#and presumably she'd react this way (':

[kindnessoverperfection]

I need to vent this somewhere because it's just been rattling around in my brain.

Saw a post by someone with ASPD on a popular subreddit asking for advice, and everyone just fucking. Tore him apart. Cruel as fuck in the comments, downvoting the shit out of everything he had to say. Bro wasn't saying or doing anything wrong. He wasn't even snapping at anyone (when most ppl even w/o a pd probably would have after that reaction to their post), he wasn't doing anything harmful or morally incorrect.

They all reacted in this horrible fucking way to someone just bc he has ASPD, when I know they would have been super compassionate with anyone else who had the same issue.

I've seen this kind of shit happen before (glances at a celebrity w/NPD who everyone tears into for no reason bc they're always looking for an excuse) but god. Shook me up.

[deepwoundsandfadedscars]

Sat down to have a chat with my cousin before he flies home tomorrow to his wife, just cause I was anxious that she would try to twist it against me if she talked to him first, I explained my side of what the interaction was and the blatant lies she claimed, and he's not at all surprised and in fact is already planning on getting a paralegal when he gets home to start getting her the fuck out of his life

Me last night: hmm maybe I want another tattoo, I'm going to start talking to this artist *sends message*

My cousins wife: *sends an incredibly hostile message about how I've been ignoring her and she's gone above and beyond for me trying to be supportive of me, when in reality she hasn't texted me first since November and when I text her, she's very short with me and makes no effort to continue a conversation with me*

"Yeah hi, artist? Make that three tattoos"

[before-it-felt-like-a-sin]

Good Luck, Babe!

Pairing: Jackie x Fem! Reader 3k words

Summary: she was yours, but to everyone else she was Jeff's.

Warnings: internalized homophobia, cheating (kind of?). Sort of fluffy with a ton of angst and an angsty ending

I used so many lines or quotes from Good Luck, Babe! in this, so enjoy.

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

It was times like these you loved the most. Time spent in your bedroom, getting ready for parties together. Just you and Jackie. There was no pressure for perfection, no Jeff or Shauna to take Jackie's attention from you. Your definition of paradise.

You sat on your bed, watching as Jackie tried on outfit after outfit in front of you, trying to decide what to wear. You'd said some variation of "that looks good" to all of them, but Jackie still wasn't satisfied. She had to look perfect.

Not that you ever thought she didn't.

"What about this one?" She looked up at you, hazel eyes wide and questioning. 'This one' was a denim miniskirt and long sleeved baby blue top that showed just a hint of stomach.

"I like that a lot. You look good in blue."

Jackie sighs, like you've personally affronted her by not falling to your knees and proclaiming her beauty. You're about to succumb to stooping that low, just to get her to finally choose an outfit. Before you can, she nods and plops down at your vanity to finish up her hair.

"You could be a little more enthusiastic, you know." Jackie pouts up at you, brush midway through her hair.

It takes a lot for you to not roll your eyes. It's not that you don't care, but after outfit number five you always tend to get a little bored.

"Jax, you know you look good in everything." Standing up from your bed, you walk up behind her; staring at her face in the mirror. It's the truth. You think she looks stunning in everything.

Jackie, in turn, rolls her eyes at you in the vanity mirror, clearly exasperated with you. Before she can say anything, though, you tilt her head towards you and press a kiss to her lips. She, as expected, goes bright red at the action, and you can't help but laugh. No matter how many times you've kissed her, she always reacts the same way.

"I'm in the middle of something." She's pouting now, and lightly swats at your arm in what appears to be retaliation.

You want to say 'so I can't kiss my girlfriend anymore?', but you're not sure if that would land. Technically, she wasn't your girlfriend. Which totally didn't bother you. At all. It also totally didn't bother you that she was still dating Jeff. Kind of. It's complicated.

So, instead of continuing to pester her, you sit back on the edge of your bed, watching her as she continued to get ready. It doesn't take long before she's looking down at you impatiently, like somehow you were the one making her wait.

"I'm ready."

"I see that," you reply, standing up from your position on the bed, wrapping your arm around Jackie's waist before pressing a kiss to her cheek. She flushes yet again, and you wonder if she'll ever get used to your affection. Even behind closed doors, she's scared of people seeing you. It's fine. It's cool. Didn't bother you at all.

Soon, she's dragging you towards your car, all energy and life. So Jackie you can barely stand it. If it were up to you, the two of you wouldn't even be going to this stupid party. You'd be sat up in your bedroom, watching another shitty romcom. Unfortunately for you, Jackie decided she needed to make an appearance. Popular girl bullshit, you presumed, but what Jackie wanted, Jackie got. Especially when it came to you.

So, begrudgingly, you found yourself driving to Lottie's party, Jackie chattering to you excitedly from the passenger seat. You tried to enjoy it while it lasted, knowing she'd pretend you barely exist as soon as you walk in the door.

Part of you wanted to call it off, break up with her and make her figure her shit out. But then she'd look at you the way she is now, like you're the only person in the world who matters, and all thoughts of a breakup leave your mind.

The short rest of the drive is spent like that, Jackie talking and you listening. It's nice. Peaceful, even. The way the two of you can just be. No expectations, just each other. At least in the confines of your car.

About ten minutes later, you've pulled up to Lottie's house- no, mansion, and you steel yourself to brave the partygoers. Steel yourself to watch Jackie and Jeff be all over each other, even though Jackie always promises you that she won't be. It'll probably be even worse tonight, after Natalie decided to insinuate that the two of you were a couple a couple of days ago. Jackie swore up and down that the two of you were nothing, but somehow Nat knew the truth. And that scared Jackie, so you knew that tonight she was going to drown herself in Jeff, surround herself with boy, something you knew you could never give her.

As you step inside, Jackie beelines to the drinks, leaving you in the foyer of Lottie's massive home. Great.

You weren't totally sure if Shauna had shown up yet, and you knew that none of your other friends would be there. So, you set off to find something to occupy your time. You could find Jackie, but watching her with Jeff sounds like your nightmare, so that idea's out the window.

Instead, you decide to see if Shauna was at the party already. If nothing else, it gave you something to do. You wander around the party for a bit, saying hi to people you know, having a few short conversations with them. It's not exactly your idea of a good time, but it's better than standing up against the wall by yourself.

Half an hour later, you finally spot Shauna and breathe a sigh of relief. Thank god. You walk over to her, grateful to finally have someone to talk to.

"Where's Jackie?" are the first words out of her mouth, and you have to refrain from rolling your eyes.

"I'm not totally sure. I saw her with Jeff a little bit ago, but haven't since."

"She ditched you pretty fast." Shauna gives you a look, and you shrug. You knew Shauna had some idea of what was going on with you and Jackie, but she didn't know everything. And for Jackie's sake, you were going to keep it that way.

Not that Shauna would care, not really. And Jackie knew that. The issue was that if anyone, even Shauna, knew her secret, Jackie wouldn't be able to lie to herself anymore.

So, your mouth remained firmly shut. No one, absolutely no one, really knew what you and Jackie were. Maybe you were a fool for living in the closet for her. Yet you didn't want to lose her. There wasn't a way for you to win this.

"Let's go find her." Shauna's words snap you out of your thoughts, and you nod, following as she makes her way through the bodies of your classmates. At least with Shauna there, you had someone to talk to when Jeff and Jackie got to be too much.

It didn't take long to find Jackie, and as expected, she was tangled up with Jeff. When she saw you, she didn't move away from him, but she did shoot you a smile. At least she was acknowledging your existence. That was a win.

Jackie began to talk to Shauna, something about the game that weekend. You weren't really listening, too distracted by the way Jeff's arms wrapped around Jackie, trapping her close to him. She has to feel suffocated like that, someone she doesn't really want keeping her so close.

You realize, after a moment, that you're staring. It's then that you snap out of it, not wanting to look jealous. Even though you definitely were.

The group of you stayed like that for the rest of the party, occasionally someone leaving to get a drink, or one of the other girls from the soccer team stopping to talk. The only thing you found yourself doing, though, was staring at Jackie. You so badly wanted to pull her away, drive her home, and have her undivided attention. For now, though, you were stuck at this stupid party, your not-girlfriend cuddled up with a guy right in front of your face. This was hell.

Eventually, though, you did get to leave. Jackie untangled herself from Jeff, but not before he could give her a kiss. You clenched your fists at your sides, resisting the urge to to throttle Jeff. Not that you'd get very far, but it's the principle of the thing.

You make your way back to your car, Jackie chattering to you as you went.

'You'll be at the game tomorrow, right?" she asks as you slide into the driver's seat.

"Yeah, of course." Tentatively, you reach across the console, silently asking her to hold your hand. She accepts, and you smile. She still wanted you. Even if she didn't act like it in public, she still wanted you.

This time, the ride is a bit quieter, Jackie not talking much. You rub your thumb across the skin of her hand, and she squeezes yours in return.

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

The next morning, you're sitting on the bleachers, watching Jackie play. You note the lack of Jeff in the stands, and wonder if Jackie told him not to come, or he just didn't want to. Either way, you were happy.

You watch as the Yellowjackets score goal after goal, cheering obnoxiously every time Jackie scores. Of course, you can't be too focused on her, but it's hard not to be. The way she plays is just so mesmerizing, and she looks like she just belongs on the field.

The game is mostly uneventful, the Yellowjackets crushing the other team like usual. You move to your car to wait as Jackie talks to Coach, then Shauna. Finally, fifteen minutes later, Jackie bounds up to you. She's smiling like crazy, and her bangs are sticking to her forehead from sweat. You've never wanted to kiss her so badly.

You roll down the window so that you're able to hold a conversation with her.

"We won."

"Yes, I know. I was there."

She rolls her eyes, bouncing around to the other side of the car and getting inside.

"You could pretend to be excited," she huffs, giving you a look.

"Did you not hear me cheering for you?"

She laughs, and you're glad her sour mood was just for show.

"Do you wanna grab lunch?" she asks, looking at you with pleading eyes. Even if you were going to say no, which you weren't, you couldn't have resisted that face.

"Yeah, you have any ideas?" You had to focus intently on not grinning like a lovestruck fool, but it was difficult considering Jackie had just asked you out on a date. Kind of. It was still complicated.

"There's that cute little coffee shop that Shauna's obsessed with. I've been a couple of times, the food was honestly pretty good. We could go there?" She glanced at you, waiting for your response.

You shrug, giving a small nod. "Yeah, that sound's good."

Jackie smiles, and quickly glances around the parking lot and adjacent soccer field. When she sees that you're the only people left there, she leans over and presses a kiss to your cheek. She's blushing, as always, but seems a bit more confident this time. It warms your heart, and you wonder if maybe, just maybe, she's coming to terms with the fact that she's a lesbian.

She settles back into the passenger seat and starts to animatedly describe each of the plays from the game. You're not paying much attention to what she's saying, more focused on her voice and her scent from the seat next to yours. You'd never admit it, but you loved the way she was after a game. A little bit imperfect. A lot more Jackie. You sort of wished she was like that all the time.

"-although, I swear to god, if Natalie shows up late to another practice, I'm going to lose my mind. We're on track to make it to states, maybe even nationals. Yet Nat thinks she can just skip because she's screwing some college guy." Jackie chatters on about team dynamics and who she wishes was more invested in making it to nationals, while you half listen.

"How has she not gotten benched, if she's consistently late or missing?" you inquire, briefly turning to Jackie before focusing back on the road.

"I don't fucking know, honestly. Probably because she's still a decent player, even if she ditches practice. It's just so annoying." She sounds slightly exasperated, and you squeeze her knee for a bit of comfort.

"I'm sure she'll come back around soon. She's never been known to keep a fuck buddy around for long," you remark, citing what the rumor mill had told you about Natalie Scatorccio. You didn't know the girl that well, but she seemed nice. Even if Jackie often had complaints.

Jackie shrugs. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Doesn't make it any less annoying now, though."

You nod in agreement, and Jackie goes back to talking. This time, though, she's debating a color scheme for her and Shauna's future Rutgers dorm. You weigh in when she asks, telling her your preferences, or giving her examples of colors Shauna might like. By the time you get to the coffee shop, she still hasn't decided on a theme. The topic, however, is changed once you order your lunch and sit down at a table by the windows.

It's nice, being with her like this. It feels like a real date, like you're not hiding that you're together from everyone you know. Or, well, like you're actually together in the first place. Not something in-between where there's no label, no saying 'we're girlfriends', not even to each other.

You shove those thoughts out of your mind, focusing on what's in front of you. How Jackie's sitting across from you, smiling, laughing, talking about anything and everything. Treating you like you're the most important person alive.

Lunch continues like that, like a real date, and you find yourself falling harder for her than you thought possible. The way she got so excited about things she's passionate about. The way she talks with her hands. The way she hits her foot against yours under the table when she thinks you're not paying attention.

Eventually, though, when you'd been at the coffee shop for a couple of hours, and both of you were finished with your meals, you did have to leave. Jackie had plans with Shauna, and you had to work on an essay for English class.

You dropped Jackie off at her house, and she smiled back at you while walking to the front door. The way she looked at you made your heart absolutely melt, and for a moment, nothing but her mattered.

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

`Jeff was climbing out her window.

Jeff fucking Sadecki was climbing out of Jackie Taylor's window, and you were supposed to be okay with that.

Why wouldn't you be, right? Why wouldn't you be okay with that? It's not like Jackie was your girlfriend or anything.

The thing was, you understood that she wanted the protection of Jeff in public. Why she felt the need to stay in the closet. You understood. You never wanted to make her uncomfortable, or to push her to do things she wasn't ready for.

What you didn't understand, though, is why Jeff was inside her house. With Jackie. And you didn't know about it.

How long had it been happening? How long had she been seeing Jeff without you knowing?

You were suddenly furious, angrier than you had ever thought possible. She was so self absorbed, so stuck in her own shit, that she didn't even think about how this would affect you.

Waiting until Jeff's car disappears down the street, you get out and walk to the door of the Taylor home. Knocking on the door, you wait for a response, silently hoping Jackie's parent's aren't home. You don't want them to bear witness to what's about to happen. You may be pissed at Jackie, but you still loved her, and didn't want her parents finding out about what had been going on between the two of you.

When a few minutes later Jackie opens the door, the first words out of your mouth are "Are your parents home?"

"No. Are you okay?"

Instead of answering, you push past her, storming up to her bedroom. She follows, completely confused, still asking questions.

"Are you sleeping with him?" You finally ask, turning around to face her. Jackie's face goes completely white, all the blood rushing from it. That's all you need to confirm your suspicions.

"What the fuck, Jackie. You didn't even have the fucking decency to tell me? You were just what? Going to fuck him, be his fucking girlfriend, when we both know full fucking well that you don't like boys? Jesus Christ."

You pause for a moment, but before Jackie can get a word in, you're back to your angered ranting.

"One day, when you wake up next to him in the middle of the night, you're going to put your head in your hands and realize you're nothing more than his wife. And when you think about me, all those years ago? You're going to hate to say it, but I fucking told you so. Good fucking luck, babe." Without waiting for a response, you push past her again, stomping down the stairs, outside, and back into your car.

Before she can catch up to you, if she was even trying to, you pulled out into the street and drove away. It's not until your halfway home that you're crying, realizing what just happened. You can barely see the road through your tears, and faintly, you realize that the mixtape she made for you is playing through the speakers of your car. You can't bring yourself to turn it off.

[nqmonarch]

Genuinely wanna hear more regarding the No Wish SAHSRAU (Is that how it's spelled?) especially with all the new events that's happened.

Including the Dr Ratio that slid into our DMs.

First, apologies for the wait I took a while doing this request and then also decided not to post anything during the Palestine strike period because free Palestine.

And man, I don't know how it's spelled. I'd assume that's right it's so long though. Also YES Dr. Ratio sliding into our DMs except bro waltzes in and calls us an idiot ;-;

But first! Let's catch up with some of the current crew who is currently in Penacony!

Warning Penacony Spoilers

For the Trailblazer Penacony's been rough... Shortly after the death of their new closest friend, they'd been coerced into talking with Aventurine, and now had to make a decision without consulting any of the Astral Express beforehand. Sure, they were a seasoned adventurer with two missions under their belt but they still have no idea about their past or if they could trust such sketchy people.

"Aventurine, that little rat..." Their ears perked up when they suddenly heard the voice of this presumed Aeon. "I want to knock my fist against his forehead and see if there's a brain in there." The Trailblazer wouldn't try that.

But if you were acting like this maybe Aventurine and Black Swan could be trusted. The Trailblazer forced themselves to relax and tried to show confidence in their eyes. They could do this. It was good you were still by their side in the dreamscape, otherwise... what would they do?

Herta has found it's more difficult to communicate with you than the Aeons. While the Aeons simply didn't want to communicate it was as if there was some sort of wall separating her from you. It was beyond fascinating but it irked her, she wanted to get into contact with you right away. Then, as she was working to implement a simulated version of you into the simulated universe as an Aeon she had a revelation. What if... this was all a game?

Natasha had done it. Recently the eyes glanced off her more often, something she couldn't help but feel disappointed at. But upon one instance when they glanced upon her, she'd taken their warmth in full, and decided to set out. It seemed when these eyes were on her, she improved in nearly every aspect, so maybe her luck would improve as well? Even though it had been a dead end many times before she investigated Vache's worn down laboratory covered by snow searching for research. Except this time, she found something. This Aeon... was strangely benevolent and caring towards mortals.

That's all the updates we have for now on the current characters, in terms of progress. Herta is one smart cookie but who else is one smart cookie? Dr. Ratio!!! That man I love him so much. Sampo is also a potential worrying addition.

Given in the current event you can get either Sampo, Guinaifen, Asta, or Yukong for free, so let's see how they react.

Dr. Ratio

...This was interesting. The plot unfurling behind the scenes of Penacony was to be expected, Aventurine was being a pain in his ass also to be expected, but an Aeon looking at him? A smart Aeon. One who also must hope to purge the world of ignorance! A noble pursuit. Or perhaps, they'd realized their own ignorance and sought to rectify it some of the Aeons were rather lackluster in this manner after all. But they'd likely never change in their ways.

And you're no longer looking at him, that's fine. Is it a bit more chilly in here or is it just him? An interesting side effect of your gaze then, the feeling of warmth. He wondered why that happened, the look of Nanook was dangerous and suffocating, near fatal for any mortal. That of Yaoshi's was said to be sickeningly sweet and suffocating as well. Nous' was cold and calculating, judging your every asset and whether or not you had potential. Everyone had potential, they just had to choose to rid themselves of their ignorance. If the gaze wasn't suffocating maybe... you were a weak Aeon? One that had just formed or had been thought to have died.

Interesting. Aeons, the topic no scholar knew completely about. Herta was researching deeply into them, Dr. Ratio supposed he could always ask her yet he didn't want to feed into her ego. There were other ways to get the information though.

Guinaifen

"Hello, hello! Can you all hear me? Good morning fam! And welcome to Little Gui's stream!"

It was then when Guinaifen suddenly felt warmth wash over her. Oh, maybe it was because this stream was her first normal one after all the ghost catching business but she found herself getting flustered...? Flattered...? She wasn't sure exactly how to describe it yet she felt even more energetic than usual! As if she could go on for hours! When she ended her stream, the warmth was still there and she still felt as if she was being watched.

Wait-- wasn't this how people said they felt when they were being watched by an Aeon? Something similar to this right?! If even an Aeon was watching her, she was definitely going to be famous! When Guinaifen went to tell Sushang about this news, she found Sushang had run into the same thing! Weren't the two of them an impressive pair? :)

E1 Asta

Research had been going smoothly, partly thanks to the eyes always observing Asta. With them came the warmth that brought confidence and innovation she felt she wouldn't feel otherwise. But, she could feel the warmth all the time now. She doubted an Aeon would be able to watch her all of the time so had she been blessed? That was good, she was able to focus on all the stars and her research more now and learn more in less time!

But... why did she feel so forlorn? As if she had been deserted? Had you just blessed her and moved on your way? Herta... Herta knew a lot about Aeons maybe she would know something about what had happened to her, maybe she would know if you're still around.

E1 Yukong

Even after it all Yukong wished to return to the skies. Despite failing her comrades, despite all those around her who she'd cared for yet failed to stop their death, despite the burning wreckage she'd had to painstakingly crawl out of. Yukong wished to fly. In this long life where even the things she'd once loved had dulled, the longing to fly was forever there.

The warmth was on her constantly now, she completed her paperwork faster, she created ingenious plans, but what did it matter?

"I want to go back," Yukong had spoken one day out to the silence of the world and when the warmth remained she realized, perhaps she could go back and fly. Maybe... it would be okay. But for now her fear remained, albeit comforted by the sight of an Aeon.

What a strange Aeon, to care so much for a mortal.

Sampo (spoiler warning for Black Swan quest, although I was kind of confused the whole time so some information may be incorrect)

Now this would be fun! Sampo had known he was right, this was only another clue in the right direction! And this Aeon, watcher, player, reader, whomever you were appeared at the perfect time! Whenever your gaze fell upon him, he could feel his speed increase as well as the rest of, if this were to be a game, his "stats." He knew he wasn't crazy, of course he'd never had that idea in the first place! He'd be able to retrieve his mask much easier now, he could deal with you later.

It wouldn't be anything bad, don't worry, Sampo Koski is always happy to have a new business partner and friend :) !

If there's anything else you wanna hear about it I'd be more than happy for ideas cause I love these little guys (the characters) . It's just them living their life except they're stronger and feel as if they can enact their dreams! And maybe they gain a friend or a small crush on the way but hey that doesn't mean anything until Penacony comes out with some tech they worked on with Herta that allows you to visit in your dreams but no way something like that will happen, right?

Also trailblazer is genuinely so stressed like imagine having to make the decisions to save an ENTIRE FUCKING PLANET and you don't even know who the you are or what you've been through, you're genuinely so lost but hey you're alive, somehow.

[devoted-horror]

Haiiiii :3 this might be a little silly and your free to ignore it but can I request any slasher or dbd killer of your choice with an S/O (gender-neutral) who likes giving handmade gifts? But if you can include Julie from Legion then I'll love you forever 🙏🙏🙏🙏

a/n: hi sorry this took so long nd that it's so short </3 i'm trying to get back into writing and am using this as a way to do that so!!

includes: the legion (julie), the trickster, baby firefly, and brahms heelshire.

warnings: typical slashers and dbd warnings, mentions of murder, technically captivity in brahms' part if u think too hard on it, jiwoon's kinda mean but i mean. he's jiwoon. idk it's pretty light tbh.

THE LEGION (JULIE)

And people (Joey, mostly) say romance is dead!

If this is before the fog, then she 100% keeps any gifts you give her on her dresser in her bedroom. She'll admire every intricate little detail, knowing you put a lot of effort into making something that suits her style.

If this is after the fog, it really depends on whether you're a killer or survivor. If you're a killer, Julie will probably be a little surprised the first time you give her a gift, mostly because she doesn't interact much with the other killers like the other members of Legion.

She'll be flattered, of course, but she could also suspect you of having ulterior motives of some kind.

But if you're a survivor, she'll be really shocked the first time you give her a gift, and maybe even the next few times afterwards. Why would you, a survivor, even consider making her, a killer, gifts?

She's murdered so many people, probably murdered you, too many times to keep count, so when you snuck up on her during a trial to give her a gift, it left her feeling... conflicted.

When she returns from the trial, the other members of Legion question her on the little bunny figure you had gifted her, made of scrap presumably from other trials.

Susie thought it was cute, and maybe she's a little jealous but she'd probably ask Julie to get you to make her one too the next time you're in a trial with her. Frank is equally as jealous, if not a little more, and he'd probably say the gift was dumb but that's a lie. Joey doesn't care at all, honestly. It's not his business.

She keeps any gift you give her, and if the entity allows it, she may even hang them as little charms on her hooks.

THE TRICKSTER

This guy is used to getting gifts, he almost expects it.

As an idol, it was only natural for his fans to give him gifts, be it during little meet and greets or by other... intruding means that leads to them being featured on his next release.

So when you first start giving him gifts, he might not even react much. The most he'll give is a small 'how nice' that was ingrained into him by his manager.

And if you're a survivor, he might even go as far as to mock you for giving him a gift when his only real interest is hearing you scream. Bastard is mean as hell we should stone him.

I can't say he'd keep your gifts. Unless he's by some chance formed a bond with you, chances are he will throw anything you give him away. The attention is nice, but... he doesn't care.

And if he does form a bond with you, then he will most likely demand you make him things, if we're being honest. Like I said, the attention is nice, and he thrives off it. You giving him gifts just solidifies in his mind that you like him.

He's mostly fond of things that can be worn as jewelry, especially earrings. He'll mix and match the earrings, and he might even go as far as to show the little gifts off to other killers and survivors. He annoys both sides equally doing this.

But his favorite gift by far is the little charm you made to hang from the handle of his bat. It's like a declaration of love to him. You, accepting every little part of him.

So yeah. Give him everything you have. He wants it all.

BABY FIREFLY

She absolutely adores any gift you give her, but it's tenfold when you make it yourself.

The Firefly family is filled with some of the most creative people she knows, so she always enjoys seeing people just... create.

Maybe you're part of the family, or maybe you're some person she met at a club when she and Otis went out searching for their next playthings.

Either way, you have her attention, baby.

She'll wear anything you make her, if it's designed that way. Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings... if she can wear it, then trust me. She'll rock it.

Baby will reciprocate any gifts you give her, so it's like a never-ending contest of who can give the other the most gifts.

She'll even go as far as to pester Otis into helping her out with some of the more elaborate gifts she makes you.

It's all sweet and cute and it makes Otis wanna gouge his eyes out every time he has to witness you two give each other gifts.

But yeah! All of your gifts are kept in her room. Any jewelry you make is kept at her wardrobe, and the little trinkets and drawings are displayed for her to admire whenever she wants.

BRAHMS HEELSHIRE

Brahms knew you were the one for him the moment you started making little accessories for the doll.

He liked the fact that you were so creative, that you somehow managed to make gifts for the doll while still sticking to the schedule.

Before you know about him, he'll sneak out while you're sleeping to steal any gifts you made for the doll. It's not technically stealing if you made them for him, so he doesn't see the problem.

Besides, he found your frown cute when you realized the stuff you had made disappeared.

He's basically made a little shrine in his room in the wall just filled with all the stuff you've made.

But at some point, he started getting a little... jealous of the doll. He wanted you to make gifts for him. He wants you to smile at him as you hand him a little trinket or a bracelet you made.

And when he finally reveals himself to you, he expects you to do exactly that. Even if you're scared, he doesn't care.

He'll go as far as to throw a tantrum if you don't, so you really don't have any choice but to continue making gifts for him.

He's sure you'll get used to him being around, and soon enough your smiles won't be so forced anymore when you give him things. You have no other choice.

[whitefootedgoats]

Asking @quiddie if she'd talk shop w/ me about the storytelling of WBN, part 2: the data!

Stats Beyond Number

When I get intrigued by a story, I like to deep dive, but it's never my first choice, because that process is only exciting for my writer brain. After writing 1M+ words of fiction, the urge to analyze every narrative choice is a hard thing to turn off -- but the first three episodes of Worlds Beyond were doing exactly that. My reader brain was delighted to be carried off to a new world by storytellers who I knew and trusted, and the early going was captivating, enchanting, exciting, etc.

Then at the 45m mark of episode 4, Suvi says to Ame:

"If this is what you need to do, then fine. But please, I ask you as a friend, do not presume to know how I feel, and NEVER contradict me in front of strangers."

Without my writer brain engaged, I reacted as I might in a real-life social encounter: instant red card, I'm never interacting with this person again.

But I wasn't going to let a little bump disturb me, especially with a project that was perfectly tailored to my interests. Longform, earnest fantasy storytelling with pro sound design and such a dream cast it might as well be made by Sega? I pressed on.

Episode 6, Suvi to Ame:

"Hey, shut up? Shut the fuck up."

Now I was starting to rationalize: it's early days, the Simpsons didn't even look like the Simpsons until like, season 3? I'll hang in.

Episode 11 -- the one where Suvi spins out in the shrine of Orima -- was so viscerally unpleasant I yanked my earbuds out in the grocery store and forgot about the podcast for a month.

During that time, the writer brain started to whir in the background.

I couldn't remember the last movie affected me like that. And there was something exciting about what Aabria was doing, on a technical level: it felt like she was jeopardizing the story's viability by going after a core tenet of most actual plays: good vibes only between PCs. Could the story work if the party doesn't get along? If, every week, the audience was at risk of TPK via psychic damage? Forget dangling your protagonists over shark-infested waters, that's real suspense!

So I got back into the story, this time with my analytic brain switched on. It was enjoyable! Watching four people writing in realtime is engrossing. While I struggle to appreciate emotional PVP in an unscripted context, it wasn't hard to appreciate the scene work between Aabria and Erika, and soon I was back on board -- Suvi actually became my favorite PC. For a goof, I ran some analysis on the transcripts, to see if I could find any fun patterns, but no real shockers in there. (It was a little wild to see that Steel was talking more than Eursulon, though.)

I got bored w/ the annotating after the second arc though, because of course the real thing a writer should study is: how's the audience responding? And there's a much more direct way to figure that out.

Part 3 on Friday: 10,000 reddit comments.

[somepsychopomp]

I super love you omegaverse au! I’m wondering how Athena would react to ody getting pregnant with Telemachus considering her desire to make him the perfect warrior and what her designation would be if any

Athena, a virgin goddess, watching her stupid mortal protege get preggers:

Okay but for real though, I do like to envision Athena as an alpha *most of the time*. (This isn't what you asked for but here's some background between the two of them)

When she first met Odysseus and he was a young child, Athena presented herself as an alpha because it just felt natural. After all, she's the goddess of wisdom and war. She should be perceived as powerful, but her designation doesn't stop Odysseus from wanting to befriend her in addition to their mentor/mentee dynamic.

Also, Odysseus was too young to have presented by the time they met, but it would've been pretty obvious that he was destined to be an omega. Athena probably would've taken Odysseus' secondary gender as some sort of challenge bc like... yeah why wouldn't a god as impressive as herself be able to make an omega into the greatest warrior ever?

But as Odysseus grows up and she secretly becomes more fond of him, things start to change. Athena learns that Odysseus is more receptive to her teachings if she herself presents as an omega because she feels more relatable and inspiring to him. He doesn't want to get bossed around by yet another bigger, older alpha, he wants someone who understands him.

So by the time Ody is in his late teens, Athena is still huge and powerful and all that stuff, but she shows herself to Odysseus exclusively as an omega. Deep, deep down, she prefers it this way too. To Athena, her being an omega closes the vast dichotomy/power gap between them ever so slightly and lets her feel as if she has a real, solid bond with her mentee.

Ody, in contrast, takes Athena being an omega as her wanting to be his friend (which will lead to mentor/friend thing in My Goodbye).

OKAY now onto the pregnancy, sorry for the side tangent.

I think Athena would be "disappointed" in Ody for getting pregnant because that means there'll be a solid few months where he won't be able to train physically. Also, him having a baby means less time they'll be able to spend working together.

But lowkey I do think she'd just take it in stride. Like "oh of course my omega apprentice got pregnant, mortals do tend to do that." She'll have to adjust her plans for him the same way a teacher adjusts their lessons when their students fall behind, but there's no setback that's too great for Athena.

So as "compensation" for not being able to train Odysseus as a warrior, she'd spend his entire pregnancy drilling him about strategy, history, asking his elaborate riddles, giving him ridiculously hard puzzles to solve, and doing everything imaginable to train him mentally to keep his senses sharp.

Like she kinda views his pregnancy as a physical illness and since she never really gave Ody a break before, even when sick, she won't stop now.

Like Odysseus could be bent over a bucket puking his guts out from morning sickness and Athena would be holding his hair back, asking, "Now, Odysseus, let's say you were pregnant while your kingdom was at war and an assassin has snuck into your palace at this very moment. How would you defend yourself?"

Odysseus, still spitting up bile, replies by taking the golden, and very pointy, pin in his chiton and reaching back to deftly strike at her hand.

"Very good. Next, let us presume there was more than one assassin. What do you do first? Call for help or stand your ground, and why?"

Ody would very much want her to stop talking at that point, but he knows she's only looking out for him, so he just goes along with it.

[alicia-18]

Second Choice — Eminem x Reader

Summary; Y/N was used to being a second choice to everyone, so it didn’t surprise her at all when Marshall broke off their situationship in order to give things a try with Kim again. But she was surprised by the emotions that came with it.

Warnings; this fic will include mentions of domestic violence (not between Em and Y/N), drug and alcohol abuse, adult content, swearing, idiots in love, and moments where you hate both Eminem and yourself :)

Chapter Six; Album Announcement

"You ready?" Your manager, Stephan, asked as he fished the coffee cup from your hand. The pout you gave him made a smile twitch at the corner of his mouth and his eyes to roll.

"It's just an interview, Steph. It's not that deep." You chuckled, and adjusted your black vest top, that cut off just above your belly button and lace detailing over your exposed cleavage. After the party a few days before, you had decided to keep to yourself and have a couple days to detox from the world. You stayed home with your best friend in pyjamas and eating take out, and now was thankful because you had your first interview promoting your upcoming album.

The nervous look on Steph's face made your confidence falter. "What?" You questioned, just as the interviewer began introducing you. You hadn't ever been interviewed by this particular woman before, but this was a big deal for you as her audience was much larger then the other shows you had came on.

"It's fine, you're fine. Just don't react too bad—" Steph was cut off by the assistant who began pulling you towards the interviewer. As it was on live tv, you didn't have the luxury of asking for a couple minutes.

Your mind spiralled as you tried to confidently strut to the interviewer, your black heels which were just about poking out from underneath your cargo pants clicking with every step you took. She smiled at you pleasantly, her cue cards tightly clutched in her tanned hands. Planting on a bright smile, you greeted her with a friendly embrace before sitting down and flicking your left leg over the right.

"How are you, Y/N?" She politely asked, her brown eyes flicking down to her cue cards with a glint in them. You knew from her expression she had something juicy on them, something you probably wasn't going to enjoy hearing. Why else would she be so excited to read her cards? Despite this, you didn't allow your grin to falter.

"I'm doing really well, thank you! How are you?" You deflected, hoping if she was pulled into enough small talk she'd lower her cards just enough for you to read and thus avoid being attacked by whatever was on them. She blinked back at you, clearly shocked by the reciprocated question, but pulled herself together quickly.

"Better now having met you!" She pandered, which made you chuckle. "I've got to say, I am a big fan of your music." She confessed, though probably didn't mean it. You had learned that about reporters, they often lied to seem more on your side so you was more inclined to give them the insider scoop. Still, you refused to show you saw through her and just thanked her with a polite smile and tucked your hair behind your ear.

"Although I am such a big fan, another rapper has recently come out with some strong opinions regarding both you and your music. Have you seen Ja Rule's most recent interview?" She asked with elated eyes. She knew you hadn't. She could see the flash of anger that fell through your stare, and the way your shoulders involuntarily tensed.

"I haven't, actually. I try not to pay him too much attention. Usually he comes out with all his opinions when his songs ain't selling so good so he can become relevant again." You smirked as you revealed your opinion in words that would be sure to annoy the other rapper. You had never had any beef with him in the past, not having been well enough known you presumed.

The interviewer was practically bubbling over with delight, knowing this interview was going to trend and she was the one to be able to instigate it all. "He was asked for his opinion on you after your new album announcement on Monday." She began, then cleared her throat. "His quote is 'She ain't got no real talent, man. Her mouth's too busy working on Dre, 50 and Em's dicks to be spitting anythin' good. Probably takes one in every hole at the same time." Your heart stopped as an uncontrollable level of rage flooded your system quicker then you could contain. You let out a short, humourless chuckle and blinked to try and formulate a coherent thought.

"What's your thoughts on that, Y/N?" The interviewer pressed after a couple seconds of your stunned silence. You pulled yourself away from your murderous thoughts and continued to smile.

"My thoughts is that he must be really fuckin' bored to be making comments about my music. Not only is he calling me a whore, he's called me talentless." You scoffed and took a small breath before continuing. "To be honest though, I'm really not surprised he thinks I can't spit. He has Suge Knight's dick so far up his ass he can't pay attention to my song content, the little bitch boy." You could see Steph covering his face with his hands at your comment whilst the interviewer looked positively thrilled. Maybe this is what he meant by getting too angered? She put her cue cards down and continued the interview based solely on your comment, any thoughts about your new album completely abandoned.

"Over the two years you've been under Aftermath Records, you have been pictured with all three men countless times in compromising positions. We actually have a few of those right here." She gestured to the screen behind her so that both you and the audience could see the slideshow of photos. You snorted at the idea of ever being in a 'compromising position' with either Dre or 50, the entire idea seemingly unfeasible. Marshall however... You just hoped no one had caught you both in the act and then had the nerve to photograph it.

The first was you with all three of them, you stood between Em and 50 whilst Dre was stood beside Marshall. It was at the party thrown for your first single that reached the charts, only a couple months after you had signed with the label. Both you and Em had your middle fingers up, and 50's arm was hooked round your shoulders in a friendly embrace. You couldn't see anything particularly wrong with it besides your close proximity to the three of them. The next photo was of just you and Dre. You were both sat in the back of a car, practically black out drunk. You didn't remember that night that very well, but knew you were in the car with Dre as he was making sure you got home okay. Then another was shown with just 50, you were mid sentence, outside some club. Your cheeks went hot as you remembered why you was outside with him. The photo captured the moment you are running a hand through your hand and he had a hand on your back in a comforting hold. What the photo couldn't capture was you drunkenly raving about Marshall pissing you off. It was one of the times you saw a woman throw themselves at him and he had left with her. You were freshly sleeping with him and far too intoxicated, which resulted in you becoming jealous. The next morning you had sworn 50 to secrecy, firmly stating you don't care what he does and it was just the drugs and alcohol talking. As far as you were aware, he has kept the promise of not telling anyone about your intoxicated ramblings.

The final photo was of you, Em and Proof. Now, you could admit it looked bad. You were sat on Marshall's lap, his hand leisurely strewn around your back and resting on your bare thigh. And whilst yes, you were sleeping together at this time, you only sat there because you were mid conversation with Proof as they sat on the small couch and there was no room for you. Did you have to sit down? No, but doing so resulted in going home with Marshall, something you saw as a plus at the time.

The interviewer looked positively delighted as the next slide just had all four photos on at once. You rolled your eyes and leant back in your chair, your annoyance bubbling. "Now tell me, have you ever had a relationship with any of them?" She leant forward as she asked, as if she was just one of your girlfriends asking and it wasn't being broadcasted on live television.

"No, I haven't ever had a relationship with any of them. Are they my friends? Yes, some of my closest in fact. But just because I'm a woman that automatically means I must be dating one of them?" You scoffed and rolled your eyes for the millionth time, your patience wearing extremely thin. This was supposed to be promoting your album, for fucks sake! Now it had just become all about your relationship history.

"Well you have to admit that last photo makes it look like you and Eminem are very close." She pushed, earning a hard stare from you. The look you gave only made her smile brighten. As if she could sense she was treading on a thin line but didn't care.

"We are close. He's a big inspiration for me actually, much like 50 and Dre are too." You countered, arching a singular brow. Your words stopped being laced with politeness, ready to just end the interview. Walking out would make it seem like you had something to hide — and you technically did as you had been sleeping with Em for the majority of 2004.

"What does his wife think about your relationship with him?" Her words made your entire body freeze. This bitch really just brought up Kim? The friendly smile on her face was looking really punchable right about now. You went silent for a moment, your face completely blank as the question threw you. You tried to collect yourself quickly, but knew she caught your pause.

"I'm not sure what she thinks about our friendship. I haven't met her." You bluntly responded, and uncrossed then recrossed your legs. The interviewer was eating everything you said up, and your bluntness did very little to deter her.

"Well I personally wouldn't want to see my husband that close to another female. Would you feel comfortable with that if you were married?" The photo of you on Em's lap enlarged again, and you avoided looking at it. You blatantly glared back at the woman before you and clenched your fist.

"They weren't together when that photo was taken, not that it's particularly any of your's or anyone else's business." You ran a hand through your hair and was all about to leave but she was quicker.

"Oh so you admit the pair of you had a closer friendship when he was single? One filled with intimate touches like that one?" She grinned menacingly, and jumped to continue before you could counter her. "And when he was separated from his wife, the mother of his child, didn't you feature on one of his songs? The song Superman, in which you played the part of a woman quite literally sleeping with him?" That was the last straw for you. She was deliberately trying to paint you as a slut who was inserting herself in his marriage. You had recorded that song with him in 2003, before either of you made any move on the other, and you did it as it was a good way to get your name out there. Her insinuations broke any remanence of patience you had left.

"What is your fuckin' problem? I came here to talk about my upcoming album, not Dre, 50, Em and especially not on his marriage. I'm not some groupie who gets passed around Aftermath like a whore." You cursed, before standing with enough intensity to send the chair clattering to the tiled floor and stormed off. Steph called for you, but you completely blanked him in favour of getting out of the building as quick as possible.

Dre, Proof and Em were all sat at the studio watching the interview in completely silence. The interviewer blinked at the upturned chair for a moment before turning to the camera, a wicked smirk on her lips. "It seems my questions may have touched a nerve there." She shrugged with a light giggle, though the rest of her words were silenced by the sound of Marshall's phone ringing. He cursed loudly as he looked at the ID: Kim.

MASTERLIST

[thechekhov]

Dungeon Meshi Quick Reacts

CH. 34 Cockatrice

He's doing his best.

L...Laios no..... LaioS NO

I respect Kui-san so much for the work she puts into not only the Senshi pantyshots but also affirming the fact that Marcille and Laios are in no way sexually interested in one another whatever.

I suppose it itches BECAUSE it's healing but also.... w...why does it look infected?

...did.... did Senshi consent to being a test subject? He looks a bit nervous 😂

FIRMLY GRASP IT.

(Marcille has no time for your internalized homophobia)

Oh??? Is there old-party drama that we're about to be privy to? I'm listening reading.

In a storytelling sense, this is very clever. Chillchuck is clearly drawing parallels (unknowingly, I assume?) between Laios and Kirby(?). That guy is.... In Control of his party in a sense, and clearly has earned their trust as a leader. But he trusts himself a little bit too much for it to result in an unhealthy feedback loop of 'I'm always right, these other people think so too!'

Meanwhile, although Laios isn't actively trying to steer the group, they DO trust him to care about their safety, to an extent, and retain their own goals and judgements about certain other things. In fact, it's arguably BECAUSE they all trust each other to be better judges of character that they keep one another in check, so to speak.

The tea is SIZZLING. The girls are fighiiiing

So. Natural energy points. You're basically using energy of unknown origin to fuel spells instead of tapping into what is available readily.

But that sounds like maybe you'd have some. Hm. Questionable side effects? From adding ingredients into the mix which you can neither understand nor fully control.

......of course............of course it was.

👁👁

it's got business to attend do, presumably. Also, which floor are you guys on? Are you still in that ancient city?

IS THAT A THING?????

Maybe that would have been good to.... lead with.......

.........IS THIS WHAT FALIN IS CAPABLE OF?? IS THIS WHAT SHE USES TO COMMUNICATE WITH SPIRITS? Maybe they ARE both talented, but Laios just never bothered to tap into this.

I'm sure it's fine. Hang on, didn't they fight this before once already?

AH right, that was the basilisk. My bad.

I don't. So this'll be a double surprise for me!

I aLmost thought this was it!!! Marcille don't fuck with me like this!

"I'M MARCILLE AND I DON'T LOOK AT THE EXPLOSIONS I, MYSELF, CREATE!!"

You can't not love her.

NOOOO ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!

This is NOT the time to be a zombie movie deuteragonist

wh--i THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO BE A CHANCE FOR HIM TO DO MORE HEALING MAGIC

.........I guess that's. a good point but. Laios. Buddy.

I have nothing to say here. This is peak DnD behavior.

...hang on they never took her out of the pot? 😂

..how proud you are of them?

....................yeah alright I guess that works too.

For a second there I thought maybe her petrified hair was gonna snap off and she'd get a haircut.

[deusvervewrites]

Bloodright AU:

So since Aoyama is not here, who takes his place in 1-A?

If Himiko has the modified Decay quirk, does Touma have a different quirk? Granted he could still have Decay, but could be interesting if he had a different quirk. Though that would also change how his family dies maybe.

How is Bakagou reacting to ‘Midoriya?’

Given Himiko’s infiltration skills, she’d probably be able to get the USJ schedule and report it without the News being a distraction, but that doesn’t really changes All Might being late, so how does the USJ go?

I'm not sure, since I didn't originally think of "Midoriya" being Himiko's disguise.

Tomura is kind of redundant in this AU so I didn't really think about him too much. Since Himiko is the chosen vessel, he presumably was never picked up by AFO.

They never met before UA, so it's very much like how he reacts to Todoroki or Yaoyorozu.

I feel like Himiko wouldn't plan an attack like the USJ, given that she's personally infiltrated UA and less of a manchild than Shigaraki. She'd be more likely to ambush All Might with the Noumu after he spends the morning wearing himself out with those other situations on the way to work.

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

What if that night in Godric's hollow Lily chose to let Voldemort kill Harry and stepped aside when Voldemort asked her to?

Self-preservation kicked in! No one knows how they will react facing death. She should not be blamed for protecting herself.

Would she be honest and tell people what really happened or make up some believable story? What would happen to her after that night? Does she leave England? How would the Order/Sirius/Dumbledore react to the events? Would Severus go after Lily and tell her he is her hero? Would this be a better AU for Lily and the wizard world?

Woof.

Well.

It's not good.

Would She Be Honest and Tell People What Happened?

We don't really know much about Lily's character is the thing. I make a lot of things up for my own benefit, but that's my taking and running with the very little we see in canon.

We really don't know how she'd react.

The way I characterize her? Feeling guilty over her husband's death (who died for her and Harry) and the fact that she survived her son (who she perhaps could have protected) she'll confess to what happened. She wants people to blame and hate her so she can punish herself for this.

And judge and punish her they do as this is something the Order and the greater public just can't understand. I'm sure rumors of how and why Lily was spared also fly and soon Lily goes from the truth of simply stepping aside (and being spared because of Snape) to having slept with Voldemort to save her life to being his spy the entire time.

What Would Happen to Her After that Night?

The gossip against her is massive and I imagine the Order never quite trusts her again. They may not kick her out, though I'm sure some (certainly Sirius who is mad with grief over James's death) vote for it. Lily may leave of her own free will out of guilt and so as not to give the Order a black eye.

The Prophet may or may not run smear campaigns against her both to distract from the realities of the Ministry not managing anything against You-Know-Who and because this is such a shocking awful story.

Lily becomes persona non grata but is presumably left alone by the Death Eaters as Voldemort chose to spare her life and the order has been passed down through the ranks (and as Voldemort is alive he keeps Bella and the Lestranges and Barty in check in a way he didn't at this point in canon).

Lily lives a miserable life in which her husband and son are both dead, she's of no help to the cause, and she's trying to get on with it.

How Would the Order/Sirius/Dumbledore React?

See above but I imagine ostracization.

Sirius would never forgive Lily for James having died and Lily just selfishly allowing Harry to be killed. I imagine he'd blame her in his mind and believe that she had betrayed James personally by doing this. Not to mention what kind of a person/Gryffindor steps aside to let her baby be murdered?

The Order at large would likely have mixed opinions but the Weasleys for example would vocally condemn Lily and despise her for this.

Dumbledore would, I imagine, think much lesser of Lily and start saying things he says about Merope about how Lily just didn't love her son enough/wasn't a very strong woman. He wouldn't condemn her quite as much as Sirius or Molly but there'd be an undertone of "this happened because you are weak".

Would Severus Go After Lily and Tell Her He's Her Hero?

Severus is home free, you bet your ass he does.

Lily's probably out of the Order, James Potter his greatest enemy is dead, Sirius is out of the picture because of James's death, even the hellspawn Harry Potter is dead and out of the way.

They can now go back to exactly what they were and the Dark Lord did hold to his promise after all (and oh dear god Severus betrayed him behind his back, hope he doesn't find out about this).

I imagine Severus would try to reconnect and either:

lie about being a Death Eater entirely (probably won't work)

say he's realized the error of his ways, admit to giving the information to Dumbledore to save Lily's life, but he can't leave the Death Eaters because of the mark/he'll certainly be killed

Probably he goes with option 2 as he can't exactly pretend he never held his views or wasn't a Death Eater at all and he firmly believes that he took this huge risk, saved her life, and he's completely redeemed now.

Would This Be a Better AU for the Wizarding World and Lily?

Well.

Lily's son and husband died horribly, she's haunted by survivor's guilt forever, all her friends hate her and she's completely isolated, Snape is back on her doorstep believing she should be grateful to him for his actions and he deserves instant forgiveness, and the Dark Lord is still alive and well, has the future minister's son in his pocket, has infiltrated the government completely, and can take over any time he pleases with one out of two prophecy children dead (and Neville... probably doesn't last long after this).

So.

No.

It's better for 0 people.

It's actually much worse for everyone except Tom.

Tom is enjoying not being a wraith in Quirrel's head, thank you very much.

[robinette-green]

I used to get a lot of nose bleeds as a kid and even though I don’t get them anymore I can still remember how people used to freak out.

The way Sun and Moon would react is a little different from how Solaris and Lucien would react.

Solaris would gasp before franticly pulling a handkerchief from a pocket and holding it to your nose.

“Sit, sit, sit! What happened?! Are you alright!?” He’d fuss over you and kiss your forehead as he held your hair back and you let the bleeding stop and once it was all over he’d want to get you a treat.

If it were Sun and Moon:

Sun would freak! Hands waving franticly, he’d scramble to get the first aide kit as he babbles about how everything will be alright! It’ll all be okay!! Pulling the first aid kit free, everything goes flying out of it and by the time he’s finished franticly picking up everything and made it back to you, you’ve already got a paper towel held to your noise and have everything handled. In the end you’d have to comfort Sun.

For Moon I’ve actually written something alone the lines of what he would do. The bleeding is more from hitting the nose then from just a normal nose bleed but I feel the way be behaves here would be similar.

I cowered on the floor, hands clamped over my ears as Sun struggled and screamed, his shift over to Moon a painful one as Sun fought to prevent it. 

It took longer than I would have liked to kick myself to move. Sun's scream turned into a growl as I forced my legs underneath me and scrabbled at the floor to pull myself into a run. 

"You're up past your bedtime." 

I didn't chance a look as I ran for the closest play structure. Moon's voice was as raspy and creepy as it was in the game. There was a faint red glow behind me, then with an evil giggle, it was suddenly gone as Moon, presumably, using his cord to lift into the air. 

Dashing across the floor to the nearest play set, Moon dropped in front of me, and I had to skid to a stop and change directions. 

I could barely see the padded floor before me in the dark, so I didn't see the kiddie chair set to the side until I'd tripped over it. 

I was sent flying into one of the plastic walls of a play structure with a yelp. Smacking into it face first, pain rocketed up my nose accompanied by a metallic smell. 

This was pathetic. I was going to be caught, and I hadn't even made it into a structure. 

Slowly, I sat up, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes as pain radiated from my poor nose. 

A whimper left me as I lifted my hand to my nose and found that hot, sticky liquid was trickling down my face. Was that blood? Had I broken it? 

Then Moon landed next to me, and I panicked, scrambling away with a pathetic panicking noise. 

On my hands and knees, I dove for one of the tubes at ground level but got stuck, back hitting the top of the tube. I'd have to slide through on my stomach if I wanted to get any further, but I wasn't given the chance. 

"Stop. You'll hurt yourself more." 

Large hands easily halted my escape, snagging me around the middle and lifting me out of the tube and into the air. 

"N-NO!" I yelped, covering my nose and squeezing my eyes shut. 

Moon had caught me so easily. There'd been no chase; I'd just immediately put myself out of commission. Would he kill me now? Choke me to death like he did in some of the fan fictions I'd read? Maybe he'd take me to Vanny, and she'd kill me. 

Tears were pouring down my face now, body trembling, blood dripping into my hands from my throbbing nose, convinced that this would be my end. I'd lost the game so quickly, and there were no save files I could switch to. 

Carefully, the hands holding me set me down on the edge of the security desktop. 

My eyes flew open, and I looked up, confused and scared, into red eyes. With a soft, comforting noise, Moon carefully pulled my hands away from my face. I struggled, but the animatronic was much too strong. 

"Let me see what you've done," Moon murmured, his red eyes flicking over the tears and blood. 

A flash of blue light blinded me in the dark, leaving me squinting with an afterimage left in my eyes. 

"You didn't break it, but I'm sure it hurts." 

I was having a really hard time processing what was going on. Moon wasn't trying to kill me. Instead, he was caring for me as though I was a small child who had had a tumble. 

I did have a rather nasty tumble, but I wasn't a child. 

Though I am crying like one… and my nose really hurts. 

"I-if you're not going to hurt me, t-then why aren't you allowed to come out anymore?" I asked, voice muffled from my messed up nose. 

Moon just stared at me. That was probably not what he'd expected me to say in this situation. 

"Stay." He instructed before vanishing into the dark. 

He didn't answer my question. 

If Moon wasn't dangerous, why had Sun tried so hard to keep him contained? Or maybe switching between the two hurts, and that was all that was to it? But Sun seemed too nervous about the lights for that to be the only thing. I was missing something. Had something happened that made Faz co. forbid Moon from coming out with anyone in the daycare? That would explain the generators. But what had happened? 

Hugging myself, I trembled on the desktop, adrenaline still coursing through my body as I came down from my scare, blood dripping onto my knees as I let it flow, not wanting the hot red gross to flow down my throat. 

"Here." A paper towel was gently held to my nose, and I flinched, having not seen or heard Moon's approach. 

"Head down till the bleeding stops, then we'll use a cold pack on your nose for a bit to help with the swelling."

Holding the paper towel to my nose, I did as instructed and tilted my head down. Moon was standing just to the side of me, crouched slightly, his face plate level with my head, as he reached up to rub my back with one of his massive hands comfortingly. The stars on his puffy jester pants and the little nightcap on his head were glowing faintly in the dark. 

"Thanks…" I mumbled. 

Moon said nothing, continuing to watch me, hand still on my back. We sat there in silence until my nose stopped bleeding, then Moon brought me a cold pack to ease the swelling from my nose.

[iztarshi]

The result of binge-watching Severance while still fixated on Arcane is me contemplating what it would take to get Arcane characters to choose severance and how their innies would react as a character exercise.

Jayce would be in the aftermath of failing to accomplish a dream, having people refuse to allow him to pursue it, I think. He'd be under the impression that having to do regular work, the equivalent of the "factory job" in canon, would be less soul-crushing for a version of him that had never dreamt. (There's definitely buried suicidal ideation in cutting out part of himself too.)

Jayce is pretty easily swayed by circumstances, so as an innie I think he'd get on with it and buy the propoganda. But if something sparked him to dream again he would pursue it, regardless of how much effort Lumon put into convincing him anything inconvenient to them was impossible. And he's protective of people, so he'd definitely get attached to his fellow workers and be willing to disobey for them.

Viktor would be the most likely to buy into the cult aspects of Lumon over the capitalist ones (whatever the fuck their pain-free world is) but assuming he doesn't know about that any more than any other new hire, I think he'd be trying to get away from feelings he doesn't know how to deal with. Creating a version of him that doesn't know that he's dying, that he's lonely, that he's betraying his principles for money to survive in taking a job with a huge capitalist corporation.

I do not think an innie Viktor would be very tractable. Willing to keep his head down to survive. Not willing to be fed bullshit by people he can see are better off than him. Definitely has a grudge against the unsevered employees and probably against the perks. Does not believe the propoganda.

Vi, I think, wouldn't buy that this isn't her it's happening to just because it's a piece of her. I could see her doing it for someone she cared about, if she needed the money badly to take care of Powder for instance, but she'd know she was selling herself into slavery. Same mood as going to prison for Powder's safety.

Innie Vi would definitely start off rebelling against everything, furious at being trapped there, furious at her outie. I wonder if Lumon would let her communicate with outie Vi the way they did when Helly's rebellion got too much, but to different effect. "I'm sorry, but our sister needs us to do this" would probably get them on the same page despite innie Vi having no reason to care about a sister she's never met.

Jinx (in presumably a different universe to the one I just posited for Vi) would be trying to get away from the trauma that fucked her up. Her mental illness is going to follow her, but it got much much worse once she was traumatised, so maybe she can escape it by forgetting the trauma? It would be fascinating to see if she's right.

I have no idea about an innie. She might be more like Powder from the alternate universe, friendly and eager to help because she really wants to be useful. Or she might be experiencing hallucinations of horrors with no context. Or both!

Caitlyn I can't see doing it at all, not unless she was trying to go undercover. There's a hoplessness behind doing that to yourself that she doesn't have (Helly doesn't have it in canon, either, but her outie had an ulterior motive and I can't see Caitlyn doing it for propoganda either, she always believes in what she does).

Caitlyn innie would be trying to escape or trying to find out everything or both. Being used to getting what she wants is too ingrained in her for her to settle down.

Mel would also not do it for normal reasons. Potentially would do it for propoganda reasons. Her drive to succeed can be pretty ruthless.

I think innie Mel would be more tractable than you might expect. Her instinct in any situation is to adapt to it until she can build up enough power to change it. She wouldn't accept her status as a lowly worker but neither would she expect outright rebellion to be a good place to begin. She'd also be inclined to ally with her fellow workers as quickly as possible, if only so she can get them to cover for her once she starts looking for ways out.

Ekko's the one who I really think wouldn't do it at all. Just no.

[littlesparklight]

There's something potentially really interesting in Kassandra, Paris, and their relationship (or lack of one, depending on how one wants to characterize them both).

To start with the beginning, which would be how Kassandra reacts when Paris has (presumably) not actually done anything yet:

-In Euripides' Andromache, she was apparently old enough when he was newborn to have visions and called on the whole city to have the infant Paris killed. This doesn't necessarily need to come with her being old enough to have been cursed already, if she's not very detailed as to why. (Otherwise, she would be a lot older than most of the rest of Priam and Hekuba's children, even if Paris is made one of the younger ones.) -In Euripides' Alexandros, we don't actually know exactly what Kassandra's prophetic scene(s) amount to; I've seen some speculation that this play involved references to Kassandra newly having become "mad", so her curse would be recent, if so. Paris' foster father is assured to have had some part in the revelation/establishing of Paris' natal identity, whatever Kassandra's involvement.

-Sophokles also had an Alexandros, but we know even less here, so let's turn to Hyginus, who might be helpful for both of these plays.

-Hyginus' Fabula #91 doesn't mention the foster father like Euripides' Alexandros; instead Kassandra declares Paris to be her brother and Priam acknowledges him. If Hyginus hasn't left something out of the plot (of whichever play this is probably summarizing, maybe Sophocles, since Euripides didn't use the bull device to get Paris to Troy), Kassandra is here not actually used to call for her newly discovered/born brother's death, but instead facilitates his recognition by his birth family.

-In Ennius' Alexandros, one of the few fragments we have assures for us Kassandra calling on the populace to "quench the brand"; that is, Paris. Of course, with so little to go on we don't know when this is supposed to have taken place (since one can, no matter how little that might make sense if Kassandra is the one to deliver it, put such a scene at Paris' birth, like in the Andromache).

What we've got, then, is at the very least a couple incidents where Kassandra is calling for an innocent to be killed, and one incident where she might instead have facilitated recognition without any obvious call for murder.

And the thing is, of course she's technically "right" to do this. Paris is the "problem" and removing him would save Troy (well, from Paris as the spark that lights the fire, anyway, given that Zeus could have chosen/could choose to destroy the heroic race with natural disasters). One could probably not really blame her, especially when she doesn't even know him yet.

But after this - what then?

There would be some amount of time, if not between recognition and the Judgement, then between Paris coming home with Helen and the Achaeans turning up. She will get to have a chance to know him, perhaps whether she wants to or no. Does she keep to her insistence that he should be/should have been killed, without guilt or conflict? Keep to it, because it would be/would have been best, yet feel conflicted about it, because this is yet one of her brothers?

It'd certainly be one way to take to insist she simply hates him, whether he's inherently actually hateable and unpleasant or not. Maybe she'd even be in her right to! But if this is her position, even when Paris has not yet done anything to warrant it, how does she deal with that? To and for herself, and when it comes to her family? Is this yet another thing that separates her from the rest? (Maybe not Deiphobos, though ;P)

And if she finds herself liking him, yet knowing with utter certainty that Troy will suffer because Paris is alive with them - how does she deal with that?

It must in some way be easier to think someone should die for the good of all the rest when you don't know them, even if they don't deserve it because they have done nothing to cause any troubles yet, than after you've begun to know them, have begun to form a connection with them, liking them.

[bumblesimagines]

Midnight Beach

Part 21/END

Request: Yes or No

~~~

"You're not Indiana fucking Jones, (Y/N)."

"What is with you and Indiana Jones?" 

"Why are you going to South America? Like- Jesus, okay, what if El Dorado is real? What are you going to do about the amount of people who are going to come running for a taste of gold? The people who'll come after you for even having a piece of the real deal? What about this Singh guy? He's dangerous, you said so yourself!" The redhead sputtered, waving her arms around animatedly as he packed some things into his backpack. A simple change of clothes, underwear, deodorant, a hydro flask, his phone charger. He'd seen what Liv packed before her trips out to visit her aunt and go hiking but the experience of trekking through a jungle? Kildare wasn't exactly known for its jungles. 

"At least we'll have an adult. Better than last time when it was just us on an island." He replied and swept his gaze over his room, searching for anything else he'd need. It almost felt like some sort of fever dream; clearing the air with Sarah and John B, hanging out with the Pogues on the Cut, preparing to go to a whole other continent. Christ, he'd only ever left Kildare a handful of times. Poguelandia had been a way to survive and Barbados an unavoidable accident. Now there he was, packing up to visit South America in search of someone who probably didn't even care for his existence. Completely and utterly avoidable.

"The adult is the one in trouble!" Liv nearly shrieked at him and slumped back on his bed. "You've finally lost it, (Y/N). You're flying out to South America on a presumed dead man's plane to save a deadbeat from some rich dude. Do you realize how crazy that sounds? How stupid? This is dumb. This is like... Topper Thornton level of stupidity. I hope you know that."

"I know how it sounds, Liv, but- I.." He sighed and finally turned to face the redhead. He pressed his leg against the edge of the bed and reached out to delicately comb his fingers through her vibrant locks. She puffed out her cheeks, a sign she'd be giving in soon, and stubbornly jerked her head in the other direction. "The Pogues have always been about adventures. This will be like... a farewell thing. We wrap this whole Royal Merchant and El Dorado thing up and I leave the Pogues to keep on treasure hunting or whatever it is they'll do after Big John's back home. John B's the biggest idiot I know. But even he deserves to have his father with him."

"And what about your parents?" 

"I told them that the Pogues and I were going on a little trip to process what happened to us. It's not my fault they didn't ask where we're going." A grin slipped when Liv snorted and rolled her eyes. The redhead took a deep breath and pushed herself up, brushing aside strands of hair and reaching forward to wrap her arms around him. (Y/N) cradled her head against his stomach and kissed the top of her head.

"I'll stay safe, Liv. I promise."

"You better. I don't feel like going to South America to rescue your ass."

                    ✽        ✽       ✽       ✽       ✽       ✽

Parking the jeep alongside Pope's dirt bike and getting out, (Y/N) nearly stumbled back against his jeep when JJ practically leaped into his arms followed by Pope and Cleo. (Y/N) laughed and did his best to embrace them in return, feeling JJ's hand ruffle the top of his head playfully. "You're late, man! Thought you chickened out on us."

"Not yet." He chuckled, nearly missing the wince from Sarah. He tried not to think about how the others would react to the news, especially after everything they'd been through. Rafe, Coastal Venture, Poguelandia, Barbados, and now... South America. He'd joined their little crew of misfits to help out his ex-girlfriend and now there he stood, waiting to hop on a plane to help her new on-and-off boyfriend. Fate truly had a twisted sense of humor. 

"Hey, uh, where's Kie?" Pope asked and (Y/N) shifted to look over at the entrance of the tarmac. No sign of an Uber or Lyft or even one of the Carrera's cars. He frowned, thinking of her parents and how desperate they were to keep Kiara home and safe after their return. They'd always been so protective of her. 

"It's gotta be her parents, dude. They've been up her ass." Sarah sighed, brushing her hair out of her face. 

"They must've said she couldn't come." Pope sucked his teeth. "We're going to have to do this without her, then." 

"No," JJ shook his head, adjusting the backpack strap digging into his shoulder and turning toward John B with his hand outstretched. John B immediately began shaking his head. "Gimmie the keys, man. Her parents already hate me, alright? Just.. give me an hour. It'll be like a black ops mission, in and out. Surgical removal type shit, alright? Plus... I kind of owe her."

"Oh?" John B's head snapped up and a twinkle appeared in his eyes, his fist digging around in his pocket to pull out the keys to the Twinkie. "You owe her, huh? Alright, you totally owe her. I appreciate the honesty." 

"Give me an hour, alright, ya'll?" JJ snatched the keys out of his hand and sprinted toward the Twinkie, tossing the backpack through the open window before leaping in afterward, his body awkwardly landing halfway in while John B and Pope groaned. (Y/N) snorted, watching him wiggle his whole body through the window and climb into the driver's seat.

"Feather the throttle!" John B shouted after him and the Twinkie's wheels squealed loudly against the road. They watched him drive off toward the entrance to save his... 'friend.' His very good 'friend.' Totally not his crush or anything like that. 

A hand came to rest on his shoulder and he looked back to catch Sarah's eye. She smiled at him, tired and nervous, and her fingers dug lightly into his shoulder. Sarah looked back toward the road where the Twinkie disappeared behind some trees and swallowed, her teeth biting down on her bottom lip. "Do you think he'll convince them to let her go?"

"Probably not." (Y/N) murmured. "I can't say I blame them either. I wouldn't want my daughter hanging out with people she keeps going missing with."

"I never really thought about it like that." Sarah dropped her hand and wrapped her arms around herself, the gentle breeze tousling around some of her hair. There was a heavy silence between them and despite the many discussions they had, it held an air of words yet to be spoken. Their history could never be unwritten, only forgotten over time as they entered adulthood. They'd eventually find their place in the world, their proper place, and begin a life without the other. It seemed fair to (Y/N). It was life. He'd come to accept it. Sarah Cameron had taken up much of his world in recent times, but like everything else, she'd eventually become a faint memory of his life in Figure Eight. A girl he loved and lost. An old friend. Someone he recalled both fondly and bitterly. 

"I'll keep in touch, by the way." A lie or the truth? He couldn't quite tell. Did he want to stay in communication with them, with her? It'd be a risk. They'd eventually stumble into a new adventure, something new to discover and unveil that'd prompt them to reach out, whether to experience it with him or ask him for something.

"You could attend Chapel Hill, you know." She said softly. "It's close to home, close to us but not on the island."

"That's not happening, Sarah. I want to get away from here, from Figure Eight and Kildare. I've been here long enough. I don't want to regret not doing what I always wanted. I don't want to be like some of the miserable men here who only get genuine happiness when they go on business trips away from their families. The women here either love their lives or drown themselves in wine while the men inhale coke like its air and are barely ever home. It's a nightmare living here, Sarah. You see it, I see it. The Carrera's are one of the few that seem happy together and they had to prove themselves to even be accepted as Kooks. It's... hell." 

"Not everything's so bad. There was... us and- and Topper and-"

"Things that are over, Sarah. Topper definitely won't be talking to us for a while and you and I... " (Y/N) inhaled deeply through his nose and released it in a heavy sigh. "You and I are done. For now or for good, I don't really know. If things change in the future... if we change in the future... maybe we'll find each other again. But I'm done with bullshit love triangles and John B." 

"I know. I just-"

"Eight hours?! JJ, don't have eight hours! We've got a jet here. We're all waiting!" The two of them turned at the sound of John B's voice, spotting him speaking into the phone with a look of frustration. He blinked and shook his head rapidly, stammering and stumbling over his words before pulling the phone away from his ear and sighing. 

"What's going on?" Pope asked as he and Cleo sat down on the steps leading up to the plane. John B rubbed the area between his brows and pinched the bridge of his nose, tucking his phone into his back pocket.

"Kiara got sent to a wilderness camp," He told them. "So, JJ is going to try to rescue her. He says he'll need eight hours-"

"Hours we don't have." Sarah cut in, folding her arms over her chest and walking toward him. "John B-"

"I know, I know. JJ said that if they don't make it in time, we should just go. That- That somehow they'll make it to South America." John B sighed again at the faces everyone made. Kiara locked away in a wilderness camp and JJ on a mission to rescue her. Sounded like an average Tuesday for the Pogues. "Yeah, I know, but it's JJ. He'll figure something out."

"So, what? We just waitin' around now?" Cleo questioned, her eyes flickering between them. "The longer we wait, the farther Singh gets, you know that, right?"

John B ran a hand over his face and nodded. The sky above them began to darken with the setting sun and gray clouds. Time seemed to tick by faster than expected.  "Yeah, yeah, we know, Cleo. But this is Kie and JJ. We can't just leave leave them."

"Guess we're waiting then." Sarah pursed her lips. "Better get comfortable."

Another hour or two passed and night officially fell overhead, leaving them with only the lights along the airstrip. The plane pilot settled comfortably in the cockpit, awaiting instructions while the Pogues paced outside. No sign of JJ or Kiara, no calls, no texts. Dead silence on their end that only made frustration grow. John B continued to stare out toward the entrance, tapping his foot or dialing their numbers in vain. 

"We have to go, John B," Sarah spoke up, pacing along the steps with her hands firmly on her hips. "We don't have eight hours. We can't wait around any longer, alright?" 

"I'll try to call him again, okay?" As John B reached into his pocket and wiggled out his phone, the sound of a dirt bike grew closer and two dark figures on a bike appeared from the darkness of the airstrip. Everyone's attention immediately snapped toward it and Cleo groaned in relief. The scold on the tip of Pope's tongue halted and they all froze as the driver tossed their helmet off with their bloodied hands. (Y/N) felt his blood turn cold. 

Hands left his sides and lifted to his face. Rafe roughly grabbed his throat, fingers digging into (Y/N)'s skin. A soft whimper left him and he pressed his hands against Rafe's chest, attempting to push back the blonde. "I need you to listen to me very carefully." He spotted Rafe's pupils in the light. He was high. "I need to get rid of John B. He came back to hurt my family and Sarah's helpin' him. I don't want to hurt her. She's my sister. But I can't let John B walk free. You know that, (Y/N). I'll let you come with me in case things get outta hand... But don't get in the way." 

Taking in a sharp breath when Rafe released him, (Y/N) gingerly touched his sore throat. Rafe reached around the back of his waistband and took out a revolver, letting (Y/N) soak it in for a moment before tucking it back into its hiding spot. A coldness washed over him, making every hair on his body stand straight. Rafe ran a hand over his face and sniffled lightly, rubbing his nose and slapping a hand over (Y/N)'s back. He casually tossed the door open and stepped out.

"Come on, Barry's waiting."

He felt the phantom touch of fingers digging into his skin, hands coiling around his throat in an iron grip that left him momentarily breathless. Only the pained groan and Rafe's hurried movements broke him out of his brief trance, the withering and panting body on the back of the bike finally registering. Ward toppled over, bringing the bike along with him as he fell onto the concrete, revealing the large bloody circle on his shirt. Fucking Camerons.

"You're okay, Dad. You're okay, you're okay." Rafe breathlessly repeated as he reached down to bring Ward back up onto his feet. He finally knocked the helmet off Ward's head, revealing his pained face. Sarah staggered backward, staring wide-eyed at her father's bleeding form. Rafe turned to them, chest heaving. "Don't just stand there! I need some help! Come on, help me! (Y/N)! Please, Sarah."

Short, rapid breaths escaped Sarah's mouth and she hurried forward despite her previous hesitance. "What happened?!" She asked, pulling one of Ward's arms over her shoulder, helping her father wobble closer and closer to the plane. 

"A fisherman spotted him, alright? They know he's alive. We gotta get him off the island right now." Rafe explained, tightly clutching his father's shirt and helping him inside the rest of the way. Sarah brought her hands to her forehead and moved away from the stairs, mumbling curses under her breath as she began to pace before bolting inside to check on them.

"Hell no. We are not getting on the plane with him. Hell no!" Pope shook his head as he cursed and turned toward John B. The brunette remained silent, eyes staring at the dots of red littering the ground and leading up to the plane.

(Y/N) rubbed his throat and turned around to face them, inhaling softly. Rafe looked different. Still had that deranged look in his eye but he'd buzzed his hair, ridding himself of the boyish blonde waves. The blood on his hands... a look that fitted him. A coked-up, daddy's boy who'd do anything for his approval, even if it meant staining his hands. 

"He wasn't supposed to come," Sarah said breathlessly, heading down the steps and coming to a stop beside John B. "He stays on the island, he gets arrested."

"No, no, Sarah. I don't think you understand. I don't know if I can get on a plane with that guy-"

"Just listen, John B. This is his plane. I can't stop him from leaving. But he will still give us a ride to Orinoco, so if you don't wanna get on the plane, I get it. We'll find another way!"

John B swallowed, staring down at her as his lips pressed together. "There's no other way." He muttered, turning his head to look at Pope and Cleo. He took in a deep breath. "Let's go. Let's get on the plane."

"With them?" Pope stared at him, completely bewildered, and features slightly hardened with bitterness. With Rafe? (Y/N) grimaced. He'd be fine with just Ward, even if the man appeared half-dead with his groaning. At John B's nod, Pope sighed and turned around, preparing to head into the plane when Rafe stepped out. The two stopped and stared at each other, jaws clenching and muscles tensing. The air filled heavy with tension and unfinished business.

Rafe moved first, heading down the steps and brushing past the glaring boy. Cleo placed a hand on Pope's back, urging him inside and blocking his way until Pope finally headed up into the plane. (Y/N) took in a breath and walked forward, only taking a couple steps toward the plane before sweaty lean arms wrapped around his shoulders. He froze in Rafe's embrace, feeling those bloodied hands curl around the back of his shirt. "Keep an eye on him,' He whispered. "Please."

"He'll be fine." (Y/N) murmured breathlessly, and pulled himself free of the embrace to cut the distance between him and the stairs. He headed up them, hearing Rafe say the same sentiment to Sarah as she followed after him. 

Inside the plane, Ward took up two seats near the front with his injury properly bandaged. He winced and groaned every few seconds, his face dripping with sweat. He seemed stable enough. Pope and Cleo sat far from him, side by side with Cleo quietly speaking to a fuming Pope. Sarah collapsed on one of the seats across from Ward with a first aid kit in her hands. John B sat a few seats down, looking weirdly calm about the whole situation. (Y/N) pursed his lips.

It was going to be a long ride to South America.

                    ✽        ✽       ✽       ✽       ✽       ✽

"It's the Wild West out here," Cleo murmured as they stepped off the plane. The airstrip contained multiple people in military gear, some held guns or leashes clipped to attack dogs. Different country, different laws, different treatment. (Y/N) only prayed they'd at least manage to stay on the right end of a gun, far from the barrel or bullets. 

"Sarah!" Ward called out, limping down the stairs and holding onto the railings. "I'm coming."

Sarah whipped around to face him, a scoff escaping her. "No, you're not. You got us here like you said you would. Now go on to Guadeloupe. You need to see a doctor!"

"You're way in over your head. I can help, let me help. Please-"

"No!" Sarah shouted, cutting him off sharply. "Get back in the plane. You promised you weren't a part of this." 

Ward fell silent, his eyes trailing over each of them. He pressed his lips together tightly and nodded. "Okay." He sighed, turning around and wobbling back into the plane. Sarah turned away and ran a frustrated hand over her face, nodding for them to continue off the airstrip with a solemn look on her face. 

Getting a taxi and heading further into Tres Rocas, they listened to the sound of fireworks and firecrackers as people roamed the decorated streets. Lively music played from different buildings and children raced up and down the streets, clutching flags and other things in their hands. Things seemed better, more friendlier than the dreary, heavily watched airport. 

"Looks like a local holiday," Cleo mused, stepping out of the taxi and observing her surroundings. (Y/N) watched a firework shoot up into the air and hummed quietly before turning to face the others when the taxi drove away, leaving them in the middle of the crowded street. 

"So, we have to assume that Singh's already gone upriver, alright? We're looking for a guy named Jose. He's gonna take us to the dig site. I, uh... I do not have a last name."

"I hate to break it to you, John B," (Y/N) began. "You're in a Latin country. Half the dudes here are going to be named Jose and most of them will be likely working some sort of job regarding the river since, you know, this is a river town."

"(Y/N)'s right. It'll be like findin' a teardrop in the ocean." Cleo rubbed her forehead as she spoke, a tired look passing over her face. "We'd have better luck tryin' to find Singh."

"Well, I'm assuming river guides probably hang out by the river?" Sarah attempted halfheartedly.

"Yeah, and if they're anything like the guys at OBX, they're probably getting drunk on a holiday." 

Sarah hummed thoughtfully and placed her hands on her hips, a hopeful grin appearing on her face. "Let's start with the bars, then. Divide and conquer, ya'll."

And with that, the group split up and spread out around town. (Y/N) put his basic Spanish lessons from school to use, hitting up any place that looked like it sold beer and asking around for Jose the river guide. Many of the locals waved him off or shook their heads, unable to answer any of his questions with useful information. Regardless, he thanked them and went on his way until he met up with Pope and Cleo again near the center of the town, the looks on their faces telling him they'd have similar luck. 

The sound of tires squealing caught their attention and they spotted a jeep driving down the road, heading straight for them. "Run." Pope breathed and without needing to be told twice, the three of them took off running down the street. The jeep honked repeatedly, the sound of it growing closer and closer as they ducked down different streets trying to lose it. 

"Como estas, amigos?" A familiar face stuck their head out a windowless bus, speaking in barely understandable Spanish and with a hude dumb grin on his face. Fucking JJ and Kiara. Go figure. He laughed gleefully but the look quickly vanished at the realization that they were being chased. 

"Already?! We just got here!" Kiara groaned, hurrying off the bus with JJ. "What's happening?"

"Singh's men are after us. We gotta think of a plan." Pope explained breathlessly, bracing his hands on his knees and attempting to calm his racing heart by taking deep breaths.

"Let's hijack the bus!"

"This bus?" Kiara scoffed at JJ's proposal, motioning wildly to the old rickety bus they'd taken. "It only goes ten miles an hour!"

"They're coming now, guys! Hide in the fruit stands, come on!" Cleo ushered them further down an alleyway where rows of stalls stood. They ducked and weaved around the bustling people until they found an unoccupied stand to hide behind. (Y/N) could feel droplets of sweat roll down his cheeks, his eyes locked on the rifles the two men carried around as they asked and checked the bus. The two eventually headed back to their jeep and took off down the road.

"Welcome to South America," Cleo said, tossing her arms up.

"They're foreigners, Cleo." (Y/N) murmured, catching his breath and running the back of his hand over his forehead. "The locals haven't done anything. They don't owe us any help either."

"So..." Kiara trailed off, her chest heaving with deep breaths. "What's the plan?"

JJ swallowed, his eyes flickering over the stands and locals bustling around before his lips twisted up. He looked back at Kiara, studying her face for a moment before looking back toward them. "Barracuda Mike gave us the ride here. We could... ask him?" He proposed, wincing at the deadpan look Pope gave him. "He's our only shot, man!"

"Fantastic..." Pope sighed heavily. "Barracuda Mike it is."

Barracuda Mike, as it turned out, was a smuggler who primarily dealt with smuggling drugs and other similar things out of North Carolina via his cargo plane. And, he seemed surprisingly understanding when the group returned to him asking for help, claiming to have a boat set up at the river. He led them to it, even offering over a mag of machetes for them to use as weapons as he led them through a short trek in the jungle and to a boat perched on the water.

"I'm addin' the cost of this rig to what you already owe me. I don't expect to see it again, anyway. I asked around at the landin' today. Your buds did leave this mornin', but I was able to get directions to El Tesoro. Pretty loose since only Jose knows the real way, but it'll get you in the right zip code." Barracuda Mike explained, handing over a piece of paper with directions written on it and nodding for them to climb into the boat. 

Turning to look at him, Pope offered a small smile. "Thanks." 

"Don't thank me." Barracuda Mike brushed him off with a dry chuckle and wave of his hand. "Start prayin'." Ah, that made his willingness to help more understandable. He wanted them out of his hair as quickly as possible. "

With a couple of strained grunts, Barracuda Mike pushed the boat further into the water and lifted his hand to wave at them as the boat began floating downstream. JJ got the motor started and their speed increased, releasing a soft hum that mixed with the distant singing birds, chirping insects, and even the occasional hoot of a monkey. The five of them settled comfortably on the boat, filling the silence with chatter. (Y/N) spent his time gazing into the murky, brown river water until night fell and they took turns steering the boat to get some rest.

By the early morning, the sound of another boat heading down the river prompted JJ to wake everybody up and steer the boat closer to the bank where it'd be hidden by foliage and low-hanging leaves. They ducked down and waited, watching as a boat filled with Singh's men passed by, armed and going rather fast.

"They're not lookin' for us." Cleo mused. "They're movin' too quick."

"They're looking for John B and Sarah." JJ realized quietly, darting up from his spot and starting the motor back up. "They gotta know where they're headed. We need to go. They're gonna need us!"

The boat quickly resumed its journey down the rivers, speed fast enough to keep up with Singh but slow enough not to draw their attention. (Y/N) watched the boat drift in and out of view, disappearing over the horizon until JJ sped back up. His gaze moved over to the bag of machetes resting on the floor of the boat. Weapons, Barracuda Mike had called them. Weapons meant to help them against armed and trained men with guns. Maybe he should've listened to Liz, after all. 

Early the next morning they encountered a small docking area by the riverbank. Kiara studied the paper Barracuda Mike had given them, her head lifting every so often to look at the village before she nodded to herself. "Guys, I think this is El Tesoro. The trailhead to the mountain is supposed to start here." She told them.

"Oh, shit," JJ whispered, motioning ahead to two of Singh's men lingering on the docks. "What are we gonna do? We gotta get past them somehow."

Pope's lips pursed and he slipped his backpack off his shoulders, setting it down on his lap and rummaging through the contents before pausing and looking up at them. "I... may have an idea."

"This is so stupid." (Y/N) whispered, peeking over the windowsill of the old, abandoned shack that had the perfect view of the men. One of them dozed off on a boat while the other fiddled around with different things, seemingly bored of waiting around. "If one of you gets shot-"

"It'll be fine, (Y/N)." Kiara assured him, ensuring the note she'd tied to the end of the fish hook wouldn't fall before she tossed the line out. It landed in the boat the napping man lied in and he startled, sitting up with squinted eyes and looking around until he noticed the note. "Get ready, ya'll.... and.... now, JJ!"

The blonde lit a firecracker and tossed it into the air, far enough that it hit the side of boat and exploded in the water. The man scrambled up and grabbed his rifle, his head on a swivel as his partner ducked down. Another firecracker landed and exploded nearby, prompting the man to start shooting blindly and forcing them to duck down to avoid being seen or hit. 

"Return fire, Pope! Return fire!" JJ shouted and Pope quickly lit another firecracker, tossing it over the roof of the shack. 

When that one exploded, they heard the man shouting at his partner to get in the boat. The boat quickly sped off with the two men on it and the group sent them off with one last firecracker. Once they disappeared down the river, (Y/N) stood up and shook his head, rolling his eyes at JJ and Pope's celebratory handshake.

"Hey, hey," Cleo called, stepping out of the shack and sucking her teeth. "No time for celebrating. We didn't do nothing yet."

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"You know," (Y/N) exhaled breathlessly, sweat dripping profusely from his skin from both the humidity and trek up the mountain. Kiara answered with a soft groan, clutching her side as she leaned against a tree and turned back to look at him. Pope and Cleo had long gone ahead of them, clearing a way with two machetes as if they were used to hiking through jungles. "I'm glad this little last adventure... with you all has been... interesting, to say the least."

"Last?" JJ repeated, quickly as breathless. His blonde strands stuck to his forehead and temples, soaked as if he'd taken a plunge in the river. "What- What do you mean, last?"

"Yeah, I mean-" Kiara took a deep gulp of air and swatted away a buzzing insect. "-I'm sure there'll be other adventures."

"Yeah, for you guys." (Y/N) stood up straighter and rolled back his shoulder, wincing when his back ached. His legs were in no better condition, aching and weeping for rest. JJ and Kiara stared at him, their brows knitting together. "I- I... Jesus, I hate hiking. I'm never doing this again."

"Ditto." Kiara laughed and turned her back to him, using the trunk she'd been leaning against to help her move over a fallen log. "But, what do you mean? We're Pogues. All of us. Even Cleo and you. We're... We're a family... one that should never go hiking again."

"Remember that night when Sarah told us about the plane?" You asked, waiting for JJ to step over the log and sighing quietly when the blonde tripped and nearly fell. He recovered quickly, shooting them both an innocent grin as he wiped moist dirt off his hand. (Y/N) cautiously stepped over the log, keeping in mind the root that'd nearly taken out JJ and glancing up at them as they continued the trek.

"Yeah, you and JB cleared the air, right?" JJ glanced over his shoulder at him. 

"Yeah, sorta, I guess. But, uhm... I told them that I'd-" 

"Woah, guys, look at this view!" Kiara suddenly called out with a giddy laugh, the path leading out to an open area where they could overlook the thick jungle and the mountains ahead. (Y/N) noticed Pope and Cleo breaking away from each other quickly and hummed quietly, a smile pulling at the edges of his lips. Kiara and JJ, Pope and Cleo... Sarah and John B. They all had each other, in some way or another. 

"What were you saying, (Y/N)?" JJ turned to look at him, causing the others to turn as well. 

"Oh, uhm..." (Y/N) trailed off and sighed, looking out toward the gorgeous view before him. A thick green jungle as far as the eye could see, giant mountains that reached toward the skies, the beautiful song of the jungle sounding through the air. Beautiful, but everything that'd led him up to that moment hadn't truly been worth the view. "I'm leaving the OBX. For good. I'm- I'm going to get my diploma and apply to colleges away from here."

"What?" The resounding response to his revelation. 

"I know, I know... Poguelandia, I know. I deserve more than being the thirdwheel or the ex being dragged along, guys. As much as ya'll hate to admit it, I'm a Kook. I care about each of you, even John B... sometimes. You'll always be family. And sometimes, families have to separate to live their lives to the fullest, right? I want a degree, a proper job, and a safe life. It's boring but it'll be comfortable." The Pogues remained largely quiet, mixed expressions on their faces and different emotions flashing but in the end, they all settled on bittersweet smiles and nods. "And I promise to send wedding invitations, if I ever get engaged."

"You better!" JJ laughed, lurching forward to swing his arms around his shoulders and hold him tightly. "You better, you bastard. I expect to be a groomsman, you hear?"

"And you better keep in touch, too." Kiara piped in.

"And visit when you can, alright?" Pope added and Cleo agreed with a nod. 

"I will, I will." (Y/N) chuckled, running his hand over JJ's back before the two pulled away. "Now, let's go find those two idiots."

They headed down the mountain after Pope pointed out a manmade trail heading down and further into the jungle. JJ took the lead with Kiara, using machetes to cut down any thick grass, exposed roots, or fallen wood. They walked with idle chatter until a loud, distant yet not far explosion sounded through the air, startling the animals and causing birds in a nearby tree to shoot up into the air in a panic. They fell silent and exchanged wide-eyed glances before a silent, mutual agreement passed over them and they broke out into a sprint in the direction of the explosion.

"Careful!" Pope called when Kiara tripped over a root but brushed him off with a wave and stood back up to hurry after JJ. 

They continued through the path until they heard the familiar sound of Ward's voice, followed by Big John and Sarah. Immediately ducking down, they carefully made their way up the steep path and peeked over, spotting Ward holding Big John, Sarah, and John B at gunpoint while speaking quietly to them.

"What are we gonna do?" Pope questioned quietly.

"Is this ride or die?" JJ asked quietly, his hand curling around the machete sheathed away. The others mimicked his movements, freeing their machetes from their sheaths and holding tightly onto them. JJ glanced back at them and grinned. "P4L."

The group charged forward with battle cries, pulling Ward's attention away from the three and onto them. He swung his gun around frantically as the group shouted at him, demanding he put his gun down. Ward panted, his eyes wide and arm swinging around, continuously switching who he pointed the gun at in a desperate attempt to spook them into staying back.

"You can't shoot just one of us." (Y/N) exhaled, grinding his teeth when Ward looked back at him with softened features. 

"If you have to shoot somebody, Ward, shoot me." Big John told him through labored breaths, his bloodied hands pressed against his side. Shit. Ward spun on his heel to face him but John B stepped in his way, staring him right in the eye and arching a brow.

"Or me." He said softly, watching Ward's features harden and the trembling of his hand grow. He curled his lip and took a deep breath, attempting to steady his arm but then Sarah stepped in front of John B, her eyes shiny with tears but her features showcasing her utter exhaustion. 

"Stop." She whispered, swallowing as a tear slid down her cheek and she stepped forward, pressing the barrel to her chest and staring at her father. "Enough."

"Don't-"

"You're not gonna kill all of us. I know you won't. I know you." Sarah's lips began to tremble and she shakily exhaled. "You forget that I know you."

Her words seemed to have an effect on Ward, his own eyes flooding with tears and face scrunching up as his shoulders began shaking. Sarah placed her hand over his, pushing it down and pulling the gun from his weakened grip. "I couldn't." Ward gasped, tears running freely down his face. His palm came to rest on Sarah's cheek and he weakly smiled. "I couldn't do it."

"Yeah? Well, I can." A new voice called followed by the sound of a gun cocking. One of Singh's men stumbled out of the jungle, his gun raised and pointed at them before dropping down to Big John when John B pointed his own gun at him. "Toss it!"

"Take it easy, bud." Big John spoke weakly. "Your boss is dead. You got no reason to do this."

"I can think of a few reasons." The man sneered at Big John, his eyes jumping back to John B. "Toss it!" He demanded sharply and John B lifted his hands, letting the gun slip from his grasp. The man slinked forward, keeping his gun trained on them. "Thought you'd end up with the gold, eh? Alright, nobody move. My mate back there is dead. Because of you. You..." He pointed his gun at Sarah. "Can go first."

Exchanging one last somber look with his daughter, Ward charged forward, taking multiple shots to his body but refusing to relent until he tackled the man and took them both tumbling down the cliff nearby. Sarah staggered forward, short gasps escaping her that turned into quiet sobs. (Y/N) moved first, snapping the others out of their shock, and walked toward the cliff's edge. He spotted the two lifeless bodies at the bottom and grimaced, closing his eyes tightly and listening to Sarah's sobs grow louder. 

"Big John? Hey, Big John?" Pope's panicked voice made him open his eyes and he turned his head, noticing Big John's head lolling off to the side. (Y/N)'s arms reached out, pulling Sarah against him, and nodded to John B. The brunette shot him a thankful look before rushing over to his father, speaking hurriedly to him and slinging on of his arms over his shoulder. 

"Come on, we gotta get you out of here, Dad." John B told him, waiting for Pope to get his other arm before they began heading back down the trail as quickly as possible. 

"We'll let them know when we get back that his body's here, alright?" (Y/N) took Sarah by the shoulders, squeezing them lightly. She sniffled, another sob wrecking her body but she managed to nod weakly, one arm sliding around his waist to use him as support. "You'll be okay, Sarah. We'll all be okay."

They took turns helping Big John, the weight of a tall grown man weakening them after some time. They managed to reach the deserted dock, getting to their boat, and laying him down. (Y/N) got the motor started, steering them up the river as the Pogues tried giving Big John reassurances through their tears. He remained by the motor, watching them slowly come to terms with Big John's fate. His breathing had long become labored, his body too exhausted to fight through the pain. 

With a trembling hand, Big John took his son's hand. "We did it together, my boy. Just... just like we drew it up. Hey, hey, Bird... it's okay." He weakly smiled up at him, rubbing his thumb over John B's hand. "I know... that I wasn't any great shakes as a father... but you... you were the best son any man could hope for. I want you to know that..."

"Tell me when we get home, Dad, okay?" John B sniffled, reaching into his bag to pull out the block of gold they'd been able to get from El Dorado before exploding the entrance alongside Singh. He set the block on Big John's chest for him to look at, a pained, bittersweet smile on his face. "We did it. We did it, Dad."

Big John's eyes fluttered closed, his breathing growing weaker and shorter. John B's lips rolled into his mouth, the tears dripping down his cheeks and quiet sobs escaping him. "I'll see you... I'll see you at home, kid..." Big John told him, before his chest ceased rising and John B hugged him tightly.

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"Is this all of it?" 

(Y/N) tore his attention away from his startling empty room to look over at Liz. He'd taken down most of his pictures, even those of him and Sarah, and packed them away in a box. He'd already chosen which ones he felt like keeping and which ones he felt fine with parting. His closet remained partly empty, a couple clothes kept in there just in case, but his essentials and anything sentimental had been packed away and in the back of his jeep. 

"Yeah," (Y/N) nodded, pushing his hands into the pockets of his jacket and nodding to himself. "We're good to go, I guess." 

"Good, 'cause I have a flight to catch." Liv walked forward, wrapping her arms around him before planting a kiss on his cheek. She scanned the room and hummed quietly, turning around and making her way to the door. "I'll be waiting for you on campus, alright? I already spoke to your future roomie-"

"Liv." (Y/N) groaned. 

"And I have to say, he's pretty cute. I think you'll have fun together." Liv winked, her mischievous giggles echoing down the hall. 

Rolling his eyes and quietly muttering to himself, (Y/N) took one last survey of his childhood bedroom. He'd miss it, even with all the lonesome memories it held. He walked toward the door and stepped outside, gently shutting it and making his way down the hall. His eyes took in every inch of the hall, gaze lingering on the rare family photos still hung up despite his parent's pending divorce. Things were better that way. They'd go their own way, find their own happiness. Communication with them had improved, at least. No more ignored calls.

"Goodbye, home sweet home." He whispered to himself, striding down the stairs and picking up his keys. 

(Y/N) stepped outside and shut the door with a soft thud, locking it and double-checking it locked. He inhaled deeply and stepped off the porch, waving to Liv's car when it sped down the road. Topper waited at the end of the driveway, attempting to look as casual as possible while leaning against his truck. 

"What's up, Top?"

"Came to see you off, is all," Topper responded with a shrug, pushing himself off the truck and walking up the driveway toward him. He stood in front of him, twisting his lips up a bit before throwing his arms around him in a tight hug. (Y/N) stumbled backward and chuckled, wrapping his arms around him. "I'm still mad at you.... but I'll miss you."

"Yeah, yeah, don't get into trouble, alright?" (Y/N) leaned back, ruffling up his pristine blonde locks and laughing when Topper huffed. "Keep an eye on Sarah, will you? But be nice about it." 

"She's a big girl," Topper muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. "I will. Just for you, though."

"Uh-huh." (Y/N) climbed into his jeep and turned the engine on, feeling it come to life beneath him. He took another look at the boy and smiled, closing the door and resting his arm on top of it. "I'll be seeing you in a couple months, anyway. Got that big thing with the mayor, remember? Something about the treasure."

"Don't be a stranger, then!" Topper called, watching the car reserve out of the driveway.

With one last wave, (Y/N) drove down the street. He turned the volume of the radio up and absentmindedly listened to the random pop songs that played, his eyes focused on the scenery passing him by. The expensive houses, the snobby neighbors, the shimmering water peeking between the trees, the welcoming town between both worlds, the distant horn of the ferry. He'd miss Kildare but it felt good to finally break away from it. 

The repeated honking of a car caught his attention and he rolled his eyes when the Twinkie drove up beside him with JJ halfway out of the passenger window. Whoops, hollers, and the occasional 'we'll miss you' came from the van and JJ playfully blew him a few kisses before being forced back into his seat by John B. The brunette pushed his hand into the horn a few more times before they turned down a different road. 

"Idiots." (Y/N) whispered with a chuckle and pulled into a gas station, parking his car by one of the bumps and stepping out. He stuck his hand in his back pocket for his wallet and tugged it out, moving around his car and looking up in time to notice Sarah jogging across from the store. 

"Liv told me you were gonna stop for gas here." She revealed with a chuckle, brushing back strands of blonde hair she'd recently recolored. Sarah smiled sweetly, glancing at the stuff stored in the back of his jeep. "The others are gonna pick me up in a second. I... I wanted to say bye to you alone. Well- Somewhat alone."

"All of you are acting as if I'm marching off war." (Y/N) snorted. Sarah laughed sheepishly and shrugged lightly, taking a few steps closer before she leaned up to press their lips together. She leaned back and rested her hands on his shoulders, her smile shifting into a sad one. She sighed shakily and chuckled again. 

"Thank you, for everything... I couldn't have asked for a better boyfriend, ex or not. I'll really miss you and just know that- that I'll always have love for you, (Y/N). Remember that, okay? Promise you'll never forget how much I care about you... how much we all care for you." She told him softly, tilting her head up to gaze into his eyes. "Pogues for life?"

"Pogues for life." He echoed softly, combing his fingers through her hair and pressing his hand against her cheek. Sarah leaned into his touch and closed her eyes.

"I'm... I'm glad you're going for your happily ever after, (Y/N). Even if it's not with us. We'll always be here if you ever need us."

[quickdeaths]

@more-than-a-princess

"You know, Shinobu-chan, you could stand to be a little more slay." For her part, Anzu was wearing a fairly conservative swimsuit by her own standards - a similar cut and color as the school's offerings, with a skirt, albeit with a deeper neckline that showed off her cleavage. In comparison, Shinobu's choice bore no resemblance at all to what anyone else would wear. Rather, her chest was covered by a dark swimming shirt, with a pair of matching shorts that ended just above her knees. Truthfully, it was still more exposed than she'd prefer, but she didn't approve of the mental image of herself, fully-dressed, while every other girl was wearing a fairly-revealing school swimsuit.

"The last time I attempted that, I was suspended for two weeks," Shinobu deadpanned, prompting Anzu to roll her eyes in response and lightly clap her palm against Shinobu's cheek. "I'm just saying, face, eyes, body go wild." The way she said it made it clear it was some kind of reference Shinobu wasn't getting. "You should show it off! Besides, Sonia-san will be there, and I have it on good authority that she is insane about your abs."

It was Shinobu's turn to scoff. "You have that information on no authority." "Oh, yeah, no, sorry, just my own eyes. Which, will be actually able to see while swimming around, unlike you." With two fingers, she tapped the underside of Shinobu's glasses. "There's no way these were the play, Shinobu-chan." Even without turning to look at her, Shinobu clamped her hand over Anzu's face, giving a light squeeze.

"Ow ow ow ow ow!" "Being unable to see at distance might not be an issue for you, Anzu, but I value my ability to see up close." Shinobu also had very little intention of actually swimming. She looked like a wet dog when soaked, which was not attractive. They'd much prefer to sit off and talk to their classmates. Presumably, Anzu would be less interested in flirting with anyone who moved at an all-girls party, so that accounted for something.

Beyond that, Shinobu wasn't quite sure what to expect. Tsubasa wasn't coming, as they'd assumed, and Ayaka was similarly abstaining. That really only left Sonia and Miss Hanasaki for people she was especially interested in talking to. During her conversation at the coffee shop, she'd been rather cavalier in proclaiming that she'd attend, concerned as she was about Sonia's feelings. Now that she was actually going, however, Shinobu was wondering if she should have stuck to her initial rejection.

Well, it was too late to change her mind now. "Regardless, Miss Nevermind knows that I won't be wearing something so revealing as a school swimsuit." With one final squeeze, she pulled her hand back, Anzu giving an entirely unnecessary 'bweh." "Besides, this is a good look for me - it has aura. I have butch swag, and I'm serving masc realness," she explained, her voice flat. Anzu scrunched up her face, recoiling. "Ew! Where did you learn to talk like that!?"

Having arrived at the entrance to the school pool, Shinobu held the door open for Anzu. "You know that I listen to the words you say, don't you?" Anzu shook her head, giving one little tug at the straps of her swimsuit. "You're not supposed to say them back!" If she had to guess, Shinobu suspected Anzu's distaste was all performative - feeling as though she had to react in some way to her friend's little joke. How very thoughtful of her. "Whatever, I'm gonna go talk to Momo-chan and Rui-kun. Just make sure Sonia-san sees your 'masc realness'."

At that, she departed over towards some of their other classmates. Beyond those two, Shinobu could see that Miss Kamiya and Miss Nakagawa were similarly in attendance. Miss Blue Ink escaped her notice, but Shinobu was sure she was either observing from a safe distance, or simply had yet to arrive. Regarding Sonia's class, Shinobu felt a bit less sure of things. She'd noticed a specific few in the past - Miss Mioda and Miss Owari were the type to command a lot of attention, and she'd heard Miss Nanami's name often enough to remember her. Rather than approach anyone, though, Shinobu found themselves a chair nearer their own class. It was only upon sitting that she noticed Sonia among a small group.

It was enough to nearly make her light-headed, the sudden feeling of blood rushing to her head. Sonia was beautiful, of course - she'd always been beautiful, and Shinobu had noticed that about her on the night they'd met. It was only recently that that beauty had become distracting, but this... Surely it was impossible for someone to be that attractive, wasn't it? Immediately, she tore her eyes away, not wanting her gaze to linger, or worse, wander. Instead, they just looked down to the water, hoping that it might somehow wash away the uncomfortably filthy thoughts in their head.