#I was having a good day and now I'm just Upset

[cvnntagious]

˗ˏˋ pornstar!chris films with someone new ‧₊˚

꒰part two ✩꒱ (coming soon)

creeping into chris' condo as quiet as possible with a wrapped gift in hand, a large smile took up most of your face at the thought of him opening it. though, the more you explored the area, the more discouraged you got before eventually giving up with a loud sigh at the realization that he wasn't home. but then, where was he? he always told you when he was going to be out, but today? he didn't even so much as leave you a text.

if not for chris updating you on his whereabouts becoming routine, you truthfully would've thought nothing of his sudden absence, but with a confused look on your face, you found yourself setting his christmas present on the coffee table in front of you to plop down onto his couch. you slipped your phone out of your back pocket, instantly typing away at it.

it was simple and straight to the point, leaving no room for confusion; you'd never been the type to beat around the bush. you weren't upset, really—more like confused, is all. and you waited. sitting idly on his couch as you waited for that little 'delivered' alert to turn into 'read'.

it didn't.

not for a while, at least. you ended up leaving his house only about half an hour after you sent the message, seeing no reason in just sitting there overthinking it. but you still did. going on about your day, trying to distract yourself from that nagging voice in the back of your brain that whispered 'where's chris at? what's he doing?' and 'you're not special. he got bored of you, silly,' at any moment you weren't occupying your mind with something else.

you knew you were probably overreacting; being dramatic in a way chris wouldn't like if he could hear your thoughts. i mean, it's not even like you'd be that upset if he had gotten tired of you. he was only some good dick and a person to keep you company... every single day for the past month. shit, you needed to know. picking up your phone in a swift motion as you now sat on your own couch, having tried to watch a show as means to keep your mind off chris, you checked your notifications in hopes that you'd missed his text.

but something new caught your eye.

a notification from chris' twitter, far different than anything you'd imagined throughout the day. of course you clicked it, a small breath of relief coming from you as you'd immediately told yourself he must've been busy with his executives. oh, he was busy alright.

your eyebrows raised at the sight before you: a short clip of chris plowing into some blonde with big tits, her moaning and whining in such a forced way. he was grabbing and squeezing at them. i mean, shit, he wasn’t even a boobs guy. it was so unlike him, completely disregarding his original intent for his content—keep it authentic. the caption only contained the hub link, telling his fans to watch the full video there.

dread sounds about right. a look of dread spread across your face, as if you'd just witnessed your worst fear. except it wasn't your worst fear. at least you didn't think it was, until now.

without thinking, you found yourself in chris' messages again, seeing the 'delivered' alert still there like a taunt. it was a slap in the face, really. not even the fact that he'd went and filmed with someone else, but the way he'd so clearly purposely failed to give you any type of warning.

once you'd sent the message, seeing the little text below your blue message change to 'read' instantly, it all suddenly felt pointless — all the worrying throughout the day, the dread you felt when you watched the short clip chris posted, the hurt when you saw he ignored your message, and now, even the message you literally just sent to him.

w/c : 645

a/n : i'm gonna try to bust these out the best i can, but y'all might have to bare w me cs i'm proly the worlds slowest writer... this may overlap with the au calendar as well, so to be clear, this isn't my priority. if i have to postpone parts of this to keep up with the prompts, i will. that being said, hope you guys enjoy my first multi-part tumblr fic <3.

-love, your grandma cvnty ☆!

[rootspiral]

Agatha All Along deep dive: episode 9 part 2

(Wandavision entries: [1][2][3])

(AAA entries: ep1 [1][2][3][4] ep2 [1][2][3][4] ep3 [1][2][3] ep4 [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][+1] ep5 [1][2][3][4][5] ep6 [1][2][3] ep7 [1][2][3][4][5][6] ep8 [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] ep9 [1][2])

I'm glad nicky came up with a cool new tune because according to period movies and shows greensleeves is the only song anyone ever knew

look at that meek little smile, ughhhh. nicky is like two days old and this asshole has already figured out he's the perfect prop for her murder sprees. and these poor women are calling her sister and are willing to help too.

the spell is te accipimus in circulum, we accept you in the circle, and yes that makes me cry a little. we accept you in our community. and the spell is yellow air magic, which sounds like the most empathic kind if Lilia is any indication.

that's interesting, you can't really tell that well from screencaps but go rewatch the scene, this witch is making mushrooms grow with yellow magic instead of green?? is it just a spell (she is holding a book) or have I been getting it all wrong and color has nothing to do with the type of magic one has?

or maybe??? the color depends on the coven you're in?? the salemites all had blue magic for example. and now that I think about it the stone circle is a protection spell but it's not red/orange.

the meaning of this scene is so glaring dear lord. agatha was never going to give these women a chance to prove that yes, there are people out there who could love and help and accept her. she has shut herself up to that possibility a long time ago.

and she stole the soup too. awful.

I've seen all the different theories about nicky needing to feed on witches too, or nicky needing soul sacrifices to survive because he's the son of death etc. we don't have enough evidence to prove anything yet, but personally I headcanon nicky as a totally normal kid, that makes this story even more tragic.

and aww that baby suckling on the little pudgy fist

nicky doesn't look that happy about what he's been asked to do, does he?

we establish that nicky was sickly (maybe he was born with some internal defect that rio temporarily patched up?) we also see him steal the bell agatha will use for her Road scam in the future.

and we meet yet another witch being kind and wanting to help.

agatha: I love this six year old so much I'm gonna make him accessory to murder

dO yOU ShaME YouR MOtHER

and the big fake gasp too. as usual this bitch has conned a whole community

like, she's convinced herself that other witches are bad and are after her WHILE relying on witches's good hearts to con and kill them. what sort of mental gymnastics???

color goes from yellow to purple. nicky waits outside while his mom commits murder, it's not a good look on agatha. completely fucked up, actually.

(I'm terrified that the goat will end up being an agent of mephisto or something idiotic like that, lemme tell you. I hope they're just keeping it for milk and company.)

and here's the million dollar question. nicky has seen his mom kill literally since he was born, and now he's old enough to start realizing what that means.

oooh I know that look, that's agatha when she's put on the spot. she avoids his gaze, she can't be sincere with him.

and of course she's teaching herself spells from a book. nerrrrrrd

nicky, bless his soul, appears to give it a good thought and then offers a practical suggestion. I guess he wouldn't mind to have a roof on his head and some friends too.

GREAT acting from kathryn here. the quick OH SHIT face followed by the super final NO, with her jaw so rigid. in typical agatha fashion, when she's upset she becomes avoidant.

this is evanora's legacy. despite agatha's immense love for nicky, she is passing all that pain down and inflicting it on him.

remember when she called billy a survivor? this is the greatest asset in her opinion, the one she wants to teach her son. the truth is, she is angry at witches because she is scared of them, she's scared of being targeted again. but look at that kid's dark circles, I can't believe she's making him sleep in the woods, sick as he is!

really really fantastic subtlety. agatha wants to sound wise and strong, but she looks scared, uncertain, guilty.

see how nicky looks at agatha while he sings? he's checking to see if she's noticing, because his mom likes music and likes his voice. he's afraid he has upset her and wants to make her smile. he tried to reason with her, and now he tries to soothe her. this is what happens when you have an immature parent, a child will want to help, they will try to fix things. they'll end up parenting their parent, and it should always be the other way round.

agatha takes the bait. she's relieved that the conversation has moved to a safer subject. but oh, this script is so good. this is a mostly innocent, mostly sweet remark, but with a possessive undertone. don't forget that you are mine, she says.

and still, the love is real. even in a fucked up situation like this, these moment of happiness are precious and genuine and will linger on. look at how adoringly nicky looks at his mom, she's literally the sun and center of his small world, and that's how agatha likes it: she created nicky because she needed someone who could be hers without any baggage or consequences. but it turns out that raising a child is not a cheat code for love, it's one of the most difficult, most significant and impactful decisions a human can make.

go to episode 9 part 3

[the-teufort-nine]

Okay so I don’t know if you do part 2 requests…but if you do, an aftermath thing of the respawn fic would be sooo good.

I’m thinking it could be something w the ride home, or the few days after everyone gets home or maybe just the months after? And how the mercs treat the Chemist until everything is “normal” again?

If you don’t do part 2 requests that’s just fine!

The story is soooo good omg!!!

The Chemist Reader is back! This is part 2... OF THREE! That's right, I'm doing one more gn!Chem reader fic to finish off this little series. For now though, enjoy just over 9000 words of BLU Chemist and their attempt to get home!

Mercs x GN!Reader | Respawn Malfunction PART 2: The Long Way Home

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ Hurt/Comfort, Team Bonding | SFW, but it veers into talking about NSFW topics near the middle-ish to end| Cw: starvation, temp character death (yes, again!), vomiting, mentions of graphic death, mention of attempted date rape (nothing happens!!), self deprecation ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

Featuring:

Everyone! Even Miss Pauling is here! Plus, a familiar, friendly(?) face at the end...

Scenario: After getting rescued from their unfortunate Respawn spot, the BLU Chemist embarks on a road trip back to New Mexico with their team. Everyone wants their attention it seems, but are they really worth all this fuss?

The smell of Engineer’s truck was very similar to that of his workshop; leather, oil, and coffee permeated the air, settling over you like a well-loved blanket. It was a stark contrast from the bitter, sterile cold air of the base you’d ended up in, which was far behind you now. You’d woken up a short time ago, content to simply look out the window in comfortable silence while Engineer drove. You lifted your head from its place on your seatbelt as you felt the vehicle begin to slow, arching a sleepy brow at Engineer. The Texan lifted up his goggles and gave you a comforting smile as he continued to park his truck.

“We’re makin’ a rest stop. You up fer some McDonalds?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

Predictably, you perked up, blanket slipping off your shoulders as you sat up straighter. Fast food had become a rare treat during your time working for Mann Co., and you weren’t about to pass on this opportunity. Engineer chuckled at your reaction and reached over to pat your leg.

“That’s what ah’ thought. Now, you stay right there, and ah’ll go ‘n grab ‘ya somethin’ tah eat.” Engineer said, before opening his door and stepping out into the darkness of the early morning.

As you busied yourself with readjusting your blanket, the door opened again, but it wasn’t Engineer slipping into the seat this time.

“Morning, sunshine!” Soldier greeted, pushing up his helmet slightly to look at you, “The grease monkey has tasked me with guarding you while the others retrieve breakfast!”

“Yeah? Well, I feel safer already.” You replied kindly, before yawning, “No one is dumb enough to mess with you, Sol.”

The man grinned and cracked his knuckles. “If you were not so weak, I would welcome the challenge! I have the strength of a thousand eagles coursing through my veins!”

You glanced down at your arms, missing the muscle that used to be there. You could barely hold the thermos Sniper had given you, let alone any sort of weapon. “Heh, yeah… guess I’m not going to be very useful for a while, huh?”

Soldier’s grin fell as he picked up on your despondent tone. Though he was far from being the smartest man on the team, even he could see that you were feeling upset. He looked at you, really looked at you, and realized that you were even frailer than he’d thought. You looked as though you were one strong breeze away from toppling over, and a surge of protectiveness shot through him. He’d failed you once, but he’d be damned if he allowed you to be hurt again.

“Wipe that sorry look off your face, maggot!” He lightly tapped you on the head, exercising more restraint than he ever had before, “We are a TEAM, and that means that we look out for one another! We will cover for your weaknesses until you have all your glorious strength returned to you, and you WILL get strong again!”

Soldier pushed a finger into your chest lightly, the pressure barely noticeable through your blanket and uniform. “You stared God in the face and then kicked him in the nuts! You clawed your way back from death and made Respawn spit you back out! The RED team will be crapping in their pants at the mere sight of you! Sun Tzu himself would be proud of you, son, and I am proud to call you my friend and teammate!”

Your vision went blurry as fat tears started to form in the corners of your eyes, but you were smiling as you wiped them away. That was probably the nicest thing anyone had ever said to you, even if it was more shouted than said.

“Thanks, Solly.” You sniffed, giving your friend the best smile you could manage, which prompted him to shuffle closer and throw an arm around you, drawing you into his side.

You let your head rest on the space just above his breast, turning slightly so your cheek was pressed against his jacket. He shifted his hold, letting his arm curl around your midsection as you made yourself comfortable. Soldier reached up and took his helmet off, setting it aside for now. Normally, he’d be loathe to leave himself so vulnerable, but he needed to prioritize your safety, which meant insuring that he had the best possible range of vision. What if some communist bastard, or, God forbid, a member of the RED team tried to sneak up on you two? He needed to be prepared!

It was just a little hard to give his surroundings his full attention, though, when he had you resting on his chest. Normally, any kind of touch he got was rough, even if it was a friendly shove or tight, squeezing side hug. This, however, was different; soft and warm and different in a good way. You were totally relaxed, letting your eyes slowly shut as you sighed contently, grateful for the extra warmth. You felt very small in his hold, and that fact made Soldier's stomach flip flop about. On one hand, it was pleasing to know that you felt comfortable enough to fall asleep next to him while you were like this, trusting that he would keep you safe. On the other hand, it was almost terrifying to realize how vulnerable you were in that moment, how easily he could feel bone, where there had once been a healthy amount of fat and muscle. He was used to seeing you as a strong, capable fighter, and while he was sure you could still whip up one of your crazy little mixtures that made people’s faces melt off, you wouldn’t have the strength to use it.

Well, he supposed he’d just have to throw it for you.

Lost in thought, he missed Engineer’s approach, and startled when the driver side door suddenly opened. He cocked his free arm back instinctively, but just as quickly lowered it when he saw Engineer, who was holding an armful of drinks, fries, and hamburgers. The goggle-wearing man chuckled quietly when he saw the situation his normally gruff teammate was in.

You were halfway wrapped around him, cuddling up close in your sleep. Soldier had allowed you to position yourself how you wanted, and you had all but put yourself in his lap, tucking yourself beneath his chin and nuzzling against the collar of his uniform. He awkwardly lifted you up, shuffling into the passenger seat as Engineer slid into the truck next to him, setting down the food wherever there was free space.

“Looks like someone found a comfortable spot, huh?” He joked, unwrapping a cheeseburger and handing it to Soldier, who bit into it hungrily, “Can’t exactly blame ‘em for wantin’ a warm place to sleep, ‘specially after what they’ve been through.”

Soldier hummed in agreement as he swallowed. “I want to let them sleep, but I also want them to eat. They're… worse than I realized.”

Engineer frowned. “Ah know what ‘ya mean, Solly, but the Doc says we gotta be real careful about how much we let ‘em eat at first.”

“What? Why?”

“ ‘Parently their body is gonna need time to readjust to havin’ food in it, and if they eat too much, they'll just throw it right back up.” Engineer explained, “Really, we should be givin’ em a protein shake or somethin’, but ah think they'd choke me out if ah told ‘em they were gettin’ McDonald's, and then didn't give it to ‘em.”

Soldier snorted at the mental image of you grappling with the Texan, but froze up when you groaned and shifted, eyes blinking open. You yawned and rubbed at your eyes, before freezing right alongside your friend when you realized the position you were in. You blushed and leapt back as far as you could go, cursing when the back of your head smacked against the windshield. 

“SHIT!” You yelped, grabbing onto your aching skull as your vision faded in and out. A rush of nausea started tumbling up from your guts, and you all but vaulted yourself out of the car as coffee and hot bile splashed up out of your throat and onto the dusty parking lot ground below.

You gagged and spat, wavering in place as you fought to stay upright. Hands were suddenly on your back, steadying you and at the same time soothing you. The rough voice of your only Australian teammate reached your ears over the sound of your vomiting, and you instinctively leaned into his touch, grateful for the support.

“There ‘ya go mate, get it all out.” Sniper said softly, rubbing the space between your shoulder blades. “I'm surprised ‘ya made it this long without sickin’ up.”

“They alright?!” Engineer called from behind you, a tinge of panic in his voice.

“Yeah, just got a bit of an upset stomach!” Sniper called back, wrapping an arm around you as you finally finished getting everything out of your system. “Come on then, let's getcha’ lyin’ down, yeah?”

“But I'm hungry.” You whined, feeling your stomach growl at the loss of what little sustenance your coffee had provided.

“I know, Roo. I know.” Sniper said sympathetically, “But if ‘ya eat somethin’ now, yer just gonna yack it back up again.”

You grumbled and wiped at your mouth, straightening up as best you could as Sniper led you to his van. By this point, the others had returned from their journey to the holy golden arches, and had realized something was wrong. Scout, who was midway through his second hamburger, almost dropped the damn thing as he rushed over to your side.

“Woah, what the hell happened? I thought they was takin' a nap?” He frowned, before reaching over to fix a part of your uniform that had become uncomfortably tucked, “Yo, Chem, not to be rude or nothin’, but you seriously look like crap. You feelin’ alright?”

“Clearly not, garçon stupide.” Spy suddenly materialized from the darkness of the early morning, a cigarette in his mouth and a sneer on his face, “And I'm sure your incessant yapping isn't helping.”

“Your bloody second hand smoke ain't doin’ wonders either, Spook, so shut yer mouth.” Sniper growled, both to defend his friend and to piss off his teammate. 

“Chemist, would you like to come and ride in style for a while? I assure you that it will be more comfortable than the laborer’s rusted box on wheels.” Spy asked you, pointedly ignoring both Sniper's statement and Engineer's affronted yell.

You thought for a moment, considering your options. You were probably less likely to make a fool of yourself in Spy's presence, especially since you were sure the man wouldn't tolerate your strangely intense need to be close to someone, but on the other hand…

“Can I eat my McDonald's in the car?” You asked finally. Spy wrinkled his nose.

“That disgusting American grease slop? Absolutely not.”

“I'm going with Sniper.” You said immediately, allowing yourself to be led away by the marksman, who was grinning in a borderline feral way at the stunned Frenchman. 

Sniper showed him a very specific, very unkind hand gesture as he helped you up into his camper van. Heavy was sitting in the passenger seat, munching on a box of fries that you would kill a man to have right now. Demo was lounging on one of the kitchen chairs, but sat up when he saw you and Sniper approach. 

“Finally managed to steal ‘em away from Engie and Solly, eh Snipes?” Demo greeted, though his face fell a bit when he saw how heavily you were relying on Sniper. “Ack, what's wrong, Chem? Not feelin' too well?”

“Something like that.” You murmured, head lolling slightly. Now that a bed was in sight, another nap really didn't sound too bad.

“Here ya go mate.” Sniper gently lowered you down, making sure not to jostle you too much, “Now, I know you want yer Macca’s, but I've got some Vegemite an’ toast and some hot lemon with Manuka honey that you can have in a bit, and it'll stay down much easier, I promise. Me mum used ta give me that when I was sick, and it did wonders fer me.”

“Sounds good.” You replied, not even really taking in what he said. He was talking about giving you food, and that was all your sleepy brain needed to know.

A woolen blanket was pulled over you, and a warm, calloused hand ran itself through your hair before slowly lifting your protective goggles off your head, setting them aside somewhere. The hand returned for a moment, gently pressing against your forehead, lingering there for just a heartbeat longer than maybe it needed to, before slowly retracting. You frowned at the sudden lack of touch, but there was little you could do to call it back.

Admitting you needed it was a weakness you weren't quite ready to voice yet.

“Come on now, laddie, time to wake up. Yer breakfast is ready.”

You groaned and cracked an eye open, blinking slowly at Demo, who was sitting on the bed. You pushed yourself up, eyes gravitating towards the tray your teammate was holding. There was a plate with two warm, buttered slices of toast topped with a thin layer of Vegemite spread, cut into four individual triangles, and a mug of what smelled like lemon and honey, just as Sniper had promised.

“Can I please eat that?” You begged, uncaring of how desperate it made you sound.

“Well, it ain't for ye to look at.” Demo joked, startling slightly as you snatched a piece of toast and practically all shoved it into your mouth. “Jesus! Slow down there, Chem! You'll make yerself sick again.”

You growled at the demolition expert, baring your teeth when he moved to try and reach for your hand. You hadn't eaten in nearly two days, your body had been robbed of anything it could feed off of, and Demo wanted you to slow down?

Hah, fat chance.

The Scot held his hands up in surrender, knowing a post cause when he saw one. Also, he didn't feel like losing a hand, not when Medic was riding in a different car.

You scarfed down the Vegemite toast, your body rejoicing as precious, precious salt finally entered your mouth. Normally, you'd turn your nose up at the salty spread, but at that moment, that piece of toast may as well have been a gift from God himself.

If you threw this up, you were actually going to cry.

With that thought in mind, you slowed down, taking the time to carefully chew your mouthful before swallowing. You let what you ate settle before you dared to try and ingest anything else. When your stomach didn't turn, you reached for the mug, blowing lightly on the liquid before taking a tentative sip.

It was very warm, but not so hot that you couldn't drink it. The lemon washed away the awful taste of vomit that lingered in your mouth, and the honey soothed your dry throat like nothing else. You closed your eyes and allowed yourself to bask in the warmth and comfort.

“Holy shit,” you croaked, setting the mug down as you turned to face Demo, “that tasted so good. We need to have Sniper make dinner more often or something, because he clearly knows what he's doing.”

“He said his mum taught him how to make it, and mums always know how to make somethin’ that makes ‘ya feel better.” Demo said, handing you another slice, “Now, slowly this time. I mean it! ‘Ya looked like a bloody wild dog just now.”

“Cut me some slack, D, I'm literally starving over here.” You said as you bit into the toast, “I think I'm allowed to have some bad table manners, yeah?”

“Aye, I suppose ‘ya got me there.” Demo conceded, though he still looked concerned, “ ‘m just worried about ye throwing it up before yer body can digest it.”

You nodded, chewing and swallowing what was in your mouth before replying.

“I know. I don't wanna puke again either. It's just-” You took in a breath, ignoring how even that simple action was harder than usual, “I'm so fucking hungry. I feel like my stomach is going to burn right through my abdomen, but I know I can't eat too much too quickly, or I'll just be sick again.”

Demo patted your shoulder, giving you a pitying look. “It'll be alright, Chem. The hard part’s already over. Ye survived the impossible and made it back to us, now it's our turn to help ya get back to yer old self.”

“Yeah.” You said quietly, looking at your reflection in the mug’s liquid. A gaunt, pale mockery of your face stared back. You could hardly even recognize yourself, and a small, dark part of yourself wondered if you ever would again.

“My old self.”

The next time you all stopped, it was well into mid morning. Sniper had pulled into the parking lot of a motel, Spy and Engineer following after him. Apparently, the only people with valid driver's licenses were you, Sniper, Engineer, Spy, and Miss Pauling, and you were all either exhausted or in no condition to be driving. Therefore, you were booking rooms at this dinky little motel so that they could rest and not kill all of you by falling asleep at the wheel.

It was Heavy that led you into the building, letting you lean against him for support. He’d offered to carry you, but you wanted to preserve some sense of dignity, if you could help it. Also, you figured it might upset your team further if they thought you couldn’t even walk. Pyro already looked ready to pounce everytime you wobbled, and you weren’t oblivious to the concerned looks Engineer and Spy were giving you.

“маленький химик will be staying with Doktor. He wants to do check up, to make sure there is not any hidden problems.” Heavy explained, before lowering his voice, “Heavy knows you are tired, but please go along with it. Doktor is very worried, even if he does not say it.”

“Don’t worry, Heavy, I’ll behave.” You promised, “I could do with sleeping a little less anyway. 

Heavy nodded and led you to your room, handing you the key for it. You unlocked the door and pushed it open, smiling at Medic, who was unpacking various syringes and pills from a bag and placing them next to his Medigun.

“Ah, Heavy, Chemist, right on time!” he greeted, walking over to you two. 

Quick as a whip, he pulled up your sleeve and injected you with a clear liquid. You yipped in surprise, rubbing the sore area as he withdrew the needle. “Ouch! What the hell was that?!”

“Magnesium Sulfate!” he replied cheerily. “I also have a shot of Thiamine and Potassium I need to administer before I give jou more vitamin tablets.”

“Couldn’t I just have taken a magnesium tablet?” You questioned in a deadpan voice, unnamused with your colleague’s method of getting you to take your vitamins. Heavy patted your shoulder one more time before leaving the room, likely to go and find his own.

“Ja, but zhis is much quicker, und I know it vill actually stay in jour body.” Medic waved one hand animatedly, the other one reaching for another syringe, “Herr Sniper told me jou vomited earlier, und that jou didn’t finish your breakfast.”

“I couldn’t. I felt full after two slices of toast and a couple of sips of my drink.” You groaned, flopping down onto your bed, “I didn’t even get to have my cheeseburger. It’ll be all cold and gross now.”

“I’m sure jou vill have another chance to get one.” Medic comforted as he jabbed your arm with another needle. You winced, but said nothing. “Ve are still about 10 hours away from zhe base.”

“We are?” You asked, sitting up abruptly, “Jesus, how far out was I?”

“The base jou respawned in was in Montana. Currently, ve’re somewhere in Wyoming.” Medic rubbed his chin, thinking, “To be honest, I have no idea how or vhy jou ended up so far away. Jou should have respawned in a much closer location, or not at all!”

“Yeah, it doesn’t make much sense to me, either.” You said, rolling up your other sleeve as Medic produced the final shot, “Maybe that one was the last one that was activated? Are there… are there other RED and BLU teams that use them?”

Medic paused, considering.

“I… am not sure.” he said finally, gently taking your offered arm into his hands as he pressed the needle into your skin, “I haven’t heard of any other teams, but I suppose it's possible. It's as good an explanation as any.”

“Well, I’m glad it brought me back.” You said, glancing up at Medic, “I gotta admit, I was shocked to see you guys. I can’t believe you all drove to Montana just for me, especially Miss Pauling.”

“Vell, vhy vouldn’t ve? Jou vould do the same for any of us, ja?” Medic asked, putting a bandage over your injection sites.

“Well, yeah, of course.” You replied quickly, “But, wouldn’t it have been easier to just… get a new Chemist?”

Your eyes had flicked towards the floor, so you didn’t see the way Medic tensed up. The German curled his hands into fists for a few seconds as he took a deep, calming breath. “Vhat do you mean?”

“Well, there’s not really anything special about me. I mean, Scout can run faster than anyone, Soldier is completely fearless, Heavy is, like, the strongest guy ever, Sniper could shoot a bat out of the night sky, Pyro makes even the toughest men afraid just by breathing near them, Demo can make crazy explosives, Engie can make anything, Spy can be anyone, and you can successfully play God on a daily basis!” You said, listing off everyone’s skills, “And then there’s… me. I mix chemicals and throw them at people. Pretty much anyone could do my job.”

“Jou believe jourself to be disposable.”

You cringed slightly at Medic’s cold tone. “I guess. I might have said it in a nicer way, though.”

You watched as Medic took a deep breath in, said something quietly under his breath in German, and then walked over to his bag and retrieved a few vitamins before striding back over to you.

“Take zhese, und don’t move. I vill be back.” he said, before exiting the room.

You tilted your head and frowned as Medic closed the door behind him. You felt as though you had upset your teammate, but you weren’t exactly sure how. Nothing you said had been untrue, after all.

Popping the tablets into your mouth, you made yourself comfortable, positioning your pillows so they supported your back as you lay down. The covers of the bed were cheap and scratchy, but the room was slowly warming up, and you could deal with a little discomfort. After an embarrassing amount of time and effort, you managed to wiggle your way under the blankets. A TV sat on the dresser on the other side of the room, but you couldn’t see the remote for it anywhere. You’d have to ask Medic if he’d seen it when he came back from wherever it was he’d wandered off to.

About 10 minutes passed, and you were, annoyingly, beginning to nod off again, when suddenly your door opened once more. You leaned forward, eyes widening when you realized that everyone was walking into your room. 

Soldier and Demo came in first, making themselves at home at the foot of your bed. Scout, a very tired Miss Pauling, and Pyro came in next. Scout was quick to drape himself across the middle of your bed like a cat, while Pyro flopped down next to you.

Apparently, your bed was the best seat in the house to your teammates.

Sniper and Spy followed after them, both exhausted men scowling at each other but refusing to disperse too far into the room, both of them determined to stay near you. Engineer, who was holding a cup of shitty motel coffee, claimed one of the plush, cigarette-scented seats that sat in the room’s corners after he walked in. Finally, Heavy and Medic entered, with Heavy moving over to sit on his companion’s bed. The large man shot you a questioning look, but all you could offer him was an equally confused shrug. You didn’t know what was going on.

“Docteur, I assume you have a reason for interrupting our rest so early into our stay?” Spy groused, reaching for his cigarettes.

“Of course, Herr Spy.” Medic replied, before turning to Miss Pauling, “Fräulein Pauling, vhy did you go to retrieve our Chemist?”

Everyone in the room turned to look at Medic with a look of confusion. Why would the doctor ask such a thing?

“Wh- because they needed help?” the raven haired woman waved her hands around, “Why wouldn’t I go get them?”

“Vould it not simply be easier for us to let zhem die und replace zhem?” Medic asked, and you winced slightly, hearing your own question spoken in such a way. You hadn’t used the word ‘die,’ but it had been implied.

At Medic’s words, the room erupted into noise, your team wasting no time in jumping to your defense.

“Yo, Doc, what da hell?!” Scout shouted, pushing himself up. He quickly turned towards you, holding his hands up, “Don’t listen to that guy, Chem. He must’a taken too much of his own stock.”

“Now where the hell is this comin’ from?” Engineer spat, roughly slamming down his coffee. “We would never just- just replace Chem! ‘Specially not when we knew they were alive!”

The other mercenaries shouted out various forms of agreement, some of them looking just about ready to jump the man.

“Doktor spent many nights contemplating shredding application forms for new Chemist.” Heavy added, sending his friend a questioning yet stern look, “You should explain yourself, старый друг.”

“I vas simply asking questions zhat our Chemist asked me only a few moments ago.” Medic replied calmly, clasping his hands behind his back. “It seems as zhough they believe zhemself to be disposable, zhat zhey did not deserve to be saved, because zhey believe zhat ve could replace zhem easily.”

The eyes that had been on Medic shifted to look towards you, and you shrank down as much as possible. You would have felt more comfortable if they’d pointed a loaded gun at your head.

“Chemist,” Miss Pauling started, “do you know why the Administrator sent me to recruit you?”

You shook your head.

“Well, the first reason is because the DNA sample I took from you proved that you were Respawn compatible.” she started, pressing her hands together, “The second reason is because when you saw some guy trying to roofie me in a bar, you stole his drink, spiked it with a specialized mixture that you created, and then you convinced him to chug it by betting him five bucks that he couldn’t. Do you remember what happened next?”

“He went to the bathroom because he didn’t feel good.” You recalled with a smile, “Then he melted.”

“Yeah, because you spiked his drink with something that, upon contact with stomach acid, turned into fluoroantimonic acid!” Miss Pauling exclaimed, “A regular person could never do that! Hell, even an experienced chemist couldn’t do half the things you do!”

“Jesus Lord Almighty!” Engineer chuckled, pushing up his goggles to look you in the eye, “Remind me to never make you angry.”

“Point is,” Miss Pauling drew your attention back to her, “You are not disposable. It would be easier to clone you then it would be to replace you, because you are smart, talented, and just as batshit insane as the rest of these bloodthirsty lunatics. No offence, guys.”

Your team nodded along with her words, giving you reassuring looks.

“She’s right! Yer absolutely cracked, but yer one of us!” Demo crowed, lifting his Scrumpy bottle to toast you.

“HUDAH HUDAH HUDAH!” Pyro cheered, wrapping you up in a warm, tight hug. You grinned and shoved your face into their shoulder, tears wetting your eyes as you nuzzled the blue material.

“Congratulations, you have learned what everyone here already knew.” Spy said, patting you lightly on the back as you lifted your head to peek back at him, “I will be taking my leave now. Do not wake me again unless zhe building is on fire.”

“I hate to agree with Spoi, but, yeah,” Sniper nodded, reaching over to ruffle your hair, “I’m about to drop ‘mself. I’ll see you all at dinnah.”

“Ah’ll see m’self out as well.” Engineer said, getting to his feet, “Get some rest, darl’. We’ll get you somethin’ decent fer dinner.”

“Any chance we can have a sleepovah, Doc?” Scout asked, breaking out the puppy dog eyes.

“Nein.” Medic said firmly, planting his hands on his hips. 

“Worth a shot.” Scout sighed, giving you a fistbump as he slid off the bed. “Ey, Chem, no more talkin’ crap about my best friend, or I’m gonna have to lay down the hurt, understand?”

“YES!” Soldier agreed loudly, “IF I HEAR YOU PUTTING YOURSELF DOWN AGAIN, I WILL BEAT THE CRAP OUTTA YOU! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!”

“Yes sir.” You replied, giving him a salute as Pyro reluctantly pulled away. They reached into one of their pockets and withdrew a box of matches that had been decorated with crayon. Pyro tucked it into your hands and pressed their gasmask against your head in an almost kiss-like way.

The rest of the team and Miss Pauling shuffled out of the room one by one, each of them waving goodbye or acknowledging you in some way before they left. Medic fixed you with a kind, if mildly smug look as the last of your team left.

“Do jou still see jourself as disposable, mein Chemiker?”

You didn’t quite understand what his last words had been, but you managed to infer that he was saying your name, so you nodded, smiling. “No. Not at all.”

Medic matched your grin with one of his own, though the doctor’s showed far more teeth. “Wunderbar! Now, let’s get zhe rest of zhose vitamins in jou! Ve have so many to get zhrough!”

By the time dinner had rolled around and your team had started to wake up, Medic had given you enough vitamins and nutrient boosters to kill an elephant. He’d also done a thorough examination of your insides, which included him setting the Medigun to low, switching it to automatic mode, and cutting you open from collarbone to pelvis. He had been quite happy to inform you that your organs had not been affected by your turbulent trip through Respawn.

Thank God you’d insisted on laying in the bathtub.

Engineer had knocked on your door as you were finishing getting dressed, and when you opened it, the Southerner revealed that he had gone out and found you something that you could both eat and that wouldn’t taste like garbage.

“It ain’t smoked brisket ‘n biscuits,” he commented as he set down a banana smoothie and a small fillet of salmon, “but I reckon it’ll do.”

“Engie, I could kiss you right now.” You warbled, close to crying.

The man flushed scarlet and rubbed at the back of his neck, but you were too focused on the food to notice. Engineer and Medic stepped out to get their own dinners, leaving you to enjoy yours. 

The salmon was still warm, seasoned with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon, and it yielded easily to your plastic fork. It went down easily and, more importantly, stayed down, even when you started to tentatively sip the banana smoothie. The smoothie was cold, smooth, and probably loaded in things that were good for you.

“I see zhat zhe laborer has finally managed to procure you a decent meal.”

You jumped slightly, scrambling to catch your drink as it slipped from your grip. Spy leaned against your doorway, arms crossed in a casual way as he watched you eat. He looked much more rested, the bags around his eyes having retreated.

“Do you feel sick at all?” he asked, arching a brow.

You shook your head. “Nah, Medic loaded me up with some stuff that's supposed to help me keep food down. You’d have to ask him exactly what it was, though.”

“Perhaps I shall.” Spy replied, “Come, mon féroce petit scorpion, you can finish your drink in zhe car.”

“But I thought I wasn’t allowed to have food in your car?” You questioned, wiggling forward towards the edge of your bed.

“I will make an allowance, just zhis once.” The masked man said, offering you his arm.

“Don’t want Sniper to scoop me up again?” You teased.

Spy’s nose wrinkled in displeasure. “Non. Zhe bushman does not look as zhough he got an adequate amount of sleep, and I will not risk your safety when we just got you back.”

“Awww,” you cooed, causing Spy to jerk his head away in embarrassment, “you big softie. I knew you loved me.”

“Dieu, sauve-moi de ma grande gueule et de mon cœur faible.” Spy muttered, pressing his free hand to his head.

“No idea what you just said there, pal.”

“Zhat is zhe point.” The Frenchman replied.

You rolled your eyes. “Whatever. I’ll just get Scout to translate for me later.”

Spy shot you a confused look as you stepped outside. “Scout? Please, zhat illiterate cretin doesn’t speak French! He barely speaks English.”

“That’s what you think.” You insisted, raising your eyebrows, “I’ve heard him singing in French sometimes. Sounded to me like he knew exactly what he was saying.”

Spy’s brow furrowed, and the two of you fell into silence as he helped you to his car. 

The interior of Spy’s car was just as luxurious as you imagined. Black leather seats were warm beneath your touch, and it was kept immaculately clean. You felt kinda bad even sitting in it, let alone bringing any kind of food or drink inside, but Spy had insisted, so you took your offered seat, which was the passenger seat.

“What kind of car is this?” You asked, carefully laying the blanket Spy had brought over your lap, just in case some of your smoothie somehow managed to leak.

“She is a Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada.” Spy replied, reverently running a hand over the wheel as you whistled, “Gorgeous, non?”

“Absolutely.” You agreed, “I feel like I shouldn’t even be in this thing, it’s so nice.”

“You cannot possibly be a worse passenger than Scout.” Spy said, a hint of humour in his tone, “I can tell you are being careful. Relax, mon ami.”

You nodded, smiling shly.

Suddenly, the back doors opened, and Pauling, Medic, and Pyro all piled into the back.

“Herr Spy,” Medic started, “If jou wish to avoid a confrontation with Herr Sniper und Herr Engineer, I suggest jou start driving. Now. Zhey are not pleased zhat you whisked zhe Chemist away.”

“Well, zhey can, as Scout so often says,” Spy grinned sharply as the two aforementioned men burst out of the motel, yelling in the direction of the expensive car, “‘suck my dick.’”

You whooped in delight as Spy peeled out of the parking lot, laughing as a rush of wind blew against your face. Through your delighted giggles, you managed to buckle yourself in, grinning so wide your jaw ached as you saw both Sniper’s van and Engineer’s truck fly out onto the dusty road after you. Pyro laughed right alongside you, while Miss Pauling and Medic struggled to right themselves after gravity smushed the small woman into the doctor’s side.

“I didn’t know you were a speed demon!” You cheered, shouting to be heard over the wind.

“I do not often get to indulge, but,” Spy’s eyes twinkled with excitement, “yes, I do enjoy using zhe power my vehicle affords me.”

He adjusted the mirror, the orange light of the setting sun glinting in its reflection. “But even more so do I enjoy zhe thrill of a chase.”

Sure enough, both of the other vehicles were steadily gaining, and if you squinted, you could see both Sniper and Engineer gritting their teeth and glaring at Spy’s car.

“Why are they chasing us?” You questioned, confused.

“Because I have something zhey want.” Spy replied, shooting you a sideways glance, “Or, rather, someone.”

Your face suddenly felt very warm.

Maybe you had been wrong before. Maybe you really could have asked Sniper to keep his hand on your head. Maybe you didn’t have to leap off of Soldier’s lap, automatically assuming he was uncomfortable.

Maybe your teammates would be just fine with you desperately seeking their attention, their touch.

‘WOAH THERE NELLY!’ Your internal thoughts threw up a great big STOP sign, whacking you on the head with it, ‘Let’s change THAT line of thinking right now!’

Jesus Christ you needed to reread the dictionary definition of a ‘professional workplace relationship’ because clearly you had forgotten what it meant!

Quiet, ashamed, and unwillingly thinking about calloused hands brushing against your skin like some Victorian-era harlot, you returned to sipping your banana smoothie.

It was still very good. Just like the salmon Engineer had gone well out of his way to get specifically for you.

Stop stop stop stop.

Or like the blanket Spy had picked out and bought for you because he knew you would be cold, or like the hot lemon with special honey Sniper had made you, because he thought it would make you feel better.

STOP STOP STOP STOP!

‘They’re racing for you.’ A silky, pleased part of yourself whispered, ‘They’ve been fighting over your attention since you joined them, it’s just become much more obvious now. You could go right up to any of them, and they’d be more than happy to give you some attention.’

S H U T   U P

Suddenly, the car swerved, jerking you out of your inner torment. Your straw, which was still inside your mouth, jabbed into the back of your throat. You gagged on reflex, slapping a hand over your mouth as the urge to vomit washed over you. You grimaced, winced from the pain, and breathed slowly in through your nose as Spy swore out the window.

“Espèce de chauve-souris stupide et aveugle! Quittez la route avant que je décide de vous y forcer!” he snarled at a vehicle that had veered into the wrong lane, huffing as he leaned back. He glanced over at you quickly, his expression becoming more concerned when he saw the look on your face. “Y/N? Are you alright?”

You swallowed, and sighed in relief when your stomach settled again. “I’m okay. Just got a bit jostled.”

“Do you need me to stop?”

You waved Spy off. “No, I’m fine, really. Just, maybe slow down a bit? Just until we’re back in the country.”

Spy nodded and eased off the gas, Sniper and Engineer following suit.

“Zhat is probably for zhe best. Zhe last zhing we need is to start a police chase.” Spy conceded.

“Yeah, that wouldn’t be good.” You frowned, “I think at least half of us probably have warrants out for our arrest somewhere.”

“More than half.” Both Medic and Miss Pauling chimed in from the back.

You nodded, leaning back in your seat. You thought about that; about who might be wanted for what. It was a decent distraction from your previous thoughts, and you welcomed it. Turning to look out the window, you watched as the sunsetting twilight changed into a beautiful, starry night sky. Come morning, as long as things stayed on track, you’d be home.

Spoiler alert: things did not stay on track.

You had been making your way through Colorado when it happened. You and Spy had been listening to a local radio station while Pyro, Miss Pauling, and Medic snoozed in the back. You would have been asleep too, but something about the clouds that had rolled in made you nervous. Just as Spy had been reaching to change the station, a sharp, piercing alarm sounded out from the radio.

“Alert! A tornado warning is being issued for the Limon area! All residents are urged to seek shelter immediately! Please gather up all children and pets and make your way to a basement or interior room! Avoid all windows and objects that may prove hazardous if they fall! If you are in a mobile home, in a vehicle, or are outside, please make your way to the nearest secure building!”

“You have got to be fucking kidding me!” Spy gaped, looking frantically at the sky. The darkness brought an extra level of danger, and you felt your heart leap up into your throat.

“Is there even anywhere to shelter out here?!” You asked, your eyes darting about as you stuck your head out of the window. All that you could see was a flat expanse of fields that stretched out forever into the dark.

“Whuz goin’ on?” Miss Pauling groaned, rubbing at her eyes.

“Oh, nothing much.” You laughed nervously, “Just, uh, a tornado.”

“Was? Ein Tornado?” Medic said blearily, sitting up.

“Oui.” Spy confirmed grimly. He reached over to the radio and tuned it to a very specific frequency. “Bushman, laborer, I assume you have received zhe same warning?”

“Yeah mate.”

“Same here.”

“I suggest we make a break for zhe nearest town. It is only about a mile away.” Spy offered, pressing down on the gas pedal.

“Not like we got many options. We’re sittin’ ducks out here.” Engineer’s voice crackled through the car speakers. “You lead, we’ll follow.”

You put your window up and tightened your seatbelt, glancing back at the backseat passengers. “Can you guys wake Py up? We’ll wanna be ready to go once we stop.”

“Jawohl.” Medic agreed, reaching an arm behind Miss Pauling to gently nudge the firebug.

Spy treated the dark road like it was a professional racetrack, the engine of his car growling like a wild beast as he shot across the asphalt. You kept your eyes trained on the sky, cringing when a flash of lightning revealed a green sky. 

“Man, we really have just the worst luck, huh?” You muttered.

“It is starting to seem that way.” Spy growled, his gaze anxiously flicking between the road and the ever worsening sky.

“What do we do if we get to town and there’s nowhere to hide?” You asked.

“We keep driving and pray we can get ahead of the storm.”

You gulped audibly.

Soon, the silhouettes of buildings came into view. As you passed the town sign, hail started to pour down. The little pellets of ice crashed against the car, bouncing off the windshield and tumbling down the road as the wind swept them away. You peered out into the storm, searching for a suitable hiding place.

“There!” You exclaimed, pointing towards a small, rundown mechanic shop. The sign was in pieces and graffiti covered the garage door, but the building itself looked stable.

“It will have to do.” Spy said, pulling off the road.

You hopped out of the car once it came to a stop, grunting when a powerful blast of wind pushed you against the vehicle. Strong hands suddenly gripped you, and you found yourself pulled against Miss Pauling, who was going her best to dig her heels into the ground. Medic and Spy came up on either side of you, helping to buffer the wind as Pyro ran to the side door, axe in hand.

Your little group of four made it to the door just as Pyro managed to break the lock. The arsonist let you in, holding the door as the rest of your team made a run for safety. The inside of the mechanic shop was dark and dusty, but the thick concrete and steel was a source of comfort. 

“Is everyone alright?” Engineer asked, dusting hail off his shoulders.

Everyone made various noises of affirmation, fixing their own outfits and looking around the place. Scout skittered over to you and Pauling as a loud thunderclap rumbled outside, the runner not so subtly positioning himself next to you.

“Jeeze, you sure this place’ll hold up?” He asked, nervousness leaking into his voice.

“It’s better than being exposed outside.” Miss Pauling replied, before gently taking your hand, “Come on, Chem, let’s find somewhere to sit.”

You followed dutifully, Scout trailing along behind you. Miss Pauling managed to find some milk crates after many minutes of blindly feeling around in almost complete darkness before you remembered that you had been gifted a box of matches, and the three of you set them up in the middle of the room. You took off your blanket and shucked off your lab coat, laying them across the crates to act as a cushion. You could feel the chill of the shop creeping into your bones, but you ignored it, settling down in between Demo and Heavy. 

“We’ve got some absolutely shite luck, lads.” Demo frowned, glancing towards the barricaded side door, “We could’a been near home by mornin’ if this damn tornado hadn’t come outta bloody nowhere!”

“My thoughts exactly.” You murmured, “Hopefully it blows over soon. We don’t exactly have any supplies prepared.”

“Hrr yuh filn righh?” Pyro asked.

“Yeah, Py, I’m okay. I can’t eat for another few hours anyways.” You reassured the arsonist.

“You gonna be warm enough in here? It’s kinda chilly.” Scout said, shuffling a bit closer to Pyro, who was always a good source of heat. The pyromaniac let the runner lean on them, amusing themself by lighting matches that they kept producing from God only know where.

“I’ll be fine. I can suck it up for a bit.” You replied.

Medic tsked from somewhere to your right, and, after a few moments of shuffling, you felt something warm being draped over your shoulders. It was kind of heavy, and when Pyro lit another match, you caught a glimpse of Medic’s Class symbol on the arm.

“Thanks, Doc.” You smiled softly, slippin the coat on.

“Zhink nothing of it. Jou are lacking jour usual body fat, and thus require additional help to keep jourself warm.” Medic said matter of factly.

“Hey Chem, I can think’a somethin’ that’d help warm you up real fast.” Scout called in a teasing, flirtatious tone, the Bostonian laughing before someone’s elbow made its way into his gut at a rapid pace.

“Thanks for the offer, but I think I’d like to be fucked for longer than 30 seconds.” You shot back, smirking when a chorus of ‘Ooooohs’ sounded out from your teammates.

Scout made a ‘pshh!’ sound and crossed his arms. “Uh, first of all, it wouldn’t be ‘30 seconds’, prick, second; whaddya mean you “think” you’d wanna be fucked longer than that? You a virgin or somethin’?”

“Scout,” Spy hissed, pinching the bridge of his nose, “use what few brain cells you possess and display a modicum of decorum, please.”

Your face turned a lovely shade of pink as you laughed awkwardly. “Well, uh…”

“Y’ don’t have to answer him, Chem. Lord only knows that boy needs to learn to stop runnin’ his damn mouth.” Engineer added, shooting a pointed look at Scout, who threw his hands up, exasperated.

“No, it’s fine.” You rubbed at the back of your head, feeling sheepish, “I am. A virgin, I mean. People didn’t exactly want to bang the weirdo who spent most of their time putting bugs in formaldehyde and playing with a kids chemistry kit, and then I started working with you guys, soooo… yeah.”

The room fell into a tense, awkward silence, broken only by the sound of the howling wind outside.

“I would.” Soldier said suddenly.

10 heads turned towards the helmet wearing man.

“What?” he asked, not a trace of shame in his voice. “The Chemist is a brave, capable, AMERICAN teammate who I have personally witnessed melt THREE RED bastards at once! The only way they could be more attractive is if they were the Statue of Liberty itself!”

Spy started to say something, but Demo cut him off.

“I gotta agree with Solly there, lads.” He nodded sagely, “Not about the statue bit, but yer a bonnie sight, Chem.”

“Too right.” Sniper piped up, his blush almost invisible in the infrequent matchlight Pyro provided.

“Sacrebleu, are you all truly going to salivate over our Chemist like a pack of wild dogs right in front of zhem?!” Spy yelled, gesturing towards you.

You were doing your very best impression of a well cooked lobster while trying to process what was happening at the moment, and thus did not really take in his statement.

“Now Spy,” Engineer teased, pushing up his goggles slightly to fix the masked man with a knowing look, “don’t go acting like you’re any better than these boys. You’ve either been struttin’ around like a peacock or poutin’ like a kicked puppy ever since we picked Chem up, and don’t think we haven’t noticed you always makin’ sure their spice cabinet and bakin’ ingredients never get too low.”

“Zhat is because sending zhem to Teufort is a death sentence and you know it!” Spy hissed back, “Besides, are you just going to sit zhere and pretend zhat you don’t invite zhem to dinner in your sacred domain just so you can show off all your little toys?”

“Both Spy and Engineer act like school girls with first crush.” Heavy said abruptly in a flat tone. “Is embarrassing. Please stop.”

“Nein! Please continue!” Medic clapped his hands, giddy, “Jour conflict is like eine Seifenoper!”

Heavy arched a brow at the German. “Doktor is worse than them! Is always circling Chemist like shark, waiting to take bite!”

“Augh! Zhat is not true!”

The team dissolved into arguing around you, leaving you and Miss Pauling as the lone outliers. The petite woman stealthily nudged her way through the group of arguing men and Pyro and made her way over to you, placing a hand on your shoulder.

“You, uh, you alright?” she asked in a low voice.

“I-” You started in a hoarse whisper, running your hand through your hair, gripping the strands, “I could have been getting fucked this whole time.”

“What?”

You put your head in your hands and let your head smack against your knees. “I have been living on a base with nine mercenaries who have been, apparently, thirsting after me and I didn’t notice. I am a fool, P, a blind, horny fool.”

Miss Pauling awkwardly patted you on the head. “There… there?”

“I’m so stupid!” You bemoaned, “How could this day possibly get any worse?”

CRRRRRACK-BOOM!

Everyone jumped as something slammed against the side door. The top of a utility pole lodged itself inside the doorway, live power lines lashing about like angry snakes as powerful winds surged inside, throwing the wires around. One of the wires was blown towards you and Miss Pauling, and you shoved her back on instinct, eyes widening in terror as a flash of white filled your vision. A sharp, burning sensation rocketed through your body, a metallic taste filling your mouth, before everything went dark.

The world came back to you in a burst of dull blue and gray hues.

A gentle pulse filled your ears, vibrating in your chest until it slowly waned, leaving you sprawled on a concrete floor. You gagged as your stomach turned violently, and you had to push yourself up onto your forearms to avoid choking on your own vomit. You spat, face curling into a disgusted sneer. 

Respawn never had left you feeling very good, but these last two times were really starting to make you yearn for a more gentle return to life.

Slowly, through sheer willpower and what little energy you had left, you managed to get to your feet. The air here was much warmer than your previous Respawn location, and it smelled faintly of… apples?

Confused, but determined to find a phone, you hugged the walls for support as you once again navigated an unfamiliar building, hand trailing across the blue corrugated metal. You weren’t afraid this time around, just pissed off. You had died again? Seriously?! You had been so close to home! You could have been getting boned in a few hours!

Okay, well, maybe not that last one, but still!

As you passed a window, something caught your attention. You stopped for a moment, looking out into the, thankfully, clear night. It was still dark, obviously, but you could hear the sound of birds chirping. Morning was approaching, but that wasn’t what was on your mind.

There were lights on somewhere in the distance.

If you were standing in a BLU base, then…

Gritting your teeth, you picked up the pace, making a mental note to thank Medic for giving you all of those shots and vitamins. If he hadn’t, you likely wouldn’t have even been able to walk.

A cool night breeze caressed your face as you stumbled outside, and you wrapped your arms around yourself, missing your blanket. It took a while, but you eventually made your way over to a homely-looking farmstead, adorned in a colour you usually hated to see. Taking as deep a breath as you could manage, you walked up the porch steps and approached the door, pulling open the outer screen door to knock on the solid wood interior door.

You stepped back a fraction as the sound of footsteps approached, your eyes drooping with exhaustion as the adrenaline that came with returning to life began to fade, leaving you with a mix of a pins and needles-esque numbness and an encroaching headache.

The door swung open, and you found yourself looking down the barrel of a sawed-off shotgun.

“Who the hell are-!” the voice of the RED Engineer held the same southern drawl as your Engineer, and his eyes widened in the same adorable way when he was caught off guard.

“Morning, friend.” You greeted, giving the man the best smile you could muster at the moment, “Do you have a phone I could borrow?”

[luneemeritus]

Fans created this realm of purity around Octavia where no one can criticize a single one of her actions or just be frustrated with her without being insulted and accused of "babying Stolas". But I'm not afraid of being honest or making hot takes that will upset a lot of I'm Literally OctaviaTM fan accounts.

Octavia is not flawless. Octavia can be criticized and can be in the wrong, and you are allowed to be frustrated with her. Damn, even Brandon dislikes her (which caused several fans to harrass him for it, yall so fucking insane). She is a 17yo girl, she is a young woman, not child. She can (and does) make mistakes, she can be cruel, she can be unfair.

Fans call Stolas selfish, a "bad father" and a lot of worse shit for ONCE IN HIS LIFE standing up to himself and choosing the smallest bit of happiness he was capable of (escaping his abuser and getting involved with someone he actually likes, and truly embracing his sexuality for the first time which seems to be a real trigger point to some fans, me thinks some of yall just dont like the gays), but are mad if anyone make the simplest complain about "hey maybe Via should've hear him out and try to think about his side of the story, use some critical thinking to realize Stella was never a good person to her father and etc etc". Like if not treating Via as a flawless angel and Stolas as the mean father is the same as wishing Via to be beheaded. Like grow the fuck up. All of you judging Stolas would do THE SAME if you were in his situation. Imagine living your whole life to others, for others, forced to live in a masquerade while being brutally abused every day and still be judged the worst personTM because your teenage child (again, traumatized AND affected by the same abuse you've been through) misundertood your intentions.

As amazingly pointed in this post, Via is 17 years old. She knows what is right or wrong, oh boy she knows, if she didnt know she wouldnt even be angry at her father. She said to his face that she is upset that he saved Blitz's life. Okay, you don't want to understand Stolas because boohoo daddy issues evil owl, but at least think of Blitz's side. Imagine seeing your lover's daughter angry that your life was saved. Your life, that is systematically treated as worthless by the same class Via is part of. Just think for a moment. And Blitz still sees Via as his future daughter! If you sympathize with Blitz for being unfairly hated by his sister, why can't you do the same with Stolas and Via's situation?

Literally I've seen so many people saying in one post: "i hope millie aborts her baby because no woman should be forced to have an unwanted child", and then in the next post "how dare stolas save blitz's life, he chose him over Via (a child that he was forced to have! btw!), he's a bad father" like how fucking dare you. Why are you so shamelessly hypocritical. I AM pro-choice btw, and yes Stolas did wrong things towards Via, but like, be fucking serious. No one's life should be limitated to their relationships. Stolas never chose Blitz over Via. Suddenly Blitz's life doesn't matter anymore, when it comes to shit about Stolas, now Blitz is not the flawless victim anymore and should have died. Fuck off.

Ugh. So fucking exhausting.

As much as i can understand where Via is coming from, and her feelings are valid, she doesn’t see her dad as a living person outside of just being her father. And that isn’t right. It’s especially not right seeing just how many people feel absolutely no empathy for him.

“She was just a child having to endure all that!!” Okay, and how old was Stolas when he had to marry an abusive girl and have a kid of his own, exactly? At least he gave Via a chance to have a good childhood, he didn’t have one. He didn’t have anything except for his duties to carry out.

And while it’s heartbreaking that Via sees herself as an obligation, that’s literally what she was supposed to be. Though that doesn’t mean that was how he saw her. She was what saved him, what made him endure all the abuse, what kept him going.

But sometimes that’s not enough, he had NO ONE to confide in and couldn’t put his frustrations on his own kid (because he’s a good father, despite what some of you would like to believe, clearly you didn’t grow up with a parent trying to guilt you by traumadumping when you can barely understand it), so he also NEEDED the pills.

The thing is, i also had that mentality towards my mom for dealing with depression UNTIL i started experiencing it myself. Because it’s so hard to realize that your parents are also human beings, since they’re supposed to protect you, they’re supposed to have everything figured out, to be the shoulder you cry on.

But if i see another dumbass claim that he CHOSE to leave and made the wrong decision in Mastermind, i need you out of this fandom. The whole point of that was that he had no choice, was he supposed to throw away the man he fell in love with, his first friend, his first time that wasn’t for procreation, and the one who liberated him? Stolas is allowed to care for more than one person, and he deserves to be loved romantically by someone.

You’re being too harsh on Stolas because for whatever reason you hate an abuse victim finally having a say in how to live for once in their lives, adding on top of that the weird, underlying homophobia in some of your criticisms for him.

Also i have a bad taste in my mouth from Via only seemingly hating Stolas, despite having SEEN how shitty Stella is. Sure, she doesn’t know the full extent of the abuse, but she’s heard the yelling, she’s seen the throwing, the ridiculing, the insensitivity. And most likely that woman neglected Via as much as possible, because she also didn’t choose to have her, but unlike Stolas she didn’t give a fuck to take responsibility regardless. (Reminding you of the “You get up” comment from Loo Loo Land). This was all happening before the cheating, so that’s not an excuse for her behavior (not that the cheating was, but at least Via would have been able to reason with her reaction to it).

It’s a complicated situation and it’s so shitty to put all the blame on Stolas, he tried so much for his family, but it was never going to be enough, because he’s gay. I’m glad he got out of that marriage.

Honestly, had i been given all those responsibilities at his age in a loveless marriage, i would’ve gone insane. I wouldn’t have been kind to my child, the cause of my shit life. But he never saw her as a weight on his shoulders, he has so much love for Via.

[shiratamahatsumiyo]

Twst with Nicole Watterson! Yuu

Requested by: Anonymous

Warnings: Corporate Slavery

Nicole Watterson is a character from the cartoon, The Amazing World of Gumball. She is the wife of Richard and the mother of Gumball, Darwin, and Anais. She is an overworked office worker and a tired mother who takes care of her chaotic family. She is also feared by her husband and children and even some citizens of Elmore.

I'll be picturing the reader here as slightly older, to the time they're old enough to get married and have a job but still don't have any children yet.

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"Sigh... One more week... Just. One. More. Week."

• You sighed heavily as you parked in front of your neighbors' car, arriving late again at night due to working overtime. Fighting the urge to demolish your own car out of frustration was difficult. You long awaited that two day holiday that the company you worked in at least offered to its slaves employees.

"Hopefully Richard-- WOAHH!!!"

{Living Room}

• Not even five seconds after opening the door, you slipped onto something lumpy and moist. You got up to rub your head, that headache that was ringing then is ringing harder now. Looking at your feet it seems that you slipped on... A burger? Now that you looked further there's a trail of them on the floor and their grease is all over the couch.

"What the?!........ RICHAAARD!!!"

• Your husband crawled downstairs with a bloated stomach and stained clothes, you could only guess that he was eating loads of fastfood. His eyes don't dare meet your wrathful glare and only stared at the floor with shame, awaiting your scolding.

"Uhh... Welcome home, honey?"

"Don't welcome home, honey me! What is this?!"

"U-um... Joyful Burger patties?"

• You repeatedly pointed at the amount of junk food lying around to force an explanation from Richard to which the man nervously gave, his sweaty hands fiddled with fear and his voice became smaller compared to your loud one.

"And what did we say about this many food?!"

"I-i can't eat this much a-and... And that it worsens our current financial state?"

"I thought you knew that already! We can't keep living like thi--"

• Cue a tub full of fastfood falling from the ceiling before setting on fire. You inhaled sharply, close your eyes, and massage your temples. You are already too tired to deal with this. If your back wasn't aching right now you would've screamed your head off at Richard.

"......."

"............"

"This... this surely can't get any worse..."

*Knock* *Knock *Knock*

• There's sometimes these moments where you wish that Richard offered a different explanation. At this point desperation can be heard from your voice. Practically in denial that things can get any worse than this.

"Please, please, tell me... this can't be any..."

"Well... I might have... uh... had a fight with the uh...."

"RICHARD WATTERSON! THIS IS THE ELMORE POLICE DEPARTMENT! YOU ARE UNDER ARREST FOR ASSAULTING AN ESTABLISHMENT WORKER! PLEASE COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!"

• That familiar sound of a megaphone from a certain donut shaped cop is coming right outside of your doorstep accompanied by the sounds of police alarms. The TV flickered abruptly to a news channel displaying an injured Larry.

"...Richard."

"H-h-honey, I can explain...!"

"Good evening, Elmore. This is Elmore News and we interrupt this program for tonight we bring you shocking news. At Joyful Burger at 8:43 PM, a man is seen assaulting an employee with more than fifty sets of joyful meal toys and then proceeded to run from the scene. Witnesses say that the man was visibly upset that the employee did not include the additional discount fries and soda, leading to an argument and eventually an assault."

"..................................."

"..........................................."

"........................................................"

"............... I'm sorry...?"

"RICHARD WATTERSON, STEP OUT OF THE HOUSE! DO NOT RESIST ARREST--"

"ALRIGHT WE GET IT!!!!!!"

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• You DID NOT hope that this evening would turn out like this. You wanted a night with enough rest to go back to work in the next three hours but no, instead your husband decided to be manchild. Now he's arrested by the police and is under custody. You still remember him clinging to you before being dragged away by the police, they actually had a hard time trying to pry him off of you but nonetheless succeeded with your help.

• You couldn't ignore or say an excuse to this matter because Larry's injuries were that bad. Turns out this isn't the first time Richard's acted this way, so a few nights in jail was overdue.

• You lie down on your shared bed, the right side of it is cold and empty. You find the lack of weight and warmth unusual and just stared blankly at the ceiling... You are so tired... Maybe calling in sick might not sound so bad. Besides, you have to fix the living room and the bathroom.

• You yawned in what felt like the millionth time and blinked your bloodshot eyes slowly, slowly until they finally close.

• And as you fall asleep, the sounds of hooves clacking can be heard from a distance. A silhouette of a hand reaching out to you appeared in a dream....

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".....Fnyagh...! Gotta.... Uniform....... Fast!...."

"Mmnnh.... Huh? Huh? Wh-wha.... Mnnh... Ow!!"

• You wake up feeling a bit too warm... OUCH! Okay, too hot, too hot, too hot! In a panic, you accidentally bumped your head into the flat surface of the coffin- wait, coffin?! What the what?!

• You started to hear a muffled voice outside of the coffin and feel like you're about to get literally cooked. Your drowsiness is replaced by your fight or flight mode and you swiftly kicked the coffin's lid off, jumping out of the coffin to beat whoever the hell thought was a good idea to bury and burn you while you're asleep.

"Fnyagh! How are you awake-- GAH!"

• You grabbed the flaming cat by the neck and interrogate him with threatening eyes. You stopped half sentence after noticing the unfamiliar surroundings you are in. The floating coffins and sudden wardrobe change made you wipe your eyes to check if what you're seeing is real. The cat could do nothing but struggle against your unflinching iron grip.

"Look, I don't have enough sleep or even have enough consciousness to deal with what your problem is... Whyy..... Where in the world am I?"

"Fnyaagh? W-what the heck are ya talkin' abou--fnyahh! L-let go! Let go!"

"I asked you a question first so answer me. Where am I? And who sent you?"

"Fnyagh?! No one orders the Great Grim to do anything! N-now put me down!"

"Who?"

"Me! I'm-ack! I'm the Great Grim! Now lemme go before I roast ya!"

"Sigh... Fine."

• You thought that nothing will be the outcome if you're just going to bicker back and forth with this thing, so you let him go with a warning. Since this looks like hallway you'll just ask a stranger if they know where this place is. You ignoring the flaming cat may not be a good idea as he is now pursuing you in a chase with fire.

• You were puzzled on why there's not a single person that can be seen despite the building being very spacious. So you assumed that you are alone and decided to fight back against Grim without worrying about risks.

"Fnyahahahah! Cornered are ya? You can run but ya can't escape the Great Grim's nose! Now gimme those robes-- MEYOUCH!!!"

"Stop right there, monster! Cease your erratic behavior at once!"

"What the..."

• Like some kind of plot convenience, a man wearing a crow mask restrained the cat with a leash.

"Fnyagh! What's with this rope?! It won't break!"

"This is not just rope, mind you! This is the Lash of Love! You there, beastman! Are you the last student? Quite an impatient one, aren't you?"

• Beastman? Does he mean you? I mean, he did stop this maniacal cat from burning you alive so could he be trusted? Nah, who on earth would trust a man wearing a mask with formal attire and calling people weird names?

"Uhhh....."

"What are you looking around for? Obviously, I'm talking to you!"

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

"Okaaay then. Do you happen to know where I am or what this place is?"

"What do you mean? Do you not remember? My, it seems that the teleportation spell might've jumbled up your brain a bit. But you do who I am, yes?"

"Uh no, I'm sorr- oh wait, you're the... No, no, that guy was in a commercial... Wait, you could be... Nope.... Hmmmm, no, I'm sorry. I really don't know you."

"Oh, is that so? Then allow me to explain in great detail while we head to the Ceremony, I'm sure your familiar will be tame through it. You should train him better."

"Ceremony? Familiar?"

"I ain't this guy's familiar!"

"Yes, yes. That's what they all say when there's trouble. Come! We must make haste, the others are waiting!"

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• You walked alongside the strange man as he explains something about you being in a college for young wizards. Grim was not struggling anymore and is now silently listening in.

"You, my dear student, are in Night Raven College! One of the most prestigious educational institutions of Twisted Wonderland dedicated to train young mages with great potential in the magical arts. To help hone and nurture their skills to their greatest potential in hopes of becoming great mages like the Great Seven--"

"Pfft- AHAHAHAHAHAHA! Hahahaha!"

"Well, I beg your pardon! I do find it quite rude to laugh when someone is speaking."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry- oh my gosh! AHAHAHAHAHAHA! I've- ahaha! Oh, I cant-i can't breathe-! You've gotta be kidding me! Ahahaha! Ohh, alright, hah... You can drop the act now, I'm not buying this. Great acting though. Although it could use a bit more naturalness. I can tell that it's pretty much practiced."

• What kind of reaction they were expecting when they spout nonsense at someone? Of course, whoever kidnapped you were expecting you to act confused and panic! But you've faced a lot worse than this and laughed it off. The man is now scowling but coughed into his hand to change the subject. It's like he wants you to play along.

"Practiced?! I am offended! ... Ahem, I didn't think anyone would notice.... This is no laughing matter. For now I will let this slide since we are late for the ceremony. I expect that in the future you would fix your attitude around your seniors during your stay here."

"Ohoh? I'm so sorry for breaking character, Mr... Uh..."

"Breaking in character? I'm afraid I don't know what you mean by that... And it's not Mister! It's headmaster Crowley, Dire Crowley. I am the director of this school and you are a student here."

"But I'm not? It's all a mistake. I was just in my house and then the next thing I knew, I woke up inside a coffin-"

"Then that means you are chosen by the Ebony Carriage to be here. You should be glad that you are enrolled."

"What the? Being sent here without my consent is kidnapping! And I didn't even asked to be enrolled here! How am I supposed to be glad knowing that some crazy wizard-wannabe guy in mask put me in a coffin?! And even if I am a student, who the heck would use coffins as a form of transportation?!"

"Oh... um... W-We... uh..."

"Oh nevermind that, let's just go!"

• This man is certainly not helping and you're running out of patience to humor him. You eventually reached a pair of giant doors and opened them, revealing a room full of people with robes the same design as yours. You quickly closed the doors to face Crowley.

"Inhale......... I thought this is a school?"

"I-it is a school."

"Then why does it look like everyone is prepared to summon some demonic entity from the underworld?"

"It's a traditional orientation procedure."

"Exhale..... You know what at this point I don't care anymore."

• You opened the doors with a loud bang causing everyone to flinch and snap their heads to look at you.

"Alright. Sorry to interrupt. Which way is the exit?"

"Hold it right there! What do you think you're doing?"

"I-it's that way..."

"Thank you."

"Al-Asim!"

"Yeah? Wait, was I not supposed to tell?"

"Please stop!"

"At least someone answered what I'd like... To... Hear.....?"

• You head straight toward the exit but stopped at scene before you. It was still nighttime, the sky is still dark and... People are flying on brooms? What? You are in complete disbelief. The headmage just dragged you back to the room.

".... Wha- how- Th-this can't be. I-I'm not dreaming am I?"

"Oh no, this is definitely very real, I assure you. Now please move forward to the Dark Mirror, they will sort you to a dorm. We don't have all night!"

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{Night Raven College – Mirror Chamber}

• Are you even in Elmore? If that guy says that everything is real, then how far away are you from home? What about your job? What about your husband?

"State thy name."

"H-huh?"

• You are brought back from your thoughts by a voice in front of you. You yelped when a face appeared in the mirror. You looked at Crowley for directions but all he said is that you must interact with the mirror. Hesitantly, you gave it your name.

"Just say your name!"

"Ugh, this is ridiculous. Can't I have a panic attack in peace? I'm not giving away my name-"

"Talk now, panic later! Just say it already!"

"Sigh, Nicole! Yuu Watterson. There, I said it."

"Nicole! Yuu Watterson..."

• The mirror proceeded to squint at you with disdain evident on its face. For a while the expression prolonged until its eyes widened in shock. You took that as offense.

"Yeah, I know that I'm not much of a looker but let's be honest here, you're not one yourself-"

"Thy soul is empty."

"Wow. Offended much?"

• The crowd of students gasped and whispered among themselves after hearing the mirror's response. The headmaster has become even more dramatic.

"What?! But how?! How can this be?! In all my one hundred years of teaching, the carriage can't possibly escort someone with no magic?!"

"This one's soul is... very much empty. It is struggling to maintain its shape and color. It has strained itself for so long. However... Albeit not possessing magic, they do possess a powerful and otherworldly strength. Like a bright flame igniting once every fleeting moment..."

"I... I don't understand! Otherworldly? Are you saying that this beastman... Is not from Twisted Wonderland?"

"Beastman this, beastman that. What's with your name-calling? I just gave you my name. Start using it."

"A-ahem! My apologies. Let us discuss this later, Watterso--"

"FNYAGH! If that guy doesn't have magic, then take me instead! I have magic to prove it! I'll show ya how strong it is, just watch me!"

"Halt, monster!"

"I ain't just no regular weak monster! I'm the Great Grim!"

"...!.... EVERYONE, GET DOWN!!"

• All of you were so busy chatting that the monster freed itself from its restraints and started blowing fire everywhere. The students shielded themselves before the flames hit thanks to your warning... Well, most of them.

"AAAAHHHH! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!!! MY BUTT IS ON FIRE!!!!"

"Why don't you just hunt that thing? Doesn't it look like a nice plump snack?"

"Why don't you do it yourself?"

"SOMEBODY CAPTURE THAT MONSTER AT ONCE!"

"I'll capture it, headmage. I'm afraid there's no one here who has the heart to hurt the poor thing."

"Aaand there's classic Azul. Not wasting a single moment to show off and rewards."

"Whoever brought that cat here has broken a rule! Cats are not allowed to attend--"

"GREAT SEVENS, WHY IS NOBODY CAPTURING IT?!"

"UH HELLO? MY BUTT'S STILL ON FIRE! CAN SOMEONE PLEASE PUT IT OUT!"

"OH FORGET IT I'LL DO IT MYSELF!!!!"

• Having enough of the creature wreaking havoc, you immediately took the headmaster's cane and lobbed it like a spear toward Grim. It landed on the wall next to the creature, startling him off guard. You then take the Lash of Love and lassoed it around Grim.

"WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS WAITING FOR?! GRAB HIM!!"

"R-right!"

"OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!"

• A heavy red-gold collar appeared around the cat's neck. It stopped its rampage to focus solely on getting rid of the new restraints.

"F-Fnaygh? Ugh! What's with this collar?! I can't use my magic?!"

"This is no ordinary collar, this my unique magic. It can restrain anyone's magic. Without magic, you are no more than a measly cat until I take it off."

"Hey! The Great Grim ain't a pet! Take it off!"

"Don't worry, I'd never want a pet like you. You have broken a rule and even attacked us. You've brought this upon yourself."

"Splendid job as always, Riddle! That unique magic of yours is quite useful in situations like these... I want it. No, I don't want that to work on me... "

"Nicole! Yuu Watterson! How many times do I have to tell you to properly tame your beast?"

"AND HAVE MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT HE'S NOT MINE?!"

"E-eh? Not yours? I thought-"

"You keep cutting me off before I could say anything! That stupid carriage you talk about took me here by mistake!"

"A-apologies. Students, take him away!"

"Fnyaagh?! OWW! NOOO! Let go! I don't wanna!! Get your hands off me! NOOOO!!! I SWEAR! I'LL BECOME THE GREATEST MAGE!! YOU'LL ALL SEE!!!"

• The headmaster ordered two students to drag Grim out of the room. You kind of feel bad for the little guy but just a tiny bit. As always, no one thanks you for sparing them the trouble. Your efforts instantly forgotten like they weren't in the risk of having their skin scorched.

"Ahem! Now that the problem is settled, students, please proceed to your dormitories accordingly... hmm, I don't see the dorm leader of Diasomnia anywhere? Didn't anyone invite him?"

"He's too unapproachable for me to invite..."

"Invite him? That guy's a total recluse."

• Just like before, the crowd of students begin to erupt with whispers but this time there's a hint of fear in them. Looks like this Diasomnia dorm leader is some kind of big shot. A short man hanging upside down appeared out of thin air and nearly gave you a heart attack.

"Good evening, headmage."

"WAAHH!"

"Great Sevens, Mr. Vanrouge!"

"Ahahahaha! My apologies. I'm afraid to inform you that Malleus Draconia has forgotten to attend the ceremony. I'd like to be the one to lead the new students in his place."

"Is that so? Very well then. Please inform him when there's an important occassion next time."

"I will, headmaster... I hope this doesn't leave him in a sour mood..."

"Nicole! Yuu Watterson, may I have a word with you?"

"After what just happened? Sure."

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{Night Raven College – Library}

• After learning that you are not supposed to be student here, Crowley dismissed all the students to focus on escorting you back home using the Dark Mirror, but failed. You followed him to the library to find more information.

"I don't understand. I don't understand at all! Are you certain this Elmore is a place? Are you not lying to me perhaps?"

"Why would I lie right now? I need to get back home!"

"Do you have anything that is from your home? A phone, wallet, or a name on a shoe? Nothing at all?"

"No, I don't think so..."

"Hmmm... this could possibly mean that you could either be from another planet or from another dimension."

"Is this world still Earth?"

"Earth? This is Twisted Wonderland. I don't know this Earth you speak of."

".......... I wish I'm still dreaming."

• You lost how many times you facepalmed yourself because of Crowley, possibly enough to make sure that you're wide awake and not hallucinating due to lack of sleep. In the end, there were no texts in the library leading to your hometown. Luckily, Crowley was gracious to lend you shelter in an unused dormitory.

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{Ramshackle Dorm}

"WHAT THE WHAT?! CROWLEY, WHAT THE HECK IS ALL THIS?!"

"U-umm... shelter for you-"

"HOW AM I GOING TO LIVE IN THIS DORM WITHOUT NEEDING SEVERAL TETANUS SHOTS?! ANYONE CAN TELL THAT WITH ONE LOOK AT THIS-THIS DILAPIDATED BUILDING THEY KNOW THAT IT HAS MAGGOTS THRIVING INSIDE ITS WALLS!"

"It's not that bad! It has a certain charm of its own, with a few maintenances that is... although, there are no other residents here considering it is haunted by ghosts but I'm sure you'll survive--"

"HAUNTED?! MY GOSH, NOT ONLY DOES THIS ROTTEN DORM REEK OF MOLD AND PLAGUE, IT'S ALSO HAUNTED BY GHOSTS?! JUST HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO SURVIVE A MINUTE HERE?! CROWLEY?! CROWLEY, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?! I'M TALKING TO YOU--"

"I-I'm going to bring you food now...uh... I think this is what teenagers these days call hangry? I'll be right back, yes, for I am gracious!"

"CROWLEY!!"

• You don't even bother following after him anymore, you decided to wait. Unfortunately, there are not a single clean chair that you can sit on, so you roll up your sleeves and search for cleaning tools. You underestimated how old this dorm is for every step you take, you could feel the floor creak beneath you. Heavy rain started to pour, making the walls moist. The stairs were not in safe circumstances to climb over.

{Ramshackle Dorm – Lounge}

"ACHOO! Fnyaaagh! My ears! Darn rain...!"

• An annoying voice that you wish you aren't familiar with reached your ears after you found cleaning materials. Grim noticed you approaching him and he quickly had his guard up. You don't want to fight him right now, you got some cleaning to do.

"Eek!... Y-y-ya got guts to face the Great Grim like this!"

"You're the one trespassing."

"That doesn't matter! I'm staying here whether ya like it or not!"

"Suit yourself. Pick up this bucket and clean."

"Who do ya think ya are to boss me around?! You do it-- ACK!!"

"IF YOU WANT TO STAY HERE, YOU GOT TO EARN YOUR KEEP. NOW CLEAN OR I'LL KICK YOU OUT."

".... F-f-fnyagh.... Y-yes, I'll do it..."

• The cat shut its mouth after getting humbled by you. Your glare is colder than the downpour outside, your grip on his collar still strong despite being so tired. You continued to stare at him silently.

"...o....o.....oooo..........."

"H-Hey, did you hear th-that...?"

"......Oooooo.....ooooooo........"

"E-eek! G-g-ghosts!"

• Grim started to feel a breeze brushing through the atmosphere, and three white figures circling you both. They are ghosts! If there are ghosts here then this dorm is haunted!

"Fnyagh! There's ghosts in this place! We need to get outta here!"

"Where are you goin'? We just wanna have some fun!"

"Hey beastman, look over here!"

"Hehehe! Yeah, this place became sooo boring. It's been a while since residents-- g-guh!"

• You suddenly dropped Grim and looked at the ghosts with eyes full of rage it looked like the ghosts were looking at Hell. The ghosts stuttered and shivered back in fear, thinking that Hell is where they'll end up if they disturb you any further.

"H-h-hey now... there's no need t-to look so... so..."

"U-um... Y'know what... W-we won't d-disturb you anymore.... We're just g-gonna..."

"L-l-leave!"

"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?"

"WAAAHHH! W-we're sorry! We're s-sorry! W-we're s-so sorry! P-p-please spare us! S-spare us!"

"H-have m-m-mercy!"

"W-we promise t-to never return h-h-here again...!"

• Grim watched as you grabbed the apparitions by their faded tails with no difficulty. He was dumbfounded... he thought you had no magic! Grim looked away when you lift your hand toward one of the ghosts, awaiting the violence, but you stopped when Crowley bursted through the door. The now weeping ghosts were still pleading for mercy like they're chanting.

"I-i hope you're not angry anymore and calmed down! ... Here, I've brought you clothes and din...ner..."

"Fnyagh...."

"Pleasespareuspleasespareuspleasespareuspleasespareusplease..."

"Finally..."

"....... M-Mind telling me what's happening here?"

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{Ramshackle Dorm – Bedroom}

• Last night concluded in Crowley calling you a beast tamer and letting Grim stay in order to let you enroll. However, you'll be doing odd jobs for him in exchange for shelter and money. You can only hope that these odd jobs are not difficult to handle like you're old one. But at least you get some rest away from your toxic workplace.

"Wake up, Nicole! Yuu, Grim! Your first day begins now!"

"...ughh?...mnn... Grim, get up..."

"Fnyagh, nooo... I wanna sleep some more..."

"Oh? Then you won't mind me kicking you out."

"Fnyagh! Okay, okay, I'm up! I'm awake!"

• Grim is unexpectedly more tolerable than your husband. Sure he's lazy and needs to be bribed by food to do something but at least he has common sense. But you sort of miss Richard very much.

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.

{Ramshackle Dorm – Entry Hall}

"Henchman! Hurry it up! I want my first stride of becoming a mage look cool!"

"Grim, for the last time, I'm not your henchman."

"Glad to see that you both are excited for today. Before I forget, the library is now accessable to you anytime when you need clues for going home."

"Thank you... Headmage."

"Hmm? What was that? I can't hear you."

"Thank. You. Head. Mage."

"My, you actually called me Headmage for the first time."

"Don't push it."

"Come on! Let's go!"

• You start the day early with a nervous step. Hopefully, the individuals here are not as problematic as the ones in Elmore.... Right?

{NRC Campus – Front Gate}

"Woah~ The campus is so big!"

"Ah, not bad. Not too shabby."

"Welcome to Night Raven College!"

[nethhiri]

Part 7:

Warnings: Violence

Kamazo seemed to be more mindful with you after that. Even when the dark look entered his eyes, something was still present to prevent him from being overly rough with you. You kept traveling north, and as it got colder, he stayed closer to you and helped block the wind. He brought you a heavy cloak to keep you warm and if it snowed, he held you steady in the slippery areas. Perhaps the most shocking, he started talking more, asking about you, telling trivial tidbits about himself. You learned he particularly loved anything noodle-based. It made the long traveling times more bearable. He wouldn't answer anything on a deeper level, so you stopped asking. He only got upset with you once, when you asked about family. That made him go silent for a day or two. A handful of times you had to stop to be sick, but he didn't seem to mind. He held your hair back if you needed it and gave you water to rinse your mouth out. Even though you ate the same things, he didn't seem affected. It was probably your body getting used to eating more and richer foods than you had been previously. Now, Kamazo and yourself were traveling between towns, through an open snow field. 

"Are you okay?" Kamazo asked.

You wiped your mouth on the back of your hand after retching, yet again. "Yeah. It's just the food."

"Something's wrong with my cooking?"

"No! I love your cooking, Kam." You offered him a coy smile and continued. "I think my body is still getting used to it."

"It's been months."

"Yeah."

"And you weren't like that in the beginning."

You shrugged. "I don't know. What else could it be?"

Kamazo eyed you, contemplating something. "Come here." He lifted his arm so you could be pulled into his side, with his arm resting on your shoulders. "You know I will take care of you, right?" There was a shred of something unfamiliar in his eyes, a warmth you had seen flicker once before, when you had asked about family. This time, he wasn't angry.

"You have," you replied, unsure of where he was going with this. He had never been sentimental before.

"...I'm speaking of the future, Sparrow."

"I don't understand."

"You, me, ...and-" 

Kamazo held his finger to his lips. In a flash, there was a man covered head to toe in black that seemed to come from thin air. Before you could scream, the man handed something to Kamazo, and disappeared as fast as he had materialized. Kamazo didn’t seem fazed by the apparition, in fact, he seemed to be expecting it. Kamazo opened the thing that was handed to him, a note of some kind. He read it and let the breeze carry it away from his open palm. 

Kamazo never finished what he was going to say. The note seemed to change his demeanor. The coldness was back, and the darkness was creeping in. He seemed to be in a rush after that, letting you ride on his back while he trudged through the snow. You had been slowing him down considerably. He stopped when you came upon the stump of an old, large tree. It was hollow and big enough for a person to shelter in it. Kamazo set you down, wrapped your cloak around you tighter, and left some dried fruit for you to snack on. 

“Be good, Sparrow.” He touched your cheek.

You nuzzled into his hand and nodded.

Hours had passed and Kamazo had not returned. This happened a lot, but there was an unsettling feeling within you. There had been some loud noises and metallic clanging in the distance, with silence afterword. You waited as long as you could bear it. Your heart squeezed in your chest and you were beginning to get anxious. At the risk of being scolded, you decided to look for him. What if something had happened to him? You weren’t sure what you could do for him if something had happened. You tried not to think about it.

You followed his footprints through the snow. A few times, you had to sit and catch your breath. Soon, you noticed there were additional footprints, an adult and a child. The child’s footprints disappeared after some time, with only an adult’s left. The adult’s footprints seemed to get farther apart, like they were running. Running from the bigger footprints? Kamazo’s footprints? You followed with a bit more haste, hesitating only when you considered you might come upon him killing someone. You didn’t like seeing him like that. Even though you knew what he was, you could imagine him being someone much more, friendly, affectionate, maybe even loving. You could sense that it was tucked down deep within him, buried in the personality that took over when he was working.

In the distance, you could make out a bridge. Closer, there was a shape on the ground, lightly dusted with snow. Your heart dropped when you saw the familiar fabric of Kamazo’s clothing sticking out. You hyperventilated, seeing red staining the white snow.

“Kamazo!” You struggled to run through the deep snow, falling once on the way to him. You dropped to your knees at his side. “Kamazo! Kam!”

You brushed the falling snow from his body and attempted to flip him onto his back. There was a pool of blood under him that made your actions increase in desperation. No matter how hard you tugged and pushed, you could not budge him. He was solid muscle and much bigger than you. You panted and strained until you couldn’t try anymore. He felt colder. The only thing you could do now was to share body heat and hope that someone would find you. Even then, what would they do with you? Kamazo was a murderer, too many crimes to ignore, and you were a whelp of a person, made to ignore. 

“It's me, Kam.” You tried to keep your voice from shaking as you laid next to him, partly on top of him, and spread your cloak to cover both of you. "It's your Sparrow." 

It was cold. Being still in the brisk wind and snow had sapped the warmth from your bones. You pressed yourself closer to Kamazo, shivering uncontrollably. Each minute that passed, you were reminded of how useless and weak you were. When it mattered, you couldn't do anything. Maybe this was how you could repay him, keep him warm until someone finds him. Even if you died of hypothermia in the process, it was worth it. You enjoyed the short time he had given you, being truly alive. 

When night set in, it was much colder than you thought possible and your eyes fought to stay open. They never strayed from Kamazo’s face. He didn’t so much as twitch. Your lips and mouth were dry, continuously talking to him, hoping he could hear you thank him and whisper how much you loved him. Your body became very warm and sleepy even though the outside air felt like cold knives. Something told you it was safe to close your eyes. It was lying. That, you could tell. Your eyes slowly fell shut. You thought maybe you had seen the ice blue sliver of Kamazo’s irises staring back at you before they closed, but it was probably your imagination.

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

Kamazo let out a final laugh as he faded in the cold snow. It was cruel. Just as he dared think he could have a family again, it was ripped from him. 

Killer watched with a broad smile under his mask as Heat fixed you up to look more like a Kid Pirate. He was on the deck, grilling food for your welcome party. It seemed like it was yesterday that he found you in Wano. Killer sighed, full of happiness. He had Kid and he had you. He couldn't want for much else. When Heat was done, you bounded up to Killer.

"It's me, Kil." You did a spin so he could see you. "It's Sparrow." You waved to Heat, thanking him. 

Killer leaned down to bump his helmet softly against your head, his version of a kiss. "Very cute." 

"Don't lie to the lass. Sparrow looks more like a fuckin egg." Kid cackled from the helm.

"Fuck off, Kid!" Killer wrapped his arm around your shoulders, glancing down at the glow on your face and round belly eclipsing your shorts.

You rubbed your bump. "I want to name it Kam. Is that... okay?" You looked up at him, chewing your lip.

Kamazo stirred in the snow, startled by his dream. His eyes were open briefly, enough to see yours close next to him, before closing again, this time sending him into nightmares.

Tag List: @nocturnalrorobin @h0n3y-l3m0n05 @tremendoushorsepatrolgoth @fendifendi @eustasscapitankid @iggy5055 @hannahbarberra162 @mapachito

[dazed-and-confused23]

Naughty List

Pairings: Hawks x Female Reader

Summary: You wait up for your boyfriend on Christmas Day, worried that he had forgotten.

You sigh heavily. You knew that your boyfriend was a busy man. He was the number two hero after all, but you had hoped that he would have at least remembered how much Christmas meant to you. It was your favorite holiday, and you always went full blast with the decorations and music. Hot chocolate every night and sugar cookies and other sweets that you loved. This year, you had wanted to share that with Keigo.

But the longer you wait, the more you think that your boyfriend wouldn't show. It was nearing midnight by now, and you couldn't help but stare out the balcony window of your home, hoping to see a familiar set of wings and the body attached to them. You didn't like feeling upset with your boyfriend, but you couldn't help feeling hurt over his absence.

Keigo had promised you that he would be here before midnight, had swore himself blue in the face until you were a laughing mess, and had to shove him away, sides aching with laughter. So where was he?

Another ten minutes passed, and you were tempted to go ahead and turn off the lights and go to bed when you heard the sound of jingle bells. Your brow furrows, and you look up just in time to see a flash of red go by your window. Excitement bubbles in your gut, and you jump up to push the balcony doors open, uncaring of the cold wind that immediately makes your hair whip around your face.

You see that flash of red again, and a smile lights up your face when your boyfriend finally comes into view. He is wearing a full Santa suit, a string of golden bells tied across his chest and a thick, white beard covering his face. You step back so that he can land and cackle when the hero juts out his belly and puts his hand on his hips.

"Aren't pretty girls like you supposed to be in bed this time of night? I'd hate to put you on my naughty list."

His voice is pitched deep, and there is a teasing tilt to it that only makes you giggle harder. But you play along.

"Oh, Santa. I was only waiting up to try and get a glimpse of you, I promise I'm a good girl."

Those golden eyes of his narrow, and you can see the mischievous smirk that curls his lips as he steps closer to you, "Well, now. If that's the case, how about you show me how good of a girl you are."

As Keigo pushes you back inside your home, you can't help but scold yourself. You should have known your hero would come through.

[harrietswriting]

hi hi uhhhuhhhhhhhhhhhahahahah

i really like dallas winston.. so..

dallas x reader literally just hanging out? the book made me so sad in 7th and it’s coming back and dallas winston is just heaven sent and doesn’t have enough stuff about him 🙁

an: I took some creative freedom hear and made this sad 😭I'm so unmotivated rn but this is cute so I'm doing this. I tried to research about Dallas's past for this and I found out that for some reason, I was under the impression that Dallas was born and raised in New York, then ran away from home, and that's not really true? But for this fic- his dad is in New York and he ran away from there. I did not make this cute.

W: angst!!, hc about Dallas's past, mentions of abuse, neglect, violence, drinking, and death, not fully proof read, sad because I can and want to.

Dallas Winston x Reader

Angst

You leaned your head back against the wall and sighed.

"What?" Dallas looked over at you. Your legs were over top of his and his back rested against the wall. He placeed a hand on your knee.

"Nothing. I'm just bored." You shrugged.

"So, what do you want to do?" He asked.

You shruged again. He rolled his eyes. "Come here." He patted the spot next to him, so you moved and sat next to him. He slipped his arm around you, pulled you closer, and kissed your temple. You smiled sweetly.

"Its kinda nice being this quiet with you. I can't remember the last time we've just enjoyed eachothers company. You're always talking my ear off." He smiled smuggly.

You huffed out a laugh. "Be quiet." You mumbled with a smile.

He smiled back and pulled you tighter against his side. You two sit in silence for a moment longer, until you broke it.

"You never talk about yourself. Sometimes I feel like I don't know much about you, Dal."

He froze for a moment then looked at you. "What's your point?"

"Tell me about yourself. Like, about what your life was like in New York." You suggest.

He sighed and leaned his head back against the wall. He stared ahead at the other wall. "It was hell."

You waited for him to continue, but once he doesn't, you chimed in again. "Why?" You asked.

He looked at you. He had this look- he didn't look upset, no, he almost looked sad, worried. He sighed again and looked back at the wall.

"My old man, he never really cared for me. He only cared when I screwed up, ya know?"

Your heart ached for him. Even though he wasn't looking at you, you can see his subtle sadness. His eyebrows furrowed slightly, and his voice shook just a bit. It was obvious this was hard for him to talk about. He took his arm off of you and clasped his hands together in his lap. He fidgeted with his ring.

"My mom left before I was old enough to remember her." He looked down at his lap.

"I'm sorry." You said softly. This is so new, Dallas being vulnerable around you, you're kind of unsure on what to do. You gently put your hand over his. He immediately held your hand in both of his.

"Its not your fault." He told you. "I mean, that wasn't it. I could handle my old man beating me and all, but I wasn't in a good part of New York." He glanced at you. "I was in gangs, and not like the gang here, with the guys, like actual gangs, starting when I was really little, like 10."

He continues to give a pretty basic outline of his childhood. He was constantly in fights, stating drinking and smoking at an age way too young, and never had any real good friends before he moved here, he told you.

Dallas Winston was a tragic case. He was born to broken people in poverty, and grew up surrounded by violence. Worst yet, he never had someone to love him, not until he moved here. But, sometimes now you wonder if he ever knew that he was loved.

You place the flowers you brought and sniffle as you stare at the engraved named on the piece of stone by your late lovers final resting place.

Dallas T. Winston.

Mournful tears slip down your face and into the grass below as you recall the day he told you about his past, the day he opened his world to you, the day you finally realized that he had never been shown love.

You can't blame yourself, you know he'd hate that, but you can't help but wonder if this could have been prevented, had you told him you loved him, instead of being too afraid to do so.

You must tell him. So, has your eyes become waterfalls and your chin, a leaky sink, you say it.

"I love you, Dallas."

But it was too late. He died without knowing he was loved.

an: I'm sorry, halfway through I was like and lets make him dead! So here! Sorry for being inactive. I'm trying to get requests done. Love y'all 💕

[headslikekites]

how morally apprehensible is it to fight a 12 year-old

[queerofthedagger]

i mean this in the like... nicest way possible, but there is no way to post your writing and/or art on the internet without running the very high risk of it getting scraped, whether you post it on tumblr, pillowfort, or ao3. sites being 'anti ai' does not mean your art cannot be scraped. it is simply almost impossible to prevent, much less guarantee that. I'm not saying this to be a pessimist or to stop people from being rightfully pissed about this. it sucks. massively so! but if the idea does in fact bother you that much, you should know that moving sites won't fix the issue. ao3, as far as we know, has been scraped/is getting scraped. you can set your fics so that only logged in users can access them, but it only makes scraping one step more difficult, and by no means impossible and the otw has stated this clearly.

which, again, this sucks! i don't have a great solution either!! but tumblr is relatively honest, at least, when it tells you that it cannot prevent, only discourage it. ao3 said the same thing. any site promising you otherwise is, to the best of my knowledge, lying to you.

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

if dorian didn't show up, do you think louis would have shot minnie?

I do. I know some people think either he wouldn't have or he would've missed so that's why the writers had him shoot Dorian instead, but mmmmmm no, I don't personally think so. I like to think that if he had taken the shot, his shaky hands would've caused him to shoot her fatally.

Mostly because I'm already so normal about the fact that of the Ericson crew, Marlon and Louis are the only ones with a body count. Well, that we know of, but shown to us in the game, at least. Plus, we know it's Louis' first kill.

Like yeah, Clementine and AJ become part of the crew and they have bigger body counts, and if we're counting indirect kills caused by actions, then Tenn has a count... and I guess everyone has blood on their hands for blowing up the boat... but I'm talking about killed directly with a weapon like....... I lied, I'm not normal about that at all, Louis and Marlon are the ones who have killed someone in Louis' route. I'm also not normal about the fact that Louis kills Dorian and then even as he's clearly in shock, he tries to go with Clementine to get AJ, and then later on when they talk about it, he says it feels like bile but not quite and he's glad he has it in him to do it.... listen, listen, listen... I'm obsessed with that.

Anyway, so if Louis shot Minerva, I think he would've accidentally killed her and can you imagine? He's already enough of a mess after killing the woman who pinned him down and tried to cut his finger off [or succeeded] but he knew Minerva, they were friends before the twins were taken. Even Violet couldn't kill her even though that would've been the smarter thing to do, and we know thanks to meta knowledge that killing her would've saved lives, but Violet couldn't, and I don't think Louis would intentionally either.

Speaking of Violet, if Louis killed Minerva, I hate to think about what that would've done to Vi. I think she might've actually left at that point, like what was planned before it got changed to her being burned. I don't think she would've attacked Louis over it, though, like yeah she attacked Clementine in the cell but Louis? I don't know, but I don't think so just because it's Louis and he'd be a mess about it anyway.

Though if he did kill her, it would be a neat parallel to draw... y'know, because Louis forgave AJ for killing Marlon even though he was pissed and heartbroken, and Violet was annoyed with him the entire time... but could she ever forgive Louis for killing Minerva? Y'know? We already have a similar parallel with AJ shooting Tenn, but still.

If Clementine killed Minerva in that moment, though, then I could see Violet attacking her since in her eyes, Clem proved her right.

So yeah, I get why they added the Dorian kill to his route. It adds another compelling element to Louis as a character, but we also need Minerva alive for episode 4; Louis can't kill her, he can't miss, and he's not going to stay with her because we need Violet to stay on the boat and him to be on shore for all routes.

[dayurno]

my advice for anyone whos growing more and more frustrated with the state of aftg and fandom at large is that arguing is fun but you need to be happy. ok. you need to. its hard when bad faith takes are dropped to your doorstep but you need to be happy and enjoy yourself and have fun or there's no point in anything at all ever. ok. fandom is not real and nothing is worth more than your enjoyment. i love you please make sure to have fun and reach out to a friend today. for me

[doux-amer]

One thing that has deeply annoyed me about the response from Americans/Westerners about this week's events in Korea is that a lot of them, including people I like and respect, are like, "The protesting civilians and lawmakers who barged into the National Assembly would've been shot if this were the U.S./this would've never happened in the U.S. because people are too afraid of being shot." There's some truth to that, at least with regard to state violence, but I'm fed up because it doesn't account for how frightening this could have turned out to be had it not been for how much of an inept flop dunce Yoon Sukyeol is. It minimizes the courage of those who showed up.

Sure, it was likely that the military and riot police wouldn't have done much (again, YSY's self-coup wasn't thought out well, and there's more evidence of that as military officials and soldiers are speaking up about the lack of information they received, but I'll refrain from talking about that to avoid making this even longer than it inevitably will be, knowing myself), but let's not pretend there haven't been issues with them in recent years. They pepper sprayed and used water cannons during an anniversary rally for the Sewol ferry victims (x) (x) (if you don't understand how unbelievably cruel that is, look into the horrific Sewol ferry sinking). They tear gassed crowds (Korea has a gruesome history of this) and sprayed water cannons, and citizens have been injured and killed during the 2015 protests and 2016-17 Park Geunhye impeachment protests, notably Baek Namgi, an elderly activist whose death caused global outrage (x) (x). Park Geunhye was going to enforce martial law during those protests according to a leaked document, with hundreds of tanks, thousands of soldiers and special force troops! (x)

Not to mention, there are decades of extreme state violence that have scarred an entire country and are still super fresh for a huge percentage of the population. Again, check out that tear gas history piece. Look up the April Revolution, Gwangju massacre, and June uprising and see just how bloody they were. Thousands of civilians were tortured and killed. Look at how many protests were going on year after year during the 1980s. That isn't that long ago! All those older people who ran to the National Assembly to stop the coup? You bet a lot of them were college students who protested during that time or knew people who did. All the younger people? They may not have experienced what it was like living under martial law, but as I said, state violence still occurs, however much it's dwindled over the years, and you have to account for generational trauma. I don't think I'll ever forget the way I felt when I saw the breaking news alert about the martial law declaration on December 3. I've never experienced that, at least to that degree.

Instead of viewing the response from civilians and elected officials through the framework of police brutality in the U.S., it should be contextualized using Korea's own history. Thankfully most of the serious discussions are doing this, but like I said, even people who are smart about reading up on things have reflected on how this wouldn't fly in the U.S., not because of the difference in protest history, civil movements, and public engagement with both in the two countries but because of the military/police response. There's an insinuation there that Koreans would be more reluctant to do what they did if they knew what it's like to live in fear of violence instead of living in such a safe country like Korea...and I want to yell.

It was monumentally brave of everyone to do what they did to stop the coup. We're all laughing at how stupid the coup was and there's a reason why people were more furious than scared because of the political history of Korea and the laws set in place to protect the democracy and neutralize coup attempts, but this could have easily become a disaster. It's not alarmist of me to say so because there was no way for anyone to be 100% sure of how the military would react—especially when no one knew what the hell was going on.

[cozylittleartblog]

I want to buy a sticker from your shop, but shipping (to Canada) is down as $22 before tax. May I ask why it costs so much to ship a single sticker? Is it Etsy being weird, or does it really cost that much to send an envelope over the border?

I'm not trying to be snarky or passive aggressive or anything, I'm genuinely just kind of befuddled atm.

A fair question honestly! USPS sets the rates for international shipping, and shipping to canada really is about that expensive 😭 I considered sending stickers via envelopes, but 1. if I send them with a stamp (less than $2) they don't have tracking, and etsy Does Not Like That. I gotta send packages with shipping to qualify for star seller, plus it covers your ass in case USPS loses it. and 2. apparently it's illegal to send merchandise internationally in envelopes!! so sadly we're all stuck dealing with the super crazy international rates. I don't like it either because as someone who deals in trinkets, people generally do not want to pay $16 for a charm that costs $12, and they especially don't want to pay that for a sticker that costs $4... I would ABSOLUTELY have way more international sales if USPS wasn't fucking us with the prices but it's out of my control dssdjkfjksdf

I give this advice a lot, but if you don't want to pay international shipping (or just live in a country I don't ship to myself), you can borrow the address of a friend that lives in the states and they can forward it to you! I don't actually know if this is cheaper, but some people have said it is. it's def cheaper for stickers though if your friend uses a stamp!

TL;DR yeah etsy and USPS are Both Weird, sorry ; - ; i assure you i hate it even More than you do lmao

[jichanxo]

how it started:

how it's going:

[ilkkawhat]

has tumblr been acting strange on desktop for anyone else or am i just cursed