#him. i feel like the creeper could be used as like. another side to him hes discovering that he didnt know was there and accepting

[surrender-souls]

thinking about my left behind 60s villain to the creeper proteus

[rafeandonlyrafe]

distant calls

words: 700

warnings: 18+ only!, smut, male masturbation, mentions of p in v sex, like one use of kid, protective!rafe, one mention of violence, kinda creeper!rafe i guess??, dubcon possibly?? not really but just in case!

“hey princess.” rafe smiles when he hears immediately how excited you are.

“hi rafey!” you squeal into the phone, wishing you weren't separated by the distance, forced to talk on the phone instead of in person.

“how was your day pretty girl? what did you do?” rafe asks.

your cheeks blush red at the nickname, never getting used to it no matter how many times he uses it on you. 

“well, it was a port day!” you start to describe your cruise. you really did try to have fun with your parents, but part of you longed to have rafe around, to be back in the obx where he could look after you.

you tell rafe all about the city you stopped in, where you went to shop and a cave exploring excursion that you ended up sitting out to wait on the beach until your parents got back.

you kick your feet up and down, back and forth as you recount everything to rafe. he stays mostly quiet, only letting out a few grunts and light sighs that you suppose is his affirmation that he's listening.

you feel so lucky to have captured rafes interest. you're not dating, haven't done anything at all yet beyond rafe holding your hand when you cross the street, but you're enamored with him. rafe is just as infatuated with you, but he would be damned if he told you, preferring to just keep you smiling and beat up any guys who look at you even a second too long at parties.

“and then we got back on the ship.” you twirl a finger absentmindedly over the blanket as you lay on your stomach on the bed. 

“did you eat baby?” rafe asks, his voice sounding strained.

“yes, of course.” you nod quickly despite rafe not being able to see you. “we went to the buffet and i got a chicken salad and then i even got dessert!” your exclaim, proud of yourself. “i got vanilla ice cream with sprinkles.”

“that's good, kid.” rafe let's out another sigh that has you pressing your ear into the phone, listening intensely to hear a weird somewhat wet sound that you can't place.

“keep-” rafe gasps out. “keep talking baby. tell me about-” he has to pause again as he grunts. “tell me about tomorrow.”

you instantly lose your suspicion as you let out another squeal. “rafey, you will never believe it!” you explain how you're going snorkeling in an area where people commonly see dolphins and you're really hoping you see them on the boat ride out to the reef.

you giggle with excitement, not realizing what your sounds are doing to rafe.

many hours away, back in the outer banks, rafe is laying on his bed, back propped up against the pillows, one hand holding his phone close to his ear while his other furiously strokes his cock.

it wasn't his intention when you first got on the phone, but hearing your sweet little voice had him pulling his cock out of his shorts.

“oh wow.” rafe says, tacking on a moan at the end that he hopes is disguised by his words.

rafe knows he's going to break the second you get back from your cruise. he's going to pick you up himself and bring you to the closest bed, even if it's a shitty motel. he's not even confident he'll make it that far without needing to take you. maybe the side of the highway will do.

you continue talking away about the itinerary, not a clue in the world that rafe is so close to ending the game you've been playing, the teasing about to come to a wicked end.

“are you in your pajamas?” rafe asks, interrupting you. but he doesn't care. he needs to know more.

“yup.” you say, popping your p’s. “been in my room for like half an hour now. it's so warm even with the ac blasting i'm wearing just a t-shirt.”

it's all rafe needs, the image of you splayed out on the bed with just a t-shirt on, pushed up to reveal your bare cunt and perfect tits. rafe doesn't hold back his sounds as much as he knows he should, grunting as he cums with a final stroke, releasing all over his abs.

“you okay rafey?” you question.

“im perfect, dollface.” rafe says, sighing as he lets go off his softening cock. 

“wanna switch to facetime?” you pout. “i miss looking at you.”

rafe switches without second thought, loving to see the way your eyes widen when you realize he's in bed shirtless, eyes squinting at the sticky white substance dotting his lower half.

taglist: @drewstarkeyslut @forstarkey @f4ll-for-you @dilvcv @drudyslut @jjmaybankswifes-blog @rafescokenostril @jjsmarijuana @seeingstarks @angelofcigs @cece45450 @babygorewhore @vanessa-rafesgirl @michelleisheres-blog @outerbankspov @drewstarkeyswifehoe @cutielando @sourkittie @rafeyslove @rafeinterlude @bellbottombaby @deeaardiary @rubixgsworld @wearemadeofstardust0 @leighbronk @starkeysheart @pradabambie @tobesolovelysstuff @alexiskirkland @rafestar @brioffthegrid @juniebugg @magicalyoura @cokepewpsii @mysticallystilinski @luvdella @aerangi @vogueprincess @auryyz @raysmayhem-72 @thestarlithideout @marvelfanfics1recs @rafesgiirl @dityaadama @chiaraanatra @tobiaslut @drewsephrry @1aarii1

[linkito]

Doc in particular being on Scar's side post-rescue gives me warm fuzzies. Because arguably he did see Scar at his worst and had to hold hold him back, he could have been the strongest voice for Scar coming back "wrong". And sure he saw the trap on Grian's wings but he never saw the hunters themselves so he never saw WHY Scar fought so hard.

This thought lead to another thought of oh, oh Impulse and maybe Pearl are really the only ones who saw both, aren't they? Pearl got a little experience with the hunters and then was evac'ed to where Scar was being feral (tho she may not have been focused on that). Impulse got the opposite, got to see Scar like that and then got to see the hunters and why Scar might be like that.

Gem saw the hunters and sure saw Scar fight, but didn't see Scar on the ship by himself. Cub got Scar out early so didn't see the whole fight. Doc and X never left the ship so they didn't see any of the fight.

Also Mama Cleo, we love her. And I mean, not to dig too deep into them, but depending on if you think people are born zombie hybrids or get turned.... Cleo that got turned? Seeing Scar changed by a world into something he wasn't before? Neither of them feeling like that change is something needing to be fixed? 👀

-🎀

I'm a big advocate for friendship between Doc and Scar, in general and especially in hhau. It's so obvious he has a soft spot for Scar. It's hilarious to watch how often he dashes over to hang out with Scar on stream hehe

And yeah! He saw Scar at his worst, without the context of the battle, but it doesn't change how he sees Scar. Doc is the scary one, obviously. Of course. Duh.

And gosh YEAH that's such a great point about Cleo. I might steal that and make it canon, the idea of it being something they were turned into from a human instead of something she was born as.

Becoming what is deemed as a monster, but owning it, embracing it. No longer wishing to be what she used to be. This is who they are!

Something about this creeper-goat-cyborg and a zombie being some of Scar's closest allies during all of this. Reminding the hermits that "monsters" aren't always what they seem.

[mack-writersblock]

Fall In Love || L. Alvez

Summary: They met once, it was a one night stand. Yet when they meet again, they fall in love. Until fem!reader is hit in the head and loses her memories, Luke realizes that she'll fall in love with him over and over again.

cw: no use of Y/N, drinking, creepy men, predetermined last name (Sinclair), not direct smut but slight description, non canon team (Aaron is still the BAU chief) pet names, Emily admits she had a crush on reader, reader talks about her relationship she had with Elle but only a little bit, reader gets scared at the hospital and has a panic attack, bad depiction of retrograde amnesia, reader is pregnant and no one knew but her, barely edited.

Word count: 2722

This is very much inspired by Jorge Rivera-Herrans' song Would You Fall in Love with Me Again.

₊˚⊹⁠♡————— ⁠♡ —————♡⊹⁠˚₊

You sat there at the bar, a drink in hand. You had failed at getting the unsub, him having killed the girl and himself before you and your team had gotten there. They had all returned to the hotel after dinner but you needed to be somewhere you wouldn't be alone with your thoughts, so you ended up at the bar across the street from your hotel.

"Rough day?" A smooth voice questioned from next to you.

"Hm, could say so," you responded, not wanting to talk to him. He seemed to get the hint but stayed in the seat next to you. You thought about telling him to leave until another man approached you from the other side.

"What's a pretty lady like you doing all alone?" The man had breath that smelled like rotting flesh and beer, you had turned to face him and immediately regretted it.

"Drinking," you replied shortly.

"Well, can I buy you one?" He got closer and you leaned back, unknowingly alerting the man behind you.

"I'm good, thanks though," you told him, returning to the bar.

"Come on, don't be a prude," he grabbed your arm and before you could react the man from earlier had interrupted.

"The lady said she's good, leave her alone," he stood up, facing the creeper down.

"What are you going to do about it?" He challenged the man who was standing protectively beside you.

"I'm an ex-army ranger and now an agent of the FBI's Fugitive Task Force," he flashed his badge and you took a peak at it, it was legit. "Your question should be, what am I not going to do?" Luke, as you have learned from his badge, stared him down until he left.

"Thank you, Luke," you thanked him, turning to fully face him.

"You're welcome," he flashed you a smile and your heart jumped. "Do I get to learn your name?" You reached into the pocket of your jacket and pulled out your badge, placing it on the counter in front of him. "Behavioral analysis unit? Nice," he handed your badge back to you.

"So what's Alvez of the fugitive task force doing here?" you questioned him, putting your badge back into your pocket.

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours, Sinclair," Luke offered and you heard the hidden meaning behind it.

₊˚‧ ︵‿ ꒰ ⏝ ୨ ♡ ୧ ⏝ ꒱ ‿︵ ‧˚₊

You woke up to Luke beside you, you remembered last night. The feel of his hands on your waist and his dog tags gently grazing the skin of your chest. The pressure of his body on yours while you whimpered his name.

"Morning," Luke greeted you as he woke up. You smiled at him as he got up.

"Morning," you sat up and checked the time, sighing realizing you had to be at breakfast in half an hour to meet your team. You watched Luke grab his clothes and put them on. "Bye, Luke!" You called after him.

"Bye!" He called back as he left and you realized 10 minutes later that you never got his number, making you groan.

₊˚‧ ︵‿ ꒰ ⏝ ୨ ♡ ୧ ⏝ ꒱ ‿︵ ‧˚₊

"Have a good night?" Emily teased, her eyes darting to the hickey you made no effort to cover.

"A great one," you told her, sitting down across from Spencer.

"Looks like it," JJ told you, making you look up at her with a smirk.

"You should have seen him," you started, weighing the options of telling your team this. "Fugitive task force agent too, agent Luke Alvez," you shrugged, eyes darting around your team as they all looked shocked.

"Only you could manage to bag a fugitive task force agent, Sinclair," Derek told you, making you laugh at him and his words. Completely unaware of the group several feet away from you. Luke Alvez being a part of the group, his heart skipped a beat when he realized you liked him just as much as he liked you. It wasn't until he was on the plane back home that he went to text you and realized you two never exchanged numbers.

₊˚‧ ︵‿ ꒰ ⏝ ୨ ♡ ୧ ⏝ ꒱ ‿︵ ‧˚₊

"Welcome to the team," you heard Aaron tell someone as you walked up to the round table with JJ next to you.

"Thanks for hiring me," you heard the voice that played in your fantasy for the past 4 years. You paused outside the door, JJ looking over at you.

"You ok?" She asked and you nodded, mumbling an excuse she didn't buy.

"This is Luke Alvez, he's been helping us with the escaped serial killers and is now a part of the team," Aaron did his no-nonsense introductions and your heart skipped a beat when you made eye contact with him.

"Welcome," you were the first to greet him, holding your hand out to shake his hand. You saw the flash of recognition in his eyes as he shook your hand. The introductions were alike, it seemed no one remembered him until you made eye contact with Spencer.

₊˚‧ ︵‿ ꒰ ⏝ ୨ ♡ ୧ ⏝ ꒱ ‿︵ ‧˚₊

"And that marks the end of that," you dramatically dropped the file on your desk after you closed it.

"How are you already done? Was I given more than you?" Luke questioned and you looked over at him with a smile.

"Probably, I've filled a lot of the paperwork before," you shrugged and looked around at the shocked faces of those around you. "Don't look so shocked, are we all just conveniently forgetting my short-lived relationship with Elle?"

"Elle?" Emily asked before Luke could.

"Greenaway, she was an agent before you, Emily. She shot a rapist and left because no one but me had her back on it. We lasted a little bit after that but she didn't want my job on the line because of what she did," you shrugged.

"I remember it and it was not short-lived," Spencer spoke up and you looked over at him.

"It was 4 months, what do you consider short-lived?" You countered, and he shook his head.

"Wasn't it 7 months?" He questioned.

"No, I liked her for 3 months before we dated," you told him, handing the paperwork over the Aaron as he walked up to the group. "You're smart but you need to get your facts right," you mused, laughing at his face.

"You're telling me I had a chance?" Emily was outraged and you whipped your head over to her.

"Pardon?" You questioned just as loud as her.

"I had a crush on you for almost a year after I joined!" Emily confessed and you looked over at Luke.

"Maybe you should have made a move like Luke did," you told her and Luke laughed.

"To be fair, I had the advantage of being a male. There was a higher chance you were attracted to men," Luke defended Emily and you laughed.

"Never would have guessed, my boyfriend defending my best friend's old crush on me," you laughed along with your group, realizing at that moment how much you loved Luke.

₊˚‧ ︵‿ ꒰ ⏝ ୨ ♡ ୧ ⏝ ꒱ ‿︵ ‧˚₊

You were surprise-attacked by the unsub, your gun flying from your hand against the wall. The unsub caught you in the side with a knife before you spun to him, catching his jaw with a punch, making him spit blood out. You got caught by surprise when the unsub pulled a metal rod from the wall and smacked you in the head, you fell to the ground. You reached for your gun but couldn't focus your eyes long enough to get a shot.

"Luke," you called out weakly, your head and side throbbed and you could feel the blood pooling around you. "Luke," you tried again, thinking you were louder but you weren't. You faded in and out of consciousness as you heard your name being called, you used the last bit of strength to put the safety on your gun and bang the handle of it against the floor twice before you fully passed out.

₊˚‧ ︵‿ ꒰ ⏝ ୨ ♡ ୧ ⏝ ꒱ ‿︵ ‧˚₊

The lights hurt your head and squinting made your head hurt more, you let a groan slip out of your lips and the lights dimmed only a few moments later.

"Hey, lovely, how are you?" You smiled at Penelope's voice and looked over at her, your eyes catching the sleeping form of a man on the chair next to the bed.

"My head hurts and my side still throbs," you horsely told her, watching her grab the cup next to her.

"Here, I was told to tell you to take small sips," she held the cup for you and you were grateful for her.

"Am I missing something?" You asked her, making her scrunch her eyebrows.

"What do you mean?"

"This man, who is he?" You whispered, looking between the two.

"Oh, um, hold on," she rushed to the door and cut the doctor and the rest of the team off to talk to them.

"Agent Sinclair, I'm Doctor Rivers," the doctor addressed you as the man next to you was woken up by Spencer. The two had a small conversation that you tuned out as you paid attention to the doctor. "Ms. Garcia here told me that you don't remember agent Alvez," the doctor gestured to the man who was standing with Spencer.

"Um," you squinted your eyes at him, focusing on his face. "No," you admitted, watching them all look concerned. "Should I?" You asked, your heart rate spiking with your fear.

"It's ok," the doctor tried to calm you down but you kept breathing heavily, your heart rate spiking higher. Your eyes brimmed with tears as you couldn't help but feel helpless, you could vaguely hear everyone around you trying to calm you down. A gentle hand on your arm made you look over, your eyes met the brown ones of the man you couldn't remember, and for a reason you didn't know or didn't remember, your heart rate calmed and your breathing slowed.

"Your eyes, they're familiar," you mused, gently running your hand over his cheek.

"Agent Sinclair," the doctor pulled your attention back to her. "You seem to be experiencing retrograde amnesia, while you may be able to recover your memories, it is just as likely you may not," she told you and you nodded, calmed by the feeling of the man's thumb running over your knuckles. The doctor left after a bit, your team following, leaving just you and the man behind.

"What's your name?" You looked over to the man.

"Luke Alvez," he told you and you tilted your head as something flashed in your head.

"Aren't you a fugitive task force? What are you doing here?" You questioned and saw a hopeful look on his face.

"What do you remember?"

"Um, the bar, reading your badge, why?"

"It's been almost 5 years since we met and 2 since we started dating," he told you and you shook your head.

"No, I can't be missing that much time," you tried to reason, racking your brain to try and remember anything. "Wait, no, Derek left, I remember that. I remember you joining the team and Spencer driving me home later that day and teasing me that now I couldn't forget to get your number," you rattled off memories as they surfaced.

"Do you remember this?" Luke held a ring up and your eyes widened.

"Are we married?"

"No, not yet at least," he laughed gently. "It's a promise ring, you made me buy it when you saw it. Said you loved me and if I loved you then I'd buy the ring," Luke told you and you gently shook your head.

"I don't think I would have done that," you told him.

"It was a joke, you told me I didn't have to actually buy it but I went back a few days later and bought it for your birthday. I gave it to you with the promise that I love you and that I would give you anything to make you happy," Luke gently grabbed your right hand and slid it on your ring finger.

As you listened to his words and watched him slide the ring on your finger, rushes of memories came back to you. Luke and you spending lazy Sundays in bed, tangled together under the sheets. The night he placed his dog tags around your neck, claiming that they would help ward off creeps at the bar you two and the team were going to. The same night when you got back to your shared house, he refused to take them back, admitting he liked knowing his name was around your neck. The day Derek and Savannah met Luke and Derek teased you nonstop about how you managed to stake your claim on Luke years before you started dating. Then you remembered something important, something that you were worried about.

"Luke, Luke," you cut his sentence off, him having started talking about your relationship while you remembered.

"What is it?" He asked.

"The baby, is it ok?" You were slightly frantic and his eyebrows furrowed.

"What baby?" He questioned and you shook your head.

"I didn't tell you? Get the doctor," you told him and he wordlessly nodded and got up to call the doctor in.

"What's the matter, Agent Sinclair?" The doctor asked and you looked her in the eyes.

"The baby, my baby, is it ok?" You frantically asked and the doctor nodded, a small smile on her face.

"It is, I'm just waiting on some last test results to be completely safe; however, you are about a month long. Congratulations by the way," she told you and Luke before leaving you two alone.

"You're pregnant?" Luke asked and you nodded, watching his eyes fill with tears. "I'm going to be a dad?"

"Yeah, you are, I really didn't tell you?" Luke sat back down on the chair, you tracking him with your eyes.

"No, I think you tried but we were called into the case," Luke told you.

"And I still decided to go out into the field. God, I'm stupid," you put the hand Luke wasn't holding over your face.

"Hey, you're not stupid," Luke pulled your hand away from your face. "We needed everyone there, you made a judgment call," Luke assured you and you nodded.

"Ok," you smiled at him, watching as he placed his hand over your stomach. You weren't showing at" all but just knowing you were growing a baby made him smile. "I love you," you told Luke and he realized you will always love him, that you will always fall in love with him.

"I love you more," he kissed you and you smiled into it. "Oh, wait," Luke grabbed the bag he had next to him and pulled something out.

"Luke," you breathed out when you saw the box.

"Marry me? I had a whole better proposal planned but," you cut Luke off by grabbing his face and pulling him in for a kiss.

"Yes, I will marry you," you told him and he smiled, sliding the engagement ring on your left ring finger. You two were so focused on each other you missed the team.

"Congrats you two!" Penelope pulled you out of the trace you were in.

"And since you just got engaged, I assume you remember everything?" Spencer asked a hopeful lit to his voice.

"Yep, and there's another announcement," you looked at Luke, sharing one last moment of just you two knowing. "I'm pregnant," you told them and they all cheered again. "I'm only about a month along so," you trailed off, everyone knowing the first three months are the trickiest to keep a baby.

"Congratulations nonetheless," Aaron told you and you smiled.

"I assume no more fieldwork for me," you told him and he nodded. You just smiled and listened to everyone rave about your engagement and the pregnancy. You and Luke shared another look, one that conveyed a shared thought; I will fall in love with you over and over again.

₊˚ ‿︵‿︵‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿︵‿︵‿︵ ˚₊

Like this story? Here's my masterlist

[buildheight]

so aim it straight and true

a desert duo jukebox series fic (masterpost): Go Get Your Gun - The Dear Hunter (spotify link)

When Grian had initially agreed--well, perhaps agreed was a stretch--to go with Scar to the desert, he’d figured that if they made enemies, it would mean his early demise. Scar seemed the bumbling type, and his encounter with the creeper, while mostly Grian’s fault, was proof as such. He’d have never expected, sitting on the roof of the sandcastle one night, Scar’s aim with a bow to be so true.

He’d never seen the man so focused. He would draw back the string, and watch the dunes, then snipe a creeper with deadly accuracy.

“Where’d you learn to shoot?” he said, watching the way Scar’s muscles moved under his skin. He was letting Scar get away with not wearing a shirt. For now.

Scar shrugged, and loosed the arrow. It flew clean into a zombie’s chest. He paused before picking up another arrow, staring at the pile between them. Grian had graciously allowed him use of a half a stack of arrows, they needed the resources, thank you very much, and red bloodlust was no excuse for wasting stacks of arrows on hostile mobs. “Would you believe me if I told you I was naturally gifted? Blessed by the gods?” Grian huffed, hiding his giggle, and Scar chuckled. It unnerved Grian how Scar always seemed to know when a joke had landed, even when Grian attempted to be annoyed about it. “Seriously. Don’t remember,” Scar murmured, and notched an arrow, aiming at a husk.

Grian’s chest tightened, his heart fluttering against its cage. “Can you teach me?” he said, and immediately regretted it.

Scar shot the husk, hitting it in the thigh, before turning to Grian. “What, trying to learn ways to kill me?” There was a challenging glint in his eyes. Grian scoffed. “I’m kidding.”

Doesn’t feel like kidding, Grian thought, as he pawed at Scar’s arm. “Just give me the bow.”

Scar obliged. Grian pulled back an arrow, trying to focus on a zombie. Easy targets, hulking and slow-moving. He didn’t miss too badly, but Scar gave him a wheezing giggle anyway.

“You’re aiming wrong,” Scar said, putting a hand on the back of Grian’s neck. He bristled, shrugging to try and remove Scar’s hand, but Scar only tightened his grip, leaning down to put his lips up to Grian’s ear. “Try again.”

Definitely not shaking, Grian notched another arrow.

“Aim up more,” Scar said.

Grian made an incredulous noise. “You don’t even know what I’m aiming at.”

“Just aim up more.”

“You’re not even looking.”

Scar bit Grian’s earlobe gently. “Just aim up.”

Grian aimed down. He could feel Scar smile against the side of his face, the way his breath changed familiarly.

“Do you trust me?” said Scar.

“No,” Grian grumbled.

“Do you mean that?” asked Scar.

Grian aimed his bow more up, and shot the arrow. It hit its mark, square and bloody and true.

[random-thot-generator]

Dirty Little Secret + pt. 3

JOHNNY 'SOAP' MACTAVISH x FEM READER

-

Summary: Johnny shows up out of the blue and gets to meet Aunt Rue. Cue the impromptu come-to-Jesus meeting.

Warnings/Tags: Angst - obviously, Profanity, Sex is mentioned but nothing explicit, Soap's POV, Rue's POV, Reader is taking a moment, Aunt Rue's a good mum, No use of Y/N

(Notes: Again, no smut. We're not there yet, folks. Wanted to get Johnny's side of the story out there, along with Aunt Rue's thoughts on the matter. Just a warning. Edited this to Kickstart My Heart on loop, so if there's a shit-ton of mistakes... my bad. 🤷‍♀️)

Word Count: 2K

-

Johnny felt like the wind had been knocked out of him when he heard your voice behind the counter, but when you suddenly popped into view, it almost brought him to his knees. The only thing that kept him from reaching for you was that horrible, devastated expression on your face. Tucking his hands in his pockets to hide their shaking, he took a hesitant step towards the counter, as if approaching a cornered, wild animal.

"I'm no' here t'cause ye grief, hen," he murmured, trying to make eye contact. "I jus' wanted t'see ya."

You blinked up at him, huffing a breath out of your open mouth. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again," you confessed, sounding dazed. "How did you…?"

Johnny scratched the back of his neck, feeling like a bit of a creeper. "I, uh… I saw ye on the news. Some sort o' festival 'r somethin'."

"The May Day celebration," you mumbled, remembering the news cameraman panning his camera along the row of booths on the boardwalk. "Bloody hell. So… you saw me and just decided to stop by for a visit? After six months?"

Johnny's look turned sour. "It was no' like I knew where the hell ye'd gone off to, now was it? Ye jus' took off without sayin' a bloody word," he replied, his tone low and accusing.

You scoffed, your own expression growing dark. "And how could I have told you, Johnny? It's not like you ever bothered to give me your number, remember?" you fired back.

The bitterness in your tone cooled his anger instantly. "I…" He huffed out a breath, shoulders slumping. "Yer right. Tha's on me." His contrite expression returned. "It was jus' a shock, comin' back an' findin' ya gone, yer flat empty. I was no' expectin' it. Not after…" He blew out a breath, running his hand over his mohawk. "I dinnae ken wha' t'think."

You crossed your arms over your chest, lips trembling. "I'm surprised you thought of me at all. Why did you even go back to my flat? Things not work out with your other bird?"

"Other bird?" he repeated, scowling, looking utterly confused.

Before you could clarify, your aunt pushed through the swinging door from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. Whatever she was about to say died on her lips as her eyes darted between you and Johnny. "Everything alright, love?" she asked you.

"Everything's fine." You dragged your eyes away from him to address your aunt, your tone softening. "I'm sorry 'bout your tea. The box was empty, and then he showed up, and…" You sighed, closing your eyes, shoulders dropping in defeat. "I— I need to go back to the stockroom. Maybe there's another box of oolong back there."

Picking up on the obvious tension and your need to escape the young man, Aunt Rue patted your arm affectionately. "'Course, love. Go ahead. I'll see t'him."

You gave a slight nod, eyes slanting towards Johnny for only a second, but then your chin gave a wobble, and you rushed through the swinging door. He called after you, taking an unconscious step forward, hand reaching out, but you didn't stop. A pained expression crossed his face before he turned and paced a few steps away, raising both hands to rub over his head, holding them there as he blew out a frustrated breath.

Rue pursed her lips, studying him before her eyes cut back to the kitchen door. "So, I take it ya know one another," she drawled.

Johnny turned back around, dropping his arms to his sides. He looked like a whipped pup. "Yes, ma'am. We were… She was my…" A myriad of emotions played over his face before he sighed, remorse evident in his eyes. "Aye. We know each other."

Rue smirked, brows lifting. "I see." She turned to the hot water urns and grabbed a couple of to-go cups. "Tea or coffee, lad?"

Johnny blew out a frustrated sigh. "Dinnae bother, ma'am. I should prob'ly jus' go. Sorry t'have bothered—"

Rue snorted, amused. "Ya ain't gettin' off that easy, lad. Been dealin' with that heartbroken lass for six months. I've got questions, an' you're just the one to answer 'em. So. Tea or coffee?"

Johnny opened his mouth to refuse but didn't have it in him to argue. "Coffee, please. Black with sugar," he mumbled.

Rue hummed in acknowledgment, making them both a strong cup, forgetting about the oolong. She needed all cylinders firing for this one. As she worked, Red finally showed, cheerful as always. He gave Johnny a friendly nod, opening his mouth to greet Rue, but she cut him off.

"No time for chit-chat this mornin', Red," she told him, throwing a couple of rolls into a bag and handing them over. She reached beneath the counter and grabbed his favorite jam packets, then rounded the counter to hand them to him. "On the house, yeah?" she said, ignoring his shocked expression. "Off ya go, then. See ya tomorrow."

Red could do little more than nod as Rue herded him out the door, casting a flummoxed look back as she shut the door and locked it behind him. Reaching for the cups she left sitting on the counter, she handed one to Johnny.

"C'mon, lad. Let's go out back an' have ourselves a wee chinwag."

She led the way to the back exit, checking to be sure you were still inside before motioning him out the door. Walking over to a pair of metal folding chairs leaned against the wall, she grabbed one, nodding for Johnny to take the other, then sat down with a tired sigh. Once, they were both seated, she crossed her legs and looked him over with a critical eye.

"Alright, then. First things first, lad. I'm Rue, her aunt, and you are…"

"John, ma'am. John MacTavish, but ye can call me Johnny."

She nodded, giving him a tight-lipped smile. "Well, it's nice t'meet ya, Johnny." She took a quick sip of coffee and smacked her lips. "Now, let's get down t'brass tacks, shall we?" She sat back and crossed her arms over her lap. "I'm goin' to take a wild guess an' say you're the reason why my girl came runnin' home with her tail between her legs. Not seen her in that bad a shape since her da dumped her on my doorstep, so it must have been serious. How long were ya together?"

Taken aback, it took a moment for Johnny to answer. "I been seein' her fer almost two years, but we were no'… I mean, it wasnae…" He huffed a frustrated breath and scrubbed his hand over his 'hawk. "It's— It's complicated."

Rue rolled her eyes, making a scoffing noise. "Bloody hell, this generation, I swear…" She shook her head. "Just say ya were fuckin', lad. Jesus." She scoffed again. "Complicated, he says…" she muttered.

Johnny gaped at her, surprised by her blunt words. His brows furrowed, an embarrassed look on his reddening face. "It was no' jus' fuckin'," he muttered, sounding defensive. "I cared 'bout her— do care 'bout her."

"Uh-huh. So, what happened, then? What would send my girl runnin' back to the one place she worked so hard to escape, hm?"

His lips parted, but he didn't have an answer. Eyes darting back and forth, he searched for an explanation, a reason why you would just up and leave him without saying anything. He thought it might have been another bloke, but after that last night together, he couldn't bring himself to believe it. So, why? Why did you leave? He had been searching for that answer for the last six months. Finally, he settled for repeating your confusing words from earlier. "She said somethin' 'bout another bird," he said glumly. "Dunno wha' the hell she's talkin' 'bout."

Rue's brows ticked up. "Sure about that? You're a handsome lad. Doubt ya have trouble pullin' the birds."

"No!" he snapped. "I'd never che—." He cut himself off, gritting his teeth in frustration. "There was no other bird," he grumbled out.

His hand clenched into a fist, the other warping the to-go cup, some of the hot brew spilling over his knuckles. Cursing under his breath, he set it on the ground, slinging the hot liquid off his hand. He glared at the back of his hand, then huffed a tired breath, his expression softening. "I dinnae want anyone else. Jus' her." He shook his head, looking lost.

Rue studied him, her head tilting to the side. "She never mentioned you, ya know? Never once spoke your name. I knew she was hurtin'— obviously, but there was somethin' about the way she looked when I'd try to bring it up, like she was... ashamed. 'Course, we've all been fools for love, so I figured some bloke had filled her head with a bunch of pretty words, promisin' her the moon an' stars, then broke her heart, but…" Her eyes narrowed. "Explain to me what 'complicated' means."

A look akin to the shamed face you would always give her now came over his. He started picking at one of his cuticles, studying it with keen interest, his bottom lip jutting out a little.

"When we first started hookin' up, it wasnae a big deal. We'd run into each other at the pub an' end up back at her place." He shrugged but then paused, his eyes growing solemn. "But then, somethin' changed. I'd catch m'self thinkin' 'bout her, like all the bloody time, while I was deployed. Then I'd come home an' find m'self goin' back t'tha' same damn pub, hopin' t'see her, gettin' pissed when she was no' there." He sighed, shook his head. "I finally gave up pretendin' it was jus' a hook up, an' started goin' over t'her place when I was on leave."

"So, you're a soldier, then," Rue said softly.

A grim look pulled the corners of his mouth down. "Aye. A sergeant in the Army. Special forces." He frowned, an inner struggle going on inside his head. "I ken 's no' the best job t'have, no' when ya got a lass waitin' fer ya at home. 'S hard t'make it work, bein' gone so much. Most birds canna hack it, end up callin' it quits. Figured I'd come home one day an' she'd be shacked up wi' some other bloke. Thought that might'a been wha' happened, but... I had t'see fer m'self." A sad expression made his eyes look luminous in the morning sun. "Tol' m'self I should leave her be, let 'er go, but I canna do it."

He sighed, leaned back in his chair and scrubbed at the scruff on his cheek. "I never tol' her how I felt, dinnae think it was fair puttin' tha' on her. Tried no' t'crowd her, dinnae hang about her place, makin' a nuisance o' m'self. Thought I was protectin' her, but it was jus' as much fer me, I guess. Dinnae help."

Rue's heart went out to the poor lad, despite how bloody stupid he was. "Could ya not tell that she loved ya, lad?"

Johnny's brows shot up, his mouth falling open. "She… She loves me?"

Rue sniffed a laugh. "Bloody hell, you really are an eejit, aren't ya?" She shook her head, amazed at how clueless he was. "'Course she loves ya, ya daft numpty." Her eyes grew shrewd as she watched him process the revelation, saw the hope bloom in his eyes.

"So, tell me, Johnny boy. What are ya willin' to do to get her back?"

-

part 2 part 4

[nomsfaultau]

Hybrid AU in exile week where avian instincts can take over to a degree that is almost horrific, erasing someone’s personality and rationality when they’re panicking. First part here.

I swear to GOD the next one is the last. NO MORE CHAPTER MITOSIS

The firelight flickers, enchanting as it sends up spiraling pine-scented smoke into the constellations above. “Woah!” Techno laughs, throwing an arm out to stop Tommy from getting closer to the campfire. “Stay back, feather duster, you’re going to get singed!” 

“How am I supposed to sit at your side if you’re practically inside the fire!” Tommy shoots back. There’s no practically about it; the piglin’s hooves warm themselves on the coals of the blaze, happily toasty. Meanwhile, one accidental brush of feathers and Tommy will go up in flames. Wings ruffling in annoyance, Tommy glances at the ragged pair, irked to once again be held back by them. True, with proper care and time they’ve lost their desolate edge, but the filling out wings only increase his chance of catching fire. 

His fingers itch with the impulse to pull out his feathers. Tommy busies himself with preparing a s’more with Philza. 

He perches on a log next to Philza, the distant fire crackling away. His back is cold as the arctic night presses against the bonfire’s brief shelter, but Philza drapes a large wing around him for warmth. At least his wings aren’t as big as Phil’s, he consoles himself. Tommy takes up less space that way. He’d used to sprawl, pushing to fill the world. But his abuser taught him it was easier to cut away the parts of himself that were too obnoxious for others to deal with. Get out of the way, don’t be a problem and you won’t get what’s coming. He would’ve cut his wings off, too, if he could’ve. Some days he still wants to. But no, it will hurt like hell and Phil and Techno will be upset. He can’t afford that, it’s bad enough how often he’s cussing them out and breaking their stuff. Their irritation runs like an undercurrent, sending alarm bells ringing.  Part of him hates himself for it, begging to appease Phil and Techno, to fawn until he’s forgiven and safe. Part of him is terrified of it, waiting for punishment that never comes.

But another part likes the alarms and screeching panic, because it means he can tell when a situation is dangerous. Because last time he made himself palatable and all it did was chew him up. Tommy’s lost the knack for pulverizing the ugly parts of himself, and he reckons that might be a good thing even if his instincts scream that his friends are going to start hating him. Still. If he did cut his wings off, he could never again feel his abuser’s soft fingers petting his feathers. Maybe if he starts cutting off the parts of him that are easy to love no one will ever take advantage of him the same way. 

Tommy hears the hiss of his abuser’s TNT even if he can’t see it. Automatically he drops to his knees, obediently clawing into soft dirt to make a hole. Phil shouts, an arrow flinging the explosive back, but the thunderous cacophony swallows him all the same, and suddenly he’s drowning in weeks old fear. Tommy is lost in the high-pitched shrieks of a scared chick, chirps ripping out of his throat and panic blotting out his mind. He frantically calls for his abuser to rescue him, and only in a hazy recess of his mind does Tommy remember his abuser is dead and never coming back. 

The first thing he registers when he comes back is the dirt caked under his claws from clawing into the earth. The little splotches of mud from where his tears stain the ground. The dark aegis of Philza’s wings sheltering him, the older avian crouched protectively overhead. Territorial alarm caws pour from him, head frantically whipping as dilated eyes search for a threat to his chick. Great. Now he’s making his stupid instincts Phil’s problem. As if it wasn’t bad enough to be weak and helpless, now he’s triggering Phil’s instincts and robbing him of free will, too. 

“Creeper, guys,” Techno winces. “Just a creeper.” His cautious approach freezes as Philza locks onto him. There’s a tension in his eyes, wary and sad, as he waits for his best friend to attack in an instinct blinded rage. 

But Phil doesn’t, more concerned with covering his chick. The alarm caws cease as he realizes there isn’t danger. Tommy tries to wriggle out from under Philza, but when Philza’s head jerks to stare at him his eyes are still dilated. Worried chirps replace his cawing, pinning Tommy down and checking him over for injuries. Right. He supposes ensuring the chick is safe includes more than just fighting. But he isn’t hurt, the creeper wasn’t anywhere near him. 

The answer comes from Tommy’s own instincts. He clamps down on the first notes of a coo, realizing it’s supposed to assure his guardian he’s alright. But it’s only the trigger for the next phase. The natural next step is to calm the chick. The coo builds up in Tommy’s throat, aching the longer he suppresses it. Nauseous fear tenses him. No. No, please, he can’t go back to that state again. It’s taken so much from him, breaking him into something pliant and pleasant and easy to love. Easy to control. 

Tommy digs his talons into Philza’s arms, clawing in until blood wells up. Snarling and kicking and biting and unlovable and yet it doesn’t save him. It only gets so, so much worse, Philza’s worried chirps giving away to adamant coos, to soft caresses through his thrashing wings. 

“PHIL!” Techno calls, startling forward. “He’s alright, alright? Let him lea-mph!” Philza’s wing smacks him hard, hurtling him back. For a second his eyes meet Tommy’s, and in an instant Tommy knows he could charge right then and there and tear Philza off him, to hold him at bay while Tommy escapes. Techno could rescue him. 

But he won’t. It would cost him too much to fight Phil. 

“Phil, the creeper is dead,” he tries gently. “Come on bro, nothing’s wrong. You’re the one freaking the kid out.” Techno coughs roughly, then breaks into a purr like the crackling churn of a redstone contraption. “See?” he rumbles, “you can stop now, Phil. Stop.”

If anything it just makes it worse for Tommy, yearning strangling him. It hurts so bad to shove his coo down. Tommy, the real Tommy, wants to howl, but the stupid animal inside him is stronger. The world darkens, hazy and hard to reach no matter how he struggles. Vision smearing into something warm and pleasant, Tommy can’t tell if the tender hands running through his hair belong to Philza or his abuser. 

His body automatically relaxes as the soft coo breaks free from his throat. Despair wells in Tommy, but it slips through his hands, his real thoughts fading as artificial calm drowns everything out. 

The hands combing through his hair freeze as the assurance releases Philza from his protective instincts. “Sorry,” Phil croaks. It shatters the spell. His abuser never apologized. He scrambles away, leaving Tommy flat on his back, watching the swirl of constellations overhead. Tommy would like to be angry, but it’s been drained out of him, the dregs of bliss acerbic in his mouth. 

He wants to attack Philza, vaguely. He should. Maybe it would stop this from ever happening again. All he has to do is stop the older avian from caring about him. But the thought of what it would take to make the kind and patient Philza truly despise him makes Tommy feel quite sick if he’s honest. Even now Phil is apologizing, concerned and compassionate and utterly confused when Techno presses a healing potion in his hands for the wounds Philza hadn’t even noticed. Tommy’s hands curl into fists so he doesn’t have to notice the blood under his claws. 

Techno offers Tommy a hand up, and he just stares at it. “You good, bro?” 

Tommy expects the offer to drop as he doesn’t respond, but Techno remains reaching for him. “I hate that I’m like this,” Tommy says quietly, watching the crescents of wounds buried in Phil’s flesh vanish in a curl of rose magic. 

“Alright,” Philza measures carefully. “So what can we do to become a Tommy you don’t hate?”

“Nothing. I’m just like this now because of him, I won’t ever be the Tommy I used to be.” 

“Hm. Maybe a better question is what types of things does a better Tommy do?” 

“Maybe… doesn’t waste your time with stupid crap like this.”

“It’s not a waste of time if you need help,” Phil assures him. 

“But a better Tommy wouldn’t need help.” 

“That’s just not true, mate. Everyone does. Me and Techno aid each other all the time. We care about you and want to support you.” 

“Then a better Tommy would make it worth it to care. He’s nicer. Doesn’t shout and break your stuff when you’ve only been kind to him. But whenever I act like that, it feels close to the preening. And I don’t want to get stuck like that, all cuddly and fawning and nauseatingly meek. It feels like I’m losing control, just trying to do appease you so I don’t get hit. And- and if I’m awful enough you’ll leave, too, and then I won’t have to worry about it at all. But that isn’t working, either. I don’t get it. I’m awful. I’m awful on purpose. Why do you put up with me?” 

Techno shifts from hoof to hoof, firelight tossing his shadow wildly. “While I admit it would be cool if you stopped smashing my cupboards…I get it. Heh, you should see our training room after I’ve had a bad day. I’d prefer that frustration is channeled into something productive instead of being taken out on us, but we can work on that. You went through a lot; it’s okay if recovery is rocky. Besides, after I baby-proofed the house it hasn’t been too bad. You’re going to have to try a lot harder to get us to hate you. But I gotta ask, is that really what you want?” 

Tommy bites his lip, eyes burning from staring at embers for too long. Or perhaps it’s the threatening tears, but Tommy refuses to admit that. Does he want them to hate him? Will it be okay to hate himself if the entire world does? Will he be finally safe if no one cares? “It’d be easier if you did.” Then he won’t have to wonder what they could possibly see in him that he can’t.  

“We’re not trying to make it easier for us,” Philza explains. “This is about what would make life easier for you, Tommy.”

“I wish stupid things didn’t upset me, like touching and grooming and holes and obsidian and smiles and feathers. But most of all I hate my instincts, the way I just shut down. How ease to manipulate it makes me.”

“Those hatchling instincts aren’t forever, mate. You’ll grow out of them, just like I did when I first flew.” 

“But I can’t! I’ve tried, Phil, all it did was nearly kill me! I can’t fly, and maybe I never will.” 

“I never said you have to fly alone.”

Next >

[ravennaortiz]

Secret Santa: Day 4

Summary: Fluff with the lovely Angel.

"What do you have there?" inquired Bishop as he stepped into his daughters bakery. "Oh, just another gift from my secret santa. Every morning so far I have found a little box attached to the door. This is the fifth and I have no idea who it could be" you replied as you opened the tiny red box and smiled at the little penguin ear rings inside. "Hmm, typically this information would concern a father" joked Bishop as he snagged a cookie from the plate on the counter. "Like you should be concerned about your blood sugar?" you replied as you smacked his hand.

"Just like your mother" grumbled Bishop as he rolled his eyes. "Ignoring that. Anyway so you know who my secret santa is?" you inquired giving your dad a smirk as you blocked the door. "I am a bank vault. You will get nothing from me." replied Bishop as he pretended to seal his lips. Sighing you moved off to the side to get back to work as your dad left laughing.

Mayan Clubhouse

Angels heart sped up the minute he saw you step into the clubhouse. Boxes of goodies precariously piled up in your arms. He practically knocked Coco and Creeper down to get to your side to help. "My hero" you laughed as you felt Angel catch the top boxes as they started to shift. Angel laughed softly. Your words always stunned him. He had never been anyone's anything and it terrified him that maybe he could be. "You spoil us" joked Angel as he walked with you to the bar to set the boxes of treats down. Your arm brushing against his sent electrical pulses through him and that smile you gave him sent him to the heavens.

"Only the best for my boys" you replied in your most serious tone before laughing. "Were men not boys" replied Coco as he grabbed for a box of treats and knocked into Angel. "Uh huh" you replied before shaking your head. "I also came by because I had a question" you stated before turning your attention back to Angel. "Shoot" replied Angel as he took a bite of a santa cookie. "Are you my secret santa?" you rushed out barely leaving space between the words. You could feel your cheeks warm and you couldnt look at the man in front of you. "What?! Why would you think that?" blurted Angel before he could think. "Your right, that would be stupid" you muttered not able to hide the hurt. You turned as you felt your world come crashing down. How could you have been so dumb.

"Wait" Called Angel as he mentally smacked himself as he grabbed your arm. This was not going like he had hoped. If only he had told you months ago how he felt. " I meant I am. You make me so damn nervous my brain just turns off" stated Angel as you turned towards him. "I'm not good enough but i wanna try to be. Will you take a chance on me?" he asked as he kissed your hand. "You are enough" you replied before grabbing onto his kutte to pull him in for a kiss.

Tag List @darqchilddaydreamz

[watcheraurora]

Burning Bright

Lil Ranchers fic because they were so fun and I miss that dynamic 2.6k words

—

Tango was always burning. He didn't usually catch things on fire—he knew how to be careful—but he always burned. To be fire, like him, was to live fast and die young. He burned bright, but didn't last long. Keeping a fire alive took more effort than most others tended to want to use. Fire was dangerous. Once his natural lifeforce ran out and burned away, so would he. The only way to live past his lifeforce running out in one world, without jumping to another, was to be fueled. And no one would fuel him. He knew that. His friends loved him, but not at the cost of that amount of effort.

Then... The creeper. The canary.

Jimmy was warm. He was made of soft things. Downy gold feathers and skin unblemished by the calluses Tango had from redstone work. All bark and no bite. He made threats in good fun, knowing full well he'd never even be capable of seeing them through. Despite being all soft edges, he had thick skin. It seemed that everyone else picked on him, and their words slid right off Jimmy's feathers.

And they were tied together. Tango, the fire who burned—and Jimmy, the soft canary with flammable feathers.

Soulbound.

Jimmy was asleep in the big ranch bed, holding a pillow and his feathers fluttering with his breath. The large gold wings splayed out haphazardly over the mattress.

Tango wasn't asleep. Tango should have been asleep. Tango knew it.

He was awake. His hair was casting soft light on the walls of the bedroom. They'd put up the house so quickly together that they hadn't thought much about rooms. Sharing a room was fine. They were soulbound—sharing a bed would have been fine.

But Tango couldn't sleep.

He slipped soundlessly off the large bed and out of the ranch house. The animals in their pens breathed deeply as they slept.

Tango went to the boardwalk built against the side of the mountain, looking down into the gorge. He leaned against the railing, hair flickering above his head, staring out over the landscape.

He couldn't fly here. His Blaze Rods could spin around him, but they wouldn't lift him from the ground like they would on other worlds. Jimmy, with those gloriously huge wings, couldn't fly here. Skizz wasn't here—not this time—but he wouldn't have been able to fly here. Grian couldn't without Admin powers that he couldn't use right now. Not everyone had the ability to fly naturally, but those who did were landbound until further notice.

It was strange, to Tango, not being able to fly. He was smaller than the average Player, and often just used his Blaze Rods to hover at eye level. Jimmy was taller than the average Player. And not being able to look him in the eye on a flat plane was a bit irksome.

He stared across the gorge toward the bases his other friends were constructing.

"Can't sleep?" a voice asked.

Tango's hair flared into a bonfire as he whirled, teeth bared in a threat.

Martyn was strolling up the boardwalk with his hands in his pockets. Not even a torch in hand, let alone a lantern. Lanterns were an expensive waste of iron in a world as small and limited as this one.

Tango didn't know Martyn well, but he knew Jimmy did. He could feel Jimmy's connection to Martyn down the yellow string tying them together inside. But Tango knew Martyn was a loose cannon. A wanderer whose loyalty was fickle. Skizz had warned him to be cautious around Martyn.

"Can't sleep," Tango confirmed nonchalantly, going back to leaning against the fence railing. Watching the stars drift across the sky.

Martyn pulled to a stop right next to Tango and plopped down onto the boardwalk, sticking his legs through the gaps in the fence and letting them dangle off, kicking like a kid in a chair too big for them.

"Let me guess," Tango said, dry and sarcastic. "You're here to warn me not to hurt Jimmy? Because he's your longtime friend and I'm the new, unknown party who got tied to him the moment we landed in this world?"

Martyn scoffed. "No," he replied.

“Why not? You’ve got that older brother energy.”

Martyn laughed. “I’m not going to because I don’t need to. Timmy is quite sh—” Martyn cleared his throat. The world rules didn’t allow for cursing, and the word wouldn’t even leave his throat. “Timmy isn’t good at PvP, but from what I’ve seen you’re worse.”

Tango rolled his eyes. “Gee, thanks. Whodda thunk it? The guy with redstone under his nails who builds games can’t sling a sword to save his life. Literally.” Sarcasm rolled off him in waves. Like it always did.

Martyn put his hands behind him on the boardwalk and leaned against them. “Not that it matters anyway. In a fight between soulbounds—well. You both lose.”

“Said from experience,” Tango shot back, remembering the news of Scott, Pearl, Cleo, and Martyn all having troubles with one another spreading around earlier today.

“Obviously,” Martyn replied. He sounded hurt, but not by Tango’s words.

"Is it hard? How close were you and Cleo before this?"

"Not close. Met a few times. I considered us friendly. But with the soulbond... even being this far away feels like I'm missing a piece of myself. Like she took a few of my ribs with them."

"Sorry," Tango said.

Martyn shrugged. "Trust me, I can take it. I actually dropped by when I saw you out here just to chat because... well. Timmy couldn't take it. He's got such a big, soft heart. It's open and it bleeds love for others. He couldn't take his soulbound rejecting him. If it feels like I've lost a couple ribs, he'd feel like several organs were missing. I came to chat because I'm grateful. Timmy is like a younger brother to me. And I'm grateful it's you he's ended up tied to. I'm grateful you just... accepted him immediately. And seem to really care about him too."

"I'm not in the business of being rude to people who don't deserve it," Tango said. "I'm kinda dry, I can admit that. Some people find it abrasive. But I'm not rude. Try not to be, anyway. And Jimmy's good." He reached up and stuck a hand into his burning hair. "He's the one who should be upset about being stuck with me."

Martyn scrunched his eyebrows. "What makes you think that? Timmy has gone out first both times before now."

"I know. But he's not actively dying." Tango dropped his hand from his hair and held it, palm-up, perpendicular to his body. A ball of fire ignited over it. "My kind lives fast. Dies young. We burn our lifeforce. We're dying from the moment we're born. The first spark is the beginning of the end. Case in point: I'm the one who knocked us down to yellow, not him."

Martyn hummed in thought, staring out across the gorge. "Still," he said. "At least he's got you, rather than someone with sharp edges."

Tango looked down at the redstone dust stuck under his nails. "Don't make assumptions about my edges just because Jimmy's are soft. I just know who to sharpen them around."

Martyn laughed. "Oh I can tell," he remarked, drawing his legs back from the edge and pushing to his feet. "And speak of the cursed—"

A loud yawn roused Tango's attention. "Tango?" Jimmy asked tiredly. "What're you doin' out here?" He stepped down the slope and rested an arm on Tango's shoulder, leaning against it like he was going to fall asleep on his feet.

"Just needed the fresh air," Tango says.

Martyn smirked with a quiet, "Hm!" of a laugh before saluting with two fingers and sauntering off. He whistled quietly, spinning his sword casually as he retreated into the darkness.

“Come get some sleep?” Jimmy suggested.

Tango stared after where Martyn had vanished. “Yeah. Let’s do that.”

Jimmy pulled Tango back to the ranch house by the forearm and nearly flopped on top of him to go back to bed. Tango laid on his back and stared at the ceiling, one arm behind his head, until Jimmy’s wing draped over top, blocking his view of the ceiling.

Rolling to his side, he smiled at Jimmy’s freckles all scrunched up while he slept before dropping off himself.

—

“So I’ve noticed that Joel is kind of a di—” Tango coughed on the word he wasn’t allowed to say. “—a jerk to you. What’s up with that?”

Jimmy shrugged, his wings sweeping the air with the motion. “Joel’s like a big brother. Thinks it’s his job to pick on me. Grian too, actually. And Martyn.”

Tango said nothing as he held some wheat out for the cows. One of them chewed at it distractedly. “So… what? Is it like your shtick at this point?”

“Something like that.”

“Did you choose for that to be your shtick?”

Jimmy looked up from where he was planting crops, giving Tango a sarcastic expression through his floppy dirty blond bangs. “Did I choose to always be the butt of everyone’s jokes?” Usually Tango was the sarcastic one in his alliance, but Jimmy was already absorbing some of Tango’s traits. The same way Tango was absorbing some of Jimmy’s.

“Point taken,” Tango said dryly.

Jimmy shrugged again. “It’s not so bad. I know it’s all in good fun and they don't actually mean it. Makes it easy to let the words roll off.”

Tango raised a vibrant yellow brow, swallowing the sharp retort on the tip of his tongue about how being made fun of wasn’t good fun in favor of giving another cow more wheat.

He just shook his head and fed the cows more earnestly. Martyn was right that Tango was worse at PvP than Jimmy, but listening to Jimmy's nonchalance ignited his protective instincts and he wished he could just sling a sword at the other Players who were mean to Jimmy. His fire didn't do anything other than give off light and heat in this world. He couldn't actually burn anything.

After the cows and sheep were fed, he boosted himself up onto the fence. Just sitting on it with his feet braced against the lower cross bar. "Ya wanna know why I keep agreeing to join Grian for these games?" he asked.

Jimmy looked up from the tilled soil. "What?"

Tango repeated his question. Jimmy went to the small hole they'd put water in for irrigation and washed the soil off his hands before joining Tango on the fence.

"Because it's fun?" Jimmy suggested.

Tango raised a sarcastic brow at his soulbound. "I mean, sure. But you've seen how much this is not my usual gig. I don't do fights to the death. Not with any expectation of winning, anyway. I don't swing a sword like it's an extension of my own arm. I make games for people to play. Even here. It's what I do."

"Alright. So. Why do you keep agreeing when Grian asks if you want to participate again? Your friends are here?"

"That, I guess. But I keep agreeing because it brings me to a new world. Every time."

Jimmy scrunched his eyebrows. "Why's that significant?"

Tango's Blaze Rods appeared, orbiting his head quickly before vanishing. "New worlds reset my lifeforce while I'm on them."

"What?"

"I'm fire, Jimmy. My kind... we burn like fire. And all fire requires fuel. For us, it's lifeforce. And we have a finite amount of it. If I want to survive longer than I have lifeforce, I have to be fueled. Like any other fire. And new worlds... refill the tank, as it were. I've never run out of lifeforce yet. But my kind lives fast and dies young. The brighter and hotter we burn, the faster we consume. I keep agreeing because I don't want to put the burden of fueling me on the people I care about."

"Do they... use their lifeforce to fuel you?"

"That's one option. But anything else that can fuel fire can fuel me. Wood, coal, charcoal, lava. But it takes a lot more to power a whole body than a campfire and the need to refuel is constant and not something I can easily achieve on my own. That's a personal failing, though. Being forgetful and easily distracted. So I keep doing this despite being bad at it, because it starts my timer over."

"How long will it take for you to get low?"

"Depends. If I burn bright, it'll be shorter. If I burn low, I can drag it out. It's usually years, but I don't like getting even that close."

Jimmy put his hand on his chest, looked down at it, then looked over toward Tango's heart. "If it comes down to it, you know I'll do what I can."

"Jim. It's not the kind of death that would take you too, even with the link. If it came down to it and my life was running out, I'd appreciate if you helped me gather outside fuel. But don't you dare give me your lifeforce, understood?"

"Tango..."

"Do you understand, Solidarity?" Tango fixed Jimmy with a bloodred glare.

Soft hazel eyes blinked in shock at Tango's edges sharpening. "You can't stop me," he said. One of his favorite threatening phrases to say with a laugh and a broad smile. He wasn't laughing or smiling now.

Tango grabbed Jimmy's arms. "Not an option. If we're here that long, I can stop you, and I will."

"How?"

"Grian's the Admin. He'd delink us if I asked."

"Don't you dare."

Tango hopped off the fence and started moving toward the crops.

"Tango!" Jimmy called, leaping from the fence with a single beat of his wings and rushing after. He grabbed Tango's arm and spun him around. "I'm not losing my rancher. And I'll gather outside fuel, of course. But if the situation was desperate—"

"I won't let it get that desperate," Tango said. "I'm not losing my rancher either and that's not something I'll respawn from. I'm not letting you take that same road. You don't deserve it."

"Hey. Neither do you." Jimmy set his hands on Tango's shoulders, holding him in place.

Tango shrugged, slipping out from under Jimmy's hands. "It's the way my kind has always lived. That's one reason Blazebloods are so uncommon. We don't live long outside of the Nether without lava to fuel us past what we're born with. 'Deserve' has nothing to do with it." He lifted the bag with seeds in it from Jimmy's pocket as he moved away. "Just who I was born."

"Well I hate it," Jimmy said. "I hate that something like that could take you away too early."

Tango's expression morphed into a sly one. "Coming from the canary?"

Jimmy straightened to his full height, several inches taller than Tango. "Yes."

"Ironic." But Tango was smiling. "C'mon. We got work to do before going to check up on other people. Gotta establish our ranch, right buddy?"

Jimmy's expression softened. "Yeah. Right."

They split the seeds between the two of them and went back to planting.

"Hey. Wanna go steal Scar's horse?"

"Heck yeah! Let's do it!"

[odditycircus-2002]

Jeeper Creepers: Unexpected Turn of Events Chapter 1

CRAZY DRIVER

The weather cannot predict how the day may go. Sure, a lovely spring day with light breezes, the endless emerald pastures, and the clear blue sky dotted with ravens croaking their calls could be a herring for a bountiful or peaceful day. As a young caucasian college student, with the name Darius Jenner or Darry, with short brown hair and matching, eyes drove down the seemingly infinite road in his sister's, Patricia Jenner or Trish, car thought the weather means a pretty okay day. Said sister right next to him on the passenger's side, gazing out ahead of them with her mind occupied abput her regular life, not thinking of any of the dangers ahead. 

Then again, how could she have known? It seemed like another regular Spring Break and another regular trip to their parents' house like for the past few years. How could either sibling know that was all to end this year? To know about the horrors that lies ahead

"Just turn 15, you were a senior. You took me out to mom's old station wagon, The Dragon wagon, to teach me how to drive. But there was that one tree."

Darry recalls to his sister to pass the time, laughing at the memory. Trisha continues to stare ahead at the road, her eyes focusing on a stop sign ahead. 

"There was a guy banging the car while we were in the building."

Trish recalls. Darry gives a short chuckle before he continues.

"That's right. You actually lied for me."

Trish rolls her eyes, wonder, not for the first time, is she really related to this goober? Yet, Darry could see right through his sister's denial.

"No no come one, you lied for both of us. You actually did something decent for me, that's a part of history you can't change."

Darry concludes as he drives past a stop sign which Trisha notices as she glances back.

"That was a stop sign."

She points out to which Darry just shrugs off as he glances at his sister, incredulously.

"You're kidding right?"

"In your car, I'd be kidding."

She answers sarcastically as she glances at her brother to show her commitment to her statement.

" On this road? I haven't seen a car in fifty miles."

Darry answers back. They continue to drive at an average speed for cars on highways until Darry spots an RV. Feeling the familiar rush of sibling competitiveness, Darry speeds up to the RV, seeing no danger of it given the mostly vacant road.

"Come on Darry."

Trish warns in a half tired tone. She again had to ask herself, how did he remain alive for all these years, again? She already knew the answer, but it doesn't quite take away the annoyance that comes with her brother's antics. They drive up behind the RV to where they can see the vanity license plate that read,

"6A4EVR".

"Gay- Gay fever, no Gay forever! Gay forever! Ha! that's mine. That's 3 for little bro"

Darry claims in victory as they drive just a bit closer to the RV, seeing what he thought was a G, was actually a 6. Darry frowns dramatically at this which causes his sister to give a slight chuckle at his state, which only increases his frown.

"That's a 6, not a G you idiot. That's Sexy forever, that's mine and that's 5 to 2."

"Sh*t."

Darry mumbles disappointingly. Trish then glances over at Darry with a raised brow.

"Gay fever?"

Trish asks her brother incredulously. She just huffs in amusement, when they drove up to the driver's window to see an elderly couple, who didn't look too amused.

"Oh."

Darry utters out in realization, yet his tune changes after the elderly couple turn a corner and they drive past them.

" Sexy forever huh?"

Darry teases with a grin at his unamused sister.

"You know that's you in 40 years."

Trish deadpans to her brother, as she then proceeds to gnaw on a part of her reading glasses as neither had anything left to say, for now. They drive in silence for a good long moment, with their friend in the back snoozing away being the only sounds besides the road.

" You know there's usually a reason when you like the long way home." 

Darry starts, not wanting to beat around the bush and get straight to it. Better to rip the band-aid off, just as his sister would tell him. However, in this case, it would appear that Trish didn't want to hear it.

"Gee like, maybe I like the country?"

She retorts, turning her head to her brother with no trace of humor on her expression.

"Ok"

Darry replies, disbelief being definite in his tone.

' Geez, hypocrite much, sis? '

Darry thought to himself in irritation but decides in the end that he wasn't going to drop it.

"Just drive brat."

Trisha commands Darry, who persists with his questioning.

" Hey, I'm only thinking the same thing mom and dad are going to be thinking, "Trisha, why are you driving home for spring break with your brat brother, and not heading off somewhere with that nice Mr. Poly-side-track-team guy?"

Trisha rolls her eyes at Darry's "mom" voice and sighs. 

" I will tell them the exact same thing as I'll tell you, none of your Goddamn business."

Trisha again repeats, frustrated at her brother's insistence. Why can't he just let her keep her own damn life private? He's the baby, not her. 

" Better not let mama hen back there hear you." 

Darry teasingly warns, referring to the woman in the back with her luggage as well as the siblings'. She's a 6'1; olive skin; long messy caramel hair that goes past her waist slightly: full lips; a curvy figure; wearing converse, a teal bandanna, and a black baggie hoodie. This is Corbin: she is traveling with her close friends for the break since well, she's got nothing else to do or family to visit, at least that's what she told them.

"Oh please, she's knocked out like a light, something about late-night errands, and it goes the same for mama hen there, it's none of her business"

Indeed she was sleeping on the window, eyes shut with on hand on her cheek. Her long hair a mess from it rubbing against the door with some drool gathering at the corner of her mouth, signaling how truly asleep and dead she is to the world, currently.

"Oh you think Corbin and I can't understand the complex nature of your relationships?"

"No, I look at you two as real experts."

Trish replies back. She sometimes had to ponder in the depths of her mind, why would she tell her immature brother? How would he understand, when he never takes anything seriously? Corbin would be a no go too, knowing she'll pry even more insistently than Darry. Then maybe go kick whatever perpetrator there is where the sun doesn't shine. Darry just scoffs, trying to play it off.

" Heh, whatever, whatever I don't care."

Trisha then leans up to tune on the radio only to get crazy rambles, farmer reports, and about a lizard-headed demon. Annoyed with nothing decent is on, Trish gives up and shuts off the radio. Although, it's starting to sound

" Just saying that you should break it off with him, you should at least figure it out what you're going to tell Mom and Dad. They're the ones in love with the guy, or do I need to sick Mama Hen on the guy? Mmmhh? "

There was a silent pause, as Trish decides to just keep searching through different stations. Corbin not stirring at all from the back which Trish hopes would be the case for the rest of the trip.

"You wanted the back way home. That's 10 hours of preachers, farm reports..."

"Can you possibly just shut up and drive, please!"

Trish snaps. Ok, so sister is pissed, what do? Humor, the best way to go about this situation from what Darry knows. Darry then starts to sing, with a teasing smile.

"You broke my heart in two,

Now I can't find the duct tape

to put it together for you,

Come on, girl sing along now"

Darry says to his sister, oblivious to the large truck creeping behind them as he focused on the road ahead, ticking off his sister with every verse of his improvised song.

"When I met you, I thought I would die

I wanted to cry

Didn't know you were evil

or that you would hurt me

Mr. Poli-Sci-Track-Team guy,

Turns out your a twit and a real-"

HONK HONK!!!

"TAKE COVER GERRY! "

Corbin shouts in utter surprise, practically jumping out of her seat which results in her bumping her head on the ceiling turning her head in the Jenner siblings' view, to a large rusty looking truck that being driven as if it were by a crazy driver.

" What the hell is his problem?!?"

Darry cries out fearfully in his high-pitched voice that, as Corbin pointed out, happens whenever he's scared.

" Just get out of his way Darry!"

Trish demands in a panic, as the trunk honks it's horn again, still not making up its mind as it tries to ram them off the road.

"Mes Couilles Sur ton front!"

Corbin swears frantically.

( ? POV )

The smell of fear, so invigorating and addicting I just can't get enough of it. What's this? Ahhh, this scent is new, though I've only had a faint wisp of it once, I can still recognize it for it still sends a pleasurable shiver down my spine. Sharp yet sweet, with a smokey tinge to it, but now I hunger for it in a different way from food. Desire is a more appropriate word, maybe even more than my regular hunger.

I may have finally found my mate.

(Now back to the terrified Jenner Siblings and an angry Corbin)

" Let him pass you Darry! Darry what are you doing?"

"Peau de fesses!"

Trish shouts in a panicked frenzy, as Corbin continues to spit out every insult she knows in her motherland's tongue.

"Go around me!"

Darry begs as he frantically signals the driver to move around him, but this driver continues to act like a maniac ready to most likely run them all over, still honking its loud horn.

"Get off the road and let him pass you!"

Trish shouts at Darry from her own panic rising within her. Darry looks behind his shoulder with wide eyes and teeth clenched, contrasting to Corbin's " I'm so done with this" face.

" He's nuts!"

"I know he's nuts, now pull over!"

Trish demands her brother. The truck's tires squeal as the driver once again honks its horn. Darry then once again signals with his hand frantically, hoping the driver could get the message. Yet, he suspects that with those tinted windows, the guy can't see sh*t through them.

" GO around me!"

"Slow down and let him f@#$%ing pass you!"

"Caca Boudin!"

" I'm trying!"

Darry shouts to his sister, as Corbin continues to swear. Finally, the crazy driver passes them, giving them a good look at its vanity license plate that says, BEATINGU.

"Jesus."

Trish exclaims almost breathlessly, her ears pounding from the rush of blood going through her veins.

"Sh*t"

Darry breathes out, his heart still pounding against his ribcage.

" What the hell is his problem?"

Corbin shouts, knowing she wouldn't get any answers but needing to speak her frustrations out anyway.

"My guess,"

Darry then sticks his head out the open side window, and shouts in the wind to the now distant driver,

"INBREEDING!!!"

They watch for a bit as the truck gets smaller and smaller, finally disappearing from view. Corbin just facepalms at Darry's remark, shaking her head. Oh, she loves the knucklehead, but why is he so idiotic? She just knows one day it's going to get him killed.

" Get a load of that nasty old thing. What is that? The vehicle of choice for assholes and f*cking serial killers?"

Darry asks rhetorically, his knuckles going white from how tightly he was gripping the steering wheel.

" Everyone ok?"

Corbin asks with concern in her green eyes.

"Yeah."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, just had the piss scared out of me, but otherwise just fine."

Darry comments which had Corbin having to hold in a smile and chuckle. She then elects to look at forward ahead of them, her eyes glued to where the manic driver went off to. She lets out a huff through her nose as she leans back against the window.  Silence took over for a brief time until Trish is the first to break the silence.

"Yeah, hey you know what I just thought of?"

Darry gives a knowing look as he briefly glances at his sister.

" Kenny and Darla? Trish, they died about a 100 miles from here"

"It's the same highway."

' Poor Kenny and Darla. '

Corbin tells herself as she recalls the news of their prom night. They were just heading home from the night of their lives when apparently their car smashed with the roof ripped open with their bodies nowhere in sight. She could still recall seeing the image of their wrecked car smoldering at the side of the road with glass everywhere. Who could've done that? 

"No no, they never found her head."

Corbin says butting in in the sibling's conversation. Darry nods his head glancing at Corbin.

"They found the car. Didn't find him or her head."

Corbin then takes Trisha's hand into her own.

"Goodness, you're still shaking Trisha."

Corbin gently told Trisha and then hands her a bottle of ice tea as Darry continues.

"You don't think every generation has their cautionary tale, of drinking and driving on prom night?"

Trisha shakes her head no, unscrewing the bottle of ice tea to take a huge swig out of it.

"I always heard it was true. Wheaton Valley High, class of '78."

She takes another gulp of the drink, a dry chuckle coming from her.

"Heh, want to know something?"

Corbin nods and Darry hums to signal that he's listening.

"When I first heard that story... I used to think this was the highway I would die on."

Silence is what filled the car for a brief moment until Corbin comments,

" Well aren't you just a ray of sunshine?"

Corbin replies with a deadpan expression before giving a teasing grin, knowing not to take her pedantic moments to seriously. She just had to make friends with a drama queen, huh?

"I agree, quite the cheery think today, aren't we sis?"

Darry asks rhetorically before giving a small chuckle.

"What? What's Poli-Sci-Guy been doing to you anyway?"

A snarl forms on Corbin's facial features as her blood starts to boil.

" I don't like that guy's vibe, just something up with him."

Corbin retorts, her tone going down an octave as she claws at the back of their seats. Trisha looks back at her friend, raising at her attitude and feeling some annoyance bubbling inside of her. But before she could tell Corbin off, her brother spoke to her once more.

" Beating you? "

Darry says which in turn made Trisha and Corbin turn their heads to him in confusion.

" There was a license plate on the van we just saw, B-E-A-T-N-G-U. So beating you."

Darry cries out in victory.

"That's mine. That's 3 to 5!

"You can't call it now."

Trisha counters, smiling to herself.

"My ass!"

Darry complains. Corbin just lays her head on the back of Trisha's seat.

" Sacre bleu, you guys get over it!" 

Corbin complains exasperated by the bickering about the sibling's game but had a slight grin to her face in amusement. It's so cute to see them acting like little children, showing just how close and annoying they are. Just like with her own sister.

"No cause, You have to call it when you see it."

Trisha explains to Corbin. 

" I was in shock!"

"Does it really matter?"

Darry insists, as Corbin just rolls her eyes and leans back to her seat, unbeknownst to them, she was holding a hand over her mouth to hold in her chuckles at the ridiculousness of it all.

"Tough!"

Trisha argues back.

(Corbin's POV)

The bickering went on for a while as they both exchange insults like middle school children, arguing over the rules of their game. Just like the day, I met them. And now they're arguing over license plates, and still annoying the hell out of me. Good times. Do you know what's not a good time? Getting almost ran over by a crazy driver, in an ol' rust bucket with wheels. The heck does he think he's doing? At least I'm guessing he's a guy from what I can tell; although something about that driver didn't sit right with me. I mean, who puts a cowcatcher on a truck?!?

Not to mention the glass was very tinted; anyone who looked at that thing would've thought that thing came straight from a horror movie. I hope we don't run into that guy again, as much as they can be a pain in the ass at times; I don't wish anything to fall upon Darry and Trisha. My gut's telling me something's going to go wrong, and my gut hasn't failed me yet.

A/N: Don't forget to comment, like, reblog, and whatever else! Stay weird, my fellow humans.

Previous

Next

[augment-techs]

Write for 15 minutes without deleting anything

This part is short because I kind of...extended it. Sorry to @ajgrey9647 for using graft cut; but I can't mix these on here very well ^^;

Aside from the black eye, fractured cheekbone, bruises from his back hitting a decrepit telephone pole that had somehow survived twenty years in desolation, and a thumbnail lost when he went through a boarded up storefront window, Skull was reasonably pleased that he had managed to get Jason back to the palace without much fuss. And also that he'd gotten back to the Grove only just before a massive thunderstorm, with horrendous amounts of rain that they all knew-knew-knew was going to cause flooding after it being dry and barren for so long. They'd still gotten wet and Skull had only just remembered to stay away from metal standing buildings and rubble, but carrying Jason unconscious in a princess carry meant the unconscious fellow probably wasn't going to catch a cold.

Would have been better if he hadn't needed to use acupuncture points in Jason's legs to temporarily paralyze him, but trying to talk him through his onset of PTSD after being told Drakkon was back and requesting help didn't seem to be working. Like, even a little bit. It was scary how Jason could go from zero to a hundred at even the first hint of being told he'd have to see the man again. Painful too; the man had certainly been getting into shape more since he'd left. Kim, at least, look marginally more apologetic about Skull's condition than Jason's when they arrived back; what with the former Red Ranger having passed out from hyperventilating so he looked almost peaceful (thankfully he'd shaved that atrocious beard since he'd last been in Angel Grove) and Skull having to treat his own injuries since there was no fucking way that he was going to see Finster-5. Would have been nice to have a moment of peace before Drakkon meandered into the room to coo at the occupants and their states of being--especially Jason, the look in his eyes when he saw the man getting wiped down while unconscious was ghastly--but Skull was pleased to note that Kim still had excellent aim; even if it was with a teacup and she couldn't feel that good about it hitting his face due to Drakkon basically having fallen back to something more like a human from yet another Power anomaly and the girl he brought with him, Kiya, practically smiting him with every bit of lightning she could after he got her out of her prison sentence. "Can you not be a Creeper for more than five minutes, asshole?" "History proves that I probably can't Kimmy, no," Drakkon smiled through the spatter of tea running down the unpleasant looking scars along the side of his face. He even added to his being gross by wiping at the tea with his hand and then licking it off, "Hm. Second-hand kisses."

[agirlwithachakram]

rewatching stranger things season 1 is such an experience. fascinating things include:

matthew modine watches a tween girl snap a guy’s neck with her mind because she feels attacked and is like “surely the best way to bring her back to the lab is chase her down in many vans with many scary guys in suits with weapons”

will is TINY

they’re all tiny babies but will is SUPER baby

eleven is so traumatized from the incident with original flavor jace wayland that she barely talks

it’s been four years since the child massacre and banishing Bad Vibes Blondie and she’s had all of matthew modine’s nefarious attention since then

“forget spying on our enemies. you saw a terrifying monster that eats meat? you should say hi!”

knowing now how the lights work, I love love love how s4 used a lite brite but am kind of delighted to see the christmas lights alphabet and imagining will climbing on the couch to touch the bulbs.

we’ve spent a lot of time in the upside down now, so. jeez. Will can hear his mom screaming the whole time.

So...was the demogorgon sent by kit marlowe or did it just happen to make contact, sort of accidentally and his evil blondieness caught wind?

i forgot steve was homophobic at jonathan and talked shit about will too. no wonder he got his block knocked off. jonathan was being a creeper but as a rule, you shouldn’t insult a guy’s dead and/or missing adorable baby brother. also saying homophobic slurs is extra unwise when the baby brother is probably gay.

man he really got his ass whipped by jonathan

first episode: “nancy’s always with that douchebag steve harrington” mike says, blissfully unaware that within the week they will all be adopting him.

demogorgon is the worst tracker in the history of predators. it chases will for an entire week. dude you suck.

i forgot jonathan made the nail bat and steve was just better at using it.

there is a sort of weird thing with the lights. the primary gate opens when eleven touches the demogorgon and all rifts stem from that. presumably the original “gate” to banish One Singular Sensation was just a temporary rift that may have loosened the jar, so to speak, but neither he nor el could access the other side for another four years. Anyway, when the primary gate opens, the upside down is sundered from the mundane plane, such that all mundane objects are mirrored in the upside down at the moment of sundering. Except the lights, because will can see and touch the xmas lights that winona didn’t have before, and the older gang can write in the lite brite. but they also can’t really touch the lights? only pass through them. so why didn’t nancy have a gun she could see but not touch from the other side?

one of the things the first season did really well was making us give a shit about a character who isn’t even in half the episodes, partly through casting and the few scenes we do get with him, and partly through winona and the boys’ feelings about losing him.

the “category five woman moment incoming” post rotates in my brain forever but especially rewatching this show

[blogparanormalexpresso2stuff]

Photographer gives a very detailed description of his close distance observation of a triangular UFO

Interview courtesy of Brian Vike (the Vike Report), 2005.

(Permission was giving by Mr. Vike to use his interview on EOC).

Date of broadcast: 11-01-2005. Date of sighting: Christmas night, 2003.

THUMBNAIL: DIGITAL DRAWINGS BASED ON THE EYEWITNESS DESCRIPTION OF HIS BLACK TRIANGLE UFO ENCOUNTER.

** VIDEO BACKGROUND PHOTO FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY! **

“Military Helicopters Peruse Black Triangle UFO In The Sky Over Little Rock Arkansas:”

Essentially, two vehicles came swooping in toward the nearby landing-strip of the Little Rock Airport, just after twilight. About 6 minutes earlier I had noticed another plane leaving the same airspace as it took off S-W towards Dallas, at first making this appear to be a sensible, well choreographed normal flight-pattern.

Both were descending at an unacceptably high rate of speed, not unlike Flt.175, as it approached the WTC South Tower, just a few months prior. I instantly slowed from my usual 58mph freeway speed, to about 48mph, just slow enough to capture the active motion against a relatively stable foreground. It suddenly dawned on me that these aircraft were in hot pursuit!

Having a high degree of spatial recognition, I could see that I was approximating a situation where I might be entering a point of impact, so I slowed my vehicle as much as I could, practically do without serious risk to other traffic. Even 39mph suddenly felt like a suicide rate, so I dropped it down to second and got into the creeper-lane. That's when it all became clear that I was observing a real UFO.

The vehicles leveled-off at an altitude of just about 1,000 feet. and continued at me for about 1 mile. Their additional descent went unnoticed until the first craft slowed to a nearly parked position. Behind him, was a full battle-ready Huey helicopter which also came to a sudden halt, much as though he was scared of getting more than an inch closer.

Very gently, the Black Triangle proceeded to move forward and I rolled to a position just beyond it's wingspan. At that point, it was about 1 1/2 blocks to my Left, so I could see the entire thing through my driver's side window, but as it moved, it was to leave the entire bird visible through, and virtually filling my Jeep's entire windshield.

I looked intensely at every portion of that machine, knowing it could not be faithfully photographed at night. Lucky for me all of it's lights were operational and I believe that I observed all of the fundamental attributes of their behavior in this 'idle' mode. My feeling was both one of terror and relief. My biggest fear was that the helicopter would fire upon it and I would be caught in the fireball below!

To my hard left, another troop-type helicopter appeared. I'll discuss that one later.

I knew that I needed a comparable reference to describe the UFO's actual scale which still eludes me somewhat. Altitudes of 900' would seem more reasonable than say, 500 feet., but that was probably it's very lowest hovering height. In order to lock my eyes on the thing throughout the entire progression, I eventually sat in the window with my head above the car itself.

[thewritermuses]

Blue Velvet

Blue Velvet

Unedited Thoughts - This is part of my unedited thoughts series. I came to this film straight after finishing Twin Peaks season one. This was a complete coincidence but lead to some interesting thoughts as soon as I saw 'Directed by David Lynch' in the titles. What sort of wild ride were we in for? Lynch doesn't keep us waiting long - after the lead's father suffers a heart attack in the opening scene there is a disturbing close-up into beetles in the grass. This trope occurs a number of other times in the film - the ants in the infamous ear is another one that jumps out. I'm not exactly sure what he is saying with either of these shots but boy do we know he is saying it. We very quickly meet the lead, Geoffrey,  following this. He finds the instigating ear in the part behind his house while walking home from visiting his father in the hospital. Geoffrey becomes interested in the case and the tit-bits of information that he garners from the detective's daughter lead him down a path into the seedy underbelly of his home town. I find the role of the detective's daughter very interesting. At first we feel that Geoffrey is just using her to find out more information about the case - which she is eager to volunteer. Then he starts to take more of an interest in her - kind-of - this is not clear. She is upset when her boyfriend finds out about her and Geoffrey's escapades. But then there is this party they go to where she declares her love for him and he says it back - with a little hesitation but not enough to really read much into. Then on their way home they come across the naked and distraught Dorothy. The way that Geoffrey holds Dorothy reveals that she is much more than the focus of Geoffrey's investigation and Sandy is beside herself. Geoffrey also seems upset by the whole experience. But it does feel that this scene exemplifies his pull between the dark side (Dorothy) and the light (Sandy). From the moment he finds the ear Geoffrey takes more and more risky steps to find out what is going on. To start off with this is just interest but it morphs into love/lust for Dorothy and wanting to save her kidnapped partner and child. I'm not sure what he thought would happen if he was successful. There are some really weird lines in this film. When Geoffrey is breaking into Dorothy's apartment Sandy says: "I don't know if you're a detective or a pervert." To which Geoffrey replies: "That's for me to know and for you to find out." Yep Creeper. There are some neat moments that are handled really well. For example, Sandy is going to signal Dorothy's return to the apartment but Geoffrey misses the signal because he is using the bathroom. This is because he was drinking beer before - all well setup for an important plot point that could have come off as contrived. All of the normal tropes of this sort of film are broken almost instantly. Geoffrey gets caught - then he falls in love with Dorothy. Then he starts to become the horrible man that he has just watched beat Dorothy. The steps into the underbelly of the town are easy for him to make and he soon understands a lot of what is going on with the gang that has kidnapped Dorothy's husband and child. Then he gets caught by the gang. The weirdness of the gangs antics get turned up a notch and Geoffrey takes it all in his stride even hitting Frank when he decides it has gone too far. We learn that some of the cops are rotten and the detective might even be in on it. But Geoffrey doesn't care. Like when he hit Frank with a likely change of death - he wades into the gang war to try and save Dorothy. The shoot out and the end is great. Both the cops taking the gang headquarters and Geoffrey confronting Frank in Dorothy's apartment - powerful stuff. Read the full article

[leowolf0816]

Justice is Sweet// Ch7

Chapter Six

Word count:1286

Amber's P.O.V

As the end of work came Karen and Foggy had "convinced" me to go out to Josie's for a drink when in reality I had to go to Josie's anyway in hopes of catching the creeper. He hadn't bothered Alisa in a while but I stopped by every other night to make sure. 

I had been practicing shifting my Ink into a suit that could hide my identity and move well with my movements. I had gotten it to the point where it was perfect and I had to admit I looked hot. 

Karen had pushed me to ask Matt to come with us due to his "crush" as she said. I couldn't help but glare at her before finally caving and walking to his office. As I raised my hand to knock his office door opened revealing him all packed up and ready to go.

"Are we going to Josie's tonight?" he asked with a charming smile receiving a "hell yeah" from Foggy and a "definitely" from Karen. 

I softly smile at everyone's excitement. "And you Amber are you coming?" he seemed genuinely curious and he had this look on his face that said if I didn't come he'd withdraw his original statement. 

"Yeah my roommate Alisa works there and I could use a good drink" I laughed at the excited look on his face before I softly grab his hand and place it on my arm so that I could lead him. By doing so I got a glance or two of approval from Karen and a not-so-subtle joke from Foggy. I rolled my eyes and slowly we made our way to the bar. 

The walk was filled with conversation that seemed to bounce from topic to topic. As we walked into the bar we were laughing like crazy over something Foggy had said. My smile dropped as I noticed my roommate with a sour look as a tall and older-looking man leaned over the bar. 

I excused myself and made my way closer. I flagged down my roommate giving her an excuse to leave. 

"Oh my god, you are my savior in silken business attire" she joked making me laugh. "So what can I get you, my beautiful knight?" I glared at her softly before feeling a presence right next to me. The smell of cigarettes and old trash filled my nose making me nearly gag. I glanced to my side in time to step away before he could touch my ass. I glared at him and his rotten tired features. He was a walking Zombie and I knew instantly who he was but the look on Alisa's face just confirmed it.

"Well looky here what do we have standing before good old me" I grimaced at his words. 

Did this bitch just really say that?

"is this fine piece of ass the reason you keep turning me down sweetheart?" he glances at my roommate with hungry eyes.

A shiver gets sent up my spine as another presence appears behind me. Although this one is much more agreeable as his warm breath reaches my ear and he speaks in a way that makes my heart skip a beat.  "Well isn't this an interesting situation do you need me to say something angel?" as he calls me angel I feel a hand slowly slip around my waist. The corpse in front of me sneers at the sight making me smirk leaning back into Matt to further push the image that I am "taken".

"No, my love I'm ok I just realized I never asked you and the others your orders..." I feel the slight pressure of his chin on my shoulder. "do you mind getting the orders well I catch up with my friend behind the bar and once I'm done I have to make a quick call..." The corpse's eyes glint and I know I have him where I need him. He'll do just what I predicted and it will help make it quick for me to do what I need to do before making it back to my friends. "And once I'm done with my call I'll join you again" I smiled at my roommate as she looked at me with an amused and questioning glare. I give her a look that simply says I'll explain later.

He gives me a soft squeeze close mumbling an ok into my hair before turning to my friend getting a few beers and heading back over to Karen and Foggy who instantly question him about what the fuck just happened made me laugh. As I turn back to Alisa I lean in close whispering in her ear that he was making sure the creep wasn't going to do anything as I had mentioned in passing about what he had done to my roommate. I mentioned that Foggy promised to keep an eye on him if he showed up tonight and that they would intervene if he did anything too...touchy.

Once I was done explaining I headed for the door pulling out my phone to make my "call" with a soft smile as I felt his eyes follow me. Once I had made it to the alley I smiled as the ink rose to the surface coating my body in a protective shell that felt like soft and easy to move in cloth. 

I blended into the shadows and waited for him. He didn't take long as he was an impatient pig who believed women should grovel at his feet. Slowly I let the ink spill into two hard polls in my grasp and as he walked around the corner I struck out his knee and quickly tied a cloth around his mouth keeping him quiet as I proceeded to beat the everliving crap out of him before pulling him up and pinning him to a wall smirking at his fear-filled face as his feet dangled above the ground. 

I slowly growled out a threat and warning. He whimpered out a muffled beg as a pool of Urine built in the crotch of his pants before dripping down the leg and into his shoe. I smiled at his fear and pain but I didn't enjoy it but I honored the justice I brought for my friend. 

My ear perked up at someone coming close to the alley. I quickly shoved him into a trashcan before letting the ink fade from my skin until I was normal again. Lifting my phone to my ear I mumbled a few quick words as my eyes drifted to Matt walking into the alley face covered in worry as he called out my name. 

I smiled saying goodbye to the imaginary person on the phone before pretending to hang up and walk toward Matt questioning why he was looking for me and if everything was ok. I rested my hand on his arm as he spoke seeming to calm him down slowly. 

"Yeah everything is fine just Foggy told me that the creep had walked out after you and I was worried he was going to hurt you" He seemed out of breath as he spoke and I felt my heart melt at his worry. Glancing at the can smiling at the soft rumble of the man moving in the trashcan. I reassured Matt before sending him back into the bar making an anonymous call to the cops hinting them to the man trapped in the trashcan. I quickly removed the sim card of the burner phone before breaking it and chucking it into the alley. Before heading back to enjoy the rest of my night.

[keigokoutarou]

“Do you like my hips?” Pt. 1.5

Simon “Ghost” Riley x AFAB!Reader

Pt. 1.5 bc I love cliffhangers *smooches*

Find Pt. 1 here! | Pt. 2

Warnings: welcome to my tit talk (literally that’s all that’s here) Suggestive content

Oh you were writhing. Shaking. Beaming with excitement in your seat as you looked at yourself in the review mirror. The ride to base had never felt so fucking long. This 20 minutes used to feel like bliss before you had to deal with the guys but today? You were sure the speed you traveled was considered reckless.

Pulling up to the gate, you stopped for the MP to check your I.D.

“No camos today again sergeant?” The MP asked, trying so hard not to eye your chest.

“Another maintenance day.” You shrugged. “Gotta get the buggies in good shape before our next mission.”

“Yes ma’am.” He smiled. “Have a good one, Sergeant.”

Oh, I will. You thought to yourself as you waved him off and headed toward the yard as you and soap called it.

Pulling in, you noticed a few other cars and began counting them out.

Price’s Raptor, Gaz’s AMG and Soap’s old FJ. You groaned in annoyance.

“If he doesn’t show today, I’m going to lose it.” You grumbled, pulling your keys and sliding out of your rebuilt rx-7 before shutting and locking the door behind you.

You almost stomped your way through the yard to the last set of buggies that needed attention.

“Swear I could hear you coming down the highway in that thing.” Soap laughed, rubbing his hands on a greasy towel.

“Funny, I didn’t think she was loud enough.” You smirked, following Soap back to the one he was working on.

“We’re about done, just need to do two more oil changes.” He sighed, rubbing his forehead to clear the beads of sweat.

“I can start on one then.” You nodded your head.

“I laid everything out already but um, don’t want to like cover up first?” He raised an eyebrow, lifting his hands up to his chest. “Lieutenant seemed pissed on Tuesday about it.”

“Oh did he?” You quirked an eyebrow. “What makes you say that?”

“Heard him bitching to himself about you ‘flaunting’ all over base after you left.” Soap shrugged.

“Seems like he just needs to get over himself.” You giggled.

“Or he needs to get laid.” Soap chuckled along side you.

“Is he even coming today?” You threw in, silently thanking Soap for leaving the opening.

“He’ll be in shortly. Said he was meeting with Alejandro, the guy we have our new mission with.”

“Ah.” You nodded. “I’ll get started then. Wouldn’t want lieutenant pouty to have my ass.”

“I dunno, he might want to.” Soap winked, turning his back to you and returning to his work.

“Oh you have no idea.” You mumbled to yourself before heading toward the truck.

Time had flown by since you laid on the creeper and rolled yourself up under the buggy with tools in hand.

“Ah, fuck.” You groaned as the bolt to the oil pan fell straight into the drip pan with oil spouting out over top of it. Rolling your eyes, you huffed and dropped your wrench and socket beside you before leaning over to look for the bolt.

“Little shit.” You hissed at the little metal knob for falling instead of staying in the socket. You leaned the opposite way, dropping into a random pan you had found to hold anything important and prevent them from rolling away.

Laying back on the creeper again with a huff, you looked at the engine oil staining your hand and like a light bulb switched, you were filled with a genius idea.

“Whoops.” You giggled to yourself as you wiped the oil on the front of your shirt and purposely made sure a smear or two landed on the tops of your breasts. “Wonder how that got there.”

Evil it was and evil you were. Maybe you had started this deadly war, you thought to yourself as you waited for the oil to drain, but Simon made his move and it would be wrong not to engage in such a fun game of chess.

You were impatient as time passed, closing up the oil pan as it finished draining. On the last turn to tighten it with all your might, you heard your favorite sound.

“She should be around here somewhere.” You heard a deep voice break the every day noise of the base.

It was your beckoned fucking call. You smiled, checking your cleavage to make sure it was ample in its beauty before looking to the sides of you to spot Simon’s signature walk.

To your left, you noticed him approaching from the direction Soap was in. Beside him you noticed another set of legs and you realized that it must have been Alejandro. Your smile turned from excited to devious in seconds. This was going to be fun.

You waited until the got closer, assuming Simon had seen you since he called out your name.

You pushed yourself off the suspension and slid out from under the buggy on the creeper. You held your hand out to shield your eyes from the sun and to catch a clean look at your Lieutenants face.

He held his hand out to you, offering help to get you up so you could properly greet. You smiled, meeting his eyes with a knowing smirk as he not so shamelessly eyed your chest. This time, he wasn’t subtle. His hand gripped yours tighter than ever and in that instant, you wondered what it would feel like grabbing at the inside of your thighs.

“Sergeant.” Simon sounded so annoyed. You were glad.

“Lieutenant Riley.” You were absolutely beaming.

“I’d like you to meet Colonel Alejandro Rojas.” He gritted his teeth, trying so hard to maintain an even tone.

You narrowed your eyes slightly in a playful way before turning your attention to the man beside him.

“Sergeant F/N L/N.” You smiled, extending your hand for a handshake. “Nice to meet you.”

“Pleasure is all mine.” He might have smiled a little to hard but you knew Simon caught it and that’s all you cared about.

“I’m excited to get a chance to work with you. Captain Price says you’re great with a Lachmann.” You ignored the tall angry man beside you, fully engaging with Alejandro.

“He speaks too highly of me.” Alejandro chuckled.

“I doubt that.” You waved off his comment. “You’ll have to show me sometime.”

Alejandro nodded, fully unaware of the part he played as pawn. Sure it was a cheap move but it was too easy. Too easy to dig the hypothetical knife just a little deeper into Simon’s side.

“Price wanted to go over some finer details with you before tonight’s big debrief.” Simon interrupted. “He’s in the large building over there, I’ll catch up with you.”

Alejandro nodded, bidding you one more small smile before walking off and leaving you with Ghost.

You crossed your arms, being sure to push your chest out just a little more as you turned to fully face him in a challenge as you looked up at your lieutenant.

“Playing dirty now, aren’t we?” His tone was shifting, dare you say to a more angry one.

“Was I?” You played innocent, almost batting your lashes at the man.

His eyes seemed to flash with excitement at the realization that you wanted to play. Not just submit to him because that would be too easy. You wanted to draw out this game with him as long as possible.

“You little minx.” He shook his head, crossing his arms to match your stance.

“Lieutenant Riley, I’m not sure that’s how you should speak to your peers.” You tilted your head to the side. “It wouldn’t be great for team morale.”

He looked at you, eyes darting between each of yours and then squaring with your chest.

“This is a dangerous game you’re playing at, Sergeant.” His voice was even now, smooth and coated in lust.

“Is it now?” You stepped closer to him, looking up through your eyelashes. “If I recall, you’re the one who started this little game of ours.” Your smirk was wicked and he loved it. “I thought about just giving into you because I’m sure you’d just love that… but giving up this soon would be a waste.”

“You look tough now.” His hands fell to his side, making a step to match yours and close the gap. His index finger found its way under your chin, tilting your face up toward him and making your lips part slightly. “I bet I can wipe that cocky smirk right off.”

“Is that so?” You were trying. So. Fucking. Hard. You almost felt like you were shaking with excitement.

“Give me one chance.” When had his face gotten so close? You could almost feel the puffs of air coming through his mask.

He was being blatant now and that earned him a sweet little gasp from your lips.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” His words were now close to your ear, breaking every rule in the book by playing this game with you out in the open. “My quarters tonight. 9 P.M.”

He stepped back, allowing you to breathe. You took an extra step at the snap back into reality.

“I didn’t take you as a beggar, Simon.” You smiled. “We’ll see about tonight.” You waved, turning on your heels in an unknown direction to put distance between you and Simon.

“Fucking hell.” He released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding as he watched you walk away and out of sight.