#and if the person is not so great... shit gets scary fast

[freebooter4ever]

wait is that true about hey jude????? must google after work o.O

[running-in-the-dark]

I just had to see this comment on that 'how anxious are you while driving' poll:

and tbh... haha shut your mouth :)

[lunarpiscesangel]

lately every night my ocd is having me stay awake late thinking about things

[haveyouseenthisskeleton]

Because Edge has such a great personality, I would love to know his opinion on the other skeletons. Are they worthy of his attention or not?

Let's have a tour of what Edge thinks of all his fellow skeletons.

Undertale Sans - Clearly a pale copy of his brother, but without anything to look scary. What is even the point of his existence? He would be long dead in his world. He swears the guy is hiding something though. He always feels uncomfortable when he's staring at him for too long.

Undertale Papyrus - He thought he was a pale copy of himself until his Undyne challenged him to fight with Lesser Papyrus and Edge got his butt kicked so hard he ended in shock. WTF. He has no LV and he swears he was still holding back to not hurt him. How strong is that guy??? Edge doesn't like him.

Underswap Sans - Unsufferable little shit that thinks is more clever than everyone because he's super fast. How the hell is he a royal guard? One of these days, he will show him he's not that clever when fighting a real royal guard. And he's not saying that because that little shit arrested him one day for driving too fast without a license. Not at all.

Underswap Papyrus - A decent one. Edge loves to hang out with him, especially in front of Blue to make him mad. Honey is a good cook, and he's not impressed by his edgy face. He doesn't consider him a friend; he has no friends. But if he had friends, they would be Honey-shaped.

Underfell Sans - What? You expect him to say he loves his brother or something? Get out of here, that's none of your business!

Horrortale Sans - He can respect that guy. When Edge bullied him, he for sure never expected to almost be beheaded by the largest axe he had ever seen. He stays out of his path now. That guy knows how to fight, even though he's not showing it.

Horrortale Papyrus - Fuck that guy. He came to find him after he bullied his brother and lectured him for two hours like a child. Does he look like a child? Anyway, when Edge tried to escape, he grabbed him by the arm with his gigantic hand and Edge realized that maybe it would be best to listen to him after all.

Horrorswap Sans - Looks too similar to his younger version but gets really mad when accidentally called Blue. Edge did the mistake once and got surprise by how fast that guy is despite having only one leg. That's a horror movie cryptid.

Horrorswap Papyrus - He doesn't like him or anything, but can't help but feel protective around him. I mean, look at him. He's like a lost puppy or something. The big bad world is going to eat him alive one of these days.

Horrorfell Sans - He's glad he could take his brother out of hell before this. Edge actually respects Copper a lot for surviving through the famine despite being as weak as Red. Edge tries to help him and his brother when he can.

Horrorfell Papyrus - He has a hard time thinking he could have been in that situation, but he admires Chief for not giving up. He's not sure he would have been strong enough to stay as optimistic despite the pain. Chief is a little bit like his model, and Edge likes to hang out with him when he has some time.

Swapfell Sans - Finally a good training partner that is both challenging and competitive. Edge has a lot of fun training with Nox (who is definitely not his best friend at all). However, he can see Nox is very haunted by his role in the Royal Guard. Edge saw that look in old soldiers he trained, who are here only because it's paying well. Except Nox is not old at all. He's worried he might make a big mistake one of these days and is in negotiation with his Asgore to sort of hire him in his guard, so he can take his distances with his Toriel. He can tell his Toriel is not a good person.

Swapfell Papyrus - He's so similar to his brother that it hurts. Lazy, loud, pranking people all day. It's not even a surprise Red spends all his days with him. Ok, maybe one or two of his pranks amused him at some point, and maybe that guy is somehow charming enough for everyone to eat in his hands, but that's definitely not Edge's case (yes. yes it is).

Fellswap Gold Sans - He sees himself a lot in Wine, maybe with a little (LOT, A LOT) of manipulation. He's not sure Wine sees him as a friend, but Edge is definitely going to him when he needs advice. He's a bit the father figure he never had even though he looks like his brother and it's really weird. But at least he is always (brutally) honest with him and Edge needs that sometimes.

Fellswap Gold Papyrus - He can tell Coffee is following him everywhere like he's some sort of role model. That made Edge uncomfortable at first, but now he's worried when Coffee is not there to follow him around, asking a hundred questions. He is used to that.

Outertale Sans & Papyrus - He doesn't know them. But they look like pale copies of his brother and him. Except these ones fly for some reason. How though? Skeletons don't have wings???

Dancetale Sans & Papyrus - How many of these pacifist guys are there out there? Why the hell these ones are dancing???

Dancefell Sans - Uh... He didn't think there could be a weaker version of his brother honestly but here is Rumba he guesses. He got confused that one time he asked him to show his fight move and the guy started dancing??? How the hell did he survive so long???

Dancefell Papyrus - What the hell is that. That guy looks like him but he acts like Mettaton somehow. Edge is very disturbed and doesn't like him.

Farmtale Sans & Papyrus - They are decent. He expected yet another version of those pacifist weaklings, but somehow Sam is a lot more interesting than the others, not scared to talk back to him or fight him when he gets too insulting. Edge can respect that. Ben reminds him of himself when he was younger, full of hope and very shy. He's worried he might get crushed by the world at some point.

Mafiatale Sans - Annoying as hell. Literally exploded his wall once because he insulted his brother. Edge is holding back everytime he sees his stupid face, he wants to fight that guy so bad.

Mafiatale Papyrus - Creeper is scary. He only feared Asgore before, but that guy is even scarier. He doesn't say anything. He keeps staring at him. Menacingly. Edge doesn't like him.

Mafiafell Sans - He wishes his brother was similar to him, a little more active. Too bad Fang hates him because of what happened with Torpedo. Edge wanted to know him more before it happened.

Mafiafell Papyrus - Torpedo is the version of him he for sure doesn't want to become. Insulting, condescending, thinking he knows everything and clearly has too much power. The first thing Torpedo did was to laugh at him, saying he looks like a clown in his royal guard armor, in front of all his friends. So yeah, Edge got mad and attacked him. Maybe he underestimated the crazy amount of LV this guy has. You can only reach that by killing for fun, Edge saw that LV in the monsters he executed for Asgore. He doesn't like him, he knows Torpedo is a ticking bomb that will cause at some point a lot of damage because, with so much LV, it's impossible to stay in control for long. Edge hates him and hopes he will never turn like that.

Ink - ???????? His brain can't understand what that Ink guy is. He prefers to say out of his way.

Error - He can tell he's dangerous, but he's not sure why. He's uncomfortable around him and doesn't want to know more about him.

Disbelief Papyrus - Despite clearly being a clone of the pacifist guy, he can tell this one went through a lot and is a lot more similar to him than he would like. That Papyrus lost a lot of things and sacrificed his life so his universe could survive. Edge respects him a lot and tries to show him he's there if he wants to talk, even though he's not the best at that.

Killer Sans - Even though his brother likes him a lot, Edge prefers to keep a safe distant. He saw that guy LV, it's way too high for someone who pretends so well to be a jokester. Edge is not fooled by his little game. That Sans is dangerous.

Dustale Sans - He acts like Doomfanger??? He fights with Doomfanger??? Is that skeleton a skeleton or a mutant cat? He's not sure.

[trender-official]

Whiskey Burns My Throat | Chapter One

Sevika x Doctor!Reader | 4.4k words

Cowritten with my friend Migi

Sevika is tired of Silcos shit. Why was she wasting her time watching over this stupid doctor? And why is she so hot?

Or, slow burn lesbian romance with our beloved Sevika.

Reader is almost an oc but she has no appearance or name lol

Sometimes, Sevika hated her job. For the most part, she either didn’t mind it, or even outright liked it. Being the right hand woman of Zaun’s widely accepted leader had its perks. The pay, for one, was great. She had slowly gotten used to not having to scavenge and scrap on the streets for any little thing she could get her hands on to sell. Now, she had a permanent residence paid off in full, and she hadn’t gone hungry in what felt like forever. She even had plenty of cogs to gamble away at Silco’s bar most nights. And the brothel, if she really needed to let off some steam.

She never could have imagined this for herself, not in a million years. And Silco, he had a real shot at this, a real shot at making something of this shit ridden city. That was all she really cared about. It was why she left Vander all those years ago, after he’d refused to take a stand against those fascist Pilties. She was still bitter about that.

An added bonus was scaring the topsiders. A smirk formed on her face as she thought about it. It was funny, being able to send them running with their tail tucked between their shitty little legs, quivering with genuine fear. Not just of her, but of what Silco would do to them if he found out they fucked with her. So she was on a power kick, sue her.

But this… She didn’t like this.

She stood outside a tent, looking scary enough- which wasn’t hard by any means- to keep anyone who would start shit away, having a keen eye for those people, unfortunately. But she also kept an eye out for clients, people suffering from shimmer. Shimmer was the drug that Silco started distributing after becoming the unofficial-official leader of Zaun.

When injected, shimmer gives you a rush. A rush of power, and enhanced abilities, as well as that feel good high you’d get from other substances. But… with every high comes a cost. It’s highly addictive of course, and has dangerous side effects, like the creation of deteriorating spores that eat away at your limbs in random spots.

Inside the very tent, was a stupid fucking Plitie prick. A stupid Piltie prick who Silco was making her protect. A stupid Piltie prick who was a doctor, treating the symptoms of shimmer and pollution that racked the citizens of Zaun, keeping them healthy enough to bring in profit- but sick enough to keep coming back. Unknowingly by anyone but herself, for the most part, and Silco made sure of that. It was a cruel joke, honestly. A smart, but dangerously cruel one. She would never admit this, but part of her felt bad for the Piltie. She had no idea she was participating in the repeated cycle of addiction and corruption.

A shuffle came from inside, the tent sliding open. A nother patient slinked out, his legs shaking like he was about to collapse at any second. But his face, that was the real kicker. It was a pale gray in color, sores and bumps growing along the side of it, red and irritated from the cleaning it just got. The doctor followed right after, with her hand helping him along cautiously. “Please, follow my directions. Keep the wounds clean and covered, and try to mix up where you inject it, otherwise it’ll just keep corroding the one spot” she said, her voice sounding almost robotic, mainly because she had said that to every other patient that came in with the same issues.

“I’ll try… Thank you, Ma’am.” The person said with a hesitant smile, voice careful and withdrawn. Most people didn’t say anything, just leaving as fast as they could. Or they’d bite out hurtful and spiteful words, despite the doctors efforts of healing them. They don’t wan’t to believe she was real, that she was fully committed to leaving her Piltover life behind for this shithole. Sevika didn’t. She had to be lying… spying, or something, gaining all the information she can to turn in to the topsiders and ruin everything that they’ve worked so fucking hard for. And silco was just letting it happen!

Her voice snapped Sevika out of her thoughts, the permanent scowl on her face deepening. “Of course. Just be safe. As safe as you can be.” The doctor said, sending him off with a wave and a small bag of things to help for the week. A care package, if you will, equipped with a small pale of water, 2 pieces of bread, and some new socks to keep warm.

The doctor looked up at Sevika and smiled. She didn’t smile back. She looked dejected and disappointed, she wanted Sevika to like her. She wanted most people to like her. It made her feel like she was doing a good job, and fueled her to do even better.

She called the next patient up, her voice a little less confident than usual. She took another glance at Sevika as she turned to walk back in the tent, after allowing the patient in. Sevika rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, continuing to glare at the most suspicious-looking person sitting in the alley nearby. She was already tired of this girl, and they’d only been working together a few days.

This was the last patient of the day, as the sun was starting to go down and the more violent citizens would be coming out now. After the last patient came out of the tent, the doctor nodded to Sevika, letting her know it was good to start dismissing everyone.

“Alright! Time to get going.” Sevika said, raising her arms. “Let’s go! Get!” She said to the few who dared to stay and try to fight it. They didn’t stay much longer.

The doctor leaned against one of the poles, the one Sevika had been leaning against, watching her as she shooed away the crowd. She smiled, though this time not as big. Sevika turned back to her, her scowl not faltering. “Wanna drink?” She asked, holding the tent flap open.

Sevika sighed. She knew she couldn’t leave until she got home. So she didn’t have much of a choice. Sevika had to lean down to enter the tent and stay hunched while inside to fit. She shuffled her way over to the small couch poised in front of a coffee table and a rolling chair. Sevika laid an arm across the top of the couch, spreading her legs.

The doctor pulled out a bottle of whiskey, one too expensive to be found down here, but not expensive enough to be considered good by Piltover standards. “I heard you liked this.” The doctor’s eyes glanced down over Sevika’s body nervously. She bit the inside of her cheek, feeling suddenly more out of place than ever.

“You asked Silco about me?” Her eyebrow raised, “Only other person who can get it here is Silco.” She said, not reaching for the glass. The doctor licked her lips nervously.

“Well…yes. Consider it a gift. I don’t really like the stuff.” She said, handing the entire bottle over to her.

“You bought whiskey you don’t like?” Her voice was flat, void of teasing, of lightheartedness. “What, just to impress me?” Sevika said with a laugh of disbelief and slight secondhand embarrassment.

The doctor turned red and stuttered. “I-I don’t know- I just thought of you when I saw it. Is it so bad to get a gift for a new co-worker?” She felt scrutinized when Sevika turned her eyes back to her, and she was right to.

Sevika scanned her up and down. She frowned. The doctor suddenly felt insecure under her gaze. “I’m not going to like you. You can stop trying to make me.” She moved and crossed her arms, her muscles slightly bulging around her shirt. The doctor swallowed.

“I… I don’t think that’s true. If you got to know me-“ She said, sitting forward in her chair.

“Oh shut up. I already know how you're gonna be. All you Pilties are the same.” Sevika glared at her, making the doctor shrink back into her chair. “You’re all arrogant assholes who think we need you. We don’t. Any of our doctors could do the same thing as you.” She stood up and looked down over her. “I don’t know why Silco wants you here. But don’t think because I’m doing this I trust you. I’m doing this for him. Not you.”

Sevika turned and walked outside, to which the doctor sighed heavily. Her face was red and hot with embarrassment. She looked down at the glass, contemplating. Normally she wouldn’t. She wasn’t a fan of not being in control.

Quickly, she snatched it up and took a fat sip. It burned her throat, feeling foreign on her tongue, but the taste reminded her of how Sevika made her feel.

Outside, Sevika stood over the flap to the tent, casting a shadow inside. She squinted at the sound of racing feet stamping down the alley. She saw the shadow of a person carrying someone before she saw them. “Help! Fuck- Fuck, we need help!” A man shouted as he rounded the corner. Sevika pushed herself straight.

“What’s wrong?” She shouted to them.

“I- I don't know- I found him in a pool of vomit- Please, I know there’s a doctor here, you have to help.” He said as he fell to the ground from the weight of the person on his thin, unmuscled arms.

Sevika ran over and scooped the man up, inspecting the wound, a hole in the middle of his thigh, aligned with purple veins and disgusting bubbles filled with bodily fluid. Shimmer. Of course. She turned to the tent and brought the man over, shoving her way through with her shoulder.

The doctor looked up, alarm on her face. She heard the yelling, but couldn’t understand what they were saying. She had stayed inside in worry of a fight. “What?” She said as Sevika moved the man to be held over her shoulder and swept everything off the coffee table.

“He’s overdosing. You need to be quick.” Sevika said, laying him down as quickly as she could while still being gentle. She stood back, breathing surprisingly slowly, she seemed calm. It didn’t surprise Sevika herself, but the doctor was impressed. She really shouldn’t be surprised Sevika knows how to handle herself in stressful situations. You don’t get where she is not being able to.

“Do you know what on?” The doctor said, not having the chance to see the wound yet, snapping on gloves as quickly as she possibly could.

“No. Probably shimmer…” Sevika stood back, giving her room to work. She hated seeing this, knowing she helped it happen.

“Okay…” she sounded defeated, tired, “get me the Naloxone and a scalpel… please.” She said, having to remind herself not to bark orders out. Before coming down here- before uprooting her entire life, she had assistants and staff; people hired to help her without question or need for respect, as bad as that sounds. She pointed to the place she kept them, on the other side of the tent where there was a small box filled with all the supplies she could carry.

Sevika obeyed, not interested in protecting her dignity over someone’s life. The doctor began to wipe at the tumors growing on his thigh, deemed to be the injection site. The smell was awful… The wounds weren’t bleeding- not actively, there were signs of past bleeding, dried blood, and scabs topping every growth. They weren’t like shimmer growths, they were almost straight black. It was like his body was growing them just for them to rot. The doctor quickly administered the Naloxone, which evened out his breathing somewhat.

She took a deep breath, as well as she could with the thick smell of decay in the air, readied the scalpel. As soon as she cut into the pustule, it exploded, luckily missing her face, but it coated her hand and the table. Her eyes widened, as the smell assaulted her nose and mouth. She coughed, backing away. She knew this smell. She knew what this was.

“Fucking- Shit!” She yelled. “Back up! Get back!” She yelled at Sevika. She rushed to wipe her hands off on a cloth nearby. Just exposure to this could have negative effects on the human body. “It’s fake shimmer! Don’t touch it!”

“What? What does that mean?” Sevika asked, her instincts pushed her to pull the doctor away from the body, but she stopped herself. She seemed genuinely scared- Sevika thought it might be better to listen to her here.

“It means it’s toxic! We need to get him out of here!” She said, ripping off the ruined gloves and retrieving two pairs of new ones. “Come on- You need to help me.”

“Help you what?!”

“Get him out of here!”

“What? No! You need to help him!” Sevika said, grabbing her arm. “He’s your patient. You’re a doctor! This is your job!” She leaned over a little to tower over her, trying to scare her into listening.

“We can’t help him now! That stuff- You can’t bring someone back after they’re too far gone.” She tried to pull her arm away, only making Sevika rip her closer. Her chest pressed up to Sevika’s rib. Sevika’s breasts were almost in her face. She tried her best to not look, but couldn’t help to spare a few glances.

“That can’t be true. You have to do something.” Sevika growled.

“Anything I can do will just make him suffer longer! Is that really worth it?” She yelled back, pushing up. “I’ve done this before, the only thing treatment guarantees is more pain!”

Sevika glared silently and released her arm. Her face tightened once more before she turned away and stalked outside. The man who carried him in looked at her with a scared face. He clearly heard all of that. She looked down and sighed, closing her eyes. She wasn’t one to offer comfort to others.

Back inside the tent, the doctor was rushing to get the new gloves on. She searched her supplies and luckily found a vial of morphine. She bit her lip to hold back tears. It’s been awhile since she’d handled this kind of stress. She pushed herself up and slowly walked over to the patient. She’d give all that was left in the bottle, just enough to cause an overdose. He’d fall asleep, never to wake up again. She took a glove off.

Solemnly, she injected the dose, holding his hand as she did it, letting him feel her skin. She knew he likely wasn’t here already, but he was alive enough to feel pain. No one deserved to go out like this.

After… It happened, she came out, having taken off the button up that had the rot on it, now just in an undershirt. The man looked at her with wide eyes. She shook her head. “I’m sorry.” She had taken off the other glove already. She walked over to the man and placed a hand on his shoulder. He himself was not looking very good, tumors from shimmer beginning to appear on his arms and face. His breathing was weezy from the pollution. “You did your best. He was likely already too far gone by the time you found him.” The man shuddered. He didn’t cry. This was the undercity. No one here had their life guaranteed.

As the man left, both Sevika and the doctor went back into the tent. Sevika stared at the body as the doctor retrieved the whisky from earlier. “I’m gonna drink.” She said, an indirect invite to join.

“Give me a glass.”

She nodded and poured two glasses. She handed it to Sevika and she downed it in almost a minute. “What did you do to him?” She asked.

“I gave him morphine. Too much to survive. He wasn’t going to anyway.”

“You could’ve given him a chance.” Sevika frowned, still staring at the lifeless body.

“The only chance he would’ve had is if we stopped him from taking it in the first place.” She said quietly, walking back to the couch. She looked at the body, then back to Sevika. “I did what I could.”

“You- You fuckin’ killed him! You did what you could- Bullshit!” Sevika threw the glass, it shattered against the ground louder than expected.

The doctor jumped, looking like a child watching her parents fighting. “He was going to die anyway! Much more painfully!” She said, standing up.

“You act like I haven’t seen this kind of thing before-“ The doctor defended herself, her cheeks growing warm. She hated conflict, especially the kind that involved being alone with a large woman in a tent that was secluded. Not that she was worried Sevika would do anything. Silco needed her, or at least that’s what he made it seem like…

“But I have.” she finished off, her voice raw and full of heavy emotions. “There’s been nights you weren’t here, where I stayed up for hours monitoring and watching, holding people's hands while they suffered a pain I caused them.. you don’t get to come in here and poke fingers at me when I’m the one who has to end their lives!”

By the end she was panting, her once neatly tied back hair now framed her face from all the excitement. Her eyes were ablaze with anger, grief, and something else that she couldn’t quite place herself.

Sweat dripped from her forehead in little droplets that beaded onto her chest, now more exposed from having to dispose of the contaminated shirt from before. The soft glow of the lanterns lighting up the tent illuminated her face, highlighting the curl of her lips that were currently in a snarl, and the thicker furrowed brows that were slowly returning to their normal resting position as she calmed down.

“You fucking…” Sevika trailed off, her tongue running over her teeth. Her eyes trailed down her body, lavishing over her without care. If she weren’t royally pissed off right now, she may have found her hot. Sevika frowned and glared at her. “Fine. Too fucking late now.” She came closer, observing the body. “How do we dispose of it- of him.” She knew she was too used to people simply being ‘its’.

The doctor shifted on her feet, just now starting to feel the dull ache settle in from being on them all day. She knew exactly how she disposed of them, she’d been doing it for quite some time now. But… she didn’t want to say. It was, frankly, too embarrassing. Too vulnerable.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it.” the doctor brought a hand up to her forehead, wiping the beads of sweat from it, cringing a little at the wetness. She stepped back, grabbing the bottle of the now half full whiskey and brought it to her lips, taking a good, 5 second chug. She resisted the urge to cringe at the unfamiliar taste, and the burning that took hostage of her throat. Wiping her lips after, and ignoring the salty taste of her own skin, she placed the bottle back down, steadying herself on her desk.

“That’s enough for you, little girl.” Sevika said with a smirk that said ‘I’m better than you.’ Her attitude switched too quickly to be anything but forced. She had to be fine with death. There was nothing for her but. “Give it here.” She said as she yanked the bottle from her hands with her metal arm, Sevika’s unnatural strength too much to fight. Her arm rotated in strange ways to lift the bottle to her mouth, lips sealing around it as she chugged the rest of it. It took nearly ten seconds to finish. She smiled patronizingly and threw the bottle down next to the broken cup.

The doctor felt her eye twitch, a low growl bubbling from the back of her throat. “I have enough shit to deal with here, I don’t need to add ‘cleaning up temper tantrums’ or pissing contests to my agenda” The alcohol was already starting to take effect, her head growing heavy with a buzz that left her feeling fearless, and unaware of the consequences she might have to face come morning time.

Sevika snickered. “Yeah? Maybe I will. Maybe I won’t.” She smiled, but it wasn’t one that made the doctor feel any better. It was almost sickening. She looked ravenous. She looked like she need to either fuck or fight someone. “But remember, I only take your orders because Silco says I should.” She said, her smile slipping. She turned and started to walk away before turning back. “And watch your mouth. You don’t wanna fuck with me.” She flashed a smirk then left the tent, leaving the mess behind her. Though, she didn’t leave, not fully, she stayed in the area. She wanted to see what she would do with the body, her curiosity too strong to fight. Today, anyway.

The doctor ran a hand through her hair, her other stabilizing herself on the table. A shaky sigh left her lips. Her thoughts were filled with confliction. Anger, frustration, and… attraction. It pissed her off.

With a huff, she turned and grabbed the items she would need to properly… dispose of the body laying next to her. Gloves, a shovel, a wheelbarrow, gasoline, and a match.

She covered herself with a spare coat she had, putting on her goggles, gloves, and a gas mask before she used the shovel to lift his body into the wheelbarrow, holding onto the handles for support after with a pant. Bodies were heavy, and she wasn’t necessarily in the best shape, not like Sevika.

She made her way to the spot she always used, a secluded area at the end of Zaun’s fissure, Sevika in tow, though not to her knowledge.

The doctor tried to be gentle as she dumped the body from the hopper, wincing at the harsh sound his body made as he rolled from it, his limbs limply following in pursuit. She sighed, rubbing her damp forehead with the sleeve of her jacket. She hated this part.

She didn’t have the time to bury him, nor the stamina to dig the hole, so she relied on burning. She sat him up against the giant rock wall, positioning his body as someone taking a peaceful nap, closing his eyes with gentle fingers.

“I’m sorry.” She croaked, shoulders slumped, and tears welling up in her eyes. She didn’t cry normally, not anymore anyway, but tonight, with the mix of emotions and alcohol, she wasn’t in control of her tear ducts.

Sevika would’ve made a noise of disbelief, if it wouldn’t have gotten her spotted. She almost respected the efficiency she moved with, as if she had an ounce of control over herself. Even while drunk or high out of their mind, Zaunites always had to have control, at least over their tears and fear.

Although, there was something almost attractive about seeing a Piltie doing this kind of stuff. Something degenerate and sick, something that came from craving others to go through the pain she did. Or maybe, seeing something once so innocent be corrupted.

The doctor moved back, reaching for the bottle of gasoline, pouring it gently through his hair, watching as it dripped down his cheeks and jaw, and finally down to soak his clothing. Guilt bit at her, even though she knew there was nothing she could do. But surely, there had to be a way, somehow, to save people like him. She just hadn’t found it yet. And that was the worst part of it.

Taking a deep breath, she lit the match using her boot, setting the collar of his shirt ablaze, before putting it out on the ground and stepping back. She couldn’t watch him burn, that would simply be too much, in a way. She turned, shoulders still hunched in a sort of… defeat and shame. Shame that she couldn’t save him, or any of the other bodies she had done the same routine with. And defeat, that she didn’t even know where to start in being able to save those lost people, or any for that matter.

She didn’t think of herself as a healer, as a savior. No, that was bullshit. She knew she was just keeping these people alive until their shimmer addictions inevitably killed them. But what else was she supposed to do? Refuse them? It was all out of her hands now. She just had to trust that Silco was the man he said he was, and got the people of Zaun out of the mess that it was.

With a final sigh as her goodbye, she walked back to her tent, taking off everything she was wearing and throwing it to the ground to sanitize it later. For now, all she wanted to do was sleep. So sleep she did, curled up on one of the cots, wallowing with the scratchy blanket that was left there by one of her past patients. Sleep took her dreamlessly, for once in her life, the alcohol helped with that.

Sevika watched the doctor walk away and finally reach a point where she couldn't see her. She felt herself relax, though not much. She left her hiding space, an overhang area she’d silently climbed up onto, lurching off of the platform and trudging over to the burning body. For a moment, she just stared, her face in a tight scowl.

The fumes burned her throat, but it took her a moment to even notice, waiting until she physically couldn’t take a breath. She put on the mask she carried with her, a cheap one that could fold small enough to hide. The air of the fissures itself usually wouldn't bother her, but she carried one just in case.

She felt her eyes burn with unshed tears of many years yearning to escape, the day- no, the months of grief and anger catching up on her. But she wouldn’t let them fall. Tears were a sign of weakness, and she wasn’t weak.

Slowly, she reached for a compartment in her arm, where she held extra shimmer vials. She opened it, taking one and throwing it into the fire, as some sort of… offering. For forgiveness. She peeled off a piece of dead skin on her lip, savoring the pain and blood, before walking away, already missing the heat of the flames kissing her skin. Maybe she’d replace it with the heat of one of the brothel girls… She needed it.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

reading update: july 2024

full disclosure: I started out July in a bit of a mental lurch, really feeling stuck in a rut. there are a lot of reasons for that, absolutely none of which need to be shared with the general populace of tumblr dot com, but suffice to say that I was feeling listless and reading was not a high priority. I was pretty content to accept that this was going to be another month where I didn't finish a lot of books. I was too busy for most of June, and now too unfocused and bummed out in July.

and then that ended up not being the case. I think I can chalk that up to three things:

very early in the month I realized that none of the reading I had been planning on getting to was grabbing my interest at all, so I did something drastically different: picked up a YA memoir that I bought at pride on the recommendation of a bookseller. not my usual kind of reading at all, but YA is very readable and memoirs grab me fast because I'm nosy, so I figured it might be great for getting out of a rut. and boy, was I right!

Akwaeke Emezi also has a new novel out, and if you don't know then please note now that I'm a person second and an Akwaeke Emezi fan first. their newest novel was a sinister joyride, non-stop twists and turns that I couldn't put down until I saw the characters through to their bitter ends.

and, of course, over in the Dungeon Meshi manga I got to Mithrun. I've only had Mithrun for a couple of chapters, but if anything happened to him I'd kill everyone in this dungeon and then myself. even if I hadn't been able to read anything else, that would have kept me running back to the library for more Dungeon Meshi.

all of which added up to a fairly voracious appetite for books being reignited in my brain, and my second most book-heavy month of the year so far (still haven't beat May, but there's time). sick!

so - what have I been reading?

Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 7-10 (Ryoko Kui, trans. Taylor Engel, 2019-2022) - mannnnn I know I'm not saying anything that hasn't been said elsewhere, but Dungeon Meshi is so. fucking good. the way that Kui starts to raise the stakes of the story and grow the world beyond the core band of adventurers is so conscientious and well-done, timed perfectly so it never feels like having an undercooked heap of fantasy exposition thrown at you all at once. instead everything proceeds at a perfect simmer, leaving me feeling like the frog in that pot of boiling water who didn't notice how dire things had gotten until it was very suddenly too late and I was screaming bloody murder at a book. things have gotten so dire that I'm yearning for the days when fighting a red dragon was our biggest problem - and yet, through it all, every character remains rendered with humanity and compassion, no matter how scary, dangerous, or outright alien they first appear. I'm not naming any spoilers, but I need [REDACTED] to fix shit ASAP in Vol. 11 and [SUPER REDACTED] is on my shitlist fucking forever. also Mithrun sweetie you're perfect, do as many crimes as you want.

Heart and Hand (Rebel Carter, 2019) - my romance novel of the month, as picked by my lovely patreonites! this self-published historical romance promised some messy f/m/m, following a biracial (half Black, half white) young lady, Julie Baptiste, as she responds to a marriage ad that takes her out west to the fictional town of Gold Sky, Montana. Julie's sort of a standard historical heroine - she doesn't care for the silliness of high society and vastly prefers the company of books, looking forward to becoming Gold Sky's schoolteacher - but her marriage has a twist: rather than marrying one man, she's agreed to marry two, a pair of friends who have been inseparable since they served together in the Civil War. this book is charming, for sure, but I can't help be more intrigued by what isn't there than what is, namely: are these men having sex with each other or not? Rebel? hey, Rebel? why is there no DP in this two husbands mail order bride book? that was, like, he bare minimum that I expected. for the love of god, why did those men never put both of their dicks inside Julie at the same time? why did we spend so much time on emotional conflict that could be easily resolved if anyone just talked to each other when Julie's two beautiful husbands could have been having sex in front of her? HELLO?

also, listen, this is such a nitpick, but I am FROM Montana and it feels personal: I know that the general poverty of frontier life isn't sexy, but god these people are WAY too well off. at one point Julie enjoys some fucking BANANAS, something that I goddamn assure you were not easy to come by in late 19th century Montana. a banana. as fucking if.

All Boys Aren't Blue (George M. Johnson, 2020) - as is proudly advertised on the back cover of my copy, in recent years All Boys Aren't Blue has been the second most-challenged book in America behind Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer. reading through All Boys Aren't Blue it was initially hard to see what exactly was so objectionable, until I realized that a queer Black person living their life with compassion and joy is the scariest thing some of these motherfuckers can possibly imagine. Johnson writes about their life growing up in the nexus of racism, homophobia, and masculinity with wisdom and endless compassion, directly addressing young people who may find themselves in similar positions to offer them assurance that they, too, can be okay. more than anything, All Boys Aren't Blue is a plea for young people to live their lives without fear and shame. it's a beautiful blessing of a book that I hope brings comfort to every innumerable kids who need it.

Little Rot (Akwaeke Emezi, 2024) - how do I even begin to describe Little Rot? definitely not for those who feel squeamish about sex crimes, I guess that's an important place to start. this novel starts with the breakup of a long-term Nigerian couple, Kalu and Aima, and follows both of them into a weekend that starts with drugs and sex parties and spirals increasingly out of control from there, drawing more and more characters into a complicated snarl of money and power. Little Rot has the seedy, lurid draw of an episode of SVU if SVU ever grew up and realized that cops don't do shit, reveling in the nastiest that Emezi's imagined city of New Lagos has to offer. cannot say this book is for everyone - few of Emezi's novels are - but god, it's a thrilling study in corruption.

The Persistent Desire: A Femme-Butch Reader (editor Joan Nestle, 1992) - this is a massive and fascinating historical document, assembled by Nestle as part of her work with the Lesbian Herstory Archives. within this collection are letters, interviews, academic essays, poems, and transcribed oral histories from all manner of self-identified butch and femme lesbians. while some of the contributors are recognizable names in the history of American queer activism (including Pat Califa, who's a bisexual trans man now lmao), others are women who were just trying to live their lives with as much authenticity, comfort, and dignity as was possible in their time. (although, notably, the vast majority of these women are white, and all but a very few are Americans. racial and cultural diversity is not one of the collection's strong suits.)

the personal narratives span all over the twentieth century, and I was really delighted to see the very frank discussions of what would be written off as "bad representation" by a lot of queer resources today: butches overdosing on toxic masculinity and getting in messy bar brawls, femmes committing outlandish acts of adultery, lesbian sexual awakenings taking place between fairly young children, and one extremely memorable instance of a butch getting unexpectedly pregnant and decided to do a little sex work on the side since she couldn't get more pregnant than she already was. I was particularly fascinated by the many, many accounts of "second wave" self-identified lesbian feminists who tried to do away with butch/femme identities and "politically incorrect" expression of lesbian sexuality altogether (that's everything but mutual cunnilingus, btw) in pretty eerie echoes of contemporary radfem arguments. at close to 500 pages it's definitely better suited to skimming and stopping to read whatever catches your attention rather than trying to read cover to cover, but I think this is a really invaluable piece of history.

American Mermaid (Julia Langbien, 2023) - this was a novel, for sure. American Mermaid is a novel about a broke, anxious high school teacher named Penelope whose novel, also called American Mermaid, is a runaway success that gets optioned for film. Penelope quits her teaching job and moves across the country to Hollywood to work on the script with two dude bros who don't really Get what American Mermaid is about, and set to work turning Penelope's weird, unsexy female empowerment novel into an MCU-style action romp with a hot young lead. the novel's strongest when it's deep in the spirals of Penelope's frantic mind, probing the conflict between her fairly desperate need for cash (she wants to be financially independent of her conservative father, she has good reason to suspect breast cancer is in her future, she wants to start a family someday) and the artistic affront she feels at watching her story be disrespected and dismantled. where it's weaker is in the extensive chapters of the story-within-a-story; while useful for context, I straight up didn't need to read that much of Penelope's novel. and the plot overall kind of felt like it fell off the rails near the end once Langbien finishes making her point about how Hollywood sucks. it's not bad, but it's also just... fine. it's fine!

How to Taste: A Guide Discovering Flavor and Savoring Life (Mandy Naglich, 2023) - how do I put this so nicely? this book is for people who are kind of dork ass losers about food, a group that I do very much count myself as a part of. I first became acquainted with Naglich's work when she appeared on a podcast called the Sporkful, which claims that it is "not for foodies, it's for eaters." I'm a fairly devout listener, and after listening to Naglich describe her efforts to become a master cicerone (one of the world's most elite beer tasters, a distinction that is taken Very Fucking Seriously) I thought sure, whatever, that's a book I can get behind. Naglich is maybe a big more entertaining as a podcast guest than a nonfiction author. in places the book can be dry or roughly constructed in a way that suggests another pass by an editor or maybe a co-writer would have helped. and straight up, there are just weird fucking typos in this book that are like. crazy to me, I cannot believe they got through. the cheap-ass cover art also suggests this was not exactly a high budget production.

but having been very mean about it, there are a lot of extremely interesting tidbits about the world of professional tasting here! it sounds awful and you couldn't pay me to do it, but here's the cool thing: Naglich is extremely aware that what she does is insane and she knows that the average reader doesn't want to learn how to identify where a coffee bean was grown just by sniffing the bean from across a room. what she offers instead are really approachable ways to be more conscientious about how you interact with and appreciate food! and she also shares some really cool info about tasting snobbery that IS bullshit, to help you sort out the stuff that actually matters and emphasize that fun and personal taste ultimately trump any "rules." it's a very dorky book but I, personally, did have a good time.

Sex Criminals Vol 3: Three the Hard Way (Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky, 2016) - every time I read another volume of Sex Criminals I find myself thinking "man, hang on, do I ever actually like Sex Criminals? am I enjoying this?" but then I end up placing a hold on the next one. I don't know, it's charming! it's like so very VERY 2010s in its dialogue, by which I mean it's like. you know. it's giving Joss Whedon before we all found out how bad he sucked and collectively booed him. but man, I love a story that's down to get weird, and Sex Criminals is sooooo about being weird. and yet also very normal where sex is concerned! considering this is a series all about people having freaky world-altering powers that activate when they cum, sex is treated as an incredibly ordinary thing, warts and all. I like that! I like seeing that! idk, I don't need every comic to be perfect, as evidenced by the fact that I'm actively enjoying Azrael: Angel of the Bat. sometimes the vibes are just good.

[wallflowergirl2006]

Sonic.Exe x Chubby GF [Headcanons]

[For clarification the Sonic.Exe I’m going to be using is X from Sonic Legacy aka Friday Night Funkin: Rodent Rap] {So if you don’t like FNF you can politely leave and click not interested}

[Not Proofread]

~•Banner by Ad0rey on pintrest•~

★ Okay, so first off how did you manage to get this guy to not kill you let alone date you??

★ Despite the differences in body structures and personalities plus the fact he's an anthropomorphic hedgehog and you're a human is very surprising..

★ Also surprisingly he doesn’t really mind the difference between you and him, in fact he actually likes it. He’s always been interested in humans whether it be for horrific or non-horrific reasons.

★ Like in my previous post since he really ain’t that tall. When he’s trying to be intimidating it is not really that scary to you since you’ve gotten used to him and his presence. He’ll catch you off guard sometimes since he’s sonic [But not really] so of course he’s just as fast as him.

★ But he can say some disturbing ass shit that will frighten or startle you but if he feels like he’s gone too far he will apologize to you but don’t expect him to do that for anyone else. Since you're close to him only you get that privilege.

★ But also because of your closeness to him he will sometimes want you to inflate his ego. If you do participate in boosting his ego [That’s probably bigger than Jupiter /j] expect him to get very cocky and rant about his accomplishments but don’t worry he’ll give you a break if it gets “too awesome to handle.”

★ But if you don’t he’ll roll his eyes and say that you're missing out on a ton of great stories and achievements he’s done.

★ This guy is obsessed with you and your body. He is aware that humans have different personalities, body types and features. Though he’s never encountered a human that had the nerve to challenge him but was also acutely aware of their disadvantages. This intrigued him quite a bit.

★ Plus the way you carried yourself, the way your outfit made you look very attractive but very modest at the same time. The way your hair framed your soft features in such a delicate way. He knew he was hooked whether that was a good or bad thing he didn’t know and he also didn’t really care.

★ If you have any Sonic merch, be on high alert because he’s the number one Sonic fan. [He told me himself /j] He might borrow your Sonic stuff but don’t worry he gives it back to you in the condition it was found in.

★ Does anyone know the “I wonder what I taste like” meme. Yeah, that’s you and him. You would be asking the question obviously and X would have one of two thoughts in his head. The first one would be him biting your chubby tummy or thighs and the second one would just be a normal make out session.

★ Since you’re a bit thicker than a lot of his other victims I can see him using you a personal heater if he gets too cold. He also likes biting and leaving marks on you mostly on your thighs and your sides but if he feels threatened by another person he’ll bite the crook of your neck but if he bites you too hard or if you have skin issues he’ll find some other way to make others back off and let them know that you belong to him.

★ He also likes the feel of skin. It's so soft and squishy. The way your plush stomach looks as soft as a cloud, the way your cheeks puff up with food while you're eating, or the way your thighs expand when you sit down. If he sees you sit down he will legit go up to you and say this. “Damn your thighs be looking kinda grabable.” in a playful/teasing way.

★ If you ever feel insecure about yourself. He might not be the best to confide in because once again he’s known for torturing and killing humans not comforting them but he’ll try his best to help you. Whether it be by listening or physical touch. Maybe he’ll sing or hum some Sonic themes from some of the games he’s seen you play.

★ I feel like he goes into his normal sonic form to trick you. It definitely worked a few times in the past but since you’ve gotten to know him you can see past his tricks. Now it only kinda works if you’ve just woken up and haven’t fully gotten out of the sleepy/tired phase or if you're having an off day.

“Hun.. what are you doing?” You ask X while looking down at him. “What does it look like I’m doing?” He asked as his face deadpanned. A small snicker escapes your lips. “It looks like you're pinning my stomach?” You replied in a teasing tone. X frowns at you while his eyes narrow slightly. “You know.. your stomach do be looking kinda biteable.” X said as he smiled which showed off his sharp yellow teeth. “Okay, Okay.. I’m sorry.” You said in a hurried voice as he laughed.

★ All in All I still think this relationship is sweet in an opposite attract kind of way.

[poppitron360]

More quotes from this RANDOM INCORRECT QUOTES GENERATOR that I found- THIS TIME VALGRACE:

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Leo: What do you want to be for Halloween?

Jason: Yours.

Leo:

Leo: …yeah, that would be pretty scary.

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Jason: Stop doing that.

Leo: Stop doing what?

Jason: Saying things that make me wanna kiss the hell out of you.

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Leo: I can't take this anymore, someone needs to take me out!

Jason: In a dating type of way, or an assassination type of way?

Leo: I don't know, surprise me!

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Leo: Pros and cons of dating me.

Leo: Pros. You'll be the cute one.

Leo: Cons. Holy shit, where do I begin-

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Jason, trying to flirt: So, you come around here often?

Leo, confused: I mean, this is my house, so yeah.

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Leo: How do I tell Jason that I want him to yell at me like he’s Gordon Ramsay and I'm a poor little chef who just ruined a crème brûlée?

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Leo: Let’s watch Sharkboy and Lavagirl.

Jason: Okay.

Leo: And make out during the scary parts.

Jason: Th-

Jason: The scary parts.

Jason: Of Sharkboy and Lavagirl.

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Jason (about Leo): I would never say that my husband is a bitch and I don’t like him. That’s not true… My husband is a bitch and I like him so much!

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Leo: Okay, but what if we went to dinner not as friends this time?

Jason: AS ENEMIES?!

Leo:

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Leo: Are you an F5 key? Because that ass is refreshing.

Jason: Are you a software update? because not right now.

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Jason *Holding up a pack of pens*: Look at how cute these pens are!

Leo: Jason that’s gay.

Jason:

Jason: Leo, we’ve been dating for-

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Jason: This date is boring!

Leo: This isn't a date. I said I was going to the store.

Jason: Then why did you invite me?

Leo: I didnt, I specifically said "don't come with me," then you said, "fuck you Leo I'll do whatever I want!

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Jason: I don't know how to tell you this, but... I love you.

Leo: That's great, Jason. Especially considering the fact we've been married for 6 fucking years.

(Basically the plot of my Married Valgrace AU that I’ve been writing)

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Jason: If I'm extra sarcastic with you it probably means I'm flirting with you or you really annoy me and I can't handle your crap... have fun figuring out which one.

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Leo: Can I have 2 straws with that milkshake?

Jason: Aww-

Leo: With 2 straws, I can drink it double as fast!

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Leo: Fight me!

Jason: *gets on one knee and pulls out a ring*

Jason: Fight me for the rest of our lives.

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Jason: Two bros!

Leo: Chillin' in a hot tub!

Jason and Leo, in unison: Zero feet apart 'cause we're GAY AS FUCK!

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Jason: When I was young, I left a trail of broken hearts like a rockstar. I'm not proud of it.

Leo: You're kind of proud of it. You work it into a lot of conversations.

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Jason: Did you know you remind me of all 26 letters of the alphabet?

Leo: What? Like J F K W S Q X-

Jason: No, like, U R A Q T.

Leo: Awwww!

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Jason: Ugh, crushes are so dumb.

Leo: I know. Whenever I’m near the person I like I just start acting stupid.

Jason: But you’re always acting stupid?

Leo: ...

Leo: Yeah, don’t think about that too hard.

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Jason: Okay, but if your not gay then why are you always holding my hand and kissing me and telling me I’m your boyfriend?

Leo: Dude- Its satire!

Jason: THAT'S NOT WHAT SATIRE MEANS!

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Jason: I want to kiss you.

Leo, not paying attention: What?

Jason: I said if you die, I wont miss you.

@euryvices I was literally in the middle of writing this when you posted your hcs and I had to tag you.

[reysdriver]

Hi! I hope you’re doing great!

Can you please write a [Eddie Munson+ “This was a mistake” (Angst prompt 15)+ you finally got the courage to tell Eddie that you like him, but when you tell him he just freezes and doesn’t tell you anything]

Than you!! 💞

(part 1 of this fic) when confessing your feelings for your friend, you think the worst that can happen is that he says he doesn't feel the same; you don't even think about this outcome... — eddie x gn!reader angst

warnings: angst ofc, and swearing like once

words: 0.6k

It’s a scary thing to admit to yourself, much less to the person in question, so you were absolutely terrified to tell your friend Eddie that you had a crush on him. 

You chose to wait until the end of Hellfire night, when Eddie dropped off everyone that couldn’t get a ride home. He’s always been so sweet like that. He had just dropped off Dustin at his place, and now it was just the two of you in his van together. 

After a minute or two of silently hyping yourself up to confess, you turned down Eddie’s heavy metal just enough so it could be like background music. 

“Hey, Eddie?” You asked nicely. 

He turned his gaze to you, but just for a second, not wanting to take his eyes off the dark road for too long. “Yeah? What’s up?”

You twiddled your fingers, needing some sort of distraction while you do this. “I have something to tell you.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just— I wanted to say that I like you. Like, I like like you, and I’ve felt this way for I don’t even know how long. I don’t mean to ruin our friendship by doing this, but I don’t know if I can keep it to myself anymore. Just, you’re like, the best person I know, Eds, and I really like you.”

Once you stopped talking, the van felt silent. Eddie’s music was playing, but you were drowning it out. And neither of you were speaking, so all that was left was the sound of your heart about to beat out of your chest. 

“Eddie?” You asked, trying to prompt a response from him. 

He still stayed quiet. You tried to scan his features from the side, but he looked blank. His eyes were just glued to the road—which was usually good, just not in this situation. 

You were now getting desperate for him to say something back. “Eddie, will you just please respond?” 

He opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again. 

At this point, you knew whatever he had to say was just going to break your heart more than it already had been, and you didn’t want to wait in this van until he said it. You wished you could just fall through the floor of the car and disappear, and the feeling just got worse when Eddie finally spoke. 

“I don’t— I don’t know how to respond to that.”

So, once Eddie paused at the stop sign, you quickly unbuckled your seatbelt, grabbed your bag from by your feet, and got out of the car. 

“Shit, wait!” He shouted from his open window. 

You were already crying, plus walking as fast as you could away from him. “No, just go, Eddie! It’s fine. Just pretend you dropped me off at home and everything was normal and I didn’t say anything!”

“Just get in the car and we can talk.”

“I don’t want to talk anymore. Look, you know my house is close; I’ll just walk home and everything will be fine.”

He sighed loudly, knowing he wouldn’t be able to convince you to come with him. He wanted to respect your boundaries, so he just gave up. 

“Okay, just— I’m sorry.” He kept his eyes on you as he drove away, leaving you alone under the streetlights, the two of you knowing you both made a mistake.

[sugarpasteltmnt]

You write unhinged Leo so well, and I really like how you write him. I was wondering if you had tips on unhinged characters 😂, or do you just get inspro from existing characters 👀

aksdakjsdh thank you so much ;w;

And honestly???? I’m not totally sure how to give tips— but I love, love, love unhinged characters in media, so I’ll use them as examples

(long rant below lol)

I’ve always been a big fan of silly, ‘crazy’ characters in animated movies and cartoons. I grew up on Batman the Animated Series and the original Teen Titans, which were full of silly, fun tragic characters.

Don’t get me wrong, i love a good edge-lord— but as a tot i thought the colorful, theatrical, insane bad guys were more fun to watch than the big scary serious ones (ESPECIALLY if they had a good villain song. A+ good shit)

(From left to right: Ratigan from Great Mouse Detective, Joker from Batman the Animated Series, Mumbo Jumbo from Teen Titans, Martin from Secret of Nimh 2, Bill Cypher from Gravity Falls, and Spinel from the Steven Universe movie)

And not just bad guys!! There are a ton of unhinged good/neutral characters that i absolutely adore.

(From left to right: King Bumi from ATLA, Clara from Welcome to Demon School Iruma-kun, and, of course, our silly 2018 turtle boys)

((There are many more characters in both categories, but I’ll slide these examples in here for now))

My personal brand of “Unhinged” or “Crazy” characters definitely leans on comedy. That’s what i enjoy seeing and reading! I personally like it because it can help keep a story fresh and interesting. There’s an element of surprise and unpredictability with what a character might do, and i love that!!

I also really enjoy a touch of feral behavior in my unhinged characters. The lack of clarity and the danger that imposes can be a very fun tool to use, no matter the character’s moral compass. (I’m feral for feral behavior lol)

And impulses. Whether a character has a few screws loose or is generally a goober, they like to act on impulses. This often goes hand-in-hand with comedy, and that’s something I enjoy!! We get a lot of moments like that in Rise, and that was one of my favorite parts of that TMNT iteration.

But as far as writing goes, it’s been tricky for me. All of the characters I grew up or love have been visual— trying to find a good balance for reading has been a puzzle I’ve been figuring out as I go.

I read a lot manga (lol nerd) and comics, and I love how thoughts/dialog are depicted. Especially the really dramatic or impactful moments. (I’d add examples but I’m already at the Tumblr image limit LAME)

As strange as it sounds, I try to capture that “impactful visual” style in my writing. If I had ANY advice on writing unhinged characters, pay attention to pacing—

Short. Fast. A calculating thought. Perhaps a run on sentence that lacks punctuation to represent the rushing and disorganized thought process. A question? An answer with little thought. Is this moment amusing; describe how. Is it upsetting; describe how. Are the thoughts starting to scatter? M aybe s o…

Big moment statement.

Action or plan of next big move. Flow should never seem too uniform. Even in normal writing. Don’t be afraid of accentuating— but don’t overdo it. Remember, unhinged characters are impulsive. Have fun with that.

Just as a quick and dirty summary�� when it comes to unhinged characters, I like to use comedy, feral behavior, and acting on impulses. I also like to keep it as visually appealing as possible for characters to give the eyes a little treat after reading walls of text. I like to use fun text formatting to help with the fun too (But don’t overdo it! Don’t make it feel like a chore to read) (<- says the girl who goes into way too much details sometimes lmao whoops)

But ultimately— have FUN!!! Unhinged characters are fun, so make sure you have fun writing/drawing/creating them!!

[little-fairy-forest]

Troglodyte

-> meaning someone who enjoys being alone

bakugo x gn!reader, fluff, soft hours

The quietness of the dorms past curfew was a rare experience few managed to experience. Aizawa was fast asleep after curfew, only waking if the alarm went off or to do his patrol around the dorms to get and people lingering.

But, here you were yet again basking in the silence of the dorm kitchen late into the night as you wait for your hot drink to be ready before you slip back into your dorm for the night. The past week has killed you. From mountains of homework to tests to over doing it one too many times during hero training.

You managed your time well so that you have the rest of the evening to relax before getting a good night's sleep. Many of your classmates are either training, doing homework/study or off somewhere in the town. Many students had the same schedule they followed each day after school so you knew when the kitchen would be empty so you could get your drink in peace.

Until tonight

Familiar thumping footsteps echoed through the hall, coming into the kitchen and common room. You didn't bother to turn to see who it was as you knew 'not to poke the bear' when he obviously wasn't able to sleep at his regular time. You didn't want an early grave.

"Can you pass me a mug?"

...what? why was he speaking to you??

You passed Bakugo a mug without a word, stirring your drink in hopes to make it faster to get out of his way. He had other plans

"You not studying with the idiots?" Bakugo asks as he prepares a warm glass of milk. Why did he want a conversation with you?

"No I finished my work earlier..." you say in a quiet voice as you turn to face Bakugo. Was he sick? why did he look flushed? Maybe there's medicine around somewhere-

"Yea you've always been a smart worm huh" he laughs to himself as he leans against the countertop facing you as you stand awkwardly with your drink in your hand. Why is he still talking to you??

"I didn't score that high in the midterms, I hope I do better this term," you say taking a sip of your drink, smiling to yourself as it tastes just the way you want it to.

"course' ya will dumbass," Bakugo says as he grabs his drink taking a sip himself. A small milk line coated his upper lip. You smile and laugh quietly as you never thought you'd see the big scary bakugo with a milk moustache on your nightly drink scavenger. Bakugo looks at you confused, not in a 'pissed' way, but more of a 'explain what's funny' way.

"You have a little something on your lip Bakugo" you say laughing a little more as you watch him wipe it in embarrassment, cursing to himself as he goes red.

"whatever," he says trying to play it off. secretly he is enjoying hearing you laugh as you're so quiet. You've weirdly taken his interest. Especially after the midterm assessment, he never knew you were so badass in battle

"Let me know if you need a study partner, sick of teachin' the idiots basic shit" Bakugo says as he turns away from you knocking back the last of his drink. Silently hoping you say yes

"Really? I do need help with some older Japanese heros that came up in hero basics" You say as if this was your chance to learn it from someone in person instead of videos online. Bakugos' true intentions went right over your head, unfortunately...

Bakugo wanted to spend some time with you but he didn't want the others to think the wrong idea! because god forbid bakugo asks someone he finds attractive interesting out on a date day out. Studying is a great go-to for two people who like comfortable silence as they enjoy their own company.

Maybe late night talks in the kitchen isn't so bad :)

This was shit get over it

-> masterlist

[queenofallimagines]

Meguru Bachira with a black s/o

LISTEN!! I picked up the 2 volume of the manga on accident when I went to target and I’m in love w him the man of my dreams!! Not taking blue lock right now bc besides Isagi and kunigami i don’t remember any other characters name or anything about them😅 feel free to talk to me about him tho I have SO many thoughts👀

** can you tell this is just me rambling 💀

Megaru💕:

- this pic gives me butterflies holy shit

- WHEW this man has huge unhinged sunshine energy

- Like giggling and kicking my feet how he’s the happy go lucky character trope (I.e hinata) but they make sure you remember he’s not “soft”

- Like the way y’all be uwuing hinata that is a grown man😐 he was throwing fists the WHOLE SERIES but he don’t know about sex? Bffr

- Anyway he’s definitely a switch but kinda leaning more top? he definitely just wants to fuck he don’t care who’s on top

- He’s so cuddly it’s adorable

- Getting neon yellow nails to match his hair>>>

- Definitely would like to match fits w you when y’all step out

- WOULD GET YOU AN ANKLE BRACELET W HIS INITIALS ON IT SO HE CAN KISS YOUR ANKLE WHEN HE PUTS YOUR LEGS OVER HIS SHOULDERS!!

- Most fashionable couple FR

- Always has to be touching you in some way

- Holding your hand, arm around you, hand in your pockets

- Wants to make sure you’re there and won’t slip away from him

- Imagining him going to meet your family and he’s SWEATING like he knows he’s not everyone’s cup of tea and really doesn’t want to start anything

- “You are good at soccer so you have like + 100 points right now”(watching Latino people watch the football on the Olympics is so scary 😫)

- Imagine your family watching his games😭 embarrassing bc now I’m imagining a room full of dads and uncles glued to the tv and cheering him on like he can hear it💀💀

- “You so skinny you need to eat more!”

- He’s charming your aunties to steal plates from your house

- You get in the car and he has like 3 Tupperwares full of left overs

- Great with kids because they think he’s cool

- he’s breaking they ankles in soccer tho he’s not gunna play nice w kids

- If “play where it’s safe cuz it’s NOT over here” was a person

- Like he can go 0-100 in a millisecond so if someone tries him

- Very “who’s gon beat my ass about it??” Type beat

- People think y’all are so cute bc he’s so smiley and sweet to you

- DEFINITELY says filthy shit in your ear too

- Like he’s cuddly w everyone he likes so you’d be no different but he’s slipping his hands up your shirt

- Number one hype man when you get your hair done

- So extra

- “My baby so cute🥹🥹”

- Box braids are his favorite bc he can put charms and stuff in your hair

- also medium long locs bc imagining him walking up to you and pushing them out your face to see your eyes🥺

- Freak

- Probably sends you links to sex toys and is like

- “👀👀??”

-“I’m a visual learner btw”

- The MOST unserious character in this whole series so far

- His song is rodeo but just the flo Milli verse i WILL NOT ELABORATE!!

- Once he get to doing that thing where he lower his voice just call in sick bc you probably not walking

- Not that he doesn’t care about your pleasure it’s more he’s fucking until HE taps out so your brains can be soup but he’s not done so,,,,hold on?

- If you like me and a few inches shorter than him will be smug about it

- His personality is big enough to count as a size kink but being a little taller makes him get a big head

- Talks you through it the whole time

- Switching back and fourth between degrading and praise so fast it makes your head spin

- “Hm? Don’t tell me my little slut is tapping out? You were begging me so nicely earlier”

- only one who can say babygirl and it not be cringe 🤭

- “be a good boy and spread your legs for me, hm?”

- Really sloppy kisser during sex too

- Will tell you to stick your tongue out for him

- On the rougher side of kinky stuff

- Fucks you like it’s the last time he ever will every time

- Don’t care about getting caught bc either way he’s not stopping

- Probably how you’d end up sleeping w him and Isagi I fear

- Isagi is so sweet and megaru is MEAN

- Isagi trying to go slow and be gentle and Megaru over here pulling your hair calling you a pretty whore

- this man In grey sweatpants would end me

- APART OF THE SHORT KING BIG DICK CREW

- he’s tall by Japanese standards but juuuuust 3cm above average in American height

- he already walks out the shower naked w NO care in the world

- probably walks around the house like that too Ngl

- “I am returning to the natural state of my birth” I will glue your clothes to your body sir :/

- feel like he’s more girth than length like don’t get me wrong he def has a third leg but he’s gunna have to work you open

- “ Oh don’t worry, I’ll make sure it fits”

- Act right dick™️ so don’t push him too far in public

- Definitely a bad influence!! You’re trying to be normal in public and he gives you a look

- Next thing you know he’s on his knees for you in a bathroom or an empty hallway🙄

- In the locker room so many times the rest of his friends already know, and when you two disappear they not stepping foot in there

- Buys you lingerie because he’s your biggest hype man

- When you feel confident you’re the most sexy

- “Mmm you look so good in that cute outfit, you won’t be too mad if I tear it off right?”

- Spreads your legs wide and will make you look in the mirror and watch as he fingers you open

- The type of man who fucks you so good you would get his name tatted on your ass

- Your family actually is probably like “don’t you go corrupting that sweet boy”

- And behind closed doors he’s got his hand holding your hair in a tight fist as he makes himself comfy in your throat

- “Let me hold your hair up for you💕”

- L$D- asap Rocky is also his song

[merowkittie]

Pretty When You Cry — Daryl Dixon

Summary: Daryl hears you crying and doesn’t know what to do.

Warnings: angst / talks of suicide and death / fluff at the end <3

(Ok so originally I was stuck with two people, Daryl or Joel?? So as you can see by the title who I chose, maybe Joel will get his own ? I dunno omg also I used the pet name flower in this.. idc it’s so cute to me,, if you don’t like it.. 😸)

You were not meant to make it. You knew that better than anyone else. The weak die fast right?

So why were you still here..?

That’s what you asked yourself every single fucking day. When you had to walk around camp and see the ghosts of half of your found family. Mostly everyone you loved was gone. They were all useful and great assets to the group.

You? Oh man. You were a good fighter but you often times let your emotions get to you. It’s been years since this apocalypse started and yet you still got sick seeing those walkers.

They were once humans. Now? They’re a ghost in the person they used to be. They’re still there but not conscious enough to gain control over their own bodies. At least that’s how you felt it was like.

The days feel so long and you were feeling nothing but tired. You felt as though it was getting harder and harder to hang on to something here. Nothing was keeping you grounded anymore. Nothing.

You wanted to escape this hell of a place so much. The world was shit. You were scared out of your mind. Tomorrow you could be dead. Dead by a Walker or another human being.

Or maybe even yourself if you had the guts to do it.

Tonight though, it was an old bottle of wine you found on a supply run, you and the quiet of the lonely house you were in, in Alexandria.

You normally shared it with Daryl but he told you he had to do something important with Rick and most likely wouldn’t be back until later into the early night time.

“Daryl? Where are you going?” You pouted playfully at the older man and poked him gently on his rib cage.

He sighed and swatted your hand away, “Doin’ somethin’ with Rick. Said he needed my help with somethin’.”

You pursed your lips and nodded. You didn’t want him to leave cause you knew you’d be lonely and he was one of your only sources of entertainment!

“Your leaving me all alone in this empty houseeee??” You dragged the words childishly and tugged at his vest.

He raised his eye brows at you, a little warning. Then he turned fully around so he could be facing you, “I’ll be back later..”

“Later as in Never.. when do you think you’ll be back Dixon?”

“Real late, flower.”

You smiled at the little pet name he gave you years ago.

You and Daryl were in no way dating. Though you wanted to be, you both didn’t know how to initiate it. Daryl was so.. awkward? You were just bad at talking about your feelings with a man who was a bit scary and you couldn’t really read him sometimes.

With a sigh you nodded, “That’s betrayal right there, Dixon. I’ll see you when you get back..”

He nodded and picked his cross bow up from the table in the desolate dining room. As he started to walk out the door you called his name in a whisper. Must’ve been loud enough for him to hear you cause he turned around and watched your brown eyes flicker with hesitation.

Your hand smoothed the raven curls on your head down towards the puff that sat on top of your head. You were suddenly a bit nervous.

“Be Safe ok? And don’t miss me too much.” your deep brown lips lifted into a smile at the man.

He grunted in response and nodded. Just like that he left and you would wait until he’d come back.

Now it’s past midnight you’re tipsy, not drunk but still able to process things normally. The wine bottle you were slowly sipping on turned into large gulps and soon most of the bottle was gone in an hour or so.

The bedroom felt so empty and too eerie. The bed sheets felt uncomfortable on your skin and oh you wanted nothing but to scratch it off.

Salty tears wet your cheeks and slowly fell down to your neck. The alcohol in your system had you thinking, made you feel all bubbly and weirdly empty.

Your sobs rocked your entire body as your arms enveloped yourself in a tight hug. The sounds of your cries surely could be heard throughout the house. Who knew you had so much anger, guilt and sadness built up in you?

This was not what you were gonna do tonight but there’s always last minute split decisions right?

The door to the house opened and Daryl stepped in bruised and tired. He closed the door and heard you almost instantly. His body tensed up and he readied his cross bow, making his way slowly up the stairs.

The sounds of your sobs got louder as he stood in front of your door, though it was left ajar.

He peeked in and the sight of you left him rigged. He’s only ever saw you cry once and that was when Beth had died. You two were so close you could practically call each other sisters.

Daryl didn’t know what to do so he just watched you. Like a god damn creep but he was confused.

Why were you crying?

Daryl started to walk away, back to his own room until he stepped on one of the old floor boards and it creaked. Loud enough to alert you and pause your sobs.

“Daryl?” Your voice croaked out.

There was no answer from the brooding man so you asked again.

“Daryl.. are you outside of my door being a creep?” You giggled though it was raspy, it made Daryl smile a little.

“I, Uh— heard ya cryin’ from downstairs.. thought it was something goin’ on up here..” His voice was gruff and muffled as he spoke through the small opening of the door.

You hummed. You wiped at your nose with the sleeve of your Henley (Daryl’s that you stole) and sniffled.

“Come in here.. you look crazy just standing there Dixey..”

He grunted and came into your dark room and made his way over to your bed. Daryl just.. stood in front of your smaller figure and looked at you.

You pulled on his vest so that you could hold him in a hug. The position was awkward as you were sitting cross legged on the bed with your face buried in his broad chest and he just held his arms above your back, unsure of what to do.

You tugged on his body harder which caused him to stumble on top of you on the bed. He could feel you smirk against him at what you just did.

“If ya wanted me in bed ya coulda just said somethin’.” He huffed out and still not touching you, made himself as comfortable as he could with you holding on to him like a koala.

“Dixon..” you peered up at the man.

He hummed.

“Why do you keep me around? You’ve saved me so many times I can’t even count how much on both hands.. I’ve done nothing for you In return..” the pout on your lips pulled at his heart strings.

Daryl sighed and said, “I don’t mind saving your ass a few times. Ya don’t gotta do anythin’ in return.”

You sniffled and Daryl internally groaned. He did NOT want to watch you cry and console you cause one thing he was terrible at was consoling someone. His childhood was far from sweet and he wasn’t talked to lovingly or consoled when he was sad. So how could he do that with you..?

“But— bu— I feel like a god damn burden Daryl. Every time I wake up my shoulders feel heavy and my chest feels like there’s a weight on top of them. I— ugh I can’t—” your words cut off with a sob and you cling on to him harder.

Your body shook with every sob that came out of your body. He watched you with a slight frown.

He shook his head and placed a strong arm around your back and a hand on top of your head of curls and patted you like a dog. He was trying.

“No. No yer not that, flower. Man.. if I didn’t meet ya I probably woulda gone insane by now. Yer not a burden baby.. don’t say that.”

“But I am! I— I bring nothing to the team Daryl! I don’t want to— I don’t wanna be here anymore. If I left there w—would be more food and more supplies for the rest of-”

“Don’t you fucking saying that do ya here me? Don’t say shit like that. You’re staying right here with me wether you like it or not.”

Silence filled the room besides your heavy breaths.

He whispered your name, cutting through the thick silence.

You whispered his.

You didn’t even know how much control you had over this man if you just made him yours. He was at your feet at this point. You had him wrapped around your lithe fingers, pulling him in tight.

“‘M sorry.. I’m so sorry Dixon.” You sighed into the crook of his neck, “I don’t mean to drag you in here and comfort me like some baby.. I know you’re probably not comfortable with me like that..” you tried to pull away but he kept you close.

“No.. no I.. I like it.” Daryl was surprised at his own words. Daryl had never been comfortable with a woman like this.

“You like it? ..well then if I had known.. I would’ve been cuddling with you much sooner Dixon..” you giggled at the thought of this man spooning with you, it made him chuckle a bit too.

There was more silence, though now it was comfortable.

“Are ya feeling any better?”

You nodded and looked up at him to find he was already looking down at you.

“Daryl…” you breathed out, ready to ask.. or to tell him something you’ve been wanting to say for a while.

He called out your name and slowly you made your way up to him. Your faces mere centimeters apart and you looked into his eyes, asking for permission. Once you saw him nod slightly you placed your lips on his.

The kiss was slow and gentle. Nothing too harsh or rough. His lips were chapped against your own soft ones. Teeth slightly grazing your lower lip each time your lips connecting again.

You let out a quiet moan when he bit down on your bottom lip and tugged on it as he pulled away.

“Fuck..” he muttered under his breath.

You two stared at each other whilst catching your breath. You were the first to speak up.

“Dixon.. I love you. I’ve loved you for a while now..” you bit your lip in anticipation of what he’d say next, hoping he really did feel the same after that kiss.

He placed his larger hand on the back of your head and pulled you closer so he could kiss your temple, “Love ya too.”

You smiled and kissed his jaw. The hair on it sticking your nose.

The two of you stayed close together like that through the night. Whispering nothing but sweet affirmations and listening to the sound of the nights wind.

Maybe when the morning comes you’ll have a new purpose. Someone to hang on to.

[breannasfluff]

Legend catalogs the reaction he’s noticed of each person with the newest hero.

Wild scares the ever-loving shit out of Four. The smithy steers far away whenever he can help it and his eyes swirl a riot of colors. Legend’s watched him circle the Champion at a prescribed distance—a good 10 feet away if he can make it. Situations that bring him closer result in a flighty energy that steadily worsens until Four bolts further away.

Hyrule spouts so much flowery language and courtly manners he gives Warriors a run for his money. The veteran didn’t know he even knew that many manners, much less how to use them properly. Yet every greeting to Wild is some drawn-out, overextended mess of words that leaves everyone confused. The champion doesn’t seem to get it, either, so who knows why Hyrule insists on keeping it up.

Warriors…well, Legend’s not sure what happened between him and Wild, but the captain is waging a one-man war against his chainmail. Some days he wears it and others he’s stripping as fast as he can. It’d be funny if he didn’t look so frightened. Or if the chainmail stripping didn’t coincide with Wild’s close attention.

Wind is too easy-going to stay away from the champion, but he doesn’t seek him out, either. When they stop at rivers or lakes to bathe, the sailor goes in the water before or after Wild, but never at the same time.

Sky looks perpetually ill, sometimes tripping over nothing when Wild runs up to him. The champion peppers him with questions about his loftwing, or his Zelda. The last brings a frown to his face and if Legend didn’t know the chosen hero was just that, he’d say Sky was jealous.

Legend? He thinks Wild is fucking awesome . Oh, he’s still scary as any monster—scarier, even. The champion brings with him the ache of cold teeth, like chewing on an icicle or eating cold food too fast. Prolonged conversation with him results in a headache.

There’s something wrong with Wild, but not enough to keep Legend away. After so many adventures, it’s rare to find something that surprises him so thoroughly. As long as he doesn’t start manifesting dream creations, he can stay.

“You want to spar?” Legend plants himself in front of Wild, ignoring Warriors choking behind him.

Wild looks up, eyes reflecting light in a way they shouldn’t. “Spar?” It probably hasn’t escaped his notice that no one will fight him, even in training.

“Sure, I need to loosen up.” Rolling his shoulders, Legend moves towards the open area Four and Hyrule were using earlier. The sharp spike of cold goes straight to his head and he futilely presses his tongue to the roof of his mouth, trying to warm it.

Warriors, stick in the ass that he is, is trying to get them to stop. “I don’t know if that’s a great idea right now.” He casts about for an excuse, then shifts pleading eyes to Time.

The old man looks like he’s not paying attention, but the veteran catches the tightening in his shoulders and sideways glance. “Play nice, stay safe. Run through some drills, first.”

He’s not a child to be told what to do. Legend tosses one of the practice staves at Wild, not willing to consign himself to metal against the other. “Here, this should do.”

Wild runs a hand over the wood and bends it over a knee, checking it won’t snap. Then he nods and waits for Legend, who stares back.

“Drill?”

“What drill?” Wild’s head tips too far to one side.

Legend doesn’t answer, just starts running through some basic moves. Wild watches but doesn’t join in. Finally, he stops. “Forget it. Fighting or not?”

“Boys,” comes Time’s voice.

“Whatever.” Legend ignores him and raises his stick. “Ready? Go!”

Wild’s not ready, but Legend makes a wide swing to give him time to settle. The kid made it through his journey with whatever weirdness he’s got going on; he can handle one spar without chopping someone’s head off.

His follow-up swing is met with the crack of wood; Wild’s focus is fully on the fight, now. He stays on defense, then switches to offense, and then back again.

Wild’s style is…unique, in that it seems to be a mash of moves with little flowing grace, but he’s a proficient fighter. He’s focused and in control. He doesn’t turn into evil incarnate because he’s crossing blades—or staves, with someone. Warriors worries over nothing.

Legend keeps up, periodically landing faster hits to see how he’ll react. Through it all, the sharp ache in his teeth grows. It’s distracting and the adrenaline of movement isn’t enough to block it out. The tightening band around his head is an indication enough of the growing headache.

Finally, Legend steps back and raises his stave to signal an end. Wild stays poised for one, sharp moment, then steps back as well with a grin.

“Thanks, this was fun.”

Nodding back, Legend tosses the stave to the side and meanders across the camp. Time’s gaze burns, but he ignores it to settle next to Four, far away from Wild and his tooth-aching chill.

The champion may be awesome, but curse the Goddesses, Legend could do without the headache.

Read the rest here!

[batsplat]

☕️ on marc/dani as teammates? bc so many ppl on here especially have such a simplified and maybe even rose-tinted view of their dynamic imo…..

hm yeah it's a tricky one because I do think there's a lot of genuine interpersonal fondness there that was forged in the aftermath of some equally genuine animosity. for me, it's that development that's particularly interesting... what I personally have always found the most appealing about this rivalry is just how ruthless marc as to someone he genuinely admired and considered one of his heroes or 'references'. like, I think it's a bit different from the dynamic with valentino because it's kind of... vale's the childhood hero vs dani as a rider who's ahead of you who you want to directly emulate in rising through the ranks. with valentino, marc didn't really think they'd ever be competing at the top of the sport because of how big the age gap was, but with dani? different story

which does affect the emotional approach, I reckon - you can admire them and still dream of beating them, you know? like, say you're fourteen years old in 2007 and are getting out your customised casey stoner voodoo doll while he's bitch slapping your two guys, what fantasies are you cooking up in your little brain about meeting your heroes? with valentino, it's probably him grinning at you while handing you your tenth consecutive motogp trophy and telling you how amazing you are... how you're his successor, the one carrying on his legacy... lots of daydreaming of him like, hyping you up after he's retired and calling you god's gift to motorcycle racing, etc etc. who knows, maybe marc was also fantasising about beating valentino in epic duels, but he wasn't really expecting to be fighting valentino, right? whereas with dani? oh yeah, marc might have thought he was great... but in an ideal world, he's ripping the crown off dani's head when dani's a three time defending motogp champion! so crucially marc wasn't blindsided by actually fighting him on-track, and was kinda more prepared for that to get ugly? dani acts as a 'direct' reference, where he's just a few years ahead and marc can see how it's done, basically. but what this still means... he'd admired this guy for years, he had posters of him and all that shit, but the moment they're direct competitors and teammates? all that is just... locked away. no interest no mercy, all he cares about is beating the guy. and marc did still talk about using dani as a reference point, about how much he'd learned from him... but of course that scary fast learning of his was all about beating dani

from dani's side... I'm glad he's gotten to a stage where he's at peace with his career, but. god, it must have been tough. at the end of 2012, he's the in-form rider - more so than jorge. he won six of the last eight races that year. incidentally, this is how jorge is talking before the 2013 season:

obviously, jorge is trying to fuck with dani here, but he's also not really wrong. all four of the aliens have got a lot going on early 2013, but if you had to point at the guy who is dealing with the most pressure? well, it's got to be dani, doesn't it. he was the one who still had something to prove in the premier class, who was now being thrown together with the super hyped rookie. this is how dani spoke about marc at the start of the year:

and here:

and then of course marc beat dani at qatar and then won at cota... granted, dani does a good job of keeping his head and regrouping for the next few races - but it was still an auspicious start, provoking a lot of discourse that wasn't particularly kind to dani. so in that first year, you've got all these different elements - you've got how marc is competing on-track, dani's injury, how marc is already attempting to assert himself within the team, how you've got the behind the scenes warfare between their two teams (again, see this article)... and then dani's issues with marc's actual riding (x, x). now, I think it's worth saying that aragon 2013 is not a case where marc has clearly fucked up. he makes a mistake, yes, but he couldn't have known the slight contact he made with dani would lead to that wire breaking and dani's highside. here's what dani said:

this is a case where different racing philosophies clash, right? what dani's saying is that what happened was a direct consequence of how marc approaches riding - that he's always flirting with contact and this time it finally went wrong. it's the kind of riding dani has consistently disliked, and it's something marc is the poster boy for. in this case, this crash essentially ends dani's title bid. he couldn't walk for three days afterwards. dani criticised race direction for choosing not to give marc a penalty (apart from the penalty points) - this was not something he just brushed off

and, look, you do have to bring it up... dani's experiences with sic will inevitably have influenced how he approached the marc rivalry. I mean, it kind of did for all of them - there's elements of that tragedy that will have bled into how valentino, jorge, dovi and dani reacted to marc. with casey, it's one of the reasons why marc never even had an on-track rivalry with him. now, obviously, dani had big, big issues with sic, a lot of tension including harsh comments in the press and refused handshakes and all of that, as a result of sic's very aggressive approaching to racing. dani was also the one who suffered the most as a direct result, in particular after the broken collarbone at le mans. he's spoken after sic's passing about his regret about how he handled that relationship... how it changed his approach to rivalries, that reminder that there might be things he'd never have the chance to fix

the other sic-related element is that of course, there were easy parallels to be drawn between him and marc, and his shadow did at times loom uncomfortably over debates over hard racing during that period. I think you can feel it most strongly in jorge's response to marc... the echoes of when jorge had gotten in a verbal clash with sic at one of the 2011 pressers and his frustration when his complaints were just laughed off by journalists:

this press conference was from the race before le mans, where sic was responsible for dani's broken collarbone. so if two years later, you've got marc publicly shrugging off jorge's complaints in an only slightly more respectful manner, how can you not be at least a little concerned? yes, marc did have a better feeling of where the limit was, he didn't really push things too far, but... this was still a very recent trauma for everyone and nobody knew how far marc would or wouldn't push it at the time. especially not after the kind of reputation he'd gotten himself in his 125cc/moto2 days. (though of course it's important to note that sic's death wasn't caused by his style of racing, and if anything he'd gotten more sensible in the latter stages of 2011). so the influence goes both ways, right? on the one hand, it all feels a bit too familiar, on the other... well, that's actually a reason why you probably don't want to be too harsh on this kid. because you never know

in the end, the tensest year of their teammate partnership was 2013 - because after that title was sealed marc had won. by the end of the year, it wasn't really dani's team any more. his internal position had already been de facto undermined by casey, but not to the same extent because casey wasn't really interested in playing these games - plus the end stretch of 2012 had definitely cemented dani's role in the team. I've already given most of my thoughts here about how marc takes control of that team, which inevitably touches on some of his nastier behaviour. lying about what parts suited him is the obvious example... he's a ruthless teammate, he openly admits to it. and obviously, dani wasn't always just fine with that. who would be? he's accepted that's part of who marc is as a competitor, and at the end of the day he also had to accept losing. sometimes you just gotta make your peace with a status quo, yeah? it's tricky to strike the balance between not losing the competitive edge and not letting losing to your young teammate year after year drive you insane... dani's always been quite good at focusing on himself, even if a lot of the time 'focusing on himself' involved 'recovering from some horrid injury'

so you know, it's nice that their relationship has gotten warmer since they've no longer been teammates, and for the most part they did keep things civil while they were directly working with each other. also, you do just get over things when you're no longer competing with someone... I've said this before, but there's really only a relatively small number of truly burnt bridges in the paddock ecosystem. thing is, it's quite impressive of dani to seemingly not hold any grudges over what marc did to him... but he easily could have, and it kinda would've been justifiable? it's also primarily down to dani that this teammate dynamic didn't get worse than it was... which, y'know, you can argue if that was the right or the wrong approach, but it also meant he increasingly had to accept a subordinate role within that team - become a non-problematic teammate that honda was happy to sign again. and then you've got marc, who spent years looking up to dani and then spent years being pretty vicious to him and never saw the slightest contradiction between those two things, because of course he didn't! and of course he still has some historical fondness for him as a result of once being his fan... which is an element that has gradually snuck to the foreground again after marc increasingly managed to dismiss dani as a competitive threat. overall, then, as teammates they had their early tensions, then they were 'reasonably friendly coworkers', now they get on quite well. over the course of his career, dani's hardly been immune to drama with other riders, but at the end of the day he's pretty feud-proof on the whole. what kind of a nutter would you have to be to start a feud with dani pedrosa, eh

[moodywyrm]

going to the gym with college!abby and wearing one of those pretty pastel colored workout sets that hug your ass <3 she’d lose her mind

ur so right nonnie. so i work out at home bc the gym is scary, but honestly the buff mascs are at the gym (shocking) so i might just consider it.

thinking abt wearing those cute lil shorts w/ the cross-over waist n a tight lil sports bra (or t-shirt, whichever ur more comfortable with) n spending a lot of time on the treadmill bc u didn't feel like using weights or whatever. ur listening to music, bopping ur lil head, alternating speeds n inclines n the like and walking to the beat of the music. overall, great time.

n ur waiting for abby, who is currently doing leg presses while she waits for a squat rack to open (is that what they're called? i think that's what they're called). here's the thing. she is trying. so hard. not to look at you. bc if she does she will cut this session short just to get u home n eat u out, post gym, all sweaty. i know I've seen someone post about abby preferring to eat u out post-gym n if i find it I'll reblog it, but i think that person is so correct. she likes u sweaty, that is her right as a girl's girl. n that urge is made so much worse when she sees u on the treadmill, walking n looking all pretty n hers.

AND THEN. u slow down the speed on the machine so u can cool down, n ur vibing to like ,,, woman or sad girlz luv money n ur swaying ur hips n mouthing the lyrics n holy shit she wants u so bad and there are gross straight gym bros staring at u in a not nice way n abby is literally jumping off the machine, wiping it down hella fast n running over to u, glaring at the men all the while bc u are Hers. n ur like 'already?' looking all innocent and sweet and abby is like 'yeah bb, let's go home' and her smile is so chill but she Knows she is about to pull you into the locker room, into an unoccupied shower stall and eat u out before hauling ass back to the apartment and making u bounce on her strap and –

who said that. n e wayz, i want some of those cross-over shorts n the flare leggings so so bad they're so cute