#but be happy to know

[chaotic-orphan]

Bad Superhero, part 2:

Read part one here

*~*~*~*~*

Mr Achates dragged Civilian through the trees, mind in a flurry, branches snapping beneath them in a rush. When they got to Mr Achates cottage, Banjo was sleeping at the door, his head raising slightly and tilting.

“Good boy, Banjo,” Mr Achates said as the collie stretched and let out a whining yawn before walking over to Civilian and nudging his head against Civilian’s hand.

“Hi Banjo,” Civilian whispered, their voice so far away. Seeing their body in third person. Mr Achates opened the door for them and led Civilian to their small kitchen, pulling a chair out from the table and clearing a space on the table.

“I’m sorry about the mess,” said Mr Achates and Civilian just looked at them, trying for a smile and not even managing to turn their lips up for him.

“Don’t be,” said Civilian.

Mr Achates nodded stiffly, and rubbed their hands together in front of them. “Right so, tea?”

“Please.”

Civilian heard the kettle turn on and start to boil, their eyes unfixed and unfocused on nothing in particular, fingers casually scratching Banjo behind his ear. A steaming mug was set in front of them, and Civilian blinked, sitting back in their chair and looking at Mr Achates as he sat on a chair in front of them. A tray of biscuits on the table between them.

The thought of eating made Civilian gag. Their house was probably still burning and here they were drinking tea with their neighbour and his dog.

Their legs were moving before they registered it, and Mr Achates was there blocking them. “Hey kid?”

“I have to go… I have to kill Superhero. I have to go, I should be… I should be burning I should be with them.”

“I can’t let you walk out there.”

Civilian’s eyes were wide as a child’s as they looked up at Mr Achates, tears streaming down their spot caked face. “Please.”

“If you go out there now, you’ll die and Superhero will never pay for what they’ve done to your family. All they’ve taken from you. If you leave now I won’t stop you, but you’ll be giving Superhero exactly what they want.”

Civilian hiccuped a sob, wrapping their arms around their waist as their legs went from under them. Mr Achates caught them and the pair sunk to the ground together, Mr Achates running their hand through Civilian’s hair soothingly.

“I promise they’ll pay, Civilian. I promise. We just need to be smart about this, okay?”

Civilian nodded, another sob tearing itself from their chest. Snot and tears wetting Mr Achates shirt, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“You’ll stay with me, and Banjo. I know we’re not much, but we’ll be like family. One made by unfortunate circumstances but hey, you kids were basically like mine anyways with how much I caught you over here. I’ll train you. Make you stronger. Strong enough to beat the best.”

Civilian shook their head, pulling back from Mr Achates, a fire burning in their eyes. “Not strong enough to beat the best,” Civilian said, voice raw. “Strong enough to kill the best. I want them destroyed.”

Mr Achates smiled. “You got it, kiddo. How bout we get off the floor?”

Civilian smiled, wiping their nose with their sleeve and nodded. “Yeah.”

“Didn’t make you tea for nothing, did I? Heals all wounds, Civilian. Time and Tea, mark me.”

*~*~*~*~*

Mr Achates training was vigorous and relentless, every morning they would run through the woods with Banjo, carving out trails and paths for themselves after a while making it easier to run on.

After their run: home for breakfast. Eggs usually. Civilian would go out with a basket following Mr Achates to his chicken coop. The first time Civilian had just stood there, expression blank but the basket shaking in their hands.

Civilian used to come here with older brother and younger sister. They would sneak in just after sunrise and steal some eggs. Mr Achates saw like he always saw, and the second week of doing it he opened the window. The three thieves froze as a small basket was handed out through the window wordlessly. The window shut before they could laugh or make an excuse or say thank you.

Now brother and sister were dead. Burned. Gone.

“Civilian. Hey, Civilian. Look at me. Look at me, it’s just the chicken coop.”

“Brother and— we—“ Civilian managed, but then broke down sobbing again. Mr Achates was at their side, walking them back inside and telling them it was okay.

“I know. Dammit I should’ve known. I’m so sorry, Civilian. You stay here. Banjo! Stay with Civilian. I’ll run to the shop, grab some bacon instead.”

“No,” Civilian said, their voice shaking. “No. We’ll have eggs. Please? Can we have eggs?”

Mr Achates worried his bottom lip, eyes sympathetic and soft. “Civilian it’s not a problem, I can—“

“Please Mr Achates. Can we have eggs?”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” Civilian said with a sharp, clarifying inhale. Mr Achates nodded.

“Okay. Let me grab them. You stay here.”

Civilian gave him the basket and stayed in the house, arms around themselves, safe. Alive. They stood from the chair and walked to the small kitchen, filling the kettle and putting it on.

After breakfast Mr Achates insisted on teaching Civilian how to box. “Why don’t we just use weapons?” Civilian asked.

“Because weapons can get thrown from your hands and if you don’t know how to fight hand to hand, you may as well give up now.”

“I’m not giving up,” Civilian told him hotly.

Mr Achates just smiled and nodded, said: “I know, kid. Now put your hands up, make ‘em into fists. Here, like this. Thumb out. Protecting your face, and when they’re not protecting your face they’re either punching or they’re protecting your ribs. Trust me when I say getting winded is a bi—“ Civilian looked at him as he cleared his throat and said: “bad thing.”

After hand to hand combat it was lunch. After lunch they relaxed, had a shower. Mr Achates told Civilian that he would get them books so they could sharpen their mind.

“Someone like Superhero doesn’t go down with a halfwit.”

“What about school?” Civilian asked, eyes owlish.

“I don’t think it’s the best idea. Superhero thinks you’re dead. If we give your name—“

“What if I take your name?” The question stunned Mr Achates. It was summertime so it wasn’t something he had to answer right away.

“Obviously you can’t go to school here.”

“I know,” said Civilian. “I can go to the city school. The one Superhero went to. Learn all they learned.”

Mr Achates sat back in his armchair, just looking at the kid in front of them in awe. The determination in their eyes. The resolve in their mind so clear.

“In order to beat the best I have to be the best.”

Mr Achates just smiled. “Okay. You can take my name. Go to city school. I’ll look at getting you enrolled.”

“Thank you.”

The quiet politeness pulled at his heartstrings, and something selfish and horrid in him was happy that the kid was living there with him now. Filling the space. Almost like they were a child of their own.

“You’re welcome.”

[afterthelambs]

"In another life I would have really liked just dancing and making inventions with you"

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Knowledge Revenge.

[tawnysoup]

Found my fav Slay the Princess route recently. Dragon my beloved. Your horrifying beak mouth was an impossible-to-refuse lip syncing challenge 💖

Shoutouts to @blacktabbygames for making such a cool game!

[myszkaa]

Sometimes dunmeshi fanart looks like this

[jamierthanyou]

as an aroace, im particularly dangerous, because i wont fuck or marry. i only know how to kill.

[inkskinned]

she's singing in another room and my dog is asleep at my feet. my grandma asked me why i haven't found a man yet and i laughed. oh, you know. i like my house clean.

my girlfriend is also my man is also "my partner" if i'm in a professional setting. yesterday we went to a ren faire and a man mimed at me - you're together? and at my delighted nod, his baffled, you're gay? made me laugh. a woman with rainbow hair said i love the two of you together. you're both so beautiful it's absurd.

my dad introduced my partner as my "..... friend. or whatever" the other day. he knows we're dating. in the same way, i was never able to get my sister's husband to stop saying that's gay like it's 2008. he still uses the word fa***t, and my sister's defense of him has always been well, he's just kidding.

my lover and i dance to old music in a tiny kitchen. we judge new music together and take food critique very seriously. we watch love is blind before we fall asleep and agree that if they had a queer season, it would be bloody but also make for excellent tv. of fucking course queer people would know someone for only 2 weeks and agree to get married. what are you saying.

at a bar with friends, a man puts his hand on my wrist. got a boyfriend? and yes, i do have a boyfriend, she's amazing. i am texting her while i wander around a gas station named after geese. i am visiting a swing state for a wedding. in the candy aisle i overhear: she's actually like a lesbian it's disgusting. two teenage girls with packaged sandwiches in their hands, giggling. no literally, like. i'm not, like. okay with her being there while we're all, like, naked and changing.

my girlfriend and i tailgate, drink gin and cider out of cups. from the frat group beside us, a man corrects himself with one of his friends: bro, i mean, nonbinary entity, and it makes everyone around him laugh, myself included. he razzes his friend the same way i would have killed for at 19 years old - like nothing happened, he continues: you apply sunscreen like an alien. he does a little sassy (and fairly accurate) dance interpretation of the motion. his friend is laughing so hard they're crying.

i am lucky, i live in a safe neighborhood in a safe state. my masc passenger princess comes up from DC. i drive her for an hour to where all the leaves are a violent arrangement of color. we walk along the trails, letting autumn into our blood. in this part of the state, there's a lot of pickup trucks and trump signs. when we chastely kiss before getting into the car, i accidentally make eye contact with a woman holding her child's wrist. she looks disgusted. she looks fucking pissed.

two hours later my girl and i are eating dinner on a patio, soaking in the last warmth of new england sun before the chill of winter sets in. we are giggling and trying to talk through plastic vampire teeth. at another table, i see a young woman sit up straighter. i watch her watch us. she blushes and takes her partner's hand from across the table. shy, like the taste of evening has just become something deeper.

it's worth it for this moment, i think. my lover is still humming the same song she's been singing for four days straight and i don't want to kill her for it. her guitar is beside my bed. her toothbrush is in my bathroom. in a few moments i will make us lunch. we are lucky enough to have found each other. it is lucky enough to be in love.

[beif0ngs]

I had a different name back then, you know. Powder. You kind of remind me of her.

[demaparbat-hp]

Existential Nihilism Squad™

[arcanegifs]

ARCANE LEAGUE OF LEGENDS S2 EP7 ↔ S2EP9 (2021-2024) ↳ "Sometimes, taking a leap forward means... leaving a few things behind."

[puppppppppy]

abogagos……..

[mroddmod]

they are like puppies. 2 me

[gongyussy]

"i would know her by reformed body alone... i would know her in death"

also... there's official art

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Expertise can't help you here.

[toss-a-coin-to-your-stan-account]

hey since it's coming up again: no it's not a good thing that the government wants to ban tiktok. no you should not be glad that the government might ban tiktok. no you should not respond to this with "good riddance" or "hurry up I hate that app". I should not have to explain this to you but the government banning a social media app is still a bad thing even if you don't like the UI or booktok or having to say "unalive" or how you think it's killing the very notion of attention spans. It's still bad. It's bad.

[illusioncanthurtme--art]

Physically? I am sitting in my bedroom. Mentally? Spiritually? I AM DEAD ON THE FLOOR!!!!! THESE TWO HAVE KILLED ME!!!!

(Another drawing! This was originally attempt #1 at drawing stan, and then fiddleford just showed up. Kinda feels like them five minutes after the above acting like nothing happened though, so it works sdjkgkjfshj)