#and go 'yep. things have somehow become worse :)'

[sev-ille]

Teru minamoto, you make me so incredibly sad.

[notafunkiller]

treat you better

Summary: Caught between playing the girlfriend of Bucky's younger brother and the unexpected allure of Bucky's genuine affection, you don't know what to do.

Pairing: (fake) boyfriend's brother!Bucky Barnes x female reader

Warnings: age gap (r is 26, Bucky is 38/39), teasing, pet names, language, no mention of y/n

Word Count: 3.7K

story masterlist

Bucky Barnes masterlist

A/N: This story will have around 4 parts, so this is just the beginning. And I also want to thank @marvelouslizzie and @lavenderhaze967 for their support!

Please, do not repost or translate without my permission!

It’s hard to ignore how loudly he chews or how some water drips down his chin as he drinks between bites. For someone educated well, he has no manners.

“Come on, eat faster. He’s gonna come any second.”

You drop your fork on the plate and give him a look. As if! “I am not gonna do anything like that.”

He is his brother, not the devil. And he actually seemed pretty nice when you met earlier. The fact that William is so scared is funny.

“You don’t ever listen to me.”

“I wonder why.” Your sarcastic answer gets a sigh out of him before he stands up, throwing a napkin on the plate.

“I’ll take a walk.”

“And? Do you want my approval?” You literally couldn’t care less what he does or doesn’t. He’s annoying.

“No, I told you in case he comes down...”

You can’t imagine dealing with this version of him for days, or however long The Devil decides to stay. You snort. “Go ahead, take a walk. Take three walks, I can handle myself.”

He leaves without saying anything else, and you smile, scrolling on your Instagram feed. Fucking finally!

You don’t know how your families considered this a good idea. You are close to hitting him every day, but it seems like things only become worse and worse. You just wish you could just run away and never come back.

“Do you mind if I sit here?”

You look up, jumping. It must be ridiculous to be so shocked since he’s the only one who could come here since William left. You let the phone down and wave to the chair in front of you.

“Please, this is your house.”

The Devil gives you a polite smile. Manners... at least one brother has them. “But I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“You won’t eat me, right?”

He gives you a look you can’t exactly decode, and that bothers you. You are good at reading people usually.

“No, love, I won’t eat you.” He sits down amused, and you stare at his arms as he reaches for the chicken plate without realizing. He’s... big.

“Bon appetit!” You smile.

“I didn’t say I won’t bite, though.”

You freeze, thinking he is flirting with you for a second. But it’s ridiculous, there’s no way. Everyone spoke so highly of him: how he is always serious, how he’d be against this whole arrangement. No way he’d flirt with his little brother’s girlfriend. “Is the chicken not enough for you?”

He laughs softly, and you can’t help but stare at him a little more. He shaved and has a small cut right under his chin. Jesus, he is really hot! The little dimple, the eyes and that nose...

“Do what do you do?”

“As in for work?”

“Yep.” He empathizes the p in a very childlike way, which makes you wonder even more how old he is. You should totally ask William later.

“I work for my parents’ company,” you whisper ashamed. You always hate when you say that out loud, but, somehow, it feels even more embarrassing now. You can feel his eyes on you, but you don’t look at him.

“What do you do there?”

“Basic HR work.”

“Is the payment that low?”

You snort. “What?”

“You sounded, so I assumed...”

“It is a little low, not gonna lie. But I mean, no nepo baby judgement…?” You hesitate because you realize you don’t remember his name. Fuck! You and your bad memory.

“What? Why are you blushing?” He leans in, placing his elbows on the table to get closer to you.

How horrible can this situation get?

“I just... can I ask something?”

“I don’t know, love, can you?”

You roll your eyes. You know what? He deserves it.

“What was your name again?”

He doesn’t seem surprised or bothered by your question.

“Full name? James Buchanan Barnes, but you can call me Bucky. Should I write it down in case you forget?”

He gently takes out a pen out of his front pocket and grabs your hand. You tremble a little as he starts to actually write his name on your wrist. The letters get a little smudged, but they’re still clear.

Holy fuck...

He’s warm, but not too warm, so you wait for him to let you go.

“Do you always carry pens around?”

“Only on special occasions.” He winks and gets back to eating, letting the pen on the table.

“How old are you?” You ask before you can change your mind as you keep staring at your wrist. He looks in his early 30s, and since he’s the oldest one, it would make sense.

“Didn’t Will tell you?”

You blush again. “You can see my memory isn’t the best.”

He sighs, suddenly shy and reserved, and you wonder if this is somehow a weak spot. But how would age be a weak spot for a man like this?

“Old.” He smiles. “Thirty-eight.”

You try not to look affected as your eyes drop instantly on his left hand. No wedding band.

And he notices.

“He didn’t tell you I’m single, either?”

You take a few slices of cucumber and eat them fast. “Why would he?”

“I’m his brother.”

You throat feels dry as you nervously swallow. “And I am his girlfriend...”

Bucky nods and immediately starts eating.

“That’s all?” You ask. “No threat not to hurt your brother? No background questions?”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-six.”

“I would have guessed twenty-five.”

You snort. “Really? I was told I look younger than that.”

Bucky shrugs in response. “I assumed you’ve been working for a while, and my brother likes them his age or older.” He pours himself a glass of water, and you watch him drink without any shame, not even caring if he notices. You’re already flushed, and he’s a good view.

“I guess I fit the standard.”

He bites his lip while placing the glass down and shakes his head. “Nope, actually you don’t, this is why it’s really interesting.” He smiles. “How did you two meet?”

“The office. He came with his... your dad and we met at an event,” you answer instantly. Your parents have already made up the story for you, and you had to practice it a few times to make it sound genuine, which was a real struggle.

“Was it love at first sight?”

You snort. “That doesn’t exist.”

“Attraction?”

You try to subtly take a deep breath and pray you’ll sound as convincing as you could. “Look, he seemed like a nice guy, good looking and smart. And he asked me out-”

“He asked you out?” His eyes widen in sheer astonishment. “He always waits for girls to ask him out.”

This is when you snap. What is this? An interrogation?

“And? He asked me out. People make exceptions sometimes, Mr...” you pretend you forgot his name again before you look at your wrist. “Bucky.”

“I understand. My bad, didn’t want to make you mad.”

You puff because his tone in everything but apologetic. “I am not mad!”

“No, obviously. Just like you didn’t pretend you don’t remember my name a second ago.”

You bite your cheek annoyed. “Do you not have something more important to do than this?” You gesture between you two.

Not a smart move, but you are exposed anyway.

“But this,” he copies your hands moves. “is fun. And I am just getting to know my little brother’s girl. Since we’ll live together and stuff.”

What?

“You plan on staying?”

Bucky raises his eyebrows. “Of course.” He smiles. “Where is William? I want to know more about how he asked you out.”

*

You can’t say you’ve been avoiding William, but you’re not necessarily enjoying his company. Since Bucky came, he’s been like a bomb, scared, annoyed, always suggesting you to move in his room because his brother will notice, but you brushed him off constantly.

Unfortunately, you can’t tell him to go away now, too, as he drinks coffee in his gazebo.

“Do you want to go out? For a walk or lunch,” he asks, his voice carrying a hopeful note 

“No, thanks.” You don’t intend to sound rude, but it comes out like this anyway.

His face falls, a subtle disappointment etched across his features, but he tries to hide it by taking a sip of his coffee. Instantly, a pang of guilt hits you.

“Look, I’m sorry, I just... I just don’t feel like going out.” With you.

“Well, you should at least try to make an effort, we should be seen together, you know?” he remarks, his tone slightly reproachful. You nod, realizing he must be also pressured by his family the same way yours pressures you.

“I understand. I assume they put pressure on you.”

He sighs. “Of course they do, but like I think it’s a good idea.”

“What’s a good idea?”

You know it’s Bucky not only by the way William stiffens, but you can also easily recognize his voice, and it’s hard to ignore how attractive you find it.

“To go out more often,” you quickly say, avoiding his eyes. “I told him he should have fun since work has been stressful.”

“What about you?” He casually drops on the chair between you two and takes a bite from his sandwich.

“What about her?” William asks, , his tension evident in his voice.

“Don’t you need some stress relief?”

“I’m alright.” You finally look properly at him as you speak. He’s wearing a white tank top and his disheveled hair adds to the casual allure. He’s so well-proportioned...

“Good.” He smiles and turns to William. “What’s wrong, punk?”

“Just work, you know? Business, you wouldn’t understand.”

You and Bucky snort.

“Sure, buddy, I wouldn’t understand.”

“Are you having siblings time? Should I leave?” you ask, hoping for a positive response.

“Babe, no need.”

You try not to cringe at the way the word babe sounds coming from him and force yourself to give him a polite smile.

“Please, babe, no problem.” You stand up waving, toward Bucky. “Bye.”

Their brotherly time didn’t last long, though. You take a short shower, and as you finish dressing up, you hear a knock on your door.

“You can come in.”

You expect to see William's face when the door cracks, but no, it's not him at all.

“Hi.”

You freeze.

“H-hi.”

Fuck, what will you tell him now?

“Trouble in paradise?”

“What? No. Uhm...” you look around. “What happened?”

“You sleep here, right?”

“Yep.”

He leans his back against the wall, and you can't help but notice how good he looks in those shorts. Jesus, it's like you haven't seen a man in your life.

“Interesting.” He laughs.

“What’s so funny?” You cross your arms, annoyed. He thinks he’s superior or what?

“You are telling me you two have been together for less than six months and you sleep here?”

The judgement and amusement in his voice piss you off even more, as if the situation you are in isn’t bad enough.

“Yes, and?”

“And?” Bucky comes suddenly closer to you. “Are you seriously asking that?”

“Yes! I don’t see what’s your fucking problem. How does where we sleep concern you?”

“Can’t a man be curious?” 

Fuck your curiosity!

“What if we didn’t wanna sleep together now and wait... does that make us less of a couple?” You let out your anger by screaming at him. You don’t think you’ve said anything more ridiculous than that because, sure, you respect everyone who wants to wait, but that’s not you. There's no way you'd get engaged or marry a guy without knowing what your sex life would be like. No way!

“I didn’t say that, but I know my brother, and he is not this type of person.”

You let a deep breath, finding it hard to take your eyes off his lips.

“What if I am?”

He doesn't answer you, simply moving his right hand to his back pocket and taking out a small perfume, then handing it to you. "I think this belongs to you."

Shit!

“Yes, thank you!”

“So you slept in my bed.”

The way he says it makes it sound like you had sex with him or something. But it still leaves you breathless.

You take the perfume from his hand. “Don’t worry, I changed the sheets.”

“See you at dinner, love.” He snorts, turning a little more toward you before opening the door. “You got taste, though. It smells wonderful.”

*

Maybe it’s the hunger or the lack of sleep. Otherwise, why would this make you angry?

“You look very well.” You roll your eyes as you imitate him before taking a sip of your water. Fuck him for coming here and disturbing you. It was enough you see him every morning and after work.

You hear a knock, then the door opens as soon as you put your bottle down. He didn’t even wait.

“Hi, love. How are you?” A few heads turn toward him and then you, and you groan.

“I’m well, thanks. Why are you here?”

Bucky shakes his head. “This is not a nice welcome.” And then he notices everyone. “Hello.”

You hear a few ‘hi’s, but he only focuses on you.

“Who are you waiting for?” You ask, and your thoughts immediately dart to Dana. He complimented her earlier, after all.

“My dad.”

You roll your eyes. “Fine, keep it a secret. I don’t care.”

“I’m serious.” He snorts. “What has gotten you so worked up? Did you eat your chocolate bar today?”

You puff, trying to keep your annoyance under control. “What’s this question? Are you my mom?”

You can't lie, though. The fact that he noticed your daily chocolate bar ritual makes you happy. Today, however, you didn't have time.

“I can be your dad.”

That makes you gasp.

“Bucky!” you whisper, and he leans in. “We are working here.”

“And?”

“And go away, you disturb us.”

Bucky rolls his eyes and gets behind your back, dragging your chair away from the desk.

“Barnes!”

Jessica laughs behind you. “Such an older brother behavior.” she says casually, and you frown. You don’t want people to consider him your older brother. Well, it’s obvious why they do, but it still bothers you.

“I need you to come with me.”

You sigh. “Don’t you see I am busy?”

“Come onnn!”

You tell Jessica you’ll be right back and manage to take your phone with you before Bucky drags you by the arm to the hallway. Dana looks up, surprised, but this time he doesn’t even turn his head toward her, guiding you to his dad’s office. Dana looks up, surprised, but this time he doesn't even turn his head toward her, guiding you to his dad's office.

“You brought me here to be your babysitter? You are 38, not 8. I am sure you can wait patiently for your daddy.”

He closes the door, and you try to control your breathing. Why does he make you blush so much? It’s been one month since you two met, and he still has this power over you.

“You have a big sassy mouth, love, that is for sure.”

You cross your hands. “And?”

“And what?”

“You won’t even deny you brought me here cause you were bored?”

“Nope. Why would I?”

And there he is, getting closer to you little by little. You have to fight the urge to step back.

“Instead you talk about how big my mouth is...” you murmur and he snorts.

“Quite a big mouth for someone with thin lips.”

Well, that is a low blow. You don’t even have thin-thin lips.

“You’re an asshole.” You try to leave quickly, but he stops you instantly, realizing that made you mad.

“I didn’t mean it in a bad way at all. You have a spark.”

“I am working. I do actually work, Bucky. It doesn’t matter this is my family’s company.” You try not to yell, but it’s hard. “I get you’re bored, but-”

“I am sorry.”

“For what?” You voice is a whisper, as you’re still trying to calm down. You’re surprised he apologized so fast.

“For being like a douche. It’s the opposite, I wanted your company because you are really nice and smart. I love our conversations. And you having a big mouth means to me you have an opinion and limits.” He takes your hand and squeezes it.

As he speaks, you can't help but feel a mixture of warmth and confusion. His sincerity catches you off guard, and the tension between you begins to shift. Maybe, just maybe, there's more beneath the surface of his teasing and provocation.

You nod. Maybe you overreacted, he never said anything offensive to you. And you appreciate his company in that house.

“It’s okay, I understand. I am surprised you are here, though.”

He doesn’t let go of you hand, so you don’t either.

“He said he has an offer for the office renovation.” He shrugs. “I cannot refuse without talking first. It wouldn’t be fair.”

You want to answer him, tease and maybe fish for more, but you hear the voices right outside the office and you let go of his hand immediately. As if it burned you, as if you were doing something forbidden.

William steps inside first, followed by his dad and your dad, surprisingly.

Bucky immediately gives you a look and takes a step back.

“You came!” His father welcomed him before turning to you. “Thanks for bringing him to my office.”

You realize this is your clue to go and you slowly walk to the door, intentionally ignoring your father. What shocks you is William grabbing your hand, the same hand Bucky touched before, and kissing your cheek.You realize this is your cue to go, and you slowly walk to the door, intentionally ignoring your father. What shocks you is William grabbing your hand, the same hand Bucky touched before, and then kissing your cheek.

“Thanks, babe.”

You have to clench both of your fists not to punch him in the face, refusing to answer him. You don’t know what bothers you more: the fact that he touched you so casually and called you babe again or that he did this shit in front of your families, and more important his brother.

You feel Bucky’s eyes all over your back and face and you can’t help but turn to look at him. He’s expressionless.

You shake your head. What did you expect?

You get back to your office a little grumpy and upset. Jessica immediately asks you if you’re okay, and you brush it off. Fuck your family, fuck Bucky, and fuck his brother.

But the meeting is surprisingly short since you have Bucky back at your desk fifteen minutes later.

You just can’t take a break, can you?

“What?”

“Shouldn’t you have lunch?” He looks around to emphasize his words, and you roll your eyes. You know everyone left but you.

“I have to finish a few tasks. Why?”

“Your boyfriend left the meeting halfway through cause he was hungry.”

You almost gag. You’ve never hated that word more in your life, but you can’t let him know that.

“And?”

“What do you mean and? Why are you not having lunch with him?”

“Because I have tasks to do!” You snap, irritate, while looking him in the eye. You obviously don’t want to talk about it, but he continues, seemingly unfazed.

“Is he gonna bring you some food?”

“No, we didn’t even talk about it. Can you leave me alone now?”

You are so close to crying for no fucking reason. You can’t let anyone see you like this.

“Prick! He should have waited for you.” He strokes his chin as he speaks, clearly annoyed with his brother. “Want to come with-”

“I’m fine. Had my chocolate bar.” You interrupt him, your voice steady despite the emotional storm within. Finally, he takes the hint.

“Okay, love, I understand. I’ll leave you alone. See you home.” He smiles politely and leaves, giving you the space you need.

Alone in your office, you let out a shaky breath, your hands covering your face as you start sobbing. It’s really touching how understanding Bucky is, even if he’s teasing you. It’s a precious reminder that, amidst the chaos, there's someone who actually cares about your well-being.

*

You wait for William to return from his lunch break, and as soon as you see him, you drag him to his office quickly

“Easy! It hurts.”

“Good, it’s supposed to hurt!”

“What did I do?” He genuinely asks.

“You fucking touched me. You kissed my cheek. Did I allow you?”

“What?” He raises his eyebrows. He doesn’t remember seeing you so angry before.

“I asked you when I gave you permission to put your hands on me!”

“I’m supposed to be your boy-”

“But you are not my fucking boyfriend! You don’t have the option to touch me unless I let you by telling you that you can. And you don’t even have to display a shitty facade because guess what? He doesn’t care.”

“Look, I didn’t mean to...”

“You didn’t mean to what? Get in my space? Take advantage of the situation?” The bitterness in your tone echoes your frustration. “You’re just a man, that’s what you do.”

“Not all-”

You laugh humorlessly, not even a little surprised. “Not all men, right? Well, I heard that one before. But you are officially in all-men category.”

You leave like a storm, letting the door open, and before you can get back to your desk, Dana calls your name.

“Hi, what happened?” You try to sound calm.

“You got a delivery and a note.” She hands them both to you and you can’t help but ask:

“A note?”

Who writes notes anymore?

“Yes.”

You take them from her desk, but you don’t enter your office. You want to read the note first, without Jessica’s eyes on you.

If you don’t eat, I’m gonna punish you... with my presence. So think twice before refusing :)

You almost cry again right there in the middle of the hallway. Fuck him! Just fuck him!

How are you supposed to stop thinking about him when he does this?

[mllemaenad]

The issue with reccomending people to the Wardens is that, unless you're already blighted or condemned for a capital crime... your odds of surviving the joining seem to be significantly worse than 50%.

Alistair says that he was the only member of his group to survive, and the joining at Ostagar had, depending on how you count it, either a 50% or a 33.3333333333333% survival rate.

Those are lousy, lousy odds, even if you are from the wrong side of the tracks. And if you're in your early 20s or late teens, you're probably still cutting your life short, and ensuring that you die alone in agonizing pain down in the deep roads.

It's just... really not a good deal for anyone who isn't already literally at risk of imminent death.

It's not really an issue ..? I mean, I'm not having an issue, and neither is Warden-Commander Brosca, since I assume this relates to my post about Seanna cheerfully recruiting everybody. :)

For a start. Eh. Honestly, trying to work out how dangerous the Joining should be is a mug's game. I accept your examples, but I could just as easily counter that in Awakening five of six companions come through it just fine (Six of seven? Are we counting Justice, since Kristoff survived his Joining?).

If you recruit Loghain to the Wardens, he's fine. If you send Bethany or Carver to the Wardens, they are fine. If you send Blackwall to become a proper Warden, he is just fine.

Honestly, how dangerous the Joining is just seems to be related to how interesting you are. The deaths of all possible recruits but the Hero of Ferelden and Alistair occur because it is imperative that there be functionally no Wardens left – so there can be no more youngsters than that for Duncan to protect. The Awakening companions are mostly fine because we need a new party for a new adventure, so we can't just keep killing off candidates for hours.

I realise that's the most Doylist viewpoint possible, but honestly it's just not worth worrying about. Does the Joining carry with it a risk of death? Absolutely! Do I need to consider it so very risky that one should never offer it to anyone? Nah. It has its share of "everybody lives" scenarios too.

But regardless – I said Seanna never met an apostate, runaway slave, casteless dwarf or petty thief she didn't try to recruit. She's not recruiting people whose lives are going well. Even if they're not facing literal death right this second, these are all people whose lives are likely to consist of crushing poverty, imprisonment, torture, captivity, Tranquility, and an appalling lack of personal agency and dignity.

Are the Wardens kind of taking advantage of Thedas's horrific levels of prejudice and inequality? Yep! They're a bit dodgy, as many of the best things in Dragon Age are. Seanna takes her duty seriously and does her best by her recruits ... but she did get her start as the muscle for a Carta crime boss. Her morals don't have to be 100% pure all the time.

On the other hand – the Wardens largely do deliver on the promise of a better life. Yes, there is a duty and there are drawbacks, but they are one of the few genuinely multinational and multicultural organisations in Thedas. You see elves, mages and branded dwarves in positions of respect and authority. These people can marry, travel, own property, raise children if they manage to acquire any – and genuinely live their lives in a way they very likely would not be able to elsewhere.

How many casteless dwarves will expect to live to a ripe old age? Seanna didn't. There were so many ways she could have died young. And even if she somehow made it past forty (which is hardly old), she was terrified of ending up like her mother – or even worse, out starving on the streets.

Instead of that, and because of the Wardens, she is Commander of the Grey and Arlessa of Amaranthine, and she will absolutely keep telling just about any poor, down-on-their-luck bastard she meets that the Wardens have food and a steady pay cheque, and if the Templars or the slave hunters or the Carta come looking for you, you'll have dozens of your brothers and sisters watching your back.

[rukunas]

college!au drabble which is totally not a self-imagine. tw scummy/toxic eren

The library shouldn’t be this busy on a Saturday— you’d know. You’re always here around this time every week, trapped in the enclave of shelves and whiteboards and books, a huge stack of them propped next to your laptop. Indigo ink stains more than just your notebook, your palm a mosaic of blue hues. The scent is comforting, though, a stagnant presence as you flick through your anatomy textbook. Your brows narrow at the haphazardly-scribbled diagram of the hormone pathways— where the fuck is testosterone produced?

“Bro, she was all fuckin’ over you last night. Basically had you pinned up against the wall.” Laughs bark down the table you’re seated at. Despite the thick headphones you have on, you hear the voices loud and clear.

Testosterone is produced there. The collective fumes of luxury cologne scream Daddy’s Money™ and disrupt your bubble of productivity. Your forehead pinches again, this time in annoyance, knowing just what group of boys decided to have their own ‘study sesh’ on a Saturday afternoon, definitely hungover and waiting it out before heading to the game.

“D’ya think she still would have been all over me if she knew I had her best friend bent over the night before?” Another roar of laughter, this time accompanied with table banging and echoes of “No way, dude!”

It’s so incredibly clichéd, you can’t help but roll your eyes. There is no way men actually speak like that, as if these head-empty imbeciles could get a chance with a girl if they tried.

“No way, dude!” You huff lowly under your breath, amused by your precision at the tone. It was honestly pretty good, you have to pat yourself on the back for that one—

“What was that?”

A glance upwards forces you to meet a pair of forest green eyes, sharp and narrowed. The smirk settling right below makes you unsettled. Annoyed.

You play it cool anyway, tugging off your headphones and shrugging. “Didn’t say anything.”

“Didn’t seem like it.” He raises a brow. His friends snicker behind him, staring you down, waiting to see how the leader of the pack was going to tear you down, limb by limb.

You aren’t the biggest fan of Eren Yeager.

He’s actually, surprisingly, a fan favorite on campus. Somehow he’s always busy handshaking a guy or has a group of girls squealing and running up to him, bragging about how they’re his best friend— ugh. And he gets the grades to make the Dean’s List, becoming all chummy with the professors and even landing some hotshot internship. But you’re the only one who sees through his shit, catches him at times like this where he isn’t God’s gift to Earth and instead is a typical college frat boy— no, scratch that, definitely worse.

You take the high road and shrug once more, pulling your headphones back over your head. Silently, you pack your things, trying your best to ignore the heavy gaze on your silhouette of at least a pair of eyes watching you leave.

“You have got to fuck her.” Jean sighs. “Or I might. Isn’t she why we’re here anyway?”

Eren isn’t sure if his skin is heating up because of the call out or because of his possessiveness over you, despite the fact that he’s nothing to you. The way you look at him proves it, like he’s a wad of bubblegum sticking to the bottom of your shoe, like he’s the one that’s a nobody.

He knows your friends. Hangs out with them, fucks them occasionally. But not because he likes them— he just likes to keep tabs on you. Why? He doesn’t fucking know why. God, he wish he knew why. He does stupid shit like this, coming to the library on a fucking Saturday like a goddamn dork just because he knows you like how quiet it gets on the weekends. He is so infatuated with someone who won’t even look his way, someone who keeps a nose buried in school work and doesn’t even bat a lash at his looks, his jokes, anything?!?

And fine, maybe he’s also feeling a bit warm because of you.

World’s Biggest Blue Baller, yep, it’s you.

Nah. He’ll get you one of these days. Despite whatever game the two of you are playing, he will win. He knows it, feeling the certainty thrum in his blood. It’s why he’s the leader of his friends, the pack of the herd, the man of the men. Because when Eren Yeager has his mind set to what he wants, he’ll get it.

Besides, those quiet smart girls are always the most fun to break.

[novankenn]

Prelude to... A movie on Saturday

A snippet from "a Mafia" & "From Assassin to Sales Clerk" AUs

Pyrrha was once again in the mall being dragged along by Jaune. The man she was supposed to kill, but because of her traitor of a heart and turncoat of a brain, she couldn't pull the literal trigger on the job. Of course the dense, oblivious, sweet, cutie. Pyrrha shook her head to try and replace those words... only for sweet to become loveable, and cute to morph into adorable.

So because of her inability to override her heart and brain, her mark who somehow had spotted her trailing him, decided she must be his... bodyguard. Pyrrha didn't know what was worse. Not being able to finish the job herself, or having to PREVENT other hitters from completing the contract! In was insane, and giving her a migraine.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha yelped when he grabbed her by the wrist, and started to drag her towards his chosen destination. "Hold on!"

"Come on Pyr!" Jaune spoke through his adorable goofy smile. Hearing her nickname, and seeing that smile, made Pyrrha "Goddess of Death" Nikos, blush like a school girl.

The blush, and associated happy feelings instantly died upon stepping over the threshold to Pumpkin Pete's Novelty Store. Gods Pyrrha hated this store. It was tacky, gaudy, and over priced! Like seriously $200 lien for a hoodie just because it had a trademarked rabbit head logo on it? But Jaune loved the store, and as his... bodyguard she was required to stick by his side, even in this hell.

But that wasn't the full reason she hated stepping inside this neon coloured purgatory. No that other reason was currently staffing the till of the store.

"Hi, Jaune! Pyrrha!" Blake called from her spot next to the till, in an overly cheery tone.

"Blake! Did they come in?" Jaune asked, like a over energetic puppy.

"Yep. The whole set is on the shelf, next to the Cereal Display." Blake helpfully informed Jaune, who released his grip on Pyrrha and rushed off towards the indicated destination.

"Blake." Pyrrha greeted the cashier coldly. Now why would Pyrrha be such a... bitch to some one working in customer service? Well because Blake Belladonna was also an assassin. One who had TRIED to claim the payout on Jaune.

"Pyrrha, you can relax. I signed off as not interested on Jaune's contract. You and him are safe in here." Blake informed her rival hitwoman for like the twentieth time.

"I still don't trust you."

"And that is an issue." Blake retorted. "How can you be in a relationship when you can't even trust someone in the same profession... wait that is a terrible example. I can perfectly see why you would have trust issue there."

"Whoa! Limited Edition Chainsaw-hand Pete!" Jaune shouted in excitement from his side of the store.

"How many of those freakish Sche-Pop things are there?" Pyrrha asked with a defeated sigh.

"Two dozen." Blake responded. "Anyway, you need to be more trustful. How are you going to move forward with Jaune if you can't trust and be honest?"

"Honest and truthful?" Pyrrha snorted, "Tell me Blake, in your infinate wisdom how this would go. Ahem. Jaune I'm actually a hitwoman who is supposed to kill you for a Schnee amount of money."

"Yeah, maybe not that honest."

"Anyway, have you been that honest with... Yang?"

"How do you know about her?" Blake hissed, her hand reaching for the kukri sheathed under the counter top.

"Jaune and her are friends through her sister Ruby, and you should understand... blonds talk. Especially to other blonds."

"Shit!"

"So have you taken your own advice?" Pyrrha asked with a smirk. "Opened that Pandora's box of truth, to you blond?"

"I'm trying!" Blake hissed, "It's hard, you know. I even bought out her contract four years ago, so no one could pick it up!"

"Whoa. That is commitment. When's the wedding?"

"Hush you!" Blake answered. "You're no better, you know that! Blushing and squirming like a school girl every time Jaune even looks at you!"

"How else should I react?" Pyrrha asked. "His contract has a no-buy-out clause! I'm sleeping in his bedroom for Gods sake!"

"Same or separate beds?" Blake asked instantly serious.

"Separate."

"Shit!"

"Blake, where you thinking lewd thoughts about me and my sweet Jaune-Jaune?"

"No, and do you hear yourself?"

"EEP!" Pyrrha squeaked as she finally recalled what she just said, and said out loud. "Argh! I'm a mess! What am I supposed to do! This should never have happened!"

"Preach it sister." Blake replied. "Yang wants to take me to the movies, Saturday, and I bet you an hour's wages she'll invite Jaune who will bring you along."

"A movie!" Pyrrha's heart was slamming against her ribs. "What the hell do we do at a movie?"

"Hold hands? Make out?"

"We are killers Blake! We are ill equipped to do such normal things!" Pyrrha growled in desperation while unintentionally grabbing Blake by her hands. "What are we supposed to do? how am I supposed to act normal?"

"Don't ask me!" Blake replied. " The only normal thing I know is how to work a retail job!"

"Right." Pyrrha released Blake's hands. "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but WHY are you still working here?"

"Deery." Blake replied without hesitation. "She's scary."

"Oh, yeah... I remember her." Pyrrha visibly shivered.

"Hey!"

"No."

"Rude. You don't even know what I was going to say!"

"You were going to suggest I speak to one of Jaune's sisters." Pyrrha scowled. "Not happening. Ever."

"So then we go to this movie, flub it, Get outed as murderous psychos, and lose the loves of our lives?" Blake asked.

"Fine. I'll ask Saphron." Pyrrha capitulated. "Happy?"

"You were right Blake!" Jaune commented in his overly cheerfully friendly voice. "They had ALL twenty-four PLUS the four special editions!" Jaune pushed a shopping cart to the counter. A cart filled with boxed figures.

"Jaune. Don't you have like all of these at home already?" Pyrrha asked, leaning back from the freaky things.

"No. That was series one. These are series two. So they're different."

"How?"

"Poses. Accessories." Jaune cheerfully replied.

"I'll just ring these all though, for you." Blake commented.

"Oh, Blake?"

"Yes, Jaune?"

"Yang said something about movies Saturday." Pyrrha froze. "So I thought I'd check with you to see if you'd mind it Pyr and I tagged along?"

"Don't mind at all. The more the merrier." Blake replied, in her practiced cheery customer service voice.

[fangirlingfromdownunder]

A Sweet Mishap - Chapter 11

Pairing - Jensen Ackles x Reader 

A/N: I just want to start by thanking everyone for all the love on this story so far. Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy. Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist.

A Sweet Mishap Masterlist | Main Masterlist

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

As has become a habit of recent, the first thing I do when I open my eyes – despite the headache pounding behind them – is check my phone. I smile at the sweet good night text that must have come through mere seconds after I’d fallen asleep and then text back.

Mornin’ Remind me to stay away from eggnog…Or at least not mix it with wine…

I sit up slowly and take a sip out of the water bottle that I’d somehow had the presence of mind to prepare in advance and reach into my bag for some pain killers. I take a couple of pills before laying back down. After a few minutes my phone buzzes.

Awe, Darlin’ That sounds like a lethal mix You ok?

Yeah, my head hurts

I bet You’re gonna hate what I have to say but... Water, pills, breakfast, exercise also helps

Check, Check, I don’t even want to think about food and not a chance

Fair enough Go back to sleep then I’ll be here when you wake up

I gotta get up Work later

Today?

People need their coffee…I’m closing

Please at least eat something first then Even if you don’t want to

I won’t be allowed to leave here without eating first So don’t worry

Good

This is the only thing I miss about London You know they get the day off after Christmas It’s called Boxing Day Though they mainly watch soccer But it’s a nationwide holiday

First you tell me you’re from Texas and now you’re saying you lived in London? Another long story, I’m guessing?

Yeah…I lived there for almost a year with my boyfriend after high school

Wow I thought my move to LA was ambitious and scary You actually went overseas

Yep…At the time I thought I was in love Anyway, you know the rest of that tragic story I really do have to get up now I’ll talk to you after work

Alright Darlin Hope your head feels better

I smile at his sweet message as I shut off my phone, get up, change into fresh jeans and a hoodie and pack all my things back into my bag. I leave the box from Jensen separate. Without all the extras from the cafe, I could easily manage my bag and the box, but I also know that Nick didn’t drink nearly as much as Stella or I, always wanting to be the responsible one and ready to look after her. So, I know he’ll insist on driving me home. With everything organised, I go to the bathroom to freshen up and then downstairs to indulge in whatever my stomach can handle.

In the kitchen, Nick takes one look at me and sighs. “You girls and your wine…”

“What about your eggnog?”

“I was deliberately light on the alcohol, if it wasn’t for the wine, you’d both be fine. How many times do I have to tell you both how much worse wine-hangover are?”

“Maybe a few hundred more. It’s fun at the time…”

“Yeah, and now you’re both a mess.” He hands me a plate with one of Stewie’s croissants heated up. “You’re gonna have to eat on the run. Stella has to go into the office, I’ll drop you off at the same time. Now, if you’ll excuse me I have to make sure she’s getting ready.” 

I sit at the island bench and pick at the croissant while I wait for Nick and Stella to come back downstairs.

“Some manager you are…” I playfully tease Stella from the backseat as she uses the tiny mirror to fix up her make-up, attempting to make herself look more alive and less hungover.

She meets my eyes in the mirror, “Like you’re any better?”

I shrug, “At least my customers will be just as hungover as me.”

Nick cuts us both off as he parks in front of her office building, “You’re both as bad as each other. I really wish you would stop doing this.” He leans over to peck Stella’s cheek, “I love you, go kick some ass.”

“I love you too, both of you,” she says with a glance over the backseat at me before slipping out of the car. 

Nick waits until she disappears into the large, tinted glass doors before driving off. He sighs as he glances in the rearview mirror to meet my eyes briefly. “None of this funny business at the wedding, remember?” I nod. “You know she’s so close to another massive promotion, she’s in the middle of the pitch of her career. I get that you’re her best friend and that your life's a mess and you’re lonely but please don’t bring her down with you. The wedding is enough of a distraction. She wants this so bad, she won’t tell you because she loves you, but she can’t afford anymore distractions right now.”

My jaw drops. He’s never been this candid or harsh with me before. I’m lost for words. Shocked and hurt, all I can do is bite my cheek to hold back my emotions and nod. The rest of the drive to my apartment passes in uncomfortable, tense silence. The second the car stops I swing the door open and jump out. I quietly thank Nick for driving me and then slip into my apartment building. 

I dump my stuff in the corner of the room and go shower. Feeling sick, hurt, sad, and like a woeful disappointment I scrub every inch of my body as I stand under the scalding water. I wash my hair, shave my legs and thoroughly exfoliate in an attempt to wash away all my feelings and make myself feel at least a little better about myself. By the time I shut off the water and step out of the cubicle I’ve made a list of resolutions that I’m not going to wait until New Years to enact. 

Only contact Stella for wedding related matters

Be the best Maid-of-Honor ever

Get my life back on track - Stop chasing pipe dreams

Get a good-paying, stable 9-5 job

Be realistic about Jensen

I get dressed in the same jeans and a clean long sleeve shirt and then as the first step of my new resolutions, I tape up the box and write ‘return to sender’ on the top. I tie up my hair in a messy bun, put on comfy work shoes, grab my designated work backpack and the box, but as I check the time I realise I won’t make the post office before my shift so I leave it by the door and make a mental note to take it first thing in the morning.

My shift passes by in a blur. I hand out order after order with practiced speed and a forced smile. After flicking the sign to ‘closed’ I scrub every surface until it shines and then lock up. As I walk home I briefly check my phone, I see a text from Jensen but don’t let myself read it. I stuff my phone back in my pocket and quicken my pace to get out of the miserable, cold December air. For a second I;m transported back to my time in London.

I walked down a quiet lane back towards my shared apartment. The bleak weather matched my emotions. The light drizzle matching the tears still falling down my cheeks. I had been sitting alone in a park all day avoiding the place and person I had called home for so long. I only got up once I knew he’d be at work, likely serving fancy cocktails to the pale, model-like brunette he brought back to our apartment. I’d only been gone one night, for an acting class in Paris. But when I got home, excited to surprise him, knowing he’d still be sleeping from working until 2am, I found he wasn’t alone; there was another naked woman laying on my pillow.  A chorus of car horns startles me out of the unpleasant memory and I finally slip back into my building. I have another scalding shower to wash away the sweat and unpleasant smell of mixed foods and beverages clinging to my clothes, skin and hair. When I sit down to eat a bland frozen lasagne I flick through the channels. Supernatural is on again but I force myself to flick past it before Jensen’s face appears. Settling on an animal documentary I open my laptop and search for jobs as I eat. My phone buzzes on the coffee table but I silence it. I feel a little guilty for ignoring him since Jensen has been nothing but nice to me, but then Nick’s words ring back through my head, “I get that you’re her best friend and that your life is a mess and you’re lonely but please don’t bring her down with you.”. And I know he’s right, my life is a mess and I am lonely, but until I sort it out, I’ll just bring anyone around me down with me.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

Taglist: @stoneyggirl2 @hobby27, @n-o-p-e-never, @deansimpalababy

[hhbluedynamite]

TADC AU: Superstars!

Yep. I do have fanfics cooking up, plus some drawing, and I did think of an AU of my own.

First, summary:

Nothing seems to want to go right for Monica Brightwen today. Depression was hitting her hard like a freight train, but she somehow was able to push through to go to work, which was a challenge in itself. Her car breaks down, she gets soaked to the bone by some reckless driver, she loses a taxi to some busy woman, and she was nearly late for work…which was apparently fine because her boss was planning to lay her off anyway to free a position for someone else. No biggy…It’s not like Monica actually liked being an accountant… Annnd just to make her day even worse, her apartment building was apparently getting condemned due to the presence of black mold that the landlord failed to tell his tenants about, effectively making Monica homeless… …Great. Just [%$!#]king great! What was the point of anything? Why continue this miserable existence? She didn’t expect the answer to be from a job posting for a gaming complex called the Amazing Digital Circus Arcade Center. The ADCA Center is owned by an extremely eccentric billionaire who has provided lodgings to his employees in exchange for working at his arcade. Well…Monica had nothing else to lose at this point. Besides, it's just a regular arcade center… Right?

If you want to learn more (i.e spoil yourself), keep reading.

(WARNING: It's long)

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

Premise:

Obvy, this is a TADC human AU, but with a twist. Through means that I'm still trying to come up with, anyone who works at the arcade center can turn from matter to data so they can transform into their avatars...including Caine, as he's human in this AU. Think Digimon (and, in a sense, Digimon Frontier). While the original purpose of this is unknown to most, the gang uses this ability to save the populace from rampaging entities called the Abstracted.

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

AU Name:

It took a while for me to come up with a name for the AU, mainly because I wanted something catchy and circus-y. Popular AUs Freakshow and Carnival came to mind. I did think of Festival or even Showstoppers, but I remembered canon Caine calling the players 'superstars' and that wound up sticking. And it was fitting as the groups' avatars are the mascots of the arcade, having sections dedicated to them and has gained fanbases in-universe of the AU.

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

Characters:

Pomni

‘Real’ Name: Monica Brightwen

Pronouns: She/Her

Age: 25

Fractal Color(s): Red, Blue, and Gold

Human Facts: Appearance wise, human Pomni looks -- as some would put it -- plain. She is short (5 feet tall to be exact), wears large round glasses, short and unkept dark hair, and usually wears her dress shirt, trousers, and tie as day wear (and work).

Avatar Facts: Nothing has changed much except that her jester outfit is in a slightly darker shade and the yellow accents are more golden in color. The balls on her person also become golden sleigh bells. She also gets extra bells on her gloves and footwear.

Special Abilities: She would eventually learn that she can detach the bells on her person and manipulate their sizes. She can use these bells to either contain the target or as bombs depending on intended use. The bells regenerate after use. Her limbs can also mimic the whole rubber hose animation thing.

Caine

‘Real’ Name: Caine Adams

Pronouns: He/Him

Age: Unknown (late 40s or early 50s)

Fractal Color(s): Red, Orange-Yellow

Human Facts: He is also short (5'5) with olive skin and slicked back red brown hair with a grey streak and is generally fit. He does have heterochromia.

Avatar Facts: Not a lot has changed in his overall design, except for some golden accents, like around his tophat and cufflinks.

Special Abilities: He can create projections either as hard light or visual illusions.

Ragatha

‘Real’ Name: Agatha Weaver

Pronouns: She/Her

Age: 30

Fractal Color(s): Orange

Human Facts: A plump woman with fair skin and freckles. Her red hair is usually seen in a messy bun.

Avatar Facts: Her outfit has a more Victorian steampunk style.

Special Abilities: Her main weapon(s) are a large assortment of knives that she can manifest, having an affinity for bladed weapons. She also has the ability to heal via a needle and thread. She doesn't feel pain while in her Avatar form.

Kinger

‘Real’ Name: Axel Callahan

Pronouns: He/Him

Age: 48

Fractal Color(s): Purple, Gold

Human Facts: The tallest human in the group, just passes 6 feet. Kinda lanky and scruffy looking with a stubble, his dirty blonde hair just reaches his shoulders. He wears triangular framed glasses.

Avatar Facts: He wears a royal military uniform instead of his robe, which is more of a long, elaborate cloak with a hood. Wearing the hood helps him focus. And instead of regular gloves, he wears gauntlets.

Special Abilities: He's a marksman, specialty in long range weapons, having great proficiency with firearms and deadly accuracy. His main weapon of choice is a double barrel shotgun, though he also carries a repeating rifle and two flintlock pistols.

Kaufmo

‘Real’ Name: Isaac Kaufmman

Pronouns: He/Him

Age: 35*

Fractal Color(s): Yellow

Human Facts: A large man with a greying beard. (I guess think Jack Black)

Avatar Facts: Not a lot has changed.

Special Abilities: He mostly uses himself as a distraction, sort of like rodeo clowns. He can also throw his voice.

Gangle

‘Real’ Name: Ayaka Kagami

Pronouns: She/Her

Age: 26

Fractal Color(s): Rose-red, Spring Green

Human Facts: The second tallest member, clocking at 5'10. She is well-endowed and dresses modestly. She has really long black hair that she usually keeps in a neat ponytail. She wears small oval shaped glasses.

Avatar Facts: Her ribbons make up most of her body and outfit. Her limbs are tightly coiled for thickness and her 'outfit' resembles that of a ballerina okay more like a magical girl. Can’t think of which right now. Her head consists of both her masks, one facing forward and one facing back. They can switch around depending on her mood.

Special Abilities: She's the fastest of the group, very acrobatic, and hits with precise strikes and can use her ribbons to entangle targets.

Zooble

‘Real’ Name: Ashe Pace

Pronouns: They/Them

Age: 22½ 

Fractal Color(s): Hot Pink, Deep Purple

Human Facts: Androgynous in appearance with dark skin and light patches. They have medium length hair with one side cut and dyed dark magenta. They have piercings on their lip, nose, eyebrow, and ears. They walk with a limp, aided with a cane. They have a sleeve tattoo on their left arm.

Avatar Facts: Nothing has changed, except for two slots in their back.

Special Abilities: They can change their detachable limbs into any usable tool. The two slots are usually reserved for wings.

Jax

‘Real’ Name: Jack Pratt

Pronouns: He/Him

Age: 22

Fractal Color(s): Golden yellow

Human Facts: Tanned skin and dark cropped hair with blonde highlights.

Avatar Facts: Does look noticeably buffer than canon and broader shoulders. Wears a muscle shirt, a leather-looking jacket, baggie pants, two belts, and wrappings around his hands and feet.

Special Abilities: The physically strongest. His main use of weaponry are usually giant hammers, but he would use bats, and knuckledusters. He specializes more in blunt weapons.

(Note: Human names are just for the AU. Their canon real names are unknown)

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

That's it for now until I can think of other stuff. Feel free to ask questions over in the ask box.

[thdorkmagnet]

Bets and Basketball

@flufftober 2024 Day 10- Bet, Game, Contest 

Fandom: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Chapter Summary: Leo is used to Mikey challenging him to things but up until now he's never questioned why before. 

Duo: Portal Pals

A/N: Hey all!! New year, new chapter!! Let's goooo! Sorry this one took so long, holidays and life kept me busy! But now that holiday obligations are over and things have settled down I should be posting more regularly again. And I'm still dedicated to finish Flufftober prompts so here we go!

Disclaimer: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles belongs to Andy Suriano, Ant Ward, and Nickelodeon. All rights belong to them.

“I bet I can swim faster than you!” Mikey exclaimed to Leo as the two leisurely floated down the sewer system.

“I bet I can eat more green beans than you!” Mikey declared to Leo from across the table. 

“I bet I know more about Jupiter Jim than you!” Mikey challenged, leaning over Leo’s shoulder as they read a comic together.

This had become a common occurrence for Leo recently, a new routine he had somehow picked up. He could nearly time it like clockwork, for the exact moment his little brother would turn an everyday occurrence into a competition. 

And it always went down the exact same way, Mikey challenged Leo, Leo- never one to back down from a challenge- absolutely dominated (because of course he did), leading to Mikey whining and crying and running to dad or Raph when he inevitably lost. 

Which, like, don't challenge someone if you aren't prepared to lose! And okay, so maybe Leo gloated a little, which may have made Mikey feel worse, but like, c’mon! Can't take the heat, don't start the fire, or however that saying went. 

What was Leo supposed to do? Not win? Uh, no thank you. Winning was his thing. He couldn't just give up his thing because Mikey was being a baby about losing! 

Which apparently was what his dad wanted him to do since he kept telling Leo to “Let him win every once in a while.” But he also always told Leo to "Be himself,” and well, himself just happened to be a winner. 

So really this was all Dad’s fault for giving Leo such mixed messages in the first place!

… And maybe Mikey for starting it.

Maybe.

Speaking of-  

“I bet I can score more points than you!” 

And there it was. 

Leo smirked, because of course he had predicted this the moment April brought them to the empty basketball court to show them the ropes. Leo was surprised it had even taken this long- Mikey must have really wanted April's lessons beforehand- but in the end he was right, as he was about most things. There was no way his baby brother could resist turning this into a competition. 

And Leo was more than ready to compete.

He played it cool, though, continuing to dribble the ball up and down and up and down like he had nothing better to do. He did glance over at his little brother with a very laidback expression, taking in the confident grin on Mikey’s freckled face. Almost like he actually thought he could win. Leo admired his optimism but the odds just weren't on his side here. 

For one thing Mikey was way, way too short to actually make a basket. And sure, Leo was only a little taller than Mike but he had a higher jump that helped make up the difference. He'd even managed to score a few points when they’d been practicing. In contrast, Mikey had only made a basket once and only because he'd been piggybacking on Raph. 

Besides, Leo was a natural at this game, a born champion, just like he was in any sport. So there was no way his baby brother was gonna outplay him. Yep, Leo had this in the bag.

Of course that was if the others didn't put a stop to it first, Leo double checking that they were still good and distracted. They were. Raph and April were practicing trick shots at the other end of the court, while Donnie had one of his nerd devices hooked up to the giant scoreboard, playing with the screen. He was apparently done with the game altogether (probably because of how painfully bad he was at it). 

And Mikey must have purposely picked this exact moment to make a bet because when Leo looked back he was rocking back and forth on his heels with a knowing glint in his eyes. 

Not bad, little brother, Leo thought, nodding in approval. He bounced the ball over to his little brother, who caught with much more ease than Leo had been expecting. “Best out of five,” he offered, making it into a proper bet. 

Mikey’s face lit up like he’d just won the lottery, making something stir in Leo’s stomach. Not guilt… no, no, no way! Just something that made him feel kinda bad inside. Like- like eating bad tuna. Yeah, it was just some weird stomach ache or… something? ….Right?

Only he didn’t get time to dissect any of that because Mikey immediately bolted away with the ball forcing Leo to shut down this line of thinking so he could chase him down. Mikey’s bubbly giggles filled the air as Leo came up behind him. And while his little brother wasn’t terrible at dribbling, he was inexperienced at it, allowing Leo to easily snatch the ball away and make his first shot. 

The ball rolled over the rim and straight into the net, Leo shouting in glee, “Yes! That’s one point for Leon!” 

Mikey didn’t seem too annoyed by that, chasing after the ball as it rolled off-court, a grin still planted on his face. But it quickly wiped away when Leo beat him to the ball, snatching it off the ground before the young tot could do anything about it. Mikey attempted to block his path but Leo effortlessly dodged around him, making the box turtle huff in annoyance and whine, “Hey, no fair!” 

Leo ignored him and made his second shot. This time it didn't even touch the rim. “Oooooooh! And he scores another basket!” Leo narrated for himself, beaming vainly. “And the crowd goes wild!” He cupped his hands around his mouth, imitating a roaring audience. 

Mikey pouted but still ran for the ball anyways, eyes set in determination. 

The next two points followed a similar pattern, Leo hogging the ball from his little brother and easily countering any defenses Mikey tried to hold up. He missed a few shots here and there but was ultimately owning this game, now his game to lose. 

And with each passing second Leo’s ego got that much worse. 

“Annnnddd swish! Nothin’ but net!!”

“And Neon Leon cannot be stopped!” 

“Aw c’mon, Mikester, you gotta keep up!” 

“And that’s four points for Neon Leon and zero for An-jello! You might as well quit while you’re ahead, little bro!” 

But to Mikey’s credit, he didn’t give up like Leo expected him to. Instead he kept trying and giving his absolute all into a game so clearly stacked against him. It was kinda impressive if Leo was being honest. Especially when his little brother was so clearly not having fun anymore, frowning and whining and snapping at Leo with every egotistical comment made. He looked two seconds away from giving up and yet… he never did. 

So going against all his instincts, Leo threw his baby brother a bone, leaving himself open for him to steal the ball. Then did nothing to stop him from trying to make a basket (not that it mattered anyways since Leo was already so far ahead). He figured he could afford to let Mike have at least one point.

Only his earlier prediction had been correct; the ball didn’t even come close to the hoop, didn’t even brush the net as it sailed by. Leo caught it easily but hesitated to make his final shot, feeling that same bad feeling churn in his stomach. 

He glanced nervously over at Mikey, who looked like he was about to start crying, bottom lip trembling and eyes glassy with unshed tears. Panic sung in Leo's chest, dropping the ball to kneel beside the little box turtle. He tried to subtly block him from Raph and April’s view, peeking over his shoulder at the pair. They thankfully hadn't caught on yet, but if Leo didn't calm Mikey down now that was going to change. Because Leo knew better than anyone that there was absolutely no universe where he could successfully hide a crying baby brother from the two oldest. Or Donnie, for that matter, but he was too far away to notice anything right now. 

So in a panic, Leo said the first encouraging thing that came to mind. “Hey, hey, it’s okay, I'm sure you can get it. Just give it another try.” 

There was a sniff and a pathetic whimpering chirp, before two wide, doe eyes peered up at Leo and pierced his heart straight through. Ugh, it should be illegal for baby brothers to be so cute all the time. 

“Really?” Mikey asked in a small, hopeful voice that was again way too stinkin’ adorable. 

“Uh huh, totally,” Leo agreed instantly, beyond relieved his little brother was no longer on the verge of tears and therefore he was no longer on the verge of grounding, both way better outcomes in his opinion.  

He picked up the ball and passed it to Mikey, who's face lit up like a Christmas tree. “Okay,” the little box turtle said and he sounded so… happy. Like even this small amount of encouragement from Leo had cheered him up completely. Which was odd and Leo didn’t know what to make of it just yet, so he tucked it in the back of his mind for later. 

Instead he watched Mikey dribble over to the front of the hoop, taking a moment to position his feet and line up his shot the way April had shown him. And with a mighty leap, Mikey threw the ball as high and hard as he physically could, the ball arcing towards the hoop… 

…and bouncing off the rim, sailing right back down to smack Mikey in the face. 

A hollow thunk bounced off the large, echoing walls, causing three pairs of eyes to turn and stare at the tiny box turtle. 

Mikey just stood there, completely stunned, blinking in numb confusion, Leo venturing a careful question. “You okay, Mike?”

Only it apparently wasn't careful enough, because Mikey’s breath suddenly hitched and his eyes flooded with fresh tears. 

Uh oh.

Leo rushed forward to try and stop him, but it was much too late, Mikey’s head and limbs popped into his shell and out of Leo's reach. Leo grimaced, hearing the noisy bawling through the small opening in Mikey’s shell. He sat down beside his compact little brother, gently tapping at the colorful spots and shushing him softly.

“Hey, hey, it's okay, Mikey. You're alright,” Leo soothed, hoping it didn't sound too strained. He was weak to crying baby brothers, after all.

He noticed Raph booking it over to them at top speed, eyes wild with panic, and immediately knew he was about to get a scolding. So thinking fast, he shouted, “He's okay!” That actually did give Raph and April pause but both seemed really suspicious. Leo pulled Mikey into his lap and gave the two oldest his most easy-going grin. “Just got freaked out a little. I've got it.”

Raph still didn't seem convinced- gaze lingering anxiously on the little brother in Leo’s lap- but then April elbowed him and said something too low for Leo to hear and the snapper ever so slightly relaxed. April started dragging him over to Donnie (who had been entirely still as he observed the whole situation) and Raph actually followed, though he kept casting weary looks over his shoulder. 

Leo sighed in relief, making a mental note to give April the biggest hug later for saving his tail. Then he focused back on Mikey, trying to think of a way to get him to come out of his hiding spot. “Um, you aren't actually hurt, are you?” Leo asked softly, feeling ashamed he’d forgotten to check.

Mikey chirped, distressed but not necessarily in pain. Leo decided to take it as a no for now, instead focusing on emotional repair. 

“Y’know, every basketball player gets hit in the head with the ball at least once. It's practically a rite of passage.” He tried for a joke but it failed to get even a giggle out of Mikey. “And I mean, Donnie got hit in the head, like six times today alone!” 

Still nothing. Not a peep.

When his second joke failed to land, it petered off into uncomfortable silence. Leo flopped against Mikey’s shell, fingers still tapping rhythmically against the sides, drumming a tune from Jupiter Jim's TV show. He wasn't sure what else to say. He had to get Mikey out soon or Raph was gonna come over and do it himself. And once he found out what Leo had been up to, he’d be in big-

“I-I didn’t get any points,” Mikey’s small voice suddenly whispered, making Leo jolt in shock, fingers going still.

Oh. Mikey was just upset he’d lost again. That- that was why he was taking so long to come out. Leo really hadn’t been expecting that. But then, disappointment never had his little brother hiding in his shell before so how could Leo have known. It did make his chest tighten for some reason, though. 

Normally this was the part where he’d brag and rub it in but, well, the taste of victory was suddenly super sour and rotten. He didn’t really think he wanted to win this way. “Yeah, um, let’s just forget about the dumb bet. It was silly anyways.” 

“B-B-But I-I wanted to sh-show you how good at it I-I w-was a-and get lots of p-points,” Mikey shakily stuttered through tears, poking his head out enough for Leo to see how utterly miserable he looked. It made Leo’s heart twist.

“You're good at lots of other things!” Leo encouraged, cradling his damp cheeks. “Like coloring and fingerpainting and cooking-”

“But you’re good at this!” Mikey argued, bottom lip quivering. “S-So I wanted to be good at it, too.” 

Leo blinked. “Why?” 

“Because you're the coolest and I wanna be just like you.”

The pure honesty that Mikey answered with left Leo floored, cheeks dark crimson and tongue tied into knots. He had no words, no reaction outside of the occasional blink, failing to process even the idea of that. 

It had honestly never even occurred to Leo that Mikey might look up to him. He'd always assumed it was only Raph who’d earned baby brother admiration. He made sense as a role model. He was strong and kind and brave and could do all the coolest Lou Jitsu moves. Even Leo looked up to him- way more than he'd ever admit out loud- and considering how many times he'd seen Mikey trying to perfectly imitate Raph, he knew it had to be the same for him. 

Leo could maybe even see Donnie filling that role, since Mikey was the only one who actually seemed interested in their nerdy brother's infodumps. Or at least the only one who paid attention to them. 

But the idea that he was also one of Mikey's role models was… kinda intimidating. Maybe even a little scary. 

But call it the competitor in him, because now that Leo had been given such a grand title he was also determined to be the very best at it! He was gonna be the best role model who ever lived! He was gonna make Donnie and Raph wish they were as good of role models as him!

And he was going start right now!

“Well in that case,” Leo began, rising to his feet and cradling Mikey’s shell in his arms. He went to retrieve their ball, bringing his little brother along for the ride. “You're definitely making that basket.” 

Mikey’s eyes went wide in surprise, watching Leo stoop to pick up the ball. One by one limbs popped out of the colorful shell and wrapped around Leo’s torso, squeezing tight. “B-B-But I already lost the bet.”

Leo shrugged that off, bringing Mikey back to their original spot in front of the hoop. “Then let's make a new bet. I bet…” With a confident smile he set Mikey down on his feet and tossed him the ball. “You can take this ball and make that hoop on your first try.”

Mikey looked up at the hoop towering over him then back to the ball in his hands, biting his lip. “Hey.” Leo placed both hands on his little bro’s shoulders, putting on a smooth smile when their eyes met. “I never lose a bet, remember? And I'm betting on you, so that means you gotta win!” 

“But it's so high up,” Mikey muttered, shuffling around in Leo's grip. He looked absolutely devastated, having to admit that to his big brother. 

Luckily, Leo had an easy fix for that sad expression. “Ha, I wouldn't let something like that stop me,” he replied, puffing out his chest. “And you wanna be like me so you can't let something as silly as heights stop you! You gotta do it anyway!”

There was something bright and hopeful in Mikey’s eyes when he gingerly asked, “Do you really think I can?”

“Duh, you're Mikey! You can do anything!”

And that made Mikey beam. 

Now Leo had seen a lot of Mikey smiles over the years- all big and warm and loving and sweet- but Leo didn't think he'd ever seen one that dazzled like this one did. His entire face beamed, and just his normal beaming, but so blindingly bright that it put Donnie’s experimental light bulbs to shame (and those required sunglasses). Mikey had just hit Leo with a thousand watts of pure liquid sunshine, smiling as if Leo had just personally hung the sun for him, nearly bowling the slider over with the sheer force of it until he was smiling back just as bright.

Leo didn't think he'd ever seen Mikey as happy as he was right then. And it filled Leo with more pride than winning any bet, game, or contest ever had. Because he had done that. He'd made Mikey smile like that. It was the greatest accomplishment of his life. By a long shot. 

And the delighted swelling in his heart only grew stronger as he watched Mikey get a running start, then springboarded off Leo’s shell to throw the ball as high and far as he could, with more effort than Leo had ever seen Mikey put into anything in his life. 

And his reward was a basketball sailing straight into a net, jostling it on the way down. 

Mikey erupted into joyous screams and Leo cheered right along with him, hugging Mikey around the middle and spinning him in a dizzying circle. His little brother’s happy giggles were the best sound in the whole wide world and Leo loved that he could make Mikey laugh and smile like that. 

When the others came over to see what the fuss was about, Leo was the first to gloat in Mikey’s favor, saying with bright admiration, “Mikey just made his first basket!” The others instantly joined in on the praising, surrounding the youngest so they could pat his shell or hug his side or rub the top of his head fondly. 

Mikey soaked up the attention like a flower did sunshine, saying in a flurry of words, “It really wasn’t that hard, at least not as hard as I thought it was going to be! At first I thought it was too high up for me to reach because the first few times I couldn’t even get close but then-” 

They all listened in rapt attention as the youngest excitedly explained his exploit, keeping physical contact with Leo as he spoke. He kept glancing up at the slider with these big, sparkling eyes, seemingly asking, Did I make you proud of me? 

Leo recognized the look in an instant, intimately familiar with it, since he’d been turning those same seeking eyes on his family pretty much his whole life. Seeking praise. Seeking approval. Just like how Mikey was clinging to his shirt and asking Leo for the same. 

Turns out they were more alike then Leo ever thought possible. Because they both just wanted someone to believe in them. 

And of course Leo did believe in Mikey. A lot. He'd just never thought he needed to prove it because he'd thought it was obvious! Like, how could there be a world where Leo wasn't super proud of his sweet, talented, creative baby brother. It was just plain fact. Mikey was the best!

Only it seemed Leo hadn't done a very good job at all of showing it.

Well no more. 

From now on, Leo was gonna make sure Mikey never had a single doubt about how incredibly proud he was of him. 

He could bet on that.

A/N: I love that Leo can be Mikey's biggest cheerleader but also be the one actively competing with him all the time. Such is the way of siblings haha.

[olivia-anderson-fanfic]

Dancing 'til the Break of Dawn - Pt 30

<Pt29

(TWST Zombie apocalypse AU where Yuu beast tames just a little too close to the sun)

“So, let me get this straight,” said Jamil.

Yuu raised an eyebrow. Glanced between Kalim and Jamil in a way that he hoped came across as appropriately judgemental.

“... ish. You – Yuu – are the zombie collective’s… boyfriend?”

“I’m more like their pet, but sure,” Yuu shrugged. There was a zombie child in his lap, playing with one of his earrings… the piercing kind of hurt, doubly so when it was touched, but he’d dealt with worse. “If that makes it easier for you to understand, yes, I’m their… special person.”

“And they… lost you…?”

Yuu nodded. “I’m surprised they weren’t putting up Missing Posters.”

“So, then, Kalim… calls for help, because he’s surrounded by zombies, and then…” Jamil grimaced. “Now they owe him a debt.”

“Yep!” said Yuu. Or, at least, that was his guess. The zombies didn’t really talk much, so he was doing some educated guessing.

“So, who’s the…” Jamil started, only to pause, waving his hand vaguely, as if trying to prompt Yuu to give him the word he needed. Yuu wasn’t sure where the sentence was going, so he was no help. Finally, Jamil sighed and spoke, in the most defeated tone ever: “Top?”

Yuu choked on air. “You – what – you can’t just say that!” He covered the zombie child’s ears, even if he knew the hivemind would make this useless. “I’m a minor!”

“So am I?”

Yuu glanced Jamil up and down skeptically. With those eye bags? Must be an ‘old soul’. Or one of those people who turn 29 on every birthday, somehow. He’d love to see this guy’s driver’s license, but no one bothered to keep those anymore. Alas, he had no choice but to believe him – or, at least, pretend to.

“Either – either way, I’m pretty sure you can’t even – not without becoming one – and even if you could, the morality – I – what?!”

“I didn’t mean – what’s the word?! Who wears the pants?!”

“That’s the same thing,” Yuu said.

Jamil looked at Kalim for help. Kalim was too busy laughing at the misunderstanding to speak. If it even was a misunderstanding. Yuu sure hoped so, but Jamil kept digging himself a deeper hole so he really wasn’t sure.

“He – he means…” Kalim said, clearing his throat in a misguided attempt to hide another round of laughter. “Out of you and the zombies, who’s really in charge?”

“Oh. Me, obviously,” said Yuu, flexing one of his arms. He was wearing a hoodie. This didn’t work in the slightest.

A hand threaded through his hair, and Yuu had just enough time to regret the little joke before his head was yanked to the side, a set of teeth pressing against his skin.

It wasn’t digging in. As long as it didn’t break the skin, Yuu would be fine. And they wouldn’t break the skin. He knew this. Grim would never allow that.

He brought a mocking little pout to his lips. “Aw, c’mon, guys, spreading misinformation is funny.”

A cold, slimy tongue touched the side of his neck, and that was all it took for Yuu to break, recoiling instantly so he could slap a hand over his skin, glaring at the offending zombie. The zombie just blinked back at him lazily.

“Fine. Fine. I’m Grim’s pet human,” Yuu grumbled. “He’s my extremely charismatic cult leader.”

One of the zombies closest to Yuu made a happy little squeaking sound, and Yuu felt two sets of arms sling themselves around him. A cheek rubbed against his in a weird display of affection.

Jamil raised an eyebrow. “‘Charismatic?’” he said, the doubt in his voice almost offensive to Yuu, and he wasn’t even the one being insulted.

“You just haven’t seen him as a kitty yet,” Yuu said, a dreamy sigh leaving his lips as he thought back to his kitty-baby. The real-life child in his lap was cute and all, but there is nothing cuter than a little pet.

Don’t believe him? Ask Grim. Surely, he’d agree.

“Anyways, I have divined that my personal deity has asked me to befriend Kalim over there, so I will do that.”

Jamil’s eyebrows knit. “What? He wants you to – what? Why?”

Yuu shrugged. “Because Grim takes care of his supporters. And, apparently going too long without human interaction is, like, bad for you.”

A hand tugged on one of his earrings. Yuu’s vision whited out for a second, and he had to fight the sudden, extremely strong urge to punch a child in the face.

“You’re not a human,” he reminded it, gently, patting it on the head. “You’re a zombie. And based on a cat. I don’t think it’s quite the same. I still love you –” His eyes flicked up, briefly. “– all of you – but there are some things you just can’t do, yeah?”

The kid still looked reproachful. Yuu hugged it closer to his chest to help its emotions settle.

Jamil and Kalim looked mildly horrified by the whole ordeal. Who knows why.

Yuu rested his chin on top of the zombie’s head. “Anyways. I’ll be sticking around here for a while, at least, until the zombies think their debt has been paid or they kill you or whatever.”

“... what was that last thing?” Kalim asked, his eyes wide.

“‘Or whatever’,” Yuu repeated dutifully.

“The one before that.”

Yuu blinked a few times, trying to remember. He didn’t really think about things before he said them (he tried to avoid thinking at all, really), so honestly who knows? “Uhhhhh… until their debts have been paid?”

Kalim hesitated for just a second, as if Yuu had guessed wrong, but then he let it go. He clapped his hands together. “Well, since Jamil’s here, now, we can eat!”

Yuu waved him off, absently. “I can make my own food.”

Kalim rested a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. Jamil would never poison anyone.”

“... did you guys meet the furry cult, too?”

“The what now?” Jamil asked. “In the nicest way possible, are you high?”

Yuu waved him off, his face warming even though it really wasn’t something he should be embarrassed over. “If only. Just – don’t worry about it. I’ll cook for myself, I know what flavors I like, anyway.”

~

Yuu, absently, popped a chip into his mouth. He had forgotten the plus sides of having zombies around – the offerings they gave.

Like, sure, the bag of chips said that it was expired, but Yuu didn’t remember what Cheetos were supposed to taste like anymore, so he couldn’t tell the difference.

He felt a chin rest on his shoulder and turned to look at the zombie. He offered it a chip, which it ate out of his hand. Yuu felt, strangely, like the world’s most unfortunate horse tamer.

The zombie didn’t seem to appreciate the cheesy goodness that the expired Cheetos provided, but it didn’t complain.

Yuu turned his attention back to Jamil and Kalim. Kalim was chatting Jamil’s ear off about his day – as if they hadn’t all just gone over that less than an hour ago. Jamil was nodding along, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else but, alas, the fire was already started and it wasn’t like he could just pick it up and move it.

Not without Kalim noticing and following after him, at least.

Kalim was. A Person.

Yuu didn’t get him at all.

He had, apparently, adapted to the zombies in his midst immediately. Which was already a feat and a half… Yuu himself had taken well over a month to get it through his head that there was a zombie holding him captive in what remained of his own home. Sure, you could argue at least part of this was because he was processing the fact that zombies existed in general, but still.

Kalim was, somehow, fine. He kept trying to offer the zombies portions of his food, even, as if they were just fellow survivors who had decided to join him around a campfire. The zombies, of course, declined, as they weren’t all that interested in eating rice and the few dried vegetables Jamil had managed to find (Jamil seemed relieved that he wouldn’t have to use his rations to make even more servings).

Yuu shuffled closer to Jamil under the guise of needing to warm his hands by the fire. Which he did actually need to do, his gloves had been stolen from him by a zombie at some point.

He was far more concerned with leaning in close to Jamil.

“What is wrong with him? He can’t actually be that stupid, can he?”

Jamil’s eyes flicked to look at Yuu for just a moment. His expression was weary – Yuu still doubted that he was really under 18.

After a moment, he sighed.

“Don’t let him fool you. There are no normal people in the apocalypse.”

Yuu lit up despite the warning.

He was right! He loved being right.

Now all he had to do was make Kalim reveal that secret, unsavory side of his.

Grim wanted him to make friends, and Yuu would never dream of disobeying the little eldritch being that had taken him under its wing. It wanted him to stay, so he would.

Unfortunately, Grim’s track record of letting Yuu keep being friends with people wasn’t that great.

And, if Kalim suddenly revealed himself to be less-than-perfect a couple of months into their arranged friendship… well, Grim would ‘freak out’ at the unknowns and have every reason to kill Kalim ‘to be safe’.

Yuu would rather Kalim die sooner rather than later, in that case.

~

“Baby,” Yuu cooed, his eyes landing on Grim, standing oh so tall and proud in the arms of a zombie. “Hi!”

The other zombies groaned – Kalim and Jamil flinched, wide eyes darting around nervously in search of an incoming attack, but it wasn’t that kind of groan – and started shuffling away, hiding out in the corners or even leaving the store entirely. The hivemind’s leader took precedence, after all.

Yuu knelt in front of Grim, cooing as he scratched his darling beneath the chin. “Look at you, you’ve lost a few pounds, I’m going to have to make you something extra special for lunch tomorrow, yeah? Can’t have you dying on me. What flavors are you feeling?”

Grim purred. This wasn’t exactly an answer, but who cares about that?

Yuu leaned to press a kiss to the top of his head, and then started to push himself up to stand.

Teeth caught in the front of his hoodie, and Yuu’s breath caught in his throat in return.

He scooped up Grim, carefully taking him into his arms and making sure the cat was comfortable before slowly rising to his feet once again.

Grim released his shirt in favor of burrowing into the fabric, rubbing his face against his neck, kneading the fabric around his shoulder, winding his tail around one of Yuu’s arms.

Yuu grimaced just slightly as the bandaid around his neck chaffed against Grim, who only rubbed more aggressively against the spot, with a vengeance.

“Sorry, bud, I forgot you like it when I carry you everywhere,” Yuu said, his heart still pounding in his chest. He managed a wobbly smile, which he aimed at a random zombie, so Grim could see it. “It’s been a little while since we’ve hung out, so… be patient with me, please?”

Claws dug into the skin of his collarbone, just enough to earn a wince.

He twisted his neck around to kiss the top of Grim’s head once again.

“Well, now that you’re here, I guess we should catch some shuteye, hm? I mean, you were trudging through all that snow, you’ve gotta be tired, and my day’s been kinda long, too, y’know?”

He felt Kalim and Jamil’s stares as he made his way over to a half-ruined mattress the zombies had managed to scrounge up, laying down and wrapping his arms more securely around the cat.

Well, it wasn’t like he wasn’t used to falling asleep with eyes on him.

~~~~~~

Pt31>

[broken-clover]

ooooh you've awakened my Steven Moffat DW pet peeve. usually he's fine but my major annoyance with his episodes, and MUCH WORSE in Sherlock where he had more creative control, is his obsession with having EVERYTHING fit into the overarching plot. Everything. Nothing is random nothing is natural its all part of the Big Plan That Will Surely Pay Off Amazingly. it's just so exhausting and takes the kick out of individual episodes because you can't focus on the actual stories there because Stevey is too busy drawing your attention to his ever growing cork board of a plot. like, jesus man WHY would Moriarty give half a wet shit about some random murdering taxi cab driver. Where does that fit in Steve. Bad Wolf worked ONCE Steve. Once.

Hoo boy. The short-form format of that post didn't let me go into detail but coming back to this series a lot of his episodes are so much worse than I remember them being.

And I'm glad you said that! Because it fits into another issue I didn't even bring up. Why is there such a weird fixation on who exactly is 'most important' to the doctor? Because it feels like that comes up so much in the Moffat era. The Ponds are important by being in-laws. River is important because of the weird timeline fuckery and them getting married once. Later Clara is treated as the most important person in his life because of more timeline fuckery. There's a point where it gets dull going 'but then *this* bond with *this* woman was even more deep and complex and unshakable than the last one, really!' multiple times. Characters can't just 'be,' they have to connect to him on a deeper level somehow. It's never just happening to bump into someone, there's always some time and space fate bullshit that pops up.

(And see, while 'The Doctor's Wife' was absolutely full of that as well, that's the one example where it *does* work, because it centers around the one character that's literally been at his side for the entire goddamn series)

One of the things that was fun about the RTD seasons, especially about the companions and recurring characters, was that there was nothing fundamentally special about most of them. Any specialness came from traveling and growing as as person and then doing something courageous based on that growth. Characters came and went and it was sad, but the doctor was a temporary part of their life in the same way that he was to theirs, not the main focal fixture of their existence that made it meaningful. The act of interacting with others added to the richness and sense of understand in one's own life. It feels weird to say in such silly phrasing but it felt like a lot of the first four seasons were simply about the power of friendship on a massive, cosmic scale

Yeesh and yep that's not even getting into the man's complexity addiction. Having an overarching narrative isn't inherently bad but I felt like hopping from season 4 to season 5 was like going from a show where most of the episodes could be watched as desired with a bit of seasonwide narrative to literally having to watch every episode in the designated order without fail unless you wanted to be completely lost. The plot-heavy episodes can be fun but when that's most of the season it becomes a bit harder to digest. It just feels a bit like it's taking itself too seriously

Also. Did I mention the horny? Can't remember if I mentioned the horny.

[liminalh-creations]

15. downtown.

the evil eye doesn't always work, and there's millions between me and you! so just sing to me about eggplants or anything, except for how tired we are...

sketched some familiar (and unfamiliar) faces of the Black Organisation (in civilian clothes)

click below to find out some more details about them! minor warning for mild spoilers up to chapter 15 :)

point of interest: they're all somehow from former east bloc or once-soviet countries

Chianti, Sniper

chinese (?), under 30 years old

VERY short, has a complex about this

she's got the nickname 'Key' but if you call her that without her consent she will throw you

her tattoos are butterfly-and-eye themed (you might see that she's got two tattoos in the drawing, teehee). also, you cannot tell me that the reason for her canon tattoo ISNT a bullet with butterfly wings reference

says "lol" and "lmfao" in casual conversation

might have gotten corrective laser eye surgery (or something similar) - the tattoo on her eyelid might indicate a slightly more long-lasting problem

“Try me again, asshole!” she shrieks, “I’ll stab your dick, too!”

has a girlfriend(?) who gifts italian designer products

vague sibling relationship with Cognac; they're either bickering or they're besties or they're teaming up to gossip about others

“She’s a gamer.”

Korn, Sniper

has a very hoarse voice, possibly resulting from some chronic problem? possible that he doesnt talk much because of this issue

around 45-50 y.o & mongolian

i gave him a wife because i think he deserves someone normal and sane to return home to. according to Vodka's 'accidental' namedrop, she's called Sarnai (the name means Rose in Mongolian <3). also, he's implied to become a father soon

Chianti called him Eeyore in this chapter and it might be one of the funniest things i've ever written. i actually love their dynamic in canon so much that it's a big part of my inspiration for this fic; they just feel so much like they have a life outside of their mandated Black Organisation Cameo Appearance

he and Vodka practice ARB

i sent my friend that picture and he said "this man looks like he's never put any real effort into how he dresses and, in fact, never will" - and honestly? yep.

Arrack, Assassin (?)

arab, though exact national origin is relatively hard to clock (Jenever only figured it out because she remembered Shiraz indirectly referencing him)

was mentioned in Akai's notes from 29/7/2010 >:3c

has a very polished appearance, sculpted muscles type beat

mean slut, "mad dog", self-described bastard. VERY flashy fighter, but also "doesn't care if he loses so long as you're hurt worse"

has some pretty normal Star Wars opinions tbh

"resident fuckboy" / "fuckboy-in-chief" -- context clues indicate he might be a honeypot assassin (like Akai speculates in his notes)

generally easy-going despite being unsettlingly intense, but has a very short temper when Shiraz is brought up. (his degree of Shiraz-obsession probably outshines Jenever's tbh)

he's a one-off B.O. member who shows up in a spin-off comic or something, but you literally cannot introduce a character like that and expect me not to sink my evil little claws into them

Sambuca, "Audiovisual manipulation, back-up IT expert"

slavic & eastern european (exact national origin not yet divulged); around 50 y.o woman

wore a metalcore t-shirt to PT

Gin's previous main IT crow. was part of Tequila's Tokyo office at the time of Teq's death; planted there mostly to train

perfectly faked all of Jenever's and Red's credentials to get them into the japanese police institutions. also seems to be in charge of editing Crows out of CCTV footage. overall, really important behind-the-scenes security/cleanup job

her arms are covered in disparate stick-and-poke tattoos. motifs are not unified. a lot of the words/letters are in cyrillic (not visible in the art bc of leather jacket, sorry hehe)

seems to have a phobia of guns/firearms

Cognac, Hardware & Demolitions

south-east asian (exact national origin not yet divulged)

around 30ish years old. not THAT short (like idk 169cm?), but has major gremlin energy

HORRIBLE frosted tips hairstyle situation

vegetarian

wideset body, physically quite strong but has a vaguely soft appearance

remembers Rye sparring with their team a few times. seems p keen to gossip about him (and anyone, for that matter)

"I am literally a whole bisexual!"

gave his denim jacket to Red Label back in Afghanistan (Arrack was soooo mad about this, probably bc they have matching jackets or smth)

[electricbluebutterflies]

Prompt: “ it's nothing. hurts like hell but -- i've dealt with worse. “

Post-s2-grayspace Kabby. We're playing a little loose with medical plausibility but I did twist my ankle as a tiny human (roughly 20 years ago) so I'm just going with that memory and hoping it's close enough. PG-ish and also on ao3.

If nothing else on this planet manages to kill him, she just might.

This is not a new emotion or desire for Abby – if anything, its frequency has lessened. But other details have changed too, the dramatic personality shift she’s trying to make her peace with and worries was somehow her fault, and-

Most of said personality shift makes her life easier. The fact that Marcus is now impulsive and a bit passive-aggressively suicidal undoes all that goodwill real fast when it flares.

She is not trying to take up his former mantle of paranoia, but it seems that every time he leaves the safety of their compound for more than about two hours, regardless of whether he’s alone or with others, something goes wrong and it becomes her problem. Injuries happen, she gets it, there’s a whole new world everyone is trying to get used to, but most people don’t…

She of all people understands the unwillingness to accept new physical limitations, but it’s like he’s not even trying, like he can ignore that damage and be okay, and then that doesn’t work and she gets stuck dealing with the damage. Just like always.

This time, he thinks he can hide it – he’s learning, perhaps, that these little adventures are becoming the only times she lets herself get mad at him. This time, he comes back moving just slightly wrong, just wrong enough that only someone who pays too much attention to his habits would notice a change, and-

“With me,” she says, and she will at least give him the mercy of not going at him with an audience, as much as that would probably be the most interesting part of five different people’s days. “Now.”

Perfect compliance – this too is becoming normal, this new and frightful willingness to actually listen to her that was absolutely not present six months ago and they’d all be a lot less fucked if it had been and this is no time for what-ifs and-

“I can’t imagine I missed anything that vital in less than half a day,” he says once they’re behind a closed door, not quite making eye contact and clearly trying to distract her. She forgets sometimes that he knows her habits just as well, and hers haven’t dramatically changed recently so that’s even easier, and-

“You are at least aware where you are right now,” she mutters, almost a question. “Turn your head for five minutes and someone tries to cause the apocalypse by accident, again.”

“I know you have more important things to do than-“

“Sit down and shut up for long enough for me to-“

“It’s nothing,” he says in that avoidant voice that used to mean something entirely different between them. “Hurts like hell, but… I’ve dealt with worse.”

Goddamn right he has, Abby thinks and won’t say. At least there’s nothing visibly wrong, at least-

“Make this easier for yourself and tell me what happened before I start removing your clothes until I find it.”

Apparently that’s the necessary level of directness today. Marcus leans down and undoes one of his boots, and… yep, ankle just slightly swollen, sizeable bruise, that’d explain the movement issues, that’d also explain-

“And what exactly did you do?”

“Ground looked level. It wasn’t.”

She kneels down and gets her fingers on the injury, feeling the damage. At least he didn’t manage to break anything, probably just a twist, still unpleasant but not-

“I’m going to wrap that,” she murmurs. “You need to rest it for a few days. I don’t care if-“

“I’m fine. I can’t-“

Abby leans up and glares at him with every bit of fury she can put into her facial expression. “Do you see yourself right now? Do you see these colors that human skin isn’t supposed to-“

“Fine,” he repeats.

“You are supposed to be my other half here. And that means it ruins my life if you go out and hurt yourself any further because of stupid masculine bravado or your barely concealed death wish or-“

“I don’t rest well. You of all people know that.”

Yes, she thinks, the number of times she had to physically tackle him despite being in more pain herself because their combined recovery situation was designed more for supervision than actual enforced healing sure was a time, she’s amazed that even worked, and-

“But I’m the only person left you’ll listen to,” she counters. “And I’m not saying bedrest – I’d like to, but I know you. I’m saying for the next three days your world consists of your normal indoor haunts and ideally not a lot of movement between them, understand?”

It’s not the compromise she wants to make, but she knows how far she can push. And if he spends most of his waking hours on the couch in their shared office, that means she can supervise him and make sure…

Oh, nevermind. Trying to save that man from himself is always a losing battle. She’s known that since she was fifteen. Decades later, she still tries anyways.

“Stay where you can see me,” he correctly interprets. “Understood.”

She moves away for long enough to find an adequate bandage and wraps it around his ankle as tight as she can, just enough structure to control further damage. He’s lucky he didn’t manage to do worse to himself, but it’s probably only a matter of time before-

She’s never actually considered the possibility of her life without him. She doesn’t like that thought.

“There. Is that…”

“I’ll deal.”

It’s not the answer she necessarily wants, but it’ll do. This is no time to actually voice her worry, and-

“I need you,” she repeats anyways.

“Understood.”

[lowkeyclueless5137]

now this Ben 10 AU that has four of Twst boys definitely cool and all. But how the four feel about Ripjaws, heck wonder how they feel a certain Octavinelle mafia(*cough*Azul and Tweels*) may or may not somehow seen Ripjaws too(this goes out to all four of them, Especially Riddle considering *COUGH*Floyd*COUGH*)

Oh dear... That cough sounds dangerous... Pls get some nice honey tea and rest to feel better :D /hj

Probably you couldn't see my previous ask that answered on short this I'm updating too fast, sorry

But now I'll go in depth! More like in depth on Idia's and Riddle's cases for ✨reasons anyone who follows me knows already✨

I'm gonna tackle first how each of our heroes feels about our fishy alien buddy, then the general octa reaction with the particularities last.

Riddle is skeptical of it at first, much how he is every time when he discovers a new alien form. He has a bit of dread, knowing a certain Octavinelle eel who would absolutely tease, but is pleasantly surprised to see that actually the 3 mafioso wannabes are actually intimidated by it. Ripjaws does become close to Riddle's favorites. It falls short mostly because of practicality issues when it doesn't involve a water medium, but hey... It's even better when he discovers that in half transformation, his jaw can extend and thus Riddle can still pretend to be an angler fish mer and scare the shit out of the octa trio. The 3 unfortunately don't know that Riddle is actually that scary and violent angler fish alien so yep... Fun times for the red shortie. :'3

Kalim does like to use ripjaws in combination with his unique magic. Ripjaws actually is a favorite of Jamil, for the sole purpose mentioned above. :'3

Epel is not that thrilled at first, mostly since his first encounter with ripjaws was a half transformation, where he looked like a sweet innocent lil mer. Later he discovered that he can make even WORSE chewing damage and is absolutely happy about ripjaws. Vil is just palm-facing in the bg, don't mind him. :'3

For Idia, he also has a first time half transformation. But because he was outside water at first, he didn't know that he was supposed to have a tail. It takes Ortho's scan to find out about it. Idia still keeps a neutral ground with ripjaws, although he has to make sure his hair doesn't get in the way underwater(personal headcannon that his hair gets longer when wet)

In general, at first, the octatrio are scared of ripjaws, mostly because it resembles an angler fish, which yeah... That one most likely is avoided by young mers for pretty understandable motives. So to see an alien resembling it, even worse, being absolutely able to easily tare down anything with those Jaws and claws and even able to walk on ground without any potion or hassle... Yep... These 3 were thinking it was pure nightmare fuel. :'3

Now for the special exceptions, they only apply for ships, so they aren't really cannon to the main plot of the Au itself. But ya Know... Gotta have my lil 'what if' s.

For Floyd, if he was a romantic interest, he would be like mentioned above, until he finds out that Riddle is the watch bearer. Then he calms down a bit, knowing that 'hey, it's goldfishie! Goldfishie doesn't harm me.'. At first, around Floyd, Riddle has to calm down enough to use the half transformation of ripjaws. Ya know, just to look a bit more human like and have Floyd not scared out of his mind about it. They are working on it... Slowly but it works.

Floyd defenetly teases Riddle about the other alien transformations instead. He thinks swamp fire and Heat-blast are the best fits for his lil angry goldfishie. And Riddle hates that he's actually right. Definitely Floyd takes a bit until he realises that no, this red shortie can't carry you princess style if not transformed in an alien that can lift heavy things. He also sometimes tries to tamper with the watch and make Riddle transform in other aliens just to see how wierd they could get. (his favorite would be Wildmutt and pesky dust) Overtime Riddle just gets used to it. :'3

Now for Idia's case, Azul does find out in book 6, therefore Idia has a field trip with him, explaining the various transformations and to please don't have a heart attack if one of the half transformations looks like Idia just tossed away his spine when using their abilities.

But when ripjaws is introduced, Azul clearly is less scared than the twins, for the sole motive that in octo form, he's gigantic (another personal headcannon) Therefore he wasn't that afraid of angler fishes as the twins were. Still a bit scared, but that fear dimmed down upon knowing that Idia was actually ripjaws. For other transformations, Azul is fond of Cannonball, for the sole purpose that when Idia tries to roll out and hold him to take away from the danger, is nice and snuggly inside.

That would probably wrap it up! :3

[xxdumbblondexx]

---Additional Learning Support---

8 - Have a good time, malyshka.

Master list --- Next --- Previous

“What's everyone’s next lesson?” Yanfei asked as you all crowded around a lunch table. She was throwing resource materials in her bag after tutoring Hu Tao all of lunch in hopes she doesn’t fail her next exam. “Double Music with José. He lets me do whatever I want so it’s kinda chill.” Venti answered, scoffing down the remains of everyone else's lunch. “Don't you have a house captain meeting after school?” Yoimiya asked, and visible wrinkles creased into Venti’s top brow. “Did you have to remind me?! Just thinking of being stuck in a room with the Shogun, Childe’s dildo and the Tsaritsa of all people makes me wanna barf.” “That may also be the vodka you're hiding in your metal water bottle.” Yanfei’s comment escaped her lips in a sigh as she forced her bag onto the empty seat beside her. “Don't snitch on me, slut!” “Xiangling’s already gone home?” I asked, turning attention away from Venti as he chugs down the rest of his ‘water’. “Yeah, said she’s gotta help her dad at the restaurant.” Yoimiya hoisted her bag onto her back and stretched. “See you later, I'm going to netball practice.” She waved a little as she turned her back and exited the canteen. We all said our bye’s as she disappeared out of the room. “I’ll be following them.” You continued as you dragged your bag off the floor and threw it over your shoulder. “Get a lesson?” Hu Tao asked, lifting her head from her note book where she was trying to physically force the revision into her head. “Nah. I’m done for the day.” “You know you don't have to stay for lunch if you don't have any lessons.” Yanfei reminded you as you collected your phone and lanyard from off the table. “Yeah but I always seem to miss things when I leave before lunch. Like when Xiangling decked a year seven for jumping the lunch line and Venti got stuck in the fold-away lunch table.” “It got stuck on my belt! Clearing the bitch wanted to fight.” Venti tried to defend but was soon silenced by Yanfei’s sharp tongue. “And the inanimate object won.” So he chose to take a chug from his water bottle again and pout. “Yep. Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow.” “Byeeee.”

“Have a good time, malyshka.” Your dad’s last message laid on your mind, unable to move or leave. Yeah, having eight year olds running about really sounded like fun. Almost as fun as the ALS session waiting for you tomorrow. You thought about skipping it but you realised that by doing that, your parents would find out and somehow make this horrible situation even worse. It stung, honestly. They had never been harsh on you since you were a ‘delicate’ kid. Childe liked to say that was why you always got out of difficult situations. That Mum and dad were too frightened to be harsh with you since you might break. Like you were a glass doll. Clearly, that had changed. Clearly they didn't give a shit anymore because who cuts their own child off when they do bad in school? You had heard about it in movies and stuff but never expected it to become your reality. “I’m homeeee.” You didn’t need Teucer’s yell to announce his arrival. Him throwing the door into the wall was all you needed. You forced yourself off the sofa and to the entryway to find your younger brother kicking his shoes off in the doorway and a small girl behind him. “Hi Teucer.” You greeted him with a sigh, already feeling exhausted. “[Nameeeee]” He tackled you into a hug, jumping from space to space like a rabbit on acid. “[Name]! This is my friend Klee! Klee, this is my big sister [Name]!” You looked at the girl he dragged in, finding her undoubtedly adorable. Her cheeks were plush and pinchable, her hair was a sandy blonde with a red bunny pin in and her eyes were as big as the sky at twilight. Red sky at night, shepherds delight. “Hi! I’m Klee!” Your knees were bending before you noticed you’d crouched down to her height. “Nice to meet you, I’m [name].” Realising your weakness to this kid, you quickly pulled yourself up and away from her, looking in the direction of the kitchen. “How would you kids like to make some cookies with me?” That seemed like a good idea. Fill the children up on sugar and home that they tire themselves out or something. You could always made wee- NO! We don't drug kids. That sounds like a crime allegation that will definitely send you to prison. And anyway, you don't have access to that kinda stuff. Anyway, how difficult would it be to look after two little kids for a few hours?

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

Hiyaaa

Just for everyone who's unformal with x's at the end of texts, they are just a term of endearment from family and friends. It's normal in the uk to receive them from like your parents and close friends and it doesn't really mean anything but that.

But if they are received from like a stranger or a person your 'talking to' it can also mean flirting.

Thanks for reading x

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball GT 63

✨GT Stands For Get Trashed✨

Last time, Goku and Vegeta lost their Super Saiyan 4 forms, leaving them virtually defenseless against Omega Shenron.  I mentioned this before, but Vegeta brings it up in this episode.  In theory, they could fuse in their base form and turn SSJ4 that way, but, as Goku points out, it won’t work because Goku’s stuck in this kid body, which means their sizes don’t match up well enough for Fusion. 

And with no one left to stop him, Omega decides to destroy the Earth.  I think this is the same Minus Energy Power Ball he used in Episode 60.  He refers to this one not being as big as the one he used before, so I can’t imagine what else he would be talking about.  Also, Omega has said that he needs all seven Dragon Balls in order to deply MEPB, so this is the first time he’s been able to do it since he lost the Four Star Dragon Ball in Episode 60.

And Vegeta makes a valiant attempt to stop it from hitting the Earth, but...

... Goku knocks him out of the way and takes on the Power Ball himself.  This is kind of dumb.   At least Vegeta had a little gas in the tank left.  He may not be able to maintain Super Saiyan 4, but he hasn’t been fighting as long as Goku has, so he had a better chance of repelling this thing. 

And sure, this is Goku’s show, but it’s kind of annoying how aggressively Toei pushes Goku to the forefront in this series.  Like, if they wanted him to catch this attack, just have him catch the attack.  But no, he has to tackle Vegeta so he can get bonus points for being so selfless. 

So how in the hell is Goku resisting this kind of power?  He couldn’t lay a finger on Omega Shenron in the last couple of episodes, and now he’s pushing back Omega’s finisher.  GT Logic, that’s how.  Goku is simultaneously weak and strong.

Somehow, Goku stops the thing from destroying the whole planet, but it still makes a big enough explosion to leave a giant hole in this city they’ve been fighting in. 

Satisfied that Goku has been killed, Omega Shenron gets busy destroying the world. Well, now he’s gonna do it the slow way, I guess.  I mean, can he not do another Minus Energy Power Ball, or is this just how he’d rather play it?  Anyway, he restores the field of Minus Energy around the Earth, but instead of that multi-colored haze, it turns the sky dark instead, which is a much cooler effect. 

Also, disasters start to happen all over the planet.  I think this was happening anyway, but it’s happening faster now.

And that really fires up Vegeta, because he’s already lived through the destruction of one home planet.  He refuses to stand by and let it happen again.  So he charges back into action, but before he goes, he tells Trunks to evacuate the others in Bulma’s spaceship, and then Trunks, Goten, and Gohan can train somewhere and avenge their fathers.

But they don’t follow his orders.   Instead they send the others on ahead, and go back to support Vegeta’s last stand.  Even Chi-Chi approves, which is pretty rare for this franchise.  Weird how Uub isn’t joining them, seeing as how this series opened with him becoming the nominal protector of the Earth.

Anyway, yeah, Vegeta’s attack is a non-starter.  Omega beats him and the boys without any trouble at all.

Then Omega knocks him over by the crater and tells Vegeta he can share a grave with Goku, but Vegeta laughs when he sees what’s down there...

Yep, it’s Goku with a Spirit Bomb!  And apparently he’s been working on it the whole time Vegeta was trying to make his last stand. 

Let’s talk about why this sucks.

✨"Good" "Ideas", Poorly Executed✨

So first and foremost, this is a cheap rip-off of the Spirit Bomb Goku used to defeat Kid Buu at the end of Dragon Ball Z.  I get that Toei loves their Spirit Bomb finishes, and that they used this trick in four different DBZ movies, but this is just sad.  The big finish to GT is nothing more than a pale imitation of the big finish of Z.  What a crock.

Making matters worse is the fact that we only spend about half an episode on this Spirit Bomb, which means Goku has to speedrun all the stuff he did to make it work against Kid Buu.  Remember how he needed King Kai to put him in touch with the people of Earth so he could take all the power they could give him?  Well, they just skip over that.  By the time this Spirit Bomb is revealed, Goku’s already received all the power he can get from the Earth’s population.  We don’t know how he contacted everyone to ask for it, but somehow that happened.

We know he didn’t have help from King Kai this time, because he doesn’t contact King Kai until after he’s made it this far.  Instead, he asks King Kai to contact the rest of the universe, so he can borrow power from them as well.

And you might argue that this “Universal” style is what makes the GT Spirit Bomb unique, but I don’t buy it.  The Spirit Bomb Goku used on Kid Buu also had power from the Namekians, as well as Otherworld.  Sure, this one gets more planets to join in, but that only makes the Bomb bigger, not more original.

And putting all these morts from the Grand Tour kind of makes this Spirit Bomb worse, if you asked me.  The Para Brothers ruin everything they touch, is all I’m saying.

Why is this kid still in the hospital?  Oh, right, silly question.  He has to pretend to be sick because the hospital is the only place to get food on this dumb planet.

So you might be asking why Omega Shenron doesn’t attack Goku while he assembles this Spirit Bomb.  Well, he does attack Goku, and the blasts just... don’t hurt him.  At all.  And to be fair, Kid Buu pulled the same stunt, but I chalked that up to Kid Buu just taking potshots to goad Goku into moving out of position.  Omega’s a lot smarter than that, so you would think all of his blasts would be strong enough to kill Goku, or at least hurt him enough to thwart Goku’s plan.  But no.  Goku just sort of bounces and shakes with each hit, but nothing happens.  Which... I mean, he did withstand that Minus Energy Power Ball earlier, so who the fuck knows anymore?

So yeah, Goku’s just invincible now, which sort of begs the question of why he didn’t try this from the start.  I mean, if he can just float there and be indestructible until he throws an irresistible attack, then why didn’t he try this on Baby and Super 17?

Anyway, Goku throws the bomb, it works, and it digs a big trench in the ground because that’s what happened in the Kid Buu fight.  And we know Omega’s really dead this time because we can see all seven Dragon Balls restored to their original appearance. 

Then Shenron just appears unbidden, which is a first.  The narrator wonders if something is going to happen.  Yeah, good eye, narrator.

✨Positivity Page✨

I hate this episode for ripping off the climax of the Buu arc, but I do enjoy seeing Omega’s bones as his body dissolves in the Spirit Bomb.  It’s the one thing Buu couldn’t offer, since he’s boneless and all. 

And this means the Shadow Dragons are finally all dead, so no more of their bullshit for the rest of this series.  I mean, there’s only one episode left, but it’s still a relief.

✨Is This Episode Worse than "The Roaming Lake"?✨

Yes.  This episode is trash.

None of this makes any sense.  Goku’s stuck in his base form because of the beating he’s been taking for the last six episodes, and yet he’s shrugging off attacks that are enough to bring down Vegeta, no matter which Super Saiyan form he uses.  Omega Shenron is rightly terrified of the Spirit Bomb, but he just stands there like an idiot and lets it hit him.  Oh, right, that was the other thing they didn’t rip off from the Kid Buu fight.  In Z, Kid Buu forced the Spirit Bomb back toward Goku, who was too exhausted to stop it.  Here, Goku just overwhelms Omega in seconds, even though Goku should be just as weary here, and Omega is far more powerful than Kid Buu. 

We never see how he convinces the people of Earth to help him make the Spirit Bomb.  We also never see how the four Kais convince all of the planets in the universe to help Goku.  Most of the beings in the universe have never heard of the Kais or Goku, and they have no idea what’s happening on Earth right now, or that their worlds will be threatened next.  This is all just slapped together, like a student pulling an all-nighter on a term paper. 

And it’s all completely arbitrary.  In the Buu Saga, Goku never tried the Spirit Bomb because he didn’t think it could do any good.  That’s why Vegeta had to come up with a way to adapt it to the situation at hand.  Otherwise, Goku would have used it from the start and there would have been no story.  Here, Goku has the whole thing figured out on his own, so he was just... waiting to see if anything else might work instead? 

See, this is why you shouldn’t plagiarize, kids.  It’s not just the dishonesty.  When you copy stuff without understanding how it works, you lose the subtle touches that made it worth stealing in the first place.  Toriyama understood the Spirit Bomb, and how to use it in his stories, and when to use it, and how to hold off on using it without making the characters look dumb.  The people making GT were just like “It’s the end of the fight!  Time for the Spirit Bomb!”

Ugh.

✨The Blade Braxton Memorial Haiku*✨

They killed King Furry?

Damn, GT won’t let us have

nothin’. Rest in peace, boy.

[the-graves-family]

5. Pinned Down | "It's broken."

Another day, another way he’s pissed off Aaron somehow.

Ace should really try to write down a list of things that annoy his brother. Not because he has any hope of avoiding them, but because he personally thinks it’d be funny to just have a stack of paper thicker than the dictionary.

He doesn’t have much amusement in his life.

The weight on his chest doesn’t let up, even as he struggles to breathe, pointlessly pawing at Aaron’s leg. His lung capacity had never been the same after the accident, and a fully grown man stepping on his chest is not exactly conducive to oxygen getting into his bloodstream.

Gasping for air, he whines as he feels his brother put even more pressure on his ribs. The lack of oxygen bothers him, but the feeling of his bones straining under the stress is worse. It all feels like it’s building up to something he’s really not going to enjoy.

The injustice of it all doesn’t even register with him anymore. What’s the point of thinking something is unfair if nothing is ever going to change that? Waste of energy.

Aaron looks amused, this time. Sometimes he looks bored. Other times, he doesn’t look like anything at all. Something cold, something strange. Those are the worst days. 

All in all, this hasn’t become too bad, yet—

The pain suddenly becomes impossibly sharp, as a wet, popping noise breaks the relative silence. 

A scream is ripped from his throat, and Ace feels tears welling in his eyes. He can’t remember the last time pain made him cry like that. Even Aaron stops pressing down, and blinks at him, mild curiosity shining in his eyes. Pained gasps turn into sobs as his brother steps off, and Ace doesn’t get the chance to even try to move away before Aaron is crouching down and reaching out.

He doesn’t get a moment’s reprieve before his shirt is pulled up and he feels cold fingers pressing into his ribs, feeling, searching for—

“Oh, yep, that’s broken,” Aaron mutters as he presses down on Ace’s seventh rib on his left side, and his brother wails. “Oh shut up, quit being such a fucking baby.”

Hurts, hurts to breathe, I can’t— 

A single glancing glare from Aaron is enough to make Ace shut his mouth with a whimper. He doesn’t want this momentary respite to end. He’s in a lot of fucking pain, and he just wants to crawl into his room and pass out. 

If he can even crawl at all, now.

“You think your ribs got damaged in your little accident and that’s why they broke so easily?” Aaron asks, while he keeps prodding the quickly forming bruise, making Ace’s vision dark each time he does.

No, I think you just stepped on me with your full weight and ribs are not meant to handle that.

He doesn’t say that. Because Aaron is not actually expecting a reply, and because he’d get so much worse than a bruised rib if he did.

There is a part of him that wants to cry and beg and plead for mercy, and he can feel tears running down his face as he struggles to breathe, but he knows that Aaron will only take that as encouragement. So Ace closes his eyes and tries not to scream as his brother once again pushes on the broken bone.

Aaron looks so happy.