#got his vision by thinking ‘wow this would be so practical for my work’ and bam

[nicomoon69]

resisting the urge to make a genshin oc just so I can have them interact w kaveh

[3rachaslut]

hiii, so im a new follower but i LOVE your work so much its just *chefs kiss* 😣❤️

so im not sure if youve already done this or not, i haven’t gone that deep into a rabbit hole in your page yet lol anyways

i was wondering how you would think skz ot8 would react to reader having a belly piercing/a back tattoo?

really really love what you do ✨🤍🎀 MWAH !!!

hello lovely anon!!! it’s so nice to meet you🫂 stay a while i hope you enjoy the rest of my work ahh TYSM🥹🤍

okay let’s get it!!

SKZ X GENDER NEUTRAL READER🖤

mainly fluff, some are kinda suggestive.

bangchan

you drop your bags in the hall as you slump through the doorway and into you and your boyfriends shared apartment.

“hi baby” chan shouts from the kitchen. kicking your shoes off, you see him appear in your peripheral vision and soon you feel his hands wrapping round you. “long day?” he says as you nuzzle into his should and nodding your head.

“tired” you mumble into his t-shirt, instantly feeling more relaxed at the familiar smell of his purfume. “how about i give you a massage baby, hm?” a smile spread across his face as he admired your cuteness in your tired state. “yeah? okay. go get undressed and i’ll be there in a second”

you pretty much drop onto the bed just after you strip down and lay on your front, enjoying the feeling of the soft mattress underneath you. you hum in contentment.

“okay baby so i’ve got the oi-“ chan cuts himself off and you turn your head in confusion. “um.. when did you get that?” he says with a smirk on his face, clearly loving the new piece on you.

“a few weeks ago” you say, still looking back at him with a smug smile on your face.

“and i haven’t seen it?!” he exclaims, practically running to your bed and jumping over the top of you to admire your new decoration.

“you like it?”, the answer already apparent with the look on chans face. you chuckle and turn your head again to rest on your arm.

“i absolutely love it! darling it’s so beautiful”….

lee know

you feel your body shiver as you pull your shirt over your head and to the floor, your body involuntarily shaking like a leaf at cold air in the room. it had been a long night out with the members and you couldnt wait to get into your pjs.

“oh my- baby- ” you hear lee know say from behind you. it was a rarity that lee know was ever at a loss for words but you knew that your new tat you didn’t tell him about was a good contender at making it a possibility. you were right.

“yesss?” you tease, turning around to face him and walk towards the edge of the bed where he was sat, his jaw practically hitting the ground. you could see his approval of your decision by the tent that was forming in his pants.

“as absolutely stunning as you are, turn around again”. and you do, feeling particularly smug right now. “wow” he says and you hear him walking towards you. suddenly you feel his hand tracing along your back and you quickly struggle to keep your composure, your breathe hitching in your throat.

“y- you like it?” you mewl through jagged breaths at the feel of his hands roaming your back causing goosebumps to form all over your naked body.

“a lot. however.. i may have to punish you for not asking for permission before you got it..” lee know says and the words linger in the air between you two. you knew by the shift in the atmosphere just what was about to happen and a smile tugged at your lips. it was gonna be a long, pleasurable night and you knew by the end of it, your tattoo may not be the only new marking on your back….

changbin

“are you 100% sure you wanna do this y/n? i really don’t mind if you’re not, i’m more than happy just kissing you, you know that right?” changbin said with a panicked look on his face. you had finally told him that you were ready to have sex with him but since it was your first time, he wanted to make sure you were definitely ready.

“yes binnie, i am sure!” you said, a smile plastered all over your face which was soon reciprocated by your boyfriend. changbin raises his pinky to your chest and only when you wrapped yours around his did he take that as true confirmation. no matter how old he may be, a pinky promise was always sacred.

“okay” he whispers into your ear, working his way down, planting kisses down your neck to get you ready. your eyes flutter shut as you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding as his hands make their way down your waist and underneath your oversized t-shirt. you open your eyes at the pause of his hands over you and you see his face is covered in surprise.

“what’s wrong?”. the words rush out of your mouth in panic but you begin to see the smirk tugging at the side of his mouth and your anxiety quickly dismisses itself.

“i didn’t know you had your beautiful tummy pierced?” he says excitedly. he lifts your t-shirt, eager to see it in person. he looks at your tummy and then back at you with such a huge smile on his face. he clearly approves. “wanna see more of you babe, like right now!”….

hyunjin

“my love?” hyunjin speaks from across the bed as you dangled your legs over the other side, himself propped upwards against the headboard and staring at you from behind.

“yes baby?” you reply. “when did you get such a beautiful tattoo?” he asks and you can hear the smile on his face through his words. you hear the bed squeak as he leans closer and the whispers of “aahs” from behind you.

“only a few days ago, it’s still quite sensitive” you say. “i won’t touch is then but wow it’s beautiful. beautiful tattoo for my beautiful baby” you blush at his words as you lean towards your console, flicking the tv on in the process. friday nights were spent by you and hyunjin both having ‘me time’, however you couldn’t ever bring yourself to leave each others sides. he drew and you played video games.

the rustling of pencil on paper was one of the most comforting noises for you as you had soon connected the noise to your boyfriend, hyune. after about half an hour, you felt the bed dip behind you and a tap on your shoulder. you turn your head in attention.

“what do you think love?” hyunjin whispered into your ear as he handed you a drawing of your new back tattoo. your mouth falls open and your eyebrows ruffle in utter disbelief at how beautiful the picture was and how much love you could tell was put into it.

“hyunnie it’s beautiful!” you say, your voice wobbly as you feel tears start to prick at your eyes.

“not as beautiful as you darling”…

han jisung

“turn over babe, let sungie spoon you” han says as he sniggers down your ear at the cringe that just came out of his own mouth.

“oh ji” you exasperate and let out a huffed laugh, rolling your eyes and turning around so your back is resting against hans also bare chest.

“oh- y/nah!!” he gasps and you jump slightly at the sudden loudness of his words. “pretty pretty pretty!” he says as he adores your new tat. “it’s so beautiful!” he says wrapping his free arm around you and swaying you both back and forth in your bed.

“you like it then ji?” you chuckle as he begins to trace the outlines of the black ink in your skin, the strokes on your back sending shivers all up you but han didn’t seem to notice. you hum in relaxation.

“i love it so much” he whispers down your ear as he continued to trace the shapes of your tattoo over and over again only ever stopping to plant kisses on the decorated area.

“not as much as i love you though”. he speaks softly down your ear as to not disturb your relaxed state.

“oh- are you sleepy?” he mutters and you moan as confirmation.

“okay, goodnight angel”

felix

“hey lixxxx” you sing, nearly running towards your boyfriend just as you got through the door. you practically throw yourself into his arms and he laughs contently.

“aww hi baby, what’s got you all smiley?” felix says, smiling as he runs his hand through your hair and planting a kiss on your head. “welll you know that thing i’ve been wanting to do for weeks now..” you say swaying side to side in his arms looking up at him. “yes- oh my god you did it!” he says just as excited for you as you are.

“yes! and look how pretty it is” you exclaim, eagerly lifting your t-shirt up to show him your new tummy piercing. he leans down to adore it too.

“your tummy was so beautiful before but nowww.. wow! , it’s so sparkly y/n!” he says with a huge smile on his face in reaction to your elation. “you’re so adorable i wanna just squish you” felix said as he lifted you off your feet and towards the couch. he gently plants you down underneath him and begins trailing kisses down your chest and towards your stomach. you hum as he kisses all over your tummy, careful not to catch the jewellery.

“my darling, you are getting more and more irresistible by the day”…

seungmin

“hey baby” seungmin greets, accompanied by an evening kiss. “you look gorgeous, have you been out? it was meant to be your rest day today” he says, plopping himself next to you on the sofa, the smell of his perfume lingering around you as he rests his head on your shoulder.

“maybeeee..” you say teasingly, leaning into him. “oh yeah?” his ears perking up in interest. “and where did you go?” he asks attentively.

“to get a new tattoo” you smile and the look of shock on his face is so comical you can’t help but huff out a laugh. “really?! oh my god let me see” he begs, his legs jittering in excitement. you turn your back to him and take your shirt off, discarding it on the sofa next to you.

“oh my- it’s beautiful” seungmin gasps in awe. “i love it!” you turn around to look at him. “no, i’m not done looking” he states, and you chuckle. turning your back to him once again, you feel his fingertips tracing the currently sealed skin and the pressure feels so relieving on the sensitive area you let out a sigh at the feeling.

“what do you think?” you ask, already knowing the answer. “you look so hot is what i think” seungmin replies. “but as much as i love it baby, i must ask, how long is it now until we can have sex?” seungmin says, his lip pouting and you giggle in response.

“you know minnie.. there are ways to have sex that won’t hurt my new tat?” you say insinuatingly, raising your eyebrows.

“go to the bedroom, right now”…

jeongin

“innie are you showering?” you yell from outside the bathroom door. “yes baby” he replies, shouting through the water pouring and the music blaring in the bathroom. you open the door and let yourself in, the misty air instantly making you warm. peeping your head around the shower curtain, you were greeted by his beautiful naked form. you will never get tired of adoring his body. “mind if i join you?” you ask, however already knowing the answer.

he responds with a smile and reaches his hand out for you to balance on as you climb into the bath tub. exactly as you did with him, he stares at your naked body up and down, admiring you. however, a gasp leaves his mouth as his eyes rest on your belly button. he looks up at you with a smile.

“i really fucking like that” he smirks, tilting his head back, rinsing the bubbles out of his hair. you move closer to him and run your hands up his waist. “like what innie?” you ask with faux confusion.

he slowly looks back down at you with narrow eyes, lifting your chin up to face him with his thumb and forefinger. “you know exactly what it is that i like” he says smugly, leaning in to kiss your parted lips. suddenly, his hands are roaming your stomach and you nearly melt into his touch. you can only whimper in response and you can feel him smile into the kiss.

“you drive me so fucking crazy y/n”…

a/n: sorry some of them are lowkey trash i really tried my best to make the scenarios different from each other but i hope i did anons request justice🤍

[motherofdogs1010]

Need to Know II (Peter Parker x Reader)

Summary: When she was ready to get back out on the dating scene after dumping a certain Winter Soldier, Y/N was a woman ready to get back out there. She just never expected to find herself in a relationship with a certain nerdy spider. Warnings: Reader is basically Penelope Garcia, toxic ex! Bucky, fratboy!Peter, older woman/younger man, age gap relationship, mentions of ageism, eventual pregnancy Dividers by @firefly-graphics Banner by @vase-of-lilies

Part I

Present Day

To say that Y/N ever thought she'd be in a relationship with someone younger than her, she would be lying if she said she did. She had never expected to find herself in a relationship where she was the older one, but here she was, laying on her Cal King bed as she watched Peter type away on his computer, writing a paper for one of his robotics classes.

Peter let out a frustrated groan before closing his laptop and falling down beside her, Y/N looked at him with a amused look on his face.

"This professor makes me regret going to college", Peter groaned, Y/N chuckled.

"You're just overthinking yourself", Y/N said as she scratched his head. "You'll do great, remember, it's your last year."

"Between school and being Spider-man, sometimes I feel burnt out", Peter said.

"You'll do great", Y/N repeated as Peter practically purred at the head scratches. “Once you’re done, you’ll be able to work with Tony like he promised and you won’t be so stressed out juggling everything.”

"How did you even become a technical analyst for the Avengers anyways? It's kinda random because you popped up out of nowhere."

"I hacked into the government's system and got on their watchlist, which led me to eventually hacking into FRIDAY for fun one day."

Peter looked at her and she shrugged but it was the truth; hacking and such had always been her thing and eventually led to her being sought out by Tony himself after she may have hacked into his system for shits and giggles.

"Well, that explains everything", Peter said, "can you hack into my professor's computer?"

"I could, but it'd ruin the pardon Tony got me", Y/N pouted, "but for you, I'd risk it."

She leaned over to Peter and planted a kiss on his lips, and Peter chuckled at her comment.

"Alright, maybe let's not send you to federal prison", Peter joked, "but you wanna go down to Delmar's and get sandwiches?"

Y/N nodded, "I just have to shower first."

As she begun to get up from the bed, she looked at Peter and said, "Wanna come shower with me?"

"Babe, if I ever say no, take me to Bruce because there's something clearly wrong with me."

With a giggle, Peter chased her to the bathroom.

After a steamy shower session that lasted longer than it probably should have, Peter was taking a quick call from his best friend, Ned, who had been accepted and was attending MIT before they left to Delmar's. Y/N decided to wait in the kitchen, walking in to see Wanda and Vision making brownies.

"Hey guys", Y/N said as she sat down at one of the kitchen island chairs.

"Oh hey Y/N", Wanda smiled as she mixed the batter.

"Hello Y/N", Vision greeted as he watched Wanda mix the batter.

"Venturing Vision's culinary skills to baking?" Y/N asked, Vision nodded and Wanda laughed.

"Where are you off to?" Wanda teased, "Peter whisking you away somewhere?"

So far, a majority of the Avengers seemed to be alright with her relationship with Peter, ignoring the age gap between the two of them.

Well, nearly all of them...

"We're going to Delmar's", Y/N replied back.

"Oh! Bring me back a sandwich", Wanda chimed.

"Will do", Y/N said, "hey, where is everyone?"

"Steve and Sam went on another run, Nat and Clint are on a quick recon mission", Vision replied.

The sound of shrill laughter boomed into their ears and Y/N saw Wanda wince and shake her head at the noise while she was mouthing 'wow' to herself.

Y/N knew who that laughter belonged to and she couldn't help, but want to laugh at it all.

"Oh, Y/N, I didn't think you'd be here."

Looking over her shoulder, Y/N raised a brow to the person who spoke in a condescending tone.

Dot or Dottie as she heard Bucky call the blonde haired woman stood in the entrance of kitchen, popping a piece of bubblegum loudly while her phone was in her hand. If Y/N was being honest, her relationship with Bucky had been on the rocks for a while before Dot, but Dot was the final nail in the coffin to end her relationship.

And at one point, Y/N would have felt some form of bitterness towards Dot's presence, but now, she felt nothing but annoyance at the woman's persistent need to try and one up for some reason or another.

"Why wouldn't I be here? I live here", Y/N replied in a confused tone.

"I figured you'd be... rocking the cradle and all", Dot said with a smirk.

Y/N wanted to groan at the jab towards her relationship with Peter, it was Dot's biggest thing to constantly bring up.

"It's robbing the cradle", Peter interjected as he walked into the kitchen. "Not that it applies to us

Peter walked over to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders before pressing a kiss to her temple. Y/N noticed Dot's eyes hyper-fixated on Peter as Peter greeted Wanda and Vision but Y/N knew that were Dot was, Bucky was soon following and Y/N was not in the mood for dealing with the man.

"Ready, babe?" Peter asked as Y/n saw Vision look at the brownie batter.

"Yup", Y/n said as she slid out of the chair.

"Aren't you a little too old to be wearing that?" Dot asked, Y/N frowned.

Her and Dot were the same age and Y/n wore a yellow sundress since it was humid this time of year in New York. Y/N raised a eyebrow at Dot and glanced at Wanda, who rolled her eyes at Dot's comment.

"Nope", Y/n said, looking at the dress. "But you might wanna apply that logic to yourself, Dottie. We're the same age after all."

Dot frowned as Y/n got up from her seat, feeling Peter wrap an arm around her waist as he began to led them away fro the kitchen.

Y/N looked at Peter amused as he told her about his squished sandwich theory, a smile on her face as he explained that it made the sandwich taste better. Wanda had happily taken her sandwich, running away to continue watch Modern Family in her and Vision's room.

That left her and Peter in the living room, watching Ahsoka on Disney+.

"Man, I want to buy her lightsaber", Peter whined, "it looks so cool."

"It's a nice lightsaber", she agreed with a chuckle. "Personally, I want Darth Maul's."

"That's a huge one", Peter said, "they literally have to assemble it in parts."

"But imagine how intimidating it would be", she argued.

"Now what are you two lovebirds talking about", Tony chimed as he walked in.

"Lightsabers", Peter answered with a grin.

Tony and Peter began talking about some upgrades for his suit when her phone vibrated, she grasped it from under her and saw it was a text from Bucky. She wished she could block him, but since he was a member of the Avengers, she couldn't since she was a asset for them.

Opening the text, she frowned as a slew of texts began coming in.

She rolled her eyes and put her phone away from her as she hit 'DO NOT DISTURB'. She wasn't sure why Bucky had been like this, sending texts like this but she hoped he got the message soon as Tony said he was leaving to take Pepper on a date, allowing them to go back to their show.

Y/N relaxed back into Peter's embrace, laying her head on his shoulder without a care. She felt happy, even if she hadn't expected it to be with someone younger than her as Peter kissed the top of her head before she connected their lips together.

It was their monthly Avengers get-together over at the Compound, everyone dressed in their nicest clothes as Tony held a nice fancy dinner. Y/N wore a backless cocktail dress that she had a hard time convincing Peter he could not mess with until after the party was over, although, she had a hard time keeping herself from Peter with his rolled up sleeves that showcased his arms.

Right now, they were all scattered around the room; Nat was working the bar for some reason or another.

"Hey there Tech Queen", Nat said as Y/N approached her. "Where's your other half?"

"Talking science with Strange and Tony", she shrugged with a grin. "Not sure if I trust you behind the bar, Nat. You make the drinks as strong as Asgardian liquor."

Nat laughed just as Steve walked up to them, he kissed the side of Nat's head.

"What are you two laughing about?" he asked.

"Nat's bartending", Y/N answered, Steve winced.

"Yeah, maybe let's not", Steve said, Nat laughed and waved him off.

Y/N looked around to see Carol engaged in some form of arm wrestle with Thor, Sam watching the two, Wanda was conversing with Pepper, Peter still with Strange and Tony, and Bruce and Rhodey talking.

She wasn't sure where Vision was, knowing him he was probably phasing through some walls or something.

"Here, drink this", Nat said with a grin.

"Oh no", Y/N said with a smile. "I don't trust you with making drinks. Last time I had one, I--"

"Yeah, Y/N, do tell us what happened last time you had one."

Her mood was killed, instantly as she noticed Bucky had arrived. Her face said it all as Nat frowned at the man, she noticed even Steve frowning.

"Did this conversation involve you?" Y/N sassily said with a raised brow. "I believe this was a A,B, and C conversation."

"Oh, I was just wondering if the last time Nat made you a drink, you maybe did some things that you regret… or someone.”

"No, no regrets here", Y/N said as she looked at her nails.

Bucky was beginning to look like he had sucked on a lemon by his facial expression just as she felt a pair of arms around her, looking over her shoulder to see Peter.

"Mr. Barnes", Peter cooly said.

"Parker", Bucky gritted.

Y/N saw Nat taking a amused slip of her drink.

"Dateless tonight?" Peter asked with a smirk.

"Just for tonight", Bucky grumbled.

"Huh, how... unfortunate for you", Peter said with false sympathy. "If you don't mind, well, I know you won't."

Peter gestured for them to leave a fuming Bucky and a very amused Natasha to be dealt with by Steve.

Later, Y/N wrapped her arms around Peter's neck and he pulled her closer to her; Peter began to sway them with a grin on his face as she playfully shook her head at him, a grin making its way onto her face.

"Have I told you that you're pretty?" Peter asked.

"Not today, I don't think", she teased as Peter bumped their noses.

"What kind of boyfriend am I then?" Peter teased.

She felt happy with Peter, their relationship felt easy and uncomplicated as Peter connected their lips, squeezing her body a little as he tried to bring her in closer.

[adventuringblind]

Drive with you Forever

Chapter Ten: a monster or a hero?

Max Verstappen x Charles Leclerc x Lando Norris X reader

Chapter summary: things come to a climatic peak at Abu Dhabi

Warnings: GORE, depictions of abuse, minor character death, description of injuries and blood, panic attacks, annoying first responders, gun and knife violence

Notes: wow I enjoyed this chapter. It was so much fun to write. I think going from action to intimate with the transition actually worked better then I thought it would. Not something I can say about my other work 😒😂

Previous <-

Masterlist

She’s aware of the drops of blood running down her fingers onto the tarmac of the track. The lighta of Abu Dhabi illuminates her skin as she stands with shaky knees. She can smell the rage falling of the man in waves. His movements were clumsier in his anger.

He’d made a mistake in thinking he could touch them.

He’d been wrong to assume she would give in so easily.

Now, with a grin on her face and crimson cover face, she proves he created the killer he always claimed her to be.

~

Aside from Jos and his odd interactions with her, paddock like was peaceful.

She’d gone back to analyzing data and tinkering with the cars. Using the rest of the season to simply heal. She was here because she wanted to be. She was here supporting her loves. She was here because this is her passion.

Redbull had been on fire since she got back to working with data and strategy. She loves driving, but this felt more like her. She’d made peace that her body would never be the same. Christian respects her choice and appreciates her for everything she’s done. Hence why she will always have a place in the Redbull garage, according to him.

Nights with her boys have been calm (for the most part). They are on a high after their tedious streak of lows. They’d spoiled her relentlessly after they almost lost her.

Max has finally managed to learn how to get his feelings across. It took him almost losing all of his partners to figure it out. He has Seb to thank for that.

She walked in in the German gently explaining to Max that he needs to tell them how he feels because bottling it up isn’t healthy and despite one of his partners being superhuman, she isn’t a mind reader.

Boy did he sob. They all did really. They pulled together as a unit after that. Not just being there for each other, but a team that works together to overcome the challenges and difficulties that life throws at them.

They are together. They are a family. They are bonded together by something deeper then love.

~

She’d found a way to help her confidence in being independent. How you ask? Getting one step closer to being a superhero.

Her martial arts had been coming along amazingly. Her trainer was impressed with how quick she progressed. It’s definitely helps that her visions had gotten better and she could see the possible outcome of a fight before it even happened. Sometimes while she was sparring, she’d be able to control her visions enough to just get a glimpse of her opponents next move.

She’d practiced with a few firearms and knew how to pull them apart and put them together with the wave of a finger. She could help guide bullets to their intended destinations with hardly any aim.

It’s safe to say she feels like she could take on the world. She just hopes she doesn’t have to.

It’s a funny thing to her, that even though she could kick someone’s ass into next year, her three partners still baby her.

Lando has found that his favorite place is having her in his arms. He claims if he lets go she might disappear.

Charles is always talking to her. Her tells her every reason why he loves her daily because he almost didn’t get a chance to tell her at all.

Max is vulnerable with her. The work of racing paints him to be cold-hearted and a villain, his father not helping much in that regard. Now he shows her every emotion he kept hidden away. He cries and laughs and lets the three of you see a side of him the cameras don't.

Everything was falling into place. The peace and happiness she wanted so bad was finally within reach.

But is seems nothing ever goes to plan.

~

The energy she worked so hard to keep in control was taking over for her. The locked box she didn't want to open had now exploded. A urge of something she'd never experienced before flying out.

It didn't help he was holding Lando by the throat. The Brit had been through enough already. His eyes are pleading with anyone. If he could just free himself from whatever was holding him there then maybe he could help her.

But she didn't need help.

Two sets of hands on his shoulders became one. The man on his left projecting something at his lover.

The glint of metal from the knife left his hands and landed itself in her shoulder. He could hear her skin ripping open. The blood starting to pool around the new wound.

She'd already killed three of them. The ones who had initially grabbed the three boys.

Their throats had all been sliced open on the track.

These men had been shouting the names they know her by. Killer. Betrayer. Monster.

Don't they know they made her this way?

The knife that had found its way into her skin is pulled out with a vile squelch. She looks down and smiles. The pain only encouraging her to keep going.

The laugh that falls from her mouth is terrifying.

She throws the knife back at its original owner. Her hand still outstretched and guiding the thin weapon. It sticks in a place he won't recover from. His body crumbles to the ground. Blood leaking from the gaping hold in his chest.

Originally, Lando thought he might die here. These stupid people holding him captive on the empty track had talked about ways they wanted to end him.

He was scared and shaking for fifteen minutes before she came to his rescue. He was still shaking as the other man pinning him in his place took off running.

She just watched him go. If he wasn't going to fight her and run away like a coward instead, then it's a waste of her energy to go after him.

She was on her knees in front of Lando in an instant. Her eyes rake over his body to look for any signs of injury. Satisfied, she unties all the ropes that had made his escape impossible.

His turn now to assess her. Lando's hand flying up to put pressure on the slit on her shoulder.

"What the hell is going on?" The waiver in his voice is not even trying to hide itself.

"My father has decided to use a different means to get to me.”

He's shocked at how steady her voice is. He can see the murky fear in her eyes, but also something he can't pinpoint.

"Are you alright?"

"Shaken up, obviously, but alive."

Her tears of relief are mixed with the blood on her cheeks.

Neither knew how this was going to end, but they couldn't spend much more time thinking about it.

"Do you know where he's keeping Charles and Max?"

He nods slowly, impressed at her composire. Then he's taking her hand and leading her onwards.

~

Jos was dejected at the sight of the four of them celebrating together. He hated that his son didn't listen to him or want anything to do with him, for that matter.

He knew what he was doing was wrong. But he'd made a deal.

He gets his son back, and the maniacal genius gets his daughter back. It's a win-win aside from the British boy and Anoying Monegasque having to lose out on life. But it was a risk he was willing to take.

The man he’d been working with found him. Knew him even. It was creepy, but he was willing to work with it. The mad man wanted his daughter back for something he couldn’t explain and Jos wanted his son back.

If only Jos had known Max would fight tooth and nail for her- for them.

~

Charles had a flight and fight response. First, he tried flight. He tried to run to the safety of Max but was foiled instantly. He wanted to check on Lando, but they had dragged the Brit away so long ago.

Now he's alone and struggling. They've been trying to pin him down, but he's been masterfully landing kicks on any place he could to their bodies.

He wasn't going down without a fight.

It was when they started talking about her that his body went lax. The things they said just morally sounded terrible.

"I hope this is worth it."

"Pretty sure is she can bring back the dead.”

"To bad she can’t have her own kids. This would be easier for all of us if she could.” Charles had no clue what they were talking about. None of it was making sense. He did understand that the intent was to bring her back to wherever the devil is living.

Oh, how he wanted to scream. How he wanted to yell at her to stay away, that they would be fine. But it was too late.

He could see her silhouette walking towards him. She looked calm. Her presence helping his mind to think rationally.

Though it was no longer rational as every person around him started clawing at their throats. Coughing, rasping, and pleading for whatever had them to stop.

Charles knew it wouldn't.

She stood there barely moving her hands. He could see the lights reflecting of her sweat. Then Lando was behind him, pulling out of the restraints. Reassuring him that everything was going to be okay now.

He couldn't help but relax into the brits hold.

He didn't know if they died as they fell. And frankly, he didn't care in this moment.

She crouched down to his level, cupping his face with her hands. He’s glad to see them both okay but the word takes hold as he notices the holes littering her body.

“Are you okay Did they hurt you?” They both ask him. Though one is more frantic than the other. He nods his head, really flooding his body at the sight of the two.

~

 Abu Dhabi was an interesting race this year. Max had already won the world drivers championship. Regardless, the race was still good and fun and he put himself being able to relax even while he was driving.

The group had gone out to celebrate. He had won. Redbull had won. Obviously, there was going to be a party.

The quartet, however, did not plan on staying long. It had been a long year for all of them, filled with many highs and lows. They all wanted to celebrate with each other in peace.

They had escaped a moment and decided to walk along the track just the four of them. The stars were out and the moon is bright. The lights from the track are still turned on. It felt peaceful, like nothing could take this moment away from them.

Then it was gone.

In the blink of an eye, Max was being dragged away from his lovers. Unknown hands and foreign voice is coming in every direction. He screamed, and he thrashed in an attempt to escape. But the hold on him was too much those. The people holding him there came prepared. So much for being a high performance athlete.

It felt like hours, even though it was probably just minutes. He hadn’t necessarily given up on fighting, but it felt pointless, and he was running out of energy. He needed to conserve what he had left to come up with a plan.

Then his father came out of the haze. He lectured him about why he was doing this for his own good.

Oh, how Max was seething.  His father had once again managed to get in the middle of his personal life. Claiming of what he was doing was for his benefit.

Max yelled in anger. He didn’t know all what he was saying just thought it felt good to get it out of his system.

Then a new voice. One he’d never heard before.

“Relax, you can have him to yourself soon enough.” The voice said.

His father was mumbling in Dutch as he walked away obediently. It was shocking for Max to see. Jos didn’t normally walk away from a fight.

They kept him on his knees but they had barely touched him. If he had to guess, Max would say his father struck a deal. The thought makes him want to throw up.

Everything in him wants to fight. He wants to scream out to see if his partners respond.

But he didn’t need to.

It’s blurry. He didn’t realize he was crying. The flash of his lovers comforting eyes the only thing pulling him back from his increasing panic.

Two of them. Where’s the third?

He can hear the sound of crushing bones and shrill screams.

The three of the, are huddled together. Lando has his buried in Max’s chest and Charles’ arms are wrapped tightly around his midsection.

Then the sickening calm of silence.

He can hear her heavy pants. He can smell the carnage around him.

Slowly he gets up and approaches the female like a wild animal.

She looks psychotic in a way. Her skin is slick with sweat. Her body is stitching itself together but her wounds have drenched her clothes in a dark red.

Blood seems to cover most of her.

She looks exhausted. Her visible skin has lost its color. She looks like she’s on edge, scanning her surroundings for more threats.

Max doesn’t touch her when he gets close. He can see the tears pulling in her eyes, taking in what she’s done.

She sinks to her knees. The weight of it all pulls her to the ground. “Are you hurt?”

Max looks at her with love. She’d always made sure everyone else came first. She’s bleeding out before his eyes and yet she’s asking if he’s okay.

He sets himself in front of her.

“Why aren’t you scared? I’m everything he said I am.” Her voice breaks. She’d killed them but Max knew it wasn’t out of any good feelings. She wasn’t satisfied with herself. She had done it to protect them.

Lando and Charles are next to him now. Charles is the first to reach for her hand. She flinched away at first but then relaxes at the touch, letting the warmth of his skin remind her that everyone is alive.

“We could never be scared of you, mon amour. You were protecting us.”

“But I killed them.” She sobs. Her mouth falling open in a silent scream. Her arms close around herself as she pushes herself as close to the ground as possible.

Max knows they need to get out of there. People are going to be here soon and they’ll ask to many questions.

But they aren’t at fault, so why is he scared?

Screw it, he’s calling Seb.

The four of them pile into each other. The female wails have not slowed and their doing her best to get her to breath. Her blood pools onto the tarmac even though her wounds are closing slowly before their eyes.

Max manages to get his cell to work. The screen shattered and he can barely see what’s on it because of the static, but it works.

He fails Sebs number. He feels guilt about spoiling his retirement party but he doesn’t know what else to do.

“Hello? Max?”

“Help.”

~

She wasn’t sure what was happening. There are sirens and police surrounding the area now. People are asking her questions that she can’t respond too. Her skin is on fire and she can’t feel her limbs. She just wants to go home.

Seb hasn’t left her. She’s clutching his hand like a child. The fear of being left alone with strangers and her thought to much to handle right now.

The other three are answering questions. Mostly about how she looks like she went to hell and back and they have some scraped knees and bruises.

“Y/N is trained in martial arts and self-defence.” Explains the Dutch for the thousandth time. “They came after us. Majority of them ran away. And do you blame her for fighting? Shes been kidnapped before for fucks sake!”

Max stomps away from the first responders and back to her. He sits down next to her in the ambulance and huffs. “They aren’t listening.”

“Patience. They are trying to get all the information.” Seb continues wiping blood off her exposed body. Her clothes are decimated and her hair is a crusty tangled mess.

“I know. It’s just frustrating. I want the to catch the people who organized this.”

“Your dad one of them?”

Max turns his head away in shame. “I highly doubt he’ll come back to any races after he exposed himself like this.”

“One can hope.” Seb sighs and Max nods his head in agreement. Seb runs to rag over the wound in her shoulder, the sting causing her to let out a hiss of pain through her teeth. “Sorry, Love.”

The adrenaline that had once been fueling her had dwindled away into nothing now. Everything hurts and she’s tired, but Seb said she needs to stay awake for now.

Lando peeks his head into the vehicle. “They want to ask you questions, love. If you aren’t up to it I’ll let them know.” Lando patiently awaits her response. Wordless, she stumbles out of the bed and into Lando’s arms. He helps her out of the ambulance, and they take slow steps back onto the tarmac. Her breathing gets more uneven with each step.

Lando keeps his arm around her waist to help her to her destination. "You don't have to do this yes, we can wait until you're stronger." She smiles at him with appreciation, but she knows it's better to do it now.

The officer meets her halfway, and Charles jogs to catch up with them.

"Did you recognize any of the attackers?"

"No."

"Did you kill the seven that were on the track when we arrived."

"Yes."

"Why is that?"

"They wanted to kill us."

"How do you know?"

"They said so. They held knives to throats and huns to heads."

Charles had never heard her sound so robotic. Like every answer had been preprogrammed into her.

"We're they the ones who hurt you?"

"Yes."

"What happened with Max, Charles, and Lando?"

Her breath hitches, and the tears start again. Lando increases the pressure of his hold as her knees go to buckle.

"They almost died. They got them by surprise and tried to kill them to get to me." She can't stop the cries that sake her body again.

Charles is at her other side. The two are trying to keep her upright. Her dry heaving not helping them.

They decided they heard enough. So they dragged the group down to the police station to test them for every possible mind altering substance on the planet.

She cried every time they touched her. The medical equipment is not helping her state if mind.

The four males sit and wait for her. They weren't allowed to go with. She fought, tooth and nail, because she didn't want to leave them. They begged to let at least one of them go with her, but we're ultimately denied.

The look of panic on her face when she was being hauled away broke all of them.

An hour later, an officer came to give them an update. "We're holding her overnight."

"Absolutely not." States sebastian in protest. "The girl is traumatized. Her family almost died tonight, and she's been dealing with strangers keeping her away from them. You might want to rethink."

The man in front of them gives seb an exasperated look. "She killed seven people. We have no witnesses that can give an outsiders perspective. And we're waiting on security footage. Her blood work is anything but normal, and you seem dead set on leaving." The man explains. "I will have someone call you with an update tomorrow."

The boys left. Sullen. Tired. Broken.

They slept on sebastians' floor that night. Hanna watched as they passed out as soon as they got in the door. Seb just hugged her. His distress clear to her.

She deserves better. She was a child who had her innocence stolen.

~

The holding cell is cold and metallic. The air smells musty. The colors contrast her own appearance.

They didn't even give her new clothes or a hairbrush.

After hours of waiting, someone came in with a laptop. The image of her on the track is already on the screen.

The play button is pressed.

It's what happened but from an outsiders perspective.

She panics. Her whole body trying to not relive these moments.

They come over the gate with knives and guns drawn. Three of them immediately going for her.

You can't see it, but she’s using her powers. It looks like a mere glitch on the screen.

She disarms the first and takes a knife to the hip from the second. A knife she promptly pulls out of her and slams into his throat.

The first bullets came from the one behind. The one in front keeping her sandwiched innetween them.

They talked at this point, but the video doesn't have sound.

The first throws her to the ground, her head snapping from impact on the tarmac.

She reachches for the knife in the second man's throat. The now slick metal makes a gorey sound as it slides out of his next. She launches at the third before he can get another shot of. His finger never makes it to the trigger.

The third is a lot stronger than her. She coaxed her visions into guiding her, showing her how to get him on the ground. Her leg hooks into the back of his knee to pull him to the earth.

She waits now. Holding up her hands in surrender. Pleading with him to stop.

He dosents. His knife is now aimed at her. Me manages to lodge it into her stomach. Again, she pulls it out and slits the last man's throat.

Then she's sprinting.

She had heard the shots of protest from the boys. They were going to use them as leverage. She had to run. She had to heal. So she did both, managing to weave some things back together before she found Lando. Using her visions to guide her.

She was going to overdue it but she didn't care.

Lando had been forced to his knees. He had a gun passed to his head. Tears had glistened his cheeks as he mumbled words of forgiveness.

Then another stupid knife found its way into her shoulder. She returned the favor after that.

The man with the gun took off back over the fence. She didn't care, though. Lando was her priority at that moment.

Then she's untying him, making sure he's okay and running off to hopefully find the other two.

The camera angle switch’s again.

Charles is trying to kick away his captives, landing him a punch to his ribs and an elbow to his knees. They put all their weight on him to hold him steady.

Then their clawing at their throats. Her and Lando just standing and watching.

The video pauses. She didn't even realize she had been crying and shaking til she's brought back to the present.

"They have no fingerprints on them. No signs they poisoned themselves. You admitted to killing seven. How did you do it?"

She shrugs. How is she supposed to respond to this? "I guess I assumed I killed them. Me and Lando didn't know what was happening. We just stood there trying to assess the situation."

She feels like she might believe her own lie. There is no way to explain that. Her and Lando both just stare at what's happening.

Then the video turns back on.

Her and Lando are running to Charles, untying him, checking for injuries, then running off to find Max.

The last stint is something she wants to forget.

The group around Max and Jos had been massive. But they saw her walking towards them and fled the scene. All except one.

They'd fought for a ridiculous amount of time. She'd felt his bones snap underneath her. He'd pummeled her to a pulp. He pulled her hair. Her visions were no help as she was exhausted. They had each other in a headlock. She couldn't breathe. It didn't help he was stronger.

But her powers helped in that are as she used them to snap his neck. The sound of cracking the only think filling her ears for thirty seconds.

Then it shows them all together. It shows her on the ground screaming, crying, throwing up.

Then it's done.

She can't move. She can't breathe. Every moment now fresh in her brain once again.

"Technically speaking, this was all self-defense. They hit you first in every scenario."

She glared at whoever this man was that made her relive this.

But she didn't say anything because his next words were 'free to go.'

It's late and dark. She's still covered in blood. But her phone is broken.

So she walks.

She walks, and she cries.

She wants it all to end. The little girl wanted to be with her family. With sebastian and Hanna and her siblings. She needs to know her boys are okay.

She spaces out, lost in her own head as she arrives at the hotel. At Sebs door. Praying he's awake or at least will wake up.

She knocks. Fully expecting that she will be spending the night outside the door. To her shock, it opens.

Seb pulls her inside where she's tackled in hugs and kisses.

"They let you go?!"

"They had no reason to keep me."

She's aware of how awful she looks. She needs new clothes which she doesn't have here but their hotel room is farther than sebs.

And at 6 in the morning, they are in their own room. Seb, having driven back himself.

The boys are getting things together to help her clean up.

She stares at the wall. Blank and empty. Just how she feels.

Max and Lando are out at the store. They have nothing they need to help take care of her. They were expecting to leave this morning, but the benefit of flying private is that Max can change when they leave.

Charles is running a bath for her. She's a mess of litteral blood, sweat, and tears.

He croutches down next to her and pulls one of her hands into his own. "What do you say we get cleaned up, hm?"

She lets him help her to her feel. The warmth of the steam from the bath hitting her skin makes her feel something close to alive again.

Charles helps her out of her trashed clothing and then holds her hand while she gets in. "Do you want a moment to yourself, Chéri?"

She almost panics for a second. "Don't leave me- please."

"Do you want me on their with you or next to you?"

She likes when he asks with easy words. "With."

Then Charles is stripping of his own clothes and climbing in behind her.

He takes his time rinsing her skin. Careful not to mess with her new stitches that the paramedics gave her.

He spent time untangling her hair with nimble fingers and washing out every last bit of grime.

She relaxed into his hold. The safety of his arms reminding that he's alive, so is Max and Lando.

They're still in the bath when the other two come back. Lando and Max take the opportunity to get the food ready and set out their clothes for her to wear when she comes back.

“I know where both enjoying this, but I think if we stay in any longer we may become one with the water.” Charles laughs.

He gets out first and wraps a towel around his waist. He lays a spare on the floor so they don’t slide around anthem helps her to the ledge. He takes a towel and dries her off with it, taking extra care of her wounds and double checking that her stitches look okay still. He wraps her towel around her and slips his clothes back on. He wasn’t going to put her trashed clothing back on her.

Charles guides her out of the bathroom into the dimly lit suite. Max and Lando help her into their clothes; Max’s shirt and Lando’s sweats. Then they crawl into bed together.

Her cries shatter their hearts. The broken sobs of overwhelming feelings finally getting to her. “I don’t deserve this after what I did.”

“What you did was save us geliefde. We could ask for anything more then that.”

“But I killed people. He was right. I’m a fucking killer. A monster.”

“You killed them because you had too. It sucks and I can’t say I understand how your feeling, but if you didn’t do it then we would be dead. So no matter where your thoughts go, the three of us are grateful for what you did out there.”

“We love you Chére. Our superhero.”

~

Next ->

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[randomfoggytiger]

Mulder's Alien Baby Baby Trauma In-Depth (Part XVII): Two Steps Forward, and Going Down Swinging

In the wake of feeling professionally replaced (and betrayed), Mulder continues to commandeer the Galpex-Orpheus oil rig... that is, until Doggett begins to assert his own dominance, too.

In other words: how does their dynamic change, now that Agent Doggett is head of the files?

SHIFTING HIERARCHIES

We left off with Agent Mulder making Agent Doggett jump through hoops to prove himself-- antics which have, by degrees, whittled away the patience Doggett kept doling out for his partner's wayward partner.

Now, however: enough is enough.

"Agent Mulder! Don't walk away when I'm talking to you!” Doggett demands, roaring up behind the aforementioned man (who is studiously ignoring every word he’s saying.) Patience thoroughly thinned, his voice-- while controlled-- projects across the oil rig: the days of biting his tongue are over. “Like it or not I've been assigned this case-- one call to the Deputy Director and you’re canned for insubordination.”

Instead of addressing his claims, Mulder deflects, “How are you going to call when the radio’s broken?”

“Hey, don’t push me, Agent Mulder.”

Mulder pulls up short, turns, and faces Doggett coolly. “You won’t do it.”

“You think?”

“We're both in the same boat, Agent Doggett. We're just paddling in different directions.” Which is an admission, albeit late and smugly given, of Mulder’s feelings and reservations: Doggett’s not a bad man, nor a simple cog in the machine. He is, however, allowing himself to be used as such-- Mulder believes-- which is a danger in and of itself. But instead of communicating this directly, he characteristically dodges a straight answer-- a behavior Mulder is forced to overcome (forced to grow up from, in a way) halfway through Vienen.

Fed up with uncooperative grabs for leadership, Doggett lays down the law. “No, we’re not going in different directions here-- we’re going in one direction. My direction.” 

Snapping his head in a faint nod, Mulder’s mouth drops open slightly as he considers how to challenge this new angle. Despite feeling affronted, a tinge more respect floats to the surface: he can't help respecting someone who confronts him honestly, in spite (or because of) all his difficult, sanctimonious, cryptid approaches and critiques-- trust through transparency, essentially (which is also how he can easily be manipulated, be it from Phoebe Green or Alex Krycek or Diana Fowley or Karin Berquist or etc.) 

Following Doggett’s authoritative footsteps, Mulder raises his voice across the sparse, accumulated distance. Nasally and matter-of-fact, he argues, “I don't think Kersh expects you to come back empty-handed on this one. Since you have already told me about what you think about this case in so many words, I don't see you coming back with anything that's gonna protect anybody's business interests.” 

Thoroughly riled, Doggett stops and slowly turns, slightly grimacing with contempt. “Wow, you really got me pegged. Anything that doesn't fit in my narrow field of vision might as well not exist, is that right Agent Mulder?” 

Mulder stares, then slightly nods and gulps-- pegged, and a little impressed at Doggett's combined insight and complete self-control. An accusation of this nature would have made him or Scully blaze up, but not his replacement. Agent Doggett, then, isn’t as soft-bellied as he'd supposed... which shouldn't be too surprising, given the man's penchant for taking undeserved punches and still saving lives days later (post here.)

Although Mulder doesn’t deny the accusation, he doesn’t need to: his faulty perception has been revealed. The past has already justified his replacement: Doggett, for all his practical, probable skepticism, still encouraged Scully to take leaps of faith in their cases-- he’d studied Mulder’s methods, notated its success, and trusted to that process, to the work, in Mulder's absence. The exiled x-file agent doesn’t know this, of course-- his former partner hasn’t told him about her new partner’s recruitment, or about Doggett’s journey towards a form of belief, or about Doggett’s steadfastness and loyalty. And why hasn't Scully told him about everything? Because Mulder didn’t want to hear it; and, resurrections and PTSD and abruptions aside, perhaps she wasn’t ready to get into a larger conversation over issues that would resolve themselves in a few weeks (via her maternity leave), especially in light of their recent reconnection. This is, of course, speculation built off of Mulder's hinted one-liner (previous post here), but it fits quite well with what we’re given in Alone. 

Besides, Mulder previously glimpsed Doggett's floundering struggle with, but not complete rejection of, the unknown (post here)-- a truth he'd set aside in wounded pride (post here.)

“So why is this man Taylor lying?” Doggett asks, seeing that he’s nailed Mulder’s motives and proven himself again in some small measure. “You do know he's lying, don’t you?”

Bobbing his head and licking his lips in agreement, Mulder drops the cynicism and gives John Doggett an honest, upfront answer: “I think he knows the truth about what happened. And he may not be the only one.”

The other agent, however, is not charmed by this admission-- too little, too late; too many bits and pieces that add up to a mercurial, paranoid loon. 

“I never would have believed it, these stories about you”-- gives away Agent Doggett’s position, as well. Up to this point, he’d borne Mulder’s antics with the graceful assumption that there was ‘more than meets the eye’. Agent Mulder was the crazy man burrowed away in the basement, yes; but the extent of his conspiracy theories for something as simple as turf wars over an oil rig-- Doggett assumes-- frustrates, baffles, and disappoints. 

Eyebrows pumping-- guard shooting right back up-- Mulder prods, “Really-- what stories are those?”

“That you can find a conspiracy at a church picnic.”

Again, nodding; again, reasserting dominance; again, changing his opinion, Mulder concludes, “What church?” before he walks ahead, leaving Doggett’s consternation in the dust.  

GOING DOWN SWINGING

Here we reach the first marker for Mulder’s resignation decision, and the boldest on-screen nudge, thus far, of his impending fatherhood-- which we all know at this point is criminal, particularly so because David Duchovny would have loved to flesh out the more personal aspects of his character’s challenges and changes. But I digress.  

Scully calls the oil rig with salient and pressing information; and before she’s either disconnected or connected through to Doggett, Mulder intercepts the comms. 

“Well I’m sorry, Agent Doggett’s gone fishing. Can I take a message please?” He slides into the chair, lips gleefully glued to the microphone-- tickled to talk to Scully.

“Mulder?” she questions-- not tickled to find him there. Big consequences-- huge-- if this gets out. 

“I was just in the neighborhood.” 

“Mulder, you can’t just flout orders like this. It’s not like old times-- Kersh isn’t going to tolerate this.” 

“Kersh doesn’t need to know.”

“Mulder….” 

It’s like old times: Mulder sneaking off to the sea somewhere, unable to let the evidence get away yet unwilling to take Scully down with him (ex. Tooms, Triangle, etc.) And like old times, he knows he can completely trust her: “You need me out here, Scully, you know that better than anyone.”

But a neat little twist happens (the second for Mulder in a span of hours): Scully agrees with him, openly-- “I hate to say, as of this morning, I’d have to agree”-- so openly that he immediately realizes she’s been sneaking around, too.

“Who’s flouting orders-- you found something, didn’t you, in that victim’s body? The virus?” 

It’s a delightful little punch of character work, a reminder to the audience that Scully has grown since Mulder’s abduction-- that she is willing to take leaps separate from her partner (old and new) in order to follow her own instincts. In this case, conducting Simon de la Cruz’s autopsy instead of shipping the body back wholesale to Mexico, weaseling around top-down commands in order to do so. Mulder takes this in stride, without comment: it's just enough like "old times"-- as he mentioned in the previous post-- that he can lose track of the differences in his post-abduction reality.

“Yes, I did; and it’s dead, Mulder.” 

“Dead? What killed it?” Puzzled, sucked into another mystery, he swipes at his nose, churning through variables. 

“Possibly radiation.”

“But that’s not possible--”

“I know,” Scully cuts in, not wanting to waste a precious second. “And this could be an isolated event, but that he’s infected at all means that everybody out there could be at risk. And that means you and Agent Doggett.” 

She stresses 'you', here, but the original purpose of her call was to back up Doggett-- an excellent carry-over from Medusa, and a neat little foreshadowing of the guilt complex she will battle in Alone. Even so, she, again, stresses 'you' because Mulder's unaccounted for presence has thrown a wrench in her subterfuge.

“We got to quarantine this rig,” Mulder decides. 

“No, Mulder-- you need to get off the rig.”

His face shifts, tongue lapping his lips as Scully offers up a faulty alternative.

“Have Agent Doggett give the order. We can quarantine you and the crew when we get back there.” 

“Scully, if these men are infected, the last place we want them is onshore where they can infect other people. You’re sitting on the answer right there, Scully. The body: you can find the virus, you can find what knocks it out, you can find what kills it.” 

Uncomfortably, she shifts, eyes clouding over, voice strained. “And what if I can’t?”-- the old undertow that steals her confidence from time to time, the one she battled in his absence (i.e. Patience, Badlaa, etc.), rears its ugly head.

And this, this is the moment Mulder realizes the costs of his position: tilting his head, he contemplates the possibility of his death, troubled--

--then freezes, looking up at the sky as he remembers his child. 

“When he, uh,” Mulder begins, closing his eyes and wincing over his words, “when he gets old enough, tell the kid I went down swinging.” His tone is no longer evocative, insistent, or charged… in fact, his voice has dropped a few decibels and sounds someplace close to defeated. 

In the fervor of saving the world, chasing the truth, hounding after the "Them" that continually puppet and destroy the lives of others, he forgot about the one person who can’t take care of itself, who utterly and wholly relies on him (and Scully.) In Three Words, Mulder knew the baby was his (posts here and here) but was too consumed with staying afloat to fully embrace the child, let alone the responsibility of having someone else rely on him. He was afraid, moreover, to drag Scully and the baby down with him. In Empedocles, he and his partner had a talk off-screen (post here) that prepared him for the next step: a present at the apartment, a hand on her belly, a commitment to the child in the form of a Mulder family heirloom. And now he’s here, commitment is staring him in the face. As Mulder feared in Three Words, he is letting Scully and the baby down. The only recourse left (is to solve the case, save the day, and get home in one piece. 

But what about next time? Who can he rely on to save the world in his stead? It’s a question Mulder has to confront and come to terms with-- and one he does (or attempts to do) in Vienen’s final scene.

Scully immediately heaves a sigh at his words-- refusing, absolutely refusing to engage with this hypothetical-- and orders him, “Let me talk to Agent Doggett.” Whenever Mulder gives up, it’s usual for Scully to step up to the plate and drag him to reason… however, it’s new that she asks for someone else in his stead. Is she replacing him, considering his opinion less than or his tactics faulty? No: she is simply doing everything she can to make sure the father of her child makes it off that rig. 

Her partner, meanwhile, resents that Doggett’s advice would be worth her attention. “Agent Doggett’s not here right now.”

“Yes, I am,” barks Doggett, a frowning, sturdy figure in the doorway. When he demands, “Who’s on the radio?” Mulder brushes him off-- plopping the headphones down, flailing his arms, and stalking out of the room-- without disconnecting the channel.

It’s likely, perhaps, that Doggett could have talked to Agent Scully if he hadn’t followed Mulder out, incensed again. So, did one agent storm and shrug off the other, on purpose, to draw the bull away with a flag?

BATTLE PLANS

“Who you talkin’ to?” Doggett insists, escalating to a sharp, “Hey!” when he isn’t answered. 

“That was Agent Scully.”

“What’d she say?”

Mulder keeps walking, facing away as they head into a sheet of steam. “She said it was lucky that I’m out here.”  

“No, you’re lucky I’m lettin’ you stay.” Stressed, wired, and at his limit, Doggett reroutes his voice from its taut, wounded note to a hushed, firm one. “You got information important to this investigation, then I better well know about it. I’m in charge out here, Agent Mulder.” 

Again, Mulder responds to that transparently commanding appeal, turning around and looking his compatriot directly in the eye. 

“Alright, then go ahead and take charge. Only you might not like what it means in this case. What you’re going to have to do with that information you’re so anxious to have.”

And, while the dialogue and marked lack of a response isn’t… the best writing, the challenge is clear: here’s your shot, prove me wrong. 

Agent Doggett, sensing that challenge, is ill at ease; but he takes up the gauntlet, regardless, and leads the lock-down debriefing on the rig. Mulder hangs back, respecting his position-- approving, silently; and when Doggett walks over later, he invites him along without second thought to locate one of the missing crewmen. 

It’s the barest whiff of camaraderie, but both men seem to have struck a bargain for another test drive. 

Fresh off of quarantine orders, replacement agent wants answers: “So, what are you hoping to find, Agent Mulder? Honestly?” 

As they talk shop, Mulder finally begins to share theories-- or shadows of theories, opening up the more Doggett takes his answers in stride. It’s the same method Agent Doggett used on newly un-parterned Scully, one that seems to work well on both Spookys.

Still, all they’re working off of is hunches; and Doggett isn’t too keen on building an investigation solely around guesswork-- particularly when it's Mulder's guesswork; and even more particularly when it shuts down an oil rig involved in a dicey American and Mexican territory dispute. 

“You know? I quarantine a whole oil rig without any evidence to support what you’re saying-- not one thing-- but you still have yet to give me a straight answer as to what you think is going on out here. If these men are hiding something, if they’re protecting something, what is it?” 

“I don’t know yet,” Mulder confesses.

“And when you do, let me know-- 'cause I’ve got to get on the radio to justify this action.” Mirroring their walkabout before, Doggett switches up positions by taking the lead.

And like before, Mulder takes up pursuit-- but this time, he hangs back a second, struggling internally. This time, he has to confront an uncomfortable truth: if he's going to work with Doggett, he's going to have to trust him a bit more-- a precursor to that leap of faith. This time, Mulder must acknowledge that two are still better than one, even if the other half of the team is not someone he cares to confide in-- even if he, himself, is technically no longer part of the team.

What would mucking up the potential of the case through reticence prove? And truthfully, that wasn't (and isn't) his goal, regardless-- but he still needs to communicate this; and to communicate this, Mulder has to stop clinging to a bruised ego and admit to his own shortcomings, baring the fragility of his theories to the new X-Files head for assessment and judgment. In short, he must be vulnerable.

“Agent Doggett,” he calls out, “I didn’t come out here just to bust you. I’m telling you, I’ve seen this substance. I’ve seen how it can take over a man’s body. This crew could be infected and not even know it. They may have no idea they’re being controlled.” 

Giving him a processing, though still skeptical look, Doggett leans over, swipes some oil on his finger, and purses his lips as he prods, “This? This is what you’re saying is going to take over my body?”

Mulder jostles his head, annoyed and uncomfortable. 

“Well,” Doggett continues, “when’s it going to kick in?” 

Mouth clenched, the oil expert shakes his head stiffly. “That’s not how it works,” he insists softly. “It body jumps from man-to-man; and I’m not sure that it’s in all oil.” 

Turning sarcastic at Mulder’s uncertainty, Agent Doggett adds, “Well, that’s a relief, because only ninety percent of the planet is dependent on the stuff.” 

This statement snaps the disparate pieces together; and Mulder's face hardens in realization: the representative of Galpex oil lied. 

“What, he’s infected, too?” Doggett snips; but his asides and warnings-- “You’re reaching, Agent Mulder”-- are lost in the other's madcap rambling. Finally, he turns to leave, only stopping with restraint as Mulder calls after him.

“Agent Doggett! What, wh-what, what if that’s why this man is hiding-- Diego Garza-- because he knows what they’re up to; and he knows what they’re up to because he’s the only one who’s not infected with this alien virus?” 

“Alright, he knows,” Doggett concedes, willing to play along. “Why doesn’t he just come down and tell us?” 

And suddenly, without warning, an alarm blares out across the rig. Doggett takes off, but it’s Mulder who passes him up and arrives at their destination first. 

The radio room is on fire.

CONCLUSION

And there we have it-- progress has been made.

Now: into the inferno.

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

[suitov]

"There's... no shrine here."

"Is too! I got the guidebook from Byakuya!"

"So?"

"So he practically lives in that library. He's even got a secret room in there that we're not supposed to know about."

"And that's supposed to mean he's trustworthy?"

Makoto paused. "Well, not exactly always trustworthy, but his pranks are normally meaner than this... there'd be more people around to laugh at us."

"Haah? Are you trying to make me feel better?"

"I'm sure if we keep looking we'll find some sign of the shrine. It's supposed to have these big porcelain lion dogs at the gate."

"Yeah, this place," Hajime, arms outstretched, span in a circle, "just full of lion dogs." The hillside was not actually full of lion dogs. It was doing all right for grass, had made the effort so far as wildflowers went, and had stretched itself to a few shrubs. Distinct lack of statuary, though.

It was Makoto who, while they bickered, first stepped through. Hajime was close behind, loudly lifting up stones and calling "here, lion dog, here, boy".

"Uh..." Makoto rubbed the back of his hand across his eyes. "Does the sunlight look, like, wrong to you?"

"Would look a lot nicer from a café table in..." Hajime blinked and dropped the latest rock on his shoe. "Uh... it does look kinda... weird, all of a sudden."

"Well! I could say the same to you!" scoffed someone he couldn't see.

Hajime yelped and cast around for the speaker, but Makoto had been right: his vision didn't quite seem to be working. Colours were too bright. There was a haze in his periphery. He had an unsettling feeling that things around him were changing size as soon as he looked away from them.

And there was a weird red thing hanging in the air. It was like a... snake, or a string, or a ribbon - or maybe a talisman? - just... hanging in midair, gently twisting.

Until it spoke, sending waves of motion up and down itself. "Hey. Can you hear me?"

"I can! I can! Um..." Makoto was waving at it like a dummy. "Who... are you?"

Or what, Hajime thought.

"Well, obviously, I'm the spirit of this place," said the twisting slice of red. "It's been a long time. Not many humans have come here since my gate fell apart."

"Your gate?" Hajime repeated.

"My archway, yes. I'm afraid my shrine isn't what it used to be." It sounded like a sigh, if weird red spirit ribbons even had lungs. "It was always suffering one mishap or another until the locals gave up making repairs. Simply terrible luck."

Makoto had walked a full circle around the squiggly line by now. He stopped. "Poor spirit..." he said. Hajime groaned internally. This had better not turn into a repeat of the apologising-to-the-bench incident.

"Well!" said the squiggle. "You're here now! And I'm simply delighted to be the one to tell you. You two are highly honoured. You've got a special destiny!"

"A..." Hajime found his arms had crossed over his chest without conscious intent. "Special destiny?"

"Why yes! Special indeed. Bright shining lights you two will be in the world, very soon!"

"Wow! Really?" gasped Makoto, almost pathetically eager to believe this pronouncement.

"Us. Special destiny," he repeated. "I'm sorry, but can you be more specific?"

"Ah, well..." The spirit string wafted embarrassedly. "These things don't really... work in specifics. But you definitely are beacons of light! I wouldn't be so interested in you if you weren't. I wouldn't find you so... well, yes! And you do both have super-duper protagonist hair, after all, so that practically confirms it."

Hajime leaned down to Makoto. "I think this spirit's gone weird from being alone too long," he whispered.

The spirit ribbon curled up and span in a spiral. "Shall I give you the destined hero pep talk now?" it asked excitedly.

[sweeter-innocence-fics]

Summer Fic Week 2023 - Day 5: Tracing Every Part of You

Pairing: Pietro Maximoff x Reader

Work Summary:

No powers, college AU.

Spending a day at the lake with the Avengers.

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 3727

Read on AO3.

Masterlists.

Summer Fics Masterlist.

Taglist: @mrs-kai-anderson @ang3l1te @missryerye @mcximffs @noz4a2 @rottenstyx @starmansirius @xlucyintheskywithdiamondsx @lanemarvels @marrigold-2002 @kathrinchek @alternativeprincess @annocaprosmaloka @thrutheburnout

Taglist info.

Notes:

Sorry it's slightly late (it's past midnight here). I haven't had as much time to edit as usual so I hope it's good.

Everyone is in college.

Warnings for overprotective/jealous/possessive Pietro, FWB to lovers, mentions of drowning, alcohol, tickling, a lot of bickering, mentions of a car accident, mentions of casual sex, these bitches suck at communicating, background Stucky and Wanda x Vision

---

Wanda and Pietro were bickering in the front seat of Wanda’s battered station wagon. She wouldn’t let him drive, since he totalled her last car, and he was sulking about it.

“It’s been three years,” he muttered, “when are you going to get over it?”

“Oh, so you’re reckless and rusty, and you want me to let you drive?” Wanda rolled her eyes.

“I took a refresher course,” he said, slapping the dashboard. “I’m a better driver now! I won’t crash!”

“That’s nice. Get your own car.”

It had been like this for the entire drive. At least they weren’t speaking in Sokovian. They only did that when the arguments got serious.

You sat forward, leaning between their two seats. “Wow, you guys sure know how to make a girl regret riding with you.”

“There was no room in Steve’s car. You had no choice,” said Pietro.

“I’m sure Bucky would’ve let me ride on the back of his bike,” you said, a hint of suggestion in your tone.

Pietro frowned. “And end up splattered all along the sidewalk, I’d bet,” he huffed.

There was a not insignificant part of you that liked to get Pietro riled up. He wasn’t your boyfriend, not by any stretch of the imagination, but you’d been hooking up with him since the beginning of the school year.

Since summer break had started, you had spent almost every day over at his and Wanda’s place. Sometimes, he’d put his arm around you, or lend you his hoody, or sit a little too close to you while you played video games on the couch. But he wasn’t your boyfriend.

He was your friend that you sometimes kissed on the porch when his sister had gone to bed early. A friend who drew patterns on your back with his fingertip whenever he got bored. A friend who had seen you naked.

He never said anything, but he always got a little grumpy whenever you talked about spending time with Bucky or Steve. You couldn’t think of a single reason that he would have to dislike Steve, so you assumed – or hoped – that it was jealousy.

You encouraged it. Maybe if you kept pushing his buttons, he’d get his head out of ass and ask you on a date. A real date, not just you blowing him in the deserted laundrette after midnight, or him going down on you in the backseat of your car.

“Don’t worry, P, you’re still my favourite,” you said, lightly punching his arm. His lips twitched.

Wanda rolled her eyes. “Don’t make you leave you two by the side of the road.”

“We aren’t doing anything,” you said, raising your hands.

“Yeah, I’ve heard that one before.”

The first time you’d hooked up with Pietro was on the first night you’d met. You shared a psychology class with Wanda, and you’d struck up a friendship with her. She’d invited you to her birthday party, and you’d ended up chatting with an extremely pretty, very cocky boy with bleached blond hair.

When she’d stumbled in on the two of you in Pietro’s bed later that evening, she’d practically screeched, “What are you doing with my brother?”

You hadn’t known that Pietro was her brother, but it made a lot of things make sense. The fact that it had also been his birthday should’ve clued you in, since she’d told you she had a twin.

Your friends were already waiting for you at the lake when you pulled up. Tony had brought a portable stereo, and there was a large cooler full of ice-cold beers.

You were pondering the drinks selection, but Pietro had other ideas.

“Come on,” he said, grabbing your hand. “Come swim with me.”

You wrinkled your nose. “In the gross lake water?”

He let a laugh. It was a sweet, musical thing that made you feel warm inside. “Why do you come to the lake if not to swim?”

You shrugged. “I don’t know. Ambience?”

He snorted. “What about to cool down?”

He had a point there. It was blisteringly hot in the sun, and only mildly more bearable in the shade. You were already wearing a bikini under your clothes, so it wasn’t like you weren’t prepared.

“Alright, fine.”

A grin spread across his face. “Last one in’s a rotten egg!” he shouted, and then bolted towards the lake.

“Pietro!” you shrieked, but you were already following him. He kicked off his t-shirt and flip flops as he ran. You were having more trouble with your denim shorts. You had just reached the edge of the water when he took a running jump into it.

You swore. You shed your clothes, leaving them in a haphazard pile, and waded in.

Despite the hot air, the water was very cold. You got to knee depth, and then hesitated. Your reluctance wasn’t missed by Pietro.

“Come onnnn,” he whined. “Come play with me.”

“You’re a child.”

“If I was a child, I would be splashing you right now. What I actually am is a gentleman.”

You put your hand on your heart sarcastically. “Wow. My hero.” You waded in a little deeper, and his eyes lit up. You kept going until the water was just under your boobs.

This was the hard part. “Come on, dragă. If you get it over with, I’ll come warm you up.” There was a prickle of warmth across your skin.

You took a deep breath and then plunged under the water. Even under the water you could hear Pietro whoop. When you resurfaced, his eyes were on you, a wide grin on his face. He held out a hand to you and you took it, letting him pull you into the deeper water.

“Much better,” he murmured, pulling you close. “You want me to warm you up?”

His fingers played with the string of your bikini. “Everyone is right over there,” you said, nodding towards the shore.

“Who cares about everyone? Let me take you somewhere quiet and make you feel good.”

The offer was tempting, but you had a new resolution. No more casual sex with Pietro. If he wanted you, he was going to have to work for it.

“No, thanks,” you said brightly, and turned to swim in the opposite direction.

Nat was wading in up to her thighs. As you swam up to her, she put her hands on her hips.

“Pietro is watching you like a hawk right now,” she said, a half-smile on her face. You had already filled her in on your resolution.

“Good.”

Other people were getting into the water now. You watched as Victor (although everyone called him Vision) paddled in the shallows. He had come with Tony, although you knew he and Wanda were friends, and you were starting to realise why. Pietro was the worst cockblock in the world.

Wanda was watching Vision with a fond smile on her face. Their eyes met, and she gave him a little wave. He waved back, flushing bright red.

“What do you think?” asked Nat. “Are they already boning, or are they about to?”

“There’s no way they’re already boning. He’s way too shy and I don’t think Wanda is in the headspace to make the first move.”

“What are you talking about?”

You spun to see Pietro standing behind you. The water was waist-deep for him, and he had his hands on his hips, mirroring Nat.

“It’s not polite to eavesdrop,” you said, and he huffed.

“I wasn’t eavesdropping. You’re loud.”

You looked back over to the shore. Wanda was wading into the water now, wincing with every step. You knew there were some sharp stones around there. Vision offered her a hand, which she gratefully took.

When you turned back to Pietro, his jaw was very tight. “I’m gonna-” he started, but you put both hands on his chest, pushing him into the water.

He flailed around, grabbing at you, and managed to pull you down with him.

“Gross,” said Nat. She swam off to go and talk to Clint.

“What did you do that for?” Pietro growled, but he still had his arms around you.

“I’m not letting you cockblock my friend,” you said, pushing him deeper.

“She’s my sister.”

“And she’s an adult. If she wants to get dicked down by literally the dweebiest guy I’ve ever met, that’s her choice.”

He groaned. “Don’t say ‘dicked down’.” You smiled at him, innocently. His hands came to rest on your hips. “Come swim with me? Watching her talk to him makes my skin crawl.”

“He’s nice. She could do a lot worse.” You also thought she could do better, but Pietro didn’t need to know that. Besides, you were sure that no one would be good enough in his eyes for his beloved sister.

“Come on.” He tried to pull you out into the deeper water, but you stopped him.

“Nuh-uh. We’re staying right here where everyone can see us.”

His eyes glinted dangerously. “Kinky.”

You lightly slapped his shoulder. “Not like that. We’re not fucking, Pietro.”

“We’re not?”

“I know you’re used to getting what you want right away, but delayed gratification can feel so good. You should try it sometime.”

“Well, you should try being less of a tease.” His hands went straight to your armpits, tickling you. You screeched, grabbing onto his shoulders so that you wouldn’t go under.

“Pietro!” you squealed. “You’re… gonna… drown me.” It was a struggle to get the words out. You were breathless from laughter.

“I won’t let you drown, pretty girl.” He stopped tickling you. His arms wrapped around you again, holding you in place.

In spite of yourself, it felt good. Pietro’s arms felt safe.

“I can’t say the same,” you said, and then you pushed down on his head, dunking him under the water.

He came up a few seconds later, spluttering, wet hair plastered over his eyes. You were laughing. You couldn’t help yourself. As soon as he’d managed to swipe his hair out of his eyes, he splashed you.

“Demon woman,” he growled. “Trying to kill me.”

The two of you play-wrestled, tickling and splashing each other until Tony’s voice cut through the air.

“Hey! Lovebirds! If you want some of this barbecue, you’re gonna have to hurry up.”

You looked at Pietro. “I’m pretty hungry.”

“Me too.”

The two of you swam back to the shore. You were the last ones out. Most other people already had their food on paper plates, sitting on beach chairs or towels.

Wanda and Vision were sharing a picnic blanket. You could see Pietro eyeing them, weighing up whether he should go sit down with them to break up whatever was happening.

Too busy watching him watching them, you didn’t see the empty bottle until your foot rolled over it. The ground was flat here, so it slipped out from under you, and you fell forward, letting out an undignified yelp.

Bucky, who had been manning the barbecue, grabbed your arms before you could go all the way over.

“Fuck.”

“You okay, doll?” asked Bucky. He pulled you upright. “You nearly took a tumble there.”

“I’m okay. Thank you.”

“You want something to eat?”

“Yes please.”

As Bucky served some food onto your plate, you snuck a glance back at Pietro, and found that he was staring right at you. His lips were pressed into a hard line.

“What?”

“N-nothing.” He tried to modulate his expression, but he still looked upset. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Bucky handed you your plate. “Pietro? You want some?” he asked.

“Uhh…” Pietro glanced at you, and then back at Bucky. “Sure.”

While Pietro was getting his food, you decided to sit as far away with Wanda as possible. You were pretty sure Pietro was more interested in being with you than cockblocking his sister, but with Pietro, who could say?

Sure enough, as you dug into your burger, Pietro sidled up to you. You were sitting on a stump that was definitely only large enough for one person, but that didn’t stop him from trying.

“Pietro.”

“Sorry, dragă. Not enough seats.”

You looked over at the empty beach chair next to where Steve and Bucky were sitting, and rolled your eyes. “Right.”

“We can share, right? You don’t mind sharing with me?”

“God, you’re so fucking clingy today.”

Pietro’s face fell. He shifted off the stump so that he was sitting on the floor. He didn’t look at you as he picked at his food.

You grimaced. You hadn’t meant to hurt his feelings. It was in line with the kind of playful banter that you and Pietro usually had, but maybe you’d hit on a sore spot.

The two of you ate your food in silence, and it was strange. You weren’t used to him being quiet. Once you were both done eating, you took his paper plate wordlessly, stacked it on top of yours and then put a rock on them so that they wouldn’t blow away.

You could feel Pietro watching you curiously. You stood up, brushed yourself off, and then said, “Come here.”

Bemused, he got to his feet. As he stepped closer to you, you put your hands on his shoulders, manoeuvring him down onto the stump. Once he realised what you were doing, he sat.

You sat down in his lap, sideways on, so that you could put your arms around his neck.

When he gave you a questioningly look, you said, “Not enough seats, right?”

He smiled at you then. “Right.” His hand rested against your hip, thumbing against your skin there.

You had to suppress a shiver. You looked at Pietro, expecting him to look cocky or turned on, but instead, he just smiled at you affectionately.

“You know…” he said slowly. “I hear there’s supposed to be a meteor shower tonight.”

“Uh-huh?”

“I was thinking maybe we could… stay out here?”

“How would we get home?”

“Uh… walk?”

“What if it rains?”

“It’s not going to rain!”

“Pietro!”

“Fine, it’s fine if you don’t want to.” He closed his mouth, looking away from you, and you felt a pang of longing. You wanted to watch the stars with Pietro.

You glanced over at where Wanda was sitting. Her and Vision were side by side, looking very comfortable with each other.

“Give me a sec,” you said to Pietro. He looked confused as you walked over to where Wanda was sitting, but didn’t try to follow.

“Wanda,” you said, flopping down onto the edge of her picnic blanket. Vision pulled away from her quickly, glancing nervously around to see if Pietro was with you.

Wanda glared at you. “What do you want?”

“I was thinking that you could do me a favour, and then I could do you a favour.”

She brought her eyebrows together in confusion. “Explain.”

“You let me borrow your car-” She groaned. “Let me finish! Pietro wants to stay here tonight. If you ride with Tony and let me use your car, you can have the house to yourself.”

You glanced at Vision, who, taking your meaning, flushed again.

Wanda gave you a hard stare. She pulled her car keys out of her pocket. You reached for them, but she pulled them back.

“Two conditions. One: Pietro doesn’t drive.”

“Fine.” You’d been expecting that one.

“Two: no sex in my car.”

“I wasn’t gonna-”

“Then it shouldn’t be a problem, right?” She dangled the keys in front of you.

“Right.” You took them from her. “Thanks, Wands. You’re a lifesaver.”

The rest of the group had begun packing up. The light was starting to fade.

“Hey,” said Bucky, stopping you on your way back over to Pietro. “You coming for the afterparty? Think we’re gonna get some beers in and watch movies at Steve’s place.”

You glanced over at Pietro. Although he couldn’t hear what Bucky was saying, he was giving him a hard stare.

“No thanks, Buck. Me and Pietro are gonna stargaze.”

Bucky gave you a knowing look. “Alright, doll. Have fun.”

You walked back over to Pietro and plonked yourself down in his lap. He hesitated for a second, and then put his arms around you again.

“Don’t look so sour,” you said. “Look what I got.” You dangled Wanda’s car keys in his face. His eyes lit up, and he made a grab for them, but you held them out of reach. “No way. Wanda will kill me if I let you drive her car.”

“But-”

You put your finger over his lips. “You wanna sleep here tonight or not?”

Slowly, begrudgingly, he nodded.

As your friends packed up their cars and made to leave, you said your goodbyes, and then the two of you were alone.

They had left you few a couple of beers, a bag of chips and some of the leftover barbecue. You still had Wanda’s picnic blanket, which you laid out on the dirt riverbank. Steve had even had a pillow in his car, which he was happy to lend you.

When you were finally alone, you put your clothes back on – shorts and a t-shirt and a hoody – and Pietro gave you a funny look. He was already lounging on the blanket, but he tugged on the fabric of your hoody as soon as you were in reach.

“Kind of counter-productive, don’t you think, dragă?”

“I thought we were here to watch the stars.” Ignoring his searching hands, you opened the bag of chips and offered him one. He didn’t take it.

Instead, he slid his hand under your t-shirt. “Among other things.”

“I meant what I said, P.” You grabbed his wrist. “We’re not fucking.”

He drew his eyebrows together in an expression that reminded you of Wanda. He leant up on his elbow. “Why not?”  

You rolled onto your back, stealing the pillow from where it had been lying between you. “Maybe because it’s all we ever do?”

Pietro went quiet. You could feel his gaze, hot and prickly on the side of your face, but you refused to look at him. You wondered if he was angry at you.

He took a deep breath, and you braced yourself, but his words came out very soft. “What’s wrong? You’ve been acting weird all day.”

You huffed out a mirthless laugh, staring up at the sky. It wasn’t quite dark enough to see the stars yet, but it was getting there.

“Has it never occurred to you that maybe I want something real?”

“What do you mean real? This is real.”

He touched your thigh, not sexually, but creating a bridge between you. You didn’t shake him off.

Finally, you turned to look at him. His lips were parted in confusion, eyes fixed firmly on your face.

“Well, maybe I’d like the kind of relationship where you go on dates. The kind where kissing doesn’t always lead to sex. The kind where I know you’re not gonna be off with other girls the second I’m too busy to hang out.”

His face grew red. “That was one time! And we’d only slept together like, twice at that point! It was casual! We were casual!”

You sat up so that your face was level with his. “I don’t want casual.”

He frowned. “So you think Bucky can give you that? The kind of relationship you want?”

You drew back, brow furrowing. “What are you talking about?”

“It’s cool. If you’re seeing him too. I guess we never said we were exclusive or anything.”

“I’m not seeing Bucky. He’s a friend.” You wondered if your efforts to make Pietro jealous had gone too far. He looked hurt, one hand pressed against his chest.

“Right, but you have, yeah?”

You shook your head. “No. Not with Bucky. And I haven’t slept with anyone but you since winter break.”

He stared at you, disbelieving. “Me neither.”

“Pietro… are we dating?”

“… Maybe?”

“Do you wanna be?”

He exhaled sharply. You scooted in closer, nose almost touching his. The longer he went without speaking, the more this felt like a rejection. Still, you held your breath.

“I’ve done this all wrong, dragă,” he murmured. “Do you want to go out with me? On a date?”

Your nose brushed against his as you nodded, and then he grabbed you by the waist, pulling you in.

You were in his lap again, kissing him fervently and feeling the hot skin of his neck under your hands. It felt like he was everywhere at once, his tongue between your lips, his hands in your hair, his firm body under yours.

He rolled you over onto your back, and you felt a little breathless as he went straight for your neck. He already knew exactly how you liked it. He knew how to find and suck on that spot that would make you keen.

This time, though, when you gasped, it was for a different reason. Pietro didn’t notice. He was too busy biting your neck.

“Pietro,” you gasped, slapping his shoulders. “I saw a shooting star!”

He pulled back so that he was hovering over you. “What?”

“A shooting star. Look!”

He rolled over onto his back, but it was obviously long gone by the time he was in position. “I don’t see one.”

“You have to wait. Be patient.”

He groaned. You both knew patience wasn’t his strong suit. After about five minutes, his hand started creeping up your thigh. You put your hand on his, stopping him.

“You’re gonna miss the meteor shower,” you said.

“You’re prettier,” he said smoothly, but you rolled your eyes.

“We’re dating now, remember? You can see me whenever. You can only see the shooting stars tonight.”

He huffed, but turned back to the sky. “This is rigged, they never happen when I- Ohhh.” He gasped. “I saw one!”

His childlike glee warmed you. You rested your head on his shoulder, but he barely seemed to notice. He was too busy staring at the sky.

“They’re pretty, right?” you murmured.

“Beautiful,” he agreed.

“More beautiful than me?”

“Ehh, it’s close.”

You giggled and rolled over so that you could look at his face.

“And another thing,” you said, “you know Bucky wasn’t flirting with me, right? He and Steve have been banging since, like, the first week of college.”

“… No. I did not know that.”

---

Notes:

Preview of tomorrow's fic: Getting railed in a sundress by your dad's friend, Dmitri Antonov. Hopper!Reader.

[dandylovesturtles]

just a little drabble thing

I know I have stuff to work on but in my defense, I've done writing on both my projects today so leave me alone with my brainrot

this is absolutely the fault of @intotheelliwoods and the brainrot their Leo losing an arm anyway art has given me. Please go check out that post and the linked comic and give it all the likes and reblogs SERIOUSLY.

okay here's a thing byyyyeeee

He sees the ball out of his peripheral vision, before he even hears Mikey yell, "Heads up!" He reaches to catch it, but it smacks into the side of his head anyway, and it's only once it collides that he realizes.

It hit his right side. He'd reached with a hand that wasn't there anymore.

It's just a rubber ball that Mikey had been kicking around. It didn't hurt where it made contact, just bounced off his head harmlessly before dropping to the floor and rolling away. Nothing to be upset about. And yet...

Something sad and ugly twists in his gut.

"Whoops! Sorry, Leo!" Mikey's voice pulls his attention. He's holding the ball now and looking at Leo and Leo wishes he wouldn't. "Didn't mean to hit you."

"You didn't, that was on purpose. I've been working on my headers!" The joke rolls out of him with such practiced ease he doesn't even have to think about it. He's grinning and he hopes nothing shows on his face.

It's such a little, stupid thing and he has no reason to be upset so why is his chest burning?

"...Everything okay?" asks Mikey, looking at him too closely now, and Leo is struck by the urge to push him away so he'll stop, an urge he quickly pushes down because wow, dramatic much?

What is he going to say? "I couldn't catch the ball and now I want to cry about it"? What is he, five?

"Just thinking I want to get some snacks," he lies, backing away from Mikey toward the lair's exit. "Be back in a few. Hey, if you want something, text me!"

"Leo!" Mikey calls after him, but he's already running through the tunnels like the coward he is.

...

"...Hey Leon."

Leo peeks up around his knees. Leonardo is standing over him, so big and tall and imposing. Leo isn't sure how it's possible that he ever gets that big.

He's not wearing his arm, and Leo's eyes linger on the missing piece before sinking back down to his own legs, pulled up to his chest.

"How'd you find me?"

He hears an amused huff. "You think I'd forget where I used to do my teenage angsting?"

"Who's angsting? Not me. I'm angst free."

There's some shuffling, and then he feels a warm weight on his left side.

"You remember what I said? You can tell me anything."

"There's nothing to tell," he tries. When there's no response, he tacks on, "It's stupid anyway."

"How about you tell me what it is, and then I'll decide if I think it's stupid?"

Leo hesitates, reaching over and fiddling with one of his bandages out of habit. Leonardo is quiet, and patient, and Leo hates how it works on him every time.

"...Mikey kicked a ball at me. Probably not on purpose." Not that he would mind if it had been on purpose, actually, because Pizza Supreme knows he's thrown many a thing at his brothers in his life, but that isn't the point. "And I tried to catch it but... I tried to use my right arm, before I remembered, oh yeah, don't got one of those anymore."

"Okay." Leonardo's voice is measured. "What part of that is supposed to be stupid?"

"That it didn't even hurt but I'm out here "teenage angsting" anyway?"

"Okay, poor choice of words. That's my bad." Leonardo leans into him, and Leo doesn't pull back. "Sounds to me like you aren't upset about the ball. Sounds like you're upset about your arm."

"Yeah, well, I spent weeks being sad about that. I'd like for it to be over, please."

"Unfortunately I don't think it works like that, Mini Me. Grief moves at its own pace. Trust me on that."

Leo pulls his head up, fixing his older counterpart with a stare. "You don't seem bothered by it anymore. How'd you manage that?"

He gets a shrug in return. "I don't think you should use my reaction to gauge your own."

"Why not? We're literally the same person."

"We stopped being the same person the day you stopped the invasion."

Leo isn't sure that's true.

Perhaps sensing that such is the case, Leonardo sighs and continues. "I've had longer to get used to it than you. Eventually, your body starts to adjust to make up for it. Plus, I was older than you when it happened, and I'd already lost... things that made an arm feel like nothing by comparison."

Leo shudders at that, and Leonardo reaches with his arm, giving Leo's shoulder a comforting rub.

"It took time, though. And it still trips me up sometimes. My body forgets and tries to reach with an arm that isn't there. The robot arm doesn't help with adjusting."

He can't help but smile at that, just a little. "But it's so cool."

"Damn straight it's cool. Can't wait to see what Donnie's got cooking up for you."

"Raph nixed the flamethrower attachment."

"He's probably already added it, you just have to swear not to tell."

Leo snickers, and Leonardo laughs along.

"One way we're still the same," Leonardo says when they're quiet again, "is that we aren't good at being kind to ourself. But you're going to have bad days, and you're going to have days where the little things feel insurmountable. And I'm asking you on those days to be kind to yourself."

The sad, ugly thing in Leo's gut is still there, but he feels better anyway, staring at the wall of the tunnel with Leonardo's weight still at his side. Be kind to himself, huh?

"...Seems like you could use the same advice, old man."

Leonardo chuckles, reaching over to give his head a light cuff. "Yeah, yeah. Let's try to learn together."

[amazingmsme]

So this story ( archiveofourown(.)org(/)works(/)56439289 ) probably isn't exactly your style (it's a little??? mean?) but the comments bring up some big npmd tickle headcanon potential. lee!max jagerman bullying nerds into tickling him and then losing his mind with giggles. do you see the vision.....

Honestly, it’s Max Jagerman idc if they get mean with it, he fucking deserves it lol. So so so happy that I’m not the only one writing for this fandom now! Finally, I can partake in the fruits of someone else’s labor & it’s never tasted so sweet!

Came back after reading it & yeah he gets exactly what he deserves. But yeah for everyone here used to my kind of writing, this is definitely more on the intense side (spoiler: he passes out) & it kinda goes into Ruth’s depraved thoughts (if sweat grosses you out maybe skip this one) but I honestly love it, the nerds deserved a lil power trip & Max got a face full of humble pie

But I totally see the vision! I honestly think something like that would be so in character because of how he reacted to the prank. Probably brush it off as “endurance training” or some shit as an excuse. But it would be SO fucking funny for him to double down & harass them more because of their threat for a round 2 & they’re panicking cause oh shit it didn’t work & then Max catches Peter when he’s alone & slams him against the locker & he was just about to apologize & say it was all just a stupid prank & then he hears him say “where were you yesterday?” & Peter’s fucking reeling now because what the hell is he talking about? & Max just continues on like this is a normal conversation “I waited after practice, but you chicken shits didn’t show” & Pete’s too shocked to even talk but that’s ok because Max wasn’t finished anyway “or are you nerds just waiting for me to let my guard down?”

But they all obviously think it’s a trap & don’t trust him as far as they can throw him, but now he’s just always kinda… lingering around their friend group & it’s kinda annoying & sad & they very hesitantly cave just to see what his fucking deal is

But I’ve been wanting to write something very similar to this idea where after the prank goes according to plan aka he doesn’t fuckin’ die, he starts hanging out with them & once he’s not physically & verbally abusing them he’s kinda got this fun himbo vibe, but he’s still a grade A dick that they put up with more out of fear than enjoying his company, & there’s some stuff they just can’t let him get away with so they end up wrecking his shit & he’s just like “wow, I don’t remember the last time I just let go & laughed like that. Thanks guys, same time next week?” Like this mean dumb jock would be having the time of his life & wouldn’t even know this is supposed to teach him a lesson

[astrophysicist-guitar-god]

Not My Job: Queen's Brian May Gets Quizzed About Dairy Queen

OCTOBER 28, 2017 (12:44 PM ET) || HEARD ON  WAIT WAIT...DON'T TELL ME!

9-Minute Listen <- (as of 11/21/23, the audio link still works)

Download

Transcript

Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Brian May left a promising career in science to try his hand at rock 'n' roll, and did OK enough, we guess, becoming a co-founder of the band Queen. (That makes him the only Ph.D. astrophysicist in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.) What's more, he's also deeply into 3D stereoscopic photography, and has just published a new book of pictures of his band.

Given his success with Queen, we made him answer three trivia questions about Dairy Queen, the ice cream and fast food franchise.

Queen's Brian May Rocks Out To Physics, Photography Secret Stereographs: Brian May Of Queen Reveals A Pastime

PETER SAGAL, HOST: 

And now the game where we reward a lifetime of achievement with a few moments of trivia. It's called Not My Job. Brian May left a promising career in science to try his hand at rock 'n' roll. And he did OK. He founded the band Queen with Freddie Mercury, John Deacon and Roger Taylor, making him, as far as we know, the only Ph.D. astrophysicist in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But he had another enthusiasm, 3-D stereoscopic photography. He's published a new book of pictures of his band so realistic you can practically smell the groupies.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Brian May, welcome to WAIT WAIT... DON'T TELL ME.

(APPLAUSE)

BRIAN MAY: Thank you very much.

SAGAL: I spent a good part of yesterday evening with your book of these amazing stereoscopic photos and the great little viewer that comes with them...

MAY: Right.

SAGAL: ...Enjoying these 3-D pictures of your band and its history and Freddie Mercury and your other friends and musicians. And I have one thing to ask you. How is it that in all the years that you've been in the public eye, your hair has never changed?

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Did any - nobody ever came to you and said, Brian, you know, now it's the 1990s. We need to cut your hair? Has any...

MAY: Yeah, they do it all the time.

(LAUGHTER)

MAY: I have a good answer for that. But it's probably not repeatable on your program.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: So there are so many things that are interesting about you. You were, as I said - you were pursuing your doctorate in science when the band started, right?

MAY: I was, yeah. In astronomy. In what they now call astrophysics, yeah. And I gave it up. And I thought I was actually doing astrophysics a favor by choosing the other option.

SAGAL: Really?

MAY: Yeah. And I also thought, you know, there's a window opening here. And if I don't kind of walk through - or a door opening, I should say. And I thought, if I don't walk through right now, that door will never open again. So I went off and, against all the odds, became a rock star for some reason.

SAGAL: Yeah. That seemed to have worked out pretty well for you.

MAY: It's OK. It's been OK so far. Yeah.

SAGAL: It really has. But...

PAULA POUNDSTONE: So wait, you're suggesting that you were not a good astrophysicist?

MAY: You know, I didn't think I was.

POUNDSTONE: What would make a bad astrophysicist?

MAY: Well...

POUNDSTONE: Like, you weren't looking in the right...

(LAUGHTER)

MAY: Well, what would make a bad astrophysicist would be, like, not being able to complete your Ph.D., which is what happened.

POUNDSTONE: Oh.

MAY: And I couldn't please my supervisor. So 30 years later, I found myself with another supervisor. And he liked what I did. So I kind of updated my vision of myself. But I got it after 30 years.

POUNDSTONE: Oh, wow.

(APPLAUSE)

SAGAL: Wait a minute. What I love is that you going in to get your Ph.D. not as young Brian May but as Brian May the guitarist of Queen.

MAY: Yeah.

SAGAL: I mean, did you - like, your oral exams - did you come in and say, I could answer your questions, or I could just do the riff from "We Will Rock You."

MAY: Well, you know, they were tough on me. I think they had to be because they couldn't be seen to kind of make it easy for me, you know? And, you know, I got a whole sheaf of stuff that I had to do in order to finish it off.

SAGAL: I bet that...

LUKE BURBANK: Did they try to work in any Queen stuff during the defense of your dissertation? Like, you may think you're the champion, Mr. May...

(LAUGHTER)

BURBANK: ...But this panel thinks otherwise. Do they do anything corny like that?

SAGAL: Now, this is the amazing thing about this book because in addition to your interest in astrophysics and obviously shredding on the guitar, you are a huge photography nerd. And you were...

MAY: Totally.

SAGAL: You were always into 3-D photography.

MAY: Yeah.

SAGAL: I'm just trying to imagine though that - it must have been like the mid-70s in the absolute apogee of, like, the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. And there's the cocaine. And there are the groupies. And there's the liquor. And you're, like, trying to get everybody to hold still so you can take a 3-D photograph.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Guys, guys. Come on.

MAY: I'm not going to contradict you there.

(LAUGHTER)

MAY: Should we just move on?

SAGAL: All right. I will.

(LAUGHTER)

POUNDSTONE: Every high school student has the same story, I imagine, on the way to sports events.

SAGAL: Yeah.

POUNDSTONE: Like, when I played lacrosse in high school, we would bang our sticks on the roof of the bus.

MAY: Oh.

POUNDSTONE: How this driver tolerated it I'll never know. And we would scream at the top of our lungs the lyrics to, you know, "We Are The Champions."

MAY: Great.

POUNDSTONE: And it was so much fun.

SAGAL: Oh, yeah.

BURBANK: Did you guys ever win a match?

POUNDSTONE: No.

(LAUGHTER)

MAY: It did you no good whatsoever.

BURBANK: What would you sing on the drive back, "Another One Bites The Dust?"

(LAUGHTER, APPLAUSE)

BURBANK: Can I just ask what - like, in the creation of an amazing, iconic song like "Bohemian Rhapsody," did Freddie Mercury write those lyrics?

MAY: Absolutely.

BURBANK: And, like, what was it like when he says, OK, these are going to be the words to this song?

(LAUGHTER)

MAY: We had a kind of unwritten law. You know, generally, this song was kind of the province of the writer. And the writer would have the final say. So yeah, we didn't really discuss it. We didn't say, you know, why are you saying that, Freddie? It was just...

BURBANK: So no one looked at him when he started singing scaramouche?

POUNDSTONE: Right.

(LAUGHTER)

MAY: You know, we were enjoying ourselves.

SAGAL: Can you do the fandango?

MAY: I mean, this stuff is really fun to do in the studio.

POUNDSTONE: Oh, I bet.

MAY: And nobody had ever done it before, you know?

SAGAL: Oh, absolutely. I'd never heard anything like that in my life when that song came out.

MAY: Well, and you won't again.

SAGAL: I know. I know.

POUNDSTONE: So you guys just, you know, scaramouche, scarmouche, not even looking at one another?

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: I can imagine.

POUNDSTONE: It does sound like fun.

SAGAL: Last question - as an astrophysicist, because this is interesting how you both - do both - can you scientific explain how it is that fat bottomed girls make the world go round?

(LAUGHTER)

MAY: Yeah. I think that's still true. I was just lucky to find out early, you know?

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Well, Brian May, we can talk to you all day. But we have business to do. We've asked you here to play a game we're calling...

BILL KURTIS: Have a peanut buster parfait.

SAGAL: You, of course, as we have been discussing, are one of the founders of Queen, one of the iconic rock bands of all time. So we thought we'd ask you three questions about Dairy Queen.

(LAUGHTER)

MAY: About what?

SAGAL: Dairy Queen. You might have come across it in your travels across America. It's a popular ice cream and fast food franchise.

MAY: This is the bit I've been looking forward to so much.

SAGAL: Oh, you are.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Answer two questions about - by the way, I should say that absolute ignorance is always an advantage in this particular game.

MAY: Well, you've got it in this case.

(LAUGHTER)

ADAM BURKE: I'm just picturing the Queen tour bus pull up to a Dairy Queen.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: It'd be the greatest day of those people's lives.

BURKE: Freddie just marching in. Blizzards for the lot of us.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: All right (laughter).

MAY: Can I go home now?

SAGAL: This is already going very well.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: So the question, though, for Bill is who is legendary guitarist and astrophysicist Brian May playing for?

KURTIS: Ella Jones of Baltimore, Md.

SAGAL: All right.

POUNDSTONE: Here we go.

SAGAL: Just two right, and we win it all. None right - who cares? Here we go. Dairy Queen has given us so much by way of frozen treats, the Blizzard, the Dilly Bar, the Oreo Brownie Earthquake. But it's also responsible for what other wonderful thing? A, the defibrillator device; B - the band No Doubt, or C avocado toast?

(LAUGHTER)

MAY: I would say none of the above. But I have no idea. The defibrillator. I'm going for the defibrillator.

SAGAL: You could use a defibrillator at any Dairy Queen. But the answer is the band No Doubt...

POUNDSTONE: Really?

MAY: You're kidding me.

SAGAL: ...Because it turns out that Gwen Stefani and two of her band mates met and formed their band at a Dairy Queen in Anaheim, Calif., when they both - all worked there.

MAY: I'm on the edge of my seat.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: But we have other things. There's this Dairy Queen - one of them - in Morehead, Minn. And it's legendary because it still uses all the old recipes. And it was the place where their famous dilly bar treat was invented. Now, the owner there invented a number of other things that corporate never liked - so they didn't catch on nationally - including which of these? Which of these failed Dairy Queen treats? A, the flaming sundae; B, the meat shake...

POUNDSTONE: Ew.

SAGAL: ...Or C, the heck-of-a-job brownie?

(LAUGHTER)

MAY: I'm going to go for number one.

SAGAL: The flaming sundae. You're right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

POUNDSTONE: Wow.

SAGAL: He invented a flaming sundae, a sugar cube doused with liquor - set it on fire. Very attractive. So your last question. If you get this right you win, which I'm sure will go well with your CBE.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Last question. Dairy Queen has a deep, dark secret - something they would rather that you - none of us - would know. What is it? A, their original name was Dairy Fairy; B, their ice cream isn't actually ice cream or C, the chain is wholly owned by the government of Iran?

(LAUGHTER)

BURBANK: He's operating at a slight disadvantage having never been to a Dairy Queen.

SAGAL: That's true.

MAY: I think B.

SAGAL: Yes. You're right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: It's true that their product - their frozen soft serve cannot be legally called ice cream because it doesn't have enough real cream in it.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Bill, how did Brian May do on our quiz?

KURTIS: He is a champion.

POUNDSTONE: There we go.

(APPLAUSE)

KURTIS: Two out of three.

SAGAL: My friend, Brian May is an astrophysicist, guitar legend and one of the founders of the great rock bands of all time - that would be Queen. His new book, which is completely worth the hours you will spend staring at it - it's of stereoscopic photos he took. It's called "Queen In 3-D." It is out now. Brian May, what a joy to talk to you. Thank you so much for...

MAY: Thank you all.

SAGAL: Brian May.

(SOUNDBITE OF QUEEN SONG, "WE WILL ROCK YOU")

[spotsupstuff]

I figured I'd let you know I've been listening to your rain world playlists on repeat for the past few weeks

it went something like this

"oh spotsupstuff has rain world playlists? that's neat, I'll check it out I guess" scrolling through em "mm yeah this are some pretty good songs ooh yeah I like that one wow they've got pretty good taste in music--" *notices favorite song about halfway through the playlist*

"...now I obviously have to listen to this playlist just so I can hear *redacted so people don't laugh at my music taste* in the context of all of these other songs"

well. um.

But seriously, your playlists are SO GOOD?? With practically every song on there I can be like "mhmm, yup, that's a Moon song right there" or "wow this song fits with general rain world vibes really well" or "damn that one's a little on the nose haha" or even "this song would work really really well as a rw animation. someone needs to turn this song into an animation... aw screw it I'll do it"

anyway that fulfills my daily allotment of "ranting in a cool person's inbox" hope you enjoyed g'bye

side note: you've turned me into a fish in a birdcage fan. I will never forgive you for this /j

kglsdmklg thank you!!! i Am quite proud of my music taste- fuckin listenin to songs basically 24/7 every damn day, i Better have a good sense of tunes at this point JGSKLJKCD

stars, i could yap about the songs i put into the main RW playlist so much- and then the Eo playlist, while still a wip especially later on, i try to organize according to the characters And the timeline n about That i could talk so so much toooo, the main RW one doesn't have that </3

like!!!

these three are supposed to describe the whole story at large, with The Nights being there cuz i'm plagued by the vision of Euros' last call to the group before he goes dark, along to a specific tiktok choir chain version of the song

intro songs for all of the characters that either namedrop them or describe them in a way. it's mainly the namedrops, but the first two belong to Zephyr because they are an inspiration for her character. Ptáčata (translating to young bird/fledgling) is for Sparrows, not only because of the very close namedrop, but also because the song describes her as a character very well n i REALLY wanna do a lil vid for her with that song

this song is specifically for Euros and Boreas

the first song here describes Fish's attitude and the second one belongs to his colony

this is AAAAAAAAAALL Notos songs

Euros theme song, The Song that Sparrows sings to Zephyr that makes her work on her perception of the Ancients (though the finished version is wonderful, the specific version that i've thought of being in that scene is this one), Rockabye is SUCH a Sparrows' mom song it makes me feral and Beer Fear is quite really connected to Sparrows' time in school just like Want to Feel Something, with that one being mainly sung by Euros with Sparrows sometimes chiming in

and This one is specifically for Boreas and Zephyr reuniting in the void, though the specific version i think of is This one

WITH THE MAIN RW PLAYLIST i'm mostly proud of: this one

Aggressively Gourmand song

this one as Saint-time theme song/progression of the story over all

THIS IS A VERY PEBBLES SONG and nobody can convince me otherwise.

Yes, he would drink coffee. Yes, i think he'd think it tastes like shit

and then absolutely like.. all the songs I have yeeted there because of my take on Suns

(this ☝ is their theme song to me, basically. thank u shkiki)

it's all Suns, baybeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!

[cinnamonm00n]

Skate on the Melted Ice

Chuuya x (fem)reader

Chapter I <<< Chapter II >>> Chapter III

This Skater Mess Is a Game of Chess

Third person P. O. V

[Armed Skater Agency] 

"Aa-aah~"

"Dazai stop moaning and stretch properly we're behind schedule because of you!" Kunikida yelled, slapping Dazai's head with the back of his clipboard.

Dazai got up from his splits with a saddened face.

"No need to be soo cruel Kunikida-kuunn"

"Stop whining, you good-for-nothing! It's because of you that the rest are waiting!"

Their bickering continued like this even as both of them got onto the ice. 

"Kunikida-san, where is the president?" asked Yosano, interrupting thir shineningans.

This snapped the focus in Kunikida back to life, turning back to her with a serious expression.

"He won't be joining us today. I was asked to take over this time" he put his clipboard down on the edge of to rink. Thus freeing his hands.

He clapped them loudly to get the attention of the skaters, scattered around him across the rink.

"Alright everyone, come close!"

And so the group of skaters did, waiting for his further instructions. 

"Today we begin your improved programs with the usage of abilities. We'll go over the old ones and see where we can improve. Yosano-san you're up first."

Reader P. O. V

Yosano spins with a thick layer od elegance wrapping around her, so peaceful yet strong.

My eyes relax as I drink in her mysterious presence.

Then she pulled out a machete half her size.

The pupils of my eyes shot wide open.

She became treffying.

I couldn't stop looking at her. 

Between sharp jumps and swings with her ginormous knife, her peacfull grace came back near the end of her performance. When her final panting arabesque was revealed by glowing butterflies leaving her blood soaked clothes. 

"Wow... " withered out of me. 

She joins me near the edge, wipping sweat on her brow, as the rest applaud her.

I would have talked to her and expressed my amazement if didn' t have to shift my focus back on the ice and Ranpo's performance. 

He was among the most popular skaters... And one of the laziest, just like Dazai. 

His skating was sepping of sheer wit. Unexpected flickers of movement never failing to make audiences swoon. Ranpo never once slipped while skating, bringing good name to our Agency. 

It's like he didn't need an ability to make a great show. 

After Ranpo, Dazai and his charm were next.

I highlight charm, for it was that charm combined with his amazing talent and looks that got him heeps of fangirls. 

Sometimes we couldn't fight them off. 

I wonder what will they think of him now after they see him with with a blue whirlwind of light around him. 

Soon after Dazai's performance we saw Kunikida and his flawless timing to every beat.

It was my turn next.

My limbs slowly started to melt under high stakes I just saw. 

"I'm fucked" pumped through my thoughts as I got on the ice. 

My hot muscles hit the cold wind as I move. 

Spinning I get up, strings of concrete fibers of pain pulling me backwards. 

I struggle against them knowing it makes me look stiff. 

The fight persisted with every jump and axel up until my last move. Which I ended with a thud on the ground, out of breath. 

Blinking away the shame rising in my gut, I walk back to the edge where the rest stood quietly.

I'm met with Kunikida's hand waiting to give me several notes. 

"You need work Y/N... Lots of it"

If he had hit me with a bag of bricks it would have hurt less. 

Third person P. O. V

[The Port skaters] 

Loud bang of a body hitting the ice could be heard throughout the rink. 

A tired lot of aching muscles stretched out on the ground breathed with difficulty. 

"Glad to see you practicing without me Chuuya-kun~"

Chuuya hurriedly got up. White dots sparking in his vision.

"Apologies for not waiting, Boss" 

Mori giggled off the name "Boss" his skaters used as a joke. 

"It's fine, but I am obliged to warn you that you'll need to save some of that energy for the future... "

"Huh?!" 

"Your program is full of moments that require ballet level strength, hence that's why I'm entrusting you to Kyouyu-san."

The famous ballerina walked out of the shadows. 

"Good to see you again, lad" 

Chuuya bowed "Good to see you again too, big sis... "

Mori spoke again "Chuuya you have already come from Kyoyou-san's ballet school, so I'm sure you are well aware of how things shall progress further... But this time for the sake of the competition you will have to go through it again... Only this time it will be 10 times more rigorous. "

Behinde Chuuya's strong nod was hidden a scared shiver of remembrance of how strict that program was in the past. 

Mori's willingness to train Chuuya... Pushing him to the limits...

All of this pushed a single thought into Chuuya's consciousness.

He really was an important pawn in this game of chess Mori was unfolding. 

[ironcladrhett]

TIMING: Current LOCATION: Hemlock Ridge, Seven Peaks SUMMARY: Mariela gets her answer about why the father of her child has decided to suddenly show up at their proverbial doorstep. Also there's a fun guest appearance near the end. CONTENT WARNINGS: none! wow.

—

Long legs carried her swiftly through the féth fíada that protected the place she’d called home for the past year or so, and the moment she was beyond the barrier, her glamour dropped and she took to the air, wings buzzing behind her and carrying her high up into the trees where her mother waited. “Mamá!” she gasped, alighting on the walkway that worked around the home built into the branches, ducking through the opening of the structure and letting her gaze rake across the interior. She found her mother sitting on a stool near a window, staring absently out of it. Concern dampened the young woman’s smile and she moved toward her mother, squatting beside her and gently clasping the hand in her lap. “Mamá,” she said again, carefully this time—quietly. She didn’t dare leap into her thousands of questions, instead keeping it all bottled up inside as she stared at the older fae, waiting for her to speak. 

Mariela finally glanced down at her daughter, but her hesitation was clear. This was not a conversation she ever thought she would need to have, clearly. Gossamer wings flitted lazily behind her as she brushed a palm against Ophelia’s warm cheek, smiling down at her. “My sweet Poppy,” she hummed, stroking her thumb over Ophelia’s cheekbone. The young hesperide was practically humming with excitement, fidgeting where she was perched, desperate to ask. Desperate to know how he was, where he was… Mariela drew in a long breath, turning in her seat and rising to her feet, drawing Ophelia up with her. 

“He showed up a couple of days ago. Cricket caught him outside, and he asked to speak with me. He was… in a bad way, so I decided to bring him in where he could be treated.” Her brow furrowed and she gave Ophelia’s hands a squeeze. “Do not mistake my mercy for affection, Poppy. He… he is still…” She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to rid herself of the creeping feeling of dread. “He will not be staying here.” Ophelia had been nodding along, but now she looked confused. 

“But… wait. He’s been here for a few days? Have you already talked? What did he say?”

“No, we haven’t. He lost consciousness before we had even made it halfway home, so I left him with the healers. He’s been asleep ever since. I think… his journey here was not an easy one. By all rights, he should be dead.” Worry settled into her daughter’s features, and the sight of it made her feel sick. She knew Ophelia had been contacting him, at first sneaking out to meet him but eventually fessing up—it was fear that made Mariela so irate when she’d found out, and at first, she’d tried to forbid her daughter from continued contact. But that had worked about as well as she’d expected… there was no denying where she got her stubbornness from. The arrangement had never sat well with her, even when Ophelia insisted that he was turning over a new leaf and retiring from hunting. Of course he was retiring, his physical state alone was…

Ophelia moving away from her pulled the hesperide from her thoughts, and she trailed after her daughter. “He’s with the healers? I should go see him. Mamá, I… thank you. Thank you so much.” The girl sank back into her embrace and Mariela’s heart ached horribly. “I was so scared something terrible had happened to him. I—” She glanced up at her mother, guilt sparking a fire in her stomach. “... I-I’m sorry. I know it’s—I know you don’t—”

“It’s all right, Ophelia. I… I am all right. I just hope he has changed as much as you say, that’s all.”

“He has, mamá. I swear he has.” 

—

Wherever he was, it was dark. He blinked a few times trying to adjust to it, pushing himself upright and looking around in an attempt to get a sense of his surroundings. His poor vision didn’t make this very easy, and giving up on the distant things, he instead looked down at himself. He was clothed again, in something that looked homemade. It was soft, and decidedly warmer than the clothes he’d been forced out of. There were blankets on top of him, and he was in some kind of cot or bed. His prosthetic and cane were nowhere to be seen, stopping him from getting up, but not from swinging his leg over the edge of the bed. Just as he was about to wobble up onto one foot and attempt to hop over to the window, a dim light flooded the place.

“Everett.”

The rigid tone made him straighten his spine, looking up to face the source. Mariela stood in the doorway, regarding him carefully. He couldn’t fault her for that and just kept quiet, sitting still and letting her lead. “Poppy came to see you yesterday, but you weren’t awake yet.”

“Poppy?”

“Ophelia. It’s a name she chose for herself when she was five.” 

“Oh.”

After a few more seconds, the nymph approached him. Her hands reached out to him, framing his face as she looked him over. Two fingers slipped beneath the strap of his eyepatch and she slowly lifted it away, looking down at the sunken socket. “These wounds are not old. What happened to you?” 

Rhett let his intact eye flutter closed, drawing in a long, slow breath. There was no easy way to answer it, not least of all because he’d been forced to promise that he wouldn’t give up the identities of his antagonizers. “Couple’ah…” freaks died on his tongue and he lingered there a moment, unsure how to say it. “... folks what knew a mare I hunted weren’t happy with me. Locked me up fer a while, had their fun. Eye was from a werewolf, though.” 

“You've been busy, I see.”

“As per.” Mariela frowned.

"You said you came here to talk to me? Then talk.” The warden thought for a moment about how to even begin, coming to the realization that he was going to have to explain all those years in Mexico. He told her about the family he'd found, about Emilio and Juliana and the daughter they had together. About Lucio’s betrayal of the family and the massacre that followed, about Lucio showing up in the same town that Emilio and Rhett had, eager to tell his side of the story. 

“Emilio's mother was gonna kill him. He wanted to leave Etla with his daughter and get her outta that life, but the others caught wind. Didn't care for it. Lucio was tryin’ to protect Milio, but it was a shitty plan. Got everyone killed. He… never told me. Emilio. He never told me he wanted to leave. I coulda helped him, I coulda—” Rhett's voice caught in his throat and he paused, pulling away from her hands to stare down at his lap. “She wouldn't be dead. None of ‘em would be dead. But he didn't trust me. Lucio had to be the one to tell me he'd been plannin’ it a while before the massacre.” He rubbed his palm against his forehead. “No one's ever really trusted me. Guess I earned that.”

“Yes, I suppose you did.” They both turned as the footsteps of someone approaching broke the tense silence. A leshy, made of striped birch and half-covered in lichen and moss, ducked into the room through the doorless entryway. Mariela smiled then, stepping away from Rhett and holding a hand out to the creature. “Solomon, my dear.” There was a fondness in her voice that Rhett hadn’t heard since it had been directed at him decades ago. He sucked in a breath, glaring up at the new arrival with misplaced irritation. The leshy took Mariela’s hand in his own, covering it delicately with the other as he leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. 

“It is a shame that he cannot see your true form,” Solomon lamented, his golden gaze swinging over to meet Rhett’s. “She is so very, very beautiful.”

“Yeah… great,” the warden grumbled, feeling a hot prickling sensation erupting across his skin. Mariela turned back to him, shaking her head. 

“That was a tragic story, Everett, but it did not tell me why you are here.” Rhett’s gaze jumped between Mariela and the… tree… as if asking why he needed to be here. The woman picked up on this and smirked, gesturing at Rhett’s stump. “He was going to offer to grow you a leg that will fit you better.” She had guessed that this kindness would make him uncomfortable, and she was right. The warden shifted awkwardly where he sat, looking anywhere but at the pair of fae in front of him. 

“I mean… fine… if that’s what it—what he wants to do.” Mariela pressed a hand to Solomon’s arm, who gave a solemn nod of understanding before stepping forward and crouching down in front of Rhett. His hand closed around the man’s stump and began to shift in shape, growing longer and weaving thick, springy cords of wood together, not unlike juvenile trees. Smaller branches and twigs and vines circled around each other where his knee would have been, crafting a more intricate joint than he’d managed with his ironwork. Rhett had lapsed into a stunned silence while he watched, pulling himself from it only when he heard Mariela speak again.

“Fae are not all so bad,” she challenged him gently. “Now tell me why you’ve come, or I’ll have to send you on your way.” 

“I… I wanted to…” His chest felt tight, the agony of having to speak this aloud and in front of a stranger suffocating him for a moment. Mariela’s smile faded and her eyes darkened. 

“Speak, Everett. I will not ask again.”

“... It’s Ophelia,” he spat out, staring blankly at the semi-hollow leg that was appearing before his eyes. “I… I got to thinkin’ ‘bout Flora, my niece, n’ the kinda life I woulda wanted with ‘er. But I couldn’t stay in that town. Not with Emilio there, not… not with all the reminders of all the shit I done wrong hangin’ over my head.” He looked up at her and shook his head. “I know I ain’t done right by her—by neither of you, but I… I wanted to try. I wanted to get yer blessing to try.” 

Mariela’s expression had softened, and she stared at Rhett for a long, silent moment, as if sizing him up. He seemed truthful enough. Her attention instinctively turned to Solomon as the leshy finished his task and snapped the leg away from the rest of his arm. He stood again, regarding his handiwork with pride before meeting Mariela’s gaze. She was asking him what he thought without saying it, and he gave her another nod. “Let him try, Mari. Everyone deserves a second chance.” The leshy looked to Rhett then, holding out a hand. “Stand, my friend. Let us see how well this new limb treats you.”

[thewingedmuse]

Hi! It was me who requested This reading… Thank you so much for doing it even though I sent it anonymously!! 💕 The Godzilla thing really had me puzzled at first, but it ended up being interesting to think out and write. I was actually thinking I might have done it wrong, because what other people had written was so different to what I had sent, so I’m happy you liked it so much! I wanted to give you some feedback about the reading, because it’s the right thing to do, of course, but also because I know you value it a lot 🥰

First of all, I felt kinda honored (?) you pulled the High Priestess for the reading… Though I don’t practice tarot myself (yet? 🤔), I’ve been studying quite a bit about it and it’s one of my favorite cards of the major arcana (the Wheel of Fortune is the other one!). Even though it’s a hypothetical reading I couldn’t help but feel excited about that being the energy of the “relationship” 🙈

Now, the fact that you didn’t know about Hongjoong before doing the reading makes it 10000x more impressive, because I think you were definitely spot on with your description of him! (From what I know as a fan, of course… I know artists don’t show their whole self to the public, but I’d bet other Atiny would agree). I’m not kidding when I tell you I could totally picture him in my head while reading! In a lot of the group’s content you can see Hongjoong with that soft, wholesome smile while looking at the members talk or do things, and don’t even get me started on the second paragraph!

Like, if you know astrology, he’s a Scorpio sun 10H and Capricorn rising… This man’s job is his whole life (he has said this himself btw), and you can bet he takes it seriously. That’s actually what made me a fan of Ateez and of him, particularly; I really admire his drive, motivation and perseverance, and I can assure you he has the next 10 years of his life planned out 😂 He became his company’s first trainee, a small company that had no means to compete with the bigger agencies and wasn’t even taking new people at the time. As their leader, he guided the group to domestic and international success (like, they’re on tour right now filling 20k seat venues! 🥹) and helped keep the company afloat during the pandemic. Even though their music is quite conceptual and not the general public’s cup of tea, they’ve managed to create a loyal fandom, and succeed while staying true to their essence and vision.

It’s also interesting that you mentioned he has “amazing energy”, because I felt that way about him right away, since I stumbled upon the first Ateez video I ever watched, like “wow, this dude is different…”, but I’ve also seen a few tarot readers on here say the same thing! Really, he is a great person: kind, compassionate and caring, he’s very aware of social issues and is involved in a lot of charity work too 🥹

Anyways, I hope this isn’t too boring but in short you killed it! It was a great reading and (in my opinion), a very accurate portrayal of Hongjoong. Sorry it took me a while to send you my feedback 🙏🏼 Thank you so much for reading for me and I hope you have a great day! 🥰

(Also if your entwined bonds event is still open I’d love to participate… would it be ok to do it if I already got this reading? 🙏🏼)

Thank you so much for your feedback!! I'm glad to know now the person who made my favourite Godzilla reading haha 💖 I'm so happy you love the reading, Hongjoong truly is an amazing person. The way you are so passionate about him really is lovely to see, like you are not only enthusiastic about their music but also greatly care about who he is as an individual! I think this kind of fan dynamics is very touching 💝 I feel honoured to have made the reading for you!

And sure you can join, there's no rules saying you can't after you've joined one but you have to be patient as there are about 40 before you. Hope you have an amazing day too!

[sunnyscripts]

[Laboratory door opening]

(Rambling) Good morning! Is it morning? I didn’t really sleep- I’ve made so much progress and done so much since you clocked out yesterday. I’ve got a new plan to harass the scientists in Antarctica, and the man-eating roses are coming along so nicely. Come, I want to show you this batch I made that’s budding in your favorite color.

What’s got your safety goggles all in a twist? Is the shade off, because these will probably lighten in color as they bloom and then they’ll be right.

Oh, yes! That’s one of the other updates I wanted to give you. Spot was just so active and hyperactive last night; I think she had a case of the zoomies, you know? So I let her off the leash, so to speak, and let her wreak a little havoc downtown. After all, how can I say no to that snarling, spitting, tentacled cutie? She brought us back a bike as a gift; isn’t she just a darling?

Hmm, I believe she scratched up a skyscraper or two, dug up a park and some trees. She went to the bathroom on a purse-snatcher which just tickles me pink because that means her training is going well.

Ahh, yes, that’s right, she did use the suspension bridge as a swing, and it didn’t hold. I’ve been telling the government and heroes council for years that tax money should be going into public infrastructure, and I hate to have to tell them “I told you so” when I crash the next town hall.

[Laugh] I know, that’s bullshit. I love shoving their failures in their face; I’ll record it for posterity. Why are you so grumpy then? You hated that rickety thing and called it an eyesore.

I thought your date was at seven? You live way outside of downtown, and I let Spot out to play right about then.

It sounds to me that if he had been on time, this would have been avoided, and he wouldn’t have tragically fallen off the bridge into the river.

That’s one of the things I like about you, always so punctual. You’re one of a kind.

I’m not trying to make you less mad with compliments because I don’t know why you’re mad at me! How was I supposed to know your date would be late? All I was concerned with was our beloved Spot here stretching her legs and being happy. Look at that face. Could you have said no to it?

Besides, isn’t this the same man who kept trying to get you to listen to his podcast?

Then didn’t this all work out for the best? You should be thanking me even! Here, I’ll start for you.

“Wow, you’re the best boss ever on top of being the most dastardly villain to ever plague the earth. I love being paid to fulfill your vision and do evil by your side and would totally kiss you if I had the chance.” Now you try.

I know you don’t mean that~ I still have that Best Boss Ever mug you gave me for my birthday, so I’m practically quoting you verbatim.

You would never.

(Playfully defensive) This was an accident, a coincidence! You wouldn’t break my heart over happenstance, would you?

Another unfortunate coincidence- I had no way of knowing the restaurant I set on fire was where your high school sweetheart worked. All I knew was that they gave me food poisoning and really disgusting appletinis.

Another coincidence that is nowhere near my fault, even less than the other ones! How was I supposed to know your blind date was a superhero? You didn’t know either! Also, if I hadn’t blown up the Temple of Fortitude, it would have been another villain, so blaming me specifically is so unfair.

That- now that time was self-defense! I didn’t vaporize that woman the other day because she hit on you, I vaporized her because she was a cop who had a gun pointed at me… which was scary by the way, and you didn’t even comfort me when she shot me.

Just because I can bend the rules of life and death doesn’t mean it wasn’t scary! The Resurrection Machine hurts like a bitch!

I know you don’t mean that either; you’ll always put me in the chamber in time for a thunderstorm. After all, who will sign your paychecks and genetically engineer pig-sized fire-breathing dragons for your birthday gift?

[Laugh] Oh, so that’ll convince you to keep me around and not my sparkling wit, my excellent company? Ouch.

I know you’re joking, don’t you worry. I’ve never thought for a second that working with villains had made you one. You’re still so sweetly soft-hearted even when you’re frustrated.

(Sympathetic) Yeah, I know, I get it. I hear dating can be rough these days with apps, hook-up culture, work-life balance, all that, and I can imagine how it must feel to jump through all of those hoops and still feel lonely at the end of it. That must be really hard, and I’m sorry you feel that way.

No, I’m not looking for anyone myself; I’ve got everything I need right here.

[Laugh] (Light) Well, I can’t wait for the day you love your job as much as I do mine. I know it’ll happen just as I know you’ll find the one. You just have to be patient a little longer. You can’t rush this sort of thing, not when it’s so imperative to find someone that’s worthy of you, as difficult as that may be.

Of course I mean that. Do I lie, especially to you? I may terrorize, immolate, and murder, but do I lie?

(Tender) Then believe me when I say that the right person will come along, the one who will sweep you off your feet, and you shouldn’t settle for anything less until then.

You are stunning, intelligent, and a ray of sunshine everywhere you go, especially in this dreary lab. You are the best assistant and, dare I say, friend I could ever ask for, and I think you deserve the world.

(Playful) Now, how can someone possibly give you that when my plans succeed and the world is ours? They’ll simply have to be more creative.

(Serious) That won’t be possible; once something is mine, it’s mine. (Light) Except for the parts of the world I will give you, of course, my lovely assistant.

Of course, you think I want to rule at the top by myself? That would be too lonely. You will get a whole continent, two even. I know you’ve always dreamed of giving the Aboriginal people of Australia back their land, and soon you’ll be able to.

You told me about it when you had too many hard ciders at our last Happy Hour. You also told me the only thing you’d ask in return is a few acres of land and as many emus as you can handle. Your younger self was very affected by reading about The Emu Wars, I gathered.

You don’t have to justify it. Like I said, you are one of a kind, unique and sweet and empathetic to the smallest of creatures. I’ve always loved this about you and will help however I can.

[Hug] Are we good then? Are you done being mad at me?

You have nothing to be sorry for. It’s so unfortunate your date last night didn’t work out, and that must have been really frustrating. I’m just happy I could support you and help you feel better.

Good. You know what else might help raise your spirits?

The dragons are hungry and haven’t been fed yet. I held off because I know how much you love to be the one to do it.

I agree, they’re happier when you do it anyway. I have some whole chickens defrosting in the kitchen if you’d like to grab those and feed them before we start work today.

[Laboratory door opening, optional dragon noises] (Manipulative, cold) Yes, yes, I know you’re not really hungry after last night’s meal, but our friend knows your schedule too well and would be so worried if you didn’t at least nibble. We don’t want to worry them, do we?

That’s right, attaboys. That’s the spirit- a few more little accidents and secret meals for you both, and they’ll get the hint. I’ll get to have them all to myself, and you two will be right by our side on a cozy ranch in the Outback. Doesn’t that sound nice and worth gorging yourself stuffed on an Andrew Tate wannabe every so often?

Good. Keep it up.

[Laboratory door opening] (Warm, effusive) There you are, let me give you a hand; those have got to still be cold.

Of course. Now, after this, could you take a look at those flowers I was telling you about? They’re already carnivorous, but I think we could really maximize their damage potential by making them produce toxic pollen.

Then why don’t we take an early break and try out that brunch place around the corner? My treat.

Performances:

[autobot-ratchet]

Lost Light 16-18

Lost Light 16

simultaneously really funny and sad how happy Cyclonus is to realize that he's dead

dfjks poor Magnus, Roddy went and made him think he was number one on his emergency contact list

Ten is so sweet... I hate that he had to die but at least he was the happiest he could've been

poor Ratchet's going through it lmAO on the one hand watching him get owned is funny because he's always been so rude with his atheism but on the other hand if I was made to think I was dead and sent to the afterlife and said afterlife turned out to be a cloudy paradise in the sky ruled by an old bearded white man dressed in some robes or something I think I would go completely fucking ballistic for so many reasons with so many complexities I won't even try to get into it here lmAO so I get his pain

“I think it's because I'm more attuned to liminal space; more adept at straddling multiple planes of existence.” okay yeah yeah, funny hippy say silly words but like. What if he is though lmfAO because how else is he getting all these future visions

Brainstorm's disaster warning machine just casually overheating, I'm sure it's fine

“I knew you'd find me.” ooouuUUOUOGOHFGfhd

love that Whirl using the power of spite is what gets Rodimus back on his feet

“This can't be how it ends. And you know why? Because the Lost Light is still out there- with the wrong captain at the helm.” that's fuckin RIGHT god this is still so validating to read lmAO like I said before for issue 12, the mutineers can't be the ones to finish the quest simply because Fuck That, me and Roddy are on the same wavelength

LOVE Rodimus just being like “sup fellas” when summoned by the guiding hand lmAO

Lost Light 17

aww Magnus just wanted his brother to be proud of him

Love Lug and Anode continuing to do crime in the afterlife

gfdsjka poor Drift immediately assuming he's gonna get divine punishment

love the parallel between Mortilus and Megatron here

“Because that's where everyone is happiest. My crew. My friends.” aaaaaaAAAWWWWUUGHUGHGFUHGSDJ RODDYYYYYYYY ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

aww, Cyclonus and Tailgate FINALLY having that talk thank god

oof, this Mederi facility is pulling out all the stops to get Brainstorm and Nautica to stop investigating, just reopening all those old wounds... or in Nautica's case, trying to

ghjdsfk I like Drift telling Ratchet he believes he can see the writing even if Drift himself can't and Ratchet being like “that's very sweet but also fuck off with that”

hilarious that Nightbeat dies immediately after figuring out the mystery behind Rung's alt mode and what he truly is because on the one hand, I'm glad he's finally happy, he's got the answer to one of the biggest mysteries under his belt but also get back here and tell me what you know and also maybe don't die about it

oof urgh ouch, having Nautica treat (a facsimile of) Skids like he's practically a stranger hurts, like yeah I get that it's how we start to see through the facade but. That's your man........

these dumbasses have just been stuck in this room this whole time

Lost Light 18

I fucking completely forgot about the Chromedome/Rewind/Dominus/Alternate Rewind polycule lmFAO poly rights and also wow we are just grinding the “Rewind cares more about Dominus than Chromedome, it has to be one or the other they can't coexist” take into fucking dust, thank god

love how often speedsters get thrown in this comic, just fuckin toss that guy like a fastball

Scavengers just having a vocal stim moment, welcome back fellas

“-And religion-wise I don't so much lack faith as actively hate god-” lol. Lmao even. He doesn't even know God is one of his only true friends, barely ten feet away from him

“Death or damnation, Ratchet- Are you sure it's worth it?” and he immediately breaks the shit lmAO I know the easy answer as to why he did is because he's stubborn and contrarian but I think it's more because he started to work out where exactly we were. Like sure on some level it was about disproving that this was the afterlife, but I don't think he did it in direct response to Drift in that moment as like a “fuck you,” he just wanted the truth

aww man Mederi latched onto Cyclonus's desires because he wanted to go to the afterlife to see Tailgate again more than anything... gOD........

okay, so there are multiple Mederis, like the one Velocity was working at, but THIS one is the very first one and the only one that's a euthanasia clinic, understood

damn we're just getting gut punch after gut punch, we're not dead so all our dead friends we met back up with are going to disappear, Axe and the rest of the Circle of Light got euthanized, this is where the matrix map lead us, to a straight up fake utopia, and the Knights of Cybertron are long dead, bam, quest over and you have nothing to show for it

oooOOHH CYCLONUS HONEY........ the blow is mildly softened because I know this Tailgate is real but for this one page oof oughfgdfj my poor man is in shambles

I like how we get to enjoy our small victory for all of ten seconds before sparkeaters start raining from the sky