#heh nothin personal kid

[possessionisamyth]

Holy shiiit yeah that would have been great !! re: having Leon and Ashley heal through each other but they decided that Ashley was to be a plot and gameplay convenience

You could argue that Leon did heal a bit after saving Ashley but like, it doesn't feel satisfactory on a grand level of things and while i love Ashley both OG and Remake, i strongly feel that her "importance" is just superficial. If this makes sense

Can I tell you something? Just between you and me and everyone online? Come closer.

The first time I saw someone drop a huge blurb about how Leon got to change the scenario post RE2 and save someone, I sat there in silence for a few seconds. Then I said, again out loud to myself and def recommend it to people without immediate access to a friend, that everyone still died. Just like RC, everyone still died. All those villagers? Gone. Krasuser? Gone. Luis? Gone. He and Ada helped each other out of prickly situations, but Leon only saved one person. (I know I said an an earlier ask "he saved Ada" from hanging from that rope, but we're gonna use verbs liberally and not literally okay? You know what I meant.) Ashley also just happens to be the person it was his job to save. As in he was on payroll for it. He was not getting paid in RC. They told his ass not to come.

No cut scene where he at least tries to wrestle the amber from Ada? No QTE where WE try to get the amber from Ada? How many more people is that gonna kill, sweetheart? You just gonna let her pretty ass walk away with the evil and replicable parasite with a polite "fuck you" and nothing else? He didn't even have to succeed at it! An attempt would've been good enough to show that he'd changed and their dynamic would be very different going forward.

Also, god, could you imagine a QTE where he tries and fails to snag the amber from Ada, and then Ada gives him the key to the jetski anyway?????? Like she gives him a petty smirk and tosses him the key before leaving? Please, Ada…please…JUST ONE CHANCE PLE-

So like congrats on doing your job, Leon. The terror from this venture and the knowledge that so many more will die due to you not taking a momentary side quest will haunt you forever into the future. By the way, the chances of you chilling with Ashley are almost null, but here's your paycheck and a few weeks off teehee.

[decorativecrab]

FRIENDS & MUTUALS: i made a new blog ages ago that got terminated but it's back now babey !! > @dendrogaster <

[spooky-donut-ghost-house]

"Your little friends dont scare me"

Cody Cody Cody

Are you sure about that? Cuz all I see is a little pussy whos too scared to come off anon

My brother in Christ stop harassing your betters and touch some grass

Also word of advice Cody: Stop acting like an edgy Deviantart Sonic The Hedgehog oc

you literally can’t even face me like a woman 😂 lol your little friends don’t scare me

aww poor baby girl has gotten weak 🥺 don’t worry I’ll go easy on you hunny

Heh, you should be grateful of my mercy lovie 🖤🖤

Okay one, I’m and not have I EVER identified with being a Cis Woman, I care out publicly in 2013, a post you were one of the first to comment on, so please refrain from being disrespectful to me before I expose the fuck out of you for the shit you’ve done.

Two, I never sent any of my friends to “attack” you, you’re just delusional in thinking anything you say hurts me.

I don’t know what I did recently to let this decade long anger that’s been festering within you explode, but please check yourself. Because if I remember correctly, you’re the one that cut contact after you moved , you’re the one that helped me create the blueprints of Erin back then, so I have no idea where this sudden hate for her came about from.

As a POC yourself, you should 100% be ashamed of yourself for those comments about Erin. We are both biracial. We BOTH have a black parent. Just because you’re fairer skinned doesn’t give you ANY right to think yourself better than anyone of darker skin. This will be my last time publicly answering anything of yours. Please direct yourself into spaces where you can get some help.

[vulpixisananimal]

(Siffrin. Loop. Mal Du Pays)

[A:0 C:8]

(Edit from the future: the above was added later. These early chapters had no plans, so things may change.)

"So about yesterday"

"I'm scared."

(It felt like pulling teeth trying to get those words out. You didn't want to, but you did. You need to be open with them, but you don't want to. But you do.)

"... I'm sorry."

(There's a pause. There's always a pause. Like you're still in a play. Why did you say that? Why didn't you say it sooner?)

(Were they mad? Freaked out?)

"Sif...?"

(You look up. Isabeau was holding out a hand. Oh, looking down you didn't Even realize you were gripping your cloak with a death grip. You pry a hand off it and take Isa's)

"Pleasedontbemad..."

"Mad? Sif! I'm prouda you!"

(Isabeau was beaming at you.)

"Last time you opened up to us it took nearly ending the world! This is a big improvement!!"

(... You're starting to giggle.)

(And cry.)

(Wuh oh.)

"!!" (Isa jumped to your side.) "Did I say something wrong???"

(You shook your head.)

"I think they're just a bit shaken up, right Sif?" (Mirabelle got up to your side as well. You nod, and take a breath.)

"You guys, don't think I'm crazy or anything?"

"There's someone I know in Bambouche like that, it's nothin' to be scared of." (Nille was giving you a comforting smile. You barely even knew each other and she was being so nice?) "What was it they called it?"

"A Dissociative Identity."

(You look up at Odile, she was smiling too. Did she know something?)

"With what you've been through, and how You've been acting, I thought to look into possible reasons myself. A dissociative identity is someone who, in essence, has multiple personalities in one body. Each with their own memories, self, etc."

(... That sounds like us.)

(It DOES sound like us.)

(You wipe your nose on your arm.)

"Eewww Siffrin!!" (Mirabelle made a face, you laugh, Isabeau hands you a tissue.)

"That.. that sounds about right." (It was you.)

"How long ago did this start?" (Asked Isa.)

(You hide your face in your cloak, expecting the reaction) "... About a month, month and a half ago."

"Siffrin!!!"

"Ah Gems.."

"around when we first met then?" (Asked Nille.) "I thought you were just Like That."

(You snort and laugh.)

(Your family was... Being so nice to you.)

(Nice to us.)

"Yeah it was around there. I think. First one showed up when we made it to Bambouche, second right before we left?"

"Sooooo when can we meet em?" (Isa said excitedly.)

"I bet we already have, big guy." (Nille replied.)

"Hah! Yeah I guess so! Who are they?"

(Well...)

"And, well, you know me. So that makes three."

"Ha!! Guess we get to talk to loop again after all!!" (Isa cheered.)

(. . .)

"Hmmm, Mal Du Pays. I do hope it's comfortable here." (Odile said thoughtfully)

(. . .)

". . . You really don't think I'm weird?"

"Nope!"

"Of course not!!"

"Nah, nothing weird at all."

"I don't think you could get weirder."

"M'dame!!!"

(You all laugh. They all really were fine with it then...)

(Nille leaned back in her chair.) "Ah Crabs, we shoulda gotten Bonnie in for this conversation."

(You wince.) "I could, explain it again to them. Or one of you could..."

(Nille was smiling cheekily at you. Why was she smiling?)

(Wait, she was looking behind you, so was Odile. You turn around.)

(Oh.)

"Heyfrin."

(Oh stars, please don't be mad.)

(Bonnie stormed over to you. They looked really angry, were they listening in the whole time? You were going to tell them too!)

(They looked you up and down, scowled at you.)

(And gave you a big hug.)

"Stupidface." (you could feel the tension leaving the room, even if you winced a little.) "I was worried about your crabbin face all day you big stupid face!"

"Language." (Nille chimed in.)

"YOU'RE language."

(Everyone laughed a bit. You take a breath. Oh Stars the kid wasn't actually angry.)

"Sorry, Bonnie, I was, hoping you'd be around for that talk."

"Heh, I heard every word, stupid." (Bonnie was looking up at you grinning.) "Big stupid."

"Takes one to know one Bonbon!" (Nille joked.) "And shouldn't you be in bed?"

"No way!! Someone's gotta make dinner around here!!"

"And that someone won't be you after that little tussle-"

(Ggrrrrowwewwllll)

"... Who's stomach was that."

"Not mine."

"Nor mine."

(Bonnie squinted at their sister) ".... Nille?"

"Doesn't change my point!" (She replied. Guilty.)

"HA!! I knew you'd be hungry!! C'mon let's go make some food!!!"

(Bonnie was dragging Nille out of the room now, probably to help make something for supper. You breathe in, and out.)

"... That went well." (Said Odile, getting up and walking over to you.) "Siffrin, if ever you want to learn more about this disorder, I'll help you look into it."

(You nod sheepishly, getting up as well.)

"We're here to support you Siffrin!" (Mirabelle was beaming at you like nothing had changed) "If something happens then you can always tell us, ok?"

"I'll try-"

"WAIT!!!" (Isabeau's expression dropped as he realized something). "Have, have I been making them super uncomfortable at all with our, y'know, our thing-"

"That's what you're worried about? Gems, Isa."

(You hide your face in your cloak.)

[leadshootingcupid]

It's a bit personal question and sorry if this is wierd but do you have any scars. I noticed you have one on your face, but do you have others? Maybe you have some on your back from constant backstabbing from Spy?

-🪐

Oh nah, no worries, that's all fine.

Heh, that face scar was the old Blu bastard's doin' in the first place, but yea, I got some mild lines on my back. Medic mentioned he 'n Truckie have it worse with those - sensical 'nough.

Biggest one I have for sure gotta be on my front though. Big "Y" shape across my whole torso, 'n then a long line beneath both my upper arms to go along with it. Big surgery.

Ol' Mick was dead for 12 hours, 'n the doc still fawns over that procedure. Uh, I don't 'n never did. But 's good for me bein' here now.

Other than that, the usual. Small thingies sprinkled in, 'm a war man 'n I was an assassin before that. Hands, arms, legs. An odd small one from messin' up blade practice on my finger.

Then I got another more noticeable scratch on my left knee from tree climbin' as a kid.

All in all: stories, 'n nothin' regrettable.

[switchydogboy]

SURPRISE!!

bet yall thought i was gone huh? well think again!!

im coming back with a fic trade with the amazing @lokust (go follow them NOW!)

i may be a bit rusty, but here goes nothin!

Miguel's Weakness (ATSV)

It was a peaceful evening in New York- Peter B. Parker's New York to be exact. All the spider-kids decided to come visit, just hanging out for the night. Miles, Gwen, Pav, and Hobie were all sitting at the kitchen table, while Peter was cooking, and Miguel was laying on the couch watching the news.

"Come on bro, everyone's got a weakness, something that makes them totally vulnerable, there's no way you don't have one!" Miles said to Hobie, as everyone was discussing their biggest weakness. "Nah bruv, ain' got no weaknesses, solo guy like me got nothin to be all weak about." Hobie replied. Miles was determining to get something from him, so he kept on. "Hobie come on, everyone has one, it's nothing to be embarrassed of! Pav has his auntie, Peter's got his baby, Gwen's got her dad, Captain Stacy, and I've got my parents, we all have something close that gets us, you've gotta have something!"

Hobie finally gave in. "Alright alright..mayyybe my band has a personal touch to me." Miles smiled. "See, there you go, your band!" He looked over to Miguel. "How about you, Miguel, what's your biggest weakness?" Miguel didn't look up from his phone. "No way bro, you aren't getting anything from me."

At this point, Peter started listening in, smirking. "Oh Miguel? He's super ticklish haha!" Miguel's eyes shot wide open, his face turning red. "I am not!!" he protested.

Gwen smirked. "Oh reaaally~? So the big bad Miguel O'Hara is ticklish~?" Miguel froze as all four stood up, smiling at him. "Big tough guy melts at a lil tickle, eh~?" Hobie added. They instantly surrounded him on the couch, and before he knew it, he was being held down by the four. Gwen and Hobie had his ankles, Pav and Miles holding his arms up. "He looks super nervous!! I bet his belly's super ticklish!" Pav said.

Before he could utter a protest, he was being attacked all over. Hobie and Gwen scribbling his feet, Gwen's freshly manicured nails doing the most damage, while Pav was poking and squeezing at his belly, and miles was digging into his underarms.

Miguel was practically screaming with laughter as he tried to pull his arms away, only for their grips to tighten. "Awww, wha's wrong, tough guy? Feelin' a bit ticklish~?" Hobie teased. "All that big, tough brooding, and he's brought to pieces by a little tickling!" Miles added. Pav circled his bellybutton, giggling at Miguel's squeals every time he got close. Gwen dug under his toes, sending him through the roof into silent laughter. "Uh ohhh, looks like i found the death spot!" she teased. Miguel turned as red as the blades on his arms.

The four swapped spots, as Gwen straddled Miguel's waist, blowing raspberries on his bellybutton, while simultaneously digging her nails into his underarms. Hobie began poking and prodding his sides, while Pav and miles scrubbed his feet with brushes. Miguel was screaming with laughter, tears pouring down his face, as he tried to break free, only to realize that Miles webbed his arms up while he wasn't paying attention.

Miguel was going crazy, until Peter finally finished dinner and saved him from his attack. "Okay okay guys, let him breathe heh, dinner's ready." They unwebbed Miguel, helping him to the table as they all sat down and began eating. "You..yohou guys know im gonna get you back, right?" Miguel said with a struggle. "Yeah, but we finally know your weakness, so its worth it!" said Miles.

THE END!

Tell me what you all think!

[wantonlywindswept]

the dinluke arranged marriage au i'm not gonna write

so this is a post season 2 story, where Din has just lost his baby and is a Sad Panda and doesn't really have much to do with himself but HEY look at that shiny lightsaber, it comes with some Free Real Estate and also a monarchy

so Mandalore gets retaken (details details, politics, blah blah) and Din ofc Does Not Want to be ruler, so he sets up a council. and Mandalore is. well Mandalore is Fucked, and while they have the manpower (clans coming back! Mandalor the Reunifer! give it to me) they don't have the resources to rebuild. 

blah blah blah, more politics, they realize they need to make alliances in exchange for goods and services, so they hit up the new republic. except Mandalore doesn't really have anything worth trading? maybe hyperspace lanes, patrols, future prospects, idk i failed economics in high school. but basically they got nothin.

but the senate (?? did they make another senate? it sounds like a bad idea so probably) is drooling to get their hands on Mandalore ('hey how about trading us beskar--' 'no and also fuck you') even if it might take a while to get a return on their investment. however. mandalorians are fucking SCARY. so how do you keep an entire people under your thumb?

you take their leader as a hostage, of course!

(no it's not a HOSTAGE, of course not, it's an alliance through marriage, and ofc the mandalor should stay on coruscant to protect mandalore's interests, right?)

however because mandalorians are fucking scary, they're also like. hey. hey who the fuck are we gonna get to control this guy. oh wait what about our Jedi, who is a confirmed badass and also the jedi have a history of fucking up mandalorians? yes excellent idea let's pat ourselves on the back and break for tea.

(also considered: mandalorian council standing in front of the senate or on holocall or whatever, obviously someone from that group will be chosen as the hostage/marriage prospect, so uhhh what about that quiet one in the back? or 'actually hey our guy specifically requested that one, hand him over.' cue eventual 'what do you mean you're the mandalor' shenanigans)

(also also, personally i think luke would Nope The Fuck Out re: the new republic giving him orders, but this is arranged marriage au and we all know how those gotta go)

anyway luke is all 'boooo dnw but i gotta do this for the Good Of The Galaxy or whatever', so he agrees, and hey look that's his new hubby. WAIT THAT'S HIS NEW HUBBY? MANDO! MANDO HI! HEY HI HOW'RE YOU DOING COME SEE YOUR KID!

so it goes surprisingly well, akshually. 

and then there are more politics and din probably being miserable on coruscant because it's coruscant, and eventually they go back to mandalore and the alliance becomes more equal and they erect (heh) a jedi temple bc mandalorians gonna be mandalorians like 'hey look at all those foundlings hanging around. be a shame if someone adopted all of them. what's that they're force sensitive? good news! we have plans for that. ours now.'

and they live happily ever after and adopt like ten kids and grogu's first word is 'fuck' the end

[tinkabelle24]

To Build a Home

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back (INTERLUDE)

A/N: I'd like to introduce yous to the newest member of our cast - Frank, Val's paramedic partner. His face/voice claim is Michael Rapaport. He actually plays an EMT in Netflix's "Atypical". It's a great show; you should check it out, if you haven't already. 😊

TW! Intrusive Thoughts, Sex as Coping Mechanism (mentioned), Self-harm.

Masterlist / Chapter 22

---

Val was grateful for the busy day; it provided much needed distraction from from the absolute shitshow that's been her twenty-fourth birthday.

It was just after 7 pm when she finally clocked off, two hours later than expected. If she and Raph had hit the road at the originally planned time, would they be living it up at the super top secret accommodation, right now?

Languidly collecting the remainder of her personal effects from her locker, the brunette's heart sank at the sudden, distressing notion:

I don't want to go...

"Hey," a familiar, Brooklyn-accented voice called gently, from behind. Forcing yet another smile upon her aching face, Val turned to acknowledge the silver-haired, smiling-eyed man.

"Hey, Frank."

When she and her paramedic partner were first introduced, Val damn near choked on her latte. He looked and sounded freakishly like the lovely older gentleman who defended her, that fateful night.

But, unlike with her and Raph, lightening didn't end up striking twice. This one's just as lovely, though.

"Ya did good, today," he complimented; petting her jacket-clad shoulder as he stepped toward his own locker.

The brunette tittered quietly, unable to withhold the heat that subsequently rushed for her cheeks... nor the tears she'd spent her entire twelve-hour shift barely staving off. She quickly averted her gaze.

"Thank God, heh..."

At least one of us thinks so...

Her partner hummed thoughtfully as he proceeded rummaging through his belongings. She could feel his concerned gaze burning into her cheek.

Please, don't ask. Please, please, please, don't ask....!

"Ya good, kid?"

Oh, yeah - fantastic . Just that one of my best friends, who's also my boyfriend's brother, hid a relationship-altering revelation from me. Now, everything's gone to shit and I've no fucking clue what to do...

But, what about you? What are you up to, this weekend?

"Nothin' a stiff drink can't fix," Val quipped weakly, eyes fixed on her purse as she carefully deposited all her detachable gear and valuables, bar her shell-cell, into it.

Glimpsing several texts and missed call notifications, she made a mental note to check them later, before tucking the hot pink Motorola into her pants' side pocket.

Frank chuckled wistfully, stirring a comforting warmth in Val's chest. "I'm 'bout to go home and do just that..."

Finally catching her gaze, the man offered his partner a knowing smile; giving her shoulder one final squeeze as he donned his backpack.

"Try to enjoy ya weekend, yeah? Catch'ya later."

---

“He did what?!”

Raph shifted his tingling backside in the Shellraiser's driver seat; nodding, like the woman he was venting to over the phone could see him. An affirmative hum promptly followed.

“Yep. He should consider himself very lucky it was Val who talked to him, and not me; I woulda rearranged his teeth..." An enervated sigh escaped him, as he dragged a hand down his face. "I'm so sick of this bullshit..."

Mol gave her own hum, before finally falling silent; seemingly mulling over those words. The terrapin anxiously thudded the back of his head against the headrest, waiting on a response.

“So, don’t take this the wrong way...”

Raph groaned inwardly. “We've told him already, Mol; so many freakin’ times, it ain't even funny-”

“What exactly have you been saying?"

The terrapin scoffed. “Just that everythin's fine and to mind his damn business...?”

There was nothing but compassion in his friend's tone, so he hadn't a clue as to why his shell was up, right now.

It's been a long, lousy-ass day...

All he wanted to do now was steal his girlfriend away, and spend the rest of the weekend making up for it.

“...That's it?”

“Whaddaya tryna get at, Mol?” He sighed.

“Well, I'm just curious as to why you decided not to tell Leo about this, but told me; who had the same concerns-"

"Yeah- cos you aren't in love with her."

The 'L' word twisted his stomach as it slid from his tongue. Once again, his mouth moved quicker than his brain.

"...I-I'm sorry, what-"

"Five months, Mol-"

Looks like we're revealing everything...

"I'd been suspectin' somethin' else was up, before then- I-I mean, I get bein' concerned about the... the bites, and everythin'. Truly, I do. I'd be concerned if ya weren't, honestly- I..."

Feeling his emotions getting the better of him, Raph proceeded with a deep, albeit shaky, inhale; holding onto it as long as his aching lungs would allow, before finally, semi-calmly continuing.

"I was prepared to tell him - I was gonna tell him. But then I saw them talkin', the mornin' after Halloween. He had her practically wedged between himself and the wall; face inches from hers - inches. If Val hadn't left, when she did, I've no doubt he'd have tried somethin'. That's-" He firmly thumped the centre console with his fist, to emphasise his point. "-when I realised it ain't just about the bites, for him..."

After an excruciating moment's silence, Mol finally spluttered: "W-wow- uhhh... o-okay-"

"-a-and I don't know where Val's head's at, right now-" Like vomit, the words just kept coming. His face was on fire at this point as he fought tooth and nail to maintain control. To top it off, he could feel himself tearing up. Clearly, he'd been holding onto these feelings much too long.

"She didn't say much, after I told her; just stared into nothin'. She didn't let me walk her out. She nevah answered my texts durin' break, like she usually does-"

"Alright, okay-"

"I-I can't help but feel- f-feelin' like I'm losin' her, a little, y'know-?"

"Raph-"

"Y-yeah?" Overloaded with adrenaline, the terrapin trembled like a Chihuahua.

"Take a breath, for me, alright?" Mol enjoined gently; Raph obliged. "...That's it. Okay... Listen, first of all: it's a Friday; you know how hectic Fridays can get, for her. Her reason for not responding could be as simple as her just being too busy, alright? Second, if she is in fact dodging, this is how she tends to cope with hard shit, initially. She just needs that space, to get her mind right-"

"I know..." Raph sniffled, thanking God for having the foresight not to reverse park in this alleyway. "I know-"

"Can I ask..." Mol began tentatively. "Do you trust her? I-I know it's an awkward question, coming from the best friend-"

"Of course I do..."

Five months, he's known, but kept it to himself. Five months of watching his oldest brother not-so-discreetly pine for his usually rather shrewd girlfriend, struggling to keep from assuming the worst.

After everything they've been through together, there's no-one he trusted more in this world than Val. But he'd be lying if he said he wasn't at least a little bit miffed at the lack of "Oh, shit. Somethin's not right, here" on her part.

"I'm just-"

"Scared?"

Raph chuckled weakly, almost recoiling at the word. "You could say that..."

"She loves you, Raph," Mol assured gently, further constricting the terrapin's chest. A tear finally broke free; he let it fall. "She's not going anywhere, I can assure you... Please, talk to her. Don't keep all this inside, anymore. It'll kill you, otherwise."

"Do we... s-should I still take her-"

"Yes, go - you both clearly need the time away. As for the other thing-"

Raph's gaze flickered to the glovebox, where his gift securely lay; inside the tiny, velvet drawstring bag.

"-that's completely up to you - it's your life."

He hummed quietly. At this point, his feelings hadn't changed and, unless shit goes belly-up with this talk, he fully intended on following through.

That said, his brother's little stunt pretty much guaranteed it wouldn't happen tonight, like he'd planned.

Thanks, asshole.

A light rapping on the front passenger seat window snapped Raph out of his reverie. Quickly wiping his cheeks dry, the terrapin proceeded leaning forward; finding Val timidly smiling and waving in his direction, outside.

"That her?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, I'll let you go, then. See you guys later - good luck."

"Thanks, Mol." With that, Raph ended the call; dropping his shell-cell inside one of the empty cupholders, before reaching over to unlock, then open, the door.

"Hey..." His girlfriend murmured.

"Hey..." He replied, in kind.

"Sorry I'm late." She tentatively climbed into the passenger seat, stealing a glance at the suitcases behind her as she set her purse at her boots. "Busy day..."

Raph hummed once again, shifting in his seat to properly face her. "Thought so..."

Cocking his neck to catch her initially avoidant gaze, he searched her face. Hers looked as bad as his felt: flushed, and swollen. Those big, brown eyes brimmed with unshed tears; her cheeks and nose appeared scrubbed raw.

Clearly, she'd been crying; and like him, she'd tried her darndest not to let it show.

"How're ya feelin'...?"

That was all it took for her to crumble.

"I'm s-sorry..."

---

Heavy was the air between the couple as they silently traversed the bustling city, into the much more tranquil hinterland.

The entire trip, Val sat as far away from her boyfriend as physically possible; practically hugging the passenger side door. She kept her eyes fixed outside; but if one were to ask what she could see, she'd draw a blank.

Her brain was much too busy torturing her with graphic visions of her found family, imploding.

The culprit: her.

After a several minute crawl up the moderately steep mountain, housing their remote Airbnb, the truck finally plateaued; allowing a relieved Raph to loosen his aching grip on the steering wheel.

As he began stretching out the digits, the terrapin chanced a glance over at his girlfriend, who hadn't graced him with her gaze in over an hour.

An almost inaudible sigh left his lips as their brief, yet incredibly emotional alley conversation flitted through his wearied mind.

For five solid minutes, Val was a mess; apologising, over and over, for missing the signs. For making him question her fidelity.

For the first time in months, he finally felt heard. She was finally seeing what he was seeing.

There was obviously more that needed to be discussed. Watching his girlfriend recoil from her words as she tearfully described her and Leo's confrontation, Raph figured it was safe to assume the revelation left a pretty hefty mark on her. One that had already permeated their family.

Thanks again, asshole.

"I hope you'll be able to enjoy at least a little bit of ya birthday weekend, heh..."

It was meant as a jest, but the weight in Raph's throat made it sound like he was about to cry. An alarmed Val turned, visibly relaxing upon realising.

"Of course I will," she reassured, reaching over to gently squeeze his thigh.

Once he'd shaken off the initial shock at her (unanticipated at this time, but very much welcome) touch, the terrapin took a hand from the wheel and set it atop hers; squeezing back.

A soft smile pulled at the woman's lips, as their eyes finally met. "Thank you."

Raph couldn't help but chuckle at the ridiculousness of that expression. "No need to thank me, babe." Stroking her thumb with his, he offered her his own smile. "Ya deserve it."

The momentary slip of Val's mien suggested she thought otherwise. She quickly changed the subject, turning her gaze outward.

"We're pretty far out..." She attempted a smirk, but the necessary muscles were fighting her. "Should I be worried?"

Raph snorted; hand briefly leaving hers, so he could safely make the incoming turn. As they were leveling out, he finally spotted the sign.

"We're here."

"Should I climb into the back, so you can have your way with me, first?"

He snorted, again.

Cracking jokes, to lighten the weight of a heavy situation? Very Val-esque.

"You're a weirdo."

After rolling down about a mile of windy, gravelled road, they finally reached their accommodation: a quaint little stone cottage, nestled amongst wildflowers and low hanging trees.

The tiniest glimpse of one of the top features could be seen just off the side of the building, inside the near 7-foot bamboo screen fence - the hot tub.

Mol's picture was beautiful, but it didn't even come close in comparison to the real thing. Ironically, it was like stepping into a fairytale.

Raph tentatively checked his girlfriend's face - it was priceless.

"Are you-" The woman immediately checked herself, when she found her nails digging into his scales. "Sorry- sorry... Raph, this is... t-this... Quick, stop the truck-"

Raph chuckled as he honed in on a suitable parking spot. Fresh tyre tracks (hopefully) indicated Casey and April's recent presence. "Alright, alright-"

"Quick, quick, quick-"

Val anxiously bounced in her seat, like a child who just caught Disneyland in their sights. It warmed his heart.

"Hold ya horses; just wait till we stop. It ain't goin' anywhere, I promise..."

The moment that handbrake went up, Val was out; drinking in the location, finally unobstructed by metal panelling and glass.

"How'd you find...?" Her voice sounded miles away.

"Mol did, actually," Raph admitted as he climbed out and shut his door. He left the truck running, so they weren't standing in pitch black darkness.

The brunette hummed unctuously at that. "You were in kahoots, were you?"

"Case and April helped, as well. They swept through here a few hours ago, checkin' for cameras and whathaveyou; and to make sure it was as isolated as what it said on the packet..."

Approaching his girlfriend from behind, the terrapin proceeded snaking his arms around her middle; lightly resting his chin on her shoulder.

"You like it?"

Val giggled softly, nodding. "It's beautiful..."

"Know what else is beautiful?" He murmured against her neck, eliciting another giggle from her.

"You're wasting no time-"

"Hey, you propositioned me first-"

"Yeah, cos I feared for my life-"

"Riiight..." Raph playfully tapped her ass as he pulled away. "Sooo, are we goin' inside; or do ya plan on stayin' out here, all weekend?"

---

Val turned for the last time; prompting a slumbering Raph to grumble and finally release her naked body, rolling toward his side of the King-sized bed.

The weight that promptly lifted from her heart as he did so - it hurt.

A shaky sigh left the woman as she proceeded pulling herself to the edge of the mattress. Eyes fluttering open, she finally, gingerly reached for the item she'd been ruminating over, since the lights went out - her shell-cell.

Despite her best efforts to immerse herself in what was supposed to be a romantic weekend getaway, Val's thoughts continued rotating back to this morning - to the fight.

With every re-entry, it lingered longer; further muddying her feelings on the matter, and about him, in general.

They terrified her.

The bed creaked slightly as the brunette shifted into a seated position; toes grazing the cool timber flooring. Across from her, flames danced inside the fireplace; gifting herself, and the entire suite, a warm, flickering glow.

Slipping on the nightshirt she'd initially laid out for after their shower, but never put on, Val proceeded quietly stepping out onto the terrace; phone in hand.

Her stomach flip-flopped as she scrolled through her texts; bypassing the several variations of [Hope you're OK]s, [I'm sorry]s, and [Happy birthday]s, till she finally found one from whom she was searching for.

The last text he sent was yesterday: an early birthday wish and a reminder not to let Maggie use his present as a scratching post.

Val tittered at that, then groaned as tears immediately followed. She furiously swiped them away.

Why couldn't shit just be simple?!

She hadn't realised she'd been holding her breath, till she found her index finger hovering over the 'call' button.

It felt wrong to even consider doing this, especially from here.

She's supposed to be in there, being spooned (and groped, a little) by her boyfriend. Instead, she's out here; moments away from calling the man who'd just confessed his love for her.

But she had so much left to say. Things she wished she'd said, instead of blowing up the way she did. Things that simply couldn't wait till Sunday, lest she ruin the weekend with her preoccupation.

This had to be put to bed, now.

---

Leo awoke with a start, to the sound of his shell-cell buzzing beneath him.

A groan escaped the leader as he begrudgingly hauled himself upright, in his hammock; glaring down groggily at the infernal device.

I was enjoying that dream... The one in which he was living the life he'd never have.

All frustration promptly turned to anxiety, the moment he realised who was attempting to reach him.

"Wha...?" Finally scooping it up, Leo proceeded staring at her name on his screen; struggling to determine whether he was still, in fact, dreaming.

He quickly checked the time - 2:37am.

Aren't you at the cabin?

What are you doing calling me, at 2am?

Moreover, why are you calling me? I thought we were done...

Several seconds pass; the phone was still buzzing but, for the life of him, Leo couldn't bring himself to pick up. He was frozen stiff; heart racing, thoughts somehow quicker as he agonised over her intentions.

Though he knew it'd never happen, her reciprocation was (naively) still at the tippy top of his list.

By the time he finally decided: fuck it, it was too late. Her name vanished, right as his thumb pressed down on the receive button.

Shit!

Panic struck through Leo and he hit 'call' immediately, mentally slapping himself for somehow missing something right in front of him. Hopefully she's still open to talk...

The first 'Line busy', he understood. The second, after a minute: "Okay...?". The third, after another two minutes, he finally realised:

She was leaving him a message.

["Hey..."]

Leo's heart fluttered at her voice; then fell, once he noticed how heavy it sounded - she'd been crying.

Your fault.

["I really shouldn't be doin' this. But, I... I don't think I'll be able to sleep, if I keep- continue keepin' this to myself..."]

Suddenly, everything was hot.

Leo continued listening; fighting to keep his now screaming heart from drowning out her words.

["I f-feel... betrayed, by you..."]

Just like that, everything fell cold.

["I-I thought we were at a place where we could tell each other anything-"]

Leo hit 'call' again, faster than the speed of freaking light.

"C'mon, Val. Please..."

"...H-hey-"

Thank fuck-

"I'm sorry..." he blurted, before he could combust. "I'm sorry for not telling you. I'm sorry I didn't listen, when you said you were fine. I'm sorry for interfering in your relationship. I'm sorry for betraying your trust. I-I just..."

The terrapin's voice broke as tears seared his eyes. He hadn't felt this level of fear, since...

"...I was s-scared, Val-"

"I know..." she replied quietly, sniffling. "...and I'm sorry for not giving you the whole story; it would've cleared up at least that part of the issue... But, Leo... I-I don't know how I'm gonna process the other part-"

Leo began shaking his head. "I know it's never gonna go that way, between us," he insisted, almost desperately. "I know it and will respect it. You mean way too much to me to jeopardize what we already have-"

"That's the thing, Leo - y-you have..."

She might as well have ripped out his heart with her bare hands, then stomped on it.

"...P-please, don't say that-"

"I don't know exactly why I didn't see it. Maybe I didn't want to see it, out of fear of... of losing you; of losing this family... But I can't ignore it, anymore. I need to put him first..."

"O-of course - I understand. But, Val-"

"I won't be visiting the Lair, for a while-"

Leo couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You don't have to do that-"

"I-I know you can't control how you feel about me, but I need to put some distance between us-"

"This is your home, Val-"

"It's yours, first," she countered gently. "I have two homes - I'll be fine..."

The tears were well and truly flowing now. His heart was breaking, all over again. "V-Val, please-"

"I'm so sor..." It was clear she was in the same boat. "I'm sorry- I-I've gotta go..."

Click.

---

The rest of the night was rough.

Val spent most of it right where she ended the call: outside, in the dark; freezing her ass off (in literally nothing but a shirt), quietly crying herself to exhaustion.

Her heart was broken. Out of all the break-ups she's experienced - romantic or no - this one, by far, hurt the most. It felt like she'd just lost a part of herself; a part that'll never be the same when, or if, they reconcile.

Everything's changing...

Dawn was just beginning to creep in when Val finally dragged herself back inside. Raph was (thankfully) still dead to the world; bear-hugging her pillow, as he always did, whenever she wasn't around. Normally, this scene would have given her the warm and fuzzies.

This time, it only made her feel more like shit.

Her boyfriend's arm was around her the moment she crawled into bed; tugging her firmly against himself. He mumbled something unintelligible as he nuzzled into her neck, before seemingly slipping back into a deeper sleep; maundering fingers fondling the jersey cotton over her very perky and very sensitive nipple.

She just laid there, stiff and awkward; unable to bring herself to reciprocate the affection.

Words couldn't express how repugnant she felt: being hung up on a man, who was not her partner. Why the hell was she letting this guy occupy so much space in her mind?

Was she simply dealing with the loss of an important friendship, or could there be something she's been too afraid to consider-

SHUDDUP-!

She abruptly heel-palmed her temple, hard; wincing at both the pain now radiating through her skull, and the startling fact that she'd just struck herself; the first time in a long time.

She was ashamed to acknowledge this occurred often, growing up; whenever her thoughts stepped into deleterious territory, or to punish herself for her (perceived) shortcomings. It's a habit she'd unfortunately picked up from her mother, who regularly marked her wrists in an effort to 'relieve' herself of the seemingly unremitting war inside her mind.

Though she'd never gone that far (and never, ever will), Val conceded that her own methods (shattering her fingers on a brick wall, for example) weren't that great either, in comparison.

"Val...?"

The woman flinched at her boyfriend's voice, offending hand returning to her side with lightening speed. A sniffle escaped her, and she froze. The tears had not long ceased; one more syllable from him and she'd crumble... again.

"H-hey, baby..."

The mattress gave slightly as he shifted over her, hand finally leaving her chest to soothingly caress her stomach. His voice was hoarse from sleep; a decibel higher than a whisper, and brimming with concern:

"You okay...?"

...Nope.

One tear suddenly became two; then three, then four... Next thing she knew, she was howling into her pillow.

All these feelings and zero time nor space to process them healthily. They shouldn't have come; she was ruining this getaway with her bullshit.

"Hey, hey-" Taking her shoulder, Raph gently rolled his girlfriend toward him.

"No-"

He caught her hands as they darted for her face, securing them against his plastron. She kept her eyes squeezed shut; face turned away from him, pressed into her now damp pillow.

"Look at me, baby-" He beseeched; stroking her wet, hot cheek with his free hand, whilst squeezing hers with the other. His heart ached to see her in pain, knowing he had a hand in it.

If only he'd told her sooner, or kept his trap shut until after this weekend...

"Look at me, please..."

Eventually, she relented; allowing her body to fall limp in his grasp. Her half-lidded gaze stared behind him, off into the darkness. "I'm s-sorry-"

Her boyfriend gently shushed her, continuing to wipe away her tears.

"Don't be sorry. It's okay-"

"It's not-"

"It is-"

"You've done all this stuff for me and I've f-fucked it-"

"Hey- no, listen." His tone was sharp, resolute. Though she wasn't looking directly at him, the frequency of which her eyes flickered to the ear closest to him confirmed she was listening. "You've nothin' to apologise for, alright? I shouldn't have dropped all this on ya, yesterday. I lost my temper. I'm sorry..."

A brief silence befell the couple - in which Raph's hand finally left Val's cheek, to frame her jaw - before she finally murmured: "This isn't on you, babe..."

That's when he noticed the bags under her eyes; heart sinking even further. "Have ya slept?"

She only offered a despondent hum.

He couldn't help the sigh that followed. "Babe..."

Her eyes promptly disappeared beneath her lashes as she lowered her gaze.

Raph sighed again. He could feel the frustration building in his stomach - at her, at himself. He should've known she still wasn't okay last night. In hindsight, she'd 'recovered' too quickly.

She'd been much too eager to reciprocate, when he began feeling her up in the shower. Much too eager to escalate things, and much too eager for him to finish inside; a thing they've been (tentatively) exploring for some time, on her 'safe' days.

Desperate to put the Leo debacle behind them, they'd inadvertently taken advantage of each other.

He felt sick.

"Get some sleep; we'll talk later, when you're feelin' better."

---

---

Masterlist / Chapter 24

@android-cap-007 @happymoonangel @miss-andromeda @raphaelismybae @jasminarts01

[yayforocs]

CD #2

Whirrrrrrrrrrrrr…

“So… today was… Today was fun! Mostly. Right to the end, anyway.” A throat clears, and the voice continues. “So apparently these are supposed to be daily missions we get sent on, so I guess I’m gonna be making a lot of these? I hope this can hold all of ‘em. Might have to grab my recorder from home or somethin’. But uh. Yeah. So, we did our first mission today! It went pretty well, ‘t least I think it did. Voltage might not agree with me, heh. But we had to go to a…. what’dshecallit a uh… ffffantasy world! That’s it, fantasy. ‘N we had to get this apple pie recipe from a bakery that’d been overrun by goblens for a tiny wizzard guy that wanted to taste the pie he’d had as a kid. So he gave us a map, thought we were part of the local adventurer’s guild or- I’m assuming local, at least- an’ sent us on our way. Fought a real weird bug-lookin’ creature on the way there, an’ I landed the killing blow!”

There’s a short pause, as if the speaker was taken aback.

“Final blow. I landed the final blow. Hm.”

Another short pause, but it’s shorter than the first.

“Anyways, we got over to this town, an’- oh yeah! Right, yeah, everything looked real like… Colorful? But like really colorful. Like someone took a regular place an’ just made the colors like… even moreso. More intense maybe? An’- an’ we had to use the necklaces to get there! So all the ponds an’ such outside, we gotta stand next to a certain one, open the wings on the necklace, twist it clockwise three times, an’ then jump in the water an’ it just takes us there, just like that! ‘Course, you gotta close the wings once you get there, an’ then do the same thing but counter-clockwise when you wanna go back, but get this: you don’t get wet! At all! Which was a big relief to me, y’know, ‘cause of my gunpowder an’ explosives an’ stuff. Don’t want any o’ that gettin’ wet.”

“But right, yeah, we got over to the town an’ found the bakery an’ snuck in, an’ there was this tree with a face right by the front door but it didn’t do anything to us, so we got in and started lookin’ around, found a safe with money in it, found a lotta empty pie boxes, and a whole lotta nothin’. At least, ‘til-”

The speaker cuts off for a second.

“Uh.”

“The.”

There’s a short hum, and a shifting noise.

“She’s uh. It’s the masked lady with the four arms. Her. Codenames person. She found a little trapped drawer that had half the recipe in it, an’ also a poison dart that she got hit with once she opened it. It was a real neat little trap, I was able to pick it apart an’ see how it worked! Didn’t find anything else in there, though. But there was this big ol’ kitchen right next to the main room area, an’ it had a buncha rolling pins an’ ovens an’ knives an’ stuff all movin’ on their own! Poked around there some, didn’t see anything, but there was a door upstairs that was like a trap door, an’ uh… I really need to- Mask. Mask an’ I went up there to listen in, while Voltage was keepin’ an eye out for a patrol of goblens he’d seen outside, an’ then one of ‘em came in through another door! Had himself a bucket of apples an’ just started tossin’ em around the kitchen, makin’ applesauce or somethin’, an’ we could hear a whole bunch more goblens upstairs too, but we were kinda trapped on the stairs for a bit. Managed to get down an’ talk to the lone one, an’ of course he yelled, which tipped off the upstairs ones, but then we got somethin’ worked out where they’d let us go find the recipe if we taught them how to make apple pie!”

“Which turned into Voltage teaching them how to make apple pie while Mask an’ I found the recipe upstairs, since he already knew how to make at least some kind’a apple pie, and… well… heh, it seemed like he was having a real fun time.” There’s a snicker. “Poor guy, I think they could hardly understand what he was tryin’ t’ tell ‘em. But it worked eventually, an’ they made their pie, an’ they were happy, an’ the wizzard was happy, an’ we got back alright. Shontil came down t’ meet us an’ ask how things went, and uh… well, I found out that even though we can go back to our own world wherever, or- whenever, I guess, we still age while we’re here.”

“So… I… I don’t really know what to think about that. I mean, it makes sense, time passes here just the same as it does back home, but… I dunno, I feel like everyone back home’s missing out on something. Maybe I should go back every night so they still get to see me- like. Grow, I guess. But if I go back every night then I’m missin’ stuff here, too. I don’t really wanna be the only one outta the team that doesn’t stay, an’ besides, we’re like. We’re… we’re here, so… I don’t wanna just… ignore the room. It’s meant to be used, so I should use it, right?”

A sigh.

“I dunno. Maybe I just need to think about it some more. One more day could- wouldn’t hurt anything, an’… I can probably wander around and talk to some people an’… an’ get some thoughts from others, too. Or if not, maybe I can find Shontil an’ ask her what most people do. Somethin’. Oh- right, yeah, maybe I can hop over to uh… what’shername- Requiem’s room? But she was outside it so maybe it wasn’t hers actually. Or maybe I’ll just ask her whenever she gives us the clothes, I could do that. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, ok, I can wander around a bit, maybe find someone else or Shontil, an’ if not, then I’ll just ask when we get the clothes, because Requiem said she’d get us some new clothes because she does that for everyone I guess? Yeah.”

“Yeah.”

“Anyways, that’s all for today, I think.”

The whirring slows, and then stops.

[sentofight]

' honour and glory is just the dream they sell you, isn't it? a beautiful paradisiac illusion, in which people love you, hail your name and your deeds. my father was a fighter, too. murderer, more accurately. you can only carry that burden, and decide what to do now that you're aware of what your actions mean. ' ( aaaand Zack, context whomst? )

Buster sword rest against his forehead, in his usual manner, the FIRST class mutters his now personal mantra after a successful mission. Mako infused eyes opens and darts towards his mission partner--a new one, a new Turk agent. A smile curls his lips after seeing how she just mowed down the enemies with ease.

"Wow, you got a way with these weapons of yours, eh?" the FIRST class twirled his sword and placed it on his back, amazed by the new turk agent he got assigned a mission with. She is fierce. He thought Tseng was the hard core one, looks like this new agent is the no-mercy type. Not his type of partners but hey, it's not like he can choose them--he wishes.

"Huh?" he crossed his arms, head tilted to the side with a confused look. "O-oh ... sorry for what happened to your father, but I am not him." he shook his head and of course, whatever 'strife' comes his way, there is always a smile to fight it back. "There is nothin' wrong with having a dream! Actually, mine is to be come a hero! It's not something just brainwashed it in me. I know I want to be one not because someone sold it to me. I mean, I did see how cool SOLDIERS were when I was a kid but being cool is not just the thing that made me chose this path--I know I can MAKE a change, ya' know."

Nodding sagely, he walks in a circle and continues, "Your father chose his own path--whatever that path was, I chose mine, too. So, you did. It's about how we can face the choices we made, right? I'd like to think I'm pretty good with handling whatever comes my way. All I have to do is swing my sword and help people, right?" he flashed a smile at her. "I don't need ... a deep reason to help others, and besides, if my actions can get someone to change and pursue something they want then I'd say that's a win in my book, heh."

Hands rest over his waist, Zack took a moment, breathing in before turning back to his partner. "I get that we don't always have answers--heck, we can't even understand some situations we are thrown in, but I know we can work out anything if we just kept moving forward. Taking a break is dandy and all but stoppin'; surrenderin' is not an option in our line of work, right miss Turk?"

i asked for an ask! thank you~ | @furiaei

[possessionisamyth]

They turned Ashley into an "overly supportive girlfriend" archetype for some reason. Don't get me wrong, she's super adorable and cute but i feel like there's just some spunk and spark that's missing there :/

I know I saw a comment on my ashley defense post that was like "in the og if she was constantly screaming than you were bad at the game", and yeah. Yeah. If she was annoying cause she was constantly yelling for help, why did you put her in a position where her AI would keep needing to do that? She wasn't annoying. Especially when there were places you could hide her.

The commentary of hating her and thinking she was annoying because of this scenario fueled at least half of the writing decisions I'd say. They flattened her out. But I also saw some of those same ppl in passing complain about how they made her boobs smaller in the remake, so I kinda wish those opinions had been taken with a grain of salt.

I think it would've been more interesting if they doubled down on her spoiled personality from the start of the game. Like, made her insufferable to the average non-rich person. I'm talking Princess from Powerpuff Girls style where it's like "My daddy would-!!!" blah blah and all that other bullshit. Then we could get to the knife scene where she runs away from Leon, and when he finds her they have that heart to heart. Let having someone that cares about her, and not being shitty about her money or status, be what brings her down to earth.

Would've been a great way to let the duo find healing in each other, Leon with finally getting to save someone and Ashley unlearning some selfishness with learning she can help and save herself (the playing as her scene). The original was too busy relying on basic tropes for everyone to delve that deep, but the remake could've done it for her had they doubled down on her behavior to add nuance instead of walking it back for likability.

[realwizardshit]

HEH.... nothin' personal, kid.... *attempts a badass counterattack* *gets smacked onto my ass* *cries a little*

[naishaline]

*teleports behind you*

"heh, nothin personal kid"

when you’re being silly and your even sillier side comes out

pics by dan

shop link

[zipmode]

fun fact uhhh if your blog is completely blank and your bio is just a self depreciating joke i will block you! don’t like that kind of energy lol

[aliwept]

THAT FUCKING DUAL PROMO FOR MINA AND DENKI AHHHHHHH

who r u

[drunkelreporter]

"Huh. Now isn't that interestin'." Roberto would bet money, and all the cigarettes in his jacket pocket to boot, that if Meryl ends up with her own newbie it'll be this other girl. He can see the similarities clear enough to make some pretty educated guesses about the overall parallels between their worlds. Maybe there was someone named Roberto who taught this Wolfood's Meryl but he'd kicked it too early to be part of their story. Just another background player.

Is that what he'd be, he wonders? Just another person in the backdrop of Vash the Stampede's story, only remembered for the fleeting influence he might have had on Meryl? Those thoughts are too somber for a sober mind.

"Heh, now you're speakin' my language, kid. I'm far too sober for thinking about the differences between your world and mine, and all the ways it sounds the same anyway. Nothin' like a good drink to make it all not matter anyway."

Yeah, he never met a guy named Roberto back in his world. He doesn't seem all that bad though, not too unlike most of the jaded older men he's run into in his life. There's a lot of them on that planet, because most people there were jaded to some degree. This guy seems to have some sense, though. Looks like Vash rubbed off on him, too. That guy, no matter the world, grows on people that give him a chance like a fucking weed.

"Back home, shortie's got a big girl with a stun gun following her around instead," Wolfwood explains casually. "Yer Meryl didn't know what I was talkin' about when I brought it up."

Plus, the Meryl Stryfe on his own world was a lot more experienced than the one from the other. Just not... a reporter. An insurance girl. Well, apparently a newscaster sometime after the twins' fight, according to Vash. They both had the same fiery attitude, though. Her and that Milly girl definitely made quite a pair.

"I know I heard you had a drinkin' problem already, but," he pauses to take a drag of his cigarette, "How's about I getcha a drink, gramps? There's a good bar a few blocks down. S'cheap, but good quality."