#everyone knows what a fuckin lil rat i am now

[inkyquince]

How to know you have brain rot for a character - you were paying a whole thing about mpreg or whatever and the only thing that stood out to me was the mention of my Halloween hubby Micheal 🎃🔪 are you...a fellow slasher fucker?

im so sorry but its gonna be a struggle to be normal about this ask

From 2019 to 2020, i Was OBSESSED, with slashers. And I still am, they're just lurking in the corner of my mind with the Halloween stalking music.

To this day, I follow 120 blogs about slashers. Art, Games, Writing, Just general reblogs. On halloween 2020, I got my projector and ran as many films as i could throughout the day. I made one of my bestest friends while in my slasher kick. Legit started talking about horror movies and we haven't stopped since. I fucking LOVE horror movies, like the weird lil rat I am, and slashers are a huge part of that.

I sat through the stupid ass collector movie, the absolute fucked The Terrifier and Hereditary is a movie i watch to relax?

Long story short, yes. Dead By Daylight is my version of a dating simulator, have you SEEN how michael picks you up?

Another thing, maybe TMI.

I was severely sex repulsed up until I was 19. Legitmately, due to trauma, I was repressed and the idea of sex had be fucked up. The fact it was quarantine had me just as fucked up and so I was binging all these horror movies, and I watched the House Of Wax. Not only was it a delight to see Paris Hilton (I love seeing her in horror movies, its such a fucking treat) and then I laid eyes on Bo Sinclaire. I don't think you understand, I was texting my childhood best friend about this man and it remains the most entertaining thing in the world. I look back at the text messages and it still has me fucking cackling, she was so stunned by how freely horny I was for this man. Keep in mind, the actor for Bo reappears in Community, is basically the same character, but didn't make me feel a thing.

This man was the first person I actually wanted to fuck and he was legitimately gluing a woman's lips together. It's all downhill from there, and it leads us to now.

Yes, actually had to go to therapy, Bo Sinclaire didn't fix everything wrong with me, no, but idk my brain just kinda got me unfucked. I'm not minimizing how useful therapy was for getting me better in life in general but also unfucking my head when it comes to sex. But idk, that movie did kick a switch in my head.

So, everyone.

Give this man a kiss on the head, because he's the only reason Inky is writing such horrendous porn.

Sidenote: Favorite Horror Movie is The Autopsy of Jane Doe, its magnificent

[lizandbo]

cuddling w/ mha bois<3

Kirishima

-ok, but like c’mon this man is the fcuking definition of “cuddles4life”

- the best cuddles by far

- if he would be goin in the contest for who’s the best cuddling partner it would be him

- i would like to think either he loves spooning you or/ and facing each other and talking about whatever the fuck ya want and give occasional kisses n pecks

- he loves to cuddle you, anytime and anywhere he could get his cuddles he would

- in his sleep, he would sprawl out like a mf starfish

- numerous of times he pushed you off the bed becuase of it

- it wasn’t fun when he woke up, and see you weren’t there...so was trying to look for you cuz like...he needs his cuddlingz>:O

- but then he stepped on you, trampled a bit, left for you to fucking perish from being stepped on like a mcfucking rat

- so yeah you def woke up then

- anyway, besides you dying on the ground... comfort cuddling is a fuckin must

- always always always cuddles when you have a bad day

- cuddles everyday

- if you dont like cuddling well to fucking bad becuase here we are cuddling

- wait why did i say if you dont like cuddling..then why are you even reading about this, this is everything about cuddling

wtf is wrong with me

- completely covers you, no matter what, tall? Short? Extra meat on your bones? Who the fuck cares, he’s still cuddling you

- its his mission to cuddle you

- hugs are a must too

- also i headcanon he has to have a fan while sleeping too

bakugo

- when you asked for cuddles, he questioned “what the hell is that, a fighting move or sometin?”

- like, bro...never heard of C U D D L I N G?!

- he didnt really like cuddling at first, he didnt know what to do, where did he put his clammy ass hands? am i holding them too tight?

-its this whole big ordeal about him being stiff as a fucking board, and then he got too hot cuz he’s a human heater

- i almost said human eater

- BUT! After a month or so, he got the gist of it:)

- likes when your head is on his chest and vice versa

- but normally he wakes up weird, there is no telling if he’s gonna have a sleepy pillow fight with you while he’s sleeping because he still is dangerous in his fucking SLEEP

- softly talks in his sleep too

- but its not softly cuz like, god damnnn does he have a gravely voice

- its concerning? At least for meXD

- he also likes to lay on your thighs and lay his head on your stomach

- sweats in bed:( I’m sorry but he does

- every morning has sweat in the fucking bed

- you guys have no blanket, but yet he still fucking sweats

- anyways, I think he would be a light sleeper, so if you move in bed too much...he will wake you up and telling you that you woke him up

- but your like?? Ok, i woke you but why you have to wake me?? Bitch??

- but in his god damn peabrain thinks its a win win so;-;

- he wouldn’t cuddle during the day tho, he has a reputation to keep up

Midoriya

- flustered boi

- he’s a very cuddly person but at the same time tho, he doesnt know what to do

- i feel liek when he was a child, ya know how Inko was very close (and still very close) to midoriya?well, maybe they cuddled together?

- when he was having a bad day or somethinf

- he fucking LOVES cuddling

- he mumbles and rambles while cuddling a lot too

- either It would be hero’s, how much he loves you, etc

- basically everything under the fucking sun

- cuddles give his anxiousness a break for once

- his favorite position is liek hugging you built cuddling at the same time, does that make senseXD

- he has a lot snacks in the bed so he gets nasty ass crumbs in the bed

- but he does feed you snack at the same time so, how could you say no?

- late night snacks is a yes

- the snack choice is yours

- ok idk why this popped into my head..by what if they have like all might themed..goldfish or like teddy gram cracker thingys ya know?

- if they are real he would def have them

- looks at his phone at night too, so he would have one arm around you and scrolling on his phone:)

- while your here to fucking die like a mf shriveled up rat, suffocated from izuku’s neck

- ok, i never cuddled anyone but, everyone said I shove their heads into their s/o neck, but like wouldn’t they just cant breathe?

- I’m curiousXD

- ok this is about you and izuku cuddling not MY FUCKING THOUGHTS

- anyway, yeah, izuku loves to hold you in his arms, it makes you actually feel real

Todoroki

- stiff as a motherfuckin stone slab

- he doesnt know what to do when someone is touching him becuase he is a touch starved baby:(

- hair messy in the mornings too

- just like Bakugo, he would question what the fuck is cuddling

- i feel like he would find cuddling fun and precious becuase he never experienced it

- the only ’affection‘ that he would ever get was form Fuyumi, but it wasn’t really affection

- he has seen so many toxic relationships, cuddling never was spoken of

- BUT NOW HE KNOWS AND LOVES

- plus once you do it daily, he’s gonna act pretty pouty when you leave from a cuddling session

- but still has that stoic face™

- he likes spooning, he doesnt care if he is a lil spoon or a big one

- he really loves anything but..he does really like spooning

- it would be very...quiet

- it doesnt matter if you are cuddling in the middle of the day or at night

- he’s more a listener than a speaker, this might be obvious but oh well

- I just think he would love cuddles but if anyone interrupts then he’s gonna be more upset cuz liek...HE LOVES OYU AND WANNA HAVE THE BEST TIME IN THE WORLD WITH YOU-

- he’s a real simp for ya btw

denki

- movies + cuddling = Y E S

- he always has movies as a background becuase he doesnt really like silence

- he doesnt care if he sweats, he will have the blanket either way

- also a blanket hogger

- it would be good at some point becuase you wouldn’t sweat like him

- back to the movie part, he always watches the same damn thing over and over again

- to the point that he knows all the lyrics to multiple movies

- his favoircuddling position is when he’s on top of you

- I’m sorry but he sprawls like mf starfish too

- soemtimes you cant breathe...but we aint talking bout thattttt:)

- plays monster’s inc A LOT

- no matter how many fucking times he sees it, he still laughs in the funny parts of the movie like a fucking hyena

- plays video games a lot so hes gonna have a bunch of video game dates with you

-Mario cart and cuddles? Yes fucking please

- sign me the fuck up

- also the best at Mario cats and 60 seconds

- even tho you both are up at like 2AM playing video games and cuddling each other likethe life depends on you guys

- you.are.cuddling.no.matter.fucking.WHAT

- he likes to interlock his finngers too

- he ALSO (once againXD) likes to zap you for no fucking reason

- fucked up prick >:(

[coweggomelet]

here we go volume 4

i like to call this one the emo volume

- eurgh more grimm juice

- oh boy murder teens what did you get yourselves into

- you know cinder really had a rough moment there and sometimes when that happens you gotta make some changes, shake things up a bit. get a new wardrobe. cut your hair. get a grimm arm, i dunno

- light tinkling gliding cloak rustling soft voice she’s so creeeeepy

- oscar!!!! my boy!!! my baby!!!

- i like that every couple of volumes everyone gets a wardrobe change

- ruby’s ability to descend into a fit of giggles even in the face of horrible circumstances will always be so wonderful

- awww his new sword. and the lil red sash

- awww hi klein!! i love you! you’re such a good father figure to weiss

- whitley currently is a little bitch. but he has a nice lil arc from that to ‘on thin fuckin ice’ and eventually lands at ‘baby’ so. love him. but right now he’s annoying

- ohhhh fuck the hoofprint

- the thing about this conversation is that i don’t like what either of them are trying to do. it’s a money grabbing capitalist vs a paranoid fascist. both bad

- weiss you’ve grown so much already i’m so proud of you

- jacque is a pageant mom. change my mind

- klein is such a good dad. i love him so much

- oh god the video, oh man. fuck i’m gonna cry. my sweet boy… he just wants to make her proud. he just wants her back. oh god, she’s proud of him. these writers keep making me cry and frankly it’s unacceptable

- i know who built yang her aaaarrmm

- this boat captain is on top of it

- oh god the orb thing. fuckin clicker noise. eeeuuuurrgghh i hate it

- “…hello?” *complete silence* “HI IM PROFESSOR OZPIN” good job oz

- i love tai & yang’s banter so much, tai is such a good dad

- i love that qrow is being their guardian angel. like technically he’s bad luck but he’s making their journey so much easier

- she’s an asshole but boy oh boy is raven a badass

- i know who the spring maiden iiiissss hehehehehe

- i love menagerie man

- hehehehehe blake’s a princess

- more good parents!!! i love them so much!!!

- these white fang fox guys are so creepy and unsettling i hate their weird little voices

- if jacque is gonna force weiss to sing, she’s gonna sing a ‘fuck you dad’ song and that’s why i love her

- wait wait henry marigold?? as in may marigold?? of the happy huntresses??? i never connected that!

- god i hate rich people

- i love that weiss’s first full summons happens cause her dad is an asshole and rich people suck

- oh tyrian you creep

- I LOVE NORA VALKYRIE she’s so strooong

- uncle to the rescue!!!

- oh my poor lil boy oscar. he’s so scared and confused

- people need to stop slapping my girls or i’m gonna go feral

- every single member of the weiss family (except jacque obviously) is so traumatized and abused and i am so sad for them cause jacque really managed to not only abuse them but turn them against each other, so instead of being able to take comfort in the solidarity of being abused by the same person, they’re in competition with each other, or resentful of each other. they do eventually reach that, but seeing them now is just heartbreaking

- fuck yeah qrow punch him!

- aaaahhhh i love that move!! throwing the sword and landing on it while it’s upright in the ground??? incredible! 10/10

- fuck yessss ruby fight fuckin dirty 

- uh oh dangerous objects better keep those from the big bad

- way to interrupt a tender family moment sun

- so many tender family moments i love this

- yessss weiss i love youuuuuu— whitley you little bitch you ruined it

- weiss’s sword looks like those multi color pens with the switches

- ilia’s sword coil thing is so fucking cool

- it will always break my heart the way ren unlocked his semblance. and how clearly tragic nora’s life was before she met ren

- nope no thank you don’t like creepy dens with bones and broken weapons and icky grimm juice

- JAILBREAK

- oh fuck oh god i hate this thing i hate it so much it’s so creepy and unnatural i hate that grimm can be creepy and weird why can’t they just be regular scary

- fuck y’all don’t let evil elastigirl get you

- jaune my boy he got big sword!!

- FUCK YEAH REN STARE THAT SHIT DOWN YOU FUCKIN BADASS YOU GET THAT CLOSURE I LOVE YOUUU IM SO PROUD OF YOU

- mistral is so prettyyyy i love a mountain city

- i love nora and ren you guys

- ugh the fuckin rat man fuck all the way off discount john watson

- awww oscar’s so brave, what a good note to end on

[undermattsun-archive]

hq lads as the skate rats of my dreams <3 (pt. 2)

guess what more grody skate rats to haunt u :)

also lin said atsumu + pulp fiction + mansplaining in the same sentence n it send my brain into overdrive,,, also angel wtf why would u send dirty boy goshiki to me now he’s haunting me,,, so this is dedicated to you two,,,,,, i’m sorry

tw toxic behavior (why am i like this!)

pt. 1 | pt. 3 | pt. 4

miya atsumu - the film major rat,,,, thinks tarantino is a god, brings his board to class n talks to u about u should come watch him skate sometime, says shit about how he knows ur into him n then how ur friend is hotter than u

semi eita - danger this one is so dangerous successfully has fucked all ur friends, tells u ur the best out of all of em (why does he think this is a compliment, why do we let him), gets into fights all the time (tries to fight ur exes at parties y’all aren’t even together), prolly has been arrested :/

ushijima wakatoshi - u thought kageyama n suna were emotionally unavailable? here’s the mf blueprint!! he doesn’t forget ur name baby, he never learned it :) if u ever decide (for some reason) he’s one of the few will actually be in a relationship but it changes nothing he still won’t say hi if he passes u on the street

goshiki tsutomu - product of his senpais (ushi, semi, tendou) uses his cute lil clueless clumsy air to pull u in (can barely skate) but he’s vile! vile vile vile! u can try to stay away but oh did he just fall oh no his boo boo? n then next thing u know he’s fuckin u in a grocery store bathroom n takes the condom off (bc tendou said it makes the experience better)

kawanishi taichi - the only one who can drive!! drives an old + ugly toyota corolla that smells like weed + black ice air freshener, still won’t pick u up/drive u home (so if u fuck at his place he’ll make u call an uber)

terushima yuuji - the tagger!! constantly defacing public property + has gotten arrested too many times!!!!! calls u to bail him out most of the time,, graffitied ur place of work asking if u wanna fuck n got u fired :(

sugawara koushi - piercings for days, has such an edgy look but a rlly kind smile! that’s how he pulls u into all his mental mind games :))) fucks u on the reg says ur the love of his life, but introduces u to everyone as just a friend

oikawa tooru - wears the tightest of dickies (lmao why u have no ass my man), always cuffed, v much in love w his ex still n makes sure u know it, can also barely skate,,, tries to rope u into a threesome w skater iwa,, n when u say no he proposes a threesome w him n one of ur friends,,,,n never forget he cries after sex

akaashi keiji - gatekeeper gatekeeper (saw a hc where he’s a gatekeeper fboy n that’s the kinda skater he is), u don’t skate? don’t wear thrasher, ew u use that brand for ur wheels? saying someone’s “not a real skater” is his fave activity (bitch u can’t even drop into a bowl stfu)

[urbanqhoul]

Coffee For Your Head [Fallout 4- Nick Valentine & John Hancock]

sSOOO

this is is kinda my first attempt at writing short lil fanfiction, I’ve written before for video’s n such but I’m by no means great at it so plz dun stab me I just wanted to write some fluff for my fav ship quq.

This takes place in my prewar AU- aka fallout 4 companions if they existed before the bombs dropped n all that fun stuff

---

“Think ya really need to work on impulse control, kid.” Nick said flatly as he carefully tried to keep John from falling over in his drunken state well they stumbled back home.

“To hell with that...! Those assholes were practically begging for it...” The smaller man grumbled as he almost tripped over his own feet, causing them both to stumble forward before Nick corrected it. 

They’d both had a painfully long week with a particularly bleak case to solve involving a missing spouse. 

It was by no means out of the ordinary but something about this one specifically had stuck with him and he decided to distract his brain from it with a visit to the local pub.

 As always John insisted on tagging along claiming it was “To help him home” afterwards when they both knew full well who was more likely to get passed out drunk. Predictably the night had proceeded with some banter well Hancock sporadically got side tracked by challenging other patrons to drinking games. 

It was during one of these ventures that ended in Hancock roughed up, bruised with a bloody nose followed by getting kicked out of the bar. 

“...You know I’m pretty used to you getting into a tussle or two- But usually it has a reason. Care to tell me why you tried to knock the daylights out of a stranger?” Valentine prompted, raising an eyebrow.

His response was simply an annoyed groan as he wiped blood from his mouth, “Can we just take a fuckin’ bus or something- its too damn cold and I think the cunt fractured my knee…”

Ignoring it then, alright…

“Think they might call the cops if they see you like this, Really don’t need to end the night in the drunk tank with Danse starting us down like a bunch of roaches. Sides we’re almost home.” Nick said tiredly before carefully taking on more of John’s weight to keep him off his bad leg. 

---

“Sign up now and prepare for the futu-”

The television was promptly turned off leaving the only sound in the room, the gentle buzz of the coffee maker, and a snort of irritation from Hancock as he laid flopped over on the couch.

 Nick had just finished tending to his injuries and left him in the kitchen, well he prepared something to combat the inevitable hangover.

“Can’t tell you how sick I am of seeing vault tecs trash everywhere. Like hiding away in a hole in the ground is an amazing alternative and not a slower, more boring death.” He shuffled through the endtable’s drawer before pulling out a thin can of mentats- only to have it promptly snatched away by Nick and replaced with a warm coffee.

“Really looking to just lose every last bit of grey matter you have left tonight aren't you?” The detective chided as he sat next to him, paying no mind to the glare he received before John reluctantly sipped his drink.

After a moment of silence he spoke up again, “...Are you ready to talk about it?”  He asked slowly. “It isn’t like you to pick fights with folks who didn’t earn it.” “He did.”  Came the sharp reply before being cut off by an irritatingly loud slurp as he chugged the rest of the coffee. “Piece of shit- he was talking a load of garbage about you.” John muttered quietly, indignation clear in his tone. “About Winters and...Jen…”

At the mention of his long passed fiance, Nick felt his heart drop into his stomach. A familiar emptiness that came anytime her and the bastard that took her away were brought back to the forefront of his mind. 

John avoided eye contact, gripping the coffee cup with such force it was a wonder it didn’t shatter. “...He went on and on about how you must’ve been so traumatized by everything to have taken up with some street rat druggie. I can deal with that type of shit towards me- it's basically my entire life but using...everything you went through as some petty fucking insult- You don’t deserve that.” 

Nick started to say something before cutting himself off, his half hungover brain trying to process everything he’d said. 

Thanks to the high publicity of the Eddie Winters case, he’d become well known within diamond city. 

Though he took the high road and ignored it, he knew how much people loved to talk about him. About the broken man who’d lost everything trying to catch Winters only for him to get away scot-free. 

It’d been several years since all of this transpired but the moment he was found to be in a relationship with Mayor Mcdonough’s brother- everyone of course started to talk again. 

A stoic old private eye who lost to a crime boss, taking up with a drugged up vigilante was far too ironic for the public to resist. It baffled him how much free time the tabloids had to waste on him, exploiting the tragedy of his past and ‘scandal’ of his present.  

 Hancock had a way of hiding how much things bothered him. Most who were unfamiliar with him would say he was an overly confident arrogant jackass. And well there was a certain truth to that, those who knew him better would find that it was a façade. 

Nick could see it slipping out right now. The brash part of him that was quick to fight a judgmental prick fading away, revealing the hurt man underneath. The part of him that became tough because life didn’t give him any other choice. The part that needed him right now.

Unsure of what to say, Val reached over and pulled him into a tight hug that seemed to have caught him by surprise. 

“...You know I don’t give a damn about what anyone else thinks right?” John tensed up before relaxing in his embrace, nuzzling tiredly into his shoulder. “I know...It's just- Feel like I’m makin’ life harder for you. You’ve already gotten more than your fair share of bullshit from the world.”

“Doll they can talk all they want. I’m lucky to have you, Mayhem n’ all~ ” Nick couldn’t help a faint smile when Hancock’s hold on him tightened followed by a snort as he peeked up. “Ya need to give yourself more credit, you’ve been the best thing to happen to me in a long time…” 

“You’re real fuckin’ cheesy you know that?” John teased planting a soft kiss on his neck, “Do me a favor and take me to bed already, I need to sleep for at least the next year. That asshole was a shit fighter but he did manage to get a few decent bruises in on my legs.” He insisted, letting himself fall over into Nick's arms. “Think you just might be lookin’ for an excuse to not walk a few feet.” With a tired chuckle, Nick lifted Hancock up with what seemed like no effort at all.

“Ya know you’re surprisingly strong for being such an old fuck~” 

“Mm, think it might have more to do with you having the body weight of a starving cat, but that's just an educated guess.. “ 

[lvllns]

wip wednesday!!

okay i got tagged by @solasan and @impossible-rat-babies for wip wednesday and @native-mason for lil tidbit tuesday which is fuckin adorable and @wayhavn tagged me in wip wednesday last week and i think that’s everyone thank u all so much ily all, you have brought this upon yourselves uwu

i think everyone has been tagged at this point i can’t remember brain fried but here. enjoy some lightly spicy kincaid and felix.

—

Felix laughs again, bright and happy. “Oh yeah, babe, talk dirty to me.”

Fingers on the button of his jeans, Kincaid pauses. Swallows. The silence settles between them and he hears Felix fidget, the noise of the blankets loud through the phone. “You want me to?”

“What?” Felix squeaks, voice cracking before he clears his throat.

“Felix.” Kincaid kicks his jeans off. Drops his voice and says, “Darlin’, do you want me to? Do you want me to talk to you while you jerk off?” There’s a long, shuddering exhale through the line, but Felix doesn’t say anything. “You wanna touch yourself while I talk you through it?”

“Yeah,” the softest whisper and then, louder, “Yes, Cade, please.”

He smiles, adjusting the phone in his hand. “There we go, don’t quiet yourself down, I wanna hear every noise you make, baby.” Felix whines. “Strip, sweetheart.”

Quiet laughter, soft and distorted, barely covering the sounds of Felix moving around. Clothes hit the floor in rapid succession while he mutters under his breath, far enough away from his phone that the words are too fuzzy to make out. Kincaid fights back a grin, his free hand reaching down to toy with the gold bars pierced through his nipples.

“You seem like you’re in a hurry,” he whispers, making sure to keep his voice low and rough.

Felix scoffs. “‘Course I am.” He makes a sound as he falls back onto his bed with a thump. “Um. What…?”

Kincaid makes a soothing sound, something gentle. “What do you want Fee? Instructions? Rambling dirty talk? Tell me what you need.” He’s more than a little breathless by the end, the hand on his chest restless as it sweeps over freckled skin and hair.

“What I need is your hand but dirty talk will work for now,” Felix says with a dramatic sigh.

It’s only through sheer will that Kincaid doesn’t snort and ruin the moment. Instead he hums. Lets his legs fall open a little as he gets comfortable. “Really thought you were gonna say you want my mouth.” A choked noise through the phone. “I know I wish I was with you so I could get my mouth on you,” he says as he slides the hand at his chest down his stomach, thumb flicking at the waistband of his briefs. “There’s this spot, right over your ribs on your left side. Every time I scrape my teeth over it, you shake, and it drives me fuckin’ wild Felix.”

Felix whines, the sound sharp against Kincaid’s ear. He stops his hand from going any further, fingertips resting so close to where he needs them, just a little bit more…

He lets out a breath, long and slow.

[artificialqueens]

Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, 12 (Branjie) (and background everyone) - Ortega

a/n: HELLO i am so sorry that this took me so long :((((( but it’s here now! welcome to strictly au 12!! this isn’t the last chapter, there’s 2 more to come after this, but aaaah how mad that we’re almost coming to an end!!! hope u all enjoy this chapter, it’s MUSICALS WEEK!  

fic summary: Strictly Come Dancing enters its 18th series and its producers, after being goaded by a rival dance show on its inclusivity, commission it to be an all-female cast. Unlike Akeria who’s just here to bone her potential dance partner, dancer Vanessa is ready to act like a professional.

And then TV presenter Brooke Lynn walks into the rehearsal room.

***

27th November, 2020

The bursting open of the rehearsal room door makes Vanessa jump, her head jolting off its position on Brooke’s shoulder from where they’re both slumped against the mirrored wall, having glugged the contents of their water bottles after a full run of this week’s dance. Her racing and paranoid heart, however, relaxes instantly when Monique and Monet strut obnoxiously into the room.

“Hey hey hey!” Monique greets them both, way too fresh and bouncy and cheery for Vanessa’s exhausted self.

“What’s with the fuckin’ SWAT team entrance? You the sex police now, is that what this is?” Vanessa deadpans, and Monet gives a chuckle as she loops an arm around Monique’s and makes her go all shy.

“It’s not Strictly Cum Dancing,” she sticks her tongue out, and as Brooke splutters Vanessa snorts.

“Strictly Come Boning,” Monique chips in. Vanessa can feel Brooke narrowing her eyes beside her.

“Your girlfriend’s was better,” she retorts, and Vanessa watches as the two of them visibly baulk. She digs Brooke very firmly and squarely in the ribs, realising a little too late that that was probably entirely too visible. They���ve not had that conversation yet. Neither have her and Brooke. That’s okay though. They’re focusing on the competition. It’s not like the only thing Vanessa wants with every iota of her being is to call Brooke officially hers.

“What’d you two come to bug us about anyhow?” she not so much segues but handbrake turns, steering the conversation off the cliff Brooke’s hanging the metaphorical car off of.

“You eaten?” Monique asks with a shrug. “Me n’ Mo were gonna go try that new Mexican that opened up round the corner. You know, where the old burger place used to be?”

“Well anything’ll be a step up from gettin’ shut down by environmental health.”

“Shit, what happened?” Brooke’s face contorts in horror. Her eyes open up all wide, eyebrows fly up to her hairline. Every expression she pulls suits her, makes her look even more adorable than usual. Even when she’s sad, though Vanessa would do everything in her power to stop Brooke from ever feeling that way ever again.

“Lil’ rat shits through the plastic cheese slices. Shame, ‘cause their chilli cheese fries were awesome,” Monique pouts, and Monet fixes her with a quizzical eyebrow.

“You’d really risk getting bubonic plague for a basket of damn fries?”

Monique looks incredulously at her. “Babe, you never ate them. You don’t know what you missed out on.”

“Much as I’m heartbroken that I too won’t get to taste food seasoned with rat shit anytime soon, no, we’ve not eaten. And I’m quite hungry, so I’m down to grab food,” Brooke interjects, before they can entertain this conversational topic any further.

So they end up all leaving for lunch together- the shared and mutual understanding between the four of them that they all want to hold their girls’ hand, or curl their pinkies together, or slide an arm around their waist unspoken and yet deafening. It’s nice to get out of the studio for a bit, though. She and Brooke have been putting so much effort into their dance this week- a Waltz- and they both want it to be perfect.

“Just like you,” Brooke had said, before tapping Vanessa gently on the nose and setting off a spark in her stomach.

They reach the restaurant and all crush round formica tables on chairs with wobbly legs and gossip and chat and vent. It’s nice to see Brooke and Monet getting along so well- Vanessa knows Brooke was close with Yvie and now she only really has Jackie as her other celebrity friend in the competition, so it’s nice to see the beginnings of a friendship blossom between her and Monet. As she listens to Monet and Monique bicker about their choreography this week Vanessa secretly keeps her eyes on Brooke, catching little moments that she knows Brooke won’t even remember but Vanessa will secretly treasure; the way Brooke brings both hands up to hide her teeth when she laughs, the way her eyebrows draw together minutely when she’s concentrating on whoever’s speaking, the way she picks up each of the nachos she’s ordered delicately with her thumb and index finger leaving the rest to fan out into the air like a bird’s wings.

Vanessa feels as if she’s been living a dream all week. She’s nervous, because she knows there’s only an amount of time until she wakes up from it. Knowing Brooke likes her back and getting to share little moments with her is like the feeling of being wrapped in a cosy duvet- safe, secure and calm, and it seems like everything is too good to be true. She’s trying to enjoy their time together though, really drinking in every moment just in case it’s ripped away from her at any time.

As if she’s able to read her mind, Monique points at her and furrows her brow. “So who d’you think’s going home tomorrow?”

Vanessa flinches, because she hasn’t thought about it. Doesn’t want to think about it. Despite their high scores last week Vanessa knows that out of the five of them that’re left, it’s the other couples that the judges seem to favour. She knows how heavily she and Brooke rely on their fans to get them through (they’ve done two Insta lives this week as a thank you) and how it’s been a few times that they haven’t got the scores they’ve deserved.

So she swallows the nerves that Monique’s question has triggered and shrugs, pokes her tongue out at her friend. “You, with any luck. Won’t have to listen to you bang on about how hot you think Monet is all the damn time.”

Monique almost chokes on her burrito and Brooke and Monet roar a laugh. When she collects herself, she’s pointing an accusatory finger Vanessa’s way.

“Well screw you, bitch! I hope you break a leg for real,” she jokes at her, and Vanessa smiles smugly back at her in response.

“It’ll be Gigi and Jackie in the bottom, leaving us, Akeira and Asia sailing through to the semis,” Monet nods her head, convinced. Vanessa wishes she had the same levels of confidence. “You three are the most talented pros, it makes sense.”

“Aw! Thanks baby boo,” Monique smiles at her, charmed. Monet cocks an eyebrow at her.

“You, barely. You’re there by the skin of your teeth. Akeria’s Mutya, Vanjie’s Keisha. You’re Heidi Range.”

Vanessa and Brooke burst out laughing at Monet’s niche Sugababes reference, and Monique yelps in protest beside her. As talk turns to girlbands, the thought of elimination is forgotten for now.  

That is, until lunch is over and Vanessa and Brooke are arriving back in the studio, and Vanessa lets out a nervous sigh which Brooke quickly picks up on.

“Hey,” her forehead wrinkles, crossing over to take both of Vanessa’s hands. Brooke’s are cold from the icy air outside but the gesture still manages to make Vanessa feel a little warmer, a little slice of July on a November day. “Talk. Speak.”

Vanessa lets out a soft chuckle at Brooke’s orders and as she looks up and meets her kind eyes, she lets her worries out. “I’m just rattled. Mo got me thinkin’…we really are gettin’ down to the wire now, an’ everyone left is so talented. What happens if we gotta dance again tomorrow?”

“Then everyone gets treated to the best Waltz that’s ever graced Elstree two times instead of once,” Brooke shoots back instantly, making the knot in Vanessa’s stomach begin to unravel. “If fact I think all our fans are going to vote for other people just so they can see it done twice.”

“God, don’t say that,” Vanessa shakes her head and half-groans, half-laughs. She sinks her body against Brooke’s, wraps her arms around her waist and lets out a shaky exhale. “I’m never nervous when I dance, but I’m gonna be nervous this time, you know? I just don’t want to let you down.”

Brooke splutters a disbelieving laugh. “A world Latin champion is telling her TV presenter partner that she doesn’t want to let her down. We are truly through the looking glass.”

“Shut up,” Vanessa mutters against Brooke’s chest, looking up at her and seeing the little twinkle in her eye that flips her stomach.

“Make me.”

Vanessa rolls her eyes at her before leaning in and meeting her lips in a soft kiss, Brooke greedily deepening it after a few seconds and pressing their bodies close. Vanessa feels a pleasant wave of heat wash over her and, as she slides her arms round to rest on Brooke’s hips, she’s reminded about their morning in Blackpool, something she’s thought about constantly since it happened. They haven’t had a round two since, they’ve both been too focused on wanting to do well. Still…maybe they need a way to let off steam, and Vanessa’s beginning to wonder if all the hassle she’s given Monique over hooking up in the rehearsal room has been justified given how much she’d risk getting walked in on by a camera crew for Brooke’s tongue to be back between her legs-

And then Brooke breaks away, strokes her cheek with her thumb from where her hand’s cupping her jaw and winks at her. “Kissing’s not going to get us those tens, sweetie. Let’s get to work.”

So, obediently and only somewhat reluctantly, Vanessa rehearses. Their dance means a lot to her this week, even though it’s musicals week and they aren’t really her thing. She’s never seen Waitress- she’s not seen many musicals- but Jan, self-confessed queen of musicals week had a playlist on the speakers last year and a song in particular had come on which prompted Vanessa to ask for its name. It reminds her of her, little Vanessa starting out at dance school thousands of miles away from the rest of her family, and her Mama who’s always supported her through everything she’s ever done. And now it reminds her of Brooke, too. All the good things in her life and all the dreams that have somehow managed to come true. She knows that full marks are the highest they can get, but she still wants more. The pressure she’s heaping on herself is crushing, but it’s good because it helps her concentrate. She wants to do her best for Brooke. She cares about her so much that she finds it a little bit dangerous.

Saturday rolls around in mere hours, and the day passes as a blur. Vanessa bites the skin around her nails so much that she bleeds and Brooke chastises her, goes to find plasters from the medics. She’s so nervous that she can’t even enjoy roasting Monique and Monet about the fact they’re dressed entirely as nuns (a Charleston to Sunday Morning Fever) or find hope in the fact that Gigi’s hands are shaking as she practises her hand jive with Crystal. She moves through the pro dance in a daze, not even the fact that it’s all being broadcast live affecting her. The pro dance is simply an inconvenience, something she needs to get through before the main event.

And then, thank God, they’re dancing first. She doesn’t need to wait too long before they’re both sitting on their set- the countertop of a diner, soft blue lights illuminating the studio- and finally, the commentator’s voice can be heard overhead.

“Dancing the Waltz…Brooke Lynn Hytes and Vanessa Mateo!”

Vanessa already feels emotional as the guitar strums out through the studio, filling the silent room with its warm sounds as Vanessa rolls her neck one way then the other, catching Brooke’s eyes.

“Sugar…sugar, butter…flour…”

Resting a palm against the blue countertop, Vanessa presses against the flecks of glitter that have been sprinkled there by the prop department and brings her arm softly over her head, letting the sparkling silver flecks scatter over her as Brooke mirrors her movements too. They do the same with the other arm; soft, slow movements that Vanessa takes her time over because this dance is precious to her and she doesn’t ever really want it to be over. Vanessa looks at Brooke and they share a smile, blowing a handful of glitter at each others’ faces just like they’d practised in rehearsal over and over.

“Sometimes I still see her…my mother, the dreamer…she’d say nothing’s impossible, child…”

Brooke lowers herself off the counter, picks Vanessa up on the last beat with her strong arms holding her waist. Vanessa pushes down on Brooke’s shoulders to elongate her frame as Brooke spins her around, then gently deposits her on her feet. Their foreheads are pressed together as Vanessa takes Brooke’s hand and they end up in hold; one elbow bent, the other slightly extended out in front of them as they hold hands. Brooke keeps her other hand on her back and Vanessa rests hers on Brooke’s forearm as they move across the ballroom.

“A dream needs believing…to taste like the real thing…like some stranger you recognize…”

The movements come to naturally to them both, their feet meeting and stepping in the classic 1-2-3, 1-2-3 style, and Vanessa’s sad she can’t turn and face Brooke, can’t look her in the eyes with adoration like she wants to on that last line because it’s crazy; this BBC One presenter that started out as some cute girl that flirted with her on the induction day has become someone Vanessa cherishes and cares for so much, and all from the fact fate put them together to dance as part of a TV show.

“So pure…so pure, so electric, so sure…so sure, so connected…”

They both extend out from each other then Brooke twirls Vanessa across to the other side of her, the little skater skirt on her diner costume kicking out into a perfect circle. They then do the same again- out, in, twirl across, swaying together like calm waters.

“To those little believers inside…”

As Vanessa meets Brooke and their bodies end up pressed together, she extends her leg up in a long, slow kick and keeps her other leg steady as she balances on the ball of her foot. Brooke walks her round with her arm around her waist, and their eye contact has a level of depth Vanessa’s not sure she’s shared with anyone she’s ever danced with before. There’s something more to it- this is more than a routine, it’s Vanessa expressing everything that Brooke makes her feel because at this point she’s Vanessa’s dream, her dream come true.

“May we all be…so lucky…”

Back into hold again, and the pair of them cross the floor in the same 1-2-3, 1-2-3 that they’ve practised so many times now. Vanessa wants to rest her head against Brooke’s shoulder, throw all tradition to one side if only to be closer to her for a little moment.

“But dreams are elusive…”

Vanessa twirls from hold to rest her hands on Brooke’s hips, and Brooke places her hands on her back as she spins Vanessa around in her arms, her feet working overtime as Vanessa extends her legs and points her toes.

“The kind we’ve gotten used to is nothing I can feel, nothing I can hold, nothing I can have, nothing that I know…”

They come to a stop; both facing forward, with Brooke’s arms around Vanessa’s shoulders and Vanessa gently holding her hands as Brooke pulls away, stepping back (two, three), back (two, three) away from her, and Vanessa finds herself involuntarily tearing up because even though it’s just a dance, for Christ’s sake, it still hits too close to home; that feeling of Brooke leaving, the thought of whatever it is they have fizzling out once the competition is over being just too painful to even contemplate.

“Dreams come and they…go…”

Vanessa whips around and runs to Brooke, jumping to her and wrapping her legs around her waist and her arms around her back as Brooke spins her around again.

“But hold them and keep them…and know that you need them…”

Back into waltz hold, and at this point Vanessa is unsure how she can see with the tears misting up her vision, lucky she’s not needed to look at her feet to dance since very probably 2008. Just like it had done in the dress rehearsal there’s silver confetti and glitter raining down upon them, and Vanessa wants to bottle how she feels right now, this equilibrium of nostalgia and sorrow and happiness.

“When your breaking point’s all that you have…a dream is a soft place to land.”

They walk slowly and carefully over to the diner counter they began their dance on, swinging their entwined hands in time to the strum of the guitar. Brooke reaches the counter and sweeps the rest of the glitter away with a perfectly straight arm, clearing the surface before she pushes onto it and hoists herself back up with pointed feet.

“May we all be…so lucky…”

Vanessa joins Brooke sitting on the countertop and they finish with Vanessa resting one hand on top of Brooke’s and bringing the other up to cup her jaw gently, pressing their foreheads together again and reminding Vanessa all too much of kissing her. She wants to so much, but she settles for bringing her lips as close as she can to Brooke’s without touching as they both close their eyes.

“Sugar, butter…flour.”

When Vanessa’s eyes open, they’re filled with tears. Brooke’s green ones are the same, and Vanessa lets out a laugh of relief as the audience’s cheers fill the air. They both did the dance justice, and they did themselves proud. As they hop off the countertop and hold each other in a tight hug Vanessa tells Brooke as much, and Brooke nuzzles her head in the crook of her neck kissing her once, twice, three times.

Michelle calls them over excitedly and interviews Brooke. All the while Vanessa can feel her heart going like a freight train, so full of affection and pride for Brooke but so full of anticipation and nerves for what the judges will say. And as Michelle comes to Bianca first, Vanessa holds her breath.

Bianca moves her papers around on her desk, and if Vanessa had been in a chair she’d be on the edge of it. Bianca pauses, looks up, finally opens her mouth to speak. “Well that, I thought, was beautiful.”

Vanessa flinches as Brooke punches the air beside her, then brings her arm round to wrap around Vanessa’s waist in an excited hug. Vanessa is bouncing on the balls of her feet in happiness. Is it too much to hope for another forty a week after their first one?

“Your timing was excellent, the emotional connection you both have is just unparalleled, everything was just so very clean and beautiful. Unfortunately…”

The audience starts booing in anticipation of Bianca’s next comments, and Vanessa’s heart sinks.

“…I can’t give you a perfect score for this Waltz, because there were a lot of Contemporary elements in there. They were beautiful, and I did love the dance! But sadly, not really a pure Waltz. But you should still be very proud of yourself, Brooke Lynn, well done.”

Vanessa tried to make the smile on her face seem genuine as the audience clapped Bianca’s comments and the spotlight moved to Shangela.

“Yeah, um…” Shangela began, her face set in a frown of concern which made Vanessa’s guts twist. There was a pause as she looked down at her desk, then back up at Brooke. “I mean, Brooke Lynn, you know I love you, girl, and there’s absolutely no denying that dance was gorgeous…however…”

The audience begin booing again as if they’re at a pantomime, and Vanessa can feel all the perfect little pieces of choreography she’d spent so much time on and worked so hard on slowly crumble to dust.

“…as Bianca said, it’s a hard one to judge because you know I love my Ballroom, and that wasn’t…really…a Waltz? But whatever it was, it was very beautiful. I just hope that it doesn’t put you in a precarious position tonight.”

And with that comment, Vanessa’s whole world freezes over.

Worry consumes her. She can hear Kennedy and Laganja speak, see their lips move, hear the audience laugh at some joke Laganja makes, but nothing registers in her brain. Shangela’s last sentence just repeats on a loop in her head. It doesn’t stop as she and Brooke make their way up to the Divinatorium, as they’re interviewed by Divina, and as the camera pans to the judges. Vanessa feels sick as Bianca holds up her paddle.

“Nine!”

Shangela holds up hers. “Eight!”

“Nine!” Kennedy smiles.

“Nina!” Laganja agrees.

Thirty five. They’ve dropped five marks since last week, and it’s nowhere near what they should be scoring at this stage of the competition.

Vanessa is frightened.

Brooke is smiling at the scores but by the way her grip tightens around Vanessa’s waist she can tell something is wrong, and by the time they get backstage Vanessa can barely hold back the tears that are dotting her lower lashes.

“Woah, woah,” Brooke stops her, takes both her hands and steps close to her as Vanessa sniffs uncontrollably. “It’s okay, baby. It’s going to be okay.”

“I’m sorry,” Vanessa whispers out, heartbroken. “I should’ve just kept it to a normal Waltz…if we have to dance again it’ll be all my fault…”

“Hey. Listen to me,” Brooke says sternly, dropping one of Vanessa’s hands to point at her. “What did I tell you in Blackpool?”

Vanessa, even though she’s upset and scared, can’t help the little twinkle that leaps into her eyes. “You told me a lot of things in Blackpool, ‘specially in that hotel room.”

“Christ, stop talking. I’m trying to be serious here,” Brooke exhales a laugh, looking at the floor bashfully. “Before we danced and you got nervous. I said that this isn’t about the competition for me anymore. It’s about getting to dance with you and see you every day. I meant that, ‘Ness. If we have to do that dance again, then we go out and we have the best time doing it, especially if it could be our last time. I don’t want you being upset. You know if you start crying it’s only a matter of time before I join you.”

Vanessa sniffs, wipes at her tears delicately with one finger. “I guess part of me is so sad because…if we get knocked out then I don’t get to see you every day any more. You’ll go back to bein’ busy at work, an’ I’ll still have pro rehearsals…we’ll just fall out of touch and drift apart.”

“Excuse me? Who the hell says?!” Brooke laughs in incredulity, and her outrage makes Vanessa’s spirits lift a little. “You can’t get rid of me that easily. God, Vanessa, I care about you so much. If you think all this is for me is just a random hookup while I learn to fucking two-step then you’re so far from the truth.”

Vanessa’s heart gives a flutter and a huge thud which sets her pulse off racing. She wants to ask Brooke what the truth is for her, what she means by all this, but there’s already too much happening tonight and Christ, if there’s ever a time that she needs to focus on the competition, it’s probably now. So instead she looks up at Brooke from under her lashes, composes herself and smiles softly at her.

“That’s not at all what this is for me either.”

Brooke squeezes her hands, smiles back at her gently. “Well. Good.”

Then, darting her eyes up and down the corridor, she leans in and plants a soft kiss to Vanessa’s forehead. Vanessa closes her eyes and smiles, until she opens them and sees Brooke recoiling in horror.

“Fuck. I forgot I was wearing lipstick.”

Vanessa splutters a laugh, rubs furiously at her forehead and inspects the heel of her hand where there’s a bright red smudge as if she’s squashed an insect.

“Dummy. Guess we better get ourselves to makeup.”

It’s easy to forget about the prospect of the dance off when she’s mucking around in makeup with the girls and Brooke, or when she’s watching the other girls dance in the Divinatorium, or when she’s performing her second pro dance to be broadcast on Sunday’s results show. But when the couples all gather on stage again to stand under their single spotlights and the results are imminent, well. It’s frankly impossible for Vanessa’s heart to stop racing, for her mouth to be any more dry, for her stomach to stop flipping over and over and over again as if it’s on a wash and dry cycle. Michelle opens her mouth and Vanessa’s nerves shoot through the roof.

“Couples, I can now reveal who is going through to the semi-finals…and who will be dancing to stay in the competition another week.”

The studio lights go down and envelop everything their spotlight doesn’t touch in shadows, and Vanessa immediately feels as if she’s five years old and scared of the dark all over again. She’s got one hand around Brooke’s waist and the other holding the hand Brooke’s slung over her shoulder, and she can feel both their palms slick with sweat as Brooke grips her hand tightly.

“The first couple safe and through to the semi-final is…”

The drum beat rings out into Elstree, and it is as if time stands still. Vanessa feels as if she’s frozen, her fate hanging in the balance of a presenter and an earpiece.

Dum-tsh-tsh, dum-tsh-tsh, dum-tsh-tsh…

“Gigi and Crystal!”

Vanessa’s heart plummets as she claps and smiles tightly. She’s happy for Crystal. She’s happy for her friend. Of course she was going to get this far, she’s one of the best pros in the competition. But this means that now there’s less chance of Vanessa, Akeria and Monique all being in the semis together. Vanessa tries to take a deep breath but it comes in all shaky and paper-thin instead.

“The next couple safe and with a place in the semi-finals is…”

She feels Brooke take her arm and squeeze it. It’s the action that reassures her that she hasn’t, in fact, gone numb. Vanessa feels as if she’s disconnected from her body, floating high above it like she’s on morphine. If this place goes to Jan and Jackie, it means the three of them won’t get to keep going together. And that’s a horrible thought.

“…Jan and Jackie!”

As Jan screams in delight and jumps up and down on the steps, Vanessa wants to scream for a very different reason. She looks over at Monet and Monique as she claps, her gaze meeting Monique’s in a similarly mournful expression.

Love you, Vanessa mouths. Monique says it back.

“Okay, Akeria and Asia…Monet and Monique…Brooke Lynn and Vanessa. That means there is only one guaranteed place left in the semi finals. I’m now going to say the name of the couple earning that place, and the remaining two will be dancing for survival. The last couple through to next week…is…”

Dum-tsh-tsh, dum-tsh-tsh, dum-tsh-tsh. Vanessa feels herself tremble in her character shoes. She can feel Brooke gripping her hand with such intensity and perhaps it would’ve hurt if her whole body wasn’t completely filled with adrenaline, anticipation, hope and fear. Vanessa can hear the minute catch in Michelle’s throat as she goes to speak and every muscle in her body tenses up.

“Monet and Monique!”

Fuck.

A lot happens at once. Their white spotlight suddenly flushes them in red, Vanessa feeling like Carrie on prom night. Monet and Monique wrap each other in a hug, the pair of them wearing very relieved but incredibly upset expressions. Vanessa can see tears begin to stream from Monique’s eyes. If she leans forward she can see Akeria looking at her with a grim smile, her body language resigned and deflated.

When Vanessa turns to look at Brooke, she has to take a deep breath to hold back her tears. Brooke instantly wraps her in a cuddle, whispers into her ear.

“It’s not over, babe…it’s not over, don’t worry…we can do this.”

Vanessa breaks away, nodding, and when she goes to hug Monique her friend only ends up sobbing harder. Vanessa knows how she must be feeling, because she’s feeling it too- it would’ve been so amazing to progress the whole way with her two friends all together, and now that one of them is guaranteed to be leaving it hurts badly.

“That means that Akeria and Asia…Brooke Lynn and Vanessa…I’m sorry, you four, but you will be facing the dance off.”

“No shit, Sherlock,” Vanessa mutters, hoping all too late that it isn’t picked up by her mic. From the fact that nobody’s given a cataclysmically horrified reaction, she can safely assume it wasn’t.

Michelle announces that Akeria and Asia will be dancing first. They were doing an Argentine Tango, and Vanessa knows how hard it is. She’s so torn. Part of her wants her friend to keep going, to win the whole thing on her behalf. The other part of her selfishly wants her and Brooke to stay in and knock them out, to progress and prove how amazing Brooke is. Not that she’s biased.

As Akeria and Asia take their positions on the dancefloor in their leather jackets and wet-look leggings, Brooke and Vanessa stand to the side, their fingers tangled together as they not so much hold hands but cling to each other. The music begins and so does the girls’ routine.

“This is weird…it’s weird…this is weird…super weird…”

Vanessa gives a bitter, mirthless chuckle. You got that right, song.

“What can we even improve on? Technique wise, we were fine. The judges just didn’t think it was a Waltz,” Brooke frowns at her side, whispering. Vanessa knows she has to put her professional hat on, look at it from a competitive perspective.

“So we gotta make sure we nail the sections in hold. And really amp up the emotion. Which’ll be easy, ‘cuz I feel like my heart’s about to break out of my ass.”

Brooke’s hands fly to her mouth as she covers up her snort of laughter. Vanessa smiles guiltily at her. After a second’s thought, she takes her hand again, gentler this time.

“But most of all…” Vanessa concedes, taking the first properly deep, calming breath she’s been able to manage as all of Brooke’s words from earlier run through her mind. “…we enjoy it. We make the most of it. ‘Cuz if it really is my last dance with you, then it better not be shit.”

Vanessa thinks she sees the shimmer of tears in Brooke’s eyes before she laughs and looks to the floor. “Okay. I promise. It won’t be shit.”

And as the audience clap, Vanessa realises it’s their turn at last. Michelle congratulates Akeria and Asia and wishes her and Brooke luck as they take to the floor and perch on the diner counter that a runner has hastily trundled on.

“Dancing for a place in the semi-finals, please welcome…Brooke Lynn and Vanessa!”

The guitar strums out again as Vanessa rolls her neck one way and then the other.

“Sugar…sugar, butter…flour…”

And their dance is as good the second time round. It’s better, and Vanessa feels more. She completes the entire dance on the precipice of tears, holding tightly to Brooke whenever there’s an opportunity because dreams come and they go, and Vanessa doesn’t want to let go. Brooke’s reassured her thousands of times how much she means to her, and it hits Vanessa with a startling clarity that that means more to her than any title, any competition, any trophy.

When their dance finishes and their foreheads press together, it takes everything in her power not to throw caution to the wind and kiss Brooke, try to communicate everything she feels without speaking, without anything a mic could pick up on. As they grip their hands tightly together and go to join Akeria and Asia in front of the judges’ table, Vanessa can only wrap an arm around Brooke’s waist and use her as an anchor.

“Akeria and Asia and Brooke Lynn and Vanessa have now done all they can. Judges, I’m now going to ask you for the name of the couple you wish to save and put through to next week’s semi final. In the event of a split decision, head judge Shangela, you will have the deciding vote. Good luck to both couples…this is it.”

There’s a pause as Michelle comes to the first judge. “Bianca, who do you want to see in next week’s semi final and why?”

Vanessa can only take a few short, tiny breaths as Bianca replies to Michelle. “I really loved the refreshing fusion of this particular dance, and I thought it was performed very, very well. So the couple I am saving is Brooke Lynn and Vanessa.”

Vanessa feels like deflating in shock. Brooke Lynn leans down to her ear, whispers a see! which she wants to believe with all her heart but there’s still three judges left to vote and she’s not getting complacent yet.

“Kennedy. Coming to you now, who would you like to save?”

Kennedy lets out a huge sigh, as if she’s the one whose future in the competition is being decided. “Honestly, I have to say…this decision gets harder every single week. It really does. You were both brilliant and I loved both performances…but I’m going to save Brooke Lynn and Vanessa.”

Another vote in their favour. Vanessa feels a little as if there’s a knife twisting in her stomach as she looks over at Akeria and Asia, the two girls hanging their heads sadly as they clap for the pair of them.

“Two votes for Brooke Lynn and Vanessa, that means that if Laganja votes to save them they will be going through to next week’s semi final. Laganja, coming to you now. Who would you like to save and why?”

Laganja sucks air in through her teeth. “It truly does get tougher every week, Michelle, but purely based on what I’ve just seen…I have to save Akeria and Asia.”

Vanessa’s heart plummets. She claps for her friend as the vote moves to Shangela, but her pulse is going entirely too fast and her hopes are raised so high and she holds her breath and she holds Brooke’s hand as Shangela begins to speak.

“Well as the others have said, this is a very difficult decision this week, and both dances were outstanding. But for me, it’s a matter of personal taste and I have to go with the couple I felt had the most content…I’m saving Akeria and Asia.”

And it’s done.

Their journey, just like that, is over.

Asia’s mouth is hanging open and Akeria’s hands fly to her face as Vanessa and Brooke clap for them. Vanessa is proud of her friend. She is, she’s not bitter, but she wishes with all her heart things could have been different. Her pulse slows to a gutted, disappointed decline as Michelle confirms what they already know- that she and Brooke Lynn are leaving the competition. Vanessa crosses over to the other couple and, as Brooke hugs Asia in congratulations, Vanessa clings to her friend and grips her in a tight hug.

“Fuck, V…I’m sorry, I’m so sorry-”

“Hey. Listen. You an’ Mo are doin’ this for me now too, okay? Go get that fuckin’ crown. You both deserve it so much,” Vanessa mutters back urgently, truly meaning it all. If neither of them win she’s not going to speak to them for a month. She’s kidding. Probably.

Michelle beckons them over as the audience claps and cheers for the pair of them. It’s the exact definition of bittersweet, and Vanessa presses a hand to the small of Brooke’s back as Brooke hugs Michelle with one arm.

“Brooke Lynn, you have been amazing…look at the audience, all on their feet, the judges on their feet…have you enjoyed your time on the show?”

“Oh, goodness, to be here dancing every week…I’ve just truly, truly loved every minute, and I have to say thank you to everyone behind the scenes that makes this show happen, I have literally lived out a dream being here…and I have to thank my dance partner…c’mere-”

With that, Brooke breaks off, turns and hugs her, and Vanessa can feel the lump that’s already in her throat becoming impossible to ignore. She can’t cry; it’s Brooke’s moment, and she can’t take that away from her, but the opportunity to tell the nation how amazing she is overwhelming.

“You’ve been brilliant, and you got to dance with two pros! Not many Strictly stars can say that,” Michelle smiles at Brooke, and Vanessa almost forgets about Plastique. That whole scenario seems so long ago now, and it makes her want to laugh. Michelle casts a hand over to the monitor beside the camera, prompting them both to look. “Here are some of your best bits before you leave us.”

And they watch it all. Vanessa watches little sections of each dance they did intercut with Brooke talking about her own journey- how happy she was when she got partnered with her, how she opened the first show, how their breakthrough dance was Runaway Baby and how things only got better from there. How special Blackpool was (Vanessa gives her a little dig in the ribs in response to that). And then it shows the comments Vanessa has been asked to give about Brooke, where she’d basically just gushed at the camera.

“To me, Brooke Lynn is what Strictly is all about. I’m so proud of her and what she’s achieved…and I can’t put it into words how much I’ve loved being partnered with her. Next year’s partner is gonna have a hard time coming close.”

To finish, production has put a clip of them finishing their Waltz into the final clip of the video, and Brooke’s voice can be heard over it. “It’s been a dream come true doing Strictly…and it’s been a truly magical experience.”

As the clip ends, Michelle turns to them both and directs a question to her. “You’ve been an amazing partnership…Vanessa, what would you like to say to Brooke?”

There’s a beat of silence in which Brooke turns to look at her, and it’s happening- Vanessa can feel the tears burning her eyes. She takes a deep breath, takes both of Brooke’s hands tightly and sighs.

“Oh my God, so much. So much I wanna say…I’ve been sayin’ it all competition but I’m the luckiest girl in the world. I got somethin’ better than the glitterball…I got you, and you were the best,” Vanessa hears her voice crack, and the audience starts to clap and cheer in encouragement. When Vanessa looks back up at Brooke, she sees two black mascara tears running down each cheek. She can’t help but laugh nervously at how ridiculous they must look. “You’ll never know how amazing you made this experience for me…just by being you. So thank you so much. You’re incredible.”

With that she crashes her head against Brooke’s chest, throws her arms around her and tries to hold back the rest of her tears. She can hear Michelle beckoning them onto the dancefloor for one last dance and then reading out the information about next week’s show.

“I wish I could’ve taken you further,” Vanessa sniffs, shaking her head sadly. Brooke’s got a nostalgic sort of smile on her face as she breaks away from the hug and takes Vanessa’s elbow, leading her out onto the dancefloor.

“I wouldn’t change a single thing about any of this,” Brooke squeezes her arm, places both her hands on Vanessa’s hips as Vanessa slides hers around Brooke’s neck. Brooke’s face breaks into a bittersweet grin as she winks at her. “Okay, no more crying. It’s our last dance in Elstree, I don’t want to have to spend it trying to find you a tissue.”

Vanessa bursts out laughing at her joke. For the millionth time that evening, it occurs to her just how much she wants to kiss her in front of everybody.

Michelle announces their last dance and the pair of them begin to step as the music starts. When Vanessa realises what the song is, she throws her head back and laughs at the cheesiness of it all.

“We got a little world of our own, I’ll tell you things that no one else knows, I’ll let you in where no-one else goes…what am I doing without you…”

As the key change kicks in, Brooke picks Vanessa up and spins her around fast, Vanessa squealing happily as Brooke shows off by holding her with only one arm wrapped around her. She still feels safe, though. She always feels safe when she’s with Brooke. And even though their Strictly journey is over, she can’t help but feel excited for the new one they’re about to embark on together- navigating their feelings for each other after the show, which from the way Vanessa is feeling as Brooke smiles at her and looks into her eyes is dangerously close to something she once felt for a different dancer who broke her heart a little while ago.

[patchdotexe]

explorers of arvus: now what? / 2.2.21

LAST TIME ON EXPLORERS OF ARVUS: we kicked the shit out of a witch, a murdercow, and a tree, and nearly got murdered by a broom! also i exploded the tree, which was pretty fucking poggers. we also did have to hold taure down to feed her some healing elixirs but yknow

silje, meanwhile, was spaced the fuck out the entire time (bc of being a dmpc last time) and has no idea what just happened or that he commited gratiutous amounts of tree violence.

And Then We Slept For 24 Hours (we didnt)

thorne rolled a nat20 on drawing the tree blight on fire! which is EXTREMELY COOL. im glad we have a memorial of the coolest thing ive done on arvus so far (and also hopefully the fire wont spread bc it would suck if we set all of arvus on fire) oh nvm we're in a swamp so we good. hard to set things on fire in a swamp.

i swear im paying attention but green is talking about dreamout in 772 rn and has some very interesting theories about how the eggpire plot would go down so i am just. side-eyeing it. i am Looking. i swear im paying attention.

oh man i havent collected my notes from last session bc i was liveblogging in discord for nyx's benefit. that's gonna be interesting to compile.* i wonder if i should put these in gdocs instead of wordpad lmao (wait no i use wordpad bc its easier to just pop open and have layered over discord / roll20) * [ AND THEN I DIDNT DO THAT FOR LIKE 2 MONTHS ]

michael: ...burn the house down charlie: ~ we're gonna burn the whole house down! ~ thorne: [confused] how do you know that song? we dont have any bards charlie: [buffering] ...BITCH I MIGHT BE

what if i took a level in bard, would that be fucked up or what

tiny hut tiny hut tiny hut tiny hut. TINY HURT (sieron casted Leomund's Tiny Hut bc we burnt down the only nearby shelter)

lots of discussion about the hut. hut talk

thorne: sieron, why havent we been doing this? charlie: great question! hey sieron, what the fuck? sieron: i guess i just havent thought about it? charlie: you're lucky you're cute >:/ sieron: AA??

discussion of sieron's alter appearance and how its probably somewhat awkward bc thorne is just. openly a horc. unfortunately, sieron's hometown is super racist

HELLO I HAVE BEEN DISTRACTED BC RUBY DID A PANEL REDRAW FROM ASP AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA aa a a a a a

time for taure and thorne to chat on watch! frenship taure hasnt noticed her hair colour bc shes been busy doin stuff, like killin people taure misunderstands thorne asking abt her hair and thinks he has a tragic backstory of being a hairdresser before becoming a warlock DOES TAURE KNOW WHAT THE FEYWILD IS yes she does! war of the veils was a thing, where the feywild invaded the material plane and honestly i should read all the worldbuilding again bc its been forever but i thought all that was neat

oh shit thorne called taure a uhhhh eladrin? OH BOY TAURE ROLLED A 1 we're on the same page here TIME FOR THORNE INFODUMP eladrin are feywild elves! as in closely related to the fey, as well as living in the feywild. their hair changes with the seasons, like taure's does :O !! taure and thorne have not had a fucking one on one conversation before

thorne: taure. taure: yes, hello that is me i am taure [..] taure: now, counterpoint, the sun makes hair change colour-- thorne: Taure.

thorne is trying so hard i love they everyone else is sleeping through this convo so theyre spared the awkwardness but ooc we are having a great time :o eladrin hair colour changing stuff related to mood / seasons / powers?? thorne is admittedly confused bc Weird Documentation but this is really neat to hear about taure, meanwhile, has no idea why this is important.

thorne: if i had told you this, and you had-- transcended-- into your next phase-- id be very concerned taure: hold on [loud grunting] okay no

why havent we been doing tiny hut this whole time. sieron.

oh right taure has a tragic backstory and her mom ditched her as a babby. MEANWHILE, THORNE DOESNT EVEN HAVE PARENTS michael: there are two types of people in the world: those who're kidnapped as infants, and those that kidnap infants WAIT IS THIS LIKE, THE FIRST TIME ANYONES HEARD ABT THORNE'S BACKSTORY BESIDES "LIVED IN THE FEYWILD" thorne is very chill about it though. god i love thorne. i love the entire party

thorne: ...after the third or fourth prophetic vision, they all sorta blur together.

god i wish id written down more about the magical mystical adventure OH. THE ORACLE FORESHADOWED THE ELADRIN THING. NEAT thorne: oh, the oracle! is that the guy with the, uh... [snaps fingers] the gryphon fart orb?

IREL IS HERE YAY IREL i have forgotten how to spell their name. how about i split the difference and spell it Yirel. michael is rolling to see if thorne and taure woke yirel up-- OH OKAY yirel just. sleeps for fun. god i wish that were me

charlie's hair can hold many small pets of dubious sapience.

I LOVE YIREL,,, thorne is just pleasantly confused. WAIT IS YIREL PURRING yirel: you are confused by that action! :D taure: ...yes. what were you doing? yirel: i was performing magic! i can now detect your minds! i can hear your thoughts. :D OKAY SO YIREL WAS. NOT PURRING. yirel has cast Detect Thoughts on thorne. thorne's train of thought is now "???"

we need to teach the snake consent. we have now taught the snake consent.

YIREL IS GOING TO VERY POLITELY ASK THE BIG BAD IF HE CAN READ THEIR MIND its okay i love them. thorne is SO CONFUSED yirel is attempting to be helpful YIREL LITERALLY DISCOVERED THEY COULD CAST DETECT THOUGHTS SO THEY CASTED DETECT THOUGHTS. thorne is hoping yirel wont learn to cast fireball on themself. yirel: there's two timelines where that could happen. i will do my best to avoid them! :D

okay its really hard to get across in text but yirel is basically just. permanently happy/excited sounding. like a puppy! or like the ":D" face in winged snake form.

ooh, a celestial serpent location! off in the mistwall mountains. they are Extremely Dead but yirel told thorne+taure where it is on the map and said we can learn stuff abt time! and then went to sleep. goodnight yirel. i will kill for you

S. S. BIG BOAT (it is 60 miles across. big boat. thank you jorb)

WHAT IS WRONG WITH JORB'S CAMERA, WHY DOES IT KEEP ZOOMING IIIIIIIIIIN

it rained overnight so all the water that collected on the tiny hut got dumped on everyone, and THEN silje shook off like a dog and charlie is MISERABLE

SILJE GOT A NAT20 FORAGING the survival squad are gonna get the fuckin best breakfast ever

oh yea the poison / disease was stored in the tree blight! so now that we've incinerated it it's all good. still gonna take time for the whole river to clear, but with the source of it gone we should be golden. fuck yea

oh man today was hourly comics day, wasnt it. or was it feb 1? fuck shit damn uhhhhh i have done. nothing. besides work on the PMV, talk about dreamout, and now play d&d. this is unrelated to everything im just Thonkin

TIME FOR SWAMP FACTS solar knows So Much about swamps. time to discuss cattails (please no) these are cattails............. ME WANT BITE. ME WANT PLANT CORN DOG DELIGHT. ME WANT DEEP FRIED. ME THINK WATER TWINKIE NICE

oh shit thorne has spotted a ufo. yuufo time OMINOUS YUUFO silje, with an armful of frogs and a lizard in his mouth: [looks up] mrrp? poor silje cant see for shit. NEITHER CAN THORNE its either very small and close, or very big and far away

HRM. actually this MIGHT be related to the vision bc the ominous yuufo was heart-shaped, and the vision was of a necromancer on a floating bloody platform raising all kinds of undead

its been forever and i didnt take a lot of notes on the mini-session but the last time we saw the oracle was a cave on theral! so, unrelated to the place yirel marked on the map. which michael marked down as "seat of the oracle"!

TAURE THINK OF THE CHILDREN THAT WE DONT HAVE (we have yirel!) TAURE THINK OF THE CHILD THAT WE HAVE

ahoyhoyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy i wanna go to ahoyhoy. we are not currently going to ahoyhoy but maybe some day

i had to stop paying attention because buttons wanted to see my Horrible Streaming Setup and apparently something terrible has happened. also honse

we are potentially dealing with a salad katamari.

thorne: could that be what the object in the sky is? silje: ...a lettuce?

we have voted to ignore the salad katamari for now. this action will have consequences.

charlie and silje take watch! charlie wants to know what silje's deal is! silje is a monster hunter. charlie misses bein a thief ): SILJE WAS A MONSTER HUNTER SINCE HE WAS 12?? charlie realizes that perhaps becoming an adventurer and doing a huge amount of murder on a regular basis, especially as a child, is Maybe Not Great silje likes books! charlie offers to lend him her books :D charlie, quietly: i am totally doing the friendship thing so good. RATS RATS RATS RATS hehe rats.

uh oh, nyx has died. NVM NYX IS OKAY nyx's power has not gone out again

we've been on arvus for 13 days! neat.

OH SHIT FLOATING ISLAND its also shaped weirdly like a heart. YEP IT LOOKS LIKE ITS BLEEDING probably bc of clay or iron oxide in the dirt but still that looks ominous as hell SIERON'S A SMART BOY he rolled 20+ on the 3 rolls he had to do, fuck yeah. this fucked up island is an Earth Mote! which are lil sky islands. or like, just general dirt chunks thatre in the sky. theyre either natural events or wizards showing off! also they usually move, but this one is just kinda... tethered. not like Literally but its locked in place. this is apparently the "Heart of Arvus"! which is . at the heart of arvus. or at least the centre of the continent.

solar: leo, we've found the ruins of mumbo jumbo's base. leo: [leans over and thwaps solar on the leg w nerf sword]

penn: i swear to god, if i look out my window and i dont see jorb in the sky, im going to be disappointed that hes not doing his job. jorb: slowly rotating.

we are now thinking about how to get up on the rock. TINY HUT STAIRCASE solar: could i featherfall the wrong way? wand of wonder / wild magic surge! NOPE mage hand! charlie is 41 pounds. mage hand is 5 pounds limit. korred rope! we have enough rope to tie together and tie to the korred rope, BUT the korred rope cannot fly. OH THE ROCK IS INHABITED there's an elf!

sieron & taure: [worried about the necromancy] charlie: HOWDY~!

[party arguing about who's gonna go up bc not all of us can fit up there] [leo and solar start swordfighting in the background]

sent kaepora through the portal to the heart of arvus aaaaaand end of session! CLIFFHANGEERRRRRRR

michael: DID YOU FUCK MY MOM, DUNGEONMASTER?

[nightwingvixen23]

💋The Real Mob Wives Of Gotham City🍎

                                        Episode fucking 1 : 

 “Don’t smoke in my mutha fuckin house ya lil’ twink”

*door’s of Wayne Manor slamming open*

Selena : Who’s that ??

Tim : *appears* 

Jason : . . .

Talia : . .

Rose : ..

Dick : *loudly drinking wine*

Tim : check this out *showing off wedding ring* Kon and I made this official 

Dick : Oh my GAWD it’s delicious !

Jason : You little hoe’s wanna see a REAL rock ? BAM ! *slams hand down onto kitchen counter/glistening wedding ring stacked as fuck* choke on THAT bitches, eat your ******’ hearts out, get wet over it; you know I love that ****

Tim : ooooh. my. GAWD. JASON ! why is everything such a ******* competition with you !

Jason : nothin’s a competition here sweetie, I was just showin’ us all who’s husband really cares to spoil their wife here

Dick : *pouting into his wine glass*

Talia : *eyes rolled* this is honestly why I don’t like hanging out with you goomahs...

Rose: I’m over here, questioning why I even show up, because, why would I hang out with the man that my dad is ******* ?

Dick : ok let’s get one lil’ thing straight here hon, I am not just the man your dad is *******, we’re MARRIED and you are my DAUGHTER. We’re F A M I L Y

Tim : Can we go back to me please ?? Hellooooooo !! Like, I thought this was a safe place where I could *tearing up* share my ******* feelings and like *whiny voice* celebrate a milestone between me and my fiance with you all but I guess not

Jason : boo ******* hoo

Tim : I don’t need this. I’m done. it’s over

*ominous music playing*

Jason : such a princess. 

Tahlia : If Tim is a princess then what the hell does that make you Jason ?

Dick : Oh honey, don’t do this...

Talia : No no, *sits wine glass aside* I am going to do this. Everyone’s so afraid to stand up to him, I’m sick of it ! What are you, huh Jason ? Feelin like the big bad ass mob bitch just ‘cause you’re riding Roman’s **** ?

Rose : *mouth falling open dramtically*

Jason : Excuse you but um *laughter* I am the one with my thighs wrapped around his neck every night choking his ass halfway to Heaven so I ain’t no princess sweetie, I’m the mother ****** Queen 

Tim : god damn all this. I need a smoke *lights cigarette*

Selena : there’s no smokin’ in my house ya lil’ twink !

Tim : so you think just ‘cause you married my daddy that you can tell me what to do ? *puts cigarette between lips* screw off puttana

Selena :*fighting for the cigarette with Tim*

*ominous music getting more ominous*

*Gotham City Mob wives looking around frantically*

Dick: *pouring more wine*

*distant splash*

Dick : *distracted/wine splashing over wine glass*

Tim : *walking in from the outside patio/cigarette between his lips* Just pushed Selena into the ******* pool. Mommie Dearest isn’t gonna snag my cig

Bruce : *appears* you WHAT ?!

Tim : i drowned your kitty kat

Bruce : *rushing outside to the patio*

*mob wives gathering by the patio doors to watch Bruce strip shirtless and dive into the pool after a struggling Selena*

Jason : I don’t get it. Why do you have a pool if Selena can’t swim

Dick : it’s for looks obviously

Bruce : *helping a drenched Selena back into the manor*

Selena : *mascara dripping thick down her face*

Tim : you look like a drowned rat

Selena : get outta my house

Tim : *blows smoke ring into her face* make me

*cuts to solo interview with Dick* 

Dick : *puts fake phone to his ear* Hi, yes, 911 ?? I’d like to make a missing persons report because my little sweetheart Timmers has just been replaced with a bad bitch. Yes thank you *hangs up fake phone*

*cuts back to Selena drenching wet glaring at Tim*

Bruce : Put out the cigarette Timothy

Tim : but daddy, you smoke cigars all the time

Selena : And stop calling my husband daddy

Tim : He’s my father

Dick : He’s our father

Jason : we all call him daddy

Talia : quite the jealous little haugty that you’ve remarried Bruce *holds wine glass up* sorry I couldn’t attend the wedding, but *takes a drink* here’s my late toasting and congrats galletto 

Bruce : If there was one thing that I could have done differently on the day that I met you Talia, it was that I would have turned the hell away

Talia : . .

Dick : oop 👀

Tim : I’m outta cigs. Jay, run me up the street 

Jason : *wraps an arm around Tim* I’ve got you mimmo *walking by Selena and Bruce/twin glares*

Selena : Bruce, your son’s are toO MUCH FOR ME !

Dicks : The money sure ain’t

Rose : *eyeing the back of Dick’s head for his comment*

*cuts to solo interview with Rose*

Rose : okay. . . *deep breath*. . .but like. . . *long nails tapping*.  . . can someone just tell me why this homewrecking bitch is even talking ?? Liiiike....I’m just—I just—I’m so over this— *gets up/leaves interview*

*cuts back to Selena still drenching wet [someone get this woman a fuckin’ towel] stomping away from Bruce*

Selena : Not only is one son a tyrant from hell, but the other is an imp disguised as an angel, THIS ONE *snatches wine bottle from Dick* keeps drinking all of MY ******* WINE !! and don’t even get me started on D A M I A N 

Talia : oh no we can get ******* started *taking off earrings* what about my piccolo, go ahead, what about him 

Bruce : *coming between ex wife and current wife*

Talia : WHAT ABOUT HIM, don’t ******* talk about my lil’ cucciolo if you can’t back it up  with a fist !

Selena : *seething*

Dick : *snatches wine back* sorry but it ain’t your wine Mommie Dearest, it’s daddies wine

Bruce : Selena, how about going upstairs and taking a bath. I could use it too. calm down, cara

Selena : *sighing*. . .*leaving the kitchen*

Bruce : and just know this—

Selena : *stops*

Bruce : —my boys are my boys. they come first. you’re not to disrespect them again. Now, I’ll be up to join you shortly

Selena : *going off in spanish*

*run those fuckin’ ending credits yo. I don’t pay ya’ll shit but you signed up for this job, so if ya wanna c o m p l a i n  i’ll be in my office going down on a bottle of Hennessy bitches thx*

💋Up Next on :The Real Mob Wives of Gotham City. .🍎

Slade : *talking lowly with his Consigliere*

Dick : babe

Slade : *ignores Dick*

Dick : ...*unbuttons shirt/poses provocitively* ...hey, sexy ace; look

Slade : *no response*

Dick : ..

Slade : *talking to Consigliere*

Slade : You’re dismissed

Consigliere : *leaving*

Dick : *locks eyes with retreating Consigliere*

Dick : . . 

Dick :

[jungshookz]

drabble where jimin is very clingy and friendly and y/n is really quiet and grouchy but warms up to jimin? oof pls or not its all cool ily and ur work sm

→ pairing: park jimin x reader

→ genre: nonidol!au, college!au, jimin is bending over baCKWArds for u, brownies are the solution to every problem  

→ wordcount: 3k

→ note: thank u thank u!!!! i whipped this baby out in two hours because i got excited at the thought of grouchy y/n so if it’s a little choppy i apologize and ALSO i’m literally never getting over this gif of jimin 

(gif isn’t mine!)

jimin didn’t think it was possible for someone to be moRe quiet and grouchy than yoongi

but here you are

y/n y/l/n

physical proof that it is indeed possible for someone to be more quiet and grouchy than yoongi

it really is no wonder as to why you and yoongi get along so well (he’ll never admit that he’s a lil bit jealous of that fact)

the only difference between u and yoongi is that yoongi actually likes him

and

uh

he’s pretty sure you hate him which isn’t great

because jimin likes to be liked!!!!!!!! in fact he loVEs to be liked!!!!!! in fact HE WOULD KILL TO BE LIKED

teehee!

he’s most definitely a people person

you are not a people person

you don’t give a rat’s ass if someone doesn’t like you

that’s one less person to deal with biTch

you kinda just float around and do your own thing

you’re the complete opposite of jimin and usuaLLY he likes to stay away from people like you (no offence) ((and also yoongi is an exception))

..,.,so he can’t quite seem to figure out why he’s developed a teeny weeny little crush on you

“good morning, friends!” jimin chirps and plops down on the ground next to jungkook

you tilt your head up to roLL your eyes and resist the urge to get up and leave

“already?” yoongi snorts nudges your side with his elbow and you shrug in response before leaning back against your palms and crossing one ankle over the other

it’s not like you don’t like the guy

it’s just that you don’t like the guy

you don’t know what it is about him

maybe he’s too chipper for you

yeah

he talks too much

you fully support the notion that if there is a moment of silence it doesn’t always have to be filled up with bLabbing

silence is good

also he’s a try-hard

he seems to have a thing where he just neeDs evERyone to fall in love with him (which sounds exhausting to u)

evEryone who bumps into jimin immediately falls in love with him and you honestly?? don’t understand it

what’s so great about the guy?????

also his giggling is irritating and he does so much of it

not everything is funny

but to be fair you’re a pretty tough nut to crack

the last time you actually laughed was when jungkook tripped going up the stairs and his smoothie flew like ten feet up into the air and proceeded to splatter all over him ((you told him not to tell anyone this otherwise u would kick his ass but u ended up giving him your smoothie and u helped clean him up))

what else do you not like about jimin

the almost twinkly sound of his giggle 

how helpful and kind and caring and thoughtful and generous he is to everyone 

his pouty pillowy lips

his obviously dyed head of dirty blonde hair that always happens to be perfectly tousled and always looks so soft and silky and you would love to run your fingers through-

“y/n, you got any plans for the weekend?” jimin smiles brightly at you as he pulls his lunch out

you stare right back at him before raising an eyebrow and cocking your head to the side as if to say ‘do i fuckin look like i wanna tell u all about my weekend plans u nosy leech’

you shrug

jimin waits patiently for a response

and then it hits him that that was your response

taehyung clears his throat

“well if anyone wants to know about my weekend i’m going to go to this super cool flea market-“

“what do you have for lunch today, y/n? i-i have a sandwich! a turkey sandwich. do you like turkey sandwiches?” jimin tries again and taehyung lets out a quiet sigh before looking at the others like hEre we go again

“what’s not to like about a thin piece of meat in between two slices of white bread?” you respond cooly as you pluck at the grass

jimin buRsts into laughter before pointing a finger gun at you “good one! that was a good one!!”

jungkook winces and looks around to make sure no one else is observing this awkward exchange because yiKEs

“.,,.i don’t get the joke.” hoseok mumbles

jin shakes his head disappointedly “was that even a joke?? what was the punchline??”

namjoon presses his lips together before giving both jin and hobi a pat on the shoulder “.,.,.don’t worry bout it”

everyone knows about jimin’s crush on you

it’s not just limited to people in the group of course

everyone with working eyes knows about jimin’s crush on you

taehyung has tried many mAny times to tell jimin to just move on because it’s clear the romantic feelings aren’t being reciprocated and every time jimin opens his mouth to speak your eyes roll to the back of your head

you’re very nice once you warm up to someone and luckily taehyung has experienced that but he’s not sure if jimin is going to get the Nice Y/N package any time soon

he just doesn’t want jimin to get his heart broken that’s all 

“i don’t get it. what am i doing wrong??” jimin groans loudly and taehyung huffs because it’s obvious they’re not going to get through this movie tonight

he lowers the volume on the television before turning to glance at the other boy (who is currently screaming into a pillow) ((which is very hard to ignore)) 

“i’m telling you, bro - just give up. give uP!!!!!” taehyung snatches the pillow from jimin

jimin immediately pushes his bottom lip out in a pout “but-“

“she doesn’t like you. she doesn’t liKE YOU”

“you don’t know that!!!!!!”

“jimin, come on! we’ve had this conversation like a hundred times and each time you say you’re going to get over her and then the next day you pull a ‘heY y/N do u like turkey SandWiches’ stunT and i swear you fall even more in love when she flicks hair over her shoulder and glares at you in response-“

“what the heLL are you two talking about so loudly?” tae and jimin both turn when yoongi makes his way down the stairs

he lets out a yawn before stretching his arms out “i’m taking a nap and it would be greatly appreciated if you’d just-“

“hyung, get over here and help me make jimin realise that y/n doesn’t like him!” taehyung whines

yoongi furrows his brows

“…why would i help you with that?”

tae gawks at him

“wha- why noT-“

“because y/n likes him. a lot.” yoongi states as if it’s the most obvious thing in the entire world

wait

what

jimin squAwks

“SHE WHAT-“

yoongi immediately winces

maybe it was a bad idea to tell him that

“wait wait wAIT how do you know- like, did she tell you that she liked m- should i text her?? call her?????” jimin fumbles around for his phone and taehyung snatches it from him before he can do anything

“calm down, romeo.” yoongi snorts before taking a seat on the sofa chair and grabbing the remote  

“oh my god- he’s obviously fucking around with you, you dumbass.” taehyung scowls before glaring at yoongi “thanks a lot-“

“no, i’m serious!” yoongi raises his hands in defence “just don’t talk to her on monday and see what happens.”

“if i don’t talk to her then how will i-” jimin huffs and crosses his arms “whatever, tae’s right, you’re just fucking around with me-“

“no, i’m serious!!!!!” yoongi scoffs “don’t talk to her. see what happens.”

“don’t tell me you’re actually falling for this bullshit.” taehyung deadpans

he can see the gears click-click-clicking away in jimin’s little blonde head

jimin shifts in his spot and clears his throat “.,.it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try”

taehyung resists the urge to beat boTh jimin and yoongi to death with the throw pillow

monday rolls around pretty quickly

jimin is ready to taCKle the new week

but he’s also ready to tackle the new challenge of not talking to you and pretending as if you don’t exist

“good morning, everyone!” jimin greets brightly “how was your weekend…”

tae winces

o god

he’s already failed

“namjoon?”

oh

huh

okay

smooth sailings so far

you look up from your phone immediately

your brows knit together in confusion

it’s not that you care or anything but like

usually you’re the first person he talks to after he sits down

hm

whatever

it’s whatever

it’s not like you would’ve given him a good response anyway

“uh, it was alright! i didn’t do that much… how was your-“

“it was good! tae and i watched the new avengers movie which was super exciting!!” jimin pulls out his lunch and you spoT the familiar turkey sandwich

“oh hey!!! i watched that last week!! did you guys like it????”

you’re not really paying attention to the conversation between the guys 

ah

he threw in some lettuce and tomatoes today!

and you see some mustard peeking out

you clear your throat quietly and sit up a little straighter as if expecting jimin to ask whether you like lettuce and tomatoes and spicy mustard in your sandwiches to whiCH you will respond ‘what’s not to like about lettuce and tomatoes and spicy mustard in my sandwiches?’ and he will respond with his usual HAHAHAHA GOOD ONE Y/N

jimin takes a bite of his sandwich and turns to listen to namjoon rambling about the avengers while jin whines and begs him to noT spoil the whole damn thing for him

jimin takes another biG bite and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand

his cheeks resemble that of a chipmunk

it’s cute

wait what

no it’s not

it’s gross

yeaH it’s grOSS

“ooh, you know what else i did over the weekend? i made brownies!” jimin perks up before turning to rummage through his bag

okAY NOW he’s definitely going to talk to you because he knows you like brownies (he’s brought everyone brownies on several occasions and you’ve always accepted them with a grunt and a barely audible ‘thanks’) and you know for a fact he’s going to offer them to you fiRST >:-)

and you can’t wait because ur favourite piece is the middle piece and u and yoongi always fight over it (obviously u always get it because jimin undoubtedly plays favourites)

“yep! fresH, homemade brownies for everyone!” jimin tosses the brownies at everyone around the circle and your toes wiggle in your shoes in anTicipation

you’ve been craving something sweet all day

“ooh, sweEt i got the middle piece.” yoongi mutters under his breath and your head snaps to look at the brownie piece he just caught

wait a sec-

WAIT A SECOND

:(

okay maybe there’s another middle piece for you

you wait patiently and even find yourself offering a meek little smile in jimin’s general direction (which he deFINitely noticed and will shamelessly admit that it made his heart skip a beat)

and then jimin just-

he zips up his backpack

but

where’s your piece???  

you look around the circle and frown when you see everyone enjoying their brownies

“good brownie, jimin!” tae haMS it up after taking a bite

jungkook practically shoves the entire thing into his mouth like a maniac

meanwhile yoongi shoots jimin a subtle thumbs up before gesturing over to you

jimin’s eyes flicker over to you and you two lock gazes for a second before you’re flushing and looking down at the ground

you proceed to pluCK at the grass a little more aggressively than usual and jimin nEARLY coos when he notices your little pout

hook

line

and

sinker

but also he feels kind of bad because his intention wasn’t to make u sad

:((((

“see you guys later!”

“uGh i’m going to late for my history lecture - bye guys!!”

“thanks for the brownies, jimin!”

usually you just sliP away quietly when the end of lunch rolls around but uh

you can’t help but feel like there’s a tiny issue here

“see ya later, loserrrr” yoongi gives your arm a little punch and you scowl before swatting at his hand

and then there were two

you turn to glance over your shoulder to see jimin packing his lunch bag up quietly

a part of you wants to just pretend this lunch didn’t even happen and just spRInt off the field as quickly as possible

and the other part of you-

“hey.”

“oh. hey!” jimin smiles politely and swings his backpack over his shoulder before pointing behind you “my next class is in the maple building so i- woAH”

needless to say jimin is very much surprised when you grab his wrist and yank him over so that that the two of you are standing directly under the oak tree

“how come i-“ you clear your throat before diverting your gaze to the ground

hUH

usually jimin is the one diverting his gaze

interESting

“-ʰᵒʷ ᶜᵒᵐᵉ ᶦ ᵈᶦᵈⁿ’ᵗ ᵍᵉᵗ ᵃ ᵇʳᵒʷⁿᶦᵉ ᵗᵒᵈᵃʸ”

“how come you didn’t get a brownie today?” jimin repeats “is that it? you just wanted a brownie?”

“well i- i don’t…“

“look, y/n, i actually have a class to get to, so if the brownie is all you’re wanting, i can just bake a new batch tonight and bring you one tomorrow.”

the apples of your cheeks go bright pink

“it’s not just the brownies…”

“then what is it?”

goD

you hate this

your brows knit together in frustration before you look up at jimin with a little glare

“today, you didn’t… talk to me….  at all, and you didn’t…. ask me about my weekend,” you stumble a little over your words because this is a verY unfamiliar situation and you honestly don’t know what you want out of your soon-to-be ramble is but pOp off i guess “-a-and today you had tomatoes and lettuce and mustard in your sandwich and you didn’t ask me if i liked tomatoes and lettuce and mustard in my sandwiches because i would’ve replied with ‘what’s not to like about tomatoes and lettuce and mustard in my sandwiches?’ and then you would do your usual stupid dorky finger gun thing-“

you can’t seem to stop the straight up word vomit just floWing out of your mouth and you haven’t even noticed that you’ve taken a teeny step closer to jimin and he has done exaCtly the same

“and you always give mE a brownie first when you bring ‘em but i-i didn’t get one and not to mention you gave yoongi the middle piece but you already know that the middle piece is mY favourite- mMpH-!”

your brain immediately shuts down when jimin tugs you in and leans down to plant his lips against yours

and as cheesy as it is

time stands still

it almost feels like your soul floated out of your body

like you’re floating in space

oh

this is.,., nice

his lips are awfully soft

and he smells good too

,.,.wait a second

jimin’s kissing you

you’re kissing jimin

YOU GUYS ARE KISSING

you don’t get a chaNce to react before jimin pulls away

he giggles softly when you chase after his lips but soon enough you snap out of your little daze and stumble backwards a little

whAT FHE TUCK

what is going on

what the heCK is going on

“you- i- we-“ you stammer and blink wiLdly at jimin

“we?” jimin tilts his head and smiles innocently “oh, by the way-“ he takes his backpack off one shoulder and digs through it

he holds out a neatly wrapped square “of course i brought a brownie for you. this batch was extra big so there were two middle pieces.”

you take it from him cautiously before unwrapping it

yep

that’s a middle piece alright

the corner of your mouth twitches in a tiny smile before you let out a huff and whiP around to start trudging down the grassy hill

jimin’s shoulders droop in disappointment

shit

maybe yoongi did set him up

oh god

and he kissed you too

that was wAY too bold of a move

now you’re definitely never going to talk to him again 

FRicK

but it wasn’t his fault!!!!!! he thought that-

“oi! you coming?” jimin’s eyes widen when he sees you standing at the bottom of the hill with a hand on your hip “i’m not getting any younger here!!” you turn around and continue the trek off the field

jimin grins widely and pulls his backpack back on

he catches up to you in no time and his heart soArs when you clutch his hand in yours

“does this mean you’ll finally answer me when i ask you how your weekend was?”

“absolutely not.”  

help me help you make your wishes come tru (aka send me a request)

drabble tag

[wbooker]

♪  austin abrams. cis man. twenty four. he/him. ♪  is WES BOOKER here again? gosh, they really love it here. they have been coming to reckless records for THREE YEARS. they’re always requesting HOME BY TOM ROSENTHAL to be played. everyone says they’re +INTELLIGENT and +THOUGHTFUL but can also be -PARANOID and -OBSESSIVE.  oh look, they’re in aisle 10!

ABOUT THE MUN. what is that! that freaky thing! yes, that’s right, it’s a naked mole rat.

hello all, it’s me. pepper. if you read that in a hello god it’s me margaret vc we are simply meant to be <3 but omg yeah i really was out here plottin for mika and completely forgetting booker exists skjsdk sorry king. you deserve better. anyways, down below will be a bit about the boi because i am too lazy for a google doc !! maybe we’ll make it later we’ll see. 

BIO.  *doesnt check my academic email* everythings OK

wesley booker was an accident. let’s not sugar coat things here. he was a big fat fuckin mistake. you see his parents were on their way to retirement when he came into the picture. all of their other children were grown up, some even with children of their own. and then booker and his twin sister showed up. they weren’t exactly thrilled about the whole thing. 

i mean, they weren’t dicks about it. they fed the twins and clothed them and gave them like basic love and all that. but they definitely didn’t put as much energy into the last two kids as they did into those before them. so booker and his sister pretty much were left to their own devices majority of the time. 

so the twins very quickly learned to entertain themselves. they had each other for company and that was fine. for the most part the twins were actually pretty codependent until they got a bit older and found themselves when more friends. but to this day they are still quite close. 

whenever their parents got tired of dealing with them they would send the twins over to their uncle robs shop. customers probably got pretty used to the two kids running around reckless screaming their heads off, and playing hide and seek excitedly through the aisles. they gave poor rob more grey hair than a man should ever have at that age, but hey, they gave the shop character. booker and his sister spent pretty much majority of their childhood at reckless to be honest. they went their after school so that rob could take them home once the shop closed up. they were there one weekends, when they parents didn’t particularly want to deal with them. and later, when at least booker became of age, he even worked there. 

booker worked front counter at reckless for all of his high school career. and honestly, he was good at it too. he had the kind of thoughtful, detail oriented personality that worked well in that kind of environment. he started working at reckless when he was fourteen, and by the time he was in his senior year he was even assistant manager. things were good. really good. while rob was more of a chill boss, relaxed boss, booker actually had the ability to keep things organized and keep majority of the store under control. things were actually running smoothly while he was there. his uncle got extra sleep. all the customers were happy. 

and then booker quit to go to university. and well. the place dissolved into the good old chaos it was before. honestly, booker finds the disposition kind of stressful, but mostly funny. his uncle begs him to come back at least once a week, but with booker now being in graduate school and working as a side gig as a teaching assistant and tutor, well, he simply doesn’t have the time. he comes by often enough though, just to laugh and his uncles woes and occasionally force him to take a nap as he organizes the books for him, maybe watches the place. 

but booker’s real focus at the moment is his masters in film. your boy wants to be a director, so you can often catch him waxing poetic about classic movies or looking like a zombie after his exams. 

HEADCANNONS. how do you deal with anxiety? i let it fuck me up and then i go to bed.

a responsible boi ! honestly booker has been a tiny adult since he was a child. when he was a child he looked a lot like little luke crain from haunting of hill house. now he has contact lenses. 

a huge nerd. loves movies and comic books and classical literature. really such a dweeb. very smart, and quite humble about it but also a damn nerd yk. 

has an old beat up pickup truck he drives everywhere that he mostly fixes with duct tape skjdsj it was his dads and he’s only keeping it because he can’t afford another one but god,,, we hate it here. 

a push over honestly. super kind. if you need anything just as him and he will probably give it to you. very skeptical and paranoid of people he doesn’t know quite well tho. the duality of man <3

your boi has anxiety <3 he do be stressed! you can probably catch him studying for his exams and such in the back because i feel like he just ??? stays above the record store a bunch because it’s closer to where his school is that his family home yk

has a film journal that he rates literally every film he sees in. also has a regular journal and lowkey writes poetry in his spare time but he would die if anyone read it. the type to fall for someone and write a lil poem about them in his journal yk!!

but yeah!! that’s my boi pls like this if you would like to plot !!

WANTED CONNECTIONS. might fuck around and read a 500 page physical published book in one sitting like it’s 2006 and I’m being bullied in middle school so I take refuge in the library and inhale books at a frightening speed that I have not been able to replicate since

best friends, old coworkers, old high school enemies, an academic rival maybe, his twin sister but i am gonna put that in as a wc, exes, fwb or ewbs, someone he can confide in, a study buddy, someone he sees/discusses movies with, and an opposites attract vibe maybe!

[enmityenergy]

Multi-colored hues stared out blankly at the small group of monsters that had circled around him, hands folded neatly into his pockets and silver strands covered his face for the most part. Feet slowly sinking into the slosh of snow that was beginning to melt from the mountain.

  Typical words of aggression and claims of how much of a horrid creature he was for so easily taking lives. The same boring routines that he’s heard time and time again. However one monster in particular managed to craft words that pierced through his defensive wall.

“Come off it, Why are you guys even bothering? It’s just a broken rusted tool at this point anyway. Got no purpose, barely got anything left after coming up here. Expecting feelings of regret out of a machine is laughable.  You should just scrap him and get it over with. It’d be doing that fancy pants scientist a favor.”

Normally he wouldn’t care. Normally he’d just beat them senseless and move on. Not even waste much of his time or breath. But he was tired……God was he tired.

Maybe he should just stop caring. Why not go back to being such the horrible creature that they called him out to be, there wasn’t a use for a weapon. Why can’t the weapon make it’s own purpose. Getting rid of the stupid sewer rats sounded like a good start to him.

The dust wouldn’t be hard to get off his coat afterward.

Swirling feelings of negativity and murderous thoughts stabbed at his soul like a clean blade, hands balled up into fists and lava pools began to glow with irritation, however it faded and eyes widened in confusion and surprise as it appeared someone had stepped in front of him, their back turned.

The much smaller cat monster’s ears were pressed back against his head, tailing swishing irritably, knocking the slosh around. He’d seen similar behaviors from his cousin when she was miffed off. What was this guy’s issue?

“Will ya fuck off!? The guy’s got ‘nough shit to deal with and seeing ya ugly mugs is enough to make someone loose their lunch in a matter seconds. Got nothin’ better to do than pick on someone whose tryin’ to get home? What’s next ya gonna go bully Granny Smith? Or maybe ya gonna gang up on a gaggle of school girls coming home? Get lost ya filth!” he spat, a hiss leaving him a moment later as he puffed himself a bit more, in relation to Grimm however, the younger monster was quite small. But seemed to be making up for it in words.

The group seemed to glance at each other and laugh, taking a step closer and cracking their knuckles. “And what are you gonna do about it kitty?”

Rolling his eyes the cat monster fished something from his pocket tossing it down and different colored smoke seemed to cloud the area a paw reaching out to grasp onto the taller monster’s coat and motioned with his head to come along, thankful that the other seemed inclined to let himself be dragged along. Slipping through a few alleys of the crafted wooden community, he peeked behind them making sure that their company had gotten themselves quite lost.

Taking a deep breath he fell back against the wooden wall and blinked a few good times, realizing whom it was he had just dragged off with him alone, in an alley. “Er---I—uh-er….AH S-Sorry ‘bout that, just noticed that uh..ya weren’t really defending ya self and figured that ya know…ya didn’t really uh…deserve to be talked to like that…s’all.”

Noticing the shift, he almost smirked. Letting his own head fall back against the wall.  “Yeah I do. But Thanks kid, I guess.” He shrugged his shoulders, shifting through his inventory and pulling a smoke from it’s carton, lighting it up and taking a drag off. “How much?”

“Er—wha?”

“How much. For the help? Even though I didn’t really ask for it. Not gonna fool me with the kindness of yer heart routine kid. So what do you want? Everyone’s well aware that I’m the last person that needs protecting.  So out of with it.” He blinked when those ears folded back once more and he watched bright blue eyes narrow icily up at him.

“ARE YA AN OVERGROWN IDIOT OR WHAT?! Stars above! Ya didn’t even realize that they were a bunch of feckin’ magic users did ya!? And YEAH everyone knows that ya ain’t great against magic attacks ya damn brick wall, apparently you’re as thick in the head as ya are in the bod!” he huffed, stiffening after his outburst and covering his mouth with a paw. “I--…I didn’t mean to be that rude to ya just----”

Ears perked up in slight fright from the laughter that rang out of the taller monsters mouth, watching as he’d practically fallen in half from the amount of hilarity that he seemed to be getting from the outburst.  “Are…..Are you sure ya alright?”

Wiping the tear from his eye that had formed he took in a sharp breath to recover himself. “Yeah snrk--- I’m fine, It’s---It’s just that you’re so small and could be crushed like a bug under my boot and you’re sitting there barking and hissing at me.” He fell into laughter more, falling back onto the snow.

“OI! I’M NOT THAT SHORT YOU’RE JUST FUCKING MASSIVE YA OIL CAN SHAPED BASTARD!” He hissed, tossing a rock at the others chest and watching it smash and scatter upon impact. Letting out a huff. “Do YA even know how far outta camp, ya were?! Wandering around like a blooming space cadet!”

The laughing finally paused and he tilted his head, “Wait…how far am I anyway?”

“YOU WERE BASICALLY NEAR THE DAMN HUMAN TOWN WITH HOW FAR YA WERE!!” The cat monster huffed irritably, holding out his paw for the other to grab onto. “C’mon, I’ll walk ya home so that ya actually fuckin’ make it there ya dumb ass.”

“Heh…guess it’d be nice to have someone to keep on track for a bit. What’s your name anyway kid?” he asked as he pushed himself up, falling into stride now. 

“Alec.”

“Alec, Nice to meet ya kid. Name’s Grimm.”

“Yeah. I know. Hear ‘nough about the lumbering tin can to identify ya anywhere.”

“Guess I’m not that hard to miss, although....what were you doing all the way out there anyway? since you seemed so irritated with me.”

“Visiting someone is all, a relative. She doesn’t like being close to much of anybody so we moved her dab in the middle so she’s not close to either one. and Granny is a mean lil lady and complains at the smallest of things so I’m sure I’ll hear about the mess later from her. Thank you very much.” 

“You’re welcome. I’m used to causing trouble at this point.” he shrugged, smirking when he earned another glare from the cat monster.

“Just don’t go making a habit of it in that part of the forest would ya? spare an old lady eh?” he huffed, tightening the scarf around his neck a bit, patting it down to seem a bit more tidy in his appearance. 

“No promises.” 

“SERIOUSLY?!” 

[bakatenshii]

✧･ﾟ:* Tag Game *:･ﾟ✧

I was tagged by my fav bully who spitroasts me on da daily @enjifuckersupreme

1. what do you prefer to be called name wise?

angel! or any typo-variation of it bc even if I complain they’ll still call me angle >:( but auntie calls me baka

2. when is your birthday?

June 19th 

3. where do you live?

currently in London, but I’m from Canada

4. three things you are doing now?

not making my patterns, making ramen, screeching about cock n ball torture

5. four fandoms that have piqued your interest right now?

bnha & haikyuu!! I tunnel vision so I can only keep up with two hehe (but I’m always on my HxH bullshit u kno)

6. how has the pandemic treating you?

personally? abso fuckin brilliaaant, I get to stay home all day, play games, and read manga. It’s a NEET’s dream tbh

7. a song you can’t stop listening to right now?

How You Feel? (Freestyle) feat. Lil Yachty, Danny Towers & Ski Mask the Slump God by DJ Scheme

8. recommend a movie.

Kill Your Darlings or American Psycho, two classics

9. how old are you?

22 tomorrow! 

10. school, university, occupation, other?

menswear student at uni

11. do you prefer hot or cold?

hot hot hot 

12. name one fact that others may not know about you.

French was my first language when I immigrated to Canada! I was too young to go to school back in China, and I went to a French immersion school so I only learned English in grade 3 and picked up Chinese from my parents. (I can barely speak it now anymore tho don’t try me)

13. are you shy?

not at all, but I permanently think I come off extremely over the top, overbearing, and annoying.  

14. do you have preferred pronouns?

she/her

15. any pet peeves?

When people try to force their opinions on you? Miss me with that shit. I am 100% openminded towards most, if not all, opinions and beliefs. Just don’t try to convert me. And in the same vein: thought policing. 

16. what’s your favourite “dere” type?

I’m a tsundere, I like my men yandere. 

17. rate your life 1-10. 1 being really crappy and 10 being the best you could ever be.

currently, a solid 7. 

18. what is your main blog?

@coelestial is my main that I don’t frequent!

19. list your sideblogs and what they are used for.

back from the 2012 themed tumblr days, I had: quality, hipster, rosy, modern, summer, fitspo, porn, one direction. I don’t use any of those, this is now my sideblog hehe ( ✌︎'ω')✌︎

20. is there anything you think people need to know about you before becoming friends with you?

I have the biggest NPC energy, I’m literally the laziest friend. I cbf to reply, my best friend and I go 6 months without speaking, I see my other friends on average once a term for dinner. But!!! I’d like to think I’m a pretty good friend despite that? 

- ♡︎ -

tags: @blahkugo , @theygottheircages , @pomsuki , @lookslikeleese , @rat-suki , @softkatsuki , @sanguinekeigo & everyone else who’s already been tagged a million times!

[boarix]

Wraith in the Ruins: A Fallout 4 Story Part XV

Nefarious They

Trigger warnings: Canon violence/language/gun use. Mature content *throws lemons* so look out

Game spoilers

Please enjoy!

 “It was deliberate. A direct attack on Sanctuary.”

Hancock idly flipped his tricorn, “Hmm. I’d say more like it was a attack on you, sunshine.”

“What do you mean? I wasn’t even here.” Wraith, who had been examining gouges in some of the trees that bordered Sanctuary’s fence, now turned to the ghoul, confusion on her face, “I thought that they waited until they were sure I wasn’t.”

“I don’t doubt it; you’re too terrifying to mess with directly! But you’re hurt if your loved ones are hurt, you feel me?” His smile was pitying, “If someone wants to punish you, make you suffer, than the best way is to kill your people.”

Confusion turned to anger and then swiftly to fear, “To hurt me…”

“Trouble is your people are very strong. MacCready and Danse alone could take out a score of… whatever they got.”

“They… who are ‘they’?”

After returning Valentine to his wife and appointing a new Quartermaster to Diamond City, Wraith had made good on her promise to Edward Deegan; offering her support and condolences as they delivering the remains of Emogene and Virgil to the Cabot house. Afterward she had continued on with her interrupted schedule by travelling to The Castle to check in with Preston. A few weeks had passed since the incident and Wraith would have had nothing to go on but hearsay had Danse not taken pictures.

As soon as he had known Panther would recover, he had taken the settlements camera to the breach. The photos documented the unmistakable Mecanum wheel tracks left by a sentry bot leading to and from the massive hole in Sanctuary’s defense as well as boot tracks from the aforementioned ‘They’.

“I suppose the robot dragged the caged deathclaw here too.” Wraith was running her hand back and forth over her freshly clipped hair, “Why didn’t anyone hear it? Or see it? I supposed they could have rigged it up with a stealth-boy and waited until Mac’s class started… Rust Devils? They certainly would have the knowledge…”

“They ain’t particularly stealthy though. They like it when their victims know whose victimizing ‘em.” Hancock took her fidgeting hand in his and squeezed it gently, “And if they knew to wait for MacCready’s class to mask the noise then that means there’s been a spy skulking round for a bit. Seen any new faces lately?”

“I haven’t been here… I should check in at the gate and the Rocket; talk to Tina, she was a Devil.”

“I don’t get how they could have dragged a caged deathclaw cross the Wealth without attracting some attention. I realize the population ain’t exactly dense…” Hancock paused, smiling to himself on his phrasing, “Somebody had to have seen somethin’.”

“You up for playing detective with me?”

“I’m always down for some roll-play.”

 Tina shook her head emphatically, “No ma’am. The Devils would want you to know it was them. It’s possible this was staged to look like them to make you crush them.” She offered Wraith a somewhat abashed smile, “It’s not like there are many of them left for you to punish.”

“The Hounds have been doing a commendable job in keeping Minutemen settlements safe. You should be proud, Tina.”

Lifting her chin, the former raider gave Wraith a sharp salute, “I am very proud, general! Thank you for taking a chance on me.”

Stepping out of the Red Rocket, Wraith winced as the wave of light and heat washed over her, “Ugh… so…”

“Who’s left?”

��This seemed more organized than your average raider group. L&L?”

Hancock was quick to dismiss them, “Not likely.” He removed his hat and held it aloft, blocking the sun from Wraith’s face as they walked, “I’ll have my network look into things. We’ll figure out who’s fuckin’ with ya and serve them up some bad days. No worries, sunshine.”

“In the meantime, I guess I’ll have the Minutemen make sure to check new visitors. I’ll reinitialize long patrols on all settlements… I hate to do that but we are going to be on high alert.”

Bear stopped them after they passed through the gate, “C’mere a sec, Wolf. I want to measure your feet.”

“My feet? Oooo, are you going to make me some new gofasters?”

“New gowhatnow?”

Bear chuckled, “It’s slang for ‘sneakers’, Johnny Boy. And no, I’m making you some serious shit-kicker boots! That deathclaw hide made some fantastic leather and I’m itchin’ to start creating.”

Wraith had worked with the ghoul to re-build the home just to the right of the bridge. Now with a full workshop and storefront, Bear’s business was booming. So much so that he had begun an apprentice program, just so he could have assistance with the near-overwhelming volume of orders.

“I noticed you seem to make a big deal about everyone else’s birthday, while doin’ your best to pretend yours don’t exist. Well, I’ve literally known you for centuries, so I’m making you something special and I want it done for the BIG one.” He passed her a vest as she sat down, “Try this on too.”

Wraith groaned, “Two-hundred forty years…”

“You’re only as old as the woman you feel.”

“It’s not the years, it’s the mileage.”

“Thanks, boys. That’s great. Super helpful.”

Bear clapped his large hands together, “Oh yeah, I finished the new armored jackets for the Hounds.” Turning, he grabbed an enormous coat off of a rack and held it up for them to see, “I even made one for my buddy Strong!”

The garment’s main body was fashioned from dark green leather and on the back the Hounds’ symbol, the Triskelion was done in golden inlay.

Hancock whistled appreciatively, “That is some mighty fine craftsmanship there. You’re a true master!”

“Incredible! Cait is going to spaz!”

“You think so?” Bear ducked his head, suddenly embarrassed, “You think she’ll be happy?”

Hancock’s eyes crinkled in a warm smile, “Yeah, brother. She’ll love ‘em.”

Leaving the shop, both were quiet as they entertained happy romantic thoughts. Arm in arm despite the heat, they slowly made their way up the street. Sudden bombastic laughter made them both jump slightly and as they turned a corner they could see Duncan, mouth open wide, laughing and pointing at Shaun. Wraith’s grandson was singing and dancing in a goofy manner along to the radio.

“Pretty good set of pipes on that kid… Nate sing?”

“Not as well as you. Honestly. I’m not just saying that to blow up your ego, or get in your pants.”

“I like it when you do those things too though…”

“Anchor! Anchor!” The song had ended and Duncan was clapping and shouting, “More! Anchor!”

Breathless, Shaun bowed with mock solemnity, “Jus a min, Dunk. I wanna talk to Grandma Wraith...”

Wraith clapped as well, “Anchor? What’s Anchor?”

“Oh, he just means ‘encore’. Dr. Curie said it earlier… So, speaking of that; Cap’n Danse left the clinic a little bit ago and he looked, I dunno… like, scared.”

“Brother Shaun! I asking politely, please!”

“Give me a second please.” Shaun smiled and shook his head, “He’s really needy today… So, yeah… um maybe you should poke your head in and see if Dr. Curie and…”

“I ASKING POLITELY!”

“Not at that volume.” Even with a quiet and even tone Shaun’s admonishment cracked like a whip.

“You have this under control?” Wraith popped her chin at the now apparently sullen Duncan.

“He needs to know I’ll stop playing with him if he gets too bossy, right?” Shaun flashed her an impish grin, “It’s just as important for a child to be told ‘no’ for reasonable reasons, as it is to receive positive reinforcement.”

“Ha! Well alright then.”

“That one from you?” Hancock tucked his chin, his question quiet.

“Yeah, but hearing it said back to me… ugh, it sounds really…”

“Robotic?”

“Yeah…”

Once inside the clinic, Wraith knocked politely on Curie’s exam room. Both jumped back when the door flew open and Fahrenheit, face scarlet in fury, yelled at them.

“I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE!” As soon as she realized who she was roaring at, the red in her cheeks deepened, “What do you two want?”

“I’m sorry Fahr; I thought your exam would have been over…”

Curie’s voice carried an uncharacteristic tone of irritation, “Mademoiselle’s exam has not yet started.”

“This is all just a waste of time! I will not be a party to this farce!” The redhead swept out her hand, seeming to indicate all of Sanctuary, “I will not stay here for the remainder of my pregnancy to be poked and prodded!” She stabbed a finger in Curie’s face, “Perhaps you’ll do better to convince Mrs. Valentine to be your lab rat. I will not!”

“Who said anything about you staying here? I thought you just came to get an ultrasound? Maybe hear th’ lil one’s heartbeat…” Hancock’s face clouded in confusion.

“I simply asked.” Curie pushed herself to her feet and frowned at Wraith, “This… woman… yelled at Danse after I asked him to help me move equipment.” Her struggle to maintain a professional tone was becoming increasingly apparent, “He would have naturally left before the examination commenced! Her… bellowing was unnecessary!”

“YOU’RE UNNECESSARY!”

“Okay whoa!” Hancock stood between them with his hands up, “Let’s all just breathe…”

Wraith’s laughter cut through the room like a saber, “Ha ha… you’re… hahaha.”

“I fail to see what is so damn funny.”

“Fahrenheit this is so unlike you! No one is going to make you do anything! As if we even could.” Wraith wiped a tear from her eye, “I’m sorry for laughing but this has gotten really out of hand, right? You came all this way… so let’s regroup. Do you want me to stay? Do you want your dad here? You tell us how you want this to go.”

“Monsieur Hancock is… oh my.”

“He raised me but he didn’t help make me.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that.”

She rolled her eyes, “Semantics… you were pivotal in my development as an individual. Satisfied?”

“Quite.”

Fahrenheit’s shoulders sagged, “Very well. I might have overreacted. But I am firm in that Amari will deliver my child.”

“But surely my procedural knowledge far outweighs even Dr. Amari’s.”

“How many babies have you delivered?”

“Well… none.”

“She has delivered several to drifters; in poor health, no less.” She gestured to Hancock, “He himself has helped with at least four in my memory. Their practical experience far outweighs your procedural knowledge, Dr. Curie.” She offered the synth a slight smile, “If we can time it out and you would like to come and observe, I suppose I would have no objections.”

“You’ve delivered babies, Hancock?”

“Helped. I helped. Mostly just made sure there was clean water and a hand to hold.”

“I’ve been made to understand that even these simple things can be pivotal, oui?” Curie sighed, “I would be remiss if I did not defer to the mother.” She turned and pulled a book from the shelf behind her desk. Smiling, she offered it to the ghoul, “In that case, please accept this, Monsieur Hancock. I know you will have no difficulty in committing it to memory and I am certain Dr. Amari will find it useful as well.”

“Tiny, Tiny Babies: All You Need to Know About Pediatric Medicine.” Flipping through the first few pages, his smile was tender, “I might get choked up here…”

“In that case, please leave! I’ve had my fill of hormonally-induced, excessive emotion today. Thank you.”

“Fine by me.” Smiling wickedly, he kissed the top of her head as he passed her on his way to the door, “Love you, Fahr.”

“I said no more.” Her smile betrayed her tone.

 That evening, Wraith used her guests as an excuse to throw a settlement-wide cookout. The outdoor communal dining area was filled with the sounds of people happily eating and visiting. Wraith sat at a picnic table with the MacCreadys, Shaun, Hancock, Fahrenheit, Curie and Danse. Sighing with contentment she watched their faces, committing their expressions and happy tones to memory; fighting dark thoughts about how she might have lost them to the deathclaw.

Fahrenheit’s exam had gone well and she agreed to go back after dinner so that Hancock could hear the heartbeat of his grandchild.

“You and Mikey come up with some names yet?”

“No, MacCready; Michael and I will decide when we actually meet the child.”

“You see my eyes rolling, right? Jeez.”

“Mon ours, would you pass me the carrots? Merci beaucoup.”

“What’s ‘ours’, Docker Curie?”

“It means ‘bear’, sweet boy.”

His cherubic face screwed up in confusion, Duncan pointed at another table, “Unkie Bear is right there.”

“It is a nickname that I have given to Danse. It demonstrates the deep affection I have for him.”

“It’s like how Wraith calls you ‘Dunk’ and me ‘Mac’, because she loves us.”

“Oh, you call Mr. Cap’n ‘Tin Can’ cause you love him too, right daddy?”

MacCready choked on his Nuka Cola.

“Is that true MacCready? Do you love me?”

Danse’s tone was so perfectly deadpan, Wraith couldn’t trust herself to look up. Afraid she might ruin the moment, she feigned fascination over the carrots on her plate.

Looking down at the hopeful and sweet smiling face of his son, MacCready visibly swallowed, “What… ahhh… what’s not… to… to love?”

“You alright MacCready? Looking painful o’er there.” Hancock’s voice shook slightly with suppressed mirth.

“… just overcome with love, man. Overcome…”

 Later, Shaun was helping Wraith wash dishes and she could tell he was working himself up to ask her something big. Alone in her kitchen, with the radio softly playing, he would normally hum along. Quiet and stiff limbed, the youth practically shouted anxiety at her.

“Mr. MacCready says that I’m a really good shot.”

“Mmm hmm. He brags about you almost as much as he brags about himself.”

I have a feeling I know where this is going…

“I was able to disarm Nat almost every drill and my throws have gotten better too…”

“You certainly have improved but don’t forget; it’s almost impossible to defend against a knife without getting cut. If you can run away…”

I’m not going to make this too easy on you, kid.

“Yeah, I remember. So, I heard that you were going to start long patrols back up…”

“Yup.”

“If… if Mr. MacCready goes out, may I go too?” He stood perfectly straight with his arms down to either side and his chin high. “I won’t get in the way and I think that if we bring Dogmeat or… or another adult…”

“I’m not sure Mac will want to leave Duncan.” Wraith reached out and tapped her grandson’s elbow, hoping the contact would help him relax, “He isn’t, technically speaking, a member of the Minutemen. He has gone on long patrol before, that’s true, but mostly it was because he was frustrated and bored.”

Shaun’s face fell, “Oh…”

“I tell you what; it’s up to him. If he agrees and you take both a Minutemen solider and Dogmeat, then you have my permission.” She held up a finger in the face of his jubilant bouncing, “Maybe not a loooong patrol, okay? Maybe a longish patrol.”

“Really! Oh cool!” Suddenly serious he schooled his features back into attention, “I won’t let you down, General!”

 “Why are you laughing at me, Mac?!”

The sun had set and Sanctuary was quiet. Sitting on the bench next to the mill, Wraith and MacCready waited for Hancock and Fahrenheit to finish at the clinic. Snuggled up under his arm, she had told him about Shaun’s proposal.

“I’m just surprised ‘s all. You barely let the kid go to the bathroom by himself…”

“Oh, please! I’m not that bad…”

“Uh huh. Yeah. Sure.”

She dug a knuckle into his ribs, hitting a particularly ticklish spot, “Robert Joseph, you take that back!”

When he attempted to twist away, she hooked her arm around his waist pulling him fully beneath her. Popping herself up, she straddled him and held his arms; pinning him in less than a blink.

Breathless and aroused he tried to lean toward her, “Or you’ll what? Tell me what you’ll do to me.”

“Hmm, I don’t know…” Smiling evilly, she shifted her pelvis, grinding against him, “See how close I can get you? Hmm? Make you shudder and shake…”

“Please, yes…”

“That’s it, ask me nicely.” Reaching down between them, she palmed him through his jeans.

“Plea… uhhhh.”

She stopped stroking and gave him a squeeze, “What was that? I didn’t quite hear you.”

“Don’t stop. Please don’t… God yes. Just like that. Please, Wraith. Please touch me.”

“Why, I’m surprised at you!” Arching over him, she bent to set her teeth on his neck, nipping gently even as she slipped her hand beneath his waistband, “Asking for such things on a public bench.”

“You’re so… I’m… puh… ye… plea…”  Close to climax, he bucked involuntarily into her hand.

“Tell me, baby. Tell me how good it is.”

“Shit! Wraith, it’s so fucking good… I’m gonna… HUH UHHhhhhhh!”

After a few seconds of heavy breathing, MacCready suddenly sat up and pulled Wraith to his chest, kissing her hard, “Your turn…”

“Oh yeah? I don’t know; I’m not an exhibitionist…”

“There’s no one to see…”

“I can see you two got started without me.” Hancock smiled down at them, “And I hear that foul mouth of yours, Robert. What’s the matter, house too full?”

“Nothing quite like screwing on a hard bench outdoors…”

“Mills open, ain’t it?” Hancock opened the barn door and bowing, bade them enter.

MacCready picked Wraith up princess style and carried her across the threshold, “Good, you can help me with something.”

“From what I could see, you got it well in hand.”

 Bossy and the Goodneighbor provisoner caravan arrived a few days later. Despite his protests, Fahrenheit had insisted that Hancock stay with Wraith.

“You’ll drive me crazy. I’ll not have you under-foot and following me around.” Her tone softened briefly when a flash of hurt crossed the ghoul’s face, “Stay for a month and return home on Bossy’s next run. I’ll be sure to contact you, either through Radio Freedom or a courier, with any new information on the deathclaw incident.” Then to everyone’s amazement, she embraced Wraith, “I want to thank you Queenie, for everything you’ve done. Oh, and one more thing; the mattress in your guest room is terrible. I’ve slept on cobblestone streets that were less… lumpy. I’m almost positive, judging from what I know of you, that is most likely the best bed in the house. I’ll have Daisy find you better ones.”

“Oh… Okay Fahr… thank… thank you?”

“A larger one for your room as well since you are oft sharing a bed with two others. Especially since MacCready sleeps like he’s making snow angels.”

“Oh, I do not!”

“You kinda do…”

“Be well.” Turning briskly, Fahrenheit led the caravan through the gate an across the bridge.

“What the heck is a snow angel anyway?”

“Like this, daddy.” Duncan flopped onto his back and made angels in the dirt.

“Smart kid.” Hancock scooped the small boy into his arms and tousled the sand from his hair, “Your aunties teach you that?”

Sighing, he laid his head on the ghoul’s shoulder, “Yup. I miss ‘em.”

“Good thing it’s bath night...” MacCready sighed as well, “So, are you going to start on the new greenhouse or are you two going to go talk to the Abernathy settlers?”

Hancock passed Duncan to his father, “I still think it’s a dead end; they would have sent someone if they saw something.”

“I’m not going to leave it to chance. Any small detail could prove invaluable.” Wraith smiled at the MacCreadys as they hugged each other, “What about you, Mac? You figure out a ‘patrol for beginners’?”

“Yeah, Tenpines. I’ve got a couple more days of lessons then we’ll head out.”

“You takin’ Lloyd?”

“Naw, man; I’m going to let Shaun pick.”

Hancock gave him a mischievous grin, “You know he’ll pick Danse, right?”

“That’s fine,” He rubbed noses with his son, his voice going up an octave, “cause we all loooove Mr. Cap’n, don’t we?”

 Hancock was right. The trip to and from the Abernathy farm was both uneventful and fruitless. Frustration drove Wraith to sleeplessness and she slipped away from her lovers to go for a late-night walk. Her intention was to do a complete circuit of Sanctuary but instead found herself at Nate’s grave. To her surprise, Curie was standing near the make-shift headstone. Not wanting to shock or scare her, Wraith froze in indecision.

“What ez it, Panther?”

The large feline walked through the synth’s legs and padded to Wraith, whiskers extended.  Crouching slightly with arms out, she picked them up; holding them to her chest like a child.

“Oh, Madame, it is you.” Curie’s voice was strangely thick, “May I assist you?”

“Me?! Curie, what’s wrong?!”

“Oh! I do not want to burden you…”

Setting the cat gently on the ground Wraith went to embrace her, “You’ll never, ever be a burden!”

Seeming to melt in her arms, Curie cried bitterly for several minutes. Wraith thought her heart might break and her own eyes filled with tears.

“Oh, crying this much is so very taxing.” Sniffling and hiccupping she motioned to the grass, “May we sit?”

“I’m crying myself, and I don’t even know what about!”

“I… Even if we decided to… I wanted to… But, we cannot!”

A sudden revelation came to Wraith, “You two can’t have kids.”

“Mon ours would have been the greatest father…” Crying anew she bent forward, placing her face in her hands.

“Oh, honey. I’m sorry.”

“There is more… I’m sorry but… Danse isn’t aging… but I… I AM!” Raising her head, she turned to Wraith, eyes filled with deep sadness, “How will I ever tell him? He will have to watch me grow old and die. I will be gone and he will be alone… again alone.”

The realization that Curie was upset, not at her own mortality, but at the thought of Danse’s grief, set a pain in Wraith’s chest. “He’ll have time with you, right?” Reaching out she patted Curie’s back, “You are still young! There are years of memories for the two of you to make. And when you are no longer with us,” Fighting her own emotions, she swallowed hard, “he’ll…”

“Oh! That’s right!” Her face suddenly brightening, Curie clasped Wraith’s face in her hands, “You and Hancock will be with him! He would no doubt take comfort in your love and friendship.” Pulling Wraith’s face to her own, she clunked her forehead affectionately.

“You ladies alright?” Hancock had woken up when Wraith got out of the bed. Worried when she didn’t return, instinct drove him to check Nate’s grave, “Somethin’ happen?”

“Et is well, Monsieur Hancock.” Curie cocked her head to the side, considering the ghoul’s silhouette with the moon as a backdrop, “Have I done a metabolism study with you?”

“That a pick-up line?”

 Wraith did her best to keep occupied while Shaun, MacCready, Dogmeat and Danse were gone on patrol. From Tenpines, the group would head to Starlight Drive-in then on to Abernathy Farm and finally return to Sanctuary. Knowing that her grandson would be beyond her protective reach for several days was bothering her. However, she did take comfort in the strength of the adults (she counted Dogmeat as one such adult) he was with. Joining Sturges’s greenhouse work crew certainly helped as well; working hands helped to still a working mind.

“General, we’ve got a white flag bearer on the road.” Lloyd’s voice crackled from the walkie on Wraith’s hip, “Children of Atom, from the looks of it.”

“It’s not Marie, is it?”

“No ma’am, from the posture and gait, I’d say it’s a middle-aged woman.”

“Good job. Have Gabby meet her at the Rocket. I’m on my way.” Motioning for Hancock to join her, she set a brisk pace to the bridge, “I think it might be Isolde. I’ve been expecting to hear from her, but not in person!” Accepting her coat from a helpful soldier, she stopped to work the various clasps, “I’m thinking she’ll be a more reasonable conversationalists then her daughter...” Catching sight of her face in a window, she stopped again to work on a spot of grease.

“Having to talk to any of these… folks, doesn’t exactly razz my berries…”

It was indeed Isolde. Sitting on a barstool, she stared at the air conditioner with a mixture of fascination and keen distrust.

“Mother Isolde, welcome to Sanctuary. This is an unexpected honor.”

“Forgive me child, for surprising you this way. I was concerned that any attempts to contact or indeed warn you, in any way, would have been thwarted by Marie.”

“Is there a… difficulty concerning your daughter? Some aid I might provide?”

Looking down at the glass of water that Gabby had given her she seemed on the verge of tears, “My daughter’s obsession with you has not waned. She has convinced herself that if she kills you she will have destroyed a false profit.”

Hancock growled deep in his chest, “That’s bullshit! Wraith has never claimed to be this… whatchamacallit, ‘Fog Walkn’ Favored One’. From what I heard that was all that Tektus asshole’s nonsense.”

“I’ll have to respectfully disagree Mayor Hancock. Wraith is indeed the Mother’s Favored One. Although she chooses not to embrace it, your wife is a Blessed Child of Atom and that holds immense religious significance to my people.”

“My… wife...”

Doing her best to ignore Hancock’s confused and sappy smile, Wraith pushed the conversation to the point, “All that aside; we recently came afoul of a chameleon deathclaw. Was that Marie? What else can I expect from her?”

“I truly know very little.” Looking up at Wraith there was a great deal of fear and regret in her eyes, “She began stirring up some of the younger, more fanatical Children and pushing for open war; against you and your Minutemen.” Her gaze returned to her cup and her voice softened, “My Marie, my daughter…”

“Isolde, what has happened?”

“I feared for my people. I knew that you would never want to destroy us but… you would. Utterly.” Standing, she set her cup aside and squared her shoulders, “I have denounced her. I cast her out.”

“I’m so sorry. That must have been so hard…”

Islode held up her hand, “I fear I have made the situation worse. After I exiled her she and her followers traveled to Megaton. It is my belief that they intended to recruit Infamy.”

Hancock sucked air over his teeth and groaned, “Goddam…”

“Who or what is Infamy?” Hancock’s reaction genuinely spooked Wraith.

“Nyx has had some… difficulty with ‘em. They’re Children but they are closer to feral than even I am.”

“They act like a collective; all of them ghouls. Having discarded their names, they are all Infamy. They defer to a glowing one who believes he’s Atom’s personal assassin.”

“You can hire ‘em if you can convince ‘em, that your goal is beneficial to Atom.” The ghoul rolled his eyes, “MacCready has bitched about ‘em too.”

“They are Atom’s ‘Divine Blade’. Very cunning. Very deadly.”

“Not so deadly when it comes to my people.”

Islode shook her head, “Marie somehow blames you for not receiving visions of her own. She blames you for her exile… for the loss of everything she holds dear. She wants you to lose everything the same way she has; then watch as you die in anguish.”

Revelation struck Wraith like a hammer, “If there was a spy… then they knew I’d set long patrols… Shaun, Mac, Danse and Dogmeat…” She practically turned herself inside out to sprint to the Radio Freedom tower…

 “I’m not sure when I noticed… Maybe that one time with the deathclaw… when she broke her ribs, remember?”

“I missed that one. I must have still been at the police station.” Danse’s brow furrowed, “What about her breaking her ribs would have made her alluring?”

“Not cause she got hurt. Just… I don’t know… the fact that she would get hurt for other people’s sake.”

“That I can understand; her selflessness and devotion to others does make her compelling.”

“And her legs and her eyes and…”  

“Mr. MacCready… can we please change the subject…”

Navigating the rocky terrain south of Tenpines, the group had fallen into an easy banter.

“Shaun, buddy, I’ve told you to drop the ‘mister’. Call me ‘Mac’; like Wraith does.”

The youth’s mouth twisted, “No that’s weird…”

“Well kid I have plenty of names… how about ‘MacCready’ like Hancock does?”

Danse chuckled, “I think that might be weird for similar reasons.”

“Okay… what about ‘RJ’?”

Happy to have moved on from the ‘Wraith is a Knockout’ discussion, Shaun readily agreed.

The sniper’s bullet hit Danse and he fell from the ridge.

Dogmeat instantly turned and made a beeline for the assailant.

MacCready’s first thought was for Shaun and he screamed his name, even as he was overrun by a herd of feral ghouls.

A slight movement out of the corner of his eye was all the warning Shaun got before a hooded attacker, wielding an evil looking dagger, hacked at his face. Grabbing his opponent’s right elbow, Shaun pulled forward and raised his own right arm up; tight to theirs. Pivoting to the left and using his back and hip as a fulcrum, he thrust his arm toward the earth, rolling them both to the ground. Keeping his momentum, he put some small distance between them, and then vaulted to his feet while unsheathing his bayonet.

Infamy was impressed.

Shocked to see his foe was a glowing one, Shaun backed away even as eyes kept flicking to the cliff where Danse fell. And to his rifle that lay midway between them.

Infamy noticed.

“That your friend, there? Too bad little boy.” Their voice had an odd, echoing quality that sent shivers down the spine. “That your precious mentor, getting gnawed at by my children? So tragic! What will you do, little boy?” They chuckled low and evil, “I got you, you know? You’re cut. Your blood is flowing, ha ha. Flowing away.”

Ignoring the baiting, Shaun's mind was filled with only one thought:

Danse didn’t cry out when he fell…

Thank you so much for reading! Like what you read? Looking for more? Please check my Wraith in the Ruins tag for the full link tree. As always, if you have any questions/comments/concerns, my ask is open (anon too). I would love to hear from you! =^..^=

[captivismarchive-blog]

mystery solved || z self para

tw: guns, violence

“aight z, you got this.” he was looking at himself in the rearview mirror of his car, taking a deep breath in and nodding. “you got this. you gotta have this. you gotta know what’s going on so you can protect your family, your girl, and yourself. okay?” he paused, as if waiting for a response. but no response came. it was just him. him, a gun, in his car, deep in black spade territory in brooklyn.

pulling out his phone, he texted anita. i scheduled a lyft to pick you up and bring you to me around 7. i love you baby. see you tonight. 

thinking about seeing anita tonight, the thought crossed his mind that what he was doing could get him hurt. he promised anita that he wouldn’t go looking for answers, but here he was. this could get you killed. now he was thinking about his mom, drake, his little sister. he wondered if he was doing the right thing anymore, looking over to his glove box where he knew his gun was stashed for emergencies.

but then he remembered why he was doing this. 

when that spade came to his family cookout, z learned a few things. firstly, the spades knew where his mom and family lived. he could only assume, since he lived ten minutes away by foot and was there all the time, that the spades also knew where his apartment was. the fear of what else they might know was fueling this quest of his. what if they know about anita? where she lives? the posse forced drake in with legal fees; what if they threaten us? or drake? or hazeema? he also learned that the gang had something up their sleeve. the guy had been cocky, like he had information that the delphins didn’t. but what?

fear coursing through him, he took in a sharp breath and reached over to his glove compartment, yanking it open and grabbing the gun. he turned the safety off and put it in his hoodie, getting out of his car and beginning to walk around and look for the gangster that had called himself ‘deshawn’. he’d memorized the license plate of the suv the guy had been in so that he could find him later if he needed to, and he hoped that would help him now. 898-AB0D.

it took nearly a half hour, but finally, he saw the telltale lettering of the license plate. he’d worn black, hoping that flying gang colors would allow people trust him and give him information. an older man stood outside of the corner store, dressed normally, but with a black bandana in the window of his shop. 

“yo!” z called, walking over, “my brother, you know whose car that is?” he asked, pointing to the suv. the older man looked at him like he didn’t want to get involved. “boy, you lookin’ stupid axin’ questions like that in this neighborhood.” z licked his lips, knowing that he was going to have to be quick on his feet to get through this. “nah, you lookin’ stupid old man. you know who i am?” the man’s head cocked in confusion and z went on, hoping that this would work. “i’m a delphin. one of ulysses’ boys.” 

the man’s eyes widened and he started retreating toward his shop. “oh hell nah, ion want no smoke,” he said, opening his door and speaking, half-in and half-out. “whatever business you got wid deshawn, keep it outta my shop.” the door slammed and locked, the man flipping the sign from open to closed. z just stood there, dumbfounded. what the fuck was that?

sighing, z turned and looked around, trying to spot any clues as to what he would do next. i just want some fuckin’ answers.

as if his prayer was being answered, he suddenly saw a familiar face walking out of a small apartment across the street. “shit,” he hissed, ducking over into the alley because he didn’t want to be seen yet. okay, stay calm. go over, just talk. if he gets buck, just show the glizzy. you won’t ever have to shoot. it won’t come to that.

that’s what he had to tell himself. 

peering around the corner, he waited for deshawn to get close enough to his car, then jumped out and yanked him into the alley. he fought back immediately, pushing z forcefully back into the brick wall and pulling out a knife. z’s heart thudded roughly, memories of his last encounter with a blade nearly freezing him. but then deshawn hesitated once he saw his face. he grinned. “well well, if it ain’t lil mr. ‘we ain’t interested’ zachariaz delphin. you here to talk shop big man?”

anger flooding him, z locked his jaw and pulled out his gun. he didn’t aim it, but he wanted deshawn to know he had it. “i came here for some answers, and ‘less you wanna know what it feel like to get shot in the gut close range, i’d provide those mu’fuckin’ answers.” 

this wasn’t who z was, but he was terrified. he was tired of living life looking over his shoulder, wondering when the other shoe was gonna drop. when would the shadow posse and the black spades stop trying to recruit him when they failed to do so? when would he start being seen as more of a threat than a benefit? the idea of trying to get his life together seemed impossible with his family history hanging over his head. he needed to know what the black spades had up their sleeves so that he could take care of it and move on with his life.

deshawn was not amused. “you think i’m scared of some lil kid?” he growled, puffing his chest out as if daring z to shoot him. “you ain’t no thug, delphin. your daddy wants to make you one, but now? you trippin.”

the way that deshawn kept mentioning his dad was weird. no one had seen his father in new york city since he left his family, as far as z knew. “yo, you keep talkin’ bout my dad this, my dad that. what’s up with that? did you know him? is he still alive? what is it?”

he laughed at this. “alive?” he scoffed, taking a step closer. z’s brows furrowed, pointing the gun directly at deshawn’s head and cocking it as he took a step back. “don’t fuckin’ move.” 

deshawn grinned, sliding his knife back into his pocket and crossing his arms over his chest. “boy, yo daddy ain’t just alive. i just came outta his crib.”

the weight of what was said lingered in the air. z didn’t believe it. “you lyin’,” he shook his head. “you sayin’ he’s alive, he still in brooklyn, and he still a spade? and we just ain’t know about it in over ten years? bullshit,” he waved the gun, as if reminding him that he would shoot if he had to, “tell me the fuckin’ truth my dude, i’m losin’ my patience. you said yourself i got his temper, so start fuckin’ actin like it.”

“how did i know that yo mama’s favorite pie was pecan? who do you think ordered me to take it over? who knew what date y’all do family cook outs in summer?” the puzzle pieces were coming together and it felt like z’s entire world was going up in flames. deshawn continued, hoping that he could persuade z to do what his boss wanted him to do. “when uly left y’all, the cops was on him crazy. he go by a different name now, but everyone in the hood know who he really be. he lays low. he had the chance to betray all’a the spades if he woulda cooperated w’ twelve, so when he didn’t, he was rewarded. they gave him a new life. the condition was, he couldn’t be sloppy. no one could know.”

this was not the answer z had expected. not even an answer that had crossed his mind. he had to consciously keep his voice level, his eyes dark as he kept the gun on deshawn while he spoke. “what does he want?”

“his family.”

“well it’s too mu’fuckin’ late for that. he shoulda thought about that shit before.” shaking his head, z took a step in, putting the gun to deshawn’s forehead for added measure, lowering his voice to an intimidating hum. “you tell anyone i was here, n’ i’mma come back here n’ weigh you down with a clip. you try to hide, i’mma find you. you try to rat, i’mma keep you quiet. feel me?” his arm lowered slowly, watching deshawn as he stood there with his hands up. 

“yeah yeah, baby delphin. run back to mama in the heights. come back when you ready to play with the big boys.”

and with that, z shoved the gun into his hoodie and headed back to his car. he knew that deshawn wouldn’t hurt him, not if his dad wanted him alive, if his dad was his boss. that means he’s even deeper in than he was before.

once he got into his car, he started shaking and breathing hard, his adrenaline finally starting to die as he put the car in drive and whipped out as fast as he could. he didn’t know where he was going, but he knew he had to get the hell out of there before he did something he would regret.

[titleknown]

In a weird sleazy city, on an early November night, in an apartment slightly too small for hosting parties, there was a celebration being held. If one went up to the door, or looked in the window, one could see lights; a few candles, mostly electric, and hear the sounds of speech...

One could see faces talking about lives no longer amongst them, not solemnly but raucously, as the smell of chilli peppers and beans cooked in lard filled the air and sugar skulls adorned countertops. The host was unusual yes, a great muscular yellow-spined beast of a monster-woman by the handle of Body Shock. with the subtle crackle of electricity around her, but this was not a time where that was relevant.

This was a time for memories, as she roamed around the room, receiving and pushing forward wild antecdotes of days gone by, and music playing from several daisy-chained dollar-store speakers that she added a tune or so to the playlist when she heard someone mentioning a person gone by to them and their favorite song.

And all of this was around a great-small altar, built of brick and cardboard as high as the celling would let it go, and painted in bright colors, adorned with photographs and keepsakes and sugar skulls and candles, a fulcrum around which the party revolved.

And then, suddenly, it stopped. For, the door had creaked open and; into the room entered a woman. She carried an aura that brought a hush upon the crowd, a lean and deathly pallor of power despite the top of her hat barely reached to the shoulders of the next- shortest person in the room.

It was Boss McGlade, arch-criminal and enemy to Body Shock,  and if her eyes were not already blood red, they would have turned such as Body Shock grabbed McGlade by the front of her shirt collar.

“What the fuck are you doing here?!” Shock said, in a voice b=vaguely approxiamting calm.

“Now, now,” said McGlade, flashing a shark-toothed; smug grin, “Is that any way to treat a guest? It would be gauche of you to disrupt this party with an assault on my person, as would it be gauche for me to commit any acts of assault against yourself in front of so many witnesses.”

Body Shock hoisted her higher “Nice fuckin try, but you still ain’t answered my question” One of the guests had gotten out a sword cane at this point.

“Simply put, because of your exact sort of response, and because I felt I could do so with few reprecussions, it would be of little benefit to yourself  to call the authorities on a party in this neighborhood.”

Body Shock lowered her a bit. It’s fascinating how the two were united in their mutual distaste for cops,  with reasonings that sometimes even matched up. “How the fuck do I know you ain’t here on some bullshit?”

“You would not believe me if I claimed I wasn’t. Plus, again, witnesses would be a means of disadvantage to us both, would they not?”

With that, Body Shock dropped her unceremoniously, with McGlade landing right on her own two feet with equal lack of pretense. “Alright, but I ain’t takin an eye off yas.”

“I would expect nothing less” said McGlade, as she went to get a plate.

The mood went back to celebration, albeit with nervous glances at the strange, blue-pallid woman who seemed only interested in a small cup of ginger-ale and a plate slathered in refried beans. But, her focus was on the altar, and the image at the top.

“Hm. Who is this man? You must find him of a great deal of importance for his position at this apex of your ofrenda.”

“Hey, it ain’t just mine, it’s the whole party’s altar. And if you’re lookin for hostages, you’re a few years too late. He’s gone.”

“An acquaintance of yours perhaps?”

“Fuck me, he’s my grandpa, ! Only motherfucker in the whole fuckin family who was ever nice to me! Like, when I was a kid, my parents bought a rabbit, said they’d got me a pet. I was so happy to see that lil’ fucker, Trucker I named ‘em. Month later, turns out it was fattenin’ him up for meat! And they laughed n laughed when I had the stew n I asked where Trucker was”.

“While outside my context, I would presume that seems hideous behavior.”

“I cried for a whole day! But abuelo, he was over there for dinner that night, didn’t know until they told him about 'em, convinced 'em to give him the bones n what was left of the skin for a lil funeral; in a shoebox. He even held a lil ceremony, n kept the foot on a necklace for me to keep,”

Body Shock pointed up at the apex of the Ofrenda, and there was an old; shriveled rabbit’s foot by the portrait of the old man “I still remember the vacant lot it was in…”

Body Shock sighed and put her head down “We were the only ones left there that weren’t trainwrecks or complete motherfuckers. He tried to make sure I got what he had when he left, but the parents weaseled a way to get it for their 'business.’ Like, you heard o the Necro-Narco epidemic?”

“I am vaguely familiar” said McGlade, lying only in that she was in fact extremely familiar with its various fallouts.

“Yeah, that was part o what they did. But hey,” Body Shock said, perking up immediately “they’re probably in a fuckin ditch somewhere, let 'em be forgotten!” She held up a drink and shouted, “A toast to abuelo, wherever the fuck he is right now!”

Glasses were raised, a toast was shouted, and Boss McGlade was suddenly looking down. If there was a vulnerable expression on her face, nobody but her could see it under her wide-brimmed hat and downturned look. Her hands were in her pockets.

“So, whattabout you Doc?” Body Shock responded “Got any loved ones you wanna offer to, some fuckbuddy got whacked by the mob; some dead ma who you wanna avenge or whatever people like y-”

She stopped as McGlade dug something out of her pocket. There was a slight snap of electricity amongst the silence of the audience, only for it to dissipate once everyone saw what it was. A small plastic figurine of what looked like a toy soldier, but with a broken egg with bat wings for an upper body.

She placed it upon the table next to an old; drippy candle, and dug out and placed a sugar skull next to it from her pockets, one of many she had pettily knicked for later consumption. She breathed in a deep sigh, and one could see her hair do a slight bristle as she began to speak:

“I am not at liberty to discuss the further detailings of this event, but I will state that I spent most of my younger life in a series of cruel and abhorrent laboratories, a child treated as simply a prisoner, a child lab-rat. There were others in that lab, and the one I remember most…”

She paused for a moment. “Her name was Susan.”

A few guests could swear they saw tears run down from her eyes. “That wasn’t the name they gave her, but she said she liked it instead of that number they gave us. She was my age, maybe a few months older. She was the only person who was a friend there to me, she shielded me from the punishments for when I had to sneak a scrap of food to not starve from the experiments.”

There were most definitely tears running down from her eyes now. “She used to smuggle in comics and these little figures from this collection. This was one of the ones she didn’t have before she, before she…”

McGlade breathed out a shuddering breath, “I don’t know if she’s even dead. They never found the body. We were going to get married, if we ever got out, we promised each other…”

Body Shock said nothing and walked over. She picked up the figurine, off the table, and placed it right at the top, next to the image of her grandfather.

“Hey, now,” Body Shock sad awkwardly. She wasn’t particularly equipped to deal with her own emotions, no less those of others. “Why don’t we put 'em up top? Seem fitting, like, thematically, yanno?”

Then, transitioning away from that awkwardness, she raised her glass. “A TOAST, TO SUSAN!”

There was a cheer, and a raising of glasses from the other participants and then’; at once; a raised glass from McGlade.

And so, in a weird sleazy city on an early Novermber night, a truce was called for this night alone. It may at first seem strange to call a truce on a holiday of the dead, but the dead never truly die if they are remembered. And, through kindness’ hands, memories work, and the dead may walk again, if but for one night…

So yeah! A more ambitious character piece, to celebrate the true meaning of Day Of The Dead!

As per usual, this drabble is under a CC-BY-SA license for direct adaptation, but all the characters/concepts/settings/ect are free to use as you see fit under a CC-BY-Vanilla license so long as I; Thomas F. Johnson, am credited as their creator!

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