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writingsonsaturn · 6 months

Note

fake dating with tim bradford?

r needs a date to a family members wedding and she wants to go with a friend and tim is more than willing. unrequited love and maybe a little smut??

dress - tim bradford

{ masterlist }

🪐: omg 2 fics in one day?? anyways this is nastyyy smut lmfao enjoy!

word count: 2.2k

content warning: minors DNI, smut, oral (fem rec), fingering, talk of emotionally abusive parents?? if i missed anything lmk!

⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒

Your head bobbed with stress, your sister's wedding was this weekend and you still hadn't been able to find a date willing to accompany you. You had thought it would be easy, the moment you mentioned there would be an open bar you imagined people would be more than willing, but alas you had been wrong.

“Hey, L/n! You almost finished with the case file?” your friend and coworker Tim Bradford asked, “yeah it's finished” you replied with a sigh. “Then what are you stressin’ over?” He sat in front of your desk with a comforting smile, “my sister's wedding is this Saturday and I need a date, but havent got one yet.” you let out an exasperated sigh.

Your mother has been on your case lately about getting your life ‘in order’. Constantly being compared to your sister was exhausting, you were never fast enough to catch up to your sister's achievements, and none of your own were good enough. “I’ll go with you” Tim interrupted your self-deprecating thoughts, “oh god Tim, you don't have to.” you tried to deflect but Tim insisted “hey, come on it'll be fun! And your mom already knows me so it'll be more believable if i'm your date then some random dude you met on tinder.” You smiled at his kindness.

You packed up your stuff, dropping your case file onto Greys desk. “Alright, well you can’t back out now. Saturday, suit and tie, four o’ clock.” you stated, pointing your finger at him. He smiled “wouldn't miss seeing you in a fancy dress for the world!” he shouted at you with a laugh.

Tim had always been your secret little work crush, he was kind to you and always had been. You both had a similar upbringing, and you bonded over that aspect. You had transferred into the precinct after moving from Orange County, you had decided you needed a new start and the LAPD had an opening for a detective and you decided to take the opportunity.

Your mother was less than pleased that you would be moving an hour away, but you were desperate to get out of her grasp.

When you left the station your cheeks were red, and flushed. A big smile was present on your face at the image of Tim being your date to your sister’s wedding. Besides the fact he was insanely good looking, he was also just a sweet and gentle guy. Which was the complete opposite of your sister’s soon-to-be husband, and you finally felt as if you were one step ahead of your sister for the first time in your life.

On Saturday morning, you got up earlier than usual to start getting ready. Your stomach had been twisted with butterflies all morning, your dress was a navy blue fitted dress with a slit that went to your mid thigh and had a square neck. The dress flattered every aspect of your body, your hair was done in a half up half down style with a slight wave, and your shoes were black heels with securing straps going up your calf and tying just under your knee.

The sound of your heartbeat quickened as the numbers on the clock counted up towards the time you had given Tim, as if the direct moment the clock struck four there was a knock on your front door.

Walking to the front door felt like it was taking forever, every millisecond it took you to walk to the door made your body fill with that much more anxiety. You opened the door to see Tim standing in a nice black tuxedo and a bowtie, “Oh wow, you know i’ve never seen you in a tux before but i think i like it” you snorted, walking out and closing the door to lock it. “Y/n you look-” Tim seemed flabbergasted, looking you up and down “you look absolutely beautiful” he finished his compliment.

You blushed at his comment whispering a silent “thank you” before you both walked to the car, Tim opened the passenger side door for you. He ran around the backside of the car to get into the driver's side, “are you ready?” he asked with a small hint of reassurement. “Yeah! Let’s get this party started.” your voice was flat and lacked enthusiasm causing Tim to let out a hushed laugh.

The venue wasn’t far, but the high tension in the car made the journey feel like an eternity. Tim barely looked at you and his knuckles were bright white with the grip he had on the steering wheel, you weren’t sure what was wrong, and you were scared to find out. You wondered if it was possibly because of the current case he was working, you knew he was put on the task of finding the drug lord and breaking into his circle but he hadn’t told you much about it.

You had simply just let it be, not wanting anything to cause your sister’s night to be ruined. Looking to your right you watch the trees pass, you become further and further away from the city.

The wedding had gone as good as expected, your sister was giddy and excited to finally solidify her man as her husband. Tim had to hand you a tissue after your sister said her vows, although the two of you had hardships she was still your big sister and you were more than happy for her.

“Fancy seeing you here Tim, I didn’t think y/n was going to show up with anyone. Let alone someone as handsome as you.” your mother remarked, causing your mood to dampen. Tim’s arm went around your waist, pulling you towards his body, “Actually, I wanted to be here. I'm surprised I got a chance with such a great woman” Tim’s stern face glared at your mother’s as he told her off, politely.

You hid your small smile, as your mother left with an annoyed look.

“Your mom is just ridiculous,” Tim laughed.

“Oh god, I know! I'm so sorry” you said with embarrassment.

You and Tim talked on your way up to the reception hall, the conversation flowed naturally.

For a second, and only just a second, you allowed yourself to imagine Tim as your lover, the ease that came with talking to him made him feel like a breath of fresh air. Your heart deflated when the false reality you had encapsulated yourself in for a second was interrupted by your sister coming up to you, “y/n your seats are over there next to mom’s table, please just try and be nice to her, don't ruin this night for me.” your sister spoke loudly, you just nodded and walked over to the table while Tim got you two drinks.

Sitting alone was awful, your mom had free reign to talk to you without another person around, and you had no way of defending yourself without her causing a scene. “I don’t know your game y/n, but Tim is too good for you. He deserves a nice, well rounded woman. Don’t force him into a relationship with you, because you and I know damn well you aren’t good enough for him. Don’t be selfish.” your mother finished, before going back to her table to fake kindness to the others.

Tim had noticed your shift in mood and he knew why, as he waited for the drinks to be poured for the two of you he watched your mother come over. He saw the way you shrunk into yourself and your eyes glossed over, he never liked your mom, everytime she would come into the station he noticed how you immediately changed your demeanor. The way your smile would falter and your back would straighten, he hated it.

He brought the drinks over to your shared table, “Here's the drink, sorry it took so long, i'm starting to think people just came for the free alcohol” Tim tried to cheer you up with a shitty joke. You smiled only to appease him but he knew you better than you thought, “actually could you come with me to the bathroom? I don't want to get lost in this place, I think it's haunted." This time Tim’s joke landed and caused a giggle to come out of you, “Yeah, I'll protect you from the big scary ghosts'' you joked, getting up from your seat to accompany Tim on his travels.

“The men’s bathroom is just on the ri-” you were cut off by the sudden pressing of Tim’s lips to yours, you immediately kissed back with vigor. He pushed your back up against the wall, As much as you wanted this all you could hear were your mom’s word circle through your head “Tim.. I- we can’t” you tried catching your breath.

“Why y/n? Is this because you don’t want it or because your mom told you, you shouldn’t?” he questioned with a stoic face, eager to get his lips back on yours.

“You deserve someone better than me, Tim”

“You are someone better, y/n” his desperate voice needed you to understand what he was telling you.

“Do you want this?” he asked, his eyes scanning your face, trying to determine your body language. “Yes” you said quietly, afraid that this was all some cruel joke. With that he continued to kiss you, pushing you into the bathroom.

You felt his warm hands roaming your body, “do you know how long i've wanted this? How long i've wanted to feel your breathing against my skin?” Tim questioned, his lips traveling down your neck softly. You wondered if this had been some kind of sick mind trick that was being stowed upon you in your dreams, but the euphoric touches couldn't be made up.

Your head lolled back against the door as Tim’s hot breath traveled further down your body, your dress preventing him seeing everything he wanted.

You whined at the loss of contact before you noticed where he had gone, opening your eyes, you looking down to see Tim getting his knees in front of you. “Oh fuck me.” you breathed out, Tim laughed at your reaction “I would like to, but im not gonna fuck you for the first time in a venue bathroom.”

The feeling of his lip’s returned to your skin, kissing agonizingly slow up your legs. He became increasingly closer to where you needed him most, your soaked core was pulsing for him, his soft eyes looked up at you smiling, allowing his hand to travel up your dress.

“No panties? Dirty girl.” he taunted your lack of clothing, you on the other hand didn’t wear underwear because you didn't want a visible panty line, but you were fine with this too. More than fine actually.

His fingers teased your wet slit, “where do you want me?” his crisp voice asks. Your breathing hitched at the feeling of his fingers still toying with your hole, “do you want me here?” he traced your throbbing clit, “or here?” he slid his finger towards your hole.

You were finally able to pull yourself out of the feeling to talk, “I want your mouth and your fingers everywhere” you whined. He decided not to torture you any longer, finally putting his head between your thighs and having his long awaited feast. You nearly doubled over at the feeling of his tongue against your hot cunt, you had dreamed of this moment hundreds of time’s when you were alone in your bedroom.

You gripped tightly at his gelled hair, “oh fuck, Tim” you moaned trying your best to keep your voice down, but you were failing, with how good Tim’s tongue felt against you, you wouldnt care if the whole world heard you moaning his name.

He continued his abuse to your clit while simultaneously circling your dripping heat, “is all of this for me?” Tim pretended to not know the answer, he wanted to hear you say it. “All for you Tim, always all for you” you didn’t realize what you had just admitted but Tim hadn’t cared to mock you for it as it only inflated his ego. “You should’ve told me sooner, could have started taking care of you a lot sooner, pretty girl.” he spoke against you before returning to suck at you bundle of nerves.

When he determined you were ready enough, he sunk a digit into your tight cunt. You moaned louder than you had intended, “i- im gonna come” your shaking voice exclaimed.

Tim only laughed, “Already, baby? Are you that deprived?” he said in a faux concern, groaning against you when you pulled on his hair again. He thrusted his fingers in and out of you, the coil in your stomach continuing to build and tighten before it finally bursted.

He slowed down his pumping, helping you ride through your orgasm. You were breathing heavily as he got up, he held you closely in his arms doing his best to keep you upright.

“Woah, baby, relax, i've got you” he whispered in your ear and carried you over to the sink, cleaning your mess up. “I don't think I can walk.” you joked, Tim stood between your legs rubbing your thighs soothingly. “It’s okay, i'm in no rush to get back out there believe me” he laughed and tried bringing you back down from the high you were still caught in.

“You wanna ditch?” you smirked with droopy eyes, “they won't miss me”

“Yeah let’s go, need to get home so i can fuck you right”

#reader insert #the rookie #tim bradford x reader #tim bradford #tim bradford fluff #tim bradford x you #tim bradford smut #tim bradford x fem!reader

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satoruhour · 1 year

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the racer toji smut won’t leave me alone so here is my additional brainrot bc my sister in christ we must suffer together <3

what about fem!reader who’s bf is a total ass bc he dragged her to the races but ignores her for the whole night bc he’s too busy showing off to the other guys and makes fun of her for not knowing shit about cars. she went to support him but he’s being so shitty and she goes to sulk alone near some quiet part.

a little boy comes to join her and he introduces himself as megumi, he hates crowds and loud noises so he sits with reader for a while, until his daddy comes along and his daddy is hot. toji introduces himself, asking what a pretty girl is doing alone in these parts and offers to show her his car but out from nowhere comes slimy bf who just embarrases himself trying to kiss toji’s ass and reader is like i need to break up with him

but ofc toji puts him in his place and tells him his gf is way out his league, and a real man would never leave his girl alone the entire night. it shuts him up fr and toji, megumi and reader leave to go check out some cars bc it’s nice to actually have someone tell you all about the cars instead of being made fun of for not knowing

the rest is obvs history bc megumi loves hanging out with reader and toji can’t keep his eyes off her. and vice versa hehe

a/n: jelly ur mind >>>>> also how did i write a whole FIC about this omfg im sick. i claim i dont like toji then write like this 💀💀 + can u tell how much i love making fun of incompetent men by the way i talk about reader’s shitty boyfriend cause youd be right. i hate men. ✶ / 2.2k

the stuffy parking lot had been a routine place for you at this point, taking the familiar route past shibuya 109 and into miyamasu-zaka avenue. you’re not entirely pumped to be in the car beside your boyfriend right now, who’s talking loudly and obnoxiously into his phone, but that isn’t what is irking you right now. you’re more worried when you reach there, sure to come face to face with his equally obnoxious friends who just can’t shut up about their cars.

it would be fine if they were being cocky and could back up their modifications and NOS with proper results from racing, but they were all losers, both figuratively and literally. you sigh for the umpteenth time when daisuke asks if you cancelled the dinner with your friends because he was going to celebrate his ‘sure’ win and you stifle the urge to laugh. sometimes you wonder why you’re still here.

“we’re here babe, c’mon, get out. i’ll go park the car and come back to get you,” as daisuke tells you this, he’s patting your thigh like you’re a dog, smiling his stupid smile and your brows knit together.

“can’t you just drive to wherever you’re parking?”

“ahh… no can do, baby — my parking’s somehow better when you’re not stressin’ me out in the passenger seat.” what were you doing dating a man who couldn’t even park? you groan into your hands, picking up your bag and exiting the vehicle, making sure to slam the door extra hard even if you’ll be getting a lecture later about harming his ‘baby’.

he’s perfectly fine watching your tantrum and doesn’t say anything except for continuing to smile, driving off without a care as he looks for a parking spot. thankfully you could save your face a little, since you were still early to the meet, a minimal amount of people lingering around the abandoned parking lot in their miniskirts and tights and tramp stamps — a look you definitely would’ve loved to try out if not for your boyfriend telling you you can’t show off your legs.

it’s like he has some personal vendetta against you, but really you think it’s just because he saved you from an unfavourable situation before and while at the time you expressed mutual feelings for him, he just might be holding you hostage with that favour he did for you, unconsciously feeling terrible if you were to leave him.

a few minutes pass, and then ten, and you’re waiting for a full fifteen minutes against a wall, all the while the classic crowd of tokyo is trickling into the car park, cars driving in slowly and you’re dreading every time someone enters, sure that you’re being judged for being daisuke’s significant other. and when the waiting time finally hits twenty, you’re taking matters into your own hands and turning the corner where he drove.

just to see him conversing with his loser friends who were already somehow there, showing off their own cars which they spent money on for nothing and laughing up a storm. you lug your body over, because while you were still somehow okay with daisuke, you couldn’t stand his friends.

“babe! ah, my bad, should’ve texted you that the boys were already here and that i was with ’em,” his affection was limited to just a hand on your waist, not wanting to look like a softie in front of them, “we were just talking about our updated NOS, or ‘nitrous oxide system’ for my cute baby who couldn’t remember it the first time.”

all you can do is burn in embarrassment as they laughed, ridiculing you for the mistake you made ages ago about the terminology of street racing that sometimes you couldn’t exactly grasp. you did your best each time, sometimes googling things about racing that you wouldn’t know otherwise, but because it was still pretty illegal in japan, it was difficult to find the specific terms they used. but with how much your boyfriend teaches you (as condescending as it was), you probably could’ve written an essay.

and it wasn’t a one-time thing either, from smacking your hand off the stick shift to pestering you about closing the car door more gently, you’re soon to reach your limit.

“yeah, i know what a NOS is, bitch.” you mumble under your breath, turning away from him as he continued joking with his boys before one of them shouted out someone else’s name, hiroshi, you heard and they all pile over each other like excited dogs, seeing his new and improved Mitsubishi Eclipse, a bright, striking green and your boyfriend follows them easily.

throughout the different races of the evening and the excitement, you’re left chasing after your boyfriend who can’t help but sidle up to different racers and their cars, and the dreaded situation you hoped wouldn’t arise, did. daisuke loved asking you questions with confusing numbers and letters, and then laughed in your face when you picked the wrong option.

so when he asked you whether a L72 or a 327 small-block was better for his sorry excuse of a Camaro from 1981, you answered that you knew they had used 327s for Yenko Camaros, but without the knowledge they had discontinued it since it wasn’t optimal performance for the car. “yeah, no, darlin’, they already stopped it and switched to big-blocks after ’69… i thought i taught you this!”

with lips pressed tightly together, you find that you hardly want to be here any longer, body turning hot with shame and tears prickling at your eyes. you don’t chase after daisuke when he walks off and nudges hiroshi about your limited knowledge about cars, hands clenching and unclenching into fists before you’re tugged gently on your jacket sleeve.

in front of you is a young boy, playing with his fingers shyly with a head full of messy black hair and strong features that scrunch up into an anxious expression and you’re squatting and wondering what business a young boy like him had in scenes like this before he’s explaining how he hates the loud music and noises of metal against metal and the sound of tires.

you frown, understanding him immediately as you ask if you can hold his hand to which he nods, “what’s your name, sweetheart?”

“fushiguro… megumi,” he mumbles, flinching when there’s an erupt of cheers from the concluding race.

“oh, honey, let’s go,” you squeeze his hand in solidarity, “let’s sit far away from the action, okay? you like music?”

megumi sniffles a little and nods again, calming down the further he is from all the cars, sitting down on the curb in an area where there’s fewer racers, it being a deadend for the route. soon, you’re fishing out your earphones to insert into his ears, playing a few favourites of yours at a softer volume to drown out the noise of the cars. you’re content to find someone as clueless as you in this whole thing, even if the other was a child, and you almost want to chastise his parents for leaving him so vulnerable in a place like this when said parent is looking left and right, jogging while looking for his son.

“that’s my dad…” megumi mumbles with hope in his voice as the man starts to call out for him, expression morphed into worry from the moment he looked down from his car to find megumi gone. the boy’s hands you back your earphones with a slight smile and a ‘thank you’ before running off, and you’re lunging forward just to make sure he’s safe, running a little behind him while he navigates his father’s voice. it seems like he doesn’t have much care for the loud noises when his dad is finally in view because he speeds immediately into his arms before a tall man comes into view, and you’re blessed with seeing this hot-ass dad in a baggy long-sleeved top.

“hey… thank you for lookin’ out for the kid. i’m fushiguro toji,” toji nods towards you in acknowledgement, looking past your face after appreciating it before glancing down to your figure. “what’s a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this?”

megumi who was propped up against his shoulder opts to cling to his father’s neck, hiding from the rest of the world while you walk slowly alongside the man, fingers thumbing the strap of your bag to keep your grounded. you were quick to explain that you were here because of your boyfriend, and you swear a glint of disappointment flashed in his eyes, but you don’t give it much thought because soon the man himself is running up to you with a renewed sense of confidence.

it was probably because toji was here; and sure, you knew about fushiguro toji and how much your boyfriend loved him, but you didn’t know how popular he could get, drawing countless pairs of eyes to your interaction.

“hi! hi, fushiguro toji right?” and you’re already ready for the clownery to start when he opens his mouth, “i’m wakashita daisuke, big fan! any chance you’ll get back into racing?” daisuke is spouting so much shit you can’t even bear to look up but there’s one sentence that has got toji riled up, using just one hand to threaten your boyfriend who looks scared out of his mind. “you’d look so good with a Ford Mustang too, why don’t you sell off that old Corvette you’ve got—”

and soon toji is clutching onto the collar of his shirt, easily pulling him off the ground as the people surrounding you laugh and whoop. seems like you weren’t the only one who hated him.

“that Corvette means something to me, not like that piece of junk you call your Camaro. and at least i treat my car better than how you treat your girlfriend,” he spits the word like it’s venom, “who you can’t even respect as a person.”

daisuke is plopped onto the floor, but toji easily backs him up with a finger to his chest, “laughing like an idiot when she doesn’t know about engines and then saying you taught her — that would reflect your efforts as a teacher, wouldn’t it?” the man smirks when your boyfriend stutters out his answer, the crowd oooh-ing like it’s a free show.

“and then you leave her stranded for the whole night to hang with your boys, in a place where she’s uncomfortable and vulnerable. but you couldn’t give a shit, can’t you? you’re too busy sucking your friends’ cocks to notice.” there’s howls of laughter now (you can’t help but let out a giggle too) with how ruthless toji is being, all the while having a kid on his shoulder, but you imagine megumi is used to these types of altercations by now.

toji leans down to spit in his face, “you disrespect a woman in my eyes, you’re a joke to me.”

he just rolls your eyes, heading off from your stupid boyfriend and toji fully expects you to follow, beckoning you to go with him when you stay rooted. “c’mon, don’t mind him. he didn’t deserve you.” toji mutters, pressing a kiss to megumi’s temple as he leads you away from the scene silently, and you leap at the opportunity to thank him immediately.

“to be fair… i did all the research for my boyfriend,” toji interrupts with ex-, and you laugh, “yeah, ex-. but i’m not entirely opposed to learning about cars. they seem kinda cool.”

“is this your way of telling me you want me to teach you?” what’s a little flirting with a guy, anyway? even the other said it himself, daisuke didn’t deserve you. you nod with a sheepish smile, petting megumi’s head when he rouses from his dad’s shoulder, heart warming at how the young boy shoots you a gleaming smile.

toji shrugs with a little chuckle, “sure.” he’s keen on showing you his Chevrolet Corvette at the other end of the parking lot first, telling you about the specifications and the modifications he made for it to be suitable for drifting. he explains how his Corvette had to be converted to a rear-wheel-drive car, or a RWD to support the heavy stress on the back wheels to make a successful drift turn.

toji tells you the differences between a clutch kick and a shift lock and how to sustain a drift on a sharp turn, excited at finally finding someone who didn’t have a clue about racing. he even offers to show you, but you’re a little too intimidated by being in the passenger seat with him, especially when it’s going at high speeds.

“maybe another day,” you offer and toji picks up on your insinuation, trying to stifle at grin that maybe this attraction wasn’t one-sided. he liked the way you talked to megumi, he liked the way you intently listened about his love for cars, and he couldn’t wait to get you in his car with a hand to your thigh.

“i’ll hold you to your offer, darlin’.” the name sounded so much better coming from his mouth, an attractive smile lining his face before he offered his free arm for you to hang on, gasping silently when you felt how toned his arm was. oh, the late night thoughts you already knew you were gonna have…

“i’ll tell you about the other cars here, let’s go.”

thirsts and drabble requests are open!

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olivethewriter · 2 months

Text

Love is a drug

hey y'all this is my first one shot, and I am kind nervous, but I just watched euphoria and thought this would be a good fic idea y/n goes to fez's house and gets drugged by mouse instead of rue leading to a steamy confession

You knock on your best friend Fezco's door. "Fez, open up! It's pouring out here!"

The door cracks open a moment later. "Y/N, you really shouldn't be here."

"Too bad, I'm starving," you reply,making a beeline for the kitchen. You grab your favorite chipst.

"Nah, Y/N, I'm serious. You gotta get the fuck up out my house," Fez insists.

"Man stop stressin," you reply, plopping down on his couch and flipping through the TV channels.

"My supplier's bout to swing by, and I don't want you here when he does," Fez explains, growing more tense.

"I'm hungry," you repeat, munching on another chip.

"Then take the fucking chips with you," he grumbles.

"You're being hella rude today, but—" Before you can finish, Fez's phone rings, breaking the tense silence.

After a long pause, Fezco shakes his head. "I could fucking kill you right now."

Fez heads to the door as you turn off the TV. A tall, tattooed guy, way taller and bulkier than you expected, steps in behind Fez.

"Well, shit, I didn't know your bitch would be here," he says, eyeing you.

"Nah, man, she's just a friend," Fez replies, taking a seat across from you.

"Well, hello there," the guy kneels in front of you, extending his hand. "I'm Mouse. Pleasure to meet you."

"Um, hi," you mutter, cautiously shaking his hand. His intense gaze makes you uneasy, like you want to crawl out of your skin.

he says, he stands up and unpacks his bag and starts describing its contents.

"Sure you don't want any fentanyl?"

“Nah man im cool too many ODs” fez says

“How bout you little lady want any fent?”Mouse asks, looking at you.

"No," you reply firmly.

"Nah, man, she's cool," Fez interjects. You've never used drugs before (besides vaping once), and you certainly don't want to start with something as dangerous as fentanyl.

"You gonna let him speak for you?”you look to fez for help “look at me when i talk to you." Mouse demands. He grabs your chin, playing with your hair.

"Have you ever tried it?" he whispers into your ear. You shake your head, speechless.

"No, for real, bro, I don't want her messing with that shit," Fez asserts, his voice steady but tense.

"Don't look at him. Look at me," Mouse insists, grabbing your chin and staring into your eyes. "Ever tried anything?"

You remain silent, unsure how to respond.

"No, seriously, man, she's good," Fez tries to defuse the tension, but Mouse isn't done.

"You know that feeling when you come so hard you can't hear or feel shit?" Mouse whispers, leaning in close. You freeze, feeling the point of his knife against your glossed lips.

You pray silently. You can't believe you're about to die. But you glance at Fez and open your mouth.

The drug hits you fast. In less than a minute, you're numb, barely able to sense anything. You lie down on the couch, eyes barely open.

"You like that?" Mouse asks, placing your legs on his lap.

"Uh-huh," you mumble.

"Wanna try more?" Mouse offers, leaving light touches on your thighs.

"No, man, she doesn't want any more," Fez says, struggling to keep his voice calm, hiding his growing anger.

"I-I want more," you slur, wanting to feel like this forever. Mouse places patches in your shorts' waistband, his hands lingering on your hips.

"That'll cost you three hundred," Mouse says.

"I'm broke," you manage to say.

"That's too bad. Guess you'll have to find another way to pay," Mouse says, his hand creeping toward your hips.

"Man, don't make her do that. I'll pay for her," Fez interjects.

"Nah, thought you were too good for fent," Mouse retorts. Fez grabs the gun, but ultimately decides against using it. That's the last thing you remember before drifting off.

When you wake up, Mouse is long gone, and Fez is nowhere to be found. You're in Fez's room, wearing one of his sweaters. You get out of bed and head to the kitchen, where Fez is eating cereal.

"I'm sorry," you say, barely holding back tears. Fez turns around.

"No, no, don't apologize. It's my fault. I should've had you wait in another room or just fucking shot him," he says, seeing your quivering lips. He pulls you into a hug.

"That was so scary," you admit, barely keeping it together.

"I know, ma," Fez consoles you.

"I thought I was going to die," you confess.

"It's okay. You're here now, and you're safe," Fez assures you, pulling away to look into your eyes.

"I won't let him hurt you again," Fez vows.

"I know," you whisper.

When you thought you were going to die, there wasn't much you regret. You love your family. You're on good terms with almost everyone. But you had never been in love before. You always thought you and Fez would end up together, and it was only a matter of time. But life isn't guaranteed. Tomorrow might not happen. And the next time you almost die, you don't want it to be without kissing Fezco O'Neil.

You look into Fezco's blue eyes. Without thinking, you ask, "Will you kiss me?"

Fez's blue eyes widen, but he doesn't hesitate. His lips touch yours, lingering for a moment longer than necessary. You look up at him, then at his lips.

"Do it again," you demand.

This time, Fez doesn't wait for you to finish your sentence. He kisses you fiercely. The kiss, sweet and hesitant before, is now intense and passionate. Teeth clash, and tongues wrestle as you try to get as close as possible. His strong hands wrap around your waist, and your arms tighten around his neck. You step closer, until every inch of your body presses against his. He lifts you up, and you wrap your legs around his waist. He moves one of your hands from your waist to your neck, pressing a little harder. You let out a small gasp, pulling his face back into yours and kissing him harder. Your hands meet behind his neck, and unexpectedly, he bites your lip and looks into your eyes. You let out a whimper, but your phone dings.

"I need to get that. It's probably my mom," you sigh, disappointed that the moment is over.

"Yeah, of course," Fez says, setting you back on the ground. You look at the message from your mom, telling you to let her know if you're going to stay overnight at Maddie's house and come home.

"I'm so sorry. I have to go," you apologize.

"Okay, let me walk you out."

When you two reach the door, Fez speaks up. "Listen, I really like you. I want this to happen again. Can we do this again but not just like hooking up and shit? I want it all."

"Are you asking me to be your girlfriend, Fezco?" you ask, smiling.

"I mean, I guess, if you want to be," Fezco says, looking down and fiddling with his hands.

"Of course," you say, standing on your tiptoes to kiss him.

"See you tomorrow."

"Bye, Y/N," he says, watching you walk away, the ghost of your kiss lingering on his lips.

#fezco x reader #fezco #fez #fez smut #fezco one shot #fezco euphoria #fezco o'neill #fezco x lexi #angus cloud

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cherriegyuu · 1 year

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seventeen as song from lover (ts)

a/n: for this, i'll be giving songs and lyrics to each of the members, as well as small plots based on those lyrics. i don't plan to write all of these, but they are still my ideas (as basic as some of them might be). so if you are interested in writing one of them, you can message me about it. if you want to read one of them you can send in a request and i'll write for you

• Seungcheol ➝ Cruel Summer Fever dream high in the quiet of the night You know that I caught it (Oh yeah, you're right, I want it) Bad, bad boy, shiny toy with a price You know that I bought it (Oh yeah, you're right, I want it) ↳ Seungcheol was infamous, the bad boy like you see in the movie, and god you wanted him.

• Jeonghan ➝ Afterglow This ultraviolet morning light below Tells me this love is worth the fight, oh ↳ Jeonghan was never one to lose his patience with people, least of all you. But one day a fight gets out of control and it leaves you wondering if your relationship has come to an end. ↣ read here

• Joshua ➝ Lover And there's a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you, dear Have I known you twenty seconds or twenty years? ↳ you’re scared you might be falling in love a little way quickly for Joshua

• Jun ➝ Cornelia Street And baby, I get mystified by how this city screams your name And baby, I'm so terrified of if you ever walk away I'd never walk Cornelia Street again ↳ A year after the end of your relationship with Jun, you go back to the small apartment you used to share. To your surprise, Jun is next door to you.

• Hoshi ➝ Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince I counted days, I counted miles To see you there, to see you there It's been a long time coming, but ↳ one day you got a letter in the mail by mistake from someone named soonyoung. You spend years going back and forth with the letters until you finally meet each other.

• Wonwoo ➝ False God I know heaven's a thing I go there when you touch me, honey Hell is when I fight with you ↳ you and Wonwoo never fought before, at least not to the point where both of you were screaming at each other.

• Jihoon ➝ The Archer I've got a hundred thrown-out speeches I almost said to you ↳ for years you had a one-sided crush on Jihoon. You planned to confess your feelings many times but failed at every single opportunity.

• Minghao ➝ London Boy Show me a gray sky, a rainy cab ride Babes, don't threaten me with a good time ↳ Minghao is always one to see the beauty where most people see none, so when he drags you out of your apartment on a particularly rainy day you don’t complain, sure that whatever it is that he planned is a perfect date.

• Mingyu ➝ Paper Rings I hate accidents, except when we went from friends to this ↳ Mingyu had always been your best friend and that line had never been crossed before, then, one day, you woke up naked in his bed with a vivid memory of the previous night. ↣ read here

• Seokmin ➝ I Think He Knows He got that boyish look that I like in a man I am an architect, I'm drawing up the plans It's like I'm 17, nobody understands No one understands ↳ there was nothing in the world you loved more than Seokmin’s smile.

• Vernon - You Need To Calm Down And I ain't tryna mess with your self-expression But I've learned a lesson that stressin' and obsessin' 'bout somebody else is no fun ↳ nothing can make Vernon mad but you’re adamant about proving him wrong

• Seungkwan ➝ Death By a Thousand Cuts I get drunk, but it's not enough ’Cause the morning comes and you're not my baby ↳ in which Seungkwan drunk calls you, his ex, and finally tells you all the feelings he kept to himself for months. ↣ read here

• Chan ➝ Daylight I don't wanna think of anything else now that I thought of you I've been sleepin' so long in a twenty-year dark night And now I see daylight ↳ it was impossible not to compare Chan to a ray of sunshine, especially after he was the one who brought you back to life

taglist: @wonwooz1, @ryuwonieebae, @sobun1est, @mirtaspace, @ho34gojo, @feat-sun, @wonvsmile, @mhlsymlysn, @swinterr, @immabecreepin, @uniq-tastic, @miriamxsworld

if you were tagged, please consider reblogging

if you want to be tagged in my next fics, please fill out this form

a/n: somehow three of these could become smut and i'm thinking of writing them that way

#k-labels #seventeen imagine #svt imagine #choi seungcheol #yoon jeonghan #hong joshua #moon junhui #kwon soonyoung #jeon wonwoo #lee jihoon #xu minghao #lee seokmin #kim mingyu #chwe hansol #boo seungkwan #lee chan #taylor swift

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11vr1 · 1 year

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Now hear me out here… Miles Earth 42 x F!Reader dancing Bachata🤭 Orrr something like they are at a party and a family friend decides to dance a rather romantic song with us so Miles gets jealous. So many different scenarios with Bachata and dancing I wouldn’t mind fluff either where like they dance in the living room or smth I just love Bachata and romantic dancing ♥️😊

-J

Eres Mía ⭒ Miles Morales

Synopsis › Miles gets jealous and a nearly gets into a fight, so he makes it up to you by teaching you bachata.

Pairing › Earth-42! Miles Morales x Fem!Reader

Inspo › Request.

Includes › ATSV SPOILERS, tooth rotting fluff, swearing, bad Spanish, jealousy, pet names, a tiny bit suggestive

P.S. › Thank you for this ask! I had so much fun. A nice change from the angst. <33

P.S.S. › I am now making a taglist!!! Lemme know if you wanna be on it. I also think I want to find mutuals and get more involved in the community…

When Miles asked Y/n to be his plus one, she almost couldn’t believe it. His delivery was cool and casual as if he didn’t invite her to a party with all of his family and closest family friends in attendance. They had become official a little over a month ago (though Miles swears it’s been longer), so the first family gathering was a big deal, a huge milestone most couples put off until much later. When she tried to explain to her boyfriend the significance of this event, he didn’t understand. “Don’t start stressin’. It’s jus’ my abuela’s birthday party,” she remembered him saying.

Abuela?

Abuela!

If his grandmother was anything like Rio Morales, Y/n would be walking into a lion’s den. Miles did nothing to placate her worries, making her do the exact thing he told her not to do: worry.

The weekend had arrived and so did the much anticipated birthday party. Y/n spent a considerable amount of time getting ready, choosing a tie front top with a cami underneath and satin skirt to combat the sweltering city heat. She double checked every angle in the mirror before leaving her apartment.

The corners of the gift envelope addressed in her elegant script were slightly bent from being clutched in her nervous hands all the way to Harlem. It was easy to find the building. Y/n simply followed the booming sound of music and laughter to the rooftop. The party was already in full swing. Half of New York showed up to celebrate Gloria Morales’ 70th birthday.

Y/n moved through the packed party-goers to the gift table, not seeing a single familiar face amongst them. She felt out of place. Does she introduce herself? Wait? Look for Miles? Certainly he wouldn’t leave her to brave his family alone. A tinge of panic settled in her stomach as she looked again.

“You lost, babygirl?” Y/n nearly jumped out of her skin hearing a strange voice beside her. The boy was taller than her and around her age or a little older. His feather duster of a mustache curved with his smirk as his leering eyes roved her head to toe slowly. Painfully slow.

She prickled, immediately raising her guard. “No, I’m just waiting for someone.” He glanced around, seeing everyone engrossed in their own conversations.

“I ain’ never seen you round here before. What’s your name?” Y/n hesitated to answer, but gave him a curt reply. “Thas cute. Real cute.” This was a party after all, the point was to mingle. And she didn’t want to seem rude. She had no idea who this guy was. He might’ve been a cousin, a family friend, someone who could easily say the wrong thing to the right person about her. “You know how to dance?” The night was starting to look very long.

Where was Miles?

⋆

Miles was very late. On his way, but late. His mother has surely noticed his absence by now. Abuela was definitely asking about him. And Y/n…she was probably already there. He cursed himself underneath his mask. That last job was pushing it. There was no time to go home, change, and take the subway like he originally planned. Luckily, he knew a shortcut through the skyscrapers and shadows of New York.

The window of his abuela’s apartment squeaked as it slid open. Miles rushed to shed his Prowler persona in the guest bedroom and stuff the suit in his bag. In a second, he appeared to be a normal teenage boy despite the forming bruises. He prepared himself to face the wrath of his mother, grandmother, and girlfriend. What he was not prepared for was seeing Y/n about to be pulled to the dance floor by another guy. They were close. Too close for his liking.

Something burned inside Miles, one he was reluctant to identify—jealousy. Dare he say doubt? He was new to the boyfriend thing. Sometimes he said the wrong thing, silent at the wrong times. But he tried. Was Y/n already fed up? There was no denying she was gorgeous. She could pull any guy she wanted.

He stalked closer, effortlessly weaving through the crowd. “Oh, come on! I’m not asking you to marry me. Just one song.” The guy tugged at her again. Miles recognized him. Eric and his family were friends, though Miles only endured his presence when they were forced to be in the same place. They’d never gotten along, finding each other to be a nuisance and a relationship beyond neutrality unnecessary. But that little understanding might just end right here, this was not about to fly on his watch.

“I told you I don’t want to dance,” Y/n separated herself out of his grip. The sheer expression of disgust on her amused Miles. She found him as annoying as he did.

Eric made the mistake of reaching towards her again. He had the chance to back off and it sounded like he had been warned more than once. This was not about to fly. Miles decided it was time to interfere. He swiftly placed himself at Y/n’s side, his footsteps soundless, a skill learned from his…side hobby. “La escuchaste, cabrón. Retrocede.” Venom laced his tone, an unspoken threat at the tip of his tongue. The air turned to ice around the three of them. You heard her, cabrón. Back off.

The confidence drained from Eric’s face. He knew good and well Miles was not to be messed with. There were rumors about him and his penchant for beating anyone who pissed him off into the ground. “Ella es tu chica, Morales?” He stepped up to him in a vain attempt to mask how intimidated he really was. Miles moved Y/n behind him. She watched the standoff silently, keeping a hand on Miles’ bicep in case it went south. She’s your girl, Morales?

Miles tilted his head, sneering down at the posturing fool. “Sí, ella es mía. Ahora déjala.” Yeah, she’s mine. Now leave her alone.

“No estaba tratando de hacer nada,” Eric scoffed. He turned his attention back to the pretty girl hidden behind Miles. “If you get tired of this asshole, come find me.” I wasn’t trying to do nothing.

Miles lunged, thankfully, with some supernatural girlfriend sense, Y/n was quicker and held him back. Eric flinched, his fear visible for that split second. Heads turned. “You need to calm down, Miles.” Her hand made its way into his, gently pulling him away. He backed away, never breaking his cold glare from Eric.

⋆

Together they left the party. Miles muttered curses in Spanish Y/n couldn’t catch as he stomped down the stairs. “Miles! Miles, baby, slow down!” She called his name again. “You not ‘bout to make me run after you in these shoes!” He stopped. His jaw was tight, eyebrows set low on his face, hands burrowed in his pockets to hide his balled up fists. Damn. Even seething he was gorgeous. “We talked about this. You gotta talk to me.”

He was silent for a few moments, he merely stared down at Y/n as she wrapped her arms around his middle. His heart pounded in his chest. (It was because of her. Miles refused to admit those lustrous eyes and her touch still had such an effect on him) “Ian like seein’ you wit him. Shit pissed me off. For a minute I thought…” She fixed his collar, avoiding his gaze to keep herself from smiling. “Nothin’.” Miles was jealous and willing to protect her by any means necessary.

Y/n heard the words left unspoken. Miles was a fortress locked up tight to keep the outside world out. But behind his many walls he was a boy with feelings and insecurities. “Miles, I’d never do that. I like you too much.”

“Yeah, I know, ma. Sorry for gettin’ all upset.”

“‘S fine. That’s not what I’m mad about.” She eyed the fresh bruises coloring his cheek and temple. “Where were you?” At this point, she was more concerned than angry. Miles wasn’t inclined to long conversations, but he was decent enough to send her a text. Although dry and vague it was something. Y/n would take what she could get.

Miles stiffened in her embrace. “I had to take care of some stuff. Don’t worry ‘bout it. Lemme make it up to you.”

“You owe me a dance.” Prying it out of him would get her nowhere. She decided to let it go. Just this once.

“A dance?” he asked. She grinned, happy to catch him off guard for once.

Y/n nodded. “Mrs. Morales told me you’re a wonderful dancer. Don’t be holdin’ out on me.”

His sigh was long and deep, directed towards the ceiling of the narrow hallway. Miles was in no place to refuse. He took her hand and started walking. “Alright, but we not goin’ to the roof.”

He led her to his grandma’s apartment. It was sizable and definitely decorated by an elderly woman. Y/n admired the photos sitting on the mantle. There was Rio and Jefferson Davis, dressed in white for their wedding day. She paused on a picture of an infant covered in paint, smiling from ear to ear with two teeth. She awed at Miles. He was so cute, so carefree without the shadows of the world dragging behind him.

“Ven aquí, mami.” He stood in the middle of the living room, hands outstretched, a song playing behind him from his phone. She peeked at the song as they joined hands. Come here, mami.

“Eres Mía” by Romeo Santos.

The song was unfamiliar to her. “What? You thought you was gonna to twerk and grind on me?” His low chuckle sent shivers through her. She didn’t answer. “Nah. We gon dance for real. Bachata.”

“Wait, Miles. I don’t how to—”

“Imma teach you. Two steps to the music. Thas all it is,” he showed her. Y/n mimicked him, each step hesitant and unsure, but Miles was encouraging and a surprisingly good teacher. “See? Easy.”

He raised his arms to spin her around and brought her closer. Y/n faltered. “Aye, come on, mami. I know you can move your hips better than that.” He repositioned, hands at her back and waist, his thigh between her legs, ruffling her skirt. Miles guided her across the floor, his fingers wandering to the trim of her cami, drawing a distracting trail of heat on her bare skin. Her own hands found their way to his nape, brushing his twin braids as they swayed to the beat. Soon she found her rhythm.

“There you go,” he praised, rolling his hips into hers. She followed. Her body trusted him. She trusted him wholeheartedly and fell into his lead.

They rocked together in silence, the song having long since ended. Miles nestled in the crook of her neck to breathe in the sweet scent of her perfume. “Thank you for helping me. I should have said so earlier,” Y/n said from above him.

“It’s my job, princesa.” Miles left the softness of her neck. “Eres mía.” You are mine. Y/n blinked while he returned to her warmth. She hoped he didn’t feel the way her temperature rose.

In three short months he made a place for himself in her life. He was the most unexpected surprise. She had a list of the ideal boyfriend and Miles Morales didn’t check off a single one. Yet everything never felt more perfect than in his arms, dancing to the distant sirens and traffic.

His phone buzzed from the end table. “Is that your mom?” He shrugged in response. “We should go.” Y/n suggested, but Miles’ grip only tightened.

“One more minute. They can wait.”

#iivri writes ˚·⊹ ⟢˖∿#iivri mail ·♡˖﹒ ₊˳#miles morales x reader #earth 42 miles x reader #miles morales #earth 42 miles fluff #miles morales x y/n #miles morales x you #miles g morales #miles morales prowler #prowler miles #atsv x you #astv miles #spider man: across the spider verse #miles spiderverse #fluff #marvel

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altraviolet · 2 months

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thinking about new fic

my brain is slowly building a new Rodimus/Soundwave fic, but it's going to be an IDW-esque AU. very heavy on the AU.

since it therefore wouldn't be TFP SW/MTMTE Rodimus, I ran a lil poll on twitter to see if people would still be interested. here are the results:

so that's pretty cool! a very large vote turn out compared to my usual turn out. 86% is a good majority for sure :)

I'm currently brainstorming how to deviate from the fundamentals of IDW without completely abandoning the essence of Cybertronians. JRO built a lot of explanations for Transformers into his worldbuilding. why can't they remember where they came from initially? information creep. how do you explain a population of different alt modes? functionism (this is an in-universe justification for the treatment of said alt modes, not really an explanation, but it fills the role exceptionally well). what are the fundamental building blocks of a Cybertronian? that holy trinity of brain, T cog, and spark

the general course of IDW1 society seems to trace back to the "God War" and Adaptus saying "hey what if we tried to take over the universe."

I'm uninterested in war and very interested in trying to think of a new mythology that still feels Cybertronian. what if the Titans had never left? what if there had never been a god war? what if there wasn't even an Adaptus or Primus? can I still make a story that will interest readers and feel Transformer-y? that's the main goal. it strikes me that that seems to be what IDW2 was... maybe...

a new flavor of Soundwave/Rodimus is the secondary goal. it was really fun to build and change TFP Soundwave in TEG, but that's done now. I don't want to bring TFP SW into the IDW universe for this story because I'd have to do some version of TEG over again just to get him to an amicable point (and I'm uninterested in multiverse shenanigans this time around). I don't know/understand a ton about IDW1 Soundwave, so I'll probably be changing him quite a bit. I'm stressin' the AU in "IDW1 AU," here lol. well if I'm changing IDW SW quite a bit, why not just use an amicable TFP Soundwave? idk man, it just doesn't feel right to stick him into an IDW world with no explanation. it's part of the challenge...

*contemplates giving IDW1 SW tentacles anyway* heh

so yeah! I had really meant to work on original stuff by now but maybe I'll try to see how fast I can plan/do this project and consider that practice :)

some things I'd like to explore:

-explore physical (brain, T cog) vs immaterial (fields, spark) parts of TFs & how that affects their society

-use a different system of gods than what has been used in canon so far

-see if shadow daddy troll Soundwave is possible

-mini beasts that are different from anything canon has given us

-Rodimus has a Very Big Problem

all the worldbuilding stuff will be the background to the slow burn, of course. I need to think of some good conflicts/plot lines. plots are the hardest thing for me, lel. TEG was easy in that half the fun was "how would MTMTE characters react to TFP SW? how would he react to them?" this would aim to explore new iterations in a new world... thus the goal being: can I make it just as engaging for readers? or will people just want TEG part 2?

realistically, I can guess what people want xD but New Thing is the current goal, and heck, all writing is practice, so there we go.

#ramblies #long post #possible new fic #probably not important to share but I felt like sharing #I have about 10 pages of notes so far :)

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bitchy-w1tchy · 10 months

Text

Anfuu analysis

Anime onlys: I would highly recommend not reading any further because I will be discussing a lot of shit that happens way past episode 10 in the anime.

This is long, sorry

Lemme say first off that I really have not seen a relationship like Andy and Fuuko's before (granted my only other shonen series I have been into were Fairy Tail and AOT). From what I have seen in other shonen, which I normally can't get into because they're pretty cookie cutter imo, romance doesn't happen right off the bat.

Undead Unluck would not be a thing if Fuuko and Andy didn't have a relationship. I'm a damn sucker for romance and the second I saw the dynamic between them in the first episode, I knew I was in for a helluva ride.

So in the beginning, it is obvious that Andy is using her. He has admitted to it multiple times, there's no hiding it. My guy wanted to die and saw someone who could potentially give him a proper death and he wasn't going to let that opportunity slip through his fingers.

Up until the end of Spoil, Andy saving Fuuko, protecting her, teasing her, that was all for his personal gain. He didn't take into account that she had been touch deprived for ten years, living vicariously through her shojo manga. Andy called her a pushover many times but I don't think she was. She loved the fact that she could touch someone without them dying. In a short amount of time, she got to live out a ton of different scenarios that only her shojo mango could provide her and I think she was in love with the idea that she could finally start living a little.

Going back to the Spoil arc, after Fuuko saves Andy from Victhor, that's when the dynamic starts to change a little bit. Fuuko saved Andy. She got him back. And Andy FOR SURE saw that. She wasn't some brat to him anymore. Does he love her at this point? No. But he definitely respects her and wants to continue to protect her. He doesn't JUST see her as a personal asset anymore.

And we are that in the Unrepair arc, when Fuuko gets hit by Rip's scalpel, Andy loses it and has to collect himself before returning to the fight, not only that is that Fuuko had to reassure him that she was fine.

Fuuko is not a damsel in distress and Andy sees that, allowing her to fight alongside him (even if she is just piggybacking). Andy recognizes that he can be stronger with her Unluck and it makes me so damn happy that she isn't cast on the sidelines during fights (thank you tozuka)

ANYWAYS

Autumn arc is where we start cooking, fr. Fuuko admits she loves Andy. Is she in love with him? No. But she is starting to fall. She spent 10 years with him in that damned book. And Andy definitely loved her too. They helped each other grow. And when they came out of that book they were stronger than ever.

Before Fuuko goes with Under, it was blatantly obvious that Andy did not want her to go. At this point, he does not like being away from her at all. But there is a huge amount of trust there so he lets her go.

But man's was STRESSIN the whole time she was gone, not sleeping or nothing until her heard from her. Not only that is Fuuko admits that she is in love with Andy, realizing it now that she has been away from him for only a couple days. Not only that is Unchaste doesn't work on her because she truly loves someone unconditionally.

Now, before I go into the rest of Spring and into Ragnarok, I'm gonna say that Andy does not know how to deal with his feelings. His inner dialogue and the way he speaks to Fuuko are not matching up at all. Before he admits he loves her, (God damn it I wish she heard him), he's looking back on their time together, how they both grew, how he treated her at first, etc.

At the end of Spring, he admits to himself that he can't die because he can't accept Fuuko's feelings properly. And why can't he? Because he's AFRAID.

But when he speaks to Fuuko he plays it off as, "now it's my turn to fall in love with you", kinda jokes around about it.

This is where I get controversial. By the time Spring ends, does Andy love Fuuko? Without a doubt, yes. Is he IN love with her? No.

Like I said, he is scared to accept her feelings. I do believe that if he could get past the barrier of his own feelings and accept her love then I truly believe he would fall head over heels with her in an instant. His feelings are what's holding him back.

So why is he so afraid? Because I think that if he admits he is in love with Fuuko and accepts Fuuko's feelings, then he won't want to die like he has wanted for 2 centuries. And if he DOES die, then he leaves behind a heartbroken Fuuko.

I mean, come on, Fuuko gets shanked and Andy absolutely loses his shit. That's love.

I PISSED that Andy and Fuuko never got their proper talk before the Loop happened. But I'm hoping that when Andy decides to get his ass off the fucking sun (kidding), then we have a real talk between them because I'll tell you I am so sick of licking these anfuu crumbs off the fucking floor. (Bring my boy home)

(now I do think, at some point during the Ragnarok arc, he doesn't want to die anymore. His astral projection is that of an old man. He just wants to grow old.)

#andy x fuuko #anfuu #this took so long and the original got fucking deleted because tumblr sucks #undead unluck #uu spoilers #undead unluck manga #izumo fuuko #undead andy #unluck fuuko #they make me happy

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rachiecrown · 11 months

Note

Ur gonna regret keepin that prompt open >:)

im just gonna keep sendin you mumscarian asks just lettin you know

Ok so mumscarian 2/3 takin care of 1/3 thats stressin

So like scar ab scarland, grian ab grumbot prime or the rift, mumbo ab his base

Just callin for some relaxation

Used a picker wheel for this one cause I wasn't sure which of the three I wanted to write for teehee

Also this ended up kinda dragging near the end cause I didn't know how to end it, sorry about that waaaa also there's some cute lil romance fluff at the end so yee

(also if you saw me post this under the wrong ask no you didn't)

---

Mumbo was falling behind. At least, that's how he felt. Everyone else was so far on with their bases, heck, even Decked Out Two was close to being finished, and here Mumbo sat with a deepslate and copper box and a half-done outline he was not very satisfied with.

He paced around the path that floated around his bamboo farm. He loved the color pallete, he loved the idea of having some sort of multi-tired building full of fully automated farms and whatever else his little engineer heart desired, and he loved the idea of it looking like a more impressive version of his vault, but something about it just felt incorrect to him.

Maybe it was the floating water pillars.. Or was the copper variant not oxidized enough? What if the floor beneath the bamboo farm was too different? What if everything looked too similar? Mumbo shook his head. Surely, if he just kept adding to it, the base would turn out alright, but at the same time Mumbo couldn't bring himself to continue building.

Ah, he was burnt out, wasn't he? Mumbo realized this with a long, drawn out sigh. Despite how badly he wanted to continue creating, he really just couldn't go any further with this project.

Mumbo donned his elytra and grabbed some rockets, taking off from the path and quickly soaring over his vault, as he decided in that moment he wanted to see Grian and Scar. As much as he's used elytra and rockets over the years, it never seemed like the thrill of being so high up had ever mellowed out. Mumbo turned and glided towards Grian's base, slowing and landing at the halfway point between his and Grian's bases and continuing his speed as a jog.

He placed his hand on one of the pillars at the entry way. "Grian, you here?" He called, but got no response. "Grian!!" He tried again, but still, nothing. "Ohh, if he's not around his base I'll just go to Scar." He decided. The only reason he stopped at Grian's first was because Grian's base was closest.

After a few minutes of checking around Grian's usual spots and possible areas he could be building in, then also the underground cave the rift was in, Mumbo changed direction towards Scarland.

When he landed near the still unfinished entryway, he spotted Scar and Grian just about to head into the theme park, Scar showing off what Mumbo believed was an absolutely gigantic golden "admit one" ticket. Mumbo landed in a jog again and slowed to a walk as he approached the two.

"Oh, hey Mumbo!" Scar called with a wave. Grian turned as he loudly sipped on a Scarland slushy. Mumbo stopped and folded his arms across his chest. "Hey, guys, uh- so like, I was wondering if you'd like to- uh, hang out, maybe?" Mumbo stammered. He was already flustered from the frustration of his base, and now his face felt hot.

Scar covered his mouth with a giggle. "Oh, Mumbo, your face is all red." He pointed out. Grian grinned. "You flustered, Mumbs?" The two made their way over with sly grins, and Mumbo looked away nervously. "Well, well uh-"

Grian seemed to sense Mumbo's discomfort. "Hey, this isn't your usual Mumbo-nervousness." Grian prodded Mumbo in the chest. "What's wrong?"

Mumbo sighed as Grian refolded his wings and Scar walked over with curiosity. "It's my base, man, I can't keep building. I'm all burnt out." He explained. Grian and Scar nodded in thought, and Scar smiled and snapped. "I've got it! You can tour Scarland with us!" He exclaimed, grabbing Mumbo by the shoulders and dropping the giant ticket.

Grian promptly snatched the ticket up. "It's mine now, boys!" He claimed, and he promptly ran off into Scarland as soon as Scar swiped at him, both shouting and giggling. Mumbo laughed at the sight, following the two.

The day continued on into late afternoon as Scar showed off the shops and streets of Scarland. Mumbo's arms were piled high with all kinds of goodies, which Grian helped carry at one point.

By the time the sky started to change colors, Scar dragged the two up to his castle excitedly. "And here, the sunset is Ah-maze-ing!!" Scar pronounced his words flamboyantly, throwing his hands in the air joyfully. "I'm sure it is!" Mumbo agreed, smiling at the whimsy Scar had. Mumbo glanced at Grian, who was chewing on some popcorn with a smile, balloon strings tied around his wrists by Scar because Grian had kept letting go of them.

Scar placed down some stair blocks for the trio to sit, him sitting on one end, Grian on the other, and Mumbo in the middle. "So, did you enjoy your day at Scarland?" Scar wondered, a smile on his lips. Mumbo nodded "It was lovely," he said as Grian gave a thumbs up, his mouth full of popcorn. Scar clapped. "There's no rides yet, but once there is it's gonna be a hundred times more fun."

"I'll bet." Grian agreed after swallowing his food. Mumbo looked up as the clouds turned all sorts of yellow and pink shades from the sunset, sighing happily. Scar and Grian both leaned against him. "So what about your base? Did you clear your head?" Grian wondered as he put his arms around Mumbo's waist. Scar joined with his arm over Mumbo's shoulders.

"W-well.." Mumbo felt his face grow hot again. "My head is clear now, yeah.." Grian rested his head on Mumbo's shoulder, with Scar putting a hand on Mumbo's leg. Ohh, Mumbo had to change the subject before he got too flustered to speak! "And so now I'm wondering if you two would be interested in blowing up my base for-"

Grian leaped up, his wings fluttering in excitement. "We can blow up your base!?" Scar pulled his hands away to clap, a wide smile on his face. "I've always wanted to blow up a base! When can we do it?"

Mumbo laughed. "You didn't even let me finish my sentence! I was gonna say for a stack of diamond blocks each!" He watched as Grian and Scar's eyes lit up. "We're getting paid!?" Grian shouted. Scar clapped again. "Ohoho! Are we starting tomorrow?"

With a sigh, Mumbo tilted his head back. "What am I going to do with you two?"

#hermitshipping #mumscarian #mumbo jumbo #goodtimeswithscar #grian #hermitcraft #buttercup trio #the buttercups

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kennmarsh · 4 months

Note

I'm so sorry to ask but is there a reason you deleted your stenny fic? there was two chapters and I was SO invested in it, I was really sad to see it deleted :(

oh my gosh you don’t need to apologize, i’m so sorry! i deleted it because working on it was starting to feel like a chore and i wasn’t really sure where i was going with it in the middle parts, plus i just wasn’t a huge fan of how my writing was since the editing was a bit rushed :( also weekly updates were kinda stressin me out and affecting the writing quality as well. on old accounts i mostly wrote angst so it was a bit difficult to break away from that, which might be part of the reason as well, but i do plan on reviving it at some point with a more fleshed-out plot and less sloppy editing! i just took it down for now just to kind of get shit in order :) STILL I’M SO SORRY OMG i can always send you a link to the deleted chapters/draft of chapter three if you’d like!!

#ITLL COME BACK EVENTUALLY #just tryna figure shit out before diving in

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ffxiv-f13ndish · 3 months

Text

Magnus has a Big Storm Coming

Collab. drabble with @ro-valerius [Tofu, Tio, Daen Lad, Peach], @sorrel-haven [Kore, Mina, Nerida, Berry], @punkiestmonk [Punk], and Ser Sorrel (author not on Tumblr).

[image shot by @ro-valerius and edited by @sorrel-haven !]

The storm rages towards Magnus' end.

The ship, the Hound’s Revenge, sailed steadily, fair skies and winds overhead, but the storm looming in the distance was their destination. Mina at the helm glared at the foreboding clouds, her jaw set. It had been some time since she sailed with such purpose, and with others aboard. She noticed a shift in the wind and looked to the sail.

“Trim that sail!” she shouted, forgetting these were not sailors on her ship for a moment. Tio moved without thinking, grabbing the line to the outside of the sail, increasing the tension to catch the wind. Satisfied on how tight the sheet was now, he tied off the line before turning his attention back to Mina.

She smiled at Tio. “Good lad Rory!”

Tio noticed that Mina was smiling at him, and therefore was talking to him… Oh right, he was Rory. He blinked.

“R-right.”

Mina took in a breath as she realized what she had called Tio. She shook her head, she couldn’t focus on that now. She looked down at the deck below, looking over the rest of her temporary crew.

Punk was firmly grasping the port rail, trying to keep her lunch in her, with great difficulty. She had her helmet by her feet, slowly getting soggy with the sea water. Tofu gave Punk a pitying look, patting her on the back. Strawberry walked up to Punk’s side and gently placed a hand on her head, applying some light healing magics to help. She turned to Strawberry, giving her a shaky thumbs up.

“You can do this, I believe in you,” Strawberry said, attempting to soothe her. Tofu gave Berry a quick pat on the head as well.

“Keep your heads high, there's no point in stressin’ failure,” Ser added. For him, this was just like any other day.

“There will be no failure, I assure you,” Tofu said with a steady gaze. He gave a more assuring smile. "Besides, we have a Ser and a Punk, what could go wrong?"

Miyu could only think of all the ways they could achieve failure. They were silent, tuned out from the conversation nearby – oblivious of their friend’s fight with sea sickness – and tuned into the storm of their thoughts.

Ser directed his attention towards Miyu, almost sensing their struggle. Despite the sea upsetting him, he could only imagine how they were feeling. He swore to do whatever it took to ensure the success of the mission, and in the end, Miyu’s happiness with it. He knew everyone did, and they could all count on each other.

Tofu noted the expressions on his friends, and with a sigh, he walked over to Ser, giving him a firm pat on the shoulder before making his way over to Miyu. He brushed their hair gently out of their face before pulling them in for a one armed hug, leaning his head comfortingly against theirs.

Miyu blinked, startled out of their trance. They looked perplexed for a moment at his initiation to hug them, but gave a little smile and eased into the embrace for as long as it lasted.

He pulled back and placed both hands on either side of their face, giving them a reassuring smile. With one last trace of his thumb across their cheek, he made his way over to Kore. He reached out and took her hand in his, brushing a thumb over her knuckles. Kore brought the back of his hand to her cheek and closed her eyes as she let out a breath she had been holding in.

Tofu gave Kore and Miyu one last reassuring pat on the head before he made his way towards where Peach was sitting, watching him with curious eyes. He sat down on the deck beside her, giving her a look like “what?”

“You’re antsy,” she stated.

“No I’m not,” he replied quickly, narrowing his eyes at her.

“You’ve been pacing the whole time, no wonder poor Punk is sea sick, she’s got the sea and you making her dizzy!” She smiled at him to show jest. Tofu groaned and leaned back.

“So that’s why the boat is moving more than it looks…” Punk said as her stomach moved with every wave.

“I just… It’s fine. I’m just ready to get this over with. Have been for weeks,” he murmured. Peach reached out and patted the top of his head, like he’d done for Berry a bit ago.

“Soon, Boss. Soon,” she said, resisting every temptation to ruffle his oh-so-soft hair. She gave in and ruffled his hair anyway. With a grumble, he smoothed his hair back down. Berry slid in next to her sister and fiddled with her necklace as her knuckles became white gripping her staff as her nerves started to show. Tofu affixed both of them with a stern look.

“Remember, you promised to stay on Mina’s ship. Please, be safe,” he murmured. Peach huffed and shrugged.

“Yeah yeah…”

---

Two ships came into view as the blue skies were left behind and the storm enveloped the Hound’s Revenge. Kore stared at the ships - They were still undetected. It was now a race against the clock, though they didn’t know how long they had. The quicker her and Punk could do their job the better. She gave Miyu’s hand one last squeeze before joining Punk and Daen Lad at the prow.

Miyu’s hand remained hanging at their side after Kore had let go, quivering ever so slightly in their anxiety. Their eyes flickered over to Kore, watching as she walked away, before they turned their eyes back to the sea once more.

Punk handed Kore several wrapped tubes with a sparkler in the middle, taking care to not let the dust wrapped inside to spill out. “Light the sparkler and then drop it down the barrel of the gun, should melt the guns so it's safer for the others to board, the other ship’s cannons however will require us to deal with their shooters though.”

“Got it. We should have no trouble taking out the second ship’s people quietly.” Kore smiled.

“Oh we were doing that quietly?” Punk then hid the remainder of the equipment she had brought. It was very much not quiet.

“You can make as much noise as you want after we get everyone else on board, don’t you worry. But the more time we can buy unnoticed the better,” Kore said as she bumped Punk’s shoulder with the back of her fist. “We have one shot at stealth so we should make the most of it.”

Daen Lad flitted down and sat on Punk’s shoulder “Are we ready to cause mayhem then?” The pixie grinned, a flash of malicious intent sparkled in their eyes. Thankfully such energies were directed to the Basilisks.

“Ready as I’ll ever be with the way this thing is rolling.” Stuffing the rest of the… party favors in her armor, she grabbed her club and put on her helmet, giving a final thumbs up to the pixie as she closed her eyes and prayed to Hydaelyn.

Kore grabbed hold of Punk’s arm as a portal opened up and enveloped them. On the other side, they found themselves in a mostly darkened interior, the swaying suggesting they were still at sea. It was quiet. Nobody was around. Perfect.

Kore gave Punk a quick reassuring tap on her shoulder before heading over to the furthest canon from the pair. She moved quietly, wary of any loose looking floorboards, trying to time her steps with the natural creak of the ship. Daen Lad flitted towards the door to the room to keep an ear out for anyone approaching.

Pulling out her own stash of wrapped tubing, lit the sparkler poking out at the end, and reached past the hull of the ship to slip the sparkler down the barrel of the gun. Moving to the next one, she heard the sound of the sparkler increase in volume, as the gun behind had its chamber turn to slag. She brought her finger up to her helm while looking at Kore, pointing to the next one down the line, and tossed her one of Punk’s many spare lighters. Kore caught it and set to work on disabling the canons on the other side.

It wasn’t silent, but it also didn’t sound worse than a firework, and she had hoped that the pirates had never heard it before, giving them time to melt the rest of the guns on this ship before Daen Lad whisked them away. As they finished off the last of the canons Daen Lad caught the sound of muffled voices and approaching footsteps.

Daen Lad flew over to Kore and grabbed a lock of her hair to get her attention. The pixie pointed at the door and then to Punk. They signed “Time to go! Now!” as the door swung open. Kore grabbed Daen Lad and hopped over the crates in the center.

She rushed over to Punk and grabbed onto her armor as Daen Lad opened a portal to the other ship below them. Punk left behind some party favors for the sailors as they jumped through the portal. A series of concussive BOOMs could be heard from the other ship as Kore landed on the floor gently. She was still holding onto Punk to help keep her steady on her feet. They could hear the alarm bell from the ship they were just on.

“Fuck.” Kore looked at Punk. “Guess we’re done being quiet.”

All Kore could hear was a chuckle coming from Punk. But underneath her helmet Punk was grinning ear to ear. She dropped the remaining wrapped tubes she had, and pulled out some “proper” explosives. If her friends knew what she would be reading, they might not have taught her.

“We need these guns and ship right?” Saying this she gave Kore a single iron grenade. “When I open the door, I need you to light this and throw it as far as you can up the stairs. I’m going to slam the door so we don't get hit with it, then I’m charging.” Punk readied herself at the door and gave a small nod to Kore. “Ready?”

Kore gripped the grenade tightly and held it to her chest. She looked at Daen Lad and nodded to the pixie. Daen Lad returned the nod and teleported back to the others. Everyone back on Mina’s ship could hear more explosions going off from the second ship.

The pixie popped up next to Tofu, “Alright~ time to go! Are we ready? Okay good!” Not waiting for an answer, they snapped their fingers and portals opened up at the feet of Ser, Miyu, Tio and Tofu. They all fell through and were shuffled onto the two ships.

Tofu landed heavily, pressing his hand to his chest with a brief muttered “Thanks I hate it,” before straightening for the task at hand.

Mina steered the Hound’s Revenge to close in on the two close together. The battle opened with a bang.

Or three.

Ser landed amidst the fray of the pirates on a crouched knee, with the wood beneath his feet ruptured. His left hand placed on the ground, and his right drawing the monstrous blade off his back, the purple aura igniting. He slowly stood up, watching the pirates charge at him. With a crack of the neck, he was ready.

He nodded to Tofu and Miyu to get going as he lowered his stance to his left hip and zipped forward 15 yalms. He caught a head in his left hand, and cut through a dozen men in a blink of an eye. After planting his feet, he crushed a woman's skull with his hand, her blood spraying his arm and helmet. His head shifted rapidly to a hesitant opponent, using his sword to flip himself into the air and cleave the fearful foe. With the force of the blade, he crushed the ground beneath him, and fell a floor lower.

Some opportune enemies formed up around the hole with their weapons primed while the elezen was getting back to his feet. They all fired in unison, but he unleashed a barbaric roar, his scream throwing the projectiles off course, and leapt up. With a swing of his blade, he separated their torsos from their legs, and stuck his foot out to plant it on a pirate's head, crushing it as he landed.

Miyu just barely could steady their feet when they landed on the ship before they were thrown into the full storm of the fight. Or more so, they were getting the splashback as Ser burst forward and tore through the crowd of Basilisks like a tidal wave. Miyu looked around with a wide eyed gaze.

Where was Kore? Punk? The twins? Was this even the ship they were supposed to attack first? It looked like Daen Lad threw the battle plans right out the door.

But they will have to make do. Miyu’s eye’s met Tofu’s. Their feet steadied and they straightened up. Miyu gave him a nod, and then they set off with Tofu to take the path that Ser had begun to clear off. It was time to carry out what they had come here to do.

Still, even when launched into the flurry of the fighting and the storm, their gaze continued to linger across to the other ship. They could only pray that Kore was okay.

—-----

Kore looked back at the door barely left on its hinges after the grenade went off. She nodded to Punk, who drew her club from her back. Kore grabbed her chakrams from her hips as she prepared to follow after Punk. Punk charged up the stairs with her club ready and slammed into the first pirate that had the luck to be unharmed by the grenade. Despite the pirate being taller and heavier than punk, he went flying with the force of Punk's charge.

While the big pirate was knocked flat on his back, Punk swung her club in a wide arching strike and brought it down on the man’s head. She spun quickly on her heels and realized she was slowly getting surrounded by the remaining crew not being engaged by her friends. She let out a boisterous laughter, for the ship was her mosh pit, and she was here to thrash.

“So this is how many of y’all you think it takes, you’re gonna need more bodies.” The pirates chuckled at Punk’s overconfidence, they outnumbered the woman ten to one, or rather, had outnumbered her nearly 20 to one. Despite Punk’s quick execution of the burly pirate, his fellow crew members at least pretended to not be intimidated by the armored woman's speed and ferocity.

One of the furthest pirates opened up with a salvo of their flintlock pistols, getting a glancing blow to Punk's helmet, making Punk’s head ring with the force of the blow. Darkness overtook Punk’s vision, making it flood with a dark fog that was only cut through by her fury and pain. She jumped and flipped towards the Pirate, landing with a blow with enough force to splinter the deck underneath the poor man that dared to fire at her. Seeing a second comrade die to the strangely armored woman, one of the pirates let into her fury, eyes glowing with rage as she threw her axe at punk.

Punk was only just barely able to get her club up to block the axe. The pirate gave Punk a staggering right hook, making the already dazed woman see stars as well as the darkness. Seeing the armored woman stagger with the force of their comrades' blows, the pirates regained their lost confidence, one circling the woman, looking for an opportunity to sheath the blade he carried into the Dark Knight's body, shortly before getting sent flying from a swift blow to the face.

A masked hyur woman emerged from below deck, a hand on her rapier as she assessed the situation. She tried to pick out how many there were assaulting the ship, noticing one heavily armored individual taking on a bulk of the crew themself. She drew her rapier and spell focus to join the fray when the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She dodged a flash of steel coming towards her.

Tio had been winding through, taking on pirate after pirate until his eyes landed on one with a spell focus; in short, a mage. His only thought was ‘I can’t let them get to Tofu’ before hse dashed towards them, blade drawn up to strike. A low growl escaped him as they dodged out of the way; a woman, he discovered. The woman swung with a half blind slash as she turned to face her attacker. Her goggles were partially obscured from the rain, which was not helping. She took a more defensive stance, if this was her chance to turn on the Basilisks then she didn’t want to injure him.

“Wait a second! I’m not-” A violent jerk of the ship knocked her off balance.

Tio swung as she stumbled, though his blade only took her goggles. His brain caught up with his body as her words set in. He stood above her, sword pointed at her, but he was willing to allow her to say her piece.

“Go on, then, out with it,” he said.

That voice…

The woman looked up past the sword in her face. There was no mistaking his dusty orange hair, or the scar under his eye. This was the ghost that’s been haunting her dreams in the flesh. She stammered as her original train of thought completely derailed.

“R-Rory?” she managed to get out.

Tio blinked, taken aback. That name… That bloody name again! How did he keep managing to run into people that knew him better than he knew himself?! He felt the rage bubble up inside of him at the unfairness of it all.

“Who are you? How do you know that name!?” he demanded.

“Wh-“ The woman noticed the lack of recognition in his eyes. She stood and ripped off her face mask and tossed it to the side. “Rory, luv, it’s me Neri!”

The rage within filled to burst. “That doesn’t tell me how you know me!” he yelled. And then, softer, with eyes awash with distress, he murmured, “I don’t even know me.”

“Who are you…?”

“I… I’m yours... And you’re mine…” The rain didn’t hide the pain in her voice. “We… were… Look out!”

Neri pulled Tio out of the way of an axe swinging for his head, putting herself in between Tio and the Basilisk engaging them. With a flourish of her rapier, she fended off the attacker. Neri glanced over her shoulder to Tio.

“We should talk about this after these bastards are dealt with. Just know… I’m not with them.”

With a growl, Tio parried another attacker. “For your sake, you’d better be telling the truth.”

At that moment, back on the other ship, a relentless Roegadyn jumped on Ser’s back, trying to restrain him. Ser raised his left arm, grabbing the rear collar of the pirate, and yanked them ferociously, biting off their head with his helmet. The present pirates gasped in terror, and the dark knight hurled the headless corpse at a crowd of them, knocking them over. He switched to half-sword, and charged at a line of opponents, impaling each one and catapulting the pirate-kebab off the ship.

Quickly, he dashed forward at another group of bunched pirates, using his shoulder to launch them. They smashed together, with the cracks of their bones audible, dying on impact. Ser raised his blade again, slicing horizontally below the shoulders of another half dozen pirates. The Elezen is now plagued by the smell of their fear, realizing he must act quickly before the cowards flee. A pirate stepped over the rail, and jumped off ship, but was caught by Ser. He placed his sword against the rail, ripped their heart out, and threw them to the ground, crushing their head with his foot. Afterwards, the dark knight galloped around the ship at superhuman speeds, each swing of his massive sword effortlessly cleaving multiple opponents, as if it were a toy. He then stopped, with his blade over his shoulder and a body stuck on it from being impaled.

Menacingly turning his twitching head, he noticed two remaining pirates pinned together, shaking in horror. He put one foot in front of the other, moving at a snail's pace as he approached them, shaking their comrades body off at the halfway point. He shifted the blade into his left hand, and planted it into the ground. Ser reached his other hand out, grabbing one pirate and forcing their face into the blade, sliding it down to the pointed end as he kept eye contact with the other. The vicious Elezen then poked the tip into the other's throat, and stuck his hand inside, extending his arm with them raised as he paraded around the ship of corpses. Finally, he tossed them aside, relishing the moment as he was drenched in the blood and innards of his foes.

Ser stood there for a moment, contemplating what he could do next. The thought of completing the mission on his own crossed his mind, but chose to trust his comrades, believing in them. The tall man took a knee, and looked over the carnage around him. He had done enough to give the rest a leg up. He could afford a moment to catch his breath.

Numbers on the ship were rapidly dropping, either by deserters or the addition of lifeless bodies. What is a bastard Captain without his crew? A vile man waiting to set sail to his doom.

–

Magnus stood tall and firm as the ship rocked beneath his feet, hand clasped tight around his gun. He could hear footsteps fast approaching — none of which he recognized. The hyur took in a deep breath, rolling his neck as he prepared himself for what had long been coming. Magnus turned and took a shot. Tofu reached out, pushing Miyu just enough for the bullet to whiz between the two of them, his eyes fixed on Magnus.

Miyu steadied their stance, teeth clenched together at the zing of the bullet that flew by their head. They turned their body in the direction of where the bullet came from, raising their staff in preparation to react. But nothing could have prepared them to who they would see standing only but a few feet away. Their face paled, and they instinctively staggered back. Tofu noted their hesitation and rested his hand firmly on their shoulder, not once taking his eyes off Mangus. Miyu could take their time, but he wasn’t going to let Magnus act in the meantime. With a quick motion, one of his throwing knives made its way to Magnus’s shooting hand.

A grunt of pain sounded from Magnus as the knife embedded into his palm. The man narrowed his eyes at Tofu.

“Ah.. it’s you. You’ll be a fun piece’a work, wont ya?” he growled, ripping the knife out of his own palm. He kicked his gun back up, catching it in his other hand before he lurched towards Tofu. He aimed again for Tofu’s torso.

Tofu dodged out of the way, but only barely as the bullet grazed his ribs; it mostly caught the fabric of his shirt, but a stinging pain across his flesh gave the indication of a small cut. His eyes narrowed as his muscles tensed, before he launched himself towards Magnus, if only to keep him occupied until Miyu could snap out of it.

The next shot spun Miyu back into action. Just as Magnus aimed his gun towards Tofu to take another shot, they cast a wind spell, knocking the man back. The gun sounded off before it launched from his hand.

A yell sounded from Miyu, and they held their hand to their shoulder as warmth spread through the material. Tofu’s eyes darkened as he came up on Magnus, reaching down and grabbing him roughly by the collar of his shirt, hoisting him up as his knife found its way deep into the pirate’s shoulder.

Magnus attempted to writhe out of Tofu’s grasp. Having presumed that the other didn’t have much strength to him, his eyes widened a fraction at the grip. He hissed in pain at the knife sheathed in his shoulder.

“For everything you inflict upon them, you will receive tenfold,” he growled as he shoved the man back, wiping his knife off on his pants before kicking the gun away from Magnus’s hand.

Magnus shot Tofu a heated stare, silent a moment as he caught his breath. Slowly, a smile made its way to his face. A low, bubbling chuckle grew into a whistling cackle.

“All this for my used up trash, huh boy? Yer a pathetic one, ya know. Ya wanna keep on talking big, or will ya do it already?” Magnus spat.

“It’s not for him to do,” Miyu cut in, stepping forward. They stomped down on his shoulder, digging their heel in. In their hand, they held a blade. Their expression was steely and cold – but their hand noticeably quivered. Tofu wrapped his hand around Miyu’s gently to still the shaking.

“Seems you’re blind as well as stupid if you want to call them ‘trash’ so casually. They’re right, it’s not for me to do, as much as I would love to,” he said with a smirk.

“That so, hu-” Tofu kicked Magnus in the mouth harshly.

“Shut up.”

Magnus turned his head to look Miyu dead in the eyes. They froze. Miyu felt the initial instinct to step back, one foot moving behind them, but they made no efforts to step away. After taking a breath, they positioned themself over him and grabbed Magnus by the hair, leaning down as they held a blade to his neck. Again Miyu froze.

In the moment they paused, Magnus shoved a blade into their abdomen, just above the hip. Miyu cried out, moving back in a panic. With the knife they held, they closed back in and plunged it into his chest.

Tofu’s eyes flickered to their injury, noting that the small blade was his own that he had thrown. His chest weighed heavy with guilt, but he could take a small measure of comfort that the blade couldn’t do much in terms of damage when used the way it had been- Magnus clearly had meant for it to be more of a shock to Miyu’s system than anything.

“Miyu, are you alright?” he murmured softly, his eyes trained on Magnus once more. Seeing that Miyu stayed in close, he didn’t know what he could do outside of assessing the situation. He kept his muscles tense, ready to react should Magnus still have any fight left in him.

Miyu gave no verbal response, eyes trained on Magnus. With a final attempt to raise his hand, Miyu twisted the knife. He gave a shout and fell back, breaths quick and shallow.

“I need to do this,” Miyu murmured quietly. As they pulled the knife back out, they kicked his head back.

Perhaps they did it to ensure that he was dead. Or perhaps, on some level deep within them, they felt they didn’t deserve a clean conscience out of this. They couldn’t close their eyes as they carried through with what they came to do.

They turned the severed head’s face away from them, and collapsed to their knees.

Miyu let out a shuddering sigh, burying their hands away into their face. Tofu crouched beside them, resting a hand on their shoulder. With his other hand, he reached into his pocket, clasping his hand around a smooth, pale stone. He knew his limits, and didn’t go too far, but he applied a small amount of healing to Miyu’s abdomen; not enough to fully heal it, but enough to make it more bearable.

“Proud of you,” he said softly.

They should’ve made an attempt to decline, or go on to heal themself, but they could only sit there in a daze.

“I... I froze,” was all they murmured back, voice faint.

—

Kore followed up the stairs in the wake of Punk’s destruction. Her plan was to find a way to get to Tofu and Miyu. She spotted Tio on deck preoccupied with helping out Punk. They must have landed on the other ship. Just as she was about to call for Daen Lad, she narrowly dodged a fire spell, turning to find a mage readying another spell. They’ll be dealt with first.

She attacked with a flourish of her chakrams, using her aether to guide and recall the circular blades, using the flow of her strikes to dodge their spells in the same fluid motion. The battle was her dancefloor and the mage did not stand a chance. She moved to deliver the final strike when suddenly she was struck from behind with a spell. Her chakrams slipped from her hands as she started to see stars. Collapsing to the ground, her eyelids grew heavy as the sleep spell took hold.

There was a loud thunk as two boots landed on the ground nearby the spellbound Viera. M’ezzo stood over Kore with a venomous glare. She kneeled down on one knee to get a look at her, to ensure the spell was cast efficiently.

“Just can’t keep your damn nose out of family business, huh?” M’ezzo hissed. She attempted to hoist her up over her shoulder, but was jostled by the unsteady surface as the ship went deeper into the eye of the storm. Carrying Kore off to the side rail would take too long. She’ll need to take care of this now. M’ezzo wrapped both hands around her neck and began to squeeze.

“Tofu!” The cry from Peach carried across both ships, causing Tofu to whip around to find her. With panic in her eyes, she pointed to where Kore was being strangled. A burning rage boiled within Tofu as he caught sight of M’ezzo and one of his dear ones.

“Daen Lad.” He didn’t have to call loud, they appeared by his side in an instant. “Get me over there. Now.”

Daen Lad, feeling his fury and seeing Kore in danger, did as commanded without hesitation, dropping Tofu directly on top of M’ezzo. He pushed aside the increasing pain in his chest from each teleport spell and his minor healing spell and pinned her to the ground, one hand on her throat to hold her down as he crouched above her.

“Do not touch her,” he growled, low in his throat, almost animalistic.

M’ezzo gave a grunt at the surprise attack, the back of her head smacking against the deck as she was pinned down.

“You’ve taken away everyone I’ve loved. I’m only paying back a favor,” she sneered in a hoarse wheeze, “And you’ll just have to watch ‘em drown.”

With a quick move of her wrist, she cast a wind spell. The spell knocked him back, though he bit back the pain and shot her a glare.

“You killed Miyu’s family, and maybe it wasn’t directly, but you allowed it to happen. You don’t get to talk to me about revenge, bitch,” he spat. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, though he hadn’t realized it was there beforehand, and drew his knife with his other hand. Rage fueling him, he lunged at her.

M’ezzo knew that her best advantage would be to put distance between the two of them. A spell would take much too long, so the woman had to act fast. M’ezzo grabbed an empty bottle nearby, tossing it up in front of her. The quick-footed miqo’te swiveled back and kicked with the metal heel of her boot, a burst of sharp glass flinging towards the charging viera as M’ezzo jumped back.

Tofu ducked out of the way of the glass, a shard catching him across the cheek as he dipped low to put on an extra boost of speed. Tofu’s movements to dodge the glass bought M’ezzo enough time to cast a full spell, but not enough time for her to dodge his blade. He brought his arm in and swiped at her, catching her across the ribs deeply. Stones materialized, rushing at Tofu’s head.

“Daen Lad, get Kore out of here!” he called, dodging the rocks and indicating Kore with a nod of his head and Miyu with another. With a flurry, Daen Lad opened a portal beneath Kore and sent her to land gently beside Miyu. Tofu turned his attention back to M’ezzo.

The moment Kore had been dropped off beside Miyu, they brought her close, and they had no intentions of parting from her. As her head rested in their lap, they kept one hand gently brushing through her hair as they cast a healing spell. Their eyes remained frozen on the severed head of their former captor, as if expecting him to stir at any moment.

When Berry saw Kore being teleported to Miyu’s side, she didn’t hesitate running to the other ship. Promises be damned. She jumped, grabbing a rope to swing over to the Serpent. Peach, following suit, summoned her Garuda Egi to act as her wings to get her to the other ship. Berry hit the deck and sprinted towards Kore and Miyu, Peach close behind. She knelt beside the pair and began assessing Kore’s condition as Peach stood watch.

Miyu tensed upon hearing the sound of approaching footsteps. They started to reach for their dagger, only to grimace at the pain of moving their shoulder. Bullet embedded deep inside, they hadn’t yet made the effort to heal the wound. Or at least, that was part of why they didn’t make an attempt. Nevertheless, perhaps it was a good thing that it stopped them from reaching for their blade, as it wasn’t a foe which approached.

Their expression softened upon seeing Berry.

“You’re here. Good. She’s been out for a while… I don’t… I don’t know what happened. But it's not safe here,” they spoke tensely, voice wavering in their panic.

Berry reached over and opened one of Kore’s eyes. It looked like it had a shimmery fog over the iris. She took her staff and began channeling to cleanse the malignant spell.

“She got hit by a sleep spell. It'll be alright. We can wake her and she’ll be fighting fit!” she said, trying to be uplifting with her words.

Back on the other ship, M’ezzo was trying to fight off the blood gushing out of her body. She gritted her teeth, holding her hand over her ribs as she focused a cure spell. There was not a moment to breathe a sigh of relief afterwards, as she went straight into another cast of a wind spell in Tofu’s direction.

Tofu raised both arms in front of him to block the spell, sliding back a few paces before shaking off the mounting pain in his chest; he was starting to take too many spells, but he could still handle it for the time being. With his free hand, he sent a throwing knife at her to throw her off guard, immediately following after it with his knife at the ready in his other hand.

Punk was used to fighting multiple opponents without magic from her time spent fighting the empire, and knew that when people thought she was busy with another fighter, they tended to forget to block when she suddenly switched targets. This time did not disappoint, as she introduced a pirate’s helmet to their chest piece.

Down to a small handful against one Punk, another pirate took aim with his bow, while his comrade finally got a blow to land with one of their swords. Trying to miss his comrades in melee distance with the terrifying woman, he loosed an arrow while Punk’s back was turned and preoccupied with the sudden pain of being sliced with a sword. He watched in dismay as the woman ducked and spun, knocking down multiple pirates to the deck. Not accounting for the sudden movement of the original target, the arrow found another target to lodge itself in. The poor woman was more focused on killing Punk than dodging friendly fire, and took the arrow directly to the chest, finally cutting through the berserker rage she was in.

With sudden clarity, she realized it was her friend that was the source of the fatal arrow, a look of betrayal in her eyes as her eyes glassed over. Final insult to injury, Punk spun to swipe her legs out from under her.

Grabbing the smallest pirate, one with two knives that had already landed half a dozen small knicks and cuts, had suddenly found himself on the ground flat on his back. Punk flung the poor Lalafell at another of the gun wielding pirates. Dropping his pistol to catch his comrade, the gun wielder never noticed the freight train that slammed into him and his friends’ bodies. Getting caught between the club and the ship's rail, the lalafell breathed his last as he and his comrade were crushed by the force of the blow.

Pushing both bodies overboard, now broken and beaten, Punk turned her attention to the final three pirates; two wielding dual swords and the last one with his bow. They finally decided that the briney deep was a far kinder fate than facing the mad woman that had already taken multiple wounds but moved and acted like she felt no pain. They dropped their weapons and dove over the rail to escape, leaving her with three fewer pirates to fight.

Her adrenaline finally fading, Punk succumbed to the darkness in her vision, and the multiple slash wounds weeping blood, falling to her knees on the deck. Using her club to keep herself upright, she saw Kore being tended to by Berry, with Tio and a new friend guarding the healers as they tended to her fallen friend.

Neri saw the armored woman take a knee and turned her attention to her to throw her a few quick heals. While Neri wasn’t a dedicated healer, her quick casting ability would do to get a fighter back on their feet. Besides, the healer of the group was preoccupied.

Daen Lad caught sight of a bloodied Punk dropping to her knees, and while the mage that seemed to be working with Tio had closed her wounds, Punk herself was still in the middle of the ship alone, and that was dangerous. Daen Lad opened a portal beneath her, dropping her carefully next to Kore. As the feeling of falling and landing broke through the darkness, Punk opened her eyes slowly, a groggy moan escaping her throat. She sat up, pressing a hand to her head to steady the residual spinning, and looked around.

The fighting seemed to be coming to a close. There were a small handful of pirates left, but Tio and…a hyuran woman Punk didn’t recognize were well capable of taking care of them, while it seemed like Tofu was going toe to toe with a woman that was familiar, but how.... Punk had landed amongst Miyu, Kore, Berry, Peach, and Daen Lad. With a realization, she fully turned her attention to Daen Lad.

“I need my bag, can you bring it here for me?” she asked. Daen Lad looked at Punk with a curious tilt of their head and nodded, swirling their hand in front of them to open up a small portal in the air in front of Punk, letting the bag drop through from its spot on the Hound’s Revenge into her awaiting arms.

With a giddy smile, Punk rifled through the bag, pulling out and dispensing glass bottles that housed a viscous liquid, a bit of cloth sealing each one. She did so love fire. The others seemed less enthused at the objects, but she figured it was because they didn’t yet know what they were for.

“Once we’re ready to torch this tub, light the cloth and throw the bottle. Make sure it’s hard enough to smash it. The liquid will catch fire and spread like crazy,” she said, grinning madly.

The others, well the ones that were awake, solemnly took the bottles from her, but they nodded in understanding. No matter their current mood, they were alive, and she would ensure they stayed that way. She cast her eyes around once more, landing back on Tofu, locked in combat with that woman… Right, she had called herself Miyu’s sister. That battle raged on, and soon, a fire would begin its own rage…

M’ezzo cracked a little smile, seeing that the spell landed. Maybe she couldn’t land a blow on Tofu in hand to hand combat presently, but she knew of the damage done with Tofu’s weakness to magic. She would be unlikely to see the results, however. M’ezzo moved to dodge, but was unable to pivot out of the way as the throwing knife dug itself just beneath her collarbone.

As Tofu rushed toward her with the knife, she leaned back and swung her leg to kick at his temple. Tofu brought up his arm, not for the first time glad for the metal bracers he wore as the metal of her boot collided with his arm. He was used to close combat, however, and took a small bit of the momentum from her kick before pushing back to knock her off balance.

As M’ezzo lost her footing, she used all the weight in her body to hop off one foot. Her hand gripped on tight to his wrist as she kicked against his chest in an attempt to pull his shoulder out of the socket. For once, Tofu’s Echo kicked in at a useful moment, and in the brief window before she grabbed his arm, he caught sight of her intentions, already working to release his arm before she brought her foot up to his chest. He barely budged as she flipped back and landed flat on her back.

He closed the distance between them and brought his knife down towards her, aiming for her chest. But before the knife could plunge into her chest, M’ezzo swiftly kicked the knife out of his hand. She promptly jumped up and went for the uppercut with her spiked knuckles, managing to firmly land a hit, but not as much as she intended it to be.

Peach's eyes scanned the area as Geruda ripped through a man that had come too close. It was her intent to keep Berry and Miyu safe while they worked on getting Kore awake. She glanced at Miyu and their shoulder wound, tapping Berry on the shoulder and bringing her attention to it as well. Once she was sure Berry took note of it, she turned back towards the fighting, her anxious heart leading her to check on how things were going with Tofu-

She watched as his knife got kicked out of his hand. She saw where it landed, and how he didn't have time to retrieve it, it was too far away. She knew. She knew what those knives meant to him. And without a word, she darted towards the far flung knife.

Tofu’s head barely snapped back as he glared at M’ezzo, his other knife already in hand. He had to end it now, he wouldn’t be able to last much longer in a drawn out fight against a mage like this, and it had already lasted longer than he would have liked due to her melee prowess. He grabbed the arm she had just punched him with and pulled her towards him, embedding his knife firmly into her stomach.

Time stood still as he remembered something very important.

“You mentioned you had a kid around Hana’s age. Are they somewhere safe?” he asked softly.

M’ezzo’s breath caught in her throat. Reflexively, her hand went up to her stomach, and the steady warmth that rushed over her fingers conveyed the severity of the wound. She was quiet for a long moment, save for the faint wheezing beneath labored breaths.

“...Please. She’s just a kid,” M’ezzo spoke, voice strained as she tensed her jaw while waves of pain rushed through her. “She’s… she’s onboard still.”

Tofu rested his free hand on the top of her head gently. “We’ll find her somewhere safe, I will be sure of it,” he murmured. “I promise she will be safe.”

Geruda carried Peach over to the next ship easily. Peach sent her back to keep an eye on Berry and dashed to scoop up the knife. As she did, she held it gently to her chest as if she were cradling it. And when she looked back up to make her way back to Berry, she realized the danger she was in.

Her cry of fear echoed across the sea.

As M’ezzo faded in Tofu’s arms, a shrill scream echoed from the direction she had kicked his knife. He knew that voice, and as the dread settled in his stomach, he bolted towards where Peach was, his lost knife in her hand as a pirate bore down on her. Putting himself between them, he wrapped his arms around her. He didn’t react to the blade that slid across his back, leaning back slightly and smiling at her gently.

“Get back to Berry,” he said softly, brushing a tear from her cheek that she hadn’t noticed had begun to fall. He closed his hand over hers as it gripped his knife tightly. “Use this if anyone gets too close for your summons.” And with that, he turned towards the man that had attacked her.

Peach watched as he buried his other knife to the hilt into the eye socket of the pirate, her eyes widening at the sight of the injury he had taken for her sake- from shoulder to hip diagonally. As tears welled up in her eyes, she did as she was told and ran back to where Berry was working to get Kore awake; it was all she could do. She had only been in the way, but his knife… The only man he had known as a father had given them to him. She couldn’t just let it get lost in the fight.

As the pirate fell before him, Tofu took a glance around. Berry was with Kore; that was good, she could help Miyu, too. Ser and Punk seemed to have gotten a large majority of the crew. Tio was working with a woman he didn’t recognize, but he didn’t have time to think about it. He had to move before the adrenaline wore off. He had to find the kid before someone else did, he had to make sure nothing bad happened to her. If it were Hana, he’d want someone to do the same, to protect her. He located the doors to the living quarters and made his way towards them.

Kore’s eyes fluttered open as she took in a deep breath, roused from her magically induced sleep. She took in her surroundings; she had been moved. She looked up and saw Miyu had her propped up in their lap, reaching up to touch their face. Miyu gave a sigh of relief as they leaned their face into her hand.

“Hello lovely, do you feel okay?” they asked, voice barely above a whisper as they leaned down to kiss her forehead.

“I’m a little confused…” she said before wincing, the Echo giving her a little clarity. She blinked the visions away. “Oh… I’m sorry I wasn’t there…”

Miyu shook their head. “There is nothing to apologize for. You are safe. That is all that matters to me.”

Berry turned her attention to Miyu now that Kore was awake. She examined Miyu’s shoulder, noting the lack of exit wound for the bullet.

“I’m going to heal what I can… we need to close it up for now so you don’t bleed to death, but we will need to get you to a chirurgeon to get the bullet out later,” Berry explained as she began healing the wound.

Miyu’s jaw tightened at the thought of the bullet having to be removed later. Reluctantly, they gave a nod – though Berry wasn’t exactly asking them a question. A yelp sounded from Miyu as she began to heal the wound, a hand clasping over their mouth to silence it. They’ve only had a bone injury healed once before in their childhood, but that didn’t make them anymore prepared for the discomfort as bone fragments and sinews assembled back into place around a foreign object.

---

A lone child lay beneath a bed amidst the turmoil. She could hear the scattering of feet, shouts, and the spilling of blood that happened throughout the ship. It wasn’t the first attack on the ship that she had been witness to, and it wouldn’t be the last. Except, with how long it was going on now – there was a foreboding finality looming in the air.

All Kora Moxxie could do was wait out the storm.

Tofu leaned heavily on the wall as he made his way down the stairs. He couldn’t try to keep his footsteps quiet even if he wanted to, but he kept moving. He had to. He scanned the hallway ahead of him, noting that every door sat open, save for one. He approached it and knocked softly. Moxxie‘s limbs tensed at the sound of the knock.

“H-hey, kiddo? I mean you no harm. M’ezzo said you’d be here, please be here…” he said as he opened the door gently.

Her hand clenched tightly around the knife. The girl held her breath, withholding as many sounds as possible to prevent being found. While the mention of her mother saying she was located here did make her second-guess her decision to stay undetected, she did not recognize the man’s voice.

Besides, her mom knew lots of people. Lots of bad people. And she wasn’t exempt, which she’d come to understand by now.

She scooted back beneath her bed, shying away from the edge and closer to the wall. His sensitive ears heard the shuffling and he sighed.

“I promise, I’m not here to hurt you. You can’t stay on this ship, and I promised her that you would be safe. I am a lot of things, but I do not break promises,” he said, a tired edge to his voice. His chest flared briefly and he barely bit back a cry of pain, pressing a hand to his chest as blood dripped heavily to the floor. He could feel the warmth as it traveled down his back from the injury there, but he pushed it all aside to ensure the kid was safe.

A promise. Nothing good ever led up to a promise. She swallowed hard as she brought herself to face the acceptance that something very wrong had gone on outside. Her eyes flickered to the droplets of blood that hit the floor.

Slowly, she crawled out from under the bed. Her chin tilted up as she steadily met the very tall stranger’s gaze.

“She’s dead, isn’t she? Everyone is. Or at least, that’s the plan, huh?” She spoke coldly, though the waver in her voice remained clear and present. Tofu averted his gaze.

“I’m sorry. I had to make a choice, and this was it. It was either your family, or mine, and I did what I had to. As did yours,” he said, keeping his tone even. There wasn’t a hint of pride or gloating, just solemn acceptance.

The young au ra’s stare did not once falter. Still, her limbs shook with overwhelming fear and despair.

“Are you satisfied with your choice? This is what you wanted?”

“Magnus backed us into a corner. They would just keep coming for the ones I hold dear, it wasn’t a choice made for satisfaction, it was the only choice I could make,” he said, his hand clenched at his side; not out of aggression, but out of remorse.

And Moxxie made her choice, too. She rushed at Tofu with a knife. Given her inexperience, it wasn’t hard to grab her hand, though he wasn’t harsh with it. He gave her a patient look, even as she glared at him.

“Like I said, I promised to get you somewhere safe. I have to be alive for that, kiddo,” he said, his voice a neutral mask once more. Moxxie’s burning stare filled with tears.

“I’d rather die on this ship than live alone without them,” she hissed through her teeth, squirming to try and get out of his grasp. No use. His eyes took on a sad edge, though he tried to keep his expression neutral.

“M’ezzo would rather you live, and I promised. I’m sorry. If you must blame someone, and you can’t bring yourself to blame Magnus or your mother, blame me. No one else.”

His words were soft, not a hint of anger or hatred towards this child who did not choose to be in this situation. He knew what he had done. And he knew it would not be fair to expect her not to take the same steps Miyu did; better she came for him than for her to go for anyone else.

A clamoring could be heard from the hallway as a set of boots that Tofu didn’t recognise raced down the hallway. Neri used the doorframe to stop her momentum and catch herself. She quickly scanned the room, settling on Tofu and Moxxie.

“Kid!” she exclaimed, rushing to the pair. Neri pulled her from Tofu’s grasp, holding both of her shoulders. “Hey, I’m here. I’m here. I’m gonna take care of you okay?”

There was a breath of relief that escaped Moxxie upon the arrival of someone familiar to her. At least there was someone. It was in that moment that Moxxie allowed the tears to flow. She grabbed onto Neri in a tight embrace and buried her face away as she sobbed. Neri returned the embrace as she smoothed Moxxie’s hair. She looked over Moxxie’s head at Tofu and looked him over; he looked like hell.

“I take it you have a ship to get us outta here?” Neri asked in an even tone.

Tofu's eyes barely focused on the woman as she addressed him; the hyur that had been fighting alongside Tio. He looked back to the kid.

"...Mina's, should be pulled up beside the other ship. I…I gotta get the kid to safety, I said I would, I-" He wavered slightly, but pushed it aside. "We should get going, what's it look like topside?"

“Seemed like they were wrapping up…” She looked at Moxxie. “Kid, I need you to listen to me.”

Moxxie drew back and wiped her eyes. She stared at the ground a moment longer as she composed herself. When she looked up to meet Nerida’s gaze again, she gave a nod.

“I’m going to blindfold you.” Neri held up a finger to silence Moxxie before she could say anything in protest. “You do not need to see this. I mean it.”

“I’m inclined to agree,” Tofu mumbled, but didn’t interject further.

Moxxie stared back vacantly, her lips pressed together tight as she held back from speaking right away. Faintly, she sighed through her nose.

“If that is what makes you feel better, go ahead. You wouldn’t be shielding me from anything I haven’t seen before.”

“It’s different when it’s your own… Trust me.” Neri tore some fabric from her sash and carefully tied it around Moxxie’s eyes.

“I know. I saw my brother murdered,” Moxxie responded coldly, but nevertheless kept still as Neri tied the blindfold around her eyes. Tofu stiffened; he really hoped it wasn’t any of the guys in Horizon.

“If you’re both ready, we should go,” Tofu said, though his voice sounded tired as he turned slightly towards the door. His eyes flickered to the last four or so steps he had taken before he got to Moxxie, noting the blood in the shape of his shoe. He glanced at the hyuran woman and hoped she hadn’t noticed.

Neri nodded to Tofu, her eyes flickered to the blood but said nothing. She gently guided Moxxie out of the room. For a pirate, she had a delicate touch.

Tofu kept his eyes on them as they passed and followed close behind. There was something he needed to be sure of, though so far he didn't have reason to believe otherwise.

"I don't know who you are, but you helped Tio. Thank you for keeping my brother safe," he said. After a beat, he remembered that Tio wasn't his name before. "Oh, uh…what did Mina call him… Rory. You helped Rory."

“Yeah... Of course I helped him, he’s my world.” Neri looked at Tofu and knitted her eyebrows together in confusion. “Wait… Rory was surprised I knew that name… Who’s this Mina you keep mentioning?”

Tofu shook his head to clear the spinning, not that it did much good, but he looked ahead as the entry to the deck came into view. He struggled to get his brain to formulate words through the fog that had started to fall upon his head.

"She's…she was his captain? So your captain too? I-I don't know…" He was speaking to keep himself from passing out, but the act was still increasingly laborious.

“His- my Capt- Gods you’re about ready to pass out. I can heal you,” Neri offered as she caught him from falling back on the stairs with one hand.

Tofu shook his head once more with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Nono. Can't," he murmured, trying to flash a reassuring smile at her. "I'll be alright at least for a bit longer."

“I’m inclined to agree,” Moxxie flatly interjected. Tofu ignored her words as he held up a hand to catch her as she missed the edge of the step in front of her.

Moxxie steadied, tensing upon feeling an extra hand guide her. She turned her head in Tofu’s direction, as if to silently give him a look, despite being blindfolded. Tofu muttered a quick apology, but made sure she was stable.

“Why be stubborn about it? Can’t rightly keep your word on getting the kid out if you’re dead.” Neri looked at Tofu as she lifted Moxxie under her arm to carry her the last few steps up. A huff and squeak of complaint sounded from Moxxie at the shock of being lifted up. But given the fact she couldn’t see, she didn’t put up much of a fight.

"I assure you, I'm stubborn about a great many things, but I have an actual reason for this one. I won't be dying any time soon, don't worry," Tofu said, trying to flash a reassuring smile at the woman as they reached the deck. Tofu tensed as the sound of running footsteps towards them, but breathed a sigh of relief that it was just Tio.

"Tofu! Gods you look like shit, are you alright? What happened? Who's the kid?" the miqo'te said, glancing at Moxxie but otherwise unable to turn his gaze away from the blood that dripped heavily from his brother's mouth. Tofu waved a hand dismissively at Tio.

“Yeah yeah, so I’ve heard,” he muttered.

“The kid’s with me, don’t worry about her. Worry about your… Brother? He’s about ready to keel over if you ask me,” Neri said as she squeezed past the two with Moxxie. “I hope you retained your first aid skills…”

“My what now?” Tio said blankly. First aid was not something he could just…muscle memory through.

“Then we best get him to the getaway ship,” she said while shifting Moxxie from under her arm to an over the shoulder carry.

“Surely there’s not nearly as many steps needed for me to be carried the whole time – I can walk just fine,” Moxxie remarked.

“I’m not guidin’ you through all the rigging and debris on the ground, quit your complainin’,” Neri huffed.

“I said I’m fine,” Tofu hissed through gritted teeth as he glared at Tio, ignoring the kid for the time being, even as his chest flared up. Tio shot him a look and stubbornly took his arm, pulling it around his shoulders to help the stumbling.

“Now is not the time for stubbornness, the refusal for magic I can understand, but let me help you,” he growled. Tofu rolled his eyes and looked away, but didn’t fight the help offered.

Neri looked for boarding planks to cross but noticed a distinct lack of them. “How didja even get on the ship? Did you swim?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at Tio.

As if on cue, Daen Lad appeared, though their usual fanfare appeared to be missing; no sparks or lights to be seen. Tio looked at Neri, then pointed at the pixie.

"Uh. Them. Though perhaps a different approach for Tofu, considering his condition…?" Tio said, directing the back half of the comment to Daen Lad with a raised brow.

"Don't bother, I can handle one more, it's fine…" Tofu grumbled.

“Right then,” Neri blinked at the sudden appearance of the pixie.

Daen Lad shot Tofu a worried look, but sighed heavily and held out their hand to open up a portal in front of them that led to Mina’s ship. They were being merciful of Tofu’s condition, which was rare, but even they were concerned at the lengths he had gone to.

“Keep your arm around him, cat…” they murmured.

“Already planned to,” Tio said with a half shrug as he helped Tofu through.

After everyone stepped through, the portal closed behind them and Neri took Moxxie to the side, sitting her down on a barrel. Berry walked over to the new pair to check them for injuries.

“Picked up another pair of people in need of our aid, have we?” Ser questioned in slight annoyance. He observed in silence until he noticed Tofu’s condition. “Halone’s tits, you’ve got to do better.”

The dull haze in Miyu’s daze dashed away upon seeing Tofu step through the portal alive. The relief came and went the moment they saw the condition he was in. Still holding onto Kore’s hand, they quickly walked over to support Tofu’s other side with Kore following their lead.

“Thank the Gods you’re here. Are you…” They trailed off, giving a tense swallow as they looked Tofu over up close. He looked to be in bad shape.

Kore cupped Tofu’s cheek with her free hand and looked him over, guilt setting in. Tofu smiled in relief, shaking off Tio and bringing both hands to cup her face. He pressed his forehead to hers.

“You’re alright…” he murmured gently, taking a moment to appreciate the moment before leaning in. His lips brushed hers carefully. Kore gasped in surprise both at the kiss and the flashes of visions of her on the ground with M’ezzo over her. She blinked them away as fast as she could. She returned the kiss, taking back the moment.

He leaned back, smiling at her once more. “I was so scared…”

“I was too when I heard you had fought M’ezzo because of me…” she said at almost a whisper. Tofu brushed her hair out of her face.

“I’m alright, I’ll be fine,” he said.

He turned towards Miyu, closing the distance between them and kissing them as well. One hand lowered towards where they had been stabbed, the pad of his thumb brushing gently against the mostly-healed scar.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry… I wasn’t fast enough,” he whispered.

Miyu gave a faint squeak of surprise, their tense expression softening at the kiss as they leaned in. As much as they wanted to enjoy a first kiss, the taste of iron left lingering on their lips sent alarms off in their head as they recalled the last time Tofu had coughed up blood. There was a sick feeling in their stomach when they realized Tofu had fought M’ezzo.

“You… let’s… let’s sit down, yeah? No apologiz-”

The sigil in Tofu’s chest burned white hot as he staggered away from Miyu with a barely subdued ‘fuck’ and dropped to his knees. Blood erupted violently from his mouth as his hands hit the deck roughly. A low moan escaped him as his vision faded to black before he toppled to his side.

Kore quickly knelt beside Tofu, slipping from Miyu’s grasp. She turned him onto his back, taking his knife and ripping his shirt open with it. The sigil was lit up brighter than she expected it to be. His wounds were still bleeding as well, They needed to be dealt with so he wouldn’t bleed out. She looked up at Miyu.

“I need you to trust me. You are going to have to heal him-”

“You can’t!” Daen Lad interrupted loudly. There was panic in their eyes as they realized her intention to use more magic on him. “The talismans, they don’t stop the damage, they just subdue the pain for a brief time. If you use more magic, it will just hurt him more later, when the effects have worn off.”

“If we don’t he’ll bleed out on the ship.”

“You can stop the bleeding without magic! Please, please, his body can’t…”

“Talking about it isn’t going to help either! I don’t know, bandages, stitches, anything! Please, he’s my brother,” Tio snapped. He had almost lost Tofu once, he didn’t want to lose him this time. He ignored the tears that brimmed in his eyes, ignored the panicked breaths, looking around for someone, anyone, with traditional medical knowledge.

Miyu could only stay kneeled beside Tofu, one hand clutched around their white mage stone, but they couldn’t bring themself to act as they listened to the warnings. In the foggy haze of their panic, they heard of yelling to stop the bleeding. They tore off their jacket, ripping off the cotton lining on the inside. While they heard others still talking, they temporarily held it to his back to try and slow the bleeding.

Mina, hearing the panic in Tio’s voice, rushed over from the helm. She looked at Daen Lad. “In my quarters there’s supplies, in the cabinet.”

The pixie nodded and snapped their fingers. All of the medical supplies in the cabinet appeared next to Tofu. Mina quickly sorted through the pile, grabbing what she needed. Berry moved to come help but Mina interrupted her.

“No, give us room to work. You and you. Go check the other ships for survivors and civilians. Gives you something to do instead of fretting,” she said pointing at Berry and Peach. She looked at Tio. “Go hold the helm steady.”

“Ser, Punk, go protect the small ones as they check the other ships,” Mina said as she turned back to Tofu. Ser sighed as he hoisted himself off the railing he had leaned against. He gave Punk a pat on the shoulder as they both followed after the sisters.

Tio stared a moment, but nodded, knowing there wasn’t anything more he could do where he was. He set off towards the helm, pausing halfway there and gripping his head with both hands, barely holding back a scream of anguish. There had been so much blood… That’s his brother! That’shisbrotherthat’shisbrother. He had to snap himself out of it, shaking his head and focusing on the task he had been given.

Neri reached out a hand as Tio passed, but she couldn’t bring herself to make contact. She closed her hand and brought it to her chest. Was it still her place to comfort him as she had done so many times in the past? She didn’t know.

Seeing as they had arrived, Moxxie reached up and tore the blindfold off to look at her captors. Her hands tightened into fists as she watched the mess around her. The young girl’s eyes settled on the bloodied viera passed out on the deck. Being in such a sorry state he was in now, she could hardly believe that he had walked all the way to the cabins to find her and bring her to the next ship. It would have been admirable, if not for the fact that he was responsible for her mother’s death – as he had insisted himself.

“I hope he bleeds out and dies here,” Moxxie spoke coldly, her voice steady.

Neri smacked her upside the back of her head. Not hard, but enough to get her attention. She gave the child a stern look. “Don’t say such things. You know what Basilisks did. You knew they were not in the business of making friends. This is what happens when shit catches up to you. Learn from their mistakes, don’t go making enemies when you can stand to have a few friends.”

Moxxie flinched, her body remaining tense despite feeling it had only been a light tap. She shot Neri a heated glare from the corner of her eyes.

“I know. But do you really expect me to be grateful right now? It’s not that I don’t care, but that I… I don’t know. I don’t know how to feel about any of this. I don’t know anything,” she started off with a snarl, but her voice softened as she approached the end of her statement. “My whole family is gone. Maybe they were bad people, but they were my family. So if he… if he dies… maybe I wouldn’t celebrate, but I won’t be feeling sorry, either.”

“Not sayin’ you should feel anything.” Neri put a hand on Moxxie’s head and continued, “Thing about family is… You actually do have a choice on who it is. I hope you can grow past where you came from, kid. I’m here for you now.”

Moxxie remained silent, only tightening her jaw and staring off across the sea.

All that was left was to attach the ship they would be taking for Mina’s use to the Hound’s Revenge, throw the molotovs, and set sail. This chapter was finally over…

The wind and waves had begun to settle. On the horizon, the setting sun peeked from between the clouds. This day had marked an ending, and a beginning. But for the moment, the storm that had been brewing, the storm that had raged, was finally beginning to pass

#conclusion of the calm before the storm #arc: the storm #ffxiv rp #collaborative write #pirates

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