#God damn fender

[missshame]

This 2001 brmc live on youtube is driving me insane how were they simultaneously so good and so young how is every song working so well acoustic how were they already playing songs that would only be officially released on Howl years later

[claitea]

capcom i'm not fucking calling him that. i hope you know that

[supreme-burrito]

HAHAHAHAH

WIENER

[xbruised-peachx]

since you are staring to like fender do you have any headcanons for him 👀

SO, the problem I'm having is I actually know very little about Hungary, so often with my headcanons, I try to also make them accurate for someone who is actually that nationality. Unfortunately I don't know anyone from Hungary to ask either so unlike Gromsko, mine are gonna probably have some inaccuracies and I do apologize and they may seem a lil standard but, I'll give em a shot bc there is so lil content abt Fender anyway!

Fender Headcanons

Tags: none actually! these are just general headcanons that could be applied anywhere :)

Let's start with one that's basically canon you can't convince me otherwise; His call sign is Fender, the guitar brand, he has multiple lines referring to music ("Now we're jamming!" "Shows over!" "Get the fuck off my stage..." "Very rock and roll 🤔" "Let's get the band together!" etc.), and his voice actor can sing really well. He is definitely a musician of some sort and strikes me as a metal head for sure. Some of his favorites are System of a Down, Slayer, and Avenged Sevenfold.

His bio states he was father was a CIA op and mother was a "guerrilla revolutionary" in communist Budapest. Communism ended in Hungary around end of 1989, so at the youngest, he's 33 since the game takes place at the end of 2022.

With his father dying when he was young, he's definitely a mama's boy. However he also give off eldest sibling energy so I think he has a few younger half-siblings. He also has daddy issues, sorry that's canon.

He is definitely a gym rat with that gym skin he got April. But I want to combine it with the Mtn. Dew skin because he's gremlin coded and yeah no, he's combined his pre-workout powder with Mtn Dew and swears he saw God while using a stair climber.

He's had his tooth gap since his adult teeth first started coming in, but he absolutely despised the dentist. Being his mom's first child, and just generally not growing up in the most wealthy household, he managed to convince her he didn't really need an orthodontist or braces. Hence, his cute lil smile he has now.

In general, he's very confident in his abilities, a little abrasive but charming in his own way. He will always remain friendly at first until wronged. He got bullied as a kid so he does have his guard up and it takes a bit to truly gain his trust. He also is a bit hot headed and will stay angry for quite a few hours.

He will often use the fact he's half American as a joke... a lot. He says that's why he loves Mtn Dew, why he learned English so early in his life despite his dad already being gone, and that he definitely got his love for explosives from his dad's side of the family.

He's not super patriotic though for Hungary. He likes his home country but doesn't quite like speaking Hungarian around the others in Kortac knowing they won't understand him. Only rarely will they catch him talking under his breath to himself or when he's startled in battle (example, "VIGYÁZZ!").

He will however, cuss someone out in his language. There are no holes barred there, he will say some the most jaw dropping shit if they knew what he was saying. This often leads to him laughing mid-cuss out as they look to him incredibly confused.

[hella1975]

Batter of Me Sam Fender, taob azula. that is all.

DONT DO THIS TO ME

[corporatebanana]

It's been years and I still think about how much better both dai and da2 would be if sera and fenris swapped games

[bl00dysavior]

The other KorTac members deserve more love tbh

[tonycries]

Brooklyn Baby - G.S.

Synopsis. Everybody wanted to fuck Suguru Geto, lead bassist of Tokyo Special Grades. Said Suguru doesn’t want to fuck anyone else but you. He couldn’t give less of a fuck if anyone walked in right now. In fact, a small part of him wishes someone would.

Pairing. Geto Suguru x Reader

Content. MDNI, fem! reader, rock star! AU, fwb-to-lovers, unprotected sex, oral sex (male receiving), fingering (female receiving), Suguru is sinfully sexy and in l*ve with you, Satoru is a menace, pet names (darling, my girl), Suguru has tattoos and piercings, swearing.

Word count. 3.2k (DAMN I got carried away)

A/N. Happy Valentine’s day! *throws somewhat-fluffy smut at you and leaves* 

Art by @_3aem on X.

Also, wild west! AU longfic with someone dropping on Sunday night (EST), keep your eyes peeled yeehaw.

Everybody wanted to fuck Suguru Geto, lead bassist of Tokyo Special Grades.

You did. Your fans did. Hell, you’ve even caught your overworked band manager sneaking a few too many glances. 

And, you conclude, the groupies currently batting their lashes at him definitely did. 

You watch as they swarm to him during open rehearsal, giggling at his pretty smiles. 

Whatever, part of the job anyway.

It’s not like you two were dating. Yeah, a few fucks here and there throughout the years - but what’s one to do when on the road and in such close proximity with a guy that’s practically walking sex? 

Trying not to scowl, you turn away from the commotion, continuing to tune the strings of your trusty Fender. You’ve had your fair share of die-hard fans, so lately why did it bother you so much when Suguru entertained their thinly-veiled advances? 

“Ohoho~ Quite a look on your face there, why don’t you go and caress his biceps too?~” you hear idiot brigade member #1, Gojo Satoru, cackle from beside you. 

If looks could kill, Satoru would’ve been 6 feet under and rotting already. “I thought you stopped writing band fanfiction, Satoru.” you raise a brow. 

“THAT WAS ONE TIME.” he whines dramatically, clinging onto you and shaking you back and forth as if to knock the memory of his Wattpad tendencies out of you. “WHY ATTACK ME JUST CUZ YOU’RE JEALOUS? C’MOOON ADMIT IT.”

You were not jealous. 

Suguru knew you were jealous.

Sneaking a glance, he had to fight the urge to coo at the adorable little furrow of your brows. How unprofessional would it be if he walked off mid-conversation to kiss that pout off your lips?

He knows it’s just sex for you. But - foolishly - every time he held you he could only hope that he ran through your mind as often as you did through his. It elated Suguru to know you were getting that worked up over him. 

That is until, out of the corner of his eye, he spots Satoru draping himself all over you, whispering god-knows-what into your ears. 

The rational part of Suguru knows Satoru is a very touchy person, but why was he so…close? And why weren’t you pushing him off?

Smile tightening into something a little more artificial, he turns to the girls fawning over him. “Well, ladies, I’m sorry to say I’ve gotta go practice before Shoko yells at me again. I’ll see you all in the front row, yeah?” he lies smoothly, disappointed whines following him as he makes a beeline for your figure.

“Well! What have we here, Satoru, are you done tuning?” Suguru pops a head between yours and Satoru’s overly close ones, interrupting whatever conversation you were heatedly whispering. What was so important that you two needed to be that close to talk anyway?

He narrows his eyes at Satoru’s surprised ones, an invisible conversation taking place between them before Satoru cracks a smug grin. “Alright alright. I’ll go tune my guitar.” he rolls his eyes, heading for his electric blue Gibson. 

Your confused gaze meets the twinkling eyes now boring down at you. “Done with the meet-n-greet already?” you question, eyes darting to the group now watching you two like hawks.

The smile on Suguru’s face grows, “Yeah, remembered I didn’t do my pre-concert rituals right.”

“Oh?”

“Wanna help me with it?”

He doesn’t give you time to answer. Quickly setting down your guitar, he drags you out into the corridor - hand tightly in yours and pointedly ignoring Satoru’s wolf-whistles. 

Hallway sex is overrated, Suguru believes - which is why he heads for the dressing room. 

“Pre-concert rituals” his ass, Suguru just thinks he might pass away if he doesn’t get his hands on you right now. Make you feel like his.

It’s not long before the door is locked and he has you bent over the vanity, knuckle-deep in your dripping cunt. 

“S-Sugu! Why now? The concert- Hah-” You gasp in pleasure as two long fingers probe inside of you, ruthlessly searching for the spot that Suguru knows would have your toes curling and eyes watering deliciously. 

“Fuck the concert, darling. Barely even started and already so wet f’me.” he drawls out over your whimpers. “Wanted you to come over y’know? And save me from those groupies trying to get in my pants.” 

In your lust-hazed mind, you find the words to respond to him, “You s-seemed to - hah - be enjoying that.”

“Of course not.” he leaves a trail of kisses down your back, “Wasn’t my favorite girl.” he whispers into your heated skin.

He’s being rougher than usual, he knows. In the back of his mind he wonders what it was that he was so pissed at. But all thoughts of that are thrown out the window once he presses into that plushy spot inside your wet core, drawing a sinful whine from your mouth. There.

Pulling back to tease your folds with your own slick, he plunges into your swollen pussy once more, easily hitting that spot over and over. 

“Hngh- Suguru, more!” you grind your hips to meet his merciless rhythm, clenching around his fingers. 

You feel as if you’re losing your sanity when he adds in another finger, walls burning as your cunt stretches around his thick rings. 

Suguru was definitely losing his sanity. 

Anyone could walk by. The concert was about to start any second now. But he couldn’t give less of a fuck, too focused on how his fingers were being sucked back in every time he pulls out, your pretty pussy dripping all over his numerous bracelets.

He has to hold back a moan at the way your ass jiggled every time your hips buck to meet his fingers. 

Leaning down over you, he hums lowly into your ear “So desperate for me, hm?”. Pressing the erection straining against his trousers against you, he huffs out “I’m the same, darling. You drive me absolutely mad.”

He feels the way you squirm in impatience at the large outline of his dick, raising your ass in an attempt to get more friction. Eyes crinkling in satisfaction, he pushes down on his girl’s slutty hips, cold rings digging into the small of your waist. 

“Now now…not yet.” he tuts mockingly. 

“Please, Suguru. Please let me cum.”

Increasing his pace, abusing your g-spot relentlessly, Suguru knew by your breathy moans of his name that you were getting close. 

His hand moves from your waist, leaving behind purple marks to remember him by. They wander the expanse of your body - groping your curves, and pinching your nipples through your thin top - delighting in your mewls.

God, you were perfect. He really needed to take his time with you later.

Suguru’s hands, nail polish chipped and fingers calloused from years of playing, finally rest on your face. He pushes your cheeks together, drool pooling at the corner of your mouth and forcing you to look at him through the vanity mirror in front of you. Your dazed eyes meet his darkened ones. 

Suguru was so feral. The man that was usually the personification of grace and poise was falling apart at the seams. His eyes wild and grin spread devilishly as his fingers abuse your cunt never-endingly.

“Look at me when you cum.” he murmurs raspily into your neck, teeth ghosting over your rapid pulse.

You don’t know what it is that sends you over the edge - maybe it was his lustful words, or the way his fingers quirked just right inside of you. All you know is you’re cumming all over Suguru’s fingers, hands clutching the vanity table and eyes locked with Suguru’s in the mirror, mouth dropping into a gasp.

“Fuck! Suguru- Suguru!” you whimper.

Suguru watches in wonder as you ride out your orgasm, using him. He couldn’t give less of a fuck if anyone walked in right now. In fact, a small part of him wishes someone would.

Let them see how beautifully you fall apart because of him.

Finally pulling out, Suguru inspects his fingers. “Now now. That won’t do.” he purrs. 

His tongue erotically licks up your juices covering his rings, still holding eye contact with you through the mirror. He catches the way your thighs press together at his lewd act. ‘Oh? Want some?“ he teases. 

Before you can retort, he’s bullying his fingers into your mouth, making you taste yourself. 

The way you moan around him sends blood rushing straight to his cock. Fuck, he has to steel himself from cumming in his pants right then and there - that wouldn’t be very “sex icon” of him. 

You have no idea what you do to him.

Not willing to wait any longer, he leisurely takes a seat on the spacious vanity sofa. You whine at the loss of contact before catching the predatory look in his eyes. Suguru was going to eat you alive. 

“Come on, darling. Show me how badly you want me.” he grins, legs spreading and prominent bulge on display. 

You take a second to admire the view. Tousled black hair falling enticingly along Suguru’s muscled shoulders, tattooed dragon peeking through where his shirt was messed up. His eyes lustful, and locked on you. 

He was devastatingly handsome. Your mouth waters at the chance to get what so many people would kill for.

Suguru chuckles as you struggle to unbuckle his belt - did rock stars have to always wear such complicated trousers? 

Finally, you pull them down along with his boxers to expose his creamy thighs. Suguru’s throbbing erection lays on his abs, flushed a delicate pale pink.

Your pussy quivers with excitement as you press wet kisses to Suguru’s leaking head, precum dripping down his length to where you’d gently grasped him. A strangled hiss leaves his mouth as you swirl your tongue around the slit. You find yourself lost in his heady taste - he tastes so good.

“Having fun, darling? C’mon now, use me the way you want.” he murmurs, need laced into his voice.

You’ve never gotten used to how big Suguru is. Soft groans leave his mouth as you flatten your tongue and take him in inch by inch, eyes locked with his blown-out ones.

Suguru’s back arches as the heat of your mouth envelops him, hands bunching your hair into a messy ponytail. His pornographic groans echo across the dressing room as you suck on his cock, tongue swirling in just the way you knew he liked.

He can’t even catch his breath with the way you bob your head so heavenly, sucking the soul out of him. It drives him wild to think about how he’s got his lead guitarist on her knees, choking on his cock as your fans wait outside. 

Suguru’s eyes roll to the back of his head as you pop off his cock to take his heavy balls into your mouth, moaning around them as you suck on both erotically.

Shit, he was really feeling it today. 

Through the bangs now sticking to his forehead, he makes out the way your thighs grind against each other for relief. 

You were, too.

If this keeps up he really will lose his sanity.

“As much as I’d love to paint your pretty face with my cum, I think we both prefer it inside, no?” he grits out, cock twitching at the strings of spit and precum connecting you to him as he pulls you off. 

“Need you inside me so badly.” you nod, brain foggy and filled with only Suguru.

He’s quick to lift you into his lap, resting your ass against his pulsing cock, sly grin spreading at the way you’re already so fucked out. 

Suguru feels like he could cum just from the sensation of your juices smearing all over his length, pussy dripping and aching for his throbbing cock. 

“Oh yeah? How bad?” he purrs, eyes half-lidded and already knowing the answer.

“Please. I want you to fuck me so badly, Suguru.” 

“Badly enough that you’d fuck me out there - where everyone is? Show ‘em who I belong to?”

“Yes.” 

At your whimper, Suguru thrusts fully inside you, a moan of relief leaving you both as you finally get what you’ve been craving for. 

“Shit, so tight. Always so good for me, darling.”

Once you start, it’s hard to stop, Suguru finds. 

It happened when he first fucked you in high school - in his car after your first show, running on adrenaline and teenage hormones. And, years later, it’s happening now as he sheathes himself in your wet cunt. 

He just can’t get enough.

He fucks you animalistically, cock ramming in and out of your hole in a way that makes it feel like you’re missing something without him. Nothing in the world other than your two connected bodies. He feels you clamping down on him deliciously, ego growing at you struggling to accommodate his size. 

“F-fuck, darling. Hah- It’s s’tight. Take it like my good girl.”

“Hngh- Suguru, faster!” you groan, fingers delicately playing with the nipple piercings peeking out of his barely-buttoned shirt, euphoric at his drawn-out moans. 

Unlike Satoru - who takes off his shirt every chance he gets onstage - Suguru was one to shy away from showing skin, slutty piercings and tattoos hidden to the world. It just makes it all the more satisfying as you lick a long stripe along the dragon on his shoulder. 

Feels like your little secret. You wanted to be the only one to see this ethereal sight.

“Ah- So good, darling.” Suguru leans back, allowing you more room to play with him as you please. Cock twitching - so close - as you bore into his eyes, sucking his flashy piercings. 

He ramps up his pace, bouncing you on his cock in a way that was carnal. It was so feral, the way his balls sting as they smack your ass, a ring of spit and precum forming around his base. 

His cock aches for release, but he wants to see you cum first. His pretty girl, cumming all over his throbbing cock.

You pull yourself off his swollen nipples and attach your mouth with his, tongues swirling sensually as he kisses you like he needed you to breathe. 

He’s almost as unforgiving with his mouth as he is with his cock. Almost.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

“YOOO I don’t know if ‘pre-concert rituals’ was a code-word for something else but we’re on in twenty minutes.” the unmistakable voice of Suguru’s best friend - and occasional bane-of-his-existence - made you two jump apart. 

“The ultimate cockblock.” Suguru sighs out - his pace, however, does not slow down. Each harsh thrust makes it difficult to muffle your yelps of pleasure from Satoru, who was still calling for you two from outside.

Noticing your predicament, Suguru grins dangerously. “Oh? My poor girl finds it hard to stop her moans? Aww, better try harder unless you want dear Satoru finding out.” he mocks in your ear. 

Both humiliated and turned on by his words, your dripping pussy clenches around his cock. He lets out a choked-up groan, biting hard into the crook of your neck to stop it.

A satisfied smile spreads across your face, “Who should try harder now, Suguru?”

Ah, perfect. You were perfect, perfect for him.

As Satoru’s yells about “cutting a chunk out of Suguru’s pay” disappear across the hallway, both of you let out exhales of relief.

“Dangerous game you played there, mister.” you raise a brow, teasingly.

He chuckles out, before pulling you to him closer by the waist. Lips ghosting over your own, he whispers “Only with you, my darling.” 

Slightly more clear-headed but still dripping with lust, you meet the bounce of Suguru’s hips with your own. Eyes still locked with yours, he stuffs you with every inch - tip kissing your cervix so painfully good. 

The steady slapping of skin and synchronized moans fill the room, blocking out the cheering of the audience awaiting your band. 

Yet, the air crackled with something different this time. For the first time, it didn’t just feel like just mindless fucking.

Bite mark on your neck stinging, you could feel Sugurus heartbeat thundering under your touch - synchronized with your own.

In this moment it felt like just you two in this world. 

You wanted to be the only one in his world. Not his fangirls, not some manager, not anyone else. 

Maybe that was the reason for your courage, feeling like everything has finally come to a boiling point. 

“S-Suguru.” you breathe out as you feel yourself getting closer. 

“Mhm?” brows furrowed, he looks up at you with a tenderness in his eyes that does not translate to the merciless cadence of his hips. 

“Be mine.”

And that’s all Suguru ever wanted. 

With a final hard thrust of his cock, he pulls you into a searing kiss that sends you both over the edge. He cums in hot spurts, thick ropes of seed filling your quivering cunt. It was feral - and it made you feel like his. 

Suguru’s seed drips down the side of his length, forming a white ring at his base as he fucks it deeper into you, letting you ride out your highs together.

As your climaxes bate, he buries his face in your neck, kissing softly over the mark from before. “To be yours is everything I could ever want, darling.” he breathes out, hugging you closer as if to hide this vulnerable moment. But you feel the heat of his cheeks on your skin.

Embracing him, you gather his beautiful black locks in your hand, fingers deftly taking the hair tie around your wrist to tie his long hair into a messy ponytail. 

Pulling back, you admire Suguru’s angelic features. Face flushed, lips swollen, and dark eyes half-lidded as he stares up at you in surprise.

“Wanted to see your pretty face.” you huff out a low laugh.

The expression on Suguru’s face is indescribable, such pure adoration in his eyes. 

Voice low, he murmurs words meant only for you, “I…I’m in lov-” 

“HEYYY I’m serious, stop doing the devil’s tango and GET THE FUCK OUT.” Satoru’s voice bellows once again through the door, shattering the little bubble you and Suguru had found refuge in.

“Ah- um-”

“You-”

Both of you stammer out at once, chuckling at how shy you were acting with one another even after all that had transpired in this room.

“We should probably go, before Satoru and Shoko pop a blood vessel.” Suguru jokes. You laugh out in agreement as he carries you tenderly to the washroom, his interrupted words weighing heavily on both your minds. It’s okay, you have time. 

Rapidly cleaned up and dressed, Suguru stops, a hand on the dressing room doorknob. “”Hey..” he starts almost-hesitantly, “After the concert, would you maybe want to-”

“Yes.” you interrupt, excitement lacing your voice. 

Chuckling in pure euphoria as you both exit, your smiles turn more sheepish as you’re faced with a bored-looking Shoko and an impatient Satoru tapping his foot. “You horny lil’ fuckers almost missed the show, think of my poor fans~” he exclaims, though the glee in his eyes at your intertwined hands was very evident.

“Hope the sex was good at least.” Shoko drones out, eyes flitting over your guilty flushed faces. 

‘Oh yeah, and Suguru - next time you dump your fangirls on me, I chop your balls off.“ she chirps out, pointing her drumsticks threateningly at his neck as you all head back.

Blinding lights. 

Deafening screams.

Hair pulled into a messy ponytail, he was fatally beautiful onstage.

Everybody wanted to fuck Suguru Geto, lead bassist of Tokyo Special Grades. 

But he only wanted to fuck you.

A/N. MMMMM long-haired men.

Plagiarism not authorized.

[thegnomelord]

OMG CONGRATS ON 500 FOLLOWERS!!!!!! how about prompt 30 with trans!ghost? there'd be such a nice mix of battle scars & surgery scars too <3

Thanks! and Anon you have no idea on what kind of a Hyper-fixation fender you put me on with this prompt, like it's 2 in the morning and I've never written something this fast before lol. Play the game HERE.

Prompt: Kissing scars

CW: NSFW, Trans Ghost, Male reader but can be read as GN, afab language, kinda non sexual nudity, body worship, scar kissing, fluff, fluffy fluffy fluff, I'm a dirty tease.

You never know what you'll get when Ghost returns after a mission— Sometimes he'll return so hoped up on adrenaline he'll push you down on the nearest flat surface and ride you until he's satisfied, using you as a living dildo with a firm hand on your throat to keep you hard and quiet; Other times — even the barest brush of skin on skin will have him flinching away with a glare able to put you 6 feet deep.

So when you find him in your room, still fitted out in combat gear and staring off seemingly into space, you approach him slow and loud, making your footsteps echo as you draw close. You doubt he can even feel you brush your pinkies together through his thick gloves, but he jolts as if you're electric. . .but doesn't jerk away.

Creeping slowly until you're face to face with him you hold his hand loosely in your own, giving a gentle squeeze. It takes a few more squeezes before his eyes focus on you, the raging storm inside him turning them from honey brown to dark like blood soaked soil. You can tell his face is tense even with the mask on, the thin fabric helping to keep him together as his resolve slowly depletes like a fraying rope.

Something makes you move and before your mind properly registers it you're slowly taking off his glove, brushing the back of his hand with your thumb before you bring it closer to your face. His sharp eyes follow every movement of your lips as you kiss an old cigarette burn on the pad of his thumb and trail soft pecks across the silvery lines dotting his finger down to the meat of his palm, then back up to the pad of his pointer finger, kissing each knuckle as you go from finger to finger.

This doesn't stop or lessen the maelstrom in his mind, but each new kiss is like a new board to patch up the leaking holes in his boat. His other hand finds your shoulder by the time you're kissing the stab scar on the back of his hand.

His voice is so rough your name is hardly understandable, but gains your attention all the same. "Going soft on me now?" He growls, amused or irritated, you can't say.

Tempting luck you reach out to grab the zipper of his jacket, "Do you want me to stop?" You murmur against his skin.

His eyes narrow until you're staring into a dark void, a small and gruff sound leaving his throat. It's not a 'yes', but it's definitely not a 'no'. So like a miner without a canary, you slowly undress him, dropping to your knees to take off his boots and unclipping all his gear, stopping only when he's down to boxers and a long sleeve shirt when you feel him tense.

"Forgetting somethin' Sargent?" He asks, voice rough like he's ready to bark orders across the battlefield.

You look at him like a worshiper looks at a god, "Please, can I take these off Ghost?" You beg, sticking out your bottom lip for extra measure.

"Only because you look pathetic when you beg." There's no heat in his words, but you feel and see his muscles tense as you take away the last remaining articles of clothing. Only his mask remains, and you don't dare touch that.

He's dry as a bone and you can't blame him, this situation so far from normal for both of you. He lets you maneuver him until he's sitting on the bed, his knees spread just enough for you to comfortably kneel between them.

"That's bettah," He hums as you take his other hand and start kissing the rough patches of skin there, though you're a little surprised when he catches your tongue in his fingers. "You're like a damn dog." But he only brushes the his thumb against the flat of your tongue before letting go.

"Just for you, right?" You hum and start trailing bulletwounds and stab scars across his forearm.

"If yea know what's good for yea." He growls, though you can see him starting to relax, the cold edges melting slowly like the first thaw after a 1000 year old winter.

"Where do you ache, love?" You ask, reaching over to kiss a prominent scar on his bicep while you look at his abdomen. His front looks like a roadmap; full of long jagged scars from knives, dotted with small crates from old bullets, mottled with burns, and other unknown scars caused by god knows what. The only 'clean' scars he has are the two silvery lines beneath the curve of his pecs — the ones he never lets you touch.

"Will you kiss it better?" He mocks, like he doesn't believe you and looks at you like you're insane, but decides to humor you and briefly taps the fresh pink line on his abdomen. He watches you like a hawk as you lean down to lay soft kisses along the entire length of the jagged scar, a groan leaving his lips as your tongue tickles the frazzled beneath healing scar tissue, something like pleasure-not-pleasure sizzling wonderfully up his spine.

"Where else?" You ask, letting him place a heavy hand on your head and guide you where he wants you. His body aches in some way every waking moment, but for this night he can let you chase away the gnawing pain with your lips. He doesn't notice when he ends up splayed out on the bed and tugging you on top of him— another usually hard no with him —his mind growing strangely quiet as every lick and kiss on his damaged skin leaves behind shreds of warmth that build in his chest until he's boneless. It's almost like he melts into the bed, into your lips, his muscles more relaxed than they've ever been.

Then your lips brush against his top scars and a bucket of water gets splashed on his head. He barks out your name, raising his head as he scruffs you by the back of the neck before you can even react.

You don't resist his hold, "Yes, my handsome man?" You ask with a teasing lilt to your voice, your lips brushing against his top scars when he visibly shivers at your words.

"The fuck are you doin'?" He asks the question that's been plaguing both of your minds, but he doesn't sound angry and doesn't try to throw you off him, so you continue to gently worship his top scars.

"What's it look like?" You ask and feel his hold on your neck loosen as you trail from one scar to it's twin on the other side. His hand remains where it is, but his blunt nails lightly scratch your skin as reward for adoring scars like you're doing right now.

"Like you're doing something stupid." He huffs and you can finally see the dark clouds in his eyes parting, his chest rising and falling as he lets out a breath that's been weighing on his shoulders for a while. "But-" He takes your hand and moves it down between his legs, both of you groaning when you find his folds wet and pliant to your fingers, clit hard and pulsing against your hand. "-I can think of a few more places where I 'ache'." He gives a smug smirk that's obvious through his balaclava, his other hand lightly tugging on your hair, "Kiss it better for me, yeah?"

How can you refuse?

[ultimateempath]

Rating AAI2 localization names, part 1!

part 2 HERE

Sebastian Debeste --> Eustace Winner

2/10, I hate it. I hate it so much. They named him 'Useless Whiner'. Why are they so damn mean to him??? Only isn't a 0/10 because admittedly he does look & act like a Eustace.

Justine Courtney --> Verity Gavélle

9/10, very pretty! Not as blatantly obvious as the fan-translation name, but still kinda on the nose with the whole gavel thing. Fits her well!

Ray Shields --> Eddie Fender

8/10. Very on the nose, but not in a bad way! I can accept it, it fits him.

Di-Jung Huang --> Di-Jung Wang

10/10! It's pretty much the same which is a plus, and I've gotta give them props for keeping the subtle 'the wrong one' wordplay! I'm completely happy with this.

Ethan Rooke --> Bastian Rook

7/10, not bad. A lot more on the nose, but it sounds kinda cool so it gets a pass from me.

Horace Knightly --> Bronco Knight

5/10. I...I've gotta give them props for still managing a horse joke, but oh my god. Fucking Bronco, really?? It matches his personality, but just...ugh.

Nicole Swift --> Tabby Lloyd

...y'know what, 7.5/10. It's violently on the nose, but I think it's funny so it gets a pass.

EDIT

Simon Keyes --> Simeon Saint

eh....solid 8/10. It doesn't roll off the tongue as well, but I get what they were going for and it does fit him. I'm just autistic and don't like it when a word doesn't sound/feel right, I'm not gonna dock points for that.

[kirasworldofwords]

I don't think I ever really introduced myself here so here goes!

First of all, hi! My name is Kira, but you may call me Kiki if you'd like. On AO3, I'm known as "chiquita_chequito", I'm often there just lingering and reading or writing, lol. I'm 21 years old, German with Polish roots and live in a small German town where nothing ever really happens, lol. I have many interests, like certain anime and F1 (especially that as of late) and consider myself a decent writer at least. You're free to quote and/or correct me on that though, lol.

A few random facts about me:

✨️ I'm neurodivergent! I have OCD, ADD and Autism paired with hyperesthesia and ARFID (I know, I know... I should pick a struggle, but alas).

✨️ I also happen to be queer - bisexual as well as somewhere on the aro-ace gradient plus bigender, to be exact. My pronouns are they/she, meaning I prefer "they/them" but am also okay with "she/her". Anything but "he/him" and "it/its".

✨️ My hyperfixation has been cars (as in the vehicles, not the movie) ever since I was a baby. After my first two words, "Mama" and "No", my third word was "Car" in German - the fourth was "Skodda", as per my mom's telling. Surprise surprise, I still love Škodas. 😂

✨️ I play in a sort of marching band that we call Schalmeienzug, there's no direct translation though. It's really fun! Been there for five years now and still love it. 🫶🏻

✨️ Don't ask me how or why but for whatever reason, I can get any song I want stuck in someone else's brain. It works every damn time with just about anyone and yes, I am quite shameless about it. If I have to suffer through having Spongebob music stuck in my brain, then so do you. I have spoken.

✨️ My sense of humor is... skewed at best, fucking dark at worst. That's it. I refuse to elaborate.

✨️ I'm a uni student studying economics, Spanish and Portuguese at the moment! Although my Portuguese prof is an asshole and Spanish is, honest to God, kicking my sensitive little behind. Send help please, no me gusta. ☹️

✨️ In my free time, I also study Finnish. Thanks, Käärijä, lmao.

✨️ And yes, I love Eurovision. As a queer European girlie, that's a must, lol.

✨️ Regarding F1, my favorite drivers of the current grid are Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Daniel Ricciardo (noooo, I don't have a thing for Aussies, wdym), Nico Hülkenberg and Sergio "Checo" Pérez. Of the old grid I still somewhat remember (I've been watching F1 since childhood days), my favorites used to be Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Räikkönen and the Nicobergs - aka Nico Rosberg and Nico Hülkenberg. My heart has a special place reserved for Michael Schumacher, though, and it's shaped specifically like his stature. ❤️

✨️ I swear a lot. Like, a lot. I'm not kidding. So... proceed with caution if you're sensitive to that.

✨️ My free time is mainly spent playing video games - I don't have many friends and those I do have don't always have time for me so this is what I revert back to if I don't have somewhere else to be like a performance, lol.

✨️ I drive a black Opel Corsa ecoflex from 2016 and it is my pride and joy. 🫶🏻 Too bad someone decided to ruin my fender just a few months in though. Bastard. Whoever and wherever you are, sleep with one eye open. My car is my baby.

✨️ Last but not least, my writing style is quite distinct in the way that I usually write melancholic, if not downright depressing stuff. I guess it's a reflection of my life thus far - again, I will not elaborate.

That should be it from my side for now. If anything else comes into my messy little pea-sized brain, I shall let you know through editing this post - or just completely rewriting it, lmao.

Which means, for now, have a nice one and don't let the bedbugs bite!

- 🍸

[lei-lei-artz]

☆Chapter 5-Roland and Layton ☆

(𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲)

Read previous chapter here:

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“Haha!! Finally!” Lev cheered as he busted through the door to the music room. “I’ve acquired our soon-to-be guitarists!” As Lev let them go, Roland glared at Lev while Layton collapsed on the floor.

“Actually.” Connor corrected Lev’s statement “We all did, Lev. Without Risa, we wouldn’t have found these two.” Risa nodded proudly in agreement.

“Yeah, I know! I get it! But cmon, I’m excited!” Lev said with a cheeky grin. “We’ve gotta see ‘em play something.”

Risa sighed. “Lev, go grab a macaron and calm down, for the love of god!” Lev scowled “Fine.”

Layton’s ears perked up when Risa mentioned macarons “Where are the macarons at?” Risa looked up at Layton, confused yet amused by her sudden change in attitude. “On that table.”

Layton immediately ran to the table, grabbing a macaron and eating it almost immediately. “Mmmh! These are so good!” Risa smiled and gave a quick thumbs up “Thank you, I’m glad you enjoy them.”

“So, y’all gonna show us how well you play? Well, when you’re ready to, no rush.” Connor had asked.

“Wait, why’re both me and Layton here? If y’all needed a guitarist, I assume you mean one and not two.”

Connor sighed out of irritation “I’m pretty sure we’ve mentioned that we need a lead and a rhythm guitarist. Maybe check your damn ears.” Roland flipped him off “Well if anyone’s gonna be the lead guitarist it’s gonna be me.”

Connor glared at him, muttering something under his breath before speaking up “We’ve gotta see your skills first before that’s determined, dumbass.”

Risa nodded in agreement “I’ve seen you both play and you’re definitely both skillful but we’ve gotta compare you two to settle who gets which position.”

Layton gave a thumbs up “That’s understandable but in that case, we should get it done with now.” Lev excitedly nodded in agreement.

Layton walked to the corner of the room and grabbed her guitar case, handing Roland his. They both took out their guitars, Roland having a Gibson Les Paul and Layton having a Fender Stratocaster.

“I see you both have a popular and high quality model of guitar.” Cam had pointed out.

Once both of them had set up the amps and plugged in all the cords, they were all set. “So, what can you guys play?” Lev asked.

Layton looked down at Lev and noticed he was wearing a Weezer shirt “I can play this…” She then played the lick from Buddy Holly, which caused Lev to gasp and smile widely.

Roland scoffed “Really? Weezer?” Layton frowned “He’s wearing a Weezer shirt, so that’s what came to mind.”

Roland began playing Chop Suey by System Of A Down, smirking the whole time while doing so. This left the others impressed, Risa and Cam clapping along and Lev begun head banging. Connor however, tried not to show any emotion or sign of being impressed. Once Roland had finished, they all applauded, Roland had a cocky grin pasted on his face.

“System Of A Down, eh?” Layton commented.

Roland turned to Layton, very clearly proud of the reactions he got “Yep. And what’re you gonna play?” he asked, wondering if Layton could compare.

“Hm…how about some Metallica?” Layton started to play the main riff of Lux Æterna. The others were clearly impressed, having a similar reaction to Roland’s playing except Connor was actually showing it.

“Someone give me another Metallica song!”

“Do Enter Sandman!” Lev called out. Layton had began playing it, the others still quite impressed. “Say your prayers little one, don’t forget my son…” Connor began singing along quietly.

“Alright! One more song!”

Connor had decided on a song “Gimme Fuel Gimme Fire Gimme that which I desire!” Layton chucked and began playing Fuel. Once she’d finished, everyone clapped once more.

“Wow, they’re both really good!” Cam had commented “It’s gonna be hard to choose who gets what.”

Layton looked over at Roland “Yknow, he can be lead guitar, I really don’t mind.” Roland glanced back at Layton, his expression lightening slightly. “Really? Are you sure about that, Layton?” Connor had asked, wanting to make sure it was something she really wanted. Layton nodded, patting Roland on the shoulder.

“Well I guess it’s settled then, Roland’s lead and Layton’s rhythm.” The others cheered, Lev being especially happy “Connor! We did it! We’ve got a whole band!” Connor smiled “Yeah, we really did but my concern is how well are we all gonna get along.” Lev shrugged “I’m sure we’ll be fine, I mean you and Roland may already beef with each other and you also have slight beef with Cam and even myself but whatever.”

Connor frowned and whacked Lev in the back of the head.

“Ow! My point proven…”

“Well in that case, look what I brought!” Risa took out another container of pastries. “Oh my god, Risa. That’s really kind of you, but where are you getting all these?” Cam seemed curious but also wanted to try whatever was in the container.

“I tend to bake a lot and since now I’m in a band, I have a whole group to share ‘em with.” Layton smiled “That’s so sweet!” Risa opened the container and sat it at the middle of a table, the band members sitting around it.

“We should all get to know each other better, yknow? Layton had said, the pastry in her mouth muffling her voice. “That’s a good idea—“ “Everyone, what’s your favourite bands?” Lev had cut Connor off, as per usual.

Cam spoke up first “Yknow, I like The Beatles, The Rollings Stones too.”

“Mmh…classic rock, I see. Well personally I like AC/DC and Bon Jovi.” Lev said next. “Weezer too!”

“I like Avenged Sevenfold, Korn and System Of A Down.” said Roland, crossing his arms.

“I really like Metallica and Metric, Gorillaz too.” Layton replied, stuffing another pastry into her mouth.

“I’ll listen to anything really.” Connor said nonchalantly with a shrug. “Yeah same here, anything is fine with me.” Risa added.

The band chattered about this for a while before Lev came to a realization. “Hey so…”

“So what?” Connor cocked his head to the side in curiosity. What was Lev thinking about now?

“What’s our band name?”

The others became quiet, they didn’t have one yet. “Good question.” said Cam. “Any ideas?”

Connor thought, there was really nothing in mind. “We’ll figure something out, hopefully.”

Layton nodded “When will we all play together though?”

Connor paused again “Soon.” Lev sighed “Well it better be soon, I don’t wanna wait much longer!” Risa chuckled at Lev’s level of patience.

“We’ll practice soon, Lev. Soon.”

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[us3rnam3-r3dact3d]

how do u come up with your titles? they read like song lyrics- and if they are could u drop the songs 👀👀++ to what extent does that song influence the story? (my bad if you've answered this before I have terrible memory)

-🦀

Ooohhh crab anon, the bag of worms you opened!! You are completely right, (almost) every title of my stories have come from song lyrics. And not only have I compiled the songs for you, I’ve written a lil blurb on why I chose that song and included recommended songs for each fic with applicable lyrics. I hope these satisfy!

another cup of wine | “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl” Looking Glass

Listen, I’m gonna be real with y’all. This one is just because Darlin’ and Sam drink wine out of cups instead of glasses. No deeper meaning here, just an applicable lyric I liked. The song does have a sort of swag and divorced dad rock vibe that I think Sam in particular would listen to.

Recommended listening

“He Needs Me” Shelly Duval

“I’ll take a chance / I will because he needs me”

“No Choir” Florence + the Machine

“And it’s hard to write about being happy / ‘cause the older I get / I find that happiness is an extremely uneventful subject”

the only anchor i have left | poem by Andrea Gibson

The only one not taken from a song. I’ll link the poem below. I think the whole thing is very good for Bright Eyes. Lost and anchorless without something to be angry about. A common Andrea Gibson slay.

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/9548512-what-if-i-don-t-want-the-monster-to-stop-being

Recommended listening

“Your Needs / My Needs” Noah Kahan

“To see a friend, to see a ghost”

“your life, your dreams / your mind, your needs/ my needs. / Your needs, my needs.”

“Second Child, Restless Child” the Oh Hellos

“And they saw the trouble in my eyes / they were quick to recognize the devil in me.”

i always wanted to die (clean and pretty) | “Last Words of a Shooting Star” Mitski

One of two or three Mitski lyrics I’ve used since she is just so good. Tbh I don’t know where I was going or where I want to go with this one. The general vibes are… tragic. I might retool later on.

Recommended listening

“Lonesome Town” Ricky Nelson

“There’s a place where lovers go / to cry their troubles away / and they call it Lonesome Town / where the broken hearts stay”

“This Too Shall Pass” Danny Schmidt

“We think too big / we think our self is one whole thing / and we claim that this collection / has a name and is a being / but deep inside / when every cell divides / well, it sets upon the rule that states / self-interest is divine”

let this whole town hear your knuckles crack | “Damn These Vampires” the Mountain Goats

Somehow the only fic so far with a title from tMG, my favorite band of all time. I’m sure I’ll find more in time. This song has western vibes that I don’t think fits the DAMN crew very well, and somehow I paired this song in my one fic that doesn’t involve Sam. However, the vibes are immaculate.

Recommended listening

Seventeen Going Under” Sam Fender

“I was far too scared to hit him / but I would hit him in a heart beat now / that’s the thing with anger / it begs to stick around”

“Saint Bernard 2” by Lincoln

“Lord make me a liar ‘cause I swore to god / when swearing still felt like the truth”

it’s my gut i can’t ignore (i’m hungry) | “Gone, I’m Gone” Eva Noblezada and the cast of Hadestown.

Also surprising I haven’t used more broadway lyrics, but here we are. My absolute favorite musical which, in part, is about hunger driving you to do desperate things. This piece was so largely focused on food insecurity for me. Every chapter revolves around food to some degree, and even the metaphors and similes Angel uses to describe the world around them are tied to food. It’s something that those of us who grew up with food insecurity can relate to; when you’re hungry, everything reminds you of food. When you live hungry, it consumes your every thought. When Noblezada as Eurydice delivers the line “it’s my gut I can’t ignore / Orpheus, I’m hungry,” you can hear it in her voice. It’s worth a listen for that line alone.

“Abbey” Mitski

“I am hungry / I have been hungry / I was born hungry / what do I need”

“Class of 2013- Audiotree Live Version” Mitski

“Mom / will you wash my back this once / and then we can forget / and I’ll leave what I’m chasing / for the other girls to pursue”

as long as you’re with me (you’ll be just fine) | “Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby” Cigarettes After Sex

This whole song has excellent David vibes. The protectiveness, the quiet possession. He’s a soft soul at heart, I think, and this song fits well. This collection is one of my faves just because we get to see many different sides of him and ways in which he can be protective, possessive. From quiet reassurance to acts of service to beating the shit out of people. As long as his pack is with him, he will keep them safe.

Recommended listening

“Cold Cold Man” Saint Motel

“Oh my love / I know I am a cold, cold man / quite slow to pay you compliments / or public displayed affections. / But baby, don’t you go over analyze / no need to theorize / I can put your doubts to rest / You’re the only one worth seeing”

there is a light (i feel it in me) | “Abbey” Mitski

Already tied to this series, this Mitski song is just perfect. An exploration of how trauma can effect us in ugly ways, this piece pairs perfectly with Mitski’s music. This song explores the deep hunger within the singer, countered by the lightness she feels within herself. Angel, in this piece, is haunted by their hunger and treats David poorly because of it. The light that he shows them helps them to reach for the light within themself. We love healing in this house!!!

See the recommended songs under it’s my gut i can’t ignore (i’m hungry).

the rest of you, the best of you (honey belongs to me) | “NFWMB” Hozier

Oh boy I could go on for ages about Hozier. His songs are on almost all of my Redacted playlists and so I listen to his work pretty much every time I write for Redacted. His lyricism and prose are evident in my work, I think. This piece, one of Angel’s first indications of how protective David is, fits so well with this song. Swinging wildly between protectiveness and possessiveness, David mirrors the song’s progression throughout the piece. I think “Belongs to me” is the operative part of this title.

Recommended listening

“You’re Mine” Phantogran

“(No one’s gonna love you) / (No one’s gonna touch you) / ‘cause you’re mine! / (No one’s gonna look at you)”

“Always Forever” Cults

“You and me, always forever / We could stay alone together / You and me, always forever / Say you’ll stay, never be severed”

i assume you’ll be coming for blood (that makes two of us) | “Venom” Little Simz

Alright so… for real… this piece should have been named “is it wickedness? is it weakness?” after the first (or last, depending on how you play it) track on Kendrick Lamar’s “Damn.” That entire album is a work of art, and it can be played cohesively forward or backward, each play telling a different story. Forward is Kendrick’s life as it is, and backward is how it might have gone had his father died when he was young.

In this story, the inciting incident for Sweetness to be so different from the Sweetheart that we know is their mother dying when they were young. I’m positing here that Sweetheart in the main universe still has their mom and that’s why they’re kinder.

Anyway. I stand by “Venom” being a banger. It’s themes don’t run as cohesively with this story as Damn.‘s do, but I can live with it. For now.

Recommended listening

“Damn. Collectors Addition.” By Kendrick Lamar.

Yes the entire album. This particular edition, too, since it is the “wicked” timeline.

“Love’s gonna get you killed / but pride’s gonna be the death of you”

“United in Grief” Kendrick Lamar

“Pray none of my enemies / hold me captive / I grieve different”

remembering again the full extent of what forever is | “Through Me (The Flood)” Hozier

More Hozier! We know I love him and the new stuff he’s put out for Unreal Unearth and all of it’s EP’s are changing me fundamentally as a person. Hozier’s work has always connected with me deeply, all the way back to when I was a repressed queer kid listening to “Take Me To Church.” Now, as he’s putting out this big push of music, I’m finding myself connecting with the core of his music again. This song, a song about surrendering to the impossibility and incomprehensible nature of love, is perfect for William and Alexis. Will’s love for Alexis isn’t healthy, and it doesn’t lead him to sound choices, but he feels he has no choice. So he surrenders to it.

Recommended listening

“Eat Your Young” Hozier

“It’s a kindness / highness / crumbs enough for everyone / old and young are welcome to the meal”

“My Love Is Sick” Madds Buckley

“You’re an infection / I am keeping / No matter the sepsis / you are staying / I’d rather the wound / Than have you removed / Enough rotting for two / Killing me, keeping me high”

the world (it burns through me) | “Through Me (The Flood)” Hozier

Oh boy two for one! I for sure snagged this from the same song as the last piece I posted too. Yada yada surrendering to love and all of that. Love is something that’s has happened to Darlin, not something they have taken an active part in. They take the opposite message from William in this song; they fight the current, don’t let the world take them under. They are a fighter, in the end.

Recommended listening

Arsonists Lullaby” Hozier

“All you have is your fire / and the place you need to reach / don’t you ever tame your demons / but always keep them on a leash.”

“Problems” Mother Mother

“I’ve found love in the strangest place / ties up and branded / locked in a cage”

and my body remains (but the person is gone) | “Divine Loser” Clem Turner

Asher’s main trauma response in this piece is dissociation, pulling away from himself and his body to protect himself. While “Divine Loser” isn’t necessarily about dissociation, there are a number of apt lyrics that tie in with Ash in this story.

Recommended Listening

“To Someone From a Warm Climate (Uiscefhuaraithe)” Hozier

“You’d shake for minutes there and move your legs / wrap the blanket over you and keep your head within / let your breath heat the air until you’d feel it getting thin / Uiscefhuaraithe.”

“Wait” Get Set Go

“Wait, wait for the dawn, my dear / wait til the sun gets here / and you will wait too long / he will be gone”

when i call, you come home (a bird in your teeth) | “I Know The End” Phoebe Bridgers

Ooohhh boy! I love this song. Phoebe does something to me y’all. This song is sad, which makes it an interesting choice for a, generally, happy ending fic. This piece, like most things I write about the pack in childhood, is tinged with a sad sort of nostalgia. It’s the knowledge that we as readers have that, whatever comfort and love David gets from Gabe is temporary. We know how this story ends. We know that Gabe will die. And so even these happy moments are seen through that lens. I Know The End.

Recommended listening

“That Funny Feeling” Bo Burnham

“That unapparent summer air in early fall / the quiet comprehending of the ending of it all / there it is again, that funny feeling / that funny feeling.”

“Black Eyed Dog” Nick Drake

“I’m growing old and I wanna go home / I’m growing old and I don’t wanna know / I’m growing old and I want to go home / Black eyed dog, he called at my door / The black eyed dog he called for more.”

[xbruised-peachx]

Fender gives me absolutely filthy vibes. Like I can just imagine him hitting it from the back and pulling out when you cum… only to lean down and EAT it from behind before shoving his fingers in. He’s definitely a rough finger fucker.

What do you think he would think about squirting? Would it be a goal for him to achieve and he’d be feral when he does or would it be something that he doesn’t expect? I can’t decide

He’s a sick fucker I LOVE HIMMMMM

I’m so depraved pls help me. You’re the only one I can send these delusions to

HARD AGREE ANON. I was trying to get the point across he's very respectful and loving but GOD DAMN he is rough and filthy and it's soo hot.

Now as someone who actually does... ya know. I'M GONNA BE SELFISH AND SAY HE ADORES IT. Absolutely a goal of his is to get you to squirt if you haven't before. It's the one time he won't actually prefer his fingers, instead going all mouth and tongue action. He'll spell out Hungarian words on your pussy just because he loves the way you moan when he spells a word with an ő, those little accents driving you wild. He'll be growling as you clearly get closer and closer, "Cum on my fucking face, so fucking hot, darling."

[vicwrites-and-acts]

WIP: TEMPUS ↪➡️

Chapter One | Sample | full first chapter.

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EARTH SHOULD BE nothing more than a long, forgotten memory; a recollection of childhood dreams, nostalgia so real it makes your stomach twist and your heart ache with a million regrets. Cake, late night TV, screaming with her bestie about something irrelevant, her parents. It's all been taken from her. Stolen, really. The Nightwalker virus destroyed everything, and left her no choice but to hurtle through space at precisely 34 kilometers per second. 

Eris Matthews tries to hold onto her memories from home. The scent of her mother baking her famous sweet and savory apple pie, her ridiculously blown out of proportion nagging about wearing sunscreen, her smile whenever Eris and Draven would do something exceptionally funny. Her father's ridiculous oversized sweaters that he insisted he had to wear every morning, while having a cup of coffee. Draven's fanatical approach to theater, and the warm summer nights huddled around the bonfire near the ocean…

God, it's the little things she never fathomed she'd miss.

Being confined to the cargo hold doesn't exactly help, either. The walls remind her of her father's latest project car, being held together by sheer luck. Framework's damaged as if someone had taken a hammer and wailed on it near the fender, tried to fix it with insulating foam sealant, before realizing halfway through it doesn't work. If you've never had to scrape foam out of fiddly car parts, you're the lucky one. Eris and her dad worked tirelessly that summer. This? Entirely different. This is life or death, and someone didn't even bother building it correctly.

Yeah, life totally sucks. 

Eris isn't supposed to be here. She's an unauthorized person aboard the Exodus; a crazily, reckless, stowaway mission with one of the only people she trusts. Her best friend, Cashmere Moni. Okay, okay. I know what you're thinking. I didn't have a choice, alright? There hadn't been enough time. The ship was only built with four people I'm mind, not six. However, if they'd stayed behind on Earth, they would have never made it. Eris was not going to let that happen. It hadn't been an easy choice, mind, but her conscience is very clear. 

Incessant beeping comes from the hull, dull and distorted like broken wires on top of an antenna, rips Eris out of her thoughts. She knows what it means. The atmosphere is vastly approaching at an alarming rate. Damn it. Eris reaches her hand out toward Cashmere, but she's too late. Turbulence hits hard, sending the two of them careening into the nearest wall. Eris clenches her jaw to keep from screaming, blood pours from her nose, and she's pretty sure the force of the impact blacked her eye on principle. Shocking pain explodes from behind her eyelids. Yep, definitely a black eye, Eris thinks, dazed, stumbling backwards and barely catching Cashmere as she crashed into her, sending them both towards the door. 

And silence. 

Well, mostly. The crash had dimmed Eris' hearing a little. A distant voice echoes throughout her skull, making her feel pretty confident that the ship's computer informed them the Exodus is stabilizing. Oxygen level at a hundred percent. The planet is survivable; like Rhys had promised. A breath of utter relief passes through her lips, closing her eyes briefly to get rid of dark spots threatening her vision; feeling like a million tiny dragons are waging war inside her brain.

"What do you.. wanna bet Rhys forgets.. to.. to open Cargo?" Eris says, blinking, giving Cashmere a lopsided smile. Her speech slurred, thanks to the possible concussion. 

"How 'bout I bet you two of your famous crunchwraps that you're right?" Cash winks, crossing her arms over her chest. 

"Deal." 

Rhys Grey is single handedly the most forgetful person to ever exist, but Eris owes him her life. He'd shown up to warn her. Only a select few, higher ups mainly, were chosen to go to the Odyssey; the space station that would lead civilization towards their new planet. Without him, her fate would have been a long black abyss of an infected Earth. She shivers. 

Her family had been sick for days. There wasn't enough knowledge about the virus, which later the CDC coined as the Nightwalker virus. Yesterday, her family woke with a thirst for blood, red-rimmed, lifeless eyes that pierced into her soul. Their distorted voices begged Eris to join them. Her brother, Draven, promised to end her puny mortal existence swiftly; no pain, he swore. Her mother was the loudest. Telling her life would be much easier if she could feel what they felt. Which was nothing.

The virus was unlike anything the newscasts released. 

It was a game changer. Something Eris tried to tell Rhys' parents, because if she could just get someone to listen, then maybe, maybe, she could have an opportunity to save her family. Nobody would listen. Sherry and Dakota Grey clammed up, kicked them off the ship, and if Rhys hadn't disobeyed them.. Well, the only future Eris and Cashmere would've had is a one-way ticket to stale bread, a half-life existence, struggling from one place to another, and barricading themselves in at night to avoid the vampiric shells of humanity. 

The sound of metal grinding into gear brings Eris out of her miserable reverie, bringing her to share an anxious look with Cashmere, praying against all that's left that Rhys is the one who opened it. She doesn't even want to think about how his parents would react to seeing them here. Her heart thumps wildly inside her chest, leg bouncing erratically where she sways in place; again, thank you possible concussion. 

An equally anxious Rhys greets them, standing at the edge of the platform, glancing over his shoulder every few seconds. That does little to console Eris. Despite that, she's the first one out of cargo, stumbling into Rhys and throwing her arms around his neck.

"Thank God," Eris breathes, voice catching in her throat as she takes in the frozen wasteland over his shoulder. "Um, Rhys –" 

Civilization is nowhere to be seen. A purple haze glitters from the sun, transforming the snow-covered trees, and the icicles dangling from every branch into a soft lilac. A frozen forest stretching for seemingly miles with a thick blanket of ice covering the only path. Eris draws in a breath. It's breathtaking. She slowly removes her arms from around Rhys' neck, almost in a daze, before taking a miniscule step backwards. Wrong. An equally mesmerized Cashmere steps beside her, grinning, but Eris can't find herself feeling much joy at all. It's not right. Where is everyone? 

She longs to feel the ice against her skin like blue flames nipping against the wind, but the previous horrors of a long, forgotten Earth has taught her to look beyond the veil of illusion. What the hell are they going to do now? 

"Uh uh, no way girl," Cashmere says, sending Eris a pointed look. "I've seen that look plenty of times to know what you're thinkin'. No. 'Live better,' that's what you said, right?" 

Eris grimaces. Cash is right, technically, but the entire point of the mission was to blend beneath the cracks. Disappear into the crowd like they were meant to be here all along. This isn't the plan. A Tundra, where nothing will ever melt if it's anything like Earth; pristine, open, possibly deadly… There's nowhere to hide out here. 

"Look, my parents won't stay gone forever. Let's just explain it to them and.." 

"No. Absolutely not," Eris replies adamantly, shaking her head repeatedly to drive her point across. "Nope. Your parents would ship us back into Nightwalker hell. Don't know bout y'all, but I'm not going back there." 

It's a weak argument. A way to undermine them in hopes they'll just let it go, without having to go over it again. It's insane. She doesn't even know why Rhys would suggest that option. The thought of having to explain herself to a flabbergasted, possibly angry Sherry and Dakota, how she and Cash disregarded their rules and wound up here anyway? No thanks. 

Rhys clears his throat to capture Eris' attention, and she almost wishes she hadn't looked over at him. She groans. Of course. The damn look. His face morphs into despondence, and he pouts his lip, making it quiver for extra effect. The warm blue eyes pierce into hers, turning sad, almost pleading. 

A puppy. A ridiculous, oversized puppy, but one nonetheless. 

She averts her gaze. It's like the two were children again, sitting at a desk in a stuffy arts classroom. Eris had her 'special' purple crayon in front of her. She'd believed for the longest time it had special powers, magical ones. Mrs. Crandall encouraged sharing. Eris did not. She'd never had to, not even with Draven. 

Rhys had really wanted her purple crayon. He'd been coloring some fancy fire-breathing dragon, and wanted to blend the shade of purple and orange to make the breath. A cool concept, really, if he'd wanted to ask anyone else. It's silly. How utterly defensive Eris had become over a normal crayon, but she'd been vehemently against giving it to him. He looked at her, then, raising his eyebrows dramatically to make them larger, jutting out his bottom lip and giving her his best depressed look. 

Eris groans. It's something she should have seen coming a mile away, and yet he always manages to catch her completely off guard. Great. She sighs and peels her gaze back towards them, trying to cover her ever-growing smile. 

"Fine," she says, giving them a faux unamused look, before continuing, "but if they hurdle all three of us back to Earth, I will say I told you so."

They trek in silence. The sun will be going down any minute now, and they're no closer to finding Rhys' parents. Go back. Her brain is at war with itself; On one hand, going back to the ship would make this one hundred percent easier, but on the other hand, she'd be letting Rhys and Cash down. It's impossible to see much beauty with these thoughts swarming her brain. Even if she'd like to be lost in her surroundings, like Rhys and Cash were. 

Eris brushes stray hair from her freezing cheeks, shivering at the cold air. It had almost felt warm. When she'd first stepped off the platform back at the ship, and now it feels as if she'd stepped into a gigantic chest freezer. She'd done that once. On accident, Draven had locked her in it, and nearly forgot about her for five minutes. If only he were here now.

She shakes her head. It's hard not to dwell on the past, on Draven and her parents; hell, even the difference in air quality here. Endless possibilities. Variations of different levels of bad, depending on the situation. 

A sickening crunch echoes below Eris' feet, bouncing off the trees. Horror washes over her; a nameless dread infiltrates her body like a snake ready to crush his prey. Heart pounding. If she moves, she'll fall. If she doesn't, maybe it'll give her friends the time they'll need. Now or never. 

"Slowly move back the way we came," she orders, shakily. "Now." 

Her eyes continuously dart towards the spider web-like cracks increasingly at an alarming rate, and back towards her friends. 

Breathe. 

What would mom do? 

What would Draven do? 

The last question makes her cringe. Draven would be just as useless as her in this situation. Focus. 

"Eris…" 

She raises her hand to silence their worried prodding, wildly gesturing for them to just do as she asked them. Now isn't the time for them to doubt her. If she gave in to her own fear, threatening to crush her beneath its weight, then they would all die. She won't let that happen. Rhys saved her life, and now it was time to repay him with hers. 

One second. That's all it took for her to free-fall through the ice. Rigid water engulfs Eris, entering her open mouth, and muffling her panicked shrieks. The worried shouts from her friends go mainly unnoticed. Her lungs feel like they're on fire. She kicks her legs wildly, arms desperately reaching upwards before her fist connects with a solid block of ice. 

The shouts above her cease. All that's left is a long, jagged silence. 

[scrubdowner]

"So, can you fix it?" The technician scratched his head as he stared at the crude agglomeration of electrical components that looked as if they had been sourced from Goodwills the world over, with representative consumer electronics from each decade of the last 5. The eternal orange-tinged twilight of the otherworldly sky provided a workable amount of light, but out of habit, the tech unholstered a flashlight for a better view of the problem.

"Well, you gotta god-damned rat's nest going on there, that's for sure. But I don't smell anything too burnt, meaning that if luck is on our side, it should just be a coupl'a fuses, and I got plenty of those in the truck." The tech pointed towards the company transit van with a jab of his thumb. He looked over towards his company liveried work van, smeared around the fenders with abnormally covered dirt. His auto insurance didn't cover him taking the work van off road, never the less his current situation, but it seemed to handle the teal-ish grasses and clay loam it had stumbled across to get here just fine. Unnaturally pigmented vines had begun exploring the tire treads and wheel rims at a glacially fast pace. He made a mental note to check for any intrusive leaves before starting the van again.

"That's good to hear," his client said. "Do you think you can have it fixed today?" The tech turned back around to face him. There were a lot of words the repairman could use to describe his latest customer, but mostly it just reminded him of the fantasy movies his daughter used to take him to. The Legolas-looking man sipped from a stemmed glass that appeared to be made of glass and still-living vines.

"Probably, provided I have the spare parts. I have lots of fuses in there, but uh, I saw an Atari in there that I had as a kid, and that was a while ago, so, uh, no promises," the repairman replied with a slightly self-effacing chuckle. "And, uh, if I can't, you're not gonna... keep me here, right?"

"Of course not!" the client replied with an uncannily too-wide grin. "You're my guest here, under my protection, and you may come and go as the task requires. No harm or obligation - besides that of the repair contract - will come upon you. You have my word."

"Good good," he sighed, relieved. "But before I start, just one last question. Now I ain't gonna ask why a fae prince needs a video game setup, or how you got all of that working, or even how you got me into this Hedge place. I just gotta know - why me?"

"Oh, that's easy," the Prince replied. "Your truck says that you're available 25 hours a day, 8 days a week."