#Wired Alarm Systems

[shareyourideas]

Keep Your Home Safe by Installing Alarm Systems

[springhillspeedyelectrician]

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Area Served:

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[ahsokaismyqueen]

Saving Steve Pairing - Steve Harrington x HendersonSister!Reader Summary - Steve Harrington has already saved your life, so it's time to return the favor. Little did you know that would feel a little less like an action movie and more like taking care of rowdy toddlers. Word Count - 2.1k Warnings - Language, Drugged up Steve and Robin, lots and lots of Dustin Henderson sass. Steve Harrington x HendersonSister!Reader Masterlist

You loved your brother. Really and truly he was one of the best parts of your life. No matter what kind of mood you were in, you could always count on him to cheer you up. As much as you'd deny it to his face, you'd do anything for him, including maiming and murder.

Which was why you were trying your very best not to strangle him right now. 

Steve and Robin had been captured. They were being held by Russians, probably being tortured for information, and Dustin was arguing with Erica about being a nerd. Your heart was pounding in your chest as you watched Dustin work on trying to stop the fans, seeming to take his sweet time, and not for the first time, you wished you were as smart as him. Maybe if you had been you would have thought of a way to save everyone. Maybe if you had been your friend wouldn’t have been captured. Maybe if you had been Steve wouldn’t be getting hurt right now. 

“You’re making me more nervous.” Dustin said, pulling you out of the spiral of your thoughts.

“Can you not go any faster? We’ve been here for like twenty minutes.” You said, your fingers tapping the handle of your weapon erratically. 

“We’ll save your loverboy. Calm down.” Erica said, rolling her eyes. 

“Gross!”

“Shut up.” You replied at the same time as Dustin. “I still don’t see what’s taking so long, can’t you just-”

“This is a very complex system! I can’t-”

You had enough. It probably wasn’t your smartest idea, but you shoved his hand out of the way, reached into the box, and yanked out every wire that you could get your hands on. You didn’t care what the consequences were anymore. You had to get to Steve and Robin. Now. 

“What the hell!” Dustin yelled.

You shushed him, watching as the fans that had been blocking your path slowed to a stop, and a pleased smile formed on your face. “Well,” you gripped your weapon in your hand once more. “Are you two coming or not?” You asked, not waiting on them to follow you as you started crawling. 

After a couple of seconds you heard them start moving behind you, and Erica spoke again. “Your sister’s crazier than you are.” 

Dustin groaned. “I know.” 

—————

“Okay, remember the plan. You two-”

“Stay out of the way while you save your man. Just go!” Erica said, urging you forward. The three of you had just watched everyone exit the room they were keeping Steve and Robin in after the alarms went off from the hole in their floor you had created. 

Steeling yourself, you gripped your weapon tighter, finger on the trigger. You didn’t feel scared though. No, all you felt was determined. Steve had saved your life multiple times. Now it was time to return the favor. You slammed the door open and didn’t think. All you saw was the man in the white coat leaning over the guy you were in love with, and you attacked. You pressed the trigger on your weapon and held it against the man’s chest, thinking of nothing but getting him away from Steve until he crumpled to the floor, either passed out or dead. Taking a moment to catch your breath, you shoved the thought of what you might have just done away. When you turned around to face Steve though, you couldn’t bring yourself to feel any ounce of regret. “Oh, Steve,” you said, taking in his beat up face that was grinning at you. 

“Hey! I was just talking about you!” He said, and then let out a sigh. “God you’re pretty.” 

Normally a compliment like that, spoken with such sincerity, would have had your heart fluttering, but it was already doing that for a completely different reason as you reached down to untie him while Dustin got to work on Robin. “You guys have to get ready to run, okay?” You said, glancing from him to Robin who seemed to be in much better shape. 

“Whatever you say boss lady.” Robin replied, giving you a salute with her now free hand that caused Steve to immediately burst into giggles. 

You shared a glance with Dustin at their odd behavior, but he just shrugged. There was no time to try and figure it out anyway. You got the last of Steve’s ropes off and grabbed his hands, pulling him to his feet. Apparently with more force than was necessary, because he stumbled forward, and you caught him around the waist before he could fall. Of course, that brought the two of you chest to chest. 

“Hi,” Steve said, looking down at you. The expression on his face was dopey and adoring, like he’d never seen anything better in his life than you right now. 

“Umm, hi?” You replied, breathless and confused. 

Before you could say anything else, your brother was yelling. “Let’s go!” 

Grabbing Steve’s hand, you tugged him out the door and back towards escape. Once everyone had made it to the cart, against your better judgement, you tossed Dustin the keys. “Get us out of here.” You said, ushering Robin and Steve into the back before following them. You didn’t like Dustin driving, but you wanted a better look at Steve’s injuries. “Robin, are you hurt anywhere?” You asked, squeezing in between the two of them and looking her over. 

“I’m peachy keen my dear friend. That’s the one with the messed up face.” She fake whispered, pointing at Steve. 

Steve looked at you with a slight panic in his eyes. “Is my face fucked up?” 

Oh yeah. It was fucked up all right. You had to fight the urge to touch it because Dustin was driving so erratically that you were afraid you’d end up poking him in the eye. Thankfully you were saved from the trouble of responding by Dustin taking such a sharp turn it sent you flying into his lap, your hands grabbing the cage on either side of his head while his wrapped around your waist. “Shit, Dustin!” You yelled. 

“Jeez, slow down,” Steve slurred, yet his hands made no effort to let you move. 

“Yeah, what is this, the Indy 500?” Robin asked. 

“It’s the Indy 300.” Steve corrected, looking at her over your shoulder. 

You couldn’t see her, but you assumed Robin was shaking her head. “No, dingus, it’s 500!” 

“It’s 300!” Steve insisted. 

“Let’s say, a million?” Robin replied, causing the both of them to burst into giggles. 

What the actual fuck. Something was seriously wrong with these two. You kept one hand hanging onto the cart while the other cupped the back of Steve’s head, trying to keep his head steady so you could get a good look at his face since it didn’t seem like he was letting you move any time soon. 

As soon as you touched Steve’s head, his giggles began to fade, and that doe eyed look came back. “You know I’ve dreamed about you like this.” He said to you. 

Your eyes widened at the admission, but you knew that was something you were going to have to unpack later. “Steve-”

“Dustin, watch out!” Erica yelled. 

Steve’s arms tightened around you, and your hand tried to protect the back of his head as much as you could as the cart crashed into barrels. The three of you let out almost simultaneous groans as your bodies collided with the back of the cart, and your frown deepened as you noticed Steve wincing. He was clearly in more pain than he was letting on. 

“Are you guys okay?” Dustin called from the front. 

“I’m never teaching you how to drive.” You grumbled, as Steve finally let you out of his arms. 

As soon as Dustin opened the back you held out a hand to both Robin and Steve, pulling them out more gently this time as you urged them both to the elevator. 

It took approximately five seconds to get everyone on the elevator, five more for the elevator to get going, and exactly ten before Steve and Robin started using a rolling cart like a surfboard. You just stood between Dustin and Erica looking at them in disbelief. “They seem drunk.” Erica said. 

You shook your head. “I don’t think so. What purpose would the Russians have to get them drunk?” 

“I’m not drunk! Check it out!” And it was at that moment that Steve flew off the cart and straight into the wall. 

“Wipeout!” Robin yelled, as they both dissolved into fits of laughter. 

“Sure that’s the guy you’re in love with?” Dustin asked you, his arms crossed over his chest. 

You shot your little brother a murderous look and a string of cuss words left your lips as you bent down next to Steve. A thought occurred to you, and you reached up to feel his forehead. “He’s burning up.” You said, even more panic starting to creep into your chest. 

“Awww, I think you’re really hot too.” Steve said, booping you on the nose. 

Heat flooded your cheeks as Dustin bent down next to you and pulled at the skin around Steve’s eye, ignoring his groans and swats to get him off. “His pupils are super dilated.” He said, glancing at you, then Erica. 

“Maybe he’s been drugged?” She suggested.

“Steve have you been drugged?” Dustin asked him. 

He let out a sigh. “How many times, dad? I don’t do drugs. It’s only marijuana.” Steve replied with a boop for Dustin’s nose as well. 

You reached out and grabbed Steve’s hand trying to get him to focus on you. “Steve, do you have any idea what they gave you? I need you to tell me.” 

“You’re not gonna die on us, are you?” Dustin asked. 

“Dustin!” You scolded. You didn’t even want to consider that possibility. 

“We all die, my strange little child friend.” Robin spoke up. “It’s just a matter of how . . . And when.” She continued, twirling her hair around her fingers as you all stared at her. 

“Muah!” The awkward silence was broken by Steve who had just pressed a loud kiss to your hand that was still holding his. “I’ve always wanted to do that.” He said, beaming up at you. 

“For the love of God-” Dustin grumbled. 

You chose to ignore him. “Okay, Steve, I need your car keys. They’re going to be coming for us when we get out of here.” 

“Ooh, can we make a stop at the food court?” Steve asked. 

“I’d kill for a hot dog on a stick.” Robin said. 

You thought it was hard keeping your patience with just Dustin and Erica. This was a whole other level. “We can stop and get whatever you want as soon as you give me your car keys.” You said like you were talking to a child. 

Your heart sank as soon as Steve frowned. “Uh oh. The car’s off the board.” 

“What?” Dustin said. 

“They took the keys. The Russians, they took the keys.” Steve said, pulling out the empty pockets of his uniform. “That’s a bummer right?” He said, and he and Robin started laughing again. 

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Of course the one day you had taken a bus here. Your mind quickly went through the list of people you should call for help. Hopper was at the top, followed by Joyce, Nancy or Jonathan. Eddie’s name popped up for the briefest moment, but no. You refused to get him involved in any of this mess. “Do you have your walkie on you still?” You asked Dustin. 

“Of course.” 

“As soon as we get out of here, we’re going to try to find a quiet place and get the others. Hopper, Joyce, Nancy, Jonathan, I don’t care. Just someone with a car. You-” you pointed at Erica. “Are going to look after these two.” You told her, nodding your head in their direction. 

She groaned. “Why me?” 

“Because I’m the oldest, I’m in charge, and because I said so.” You told her. 

Erica rolled her eyes. “Whatever.” 

It was at that moment you felt a tug on your hand. You had forgotten Steve was still holding it. “Are you mad at me about the keys?” He said, and you couldn't help but be reminded of a little puppy, looking up at you with the saddest eyes. 

Giving him a small smile, you brought his own hand to your lips and kissed it this time. “You just risked your life for mine, and my brothers. I don’t think I can be mad at you for at least a week.” 

The kiss to his hand and your words wiped that frown off his face immediately, and he was back to smiling. “You promise?” 

You squeezed his hand. “Promise.”  

“You two are disgusting.” You heard Erica say. 

“Agreed.” Dustin added on. 

You just rolled your eyes.

[roseyodditea]

Sit Still! - Boothill x gn! Reader

Summary -> 1.1k words. You're a mechanic who's been forcibly given the impossible task of repairing Boothill, the most stubborn customer you've ever done (even if this wasn't the first time)

Warnings -> None

A/N -> Is it obvious that I like working on electronics? No? Not proofread because I work a 7-5 office job and I am tired <3

********

“Hey! HEY! you keep that fudgin’ thing away from me!” Boothill jumps over the workbench in the middle of your workshop, watching your movements carefully. He was quite agile for a man that was on death’s door when he stumbled in here a mere half hour ago. 

You put the hot soldering pen down on the table against the wall. “Boothill. Let me do what I need to do.” Boothill crouches down like a wild animal, practically growling, his jaw clenched tightly. “What are you planning on doin’ with that thing?” “How the hell have you gone this long without using a soldering iron? How do you keep your body functional?” You lunge and reach for the back of his jacket, grabbing him by the collar as he tries to skitter away, but his damaged systems cause him to be slower and weaker than normal. “Whatever that thing is, my sensors say it’s hot and it smells forkin’ awful!” He tries even harder to wiggle out of your grasp, but he doesn't want to hurt you. You were the only mechanic in this star system that still put up with his shit. “Normally they turn me off for repairs. I ain’t never been awake for one.”

“Yeah well. I need you conscious for this part.” You shove him towards the workbench and he obeys, sitting up on it. “Lay down, open up your chest panel.” You command and push him down. 

“What are you plannin’?” He bites back the distrust and decides to lie down on the bench. He opens up his chest panel and watches you closely, the targets in his pupils lock on like he was about to rip out your jugular with those sharp teeth of his. “I will explain everything I do before I do it. Will that make things better?” You muster a soft tone, trying not to show that you are annoyed at his behavior already. Sure you had the stubborn electronics and machines that made you lose sleep, but this is the first time the repair work was done on someone who could give you sass. You don’t have the bedside manners for this…

Boothill still watches wearily, but at this point, he has no choice, his systems are borderline critical. He had already ignored the warnings for this long. “Alright… yeah… that’ll make it better.” You pick back up the soldering iron and show it to him. “This is a soldering pen. I’m going to use it to melt this stuff,” you pick up the roll of the thin metal that was on the table next to it, “onto the contacts between your wires and your circuit boards. It’ll help make sure everything is secure and won’t wiggle out of place. I need you awake because I need you to tell me if I set off any alarms and sensors in your body. Just as a failsafe to make sure I don’t accidentally kill you”

“Kill me!?”

“It’s a joke. Now shut up and don’t move”

He nods, still weary as you reach both your hands into his chest compartment, where he can’t see. He tries to hold down the panic, the fear, the worry. This was the most vulnerable he has ever been. This is why he likes being powered down for repairs. This was hell. The smell of molten tin permeates the air, only stressing him out further. 

“Calm down.” You say without looking up. “You’re fidgeting and I’m trying not to burn either of us.” He doesn’t listen. Of course, he doesn’t listen. His legs still fidget, his hands still move around, gripping the table. “Kinda hard when you’re wrist deep in my body. It tickles.”

“Boothill. Hold still.” You growl out, frustration building in your chest. This was delicate work on a not-so-delicate man. “Next time you squirm, I swear to whatever Aeon you worship-” He twitched again and your hand slipped, the soldering pen touching his bare circuit board, causing him to yelp out in pain. “Goddammit Boothill!!”

He shrinks away, recoiling from pain and your frustration. “Ah, shirt! It feels weird and I-” His words are cut off as you move to straddle his thighs, pinning his fidgeting legs underneath you. You point the hot soldering iron at his face. “Move again, and I will turn you off and just pray I don’t mix up wires.”

“Yes, boss.” He says, stunned as his hands instinctively move to rest on your thighs. “Ya know, last time I had someone on me like this I-” “Don’t” You reply, your hands working on sorting out the mess of wires he had let his innards become. You solder another wire down and look up into his eyes. “Is that one in the wrong spot?” “No, that feels right. I forgot I had that sensor.” He chuckles, relaxing against the workbench. “This ain’t that bad.” His hands gently trace circles against the material of your pants in an attempt to soothe his own anxiety. He could feel every movement your fingers made in his chest compartment. 

“Yeah, and it only took me thirty fucking minutes to get you to sit still.” You finish soldering all the wires down, satisfied with your work. “Alright. All done.” You toss the hot iron onto the table across the workshop. “See? Not that bad. You’re just whiny.” You move to get up, only to have Boothill tug you back down onto his lap, sitting up so you both are face to face. 

“Thank you.” 

“Wow. I didn’t know you were capable of genuine gratitude.” You tease, grabbing his hat and putting it back on his head. 

He adjusts his hat into the proper place. “I know I owe you credits, but what can I do to thank you, sugar? This ain’t the first time I’ve stumbled into your workshop late at night, mostly dead.”

“Just come back alive again.” You knock his hat out of place on purpose, leaning forward to kiss his forehead. “That’s good enough for me.” You hop off of the workbench. “Now get the hell out and let me go to sleep. It’s too late at night to be lookin’ at your face.” “Yes, boss.” 

“See ya next time.” “There won’t be a next time.” He tries to keep up his tough appearance as you roll your eyes and move to sort and put away your tools. He smiles to himself and purposefully takes his whip off his belt, tossing it on the table while your back is turned and he slips out. 

Once you knew he had fully slipped away, you rolled your eyes, grabbing the whip and hanging it up on the hook you installed on the wall just for this purpose. 

He always left a reason to come back, and you always pretended to be oblivious to it. 

**********

Super special super optional A/N -> someone sent me an anonymous message a couple days ago saying they like my writing and I CRIED. Turns out when you break out of your comfort zone and share a hobby you get support??? Odd.

[n0tamused]

hi.iii.... Booth,ill request!?!?

Boothill gets a component jammed, and in this particular fix-up with his mechanic, he's twice as curious and won't stop nabbing things (Tugging on the mechanics hair, grabbing tools from readers apron, whistling and asking too many questions about the practicality of certain tool ect.)

A/N: TEA REQUESTING BOOTHILL, SOUND THE ALARMS AND GET TO WORKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GET OFF YOUR ASSS! I HOPE YOU LIKE IT POOKIE <3 <3

Content: Boothill x Reader, no pronouns used, Boothill calls you darling bc ofc, playful Boothill

“What’s this for again?” 

“It’s for the little screws that connect your plating together”

“Hm, looks like you can stab someone with it” Boothill commented, eyeing the thinner tool peeking from your work apron which lost its original white color, having changed to a washed out green with blotches of oil and metallic spray paint. It’s been only half a system hour since Boothill first stepped into the mechanic station you worked at, and already he has made a score for how many questions can be asked within those 30 or so minutes. It’s been a terrible morning with terrible weather and terrible news and terrible first customer, and this talking-your-ear off wasn't something you needed - it wasn’t exactly soothing, but you had no heart to tell him to quiet down.

You love to hear him talk while you work, you got used to it and have adjusted to it long ago, but today just had to be special. It had started to grow distracting and such distractions can’t be afforded if you are to properly fix the jammed plating and components within his arm. The plating pressed onto the wires within, making his entire arm remain in a constant position that would be painful were he still made whole of flesh and bone. The uncomfortable bend of it made you cringe when you saw it, reminding you of that one time your leg cramped badly from, and so you quickly got to work.

“Anything can be used as a weapon if you find ya’self in a bad situation, ain’t that right, darling?” Boothill mused, his cramped arm extended towards you as you worked your way to separate all the plating, the jammed and bent screws making it harder to pull apart. “Perhaps I should get m’self one of those too, y’know- for some close-range encounters. But then again, there’s not many situations that my bullets can’t help to resolve” he kept going, looking at your eyes that focused on the opening you made.

“Y-yeah..” you absentmindedly responded, not being able to pay too much attention to his words, but you caught a few words of ‘weapon’ and ‘gun’ and made a surface connection based on that. ‘Just nod along..’ You were distracted from the start of this day, despite your denial of that.

What came unexpectedly was two of his metal hands coming up to pinch a loose and hanging lock to tug on it, just enough to break your focus and move your head back. “Ow- heyy!” you protested as you turned to sharply glare at him. “I’m trying to fix you up here, you know? Do you want your arm stuck like this for the rest of time?” Your words are a challenge to him, and he greets it with a toothy grin. a hearty chuckle and slanted, hiding warmth behind them under a guise of mischief.

“Oh, come on! You’ve been fixing me up for a long time, and we are on friendly terms are we not, partner? What got you so gloomy today, I haven’t don’ anything wrong, have I?” His fingers give another small tug to your lock of hair before you pull your head back and your hair out of his hold, shaking your head. He was acting so stubborn now! What in the world has gotten into him?

“No! But come on- Hey!” you try to grab the screwdriver before Boothill fishes it out of the pocket of your apron with his good hand, twirling it between his fingers and staring at it as if he struck gold with his catch. Your hands all but abandoned your work on his arm, standing up to retrieve the screwdriver from his hold but he persists, stretching like a big, long cat to move the screwdriver out your way, and despite his disadvantage of sitting  down in a chair, he did a wonderful work of avoiding your grabby hands.

You huffed in frustration, biting your lip in hopes to choke back the laugh you felt bubbling in your throat. Your face was flushed from holding your breath and chasing him around and around, yet moving nowhere.

“Boothill, give it back! I need that for your arm, you fool” you argue, making another dash for his hand, only to grab onto air as he swiftly moves his hand down. 

“Nah, I think I may try doing this m’self, can’t have you working on me in that sour of a mood. I don’t know what I’ve done- hold on, has someone else soured your mood?” 

“Give- it - back” in some last ditch attempt to pry the screwdriver from his hands before he can do more damage than good, you threw yourself over his shoulder from behind, reaching for his wrist with one hand and grabbing the screwdriver with the other. “Whoa there!” you hear him cheer, more laughter coming from him, and this time you can’t help but choke out a chuckle, now at the grips with him. Toe-to-toe and at a tug of war.

“No one has soured my mood, now, please, give it back” you plead but he stays stubborn, shaking his head and  you feel his head turn and tilt, his nose touching your shoulder. “Wh-” you gasp as you feel his teeth nipping at your shoulder through your clothes, a playful snap of his jaw before he is pulling away just as quickly as he leaned in. 

As you turn and twist to look at him in pure and utter disbelief, his eyes catch yours, and he sees just how flushed you look and before long he is losing his grip on the screwdriver from laughing. 

“Oh shut up, you ranger! That was so unnecessary!” You won the screwdriver back, but at what cost? Yet.. seeing him laughing so earnestly was contagious. 

Boothill himself often came in for check up and fix ups with a sour and snappy mood, but never at you, and he always made it a point not to burden you with gloom and boredom of his situation, he never lacked to tell you stories of the world and where his travels took him when you weren’t around. And god- it’d be a lie to say you didn’t try to cheer him up more than once before. It finally dawned on you that perhaps you were too gloomy and he was trying to cheer you up, in whatever way he could, given his own circumstances.

“Ahh, you should go and take a look at yourself, darling, you look red like a sweet berry, pah!” 

How could you not be distracted when you had such genuine company? No gloom can pierce this cowboy. 

Ⓒ n0tamused. Do not repost, translate, edit, and/or copy any of my works. Likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated.

[astray-anomaly]

The first Chapter of Sea Level!!

TW: Hurt, character injury, violence, mention of death and experimentation

Here is the Ao3 link, if you rather not read it on Ao3 the chapter is below the cut!

10-18-25

13:42

For two days the whole Hadel Blacksite was drowned in complete darkness ever since the crystal was taken and with that all power was gone from the site, even the backup power was now offline. Meaning that small computer couldn’t work anymore, the same computer Sebastian was now wrapping up in a waterproof crate he had found in one of the storage units. Putting all of the extra wires and pieces in place along with a few classified documents he had left. He then covered them up with extra layers so they wouldn’t shuffle around as much to avoid any damage. Afterwards he shut and sealed the crate.

He swapped out the Scrambler on his back in favor of the crate, it was a bit heavier with all the extra equipment inside but he could carry it relatively easily. He quickly checked the radio he had on him, still no signal. He groaned and shoved it back in his jacket. He needed to get it, he did make a promise to get them out of here, he didn’t want to break it. True he had no intention of keeping it in the first place but damn it, he just had to get attached to this stupid old computer in only the two weeks they’ve known each other. Even if he still had doubts this was possible, he had to try to complete his promise, this was the one good thing he could do now with nothing else left.

It was worth a shot to get out of this forsaken hellhole then wait to get gunned down or probably die of starvation. He knew Urbanshade would soon send down groups of their guards again to clear out the place and start to repair it despite the multiple devastating damages to the site. Urbanshade would never just abandon this place, they would eventually get this place fully functioning again so he didn’t want to be there when they arrived. It was between the chance of seeing the sun again or death. Even if he was gonna die, he wanted to do it looking at the sky one last time.

He was hoping they would be able to reach Innovation Inc. once at the surface. It was one of the rival companies of Urbanshade he had been able to contact before all the radios were cut off, none of the others responded. Maybe he could finally get them both the help they needed if he had found that company, but he has to get out of the Hadel Blacksite first.

The only guide they had now was the dimly lit esca on Sebastian’s head and his poor night vision as he started his journey through the twisted and broken hallways of the facility. More and more water had begun to leak in as the outer pile system started to implode on themselves from the outside pressure. Even though the pressure here was the same as it would be just at the surface, the facility could only take so much after the power was gone and the pipe system was the first to collapse. So the whole facility will be flooded with water, leaving everything left to rust. But he knew Urbanshade wouldn’t let that happen so he had to get out quickly.

At least now there were more places to swim than having to slither through the cold hallways decorated in broken furniture, shattered glass, and sharp scraps. Sebastian had already caught his tail on a few pieces, even though most of them didn’t cut through the hard scales a few small parts managed to catch themselves in his flesh, making him bite back a painful hiss. Still he kept going forward.

All of the docks were blocked off by now so the plan was to find Z-317’s old containment cell and follow the passageway out to the ocean. The one that Sebastian had originally opened before when releasing Z-317 during the lockdown.

If only he could get there faster but his injured tail had to drag him down, yet it was better to be slow to not alarm the other creatures still roaming the facility. Even after releasing them they were still animals, they had to hunt, no doubt they would attack him on sight if they ended up spotting him. Even if he could fend for himself, that computer on his back was not as strong as he was, one slip up and it could possibly be over. He wouldn’t let that happen.

He had already been roaming around the dark facility for what felt like hours, at this point he was convinced he was going in circles, right, left, right- crash

Sebastian froze at hearing a loud noise behind him, screaming starting to echo through the halls. He’d been here for just long enough to recognize which entity was which just by their screeching alone and out of every single creature it just had to be this one.

Sebastian darted his way to find a side room or some sort of tunnel as quickly as possible as Pandemonium’s screaming drew nearer and nearer. When he couldn’t he just punched in one of the broken doors and pulled his way through, at least the mantis shrimp DNA was useful for something. He quickly curled into one of the corners as the room started to shake.

He held his breath as the creature’s roaring passed, it was silent for moments afterwards and Sebastian started to uncurl his tail from around himself and pull himself out the corner only for the screeching to start up again. Sebastian panicked, moving down the hallway as fast as he could. There was so much rubble scattered everywhere that he had to slither around, no wonder this hall was blocked off.

Sebastian growled in pain again as something else dug into his tail, he kept his shrimp claw holding onto the crate on his back as Pandemonium got nearer. He eventually spotted what looked like a way out, at least he hoped but he couldn’t escape that easily. Pandemonium was just behind him.

“That's it you ugly bastard!” He snarled angrily, swinging his tail back to hit the creature and basically ripping his shotgun out of the hostler. Shooting repeatedly at the mutated beast's face, managing to get the two main eyes, making the creature shriek in pain. Sebastian then took his chance to run for it, even with the two main eyes gone there were still many more staring at him.

At least the shock and pain from the creature gave him enough time to make his escape into the underwater tunnels, he didn’t stop to look back, not for one second.

Eventually everything was quiet again and Sebastian could relax a bit. However when the adrenaline died down he was hit with the agonizing pain in his tail from a big metal scrap impaled in his side,painting the water red. He bit his tongue as he held back tears. The salt water just made everything sting more, still he continued his way down the tunnel, trying his best despite the excruciating pain.

He finally got to the exit, dragging himself out of the water and crawled up the ramp. He laid down on the cold concrete floor, catching his breath and coughing up some blood. He had to sit up, pulling the crate off his back and pushing it to the side as he examined his tail that was dripping in blood. He still had a medkit left even if it wouldn’t help much, it was something.

He quickly scavenged through the small kit and pulled out the antibiotic ointment and bandages. He then looked back at his tail and saw just how badly the metal had stabbed itself in there, still it had to be taken out.

He bit down more on his tongue to the point of making it bleed as he gripped onto the metal tightly. Closing his eyes as he pulled, wailing as it was removed but was able to cover most of the noise. He couldn’t alarm any more monsters down here.

He threw the piece of metal back into the water, leaning back and holding his tail while also holding back tears. He reached for the antibiotics and started to apply them to the gaping wound, not even reacting to the cold sting anymore. He took whatever was left in the bottle and applied it to the more minor injuries, he didn’t want to waste bandages trying to wrap them up since they weren’t as severe. Once the bandages were applied to the large wound he laid down on the ground, catching his breath and closing his eyes. “..Fucking hell..” He groaned, knowing he had to get back up, after a bit he strapped the crate onto his back again and continued on his way.

Unfortunately now he was even more lost, not exactly sure where they ended up after having to make a quick escape from Pandemonium in a panic. So they could have been farther or closer to their destination, Sebastian prayed they were closer as he navigated through the dark corridors.

After an hour of mindlessly dragging himself around he noticed a familiar pair of large heavy doors, this was where the controls to the containment cells were, they were closer now.

He used the keycard he still kept from killing that one elite guardsman to unlock the door again. The door didn’t seem to open much with the mechanism damaged so he was forced to squeeze through. The inside was a complete mess, even the control console was torn apart by one of the creatures.

Sebastian continued his way through the labs and containment rooms. Keeping his gaze down on the floor so he didn’t have to see anything that could possibly trigger his memories. The smell here already made him feel nauseous.

He counted the doors until he finally saw the one that read Z-317. The room was taken up mostly by a large aquarium where the Eyefestian would originally be kept in. Now the glass was cracked and the tank was mostly drained with water spilling on the lab floor.

He debated on what to do for a moment, instead of picking carefully at the glass he decided to punch it in. Wasn’t the best choice but it was the quickest. He shook his hand off, his ears perked up when he heard the wailing sounds of another creature nearby, Frogger.

Sebastian carefully pulled himself through the glass and dropped into the water. Swimming down before the creature could bounce back to see him. Once at the bottom he let himself relax as the cold water completely engulfed him, releasing the tension in his body. He was no longer being chased, he could finally relax for a second. They were so close to the end now. He found the doors which lead the way out of here, they would finally get out to the ocean.

He slithered through the door and continued into the dark tunnel. What felt like an endless void with only his own esca to guide him which was getting dimmer with each passing minute, showing just as much energy he had left in him.

He swam through the tunnel for minutes with barely any light. His injured tail trying to push him along as much as possible. Until he finally saw a glimpse of light up ahead followed by the sound of rumbling footsteps. He had forgotten that the Trench Bleeders were still mobile because their power was separate from that of the Hadel Blacksite, they were still being controlled from somewhere else.

Sebastian darted to the light, swimming with all his strength until he heard the wretched sound of metal bending. “Shit-“ He cursed, noticing that the tunnel was closing in on itself. He swam faster even if it hurt to push himself, the water still stung. Hearing the creaking of the metal getting louder until finally-

He shot his way up through the exit and soon fell back onto the ocean floor as the tunnel crushed in on itself. Yet he wasn’t out of his troubles yet, he had to move, he had to get up. The Trench Bleeder was right over him, the lights from underneath the giant mechanism's foot blinded his already poor seeing eyes, he was about to be crushed if he didn’t move now.

He forced himself to get up, pushing his way through the water as the Bleeder’s foot came crashing down, shaking the whole place and making Sebastian’s entire head ring. After that everything went pitch black.

10-19-25

4:18

Everything was aching when Sebastian had opened his eyes again, he suddenly became aware of every part of his body that hurt, he could barely move to lift his head. His esca flickered on as he looked around to figure out his surroundings, his eyes taking a moment to adjust. He found himself in some small cave in the ground, he took a breather and rested his head back down on the smooth rock, he was still so, so tired.

He had to remember why he was here, he had to get out of here or both him and p.AI.nter would die, or worse, p.AI.nter would be forced back to roblux mining. He couldn’t let that happen, he had to make it to the surface, he had to make it to Innovation Inc. he couldn’t just give up now. There was no time to rest, no matter how tired he was, he already got the rest he needed. The hardest part of the journey was already over.

Sebastian forced his body to move, wincing at the pain in his tail and spine. The crate was weighing him down a bit from his body being weaker. He swam out of the cave into the open water, everything was dark, the Trench Bleeder looked to be long gone by now, how long had he been asleep?

He didn’t stop to think about it, starting to swim upwards.

“Where are you going?”

Sebastian suddenly paused at the familiar voice that echoed in his head. He turned around to be met with the bright green glow of multiple eyes staring right at him. He used his hand to shield his eyes from the shining light before slowly lowering it back down and looking back at the curious radioactive shark before him.

“Well?”

“I thought you had left a long time ago, there is no prey for you here, not anymore.” Sebastian replied, staring down the creature, meeting her gaze.

“Where else would there be for me to go?” The shark circled curiously around Sebastian, moving closer.

“The surface.” Sebastian answered. “That’s where we are going, to get help.” He paused. “To go back to my home.”

“The surface isn’t where I belong, that is where you come from. I have no home to return to.” The Eyefestian responded blankly.

“Do you not remember anything?” Sebastian looked curious.

“No. If there is a home for me I doubt it would be very welcoming now. These depths are now my home.”

“You know you could come with us, you don’t have to stay in this place, with all the bad memories.” Sebastian reached out his hand, offering.

“I know you want me to, but I know you’ll do just as fine without me. Plus I’ve made some good memories down here too.” Eyefestian gently pushed her snout into Sebastian’s hand. “Go see them again..”

Sebastian just nodded, gently petting Eyefestian. He had so much to thank her for, she was there ever since the start of his experiments. She was the only creature to know what he truly looked like before and he was the first one to be able to appreciate her beauty without dying.

No further words were exchanged before Sebastian watched Eyefestian disappear back down into the dark depths again.

He wiped his eyes before focusing back on his mission, firstly making sure the crate was still fully secured before continuing up. Swimming for minutes on end as his tail guided him through the water until he felt the sudden crushing feeling of the pressure shifting, feeling like his whole body just collapsed in on itself within a second. Trying to catch his breath as his throat was squeezing and his body froze.

He was no longer in the Let-Vand Zone, he was in the deep sea now.

It took him a moment to get used to the extreme pressure change until his body slowly began to relax and he could breathe at a stable pace again. He checked the crate on his back, nothing looked crushed. The crates were very reinforced but that didn’t mean they could last long, he had to get to a lesser pressure level quickly.

It was harder to tread through the dense water, but he forced his tail to push himself through with as much force and speed as possible. Even if he could breathe normally everything still felt suffocating, making him feel lightheaded. He wasn’t even sure how fast he was moving with the water crushing his whole body.

Everything was completely black, not even his vision helped, he wasn’t sure if he was even moving upwards anymore, he could have been moving in any direction and he wouldn’t know unless he ended up hitting something or managed to breach the surface. It made him paranoid of anything jumping out at him, it was too dark, anything could come from any direction.

All he could do was hope he would run into nothing, he had to keep pushing. He was determined to get to the surface, his determination being more powerful than his own exhaustion. The more he swam, the more the pressure seemed to lift off of his body and he could finally move faster. It felt so freeing to be able to stretch out and move around without having any more worries, he wasn’t entirely free yet but he was getting close.

He swam for another hour, his tail barely dragging him along, until finally he saw an actual light reflecting from off the ocean’s surface. Dashing up to it in his excitement and breaking through the water. The smell of fresh air filling his nose, the gentle wind blowing through his wet hair, sounds of seagulls flying overhead and the gentle waves moving. He made it, he actually did it.

Sebastian smiled happily as tears poured down his cheeks. He used his hand to shade his tired eyes as he looked in the distance at the rising sun that had come up to welcome him back to the surface.

[ja3hwa]

♡ 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐦𝐨𝐬 | 𝐖𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐧 ♡

DAY ELEVEN SPECIAL - WOOSAN X ALIEN AU

【Synopsis】 : Travelling in deep space, you and your crew must deliver and pick up cargo to a jump station. Woosan is to accompany you on this mission. San being the muscle and Woo as the navigator and scientists...problem? You got lost.

『Word count』 :  3.56k

-> Genre: Suggestive. Fluff. Lil angsty. 18+

Pairing: Alien!Woosan x Human!Reader

[Warnings] : Blood. Wounds. Getting injured. Crashing. Angst and loneliness. Fighting. Yelling. Name calling. Tender moment. Kissing. Making out. Hickies. Blood play-ish. Pet names. Kinda getting caught.

Note: My first Day of @whatudowhennooneseesyou 's cute kinktober list. Please make sure to check out all the other fantastic writers who have also joined this event ♡

Networks: @illusionnet @atzhouse @wonderlandnet @cromernet @k-vanity

Masterlist | Navigation | Kinktober List | Tip Jar ♡

The SS Blackheart glided through the endless expanse of space. The bulky vessel was made with advanced technology from the Theslian junction in the Redshift seven galaxy. The ship could be manned by a max of eight or as little as three people, being a perfect ship for cargo and transportation.

You were the ship's captain, a seasoned pilot, trained in the best academy in all eight galaxies. You were strategic and fierce with your flying, ranking top in your class. Your higher-ups assigned you to deliver special plants to a high-tech lab in the Cassophrea galaxy. Gazing out into the sea of stars from the comfort of your command chair, you revelled in the solitude you had in the cockpit. Alone, unbothered. Just you and the cosmos. It was supposed to be a straightforward journey, just a pickup and drop off. But fate had other plans.

As the ship passed the boundary of a dense asteroid field a sudden gravitational burst rolled blackheart and a loud crash came following. So much for you and the cosmos. The alarm bells sirened and you screamed out a loud, “Now, What?!” standing up from your seat. You pull on the large metal handle in front of you before you pull a holographic screen with schematics of the hull of the ship. “Divert all extra power to the shields! Cut off from the west and east wings.”

A staggering jolt caused you to lose balance for a moment as you prepared for the ship to tumble through any of the rogue asteroids. Times like this you were thankful for the gravity lock in the cockpit as the ship spun wildly, you were lucky not to feel too much of the sporadic movements. A ring ran through your station as you noticed a red dot on the screen heading straight towards you at almost light speed but before you could do anything to stop it, darkness enveloped the entire ship.

When you finally came to, you found yourself in the med-bay, your head pounding and your ears ringing. You felt like a freight train had hit you square in the face. There was a faint smell of burning rubber and crackling wires and circuitries filling the air and a foggy voice calling for you. “Captain…Captain!” The voice was shaky, filled with worry. It was your scientist and navigator Jung Wooyoung, his thick pitch black hair was slicked back with his glasses high on his nose. You could see his bright purple eyes were a sparkling contrast to his pale green skin as they widened with a mix of concern and relief. 

“W-Wooyo?” You croaked, holding your head while you struggled to sit up. “What happened?”

“We hit something, ma’am,” San spoke quickly as he came tumbling into the room. He was quickly glancing around as if to confirm the chaos outside had tried to come in. "We hit a circumstellar belt. It seems we might have gotten lost while the ship was on auto."

With the ship systems down, there was no navigation. The worried look in Sans pitch black starry night eyes made you deathly aware that you were now adrift in some uncharted sector of space. You had to gulp at the dangerous possibilities in front of you. You watched the engineer, Choi San, open a main frame panel with a calm demeanour. His soothing presence in the midst of uncertainty was giving you a mixture of hope and pending doom. But there was no time to show fear, no.

You took charge, your natural leadership role creeping its way to your forefront. "Get the emergency systems up and running. We need to communicate with mission control. We'll be okay on o2 with the backup filters. But we need to get a distress call out as soon as possible."

Both men were on it before you could finish your sentence. They were just as determined as you to fix the issues at hand. But once San had the backup generators going and Wooyoung had successfully gotten a call out. Your next step was to wait and who knew how long that might take. 

The first few days were rough, San was the one mostly running around trying to repair any damage that was left from the attack of space rocks. Wooyoung spent them in his lab, working on the mission logs and paperwork. And you, well given your leg, was still healing it seemed like you never left your bed. Days then moved to a week, and isolation started to become a worry.

The Blackheart drifted further away from known star maps. You had a distress beacon running but the downside was you could only have it on for a few minutes every day to conserve power. You had moved to your captain's chair soon after day five, having grown restless of the four walls of your bedroom. It seemed like the only companions at times were the stars and the growing tension between you and the two aliens.

You have always known them to be attractive in their own ways. You had noticed Wooyoung had such soft delicate details of stripes on his pale skin. The mixture of different shades of greens left you amazed. Not to mention the contrast to his jet-black hair and deep purple eyes. Eyes that always showed kindness and curiosity.

And then there was San. His dark eyes made you think you were looking at a vast galaxy in his gaze. His dark crimson skin was also covered in oil or dirt from whatever he had been working on that day. He was a hard worker, and passionate in everything he did. The long nights and endless days you three had spent together over the week and a half may have been rough at first, but it soon became a sea of laughter that filled the endless silence of space. 

You would have never admitted it before this endeavour, but you had always been drawn to your little crew finding a sense of passion lurking beneath professionalism. Wooyoung's humour and San's creativity added bright spots to the darkness of the predicament you were in. They shared stories, the warmth of their camaraderie blossoming into something deeper and more complex. It frightened you slightly, curious if they had felt this feeling prior like you did or if was it because of forced proximity that they had sparked the new feelings.

One night, after a particularly challenging day of repairs, Wooyoung suggested settling in the ship's observation deck for the evening. Dining among the stars, as he put it. San was thrilled with the idea, even though he did try to keep his tough guy act, Wooyoung, and you brought the softness out of him. Stars twinkled like distant dreams, and you felt a pang of longing mixed with something undeniable. Something that had grown beautifully when around them.

“It’s beautiful out here,” San said, his voice soft. “It makes you realise how small we really are.” 

Wooyoung nodded in agreement before walking over to the table, getting it ready for dinner. You, however, couldn't help but sigh thickly through your nose. Your eyes were wide, gazing at the clusters around you in the endless black. You all were really so small.

San could see your expression change, so he nudged you playfully with a bright smile. "Hey, it also just shows how lucky we are to be lost together." 

You chuckled lightly, but something about San's words seemed to resonate with you. You watched out of the corner of your eye as San walked over to Wooyoung, helping him set the table. You gazed between both of them with admiration and concern, your arms wrapping around your middle, hugging yourself. Wooyoung looked over at you with a tilt in his head, noticing your change in mood. So, like Wooyoung fashion, he clapped his hands together with a proud smile. "Who is ready for dinner!"

You walked over to the table, eyeing all the food. It was only when Wooyoung put a gentle hand on your back comfortingly that you got out of your own thoughts, "We'll find our way back. Someone will come." He said, trying to instil any kind of hope, but the air was thick with a mixture of worry and unspoken feelings. 

More time passed, and more sleepless nights led to a sudden shift in the dynamic from simple friends to something more intimate. There were lingering glances, soft touches, and moments of vulnerability shared beneath the glow of distant stars. It wasn’t long before you found yourself caught in a whirlwind of emotions. You had fallen for both aliens, and you couldn't stop your heart from aching at the thought of choosing. Even if one of them had feelings that similarly matched yours, how would either react to you having feelings for the other?

And one evening, during a really heated discussion, tension peaked in the cockpit. “You can't just come in here and touch the panel you know what!” You yell over San who had been chewing your ass off about the repairs and now he thought it was a good idea to mess with the captain's controls.

“You were busy and I only touched it for a second i don't understand why you’re getting so mad.” San scoffed passing around the room.

“You don..ha... You can’t just… you’re lucky I had the control on auto otherwise you would have sent the ship into a lockdown!! The controls are connected to my print. Me. Not you. If the ship noticed the different DNA we would be dead by now but you were being too thick-headed to see that!!!” You didn’t mean to call him thickheaded but it slipped out in the heat of anger.

San’s heart was already racing from being around you and now doing something stupid had caused you to become mad at him. He didn't like when you were mad. “Yn, just…” He pinched his nose with his clawed fingers.

“Just what huh? What?” Now you were looking for a fight, closing the gap between both of you. You were significantly smaller than him, given you were only a mere human and typically your kind would fear such a creature like San but you didn’t. You could never fear him. “Answer me you lug!!” You shoved him.

You were no longer mad at him for touching the panel, in fact, you weren't that mad with him to begin with. But being around these two for so long while slowly losing all hope that anyone would ever come save you, all the tension started to get too much. Too much to the point, you could no longer breathe. So you shove him again and tears start to prick on the corners of your eyes. You shove him again and you feel your body begin to vibrate. You shove him again and again…and… “S-san…” your forehead landed on his chest as you sobbed in his arms... You gave up.

“Shhh… it’s okay...I'm sorry. I'm just...” he stroked your hair gently, holding you tight. There was a lump in his throat while watching your outburst making him now fully aware of what was actually wrong. You nuzzled into him, a sting of guilt on your tongue. He was warm, comforting. Your heart couldn't help but swoon and break one in the same.

“I’m in love with you.” You whispered, frozen with fear. It was out in the open now. San’s hand stopped its strokes as he looked down at your form completely dumbfounded from what you had said. You love him? You? The most bravest and fearless captain was in love with someone like him…

“You love me…” He said unsure. Neither of you wanted to move first, instead, you nuzzled further into him staining his shirt with your tears.

“Yes… both of you. I tried hiding it. But after getting lost, it’s become too hard to keep…” Words began to spill out of you, like vomit. You hated how San could make you feel like you could say anything. “I’m sorry.”

San almost wanted to laugh at this scenario. Of course, you love both of them. He and Wooyoung were so busy pining that they didn't even realise you could reciprocate the same feelings. He chuckled, hugging you tighter before picking you up to swing you around. "San!!"

You screamed as his laughter got louder. You held onto the large alien for dear life, confusion riddling you. "San! Why are we spinnnninnggg!!!!"

He finally stopped tugging you by your shoulders to stare at him. "It's because I’m so in love with you too. We both are. Oh my god, we have to tell Wooyoung." 

"Wait...wa..San!!" You yelped as San picked you up, helping you wrap his arms around you. He finger tucked your hair out of your face with a gentle smile staring at you with complete devotion. 

"I'm so in love with you." He repeated, making you blush. Who knew this cold, brooding alien had such a soft interior. 

"I...I love you too." You felt another tear fall down your most likely dishevelled face. Slowly, San leaned in closer, his face inches from yours.

"Say that again...please," he whispered.

"I love you." Your breath tickled his face, his mouth parting as he felt his lips brush against yours.

"Again." 

Your eyes flutter closed, "I love you, San." His mouth found yours, locking tightly as he held your body closer. His legs started to move until he found one of the desks that sat in the middle of the cockpit, brushing anything that was on top of it so he could place you on it. His long, serpent-like tongue brushes against your bottom lip, making you shiver before pulling away with a moan, "W-what about Wooyoung."

"What about me, hmm." Both you and San's heads snap to the door, seeing a smiley green alien with his arms crossed over his chest. He couldn't help but chuckle pointing to the camera above him, "I saw everything just by the way."

Your face heated up, feeling embarrassment paint you red. Of course, he saw your little meltdown. You whined, hiding in San's chest again. This caused both aliens to laugh lightly. "Hey, It's okay, darling."

"Still..." You pouted as San pulled your face up by your chin. His smile was loving as he gently pushed your shoulder until you leaned back to feel Wooyoung's large chest behind you. You suddenly became very aware that you were sandwiched between two large aliens on a desk.

"Do I get an I love you Dollface?" Wooyoung's growl next to your ear made you jump slightly, slamming your hands on the sleek white table, looking up to see his smug face. Your wide doe-like eyes made Wooyoung's cock twitch against your back, making you bite your lip. 

"I love you, Wooyoung." 

His groan was music to your ears, his hands coming down to hold your waist, tugging you closer to him, nuzzling his face in the crook of your neck. "Such a perfect captain."

"Hey, don't hog." San pouted, grabbing your legs to spread them wider so he could lean over the table, caging your smaller body.

"Hog? Says the one that was about to fuck her without me." Wooyoung scoffed, nipping at your skin. You just laid there and moaned, letting them have control. It was odd in a way that you've never given up control in any situation before, but yet with these two, it was like they naturally brought this side out of you. They kept bickering, their hands wondering your figure as they did so. San’s hands found their way to your upper thigh, squeezing the soft flesh gently while Wooyoung’s started to play with the buttons of your captain's shirt, tugging each one open without needing to look. It was only when a small gasp left your lips that both aliens seemed to snap their gazes back on you rather than one another. “Oh, I'm so sorry darling..”

San retracts his claws from your plump skin, seeing little beads of blood trickle from the tiny wounds. He did not mean for his arousal to go unnoticed to himself, he felt terrible. But you on the other hand couldn’t help but shiver, gaining pleasure in the little sting. “It’s okay…M-my thighs are just really sensitive.” 

Your pants drew a smile from Wooyoung as he kissed along your neck, “Sensitive huh? I wonder what other body parts of yours are that sensitive.” Woooung cupped your breasts through your half-opened shirt, squeezing tightly while his slender fingers rubbed over your clothed nipples. Your head fell back into his pelvis, moaning at the sensation. It was like your body was on fire, and both of them were only fueling it. “You sound so pretty dollface.”

San fell to his knees without your notice, his face inches from where he had hurt you. His long tongue snaked out of his mouth before lapping up the blood, cleaning the wound in the process. The feeling sent shivers down your spine as your hand immediately flew to his hair, tugging hard on his soft locks. “Fuck…San.”

San chuckled, inching closer to your covered pussy. Licking, biting and kissing any skin you could, leaving a trail of bright purple marks in his wake. Wooyoung got to work, pulling your shirt off your shoulders, letting the fabric bunch around your waist. His fingers found the straps to your bra, effortlessly cutting them with his sharp claws. He watched in awe as your tits spring free, watching them bounce while your nipples harden to the cold air. He wasted no time, pushing you firmly against the desk, making you lie down fully so he could lean over to latch his mouth to your plump tits. You felt Sans's nose brush against your folds as he took a deep inhale growling at the scent. “You smell so delicious, baby. I could eat you right up.”

Any normal human would find his remark terrifying but your body shook as you bucked your hips pleadingly, almost begging him to keep that promise. But before he could rip your pants to shreds a loud alarm sounded, causing you all to jump. “What the fuck?!” Wooyoung cried, covering his pointed ears.

You sat up, adjusting your shirt while throwing your tatted bra to the side. San helped you off the desk so you could waddle to the captain's chair. Looking at the screens you noticed a large red dot just two clicks on the right to the vessel. It was the motion sensor going off for another ship. A rescue and retrieval ship to be exact. “They found us…”

“They found us?!” San grabbed the screen, turning it to his direction while you gazed through the thick glass watching the ship fly in front of you. And a ring showed up on the empty motor to your right, distracting you. You clicked a few buttons before a caller screen showed. You could see your other two crew mates that were assigned to a different sector. Mingi and Yeosang. Their smiles were bright, filled with nothing but relief.

“They have such perfect timing.” Wooyoung sighed, adjusting his pants before leaning over the top of your chair. “You could have waited thirty more minutes?”

“Oh I'm sorry, do you not need your asses rescued?” Yeosang scoffed through the screen with an eye roll.

“NO! Yes, we do. Don't listen to him, he's uh…” You feel yourself redden at the memory of what was happening not only two minutes ago. San laughed while taking the holo-screen, letting him see his friends. 

“He’s upset ‘cause he's horny, doesn't mind him. Park on the left west wing. The other ports have been put outta commission due to the damage.” San nodded as Mingi gave him a roger that before hanging up. Yeosang couldn’t help but laugh.

“So…” You gulped, the silence feeling way too loud.

“So what is my love?” San helped you stand giving you a forehead kiss. You felt Wooyoung grab your hips lovingly, standing behind you.

“What now?” You gaze at both of them, worry filling you that they had only done all this and confessed love because you had no more hope. But now that hope has arrived, where did that leave you? Wooyoung gently grabbed your chin, tilting your head upwards to face him;

“Now, we get the fuck out of here. Get home, do those ungodly awful reports and then.” He inched closer, whispering, “Then we go home so San and I can fuck your brains out.”

“Way to sound romantic, Woo.” San scoffed a laugh but before you could say anything Wooyoung sealed his lips against you, swallowing a little gasp as he held you tight. You relished in the feeling just for a moment, knowing it was time to leave your little bubble and no matter where you all end up and what adventures life would bring. You had each other now and nothing else mattered.

not even for a moment, being rescued.

—

© 𝐉𝐚𝟑𝐡𝐰𝐚. Do not steal, plagiarise, translate, repost, or use my work in any way, shape, or form.

𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐑 : 𝑇𝐻𝐼𝑆 𝐼𝑆 𝐼𝑁 𝑁𝑂 𝑊𝐴𝑌 𝐴 𝑇𝑅𝑈𝐸 𝐷𝐸𝑃𝐼𝐶𝑇𝐼𝑂𝑁 𝑂𝐹 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝐴𝑇𝐸𝐸𝑍 𝑀𝐸𝑀𝐵𝐸𝑅𝑆. 𝑇𝐻𝐼𝑆 𝐼𝑆 𝑃𝑈𝑅𝐸 𝐹𝐼𝐶𝑇𝐼𝑂𝑁 𝐴𝑁𝐷 𝐼𝑆 𝑁𝑂𝑇 𝑇𝑂 𝐵𝐸 𝑇𝐴𝐾𝐸𝑁 𝑆𝐸𝑅𝐼𝑂𝑈𝑆𝐿𝑌.

[medlilove]

(Edited to add headshots because tumblr hates detail) I've etched away at this is a lovely few weeks, so click for full res and all the little details, okay? It's my love letter to the journey I've found myself on

This is long-ish, so its under the cut (but worth reading...)

I had been thinking a lot recently about that double feature episode, you know the one? I half remembered it then, when they chased a bunch of alien spies so fast through the solar system they all got thrown back in time. Half the crew went on a little undercover adventure in Toronto in 2024. It was great because they got completely cut off from the Enterprise, so half of them, well mostly Uhura and Spock if I recall correctly, spent their time collecting as many radios as possible and worked on building their own communications. Uhura and Spock were basically taking turns constantly tweaking radios by the window with wires everywhere. Oh yeah, their base of operations was the whole top floor of a worn out old building looking over a big square. They ended up in the really arty/queer part of town full of art galleries and thrift stores.....??

Chapel and Chekov were sent out to those shops to find disguises for everyone. I loved the joke that Chekov was puzzled and slightly alarmed that Christine just knew everyone's clothes sizes and measurements with no explanation. Later on, they ended up getting separated from the rest of the group and getting held up by B story shenanigans, mostly getting lost and running into culture shocks. It was fun to see them having their own adventures and made for a pretty interesting combo. Spock and Uhura spent most of their time with the tech, accidentally listening to the times most popular music while changing frequencies. Jim and Sulu paired off to search for clues, and getting supplies and spent a lot of time talking to the locals setting up for a Pride parade. McCoy, feeling paranoid and irritable that he had practically no equipment, wandered around with Dr Alfred Nahdi, the Botanist, who kept picking random weeds and talking about how extraordinary the little dandelions were. Oh and together they stole a whole medical bag out of an ambulance?? It was pretty funny.  Anyway, the main issue was they couldn’t risk leaving the area because all these alien spies had assimilated into the population and they had to track them all down and bring them back with them so as not to disrupt the timeline or something. They had to track down the aliens while making sure the aliens didn't pick up on who they were or that they were also out of place. They ended up being there for around two whole ass months, I think. The spies were spread out all over and there were about 30 of them, but it ended up being the Botanist, Alfred (Alfie) Nahdi who found the enemy base of operations by complete accident. Alfred, who had spent most of the time studying all the common flowers and weeds that were so ordinary at that time but were extinct in their time, figured out where the aliens' base of operations was because the big plant shop at the end of the square had a few succulents that could not have existed in 2024. It was a big "woah" moment. And there was this whole thing where he had to act like he hadn’t just figured it out because the florist, who was almost certainly a spy, was watching him and McCoy. But soon after, it all went to hell anyway when a fight broke out and Sulu was straight up shot with the aliens' weapon that had bullets made from alien metal. So then Bones had to perform old school surgery on him in their HQ, with only 2024 equipment. Jim, Spock, and Uhura were out fighting and ran into Chapel and Chekov and were able to finish them off, but it got really crazy because there was a Pride parade in the square at the same time so they had to make sure no one noticed them. While Bones was pulling bullets out of Sulu, with the botanist assisting him until Chapel (who had been sent by Jim) appeared and took over. McCoy said something like, “Christine, I’ve never been so glad to see you in my life,” and they sewed him up all old school. And it worked out! But Bones was a mess because he had to do messy surgery with none of his kit, and so much pressure, and more blood than he was used to... Chapel stayed with Sulu, and Bones and Nahdi went to sit on the fire escape stairwell and had a sweet scene of Bones just full of adrenaline, his hands couldn't stop shaking. They sat hand in hand for a while listening to all the people on the streets below. Then Spock, Jim, Uhura, and Chekov appeared at the stairwell and they all had a happy, albeit exhausted reunion. After a day of everyone recovering from all the excitement, Uhura and Spock used some extra tech they got from the aliens and finally made contact with poor Scotty who was up on the Enterprise losing the will to live. Anyway, their outfits were iconic tbh.

I invented this whole thing to draw Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy in a sweater. I lost control of the situation. I spent a lovely two weeks etching away at this with the support of my lovely ST server, I love you guys. This ones for you.

[ariichive]

crossed wires

k. kenma ⋆𐙚₊˚⊹🍒

fluff | misunderstandings (nothing serious) | reader has a rbf | mutual pining | cursing | fem. reader

this is a cute idea i had; i thought kenma would be a good fit for this ;p

"kenma, how do you not see what everyone else does?"

kuroo's teasing voice rung through Kenya's mind. it was like an alarm going off on an early school day. please, just be quiet. kenma stared at the giant 'GAME OVER' on his console; his irritation with his best friend seemingly growing.

"clearly, you're not seeing correctly. you sure your hair isn't cutting off any brain cells?" kenma mumbled as he pettily shut off his console. his eyebrow twitching when he heard the familiar snicker from the tall captain next to him.

"dude.. that's like.. not possible."

kenma did not have the energy to respond.

the two friends continued on their walk home after a long practice. kuroo, the whole walk there, had been nonstop bickering about the 'not so obvious but totally obvious' admirer he had: (name). admirer was not the term he would use. if anything, it was more like a butcherer stranded on a meat farm with nothing but a meat saw and an empty stomach. maybe even like one of the villains from his game; the ones with a deep rooted trauma causing an untamable hatred for the player. well, in kenma's case he was the poor player and you were the villain.

it all started in the beginning of the new school year. new faces in a new classroom. usually, kenma never really paid attention to his classmates. sure, he gave them a typical rundown and would decide to judge them based on first impressions for the rest of their lives. then boom, he would eventually forget their names come the second week of school. they didn't talk to him, he didn't talk to them.

that was hard to do when you, a classmate who sat diagonally behind him, would constantly feel stares at the back of his head. one time, he seen the reflection of your murderous gaze in his gaming console and he damn near flinched.

did he accidentally do something to you in the past? he tried to put a name to the girl with (eye color) eyes and (lip color) lips, but nothing was ringing a bell in his head.

because of this, he started to pay more attention to you.

when lunch would roll around, you would become joyful with friends, a rather pretty smile on your face. this was when he heard one of them say your name in a fit of laughter. (name). he repeated a few times in his head. kenma thought it was a nice change of scenery; his heart even skipped a little. and then when you felt eyes on you, turning and making eye contact with the quiet boy in your class, your face dropped.

it looked like a mix of both fear and absolute horror before morphing into a stone faced, angry expression.

yeah, you definitely hated him.

at first, he kept these interactions a secret from kuroo; truly not wanting to become a victim to the already relentless teasing.

until the one day you so happened to take the same train as them. today just had to be different.

kenma was set on ignoring you. he was locked into his video game: a PVP fighting game with unlockable characters and an online ranking system. kuroo usually would have ignored kenma's gaming; it was second nature to him after all. but of course, today was different.

"care to tell me why you're playing an online game with no internet?" kuroo pointed out as he stared at the constant loading circle making zero progress on kenma's screen.

kenma snapped out of whatever trance he was in and looked up at his friend with wide eyes. "...no." kuroo hummed in response, taking a quick look around the train. that is when he seen a sight that he never thought he'd witness. a girl staring at kenma with practical hearts in her eyes.

"kenma.. that girl is totally checking you out."

kenma's face contorted into one of disgust and confusion as he looked in the direction kuroo was only to make eye contact with you.

"kuroo, if that's how girls look at you i think you're never going to get married." kenma quickly shook his head and avoided looking back at you with everything in his body. "what? i know what i'm talking about. listen to me, i'm older and wiser." kuroo smirked arrogantly.

"she is the definition of if looks could kill."

"so you think she's pretty?"

kenma paused, his brain not really processing kuroo's words.

"that's not what i..."

pretty?

he hesitantly glanced at you again. with a closer look, he noticed how you fiddled with your hair when you looked at him. the way brows were furrowed, and the way your leg bounced.

it kinda looked like.. you were nervous?

"...meant?"

by the time he realized how long he was looking at you, his stop was already here, leading to his current predicament of kuroo's constant teasing and shitty advice.

"he.. HE DEFINITELY LIKES ME!"

you screamed into your pillow with a heated face. after rolling around for a few minutes to calm yourself down, you laid on your bed facing your ceiling.

you first noticed kenma during a rather boring lesson. the teacher's voice was draining all your energy, and it was getting harder to keep your eyes open. your eyes found focus on the boy in front of you, who had bleached hair and questionable posture.

he was playing a video game hidden in a book on his desk. you glanced up at the teacher one more time, making sure he was distracted. you watched as the boy played effortlessly through levels of a game you didn't know the name of.

before you knew it.. the school day ended.

it became a ritual for you, staring at his game after lazily taking notes. it came to the point where it felt like you were playing the game yourself. every time he would die and have to restart, you felt the anger and frustration for him.

a character would die? you'd silently weep for the fallen character since it seemed like he didn't give a fuck. and if he did, he wasn't one to show it casually on his face.

the most he ever showed (that you noticed, anyway) were subtle stretches of his legs, a twitch in his finger, and a knuckle pop.

or when he won after a tedious battle a sigh of relief, his shoulders dropping.

so maybe your facial expressions were a bit.. emotional compared to his and definitely not as subtle.

it didn't help that whenever the boy, who's name you learned was kenma, would look at you, your body immediately froze and you tried to get your face as normal looking as possible; not realizing what might've seemed normal to you was terrifying to kenma.

he wouldn't hold eye contact for so long before going back to whatever he was doing, much to your pleasure.

the train ride today was a change in your relationship with kenma.

why didn't he look away like normal?

it was a change yes, but not a bad one.

with delusional friends encouraging the idea, you've come to the conclusion that kenma kozume has a crush on you.

sure, maybe you were exaggerating. but any high school girl would, it's part of growing up! you justified this in your head.

and maybe you weren't too far off from the truth. his sneak glances during the school day allowed him to see the happy expression on your face when he reached an ending of the game. the look of anticipation when he was going through his game library; trying to find a new game to play after beating the last.

one he liked most, though, was the look of shock when he angled his console perfectly out of view from the teacher, but in a position for you to see more clearly.

pls reblog and like if u enjoyed it!

kinda proof read kinda didn't lol sorry 4 any errors

[homeofthelonelywriter]

Of Cupcakes and Skulls | Part 6

(A/N) This is a bit on the shorter side, but I honestly struggled with the description of the bakery. I hope that it's good enough that ya'll can paint a picture in your mind.

Pairing: single dad! Mafia! Simon x baker! Reader

Warning: kissies, fluff, angst, comfort, Simon is fucking smitten

Synopsis: Based on this post by @lunamoonbby

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9

Simon chuckled quietly as he watched you stare at your shop. Your eyes were wide and your jaw hung open as he gently maneuvered you so he could get out of the car and pull you along with him. And once you were outside, you could see the entire storefront.

You didn’t know what detail to focus on first as you took in the changes that happened overnight. Until now, it had been a generic and rather boring exterior, something you always wanted, but never had the money to change. But now…it was beautiful.

The storefront was freshly painted in a dark green color, with metal accents decorating the usual plaster wall and a canopy overhead. The windows were sparkling in the sun, offering an easy view into the warm interior of the bakery, brimming with new furniture and counters. There were flowers everywhere, outside and inside, decorating and offering a sweet scent as you stepped closer. Additionally to the tables and chairs inside, there were a few scattered outside, in an area that was fenced off by wooden planters, and filled with tiny trees. Heaters hanging on the wall overhead, for the colder months.

You glanced back at Simon, who just smiled and gestured for you to walk inside. So you did.

As soon as you opened the door, a pleasant jingle rang through the air and the smell of the wood furniture filled your nose. You took a few more steps, hearing Simon following you inside, as you looked around. It felt warm and cozy, everything you ever hoped your bakery would feel like.

There were multiple showcases for your bread and pastries, as well as a whole nook for coffee and tea making, with brand-new machinery and cups. Just looking at everything, you knew it must’ve cost thousands of pounds. When you turned to look at Simon again, he was leaning against the wall next to the doorway that led to the kitchen. With a nod of his head, you walked through the revolving doors and entered…heaven.

You had already been happy with the equipment you had before, but now the room was filled with state-of-the-art machinery. Whether the giant mixer or the dishwasher, everything was brand new and extremely expensive. You knew that because you regularly gazed at them on the website, dreaming of the day you could afford them. And now you had them.

Suddenly, two strong, warm arms wrapped around you, pulling you against a hard chest. You relaxed against it, your eyes still flickering from one corner to the other, taking everything in.

“The windows are bulletproof, with multiple layers so they should be able to resist almost anything. And the door is a security door, it will lock automatically at a time you set and can only be opened by a combination of a key and code you have to enter into a keypad that’s beside the doorframe. I also went ahead and had the best alarm system installed, as well as cameras in the shop that are wired to the security firm, as well as to my people. If we see anything suspicious, we’ll be here within minutes.”

You turned around in his arms, wrapping yours around his waist, resting your chin on his chest as you peered up at him. He smiled down at you, pressing a quick kiss to the tip of the nose, before he straightened back up and spun you around, slowly walking you to the walk-in fridge. His grip on you tightened as he felt you tense up at the sight.

“We installed a new one.”

He was whispering in your ear, hot breath faning over your cheek.

“It almost functions more like a panic room than like a fridge. It can only be locked from the inside. The controls are also inside, so if something like last night ever happens again, they can’t play around with those. Also…”

He stopped in front of the door and opened it, gently leading you inside, where he pointed to a corner that was void of any shelves.

“This is a latch that leads into an actual panic room. Once inside, it locks down, and nothing except for maybe a nuclear bomb will be able to get in there. It’s outfitted with screens that show what’s going on up here, a landline, and a burner phone, as well as a bed and enough food and water to last three people two weeks. It has everything you could need in case anything happens. And as soon as it locks down, there will be an alert sent to my phone, as well to the phones of all of my employees.”

He spun you around again, gently cradling your face in his hands.

“Like I said, I won’t let anything happen to you. No matter where you are.”

You nodded, a soft smile on your face as he carefully wiped away the few tears that were running down your face. It had been so long since you felt so loved. Still, smiling, you watched as Simon slowly leaned down, your eyes fluttering shut as his lips ghosted over yours.

“Boss?”

Thanks to your proximity, you heard and felt him sigh, clearly annoyed, as he slowly pulled back, before he glanced toward the entrance to the kitchen. There was a tall, blonde man, clad in a dark suit. He glanced at you, before focusing on Simon.

“What is it, Graves?”

Simon’s arms remained around you as he glares at the man who just interrupted you two. The blonde man obviously felt uncomfortable as he kept glancing between the two of you before he finally spoke up.

“A call for you. It’s urgent.”

Simon nodded, pecking your lips before he pulled away and walked to the man, whispering a quick ‘I’m sorry’ as he was leaving. You just smiled as you watched him go, taking the opportunity to look around by yourself. You peeked into all the cabinets and every corner, finding new, amazing, and really expensive utensils. Even the cutlery was new, replaced by a set that had been designed by one of your favorite chefs.

The more you looked around, the more your fingers started to itch, wanting to try everything out. You walked to the wall, where you had installed a hook to hold your apron, and were pleasantly surprised when you saw that it was more or less the only thing that remained of your old bakery. As you were about to pull it on, Simon interrupted, clearing his throat as he leaned against the wall next to the swinging door that led into the kitchen.

“What are you doing?”

He looked at you, amusement swimming in his eyes. But you just shrugged.

“Bake something. I really want to try everything out.”

With a chuckle, he crossed the distance between you two, wrapping you up in his arms again.

“May I ask…with what ingredients?”

That’s when you finally realized that he was right. There was nothing here you could use to make something. Not even flour.

As you stood there, surprised and still, Simon squeezed you tightly, before taking your apron and hanging it on the hook.

“Come, that’s our next stop.”

Please consider reblogging and following me! It helps a lot!

Call of Duty - Masterlist

Master-Masterlist

Tags: @lunamoonbby @distinguishedprincesstrash @xanvasy @reader-1290 (thought you might like to be tagged, if not just let me know!)

Like what you're reading? Buy me a coffee!

[downbadf0rficppl]

always been you

Poe Dameron x F!Reader

Summary: Miscommunications happen. Less so when you work in communications, but they happen.

Word Count: 4.8K

Warnings: Slight blood warning, a smidge of angst, and a handful of smut :)

Repost

Home meant different things to different people. To some, it meant green rolling hills and the sound of wild animals running through the forests, some hunting, some hiding. To some, it looked more like the cold cityscapes of somewhere like Corellia or Daiyu - where day could be night and night could be day because the city never slept. More like the planet never slept.

To you, home meant a dark room in the back of the compound on D'Qar, where you sat for hours on end. It meant the whirring of plane engines and the whooshing of blast doors. It meant ration meals and celebrating when there were enough jogan fruits in season to make jogan fruitcake. It meant the constant fear that someone you loved may not come home.

You had grown up on Dantooine, maintaining the old rebel base there with your father - an ex-pilot with the rebellion. He'd taught you all about the world of space flight and you'd decided early on that maybe you preferred the ground. Oh, the irony.

At 19, you moved to Coruscant - under no threat from enemies, the base on Dantooine was not needed. You moved away to find a job that could give a life of comfort. Maybe you just needed some excitement in your life that didn't involve exploding wires or stealing your dad's glasses.

When General Organa started recruiting for the resistance, you were one of the first ones there. You distanced yourself from your father's legacy, not wanting the pressure of being someone's someone to be held over your head.

You settled into the anonymity of comms comfortably, making decent friends with your co-workers.

Days came and went working for the resistance. Soon enough, you'd been for a year, and then 2, and then it had been so long since you'd left Dantooine that you could barely remember what your life was like there.

The cantina was empty when you walked in. To your knowledge, black and blue squadrons were out on a field mission, but no one else was in sight. You walked around the base, looking for any signs of life. Dear Maker, had they all evacuated and forgotten about you.

You walked over to the med wing, hoping to see someone. And you saw, well, everyone. Apparently, half of those on base had come down with food poisoning. Wonderful.

You were called in to speak with General Organa, who assigned you double and triple shifts, considering you were the only one of 6 comms officers who hadn't come down with food poisoning. Wonderful.

You had spent all day, without rest, in comms, checking data logs for gold squadron, assisting in decoding transmission, and helping base mechanics with routine repairs. Essentially a normal day in the office, but six-fold the responsibilities. You went to bed, with your head swimming with responsibilities for the next day - hopefully, someone would be able to help you.

You woke up to the sound of your alarm blaring loudly. You groggily headed to the cantina for a cup of Caf before heading back to comms.

You picked some undecoded transmissions, before starting on some reports for General Organa. You barely had enough time to stop for a meal, grabbing the first thing you could see before heading back to comms.

Black and Blue squadron were currently MIA. They had radioed in earlier in the morning saying they were ok without radio connection while there was a shortage of comms officers. Still, it didn't mean you weren't worried about them.

"Black Leader to Base, come in."

You scrambled over to your headset and plugged it into the system, "Alpha 4 to Black Leader, you're a go for Base. What seems to be the problem?"

"We're running low on fuel, any republic supporters in the outer rim?" Poe's voice came through as you tried to lock on to his location.

"Where you are, the chances are slim, Black Leader." You sighed, as his location pops up on the screen. He was so far in the Outer Rim, where so many remained Empire supporters. Even with many ports on neighbouring planets, there were few ways that they could make it out of them safely.

You had an idea. "Black Leader, can you make a single jump."

"Just about."

"I'll send the coordinates, get ready to jump."

While Black and Blue Squadron jumped, you connected another line.

"Hi, dad."

"Hi, sweetheart." Your father's tired voice rang through the headset, "What can I do for you?"

"I'm sorry to bother you, dad-"

"It's ok, sweetheart. What do you need?"

"I have 2 squadrons that need fuel. Any chance you could help?"

"Of course, sweetheart. In fact, I've just seen them enter the atmosphere."

"Thanks, dad. Love you."

"I love you too."

Your dad cut the line to go and help the pilots. You swallowed the lump in your throat. You always felt guilty asking your father for help. He never quite knew how to say no.

You stayed up well into the early hours of the morning, signing off paperwork and compiling mission reports for Captain Dameron and Captain Wexley to sign off on.

In fact, you had worked so late that you heard Black and Blue Squadron's land the next morning. You heard them raucously walk through the halls to the cantina. You sighed. A small break wouldn't do any harm, right?

Wrong. As soon as you got up, a beeping from your headset rang through the room. General Holdo needed some data to do with her mission, so you were back to sifting through mission reports to send her what she needed.

By the time, you had signed off with her, Jak (one of your fellow comms officers) strolled into comms.

He ruffled your hair affectionately, "You're a legend, four."

You had known Jak since your days on Coruscant. You had shared an apartment when you were new to the city and he really showed you the ropes. You probably wouldn't be as trusted by the resistance as you were, had it not been for Jak.

"How are you feeling?" You asked, eyes still trained on the screen.

"I'm fine." He settled down next to you, grabbing a headset, "You, on the other hand, have seen better days. Maker, have you even looked at yourself in the mirror!"

You punched him in the arm, "My name's not Captain I-cannot-survive-without-my-mirrors Dameron." He feigned an injury, falling onto the floor and hollering in pain. The delirium of sleep deprivation was getting you, as you doubled over in fits of giggles, tears streaming down your face.

In fact, you were laughing so hard, you didn't even hear Captain Dameron walk in.

"What's so funny?" He said, walking in and clapping Jak on the back. The two of you looked at each other, and burst into more fits of giggles. "You know what, I'm just not going to ask." Jak handed him the stack of papers that you had left for him to sign off.

Dameron walked out with the sheets, and you stood up to stretch your back. "You should get some food in you," Jak nods towards the Cantina, "I can hold the fort down until you get back."

The cantina is practically empty when you walk in, and you grab a sandwich before heading back to comms. What greets you is a relieving sight. Two of the other comms officers have returned to comms.

"You look rough," Drex said, nursing a healing tonic from med bay. Clearly, they were still suffering the after-effects of the food poisoning.

"So, I've been told," you elbowed Jak in the ribs as he laughed heartily. You sat down and returned to the paperwork you had left behind. A connection came in, which Jak responded to immediately.

After a beat, he beckoned you over, handing you the headset, "It's your favourite. Captain Dameron."

You let out a huff, before putting the headset on. You sat down.

"Alpha 4 for Black Leader, you're a go."

"Well, hello, my new favourite comms officer. How are you on this fine morning?" He said, smugness colouring his tone as he prepared to take off.

"I hope you aren't trying to flirt with me, Poe?" You smirked through your question.

"Oh, I am. I most definitely am." Poe laughed.

"How unfortunate for you." Poe laughed again.

You led him through his routine surveillance trip, making funny quips throughout. Poe responds almost exclusively through chortles and guffaws.

"How come I've never actually spoken to you on base?"

"I don't know, maybe because you've always got one of those pretty girls on your arm?"

"Oh, you're real pretty, Alpha 4, just gotta give me a chance, hun." Poe thought you were pretty.

You laugh again, "In your dreams, Captain."

There was a beat of silence, before Poe piped up, "someone special at home?" You swallow guiltily.

Ever since you first met Poe, you had been head over heels in love with him. Sure he was good-looking, and his reputation in the bedroom preceded him, but beyond that, he was charming, funny, and he cared. About everyone. Not just his superiors, or his friends, but even stupid kids who had no idea what they were doing when they landed on base.

You thought of his face, his beautifully warm brown eyes, his stupidly floppy hair, "Yeah, someone real special. I'm just hoping he'll give me a chance back on base."

"He'd be stupid not to."

"You're just saying that."

"I mean it, 4, he'd have to be blind to not see what a catch you are." You can tell by Poe's tone that he is being genuine.

"Thanks, Poe, you're clear to return to base. See on the other side."

You hear Poe land as you head back to your room. He calls your name as he is walking.

"Hey, 4, wait up!" You wait patiently as he, and BB8, catch up to you. "About this guy."

"Poe, let it go."

"I'm serious, 4. I can help you get that date."

"No, I mean it, Poe. Let it go. You can't help me here." You stare straight into his eyes. Big mistake. You get lost easily, wanting to let the warmth cocoon you into a false safety until the rest of eternity.

You shake yourself back to reality, walking away from him and leaving him confused and annoyed.

Days pass, and you find that Poe has pushed himself further and further away from you. You were still his chosen comms officer, but he avoided you on the base. You felt bad. He'd practically confessed that he thought you were pretty and you'd turned him away, letting him believe that there was someone you were pining after. Even though that person was Poe.

You had tried to talk to Poe before he went on a mission alone to Coruscant, but he walked away, feigning that he was busy. He even deflected your questions in the air, and turned his transmission signal off when he got to Coruscant. You were fuming.

How dare he put himself in danger with no chance of backup?

Realistically, your anger wasn't anger at all. You were worried for Poe. Even if he wasn't your Poe.

You vowed to have that conversation with him when he returned.

Poe couldn't stop thinking about you. He hadn't since he first spoke to you about 6 months ago. Before that, he just thought you were pretty. But once he realised that, not only were you beautiful, but you were also smart and had a sarcasm to match his, well he was a goner.

When you told him, that there was someone else, he saw red. He wanted to put his first through the fucker's face, but goddammit, he would do anything to help you.

So he offered to help you get that date. It was a mostly harmless offer, and he didn't really expect you to take him up on it, but he put it out there nonetheless.

What he didn't expect was for you to raise your voice and storm away. He was shocked.

He figured he overstepped some undrawn boundary, and he felt guilty. So he tried to give you space, give you distance. He'd give you anything if you even mentioned it once. But, jealousy took over his previously well-intentioned thoughts. If you wanted someone else, fine, you could have them. But Poe couldn't watch you get them.

He didn't want to take the mission on Coruscant. He wasn't a spy, he was a flamboyant and show-off-y pilot. But he didn't want to see you in another man's arms. So he took it.

That was what landed him in his current predicament: tied to a chair in the basement of one Zek Shadej - an ex-smuggler who turned to an arms dealership for the higher paycheck.

Zek slaps Poe. He demands, once again, to know what a pilot for the Resistance is doing at a gala for the low lives of the galaxy. He didn't word it that way but the sentiment still stands. Poe says nothing, just spitting a mixture of blood and saliva at Zek's shoes. Zek curses and heads to the door: "I'm done with him. Dispose of him."

The guards left in the room stalk toward him, blasters unsheathed and ready to fire. Poe uses the pin you gave him to cut through the ropes binding his hands.

It was his fifth birthday on base, he reckoned. With different systems, and different lengths of orbits, it was hard to know for sure, but he knew the rest of Black Squadron were planning his celebration for today. So he remained in bed, lying on top of the sheets, head propped up on his arm.

A gentle knock rang through his room. He'd told the person to come in, and you did. Armed with a giddy smile and a small wrapped package. Poe had no idea where you had found wrapping paper, or why you would buy him a present but here you were.

"Jess said it was your birthday today. Thought I'd give you something neat." You said, approaching him nervously. He swung his legs and sat upright, pulling your arm so you were standing right in front of him. He looks up at you through his eyelashes, taking in your kind face. You and Poe were hardly friends, but how he wished you could be more.

"So, what did you get for me, pretty girl?" Poe rests his callous hardened hands on your hips - he liked the feel of your soft skin under his palms. He also liked how sensitive you were to his touch - your flushed expression and lust-filled gaze confirmed it.

You handed him the small parcel, "I hope you like it."

He takes it from you, pulling you to sit beside him. He opens it with careful hands to find a small pin. A Yavin Parakeet. Poe's favourite bird.

"They used to symbolise freedom. Like you do." You whispered the last part.

Poe had never wanted to kiss you so much.

Poe threw the chair he had been sitting on at one of the guards. He landed on the floor with a loud groan, his blaster skidding to a halt at Poe's feet. It was Poe's lucky day.

He shot the other 2 guards, dashing out of the basement onto the catering floor. He escaped through a back door, a few of the staff giving his bloody face and dishevelled appearance a double look. He sprinted through the streets to a docking station a few miles east. Zek sent a few men after him, but Poe was smart, and he knew Coruscant well. He dodged the men, and fired up his X-wing. He had Leia's intel safely stored in his shirt pocket.

His X-wing was severely damaged - his landing gear compromised and the transmission antenna bent at an awkward angle. He took off precariously - he knew he'd have to stop somewhere to fix the ship and refuel. He remembered the old outpost on Dantooine. Your dad's outpost.

He lightspeed jumped into the sector, breaking through the atmosphere mere seconds later. The landing was rough and he saw your father running towards the ship, blaster raised.

"Come out, slowly and unarmed. Do anything I don't like the look of, and I shoot."

"It's me. It's Poe. I came by a couple of days ago. I promise I mean no harm."

The old man lowered his blaster. He tucked his shoulder under Poe and helped him inside, "Let's get you looked at, son." Despite the pain, Poe smiled. Son. He liked that.

Your father patched Poe up, offering him a nice meal and a shower. While Poe cleaned up, your father called you.

"Hey, dad, what can I do for you?" You respond, your brain still focussed on the transmissions you were decoding.

"I wouldn't call if it wasn't necessary-"

"I know, Dad. What do you need?"

"I got one of your guys," your ears pricked up, "and his ship is damaged. I need to know how to fix it. Think you can help?"

"Yeah, of course. I don't remember sending anyone your way though, think you can tell me who it is?"

Your dad grunts as he climbs up the ladder, radio tucked under his chin, "yeah, it's the pretty boy from a few days ago. The captain. Can't remember his name."

"It's Dameron. Who're you talking to?" Poe comes out wiping his hands on a towel. Despite this man being your father, years in the resistance had warned him against trusting strangers.

"My daughter. She's telling me how to fix your ship."

"4? I wouldn't trust her anywhere near my ship."

"I heard that you know," you laughed. You brought up the specs for the X-wing, "I'll send you a copy of the spec - that's probably more useful than anything I have to say."

Your dad laughed and you sent him the specs.

"Good luck, boys," you ended the transmission.

The rest of the day was spent fixing the ship. Poe and your dad made good small talk - they were both pilots. They had a lot in common. They also both loved you. They had that in common too.

"Go clean up, Poe. I'll make us dinner." Your father said, standing up and heading toward the kitchen. Poe smiled. He liked this life.

Poe was back on base by nightfall the next day. You waited for him as he got checked up on in med, and then you walked with him to his room. The silence was deafening.

You followed him into his room, watched his every movement. He milled about, putting on clean clothes, washing his hands, and combing through his hair. His whole body was still tensed up from the mission - you wanted to stop him, hug him, do something. But you couldn't. He didn't want you near him. He was angry at you, and rightfully so.

"Your dad's nice." You looked up at him. Poe still had his back turned, but his shoulder had relaxed. You wanted to run your fingers down his back. "Peculiar, but nice."

You smiled softly, "He's lonely. Not that fun living on an abandoned base in the middle of nowhere."

Poe sat down on his chair, and you walked towards him. You placed your hands on his shoulder, gently soothing the knots out of his muscles. He leaned his head back, a low moan of satisfaction left his throat. The sound went straight through your body, eliciting shivers.

"Talk to me. Tell me what went wrong," you whispered in his ear, not wanting to break the calmness that swept through the room.

Poe shook his head, bringing you in front of him. He leaned his head against your stomach, hands coming to rest at your hips. You tangled your fingers in his hair, and he grunted in appreciation. You shivered again.

He chuckled, "you like that?" Your face blushed a bright red. Poe laughed again, before leaning to kiss your stomach. He kissed up through the valley in between your breasts, and up your neck. He stayed there for a minute, nipping and suckling at your neck, before making his way to your face.

He was fully standing now, his hands moved to your face, and he gently dotted kisses everywhere. Your cheeks. Your eyes, which had fallen shut at his ministrations. Your forehead, then your chin. He kissed the sides of your lips, and you let out a soft moan, begging for more.

"Greedy, are we?" He asked, his voice much lower than before. You opened your eyes to see a smug grin painted on his face. You didn't care.

You grabbed his face and brought his lips to yours. It seems he got the memo because as soon as his lips touched yours, he took over. His tongue slipped into your mouth and stroked yours gently.

He tapped your thigh gently, a signal to jump, and he carried you over to his bed, depositing you on the edge gently, dislodging his lips from yours. He knelt down in front of the bed, pulling your closer to him by your legs.

"Tell me to stop." He looked up at you, his pupils blown wide, as he took your dishevelled appearance in. Like a predator looks at his prey.

"Please don't."

He pulled your boots and cargo pants off, kissing up your legs. The arousal pooled between your legs, and you moan.

"So fucking wet, and I haven't even touched you yet." You whine pathetically, trying to pull Poe closer to where you want him. He just laughs.

"Bet the other guy couldn't do this to you. That's why you need me, ain't that right?" You whine again, "Need me to take care of you, baby girl, ain't that right?"

"Please, Poe."

"Please what, baby girl? What do you need?" Poe whispers, cheekiness glinting in his eyes.

"Please, fuck me, Poe." He smiled.

"As you wish."

He pulled your underwear down your legs and stared enamoured between your trembling things, "Such a pretty fucking pussy."

You threw your head back as he dove face-first into your folds. He kissed your mound lightly, before rubbing soothing circles around your clit. You buck up, the pleasure unlike any you've ever known, and Poe presses a hand onto your abdomen, locking you in place.

"Don't deprive me of my meal, honey," He whispers into your pussy.

He continues his assault, testing the waters of what you did and didn't like. You liked when he went fast, when he went slow, you got impatient. Maybe it was time to teach you some patience. But the low whines and moans were too much for Poe to bear. Soon your thighs were clamped around his head as you let out a loud moan, and you came undone under his touch. He lapped up every last bit of your release as if he'd been left in the deserts of Jakku without any water for years. And the moans. Oh Maker, his moans. You thought it impossible for a man to enjoy himself that much. But from the way he gripped your thighs, and pulled his body in further, you could tell he never wanted to pull away.

You laid limp on the bed as Poe stood up, and peeled his clothes off his body. You stared shamelessly. It wasn't the first time you'd seen Poe shirtless, but you'd barred yourself from staring then. Now it was allowed.

He smiled at your shameless ogling, and grabbed your hand, pulling you to stand up, pressed against him. You could feel his still-clothed cock, pushing into your abdomen, and you could feel it throbbing at the contact. You sunk down onto your knees, hands fiddling with his zipper.

He pulled you away and shook his head. "Not now."

He pushes you back onto the bed and crawls over you, his lips reconnecting to yours. He had unzipped his pants and kicked off his boots, leaving a pile on the floor.

"Tell me if it hurts." Poe kisses under your jaw before pushing inside.

Holy Maker, he's big.

His cock stretches you out deliciously. He pushes into you until he's settled within you and waits for you to adjust. The initial pain fades into pleasure and soon you're begging for him to move.

"You sound so pretty when you beg, baby. Bet you wouldn't beg for anyone else." Nevertheless, he moves.

He starts slow, getting used to feeling you around him. You want more.

"Please, Poe. Faster. Please, please, please." You beg him, screams ripping through your throat.

He picks up the pace, relentless now. Fast and hard. The room filled with the sounds of skin slapping skin, mixed together with both your moans. You feel the pressure building up and your moans get louder. Poe chased his own release as you got closer and closer to the edge.

"Poe, I'm gonna... gonna come. Please, Poe..." Poe slowed down a fraction, pulling you further from the edge. You whined pathetically.

"Tell me you're mine. Only mine." You smiled through your lust-induced haze.

"Only yours, Poe. Always yours." He picked up the pace again, and the coil begins to tighten. Poe's moans push you over the edge, and you cum hard. So hard that your whole body feels electrified, your toes curling in pleasure. Poe fucks you through your high, turning your entire body to jelly. He pulls out and shoots his ropes over your body.

You smile. You lift a finger up to your chest and lick Poe's cum off your chest, moaning at the taste. The filth of the act clearly affected Poe, as his eyes closed in pleasure. He moaned lowly, grabbing your hands and pressing kisses to them. You closed your eyes, falling back onto the bed.

Poe disappeared into the refresher, grabbing a clean towel and dampening it, before returning to clean you up. You looked confused. No one had ever done that for you before. He wiped your chest and between your thighs, before carrying you to the bathroom. You washed your face and brushed your teeth with one of the spare toothbrushes in Poe's refresher, before heading back out.

Poe was gone.

You were confused, given that he had changed his sheets and left you a spare t-shirt and pair of boxers to change into. You sat down on the edge of his bed, stretching your legs, a pleasant ache settling between them. Where the hell could he have gone?

A few seconds late, someone knocked, "Are you decent?" Poe.

"Yeah, come in." You stood up, shuffling your feet. Poe walked in, shirt almost completely undone, carrying 2 bottles of water from the cantina. Your heart almost burst.

He opened one of the bottles handing it to you, before leading you back to bed. You took a few sips, the coldness soothing your throat that was raw from screaming.

He laid back on his bed and beckoned your closer to him. You curled into his arms and reached up to fiddle with his hair. You both sat in silent reverie - taking in each other's company.

"Will I see you again?" Poe broke the silence timidly, running a knuckle over your cheek.

"You see me every day, Poe," You tease him gently, "You see me in the corridors, and in the cantina, and sometimes even after you get back from a mission." Poe slapped your ass, causing you to burst into laughter. He pulls you closer to his body.

"I mean it. Is this just a one-time thing? Given your - um - crush on the other guy?" You stay silent, "Is he a pilot? Is that why you're not telling me?" You nod your head, trying to hide your smile. You felt bad for not telling him, but it was funny.

"He's a pilot. But that's not why I'm not telling you." Poe frowns, creases appearing between his eyebrows.

"Is he a superior officer? Does he live on base?"

You decide to keep teasing him, "Yeah, he's a Captain." You look into Poe's eyes. "He's definitely my favourite person on base." Poe's frown turns into a scowl.

"He has the most beautiful brown eyes and the most amazing hair that I always want to run my fingers through," You tangle your hair in his, pulling it just the way he likes. "He's cocky, and he's so sexy. And he knows that he's sexy too." Poe tries pushing you away, rolling from his side to his back, but you just cling to him tighter. You place a kiss on his jaw and then on his ear.

"Why are you here, then? In my bed? In my clothes?" He says, jealousy and annoyance evident in his voice. You feel bad.

"You wanna know his name?"

"Not really. Then I'd know who I wanna punch, but I still wouldn't be able to do it."

"I don't really think it's possible to punch yourself." Poe turns to face you, the jealousy in his eyes fading into hope.

"What?" You just smile. "You love me?"

"I didn't lie, Poe. I'm yours. Always yours." He kisses you, hard, not giving you any space to breathe.

"You're not just saying that," He breathes, pulling away just enough to speak. You reconnect your lips to his, and he pulls you on top of him, your thighs around his torso. You look deep into his eyes, his pupils so dilated as if he couldn't get enough of you.

"It's always been you."

fin.

buy me a coffee

[seat-safety-switch]

All across the world, there is a rush by marketeers to sell you new appliances. The last couple decades of increasingly-shitty build quality have failed to plump their margins enough, so now they're trying the carrot. Now, when you buy a refrigerator, it can be connected to the internet. Some ovens need to be connected to the internet, or they can't cook a turkey. If you went back in time and explained this state of affairs to someone in the Victorian Era, they'd shoot you.

When did our civilization lose its inherent distrust of machines pretending to be human? Half of our most popular science-fiction franchises are about a glad-handing, smiling robot trying to steal or murder our children. Now we're going to let a refrigerator lock down access to nutrients for those same children, because it couldn't resolve DNS? No more of this, I say, which is why I've started a new business.

Here at Appliance Endumbinators, our crack team of computer scientists, computer engineers, and angry people with hammers will work hard to remove any semblance of "intelligence" from your appliances. If you bought a new barbecue and it refuses to work unless you use factory-authorized propane, we'll rip its circuit boards out and splice together the miles of wiring that make up its nervous system until it gives in. We'll find your car and use an angle grinder to cut out the part of its positronic brain that obeys speed limits. And just for laughs, we'll duct-tape a thrift store alarm clock to your coffee maker, so that it can still have your brew ready for breakfast.

Book us in now, before the machines have their way with you. Become the master of your own home, comfortable with the most idiotic of automatons as you watch your neighbours suffer with thousand-page manuals, helpless service calls, and outsourced below-minimum-wage customer support just to toast a waffle.

[springhillspeedyelectrician]

[warningsine]

Living online means never quite understanding what’s happening to you at a given moment. Why these search results? Why this product recommendation? There is a feeling—often warranted, sometimes conspiracy-minded—that we are constantly manipulated by platforms and websites.

So-called dark patterns, deceptive bits of web design that can trick people into certain choices online, make it harder to unsubscribe from a scammy or unwanted newsletter; they nudge us into purchases. Algorithms optimized for engagement shape what we see on social media and can goad us into participation by showing us things that are likely to provoke strong emotional responses. But although we know that all of this is happening in aggregate, it’s hard to know specifically how large technology companies exert their influence over our lives.

This week, Wired published a story by the former FTC attorney Megan Gray that illustrates the dynamic in a nutshell. The op-ed argued that Google alters user searches to include more lucrative keywords. For example, Google is said to surreptitiously replace a query for “children’s clothing” with “NIKOLAI-brand kidswear” on the back end in order to direct users to lucrative shopping links on the results page. It’s an alarming allegation, and Ned Adriance, a spokesperson for Google, told me that it’s “flat-out false.” Gray, who is also a former vice president of the Google Search competitor DuckDuckGo, had seemingly misinterpreted a chart that was briefly presented during the company’s ongoing U.S. et al v. Google trial, in which the company is defending itself against charges that it violated federal antitrust law. (That chart, according to Adriance, represents a “phrase match” feature that the company uses for its ads product; “Google does not delete queries and replace them with ones that monetize better as the opinion piece suggests, and the organic results you see in Search are not affected by our ads systems,” he said.)

Gray told me, “I stand by my larger point—the Google Search team and Google ad team worked together to secretly boost commercial queries, which triggered more ads and thus revenue. Google isn’t contesting this, as far as I know.” In a statement, Chelsea Russo, another Google spokesperson, reiterated that the company’s products do not work this way and cited testimony from Google VP Jerry Dischler that “the organic team does not take data from the ads team in order to affect its ranking and affect its result.” Wired did not respond to a request for comment. Last night, the publication removed the story from its website, noting that it does not meet Wired’s editorial standards.

It’s hard to know what to make of these competing statements. Gray’s specific facts may be wrong, but the broader concerns about Google’s business—that it makes monetization decisions that could lead the product to feel less useful or enjoyable—form the heart of the government’s case against the company. None of this is easy to untangle in plain English—in fact, that’s the whole point of the trial. For most of us, evidence about Big Tech’s products tends to be anecdotal or fuzzy—more vibes-based than factual. Google may not be altering billions of queries in the manner that the Wired story suggests, but the company is constantly tweaking and ranking what we see, while injecting ads and proprietary widgets into our feed, thereby altering our experience. And so we end up saying that Google Search is less useful now or that shopping on Amazon has gotten worse. These tools are so embedded in our lives that we feel acutely that something is off, even if we can’t put our finger on the technical problem.

That’s changing. In the past month, thanks to a series of antitrust actions on behalf of the federal government, hard evidence of the ways that Silicon Valley’s biggest companies are wielding their influence is trickling out. Google’s trial is under way, and while the tech giant is trying to keep testimony locked down, the past four weeks have helped illustrate—via internal company documents and slide decks like the one cited by Wired—how Google has used its war chest to broker deals and dominate the search market. Perhaps the specifics of Gray’s essay were off, but we have learned, for instance, how company executives considered adjusting Google’s products to lead to more “monetizable queries.” And just last week, the Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Amazon alleging anticompetitive practices. (Amazon has called the suit “misguided.”)

Filings related to that suit have delivered a staggering revelation concerning a secretive Amazon algorithm code-named Project Nessie. The particulars of Nessie were heavily redacted in the public complaint, but this week The Wall Street Journal revealed details of the program. According to the unredacted complaint, a copy of which I have also viewed, Nessie—which is no longer in use—monitored industry prices of specific goods to determine whether competitors were algorithmically matching Amazon’s prices. In the event that competitors were, Nessie would exploit this by systematically raising prices on goods across Amazon, encouraging its competitors to follow suit. Amazon, via the algorithm, knew that it would be able to charge more on its own site, because it didn’t have to worry about being undercut elsewhere, thereby making the broader online shopping experience worse for everyone. An Amazon spokesperson told the Journal that the FTC is mischaracterizing the tool, and suggested that Nessie was a way to monitor competitor pricing and keep price-matching algorithms from dropping prices to unsustainable levels (the company did not respond to my request for comment).

In the FTC’s telling, Project Nessie demonstrates the sheer scope of Amazon’s power in online markets. The project arguably amounted to a form of unilateral price fixing, where Amazon essentially goaded its competitors into acting like cartel members without even knowing they’d done so—all while raising prices on consumers. It’s an astonishing form of influence, powered by behind-the-scenes technology.

The government will need to prove whether this type of algorithmic influence is illegal. But even putting legality aside, Project Nessie is a sterling example of the way that Big Tech has supercharged capitalistic tendencies and manipulated markets in unnatural and opaque ways. It demonstrates the muscle that a company can throw around when it has consolidated its position in a given sector. The complaint alleges that Amazon’s reach and logistics capabilities force third-party sellers to offer products on Amazon and for lower prices than other retailers. Once it captured a significant share of the retail market, Amazon was allegedly able to use algorithmic tools such as Nessie to drive prices up for specific products, boosting revenues and manipulating competitors.

Reading about Project Nessie, I was surprised to feel a sense of relief. In recent years, customer-satisfaction ratings have dipped among Amazon shoppers who have cited delivery disruptions, an explosion of third-party sellers, and poor-quality products as reasons for frustration. In my own life and among friends and relatives, there has been a growing feeling that shopping on the platform has become a slog, with fewer deals and far more junk to sift through. Again, these feelings tend to occupy vibe territory: Amazon’s bigness seems stifling or grating in ways that aren’t always easy to explain. But Nessie offers a partial explanation for this frustration, as do revelations about Google’s various product adjustments. We have the sense that we’re being manipulated because, well, we are. It’s a bit like feeling vaguely sick, going to the doctor, and receiving a blood-test result confirming that, yes, the malaise you experienced is actually an iron deficiency. It is the catharsis of, at long last, receiving a diagnosis.

This is the true power of the surge in anti-monopoly litigation. (According to experts in the field, September was “the most extraordinary month they have ever seen in antitrust.”) Whether or not any of these lawsuits results in corporate breakups or lasting change, they are, effectively, an MRI of our sprawling digital economy—a forensic look at what these larger-than-life technology companies are really doing, and how they are exerting their influence and causing damage. It is confirmation that what so many of us have felt—that the platforms dictating our online experiences are behaving unnaturally and manipulatively—is not merely a paranoid delusion, but the effect of an asymmetrical relationship between the giants of scale and us, the users.

In recent years, it’s been harder to love the internet, a miracle of connectivity that feels ever more bloated, stagnant, commercialized, and junkified. We are just now starting to understand the specifics of this transformation—the true influence of Silicon Valley’s vise grip on our lives. It turns out that the slow rot we might feel isn’t just in our heads, after all.

[winxanity-ii]

⌜I Love, Robot | Chapter 06 Chapter 06 | directive override⌟

╰ ⌞🇨‌🇭‌🇦‌🇵‌🇹‌🇪‌🇷‌ 🇮‌🇳‌🇩‌🇪‌🇽‌⌝

❘ prev. chapter ❘༻✦༺❘ next chapter ❘

As you helped Andy to his feet, his body still shuddering from the aftereffects of the stun baton, you could feel the tension in the air between the group.

Rain moved toward the locked door, her steps urgent, her voice cracking with desperation. "Andy! Andy! Open the door!" Rain's voice trembled, her hand pounding against the cold, metallic surface of the airlock, as if her plea alone could unlock it.

Andy's reboot had been slow. His expression was still blank, as though his systems were struggling to catch up with the situation. "Sorry," he murmured, his voice soft but devoid of its usual warmth. "I couldn't stop them."

Rain's eyes flashed with panic as she heard Tyler's voice call out to Bjorn. "Bjorn? What's going on?" Tyler's voice was sharp as he heard Bjorn's erratic breathing on the other side.

"Andy's gone crazy!" Bjorn crackled through the intercom, his voice a bitter snarl.

You looked over, catching the dread in Rain's eyes, her face pale and drawn. "What are you doing? You gotta come back for us, mate," Tyler said, a hint of fear creeping into his tone "We just need to get out of this damn airlock before this ship—"

"Not before she turns off the psychopath," Bjorn's words were quick and venomous, cutting through the chaos as Rain turned to face you and Andy, her expression a mixture of confusion and terror.

You stepped over, feeling the weight of the moment press down on your chest. "We don't have time for this shit!" you shouted, cutting through the mounting tension. "We need to focus on getting out—all of us."

But before anyone could react, a loud, screeching alarm filled the air, piercing through the station. The entire Romulus seemed to shudder under your feet, and in that split second, you felt a sickening lurch in your stomach.

The Corbelan, for some reason, had begun to spin out of control.

From the corner of your eye, you could see the flashing lights of the ship's navigation panel flicker wildly as the hauler veered off its course, its thrusters sputtering before crashing hard—first into a nearby fuel tank, then a little further down.

The impact was devastating.

The force of the crash sent you sprawling to the floor, your head slamming against the cold metal with a sharp thud. The air was knocked from your lungs as the entire station groaned under the strain, metal shrieking in protest as it buckled and twisted around you.

"Shit!" you cursed, trying to push yourself up, but your limbs felt heavy, the weight of the chaos pressing down on you. A thick, acrid smell filled the air as fuel began to leak from the ruptured tanks, the harsh scent stinging your nose and burning your throat.

Sparks flew from overhead wiring, some of the lights flickering out as the station destabilized. The entire room tilted slightly, and you could hear the deep, ominous creak of the Romulus groaning under the sudden pressure.

Panic clawed at your chest as you realized the whole station had been thrown off balance by the impact. You forced yourself to stand despite the dizziness swirling in your head.

You felt Andy's hands on your arm, steadying you with surprising strength. He seemed unaffected by the chaos; his eyes locked onto you with that same blank, detached expression. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice calm, eerily calm given the disaster unfolding around you.

"Yeah..." you managed to reply, though your head was still spinning from the fall. "I'm fine."

You watched Rain fall to her knees, her hands gripping the cold metal wall as if it were the only thing keeping her upright. Her wide eyes filled with panic, darting between you and Andy, and the fear in her voice sent a chill down your spine.

"Andy!" Rain's cry echoed through the unstable station, her voice cracking under the weight of her desperation. "You have to open the door. We're not going to make it!"

You rushed to her side, kneeling next to her, your hands immediately going to her shoulders in an attempt to steady her. "Rain, breathe—just breathe. We'll figure this out," you said, though even as the words left your mouth, the doubt gnawed at you.

Time was running out faster than you could process.

You cast a glance back toward Andy, who had been staring at the door with an unsettling calm, as though the chaos meant nothing to him.

Something inside him had shifted; that much was clear. He didn't seem to hear Rain's pleas—didn't react to her fear.

Instead, his focus shifted to the far end of the room, where the damaged synthetic, Officer Rook, lay slumped against the wall.

Andy moved toward Rook, his steps unnervingly precise, like someone on a mission.

Behind you, Tyler frantically fumbled with his headset, calling out through the crackling static, his voice filled with panic. "Bjorn! Bjorn, what the hell are you doing? You have to come back for us—now!"

There was no response from Bjorn. Only silence—the thick, terrifying kind that made your heart pound harder against your ribcage.

You knew something had gone horribly wrong.

You turned your gaze back to Andy just as he knelt beside Rook, his hand reaching out to touch the damaged synthetic's chest.

For a moment, everything seemed to still, the sounds of the station fading into the background as you watched Andy lean closer to Rook.

The world had narrowed to the singular task in front of him—information, orders, directives. His system was running its calculations, weighing the risks, the best possible outcomes.

They had miscalculated.

"You said we had more hours," Andy stated, his voice soft but steady as he examined Rook's damaged systems.

Rook's head jerked slightly, his voice crackling with static as he spoke. "The explosion has shifted the axis of the station. It will now hit the asteroid belt earlier."

Andy processed this new information—every possible path, every outcome—eyes briefly glancing toward the others. The image of destruction played out in perfect clarity in his mind. "Where did they land?" he asked, his tone devoid of emotion, already moving to the next step in the plan.

"The Romulus hangar," Rook replied, his voice eerily calm, pulling Andy from the flood of data. "On the other side of the station. Away." He then directed his voice toward the station's AI system, "Mother, what does substance Z-01's integrity look like?"

A brief pause.

Then, the smooth, automated voice of MOTHER echoed through the room. "75%"

"There is still hope." Rook's eyes flickered as he shifted slightly, his systems struggling. "We must find a way to the Romulus module," he added, his voice filled with a strange urgency.

Andy turned his attention back to him, something flickering in the back of his mind. The faint echo of a voice, a call that had led him to this moment. "I heard your voice in my head..." he said softly, his synthetic mind replaying the memory. "Calling me."

"N-D-255. Artificial person," Rook replied, his voice glitching slightly, but there was a strange respect in his tone. "Your model was the mainstay of our colonization push. An honor to me." He paused, his systems faltering as he tried to sit up straighter. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Research Officer Rook, and I respectfully request your assistance."

For a moment, there was hesitation—a glitch in the directive, a faint spark of an old program running deep in Andy's systems.

"Unfortunately," he began, his voice steady, "I only have one directive: Doing what is best for..." He stopped, the words hanging in the air as the data shifted inside his mind. Rook's words, the events of the station's destruction, the upgrade—it all began to merge into one singular path.

Rook tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing as he realized the shift happening inside Andy. "The directive in your upgrade overrides the old one."

"Yes," Andy replied, his voice blank, devoid of hesitation now. Andy's systems whirred as he recalculated his approach. "What is required of me, Mr. Officer?"

"That you complete our mission," Rook said quietly, his gaze locking with Andy's as he gave his final directive.

Andy nodded blankly, rising from his position next to Rook. The data was clear now.

He had to move.

He had to protect them—her.

You watched Andy stand, his movements slow and deliberate as he turned back to you, his movements fluid yet mechanical as he processed the information, relaying it with the same detachment that had become characteristic of his behavior since the upgrade.

He looked at you with that same unsettling calm, but there was something behind his eyes—something you couldn't quite read.

"The station has less time than we thought. We need to move. It's not safe here."

You blinked, the weight of his words hitting you like a physical force. "What do you mean?" you asked, your voice shaky. "How much time do we have?"

"Two hours," Andy replied, the words falling from his lips like a death sentence. "Maybe less."

You felt Rain's hand on your arm, her grip tight as if grounding herself to reality. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with fear.

The station had been destabilized, and every second spent lingering here was another step toward certain death.

"We can't stay here." Andy turned towards you. "It's not safe anymore. We need to find a way to the Romulus hangar," he said, his tone unchanging. "There may still be hope, but not if we stay here."

You gave him a quick nod, knowing there was no time to argue or question. "Let's go."

Andy turned and started walking ahead, his steps silent but purposeful.

You cast a glance at Rain, who stood frozen for a second, before she gathered herself, grabbing Tyler's arm. Tyler seemed dazed, still clutching his headset.

As you began following Andy, Rain and Tyler fell into step behind you. The tension between them was palpable, and you couldn't help but overhear their hushed conversation.

"It's all my fault," Tyler muttered, his voice laced with guilt.

"Yes, it is," Rain replied quietly, her tone cutting. "Yours, mine, and everyone else's. We made the decision together. We'll probably get to them."

You swallowed the scoff that rose in your throat, refusing to let it slip out. The irony was sharp, but there was no point in arguing about blame now.

There wasn't time for that.

You focused on the path ahead, your eyes locked on Andy as he led the way, the familiar sounds of the station's deteriorating systems echoing all around you.

Each step felt heavier, the looming reality of time running out like a noose tightening around your neck. And yet, there was something strangely calming about Andy's presence. His movements were efficient, calculated—like he had already anticipated every possible scenario.

For a brief moment, you wondered how much of Andy was left under the cold exterior that had taken over. You shook off the thought, focusing on the chaos ahead as the station creaked and groaned under the weight of its impending destruction.

Andy glanced back at you, his voice breaking the silence. "We must move faster. Time is running out."

And with that, you kept pace, knowing there was no turning back now.

The four of you slowed down as you approached the next corridor. The atmosphere around you felt suffocating, the low hum of the station's dying systems accompanied by distant, echoing creaks. Andy walked ahead, reaching over to a thermostat embedded in the wall.

As he pressed the buttons, he told you all what he'd learned from Rook. His fingers deftly adjusting the temperature higher, a soft beep indicating the change. "The parasitoids have no eyes. They go for sounds and heat signatures."

"What?" Rain's voice was thick with confusion and fear.

Andy's focus shifted, his synthetic eyes flicking over each of you, calculating the situation. "Your body temperature," he explained, his voice as cold and detached as ever. "If we raise the temperature in the room, we might turn invisible to them. If we're quiet enough."

The air around you seemed to still, as the gravity of the situation pressed down on everyone.

Your thoughts raced. The station was falling apart, and now you were dealing with predators that could sense heat and sound. You exchanged a look with Rain, whose face had paled considerably.

"The temperature now matches that of your bodies." Andy stepped away from the thermostat, staring over at the three of you with an unreadable expression. "The creature shouldn't be able to see you."

You swallowed hard, your mind racing with the weight of his words.

"But stress, fear, and panic will raise your temperature and expose you," Andy continued, his eyes meeting yours briefly. "Sweat and goosebumps are your skin's attempt to cool you down. Watch out for that."

Rain inhaled sharply behind you, trying to keep her breath steady, while Tyler seemed lost in his own world, the headset still clutched tightly to his ear.

"Keep calm and be quiet," Andy added, his voice even.

Just as you took a tentative step forward, a faint hiss echoed through the corridor—a sound that made your stomach drop. Several facehuggers slithered across the cold, metallic floor, their spindly legs scraping against the ground.

They were scattered, milling about as if unsure of where to go, their movements slow and disjointed.

Just as Andy had predicted, they couldn't see you. The temperature in the corridor matched your body heat, rendering you and your companions invisible to the creatures.

You could almost feel the collective sigh of relief from Rain and Tyler, their breaths shallow as they tried to remain calm.

Your heart pounded in your chest, each beat loud in your ears as you walked in silence.

The facehuggers continued to move aimlessly, their eyeless forms twitching, occasionally lifting their heads to scan the air, but they didn't react to your presence.

Every second felt like a fragile balance, one wrong move threatening to shatter the stillness.

Andy led the way, his movements deliberate and soundless. His expression remained unreadable, but you could sense his intense focus. You followed behind, your eyes darting between the milling creatures and the door at the end of the corridor, willing yourself to stay calm.

Suddenly, a crackle of static erupted from Tyler's headset, piercing the quiet like a gunshot. Then Kay's voice broke through the static, distorted and shaky. "Bjorn, come on!"

"Stay away!" Bjorn's muffled shout came through, his panic unmistakable.

Tyler's eyes widened as he whispered into the mic. "Kay?"

That was all it took.

The facehuggers reacted instantly. Their heads snapped toward you, their bodies coiling as they hissed in unison, a chorus of unnatural, wet sounds that sent a wave of fear crashing through you.

"Run!" you shouted, your voice sharp and commanding. "Run, now!"

The corridor erupted into chaos. The facehuggers darted forward with terrifying speed, their limbs skittering across the ground as they closed in.

You bolted, the cold air burning your lungs as you sprinted, your footsteps pounding against the metal floor.

Behind you, Rain let out a small cry of fear, but you didn't dare turn back.

The hisses of the creatures were too close, the sounds growing louder with each second. Tyler's heavy breathing and stumbling footsteps echoed beside you as he tried to keep pace, his focus divided between Kay's panicked voice crackling through his headset and the horror unfolding around him.

Tyler gasped for breath, his voice frantic as he yelled into the mic, "Kay! I'm here!"

You could hear the tremor in his voice, his desperation clawing its way to the surface, but you couldn't afford to slow down.

Your legs burned as you raced down the corridor, your breath catching in your throat, the relentless sounds of the facehuggers close behind. Their hisses were now intermingled with the rapid thuds of your feet and the frantic pulse in your ears.

The corridor stretched on, endless, but you kept pushing forward, the fear of being caught too great to slow down. You could feel the hot breath of the facehuggers on the back of your neck, their limbs skittering across the ground too close for comfort.

Kay's voice crackled again through the headset. "Tyler, you have to help me! I can't get the door open!"

Tyler's voice, raw with desperation, cut through the chaos. "By the red button—there's a key!"

"I can't find any key!"

"It must be there!"

There was a pause—a heartbeat of silence broken only by the sound of your footsteps and the frantic hisses of the creatures closing in on you.

Kay's voice suddenly broke through the static again, filled with relief. "Okay, okay, I have it!"

You pushed forward, heart thundering as you neared the door at the end of the corridor. Andy had already reached it, his hands moving quickly over the controls. Rain was close behind you, her breath coming in short, ragged bursts.

The door began to slide open, the mechanism creaking as it strained under the pressure of the emergency systems.

"Come on, come on!" you urged Rain through the door, Andy already working to shut it behind you.

Tyler was slower, lagging behind as his focus wavered between running and Kay's frantic voice in his ear.

Andy's hands moved swiftly, and you heard the mechanism of the door starting to close. You shot a look behind you, seeing Tyler trailing farther back.

"Run, Tyler!" Rain shouted, panic lacing her words. Tyler glanced back just in time to see the facehuggers surging forward, their bodies flailing as they threw themselves toward the open doorway.

Andy's hands hovered over the door controls, his expression cold and calculating.

"Wait!" Rain screamed at Andy, her voice thick with fear. "Stop closing the door!"

Tyler gave one last burst of speed, diving through the shrinking gap just as the door slammed shut behind him, the facehuggers crashing against the other side of the thick glass with sickening thuds.

Tyler collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. Rain crouched beside him, her face pale, her hands trembling as she checked on him.

"You almost pinned him in the door!" she snapped, her anger flaring as she looked up at Andy.

Andy's cold gaze flicked down to her, unmoved by the accusation. "Yes," he replied evenly, "but I didn't. I timed it perfectly—with more success than last time. Don't you agree?"

He turned his attention back to the glass, where the facehuggers continued to throw themselves against the barrier, their bodies thudding against it with unnerving persistence.

"They have come closer," he stated calmly, turning his gaze back to you. "We need to move on."

You glanced at Rain, who was helping a panting Tyler back to his feet, her expression still tense. There was no time to dwell on the near-miss, no time to argue; staying in one place wasn't an option.

Without another word, the four of you began to move again, the sound of the facehuggers' relentless hissing echoing in the corridor behind you as you pushed forward into the unknown.

☆

☆

The four of you hurried down the corridor, your footsteps echoing against the cold metal floor. The tension between you, Rain, Tyler, and Andy was palpable.

Every step felt heavier, the weight of Kay's voice still lingering in Tyler's ears. The hangar bay was just ahead; the door sealed shut.

As you approached, your heart sank.

On the other side of the door was Kay, her face twisted in terror as she pounded against the glass, her palms slamming into it with a frantic rhythm. She was sobbing, her words barely coherent as she screamed for her brother, her knuckles white from the force of her strikes.

The fear in her eyes was unlike anything you'd ever seen—raw and overwhelming. She was trapped, desperate; her face pale and streaked with tears. 

"Tyler!" she screamed, her voice cracking under the weight of her panic. "Please! Bjorn's dead—there's a monster in here! You have to help me!" Her sobs came in sharp gasps, the sound of someone utterly consumed by fear.

Tyler rushed to the door, his hands pressing against the glass as if he could reach through to her, his voice shaking as he tried to comfort her. "Shhh, it's okay, Kay. Take it easy. I'm here." He turned, his eyes darting frantically to Andy. "Andy, open the door. Please."

But something was wrong.

You noticed Andy wasn't moving, his gaze locked on the space above Kay's head. His stillness was unnerving, like he wasn't even in the room with you anymore.

It was as if he was entirely focused on something else—something none of you could yet see.

You reached out, your fingers gently brushing against Andy's wrist, your voice soft but filled with concern. "Andy, what's wrong?"

Before he could respond, Tyler's voice cut through the tension. "Andy!" his voice cracked, the desperation rising. "OPEN THE DOOR!"

Rain joined Tyler at the door, her expression tight with worry. "It's okay, Tyler. We'll get Kay out of there," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Andy, come on."

But Andy still didn't move. His eyes stayed fixed on whatever he was seeing beyond Kay. Rain glanced over her shoulder at you, her worry turning to frustration. "Andy! Open the door!"

A cold chill ran down your spine as you glanced at him, his face unreadable, yet there was something unnerving in the way he stared, completely focused on the space behind Kay.

And then you saw it.

Your breath hitched as your eyes followed Andy's gaze, locking onto the horrifying silhouette that hovered just above Kay—the Xenomorph.

"Oh Gods," Rain whispered, her voice barely audible. Tyler's face drained of color as he saw it too, the monstrous creature's black, shiny form looming in the shadows behind his sister.

Andy's calm presence beside you was unnerving—you felt his stare, cold and unreadable, as if he was waiting for you to understand something before speaking.

"Kay, look at me!" Tyler shouted, his voice trembling with desperation. "We'll get you out! Andy, open the fucking door!"

But Andy didn't flinch. His voice was steady and eerily calm as he said, "That's what the creature wants."

Tyler's desperation turned to fury. "Open it! Open it, now!" he shouted, slamming his fists against the door in frustration.

Rain ran to Andy, her voice thick with emotion. "Listen to me! She's pregnant, Andy! She's going to have a child! The door takes two seconds to open, please! You have to open it!" Her words were frantic, her eyes wide with fear and helplessness.

Andy's gaze remained cold and detached as he replied, "The creature will be able to reach in here easily."

Kay's voice broke through again, her sobs becoming hysterical as she looked back and forth between Andy and Tyler. "Why won't you help me?! You're one of us! Andy, open the damn door! Please!"

Tyler's panic reached a new level; he came over, dropping to his knees, his voice broken, pleading. "Andy, please. I have to go in after her."

Seeing Andy's lack of movement, Tyler turned to you, his hands shaking violently as he grabbed yours. His grip was tight, almost painful, but what struck you more was the look in his eyes—wild and terrified.

Tears streamed down his cheeks, his voice trembling as he pleaded with you. "Please, Y/N, you have to make him open it," he gasped, the weight of his fear palpable in every word. "I can't... I can't let her die like this. I can't lose her."

You could feel his hands trembling, the raw desperation in his touch, and for a moment, all you could do was stare at him. Kay's frantic cries echoed in the background, her fists still slamming against the glass, the terror in her voice growing more hysterical with each passing second.

"Tyler!" she screamed again, her voice breaking as she struggled to keep her panic under control. "Why won't you help me?!"

Your heart pounded in your chest as you looked between Tyler and Andy, feeling the tension pulling you in two directions.

Andy was still staring at you, his face unreadable but understanding. He could see it in your eyes—you had made your choice.

You looked back up at Kay, but then the Xenomorph's empty, soulless eyes locked onto yours through the glass.

For a moment, time seemed to stop.

You could feel its gaze pierce through you, cold and predatory, as if it were weighing whether you were its next target.

Your breath hitched, the world around you narrowing to just you and the creature.

And then, in a split second, you knew.

You knew Andy was right.

Without looking at Tyler or Rain, you slowly let your hand fall away from Andy's wrist, your body going cold as you realized what had to be done.

You couldn't open the door.

You opened your mouth, your voice barely a whisper. "I—"

And then... the creature moved.

In a sickening blur of speed, a dark blur of motion descended from the shadows above Kay's head, the sharp edges of its form cutting through the dim light. The Xenomorph, its glossy black body gleaming with a sickening sheen, lunged forward with terrifying speed.

Kay barely had time to scream before the creature's long, whip-like tail coiled around her throat, silencing her in an instant. Her eyes widened in shock and terror as her hands clawed at the tail, her feet kicking wildly as the creature lifted her into the air with ease.

"NO!" Tyler's scream was deafening as he threw himself against the glass, pounding on it with all his strength, but there was nothing he could do. He could only watch helpless as the creature slammed Kay against the door with brutal force.

The glass shuddered under the impact, cracks spider-webbing out from where her body hit.

Her eyes locked onto Tyler's, wide with terror and pleading for help, before the Xenomorph's tail sliced across her throat in a clean, brutal motion. Blood splattered across the glass window, obscuring her face as she went limp.

Her body dangled in the creature's grasp, lifeless, before it began dragging her away, her blood leaving a sickening trail behind.

You could only stare, frozen in shock. Your mind struggled to process what had just happened, your heart thudding painfully in your chest.

"I'm sorry," Andy said, his voice as calm as ever. "I could do nothing to save her."

Tyler's voice was shattered, filled with rage and sorrow. "You could've opened the damn door!" he screamed, his fists slamming against the glass again and again.

Andy remained unmoved. "Then we'd all be dead. We have to move on before the creature finds its way in here."

With that, Andy turned and began walking toward the elevator, his movements deliberate and mechanical.

Rain stared at the ground, too overwhelmed to speak. She looked between Tyler and the blood-streaked glass where her friend had been moments ago.

You swallowed hard, your throat tight as you forced yourself to move. You gave Rain a look, knowing she was struggling, and without a word, the three of you followed Andy.

As you stepped into the elevator, the tension was unbearable. Tyler collapsed onto the floor, still trembling, his knuckles white from clenching his fists. Rain stood beside him, her face drawn, her gaze distant.

Andy pressed the button, his movements calm, his eyes forward.

Rain's voice eventually broke the silence, barely above a whisper. "Andy... what is your primary directive?"

Andy tilted his head slightly, his eyes blinking slowly as he responded. "I have received a new directive. To do what is best for the company."

Rain's eyes widened with horror as she turned toward him. "I have to remove the module."

Andy's gaze remained fixed ahead, his voice devoid of emotion. "Unfortunately, it is not in the company's interest."

The elevator stopped, the doors sliding open with a soft ding. Andy stepped forward, turning to look back at the three of you, his eyes as cold as the metal walls around you.

"We must move on," he said, his voice calm and unyielding. "Now."

You clenched your fists, biting back the tears threatening to spill. The module—that cursed module—had changed him.

The Andy you knew, your sweet Andy, was buried beneath the cold programming that now controlled him.

A/N: ahh, its almost over, just 2-3 more chapters left. i cant wait to write more one-shots for andy 😩❤️

Tag List: @dreamsarenicer sadslasher13 ravenswife izzymae288 fairy-cores-world whattadroid tikitsune stevieharringtongf

[theblueflower05]

These Violent Delights: Chapter One

A/N: Thanks for bearing with when it came to getting this first chapter out! Work has been dragging me by my hair, but i'm going to try to get this story updated every week. At least until I’m able to work through this Spike Fearn brain rot I’ve got going on rn.

Warnings: This story is pretty heavy from the jump. I mean, check the source material. Talks of suicidal thoughts and tendencies. Loneliness. Smut coming later!

Pariring: Bjorn x Reader

Summary: A friendship is formed under the most unlikely of circumstances.

✨Masterlist

✨Playlist

Next Chapter

Every day is exactly the same.

The sentiment runs through your head as you blearily blink up at the water stained ceiling. The comforter is tangled around your legs and your mouth is dry- a side effect from the sleeping pills. The shrill ringing of the alarm is the only indication that the morning has rose on the horizon, outside the singular window in your apartment it is still black as pitch. Your joints crack when you finally force yourself out of bed.

You go through your morning routine in an almost mechanical manner. Shower. Brush teeth. Get dressed in the standard issued trousers and blouse you’d been given when you got your assignment- the holes you’d sewn up yourself are barely noticeable. Barley. Clip your hair back. Even the movements as you eat the tar like oatmeal feel too practiced. Fake.

Lately, you’ve found you dont feel very real anymore. There’s probably droid’s walking around, wires for veins, that feel less hollow than you do.

Jackson Star is a planet in the Alfeios system, and in the 11 years you’ve been stationed here you’ve realized, that it is a planet that should've never been colonized. It’s harsh, by nature. Sweltering summers followed by frigid winters, and the ever present, extremely active volcanoes. The atmospheric processors can only do so much.

And they cant do shit about the lack of sun.

They can try to replicate it; expensive lamps and vitamin C tablets acting like a cheap knock off. Like Weyland-Yutani Corps way of saying sorry we dropped you in hell- here's the shittiest consolation prize in the galaxy.

This particular Friday is gloomier then usual, rain accompanying the dark. The walk down the cluttered streets feels even more…hopeless than usual. Like maybe this is all there is. Blurring lights of neon signs and the ruddy faces of children that hold out their hands on corners, begging for their next meal.

Like maybe if you stepped in front of the bus in this cross walk- then it would end the loop. You’d be able to get out of this eternally dark purgatory.

They aren't new thoughts, but you lifting your foot to step of the curb is. You go numb, not thinking or feeling as you step into oncoming traffic.

Theres the blaring honk of a heavy hand on a horn and then you're being yanked backwards, hard.

You gasp as you’re pulled back onto the sidewalk and out of the way of oncoming traffic. You’re equal parts grateful and disappointed. But mostly you’re shocked.

The girl is small statured, her brown eyes wide behind unruly curls. She curses filthy and fast in Spanish.

Her gaze makes you feel uncomfortably scene. Its assessing and…worried. Its been a long time since anyone worried about you. “Are you alright?”

You’re taken aback by her question.

“I’m fine. Didn’t see the cars coming” you don’t understand why you’re explaining yourself to this stranger. It’s probably the hot embarrassment that’s pointing your face red.

She doesn’t look amused by your answer but nods slowly “Okay…”

The signal turns red, the cross walk sign lights up and you’re gone, fast as your feet can take you away from your unlikely savior. Leaving her standing there, confused.

“You’re welcome!” Comes her snark filled holler. You don’t blame her. But with the shame filling you, you also can’t look at her. You just give a haphazard wave behind you. A piss poor thanks, you know.

You hope you never see her again.

-

After the blip this morning, the routine persists- until it doesnt.

The office is how it always is. Bleak. The yellow lights flickering and the wallpaper peeling. Patty, a heavy set woman with an acidic smile sits at the front desk. The grim reaper at the mouth of the river Styx. It’s pleasantries, your badge is scanned and then you find your way back to your cubicle. As ready as anyone can be to stare at a screen and four walls for the next twelve hours.

Maybe it’s something in the damp air, but once again, the day deviates from the norm.

You only ever work with electronic filing. Sorting piles and piles of e-documents into they Weyland/Yutani system. An office grunt you’ve been called. And yet today they want you up front, something about “Yolanda from zoning and housing” missing a day because her son is dying from black lung. God forbid she want to be by his side. It leaves the office understaffed.

“I’m not trained for that position” you try to reason but it falls on deaf ears. There are numbers to be punched, and your lack of true no how doesn't really matter. You begrudgingly leave your familiar desk, taking only the thermos of hot coffee with me. Small mercies, really.

Front desk is as hellish as one would think it would be. Between having to interact with real human beings, not the computers you’re used to combined with Patty’s snooty remarks; you’re absolutely jonsing to get the fuck out of there and go home by the afternoon.

In the back office the digital copying machine is down for the fifth time this week. All of the filing systems have honestly been off- a result of the shitty outdated tech on this planet.

“Ugh- they really dont know what they're doing back there” Patty sighs, muttering under her beath about how she doesnt get paid enough for this shit “Im going to go help. Again. Keep your head down and follow the guideline on the forms” she gives me stern instructions and a side eye “And dont touch my stories”

She cares more about the trashy soap operas she watches on her tablet then the mother she just evicted from her apartment.

Where’s a fucking droid when you need one? This is most definitely a job that shouldn't be done by anyone with a conscience.

With dread in your stomach you put on a brave face as the security system announces the next client;

Oh.

It’s a girl. With a small stature and wide brown eyes. Ones that reflect the same recognition you feel. It takes a moment for you to swallow the surprise.

“Name” You demand in a practiced voice. The shakiness you feel not transmuting to your tone. Or at least you hope it doesnt.

“Kay Harrison” and just like that, she’s not a stranger anymore “I’m here for an appointment”

You type quickly, plugging in the details on the keyboard. Pulling up her file. Scanning the information quickly. “Yes, I can see that. Here to formally request an eviction extension”

Damn. Thats tough.

“Yes. But only because we truly will be able to pay it next week. I brought not only mine but my brothers work logs and proof of direct deposit-” she pulls out a beat up old tablet and slides it under the glass. “We’ll be able to get the rent paid in full by the fourth”

What kind of cruel fate is this? The most twisted form of serendipity. She saved you this morning and now you have to co-sign on her eviction this afternoon.

You know it doesn't matter, you saw their file. The Harrisons arent newbies to being late for rent and their landlord is chomping at the bit to get them out.

“I’ll scan these into your case but at this point in the process it really doesn't matter” at your words, panic induced tears fill her eyes.

“No- because. We’re late. But we always pay. We’ve never been negligent, not on purpose. Since my dad died we’ve done our best” Kay rambles an explanation that doesn't matter and you feel frozen. Stuck. Conflicted in a way that you we’re supposed to have trained out of you.

“I cant-” you sigh and she looks pathetic. Drained…void.

A feeling you know all too well. That had almost led you right into the grill of a bus this very morning. And yet- she’d stepped in.

You gnaw on your lip and as discreetly as possible, your eyes scan around the empty office. Your co-workers still not back yet. You’re the only one in here. Its madness, but if there was any time to act on madness- it would be now.

You begin typing furiously, entering in codes that a normal front desk clerk wouldn't know, it isn’t in their training. But you’d been trained for filing.

“An extension wont be needed” You speak purposefully, giving Kay a pointed look “The landlord marked the eviction for the fifth. That gives you three more days to get a payment in before the constable is scheduled to come for the lock out”

There’s a moment of heavy silence.

The landlord had actually marked the second but well. It’s an easy enough over turn. Easy, but extremely illegal. You just did something that could not only cost you your job but risk your contract. Land you in jail-

“He marked the wrong date…” Kay chews the words, like she cant believe what she’s saying.

“Yep” I say quickly, finishing up, covering my ass by copying multiple files into the system. It would be hard as shit to uncover it, if anyone cared to bother. Kay’s just another file in the hundreds today. “Here you go, Miss Harrison. You have seventy two hours to get the payment to the respective party. If not the constable will be there to conduct the eviction”

I slide her tablet back towards her.

“I- I don't know what to say” She stutters and you give her a glare. You don't have the time for groveling, for un- needed thanks. As far as you’re concerned, you are now even.

“Don't say anything. Take your things and go”

I don't look at her again, not even when she leaves. Instead I refocus on my computer screen. Trying to breathe through the nerves that wrack my body. That was just about the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.

Your heart beats furiously and it’s the most alive you’ve felt in months.

-

After that it seems like something has been broken. The pattern no longer functions.

Jackson Star is by no means a small colony. Thousands strong, full of unfamiliar faces. And yet. You keep running into the same one.

“Here, I grabbed you a coffee. Extra sugar, like ya like, even though it’s going to rot your teeth out” Kay waits for you at the same corner that the two of you had met on. Weeks ago. She’d hunted you down after that fateful day and had shown that she wasn't giving up on showing her gratitude so easily.

Having friends in the colony is a dangerous game. Every friend you’ve ever had has either been transferred off planet or died. And yet here you are, eagerily bounding over to Kay. Taking the paper cup full of cheap coffee.

“My teeth are my own business thank you”

And it goes like this; the train station where Kay catches her ride to the mines isn't far from your job so the two of you make your morning commute together, gabbing about nothing. It's nice. It feels familiar, you used to have loads of friends.

Kay’s easy to talk to and she shares so much of herself so freely. Her little stories about her family make you smile. Make you feel warmth, and secretly longing. And yet still, every time the topic of you meeting everyone comes up you shy away.

Being friends with Kay is one thing. Meeting the most important people in her life is another.

She offers again today. Dinner at her house, ya’ know, the one she still has because of you. It’ll be lowkey. Just the friends. Fun.

Although you crave it, you’re scared of it too. That’s why you’re shaking your head, giving another of those flimsy excuses. Kay just pats your arm.

“If you change your mind, you’re still more than welcome to come. I’ll text you the details, okay?” She’s got this way about her. Gentle but not condescending, a hard balance to strike. Too bad she’s on this near barren planet, she’d be a great mother.

“I’ll keep that in mind, thank you”

When the two of you hit the proverbial fork in the road- you go your way and she goes hers. You to the office and her to the mines. Both prisons in their own rights.

You watch her cross the street and join a tall man at the train station. His skin’s the same shade as hers, his eyes the same almond shape. He’s handsome in a way that you’ve only seen on screens, in those old movies your mom used to watch.

This must be the older brother she talks so much about. Tyler.

He says something you can’t quite decipher to her and then looks over her shoulder, across the street at you, and beams.

Its not a normal smile. It’s pearly whites flashed at you in a way that makes your heart skip a beat in your chest. When he gives you a smooth wave you feel like you might be knocked over.

You just know the grimace and jerky hand motion you give back is as awkward as it feels.

If you obsess about how much of an antisocial weirdo you are all day, that’s your own prerogative.

I mean come on? You can’t even manage to wave back at someone? You truly need to get it together.

You think about that as you eat dinner at your makeshift table that night. Maybe, you’re just out of practice. You’re not awkward, just dusty. You just haven’t spoken to anyone for more then five minutes since your upstairs neighbor had a pipe burst.

It’s what leads you to pulling out your phone, to pulling up Kay’s contact. It’s still new. Still fresh.

Is there anything I should bring?

You don’t have to wait long for a response.

Kay: Nope, just yourself!😊 [location attachment] see you tomorrow.

You stare at her response on the small bright screen until your eyes burn. This is the change you had craved so badly.

So why are you so scared?

This chapter kind of took on a life of its own. I so desperately wanted to have Bjorn in this but there was just- a lot of ground to cover. Next chapter we’re jumping right into introducing him (and smut towards a the end of that chapter to!)

Big shout out to @spikedfearn for letting me ramble like a crazy lady in her inbox. Her Bjorn content literally makes me salivate.

If anyone else is still going through Romulus hyperfixation please feel free to comment or send asks! I’m always here to chat!