#I unno if you can eat those shits there though

[boo-moved]

Okay Florida boy what kind of snacks have you been hiding from me that's only available there

gator tail/bites

frog legs

[universal-kitty]

Stargazing for you and Keigo your birb boy ❤️

Selfship Drabble Asks

9.Stargazing

and @giranswife, who requested the same!!

   “Stargazing?” Akira turns to him in surprise, watching the birdie boyfriend pace around their apartment. He didn’t even live there in...any sort of permanent way (though he’s slept over plenty of times, enough so that he has some clothes over in the guest bedroom), but the way he strides around here and there, gathering things... One would certainly think he might’ve!

   “Yeah. I’ve already got the transportation settled,” on cue, his wings flutter, “and I’ve thought ahead on food. All I need now is my hot date.” He turns back to them to wing, smug smile only softened by the look in his eyes. While their face does heat up (he’s naturally attractive; it’s not fair!!), Akira still raises a brow, propping an elbow up on the armrest of the couch, chin resting into an awaiting palm.

   “Well, that, and three of my blankets, huh? The good ones, too...” He blinks in surprise, looking down at the bundle near his feet.

   “...You have good and bad blankets?” Akira rolls their eyes with a sigh, ignoring the slight smile that grows on their lips. “Not like that, you dork,” they point out as they pass, walking down the short hall to the end cabinet, pulling out a dark green blanket. “Just ones that I take care of more than others...and on that note, this one for the ground. I’m not letting you put ANY of those on the ground.”

   “Fine,” he huffs, bending down to hand back a grey blanket, tossed haphazardly on the couch by Akira in response. “...Y’know, some days, I don’t get you at all.”

   “Good! Makes it more fun that way,” they pointed out, grinning, hands on their hips and tail swishing behind them. “So... When do we go?” Keigo looked them up and down a moment, then back into their eyes.

   “Well, if you’re ready to go...?”

   “I’m not.” They laughed as he groaned, shaking his head. “But I’ll get ready right now... Don’t be a whiner about it~” To that, he smacked Akira’s ass as they passed, squeaking in surprise and glaring back at him. A smug grin the only response they got.

   “Oh... This is nice.” Keigo had taken them quite some way out of the city and into the countryside, but... The forestry nearby, the setting sun, the soft sound of wind... Akira itched to wander around. Get lost, maybe. Something about being surrounded by nature always gave them that persistent itch to get lost in it all.

   ...Though glancing back at Keigo, who was setting up the blanket, and the delicious smell of chicken... Nah. They could bother sticking around. The thought made them smile, walking back over and closer to him. “Ya got it?”

   “Mhm.” He was as neat as they were, making sure it all held up nicely before putting the food on it, and taking the blankets Akira had been holding on the way over. “And perfect. Shall we eat, to open the night? Would probably be a good start.”

   “You’re telling me,” Akira whined, flopping back onto the blanket and toeing off their shoes. “I haven’t eaten in hours... I’m so hungry.”

   “When...was the last time you ate?” Akira could only shrug in response, pulling out their box of food in a hurry, desperate to eat. “If you don’t know, you should be eating more often. You know that, right? Can’t be anyone, much less a hero, without eating right.”

   “Oh, could you give it a rest?” They stuck their tongue out at him, rolling their eyes as they refocused on delicious chicken and fries... Sweet, yummy food~! What a treat!! ‘Specially since Keigo bought it; always nice to not have to delve into the bank for things. “You sound like......well, anyone ever when they hear about my eating habits.”

   “It’s a sign you need to change, kitty,” he points out sharply, a brow raising. Making a small noise, he opens up some sauce, dips a fry in, and jabs it into the side of Akira’s mouth. “Eat.” Unable to do much, they’re forced to give in to his persistent ways, eating it up carefully.

��  “Geez, it’s fine, Keigo... I’m eating now, aren’t I?”

   “And you admitted to being bad at it. I’ll be annoying if I have to. If it means you’ll eat more.” Grumpy mumbling is all he got in response, but... They really dug into their food, bringing a little smile to his face.

.:.

   As the sun went down and conversation did as it will, the two eventually found themselves wrapping up in the blankets, curled close with Akira laying down, Keigo sitting up, but still with space between them. Waiting longer more for the sky to darken and stars to become fully visible. Enjoying nature as it was until then...and the turn of conversation.

   “You had a crush on All Might?” His brow raised, looking down at Akira with amusement. “Isn’t he like, ahhh, I don’t know... Ancient?”

   “So what?” The whine in their voice has him losing it, giving into laughter...much to their growing embarrassment. “He’s a supportive sweetheart!! Of course I had a crush on that!” A beat. “Well....and he is really attractive...”

   “Oh, yeah? And you’re the expert~?”

   “N-No! But I have worked with him a few times. He’s loud, but...” They shrugged helplessly, face burning in the growing nightfall. “I ‘unno... Crush was still there.”

   “You’re just into older men,” Keigo sniffed, shaking his head. “And naive as hell.”

   “Don’t be mean,” they muttered, smacking his arm lightly. “I don’t... Well, not saying I don’t happen to like a few older people, but...I like people around my age, too. I just...don’t always focus on some stuff...if I like the person a lot.”

   “So... You have a crush on other people~?” The one thing he zeroed in on... Of course. Akira flushed more (somehow possible) and curled up more underneath the blanket, tail even tucking again their legs.

   “M-Maybe.” Keigo’s grin widened, lowering down so he could lay next to Akira proper. Wanting to watch this go down...cause it wasn’t exactly a secret that he’d gotten far more attached to the kitty hero than even he’d ever expected. However, much to his amazement...this had occurred to nearly everyone except the very person right next to him. His own damn crush, not taking a hint... Even as he inched his into their apartment. What an oblivious dork...

   Made stuff like this more fun for him, though. The “will you, won’t you” of hoping they’d like him back, never hearing a yes....but never hearing a no. For someone like him, manipulation should’ve been the name of the game, but accidentally, over and over...! Akira would get ahead of him. Would trip him up, get distracted, forget the conversation... It baffled his mind every time it happened.

   Not this time. No escape or dodging the questions this time...

   “So... I know the lucky fellow~?”

   “Who knows,” they murmured quietly. That makes him raise a brow.

   “...Do they do hero work?” A slow nod. “Hey, there we go! That’s already more information than I usually get from you.” A pause, wondering... Sometimes, an upfront approach is good, isn’t it? Why not?

   “Is your crush...me~?” He winks, despite knowing Akira can’t very well see it, and waits. Waits for confirmation, denial, avoidance....anything.

   ...Yet, the silence continues. No response. No confirmation or denial. Shit, he’s wondering if they’ve fallen asleep and left his poor damn heart cold when they shoot up suddenly, eyes wide behind their glasses as they look up above.

   Avoidance, then. Damn... Should’ve known.

   “Whoah, the.....the stars...” Despite the fact he wants closure on this, he wants an answer...he looks up with them, a smile growing on his face. It’s hard to be frustrated over a stubborn crush when the sky looks that beautiful. Stars so brilliant and vivid that one could almost see the galaxy at large from just this spot.

   It’s incredible. It’s a view he knows well, in the rare times off where he can fly away and breathe for a damn moment...and now, there’s someone with him. Someone with a cat Quirk who won’t acknowledge their feelings- his feelings towards- them, and sometimes... Things like that have to be dealt with.

   In the best way Hawks knows how to do.

   He gives Akira a few moments to take in the view, feel in awe, and so, so small...before he nudges them with an elbow. Scooting a little closer, too.

   “Hey, want to know something?” They hum a response, but he nudges them again, watching their head finally turn to look from the sky to him...and he leans forward.

   Under an endless blanket of stars, two warm faces and bundled up in their own blankets.... He kisses them. His hand over their own; cold, but warming up.

   ...A gorgeous night, indeed.

[vuse-pod]

Be My Mistake - Ch 1

Ben Hardy!Roger Taylor x Lucy Boynton!Mary Austin (the fictional characters from the movie) 

write the crack ships u want to see in the world!!

*SMUT WARNING* 

Roger hasn’t met Dominique (yet?) in this timeline, we don’t condone infidelity in this house 

A few months after her and Freddie’s separation, Mary is still feeling raw about it. So, she meets up with a good friend to lift her spirits. (Just a slew of bad decisions i don’t even know man)

early 1977, at a pub somewhere in London

Mary stared into her drink blankly as she waited at the pub, ill thoughts of Freddie firing like bullets through her mind: Why did I leave? Did he mean any it? I know he did.. He’s never lied to me, has he? Was he ever unfaithful while on tour in America? Is that how he discovered his sexuality? Was I ever enough?

“It’s been months,” she silently chided herself for holding onto these feelings for so long. Her and Freddie had remained in contact even after the separation, a fact that both validated and confused Mary. The thoughts and questions continued to cloud her mind as her emotions began to spiral--

“Mary!” A deep, masculine voice exclaimed, abruptly bringing Mary out of her stupor and causing her head to shoot up. Roger Taylor, in all his blonde glory, waving and making his way over to her from the pub’s entrance.

“Hey Roger!” Mary smiled back. She had been expecting him, as they had made plans to catch up before Queen left for their Day At the Races Tour. She wasn’t going to allow her inner emotional turmoil dampen precious time with a dear friend, and she could manage pushing aside her true feelings for an evening. “I see you’ve started without me,” Roger smirked and nodded towards the glass in front of Mary.

“I have to prepare, knowing how you get once you get started on a topic,” she replied with a wicked grin.

“Oi! Right where it hurts, Austin,” Roger nudged her playfully with his elbow before ordering a drink.

“Are you excited for the tour in a few weeks? I heard you’re not going to Asia for this one.”

“Yeah, it’s just America and Europe this time around. Love to go back to Japan though. It was absolutely gorgeous last year.”

Mary stared at Roger in wonderment. “I can’t even imagine, I’ve always wanted to visit Japan.”

“Enough about me and the bums I work with,” Roger changed the subject, extracting a brief laugh out of both of them. “How are you? How have things been holding up in the world of Mary Austin?”

Oh no, she thought to herself. Should she spill? How much should she share? She steeled herself for whatever was about to stumble out of her mouth. “I’m...alright. You know, it’s been a little difficult since Freddie but I’m managing. Staying in touch with Freddie and Queen is a good thing, I feel. You boys are wonderful.” She was impressed with her answer, not exactly a lie but not exactly a truth (it’s been more than a little difficult). Roger wasn’t really the “tell all our deepest darkest emotions” type, but Mary knew she could count on him to be an understanding and deeply loyal friend when called upon. And right now what she needed was a distraction. “Other than that all is well! Just work and usual routine.”

Roger replied with a nod and an understanding smile. Then, almost like he read Mary’s mind, said, “Another round?”

“Absolutely.”

Some time plus a few drinks later

“Tell me, Rog,” Mary was almost slurring her words now and was slightly squinting at the blonde man next to her, “What’s the deal with you and--and  the car?”

Roger let out a boyish giggle. “Nonononono, Mary, LISTen,” he managed to say before Mary burst into laughter, taking him along with her. He was as drunk as she was, and the cloud of doubt in Mary’s head about Freddie had been replaced with a cloud of alcohol and giddiness. Noticing the way Roger’s big blue eyes crinkled when he laughed, Mary saw how handsome he really was. She noticed his large smile, great physique, how he looked at her like she had him hanging on every word. No wonder he was always surrounded by groupies with a girlfriend every other week. Roger Taylor was a rock star, with drum skills and a voice to match, and he knew it. His boyish charm had helped him worm his way into the hearts of many. These thoughts had the potential to be dangerous. Mary wondered what he was thinking. What does he notice about her?

“Roger I think, I think we might be drunk” Mary said through giggles. She was being uncharacteristically giggly, no doubt because of the alcohol. Then again, so was Roger.

“I am Not Fucking drunk!” He said, pointing at her and letting out a snort. Mary cocked her head to the side.

“Really then?! Tell the time.”

“Right, where’s the clock.”

“Shit, Rog, I don’t know!” More laughter. Looking around, Mary spotted the clock and pointed to it. “There it is. You can tell the time if you’re not fucking drunk.” Roger turned and faced the clock near them on the wall. He squinted, pointed at it, and said loudly “I am NOT Fucking Drunk!”

Mary almost fell off her stool from laughing so hard. She hadn’t laughed this hard in months, and it felt good to be carefree again. If she weren’t drunk she would have noticed that she snorted. If she weren’t drunk she would have noticed how she hadn’t thought about Freddie in hours.

“Right then lovebirds, pub’s bout to close. Time to pay and wrap it up,” The gruff voice of the bartender said from behind the counter. Roger pulled out his wallet and winked at Mary. Ignoring the flutter in her chest, she wiggled her eyebrows up and down amusingly in response. “I guess I owe you now, Rog.”

“Mary Austin, you are now officially in my debt,” he expressed with a flourish before walking away to pay the tab (nearly stumbling over his own feet). Band boys.

Roger finished paying, somehow avoiding the chairs and tables of the pub as he sashayed back to Mary. “You take a cab?” He asked.

“Yeah, you?”

“Naaahh, driver. You know, famous bloke and all that.” Another round of giggles came from the pair.

“It’s so late, Roger. Let’s just go outside and see who comes by to pick us up first.” Grinning, Roger holds out his elbow for Mary to grasp; she takes it enthusiastically and they stumble out of the pub together, all laughs and smiles.

They manage to hail a cab and fall over each other getting in, giggling and still quite drunk. “Where to?” Says the driver, sounding rather bored. Mary and Roger start speaking simultaneously before erupting again into laughter. After calming down, Roger asks, “Where to, Mary?”

“We can go to my place, I think it’s closer and the night’s still young!” She responded, feeling like the university student without a care in the world she was not-so long ago.

“Sounds like a plan,” Roger said smiling, looking into her eyes with those characteristic baby blues. “These are dangerous grounds, Mary Austin. That’s your ex-fiance's best friend,” she would have thought to herself if she were sober. Would have.

Opening the door to her apartment and turning on the light with Roger close on her heels, she headed to the liquor cabinet and pulled out her last bottle of white wine. Roger gasped and walked toward the bottle. “My favourite!”

“One more round before calling it quits for the night?” Mary asks mischievously.

Now it was Roger’s turn for eyebrow wiggling, causing yet another round of giggles. Mary went to the kitchen to get the wine glasses, feeling Roger’s eyes on her back. She liked that. Why did she like that? She decided she was feeling brave.

She walked back with the glasses and corkscrew, eyeing him flirtatiously and only stumbling once. He gave her his best shit-eating grin while placing the bottle on the table. For some reason, Mary couldn’t seem to break eye contact. She didn’t want to break eye contact. Silently, Mary held out the corkscrew and Roger, now serious, took it from her, brushing his larger, rough, calloused hands over her smaller, soft ones. His touch left a tingle on her hand. She blamed it on the alcohol. Almost as soon as the moment began, it ended. Roger turned around to open the bottle and the drunken giggles began again. “What are the chances you have MY favourite wine, of all things?!” Roger asked as the cork made its signature pop.

   “Fate? Chance? Maybe I’m secretly a groupie that knows absolutely everything about you! Shhh!” Mary held a finger to her lips. “Don’t tell!”

“Hey! No need to bring up Crystal like that, she was lovely!”

“You mean Cheryl?”

“I-unno,” he shrugged. They began to sip the wine as their conversation continued. They talked about everything and nothing all at once, throwing around incredulous ideas and laughing like teenagers. With each sip the line of propriety, and consequently sensibility, faded more and more. Talking turned to flirting, and the way Roger hung on to her every word sent a warmth spreading in her belly. Mary hadn’t felt this wicked in her life.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re an incredibly beautiful man, Roger Taylor?” Mary suddenly blurted out. At this point she didn’t care about consequences. Mary was here now, and Roger was right by her side. He distracted her from the hurt in her heart. Roger smiled and narrowed his eyes slightly at her.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re an incredibly beautiful woman, Mary Austin?”

Mary smiled slyly and looked downward. She guessed her thoughts at the pub weren’t completely one-sided. She then raised her eyes to meet Roger’s, which were still trained on her face. After a few moments of intense silence, Mary placed her hand on his from across the table and whispered, “My room is down the hall.” Completely in sync, they rose from their chairs and moved towards each other like two magnets. Breathing heavily, their faces inched closer and closer together, like an avalanche waiting for a trigger. They come even closer, lips now lightly brushing. They stay in this moment of suspension for a few agonizing seconds until Mary gives in to her lust and presses her lips against his. Almost instantly, the drummer returns the kiss with a hungry passion she hadn’t experienced in a very long while. She brings her right hand to his cheek as they deepen the kiss while he puts his own hand in the swell of her back.

They break apart for just a moment to look at each other through heavy-lidded eyes, Mary’s hand still on Roger’s cheek. Her thumb lightly brushed down his lip. “I have extra bed space, in case you need a place to crash.. If you want?” She whispers breathily, almost soundlessly. Roger brushed his lips against her own and whispers in reply, “It’d be impractical for me to go home this late, don’t you think?”

“Quite impractical.”

They kiss again, this time hungrier than the last, moving together towards Mary’s room. Roger places his hands under the curve of her ass, and she jumps up and wraps her legs around his waist in response, her dress bunching around her thighs. They stumble and knock into things, but they just laugh into the kisses as they make their way. They find Mary’s bed, and Roger lays her down. He trails kisses down her jawline and neck, reaching her chest. He stands up for a moment to remove his shirt and pants, movements almost frantic. Seeing Roger’s fit form towering over her, wanting her as much as she wanted him, made the warmth that spread over Mary’s lower belly earlier move towards her pubic area. That was definitely not from the alcohol. Sitting up, Mary quickly removed the dress from her chest area, leaving her breasts exposed and heaving. Looking at each other hungrily, Roger goes back in for a kiss, his hands roaming along Mary’s torso. His hands reach where her dress is pooled around her waist. “Want me to take this off you?” He whispers while kissing her neck.

“Yes, Roger. Oh, God yes.”

Mary, now completely naked, shifted farther back onto the bed to give Roger room to join her. He positioned himself on top of her, trailing his tongue and kisses down her chest and around her breasts. She could feel her pussy become wet with every touch, every kiss. She looked down onto the drummer, now focused on her stomach. One of his hands became entwined with hers while the other roamed her body. At this point, Mary was aching with desire, and bucked her hips as Roger’s mouth traveled down her pubic bone towards her vagina. “Rog, please,” Mary breathed. He looked up at her and smirked. Untangling his hand from hers, Roger suddenly grabbed her thighs and pulled her towards himself. This excited Mary more than she’d admit. He put a warm kiss on her inner thigh before trailing his lips over her labia, Mary’s breath hitching when he brushed past her clit. He dove in, stroking his tongue up and down her pussy, occasionally circling her clit. As he savored her sweet taste, Mary was oblivious to the world. “Oh fuck, Roger,” she would moan occasionally while grinding on his tongue. This rhythm continued until she got close to the edge, when Roger suddenly stopped. Mary gave a slight groan in protest; she was dripping wet and moments away from satisfaction. Roger stood up, moving towards his pants on the floor to take a condom out of the pocket. Mary watched him take off his underwear and move back towards her. Roger was unsurprisingly well-endowed, and the thought of him inside her made Mary more frantic with desire. She sat up as he moved towards her, a wicked gleam in both their eyes. They put the condom on then he kissed her deeply, his mouth still tasting of her. “Is this alright?” Roger asked. Mary nodded her head and smiled into his mouth, muttering a yes.

“However,” she said, breaking the kiss and putting an index finger on his collarbone, “Let’s mix things up.” Mary took Roger by the shoulder and maneuvered so that now he was the one laying on the bed, with her straddling his hips. She leaned forward for another kiss, then sat up and slowly lowered herself onto him. He grasped her hips as they found a rhythm. Grinding on his dick, Mary could see Roger go wild in full view, all because of her. She was powerful, in control. She brought a hand to her clitoris as she kept grinding and gauging Roger’s face. She could tell he was getting close; so was she. She knew she had him wrapped around her finger when all Roger could manage was a breathy “fuck, Mary.” Their breathing grew heavier as they reached a climax: Mary first, her orgasm rocking through her body like a thousand fireworks going off. Roger finished a few seconds later, letting out a groan of pleasure. Sex with Freddie was amazing, but Mary had never experienced anything like this before.

Mary dismounted Roger, leaning forward to kiss him. Breaking the kiss, their faces still inches apart, they began to laugh. It was a light, “look where we are now” kind of laugh. They could tell they were sobering up, but didn’t care enough to feel guilty just yet. Mary pressed her forehead against Roger’s chest in a weak attempt to muffle her laughter; he took her in his arms in an all-enveloping hug. “I’d say you’re no longer in my debt,” said Roger, causing another round of giddy laughter. They laid in this position for a while, just holding each other, seemingly oblivious to what they had just done. If they were in love or completely sober, they would make sure to cherish this moment. If. Eventually the laughter turned into silence as they fell asleep.

10:30 the next morning 

Mary suddenly came to. With newfound consciousness came a massive headache. “Oh my god,” she groaned quietly, pressing her palms to her eyes, “I need to pee.” Totally missing the sleeping form laying next to her, she got up groggily and started down the hall towards the loo. Her nakedness came as no surprise to her, as she often slept without clothes since meeting Freddie. After doing her business, Mary made her way to the sink. She washed her hands and looked into the mirror, studying her reflection. Her lips were slightly swollen, and Mary felt incredibly vulnerable and sensitive under the gaze of her own judgment. Last night’s events were a blur. She remembered meeting Roger and getting drunk with him, but anything after getting back to her apartment was a fog. She couldn’t seem to piece together how she had gotten naked, or how her body felt slightly raw - in a good way. She grabbed a conveniently-placed blue silk robe that was hanging on the door and slipped it on, cinching the matching belt around her waist. Mary rinsed her face with cool, clear water from the sink, relishing the way the chill brought her back to life. She pat herself dry and began to rummage through her medicine cabinet, looking for anything to help with her hangover.

Walking out of the bathroom, Mary’s usual internal dialogue greeted her like an old friend, “I think I’ll make coffee.. I need it after this headache. What to do, though? My head hurts too much to watch the telly. I should stop by my room to see if I forgot anything.” Mary made her way back to her bedroom, yawning. Opening the door, her eyes immediately focused to the sleeping figure in her bed. Mary’s stomach dropped. Oh god, she thought. Who was this man? She didn’t remember meeting anyone else last night..It couldn’t be-- she would never.. Did he even come back to her apartment with her?

Mary tiptoed silently towards the mysterious lump underneath her blankets. As she peered over to try to see any identifying features, a mop of blonde hair popped up from under the covers, his handsome face crinkled and squinting from suddenly rousing. “Hmm? Whus going on?” Roger asked sleepily as he slowly came to. Mary just stared at him wide-eyed, brain blank of thoughts and words. She backed away slowly. How could either of them ever face Freddie again? The love of Freddie’s life spending the night with his best friend? The thought of it would make most people scoff, but that’s the tragedy of reality. Mary and Roger kept staring at each other in wide-eyed silence for the next minute, both of them piecing together what had happened the night before.

“Are you..?” Mary gestured to the rest of Roger’s body. He looked under the covers, his head then shooting up in shock to focus back on Mary. The drummer nodded solemnly.

“Did we..?” She asked again quietly. A brief glance to the used condom by the bed confirmed their suspicions.

“I think so.”

A few more moments of intense silence. Mary decided to take a chance. “Coffee?” she inquired. She gauged his reaction. Would he leave? She could see realization settle on his face as to what they had done. Denial, bargaining, acceptance. He breathed a heavy sigh and nodded his head.

“Yeah, that’d be great.”

“I’ll give you some privacy.”

Mary moved numbly towards the kitchen. She wasn’t sure how she felt. She had been single for months, she had the liberty to sleep with whomever she pleased. ..Did she? Freddie had been so good to her, and it was clear he still loved her very deeply. They were still so interconnected that this felt like a betrayal. As the memory of last night grew clearer in Mary’s mind, the lack of regret hit her hardest. Last night was the most fun she’d had in so long. The turmoil that was in her heart before Roger fatefully appeared at the pub had been replaced entirely, this turmoil somehow worse. Turning on the coffee machine, Mary’s thoughts shifted to Roger. Most of her confusion was entirely about the blonde drummer. Would she be as conflicted about the situation had Roger not been so connected to Freddie? Almost certainly not. God, she would give anything to read Roger’s mind right now. How did he feel? Was he ashamed? Guilty? Did he think about Freddie? These questions plagued Mary’s thoughts as she stared blankly at the hissing coffee machine, waiting for Roger to round the corner any minute.

“Hey,” Mary heard a sheepish male voice from behind her. Her breath hitched at the sound of it. Oh, how she loved it when he talked. Vocal chords smooth as silk, he could be crass and loud as well as soft and gentle. Not to mention his raspy singing was enough to drive anyone wild. What was she thinking?! This is Freddie’s best friend she was talking about! This was Freddie’s best friend that she had just spent the night with. Mary quietly chided herself for these thoughts and turned around to face Roger. Now fully clothed, the drummer looked slightly disheveled, albeit very endearing. He looked at Mary like a lost dog, and she felt for him. She realized they were in the same boat, and had to deal with the consequences of their actions together. She poured them both a cup of coffee. Handing Roger the mug with a small smile, they both went to sit at the kitchen table. The almost-empty bottle of wine and its glasses sat there, unmoved, serving as a grim reminder of last night’s indiscretion. Mary quickly cleared the table before taking a seat across Roger. They both breathed a sigh, awkwardly avoiding each other���s eyes for a few moments while sipping their coffee. The topic of Freddie felt to Mary like the elephant in the room, and the need to clear the air overcame her feelings of awkwardness.

“I don’t regret it,” Mary exclaimed suddenly. Roger’s eyes shot up to meet hers at the sudden admission. “I’m not going to pretend that I hated last night. It’s the most alive I’ve felt in months. But there will be consequences whether or not we tell Freddie, Roger.” The drummer’s eyes immediately fell again at the mention of his best friend. Mary felt relieved that she wasn’t alone in her worry.

“I would have rather you yelled and told me you wanted to throw me out the bloody window,” Roger replied with a light chuckle, meeting her eyes yet again. This took Mary by surprise and her heart dropped. What did he mean? But Roger continued, “Last night was great, Mary. But we were drunk. We can’t blame ourselves. Usually in situations like this, we’d go our separate ways and never speak again. But..things have changed, and we can’t exactly avoid each other.”

“Do you want us to avoid each other?”

Roger took a drink from the coffee mug. “No,” he admitted.

“Me either.”

Mary let out a mirthless chuckle while rubbing her eye with her hand. “You’re right though, Roger. It’d be easy to scream at each other and direct the blame. It’d be so easy to just laugh it off, claiming we don’t remember anything because of the alcohol but--”

“But we can’t do that, can we?”

Mary shook her head in response. After a moment of unwavering eye contact, Mary broke the palpable silence with barely a whisper: “What do you remember?”

“Everything,” Roger’s breathy reply sent a shockwave of emotion through Mary’s body. “It was foggy at first, but after seeing you, and all this,” he gestured around, “it came around.”

“Do you regret it?”

“...No.” Something had changed in Mary since the pub and the bedroom last night. The strikingly handsome man before her was no longer just Roger Taylor, Queen’s drummer and her and Freddie’s mutual friend. This was Roger, a man she shared such an intimate experience with. They might have been drunk, but the desire remained. They had bonded, and there was no denying things would be different between them for a very long time to come. The intense, dark look Roger gave her clued Mary into the fact he felt the same.

“It seems we’re in the same predicament,” Mary said with a sad smile.

“It seems we are indeed, Mary.”

Mary didn’t love Roger. Love didn’t even cross her mind as they studied each other. No, this was a purely selfish, raw emotion. It was dangerous and turbulent. The daily routine she had perfected since leaving Freddie had been shattered the moment she kissed the blonde drummer last night. It scared her how one drunken night could change her world so drastically. But Roger, here in front of her, was enough for now.

[peacekeeper-xiv]

Honest Q&A: Round 5! Table

Glad to see you all here. Let’s jump right in then. It’s been a while and our reader’s will surely be itching to learn more about Eorzea’s adventurous types.

If you were ruler of your own country what would be the first law you would introduce?

Lloire: “Tch. I would introduce a law that changed our system of government to one more akin to Ishgard’s House of Commons system so that whatever fools put me in charge stood a better chance.”

K’risa: “Um, doesn’t the fact that you wanna do that make you a good choice for a ruler? Anyways, I would introduce laws that were in place to severely punish anyone found tempered or assisting with tempering.”

Beta: “No, no, miss Mau. He’s right. A leader’s gotta be willing to be willing to NOT be sacrificial. The General has to know when –they- have to withdraw from the field, and Lloire just wouldn’t ever be able to do that. For me though, I’d put strict regulations on Magitek use to coincide with the increased production.”

Chadrick: “The feck? Tha three o’ ye can actually think o’ this shyte? Nay lads, Ah’m nay rulin’ anyone. Ah suppose me first an’ only law would be t’ abolish tha government so each man was free.”

Aasifa: “Aasifa is banning slaves or people who are being worked ;like slaves for little gil.”

Benedict: “I consider myself a man of the gods. It would be improper for me to rule over others. My beliefs would unfairly cloud my judgment.”

Chance: “A merc country? Heh, a king who fights his own battles. Would be a sight, yea?”

Felix: “Only fools rule. A ruler is always a puppet. A puppet to those with coin, to the popular opinion, to blackmail, or any number of other things. Why rule when you can manipulate from the shadows? I’d never get suckered into being any country’s ruler.”

 What's the longest you've gone without sleep (and why)?

Lloire: “A week. …People I cared about were trapped within the void. I spent a week fighting to free them and only finally slept when Soren drugged me.”

K’risa: “A week? How are you not dead? No. I don’t wanna know. Longest I went was still less than a day. What? Girl needs her rest!”

Beta: “Um, well… crankshafts… I think it was three days? I was building something important.”

Chadrick: “T’was bout twenty-four ‘ours. Was travelin’ through some rough territory. Could nay afford t’ sleep, so, we pushed through.”

Aasifa: “Aasifa is sleeping every day. It is only way to stay strong, yes?”

Benedict: “I am in agreement with Master Taqalid. Proper rest is important for the body and mind.”

Chance: “Three days. Dravonians had us pinned down.”

Felix: “I didn’t count, but I recall it was several weeks. I had an experiment that required my undivided attention and well, with the right potions you can forgo sleep. Albeit at a slight degradation of your capacities.”

 Aside from necessities, what one thing could you not go a day without?

Lloire: “A book to read.”

K’risa: “My blankets! What, it’s all your fault. Talking about not sleeping made me sleepy!”

Beta: “Coffee!”

Chadrick: “Seein’ a beautiful lass smile. Nary a soul should e’er do without.”

Aasifa: “Aasifa has been without, yes? So, there is nothing he is needing so much he cannot be without.”

Benedict: “Prayer. I only bring it up as a non-necessity because so many others live without it. I could not.”

Chance: “A knife. You should always have a knife.”

Felix: “I think I will agree with dark and broody over there. Constantly learn. You should read every day.”

 Which of the five senses would you say is your strongest?

Lloire: “Smell, strange as might seem. I guess I honed it over the years learning to cook. Taste is important and all, but you smell the food well before you ever taste it… and the smell lingers long after the food is gone.”

K’risa: “I unno, hearing I guess?”

Beta: “Sight for sure. Picking things apart and remembering exactly what I saw and where a screw or bolt was… Yea, definitely sight.”

Chadrick: “O’ now, this is an easy one. Touch. Easy. ‘ands down.”

Aasifa: “Friend Chadrick, Aasifa worries you are meaning hands down skirts with way you are saying this. For Aasifa, it is hearing like friend K’risa. He is training whole childhood to be hearing intruders.”

Benedict: “I would have to say taste. Mine is overly strong, so I prefer more ‘bland’ flavors.”

Chance: “Smell for me too. Different uses though.”

Felix: “My sixth. Next question.”

 Which of the five senses would you give up if you had to lose one?

Lloire: “Given previous… injuries, sight. I’ve already started training to be without it. I’d miss it for sure, but I would miss the others more.”

K’risa: “Really? You’d go blind before not being able to cook? You’re a strange one. For me, it’d be smell.”

Beta: “I’m kinda with miss K’risa Lloire. It’s crazy to go blind instead of not being able to smell. You’d get yourself ki--…. Oh… Nevermind, it all makes sense.”

Chadrick: “Well, Ah mean… Ah’d lose me sight before me sense o’ touch… but alas, Ah must agree with tha others… Smell can go first.”

Aasifa: “Hmm, Aasifa is thinking touch. If he is not feeling, there is no pain, he is greater fighter, yes?”

Benedict: “I’m not certain that would be wise Master Taqalid. Pain is a warning so we know how far to push ourselves. I am with the others. Perhaps a lost sense of smell might even out my sense of taste.”

Chance: “Sound I guess. Wouldn’t have to hear as much whining from people at least.”

Felix: “An interesting question… though I have to agree with the majority. Smell is the least useful sense in the lives we live.”

 How would your friends describe you?

Lloire: “Depends on the friend I imagine. Soren’d tell you I’m a stubborn ass who always thinks he’s right. Siben’d tell you I try to hard and am quick to temper. Most everyone would likely agree that I’m injury prone I suppose.”

K’risa: “Um, I guess they’d say I was a hard worker.”

Beta: “Injury prone? That’s how you describe it? It’s not like you slipped and fell on a knife yanno. Um, most’a my friends would probably say I’m a workaholic and I’m bad at multitasking and should eat more.”

Chadrick: “Well, shyte. Ah’m nay sure. A few’d probably say Ah was a cocky bloke.”

Aasifa: “Friends have said before, describing Aasifa is difficult thing. But most are saying he like like the wind.”

Benedict: “I would hope they’d describe me as warm and caring. Protective.”

Chance: “And big Benny. As for me, ain’t too many I call friend and fewer still I’d give a fuck what they said.”

Felix: “As the guy you call when shits gone to hell and you need a way out.”

 What did you want to be when you were small?

Lloire: “An archmage. Someone like Louisoix or Shatotto.”

K’risa: “I wanted what every girl in our tribe wanted. To be a huntress.”

Beta: “You just… I swear, you don’t own a mirror do you? Ugh. I wanted to be the world’s best engineer. Well, okay, want to be…”

Chadrick: “Ah was goin’ t’ say lad… ye are still a wee one. As fer me, Ah’ve always dreamed o’ bein’ a ‘ero. E’er since Ah too was a wee lad.”

Aasifa: “Free, yes?”

Benedict: “When I was young, I simply wished to please the family that took me in.”

Chance: “A merc. It was all I’d known.”

Felix: “Alchemy has been an interest of mine since I first heard of it.”

 What's the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of love?

Lloire: “Pretty sure I have to say ‘Stab myself in the chest’ or Beta will call me out on it.”

K’risa: “Yea, he will. How did you—I’d rather not know. I uh, left my tribe and everyone I knew.”

Beta: “Yea, next time you go falling for a girl, maybe just roses and chocolates, ‘kay? For me, it was raid a castrum and take over all their reapers.”

Chadrick: “Ah di’nay know tha’ Ah’d call it fer love… but tha craziest thing Ah did fer romance was date wha’ amounted t’ a princess. Di’nay hiss K’risa… she ne’er did a thing t’ ye.””

Aasifa: “Aasifa is not understanding question. Everything done for love is crazy, yes? Otherwise… is not love?”

Benedict: “I fear I am going to have to abstain from answering. I have not been in love and as such have not done anything foolish.”

Chance: “Tried to play at hero.”

Felix: “Hmm… pretty much everything I did from the age nineteen to twenty-three.”

 Do you collect anything? If so, what?

Lloire: “Books.”

K’risa: “I don’t think it counts that I collect fabrics, considering that’s my job.”

Beta: “Mostly Garlean scrap. Wha? It’s not ‘technically’ my job. Also, Lloire, I’m pretty sure you collect scars.”

Chadrick: “Ah’ve a giant collection o’ tha things Ah kept from each o’ me missions. Aislyn an’ Ah make it a point t’ keep one thing from each job.”

Aasifa: “Aasifa is not one for ‘things’, yes? You cannot take with you. No matter what some people might think.”

Benedict: “Yes, I have a collection of different totems, rosaries, wards, from various beliefs. I enjoy learning about other people’s beliefs.”

Chance: “…no. The fuck am I gonna do with all that extra weight?”

Felix: “Like Scars, I have a collection of tomes as well as a collection of rare metals and gems.”

 Who was your first crush?

Lloire: “A woman named Stanzie. ”

K’risa: “A pretty boy hero who doesn’t know how to sit still.”

Beta: “Um, I guess Ikara? I mean, I didn’t really get the whole dating thing before I met her.”

Chadrick: “There was this lass named Cathleen when Ah was growin’ up. Me da dealt with ‘ers kind o’ regularly. Otherwise, Ah’d ‘ave t’ say Sinomen.”

Aasifa: “Bliss. Let us speak on something new, yes?”

Benedict: “Again, I will need to bow… what is that mister Tamisier? Oh, well.. I suppose… very well. There was a young Elezen girl when I was much much younger… but that was highly inappropriate. Her name? Oh… It’s been so many years. Killie… Kyliean… I fear I do not recall anymore.”

Chance: “Right… sure you don’t Benny. There was a fellow merc when I was starting out. Becca. That’s all ya need to know.”

Felix: “I suppose my betrothed when I was young would have been my first crush. Her name was Alison.”

 Do you or your family have a “motto” – spoken or unspoken?

Lloire: “No. Not really. Maybe if I start one someday I’ll come up with one.”

K’risa: “Oh, like I’d forget what I hear time and time again. ‘One struggle, one people, one destiny.’”

Beta: “Noooope.”

Chadrick: “Ah’ll go with me ma’s. ‘Fortune favours tha bold.’”

Aasifa: “If Aasifa is having one… he is not knowing it, yes?”

Benedict: “As with miss Mau, I could not forget it if I tried. ‘Honour is the reward of virtue.’”

Chance: “No.”

Felix: “Hahaha. Yea, no.”

 What do you do to keep fit?

Lloire: “Every morning is a fairly standard routine. Pushups, crunches, squats, a run… plus all the training and fighting.”

K’risa: “Keep fit? Do you all have to try to stay fit?”

Beta: “I guess all my time at the forge keeps me pretty fit. I mean, hammering stuff all day and working on magitek… it can be hard work.”

Chadrick: “Blitzball’s a pretty full body workout ye know. Outside o’ tha’… Ah find Ah di’nay need much else, aye?”

Aasifa: “Aasifa and Lloire are similar here. Aasifa wakes and does morning exercises. It is ingrained in him since time first remembered.”

Benedict: “I am not so sure I am as fit as say Master Peace or Master Taqalid.”

Chance: “Work. Don’t need anything else.”

Felix: “Aya started me on a training regimen some many many years ago. I’ve stuck with it since.”

 If you could live somewhere else from where you live now, where would it be?

Lloire: “Yanxia. It’s beautiful there.”

K’risa: “I’ve heard there is a land to the south that sounds amazing.”

Beta: “Idyllshire for sure. I wish I could now!”

Chadrick: “E’erywhere. Ah cannay imagine settlin’ down t’ any one spot.”

Aasifa: “Aasifa is with friend Chadrick. The winds blow everywhere. So does Aasifa”

Benedict: “I… have not given that thought. There is still much of the world for me to see to rightly say. Lady Sayo has spoken much of the east and I’ve heard the Steepe is beautiful.”

Chance: “Where I live doesn’t matter. Where doesn’t make it home.”

Felix: “Hah. And packs like to keep on the move, right wolfboy? Dravania if I had to pick.”

 If you had a warning label, what would yours say?

Lloire: “Danger of death, high voltage.”

K’risa: “Shocking.” *snickers* “Um Cat crossing? I don’t know. I’m not all that dangerous.”

Beta: “I unno, something like Warning, explosion hazards I guess?”

Chadrick: “Caution, ‘ot. Tha rest o’ ye are too damned serious.”

Aasifa: “Umm… This is strange question… Aasifa’s would say, warning… anger Aasifa and he will cut of your head. Is good warning, yes?”

Benedict: “I… I think that may be a bit on the nose Master Taqalid. I suppose mine would say Contents under pressure.”

Chance: “Wolf advisory in effect.”

Felix: “Seek shelter.”

 How do you sleep? With clothes, fitfully or peacefully, lots of pillows?

Lloire: “Odd question… I have night clothes… a single pillow, and I imagine a bit more fitfully than many others.”

K’risa: “You poor thing. I um, have a nightgown. That’s all I’m telling!”

Beta: “Rarely and usually where I fall.”

Chadrick: “Godsdamn lad… Yer too young fer all o’ tha’. Get yer rest. Lots o’ pillows and quite peacefully.”

Aasifa: “Aasifa has bed made of cushions. He sleeps well. You should try it. Very comfortable.”

Benedict: “I spend most nights in inn rooms. They are comfortable enough.”

Chance: “Bedrolls more often than not. I sleep fine.”

Felix: “You don’t want to know… trust me. Suffice it to say… in velvet.”

 Real quick, before you all leave. It was recently Valentione’s Day here is Eorzea. How did you feel about that holiday?

Lloire: “Tch… None of your business. My Shield Sister loves it though.”

K’risa: “I love it! I sold all kinds of cute lingerie!”

Beta: “Ikara and I always go out and enjoy the festivities. So I like it.”

Chadrick: “It’s a celebration o’ love, aye? Wha’s nay t’ like unless you’re tha’ gloomy type. Nay dating fer ye eh Lloire? Cut inta tha broodin’ time?”

Aasifa: “This festival was fun time! Aasifa and companion Rahya scared many moogles and then got chairs for our efforts, yes?”

Benedict: “I’m afraid I did not participate, though the decorations and festivities made Sunny quite happy.”

Chance: “…Yea, Lloire… I still owe you an asswhooping for that. She’s still laughing at me… ass.”

Felix: “The pink hurts my eyes… Heh, pinkeye. Hmm… maybe next year I’ll… huh? Oh, we’re done. Great.”

 As always, thank you all for answering our readers’ questions. I think next round we’ll have another theme. Until then!

Tagged by: Uh, I made this one. So @me?

Tagging: @wicked-virtue @yutikyis@waitingrose @susukosuko@hedgearcher @hana-xiv @devil-you-know @nebula1984 and anyone I might have left off or forgotten.

[eden-but-chaos]

!!!BIG TRIGGERWARNING FOR METIONS OF DRUGS, CHILD NEGLECT GANG ACTIVITY!!!

just dont read this i just need to put it somewhere,, im safe now, i seriously do not think the person im writing about is going to be

protip,,, dont be friends with your drug dealer... dont fucking rely on him for two years when your mum was completely gone.

HOW THE HELL did we meet in a math class??? how does that become what is happening now?

mum was never home and your company was so easy to seek out. living so close probably didnt help anything, but i needed you there. i would be dead. i seriously be dead. i was so close so so so many times. and then there you were banging on my door with a fifty for me. gatorades taste like SHIT. and mums nice hose is fucked now. there's probably a lot of gross shit in my lungs. especially from that STUPIF FUCKING HOSE PIPE I USED FOR MONTHS (i think 8?) it was always fun though. we just sit around and smoke and eat whatever shitty food i could afford with what fucking scaps of money mum left at the house when she was home (once a fuckinh week) it was nice to be able to have a spot for it lol. i still have the book we used to use to fucking roll jays in. i use it to press flowers of all things now. (got some in there at the momment for the the girl im kinda in love with who unfortunately lives on the literal other side of the world, shes great though i dunno if youd get along well with her shes more intune with my nerdy gay shit than you are,,)

the past summer. was. insane. you and her were not good together and im sorry for what happened to you in that situation.

being in the back seat of that car. at twilight. was HORRIFIC. i dont think either of you noticed that i was having a panic attack (it was my first one in months,, thanks for that) and then being stuck at that stupid fucking beach in the middle of BUTTFUCK NOWHERE with both of you fucking have a bad trip. there was NOTHING. for me to take to calm down either so i was just fucking shitting it in the car for the whole damn night. the ranger coming scared the SHIT OUT OF ME. like silence after 10 would have fucked you guys if you hadnt known. why did u cap that night??? i still dont understand. ur comedown while we were driving home the next morning was so gross. you were fucking punchjng the roof of the car!!! and the people at the truck stop were giving the three of us some very fucking weird looks. im pretty sure that if i wasnt in that car with the both of you that you would have fucking died. like literally. or fucked the car up anyway. there were so many fucking ROOS. jesus christ the kangaroos. the beach though,, god damn it was one of the most beautiful things ive seen in my life. sucks you were having a bad trip tho because the stars ended up being fucking weird for you but for me,, they were amazing. ive seen good stars before but those. those were something else. it was super fucking weird to get to it though? the beach i mean,, from where you parked anyway. if we had of turned right (like you wanted to) you would have bogged the car. which would have SUCKED. i still cant believe you dropped when we were leaving the city. that was so stupid. the drive to my old town and the place we were going was at least two and a half hours. you were fucked before we were half way there. so so so stupid. its a funny story to tell now though i guess

some time later that summer we were at the foreshore,, a little further along than were we used to go for seshing, i can't remember really what it was for? maybe for the exchange student or something. but i dont really remember honestly. (bit of a blur ironically) but anyway i remember that was the first time that i heard about this plan of yours. to move with that guy. i didnt really think much of it honestly. like i thought it was just unno spur of the momment shit,, (you were capping im pretty sure,, and i think viagra cause caps fuck up your dick lmao) but i guess not? but yeah i thought it was a load of BULLSHIT after today i guess not, six months and youre gone? seriously? im literally going to pray for you. and i dont do that very often anymore. i asked if it would be okay if i could visit. but is that a good idea? like will i even be safe? would you be able to confirm that i was gunna be safe? are you gunna be high enough up in this thing to confirm that?

ive cried for you so many times in the past, this year only a few times,, after summer when u were still super caught up in caps i was worried you were gunna get into the heavier shit (which i suppose i should be even more worried about that now) i cried a lot about that. at the ball i cried for you in the bathroom after you got kicked out. i was actually super angry about what happened that night. she seriously fucked you around which was so unfair. (i still hate her stupid fuckinh girlfriend lol shes dumb as dog shit. who the fuck is gay and an antivaxer in 2020 what kind of bullshit. shes genuinely one of the stupids cunts ive ever met) ive got a picture of me crying in the bathroom. cause i thought it was funny.

i'll remember you forever. stay as safe as possible. and hurt as few people as you can. you were a brother to me. genuinely. and ill never forget that.

i love you dude. theres always a bed at mine

[skegulium]

Games

===>Alexar: 6 Sweeps

“We need them to talk,” Kyviar hissed, heavy, dark eyes glancing back towards the door to the brig. The belly of the ship was dark - darker than most nights were and the small, sputtering lantern in your hand only illuminated the room and the two of you so well. You were still splattered in blood from the fight, but Kyviar though…  She was pristine. You’ve been with her crew for almost a sweep now and you’re still marveling over her. A spitfire, anger incarnate, a troll burning brighter than the sun. Even her skin seemed to sizzle and burn with its own hidden luminosity and you had a vague notion that even here in the dark, she glowed faintly. 

Her eyes flicked back to you and your heart thumped in your chest as you straightened back up. “Of course,” You said, rubbing at your nose as you looked towards the door too. Behind it sat your prisoners - the leaders of the Flarping group the lot of you were fighting earlier. They were captives now. They had something Kyviar wanted - that she coveted and she was determined to pry the location of their treasure out of their heads. “Don’ worry, I’ll make sure they talk. Can’t really be all that hard can it? After all, I’d be a reaaaal shit first mate if I can’t handle somethin’ like that.” She studied you for a long moment, a hidden fire flickering behind her eyes before her frown cracked and she smiled. “Of course,” she drawled out and turned to head back to the deck with a swagger in her step. “I trust you. I know you’ll get me what I want.” She paused on the top step, hand on the door knob and she turned back. Even in the dark, it almost seemed like the yellows of her eyes were glowing. “You will get me what I want.” Kyviar said, her words slow but sharp. A silent promise was hidden in those words. Then, the door swung open and she stepped out. You shuddered as the door clicked shut. Yeesh. She meant business tonight and you knew what would happen if you failed. There were a lot that was expected of you tonight - might as well get to work right? No point in trying to trying to test her temper. Turning towards the door, you squared your shoulders and lifted your chin with a confident swagger - the true mark of a piratical first mate - and you stepped in.

The room was a mess. Drying blood was puddled over in the far corner, soaking in the floorboards of the ship as one of the rival pirates sat square in the middle of it all. It wasn’t hers, of course, but it looked like it might as well have been with how it was smeared about. Brought to her knees and bound, she was a tearful mess. She was angry too - angry as she watched her matesprit get beat on the otherside of the room. Beaten and tortured, though when you swung your head to find them, you realized it was more torture at this point. Three of your ship mates were huddled around the tealblood from where she hung from the rafters. There were wet squelching noises and the soft groans of pain and when you stepped closer and raised your lamp, you realized they were in the middle of hammering nails deep into knees. There was so much blood and more splattered them with each hit of the hammer but the teal’s teeth remained firmly clenched shut. Holy shit, how long were you gone?  How did they do this much damage in such a short amount of time? “Hey!” You snapped out, causing everyone’s heads to snap towards you. “Th’ fuck y’ think yer doin’?!” Rheine, one of your shipmates, dropped the hammer in her hands and quickly stood as you approached. She tried to wipe her hands clean of the teal that dripped off of them, but there was nothing that she could do to hide the rest that covered her. “We were torturin’ ‘em!” Rheine barked out. “Tenderizin’ ‘em, tryin’ to get ‘em to spill on where they hid the - “ You lifted a hand to stop them and pinched the bridge of your nose. “Yeah yeah, I know. But good fuckin’ lord Rheine, don’t y’ think this is a bit much?” There’s a moment of awkward silence, as they all processed your words. The teal stared at you, blood dripping from her mouth. You tried not to look at them. You tried not to look at their knees and the mass of nails buried in them.

(The thought of it made your stomach flip and you can’t imagine what it must be like to have each one of those lined up and - ) Rheine shifted awkwardly, stepping away from the strung up teal. “I thought - thought you and Capt’n would ‘preciate it if we got it from ‘em quick. Torture ‘em til they - “ “‘Til they decide they’d rather die than talk? Jesus Rheine, y’don’t do that.” You stepped forward and Rheine flinched as you bent to pick up the hammer. You hefted it up in your hands and held it up in front of her face. “This,” You said slowly, waiting for her to meet your eyes. “Is meant fer fixin’. This,” You gestured towards the teal with the hammer, noting the way they lifted their chin up in defiance at you. “S’not what it’s meant fer.” Rheine couldn’t meet your eyes. You knew they wouldn’t and the rest of your shipmates squirmed awkwardly around the two of you. Sighing, you flipped the hammer back around and held it back out to them handle first. “What’s done ‘s done. I’ll handle it from here. Go stand t’ th’ side Rheine.” Rheine jumped to do as you said and skittered on off to the side away from you and the strung up teal. The other two shipmates waited for your instruction and you ignored them for now to look at the teal. You steeled yourself and raised your chin to meet their eyes. “Fuck you,” She spat - literally. Teal blood and spittle hit your cheek and you frowned as you wiped it off.

“Fair ‘nough,” You said, before you turned away from her.

Her matesprit was still sitting exactly where she was earlier. Not that you were expecting her to move or anything, but you can appreciate someone who realizes you aren’t here to go bangin’ nails into people’s legs. Her eyes are big and she’s pretty looking, concerned and clearly terrified. You sighed and grabbed the back of a chair that one of your shipmates were using and dragged it on over in front of her. The poor girl flinches away from you and scoots up against the wall and you really, really don’t blame her. But, you do your best to make sure you’re not coming off as threatening and you place the lantern down on the ground between your feet as you sit. Everything is quiet for a long moment, all eyes on you and her. You reach into a pocket and the teal behind you gasps and rattles her chains - as you pull out a lemon. The girl across from you blinks and you just glance up at her as you start digging your nails in to peel it. “So,” You start off, carefully working your claws under the rind. “I ‘unno what t’ tell ya here. I’m gonna be frank though - Kyviar ain’t really happy. Far as I know, y’ guys have somethin’ she wants an’ wants bad. Bad enough that -” You gestured over your shoulder towards the strung up teal. “ - That she’s okayin’ that sorta stuff. Me though? I’m not as much of a fan.” You shake your head and scrunch your face as you drop bits of lemon peel on the ground. The girl still stares at you, just a bit disbelieving. “If it was up t’ me - an’ again lemme say that it normally ain’t - I’d have th’ lot of y’ thrown off th’ ship. Stick y’ on an island, feed y’ t’ th’ seafolk, y’know th’ usual sort of stuff.” A thick peel drops do the ground and you start picking out bits of the fruit and pop a piece into your mouth. You sit there in silence for a moment as you ate, the only sounds in the room being the soft creak of the ship and the girl’s quiet sniffles. You eat another piece and nod your head as you look back up at her with a rueful smile. “D’ya really wanna go out like this?” You ask quietly, leaning forward with an elbow on your knee. “Dyin’ in th’ bottom of some hellcursed ship run by a buncha monsters that ain’t afraid t’ do what we need t’ survive? But not all of us are monsters y’know. I ain’t. Can’t we make a deal?” Her eyes followed you through the gloom of the room and the ship groaned around you. “Tell me where y’ treasure is, an’ then I’ll get all chummy wit’ my capt’n an’ see if I can’t get y’ dropped off someplace where th’ two of y’ have a chance to survive.”

The teal shuffled in front of you, her knees slipping in the blood beneath her and her chest stuttering with a nervous inhale. Your eyes stuck to her like white on rice even as her head dipped down and you could hear the soft sounds of sniffling. “I - I don’t want to die,” she moaned softly after a moment. “I don’t want to die, I just wanted to play a game, we just wanted - we just wanted to have fun.” Her shoulders began to shake and a pang of sympathy shot through you. The thought of stepping over to put a hand on her back crosses your mind but you doubt she’d take to that well. No, she was afraid, but not trustful. Its best to be patient.

You watch her as she cries, quiet and as understanding as you could be. She paused for a moment and thats when you leaned in again. “Lemme help y’ then. Please?” You duck your head to catch her eyes, a soft smile spreading across your face. “Tell us where it is ‘cause a buncha gold an’ beetles an’ caegers ain’t really worth dyin’ over an’ I can petition t’ set y’ two free. Get y’ out of here an’ on th’ road back hive, together.”

Her eyes glimmered in the dark as she stared, the trail of tears and snot on her face glinting in the low light - but you can also see something else there too. A spark of hope.

There’s a long moment of silence, then slowly, she nods.

—–

Kyviar denies your request.

She’s pleased as fucking punch when you bring her the news, laughing and slinging an arm around your bony shoulders as she jumps up to press a kiss to cheeks and for a moment, you fill the entire fire of her being fill you up, feel it warm your heart and your stomach like you swallowed a hot coal. This is what you wanted, you had wanted this so bad. Her smiles and laughs were infectious and you couldn’t help but swing her around before she had you mark down on a map where they hid the treasure. Then, you bring up your request to spare the captain and her matesprit and she laughs again. It’s bright, clear and just as joyous as before but it’s punctuated with a single word. “No.” You’re not sure how to quite process that even as she flits around the cabin, collecting her goods to go back out on the island to dig up their stash. Your grin falters on your face, and you hesitantly follow her. “Really? They ain’t really a danger t’ us -” “Hell no!” She said, a cold authoritative edge under her chipper words. “They knew what the hell they were doing fighting me, I’m not about to let them go alive. Besides, I already promised the crew an execution.” She slings a pack of blades onto her back and starts fumbling for her hiking boots in the closet. “Tell Jacker to bring them up to the deck. We’ll make an example of them and hang their bodies up on the island. It’ll be a message, from me.”

The fire from her kiss seemed to fizzle out at her words and hardened into a lump of ice cold coal in your stomach. It hangs there, heavy and pendulous even as you step around her map table to approach her. “C’mon, there’s another way we can send a message, ain’t there? D’ we really gotta do that?  Is it worth it? ‘Cause I dunno, I jus’ don’t think they’re worth it - “ Her hands dart out as quick as a snake and you flinch back as they grab the chain of your necklace and then they twist. Cold metal scraped together as it tightens around your throat and you gasp as it pinches painfully against your skin. Kyviar doesn’t pull hard enough to strangle but the kiss and the bite of the links of metal are a silent threat. Her eyes are locked on yours again and you don’t waver for a moment even as she leans in, the yellows of her eyes burning. “A first mate on my ship,” She says softly, “Shouldn’t have such a bleeding heart, Alexar baby. A first mate on my ship should be following my orders when I give them. Do I have to find a new one? Because that’s a shame, I like you Alexar.” Your swallowed. You could feel the chain of your necklace move with your throat and you’re careful as you shake your head. That seems to please her and the grin breaks across her face again and suddenly, the pressure on your throat is gone and she stands on her toes to press a kiss to your cheek. “Great! Now go tell Jacker. I want things to be ready in an hour.” —–

You have things ready in forty-five minutes.

You’ll never be able to get it out of your head. The teal and her matesprit were so hopeful when you came into the cell, their eyes wide and trusting when they saw your spindly frame in the doorway. They listened so well when you had Rheine unshackle them and tie their hands and the matesprit gave you a watery, thankful smile as you started to lead them out. You refused to acknowledge the two of them

Her smiles twisted into surprise, then devastation, then anger, betrayal, terror and desperation when she was marched out on deck. Jacker had everything ready to string them up and there was no hiding what was to come, especially with the entire crew gathered around and thirsty for blood. She tried to fight you as you dragged her over to him, her legs kicking and her horns thrashing and her mouth spitting every kind of insult she could think of. She called you a liar, a pirate, a worthless waste of material who should have died in the caverns. A coward and a traitor and a monster and then it dissolves to wordless screams and cries of terror and fear and anger - but they all bounced off of you as you ignored her.

You get her halfway up the steps when she seems to jerk in your hand and you turn just in time to catch her as she tries too ram the points of her horns into you. She nearly knocks the two of you off the platform but you manage to grab her by the curve of her horn before it could do much more than tangle in your shirt. The crew cries out and whoops with delight as you swing her about and she tries again to twist her horns at you. Your hands grip harder at her horns and her head and she’s fighting, she’s tossing, she’s crying for her life - and then you just twist your hand and a loud crack snaps through the air and she drops to her knees with a wordless shriek of pain.

There’s the sudden sound of laughter next to you, familiar, warm, and bright and you turn with the troll’s broken horn in hand to see Kyviar. She stands out from the crowd as she approaches you, her shirt and skirt tail as white as can be, as glowing as always. She steps up next to you to stand over the sobbing troll and she lazily grabs the horn out of your hand. It’s lighter than you expected and you don’t even try to fight as she takes it.

“I’ll keep this, make you a gift out of it,” She says, hefting the length of horn. “Gift from me to you, as thanks for being such a damned good first mate. “ Kyviar winks at you and you can feel your stomach lurch.

No matter how beautiful she was, no matter how loud the crew encouraged you behind you, no matter how neatly they could wrap their words, it couldn’t get rid of this cold coal of… Something at sits deep in your stomach. It’s heavy, it’s like ice, it won’t melt with the warmth of the crowd or the pure fire of Kyviar herself praising you - every time you’re reminded of the troll on her knees before you, it just grows colder and heavier. There’s a lump in your throat even as you smile at Kyviar and reach down to drag your prisoner back to her feet.

“Sounds great,” You distantly hear coming out of your mouth, and then you push the troll forward.

Kyviar gives you the option to do it yourself. Her calling card is simple - disembowel them, paint them black, hoist them up on poles. She was a terror, a ruthless pirate captain, preying on the weak and helpless and the trolls who just can’t fight her off hard enough. Her signs are a blight on the lands and she loves it and so does her crew. So do you. Why wouldn’t you? You were her first mate? If you didn’t support her fully then what kind of first mate were you? She adored you and trusted you - you had to trust her too and her decisions. Even now, she trusts you. Her grin is wide and brilliant in the lights of the lanterns on the ship and the knife she hands you almost seems to reflect that.

You take it in your hands, hefting the weight for a second, before you turn towards your prisoners.

You had work to do and you couldn’t disappoint. After all, what did it matter after all of this?

It was just a game.

[turntechheartthrob-blog]

` Oversharing Asks ;

`{ I’m putting these under a read more for several reasons. One, there’s fifty eight of these questions and two some of them are triggering. TW/CW for suicide, self harm, cheating, and mentions of death. Read at your own risk. }

1.       Who hurt you the most?

sigh look i feel like plenty of peeps already know the answer to this but for those of you in the back who aint quite got the memo yet my bro dude wasnt exactly the epitome of perfection or anythin not like anyone is but eh i aint goin into detail dont feel like it

2.       Who have you hurt the most?

this is really hard for me ta answer cause i aint really sure kinda hopin i aint hurt anyone i cared bout but shit happens i make mistakes i aint perfect gods aint perfect either

3.       Who do you miss the most?

yo now this one is pretty fucked up but  really miss the shit out of my bro even though the thoughta bumpin into him really freaks me the hell out im a complicated guy maybe im just hopin we can clear the air

4.       Who do you want out of your life the most?

people who keep trynna hold me an my pals back from settin this new world up like we been fightin for years we lost some an got some gods deserve breaks too ya know an it aint like i always been one just leave us the hell alone  go fuck with another world this ones ours

5.       Who had the biggest positive impact on you?

rose  shes always there ta listen an she aint ever dished out any judgement my way (not anythin that really hurt me anyway shes harsh but shes speakin the truth yknow)

6.       Who had the biggest negative impact on you?

7.       Who do you wish you could be honest with?

my bro but fuck if i aint real frazzled when it comes ta shit with him maybe in the future i can work my shit out an say what needs ta be said 

8.       Who have you harbored (any kind of!) secret feelings towards?

wow would ya look at that hopped my ass back in time again zippity zap aint no response to this question here

9.       Who would the world be better off without?

puppets fuckin puppets man fuck puppets an no not literally fuck outta here with that shit

10.   Who do you wish you’d treated differently?

bro

11.   What was the worst day of your life?

that one birthday reckon it was my eleventh bro an i went up on the roof for a fuckin strife an thats where i got that real bad scar its bout six inches long an it runs down my right shoulder blade shit was so not fuckin cash hurt real bad an i thought i was gonna fuckin bleed ta death

12.   What’s your greatest fear?

losin all my friends an fuckin our chances up in this new world too 

13.   What’s your biggest insecurity?

not bein the hero i really wanna be i reckon like not bein able to save my friends cause i aint strong enough 

14.   What’s your biggest regret?

lemme get back to ya on that one i aint really sure dont wanna dig round an try an find it either might really eat me up if i do hope ya understand 

15.   Describe your ideal world.

aight im kinda livin in it but itd be a shitton more ideal if all my pals were here kinda worried bout most of em aint seen the ones from my timeline an its got me real paranoid did they make it is there somethin im missin did i die an is this a dream yknow shit like that.... 

16.   Describe your personal hell.

17.   What’s a hopeless dream you’re still holding on to?

i unno if its really hopeless since im pretty much already here but all those years ago i was fuckin terrified an convinced wed be fightin until we couldnt fight anymore yknow stuck in a constant loop of battle after battle hopin wed make it to the next mornin or night alive shit was fuckin terrifyin an i was so convinced that i was gonna be stuck livin that life forever along with everyone else an i didnt want that for em i woulda took all the pain for em yknow lived it all alone if it meant they got out an got ta live again 

18.   What’s the most embarrassed you’ve ever been?

iunno honestly i pretty much embarass myself on the daily an yer askin for specifics i aint got a specific moment im particularly embarrassed about

19.   What’s the angriest you’ve ever been?

twelfth birthday when i walked right into the fuckin ultimate smuppet trap was just goin ta the bathroom ta shower an brush my teeth an fuckin bam biggest fuckin trap ever thought my arm was broken for a fuckin week 

20.   What’s the saddest you’ve ever been?

thinkin about all this real depression fuckin shit i gotta answer i dunno dont really like gettin lost in my thoughts cause then i start rememberin an diggin up all kindas extra fuckin depression shit that kills me a lil inside 

21.   What’s the most scared you’ve ever been?

when i was eleven an i got the scar i was so fuckin terrified i was gonna die i mean i fuckin passed out an i had some terrifyin dreams too it was just not a good time an i wouldnt do it over again 

22.   What’s the most hopeless you’ve ever felt?

23.   What’s the most frantic you’ve ever felt?

i dont fuckin know sheesh any questions on this thing that aint gonna make me relive terrible shit  my heads killin me

24.   What’s the bravest you’ve ever felt?

when i was able ta save the world i was scared as shit ima be real with you but damn it felt great an i felt great too

25.   What’s the best case scenario for your future?

gettin ta meet up with all my pals from my timeline findin out they were here all along jus waitin for the right time maybe searchin for the best place ta set their cribs up i dunno 

26.   What’s the worst case scenario for you future?

realizin the game aint over 

27.   What’s the most physical pain you’ve ever felt?

lemme take ya back to my eleventh birthday for the third time hurt a lot more than dyin ta get my god powers i can tell ya that much

28.   What’s the most emotional pain you’ve ever felt?

when i found my bros body  i dunno how ta describe it cause it was just a real fucked up time an  it hurt it hurt a whole fuckin lot cause i wanted ta make up with him an hash out my feelins an i thought id never get a chance

29.   Describe a time you felt like a hypocrite.

nothin is really comin ta mind if i dig round enough somethin might but yeah aint really that important anyway

30.   Describe a time you felt like a traitor.

one particular time john an i was fightin this one massive fuckin imp i had to bolt for half a sec cause my sword fuckin bit the dust came back an john was pretty fuckin beat up felt like shit but we made it out 

31.   Describe a time you felt like a hero.

when we got the new place set up i mean not set up but when we fuckin got here an realized yo this is our world an we did it we got this place together an we can live an exist together all normal like without fightin everyday 

32.   Describe a time you felt inhuman.

when i died an came back with my god tier powers reckon it makes sense died a human an came back a god there ya go

33.   Describe a time you felt like a failure.

durin all the fights an shit with bro did my best but physically knockin me down was never enough for him always had ta mentally knock me down too 

34.   What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?

i dunno man i just dont fuckin know anymore probably fillin this shit out dishin out all this real personal shit feels kinda like a therapy sesh though kinda like im lettin all this shit off my chest so maybe it aint that bad

35.   What are you proudest of?

bein able to finish the game an set this place up with my pals it it was a fuckin dream come true i didnt think itd ever be possible figured wed be stuck fightin shit for the rest of forever wed be together but i just wanted ta not be fightin i wanted ta breathe an live an feel normal again 

36.   What’s your relationship with your family like?

@earthcvantas @schrodingersweabooeffect were pretty tight got each others backs family that chills together its legit dirk promised ta have dinner with me soon

37.   What’s your relationship with religion like?

i aint got one wouldnt really make sense in my opinion im a god do gods worship gods too i unno i dont really feel like thinkin bout it

38.   Talk about someone you’ve lost.

jade i reckon i aint seen her in fuckin centuries she was one of my besties i really miss the fuck outta here i hope shes aight 

39.   Talk about someone who abandoned you.

 40.   Talk about a desire you have that scares you.

makin peace or whatever with my bro really scares the shit outta me if ima be honest 

41.   What’s something you wish you were capable of?

teachin all my pals to fly cause honestly its rad as hell but i mean cant exactly teach em ta be gods

42.   What’s something you’re afraid that you’re capable of?

lettin my family down anyone is capable of this i aint an exception god or not

43.   Describe the kind of life you wish you’d been born into.

mom an a dad i reckon spoiled with video games an legit tech maybe my own lil lab where i could collect an properly organize all my dead shit birthday parties an maybe a pool out back few pets a dog an a cat maybe a snake love repitles theyre pretty legit if ya ask me

44.   Describe your worst heartbreak.

nah id rather not lol thanks for askin check back again never erased all that shit like it aint ever happened here fixin this shit for a reason bruh

45.   Describe your worst disappointment.

fifteenth birthday hah  instead of spendin chill time with my peeps we were still out fightin didnt get a cake or nothin got to risk my life though shit wasnt cash

46.   Have you ever taken a fall for someone?

all the time its my style i reckon im down to take a fall if its for someone i care about when i really care for ya reckon you could say im self sacrificing id take a bullet for someone if they meant enough ta me like @earthcvantas or @schrodingersweabooeffect dont fuck with my family

47.   Have you ever forced or let someone take a fall for you?

i aint the kinda dude that lets people take falls for me but dirk would prob forcefully take a fall for me if ima be honest with yall hes a real protective dude 

48.   Have you ever done serious physical harm to someone?

few peeps that got in my way durin the game  plenty of imps pretty sure ya get the idea

49.   Have you ever done serious emotional harm to someone?

no i aint an i dont plan on it 

50.   Have you ever self-harmed?

.... look i dont get why people wanna get this kinda drop on me but i have yeah aint done it recently or even in the past three years didnt have the time or the strength ta really muster up for somethin like that dont plan on doin it again

51.   Have you ever attempted suicide?

look i really aint comfortable answerin this one i aint tried it considered it once aint puttin the deets out there cause it aint yer business 

52.   Have you ever stolen something?

bag of doritos when i was fifteen bro snagged ramen from my stash an so i retaliated  

53.   Have you ever cheated on someone?

aint been in a relationship so nah an even if i had been in one i wouldnt have so yeah aint my style 

54.   Have you ever been cheated on?

aint been in a relationship before so nah 

55.   Have you ever taken revenge on someone?

smuppets fuckin smuppets got sick of em always bein everywhere so hah one day i fuckin snuck one an flung it out the fuckin window sayofuckinara bitch 

56.   Have you ever seriously considered killing someone?

plenty of people  but only cause they were in the way of me an my friends gettin what we wanted

57.   Have you ever betrayed someone who trusted you?

i fuckin hope not but yknow what i aint allknowing  so i aint got a fuckin clue

58.   Have you ever experienced something supernatural or unexplainable?

aight so buckle the fuck up for this one cause its a wild fuckin ride i unno where the fuck bro was but here i was home alone an misplaced my shades ran into cal an like world jus kinda froze up an it was like i blacked out bro came in all a sudden an handed me my shades an didnt really explain nothin just told me not ta lose em again no fuckin clue what the hell happened there but i never lost my shades again after that