#but i kinda like the abrupt ending

[cashmoneyyysstuff]

I don’t know if This is the place where people make requests but I was thinking Katsuki and y/n have been friends since childhood but as they grow up Katsuki takes the hero path and y/n chooses the villain path it’s like the 2nd year of UA Katsuki knows y/n is a villain and keeps it a secret she’s also in the class. I don’t know how much I’m aloud to ask but hiiii and if this gets picked thank you

ouuuu this is such an interesting request ! i luv me some angst once in a while ! this is also probably the angstiest fic ive written rn lmfaoo ! i tried to honour your request as best i could and i hope you like it ! (also yall keep enabling my katsuki friends to lovers addiction its not me its yall sooo🤥..) also here, reader’s family is part of a crime syndicate sorta like the chie hassaikai !

fem reader, blood n injuries, kinda angsty but i cant bring myself to fully write angst so take the bittersweetness <33 katsuki claims he hates reader but he doesn’t, reader has a sorta traumatic backstory but if u squint HARD, reader feels guilty, slight miscommunication trope, lemme know if i missed something !

"how long are you gonna keep doing this ?"

you're rolling up your bloody sleeves when you hear the question you'd been expecting fall from your best friends lips.

"what do you mean ?" you're playing dumb, you know it. and unfortunately, katsuki knows it too.

he narrows his eyes at you, you ignore him "don't give me that shit." he all but growls at you "how many more times are you gonna come to me all fucked up like this ?" you'd expected him to be louder, but you blame that on the fact it’s so late. angrier isn't the term you're looking for, you've known him long enough to know he's trying to hold back his anger. for you. you feel your stomach twisting at the thought.

"as long as you'll have me" you jest, smiling at him. you never took anything seriously. from the time you were kids until now, katsuki hates that about you. "you'll keep taking care of me, won't you suki ?"

you're spoiled, you think everything is a fuckin' joke. katsuki hates that about you.

he huffs, grabbing your outstrechted bruised and bloodied arm "i won't if you keep wakin' me up so late. we've got school tomorrow, you dumbass." his actions are softer than his words, like they always are. he cleans at your injuries with the med kit he has stashed away in his room for emergencies, emergencies being you. you snort and katsuki can barely cover the smirk growing on his face at the sound.

"you're such a goody two shoes." you sigh playfully, but your tone is more loving than playful like you'd hoped.

you'd been hiding your lifestyle from kastuki until you no longer could. coming to him one night heavily injured because you thought he was the only one you could come to, a decision you regret to this day, even as you sit here in his bedroom again.

you'd never meant to get him involved in your mess. katsuki, who's future was so promising. katsuki, who since the ripe age of 5 with starry eyes and bandaged cheeks proclaimed he would be the best. katsuki, who had wanted you to be together when that moment came.

but you had to ruin it. and you're sure that even as he sits there with you and cleans up your wounds, a part of him hates you for it. you don't blame him, how could you ?

you ruined everything. you always do—

you feel a finger flick against your forehead and when you focus again katsuki's eyes bore into yours.

"don't go zoning out on me, idiot. don't go falling asleep on me either. 'f i can't sleep, neither can you." you huff out a laugh at his petulant demand. you hum as he bandages your arm up carefully. " i think i can do that." you sigh.

"i wasn't asking." he retorts, looking up at you seriously "don't go knocking out on me."

you're left speechless at his words. because despite what he says, you know what he means. you've known katsuki for too long not to.

it’s stupid that such a simple sentence has you blinking rapidly, sniffling away the tears forming in your lash line. katsuki sighs. even when you tried acting tough, you’ve always been such a crybaby.

neither of you say a word as he finishes bandaging up your wounds. he insists on rewrapping up your hand and your heart squeezes because you know he’s stalling and it would be time for you to go soon.

it’s for the better, you think. despite your heart tying itself in knots, you won’t allow katsuki to get caught up in them.

he finishes and no words are exchanged. he stares at you, pleading for something you’re not quite sure about, or at least that’s what you tell yourself (you’ve known him way too long not to know what he wants). you avoid his gaze, your eyes growing misty again when you hear him sigh in defeat before he gets up from his bed and leaves the room.

while you’re throwing your jacket on and tugging your dirty boots back on (katsuki was a stickler about keeping his room clean) you can’t help but look around his room. it makes you giggle how he hadn’t really changed that much at all.

he’s thrown out most of his action figures but it seems he just couldn’t separate himself from the all might one’s. he’s still got the all might poster, his pride and joy that he never stopped showing off when you were kids. and then you see something on the shelf where he keeps all his manga.

katsuki walks back into the room and his shoulders visibly sag when he sees you ready to go. you don’t see it though, you’re focused on something on his shelf, he raises a brow.

before he can ask you anything though, you turn to him with a sly little grin, the grin he knows you have when you’re about to say some dumb shit. he hates that about you.

you’ve got a small rubber band looking thing pinched around your finger and katsuki feels his stomach drop.

"you still have this ? " you twirl the braided friendship bracelet you’d made for him when you were kids around your thumb and index finger, giggling when you see katsuki’s expression morph from curiosity to embarrassment. faster than you could blink, he’s already stomping over to you. he wobbles around a little on his bed to reach over your shoulder to snatch the bracelet back.

“don’t go snooping through my stuff !” his fingers are inches away from the bracelet when you switch it over to your other hand. a struggle breaks out where you push and shove at each other. you end up underneath him with him trying to open up your hand tightly clutching onto your bracelet.

“s’not snooping—if it’s just sitting out in the open !” you giggle. he finally manages to snatch his bracelet out of your death grip with a huff and a pinch at your thigh. you don’t miss the way he inspects it carefully before deciding it was unharmed and placing it right back where you’d found it. your heart squeezes despite yourself.

“either way, don’t go puttin’ yer dirty paws on my stuff. you’ll get your germs on them.” he snickers childishly. you’re just as if not more childish because you blow a raspberry at him. katsuki squishes your cheeks out with his hand in response.

you realize you feel a little too comfy, then realize you’re laying in katsuki’s bed and suddenly spring up to try and leave but a hand pushes at your chest, stopping you from doing so. “where the hell do you think you’re goin’, huh ?”

“home ?”

“don’t think so.” he utters simply, pushing you down onto his bed harshly “you’re not going anywhere.”

“katsu—“

“shut up. none of that bullshit you spout all the time” he leans down until your noses almost brush against each other, you inhaling sharply and katsuki grips the sheets next to your head “ if you get yourself in trouble again, i’m the one you’re gonna come bother and i’m trynna sleep. you’re staying.”

the asshole knows exactly what to say to make you feel bad, even if he doesn’t mean to. so you swallow the lump in your throat and concede “okay, fine” you nod “but i gotta leave super early, so don’t be surprised to see me gone when you wake up.”

“s’less trouble for me if you are.” he quips. he’s mean, he’s always been mean. yet his eyes tell a different story. there he goes again with those pleading eyes. the ones that make you want to spill your entire heart and more, to give your life and soul to him. you turn your face away from him.

“stop that.” he whispers, nosing at your neck, your heartbeat picks up and his does too.

“stop what ?” you're playing dumb, you know it. and unfortunately, katsuki knows it too.

“stop trying to act all hard. you know i won’t fall for that shit. those other extra’s might, but i won’t.” he’s awfully quiet. it almost gives you whiplash how he’d went from wrestling you to doing..whatever this was. you don’t mind, despite yourself. “known you too fuckin’ long, unfortunately.”

“yeah” you choke out “yeah, unfortunately.” you feel tears burning in your eyes but you refuse to let them fall, that’d be unfair. you’re not allowed to be upset over something you’d caused.

“for fucks sake’s, yn” katsuki goes from gripping his sheets to gripping your wrists, you close your eyes. “ just—fuckin’—“

“i’m sorry.” you whimper, he pauses.

“i’m sorry, i shouldn’t have come tonight, or any other night” you sniffle “i should’ve—you should’ve forgotten about me.”

you’re babbling, you always do when you get in your own head. when you refuse to tell him what’s bothering you, determined to do everything yourself, katsuki hates that about you. though it’s something he can’t really get too angry at you for, cus he does it too.

you’re babbling and you’re crying like you always do because you’re a crybaby despite acting like you’re not, and katsuki hates that about you. that’s why he sighs and flips you both over so you’re laying on top of him. immediately despite your better judgment, despite claiming he should’ve forgotten you, you cling to him like he’ll disappear if you don’t.

you’re clingy. you’ve always clung to him. you’re annoying, spoiled and bratty. you make dumb jokes and you never take anything seriously and you cry easily and katsuki tells himself he hates all of that about you.

because it’s easier to say than admit he’s hopelessly in love with you.

he doesn’t care about waking up late to treat your wounds, he’d stay up all night even if it meant fucking up his sleep schedule just to take care of you. he’d give everything he has just to hear you giggle at your own stupid jokes and he’d offer up every limited edition all might figure he has just to stay here and bicker with you over nothing. he’d always comfort you cus you cry easily and he wants to breathe the same air you do constantly, he’d swallow you whole and keep you safe right next to his heart if he could.

you’re clingy, annoying, spoiled and bratty and all of the above but katsuki would do absolutely anything for you.

so he comforts you as you lay crying into his chest. apologizing about something he has no idea about. he’ll ask and he knows you won’t answer him, but he doesn’t care. as long as you’re here.

you fall asleep soon after and you’re still clutching onto him. he reciprocates by holding onto you just as tightly, hoping it keeps you safe as you dream. it’s a stupid thought, he thinks. but it seems you’ve gone and wiped your germs onto his heart.

“you drive me fuckin’ crazy.” he whispers into the air. you’re still wrapped up snuggly in his embrace and his black sheets. in his room where you’d spent the majority of your childhood together. until you came to him with a snotty nose and big wet eyes and told him you weren’t allowed to come play at his house anymore.

fate must think it’s so fucking funny, because despite you not coming over anymore you’d ended up going to the same school every year afterwards, even now ending up in the same class. and with you sneaking into his room almost every night to have him clean up your injuries.

he knows you’ll be gone in the morning, somehow untangling yourself from his snake like grip. with tired eyes and some treat from that coffee shop you know he likes, your stupid way of apologizing to him. katsuki wants to tell you you don’t have to do that because he’d forgive any crime you commit. he’ll turn a blind eye to whatever you do even though he’s studying to do the exact opposite because it’s you and he loves you. but you’ll get in your own head and start assuming stuff. so he accepts your chocolate covered croissants and splits both with you.

you must’ve hit your head extra hard during your late night excursion to think katsuki would ever forget about you. you’re stupid that’s for sure, and katsuki wants to say he hates that about you. but that’d make him stupid too.

[broken-clover]

It's eternally a little funny whenever I see someone say something along the lines of 'everyone in Strive is so happy now! Everyone's stories are getting resolved! It'll be hard to make a new game when everyone's retired and living peacefully and resolved their problems' and then there's a haunted semi-sentient mecha corpse in the corner constantly screaming from being trapped in limbo

[zuzu-draws]

Jjk ending in 5 chapters.... 🥲🥲 I thought...we had more time.... All i wanted was a heian era flashback arc, however small it is, even like 2 or 3 chapters is fine... I don't know how to feel about this....

[clowningcrows]

lol i pregamed a tiny bit for agatha but now after finishing im just taking shots for coping reasons

[danidoesntart]

Just finished She-Ra Princesses of Power and I'm sad to say that clearly this fandom is not for me 😅

[hannah-heartstrings]

I haven't felt like making new stuff so I'm going to post old stuff until I do. XD

So here's a fic from 2015 of my Dragon Quest 9 party fighting a grotto boss.

It was the first chapter of a fic, but I don't care for the rest of it and think this works on its own, even though it ends abruptly. I'm pretty sure the abrupt ending was because I was trying to make it like the intro of an episode before it goes to the theme song. I was also trying to emulate a camera moving in the first paragraph, I was pretty influenced by TV back then.

Concrit is still OK, but being nine years old I might know by now, but maybe not seeing as how I still don't know why TV gets away with abruptly cutting to the next scene but it looks weird when I do it. XD

---------

            It was a peaceful night in the fields of Stornway; but if one stood before the mouth of the cave, which rested in the middle, and listened carefully they might’ve heard unpeaceful echoes. Moving through the carved corridors, past roaming creatures and down stairs, the echoes would get louder and louder.

            “Huh!” “Ow!” “Look out!” the echoes went in various voices; louder and louder until a large room was reached.

            “Nieeeegh!” a large, monstrous horse whinnied as it raised its hooves in the air to bring them down with crackles of lightning. The lightning struck the four attacking the horse and knocked them away.

            While the others hit the wall or floor, one managed to keep her boots planted on the ground and shield up in front of her. The lightning struck the shield, merely scooting her back. She looked up at the horse, shaking her head to get the brown waves out of her face.

            A fairy flew out of her pocket to glare at her right next to her face. “You got any more flappin’ ideas, Hannah?!”

            “Watch your language.”

            “I didn’t say anything,” said a redhead nearby as she pulled herself off the floor.

            Hannah glanced past the fairy at her, extending her sword arm toward her. “Celeste, oomph me!”

            The red head rolled her eyes. “We gotta think of a better name for that.” She waved an arm at her as she focused her magic onto her.

            Hannah’s sword glowed with a yellow light. She snatched the fairy out of the air and stuffed her back in her pocket. She rushed forward towards the horse, her sword held behind her. “Maya, sap him!”

            A young blue haired girl stepped out of the shadows, casting a spell on the enemy.

            Feeling itself weaken it charged for Maya.

            She screamed and ran.

            Hannah swerved to the right to run after him; she quickly reached him and started to swing forward but the monster reared up and donkey kicked her away. She flew back a ways, bumping into something soft and landing on it. She looked up into the bright red eyes of a man’s face. “Thanks for catching me,” she smiled.

            “Any time,” he smiled back.

            She faced forward, quickly jumping up while knocking him back down.

            The monster had Maya backed into a corner. It raised a hoof but paused as it heard an ear-piercing whistle. It looked back at Hannah standing in the middle of the room.

            “Look at you, talk about a nightmare,” she smirked at her own joke.

            “My name is Equinox!” it turned to face her. “I will not be taunted by a mere mortal!”

            Hannah held back a laugh.

            A fireball struck Equinox in the face before it could go on anymore. Celeste stepped up to stand next to Hannah, another fireball ready between her hands. “Why did we come here again?” she asked, exhausted.

            “Because it was there,” Hannah said plainly.

            “Wait…” she turned to her gaping, the flame dissipating “what?!” The horse suddenly charged into her, knocking her away.

[gtbutterfly]

Quincy and the forest giant

(Formally known as unnamed gt story part two)

I wrote a part two to that new story I wrote because a lot of people seemed to like it. I still don’t have a title for it, feel free to suggest some. Criticism is appreciated.

heres part one

______________________________________________________________

I was woken up by the feeling of the sun hitting my face. I felt myself lying on something soft, and warm, like a massive blanket. There were no pillows or a mattress of any kind, other than the blanket, it felt like I was lying on a wooden floor. I slowly opened my eyes, before standing up and rubbing them. My vision was still blurry and the sun shining in my face didn’t help. As my vision cleared and I blocked the sun with my hand, I saw I was in front of a window again, except it wasn’t the same window I was in front of the night before. Outside there was a large lake with light glimmering off the blue surface, with some large puffy clouds being reflected in the water. Across the lake were massive trees which something looked off about. Their trunks and leaves seemed bigger than they were supposed to look as if they were the same trees I had always seen but blown up to be larger. I thought it was just my perspective or imagination at first. Then I realized how high up the window was, looking down, I must have been 20 or 30 feet off the ground. I turned around at the rest of the room I was in. Everything was huge, and the ceiling was as high as it was in factories, if not higher. I was on a table that was in front of the window. Looking over the edge, I was nearly 20 or 30 feet off the ground. I nearly fell off when I again felt those vibrations in the ground. I looked up, backing away from the edge and towards the window. The giant was standing in front of me, looming over my body as I looked up at them, my back against the glass. They got on their knees and looked at me eye to eye.

“You’re awake,” they said, in their stern, intimidating, buzzing voice I could feel vibrating in my chest. “I was worried you died for a minute there.”

I was dumbfounded, my mouth gaping open. I stood there shocked and silent, not knowing what to say or do. I tried getting a word out, but it just came out as a large exhale.

“Are you going to say something, or….” the giant asked. They had long brown hair and tanned skin, and their eyes were black and wet like they were puddles. They wore a dark green shirt made of cotton. The seams in their sleeves were long and massive, there were gray and brown patches stitched in with thick, brown string. I finally managed to get a word out.

“...what…?” I said. I didn’t know what I meant by “what”, it was just the only thing I could get out. I probably meant to say “What are you?” or “What is this place?” but I was too shocked.

“I said, are you going to say anything?” the giant said, looking annoyed. I took a deep breath and tried to get my words in order.

“What…what are….” I said before they interrupted me with the answer.

“I’m human. Just a really big one.” the giant said. “And no, I can’t tell you why.”

“....why not…?” I asked, not thinking straight.

“My job.” the giant said. “Now, this is what's going to happen. I already called my boss and told them about you. You stay here until they get you, and you ‘forget’ about any of this and go back to your life in that town. Got it?”

I was still dumbfounded. “Wha- what do you mean ‘forget’?” the giant sighed and put their hand on their face, frustrated.

“They’re gonna bribe you not to tell anyone,” they said, blankly. “At least that's how I think they deal with these things, it's not like they’re gonna kill you or something, especially since you’re like, eight,”

“I ... .I'm thirteen…” I said under my breath,

“What?” the giant asked,

“I’m….thirteen…..” I said louder.

“Oh, well excuse me if it's been a while since I’ve seen what children of different ages look like.” the giant rolled their eyes.

“You…live here alone?” I asked sheepishly.

“Yeah, sometimes the people I work for visit, but I don’t have a lot of neighbors,” the giant said. “Anyways, what's your name, kid?”

“Uh…” I looked down for a moment, “...Quincy…I’m Quincy…”

“I’m Ella,” The giant said. For a moment, they started extending their arms towards me like they wanted to shake my hand, but then stopped themselves, crossing their arms on their chest. “So, just chill here and don’t do anything  until they show up to take you home, and give you and your parents hush money, m'kay?”

“I…..I don’t have….” I started to say, before pausing.

“Oh, you don’t have parents?” Ella asked, “gee, sorry about that. I guess your orphanage will be getting hush money then,”

“I….I’m not part of an orphanage…” I said, confused, “there…there hasn’t been an orphanage in this country for…decades! Its been replace with the foster care system…”

“It has?” the giant tilted its head at me, “huh, that's weird. Well, I guess your…foster carers…will get hush money then. Not like it really matters, anyway.”

I turned towards the window, looking outside before turning back towards the giant.

“What is this place?” I asked,

“A giant cabin in the woods that no one is supposed to know about.” Ella said. 

“Why did you bring me here?” I asked, dozens of questions flowing through my head as I finally calmed down from being shocked.

“So you don’t tell anyone that you saw me,” Ella answered.

“You could have just brought me back home,” I said, “I would’ve just assumed that I had a dream!”

“Would you?” the giant asked, “most people remember things like that as not being dreams. And even if you would have, I’m not supposed to just let you go.”

“What are you going to do to me?” I asked in fear,

“Kid, I already told you, I’m keeping you here until other people your human size come to pick you up and make sure you don’t tell anyone about me.” Ella said, rolling her eyes. “Did you think I was going to eat you or something?”

“I….well…um…” I stuttered,

“Don’t worry kid, you’re gonna be fine, as long as you listen to me, okay?” the giant said, tilting her head at me again,

“O-okay,” I said, stumbling over my words. The giant stood up, looming 20 or 30 feet over me, peering down. My heart started beating fast, I again lost my ability to speak.

“Are you hungry? What time do you usually eat breakfast?” Ella asked me, her voice buzzing in my ears.

“M……morning…” I said the first thing to come to mind upon hearing the question.

“Right,” the giant said, lowering the palm  out in front of me, causing me to flinch. I looked at her hand, and then looked up at her.

“Wha….what do you….want me to….”

“Oh, come on kid, I told you, you have nothing to worry about.” Ella said, “just get in my hand, and I’ll get you some food, m'kay?” 

I was still hesitant to get in her massive hand. She looked at me impatiently as I went back and forth from getting closer to it and backing away. Eventuary, she groaned in annoyance. 

“Fine, have it your way,” she then scooped me up, grabbing me under my arms and lifting me off the table to her face. I yelped and squirmed out of fear and instinct as she carried me off. 

“Knock it off kid, you're fine.” she said. I took a deep breath and calmed down, trying to ignore the butterflies in my stomach as she carried me to a different room.

[fissions-chips]

tether

———————————————————————

When Tim makes an intriguing discovery in the back of Jon’s closet, it leads to a discussion- and a new interest.

———————————————————————

(discussion of nsfw, but no explicit nsfw)

  “Eh, Timmy! Could you grab my tie for me?” 

   Tim turned his face from the mirror, fingers nonetheless continuing to comb through his raven-dark hair, tidying the locks into a smoother look more appropriate for the gala he would be attending tonight. Pausing a moment to straighten out his collar, he called back. 

   “Which one?” 

   For a moment, there wasn’t an answer- then, the face of Jon Spiro appeared in the bathroom doorway, the man silhouetted against the smooth marble furnishings. Tim could see a number of necklaces clutched in his hand, the gold links quietly clattering and shifting about as Jon seemed to mull it over, fingers idly tapping on the wooden doorframe.

   “Uh… do you think it’d be too much if I said one of the gold ones?” 

   Craning his neck, Tim took in his partner’s outfit- mostly white, as it always was, ghost-pale jacket and pants, his earrings halfway in. He seemed to be in the middle of picking out the rest of his jewelry, a process that took a considerable amount of time, given the volume of his collection of pieces to choose from- all of them gold. His dress shirt was a light, robin’s egg blue, however, and Tim thought about it for a moment. 

   “Hmm… I don’t think so. Let me see what I can find.” 

   Abandoning his position by the bedroom mirror, he made his way into the larger of Jon’s two closets, this one lined with countless white-to-near-white suits, coats and other dress attire. When Tim had first seen it, he had laughed- Jon was well-known for his preference for a pale suit, but the man hadn’t expected it to make up nearly all of his clothing. In time he had come to learn there were different shades, some warm and some cool, varying by the season and whatever Jon decided to pair them with- his dress shirts, vests and ties brought some color into the closet, and Tim knew his ‘home’ clothes had a bit more variety, but it still seemed slightly comical in his mind. He hardly had to turn the lights on, for god’s sake- the pale fabrics practically glowed in the dark.

   Crouching, Tim winced at the small thud his prosthetic made against the floor, brushing aside some of Jon’s winter coats. There, he found the dresser that contained the man’s dress shirts and ties. 

   Tim began to rummage through, trying his best to keep things tidy as he went- Jon insisted on folding his own laundry, his put-away clothing lacking the sharp lines and creases of the Fowls’ own, folded by a Butler’s hand. Jon insisted on some autonomy from others’ service- as he picked up and peered at each tie, Tim wondered if that was simply one of the many differences between the world of old money and the new. The hard part was simply finding what he was looking for: most of Jon’s ties were darker colors, bright pinks or purples to match with his vests. 

   Catching sight of a metallic gleam at the furthest corner of the drawer, Tim reached out, startling when his fingers brushed cool metal instead of silken fabric. Lifting a brow, Tim reached further in, hooking his fingers around the object and pulling it free, a small clatter filling the air as he did. 

   Oh.

   Tilting his head, Tim looked down at the collar hooked upon his hand. The strap was of perfect white leather, unscuffed and unmarked, and not particularly thick- running his fingers along the inside, however, Tim found it had been lined with a softer fabric. Evenly spaced around its outer side were small, golden studs, glittering in the dim closet. They matched with the solid buckle, what he had originally spotted. Running his finger over one of the studs, Tim found them to be true, solid gold, giving it a heavier feel in his hand than one would expect for a simple dog’s collar. Even the stitches were of glittering, gilded thread. This is exceptionally well-made. 

   “-im. Tim!” 

   The raven-haired man startled as Jon’s voice suddenly broke through his thoughts, heavy footsteps sounding against the bedroom carpet as his partner leaned into the closet, the distinct clinking and clattering of his gait signaling that he’d finally picked his jewelry pieces for the evening. “Did you happen to find that tie-“ 

   “I didn’t know you had a dog.” Tim interrupted, turning his head to find Jon’s eyes stretched wide, his mouth slightly slack-jawed as he stared down at the object held in Tim’s hands. His gaze flickered to Tim’s face, and then back again- the other man watched as Jon’s face flushed scarlet. 

   Oh. Sudden understanding struck him like a bolt of lightning. 

   “Oh my god,” Jon muttered- one hand lifted to cover his face, a strangled little laugh slipping through his fingers, sounding a little more like hysteria that humor. “Fuckin’ hell.” 

   “Uh-“ Tim found himself stammering, his own face warming as sudden, sharp awkwardness filled the small room. “Would I be… incorrect in assuming this is yours, then?”

   For a moment, neither moved or spoke- Tim’s question hung in the air unanswered, the raven-haired man settling back on his heels and turning his gaze pointedly to the wall. He heard Jon let out a long, quiet sigh from behind his hand. 

   “…Yeah. Yeah, it’s mine.” 

   Clicking his tongue, Tim looked down again at the collar, fighting the urge to turn it in his hand and observe it more closely. At another glance, he could see now that it was built to be comfortable, the padded fabric of the interior and the lack of a breakaway suggesting it was, indeed, not for an animal. He tilted his head in though. 

   Tim wasn’t a prude, certainly not- he’d heard of this sort of thing before, but it had never really crossed into his own realm of experience, even rough as he liked it. In all truth, he’d just never really given the concept much thought. A collar begets a leash, he mused. What must that be like?

   Turning his head, he could see the flush to Jon’s features had even reached the tips of his ears, the man still hiding his face from view. His brow furrowed at the thought of the other man’s embarrassment at his hand, however accidentally. “I had no idea- forgive me.” 

   Jon was silent for another moment, before Tim heard him mutter something, slowly lowering his hand from his face. “It’s not your fault,” he sighed, leaning against the doorframe as he looked firmly at the floor. “I had no idea that thing was still in there- I haven’t seen it in years. Sorry.”

   Hmm? Tim blinked back at him. In years?

   “You’ve nothing, really, to be sorry about.” He said with a small shrug. “I’ve just… learned something new. That’s all.” 

   Tim waited quietly for Jon to turn away, or snatch the collar out of his hand, or even just to ask about finding a gold tie again. It wasn’t like the man to linger on a topic too long, particularly not something he found embarrassing. Instead, however, he found that Jon didn’t move, his gaze still locked onto the carpeted floor. His expression was one of deep thought, arms absentmindedly crossed in front of his chest, one hand fiddling with one of his rings, spinning it in his fingers. 

   It was unusual for his partner, and so, despite himself, Tim found himself asking- 

   “Would you… like to talk about it?” 

   Jon stiffened. “Huh?” Finally lifting his head from the floor, his stare focused on Tim’s own. “Why would I want to talk about it?” 

   Tim blinked back at him, before looking back to the collar in his hands. “You seem to be thinking quite a bit,” he answered smoothly. For a moment, he tried to picture the pressure of it around his own throat, being clipped by a lead to someone’s hand. The thought brought with it a quiet flicker of warmth in the pit of his stomach, sparking his interest further. “And… I’m a little curious, myself.” 

   Jon’s brow furrowed further, and Tim was once more pulled from his thoughts by the realization that he was likely overstepping. It was hidden away- I doubt he wanted anyone to find it. Embarrassment of his own filled his chest, and Tim looked away.

   “Or, I- nevermind. I’ll put it back-“

   “Give it here.” 

   Tim paused as the shadow across him shifted- looking up, he found Jon with arm outstretched, hand open and waiting. Without thought, he handed over the collar, Jon hooking one finger through the ring on its front and looking down at it. He tilted his head, chewing his lip for a moment, brow still furrowed- then, he straightened, reaching out once again to Tim, still crouched on the floor. 

   Suddenly aware of the growing ache in his bad leg, Tim took his hand gratefully and was pulled upright, Jon briefly steadying him with a hand to his arm before he pulled away. 

   With that, Jon walked out of the closet, the loop of leather still hooked in his hand- Tim followed, watching as the other man sat on the edge of the bed before glancing up to look him in the eye. 

   “If you’re going to ask about it, I’d rather you just do it. It’s better than either of us just sitting on it.” 

   Tim winced. “Really, we don’t have to- you don’t really seem in the mood to answer anything at the moment.” 

   Jon sighed again- Tim watched as his fingers flexed, twisting into the fabric of the duvet beneath him. “It’s…” He started, voice stretched thin like a wire pulled taut. “It’s fine, I promise. I’m just surprised- I thought I threw that out.” 

   “…How come?” 

   Tim’s voice was quiet, gentle- when he had first realized what he had discovered, the raven-haired man had simply thought it an awkward moment. Something in the uncertainty in Jon’s face, however, suggested there was more going on here. He was curious, yes- that little spark of interest still twisted in his stomach at the thought of being leashed, of Jon being leashed… but it wasn’t truly worth the other man’s discomfort. 

   Despite the tension weighing thick in the air, however, after a moment, Jon dipped his head. “It’s something I used to like, yeah- getting clipped to a leash, collar, all that. Y’know what I’m like- that kinda thing feels good to me. It feels… intimate…” His voice trickled off, like he was trying to find the word. 

   “…Vulnerable?” 

   Jon startled, Tim’s suggestion taking him by surprise. Still, after a second of thought, he nodded, necklaces clattering as he moved. 

   “Yeah. Vulnerable. I liked that part. It felt good to be… I don’t know, tethered? Something about it kept me rooted in my own skin for a little while. Being told what to do, directed, not having to think for myself for once- it was good.” 

   As he spoke, however, his eyes darkened slightly. Jon looked down at the collar still held in his fingers, turning it over and over in his hands, running his fingers over the studs. 

   “But after a little while, I started to realize that everyone else… didn’t really feel the same way. It wasn’t about the closeness of it.” Tim watched as a look of frustration briefly flickered over Jon’s face, his lip curling slightly. “It was just novel- Jon Spiro, criminal billionaire and enemy of all, dragged around on a fuckin’ chain. People found it funny.” 

   The look of anger then shifted, Jon’s voice growing a little quieter- one hand crept up to his throat, idly rubbing at the space beneath his jaw. “And I guess it was kinda funny, maybe, but they were fuckin’ rough about it- and I didn’t want to be choked and shit. I didn’t know these people. I was just hooking up, half of em’ were my enemies at some point or another.” Dropping the collar beside him on the bed, Jon began to fiddle with his bracelets instead, spinning them around and around his wrist, the gold catching the light and glittering. 

   “At some point, it clicked that it wasn’t really… safe, to keep doing. I had more people who wanted to kill me than people who I’d call ‘friends’ and suddenly it just wasn’t fun anymore. It just felt stupid.” Jon swallowed, then, staring down at the floor with wide, unblinking eyes. 

   “It-it wasn’t what I wanted. I’m not a dog.”

   His throat dipped, a small shift in the shadows of his jaw warning Tim that Jon had begun to grind his teeth. Ice-white eyes softened as the man stepped forward, slow and quiet, seating himself on the bed next to the other and offering his hand- without a word, Jon leaned into his open palm, eyes falling shut as he accepted the touch without complaint. 

   “No, you’re not,” Tim murmured. His other hand took Jon’s in his own and gently pried his fingers open, slotting them between his own. Jon’s thumb ran along the edge of his palm, the man heaving another quiet sigh. “Of course you’re not. Forgive me- I didn’t mean to dredge up bad memories, dear.”

   “It’s not your fault,” Jon answered in kind, his voice rumbling against Tim’s open palm. He could feel the brush of earrings against his fingers, of necklaces against his wrist. “It’s been years- things are different now.” 

   Now, I have you. Even unsaid, Tim understood. 

   For a moment, neither moved- then, Jon let out a thoughtful hum. When Tim glanced up, he saw that same flicker of uncertainty across his face, the man’s voice quiet when he spoke again. 

   “…M’ not…opposed to trying it again.” 

   His words were half-muffled against Tim’s palm- nonetheless, the raven-haired man’s eyes widened slightly, his own head tilting. His brow furrowed. 

   “If you wanted.” 

   Jon nodded. “If I wanted,” he repeated.  One eye opened a little, meeting Tim’s own. “Might be nicer this time. I trust you.”

   Sudden emotion crept up in Tim’s throat, and the raven-haired man glanced away. “An honor.” He replied. 

   Straightening, he looked down at the collar left discarded on the bed between them- idly, he picked it up, running his fingers over the leather once more. Fiddling with the buckle a bit, Tim unfastened it, stretching the leather out and admiring the way the golden studs caught the light. Desperate to dispel some of the tension still hanging in the air between them, he spoke. 

   “Where did you get this? It’s very well-made.” 

   Jon stirred. “Hmm? Oh- it’s custom. I know a guy.” A flicker of a grin danced across his face, brief vanity glittering in Jon’s eyes as he gave Tim a look. “You think I’d put anything like that around my neck that wasn’t hand-made just for me, eh?” He snapped his teeth in a quick little laugh, high and cricket-like. “That’ll be the day.” 

   The laugh trickled off slightly as he took in the way Tim was staring at the collar in his hands, eyes half-lidded, but focused with pinpoint precision on each stitch and stud. Blinking owlishly, Jon started when Tim spoke again. 

   “What’s it like? Wearing it, I mean.”

   Tim, absentmindedly, began lifting his hands, intending to settle it around his own neck and fasten it- instead, however, he found it plucked from his fingers by Jon’s own. He looked up to find the other man slowly fastening it around his throat. His hands fastened it without looking with practiced ease- there was only the slightest hesitation of movement as he slipped it through the buckle. 

   “Look-“ Getting Tim’s attention, Jon held up two fingers and slipped them beneath the collar’s edge, flat against his throat. “Two fingers. No tighter.” Jon’s gaze was not on Tim’s own- he looked away, nonetheless continuing to speak as the other man shifted closer. 

   “The inside’s padded to make it comfortable, but you still need some breathing room. Other than that, it just kinda sits there.” Setting his thumb against one of the studs, Jon gave the collar a little push, spinning it around his neck with a small clinking sound. “And that’s pretty much it. After that point it’s up to whatever you want to do with it… ta-da.” He waved one hand in a small attempt of showmanship. Head bowed slightly, he gave Tim a look. 

   “How’s it look?” 

   Tim tilted his head, looking the other man up and down- ice-bright eyes half-lidded, the man flashed Jon a small smile. “Magnificent as ever- it suits you.” Then, he lifted a brow, the small smile taking on a note of humor. “It matches your outfit.” 

   Eyes widening, Jon barked a laugh, the sound quiet and sharp in the still air between them. “It does! It really-“ He paused, suddenly taking note of Tim’s outstretched hand, the other man leaning close, his gaze locked on the ring looped through the front of the collar. 

   Jon balked- Tim froze, expression shifting to one of apology as he realized what he had been about to do, without thinking. Glancing down, he watched as the other man’s fingers twisted into the duvet beneath them. Sudden awkwardness seized him, and Tim leaned back. “I…” 

   “It’s fine.” 

   Jon’s voice had a note of tension to it, thread pulled too sharply and threatening to snap completely- despite this, Tim watched as he turned his head away, moving no closer, but no longer flinching away either. Instead, the man waited patiently, shoulders stiffening at the sensation of Tim’s finger slowly hooking itself around the ring. The collar settled heavier against his neck, but the raven-haired man didn’t pull, and Tim saw a look of surprise flicker across his face.

   Then, slowly, a faint flush crept up his features, some of the tension melting away from Jon’s frame. He took a deep breath, let it out slowly- Tim could feel the slight dip of movement beneath his hand, and a quiet sort of warmth filled his chest and spread, down to the tips of his fingers. He thought, for a moment, of the roles reversed, he himself hooked on Jon’s hand and held there…Oh. I get it now.

   “Why’re you so interested in this anyway?”

   Tim was broken out of his thoughts by the rumble of the other man’s speech- Jon was looking at him now, one brow lifted slightly. Absentmindedly, he had taken Tim’s hand in his own, running his thumb along the fire-marked scarring that etched its way down the side of his palm. He, still, hadn’t pulled away.

   “Hmm? Oh-” Tim blinked back at him. “Well… I did say I was curious. This fascinates me. I’d like one.” 

    Jon stared back at him for a moment. Then, the words sank in, and his eyes widened. “Uh… oh. Oh. Yeah.” He swallowed. “You can get one.” 

   “We could pick up something on our way back?” 

   Jon’s brow furrowed- then, the other man gave him a sharp look. “Timmy, I’m not getting you one from a store.” 

   “But-“ 

   “Babe, no. I’ll get you a nice one, made just for you.” Tim felt a sharp tap against his chest as Jon jabbed a finger at him- then, the same hand drifted upwards, coming to rest at the joint between neck and shoulder. Jon peered at him, as if picturing something.

   “Maybe something with a little crescent moon on it, eh, Artemis? Something fancy- something expensive~”

   Tim hummed, mulling it over. He couldn’t lie- there was a vague appeal to him at the thought of wearing something bought from a store for someone’s hound. Tim didn’t mind the thought completely. But… he liked expensive things. He liked knowing he was expensive- and he knew Jon liked it too.

   “Perhaps.” 

   The other man watched him for a moment, one hand still on Tim’s own, the other resting near his collarbone- then, with a sigh, Jon pulled Tim’s fingers from the collar and stood, beginning to unfasten it. Tim was sorry to see it go. The man flashed him a sharp-toothed grin.

   “Well- least we know now that gold’ll work just fine, eh?”

— — — — — 

   “Jon?” 

   “Hmm?” 

   Tim didn’t turn his head to look at the other, focused instead on fixing his own tie (cobalt blue, to match his vest). Knotting it firmly and tucking it beneath his vest’s edge, he turned and leaned against the bathroom counter, watching as Jon finished his own tie, the metallic gleam of the golden fabric shining dully in the lights from above. 

   “Can I tell Butler?” 

   Jon froze, his fingers pausing mid-tying as his head whipped around, fixing Tim with an incredulous stare. “W-What?” He sputtered. “No!”

   Tim leaned back slightly, but didn’t protest, brows raised as he blinked back at Jon coolly. He didn’t answer, instead turning his gaze back at the far wall, hopping up onto the bathroom countertop. Three…two…

   “…Why?” 

   Tim tilted his head. “Two reasons,” he counted, holding up two fingers and ticking them off as he went. He could tell by the slight flush to Jon’s face that he had piqued his interest. “One, Butler is going to be curious as to where this new interest of mine has come from. I won’t tell, truly, if you’re uncomfortable with it- but he will wonder.” 

   Jon’s expression fell into the sort of half-frown Tim knew to be the other man acknowledging he might be right. “And the other?” He pressed. The red flush to his face sharpened slightly, and the other man knew he had him on a similar train of thought already.

   Tim flashed him a sharp-toothed smile of his own. “Two… Butler has two hands- perfect for two leashes. You and me- am I making my thoughts clear?” 

   “…Fine. Fine.” 

   “You see my vision.” 

   “Yeah, yeah-“ Jon reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, tapping away at it for a moment- summoning their driver, Tim realized. 

   “C’mon, enough talk- we got somewhere to be.” 

[carnagewed]

@80spolaroid

the blood drips from the wound. yet another crimson stain down the front of his shirt ; the only difference this time is that it is his own, rather than the blood of one of the others. large hand remains pressed against the injury — the result of a would-be bride’s struggling, the incessant fighting that she’d put up as he had tried to place her alongside all the other failures. the pipe that had collapsed from the ceiling above, impaling him through the side.

it’s a bit of a blur after that, admittedly.

he knows that many of the other patients hadn’t been there in the hallways of mount massive when he’d gathered the strength to yank himself free, though. he knows that the guards, the soldiers, were all gone. bodies had littered the asylum’s floors, gore and viscera scattered along the way. not normal deaths, not in the slightest : the work of the walrider. he’s grown all too familiar with what its particular type of destruction looks like, given the visions that had danced behind in his eyes in the morphogenic engine.

and now, here gluskin is, finally free from the clutches of mount massive asylum, limping his way down the side of the road.

his head’s going fuzzier than he cares to admit — adrenaline is beginning to fade, the blood loss catching up. he needs to be further away from that damn place, but the sharp pain in his side is enough to have him pausing. eddie sits down on the side of the road, pressing harder against the bleeding injury to try and apply more pressure. he just needs to rest and regain his bearings, and it should be fine.

[adrift-in-thyme]

So I finished the Odyssey…

[sanguith]

i'm glad i decided to try out a ketosis diet again (aka changing my metabolism to basically only use ketone bodies made from fatty acids for energy by reducing carb intake to max 20g/day) for a few weeks because it was a neat experiment but i'm also glad I decided to stop because now i get to enjoy life's greatest fucking simplest yet finest delicacy: mashed potatoes/sweet potatoes with melted butter and salt. i cannot understand how i could live without that. just. vegetables. keto has opened my eyes to new ways to cook foods and experiment with ingredients but i don't think i can live without carbs. i doubt that the majority of people could. also have you any idea how much good simple near-zero effort food there is out there like holy gosh darn in heaven. i don't have to spend hours cooking something to have a nice meal

[chantryexplosion]

welp. i just finished my first bg3 playthrough

[cerealmonster15]

alright i dont know if this fic im writing is too cornball cringe or if i just feel that way cuz ive been lookin at it too long / i have been feeling Extra Insecure And Bad Recently LOL so i might just have to say Fuck It and post as is

[aroaessidhe]

2023 reads // twitter thread  

Margins and Murmurations

set in a near future after a climate crisis, in an oppressive militarised state somewhere in Europe

A 72yo trans woman and her friend have long since escaped, living in the woods together, until a resistance fighter arrives and they find themselves drawn back into the fight

centres queer and trans characters, sex workers, and the complicated process of activism and survivial

large cast

[theloveinc]

comment on being neurodivergent belowww

It’s honestly so weird, like… being considered “mentally ill” and going thru life being told I need to fix my behavior in order to communicate (my needs) better… only for those skills to end up completely useless when actually trying to use them w/ quote UNQUOTE “neurotypical” people…