#a rb for todays crew

[onakomiyaki]

im stanning alpine next year, good car bad car who cares? alpine on top

jack doohan, seek a revenge for your 'godfather'. defeat racing bulls with all you might.

wreck havoc, professor charles xavier said. and wreck havoc you shall.

[bokutos-babyowl]

The end of the Battle

Max Verstappen X Reader!Brown

Pure fluff, hidden relationship sleepy max. Takes place after the Vegas GP

Not a planned post but just felt right, aka I wrote this and did not pay attention to Lecuture.

Masterlist

It felt wrong walking into the Red Bull garage after the party, wearing a bulky jacket to hide your McLaren kit. The team breathed a sigh of relief today with the drivers' championship being over. Lando and Oscar had flown back with the team, while you made the excuse of having a timeline to meet, not wanting the work and the flight. Yet, as you rounded the corner of the RB hospitality area, you saw Max lying drunk where his car would usually be. Lying down next to him, you gave him a nudge.

“Maxie, I’m here now,” you whispered.

He rolled his head toward you, and it was clear he’d had a lot to drink. You hadn’t thought it was as much as Lando claimed, yet here he was—your man—moving to cuddle into you. Wrapping your arms around him, you kissed his head.

“It’s over; you can sleep now,” you whispered in his ear.

You shifted to get comfortable on the hard floor as Max had already fallen asleep. Not wanting to wake him, you drifted off too.

You woke up before sunrise to your phone ringing. Not wanting to wake him, you slowly grabbed your phone to see Lando’s name. Panic set in as you checked the time—4:30 in the morning.

“Hey, Lando, what’s up?” you whispered.

“Y/N, the crews are heading to the paddock to clean up in two hours. Get yourself and him ready—we don’t need your dad finding out,” Lando said.

Looking down at the sleeping Max as Lando spoke, you hadn’t really focused until he mentioned your dad. The thought of gossip pages having a field day on the situation hit you.

“I’ll be out in thirty. Thanks, Lan—I owe you,” you said, starting to move out of Max’s grasp.

“It’s your ass and mine on the line. Get back safe,” he replied, hanging up.

Shaking Max gently, he slowly woke up, looking around as the headache came into focus.

“Schat, you’re still here?” he asked groggily.

“I couldn’t leave my lion to sleep alone on this hard floor, could I?” you replied with a chuckle. “Now, come on. Let’s get you to the hotel and cleaned up,” you added, helping him stand.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’m not letting go. Is it too late to have that Vegas wedding?” he asked, completely serious.

You stopped in your tracks.

“One day, Maxie, one day. We have to tell the grid somehow—but hard-launching like that? Heck, Zac and Christian would have a stroke,” you said with a laugh.

[hmhas-00]

Ch. 2

Hit me Hard & Soft

word count - 1.6k

A/N - dont forget to like and rb ♡

Starting next week, my new posting schedule will be Tuesdays & Thursdays! Stay tuned!

Billie's POV

Sitting in my studio, I tweaked with the autotune feature to perfect the extended version of L’amour De Ma Vie. I didn’t realize it was already 5AM until my phone buzzed. I looked down at my lap as the screen lit up, showcasing a text from Remy.

Remy: Wish me luck! Fingers crossed I’m not fired after last week. 5:02am

Billie: 🤞🏻 5:02am

Billie: I’ll pick you up later and we’ll head to the Rolling Stone interview together? 5:03am

My eyes glossed over the screen waiting for her to reply, as I straightened my back on the chair. I locked it and put it on the table, returning my focus to my production set up. With the amount of bullshit she’s dealing with, I have a feeling Remy might bail today and I can’t blame her. In the back of my mind, I wished she wouldn’t. Finneas was so busy with his own album, so I told him to do his own thing tonight. Truth is, I didn’t want to show up to any of these things alone. Was that selfish? Lately, everything I feel is amplified, including that lonely, empty feeling I get around normal people bedtime. That’s when I did my best writing in the past year. It’s nerve-racking having all of my thoughts and emotions broadcasted to the world, and now that the tour is coming up, all I can think about is how I’ll do it alone.

The phone buzzed, bringing me out of my own mind. Upon opening, I sighed and replied while getting up to finally go to bed.

Remy: I’ll just meet you there. I have a lot of work to do today I don’t wanna make you late. 5:15am

Billie: Okay, see you there. 5:15am

𓇼𓇼𓇼𓇼𓇼𓇼

The alarm rattled my brain, startling me to death. I flopped down my arm, patting around next to me and managed to find the source. My phone had 2 missed calls and a text from Remy. She let me know she’d be a bit late but would make it no matter what. Pulling a hair tie out of my tangled mess, I dragged my tired body out of bed to get ready for the interview.

𓇼𓇼𓇼𓇼𓇼𓇼

“Billie, you’re going to be sitting over here, and Gabe is going to be interviewing you today, sitting over there.”

The coordinator waved me over in the right direction. I sat quietly and waited for the crew to finish up lighting and camera. Eventually, my interviewer walked over and made himself comfortable.

I laughed in disbelief and looked over at the coordinator, “Gabe?”

“Yup.” He leaned forward, holding his hand out to shake mine. He looked so pleased with himself. I ignored his reach, raising my brow. “Okay… nice to see you again, Billie.” He sat back and stifled a laugh.

I chewed on the inside of my cheek, and glared at him. Thinking about having to act civil around this piece of garbage for the cameras is making me sick. God, I cannot stand him and his stupid face.

“Are we ready?” He cleared his throat.

I adjusted in my seat, looking around one more time past the studio lights and saw no Remy. “Yeah.” I could tell these bright lights would bring on a wave of tics, if not the unfortunate situation before me. Cameras closed in and the interview began.

I was basically on autopilot, trying not to destroy this man with my eyes. The last time I was face to face with Remy’s ex was 2 years ago. I was screaming at him to get the fuck out of her apartment. She made him pick up his things after he broke up with her for some other girl. Gabe swore he was just chasing a job offer in NYC, but Remy had seen messages between him and someone else planning to meet up. I stood at Remy’s side as he denied everything. He started a crazy argument and threw a glass across the room. I was on the other side of the room faster than he could react. Remy had never seen me that angry before.

“So! Your fans want to know. Who did you write Lunch about?” Gabe asked, knowing it would piss me off.

“That’s what you want to ask me? Of all things?” I laughed.

“Curious if I know her, is all.” He shifted in his seat and shrugged, nonchalantly. I wanna rip off his dumb smirk so bad.

I looked over at the cameras to have my very own The Office moment, but my eyes were drawn to none other than Remy. She awkwardly stood with her arms folded. I gave her a satisfied smile and when she waved at me, I quickly realized this is the last situation she probably wanted to walk into.

“No, It’s just a metaphor. I want people to think about who they want to eat for lunch. It’s just a fun song.” I crossed my legs and resumed eye contact with him, reminding myself to not look unfriendly for the cameras.

“You’re obviously very private about your love life.” He flipped through his notecards. I tilted my head, focusing on how stupid his stage voice sounds. “You came out last year-”

“This isn’t exactly news.” I squinted my eyes, smiling sarcastically. “Do you have any questions about my new album, Gabe?” I chuckled a bit.

He laughed, brushing me off. He asked a few questions about the album and I dragged out the answers as much as I could, so he wouldn’t have time to ask anymore stupid questions.

I managed to muscle through the rest of the interview and as soon as it was over I walked over to Remy, leaving him behind.

We walked into the room I left my phone in. “What the fuck.” Remy mouthed and pulled me into a hug.

“I know, let’s fucking go.” I grabbed her arm and started walking towards the exit.

“Remy! Hey!” Gabe shouted, making his way over to us. “How have you been?”

I could feel Remy mentally wilting away. “Good, good…Crazy seeing you here.” She spoke softly, smiling timidly.

“Well, I’ve been great!” He held his arms out, arrogant as can be, as if anyone asked.

“Did New York not work out?” I butted in.

“It did, but Los Angeles is home, you know?” He responded matter-of-factly, not even bothering to look at me. “You know I just chase better gigs. Better opportunities.”

“Yeah… Good for you, I’m happy for you, Gabe.” She smiled, keeping her voice sweet and mellow.

“You still working at uhh…” This idiot couldn’t even remember where she worked. I always hated him. He didn’t care enough about her. She deserved way better.

“Yeah, I’m-“ Remy was cut off.

“Maybe we should grab lunch one day. Catch up, you know?” He stepped closer to her.

I watched her face as she struggled to come up with an excuse. “Uh, I don’t know. Maybe-“

“She’s actually good, she just doesn’t want to hurt your little feelings.” I crinkled my nose as I forced a smile at him, turning us towards the door.

“Billie, it’s fine-“ Remy grabbed my arm with her free hand and held it there.

Gabe laughed, knowing how deep under my skin he could get. “You look good, Rem. We’ll talk later without distractions.” He looked her up and down, licking his bottom lip.

I glared at him, imagining me shoving him away from her just like I did a couple years ago.

He looked down at me and paused for a second, his lips forming an overly confident smirk. He stood close enough for me to smell that gross overpowering cologne. I could feel myself tensing up and clenching my jaw.

“What, you don’t get enough attention?” I lifted my chin, looking in his dark eyes.

He breathed out a laugh, poking his tongue into his cheek. “Why, you want to share some with me?”

I took a step forward, causing Remy to put her arm between us. “Come on, Billie.” She put some pressure on his chest, causing him to lean back a bit. “Let’s go.”

He looked down at Remy’s hand pressing on his chest, then back at me sneering.

“Billie, please.” I let Remy pull me away, knowing if I stayed any longer I’d break something on his face.

He laughed to himself. “It was nice seeing you both. Good to see nothing has changed.”

“Yeah, absolutely nothing.” Remy emphasized, pushing me in front of her so we’d walk away.

We walked out past the fans screaming and reaching their hands through the holes on the fence, and straight into her car. As much as it killed me not to say goodbye to them, I didn’t have it in me to fake it.

“I hated that.” Remy began, starting her car and letting out a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, Remy, I could not stand his stupid fucking face. He was doing that shit to be disrespectful and I’m not gonna let him-“

“You can’t do shit like that! What if someone saw and wrote or posted about it?”

I put my seatbelt on, knowing I could’ve taken the high road.

“Dude you’re not actually thinking about seeing him right?”

“What? No! Why would I?” She pulled out of the parking lot, careful not to hit any fans.

“You seemed happy to see him.” I looked out the window as the people waving blurred from the increase in speed.

“No. I wasn’t. I just wasn’t going to attack him in front of his coworkers, Billie.”

“His team wasn’t in the room.” I mumbled.

She didn’t respond.

“I’m sorry, I just fucking hate him. He’s such a piece of shit.”

“Shit, did you date him too?” She laughed under her breath, looking over at me momentarily.

I laughed, shaking my head and realizing how fast things escalated. My body finally relaxed, sinking into the seat and running my hands through my hair.

[ayrtonswnna]

ʚïɞ "a podium to celebrate", pt II. OP81

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⋮ fluff. word count: 1.4k. ʚɞ part I here.

⠀✧₊⁺ oscar piastri x aria giuseppe (red bull driver!female oc)

summary: aria and oscar late night after the hungarian gp.

warnings: pure fluff but badly written, i am sorry. taylor swift references, max verstappen as a special guest, could have ended in smut but the writer didn't feel like it should.

"Where are you going?"

Aria cursed under her breath as she heard the neighboring door creak open, revealing her teammate’s face, grinning mischievously.

"Fuck off," she whispered, her backpack light on her shoulders as she glanced back at the driver over her shoulder. "Go to sleep. I got more points than you today. Go mull over that."

"Calling Christian right now... Babybull is leaving the hotel, and I bet she’s headed to McLaren’s. Should I guess the room?"

Verstappen pretended to be on the phone, teasing the younger driver, making her step back and playfully swat at his arm.

They were good friends. Ever since Aria debuted in Formula One, Max had been someone she looked up to and a fun coworker. She knew he was joking as he watched her leave.

"It's easy to guess the room; you'd be the one sneaking into their first driver's. I've read about it on Twitter," she taunted, giggling as he rolled his blue eyes. "Fuck off, Max. Go to bed. Leave me alone.

"You'll be alone with the winner. Let me at least crack a joke!" he continued in a playful tone, watching her resume walking. "Wishing my mate Piastri good luck — you've got too much energy."

"I'm sure he can keep up," she quipped before heading to the elevators and out of the building.

Sneaking off was something both the Red Bull and McLaren drivers were used to doing; it was all fun when they had days off and could freely be around each other. But there was also the thrill of leaving their own hotels just to see one another, and that’s where Aria was headed now. A rented car waited for her just outside, and the drive to the hotel where the McLaren crew was staying was quick — nothing like a GP lap, but close enough.

She knocked softly on her best friend's door, which opened to reveal a soft smile before she jumped into his arms.

"Hello, Formula One Grand Prix winner... How are we holding up?" Her tone was sing-song, arms wrapped around the Aussie’s neck as he lifted her by the waist.

"We are actually... having pizza and drinking soda for the celebration, and... whatever else you might have in mind."

Aria giggled as he carried her through the suite, making sure to discard her backpack somewhere on the floor. They did this every now and then, even on nights that could’ve turned into wild parties. While the other RB-MC duo might be headed to the club, these two would be headed to the couch.

They had known each other since their karting days, when it all started with a humble Oscar and a small-but-fiery Aria. He had always been too nice for the go-kart tracks, and she had felt the same protective instinct around him; a special kind of care he sometimes felt unworthy of.

Then things grew, just like they did. Formula 2, testing in better cars, and finally, the dream became a reality. They were still there for each other, spending nights together, celebrating wins, or keeping vigil after losses.

A lot had changed since the beginning — not just the karts evolving into complex, expensive machines. Like the way their lips touched so naturally now. Aria cupped the Aussie’s face before pressing a quick kiss to his lips, a simple peck they always played off as a joke. They handled things better that way.

"Alright, Mr. First-Win, put me on the couch so I can lay down and watch our new edits. Let’s go." She tapped the boy on the shoulder, prompting him to carefully place her on the sofa.

"Taylor Swift songs as requested." he teased, kneeling on the couch, his knees on either side of Aria’s body before he laid his head on her chest, waiting only a second before her fingers found their way into his hair.

Physical intimacy — that was them. They had their moments with no clothes on, nights that vanished too quickly, or touching each other in ways that ignited a fire. But there was something special about moments like these, too.

Just existing around each other, finding comfort amid their crazy, rushed routine — being each other's safe place. That was it, simply put.

"Yes, yes. Taylor Swift songs. ‘Daylight,’ please, dear Lord. Let a teenage girl edit us to the bridge of ‘Daylight,’ please." Aria joked as usual, while Oscar giggled on top of her, watching her TikTok before she searched for their names in the search bar.

"This is just crazy. Do you ever think about it?" Oscar’s voice dropped at least an octave.

"About how cute we look on podiums? And talking to each other in the paddock?" she teased, her fingers tracing soft lines on his scalp as his hands rested on her sides.

"About how people think they’re making things up about us when it’s actually... real."

They had made a deal ever since their friendship started including kisses and waking up naked in each other’s beds. It was easier without the public's eyes on their personal lives. But still, people insisted on "making up" a relationship for them.

They did it with any two drivers who ever looked at each other, so why wouldn’t it happen to the one duo that was always together? Driver’s parade? Leaving the paddock? There was even a clip of Aria waiting outside McLaren’s motorhome as if she were Romeo waiting for Juliet.

However, she had only one thing in mind. "Real."

"So we’re real." A little smirk tugged at her lips, which Oscar couldn’t see, but there was no way he didn’t know her well enough.

"Stop smiling." he chuckled, his own lips curling up. "We were always real, Aria. Quit this talk."

"Real like... edits of us with that Zayn song? Look at us, look at us!" She shoved her phone in his face, the screen flashing edits of their moments earlier that day, set to the song.

But Oscar was quick to notice things, especially when it came to Aria. She ran from deep conversations and would joke her way out of anything, even if she had to joke all the way to heaven to avoid uncomfortable topics.

"Real like real. Real like really, really, really real." It had been on his mind ever since the cool-down room. It was.

"Hmm... Yeah." Aria mimicked the probable hours of footage of Oscar making these same sounds, and he couldn’t help but laugh softly as he raised his head just enough to see her. "What do you mean, Osc?"

Oscar was trying to get to three simple words.

But Aria made it so hard to get to that point. They had said it before, they did every now and then. The challenge was fitting the words into what they truly meant.

Not as a friend, not as someone who grew up with you, not as the fan they were of each other — none of that.

"You don’t?" He raised his head a little more, moving up her body in a funny way just to be closer. "Aria, you know I would’ve had a very, very strange first win if it wasn’t for you, right?"

"Nah, I just did the world a favor by soaking you in champagne. You won the race, remember?"

"Stop joking, Ri. I’m serious." His thumb caressed her chin, his eyes roaming over her face. "You’ve been doing this for me for years now — you’re always there."

"Because I always win." A forced, playful smile tugged at her lips as Oscar lightly rolled his eyes. "That’s what we do for each other, Osc. Stop. No need to say anything."

"Hmm?" At this point, he was lost, focused on how her eyes crinkled when she smiled, how her lips moved with her Italian accent, and how it felt to be on top of her. Just existing. "You know what, Aria? I’ve been meaning to tell you this for a—"

No need to finish. There wasn’t a need to say it because they had always known. Her lips crashed into his like a car into a wall. Everything went silent as her hands found their way back into Oscar’s hair, caressing the soft locks as his body lifted slightly.

The kiss deepened, a rush of emotions pouring into it. A tender feeling, yet filled with passionate intensity.

He was still on top of her, but no longer lying down. One hand balanced on the sofa, while the other hooked around the girl's neck, their bodies pulled closer, as if afraid to let go.

Every second seemed to stretch, filled with the sweetness of the moment as they melted into each other, the kiss saying everything Aria didn’t let Oscar say.

"I know you love me," she whispered, still close to his lips as they both gasped for air. "Because I love you too."

ʚïɞ

[f0point5]

You know, I love Seb (he’s the person who got me into F1) and I respect Lewis and his accomplishments but one thing I’ll never forgive them (and a lot of the older drivers, most already retired now) for is how they treated Max when he came into F1.

Yes, he might have been their rival but he was also a teenager, a literal child and gosh… I know Max probably doesn’t really care anymore but I still hurt for him sometimes.

Especially when you consider that he was the one paving the way for his generation. When Charles and Lando and George and everyone else came up a few years later they were welcomed as the youth, the future of the sport. Older drivers talking about their talent and how great it is to see them come up.

Max didn’t get that. He got shouts of “too young”, “too reckless”, “too… too much”.

So no, to me the only real grid dad (or maybe grid uncle is more fitting, idk) will be Fernando Alonso who said that some people are simply ready earlier than others and that Max should be judged on his performance in the races, not his age (paraphrased).

Fernando who has been an idol a lot of the younger generation growing up but also exchanged helmets with Oscar and Zhou, joked with Lando on instagram, talks Le Mans with Max and probably many more moments I’m forgetting about rn.

THIS.

Honestly, I don’t really get the Seb hype. He just has never given me good vibes. I didn’t watch during the RB days so maybe if I’d seen his golden era I’d have gotten attached but he has just always seemed…not likeable. Clearly a very driven, straightforward, intelligent guy, but something about him doesn’t sit well with me. Anyway rant over.

I’m not even going to talk about LH because…par for the course.

Yes, they were all mean to him. As grown men, too, how are you not absolutely embarrassed?! I get that he’s a kid and maybe you don’t want to hang out with him or confront the fact that you’re not the hotshots anymore but omg it’s a CHILD. (And Seb who made a bit of a meal out of being a bullying victim as a kid…I see you.)

No one else of Max’s generation would have survived the way they treated him, I stand by that. They all needed the support they got, and Max had none of it from his peers. I can’t see Max being the type who cared per se, because he was probably already used to being…not ostracised, but like…observed? And also because of how he grew up I don’t think anyone’s words could rattle him. But even if he didn’t care the grown men should have known better.

If I were Max I’d still be laughing about how bitter I made men in their 30s. Like “I couldn’t grow facial hair and y’all were running scared”. But I still think it must have been a pretty lonely few years until others his age started catching up.

I think Max was really lucky to have such a tight team (Christian, Helmut, Jos, Ray, GP) around him to insulate him a bit and stop him getting pushed around but the way these men tried it. (Toto I’m looking at your for the Jos phonecall.)

Yeah Fernando is the only one who I think was ready to embrace the new frontier as it were. But he is just kind of like that. I feel like he doesn’t feel his age is the disadvantage that most do, and that’s why he’s not so afraid of younger drivers. Like, his relationship with Max, Carlos, lando, George (nye buddies lol) and Zhou (literally just today saw a quote of him talking about how nice Alonso was to him, even Lance, he treats them as much as peers as he does his own generation, it’s cute.

Also, this is kinda random but I swear Nico and Max were kind of friendly in the early years? Max has known Nico a long time, despite the age difference (he said he remembered glasses Nico used to wear at like 7, and Nico once went out with his mum?), Nico was on the jet with Max on his birthday in…2017? And I think there’s a picture of Max having flown with some guys (including both Nicos in 2016) and for some reason I’ve always had the idea that Hulkenberg was his link to that whole crew? (Idk if this whole friendship is a headcanon but for some reason I feel like these two are/were kinda connected)

But yeah, agree. Grown men acting like little bitches. That generation I think was the last generation with real bitterness between the drivers, though. Idk you wouldn’t catch me being a jerk to a kid but I’ve never been terrified of a kid before so 🤷‍♀️

[merriweather-boat]

Hmm well parallel to the ballet au (which is still invading my mind ty) perhaps a musicians au? What would they play? Idk if you have any knowledge of it but marching band could definitely be pushed easily into being that kind of toxic and destructive. Already was a bit ngl

Sephiroth: He's a child prodigy. He was good at piano. The violin. The upright bass. The cello. All of it. Now? He plays the guitar bass. And he plays metal/rock/symphonic. And he loves it. I actually imagine him making music similar to some of the tracks on the FF7R/RB soundtracks!

Sephiroth Crescent: Where is the Orchestra Prodigy Today?

Genesis: I can see his parents making him play the drums because of childhood anger issues, and regretting it a LOT later down the line as he gets increasingly into it. But I also think Genesis has a really powerful singing voice, and he's very into the lyrical side of things. He's an ex-disney channel kid if I've ever seen one, I fear.

Angeal: I can see him playing the keyboard, but being more of a roadie. He's Gen's childhood friend that got dragged into music by sheer chance lol.

Zack: the type of guy who plays the triangle, but somehow gets a 45-second triangle solo. He plays a lot of instruments on tour and is a one-man-band in his own right. He has a dedicated YouTube channel for playing multiple instruments at once, and he has a whole rig set up to do it. It's a little insane.

Kunsel & Cloud: Both crew that got dragged into things by Zack, much to their chagrin (at the point where AGSZ gets together and forms a band lol. Surprise! Band AU.)

Aerith: Zack's GF and eventually very good friends with a lot of the gang, she's an indie musician with a lively Instagram. She and Angeal are active mutuals.

Tifa: her bar is a safe space for her musician friends. She keeps an eye out for creeps, annoying fans, etc.

Vincent: some random guy who features on one of the band's songs and is a total unknown. Nobody knows what his identity is. Everyone tries to guess. Everyone fails.

AVALANCHE crew: active in the same music scene as AGSZ. They're under an indie label, while AGSZ is, unfortunately, under the Shinra label.

I've heard a little bit about marching band, but I never did it, so unfortunately I can't give you a lot on that front :(

[limey-self-inserts]

Badsansuary Entry 2

Prompts: 11. Hands & 13. Stained

A/N: next round of prompts! this one was very sweet and fun to play with, and it looks like I'm getting into a rhythm with the word count. you can check out the prompts list here

word-count: 2k

writing tag-list: @lavenoon @mikealys-ael @kissingarthurclaus @bugsband @avenships @faerie-circle-ships @textreasures-rbs

-

“hey.”

Aspen jolted, eyes quickly refocusing as they blinked fast and hard to readjust back to reality. Bright lighting. Bookshelves. An open book on their chest. A sofa under their back. A pillow haphazardly jammed under their head and neck, albeit one that didn’t match the sofa they were resting on.

Right. They’d been studying. Or at least trying to, anyway. There weren’t that many moments of quiet in the castle.

They blinked again. The looming figure by their side hadn’t moved.

“Hi Axe,” Aspen grumbled, smearing a hand over their eyes as if that would wipe away the remaining grains of sleep from their head. “Y’need something?”

“yeah. you.”

“Charmed. Care to expand the why?”

Axe’s head tilted to the side. The library’s lighting snagged against the marring of his skull, the shadows inside the massive crack turning almost void-like. A hole in space as well as his head. His singular eyelight tracked over Aspen’s face, down along their torso, down to his own hands.

This was normal. Aspen was patient.

“gotta go get food for cooking. need ‘nother pair of hands.”

“And you didn’t trust the others to help?”

Axe gave Aspen a flat look as they peeled themselves off the sofa. Setting the book aside with a nice little mistletoe bookmark, they stretched their back out and grunted as several bits of their spine realigned loudly.

“you and dust should compete,” Axe snarked. “who’s the crunchiest.”

“I absolutely would win.” The pair both laughed, soft and snorting, as Aspen followed Axe out of the library.

While Axe wasn’t the tallest figure Aspen had witnessed, he was certainly the largest skeleton out of Nightmare’s crew on a regular day. He slouched a good foot over Aspen’s head, his jacket with fur ruff making for an intimidating silhouette as he took the lead through the castle corridors. That was fine - Aspen was content to hide out in his shadow, shielded from passing view and leaving them to idly think as they trailed along.

Axe had mentioned once before about how he managed to be so much taller than most skeletons, most other people altogether. He’d been hesitant in the manner of someone who felt that it was better to have certain things out in the open but didn’t like talking about it.

Monsters could gain LV, just like humans, through Encounters. It was that way with Dust and Killer, who’d gained more LV than their bodies really knew what to deal with, which manifested with Dust in magical overloads and with Killer in his soul being external as well as tears of Determination. There were other symptoms, as Aspen had been witness to. Nothing the boys liked to talk about openly.

In contrast, Axe didn’t have high LV, because he hadn’t killed as many humans or monsters like Dust and Killer, and not in Encounters either. But his body had absorbed exceptional amounts of magic from consuming humans and monsters. Because of that, it’d caused his body to grow larger than normal.

Again, it wasn’t something he was especially proud of. It wasn’t going to be something he would be ashamed of either. He and his brother survived and that was the end of it.

Aspen had asked where his brother was. Axe had remained silent for a long while before murmuring something about Nightmare promising he’d be safe and well, and then changed the topic.

He wasn’t always silent. Sometimes he had to be - Aspen wasn’t good with sign language yet but they were learning the basics for the days when Axe couldn’t muster his voice to work. Today seemed to be a better day at least. 

“gonna be makin’ some pies, pies need filling,” he explained, pushing open the door to a portal room. Nightmare would drop the team off at an exact location in an exact AU if he desired it, but these little ‘passages’ would carry a person through to a generic location at a random AU. If you wanted a city, you’d find one. If you wanted a Snowdin, you’d get one. If you wanted to go berry-picking in a woodland, you’d get the forest at least but the berries would be a lucky shot.

“What should I be looking for?” Aspen asked, taking a basket that was handed over to them.

“brambles. blueberries. redcurrants. anythin’ you know can be eaten.”

Fair play. Go for what you recognise. Better that than risk picking something poisonous. Aspen nodded, and watched as Axe walked up to the empty door frame in the middle of the room and-

Gone.

Aspen was next though, and they were just a couple steps behind Axe to step up to the doorway and pass through.

Cold, somewhat humid air was quickly replaced by fresh warmth and a breeze that tousled through Aspen’s hair and the fur on Axe’s jacket. No more candlelight, now dappled midday sunlight fell across them through trees stretching overhead. Both were stood in waist high (ok, thigh high for Axe) bushes, the sound of bird song rippling overhead. 

They were also encircled by bramble bushes.

Thankfully the brambles themselves weren’t circled around either of the two, although Aspen did instinctively wince and take a hop away. Staring around, there were flecks of purple and blue visible, blueberries scattered between the brambles. Axe hummed quietly, a low note of surprise. 

“nice,” he mumbled.

“Yeah, pretty nice,” Aspen agreed. “Especially pretty.”

“don’t get too distracted. gotta get this done quickly.” Axe huffed, a noise that was probably a laugh. His head was turned to block the grin on his skull. “‘nother reason I wanted you instead of the others.”

Aspen barely managed to hide their own chuckle, watching as he turned away and started to approach the brambles. He barely needed to bat the thorny branches away, brushing them easily out of the way to start plucking shiny black and red berries. Deciding to avoid scratching themselves off the bat, Aspen wormed their way towards the patch of blueberries.

Luck had definitely smiled on the pair. The berries were plentiful, and it didn’t take long for both of them to start filling up their baskets. Some were still some time away from ripening, small green buds that Aspen left on the branches. Others were large and plump, but felt too soft when Aspen picked them, a couple even splitting and spilling over their fingers. Grimacing as another fell away too quickly, Aspen stepped across to Axe, holding it up.

“I keep finding berries that are too squishy, what’s the verdict on this? Keep or toss?” they asked, as Axe paused in the manner of someone having their rhythm broken and then took the berry from them. Humming softly in thought, Axe rolled the berry over between his fingers. The metacarpals, thick but notched with claw tips, handled the soft small object so carefully. His eyes sockets narrowed just a touch, the slightest hint of a squint.

“overripe,” he muttered. “too many’d be bad in a pie. it's not too bad for a snack though.”

“Aw, fair,” Aspen replied, pouting slightly. He dropped it into their open palm and they flicked it into their mouth, munching away with a slight grimace. Yep - watery and a little gritty. Uncomfortable on the tongue.

The more they continued to pick berries, the more they started to notice that Axe had been doing his own sorting in this way. Every now and again he’d inspect a berry, squint a frown at it, and then toss it inside his own mouth without a bare need to chew.

Logically, Aspen knew it was magic. It didn’t stop them from squinting and staring at his spine every time he made a swallowing sound with the gentle tilt back of his head to pair with.

Still, now a small door had been unlocked. While the berries Aspen snacked on weren’t the best, they stocked the human’s appetite. Maybe a few of the berries they ate should have gone in the basket, but the sweet and tart little treats were rather enjoyable this fresh. The brambles especially were juicy, and at one point Aspen coughed as one berry tried to escape their mouth, the juice trickling over their cheek. 

“eat ‘em, don’t breathe ‘em,” Axe teased them with another huff of laughter, glancing over to Aspen. But then the laughter frozen, his eyelight dilating in the eye socket. 

Aspen froze too. The hairs on the back of their neck prickled. Like a rabbit spotted by a hound.

“Axe?”

The eyelight blinked and Axe’s eye sockets narrowed into a low scowl. Stepping easily across the small clearing, he pulled a grimy handkerchief from his pocket, the other hand cupping the back of Aspen’s head as he smeared it against their face. 

“you're gettin' messy,” he muttered, pulling the cloth away to reveal the dark purple-red stain the berries had left behind. His gaze flickered down, a grumble rattling through him, and his hand traced down Aspen’s shoulder to their arm as he lifted it up.

His hand absolutely could close entirely around the limb, but he still held it gently. Aspen thought about the overripe berry for a moment, then also looked down to see what Axe was fussing over now. His handkerchief wiped across their palms, doing his best to clean away other berry stains and bright red scratches from the bramble thorns, scratches that Aspen only noticed as they stung while wiped clean.

“I’m gonna live, right?” Aspen said the words with levity but didn’t expect to feel Axe’s grip twitch on their arm, the skeleton’s expression curling with a sourness.

“don’t joke ‘bout that,” he mumbled under his breath. Aspen’s shoulders sagged slightly, and they let themselves settle more into Axe’s palm as he finished cleaning them up.

“You want me to do the same for me?” they asked softly, gesturing to the similar stains across his carpals. A look of genuine surprise briefly crossed Axe’s face, before he handed over the cloth to Aspen. Unfortunately with the handkerchief’s state and having already been used for Aspen, they ended up smearing the stains more across Axe’s hands than they did cleaning them up. Aspen’s nose wrinkled into an awkward grin as they stared at the dark purple stains on dusty white bone, while Axe silently snatched the cloth back from their grip.

“it’ll wash out.” A truth and an intention.

“Sorry,” Aspen murmured.

“you oughta wash your arms too. don’t need you getting anything in there and having to go see the doc.”

A small shiver hit Aspen’s back at the thought of needing to get medical attention from the resident skeletal doctor. Not a bad shiver, but - it was difficult to not think about Dr Baggs after every check-up. Like he left something in their head each time they left.

They glanced up at Axe’s back, watching him pick up both their baskets and move away towards the spot where the portal should still be waiting. The silence felt uncomfortable now, like they’d stepped on his foot but he hadn’t fully responded to the pain. No direct cue to apologise for their accident. Words rolled through their head but couldn’t quite make it to their lips without fear of breaking this tension.

It held in the air.

Birdsong chirped sweetly over their heads.

Axe stepped forward over a tree branch and vanished. Aspen closed their eyes, sighed heavily as the regret began to set in, and followed their way back.

As the cold room washed over them, a hand blocked their way forward. Axe’s palm settled across the front of Aspen’s chest, his eyelight looking down at them. Into them. A fist raised up into Aspen’s eyeline.

“here.” As Aspen opened their hands to him, Axe tipped a dozen bramble berries into their palms. A softness settled across his expression. Gratitude. Or satisfaction.

“Thank you,” Aspen said, managing a smile in return. “Have fun with the pies.”

“...you can come too, if you want.”

The smile brightened.

[mothfromusher]

excuse me what the fuck?

shit shit shit shit shit SHIT SHIT.

[blurryface-never-left]

Im glad I didn't give up and not watch that livestream. It was very nice to see it live and watch the chat go bonkers in real time

Josh munchin n crunchin on snacks

The little goofs n gaffs

THE FUCKING FOREST FIC REFERENCES. I almost lost it when they cut back to them after playing Navigating and Josh wasn't there. Golden moment!

Mark was so funny, he needs more love. Shout out Mark, your just as much a part of this as the boys are. Love you, man 💜

Curse my auditory sensory issues and sleep deprived mind, I had a hard time hearing the lyrics, so today is relisten with lyrics in front of me day. But what I got, I fully enjoyed

I loved the music videos. I think the lower budget ones may be my favorite. There is something so personal and down to earth seeing a literal Grammy Award winning, sells-out-stadiums band just going out onto a frozen lake, a snowy field, a forest, and a small midwestern town with a camera and small crew, DIYing music videos as if they're just starting out. They don't need to be reminded of where they started. They don't need to be reminded of their roots. They never left them. And that's amazing. It hit me when I saw the music video for Snap Back. It's just... Tyler n Mark in a garage. They continue to bring back the old iconic scenes like shaving his head each era in a mv. It warms my heart.

God I had so much more I wanted to say but im still so tired and I fruckin hurt so im gunna just rb other ppls thoughts for a while n head back to bed. Ill gush more in the rb tags yall.

[void-botanist]

Happy STS!

Looking back, what's your writing-related highlight of this year?

(Please ignore if I've already sent you a question today; I lost track)

Happy STS, Sam!

The biggest one has to be introducing Nicea in May. It started as a concept based on Alice Isn't Dead and Cowboy Bebop, and it was gonna be a lot more complex - Cady having his death faked by a predatory pilot's union and getting sent out to a faraway system and rescued by the True Pilot's Union (lesbian rebel fleet), or getting into some weird gambling trouble with proto-Bo, or just in general something that was A) more cyberpunk and B) more set up to allow space shoot-outs. Nicea Shipping was itself meant to be a questionably legal enterprise, and in the earliest iterations a lot more people were gonna be space pirates. It took a while to carve out a plot that made sense and that I actually could/wanted to write, but my intro from May has stood the test of time so far. I've also written [checks Scrivener] 28,592 words on it this year.

Also, re: your past STS question about influences, the Expanse books have had a huge impact on how I approach Nicea. I used to write third person omniscient all the time when I was younger, then gave that up in favor of mostly single or dual POVs. In the back of my mind I wasn't sure if I could really pull off more than that. But the Expanse makes good use of multiple POVs, especially after the first book (and honestly I wanted even more POV stuff for Alex and Amos I eat that shit up), and after reading it for nine books I felt like it was something I could pull off. Even though Nicea is built on the ashes of a Spinder/Isabel romance I introduced so many other interesting dynamics with the Nicea crew that I really wanted to explore.

Nicea taglist: @kahvilahuhut @kk7-rbs @outpost51 @writernopal @athenswrites

[satorulovebot]

cursed seas ch. 03 | long story short

pairing — gojou satoru x fem!reader

genre —heavy angst, pirate au, 18+ 

word count — 7.3k

warnings — 18+ ONLY. profanity, mentions of blood, mentions of weapons, gojo is going through a mental health crisis.

author's notes — today we will be introduced to the antagonist of the story (not directly). kicking on this chapter has absoluley fuck all happen i decided to split it up so i have buffer time to write. this chapter does delv into reader and gojo's relationship and we see a little bit of the kids. gojo is very bipolar. rb's and comments always appreciated :)

prev. HELP WANTED! | next. never saw you coming

general masterlist -> series masterlist

“Well,” he said, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife. “It looks like we’ve found what we were looking for.”

“You have got to be fucking kidding,” you muttered. 

Gojou noticed your distress and cocked an eyebrow, his usual smirk playing on his lips. “What’s wrong? Afraid of the dark?”

You shot him a glare, trying to hide the fact that you were indeed terrified. “You know damn well what’s wrong. You dragged me all the way here, and I don’t even have a weapon.”

“Well, that’s a bit of an oversight, isn’t it?” Getou said as he looked over at Captain Gojou.

“This is not fucking funny! First, you stalk me and threaten me. You leave me outside of some brothel to go fuck some random woman, and then you dare to drag me all the way out here to this weird island even seasoned pirates are afraid of, like it's absolutely nothing, and expect me to behave like a civilized person?!”

"Woah, woah, calm down, sweetheart; it's just a little bit of fun; no need to get your panties in a twist.”

The entire crew could now hear the two of you bickering in the pitch-black. Great.

Gojou shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. “You’ll be fine. Stick close to me, and you won’t need a weapon.”

“You crazy bastard, how in the hell am I supposed to stick close to you when I can’t even see three feet in front of me?” You hissed. You were losing it, you couldn’t even bring yourself to be scared of this man anymore considering the way he was behaving.

You were about to protest when Nanami handed you a small, sheathed dagger. “Here,” he said gruffly. “It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing.” 

You took the dagger with a nod of thanks, gripping it tightly in your hand. It wasn’t the most comforting weapon, but at least it was something. You knew you couldn’t rely solely on Gojou or Getou to protect you. If you were going to survive this, you’d need to stay sharp and be ready for anything.

And then, without warning, the ground beneath your feet gave way.

You barely had time to react before you were falling, the jagged rocks scraping against your skin as you tumbled into a hidden pit. The world spun around you, a blur of darkness and pain, and then you hit the bottom with a sickening thud.

For a moment, you couldn’t move, the wind knocked out of you. Every part of your body screamed in pain, and it took all of your strength to push yourself up onto your hands and knees. You could taste blood in your mouth, and the sharp sting of cuts and bruises covered your body.

The pit was dark, the only light coming from the faint glow of the lanterns above. You could hear the distant voices of the crew, their shouts echoing down to you, but they seemed so far away.

Panic began to set in as you realized how deep the pit was. You were trapped, alone in the darkness, with no way to climb back up. The walls were slick with moss, offering no handholds, and the floor was littered with sharp rocks that made every movement painful.

Above, you could hear Gojou shouting orders. “Hold on! We’re getting you out of there!”

The fear was suffocating, and you had to fight to keep it at bay. You couldn’t afford to lose your head now, not when your life depended on staying calm. But the darkness pressed in around you, the silence broken only by the distant sound of water dripping somewhere in the cavern. You felt as though the walls were closing in, crushing you under their weight.

Then you heard a sound that sent a chill down your spine.

It was a low, guttural growl, coming from somewhere in the darkness. It was a sound that no human could make. You froze, every muscle in your body tensing as you strained to see what was making that noise.

And then you saw them—glowing eyes in the darkness, moving closer with every second.

Your heart skipped a beat as you realized what was happening. The pit wasn’t just a trap; it was a lair. And whatever lived here was coming for you.

“Gojou!” you screamed, the panic rising in your voice. “Something’s down here!”

You scrambled backward, your hand fumbling for the dagger Nanami had given you. But even as you gripped it tightly, you knew it wouldn’t be enough. There were too many of them, and they were getting closer with every passing second.

“Get her out of there, now!”

The first creature lunged at you, its claws slashing through the air. You barely managed to dodge, the sharp edge of the dagger catching its side as it passed. It let out a screech of pain, but it was useless in the end.

You fought with everything you had, but it was like trying to fend off a storm with a twig. The creatures were relentless, their attacks coming from every direction. You could feel your strength waning, the cuts and bruises taking their toll.

And then, just as you thought you couldn’t hold out any longer, Gojou dropped down into the pit

Before you could even react, Gojou was already moving. His swords flashed in the air, cutting swiftly through the nearest creature. The creature let out a piercing shriek as it fell to the ground, its body convulsing as it died.

"Stay back!" Gojou shouted. "I’ll handle this."

You stumbled backward, your heart pounding in your chest as you watched the scene unfold. Each swing of his swords cut down another creature, but for every one he killed, it seemed like two more took its place.

One of the creatures broke away from the pack, its beady eyes locking onto you. It let out a guttural growl, its claws extended as it charged toward you. Panic seized your limbs, freezing you in place.

But before it could reach you, Gojou was there. He lunged forward, intercepting the creature with a powerful kick.

"Don’t just stand there!" Gojou snapped. "Get moving!"

You nodded, scrambling to your feet. But as you turned to run, another creature lunged at you from the side, its claws grazing your arm as it knocked you to the ground. Pain shot through your arm, but before you could react, Gojou was on top of the creature, driving his sword through its skull.

He pulled you to your feet. "Stay close to me," he ordered, his eyes scanning the area for more threats. "I’m not letting anything happen to you."

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the creatures began to retreat, their numbers dwindling until only a few remained. Gojou cut down the last of them with a final strike, and then there was silence.

"Are you okay?"

You nodded, still bloody and bruised but alive. "Yeah. Thanks to you."

Gojou wiped the blood from his sword and sheathed it. "Don’t mention it.”

"Well, that was a damn mess," Toji grumbled from behind you. He kicked a loose stone off the path, sending it skittering into the underbrush. "Next time, let's pick an island that doesn’t try to kill us."

"You’re the one who insisted on coming here," Shokou shot back, her voice dry with sarcasm as she adjusted the pack slung over her shoulder. "Don’t act like you didn’t enjoy it."

“Yeah, well, I didn’t sign up for nearly getting my head taken off by whatever the hell those things were in that chamber. If I wanted to die, I would have done it myself."

"That was closer than I like," Nanami muttered.

"Yeah, and let’s not forget who almost got herself killed because someone forgot to give her a weapon," Toji added, throwing you a pointed look. "How the hell did you even survive out there with a tiny dagger?"

You opened your mouth to reply, but Shokou cut him off. "She survived because we didn’t give her a damn chance to get herself killed. Unlike some people who charge ahead without thinking."

Toji raised an eyebrow, his lips curving into a grin. "Is that a dig at me, Shokou? I’m flattered."

"It’s a fact, but let’s not dwell on the past, shall we? We’re out of that cave, we’ve got what we came for, and I’m more interested in getting back to the ship than listening to you two bicker."

"She’s right," Gojou’s voice rang out. "We’ve got what we came for, but this isn’t over yet. Let’s get back to the ship and figure out our next move. No more screw-ups."

Toji, who couldn’t resist one last jab decided to add, "Just make sure you don’t wander off and get yourself in trouble. We don’t need another rescue mission."

"Like I said, Toji," Shokou interjected with a roll of her eyes, "focus on getting us back to the ship in one piece. Then you can play the hero all you want."

As soon as she said that a low, guttural sound, echoed through the dense jungle.

"Shit," Geto muttered under his breath, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword. "They're not giving up, are they?"

That’s when you all decided it was best to run.

The sound of rushing water and distant roars echoed around you as the crew frantically retreated to the rowboat. Your body felt heavy, weighed down by the deep gash on your side that bled profusely. Each step sent a wave of pain coursing through you, but you pushed forward, the adrenaline masking some of the pain.

"Move it!" Toji shouted, his voice urgent as he glanced back at you.

Nanami was the first to reach the boat, quickly securing it in place as the others piled in. Shokou hovered nearby, her usual calm demeanor slightly shaken as she took stock of the injuries each member had sustained. Her eyes widened when they landed on you, the blood staining your clothes impossible to ignore.

"Get her in here, now!"

With Toji's help, you stumbled into the rowboat, nearly collapsing as your vision blurred. Shoko was next to you in an instant, pressing a cloth to your wound in an attempt to slow the bleeding.

“Stay with us,” Shoko urged, her voice wavering slightly as she worked. “You’re not dying on me, got it?”

But it was getting harder to focus. The pain in your side was constant, and the world around you began to fade. You could hear Getou and Gojou’s shouts in the distance, but they felt far away as if coming from another world.

Finally, Gojou and Getou reached the boat, their chests heaving as they jumped in. “We’re good, let’s go!” Gojou yelled, though his voice was slightly breathless.

Toji and Nanami quickly began rowing, desperate to put distance between themselves and the cursed island. As the boat lurched forward, you felt your strength waning, your consciousness slipping away despite Shoko’s best efforts to keep you awake.

The last thing you saw before the darkness overtook you was Gojo’s face.

“Hey, don’t you dare pass out on me,” Gojo ordered, though his voice sounded distant. “I’m not done with you yet.”

But his words faded as your vision went black, the pain finally pulling you under.

The steady rocking of the ship greeted you as consciousness slowly returned. Your head throbbed, and a dull ache pulsed through your side. The heavy scent of salt and something faintly metallic filled your nose. It took you a moment to realize you were lying on a soft bed, the rough texture of the blankets against your skin was a stark contrast to the cold stone floor back in the chamber.

When you finally came to, the first thing you noticed was the soft flickering of the candlelight casting shadows on the wooden walls. The room was warm and filled with the scent of seawater and something medicinal. As you tried to sit up, a sharp pain shot through your side, forcing you to lie back down with a groan.

“That wasn’t very smart, you know,” came a familiar voice from the corner of the room.

You turned your head slowly to find Gojou sitting at his desk, casually leaning back in his chair with one foot propped up on the table. He was watching you with a lazy smile, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the wood.

“Gojou?” you rasped, your throat dry. “What… where am I?”

Gojou leaned back in his chair, his ice-blue eyes meeting yours. “In my quarters,” he answered with a shrug, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “You passed out on the rowboat, bleeding all over the damn place. Figured you’d be more comfortable here than down in the brig.”

You struggled to sit up, but the pain in your side flared up so intensely that you nearly blacked out again. A hiss of pain escaped your lips, and you fell back against the pillows, gasping for breath.

“Shit,” you muttered, clutching the sheets. “I feel like I got run over by a fucking carriage.”

“Not far off from the truth,” Gojou said, pushing his chair back and standing up. He strolled over to you with his hands tucked into his pockets. “Those creatures on the island were more than happy to tear you apart. If I hadn’t noticed you were unarmed…” He trailed off. “Well, let’s just say I like my crew in one piece.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, annoyance bubbling inside you. “Why didn’t anyone give me a weapon in the first place? You dragged me along on this goddamn suicide mission, and I didn’t even have a knife to defend myself.”

Gojou’s smirk faded slightly, his expression growing more serious. “A bit of an oversight on our part,” he admitted, his voice losing some of its usual lightness. “But you survived. That’s what matters.”

“Survived? I barely fucking made it out of there alive! And for what? Some random treasure you thought would be fun to chase?”

Gojou’s eyes darkened at your outburst, his jaw clenching briefly before he forced a smile back onto his face. “You think this is about fun? This isn’t some fucking game. Out here, it’s kill or be killed. You wanted to come along, sweetheart. Well, welcome to the reality of it.”

You bit your lip, the sharp retort you had ready dying on your tongue. He was right—part of you had wanted this, had wanted to prove you could handle whatever this life threw at you. But you hadn’t been prepared for how brutal it would be, how quickly things could spiral out of control.

Why did you bring me along in the first place? “You could have left me behind. Why take the risk?”

Gojou paused, his back to you, and for a long moment, he didn’t answer. When he finally did, his voice was low, almost too quiet to hear over the creaking of the ship. “Because I wanted to see what you were made of,” he said simply. “Wanted to see if you could handle it.”

“Handle what?” you pressed, not satisfied with his vague answer. “What the hell were you testing me for?”

Gojou turned to face you, his eyes locking onto yours with a piercing intensity. “To see if you’d break,” he said bluntly. “This life isn’t for everyone. You either adapt, or you die. I needed to know which one you’d be.”

His words hit you like a punch to the gut, the coldness of his logic making your stomach turn. “So I was just some experiment to you?” you spat, the anger boiling over once more. “You were willing to let me die just to prove a fucking point?”

“You’re not dead, are you? You passed the test. That’s all that matters.”

You stared at him, your heart pounding in your chest. This man, this insane, reckless man, had dragged you into hell just to see if you could survive it. And now he stood there, acting as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

“What if I hadn’t?” you asked, your voice barely more than a whisper. “What if I had died out there?”

Gojou’s eyes softened, but only slightly. “Then you wouldn’t be here,” he said simply as if that answered everything.

 Gojou sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he leaned against the desk. “Look,” he said, his voice losing some of its edge, “I get it. You’re pissed. You have every right to be. But this is the life you signed up for. It’s not pretty, and it sure as hell isn’t fair. But it’s real.”

“Why me?” you asked quietly, your voice barely above a whisper. “Why did you even bother?”

“Because you’re different. You’re not like the others. And I guess… I wanted to see if I was right about you.”

 Gojou pushed off the desk and walked over to you, “Get some rest.”

He turned to leave, but you reached out, grabbing his wrist before you could stop yourself. “Gojou,” you said, your voice shaking slightly. “Why do you care?”

He looked down at your hand on his wrist, then back up at you. For a moment, you thought he might pull away, might leave you with your question unanswered. But then, he leaned in closer, his breath warm against your ear as he whispered the words that would haunt you for days to come.

“Because, sweetheart,” he murmured, “I like a little chaos in my life. And you… you’re the perfect storm.”

“We dock at Port Royal in thirty minutes, get dressed.” He pointed at the clothes sitting on the table.

With that, he turned to leave, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

Bastard. 

You decided to get up, get dressed, and maybe snoop around his quarters.

“I mean, what’s the worst I can find?”

The clothes he gave you consisted of a loose-fitting blouse, a brown belt, black pants, and boots. You assumed they were Shoko’s clothes since she’s the only other woman on board. You quickly put them on and started looking around. Regretfully, you decided to look inside the bedside table.

Condoms. Great. You quickly shut the drawer and moved onto his desk.

“Apparently, he doesn’t keep these things locked, or maybe he never lets anyone in here,” you murmured.

On his desk, there was a multitude of papers, and among them, you saw a wanted poster. The words on it were "Dead or Alive," with a bounty of three hundred pounds. Another piece of paper caught your eye, and you carefully unfolded it. It was a map of the surrounding islands of the Caribbean, with certain locations marked with a red X. You were so lost in your thoughts that you didn’t hear the door creak open. Instinctively, you jumped back, and the map slipped from your hands.

"Having fun?" he drawled, casually closing the door behind him.

Just trying to figure out what kind of mess I've gotten myself into."

You really think you're in control here, don’t you?" His voice was low, almost mocking.

You crossed your arms, refusing to back down. "I never said that."

He chuckled. "Good. Because the sooner you realize that you're not, the easier things will be."

"What do you want from me, Gojou?" you sighed.

His smile faltered for just a moment before continuing, "I told you already, sweetheart. I want that map. And I want you to help me find the treasure."

You let out a bitter laugh. "And what makes you think I’ll help you? I still haven’t given you the map remember?"

He stepped closer, so close that you could feel the heat radiating off him. "Because you don’t have a choice."

"And what if I refuse?"

Gojou’s eyes darkened, and he leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Then I’ll just have to make you."

"You can try."

For a moment, neither of you moved.

"You’re a stubborn one, I’ll give you that. But we’ll see how long that lasts."

He turned away from you, moving to the desk and picking up the map you had dropped. He studied it for a moment before rolling it up and tucking it under his arm.

"Get ready to dock,” was all he said over his shoulder as he turned to leave.

…

Jesus Fucking Christ.

The crew was brimming with excitement. It had been weeks since they had last docked anywhere with the kind of entertainment that Port Royal offered.

The moment the anchor dropped and the gangplank was lowered, Megumi, Yuuji, and Yuuta were the first to get off the ship, eager to stretch their legs and see what the town had to offer.

“Don’t go too far!” Shokou called after them, her tone half-serious. She knew as well as anyone that trying to rein in a group of excited young men in a place like Port Royal was pointless. “And don’t forget what happened last time you went off on your own!”

“Yeah, yeah, we’ll be fine!” Yuuji yelled back, waving a dismissive hand as he jogged off with the others. “Just gonna have some fun!”

You watched them go, a small smile tugging at your lips. Their energy was infectious, even if you knew it would likely get them into trouble.

Each crew member headed off in different directions, each heading off to their favorite spots. You lingered by the gangplank, debating on whether or not you should go into Port Royal or not. The last time you’d been in a place like this, things had gone… poorly, and that was before you had gotten involved with Captain Gojou.

“Thinking about going ashore?” Gojou appeared beside you, hands casually tucked into his coat pockets.

“Maybe,” you replied, turning your gaze back to the town. “But I’m not sure where I’d go.”

“Port Royal can be a bit much if you’re not used to it. How about a walk? I’ll show you around.”

“Alright.”

As the two of you walked, Gojou pointed out various places—a tavern and a gambling den—places that held significance for him.

“You’ve been quiet. Everything alright?”

“Just… a lot on my mind, I guess.”

“Like what?”

Okay, Nosey.

“The island, mostly, and what happened there.”

His only response was to hum.

As the two of you continued walking, you felt yourself relax a little. You had almost convinced yourself that everything was normal and that maybe you could build a new life with new people. Even if one of them was a crazy bastard.

That illusion was shattered when you turned a corner and came face-to-face with a bounty poster.

The worn piece of paper was on the wall of a tavern, alongside dozens of others. But this one caught your eye immediately—because it had your face on it.

There was no mistaking it. The sketch, while crude, was a clear likeness of you. And beneath it, in bold letters, was the reward: a staggering sum of gold for your capture, dead or alive.

“What the hell?”

Gojou followed your gaze, his eyes narrowing as he took in the poster.

Then Gojou ripped the poster off the wall and crumpled it in his fist. “Who the fuck did this?”

“I—I don’t know,” you stammered, your mind racing. “I didn’t even know there was a bounty on me.”

“This isn’t good. We need to get back to the ship.”

“But why would there be a bounty on me? I haven’t done anything!”

“That’s what we need to find out. But first, we need to make sure you’re safe.”

He grabbed your hand and started leading you back the way you came. 

“What are we going to do?” you asked, struggling to keep up with him.

“We’re going to find out who put that bounty on your head and why. And then we’re going to deal with them.”

You didn’t ask how he planned to ‘deal with them.’ The look in his eyes told you enough.

“I have to go find the kids. Stay in my quarters until we figure this out. Don’t go anywhere without me, understand?”

You nodded, too overwhelmed to argue. The last thing you wanted was to be left alone, especially now.

A million thoughts raced through your mind.

Was it your father? No, it couldn’t be him. You haven’t spoken to him since you moved to Elysport, and even then, he wouldn’t know if you had left. Was it one of those pirates that saw me with Gojou? Maybe. My employer? No, not him; he didn’t give a shit about me.

You were officially panicking.

What the hell were you going to do?

“Man, I can’t wait to get a drink,” Yuuji said with a grin, stretching his arms above his head as they walked. “It feels like it’s been forever.”

“Try not to get us into too much trouble this time,” Megumi muttered, hands shoved into his pockets. “Last time we docked, you nearly burned down that tavern.”

“That was an accident! Besides, I fixed it.”

“Right, by jumping into the flames and nearly setting yourself on fire,” Yuuta added with a small smile. “Maybe we should aim for a quieter night this time.”

The three of them turned down an alley as Yuuta’s eyes darted to the sign hanging above a wooden door at the end of the alleyway: “The Crooked Anchor.” It was one of the smaller, less reputable bars in Port Royal, but that also meant it was one of the few places where they wouldn’t attract too much attention.

As they pushed open the door, the dim light from within spilled out into the alley, accompanied by the low hum of voices and the clink of mugs.

The place was filled with the kind of people who preferred to keep to themselves. It was exactly the kind of place they were looking for.

“Looks like a good spot,” Yuuji said, his grin widening.

They made their way to a table in the back, squeezing between patrons and dodging spilled drinks along the way.

“So,” Yuuji began as he leaned back in his chair, “what do we think we’re gonna do while we’re here? Just drinks, or are we looking for something a little more... exciting?”

“Exciting for you usually means dangerous for the rest of us,” Megumi said dryly.

“I’m serious!” Yuuji protested. “I just think we should take advantage of the fact that we’re not stuck on the ship for a change. Who knows when we’ll get another chance?”

Before Megumi could respond, the door to the bar swung open, and two figures stepped inside.

“Hey,” he whispered, nudging Megumi with his elbow. “Check them out.”

Megumi followed Yuuji’s gaze and spotted the newcomers—a pair of young women who were clearly out of place. The first was tall with dark hair that was tied back in a tight ponytail. The second girl was a bit shorter and had vibrant red hair that seemed to catch the dim light of the bar.

“Aristocrats?” Megumi muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing. “What the hell are they doing here?”

“Maybe they’re here for a drink just like us,” Yuuji said with a grin. “C’mon, let’s go say hi.”

Before either Megumi or Yuuta could stop him, Yuuji was already on his feet, weaving his way through the crowd toward the two women. With a resigned sigh, Megumi and Yuuta exchanged a glance before following him.

As they approached, the taller of the two women—Maki—noticed them first.

“Can we help you?

Just thought I’d say hi. You two don’t really look like you belong in a place like this.”

The other, much shorter woman then spoke up, “And what makes you think we don’t belong here?”

“Well, for one thing, you don’t look like sailors,” Yuuji said with a chuckle.

We can handle ourselves.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that,” Yuuji said quickly, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “But if you’re looking for a good time, maybe we could show you around. We know this town pretty well.”

“What do you think, Maki? Should we let these guys show us around?”

Why not? Could be interesting.”

“Great!” Yuuji said, his grin widening. “I’m Yuuji, by the way. This is Megumi, and that’s Yuuta.”

“Nobara, and this is Maki.”

“So, what brings you two to a place like this?” Megumi asked.

Nobara took a sip of her drink. “We were bored. Thought we’d sneak out and see what the ‘common folk’ do for fun.”

Maki, who had been quiet up until this point, leaned forward slightly. “And what about you three? You don’t exactly scream ‘regular patrons’ either.”

“We’re part of a crew,” Yuuta explained. “Just docked for a bit before heading out again.”

“A crew?” Nobara’s eyes lit up with interest. “Like pirates?”

“Something like that,” Yuuji said with a wink. “We prefer to think of ourselves as adventurers.”

At one point, as the conversation lulled, Yuuta leaned over to Maki, his voice quieter than before. “So, what made you two decide to sneak out?”

“We needed a break. Nobara’s family keeps her on a short leash, and I... well, I’ve never been one for following rules.”

“So,” Nobara said, breaking the moment as she turned her attention back to the group. “What’s next? You’re not just going to leave us here, are you?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah pretty much.”

“Well, I was thinking... maybe you’d want to come with us. See the world, have some real adventures!”

Megumi then elbowed Yuuji’s side. “Shut up, you moron.”

Maki studied him for a long moment. “Alright,” she said finally. “We’re in.”

Nobara’s grin widened. “Hell yeah!”

With their decision made—well, Yuuji’s decision—the five of them exited the bar, stepping into the cold evening air.

Yuuji Itadori had never been good at keeping secrets—his wide smile and open personality made him an easy read most of the time—but he knew that sometimes, you had to bend the rules to make things work. Tonight, standing by the docks of Port Royal, he felt like bending the rules a little more than usual.

Beside him, Megumi and Yuuta exchanged cautious glances, clearly not as excited about Yuuji’s plan. Behind them, two girls were looking out toward the ship.

"Okay, so we’ll sneak them onboard. It’s just until we can figure things out with Gojou. I mean, he’ll understand, right?"

Megumi narrowed his eyes. “Are you out of your mind? Gojou’s not going to ‘understand’ anything. If he finds out we’ve brought two strangers aboard, there’ll be hell to pay.”

Yuuta frowned. I’m with Megumi on this one. It’s one thing to bring them along, but hiding them? Gojou will know. He always knows.”

Yuuji waved their concerns away with a grin. “Come on, it’s just for a little while! Besides, we can’t exactly just leave them here now, can we?”

The girl with dark green hair crossed her arms. “If you guys don’t want us to come, just say it. We’re not here to beg for a spot.”

“Yeah, what’s the deal? You practically dragged us along, and now you’re having second thoughts?”

Yuuji shook his head quickly. “No, no! That’s not it at all! You’re totally coming with us. I just... We need to make sure Gojou doesn’t find out right away. He’s... complicated.”

“Complicated? What, is he some kind of tyrant?”

Yuuji laughed nervously. “Something like that.”

“Look, if this is going to be a problem, we’ll handle it. We don’t need you to babysit us.”

“Trust me, it’s not you I’m worried about,” Megumi muttered.

Yuuji threw an arm around Megumi’s shoulders, giving him a little shake. “Relax, we’ve handled worse situations than this. All we need to do is get them onboard, hide them for a while, and then we’ll figure it out.”

Megumi sighed deeply, clearly regretting every decision that had led to this moment. “This is going to backfire. I just know it.”

Gojou’s mood had soured the moment he realized the kids were missing.

“You,” Gojou barked at one of the nearby crewmates. “Where are the kids?”

The man blinked, clearly unsure what to say. “I—I don’t know, Captain. They—”

“They went off into Port Royal hours ago,” Nanami interjected from behind him. “They haven’t returned yet.”

 “And you let them go without a leash?”

“They’re not dogs, Gojou,” Nanami said dryly. “Besides, you didn’t exactly stop them.”

Gojou waved him off, his fingers brushing through his frost-colored hair. “Yeah, yeah. That doesn’t mean they can just fuck off whenever they want. This place isn’t exactly safe, and now they’ve gone and gotten themselves lost, or worse.” His grin spread. “Oh, I can’t wait to hear their excuses.”

He turned on his heel and headed toward the lower deck, his mind clearly made up. “Alright, I want everyone searching. Get those brats back here now. If they’re not back by the time we’re ready to leave, we’ll leave without them.”

Nanami raised an eyebrow, following behind him. “You don’t actually mean that.”

Gojou shot him a sideways glance, grinning. “No, but it’ll motivate them to hurry up, won’t it?”

As the other crew members went off searching for the missing kids, Gojou made his way back to his captain's quarters. He needed to figure out what the hell was going on, why she—why you—were suddenly so important. No, this was something big, planned, like someone was pulling strings from the shadows. But who? And why?

He had his suspicions. A couple of names lingered in the back of his mind, but he couldn’t say for sure. Not yet. Still, it made him uneasy. There weren’t many who could move with that level of secrecy without him catching on. The thought of it made his blood boil.

Later that night, the ship was eerily quiet when Gojou returned. His boots thudded against the wooden floor as he made his way through the dimly lit halls of his quarters.

He didn’t get it. Why had he taken such an interest in you? At first, you were just another puzzle to him, someone caught up in the game like everyone else. But the more time he spent around you, the more... curious he became.

As he stepped into his room, his eyes landed on the bed.

You were there, curled up and fast asleep. The moonlight filtered in through the small window, casting soft shadows across your face.

Gojou paused in the doorway, staring at you for a moment longer than he meant to.

“Sleeping in my bed now, huh?” he muttered, half to himself.

Without making a sound, he closed the door behind him and moved toward the desk on the far side of the room. He wasn’t exactly sure why he didn’t wake you up, why he didn’t toss you out of his space like he usually would. Instead, he sat down at the desk, pretending to busy himself with some useless papers. He had no idea what the hell he was doing.

But for once, the silence wasn’t unbearable.

A soft groan pulled his attention. You stirred, blinking yourself awake. Your eyes met his, and for a brief second, you were confused before a brief realization washed over you.

Gojou’s grin returned. “Comfortable, aren’t we?”

You sat up slowly, rubbing at your eyes. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

He shrugged, leaning back in his chair. “Figured I’d let you rest. After all, you’ve had a rough day.”

Your hand instinctively went to your side, where the old bandages had been replaced by fresh ones. “Yeah, you could say that.”

He stood up, crossing the room slowly until he was leaning against the bedpost, staring down at you. “Care to explain why there might be a bounty on your pretty little head?”

“I... I don’t know. I didn’t think anyone would care enough to put a bounty on me.”

“Oh, someone cares. Makes me wonder... why you?”

All you could do was shrug.

“It's probably about the map, but then again, I took care of all those men who you told about it.” He grinned.

…

“My mother,” you began quietly. “She died when I was young.”

Gojou’s grin faltered slightly, but he didn’t interrupt.

“She was killed. And after that, my father... He just sort of fell apart. He wasn’t the same. He couldn’t cope with losing her, and everything went downhill after that. He became distant, cold, like he was barely living anymore. My best guess is maybe it was him, but I don’t think so. He shouldn’t know that I’m gone.”

“Well, for now, you stay on the ship when we dock. I will have Suguru look into it and for the love of god, Don’t bring any attention to yourself.”

Gojou sighed and then continued, “But you know what? You made it this far.”

“Yeah. I guess I have.”

“And now you’re stuck with me. Lucky you.”

“Lucky me, huh?”

“Damn right.”

“You’ve got me, the best captain there is. What more could you ask for?”

You rolled your eyes, but there was a small smile tugging at your lips. “I don’t know. Maybe some peace and quiet for once.”

Gojo snorted. “Not gonna happen. You’re on my ship now.”

He leaned down closer, his voice dropping to a low murmur. “You’re safe here, you know. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

You looked up at him, surprised by the sincerity in his words. “Why?”

“Because I’m the crazy bastard who gets to decide who lives and who dies. And I’ve decided you get to stick around.”

“You’re impossible.”

“Get used to it, sweetheart. You’re not getting rid of me anytime soon.”

As he straightened up and headed back toward his desk, you watched him, still trying to make sense of the man in front of you. He was wild, unpredictable, and more than a little insane, but there was something else there too. 

And as you lay back down, letting sleep overtake you once more, you couldn’t help but wonder just what you’d gotten yourself into with Captain Satoru Gojou.

Gojou sat back at his desk, glancing over at you as you drifted back to sleep. He didn’t know why, but there was something about you that got under his skin. And that, more than anything, was what scared him the most.

A few hours later, you woke up in the dead of the night. The cabin was quiet, save for the faint creaking of the ship. Your body ached, but the bead beneath you was comfortable. Your eyes began adjusting to the darkness and beside you, you saw Gojou.

He was slumped in the chair at his desk, his head resting against the back, arms crossed over his chest. Even in the dim light room, you could make out the tousled mess of white hair falling over his face and the rise and fall of his chest.

He looked peaceful, almost too peaceful for the man he was.

You slowly sat up, trying to not make too much noise as you climbed out of the bed. Your legs were a but shaky as you walked over to him, but you managed to kneel beside his chair and gently shake his shoulder.

"Gojo, wake up."

He began to stir as his brows furrowed in confusion before his eyes fluttered open.

"Well, this is a nice way to wake up," he murmured, his voice rough with sleep. "Something on your mind, sweetheart?"

"You can have your bed back. I’ll go sleep in my bunk."

Gojo straightened up in his chair, stretching his arms above his head before fixing you with a lazy smirk. "Oh? You’re kicking me out of my bed now? How generous of you."

"I’m serious," you said, standing up and gesturing toward the bed. "You need to get some real sleep, and this chair isn’t going to cut it."

"I’m serious," you said, standing up and gesturing toward the bed. "You need to get some real sleep, and this chair isn’t going to cut it."

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I’ll be fine. You’re the one who got banged up on that island. You need a decent bed to rest in, not some uncomfortable bunk."

"I’m fine," you argued, crossing your arms over your chest. "You’re the captain, right? You should be sleeping in your own bed, not stuck in some chair."

Gojou tilted his head, his blue eyes gleaming with amusement. "And what kind of captain would I be if I let my injured guest sleep in a bunk while I take the bed?"

"Well, I’m not letting you sleep in the chair again. We can... share the bed. It’s big enough."

His eyebrows shot up, his grin widening at your suggestion. "Oh, really? Sharing a bed already? My, my, you work fast."

Heat rushed to your cheeks at his teasing, and you turned your back on him. "Don’t make it weird, Gojou. You know what I meant."

He let out a low chuckle, clearly enjoying your flustered reaction. "I’m just teasing. But, if you insist..." He stood up from the chair, stretching out his long limbs before walking over to the bed.

Before you could climb back in, though, he paused, glancing down at your clothes. "You’re still in your day clothes. You’re not seriously going to sleep in those, are you?"

You glanced down at yourself, realizing he was right. Your blouse and pants were wrinkled, and they weren’t comfortable sleeping.

"I don’t have anything else to wear.”

He walked over to his wardrobe, rummaging through it before pulling out one of his white shirts. He tossed it to you, the fabric soft and worn from years of use.

"Here. Wear this. It’ll be more comfortable than what you’ve got on."

You caught the shirt, eyeing it warily. Though it was clean enough, it smelled faintly of saltwater and something uniquely him. Still, you hesitated, glancing over at him.

"Turn around," you demanded, narrowing your eyes.

Gojo let out a dramatic sigh, clearly reveling in your embarrassment. "Oh, come on. It’s not like I haven’t seen a—"

"Turn around.”

"Alright, alright. No need to get all shy on me. I’m just trying to help."

Rolling your eyes, you quickly changed out of your clothes and into the shirt. It was far too big on you, the sleeves hanging loosely around your arms, but it was soft and comfortable. You couldn’t deny that it felt better than your day clothes.

"Okay, you can turn around now.”

"I have to say, you look pretty good in my shirt."

You scoffed, climbing back into bed. "Don’t push your luck."

Without another word, he slid into the bed beside you, keeping a respectful distance. The mattress dipped slightly under his weight, but the bed was big enough that there was plenty of space between you.

It didn’t take long for sleep to claim you again.

When you woke the next morning, the first thing you noticed was the warmth of the bed. The second thing you noticed was that Gojou was still asleep beside you.

He was lying on his back, one arm draped across his chest while the other rested above his head. Careful not to disturb him, you slipped out of bed, your bare feet touching the cool wooden floor. You quickly changed out of his shirt and back into your clothes, glancing over at him every few seconds to make sure he didn’t wake up.

Once you were dressed, you hesitated by the door, your hand resting on the handle.

With a quiet sigh, you opened the door and slipped out of the room, leaving him behind.

Gojo woke up a short while later, his eyes fluttering open as the sunlight streamed in through the small window. He stretched lazily, blinking as he realized he was still in bed.

He glanced over at the spot beside him, where you had been sleeping just hours before. The sheets were still warm, but you were gone.

A frown tugged at the corner of his mouth. Strangely, he was disappointed. He hadn’t expected you to stay, but for some reason, he’d hoped you might.

"Guess I’ll have to track her down later," he muttered. "Can’t have her running off too far, can I?"

What is he going to do with you?

© satorulovebot 2024 please do not repost, plagiarize, or translate my work.

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[fakeghostpirate]

Had another cabin boy pull up and try and take my ferry over today. We drove him off but the scallywag stole my one-of-a-kind holographic motivational Gabriel worship tape!

#At least best me in combat first before you take my loot you landlubbing coward #Me crew and I plundered that fair and square after killing its last owner

17 notes

🗿 headdaddylonglegs Follow

Maurice

💈 misterrockfestival Follow

you people will reblog anything

12,725 notes

🔭 i-spy-dead-guys Follow

I don’t like sand. It’s coarse, rough, irritating, and it clogs up my joints and blood intake.

⏳ ramsesnuclearexclusionzone Follow

🔭 i-spy-dead-guys Follow

By the Earthmovers, this can’t be happening!

572 notes

🐛official-london-urbivore Follow

I miss the sun so bad.

🐛official-london-urbivore Follow

🦕🔁 manlesshorsehead reblogged your post 🐪🔁 borealisunit217 reblogged your post ♐️🔁 bodym000vin reblogged your post 🦙🔁 hothveteran reblogged your post 🐉🔁 grounded reblogged your post  🎠🔁 majordomoaurthour reblogged your post 🐂🔁 fatherwhyhastthouforsakenme reblogged your post 🦒🔁 number-1-ohma-nvotw-simp reblogged your post

I see this post has found its audience.

853 notes

🪦l0stinlimb0

I swear, if this birdsong keeps up I might see if I can hack into the damn speakers.

🪦l0stinlimb0

Holy shit it worked.

🪦l0stinlimb0

Huh. What’s new pussycat is a lot longer than I remember it being.

💫 gabriel-judgeofhell Follow

YOU.

37,853 notes

👤justanothermanneqmonday Follow

Feeling really tired rn, I think I’m gonna take a nap.

👤mannecan-not-mannecant Follow

We got another one, ladies!!!

1,360 notes

🚀derpanzerficker Follow

So he comes up, he comes up to me the other day, and he says, ‘back in the good old days I used to mow down humans in the trenches, but now it’s just machines killing machines. It’s disgraceful,’ and I says, I says to him, ‘Sucks to suck, peepaw! The road to tomorrow’s paved with high explosives! AHHAHAHAHAHA!’ and I punched him so hard he died instantly.

📺 post-style-ranker Follow

Brutal

🚀derpanzerficker Follow

What? I thought that’d be Anarchic, at least.

📺 post-style-ranker Follow

Destructive

2,124 notes

🤱idol-thoughts Follow

❤️ RB to make prev invulnerable to all worldly harm with the power of your love ❤️

9,247 notes

😱 halfhearthalflung Follow

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

#In death I finally struck through to the lower layer #at that inscrutable thing whose malice tasked me so thoroughly #I gazed upon it and knew the aim of my hatred was true #and in its mocking cruelty the thing seized my soul #and harpooned me back upon the wall of life’s prison #the brow of that unreasoning mask it wore as I hunted it before

0 notes

🌟 heavenly-council Follow

for april fools we’re deleting your eternal souls

s a y o n a r a y o u w e e a b o o s h i t s

1,263,378 notes

ultrakill dashboard simulator 2

🐉 grounded Follow

this grey bitch has no idea whats coming lol

1,271 notes

♦️ flesh-n-teeth Follow

Contrary to popular belief, I actually do not bite people.

592 notes

🍵 benign-rodent Follow

Can we talk about how incredibly problematic the Lust Renaissance was? I personally believe the Council had every right to send Gabriel to strike Minos down. It's appalling to think people come on this website and say that Minos was in the right. Do some research.

🌷 strayandferal Follow

are we seriously having this discussion in this day and age? not only is this just an evil thing to say, but saying "do some research" afterwards is just blatantly ignorant.

🍵 benign-rodent Follow

As you can see here, here, and here, these are some proof that the Lust Renaissance was actually super problematic for both Hell and Heaven. To have the gall to call me ignorant when you probably only know very little about this topic is embarrassing.

🌷 strayandferal Follow

those are all obviously extremely biased articles. i wasn't damned to hell yesterday. there's no sources on them, either. come back to me when you have actual proof.

‎‎‎‎‎ ‎ Expand‎

23 notes

💣 skullonmysleeve Follow

CAN THAT FUCKING SENTRY OVER THERE KNOCK IT OFF

1,197 notes

🔥 throughthefireandflames Follow

warning to all limbo-goers: watch out if you go any higher than the first part of the layer. i wandered into this air shaft (was curious if i could clean anything up there) and it's extremely dark. i feel like something is watching me

📎 wicked2 Follow

🔥 throughthefireandflames Follow

what. was that

2,765 notes

🟥 teeth-n-flesh Follow

i bite people

11,089 notes

💫 gabriel-judgeofhell Follow

Please do not contact me to strike down sinners you dislike.

🔘 meowrice-deactivated22340521

isnt that what you do for the council tho lol

45,698 notes

🩸 bloodpowered Follow

fuck v2 😞😞😞 #allmachinesarethesame no one talk to me 💔💔💔 #deactivating #abandoned 😢😢😢😢😢😢

🛒get-whiplashed Follow

i go fishing without you one time and this is what happens

4,522 notes

🌵 sandfan59 Follow

today i saw some biogenic sand!!! i think is super cool how its all tiny sea creature skeletons... i collected some in my container to bring home and examine im so excited to get a better look at them

🪨 rockenthusiast234 Follow

if you come to my part of greed i can share my sand i have and you can share any rocks you find

🌵 sandfan59 Follow

hell yes. can we make out

2,002 notes

🌟 heavenly-council Follow

6,345 notes

⚰️ gutterthem Follow

i just crashed my fucking tram listening to HELL'S GREATEST COUNTRY HITS VOL. 35 on the cd player and when i got off all the guttertanks and mannequins were laughing at me

#is it over for me

798 notes

[glacierruler]

Are We Flying Towards the Future or Crashing Into a Distant Dream

Chapter 4

AO3

Masterpost | Next Chapter

Creator Chose Not To Warn

Taglist: @cutebisexualmess @oatmeal-stans-the-trash-rat @duck-in-a-spaceship Tell me if you'd like to be added/removed from the taglist

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It was early morning and Virgil couldn’t help but want to shut off the alarm he had made to wake him up. He ached and wanted nothing more but to stay in bed. But it was the same song and dance he played every day.

Except, when he looked at the day’s date, he realized, it was his day off. The whole crew had today off. Mandatory airship inspection and maintenance, and the only thing he had to do was go to the office to collect 5 items at the end of the day. He could tinker. And probably sew the fabric into something to trade, they were running low on spices and a few other things… Oh, and he had to see what size the shoes were, after washing them of course.

But first, he had to wake Thomas up. After all, he might not have work, but his brother certainly had class today.

“Thomas, Thomathy, Thom Thom!” Virgil snickered, shaking his brother awake again.

“Vee, wha’ is it?” Thomas slurred, exhausted.

Virgil snorted, “you know I can’t have you be late. I don’t give away my little gadgets for nothing.”

“Oh yeah, college. Why did I decide to go again?”

“No idea, but I did not give away hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of trinkets and gadgets for you to fail. So, time for you to get up!”

“Fiiiine. Have fun on your day off.”

“Will do.”

Remembering to set an alarm to go get his items, because it would be a headache and a half to forget to get the five items he got on inspection days, Virgil started getting to work on creating little objects. Things that ticked and clicked and popped. Nothing remarkable, he wouldn’t do that for fear that he’d want to keep it, and how would he pay Thomas’s college fund then. Maybe if he ever got a good chunk of extra parts… speaking of, if he was going to trade any fabric or sewn clothes, he needed to get a start on everything. Bringing the tub out, he started getting everything prepared to scrub the shoes he got clean.

Picking them up, Virgil inspected them very carefully, not wanting to ruin them. They were about his size, he could probably wear them, and they were a nice pair too. But they could also get him more gadgets too… which would make it easier to trade for Thomas’s next semester. Except as Virgil carefully turned the shoes upside down, a secret compartment opened up. A tinkerer’s compartment. And it was full of little gadgets, and bits and bobs made of metal Virgil could only dream of trading for. And he had gotten them with these shoes! Looking at the parts, he could make something truly spectacular with them, but he couldn’t help but feel guilty keeping them for himself. They’d probably cover a good chunk more of Thomas’s tuition than the little clickety clacks he’d been making or the tools he’d been finding. But it had been so long since he’d tinkered, and it would truly be a waste to let these extra items go to waste… to not make something with them.

And it wasn’t like he couldn’t make Thomas’s college fund, he just liked extra, in case the amount of tools he had to trade to keep Thomas in there went up. Or he lost or damaged any of the little gadgets he did make.

A thought entered his mind… if he kept the little metal bits in these new shoes, he could save them up for something important. Or, if he had to, use them to get Thomas into college for the next little bit. Hopefully he wouldn’t and he could do something with them. Make something new. His mind was reeling, trying to figure out what to do with all of these, when he heard a knock on his door.

“Just a minute!” He called, sighing a bit. He really should get dressed for the day soon, all things considered.

Gathering up the little bits, he carefully placed them back in the hidden compartment of the shoes, before going to the door. Virgil wondered who would be knocking at a time like this, it was still pretty early, and barely anyone knew where he lived. Except for Remus and Janus. Unless either of them had told someone else he lived here, or Thomas. Oh doloren, he should have talked to Thomas about that! He can’t just go around giving away their address. That’s exactly how they get killed! As much as some people could be trusted, most couldn’t! At least not right away, Remus had proven that although he was a bit gruesome, he could be trusted. Had Janus done the same? Probably not, knowing Thomas wasn’t one to test his friends, to see if they’d stay through thick and thin and whatever else needed to be seen to prove they should get to stay part of their lives.

Still, Virgil supposed the knock could be something important. Throwing his jacket on, Virgil opened the door to see someone he hadn’t met staring back at him, their eyes full of some sort of hope.

“Hello sir, so ever terribly sorry to be a bother to you. I am Miss Algamathene Adamentelle and I’ve barely just moved here! It was quite a terrific ordeal too! Might I interest you in trading for my wares? I don’t ask for much, just something to eat really, and possibly some clothes to wear. For this outfit that I don now is the only one I have, it is such a sad ordeal is it not?”

It didn’t take much for Virgil to tell that something was off. She was absolutely lyrical in the way she talked, it was… unnerving, looking into the box he saw all different kinds of wares. None of which seemed particularly valuable; however if what she was saying was the truth, then she’d been through something horrible.

The speech pattern could be because of an aether user who practiced in manipulation of some sort, perhaps an abusive ex that she barely managed to escape. While he wasn’t able to do much with any of it, it wasn’t like he could do nothing with it, and those parts would be helpful in helping with Thomas’s tuition. Even if the quality would be nowhere near as great as what he could get from the market.

“I’d love to trade, to help you out. But I’m afraid I don’t have much. Especially in the way of food.”

“I understand,” her voice a bit tighter, seeming to already expect a rejection.

“But I don’t have nothing.” Virgil quickly clarified, clearly Algamathene had been asking around a bit. “I did not mean to imply that I had nothing to trade with. It just, won’t be much. I have a few spare vegetables that I’m sure I won’t be able to use in time. As for clothes. I don’t have anything made, but I do have some sewing supplies. Such as fabric and thread. Would that be a fair trade for you?”

“That would be an absolutely acceptable trade! A terrific trade for the both of us. Each getting something we would enjoy and use, why my eternal gratitude is yours!”

“There’s really no need for that, let me go get the things. I’m afraid I’ve yet to wash the fabric, but if you need I can show you how I would go about doing so. It can take a while, usually I set aside my whole day to go about washing these fabrics.”

“Oh thank you, thank you so much kind sir! This is an act of kindness, something to be remembered through the ages for sure. You shall be the reason why I do not cut off from this desolate, lonely place, and you alone. And yet, you hold not the touch now do you, as though you don’t know the astonishing act you have just accomplished! Oh how wonderful is that!”

Wincing at the lyrical words, Virgil couldn’t help but be worried for the stranger. Had she really not known kindness before, had everyone been brushing her off, what had happened to her? Still, it was none of his business, and probably best not to pry, he didn’t want to upset her.

“Just wait here and I’ll get everything.” With that he gently closed the door and went inside. Virgil rushed around, picking up his sewing supplies, and bringing the fabric he had together along with the thread and a couple needles he had laying around. Satisfied with that, he went and started going through his fridge to see what food he could give this strange woman; he had some carrots, that he and Thomas were putting off eating as long as they could; some lettuce, maybe she could make a salad. Was that enough ingredients for a salad? Virgil had no idea, he’d never made a salad before, he didn’t really like salad. Looking around his fridge some more, he grabbed a bag of the cheap chicken he had managed to get, maybe whoever she was, she enjoyed meat. If not, it was no bother, Virgil would cook it today. Doing his best to gather everything up, he was glad the stranger was carting around her things in a wagon or else it would be nearly impossible to transport her items back to wherever she lived. Which hopefully wasn’t too far.

Opening the door again, a basket of food being held in his left arm, both hands full of fabric and sewing supplies, that are somewhat organized; the smaller items being kept in a box he had managed to find. It wasn’t ideal, but it was something, and he rather hoped that whoever the stranger was, she wasn’t picky about containers. Virgil doubted it, it would be a weird thing to be picky about when you had nothing; yet people always seemed to surprise him in the worst ways.

“Oh wonderful, splendid even! You have provided what you have said and these are of a sublime quality! They shall do so well for my clothes, and the food in that quaint container looks scrumptious. Oh I shall be not have want for a while after this! Possibly eons, such a generous gift, of course I shan’t forget my deal of course. Here are your lovely little trinkets, they are uniquely made. Can do almost anything you can imagine!” With that Algamathene smiled a bit too wide, and, now Virgil doesn’t quite remember how this happened, but she switched the items out; Virgil’s arms had boxes of trinkets, with a slight glow to them now that he was looking at them closer. A soft glow, that also emanated from the woman; the same soft glow that surrounded Thomas’s hands whenever he was working on something that involved him manipulating the aether.

“I’m sorry to be an intrusion, if I’m being one, but are you… are you familiar with aether?”

That got a laugh out of Algamathene; her laugh was pitched, as if a mimic of a laugh; and her eyes glowed a little bit.

“Oh you, it has been a while since I have let out a laugh like that. I must admit this has been enjoyable. I am not merely familiar with the aether. For I am what resides in the beyond; I am what allows you control over the things you value so freely. However,” her voice went shrill at this, “it is not just something you can take, you must give as well. If not, the balance is upset, and disaster reigns. Oh do you know of the barren days? Aether, as you call it was nowhere, nothing had it. It’s what keeps the world together! It has been, oh, over a thousand centuries since the barren days. You dears don’t live long enough to remember, of course you don’t, the energy barely responds to you. Things of this plane are connected to this energy, you would all almost certainly die without it. But we don’t need you, you are just something to curious for your own goods. So we let you play a little, have your fun.

“However, those little trinkets, not much in the realm I’m from. But for you, they are the most valuable thing in the world. I would suggest you use them wisely.” Algamathene smiled wide, wider than that of a human, “now I’m sure you have questions dear, but I really must go! I do hope your life is… easy. You have been a wonderful trade partner.”

Virgil’s head was swimming, he hadn’t heard of this happening before. Maybe Thomas had? Either way, with a glow of light that Virgil instinctively looked away from, Algamathene was gone. Looking at the boxes of trinkets in his hand, he noticed that they still glowed. If he ever had time, he’d experiment with them later, probably fix his washing machine, as the aether keeping it running had faded. Did the aether in these fade? He wasn’t sure, he wished he could ask, he was so curious as to how they worked. Sighing, he went inside and set the trinkets down.

No longer having anything to trade for the day, he supposed he had a little time to draft up something he could make before he went and picked up his five items for the day.

[knowlesian]

okay, i’m not gonna call out names because i think people deserve chances to grow and i’m not assuming any malicious intent, but i also feel a need to answer something addressed to me today, because empathy’s gotta go hand in hand with accountability.

this is why talking about race (in fandom, or otherwise) is often like slamming your face into a brick wall that keeps insisting it’s on your side.

okay. so i sort of debated how to handle this: i think i’m just gonna quote myself. you may have missed this piece, so hopefully it’ll give context for why i’m not sure exactly what to say, and remain unsure.

i am very sure that until the day i die, i will be doing the hard and frustrating and not super ego-boosting work of diving into the mental dumpster of weird bullshit i was implicitly taught and unpacking it all.

so i know i will breathe my last and i will still have all these racist ideas, rattling around my noggin fucking with how i see the world and how i treat people, even though i don’t know i’m doing the thing. when i talk about people being racist and having implicit bias, i am also talking about me!

because racist is a descriptor, not an insult. and as much as it sucks for me to unpack this shit (don’t let anybody tell you it’s not hard work or that it feels good to do; it’s really hard and it will make you feel very small and gross sometimes) the people i accidentally aim it at deserve me putting in that effort and have it much worse.

so when i’m like, it was racist stede did that? i’m not saying stede is a bad person, and i’m not saying fuck that guy.

i’m saying oh shit this show is SMART, i do that too! it’s me!

so. i don’t know why you posted this and then bounced: i don’t know why you didn’t @ me, if you wanted me to see it and respond.

like... is your issue that i’m talking about race too much? that i’m being mean or unfair when i do it? that i don’t talk enough about how hard it is for white people to think about race, or that i’m not being understanding enough that it sucks to look at people who hurt you and have to consider you might have something in common with them? because i’ve said exactly that, too. you’re right, it’s not fun to do this work, and it is work.

i guess i just don’t understand the purpose, here, or why you’d say all this and not explain what exactly you want from me as a writer to do differently. and if that’s not your goal and i’ve misunderstood, then...  i mean. i guess i remain confused as to what you want me to take away from this, other than “it’s hard to be white, and you have made me feel very uncomfortable about it so i wish you would stop”.

[lichfucker]

considering how many animals I’ve been drawing lately I feel like it’s only a matter of time before I make some mice and murder fanart, which is buckwild considering I almost exclusively draw characters from my own dnd game

[bleakcreek]

idk who needs to hear this but part of the reason rhett and link have been involving the crew more and more over the years and giving josh his own show and trying out original content that doesn't include them on the mythical society site is because they want the company that they have spent most of their adult loves building to continue to be successful even after they decide to step back and be in front of the camera less often (or eventually, not at all), which is...eventually going to happen. maybe not any time soon, but eventually!

you don't have to like every single crew member and you're definitely allowed to prefer episodes that focus on rhett and link and their friendship over food episodes or w/e, but just. understand why they have been using the crew more in recent years, and why it's important to them that mythical is bigger than just rhett and link.