#for a second i was scared that the image would be one of those dumb weed plugs again but NO!!
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flowersandcandy06 · 10 months ago
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enamoured by your grainy and blurry maxposting. cat
OH. oh MY GOD.
FANART. OF MY BELOVED MOST ADORABLE CAT MAX????? on MY Tumblr BLOG????? WHATY
this is so freaking BEAUTIFUL bro oml... i could eat this and print it 500 times (if i had a working printer in the 1st place)
THANK YOU!!!!!!! this is the best new years day present EVER :,D my angel,,,, bab y,,:3 4 ever
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lotus-n-l0ve · 4 months ago
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SERENITY TO HIS HEART
— Mafia!Manjiro 'Mikey' Sano x Wife!Female Reader
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You Will Forever Be My Always.
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*⁠.✧ SYNOPSIS : The scarred past of Mikey haunts him even in his dreams, making him loose his mind. Though even through them you stay by his side. Bring him out of his misery.
*⁠.⁠✧ WARNINGS & TAGS : Mafia!mikey, wife!Reader, pregnant!reader, reader held at gun point, ptsd, mafia themes, angst, nightmare, 895 words.
*⁠.⁠✧ — NAVIGATION // TOKYO REVENGERS MASTERLIST
DON'T PRESS [KEEP READING] IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE. MINORS DNI, IF YOU DO THEN IT'S YOUR OWN RESPONSIBILITY.
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The cold touch of the muzzle of the gun on your forehead woke you up with a startle. Your eyes shot open, the view of the ceiling was hazy but as you focused your vision you saw the very familiar gun pressed on your forehead. A gun that belonged to your husband, Manjiro, the leader of Toman.
You followed the pale hand holding on to the metal grip of the gun, the pointer finger resting the trigger, ready to strike any second, your eyes met his dead obsidian ones, looking at you like an injured beast does to a potential threat. The only source of light being the lamp on the nightstand didn't help either.
There he is, your husband. Sitting on your stomach, his tights had you pinned on the fluffy bed. A whisper of his name left your lips but did nothing to him. Was it one of those episodes where his past haunts him down and torments him?
“They sent you unarmed?” His empty voice cut through the tension in the room. It was more of a statement than a question, “Have I lost my touch that they thought one unarmed woman is enough to end me.”
Manjiro dragged the muzzle down your nose and lips till he hovered it over your neck, “Who sent you? Hmm? Who's your boss?”
His voice was rather calm but you couldn't miss the threat lurking underneath it. It was the same he used against his enemies. Last warning before the sword strikes.
“Manjiro, it’s me, Y/N.” Your voice shook with the fear of the trigger being pressed anytime.
You saw a silver of recognition on his face but it was gone as soon as it appeared. Mikey said your name, trying to remember who it was. Rolling the name on his tongue. The name left a sweet taste in his mouth but the name did not ring any bell of familiarity.
“Y/N?” His eyebrows frowned in suspicion, “I don't know any Y/N. They sent you here to kill me, didn't they?”
You moved your head to deny but Mikey pressed the gun under your jaw, tilting your head back as a menacing grip appeared on his face, “Do they think I'm fucked in the head that I'll believe this dumb story? You think I'm delusional?”
Breath caught in your throat. Whenever Mikey was going through these episodes, you felt your heart in your throat, ready to jump out. They scared you to the core. But then you think of Mikey, your Manjiro, your husband who loves you more than life. He would rather burn the world down than see tears in your eyes. You loving husband who stood by your side in your most difficult time. All the fear in your heart evaporates.
“I'm your wife, Manjiro. Try to remember.” Even after trying to not cry, a sob left your lips, “Try to remember. I love you so much.”
“No, you don't.” The quick words sting right at your heart, “No one loves me. No one can love me. Who are you?”
Your lips trembled as you thought about the last thing to bring Mikey back to you. You lift your shaky hand and hold his left hand that was resting on the bed by your side. His grip on the gun tightened, ready to shoot and end all this hassle. But something held him back. He could not bring himself to pull the trigger.
The image of this stranger lying on his bed with a bullet pierced through her skull, eye lifeless and a stilled heart, made his heart nervous. He didn't like that. He didn't want that. Mikey let you move his hand and settle it on your tummy.
“I love you and the soul growing in me is the proof of our love Manjio. Snap out Manjiro. For me, for our baby, please.”
Mikey stayed motionless. His eyes staring down at your stomach. Unconscious Mikey spread his finger, feeling up the skin hidden underneath the white nightwear. Then it did. Something struck in his heart.
Y/N. Y/N. His lovely Y/N. The silver speck of light in his ravaged life. How could he forget you? His love, his life, his reason to live. And the innocent soul growing in your belly, was a miracle in his life.
Mikey felt tears pricking his eyes and nose burning. Wails of pain erupted from his chest as if letting all the weight off of his chest. Tears stream down Mikey’s flushed cheeks, in shame, fear and guilt but also from the sense of comfort of your presence.
You spread your arms to the side and said with your ever so gentle voice, “Come here.”
And then the dam broke. Mikey flushed himself into your arms, burying his face into your chest, the gun fell on the floor with a clunk. His whole body shook because of the crying.
You run your hand on his back with comforting strocks, “I'm not going anywhere. I love you Manjiro. I'll be right here, by your side, whenever you need me. I'm sure our little one loves their daddy too.”
Your whispers of solace soothed his wrecked heart. Mikey weeped in your protective arms, letting himself be so vulnerable the world will never see. He let your tranquil embrace bring serenity to his heart.
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LIKED IT? THEN PLEASE LEAVE A LIKE, REBLOG & COMMENT. IT WOULD MEAN A LOT AND FOLLOW ME FOR MORE LIKE THESE. THANK YOU ♡
© 𝐋𝐎𝐓𝐔𝐒-𝐍-𝐋𝟎𝐕𝐄 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒, 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐃 — all content rights belongs to LOTUS-N-L0VE. do not plagiarise any works and do not repost or translate onto any other sites.
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linphd · 2 years ago
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Tamaki and Shindo with a Bimbo girl? Please 🙂 (i send it again cause i write himbo instead of bimbo)
Hi ! I actually wrote headcanons like these on my Saiki blog so idk if you come from there or not but I’m glad I got the request ! The second part will be with Shoto, Bakugou and Tokoyami !
Their S/O is a bimbo | Headcanons
female reader
-> Makeup, long nails, extravagant personality and fashionable outfits. Yep, here you are. Maybe you’re just a little bit dumb, but if you got into U.A you’re clearly very clever !
-> Tamaki Amajiki, Tenya Iida, Yo Shindo.
warning : sometimes just a little bit suggestive but it’s really really barely there !
Tamaki Amajiki
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how you started dating :
You fell first, but he fell harder. It’s not that he didn’t like you to begin with, but it’s true that your personality was a bit much for him to handle. But with the help of Mirio and Nejire, he became more and more accustomed to you and ended up forming a real friendship with you.
So indeed, you had to be initiating flirting and be very straightforward for him to understand that you liked him. And he built up the courage to confess -you couldn’t be happier. But it was true that dating you did come with some disadvantage for him. You were… eye catching.
Every time this would happen, you would take a bit of distance from him so he would feel more at ease. But throughout time, he started feeling bad for you having to adapt to his shyness, and managed to try to ignore the stares.
while dating :
One thing that you do that he absolutely loves -but embarrasses him a lot if you tease him in public- is to trace his long ears with the tip of your fingers, because your long nails are tickling him. Immediately turns those ear tips all read, Tamaki melting in your touch.
Would love cuddling you. Would like it less when you would sit on his lap because you were so attractive and he was still a young adult. But it was alright, your sweet little words would make him focus on your love again, forgetting about his pants getting just a bit tighter.
Often giggles when you quickly peck him and he gets a lipstick stain on his skin. One time he hadn’t noticed and it’s Mirio who pointed it out, turning him fully red -but at least the lipstick stain wasn’t visible anymore. Moreover, he doesn’t mind you wearing revealing clothes. He likes them, and he doesn’t see what the problem is if you go outside like that.
Sure, he would hear some comments, but it was your choice. Although one time, a student from another school started flirting with you, and Tamaki did have to go scold him. Still doesn’t know how he got brave enough to do that, even more in front of everyone at the party, but the look you gave him made him realize it was worth not being awkward all the time.
Tenya Iida
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how you started dating :
Tenya had never met anyone like you before. You were wearing your school uniform and following the school rules, usually, so he didn’t notice much about your makeup and nails. But it’s when you guys ended up at the mall that he realized you were wearing a full glam. Very attractive eye catching and extravagant.
« (Y/N) ! You shouldn’t wear that outside ! We’re still U.A students and this is just a mall, we have to show a perfect image ! I can… I can literally see half your breast- you should change ! » he started, becoming redder and redder as he talked. « Why ? Scared you might like it ? » you replied, earning a gasp.
But he did like it. As he got used to you, inside and outside school walls, he barely even noticed your exuberant style anymore. Well- he did notice how beautiful you were, and how you were shining in a room full of people because of how different and eye catching you were. Damn it- he was gonna confess during this party.
while dating :
You absolutely love teasing him about inappropriate behavior. Sitting on a table only for him to scold you so you could bend just enough to give him a good look on your boobs « Whaaaat ? Ohhh, I’m sorry baby, I’ll get off. » too late, he was already blushing way too much.
Paired together during a training ? « It’s funny how it’s only the two of us… stuck underground… no teacher in sight…. », « (Y/N) ?! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN INSINUATING ?! » and you would giggle. Still asks you to cover up a bit when you see his family, but one time his brother caught you both outside on a date with a deep neckline and he didn’t say anything.
Overall, the relationship is a lot of you teasing him because you know it flusters him and him acting like it’s so inappropriate when he loves you just how you are and you literally caught his eye because of how you act and look.
Absolutely adores when he gets to pick you up and hug you, he feels very strong and protective. You often have a loud personality so when you get sleepy or sick he loves to be seen as the more extrovert one -even though he misses every each of your blabber when you get quiet.
Yo Shindo
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(really went with fanon shindo ngl)
how you started dating :
You met at the provisional license exam. As he was about to fight against you, he pointed out how flattering your hero costume was. « Isn’t it rather slutty ? » he asked. You arched an eyebrow, replying : « Have you seen yourself ? »
It was after the exam that he walked up to you. « You’re kinda strong. And very hot-» he started before your cut him off. « I would have preferred very strong and kinda hot ? » he brushed it off. « Y’know my quirk is vibration, right ? We could see each other again. » he offered.
« Do I really look like the type of girl that would hook up randomly ? » he looked at you up and down. « Not forcefully. But I’ve seen how you looked at me. And we don’t have to hook up, let’s just plan a date, sweetheart. » And how it worked, you still wonder.
while dating :
PDA ? You guys invented it. You’re both head over heels for each other and your personalities -and looks- match so much you couldn’t even imagine not being all over each other at any given occasion. Sometimes you do realize it embarrasses others and you try to stop it, but Shindou is too irresistible to say no to.
Loves it when you trace over his abs with your fingers. Loves the little scratching sensation your pointy nails give him. In return, he uses his vibrating quirk to massage your shoulders and back. Adores the little hums you make during the massages. And obviously, loves when you wear revealing clothes, as he can get a better view on your body.
Probably buys you a lot of makeup. He knows how to find a specific color you don’t have, and he knows that you would always like it. When he runs out of idea of something to give you or when he just has some money to spare, he loves paying for your nails beforehand and you get the surprise when the nail artist tells you that it has already been paid.
Probably keeps lipstick stains on his neck and cheeks only to show off with a smug face. You find it weird, but he tells you it makes everyone jealous -even more people from U.A, as you didn’t date them, but him, someone from another hero school. He really fell for your looks but fell harder for your personality.
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creedslove · 1 year ago
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HEARTLESS 💔 - PART TWO
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Agent Whiskey (Jack Daniels) x f!reader
Summary: much to your horror, Jack shows up again and asks you to see his son one more time
(This is the second part of the one shot HEARTLESS 💔)
Warnings: angst, hurt, a little bit of fluff because Wyatt is super cute, mom!reader, asshole!jack, mentions of abortion
A/N: besties honestly i don't even know why I am doing this, while i was writing, i realized i don't like this suffering at all 😭 i think agent whiskey is such a dad and husband material and he's so handsome and sexy and he would be so affectionate and would give the best orgasms and cuddles in the world but i can't stop myself from pouring angst into people's lives 😭
1.7k words
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Wyatt whimpered as you sent him to bed. He wasn't sleepy at all and he wanted to talk about all the fun things he'd seen during the day. He loved to run freely through the green fields, he liked scaring away the chickens, petting the horses and watching the baby pigs. 
But his favorite part of the trip was the cowboy. He was so cool, Wyatt spent the rest of the day blabbering about him and asking you all kinds of questions. He was so innocent and pure, your heart shattered each time he would look at you with his little curious eyes and shoot you another question about the mysterious figure. 
Though he wasn't mysterious at all. It was his dad, not that Wyatt knew about it, you figured he was just too little for that, he was still your baby. He wasn't even four yet and he had to live his little life with only his mama as he'd been rejected by his dad since he was just a small little bean in your womb. 
You saw his begging, pleading eyes, just like Jack's and felt your heart clench, there was nothing he would ask you and you would say no. You sighed and pulled Wyatt into your lap "fine baby boy, if you don't wanna sleep now, then come cuddle mama!!!" You tickled his tummy and made him squeal and snuggle you. 
You sat comfortably in his small bed and let him sprawl over you, loving how happy he got. You ran your fingers through his soft curls and pecked the top of his head. He was waiting for a bedtime story as you always told him one, but this time, he wanted a cowboy story. You swallowed and took his tiny little hand into yours, stroking it gently 
"You really liked that cowboy, didn't you?" You asked your son and earned an excited nod "alright… let mama think…" you closed your eyes and thought of any story you could tell him, however, you didn't know any cowboy stories… the only cowboy story you knew was your cowboy… but that was a long time ago, when he was yours and you were his. 
Still, Wyatt looked up curiously, waiting to know what you had to tell him. 
You swallowed and began telling him the story about your cowboy. 
With a few modifications, some sugar coating and softness you told your son about your first encounter with the cowboy and how it made your heart melt. You told him how you two hit off and how the cowboy had a real nice job of fighting bad guys and saving the world, you couldn't control the pride in your chest as you saw the joy in Wyatt's eyes, loving that storytelling so much he often gasped and giggled.
And going down the memory lane, you managed to make your son sleepy, as he blinked his tired eyes and yawned "night night mama" he whispered before falling asleep.
You smiled at yourself and covered him up, silently walking out the bedroom and walked around your dark, empty apartment. Your mind wouldn't stop replaying the images of your day, your sudden encounter with Jack, something you really thought wouldn't happen soon. He looked handsome, like he always did, smelling great and if you didn't know any better, you would probably fall for his trap again, if he flashed you those beautiful eyes, gave you a grin and said any dumb pickup line with his accent. There was just something so attractive about him, and you had fallen for him once, but you wouldn't make the same mistake twice. 
You thought about how he hugged Wyatt, it didn't even seem the same man who rejected him, who simply broke things up with you once you found out you were pregnant. One day you were deeply in love with each other, and the next he was suggesting you get an abortion. It was something you just couldn't handle, you couldn't accept and just like you were alone in the world with your baby. 
When the doorbell rang, your heart clenched once more, you didn't even need to check, you just knew it was Jack. 
You dried your eyes and sighed, walking to the door and opening it for him. 
Jack stood there, looking almost as unsure as you did. He was holding his hat in hands and watched you hesitantly. You could tell he was looking for words to say, but nothing came out. 
"Come on in, Jack" you said and let him step inside, closing the door behind him and letting him get familiar with the place. 
Jack looked all over the place, he had never been inside your home and it hurt him how it looked homey and cozy. No matter how much he spent on decoration at his own place, he could never get it like that. 
He carefully watched the picture frames, so many photos of a life that could have been his as well, but he chose not to be a part of it, it didn't even matter his reasons now, the result was there: pictures of you on your baby shower, pictures of the first time you held Wyatt in your arms, his first birthday, his first day at daycare, mother's day… all those precious, beautiful moments, and absolutely no trace of Jack. 
"It's good seeing you again, Y/N… you look even prettier than before, sugar" the man turned to you, his voice was small and though his cocky way of speaking wasn't there, you couldn't believe the first thing he told you in years was a cheap attempt of charming you.
"What do you want Jack?" You folded your arms and stared at him, you didn't want to play games nor beat around the bush.
"I wanna be around my boy" he replied to which you scoffed and shook your head 
"Your boy? The same one that you rejected when he was nothing but a tiny little bean in my womb? The one you insisted on me getting rid of? I don't think so, Jack" 
He sighed ashamed of his past and took a step closer, to which you immediately took a step back, showing him you wanted nothing but distance from him. 
"I know what I did, and I know how awful it was, but after I saw him today… I realized I can't get away… please Y/N" 
"You think you can just walk in and demand to see my son? After you abandoned us? He isn't a cute puppy, Jack! You can't just find him sweet because you spent five minutes with him and think you can bring your shit storm into our lives. That's not how it works. I don't want him around you, because you are a mess and you will break his heart just like you broke mine!" 
"I didn't abandon you, Y/N. Don't be unfair with me!!! All these years, I followed the two of you from afar, I provided you with money and other things you needed.. hell, who do you think managed to get you this apartment lease?" He raised his eyebrow getting on the defensive "I wanna do it the right way, but if you make things hard, I'll get a damn lawyer and you will have to fight your cut ass off to pay for one yourself because I won't rest until I have my boy with me!!!" 
You knew Jack, he wasn't bluffing. He was the kind of man who got everything he wanted, but you just couldn't accept he could walk into your home and have a claim on your son after everything that happened, even threatening you to find an attorney. 
"It's not the same… money helps but it is not everything, where were you when I was pregnant and alone? When I needed someone to hold my hand and tell me things were fine? Where were you, Jack? When Wyatt had his first fever and I didn't know how I could help him calm down? When he said his first words? When he took his first step? You missed it all out, even if you had given me your whole fortune, nothing pays the memories you lost!" 
"I just want to see my son, nothing else Y/N��� I don't want you, I don't want our relationship back" he said knowing it would sting you, he couldn't help but make his intentions clear. You two would never be together again, he knew that because you would never take him back, so he thought it was easier to just convince himself of it beforehand. 
You, on the other hand, could never be with him again, even if he hadn't done the things he did, there was still no way you could compete with a ghost, you just thought it was easier to convince yourself Jack never stopped loving his first wife and he never would, so your relationship was nothing but an adventure. 
You didn't want him to see the tears in your eyes, you didn't want to show how weak you felt at that moment. 
Before any of you could say anything else, tiny footsteps interrupted the argument that was about to explode. 
"Cowboy!!!" Wyatt said excitedly as he still rubbed his tired eyes but ran to Jack, giggling as he was so easily lifted up into his arms. The toddler was so affectionate, he just wrapped his small arms around his neck once more and rested his head against Jack's shoulder "miss you cowboy!" he giggled happily and snuggled.
You bit your lips and did your best not to cry, but it was pretty much impossible, you couldn't understand why your son liked that man so much without even knowing him. It wasn't fair to you, and you were ashamed to realize you felt jealous. 
Jack, on the other hand, felt his heart fill with pure joy for the first time in ages. He quickly kept Wyatt in a warm embrace, loving the smell of his baby shampoo and how cute his PJs were. 
His hand rubbed up and down his back as he sat on the couch, letting him relax completely and in a matter of minutes, Wyatt was back in dreamland.
You hated how easy it was for Jack to make your son fall asleep, and how much they already liked each other, it hurt you so much, but you were determined not to let that man get near you again.
_____
A/N: ¿Malparido, no?
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1-have-no-idea · 25 days ago
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But hate is so close to love
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(Image not mine :))
authors note: this is the fic I’ve been talking about! Finally something long! Let me know what y’all think, this is my first time ever writing something really ‘long’, apologies for the wonky spacing, kinda rushed-
Character(s): Maul, fem! reader
Genre: angst, romantic, comfort
Overview: you, being a civilian that Maul originally took with him to be an ‘example’, aka, killing you, but at the last second, takes interest in you because he can use you. You made a wonderful slave. But slave’s aren’t supposed to forgive their captor, much less love them. Sith couldn’t love. Maul couldn’t love. He couldn’t care less about you. So why did it scare him so much that one day, you’d realize how bad he was for you and leave him?
Warning(s): death, mentions of torture, starvation, dehydration, cruelty, fear, bleeding heart reader, slavery, slight age-gap (reader is implied to be somewhere in her early twenties, Maul is around mid-thirties), corruption, Stockholm syndrome (?), violence, panic attacks, abandonment, manipulation (?), degradation
6519 words
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The dust under you was smearing your pants a rust-brown. You felt a bead of sweat on your temple slowly run down your face, the faint heat of a lightsaber near your face. It burnt your skin, felt as if you were on the planet of Tatooine in the middle of the day. An understatement of a testament of how scorching it really was if it made contact with your flesh. You kept your eyes trained on the saber, the one casting a red glow upon your face. The one wielding the lightsaber was none other than one of the most infamous Nightbrother’s, Darth Maul himself. His face held no emotion other than dispassion as he held the lightsaber close to your face, fiery yellow eyes boring into your own.
Oh, you knew this was a bad idea! You should’ve never hijacked that ship, should’ve stayed at home and not have letten your curiosity take over you! ‘Curiosity killed the loth cat’ wasn’t just a saying, you realized. You just wanted to get off your own planet and explore a new one, that was all! But of course you just happened to crash into one of the most godforsaken ones, Dathomir. Everyone warned you of the planet. Apparently, the dark side of the force resided there strongly, and the residents who lived there were… not exactly the most welcoming. And guess what? Young and dumb you left your own planet out of curiosity, and now young and dumb you were going to be beheaded while down on your knees from a powerful Sith everyone feared. You didn’t know whether to start sobbing and begging for your life, or maybe in the heat of the moment, you could roll away and make a run for it.
…No, you knew that both of those would be futile. Maul could sense your fear, your anxiety. Could see it in those doe eyes peering up at him nervously. He almost pitied how pathetic you looked, but honestly, he couldn’t care less. It irritated him how weak and soft you looked. Didn’t you know Dathomir was filled with ruthless savages who wouldn’t think twice about taking advantage of a dumb thing like you? Obviously not. You seemed a bit airheaded to him.
“You’re a daft one, aren’t you?” The tattooed Dathomirian crooned down at you, cocking his head to the side slightly. Excuse him? He then sighed, raising his lightsaber, holding it taut and ready to strike at you without any mercy. Immediately, a choked gasp left you, and your eyes widened in horror, before, without thinking, you flung yourself onto the dust-covered ground before him. Bowing now. Like you were kneeling at an altar, your hands moving into a pleading position. How pathetic.
“Wait, w-wait-!” You stammered, lifting your eyes to look up at him from your place on the ground. “Please don’t kill me, I’ll do anything!” Wow, didn’t that come out desperate? This was cliche. “I- I know that sounds super desperate and cliche, but honestly, I don’t really care–” bold for someone who was face to face with a Sith. “You can just take me in, and I’ll- I dunno- I can, uhm, I can-” a click of his tongue was your breaking point, and just before he could bring down his weapon and plunge it into you, you flinched and shut your eyes tightly in fear. “I’ll be your slave-!” You cried out desperately, bracing yourself for the hot pain to tear through your flesh, but it never came. Your heart was banging against your ribcage, and cold sweat dripped down your body, eyes clenched so tightly you started to feel a tad lightheaded. Then, a marred hand came down and rooted itself in your hair, before tugging you up so you were back sitting up straight. A small yelp left you at the action.
“...Look at me, girl. Open your eyes.” Maul demanded, and you complied, opening your eyes to stare at him warily. The Sith regarded you intensely, sizing you up, a hint of interest present on his stone cold face. “My slave? For your life, in return, you’d agree to be my slave? A slave to a Sith?” He sneered, tone almost sardonic. Like he found the idea funny. In all honesty, being a slave to a Sith was worse than death. Regardless, however, you bobbed your head up and down, swallowing down your fear and nervousness. “Yes sir,” you agreed in a shaky murmur. He looked you up and down once more, before a twisted grin of cruelness split on his lips. “I believe that can be arranged.” He droned, before tugging you up on your feet by your hair.
The good thing was that you escaped partially unscathed with your life. The bad thing? Your life was in the hands of Darth Maul himself, and he didn’t come with the title ‘gentle.’ And you were a fragile little thing.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Your hands were worked raw at this point. Your body aches everywhere, and you haven't slept a wink ever since Maul took you in. He was high maintenance. Your tasks were to fix his ship whenever he spotted something wrong with it, to clean every nook and cranny inside of it too, he wanted you to take apart his lightsaber, clean it, and then piece it back together. With no safety gear, mind you. The tasks were dangerous as they were tedious and difficult. But you knew better than to complain. You wouldn’t. If this was your life from now on, then so be it.
He didn’t really talk to you. Not unless it was about your chores. “Have you finished the floors, pet?” He’d ask, giving you a condescending smile. And you’d nod, and straighten your back, and it’d give a small pop. “Good. Now, do the windows, I need you to make the beds and sweep, and do not forget to make the bunks and clean all the rooms.” He’d remind you, despite it being the unholy hours of the morning and you’ve been awake the entire day and night before.
Weeks passed, and weeks turned into months with him. You had gotten used to barely getting any sleep, you were used to not eating that much, not needing him to tell you what he wanted and when he wanted it. You had completely memorized everything.
As of late, however, your tasks have become well… more, domestic. Maul had entrusted you with cooking his meals, with his eyes on you of course, just so you didn’t try to sneak anything in it, you started to wash his robes, he liked when you filed his nails and his horns from time to time. It confused you, why your tasks were getting easier and less harsh each day. It was as if he was… giving you a break, for your weary body. But then he started to feed you, too. Allowed you to eat and sleep, to regain your nutrition. A part of you thought that maybe it was a trick, to give you a false sense of security. But another part, a more trusting and altruistic part, believed that maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t all that of a sadistic Sith that most people believed him to be. You knew that was just your heart talking, not your mind. He didn’t care. Not one bit.
And that’s when you started to realize. This Sith, this Nightbrother, Darth Maul, was starting to lower his guard around you. It made sense, really. You weren’t a Separatist or one of the Republic. Just a citizen. A mere stranger on the side-lines. You posed no threat. That’s why you were here currently, his hand in yours as you delicately held his fingers while filing down his nails. Sharp, how he liked them, but short. He insisted that when he grew his nails out, although it was beneficial, he didn’t like the grime that collected underneath. He sat on his throne, legs spread, one bent at the knee with his foot on the seat, and the other down on the floor. His eyes were downcast, flickering across the words in his book. You were sat next to the arm of his chair, only sometimes glancing up to look up at him or peeking at his book. His expression was soft, softer than it ever really was. He always had that look while reading. Where the scrunch of his nose smoothed out, the way the corners of his lips that were usually naturally tugged down evened out into a soft line, and his eyes were less clouded over.
“It’s rude to stare, pet.” Oh. Immediately, you snapped out of your daze, clearing your throat. “Sorry.” You mumbled, eyes falling back down to his nails. He didn’t look up at you when he said that, still reading, but once you looked back down, his eyes slowly fixed on you. A soft huff left from his nostrils, and he looked to where your small hands were on his. Your soft palm against his rough one, the way you held his fingers so gently. It made him sick. Like he wanted to curl away from you. But it also made him want to relax. He then resumed to look back at his book, but not before posing a question. “...would you like to know what I am reading, girl?” He asked softly. He always was soft-spoken towards you. At least, nowadays. Scaring you and putting fear in you became less entertaining for him. You hummed and stared up at him quizzically, before nodding shyly. As if you were flustered at his offer. Another huff. “I am reading poetry. I find it most interesting… I enjoy how it is like a puzzle. Something to figure out. Yet, the feeling is expressed so vividly and clearly. It is just so easily looked over sometimes.” He explained in a quiet voice. You were surprised at how open and attentive he was to the book, and how pleased he seemed to be to share it with you.
The life of a Sith was as dangerous as it was evil. The one thing that people never mentioned about taking that path, however, was how lonely it was.
“You like poetry, Maul?” You questioned, tilting your head a little while he blew on his fingers to rid of the dust that was his keratin. He gave a small hum of agreement. “I do. Very much so.” He affirmed. And then you gave him a faint smile, a quirk of your lips, and in return, his expression turned a little wary. “Me too,” you admitted. That made Maul relax once more. It was silent for a moment, before he spoke up. “If you would like, I could read out loud to you.” He offered. That made you pause, a look of surprise growing on your face, before you nodded, giving him another smile.
“Yes, please.”
When he opened his mouth and started reading out loud, you tried to focus on his words, you really did, but you couldn’t help but be distracted, watching how his lips moved to form his words, how his voice was so smooth. He was softer. He was less violent towards you. He was reading to you. The way your heartbeat quickened is where you started to slowly become more aware of your thoughts. And also became aware of what was happening.
No. No, that couldn’t be, he was your captor! You should hate him! …So why did you feel so safe with him? Why did he make you smile? Why did he make you care? You shouldn’t care for him, not when he almost took your life. But he didn’t, your heart cried out. He’s lonely, your heart defended. There’s a reason for that, your mind retorted. He’s a Sith. Sith can’t love. He can’t love. So your heart and your mind were at war with each other, and you yourself were gazing at Maul in uncertainty. In the end, your heart won. He can be good. I know he can.
You couldn’t fix him, no. But you could at least try to be there for him.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Today, Maul came back to the temple tense. There were multiple lines on his forehead from frowning, his breathing was coming out in harsh huffs, and his lips were twisted into a nasty frown. He was muttering under his breath, words quick and indecipherable. He was rambling incoherently under his breath, before collapsing on his throne, one hand moved to his head, fingers moving to grip ahold of one of his horns, while the other slid down to cup at his jaw, before holding the side of his neck. He was hunched over, slightly rocking back and forth in his chair.
You exited your chambers to greet him when you heard him come back, but seeing him break down like this made your heart fall to your stomach. “Maul-?” You called out in concern, padding to his side quickly, brows furrowed in concern and eyes showing nothing but care and worry. “What’s wrong-?” You tried asking, but he just continued to whisper under his breath. He looked like he couldn’t even see you. Slowly, in confusion, you sank down into a crouch. “...Maul?”
When he didn’t answer, you carefully reached out a hand to him. Your finger brushed against his wrist. Brushing against his wrist gently, a feather-light touch. Barely, but that’s all he needed. Like a spider when it feels that single movement in its web, he lunged forwards to you, shoving you off balance.
You yelped in shock, being shoved off balance and almost tumbling backwards, before feeling your throat tighten. Your air was being cut off, and there seemed to be some invisible pressure around your neck that lifted you off your feet to where you hovered above the ground. You let out a strangled cry of his name, hands moving to claw at your throat despite nothing being there. He walked toward you, and each step he took, you were pushed backwards by the force, his lips twisted into a snarl, teeth bared and right hand extended with his palm facing towards you. He growled at you, a guttural sound, and it sounded so pained. He looked at you as if he didn’t know you. Your lips trembled, and you felt yourself getting lightheaded. “Maul—” you gasped out.
“You’re– ack– you’re hurting me—”
And just like that, all that fear and hate and anger left his eyes, leaving a confused awareness. His arm dropped, and he took a shuddering breath as he fell to the floor, choking and gasping for air, gulping it down greedily. Your hand moved to gently prod at your throat that felt bruised now, eyes moving to look up at him in a fearful and confused question. A hint of regret and shame flickered in yellow orbs, but as quickly as it was put there, it left. A frustrated shout left him, and he whipped away from you, fleeing the temple quickly, leaving you alone on the floor confused and hurt.
Questions flooded your mind. The most prominent one being why? Why would he do that? Why’d that happen? Why’d he leave? Or, what, happened?
Maul himself had to leave the temple. Move outside and just take a walk, kicking up the sand beneath his boots. That simple brush of your fingertips to his wrist made him want to hide. And when he didn’t want to hide, he wanted to bite. Words could not explain how when you made contact with his skin, it burned. Made him recoil away from you, but Sith do not recoil and curl away, no, they fight. So that’s exactly what he did.
It was encouraged, you should’ve known your place and never decided to get close to him in the first place, it was your fault. You were nothing but his slave, that was it. …So why did he feel bad? Why did he have that sudden sting in not one, but all three of his hearts? He was growing too soft. That was the problem. He was actually starting to relax around you.
Maul gritted his teeth in anger, head shaking in disbelief. This was all a part of your plan, wasn’t it? You were tricking him– yes, that was it! You were trying to trick him to lower his guard around you, so you could take advantage of him! That was the only reason. That made the Zabrak let out a deep sigh of relief. Yes, that was it. You were a small, dumb thing, but Maul had to applaud you for being so bold and more cunning than he gave you credit for.
…Yet, at the same time, he had entrusted you with cooking for him, even going as far to not watch you. If you had planned to escape him, wouldn’t you have tried to poison him the moment he took his gaze off you? Maybe kill him in his sleep? You could’ve impaled him whenever you desired while filing his horns, but you never did. You weren’t malicious, not one bit. Not even violent. Maul almost thought that maybe you were incapable of feeling such things as hatred or anger. You couldn’t harm a fly. Literally. He’s witnessed it. Despite flinching and almost running away when you first saw it, it didn’t stop you from running around in the temple trying to catch it inside your cupped hands before releasing it outside. The entire time, he had watched with a slightly baffled expression, eyes wide and brow ridges furrowed, once quirked up with parted lips.
He spared you from the fact that the minute you released the small insect outside and walked away from the window it got eaten by a small reptile. He’d hate for you to be whining about it, he could imagine how much of a nuisance that’d be.
Or maybe he was sparing himself the fact that he didn’t tell you because he didn’t want you to be upset about it.
That made Maul freeze where he was sitting atop of a small boulder, eyes widening. He couldn’t deny that he enjoyed having your presence around. He enjoyed you. He liked how you would let him read to you, how you would cater to him so gently, how you were softening around him. You were making him feel something.
You made him feel less of a burden on his shoulders. Released some of that darkness inside of him. You made him feel warm, soft. And Maul, oh, he hated that. He hated the way you made him feel. Maybe it was just temporary, though. It would pass, surely.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
When Maul got home that night, he was quiet. He ignored you for the first couple of hours, not sure how to interact with you after his actions. You would glance at him in concern, not fear. You were worried, he could see that. He hated how you didn’t look at him in fear like how you should, he just strangled you! It annoyed him, made him feel that same weird pang in his chest, but he didn’t say anything. Neither did you, not wanting to set him off again. That silence lasted until when you were about to retire into your chambers. Before you could, though, Maul called after you.
“Pet.”
Your head perked up and you looked over to him, a small nervous look on your face which made him want to grimace. He pointed to the space in front of him, looking at you expectantly. “Come here.” He demanded. Tentatively, you approached him, until you stood in front of him while he sat. The Nightbrother made a soft grunt, before beckoning you even more down. “Kneel. I do not bite.” He said in a tone of annoyance. Liar.
However, you cooperated, moving down on one knee so you were looking up at him, his knees on either side of your face. With a curled finger, he made you sit up slightly, before leaning down so he was face to face with you. His eyes flickered down to your throat, seeing the slight bruising there and redness of where all the pressure had been. Then, silently, he reached inside of his robes and pulled out a thick plant, (that he collected on his way back to the temple), breaking it in half while keeping his eyes on your neck. A slimy string connected the two broken halves, but Maul made no movement to swipe it up. Instead, with the tip of his finger, his claw poking into the supple and sensitive flesh of your throat, he tilted your face up so your throat was bared to him. He peeled the plant of its skin, only the clear and slimy flesh left, before scraping the gooey slick off it, and picking it up. It dripped from his hands, and he placed the cool slimy gel on the bruises. It was wet, and kissed your skin, dribbling down and sending a shudder down your spine from the coolness. Once he was done applying it, he looked at his now slimy and sticky hands distastefully, and wiped them on his pants legs. But then he pulled his lightsaber out, igniting it. Immediately, you flinched backwards, brows knitting together, but Maul stopped with you by placing a firm hand on your shoulder.
“Calm yourself, star,” oh, that was a new one. You couldn’t help the way it made your heart flutter. You wondered why he decided to call you that. “I have no intention of killing you. I would’ve done so already if I did.” He reassured, if you can even call it that, just letting the lightsaber hover near your skin so the heat of the saber could warm the area. “Oh.” You relaxed, breath evening out. “Heat helps get rid of bruises.” He explained, and you nodded. He was taking care of you, you realized. It was a silent apology. A way to make up for it.
Was it bad that it made you love him even more?
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
The next couple of weeks passed by quickly. You were growing bolder each day. Maul soon came to the realization that if he got you talking, you’d never shut up. You were treating him like a friend. And with the title of friend, comes the affection. In the beginning, you’d be scared about it. Maybe an accidental brush against him, and he would immediately whip towards you, teeth bared and snarling at you. A silent but expressive and aggressive don’t touch me.
You didn’t listen, though. Not to purposefully try him, no, sometimes it really was an accident, and others you just weren’t really thinking about it. Soon, snarls and growls turned into flinches and grimaces, until it turned into tensing, and now, he would just let it happen. He wouldn’t shove you away. He would just glance at where you were touching, and move on with whatever he was doing. That made you happy. He was comfortable around you. And that made you happy. You know what else it made you? Made you feel closer to him even more.
There was no use in hiding how your relationship with the Sith was definitely not fearful like how it was in the beginning, and your feelings definitely weren’t what a ‘slave’ should be feeling. Of course, you were ashamed of it at first, but after realizing he really wasn’t a bad person, and just did many bad things, it made you accept it. He was hurt, and he was angry and hateful. And he was lonely.
In return, it was no secret how Maul was softening up to you too. Allowing your touches, listening to you talk, he even smiled at you. Multiple times. Not those mean ones either, a genuine smile. Not to mention the couple of more sweet terms of endearment that escaped his lips whenever he really was relaxed and not thinking.
You supposed that’s what led you here, now. It was dark outside, all the close by planets and stars visible from where you and Maul sat. He had found you stargazing, and decided to join you. He didn’t quite understand why you were so enthralled by them when it’s something you see everyday, but you were like that. You just loved life. He almost envied you, because he didn’t understand it.
“I don’t understand why you look up there like it isn’t something you see everyday.” He commented suddenly, making you let out a soft chuckle.
“They’re pretty. I just can’t get enough of it.” You responded with a shrug, and that made an amused hum leave him. “You never fail to confuse me.” He muttered under your breath, and you turned to smile at him. “But ain’t that the nice part? Means you’ll always be surprised by me, and it’s like a big puzzle. You like puzzles, Maul.” He sighed deeply, and shook his head. “I resent you, sometimes.” He said, but it was a lie. He didn’t mean that.
But it made your smile soften, and your heart tighten.
“I love you.”
And those words escaped you before you could stop them. Maul froze, and so did you. You were about to stammer out an excuse, but it was far too late. Maul didn’t look at you, and you couldn’t tell whether he was angry or shocked.
“...You what?” He whispered. You could lie, but there was no point in that. He’s already heard you, and there was no going back now. Swallowing, and clenching your hands, you took a deep breath, before repeating yourself. “I… I love you.” You said in a hushed tone. And he tensed, claws digging into his pants legs. “No, you don’t.” A whisper.
“What-? Yes, I do—”
“No, you don’t.” More firmer this time. Okay, now you weren’t scared, you were just concerned. Why was he denying this? “Maul, I do–”
“No, you don’t!” He finally shouted, standing up and seething at you, shaking his head. “You don’t love me! You don’t, you don’t, you don’t!” He screamed at you in fury, trembling. You looked at him with hurt and disbelief, getting up with him, but as you did, he started to pace away from you back to the temple. “Maul, no! Why-? What do you mean-?” You questioned, not understanding why he was so upset with you as you ran after him. But then, a guttural growl which borderlined a gritted noise of pain escaped his throat, and he turned around and shoved you to the floor, chest heaving. “Do not speak.” He spat out venomously. “I’ve heard enough.”
And that was the last thing he said to you before disappearing from the temple, slamming the doors shut as he left you. You laid there on the floor, bewildered, before standing up on shaky legs and stumbling to open them. “Maul-?” You called out, eyes flickering around to find any sign of where he went, but you found none. “Maul! I- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you!” You cried out, hoping that maybe he’d come back if he heard you. “Please come back!” And yet he never did. The only response you got was some chitters of the nightlife and a small breeze that made you feel even colder.
The next few days, you were left at the temple alone. You’d frequently look back towards the doors whenever you heard the slightest noise from outside, hoping that maybe it was Maul returning just like how he always does, but it was always just the wind or a little critter. You’d wake up early in the mornings to go and check his quarters only to find yourself being disappointed that he didn’t decide to come back the night before, and during the evenings, you’d still cook food for two despite it just being you, and unsure of what to do with the leftovers afterwards, and at night? That was the worst. You would move to sit outside of the temple, on its stairs, waiting for him to come home, or at least, what felt like home. Not anymore. Not without him in it.
This cycle repeated itself over and over again, every day, with no trace of him. At this point, you were starting to actually believe he had… abandoned you. All because you said, ‘I love you?’ You guessed so.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Finally, after days of desertion, he returned. You were overjoyed, bounding up to him and going in for a hug, which he begrudgingly accepted but stayed silent nonetheless. You cooked for the both of you and tended to him eagerly, but the both of you never dared mention your little confession. Thankfully, at least he still accepted your affection. So it wasn’t like you guys had to start back at base one. In brutal honesty, ever since that happened, you felt as if you had to start walking on eggshells whenever around him. Anything could set him off, and you didn’t want that. Not after what you had seen, what he did. You didn’t want that.
Though, you did recognize that ever since he came back, he was more… tender, if you could put it that way. He read to you more often, and invited you to sit with him whenever he sat somewhere. So it wasn’t all that bad. And you started to get more comfortable with him again, and vice versa.
And soon that led to the both of you sleeping in the same bed.
In all honesty, you didn’t know what you guys were. Definitely not just acquaintances, and you definitely weren’t just a slave to him, you were something more, but what? It was quite obvious you were harboring a huge affection for him, with him harboring an affection towards you, but he never brought it up. So neither did you. But, you’d suppose you’d go under the title of lovers, finally. Or, well, partial lovers. He’d still have his moments, and push you away, and sure, it hurt, but you knew not to take it to heart. He was still getting used to it. So, it wasn’t that much of a surprise when he suddenly was faced away from you, the breakfast that you made him, that he asked for shoved away from him, a cold look of disdain on his face.
Oh. Okay.
“Are you not… hungry, anymore?” You asked quietly. The Sith shook his head, lips twisting as he took a deep breath in. “I don’t want it.” He stated. Your fingers curled into your palms nervously and you nodded. “Do you want me to save it just in case you do feel hungry later—?” “Get rid of it. I don’t want it.” He repeated, more firmly this time, hardening his stare to you. Immediately, you grabbed his plate, a small noise of agreement leaving you as you sighed softly. Once you left the room, Maul settled back in the bed, trying to relax, but seeing that disappointed and tired look on your face hurt him. He knew it was hard for you. He knew you didn’t deserve this. Not in the slightest.
Truth be told, Maul knew exactly how he was affecting you. During the night, when you thought you were being quiet and careful of not waking him, he could hear the small sniffles escaping you and the shaking of your shoulders. He saw how your face would fall when you noticed how he was switching up again. He could feel your hurt. And he’s never hated himself more.
Curling in on himself, Maul buried his face into his hands. You didn’t deserve this. You didn’t deserve him. He didn’t deserve you. His hearts tightened, and his hands gripped his sides tightly, claws most likely digging into his tattooed flesh. He didn’t deserve you.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
“Oh, no, hey, hey, hey, Maul…” You called out his name softly, gently pulling him to you and cradling him to your chest as sobs wracked his body. Ugly sobs. He clung to you tightly as he cried. He was definitely having one of his moments. “It’s okay, s’okay, I’m here, s’okay…” you comforted, rocking him soothingly. He seemed like nothing more than a child who was lost and had no idea what he was doing while in his arms.
“It’s not okay, it’s not okay, not okay, never okay–” he uttered under his breath over and over again, voice thick with tears and trembling. You cooed to him and held him even closer to you. “It is,” you assured. “We’re okay.” And not knowing what else to say, you said the same words he never echoed back, the ones that made him shove you away and shut down.
“I love you.”
He froze in your arms, sobs dying down, but he didn’t shove you away or shut down like usual. “...It’ll pass.” He responded quietly. Your heart broke for the broken Sith, and you shook your head. “No, it won’t. I love you, Maul. I do.”
“You don’t. You shouldn’t.”
“But I do.”
“Why?” He finally asked, pulling away from you with puffy and teary eyes, nose scrunched up and lips twisted into a frown. “Why do you love someone like me? I tortured you. I almost killed you. I’ve abandoned you. You shouldn’t love me.” He explained, tone slowly evening out.
“I’ve forgiven that. I’ve forgiven all of that-” you responded, but he cut you off, voice almost flat.
“I hate you.”
…What?
Your eyes widened, and your heart dropped to your stomach. Surely not, right? He didn’t mean that. Maybe he– maybe you misheard him?
“I hate you.” He repeated, voice hollow. “I hate how caring you are. I hate how you treat me so gently. I hate how you act. I hate that you love me. I hate that I care for you. I hate that you make me feel so bad. I hate you.”
Oh, but hate is so close to love.
“You should just leave.” He stated, not even batting an eye at his own words. You forced back the tears that threatened to prick at your eyes and shook your head. “You— you don’t mean that. You’re just saying that-” you basically tried to convince yourself, eyes tracing his face for any lie or deceit to tell you that he didn’t mean it. You couldn’t find anything. His face was blank. Like he was on autopilot or something.
And he was. Right now, it was his insecurity talking. In reality, what he wanted to say was I’m sorry you have to deal with me. What he meant when he said he hated you was that he loved you. He was angry with you because you weren’t angry with him. He wanted you to hurt him, yell at him, get mad, because that’s how he felt for himself. He just didn’t understand why you didn’t feel the same way. You were the victim after all. He didn’t want to taint you any more than he already has. You were a young thing, a sweet thing. And Maul was an old, rugged, and cruel and unfeeling, broken bastard. He couldn’t burden you with that.
“Just leave!” He finally shouted. “I don’t want you here! It was better when you were gone– I was better off without you!” He screamed at you, trying to push you away, because he loved you. It was for your own good.
Slowly, you let go of him, hurt written all over your face. You looked as if you didn’t know what to do, you didn’t. Because how are you supposed to respond to that when it was the man whom you loved yelling it at you? But he said it’d be better, right? That he rather that? So, swallowing dryly, you gave a tiny, imperceivable nod and slid away from him.
Oh.
Oh- you were actually leaving-?!
He’d pushed you too far this time, he was too mean, he said too much–
“W-wait, where are you going?” He asked, sitting up and looking at you with wide eyes. “Leaving.” You responded quietly, standing up from the bed, and he immediately grabbed for your wrist, pulling you back. “I didn’t mean it, I swear, I didn’t–” he started to ramble, and you tried tearing yourself from his grip.
“Let me go, Maul! You can’t just take that back, you’ve already said what you said, now let me go-!” He should, shouldn’t he? He didn’t deserve you, you didn’t deserve him, he was being selfish. But couldn’t he? Couldn’t he be selfish? Just this once? He’d already lost so much. He couldn’t lose you too. Not from over those stupid, ugly words that left his lips in a fit of insecurity.
Holding you to him, he buried his face in the crook of your neck, embracing you to him like he was losing you, because he was. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it, darling, please-” he pleaded, feeling you writhing against him and hearing your protests. It absolutely broke his hearts. As if to make up for it and convey silent apologies, he started pressing soft and fluttering kisses to the skin of your shoulder and neck in whispered apologies, mumbling his regret and shame through each kiss.
“Maul, please.” You finally choked out, falling limp against him and just weakly pressing your palms to his chest. “You don’t love me, you don’t. Let me leave.” You begged, and he shook his head, nuzzling into you even more and taking a shuddering breath. “No, no, that’s not true, darling, I- I do– I just- you don’t deserve me, I don’t deserve you, and I was just hurting you and I–”
It was all coming out now. The guilt. The pain. The insecurity. The self-loathing. The love.
Your eyes slowly softened, and you relaxed against him, understanding now. “I love you.” He finally choked out, cupping your face in his hands. “I’m sorry I didn’t say it before, that I couldn’t, but know now, I love you. I’ve never hated you. I don’t. And by the Force, I don’t want you to leave. I don’t.”
And you cried. You cried in his arms, like the many times he cried in yours. And he pressed your foreheads together, cradling you like you were glass while pressing kisses to your face to prove to you he really was telling you the truth. Because nothing scared him more than the thought of losing you.
After all, hate is so close to love.
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dogbunni · 2 years ago
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[begins coughing like a cat about to throw up a furball] [spits up several nendo headcanons and then looks at u proudly]
-nendo collects hot wheels. I have no justification beyond this except that I also collect hot wheels and I think we'd have that in common. if he was real I would take nendo to a toy shop to look at all the hot wheels. just stand there and observe them for an uncomfortably long time. my friends aren't deeply autistic enough to do this with me so I can never observe the little cars for long enough before making a purchase :(
-nendo trans ally #1
-nendo has no idea what his sexuality is but not in a confused/questioning way, in a "I have never thought about it longer than 1 second" way. he likes who he likes and has no thoughts beyond that. he is label-less in a [shrugs shoulders] way. (saiki is also label-less but in a "fuck you" kind of way)
-nendo loves rollercoasters and watches weird essay length youtube videos about theme parks and animatronics. its a hobby that deeply disturbs everyone around him bc this guy cannot do basic math but he can and will channel the spirit of akechi rambling about defunct animatronics. sometimes he shows saiki pictures of animatronics in late stages of decay in horrible pitch black nightmare settings and saiki reacts as if nendo has placed a live cockroach in his lap.
-he has a condiment problem. steals sauce packets from restaurants with diagnosable compulsion.
-he doesn't Get memes. everyone has tried and failed to show nendo a meme. it's like trying to show your mother a funny picture and she holds the phone as far away from her face as she can and then stares at it for way too long before silently handing it back. he just doesn't Get It.
-hes like, really good at making memes though. he will just absently turn a phrase or take an image so absurd that everyone is still saying and reposting and reacting with it years down the line. he has no idea that he has this power
-he feeds stray cats and makes little shelters for them outdoors <3
-nendo and kaido roleplay together sometimes. I'm talking like, warrior cats roleplay. sometimes dark reunion but kaido gets pissy if nendo messes up The Lore. nendo calls it "playing pretend" bc he has no concept of cringe culture and kaido dies inside every time
-he manages to forget his own birthday. every year. saiki remembers though, and it's the one and only day he will ask if nendo wants to get ramen with him, instead of the other way around. it gets to the point that saiki asks if nendo wants ramen, and he says "what, is it my birthday ahaha" and saiki is just like. you goddamn idiot. good grief.
-last time I did one of these I said that nendo loves cute things like sanrio plushies and holds them so gently. well I see that and I am correct, but I raise you nendo thinking that SAIKI is the cutest thing he's ever seen. something about the pink hair and glasses and the little limiter bubbles on his head and his purple eyes and little frowny eyebrows- nendo wants to. hold gently. sometimes he just grabs saiki by the shoulders and stares at him blank in the face and saiki is like [nervously] "what the fuck? what the fuck????"
-he and aiura actually get along weirdly well. they're unhinged in similar flavours and it gets saiki's blood pressure up. he tries at all costs to keep them away from each other. their singular brain cells cancel each other out on sight.
-akechi makes nendo's brain hurt a little. he just can't process all of akechi's akechi-ness and it makes him feel dumb. he's fine with being dumb most of the time but akechi just makes him feel a little self conscious for some reason. (definitely not because he's jealous that akechi was friends with saiki first)
-he still likes the funny lil guy though. akechi's the only one who will enthuse with him about rollercoasters and he values those talks. so much.
-toritsuka is afraid of nendo for some reason. no one is sure why but nendo LOVES it. he's always trying to jump out and scare him. saiki supports nendo in this endeavour ardently. toritsuka suffers.
-nendo falls down the weirdest tiktok rabbit holes. it got so bad once that they got teruhashi to distract him while kuboyasu lifted his phone and deleted the app off of it. it took nendo several months to realise he could redownload it.
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zvtara-was-never-canon · 5 months ago
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I am genuinely surprised that the lists of dumb zvtara takes don't include the "change Zuko for Sokka in the lightning scene and it will start looking incestuous". Because it's like, one of the dumbest things they say.
Canon cases of Sokka protecting Katara:
Sokka protecting Katara from falling into a freezing sea after SHE broke the iceberg: https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/cap-that.com/tv/avatar/101/images/avatar-the-last-airbender1x01_0289.jpg https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/cap-that.com/tv/avatar/101/images/avatar-the-last-airbender1x01_0299.jpg
Sokka shielding Katara with his body from whatever sits in this round piece of ice that SHE broke open: https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/cap-that.com/tv/avatar/101/images/avatar-the-last-airbender1x01_0455.jpg
Sokka shielding Katara with his body while a freaking AVATAR is destroying the temple: https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/cap-that.com/tv/avatar/108/images/avatar-the-last-airbender1x08_1519.jpg
Sokka attacking another AVATAR who dared to burn Katara (and then he will also blame the legendary firebender who is able to incinerate Sokka in seconds if being pissed): https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/cap-that.com/tv/avatar/116/images/avatar-the-last-airbender1x16_1169.jpg
Sokka jumping in front of Katara to scare away the wolf-bat: https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/cap-that.com/tv/avatar/202/images/avatar-the-last-airbender2x02_0837.jpg
Sokka shielding Katara with his body to protect her from the third AVATAR (twice this episode): https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/cap-that.com/tv/avatar/205/images/avatar-the-last-airbender2x05_1337.jpg
Sokka attacking the goddamn SPIRIT to protect Katara: https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/cap-that.com/tv/avatar/210/images/avatar-the-last-airbender2x10_1588.jpg
Sokka jumping in front of Katara to protect her from angry villagers: https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/cap-that.com/tv/avatar/303/images/avatar3x03_1424.jpg
Sokka shielding Katara with his body during the attack of an almost invincible combustionbender: https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/cap-that.com/tv/avatar/312/images/avatar3x12_1119.jpg
So, apparently, this all is fine, a normal sibling relationship. But imagine Sokka protecting Katara by jumping between her and a lightning... and THIS will look incestous... because a normal brother will ONLY do this for his sister if he wants to fuck her... right?
rIGHT, ZVTARIANS?
Zutarians LOVE insisting that any moment between Zuko and Katara MUST be inherently romantic in nature. It doesn't matter if they're talking about a hug, a big sacrifice, a fight, saying hello to each other, sitting next to each other while having lunch with their friends, teaming up during a fight, it WILL be talked about like it's something only love interest could do, even if we have tons of exemples of them doing all of those things with other characters that they don't have any kind of romantic feelings for.
And it would have been fine for them LIKE those moments and want to interpret them with shipper goggles, or adding them to their fanfics, or making fanart of it. But they are not happy with that. They need EVERYONE to look at it the same way the do - and as a bonus, expect those minor things to replace explicitly romantic moment between Katara and Aang, or Mai and Zuko.
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granolawriting · 1 year ago
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New things ☆ ° *
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pairing: Platonic Jedi!reader x Jedi Anakin
Summary: Anakin spent his young days as either a slave or "the chosen one". Never having the opportunity to really celebrate the holidays, you explain to him a celebration on your own planet for the fall season
word count: 1.8k
masterlist
A/N: This was literally so much fun to write, I really like writing anakins banter with the reader, and overall just the stupid things he'd say in my own interpritation of his character off the battle feild. I hope you enjoy!! This is the 3rd installment for my kinktober list, Make sure if you like my work to check out my requests/comissions or my ko-fi!!!
“I feel dumb. Are you sure you’re not pulling one over on me?” 
Anakin stares with inquisitive intent at the pumpkin you laid before him. Sat upon a steel counter of the kitchen within your room in the Jedi temple. Tossed on a small ottoman in the middle of your home was a bag full of ingredients for baking, holodramas of sith legends, and most importantly, the means for cutting up the pumpkins that sat before you and Anakin. 
“Dude, I lived it and you didn't. Either you can trust me and stab the pumpkin, or you can forever live in a non-holiday spirit.” 
“I just can't imagine that this actually got popular. What’s the meaning behind this?”
“Yaknow, this was initially made to scare away the sith ghosts that would roam the halls at night on the night before halloween.” 
“That's total bull. I don't think this would scare a 5 year old.” 
“You haven't even cut into it yet!” 
Anakin holds up the traceable mold that came with the package of serrated knives and spoons, triangle eyes and comically sharp teeth. 
“I don't have to to know that if a youngling saw this, they would start laughing at me.” 
You snatch it away from him teasingly, a melodramatic face of anger contorting upon you, 
“Well then, it seems like they have no holiday spirit either! Pay them no mind. There are those who get it, and those who don't!” 
“Whatever. Just hand me the knife.” 
“You don't even know what to do!” 
Thus the first activity begins, detailing the two of you slowly cutting into pumpkins while a music box softly plays soundtracks of scary films from your childhood. Demonstrating to Anakin exactly how to cut into a pumpkin with less than graceful precision, 
“You don't know what you’re doing.”
“Shut up! It's been a while.” 
And as the top finally pops off of the head of the pumpkin, you and him rejoice in quite a small victory. Though the excitement upon his face only lasts a moment, because as he watches you delve elbow deep within the inside of the pumpkin, horror shocks him stiff. 
“What the fuck are you doing.” 
Eyes widened at the prospect of having to do that himself. 
“What? Big scary Jedi doesn't like getting his hands dirty?” 
Teasing inflection coats your voice at the sight of his distress.
“This is just disgusting! I don't mind getting dirty if it's not slimy shit all over my body.” 
“Well, I suggest you take off that fancy robe.” 
Exasperated sigh exits him with great dramatic flair, as he walks over to the living room to slowly disrobe as to take in his last seconds of cleanliness before his agreeance to engage in your home planet festivities weighs more and more on him like one of the worst decisions he’s ever made in his whole life. 
Slowly does he inch his fingers inside the pumpkin itself, and when he reaches the bottom eyes close and eyebrows contort upwards. 
“Stop looking like you’re about to die. It's a pumpkin not a dead tooka.” 
“Thanks for that image.” 
And so the two of you slowly scrape pumpkin into a larger bowl of insides between the both of you, melodramatic whines by Anakin that really bring out the kid in him. Anakin, despite being such a great warrior and chosen one, was still quite young. He never really had the ability to do childish things, growing up as a slave and thrusted into the jedi temple thereafter there was no room to be a kid-- do kid things. So that's what you focused on in your time with him. It consisted of helping him get in touch with who he really is, not who people exactly wanted him to be. And you bore through it, even if sometimes it meant feilding his complaints like a whining child who has to share their toys with other kids. When Anakin wasn't in the line of fire he was a simple, silly person. A boy, really. 
The moment his pumpkin was satisfactorily scraped, he runs to wash his arms under water and copious amounts of soap. 
“Oh, did you know people can be allergic to pumpkin?” 
“You’re kidding right.” 
“Yeah well I just hope you’re not.” 
“Could've told me that before I just violated it like that.” 
“Slipped my mind.”
After a bit more carving within the eyes and mouth of the hollow pumpkin, you adorn the iconic face of a halloween grin upon yours, and Anakin opting for a more sinister look upon his. 
“You said it was supposed to scare people, none of the designs has that effect.” 
Well Anakin, I think the most scary thing about this is how you cut it. I can barely tell what's going on here.” 
“You don't understand my vision. It's for the sith ghost, not you.” 
As the first activity of pumpkin cutting comes to an end, a small glow emitting within the pumpkins as you place the small glowing orb that completes every carving inside its center, you and Anakin stand back impressed with one another's work. 
“I guess it wasn't half bad.” 
“Told you” 
The next project you two had up against you was baking. Now, once again you were well convinced that Anakin had never cooked his own food his entire life. At least, anything complex. Whenever he had to make his own food it was often very simple, laced with struggle. The peak of his culinary journey was 5 years old, for reference. 
“Why do we need to put so many things in here? Aren't we making cookies?” 
“Yes, but to make it not taste like sand then we’re gonna have to add more flavors.” 
“Sand, very funny. What's with the paste?” 
“The icing?” 
“Whatever.” 
“It's for after the cookie. We’re going to decorate it.” 
“This seems like a lot of work for 2 bites.” 
“You eat them in 2 bites?” 
“I’ve got things to do.” 
And thus the teaching begins once more. You have to explain how to keep the wet from the dry until you’re willing to mix everything, teaching him how to crack an egg as he fails in the process getting residue all over your countertop. You show him how to whisk, watching him struggle with the thick batter as the automatic one you keep in your cabinet stays sadistically untouched. And as you two finally finish the batter, you show him how to put them on the sheets properly. 
“When you roll them, you have to remember they’re going to flatten and expand. Don't make them the size of a cookie, make them like a third of the size.” 
“But if I made it the size of a cookie, I could have a 3x cookie. Mathematically speaking.” 
“Yes, but don't do that. They’ll all stick together.” 
“To make one monster cookie?” 
“Theoretically yeah.” 
“Noted.” 
As he grabbed huge chunks of dough within the bowl you both shared, you just chose to pick your battles. 
Setting the timer for 40 minutes, there were now 40 minutes to kill before you were able to get to the next part of the process-- decorating. Looking within your bag of festivities you find the holodramas that lie at the bottom of the bag, reminiscent of your childhood. The exaggerated stories of siths and creatures of the outer rim that would haunt and stalk you, stories that scared you awake when you were younger. You allow Anakin to pick from a few of the titles. 
“Frankensith? The uh.. Friday before 429. The ewok in the woods. These all sound a little corny.” 
“Again, you don’t get it. But I promise you watching these things will freak you out. The ewok  one scared me so much I couldn't sleep for days afterwards.” 
“And how old were you when that happened?” 
“...fifteen.” 
“You’re joking. Put it on.” 
Dimming the sights of your living room do the both of you sink into the couch as you pull out the final thing that will stave you from hunger until the cookies are completed. 
“What's with the wrapping on these?” 
He pointed at the chocolate you unveiled, wrapped in various depictions of horror legends over the years.
“Isn't it scary?” 
“He looks like he has a lazy eye.” 
“He’s supposed to be undead!” 
“Yeah, and with all that reanimation they cut him a little short.” 
“That's mean!” 
“Nothing so far has scared me, and the candy definitely isn't much different.”
“Whatever.” 
The bowl sat between the two of you held various kinds of candy from chocolate to sower, as the movie slowly came to a head. Laid back and judgemental, did Anakin lie unbothered upon the couch, expecting nothing to really catch his eye about this film more than dumb special effects and poor acting. 
Though as time went on you watched as his body slowly straightened, eyes with greater focus on the projection as the story grew deeper. You saw his face contort from indifference, to morbid curiosity, to the well awaited fear. 
BEEP!
The oven goes off, which makes Anakin jump. 
“HAH! You’re scared shitless aren't you.”
“Are you kidding me? These things are freaky by nature. Their little swords.. Their agility. I couldn't live.” 
“Uh huh. Well get up we need to decorate the cookies.” 
After allowing them to cool for a moment you begin to teach him how to pipe the icing onto the cookies. However as you gaze upon his own tray, there seems to be about 3 discernable cookies to your 6 well shaped ones. 
“All this means is that I have more room for artistic expression than you.” 
“Right. Just watch what I do and you can make whatever you want.” 
And as you draw cute ghosts, small faces decorating each of their eyes and little bats and pumpkins to match their theme, another glance at Anakin's tray once again reminds you you’re dealing with a 10 year old. Upon his cookies did he design quite crude depictions of the ewok’s with angry expressions on their face, forever immortalized- until eaten of course -a glare of small and furry anger upon the cookie. 
“Nice Anakin.” 
The night came to a close after that, finishing the ewok holo with greater ease as the fear inhabiting Anakin slowly dissipated in the ability to eat them at the same time they were eating others in their traps. A dark sky fell within your room and as you sat there with Anakin, pumpkins illuminated with silly faces and a growing pile of colorful foil piling on your coffee table as the candy bowl depleted, you felt complete. The feeling of having not only someone to celebrate the holidays with, but someone to share them with made you feel a little less alone. And you knew Anakin felt the same. 
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oohbuggypie · 7 months ago
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super long discussion abt my headcanons for Don's tattoo, as well as Carmen's and Bull's !
WARNING!! these r very headcanon heavy and probably reach-y ideas so if u prefer to stick to canon / r scared of mischaracterization maybe dont read 🩷 also this is SUPER long so im gonna go ahead and put all of this beneath a cut bcuz i don't wanna flood + this is centered around ship talk and i know some ppl don't care 4 that ✝️ pairs discussed are CarDon and BullDon, but emphasis on Carmen and Don bcuz they're mentioned more than once!!
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kay so i always talk abt Don having a tattoo but ive never clarified WHAT the tattoo is of / what it says . im usually stuck between not knowing what it would be;; a religious image or a religious quote ? a cross felt too basic, but an entire passage of text would just be way too much for Don in my opinion,, i don't think he'd ever want such a huge, obvious amount of black ink on his body forever. i came up with the idea that Don's tat in the Monster Hunter would be COLOSSIANS 3:2, and it felt very fitting ; it's small and fairly easy to hide, but it reflects a great amount of his world perception and his ideologies . and i think that the exact same style of tattoo would fit his regular universe character very well too !
so after some consideration and many MANY dumb questions, i have concluded: i think Don's tattoo would be JOHN 15:9 .
John 15:9 reads: "I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love."
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so why that quote ??
Don is a very romantic man :: he holds a very deep love for Carmen and he expresses that in his actions , seeming to dedicate his fights to her and celebrating his victories in her name . not only that, but i think his loving attitude is expressed through his non-romantic actions as well; he shows a considerable amount of respect to his opponents, and he recognizes his own mistakes! he's romantic , respectful , and to an extent - humble . i think that that verse fits him so well because it connects to his romantic personality and religious upbringing. along with being raised religiously, i think Don's parents took extra time to truly teach Don the lesson that love is one of life's most valuable and prominent factors. not only did they teach him to show kindness and respect to his peers, but i think they integrated the idea of finding romance very early in his life. they wanted their son to fall in love with the "right person", and they wanted him to treat his lover with deep devotion and respect. so i think that those two factors ended up melding together as Don grew up; religion reflected love, and his love would reflect his religion. so upon the two merging, i think Don made the decision to get that specific quote as a tattoo as means to reflect his two deepest values, and as a promise to himself that he'd find his true partner one day. so when Don truly did fall in love, he felt an even deeper connection to the tattoo.
Don's canonical partner being Carmen is adorable to me, and this is where the second portion of my headcanon comes in: i think that throughout the course of their relationship, Carmen would recognize the true sentiment that religion holds in Don's life and get a similar tattoo as devotion to her lover ! much like Don, to me, she wouldn't want an obnoxious or obvious tattoo simply because it doesn't fit the way she presents herself. so as a way to match her partner, i think she'd get the exact same kind of tattoo but with a different passage.
i think Carmen would choose ROMANS 1:11 - 12, and the placement would be beneath her right breast.
Romans 1:11 - 12 reads: "I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong - that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith."
i think the first part of the text ("I long to see you...") reflects the majority of Don's life where he waited to find his true partner, and how he and Carmen were bound to be together; she just hadn't met him yet. the second part of the quote ("...to make you strong...") is super fitting in the context of the idea that Carmen is Don's main motivation that drive his passions, like bullfighting and boxing. and the final part of the quote solidifies their love for each other - by sharing a tattoo, they share the love behind it and they serve as one another's guide of sorts.
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as for Don being in a relationship with Bull, i think Bull would have conflicted feelings about getting a tattoo. Don, by no means, thinks that Bull NEEDS to get a tattoo to encapsulate their love ,, it was never a "required" or expected action to be reciprocated and Don understands that very well! both of them have already given each other deeply valuable gifts as ways to express their devotion. however, if Bull were to get a tattoo, i think he'd prioritize it being very small and very private.
to me, Bull's tattoo would be of the Virgin Mary in colored ink, placed on his inner, left thigh.
this is solely my opinion and i def don't expect anyone to agree, but that one is soo special to me . i think Don would have a very strong admiration of the Virgin Mary as an entire concept, and Bull took note of that love. he decided to represent it by choosing an intimate place that practically nobody else would ever see. neither of them see it constantly, but when they do they're reminded of just how deep their love runs . 🥹
OKAY I THINK IM DONE OMGG . this could be worded so much better but it's past midnight and this was literally ripping my brain to shreds all day so i HAD to get it out immediately 😭✝️ thanks 2 anybody that read all this omg i didn't think i was gonna talk THAT much .. srry but Don and religion r just sooooo good paired i HAD to share 🩷 okay goodniiiiiight
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ash5monster01 · 1 year ago
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Perfect To Love Part 5
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Pairing: Steve Harrington x FemReader!PlusSize
Warnings: fluff, mentions of bullying, body image issues, fat shaming, angst, trust issues.
Summary: Beth Walker was used to living in the shadows. She had only one friend and anyone else who paid her mind usually bullied her for her size. So she learned to keep her mouth shut, her head down, and her heart closed because she had to accept the fact that she would be nothing more than the fat girl to people. That is until Robin decides Beth needs more in life and that might just include a boy who she never would’ve thought could see her for who she truly was.
word count: 2,387
Part 4 ←→ Part 6
Masterlist
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It wasn’t often Steve and Dustin ended up alone these days. After they had become friends and Dustin started bringing around the party it just made sense to always do things as a big group. Yet every once in a while they’d get lucky and have time just the two of them. Today was one of those days since Mike went home early to call El and Lucas was taking Max to the movies to distract her from having to move into the trailer park. That meant Dustin was the only one that needed to be picked up from school today. Which also left Dustin alone with Steve since Robin was working a solo shift at Family Video tonight. He could finally hound the boy in private about his recent observations. Observations he had to keep to himself all weekend in anticipation of getting alone time with the guy.
“So how long have you been crushing on Beth?” Dustin leisurely asked after Steve had gotten done telling him about his most recent shift at Family Video. It was so smooth Steve didn’t even realized what he was asking for a moment.
“Since the party she-… Wait. You tricked me” Steve turned and glared, in disbelief he had fallen so quickly into Dustin’s trap. Loosening him up so he wouldn’t notice when he asked. He knew he should’ve been concerned when he asked about his day.
“Look I felt like skipping over the whole denial part and getting to the good stuff” Dustin offered, arms crossing over his chest.
“How’d you even know?” Steve asked, annoyed he had to explain himself to a child about a girl he wasn’t even sure what to do with. He had never dated girls like her, and that wasn’t meant to be conceived as bigger. Most girls he dated were dumb, ditzy, and had fried brain cells from too much aqua net. All of them were like that except Nancy and he totally screwed that one up anyway. On top of that, what was even the correct thing to say to her? Most times he tried to convince her of her beauty she just denied him. He didn’t want to lie to her but he wanted her to know she was worth as much as those other girls despite being different. That kind of line could get blurry.
“When you brought her to the movies with us. You did that thing where your ears turn red because she touched your arm and complimented you. It was funny. She likes you too” Steve’s eyes widened as Dustin spit this information out at him. He wished the boy didn’t notice everything all the damn time.
“She does not like me. She would’ve agreed to get food with me instead of sit through that horrible horror movie” Steve said referring to the second Nightmare on Elm Street they watched. He hadn’t even seen the first one and the only good thing about it was Beth leaning closer to him when she got scared.
“She only wanted to watch the movie cause you freaked out when Mike suggested you were going on a date with her” Dustin told him because it was true. No girl in the world wants to see the guy they like panic over the thought of dating them. Especially a girl like Beth that has only ever been hurt by men.
“Shit, I obviously didn’t mean it like that” Steve said hitting the steering wheel lightly.
“Yeah but she took it like that. I wouldn’t want to go and talk to a guy for two hours either after he made it clear he doesn’t want to date me” Dustin told him and Steve sighed, parking in front of Dustin’s house.
“Damnit, I just don’t know what to do with her. She’s different, obviously not in a bad way. I just have no idea how to approach the situation, she doesn’t believe me when I flirt with her. I have no idea how to get her to understand I want to kiss the shit out of her” Dustin snickered lightly as Steve admitted to this, not bothering hiding how he feels about the girl anymore in front of the boy.
“Where did all these feelings come from, you just met her?” Dustin asked, confused how one night could change everything.
“That night we went to the party we had a lot of fun, I was so comfortable talking to her. Plus she looked so good, like an angel. Then I caught Colin saying mean things to her and next thing I know I was punching him and claiming her as my own. When I heard those vile things he was saying I realized I wanted to protect her forever” Dustin looked at him with wide eyes, the first time he was hearing about Steve actually punching the guy.
“You punched him, and won?” Steve rolled his eyes and shoved the boy lightly to which Dustin just laughed.
“We left and she just broke down. Cried in my arms in the middle of the street and all I could think about was how many times she had cried because of that asshole and never had anyone to hold her” Steve finished his spiel and Dustin nodded, taking in all the information he had finally gotten from him.
“Makes sense why I haven’t seen Colin call her a mean name in a while. Actually I don’t think he’s even gone near her. I just assumed he got the black eye from football” Dustin told him, knowing him and the Hellfire Club usually had a front row seat to Colin’s bullying in the lunchroom.
“Good, means that asshole listened to me when I said to never go near her again” Steve seethed, already getting worked up about the guy. Where did Colin think he was getting off treating a girl like that?
“Look, just ask her on a date. Make it clear it’s actually a date this time too. Just move slow about it. You would probably scare her off going full King Steve” Dustin told him now reaching for his backpack.
“Okay, let me talk to Robin. If you tell anyone about this I’ll kill you” Steve said pointing at him and Dustin rolled his eyes before pushing open his door.
“Whatever, you screw it up with Beth I’ll kill you” Dustin told him back, already feeling protective over the girl because he knew what it was like to be treated differently because of your looks. Steve shook his head as Dustin got out the vehicle and slammed the door back shut before heading inside.
Steve drove off, towards the direction of Family Video, prepared to talk off Robins ear in hopes of getting advice about the girl. That was the plan until he pulled up outside of Family Video just to see the blue corvette parked outside. It was freshly washed, glimmering in the soft light of the autumn sun. He realized pretty soon Beth would have to put the car away, go a winter without it in order to protect it from rust. His BMW had always been important to him, he took care of it to the best of his abilities, but even he knew he didnt love his car like Beth loved hers. She loved so fiercely he wondered if that was why she hadn't allowed herself to be loved by anyone else, because she knew she would always love them more. His curiosity got the best of him and he pulled around the building to park in the back where he normally would during a shift. This way he could sneak in through the breakroom without alerting the girls.
"He showed up at your house?" Robin questioned, clearly unaware of the boy who wasn't supposed to be here since he wasn't currently working. Beth hadn't had a chance to talk to Robin since the series of events unfolded. Sunday Beth was worried about bothering her by calling and in school they didn't have a chance just the two of them to talk about it.
"Yeah I was working on my car and he just appeared in my driveway" Beth told her, leaning over the counter. She never wanted to be a girl to gossip about boys but it wasn't until now she realized how confusing boys could be.
"Then he asked you to go with him to take the kids to a movie?" to Beth Robin just seemed like a friend asking questions about what had went down over the weekend but Robin was curious because her and Steve hadn't planned on that. She was aware of most moves he was to make with Beth because it was her idea. He never brought up bringing her with the kids.
“Not exactly, he wanted to do something while they watched the movie but I said we should watch with them” Beth explained, having regretted it since she learned it was a horror movie. She didn’t sleep the entire night that night.
“Why would you do that, he clearly wanted to spend time with you?” Robin curiously asked, shoving some returns to the side that still needed to be put away.
“Well that’s what I thought until Mike suggested we were going on a date and you should’ve seen him freak out Rob. It was like even suggesting it was torture enough for him” Beth sighed, her head falling into her hands. This answer made Robin almost instantly fall into a glare. Steve's job was to mae Beth feel good about herself, acting horrified about going on a date with her clearly wouldn't help that.
"Maybe you just took it wrong, sometimes Steve is an idiot. Trust me, I would know" Robin comforted, her hand falling on the girls shoulder and giving it a squeeze.
"I dont know, I just feel stupid. I used to hate all the pretty girls that went in and out of that BMW like clockwork and now here I am, one of them" Beth groaned, feeling silly for allowing any feelings for Steve to seep in at all because she still hadn't forgiven him for what he had done. All those simple conversations made it easy to pretend but at the end of the day you could never really take a way the kind of harm he had done.
"You're not one of them Beth, no girl gets invitied into the BMW more than once these days. He's the one that showed up at your house, invited you to tag along with him. He probably panicked because he didn't want the kids teasing you guys if you did go on a date" Robin explained because she had seen how Steve was with the kids. There was a time they did it around her, Steve panicking about them suggesting a relationship between the two. That was because they didn't know she was gay. Hell she wasn't even sure Beth really knew.
"I just shouldn't of let him get close Robin, I've been out of my safety bubble too long. If I let this go on any longer all thats gonna happen is getting hurt and being reminded fat girls don't deserve that kind of love. I have to take a step back" Steve's heart dropped as he heard this confession from the back room. That was when he realized he couldn't be shy about this crush he had on her. No waiting around for hints she likes him back. Beth deserved to be pursued and he was gonna pursue the hell out of her. So he rushed back out the back door, hopped in his car, and sped back to the front of the building.
The bells on the door were hit so hard from his entrance they barely jingled, just a loud chime clambering into the wall as Steve rushed in. The wind from his stride making the Phoebe Cates cutout flutter slightly. Both girls jumped, too deep in their serious conversaton to be prepaed for such entrance. After all no one was ever that in a hurry to rent a movie. Once Beth saw it was Steve her heart calmed but Robin knew he had been listening. The stupid dingus had been eavesdropping from the back room. This was the only answer especially since Steve never cared to move so fast ever, even when he was clocked in.
"Steve we were just talki-"
"Will you go on a date with me? Saturday night, 6pm sharp, at Enzo's. I'll pick you up" Beth stared at the boy, eyes wide by his abruptness. Robin rolled her eyes, his answer enough to confirm he was spying on the two.
"You want to go on a date with me?" Beth finally muttered out, her heart racing so fast she swore they both could hear it.
"Yes Beth, because you deserve to be pursued and I want to pursue you. So we're gonna go on a real date, away from the kids, away from Robin, away from highschool assholes like Colin Matterson, who couldn’t be decent enough to take whatever snotty cheerleader he's dating this week to Enzo's, and we're going to have a damn good time. So, will you go on a date with me?" his small spech had left both Beth and Robin shocked but finally after a beat Beth nodded.
"Yeah, okay" a large smile broke across the boys face as she agreed. This wasn't just for Beth anymore, this was for him because he really liked Beth. It may have been unexpected but he was going to do the best he could to get to know her for real. So much for not going full King Steve.
"Perfect, I can’t wait" he told her with a dopey grin before turning and walking back out of the building. The minute he was alone in his car he let out the breath he was holding out. That had been the first time since Nancy that he had been nervous to ask a girl out. Hopefully it wouldn’t end the way it did with her.
“Did that just happen?” Beth asked, unable to keep a smile off her face. Robin glanced at her nervously, unsure of Steves true intentions, praying this would go her way.
“I think it just did”
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Taglist: @kindablackenedsuperhero @rinarecommends @starryeyedpoet17 @crustless-toast @loverofmarsss @alexa-33 @bethanysnow @middle-of-the-earth @princessadriana4-blog @mochminnie @legendaryhumandiplomatgoop
Comment if you want to be added to the tag list :))
a/n: sorry it’s been forever. I’m busy all of the time and I’ve been trying to keep my excitement going about this small fic. please show some love <3
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frenchtantan · 1 year ago
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Theories about CPV2
I wanna talk about q!Etoiles' mission to the Nether for a bit. More specifically about the two opposed theories I have.
First off, something we can mostly agree is that the Code is scared of q!Etoiles. It faced him several times in the past, all of which ended with our favorite French Cucumber's victory, so much so that the last time it was forced to flee. Even now with the sword, it realized that killing him would be next to impossible. So, what to do about him?
Trap him in the Nether. In this scenario, the Code has no idea about the existence of the shield. It made q!Etoiles follow it into an active Nether portal, knowing he wouldn't resist, and then closed the door behind him. I watched the VOD, q!Etoiles misremembered, the Code wasn't in the Nether with him. It didn't drop the image frame with the shield schematics and coordinates, it was an invisible admin. The code has dropped items before while visible, so what gives? Moreso, the portal he went through is in an old structure. Someone built it before, and maybe it is one of the few known stable Nether portal (remember, q!Forever's portal was deemed "unstable"). Since people went through it in the past, they must've left clues, and the admin dropping those schematics might've been a meta way to say "q!Etoiles stumbled upon forgotten schematics when he arrived in the Nether". q!Etoiles is smart, but his specialty is game mechanics strategy (and culture), not mystery solving. Case in point, the "enigma" he faced while in the fortress was not hard per se (find keycard), and he still struggled. Again, I'm not saying he's dumb, people often forget that intelligence manifests in many different ways, and this just isn't his. We know the admins are adapting the difficulty based on the player involved, hence why Forever's Nether event wasn't too hard monster-wise: the players there were not strong enough. So in this scenario, the enigma was "easy" for RP reasons, and the Code had nothing to do with the shield. q!Etoiles just went through an existing doorway, found clues left by those who crossed it before him, which lead him to the shield. Unbeknownst to the Code, he then found a way out, where the Code was waiting for him just in case, however this time the Code was even more outmatched. This option has one major problem however: if CPV1 was so dangerous, how can we be sure CPV2 doesn't have the same flaw? Whatever intense trial CPV1 went through, it ended with its "remains" destroyed, which means despite its infinite durability, the experiment led to its partial destruction. The book says there were schematics for subsequent iterations (which includes CPV2 I'm assuming), and those were destroyed too "as per protocol", but nothing is said about getting rid of the iterations themselves. This means that the unprecedented events from the intense trial weren't worth even the destruction of presumably dangerous items, so they had to hide it. This also means those events might happen again now. Hence, my second theory:
The Code wanted q!Etoiles to find the shield. From the very beginning there has been clues that the code might be a mistake, an experiment from the Federation gone wrong. What if CPV1 is what created the Code? What if the intense trial led not just to the shield being destroyed, but to the creation of the Code? That would be why they didn't re-execute the trials, because it would unleash another monster. And who better than the hot-headed, dungeon-cleaner q!Etoiles to reproduce the conditions of that intense trial? Worse, what if the unprecedented event didn't just create the Code, but turn the user into it. Etoiles wanted a villain arc, what if it involves him becoming a Code Entity? That would be an excellent way for the Code to deal with its "q!Etoiles problem" imo.
Whatever the case may be, whether it was the Code's objective or not, I believe the intense conditions of the trial will be met once again due to q!Etoiles' behavior. Time will tell what this will unleash.
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thepaintedlady00 · 1 year ago
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Jake's POV: Halloween
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TW: some mild feelings of inadequacy, man's is RUNNING in this, flirting, some very suggestive language and talk, as always mentions of alcohol, depictions of drunk idiots, a very heated make-out session, a bit of a hand job, some fingering, and the good ol' Russian cockblock!
Here's a little treat for y'all! Jake's POV of this was just too good not to share! 😂 Enjoy!
Jake watched as Lena moved through the mass of bodies, bathed in some unfathomable holy light. It might have just been a costume, some cheap dress with some cheap wings, but god, did she make it feel real. The way she playfully glared at Quinn, and the genuine amusement that followed at the sight of Ari made him suddenly feel nervous.
Looking down at his normal attire, Jake finally understood the meaning of the stripper's previous statement. It's not us you're disappointing. The costume hadn't been for Quinn's benefit but for Lena's. He was an idiot. An underdressed absolute fucking idiot.
The second she approached him, he could see that joyful light in her eyes dim… Disappointment staring back at him. He was familiar with that look, familiar with the bitter sting and the way his whole body tensed at the sight of it. Simone often had that disappointed gleam in her eyes, so one could say he'd gotten used to it. So used to it he'd usually laugh or make some flippant self-important asshole-ish remark and leave it at that. But Jake didn't feel like laughing now.
He almost felt sick. Like the disappointment in Lena's eyes made him physically want to throw up. Why was this different? He wondered. Was it simply the fact that she was disappointed? Or was it the fact that it was her that was disappointed? Then it happened… The thing that made the answer clear. Lena shoved her disappointment down, clearing it from those emerald eyes entirely, and smiled at him.
Simone would have just outright told him how she'd expected better. Howard would have made some mocking passive-aggressive comment. Literally, everyone else in this world would have done something to make him feel guilty or inadequate. And yet, there she was, smiling at him like there wasn't anything wrong… Like he was worthy of it.
What made it different was that Lena moved past it. She didn't try to make him feel anything or try to change his mind. She just smiled at him and gestured to the couple now making out behind her. "Those two are quite the pair, aren't they?"
Fuck. He looked down at his clothes again, a burning hot feeling filling his chest. Disappointment. Jake was disappointed in himself. Fuck. "I gotta go."
He heard her shocked reply, "What?" He felt her quickly reach out to try and halt his steady steps toward the door, but Jake didn't stop. His mind was made up.
That was how he ended up standing on the curb, desperately trying to catch a cab home before abandoning the foolish notion that a cab would be fast enough. 
That was how he ended up running like a madman through the streets. He shoved his way past crowds of dressed-up people, ignoring their angered shouts and focusing on the image of Lena lingering in his mind. 
He practically tore his door off the hinges, slamming it open suddenly enough to cause Hemingway to jump and scatter under his chair with a discontented hiss. Breathing heavily, Jake closed the door. "Sorry, Hem. Gotta be quick."
Quick, as it turned out, would be an almost two-hour process. The first thirty minutes were spent tearing apart the box and struggling to get the dumb costume on. The next thirty minutes were spent meticulously fixing his hair and getting the fake glasses to fit. Then Jake spent an embarrassing amount of time convincing himself to walk out the front door. "You look ridiculous."
Simone had always hated Halloween. She hated the costumes and the loud noise and staying up late and the horror and scares… Everything Jake had once loved about the holiday. He couldn't remember what Halloween had been like with his mom, but if he thought about it long enough, he could sometimes recall her blurry smile. He remembered every Halloween with Simone.
Her dad always got drunk, and her mom always tried too hard while not trying at all. As always, she was all talk and no action. She'd discuss plans with them, but it was Simone that always came through. She was the one that would take him to get a costume, and she was the one that would help him get dressed. Even though she hated it and made snide remarks about how stupid he looked, she still took him trick or treating. She didn't pretend to enjoy it, but she did it.
"Come on," Simone hissed, pulling his arm. "We're going home."
"There's still a whole block left!" He whined.
She turned and glared at him. "You look fucking ridiculous, Jake!"
She'd said as much before they left the house, but now it felt worse somehow. "It's Halloween… It's a dumb costume."
"Well, you're too old for dumb costumes. You're thirteen, for god's sake! What kind of thirteen-year-old still goes trick or treating!"
His eyes stung with tears, and as he looked around at the other kids running wild with their candy bags, he suddenly felt self-conscious. Plenty of thirteen-year-olds were in those crowds, but Jake didn't see that. He wiped his eyes with his stupid costume sleeve and nodded. "You're right. Let's go."
Simone sighed, noticing the change in him like she always did. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just… I don't want you to embarrass yourself."
"It's fine. Let's just go."
As the two walked back, Jake listened to Simone list all the reasons this was for the better. While she talked, Jake quietly decided he didn't like Halloween anymore. Not the costumes or the candy or the loud noises or staying up late. It was stupid, and he'd been stupid for enjoying it at all. 
On that Halloween night, as he lay in bed listening to the other kids laughing in the streets of Cape Cod, Jake decided he didn't like being thirteen anymore.
The conflicting feelings and the relentless echo of Someone's voice in his head quieted when he looked down at his phone and saw a slew of messages waiting for him.
"Did you seriously bail? Everyone's asking where you went. So, text me or whatever, so we know you're not dead." Ari.
"I saw you leave. Hope everything's alright. Call me if you need anything." Ozzy.
"Hey, asshole, where the hell did you run off to? Look, you don't have to dress up or whatever, but you can still lighten up a bit. Just text someone. You might be annoying, but no one wants you to be in any trouble." Quinn.
"Hey… I, uh, hope you're not sick or dead or anything. You, uh, left pretty quick, so everyone's pretty worried about you. Call me if you need anything. Happy Halloween, Jake." Lena.
Jake found his feet moving before his mind had the consciousness to tell them to. At first, he felt ridiculous. Old self-conscious fears of someone telling him he looked stupid or saying he was too old to be dressing up plagued him for a few blocks. But, the closer he got to the bar, the less he cared about what anyone else thought. And then he stepped inside and found her in the low lighting, red hair glowing and wings framing her body in a way that made his heart race.
Watching her eyes widen, and her glossy perfect lips part in shock made the whole thing worth it. He moved around everyone in his way until there, standing among the crowd searching for him, she appeared. Her green eyes found him, and that nervous tension in his gut was replaced by another tension. A need to have her.
As the two drifted closer, he found himself unaware to keep his eyes from wandering. He took in every detail, filthy thoughts… Images of what he wanted to do to her - what he wanted her to do to him… All of it paused at the sound of her soft, slightly horse greeting, "Hey."
"Hey," he answered with an involuntary smile.
She made a quick gesture to his costume and hid a smile of her own. "I thought you didn't do costumes?"
His face suddenly felt hot as he chuckled. "Usually, I don't. But, I figured, why the hell not?"
The awkwardness that hung between them evaporated the second she slid her body right next to his, a long delicate finger dragging down the cheap buttons of his costume. "You know… I've always wanted to fuck a Ghostbuster."
"Why am I not surprised?"
"That your way of saying you're not interested?" She asked, looking up at him through her long lashes.
For a moment, Jake wanted to laugh at her. How she could ever think he'd be anything but interested was laughable. Shaking his head, he answered, "Oh, I'm interested. Always thought girls in angel costumes were sexy."
He watched that playful look grow. "Why's that?"
"I don't know." His eyes drifted again to the soft curve of her neck and the supple cleavage her pretty white dress allowed. Those thoughts were back again, louder than before, impossible to ignore. He wanted her. More than anything, he wanted her to want him. "But I am very interested in seeing that dress above your hips and those legs wrapped around my waist while you moan my name."
Her pupils dilated as she laughed, her body pressing into his. "These wings aren't the best quality, but they'd be a good place to pull on, you know, to help bounce me."
"That's a very good idea." The image instantly filled his mind, and his hands instinctively grabbed fistfuls of her dress. "Though, I am very tempted to just rip it all off you."
"How blasphemous." Her eyes shifted, and it was like he could see the decision being made. "Meet me in the alley?"
"Are you-"
"I'm not drunk or high or anything." She lifted herself on the tips of her toes and pressed her lips to his in a kiss that was far too short to satiate the burning hunger building inside him. She pulled away, whispering the exact words he'd wanted to hear, "I want you."
His fingers traced down her spine, testingly tugging on the base of the wings. "Good, because there's nothing I want more than this."
She pulled away, and his eyes drifted down the length of her. A finger tapped beneath his chin, drawing his attention back to those damn green eyes. "Don't keep me waiting."
Couldn't even if I wanted to, he'd almost said. "I wouldn't dream of it, princess."
He watched her as she slowly made her way through the crowd and out the back door, hips swaying and those pretty eyes of hers catching hid right before she disappeared out the alley door. Holy shit. His heartbeat was thundering in his chest. Pounding so hard he thought he'd break a bone. 
Jake was anxious, buzzing with thrilling anticipation that made him want to run across the alley to the woman waiting for him. Sadly, he knew the feeling of Quinn and Ari's eyes too well. They watched him from their booth and giggled together as they continued drinking. He was hoping to be discreet. An unlikely thing, but one he wanted to attempt anyway. The last thing he and Lena needed was their loud teasing.
So, Jake stopped by the bar, ordered a drink, and acted like nothing had changed. He made small talk with Patrick and Katie, and Oz before the group of bikers came flooding in, providing a perfect cover. He molded into the crowd, carefully weaving through them and out the alley door. From there, it was quick, his feet moving as quickly as he could make them until he opened that last door and saw her standing there.
She froze, halting the obvious packing she'd been doing, and just watched him as he closed the door behind him. Lena looked cold, her costume not providing her much warmth while she waited for him. Jake almost asked her if she wanted a jacket, but that was when she moved forward and pressed her chilled lips to his. Her fingers curled into his costume, and Jake lost any notion of nervous anticipation.
She was here. She wanted him.
Their bodies moved with one another like they'd been made to. Jake pulled her dress up, exposing the soft skin of her bare legs to the brisk air. Lena shuddered against him, breaking away from his lips for a split second to gasp. Heat coursed through him with every sound she made. Pulling her leg up over his hip, he turned them, pressing her into the brick wall and swallowing the whines she made before he pulled away.
His lips stayed as close to hers as he could get them, breath fanning across her face as he breathlessly said, “Take your underwear off.”
She bit her bottom lip, and it took every ounce of control to keep him from ripping them off of her. His eyes drank in the sight of her, bending down to slide the silky garments off. "Better?"
Jake’s hands slid up higher, fingers gliding along the curve of her ass with a nod. God, he'd wanted this for so long, and now… He had to keep himself in check, or this would be over too fast. His hips pressed into hers, forcing another moan from her lips. Keep it together. “Yeah, that’s better.”
“Fuck." Her hands fisted in his hair, tugging softly for one second before she moved them to the front of his shirt and pulled until the buttons popped open.
Fuck. He groaned, helping her get his arms out of the fabric. The feeling of her soft palms running along his bare chest and her nails digging into his back made him almost lose himself. “God damn.”
He hoisted her up, using the wall to help steady her as her legs wrapped around his waist. Reaching between them, he tried to pull the focus back onto her. He needed her to come first. He needed to make sure she enjoyed this just as much as he was. His skilled fingers circled her clit, eliciting sounds that, in Jake's mind, only further proved how goddamn perfect Lena was. 
"Jake." The way she moaned his name and moved herself more desperately against him only made the fire in him burn hotter. When her head tilted back, he didn't waste the chance to latch his mouth onto the gorgeous column of her throat, kissing, sucking, biting, trying to consume her as she had consumed him. "Couch. Now."
Jake almost came right then. The wanton sound of her voice… An order but at the same time a plea. It sent him backward without a second thought, carefully stumbling until his ass hit the old sofa. For a split second, he regretted choosing the alley. It was dirty and dingy… Not what she deserved for their first time. But that moment came and went as Lena's mouth locked back onto his.
The feel of her tightening around his fingers as she pulled his dick free of the costume and wrapped her hand around him. It felt like lightning struck him, filling him with an immeasurable amount of pleasure. His mouth fell open as he mumbled for the wings on her back, desperately pulling her down harder. “Fuck, Lena!”
Withdrawing his fingers, Jake angled his hips, settling his sensitive, pulsing dick settled between the lips of her pussy. She didn't stop the steady rocking of her hips, and he didn't stop pulling her. Each movement of her hips made the tip of him catch against her clit, and Jake watched with lustful eyes as the sensation drove her mad.
God, she was beautiful. Gasping and moaning against his lips, sharing his breath like it was the only oxygen she needed. When her eyes opened, and the blown green of them met his, Jake felt like he'd combust. Lena's eyes mirrored his. Desire, lust, hunger but also that speck of a thing… That feeling that neither of them had mentioned aloud. Passion and vulnerability. Trust and intimacy. Things he'd never felt before. Things he'd never expected to find in her eyes.
This was real. It was more than a quick fling - more than the sinful urge to have what he wanted, an urge he was more than used to. She was real. What he felt for her… That was more real than anything Jake had known.
His heartbeat skipped around, fear stealing the breath from his lungs. This was real. It was different and good, and… he didn't deserve it.
“Jake." The soft whisper of his name, her voice, was enough to pull him from that spiral of uncertainty. Her hand moved between them, carefully guiding him where he - both of them - wanted to be most.
“Come on, princess,” he encouraged, shoving any doubt and fear from his mind, focusing on her. Just her. He roughly tugged on the straps of her dress, wanting… No needing for more. “Don’t keep me waiting.”
“GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF ONE ANOTHER!” That good for nothing, god damn fucking Russian!
Both of them froze, and Jake watched a fury that matched, no, surpassed his own fill Lena's eyes. She whirled her head around, casting that hellish gaze on the drunken Russian. “SASHA!”
Quinn and Ari drunkenly scrambled through the doorway after him. Jake groaned, head falling back against the shity cushion. God damnit. "This is cheating!”
Ari hiccupped. “You can’t just barge in on them!”
“This is America, lesbians! I can do whatever I want!” Sasha yelled words slurred and a glassy look in his eyes.
She moved off Jake’s lap, shoulders set and fists clenched, clearly seconds away from a fight. He shoved himself back into the costume and grabbed her arms as she began to unleash that anger on the drunken crowd. "Are you guys fucking serious?! Our sex is not any of your business, and you absolutely have NO RIGHT barging out here when you know we’re-”
Sasha’s watch beeped. Midnight. “I WIN! Pay up, you vaginas! I WIN!”
As he celebrated his victory, Jake forced his angry breaths out of his lungs. He'd fucking kick Sasha's ass later. That is, if there was anything left to kick once Lena was through with him.
“On my god!” She groaned, frustratedly fixing her dress.
Ari and Quinn fished cash out of their costumes with huffy sighs. “You guys couldn’t have jumped on each other like two minutes earlier?”
I swear to god… “I’ll fucking kill you.”
The rest of the night was spent in seething silence. Neither of them wanted to have the dressed discussion of what almost happened… Or face the reality of the fact that they both wanted nothing more than to finish what they'd started. Sasha loudly boasted again about his victory, and Jake scowled. And maybe kill a Russian too. When the time came for the idiots to crash at Lens's house, Jake walked them all home beside her. That frustration and deep-rooted ache coursing through his body made it hard to think of anything other than the feel of her body against his. When she turned and offered him a sigh, he felt some of the weight ease. 
"I guess I'll see you tomorrow," she said, still sounding as disappointed as he felt. He realized then she likely thought that this would be a wake-up call or something for him. Lena Harrow likely thought this minor - annoying and fucking ridiculous - interruption would be enough for him to give up the seemingly endless pursuit of her.
And so, before she could disappear into her apartment building, Jake reached out and stopped her. He pulled her back to face him and kissed her. It wasn't as ravenous as their kiss in the alley had been and not nearly as heated as the others they'd shared over the months that had passed. This kiss was softer, a bit shy… It was a silent assurance that tonight hadn't changed his mind.
You are not some quick thing to me. He wanted to tell her. But, as he looked down at her flushed cheeks and dark eyes, he knew he didn't need to. Lena felt it. She felt that hum of something between them. And so, he set his forehead against yours with a simple, "Night, princess."
"Goodnight, tough guy," she replied, just as simply.
By the time he'd gotten back home, most of his anger had faded. Jake was going to get Sasha back for the interruption, of course, but for now, he focused on having spent this Halloween among friends. He tossed his shoes into a corner, slammed his door shut, and promptly fell into his bed.
Hemingway jumped up to join him, pawing at Jake's costume for a minute before he gently rolled into his chest with soft purs. Chuckling, Jake gave the cat what he wanted and scratched his head. "At least one of us had a good night."
Meow.
Staring up at his ceiling, he sighed. "Now that I think about it, my night was still pretty good."
On that Halloween night, as he lay in bed listening to the city noise, Jake decided Halloween wasn't as stupid as he thought. That night he smiled, quietly wondering what Lena would want him to dress up as next year.
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aliorsboxostuff · 2 years ago
Note
Hey! I was hoping for a like teen male reader with Joel Miller? Platonic father-son type of relationship obviously. Just one where the reader is kinda a stand in for Ellie plot wise but come's out to Joel as trans(ftm)
No pressure ofc:] <33
A/N YK ITS BEEN A WHILE FOR THAT FATHER!JOEL FIC BUT HEY I FINALLY GOT AROUND TO DO IT and thank YOU so much friend for requesting it and putting my gears to work! Little reminder; a lot of this is based off of HBO tlou more so than the game, and i will also add bits of my experience as a trans teen needing an actual good father figure! (don't we all-). Btw, i don't know how guns work and how trucks work so please enjoy my misinterpretation of them, and i have this image of Joel in my head where he’s supportive in a toxic masculine way, sorry! Anyhow, as usual I apologize for any mistakes, english is my second language. Enjoy the fic friends! <3
Cargo.
Tags: HBOJoel and Male!reader, Joel and teen!reader, Father!Joel, Tess, Marlene, Platonic Relationship, ftm!reader, Misuse of Pronouns, coming out, Canon-Typical violence, sarcastic!Joel, Sassy!Reader, Joel cares in a southern way.
It wasn't your brightest idea, really, but it beats being chained to a radiator. And you do miss Tess and hope she’s up there fighting and being the strong woman she is, but now you're stuck with Joel and a boring road ahead of you.
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All of this is so dumb.
Joining the Fireflies was dumb. Thinking the Fireflies would help you was dumber. 
Now you're currently stuck, well, held captive in an apartment room, handcuffed to a radiator that won't budge, and a constant Firefly guard outside the room. Awesome, wonder how you got into this situation. And worse of all, those bland food they give you really isn't their deal. Seriously, you'd think they know they're keeping a kid and not a hamster inside a cage. 
You huff, turning to try and pull at the chains again. Putting all of your body weight into it, you lean back and grunt, before a stale water droplet lands on your face. "Ugh! You fucker!"
You huff, opting to sit down again and mumble more curses to whatever leaked upstairs. Obviously, it won't work, but the scraping of metal is enough to keep you entertained. And the possibility of escaping is even more entertaining, you scoff. 
Suddenly, you hear the lock on the door turn, keys dangling, thinking it was one of the guards here to check you, you begin counting.
"One, two, three, four…" Before a lady with curly hair, sharp eyes and an unreadable face walks in instead of the guys. Your eyes quickly dart to the bag she's holding, your backpack. 
She walks in causally, stopping on the arch in the middle of the room. You level her with a stare, hand ready to grab at anything. She throws the pack to your legs and you quickly scramble for it, pulling out the blade you stashed inside and pointing the business end to the woman making her way closer. 
She sits beside you, and you shift just a bit away. 
"You're not scared." As a statement. she gives you a small shake. "Then unlock me."
"How about we start with a 'thank you'?" 
"For what?" I roll my eyes, she quickly interjects, her voice level. 
"For saving your life. I am the one that told them not to shoot you, if you recall."
"Yeah, yeah…" I grumble, putting my switchblade back into its safety. But that's exactly what you've been wondering all those days, her choice. "Why did you stop them?"
"We'll get to that," She reaches for your hand and you quickly pull away, both hands on your blade. She sighs, revealing the small key to your line of sight, and you glare at her, before reluctantly giving her the hand with the chains around. She twists the key, releasing you of your bind, and you instinctively rub the marks it left. 
"So, Evan, how're you feeling?" You wince slightly. That name shouldn't really be the one you blurted out when those guards questioned you, beats your birth name at least.
"The same," You shrug. a beat passes, a heavy silence in the room making you squirm. "Is it gonna happen?"
"No," She answers simply.
"So can I go?"
She shakes her head. "No."
"I won't tell anyone about this, I swear." You push, making eye contact with her, trying to get your point across. 
"Then where would you go? Back to FEDRA military school?" You huff. "What, you're that anxious to be a soldier?" 
"You think I chose that place?" You bite back. "They put me there since I was a baby. It's for orphans."
"'They' didn't put you there," She glares at you, making you retract slightly. "I did. Ellie." 
Then she uttered the name you loathed. You roll your eyes, lips turned into a snarl before you snapped back "You're my fucking mom or something?"
"Do I look like your mom." You don't know, many possibilities to maybe be it. Maybe not. 
"Nooo, you do not." You opted instead. "And no, it's actually…" You gave her your name. Your actual preferred name, not whatever your parents decided was best. She only stared, almost like she wanted to retort, like she knew something you didn't within her dark eyes. 
"Alright, sure," Instead, she answered. "My name is Marlene. I'm the leader of the Fireflies in the Boston QZ." 
"Why would a terrorist dump me with FEDRA?" You snarl.
"Because that's where you’ll be safest, and you were safe, until you decided to sneak out." She quickly retorted. "And 'Terrorist'?"
"Was Riley a terrorist?" Your eyes snap to her, another boiling rage almost simmers over. It would be so easy to embed the blade you're still holding onto her neck, maybe slice it and watch as warm blood flows and paint your hands red. She'd probably deserved it. In what way was she allowed to bring up the only person who loves you for you like that?
but instead it simmers down to pain. Another twist at the knife already pushing at those deep wounds. Your eyes break away from Marlenes to around the room, to the floorboard that chips away from neglect. You gulp, blinking the annoying tears making their presence known, taking in shaky lungfuls. Exhaling slowly, you could see the edges of your vision blurring, before you look at Marlene again. Your mouth opens, yet pushing your vocal cords to work seems harder than it used to. You take another inhale, gulping down those dead feelings, then finally meet her steel eyes again. She has the gall to look mildly sympathetic. 
"Why won't you let me go home?" Your voice wavers slightly. 
She exhales, eyes softening slightly. It hurts for you to see. "Because you have a greater purpose than any of us could've ever imagined." she says.
"So we're leaving tonight, and were taking you with us," 
The door opens again, and that familiar Firefly voice calls. "He's here."
"Five minutes," Marlene requested, and they nodded, closing the door. She turns back to you She shifts so her body is angled towards you, and you sit up straighter against the steel bars behind you. 
"What I'm about to tell you can not be repeated to anyone. Because if you do, I assure you," She stares. "You will die."
"Ow! Fuck…" The man stands before you, gun aimed at your head as you huff back the breath he knocked out of you. Steps behind her, a woman with pulled-back hair stands, the same cautious eyes scanning you, then back to Marlene at the end of the hallways. Maybe ambushing him wasn't your brightest idea, now that he's stepped on your blade. They seem to know each other. 
Marlene calls your name, her tone a try of soothing. Then she calls again, demanding, finally breaking eye contact with this 'Joel' guy and turning to her. That's when you spot the wound, bleeding at her side and it looks bad. "Oh shit-"
"No, it's okay. I'll be alright." She reassures you. "And you can't be stupid like this," She scolds. 
"So this is who Robert screwed us over with?" You turn to see a woman as she stands steps away from the man. "The Che Guevara of Boston?" 
"Well war must be pretty shitty for you to be buyin' from scumbags like him." Marlene replies with an eerily steady tone. 
"Yeah it kinda has been," She calls back. "The merch was bad, and he obviously didn't take 'Fuck off' for an answer." All the while you glared daggers at the man, eyeing your blade still beneath his boot.
"Gimme my knife back." You snarl. 
"What do you need a car battery for?" The man asks, before I try to steal my blade back and the cock of a gun startles me, he's back to aiming at me. "Don't." I quickly raise my arms up-
"Not at her," Marlene calls, both her gun and the lady beside her aimed at the man.  "Point it at me." 
Joel raises his brows in warning, before he slowly turns and aims back to Marlene. “And to answer your question, i need it for a better reason than you do,”
“No offense but Tommy’s just one man, It's our business to know things-”
“‘Know things’,” Joel bites. “You're the cause of it. You turned my own brother against me.”
“Okay Joel, that was a lot of gunfire- FEDRA’s gonna be on the way.” Kim reminds. “I know.” Marlene looks away, then down to you where you pull slightly at the definitely strained shoulder from the fall earlier. She bites her lip. “We're gonna move her out of the zone tonight. But we won't make it anywhere like this, not for a while.”
Joel looks down at you, scruffed hair and a scar jutting from his brow. “So now I'm thinkin’, you're gonna do it.”
“The hell we are.” Joel says in unison as you say;
“I’m not goin’ with them!” You shout back.
Kim turns to Marlene, holding her wound. “Let me take her.”
“Tess, we don't have time for this.” The man turns to ‘Tess’.
“Oh you don't have time-” 
“What is she to you?” Tess calls.
“To you? She’s cargo.” Marlene interjects.
“We don't smuggle people. Sorry.” Joel replies sharply.
“I can do it-”
“Kim, you don't have a fuckin’ ear on your fuckin’ head, could you please?” Marlene scrunches her face, Kim deflates as she meets eyes with you, before she looks away again. Marlene inhales a ragged breath, before she sighs. “There's a team of Fireflies waiting for her at the old State House-”
Jeol opens his mouth but Marlene continues; “I know what's out there. We were going with an entire squadron for that very reason.” She takes a breath. “But now we don't have a truck, i don't have a squadron, FEDRA’s five minutes away, what i do have is you.” She pauses, eyes fleeting from Joel's to Tess’.
“And I know what you're both capable of. For better or worse.”
Joel’s hand tightens around the gun, making you gulp, looking back at the woman she’s ready to pull her claws out too. You turn to Marlene, a shake in your voice as you say, “What are they capable of?”
“You get her there safely, and they’ll give you what you need. Not just the battery, the whole thing. Fueled up trucks, guns, supplies, all of it.” Marlene regards them both. “I swear.”  
You watch as the man blinks, then he turns to Tess for a brief moment before she nods her head, angling behind her, he nods curtly. Joel stares you down again, and as he lifts his leg it was your chance to swiftly reach and cut- before he kicked your knife far from your reach. “Asshole!”
Marlene regards you with a stare, when you only huffed and rub at your shoulder again.
The two strangers whisper from the other end of the hall, too far away for you to hear anything coherent. They share looks and assess both you and Marlene, before they turn back to their circle. The scene reminds you of something out of FEDRA school, back when those girls would whisper rumors about you or Riley, about you in particular usually. You narrow your eyes when Joel glances at you. He only narrows his and returns to Tess. 
“Y'all talk it through but please remember I'm bleeding out!” Marlene announces. The pair pauses, before Tess turns.
“Okay, here's the deal.” She walks languidly and stands by your side. “We’ll get her to your crew at the state house, but before we hand her over, they give us everything we want.”
“If not, we kill her, then and there.”
“Deal.” Marlene nods. You snap at her, eyes wide. 
“Really? That fast?”
“You are all that matters. The team won't jeopardize that.” You sigh, breaking eye contact with her. “Remember what I told you? Now go get your backpack.”
You huff, looking back at the woman that promises you safety, a pinch of pain snaps through your heart. “Now.” She adds your name, at which you grumble and stand to retrieve your pack.
Hauling the thing onto your back, you stand in the corridor again, now closer to the pair. “Okay, let's go.” Tess turns, already making her way out.
You stare back at Marlene, angry and disappointed and hurt but she nods, encouraging you to follow the woman you’ve only seen threaten your ticket out of here. You narrow your eyes, before you turn and shoulder-check Joel before grabbing your knife, pocketing it and not looking back. You briefly hear Marlene's fading voice, “Joel, don't fuck this up. Please.”
Before heavy boots follow behind you and you reach the door with Tess.
You find yourself missing Tess already. It didn't take long for you to bury the grief down, in a world like this there's no reason to get sentimental. But with the little time you and her got along, better than you got along with Jeol at least, she reminds you of that older student that was nice to you. The one that offered gum once and told you she liked your hair. She then got admitted to join FEDRA’s soldiers. That was the end of that, and so was Tess.
Through your time hiking with Joel, he’s told you about his scar and the reason you two are going to Frank and Bill’s, he explains to you about the remnants of a plane you two passed. He explains the mundanity of it, the expensive sandwich people would buy but your eyes only sparkle with wonder. He rolls his eyes as you two continue walking to the run-down gas station where he kept a stash of supplies. 
Once the two of you arrived at the fenced little town, Joel told you to get cleaned up while he started the car. So you snagged the body tape that was laying in the medicine cabinet and took the first hot shower since forever ago.
You sigh as the water hits your skin, scrubbing the grime and dirt from days of buildup into the drain. You made sure to wash your hair too. As you dry off and make sure your hair is in a towel, you put on the body tape before grabbing the shirt and hoodie you pulled from the clothes boxes. The layers keep your chest hidden and you smile as you take in yourself from the mirror. Clean and dry hair, flat chest and clean face. Though the scar makes you look tougher, you grin to yourself. Lastly, you put deodorant on before putting on the jacket you set aside earlier.
When Joel was finished with the car and took his shower, you checked around the place, pulling and prodding at furniture that piqued your interest. Your eyes widen when you pull down a drawer to reveal a loaded gun. You quickly stuff it inside your bag when you hear Joel coming down the stairs.
“Well don't you look nice,” You grin, making the older man huff.
“Come on,”
When the two of you take off from the guarded houses, it takes another 2 hours before the car reaches an abandoned gas station and Joel pulls to the side.
“I'm going to get fuel, you.” He stares at you. “Don't wander off, stay close,”
“Sure,” You huff, jumping out of the car to look around. The station seemed to host a convenience store, the broken glass door both inviting and menacing. 
Looking back as Joel picks out a fuel canister from the trunk, you begin walking to the abandoned building. You can feel Joel's eyes following your back, knowing he's putting you in his line of sight. 
Careful with the glass door, you walk through the threshold and look around. Empty shelves, scattered and definitely expired products, old posters that are peeling. You gander at the opened register, sighing knowing that someone probably stole from it before running off somewhere. reaching the back of the store, a bathroom door peeks open. 
The hinges creak as you step inside, cautious for any infected until your eyes track to the exposed ceiling, sunlight cascading through the giant hole and the cracks surrounding it.
"Cool…" You grin, amazed by the rays that have made their way inside. The humidity from the toilets must've generated the amount of foliage that grew inside the stalls, judging from the green bushes and fungi that grew—who knew FEDRA school actually gave you some information. 
When you turn, you jump a bit when you see your reflection, a cracked mirror in front of you. You scoff, looking into the glass where you stand. There you are, a thick jacket over your body while your hair has started to ruffle a bit. You drop your bag and reach for the gun, pulling it out. The safety is in place, and you did check the bullets earlier when Joe wasn't looking. It felt heavy in your hand, the piece of metal capable of taking lives, and saving them. You mull over it, before you pull it in front of you, the mirror reflects back the image of you holding the gun against yourself, a hardened face like all those soldiers had. You pull the safety back.
“Pew, pew,” You mimic a gun firing. “Pew.” 
Staring back into your eyes, darkened from the minimal lighting in the environment. There's a bit of your hair covering your face before you huff it away and bring back the gun. Clicking the safety back, you pull out the cartridge to find it full, of course. The barrel is a bit harder to pull, but when it does go off a bullet clatters to the ground. It clangs and you hurry to pick it up, hearing for any indication that Joel might hear it. 
A beat passes and you release a relieved sigh. Putting the bullet and cartridge on the sink, you stare at the empty gun, before clicking the safety off and aiming at yourself again. You grin, closing one eye as if aiming and clicking.
Nothing shoots out, but you triumphant smile either way. 
Putting the bullets back in and making sure the safety was on, you stuff the gun back inside your bag before you head outside. 
You approached a hunched Joel, shoving a plastic tube into a car’s fuel tank, already acknowledging you in front of him. “We have to do this every hour?”
“Gas breaks down over time,” He continues to feed the tube in. “This stuff’s almost water.”
“Back in the day, we’d drive ten, twenty hours on one tank. You could go anywhere,”
“So where’d you go?” You watch Joel stuff a ball of fabric into the hole. He pauses for a second, meeting your eyes before he looks back down.
“Pretty much anywhere,” Then he blows into another tube. The clear tube fills with gas and it flows into the canister that’ll hold it. You stare at the technique with fascination.
“Nice! How does that work?” You approach the can.
“It's a siphon. It’s when liquid… travels against gravity,” Joel pauses as he watches you smirk. “Because pressure-”
“You don't know,” You grin.
“I know it works.” He insists, making you chuckle as you turn your back to him. “No wanderin’.” 
You groan, returning in front of Joel where he's still ‘siphon’-ing the gasoline. He’s busy with his work, when you get a bright idea. “Okay,” You grin.
You pull out the one book that’ll cure your boredom. “Your fault then,” 
“Doesn't matter how much you push the envelope, it’ll still be stationary,” Joel fixes you with a stare, a little dent between his brows when you giggle. 
“‘No Pun Intended, Volume too,’ By Will Livingston. Get it? ‘T-o-o’, like two O’s,” 
“Jesus,” Jeol grunts when you laugh again. 
“What did the mermaid wear to her math class?” You grin widely while Joel straightens his shirt, staring blankly back at you as you slowly lean forward, urging him to answer. “An algae bra!” 
You continue to laugh, both at the joke and at Joel's face, before you continue. “I stayed up all night-”
“No-”
“Wondering where the sun went, and then it dawned on me!”
Joel sighs and leans on the deserted car. “Feel free to wait in the car.”
“Okay, but just know,” You display the book to the exasperated man. “You can't escape Will Livingston. He’ll be back,” 
He only rolls his eyes as you giggle and haul your pack, walking to where the truck is parked. Another half an hour passes before you hear the crunch of Joel's boots and the shift as he puts the canister on the truck's trunk, and slides back inside. You were lounging in the back seat when he started the engine, then drove out of the abandoned station. 
The car moves past a couple of massive trucks, where you quickly sit up and stare at them as you both pass by. 
“Must’ve been some truck,” You stare, intrigued.
“Yeah, they used to stick big-ass plows on them and clear the roads for their tanks and such,”
“Whoa! I wanna see a tank!” 
“You will,” Joel replies, a bit bitten off as he stares out into the road. You prompted to look around instead, pulling a shiny something from the back of the passenger seat. A tape, ‘Hank Williams’ was written on top.
“Got somethin’,” You tap Joel's shoulder with it as you lean between the seats. “Here, this make you all nostalgic?”
Joel takes the tape, looking it over, tapping on it. “This is actually before my time,”
“Great,” You sit back when you spot Joel putting the tape into the player. 
“It’s a winner though,” He presses play and a guitar melody starts to strum, filling the car. You grin as the music starts, before you start to look around again, pulling another thing from the floor.
“Oh man, go somethin’ else,” You grin, flipping it open. You spotted Joel's eye from the rearview and he seems to have spotted the front of the magazine.
“It’s uh- light on the reading, But it has some interesting pictures,” Joel could practically break his neck with the way he turns, eyes wide as he sees you flipping away.
“No, no, no put that back. That’s not for- kid come on-” 
Your eyes scan the pictures, pulling an extended one where your jaw dramatically stops. “How would he even walk around with that thing?!” 
“Please get rid of it.”
“Hold your horses, I wanna see these cool ‘examples’!” You giggle, flipping to another page when Joel only sighs. His eyes are back on the road when you smirk with an idea. “Why are all these pages stuck together?”
“Uh…” The man is either worried he’ll say the wrong word or confuse you more with an answer, faltering and searching for more words only for you to grin.
“Oh i’m just fuckin’ with ya,” You smack the back of his seat lightly. You pull down the window, feeling the gust of wind as the car drives through the dried fields, before you throw the magazine out of the window and into the wild. “Bye-bye dude!” 
Time passes and so does the scenery. From dried fields, to cows roaming the pastures, to abandoned roller coasters. And Joel was right, you did pass by tanks, abandoned and vines had made their home in it, a somber reminder of the past. You feel a shiver run up your arm when the car passes those big and rusted weapons, before you look away and focus on the road instead. The car passes rows and rows of trailers, a resting area for truckers back in the day, Joel explained when you asked. 
Soon, the road turns into a forest, and the last of the cassette dies down, filling the car with silence. “Alright, that's enough for today,” 
Joel presses at the radio where the tape escapes and he puts it back down, then he turns into a clearing where the truck treks through green grass, no doubt leaving tire tracks. He stops it as the surrounding trees cover the car, but the treeline is just visible. 
You emerge from your cocoon of a sleeping bag to a rattling, slowly blinking the sleep from your eyes before you quirk your nose with an unfamiliar smell. Inching your way to the stove, you wiggle until you stand on your knees and pull at the boiling thing on top of it, the smell suddenly stronger which makes you cringe back. “Ugh! What the fuck is that?!”
“You don't like coffee?” Joel calls back from the trunk, brows raised, clearly shocked.
You only stared back at the pot, a tinge of disgust yet fascination, before flipping the lid back on and throwing yourself to your earlier curled position, opting to ignore the stink.
After putting all of your supplies back and securing them, Joel starts the car as you sit in the passenger seat. He instructs you to pull out a map and you do just that as he drives back into the paved road. When the both of you are on solid road, Joel pulls out a black bottle, and sips at it.
“Is that seriously what those Starbucks in the QZ used to sell?” You grimace, looking at the man beside you.
“Well, theirs was a lot fresher than what Bill saved up, but yeah this is what they sold.” 
You stare at the bottle again. “Smells like burnt shit.” 
Joel ignores you, only sipping coffee again, this time visibly louder before he fixes you a stare. “Eyes on the map.”
You huff, putting your attention back on the paper laid out in front of you. “76 West, and then… 70 West, for like, ever.” You sigh.
“Where in Wyoming did you say your brother was?”
“Last contact came through a radio tower close to Cody,” Joel turns to watch you as you flip the paper, eyes searching.
“Cody… Cody, Cody! Ah man, that's deep in there,” Your finger traces the many lines and roads etched into the paper. 
“Yeah,”
“And if he's not there?”
“Then odds are, he’ll be near a settlement, probably close to another city out there, ain't too   many of ‘em in Wyoming,”
You squint at one of the names on the map. “Chee-yen?”
“Cheyenne.”
“Che- Really?” Joel nods. “Cheyenne, Laramie…. Casper?” You hum, continue to read the map.
“What's his name?”
“Whose name?”
“Your brother,” This time you're focused on Joel, choosing to put the map on your lap instead. After a pause, Joel answers.
“Tommy,”
“Younger or older?”
“Younger,”
“Why isn't he with you?” Another curious question.
“A long story.”
“Is it longer than 25 hours? ‘Cause I think that's what we got,” You shrug, looking at Joel while he only blinks, before his eyes are back on the road. He huffs, then begins to tell about Tommy and how he came to be.
The story ends with a closing remark about the Fireflies, and you had to agree they were dumb. Trying to save a dying world is useless, though there is still hope. It ends bitterly as it reminds you of Marlene.
“If you don't think there's hope for the world, why bother going on?” Your eyes track the road outside. “I mean, you gotta try right?”
Joel stayed silent, then; “You haven't seen the world so you don't know.”
“You keep goin’ for family, that's about it,”
“I’m not family,” You almost flinched with how little your voice sounds.
“No,” Joel shakes his head. “You're cargo.”
“I made a promise to Tess, and she was like family.”
You nodded slowly, resting your head on the seat as your eyes passed the fields outside. You think back to Riley, to the days you’d spend with her, to the way she made you feel as if the world was only worth the two of you. She was family, she made you feel like family. Then that was over and next thing you know you ran away from Marlene despite promising Riley you’d join them.
“Y’know… about Marlene,” Joel turns to you for a second, realizing how quiet you got, before he turns back to the road. You chewed at your bottom lip a bit, before huffing and turning to the road beside you, letting the morning wind breeze through your hair. 
“She said this old name, Ellie,” Your brows frown a little, trying to blink as you feel your eyes gloss over. “That was the name my parents apparently gave me before they left me with FEDRA.” 
“Marlene told me that, the name,” When you turn, Joel’s eyes are trained on you, soft on the edges and it makes you gulp. “I hated it. I always did,” 
“You don't go by that.”
“No, I don't.” You huff, looking away and outside your window again. The wind is soothing over you. “I never had a family, Marlene wasn't family she was just a Firefly, and the only one i had was…”
“So I changed it. Never felt like mine anyways, Ellie- Feels like a dead girl's name,” Grass and trees pass by. “And I'm not a girl, so…”
“No?” This time, you notice the hint of confusion and curiosity in the man's tone. 
“Nope,” You popped the ‘p’. “Never was, never will be,” 
“So you’re…?” You scoff, turning back to Joel.
“I’m a dude, dumbass,” You stared at Joel as he looked out at the road, then back at you, eyebrows scrunched together. “What?”
“Marlene said-”
“Marlene doesn't know shit.” You cross your arm, trying to bury yourself into the seat. “She left me, just like my parents. So I make my own rules. I made it myself. Got a problem?” 
Joel only stares, silence filling the void, only the light hum and sometimes gravel underneath the road made noise. You huff, looking out into the world, contemplating your choice. What went through your head thinking this man, who considers you ‘cargo’ was worth sharing a bit of yourself with? He wasn't someone worth dying for, worth saving for, he didn't earn this personal information about you. Fuck this, fuck your stupid heart, fuck your damn feelings and mushy-
“Sure kid, whatever,” Now that made you snap at him. The last time someone said that to you was when you told Riley about it. Albeit less cold and distant, but still. Your brows arch, assessing the man next to you.
“You don't care?”
“Why should i? That doesn't matter,” He shrugs, eyes trained on the road. “What matters is i don't need to carry your dead weight if you got your ass bitten, ‘cause you're a man,”
You blink, slightly confused and worried if Joel got hit in the head or not. Maybe it was that coffee… Either way, you felt a sense of warmth blooming in your heart, elevating your breath, before you scoff and look away, a smile making its way to your lips. “Yeah, whatever old man,”  
Requests are opened!
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silvr-skreen · 1 year ago
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GIVE US THE SHIRLEY LOREE
OH BOY THIS IS GONNAE BE A DOOZY!!!
Shirley 🎶 (LORE AND HC ABOUND SORRY)
Lore:
Originally intended to be a duo with Lenard (he sings/makes the music and she dances) except that never really happened.
On her first ever day of existing she got lost and ended up at Ray's stage and just did a bit with him until they ran out of film. As it turns out the juxtaposition between her and Ray was hilarious and THOSE two became a duo.
Lenard legit doesnt care, especially since she makes sure to brief all the others on what happens down in the Stage 2 set (and vicea versa to Ray)
ultimately the CNBG started to try and push a "beauty and the beast" romance thing except Al (who originally despite his good intentions was kind of spineless and bent to their will) said no. He wasn't gonna make them do that, and he didn't. But the CNBG then told him to get her off the air then.
As it turns out, part of her appeal was people thinking her and Ray were more than friends, and a hard no would upset some viewers (as opposed to lying and agreeing, or doing a "will-they-wont-they")
She walked in on the destruction of some of her clones and was then chased out by the staff tasked with the job, and she fled to the basement (this was after Richie left and Ray got banished) and begged him to hide her because "they tore up my copies and they want to tear me up too!" and he agreed. He hid her and played dumb until the staff left.
She's kind of just... been in his lair since, until of course, the staff stopped showing up, at which point she got free reign of the basement, but she is too scared to leave his side. (she also doesnt make clones because shes afraid they'll get torn up too)
Headcanons:
something is very wrong with her. Her mechanic doesn't really have the "cute-Agression" but instead if gordon shoots her, or another puppet she runs at him to chastise him about it. Aka. pacifism is really important (or you attack when she's not active or looking)
there was a scrapped script from when Al was considering agreeing with the network and forcing it, but then he tossed it. It's. it's very bad and al's written in the margins a bunch about that.
she's around george height! very tall, also very wiggly. Ray is the one person she wont attempt to wiggle away from
also the one person ray confided in when it came to raymond (which. i have a headcanon about him too)
she learned a lot of stuff from ray, however, it was before gordon came around so... yeah she likes to hit stuff with small blunt objects.
in addition to that one. she needs to either be taped up, or lead to ray to deactivate her. (the second one deactivates them both, and they always are in the same room at the same time)
side quest is really just... listening. offering support.
oh, also fun fact im the person writing that fic on Ao3 "The Neighborhood" w/ trans gordon an' yeah ye shouldnae be stabbing a pregnant person w/ a screwdriver shirley-girly (ray calls her that)
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Funny image tax thank you for reading :3
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explosionshark · 1 year ago
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Uh, genuine question, but what should non vegans and/or non vegetarians do to be respectful of vegans and/or vegetarians?
And also, a second more specific question, i get that unless the person has actually said something, irl wise it’s generally kinda dumb weird and probably a bit rude to go out of your way to avoid any mention of meat as food in front of a vegan/vegetarian, but online, where the rules are obviously different,
would it be good practice to tag posts that are about or mention meat or other animal products being used as food? Because i imagine even if you don’t care it just might get a bit grating? Like when you keep having to hear a bout a fandom you’re apathetic about
Again, promise this isn’t mocking or anything, these are genuine questions, 🙏 i just believe that similar to religious beliefs, veganism/vegetarianism shouldn’t be mocked and instead respected
None of this is dumb or weird! I think it's nice that you're trying to be mindful.
Personally, I don't think tagging for meat or animal products or stuff like that is necessary. I feel like 99% of the fast food ads I see on billboards or commercials is more obnoxious than like someone posting a pic of their dinner and talking about how good it was.
Tbh the only content I actually see on Tumblr that bothers me In A Vegan Way falls into one of two categories.
Exploitative Animal Images: idk to me this ranges from like mildly annoying to hellish. I feel like a lot of images of animals clearly in distress or in unsafe circumstances get passed around as memes a lot here and it's genuinely kinda disturbing. I mean obviously pictures of living animals captioned with something obnoxious about the kind of food you want to turn them into is one example.
Other stuff would be like videos of wild animals in domestic settings where they don't belong (I hope I never see another pet sugar glider video in my entire fucking life tbh) or like otherwise in captivity under CLEARLY shady circumstances (those tiger farms for example). Otherwise stuff like videos of people scaring their pets bc they make funny faces or silly noises about it. A lot of this stuff is pervasive in Internet humor or like cute animal pages and it can be easy to overlook but I think it's worth being critical of thinking about the circumstances animal content is produced under. Tbh I think this is a good internet rule in general - esp when it comes to meme images of violence and stuff like that.
The other category is probably more obvious and the thing I most frequently block/unfollow people over - please don't reblog weird anti-vegan propaganda. I feel like I don't really have to worry about this from you, anon, since you're clearly approaching from a respectful place but there's been what feels like a significant uptick in anti-vegan content couched in progressive language on this site recently.
From blatant misrepresentations of what veganism means to holding vegans solely accountable for stuff everyone does and/or corporate marketing, to weirdly hateful and defensive screeds - there's a LOT of really popular bad takes going around. And some of it is truly wild and really shows how little people read a post before reblogging it - a couple years ago I saw several majorly popular blogs on Tumblr reblogging an anti-vegan post that had lines about the "occult implications" of veganism buried somewhere in the text and it nearly drove me insane. More mundane examples would be the recent rise of 'vegans love to pollute with fake leather bc they're ignorant babies' type posts. A lot of these don't even have to be outright hostile to be annoying, but they all fundamentally fail to understand what veganism is about. It's not a health movement or an environmental movement or a 'lifestyle' movement - the #1 concern of veganism is animal rights.
Not saying there aren't overlapping concerns like environmentalism that can be used in the messaging, but at the end of the day whether something is good for your health or for the planet is a secondary consideration to 'does this system harm a living being unnecessarily.'
Anyway I hope that was a helpful answer!
Thanks for reaching out! Have a good one!
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henrioo · 9 months ago
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First things first I can prove also that iam guy too. and prove you that iam not a fem reader blog. (Pls don't wanna get blocked 😭😭) mercy mercy..!!
Second I swear on my life i don't hate i love him too iam too but iam also fan of shanks too pls but I meet a lot if annoying kid thats why I was talking about it. I just love both red head okey??😭😭
Question of today ⭐: whats the best thing about your nationality or that your proud of?
Hmm iam from 🇲🇫🇧🇷 so.....😚😚🤭😳😚😚🙉🙉🙈🙈🙈
Another question of today⭐: whats a thing I the one piece fandom that you feel needs to change?? I feel people need to stop complaining about the smallst things ever... like that new color spread made by oda with tashigi, nami ,robin,reuji, uta. I saw people on twitter complaining about how perona wasnt there like be greatful insted of complaining...bro😭😭💀💀
🌮 taco anon ~
OOOOOH YOU MAKE PART OF THE BOYS GANG YIPPPPPEEEEEEE
Dw babe, I was scared because since I block all fem blogs that interact with my stories I blocked without wanting those anons
But if your block has male info then you are totally safe I won't block you don't worry hahaha I always check before blocking
I think it is the songs probably, I like a lot of the art of Brazil, like we have some artist fucking amazing I swear
But the songs, the music that Brazil makes are unique, there's nothing that compares with
I really love brazilian music and it's perfect no matter if its song about the 90's or a song release this year, all are really good
And Funk too, I love the Brazilian funk, besides I don't like many of them because we have some shitty ones, there some that are AMAZING
ALSO YOU ARE FROM WHERE????? HUH???? TALK MORE NOW!
Hahahahah don't worry baby I was joking with you, kid is really dumb it's totally fine to hate him but tbh I don't like most fans of chars (any chars any anime) they just suck
Bro the entire fandom of one piece should change for me, 90% of them are terrible and Jesus some are even criminal
But I think they don't enjoy one piece as it should, this is what I would like to change
One piece is a story, we are learning about a world, about a forgotten story that no one knows anymore, they are showing us a secret and mystery story that was lost in the time
And all that people care about is fight and power, is about Zoro winning idk how, is about Luffy losing to idk, is about Haki, is about power scale and blah blah
Like, I know the fights are cool, I know it is cool to discover with char are strong that each char
But some people are really forgetting the fucking story!
Now in egg head all I see of Brazilian fans at least is they talking about Zoro and Sanji power and Luffy winning and losing and they all complaining why don't have more fights why they are avoiding fights and stuff
ITS BECAUSE ITS NOT ONLY FIGHTS, IN THE ARC THEY ALREADY EXPLAIN WHY THEY DON'T WANT TO FIGHT BUT LOOKS THEY AREN'T READING AND JUST SEEING THE IMAGES???
Seriously, for any one piece fan, enjoy the story, connect the dots, see the time line, see how the years pass through this world, because the story is the true treasure in this manga
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