#even if reeeeally small

[mistressemmedi]

Assuming your earlier anon was asking in good faith and not just to stir the pot/open a can of worms in your inbox: Charles is Catholic, Lance is Jewish.

Rightly or wrongly (and I will NOT make any comments on whether I agree with this), it’s easier to judge a non-Jew than a Jew for their views on what’s happening in Israel and Palestine currently.

It’s not for non-Jews to decide what is or isn’t acceptable for Jewish people to be doing with regards to practising their faith given the current circumstances without the lived experience of actually being Jewish.

If there are other Jews that want to criticize the Strolls for their apparent support of Israel, then great. But rightly or wrongly, non-Jews are less likely to do so.

As a sidenote, we should stop lumping in "[insert name here]'s family did this/said that, therefore they must believe the same things/condone their actions".

I think the majority of us have relatives who are the human equivalent of a poorly cleaned bidet but the circumstances don't really allow us to constantly pick fights about [insert topic here] or we simply do not have the energy to do so (which... Valid). So just because we chose to not engage/acknowledge said people in our families, it does not necessarily mean we think like them.

Perhaps the same courtesy could be extended to these drivers?

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

What about the Doors/Pressure shopkeepers trying to pretend they aren't giving their crush special treatment when in groups. Like, special inventory, discreet discounts, all that jazz

Jeff (Doors)

"Oye, I see what you're doin', Jeff. Thought you weren't one for giving out freebies."

*shrug*

"Don't play dumb! I saw you sneak the skeleton key into their bag! Even Bob's a witness!"

No matter what El Goblino says, Jeff will just wave off any accusations of him giving you "special treatment" whenever you stopped by the shop with your group.

While none of them donated to the tip jar, you were the only one who ever did...and even when you came back again and again, it was always you who showed him charity.

The rest of your group would just argue over what to spend their money on, try to rush ahead, mess with his radio, etc. etc.

But you trust Jeff, and he trusts you <3

So you get small discounts on his wares, and despite him not being able to speak, you could tell he's only looking after you.

The goblin jokes about Jeff's little "crush" on you...then he sees the entity's eyes widen and realizes "wait amigo,,I wasn't being serious do you actually like them?????"

He just shoos him away and will deny it to kingdom come, but it is true.

The moment you realized his feelings for you was when Rush attacked the shop once, and you thought you were done for-

When Jeff instinctively pulled you behind the counter and slammed the shutter down, keeping you uncomfortably close (yet somehow you've never felt safer).

When it's all over, he blushes and lets you go free.

You thank him with a small kiss on the forehead(?) and promise to see him again soon.

The next time you get duped by Dupe, or attacked by Eyes, Timothy, Screech, or a snare and need to heal...you discover a few bandaids in your pocket that weren't there previously...

Huh.

Wonder who gave you those?

Sebastian (Pressure)

Normally, Sebastian doesn't care to make personal connections with any of the expendables.

He's just there as their supplier before seeing them off on their journey, hoping they're putting his resources to good use.

But recently he's been seeing you more often, coming by with a new group or by yourself, trying your best to survive long enough to reach him.

Ofc, you've died to stupid things before (or maybe you're just trying to get all the monster documents..in which he's convinced you're some masochist), but you did have the most common sense out of your group and didn't try to annoy him.

The others just waste flash beacon charges on trying to blind the poor guy and stick the keycard in a medkit they couldn't afford...and for what?

Why do your "friends" do that? Are they stupid or something?

You tell them to stop, and it's...actually kinda nice to hear somebody willing to defend him.

People usually don't give a shit about the giant scary fish's feelings, yet for some reason you do.

Of course, Sebastian was reasonably suspicious about it.

"Are you acting this way just to get a freebie?" He assumes. "Because if you are, then you're definitely as stupid as-"

"No, I'd never do that to you." You shake your head. "You're here, helping us survive out there, risking a lot to get us those supplies...is it wrong for me to appreciate that?"

"......"

He goes quiet for a minute, but after the rest of your group leaves, he asks you to stay for a moment.

"You were looking at this Necrobloxicon for a while...you must reeeeally want it, huh?" He grins, flicking his tail where the book was strapped. "It's a rarity."

"I...can't afford that. I'm fine with this dingy flashlight-"

"It's yours for 70% off. Take it or leave it."

You do a double take. "Wait, wha-"

"70% off. Take it. Or leave it." He says through gritted teeth, impatient, only to smile when you accept the deal without further question. "Good. Now don't go telling anyone I'm offering discounts. That's your only one unless I feel generous. Capiche?"

"Gotcha. Thank you, Seb. This means a lot. I hope to see you again soon." You smile back, holding the spooky book tightly, and leave him alone with his thoughts.

And a warm and fuzzy feeling in his chest-

Wait.

"Oh no....what the fuck am I doing????? That's it! NO more discounts for anyone, Sebastian!" He scolds himself.

Little does he know, he's gonna keep giving them out, but only for you.

[semisolidmind]

Just a question. What if one of the demons that are currently fighting the two monkey brothers and ran away to hide as a close pet or servant to peaches? Would peaches protect them even knowing they are a demon? Will the two brothers kill their enemy despite peaches connection?

so this ask got me thinking about that “tiger on the mountain” fic that @hcdragonwrites wrote, and about a potential survivor of the battle against the tiger lord’s army. while all the soldiers would definitely be killed, perhaps an attendant or luggage carrier would be spared and added to the servant force on ffm.

Ksudra (“small” or “petty” in Hindi)— a lower servant of the tiger lord, Zira. she was originally going to be killed along with the rest of the invading tiger army, but reader stepped in on her behalf. reader felt pity for the small cat demon, and to protect her until she could escape, she asked that ksudra be assigned as one of her attendants. the warlords begrudgingly agreed, but not without very clear warning about what would happen if the cat deigned to hurt reader in any way. reader's ladies in waiting really, reeeeally don't like the new addition to their ranks.

[swallowedbymadness]

*.·:·.✧ forever, you and i ✧.·:·.*

Pairing: yeosang x chubby!fem!reader

Genre: dreamy smut/fantasy? yeah, we’ll go with that.

Summary: Lost in his own desires, you were everything Yeosang ever dreamed of, and he longed for a forever filled with you in it.

Word Count: 2.6k

A/N: hi friends! I am back with another smut filled read for you all. This fic came to me randomly while at work when “Like Crazy” by Jimin came on, so now you get some Kang Yeosang love because my brain is hopelessly romantic like that. I’m reeeeally hoping y’all don’t come for me with this one lol anywhooo…18+ content, so please, minors DNI. Enjoy! ✨

Warnings: oral sex (m receiving), unprotected sex, some fluff sprinkled in there, angst? (Idk I’ll let you decide on that last one.)

Proofread: Yeah, but you know the drill. If you see a mistake, no you don’t.

There was something familiar about the scene Yeosang found himself surrounded by. Ivory sheets and an angelic glow were all that came into view once the blur of his surroundings started to fade.

Yeosang had been here before, but for some reason, it all seemed new to him in the current moment. Something in his heart told him this wasn’t the first time he’d been here, though. He caught blurred glimpses of someone, their small giggles filling the air around him as their full figure approached the bed he found himself sat on. He recognized the warmth his chest felt as his pulse quickened at the sight before him, his eyes now able to focus on the figure causing his breath to hitch. He tried to focus on their face, but everything was moving too fast and too slow all at once. A melodic hum of a song he wasn’t sure he knew filled the air around him, teasing him with a familiarity he couldn’t quite understand. It was like a sheer fabric was moving around him, his vision seeming to be in slow motion, like he was drowning underneath the metaphorical cloth that acted as a veil over his eyes as he saw glimpses of the silhouette move closer to him. He finally caught his breath, like breaking the surface of the deepest ocean as the fabric fell out of view, sending him back into the pillows behind him, revealing the figure before him, a gasp falling from his lips.

You.

You fell into view as your body now hovered over his, your hair framing your face beautifully, your body bare and even more radiant than he ever could have imagined. Once your eyes met, it was like a tidal wave rushing forward, stealing his breath from his lungs once again as he felt the love he had for you pour from his fingertips. They itched to touch you, feel you, remember the way you felt under his skin.

This was perfect.

You were perfect.

Yeosang had absolutely no idea what any of this meant. The only thing he was sure of were the emotions flowing through his veins currently as you held his gaze firmly, nothing but affection and adoration swimming in your irises. You leaned down and pressed your lips to the shell of his ear, your breath sending a shiver down Yeosang’s spine.

“I think that we could last forever…” you whispered, voice quiet and promising. You felt his strong hands grab onto you and pull you down on top of him. His heart began to erratically beat from within his chest as his eyes looked down to see your figure splayed out against his bare skin, sending a heat rush through his veins.

He wasn’t acquainted with the feeling of love, yet he was so sure that this was the closest thing he’d ever felt regarding the emotion. Everything about you was inexplicably divine, and he didn’t question it. He didn’t need to, because he just felt it.

This felt right — you underneath him like this, with nothing but raw emotion to bare to one another.

“I’m afraid that everything will disappear,” he admitted, playing with your fingers, eventually lacing yours with his and bringing the back of your hand up to his lips. Something about you, this moment, the atmosphere, everything surrounding you two was just so familiar, like he had seen it all before. The answers seemed to be on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t quite figure it out. When you looked up into his doe eyes, you could see the worry swirling in his dark eyes.

“Just trust me.” You sighed into his soft skin, peppering kisses into his chest. There was a hint of knowing laced between your words, unbeknownst to him. His eyes closed, another gasp leaving his lips as your mouth continued to praise his flesh without words. Your mouth trailed down his abdomen, your lips nipping at the sensitive skin on his hip bone. He didn’t feel an ounce of shyness when a pleasure soaked groan slipped from his lips. You suckled the delicate skin, leaving a beautiful purple blotch to freely bloom against his porcelain skin.

You wondered if it would be there in the morning. Would he be able to see it? Would he even remember if it wasn’t there?

You let the thought quickly drift away as you kept kissing all the way down, down, down, until you reached his rosy tip that was leaking, and aching for your attention. You looked up at him, a smirk on your lips as you took his length into your mouth slowly, jaw locking as you inched his girthy member closer to the back of your throat. You rested him flat on your tongue, letting yourself get used to the weight of him. You closed your lips around him, rolling your tongue along his shaft and slowly dragged along his dick with a satisfying pop once he was completely out of your mouth. You swirled your tongue along the slit, your free hand cradling his balls as you took him in between your lips once more, sucking a little harder this time to pull a moan straight out of him. You looked up at his godly figure as it began to sparkle in the light with a light sweat beginning to break out along his chest as it heaved euphorically above you. There was a moment where he looked down daringly and saw the twinkle in your eyes, tear soaked lashes fluttering as you took him so well. His eyes rolled back, his hand going to your scalp as he guided your head to bob back and forth along him, your drool dripping from the corners of your mouth. You groaned against him, the vibrations around his cock sending him into overdrive. He tilted his head back, a long sigh leaving him as he felt himself pulsate inside your mouth, your tongue dancing around him like a sacred ritual.

“Oh, shit,” he hissed, a wave of arousal moving through him. He shivered, the warmth beginning to pool in his abdomen, catching him off guard. He refused to let this moment end so soon. “not yet.”

He sat up and spread his legs, eyes staring into your bare figure with his arms reached out as an invitation. You smirked, eyes hooded as you got on your knees, your legs on either side of his hips and your wet core hovering over his leaking dick. He looks down between the two of you, taking your figure in completely, his fingers rubbing lightly up from your knees, your thighs, and over your sides. You felt a goosebumps form under his touch, his hands secured on your back now. His eyes locked with yours once more, completely awestruck at the sight before him.

“You’re…everything to me.” He confessed under his breath. He wasted no time before putting his lips back onto yours, the heated kiss taking over his senses completely. “This is gonna break me,” He sighed into your mouth, his tongue brushing against yours as his hands squeezed your love handles his fingers relishing in the way your body dipped and curved in all the right ways, so beautifully created by the heavens, he was sure of it. “Isn’t it?”

You didn’t dare answer him, but you weren’t sure if that question was truly meant for you or not. You felt the pang in your heart, knowing what came next, but you needed to play along, for him.

“Please, just let me feel your love tonight. I need to taste it, breathe it, drown in it.” You felt your chest swell with affection for the man before you, the arousal pooling between your legs from his words, the throbbing in your core beginning to make your mind hazy. You wrapped your arms around his neck, your chest at his eye level, but his irises only looked up into yours.

“Always,” you vowed, his lips dancing against the delicate skin between your breasts, tracing a path with his tongue. He held onto you firmly, eyes never leaving yours as he watched you sink down onto his throbbing member slowly. The stretch caused a gasp to leave your lips as your walls enveloped him perfectly. You leaned back into his strong embrace, his biceps flexing at the weight but he made it seem so effortless to hold you right where he needed you to make you feel like you were floating as he began to thrust lovingly into you. Your head leaned back, mouth falling slack as you freely allowed the pleasure to fall from your swollen lips in the form of drawn out sighs and whines.

“Yeosang,” You weren’t even sure what words fell from your mouth besides his name, completely lost in pure ecstasy that his cock was pumping into you, your orgasm beginning to brew in your abdomen. You saw stars dancing across the ceiling, lost in the lights as he moaned into your skin, your name slipping from his tongue as he desperately loved you like he asked to do. “Yeosang, please,” you begged, words spilling into the air surrounding you both. Your body was limp in his embrace as he held you in place. “I-I need more.” He took one of your nipples into his mouth, sucking and pulling on the erect bud as he pounded into you harder. Your figure bounced within his tight grip, the sheen of sweat shining beautifully against your sticky skin.

“Oh,” his voice barely above a whisper as his breath hitched at how stunning you were unraveling right in front of him. The sight before him was breathtaking, your eyes shut and head tilted back towards the sky, pleasure dripping from your lips as he slammed into your soaked pussy, the lewd sounds your hips made while smacking together filled his ears and made his cock twitch within your rigid walls. You started moving your hips to match his violent pace that you had asked for, the buildup in your core becoming too much as you felt yourself about to burst.

“I’m gonna-” you didn’t even get to finish your sentence before you were cumming on his dick as it continued to assault your hole, his pace not slowing even as you screamed his name so loud you swore the neighbors would be pounding on the door any minute now. As he still chased his high, you knew he wasn’t done with you. He was close though, his thrusts became sloppy and rushed. His eyebrows furrowed, his bottom lip now sucked between his teeth as he grunted under his breath. He was so desperate to get there with you, his balls aching to empty into you.

“Fuck! Please…oh gods, please.” He chanted, his hands running up to grab a fistful of hair and the back of your neck to keep you in place, needing a grip on reality, onto something real. He ran the hand from your hair to grab yours. He put two of your fingers in his mouth, running the pad of his tongue around them before placing them between your folds, moving them to massage your swollen clit. “Come for me again, angel. I want you to spill all over this cock.” He growled, eyes glazed over and lost in the pleasure. You winced at the overstimulation, but you did as he asked of you. He leaned forward and crashed your lips together, your moans mixing into a beautiful symphony as you both came, the mixture of your fluids hot and sticky against both of you. He pulled out of your used pussy, leaving you to clench around nothing now as he fell forward into you, your chests coming together as he buried his face into the crook of your neck. You held one another there for who knows how long, coming back down from your high and feeling the exhaustion settle into your muscles. Your cheek rested against his shoulder, every once in a while you placed barely there kisses to his porcelain skin, allowing the remnants of his perfume to fill your senses.

“Forever,” you ran your fingertips up his back, feeling the goosebumps form along his glowing skin “You and I...” you kissed up to his lips, yours pecking at each corner of his mouth before devouring his own once more. You held onto his face, the desperation leaking front the way your mouths moved fervently in sync. “But you have to wake up now…” you choked out, feeling the sting of fresh tears forming in your eyes. Yeosang pulled back and looked at you confused.

“Wait, what?”

“Yeosang, this isn’t real…” You confessed, killing the illusion and watching the realization wash over his face. That’s why everything seemed familiar. That’s why all of this made so much sense but no sense at all, all at once. His pulse quickened, the fear from earlier returning to the forefront of his mind as he realized he was becoming aware that he was dreaming, that you would not be there when he woke up.

No…

No, this couldn’t happen.

Not again.

“No, wait! Please. Don’t make me go back.” He pleaded, now understanding what this was. This wasn’t real, none of it was. It never was. But somehow, it felt like the realest thing he’s ever known.

“We will meet again soon, I promise.” You had a sad smile displayed across your features, reliving this moment every time. The agony of watching him come to and break from the spell broke you more and more each time. You knew this wouldn’t be the last time you’d see him, but you never knew when the next time would be.

You wondered how many cracks it could endure until it shattered.

“You always find me,” You stated, wishing you could break the illusion, change something in the cosmos, anything that would allow you two to be together forever. But, just like every other time before, your throat had formed a painful lump as a tear finally rolled down your cheek, the all too familiar pain in your chest growing as you noticed the tell tale signs that it was his time to go. He glanced into your eyes, not sure how to save himself from slipping back into the real world and far far away from his dreamscape. Before he could question it, the scene before him was pulling further and further away from his vision, black engulfing his peripherals. “Until next time, my love.” You muttered, accepting that fate had decided you would be star crossed lovers, existing on two different planes, but somehow brought together through your dreams. He reached for you, but you just sat there with a defeated look in your eyes, always hoping he would return again sooner than the last time. As you were ripped away from him, he realized why this felt all too familiar. This wasn’t the first time this has happened.

The simple tune sounded from his phone then, filling the room with complete dread. Yeosang sighed heavily, the ache in his heart growing when his eyes looked at the offending phone that ripped him from his desired reality. He pushed the snooze button on his alarm before rolling over onto his side, pushing his golden strands back and out of his eyes. He stared out of his window, eyes still a bit blurry from sleep. He felt tears on his waterline threaten to fall at any moment as he tried to get his brain to catch up to what was happening.

As the dawn began to wake up the earth, the morning doves singing their daily song and the plants dewy from the still morning, he closed his eyes once more to try and force his way back to you. When minutes passed and he couldn’t fall back into the reality that held you in it, he pulled the blankets up to his nose, allowing the tears to finally fall, ignoring the way his half hard member beneath the sheets ached for you, taunting him in the most cruel way while filling him with an all too familiar emptiness in his chest.

“Alone again...what’s the point?”

[starsurface]

i know i already requested something, but can i still ask for fujin and tomas with a sick toddler regressor? im not sick myself. but ive been hhaving nosebleeds for 3 days and im tired,, just wanna be held by them 🔮

Oh please, request as much as you like!! I love receiving requests!! <3

WARNING: Blood mention (nosebleeds)

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

CG Fujin w/ Sick Toddler Regressor Hcs

☁️ Gods don’t get sick, and it takes a lot to make them even feel somewhat icky

☁️ But Fujin knows Mortals can get sick very easily, and knows many ways to treat them

☁️ But his baby being sick? That’s just an outrage!! >:(

☁️ Your usually so giggle, or energetic, or wanting to play or watch tv

☁️ And now your bed bound, sniffling and whining about how bad you feel :(

☁️ He very calm about your nose bleeds, helping you pinch the bridge of your nose and holding your tissue, although does ask the Monks if your dying (you aren’t, it’s from sickness and most likely weather change, he’s just worried)

☁️ He’ll do that cold spoon trick on your back (My Momma would do it when I had nosebleeds), he’s not sure if it really works, but he’s just trying different ways to stop the bleeding

☁️ If your get blood anywhere, he’ll focus on that later, and gently shut any bad thoughts about you ‘making a mess’

☁️ You didn’t make a mess, sweetheart, sometimes nosebleeds are super unexpected and heavy, and if he needs to, he’ll just boy you a new shirt, there’s nothing wrong <3

☁️ Back onto sick hcs, he’ll try to get you outside

☁️ Nature (and cuddles) are the best medicine, so he’ll carry you outside and you two will lay on a blankie

☁️ Although if you’re feeling really sick, he’s not going to force you out of bed, he’ll just tuck you in and sit beside you

☁️ In fact, he’s by your side the entire time!! Raiden can take some of his jobs right now, he has to focus on his baby

☁️ And if he reeeeally has to leave, he’ll have one of his medics, or Nightwolf, Raiden, Liu Kang, or Kung Lao, come watch after you

☁️ He’ll play with some soft toys or non loud things, he doesn’t want your head to hurt more than it does

☁️ He’s weary about you watching too much tv while small

☁️ Too much screen time won’t help you feel better physically, but if you really wanna watch tv, he’s not going to stop you

☁️ The best part about Fujin is that he can’t get sick!! Which means, you can get sickness cuddles without getting him sick!! :D

☁️ He’s wary cuddling you though :\

☁️ Not that he doesn’t want to!! He just doesn’t want you to feel suffocated or something similar

☁️ He’ll make you tea and put it in your favorite sippy cup!! (If you don’t like tea, prepare for a bunch of water)

☁️ ^ No sugary drinks!! Your trying to get better, and Fujin’s not going to get you get worse by accident (Milk is allowed, especially warm milk)

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

CG Tomas w/ Sick Toddler Regressor Hcs

💨 He’s the only Lin Kuei brother that can get sick, but it’s super hard

💨 Has an amazing immune system!! He can be around multiple sick people, and still not catch anything

💨 . . . You not so much, and now Tomas feels really bad about your situation

💨 Where’d his bouncy baby go? Where’s the running around the house or asking if he can play? 🥺

💨 He’s also calm about nosebleeds, but it does make him much more worry (he’s just worried about your health)

💨 If it’s something from stuff like weather change or dry climate or such, he’s very gentle about it, helping you hold a tissue and trying to find ways to stop it

💨 Don’t feel bad if your get blood anywhere!!! Nosebleeds can be very scary and unexpected sometimes, he’ll clean your shirt and wash up later

💨 He doesn’t want you to deal or be uspet about any mess accidently made anyways, it’s not your fault you feel icky and it happened, please don’t blame yourself <3

💨 Back onto your sickness, you are not getting out of bed >:(

💨 No ifs! No buts! Nothing! You are laying there until you feel better, period.

💨 He’ll also limit screen time!! >:O

💨 ^ He’s not trying to be mean, he just knows too much screen time while sick won’t help you get better :\

💨 Although if you give him big puppy eyes, or a really horsey cough, he’ll let you watch more tv, he’s not insainly mean

💨 But he’ll focus on more playing with toys or easy puzzles

💨 Mostly soft, fuzzy toys, but he’ll allow some music ones (none too loud though, your sick and teeeeechnically should be asleep . . . But Bi-Han doesn’t have to know)

💨 Tomas is a busy man, so he can’t constantly be by your side

💨 But he doesn’t leave you alone!! If he’s not there, then Kuai Liang or Bi-Han will watch you

💨 Or Harumi!! She’s very good with sick babies

💨 You don’t need to ask for cuddles, he’s already holding and cradling you

💨 Making sure you’re okay and warm, or that you're getting enough kisses and squeezes

💨 It’s to the point that you expect him to get sick too!! But there’s a 2/10 chance of that happening, so he makes sure to spoil you

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

I hope these are chill, they're a bit focused more on your being sick than you being small and sick. <3

Also i hope you feel better!!!! I use to get a bunch of nosebleeds as a kid, and they're never fun. :(

^ Sending loves and cuddles!!!! 🤟 🫂

[endlessmidnightcreates]

Finally was able to finish the character sheet of my girl, Opal Skai for my most recent DND campaign. It's going super well so far!

Can you see all the lil notes I made, I had a lot of fun doing those :3

Here's the low down on her below the cut

She is a Fire Genasi Druid who is all smarts and like 2% fight despite her ferocious appearance (some would say). She is sometimes seen smoldering or glowing. But she is a Huge Nerd and Babygirl and a bit odd.

Opal is a Bookshop Keeper in Baldur’s Gate. Even though the town is regarded as a nest of vipers, she values knowledge and community and takes pride in the family library/store that she runs with her mother. People around it respect her and the store and it’s seen as neutral ground and is both used for gang negotiations and occasional toddler reading circles, sometimes in the same day. 

She Spends 50% her time in the store, 30% in nature and doing #HotDruidShit (like hot girl shit but with druids) and then the other 20% vibing. She’s quiet, but not shy and actually quite talkative when the moment is right (someone asks her a question about a book–or she’s drunk). She will talk and say hi and bye to people on the street. When it comes to fighting, she prefers not to but that won’t stop her from slapping a bitch (with her hand or staff). But like she reeeeally prefers not to (int. modifier Is -1). Mainly cus she’s Genasi and she is mostly untrained so she would rather not kill someone. But she’s capable.

More Deets

Occupation: 

She owns a small bookshop specialty store. Well, technically it belongs to her mother, but it will go to her once she retires or dies (god forbid).

Denizens of Baldur’s gate can get a wide range of books and scrolls as well as several common herbs and spell components. Everything from eye of newt to various animal bones. She partly keeps it stocked with her own foraging as well as having a supplier and an elderly mother (human npc) who watches over the shop and manages logistics. She manages the front of shop. Having read all the books and catalogued everything in the store, she has begun to work on her every-expanding growing “To buy” list that consists of various rare books and magical items. 

She has started to take on minor mercenary/adventurer jobs to build up capital. There are expensive texts and components in Elturel that she wants to get her hands on. These jobs have ranged from delivering 20 rabbit pelts to serving court papers in creative ways (read: transforms into a cat and tricks them into letting her in). Though, for some of the more rare artifacts, she figures, the easiest way is to tag along with one of the many Adventuring parties in BG to gather information on its whereabouts. 

Class: Druid

Why is she a druid. Druidism runs in the family. Opal’s mother and a few aunts and uncles are and were druids. Her grandmother was as well. It was only natural that Momma Opal taught the ways to her flaming baby. But Opal was resistant to the lifestyle as a young one. The spells, the philosophy, heck, being around leaves as someone whose average body temperature could easily reach 300°C made it difficult for her to find the value of the practice. She figured that blacksmithing would be more useful. Being a Druid helps her live more in harmony with the energies and elements that swirl around in her blood. She’s a valued member of the Druid Community in Baldur’s Gate because she’s just a cool gal, but also because she has helped many a druid get lava flowers (a flower that grows inside volcanoes)[i also literally just made that up] 

Combat 

Opal has only ever unwillingly killed once. She was on one of her many quests. She was an ox, lugging a massive stag carcass behind her. Bandits attacked her and she fought them off, maiming a few and kiling one instantly. The others escaped. She went straight home, fleeing the scene. That was the first time she had ever been attacked. She was rarely provoked or approached in human form because of her stature. But as an ox, people didn’t recognize or fear her. She missed a big payday that day. She doesn’t know if they survived or not. She tries not think about it often. 

Fighting and killing are not things she often does. She’s the type of gal to grab a spider and let it outside rather than smush it. But– She CAN do it. She CAN fight (in humanoid form) and she CAN and WILL hurt someone if they hurt or try to hurt her. She will turn into what the situation needs and act accordingly - need to make a quick getaway? HONSE. Need to serve court papers? KITTY. Need to slap a bitch? HUMANOID

She will not attack unless provoked physically. Her moral code is fuck around and find out but reeeally hopes that they don’t have to find out, cus she doesn't know herself tbh.

Childhood:

Opal doesn't know much about her Genie father’s side, though he comes to visit often enough from the elemental plane. She also has a way to contact him whenever she wants.

She has 12 aunts and uncles who are scattered throughout the country, quite a few of them are druids and frequent their local bogs while the others reside in normal villages and have average families and lives. Opal has ALOT of cousins.

She has an aunt and uncle who live in other parts of Baldur's gate. they sometimes take shifts at the shop. All of them contribute to building the shop’s library and maintaining goods. Her aunt is an adventurer while her uncle is a cook at a tavern.

Religion:

She believes in the spirit of nature. Thus she tries to respect it whenever she has the opportunity. Aside from that, she tries to be respectful of everyone else’s gods, except the evil ones (like bal) or the ones that expect an unhealthy blind devotion. She’s not a devout worshiper. Prays on occasion to the universe but other than that, she focuses on her own actions.

[deadeyeedangel]

trial run - moira o'deorain x intern!reader

˚✩ ⋆｡˚ ✩ hi ! it's my wife's birthday today, so naturally i thought i'd finally get around to those hcs i was planning on writing! these posts will probably never be formatted with those pretty little headers i see around and i'm pretty unapologetic about it, i can't lie i kiiiinda care a lot less about the presentation and more about the actual writing and i'm a pretty busy person, soooo... sorry i guess? anyway sorry for yapping and i hope you all enjoy, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOCTOR O'DEORAIN!!!

˚✩ ⋆｡˚ ✩ TAGS: sfw, reader was meant to be fem but tbh no gendered terms are really used so reader can be seen as gender-neutral, age difference (reader is implied to be a doctoral student in early 20s), canon-divergent/au because i'm projecting my own internship problems here i cannot help it, moira being moira but it's way tamer than usual, actually kinda really fluffy i needed some comfort oops, mayyy make a part 2 with the date if you guys reeeeally want it :p

✧˚ · . suffice to say she wasn't a fan on your first day- to be honest she wasn't a fan even before then. the doctor preferred to work in solitude and silence, and hearing that she would have to practically babysit a doctoral student for a whole summer? forget it.

✧˚ · . she very begrudgingly opened up to the idea of having a shadow, however, after she found out her lab would be receiving more funding as a result of the research you were being hired to do. unfortunately that still didn't mean she liked you, though.

✧˚ · . you were young, fresh-faced and naïve, and when you shuffled in through the doors to her lab you were met with a cold presence that you didn't necessarily care for at all. it was what you were expecting when you were told who you would be working with, though, so it didn't come as a surprise. after all, no matter how much better you thought you would fare working alongside your sweet professor dr. ziegler, there was only one in the facility that could find even some use in a bioinformatics student.

✧˚ · . you barely had a moment to introduce yourself before the lanky irishwoman waved off your extended hand.

"wasting time will get you nowhere. unless you wish to bring me my coffee and just sit there every day, make yourself actually useful."

you were silent after that, doing exactly as she said and leaving her alone. no words were exchanged for the rest of the day.

✧˚ · . your first week was pretty unremarkable, but you were easing into the schedule you had made, making a small dent in the large workload you had to do for your thesis. moira was always just moira, working silently in her own corner of the lab and occasionally taking a break to examine your own work but saying nothing at all. by week two, however, the silence was beginning to drive you insane.

✧˚ · . your first real conversation was initiated, surprisingly, by moira. the older woman was hovering over your shoulder as usual, examining your catalogs of the dna structures and compositions of the various modified rabbits she kept in the lab, and she decided to snarkily point out you had missed a section. expecting that to be the only thing she had to say, you sighed and corrected it before moving on but she kept speaking, pointing out areas that you missed in a tone that you could only describe as pointed and patronizing.

✧˚ · . in certain... other situations, you'd find being talked to in this manner by a quite attractive older woman to be much more pleasant, but this was your hard work she was critiquing.

✧˚ · . don't worry, though, it's her love language. she might not say it but she wants you to succeed.

✧˚ · . expect more conversations about your work and hers. you begin to speak more in the mornings when you first walked in, and at nights when you left.

✧˚ · . as the days went by and your final deadline for your thesis was approaching quicker and quicker, you ended up spending nearly all 24 hours of each day in the lab, and of course, moira had noticed.

✧˚ · . she leaves small things out for you that she'd usually leave for just herself: two mugs of coffee now, two plates with some small meals, two shot glasses in case things got rather dire... but don't ask her about them, she'll shut down that it was her doing quite quickly.

✧˚ · . one very early morning she returns from the bathroom to find you slumped over your desk, fast asleep. your face was smushed against your keyboard, keying in a constant and ever-growing string of the letter h into your catalog. if you ever found out and asked, she would have simply said she didn't want the data to be messed up. however, that was most certainly not the case as she gingerly lifted your head up carefully to delete the keyboard smash, saving your work and turning off your computer before leaving you back to your rest.

✧˚ · . she was back at her work for a good five minutes before she decides to take her lab coat off, draping it over your still-sleeping form like a makeshift blanket. you woke up that morning confused but grateful, with a slightly flushed doctor o'deorain saying she simply didn't want you to get sick, as it was cold in the lab anyway.

✧˚ · . your thesis was due the day before your last day of work, and moira was quieter than usual. you've been stressed and working dilligently all day, but when you finally submit it right before the clock struck midnight, moira got up from her side of the lab, and retrieved two glasses and a bottle of champagne.

✧˚ · . you never thought she'd be the type to celebrate this sort of thing, especially when it took her away from her work, but when she motioned you to come over, you couldn't help but listen.

✧˚ · . clinking your glasses together, moira congratulated you on your work, and over the alcohol, conversation brewed quickly. you spoke of your plans for the future, your research, her research, discussion flowing for hours, as if it were meant to be. a well-received moment of relaxation for the doctor, you assumed, surprised she'd spend it with you rather than alone.

✧˚ · . she never got the chance to ask if perhaps the two of you could see each other... outside of the lab, maybe for dinner or a coffee. a trial run if anything, she said.

✧˚ · . or- well, she didn't really say it. angela came up to you after a class and told you on her behalf. nerd with a crush doing nerd with a crush things, i guess.

[yuri-is-online]

I've read about Jade!Yutu, protective father go brrr. the part with Jade sitting with Yutu's friends like "you're not that slick. who do you think you got it from?☝️" the sass, man

Also! Grandaddy Crewel! his relationship with Yuu seems to be a "parent and child" kind in this au (and I am a SUCKER for this dynamic in the fandom). So to Yutu he's a grandfather figure? A mentor? I imagine the loss of Yuu and unborn child hit Crewel hard, and then apocalypse, and then becoming a leader of survivors, and then meeting some strange kid with magic from supposedly magicless world... Plus what's their relationship and/ or Prof's opinion when Yutu goes back in time?

(I beg you please make the term "granddaddy Crewel" official, please, please, please please!!!🙏)

With love😘, 📻 anon

Jade! Yutu post

Yes the idea for this au is that when Yuu is forced to stay in Twisted Wonderland the school collectively takes on their care, but Crewel really steps up to the plate because of he doesn't trust the other teachers as much as he trusts himself. He sees himself as a father figure to Yuu, even walked them down the aisle (suck it Trein). Losing Yuu and their unborn child was extremely hard on him, and depending on who Yutu's dad is it has the potential to get a lot worse; there is a chance he lost not just his child and first grandkid but his son in law too. But since we are talking about Jade... he's still alive and at the school, but very determined to not talk about his dead spouse and baby with anyone even though Crewel wants to. Maybe before Yutu comes home Crewel goes to Jade's bar and has a drink and a smoke at the end of the day and they have some small talk about the goings on at NRC. Both of them know why they're doing this but they still don't mention Yuu by name. Maybe they talk about stargazing a lot since that's a safe topic for both of them and just close enough for them talk about it without talking about it. It's safe, and completely interrupted by Yutu coming home with a chip on his shoulder and a dedication to acting out. It strains the equilibrium but when Yutu goes back in time...

"You knew didn't you." It's not a question, Crewel has never seen Jade really drink anything other than tea but he's made two cocktails tonight and only one is his usual order.

"Of course, he hasn't managed to outsmart me yet." His eyes crinkle softly, Jade looks old. "He's too much like Yuu for that." Older than he himself is, Crewel takes a long sip of his drink and looks down at the bar in silence.

"So we just wait then?"

"Not like we were doing much more before." Jade has never sounded this exhausted, and it hurts Crewel that things have reached this point. "Do you think they're waiting on us?" How nice of him to not just say "me" even though Crewel knows that's really what's on his mind. "I'm ready for this bad dream to be over."

That's probably the first time Jade has ever willingly told him the truth. If things were better, Crewel would laugh.

When I was putting together the au I was thinking about writing for the staff but knew I did not reeeeally want to do that with Yuu? So I was thinking about letting people make requests for them with similar rules to how I write Yuu (always gn, not like another anime character etc.) with a generic staff member fill in. I was thinking the school music teacher since we don't see one and I thought that would be really cute, but recently I have also really liked the idea of a random person living in Craneport who drops things off at the school on occasion. Maybe they're magicless just like Yuu is and also struggling to make ends meet, but there is just something about them that drives people like Crewel and Sam wild hehe~

Anyway one of the reasons for that was because I wanted to give the staff kids who would be friends with Yutu and go back in time with him. The one I became most attached to was Crewel's son Nero, who sees himself as Yuu's younger brother and Yutu's uncle. Yutu pretty much universally rejects this with one exception, Kalim! Yutu thinks Nero is great and is totally down to call him Uncle even though he's only like. 5 years older than he is. He sees it as a fun nickname more than anything and who really cares, family is family right? While he only has one or two memories of Yuu himself, Nero knows a lot about how badly his father was effected by loosing them and Yutu and has just as much of a motivation to see that never happen again. While Yutu isn't as fond of Nero he does see Crewel as a father/grandfather type figure who he trusts without question. As for calling him "granddaddy Crewel" ( ` ꒳ ´ )✧ that depends on the Yutu. Jade! and Riddle! Yutu absolutely call him that specifically to be a pain while Kalim! Yutu would out of love. Azul! Yutu would just call him Headmage since that's what he is and Floyd! Yutu calls him Professor Crewel since that's also what he is and he doesn't seem to like being Headmage that much.

Going back in time complicates things, Yutu has similar feelings towards Crewel as he does Yuu, and Crewel? Well I feel like he would treat them more or less in the same way he does Yuu but he'd be less patient with his fuck ups since he is a mage and should hypothetically know better than to pull some of the shit he does. Over all thought I think Crewel appreciates how much calmer Yutu is when compared to his other students, the general opinion of the staff about Yuu (and Yutu) is that they can be trusted not to cause trouble whereas the other students can't, which makes them the undeniable favorites to no one's suprise.

[kestalsblog]

Normally I post fanfics only on Ao3, but I reeeeally wanted to get to write something Stanman for Mermay, so the below scene is Tumblr-exclusive. I haven't had much time, so this is just a quick one-shot scene featuring AU college Cartman and merman Stan. This is not a full fic I intend to develop as of right now, but just a drabble scene for fun 🧜‍♂️

Enjoy!

Part Two

TW: very slight language and mention of injuries and fear (nothing gruesome). Also this is an angsty scene

----------

When his friends told him about South Park’s latest attraction—a merman that had been captured in the Pacific and shipped to Colorado—Eric was only mildly interested. Weird, unbelievable shit happened in South Park practically every day, so a merman wasn’t exactly the thrilling spectacle everyone was making it out to be. He certainly wasn’t as entertained by the idea of visiting the dine-and-view restaurant where the merman was supposedly being kept on display as Kyle and Kenny were.

Ordering seafood in an aquarium was a revolting enough idea, but sushi with a merman a few feet away? Jesus Christ. Eric thought those steakhouses where you got to watch bulls run around while you devoured their kind was bad enough. Like, hey guess where you’ll end up if you’re not entertaining enough? That’s right! My dinner plate.

God, at least he was trying to be a better person than he used to be, and now his friends were pulling him right back into sadistic hobbies.

“I can’t believe you two are seriously interested in this,” he complained on the car ride over with Kenny and Kyle.

“Well, you have to admit, it’s kind of a once-in-a-lifetime chance,” said Kyle from the passenger’s seat because of course Cartman had been relegated to the back.

“Hell, it’s a Friday night and we’re still in college. We have the rest of our lives to care about lame shit like this,” he whined. “Defend me here, Ken.”

“I gotta know if this is some kind of scam,” Kenny said, obviously more focused on the road than the conversation. “Butters went last week and said it made him feel sick.”

“It’s probably just a dude wearing a plastic tail,” said Eric.

“Or maybe his legs were cut off and it was surgically implanted onto his torso,” said Kyle with a melodramatic shudder that transformed somehow into a laugh. “Only in South Park, right?”

“Amen to that,” Kenny joined in, but Eric’s sour mood didn’t lift. Fridays were precious days, and instead of partying or doing something worthwhile, he’d be spending his evening at someone’s hoity-toity swindle. And even if it was true, and there was a real merman in South Park, what did it matter? He pressed his forehead against the chilled glass of the window and watched the streetlamps pass by his vision.

----------

The first thing Eric noticed in the restaurant was the overpowering aroma of expensive food (thank God Kyle was paying), and the second was how many children were gathered about a massive cylindrical tank in the center of the place. It wasn’t a restaurant he knew despite having lived in South Park his entire life because the establishment had been built for this purpose alone, apparently.

“I don’t see anything but water,” he said while a finely-dressed waiter led them to their table, which was an inconvenient distance from the tank.

“Me neither.” Kenny strained to the tips of his toes. “Should we go check it out closer?”

“Let’s order first,” insisted Kyle, but Eric found it difficult to focus on ordering with that large, ominous tank in his peripheral vision.

It was simply a tube constructed into the center of the restaurant that spanned from the floor to the ceiling, and though it looked massive at first glance, Eric wondered if a human-sized creature could thrive within the space. Maybe mermen were smaller? The water inside was impossibly blue, probably dyed to look more appealing. Small glittering lights were implanted throughout the inside of the tube to create a magical underwater atmosphere, but Cartman thought it felt more eerie and unnatural.

After their orders were placed, Kyle agreed they should go check out the main attraction. “There are definitely a lot of people here,” he observed as they abandoned their table to head toward the tank.

“Shit, there really is someone in there,” gasped Kenny once they were closer.

Eric’s attention went immediately toward the small children pressed against the tank. Several of them were knocking their fists hard into the glass while they chanted, “Hey, look at me! Over here, fishy! Over here!”

Fucking rude. “Where are their parents?” he muttered, but Kyle and Kenny were shoving their way past him.

“Oh my God,” he heard Kyle say through his teeth.

Unafraid to push a child out of the way, Cartman made room for himself and felt his breath halt almost painfully when he saw someone sitting slumped in the furthest corner of the tank. Because of the shape, there was nowhere the person, no, merman, could sit without someone right behind the glass, but he’d done his best to conceal himself into a small ball.

If he was just a person wearing a fake tail, he looked extraordinarily authentic. Even from where he was standing, Eric could distinguish the individual scales on the tail. The scales were all different shades of blue, with a pale, iridescent dominant hue that reminded Cartman of crystals. Under the lights, the tail twinkled like ice in sunlight. And if he looked close enough, he was certain he could see small veins pulsing in and out across the anxiously flickering tailfin.

“It can’t be real, right?” Kenny said with concern next to him, but Eric couldn’t find the voice to answer. His focus was locked on the merman who sat with his arms crossed around his abdomen and his shoulders hunched. He looked as if he was physically trying to become smaller, even though Eric was pretty sure that if he stretched out to his full height with his tail included, he’d be too large for the tight space.

He was too pretty to be real—and not just for the features that were nonhuman, but the ones that made him human as well. Black hair swirled around his ears and cheeks in soft coils like an oil spill haloing his head. Eric couldn’t catch many glimpses of his face aside from the few moments when he jolted after a particularly loud knock on the tank. Only then would he look up with wide, alarmed eyes that were a devastatingly gorgeous shade of blue that Eric had never seen on anyone else.

“This doesn’t seem right, what they’re doing to him,” piped up Kyle, and Eric recognized the heat behind his tone. For once, Eric had to agree with him. The merman was clearly terrified, his pupils shrinking and then expanding again with each flash of a camera against the glass. His chest expanded and contracted with the movement, and Cartman didn’t miss the widening of what appeared to be openings on his skin, surely gills, across his throat.

“Hey, guys, our food is probably coming soon,” Kenny said with dampened spirit. Eric hadn’t even realized how long they’d been standing and staring.

“I’m going to talk to the manager of this place after we eat,” snapped Kyle. “If I hadn’t already paid, I wouldn’t be giving my money to these freaks.”

“You’re the ones who wanted to see this,” Eric reminded them, but they didn’t seem to hear him as they went back to the table in their own storm cloud of negative thoughts.

But Eric couldn’t make himself go back to eat dinner, which was a surprise even to him, considering food was usually his go-to for fighting off the terrible gnawing feeling he was experiencing right now. All he could do was stay in place and watch the beautiful merman thump his tailfin uselessly against the bottom of the tank again and again. The sight reminded of him of some poor traumatized dog who’d been kept in the puppy mill for too long.

“Fishy! Look, look!” the kid next to Eric shouted, smacking so hard on the glass that the merman jerked and actually placed his hands over his ears. His eyes spasmed wide and then squeezed shut in an obvious pain response. The arm movement revealed delicate, blue webbing between fin-like structures on either side of his wrists. Eric was certain he’d never seen a prettier creature in his life.

He glared at the child. “Hey, knock it off. Can’t you see you’re bothering him?” he snapped, not caring if he upset some snot-nosed punk kid.

“You’re no fun,” pouted the kid before sulking off and giving Cartman better access to view the merman. When Eric moved closer, the merman slowly reopened his eyes and gave him a quick, panicked look before shrinking deeper onto the floor again. The sight of him twining his tail around himself with desperate fear sent shards through Eric’s heart, especially when he considered that holding someone like this hostage for money was exactly something he would have done when he was younger.

Now, though, when he looked closer and saw the bright pink lacerations across the merman’s tail, he felt more than sick to his stomach. The wounds were clearly fresh and extended all the way to his tailfin, where some of the fine partitions were shredded completely. Eric must have been initially too hypnotized by the merman’s beauty to notice the injuries, probably a byproduct of his capture.

“Cartman!” Kyle’s voice broke over the chitter chatter surrounding him. “Get back over here, dude. Management sucks and won’t listen to me.”

He knew he had to go back, but walking away from the merman was difficult. When those sea-colored eyes, framed with long, feathery lashes, finally shuddered back to meet his, Eric froze all over again.

The merman’s face was a little too narrow and pallid, he thought, despite the small shimmers of silvery blue smeared across random patches of his skin like makeup. His hair was so dark in contrast to his skin that it truly resembled black water mingling with that abnormal blue dye.

The merman looked so beautiful and sad, and it made Eric even sadder to think he probably wouldn’t feel this sorry for him if he weren’t so beautiful and didn’t look so human. A few hours ago, he hadn’t given two shits, but now that the merman was watching him with terrible resignation while dozens of camera flashes bounced off the tank’s glass, he cared. He cared a lot.

It took every ounce of willpower to turn from the merman’s pale, hopeless face, and go back to Kyle and Kenny then, and even then, he paused to look back. The merman was in the same position, but still looking at him too.

(South Park and its characters obviously do not belong to me. Creators are Trey Parker and Matt Stone. This is intended for fun use only, not monetary.)

[pascalslvt]

Tangled Alliances

Summary: When faced with sickness in your community in an already post-apocalyptic world, it is up to the strained professional partnership of you and Joel Miller to embark in a perilous and difficult journey in order to retrieve life-saving medicine. With your destinies intertwined, shrouded in tension, you confront the unforgiving challenges of your environment together, gradually forming an unexpected bond. Will that be enough?

Pairing: Joel Miller x fem!Reader, f/m

rating: 18+, minors dni

series warnings:, pre!ellie, during outbreak, set in TLOU 2022, age gap (28 & 52), swearing, mentions of violence, also actual violence, mentions of sickness, heavy angst...., fluff, trial & tribulations, severe weather, a lot of fucking animosity and hostility, enemies to lovers ???, infected people, tension...TENSION!!!, bickering, copious amounts of alcohol, inebriation, y'all don't get along...but y'all also have to, smut!!!!...a semi-slow burn, anxiety, exhaustion, NO USE OF Y/N.

chapter warnings: Mentions of backstory (involving the death of readers parents), bickering, bad langauge, tess is mother, mentions of sickness and death, aclohol, sharing a tent (wink wink), cheeky morning wood, just a sprinkle of smut if you squint its not really smutty but not completley clean, bad luck ??, tension. lots of it, intrusive improper thoughts.

word count ≈ 8,3k Estimated reading time: 37 minutes, 4 seconds (225 wpm)

a/n: This is the first part of a series i am writing!! I haven't actually written fanfiction since i was like...15, so be very very kind and gentle and patient with me because i am literally just a girl.....i have dusted off the cobwebs & busted my writing out of its retirement to create a story to quench my current joel miller obession. This storyline is actually inspired by a dream i recently had and i am very excited to reeeeally get into the series as i have a lot of plans that i cannot share with you right now.... also sorry if the tags are wierd i gennuinely have no idea what the fuck to write. Part two will come pretty shortly (don't get used to it) because after i awoke from the dream i literally wrote almost 20k words in one sitting so im splitting it up and giving this one some time to see if people are even interested in reading more...please enjoy!!!!!!

Part One: Hostile Beginnings

You were nearly seven years old when the outbreak started. To you, the world crumbled before your feet in what seemed like an instant - shattering the very ground on which you stood. One day after school, you saw your own mother's jugular be ripped straight out of her neck from the mouth of your neighbor, an old and fragile woman who used to babysit you from time to time. Before running away in fear, you saw your mother bleed out, right there on the lawn you used to play in. You never saw your father that day, and neither did you ever again. You always accepted that your father's fate was that he most likely died in that little cubicle he worked in. Or that he now spends the rest of his life infected. Whichever the case, it doesn’t really matter to you, you don’t think about him anymore. 

You got away with your life by the skin of your teeth that day. That little girl ran until her tiny legs could carry her no more. Your English teacher, Theresa, had found you in a ditch, sobbing. You had been wearing the same outfit you did that day in class, a purple shirt with a flower on it, along with some blue pants. Theresa didn't have the heart to leave the little girl behind, so she took you under her wing.

Throughout the years, Therese - or ‘Tess’ as you liked to call her - taught you how to survive this very unfortunate world disaster. While you were still young, she taught you to crawl into small holes to retrieve food or water, and to hide whenever you felt something was wrong. She taught you to trust your instincts. She taught you to be resilient. Resourceful. In later years, you were taught to use a gun, to mend knifes, to defend yourself - how to navigate this apocalypse safely. 

When you got older, Tess made use of you in her line of work. Smuggling. And you were good  

This is how you got to know the man named Joel Miller. A cynical, gruff man of very few words. But, he always got the job done. You and Joel didn’t interact much. Now that you think about it, you hadn’t met him more than.. what? 5 times before today? even less so had you spoken with him. Tess didn’t want you to work alongside Joel as she believed his methods could sometimes be…taking unnecessary risks. He could sometimes be reckless. And you were not a risk she was willing to take. Not yet.

Ever since finding that shattered little girl all those years ago, Tess always felt an unwavering, deep sense of responsibility to keep you safe. She owed it to you, and she owed it to your parents. You were now a full-grown woman, 28 years old - and Tess knew you had a strong head on her shoulders. With the years, the fierce overprotective nature gradually softened. She gradually unfolded her wings of trust, and sent you out on more and more jobs. But, it wasn’t until recently that she felt comfortable enough to let you work with Joel. Nothing big, none spanning more than a day or three. To her dismay (but yet also relief), the two of you ended up ultimately proving to be an incredibly efficient team. However, the two of you could not get along even if your very life depended on it. 

It was a silent alliance. It had to be. Otherwise, you’d end up getting on each other's nerves and damn near kill one another. Joel always made it incredibly clear that you weren’t friends - he wasn’t there for pleasantries, he was there to finish a job. Not that you objected. The less condescending shit you had to hear him say, the better. You didn’t care much, either way. You were a professional - after all, you had done this since you were a child. This was your reality. You never had much choice.

Lately, a lot of people in your community have fallen very, very sick. It is some sort of pulmonary bacterial infection that starts off with a fever, and will leave you coughing up blood a couple of months later. A slow killer, but a killer nonetheless. Some of the older folk have already started dying.

“No, absolutely not, Valerie” you heard Tess’s voice come from downstairs. You just happened to walk past to hear it. “It’s way too risky”. These words piqued your interest. “She is our best option, and you damn well know that” Valerie, a woman you live and work with says, a stern undertone in her voice. You slowly walks towards them, walking down the stairs without making a creak, eavesdropping.

“This would take months to complete..” Tess sighs, adding in, “We don’t even know if we have that kind of time, folk’ are already dyin’. We don't even have no idea how heavily surveilled it is”

“Do we have a choice? We’ll run out of our own supply within a month if we’re lucky. They will all die” 

Tess is quiet, you could almost hear her thinking if you listened hard enough. You enter the room, “What’s going on?” you ask 

Tess stands still and shares a look with Valerie before looking at you, sighing and crossing her arms. “We have received intel that there is a massive supply of vital medical equipment as well as medication, medication that we need. It’s In a settlement controlled by some sort of… faction. They call themselves the ‘reclaimers’. Nasty bunch. We need the medication, and well.. If our sources are correct, which they haven't failed us before, it’d be enough to not only cure the folk round here; but we could also sell for an enormous profit. We could make a lot of money. Maybe buy a new truck. Supplies. Guns….”

“I’m in.” you say, without hesitation, cutting her off. Tess shakes her head, she opens her mouth to speak, but you interrupt her before she can “I can manage myself, you made sure of that.”

Valerie looks at Tess with a ‘I told you so’ look. “You’d have to walk for, probably, months on end just to get there and back. They’re west, somewhere in Montana, located deep into the forest. You have never been on a mission that lengthy, and it's fucking cold as shit - and it's only going to get worse” 

“What’s our other option here? Let people die?” you ask, and pause. They stay silent. “I wouldn’t accept if I didn’t know I was capable of handling something like this, Tess….”

You look at each other for a long time. She knits her eyebrows together, somberly, and shakes her head. She doesn't know if she can let you do anything like this. Not because she doubts your ability - rather, she cannot get herself to put you in that type of danger.

“You heard the woman…” Valerie says smugly. 

“Fine”. Tess says, slightly annoyed and probably feeling very protective. “I need to stay here and take care of some things, keep track of the radio and such.. Valerie needs to tend to the people here. It…It would be you and Joel.” 

This takes you slightly aback. On one hand, even though Tess might think his methods are unconventional - she trusts him, and you trust her. Besides, you have worked professionally very well before and always get the job done. But on the other hand…it’s Joel fucking Miller. 

“Months on a job with Joel Miller? Fuck me…” You scoff. Tess’s lips curl into a slight smile evidently trying to hold back her laughter. She knows the kind of disdain you feel for him. 

“There’s no one else I’d trust to send you away with on a mission like this. Except for me, of course” Tess says, leaning against a wall. “Are you still in, even if it’s him?” “Well.. i don’t really have a choice now, do i?” you say, and they chuckle. “When would we leave?”

Tess pauses. “You’d have to leave tomorrow” she studies your demeanor, waiting for you to opt out. Hoping in a sick, twisted way that you would - since that would mean that you’d be safe. You don’t hesitate. “He doesn’t know…yet. But, I know him. He would not turn this job down. Besides, he owes us too much, he can’t” 

You nod. “Well…he’ll probably be as pleased with working with me as I am with him” you say, rolling your eyes. 

“It’s about time the two of you get over that little feud of yours” Valerie interjects, you send her a warning look 

“Ain’t my fault he’s fucking unbearable” You point at her, gesticulating your annoyance already brewing by the mere thought of him. She shrugs. 

“I’ll call him on the radio - let him know.” Tess says. 

--

“With her?!” You hear Joel’s voice boom down from the hallway, annoyance evident on his voice. ‘yup. i was right’ You think to yourself, chuckling as you’re eavesdropping from the other room. They start start walking towards the kitchen, where you are stood. When he sees you, he nearly rolls his eyes, stopping in his tracks. “Well. Looks like we’ll be partners.”

You smile tight-lipped, nodding and holding back an eye roll of your own - trying your best to be civil. “Seems that way”

“We leave at 8. ‘Expect you to be ready by 7 forty-five” He commands. You nod at his instructions. ‘One minute of a partnership, and he has already taken the leading role. Fucking jackass.’ you think to yourself. “Better get some rest”

“Yeah, no kidding…” You mumble to yourself, sneering. He gives you a warning look. One that says ‘don’t start’.

Knowing there’s no point in furthering this conversation as tensions are already high, and you have months to argue with him, you turn to walk “I’ll go pack then” You announce, turning around.

“And try not to piss me off” Joel says loudly as you walk away. You just hold up your middle finger and leave the room. “Real mature!” He scoffs as he looks at Tess with a look that says ‘can you believe her?’, she just shrugs. 

That night you packed all that you would need - supplies, food, weapons, a tent…the everyday outing must haves in the midst of an active apocalypse, also…for the cold. Of course, you are not a total stranger to it, living here in Boston, but you also know that the cold here won't compare to the temperatures you are about to face - as you know walking through the north of the US in late autumn, early winter will not be an easy feat - and in a little tent, at that. It was estimated you would be gone for about a couple of months, at least - which is by far the longest job you’d ever been on. But, it was essential. 

That morning you wake up particularly early, to make it a point not to be late. Wouldn’t want to give Joel the satisfaction of berating you. You can already feel yourself wanting to spite him. Tess helped you carry your things down, not that you needed help, rather she felt bad for sending you to do something like this. Capable or not, she had a …. Somewhat motherly instinct for you. She also gave you the map with the places you’re headed, where you’re meeting the informants, where the safehouses are located and so on - and gave you the same rundown as she did for Joel, keeping the both of you informed. You are now stood in the kitchen, with your things in your arms. She paused and looked at you, having trouble finding the words, feeling herself getting choked up by the reality of the situation. Before you can diffuse the fears you see swirling in her head, she holds you tight. “You be real careful of yourself, got it?” 

“Yes m’am.” You say, voice slightly strained by the suffocating tight hold she has around you. She lets go of you, and cups one side of your face with her hand, and smiles with glassy eyes. She shakes her head as she takes a step back, as if to snap out of the sentimentality. 

“Now go and get that medicine.” she nods, trying to sound emotionless and strong. You nod and turn to walk out the building. “Oh, and… give him a tough time. Joel, I mean” She laughs

“You know I will” You wink, as you finally leave the house. Tess stands there with an awful feeling inside the deepest parts of her. She was meant to be the one to protect you, and here she is; sending you off to a mission where she doesn’t even know the magnitude of the threat it poses to your life. But, it’s too late now. Way too many people are depending on you. 

You continue walking out, as you lean against the truck parked outside. You’re not going to drive far with it, only 10-12 hours or so. They wanted to transport it somewhere else to sell (since the ongoing surge of illness has eaten away at your community fund), and since it was on the way Tess figured it would not hurt to cut down the length of the trip just a little bit. You stand there for a while, until you check your clock: ‘7:46am’. You snigger by yourself. Without noticing, Joel was walking towards you, gear in hand

“Right in time, for once” He mumbles. 

“You’re the one who is late, Joel” You correctly point out. 

“It’s one minute, stop yappin’” He says, walking over to the truck, throwing his stuff into it and getting into the driver's seat, slamming the door. What a cheerful man. 

You throw your bag into the car “I don’t understand why you’re the one driving” you mutter, getting into the passenger seat

“You know exactly why. Now shut it before I rip off ‘ya jaw and shove it up ‘ya ass.” He says, matter-of-factly, putting the keys in the ignition, turning it and starting the engine, looking forward. 

“Ooh, very kinky, Joel” You say sarcastically, taunting him.

He puts his foot on the clutch, as he shifts the gear. “Keep talkin', and I'll leave ya here.” he says and starts driving. 

“If only I’d be so lucky…” You mutter silently, watching out of the window as he pulls out on the narrow road through the tall buildings, keeping away from the major roads as they are heavily used by FEDRA.

“I heard that” He said, pointing at his ear, eyes on the road. 

“I’m glad your hearing is working, old man. Gives us a bigger chance of survival” you chuckle

“Old man?” He asks, insulted by what you said. “I'll show ya old man if you don't shut the hell up.” 

You roll your eyes, and decide to sit this one out. You know it’s not worth bickering, as you have a long, long road ahead of the two of you. “That’s better” He said after a little while of silence. You roll your eyes once again, deciding with all your will and might not to respond with a snippy comment, as you didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of giving him the reaction he so obviously is searching for.

You two drive for hours and hours without saying a word, sitting in the thick tension that is between the two of you. It wasn’t necessarily a comfortable silence, rather a silence that comfortably didn’t mean you had to talk to him. After 7 hours, you can start seeing the shift in the sky, the colors indicating the impending sunset that's occurring. 

“Maybe we should find somewhere to find shelter? Suns going down. “ You point out.

“I could work that out myself, thanks” He mutters. “We've still got a few hours left of daylight. Push on.”

“So I’m guessing your plan is that we sleep in the car?” You question, looking at him. He doesn’t leave his eyes from the road. 

“Yup.” he says. Well, you couldn’t think of any better plan, to be fair. A truck is not a bad place to sleep given the alternative. 

After about an hour or so, the car starts suddenly sputtering. “What the fuck?” Joel mumbles, as he quickly checks around the dashboard to see if there’s any indication as to what’s going on. You look over at him, quizzically. “Fuck!!” He shouts, hitting the steering wheel so hard that it honks, as the car comes to a halt. “That’s just…that’s just fucking great” He says, trying to restart the engine - to no avail. 

“So much for your plan on ‘pushing on’” you said, looking out at the quickly darkening sky, mocking him. He looks annoyed at you, as he gets out of the car, to check the hood. When he does, a light amount of smoke seeps out. 

Well, that sucks. But, you try to remind yourself that this truck was always going to be a temporary luxury, and you got 8 hours into the 12-hour trip. Oh well, more time with… Joel.. Sigh..

“Engines out” He grumbles, waving the smoke away from his face as he closes the hood again, standing and watching hopelessly at the car with one hand on his hip. “We’re not too far from the trucks drop off spot, guess we’ll have to walk the rest of the way.”

“So we just leave it here?” You ask

“Got a better idea? We’re in the middle of nowhere, nobody gonna steal it.” He answers. 

“It’s your head, miller…” You mutter. He chooses not to answer to your snark.   

“I say we still sleep in the car. It’s better than a tent.” 

You nod in agreement “In the middle of the road?” You ask, looking at an already annoyed Joel. He grimaces, whilst he mocks what you just said

“No, you idiot, we’ll have to push it” he stated, looking around the road to see a good spot, and ended up pointing at a spot by some trees a couple meters from the road. “And it ain't an easy feat. Let’s see if you got the strength to push a two tonne vehicle, little miss” 

You shrug. How bad can it be? Joel gets in the car and makes sure its gear is in neutral, as the both of you stand at the back of the car, starting to push. It takes some time, and Joel was right that it was, indeed, not an easy task. By the time you got the car by the trees you’re both catching your breath, Joel sweating profusely

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” You say between breaths, holding your hands on your hips. He’s bent over in exhaustion. 

“Oh bite me” He hisses. You try not to laugh. “We’ll have to leave it here, try to radio Tess somewhere along the way, so they can pick it up - at least before someone steals it” 

You nod. It’s gotten dark, it’s time to sleep. So, you climb into the truck and start leaning back your seat to get as comfortable as you can. Joel does the same.

“So…” You say, breaking out the map. “We’ll have to recalibrate… it’ll be…what I'm guessing… 2 to 3 weeks to walk to our first meetup spot with the informants.” I sigh, already tired. 

Joel nods. “I'll carry ya if ya get tired” He teases, looking over at you as he lays back in his seat.

“Right back at you princess” You answer without a beat, changing the pins in the map, folding it back and lying on your side, away from Joel. He smirks at your answer. 

“Y’sure got a mouth on you” He says.

You roll your eyes as you close your eyes “night”, you mumble, ready to sleep. 

“G'night” he lies back on the seat and put his hat over his face before falling asleep.

--

The morning after, you wake up in a stir. The car was very cold, and the sun was just rising. You look around, and find that Joel is not in the car. You blink the sleep out of your eyes, and realize he’s popped the hood to check if there's any way to salvage this car. He sees you move around your head and peaks on the side of the hood

“g’morning, darlin’” he smirks. Is he more annoying than usual or is it because you just woke up? You can't decide. You furrow your eyebrows. He chuckles to himself at how displeased you seem to be awake. You were, after all, never a morning person. “We gotta get movin’”

“Yeah, yeah..” You mumble, getting out of the car to stretch and go to the backseat to collect all your things. Sleep still in your system, the two of you start walking along the road. After a while, you opt to walking through some hills, as Joel got more and more paranoid of meeting someone on the road. You walked for what must have been…14 hours, only taking a small break to eat something small that Tess had packed, sitting on two different places and not exchanging any words. The sun started setting, the sky turning an orange tinge.

“We better find shelter..come on” He said, looking around and seemingly found a spot not too far away - yet secluded enough to sleep for tonight. He increased his walking pace in a determined manner. You follow along not too far behind. Suddenly he stops dead in his steps. 

“Jesus fucking Christ” He whispered to himself, anger and frustration very, very evident in his voice

“What?” You ask, eyeing him a bit worried about his reaction.

“God fucking damn it” He whispers to himself “Dammit - I forgot my tent. We'll have ta sleep in the open. Hope you ain't afraid of the dark…” 

“Speak for yourself. I brought mine. I ain’t sharing.” You say, resuming your steps. 

“You're a real treat to travel with you know that.” He says, looking at you stood still, frozen by his own frustration as he is kicking himself for forgetting that damn bag.  

“I bet I am!” you yell, as you have managed to walk a bit further along than he has. He sulks as he continues walking. 

You both decide on a safe spot to make a shelter. Joel and you start instinctively preparing to make a fire and collecting anything that will burn. To his dismay, a light downpour of snowflakes suddenly fall from the sky. You look up and laugh at the sheer irony of the situation, the frustration of the day just piling onto Joel. And it’s only the first day at that. “Ain’t that a bitch, huh, Miller?” 

“Gotta be fucking kidding me” He groans. “That’s just great” 

The two of you start a fire, and put two cans of soup on it for dinner. He is sitting against a rock, drinking whiskey, looking as happy as you could in his situation (spoiler alert, he is sulking). You are putting up your tent, which you dutifully brought (unlike Joel) and you pause as you catch a glimpse of the sad man who seems to be very stressed with the current predicament he has found himself in. He is visibly freezing his ass off. You feel strangely bad. He can't sleep in this cold…

“Look, miller” you pause, he looks at you. “You’re going to die in this cold. Let’s just share tents. Ain’t nun weird.”

He scoffs, and looks back at the fire, taking a sip of the whiskey “I'm good”  

You sigh. “Stop being such a fucking Stoic and get over yourself. If you share your whiskey, I’ll share my tent” you say. Maybe by making a deal out of it, it’ll be easier for him to accept your help, you thought. 

He thinks for a while. He weighs out his options, as if there is not only one he can realistically go with - which is to accept your help. “Fine. Half-and-half?”

You nod, somewhat happy that he accepted, yet less happy of the reality - which was that you have to share a tent tonight. “Half and half” You repeat, nodding. You walk towards him and sit next to him. 

He gets another cup from his bag and fills it with his cheap, illegally brewed scotch, and passes it to you. “That’ll warm us up nicely” He said. It tastes like piss and firewood.

“Aye” You say. “How did you manage to remember bringing your whiskey, and not your tent?” You ask, with a slight hint of laughter to your voice. 

He huffed. “Priorities” He smirked, turning to you. 

“Well. I hope you have brought enough to maintain your end of the deal” you say, taking a sip. He silently lifts his bag, emitting a number of clinking noises, entailing he has probably got enough to last him weeks. Maybe a week now that you are involved. 

“Seems like an unnecessarily heavy weight to carry” you remark, taking a sip of the strong liquid. 

He stays silent for a while. “You’ll understand it soon enough” is all he says. Not knowing what he meant, neither caring all too much, you shrug and kept drinking aside each other in the dark silence. You eat the soup when it’s done, too. You pulled your legs to your chest to maintain more warmth, as it feels as though its getting colder by the minute, a few stray snowflakes falling onto the ground and quickly melting away. 

“Didn’t think you were so damn sensitive to the cold” he suddenly said.

“M’not, it’s fucking freezing” you say, breathing out. 

“Don't think I don’t see you shivering, princess” he says, with a sly smirk on his mouth

“Right back at you, princess” You say, mocking the way he said it to you. “Don’t fucking call me that ever fucking again, by the way”

“Someone’s a tad touchy, ain’t they?” He laughs, taking a swig from his whiskey

“Shut up, Miller” 

“Why? M’igetting on your nerves?” he asks, sarcasm swelling in his voice.

“Always have been” You quickly retort. 

“I’d say it’s mutual” 

You nod, as you kept drinking. The whiskey has become a lubrication for the regular anguish you’ve felt in the presence of Joel. Now you felt no more than subtly irritated. The drunker you got, the happier you were of the deal you did with him. You kept drinking in silence, until you’ve drained about a quarter of the bottle - which might seem like a little, unless you calculate the amount of food you’ve ingested compared to the whiskey you’ve drank. Your cup is, once again, empty - and you guide the cup towards Joel, who dutifully fills it with more. 

“Here ya go, princess” he says sheepishly, and you turn to give him a warning look

“I’m serious Joel, I’ll knock the teeth right out of your mouth if you keep calling me that.” You say, rather aggressively. 

“I’d like to see you try” He snorts out. 

You decide not to answer, as he is clearly getting a rise out of antagonizing you. You roll your eyes and chug the rest of your cup. So did, Joel.

He, again, filled your cup. “You seem happy I brought the whiskey. Like you could use some of it” He comments

“No shit. I’ve got two to three months on a mission with you. And it’s only the second night” you  shrug. “Not to mention that we have to share tents…”

“I ain't that bad” He chuckles. 

“You’re drunk” you add. 

“So are you” he quickly responds.

You nod, and sit in silence for a while - both, quite drunk. “I’m fucking tired. You tired?” 

You feel a bit loopy from all the alcohol, but stand up and agree, walking over to your tent. The closer you get to the tent, the more you realize just how small it really is. I mean, it’s small for just one person, imagine how cramped it is for two? Surely, the both of you cannot fit in there - what the hell have you gotten yourself into? You think to yourself. 

Joel walks slowly towards the tent as he watches you look into the tent, worriedly. He looks himself, and the same thought passing your mind right now has suddenly dawned upon his, “Oh, boy….” he mumbled

“Yeah, I know.”. You are both stood there, looking, for a while - until you initiate and climb into the tent, and lie down on the right side - making as much space for Joel’s body as you can. 

“This ain't gonna be comfortable, not one bit...” he says, as he lies down next to you in the tent, in a clumsy and stale motion. 

Your bodies are uncomfortably pressing together, without there being enough room to move away, nor was there to shuffle to a more spacious yet also non compromising position. You tried lying back to back, as it seemed the natural and least intimate way to lie next to one another, thus facing away from one another. Still then, there wasn’t enough space to spare personal space - not in this tent. 

“God this sucks.” you mutter from one side. 

“You got that right.” He answers from the other. 

You groan, as you try to get comfortable, nudging your elbow into his back in the process. He huffs out of pain. “You're making it worse.”

“Shut up. I’m just trying to get comfortable” You say, feeling an unrest in your body - one that the whiskey was not strong enough to numb. 

“So am I” He gets more irritated as you keep nudging into him. 

Finally, you settled to lie on your side, facing away from Joel. He takes the newly found empty space and lies with his arms against your back. You groan. “Your arms are hurting my back”  he does not seem to care, and stays silent. You finally give into defeat, as the mixture of the sleepiness and alcohol slowly seems to overtake your body and you both fall asleep.

Somewhere at night, you had rolled over. Joel was very warm, so naturally, subconsciously, you drifted closer to the source. With your face against his chest, he was softly awoken by the warm breaths coming out of your mouth, in small snores. He looked down, and saw you sleeping peacefully, right against him. He lied completely still, not sure if he should wake you up. The snores were not loud enough to keep him up, so he presumed that is the price he’ll have to pay to sleep somewhere warm tonight, so he tried closing his eyes and fall back asleep, repeating in his head not to look anymore at you - and just go to sleep. 

Suddenly you wake up, the morning after, head plastered against Joel’s chest, with his arm slung around your body, and your arm slung over his shoulder. It felt comfortable and warm….strangely.. Good lying like that, but you didn’t know how to react. It was utterly intimate and had crossed the border to cuddling very long ago.  And oh god…is that your saliva on his shirt? Did you drool on his chest?! You were so close to him that you could smell the stench of whiskey on his breath, no less your own bouncing from his chest and back to your nostrils. You were basically on second base with the man, without ever remembering if you fell asleep that way or if you had done it in your sleep. I mean hell, you barely remember getting into the damned tent…’we must’ve gotten very drunk’ you thought to yourself. You must’ve rolled over and not thought about it.

You lie frozen, unsure what to do in this situation. If you jerk too much, you’ll wake him - but if you don’t move… he’ll see what you are seeing as of right now - which is you two in an extremely compromising situation. Maybe you could turn around? But then it would border spooning…curse this god-damn tent! 

As if awoken by your thoughts, Joel’s body moves as if he’s waking up - and in a hasty and rushed move, he jerks his arm away from you - as if he just went through the same train of thoughts you did when you woke up. “What the fuck” He groaned, looking at you in an.. Almost disturbed manner. 

“Fuck.. Uh, mornin’..” You peep out, embarrassed. Kicking yourself for not acting faster before he woke.

“Morning” he says in a rushed voice as he looks around, slightly panicked. None of you know what to say, an awkward silence hanging over you. He is quick to peel away from you to climb out of the tent. “We gotta get going” he announced.

“Y-yeah” You say, sitting still in the tent, processing the situation. When you have mustered enough strength, you crawl out of the tent too - stretching as you stand up. You pack up and walk alongside each other in silence, might as well have been miles apart. The weight of your unspoken closeness from the previous night's ‘cuddling’ lingers in the air, you were both a bit thrown off, sharing the occasional glances at each other, unsure of how to address what had happened, or whether it was better left unspoken. There wasn’t much to say, to be honest. I mean, what was there to say? 

You got quite accustomed to the silence, to hearing nothing but the sound of your footsteps, wet against the humid grass. You’d think that walking for hours on end without the distraction of conversation would be something that would bother you, it proved to do the opposite. Without it, It was as if the world around you had muted its colors and sounds, leaving only the barest minimum of sensory input - which made time somewhat fly by. The aching in your feet and legs slipped to the back of your mind. You wondered if Joel was quiet because he was doing the same. 

You also wondered what his thoughts were regarding this morning, and how you woke up. You didn’t talk about it, that’s obvious enough…but, what was he thinking about? Maybe he didn’t think about it at all - it was, after all, innocent, you rationalized. Was he also trying to decipher the mixed emotions you were feeling without giving them too much weight - since that might make them real, after all? You can’t deny just how safe and comfortable you felt, regardless of who it was. 

Joel spotted you glancing at him here and there, he was equally aware of the tension. He, too, couldn't shake off the memory; He couldn’t help but to replay the events of last night in his mind, wondering if it was merely a product of shared body heat or something deeper. I mean, he could have just pushed you away…yet the unexpected warmth of your body against his, the rhythmic rise and fall of your chest as you slept, your breath hot against his chest.. It had been an intimate moment, and he couldn’t help but…enjoy it. However, he was as stubborn as ever, unwilling to broach the topic nor delve into the act itself. Instead, he focused on the mission at hand, pushing the awkwardness aside, shaking his head, not wanting to think too much of it either.  

As you continued on the journey, the trees began to thin out, and you found yourself standing at the edge of a clearing, the sun going down behind a mountain up ahead. You looked at Joel, who seemingly had the same thought you did - it was time to find shelter. He took the map out of his bag and looked around. “We aren’t too far away from a safe house” he grumbled.

You nodded, taking out a map of your own, trying to help him in the search of said safe house. As you slowly approach the road leading to the building the weather began to change. Dark clouds gather in the sky, and the first few raindrops fall, pelting against your clothes. The urgency of getting under a roof became more apparent, so you quickened your pace. 

Your breaths are visible in the cold, damp air, and the water has seemingly seeped into your clothes - leaving you feel colder and heavier. The cold made your thoughts kept circling back to the tent. The unexpected warmth of Joel's body against yours.. ‘God damn it. Get a grip. it's not even day four, and you're losing your mind.’ You thought to yourself. 

Finally, you reached the safe house, which wasn’t what either of you had hoped for. It was an abandoned decrepit building, a relic of the world before the outbreak, with a roof that had seen better days. It was a stone building, partially hidden away by the tall unkept grass surrounding it, as well as tall trees huddling around it, vines growing on the walls. It was probably old 20 years ago, let alone now… The building was leaking from the roof and had gaping holes in the walls - making the shelter far from ideal. It offered some protection from the rain, but not much else. It was, however, better than getting drenched in the pouring rain and being exposed to the elements. You closed the door behind you and took a moment to catch your breath, looking around. 

“Well.. This is the best we've got for now” He finally muttered as the wind howled through the gaping holes in the walls. 

You look around and find it was pretty empty. There wasn’t any furniture, just a chair. Floor filled with scattered garbage and miscellaneous, dusty items from people who have been here before. The water is dripping from your clothes onto the stone floor beneath you, creating a puddle. "We need to get out of these wet clothes," he finally stated, his voice practical and no-nonsense. 

You knew he was right, but the timing of it made it slightly uncomfortable. He knew he was straining on the already strange atmosphere that has been looming over the two of you since you found each other in the brace of one other. However, you also knew the reality of the situation. Your pride was warring with the necessity of the situation. The chill in the air and the knowledge of the dangers of hypothermia prevailed, and rational thought found its way back to you. You have months left to travel with Joel - and undressing in front of him to ward off sickness should not be an embarrassing thing, it ensures your survival and should be nothing more - is nothing more.

He could see the hesitation in your eyes, as you shivered, teeth chattering. He looked around for any dry fabric he could find within the safehouse—tattered old blankets and worn-out jackets. It wasn't the most comfortable solution, but it would have to do for now. He picked up a jacket. “Here.” 

You nodded in agreement and began peeling off your drenched attire. Joel did the same, his back turned to maintain some semblance of privacy. Finally free from the soaked garments, you are quick to put on the jacket, zipping it, covering your body enough to feel more comfortable. You start wringing out the excess water from the clothes you wore, leaving a puddle of water there. You avoided even looking in the direction of Joel, who you know is (most likely) currently butt naked. Instead, you find a moth-eaten blanket in a corner of the room that the rain hadn’t reached. Shivering uncontrollably, you wrap it around your waist, covering your exposed legs. You could see a not so naked Joel who had found some pieces of clothing to cover himself, thankfully. He was now hanging his wet clothes against the singular chair that he moved to one of the few dry spots in the house, so you opt to do the same. The room was still far from warm, and the leaky roof didn't help matters, but, at least you were in dry clothes, if you can call them that.

You spot the ever so tiny wood burning stove in the corner of an empty adjoining room. You check if there’s any wood in there, and to your surprise there is - however, not much of it. Enough for tonight, and that’s all that mattered. You started a small fire and quickly huddled up against it for warmth. Joel walked into the room, as he’d seen the light from the fire from the corner of his eye. He nodded in approval as he silently walked towards you, sitting down next to you to also keep warm. You both sit there in silence, waiting for the clothes to dry. 

Joel broke the silence, his voice softer this time "We'll have to wait out the storm here, and then we can continue our journey." You nod, agreeing.

As the night wore on, the humidity in the room strangled the feeble fire you had managed to kindle earlier, ultimately snuffing it out. The temperature inside the safehouse plummeted, and it became apparent that you couldn't rely on the fire for warmth any longer “Damn it” You mutter, shivering once again, trying to revive the fire - to no avail. 

What was also apparent was that the two of you were so obviously treading around the one thing you knew would help warm you up, very much proven by last night. Unsure, feeling awkward, you didn’t know if you should bring it up. Proudly, you both sat there in silence. The memory of the previous night and the warmth that entailed lingered in the back of both of your minds. It had been an unspoken but undeniable source of comfort in the midst of the harsh world you inhabited, and now, with the cold seeping into your bones, and the urgency to get warm overtaking the awkward tension looming over you, the thought of that shared warmth became impossible to ignore.

Without saying a word, you shifted closer to Joel, seeking his body heat. Joel, initially surprised, looking over at you, understood the unspoken request and shifted to accommodate you. It was an unspoken agreement, a silent acknowledgment that you needed each other's warmth to survive the harsh, cold night. 

With a shared understanding of practicality and mutual vulnerability, you created a makeshift sleeping area consisting of zipped up sleeping bags, dry blankets and whatever else fabric you could spare that would dampen the solidity of the cold, damp floor. This was where you settled as you finally lay side by side. You tried to find a comfortable position, mirroring the way you had slept in the tent the night before, with him against your back. Your bodies pressed together, and your breaths synchronized in the cold darkness, neither of you speaking about it, rather you let your bodies instinctively gravitate closer, seeking the heat that the other provided. 

In the quiet of the night, as you shared body heat to stave off the biting cold, the tension that had lingered between the two of you began to seemingly fade. Despite the uncomfortable surroundings and your strained relationship, you both found a strange comfort in your shared warmth and the familiarity of each other's presence. There was no need for snark, nor sly remarks; pissing each other off. Neither did you have to discuss the somewhat uncomfortable, albeit innocent yet necessary, situation you’ve found yourself in. The cold was unforgiving, and your priority was to avoid hypothermia. You were, after all, nothing but two survivors making the best of the harsh and unforgiving circumstances given to you, finding solace and comfort in each other's company, even if it was unconventional.

He hesitantly kept his arms to his side. Joel broke the silence, clearing his throat, his voice barely a whisper, "I never thought I'd miss that damn tent." trying to diffuse more of the tension. 

You slightly laugh, feeling a slight cramp in your body from the duress of the situation. The laugh eased up some internal tension you didn’t even know you were holding onto. “It was for sure warmer than this” You chuckle. 

He smiled. And that was that. You were both admittedly exhausted, and drifted off into a very well-earned sleep, lulled by the heat radiating between the two of you. Secretly, you couldn’t help but to wish for the extra warmth that came from his arms around you, as it did yesterday, holding you impossibly close, keeping you safe in his big strong arms. Little did you know that he was thinking the same, but it was simply a line that Joel couldn't bring himself to cross. You had already navigated enough awkwardness and unspoken emotions that night. That didn’t stop him, however, from subconsciously doing so in his sleep - just as he did the night before. 

Morning came, and you were awakened by the sun shining through the window, and onto your face. To your surprise, you felt your body be wrapped in the warmth of Joel's embrace. He must have instinctively put his arm around you whilst he slept. At first, you felt a sense of contentment. It was strange, but also undeniable. It was a reassuring feeling, knowing that he was there, holding you tightly - just as you had secretly hoped. But, as your senses fully woke up, you became acutely aware of something else - a firm pressure against your back that couldn't be ignored. You froze, your eyes widening in shock, and your heart raced as you registered the presence of Joel's erection pressed against your back. Joel was still asleep, as far as you were concerned. His breath heavy and warm on your shoulder, light snores leaving his mouth. Your mind raced as you tried to process the situation. You two had already crossed so many boundaries during the night to stay warm, but this felt like an entirely different kind of boundary altogether. Was this intentional? Or just a physiological response to their proximity? 

Was there a sick, twisted part of you that engulfed your mind with fantasies of alleviating the pressure burning in the pit of your stomach with the (from what your back could feel was a very appropriately sized) dick prodding at your back? Yes. You were only human, after all. Were you going to do anything about it? No. You knew this was not intentional, not realistically. You’re a grown woman and know that he couldn’t control it just as much as you couldn’t control your deep guttural reaction to such an… event.

You debated over your next moves, unsure of how to navigate this uncharted territory. If you move away, he will wake up, realize he has a boner and think it scared you off. But if you lie there, hoping it goes away, and he wakes up with a raging boner still in full swing rubbing against you - he’d be mortified. Him, being a proud man would never live that down, and would probably not talk to you again, or at least not know what to say, in the midst of his own embarrassment. After yesterday, and the progress you made in your ‘partnership’, you couldn’t help but to dread the deafening silence that came with the impending awkwardness. You’ve been through so much already, and have yet to even get close to finishing this mission. So much left yet to go through. You have crossed so many bridges, this is just one of them. This was just a fleeting moment and not as significant as it might feel in the heat of the moment. It’s not a big deal, not really, just bodies doing body stuff. Or at least that is what you are telling yourself.

Carefully, you adjusted your position ever so slightly, shifting your body away from his rock solid member to relieve the pressure between your bodies, all the while ensuring that you didn't wake him from his peaceful slumber. It was a delicate maneuver to maintain the pretense of sleep, but you hoped it would be enough for you to potentially feign ignorance, just in case he was awake. You, flustered by the situation and the thoughts lingering in your (albeit perverse) mind, could not fall back asleep. Rather, you lied there letting your thoughts run wild. Couldn't hurt to indulge into harmless fantasy?

A couple of moments later, you could feel shifting next to you. Joel slowly woke up, feeling the oh so familiar throbbing that welcomes him in the mornings from time to time. Joel comes to his senses as he gently wakes up, quickly remembering the way he fell asleep against you and how much of a compromising position that would be for him right now. He quickly snapped his eyes open to see, to his relief, that you had moved away in your sleep, or at least so he thought. ‘Phew’ he thought to himself. He quickly sprung to his feet, leaving the room - hoping it goes away before you wake. He was not entertaining the idea of taking care of it, it could be too risky. 

Him waking up reminded you of his existence, which filled your lust driven mind with an enormous guilt and shame regarding your thoughts. He didn’t have control over that, and your insatiable mind went and ran with it. You quickly shook the thoughts off and tried to think of something else as you laid there, unsure how to proceed.. 

You laid still until you heard Joel packing his bag. You took it as an indication that you were out of the woods, and had dodged a bullet - even though the both of you are flustered by it, without the knowing that the other one knew. You get up, and start folding the cloth and blankets that made up your ‘bed’, and walked out to the room with the bags and packed. Joel didn’t say anything. 

“G’mornin’” You announce your presence. He, already hyper aware of it, hums as a response. You don't look much into it, relieved he isn’t treating you differently considering last night's sleeping arrangements. When you packed up, you put your backpack around your shoulders, your rifle around your neck and the rest of your gear clinging to the bag. You look at Joel, who is watching you as you pull the straps of the bag. You look up and nod. “Let’s go?” 

He nods. You’re off.

[cantsaythetword]

If you’re comfortable,

39. “If you want it, come and get it!”

Imagine Nick being too proud of his “Rugby King” title and stealing the ball or teasing the others (Sai, Otis, and Christian) during a small after school practice. Since the three boys have known Nick since he was little, they have to know a few good secrets. Maybe they call over Charlie for a demonstration and both Nick and Charlie are happy because Charlie is being included and acknowledged as Nick’s boyfriend.

Dethroning the King

~A/N  - THIS TOOK SO LONG TO ACTUALLY GET AROUND TO AND IM SORRY ANON YOU'RE A GIFT TO MANKIND WITH THAT PATIENCE !!!!!

Hope I didn't write the characters too OOC, apologies if I did!

- Enoy! ~

Tag List: @mysterious-marvel

Masterpost Link 

"One more for the KING!" Nick whooped, sliding along the grass across the try line on the rugby field.

Charlie laughed to himself and quietly clapped a few times in his boyfriend's direction. Not too much to draw attention to himself, but enough that if Nick happened to look over he would feel Charlie's support.

Not that it was needed. By the eyeroll that Sai gave Nick it appeared his's ego was at full mast this afternoon.

"You boys aren't even trying today!" Nick continued, running a victory quarter-lap back towards his friends.

"'Course we are!" Christian playfully punched Nick's shoulder before hooking the ball out of Nick's grip.

And the game began again.

A few successful dodges by Christian and a great catch by Otis ran the pair straight towards their goal, when out of nowhere Nick skidded along the grass and took poor Otis's legs out from under him.

"Damnit Nelson." Otis grunted with a half-laugh.

"Hah!" Nick whooped. "Nothing can stop me!"

"Oh really?" Sai quipped, moving closer to his cocky friend.

"Oh yeah!"

It was Charlie who rolled his eyes this time.

Otis, catching on to Sai's plan, pushed himself to his feet with a grin. "We all know that's not true."

"Not true?" Nick smirked. "Then why do I have the ball and you don't?"

Sai laughed menacingly. "Oh we can change that.'

"Alright then." Nick grinned naively, spreading his arms and holding the ball in one hand. "If you want it, come and get it."

"GET HIM!" Sai whooped, tackling Nick to the ground and clawing his fingers into Nick's sides. Nick let out a strangled laugh before squirming on the floor in Sai's grip.

Otis bumped shoulders with Charlie on his way past. "You're gonna want to see this mate."

Christian wasn't far behind, and soon the two boys joined the dog-pile and started shoving their hands into any gap they could find to reach their giggly friend.

"NOHOHOHO GUYS!" Nick screeched, kicking his feet behind him and flipping onto his back to gain a fighting chance.

Charlie gave a surprised laugh. Sure he had poked Nick a few times before, but he had no idea Nick was this ticklish.

"Come on Charlie!" Christian called out. "Help us out!"

"CHAHAHAR NOHOHO!" Nick begged, his arms swinging wildly in an attempt to fight off the 6 hands attacking him.

"Honestly Charlie," Sai grinned. "I don't know how you put up with him."

Charlie laughed. "Well, knowing this certainly helps!"

"Just you wait, there's a reeeeally good spot riiiiight~" Christian wriggled his hands teasingly above Nick's thighs, "here!"

"CHRIHIHISTIAHAHAHAN!"

All potential opportunities for begging went out the window the moment Nick's legs entered the ring. The poor guy was a squealing thrashing mess - much to his friends' enjoyment.

"Taking notes Char?" Otis beamed, his fingers currently tormenting Nick's neck.

Charlie laughed and nodded. "I'm never forgetting this."

"You'd better remember." Sai grumbled, fighting against Nick to regain access to the man's underarms. "It'll make those old married couple arguments a hell of a lot easier."

Slightly stunned by the casualness of Sai's comment, Charlie felt his face flush. Not out of embarrassment, but out of warmth. It had happened before, of course. Every time Tao or Elle had mentioned Nick as his 'boyfriend' it had brought another wave of pink to Charlie's cheeks. But something about this time felt different. Felt good. It was nice being acknowledged by Nick's 'lad' friends as well as the usual gang.

And even though most of the laughter coming from Nick was a result of the tickle attack still being carried out against him, Charlie couldn't help but notice Nick's smile grow a little wider too.

[voidshrubsquared]

Addi oc lore!!! For the only proper addi oc I have!!! She's a purple addi and her name is Mobi L. Addison (ahaha so creative I know-)

Putting a cut here cause this is. Long

As her name suggests, she does mobile game advertising! The really obnoxious and weird and annoying kind <3 Very energetic, playful and excitable before the Incident :)

Okok so. Lore. Mobi was part of a small department of 3 ads. Her, a pink and an orange. They did smaller scale campaigns and stuff like banners in less populated websites and such. One day their orange addi got a sweet deal from a big company that would have him work at a different part of town. It was a lot of cash, and the other two encouraged him to take it. With a bit of hesitation he did, and they had a celebration and everything. Big promotion day!!!

Their orange left, and for a while he'd send texts, emails, and his sum of money to take care of bills and pay off the house and such. Then... texts became scarce, he became busier, and the money trickled to a stop. He didn't come back for the vacation they had planned months in advance. He just. Left them. What a dick >:/

Realizing this, Mo and Locke (the pink, also nicknamed Lucky), both upset but not having a lot of time to process the abandonment, had to take extra work from wherever they could to keep the house, pay bills, and keep their sales up. It was very stressful, but they were able to stay afloat for a good while. They were able to keep positive about things and even grew closer together as friends! Locke was. Clearly interested in being more than friends, but Mo was very oblivious of her advances and only saw her as a friend (she didn't know until waaaaay later, but she's aroace). And things were good! Until the INCIDENT MWAHAHAHA

So one day, Mobi did her usual morning routine, said goodbye to Locke as they went their separate ways to work until sundown, and then when she came back, Lucky wasn't home yet. Which is weird!!! Because she comes home hours before Mo!!!! Mobi sends a few texts, no dice. She makes a few phone calls, straight to voice mail. Oh no.

Like how all missing persons' cases go, eventually there's a police search, posters go up, several restless nights... After long hours of waiting for something, anything, the only thing that is found is Lucky's car parked in the grass somewhere way out of the outskirts of the city. It seemed like she was planning to return to it, because she'd left it running, and they found it out of battery. That's all they know about her, and that's all Mobi will ever know about what happened to her. (Maybe. I might let her know in the future I'm not sure.)

But you get to know!!! Heck yeah!!!! So!!!

Lucky was trying her best to help Mo out and lighten the load a little, y'know? So she may or may not. Gotten into some. Reeeeally shady business. But!! It paid well!! It totally wasn't running errands and occasionally clesning up the dirty work of a company that may or may not maybe perhaps mayhaps. Abduct people to use as snuff film props. Ahaha. Noooo. Definitely not that. Uhm. Well anyways you can guess how that ended up for her. Once she made one too many mistakes and wasn't as useful as before, well!!

At least there's a tape with evidence of her on-camera death somewhere out there. Maybe that's how Mo finds out, actually!

Anyways. So obviously Locke's disappearance leaves Mobi incredibly devastated. She barely has any time to grieve though, first she has to move out of home into a smaller apartment, she can't pay everything off by herself now. For a while, she doesn't work, sales get low, and she just. Doesn't know how to cope with this at ALL.

So!! How DO you cope with this AND work to pay rent and keep yourself alive?? Simple! Work yourself to death!!!

Mobi very healthily decides she's going to keep her mind off things by working herself until her circuits fry off. Very normal. So she goes to this big video advertising megacorp, takes as many jobs and errands as possible, and works as much as she can until she passes out from exhaustion. She becomes a veey reliable asset to the company, at least...?

Her only sustenance is coffee, energy drinks, anything that can keep her awake for as long as possible. She doesn't take sick days, she doesn't take vacation days, only works. And she enjoys it, in a way! After a month or two of initial struggles, she finds her rhythm and doesn't stop. Eventually, she forgets Locke. But she doesn't stop working! And she stays like that. For like ten years. Super exhausting, she's NOTHING like the fun, excitable addi shw used to be. She got to work for a big shot for a little while at least! If you get to see one of his old commercials, you might see her as a background actor in a few! Nowadays she mostly does video advert work, graphic design, banners, all that good stuff everyone absolutely hates. (Fun fact she loves targeting Berdly, her ads annoy him so much)

So this cycle happens for ages until there's a new addition to the company that changes everything for her. See, Mobi doesn't have friends. She doesn't have time for friends! She just works!! And then this GOOF of a yellow ad joins and brightens up the place so much, that she can't help but look their way and smile. Videon the silly goof. The plinko. (Listen I was so deep into Bright's addi lore here, I couldn't help myself-) Fun fact I chose Vid specifically for this because canonically they take a job where they aren't as home as often after the whole Spamton disappearing thing. So yeah

Mobi likes this ad, they're loud and playful and love hanging out and goofing off on stage, off stage, mischievous little shit. And it... snaps Mo out of her routine little by little. She starts interacting with them, saying hi when they come in, laughing at their stupid jokes, thinking 'wait that'd be so funny' when they suggest they do something clearly dumb. Why do you want to dump all those pounds of glitter on the actors for this commercial. No, get away from the glitter, gET AWAY-

So Mo warms up to them, and she starts conversations with them!! They start out casual until Vid makes one of those suggestions, and Mo can't catch herself when she gets excited and adds onto it. And oh god suddenly they are friends. Oh god oh no. We are so doomed guys. The more she hangs out with Vid, the more that playfulness and energy returns to her. She starts dropping a few of her dozens of jobs to take WEEKENDS off. Dear god her co-workers look at each other like she grew a second head. But she loves it. She loves hanging out with this new friend, talking to them, doing dumb stuff like pour a bottle of bubble bath into a fountain and running away from a disaster that ends up on the newspaper the next day (they never got caught). She likes inviting them home! Crashing at their place and meeting their department! Accidentally thrashing the place with them! (They did get caught and had to do all house chores for the next month. Still worth it.)

Finally, they get to that level of friendship where you can open up to one another about Life and Philosophy and Problems and Stuff. So they do, and Mo remembers that 'oh yeah. I never really grieved my friend's disappearance. I'm gonna cry for an hour now.' And she does, and Vid does too, they bond over their lost friends, talk about them, reminisce about their happy memories turned sour. Vid gets to talk about Spamton without any BLUE GUMBALL BITCH BOYS SHUNNING THEM ABOUT IT ahem huh what what was that. Uh. And Mobi gets to remember her fun times with Lucky, and share how much she hates that orange addi that I never bothered to name! This is when she learns she's aroace also. And Vid informs her Lucky obviously had a huge crush on her. Oh! Welp! Something new to process, hopefully properly this time.

Okay this is getting real long. I don't have much after this, except for the idea that Vid could offer helping to find anything they can about Lucky, any info at all, just to try and help her get some closure. She offers the same for them and Spamton's missing case. They wouldn't find anything Spam related, but they would find a lead for Lucky. And it leads them to perhaps a dangerous ARG-type rabbit-hole where they find documents of Lucky's involvement with the snuff film company, a copy of the tape of the film involving her death, and maybe even enough evidence for the authorities to launch a big investigation that saves dozens of missing ads and bringd closure to hundreds more. I like that, I think I'll make it canon. Like a buddy-cop thriller type thing or something idk.

Ok wow that was a lot. That's all I have/remember of the Mobi lore!!! Thanks for reading all this way if you did!! Woah!!!! I'm starving I'm gonna go eat BYEEEE

OH AND I SHOULD ADD HER REF SHEET TOO LEMME JUST

There we go!

( @emiplayzmc @yanderespamton78 and why not, @turntableart @solalunar-eclipse I told you guys about this but I don't remember how much so uhhh ye :3)

[saxandviolins88]

BRAINROT TIME!!! How I think the Constructicons would sign their names (and their calligraphy in general ig)

see the visualization below cut

Scrapper's handwriting would be similar to technical lettering used by architects - tho I think in a casual scenario he would put a little bit of flare to it - it is also very small and condensed, to match his modest demeanor.

Long Haul's is also similar to technical lettering but doesn't follow the size guides (clearly). He writes so big not only because he has big hands (c'mon pens only come in one size), but also because he has the mindset of: "My writing must be 100% clear and legible because I don't want any dumbaft asking what's written on the damn paper."

Hook obviously would write in cursive, we can all agree on that right? He also would have his own fountain pen (with his name etched on it, in its own case, that also has his name on it), because who is he to write with a simpleton's ballpoint? However when making projects he is forced to write using technical lettering.

Bonecrusher uses part of Hook's writing to write his own name (corny ewww), he also borrows Hook's fountain pen. I imagine him writing with it using his fist because fuck it - this mindset also translates to his handwriting, he doesn't care about consistency, line quality, readability, aesthetics, or anything of the sort, just pure controlled chaos (he also doesn't believe is following the lines on the paper, he makes his own lines fuck it)

Mixmaster is a lost cause. His handwriting is really really reeeeally bad, and he doesn't care too much about it, but the other Constructicons often joke about how he made up his own language. It's not really a problem, since he can understand what he writes(the other Construticons also can, gestalt benefits), and most things on Cybertron are written using digital means (monitors, keyboards, whatever), only on Earth have they switched to paper and pen.

Scavy, being literally ancient, only knows Primal Vernacular. If you ask him to write something he'll most likely panic, he really hates sticking out like a sore thumb among "normal mechs" and the weird looks he gets along with it. He tried learning Neo-Cybex, but he really couldn't grasp it (even though it's simpler than Ancient Cybertronian), as of now he can only speak it (with an accent)

[starsurface]

Hi sorry for requesting again but I was wondering you had CG Headcannons for Mk 11 Johnny Cage ? He's a comfort character at the moment and I'm happy to see you do content for MK 10,11 and 1 :) sorry again for being awkward in my first ask I've been off tumblr for a while and recently came back ...

MK11 Johnny Cage!!! <3

And your fine, don't worry one bit!!

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

CG Johnny Cage MK11 Hcs

💫 Depending on where we are on the timeline depends on how ‘good’ on a CG he is (all CGs are good, they're trying their best <3)

💫 Younger Johnny is more of a babysitter or older brother figure, but still a pretty good CG

💫 Older Johnny takes on a more stable CG role (we're gonna focus on him)

💫 You have so much Johnny Cage merch!!!!

💫 Any kind of doll or stuffie made of him, you've already got it!!

💫 You've even got some shirts with his old movie designs

💫 Mostly you have these because he gets a copy of almost anything ever made of him (and he likes to spoil you <3)

💫 Older Johnny has kinda left his old Hollywood life behind, joining the military and doing some movies here or there

💫 He's settled down, more to Earth than his other selves

💫 That will not stop him from buying anything you want, no matter the price

💫 You want a yummy treat? What kind? He's already got his wallet put

💫 He knows you have a thousand and one plushies . . . But a few more can't reeeeeeally hurt anyone

💫 You are his baby and nothing is allowed to harm a hair on your head

💫 You think your clingy? Psh, you haven't seen Cage Clingy

💫 Constantly wants to hold or coddle you, your just so cute!!

💫 But like, he guesses he can let you go run off, but he has to be nearby and you have to be in eye distant!!!

💫 Matching Johnny Cage inspired jammies (he happened to have them already)

💫 He has a habit of babying you even if you regress older

💫 If you like being treated like a princess/prince/royalty? Brilliant!! He's got you covered!!

💫 If you want more independence, he's decent with it, and will treat you more your age

💫 Finds middlespace regresses entertaining (mostly if your an emo regressor)

💫 Loves making bracelets and drama when your bigger

💫 Drama can be almost anything, including this dramatic thing that happened in your favorite TV show

💫 Babble encourager!!!

💫 Full blown conversations with babblers, he thinks they're adorable

💫 If you want to have him dress up and have a tea party, he's so for it

💫 Make him wear a tiara and tutu, he'll do it with pride

💫 Will also let you paint his nails any color you want

💫 While he loves and babies you, he also puts his foot down >:(

💫 If your a rule breaker, prepare for a bunch of timeout time, because there's almost not changing his mind (unless you regress really small)

💫 Won't punish you if it was an accident though, he's not terribly mean

💫 If you ever offer to spar or wrestle him while your tiny, he'll generally laugh

💫 Not at you!! Well, kinda

💫 It's just, your so cute!! Thinking you could beat him up, that's so adorable 🥺

💫 He'll let you fight him though (and probably let you win, but you don't reeeeally gotta know that)

💫 He'll treat you with ice cream when you ‘win’

💫 He's getting old, but he's got the energy he had when he was in his 20s (y'all he's like almost 60 in MK11 can you believe that??)

💫 If you regress as base, your either right by his side holding his hand, or your always in reach just in case

💫 There is a not touching rule on everything if your small on base, there's a lot of dangerous stuff and Johnny's not having you get hurt

💫 He'll do his little “Here's Johnny!!” while playing peek-a-boo

💫 Sometimes he'll egg you on to do naughty things he finds funny (like prank Sonya by putting a bit of salt in her coffee)

💫 Will also take the blow when Sonya starts getting pissy because someone (👀) ruined her coffee

💫 Your naptime? Nuh-uh. Our naptime 😎

💫 Man's old, he'd love to just laze around and cuddle

💫 But he's also got the spirit of a child, and would love to run around with you

💫 If your small while he's working out, he'll laugh as you try to pick up his weight

💫 He'll probably give you one of those workout balls or some super light weights so you can be just like Daddy :D

💫 . . . Dad jokes 😒

💫 And sometimes they're not even good!! Most times they're just to poke or annoy you!! >:(

💫 Most times they're actually really funny though

💫 Favorite CG nicknames are Daddy, Dada, Papa, Bubba, and literally anything you wanna call him

💫 Your go-to babysitters are Sonya and Cassie

💫 (Maybe also Jax and Kenshi)

💫 Cassie and Sonya both love you, you've got the whole Cage family behind your back

💫 Favorite little nicknames to call you are Princess, Baby Girl/Boy, Little One, Sweetiepie, Honey, Little Star

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

I hope they're more MK11 Johnny and not MK1 Johnny, and I can always do more or something like that. <3

[whomst-is-hex]

me favorite pages and their thumbnails n storyboards

first off we got my darling claras intro

fun fact its very faint but i put a small aura of light on every instance of her face to make her reeeeally feel saintly. brings a halo everywhere she goes

couple of obvious changes because my dumbass was making thumbnail pages by hand and forgot that if the shape of the thumbnail's off it can really impact proportions of the frames. so i really had to make some artemy frames bigger and change their shapes. turned out ok tho

next we got Ascending The Evil Stairs

i wanted to make that stairwell as weird as i could. bc on my very very first playthrough, i was on call with my sister. and i went down the stairs and INSTANTLY felt claustrophobic. the blank, narrow walls..... the steep steps..... love it.

i had a lot of trouble trying to make the entrance as dramatic and cautious as possible. in the second panel particularly, i wanted to show danko's hand and artemy approaching behind him. but that felt like it was revealing too much too early, and i figured keeping artemy himself obscured and instead focusing on his little steps and motions would be a better effect

and now for the goddamned fight scene

this bitch was so hard to put together coherently.

so from the beginning, i wanted this page to be frantic. i barely even knew what i was doing in the thumbnail lmfao. but overall, i wanted the frames to just suddenly split apart. because of betrayal, sudden action, whichever you want to see it as. but i made a point to give page 18 those same misaligned frames, when artemy turns his back to daniil. when i moved to storyboard for this page, i was suddenly and violently aware of how inconsistent their positions are if i show their bodies as much as i wanted too in the beginning. they're still confusing, but by focusing on specific parts of the body that translates into the disorientation you feel from an actual fight. i hope

now for these homos and their normal conversations

there were a Lot of changes to this page's dialogue. and in the end i gotta thank @indigo-constellation for knowing an unreasonable amount of latin quotes for me to choose from because God Damn It, he just wasn't speaking enough latin for me to be satisfied.

so the poses for this one are Quite Different if you look closely. this is because my ass originally wanted this conversation to happen on the floor. The whole plan was that Daniil kicks out Artemy's bad leg, but temy manages to redirect the fall so hes still in control. But i realized that i probably dont have the skills to portray that in a way that flows well enough, so i settled with punching him in the face and shoving him on the desk. Same effect really. The punch was a veeeerry late change of plans but I'm glad how it turned out.

i'll probably do more of these once chappy 2 is out because i love talking about my process so yea stay tuned ig

[doukeshi-kun]

Tut on how I can keep up with uni and writing fics at the same time?😞 Bc from what I know you’re in uni as well, I started uni like 1 year ago and well, 2 years ago I had huge time on my hands to write fics but now It’s just plain tiring and??? Idk how to explain, I just got no motivation to start writing anything.. Except when I had to leave my favourite hobby for a few months cause I had an exam to pass high school💔

uni is reeeeally tiring and i totally get the feeling of not being able to spend your time to do the things you really love just to do something else. if you're afraid to like, lose your motivation to write at all, i'd suggest you to write short drabbles/scenes when you have a little bit of time to spend. maybe... once a week or during the weekend. if there's semester break, then that's also a good time to write some small things.

but the thing is even if you are free on a certain day, motivation can still be hard to get. like you said, it feels tiring. probably because you've made writing fics feel like a job to do. it's not a job, it's a hobby. it would really feel draining especially if you are doing requests.

it's fine to not spend more time on things you used to do a lot. it's fine to have slow updates/progresses on your fics. if you don't want to lose your motivation completely, you could write small things just to keep yourself consistent ykwim. you don't have to feel burdened to write. imo, if you really force yourself to write something, it wouldn't feel enjoyable.

kind readers will understand the circumstances of slow updates and progresses from a writer (especially when we're writing fanfics for free yk)