#i dunno i'm just gonna throw this out there and then continue to work on the essay i want to and am able to fully write

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

Y'know, it's unfortunate more people don't compare Louis and Violet in good faith.

Like, when I do see people compare them, it's usually through the lens of one is good, and the other bad. One is more canon than the other, and here's why. One is objectively better for Clementine, and the other is less impactful, worse written, didn't have chemistry with her, insert several insults here, etc.

I don't think it's inherently bad to express why you might not like one of them, or why you prefer one over the other. That's fine, that's a matter of opinion. It only gets to me when it becomes hostile, or passive aggressive... but even then, I've learned to just roll my eyes and move on. Some people make it very clear that they're not worth having a discussion with.

However, I wish I could read more nuanced comparisons of the two that didn't default to the "and that's why this one is better." At least some are kind enough to tack on a "for my Clementine" at the end.

You know how it goes: Louis is cute and he makes Clementine laugh, whereas Violet's boring, her love is shallow, she's still not over Minerva and she's using Clementine as a rebound. Violentine's a bad ship because Violet's actually a traitor, and they're practically the same person and that's bad.

Violet's loyal and reliable, whereas Louis is annoying, he never takes anything serious, he's a traitor for his vote, and he's nothing but a distraction. Clouis is a bad ship because how could any Clementine possibly like him after he voted her and AJ out? That's bad!

That's always the conclusion, right? One good, one bad.

This is incredibly limiting and it drives me nuts.

They're foils. They contrast one another, highlight each other's strengths and flaws, in such an interesting way that it makes Clementine's choice between them all the more meaningful.

One is not good and the other bad, they're different, and I think that's worth exploring.

Let's start with a common argument: Violet is the more impactful option due to her connection to Minerva.

Now, to be fair, I can understand why someone on Team Violet would believe this. Yes, it's true that the confrontation with Minerva is more impactful for a violentine shipper who has more investment in Violet as a character. Louis doesn't have as strong of a connection to her.

However, what they're failing to recognize is that Minerva isn't the only ghost to haunt this narrative. Violet may have Minerva, yes, but Louis has Marlon... and that doesn't just go away once Marlon's dead.

Violet's route has Minerva as her ex-girlfriend, and her bond with Tenn that all comes to a head on the bridge. Louis' route has Marlon's death and how that specifically impacts his relationship with AJ and Clementine, and the slow burn of forgiveness on all sides.

Marlon and Minerva are also reflective of Clementine's worst outcomes.

Clementine and Marlon were tied together through Brody's blood splattered on their hands and faces. They both killed a part of Brody, but only one of them lies about who killed her first.

After Marlon dies, Clementine gradually replaces him throughout the game; Rosie is her dog now, she uses his bow [which Louis gave her], she becomes the leader. Clementine gets them to fight back, and when three of her people are captured, she doesn't cut her losses. She does what Marlon couldn't; "we're getting them back."

When she chooses Louis, he does for her what he never did for Marlon: he steps up.

Clementine proves she won't become Marlon just as she proves she won't become Minerva.

After getting James to agree to help them, Clementine and AJ talk about what to do if she ever gets bit. AJ says he'd want her to bite him, too. He repeats this sentiment after she's actually bitten, telling her he wants to stay and they could turn together, peacefully.

When Minerva confronts them on the bridge, she's dying... and she wants Tenn to die with her. She doesn't care who she has to kill in the process. She's more monster than human at this point, and most times, she succeeds.

They're both bitten. Clementine could've become a monster like Minerva in the end. She could've killed AJ, and they could've become walkers together. But she didn't. Minerva wanted Tenn to die for her, and Clementine wanted AJ to live for her.

Also, I should mention she has Minerva's axe. She carries the key weapons associated with Marlon and Minerva throughout different points in the game, further solidifying these connections. She uses Marlon's bow to save her friends, and she uses Minerva's axe to save AJ, who in turn uses it to save her.

What's also so interesting about this is how Marlon's alive in episode one, and Minerva is thought to be dead. Louis has his best friend, and Violet's lost hers. But, at the end of the episode, Marlon's dead and Minerva's revealed to be alive.

Marlon becomes the ghost, and Minerva becomes the monster. Clementine becomes to Louis and Violet what Marlon and Minerva never could... how does that not drive anyone else insane?

So, no. One is not objectively better, or more impactful, because of a connection to Marlon or Minerva. They're different. It just depends on which storyline you personally find more compelling.

Actually, let's talk about that a little more.

In my opinion, the most intriguing point of comparison between Louis and Violet stems from their perceptions of survival, and how that impacts Clementine.

An argument I see made against violentine is that Violet's boring because she and Clementine are too similar. This usually comes from clouis shippers who prefer the "opposites attract" dynamic Clementine and Louis have.

On the flip side, there's the counter argument that Louis is reckless, that he doesn't take survival as seriously as he should and Clementine wouldn't want him because of that.

These are interesting to me because I get where they're coming from... but they ultimately miss the point.

The other day, I replayed TFS. Except this time, I did something a little bit differently. I played my usual clouis route, but then I had the violentine route pulled up on my laptop so that I could watch these scenes, comparing them side by side… and something occurred to me. 

Louis is about challenging Clementine's perception of survival, and Violet is about validating it.

Louis challenges Clementine from the very moment we meet him—he’s playing music. His initial philosophy on survival butts heads with Clementine’s. The fact that hunting with him and Aasim challenges your perception of “your choices have consequences.” These games have conditioned the player to think along the lines of, “Yeah, Louis is more fun… but if I don’t hunt with Aasim, we won’t have any food.”

Except that’s just it. I hate to say it, Aasim, but in the grand scheme of things… hunting with you doesn’t matter. It's actually less rewarding. You know why? Because in the next section, we get food from the train station. It would’ve been more beneficial to spend time with Louis over hunting, hence how he challenges you.  

This then primes you for the choice between choosing to follow Louis or follow Violet. I know people complain about how this is presented with Violet doing something productive [checking the walls] and Louis playing piano… but that’s the point. If you’re going through with Louis’ full route, you need to meet him at his level, and in turn, he will meet you at yours. You need to accept the challenge, the idea that Clementine isn’t entirely right about the way she’s gone about survival.

Oh, and do I even need to mention the vote? The debate over Louis’ vote is exhausting. Often times, people tell on themselves in how they talk about it. It’s not actually about the fact that he voted against them. If it was, these people would have a bigger bone with pick with Mitch, Willy, Ruby, and Omar… and yet Louis is the one who takes all the blame as if he’s the only one personally kicking them out. 

Louis is reacting to the death of his best friend, and the complicated feelings that come with it being caused by AJ. He wants accountability, even if he knows something's wrong. You can either agree with him that it was murder, and set AJ on the path of atonement… or, you can double down and tell him to fuck off, AJ was justified. 

But here’s the thing… the vote adds to the appeal of Louis’ route. To someone who hates him, or at the very least is critical of his vote, that sounds mad or delusional.

Except it’s really not.

Ever heard of a thing called tension? Because there’s a lot of it in ep2 between clouis + AJ and it’s fantastic.

Yes, Louis voting them out is problematic because we need a problem to solve. We need something to feed the tension between him and Clementine. He stepped in front of a gun held by his best friend in order to protect her, forever changing their relationship… only for that to seemingly be taken away from us the moment AJ shoots Marlon. 

Yes, Louis’ route is about being challenged, but it’s also about challenging him. That he’s able to forgive them, that he’s able to question his own survival philosophy and understand theirs, that he’s able to apologize and actually change for the better… that right there is what makes clouis so damn good. 

He becomes hardened whereas Clementine softens. By the end of the game, they’re on a similar level now without neglecting their differences, and they can move forward together. 

That’s what makes Louis’ route appealing… and it’s also what makes it unappealing to people who prefer Violet. 

By contrast, Violet’s already on Clementine’s level when it comes to this perception of survival. She validates that Clementine’s on the right path.

They have other similarities in the way that they’re both female, queer, they both have a kid they look after, they’re not always great with other people, etc. 

People who prefer Louis might consider this boring, but I think to Team Violet, it’s comforting. It’s comforting to have a partner who takes this as seriously as you do, who wants to get shit done. They’re playing Clementine with a similar attitude, and don’t believe it needs to be challenged. It’s comforting to feel validated on something you already firmly believe in. 

We also see this if we compare the hunting and fishing scenes. You have to make an effort to choose Louis by choosing to neglect hunting, but the game makes you fish with Violet no matter what.

Violet’s prioritizing fishing because they need food. That’s what they’ve set out to do, so let’s do it. The game is letting you know that’s the case, and if you value that, continue pursuing her. 

While fishing, they discuss why things are weird with her and Brody. Violet doesn’t take well to Clementine’s blunt, “Because you make it weird. Brody tries and you just make fun of her."

That’s understandable because I think she already kind of knows why and is looking to have her feelings validated. She prefers it when Clementine suggests that it’s because Brody never said sorry for what happened to the twins. 

There’s also comfort and validation in the way Violet sides with Clementine and AJ after Marlon’s death. She votes for them to stay, vocalizing how much she disapproves of the results. There’s this feeling that I recognize from a lot of the sapphic romance I read; “it’s you and me against the world, I’ll always have your back, even if you’re in the wrong, I’ll fight for you.”

In our case, it’s violentine + AJ against the rest of Ericson, save Tenn and Aasim. Violet validates that AJ was justified because Marlon was a liar and murderer, claiming that AJ and Clementine did nothing wrong. Violet fights to keep them. 

The tension between violentine in ep2 is different because instead of one pushing the other away, they’re being forced apart by the vote and there’s nothing they can do about it. That tension is somewhat released when Clementine comes back and they’re reunited, working out a plan to best defend the school. 

It’s also why Violet’s presented as doing something productive when you follow her instead of Louis, and why she asks if you want to hang out after checking the defenses. 

All that being said, allow me to reiterate that one is not good and the other bad, they're different. These concepts of challenge and change/validation and comfort exist on a neutral road as diverging paths. It’s up to the player to pick what path they prefer, but that doesn’t mean the other path isn’t worth acknowledging or analyzing. 

I should also mention that they’re not exclusive; there is overlap with validation being present in Louis’ route and challenges in Violet’s. They’re just more present in episodes 3 and 4 after we’ve made our decision. 

There are several more examples of how this all fits together, buuuuut–

Ya’ll wanna compare some allegories?

Those familiar with my content might already know where I’m going with this as I’ve made a post about Louis and the piano in the past. 

You see, I believe that there are allegories for Louis and Violet’s hearts present in their routes: Louis’ piano, and Violet’s pin. 

I already have a thorough, in-depth analysis of Louis and the piano that you can read, so all I’ll say about it is that on the night of the raid, he asked Clementine to carve a piece of herself into his heart so that no matter what, their initials will be immortalized together in its wood…

And that makes me fucking feral. 

But I'm also so normal about it.

As for Violet, her heart is the star gazing pin she gives to Clementine. She gives it to her so she’ll always remember that night… but she doesn’t give it to her until after Clementine’s saved her, and that fascinates me in the context of it being allegory. 

Louis asks Clementine to carve herself into his heart right before the raid, cementing that from that moment on, he is utterly devoted to her. I believe this is part of the reason why Louis is still happy to see her if he’s the one who’s captured. Yes, yes, he’s also incredibly traumatized from having his tongue cut out and he’d be happy to see anyone, yada yada… but listen, if you romance Louis and he’s captured, his heart remains with her—that piano with their intitals is on full display. When he sees her, he’s still so devoted to her that he refuses to accept that it’s at all her fault. Even when she says it is, he shakes his head... and he so easily accepts her when they’re together in the end. From the moment Clementine puts knife to wood, he’s hers. 

Now, look… you might think I’m going somewhere not great with this but hear me out. 

I think after Clementine’s gone star gazing with her, Violet is fully ready to give her heart to her. Y’know, give her the pin. But, think about what Violet said about how people have left, but Clementine came back. Plus, with the impending raid to think about, maybe Violet should keep the pin until the right moment. 

I believe a key difference between her and Louis is that Violet needs one last thing to solidify that Clementine’s the one. 

Louis gives her his heart prior to the raid because of everything that’s already gone down between them following Marlon’s death. Violet needs to know that Clementine’s willing to fight for her the way she fought before. When Clementine saves her from the raiders, it’s solidified. Even after she sees Minerva again, it changes nothing.

It’s also worth noting that the pin is something Clementine wears. Like the piano carving, it’s a piece on display for everyone to see, to let them know whose heart Clementine has.

Violet literally handed Clementine her heart as a means of saying, “I’m yours. I’m devoted to you.” 

This is why romanced/captured Violet is devastating, and is why she behaves the way she does in the cells. She was so ready to give her heart away and then nope, sorry, Vi! You get knocked unconscious by raiders instead! 

If anything, you kind of deserve to be told to fuck off if you romanced her and then let her get captured. Just sayin’. 

Look, I have a lot of complicated feelings about the captured violentine route, mostly with Violet being as forgiving as she is after her eyes are burned—yes, yes, I know, her eyes are burned and Minerva messed with her head so of course now she’s not hostile, yada, yada. 

But I think it’s rather telling that you don’t get the pin in this route. Sure, Violet’s willing to forgive and possibly pursue this romance in the future… but she’s not ready to hand over her heart, not truly. Not after everything that’s happened. 

And if you want to get extra angsty about it, imagine that Violet made the pin right after they parted ways, but before the raiders came. Meaning that if she’s captured, it’s possibly still sitting somewhere, abandoned. 

Mmhmmm, very normal about this. I feel normal. My normalness about this continues... normally. I'm not losing my shit thinking about that. Nope. Why would I? I wouldn't! So normal.

Okay just let me talk about their reactions to Tenn's death and then I'll shut up.

This makes me want to gnaw my own foot off, I can barely handle it.

AJ shoots Tenn on the bridge because Clementine trusted him to make the hard calls. This saves Louis or Violet's life.

When Louis jumps across, he's completely silent as he watches Tenn die... and then he's pissed; "What the fuck?! How could you just shoot him like that?!"

AJ explains himself, that he did it for him, and Louis is so upset that he forces AJ to look at what he's done, to watch the walkers eat Tenn; "Tenn's dead. He's dead! Do you realize that?! Look! [...] He's... he's gone, because of you. Just fucking gone."

If Clementine says AJ saved his life, Louis says, "So what, we just cut him loose? Gun him down like he was nothing?"

If Clementine says nothing, Louis says, "Tenn was just a little boy!"

The reason Louis responds this way is because in this moment, he just relived Marlon's death all over again, but worse. So, SO much worse!

When Violet jumps across, she breaks down, begging, "Oh, my God! Oh, my God! No, no! No, no, no..." as she watches Tenn die... and then says to AJ, "No! What the fuck?! How could you do that?!"

AJ explains himself, that he did it for her, and Violet is faaaar from okay; "For me? I can't... Tenn is gone! That soft little boy who liked to draw, he's gone, because of you!"

If Clementine says AJ saved her life, Violet says, "You think that's okay?! Just gunning down one of our own?!"

And there it is.

Louis is hardened in this situation because he already went through this... Violet hasn't, not with AJ. She softened up throughout her route due to her relationships to him and Clementine... but this is the moment where she realizes that maybe AJ wasn't as justified as she believed, and this is the consequence.

This leads us to the ending where AJ asks if they're still mad about him killing Tenn, and I just... I'm biting my foot right now because the script has flipped.

Louis is forgiving and understanding. He's soft, he's sympathetic, he shakes AJ's hand to let him know that all is forgiven and they're okay; "I... AJ, I guess it's like... You saw something I didn't. About the situation, I mean. Minnie and the walkers and Tenn, it's just all this chaos in my head when I think back on it. [...] Clem says you saved my life? Well, then, that's exactly what you did. And how can I stay mad at anyone for doing that?"

Or, alternatively, "He was your friend, AJ. I know you are hurting just as much as I am."

As for Violet? She's understanding, too... but she's not quite ready to forgive yet; "The thing you said on the bridge...that he was messing up all the time. It wasn't something new, you know. Tenn got himself or other people into trouble all the time, long before you guys got here. He was always so lost. He lived in a world that just...isn't there, you know? And that's why I tried to look after him. But when I was pulling him away from the walkers, and Minnie, I could also see...he just wasn't there anymore."

"So you're mad, but sad."

"Can I be that for a while?"

And it's completely understandable that she's hurting and struggling with how she feels about AJ moving forward! She wants to be okay, she wants to forgive him, she just needs time.

Now, because I'm forever bitter, but I'm gonna mention this as well: whenever I see someone point at Violet's scene and say, "See!? This is how LOUIS should've acted in ep2!" like... they're telling on themselves again. Not just that they don't understand Louis as a character or his route, but that they don't fully grasp Violet's part in this either. Or time frames, for that matter.

Let me put it to you in simple terms... they react the same.

After Marlon and Tenn die, they're upset. They're pissed. They blame AJ and yell at him. After they've had time to process what happened [Louis after the two week time skip, Violet after time passes between the bridge and the ending] they share the same, "I'm still upset about Marlon/Tenn. Can I be that for a while and still be your friend?" sentiment.

The difference is that Louis is treated poorly for it because of the vote, and because we feel it first hand for longer... Violet got to grieve off screen and come back after she's sorted herself out.

It's a disservice to both of their characters because it's rooted in that same mentality that I criticized at the beginning: "This is why one is better than the other."

Do I need to say it again? I'm gonna say it again.

One is not good and the other bad. They're different.

There are so many fun discussions that could come from putting Louis and Violet side by side, and examining them. I haven't even covered the different ways they're introduced, or compared their ep3 dates to see what it says about them and the overall narratives! What about the cell scenes!? How they react when Dorian's about the cut off their fingers! The way they approach James upon meeting him!

That last one in particular is especially funny! They're all under stress about blending in with a herd of walkers to infiltrate a boat to save their friends, and yet Louis easily saunters up to the guy wearing walker skins with a smile, and makes him laugh by saying, "Functional and fashionable. I'll take two."

Violet approaches James like he's an injured wild animal that's going to bite her, and bless her heart, she tries with, "I, uh… hey. Hey there, James. Sorry about Willy." Then James gives her this judgmental side-eye, like buddy? She's not the weirdo here.

There is so much potential to dissect here, and I want to see people do it... but I want them to do it fairly, in good faith.

I want to get away from the idea of comparing them to "prove" which is better because there is no objective better. There isn't! That's a waste of time!

I'm so done with The Debate™; it's unhelpful, it's annoying, and it's boring as shit. I've heard it all before, and you probably have, too.

I want to put Louis and Violet under a microscope and study them with the thought process of, "one does this and the other does that... what does it mean!? what does it say about the narrative!? Oh my god, they have the same opinion on this thing, WRITE THAT DOWN!"

So yeah, that's my ramble for the night.

I'm gonna go replay TFS for further research.

[distorted59]

HIII! I have a request if you have time, but after seeing what you did for Larsy Poo I need, - in fact, I am on my hands and knees for head cannons for James Het PLEASE 🧎🏻‍♀️

Thank you 😊 MWAH

Hey lovely!!! sorry it took a whole while, I'm finally back home and school and work are biting my ass. but, here it is!!! hope you enjoy! @buzzbuzzbowie also asked for this, thank you both! <3

Okay, so if we’re talking about 80s James, (like ‘81-’87), he’s definitely submissive asf!! he’s just… just… he was so shy and pretty LIKE SHUT UP SFKFSKSFSKJS. (he still is)

He def has mommy issues. So, he craves validation and care. Especially in the beginning, he’s still young and just into fame, could learn a thing or two. Once he gets older, more masculine, angrier and his voice deeper and deeper. He still has that need, it’s an itch no one can really scratch but you.

He was sexually inexperienced, (due to his family’s religions he had to leave health class and all that stuff). so just IMAGINE teaching young Jamie some things!!!! oml i’m melting!!!!! 

“Am I doing okay?” James pants from in between your thighs. He’s looking up at you through his bangs that are sticking to his sweaty forehead. His blue eyes twinkling with eagerness and lust.

“You’re doing great, baby.” You reassure him as you caress his hair lovingly. 

“Hmm, you taste so good.” He moans into your pussy and continues fucking you with his tongue.

Loves it when there’s a emotional connection, normally he’d fuck the shit out of girls/groupies without thinking twice. But, he loves it when he’s taken care of.

Loves the aftercare as well!! Cuddling or showering together, loves it when you wash his hair!

praising kink, mommy kink????? i dunno. I just know his whimpers and begging would be so pretty <3. 

Would get jealous pretty fast, he wants all of your attention on HIM. 

He’s also pretty protective of you, even as friends. Like, just imagine you and the bar hanging out at a bar, early Metallica days, and some guys are bothering you. This man would be prepared to throw hands. (just like he did for Larz, cuz he has a big mouth).

He has a big nose, so you can sit on it. (no headcanon tho, it’s the truth.)

He would call you all needy from his hotel room. (I see black album!James in my head). And i mean you know he’s fucking groupies, you know he is. but, he’s never satisfied, you got your fucking claws in him.

“Come on, pick up…” James mutters into the phone, he’s horny and desperate, only wanting to hear your voice.

“Hello?” Your tired voice rings through his ear.

“H-hey, sweetheart.” James stammers. “How are you? i miss you. Did I wake you?” he rushes through his words not wanting to be rude, but he is just so horny.

“hm, I’m good, baby.” you yawn. “You did wake me, but that’s okay.” 

He stays silent for a bit, he’s slowly stroking himself. Just your voice is enough to make him crazy. You can hear some hitched breaths through the phone and decide to play with him a little.

“What are you doing, baby?” 

“N-nothing, I’m just tired.” he quickens his pace, knowing what you’re doing.

“Do you miss me?” you ask, your hand wandering to your panties.

“Fuck, yes. Of course, baby.” 

“I miss you too, your voice, your touch…” You sigh. “you inside of me.”

“Oh, baby…” James lets out a strangled moan. “I need to feel you wrapped around me, I can’t take it.” 

James starts stroking his cock faster while you already have started playing with your clit. 

“Every night when I come off stage. I just think of you and I can’t….” James groans. “Can’t take it… need you here.” 

“You wanna know what I'd do?” 

“Yeah…”

“I’d ride you silly, until you’d see stars.” you moan.

“Fuck, so i can look at your pretty tits?” James gets closer to cumming.

“That’s right, darlin’.” 

“Are you playing with yourself too?” He asks, his mind is driving him wild. He is so jealous of your fingers right now. 

“Mhm.” you hum.

“Oh fuck, gonna cum, baby.” 

“Cum with me, babe.”

Both of you would cum all over yourself and say loving words to each other before falling asleep <3.

Now, if we’re talking about current James. holy fucking shit. the dilfiest fucking dilf on this fucking earth. 

His hands!!!! his fingers are super fucking skilled, this man can WORK them. stroking your hair, holding your hand, squeezing your thighs, making you suck his fingers while you look up at him innocently, lightly squeezing your throat with his other hand when you stop looking at him, finger-fucking you ‘till you cry… I can go on.

James and his cigars>>>>>>

Just imagine you sitting on his thigh, needy and desperate. He’s wearing some bootcut jeans that fit him perfectly. You’re in some comfortable pj shorts and slowly rubbing yourself on the material of his jeans. He’s really enjoying the view while smoking his cigar and puffing the smoke in your face. 

“What’s wrong, baby?” He places his free hand on your hip, secretly guiding your grinding. 

“Need more…” You whimper. “Please.” 

“Hmm… I don’t think so, baby.” he takes another drag and slowly blows the smoke in your face. “I think you can easily cum like this, can’t you?” 

He grins and holds the cigar close to your mouth, making you take a drag. You slowly inhale while maintaining eye-contact, James groans loudly and grips your hip tighter. You blow the smoke back into his face and try to kiss him. 

He gladly accepts the kiss and you can taste the cigar on his lips. You start grinding faster and moan into his mouth. James keeps guiding you and smirks up at your needy state. 

“Gonna cum all over my jeans, princess?”

He’d spoil you like crazy. You don’t want much, just him. but, he still takes care of you in every single way he can. 

 Feel like he might have a breeding kink, daddy kink and all that. He just wants to fill you all up and claim you. Mark you, show the world and everyone in it you are his. <3

 Imagine car rides with James???? I’d sell my left tit for that. (maybe not). Just a chill ride in one of his muscle cars, or his truck, love me some of that. Some music on low volume, the weather’s nice, the sun's about to set. Yes, just yes. 

Or staying at his house for dinner??? I would fucking love to chill in his backyard and he’s working over at the bbq. I just know this man can cook up a mean steak. 

Damn, now I’m hungry for James AND his cooking. 

[watarfallar]

Shoving these down your throats

Mumbo: Did you bring Lizzie? Cleo, gesturing to Etho: No, but I brought the next best thing. Mumbo: Etho? The next best thing would be Gem. Etho: I would be offended, but Gem is freakishly strong.

artyn: You're just jealous. All my friends tell me I remind them of Gem. The Squad: *screaming* Skizz: They look like Gem? Are you out of your fucking MIND? Scar: Gem, sweetie, I am SO sorry. I am SO SORRY that an ugly-ass bitch like this would even say that. Oh my god. Skizz: Gem? Gem? Gem? You know who you fucking look like? You fucking look like BigB!

Tango: Hey, how did my phone break? Lizzie: You were drunk yesterday. Tango: And? Skizz: You threw it. Tango: Why? Scott: You turned on airplane mode and kept screaming “FLY DAMN YOU!” Tango: And why didn’t you stop me?! Ren: We were busy laughing our asses off.

Bdubs: Hey, can we stay in your dorm tonight? Mumbo: Why? Bdubs: Impulse fiddled with an ouija board and cursed ours. BigB: Jimmy doesn't know how to banish spirits, so they just throw salt at them and yell "DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A HOTEL TO YOU?!"

Grian: What's the scariest horror movie you've ever watched? Pearl: IT. Scott: Annabelle. Jimmy: Paranormal Activity. Joel: High School Musical. All throughout high school I was scared that everyone was gonna randomly get up and start singing and dancing, and I would be the only one who doesn't know the words.

Etho: You know what? Etho: When I join this friend group I thought you guys would be dealing with my bullshit. *Scott, Skizz and Grian continue screaming about mold water* Etho:Not the other way around. Impulse: I dunno, sounds like you need to drink the mold water.

Impulse: How do I ask someone out? Jimmy: Roses are red, violets are blue, guess what, my bed has room for two. Impulse: No! BigB: Twinkle twinkle little star, we can do it in a car. Impulse: Stop! Joel: Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream, merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily I can make you scream. Impulse: I feel like the last one is verging dangerously into serial killer territory.

Martyn: When I see really attractive people like Scar, I just laugh because I know if we lived in the Aztec culture, they'd be sacrificed for their beauty. Jimmy: I mean, that's one way to cope with not being attractive. Impulse: Works for me.

Tango: What's the most efficient way to burn calories? Skizz: Exercise more! Scott: Set yourself on fire. Jimmy: There are two kinds of people.

Bdubs, writing in a letter: "I'm going to kick.. your... ass." Bdubs: THERE. Now send it. Joel: Dude, your handwriting's terrible, are you sure you want to- Bdubs: JUST DO IT! later Etho: So what does it say? Lizzie, reading the letter: They say they're going to "lick my...." Etho: Lizzie: Etho: Gross-

Ren: Why did you kidnap Etho!?!?! Pearl: Ah- um- well- the reason for that is, uhh... Joel: Sometimes, we must work together towards a common goal. Ren: NOT TO KIDNAP PEOPLE!

Tango: Subs are so fun to play with. All you have to do is hint at what you might do, back them into a corner with a look, or grab their wrist in a certain way and they're a wide-eyed mess. Scar: What the fuck kind of Subway are you going to? Ren: Substitute teachers deal with so much shit. Skizz: Guys.

Gem: It’s Christmas! Are you all in a Christmas mood?! Jimmy: Merry crisis. Ren: Jingle bells, jingle bells, single all the way. Scott: Hoe hoe hoe. Gem: Guys, please.

Mumbo: How would you guys deal with a toxic friend? Gem: Tell them how you really feel. Pearl: Slowly distance yourself from them. Lizzie: Engage in a 1v1 sword battle and if they lose they have to stop being toxic or pay the price. Mumbo, being handed a sword: …well heck.

Bdubs, filling out legal paperwork: Were you guys born AMAB or AFAB? Tango: Bold of you to assume I was born at all. Cleo: I personally was created in a lab. Jimmy: I just straight up spawned lol.

Gem: Is the plural of milf/dilf milfs/dilfs or milves/dilves? Impulse: Milfs. Grian: Milf/dilf is an acronym, you can't change the spelling to milves/dilves. Gem: Wait, they're acronyms? What do they stand for??? Tango: Mom in late forties, dad in late fourties. Tango: I learned that from the movie called M.I.L.F that I saw the trailer of in theaters probably 5 to 7 years ago. Grian: Mom/dad I'd Love to Fuck. Gem: WAIT, WHAT THE FUCK— Gem: I NEVER REALIZED IT WAS ACTUALLY HORNY! Tango: Oh, is it not mom in late fouries? Impulse: What? No! It isn't! Tango: THE MOVIE TRAILER LIED TO ME! Grian: Tango... Tango: THIS IS WHY I DIDN'T THINK CALLING PEOPLE MILFS WAS ALL THAT BAD BECAUSE IT STOOD FOR SOMETHING HARMLESS IT JUST HAD A SLIGHTLY SEXUAL CONNOTATION! Grian: I am entirely unsurprised that this is coming from you. Tango: GEM, DOES IT MAKE SENSE WHY I CALLED THE DIARY OF A WIMPY KID MOM A MILF NOW BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS LITERALLY JUST A DESCRIPTOR WITH FUNNY CONNOTATION! Gem: The word milf has been ruined for me. Impulse: THAT'S ITS DEFINITION, IT CAN'T BE RUINED THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS! Grian: Y'all are dumbasses.

Martyn: Why are you smiling? Jimmy: What? I can’t just be happy? Cleo: Ren tripped and fell in the parking lot.

Tango: A stake to the heart won't kill a vampire if their tits are big enough. Ren: Yeah, you just catch it. Impulse: Nah nah nah, deflects it. Stake? Just bounces right off. Done. Back to doing hot girl shit. Scar: Then I just use a spear instead. Tango: You are trying so hard to kill a vampire with big bazongas, and for what? Why would you do that to the ecosystem?

Scott: I have a question. BigB: Shoot. Scott: Is the S or C in scent silent? Martyn: Fuck you, I’m going to be thinking about this all day. BigB: Okay well, cent is pronounced the same way as scent so I’m gonna say the S is silent. Scott: Okay, but sent is also spelled the same way. Martyn: Google says that the C was added in the late seventeenth century, so I guess the S is silent. Lizzie: Plot twist, both the S and the C are silent and the E actually makes the sss sound. Martyn: Lizzie is not allowed to talk anymore.

Skizz: I didn’t know that air fryers are a real thing. Used to think that they were made up by the internet as a funny joke and that their purpose was to “fry air”. Impulse: WAIT, BUT IT FRIES THE AIR TO FRY THE FOOD?? Skizz: I DIDN’T KNOW IT WAS A KITCHEN APPLIANCE, MY FIRST ASSUMPTION WAS SOMETHING AKIN TO AN AIR CONDITIONER! Scott: IT’S NOT LIKE AN AIR CONDITIONER???? Scar: You guys clearly don’t own an air fryer.

*The gang when they drop food on the floor* Etho: Aw man. *Throws it away* Ren: Five second rule! Grian: Foolish germs, thinking they can stop me!? *Eats it off the floor* Tango: *Sobs on the floor*

Tango: I’m gonna die alone. Bdubs: Tango, you’re not gonna die alone. Tango: Jimmy, was my safety net, okay? They got married and now I have to get a snake. Etho: Uh-huh. Why is that? Tango: If I’m gonna be an old lonely person, I’m gonna need a thing, you know? A hook. Like that guy in the subway who eats his own face. Tango: So I figured I’ll be “Crazy Man With A Snake”, you know? Crazy snake man. Tango: Then I’ll get more snakes, call them my babies. Kids won’t walk past my place, they will run! RUN AWAY FROM CRAZY SNAKE MAN!

[the-real-treasure]

Treasure Treasure!

An OPLA Sanji x Reader

Master List Here

Previous Chapter: Whispered Wishes and Demanded Dishes

Chapter Four: Big Big Top Trouble and the Risks of Show Business

Summary: In a big top in a ruined town, a man claims a map he didn't steal, steals a hat that was never his and when things don't go his way, ends up in pieces. Just another night in show biz.

Trigger Warnings: Trigger Warnings: Threats and descriptions of violence, Reader's Devil Fruit power is overwhelming and overstimulating, yelling, torture, drowning, being dowsed in sea water is akin to being drugged Word Count: 6,344 **Edited 12/09/24**

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The only sound was the clicking of the safe, echoing across the empty ocean. At this time of night the water was barren of any other life, only the crew of your small sailing boat awake.

Luffy hung upside down above your heads, with you hovering next to Nami as she works. She glares up at him.

"Can you not do... that?" 

"Sorry. It's hard to sit still." He dropped his hat on to the deck and flipped down with it. Nami had turned her head away from him and was now staring at you.

"I noticed, you both have that problem." She muttered, eyes narrowing at your bobbing leg, heel hitting the deck in a continuous thumpthumpthumpthumpthump. You didn't hear her, staring at the deck and gnawing at the hard scar tissue peeking over the bandages at your thumb. Luffy stood and fixed his hat atop his head.

"I'm just feeling so.. so piratey!"

"Yeah? Well, you're gonna end up feeling watery if I have to throw you overboard. STOP. BOUNCING. YOUR LEG!" She gave you a hard whack. "I told you both I need absolute silence." You scooted away from her.

"I wasn't even doing anything."

"We know, we know," Luffy clambered up on the railing of the boat and began walking between the rigging, "Absolute silence. It's just that," You followed him and grabbed his leg nervously as he leaned over the bowspirit of the ship, "this is my first real pirate score. Can you believe that?" He twisted round to look back at the pair of you.

"Yeah, I can, because you told me right after you asked me, yet again to join your crew. I can't believe Y/n isn't a pirate though." You sighed.

"Again, why do you think that?"

"I dunno, maybe a combination of the suspicious bandages, the goofy outfit and the intense rage while fighting, how are you anything else?"

"I work in a restaurant, I literally just clean dishes and do stock orders." She eyes you suspiciously, and you shrug, "And occasionally tell rich clients they suck incredibly."

"And punch Marines!" Luffy chimed in helpfully.

Yeah, and punch Marines. Also," you flipped your jacket collar and pulled the flared skirt up to reveal the shimmery silk lining, "I have it on very good authority that I look cute."

"Authority from who, a blind seal?"

"I'll kill you and hide your body somewhere no one will ever find it."

"In the ridiculous giant pockets on your trousers?" You stuck your arms elbow deep into said pockets and glare at her.

"THEY'RE USEFUL FOR PUTTING THINGS IN!"

"Okaaaaay," Luffy calmed patting your shoulders as you snarled down at the orange-haired woman. "I was just thinking about how, when we're not fighting, we make a pretty good team." Luffy pulled you along to the mast before releasing you and leaning down over Nami's head to listen with her. "Is it open yet?"

"No." She gritted out. And can you please give me some quiet and some space?" With a whack, she knocks Luffy's hat off his head, the wind catching it. You and Luffy both lunge to catch it before it blows into the ocean, and you grab at the back of his shirt as he dangles over the side, arm outstretched. He had caught it, just. Pulling him back on to the deck he calls back to Nami.

"Hey. Not cool. Don't mess with my hat."

"Why do you care so much about that old thing anyway? It looks like you fished it out of the trash." He sits down inspecting it.

"One man's trash is another man's treasure."

"Will you three knock it off? I'm trying to take a nap" You glare into the small covered section at the back of the boat where Zoro was laying, having migrated across the boat a few times for prime napping position, hands behind his head.

"Oh I'm sorry, were we interrupting your beauty sleep?"

"Don't like what you see? Look away." You gagged and pretended to vomit over the edge of the ship. As you straighten, you hear the lock thunk and a gasp from Nami as she finally opens it. Twisting the handles, she pulls the safe open to reveal a map tube atop a confidential document and a bounty poster neatly rolled and tied with string.

"You did it!" Luffy breathed excitedly and she smiles at him, pulling out the tube and popping it open. She unfurled the paper and revealed the map depicting the portion of the Grand Line bordered by the East Blue, the islands littered across it labelled in neat but flowy script. Zoro walks up behind you all and pulls open the safe to look for himself.

"That's it? Isn't there supposed to be gold inside a safe? Or jewels? Huh, Treasure Treasure?" He rolls his head to look at you and you curl your lip at him. Nami scoffs.

"This is more valuable than gold. It's knowledge. This is a map to the Grand Line."

"The Grand Line! Ah," Luffy fixes his hat, "The Grand Line is just right... where is it exactly?" Nami looks between the pair of you.

"You're going there, but you two don't know where it is?"

"I know, it's," Your body pivots in place and you end up pointing south again. "Somewhere over that way." You shrug, "Just don't know, the specifics like."

"Guess I'll need a navigator on my crew." Luffy replied gleefully. Nami rolled her eyes and turned away.

Pulling out some chalk and sitting at the small hanging table, she started drawing.

"The seas are divided into four quadrants. East Blue, North Blue, West, South. This," she taps the squiggly drawing she had made, "thin strip of land that circles the globe is called the Red Line, and this," she draws a line curving though the centre of her world circle, "band across the middle is the Grand Line. A treacherous stretch of ocean with bigger islands, bigger cities, bigger pirates. Flush with riches and ripe for the picking."

"And that's where we're gonna find the One Piece!" Luffy cheered.

"I've taken out a lot of pirates looking for that thing. What is it? Like, a big diamond or something?"

"It's Gold Roger's treasure. He hid it somewhere in the Grand Line. All in one piece." Nami smacks the table.

"It's a myth. The reason no one's found it in 22 years is that it doesn't exist." Luffy smiled.

"Can't wait to see the look on your face when we find it."

An explosion ripples across the water, and red lights up the sky, pouring in through the small windows on either side of you.

"Is that the Marines?"

"How did they find us again?"

You all leave the cabin and stare up into the sky as red smoke starts falling around you, the scarlet cloud completely encompassing the sailing boat. Another whistling fire work cracks above you as the smoke starts to settle around you.

"This smoke smells weird." Nami and Zoro drop to the ground and Luffy runs back inside the small shelter. Without the door closed, hiding away is pointless, but you ignore his movement as you lean against the wall, head swimming and eyes watering as you peer desperately for your assailants through the thick bloody fog surrounding you. Dizziness overtakes you and you stumble backwards, falling limp to the deck and are stuck, watching with rapt attention as Luffy takes the map tube and slides it down his throat.

That's the last thing you see before the blackness dancing at the corner of your eyes as consciousness leaves you. Glowing gold pupils and swirling aqua irises snuff out like candles leaving only a milky white, and everything goes dark.

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You blink open your eyes to the wood of a crate. All of you were cramped into the wooden box, just enough room to stand between the four of you. Luffy leans over and shakes Zoro's leg while you and Nami shift back upright.

(helphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelp)

Although, it was just the four of you, there were more people outside. Their energy rippled through you and the air around you, their pleas fizzing at the tips of your ears. You were somewhere inside, with a few hundred people, and something was wrong.

"Hey." He pushes in close to Zoro's ear and whispers his name. Understandably, he wakes and flinches away from the proximity. He shuffles for a moment, then pauses.

"They took my swords."

"And my rucksack, ugh, with all my navigation gear." You and Luffy grab at your coat and hat respectively, both sighing in relief when they're still there.

"They didn't take my hat."

"Or my coat." Nami stared at you with narrow eyes.

(helphelphelphelpelphelphelphelp)

Your eyes were starting to water and your ears were ringing. There were too many people, all wanting the same thing.

"Yeah, small blessings. Damn it, we've lost the map." You can barely make her out as she speaks.

"No!" Luffy shoots up straight and bashes his head into the lid of the crate. "No, we didn't. It's in a safe place." He pats his stomach and Nami stares.

"Ew."

"Yea, not pleasant to watch happen, I'll tell you that. Hey!" You shouted as Zoro punches the wooden wall.

"Stop. Stop that, stop that!"

"What? I'm trying to find a way out."

"We've been captured, you absolute mossball. We've no idea who or what is out there. Or how many." you snap, head starting to pound as the people around you continued their panicked subconscious wishing.

"They're right, we need a plan."

"I don't need a plan, I just need to beat the hell out of every Marine I see."

"Hey, everyone, relax. We're fine."

"We're not fine. The Marines will throw us in jail if we're lucky. Execute us if they don't."

"They-they're not Marines. Before I got knocked out, I saw a Jolly Roger. We've been captured by pirates." You and Nami stare at Luffy as his words sink in.

"How does that make this fine?" Nami agrees.

"Yeah, because it's such better news."

"No, he's right. Marines have training. Pirates are easier to kill." You spin round to him.

"What pirates have you been hunting exactly? Pirates win against Marines constantly, that's why your title even exists!"

"Shanks used to say not every situation can be solved with violence." You watch him lower himself to the ground.

"Who the hell is Shanks?"

"Wait, Red-Haired Shanks? Of the Red Hair Pirates?!" You stare at him aghast.

"Yeah! You know him?"

"Barely. Are you mental? He's notorious! And hardly ever pays his tab!" Luffy smiled up at you.

"I said, who the hell is Shanks?" Zoro repeats.

"Don't worry about that. We don't need to fight. I can talk to them. Pirate to pirate."

"That won't work."

"Why not?"

"To start, you're not a pirate."

"Yes. I am. I have a crew." And he threw his thumb back towards you.

"No. You are some stretchy guy in a tattered hat, dragging around a blood-thirsty magic compass that barely knows what direction to point." You stare at her.

"Why are you insulting me, I'm not even talking?"

"You exist near me, that's enough."

"We're a different type of pirate."

"Pirates are pirates. There's only one kind."

The lid of the crate is ripped from above you as bright lights shine in. All around you, circus music blared and you all watched in a stupor while performers circled you and the box was lifted and removed by them. A fire breather is pushed in front of you and the audience cheers grow louder. Nami pushes Luffy's hands down from where they are applauding as well.

A man comes marching into the centre of the big top, roaring no.

"No, no! No! No! Stop clapping! No, stop! It's all wrong!" Complete silence falls in the big top tent. "The spotlight was late. You completely missed my entrance." He waved for the spot light to shine on to him, bright light revealing his swollen red nose, blue hair and clown costume. Uniform? "And where, oh, where was the dancing lion?" He got into the face of the terrified performer wearing a lion hood, who cowered away.

"Hey I know you. I saw your wanted poster in Shells Town. You're the clown guy. Um, uh... Binky, right?" You just barely caught the cackle before it left you, hiding it in a coughing fit instead. The captain snarled at you both.

"Buggy. Buggy the Clown." He said with a showman's smile. "Buggy, the Flashy Fool. Buggy, the Genius Jester."

"Wow. You have a lot of names." Buggy smiled mockingly at your captain before turning on you.

"This one, this one knows who I am right kid?" He leers down at you as you straighten. "Go ahead, tell your little friends," he swirls his finger in the direction of the other three, "who I am."

"Oh I'll tell 'em alright." Turning to smile at them, you say, "he's been barred from Baratie since it was founde-URK" He grabbed you by the neck and gave you a harsh shake. Your gut scrunches as the feeling in your chest pulses.

He drops you back to your feet, your eyes milky and irises flashing as his wish flashes through you. Hands flapping at his sides, he rounds back on your captain.

(A ship travels through the Grand Line, a black haired captain and moustached Jolly Roger at the helm)

"I bet everyone in the East Blue knows who you are." You winced back to reality for a moment as the audience gasps, side steeping away from Luffy as you rub at your neck.

"What'd you just say?"

"Just that everyone knows who you are."

(A grand podium towers over a crowd, the captain laughing as he insights adventure amongst the people below)

"NOSE?!" He screams, lunging forward and taking a grip of Luffy's face. You go to defend him, but pause as the circus performers start to move in around you all. You were surrounded. You grab hold of your wrist as it tries to lift in a point, finger outstretched and hands shaking. "Are you making fun of my nose?"

"Weww..." Luffy's cheeks and lips were smushed, making him hard to make out. "I wasn't. But now tha you mention it, is that thing fo real?" He reaches up to touch it, but his hand is slapped away by the clown. Another gasp rings out from the audience.

"What's real is I've been scheming for months, to steal that map from old Axe-Hand Moron..." he pushes Luffy away. "Only to find out, that I was upstaged by four little nobodies, who stole it from right out under my no-NO! It's in my head now. Ah!" He growls and storms off.

"Hey! I'm not a nobody. I'm Monkey D. Luffy. And I will be King of the Pirates."

(Two boys stand in the rain, one blue haired, the other red. A treasure left for another to find)

Buggy laughs, "OH! Well that's funny" the audience begin laughing pathetically along with the pirates only to be called to a stop. "My bounty poster graces the marquee of every Marine outpost for miles. And my menagerie of outcasts and freaks is the most dreaded pirate crew the East Blue has ever known. I am destined to find the One Piece."

(And when I do)

"And when I do..."

(I will be)

"I will be king."

"No, you won't, 'cause I'm gonna find it first."

"You? Don't make me laugh." There's no enthusiasm as the audience is riled into laughing again. Buggy turns on them. "I said don't make me laugh!"

"All right, listen up. I'm Roronoa Zoro. Drop your weapons now, and I may let you live." Buggy chuckles at him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a celebrity in our midst. Too bad I hate sharing the spotlight." Metal screeches as the light is shifted back to him. "Now, maybe we should skip right to the finale." He pulls back his hand, revealing knives held between each knuckle. "My freaks put quite a bit of rehearsal time into this little abduction. And if I can't reward them with that map... I suppose I'll have to offer them a pound of flesh instead."

"Wait. Wait, what if I have something else to offer you?" Nami steps up in front of him. "Something more valuable than the map? What if I give you a new freak for your crew, and!" She reaches back, grabbing and digging her nails into the skin of your arm as you keep it held close, "A magic compass, that can point you right where you wanna go? A pair of rare talents. The most spectacular act in all of the East Blue. Besides you, of course." She laughs. Buggy raises his eyebrows at her. Your chest begins to pound again.

(FREEFREEFREEFREEFREEFREE)

"Go on." Snatching the hat from Luffy, she tosses it into the air, before throwing you headlong into the clown pirate as she makes a mad dash for the door. Your arm snaps up, finger pointing and strike Buggy in the face as you stand, frozen, your eyes misty and her energy rattles in your chest.

(A grove of orange trees and a windmill made from the peels)

Luffy's hand flys into the air, arm stretching after to catch his beloved treasure.

(A blue-haired girl chases her little sister, both squealing with laughter.)

Buggy stares at you both in shock. Nami is dragged back in by two of Buggy's pirates and is released in front of the captain.

"What did you do?! What did you do to their town? You destroyed everything!" Buggy is leaning against a barrel mindlessly.

"Not everything." He shrugs. " I let 'em keep their hands." As one, the entire audience begins to clap. "Okay. Here end the theatrics." All the spot lights dim and swirl down to focus on your crew. "I know one of you has my map, and I'm gonna get it back. What was it you said rubber boy? That it was in a safe place?" Luffy's eyes flicker away from him. "Don't look so surprised! I've got eyes and ears everywhere. So... Please make our guests uncomfortable in the green room." The performers grab Zoro and Nami and drag them into the darkness, leaving the rest of the crew to surround you, Luffy and their pacing captain. "I am gonna have a chat with my stretchy new pal. And, uh, work out just where you were pointing, little compass spectacular."

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Luffy screams as he’s pulled tighter on the stretching apparatus. His yells turn to a laugh, and you stare, gobsmacked, at the length of his arms and legs, pulled taut across the centre ring. Buggy knelt on the ground near one of the stretched limbs, not far from where you dangled from the roof, arms suspended above you, toes barely touching the ground.

"I want you to think of this like an artistic exercise, because pain leads to art." You felt your eyes rolling into the back of your head.

"Good grief."

"And art reveals truth. But there's only one truth I need from this exercise. Where is my map?"

"Truthfully? I'm-I'm kind of hungry. Don't circuses have cotton candy?"

Buggy laughs and straightens with a groan. "What could you possibly need that map for anyway? You've got your magic compass," he wiggles his fingers at your dangling form. "You wouldn't last five minutes in the Grand Line."

"I already told you. I'm gonna be King of the Pir-"

"BORING!" The clown screamed in his face. He gestures to the man at the winch, "Let's go another ten feet." The rope groans as they go through the pulleys, tugging Luffy's arms out further and further.

"You can stretch me all you want. I can do this alllll day."

"I'm not asking the right questions. We need to go deeper, get you out of your comfort zone. You!" He spins to where you hang. "What makes a boy want to grow up to be King of the Pirates? Tell me about him, who is he trying to impress."

"Look Bluey,"

"Buggy"

"Whatever. You're asking the wrong person, I've known him, what, two-three days, Luffy?"

"I think so?"

"Let's say three tops, and ignore how long we were in that crate. I know he likes to eat, I know he likes that hat, and I know he wants to be King of the Pirates." You dismiss the memory of the red-haired pirate, his silhouette dark against the blinding sun. Instead, you wiggle your hands hopelessly, "That's about it." Buggy waves his arm towards the roof of the tent, and you're pulled further, toes no longer brushing the floor, bones creaking in your shoulder as he stalks around your kicking legs.

"Who was it? A lost love? An absent parent? Or was it someone..." He strolled back over to your captain, and you're slowly dropped back to just about standing. "...that you worshipped? A false idol?" Luffy's eyes moved away from the clowns stare and a smile grows on his painted lips. "That's it." He snatches the hat from Luffy's head and walks away.

"HEY! Give me back my hat."

"I used to know a pirate that wore a hat just like this. Red Haired Shanks."

"You knew Shanks?"

"Ginger? Three scars, left eye? We served together on a pirate crew when we were about your age. For a time, I even thought we were friends. Until he betrayed me. Just like all the others." He laughs quietly to himself. "He wanted to keep ME out of the spotlight! He wanted to keep my star from shining too brightly!" He pauses, staring at the hat, before turning to look at Luffy. "Is that what he did to you, Rubber Boy? Did Shanks betray you too?"

"Don't talk about him that way."

"Aahhhhhhh. Now we're finally getting to the truth. Stretch him until he breaks."

The man on the winch wheel hesitates. "Please, don't make me do this."

"I invite you to take part in the splendour that is my show and this is how you repay me? With a no?"

"You've destroyed our town. Made us your prisoners. Isn't that enough?"

"Well, maybe you'd prefer it, if I threw one of your constituents on the rack instead." He tosses Luffy's hat to the ground and moves over to the stands, approaching a little boy with open arms.  "Hey kid!" Buggy grabs the boy by the collar. "You wanna get tall fast?" You grit your teeth with a snarl and Luffy calls,

"Boogie. I'm warning you."

"It's. Buggy! And you're warning me? Now that's a laugh." He looks around disappointed. "I said that's a laugh." The lion performer holds up the LAUGH que card and the audience begins to laugh along. You and Luffy begin to pull against your restraints, you twist and flail, toes scrabbling against the dirt floor looking for any purchase on the just out of reach ground, and Luffy yells at the strain of pulling free of the ropes.

(hhelphelphelp)

(LETGO)

With a snap and a thunk, the leather binding your hands above you tears and you drop and stumble to your feet. At the same time, Luffy slips his hands from the rope and falls to the ground. Luffy clambers up and you're both glaring at the clown.

"Put him down."

(LETGO)

"But why? He's having such a great time! Aren't you junior?"  Buggy grabs a hold of the boys face and pulls it towards him. "YES!" He pantomimes the boy's voice, "THE BEST, BUGGY!" He laughs as Luffy reels his arm back for a 

"GUM GUM" the sound is like a rubber band, "PISTOL" His arm snaps forward.

And knocks Buggy's head clean of his shoulders.

The head is sent flying into the crowd, and they start to scream hysterically when it lands in a poor woman's lap. As the boys screams pick up a pitch, you scramble forward and rip the boy from the now headless body's grasp. He continues shrieking as you shuffle him up into the stands, returning him to his people and away from Buggy's still standing...

(I will be)

...not dead body.

"Well, well, well!" His head flips upright in the woman's lap. "Looks like we three have something else in common!" You join Luffy in the centre of the ring as his head pops back on to his neck.

"You ate a Devil Fruit?"

"The Chop Chop Fruit." He pulls off his long furred coat. "So you can slice me, and you can dice me! But I will always put myself back together again." And with a grunt his arms and legs disattach from his torso "Want to see what else I can do?"

Spotting movement out of the corner of your eye, you look over your shoulder to spot his disembodied hand holding a red ball. With a pop, red mist spills from it and with a one two punch, you and Luffy are back in the darkness.

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The sound of water pouring was what woke you up this time. You're in a glass tank slowly filling with water and force once, the entire world is...

(....)

Silent. No energy radiating through you. No residual whispers of people surrounding you endlessly hoping, hoping, hoping. Where the entire word thrummed with power and prayer, longing and light outlining every person, place and thing with a dream or a wish, now the world sat.

Dark, cold, silent.

Empty.

Buggy stood, staring down at you as you struggle to your knees. A thump from behind him grabs your attention. The noise is dull, like your head was wrapped with layers of cotton. You spot Luffy, also trapped in his own glass cell, also slowly being filled with the same water that was splashing over your head. You lick your lips.

It's salty.

"Don't both. It's seawater." Buggy turned from looking to you to your captain. "Hardly seems fair. All those wonderful powers rendered useless from a few splashes." He crouched down to be eye level with Luffy and you turn your head, eyeing the rows and rows of Buggy's captive audience seated in the dark around you.

(...)

Still dark. Still silent.

"Of course, you could always give me my map if you don't want to sentence your crew to dying with you in these tanks."

"My crew..." Luffy struggles to get the words out.

"Your crew?" Buggy chuckles. "You mean the ones that abandoned you? Just like Shanks did?"

"Don't." You shout over the water cascading over you, pulling his attention away for a moment. "Don't give him anything Luffy. We wouldn't abandon you! You're good, so stop projecting on him you coward of a clown!" He snorts and turns back to Luffy.

"Aww, did that make you sad?"

"They will come back for us." He answers quietly. "Y/n's right, they won't leave us here."

"No one's coming for you. Your only chance is to turn over that map, and if you do, I may have a very special place on my crew just for you."

With a grunt, Luffy begins to painfully pull himself up, snarling at the clown as he spits "Never!"

"Why not?!" Buggy smacks the glass but hurts his own hand, pulling away growling. "You're an outcast, just like the rest of us. A freak, scorned and abandoned! Join me... and you can serve the man who will become the King of the Pirates. When I have that map, I will find the One Piece, and then everyone will know my name. And they'll love me."

"Why would he choose," you call over the splashing of the water, "to serve you as King? When he's going to become it himself! You can't make people love you with the power of a position, or the fear of a title!"

"Just like you can't make them smile. I'll never give you that map."

"Well then. I guess it's curtains for you." Turning a large wheel on one of the pipes, the water starts surging from the pipes above you, filling the tanks faster and faster.

As Buggy pulls at the woven reeds of the hat, Luffy roar echoes over the waters' own, "DON'T TOUCH MY HAT!"

"What was that?" Buggy asked giggling "I-I couldn't hear you over all the drowning!"

The water is well over your head at this point, the curse of the Devil Fruit stopping you from floating. It's funny, for how happy you were that you coat was still on you when you woke up, you never knew how heavy it would get soaking wet. You can hardly blink your eyes open as you hear a 'clink' against the outside of the glass. Opening them a fraction you watch as cracks spiderweb up the panel, a roar of "WHERE ARE MY FREAKS?!" as it shatters under the pressure of the water inside. As the water spills across the ground, you are sent with it, the waves from both your and Luffy's tanks sending you skittering across the floor.

A pole stops you from going any further, and looking up, you see it is Nami's staff pushed against the ground. Grabbing your shoulder, she helps you up, keeping her eyes plastered to the cackling clown as he lifts the map tube that had finally escaped Luffy's stomach.

"Sorry about earlier," she whispers as you stand, brushing fragments of glass from your person, "the whole, selling you out to a mad clown thing."

"It's okay. I mean, it's not and I'll probably be mad for a bit 'cause that sucked, but we can say we're even for the whole, 'getting stuck dealing with Marines a second time in so many days' thing. I'm normally good at holding grudges, Sanji thinks I'm too kind to, but I think I'm just good at hiding it then he thinks. Maybe just stop actively insulting me and we'll be fine." She smiles ruefully at your blabbering and you turn to watch Zoro move towards Buggy.

"You want a piece of me? Let's see what you got."

"Zoro, he-!" But his sword had already swiped through Buggy's neck, his head bouncing up above the swing, "-'s a Devil Fruit user..." Zoro continues his advance, cutting though and across Buggy's chest, leaving smaller and smaller segments only for him to pull himself back together.

"Ha ha ha! Surprise shithead!" He twirls the tube and points it menacingly at your face, "Stop ruining this for me." Before his laughter begins anew, body separating more and more, pieces spiralling through the air of the big top as the light, the colour, the sound begins to return around you. It's back to overwhelming, but its what you're used to.

(HelpUsHelpUs) (StopHimStopStopHim) (Help)

You, Nami and Zoro end up back to back to back as the spinning segments surround and push you closer together.

"How I am supposed to slice a guy that's already in pieces?"

"This is not part of the plan."

"There was a plan?!" You're all yelling over the shrieking cackles of the dismembered Buggy as he spun around and around you.

You are pushed, punched, knocked and bumped over and over as the aerial swarm of body parts loop about, not one of you spared as Nami falls into the seating area, Zoro sends one of the tanks skidding on its side, you are rushed headlong into one of the support poles, knocking into a few empty prop crates as you go. Staggering to your feet, you watch as he reassembles and approaches the just barely upright Luffy.

"Well would you look at that. Somebody escaped my Tank of Doom. Well I'll be back to finish you off. Right after I tear apart your sad excuse for a crew. Ha ha ha ha ha!"

"You can dump seawater on me, and I'll let it slide. But don't you ever threaten my friends." You peer around the pole as, with a yell, he punches forward an elastic punch, knocking a perfect circle in Buggy's chest, which easily reinserts itself, leaving no trace behind.

"So you want to die first?" He pulls out his hands, all knuckles armed with a knife each, and you can't escape the thought of how cool it looks. "Be my guest." His arms and legs separate from the torso, and then the elbows and knees, then wrists and ankles, becoming a chain of arms and legs. "CHOP-CHOP CANNON!"

His hands, still laced with knives, along with the rest of his arms and legs going pelting at Luffy, who springs and flips and dodges through them with ease to knock into Buggy's torso. He doesn't stay there long though, as a swift kick from a disembodied foot, sends him rolling in your direction, hitting the same pole. A knife follows swiftly, stabbing through his beloved hat and pinning it to the wood. Eyes wide, he rushes to grab it as it falls to the ground, only to be knocked about by more flying limbs and a swift punch to the gut.

The same hands grabs him by the neck and pins him there, choking grip on his neck as his eyes roll and bulge. He makes eye contact with you as you duck another oncoming boot, and flash at something behind you. Spinning to follow his eyeline, you can make a guess at his plan and yell across the ring to your friends (he said it, they didn't deny it. You're all friends now.)

"NAMI!" Her ginger head peeks over the barrier to you and you point behind you, "The crates!" She hops the colourful barrier and sprints to join you, as Luffy flips upright and chucks the hand towards you both.

You lift one of the smaller chests and she swings the hand in with her staff. Dropping it to the ground you stomp your foot down on top as the hand thumps around inside. You do it again and again, working as a team to collect and seal away the flailing body parts. Luffy flings them towards you with his powers, Zoro catching them on with his swords and pinning them down, as you and Nami catch and lock them away in the pile of empty crates, chests and boxes surrounding you. Buggy yells as you lock away more and more of him.

As the madness dies down, Luffy lifts his hat and dusts it off gently.

"What've you done to me?" Buggy screams as his head drops to ground on his hands and feet, literally.

"Cut you down to size!" Luffy chirps happily.

"The One Piece will never be yours! You're just a s-sad lonely little boy wearing another man's hat!"

"What did we say about projecting Buster?" Across from you, Luffy smiles.

"I know exactly who I am. I'm Monkey D. Luffy." He affixes the hat on his head.

(And I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!)

"And I'm gonna be King of the Pirates." Buggy huffs as Luffy's arms stretch backwards towards the walls of the tent. "GUM GUM-"

"Whoa, whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa, whoa, wHOA! NO NO NO! Wait, wait wa-wait."

"-BAZOOKA!" And he snaps his arms forward, knocking Buggy's remaining parts flying, ripping a hole in the tent roof and sending him far, far away. With that, Luffy picks up the map tube and you all regroup in the centre. He hands it to Nami with a smile.

"You're giving this to me?"

"You're the navigator."

"Let's get out of this clown show." Luffy catches his shoulder as he goes to move away.

"Still one more thing we have to do." With a clap to his shoulder, he walks off, moving to the stands and pulling the chains free from their blocks. The lights click back on as the three of you move about the crowd, unlocking the chains at people's feet.

The older man, the mayor, looks down at Luffy as he works on the manacles on their legs. "Are you our new captors?"

"What?" Luffy looks up at him, confused.

"W-well, you're a pirate, aren't you?" Luffy smiled as he straightened up.

"I'm a different kind of pirate."

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A small dog snuffles about the feet of the mayor as he walks towards the pier your crew's small sailboat is docked at.

"We don't have much, but please, take this as a token of our... of our gratitude."

"You need it more than we do." Luffy replies, though he looks longingly at the food offering they had brought, and you all turn to walk to the boat. As you clamber aboard, Luffy pauses. "Well... maybe just a snack." As he grabs a piece of bread from the tray and stuffs it into his mouth.

The people call out their farewells and goodbyes as you begin to make headway back on to the open ocean, pulling open the sail.

Luffy watches you thoughtfully as you pull the straw through the hole stabbed through his hat, gently pulling it through to close the hole up. Nami looks up from reading the map beside you as the boat drifts languidly in the water.

"Looks almost finished." You hum back, concentrating.

The hole closed, you hand it back to Luffy. He took it with a smile.

”You fixed it. Thanks.”

”You said it was your treasure. You have to keep those safe.” He smiled at you, and from the back of the boat Zoro spoke up.

”Is everyday gonna be this crazy with you?” Luffy placed his hat on his head and moved down the boat towards him.

”Shanks always said, that if the path to what you want seems too easy… then you’re on the wrong path.” Zoro looked at him thoughtfully.

”This Shanks guy sounds all right.” Luffy stands again, hopping past you to stand at the prow, looking towards the horizon.

”Next stop, the Grand Line!!”

As you sailed into the sunset, all you could smell was sticky sweetness on the wind.

Next Chapter: Sweet Syrupy Lies

[piastrinorris]

Congratulations!!!

Could I get 💜and 🔥 with Steddie x reader please??

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ 2k follower celebration event ongoing! ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Steve Harrington x f!Reader

Genre: smut

Word count: 2k (i may have overdone the "short" blurb promise lmao)

A/N: man, this got away from me hahaha. enjoy! and thank you! 💜

Your mom knocks on your door to tell you, "Sweetie, those nice young men you work with are at the door! I'm just gonna send them up, we're heading out for the night, feel better!"

You groan into your pillow before sitting up on your bed. You hadn't called in sick at Family Video today because you were actually sick - it was because you've been trying to avoid the fact that you've been harbouring a crush on both of them for so long that you know that there's no choosing either one of them without still having feelings for the other, so you've been trying to avoid working with them until you can find somewhere else.

The boys seem to make themselves instantly at home, throwing themselves onto your bed, either side of you. "What's up, patient zero?" Eddie smirks. "Thought we'd come and see what's got you down."

"Oh... You know, nothing major, I'll be on my feet soon enough, you don't need to check in on me, really," you shake your head, but Steve hums in disbelief.

"Hmm, I dunno. What are your symptoms, hm? Feeling warm, even though you've got the AC on in here?" You feel your already flushed face get even hotter, trying desperately to will it to be less obvious. "Especially with that short little set you've got on," he comments, cocking his head to look down your body.

"I don't... What are you...?" You ask, shuffling yourself from side to side as you chew your lip nervously.

"Ah, is lip biting a symptom, too, sweetheart? Breathing getting all ragged, toes curling..." Eddie purrs as he narrates every little thing you're doing. This is either about to be the most embarrassing night of your life, or the greatest. "Because if that's the case, you've been symptomatic pretty much every time you've been around us. Wouldn't you agree, Steve?"

He nods, "Oh, yeah. Totally. Now, of course, we could be wrong. But..." He starts running his fingers up and down your arms. "I don't think we are. Are we?"

You shake your head in defeat, still not able to look either of them in the eye, but Eddie catches onto that, tipping your chin up to look at him. "Gonna need you to find your voice, little bunny. You want this?"

"Y- Are you... B- Both?" Are the only words you can say.

"Well, see, we already know each other pretty well," Steve explains, "but we also have a little bet going on, Eddie and I." He props himself up and moves you with him so that he's spooning you. His voice is in your ear as he continues, "I always thought you were shy around us because you just wanted to get the job done, but Eddie here thought that shy girls are secretly the horniest."

"And judging by the way your thighs just clenched there..." Eddie glances down at your legs before looking back up to you and grinning, "And those gorgeous fuck-me eyes? Thank you for proving me right, sweetheart."

"We just wanna get to know you a little better, too, bunny," Steve coos the same nickname Eddie had given you, making you whine. "Will you let us?" he asks in the same tone, and you nod, until Eddie gives you a look of warning.

"Y-yes. Yes, I will," you nod, and Eddie leans in while pulling you closer to press a kiss to your lips.

"Thaaat's our good bunny," he soothes, running his thumb over your lower lip. "You like that name, don't you?" You squeak out an mm-hm, and Eddie looks over your shoulder at Steve, whose hands have been happily wandering all over your body. "Why don't you sit up by the headboard, Stevie? Let her sit between your legs."

"Good thinking, Munson," Steve replies, and you willingly move with them until Steve's sitting in the middle of your bed, you're between his legs, and Eddie's sitting at the foot of your bed. "You comfy, bunny?" he asks, and you nod. "C'mere, lean your back on me, let me put my arms around you. And remember, you can always tell us to stop, 'kay?" He moves a hand to tip your jaw so that he can kiss your neck. "Y'like that?" he asks softly.

At the same time, Eddie, who's been toying with the hem of your pyjama shorts, asks, "Can I take these off?"

You nod, "B-both. Yes to both, please," you whine, and they both chuckle knowingly at each other as Steve continues to kiss your neck while you lift your hips to help Eddie take your shorts off.

"Oh, bunny, your panties are soaked," Eddie comments with a wide smile. "You should see this, Steve, it's really something."

"Aww, I bet she was already wet from thinking about us before we even got here," Steve speculates, and you can hear the smirk in his tone. "Calling in sick, making us work like dogs for her, while she lays right here imagining all kinds of filth." You whine, and feel Steve trying desperately to buck against you at the sound. "C'mon, baby, face me," he pushes your face around until he can lean over to start making out with you, and Eddie taps your hips.

"Up, sweetheart, I need these off, too," he commands, and you comply, wriggling around until he's pulled them off entirely. He looks up at Steve, "Spread her legs wide for me, Harrington."

Steve reaches his large hands down to grip the insides of your thighs, pushing them apart. "God, look at you," he mutters into your ear in the same crooning tone as earlier. "What would people say, huh? If they knew the shy, quiet little cashier that gives them their Friday night movies is secretly a little slut?"

You feel yourself clench at his words, and Eddie makes a sound of awe. "Oh, she really liked that nickname."

"Of course she did. She's our dirty little girl now, aren't you?" His sweet tone and nose nuzzling under your ear completely contradict his filthy language. It only turns you on more.

"You want my fingers in there, baby? Want something to fill that pretty little pussy up?" Eddie purrs, and you nod. He sinks one inside of you and you throw your head back against Steve's chest, reaching up to grip his hair and pull his head down.

He chuckles against your shoulder. "Do his fingers feel good, bunny?" You nod, and he laughs again. "Wanna feel even better?" You nod more vigorously, and Steve pushes the straps of your pyjama top down and pulls your breasts out. "Oh, doesn't that feel so much better, having them out like this? Mmm, and they fit in my hands so perfectly..."

"Fuck, this is so hot, I need to taste you," Eddie groans as he buries his face between your legs just as Steve starts massaging your nipples, sucking marks into your neck. You cry out a high-pitched wail of ecstasy, and both men moan, too. Eddie surfaces to grin, "You still good, bunny?"

Before you can answer, Steve mirrors him with an, "Of course she is, Eds, look at her. She'll do anything to please us, won't you? You adorable little fucktoy, is that what you want to be for us?" You slide down Steve's chest, tilting your head up to look up at him desperately, barely able to string your words together. "Oh, sweet baby, are you close already?" He asks, massaging your hair, and you nod. "You wanna feed Eddie, yeah? Ride his face until you cover him?" You whine desperately, bucking against Eddie's lips as his tongue buries inside of you. You come apart between the two of them, and they soothe sweet nothings to you the whole time.

Eddie clambers over to again hold your chin, asking softly, "Wanna taste yourself on me, bunny?" You nod and he closes the distance to guide you into an opened-mouth kiss, running his tongue along yours.

"She's so beautiful when she comes, isn't she?" Steve purrs, and Eddie hums into your kiss.

He leans away to tell you, "Lean across the bed, sweetheart. Let your head hang off the edge a little." You nod, shuffling away as Eddie and Steve also move to give you space, throwing their clothes off in the process. "Such a good, sweet bunny," Eddie coos as he looks down at you, walking around your bed. "Now, this time, I'm gonna be up here so you can suck me off while Steve gets to fuck that sweet pussy of yours. Sound good?" You nod, and he smiles down at you, "Good. Just let us take care of you."

Both men enter you at the same time, and you cry out around Eddie's cock. They find their rhythm as Steve moans, "Fuck, bunny, you're so tight."

"And taking my cock so well, too," Eddie grins. "Such a good girl for us."

"Mmm, I wish you could see how filthy you look, baby. Getting your pussy filled while you're getting your throat fucked, such a bad girl for us." Your moans tickle the base of Eddie's cock, causing him to buck enough to make you gag ever so slightly.

He pulls back to groan, throwing his head back. "God, I'm not gonna last much longer. You?" He asks Steve, who shakes his head. They both look down as you whimper loudly. "What's up, bunny?"

You move your mouth wordlessly, and Steve chuckles. "You all fucked out, huh? C'mon, little bunny, your words are in there somewhere."

You reach down to point to where Steve's buried inside of you and look up to Eddie to whine, "B- Both. Please."

They look at you, and then each other, with wide eyes. "You want us both to come inside you?" You nod, and they both moan. Eddie shakes his head, "You better be close, Stevie, or get outta the way."

Steve pushes your legs up and out, leaning over you to snap his hips harsher until he climaxes, savouring every last thrust until Eddie all but pulls him out from you.

He quickly takes Steve's place - he's not as thick, but he's longer - and you can feel him fucking Steve's cum deeper into you. Steve walks over to bend down where your head hangs, stroking your face and cooing, "Such a dirty little bunny, aren't you? Huh? Gonna take both our loads? Yeah?" You nod desperately, and Eddie starts groaning loudly.

"Fuck, say - say m'na- my name, say it, sweetheart. Want you screaming it while I - fuck, come inside you," he growls.

You cry out his name, writhing as he fills you up, watching in delight as he slowly pulls out of your cum-soaked pussy.

After you've all taken a moment to recover and clean up, and you're all laying on your bed again, you finally manage to ask, "Can I ask what the fuck that all was?!"

Eddie chuckles, "Well, we sorta figured out you were into the both of us. We talked about it a lot, and since we're no strangers to fooling around ourselves, we thought it'd make sense to bring you into the picture, too."

"Right, but we also knew that you'd never tell us, even if we asked," Steve adds pointedly. "So, we just sorta decided to... Just show up and act like it was gonna happen anyway. And it did!"

"You... Fool around together?" You ask, and they both nod.

"Usually, yeah. But we already agreed, we wanted that to be all about making you feel good, first." Eddie rolls over and taps your nose.

"So, next time..." You start, playing your fingers together, and the men both start laughing.

"Wow, we fuck the shyness out of her one time and she's already planning round two," Steve teases, making you laugh.

"Oh my god, okay, just for that, both of you out," you point to your door, but Eddie takes your hand and gently guides it back to rest somewhere between the three of you, and he and Steve sandwich you.

"You don't mean that, do you, bunny?" he asks in that crooning tone, which Steve copies as he shuffles close enough that the tips of your noses touch.

"Of course you don't. We're not going anywhere." He kisses your nose as Eddie leans up to kiss your cheek, and you look happily between the two of them as they kiss each other, too.

Your letter of resignation can wait for now.

[frenchfrywrites]

Mammon's Morning Sickness

MINORS DNI

Dom(ish) top amab gender neutral reader, sub(ish) bottom pregnant trans man Mammon, pregnancy kink, emeto, piss, cunnilingus, mommy kink, daddy kink, demons having animalistic traits (purring, chirping, etc)

Terms used for Mammon: chest, tits, tdick, clit, pussy, cunt

Thank you to @arloheart for the commission!! Such a delight to write (haha. rhyme), thank u very much for the support <3

It's the second day in a row that you've awoken to the sound of Mammon throwing up in the bathroom. You pull yourself from the comfort of your bed, and join him where he is on the floor, hunched over the toilet.

He whimpers and groans when you wrap your arms around his waist, placing gentle touches on his upset stomach. You kiss his shoulder, holding him through it, until his body finally decides it's done.

"I dunno whats the matter with me," he pouts, slumping his full weight against your body. You rub comforting circles into his skin as you think.

"It's not something you ate?"

"'m not Beel," he huffs. You pinch him and he yelps, giving you an accusatory look. "Listen, I swear it's nothin' I ate! I've been eating all the stuff I normally do," he whines.

"No other symptoms?" you ask, feeling his forehead for a fever. Mammon shakes his head,

"Nope," he pauses to consider something, "I mean, shit there's been some kinda weird things." You hum, urging him to continue. Mammon makes himself more comfortable in your lap before continuing, "like okay, I had a really shitty headache a couple've days ago, n' I've been peeing a lot? Plus my periods late, and ugh," he folds his arms in front of his chest, "my tits have been killing me."

You consider this for a moment. None of these seem very strange on their own, but put together...

"Mammon-"

"No fuckin' way," he cuts you off. It seems like you've come to the same conclusion. "No fucking way," he repeats again, his eyes wide. You give him a sheepish look,

"I mean, it wouldn't hurt to do a test, right?" Mammon nods his head,

"Yeah, of course, we gotta-" he rises to his feet quickly, then lets out a little hysterical  breathless laugh, "right now, we gotta get one right now." He's grinning from ear to ear, quickly brushing his teeth to remove the taste of any remaining bile.

The two of you, giddy and filled with adrenaline, practically skip to the nearest drugstore. Mammon makes you pay for the pregnancy test, which is fine by you because you notice the way his hands shake as he picks it up.

"I can't wait til we get home," he tells you, yanking you towards the back of the store.

"Do you want me to come in with you?" you ask, and Mammon doesn't even answer, just drags you into the bathroom with him.

He shoves his pants down and sits on the toilet, hastily opening up the package. It takes him a while with his nerves (or excitement. Likely a mix of both), but he's finally able to pee on the pregnancy test.

The next three minutes that pass by feel like hours.

"Um, so," Mammon starts awkwardly, "if it's negative, that just means I'm sick huh?"

"Suppose so," you say, "do you... want it to be negative?"

Mammon chews the inside of his cheek, squirming from the question.

"No, I think. I think I want it t'be positive," he finally says. You smile, leaning down to kiss him sweetly,

"I do too," Mammon smiles, leaning in to kiss you again.

"'kay even if it's negative, we'll make sure it's positive soon," he laughs, a flush working its way to his cheeks. "Has it been long enough?"

You check your phone and nod. Mammon squeezes his eyes, taking a deep breath before looking down.

"Pos-" he laughs, looking up at you with wet eyes and the biggest smile, "positive!!" he squeals, thrusting the test into your hand.

You're able to catch a look at it for a moment, while he yanks up his pants, before Mammon crashes into you, wrapping you into a hug.

"Oh I love you, I love you," he cries, "I'm gonna have a baby, yer baby!"

You kiss him, all the while still holding his piss covered pregnancy stick.

There's a few minutes of tears; happy, excited, coming-off-adrenaline type tears. You hold and kiss one another until there's a knock at the bathroom door, and you're reminded of where you are.

There's a lot to do, a lot to say, but for now the two of you rush back, holding hands and giggling all the way back to the House of Lamentation.

-

Two weeks pass and you're still waking up to Mammon's morning sickness.

"Morning sweetheart," you greet him, joining him on the floor as you often do. Mammon groans, lifting his head from out of the toilet.

"Did I wake ya?" he asks sadly. You hum, rubbing his hip with one hand, and his little baby bump with the other.

"No," he breathes a sigh of relief, and then dry heaves, "how long have you been up?" you ask.

It takes Mammon a moment to answer, a wave of nausea causing him to hold his mouth open, drool dripping from his lips as he waits for something to come up. Nothing happens and he swallows, then says,

"Dunno, like half hour maybe?" your heart aches from how long he's been alone. "God I had these crazy dreams, ya wouldn't believe, 'm gonna have t'tell you about 'em," he gags, then heaves again. You figure he'll have to tell you about his dreams when he isn't being cut off by his nausea.

You're nearly certain it won't happen, but it does, suddenly. Mammon manages to throw up as you rub his clenching stomach, quietly savoring the soft feel of his skin under your fingers. Your cock has started to fill inside your sleep pants, but you pay it no mind in favor of comforting him.

"Ugh," he moans when he's done. "I think that was the last of it," he says, but the two of you stay in front of the toilet for a good couple of minutes to make sure.

"Oh no," Mammon says after a moment, and you think that means he's going to throw up again. It's only when you hear the sound of liquid hitting the tiled floor that you look down. He's wetting himself, unable to make it to the toilet even though it's right in front of him.

"Aw baby," you coo, rubbing his bladder gently. "There you go, let it all out, this is completely natural," which is true, because the new weight of the baby has been pressing against his bladder a lot these days.  

"'kay," he breathes, "feels good." You groan, letting your hand drift from his belly to his pussy. Mammon whimpers, leaning back into you.

Touching him through his wet— getting even more wet with each second— pajama pants, you press your thumb against his clit. Feeling his stream through the fabric, you listen to the way that Mammon's breath hitches. Your cock twitches as you rub circles around his hardening tdick.

Eventually he stops pissing, and the two of you are left sitting in a puddle on the bathroom floor while Mammon writhes, purrs, and moans from your touches.

"Wait, wait," he gasps. You stop your touches, "my knees hurt," he whines, and as soon as he says it, you feel a numbness in your legs.

"We can move this to the bed," you mummer seductively. Mammon whines,

"Yes, please," and with that the two of you rise to your feet. Mammon peels off his drenched pants, leaving them in the puddle to deal with later. You're both far too needy and desperate to be bothered with it now.

With sticky legs, Mammon scurries to your bed, lying himself down on his back, spreading his legs for you.

"You sure your stomach's alright?" you have half the mind to ask as you settle in the space he's made for you. Mammon huffs,

"Yeah 'm fine," he then gives you a smug look, "you'd like it even if I did get sick on yer bed anyways," and fuck, you can't argue with that.

Instead, you lean down to kiss his belly. Mammon lets out a noise similar to a squawk in surprise, like he hadn't expected you to kiss him there, like you haven't already kissed his growing belly a million times since he started to show.

Looking up you can see him staring down at you with anticipation and giddiness, his bottom lip trapped between his little fangs. You don't want to tease him much, but you can't resist the urge to lay at least twenty or so more kisses along his brown skin.

And of course, you have to give his tits a little attention too. They've been getting more full, and more sore with each passing day. You wrap your lips around his nipple and suck. Mammon cries out, because the sensation boarders perfectly on painful and relieving. You cannot wait for the day he starts leaking milk. He lets you suck and play with his tits for a while, getting so worked up over how sensitive they are.

"Ungh, please?" he whimpers eventually. You look up at him, cocking an eyebrow. Mammon flushes, then brings a hand to his mouth, and chews on the skin at the tip of his finger for a second. "Please, can ya eat me out already? Please?" he finally asks outright.

Smiling, you kiss your way from his chest, to his belly, down to his pussy. Mammon continues to chew on his finger, a clear sign that he's excited about what's to come. You kiss his inner thighs before giving his cunt any attention. His skin is sticky from his drying piss, and you're unable to stop yourself from licking the taste of it between kisses.

Above you, Mammon makes an assortment of noises, from chittering and chirping to little high pitched and breathy moans. When you eventually reach his cunt and lick between his lips, Mammon lets out a garbled pronunciation of your name.

"Yes, yeah, please, more?" he babbles, and fuck he's so wet you can't help but dive in. As you bury your face in his cunt, lapping at his hole and sucking on his clit, Mammon melts into the bed.

His legs wrap around you, his thighs clenching against the sides of your head.

"Feels good, you're so-oh good at this, it ain't fair," he whines. Instead of pulling your head away from his cunt to laugh at his comment, you purposefully scrape your teeth against his tdick.

Mammon hiccups, his legs squeezing tightly around your head, pushing your face further against his pussy.

"Yes, do that again, mommy please, gonna make me— ooh— cum, I'm gonna cu-uh!" you cut him off by again grazing your teeth lightly against him.

With a choked moan Mammon cums from your mouth. You happily lick up the slick that gushes from his pussy, practically devouring him.

Your lips find his clit again, and you suck on it, relentless even as overstimulated whimpers fall from his lips.

"Hurts," he moans, twitching in your mouth, "mama, I want yer cock."

His begging reminds you of how uncomfortably hard you are. Finally pulling away, you lick your lips, then pull back so you can get a good look at Mammon.

"Fuck, look at you," Mammon flusters under your gaze, "aw no need to get shy daddy," you coo, leaning down to kiss him. He kisses back wrapping his arms around your neck to keep you there.

"I really want ya," he pulls away from the kiss just enough to say. You groan and kiss him again before pulling back.

"Just have to get you opened up darling," you explain when he whines at the loss of your touch. He pouts as you strip your pants off and find the lube. That pout quickly dissipates when you lube your fingers and press them against his hole.

"Still feeling okay daddy?" you ask, pushing two fingers into his slick cunt. Mammon clenches around your fingers,

"Good," he breathes, "feelin' good."

You hum, smiling to yourself as you make quick work of stretching him open for your cock.

Mammon squirms a bit under your touch, but he's completely relaxed, opening up nicely for you.

"I'm ready," he whines, "c'mon n' fuck me mommy," he gasps. You curl your fingers and he chokes out a rushed, "please, please."

"That's better, daddy," you purr, and Mammon trills happily. You pull your fingers out of him slowly and gently, and then fumble for the lube.

Quickly slicking your cock with it, you hiss at the rush of pleasure that hits you as you touch yourself. In turn, Mammon whimpers, staring you down, unblinking, with his bright gold eyes.

He's already made it very clear that he's ready for you, so rather than ask him if he's feeling okay, you hold his thighs and align your cock with his pussy.

"Yes," he whispers softly when he feels your tip press into him, maybe speaking more to himself than he is to you.

Mammon squeezes and flutters around your cock as you slide into him, sighing contently, and purring up a storm.

"Oh," he gasps, when you're finally balls deep inside of him.

A question of whether or not he's okay is on the tip of your tongue, but you can't get it out before you feel a hot liquid splash against your skin.

"Oh," you muse, watching as Mammon wets himself on your cock. "Oh daddy, baby, Mammon," you moan, impulsively shallowly thrusting into him. "Was it too much? Too much in your belly, pushing against your bladder?"

He nods erratically, "yeah, ungh," you reach down to let your fingers be drenched in his piss, "fuck."

Mammon opens his mouth, inviting you to push your fingers into his mouth. He moans at the taste of his own piss, squeezing tightly around you.

You start fucking him in earnest, the two of you so worked up by him pissing all over your cock that neither one of you pay any mind to the puddle soaking into the sheets beneath you.

Mammon gurgles and drools around your fingers, clenching his soaked pussy tightly around you as you fuck him nice and deep.

Your arousal has clouded your brain, and all you can think about is how lucky you are to have Mammon under you like this. He looks so good, all wet and needy and belly swollen with your child. In the haze of your lust, the pace you've set is unrelenting, but Mammon takes it all and more, rolling his eyes back in ecstasy as you re-angle your hips and brush against his walls in a way that has him moaning and squealing around your fingers.

If you weren't chasing your own pleasure, or only thinking about how good you want to make him feel, you might have realized just how far into Mammon's mouth your fingers had sunk. You may have pulled back, and let him suck on your tongue if he wanted his mouth full.

Instead, your fingers slip, and suddenly Mammon's gagging, yanking your fingers from his mouth, and twisting so he can heave, then puke over the side of the bed.

You stare, in awe, faintly registering just how wet and tight Mammon got as he vomited.

"Fuck," you whisper as he pauses for a moment (making sure nothing else will come up), before laying back down on his back, sinking into the plush pillows under him.

"Are you okay?" you finally find the words that have been on the tip of your tongue. Mammon lets out a groan, shimmying his hips around at an attempt to feel you moving inside of him again. "Mammon, babe, I'm so sorry, are you—"

"Swear t'fuckin' christ, if you don't keep fuckin' me I'm gonna kill ya," he whines, his voice rough and scratchy. You wait a moment, checking for any little sign that he wouldn't be okay to continue. Upon finding none, you start moving your hips again.

He moans happily as your hips find the rhythm they'd set earlier, and before you know it, he's back to purring.

Your hands clutch at his thighs first, holding him open so you can look at your cock stretching and fucking his cunt. They wander, from his soft thighs, to his hips, and then finally you're rubbing his hard clit.

"Ungh-yes, yes thank you mommy," he gasps, twitching around your cock. "Close, close, gonna cum— please, can I?" you groan, feeling yourself getting close to climax as well.

"Yeah daddy," you lean down, kissing his collarbone affectionately, "hah, cum for me, baby," Mammon lets out a high keen, clinging to your skin, his nails digging into your skin, "make my cock even more messy."

And that's all it takes. With a squeal of your name, he cums, letting out hot, staccato breaths as you fuck him through it. You're close, but it's not until Mammon starts to wind down, nuzzling his face between your shoulder and neck and chirping happily, that your orgasm crashes over you.

"Mammon," you groan, fucking him full of your cum. Mammon kisses all over your skin as your climax wracks itself through your body, petting your skin and clinging to you tightly.

Once you come down from your high, you pull out slowly, and fall next to Mammon. He nuzzles himself into you, purring when you wrap your arms around him, and hold him close.

"Love ya," he murmurs softly.

"I love you too," you say, kissing the top of his head.

You lay there for a while, and you know Mammon could fall asleep like this— despite being absolutely covered in filth— so you're the one who's gotta take the lead here. You tap his hip gently,

"C'mon, let's go get you cleaned up."

His legs are wobbly and weak, but the two of you make it to the bathroom, where you plan to absolutely smother Mammon with care. As soon as you deal with the mess you left there earlier.

-

"When is this supposed to end?" Mammon whines, his head buried in the toilet as he makes his way through another bout of morning sickness.

"Somewhere between the 2nd and 3rd trimester," you answer. In response, Mammon groans. "Hey," you start, pinching his belly playfully, "y'know I'm gonna make you feel better after this, right daddy?" He lifts his head, giving you a wicked smile,

"I can't wait."

[guppybubbles]

Sweet Dreams are Made of This. [1/3]

(A/N: Kind of a sequel to my other fic, ROLL ME A 6 ! :> You don't need to read that though to understand this!)

Borrower Tommy accidentally shifts into a universe where his homebrew DND world is real. He still sucks at being a giant.

WORD COUNT: 1,341 words

WARNINGS: None.

"Tommy opened his eyes and what he saw was unlike anything he's seen before…"

Tommy listened in anticipation. What could it be? A new friend, a new foe? He looked at his dad, a smug little smile barely hidden by his serious storytelling.

 

"And we'll find that out in the next session."

Halfway through his sentence, he and his brothers already knew it was the end of their game for the day. All groaning and complaining about Phil leaving it in such a dumb cliffhanger, Phil only laughed. 

It couldn't have been hours already, had it? They barely started! He still had to redeem himself and his character into great glory! "No, come on, let's do one more hour— please, please?" He begged, holding onto one of Phil's fingers like he had all the power to hold him down and force him into another round. 

With his other hand, Phil picked up the die and tossed it into the container— folding up the map before putting it back in the box. Tommy knew it was over, they'd start another session again sooner or later. 

But he wanted to do another hour, or maybe two more, now. "Pleasee, I rolled so low every turn, I need to redeem myself!" 

"I wish we could continue, mate." Phil smiled, "But I got work tomorrow and it's already…" He stared at the clock, making a surprised sound at the 11:48 PM on the wall. Phil cursed under his breath, gently, slowly pulling his hand away from Tommy’s hold. "Alright, get to bed you three." 

The blond borrower knew there was no convincing Dad anymore. He crossed his arms with a humph, upset with his bad luck during the game. "Cheer up, Toms! I'm sure luck will make you do justice next time." Wilbur consoled, pushing his chair into the table and picking up the box with their fantasy map and die. 

“You are horrible at throwing the die for me,” Tommy grumbled, narrowing his eyes at his older brother who had offered to throw the dice for him earlier. Wilbur’s luck when it came to the game was pretty good, yet whenever he tossed the die for Tommy, the luck seemed to plummet- doing worse than when the borrower himself threw the die. 

In the corner of his eyes, he could see Wilbur’s lips press into a thin line. He was stopping himself from being amused at Tommy’s anger. “It really wasn’t on purpose.” 

“Yeah, I know,” Tommy replied. Not upset at Wilbur, nor was he upset at the game. He swears he would be able to throw the dice better if he was just… more human-sized. 

“You’ll do better next game, I’ll make sure of it,” Wilbur promises.

Tommy looks at him incredulously, slightly laughing. “What, are we gonna cheat or something?”

In response, Wilbur shrugged, a playful smile tugging at his lips. “Dunno, maybe.”

Holding the game board, he placed his other hand on the desk. A trust exercise that slowly grew into a habit none of them thought was strange anymore, Tommy hopped on the hand and held onto the fingers for support. He used to have to walk from place to place, no matter how far it was because the big man was too stubborn to accept and ask for help. In response, they all worked together to install little stairs everywhere so Tommy would at least be able to reach things without having to heave himself up with a rope and a hook. He almost cried in front of them because of how much he appreciated the gesture. 

That night, Tommy lay in his bed, uncharacteristically quiet as he stared at the ceiling. His room looked so much like a human's room- constructed by his family after nearly a year of accidentally revealing himself to them. It wasn’t exactly like him to be upset for the dice throws during the game, it really wasn’t Wilbur’s fault. On a good day, he throws exceptionally well for Tommy’s character too. 

But Tommy isn’t upset about the dice, is he?

It was never the dice, never Wilbur, never his family, but him. 

If he was truly meant to be their family, then couldn’t the universe make him human? Did he seriously have to be something that was never allowed to mingle with larger beings? It was a written code since the beginning of time that borrowers were never allowed to be with humans. Never share anything, what you are, what your name was. Most importantly, never be seen. 

Were they never supposed to be a family then? Did he have to break the borrower’s code just to be a part of something he’s not supposed to? He’s not a borrower anymore, he knows that. He barely even follows the code anymore, but he’s not human either. Too exposed to be a borrower, too small to be a human.

Then what was he?

Tommy released a loud, exasperated sigh. His calloused hands rubbed over his face. He knows he shouldn’t think about such things, but lately, he’s been more aware than ever. He notices how Techno looms over him when they do woodwork together, Wilbur’s singing voice goes from soothing to too loud, and Phil barely gives him any chores (Maybe he shouldn’t complain about that one, actually).

They don’t mean it, of course, they didn’t. They probably don’t even notice it as well. Something so small and insignificant to them could be so overwhelming for him. He just wants to be bigger, to fit in… 

He should go to sleep. He'll forget about it tomorrow and everything will continue on like it usually does (until the nagging feeling returns and he feels like he's rotting in bed).

Goodnight, me. Tommy closed his eyes, unable to rid of the heavy weight in his chest. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

If Tommy could recall this correctly— and while he may not have the best memory, he can certainly tell when something is just plain wrong… He fell asleep on his bed, right?

His eyes blurred as he gained consciousness and though he wasn't aware of where he was— he could sense danger even from a mile away. His shoulders ached, raised high above him. Something was holding his arms upwards. Cold, tight metal gripping his wrists, uncomfortably pressing into his skin. He tried tugging it downwards, but it barely moved. 

Instead of lying on a soft, warm bed, it felt like he'd been kneeling for Prime knows how long. His legs felt numb, ringing uncomfortably no matter how much he tried to move. It didn't matter because he was stuck in place. 

It was hot. Sweat was dripping from his forehead to his nose and down to either his clothes or the floor (he made a mental note that he wasn’t wearing his pajamas). 

He sucked in a deep breath, humid air filling his lungs in a way that didn't calm him down, but just made him panic more. 

Tommy's vision began clearing up and despite the little ache in his neck, he decided to look around. The room was dimly lit, weak artificial lighting barely reflecting the big, metal room he resided in. 

There were mini stairs and platforms built around him. The platforms in front of him connected through the middle and had a door on each side of the wall. Above the platform in the wall in front of him was glass, he couldn't make out anything inside, it was darker than the room he was in.

The metal room he sat in was quite spacey. The ceiling was quite high but he couldn't stand up even if he attempted to— his ankles were chained as well, shorter in length compared to the ones around his wrist. Tommy struggled against the chains, everything looked so.. small yet so oddly detailed. 

Where was he? Who were these stairs for? Were there more beings smaller than a borrower? Prime, how would they even look next to a human?

Does his family know where he is right now..?

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

yayaya thank you sm for reading! & holy shit guppy writing fics comeback??? no way!!!

[blackwolfstabs]

Parker's Secret Santa Gifts🎄for @alphawolfstabs

YOUR HEART OR MINE

One knew what he wanted but didn’t know how to persuade. The other knew how he wanted to take it but was holding back.

fandom: Scream pairing: Billy Loomis × Stu Macher characters: Billy Loomis & Stu Macher a/n: i've never written about stuilly before so i have no idea how accurate this may or may not be. i'm so sorry for all the billy and stu writers that gag at this haha. anyways, enjoy :)

While it had only been a little over an hour since Billy had been submerged into his homework, it had felt like hours for Stu. He had gone through as many activities as he could to keep him entertained, while the other was still reading, writing, or doing whatever it was he was doing for class. He liked having him over, but he didn’t like spending it without talking or engaging in anything together, at all. There was no telling when he would be summoned home by a phone call.

On the other hand, Billy didn’t mind not actually doing anything together. They didn’t have to talk or even acknowledge each other. Just being in the same room was enough for him, even though staring at the same formatted words and questions over and over again made his head pound.

“Billyyy…” 

Stu’s voice interrupted his concentration, but he didn’t look up. “What?”

“I’m bored. Are you almost done?” he asked, tossing up a tennis ball as he slouched his computer chair.

“You said it’d be fine if I worked on homework here,” came the flat reply.

His friend sighed a somewhat dramatic sigh and stopped throwing the ball up in the air. “Yeah, but do you think you could, like, take a break or something?”

He put his pencil down and glanced over his shoulder. “I guess.” There was a look in the blue eyes that stared back at him that said he wasn’t just looking for something to do. He knew what he wanted, he just needed acceptance. “What do you want to do?”

Macher’s signature grin grew on his face, however he still tried to play it cool as he got up to make his way towards the bed. “Well, I dunno—”

“Yeah, you do,” the other immediately cut him off with a light scoff, turning back to his homework.

“Just… chill out, maybe?” He jumped onto the mattress and crawled over to the head of it. He craned his neck a little to see over Billy’s shoulder. “If you can put your fuckin’ homework down, you teacher’s pet,” he teased.

“Hey.” Billy turned his head enough to look at him. “At least I actually do my homework. How many classes are you failing again?”

Stu took no offense, just continued to tease him, “You only do yours because your mommy tells you to.”

This time, he set his homework on the bedside table and turned to grab a pillow, which he smacked him with.

“Oww!” the older teen cried in mock pain, the impact knocking him off balance.

“Serves you right.”

Macher scoffed—in his now-lying position—and reached behind him. “Oh, yeah?” He pulled out another pillow and returned the slap. “Take that!” He hit the other’s upper back, which had him earning a sarcastic smirk.

“Was that supposed to hurt me?” Loomis turned around to face him, still holding his weapon as he crept onto the bed fully.

The way his voice sounded—steady and cool—sent a shiver down Stu’s spine, those dark eyes only influencing that flustered feeling that had been taunting him for months now. “No-ho,” he laughed as he shook his head, when Billy stalked closer to him. “This is!”

The flash of color that came towards the younger teen didn’t reach him like it was intended to, for he caught it with his free hand. Ocean eyes lit up before him, and he knew the exact words running through his head.

“Aw, I fucked up!” 

Billy grinned a wolfish grin, “Yeah, you did.” He ripped the pillow out of Stu’s grip, then pelted him with both cushions at once. “Now, what are you gonna do?!”

Macher shouted in a playful way as he turned his back and put his arms over his head for protection. “That’s cheating!” 

But the attacker didn’t care and pounced on his prey by straddling him with his knees. It was somewhat awkward, but he wasn’t thinking about that at the time. “How’s it cheating? You made a stupid move, you’re the one who got yourself into this,” he taunted, continuing to hit him.

“Billyyy!”

“Fight me! Fight me, like a man!”

By now, they just looked like two rambunctious puppies barking back and forth for the upper hand. As Stu continued to take the bombardment, he could hear Billy start to laugh, and it made his face burn. Billy didn’t laugh much, not in the playful, genuine way like this was. It was a little higher than the laughs he gave when making a snide comment or being sarcastic. It was a young-at-heart kind of expression, and that sent the underdog blushing immediately. He broke his makeshift cover to grab both of Billy’s wrists and hold them in a firm grip. 

This caught him off-guard, which allowed the older teen to make his next move. Being taller, he was able to twist beneath his friend’s straddling knees and push himself into a semi-slouch, using the support of the headboard. He brought his knees up, which pushed Billy forward to have his knees corralling his hips and his backside supported by Stu’s thighs. 

Suddenly, the lighthearted moment the other was immersed in vanished for one of surprise as he dropped the pillows. The words that he always managed to spit out around his friend were lost for mere silence as he could only blink into the bright eyes gazing at him.

This just made Stu smirk. He knew he had just taken control without giving any combative retaliation. He also knew his face was bright red with the amount of heat that surged through him at being that close to Billy, let alone having him basically locked onto his lap. “Now, what are you gonna do?” he used his own words against him.

Loomis swallowed, his heart racing while he instinctively tried to twist his wrists a little bit. He glanced away shyly, “U-um…” He was drawing a major blank, emphasis on major.

However, while it was awkward for one, it was endearing for the other. Macher released his wrists to then wrap his arms around his waist, holding him in place. 

The tension between them had grown heavy in a matter of seconds, somewhere between hope and despair. It was uncertainty. One knew what he wanted but didn’t know how to persuade. The other knew how he wanted to take it but was holding back.

They were best friends, nothing more… right?

Billy braced himself to avoid falling onto Stu’s chest, one hand against the headboard and the other pressed against his shoulder. He couldn’t seem to glance up, not to meet those wild eyes that hid nothing, even though they were begging for his dark ones to comply. It was too risky. That’s the way he was. Once he started something, he wasn’t able to stop. A forged relationship was no different, especially with the amount of emotions involved. God, that was rough. “W-we can’t…” was all he managed to get out, his voice suddenly quiet and almost fearful of ears lurking beyond Stu’s bedroom walls, even though they were the only ones in the house.

“Says who?” came the retaliating challenge. It wasn’t strong or defensive. In fact, it was the softest Stu Macher had ever sounded in their time of knowing each other. And that was because he had finally found himself in this moment—the moment he’d been waiting for. He was fun-loving and dimwitted, but he knew how to make or break a chance. Billy was someone that he had never known before. He was like a stray dog that owned the streets, an artist before he made any art, a wild horse without any cowboy to tame him. He was reckless and rugged. He showed up, when it was least expected, and he was promised to give anyone around him plenty of trouble. That kind of person was nothing but the perfect match for Stu.

He wanted to be more than friends.

Billy tensed as he felt the older teen’s arms stretch farther around his waist, nearing the hem of his shirt. His voice steadied a little more, “My parents will kill me.”

The right half of Stu’s mouth turned up, dipping his head a little to catch his friend’s gaze. And with a gentle touch of his hand, he lifted his chin to do so. “Your parents don’t have to know,” he practically whispered.

The younger was locked in. He couldn’t look away or try to get out of the arms holding him still. His heart was beating so hard, he swore that it could be heard between the two of them. He wasn’t necessarily an anxious person, yet the feeling was strong in his stomach as his breathing began to deepen and trembled slightly. Being a teenage boy, he was often put under oath that he wasn’t scared of anything—that no matter what, he could take what he was given. How else were you supposed to survive? But this was the first time in years he could say that he felt fear. He could see Stu’s eyes jumping from his own to his lips, which made him tempted to pull away. He just wasn’t sure, so all he could think to say, if he even was thinking, was, “What?” 

Because why was he looking so calm, yet excited? So hesitant, but sure? So careless, yet longing?

And for a response, Stu kissed him. He didn’t ask before he did it, but he didn’t seem to mind, actually leaning into it. One of Stu’s hands retreated from his lower back to hold the side of his face as he tilted his head to secure his lips. 

He earned a soft moan from doing so.

A sensation of peace combed itself down Billy’s spine, easing the swirling anxiety that made him twisted in the spotlight of a decision. Now, the deed was done, only needing half of a two-person commitment to take one step closer. Surprisingly, Stu’s lips were soft as they manipulated his. Being nervous already, he knew his kiss wouldn’t come off very challenging, yet he didn’t expect that from a dare-devil, like his friend. 

Macher rotated his thumb in smooth, gentle circles along the younger’s cheek bone, casually slipping his hand beneath his shirt to run his fingers up his side. He felt him shift closer, which delighted him, and he edged his knees up higher to hold that close space. 

Loomis didn’t even realize his hand had drifted away from pressing against the older teen’s shoulder, until his fingers threaded through his hair, slightly tilting his head back. The support from Stu’s thighs had pushed him far enough to leave his knees straddling his sides, which left him taking somewhat of a dominant lead as he had to dip his head to keep the kiss strong. 

This gave Macher a sense of bravery as he stretched his arm further around his waist to have his fingertips find the frontal surface of his torso. He purred as they paused for a quick breath, then went back to it. The other foreign hand that wasn’t tangled in his hair was looped around his neck, giving him open access to move his own as he pleased. And he did as he traced his fingertips over the contoured definition of the smaller male’s abs. They weren’t heavily defined, but they were impressive.

Billy shuddered at this, but it only made him come off stronger, gripping Stu’s hair while his other hand pressured his nape. The other’s digits trailed up his ribs then found the midline of his abdomen, where he carefully retreated downward. They dipped into his navel a little when they reached it, which made an involuntary growl rumble in Loomis’s throat, and he drug the hand on Stu’s neck down his back, feeling the owner moan into his mouth.

If things started to escalate, there would be more than uncompleted homework to pay for. They had known each other for a long time now, almost swearing to know each other better than themselves. They could be called a lot of things, but tonight they were a pair of desperados. Something about this night was making them cross the line. 

They were playing with fire. Love wasn’t too far behind. It was just a matter of time…

Billy felt Stu’s hand ease down his jawline and cup the flank of his neck. He pulled back a little to catch the older’s bottom lip between his teeth and tug on it. His partener smirked and jerked a little to get free.

“You’re not feeling that nervous about this anymore, are you?” he was teased.

“Shut up,” he replied and pulled him into another kiss. And it was gladly accepted.

It was just a matter of time, for sure. There was no doubt about it.

Playing with fire was something dangerous but tempting. Especially for two frisky teens, like Billy Loomis and Stu Macher.

They were good at it. They played with fire, but they didn’t get burned.

They learned how to embrace the flames.

merry christmas billy!! i've really enjoyed being your friend, and i hope we stay friends for a while. you made me feel like it was okay to be myself on social media, and i'm very thankful for the kindness and support you've given to me. hope this isn't weird, but i love you dude 🩶 team loomis!! 🎄✨🐺

- parker (BWS)

[drinkyourvillainjuice]

grumbles about tumblr not wanting me to post something again

(these were all showerthoughts, literally)

prefacing this saying all of this is me throwing my brainstorming at you because otherwise it's gonna live rent-free in my head. No expectation that you actually implement any of this, especially if it's inconvenient or would be difficult to code or otherwise wouldn't fit well in the IF.

1. Someone asked at some point (either here or on the COG forum, idr) if we could choose for Dime to have all 4 of the juice appearance traits, and you said having a multiple-selection menu there wouldn't have the same "punch"/would feel like an interruption. Would it be possible to add a menu for this in the stats page that unlocks after we pick Dime's juice appearance trait ingame? 2. On a related note, can we have more interactions/mentions of other characters' reactions to pallid eyes Dime? It's a very noticeable trait but I haven't seen much response to it ingame 3. Bit of a specific one, for nodes!Dime; this one would probably be the most work out of everything I've suggested so far, and I don't know how many people would find it useful, so no worries if you don't implement it. Would it be feasible to add a toggle into the stats menu that modifies how Dime produces/reabsorbs(?) the nodes? If toggled off (default), no change, but if toggled on, it swaps out the nodes' text to be along the lines of Dime producing the nodes by tearing off chunks of their membrane/tendrils/etc that then become independent, and the nodes returning into Dime's body by kinda being "subsumed" into the rest of their membrane, or something? I love the nodes and I want to play more with them, but Dime producing them by vomiting them back up and then having to choke them back down again is a bit much for me- mostly brought this one up in case it would be helpful to anyone else with a similar issue. 4. Speaking of nodes, it would be kinda cute if they were mentioned as forming a clot to keep Dime from bleeding out after becoming Saint Paradigm- instead of the membrane clotting up, it's just a hole full of upset flesh lumps doing their very best to keep all of Dime's blood and ichor where it's supposed to be :P

Hm. I dunno. That'd technically work, I just sort of want to do specific things/references at certain points and I guess it just doesn't feel quite right including an 'all of the above' ?

Oh, right! Yeah so - I've been a little low on the reactivity with certain features so far. The eyes thing was actually intentional because essentially you have a team where two members look very unusual (Kay, Teddie), one is living with those two (Wil) and a fifth can change their appearance for fun (Mal). They mostly wouldn't get that bothered by it, basically. That said I've just left a note for myself to at least have a dialogue choice to say something similar to the "just thinking about how we match" to Kay regarding having weird eyes.

This may be doable! It'd be a chunk of work but I do like the idea of including a toggle like that because I know the nodes are really quite extreme.

That's cute. I've made a note about that.

Just in general regarding people's suggestions: there are a few things I like the idea of a lot and some of those are less feasible to implement than others. Even for stuff I do want to add I'm trying to hold off the urge to tinker because I don't wanna get bogged down on refinements when I'm still in first draft, and anything I change I need to make sure then keeps continuity with everything else.

So I definitely want to add things and tidy other stuff up, I'm just keeping myself from editing too heavily as I'm already susceptible to rabbit holes. Such as current dialogue tree I'm working on, which was intended to be a short and sweet thing and has blown up into a little interaction scene per teammate.

[starlitangels]

Good Boy Audios Incorrect Quotes (Part 2)

Faithful: Don't bottle up negative emotions. It's bad for your health

Albus: I know, that's why I bottle up all my emotions, both negative and positive. So it all cancels out!

Faithful: *exchanges concerned look with Devlin* T-that's... not how it works.

•••

Odin: You know, when I first met you, I did not like you

Ulysses: I'm aware of that

Odin: But then we spent more time together

Ulysses: Uh-huh.......?

Odin: It did not get better

•••

The Guardian: You know, one of the reasons I live 914 miles from civilization is that I’m kind of allergic to other people’s drama

•••

Albus, after getting a hold of the cursed sword: Due to personal reasons I will be going completely off the f^&*ing rails

•••

Just a Head!Pandora: Can't you try and see things from my perspective?

Odin: Okay *sits on the floor*

Pandora: Listen here, you little sh!+—

•••

Albus: I've slept so little I can now officially smell colors

Devlin: How are you still alive?

Albus: That's a question I ask myself every day

•••

Odin: I have the right to remain silent!

Pandora: Yes, you have the right to remain silent

Pandora: What you Lack is the Capacity

Odin:

Odin:

Odin:

•••

Albus: Love is a weakness and an evolutionary mistake

Devlin: You're... literally making a Valentine's Day card for the sister right now

Albus: *points hot glue gun at him threateningly* You're on thin f*^&ing ice, Vinny

•••

Ulysses: You're stupid

Odin: That's it?

Ulysses: Give it time. It'll eat at you

*Later*

Odin: Am I stupid?

Pandora: Yeah, a little

Odin: Damn him

•••

The Guardian: I've never been in a snowball fight before. I don't know the rules

Zed: What?

The Guardian: Like, is there a point system or is it to the death?

Zed: WHAT?!

(also Albus and Faithful)

•••

Devlin: I am telling you, go to a healer!

Albus: I'm sorry, is this OUR stab wound? Stay out of it

Devlin: Fine. I'm calling the sister

Albus: Wait no—

•••

Fenrir: What do you think Odin will do for a distraction?

Pandora: I dunno. Probably, like, make a noise. Throw a rock. That's what I would do.

Ulysses: Probably

*building explodes, triggering several alarms*

Pandora: ... ... ... Or he could... do that...

•••

Albus: Dating tip! Hold the door for your date. Rip the door off its hinges. Then use the door as a weapon to fight off other suitors. Establish your dominance—

Devlin: I’m beginning to see why you’re still single

Faithful: No, no. Let him finish

•••

Yargwynn: I need you

Paradise: For?

Yargwynn: Ever

•••

Albus: Is four a lot?

Devlin: Depends on the context

Devlin: Dollars? No

Devlin: Murders? Yes

•••

Paradise: I am at a loss for words!

Yargwynn, narrating: Despite being at a loss for words, my paradise continued to lecture me for 25 minutes

•••

Devlin: Albus, did you do something stupid?

Albus, covered in blood: I think we both know the answer to that

•••

Paradise: I made you a friendship bracelet!

Kalamos: I'm not really a jewelry person...

Paradise: You don't have to wear it if you don't wa--

Kalamos: No. I'm wearing it forever. Back off!

•••

Odin: Ulysses sent me a Get Better Soon card

Tyr: That's nice

Odin: I'm not sick. He just thinks I can do better

•••

Yargwynn: I win

Paradise: I have you pinned to the ground

Yargwynn: I know

Paradise:

(also Albus and Faithful hopefully)

•••

Albus: I may not be your cup of tea but I am your tenth shot of tequila

•••

Yargwynn: Do you think when butterflies are in love they get humans in their stomach?

Paradise: Yargwynn. Darling. Honey. Love of my life. What the F^&* ?!

•••

Makkaro, provoking the Guardian: This is either the best idea I've ever had, or the worst. Stay tuned!

•••

Yargwynn: Alright now, everyone, pay attention. I have an announcement to make and I only have a minute

Paradise: Why, are you in a hurry?

Yargwynn: No. I was referring to all of your relatively short attention spans

•••

Pandora: How long are we gonna stand here and just let him do that?

Odin: Just... give me a minute. This is the most fun I've had in years

Ulysses: *pushing a door that clearly says 'Pull'*

[iantimony]

tue … wednesday,

gif warning on this one!

i was gonna post this last night but apparently i am now the type of person who gets extreme digestive distress from indian food :-( so i was too distracted by my agonies. much better today, and i feel like i had a worse reaction a few weeks ago from indian food, so maybe it's something that will get better with time like everything else ...

listening: so my brother spontaneously bought us tickets to see st vincent in [redacted] while we're on vacation...i haven't listened to her in ages but i was like sure why not...her new album dropped on the 26th and it's SO good. i'm kinda obsessed and very excited to see her live now. it's a good album. listen to it.

listened/watched the wtyp on five over ones, and started the more recent one on the camp fire.

reading: continuing 'how to read poetry like a professor'. yum. poetry.

watching: once again, dunmeshi (my boyf keeps asking "when is best girl showing up" (izutsumi) and i finally was able to be like "i think next episode"), more asobi asobase. insane show. the voice actors are masters of their craft, truly. good lord.

playing: fallow.

making: some stuff came out of the kiln that i actually like! the cave painting mugs!!! i made One fatal error - i put a 'satin' topper over the outside assuming it would be matte. it. kinda isn't? kinda is? made these weird "jizzy" (instructor's words, not mine, lol) streaks. thankfully it isn't too noticeable and they came out really good otherwise. the hardest part has been photographing them, the designs go all the way around and choosing a favorite is so hard...i made a gif to try and capture it all lol, and i really love the little handprints on the handles. these will go in their own post in the next few days so i can tag the inspiring artist :)

i also threw some new ones to make more! i do think in the future i will be handbuilding them though. i just really don't like throwing red clay for some reason. maybe i just need to practice more i dunno. i've since trimmed and put handles on these but i forgor to take a photo.

citrus juicer! it works!! it came out a little more Orange than i anticipated, the only downsides are manually scooping out the seeds, and also that it can kinda only handle one fruit at a time, but man, whatever, it's so cute.

mug/teacup that i tried a new underglaze technique on, where i put the flowers on the greenware and then use liquid latex to cover them to just slather the thing in the bg color: works well, i did this for the mug from last week too! my mistake with this one was putting that same jizzy satin overglaze on the flowers and it made them weird and blurry. it's cute otherwise though.

some stuff going in the kiln for bisque: fun texture bowl and a little trinket dish that i underglazed some cherry blossom trees on, inspired by something a friend in class did!

in terms of new things, today is actually the last day of class for me til i get back in july, so i will be trimming a pot and plate that i made last week but will otherwise just work on things i already have! the goal is just to leave things in a place where no extra clay work needs to be done; things can be left as greenware til i get back.

i also made some little watercolor palettes! for some reason the last one i made i didn't carve out material, i just sort of pressed in, and this made the whole thing a little wonky, so i'm hoping these will lay flat because i carved material out

eating: nothing of crazy note. made deb smittenkitchen's soy glazed chicken again because it whips ass.

misc: wough...fucked up day......butter chicken for dinner knocked me for a major loop last night and i wasn't able to sleep til like 1:30am from the Agonies, woke up to feed the cats and then went right back to bed...didn't get up til noon...but now i feel loads better so i might try to do some light exercise this afternoon before pottery, otherwise sleeping tonight is gonna be a nightmare lol. the goal for the afternoon is to submit my last thing for classes (takehome exam, it's not bad i just have to finish it up, and then i officially finished my masters degree (!!!)) and then do a little more for my meeting tomorrow morning. this time next week my brother will be here with me, and that following weekend we drive home together, so everything is about to happen very fast! i'm not gonna be home for as long this summer, and won't just be rotting in my room the whole time, so hopefully things will go much more smoothly mental health wise. fingers crossed! things are looking up! :)

[marinerainbow]

Smartass: enters the office where Poppy is working and undoes his tie with a loud sound of exertion.

Poppy: Tough day?

Smartass: Don't even tell me about it.

Poppy: Would you erm...like a massage?

Smartass: ...What?

Poppy: Nevermind it was just a suggestion. Silly really, forget I mentioned it.

Smartass: lights a non-toon cigar ...I ain't gonna stop ya.

Poppy: starts massaging his shoulders while he smokes

Smartass: exhales smoke Ya know dollface?

Poppy: Hm?

Smartass: I'm a pretty lucky fella to have met ya. I dunno why ya give me the time'a day. I'm a rotten dirty bastard. Everybody knows it.

Poppy: oh?

Smartass: Ah ya too nice I don't even know why ya put up with me.

Poppy: Because I love you.

Smartass: ......turns to look at her with an incredulous expression

Poppy: ...continues massaging

Smartass: ....mumbles

Poppy: What did you say, darling?

Smartass: iloveyatoo

Poppy: Awwww!

Smartass: smirks Ya too easy sometimes.

Greasy: opens the door Eh Boss-

Smartass: GET OUT! throws vase

NERDGIRL WHY AND HOW ARE YOU HITTING ME SO HARD WITH ALL THE SMARTY-POP AWEDESFIIJJYRDXGHBH

@wicked1will0sparkles you thought the Fairytale AU Smarty-Pop was good? Look at what nerdgirl sent in this time!

Goooooooooddddd. Canon. All of this is canon. Poppy would absolutely do what she could to help her partner calm down after a long day (cup of tea, favorite movie, affection, whatever helps). So massages are not off the table ^^

I can picture her a little surprised that Smartass actually said those four words, but she's just so dang happy he did, that she kisses him right there. A sweet smile on her face, nothing but adoration for this weasel in her eyes (she does want to try to set him on the right path. Get him out of the crime life. But she still loves him so much).

And when Greasy leaves, she doesn't get mad at Smarty for being that way. She doesn't like his aggressiveness, though now, she takes that as a sign that he really needs to de-stress. So she ups the affection and doting and just tries to make him forget about the day.

Also, to Smartass' 'I'm a pretty lucky fella', Poppy thinks the same thing. I can see these two having another private moment, and Poppy reveals she thinks that way, "I don't know why you like me. I know I'm not bold, and I can be annoying. But I'm so grateful to have you in my life." *cue Smartass' heart exploding*

[sleepyowlwrites]

15 questions but it's the Tired Sleepy version

@the-finch-address dearest Finch! <3 tagged me. I've done this before but I'm gonna do it again. because I can't sleep yet until the tylenol kicks in.

1. Are you named after anyone?

no! but to be more interesting I'll tell you that my mom wanted to name me Jamie and my dad was vehemently opposed. so then she was like well what about Meghan and he was like oh I like that one. and she was like well what if it's a boy? 'cause they didn't find out with me (first kid and you don't find out after trying for five years? I don't understand) and my dad was like well I like Alexander is that cool and so that was the other option. I currently have one character named Alexander and he's evil. I really tried to like Inkheart 'cause the protagonist is Meggie but I couldn't. I did finish The Thornirds tho and there's a Meggie there.

2. When was the last time you cried?

I dunno, but I got teary finishing a book series for the fifth time. it's such a good ending! dragons! I don't CRY cry super often but I get teary at the drop of a hat. somebody plays the piano nicely and I'm feeling things about it. you guys it is raining so hard right now. and there's thunder. which I love, personally. the sky is crying so I don't have to.

3. Do you have kids?

nope. I don't plan on having any, either. I adopt teenagers and adults instead. give them snacks and hugs. help them out with their life stuff. coach them through bad days. sound familiar? I'm your mom!

5. What sports do you play/have played?

nothing team-y. in high school a few families used to meet up in front of the middle school down the road from me and we played flag football, and I can't really throw or catch but I could run and tackle. and I did karate for 5.5 years and horseback riding for 3?

6. What's the first thing you notice about people?

if they look like I want to talk to them or not. the vibes. I gotta know this since I work in retail. I usually call it correctly.

7. What's your eye color?

blue. people compliment them a lot, which I don't personally understand, 'cause they're not especially dark or anything. they're just regular eye blue. but people like them. so that's nice. some people also say there's silver around the pupil which I got a little bit of a complex over for a couple of years. but now I just think they're normal. who is even looking at my eyes when my hair is purple, though, right?

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

I don't like scary movies because I hate suspense. it doesn't really scare me it just gives me anxiety. I don't need a happy ending I just need it to make sense. make it make sense and I will not be mad at you. I didn't need the end of the mockingjay movie to be happy but I will forgive it.

9. Any special talents?

yeah, loads, but you'll have to interact with me to find them all out. one of them is that I'm super good at choking on beverages. one of them is that I can tell the difference between dark navy and black. one of them is that I can always beat my mom in boggle. one of them is that I can read really fast. one of them is that I'm tired all the time.

10. Where were you born?

the hospital where I just was last week for the stupid spider bite. it's literally up the road from my house. I use it as a frame of reference when people ask where I live. you know where this specific hospital is? continue down the road to the end and there's my house. there's a christmas wreath hanging on the garage.

11. What are your hobbies?

watching several hour long video essays about tv shows I have or will never watch, writeblr and sometimes even write-ING, art which I'm trying to make more of despite literally having stacks of it that I'm not doing anything with. anybody want some watercolor art? I'll send it to you. doing crossword puzzles with my dad in the kitchen. xbox games.

12. Do you have pets?

I don't, but there is a dog and a cat in the house where I live. the dog is the family's and the cat is sort of my sister's. I like him. he's the cat of knowing. follow the tumblr I made for him @orangejuni

13. How tall are you?

5'5", which is either tall or short and never average even though it literally is. I'm regular height, and, according to recent reports, a regular-ish weight?? I forgot to verify for myself when I got home from the hospital but apparently I broke 120lbs for the first time in my entire life and I'm very pleased. if I can stay there it'll be a miracle.

14. Favorite subject in school?

art, 'cause you don't have to write essays you just make stuff. I was always pretty good at history, though.

15. Dream job?

I wanna spontaneously have enough money to run like a boarding house for people who just need a temporary place to stay. in the meantime I actually enjoy working retail (when I'm not stuck in The Box) so I plan on staying for ten years so I get my lifetime associate discount. dumb? I don't care, this job makes me happy and I love my coworkers.

you're only allowed to do this tag if you can commit to also answering in a somewhat Tired Sleepy or unhinged kind of way. @zmwrites Ghosty? you're tired sleepy. @writing-with-melon Honeydew? hi. @klywrites Klove? you're unhinged. @rains-inky-mind Rainscribe? mm? @another-white-hole Voidlight? you know exactly what you are

[team-pokefriends]

[Sophie arrives at the Hit-Hit Dojo. 

Vanilla is there, training her arm muscles on the punching bags. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Sophie and turns to face her.]

[Vanilla] "Hey, stone horns!"

[Sophie] "What's up?"

[Vanilla] "Oh, you know, just working on my arms."

[Vanilla flexes her right arm, showing off her strong Miltank muscles.]

[Sophie] "You definitely look stronger."

[Vanillia] "Am I? How about a spar to test."

[Sophie] "Heh. Let's do this."

[Sophie and Vanilla assume their positions at one of the arenas in the dojo. Then, after some preparations, the two begin their battle.

Sophie begins by running towards Vanilla. Once close, she readies her right fist and then swings it. At the same time, Vanilla raises her right lower hoof and brings it down. Because the Miltank shifts her body while attacking, she narrowly dodges the attack and she hits Sophie's foot with Stomp.]

[Sophie] "Khah!"

[Then, with her hoof still on Sophie's foot, Vanilla grabs Sophie's shoulders. She removes her hoof off her foot and then throws Sophie onto the ground. After that, she jumps up into the air and falls right on top of her, damaging her with a strong Body Slam.

Vanilla bounces off of Sophie after that and steps back, waiting for the Slowking to get up.]

[Sophie, thoughts] "(Woah. She did get stronger. Wow.)"

[Sophie slowly gets up and gets into a battle stance. She holds her right hand out and uses Liquidation, summoning a sword made entirely of water into her hand. She swings over her head, but Vanilla leaps back to avoid it. Then, she thrusts it forward, and it hits, splashing Vanilla with some sharp water. Finally, she spins around and steps forward, swinging Liquidation with all her might. Vanilla hops back, but the tip of the Liquidation attack strikes her right thigh before she lands.

After that, Sophie runs up and swings with her left hand, only for Vanilla to move her head to the side to avoid it. Then, Sophie swings with her right hand, but Vanilla dodges it the same way. Now knowing how the next time this happens will go, Sophie changes things up and uses Drain Punch, throwing it towards Vanilla's gut. Surprisingly, Vanilla hops back again and the attack misses, much to Sophie's surprise.]

[Vanilla] "I'm not falling for that again."

[Sophie smirks and tries to step up her game.

The two continue their spar for a few more minutes. It's a closer battle than Sophie thought. Usually, she would have more of an advantage, but this time, it feels like the two are neck in neck.

Eventually, the two stop their spar, taking deep breaths in order to calm down.]

[Vanilla] "Well, well. Looks like I am getting stronger."

[Sophie] "Heh, yeah. Not so one-sided anymore. Gonna make our battles lot more fun."

[Vanilla] "Heck yeah!"

[Vanilla throws her right arm forward and flexes it.

Sophie responds with a bright smile.]

[Vanilla] "I'm headed off for work now. You wanna walk there?"

[Sophie] "Uh… Yeah, sure, why not?"

[Sophie and Vanilla exit the dojo together, walking side by side down the dirt path at the top of the town.

As the two walk, talking along the way, Sophie begins to feel something. She isn't sure if the feeling is real, but she tries not to let it bother her.

Eventually, they arrive at the Protectors Guild base.]

[Sophie] "Alright, see ya later."

[Vanilla] "You're not working today?"

[Sophie] "I dunno. Cath's helpin' Venus today, so I'm pretty much free."

[Vanilla] "In that case, wanna do a mission together?"

[Sophie's eyes widened for a second. Then, without thinking, she speaks.]

[Sophie] "W- Yeah!"

[Vanilla] "Cool! Let's go see what they got!"

[Vanilla begins walking inside, but Sophie takes a second before she catches up.]

[Sophie, thoughts] "(The heck came over me there? Never answered that fast before.)"

[Before Sophie could think about it any more, she shakes her head.]

[Sophie, thoughts] "(Nevermind. At least I get to kick some tail with someone today.)"

[She smiles as she follows Vanilla.]

[cru5h-cascades]

It's that time again, everyone! We got a new trailer for Chill Season 2023 just 2 hours ago (as of writing this) and damn this is one mighty fine update!

To start off lemme just say that this trailer's a goddamn acid trip but hey at least we got a trailer!

Anyways...

Clearly our next new splatband joining Splatoon 3, if you can even call them a new splatband anyways, is the Chirpy Chips! The trailer features one of their new songs, No Quarters and damn it's pretty good (I mean no duh it's music from the Chirpy Chips; they're like one of my favorite multiplayer music splatbands so of course I'm biased). Hell, the trailer even doubles as a fully animated music video since Harmony's 3D model is prominently featured in it.

The first new stage revealed in the trailer is I guess some sort of high tech raumen resturaunt called Robo ROM-en, where we can see some jellyfish working alongside some robot chefs in order to prepare food. The resuraunt looks like it comes straight out of the future and I love it! But hold up... one thing.... I feel like this stage would be super fitting if team order won the final splatfest... potential Side Order foreshadowing? Nah, I'm overthinking it. But hey you never know!

New weapons ahoy! In an early shot of player characters in the trailer we get to see 4 new weapons! A new splatana stamper, an new blaster, a new reef-lux, and HOLY SHIT A NEW UNDERCOVER BRELLA!!! Yeah, one of my main weapons in Splatoon 2 was the Sollera Undercver Brella and I've been waiting a while for a new undercover with a good kit. Hopefully that's the case with this brella...

More new weapons include a golden painbrush, a new squeezer, a new s-blaster, and NEW SPLAT DUALIES YEAH BABY!!!

Looks like the new undercover brella has the new special weapon...

Presenting the Splattercolor Screen, a new special that was datamined some time ago! The player will be able to summon a water bottle that they can throw to create a Big Bubbler sort of dome that spreads ink around the dome when thrown. Enemies can enter the dome, but there's a catch! Going inside of the dome causes the entire screen to go black & white, making it harder for enemies to see things in the area, including you and your teamates! So basically this special it the Bayonetta Origins fairy magic special in a way lmao.

Bluefin Depot's making a comeback this update! This stage was also datamined some time ago so hey it's pretty cool to see it in the new update. BUT WHERE'S URCHIN UNDERPASS???

Not part of the update but I thought it was super funny

THEY REFERENCED THE TO BE CONTINUED MEME IN THE TRAILER!!! TO BE CONTINUED IS CANNON IN THE SPLATOON UNIVERSE BABY!!!

Anyways moving on...

Looks like the next big run's gonna be at Barnacle & Dime. Why the salmonids would invade a mall? I dunno why. Makeovers? Looking for stuff to jazz up how their weaponry? Who knows?

NEW BIG BOI INKOMING! We're getting a new king salmonid! Looks like it can submerge itself in ink like an inkfish but it's hard to tell because the scene goes by fast and the screen glitches out at this part of the trailer.

And that's all I got from the new update tailer! No sign of that chimney special that was datamined alongside the splattercolor screen though. Anyways, I'll share update news if I feel like it's interesting enough for me to post. Anyways, what do you guys think of the new update? Tell me in the comments/reblogs!

[chickensoup-4-mysoul]

herculean (drrr x f!reader) - chapter 4

chapter 4 - eye to eye

synopsis: Something weighs on your heart ever since you left Shinra's apartment, and you decide to act on it.

word count: 2,986

warning: N/A

It felt like you hadn't laid in your bed in five years. You wholeheartedly wanted to nestle completely into the silk sheets and wade away to snoozetown, but your brain wasn't ready for sleep yet.

"The bartender guy you met is Shizuo Heiwajima. Dude's super strong and he's got a bit of an anger issue." Saburo continues explaining. 

"He's a good guy, though. As long as you stay on his good side--and out of his way when he's pissed off (you failed at that part), you're alright."

"Dotachin and Shizuo go way back! They've known each other since high school." Erika whispers into your ear. Is she trying to be subtle? She's failing.

Kyohei seems like a good judge of character, you can trust him, right?

"And what about this... Izaya Orihara?"

"Not the best guy."

"Bad news."

"Better off steering clear of him."

So the consensus on this Izaya character is that he is...bad. To say the least. After seeing what a sore subject the guy was, you refrained from questioning further.

From what they told you, seems like you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, caught in a battle between two men who hated each other (although Erika thought they were in love with each other but no one wanted to unpack all of that). You wondered what could have started such a rivalry. They seemed to like Shizuo, but not Izaya. Was Shizuo the good guy? Was Izaya the bad guy?

A chill ran down your spine as you remembered the moment you made eye contact with him. The smile on his face that you couldn't seem to look away from. He wasn't too bad looking either Ew shut up.

You remembered Shizuo and the way that he couldn't even look at you in Shinra's apartment. What was going through his head? Was it remorse? Self-loathing? He had hurt you, after all. Did he expect you to hate him? Was that why he had so much trouble talking to you?

Eventually, you were able to fall into a deep sleep, but not without the persistent thought of the tall blonde bartender who insisted on wearing sunglasses inside.

...

The man's uninterested gaze morphed so quickly into a look of stupefaction.

"What'd you just ask me, little missy?"

"I said, does a Shizuo Heiwajima work here?"

You don't quite appreciate the way he laughs in your face. He garners the attention of two other bar patrons sitting near by.

"You fellas hear this chick? Says she's lookin' for Shizuo Heiwajima!!" They join him in his laughter.

"Well, is he here, or not? That's all I'm asking," you press, unamused.

The man's smile disappears, replaced by a scowl. He rests his weight on the countertop between you in an attempt to gain a few inches on you--you're happy you wore platforms today.

"Listen here, Fancy Pants. I dunno what kind of trouble you're looking to get into, but you ain't gonna find it here."

".....so he's not here."

"Get outta my bar!"

Before you're out the door, you make sure to mutter a comment about the odor of the place before scurrying off (Yes, you WILL throw rocks from your glass house--and what about it??).

Storming along the sidewalk, you huff in frustration. That was the fourth or fifth bar, and the previous few had treated you the same. You thought people were supposed to be polite here!

After your pondering session last night, you decided that you wanted to talk to Shizuo. You thought that the best place to find the man would be at his place of work, but so far you had no luck. Now it was almost noon, you had no signs of Shizuo, you had been stared down by several too many sleazeballs (you regret wearing a tube top today but they shouldn't look at you like that no matter what you were wearing!), you were hungry, and you were pretty sure you had entered the sketchy side of town. 

You clutched your cellphone close to your chest as you strolled past a rundown looking apartment building, prepared to dial a number if anything were to go down.  

""ᵂᵉˡˡ, ᵍᵉⁿᵗˡᵉᵐᵉⁿ ᵒᵇᵛᶦᵒᵘˢˡʸ ʸᵒᵘ'ʳᵉ ᵃ ˡᶦᵗᵗˡᵉ ᵈᶦˢᵗʳᵃᶜᵗᵉᵈ, ˢᵒ ʰᵒʷ ᵃᵇᵒᵘᵗ ʸᵒᵘ ˡᵉᵗ ᵐᵉ ᵇᵉˀ ᴬᶠᵗᵉʳ ᵃˡˡ, ᶜˡᵉᵃʳˡʸ ʸᵒᵘ ᵃʳᵉⁿ'ᵗ ᶦⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ʳᶦᵍʰᵗ ᵉᵐᵒᵗᶦᵒⁿᵃˡ ˢᵗᵃᵗᵉ ᵗᵒ ʰᵃⁿᵈˡᵉ ᵗʰᶦˢ ʲᵒᵇ ᵃⁿʷᵃʸᵎ"

Wow, the walls in those apartments must be really thin, you can almost hear every word they were saying in there! Now some man was practically roaring and--

wait. You had definitely heard that roar before.

You are alerted by the sound of shattering glass. A man crashes through a window, followed by--is that a washing machine? They soar through the air, flying right over you before crashing to the ground, only a few feet away. You wince at the sight, but breathe a sigh of relief at the sound of the man's groaning confirming that he's still alive. You turn back to the building from whence he came, spotting a dark-skinned man looking out that same shattered window. Even from the distance, his sigh is audible as he removes his glasses and rubs his temples.

"Now you've done it...Shizuo!"

Your ears perk up at the name. Could that be...? Lo and behold, from next to the bespectacled man emerges a head of blonde hair. "Hey...H-Hey!!! Shizuo!!" Excited by the discovery you yell out to him, waving your arms in hopes that he would see you. At the sound of the familiar name, Tom Tanaka spots you, nudging Shizuo. "You know that chick...?" He asked, staring amusedly at the weirdly eager girl.

Upon seeing what Tom was talking about, Shizuo's cigarette dropped from his mouth to the floor. Standing right there, waving happily at him...

...was the girl he had almost killed.

"I found you!!!" You laugh, happy to have gotten his attention.

...

Tom is well aware that Shizuo is a grown man with a private life of his own. However, as he resides here, sitting across the table from Shizuo with a foreign girl between them--one that he apparently knows-- he can't help but shoot him an accusatory look.

How could you not tell me about this!?

Shizuo could already tell that Tom was deeply misreading the situation. The way he glanced between him and the girl as they ate lunch left little to the imagination as to what he was thinking. In response to his pointed stare, he could only stare right back and attempt to telepathically communicate.

I don't know what's going on either!

You were really enjoying this rice. The way you scarfed down the contents of the bowl was probably not ladylike, but you had earned a good meal after your wild goose chase that morning. You had expected Shizuo and Tom to converse a bit more since they seemed to be coworkers, but everyone at the table was just silently enjoying their food.

After catching up to the pair, you had asked Shizuo to go out to lunch with you. Except for the fact that his coworker was standing right there and, not wanting to be rude, you panicked and ended up inviting both of them. That was stupid, obviously, because now you couldn't really discuss the things you wanted to. 

"So..." you're thankful to Tom for breaking the silence. Shizuo is not. "You two know each other...?"

You sneak a glance at Shizuo, wondering if he'll answer. He does the same to you, and you both end up having a moment of awkward eye contact (as much contact you could get with those damn sunglasses). He quickly looks away, scarfing down another mouthful of his food.

"We're... familiar with each other," you answer vaguely. Tom's eyebrows shoot up like rockets and you quickly decide that that was the wrong answer, "I mean!!! We've met briefly before, but that's about it."

"I see." Bury me alive. 

"So...you both are...debt collectors?" You try.

"That's right! Shizuo here is my bodyguard!"

"That dangerous of a job, huh?" A bodyguard?? You were scrounging around every bar for nothing??? An image of the man and the washing machine flying over your head flashed in your mind and you winced. Guess he must have done something to threaten Tom.

"What about you?" Unlike Shizuo, Tom had no trouble asking questions. "You're not from here. What's your calling here in Ikebukuro?"

You gladly went on your classic story about your studies and prospective career, and how settling in Ikebukuro would aid you in pursuing said career. From your peripheral, you noticed Shizuo's intense focus on you as you spoke. It takes everything in you not to crumble under his gaze, maintaining eye contact with Tom in an attempt to calm your embarrassment.

"You really think we dress all that great??" Tom fiddles with the collar of his shirt.

"Oh, absolutely! You are a very fashionable man, Tom. But besides the aesthetic, your clothing choice serves a purpose. The suit provides professionalism. Obviously, your work requires people to take you seriously, but the striped button up is rustic. It keeps people from underestimating you. It's the perfect juxtaposition!"

You were ranting again, but Tom seemed to eat up the validation. It's definitely a myth that men don't care about what people think of their style. On the contraire, they take great pride in it! You turn to Shizuo who, not expecting the attention to be turned on him, almost flinches under your gaze.

"And, though I didn't completely get it at first, I can understand how a bodyguard in a bartender's outfit would be most intimidating. A man working such a blue-collar job definitely wouldn't be afraid to get his hands dirty!"

"Uh...right." Shizuo knew damn well that he wore those clothes because they were a gift from his brother, but you looked so excited. The word understand continued to echo in his mind. It was strange to you, how he dressed, but you didn't judge him for it. You almost seemed to find it admirable.

"Well, seems like you really know your stuff!" Tom smiles smugly at the look on Shizuo's face, and for the first time since they were teenagers, Shizuo might actually be willing to punch him.

You smile proudly, completely oblivious to the tension building between the two childhood friends.

...

So, Tom ran away before Shizuo could kill him, using the excuse that he had some sort of "paper work" to do at home. In reality, he was just deserting Shizuo to walk you home alone. The two of you trek silently in the direction of your apartment. The trip was silent except for the occasional direction from your GPS, and the click of your platform sandals against the side walk. It was killing you, how neither of you could say anything. You had so much to say!! But how were you supposed to say it??

Hey, I know it was you who almost killed me, but your friend from high school said you guys were cool, so it's all good!

You could only keep walking, occasionally sneaking glances at him. It was still well into the afternoon and the sun had reached it's peak among the sky. Even shining at its brightest, the sun's rays did little to reveal the eyes that hid behind those stupid sunglasses. It was hard to tell whether or not he was even looking at you.

"The uniform is fine, but you'd look so much better without those sunglasses hiding your face." GIRL WHAT.

You both stop walking at the same time, you in shock, and him in god knows what. He turns to look at you for the first time since you had started walking.

"I-I'm sorry how rude of me!! Here I go, thinking, I know everything about what everyone ought to be wearing! Honestly, if you feel better wearing those then--!"

"You really think I'd look better...?"

You're stunned silent by his calm, contemplative tone of voice. He stares at you expectantly, waiting for your answer.

"W-well, I mean... you'd look fine with or without them. It's more about...how you appear to others, y'know what I mean. You..make better connections with people when you can make direct eye contact with them!! Also, I know some consider it rude to wear sunglasses indoors, but on the job that might work for you for intimi...dation..."

When you look back at him, his glasses are tucked into his vest pocket. Deep brown eyes. The most typical eye color, shared by almost every person you had passed that day. His gaze was strikingly....human. This man who possessed great strength, known for going on rampages all over Ikebukuro, who you had just watched hurl a man through a window with his own home appliance, stood before you looking so pure. You suddenly feel shy, like this was some sort of intimate moment but chill out, girl the man only took off his glasses.

"Y-yeah...yeah that's much better." Neither of you move, simply standing there, staring at each other. Now's the time, you goad yourself, Here's your chance to get it off your chest!

"I'm not mad at you for--" "I'm the one who--" "--throwing that sign!" "--threw that sign!"

Seems like you both seized the opportunity, breaking the silence at the same time. His eyes widened and you briefly relish the way the light catches them.

"You knew...?"

You told him about Kyohei and the van gang. How they had told you of his feud with some guy named Izaya, and his super strength. "I know I was caught in the wrong place and you didn't mean to hit me! And you made sure that I was okay after, which was really kind of you! So...please don't think that I'm holding anything against you."

Shizuo can only stare at you now. He had honestly not expected this to be as easy as it was. Guilt had been eating away at him ever since you walked out the door of Shinra's apartment. All he could think about was how much you would hate him if you found out. How terrified of him you would be when you realized his true nature; the violence, the short temper...and here you were, trying to make him feel better.

"Can I see...your arm...?" He's a spitting image of when you first met him--bashful and hesistant--except now, without his glasses, he was so much more vulnerable. His focus was locked on you, always on you. The request confuses you, but you see no harm in it. Palm facing down, you offer him your right arm, lifting it closer to his face so he can see whatever he's a so interested in.

You had long ago removed the band-aid, he noticed. The day before, when he carried your unconscious body to Shinra's home, he hadn't had the courage to look too closely for fear of seeing just how much damage he had done. Upon closer inspection, the only remnant of the previous day's events was a darkened mark, similar to the burning of rubber tires against asphalt. It was minuscule; if he hadn't looked closely enough, he would have missed it. His eyes are owlish, shifting between your face and your arm. You would pay a million dollars to be able to see what was going on inside his head right now, because at the moment you had no clue.

"Any idea when you might be done...? My arm's getting a little bit tired." You cover it up with a joking smile but the burning in your biceps is no laughing matter. He coughs awkwardly and returns your arm, not even realizing that he had taken it into his hands in the first place. "Well...that was a nice break! Let's keep on moving!"

The rest of the walk is more on the pleasant side. You engage in small talk and whenever a silence did fall, it was comfortable, with no pressure to keep forcing conversation. The more the two of you converse, the less enigmatic that he seems. You begin tallying the things you've learned about him in your head: how close he is to his brother, how far back he and Tom go, how weird his other friend Shinra was. Unbeknownst to you, he's doing the same thing to you as well. It's easier on his end due to you doing most of the talking, and he's thankful for that.

A chime resounds from your cellphone, signaling that you had arrived at your destination. "Oh! Looks like this is me," you point to the tall building the two of you were approaching. "Thank you for walking me all the way here!"

"No problem."

You turn your back to him, ready to turn in for an evening at home, but something stops you. Abruptly, you return, pushing your phone into his face. "W-we should do this again!! Like, hang out, I mean, if you want to!! It's okay if you don't..." The moment you stutter out the first words, it's a downward spiral from there and you're already going through the five stages of grief. Shizuo saves you from your own embarrassment, accepting the device from you and typing something in. When he hands it back to you, you see that he's put himself in as a contact. When you look back at him, he's smiling. There's no smugness or ill intent to it, just a simple quirk of the corners of his mouth. It suits him. A lot. 

The two of you exchange goodbyes before he leaves in the direction you came from. You briefly wondered if he'd be able to retrace his steps well enough to get back okay, but then you realize that if he were to get attacked he could just knock his assailant to kingdom come. Boarding the elevator up to the top floor, you allow a chuckle to slip out. Yeah, he'll be alright.