: only use if i get beat up again Carly: my da's good for cash tho if you wanna get wild w me Ali: or you wanna single white female me Ali: which would be a disappointing outcome to say the least Ali: can't tonight babe, I've gotta have some sister time Ali: go hard for both of us Carly: k Carly: try not to miss me bad when shes talking about me Ali: oh babe, she will not, and if she does I'll set her straight Ali: gonna let the world know you're my 😇 Carly: whatever her issue shes gotta air it and youre her sister so you gotta hear it Carly: idc shes not gonna hurt me w it Carly: and setting peeps straight is the opposite of how you do, babe Ali: true Ali: idk what issue she could have though, you're a literal ray of sunshine Ali: true again 😏 Ali: ugh, imma miss you Ali: maybe i can sneak out when she's gone to bed, the 'rents too Carly: i miss you now Carly: cant hear my parents say shit Carly: i just wanna talk to you Carly: dont tell me maybe & keep me waiting tho Ali: i will Ali: promise Carly: i dont wanna make trouble for you Carly: w anyone Carly: you can stay w her if you need to stay Ali: You won't Ali: I can do both Ali: be back before first light Ali: even if I'll miss watching the sun rise on your face 😔 Ali: we've got the night, baby Carly: but you kno if ive got you for the whole night youre gonna fall asleep Carly: thats what im good at Carly: feel free to tell your sister thats why you like me ha Carly: fun & tiring its magic Ali: hmm, we'll see who wears who out first, babe Ali: and if I am that husband, then you'll just have to wake me up with morning sex like the good little wifey you are 😘😂 Carly: always bringing that confidence i like it Carly: k but if my parents wake up too you can explain its a duty thing yea i had to like Ali: i like you Ali: for so many reasons and imma show you all of 'em tonight Ali: fuck that Ali: stay out with me, its warm enough Ali: i'll trace all the constellations out with my tongue so you won't ever forget Ali: educational Carly: my ma is asking me what im blushing about Carly: i told her what you said but she's not a believer Carly: support my education bitch Carly: ha Ali: i mean, i'd offer to let her see the benefits for herself but Ali: not gonna win me any brownie points 'cos she won't take me up on it Carly: she dont kno what she's missing but i do Carly: wish you were here Ali: me too Ali: start the party without me babe, i don't mind Carly: too late if you do Carly: gotta get through this reunion some way Ali: they aren't making you watch a slideshow, are they? Ali: fate worse than death Ali: Maybe you could go to Ronan's? Lmao, he's been up in my pussy way too much since he found out about us...didn't think we were THAT loud but ok boy Carly: yea Carly: might do cuz same Carly: but what if i miss you he can really make a night of it when he wants Ali: Nah, I won't let you face that disappointment, babe Ali: my spidey senses will tingle like not on my watch, fuckboy Carly: aw Carly: you gonna come get me? Carly: thats no way to get him out your pussy babe fyi Ali: yeah Ali: I know but I like the idea of showing you off as mine Ali: but no sharing, he only gets to watch and be mad he fucked it up Carly: i like it too Carly: youre hot when youre oneupping fuckboys Carly: i thought i knew how to do it best but k youre flipping the script Ali: as long as i'm besting them i'm doing my job right Ali: gotta keep you on-board Carly: speak of the devil Carly: how he know i was alone & horny Carly: my parents have only gone to the shops its uncanny Ali: know your neighbours but bit stalkerish, pal Ali: i'll text him to fuck off, freak him out Ali: how does she know, ha, two can play this game fucko and I'm more committed Carly: ha Carly: you gotta Carly: hes smoking im gonna bum one see what line he tries to lay on before the text sends Ali: On it Ali: gotta let him know there's a queue to court the princess now and he's at the back, soz Carly: he likes hitting it from the back he wont be put off Carly: im gonna show him some of the hot pics i took of you tho Ali: when is he ever tbf? 🐶���💦 Carly: true Carly: that fucking cute tho aren't i Ali: you know it babe Carly: hes talking to my da now Carly: kill me Ali: how fucking dare he Ali: knowing he has the upper hand with the man bants Ali: i know how to change a tire too! love me! Carly: if my ma invites him in for tea im out of here Carly: she will think hes hot under the collar for her & bitch thats my groundwork Ali: Run baby run Ali: what kinda moron is he tho Ali: coulda had a private show if you just waited, now its all saturday night telly and flat lager Carly: you kno i have nowhere to go if you dont want me babe Carly: facts Carly: he likes me now he cant have me what a fucking Carly: like i wouldve fucked you but im not getting w you Ali: i do, is this full sos crisis mode though? 'cos i need to be good for a lil while longer yet Ali: such a typical bloke move that Ali: bet he ain't the only boy in ur inbox, not a pun Ali: 'cos he ain't in mine like 🙄 Carly: its k your sister needs you Carly: i can keep walking Carly: loads of other lads on site as well as in my inbox Carly: & they arent trying to say hi to me before we get down to it nevermind my parents Ali: 😾 Carly: why so sad blue eyed boo Ali: i don't like how lads treat you Ali: i'm not jealous, like swear to god, even though i obviously want you all to myself, i get it Ali: but i'm not about how shit they are to you, even if you don't care, they should care to be decent humans Carly: thats not lads its everyone Carly: youre the only one treating me different Carly: they dont know how else to be Carly: made my bed babe Ali: nah Ali: you don't deserve half the shit you get, that's bullshit Ali: and even the rest, people just don't wanna try to understand or be good, heaven forfend they inconvineince themselves for one second, like Carly: if im a slag im a slag i dont get to put conditions on it Carly: if it was a film maybe Carly: but theres no romance coming my way from theres and i dont want it Ali: why can't you just be you? someone who likes fucking, among other things Ali: not romance just like...not being a cunt Ali: idk Ali: pisses me off Carly: cuz you don't run the world even tho you strut it like you do and i love it Ali: not yet, babe Ali: one day, and you can be my right hand woman Carly: yea? Carly: take me w you & ill take you to all your fave places k Ali: k Ali: we'll be fun forever, I promise you Carly: gotta be Ali: you know i like you even when you ain't tho Ali: don't tell Carly: who would i Carly: ronans got enough for his wank bank & nobody else is chatting to me rn Ali: exactly, ruins the illusion and fantasy when they realise i care about you Ali: so unsexy of me Carly: youre sexy to me Carly: idc what they think Ali: good Ali: me either Carly: i like you too you kno Ali: yeah Ali: i had my suspicions Carly: i dont have any subtlety sorry about it Ali: Don't be Ali: I love it Ali: not enough people say what they mean or want, ever Carly: waste Carly: k i wasnt shouting how bad i wanted to kiss you before i did but not cuz i was bothered about me Ali: agreed Ali: sometimes you can't know you want something until you've got it Ali: i get it Carly: you get me Carly: its weird Ali: 🔮 Carly: ha Carly: k what am i thinking now Ali: wouldn't be proper to say Ali: tut tut bad girl Ali: like how you think though Carly: fuck Carly: youre good Ali: 🤷 don't mean to brag but remember that phrase you'll be screaming it later Ali: such a Ronan line, I can't 😂 Carly: but true Carly: not like when he says it Ali: 😍 Carly: what you doing w your sister Carly: gotta live through that cuz bored Ali: Fixing my weave Ali: getting into a white girl dread territory over here Ali: then gonna do some 🔮 forreal Ali: get ready for me to be even more of a know it all baby Carly: cute Carly: tell me my future i got some shit from another neighbor & im waiting for it to kick Carly: hows it gonna treat me Carly: needing a good trip Ali: we'll see who gets the answer first Ali: you got anything for me? Carly: yea Carly: they mystery but i kno you arent scared Carly: & you got me doing a test run rn lying on here on the grass Ali: 🌌 be there before it fades away my space explorer Carly: if you find me at a bad end prob dont take it Ali: is one of the lads trip sitting you Carly: so he reckons but hes drinking so theres no trust Carly: & he gave me it Carly: his game could be me lights out idk Ali: keep texting me, okay babe? Ali: if shit gets too real, tell me and I'll come early Ali: my sis is cool now, she gets what we're doing, she was just confused Carly: aw Carly: youre sweet Carly: you told her you like me Ali: 'course I did Ali: I ain't ashamed Ali: I'm proud Carly: youre gonna make me cry Ali: You're special, Carly Ali: You're gonna see Carly: I just wanna see you tho Ali: Me too Ali: I'm gonna make her some chamomile tea and then I'm coming, yeah? Carly: but thats not fair to her Carly: she's not gonna be a fan of me Ali: I've promised her more time tomorrow Ali: You need me rn Carly: but what if i want you to stay Carly: what are we gonna do then Ali: i'll stay until you're ready for me to go Carly: you mean that? Ali: yes Ali: promise, imma take care of you Carly: but theres nothing in it for you Carly: youve already got me you dont have to Ali: i wanna keep you Ali: and not just selfishly Ali: you gotta stick around, you're too cool to go anywhere, okay Carly: k Carly: im here & if you wanna be im not stopping you Ali: good Ali: i wanna be wherever you are Carly: i kept you pills back the lads didnt want me to but idc about them & you can follow me in now Ali: fuck them Ali: just me and you Carly: yea Carly: ill look after you too Ali: 😇 Ali: i know, i trust you Carly: idk if you should Carly: but i like it Ali: willing to take my chances Ali: you're worth it Carly: thats you Ali: i'm so glad i met you Carly: me too Carly: not that i met me thats weird Carly: you know what i mean Ali: i got you Ali: not high yet 😉 Carly: id seen you around before you guardian angel'd me that night Carly: thats weird too Carly: that i didnt see you how i do now Ali: it is Ali: you were always cute but Ali: idk, i can't claim to have seen this in my crystal ball Carly: thats cuz i wasnt cute i was a state Carly: & youd have more likely seen me sucking ronans dick Carly: look away babe you dont need to have that image in your mind Ali: don't need him reckoning he plays part in any of my fantasies, nah Ali: you can't not be cute, no matter how you try, soz babe Carly: you can't not be so sweet to me can you Ali: dunno Ali: not tried Carly: idk what id do if you did Carly: i got used to it Ali: got no plans to stop Ali: unless you ask me to, like Carly: thats not gonna be what i ask you to do Carly: trust me Ali: you can tell me all about it Ali: 5 minutes, tops Carly: okay