#I’m currently working on my own stories to the point of not being able to completely lose myself to other people’s stories the same way

[soul-controller]

Streamer to Streamer: Pride

Released just in time for the end of Pride month! Although, pride doesn't just end in June, does it...? 👀 This is one of my first Patreon stories, so I initially planned on trying to rewrite it, but IRL stuff prevented me from finishing it in time. So, I've decided to release it as-is, providing a bit of a time capsule to showcase how much my writing has progressed since writing this back in 2022. I hope you enjoy!

As Will Henderson made his way home from work, there was a slight pep in his step as he thought about his evening plans. Not only was he going to download and try out the new public test beta for one of his favorite games Dead By Daylight, but he was also going to do it live on his Twitch account. Ever since he had finally committed to becoming a regular streamer around four months ago, Will had found himself quite impressed by his growth in terms of followers. 

But as time went on and he continued to beat several of his own personal follower goals, there was something in his mind that left him quite dedicated to continuing his steady but impressive growth and reaching impressive milestones such as having over 1,000 followers. Given his current follower count though at just over 250 followers, the amount of followers he needed was quite a long shot within the predetermined time limit he gave to himself (a single month). Although most people would assume this hyper-fixation on his follower count was a negative side effect of his newfound reliance on this social platform, the reality was something much more wholesome. For years, Will had loathed his shitty retail job and thus wanted to leave it as soon as possible, so with his growing popularity on Twitch, the man believed that this along with his side gig as a transformation writer would be the perfect way for him to finally leave that career behind and do something that better fulfilled him.

However, almost immediately after loading into his first match, Will’s optimistic mood quickly soured as he found himself becoming the target of the killer as they quickly tunneled him to death. The killer was so dead set on killing him that not even the assistance of fellow survivors trying to take the killer’s attention away was effective enough to help Will survive longer than five minutes! 

As each additional match occurred, the man found himself enduring the same type of games that involved him being tunneled immediately to death. Trying to remedy this, the man tried his best to recruit some of his viewers and fellow streamer friends to try and help him survive longer than a few minutes. But not even this precaution was able to assist Will in his gaming struggles as he quickly began to piece together that the killers had been stream-sniping him and purposely putting on perks that prevented his friends from helping him survive long enough. 

After so many consecutive matches that went poorly, it wasn’t much of a shock to Will that his viewer count on the stream had begun to drop like a rock. Before the end of hour two of his stream, he now only had 4 active viewers. Although there was a slight relief to know that he still had a small core group of people that stood by him no matter how terrible the stream was going, this did little to counteract the man’s increased anger as his follower count had actually also dropped by over 10 people throughout the stream. 

Feeling his goals of becoming successful enough to stop retail work forever becoming more and more distant, it wasn’t a shock then that Will had finally reached his breaking point and instead opted to end his stream prematurely. “Alright you guys, I think it’s safe to say that today’s been a terrible gaming day. So I think I’m just gonna call it a night now and go relax for the rest of the evening,” he began, trying his best to flash a smile and conceal his pure unbridled rage at the situation.

But just as Will began to go through his closing goodbyes while also searching through the list of active streamers he liked for someone to raid, a sudden noise notification caused him to immediately stop speaking. Looking to see what it was, the man was understandably a bit confused when he saw that one of his first followers (who went by the name Soul) had redeemed enough channel points to purchase a cosplay stream from him. “Oh uh, well thanks for watching enough to redeem a cosplay stream Soul,” Will said, undeniably feeling a bit more chipper due to realizing that at least one of his followers was supportive enough to watch his stream so often that he could accumulate the 20,000 channel points necessary. “What would you like to see me cosplay as?” he continued, looking towards the chat and watching as his anonymous donor finally posted his response.

SoulC: Since it’s almost pride month, how about David King?

Upon hearing the mention of one of his favorite characters (and video game crushes), it wasn’t a surprise that Will immediately perked up at the concept. Although he loved the idea, his desire to end the stream and lack of proper material to pull off a David cosplay forced him to quickly shoot the idea down. “Oh yeah, that sounds great,” he said, smiling at the camera as he took a moment to give the devastating final blow. “Unfortunately, I’m not in the right mood to keep playing tonight and I don’t even have the right materials for the cosplay. I’ll have to chat with you later tonight so we can figure out a different date for me to do that stream.”

SoulC: Nah, you should do it now. Please king! 🥺

Confused and a bit unnerved as to why the stranger was being so pushy, Will’s mouth was slightly agape as he tried to formulate a response and not accidentally take out his own annoyance and anger. Failing to come up with something though, the man proceeded to just continue his speech by announcing who he had chosen for his small following to go raid: an Australian streamer named GoatedGaymer.

For a while now, the streamer had been one of Will’s biggest crushes not only due to just how buff he was, but also due to the fact that he was a belt-winning wrestler, a member of the LGBT+ community, and also another Dead By Daylight streamer. So when he saw that the man, whose real name was Dave, had just opened up his stream and had the “stream will begin soon” logo all over the page, he felt it was the perfect timing to promote a favorite streamer and also potentially get a shoutout from the hunk for helping bring more people to his stream. But before he finally typed out the command to initiate the raid, Will’s eyebrows raised upon seeing Soul’s final message in the chat.

SoulC: Fuck it, I think I’ve got a better idea! See you soon 😏

As he took a moment to think about the message, Will found himself still quite puzzled about what the viewer meant by the statement. Trying to not pay it much mind though, the man finally offered up his final goodbyes and turned his camera off. Typing out the raid command, Will finally entered Dave’s account name and prepared to finally send his viewers to the hunky gay wrestler. 

But just as he hit the enter button on his keyboard, Will’s mind was suddenly overloaded with feelings of fear and shock as the sudden jolt of electricity coursed through his body. Worried that he had somehow caused a loose connection in his desktop and electrocuted himself, the man could only mentally scold himself for a few moments before finally falling back into his chair and into a state of complete unconsciousness. 

* * * * *

As Will finally began to stir awake, there were multiple things that instantly sounded alarms in the man’s mind. First of all, a cold sensation permeated through the entire left side of his body. On top of that, the feeling of a slight breeze against his chest quickly informed the man that he had somehow become shirtless after fainting. As he slowly groaned from a peculiar mix of lethargy and a twinge of a migraine rattling around in his skull, Will finally parted his eyes open to try and get a better look at what was going on. 

Upon doing so, the British man was understandably confused and quite alarmed to find himself laying on a cold tile floor. Although he easily recalled passing out in his gaming chair, this memory was at odds with Will’s vision as the sight of a porcelain toilet and bathtub informed him that he was in a bathroom. Although that was certainly concerning, Will’s mind was further boggled as he slowly pulled himself back onto his feet and caught sight of his reflection in the mirror. Somehow, it wasn’t his body staring back at him!

“Holy shit,” Will exclaimed, causing not only his eyes to widen but his dick to instantly twitch upon hearing the deep and heavy Australian accent that he now possessed. As he continued to curiously observe the man’s features though, Will’s mind instantly recognized the body in his reflection. It was his long-term Twitch crush GoatedGaymer! For over a year he had watched Dave flex and show off his muscles on stream, so it was incredibly bizarre for Will to now realize that he was the one in control of that same hunky body.

Although it seemed unlikely that there was anything more that Dave could do to make Will more of a fan, his lust only grew when he found out that the Aussie streamer loved to do cosplay streams just like Will. Although many of these streams were an easy way for Will to get turned on, by far his favorite cosplay was when the man dressed up as Will’s favorite DBD character David King. It was truly uncanny how much Dave resembled the aforementioned character, which only caused Will to start piecing things together. Thinking back, the man recalled the fact that Soul had redeemed a David King cosplay stream before he ended his stream. To add even more mystery to the man’s demand, Will remembered that Soul said that he “had a better idea”. Obviously, Will knew that both men had a shared interest in transformation stories, but was it actually possible that Soul not only had the interest but also the ability to swap him into Dave’s body? 

Speaking of Dave’s body, Will’s attention quickly returned to it as he looked back at himself in the mirror and saw the hairy and beefy body he now possessed. Eager to get a closer and more personal look though, the man simply tilted his head downwards and admired his physique. While it was certainly interesting to see the man’s solid pecs and the thick coating of hair that spread across practically every inch of his body, Will couldn’t help but chuckle slightly at the man’s bushy beard that tickled his upper chest due to just how long the facial hair had grown. 

Remembering the fact that he doesn’t have to be a passive observer, Will found himself quickly putting his new hands (and painted nails) to use as he eagerly felt up his new body. Feeling the thick muscle that populated his chest and biceps was like a dream come true, especially since Will’s own muscle growth had fizzled out due to his attitude towards the gym routine growing quite lax recently due to the constant stress of his job and its lackluster salary.

Traveling further down his new body, Will felt along his stomach and loved every moment of it. Although Dave didn’t have any defined abs, Will certainly picked up on the strong core of a wrestler who needed to be resilient enough to endure against any resistance met in the ring. Continuing past his waistline, the man couldn’t resist taking a quick peek underneath the bright blue and yellow briefs he now wore to take a look at his new manhood. 

Given the fact that Dave’s husband was a much smaller and leaner man, Will had always assumed that Dave was the top in the relationship. So upon reaching into his pants and discovering the thick and girthy manhood he now possessed, the man couldn't help but smirk at knowing his guess was correct. With a buff, hairy, and well-endowed body like this, Dave was the best possible example of a top that he had ever encountered!

However as his hands pulled out of the underwear and traversed back to the man’s ass, Will was relieved to find a sizable and firm bubble butt that was a testament to just how thorough Dave’s gym workouts were. Clearly, not a single inch of his body from his neck to his calves was skipped when it came to exercising!

As he continued to move closer to the mirror to get a better look at his new visage, the sensation of cold tile on his right foot was replaced with the feeling of a warm rectangular object. Upon looking down to the floor, Will couldn’t help but smile as he saw an iPhone lying there. After leaning down and picking it up, Will finally decided to try contacting SoulC and figuring out what exactly happened.

Moving with haste, the man quickly opened up his Twitch app and saw that GoatedGaymer’s video was still on the “stay tuned” screen. Thinking ahead of himself, Will tried to combat the potential of the real Dave trying to take back control of his accounts by quickly changing the passwords before sending a friend request to Soul’s Twitch account. Luckily the man didn’t have to wait long for Soul’s arrival as he quickly accepted the request and Will fired off a quick and to-the-point DM.

GoatedGaymer: How did you do this?!

Watching as he saw the notification that Soul was typing, Will tapped his foot along the tiled floor as he awaited a response. To his slight annoyance though, Soul’s response tried to skirt around the topic.

Soul-Controller: Holy shit, you’re GoatedGaymer! My friend and I have been fans of yours for a long time…

Groaning at the man’s attempt at trying to keep up the bit, Will wasted no time cutting right to the point once again.

GoatedGaymer: Cut the shit man, I’m not mad or anything. I just want to know why and how you did this!

Soul-Controller: Well shit… I could have kept that act going for a looong time! But uh, that’s good that you’re not mad then. I figured it would be a pleasant surprise for you.

Before Will could type back a response, the man stopped himself as the typing from Soul continued and a new message quickly followed.

Soul-Controller: As for why and how I did it, you were going to end your stream before doing my cosplay request. On top of that, I’ve been itching to test out some more body swaps, so I figured that this was the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. You’ll get to cosplay a new life with a perfect David King-styled body while I get to see one of my favorite streamers happy and living his best life. I mean, what’s not to love about that?

Upon reading that response, Will couldn’t help but blush from such bizarre yet exciting kindness. Given the fact that he had a career as an underpaid cashier that he absolutely loathed, every aspect of Dave’s life seemed like an upgrade to him. Not only would he be able to have a much more successful Twitch career, but Will would also be able to fully realize his dream of becoming a wrestler. In fact, just the thought of squeezing this new bulky body into a singlet and dominating in the ring was enough to get the man turned on once again.

Before Will could even attempt to formulate a heartfelt response to Soul, another message quickly came through that immediately made the man burst out into a deep and hearty chuckle.

Soul-Controller: So uh, care to send a photo so I can see the end result of my handiwork? 👀

Thinking that it was the least he could do, Will agreed to the man’s inquiry and quickly pulled open the camera on his phone. After sending a few photos that showed off his hairy and nearly nude body, he quickly began to ponder the other aspects of Dave’s life that he would have to get used to. Given the fact that he was now an Australian man, there was the unfortunate fact that living closer to the Equator would result in him having to endure near-constant heat. But to his relief, it seemed as though Australia was civilized enough to the point of having top-tier air conditioning that made staying indoors a safe haven from the heat.

Although this aspect of life was certainly going to take some getting used to, Will’s biggest concern was in the recollection of the fact that Dave was a married man. While Will certainly wasn’t opposed to the fact of having someone there that he could spend time with as he continued to acclimate to his new life, there was the constant threat of his husband (who Will didn’t even know the name of) figuring out that something fishy was going on.

While his mind continued to worry about the potential of being discovered by Dave’s husband, those thoughts were quickly interrupted by the ding of a notification from his phone. Opening it back up, he saw a new message from Soul waiting for him.

Soul-Controller: Yassss, you look great king! Don’t forget though, you gotta get out there and start streaming. Your fans are waiting for you! Make sure to do your best David cosplay too (for obvious reasons)... 😏

Upon being reminded of the crowd waiting for him, Will quickly thanked him before setting the phone down and pulling out hair product and some makeup. Given his hunky new body, the man had the perfect cosplay idea to truly sell himself as David King. So with haste, the man slicked his hair back and began applying some fake lacerations vertically across his eye and horizontally across his thicker nose. With his head now perfectly resembling David’s, Will opted to remain shirtless due to David’s own shirtless torso skin (and his own desire to stare down at his shirtless self occasionally during the stream). After pulling on a pair of shorts that were hanging off of the shower rack, Will’s first ever cosplay as David King was now complete. With a mix of pure excitement and anxiety running through his veins, Will gave a wide smile to reassure himself in the mirror before finally turning and exiting the bathroom.

As he began to wander down the hallways of his new residence, Will quietly peeked into each room in search of Dave’s streaming area. Throughout his journey though, the man’s eyes couldn’t resist traveling across the various picture frames that lined the hallways. In each one, there were adorable photos of Dave and his husband together in various locations that ranged from exotic vacations to the wrestling ring where Dave performed. Although he originally didn’t have much attraction to the man’s leaner husband prior to the swap, it seemed as though Dave’s muscle memory was unshakable as Will’s cock grew hard upon looking at a beach photo that showcased the man’s lean and shirtless torso. Luckily though, Will wasn’t too upset about the new attraction he felt. Not only would it help him fit in better as Dave, but it would also provide some enjoyment when it came to physical intimacy with his husband!

Luckily though after peeking into the fifth door down the hallway, the lit screen of a desktop computer informed Will of reaching his desired location. As he walked in and shut the door, the former Brit had a look of awe on his face as he observed the all-too familiar setup he had seen countless times in Dave’s streams. Upon physically running his fingers along the man’s shelf of collectables and full-size cutout of Dave’s wrestling photo, Will was quite charged up and eager to dive right into the life of Dave Marshall. As such, the man quickly took a seat in the gaming chair and verified that his microphone and camera were all set up properly. Once everything was ready to go, Will smiled to himself as he officially began his first ever livestream as GoatedGaymer.

“Good evening everyone, how are we all doing,” Will cheerfully said, smiling as he watched a slew of comments finally begin to emerge in the chat. Instinctively, he couldn’t help but run his hands through his thick beard as he felt surprisingly at ease as soon as he turned on the camera. “I apologize for the slight delay, I wanted to surprise all of you with a special cosplay as David. Unfortunately, I got a bit too caught up on making sure this makeup was character-accurate and it took far longer than expected!”

As he finished speaking and turned to look at chat, Will couldn’t help but smirk to himself as he saw the slew of compliments directed his way. Not only did his makeup skills get hefty praise for looking exactly like David King in the game, but Dave’s beefy and hairy body was also another source of praise that Will received. Reading thirst comments that said things along the lines of “it’s ok king, it’s worth it for the shirtless stream 🤤”, Will couldn’t resist blushing and sending equally complimentary responses towards the adoring fans he now had.

After continuing this process for several minutes though, Will quickly scrolled all of the way to the top of the chat so he could see what was said prior to his arrival. Chuckling to himself, he saw the notice of being raided by “WarriorWill” as one of the first messages to pop up in the chat. As he continued to scroll down though, Will couldn’t help but smirk as he read the first comment left from his old account. “What the fuck did you do to me?” it said, which caused the man to stifle his laughter as he found that the real Dave hadn’t sent any messages since. 

Upon scrolling back down to the bottom of the chat to read the newest messages, a sudden buzz from his phone caused Will to stop what he was doing. After unlocking the phone and checking the notification, Will was quite amused to see that a failed log-in attempt on Dave’s Twitch had just been attempted in the UK. Although Dave was trying his best to get his account back, the attempts would all be in vain because Will was luckily two steps ahead of the hunky wrestler. Realizing that the real Dave is still watching the stream from his “WarriorWill” account, Will felt a devilish urge to taunt the man for losing not only his body but also his husband and career.

“Oh would you look at that, it seems as though I missed a raid while I was getting ready,” he exclaimed, smiling widely at the camera to appear entirely cheerful for most while truly just being extremely taunting towards the real Dave. “Thank you WarriorWill for raiding the stream, how did your stream go? Were you playing DBD as well?” he inquired, fully knowing the answer but just attempting to garner a response from the body-swapped man.

To both Will’s amusement and the fellow viewers in the stream, the response offered by the real Dave was quite hilarious.

WarriorWill: Go fuck yourself you prick!

As the chat immediately went on the defensive though and began to call out the rude raider, Will tried his best to calm the chat down and try to pursue a conversation with the man. “Ok everyone, let’s just take a minute to settle down. Clearly, this man has a problem with me and I’d like to get to the bottom of it. As for you WarriorWill, I think we can have a nice and civil conversation without the need for profanity, my friend. So mods, please do not ban WarriorWill until I say so,” Will slyly said, watching as Dave’s moderators responded with statements of agreement while the regular viewers went silent for a moment. “So what seems to be the problem WarriorWill? Why do you have such intense hatred for me to the point where you’d raid my stream just to shit-talk me?” the man inquired, looking inquisitively towards the camera despite knowing full well why the account was furious at him.

WarriorWill: Because you stole my fucking life!

WarriorWill: I’m the real Dave Marshall, you took EVERYTHING from me!

As he opened up Dead By Daylight and quickly entered a solo lobby, Will took a moment to read through the message and try to play dumb about the whole thing. Clearly he couldn’t reveal the truth and completely knowingly ridicule the man, so the only real avenue in Will’s mind was to completely gaslight the man while slyly taunting him. 

“You’re saying I stole your life? How do you expect me to do that bro, I don’t even know who you are,” Will retorted, reveling in his Aussie accent and “bro-ish” speech as he chuckled at the man’s chat messages. “I think both myself and my viewers can confirm that I am the real Dave Marshall… right guys? I mean, you’re really saying that we’ve swapped bodies? That’s ridiculous man,” he said, immediately bursting out into laughter as he tried to downplay the reality of the situation. 

As he took a moment to look at the chat messages that were beginning to quickly emerge, it seemed as though Will’s plan was working as Dave’s viewers began to taunt WarriorWill and call him “pathetic” and a “total loser”. Although he was happy to get the viewers on his side and not think that the real Dave was being serious about the swap accusations, Will was quick to try and stop them from continuing to harass the man.

“In all honesty though WarriorWill, I’m just going to interpret your comments as the highest form of flattery. I just checked your page and I think I understand why you’re so upset now. Based on your follower count and average stream views, I’m afraid to say that you’re not doing so hot dude. Only 267 followers after months of streaming, that’s really rough! So yeah, although I get why you’d want to replicate my kind of success, it seems like you just lack the natural charisma that I have,” he said, flashing a pearly white grin towards the camera and continuing to speak. 

“Given the fact that you’re over 17,000 followers short and not nearly as buff and attractive as me, I think you’ve still got a long way to go until you can ever successfully say that you’ve got a Twitch career and life that resembles mine,” Will cockily exclaimed, taking another opportunity to further taunt the man by lifting up his arms and flexing his beefy wrestler muscles.

But as Will sat in his gaming chair and awaited the real Dave’s response, the sudden noise of a door opening caused him to turn away from the computer screen and see that Dave’s husband had entered the room. Although he was understandably nervous by the man’s arrival due to having to try and pretend to perfectly become “Dave Marshall”, the sudden tenting within his shorts made it clear that he was quite turned-on by his arrival. It was such a dizzying experience for the man in terms of having to keep up a persona while also trying to deal with these newfound emotions, but a compromise between these two variables emerged as the man leaned down and gave Will a kiss on the lips. 

“Hey there babe, how’s the stream going so far,” he inquired upon pulling back from Will’s new lips. As the husband then flashed an adorable smile, Will couldn’t help but blush slightly at just how hot the man was becoming in his eyes. He was behaving like a horny teenager given his raging boner and constant blushing from just a morsel of attention from his new husband!

“I- uh, it’s um, going good,” Will responded, trying his best to remain calm as he looked into the eyes of his new husband. “Just uh, talking with chat before playing some DBD,” he continued, finally starting to push aside his bashful nervousness towards the man.

“Oh really? Well, are they saying anything interesting,” the man asked, taking a moment to tilt his head away from Will to stare at the computer screen. As he did that, Will took a moment to simply admire the man’s facial features and imagine himself peppering kisses all over the sandpaper-like stubble that adorned his cheeks. But as his mind continued to divulge further into this inner fantasy, Will was quickly broken out of it by the sound of his husband’s voice. “Uh, why is this guy telling you to stay away from me?” he asked, which immediately caused Will’s eyes to widen and rotate his head towards the screen at a rapid pace. Immediately, his gaze narrowed as he scrolled through the chat to read Dave’s latest messages.

WarriorWill: You motherfucker, you better stay away from him!

WarriorWill: Don’t you dare kiss him or you’ll regret it…

As he turned back to Dave’s husband, Will immediately picked up on the clear sense of confusion and slight anxiety on his face by the vaguely threatening messages. In an attempt to both calm the man down and further torment the real Dave, he quickly began to speak. 

“Oh that guy? Yeah, he’s some weirdo that raided my stream just to get my attention. He’s been going on and on for the last 10 minutes about how he’s supposed to be me or something. The guy’s profile says that he’s bisexual, but I think he’s got a self-loathing problem or something. There’s no logical reason why he wouldn’t want me to show affection towards my lovely husband!”

Taking a moment to turn back away from the screen and look towards the husband, Will couldn’t help but feel a strong desire to kiss the man once again. As such, he quickly tried to find a logical reason behind getting another kiss as he observed the chat for WarriorWill’s next response.

“You know what, I don’t want to let this guy ruin the stream and try to make us hide the love that we have for each other. How about you kiss me again so we can give him a show on what real love is,” Will inquired while scratching his head, unknowingly giving the viewers a full display of his flexed bicep and hairy armpit. As he turned to face his husband, Will was quite relieved to find that the man was more than willing to kiss him. As they quickly gave each other a kiss on the lips, Will was overcome with an intense sense of love and desire for the man.

Instinctively then, the streamer quickly pulled the man in for a tight hug as his husband chuckled and blushed from the affection. While most of the viewers just assumed that this was due to their extreme love for each other, the reality of the situation was much more sexual in nature. With his hands behind the husband, Will couldn’t resist taking a brief exploration of the man’s backside. Along his hands felt around the man’s surprisingly defined back, the majority of time back there was spent slipping his thicker hands underneath the waistband of the husband’s underwear and quickly squeezing the man’s incredibly thick ass. As the man gasped and giggled at the sudden surprise of being fondled, Will’s cock was immediately beginning to ooze pre-cum due to the intense thirst he felt.

As both men directed their eyes back to the computer screen, Will and the husband gleefully smiled as they saw the outpouring of sappy comments encouraging the kiss and supporting their love. But although 99% of the comments were positive, both men were quick to pick up on the few hateful comments provided by the furious streamer.

WarriorWill: You goddamn bitch, don’t you dare touch him!

WarriorWill: That’s my husband!

Upon reading both of the comments left behind, the reactions between the two men were quite varied. While Will immediately burst into laughter and tried to add some much needed levity to the situation, the husband was clearly fearful of the apparent obsession that the viewer had towards him. “Wow, it looks like someone has quite a crush huh,” Will responded, which only caused the husband to look towards Will with a disapproving look. “Alright, let me get back to streaming so I can handle this asshole. After you head out, please go block him on all social media so he can’t harass you anymore. Don’t worry though, I’ll be making sure he doesn’t bother us on Twitch for much longer,” he continued, flashing a slight smile before quickly giving the husband a peck on the lips once more. Upon hearing that, the husband quickly made his way out of the room and shut the door as Will returned back to the chair.

“Alright dude, I had fun putting up with your ridiculous statements, but I think you’ve taken up enough of our time,” Will said, his voice immediately dropping into a lower and more intimidating tone. “Not only did you piss me off, but you’ve also severely offended my husband. As such, I won’t allow such vile and close-minded behavior to be prominent in my streams anymore! Take a moment to savor your chat privileges because you’ll be losing them immediately. In fact, just to set an example, I’ll save the mods the trouble and ban you myself!” Upon finishing up speaking, Will wasted no time ending the back and forth by permanently banning WarriorWill from ever communicating in his chat again.

Surprisingly, as Will hit the block button, there was a weird sense of closure that emerged in his mind. Upon doing that, he had fully severed the link between his old life and his new life as Dave Marshall. Although there was a slight remorse towards losing his closest friends and family, that paled in comparison to the pure excitement he felt towards being a hunky wrestler like Dave. So with his mind now fully embracing his new life and eager to get started, he finally began to speak to his followers once more. “Alright you guys, now how about we get these games started shall we?” 

* * * * *

For the next several hours, Will had the time of his life playing Dead By Daylight and talking with his viewers. Not only did the games go much better than they did back when he was WarriorWill, but Will’s new viewers were much more excited and eager to play with him and keep the conversation going. Although it was slightly odd trying to understand some of the bizarre Aussie references that some of his viewers were making, seeing familiar faces in the chat such as SoulC was the perfect way to calm his nerves and give him someone to rely on to keep Will engaged.

Speaking of SoulC, Will’s follower was able to get his desired David King cosplay fully realized as Will eagerly showed off his body for the camera. Although this was mostly as a way to reward the man for gifting him this new body and life (and also keep the cash tips pouring in for his sensual flexing), the reality was that Will was still hoping that the real Dave was watching a complete stranger flaunt his body around on camera after seamlessly inhabiting his life. 

It was so erotic to Will to realize that he not only had fooled Dave’s thousands of followers but had even convinced his husband that nothing was amiss besides an obsessed fan ranting in his stream chat. When pairing this with the fact that every time he looked down and saw his bushy beard or hairy and buff torso, it was no surprise that Will’s cock remained rock hard and eager for release for the entire duration of the stream. In fact, his horniness was so extreme that his underwear was practically soaked from all of the pre-cum that he leaked. But despite this, the man was still unwilling to end the stream until he had his fill of his newfound popularity.

Eventually though after over 6 hours of streaming, Will finally decided that it was time to end the stream and explore more aspects of his new life. Given the fact that he was still quite turned on, it seemed incredibly likely that he would be immediately taking the opportunity to have some kinky fun with his new husband. As such, the man wasted no time quickly saying his goodbyes and stating the next time that he would stream. But as he began to sign off, he quickly decided to take the opportunity to promote Dave’s OnlyFans account. While promoting it under the guise of donating the money to charity, the reality of the situation was that Will was eager to revamp the rather tame profile to become incredibly more sexually explicit. Surely the real Dave would be eager to sign up so he could reminisce about his old life, so Will figured that he might as well put on one hell of a show for him as a result!

After picking out a smaller streamer for him to raid, Will finally logged off and made his exit out of the office. As he wandered throughout the apartment he now owned, the man took a moment to take in all of the décor while searching for his husband. Luckily though, it didn’t take long before Will finally found him sitting on the couch in the living room, holding their cat and watching some reality television. Upon taking a seat next to him, Will quickly wrapped his arm around the smaller man and pulled him close. 

For several minutes, the two men sat there watching the program and enjoying the physical company that the other provided. But as soon as the show went to commercial, Dave’s husband allowed the cat to escape his grasp and immediately made it clear how turned on he was as well. Given the close proximity towards “Dave’s” armpit, the husband wasted no time shoving his face deep within it and enjoying Will’s new natural musk while using one hand to feel up his thick and hairy chest as the other tightly gripped and squeezed onto his bicep.

Eager to continue this and have him get off as soon as possible, Will wasted no time putting his newfound strength to use by tearing off the husband’s clothes and lifting him off the ground. As the husband quickly wrapped himself around Will’s broad torso, the two men quickly found their way into the bedroom. As the husband remained snuggled up against Will’s neck, the former Brit couldn’t resist taking one more moment to taunt the real Dave. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Will quickly snapped a photo and sent it off along with the link to his OnlyFans via a private DM to Will’s WarriorWill Twitter account.

Upon sending the message, the brand new Dave Marshall quickly blocked his old account from ever responding before tossing his phone to the side and throwing his new husband into their bed. Given just how horny he was, it seemed as though it was going to be a long night of passionate fucking. But based on how eager the husband was to spread his ass for Dave, it seemed like that would be a dream come true for both of them!

Interested in reading more of my content? Head over to my Patreon to discover more than 140 hot transformation stories like this one!

[bonesblubs]

You disappeared, love :( I hope everything is fine and life treating you well.

All is well 💚 it’s actually been great, I’m doing life stuff and that’s why I haven’t been online as much. Hope you all are doing good too 💚💚💚

Thank you for checking in, I’m always so pleasantly surprised how kind people are. This blog got me through a lot and I’ll always be grateful for it and you.

[ao3commentoftheday]

I don’t seem to know how to write fic without being mean to the characters. There was a time when I could write fluff, non-angsty slice-of-life, and so on, but now I don’t seem to be able to tell a story without SOMETHING that hurts them.

I’ve had a lot of mental health issues in the intervening years, which I’m sure is related to the why, but doesn’t answer the what or how. It’s a problem because it’s led to me no longer being able to show my partners hardly any of my writing (a lot of dead doves hanging about, which isn’t something they can really stomach). It bothers me that I can’t share my creativity with people I care about.

Do you have any tips for lightening up, or where to find nice wholesome ideas that might spark some joy?

I don’t want to stop writing fucked-up stuff entirely, I just want to find my “nice voice” again.

*hugs* I get it, anon. Sometimes the things that we want to write aren't things we want to share - or at least, not with certain people.

I think a good first step to branching out from your current writing focus is considering what it is about this type of story that's appealing to you right now.

Do you want to make someone else experience a kind of pain or suffering that you've suffered? Pain is a lot easier to manage when you aren't doing it alone.

Do you want to feel a sense of control over someone else's fate? This can be a big comfort when you either didn't have control of your own or you feel as if control is currently slipping out of your grasp.

Do you want the catharsis of seeing someone survive the impossible? It can be extremely satisfying to watch someone claw their way out of the worst situation you can imagine. They get to be the hero in the end. They get to survive.

Do you want to feel a different kind of catharsis? Like the release of emotion that comes with a character's death? Whether they find peace in that moment or whether it's also a torment, it's still a release in the end.

These are just a handful of reasons why you might be writing these kinds of stories right now, and I'm glad you don't want to stop. They are important to you, and even if your partners don't have the same interest that's okay.

You might still be able to share your existing stories if you give your partners a version with the particularly dead doves removed and replaced with a summary, like [Character is tortured until they reveal the secret location. They are left beaten and barely alive.] Then they can pick the story back up after that point.

Of course, if you're writing shorter works then that might not be possible. One way to get back to "nicer" stories that are also on the shorter side could be to write hurt/comfort. You could still get some of what you need by hurting the characters, but then your partners would get the wholesomeness you're looking for when another character takes care of the one you've hurt.

I'll leave it here for now and open it up to ideas from the blog. I know how tough it can be when you want to share something you love with someone you love, and I hope we can get you back to being able to do that.

[coichii]

IN A GOOD WAY ✭

—(🎧)—> when Chris confesses something’s that make you cry.. but thankfully for you, they’re happy tears

pairing - bf!chan ♥︎ fem!reader

genre: fluff

word count: 0.5k

warnings: body worship ( in a non sexual manor )

series note : hello !! welcome to part one of my fall series, “fall : records of love” where there will be 8 individual short stories for the members :) these stories are based off of songs I deem “fall” feeling ! this story is based off of “in a good way” by faye webster. enjoy !!

“you make me wanna cry, in a good way”

“what…? why are you smiling at me like that” you say, interrupting the comfortable silence the two of you had going currently.

it was autumn. fall leaves falling outside, the faint smell of pumpkin spice lingering in the air, blankets being thrown upon every couch and loveseat in view. it was a nice warm feeling.

chan had just been given a short vacation from work. 3 days, not nearly as much time as you would’ve wanted, but at this point, anytime is worth it.

“i think you’re really pretty” he replies simply, setting his phone down to look at you more clearly.

you can feel your skin start to grow hot, turning away from him before he can see the brush crawling up your neck, but of course, he caught it.

“oh.. uh thank you?” you respond shyly. chan smiles softly, grabbing hold of your hands and massaging them.

“i don’t think you understand how beautiful i find you.” he starts.

“i think you’re the most beautiful person in the world. i love everything about you. i love your smile and the way it makes me feel all giddy inside. i love the way your eyes sparkle when you talk about something you’re passionate about. i love the way you’re face reddens when you’re flustered. i love how soft your chest is, the way i can lay upon it when i’m tired or in need of comfort. i love resting on your stomach and the warm effect it has on my face. i love your hips & waist, being able to hold onto them when i’m spooning you is one of the best feelings. then your thighs, i love the way clothes sit upon them. makes them look all plush and fluffy” he chuckles a little at the end as he drifts off.

he looks back up at you, expecting you to be turning your head away from him or smiling sheepishly. instead, he finds tears slowly rolling down your cheeks as your lips quiver.

“baby? what happened? did i say something wrong?” he asks slightly panicked

you hadn’t even realized that you started crying. the tears just came down on their own.

“no im fine channie, i’m j- just overwhelmed i guess? with love? that’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever told me”

he’s taking hold of you in his arms shortly after that, gently rubbing at your back. he’s looking at you softly, looking a tad bit guilty for making you cry.

“well you know every single word i said was true right?” of course you know. how couldn’t you with the way he’s looking at you.

you nod silently, burrowing your head into the crook of his neck. he chuckles lightly before holding you tighter to him.

“i’m glad. i love you too much for you not to know how much you mean to me”

back to masterlist

[stellar-solar-flare]

What Makes A Home

ex-soldier!Ari Levinson x neighbor!Reader | 2,385 words.

Themes: friends to lovers, idiots in love, competency kink if you squint, neighbors, cozy community.

Reader is female, no Y/N, no description of appearance. Nicknames 'dear' and 'honeybun' are used by Ari for Reader.

My blog is for people 18+ only, minors DNI.

Story Content Warnings: implied smut, Ari being a soldier mentioned, Ari having guilt over his past, some very minor hurt/comfort (the love is requited, they're both just idiots).

Notes: This is a made-to-order fic for the amazing @bigtreefest - I hope it brings you joy and fulfilled your prompt! Full disclosure; I wasn't able to get my hands on the movie, so I had to piece Ari's character together from his scenes on YouTube. My utmost gratitude to @steviebbboi for character consult and helping me be confident about the decisions I made in the planning stages of this fic (all mishaps mine, of course). It is also my first time writing Ari. I hope you enjoy, and all feedback is very welcome!

I do not own anything The Red Sea Diving Resort related. This is an unofficial fan work. No copyright infringement intended. This is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is purely coincidental.

The house that you inherited from your great-grandaunt — who apparently despised you less than her other relatives —is definitely what a realtor would describe as ‘having plenty of potential’. But it really does have good bones, so to speak, and with the current housing market, you definitely aren’t complaining.

And the neighborhood isn’t half-bad, either. The community is close-knit, if a little nosy, helpful to the point of overbearing.

And so, they didn’t miss it when a new moving truck arrived at the house next to yours. The gossip has gone wild — the names of different special services are thrown around in the whispers like candy, even though no one can reasonably know anything about his history. Especially if he has a history as some overseas covert operator, like Mary at the end of the street keeps claiming, he certainly will keep that information to himself.

You are yet to run to him, and so you’re operating on second-hand information about him — which is mostly focusing on the fact that he’s tall and bearded and looks like he could bench press a school bus.

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but you reason that a simple welcome visit isn’t going to end with your untimely demise. You pick a nice Saturday afternoon, check that his truck is on the driveway, and make your favorite snickerdoodle recipe. With a plate of still-warm cookies under aluminum foil, you go ring his doorbell, not entirely sure why your heart is beating so hard. It’s just a decent thing to do.

It takes a few moments for him to open the door, and when he does, you are proud that your poker face holds.

“Hi,” you say to the giant at the door. “You must be Ari. I live in the house next to yours, and I thought I’d come to welcome you to the neighborhood; they did it to me too, when I moved in a few months ago. I brought snickerdoodles.”

You extend the plate to him, and he takes it. He leans one shoulder on the doorframe, and you do not swallow when you see the muscles of his arms move. His hair reaches behind his ears, and he has a nicely trimmed beard. Even in a simple — tight — white shirt and jeans, he does look like a soldier. Not violent but like there is an alertness to him, despite the amusement in his eyes.

“Hi,” he says. “Yes. I’m Ari. And you are?”

You give him your name, chuckling at the fact that you left it out in the first place.

“Nice to meet you. And thank you for the baked goods. Would you like to stay for a cup of coffee?”

He moves aside, gesturing for you to step over the threshold.

And you do.

There were a lot of things you had learned about Ari over the six months since your first meeting, that cup of coffee that somehow hadn’t felt awkward at all. He had a talent for filling moments like that with idle chatter that didn’t feel like it was just there to cover something.

It was just so Ari, how his charm was always on display and yet so inseparably a part of his very being that it didn’t feel like an act. It was just who he was. Of course, he could be a playboy — at least when it came to the charming part, since as far as you knew, there hadn’t been anyone visiting his house besides you.

You were more than certain that a fair number of ladies in the neighborhood harbored a crush. And why wouldn’t they, when Ari was the first to volunteer to any project, cracking easy jokes while he worked and being all charismatic smiles and wide shoulders ready to tackle anything.

It was that restless energy that had drawn him to your house, too. Just like you had turned up to his door that one Saturday, the next week he had turned up at yours, dressed in a flannel and jeans and carrying what looked like a heavy, well-equipped toolbox, pristinely new.

“Those gutters are going to fall off the clips soon. I could attach them better if that’s alright with you?”

Stunned, you had nodded. Sure, there was an endless list of things to attend to, and the gutters had been on your mind but then winter had come and you’d been so focused on other things. You had no idea how he noticed, and when you’d asked, he shrugged it off, mentioning something about how he had to learn how to build and maintain things out there, so you’d left the topic at that.

It was the first thing he fixed at your house, but not the last. He gravitated here, looking to do something of meaning, and he refused to hear your suggestions about paying him for the work he was doing — despite the fact that every project he poured himself into was done with the meticulousness rivaling not only someone not in the profession but with a passion to it.

Like the patio you were now sitting on your knees on, holding the plank in place for him so he could screw it onto the beam underneath from the opposite side. You’d made the mistake of mentioning over a shared dinner that you had contacted a contractor to see how much it would be to replace the deck, and he had turned up the next morning with all the necessary materials, in the exact shade of wood that you’d envisioned.

You weren’t certain that you wanted to know what strings he’d pulled to get all that so fast.

“Ari, seriously, you didn’t need to do this.”

“Nope,” he said. “But I wanted to.”

“At least let me pay for the wood,” you said. “You know, I’m a strong independent woman and I do have my own paycheck.”

“And I’m very proud of you, dear,” he said with perfect nonchalance, and you tried to ignore something twisting in your chest at that. “Just let me pick the next five movies for our movie nights and we’re even.”

You huffed, knowing that you’d be in for some underground art movies no one but Ari had ever even heard of but nodded regardless. It was literally the least you could do.

He finished screwing the plank down and reached for more screws from the box on the side — you’d begun earlier today by laying down all the planks to have an even platform to work with, and now it was just the matter of evening out the cracks in between and attaching them to the support structure. His arms moved, and his t-shirt lifted slightly as he bent to the side, revealing a slice of tanned, warm skin at his waist. You forced yourself not to stare.

The thing with Ari was that he flirted with anyone and everyone — except with you. He made the grannies laugh by asking them at the community nights if they were old enough to drink; he had the cashiers at the local grocery store sighing dreamily after him when he departed with one of his famous smiles. Everyone seemed to understand it was all fun and games, and yet you were certain you weren’t the only one here with hopes when it came to him.

But it wouldn’t be you — his complete and total lack of that kind of behavior around you was the clearest sign you could’ve asked for. He saw you in an entirely platonic light, and so you didn’t want to endanger what was a beautiful and genuinely enjoyable friendship with him by asking him if you could be more than that.

Even if sometimes the question, the why not me, burned your tongue and tried to sneak out of your throat. At least then you’d know the reason why he saw you so differently than others.

“Honeybun?” he said, yanking you out of your thoughts.

You swallowed, hoping that the question would go down too, and met his expectant gaze. He’d said something, and it had flown right past you, and now he was staring. God, you could drown in the blue of his eyes.

You were lucky to have him. He was a good friend, caring, attentive. He made you laugh at the worst of days; he was good at coming up with solutions, especially unconventional ones. You had no reason at all to feel wistful at all the nicknames, derived from different baked goods you’d made for him over the past months.

“Nothing, nothing,” you said, lowering your gaze. “Sorry. What did you need me to do?”

You heard a thump as he set the screwdriver down. He reached his hand, two fingers under your jaw tilting your face back up so that you’d look at him. There was that little wrinkle of worry between his brows and you felt a pang of guilt even as the warmth of his fingers was making your skin tingle.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” he said. “We can take a break if you need a few. You’ve been somewhere far away for half the day.”

You quickly shook your head, knowing that you’d already ventured too far close to the line you didn’t want to end up crossing.

“Just a little tired, that’s all,” you said, hearing the flimsiness of the excuse even in your own ears.

He tilted his head and raised his brow; his hand was still there, under your jaw, lingering where it absolutely shouldn’t.

“I know it when you’re lying, honeybun,” he said, one corner of his mouth rising into a smirk. “Spill the beans. Do I need to kick someone’s ass? I’ll do it, you know.”

You swallowed so loud that it seemed to echo in your head like the creaking sound of thin ice.

“No, there’s no need for that. I was just wondering what’s so different about me?”

A flash of something in his eyes, gone so quickly that you could hardly tell it was there to begin with.

“Different how?” he said, strain in his voice, like he was going for some sort of normalcy and failing to grasp it.

Oh no. You had opened some floodgate and now things would be awkward from here to eternity. The only way to save this was to get it all out, and now that the water was flowing freely, there was no stopping the words from flowing out of your mouth:

“Well, it’s not a big deal, but sometimes I wonder why it is that you have this flirt going on with everyone except for me, and I mean, it’s absolutely and totally fine, you just see me thoroughly like a friend and that’s that but with what we have and all the nicknames and all that, sometimes I wish there could be more and I’m just wondering –“

And then you were wondering about nothing at all.

Ari was on you like a shot, his hands framing your face and pulling your lips on his even as he leaned towards you, and it didn’t matter that you didn’t understand. His kiss was a claim laid, one hand cupping the nape of your neck and the other wrapping around your waist even as his mouth devoured yours. He pulled back with his lips still on yours, bringing you to his lap and he was everything, everywhere, his scent and warmth and the softness of his shirt smelling like spring sun and laundry detergent, the taste of him on your tongue, the feeling of his hands mapping your body. It was just him all around you, and you fell into that just as easily as you’d once fallen into a comfortable, shared routine of friendship.

When he finally let your mouth go, you were both out of breath, and you were straddling his lap, suddenly very aware of how his feelings towards you weren’t entirely platonic at all. There was a hint of pink on his cheeks, and his hands came to cup your jaw, thumbs caressing your skin.

“You were too precious for that, honeybun,” he murmured, eyes fixed on yours. “I didn’t… When you waltzed into my house that day, it was the first time it felt like a home. You were the first time I felt at home. And putting on that face… it felt too cheap for you. And I didn’t… I couldn’t lose you. Not you. So I thought I’d be there for you. Take care of you, make you happy, and find my joy from that. When I was out there… I don’t know if I did enough, if I made a difference. I wasn’t sure I even deserved the kind of peace I felt with you.”

“Ari,” you breathed out, tears prickling in your eyes, unsure what you would’ve said even if there wasn’t a lump blocking your throat. “Ari, I…”

His thumb brushed over your kiss-swollen lips, and he shook his head ever so slightly, his gaze aflame with something that could never ever be just friendship.

“But now that I’ve had a taste of you, honey, I’m not selfless enough to give that up. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life. I can’t let you go.”

“Then don’t.”

And just like that, his mouth was back, his hands diving down from your face to map the shape of your body, and the tiny moan he breathed right onto your lips sent a shiver down your back. He was holding you by the hips and you tangled both of your hands into his hair, making sure he wasn’t going anywhere without you.

“I think,” he managed in between pushes of his lips. “I think the patio can wait.”

You nodded eagerly, and he stood up with ease that sent a swooping feel of desire into your core, his hands slipping under your thighs so he could carry you. Your legs wrapped around his waist as your arms clung to him, and he made a beeline for the door that led inside.

It was a good thing that after all the work he’d done at the house, he knew exactly where the bedroom was.

Thank you for reading. Please consider leaving a comment, if you can spare the time and energy.

[galene-gothic]

SCAMS, KINDNESS AND VALUE OF MONEY & SERVICE

Hello everyone, I’m not much of a blogger besides tarot but recently, I feel the need to share my thoughts about whatever the title says. I grew up in a poor family with a single mother. I was fortunate enough to have been able to go to a fairly prestigious school until the tenth grade after which I had to drop out due to my sister being extremely sick and my mother struggling to make ends meet. That’s when I started this blog. I was able to complete my +2 through online education due to your assistance and my own hard work. Those who liked and reblogged my posts helped my current clients find me, and many of them purchase from me as loyal customers even to this day which I’m obviously very grateful for. I haven’t even been able to start university yet because I’ve been taking care of my family financially which means working as a full time tarot reader for now. I’m only 19 going on 20 this year so I think that while I should not take any time for granted, I also don’t stress out unnecessarily about education because I am more focused on what I’m currently doing for now i.e. making money, strengthening skills and saving money. Seeing all my batchmates being able to go to school while I was not able to used to break my heart back then.

I was scared of being seen, of being asked what I was doing because what was I supposed to say? That my mother couldn’t afford to educate me any longer? People aren’t very sensitive when it comes to other’s struggles and I was not interested in giving them anything to underestimate me for. At some point, I started getting sick a lot due to my declining mental health but my former best friend told me that I would struggle less if I accepted things as they were and I managed to do so. It’s unfortunate that my mother got sick as well. She needs blood every six months but for the rest of the six months, she’s more or less okay except for weakness but I never once asked for huge donations or anything of that sort. Maybe it was pride, maybe it was overestimation or just a lack of faith in humanity but I felt like I would just provide service that would be valued and earn money through it to look after myself, and my family. I do not want you to take this as a sob story because I’m mentally and emotionally doing pretty well, and am really grateful plus always have clients wanting to purchase from me. My point is that while it’s okay to ask for donations and offer them, you should ask for proof, and if anything doesn’t add up, you’re allowed to not want to donate because your money is valuable and while kindness, and humanity are important, that money could do better in a place where it’s actually needed.

There are many scammers who victimise themselves in order to loot your money. If someone is able to provide a service, they can try and earn their lot. In fact, they should. You’ll be doing them a favour because how long are they going to survive off donations? At some point, they need to learn how to not be a victim of circumstances. I didn’t mention it earlier but I’m speaking as someone who was physically, mentally and emotionally abused as a child because my mother didn’t really have an emotional punching bag nor a companion. She probably felt like she lost her youth raising her children and resented us for it. I didn’t want to speak on this because healthcare is something that everyone deserves and I’m all for kindness. I found it very dramatic and sketchy that a single person was claiming to have multiple issues including, physical abuse, sexual abuse, chronic illnesses and injuries but decided not to question it much because there was a point during which everything was falling apart in my life as well and I needed empathy, support, and kindness and didn’t even have the strength to reach out for it but it breaks my heart that there are people who work on a single reading for several days and even weeks if they’re on the longer side just for someone else to get all that money for free because of a sob story of theirs.

I understand that accusations hurt and my post is not intended to hurt anyone but I would like for the accused reader to post or DM proof i.e. the medical papers alongside an official identification certificate or card of some sort and simply just be transparent about what it is that is going on. I am not interested in accusing someone who claims to be sick but if you’re asking for financial assistance from those on the app and the community, I hope and believe that you understand why you owe it to them to be transparent, to simply provide any sort of proof. For me, I wouldn’t have been posting this but hearing someone say that their illness can’t be treated in UK when it’s at least the top twenty countries when it comes to healthcare is what got to me. I come from India and it is a developing country where healthcare services are lacking so I’m not trying to offend anyone, I’m just saying that if anyone is receiving money from others, they owe them proof and transparency. Plus, if it is a scam, those who truly deserve and need these donations won’t get it, and it will be difficult for us to trust such calls for help in the future. Continue supporting causes but you’re not a villain for wanting tangible proof first because the money you donate is either your own or someone else’s hard earned money. Let’s deal with this situation level headedly with compassion as well as reasoning. Thank you for reading. Much love and take care 🫶🏻.

[asherashedwings]

GUYS GUYS GUYS I NEED HELP DECIDING SOMETHING

So, this may be a lot of words, but BEAR WITH ME.

So, I’m working on a Dandy’s World AU (obviously) and I’m starting to actually delve into the actual plot of it. I just now started reworking the elevator roster I had decided on and have decided on something along these lines

So, the main point of debate for me is the healer. I can’t decide if I want to keep Sprout on the roster, or replace him with Cosmo.

Arguments for the swap:

The twisted mains will be a large part of the plot, being major characters, and it may feel redundant to have Sprout as another character. Also, a big part of Sprout’s character within the story would have been his over protectiveness and the stress that develops from it, leading to him having a huge confrontation with Dandy and, well, crashing out. But, since then, I have given Shrimpo a pretty similar role of crashing out HARD, and I feel that may diminish from the point of Sprout’s character. Cosmo would also be able to fill a similar stressed role as Sprout, though not to that same degree, likely not leading to a complete crash out.

One of my friends also made the point of Cosmo’s ability specifically calling for him to spend his own health in order to heal others could bring up interesting plot points. She also had the idea of Cosmo maybe respecting Sprout’s overprotectiveness before the run but never quite understanding it, until he was having to worry about the safety and health of everyone around him. There is also the possibility of interesting interactions between him and Warden (Twisted Sprout).

Arguments against the swap:

Sprout’s overprotectiveness can add a lot of interest to the story, seeing him pushing his limits to the extreme just to make sure everyone is safe—healing toons left and right, distracting when Goob isn’t fit to handle it, sometimes even purposefully getting hit if it means no one else is getting hit. We’d get to see this downwards spiral of his character in real time, him cracking at the seams and going mad from the stress. It’d be an interesting direction to take his character, and I would like to explore it.

One of my friends also made the point that the crash outs between Shrimpo and Sprout might be different enough that they wouldn’t diminish from each other. Shrimpo’s starts to happen early on, and it is mainly directed at Twisteds. Sprout’s, however, is more of a slow burn, and when it happens, it’s directed at Dandy specifically. It’d also be insight into how Dandy treats mains when they’re on runs, since he treats them differently than normal toons. In particular, he kills them as soon as they have any slight hint of twisting, as he doesn’t want them to turn out like the mains that currently exist—powerful with no way to control them.

With these points, PLEASW HELP OH MY GOD- 💥💥💥

[dumbass-tumbler-cryptid]

Have you seen the new Quaritch and Spiders footage? I can't wait to see what it's all about! Do you have any thoughts on that? <3

I did! It was weird actually. I tend to stay off of my devices until I’m having breakfast but for some reason I just had to check YouTube not long after I woke up and sure enough Avatar Theory had posted a video on the new images. I actually thought it was an edit with Quaritch’s little hoodie. It’s just so funny to me that they made a bunch of merch for a team that’s down to two. (Unless they have backup clones of the recoms but I doubt that) I wanted to take some time to collect my thoughts and see others takes but I think I’m ready now.

I don’t want to get to in depth over things others have gone over. Yes Spider’s been accepted by the Metkayina from his new look and tattoo. (And good god did they accept him quickly because the wound on his chest doesn’t even look fully healed yet. Hell yeah to the Metkayina for that) Yes Quaritch in his silly little hoodie looks really happy to see him but also yeah he’s probably on his bullshit.

I’m thinking more of where does this fall in the story based off of what we already know. I feel like this is probably pretty early on. We know from script leaks that there’s some kind of oil rig/ sea base that I imagine Quaritch and Wainfleet run to right after the battle at three brothers. If I’m using Spider’s wound as a time marker (which I acknowledge could be a little faulty. Different skin tones scar differently and I only have my own to go off of. My skin either changes texture or turns darker. It never permanently stays red which is why I believe Spider’s wound is still fairly fresh) then I believe it’s only been a few weeks since the battle at three brothers rock. So in that time Quaritch would have regrouped, strategized a raid and then executed it, capturing Spider again and who know’s who else.

But I think this will be short lived when the Ash Clan rocks up

I know this isn’t a still from the movie but look at the background

That’s the cove of the ancestors. For better or (most likely) worse they are showing up on Sea people land. My guess would be that they’re trying to take them over but end up in a fire fight with the R.D.A instead. This would be why Quaritch and Jake decide to team up going off of Stephan Lang’s interview.



We also know at some point Spider is going to be able to breath Pandoran air thanks to Kiri preforming a miracle. I’m on the fence of when this would be in the film. I think it would work in the beginning of the movie, like Spider gets injured in the initial fire fight, is healed by Kiri and this event acts as the catalyst for Quaritch and Jake’s contentious alliance. But also I like the idea of it being in the climax of the film. After a series of backstabbing and manipulation on Quaritch’s part with Spider trying to legitimately turn his father to the good guys side, Spider gets injured in the big final battle. It’s playing out like Neteyam’s death when Kiri saves him. Quaritch would of course be greatfull. But the miracle also adds to the confusion that Slang talks about here:



Maybe it’s because I’m currently rewatching The Venture Bro’s right now (which is my favorite show hands down and has a lot of messy father son relationships in it) But this sounds to me like Quaritch admires Spider for everything Quaritch himself could have been under different circumstances. Because Spider and Quaritch do share personality traits. Willful, stubborn, values loyalty. And Quaritch is proud of Spider for that. He loves his feisty son. But I imagine he’s also jealous of Spider’s heart. Because Spider is actually pretty open with his emotions. He doesn’t try to hide when he’s crying or when he’s scared. He’s at least emotionally attuned to his friends since when he sees he’s made Kiri uncomfortable by making fun of who her dad is, he immediately turns the conversation onto himself to take the unwanted attention. Spider at his heart is kind and empathetic and I can see Quaritch valuing that while also being envious of what he isn’t. And because he dosen’t think he can be like that he might seek to stomp that out of Spider. So after a big emotional back and forth of Spider trying to save his dad and Quaritch trying to corrupt his son out of jealousy, he nearly watches his only son die only to be saved by a god he would never have believed in. I think that would be an interesting place to leave him before getting into Avatar 4.

But also I’ve read script leaks of Jake and Norm talking about Spider being able to breath Pandoran air and how they can never let the R.D.A get him. So maybe the miracle happens in the opening of the film and becomes a big plot point. (Or maybe that script is from Avatar 4?) Maybe Quaritch attacks, ends up hurting his son in the process, Kiri saves him and then a stunned Quaritch snatches Spider up on instinct, not thinking “hey the science devision of the R.D.A might want to dissect my kid for this!” Maybe Jake attacks the base to get Spider back (which is some redemption I’d love to see) and they’re successful because conveniently the Ash Clan attacks at the same time.

We know Quaritch and maybe Lyle too will be captured by the Ash Clan at some point from this image

So maybe in a fun uno reverse. Quaritch capture Spider only to be captured himself by Varang five minutes later. Or Quaritch willingly gives himself up after seeing Varangs forces first hand and goes to make a deal with her that quickly gets out of hand forcing Quaritch to make an alliance with Jake.

So those are my very unorganized thoughts. Honestly at first the only thing I could thinks was:

Quaritch and Spider: Your family member traumatized you? Just traumatize them back.

I don’t call myself dumbass for nothing after all.

I’d love to hear everyone else’s thoughts so please feel free to comment, add on to this post, or message me. 💙

[karatekels]

KarateKels Story Masterlist

Hi everyone! I’ve decided to (finally) get my act together and make a masterlist post for all the requests/stories I’ve done so far. I’m going first by character, then adding Dark Desires October and TIGmas posts for if you’re looking for a ~vibe~. Links that have a * indicate the presence of smut, for if you just want to get to the good stuff! 😉

(I'll be going through these posts and updating them slowly when I can't bring myself to write, so if you see anything that needs fixing or you want to suggest ways to make this... less of a clusterfuck, please feel free to let me know!)

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Currently Writing:

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1. Cold Outside (a Jack Blaylock x Reader fic for TIGmas #12 - sorry for taking FOREVER, @babylonianqueenie; I'm really struggling to make this good!)

2. Solar Flare (a Jan Valek x OC fic)

Note: I am taking requests, but seeing that some of them are around a year old at this point, note that it may be awhile! I'm not planning on starting any of my own projects or theme-months until I clear out most of what I have, and thank you all for your patience!

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Terry Silver:

Silver Seduction: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3* | Part 4* | Part 5* | Part 6*

(KK3 Terry x Reader) Reader is the older sister of Jessica Andrews and has taken it upon herself to make sure young Daniel LaRusso stays safe after Jessica returns to Ohio. This includes accompanying him to seek out the training offered by Sensei Terry Silver and learning a few moves yourself from the handsome older man. When his true intentions are discovered, you completely cut him off, but he isn’t willing to let you go so easily. (Reader is in her 20s)

Chef’s Kiss: Part 1 | Part 2*

(KK3 Terry x Reader) Reader is dragged to a charity event by her parents where she meets Terry Silver. They discover that they have a mutual acquaintance, Daniel LaRusso, and Reader joins Danny at the dojo as she grows closer to Terry. Wanting to surprise him one day, she catches Terry relishing Daniel’s torture – now Terry has to make her see reason. (Reader is in her 20s)

Deluge: Part 1

(KK3 Terry x Reader) You get stranded in the rain trying to make your way to Terry’s place for Valentine’s Day, but Terry comes to your rescue, professing his love for you and taking you to his home where you belong.

An Honest Man: Part 1 | Part 2* | To be continued…

(KK3 Terry x Reader) You meet Terry at a party and aren’t impressed by his smarmy exterior, making him determined to win you over. Colluding with your easily wooed coworker, he talks you into a date and slowly seduces his way past your timid, untrusting nature.

Payment Plan: Part 1*

(KK3 Terry x Reader) Reader sees Terry training in the Cobra Kai dojo while on her way to work and develops a crush on him. They finally meet face-to-face and Terry invites her inside for a free lesson.

Bath Toy: Part 1*

(KK3 Terry x Reader) Terry takes a business call while playing with you in the bath but is interrupted by you not being able to keep quiet. To make up for the inconvenience, you let him use you underwater while he goes about his business.

Cat & Mouse: Part 1*

(KK3 Terry x Reader) Reader is a rising star at Dynatox and has caught the eye of the boss himself. Despite being the Terry Silver, however, you adamantly reject his advances, forcing him to take more drastic measures to help you see reason. The two of you engage in a game of cat and mouse that culminates the night of a gala celebrating Dynatox’s successes.

Discipline Training: Part 1* | Part 2* | To be continued…

(KK3 Terry x Reader) Terry comes home early from a work trip and catches you touching yourself without his permission. He decides to punish train you in the third 'D': Discipline.

All's Fair: Part 1 | Part 2* | Part 3*

(KK3 Terry x Reader) Reader has been dating Terry for awhile, and he's been patient. When she surprises him with a date at their local funfair, he thinks she'll be willing to finally make their relationship physical. At the top of the ferris wheel, he makes his move. Dubcon.

Unjust Reward:Part 1 | Part 2*

(KK3 Terry x Reader) Daniel warns Reader that Terry is nothing but trouble, and she tries to avoid him, but when she's being chased by a group of men she turns to Terry's dojo for help. He swoops in to save the day, but it turns out he was just saving her for himself. Non-con.

Clear as Mud: Part 1*

(KK3 Terry x Reader) You’ve tried to get Terry to open up about his time in Vietnam on more than one occasion, and while he’s been doing his best to help you understand, he ultimately decides that the best way to help you is to put you through something similar, hunting you in the middle of a forest at sunset.

What You Do To Me: Part 1*

(KK3 Terry x Reader) You and Terry have been together for quite awhile now and he is crazy about you. Before he can tell you that he loves you, he decides to test your loyalty by seeing how you respond to another man trying to seduce you at a gala. Once you pass his test with flying colours, he sneaks away with you to confess his love, and shows you just what it’s like to have his full devotion…

Turtle Doves: Part 1 | Part 2

(KK3 Cobra Husbands - Terry/Reader/John) It’s your first Christmas spent with both Terry and John, and everyone is nervous about what to give the others. While you’re confident in Terry’s (often overwhelming) love for both you and John, as well as your own feelings for both men, you’re still unsure of John’s feelings for you with the spirit of Betsy still a looming presence in everyone’s mind.

Songbird: Part 1*

(Terry through the ages) A series of snippets of Terry and his wife in the 90s, 00s and the present. Reader is a singer at the bar that Terry frequents as he hits rock bottom, and the two of you fall in love. Years later, the return of John Kreese into your husband’s live threatens to tear your marriage apart.

Lesson Learned: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3*

(CK Terry x Reader) Reader is a student in Cobra Kai’s adult class and you and Sensei Silver are both clearly attracted to one another. After a month of teasing, Terry decides you’ve both waited long enough.

Strike First: Part 1 | Part 2*

(CK Terry x Reader) Reader and Sensei Silver have been eyeing each other during the dojo’s adult class for awhile now. While you never think it would escalate past flirting, Terry has had other plans, luring you to the dojo when no one is around so you two can get to know each other.

Prized Possession: Part 1*

(CK Terry x Reader) You accompany Terry to a charity event for the first time as a couple and he doesn’t appreciate the attention you receive from the other men in attendance. Upon returning home, he needs to make sure that you both know who you belong to.

As I Am: Part 1*

(CK Terry x Reader) You witness Terry and Daniel’s fight in Stingray’s apartment and desperately want him to lose control with you. Upon making you confess your desires, he gives you exactly what you need. Size kink.

A Better Offer: Part 1 | Part 2*

(CK Terry x Reader) You are Daniel’s assistant at the dealership and a close family friend. When Terry drops by to gather information for his schemes, he decides to scoop you up and make Danny-Boy regret his mistreatment of you, giving you a dream opportunity: organizing the charity auction for Eva Garcia. The two of you develop feelings for one another as you work closely together, and as the events of the auction unfold, the tension between you reaches its boiling point.

Legacy: Part 1*

(CK Terry x Reader) Terry has fallen for the most promising student in his adult class, though she remains oblivious. Though he desperately wants to have her for himself, he fears rejection and settles for privately training her just to be close to her and build a legacy. Eventually, he runs out of things to teach her.

Fresh Start: Days 4 & 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Days 8 & 9* | Days 10 & 11 | Day 12-A | Day 12-B | Day 13-A* | Day 13-B* | Day 13-C | Day 14-A* | Day 14-B | Day 14-C

(CK Terry x Reader) Reader is visiting LA for a few weeks and accidentally wanders onto the estate of Terry Silver, who immediately falls hard for the young woman. With only a few days to convince her to stay with him, he knows he has to pull out all the stops.

Scream for Me: Part 1 | Part 2*

(CK Terry x Reader) Part of the "Fresh Start" universe! Reader makes the mistake of telling Terry that she can't believe he was ever scary, and certainly isn't that way now. Terry decides to teach her a lesson, hunting her in their own home until she admits that he is still very much something to be feared.

Wrapped in Red: Part 1*

(CK Terry x Reader) Part of the “Fresh Start” universe! You and Terry are invited to a Christmas Eve charity gala by your rival for Terry’s affections, and you’re sick of having to endure her flirting with your man. Surprisingly, Victor has an idea that will make it certain who Terry Silver belongs to.

Eye of the Storm: Part 1* | To be continued…

(CK Terry x Reader) Trapped at the airport on Christmas Eve, Terry grows tired of seeing everyone around him with their families and loved ones, and impulsively decides to start a family of his own. Today. He sets his sights on you to get the job done, with you being none the wiser.

Guided Meditation: Part 1*

(CK Terry x Reader) Terry is fed up with your attitude lately, and decides to help you learn how to channel your pent up frustrations through more enjoyable pursuits... for him, anyway.

Party Favours: Part 1*

(CK Terry x Reader) You really don't want your birthday to be a big deal, but Terry is determined to strike the perfect balance, finding just the right way to spoil you...

Reunion: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 |To be continued...

(CK Terry x Reader) Part of the "Fresh Start" universe! You return to Terry weeks after your initial departure to begin your life together.

The Steadfast Tin Soldier: Part 1*

(Twig Terry x Reader) Terry returns from Vietnam on Christmas Eve, and you are the first and only person he wants to see. After years without so much as a letter, you two try to get to know each other once again.

Cash Ewing (Black Friday/The Kidnapping):

Disorderly Conduct: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4* | Part 5 | Part 6

A dark, tragic fic. Reader is a cop who has been working at the same precinct as Cash for awhile, and gets the vibe that something is... off. Trusting her instinct, she follows him to an abandoned building one day and catches him in the act. Unfortunately, he also catches her, and keeps her as a hostage while he tries to figure out his next move. (Takes place before events of the movie)

Person of Interest: Part 1*

You and a friend attend your precinct's Christmas party; the first time you'll be seeing your coworkers since you went undercover almost a year ago. Rather than the happy reunion with your partner and friend Cash, he seems anything but happy to see you. Locked in the basement together, you call Cash out on his BS and finally confront him about his feelings and your own.

Jan Valek (Vampires):

Heirloom: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6*

An enemies to lovers fic with Jan Valek. Reader is Jack Crow's daughter and a vamp-hunter-in-training. When Valek attacks the old Catholic school where the Black Cross of Berziers is kept and discovers his nemesis’s daughter, he kidnaps her in hopes of using her to lure him out but finds himself falling for her instead.

Saturnalia: Part 1*

Valek catches your scent on the wind and plans to feed on you, but after a single conversation with you can’t bring himself to commit such an act. Instead, he plans to find you at your friend's Winter Solstice Masquerade to be close to you, even just for the night.

Solar Flare: Part 1 | In Progress...

As vampires become a growing problem and the number of Slayers dwindles, the Catholic Church decides to perform another ‘miracle’, attempting to create a weapon that will be able to find the despicable creatures in any and all shadows that they may hide. Similarly to the botched exorcism of Jan Valek, the experimental ceremony that Rose Hanlon undergoes doesn’t go exactly as intended, and she escapes the city with a set of abilities she doesn’t even understand.

Gus Travis (Black Point):

In Deep Water: Part 1 | Part 2* | Part 3*

A dark non-con with Gus Travis. Reader is an undercover cop who has gotten in with Gus's gang to get the dirt on him and Malcolm’s crime ring. Gus gets wind of your deception and decides to punish you - for lying, for making him fall for you, for everything.

Terry McCain (Excessive Force):

Yule-Tied: Part 1* | To be continued…

You manage to get Terry to swear off work for a whole week to come with you to visit your family in New York City for the holidays. He has (unsurprisingly) charmed his way into everyone’s good books, so you decide to reward him with an early Christmas present when you get back to your hotel room the night before Christmas Eve.

Jack Blaylock (Ulterior Motives):

Coming soon…

The TIGverse (stories with more than one TIG character):

The NSFW Alphabet: Part 1* | Part 2*

A character study for both KK3 Terry and CK Terry. (I want to do more requests like these, so feel free to send in requests for my thoughts/opinions rather than full on stories if you want!)

A Tale of Two Terrys: Part 1* | To be continued…

(KK3 Terry x Reader x CK Terry) You and your husband (CK Terry) are somehow joined in bed by his younger self, who had been wondering how his future would turn out. Initially protective, your husband talks you into letting his younger self have his way with you before joining in himself.

Mediation: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5* | Part 6* | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9* | To be continued…

(Terry McCain x Reader x Cash Ewing) You are assigned as Terry McCain’s new partner after his previous partner – Cash Ewing – goes to prison for the crimes he has committed. Cash returns to Chicago years later, after his release and rehabilitation, and while he can’t be a cop anymore, he wants to make amends to those he has disappointed with his actions, most of all his former close friend Terry. Terry isn’t receptive to Cash’s attempts at reconciliation, and warns you to stay away from him, having grown very protective of his “work wife.” But you find something of a kindred spirit in Cash and want to help him get a second chance at life, deciding to do what you can to support the man and bring the two friends back together.

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Themes/Challenges

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Dark Desires October 2023:

Unjust Reward Disorderly Conduct Heirloom Scream for Me All's Fair In Deep Water

TIGmas 2023:

Person of Interest Saturnalia Clear as Mud Eye of the Storm The Steadfast Tin Soldier Wrapped in Red Yule-Tied What You Do To Me Mediation Guided Meditation Turtle Doves (Cobra Husbands) It’s Cold Outside (Jack Blaylock) Coming Soon...

Fresh Start Universe:

Fresh Start Scream for Me Wrapped in Red Reunion In progress More coming for Fresh Start February!

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AMAs (ask me anything):

Just in case you are, for some reason, interested in asking me about things or reading about what other people have asked me! (These are fun and I'm happy to answer pretty much any question you feel like asking!)

AMA1 | AMA2 |

[rowdyluv]

summary: a requested prompt with trevor, trevor and y/n cuddling up sharing memories of their years together.

warnings: none, absolute pure tooth rooting sweetness, quite literally, “its so fluffy I’m going to die”

word count: 2.8+

notes: request made by @sweetestdesire - “Tell me again how you fell in love with me.” “I literally told you yesterday. “I don’t care, I wanna hear it again. Plus, I love hearing you speak.” - altered slightly but not much

© property of quinnylouhughesx43 ; do not copy and re-upload as your own - anywhere. do not place my work inside AI codes, do not translate.

The rare California rain gently fell against her bedroom window, carrying with it the faint echo of wind and the occasional honk of a vehicle. Trevor and Y/n lay snug in her bed, their limbs intertwined in a familiar sense of comfort. The soft rustle of their sheets joined the sounds of the weather that filled the room, a stark contrast to the joyous and thunderous cheers of Ducks fans they had just left behind at the Honda Center, a lingering memory of the game that had just concluded.

Hopefully gone were the ugly memories of watching Trevor’s team lose game after game, the Duck’s were on a hot streak currently winning the last five home games as shutouts.

Y/n's head rested on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart, a rapid strumming that was slowly beginning to flow back into normal rhythm.

“I’m sorry we had to spend our 4-year anniversary at my game.” Trevor mumbled, he had apologized already at least twenty times, feeling terrible for not being able to do something for Y/n that day.

“Trevor, truly baby stop, I love going to your games!” She looked up at him, her eyes gleaming with affection. “I got to see you play, and score the game winning goal! I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else in the whole world, plus I am taking any opportunity to show off that I’m the only female who is wearing your last name with meaning.” She grinned a cheeky smile and he just shook his head.

They had met at one of his games, she had been dragged by one of her friends who was a die-hard Ducks fan. At that point in time, Trevor had been playing the not-so best season of his career. He was constantly in the box for silly retaliation calls, starting and finishing fights, he wasn’t scoring like a previous first rounder top prospect should have been. He was trying to keep himself from being distracted by the fans in the stands, so he hadn’t noticed her right away. It was her friend’s enthusiasm that had stood out among the sea of fans drawing his teammates eyes over during warmups.

However, when Trevor cracked and his attention was finally drawn by the way her friend cheered and yelled for his attention, his eyes fell on Y/n instead. The instant connection he thought that they had made, made him feel invincible on the ice that night. Trevor ended up earning himself a hat trick accompanied by two assists for a 5-1 win over the Sharks.

Trevor was determined to find her, after the game. He didn’t spare a single second for the media, he didn’t shower either. He wasn’t risking her leaving. In record time, he slung his gear off and changed into shorts and a t-shirt to make a mad dash out in hopes to find her still sitting in the seats behind the goal.

Luckily for him, she was still there. They ended up talking for hours after that game.

“Do you remember the night we met?” He asked her after being lost in his own memories about it.

Y/n’s eyes lit up, she had told the story to her friends and family a hundred times but hearing it from his perspective was something she never tired of. She nodded eagerly, “I was so nervous, I didn’t know why. Maybe it was because your eyes had this intense look when you were on the ice that night, or maybe it was just because you were so damn hot in your gear, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of you.”

Trevor pinched her waist playfully, a smirk playing on his lips. “I looked hot eh?” He teased, his thumb stroking the skin just above her hip bone. She giggled, swatting his hand away playfully.

“Stop it! You know you do.” Her giggle fit died down before she tried to speak again. “So, if we’re starting to share our memories together,” she smiled at him whole fully.

Y/n propped herself up on her elbow, sole purpose to be able to look at him better.

“Remember that night at the beach, when we had our first kiss?” Her voice was soft, a gentle whisper that danced in the air between them, stirring up the butterflies in Trevor’s stomach like it had that very evening as if he was a schoolboy again.

Trevor’s eyes searched hers, the question in her gaze so earnest, so hopeful. He couldn’t help but smile at the memory of the cool sand beneath his feet, the sound of the waves crashing in the background, and the way the moon had painted the horizon in a soft silver light. The night before she made a surprise trip to the Sharks arena to watch him play, unfortunately this game didn’t work out in the Ducks favor. When Trevor received her message post game about being there he turned towards one of Ducks equipment managers giving them directions to go get her.

“The night at the beach, the day after you surprised me by showing up at the game in San Jose?” He said, his voice carrying a hint of surprise. As if he would forget about it.

“Yes, the very one. Where I just showed up and you guys had just lost….but you still took the time to see me or I guess wanted to see me, so you sent someone out to get me.”

“It wasn’t a want after I knew you were there babygirl, I needed to see you. I knew you were going to be my girl after you bought your own $100 plus ticket to come watch me play and you went by yourself. You paid, knowing I could have got you free tickets all so you could surprise me.” Trevor's voice grew softer, the memory bringing a gentle warmth to his words.

He paused for a moment, his gaze drifting to the ceiling as he relived the night.

He had felt a fierce protectiveness over her as she approached the locker room full of raging hormonal men. He had almost immediately wrapped his arms around her, the smell of the generic body wash in the guest showers mingling with her perfume, something sweet and floral. The moment between the two shared in front of the locker rooms was when he had hastily asked her out to the beach later the next day.

Y/n layed back down on her stomach, her chin propped up on his chest, her eyes searching his as she spoke. "The night on the beach when you stopped suddenly when we were walking, I was scared you were bored or something," she confessed, a hint of vulnerability in her tone. She had never admitted it to him before, the small doubt that had lurked in the back of her mind that night.

Trevor stilled his motions before speaking, his eyes focused on hers, "Bored? With you? Not a chance." His voice was gentle, a warm caress that seemed to dispel any lingering shadows of doubt. "I knew right then I wanted to kiss you. I just had a moment of second guessing in case you smacked me or ran away." He laughed slightly as he smiled. “Then you turned back around and the way you looked, looked at me, I didn’t care if you smacked me. It wouldn’t hurt long. And hell, I’m a professional athlete. I'd catch up if you ran.”

Y/n felt her heart swell with affection as she laughed. "You're so dramatic," she said, her voice filled with love and amusement. She reached up and brushed a lock of hair from his forehead, her fingertips tracing the line of his cheekbone.

Trevor's smile grew with the soft touch of affection. "Maybe, but it's all true." His voice grew husky, the emotion of the memory thick in the air.

“Hey, Y/n?” He whispered, grabbing her by the waist with both hands lifting her to lay on top of him.

Her eyes searched for him, questioning and curious of the sudden change in position. He didn’t say a word, instead he leaned in and kissed her with a tenderness that could melt an entire ice rink three times over. It was the kind of kiss that made time stand still, where every beat of his heart resonated against her own. A kiss that was sweet and gentle, like a whispered promise of forever. It was a nice and welcomed difference to the passionate, urgent kisses they often shared in the bed they were occupying, but no less powerful in its own right.

When he pulled away, she found herself breathless, a soft blush painting her cheeks. “Trev, what was that for?”

He looked into her eyes, the warmth in his gaze making her feel like she was the only person in the universe. “I just wanted to remind you how much I love you, and that every day, every moment with you, makes me love you even more than I did the last time I said it.” He spoke with such conviction, his words a sweet melody that filled her soul. “I love you more now, than I did when we got home, and I’m sure you’ll give me a reason before tomorrow to love you more than I do right now.”

Y/n’s heart skipped a beat at his declaration, a feeling that was becoming as familiar as the sound of their breath mingling together. She knew she didn’t need the reassurance, but she craved it. She craved to hear his voice tell her that he felt the same way she did. That she wasn’t just some girl he had picked out in the crowd one night who had gotten lucky to get to know him, but the love of his life.

“Trevor.” Y/n whispered, laying her head against his shoulder, still lying on top of him, Trevor’s arms wrapped securely around her waist. “Will you tell me again how you fell in love with me?”

Trevor’s chuckle was a warm rumble under her cheek, a gentle reminder of his presence, and of his affection. “You’re like your little nephew asking for a bedtime story when he stays, you know that?” He said playfully, his eyes crinkling at the corners. But the request from her, nor the little guy, didn’t annoy him.

It was quite the opposite, it reminded him of their earlier days together. Back to when he first told her he loved her, back when she would ask him almost every day just to hear him say it.

He sighs and kisses her forehead before starting his story, his eyes closed as he recounts the moments that had led up to him falling for her. "I was in love with you far before I told you I was," he starts, his voice low and earnest. "Remember that summer when we got lost on our way to the Hughes’ lake house?"

Y/n nods, a smile playing on her lips, "You were so mad at the GPS," she murmurs, the memory bringing a hint of embarrassment to her voice, “thinking that it was wrong, but I had accidentally put the address in wrong. You never showed anger to me once we realized and wouldn’t let me apologize either. You laughed with me, not at me.”

Trevor’s arms tighten around her slightly. That summer had been one of the best of his life. It was the summer he had realized she was more than just the girl who had stolen his attention at the game. She was the girl who was breaking down every wall. Walls that he had no idea existed until she was in his life, because no other girl had ever managed to reach them.

"I was in love with you before I knew I was," he repeats in a caressing whisper. "It was the way you'd laugh at my terrible jokes, the way you not only cheer me on, but the entire team. It’s how even when I was playing like shit, you were still right there by my side. You see me for me I know that if I don’t or can’t play, you’ll still be here. You’re not here for the hockey side of me. It was the way you looked at me in a room full of people, like I was the only person in the room that mattered." His voice grew softer with each word, each memory weaving a tapestry of emotion in the air.

She’s heard the explanation a few hundred times over the four years, each time it fills her with so many emotions that she can’t help but tear up a little. She had never experienced such a love before Trevor, she never wants to experience anyone else’s but his.

“I knew it, when I had to pull over and ask that old man with his pet llama if you could pet it. You were so embarrassed I actually did it but you talked about petting the llama all day.” Trevor laughed remembering that specifically odd encounter.

“I still can’t believe I got to pet a llama because of you, that was pretty amazing.”

The warmth in her voice brought a grin to his face as he leaned further back into the pillows. She was so much more than he had ever hoped for in a partner.

"Every time I saw you, every moment we spent together, it was like you were throwing little glances of light into the darkest parts of me." Trevor's voice grew softer, his eyes still closed as if he could feel the moments more deeply that way. "You had this way of making everything feel right, even when everything was so wrong." He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, his grip on her waist tightening slightly as the weight of his feelings pressed against his chest.

“The first time I told you that I love you that New Year’s Eve, when I flew back early to surprise you, during our first year together. I was so anxious. I had never felt this way about anyone before. And when I saw your face light up like the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center when you opened the door to your apartment when I knocked, I had to tell you, right then and there. I blurted it out right in your face like the idiot goofball that I am. But whenever you feel so in love with someone the way I do, the kind that makes you want to jump out of airplanes to see if it matches the way they make your heart race or fight your way through the crazy mob of media instead of taking the interviews just to take a chance at meeting them.”

Trevor unwrapped his arms from her waist, only to move his hand to tilt her head to look up at him.

“Y/n, every day since then, that love has only grown and grown until it’s all I can think about, no you’re all I can think about. To the point I know that I want to marry you one day." His voice was steady, filled with certainty that had been growing in his heart for months, waiting for the perfect moment to tell her.

Y/n popped up with renewed energy, elated with the words that fell from his lips. “One day? Why not elope tomorrow? I have been waiting for you to say that for, forever. I don’t need big and fancy, I just need you.” She was beaming at him, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Trevor shook his head in amazement, his eyes filled with love and amusement. "You're something else, you know that?" He replied, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb. "But no, not tomorrow, I want to do it right. Meaning I am going to ask you, not you ask me. I also know that you do want some type of ceremony, I’ve seen you scroll through Pinterest.” He stroked the side of her cheek with his thumb, wiping away the small tear that had fallen. The smile she wore let him know she wasn’t crying from him saying no. “I have always been one to rush into everything. I want us to take our time and make sure that when we do get married, it's a day neither of us will ever forget."

Her heart fluttered at his words, feeling the love between them grow stronger with each shared memory, and his confession. The room grew quiet once again, their breaths mingling together in a soft dance of contentment.

"I can't wait for that day," she whispered with a yawn taking over her words, her second wind of energy vanishing as quickly as it appeared. "But until then, I'm happy being with you just like this." Her eyes fluttered shut and reopened slowly.

“It’s okay to go to sleep, I will be here tomorrow. I can always talk about whatever it is you have ready to ask me then.” Trevor assured here pressing a kiss to her head from an awkward position. “Close your eyes and go to sleep, babygirl.”

tag list: @thedevilrisen @luke-hughes43

if you would like to be added to the tag list follow the link in the pinned post ♡

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

While I don’t think the senti-kid story necessarily works if the writers wanted to keep the show focused on kids, I think it would’ve gone over a bit better if it was just Felix who was the senti, rather than also Adrien and Kagami (especially Kagami, she was a complete retcon in that regard).

Picture this:

Gabriel, Emilie, and Natalie find the Miraculous (Butterfly and Peacock) because they have an expensive hobby (archeology/collecting rare items, as wealthy people like to do), not because they need the magic at all. They just heard a rumor of an old Tibetan monastery and wanted to check it out, got lucky in finding the two jewels. The Peacock doesn’t even have to be broken.

We can keep the basics of the backstory shown in Representation- minus the detail of Adrien being made with the Peacock. Gabriel and Emilie conceive Adrien normally, but Colt and Amelie aren’t able to like in canon, so Colt has that same jealous outburst at Gabriel. Because Emilie feels bad for her sister, and Gabriel sees an opportunity to make a deal, they lend, or maybe trade, the Peacock to them to create a child. As in canon, Colt uses it, and his jealousy makes Felix a physical copy of Adrien.

Emilie gets sick for non-magical reasons. (I wouldn’t mind having her use it for funsies and not realizing it was broken, but it’s very obviously cracked, and I can’t imagine at least one of their two kwamis not giving them a warning.) As for what happens to Colt, I’m on the fence about him being alive in present times because that kind of abuse is really heavy, so maybe he just dies for unsaid reasons (though I vote Amelie poisoned him or something).

This version would allow for a really cool contrast between Adrien and Felix’s stories and characters. You have Adrien, a normal human, capable of disobedience, but who bends easily under others and is a people-pleaser. Versus Felix, a senti being magically compelled to obey orders of whoever has his amok, but fights to be free every chance he gets. That contrast would also further Felix’s frustration and jealousy of Adrien, in addition to his own father’s hatred of him and being identical to his cousin, because Felix would kill for Adrien’s free will, but he squanders it. But then there’s also the issue that he’s essentially victim blaming Adrien, not realizing that magic isn’t the only way to force obedience- not to mention ignoring the times that Adrien did stand up for himself (like running away to school). I think that would be a really great discussion of free will, how jealousy can blind you, family conflict (and resolution), and how different kinds of abuse/trauma aren’t automatically better than each other just because they’re opposites (ex: someone with heatstroke shouldn’t be jealous of someone with frostbite. Both suck.) The intensity might be worse for each circumstance (since Felix has magical abuse and physical+verbal abuse), but he would be in the wrong for saying Adrien has it easy.

(I think at this point my ADHD is over-explaining, so I’ll leave it at that lol)

Do you think a route like that would’ve improved the show at all? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

The sentiplot has many issues and one of the big ones is that it's not a great fit for a show where Marinette is the one and only main character. They've given Kagami, Felix, and Adrien this massive weight that begs for them to take center stage for at least a few episodes, but probably a whole season or two. The show isn't going to do that, so it's near impossible to really fix the sentiplot without truly massive changes to canon.

That being said, I think that this idea would have vastly improved the sentiplot in its current form! Right now, the senti thing truly doesn't matter to Adrien's character. His mom could have gotten sick for any random reason and the only meaningful change would be that Gabriel couldn't use the rings to keep Adrienette from kissing that one time. Outside of that, Adrien's status has no meaningful effect on the story. It doesn't even keep him out of the final! He does that on his own! The senti thing is just there for cheap drama.

There's also the issue that the current storyline makes the Agreste's look awful which is clearly not the story's goal. Emilie is supposed to be an angel and Gabriel is supposed to be a grief-stricken man who loves his family. That doesn't fit with the kind of monsters who would make a magical designer slave to be their child and then wear his control rings around as daily accessories. Remember, they picked their freaking wedding rings for his slave collars! Most people wear those every day. The implications are nasty!

It makes way more sense for the Agreste's to have the peacock for more mundane reasons and for Colt to get it somehow. Maybe even have him steal it after he finds out about it to really remove the Ageste's from the perfect slave child issue. This allows for the contrast between Gabriel and Colt that canon so clearly wanted, but failed to write. It also makes Felix's actions towards Adrien make way more sense. It feels like canon Felix hates Adrien and we still don't know why that is.

As nebulous as Felix's character is, he still feels like the kind of character who needs to be tied to something like the sentiplot. It's part of the reason I don't think I can use him in my own stuff. The sentiplot is - or at least should be - such a major, defining thing for him that the only possible way to use him is to keep that plot or to give him a plot about freeing the Kwamis since they're also slaves and his abusive childhood could make him feel a bond with them.

Focusing the sentistruggle on Felix instead of spreading it out to include Adrien and Kagami would also keep the sentistuff from dominating the story. Making the male romantic lead an artificial being without true free will whose creation killed his mother is a massive thing that needs to be the focus of his character for the rest of the story. People are on the edge of their seats waiting for Adrien to learn the truth and want this to be a big plot. I do not think they're going to get that, but they should.

Having a side character be the artificial human allows this to be something that is dealt with and then Felix either leaves or fades into the background once his story is over because his story allowed to have an ending whenever they want it to. That's not true for Adrien. Adrien's ending is happily every after with Marinette and the sentiplot needlessly complicates that plan because it means that Adrien's character is always going to be center stage, making people want the sentiplot to mean something since it's apparently impossible for him to ever be a real boy who has true free will. That's such a massive thing that it begs for Adrien to be the main character, which is an asinine writing choice. I have no idea why they keep giving Adrien all this massive narrative weight. You don't do that if you want the female romantic lead to be the main focus! You do it if you want them to be true costars or if you want the male lead to get the majority of the focus. This is writing 101!

As you said at the top, I'm not sure how well this works for a show aimed at five-year-olds because it's still a pretty heavy stuff, but as a general idea, I'd be down to watch it! I didn't have a ton to add to this one because your pitch was already excellent!

[itsrlymine]

I really don’t understand why people are so deadest on convincing themselves and others manifesting and the LOA is a scam?

They spend time and effort going around boating about logic and science and prove. As if we’re already at our limit of sciences and there’s nothing new to discover. As if we don’t reach a new word-shattering, breaking advance after every few years. We used to think we couldn’t fly and now we’re traveling to outer space. Leprosy used to be a death sentence. Everything you think is “logic” is just your limiting beliefs, for what we know is so limited in every aspects. Why are people so desperate to understand something using only their own, current knowledge? It’s like using elementary math to understand negative numbers. You know whose discoveries used to be claim as “crazy” and “illogical”? Louis Paster. Albert Einstein. Gregor Mendel. If only those LOA haters are not so immersed in their own misery and instead do a quick google search.

More pathetic than that, when LOA shows people the traditional, step by step way of achieving something, they still try to deny the truth. Yesterday I saw a girl posting her success story in appearance changes and those haters flooding the comment claiming it’s not “manifesting” since she clearly “got plastic surgery!” That puzzles me to no end. Even if she did get work done, wouldn’t she manifest that too? The money for the procedure, the doctors, the successful operation,… People whine and beg for “logic” and when LOA shows them the “logical”, which is actually just their logical, way, they dismiss it entirely.

So you go girl. I’m so grateful the community has people like you to encourage and uplift people. Much love🌷💕💯

You've literally taken the words out of my mouth. It is truly amazing to me how much people would waste their time and energy believing everything outside of them and cry when you tell them to believe in themselves likeeeee? Even us being able to communicate on a platform like this at one point in time would be the most absurd idea every yet here we are! Literally normal asf bc everything is!!!!!

People want to find every excuse i=under the sun to not believe in themselves and I honestly don't even care anymore. You either get it or you "don't" and that's not my problem at alllllll.

I'm thankful I have people like you that enjoy my content. Sometimes I get discouraged and I have to snap right back and remember who tf I am. That I Am to be exact!!!!!

[11queensupreme11]

You don’t have to answer this question if you’re not comfortable, however I saw you discussing a bit about the election. Based on your response I figured you were anti-Trump. I will admit I am right leaning (not extremely but leaning) and I will agree that I am not pro-Trump. However I am also not pro-Kamala. I wanted to know your view on both candidates, pros and cons if you’re comfortable with that! For me I wasn’t able to vote this year but I will be able to vote next election (my birthday is after November 5th). But coming from a leaning republican here’s my pros and cons

Trump cons

-he’s very extreme in republican beliefs

-doesn’t support the LGBTQ (I am not apart of the community so I don’t know much on this controversy but I have heard from my friends in the community that he’s against it)

-very sensitive about his rally’s

-his multiple charges against him (though it can be noted that the time the charges came out was during a crucial time in his run for presidency so it could have been a plan to try and make him look bad, I’m not sure how many allegations actually were proven true or false)

-foreign involvement (he tends to get involved with other nations)

Trump pros

-very good at fixing the economy (when he was president it was one of the few time my family, a middle class family, actually was making excess money, we actually saved up enough to finally buy a home and my dad didn’t have to work 2 jobs and my mom worked night shifts to make ends meet. A lot more people got employed under his presidency)

-less foreign conflict (when Trump was president last time there was a lot less rumors of wars and wars going on since Trump was very firm with foreign involvement but we already are in some foreign conflict)

-immigration (I am Mexican, my mother was an illegal immigrant, but I do have to slightly agree that we need stricter boarder control. I’ve heard stories about the Cartels and them chasing people from Mexico and into the US and that’s terrifying)

Kamala cons

-controversy (Kamala has also had her share of controversy. She had ads about legalizing weed and showed mainly black people in the ad. Also she may be, I can’t confirm but I’ve heard it from others, that she is related to a past slave owners. Kamala was also voted in my the Democratic Party and not the people. Biden was the candidate that people wanted for the Democratic Party till he dropped out the. The Democratic Party put Kamala Harris as the new candidate. She had run against Biden to be the candidate before he dropped out and lost so she didn’t originally have the people’s support. Ect.)

-extremely left (I see being extremely left and extremely right as big problems)

-“middle class” (a lot of Kamala’s speeches were about helping the middle class yet in her actual speeches the middle class she described was the lower-upper class, not the true middle class)

-economic growth (currently under democratic leadership the economy hasn’t been good)

Kamala pros

-she’s very pro-environment and that’s a problem that has needed fixing for a while

-she isn’t against the LGBTQ

I’m curious to hear your response since it’s by hearing and talking to others without hate or prejudice that we can expand our own thinking and see things from new perspectives. I always wonder how media can manipulate perception so much, how two people can consume similar media from different sources but form 2 different opinions. I love your works and thanks for reading this!

Sincerely, me, a Mexican-Hawaiian girl

everything you put under trump's pros is completely false and further proof as to why misinformation is such a huge problem so lemme address your points one by one

"very good at fixing the economy"

firstly, when trump reigned it was under obama's economy. this is actually a pretty common thing for new presidents to inherit the economy of the previous administration (obama was president and had bush's economy, trump was president and had obama's economy, and etc.). their job is to either continue building that economy (if it was a good one) or rebuild it if it sucked.

when a president is elected, the economy doesn't just restart to zero and the new guy has to begin a new economy. no, they inherit it from the previous administration and they either inherit successes or deficits and they get to continue building it or destroying it

(the "president" being mentioned is trump btw)

source: here. other sources if you wanna check out: 1

and speaking of economy, here's what things are gonna look like once trump goes back into office with his stupid tariffs idea that people stupidly thought was a GOOD thing:

(also, i love how they CONVENIENTLY decided to publish this AFTER the elections...)

"less foreign conflict"

💀💀💀

idek HOW you got that info and i'm even more confused as to why you put "foreign involvement" in the cons above that, and yet switched up to say this.... but anyway there are SOOOO MANY sources from articles, interviews, videos, HIS OWN TWEETS, that clearly prove otherwise but here's a nice lil tiktok that managed to compile a good bunch of it:

"immigration"

this part killed me especially since you also mentioned that your mom wasn't here legally BUT i noticed that you said "was" as in past tense, so i'm hoping she somehow found a way to fix that

you want strict immigration control because you heard stories about the cartel chasing people here... but i don't see why you have an issue with that? the cartel is dangerous af, OF COURSE people would want to flee to protect themselves and their families? but you say you want stricter immigration and border control??? are you worried about the cartel coming here or are you saying you think the ones fleeing are dangerous?

kinda confused ^ but regardless, trump doesn't want "stricter" border control for the safety of the people, he just wants you all gone cuz he's racist af and so are his rabid worshippers 💀

also, did you forget he had kids in cages, forcefully separated from their families with no way to get back to them and had those kids FORCED TO GO TO COURT? (sources: 1, 2, 3, 4) or the time his insanely strict immigration restrictions caused the amount of drowning migrants to increase (source: 1)

he and his team are working their asses off to get started on their little denaturalization project (forcefully revoking US citizenship) 💀

from the loving words of michael davis, trump's chief legal defender:

"We're gonna deport a lot of people, 10 million people and growing - anchor babies [that's YOU anon, since you said your mom was an illegal immigrant], their parents, their grandparents. We're gonna put kids in cages. It's gonna be glorious."

ALSO!!!

for list of cons for trump you forgot to add:

has 34 felonies

is a rapist

incited an insurrection

shrugged off the possible lynching of his vice president (mike pence) during said insurrection

his abortion ban led to the preventable deaths of thousands of women and now that he's back, the numbers will increase

got impeached twice

got thousands killed because of how he didn't even bother to handle the COVID pandemic

also caused a lot of asian americans to be harmed because of his racist comments about them during said pandemic

caused haitian immigrants to be harmed because of his stupid "they're eating the cats! they're eating the dogs!" comments

he's a racist, a rapist, a misogynist, a sexist, a narcissist, a habitual liar, and has no idea on how to actually run a presidency

and many many more

since we're on the topic of misinformation, here's this:

this here shows how powerful misinformation is for the trump administration. a lot of the people who voted for him did it solely to be cruel yes, but there's also some people who just genuinely didn't do ANY research and foolishly voted against everyone's interests including their own

the people who believed the misinformation voted for trump, the people who knew the truth voted for kamala, and some of the misinformation is actually VERY similar to the things you just mentioned

"violent crime rates are at a near all-time highs in most major american cities" FALSE, but trump voters thought it was true

"inflation in the US has declined over the last year and is near historic averages" TRUE, but trump voters thought it was false (this says "last year", implying under biden's rule, so trump voters believe that inflation did not decline under biden's economy when it actually did)

"the US stock market is at or near all-time highs" TRUE, but trump voters thought it was false

"over the last few months, unauthorized border crossings at the US-Mexico border are at or near the lowest level in the last few years" TRUE, but trump voters believed it to be false.

[scribeofmorpheus]

After watching episode 9 of the final season of The Handmaid's Tale (aptly titled Execution), I read this interview by Variety because I wanted to know Max Minghella's feelings around Nick Blaine's character resolution and...

There's a longer screengrab I'll hide under the cut so this post isn't too long, but I wish the idea of turning Nick into a cautionary tale of "power ultimately corrupts [if you've been playing second fiddle long enough]" had been woven into his ambiguity around season 2 or 3, before we got to know him as this lone, struggling, self-sacrificial lamb in love, painted for a wolf in a den filled with them.

As it stands, I'm extremely unhappy with Nick's arc.

I am so disheartened and exhausted with the current trend of long-form media in the current streaming era. Television is such a strange concept right now. Either you must watch a show as it airs so it can make numbers and be renewed, or it fails before it has had a chance to hit its stride. (Breaking Bad only got widely acclaimed after its third season, Sopranos wasn’t immediately a smash hit, and even The Wire took time to perfect its formula). And shows that do stand the test of time face the risk of just being plain cruel for the excuse of being edgy or subverting expectations.

(Expectations shouldn’t be subverted when they’ve been rewarded for years on end; if you mean to subvert, do so with adequate work put into it, with reasoning that doesn’t feel flat, rushed or weak.)

It's really hard to emotionally invest in media lately. It rarely seems worth it by the time you get to the final stretch, if I’m being honest. Some days I feel foolish for being media literate and expecting said media to stick to the promise it has laid below foot for where it insinuated things were going to go.

Kudos to Max for being forthright and open about how he expected things to play out in the long game, and actually expressing his surprise to the direction the showrunners chose to take his character, but I’ve come to the realisation that a lot of media turncoats at the eleventh hour and heads in a completely alien direction to that its source material and actors anticipated.

At this point, it feels chastising.

“Oh, you critically analysed the quotes and wordings of a character thoroughly, you judged their character of self after watching so many hours of television and believed us when we consistently laid clear their modus, their functionality in this world they reside in… and you expected us to stick to it?”

Even the actor was surprised!

I slowly disuaded myself from keeping up with and staying invested in The Handmaid’s Tale because I felt the longer it stayed on air, the more conflated the messaging, the more grim the outlook, and the less true to source the adaptation remained to its source text. Mind you, I'm actually for adaptations taking creative liberties to explore certain elements differently, but not to the point that it undermines its own story. I actually enjoyed Serena Waterford being June's age, it drove home this sense that the evil is not always grotesque and othered in an older 'crone' stereotype, sometimes it's the beautiful woman who you would have thought was your peer or a friend.

(I think I stopped following as adamantly near season 4; there’s only so many returns to Gilead I can stomach before I roll my eyes, and likewise, I do think it was antithetical to Serena’s entire character for her to suddenly be able to conceive and then ultimately have a redemption arc because of the power of motherhood?—like, no, it’s antithetical to her very purpose within both the first seasons of the show and the character she needs to be in the book; she is the cautionary tale of being complacent in a system that works against herself, of extreme, devout and wanting faith that comes up lacking and makes you crueller for it.) 

Nick Blaine was always a favourite character of mine in both show and text—his ambiguity serves a purpose that is contingent on the reader’s reception of the world of Gilead without being led on by the author.

If you believe good men can and do still exist even in a theocratic [chauvinist] state, then there’s enough room to assume that Nick is with Mayday (Testaments). If you believe everything isn’t as it seems, no one is lord over themselves anymore, lacks autonomy or hope due to this rigid system, then Nick ultimately sends June to her doom when he tells her to “Trust him” as she enters the back of the van.

His character also punctuates the small joys and brief freedoms which persist once a sliver of autonomy is regained; for June to feel sexual pleasure and engage in sex of her own (limited) freewill again; for the autonomy of choice (even if read as, ultimately, a lie depending on whether you are realistic, optimistic or pessimistic) to be a present and real option for the subjugated.

It’s defiance. It’s hope. It’s fighting back.

Though admittedly, any first-person narrated book should always be read with a grain of salt—the narrator isn’t god, their viewpoint isn’t absolute or unflawed, and their own beliefs may not be reliable truths.

This is what always intrigued me about Nick. We get to doubt him because June doubts him. We get to experience reprieve when June is with him because she is allowed small freedoms of choice again. And all the while, we never learn anything about him, neither the reader nor June. He's an impression. Literally.

Nick is there to be your mirror into how deeply hope vs hopelessness runs in Gilead. He's the little veil between irreality and reality. He's a dream and he'd real. He's a hope, but he could just as easily be the architect of fools; a deceiver.

In the show, it’s less nuanced after season 2. Nick becomes a symbol for devout hope in the idea of love and sacrifice, time and time again, often to his own detriment. And then suddenly that entire thesis of character is ‘subverted’ into a man who is impressionable to power, slowly radicalised and then turned cautionary tale as he ends his final moments in sudden fire—but wait, he’s still thinking of the one person he’s been devoted to and hopelessly in love with in his last moments? What is the final message to take away here? Men always succumb to power? Power always corrupts? Love isn’t strong enough? I'm the idiot? (Probably!)

Or maybe they chose this arc as a type of political discourse on current affairs (with rising conservatism and the rise in misogyny online). Worse, I would hate if they wrote Nick's arc in relation to his relationship to June to highlight how she is willing to sacrifice anything to end Gilead--because Mayday wouldn't be the functioning body it is if not for the people Nick helped. Luke. Those letters June nearly destroyed when she was in a fugue state. June, multiple times.

Maybe it's more existentially grim than that, maybe there will always be a Judas to every revolution?

I read Marcuse this summer and one quote stuck with me: “Every revolution has also been a betrayed revolution.”

Definitely using the quote in a sense that is reductive to the actual meaning. Here's a better pull quote:

Marcuse speaks of revolutionary defeats, for example, and says, "Neither the prevailing constellation of power, nor immaturity of the productive forces, nor absence of class consciousness provides an adequate answer." [Herbert Marcuse, Eros and Civilization: A Philosophical Inquiry into Freud, 1966, p. 90.] In his view, revolutions are passing moments of victory against a ruling group, events of "self-defeat" that unleash "guilt feelings." Consequently, "every revolution has also been a betrayed revolution." [Ibid., p. 91.] There could not be a more non-Marxist statement of the problem. These abstract psychoanalytic notions lie outside the theory of the class struggle and have nothing to do with Marxism. [x]

I dunno, there must be a fine line between pandering to and spiting your fans. There must also be clearer intention. You literally can’t tell me I was being doe-eyed or silly when the actor himself said he felt he was being "naive" for reading his character's motivations and priorities in a way that ultimately didn't pay off!

It's like how the Bear season 3 lost the plot because the writer adamantly didn't want fans to read any more into Syd x Carmy, so he kept their characters separated for much of the run time, even though it made little sense plot-wise (they co-own a restaurant). That choice, in turn, messed with the synergy of the characters and the prior seamlessness of the storylines. Carmy eventually acted so antithetical to the very core of his characterisation and growth of season 2, that his relationship to Syd and the restaurant struggled, which made him seem like an indecisive ass. All to subvert an expectation.

[palettepainter]

Even more of @muletia Transformers AUs~

An Unstoppable Force and an Immovable Object - Palettepainter101 - Transformers: Prime [Archive of Our Own]

And yes, I'm aware of the irony of posting a drabble about their Naga AU in Mermay, I promise this was not planned. I do have more ideas for merformers in the works but this was the piece my brain wanted to dedicate all it's time to outside of commission work!

This piece uh...ended up being a lot longer then I planned it to be, so I've posted to my AO3 to make the reader experience hopefully a little better. Ratchet is by far one of my fav tfp characters and I really wanted to dedicate a piece to him, also it was a nice chance to work on writing his speech

EDIT: Realised some people might not be able to view the story since you require an account to view my work, so just in case, I'll post the actual story here. Again, I did NOT intend for it to be this long, I just had a lot of fun writing this!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An Unstoppable Force and an Immovable Object

“Hey Ratchet?”

The large snake of whoms coils you were currently sprawled in did not avert his attention from the dusty book he had been studying for the past thirty minutes, instead, you caught the sound of the page fluttering as he turned it, catching it under his thumb 

“Raaaatchet” you repeated, lolling your head backwards over one of his thick coils. Again, the orangery snake with mixes of earthy brown and pearl white bleeding across his scales did not turn his head

You frowned 

“Ratchet”

Nothing

“Ratchet..”

….You furrowed your brow 

“Ratty Ratchet the rat king!”

That, is what finally earns you the nagas attention

Groaning under his breath, Ratchet’s figure partially turned to you in your upside down vision, yet you were still able to clearly label the emotion on his face was of one that was not impressed by the use of your childish nickname 

“ Please don’t call me that”

The way in which you stuck your tongue out at him earnt you yet another displeased groan and ensuing eyeroll, but before he could smoothly turn back to his reading material, you roll to lay on your belly and peer upwards at him 

“Alright Ratty~” Ratchet ignored your nickname, his arms folding across his chest was telling enough of what he thought of your comeback, radiating the energy of a pacified but unimpressed parent

Holding your face up in a hand, you can’t help the smile that grew on your face at the sight of his clear displeasure “I’m bored, wanna go do something?”

At once, his brows knit in confusion, blinking down at you as if you had spontaneously told him you could spit fire. On the other hand, you kept smiling at him, patiently waiting for his brain to compute your invitation 

“I-” he started, then, shook his head “ That’s what you were nagging to ask me!?” when you do nothing but stare at him expectantly, Ratchet’s hand reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose, voice low as he grumbled 

“ Of all the things - I’m busy” to accentuate his point, he flapped a hand towards his open book, propped upon a particularly flat surface of rock that acted as a nice table

In spite of his words and blunt tone, which Ratchet hoped would have deterred you to cease any future pestering, you instead clasped your hands up at him desperately 

“Come on, please!” you pleaded, so much so that your voice teetered on the edge of becoming a whine. When Ratchet’s brow only furrowed further at your juvenile display, you only became further determined to sway him 

“We’ve been stuck in the temple all day, can’t we go somewhere??” before Ratchet could interject with what you have no doubt would have been one of his dozens of curt responses, your face sharpened, pointing to him accusingly 

“And before you say “ Why don’t you just go by yourself?” , YOU forbade me from going exploring without you or Optimus” You oh so helpfully remind him with a face that paired perfectly with the sour, bitter edge to your tone

It took Ratchet a total of two seconds to conclude you clearly had no plan on making your distaste anything other than very known

Biting back a sigh, already sensing that the conversation was not one he would be able to easily end with a handful of short sentences, he turned weary eyes to you, hands settling on the border in which his human half melted into a snake 

Calmly, almost pointedly, his response was one that had your already obvious poutiness worsening 

“Need I remind you the only reason you have that ban in the first place is because YOU fell into a ravine not forty-eight hours ago”

You stammered, embarrassed and shocked all at once. You hadn’t even realised you’d been working your jaw open and shut like a perplexed goldfish until you looked back to Ratchet and noticed the way his brow had steadily climbed up his forehead

It also occurred to you, that it had been more than several seconds and all you’d done was sit there like a gaping moron under Ratchet’s appraisive stare

“I told you about that in CONFIDENCE! ” you hiss through clenched teeth, jabbing a finger up at his face, of which the naga hardly flinched at, even with it being only a few inches away from the end of his nose “...And it was NOT a ravine! You’re exaggerating”

“Oh?” Ratchet humoured, tilting his head down at you, arms now crossing over his chest as you grew fearful of whichever one of your numerous shenanigans he was planning to use against you

Ratchet had insistent to you on a multitude of occasions that you possessed a natural talent for getting yourself into the most outrageously ridiculous situations, unlike Optimus, who at least attempted to be gentle when discussing your well being

Ratchet never seemed to possess such delicacy when raising such topics with you..

“Hm, so I suppose the time when you slipped off a rotting tree trunk and into the river, you really just fell into a gentle stream?”

You snort indignantly as you watch Ratchet tap his digit on his bicep, only giving you a sparse moment to collect yourself but not nearly enough for you to rebuke

“And what about that time you got chased down by a wild boar and ended up smacking your face into a low hanging tree branch??” the way in which he recounted the event with such nonchalant ease made you incredibly uncomfortable, your posture wilting 

All you could muster was an articulate, intelligent “Uh..”

“Or what about that time you explored the more ruined chambers of the temple and almost got yourself crushed under rubble?” he spoke slowly, as if he was trying to stamp each word deliberately into your brain to get his question across “ Despite mine and Optimus’s numerous warnings to NOT explore the grounds without our supervision.. ” 

And then, as if to further punctuate his statement, his slender body carefully drew you closer, the very end of his tail coiling just enough around your form where you were forced to sit there and take his sharp reprimanding, without a single chance of you pathetically trying to discreetly slip away 

…Admittedly, that last one was pretty dumb, but were you about to admit to his face that he had a point?? Not as long as water was wet 

“I did that ONE time!” you huffed

The tail that kept you seated tightened around your midsection just slightly, just a little, a subtle pressure that silenced any further arguments from you

“ONE time, is one time TOO many” he growled, jaw clenched and teeth snapped together tightly, hissing out the words as though retelling the event somehow pained him

Then, as if to announce the end of the conversation, he swiftly turned his body back towards his book

Your eyes settled into a disappointed squint aimed at the back of Ratchet’s head who had already returned to his work, the silence between you two only disrupted by the soft, occasional flip of a page

At the same time, the end of his tail keeping you rooted to the comfortable crater you’d made for yourself in his coils loosened, returning you the chance to scramble away from his scolding, not that you were ever mature enough to just drop a topic so simply - especially when it came to debating with Ratchet

He was a formidable opponent when it came to yours and his often opposing views and opinions 

A tough nut to crack, but everyone could be broken under pressure

Including Ratchet 

Ratchet didn’t turn his head as he felt the weight of your small, gangly human body rise from the spiral formation of his tail, which was a pity, because if he had spared you a glance, he would have noticed the ample grin stretched across your face 

With unhurried pace you leisurely plod a few steps away from him, arms folded behind your back, eyes skyward “Alright then” you sigh, paired with a shrug

Momentarily, you paused to look over at Ratchet, your smile widening with unhidden smugness as you found the naga was still not indulging you with his attention

You wait for him to turn another page in his book before you tilt your head backwards to the sky once again, idly moving to the steps of the temple 

“Guess I’ll just go exploring by myself~”

The sharp snap of a book closing gives you pause

‘Too easy~’

You turn, batting your best innocent eyes up to Ratchet who very clearly had his entire focus zoned on you

Naive, puzzled you who titled your head up at him, one foot still outstretched in preparation to move to the next step, blinking in a way that has Ratchet’s brows gathering like angry thunder heads

He spoke a single word, a warning, the ends of his fingers threatening to puncture the thick cover of the book pinned beneath his palm “Y/N..”

Unthreatened, confident that Ratchet would never inflict harm to you, despite the many times he had promised he wasn’t going to rescue you from your next evident blunder, you shrugged your shoulders up at him 

“What?” you ask, continuing the facade of confusion that only made Ratchet narrow his eyes impossibly further, one corner of his mouth twitching downward “You said you don’t wanna hang out with me and that’s fine! Totally get it!” 

You dared to take a couple more steps downward and catch the unmistakable sound of Ratchet trying to constrict a groan of annoyance

When you’re six steps down you stop, spinning on your heel to re-meet Ratchet’s irked stare

He hadn’t budged from his lounging spot at the mouth of the temple’s monumental entrance, you’ve not strayed so far down the stairs that you’ve tempted him to ensue - but you’re also not far enough away to neglect to notice the way the end of his tail snapped back and forth against the ground

Debating, calculating, digesting your words and the silent threat you have disguised in the form of playful teasing 

You feel yourself smiling, and Ratchet’s frown deepened 

“You keep reading your book, I know how much you love your reading!” you turn, hopping down another two steps “I’m sure Optimus isn’t so far out into his patrol tracing the nearby area that I can’t catch up to him~” 

Ratchet knew you wouldn’t catch up to him, he is sure you are very aware of that as well, considering how it had been well over an hour since his friend had departed from the temple to roam the grounds of the forest most common for curious (stupid as Ratchet would say) humans to stray into 

Gripping his book tighter, Ratchet tried to not show just how badly your little ploy was working 

“Y/N-”

“Seriously don’t worry, I’ll be fine! I mean-” you blow air out of your mouth in a huff “-what’s the worst that can happen? I mean, what are the chances I’ll fall into that one angry boar twice in a row? Nobody can be that unlucky right?” 

Eerily silent, Ratchet slithered down the first few steps, narrowed eyes not once leaving your form as he drew to a steady stop

Even on solid ground, you were dwarfed next to Ratchet and Optimus’s ridiculous height. Now, as you were swallowed within Ratchet’s shadow, who leaned over you in a deliberate way that meant you had to tilt your head all the way back to look him in the eye, you felt particularly small 

“You wouldn’t dare” Ratchet warned, challenging your scheme 

It’s not like you hadn’t gotten under Ratchet’s skin before, it was child's play, and was an enjoyable way to pass the time. This time however, he looked especially displeased..

You offered him your best, most friendliest smile “I have no clue what you’re talking about~”

Skipping down the steps, you throw your hand up in a polite wave just as you crossed over the halfway mark, and as you do, you mentally cackle at the sheer look of stunned bewilderment that explodes across his face with the force of a crash landing spaceship

“See ya Ratchet!” you barely manage to speak around a snicker when he seemed to totally bluescreen, illegible, broken dribble stuttering from his mouth as he processed the fact that you were, in fact, being serious 

No one had ever been able to work him up so quickly, and as you began to merrily hum, getting further and further away, Ratchet could physically feel the remainder of his resolve shattering..

How did so much sassy attitude ever fit into a form so small? Where did you get the right to have such attitude?! Such a clever, annoying, frustrating little!-...

You produced a surprised squeak as something cold and smooth wrapped around your body, but you don’t get a chance to even finish processing that the thing was Ratchet’s tail before your feet unceremoniously leave the ground 

You are lifted, hoisted clear off the floor as if you weighed nothing, your legs pathetically swaying as you were turned towards a face. A not so happy one 

Even when directly faced with Ratchet’s famous scorn, you can’t help but relish in the sense of victory that filled you with a prideful warmth unlike any other

Persuading Optimus into doing things that the otherwise rule following naga wouldn’t normally do was never that hard, it was never anything explicitly dangerous, just a little nudge or elbow here and there to try and nudge him into convincing him to tag along on an expedition into a gaping cave you’d seen in the near area, or hitting him with your best pretty please voice until he relented, allowing you to accompany him in traversing a sacred part of the ruins you had yet to visit (on the condition you didn’t leave his sight, which you had only done once)

Still, there was something truly satisfying by unmarked means at getting the ever prudent stickler Ratchet to bend to your whims, and you were most certainly not above playing dirty to do so

You hummed, perching an elbow on the sturdy muscle that suspended you in the air, and Ratchet cringed at the overly sweet, concerned tone of your voice 

“Everything okay?” you asked him, as if you weren’t fully aware of the risky game you were playing 

Clinging to the flimsy belief that he could somehow force you to drop the act, he leaned in closer to glower at you, continuing to hold you like a guilty cat being reprimanded for its actions 

Not surprisingly, but still frustratingly, it seemed you had already made up your mind to see your childish plan of action through: you continued to blink up at him, even tilting your head to one side till it rested on your shoulder, staring back up unphased into his grumpily twisted expression like a puppy 

The only reason he hadn’t flown off the handle at your behaviour was because this was not your first offence of using such manipulation on him, and over the course of studying your bizarre, infuriatingly interesting mannerisms that were so widely different from his own, he doubted it would be the final time 

With a grunt, the tail that held you a few feet above the ground began to loosen, carefully lowering you until the soles of your shoes landed back on the ground softly, yet steadily

“Fine” he spoke, adjusting his book which was tucked under one arm “If you’re going to be so needlessly petty about it, I’ll join you on a short walk”

You turn your head to try and watch the movement of his tail as it slipped away from your figure, but rather then doing that, you unexpectedly find yourself being yanked closer  

Reflexively, you inhaled sharply, body already attempting some odd jerking motion in an attempt to prevent yourself from losing balance on the sandy coloured stairs. Hands flying up, you grab onto the nearest sturdy object to anchor yourself: Ratchet’s arm

You spare a fleeting glance to where your hands have tightly latched themselves onto his bicep, and instantly, you feel a growing rush of heat blooming in your face. Detaching your hands from him isn’t something you have time to even think of acting on, before a much larger hand unexpectedly grabbed at your face

Body tensing, eyes bugging out of their sockets, your face is angled upward, where Ratchet’s unimpressed frown greets you as your eyes settle on his face

He wasn’t squeezing your face, not pinching or pulling, but he holds you there, grip sturdy enough that you get the impression loud and clear that he doesn’t intend to let you pull away

“But-” as if nothing was out of the norm, he continued, meanwhile you were busy processing how his entire palm could cup your face without difficulty “-you don’t leave my side. And we’re not venturing far, no further than the river. Understood?”

You were absolutely lost for words, the hamster in your brain falling of its wheel and rushing laps around your head at the same time

In all the time you had known Ratchet, he had never grabbed you in such a manner, always the more reserved of the pair of him and Optimus. In many ways, the sunset coloured snake resembled the energy of a distant, grumpy cat, one that you had gradually convinced to accept you into its good graces

He still grumbled, scoffed and subjected you to many eyerolls on the regular, prominent staples to his character, and he had grown a habit of plucking you up from the ground to prevent you from proceeding with whatever activity he deemed too stupid or unsafe for you to do 

But not once, not even when it came to the times he had examined you for any scrapes, had he held your face 

‘His entire hand covers my chin..’

A firm poke to your cheek with his finger caused you to crash back down into the serious surface of reality. You blinked, averting your eyes from his hand and back to his face to find his frown unchanged, staring at you expectantly 

“Understood??” he repeated

Not trusting your voice to operate, you settled on giving him a swift nod 

Your face was released, and you absentmindedly rubbed at the flesh of your cheek. You try to convince yourself that the cold feeling of your hands on your skin is not because your face was so red 

“Did you have any specific location in mind?” Startling, you snap your head so fast in the direction of Ratchet’s retreating form that if the naga had seen it he would have fussed to you about pulling something

He was already some decent ways down the stairs, and not wanting to be left behind, you urged your legs to pick up your feet to catch up to him

Within seconds you’re at his side, falling into a comfortable pace to walk alongside him 

“N-no, not really, I just wanted to go exploring” a pause “...Maybe you could recommend somewhere chill? You know the area better than me”

A complacent hum is all you get as a reply 

Another pause

Ratchet did not need to look in your direction to hear the undeniable smirk in your voice

“I knew you’d agree to go with me” you mumbled, just loud enough for him to hear, and your smirk grew at the way he leaned his head sagged forward with a groan of defeat 

“You’re insufferable ..”

“You love me really~”

Somehow, Ratchet managed to not choke on his own tongue 

While you happily hopped and skipped your way down the remainder of the stairs, doing a dramatic little jump as you reached the very last one, you puffed up proudly as you straighten before then turning back to him

He doesn't process the sudden wave of shock that has you doing a double take up at him, or the following once over you give his tense tense, frozen form 

“You okay?..” you ask, the question asked carefully, as if you were unsure how to navigate asking, and yet the words slug him across the jaw and startle him into blinking down at you 

You squint, and Ratchet feels his heart curiously race 

“Is your face re-”

“I’m fine” he blurted 

Before you can open your mouth to ask anything more, Ratchet was gliding past you, muttering grumpily under his breath that left you staring after him in confusion for a moment, before you follow after him

Both of you walk in peaceful silence, the natural, exotic choir of the native species calling it home filling the ambiance for you, even if you can’t pair half of the melodies you hear to the appropriate bird

Filtering sunlight catches onto leaves that fall from the high canopy above, swirling in different, verdant shades before they came to rest on the forests soily floor 

“Sooo who's leading who here?” you ask, turning around while you walk to survey the path of a multicoloured butterfly that dances around your head for a brief moment before passing by

Before you can unknowingly spin yourself off the forged footpath, Ratchet’s arm reached out and tugging you back by the sleeve of your shirt 

“I’m leading you” he answered, manoeuvring over an aging log

Pausing to wait for you, he watched with only slither of amusement as you struggled to heave yourself over the width of the dead tree, before you slid down onto the opposite side. You brush off clinging moss and bits of dry bark from your behind, resuming walking 

“Where you leading me to?” You ask, not recognising the particular area you were being guided through

Then again, most of the forest looked identical with how green everything was, it was one of the more prominent reasons you believe why Optimus had agreed to the “ban” Ratchet had given you, explaining just how easy it would be for you to stray too far and become lost 

“Somewhere quiet” 

You wonder if him being purposefully vague was his way of enacting revenge for your behaviour earlier, but right as the thought crossed your mind Ratchet came to a stop near a small cluster of shrubs

With ease, using the hand that wasn’t holding his book, he effortlessly pushed aside the foliage and then nodded for you to proceed first. You do so, carefully stepping through the narrow gap before Ratchet followed, the clusters of greenage falling back into their original place as his tail slipped past them 

The area is mostly empty, a rare clearing in the otherwise dense forest 

The ground was covered in leaves, twigs and immense scatterings of large, lucious ferns. Sunlight poured in from several gaps in the bonnets of the trees that lean over the area, including from one large, central gap that lets in the most sunlight, bathing the ground in a warm, golden glow 

And in the middle of it all, standing proud and offering a nice blanket of shade, was a large, thick tree that stretched into the canopy layer

In its simplicity and stillness, it’s actually a rather beautiful area, one that you know you hadn’t stumbled upon yet until that point 

“Wow!..” you breathe, peering upward to the sky, blocking out the light with a hand held over your forehead as you wander from the cool embrace of the shade and into the welcoming heat of the sunlight, rich and soothing “This place is so peaceful”

Not too far away, lounging in a comfortable spot between two large roots that splay over the surface of the ground Ratchet sat, already pulling a part of his tail upward to create a small curve to rest his book upon for his reading ease 

“Yes, it is” he agreed, turning to the page he’d left off on

A single glance over the rim of his book showed you were looking around the area in wide eyed wonderment, obviously more fascinated by the scenery than himself 

“How did you know about this place?” you asked, crouching to admire one of the dozens of tropical flowers that were common to the area: this particular flower which had caught your interest was a soft baby blue, bleeding with indigo purple towards the centre where the pollen was gathered on thin stems

‘Reminds me of Optimus,’ you conceded quietly with a smile, making a mental note to ask him about blue flowers the next time you saw him

“When you’ve got no humans seeing wisdom or guidance from you-” he looked back to the page “-you find yourself with a lot of time to spare”

“... You go exploring?” the notion of mister introverted Ratchet willingly pulling himself away from his beloved scripts to go on an expedition sounded as ridiculous as pigs flying, and the look Ratchet aimed at you over his book showed you clearly hadn’t tried very hard to hide your disbelief 

Snorting, he offered a correction “For your information I stumbled upon this place by accident” his eyes lowered back to the page of his book “I merely wanted a change of scenery for reading. The temple is awfully small once you get used to it”

With that type of reasoning, you can’t blame the guy for desiring a new location to relax in. You could only begin to imagine how dull things must be for him and Optimus, and probably can’t even place a number to the amount of times the two must have re-read their tomes just to give them something to do 

They hadn’t given you an clear figure for how many years the two had spent alone high up in their temple, whenever you posed the question all you got was a distracted response of “A long time..” - truthfully, you wondered if the two had forgotten how long it had been since they had interacted with a third party 

Something came over you at the pitying thought, a swell of sympathy, one that has you feeling bad for your earlier teasing..

Approaching him, you prop yourself up on one of the dozens of spiraling roots. You sit slightly behind him, giving you an easy view of the page and the text he was intently digesting. He doesn't offer you a greeting, but you had come to expect that from the bookworm

You try to lean over his shoulder without bumping him as you ask “What's your book about?”

A sideways glance is thrown your way by the naga, unopposed to your closeness but still a bit taken aback by it all the same. Even so, he becomes acutely aware of his own self, keeping his shoulder as still as possible to prevent knocking you 

“This particular document details about small human settlements that used to be near the temple, back when some humans preferred to live in the forest”

‘That’s…actually pretty interesting’

“So like, you were neighbours at some point?” you can’t help your curiosity, trying to lean closer to the book to study the small illustrations scribed on the page

You had no idea what the actual text said, you were still way off from being able to easily decipher the age old script (no doubt a handful of years older than yourself and maybe even some of your ancestors), but you could make an educated guess on what was being described by glancing to the drawings 

The top right drawing on the page depicted a human offering a basket out towards a naga, possibly in some kind of trade

As if reading your mind, or because he had noticed your interest in the illustration, Ratchet spoke up to explain the contents 

“That’s one way of phrasing it, yes” he started with, answering your first query, focus shifting between the present page and you as you lean even closer - when he feels you place a hand on his shoulder to balance yourself, he went deathly still

Hopefully, you wouldn’t notice 

“When humans resided in the forest alongside my kind, they would offer fruits, nuts and berries in exchange for knowledge and protection” he clarified, brushing his thumb across the top right drawing 

”Sometimes even meat, often small birds and mammals” he followed with “With how large nagas can grow to, even with our speed hunting is often not easy. Humans could hide and traverse parts of the forest our bigger bodies simply couldn’t, and so our bond became one of mutualism” 

You hummed 

“Where two different species form a bond in which both parties benefit” 

“Ah” you nodded 

“So without people in the forest anymore, how do you and Optimus get food??” now genuinely curious, you idly rest your chin across Ratchet’s shoulder, your hand moving to the opposite one to give you a way to balance yourself without falling into his back 

A very quick, nearly inaudible intake of air sounds from Ratchet who’s eyes darted down to stare at you, momentarily forgetting the route of the conversation you were having. Seemed he had a weakness for physical closeness..

“W-Well-” coughing into his fist, he internally cursed himself for stuttering, promptly resuming to prevent the risk of you pointing it out

“Similar to snakes, we can thankfully go an impressive stretch of time without food, though in terms of foraging myself and Optimus tend to sustain ourselves through fish and various plants”

Though fishing was certainly no easy means when your stature startled the fish so often..

To his relief, you don’t make a comment on his stutter, if because you were simply being polite by not doing so or because you hadn’t noticed he was unsure, but regardless, he was grateful. You didn’t need any leverage for teasing him

He felt you shift, and turned, you had moved to sit beside him, staring at him with surprising worry “Just because you can go a long time without food doesn’t mean you should have to” you slid closer, scanning him with an up and downward glance 

“You and Optimus are getting enough food right?”

Ratchet seemed unreceptive to the hard stare you fixed him with “Me and Optimus can manage, I assure you”

“That’s not what I asked..” you murmured sadly 

Not anticipating such a level of concern over something he thought to be so minor - he and Optimus had been through worse - Ratchet found himself briefly lost on how to proceed, a rarity. But then again, you always had an innate ability to stump him 

Temporarily looking away from his book, Ratchet spoke in the best comforting voice he could muster. Assurance had always been Optimus’s department, one which he was far better at, but for you, he’d try 

“If I was so hungry I wouldn’t have indulged in your whims and accompanied you” he clarified 

“Though nagas are not snakes, clearly, we share similar attributes and behaviours. For example, if we exceed the timeframe in which we can go without food, nagas prefer to conserve their energy throughout the day until the perfect time falls to hunt. Also, if it’s of any comfort to you, I’m currently surveying for food now”

At that last sentence, you lean back, blinking. How could he be surveying for food if he was reading?..

Unable to help voicing your thoughts, you ask just that: “How? You’re reading” you state the obvious, paired with a point down at his open book 

His pointer finger points upward at the tree, encouraging you to crane your eyes upward to follow, which you do as Ratchet’s voice answered “This tree just happens to be a mango tree”

Scrunching your face you do your best to squint, as if that would increase the quality of your vision, trying to spot specks of vibrant orange amongst the thick cluster of leaves that made the trees hat

The three is definitely over twenty feet tall, possibly closer to thirty, so you were unable to pick out any ripe looking mangos from your spot on the ground, but you do spy a few smaller ones still in the processing of ripening on the lower branches

“Sometimes, if I’m lucky, another animal will knock a mango loose and make it fall” he hears you stand up as you circle the tree, presumably searching for a place to better spot any mangos, though he doubted you’d find any within easy grabbing range “The majority of the ripe fruits on the lower branches have already been picked clean”

“By other nagas?” you ask absentmindedly once you round the opposite side of the trunk

Various mushy piles of older mangos that had fallen randomly litter parts of the ground, one particularly fresh looking clump already had extensive swarm of ants ravaging the fruity flesh for harvest

The sound of Ratchet huffing reaching your ears dismisses your hopes “Highly unlikely” 

Wincing at how blunt he sounded, you continue to unhurriedly pace around the tree

Its trunk is so thick you know from a glance you wouldn’t be able to wrap the width of your arms around it, the bark hard and textured, grooves etched into its proud shell all around it, likely from other big animals looking for an easy snack. Perhaps from a large big cat, you ponder

You had yet to have any infamous run ins with any large predators, and quite honestly after the incident with the wild boar, you don’t fancy any

At the same time of that thought crossing your mind, you remember the very distinct, snake lower half of Ratchet’s body - the very reliable, strong limb that was essentially just one large pile of muscle tissue 

“Why don’t you just...slither up and grab a mango?”

“I’ve tried” you faintly catch the sound of a page being turned. “But the branches higher up that have the mangoes aren’t thick enough to support me, it’s not worth the risk....and what did we discuss about you not leaving my side?”

With an amused eyeroll you can vividly paint a picture of Ratchet’s agitated scowl for daring to leave his sight for all of one minute, at times you swore he could be more concerned than Optimus 

“I’m not gonna leave the area~ I’m just looking at the tree!”

With the trunk effectively shielding you from his sight, you don’t attempt to hide the humoured smile on your face as Ratchet let out a tired groan, probably rolling his eyes to, you imagine “Be sure you don’t, otherwise we’re going right back”

“Okay mum. .”

“Tch”

Before you rejoin Ratchet at the front of the tree, for your own entertainment, you scale across the massive roots of the tree that spill over the earth. They were bent and twisted in all sorts of ways, forming miniature mounds and even some bridge like formations which, also for fun, you sneakily crawl underneath 

Silly is what Ratchet would have labeled your shenanigans, possibly Optimus too, but you don’t care 

Just as you hike yourself upward to stand atop one particularly large, dense root, you take a moment to stand there proudly, nodding in earnt victory with your hands planted firmly on your hips as if you had achieved something 

A large branch hung just a few feet above your head, and intrigued, you naturally reached your arms up to see if you could grasp it, which you do

Smiling wider, you then proceed to see if you could lift yourself off the ground, which you also easily do, if only for a few short seconds

Giggling in unbridled victory at your small achievement you lift yourself up again, focusing all your might on holding up your own weight as long as you can before the familiar creeping ache in your arms compels you to lower yourself 

Releasing the branch, you follow it down to where it was connected to the main trunk of the tree, and then downward until the root gradually split off at the bottom

The shoot you stood on that anchored the main body of the plant in place had a gradual incline up to the tree where it meshed with the rest of the trunk seamlessly, if you were careful about it, you might be able to climb it up higher and pull yourself up onto the branch above you

Debating, you eye the distance with the thoughtful hum, not taking long for you to decide that if you did fall, the drop wasn’t so high you would risk great injury 

‘Fuck it’

Like an eager monkey - which essentially you kind of were, just very evolved - you inch your way up and along the root before grasping up again to the branch above: both hands clasping around it while you try to leverage yourself on the tree, pushing yourself up as you pull with your arms 

With a grunt, and only a small degree of struggling, you successfully manage to raise yourself up onto the branch, one leg either side for balance

“You’re being very quiet” Ratchet’s calm voice cutting your moment of triumph in two almost caused you to topple sideways, but miraculously, you somehow recover “Just don’t wanna distract you from reading!” you answer, which was half true 

Mostly, you just don’t want Ratchet to see you hanging from a branch, knowing he’ll find some reason to believe you were in immediate risk of injuring yourself despite only being some ways off the ground

You’d called him a mother hen once, he did not like it 

“Any other interesting facts in your book?” you ask, already scanning the branches above you, trying to deduce if you could reasonably climb to them without falling. As you select your next perch, already manoeuvring yourself cautiously to stand on the branch you’d been sitting on, Ratchet hummed 

“Well…During the earlier years of humans and nagas co-existing, humans taught nagas how to create baskets out of leafs and various other tools. One of the most prominent being how to braid netting with natural resources for fishing, before things such as fishing rods where common”

“Interesting” you comment, now three branches higher than you originally were

From your current height, you have a nice view of the top of Ratchet’s head below you, which based on the way he had yet to peer up from his book to investigate your whereabouts, was none the wiser to you being above him 

You shake your head with a fond smile 

“So, do you and Optimus catch fish with fishing rods?” you don’t remember seeing any laying about at the temple, but the mental image of two, hulking nagas sitting down at the edge of the riverbank for a spot of peaceful fishing is a rather delightful one

“No” comes Ratchet’s answer, right as you stop for a moment to catch your breath and to see just how high you’ve clambered

The distance between yourself and the floor is far greater than what it was, and is no longer a distance you can convince yourself won’t hurt you if you misplace your footing. Your grip on the branch beneath you tightens 

“We grab the fish with our hands” comes the rest of his nonchalant answer, as if the mere thought of ripping a fish out of the water bare handed wasn’t undeniably badass

You snort, turning your eyes away from surveying the new view you had of the landscape from your perch in the tree 

“You grab the fish straight out of the water??” you parrot, amazed “You’ve gotta let me tag along with you and Optimus next time you go fishing, I have to see that!”

At that moment, as you spin your head back upward to admire the way the sunlight trickles in between the gaps in the leaves, do you spot something bright and vibrant - something uniquely dipped with the colours of a lowering sun meeting the horizon line 

A mango, ripe to excellence and just out of your arms reach - glancing around it, you spot more bunches of matured fruit, glistening in the light of the generous, afternoon sun. Untouched by the grubby mitts of hungry critters, perfect for plucking 

“Why don’t you just...slither up and grab a mango?” 

“I’ve tried. But the branches higher up that have the mangoes aren’t thick enough to support me, it’s not worth the risk”

Looking to the branches the mangoes where sprouting off from, you can agree that they look too skinny to support someone of Ratchet’s size, and that meant there was no way they’d be able to support Optimus who stood a few feet taller than Ratchet

For you though…they looked about the right size, they weren’t weak looking by any means, so if you were extra cautious maybe you could…

You summoned every ounce of concentration you could muster to focus on your footing, carefully shuffling along the branch until you could use the trunk to aid your balance to stand- 

You snapped your eyes away from the ground when you accidentally spared the descent a glance

Yep. You were high up.

If the fall didn’t kill you if you fell, Ratchet certainly would when he caught you up there

“-don’t fancy you drowning under my supervision, and neither would Optimus”

“Whahuh?” you stammer, landing back to the present moment midway through Ratchet’s sentence. Worried, you force yourself to peer downward, and you sigh quietly when you observe that he still had his head turned down at his book

Wanting to avoid suspicion, you blabber out the first response that comes to mind, eyes fixated on the mangoes above you to avoid looking down “Heh, yeah, you’re probably right”

…Ratchet raised his head up from his book 

You were agreeing with him

Promptly, he shut his book

“Y/N where are you?” we asked, already rising up from his spot to begin circulating the tree. When he failed to find your form resting among the cluster of roots, his concern gradually morphed to annoyance

If only annoyance and worry weren’t so alike on his face 

Frantically, he rounded the tree again, producing the same results and not finding you only causing a knot to form on his stomach “I told you not to leave my side!” he snapped, boring his sharp stare into every decently sized bush or root you could shove your body behind, not attempting to hide the anger in his tone 

Unfortunately for you, you’re not so high up within the trees canopy that you don’t hear Ratchet

Wriggling, leaning forward towards the fruit while clinging towards the nearest, thickest branch, your fingers brushed against the sleek, multicoloured skin. You chew your lip, genuinely contemplating the idea of keeping your mouth shut, as if that was going to make Ratchet any less mad 

“Uhm-” you start, withdrawing your hand from the fruit to wrap back around your branch, recalculating your clever plan that no longer seemed so smart. Only a few seconds pass however before, to your utter horror, the branch you were clinging to groans

At once, you freeze like a petrified cat, not daring to even breath as some leafs around you dislodge from their respective places on the wooden arms with a rustle 

Down below, as the leaves graceful twirled to the ground, Ratchet paused, coming to an abrupt stop as one came to rest on the ridge of his nose 

Your body somehow locked up even further, seemingly trying to become one with the branch with how tightly your arms and legs are trying to squeeze it to your body. He is one hundred percent going to kill you when he caught you up there!

Your head spun between the mangoes and the ever confused and angry Ratchet, no matter which way you analysed the scenario, you saw no way of getting through it without getting scolded

Ignoring every alarm going off in your head, you attempt again to reach for the mangoes, which taunt your efforts further when you finally manage to grasp one, and fail to tug it free. You groan, wiggling forward little by little on your branch, hoping to gain a better grasp on the fruit by closing the distance between you

You ignore whatever it is Ratchet grumbled below you as you whine under your breath “Please please please PLEASE come loose!..”

Just as the sentence finished passing your lips, your wish was answered, though not in the way you wanted it to be 

A mango does fall, but not the one you were holding..

It fell, and it fell fast, your eyes snapping downward to watch it get closer and closer to the ground where - instead of thudding into the soil - it dropped straight down onto Ratchet’s head

“Primus!-” he swore loudly, instinctively covering his head where the assault was inflicted, growling 

You want nothing more than for the tree to swallow you, instead what the tree does, is drop several more mangoes from other branches that all rain around a confused Ratchet who shifted about and hastily slithered away from to avoid being hit again 

Please no , you beg, oh please oh please oh PLEASE don’t-

He looked up

With a choked gasp Ratchet dropped his book to the floor, what were normally calm, composed turquoise eyes now blazed with unbridled hysteria as you watched him reprocess your predicament 

It was then, as his eyes narrowed, that all of hell broke loose 

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP THERE?!” he shrieked, voice three octaves higher, making you flinch

If you didn’t know any better, based on his frown, you’d think he was going to wring your neck once he got his hands on you. But at a second glance, you catch just how wide and frantic his eyes looked, how stunned he was

You moved your eyes between Ratchet and the mango you still grabbed at in your hand, mouth suddenly dry, forehead at once sweaty - even the birds seemed to have been silenced from the sheer intensity of his voice, leaving you feeling truly alone and defenceless 

“Er..” you start, then stop. “I think any explanation I give you is just going to make you mad...”

Ratchet sighed, brows settling into a bold, unimpressed line on his forehead “You’re probably right..” he grumbled, sounding defeated, despite that his glare did not relent 

Approaching the tree he jutted his finger up at you “ Don’t. Move .” 

With the grace of a creature who had experience surviving in such a location, Ratchet began to expertly weave himself up the tree trunk, sliding over and wrapping his long dexterous body around branches to better stabilise his climb 

While seeing his body grow closer is a bit comforting, you know it’ll be a bit before he eventually reaches you, with how slowly he was coordinating his body along the trunk “I’m sorry..”

The statement fell helplessly from your mouth, embarrassment and shame swelling within you at being caught, and needing to be rescued “I just wanted to try and get you a mango” you explain, even if you have little faith in believing it would help ease Ratchet’s irritation 

Your gut proved to be right 

“And you thought climbing up a tree, endangering yourself in the process, was the BEST idea to act upon?”

You don’t know how to grace that with a response, so you don’t

Grunting, Ratchet pulled himself onto a branch, only moving further up when he was sure the branch wasn’t going to unexpectedly break beneath him 

“Of all the stupid, wreckless, moronic things to do ! Why would you ever think this was a good idea?! Did you not even consider the risk of you injuring yourself if you fell??” the thought unsettled him as much as it discomforted him, aware of how little your bones were, how fragile 

“I was just-”

“EP, EP EP! I don’t want to hear it!”

Oh yeah, you were in for a world of scolding once you got down from this tree..

Sighing, your body sagged just a little as you relaxed, accepting your fate for a thorough reprimanding from the naga which, when you looked to him to track his progress up the tree, was still ranting. You’d be lucky to ever leave the temple again after this..

Honestly, you can’t say if the situation would be better or worse for you if instead Optimus had gone with you. He wouldn’t be nearly as angry as Ratchet, disappointed yes, but Optimus had never gotten angry at you, never so much as raised his voice period

Perhaps, if you grovelled enough, Optimus might save you from Ratchet’s wrath 

Rustling leaves directly below you have you blinking and turning your head down to Ratchet, who had come to a stop. His eyes studied each of the branches above him, humming quietly to himself, tail tightening it’s hold on the trunk

Whatever it is was he was pondering over, you don’t like how his focus periodically shifted back to you every few minutes, as if your safety somehow tied into it 

“Ratchet-”

He held his arms out and upward towards you “You need to jump down”

W h a t?

You blinked. HARD.

“...Funny. What’s your real plan?”

“When have I ever made a joke?” he deadpanned up at you, still holding his arms out, making you blink a second time. He wanted you - a very much flightless creature - to jump down to him

He wasn’t immeasurably far away, but the distance was still great enough that just the thought of jumping had you unconsciously clamping your body down tighter onto the branch “You-” you try, completely bewildered at his suggestion 

“THAT’S your rescue plan?? Have you seen how high up we are?!”

“The drastic height is precisely why I want you to jump down to me. I can’t climb any higher thanks to the branches being too thin, and I’d feel much more comfortable if you weren’t climbing down yourself”

While those were two very probable points, your body refused to listen to his reasoning, you remained steadily secured to your branch 

“What if you drop me??..” your whisper, almost nauseous at the idea of air whistling past your ears as your delicate body got pulled towards the hard ground

Ratchet’s voice came across a lot gentler than his face suggested “I won’t drop you” 

Your pleading, watery eyes meet his, and despite how he was still inexpressibly enraged at you for even comprehending the idea of climbing up a tree to the level that you had, he pushed aside his displeasement

His voice, once firm and angry, dropped to something soft and caring 

“Y/N, I won’t drop you”

Though you’re still afraid of falling, the unusually gentle tone from Ratchet was both surprising and affective in settling at least some of your nerves, so, you began to inch your way down the branch

The mango you’d been gripping flings back up to its original place as your hand freed it, the branch swaying from the momentum, jostling one of the many fruits and making it’s once strong hold to the tree slacken

With a light snap the fruit plummeted down through the corner of your vision, and like a fixated magpie watching a beloved shiny fall from its beak mid flight, you watch in a potent mix of horror and unmoving fear as the fruit came to a dramatic end, it’s stringy flesh exploding across the hard, bumpy surface of the trees base 

You failed to swallow past the painful lump lodged in your throat, unable to help envisioning how badly your body would burst from the fall. Another plentiful offering for the grubs and worms to pick clean 

Through the haze of your own dissociation you hadn’t realised Ratchet had attentively moved his body to the side to better be in your field of vision, shielding the damaged fruit from sight 

“Don’t look at the ground! Just- Look at me”

You tried to, curling in on yourself more, every bit of your fear and regret rising to the surface and bubbling over, eyes misty, breathing growing heavy

You couldn’t bare to move, bare to look at anything, bare to so much as breath

You desired for nothing more then to be able to shut off your senses, but you were all too aware of everything: aware of the distance between you and the ground, aware of the branch beneath you that teetered down with the shift of your weight, too aware of your own self and the way your heart furiously hammered against your ribcage, the aggressiveness of it’s beating alone further worsening the panic within you

Ratchet inhaled deeply, not comforted by the way you had gone unnaturally still “Just move forward a little more, you can-”

SNAP

In that split second, two hearts stopped beating 

Your entire body went rigid as you practically scrambled to throw an alarmed stare back to the branch, your stomach, heart and every organ that composed your very being plummeting, blood running frigid in your veins at the sight of the wood splintering off from the trunk

A horrified scream barely has the opportunity to pass your lips before your entire world tilts sharply down, the branch swinging vertically and sending you downward in a clumsy, flailing spiral of disorientation 

You fall, and then, you stop falling

Everything jolts to an alarming stop, yet the branch you’d been clinging to like a lifeline and the few leaves it’s breaking had disconnected in the process still flutter about your form

Far below you, with a sound that has your stomach bottoming out again, the branch’s fast decent came to a merciless finish when the piece of wood splintered in two across the ground with a grotesque snap 

That could have been the sound of your spine…

Within the tense silence that followed, allowing your heart rate to slowly return to a less concerning pace and for you to understand the reality that you are - indeed - not a gorey stain on the dirt, does your attention perk to the sound of harsh, short breathing

Breathing that is not your own

Above you, you peered into the fear stricken face of Ratchet, his breathing ragged. A single fist tightly clenching the back of your shirt was your savour, preventing you from plummeting further

Each breath had his chest lurching, blinking rapidly as if trying to refocus 

In an instant, as gravity planned to tug you back towards its embrace towards the solid, unforgiving ground below, his anger had evaporated. Fear took its place.

“Ratchet?...” You weakly whispered, helplessly hanging there 

His top eyelids drew back, like a cloth had been pulled off his eyes, he seemed to gather himself, his eyes meeting with your nervous, hesitant ones

…Grunting, urging his large tail to constrict further around the tree, he began to lift you upward

It took your vision becoming misty, and for your throat to tighten to realise unnoticed tears had started to swell in your eyes, your body ragged with the flurry of emotions you’d experienced in such a short span of time

The moments Ratchet’s body was within distance, you wasted no time in securing yourself to him, arms snapping around his neck, burying your face into his shoulder. From behind, something solid pressed into your back, an arm encouraging you to wrap your legs over where his hips melted into a snake, further securing your shaken form against his 

His face had returned to its regular grimace, but there was an underlying sharpness, something which laced his tone and had you ducking your head further into him 

“Don’t. Let. Go.”

You didn’t need to glance at him to feel the brunt of anguish in his voice, each word spoken with stabbing clarity that it cut you clear to your bones

Though your eyes were clamped shut, not daring to even cheek a peak as Ratchet began to bring you safely towards the ground, you don’t have the energy spare to feel a lick of embarrassment for how you are essentially clinging to his chest like a koala, his right arm keeping you pinned there

You could feel everything: every shift of muscle, every intake of air, every thud of his heart. All that made Ratchet uniquely and entirely him 

If you weren’t still recovering from the fact you almost just fucking died, you’d think being this close was rather intimate, and not totally awfully 

Everything stopped, you were shifted, and before you knew it you were being lowered to the floor. 

The safe ground that cannot race towards and hurt you, holds no promise of threat or breaking your delicate body beyond repair. It’s just there, supporting you

Like a drowning man you greedily inhale a breath, rolling till you were hunched on your knees, hands fisting at the grass, desperate for a sense of touch to further ground yourself, pulling you mentally out from the height of the tree and back to the peacefulness of the earth 

Your company however, was keen to yank you back to him, without so much as a warning before his arms were manoeuvring your own out to your sides, bracing for a laceration or bruising, anything that would give him cause for alarm, all while muttering to himself

You try to speak up, to catch his attention and tell him you’re not hurt, but you only manage to speak a few words that go unacknowledged before those searching eyes fly to your face 

“ What were you THINKING?!” he shouted, eyes blazing, realising every bit of frustration and fear “ Why would you ever ?!- Do you have ANY. IDEA. How DANGEROUS THAT WAS?! ” 

It wasn’t obvious if Ratchet was aware of how drastically his voice had risen, shaking your shoulders. But it was obvious to you

The more you looked at him, the more you observed the intense gleam in his eyes, the more and more you realised just how panicked you’d made him, how hurt he was. How scared he was

The stress in your chest expanded, voice small “I-I’m..I’m sor-”

“Sorry?” he released a bitter laugh “ Sorry?? You could have gotten HURT! OR WORSE!! Why if I hadn’t been here with you- ”

Arms tightly and instantly wrapped around him, the words he’d been so set on saying temporarily vacating his mind

For a fleeting moment, he stood frozen, but it only took him another passing second to turn his gaze down, where he met the top of your head. He felt your arms envelop him tighter before he registered your hushed sniffling

You clung to him tightly, cheek pressed to his upper stomach, eyes fixed shut and turned away from him, mortified at the idea of him seeing your pathetic, tear stricken face

When Ratchet didn’t move, leaving the silence to gradually grow awkward, the voice in your head turned doubtful, making you second guess you actions despite how hard you tried to push those worries away 

“I’m so sorry Ratchet..” you croaked, sniffling again “I didn’t…I didn’t mean to scare you”

Silence was all that answered your repeated apologies until they dwindled into pathetic whimpers you tried to contain. Of all the ways in which you could have imagined seeing Ratchet ever look so frightened, you never wanted it to be through your foolish actions

The naga’s silence further unnerved you the longer it uncomfortably stretched, each second that passed chipping away at the fracturing hope you could fix this, mend your mistake and promise Ratchet you’d never do something so stupid again and you’d never again take his fussing for granted 

Just as you give up, deciding to pull away, a pair of arms cradle you in return

Ratchet said nothing, only breathing long and slow breaths

Cool scales slid around the back of your feet as his tail began to curl around you, forming a protective shield that circulated you both, one you question if Ratchet was even aware he’d made

Unknowing what to do, but knowing you don’t want to pull away, you hesitantly wrap your arms back around him

As your fingers come to gingerly touch against his spine you felt him shiver, as if he hadn’t anticipated it, but once your arms settle - reaching across the width of his back as much as your can - just slightly, you felt the tension in his body ebbing away 

“I’m okay Ratchet” you murmured weakly, no longer aware of what energy was pushing your body to produce words “I’m okay..” you repeat, tenderly rubbing his back 

The next breath Ratchet inhaled shuddered, leaving you with a worrying feeling, before he exhaled, though it sounded more like a poorly disguised sigh of relief 

“You’re…okay” came his quiet echo of your statement, clearly sounding as though he was struggling to accept it as the truth

You repeat the remark, and without a long pause this time, Ratchet recited it back to you

The passage of time meant nothing to you in that moment, and by the time the hug ended - with Ratchet being the first to pull away - you have no clue just how long the two of you had been standing there

A few seconds? A few minutes?? Perhaps more??

Even with the atmosphere calmed, you’re not anymore certain of what expression you’ll find on Ratchet’s face when you find the courage to look up at him, where you find one you hadn’t foreseen

Gone was his anger and irritation, now, all that stared back at you was a face that was tired and worn

“I really am sorry..” is all you can think to say, shifting your weight on your feet. Ratchet had always been a character to wear his emotions on his sleeve, it helped that those emotions generally tended to be limited to exhaustion, annoyance or non pulsed

Now, you couldn’t pinpoint what he was feeling

“I didn’t mean to scare you, honest! I just..wanted to try and get a mango for you” your explanation dwindled, the volume of your voice decreasing little by little the longer Ratchet continued to just stare at you with that unreadable expression

You’d only been joking when you thought about needing to grovel to get Optimus to defend you, but you were starting to reconsider the probability of success if you started pleading now 

“You’re too quick to disregard your safety for the stupidest of reasons” Ratchet spoke 

“Even if you HAD managed to secure a mango on your own, did you even have a plan for getting yourself back down?? The fact you even managed to get up that high without falling is nothing short of lucky! - Would you have climbed that tree if I wasn’t here??”

You didn’t expect for Ratchet to give you time to answer, so you just stand there, rubbing at the side of your arm 

“A fall from the height you were at could have EASILY fractured a bone!!” he stressed, hands shaking as if he truly couldn’t express the extent of how senseless your actions were 

“What would’ve been your plan then, hm? Drag yourself back to the temple before some wild animal decides you’d make an easy morsel?? Or worse, what if you’d badly hit your head!? You could have-”

Clenching his teeth, Ratchet stopped, though the weight of his unfinished sentence still hung in the air, leaving you to tuck your shoulders up by your ears

As if just processing how small and helpless you looked, Ratchet’s form deflated with a long sigh, a hand rubbing at his face and pulling at the bottoms of his eyelids 

“You need to stop putting yourself in dangerous situations..”

“I know..”

“You’re a human . Everything in this forest has the potential to kill you, even consuming the wrong type of plant could land you in ill health”

“I just wanted to help” you explained, well aware that Ratchet wouldn’t accept any justification for your actions, but you couldn’t help it. The words kept coming, you had no command over it 

“I know I’m not super smart or agile like you two, but, I just thought that..if I helped get some food for you guys maybe..” 

You trailed off, no longer sure of yourself, lowering your head pitifully

You could feel Ratchet’s stare boring contemplative holes into your skull in the seconds that pass gruelling slowly 

“Well…” Ratchet turned, peering behind him “...Your efforts weren’t totally in vain”

Of all the things you had expected him to retort with, PRAISE of all things was not one of them

Blinking, you quickly look to him and then follow his line of sight: the numerous mangos that had fallen from the tree were laying untouched on the ground, some looking worse than others from the fall, but notably, not all were totally ruined 

“Still, that in no way justifies your actions” 

You brace yourself for further berating, but once you realise how considerably softer his voice was, you begin to question if scolding is what you’re going to be greeted with 

“If you think I would ever value a handful of fruit over the life of a human - of YOUR life - I highly advise you to greatly reconsider your worth”

Your eyes widened…being compliment was also not something you had considered, your face turning an interesting shade of red as Ratchet leaned down, closer to your eye level 

“You are a reckless , annoyingly witty idiot , constantly yammering when I’m trying to focus and waltzing about without a care for your own health half the time” 

If you didn’t know any better, you’d think Ratchet was intentionally trying to drive you into the ground with how blunt each of his comments were announced, yet you can’t find the boldness to try and defy him, especially after what had just happened 

“ And..” You close your eyes, biting on your gum 

…Something rested on your shoulder “You are very important to me”

When you reopen your eyes, you find that Ratchet’s hand was the weight settled on your shoulder, ever so faintly squeezing. You look up, startled at the close proximity, face further flushing, accompanied by an odd, unfamiliar warmth that bubbled in your upper chest 

As if he had suddenly calculated the short distance between you two, Ratchet leaned back, releasing a small, embarrassed grunt 

“And to Optimus..” he added, almost as an afterthought “You are very important to me and Optimus” he clarified

“And…I don’t like seeing you get hurt” he admitted, his confidence that helped him be so curt with his deliveries seeming to fizzle, hand squeezing your shoulder a little tighter 

“Neither of us do. More so if it's through some hairbrained stunt you did for our sake…So, you can be confident in the fact that when I ask you to never, ever to something so dangerous again, I am being nothing by truthful”

You stared, slack jawed and wide eyed

You knew Ratchet had a tendency to worry more than he cared to admit, Optimus had told you many times that Ratchet was soft at heart under all his gruff and blunt remarks, but to witness such honesty first hand, such genuine emotion, and all for you, it was almost overwhelming 

A silence followed, but if anything, the silence just further overwhelmed you 

“I..” you start, forcing yourself to speak 

“...O-Okay” you agree “Okay Ratchet” you repeat, nodding, hand reaching up to lay over his, thumb instinctively rubbing back and forth comfortingly over his knuckles 

“I won’t do anything drastic like that again…I really am sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you that badly, I just thought that…” 

No explanation worthy comes to mind, nothing that could excuse the unintentional panic you’d thrown onto your company 

You sighed “I..didn’t think” you admitted

Instead of berating you further, seemingly deciding that the telling off he’d given you was ample enough, Ratchet only nodded with a small sound of agreement

Though he could still feel the embers of unmistakable rage over your actions and the discomforting sense of panic that had his chest in a vice grip, the very brutal wake up call of nearly falling to your death would serve as retribution enough 

He was at least comforted by the knowledge that, at the very least, you wouldn’t be clambering up anymore trees for a decent while, even if it was through nerve wracking circumstances 

His hand moved from your shoulder “What’s important is that you are unharmed..” to drive home his next point, he poked his finger on your collar bone, and you can tell that he was likely restraining himself from sounding harsher as he spoke 

“ DON’T do anything like this again”

“I won’t” you answer instantly, your voice sure 

Whatever kind of analysis Ratchet subjected you to then under his squinted stare, you seemed to pass when he leaned out of your personal bubble, slithering towards the mangos on the floor

You trail after him, silently picking the most intact ones from the group and moving them into a pile off to the side

When you both go to reach for the same mango, you’re the first to yoink your hand away, throwing your eyes in the opposite direction and pretending to be distracted by something

You don’t hear Ratchet make any comment as he moved the mango to the decent collection he’d gathered, his tail holding them all together 

As you searched for anything to occupy your foucs from the naga, you instead find something genuinely deserving of attention: Ratchet’s beloved book, laying down in the grimey dirt 

You hurriedly move to it, tenderly lifting it from the ground and brushing away the remnants of grit and grass that cling to its durable leather covering. After a final examination, you give the tiniest of smiles at seeing it’s not badly damaged, just dirty, an easy fix

The end of your shirt becomes stained with brown as you use it as a makeshift cloth to better clean it to the best of your ability 

“...You know, uhm” you stand back up, clutching the book to your chest “...If you still wanna hang out till Optimus gets back to the temple” you scuff at a particularly large chunk of mango with the end of your boot, sending it skidding a few inches forward 

“I could..use some help learning how to read your books” you propose, somewhat hesitantly, unaware if your offer would only reignite Ratchet’s displeasure 

Pressing the book further into your chest as Ratchet turned to peer over at you, you peer away at anything just to avoid looking at his face 

“I mean- Optimus has been teaching me in his spare time but I could always use the practice! And uh, I actually thought the facts you told me were pretty interesting, about people helping to provide the nagas with food and stuff? That’s why I wanted to get you a mango, you know, cuz people…used to do…that..”

‘God this is painful’

“N-Nevermind, forget it!” you promptly dismiss your request, rushing over to Ratchet and holding out his book to him, eyes intently studying the dried leaves beneath your feet 

As you feel Ratchet’s hand clasp around the book, you let go 

“Hm, I never did get to finish the chapter I was reading before I saw you up in the tree..” he eyed you, one hand brushing over the cover and scraping away at a smudge of dirt in the top corner

“You are welcome to join me”

You try to prevent too much surprise from bleeding onto your face as you blink at him, but by the time you have turned to him, Ratchet was already shifting to hold the book under one arm as the other resumed it’s task of collecting the mangoes that were not too badly damaged 

“If you change your mind that is before we get back to the temple”

…One corner of your mouth lifted into a smile

“Thanks Ratchet”

“Hm”

As the last of the decent mangoes are gathered, carefully piled in a coil in his tail you and Ratchet begin the walk back to the temple, the sounds of the forest offering you a nice white noise to help you process everything that had just happened

It both felt like a lifetime and twenty minutes had passed, but that’s probably just the adrenaline, you reason

“...Sooooo~” at the sound of your drawl Ratchet shifts his focus from the path ahead to you whilst not stopping. You appeared nervous, scratching the back of your neck while your other arm crossed across your stomach, avoiding eye contact 

“Um, where do you stand on the idea of informing Optimus about this little..” you roll your hand, searching for the best word “...Incident?”

“I’m not going to tell him about it”

You’re body practically deflated like a balloon- 

“ You’re going to tell him about it”

You sweat 

“...Can I get a second opinion-”

“No”

[spencersbabymama]

Numbers l Chapter Four

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Disabled OC

Content Warning: Talk of disability, stalking, light cussing

Word Count: 1.6k

Summary: Brooke already feels the effects of the work she'll be surrounded by.

Taglist: @ihatethecrowdsyouknowthat @just-call-me-by-yn @slowdownpal

A/n: Sorry it took a minute to get this chapter out! Life got a little busy. Also the banner sucks because it's my first attempt at making one 😭

Story:

Coffee wafted up my nose from the cup resting on my wheelchair tray.  Penelope and I had the opportunity to take a break as Spencer and the rest of the team worked with the information we gathered for them so far.  That was the nice thing about just being a technical analyst, once we followed our orders, we could let them handle the rest of the horrors.  

Currently, Spencer was using Penelope’s- well, I guess now it’s our office, to come up with a geographical profile.  He explained once they figured out where the unsub carries out his plans, they’d be making huge strides in the case.  So now, a huge map was hanging up on the one wall that didn’t have a computer monitor, or software tower.  Penelope suggested she and I get a cup of coffee while he works.

“So, Newbie, tell me everything I should know about you” She requests while leaning back against the break area counter with a beaming smile “Your hopes, your dreams, cute quirks, I want to know everything.”

My eyes grow wide, a little stunned by her boldness.  Although I really shouldn’t be surprised, this girl adopted me within the first five minutes of knowing each other, and I can’t help but kind of love it.  I let out a small awkward laugh “Well…” My voice trails off as I think “I grew up in Florida which is where my family still is.”

Besides getting a new job, moving hours away from my parents, aka, my soul caregivers was a big deal.  Honestly from an early age I thought it wasn’t in the cards.  I can’t bathe myself, let alone live on my own.  I applied for this job in secret, knowing my mother would have a nervous breakdown over the idea of me moving out.  I figured if I didn’t get the job, she wouldn’t have to know and I could save her the anxiety. 

I did get the job though, which meant having to have a very nerve-racking conversation at the dining room table.  You could say my mother wasn’t exactly thrilled when she found out I went behind her back, but my dad was there to be the level-headed one.  He had the habit of being the rational one mediating between my mother and I.  He used to say we butt heads just because she and I are so similar.  I appreciated his positive outlook on things, but from my point of view, she had the tendency to suffocate me with her protection.  Deep down I know she just wants what she feels like is best.  It could be worse, she could just not care at all.  That thought keeps me at bay for the most part.

After the dust settled, my parents helped me find an accessible apartment and a reliable caregiving program.  “If I can’t be there with you, I’m gonna make damn sure whoever takes care of you knows what they’re doing.” Is what my mother said as we scrolled through different agencies.

“Florida!” Penelope gasped then frowned, her voice full of empathy “You must miss your folks with them living so far away.”

I smile softly with a sheepish shrug. “I mean, yeah- of course, I miss them at times but I feel like I needed the independence.”  Penelope probably didn’t understand how literal I meant that, I didn’t want to unpack the trapped feeling of being stuck needing help with most daily things.  The poor girl wasn’t my therapist.

Penelope smiled and nodded “Well good for you girl.”

My eyes flicker down to my cup of coffee.  When I asked for one, I didn’t think it through all the way.  The only way I’d be able to actually sip it is if someone held up the cup for me and I didn’t exactly want to turn my new coworkers into caregivers, so I just let the beverage get cold.

Suddenly I see Spencer come speed walking down the hall towards us with the giant map in hand.

“Uh oh… I think Wonder Boy stumbled upon something.” Penelope says before following him in suit over to the desks.

I quickly followed but made sure to keep my coffee steady so we didn’t have a mess on our hands.

Spencer moves items out of the way with the help of Penelope before laying the map out “I already called Hotch, but look at this…” He starts before connecting the dots on the map with a red marker “After looking at each woman’s residential location, I discovered something….”  After a few more lines and curves, Spencer stands up straight and snaps the cap back on the marker “If you connect all of them, they outline an eardrum.”

My eyebrows pinch together as I look closely at the map.  He was right.  It’s not like I knew exactly what an eardrum looked like, but the drawing looked like something out of a human anatomy textbook.  “What the hell…?” I whisper under my breath.

Penelope looked back and forth between the map and Spencer, horrified “What on earth could that possibly mean?”

Spencer sighs while looking back down at his own drawing “It means this unsub is more calculated and smart than we thought.  Also it tells us the ear is somehow important for their fantasy, or compulsion.”  He rolls up the map, avoiding our gaze “It also tells us they’ve been watching these women.”

That thought made a cold shiver run down my spine.  It’s terrifying to think even when you feel like you’re safe in your own home, you’re not.  Definitely making sure my door is locked tonight.  I was already nervous living in a new town, and this didn’t help.

“Hotch suggested we pack it up here tonight.” Spencer explained, “He said they’ll work throughout the night on their end, and I think I might as well.”

Penelope and I nodded, both looking a little bit like we just saw a ghost.

Penelope was the first one to say “Ok, um… I’m going to go get my stuff.”

That left Spencer and I sitting in silence.  He was busy making sure the map was rolled up nice and tight with edges lined up.  I was busy in my head thinking about the trip to the bus stop I’m gonna have to take in the dark, now with the fear of potentially being watched.  Not only was I a female, but I was a female who literally couldn’t fight back.  If an unsub like this one was around, I’d be a perfect target.  An unsub could easily disable my wheelchair somehow and just like that, I’d be at their mercy.  Cool, first day at my dream job, and I’m probably already going to have nightmares.

“Are you ok?”

I jump a little and snap out of it to see Spencer looking at me with slight concern in his eyes.  In the 30 seconds of me irrationally thinking of the worst case scenario, he pulled up a chair and began looking through the case file again.

“I-” I didn’t know what to say.  I didn’t want him to think I was scared to go home where I didn’t have copious amounts of security besides a chain lock.  After a few blinks, I end up giving him my best fake smile and shrug him off “O-Oh yeah, I was just thinking of what I should have for dinner tonight.”  Note to self, if you ever commit a crime, don’t get caught because you suck at lying.

Spencer’s eyebrows narrow “Are you sure?” His face softens “You know, speakers who usually do not stutter may experience problems with fluency when they are nervous or feel pressured.  Also when they lie.”

Just like that, my pea-sized brain was shown up by the genius.  I let out the breath I was apparently holding and let out a subtle nervous giggle “I guess I’m a little nervous heading home in the dark.”

He looked at me confused again, more concerned this time “You’re not walking all the way home, are you?”

That’s when I let out a genuine laugh and shook my head “Just to the bus stop.  It’s cheaper than an accessible cab.”

“Oooh…” He replied with raised eyebrows and nodded slowly, almost as if he was thinking of something.  He leans back in his seat before looking at me again “Penelope could walk with you until you’re safely on the bus.”

“I hear myself being summoned.” Out of nowhere, Penelope returned with her familiar smile glowing on her face like it wasn’t wiped away less than five minutes ago.  Her jacket and purse were just as colorful as the rest of her attire.

“Could you walk Brooke to the bus stop?” Spencer asked before I even had the chance to open my mouth.  His tone felt oddly protective, like he didn’t care what my answer would be, he was going to make sure I felt comfortable about going home.

Normally I would be pissed about having the choice being taken away from me, but it was hard not to appreciate the gesture.

Penelope didn’t hesitate to quickly nod, then looked down at me and playfully nudged my shoulder. “You could have just asked, newbie, let’s go get your stuff.”  With that, she spins around and starts heading towards our office.

I giggle softly then mouth to Spencer “Thank you.”  

Before I turned around to follow the click-clack of yellow heels, I caught Spencer smiling softly and mouthing back “You’re welcome.”  His smile was warm, comforting even.

This job came with horrors, but maybe seeing these people every day along with saving others, will make it all worth it.