#HEY REMEMBER THAT SPOILER TAG I MENTIONED I WOULD USE

[sluckythewizard]

OOOH MORE WIPS UPON YYEEE i amm gonna crawl outa this artblock even if it KILLS ME! and speaking of killsing. whats with THIS dead guy huh??? its chip jrwi baby yeaaah its undead chip baby yeaaaahh its chip n hes fucken dead and rotting and gross and OOHHH IM SO PROUD OF HIm(for being dead)

[irisintheafterglow]

if he's a ghost, then I can be a phantom

summary: the strawhats are summoned back to baratie so sanji can cook for a high-class diner. they can't figure out why zoro is so nervous. (opla!zoro x you)

wc: 2k

cw/tags: swearing, mentions of food and eating, established relationship, pet names (sweetheart, doll, lover, pretty), spoilers if you squint, sanji being himself and zoro having absolutely none of it

note: this was requested by an anon a few weeks ago and i finally got around to writing it!! every time i write for zoro, i have a new favorite fic i've made because he's just so fun to write for. hope you enjoy!!

likes, reblogs, and replies are always appreciated <3

“You know, they’re a lot hotter in person.”

“Shut your mouth, waiter, or I’ll skewer it closed,” he mutters with palpable distaste. Another swig of rum burns down his throat and, for the first time that the crew can remember, Zoro seemed nervous. It wasn’t obvious, but they’d sailed long enough to know that he never stopped surveying a room for threats, no matter how familiar he was with it. Today, though, the only thing that took his attention was the rim of his glass and he was subtly avoiding the eyes of the crew’s target. “This is the dumbest idea you’ve had in a long time.” 

“Thank you for your input, Zoro. I will, however, be belaying it,” his captain replies brightly, unfazed by the blank expression of his first mate. The uneasy faces of his crew only makes him beam more, giddily excited for the anticipated challenge. “C’mon, guys. We’ll be fine. They just need to see how awesome we are and they’ll totally give us a new sail!”

“Loud, loud, too loud,” Zoro warns in response to the increasing volume of Luffy’s voice. They were already causing enough of a scene, as is, and he damn sure didn’t want other guests looking in their direction. To make matters worse, the amount of alcohol in the table’s bottle was dwindling too quickly for comfort. 

“Hey, if we’re lucky,” Usopp offers, “we might just get a whole ship. You know, maybe one that Captain Usopp can command as the second ship in the Straw Hat fleet.”

“You think we’ll get a whole fleet?”

“Hell yeah. Maybe, we can all captain our own ships–”

“Alright, let’s get our heads out of the clouds,” Nami cuts in. “We still need to figure out how we’re going to get over there, in the first place. And just for the record, I’m with Zoro on this one.” 

“First time for everything,” he deadpans. She smartly elects to ignore his sarcasm and continues to argue why the plan is a bad idea. The call from Zeff came at an opportune time and during an unfortunate situation when the Merry sailed straight into a torrential thunderstorm that ripped the main sail clean down the middle. Despite their best efforts to patch it up, it was beyond repair; with the Marines constantly on their tail, having a working sail was a matter of survival. Zeff’s reluctant summons for Sanji to cook for a special guest provided a means to buy a new sail and have a little extra spending money. But, in his wildest dreams, Zoro could not have predicted that the special guest was you. The smug look on the chef’s face snaps him out of his thoughts. “Shouldn’t you be in the kitchen, waiter?”

“Shouldn’t you be downing the rest of this bottle, drunk?”

“I’ll smash this damn bottle on your head, I swear–”

“No, no. Zoro has a point,” Luffy agrees. Sanji gives him an odd look and he quickly realizes what his statement insinuated. “Not about smashing the bottle on your head. We need you to bring them your food so then I can go over and talk with them.”

“You don’t think I can charm them on my own?” 

“Don’t look so aghast, blondie,” Zoro answers and receives a knife-sharp glare in response. “This is not someone who will entertain your theatrics.”

“How would you know anything about them, hmm? I believe you’re a little too dead inside for their liking,” Sanji baits and Zoro’s on the verge of biting before Nami steps in again. 

“Sanji, get in the kitchen. Let’s just get the money and get out of here.” Zoro silently thanks her in his head for effectively ridding the chef of the table for the time being. His gratitude turns into a grimace when she turns to him expectantly. “You’re gonna hate me for asking–”

“Then don’t ask,” he finishes. She doesn’t relent. 

“How do you know them? It seems like you’re nervous about being here, but we’ve never met them before as a crew.” Hitting the damn nail on the head. “So, you must’ve met them when you were still hunting down pirates. Am I right?” He grumbles an unreadable response, but the slightly pink shade of his face tells the table everything they need to know. “You’re terrible at covering up secrets.”

“I don’t remember asking.”

“Ah, you’ve got him on the run, now. He’s deflecting,” Usopp chuckles, immediately shutting up when Zoro shoots him a deadly scowl. He hated that all of them were right and would never admit it to save his life. After all this time, seeing you still made his heart rate skyrocket and cause his hands to clam up with boyish nervousness. You were just as beautiful as the last time he saw you, instances that were too few and far between for his own liking. Your father would have a fit if he saw you in such an unregulated environment as Baratie, but he knew that you were safe. As long as you breathed the same oxygen, he vowed no harm would come to you. 

“I met them when I first started hunting,” he admits and the words felt wrong on his tongue. Every nerve in his body was telling him to stop revealing his relationship to you. It didn’t matter if he’d almost died surrounded by his crew; his connection to you was sacred and something he was going to take to his grave. It was mostly for your safety, the late-night sneaking out and stolen displays of affection. In another life, he wouldn’t have to hide you from other hunters that wanted to see him fall. “Their father is a captain in the Marines. When I first met them, they were training with Mihawk. Their father wanted them to be the most feared Marine in the seas.” The jaws of his friends fell to the table and he knew how wild it sounded, a legacy Marine trained by a pirate lord. “But, Mihawk taught them more tricks than just swordfighting and their father fired him on the spot.”

“He taught them sympathy for pirates,” Nami concludes and he nods. “Why are you so shifty around them?” He shrugs half-heartedly and tries to make it look like his face wasn’t on fire.

“Just haven’t seen them in a while,” he states, zeroing in on the blonde asshole waltzing to you with a plate. Your surrounding guards stiffen, hands flying to the weapons at their belts. You, however, roll your eyes and tell them to stand down. He knew you hated going out with security because they were always watching, watching, watching. “Eyes up. The waiter’s making a move.” 

A strange sense of nausea washes over him as he watches you smile politely at Sanji, laughing softly at his jokes and kindly nodding as he explains the dish to you. You trust them, Zoro keeps telling himself. That waiter doesn’t stand a fucking chance. All the reassurances don’t stop his gut from churning when Sanji does his signature lean-down-and-whisper-suggestively into your ear. To his surprise, however, you don’t immediately meet the chef’s eyes. Your attention flicks to Zoro, instead, with a look that he knows all too well. 

Please get me out of this. 

Despite the protests of the table, he’s standing in an instant and walking with his hands on his swords like your guards didn’t even exist. His sight becomes tunnel-vision on nothing but you and he bypasses your guards with ease. Your shoulders relax when he stations himself protectively behind you, much to the confusion of the chef in front of you. As subtle as he can, he rests his hand on the back of your chair, inching closer until he’s just barely touching your shoulder. It’s small, but speaks wonders for his presence. 

“Zoro,” you murmur without looking up, your fingertips brushing against his knuckles. Your touch on his skin after so much time away feels electric.

“Hey, sweetheart.” Sanji stiffens at the term of endearment so easily leaving Zoro’s mouth and you can sense the boost it does for his ego. “Whatcha got there?”

“My new friend was just telling me about the dish he made. He said he crafted it especially for me, with his own hands,” you inform him with a sly sparkle in your eye. His jaw clenches unconsciously. You knew exactly what was going on in Zoro’s mind and he knew it, too. “Apparently, he can work wonders with his hands,” you remark casually and you can hear the chair crack under the force of the swordsman’s hand gripping it. To your delight, Sanji’s face has also taken on a slightly darker shade of red at how crassly you echo his suggestion. And in front of his rival, no less.

“Was he, now?” His tone is lethal and it sends goosebumps up your arms. “Well, it best be time for him to get back in the kitchen, no?”

“Mmm, but he said he had a proposal for me–”

“I had one for you too, though I did ask you in a much finer establishment than this one.” You can’t help the smirk that spreads on your face and you have to look to the side to keep from laughing aloud. Zoro’s jealousy was rearing a very indignant head; you’d be lying if you said you didn’t find it a little hot. “Got that stone on your left hand to prove it.” Sanji’s eyes darted to the band wrapped around your finger, a ring that looked suspiciously like the one hanging from a chain around Zoro’s neck. “Give us some time alone, yeah?” His question becomes rhetorical as he pulls out a chair next to you and tugs your seat closer until you can cross your leg across his. His palm rests possessively over your thigh and the chef gapes for a few moments more before turning back to the kitchen. 

“That goes for all of you, please,” you order your guards without looking at them, absentmindedly tracing Zoro’s jawline with the back of your pointer finger. “Take my bag and buy however many drinks you want. I’m safe,” you state with absolute certainty. Once they’re gone, all you see, feel, and know is him.

“Hi,” he breathes.

“Hi,” you smile just as softly. “What’re you doing in a place like this?”

“I can ask you the same question, pretty.” His eyes shine with nothing but adoration. You forgot just how much you missed him.

“Took a detour to prolong my time at sea. I didn’t want to go home just yet.”

“Your old man’s being an ass again?”

“You know how he is,” you reply. “Why are you here?”

“Believe it or not, that blonde shithead is my crewmate. We’re here to get some extra Berry for a new sail.”

“Sail, hmm? I always knew you had a little pirate in you,” you tease and he sticks his tongue out immaturely. “Heard you fought my esteemed mentor. I don’t know what the hell you were thinking.”

“You don’t think I can beat him?”

“I don’t think I can fathom what will happen if you don’t,” you say quietly, swallowing a lump in your throat. “Don’t do any dumb shit, okay?”

“You’re acting as if I’m already leaving you again.” 

“Aren’t you?” Your smile is sad and it makes his chest ache. When he beat Mihawk and killed your bastard father, he was going to give you the life that you deserved. 

“Not yet,” he promises. “I don’t wanna go yet.”

“I don’t want you to go, either. How much do you need for that sail?” He gives you a number and you don’t even blink. You just nod and reach into your coin purse, fishing around and deciding to just give him the entire pouch. “Will that cover it?”

“Doll–”

“It’s a yes or no question, husband,” you say with lighthearted sternness. He shakes his head in exasperation but can’t hide the grin painting his features. 

“Yes, lover. It’s more than enough.” He presses a kiss to your forehead and you hum in contentment. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

“Of course. D’you mind introducing me to the rest of your crew besides the flirty waiter?”

if you enjoy my writing and would like to support me, you can buy me a coffee on my ko-fi! you can also check out my full masterlist here :)

[oldphanny]

How To Block Terrible Influence Tour Spoilers (Tumblr App)

Hello phriends and phamily!

Tit is starting in less than 24 hours!!!

I don't know if someone has already done this post, but I know there has been an influx of new phannies crossing over from different platforms as of late.

So I thought I would show you all how to block the #titspoilers tag from your dash. This tut is for the Tumblr App because that's just what I use, I would assume the website would be a similar process!

If you are someone that doesn't want the show to be spoiled before you see it for yourself, follow these steps!!

STEP 1

Let's start from the dashboard to make it easy.

Go ahead and press the profile button on the bottom right hand side of the screen, the one that looks like a little guys torso. This will take you to your blog!

STEP 2

Now you should be looking at your blog (hey look that's me!)

In the top right hand corner should be a little gear icon, these are your settings! Go for it!

STEP 3

Oooo my blogs backroom... you should have let me know you were coming... I would have cleaned up a bit.

Now go and hit the 'Account Settings' button which should be the first on the list!

STEP 4

You're doing great! We're almost there!!

Now you'll want to tap on the 'Content You See' option which will be below 'Mentions' and above 'Color Palette'. Sorry, I forgot an arrow on this one.

STEP 5

WE'RE HERE! As you can see, I already have the tags I want censored ready to go but here is how you can add your own.

Right up the top next to the 'Filtered Tags' heading is a '+New' button, tap that!

STEP 6

Now you can type out the tag you want to be hidden and click 'add'. Remember to type them out and add individually otherwise it won't work.

From what I can gather, the Tumblr Phandom is agreeing that all Tit Spoilers should be tagged #titspoilers. I've added some other variations to be extra safe but you do whatever works for you :).

And that should be it!! If you have any other questions, let me know. Otherwise I hope this has helped some people that may not have known or were too afraid to ask <3 Love y'all, let's all enjoy tit together!!

[theyluvlyss]

Hey!! you mentioned you wanted to write for tbp a while back, idk if ur still down but if so could I please get some robin hcs??

♡♡

𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐧...

...I figured I'd use this as an opportunity to expand on all of the black phone boys, plus gwen, because... because I fucking can lmfao. so yeah, along with robin, I'll add finney, gwen, bruce, billy, vance, and griffin, if that's okay :)🖤.

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥/𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬

《 ♡ 》 headcannons

───────── 《 .°•♡•°. 》 ──────────

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭 :

lyssa's personal rendition of the ghost boys + gwen (except the difference is that I'm 100% totally right and everyone else is wrong, so ya😙🖤✨️) ((I'm kidding, plz don't attack me)). also, prepare, because this is probably going to be sooo long lmao...

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 :

none

𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐞 :

1978 (plus some time afterward) - "if they lived" hdcns

𝐓𝐖/𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 :

cursing - mentions of death/abuse/brutality - me getting passionate (hence why this is so long) - spoilers (if you somehow haven't seen the movie by this point💀) - autism/adhd related topics - highly encourage shifters to use whatever I've written here as black phone shift-inspo because I know the movie doesn't give us a lot to go on for the boys personality-wise (also, tag me in your drs, guys, I'm so nosy😆♡)

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ...𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

───────── 《 .°•♡•°. 》 ──────────

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞 :

I gotta get this off my chest before I forget and go insane, but oh my god, Finney is NOT the crybaby some of y'all make him out to be😹. That boy cried once in the entire one hour and forty-three minute runtime of the whole movie, okay? And it was when he was at his VERY LOWEST point during said movie/events, okay? Okay.

Y'all are fr gonna have to drop that narrative, because if it really came down to it, boy could talk mad shit and spread rumors like wildfire. All it takes is one little whisper to Bruce😆🤭...

Now that that's settled...

I feel like he's very non-confrontational as a person, though, fs. Like, if he's put in a position where his well-being/life is/may be on the line (😃...), then yeah, he'll do his best to stick up for himself. But otherwise, his main, favorite, and works-90%-of-the-time tactic is to just avoid conflict and places where it might occur altogether.

Also, I definitely think he's autistic. Like, no way he's not. Hyperfix? Space, obviously. Especially rockets, and then the science behind space/the things in space. I don't see him as a fan of loud noises, either (especially when we consider his upbringing). He also seems to not have the best handle on social cues/is awkward (but I guess that can also be perceived as a neurotypical trait, too, so idk). I also feel like he's defo a stickler for texture. Won't eat certain foods or wear certain fabrics,,, needs things to be a specific type of feeling/way for him to operate as usual, you feel me?

Having complete (emotional?) shutdowns when he's not in a positive mood and/or environment, only really having a logical way of thinking until the tasks/emotions run a bit too high and then he breaks down... I could go on, this really all seems like solid evidence to me, ngl🤷🏽‍♀️.

Bro just like me fr. Anyways.

I also think he's a huge fan of routine, especially simple ones that he can remember. Or, if/when a task is somehow connected to an object/person/other task? Yeah, his brain loves that.

He's a Cancer (birthday - July 10th), but I definitely think he's got Capricorn in his chart somewhere, too.

I might've brought this up before in another post, but I definitely think Finney would take/find interest in astrology. Maybe not actually believe in it or take it as seriously as the next person, but he'd definitely respects it because, while he's more of an astronomy guy, focusing on the logical aspects of space and stars and shit, astrology delves into a more spiritual and belief-based aspect, and he likes the thought of the stars that he loves having meanings and things that correspond to, not only your life, but to who you may be as a person.

Kind of like a little bit of insight, a look-see, on who someone is. So, with that, he definitely knows his own star sign and is happy to answer when asked.

"Oh, I'm a Cancer :). What are you?" And would probably find himself either asking or doing research on his own time on your/a person's answer to his rebound question.

A raging bisexual if I've ever seen one (I am one so I would know🫶🏽) (I give him the certified stamp of bi-ness, dw guys, I gave him proper clearance🫶🏽). Tell me he wasn't looking at Donna and Robin the same way. Actually, don't tell me, because if you say anything other than, "You're so right, Lyss😻‼️" I'm blocking you♡.

But in all seriousness, I feel like Finney himself didn't realize he felt the same feelings that he does for Donna for Robin until after he got with Donna (like,,, bro didn't clock it was the same feeling, nor that he even swung that way at all, until after the fact,,, does that make sense?). Sometimes, you just have those moments of clarity about yourself later on, I was kind of the same way.

Anyways, cat person to the third degree max. Only likes small dogs, and anything bigger than like,,, those little, fluffy ass dogs, he starts tweakin' real bad🥴💀. I don't blame him fr, though. Dogs are loud "BARK BARK🗣‼️" all in yo face, lick-lick, hyperactive, unpredictable... I could not deal, and neither could he.

I'm not saying cats are any more predictable or that they don't have their own cons, but hey, everyone has their preferences, and he just prefers cats🤷🏽‍♀️.

LOVEEESSS sugary/sweet tasting stuff. The type to always be craving a little sweet treat after dinner (genuinely, he does eat all the ice cream, he really tries to hold back for Gwen, but,,,😔✋🏽), or throughout the day, all he'll be thinking about is a crisp, cold soda.

😃💀His teeth are gonna be wrecked by the time he's thirty-five lol anyways...

He also loves a good crafting session. Could honestly spend hours in his room cutting up paper and pictures, building model rockets, making paper dolls for Gwen. He just really likes stuff he can sit, hunker down, and really focus on. Likes having his attention drawn, so things like crafting, watching TV, scrapbooking, etc. is really good/fun for him. Billy is DEFINITELY his picture plug, btw.

No way Finney isn't itching by the door for Billy to come by so he can be updated on the latest things added in the paper. Or, if his dad gets to it first, he's reminding him not to throw it out until he gets back home from school so he can still sort through it for what he wants.

Speaking of Gwen, I do fully believe that Finney was the one braiding her hair every morning before school. Not doubting their father's girl-dad skills or anything✋🏽😃✋🏽,,, but that man was barely coherent enough to not slur his words in every sentence, and you expect me to believe he was worried about making that girl's head look pretty for school? Girl, anyways💀✋🏽.

She probably asked him one day and he was like, "Gwenny, it's school, not a fashion show😐🍺."

For sure, it was her mom doing it every other day. So yeah, when she passed, Finney figured he wouldn't let tradition die along with her. He learned and would braid/style her hair for school however she wanted.

Umm, I think that's all I got, other than... like,,,

RIP Finney Blake, you would've gone feral watching The Sandlot😔🙏🏽.

───────── 《 .°•♡•°. 》 ──────────

𝐆𝐰𝐞𝐧 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞 :

She reminds me so, SO much of my little sister, so a lot of this might be me projecting her (my lil sis) onto Gwen🤭💀.

A little brat, but in the best/silliest way. Like yeah, she'll tease you and talk all that shit and lowkey kinda bully you, but bro, it's all love fr🫶🏽😙. If anything, if she's being extra polite and courteous to you, it's probably because you're someone she just met, or because she really dislikes you and is hoping that you'll catch onto her fakeness so she can exit stage left of the conversation lmao.

Another raging bi-in-training lollll. I'm sorry, but she's totally one of the girlies who never got a ken/boy doll so she had to "improvise" and "pretend" one of her girl dolls was a boy💀✋🏽. Like, girl, anyways, you know seeing Cher live on TV for the first time had you rethinking your entire life, don't deny it lmfao🤭🩷💜💙.

She has a very particular sense of style, like,,, has certain statement pieces and outfits she likes to mix and match, and only she really gets it, but it fits/suits her. Plus, some of it is from her mom, so ofc she has to rep it fr✊🏽.

Once broke a girl's shin (as in, yes, Gwen kicked it that fucking hard), because another girl had said the pair of earrings she wore that day were ugly. Now, to be fair, the girl couldn't have known they were Gwen's dead mother's earrings, but bitch, didn't anybody tell you if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say shit at all🤨? Exactly. Mind your manners or get your shin kicked in😙♡.

Speaking of, contrary to the movie (yup, I go against canon, idc, sue me), I feel like she is NOT a fair/honorable fighter at all (or a trained one, for that matter). Especially if you're hurting someone she loves (so Finney, obvs). She's biting, pulling hair, grabbing anything she can use as a weapon, outnumbering you if she can somehow recruit ppl; she gives no fucks.

And you can't talk her out of it, either. She's dead set on two facts; 1. If you attack me, I assume my life is at stake, and I'm fighting you as such. If you wanna call that unfair, idk, maybe you shouldn't have thrown hands with me🤷🏻‍♀️. 2. I don't start shit, I finish it. I won't throw the first punch, but if you do, anything I do to you afterward is self-defense🤷🏻‍♀️.

Robin and Vance have tried to teach her otherwise - y'know... give her the ol' dignity and honor speech - but sheeee...

She wasn't listenin' to that shit bro bffr💀✋🏽.

And while yes, she didn't take that piece of advice from him the one time, anything else that leaves Vance's mouth might as well be damn near close to Jesus speaking directly to her😭. She's practically got a crush on Vance, and it's so obnoxious, it's not even funny.

The girl will go off with her little girl friends and basically stalk him (guys, let's not act like teenage girls aren't literally insane😻💀) and often, she enjoys his fights and is finding literally any and every way to just even have a conversation with him. Vance,,, has not caught on at all, but it's probably for the best💀✋🏽.

He sees her as another one of his sisters, at most. Annoying, yet charming in her own way, and is always sure to give her some half-assed advice; "I don't wanna see your ass outside when the street lights come on, got it?" "Yup🫡😻!!" And occasionally gives her a fight-related tip.

Same thing with Robin, but to a much lesser degree. It's more like a fond admiration, like, that's basically a second older brother. Has and will continue to scarf down any food he brings over, even if it wasn't even for her. And if he gets pressed, she'll just-

"It's me appreciating it 'cause your stuff is good😃😇...!" "😐🧍🏽" And then she's running off to avoid any scoldings.

I feel like Gwen is a very ambitious person. Doesn't take no shit, which can make her stubborn at times, but at the end of the day, she always finds what she's looking for and/or gets the answers she needs. Ambitious and persistent.

Definitely a go-getter type, which was why she even took the time to read up more on her little ability, what it means, etcetc. Miss girl wanted answers, she was going to find 'em🤷🏽‍♀️.

I have no clue when her birthday is (if someone knows it, TELL ME👹), but for now, I hdcn she's either a Taurus, Leo, Gemini, Cancer or Virgo (some of those also being in her chart as well, if that makes sense).

She is so totally, undeniably, and authentically 🎀🩷✨️girl✨️🩷🎀 like,,, idk how to explain. Like, yeah, she's rough around the edges, and her mouth is trash, and her attitude is up the wall, but oHMYGOD, SHE'S THE GIRLIEST GIRL through it all, somehow. It's so sweet and cute.

The type to spend time dressing up her dolls and making sure her dollhouse is in PERFECT shape after just rolling around in the mud. Has Finney braid up her hair in all these intricate, detailed ways just to get her comb stuck in them in matted knots a minute later. Only uses purple, pink, and yellow pens for her school work/notes, but she inherited her dad's shitty handwriting, so yeah, you can barely read that shit...but it looks pretty as hell, don't it😌? Does her nails allll of the time, but will immediately do other things right after, barely letting them dry, which leads to them smudging and looking a little messy.

Things like that just make her who she is. They make her ✨️Gwen✨️, y'know?

Also, her favorite color is yellow. Random, but idc, it makes perfect sense.

RIP Gwen Blake, you would've loved White Chicks😔🙏🏽.

───────── 《 .°•♡•°. 》 ──────────

𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐨 :

- before his death -

He's an Aquarius (birthday - February 2nd, which is literally two days before mine🤭💜🧡), but he's definitely got Libra and/or Leo somewhere in his chart, for sure.

I feel like he's the type to think/say none of that "astrology shit" matters, but then know his whole entire chart, top to bottom, and only wants to know/cares about the charts of people close to him. And I bet you he only did it because Finney brought it up once, and he wanted to know what the hell he was talking about💀.

While on the topic of Finney, tho, he probably had eyes on Finn since day one. Wanted to befriend him since the sandbox days, but didn't really have an excuse until he found out he was being bullied. Thought maybe one day Finn would fight back, but he never did, soooo😗...

Robin got to step in😈. And then all it took was landing on a common interest, and 💥BOOM💥. 4lyfers🤞🏽.

I feel like Robin also feels his feelings pretty deeply, more so than people realize, but again, he's definitely not finna let you know that. The type to cry it out/cuss people out quietly under his breath/vent to himself when he's absolutely sure he's alone, and then act like he never did it at all. And shit, he's good at hiding it. You'd probably never even know unless you were close with him or he flat out told you.

He's kind of a show-off, if anything😭. Just a little bit, nothing crazy, but he does get a kick out of "proving a point" beating the breaks off of someone "for the crowd". Or just anything he's skilled at; he might not actively seek the attention, but god, he hopes someone is watching, 'causeeeeee😗😙.

He was definitely taught to fight from his father, but continued to go to boxing classes after he went off to war and never came home. Robin would go wherever he could find them/they were offered (bonus points if they're free), spending a lot of time brushing up on technique, form, whatever. Even takes the time to actually read up on more, study it; does better with visual stuff, though, like pictures or videos or someone showing/guiding him, things like that.

That round-kick ain't just pure talent, y'know😌 (he'd definitely argue otherwise, tho).

He has a whole bandana collection that he's super proud of and kind of just started, but that green one is signature. Something his father left behind, and, like Gwen,,, my man's gotta rep it, you feel me😌✊🏽. Literally ONLY let's his mom touch it, and that's only to wash it. Off limits to every and anybody else, even his own uncle, and everyone knows it, too. The other bandanas are free game, though.

Robin was often given cooking lessons from his mom, and he found he likes to bake, too, but can't bake for shit. It always comes out completely burnt or not at all like he was expecting (it makes him so sad, too😭 like, bro just wants to make his own tres leches instead of having to wait for special occasions,,, is that too much to ask😫?).

A horror movie nut from day one. Definitely something that startled/disturbed his mother for a little while, but she got over it💀✋🏽.

He's not in it for the scares or anything, but for the production (although he loves and cherishes the semi-rare times where he actually jumps). He's actively studying the movies, what makes them good vs. bad, the actors, the lighting, the music, atmosphere, dialog, everything. Even watched the really cheesy, awful, bad ones. He's thought about hashing out some faint ideas he's had, maybe in script format, but really just didn't have the skill for that just yet. So, he stuck to just observing for the time being.

His favorite trope is "everybody dies". Doesn't mind a good "final girl/boy" or a "beat the shit out of the bad guy/murderer/ghost" ending, either.

...Robin realized/knew he couldn't fight The Grabber, but was super salty/petty about it. Would scratch and bite at him like a damn dog, kicked at him, made it really difficult for The Grabber to literally exist in that basement with him (which was why his death was quick, you alr know The Grabber was 'bout sick of his ass lmfao). Fought like hell until the end and thought about his dad the wholeee time.

Very- .... SUPER annoyed when he woke back up in the basement,,, livid when he saw The Grabber walk in with Finney...

- if he had lived -

I wouldn't put a label on Robin, and neither would he himself, to be honest. Like, even "unlabeled" is a label to him. He truly has the "If they're hot, they're hot🤷🏽" mindset and pretty much has his whole life.

Doesn't even really see the need for labels at all, but if you tried to get him going on that, he'd be more than likely to wave it off so he didn't have to go through the trouble of being misunderstood when trying to explain.

He totally would've been a movie buff/critique. Hell, probably would've made his way into the industry on some film student type shit🤭. Not the best when it comes to actually writing shit out or explaining exactly what he means, but when he has a vision, he has a VISION. Trust the process, fr🤞🏽.

Is totally the target audience for all that action-packed shit. Rocky, Karate Kid, Top Gun,,, very male, very g u y, very macho-manly lmao. Might possibly even be a weakness, like,,, he really can't resist that stuff (not as passionate as he is for the horror genre, tho).

I feel like he would get really into the rap/hip-hop scene. Would also fw r&b mad heavy, love him some Michael Jackson, even dresses diff to kind of fit with that aesthetic...

Couldn't bring himself to cut his hair, though, he's too attached😭. That's absolutely staying, or at least getting braided up or something.

Actually, he was straightening/perming his hair a lot of the time, mostly when he was coming up, but eventually stopped and let it grow its naturally wavy pattern. He would cut off the dead hair as it grew more and healthier (never fully chopped/buzzed it off, though, bc again,,, he couldn't bare to lose the length), and he eventually learned to take proper care of it.

(We love happy, healthy, natural hair over here, y'all lmfao😻‼️).

Would definitely cook for his mom, both when asked and just because he felt like it (or if he's craving something specific for dinner that evening, he'll pull the, "Ama, let me cook tonight, I love you🥰." card so he can get away with cooking what he wants lmfao). Sometimes, he'll send his uncle off with leftovers for work or just make his own lunch for school, boxing, or going to work with his uncle, shit like that.

Still hasn't quite grasped onto baking yet, though. Still burns most of his stuff and has totally given up on making cookies (he's fs the type to end up with one, giant, morphed ass cookie on the sheet and he just has to stare at it in pure disbelief like ">:0..." lmao💀) ...

MASTERED THE FUCKIN' TRES LECHES, THO, LET'S GOOOO🗣🗣🗣‼️‼️‼️💯💯💯

Robin has friendly beef with Bruce bc fym you playing against my man🤨? I think tf not, Finney better win or "...that's your ass, Yamada." Won't actually do anything, tho, Bruce is cool people fr lmao.

More on him as a person, though, I feel like he'd definitely realize he's one helluva looker one day and DEFINITELY use it to his advantage. Charmer, but in a corny way that makes you shake your head and sigh type beat. Not really a romantic, but has and will make exceptions for the right people at the right time.

Even before that, though, he was always kinda cocky and it really only got "worse" for lack of a better word💀😭. Like, he's cute/hot, and he KNOWS it, but he's still gonna play clueless as if he's not looking at you with those big brown eyes and giving you a knowing smirk. Gets away with entirely too much, fs.

Robin's also a certified yapper. Doesn't even have to know you. You give him one good reason to like you or he hears you say something even mildly relating to one of his interests, he'll just start talking to you like he knows you (it's how he's made a lot of his friends, ngl, he's just outgoing and relatively friendly).

Talks mad shit, too. Bro's no better than a woman😭. Gets all the tea from the beauty shop/salon where his mom be going. It's okay, tho, because he's got such good energy and is a charmer in his own way (like I said), so it's hard to dislike him or to want to turn him away from your ongoing convos.

Laughs at everything, but says nothing (if that makes sense). He's sooo... "Nah, nah, it's just...🤭💀*more giggling*"

Bro is just a dork, he's easy to make laugh/entertain, not as stoic as most ppl think he is (regardless of the resting bitch face he chronically suffers from). Dare I say, he's lowkey a little bit manic pixie dream boy coded. No, I won't elaborate♡.

One like on this fic equals one step closer to a cure for Robin's RBF😔🧡.

Only does edibles. He's so scared of something ever happening to his lungs (health class traumatized him, no joke. He saw that model of the charred, black lungs from smoking, and that was all it took. He won't inhale SHIT that's not oxygen bro lmfao💀😭✋🏽).

Would probably cry if his mom caught him smoking anything anyway, so it never even occured to him to try it. He can hide being high, but he knows damn well you can't hide the smell of that shit, so gummies it is🍃✨️☁️.

RIP Robin Arellano, you would've been geeked at the fact that the Halloween franchise is still going 3-5 decades later😔🙏🏽.

───────── 《 .°•♡•°. 》 ──────────

𝐕𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫 :

- before his death -

I feel like he got moved around a lot as a kid because his dad was a military brat or whatever (a classic hardass type with The Abuser Mustache™) ((if you don't know what I mean by the mustache look, think about/look up Chloe's stepdad from Life Is Strange)).

It didn't matter where he went/was/moved, though, because it was a dysfunctional home life regardless. Mom and dad always fighting, no real stable income (one of those things where it was like,,, sometimes they came off as well-off and be spoiled, and sometimes, they were going to an off-brand thrift shop for cheap clothes and other necessities), things like that.

So when his dad left, it definitely left a mark on everyone in the house. Bittersweet type of thing because while yes, he was a dickwad, he was still their dad and he cared for them in his own, fucked up way (part of why Vance is so angy😞).

I don't give not one good fuck what anyone says, Jim Hopper (Stranger Things) is that boy's uncle, idcidc😻✨️!!

(I love connecting fandoms thru coinkydink headcannons♡).

Vance is a middle child who has all sisters (five, to be exact. One eldest who's college age, a second eldest who's about a year or two younger than the oldest, one that's basically his irish twin, a younger sister around Gwen's age, and then a baby sister who's still in diapers). And absolutely he would go to bat for all of them (especially them two youngest, he don't play about them and he spoils them to death if/when he can).

Woman dominated house fr, and probably a big part of the reason he isn't fully/entirely off the rails (AND WHY HE WOULD N O T TREAT WOMEN LIKE SHIT. Again, I'm sorry but y'all gonna have to drop the narrative of him treating girls and/or fem readers like absolute dogwater. He knows ENTIRELY better, he's not a crazy monster, bro probably wouldn't even enjoy cussing at you, let alone calling you out of your name with things like "dipshit" and "cunt" and "fuckface" in a "loving" way all of the time, like absolutely not,,, I could go more into this but that's for the next set of hdcns I'm going to pos-...oop, I've said too much🤭- MOVING ON...!).

Speaking of cussing, though... Regardless of what I just said before, I feel like it doesn't mean he still wouldn't curse. Like, no, that boy can work his mouth REAL good. He probably started talking from an early age, too. Dude's first word(s) was probably something really sweet/cute, or something just absolutely vile, no in between💀😭. Maybe both.

Over time, though, he learned when and when not to do so. Like, when/where it was appropriate for him to cuss and when not to. For example, he'll cuss with/at his friends, in front of adults he doesn't know/doesn't give a shit about. But in more professional settings like school or whatever, he'll tone it down because he's trying NOT to get in trouble more than he already has (doesn't mean it's worked, but hey, at least he tried lmao). He cusses at home, yes, he'll cuss around his mom but not AT her, huge difference. Has cussed out his father plenty of times, cops as well. Won't cuss around the younger sisters, but will with/at the older ones. Point is, he's good at gaging the situation.

He's a Leo (birthday - August 10th), but for some reason, I think there's maybe some Pisces in his chart?? I...idk, don't question my madness✋🏽🥴✋🏽. But yeah, he couldn't give two fucks less about birth charts. That stuff not only means nothing to him, but he thinks it's really stupid, too. The only reason he even knows his own sign is because of one of his sisters, and that's it. Knows nothing about what being a Leo entails, doesn't care to find out, and will probably look at you crazy if you bring it up.

He has this fixation with pinball because there was always a machine or a place that had one close by, no matter where he went; he'd used it to drown out memories/high emotions, but now is just addicted to playing it, even when he's not pissed off💀. He was real pissy one day, played it, WON,,, and since then, he hasn't really felt a joy/satisfaction like it. Angry/upset feelings immediately morphed into, "Holy shit, I fucking won...!!" And that was it, he was hooked. Bro probably has the highest score on so many machines across the midwest area and doesn't even know he has this "nobody can beat this mystery Vance guy" reputation states away or something💀✋🏽.

Another thing he uses to distract/sooth himself is music. Not a full music geek or anything, but LOVVVESSS rock/metal music (if you couldn't already tell given his style). Kiss, Metallica, all of that shit. Was dreaming for the day he either got an electric guitar as a Christmas or birthday gift or for when he could save up for his own.

And, because he wanted to further mimic all the cool rockstars he was seeing coming up, he tried a cigarette ONCE, and he ended up hating that shit💀. He fr wanted to see the appeal so bad, too, but he just can't, and side-eyes people whenever he sees them smoke, now.

"Their breath is fucking rank, I just know it..." "They're literally addicted, Vance, they cant help it." "They need to be addicted to a fucking toothbrush and some mint gum🫢🤢."

Like Robin, when Vance got snatched, he fucked with and was doing his best to beat the breaks off The Grabber until the bitter end. He had a better advantage, too, because he's much bigger, so he definitely got good licks in - which led to The Grabber starving him so that he was too weak to fight back so yes, he took his time with Vance, made his death hurt, which just kinda left Vance feeling pissed off and hopeless until he died.

- if he had lived -

He definitely would've learned to calm down a bit; some time and talks with his mother and sisters, some warning calls from Uncle Jim, the threat of actual prison and not just "juvie for a couple of days" eventually set him straight. Still quick to anger, but he doesn't practically kill people anymore😃👍🏽. Don't ... Don't fuck with his pinball machine, though, that's still a very active warning/threat on his behalf.

He also gained a sense of moral justice, so even if he did decide to go apeshit (y'know, for old times sake), it'd be for a valid reason, ngl.

That lady from the Grab'n'Go store fs gave him that pinball machine at one point (replaced it with a lamer game or something, like Pac-Man or whatever). When she straight up realized Vance wasn't going to let anyone else touch that shit, let alone beat his high score, which meant she wasn't getting any business with it, she basically just-

"Ykw, just take it😐". ... "...What :0??"

He was clueless as hell, too, genuinely had NO IDEA why she would give him the ENTIRE MACHINE TO KEEP FOR FREEEEE, but was VERY grateful. His mom even tried to get him to give it back, but that woman insisted😭. "I don't know what you think I'm supposed to do with it if you won't let anyone else touch it, Vance. Just keep it and stop wrecking my store."

He didn't at first, has no clue when or how it happened, but very suddenly and intensely grew a guilty-pleasure liking for superheroes. Really likes The Hulk and X-Men comics and has stacks of them he's both bought and stolen collecting in his room.

Sometimes, he rips them up and makes posters out of them, like,,, rips out certain characters or speech bubbles he likes or whole pages and then plasters them around his room.

Relating to superheroes, kind of... You wouldn't think it, but he's got that Spider-Man mentality where it's like,,, he's always looking out for the little guy. When his sense of moral kicked in, he wasn't just fighting for no reason anymore. Now he was fighting if he saw some fuckers talking mad shit or doing something he knew was wrong on their part, so he'd set 'em straight. Would make sure people he didn't have problems with weren't getting picked on.

Also has a high respect for Robin because he essentially does the same shit, and because while Vance has the size advantages, Robin has the skill advantages that he doesn't. The feeling is mutual, too.

Is very confused and awkward when he is told/finds out girls have crushes on him. Very much like🧍🏼‍♂️.

Not opposed, just... bro don't know what to do with that info, and he sure as hell aint making the first move💀✋🏽.

He's more of a close bond, has to have already been best friends first, and then develop feelings along the way, typa guy. Likes real and close connections that actually have a chance at lasting (especially considering his childhood consisted of a lot of moving around, never really getting to keep friends, etcetc).

RIP Vance Hopper, you would've loved Thunderstruck by AC/DC but slowed and reverbed😔🙏🏽.

───────── 《 .°•♡•°. 》 ──────────

𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫 :

- before his death -

I'm not even gonna lie,,, think of your average, white, classic, all-american poster family from the movies,,, That was his life. Stay at home, quirky mom, breadwinner businessman father, bratty little brother, rebellious older sister, golden retriever dog, snow white cat, nice suburban house with a front lawn and a backyard with a grill and pool, all of that😭.

He's lowkey kinda spoiled, too, for the listed reasons above lmao. Not in a bad way, but sometimes he says or does things that are a little tone deaf and you're just like "😃..." But I mean, if you communicate well enough, he's more inclined to understand.

It's just cultural/environmental difference, fr, that's all lmao.

Billy was doing the paper boy gig to save up for a car. A specific one, too (defo a car guy, I feel like).

I couldn't give details, but I just feel it in my nuggets, he was saving up for a specific car and my boy was DETERMINED, too. Bro was DEDICATED to getting this fucking car. Everyone around him knew it, like he made it very clear his only goal in life at the moment was to get that car lmfao.

I feel like he's a very detail-oriented person, but in the way where it's like,,, Very adhd-coded. Won't clean his room because "It's an oragnized mess, don't touch anything, I know exactly where everything is" type beat. Or like, whenever he has multiple tasks to complete, he'll do that thing where he'll stand somewhere and just start glitching lmfao like when you give a sim too many tasks at once.

He also really likes making lists. But then all of his lists get jumbled up, so he's gotta find the right list for the right stuff LMFAO it's silly, he's silly.

I also think he's a good writer and takes interest in books and poetry. Wouldn't write poetry, but would read it a lot. But definitely has half-assed, pending ideas for his own original stories/books.

And comics, too, he really likes graphic novels, things that have both descriptions and pictures that correspond with one another.

Like Vance, he also really likes superheroes, but unlike him, he's always been into comics and stuff since he was little, so the interest didn't just pop out of nowhere. Not really a Marvel guy. He leans more towards DC, so his favorites are Aquaman and Superman.

He also loves cartoons. Like, to an unhealthy amount. There he is every morning, sat right in front of the TV, no matter how many times his parents have told him to back tf up before he ruins his eyes, with a piping hot cup of coffee, glued to the screen running all of his favorite cartoons lmao. I don't think he'd ever grow out of it, either. He'd be in his 40s-50s, totally adapted to the newer cartoons like The Amazing World Of Gumball or whatever lmao.

You can pry the original Scooby-Doo from his cold, dead hands, though💀.

Billy's a Sagittarius (birthday - December 12th), but I think he also has come Capricorn, Libra, and/or Cancer in his chart. He just seems like a very chill, curious, and understanding person, which can either make people really like him at first or misjudge him (maybe even dislike) him. But at the end of the day, he's very secure in himself and who he is. He knows what he's got going on. And like I said, he loves to learn further and understand, so it's not like he's ever going to purposefully cause problems or anything.

If at all, I think he's also a non-confrontational person, much like Finney. He stays in his own lane, does his very best to avoid conflict, and while sure, he's got a lot of scattered friends from different areas and walks of life and whatever, it's that way for a reason😭. He's just a good dude fr!

He's also more outspoken than you would think at first. Can definitely hold and even start a friendly conversation, and honestly... TAKE HIM TO YOUR PARENTS👹👏🏽‼️. Adults love him, he's very polite and courteous, and they find him funny because he can for SURE crack a well-timed joke.

I mean it, too, I think Billy definitely has a way with words and comedy. He's so on par with all different types of humor, so once he picks up on yours, oh my god, he'll have you crying-laughing lmao.

Like Vance, he's good at cussing, he will cuss you the fuck out with his sassy, petty ass💀✋🏽. Knows better than to cuss in front of adults (like I said, they love him, and he plans to keep it that way lmao), and he probabaly won't call you out your name, but boyyyyy he's got a mouth on him😭💀!

Speaking of, oUUU he's a petty mf, he don't let SHIT slide. Ever. Bro can't fight but whew...!! He be talking shit like he can😭 (he's probably gotten his ass kicked due to this once or twice, ngl, but hey, you live and you learn lmfao).

Billy was a little too calm when he got snatched up. Like yea, he fought tooth and nail when he initially got grabbed off of his bike, but once he was in that basement and after a few days, he sadly just kind of,,, accepted his fate.

What he didn't expect was to be put through the psychological tortures of like,,, being beat or thinking he had the chances to escape whenever The Grabber would give him false hope, that stuff. That really fucked with him up until he died.

- if he had lived -

Oh, you can bet your ass he got that fckn car💀.

He was feelin' himself for WEEKS after the fact, too. He was giving all his friends rides, honking whenever he arrived at places, always keeping it PRISTINE looking. Not a scratch, dent, or spec of dust on or in that mf😹.

Just overall being super obnoxious about it ngl lmfao💀😭 (but he deserves to be, he worked so hard for it and everybody understood that, so it's fine). Got a better job after the fact, too, now that he could actually take himself to and from.

I know I mentioned him drinking coffee earlier, but to expand on that a little more, he was basically always drinking coffee and energy drinks to stay awake and (barely🥴) coherent when he was doing his paper boy job and school at the same time, so he now unfortunately has a caffeine addiction that he cannot shake for the life of him. He's tried so many things, he just can't let go😭. He likes it really sweet, too (he has a sweet tooth).

He'll add a lot of creamer, flavored syrup, sugar... whatever he can find to kind of just dilute the bitter taste entirely, he's throwing it in the mug. Also part of the reason why he's more fond of soda/energy drinks, because at least he doesn't have to deal with that nasty taste coffee has (I'm a coffee hater, hop off😒✋🏽).

Also like I mentioned earlier, he'd still have this weird yet cute thing with cartoons. Like, yeah, he'd enjoy a good movie (indie, coming of age type stuff), but cartoons just really do it for him. Sitting at the kitchen table with his second bowl of fruit loops laughing at Tom and Jerry is his therapy, truly♡.

While he can be out of touch, he's very open and easy to gain understanding from, loves to learn (especially since he's a writer). Just an all-around stand-up guy fr, you can not go wrong with Billy Showalter.

Hell, he can do no wrong😭❤️.

I CAN'T BELIEVE I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT HIS DOG, WHAT THE FUCK >:0!!!

HE LOVES THAT HYPERACTIVE LITTLE SHIT😭❤️🐶❤️. He's had her for a long ass time, since she was a puppy (idc what anyone says, the goldie is a girl, and her name is Harper), and it truly is the case of a dog is a man's best friend between them. He begged for the dog, got the dog, takes care of the dog, spoils the dog, he loves the damn dog, okay🥲?

He could be stripped of everything he knows and loves, and Billy would STILL make sure Harper was okay first before all. She's such a good dog, too. She's very polite and sweet, and it doesn't take much to get her going. Like I said, very hyperactive, so pretty much all you have to do is say a favorite word ("outside" "ball" "play" "treat" "good girl" "go get..." etcetc) in a certain, happy tone, and now she's all riled up.

Speaking of love, though, Billy's got so much rizz, I can't even fully explain what I mean. I could better convey it with writing, tho (somebody plz request Billy fics).

Like he's just... he's one of those guys you don't pay much attention to, but he could do ONE meaningful (or tbh even meaningless) thing, and suddenly, he's a 10/10.

The type of guy you'd have zero feelings for, but have one singular dream about being with him romantically, and then you'd wake up with a crush on him. He's just got it like that, idk what to tell you🤷🏽‍♀️😆.

RIP Billy Showalter, you and Harper would've loved Courage The Cowardly Dog😔🙏🏽.

───────── 《 .°•♡•°. 》 ──────────

𝐁𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐘𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐚 :

- before his death -

He's definitely a popular person, like,,, easy on the eyes, charming with both his words and actions, handsome smile, LOVES to gossip, has a clean-cut, crisp style, and you wanna tell me he doesn't literally know/is on good terms with everybody from every clique? Girl, bye🤭✋🏽.

He'd look at you and say it, too💀.

"Girl, BYE😹✋🏼!!"

On that, though, I feel like his mom very much prides herself on appearance. Not in a vain, controlling way, but just in a "I love and care about my babies, so every time they step out this house, they gonna be looking RIGHT, idc" type of way.

And after a while, he definitely picked that up from her, so he takes it upon himself to always look spick and span.

He's a Gemini (birthday - June 12th), but I think he could very well have some earth placements as well. He'd find astrology interesting, kind of like Finney, but he wouldn't dive too deep into it. He'd know his Sun, Moon, and Rising sign, ask about yours, and unless you went further with it, the conversation on astrology would probably end there lol.

Also, kinda random, but his nickname is "Brucie". Like, idk, it's just fitting. It's not an all the time thing that everyone calls him, but if you know him and if you're close to him, it's kind of like a teasing thing. "Heyy, Brucie, what'cha been up to😹✨️?" You know?

I feel like overall, he's just a very calm, cool, and collected person. Not easy to irritate him or make him mad/upset (but omg, don't do it, he gets feral so fast), and also very understanding. Good listener, which is why he's good with the gossip. Very much resident secret keeper, unless he knows it's something he needs to tell, if that makes sense.

Totally the type to be like, "I won't tell anyone :D!" And then immediately think to himself, 'I can't wait to tell my mom/best friend/Amy lol'. But don't worry, that's the only person he'd tell fr😭✋🏽 (who am I kidding, he's messy as hell, and we all know it).

He do be instigating fs. Will watch somebody like Vance or Robin get pissed about something and be in his ear all like, "Wooowww, I can't believe they'd do that, what are you gonna do? You're not gonna let it slide, are you🫢😗🙃??" LMFAOOO just messy💀😹.

I honestly think of him the same way I think of Benny Rodriguez. Baseball was life to him. Like, it was his passion, it wasn't just something he did because it was a fun hobby or a distraction. Like yes, but it was more than that as well. It was everything to him, and he definitely had dreams to go the distance with it and actively searched and scouted for any and every opportunity to do so.

I also think Bruce is a very thorough music lover. Very non-discriminatory or judgemental, and will honestly vibe to anything. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have his favorites. Just has a wide range, that's all. Also an MJ fan for sure, tho.

Like Finney, he's got a close bond with his sister, Amy (who I hdcn is younger than him), but the vibe is a lot different. You probably wouldn't even know they were siblings outside of the house if it weren't for the fact they look alike. Not because they're embarrassed of each other or anything, they just have vastly different cliques/lifestyles, so the only time they really get to reconnect is back at home or on family outings.

The Grabber took Bruce and he had a wholllle mental breakdown. Like, got in that basement and was a full-on mess, literally inconsolable. Cried at everything for every reason up until he died, and if one were to have witnessed it, it'd be very heartbreaking.

The Grabber almost feels guilty for it, but only because he can't get the sobs, hiccups, and voice cracks out of his head. Ik I just said Bruce is a triple C case (calm, cool, collected type), but c'mon, guys. He's a Gemini. He be switching up😔🤷🏽‍♀️💔. There were maybe two or three key moments where he did something beneficial to himself/was an attempt to escape, but...yeah...

- if he had lived -

Bruce would've fulfilled those dreams on going the distance with baseball.

Or would've done a complete 180° from whatever everyone and even himself thought and would've become a fashion designer. I can't elaborate on this, I just...I feel it in my bonesssss.

Which reminds me, he definitely would've discovered his own style at some point and would've dived DEEP into exploring different things. Trendsetter type of vibe (and it would either be the case of people around would've been eating it up or they would've shunned him, no in between. But I feel like he'd have the charisma for ppl to eat it up).

Much like Robin, actually, he's so the type to be cute and KNOW he's cute, but act clueless lmao. Walking around as if he's not getting letters and gifts and whatnot from secret admirers WEEKLY, flashing a smile and/or a wink at people, all of that. But what makes him even more likable is that he's such a GIVER.

Bro is always giving somebody something, it's just in his DNA, it's all he knows. Not even his parents know where he gets it from, and while it's a very admirable thing he does,,, don't get it twisted, he's not naive, he'll take things and remove himself from your life just as fast if you fuck up. Don't test him, his patience is lowkey surpsingly thin💀.

But yeah, he's always offering his time, his money, his thoughts, his praise, his compassion. If he feels like you derseve it (doesn't even have to know you well, you'd just have to make/leave a good impression on him), next thing you know, he's trying to find out what you like and what you're interests are so he can just pop up later and be like, "Oh, here, I got/made you this :)."

Like SIRRR???🥲💚

But anyways, yeah, Bruce is the resident pretty boy. I mean, he was before, but I feel like he's the type to just get better with age. Bro would be 80 years old looking like a fine ass 45😻. And it definitely is a result of upkeep/routine; he and his mama zon't💅🏽 play when it comes to looking fresh.

RIP Bruce Yamada, you would've loved fit-checks on TikTok if you ever figured out how to use it😔🙏🏽.

───────── 《 .°•♡•°. 》 ──────────

𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐠 :

- before his death -

This neurodivergent little fucker OUUU he's an AuDHD menace to society, a little gremlin👹. Nothing he does or says makes any sense but YES IT DOES like,,,

He's just so inquisitive and insightful; wise beyond his years type. Just one of those kids who have an innate sense of self, society, and the world from a very young age. But it's all thinly veiled behind this glass wall of silly/aloof behavior.

Also, he is a younger kid, so that kind of adds onto the whole "People don't take him as seriously as they often really should" deal.

He's one of those people you either really love for who he is, or you find him very odd and off-putting. Or both. Not that he cares because he knows exactly what and who serves him and what and who won't for the current moment. Like I said, he's just...ahead of himself/time/what people would expect.

But also-

"You ain't gonna tell me shit. ... Suck my dick. ... Suck my dick you fuckman. ... You're gonna be here sucking my dick." That's literally him.

"You ever think the wind is trying to tell us something?" His poor tired mom, probably > "I just want you to stop saying odd shit😮‍💨🍷..." That is also him.

He's a Leo (birthday - July 31st) but I don't believe that for even a second, so I have the theory he's got a lot of earth and air in his chart that overshadows the fact that he's a Leo. I think he's one of those kids that dips his toe into everything, so whether or not his beliefs align with whatever he has knowledge on doesn't really matter. He just likes to know.

So, on that note, he does know some stuff on astrology, knows his birth chart, will tell you his sign if/when asked and will definitely ask for yours if he's curious enough to know more about you. If not, he probably wouldn't ask.

Griffin is everybody's little brother, tho, fr. Like even if you don't really know him or "like" him per se, you always feel some typa way if you see him being picked on or whatever. It's pretty much an unwritten rule in that small down in Denver,,, Do not fuck with Griffin Stagg. Like, even fully grown adults go to bat for him, I'm being so serious right now😭.

Lowkey kind of a teacher's pet. Not because he's a try-hard or anything, but he genuinely does everything he's supposed to. He participates when he wants to, he keeps straight As, he's quiet, all that. So, whether Griffin himself knows it or not, he's on a lot of his teacher's good sides :).

It definitely makes his mom happy, too, which he likes. A total mama's boy all the way (I feel like all of the boys are, tbh, but not in that weird, emotional incest, toxic way lmfao💀).

Speaking of...! Defo an only child of a tired but very loving single mom. A SINGLE MOM WHO WORKS TWO JOBS, WHO LOVES HER KID AND NEVER STOPS😫🗣🎶‼️. That's their case.

And it's not that he's sheltered or anything. He just doesn't have the strongest urge or whatever to go out and do stuff that doesn't - like I said - serve or benefit him at the moment. His mom really does try to encourage him, though. To go out and make friends, to go do something with any free time he has besides spending it in his room or with her. Sometimes he listens.

Sometimes not lmao. He really is a homebody, and if he had things his way all the time, he'd like a nice, quiet, and peaceful environment to be in if he HAD to go out. Like a park but with no kids there or a library. Maybe he'd enjoy an arcade,,, but only if it was on a very slow day and everything was deep cleaned and the machine's volumes were turned down lower and- 🥴💀.

Yeah...

It's not that he has memory or noise/sensory issues or anything (or maybe he does, he honestly wouldn't know for sure himself lol), but he's just got stuff constantly whirring around in his brain.

Operates with the file system (has to open up specific cabinets/drawers and sort through the files, find the exact memory/topic he's looking for, etcetc, it's a whole, intricate system) and even then, that's not always guaranteed.

So yeah, if he's says "I dunno" or "Prolly" just give him a second or two afterwards, because it's not that he's actually forgotten or doesn't know, he's just stalling while his brain lags lmao (he might even be sassing you a little🤭).

When he got snatched and put in that basement, he was calm, but not like Billy, where he just had a moment of acceptance. Calm like,,, more like when Finney was in the basement. Just very observant, scared, and confused. Almost a little painfully naive, which made it easy for The Grabber to mess with him😕.

And he (The Grabber) did for a while, "play with his food" for lack of better wording, before Griffin eventually wised up and started getting a little too smart, quick, and sneaky for his liking. Which led to his death, for sure, because I have a hdcn that Griffin fr almost got out (again, kinda like Finney's case) but unfortunately, couldn't try all the lock combos in time before he was back in the basement and then eventually,,, yk,,, for having tried it at all.

- if he had lived -

I feel like he'd be the type to have explored so many different interests, niches, and just really overall loves to learn. Wouldn't be able to stick to anything, but it definitely keeps him busy. Good at everything kinda guy; you could ask him about/to do anything, and he'd genuinely have surface level knowledge on it.

Human Google. If you wanted help with your homework, project, or just simple research, he'd be the best guide. And he'd open up a little, too, while doing it because not only does he enjoy learning, but he'd love even more for a chance to yap about what it is he knows/has learned without somebody falling asleep on him mid-sentence😃.

His mom. His mom be trying to listen but bless her heart, she be TIRREEED😫. Like Griffin, honey, you might as well be singing that woman a lullaby, she is out like a light😭💀. But it's okay, he understands, so it's not like he holds a grudge or anything.

I also think the more time he spends with a person, the more "character traits" he picks up. Spent time around Gwen? Now he's cussing up a storm more than usual. Hung with Billy for a little while? He's got that sass on lock now. Had a chat with Finney? He picked up on that little nervous thumb biting thing he has.

It's endearing once you notice it, and he's not doing it on purpose. He just mirrors you because well,,, he likes you and wants you to like him, so subconsciously, he just-

*sees you doing something* *now he's doing it too without missing a beat or noticing himself*

He met Gwen, though, and it was a wrap. They were stuck to each other like glue, besties, 4lyfers, and then met Amy and Vance's younger sis and after that?? Even if he was sheltered, he sure as fuck wouldn't be anymore😹.

I'm sure they'd be running around Denver, wreaking havoc and being little sillies together♡.

RIP Griffin Stagg, you would've loved making slime😔🙏🏽 (he'd probably make a whole collection of different types and textures, maybe even sold 'em for a side-hustle lol).

𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐈 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐡😌?

I had so much fun writing this even though it took me so long lmao :>. but yeah, little spoiler, I've got more tbp content coming up, most being requests, and then I am slowly making my way down my MASSIVE inbox, so hopefully - in due time - y'all will see more content in general coming from me :).

but, until the time comes, I hope whoever reads this enjoyed it !!/ᐠ^˕^マ!!

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ...𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ...𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭

𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 :

anon

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 :

9,296

𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 :

none :(

[doshiart]

🖤 ART TAG 🖤

Hey to all artists! I want to talk about our art journey. Some of us have a long path, some have started only recently, but each of us has had our own individual path and I think it's really important to remember how we all started. And it's also important to share it with others so that no one would be scared to start their own journey and just create.

How did you start drawing? What year was it that you become more seriously and consciously interested in it?

As everyone I'll say I've been drawing since early childhood, but I think the end of 2019 is my beginning. Because that's the time I started to practice actively.

When you felt the urge to share your art with other people? When did you start posting your drawings on social media?

Maybe it's always been? I think for the first time I posted something traditional drawn on my personal social media. I started my art socials in 2020.

Your first/earliest drawing. What were your impressions of it back then and what are your feelings now?

It's hard to track my very first drawing, but here are the early traditional drawings and my very first digital hand drawing. It was before I got a tablet, so it was drawn with a mouse. My impressions? My hand was tired... But if seriously back then it looked like something cool to me and I was surprised that I could draw something like that. Now, of course, I can see all my mistakes. But let's be honest, any mistake is a move forward.

🚧 ALARM 🚧

My very first attempts after getting a tablet.

Should I mention that I was upset at the first second that it didn't work out on the first try?

Your first fanart ever

I had a lot of traditional drawings of Adventure Time (I'm a big fan of Marceline). It's roughly a little over a decade ago.

But in digital, I guess this? Snufkin and The Groke from Moomin stories. [aug 8, 2020]

Your first gallavich fanart

Hi babies! This post and this post.

[nov 27, 2023] - oh my god it's almost a year???

But what if I told you that my sister asked me to draw Cameron Monaghan… Who knew that ten years later I'd be drawing him once again...

When you had bad days and things didn't work out, what inspired you to keep trying?

I just need to rest, try again, or think about what exactly goes wrong. When I started my path as a digital artist I was very inspired by the older work by 'big artists'. No one is perfect at the first moment and there is always a long road of striving and practice behind cool works. And I knew that the more I tried, the more I could consider myself 'cool' too. (spoiler: that feeling is still with me)

Show your old piece that you strongly dislike and tell why.

It's a hard choice. I stopped liking a lot of my work after a time, but this one was initially a struggle. I really didn't like how it looked in the end. I wasn't able to draw it as I wanted, and had problems with the face and dynamics. But the background is cool! (A lot of the work you don't like has some good in it!)

Renee and Andrew from AFTG [dec 5, 2021]

Show your old piece that you very like and tell why. What's the difference with the previous?

I love the shading and the face, especially eyes. And i still love this drawing! Face looks better than previous and hair has a dynamic, and the expression is really good.

Buck Toothsome from School for vampires [nov 8, 2021]

Show your old piece that you were very proud of back then.

I really loved this study redraw!

Ginny with Marcus from Ginny & Georgia [june 22, 2021]

Do you do any practice sketches or warm-ups before you draw something big?

I've started to do it recently! I'd forgotten how many sketches I made in sketchbooks when I was studying drawing.

I tried to change the pen pressure.

Sketch vs Final. Show your process.

Actually, it's been a tough process.

Your most recent drawing.

I'm working on my secret santa's gift right now, so I can't share it 🤭But here's my last sketch during warm-up session 🤲🖤

Give yourself some praise! Look at what improved in your art!

I just want to say that four years ago I would've been shocked by my current drawings. I've really improved in drawing faces and anatomy, I'm trying new interesting composition, trying to learn new things and use it in my works.

Any advice you'd give to your earlier self?

Do more thinking while creating your art. Do a sketches warm-ups before digging into the big work. Don't be afraid to draw it again if something doesn't work. Take breaks to physically exercise!

Set a goal for yourself for the coming year.

I want to improve facial expressions. Make a professional portfolio. Keep growing and enjoying drawing.

I want to see more your drawings...

@deathclassic @suzy-queued @kiennilove @gallapiech @spookygingerr

@konaiiro @michellemisfit @heymrspatel @vintagelacerosette @sgtmickeyslaughter

@burninface @lingy910y @crossmydna @deedala

[damn-stark]

Chapter 40 Once there was a way to get back home

Chapter 40 of Sugar

A/N- :)

Warning- Swearing, ANGST, fluff!!, violence and blood, Sukuna, flashback, SPOILERS!!!! long chapter!

Pairing- Choso x Gojo!fem-reader, Suguru Geto x Gojo!fem-reader

Episode and or chapters- Chapter 257-258

(Let me know if you want to be tagged)

————

Damn stupid fucker. He almost ate your damn leg!

Fuck, fuck!

The pain is so unbearable. Not even labor hurt this damn bad! No pain you’ve ever suffered has hurt this bad, damn, damn!

“Hey, hey, look at me,” Choso tries a multiple time to distract you from the pain you so obviously express on your face no matter how hard you try to hide it.

“I can’t,” you whine. “It hurts. It hurts too bad.”

Choso draws out a deep breath to try and ignore his own pain before trying to calm you down while you heal since you don't have his healing speed. “You did great, you know that? When you fought Sukuna all by yourself, you did amazing.”

You grab your leg and blink repeatedly before watching him through tears, not knowing how to react or what to say.

“I…was in between trying to get to you and watching the fight so I wouldn’t miss anything, but what I did see was amazing, and you used the hand motion for piercing blood.” He mentions with his cheeks blazing red.

You laugh between the throbbing pain and nod. “I can be a good student when my teacher is hot.”

Choso scoffs and looks at the ground timidly. Silence passes and the pain has become less since a few seconds ago, but it doesn't pass fast enough, so you envy your husband's ability to heal so fast—You can’t even focus on Yuji and Sukuna fighting.

“You didn’t listen to me,” Choso brings up as he seems to be rummaging through his pocket. “I told you not to use your technique so you could use less cursed energy. After all, it's not infinite. You’re not like me.”

You swallow thickly, and your guilt manages to steal your attention away from your pain. Yet just as you’re about to apologize he pulls something out and surprises you. “Thank you. I was being selfish in hopes that would keep you safer, but now I know that I would’ve just killed you if you listened to me.”

You snap your eyes to look at him tenderly, but still with guilt. Even though if you asked him the same thing he wouldn’t listen either.

“Here,” Choso goes on before you can interject and leans over to grab your hand and unfurl your fingers to place the red and orange glass swan on your palm.

You remember giving it to him so he could keep it safe until you reunited, but seeing such a meaningful little swan back on your palm pulls at your heartstrings and makes you hopeful.

Someway, somehow. Even if the fight isn’t over yet, you take it as a sign of hope, and that maybe you will be able to go back home together.

You want to go home. With him.

“Choso,” you mewl, making him blink and look at you softly as he waits for what you have to say in that honey-dripping voice.

“I want to go home,” you say so quietly that he almost misses the gentle plea behind your words, but he does catch it. He sees it too in your sweet fire-kissed eyes, and it aches his soul.

So sweet you were. So vulnerable in such chaos that he once again asks himself why you ever chose him.

“Soon,” is all he can offer your pleading soul. “Soon my love. We’ll go live by a beach. Just like you want. We’ll get sheep because they’re quiet.”

You laugh softly and smile because he remembers. Even if moments ago he sounded like he was making sure to say his goodbyes and that got you furious, now, you smile over a small detail that recalls not so long ago but feels like centuries ago; even if you know that he would die today if the need arose.

“Somewhere far from Japan. I don’t want Yuji, Satori, or our twins to grow up here anymore. We’ll go someplace far. Someplace beautiful, hm? That’s all I’ve been thinking about since we got married.”

There’s nothing here for you anymore. There was only Satoru before, but he’s gone now. And Nanako and Mimiko weren’t able to be buried, and Suguru? Well, you have plans for how to put his body to rest. There’s only Shoko left, but she’s suffered too if she wants she could come with you. What’s holding her here?

Nothing is holding you back anymore so you’ll be more than happy to leave.

“I’ll love that,” you agree to Choso’s plan wholeheartedly.

Choso sighs in relief even if he should know better, and leans over to wrap you in an embrace, bringing you so much comfort in such disarray that you nuzzle your head in the crook of his neck just before he has to break this moment apart.

“It doesn’t hurt now does it?” He asks against your neck before pressing a gentle kiss on the flesh of your neck, causing you to smile giddily at the tickle of his wet lips against your warm flesh.

“No,” you point out to yourself. “You distracted me and took the pain away. You’re good at that.”

You feel his lips tug to a smile on your neck and can’t help the shivers that go down your spine.

“I’ve had practice,” he says kind of smugly.

“Other girls?” You tease.

Choso doesn’t get you're only pulling his leg and quickly counters. “No, my brothers. I used to try and distract my brothers from all the bad we felt when we were trapped.”

You hum and caress his back at the mention, making him stay pressed against you for just a bit longer to let your comfort sink in and cherish the fact that you’re alive.

When you pull away you’re only faced with the dreadful truth that you can’t escape in the comfort of each other's arms a moment longer. There’s others relying on you.

They need you now…

——

*NOT SO LONG AGO*

“Those who wanna fight need either the reverse cursed technique or anti-domain tactics,” Hakari mentions, but isn’t that obvious?

“That’s a no-go for me,” Maki says, making you slowly look at her with slight annoyance because obviously, Hakari was not referring to her.

“I wasn’t talking about you,” he grimaces.

“I believe Yuji and I will manage with reverse cursed technique,” Choso now drifts the subject to him to avoid any tension.

“Huh? Me?”

You sigh and share a knowing look with Shoko.

Choso steals your attention back to him as he says your name before going on to name three others. “Ieiri, Hakari, Okkotsu. I’ve always wondered, how is it you compensate for your lost blood when regenerating?”

“Dunno, I’m total autopilot,” Hakari answers his question, letting Okkotsu follow with more disappointing answers.

“I go off instinct too.”

Why did he even ask them either way? You’ve told Choso how Okkotsu got his technique and all that, and you told him about how difficult it is to really pass on knowledge to Hakari because he’s more of a visual learner. Plus! You told him about you too!

Then again he just wants Itadori to listen to your way of using RCT, which thankfully is a lot more informative.

“I learned to turn my cursed energy to blood,” you share smugly since you’re the only one who answered with actual information. “That’s the whole jist really. It’s like filtering out dirty water and turning it clean, y’know?”

“Yes!” Kirara exclaims, making you frown at them.

“Do you really?” You press and they part their lips but frown and shake their head.

You scoff in amusement and drift your gaze to Shoko beside you as she speaks up to add information to your response.

“There are tons of people who can use the Reverse Cursed Technique but can’t heal others. One reason is the fundamental difference in use. Another, the body of the target refusing the treatment. There are cases where the cursed energy of the one healing rejects the process, and cases where the cursed energy of the one being healed doesn’t respond to the conversion. That’s why the efficacy of my treatment is often case-by-case.”

Choso nods and glances at his brother before pointing at him and interjecting. “That’s what I thought. My body allows me to convert cursed energy into blood. If Yuji absorbs our brothers, he should gain a body capable of that, alongside some cursed technique.”

When he first told you about his plan to let Yuji absorb their brothers you thought he’d not end up going through with it just because he’s so attached to his brothers, but as you listen to him now there’s no ounce of hesitation in his voice. He really means to go through with his plan for his brother.

You don’t think you’d be able to do it. You would have already given them bodies if you were in Choso’s shoes.

You’re glad he’s not like you.

“That’s not all,” Choso adds as he props one hand on his hip before continuing. “Our bodies allow us to compensate for the technical aspects of the technique. That means the main limiting factor behind RCT, its immense cursed energy expense, doesn't apply to us…or so I think.”

You hum in comprehension and start to stroke your chin before adding your piece of mind. “Which is to say the hurdle for you two learning it is much lower than it is for everyone else.”

Choso offers you an agreeing nod and a sweet praise. “Exactly sweetheart.”

You flash him a giddy smile and catch Shoko’s disgusted look after witnessing such a sappy interaction, which gives a clear given as to why she and Satoru are such good friends.

Tsk.

“That’s why I’d like switch training to be done once with someone who can use RCT,” Choso mentions forgetting he hasn’t talked to his brother about it yet, he’s only conversed with you, Mei-Mei, and her brother. It’s why Itadori is so confused.

“Switch training?”

You nod and part your lips to explain in simple terms, but Kirara interrupts you. “What about our master? She’s taught us a lot and I’m sure she can help Itadori a whole bunch.”

“Yeah and why did your beloved teacher learn such a technique?” Shoko butts in making your smile droop back down.

“Spite,” you grumble. “But I didn't use it to learn to be strong or control my cursed energy flow,” you point out.

“It doesn’t matter, as a regular mentor you’re great, but I’m not sure you’re the right candidate.”

You pout and cross your arms over your chest before remarking. “Who then? Satoru? Ha!”

Shoko shakes her head. “No. Not him, Kusakabe maybe?”

“What is switch training?!” Yuji blurts because his question wasn’t actually answered.

Albeit even then no one answers him, instead you all walk away to join the others.

“I’d be a perfect candidate,” you grumble under your breath.

Hands fall on your shoulders, and a soft breath unfurls behind your ear, making you giggle.

“I bet you would be,” Choso proves your assumption right, it is him. Who else would grab you this way and press himself so close as if trying to share the breath you inhale.

“I would,” you quickly retort. “I meditate all the time. All the time. I have a great handle on my cursed energy flow, I’m in tune with my technique and everything that has to do with all your brother needs to know.”

Choso presses a kiss on the back of your ear, causing your lips to lose their battle and pull to a happy smile.

“Perhaps it’s okay to let someone else take control of this, hm? Besides you’re a woman, you need your privacy.”

You blink and slowly churn your head back to look at him with a quirked brown. “What?” You deadpan.

Choso doesn’t find a fault in that, and you can’t blame it on his cluelessness because he really isn’t, he just really believes what he says. So you can’t help but laugh.

Choso’s eyebrows slowly pinch together in confusion, but you just leave him wondering as you press a kiss on the side of his lips before walking into a different room to speak with the others about the same stuff basically. But this time Itadori finally gets his explanation.

Does he understand it though? He doesn’t seem to inherit his fathers—Mothers? And Choso’s genius.

“I see.”

“We’ve thought of the soul and body as two separate entities. If the body is the box, the soul is its contents.” Ui-Ui continues explaining in rather simple terms that anyone should understand.

“I see. I see.”

Does Itadori really see though?

“Think of that box as a person's birthday present. We can’t swipe the box’s contents of our own accord.”

“Hm.”

Oh jeez.

“Please just let him finish explaining,” you interject gently but with impatience just under the surface.

Itadori looks over at you and offers you an apologetic look before focusing back at Ui-Ui.

You sigh and Choso’s arm draped around your neck loosens so he can caress your shoulder with his hand as you both listen pressed against each other.

“However, if we have the permission of the individual, the box’s content can be taken. Which is to say, I’m able to swap the souls of two marked individuals.”

“Gwuh?!” Itadori exclaims making Ui-Ui’s eye twitch.

“What's up?” The boy finally addresses Itadori’s confusion.

“That just reminds me of the body-and-soul altering abilities of the cursed spirit I fought, Mahito,” Yuji let his sudden thought come out. “Won’t the shape of that person's body and soul be stretched if they’re swapped?”

Ui-Ui smirks and bats his lashes before assuring Itadori. “There’s no need to worry. I can swap the contents without opening the boxes. No one can tell whether or not the contents of an unopened box have been tampered with, wouldn't you say?”

“Depends how good someone is at hiding their evidence,” you remark, making the boy seeth underneath his nonchalant facade.

“Itadori,” Kusakabe interjects. “The speed of your growth as a sorcerer has been tremendous. Do you know why that is?”

“What?” Itadori clears his throat and seems to grow smug, but you don’t understand why it is.

“Erm perhaps my innate talen—“

“It was Sukuna,” Kusakabe cuts him off before he can get the wrong thing, and you can’t help but snicker, causing Choso to dart his eyes to you and press a warning look.

“It's only light teasing,” you defend yourself to your boyfriend.

Choso holds the corner of your gaze and you hum to let it be known you mean no ill will.

“Sukuna created his technique in your body,” Kusakabe continues to explain. “Which means your body remembers using extreme special-grade Jujutsu. You can thank him for your exceptionally quick understanding and growth.”

You look over at Itadori and notice that his lightheartedness turned rígid at the mention of someone so cruel.

“We’ll be doing the same practice with switch training. You’ll swap with me first. I’ll hammer into your body my cursed energy manipulation and foundational barrier technique, the simple domain.”

“Hm,” Hakari cuts in. “Isn't there a binding vow preventing simple domain from being taught to outsiders of the new shadow school?” He asks, making you finally wonder the same thing.

“Not to worry,” Mei-Mei quickly offers a solution. “I’ve taken care of that.” She smiles like never before, or like when she’s up to no good.

“Why are you so happy?” You can’t help but point out.

But Ui-Ui instead helps her avoid answering by adding something else himself. “In a single month, the limit for swapping souls is twice per one person. Please consider your pairings wisely.”

Maybe Shoko is right, maybe you’re not right to swap with, but why can’t you be the one to help Itadori? You have an innate desire to please Choso by helping his brother. So why?

Surely he’d benefit from all your abilities. You’ve worked hard to find balance, to be strong, and to be a master of your technique and the techniques that have been used for years.

Is it your vanity perhaps?

It can’t possibly be a fear for swaying his views, Sukuna lived in him, if he was going to turn evil he would’ve already.

Plus It’s not the world you hate as a whole. So why?

And why are you really thinking so hard about it? Is it because Choso would leave you over an opinion his brothers would have about you?

Maybe not. It’d hurt your ego, but again, you stand proud over your views of non-sorcerers.

But…you still want Choso to keep loving you…

But it’s not that really. It’s more…that deep trauma of your family not thinking you’re good enough scarred over your heart that’s poisoning your mind.

Shoko didn’t mean it, you know that, you just need to get over—

Your thoughts come to a sudden halt when you spot two little girls; one with brown hair and the other blond, one holding a stuffed bunny and the other holding her hand.

You stiffen and all you can see is them…Nanako and Mimiko. There’s no room for haunting traumas only ghosts that you believe are flesh and bone and yours.

A smile creeps on your lips and your eyes twinkle with blissful joy.

You take a step towards the center of the park where the twins are and part your lips to call out for them, but then their mother goes to them and the illusion breaks and you’re left alone in the breeze like a blowing tumbleweed, alone and cold.

But isn’t it funny? It hasn’t been long at all that they passed and it feels like decades ago sometimes, but when you really think about it, your grief feels like it’s barely tearing your heart apart.

Now imagine when it’s all over. When Sukuna and Kenjaku are dead when you have nothing to fight. How will your grief feel in the silence?

You sigh deeply and step back before dropping your head and slowly pulling your hand out of your coat pocket. With the twins in mind, with the ache to have them close, you use your technique as you wait for Choso and pull water droplets from the air around you to summon them on your palm and create a bunny out of water, like when you made the twins a water-made bunny for them when you first met them.

They’re not here now to see it or ignore you because they were too old for water bunnies, but when you make it out of your technique it makes you feel close to them.

However, soon your name is called so you drop the water and turn to see your boyfriend approaching you with a plastic bag in his hand and a flower in his other hand.

“Finally!” You exclaim and jog over to meet him halfway. “I thought you got lost in the store.” You laugh and peek in the bag, finding what you wanted him to get you along with other things.

“Sorry,” he quickly sputters out. “I couldn’t find a perfect flower.”

You can’t tease him about him making you wait now. Ugh! What a man.

“For you,” he offers you tenderly but doesn’t hand you the perfect and delicate red rose, he instead leans over and tucks the flower behind your left ear.

You can’t help but giggle and grin the entire time until he pulls his phone out and steals a picture of you.

“You didn’t ask for a picture,” you finally taunt him, making his face grow rigid.

“Oh—”

“I'm joking,” you can’t hold it anymore and close the gap with a tender kiss. “Thank you.” You whisper against his mouth.

Choso leans in and takes a gentle kiss from you before he steps back and just admires you.

“I thought it’d look good with your white hair,” he shares his thought process before not being able to hold back his smile.

“You’re really cute,” you coo and brush some of his bangs away, making his eyes meet your gaze as he feels the trace of your nails on his skin.

“I,” he fumbles his words. “I also got you something you might like,” he says and looks down but lets his eyes flicker back to you briefly before pulling out a comic strip that was attached to some newspaper, and hands it to you to read.

Albeit you start to snicker before you can even read it.

“Why—“ you snort and clear your throat. “Did the bunny eat the wedding ring?” You ask and meet Choso’s gaze with amusement.

“Why?” He plays along.

“Because he heard it was 18 carrots,” you say between laughs and stare into him as you wait for his reaction. “Get it?” You press.

Choso stares at you dumbfoundedly before his lips break into a soft smile and he laughs breathlessly and nods.

“Stupid,” he mutters.

You snort again and nod. “Very stupid…” you suddenly trail off as a sudden wave of emotions rams into you as your mind cruelly connects this innocent joke to what you were suffering through before he joined you, and it turns your happiness sour while stealing that laugh and leaving your mouth dry.

Choso notices right away because he’s standing so close and because he just pays attention to every detail of your face and the way it moves with every thought in your head. Yet he doesn’t comment on anything at that second, he waits to see if it was just some fleeting thing, but you then slowly look over your shoulder and your face contorts with this beautiful yet depressing agony.

When he follows your line of gaze he sees that you’re watching two little girls.

He calls out your name with worry laced in that deep voice, causing you to quickly snap your attention back to him. Before he can ask what’s wrong, you interject knowing what he was about to ask. “I'm sorry I couldn’t be enough to help your brother.”

Choso blinks in surprise and that emotion is clear on his knitted eyebrows and parted lips, but you add on softer.

“I’m strong yet I’m not enough to help.”

Your name is whispered out of his mouth and he shakes his head to argue against whatever guilt you’re carrying. “No, you have been helping enough. This swapping training doesn’t have to fall on your shoulders, you’re a master at being a sorcerer, but my love, this isn’t just your responsibility, okay?”

You swallow back thickly and from a broken part inside you, you bring yourself to ask, “you won’t hate me because I can’t be the one to help him? Does that change how strong I am?”

Choso’s heart sinks and he quickly grabs your face and counters back. “No, no. You’re helping Yuji and other students. You’re doing amazing at it too. Just because you couldn’t do this one task doesn’t change how strong you are or how much I love you.”

You draw in a shaky breath and nod in comprehension.

Choso hums and caresses your cheek before kissing your forehead and then pressing his forehead against yours, in that moment catching your eyes find those same little girls passing by hand in hand with their mother, and watching your heartbreak more through your eyes.

Before he can investigate deeply about what’s wrong, you step away from his grasp and sit on a bench with your head down. Choso mirrors your actions, but instead, he follows by reaching over and grabbing your hand.

At the soft touch you open your other palm and right away form a bunny made of water on your hand.

“I thought I saw Nanako and Mimiko, but then I realized it was only my mind playing tricks on me.”

Choso coos your name and pulls his hand out of your grasp to wrap it around your shoulders and pull you against his side so you can lean against him.

When you rest your head on his shoulder you continue to use your technique to have that same water-made bunny hop around like you would do when the twins were little girls and they wanted you to use your technique.

“Nanako and Mimiko liked bunnies,” you whisper with longing as you watch that water-made bunny born from your cursed technique hop around.

——

*NOW*

“He no longer holds Sukuna and look how strong he is,” you can’t help but praise Yuji as you watch him completely land his fourth Black flash at will!

That’s something Satoru couldn’t do, that’s something you can't do, but something Yuji seemed to have mastered against such a terrifying demon.

“But that doesn’t take away from the fact that he still needs help,” Choso says with worry laced in his deep voice.

You nod faintly. “I know.”

Choso pushes himself off the ground, and you quickly follow him up to protest. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to help him, distract Sukuna so Yuji can land more black flashes,” he says casually as if he isn’t still hurting from tanking Sukuna’s black flash not long ago.

“Go like—”

“Trust me, I’ll be careful,” he cuts you off and turns, but you grab his arm and turn him around.

“No, I’ll go, I’ve healed enough, my leg doesn’t hurt anymore. I still have energy to use my technique,” you quickly rebuttal and dig your fingers in his arm as just under your concern lies your selfish desire to not let him go back out, to beg him to stop fighting.

“You need energy to protect the twins, if you run out you’ll be vulnerable, I wouldn’t forgive myself if something happened,” he confesses with that same selfish desire inside him too.

What else can you tell him that you haven’t told him already, what he didn’t promise to keep and continue burning, but what he also negated by discreetly saying that he would die to keep his brother and you safe.

There’s, please. Simple yet so meaningful.

Your eyes paint such a deep emotion, your lips part and your lungs gather air, but it doesn’t come out of your lips, not this time.

This time you don’t beg him. You have to trust him. Trust he’ll keep his promise and not be suicidal.

But you’ll join Yuji first since you have a stronger advantage.

“I won’t stop you, but first I’ll go out and help,” you offer a compromise.

Choso holds your gaze and doesn't agree but there’s no way around you so he sighs and grumbles. “Why must you always put up a fight?” He scoffs and reluctantly nods. “Fine. But first, let's wait for your opening.”

You both mirror a smirk on your faces and before you can miss any more of the fight you bring your phone up to continue watching the broadcast, seeing Ino back in the fight getting disarmed by Sukuna with too much ease.

However, before Ino could be killed by Sukuna, or by Nanami’s weapon that Ino was getting stolen, Yuji lands a fifth black flash on Sukuna. And the strike is so powerful he sends Sukuna flying out the window.

“Nice,” you whisper to Yuji and catch a proud look on Choso’s face too.

Your pride does almost shake when you see Sukuna find his footing on the ground right away and then snap down to destroy the ground just as Yuji is about to land to disrupt his balance and probably confuse him as he lands.

However, as Sukuna appears through the rubble and swings at Yuji, the boy manages to catch Sukuna’s arm and block any advantage the demon wanted to gain, before swiftly hurling him against a brick wall.

Sukuna slashes Yuji’s face multiple times, but the boy is completely unfazed, even if they cut deep and bleed. You grow deeply worried but Yuji doesn’t even flinch, he reels his fist back with a grimace and hits Sukuna with a sixth black flash.

Which is truly amazing!

This time though, Sukuna manages to grab a part of Yuji’s face and cuts his eyes deep.

“Yuji,” Choso cries out under his breath and looks out preparing to set off, but you grab his arm first to pull him back.

“Not yet,” you tell him. “You’ll go after me. I won’t need to tell you when you’ll know when you see.”

Choso hesitates but he trusts your plan and lingers with you, letting you both barely manage to catch a seventh black flash landed by Yuji.

One which finally causes Sukuna to go off the rails. “You goddamned brat—”

Before he can finish sputtering out a storm of curses, Nanami's blade comes out of nowhere and slices Sukuna’s face.

The view then quickly changes and you’re surprised to see that it was Ino who threw it out of a broken window.

He looks terrible but because of what he did Yuji lands his eighth black flash. Eighth in a row.

That boy is truly gifted.

You almost want to wait to see if he could land more, but Sukuna will counter, and now that he’s bleeding heavily, and thrown across the building is your time to go.

“I’m going to get him from above,” you quickly sputter out to Choso as you shove your phone away.

Before he can stop you and before you can rush out you give him a peck on the lips first and then run out and join Yuji and Sukuna from above, appearing like a menacing shadow first, and then revealing your voice that booms as if it were some god coming down from above.

“You can’t get rid of me! I am no weak link!”

Sukuna’s eyes snap up and catch you descending like some divine angel with blazing eyes, veins on fire under your skin, pumping fire to the wild flames lit on your hands. He sees you still looking for a fight after all he’s done to you and grows insanely more irritated, especially because Yuji rushes at him from the ground like some untamed demon.

Yet he doesn’t falter, he prepares to block your blow, but rather than striking him to break your fall, you actually hit the ground with your fist ramming into the cement, and he grows amused by your “lack of know-how”.

Only seconds later though the ground combusts due to your technique of controlling the elements, and he succumbs to the pull, giving you a slight advantage, and giving him and Yuji an idea as to how Suguru Geto and you could destroy towns with such ease; it was your technique that gave the advantage, you and your ability to make the earth crumble, and your flames from hell.

This is why you were deemed a special-grade sorcerer right as your technique was shown to you, because you have the power to destroy the world just like your brother.

You’re death in the flesh. And you snapping down and slapping your hands on the ground to blast fire through the cracks in the rubble to try and burn Sukuna alive, proves it.

Yet Sukuna is a terror in his own right too, he fights off the flames from hell, and busts out of the rubble you trapped him under.

However, as unscathed as he is, the daze you cast on him is only worsened when Yuji jumps after him and rams his fist on his back, and manages another black flash, causing Sukuna to crash on a ledge on the floor above the one you’re on.

“Supreme art,” you proclaim with your head held high and your energy running lower, but your intent to kill this beast running rampant. “Hellspawn!”

Sukuna fixates his glare on Yuji and you staring daggers at him from below and parts his lips to probably say something born out of anger, but he’s interrupted by the distant sound of a booming roar from a beast that casts a large shadow over the vicinity.

However, Sukuna doesn’t look up at the approaching beast who’s ready to envelop him on fire, he crosses his fingers and proclaims smugly. “Domain expansion! Malevolent shrine.”

Your eyes peel back and you can’t help but gasp at the horror that slams into you at the sound of those words.

“But—” you try to argue but get interrupted by Yuji grabbing your hand and pulling you towards him to shield you with his body from the sudden explosion that sends strong waves of slashes and debris.

“New shadow style: Simple domain,” Yuji casts right away to try and counter Sukuna’s domain, but that won’t be enough. You know that from the bottom of your heart, the wild blasts of slashes run too strong and are set too sharp, so you push Yuji back as his domain is cracking and grab his arm to be able to shield him now by casting something else you have in your arsenal.

“Secret art; Falling Blossom emotion!” You bellow and manage to shield Yuji and you both from the crazy domain attacking you. The only thing on your mind now is Choso, he’s nearby and unaware of this secret art, and he can get gravely wounded.

The gusts made of slashes are so strong that they’re cutting through buildings that once stood tall. You can’t see that well because your eyesight is obscured by the thick cloud of debris, but you know everything around you is flattening. That’s how strong Sukuna’s domain is, so you almost give into your desire to find Choso to protect him too, but doing it will disrupt what protects you, leaving Yuji and you vulnerable, so even if it’s torturing you, you just hope Choso is bearing this storm like you are.

Nevertheless, Sukuna’s next words horrify you.

“Divine flames, open.”

The flames that destroyed Shibuya, he’s using them. Your secret art won’t withstand that…

But maybe you can think of something! Anything to bear through the storm!

You need to think of something to make it through his destructive fire and be able to meet up with Choso, to be able to go home to your daughter, Satori. You need to think of something! Anything!

However, through the deafening horror pumping through your blood, like some miracle you hear Choso crying out your name and the name of his brother.

“Choso,” you whisper in relief.

.

.

.

.

.

A/N- I'm not ready. Are you?

Tagged- @deniseabad1928 @secondary-character-25 @starlightanyaaa @notsaelty @d4rno @moonnime @kodzukein @yozora7154 @heijihattorisgf @elegantweirdorchest @natakina

[devildom-moss]

Choke Me

(Belphegor x gn!MC)

(NSFW) (sub!Belphie) (dom!MC) (NSFW tags: edge play, clothed, dry humping, light choking, crying, aftercare that gets a little cute and goofy, sadism and masochism - like combined? Using masochism as a sadistic tactic, MC is a little unhinged maybe?) (Other stuff: mentions of anxiety and scratching, mentions of trauma with regards to the game plot, original game Lesson 16 spoilers)

Word Count: +2100

“Well it wasn’t Levi because he’s been biting his nails again.” Asmo paced the room and rolled his eyes. “Even though I just painted them two days ago.”

“Well, I doubt it was Belphie,” Mammon added.

“You don’t know what kind of things our baby brother is into.” Asmo shrugged just as you walked into the room.

“What’s this now?” you asked.

“Belphie wouldn’t hurt MC like that,” Mammon responded to Asmo (almost innocently). “Hey, MC. Who scratched up ya arm like that? It’s pretty red. If one of these bastards did it, I swear they’ll pay.”

“Oh.” You paused and let the awkward tension hang in the air. “Sorry. Yeah. That was me. The air’s been really dry lately, and I was feeling kind of anxious when I woke up this morning. That happens sometimes. You don’t have to worry. Sorry to cancel your demon-hunt.”

“Oh, hun,” Asmo cooed. “I’ll get you some quality lotion when I go out later today. Does it hurt? How’s the anxiety right now?”

“Should I getcha somethin’?” Mammon offered.

“It’s fine. I’m alright.”

“Well, let me know if ya need anything, got it? The Great Mammon’s got you covered.”

You smiled at them. They meant well, but something about the conversation you walked in on rubbed you the wrong way – that sick, sticky kind of discomfort that lingers on your skin. You started to walk out of the room, and then you turned back around to face them and asked, “do you really think Belphie wouldn’t hurt me?”

“Course not. He follows ya like a lost puppy too much for that.” Mammon crossed his arms. “Real annoyin’, if ya ask me.”

“We didn’t ask.” Asmo waved him off. “It’s adorable. And, no, I don’t think he’d hurt you on purpose – unless you ask him to. Is that what you’re into? I could get a little rougher with you next time.”

“Like hell!” Mammon barked at him.

Unbelievable. You were done listening to them. You walked straight to the attic, texting Belphie to meet you there.

Already up here. Hurry. I want to see you.

Unbelievable. You gripped your phone tighter. How could they say something like that? Did no one else remember who Belphegor was? Were you the only person who remembered what he was capable of? The agitation that you scratched from the surface was bubbling back up – as anger this time.

Unbelievable. How was it fair that you were the only person who still thought about it at all?

You knocked on the attic door – some long-held gesture of politeness – before walking in. As expected, Belphie was lounging in bed. He slowly sat up and yawned, his lips settling into a soft smile. Belphegor outstretched his arms, offering the space between them as a place for you to sink away from the rest of the world. He was so sweet (now).

That unspoken truth and your unresolved pain continued to eat away at you. Like so much of the emotional turmoil in that house, you would have to resolve it yourself. You were going to turn that space between Belphie’s arms into a coffin for your resentment.

You slipped into Belphie’s embrace and straddled his lap. You lowered your voice and laced it with seduction when you asked, “do you remember when you tried to kill me, Belphie? In this very room?”

Belphegor froze, his eyes wide with shock. “I-I don’t recall.”

“Really?” you whispered against his neck, letting your lips graze his skin. “Because I remember everything: the rage and hatred in your eyes, the feeling of your hands around my throat, and your weight on my body. It turned me on.”

“You’re crazy. Hhng –” Belphegor groaned in response to you grinding your hips against him. His eyes scanned the room, frantically searching for something to save him. You placed kisses down his neck, which did nothing to ease the tension that had his jaw shut tight. Belphie’s pulse pounded under your lips.

Even through gritted teeth, he was moaning under your touch. His restrained noises and the sound of you sucking on his skin filled the room like a low-frequency vibration, causing Belphie’s physical pleasure to succumb to pain and irritation. The marks you were leaving would be nothing compared to what he did to you – you both knew that.

“It’s almost disappointing,” you mused, “you’ll never look at me like that again. We’ve tainted all that passionate hatred with love. I can’t imagine what I could do to make you hate me the way you did back then. But I suppose you didn’t really have a good reason, did you?”

The wickedness of your words stung Belphegor, and he struggled to get the words out quick enough to placate you. “I didn’t know. Please, I thought we wouldn’t bring this up again.”

“But it was exciting: surviving your wrath. Not even Satan will take things out on me, so why not replay those memories of when you did it?” You deliberately squirmed in his lap and put your lips back to his neck. Some combination of horror and lust left his hands still firmly on your back.

“I can’t. I could never do that to you.”

“You did, though.”

“I can’t anymore.” You felt him tremble, so you pulled away. His eyes were damp, and he had stopped clenching his teeth to chew on his wavering lower lip. Even his hands shook, tapping at your back instead of holding you.

“I’m not asking you to kill me again. I’m asking you to thrill me.” You took his hands and slowly lifted them to your throat, grinding deliberately slow as you felt his pants begin to tent.

“This is cruel.” A tear streamed down his face. Did the betrayal and fear in Belphie mirror the look on your face that day – the one that he laughed at and languished in?

“But you’re enjoying it, too,” you reminded him.

Belphegor’s face flushed pale. He didn’t want to react to your touch like this when you were bringing up all those traumatizing memories. They were far worse for you than him, and he knew that, but it was such a regrettable part of his past that he wanted to bury it for good. How evil and insensitive must you think he is if he gets hard at a time like this? He was disgusted with himself.

“Please don’t hate me,” he whimpered. Another tear rolled down his pretty face from the corner of his eye.

His hands barely touched your neck. If you hadn’t left your hands over his, he would have pulled them away. You guided his still-trembling hands into a slightly safer position. Your index finger snaked over his and applied subtle pressure to the side of your throat, holding him there.

A stillness settled over the room, save for Belphegor’s trembling and your pulse – which seemed to violently pound against his hands. It felt as if he was holding your heart in his palm. The demon he was now cherished your life so much that even one finger’s worth of pressure was too much of a risk for him to bear. Your body was too fragile to be placed in his care. Another tear dripped down his face.

“Remember the safe word?” you asked. Belphie nodded. That wasn’t good enough, so you rolled your hips into him. “Say it.”

“Gemini.”

“Good.”

You let go of his index finger and slid both of your hands down slightly, caressing his wrists affectionately with your thumbs. One of your hands remained over his while you placed the other over his stomach, lifting his shirt so you could touch his skin. Belphegor gasped at the contact. He was so soft and warm. As your hand inched up his body, you began to rock your hips over Belphegor’s crotch.

Belphegor couldn’t face you. He bit his lip to stifle his moaning and his tear-stained cheeks were tinted pink from a combination of shame and arousal. Unfortunately, he had nowhere to hide, and he couldn’t run, either.

When your hand reached his chest, you circled your thumb around his nipple. A soft sigh left his lips – only to be followed by an equally soft groan when you pinched him gently. The sweetness of his noises alone was enough to melt your resentment.

“Look at me,” you commanded.

“Please, don’t be cruel.”

“Look at me, Belphegor,” you repeated.

He obeyed. His eyes were damp and filled with need – some part of that was lust, and another was a desire for your mercy in whatever form that came. Truthfully, he wanted your love and affection more than he wanted an end to this mixture of pain and pleasure that you inflicted upon him. Belphegor would suffer for your love. You knew that.

You leaned forward and captured Belphegor’s lips. Like your reactive puppet, he was careful to move his arms when you leaned in to avoid putting any pressure on your throat. He couldn’t resist kissing you back. Moans escaped his lips between ravenous kisses. Even though you were focused on exacting your revenge, you weren’t immune to the friction you were feeling from rubbing on Belphie or how he was leaving you breathless without even applying pressure to your neck. You moaned before pulling away from him.

Heated panting filled the room. Belphegor was crying again – desperate and guilt-ridden – even as he bucked his hips to meet yours. Between his ragged breathing, he whined, “please. I’m so close.”

You continued grinding on him. Using your hand to guide his, you added pressure to your neck. The frantic look in those amethyst eyes was worth it. Belphegor wanted to fight the pleasure building up in him when he looked at his hands around your throat, but he couldn’t. His mouth parted and he moaned. His pants were soiled with cum.

You allowed his hands to drop from your throat. Belphegor’s head fell against your shoulder, staining your shirt with tears. Muffled sobbing resounded in the room. His guilt seemed to roar in your ear.

“My sweet boy,” you hummed. You wrapped your arms around him and held him while he settled himself.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Belphegor spoke just above a whisper, still getting tears out of his system.

“I know. I could only do something like that because I knew I would be safe with you. I was in control, and I knew you’d obey me if I felt scared. But I was also still hurt that you never want to talk about it. I died and everyone just dusts it under the rug – don’t I deserve some kind of revenge?” You chuckled.

“I’m really sorry we don’t talk about it.”

“It’s not something I want to talk about very often. I just hate pretending like nothing happened. I get why it happened and why you all want to just forget about it, but it makes me so mad that it feels like my skin is boiling sometimes. It took a lot out of me to forgive that.”

“This feels so weird because you just made me cum in my pants while I was crying, but are we okay? I want us to be okay.”

“Yeah. I think we’re okay.” You rested your forehead against his and smiled at him sheepishly.

“Good.” Belphie pecked your lips and smiled. “Is it too early to make requests?”

“Not at all. What do you need from me?”

“Can you help me take a shower? I’m exhausted, but I really don’t want to sleep in these pants. Please~?”

“Of course. We’ll use your favorite soap – and by that, I mean mine.”

“I like smelling like you.” Belphie nuzzled into your neck.

“And Bel?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you okay sleeping with me tonight? In my room? Today was intense, and I don’t want to leave you alone, and I don’t think either of us should be here tonight.”

“Because I suddenly don’t want to spend time with you after you made me cum in my pants,” he said sarcastically, rolling his still-damp eyes. He kissed you again. “Of course I want to sleep with you. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Babybel, my little soft cheese snack.”

“Can I take it back?”

“Nope. Too late.” You got off Belphie and stood at the foot of the bed. “Now come on so we can get the cum off.”

“You’re so cheesy – wait, no.”

“Very punny. Gouda job.”

He groaned through a smile and allowed you pull him out of bed. Before you could touch the doorknob, he stopped you. “Wait, MC. It wasn’t just me going through that back there, so you’ll let me know if you need anything, right? Are you hungry or thirsty? Should I help you get off?”

“It’s okay, Belphie. Thank you, but I just needed to get that out of my system. I’m still processing. Could you check on me again tomorrow?”

Belphegor grabbed your face gently and kissed you sweetly. When you parted, he smiled and told you, “I would check on you every day if you asked me to.”

A/N: Sorry. I'm still pretty sick, but it's done. I don't know how I feel about this, yet, but it was something my evil brain wanted to write, so I hope at least a few people will like it. Might be a little late with May's poll story as well. Forgive me.

[pixxyofice]

hey main tumblr. I've been normal. (Has not been)

Making ocs for the main party is super fun, especially if you like thinking a lot about the dynamics of it. Which I have! A lot!

This is Melodie! They/Them, maybe also drae/draer if I want to be obvious about them. Paper type.

Loop doesn't know who they are...

The funniest backstory ever I have for them is like. In the Hypothetical Reason They Are A Party Member is that in the pre-game canon game, like if it was normal, is that Melodie would be an EXTREMELY missable party member. If you don't talk to a random NPC early in the game they don't pop up later to be talked to and then recruited by Siffrin. In their first appearance in the game they haven't shaved that side of their hair yet.

Their backstory goes like this. They're from the country. you know the one. it's the reason i tagged this as spoilers. They were out of the country for a brief trip in Ka Bue, probably either a study program or to help out with something else. Undecided. On the day they were to return, something... happened to the boats, and they ended up on the continent Vaugarde was in.

A very young teenager, at most, spending time wandering alone. don't think too much about it! haha! this results in them being a lil' awkward, flip flopping between too quiet and too loud in a way that causes them to move on too quick. And then they are 23 (they think), and someone with white hair and an accent kinda like their own approaches them, and... they're with some people they've seen before, they think, the saviors?

and Melodie get introduced. and they want to travel with them more. and they open up. Melodie's still quiet at times, but it's so much easier to open up when people are encouraging and don't hound you for forgetting things that are supposed to be simple. Not in a mean way, anyway.

So by the game's start, they're... a little loud, but in a nice way. Creative. A lil' rambly (a bit much, but always nice to listen to, even if the points go in a bit of circles).

Oh, and, of course, i've thought about THE PARTY DYNAMICS.

Melodie and Mirabelle would be light novel fans together. They make silly poses together to make their lives better and to pose out what the characters are described doing. they laugh about it. They would get into discourse about their favorite characters.

I did mention Melodie was creative, right? Melodie writes some stuff in their spare time, and as one third of the book club, Melodie sometimes is like 'i could use this in my book' and when they say it out loud without meaning to once, Odile takes interest, and now Melodie and Odile have life experiences talk that Melodie can take to adjust things in their lil projects! and also Odile can be the contstructive criticism person.

One thing that helps Melodie out of their shell is that Bonnie is there. to vaguely remind Melodie of some people they can't remember. and be annoying with. And when everyone laughs about it, Melodie does it a lil more!! and bonnie actually does appreciate it! just... not all the way. (reminds them of their sister, too.)

... and...

hi guys i have normal thoughts about these three in particular. many thoughts that get crushed into paste whenever i even try to describe them. Um. I can try though.

Siffrin and Melodie are like. We're similar, but different in ways that makes us seek the other out for company. Our white hair, the way we form words, the small ways we mumble. Melodie breaks out of their shell with a shout, shaking and smiling, while siffrin slides out so slowly. They sit together, and they chat about things they know the others won't get. They remind each other of things forgotten if they remember but the other forgets. they love puns. Siffrin mastered making them, Melodie mastered understanding them and laughing along!! and, of course, the slowly approaching crush that both of them have been festering but have been COMPLETELY ignoring.

Melodie and Isabeau are shopping buddies. Melodie, as a way to get out of their shell, has been getting slightly interested in fashion, and Isabeau is so, SO eager to help out! Along the way this turned into 'get them some new experiences' and 'we make each other better we think about each other all the time we'll encourage each other until our dying breaths.' Melodie started getting used to touch due to Isabeau touching them casually and shouting at him to keep their hand there, and that spreading to the others. Isabeau calls Melodie Mel, and it... hasn't quite spread to the others yet. (Melodie wonders why.) Isabeau admires Melodie for the way they subtly change and Melodie admires Isabeau for the way he has Changed and... of course... the crush they have on him. which is 100% totally unrequited, because he likes Siffrin, and they just HAD to get a crush on someone who already liked someone else!

melodie knows odile is the one isabeau goes to for his own crush. so like, why not follow suit, right? it's not like isabeau likes them back, so it's totally fair. Odile would understand. (odile is the Sufferer)

the most hilarious and fucked up dynamic of three people all in love with each other of all time, i think. (siffrin unaware of both crushes, melodie only aware of the isabeau one, and isabeau aware of both. melodie is also aware of isabeau's crush on siffrin. help them)

I have more I want to say, but... um... getting embarrassed so this is all for now!! um! yay!!! posts this in the tags and flees

[yunarim]

Heyyy hey! I got a strange idea so... I saw you mentioned you're interested in kpop, so I thought if you can write a fic w paper kissing game idols used to play like 4-5 years ago?? lol in case you don't know they're grabbing a piece of paper w their mouths and trying to pass it to one another using their mouth only... i hope i make sense :D how about writing it w your faves?

（✿ᴗ ᴗ）마지막 인사 To My First ❤︎ summary : paper kiss game! (where the paper drops) ❤︎ tags : gn reader, fluff, vdc/sdc mentions (thus book 5 spoilers) ❤︎ chatacters : vil, azul, idia, malleus ❤︎ author's note : in case you have no idea what the paper passing game is about, see this one video with seventeen! also see the end of the post for more ^^

Ah, seriously. What was the point in sitting here when the winner was already announced. You were more than enraged, blood almost boiling in your vessels at how unfair all this was. Seriously, a little childish song, even though it was cute and adorable and all that sweet fluffy rainbow-unicorned stuff — now that, that was considered as something worthy of first place? Ha!

In any case, you watched the out-of-competition part of the event going smoothly, you didn't even blink while Ace and Deuce were hissing like two cats who didn’t get their milk and were giving death stares at the jury section, as if trying to scratch them by their glares. 

It was okay. It was a literal shame, and even if you hadn’t taken part in the competition, you know just how painful it is when your best efforts aren’t paying off. And while you were lamenting over the second place, that awfully catchy song still going on repeat in your mind, you realized that members of the Light Music Club actually made their way to the stage.

“Hey guys! Before we start our performance, let us demonstrate to you a little game we’ve discovered not so long ago!”

You furrowed your brows, blurry memories suddenly popping up in your mind. You recall Cater asking what kind of games were popular in your world and now this… 

“Let us introduce to you a Paper Kiss Game~” Lilia winked, piquing the audience's interest and giving you a stare only you could understand. 

You were seated at Vil’s left and you felt how he bend down to you, leaning closer to your ear and asking whether took you a hand in the matter or not, but you just only tried to reassure him with a wry smile, realizing that now you may actual have your stage debut out of nowhere.

“Participants will be chosen randomly!~ Please log in into the VDC app and click on…”

As Kalim was explaining what to do, you already sighed, realizing your defeat. No way you are not going to take part in their antics when you were the one who told them about this game. As expected, the status in your app was saying you’re the participant. 

“Alright, our dear participants, please come to the stage~” 

You gave Cater a warning glare, but he just laughed it off. There were not so many people, and mentally you were thanking all the Great Sevens at once for standing near familiar people. It would be extremely embarrassing to pass a piece of paper to Neige… Not only embarrassing, maybe you wouldn’t restrain your anger and put his shitty piece of paper to—

Ahem.

“Okay guys, remember if you drop the paper, you should start over from the very first person in a row! Then… let’s start!”

─ ⊹ VIL SCHOENHEIT ♡₊

How smart of Cater was it to make you the person from whom the game starts. 

You had two things in your mind at the very moment: first — to damn never let the paper drop so you won’t ruin Vil’s reputation and at least a pretty decent trustworthy attitude you managed to build somehow, and the second — to do it as quickly as possible.

Vil, stunning as always, shining brighter than any sun, both your world’s and twisted wonderland’s one, was wearing his insanely high heels, so after grabbing a red piece of paper you tugged on his sleeve, making him bend over to you. You opened your mouth just enough for it to successfully grab the paper, and basically plastered it to your lips. 

Vil seemed absolutely unfazed by your not so beautiful behavior and picked up the paper from your lips in an elegant way, then passed it over to the next person, demonstrating the flawless and gorgeous demeanor he always had. You showed him thumbs up, appreciating his work. Maybe they train actors and models to do anything spectacularly well in any situation? 

Suddenly you saw Neige stuttering and stumbling, so you facepalmed at his clumsiness, eagerly grabbing the next piece of the paper from Lilia who stood beside you, seeming especially amused at your reaction.

You thought it would be okay this time too, at least you knew Vil’s gonna save you if anything, but somehow you haven’t considered he was too… swayed by something.

The way your eyes were glimmering with an unfeigned joy got him startled for a mere second. You were clearly having fun, enjoying a peaceful time after so many things happened. Those were the moments you were absolutely beautiful.

He pressed his lips to yours, thinking he caught the paper, but somehow it wasn’t so rough and scratchy as it was during his first attempt. He glared at you, noticing how your cheeks were slowly dusting with a scarlet hue, and you quickly pulled back, avoiding meeting his glance.

“Oh my!~ What a predicament~” 

You thought you heard Lilia encouraging the audience to give their best reactions, people definitely were crying and swearing at you for kissing THE Vil Schoenheit, and it seemed the others were demanding you to continue, but at the very moment it was only you and Vil enjoying your little moment.

“Potato,” you finally looked up at him. “Let’s continue.”

“A-ah, yes!”

You remember almost nothing after winning the game, if there even was a winner at all. You made your way to the backstage, trying to calm down your extremely fastly beating heart, but was startled when someone also came in.

“Potato, I thought you learned something from the lessons I gave another potatoes during our rehearsals. Don’t be embarrassed of yourself. And also…”

He leaned to you, gently caressing your cheek.

“When I suggested we continue I didn’t mean the game.”

─ ⊹ AZUL ASHENGROTTO ♡₊

That was absolutely awful. Not only you had to grab a paper from Vil, you had also pass it over to Azul. 

As for Vil, everything was quite okay. He was an actor, he played in kissing scenes before, it’s like breathing to him, this kind of entertainment was his second skin. The only problem remained was you and Azul right there.

You quickly turned to your ashen-haired friend, slightly tilting your head and apologizing beforehand. 

Little did you know that Azul was going crazy at the spot, a kaleidoscope of different emotions scrolled through him, making it almost unbearable to just stand straight. He was sure the twins were filming him, he noticed Floyd making some sort of a fancam of him (you taught the octatrio this word). 

Vil turned to you, bending over and passing you the paper successfully, so you grabbed Azul’s hand, pulling him closer. His glasses slipped off the bridge of his nose at the sudden movement. He was too preoccupied with trying to actually see how you are holding the paper with your mouth, his vision all blurry and vague, so he realized he lost his concentration. 

Was there any in the first place? He was actually swayed by your assertiveness. Being lovestruck to the point of mistaking your confusion and embarrassment for happiness, glimmering in the corners of your eyes — he was so hopeless. Hopelessly in love with you. 

So he completely forgot he had a game to complete. Well, at least to attempt winning. 

You mumbled something incoherently due to the paper you were still holding with your lips, at least for you it sounded like a perfect interpretation of his name under the conditions you were trapped in, and well, you did sound menacing for a reason. 

Azul finally came to his senses (at least he thought he did) and grabbed your hand in response, leaning closer and deciding to pull off all the luck he got. He couldn’t mistake the paper texture and your lips. Even if he couldn’t see a damn thing, he still had heightened senses. 

Well, extraordinarily heightened senses, it seemed. 

You felt how the paper slipped away, as well as Azul’s glasses falling off completely and landing on the tip of your nose with a dull thud. You muttered through his lips and pulled away quickly. This was absolutely embarrassing and you were sure Azul was going to make you pay off for causing such an unprofitable situation and—

Ah, yeah, you still had a game to restart. 

You saw Vil sighing at you two and grabbing another piece of paper from Lilia’s hands. Even though your cheeks were still hot after the accident kiss, Vil wouldn’t fancy the idea of restarting the game three times in a row, so he somehow made you catch the paper successfully and demanded to do better this time. Now you gently pulled Azul closer, tilting your head, while he made sure his glasses were on their right place, and nearly kissed him, finally passing the paper. You were even astonished at how easily Azul managed after you, not even looking at Idia who was next. 

Meanwhile Floyd somewhere in the crowd was having his fanboy moment and claiming this fancam of Azul will go viral, a total banger. 

─ ⊹ IDIA SHROUD ♡₊

THIS IS THE DISASTER. 

He freaked out instantly on the spot when he got a notification he was that lucky he got included as a participant. He wasn’t even intending on watching the show in person, he was an Ignihyde dorm leader for a good damn reason, why have 4K displays if not using them at all? 

Ortho. 

Of course it’s always his cheerful, proactive brother. Ortho said it would be nice to see his classmates’ performance, and also the whole world is simping for Neige LeBlanche, maybe he could do a collab with Gakemo someday, it was definitely worth witnessing in person!!

He didn’t care about Neige or anything at all, he just wanted to make sure everything was going okay with the techs and displays, his flesh and blood in his comfy room drown in darkness. 

And somehow here he was, standing on the stage next to the extremely popular and illegally charming Ramshackle prefect by his right and the almighty Malleus Draconia at his left. 

It was a nightmare. The worst of them, apparently, as he trembled just by standing near the Prefect. He was surrounded by the two people everyone always spoke of. He, a proud introvert, geek and a shut-in, being sandwiched between the Prefect he kinda had a crush on and Malleus Draconia he was avoiding as a plague. 

You, on the other hand, knew damn well how anxious Idia must be. Not to be greedy about winning the game quickly, but you genuinely cared for Idia, so while Vil was trying to pass the paper to Azul, you pulled up on your toes and reached for Idia’s ear. 

“Just imagine me as anything you’re comfortable with. I hope that would suffice..”

Idia wanted to ramble to you how ridiculous you were sounding, but Azul grabbed your hand, passing you the paper, so you were already preoccupied with another task. 

Okay. Really, alright, he was imagining a cork board instead of you, trying to mentally replace your lips with pins, sticking down the paper notes to the board. Huh, like hell this would work!!

You throw a thumbs-up at him before grabbing his hands and making him bend down to you. To give you the credit, you really did manage to pass the paper over to him, but just for a moment you thought you heard a crackling sound somewhere near you. 

Indeed, when Idia pulled away from you, you saw him… biting the paper through. You didn’t even know whether it was you, completely at the loss of words, or Idia, silently hissing and cursing, who actually lost, but in any case both of you heard Kalim claiming it was cheating. 

NO, PLEASE NOT AGAIN, Idia begged for someone, but here you were, passing over another piece of paper to him. His flickering hair went from a little pinkish hues to more reddish ones, getting far brighter. 

Now it was the wind that took the paper away from your lips. The third time it was you who stumbled on the previous two papers, an unexpected pile of them forming under your feet. The fourth time Idia was going to leave, his hair flaming with an amaranth red, almost spreading a fire hazard all over the place. 

The fifth time though you’ve had enough. 

“Shit, if I’m destined to kiss you right now, then so be it,” Idia watched you in pure horror, glaring at the exit of the stage and thinking when he should start running. “Idia!”

“H-huh!?” he startled, glancing at you quickly and averting his gaze almost instantly after. 

“Can I kiss you!?”

“Y-yes?? WHAT??”

Idia remembered being drugged to his dorm by Ortho and losing the game for the first time in his life. 

But hey, was it a loss though? 

─ ⊹ MALLEUS DRACONIA ♡₊

What the name of the game was again?..

Malleus just stared at you standing at his right, having that little LeBlanche boy whose team won the VDC at his left. Yes, such an unfortunate situation… Maybe Schoenheit should have let you participate. Malleus knew best how pleasant your voice sounds when you’re humming something to yourself only, while cleaning up the garden. Or how nimble and brisk you can be whenever Lilia pops up in front of you, hanging upside down, and you dodge him flawlessly. 

In any case, he was so preoccupied with the thoughts of you he actually skipped the part where he wanted to observe others in order to get the main idea of this game. 

Somehow you weren't nervous about passing the paper over to Malleus. Even if the game was ridiculous, you were enjoying the thought of having Malleus on stage. All eyes on him, and he was so gorgeous and lovely!! 

You knew it was surprising for many people to see the legendary Malleus Draconia in all his glory and magnificence. Even more surprising to see him participating in this game like an ordinary college student. 

When Malleus made his way to the stage, he thought that playing a little games accustomed to human beings would show his other, more gentle side. 

The key word, he only thought. There was no point in taking a guess how this game would end if you weren't the one standing beside him, your absolutely pristine presence calming him down and filling his heart with an indescribable heartwarming feeling. The way you flashed a reassuring smile at him before the game started made him return this smile, causing you to blush. 

And yet something pricked his chest when he saw you touching Idia, almost being really intimate (if grabbing his hands and yelling you two need to finish this quickly and stay thankful you two aren’t passing the paper over to Neige considered as intimacy?..). Were you just kissing at this point? Right in front of him, after all the obviously romantically-linked words you've said?

No, no. You wouldn’t betray his trust and he knows that truly. Then… maybe that was some kind of a strange encouragement between humans, so they feel energized enough to complete the game after? Yes, it seemed this way. He wanted Lilia to explain the rules again better, since he shamelessly skipped the first one time, being busy staring at your cheerful smile. 

Suddenly you turned to him with a paper covering your mouth and tugged on his sleeve, trying to point out that he needs to lean towards you. Why was a piece of paper covering your mouth again?.. Maybe that was some sort of a ritual, like washing hands before eating or something?.. Why would he kiss you with that when it’s so inconvenient?

He gently took off the paper with his gloved fingers, causing everyone to gasp and you to give him an uncomprehending look. Somehow Lilia wasn’t so quick to restart the game and pass the new piece of paper to Vil, who was standing as the first one in a row. 

“Tsunotarou?” You asked, tilting your head, the mention of his nickname causing him to smile at you. 

“I shall grant you with my blessing of encouragement, child of man. Please do well during the game.”

His gloved fingers gently traced to your cheeks, and you jumped at the sudden affection, but remained still, wondering what he would do next. He leaned in, pressing a rather deep kiss on your lips and pulling back after smiling through the kiss. 

“A-ahem, T-tsunotarou, you see…” you stuttered, clenching his clothes in your hands just to stay steady. “That paper… you needed to pass it over to the next student with your mouth without letting it drop.”

“Oh,” he placed a finger on his own lips, seeming rather perplexed at your words. “I assume my blessing isn’t to your liking then?”

“I absolutely loved that!!” You answered almost instantly, not caring about people's jaws dropping. “Good job, I totally feel like winning now!”

And you actually did win. The heart of your little dragon in the first place, of course. 

♡ tag list : @isacoremeow

❤︎ author's note : the caption is the name of the nct dream song ~ omg anon i know this game very well :D thx for requesting i had fun writing it! even tho i had a fever when i was working i believe it turned out good, hope you had fun as well ~ due to the mentioned fever i had no energy left for writing leona's part sry ;; (and maybe revealing my new fave... but i will someday ig)

© yushiiae 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝. 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲, 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐲, 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧.

[aspiringtrashpanda]

And thus, the tenuous friendship began... Find the prompt list HERE.

── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ──

DAY 23 Prompt: Thirteen Additional tags: Backstory, first meeting, SPOILERS FOR NB 11-10 1.7k

Candy didn’t always take her on the harvest. Typically, she left without a word, a hastily scrawled note nailed to Thirteen’s bedroom door and little left in the pantry. That was Thirteen’s routine lately: wait until Candy leaves, then scavenge the forest surrounding their cave. If she was feeling particularly bold, she’d open a portal with her inherent abilities and dip into the Devildom. The merchants there were the worst at supervising their wares. She thought it would be human world vendors, but no. Perhaps it was a pride thing with the demons, convinced that nothing could sneak past their clever eyes. 

Well, she had proved them wrong time and time again, and they still hadn’t thought to increase their security. On the rare occasion that they did catch her, tiny hand pawing at an acid apple, she simply turned on the starving child act. Big eyes and some tears were fruitful more often than not. She’d take a nice, fresh apple over whatever Candy had left fermenting in the cupboards any day.

However, tonight was different. 

“Hey,” Candy poked her head into Thirteen’s room, a resigned desperation in her voice. “I know you’re not an apprentice yet, but I could use some help.” 

Thirteen looked up from the wooden dice she had been rolling across the floor, a made up game tallying numbers in her head. Her sister looked like, well, shit (not that Thirteen was supposed to understand that word at her young age of 500), with heavy bags bruising the mischief in her golden eyes, and skin pale and lifeless. 

“It’s a mess up there,” Candy sighed, and Thirteen never understood why she referred to the human world as above the Other World when they really existed in some entirely different plane of space-time. “Famine, and a plague. Not to mention the wars in the east. We’re drowning out there.”

And though her sister’s words should have spooked Thirteen, she instead lit up like an ember catching on a discarded scroll. She could barely contain her excitement as she leapt to her feet, cheering, “You’ll let me harvest!”

“Er, no,” Candy corrected, “You’re to catalog the souls in the area while I harvest the ones on my very–”

With a twitch of her wrist, she let the scroll in her hand tumble to the ground, unfurling all the way to where Thirteen sat beside her bed. It was still coiled at the end when it nudged against her foot. Candy grimaced, “Very long list.”

That’s how Thirteen found herself, skipping throughout the dreary alleyways of the human world with a quill and roll of parchment. Guided by the light of the moon, playing hide and seek in the cloud cover, she jumped from stone to stone, flitting between side streets and main walkways. Everytime she would pass a soul–whether murky or bright or translucent or entirely opaque–she’d categorize it with enchanted ink upon her scroll. She didn’t quite understand what all the numbers and letters meant, but she knew that Candy had a system, and the last thing Thirteen wanted to do was mess it up. 

It was a little tricky to catch every glint of a soul, her large black hood hanging a touch too low on her head. Candy was insistent that Thirteen hide her brilliant pink hair from the lamenting townspeople, lest they think she was something inhuman. Funny how being something inhuman would prompt such a thought! Still, as much as she longed to throw off her hood, to revel in the cool breeze of midnight in the alleys of a foreign world, she knew Candy would be upset. Thirteen had learned to pick her battles.

That wasn’t to say that Thirteen was going to play nice about the whole ordeal. No, she was going to pout the whole time she maneuvered through the sickly town. At least, whenever she remembered that she was supposed to be annoyed by her hood and firmly replaced her curious smile with a pursed frown. 

Her steps halted when the moon passed behind a particularly large cloud. The muted light, coupled with the stifling hood, dulled her sight, stoked caution in her bones. Thirteen had heard Candy and Barbatos discussing the phenomenon that allowed other senses to thrive when one was weakened, but she had never experienced it herself.

Until now, apparently, for she felt a prickling sensation on her hands, the only part of her body not cloaked in black fabric. 

Spinning on her heel, she lifted her chin to peer at the windows of the buildings lining the alley. Hm, nothing. She could have sworn she thought someone was watching her. When she dropped her head, eyes back to the cobblestone under the inconvenient hood dipping into her vision, she realized she had assumed correctly.

A young boy peered up at her from a semi-basement window, curious eyes shadowed by a decorative lattice. The moment Thirteen met his gaze, he stiffened, a shrill shriek tumbling from his lips as he staggered backwards into the comfort of the room.

Panic panged in her chest, and she threw her palms up in a gesture of surrender, dropping her parchment and quill. She wasn’t sure why–perhaps the fear of being caught and Candy facing repercussions, or perhaps the tiny seed of excitement at running into another kid–but she insisted, “I’m not your enemy!” 

The moment she spoke, the moment the child returned to the latticed window, the moon split the clouds, silver light spilling into the alley and scattering the shadows. 

Thirteen gasped, for the stars weren’t the only thing that sparkled.

The young boy’s soul glowed like the purest diamond, a fresh spring of water dappled by sunlight. Glittering like a frosty veil over his fingers as they curled around the bars of the window, his essence rendered him a polished glass statue to Thirteen’s keen eyes. 

“Oh,” She gasped. “Your soul! It’s so pretty!”

He squinted up at where she had fallen into a squat, where she eyed him like he was made of the finest jewels. Fear wavered his voice as he asked, “Who are you?”

So, plopping herself down on the dirty stone ground, she answered as she had rehearsed many times alone in her room, “I’m Thirteen! I’m turning 501 in two moon cycles. How old are you? You look around my age.”

“I’m 8.” The boy looked skeptical, “No one lives that long, silly.”

“Reapers do!” She waved him off, leaning forward with a sugary grin, “Can I have your soul?”

He shuddered, pulling away from the window just as she shuffled closer. “No.”

Pointing into the shadows just over his shoulder, she prodded, “Can I have that toy horse, then?” 

“No.”

“Well, you’re no fun.” 

His grip on the bars loosened, and a desperate loneliness bubbled in her gut. No! Don’t go! Thinking quickly, Thirteen pulled her trio of wooden dice from the pocket of the reaper robes her sister had found in a closet. “What if I trade you my dice?”

The young boy successfully halted his retreat, that same curious spark in his eyes that she had seen gleaming through the dark alley. “What do you do with those?”

She shrugged. “I’m not really sure. Count them? See, I toss them like this…” 

The cubes tumbled towards the lattice, tilting on their edges until the clattered comfortably on a chosen face. He raised an eyebrow, lowering his face to the ground and watching the dice at eye level. 

“And then try to beat my number with the next roll,” Thirteen explained, puffing out her chest with pride. She was so clever and so creative!

“That’s cool.” Already reaching through the gate of the window, the boy hesitated with his palm over the nearest die. “Can I try?”

“No, you won’t give me your horse.” She really considered swiping the little dice away from his reach, but something in her chest told her to wait.

With a thoughtful hum, the boy glanced over his shoulder. When he turned his eyes back to the reaper, they shone with resolve. “If you roll more than me, you can have my horse.”

“Okay!” Thirteen agreed as the boy wedged the toy horse through the bars, allowing both toys to sit on the cobblestone floor of the moonlit alley. With an unnecessarily strong thrust of her wrist, the dice spilled in front of the boy, both of them trying to count faster than the other. The boy was quite the fast counter for someone who had never played with dice, but Thirteen managed to triumph. Happy with her result, she crowed, “14! Take that!”

“Hm.” When the boy took the three dice, his hand shook, and not in the intentional manner that one would expect from tossing dice. Regardless of the inconvenient angle, he managed to roll the wooden cubes towards Thirteen’s feet. 

She clicked her tongue, already reaching for the toy horse with a triumphant, “Oh, too bad. Looks like a 12! That means I get to take this and–”

“Hold on, check the horse’s tail.”

She paused, fingers just barely brushing the carved horse’s spine. Narrowing her eyes in contemplation, she considered just grabbing the toy and booking it back the way she came. She’d never see this kid again, anyway. 

Another squirm in her gut had her complying. Despite her better judgment, she tugged on the frayed rope tail. A compartment opened in the rear of the horse, a fourth wooden die tumbling onto the ground.

The boy beamed, “Looks like I rolled 17!” 

“H-ha?!” Blinking, Thirteen examined the horse, realizing it to be a toy designed to hide something of value. Had he added the die when he had turned to fetch the gambled prize? Shock flared in her chest, warming the blood in her veins. Petulant, she protested, “That’s not fair!”

It was then that Thirteen heard Candy’s voice, calling out that fake name they had agreed upon when they had left their cave. It was time to go, and quick, before her sister saw her conversing with a human. 

As she stood, nearly face-planting due to the tangle of black robes at her feet, she forgot to collect the dice, forgot to retrieve her scroll and quill, forgot to return the empty horse to the young boy. No, in a flurry of movement, she fled from the alley, the toy hanging from the rope tail clutched in her fist. 

“Is anything?” The young boy asked the moon, the four wooden dice clattering onto the shelf next to his bed.

── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ──

OBEY ME! MONTH MASTERLIST

[mooonjin]

HELLO MOON ITS JIABEE

can i ask for a tech x reader (gn, fem, idc) after he gets his leg injured? like hurt/comfort fluffy shit?

thank you, ily!

(you remind me of my friend ella, she's a major simp except her energy is directed towards bts and kdrama actors 😂)

Tech-nically, You're Not Fine

Notes: EEEE HEY JIABAE! i hope you like this and dont mind me puting in some hormons at parts,, also i LOVE bts too, shoutout to ella hehee much luv!!

Pairing: Tech x gn!reader

Summary: Tech's injury on Serenno left you in a fit of worry. As much as you wanted to change the outcome of the incident, the past already happened. He was here with you, in the present, injured and in need of somebody to take care of him.

Warnings/Tags: mentions of bruises, mentions of tending to injuries, sprinkles of hurt, teeny bit suggestive, teeny ss2 spoilers, fluff — tell me if I've missed anything!

You were upset, you were furious, you were every emotion that wasn't anything 'happy.' That mission was stupid and reckless and they shouldn't have gone whether they would've been rich or not.

Are you kidding me? Castle Serenno? The former home of Count Dooku? Was that really the price of freedom? Almost getting yourselves killed for money? All the money in the world wouldn't matter if they died!

Is what you wanted to say as you were carefully setting up some bandaging for Tech's fractured femur, who, insisted it be called his fractured left femur. On a separate wheely table, you had all of the bacta bandages and several other tools that Tech provided you with.

You weren't sure if he wanted you to do it because he didn't trust himself enough or if he just wanted you. You'd like to think it was the second option considering he was definitely intelligent enough to patch himself.

"Why would you agree to go on that mission, Tech? I know you, Wrecker and possibly Echo agreed but you? Agreeing to this? That's outrageous!" it was a more toned down version of what you initially wanted to confront Tech with but you didn't want to scare him off like that whilst he was injured.

"Outrageous is the correct term I would use but as soldiers of war, paying a price for freedom is certainly worth the effort," he bargained, maintaining a stern tone of voice, being careful not to directly yell at you.

He remembered what Romar told him, that there is life outside of war so his ambition to retrieve the war chest upped. Tech was definitely dispirited when his femur was crushed and the war chest was the last of their priorities.

You grumbled, your face feeling hot from the anger you've tried to contain. Lashing out at an injured man was inappropriate, "Y'didn't even gain anything from the mission besides an injury—which could've been life threatening!"

"Fortunately, it was not. My left femur was crushed so it is only my lower half would have been threatened. If I was situated four meters lower then yes, I would also be inclined to agree with the term 'life-threatening', otherwise, I am fine." Tech was too exhausted to continue speaking, hoping that was an enough of an answer for you.

He didn't speak anymore, wanting to discourage a potential argument.

You checked on him multiple times as you prepared the equipment, noticing how he always flickered his gaze to the cockpit and back to his datapad.

You audibly sighed, gaining his attention from time to time, lowering your voice so you weren't harshly talking to him.

"Tech, you know nothing bad will happen to your datapad and the cockpit, right? You're injured, can't even walk properly and need rest," you said, to avert his gaze — mainly to you.

He swallowed shyly after his actions had been brought up, "Once you're able to secure my fractured femur, I am more than capable to sustain my own mobility," you dropped your shoulders, sending Tech and not-so-approved stare.

Even if his statement was true, the constant movement wouldn't give his poor femur time to heal.

"That's not an excuse to throw away resting time," you mumbled, eyebrows furrowing, trying to suppress the dismay in your voice. You unbuckled his knee-piece to get his left leg bare so there wasn't any obstruction when applying the bandages.

Next was his long array of tools as well as his blaster holster that was held together like a belt. You reached around his hip to unclip it, letting the items fall limp.

"I can manage," was all he mumbled before letting you finish up with taking off his trinkets.

You were now face-to-face with Tech's bare denim-blacks and eye-level with his crot—

You coughed, gaining his attention again, "A-hem," to save him from unnecessary pain, you stopped, not progressing with his outfit.

Tech seemed to have reached over to his holopad as you were taking his belt off. You rolled your eyes, coughing again so he would actually look up from the screen. How are his eyes not sore?

"Yes?" his eyes peaking just over the screen. The unexpected eye contact sent you to a blushing fit after having to pry your eyes away from the... view.

Your mouth opened first but nothing came out immediately, your eyes darting quickly to look everywhere but directly into his gold chocolate orbs.

"I won't do it for you so I don't accidentally hurt you, but could you roll up your jeans?" you waved your hand around, shyly, averting your eyes to the oh so lovely floor of the Marauder.

"That wouldn't be smart. Compiling my wear on top of my fractured femur is most likely to cause pressure," when Tech speaks to you, you could listen to him continue for hours on end.

Your eyes made their way back to his eyes before they widened slightly. He was already looking straight at you, unaware of what he's doing.

Although, it didn't really answer your question, "So?"

"I suggest I rid of the jeans so it is easier for you to mend," he discarded his datapad, letting it rest against the panel of buttons.

"Do you need to stand up?" you shoved back every stutter from escaping your throat.

"I do."

You quickly stood up, scooping him gently as he put pressure on his right leg for support. For his privacy, you looked away as fast as you could before you could see him clip off his crotch piece and dip his gloved fingers into the hem of his jeans. He slowly pulled them far enough down his thighs.

"How uh, far do you need them down?" you practically crushed your eyes as you shut them, overthinking the intention of your question. Fortunately, Tech took it like every other question he'd been asked.

"Only beneath my thighs, you may put me back down and remove the rest."

You tensed at his words.

"You want me to—uh, remove them?" you carefully helped him back down into the chair, the tops of his thighs exposed and the slightest view of his exposed boxers.

He didn't answer your question immediately, taking the time to clip his crotch piece back. You were internally disappointed at the loss but you were snapped out of your thoughts when you heard Tech speak again.

"Considering my state, leaning parallel to my legs would not do my femur justice. You have the mobility effective enough to remove them without further injuring me."

Any response died at the back of your throat. He's right. Always is so, you didn't object. Tech watched you delicately take the jeans off his legs and once you passed the area of his fractured femur, he picked up his neglected datapad and tapped away.

Your angry thoughts about the Batch attending the war chest mission, dissipated. You were quick to wander along his bare skin. He was muscly and toned, slightly upset that he would be hiding all of this under his outfit.

With a quick, mental slap, you addressed the serious matter at hand.

The bruising around the skin was extreme, a cloud of purple and scattered layers of green-ish yellow taking up a large amount of the thigh. You admired Tech's level of toleration of the injury. 

Hoping you gave it enough time to soak, you reached over to the prepared bacta bandages.

Once they were ready, you gave Tech a heads-up, "Bandages are ready, it'll be cold," you carried the white fabric onto Tech's thigh, subconsciously lifting his knee up to wrap it around, forgetting to warn him about that too.

Tech hissed, gritting his teeth at the movement. You heard him, mumbling apologies after apologies, doing your best to get the wrapping secure and done with.

You slotted a tan fabric layer to keep the bandages from coming loose under his thigh, bringing it up to clip it down. Once it was secure enough, you sighed, sitting back on your heels.

"I should've been there to help earlier," guilt slowly inched towards you. You stood up, pushing the table into a compartment. Your words caught the attention of Tech who shockingly put away his datapad for the time being.

"It was not your fault, it was only a matter of gravity and my unfortunate placement when the crate fell," he peaked around the corner, watching you bring out Crosshair's old rifle case.

"I know but could've at least like, pushed you out of the way or maybe be in your position inste—"

"No. It would not be wise to be in my position and the thought of you taking 150 kilograms similar to I is excruciating."

A small grin crept up to your face, analysing his sentence and repeating the fact he thinks about you.

You took out any remaining blaster ammo out of the rifle, double-checking that it was empty. You clicked off the sniping lens and propped it back into the case.

You chuckled, closing the case, "You think about me?" Tech's eyes blinked rapidly, processing your bold choices of words.

"Yes... well, if I was not, communication would be quite difficult." You chuckled again. There was some truth Tech's excuse, you suspected he added the last bit to cover for his answer.

The rifle in your hand was now safe enough to act as a crutch to support Tech, who was still jeanless.

You scooped Tech under his arms to help him stand up on his now supported leg. You made sure the rifle sat comfortable under his shoulder and his bandages sat on his thigh properly.

Now for his jeans.

This time, you weren't as nervous about the whole jeans ordeal. However, Tech was the opposite. Because his datapad was on the panels, the distance to reach it for himself was impossible, having to distract himself some other way.

You brought the jeans up below Tech's thighs, allowing him to put them up himself. Tech gulped, trying his hardest erase the image of you in such a compromising position.

"Sorry I wasn't there," you mumbled, placing him back down onto the chair.

"Like I said, it was not your fault and in the midst of a mission, it wouldn't be very efficient to mend me inside of a vertical war chest on the extremity of a cliff." Tech's way of comforting you was unique but it certainly helped ease you up.

"Now, you need to rest." Tech was now in arms length to reach over to his datapad, finally continuing whatever beep bop boops he was up to.

"Thanks to you, I am capable of considerable mobility. I am fine."

You rolled your eyes, snatching his holopad from his grasp. You waved your thumb over the shut off button as a passive way to threaten him if he doesn't get rest, "You are not."

"Technically, I am."

"Technically, you're not."

-

Post-Notes: hope ya liked it, i didnt edit much so im might come back to it to edit oops,, also i hope i wrote tech accuratly!

wanna be a part of my taglist?

~ ~ ~

@elsastoes @nekotaetae @jiabeewrites @lokigirlszendaya @imalovernotahater @backyard-bear @namesmox

[saurons-pr-department]

Hey anon, I have screen-shotted your ask because I am going to try stay out of tag/term searches here, which in an of itself probably answers your question XD

So! Thoughts as they occur to me!

I did give the whole first season a watch. Partly out of giving it a chance, partly out of morbid curiosity, like when you can't look away from something awful happening in front of you even when you really want to close your eyes.

What I think is interesting actually, is that my main issues with the show have somewhat changed since I initially watched it. While watching it my only thoughts were "wrong, wrong, that never happened, wrong, wrong, wrong, look how they massacred my boy (gn), wrong!" And while those thoughts themselves haven't changed my main issues have changed to focus more on how it's such a badly structured story (the timelines feel both stretched and compressed in a way that doesn't add anything to the stories being told) and how I don't think it knows yet what it wants to be (it's Tolkien, but it's its own thing, but it's a 'prequel' in the very modern franchise sense of the word to the PJ films, but it's also not those films).

For the structure, I personally wouldn't have put two major stories into one show. I don't think there's the time for that. Both the Akallabêth and the creation of the rings exist as very sketchy narratives that cover extremely long timeframes. Original content was always going to be needed to fill the gaps. But by putting both tales into the one show, I feel they've doubled the amount of gap filling needed while halving the amount of screentime they have for it because there's now twice the amount of canon to cover (tbf, they don't seem to want canon so maybe that's not an issue for them...). To force them to run simultanously and then add original content that isn't just filling the gaps but appears to be completely original, you end up with a story that is both too empty and too full. Nothing is getting the time it deserves. Big moments feel undeserved or rushed. It takes the wind out of its own sails. (and that's without mentioning that these stories running alongside eachother just throws timelines and motivations out of whack, but I refuse to get us all bogged down in the minutiae of my grumblings!)

It's a pity, the story of the fall of Númenor and the creation of the rings have such good parallels, but that would require them to focus on things like religion and politics etc and they seem to be more interested in mystery boxes, so... oh well?

In regards the show's identity crisis, to be fair to them, that's really not that unusual in first seasons. They're not special XD Let's face it, how often have we all been recommended something that came with the caveat 'you need to get through the first few episodes/first season before it gets good and finds its feet'? Especially fantasy and sci-fi that has to establish facts about the world as well as characters in a way a drama set in the real world doesn't. I wouldn't be shocked to learn that the show hits its stride a bit better in later seasons.

However, my current biggest gripe with the show is what I'm seeing in the writers' attitude to storytelling. I can't stand it. The actor for a certain someone whose name begins with H didn't know who his character really was until after shooting the first few episodes. There's the back and forth of is it H or the guy who fell from the sky who'll turn out to be the villain. Sky man even gets some stalkers whose only purpose was to add confusion to this situation and then be immediately killed, no further context. One of the writers (I don't remember who) when asked about deviations from canon said something to the effect of 'we don't want book fans to be episodes ahead'. It's the modern Marvel school of story-telling. It's mystery boxes and twists and fears of spoilers and people knowing what's coming next. That's not how you tell a story. You need more substance than that. Big moments are only interesting if you've earned them with a well crafted lead up. And what's the point of a big moment if it adds nothing to the story in the first place. They had one of fantasy's most iconic villains, why was there a secret? The Second Age is where he's cracking out his most rediculous long cons. The man's twirling his mustache while kicking up his feet and writing 'evil' into every date in his diary for at least a millenium, what does a secret identity add to this story really?

Don't worry, I will move swiftly on from the topic of my boy who is not really my boy before we get in too deep... No one needs to hear that... But do you get my point? Big reveal. No substance.

To add a note of positivity, I actually really like Sky man's music. It's genuinely a really nice piece of music. I also liked that they wanted to add one of the 'original' orcs, that's a cool concept!

Oh! And whoever okayed those American 'stage-Irish' accents needs to be fired into the sun :D

[ryuichirou]

Replies

We gave you a break from my art but not from my replies lol

Anonymous asked:

Will you draw more Scott Pilgrim content?

Not in the nearest future. Like I wrote in the post itself: we haven’t watched the show yet; and probably won’t for quite some time (I’m positive it’s not something we’d be able to recover from to jump back into twst). But Wallace’s anime design is adorable, so I really wanted to draw him with Todd. We’ll definitely watch it though, and then I might spam more art with them... or keep it to myself.

Anonymous asked:

Out of curiosity, do you have like a genderbend tag or something to see all your works with the twisted boys as girls together 👀

I do! It’s not strictly about twst, but it’s the only thing I post nowadays, so it probably doesn’t matter: #genderswap

I do have quite a lot of drawings of twst boys as girlies, but we haven’t posted much of them… I hope we will one day. 💪😔

Anonymous asked:

Do you think that Fem!Jamil would have less complaints than Regular!Jamil about those times where Kalim tries to dress her up? My guess is that she would simply see it as Fem!Kalim wanting to "play dolls" and wouldn't really think much past that. Annoying, yes, but nothing more than a childish whim. Also, if this requests involve crossdressing, I imagine that her male counterpart would make more of a fuss about it than her.

(we talked about fem!KaliJami in our reply yesterday)

At first yeah, probably. She’s definitely more comfortable with it than the regular Jamil, because it’s easier for her to rationalize it in a non-romantic/non-sexual way. It really is as if Kalim just treats her like a pretty doll, and it’s nothing unusual: they used to play like this a lot when they were little. But when she’ll realise that whenever she’s dressed in pretty silks (and sometimes quite revealing ones), Kalim looks at her in an amazed but also clearly enamoured way. The moment Jamil realised that Kalim probably desires her, she’ll start treating these little dress up games differently.

Anonymous asked:

Ortho got a new card for new years. So picture him with Vil in his new years. Same goes with Rook in his new year. You know what? Have the three of them together in new years?

Ortho’s been getting so many new cards recently! He deserves all of them. The best boy lol Really liked the new year’s one!

Vil’s New Years outfit was so good that my heart actually stops whenever I remember him, and I’m super excited that he could be paired up with either Rook or Ortho now. Or both~

Anonymous asked:

Hey Ryu and katsu, did you guys read the translation for the previous jp event 'Playful Land'? I haven't seen you guys talk about it or mention it, so i'm curious to hear your thoughts and opinions on this event.

personally, i enjoyed most of the event  This is basically falling into the Black Butler territory lol (But i heard rumours that Yana wasn't involved in this event and a few previous ones apparently?).

Also, what do you guys think of the two new characters? Fellow and Gidel. I swear Gidel looks almost identical to cheka :'DD

Anon!! Sorry that it took so long to reply. We haven’t seen this event yet, so we edited out some of the parts of your ask to keep it spoiler-free; I don’t know when we’re going to finally watch it, but we’ll keep your ask in the askbox so we could share our thoughts when it happens. It might take quite a long time though, so I’m sorry.

I’ll reply to the rest of the things you’ve mentioned.

I’m not sure about the rumors, but I think Yana mentioned in her twi that she and her team was involved in the writing + design work for the event? But she has to do a lot of things these days, so I can’t say for sure.

The Black Butler vibes are very strong though, the whole circus/carnival theme is like a classic Yana setting, especially when it gets dark and traumatic lol Very excited to learn more once we watch it.

Fellow and Gidel look great!! Really love their design, their sprites are also great, Fellow especially has great expressions, and I really really love sleazy characters in general. Gidel has a lot of Cheka vibes lol but Cheka is more of a >:3 kid, and Gidel is more of a =w=, also I trust Gidel much much less. But in a good way, because once again, sleazy characters = good.

Anonymous asked:

So I've seen this hand held octopus citrus wringer, let's just say it looks like something else, so I'd like you to imagine Azul shoving a tiny octopus up Idia's ass

You mean… this one? Wow, it really looks like something else…

Poor Idia and his poor butt. Come on, Azul, it’s not an orange!!

Anonymous asked:

Neige could be Cady, but in universe fans would probably say he's a good fit for Regina George bc of his beauty

Either way Janis cusses both of them out so Vil gets paid to insult Neige on-screen

Let’s be honest, his fans would be so scandalized by Cady-Neige turning into “the second Regina” during the course of the movie lol I don’t know why I keep picturing his fanbase as a 90% wholesome people but. Still, he would absolutely be celebrated for that role and for going outside of his unproblematic box.

But yeah, if Vil got to play Janis in this scenario he would probably enjoy his opportunity to vent lol

[ghouly-boiiiii]

A Light in the Dark 🕯️

Chapter 2: Olive Branch

Lucy x Cooper Howard / The Ghoul

In this chapter...

“A deal? Didn’t you just say to trust nobody ? How can I trust you to keep your end of the bargain?” 

“Sweetheart, I thought we already established that this relationship is built on the principle of an honest exchange.” He took off his right glove and held up his index finger. “Look familiar?”

She stared at him in horror. “...You… You didn’t…” 

The Ghoul grinned in amusement and wriggled the finger at her. “You wanna know something, Vaulty? You did something no one else ever has before… Somethin’ I never even thought of…” He lowered his hand and looked down at the finger - her finger - with an odd smile on his face. “You disarmed me… I can’t shoot without that finger ya’ bit off. Without it, I’m practically defenseless.” He looked back up at her. “So… of course I had to replace it with somethin ’.” 

Lucy shook her head in disgust and disbelief as he started to put his glove back on. 

“Now… seein’ as I don’t think neither of us wanna lose any more fingers… I say we better call a truce .” 

<<< Previous Chapter | Next Chapter >>>

Summary: As they begin their journey across the Wasteland, Lucy is very angry and fearful towards the Ghoul, but she wants answers. He, however, is harboring secret feelings for Lucy ever since she saved his life. Having not been with anyone since Barb, and believing she would never feel the same, the bounty hunter has to deal with these feelings on his own. Little does he know, Lucy finds herself having inexplicable feelings for him as well, and struggling to make sense of them.

Tags: Slow Burn, Romance, Angst, Enemies to Lovers, Casual Sex Lucy and No Wait Let Me Court You Cooper, Cooper is touch-starved and rusty in bed, He's also self-conscious about his body, Ghoul channels old romantic Cooper, Lucy is confused by strange surface dweller mating customs, She helps him discover his old self, He helps her discover her true self, Did I mention there would be angst

Rating: Mature - Word Count: 2,913

SPOILER WARNING: Contains all the spoilers. No trigger warnings except eventual sexy time with a zombie man and lots of angst.

After a short while, they found themselves in a small clearing on the hillside, overlooking where the forest meets the desert and somewhat hidden by thick bushes and trees. In the middle, there was the remainder of a fire pit from previous travelers, and even a few old chairs nearby.

The Ghoul stopped and scanned the area, then said, “We’ll camp here.”

Lucy looked around in dismay. “What…? But… but shouldn't we keep going? Time is of the essence, isn't it?” 

“Hey… you ever hear the story ‘bout the rabbit and the turtle?” He said as she started fixing up the fire pit.

“...You mean ‘ The Tortoise and the Hare’ ?” 

“Yeah. That's the one.” He flashed her a grin, seeming delighted she knew the correct name. “Slow and steady, Vaulty. It ain't gonna be much of a fight if you show up to find yo’ daddy all hungry and speed deprived.” After getting the pit usable again, he stood and turned to her. “Help me find some firewood, would ya?” 

“I thought you weren’t supposed to make fires after dark.” She said, remembering the late doctor's monologue the first time she’d met him.

“And why’s that?”

“...Because it attracts attention?” She said, shaking her head, confused as to why she had to explain this to him.

“Well, that’s true… but this spot is safe.” He said, then pointed at the brush that separated them from the landscape beyond. “Them bushes are thick enough so nothin’ will be able to see the fire past ‘em.” Then he pointed to the cliffside. “And ain’t nobody can see us that way neither.” Then he pointed to the trail. “And here? Anyone travelin’ won’t be able to see us ‘til we hear ‘em commin’.”

Lucy looked around at where he was pointing. Even though she didn’t like the guy, she did realize his knowledge about surviving the Wasteland was invaluable, and that she should take in every scrap he would give her. “...Should we sleep in shifts?” She asked, turning to him.

“Nah. Dog’ll let us know if anything comes ‘round.” He said, then walked to the edge of the clearing and started gathering whatever sticks, twigs and pieces of branches he could find. 

Lucy watched him for a moment, then followed suit.

Once the fire was going, The Ghoul made himself comfortable, relaxing in one of the chairs with Dogmeat by his side.

Lucy stood at the edge of the cliff, where the brush was thinner, looking out at the landscape before them. This place was so big and wide and open. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to it. And even though it was terrifying and brutal, there was a beauty to the Wasteland that she couldn’t explain. It’s sheer vastness, the feel of the wind, the smell of the air. Even though she was thrilled to be back in a vault when she and Max found themselves in Vault 4, she did find herself missing those sensations. And despite the hellish ordeal she’s found herself in, the wild surface world made her feel alive in ways she never had before. 

She held herself as her mind came back to everything that had happened. There was so much, so much she couldn’t make sense of. She tried to think back to everything that had been said at the Observatory, trying to replay the ordeal in her mind, but so much of it was a blur. 

Perhaps there was a part of her that was hoping she’d remember something... Something that made it all better. Something that made it not real. But every time she replayed it, it just became more clear.

Could it truly be? Her own father… a mass murderer? Vault-tec… never cared about saving humanity. They wanted to destroy humanity so that they could control it. This company she’d dedicated her life to. Put all her faith in. Was nothing but an evil corporation bent on world domination? Is that really what she was supposed to believe?

It was madness, and she felt mad for even considering it to be truth. But he said it himself. In his own words… you have to ‘get rid of the factions’ . It was true… Her father was a monster. 

As she stood there, she dug her fingers into her arms, as if trying to hold on to something. Her whole life, her father, Vault-Tec, they had been her anchor. The foundations of her entire world. She knew who she was, back then. She knew her purpose. It was important. She had a very important purpose. She was going to help save humanity. But now…

Here she was. With the one man she hoped she’d never find herself in the company of again. With nothing left but an undeniable need to uncover the truth.

It felt like a joke. It was all a bad joke. Her whole life was just one big practical joke. 

Lucy shook her head and wished that Max were there with them. She tried to imagine his arms around her. The warmth and comfort of his chest as he let her cry into him. But he wasn’t there. And she could thank her father for that too.

Her thoughts were suddenly disrupted when she felt The Ghoul’s imposing presence creeping up behind her. 

She quickly spun around, drew her gun, and pointed it at him. 

The Ghoul's lips curved up into a smirk, barely even acknowledging the weapon, “Jumpy, ain’cha?”, then just held out a carton of deviled eggs. “Egg?”

“I’m not hungry…”

“You should eat.”

“Why? Since when do you care about my well-being?”

“Well, I sure as hell don’t wanna carry you around the wasteland.” He said and stifled a cough.

Lucy huffed, then looked away.

The bounty hunter shut the lid, then he turned and started back towards the fire. “Come over here, Vaulty.”

She looked over her shoulder at him. “What for?” 

“...We should talk.”

The vault dweller blinked in surprise, then slowly and cautiously followed, sitting down across from him. She stared at him a moment as he got settled into his seat, then asked impatiently, “What?”

“Listen…” The Ghoul said, sitting forward in his chair. “I think… we got off on the wrong foot–”

“The wrong foot!?” She snapped angrily. “Is that what you’re going to call it!?”

“Look, I–”

“No! You look!” Lucy shouted, unable to contain her righteous indignation. “First y-you hit me in the face with your gun! Tried to feed me to that-that… creature! Poisoned me! Tied me up and dragged me around the desert! Refused to give me water! Made me cut up that nice man’s rear end! Then you cut off my finger and-and–

“Okay, but you did bite off mine first…” He said, pointing at her with the same finger, which was now replaced by hers. Although, she was not aware of that yet.

“Kidnapping!” She shouted even louder. “A-a-and attempted murder! Human trafficking, that’s what that’s called! Not ‘ getting off on the wrong foot!’ I mean, y-you tried to sell my organs! ”

The bounty hunter just exhaled and looked down at the ground. “You’re right…” Then, after a moment, he looked back up with a cheeky grin. “Maybe I should say… ‘got off on the wrong finger’ .”

Her mouth hung agape in offense and she looked away.

“...Can I talk now?”

She just crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him with disdain.

“Look… now, I know I’m probably the last person ya’ wanna be scrappin’ around with up here... And you can sit up there on your fuckin’ high horse passin’ out judgements all you want. But you outta know… I’m far from the worst thing this wasteland’s got to offer, believe it or not.”

“That is hard to believe.” She said with a sneer.

“My point is, you keep on this whole ‘holier than thou’ bullshit, sooner or later, someone’s gonna bury you. Your fuckin’ arrogance ain’t gonna keep you alive.”

Lucy glared at him a moment, then shook her head. “...I don’t think I’m better than anyone else…”

“Uh huh…” The Ghoul said skeptically.

“I-I just don’t understand why people can’t be civil up here. Why does it have to be like this?” She shook her head in confusion. “ It’s not the way people should be treating each other. People should be… working together. Helping each other! Society works much more effectively when there’s a shared sense of community and cooperation and… Well, if people up here have forgotten that…” She lifted her head up in a dignified way, almost looking down her nose at him. “ Someone has to lead by example.”

“Oh, and I suppose that’s you , huh?” He said with an amused snicker.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “ Don’t you laugh at me. I saved your life .” She reminded him firmly.

The Ghoul just shook his head as he let out another laugh, before looking down at the ground.

“I know it sounds stupid to you, but…” She paused and swallowed hard. “This is what I believe in, and… a-and it’s the right thing to believe in! Maybe you’ve given up on humanity, but I refuse to! I know we can do better than this!”

“Who are you tryin’a convince, darlin? You think all you gotta do is get on your soapbox and preach and you’ll change the fuckin’ world? Sweetheart, talk is cheap and ain’t nobody give a shit.” He eyed her intensely as he spoke. “You know what’s gonna happen, you keep this up? Same thing that’s been happenin’ to ya. Which, if I ain’t mistaken, hasn’t been too good so far.” 

She scoffed and turned away. “I guess you would know, wouldn't you?”

“Listen… I ain’t sayin’ you’re wrong. But you don’t get it.” The Ghoul said, prompting her to look back towards him as he spoke. “There are people who have a vested interest in folks not bein’ civil and cooperatin’…” He leaned in, looking her right in the eye. “You think about Shady Sands… Why, I remember… watchin’ that place turn from a small settlement to a… a real city. Almost like the old days. But then, yo’ daddy comes along and burns it to the ground.” 

Lucy blinked, then looked back towards him again. 

“All those same people, who taught you all that ‘golden rule’ bullshit? They’re all a buncha fuckin’ liars. You know why they want’cha ta’ believe in all that shit? We’ll, I’ll tell ya’. Because it makes you weak … Easy to take advantage of…” 

The vault dweller looked up at him, narrowing her eyes in thought. “...Why would you say that?”

“I’m just bein’ honest wit’cha. You think I’ve been wonderin’ this wasteland for two-hundred years just to not know what the fuck I’m talkin’ about? Or would you rather I lie to ya and tell ya everythang���s gonna be fuckin’ peachy keen?”

Her eyes drifted to the ground and she shook her head. “No…”

“No, what?”

“I don’t want you to lie to me.”

“Good.” He said firmly. “Cause ain’t nobody gonna go outta they way to accommodate your fucking vaulty sensibilities up here, you got that?” 

Lucy let her arms drop to her lap and hung her head away from him, not saying a word.

The Ghoul looked at her a moment, then his gaze dropped down to the ground and he let out a deep exhale. “Look…” He said quietly. “I know you hate me… and you’re right to…” He looked back up at her. “But there’s a reason I asked ya to come with me. And it ain’t just because I need yo help to find yo’ daddy neither…”

The vault dweller blinked, then looked up at him again.

“I underestimated you… Ms. Lucy MacLean.” He said and rolled his tongue over his teeth. “I thought you was just some dumbass vault dweller, bound to get ‘cherself killed anyway… But you got fight in ya…” He pointed at her as he spoke. “You got what it takes to survive out here... You just need someone to show you the ropes… And I’m willin’ ta’ do that for ya’.” 

“Oh, really? And why’s that?” She asked skeptically.

“Because I owe you. Golden rule … right?”

Lucy blinked and waited for him to continue.

“Let me explain somethin’ to ya, Vaulty…” He said, then reached into his pocket, pulled out his inhaler and held it up to her. “You were right about one thang. This shit’s all that’s keepin’ me from turnin’ out like yo’ mama back there. And it ain’t cheap neither.” He put his arm down and looked at her, his voice very serious. “Now, I know you ain’t dumb. So I figure you can put two and two together… But we both needed that head for a reason. You just happened to be in the wrong place, at the wrong time… that’s all.”

“That’s all?” She retorted quickly.

“Well, it ain’t like it was nothin’ personal, darlin’.”

“So… you agree then…? With the Golden Rule… You said it only works if people agree, so…”

“...I know it probably don’t mean much…” He simply continued. “And you don’t have to forgive me, but… I wanna apologize… for what I done to ya.”

Lucy blinked in surprise. “...You’re apologizing?”

“You’re right… We both lookin’ for the same thing. And we’ll be more likely to find it if we work together. And if we're gonna work together, we gotta communicate. But we can’t do that unless we can trust each other.”

“Trust you? You want me to trust you?” She scoffed.

“I don’t want you to trust nobody. ” He said sternly. “That’s why we ought to make a deal.”

“A deal? Didn’t you just say to trust nobody ? How can I trust you to keep your end of the bargain?” 

“Sweetheart, I thought we already established that this relationship is built on the principle of an honest exchange.” He took off his right glove and held up his index finger. “Look familiar?”

She stared at him in horror. “...You… You didn’t…” 

The Ghoul grinned in amusement and wriggled the finger at her. “You wanna know something, Vaulty? You did something no one else ever has before… Somethin’ I never even thought of…” He lowered his hand and looked down at the finger - her finger - with an odd smile on his face. “You disarmed me… I can’t shoot without that finger ya’ bit off. Without it, I’m practically defenseless.” He looked back up at her. “So… of course I had to replace it with somethin ’.” 

Lucy shook her head in disgust and disbelief as he started to put his glove back on. 

“Now… seein’ as I don’t think neither of us wanna lose any more fingers… I say we better call a truce .” 

She looked over at him as a realization hit her… He was talking to her as if she were his equal. 

He held a hand out towards her. “So… I ain’t gonna hurt’cha… and you ain’t gonna hurt me… Deal?”

The vault dweller narrowed her eyes at him. She wasn’t sure if she bought it. Could he really see her as an equal threat? That seemed rather impossible. But either way, she wasn’t about to let her guard down. Still, a peace negotiation was certainly a…. step in the right direction. 

“Alright… We work together… The enemy of my enemy…” She said, reaching her hand out.

His lips curved into a smirk. “...Is my friend.” 

With that, they shook on it.

“But this doesn’t mean I trust you. And we’re not friends.” 

He just kept smiling at her. “Good.” 

As they let go, Lucy noticed the feeling of something cool hitting her skin. Then another. Then another.

She looked around for a moment in confusion, then down at her arm where she found a tiny water droplet. Suddenly, more came down from above, and it finally occurred to her what it must be as she craned her head up towards the sky.

“Goddamnit.” The Ghoul said in dismay as he looked up as well.

Lucy's reaction was very different, though. Slowly, she started to stand up as she looked towards the heavens. “Is this… rain?” A wide smile grew on her face as she held her hand up to catch the droplets.

The bounty hunter kept his eyes on her as she stepped out into the clearing, watching the rain come down in awe. Suddenly, there was a flash, and a moment later thunder rippled across the sky, causing her to jump and scream.

Her reaction caused The Ghoul to burst into laughter.

The sheltered vault dweller was too excited to be concerned over his amusement. She started jumping up and down and squealing, “This is rain! It’s rain! Oh my God!” She turned to him suddenly. “I’ve read about this! I’ve wanted to see it my whole life! I was so worried it wasn’t going to happen, but here it is!!” She looked back up at the sky. “Oh, it’s amazing! And it’s so loud!!”

As the old bounty hunter watched her skip and howl, he tilted his head and just stared curiously. 

Once she finally noticed him staring, she realized what she was doing and stopped, straightening herself up and clearing her throat. “Sorry. I’m, uh… I-I’m excited about this.” She said, trying to sound somewhat serious.

He just grinned at her in amusement. “I can tell.”  To be continued...

<<< Previous Chapter | Next Chapter >>>

[zeep-xanflorp]

realised i've never done an intro to this blog so it's probably about time

my name is zeep!

i'm 21, audhd, queer and non binary. any pronouns.

i love ppl interacting in reblogs and leaving asks.

feel free to dm me! i probably won't reply if you just say "hey" or "how are you." just start talking to me like we're already mates. i'm nice i promise.

more about my blog + boundaries below the cut

what i post:

my original posts are mainly rick and morty metas analysing the characters, certain episodes of the show, themes and fandom analysis (tag: #rick and morty meta or #[character name] meta)

for generic posts about specific characters, i use their names (eg. #rick prime, #evil morty)

for posts regarding a certain episode, i use the episode titles (eg. #the abcs of beth, #unmortricken)

posts about a certain season are under the season number or spoiler tags (eg. #rick and morty season 7, #rick and morty season 7 spoilers)

sometimes i thirst over rick and it's embarrassing (tags: #rickfucker #old man alert). i get nsfw sometimes which will be tagged #rickfucker nsft and/or #mdni (srsly minors don't touch these posts, see boundaries below)

if i'm not thirsting or analysing then i'm shitposting.

i do write fanfic but im yet to connect my AO3 to this blog. maybe someday i will.

my main ships in this fandom are: rick c-137/rick prime (#prickcest), rick/birdperson (#birdrick), rick/reader (normally gender neutral, no designated tag yet).

i try to keep things sfw but sometimes i deviate and post some sexual stuff or gore, mainly in reblogs but sometimes in text posts.

i discuss some heavy shit sometimes so i try to consistently tag tws and cws. i use some tags pretty often so blacklist these if you need to: tw suicide, tw suicide mention, cw gore, cw blood, tw alcohol, tw substance abuse. i try adding both the cw and tw tags bc i can't remember which r used more. sometimes i mess up so do lmk and i'll fix it.

boundaries:

i won't and cannot stop anyone from interacting with my posts, however i would ask that you're respectful of my boundaries. if not then you get blocked.

general dni criteria. general don't be a dick rule.

proshippers mainly incest and underage shit, dnf. i'm anti censorship and won't engage in discourse but seeing that especially in the r+m fandom is a genuine trigger. tag your shit correctly and leave me alone and i'll do the same.

i'm a passionate justin roiland anti. anyone who defends him gtfo.

if you're a minor or ageless blog dni with my nsfw posts.

if you're cool w all this then feel free to stick around.

[ghost-orca]

Channeling Your Love: Chapter 4

Summary: You meet Joel as a radio host for Jackson. What more can I say?

Warnings: MDNI! 18+ mentions of masturbation, PTSD, trauma

spoilers for Fight Club if you haven't seen it I guess; And The Last Of Us of course

Tag: @queenieramm

AN: I highly recommend checking out the songs I mention because they're not only good but set the mood!  

The walk back to Jackson was awkward, to say the least, you couldn't even look at Joel as a hangover buzzed through your brain. Anytime Joel would open his mouth to say something, he’d stop himself. You arrive back at your apartment by 7 am expecting to find Ellie gone or asleep, instead you find her in your office messing with one of your radio communicators “Hello? Can anyone hear me? I’m trying to get in contact with the fireflies, my name is Ellie and I-” she stops and turns the dial off when she sees you. You blink and stare at her, “Ellie, why are you trying to contact the fireflies?” She avoids your eye contact trying to feign ignorance while blowing a raspberry, but you don’t let up in your stare and Ellie sighs “Can you keep a secret?” she asks you and you nod your head “Of course.” you answer, and her eyes have a pleading look “Seriously, you can’t even tell Joel I told you, he’d flip.” your eyes soften at the mention of his name. “Ellie, you can trust me.” You pull up a chair sitting down to meet Ellie at her level. She takes a deep breath and rolls up the sleeve on her right arm, revealing an old bite mark with blisters around it, and your eyes widen.

You look into Ellie’s eyes with concern and horror, “Ellie when did you get this?” and she looks away from you with guilt on her face. “It happened about a year ago, a friend and I got swarmed and when we both got bit, we decided to wait it out. Eventually when she turned, I realized I hadn’t. Her name was Riley…” She starts, you nod for her to continue. “This woman named Marlene who was head of the fireflies in Boston told me that I had the cure, and was having me sent across the country to run some tests and maybe even come up with a vaccine. Three weeks later I met Joel and Tess…they were smugglers.” You hold onto every word Ellie’s telling you, Who is Tess? You think to yourself. Ellie continues, “Tess didn’t make it, but me and Joel…We went through a lot of shit together and grew close. Eventually we made it to salt lake city where the hospital was, apparently all the fireflies were cooped up there with researchers who could run tests on me.” 

 Ellie begins taking deep breaths as she rubs her left hand over her bite mark. “The thing is, I don’t remember anything about the hospital, not even when we got to the building. I just remember waking up in the backseat of a truck in a hospital gown and Joel was driving.” You raise your brow in questioning concern, “What did he tell you?” you ask, and Ellie starts shaking her head softly, “He said that there were others like me, that they’d been running a lot of tests with no results, and…they’d actually stopped looking for a cure.” Ellie's head droops as she tells you this, you can tell how much hearing that must’ve affected her, “That must’ve been…disheartening to hear. I’m so sorry Ellie.” you tell her earnestly, “All the people I met who died, their deaths, I wanted it to mean something.” She says and you nod at her in understanding “And I-This sounds awful, but I feel like Joel isn’t telling me everything, like he’s been hiding something from me, about what happened in Salt Lake City.”

Ellie’s eyes start to tear up, and you take her hand into yours, “Hey, look at me sweetie, I may not know Joel like you or Tommy do, but I can tell that he’s a good man and that he really, really cares about you Ellie. He’d do anything to protect you.” Ellie is looking at you as she nods and wipes her tears with the back of her hand sniffling, “I don’t think he would hide anything from you, Ellie, I think he just…understands how important it was for you to make meaning of what you’ve been through. You’re just a kid, and he knows how unfair it is for you.” Ellie hears you and responds with “mhm” and you frown knowing she’s not totally convinced. You don’t know what else you can say to her to comfort her because you weren’t there, but you trust Joel, even if you decided to push yourself away from him, your feelings still linger and you absolutely trust him. You tell Ellie to get some rest on the bed and she obliges as you set up for the day, with thoughts of Joel lingering on your mind.

 Joel spends his day mostly thinking about you, the sound of your laugh, the color in your cheeks after a few drinks or when you blush, the way your ass perked when you crawled over to him. He continued playing your moments together in his head, Why did she push me away like that? He decided to head to the bar, running into Tommy and confided in him. “It was going so well, Tommy, she even let me…let me kiss her.” Joel starts to blush as he says this and Tommy shakes his head as he starts to laugh at him. Joel downs his glass of whiskey and slams it on the table, “What’s so damn funny?” he asks as Tommy takes a sip of his drink holding back more laughter, “Nothin’, it’s just, you sound like a damn high schooler Joel, it’s almost embarrassin’ to see you like this.” Tommy starts to chuckle again as he pats Joel on his back. Joel scrunches his face in anger, “Yeah well it wasn’t funny for me! They went into the bathroom…crying.” Tommy goes silent and looks his brother in the eyes, “The hell did you do to her Joel?” he asks sternly, “Nothing! I didn’t do…anything, one second we’re dancing and- well, kissing and the next, she tells me to take my fucking hands off of her” Joel looks up at the bartender and waves his empty glass to gesture for another drink.

 Tommy nods and thinks, “Y’know, when our host first came to Jackson, she looked…real bad.” Joel leans in and his hand balls into a fist on the bar table. Tommy blinks and turns his head away taking another sip of his drink, “Well, Eugene, he was the one who brought ‘em to Jackson, and our host is pretty close with him, s’why only he can call her ‘Ash’, I think. He told me and Maria not to- not to ask her too much, that she had clearly been through a lot.” Joel receives his second drink and takes a sip, not breaking eye contact with Tommy. Tommy sighs, “The thing is, I was in communication with this man over the radio, I think his name was Adam, when we were looking to find some people who might’ve needed help when we started establishing Jackson. This was a lil’ before our host came here.” Tommy is tapping his fingers against the table, “He came out to visit, n’ he said he needed to ‘get his girl’s approval first’, I asked him why he didn't bring or mention her before, n’ he said that she was just shy. Mind you, Adam was a really swell guy, we’d talked on the radio for weeks before we met.” Tommy takes another sip, “It seemed suspicious to me, but he also seemed like a nice enough man, so I didn’t question it. Three weeks later Eugene tells me he got in contact with a young lady from the same outpost, and he goes to pick her up. When they came back, I expected Adam to be with ‘em, but it was just her and Eugene, and she looked….” Tommy starts shaking his head slowly. Joel starts feeling a familiar anger fuel inside of him, and his lips pull into a straight line as he nods aggressively, downing his whole drink in one go. 

 Suddenly Joel and Tommy hear your voice from the radio and turn around in their chairs to face the radio playing, “So, I’ve been thinking about all the music that could’ve been, and I mourn. I mourn for all the songs that were never made because of what our world took from us. The possibilities of it all are, fucking endless. BUT- it makes me so grateful for what we have- I see it all as a gift, the music I mean- that we have it. *Sigh* I’m rambling I know, any who-here's Last Goodbye by Jeff Buckley” The music plays out as Tommy gives Joel a look, “How’re you feeling big brother?” Joel shakes his head, “I really like her, Tommy” still holding his empty glass in hand, Tommy nods, “Then you oughta tell her that.” he tells him. “Tommy, I can’t, she was really-really cold towards me afterwards, I think I just need to…to give them some space.” Tommy chuckles again, “Sure big brother, but don't ya hafta pick up Ellie from their place tonight?” Joel’s face strains at the realization, “Shit.” he blurts, and Tommy snorts at Joel’s realization. 

 Joel stands at your doorway, feeling unsure if he should even knock. Eventually knocking, he waits and Ellie answers the door, smiling at him, Joel smiles back “Hey kiddo, heard you on the radio last night, you did great.” Ellie’s eyes lightened up and remembered that you and Joel had gone on patrol together the day prior, hoping her surprise for you had panned out like she planned. “Thanks! You should come in and say hello to R.Q., c’mon Joel '' He tries to resist speaking up “I don’t think-” but it’s futile when Ellie grabs him by the arm and leads him upstairs excitedly. You see each other through the glass pane of your office window while Ellie acts like she’s gathering her things nonchalantly, when really she’s listening in and watching the two of you. You wave awkwardly towards him with a polite smile and nod and pretend to go back to focusing on what you were doing, Joel gives you an equally awkward single wave and slight nod back. Ellie notices this, darting her eyes between the two of you. What's happening? They’re not even looking at each other, Ellie thinks. “Alright Ellie let's get goin’, it’s gettin’ late.” Joel orders Ellie and this frustrates her, “Jeez okay man, just gimme a second!” she responds in a pissy tone, “Ellie.” Joel says to her, aggravated by her attitude towards him.

 You notice their little quarrel and walk over to Ellie helping her gather her belongings before handing her a copy of the album Pinkerton by Weezer, “This is a gift for a job well done yesterday. I think you’re really gonna connect with this one.” and smile at her as she accepts the CD from you. “Thanks” she says quietly, not looking at you, and she fiddles with the CD in her hands a bit. You remember what she told this morning, and assume she’s just going through it with teen angst to boot at the moment and decide not to read too much into her behavior. Ellie begins to exit, “I’ll see you tomorrow?” You ask eagerly, “Yeah, see ya.” she responds with no enthusiasm in her voice and you frown a little, Joel calls out to Ellie but she ignores him as the front door is slammed shut by her.

 Joel looks back at you, “I’m sorry about her” he says, you shrug with your hands in your pockets, “She’s a teenage girl, I get it” as you shrug, you feel a soreness in your shoulders and can't help but yell out “Oh fuck, OW!” You groan as you start rubbing shoulders. Joel panics and asks “How many nights have you spent sleeping on a couch?”  Your back muscles are in so much pain, you shake your head which causes you to feel more of it, “Three days? I think?” You answer truthfully, “ah that ain’t good” Joel responds, and he goes to start massaging your shoulders. You take in a long breath through your nose and breathe out of your mouth as he starts rubbing your shoulders, and you start to finally relax. You whisper, “Joel, I have to, I have to announce soon, shit, they’re waiting…” Joel continues to rub your shoulders as he whispers into your ear “They can wait”, and your head falls helplessly onto his shoulder.

Joel pushes your head back up with one hand, “As much as I enjoy that, that’s no good for your neck right now, darling” Joel tells you chuckling. You blush after you realize what you’ve done, and Joel continues to rub your shoulders with his strong hands, you feel his calloused fingers brush against parts of your exposed skin. He massages out a knot in your back, causing you to yell out a loud moan. Joel stops his hands, shell shocked, and you widen your eyes after you realize the noise you’ve just made. You jump away from Joel's touch quickly, turning around as you rub your hand on your neck, feeling embarrassed as you do.

 You fumble a bit as you avoid looking at Joel, and say “You should probably catch up to Ellie…She seemed really upset.” Joel nods, “She did, didn’t she…” he says as he begins to worry about Ellie being by herself. Making his exit, you call out to him before he leaves and he turns his head to you, “Thanks, by the way, my um- my back feels a lot better now.” You tell him as you keep rubbing your neck, cheeks warming up. Joel gives you the softest smile, “Anytime, darlin’” Joel responds and winks at you, and he finally leaves. Your face feels burning hot as you feel a knot twisting inside of you, and you cover you face with your hands as you groan, you repeat his words to yourself, “Why the fuck did I moan? What is wrong with me?” You whisper to yourself. 

 You decided to take a hot shower after the final song of the night airs, Dreams by Fleetwood Mac, as you do you start rubbing your hands over the same skin Joel had massaged over earlier, remembering how gentle his fingers felt on you. Your hand starts to slide down to your crotch, opening the lips of your cunt with your fingers. You start rubbing your clit with images of Joel flashing in your mind, focusing on his arms, his eyes, his voice. You yell out, moaning as your head falls back to land on the tiled shower wall. You hear his words plainly in your head "Anytime darlin’" and start rubbing faster as the knot you felt in your belly since Joel said those words grows tighter.

Your heavy breaths of arousal echo out in the bathroom along with the shower water falling on your naked body. Images of Joel continue to flash as you start to dip one of your fingers inside your wet hole, imagining it’s Joel’s finger instead of your own, but then you hear those dreaded words in your mind again, “Look at you, pretty little thing” and the images of another man start flooding your mind. You jolt your fingers away from your sex and your hand slaps against the wall. You focus on your breathing to calm yourself, trying not to let fear take over you, shaking your head and squeezing your eyes shut to remind yourself that you’re safe. “I’m here, not there” you repeat to yourself as a mantra to settle yourself. When you finish showering you wrap yourself up with a towel and walk to your office. Removing the dreaded box from your cabinet, you pull the lighter out and bring it up to your eye line to stare it down like you’re challenging it. You finally light its switch and fire sparks from it, “Still-Fucking-Burning.” you whisper to yourself with a sense of rage bubbling in your voice.

 The next day, you and Ellie are both in your office sitting on the floor looking through tapes and cd’s to search for any albums you may not have played on the radio before, you preferred keeping things fresh on your show instead of repeating the same songs everyone had heard before. Ellie’s been quiet since she arrived, you could tell something was on her mind but you weren’t one to pry, so you stayed quiet with her.

Ellie eventually breaks her silence, “R.Q.? Do you like Joel?” You stop what you’re doing and look at Ellie, “What-What do you mean?” you ask “I mean like-what do you think of him?” Ellie says deciding to play dumb. You sigh in relief, “I think he’s a good guy. He takes good care of you, y’know? Plus he’s kind of a dork, like you.” You give Ellie a playful soft punch on her shoulder and she smiles to herself thinking about how many good memories she’s made with Joel ever since she first met him. Her smile begins to fade when she looks at you again, wishing you would just open your heart to him. “So, if you think that, why were you so weird around him yesterday?” You look up at Ellie again in surprise, “Was I being weird? I don’t think so…” You try to brush it off. Ellie sighs in frustration, “Dude, you totally drool over him every time he’s around, I’m not dumb.”

You almost drop the CD you’re holding when she says this, “Did something happen between you guys when you went on patrol? Did he blow it? He totally blew it, didn’t he?” You start shaking your head, you’re so shell-shocked “No! Ellie, I-there wasn’t-he didn’t blow anything! There was nothing for him to blow!” You respond frantically. Ellie snorts, “Clearly.” she quips. Your jaw clenches, and you shoot daggers at her in your glare “Ellie, I really don’t feel comfortable talking about it with you.” Ellie raises her brow, “‘It’? So something did happen.” she questions. “What-no-Nothing happened, Ellie! And if you keep this up I’m sending you home early for the day.” It’s an empty threat, but Ellie rolls her eyes and grunts “Fine, fine, I’ll let it go.” she says finally.

 Two hours pass in more silence between you, Ellie takes notes as you speak through the microphone to your audience, “Do you guys ever wonder if any big celebrities are still surviving out there? Like, Brad Pitt could be living out his days in a QZ and no one would even care that he’s Brad Pitt, he’s just another guy now.” Ellie pipes up “Who the hell is Brad Pitt?” she asks, and you give an audible gasp at her before turning back to the mic “Well everyone, our dear backup host, Ellie, just asked me who Brad Pitt is and now I feel old, *sigh*. We hope you enjoy this next song, Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve while I go cry in a corner over my lost youth.” You end the recording and you hear Ellie start giggling at you “Aww I’m sorry R.Q., you’re not that old” You roll your eyes at her back handed compliment. “Seriously though, you don’t know who Brad Pitt is? Have you never seen Fight Club?” you ask her, and Ellie’s eyes light up at the name “No, but it sounds sick…Can we watch it sometime?” She asks you excitedly. 

 You think on it for a moment, flashes of graphically violent scenes and Helena Bonham-Carter’s naked body pop into your head and you grimace, “Um- you know Ellie, it’s actually a pretty…intense movie, I don’t think it’d be appropriate for you to watch at your age. I shouldn’t have brought it up.” Ellie gives a dramatic eye roll as she yells a huffy groan, “Dude, I’m fifteen! I can handle it!” She pleads, “Oh really? I thought you were ten this whole time!” You tease Ellie as a way to jab back at her for her comment about your age earlier and give her a snarky smile. “Oh ha ha, very funny.” she responds sarcastically with another eyeroll. “C’mon R.Q., please? You can’t just tell me a bad ass movie title like ‘Fight Club’ and expect me not to beg you to watch it.” You sigh, Ellie is relentless, “I don’t even own a tv set Ellie, plus I don’t want to upset Joel, why don’t you just ask him if you two can watch it?”

A lightbulb switches on in Ellie’s brain with a better idea, “Wait, that's it! We should totally do a movie night, all three of us dude! We have a TV and a DVD player, plus you’ve never come over to our place before!” You hear her idea and start considering it. I really don’t wanna spend two hours with Joel, it’ll be too awkward…you think to yourself, trying to come up with an excuse. “You know the show doesn’t end ‘till way past your bedtime, Ellie.” and she retorts, like it’s obvious “So just end it early and come over with us when Joel picks me up, Jackson will live.” you almost scoff at her idea. Ellie pouts and widens her eyes to give you her puppy dog face, “Please?” she pleads in a cute little voice, and you finally give in, “Fine, I’ll see if I can get my hands on a copy of it. Just don’t be surprised or blame me if Joel says no to the idea, okay?” Ellie hops up from her seat, shouting “FUCK YEAH!” in pure excitement and joy. 

 You have Ellie take over hosting to go out and borrow a copy of Fight Club from your friend Vincent. He was known to be an avid film collector. Having worked at a movie and VHS rental before the outbreak, he decided to save all the movies he could. He often provided family friendly movies to show the kids of Jackson on Friday movie nights. Vincent was a bit of a nerdy loner, but you enjoyed his company. When you asked to borrow a copy, Vincent went straight into his collection to search through and he tells you to keep it once he hands it to you, “I have like six other copies of this movie, please take it from me.” he almost begged. You smiled at him, “I’m sure Ellie would be more than willing to take more copies from you.” You retort, you decided to also borrow a copy of School Of Rock just in case the movie was too intense for Ellie.

You go back to your apartment and wave the DVD up in your hand when you see Ellie in your office speaking into the mic. “-oh HOLY SHIT NICE! Folks, just so you know we’re ending the show early tonight, R.Q.’s showing me the movie Fight Club for the first time-” you run over and grab the mic from Ellie’s hands and start speaking into it “Maybe, we may be ending early tonight, everyone, it depends on what Ellie’s paternal guardian says- I don't just show R rated movies to kids willy-nilly. Right Ellie?”

You look at her as you ask, she once again rolls her eyes at you, taking the mic back from your hands, “Anyways, before I was rudely interrupted I wanted to say we are definitely watching Fight Club tonight, because R.Q never takes any time off for herself, and as co-host I say she deserves a damn break!” You start growing frustrated, “Ellie-” She cuts you off speaking into the mic “Anyways please enjoy Someday by The Strokes everybody!” Ellie turns to you in your chair, giving you a shit eating grin as you glare at her. “He’s gonna say yes y’know” She tells you and you squint your eyes at her, “How do you know?” you ask and Ellie’s grin widens, “Because you’ll be there.” she responds.

 Joel had been listening to the whole broadcast the entire day from his favorite chair, putting off any plans or chores all day just so he could hear your voice through the radio. When he hears you and Ellie talk about watching Fight Club with his permission Joel immediately gets up and starts tidying up the place. Once he finds it up to code he grabs his jacket and starts running to your place, knocking on the door two hours early from when he usually comes over to pick Ellie up.

You open the door not expecting it to be Joel, your eyes widening as he pants from running the whole way, over exerting himself. He lifts himself up from his hands on his knees to smile at you and says “Let’s go watch Fight Club.” It takes a while for you to process what he’s said but when you finally realize you say “We have two hours left to air” Joel hears you and immediately feels embarrassed, “Oh, right, I can just- wait on your couch if that's okay?” He suggests, and your lower lip falls slightly. You quickly form your lips into a tight line and widen your front door to let him inside. Joel nods at you with a “Thank you” and enters, hopping his way up the stairs to finally sit himself down on your couch. Once Ellie recognizes him, she waves and smiles wide through the studio window. Joel waves back at her with an equally bright smile. 

 Two hours pass slowly for Ellie and Joel, but they feel quick for you, ending the night early with Once In A Lifetime by Talking Heads. You grab your coat and apartment keys before exiting, watching Ellie talk Joel’s ear off, “Have you seen this movie before, Joel?” she asks him, “Yep, it's been a long time since I’ve watched it though.” He responds to her, “Did you ever watch it with Sarah?” Ellie asks, Joel shakes his head, “Nah, she was too young to see it.” Ellie nods in understanding, you stop in your tracks, Sarah? Who the hell is Sarah? You think to yourself. You decide not to bring it up and follow them outside before locking your front door. Ellie watches you, “When’s the last time you even locked your door?” She asks out of curiosity, you think to yourself, “I’m not really sure, honestly. Two years ago I think? Gregory had entered my place all of a sudden after-'' You stop yourself before finishing your sentence, After I outed him for being bad at sex, you remind yourself. Joel and Ellie tilt their heads in questioning, “After what?” Ellie asks, your face strains and you shake your head, “It’s not important, let's get going.” Ellie pouts and Joel arches his brow, but they both decide to leave it alone as you all start making your way towards Ellie and Joel’s house.

 Once you make it to their house, you have a moment alone with Joel as Ellie leaves to get something from her bedroom. Grabbing him by the shoulder once she left the room you ask “Are you sure you’re okay with Ellie watching something so mature? I brought along a copy of School of Rock we could watch instead.” Joel laughs at you a little and whispers, “She’s 15, I’m sure can handle it, if there’s anything I don’t want her to see I’ll tell her to just close her eyes'' You smirk at Joel, “Hey it’s your call Joel, not mine.”

When you all started watching the movie, Ellie wouldn’t stop asking questions like, “Who the hell would ever go by the name ‘Meat Loaf’?”, “Who’s Tyler Durden?”, “‘Bitch tits’?” and “Can that really happen to guys? Joel, are you gonna grow boobs if your balls ever fall off?” The last question sets Joel off into pausing the movie, “Ellie, let’s just…watch the movie, quietly please?” Joel says as he pinches his scarred nose. You couldn’t help but focus on how attractive he was even when he’s frustrated, you found the way he held himself appealing. You were seated next to Joel on the couch while Ellie took the armchair, her way of forcing you two to sit together. Ellie apologizes in a sarcastic tone, and you suggest she bring out her notebook and write down any questions she wanted to ask after you all finish the movie. Ellie agrees, bringing out her notebook and starts writing a list of questions as the movie continues.

Anytime something lewd was happening in the movie, Joel would call out “Eyes and ears” as an order to Ellie and she would shut her eyes as she covered her ears with her hands, not without an eye roll or annoyed sigh from her each time. You would reach out and tap Ellie on the shoulder to signal every time it was okay for her to look. One particular scene starts to play out, where Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter are moaning loudly together through the walls of the building as Edward Norton hears them during sit ups. Joel had forgotten to give Ellie the order and you both hear her say “Jeez, they’re really going at it!” Joel looks at her and yells “ELLIE!” and she responds “Right” as she closes her eyes and covers her ears, humming softly to herself.

The sounds of sex go on for what feels like too long as you sit in silence next to Joel, you brush your hair behind your ears and Joel looks over noticing your soft neck as you fold your legs edging away from him on the couch. Your cheeks start burning up as you focus on your breathing, and Joel listens to your soft breaths. You feel the couch start to vibrate and turn your head towards Joel, noticing his leg is shaking as he quickly looks away from you, moans from the TV speakers still playing out. He started remembering the loud moan you made when he rubbed out the knot in your back the other night, rubbing one out on his hard cock in the shower, as he replayed the sound of you in his head that same night. You tap Ellie on the shoulder when the exaggerated moans stop playing out, and Joel goes back to concentrating on the movie, placing his hand on his knee to keep it from bouncing. 

 Ellie had stopped writing down questions in her journal an hour into the movie, watching intently as the scene of Brad Pitt chemically burning Edward Norton’s hand plays on screen, practically holding her breath. You noticed she had been rubbing her hand over the clothed arm that was covering her bite mark and grew concerned, “Ellie, are you okay?” you asked softly, Joel looks over when he hears you ask this, noticing Ellie the same way you had. He pauses the movie to scooch on the couch and ask “What's the matter kiddo? We can turn it off if it’s too scary.” Ellie shakes her head, “I’m not scared, really. I actually think it’s kinda cool.” This comment concerns you both, but you decide to look past it and continue so she could enjoy herself.

Every fighting scene she’d whisper “awesome” or “holy shit” under her breath. You watched Ellie from the corner of your eye for a good remainder of the film. She had her legs folded up against her chest as she laid her chin on her knees, eyes fully locked in. An hour and fifty minutes in, Ellie’s eyes are wide with her jaw dropped as the plot twist is revealed, “They were the same person the whole fucking time!?” She looks at you, and you nod your head slowly as you smirk at her going “Mhm!” then bring your pointer finger up to your lips and whisper “Now keep watching.” then pointing to the TV screen.

 Ellie gasps as soon as Edward Norton shoots the gun off in his mouth, whispering “Did he do it? Did he kill Tyler?” and you and Joel both shush her. You can’t help but smile as the final scene plays out, Edward Norton taking Helena Bonham Carter’s hand into his as he says “You met me in a very strange time in my life.” as Where is my Mind by The Pixies plays out, you sing along. “With your feet in the air and head on the ground, try this trick and spin it, yeah, Your head’ll collapse if there's nothing in it and you’ll ask yourself….” You continue to sing along with your eyes closed as Joel and Ellie watch you.

As you sing out the final oooh note of the song, Joel interrupts you saying “You have a very beautiful voice.” You stop and realize they’ve been watching and listening to you the whole time, your face starts burning up in realization. Ellie pipes up, “R.Q, how have I never heard you sing before until now? I’ve never heard you play that song before either, is it in your special collection?” You look at Ellie, nodding, “Uh, yeah, it’s a song by The Pixies, it’s called Where is my mind, um. It’s really special to me.” You clear your throat still feeling embarrassed, “How’d you like the movie?” you ask Ellie trying to change the subject, she gives you a big smile “I fucking loved it, I gotta show it to Dina at some point.” You chuckle and smile, happy that Ellie’s happy. 

 Joel hasn’t said anything since the comment he made, and Ellie notices him just looking in awe of you and she smirks, “Y’know, Joel’s actually a good singer, too, he can even play the guitar! He’s been teaching me actually.” Joel shoots a glare and shakes his head at Ellie for over sharing as she grins back at him, “Y’know what, it’s getting pretty late. I think it’s about time you went to bed, Ellie.” Ellie’s not bothered by this, instead she squints at Joel still smirking, “Alright, g’night you too!” She gets up and goes straight to her bedroom, journal in hand, she slams her bedroom door closed. You sit alone with Joel in quiet for a short while, “Y’want something to drink?” he asks, and you nod “Just a glass of water if that’s okay, I woke up pretty hungover the last time we-I drank, honestly.” Joel nods back “Oh, right.” remembering the night the two of you had spent together.

 He brings you a glass of water, and you sit together in silence as you sip from your glass, Deja Vu you think to yourself. Joel sets his glass down on the table and speaks up, “Y’know, you never really talk about yourself unless it's about music you like.” Joel points out to you, “I mean, I don’t even know your name darlin’.” he says this as he chuckles nervously and looks at you eagerly. Your jaw clenches, “What’s there to know?” you say plainly, taking another sip of water as you don’t even look towards Joel. “Hey” Joel says as he reaches out his hand to your shoulder and gently moves you to face him “I wanna…get to know you, darlin’, we don’t gotta share our life stories but, your name would be a nice start?”

You bite down on the inside of your cheek as you lower your eyes away from Joel. “No one in Jackson knows my real name, Joel, and I like keeping it that way.” You respond trying your best to sound cold, you didn’t enjoy treating Joel this way, but your words were still true. Joel nods as he looks at you, “I get it.” he responds in a soft voice, trying to show he understands. You place your own glass on Joel’s coffee table to say “I should get going.” and get up from the couch. Joel springs into action as he says “Of course.” Grabbing your coat from his hanger and helping you put it on. You felt embarrassed yet…respectfully pampered towards.

Joel escorts you to the front door, thanking you for spending movie night with him and Ellie, before he says “Listen,” his hand rubs on his beard as he leans on the door frame, “I want you to know I’ll wait for you. Whenever you want to…open yourself up to me, I’ll wait.” You stand there wide eyed, and ask him “Why?” Joel slowly reaches his head over you and whispers in your ear “Because I reckon you’re worth the wait, beautiful.” Joel turns his head toward you slightly, leaving a soft peck on your cheek. Your breath hitches and your face feels like it's on fire as that familiar knot in your belly comes back, even tighter than before. You don’t know what to do or say, so you just end the conversation with “Goodnight Joel” in a nervous whisper, and speed walk yourself the whole way home as your fingers hang over the same spot Joel kissed you.