#if anyone would like to send luck and good vibes my way

[carriesthewind]

.

[elssero]

/ MASKED

-elssero kintober

-ghostface!dabi x reader, college au!, loser!dabi, costume party, mentions of alcohol and drugs, bathroom sex, unprotected sex, actually really cute, dabi is insecure:. maybe a tiny bit ooc, but it's very cute.

a costume party? what a bore. there's a small itch in the back of your head- a silent plea. telling you to just go home- end the night early.

you were supposed to be studying tonight, a huge test was right around the corner and you knew you needed the extra hours looking over the content.

you couldn't help yourself when your roommate barged into your room an hour earlier begging you to join her and her friends. you deserved a break? right? you'd spend the entire day going over course work and a few hours wouldn't hurt?

rushing to get dressed and leave at the same time as her is a challenge but you refused to show up by yourself- far too nervous to even think about it.

your costume- if it could even be considered one is just a little pair of black cat ears, paired with the first matching outfit you pulled from your wardrobe.

the music in the house is far too loud for your alcohol levels- finding yourself next to an assortment of drinks layed out on a table. eventually finding your drink of choice. you turn around to talk to your roommate after what had to be only a few seconds to find her completely vanished-

great.

studying the crowds around you for a second- not finding any familiar faces you decide to make your way outside- recognising who you think to be a girl from your english class.

"oh hey!- sorry your uraraka right?" your silently hoping that she accepts your attempt at conversation seeing as you can't find anyone you actually know.

"uh yes i am?" she looks at you puzzled for a minute and you internally curse yourself for expecting her to recognise you-

"oh wait i know you! you sit behind me in english right? yn?" oh thank god.

"yes that's me! i'm sorry for barging into your conversation like this but my roommate quite literally disappeared on me." she only smiles at you in return-and your incredibly grateful.

"no don't worry about it! uh- if anything i'm glad you ran into me! i've been meaning to talk to you about what we're doing in class right now-" she rubs her hands together as she talks- clearly a little nervous.

"i'm struggling to fully understand what the professor wants us to do with this assignment thing-but you seem to get it pretty well? i was hoping you'd maybe explain it to me?" you flash the girl infront of you a teasing grin before asking for her number-promising you'll send her a text tomorrow so you guys can find a more appropriate time to meet up and discuss your project.

"hey um- do you know that guy over there? the one in the mask?" the girl points at a man with dark hair as she eyes him up suspiciously. "he's like- totally staring right at you- it's actually kind of creepy.."

you follow her line of sight and your immediately uneasy- his costume seems to be put together at the last minute, much like your own. but to say the vibe he gives off matches the mask would be an understatement.

despite his eyes being completely covered- his stare sends shivers up your spine. "uh- i'm not sure?"

"it doesn't look like you have much time to figure it out- he's heading this way." okay- this is fine. it's probably just some frat guy trying to be creepy.

uraraka doesn't stay by your side to figure it out- she leaves with a wink and a hushed good luck and by the time you turn around your face to face with the masked stranger.

"uh- hello there?" you try not to sound as nervous as you feel it's hard with the way he looms over you.

he seems to catch the nervousness in your voice-chuckling before he speaks- "sorry- did i scare you?"

his voice- despite the rasp is far nicer than you would've expected, the tease in his voice is evident.

"didn't mean to make you nervous- just wanted to introduce myself." you can't see the smirk on his face but you can hear it. "i'm dabi"

"i'm not nervous. just drunk- and on high alert." the he moves closer- you feel more at ease after hearing his name, certain you've heard it before.

"what'd say we head back inside- get something to drink."

a part of you wishes you'd said no- but you didn't. you allowed to him take your hand and lead you back inside. you let him fix you up some mixture of drinks that for the record tasted better than anything else you'd had to drink tonight and you'd let yourself relax- spend time with him.

the touches of your waist hadn't gone unnoticed- the way his hand lingered on yours when he passed you a cup- his arm looping around your shoulder when men approached- he seemed to like the game.

you however- we're getting sick and tired of the game. the heat pooling in your stomach was only growing with each of his little touches. enough was enough.

you grab his hand, forcing him to follow you into the first empty room you can find before you shut the door- locking it quickly behind you.

"woah pretty- what's going on? you okay?" you can't tell if the concern in his voice is false or not- but the way his hands grip your waist indicates he has ulterior motives.

your not the kind of person- you don't have one night stands- especially not with strangers, strangers whose faces you haven't even seen.

but with dabi it feels different- almost as though you can't help it, not with the heat growing in your core.

finding it difficult to find the words- instead opting to run your hands along his arms- hooking them together around his neck.

"what're you doing?" there's a laugh- a joke in his voice that completely contrasts with your seriousness-

"do you want me?"

it seems to stop his movements- the small circles he was tracing on your waist come to a hold and for a second you think you've got the wrong idea- "are you crazy?" he lets out a chuckle "of course i fucking want you"

"then what's taking you so long" it's said with newly found confidence.

"you haven't even seen my face?" some may take this as judgement- but you can tell there's more to it-something hidden. "¡ don't care" those three simple words seems to shock him.

"how?- how can you not care?" it's weird how within the hours that you've spent with the man you haven't felt the need to see what he looks like- it just feels right. "what you look like doesn't matter- jus' want you"

"fuck- baby are you sure?" his voice is strained- laced with a mix of hope and confusion. his hands begin to dig into your waist.

"yes- yes i'm sure" pulling him towards you by his neck- bringing him closer "need you- please-"

"okay- okay baby i got you-" he feels insane- crazy. to have somehow ended up so close to you, with your hands around his neck.

he'd been holding back- of course he has. he'd wanted you for as long as he can remember-you'd never know of course, that he'd had a silly crush on you for weeks.

you hike your clothes away from your lower half-exposing yourself, he has to take a second to double check he's still breathing before he shoves your underwear to the side-

he runs a finger across your slit- the dampness evident "fuck- baby your soaked." his pace is slow-

"your such a tease- been doing it all night" he lets out a chuckle at this "m'sorry- c'mere let me make it up to you-" before he slides a finger in before adding another. "oh-fuck" he slides his fingers in and out, keeping a steady pace "gotta prep you- gotta have you cum on my fingers first-"

he changes the angle slightly- fingers hitting a different spot "oh-oh" he takes notice of your reaction- increasing his pace "you like that?" you can't answer him as well as you'd like- he takes the increasing volume of your moans as a yes- "you gonna cum on my fingers pretty?"

it seems that the "yeah- just like that- let it go" you feel it coming- a release in your stomach before it happens- your cumming "dabi- fuck!"

he halts- seemingly staring at you as your mouth drops- listening to your moans as they leave your mouth-"you think you can go again?" there's an eagerness in his voice- one you can't refuse "yeah-yeah i wanna go again"

you grap at him- hand running over his bulge- not being able to waste a second before you take it out-trying not to seem shocked at the size. "wanna feel you-"

you go to take him in your hand before his is around your wrist- halting your movements "shit- baby don't talk like that"

"please- want it" and he groans- a low, deep sound.

"and i wanna last more than ten seconds-" he says it breathlessly- barely touched and he's already losing his mind.

he aligns himself- tip hitting your folds and you hear another deep moan from behind the mask."oh fuck-baby"

it's weird how intimate it is when he slips into you-moans mixing together with ease- your head falling back as he bottoms out.

"fuck- oh god." he moves against you without rhythm- instead it's desperate, rushed. "you f-feel so good"

it's unpracticed- but god does it feel good, it's like he's wanted this forever- the feeling is rubbing off on you"d-don't stop-"

"feel good baby?" he sounds cocky, and you can't even blame him because it does feel good "yeah-feels good"

it doesn't take him long before he's unraveling "fuck-think i'm gonna cum" he can't be blamed- he has wanted this forever. "it's fine- i'm protected" the sentence seems to enlighten something in him- his thrusts get faster- more uncontrolled "holy shit"

"fuck are you sure?" you wouldn't normally- but something about him just feels so right, so you let him.

"fuck- you can cum in me- it's okay" it's all the confirmation he needs before he's completely lost-blinded by pleasure "fuck baby- m'cumming!"

his face falls- landing in the crook of your neck, in the mist of his pleasure he doesn't notice how his mask gets caught in your hair- tugging it away from his face- falling to the ground with a loud thud.

you don't notice it either- not until you've came down from your high. he moves his head away from your neck- a loopy smile on his face as your eyes catch his, clearly still coming down from his own high.

it's not until he notices that your jaw has dropped-eyes wide when he thinks something might be wrong- he goes to speak- to ask if your okay before you beat him to it.

"touya?"

in an instant his eyes are blown even wider than yours- he wants to move, terrified of how you'll react know that you who he really is.

"it is you! i knew i recognised your voice" he blinks at you- your voice doesn't seem laced with any sort of malice, if anything there's a touch of excitement "oh god i hope this doesn't make class awkward."

this can't be right- surely not. why do you seem so calm about this? "uh- are you okay? you seem kinda out of it?"

"what's going on?" he seems kind of lost for words."why aren't you weirded out?" his frustration and confusion only makes you giggle.

"well- i've always thought u were cute, all quiet and mysterious." you give him a smile before continuing.

"this is a win for me."

he again- doesn't reply to you, instead looks at you in shock as you tidy yourself up, drunkly giggling to yourself as you do.

"hey uh- how about we get a ride back to my place, pick up some food on the way?" he can't fathom this- how cool you seem to be, how calm.

"uh- okay? sure." he's losing his mind he thinks, fixing himself up he lets you take his hand, dragging him out of the random bathroom you'd found yourself in.

you remind silent until you've dragged him all the way out of the house, fumbling your way to street while you wait on an uber "your kinda stupid touya- a cute stupid."

he fidgets with his fingers- but he doesn't fight the smile that appears on his face. "whatever- your paying for your own food."

[morose-marble]

Incoherent ramble bc I have the brain worms about Apo

I am very annoying and also unwell, which is why I have taken to scrubbing through a not-insubstantial amount of episodes from Apo's lakorns (without subtitles) to form some kind of picture of what kind of roles he was cast in while employed by channel 3, and sending screen caps to literally anyone with a messaging app in my immediate social circle (they are in hell, thanks for asking). So, now that I have run out of people to torment with my obsessive tendencies, I am left with posting into the void on good ole tungle dot com.

So far, it seems that Apo's bread and butter was a wholesome, boy next door, nong type character (this is based on quite shaky interpretations of Sut Khaen Saen Rak, Buang Banjathorn, Chaat Payak and Prakasit Khammatep) with some exceptions, such as Tiang in Chat Suer Pun Mungkorn, a hot-headed young gangster. These aside, I have not yet formed a comprehensive understanding of his profile as an actor, as I can't seem to get my hands on some of the dramas at all.

The aforementioned roles were all supporting ones, and I could only find episodes for one of his two lead parts, that of Pong Khun Boon Jirakit in Pra Teap Rak Hang Jai, an enemies to lovers story(?). His character sells artisanal traditional Thai silk(?) and ends up falling for a rich woman (Preeyakarn Jaikanta) down on her luck who needs to become independent and better herself as a person(?). Quite a straightforward premise. (He wears a bunch of plaid in the show, he looks uncomfortable.)

Now. What I have noticed about Apo's career in supporting parts is that the male leads he supports are very...narrowly masculine, in comparison to him. Apo has talked about having faced homophobia/general cishet discriminatory nonsense in the industry at that time, and flicking through these shows really illuminates how rigid the concept of a lakorn romantic male lead was (maybe still is, I don't know). Obviously, I gathered that lakorn gender roles were a tad more conservative, but I still struggled slightly with understanding why Apo was treated the way he was, bc I feel like he is relatively conventionally masculine (my european perspective impacts my perception of what constitutes normative gender roles, I know) to the point where picking up on any ~queer~ vibes would be a gays only event. However, I feel like I get it a bit better now.

Apo is very handsome. He is also beautiful in a way that a lot of these leads aren't. They are pointedly conventionally masculine, not necessarily hypermasculine, but going towards that direction, something that is emphasised by their role in the narrative and acting style. Lots of stoicism and displays of quiet suffering and anger. I know, it's very reductive to place gendered presentations onto a spectrum etc etc, but if one were to operate within rigidly delineated binary requirements for gender presentation that exist in media (and society, there's nuance), Apo does not quite fit the criteria of a leading man within the given parameters. Which is terrible, of course. I can absolutely understand why Apo got fed up with the industry and decided to leave it all behind.

Additionally, as pointed out above with the repeated archetypal character traits, I feel that he did not get to flex his acting muscles in the narratives of these shows, which is another thing he has commented on, though maybe not in those words exactly.

Thinking about all of this makes his recent successes with Kinnporsche and Man Suang terribly interesting and delicious. I recognise that narrativising a celebrity's experiences as an affective story like this is mad parasocial brain rot behaviour, but the idea of him taking something that he was disparaged for earlier on in his career (perceived queerness) and turning it into a factor of him surpassing that which held him back is very attractive in a story sense. Like, what a triumph?

I'm not sure if any of this makes sense or if this is completely old news to everyone, but for some reason I had to get it out somewhere. I'll probably read this back in the morning and cringe mightily.

Anyway. What an interesting time to follow his advancement and the changes in the Thai BL industry, namely the increased attention from the government. I have fears, but I don't know how to articulate them yet. Therefore, I will focus on enjoyment for the time-being.

[l0cal-catb0y]

Hero!Ghoap x God!Reader brainrot

this is mainly about ghoap cuz i didnt focus on them in the first post and they deserve love too!! and i wanna add backstory :33 based off this post i made and i think i want them to be childhood friends!! (its one of my favorite tropes im sorry </3)

once again this is just word vomit !! not my best but it must be shared :DD but also!! let me know if you have any ideas for what reader should be the god of cuz i really have no ideas and i wanna add more details to them!!

definingly have the vibe they would've meet by running into each other playing in a field when they were very young and just ended up sticking together. simon found comfort in johnny's presence and just sort of started following him everywhere he went with johnny just completely okay with dragging this boy around cuz!! he gets to have fun with his friend!! :DD sadly though they have to have reason to become fighters for plot reasons </33 their village gets destroyed, burnt and looted with few survivors left. theyre both distraught and angry with johnny openly wanting to track down the people behind the attack and fuck them up (simon too but hes silent about it) maybe johnny starts getting ready to start that hunt without telling anyone but simon can just read him perfectly and just pulls him aside to tell him that he's coming too.

I feel like along their hunt they would stop and take care of anyone that were causing issues, probably with just small trouble makers but as they become stronger and more experienced they deal with whole gangs of people (they end up getting the names ghost and soap along the way somehow) they become more renowned for their strength and victories that even cities far off know them!! im thinking the group that destroyed their village became an army and overconfident to the point of disrespecting the gods (probably not all but definitely some big ones) so when ghost and soap become bigger names they are given the upperhand with the backing of the gods who wish to put the group back into place. they basically get to the level of demigods !!

romance wise though,,, giggles,,, somewhere along their journey after a hard fight they would confess while patching each other up, the concern for each other far outweighing the fear of rejection <33 the gentle touch of making sure theyre still there and the whispers of love would be so soft after they know its a mutual love omg. their routines change a little afterwards too!! like simon giving johnny little trinkets to have in his pockets (probably something handmade when he cant sleep) and johnny braiding part of simon's hair before a fight (maybe he braids a piece of simon's hair into his own braid and his hair into simon's?)

I don't think they would actively worship one particular god? they would give offerings every so often as thanks for the blessing or in hope of getting some luck with something (finding info or just having good weather) but they are mainly on their own for the most part. yes they are favored more than others but it doesnt mean the gods really care about them yknow? they both know theyre just a means to an end for some of them :((

so when you start looking out for them theyre both just :OO you actually care about them outside of what they can do!! you help them with small things!! your watching eyes comfort simon when he cant sleep!! you guide johnny to peaceful areas for him to relax and draw at!! you send your associated animal to keep watch if they ever both crash after a fight!! they start to add stuff to their routines that relate to you in some way :33 making crafts of your symbols and having one with them for "good luck" or making a small spot for you at every camp they make or talking to you (aka the open air of your spot) about their plans and what they wanna do next!!

idk man brainrot and lack of sleep are getting to me!! im going to rotate these two in this au in my head for the next month ^-^

[ddejavvu]

mei's 20k celebration !!

first of all, thank you to each and every single one of you for being here!! together you make just over 20k. the size of my audience is very hard for me to fathom (seriously, have you ever googled what 20,000 people look like? insane!!!) but i know i'm incredibly grateful that you're here!! writing is very fun for me but it's even better with lovely people like you cheering me on, and i'm happy to do what i do if it means you get to enjoy it.

i have been exceptionally busy lately, and i haven't done a follower celebration since 10K i believe, so i figured now was a good time for another one! i know not everyone is into the same fandoms as everyone else, so this celebration will be separated into each different fandom that i write for. why? it's fun for me to plan things around my fandoms, but i didn't want to exclude anyone, so i just made a little mini celebration for them all :)

you're allowed to send as many asks as you want, for whichever fandoms you want, i just ask that you do it in separate asks! i'm not sure yet when I'm going to end the celebration, but I'll give you at least a 24H warning so that you can send in any last asks you have :)

without further ado: my 20k follower celebration!

Top Gun / Top Gun Maverick - Playing With The Boys

Are you ready for a beach day with some navy men? Choose an option from the list below and come hang out by the water, just be careful no one pushes you in!

'maverick? did your mother not like you, or something?' - make up a callsign for yourself, tell me why you've chosen it, and I'll tell you which character i think you'd get along with!

'i just don't want anyone to know i've fallen for you.' - send me a request for a baby blurb! give me a character, and a plotline, and i'll write you a little fanfiction :)

'and your wingman?' - tell me your favorite character and i'll link a tiktok that i think fits their vibe!

'dogfight football.' - games! fmk, would you rather, cym, all surrounding the characters of top gun!

'baby on board!' - send me a headcanon about one of the characters and i'll give you one back!

'hangman. you look... good.' - tell me your favorite character and i'll give you a photo of them from my pinterest board

characters accepted: pete 'maverick' mitchell, nick 'goose' bradshaw, tom 'iceman' kazansky, ron 'slider' kerner, leonard 'wolfman' wolfe, rick 'hollywood' neven, beau 'cyclone' simpson, bradley 'rooster' bradshaw, jake 'hangman' seresin, natasha 'phoenix' trace, robert 'bob' floyd, javy 'coyote' machado, mickey 'fanboy' garcia, reuben 'payback' fitch, + ask if you'd like me to write someone else!

Criminal Minds - Wheels up in 30

You've been called on a case with the BAU! Pass the time on the jet with an option from the list below, and good luck catching your unsub!

'we interrupt your regularly scheduled programming...' - pick an activity to do on the jet on the way back from a case, and i'll tell you which member of the BAU i think you'd get along with!

'oh, you LOVE me!' - send me a request for a baby blurb! give me a character, and a plotline, and i'll write you a little fanfiction :)

'ah- he wants to be his FAVORITE profiler.' - tell me your favorite character and i'll link a tiktok that i think fits their vibe!

'hey, there's still money on this thing!' - games! fmk, would you rather, cym, all surrounding the characters of criminal minds!

'let me tell you about my team.' - send me a headcanon about one of the characters and i'll give you one back!

'pretty boy!' - tell me your favorite character and i'll give you a photo of them from my pinterest board

characters accepted: aaron hotchner, derek morgan, emily prentiss, spencer reid, penelope garcia, david rossi, jennifer jareau, + ask if you'd like me to write someone else!

The Marauders - Summer at Potter Manor

You've been invited to spend the summer at James's manor! Be polite to Euphemia and Fleamont, spend your day picking an option from this list, and try not to tear up the lawn!

'a rather friendly disposition' - tell me what you think your animagus form would be any why, and I'll tell you which character i think you'd get along with!

'oi! evans!' - send me a request for a baby blurb! give me a character, and a plotline, and i'll write you a little fanfiction :)

'mischief managed' - tell me your favorite character and i'll link a tiktok that i think fits their vibe!

'i solemnly swear that i am up to no good' - games! fmk, would you rather, cym, all surrounding the marauders era characters!

'he's a murderer.' - send me a headcanon about one of the characters and i'll give you one back!

'pretty brown eyes' - tell me your favorite character and i'll give you a photo of them from my pinterest board

characters accepted: remus lupin, sirius black, james potter, lily evans, + ask if you'd like me to write someone else!

Stranger Things - Into The Woods

You're going monster hunting with Hawkins' finest! Pass the time waiting for your trap to be sprung by picking an option down below, but don't talk too loud, or it might hear you...

'we're stuck here...' - tell me which season of stranger things is your favorite and why, and I'll tell you which character i think you'd get along with!

'it's finger lickin' good.' - send me a request for a baby blurb! give me a character, and a plotline, and i'll write you a little fanfiction :)

'that's actual shit.' - tell me your favorite character and i'll link a tiktok that i think fits their vibe!

'oh it's the championship game?' - games! fmk, would you rather, cym, all surrounding the stranger things characters!

'this is giving me the heebie jeebies.' - send me a headcanon about one of the characters and i'll give you one back!

'I've got a date, dad.' - tell me your favorite character and i'll give you a photo of them from my pinterest board

characters accepted: eddie munson, steve harrington, robin buckley, jonathan byers, nancy wheeler, jim hopper, chrissy cunningham, joyce byers, + ask if you'd like me to write someone else!

Marvel - Crime Fighting Duty

Your favorite heroes have asked you to tag along for a day! between calls on the police radio, pick an option from the list below and fight the day away!

'he's got one up his ass, too.' - tell me what superpowers you'd want and why, and i'll tell you what marvel character you'd get along with!

'you're a very good kisser.' - send me a request for a baby blurb! give me a character, and a plotline, and i'll write you a little fanfiction :)

'pile of bodies, pile of heads.' - tell me your favorite character and i'll link a tiktok that i think fits their vibe!

'ooh! I know this one!' - games! fmk, would you rather, cym, all surrounding the marvel characters!

'I was cleaning the chimney.' - send me a headcanon about one of the characters and i'll give you one back!

'we look GOOD.' - tell me your favorite character and i'll give you a photo of them from my pinterest board

characters accepted: eddie brock / venom, peter parker (1, 2, and 3), matt murdock, steve rogers, bucky barnes, + ask if you'd like me to write someone else!

[dangermousie]

To everyone's joy, Undaddy has found out Nana and YS' living arrangements. And is in Nana's house. And he saw the bullet necklace. And is enjoying terrorizing the fuck out of YS.

Oh my God, and when he smiles that dead smile when YS comes running in, freaked out of his mind - unclean unclean get thee behind me, Satan but also I love that the camera dwells on him for an uncomfortable length of time. It fits the vibe.

"Because of you, that girl could die." Aww, Undaddy, you are all heart, threatening your son's OTP and all to blackmail him into becoming a good automaton assassin. Sweetness and light you are. Go fucking die. (I kinda love how he's almost relieved to find out about Nana because it makes more sense in his psycho world-view that YS would interfere with murder of even the guilty and certainly deaths of innocents out of a 'selfish' reason and not because of right-and-wrong - but Undaddy is so wrong - even if he didn't love Nana, he'd do exactly what he had done).

The way YS has started the campaign of pushing her away so nobody would think he loves her - but like you can not outwit Undaddy emotionally because you care about people and he doesn't. I love it when later Nana stands up to the old psycho MMMMMM

YS found her earring - poor guy, that's all of hers he can allow himself. Honestly, he wants so little, it's heartbreaking he can't have it (when he types in 'bring me coffee' and deletes it before sending it. My heart.)

When Ahjusshi later comments that living with Nana was the first time YS started laughing for real - no wonder he's glommed on, it's his first bit of normalcy. I love this drama for turning him into a "real boy" so gradually - if you think about it he was brought up in a drug den by a psychopath and then sent to a normal college with fake IDs and he couldn't get close to anyone because it might risk everything. This is almost the first proper human interaction he's ever had with a normal well-adjusted human being.

YS doesn't think Nana has figured out he's the City Hunter. Oh my very-very-very dense darling! Ha. Well, actually she was only suspicious until she saw you asleep on her couch (I loved that the common-sense thing to do would be not to say good-bye in person but he simply can't do that) and covered half your face like during the incident and recognized for sure. I love her gasp of acknowledgement. How I love that this drama doesn't drag things.

Oh, it must be killing him to say all those awful things to her about how he just kissed her because she was easy and this is boring blahblahblah and it might have worked to push her away except she figured out the truth so she knows he saved her life twice, once even after she shot him, despite his rescues interfering with his targets etc. Good luck, YS, in convincing her she doesn't matter to you. I love that Nana is no dummy. Once she figures things out, that's it.

(He also kinda spoils his whole bastard image by telling her that while he's moving out she can continue to stay in the house for free. Oh, YS!)

"I can't love. That's my fate." No, YS, it's not fate, it's your psycho Undaddy. Seriously, a targeted grenade, anyone?

Undaddy really is the biggest monster in this story. He ends ep 9 by killing two innocent cops who were only doing their duty to get to his target which makes him no different from the men he wanted revenge on. Worse - they at least had geopolitical peace in mind, he's doing it for vengeance that will bring nobody back.

[andiwriteordie]

hello! ✨sending you good vibes in this stressful month✨ (why is february Like This?)

if you feel so inspired for the valentine’s day fic prompts: byler where someone asks one of them out and the other cuts in like “he has plans” and (one the person is gone ofc) they share a cute lil moment? 💕🫂

lark i LOVED THIS PROMPT!!!! this was so fun!

here you go, have some post s5 byler set in the winter of 1989 in a not-destroyed hawkins!

—

1: take my hand, wreck my plans.

Mike hates high school.

Yeah, that much was a given, and honestly, Mike fucking hates high school. Middle school was bad enough, but then high school came around and turned out to be a million times worse—a tall order, considering the fact that middle school was full of things like the demogorgon and the Mind Flayer and then the Mind Flayer’s fleshy form.

…

Okay, technically, high school did have One and the near interdimensional war that could’ve ended the entire world. That sucked too. So maybe, high school was always destined to suck just as bad as middle school.

Or maybe Mike just has rotten luck.

That has to be it, because there’s no other reason that Mike would find himself here, waiting by his best friend’s locker and watching stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes flirt with Will.

Will, who most definitely seems uncomfortable right now, and Will, who most definitely does not like girls in a romantic way, and Will, who Mike is almost positive actually likes Mike.

Like… like-likes Mike. You know. In a romantic, more-than-friends kind of way. In the “Hey, I want to make out with you underneath the bleachers” kind of way and in the “I know we can’t because this is Hawkins, but will you be my date to prom this spring?” kind of way and in the “I don’t ever want to lose you again, so please don’t go” kind of way.

…

Okay, fine. Maybe Mike is projecting a little bit. But he likes to think that after knowing Will for over ten years, surviving all the horrors of the Upside Down with him, and coming out on the other side of all of this with a stronger friendship than ever, he knows his best friend pretty damn well.

Mike’s like… ninety-five percent certain Will has feelings for him too, which is exactly why he’s been trying to work up the courage to ask Will out for Valentine’s Day. He had planned to do it today, since the rest of the Party is busy today, and Will is planning on coming over to do homework with Mike. 

But then stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes had to come and mess all of Mike’s plans up.

Look.

Sometime around sophomore year, something weird started to happen. Girls really started to notice Will—or maybe Mike just started to notice how they noticed Will. Either way, it was like everywhere, left and right, girls were coming up to talk to girls. Will’s reputation as “Zombie Boy” had somehow disappeared in his year spent away from Hawkins, and suddenly, all the girls seemed to view him as the cool and sweet and lovable California boy. 

Suddenly, all the girls at Hawkins High wanted to date Will.

Right around the same time, Mike suddenly wanted to kill all the girls at Hawkins High.

Looking back on it, that really should’ve been Mike’s first clue (or his second… or tenth… or twentieth) that he had feelings for his best friend. Honestly, Mike knows that he’s a decently smart person (not as smart as Dustin, but smart enough), but sometimes, he can just be downright stupid.

Oh well. At least Mike knows now, and he can finally do something about it.

“Yeah,” stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes says, and she does that stupid girl thing where she twirls her hair and smiles really big at Will. “Mrs. Elliott canceled practice for the musical on Tuesday, since it’s Valentine’s Day and everything!” 

To his credit, Will smiles back at her, and to anyone else, it seems like a genuine smile. But Mike can tell that Will seems incredibly uncomfortable right now and is just looking for a way out of this awkward conversation. “Oh, that’s fun!” Will says with a bit of an awkward laugh. “I’m sure everyone was, um… excited!”

Stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes smiles widely again, and God, Mike wants to punch her in the face. “We were!” she says brightly, taking another step towards Will and leaning up against the lockers. “And um… anyways, I was just thinking about it, and well… I know this is so awkward, but I was wondering if you were maybe free on Tuesday? To… you know… go on a date?”

Mike’s going to punch her in the face.

Mike is actually going to punch her in the face, and hey, it’ll actually do some damage, because unlike little fifteen year-old Mike with noodle arms, absolutely no hand-eye coordination, and a complete inability to hold his own in a fight, Mike… can sort of do some damage now. He still has noodle arms, mind you, but the hand-eye coordination has improved (who would’ve known that he’s needed glasses this entire time) and can hold his own in a fight, thanks to many long days spent training with Steve and Jonathan and Hopper and literally everybody else in their Upside Down group.

So, yeah. There’s no way stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes is winning in a fight against him.

“Oh!” Will squeaks—like actually squeaks. He sounds like how he used to before his voice dropped near the end of middle school, and his face is bright red right now. He looks completely panicked, which is actually sort of adorable if you ask Mike. “I, um. I-I mean, I—”

“He has plans,” Mike blurts out, before he can stop himself.

Both Will and stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes turn to look at Mike, with varying looks of surprise on their face. Stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes also obviously looks a little disappointed (which makes Mike feel incredibly smug), while Will looks caught off guard but also a little pleased (which makes Mike feel even more smug). 

Will recovers first, and he smiles again at stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes. “I’m sorry,” he says, even though he’s definitely not. “I… I’ve already got plans.”

“Oh… okay,” stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes says, and she shifts awkwardly, glancing at Will then back at Mike. “That’s alright.”

Judging by the look on her face, it definitely isn’t alright. Mike fights the urge to grin at that.

Then, with another forced smile, stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes picks up her wounded pride, and she waves at Will. “I should get going,” she says awkwardly. “Bye, Will!”

“Bye, Jennifer,” Will calls faintly, though stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes is already gone, her ponytail bouncing stupidly behind her as she walks down the hall. Mike can’t help but roll his eyes.

Goodbye, and good riddance.

Beside him, Will clears his throat, and Mike flinches slightly, glancing at his best friend. There’s an amused look on Will’s face, and once Mike catches his eye, Will raises a brow. “I have plans, huh?” he says with a bit of a teasing smile.

Mike feels his face go warm, and he clears his throat, leaning his hand against the lockers. “Something like that,” he says, trying his best to ignore the way his heart is pounding inside his chest. “I figured anything’s better than having to go on a date with her.”

A soft laugh escapes Will’s lips. “Jennifer’s not that bad,” he says, rolling his eyes. “But you’re right. I definitely don’t want to spend my Valentine’s Day on a date with her.”

Once again, there’s a playful smile on Will’s face, and when he meets Mike’s eyes, Mike becomes like… ninety-eight percent certain Will has feelings for him too. 

Oh, to hell with it. Ninety-nine percent.

So, Mike just decides to take a leap of faith.

“Well… is there anyone else you’d want to spend your Valentine’s Day with?” Mike asks softly.

Another little smile tugs at Will’s lips, and he shrugs, leaning against the lockers slightly. “Maybe,” he says, just as soft. “That depends though.”

He’s teasing Mike—again, which… fuck, is driving Mike absolutely crazy. Will’s always been a little bit mischievous, but now, over the past few months of settling into their friendship and finding peace after the mess of the Upside Down, it’s like he’s become more and more comfortable to do little things like flirt with Mike more openly.

Mike absolutely loves it.

So, all he can do is grin back at his best friend. “Depends on what?” Mike asks, and Will’s eyes crinkle as he smiles again.

“On what these plans are that you were talking about,” Will hums, a playful glint in his eyes. “Because last I checked, Lucas had plans to take Max and El to the movies, and Dustin plans on calling Suzie that evening, so…”

Will’s voice trails off, and he looks Mike expectantly, a hesitant but shy look on his face. There’s a rosy little blush on his cheeks and a dozen different emotions in his eyes, and God, Mike just wants to kiss him.

“So… it sounds like it’s just you and me for Valentine’s Day,” Mike says, soft and shy. 

“Sounds like it,” Will agrees.

“And I don’t know… I was thinking that since it’s just the two of us… maybe we could make it a date?” Mike asks softly. 

A huge smile stretches across Will’s face, and Mike’s heart does a stupid little somersault because of it. That ninety-nine percent certainty increases to a solid one hundred percent, and  inside of Mike’s mind, it sounds like one of those game shows after someone has finally won something—like DING DING DING, WE HAVE A WINNER! YOU’RE THE WINNER! YOU DID IT!

“I’d love that, Mike,” Will whispers back, just as shy. “I’d really, really love that.”

Mike can’t help but grin like a complete idiot, and he nods, probably just a little too excited. “Cool,” he says breathlessly. “It, um… it’s a date then.”

Somehow, Will’s face turns even redder, and he beams. Luckily for Mike, he nods just as enthusiastically, so that’s definitely a good sign. “Yeah,” he agrees softly. “It’s a date.”

[useless19]

In one of my previous posts I mentioned reading/playing the old Nintendo Adventure Books when I was a kid. Out of curiosity, I managed to find some scans of them online and poked through some of the ones I didn't used to have.

They still have an old-school cartoon vibe (constant quips, a lot of nasty appearance-shaming toward the bad guys, etc - they're from 1991), but if you can get over that, I really like the way they often have puzzles to give you hints as to which way to go. It's something I feel is missing from most choose-your-own-adventure books.

(Okay, yes, sometimes the puzzles pushed you in the wrong direction or were just straight up wrong, but the concept is there at least).

However, the reason I'm making this post, is because book 4 Koopa Capers has an opening which I'm amazed that the bowuigi crowd seems to have missed.

"KoopExpress," a voice yells outside the Super Mario Bros. plumbing shop in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. "Special Delivery!"

Luigi looks up from his new invention, a water-powered pasta machine. It isn't working quite right. "Strange," he says. "Mario and I weren't expecting any deliveries today."

The tall, thin plumber tucks his high-tech plumber's helper into the pocket of his green overalls and heads for the door.

When Luigi opens the door, he sees a big package on the stoop. It looks like a giant hero sandwich wrapped in brown paper. "Mmm, looks tasty! But there's no return address," he says, stroking his thick black mustache.

Luigi is even more puzzled when he takes the paper off. "It's a rug!" he exclaims. "I wonder where it came from?" He unrolls the carpet on the living room floor. "Very pretty. It looks like a Goomba pattern."

He steps onto the rug to get a better look. "Hey!" he shouts as it comes to life under his feet. It's a magic carpet!

Before Luigi can escape, the rug wraps itself around him so that only his head and feet protrude from the ends. It rises into the air and zooms down the hall through the special pipe in the workshop that leads to the Mushroom World.

The next thing Luigi knows, the rug screeches to a halt in front of Bowser Koopa's castle. "Oh no!" Luigi thinks. "I'm being served to my worse enemy for dessert."

Out of the corner of his eye, Luigi sees two large helmeted red turtles carrying hammers. The Hammer Brothers! They waddle up to Luigi, pick him up, and carry him into the castle, still wrapped in the magic carpet.

Soon Luigi's bearers arrive at Bowser's enormous throne room. They unroll the carpet and send Luigi tumbling across the floor. He rolls to a halt at the scaly feet of Bowser Koopa, king of the turtles and leader of most of the bad guys in the Mushroom World.

"Good," Bowser says, squinting down his slimy snout at the prisoner. "Now, everybody out! Not you," he growls as Luigi tries to sneak off with the rest of the crowd.

Bowser waits until everyone else leaves. Then, in an embarrassed whisper, he says, "I need your help, plumber."

Before Luigi can recover from shock, the turtle king goes on. "My daughter, Wendy O. Koopa has vanished! She may have been kidnapped," he gulps, shedding a large crocodile tear.

He wipes his eyes with his sleeve and continues. "I sent my Koopa Troopas to search for her, but with no luck. I need a real hero to find her!" He puts his arm around Luigi's shoulder and adds, "I know you can do it. But the whole thing must be hush-hush. I want it kept a secret from my sons, the Koopalings. It's possible that one of them may be the kidnapper. Besides, no one can know you're working for me. It would be terrible for my image."

Luigi is very confused. "Let's recap," he says. "You want my to find your daughter? And you don't plan to tell anyone I'm working for you? So I'll still have to fight your flunkies, including your bratty kids, while I'm doing it?"

Bowser nods. "Right. Of course, your brother Mario might have been a better choice, but---"

"Oh sure, everyone would rather have Mario," Luigi retorts, offended. "Too bad he's fixing that drip at Niagara Falls. What if I say no?"

"I'd be very annoyed," says King Koopa, showing all his teeth in a sinister smile.

As Luigi looks at Bowser's enormous teeth, he says to himself, "Maybe Bowser is telling the truth. There's a first time for everything. And he does seem upset."

Luigi takes another look at the turtle. Bowser is now gazing at the ceiling and whistling innocently. "On the other hand, he's a born liar," the plumber thinks. "Well, maybe I should look into this mystery, just to see what the real story is. Besides, it would be quite a tale to tell Mario."

"Are there any clues?" he asks aloud.

Bowser holds out two shreds of paper. "There was a note in her room, but her Nipper plant chewed it up. This is all that's left."

Luigi can read only two words, FORT and MAGMA, on the scraps. "Intriguing," he says. "Okay, I'll do it. It might even be fun!"

Solve this puzzle to see what happens next:

Help Luigi find his way through this message maze to see where the clues lead.

If you think Luigi should go to the Magma Pits, turn to page 55.

If you think Luigi should go to the Fortress, turn to page 20.

If you think Luigi should look around Koopa's Castle, turn to page 29.

[yunwangja]

I just saw the match making yunie idea and I wanna try my luck

So about me..

I'm a dancer. I experiment with all sorts of dance styles and music genres. I also read a lot coz I'm a literature major. I write too, mainly poetry.

Other than that, I'm super introverted until we vibe and become friends. I also love cats. I have an rbf and am very sarcastic.

*cracking my knuckles* OKAY.

first of all ur so cool !!!!! i kinda relate with having a rbf lol </3. okay so i wrote down a couple of characters and rated them according to how likely it is in my opinion. but nonetheless i think everyone here can most match you and your personality !! <3 i hope you like it !!!!

- tsukki 7/10. would like ur writings and be like a silent but proud fan of you bc of ur dancing skill. would def match u being sarcastic, would be able to handle u. plus hes an introvert too so i think your way of getting close to people suits him. would love to pet cats with u!!!

- kuroo 6/10. i can see him getting really into your poetry because hes a self claimed poet as well (idk if thats canon but if its not, it is in my head). he’d be super supportive. it wont matter to him that youre an introvert, if you were yn he would do anything to get close to you, and he’d be good at it too!

- tendou 8/10. i just think you two would match. he’d love everything about you !!! such a big fan of everything u do and can match your energy no matter what. rated high bc I JUST SEE IT. when i thought of him i was like oh yeah def. just see him get interested w u.

- suga 6/10. can def match your pace as an introvert, and he’d be very kind to you. is genuinely interested in ur writings, like the type to discuss and analyze it when u show it to him. can see him try his best to tag along when you dance!

- akaashi 6/10. would be like the most thoughtful person. i think ur trope would be friends to lovers and he thinks youre really talented! he’d love to read ur poetry too. also just like so attracted to everything u can do.

- bo 5/10. think he wouldnt even care that ur an introvert or have a rbf. hes such a sweetheart when he first meets you he’d be so friendly and when he gets to know you more hes just instantly OMG YOURE SO COOL. hypes u up ALL the time.

- kenma 7/10. both introverts so really a good possibility. i kinda think ur the one who’d make the first move because like i just picture him as a bit awkward and dk what to do, but he’d be really comfortable around u and appreciate ur presence. once u ask him out, he’s now more sure of himself so he can start to be more direct with his interest toward you.

i based this (and the ratings) a lot on how i think they would all approach u from like the first meeting and how it could develop accdg to ur description! so yeah

if anyone else wants to be matched just send me an ask/inbox mwehehehehehe !!!!

[labyrinthinth-lighthouses]

If I remember correctly Oliver says in “If We Were  Villains” that he believes himself to be the ‘Banquo to Jame’s Macbeth and the Horatio to Jame’s Hamlet’ (paraphrased lol)

But I would like to say how fucking sad that notion is as someone who has recently read both of these plays. And it’s not because Oliver is undermining his own importance or relegating himself to a “side” role without trying to become a titular one

No it’s because in the play Macbeth, the character of Macbeth kills Banquo- now to explain my thoughts I also need to clarify, though I’m sure anyone who’s read the book already knows, James thought of himself to Oliver in the same way that Oliver thought about himself to James if that makes any sense at all. Like James was Banquo to Oliver’s Macbeth in his mind… anyway bad to the point.

Ok so Macbeth doesn’t kill Banquo directly, in the play he hires some murderers to take care of the job for him, which they do. And I think this kind of relates to Oliver and James towards the end.

So Oliver gives up his life to save James’s, he belives that by going to jail he will allow James to live- Oliver in his moment of confession is in his mind Banquo saving his dear son Fleance from the murderers as he runs away. Here he is Banquo never knowing of, or purposely ignoring, Macbeths betrayal because he loves him (in Macbeth it’s like a friend way but y’all get it). He is Banquo in act 1 scene 3 pulling Macbeth out of his trance and being happy for him and they news the weird sisters bought, supporting him going forward. And you could also make the argument that Oliver going to jail for James is thematically the same as Macbeth hurting murderers to kill Banquo, as it effectively destroys the rest of Oliver’s life, such as Banquos is cut short by Macbeths. (what was his charge 2nd degree murder- good luck getting a job).

Now, you can flip this on it’s head and it still makes sense!! Maybe James is Banquo and Oliver going to prision for him, guilt eating away at him for years is tangentially the same as Macbeth sending the murderers, but the murderers are guilt. However here of course, Oliver dosent mean to send the murderers, he believes he is helping but- well yknow.

However I personally think that there is more of a connection with James and Lady Macbeth towards the end. The last scene Lady Macbeth is in she is sleep walking, replaying the night that she and Macbeth killed Duncan, and she says “What need we fear who knows it when none can call our power to account? Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?” (Lady Macbeth in Act 5, scene 1, lines 30–34,). And than she kills herself, and guess what Macbeth doesn’t find out about this for hours, similarly to how when James, allegedly, killed himself Oliver didn’t find out for years. And both Lady Macbeth and James take their own lives because the guilt, and shame of what they’ve done is eating them alive and they can no longer stand it.- in this example Oliver would also be Macbeth

Now as for Horatio and Hamlet, long debated queers (not getting into that) Hamlet dies in Horatio’s arms and makes him swear to tell his story, and Horatio, after thinking of hilling himself decides to honor Hamlets wishes and tell his tale. I feel like this is just similar to James and Olivier, Oliver telling James’s story long after he’s gone.

Oh and Horatio and Hamlet went to college together, we’re each others closest friend and confidant, and Hamlet I believe wants to be all that Horatio is because he is just such a good person in every aspect of himself- and also have James and Oliver vibes so take that as you will.

So sorry this is terribly written it’s late and I’m dyslexic hope this made some sense lol

Edit: I’m pretty sure this is mainly illegible so here’s a td:lr

Oliver dies so that James can live, believing that he will. James in turn “dosent” and Oliver is left to tell his story, or join him wherever he may be.- Similar to Hamlet and Horatio (Both Horatio and Oliver live)

Macbeth kills king Duncan, his friend Banquo, Macduffs whole household and more- Lady Macbeth encouraged this and kind of pushed him into this. The actions she had taken in the play eventually cause her to loose her mind and kill herself out of guilt. - James also kills himself out of guilt, because he is the one who kills Richard and Oliver takes the blame and he cannot bear it (Macbeth kills but Lady Macbeth makes him so kind of similar ig) - so in this Oliver is Macbeth and James is the Lady Macbeth

But one could also argue James is a Banquo figure as he is killed not directly by Macbeth but from Macbeths actions. Like how James presumably kills himself because of Oliver taking the blame (from Macbeths-Oliver’s- actions)

Ok that’s it bye

[recovering-radqueers]

"Recovering Radqueer" using transabled and transharm

Anonymous sent: I'm a "recovering radqueer" but I still use transIDs, even the "harmful" ones like transabled and transharmed/ful. They're the only words that meaningfully describe my experience. The anti-transition stance of Dissomei just doesn't work for me when I fully intend to remove an eye and I know nobody in that community would approve. I want to get away from the radqueer community but they are the only ones who will accept me. Every anti-radqueer blog I talk to just spits slurs and tells me to kill myself over my identity. Do you have any advice? Other labels that aren't anti-transition? Blogs that are pro-transID but anti radqueer that I can interact with to separate myself from all the abusers in the RQC?

Hey there, I'm sorry to hear that you've been told to kill yourself. I don't believe anyone deserves that and that's not fair to you.

I can absolutely understand wanting to still use transIDs, and the reasons you gave definitely are common. It sounds like you have some serious intentions, and while obviously I don't want anyone to harm themselves in general, I do also acknowledge that serious dysphoria makes it feel unavoidable. It reminds me a lot, in fact, of people with BID who have performed self amputation. At the end of the day, everyone deserves a chance to be happy - so don't worry, no judgement on that end.

Whether or not your wants/needs are understood by others, it’s important to honor that you’re experiencing something very real that makes you feel connected to these identities. The language you use to describe your experience doesn’t have to come from a bigoted/harmful place. It does suck, though, when it feels like there aren't exactly the right words to describe your identity. :(

Identity-wise:

Some people do genuinely use "transabled" in a 100% good-faith, non-radqueer-associated way. As far as I'm aware, this originated in the BID community, so if it's possible you may fit that disorder's criteria, you could switch to identifying as that. A 100% good-faith, non-radqueer-associated way transabled person. There's even a pride flag for this by antiradqueer if you like.

I recently heard of the term "dysfirming" to be a substitute for "transitioning" that applies to some atypical dysphoria-influenced identities. I don't know if this would be a helpful term?

I would suggest looking into communities focused on body mods, body autonomy, trauma recovery, and identity exploration. Find forums, Discords, Subreddits, etc, and see if it's a space you can vibe with. I think you could potentially find some people who think similarly to you. If you want me to specifically look and link you to some places, feel free to send another ask.

Dissomei as a term actually isn't anti transition! You can see a couple of quotes from the creator on this page, and one mentions that even amputations are accepted. Of course, it'll always be up to you what term you want to use.

Desirdae (Coining post)

Sensus (Coining post)

If you can do some introspection and try to pin down why you identify as any transharmful labels, it might be helpful. For example, if you wanted people to see you as dangerous, maybe a presentation label related to danger/violence, or perspesque (coining post). If it's paraphila-related, maybe Paraphikitós/Paramenos (coining post).

Intenxper (Coining post)

-vior (Coining post)

Archetrope (Tag)

Neurowiry (Coining post)

Enviren (Coining post)

Also general tips:

Find a therapist if you haven't already. I know, you've probably heard "get therapy!!!" a lot, haha, but I don't mean "get into therapy so they can make you stop identifying the way that you do". A truly good therapist would be someone you can trust to talk about how you feel and that includes being transID. And they could also direct you to any local IRL groups that might be good places to hang out!

Phew, sorry my response was so long! Whatever you decide to do, I wish you good luck! Please feel free to send another ask for follow-ups, specific advice, or just to say hi, okay?

-Mod Ally🍄

[bloopitynoot]

Reading TGCF: Chapter One

For those who don't know, I am reading TGCF for the first time and sharing my thoughts!

If you have not read it, there will be spoilers! Consider this a warning.

Also- if you want to follow along, I am aiming to post updates daily. You can find all the posts in the tag Bloopitynoot reads TGCF. You can also check out the intro post for context on my read BUT if you followed along with my SVSSS read, the rules and vibe are the same.

We begin chapter one with a blueberry jasmine tea!

I will say that tomorrow I probably wont be posting a chapter. My mom and sister are visiting my partner and I for the holidays tonight and staying until Sunday afternoon, so I likely won't be able to read until Sunday.

Anyways, send good luck my way because we are likely going to play a vicious game of monopoly.

Let's go chapter 1!!

okay, my assumptions going in was that this was a very serious series about tough trials and hardships but here we are starting this chapter with XIe Lian taking "first place on the chart of Heavenly Officials Most Hoped to be Banished Down to the Mortal Realm". This is kind of camp. is this the series energy??? p23

omg they literally made the chart for him p24

RIP that bell. had a good run. pp24-25

I can't lol. this poor guy. If things are there that shouldn't be- Xie Lian's fault. If there are things missing that should be there- also Xie LIan's fault. How does a single guy cause so much damage? p25

Okay this is an open question to anyone. I am confused about this merit system. I totally understand that gods get merits based on worships/offerings/beliefs/temples whatever. What I do not understand is how a god gets points from a martial god kicking his ass? p26

This is so real. Bro forgot the password p27

not them placing bets on how long he'll last this time. This is so funny p27

these deities are so rude to him! He's just trying to apologize and they are so condescending. I love an underdog though so I'm rooting for this man. p29

Oh shit okay. I take back my previous contempt. This was the guy hit by the bell. p29

aaaaand we have the added salt that these two know each other previously. Xuan Zhen/Mu Qing being from Xianle Palace as well. pp30-31

Bless Ling Wen for keeping this man in check. Honestly best Heavenly Handler p32

Jesus. It's as though Xie Lian is in a room talking to all his exes. This is so awkward! Nan Yang/Feng Xin also being from Xianle Palace p33

Why am I so nervous about Xie Lian going on this mission??? Bro has 0 power, 0 respect, and attracts bad luck like nobody's business. p38

omg. even the clouds are against this man; causing a three day delay in his travels for blowing him the wrong way basically. Truly the god of misfortune. p39

Well. At least he has some help now? Nan Feng and Fu Yao. Also I am curious about the butterflies? Do we find out more? Is it a heavenly official thing? because if it is, that's cute. pp41-42

The name change from Lower Court to Middle Court is so funny to me. This is some pure bureaucratic drama, like 10/10 would see this in an office. Honestly this realm would make such a solid office/workplace au. pp42-43

Oop. Nothing like your support being from the palaces that absolutely hate you. p43

Well at least they are both here as "willing" volunteers and their generals don't know they are actually there. I do however sense some shenanigans due to this pp43-45

Oh Wait! This mission sounds so rad! A bride eating monster?!?!?!? I can't wait p45

Strong start!

I already have so many questions that I am going to assume will be answered somewhere between now and the other seven books BUT I am so ready. We already got a workplace drama, an exciting mission, and this adorably useless little man trying his best. I cannot wait for chapter two!

[mochiwrites]

mochi i always appreciate how friendly u are, u answer so many different asks, even if u don’t agree with the content ur very understanding and are empathic towards the other person, which is a very earnest and kind thing to do. ur able to match the vibes of asks as well, making sure ppl feel hyped up, which makes them feel more confident in themselves, especially because it can be a bit of a vulnerable thing to put ur self out there. u either have an understanding of this, or are naturally inclined to support the other person, both of which reflect really well on you

ur also incredibly talented, creative, and smart. you have multiple sometimes long running aus and ideas that you’ve slowly chipped away at, it’s incredibly admirable, especially considering you are a student. ur frequent updates just show how strong of a writer u are, and i’m sure whatever u do with ur degree ur gonna do amazing things. your also super emotionally in touch with yourself-likely one of the reasons why u perused psych- and are able to communicate ur feelings well, in a very graceful way, it’s a very strong thing to set boundaries with an audience, cause in some way admitting something isn’t working is kind of scary (at least to some) so i’m really proud of u for it. (and a side note- anyone who doesn’t respect or tries to overdramatize u protecting yourself when ur obviously having some personal conflicts needs to take a deep breath, u give them a lot more understanding and gentleness, and it shows well on ur part)

all that being said as well it is up to u what u respond to and engage with, and i truly hope you don’t ever push yourself uncomfortably for any reason out of obligation. i hope that u support ur self first. it’s not a crime to prioritize yourself, i promise. (i don’t know u personally, so i would have no way of knowing if this is something you would struggle with, but just in case wanted to include it lol)

yea! ur great mochi keep being amazing pspsps have some cat treats

taking the cat treats ty ty

but also ;w; thank you <333 this is really sweet and I genuinely teared up reading it dvdbfbfgtb wahhhhh

I think being kind and empathetic is just… really important y’know? and I try to be as friendly and open as I can with people because I know that it can be scary sometimes when you throw out an idea or even send a message to someone you’re not familiar with or know on a personal level. it’s that general idea of treat people how you want to be treated. with any luck, the kindness I extend to others will eventually come back around to me. I like supporting people and encouraging them <33 I guess I just try to be the person I wish I had while growing up

I wasn’t a very confident kid, didn’t have a lot of friends, and was terrified of the people around me. so I really do get and understand the vulnerability that comes with putting yourself out there. and !!! even if I don’t agree with something suggested, I try to be gentle in my approach to it. I just like being kind to people dbfbfbfhtg

and wahhhhh thank you ;w; writing is just something that I’ve always done alongside school so it feels super natural to do the two at once :D I’ve always been like ??? weirdly in tune with my emotions and how I’m feeling (I feel REALLY strongly, it’s insane how emotional of a person I am), and yeah!!! it was partly why I pursued psych as a major. but setting boundaries was definitely not a thing I was good at while growing up ^^; I think I only started to get good at it within the last few years honestly. but I’m definitely not afraid to sit down and say that something isn’t working. I try to look at from two views: it’s not fun for me if I’m working on something I’m unhappy with, which means it’s not fun for others as well. and I only want to write things that I’m proud of and passionate about, meaning I’m motivated :D

and it helps knowing that if I restart, I can make something a lot better <3 trial and error is an important part of learning !!!

but ueueue I never feel an obligation to interact with something that makes me uncomfortable or anything like that !!! I love the interactions I get, and feel really lucky that I’m able to share my stuff with so many people and have the same love for my work echoed back at me 🥹💕💕

[misc-obeyme]

Thinking about Lucifer knowing Spanish, and I love the idea that he picked it up on his own (HELP, IMAGINE HE LEARNED IT SUPER FAST BEFORE THE EXCHANGE STARTED ONCE HE SAW MY FILE, THAT'D ALSO BE FUNNY). But if Lucifer ever scolded me in Spanish, I'd fr burst into tears and turn into the biggest goody two shoes 💀 (for at least a few days). Like I already hate being lectured, but something about it being in Spanish just 😭 it feels sooo much worse (maybe because there's so much emotion in the language? Dialect? Very big disappointed mom vibes.)

also IT AIN'T GONNA BE ME CONFESSING, THAT'S FOR SURE. Or if I did, it'd be in the most round about way or by accident (catch me pulling a Mammon like in that car ride drabble.). I am saying it in EVERY WHICH WAY except saying 'ily' outright.

It wasn't my day for dinner but you came home sad, and suddenly I'm cooking and it's your favorite dish? Psh, don't mean nothing, I was craving it too. I found a super shiny coin and gifted it to you? I have plentyyy (don't think about the fact I keep shiny coins from the current year in my bag for good luck, and it's the first one I've found all year). I'm spending my last pieces of grimm to buy us a treat to share bc we passed our exam? Well, it'd be wrong if I only got myself one... (true story, spent my last $10 on chipotle kids meals for me and my friend/coworker so we could eat because we were both broke and had two days left to payday)

Mammon will need to grab me by the shoulders and shake me because I would not believe he's into me. I'd come up with an excuse for any evidence that he is into me 💀 He could be like "GET IT THROUGH THAT THICK SKULL OF YOURS THAT I HAVE FEELINGS FOR YOU!" and I'd be like "you wot? you're joking right?"

like I said, I'm denying it to hell and back because it's scary af !! I've only been in love 2.5 times, and the first time I was brushing off my feelings and making excuses. And then one day I had the "Oh. Oh... Aw, fuck." moment and became a mess around them. I've always been wary of romance (my only relationship ended up toxic, and I became more wary lol)

But the same thing happened with Mammon becoming my fave 😭 I was thinking about other characters (along with Mammon) like Levi, Beel, and Dia. But then everything about Mammon made me fall a little more without realizing, even while I was trying to deny it. I'd get asked my fave character, and I couldn't choose, but Mammon was always an option. And one day I had the "Aw, shit" moment. He won me over with his dumbass ways, heart of gold, and terrible bandaging skills.

*head in hands* THIS MAN MAKES ME WRITE ESSAYS BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH WORDS TO EXPRESS HOW I FEEL AAAA

anyway I am excited for the new lessons !! my cards are powered UP ! also I got a sketch and lineart update on one of my comms and 😭🫶 literally wanted to jump around at work because it's so perfect and cute (it's me and Mammon cuddling in bed AND RHEY PUT HIM IN A TANK TOP SND YOU CSN SEE HIS MUSCLRS AKDKD)

anyway. I am. so Normal about this. aha... OKAY I AM SENDING GOOD VIBES, AND HOPE YOU HAVE A LOVELY DAY AND FIND $10 ON THE GROUND TOMORROW (ALSO APPLIES TO ANYONE READING THIS) OKAY BYEEE

- ✨ anon

Disappointed mom vibes lolol. I think that would suit Lucifer really well, actually. He has those vibes anyway, make him lecture in Spanish and it's just even better~

Er. Well. I like when strict characters start scolding people, so perhaps my opinion is invalid in this case. I just find it very funny and it makes me want to tease them so bad.

Anyway, here's my opinion on romance: yes, it's scary af. But it's worth the risk.

Any time you enter into a relationship with someone, especially if there are intense feelings involved, you're taking a risk. No matter what, even in friendship and other such types of relationships. The way to get close to someone is to be vulnerable with them. And there's always the chance that the person you're being vulnerable with will take that as an opportunity to hurt you. But not everybody will. And you'll miss out on the people who won't if you just... don't even try, you know what I mean?

Ehhhh sorry to get all deep on you like that, but I've seen this kinda thing plenty of times in my life. I'm that person everybody tells all their relationship woes to and then I give them advice that they never take. And then it always turns out that I was right all along lol.

I also kinda think it's okay to fall in love with someone but never act on it. Sometimes it feels like I fall in love with everyone I meet. But sometimes you legit fall in love with someone who just... isn't the right one for you. And you know it, so there's no point in trying to pursue anything. And the feelings fade as that person moves on with their life and it just becomes a fond memory.

For what it's worth, I don't think Mammon would ever give up on you. He's not as dumb as everyone makes him out to be. He's actually quite emotionally intelligent. As soon as he finally figured out his own feelings and was able to accept them, he would clock onto yours. And if someone straight up told him (such as one of his brothers), I think he'd keep reaching out to you, keep trying for you, keep doing his best to make it so you're comfortable enough with him to be honest about how you feel~

Anyway, this is just me being a hopeless romantic lol!

Welcome to the Writing Essays About Fictional Characters You Love Club! lol honestly I get so embarrassed about how much I have to say sometimes...

I'm also excited about new lessons! And your commission sounds amazing already!

Sending the good vibes right back to you! May we all find $10 on the ground!!

[madiomens]

Just Pretend [n.s.]

Chapter Eight

Warning: Smutty smut

VIP flew by, a lot of the questions making us laugh, and before I knew it the venue was packed full of people and I was backstage checking on the guys and two opening acts before heading out to check on the crowd.

"Everyone alright? Need anything?" I asked everyone backstage, handing them waters.

"I think we're ok. Thank you, Maddie." Nicholas said, sending me a smile.

"I want a tour nurse. She seems bomb." The lead singer of one of the opening acts said, causing me to chuckle.

"Get one, but you can't have ours." Noah joked, sending me a wink.

I grinned at him as I wished the boys luck before walking out from backstage so I would be in front of the barricade. I greeted the security and other workers as I walked past them, making my way to my designated sitting spot.

"You're Maddie, aren't you?" A girl questioned me from the front of the barricade.

I nodded at her with a smile. "I am. You doing alright?"

"I am, just a little hot." She said with a smile. "Could I possibly get a picture with you? You're really pretty."

My eyes widened in surprise. "You want a picture with me?"

"Yea, if that's ok!" She said as her smile widened.

"Of course!" I said before walking up to the barricade and smiling for her picture.

Mumbles from some of the crowd beside us sounded out, most of them asking the person beside them who I was. I thanked the girl for the picture before turning to the ones mumbling and sending them a smile. "You guys doing alright?" I questioned.

"We're good. Do you work with one of the bands or something?" A girl questioned me.

I nodded. "I'm the Bad Omens tour nurse. Just here to help where I can."

"You get paid to basically live with these guys and hear good music?" She questioned, eyes wide.

I laughed. "Pretty much, yea. Occasionally provide medical attention."

"That sounds like the best job ever." She said with a smile.

I smiled back at her. "This is my first show with them but so far it is the best job."

The lights dimming broke up our conversation and I shot her another smile before hopping onto the box and swinging my feet back and forth. The two openers went by fairly quickly with me handing out waters as needed and before I knew it, the crowd of metal fans were singing along to 'A Thousand Miles' by Vanessa Carlton while hitting balloons in the air. I stifled a laugh as I recorded them before heading backstage to check on the guys one last time.

"Y'all did amazing." I complimented the other bands, earning thank you's and smiles from them.

The boys posed for a couple pictures from Bryan before he made eye contact with me and motioned for me to go over to them. I approached apprehensively before being rushed between Noah and Nicholas for a couple pictures. I laughed at them as they wrapped themselves around me as if I was some sort of tree. Bryan snapped a few pictures of us laughing then being serious before they let me go, laughter echoing around the group.

"Everyone alright?" I questioned them as Noah chugged some water.

Folio gave me a thumbs up through drinking his own water before chunking the empty bottle and grabbing a new one, head banging to some silent song in his head.

"This is going to be a great first show, I can feel it." Jolly said as he cracked his fingers and put his guitar on his body.

"The crowd is sick." I said as I handed Noah and Folio more waters for stage.

"If anyone is rude to you let us know. Our crowds are generally kind but you always have the rotten egg in the bunch." Nicholas said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I smiled at him. "Thank you. Trust me, I can handle myself but if I need anything I'll be sure to let y'all know."

"You give off the vibe of someone who can break noses." Folio said as he drummed the sticks in the air.

We all laughed, the crowd outside for sure hearing it from the volume. "You don't even know the half of it." I said through my laughter. "I'm going to go one more sweep of the barricade to check in on people. Good luck out there." I said to everyone. They all came up to wrap me in a group hug, Noah's hand landing a little further down my waist than the other's and causing me to chuckle. The sound of Bryan's camera clicking sounded off behind us right before we let go. I sent them all another smile before making my way to the barricade and checking on everyone again.

Multiple phones were pointed in my direction as I walked out, causing me to freeze and look at everyone. The security guard at the bottom of the stairs chuckled at me and I looked at him.

"They could hear the laughter backstage and thought the band was coming out." He said.

I laughed and waved at everyone. "Just me, sorry." There was a collective sigh as everyone dropped their phones and turned their attention back to each other. I laughed as I walked down the stairs and met the security guard. "I've never felt like more of a disappointment than I do now." I said through my laughter.

He chuckled. "Don't feel bad. The girls only try to talk to me because they think I can get them backstage."

"Now, that's just desperate." I said, shaking my head with a grin.

"You're telling me." He said, extending his hand to me. "The name's Bill."

I shook his hand in greeting. "Maddie. I'm the tour nurse."

"You're the talk of the crowd tonight." He said as he dropped my hand.

"Me?" I questioned in confusion.

He nodded. "Wondering who the girl is that 'weaseled her way in with the boys' as some of the lovely girls put it."

I threw my head back in laughter at his air quotes. "All it took was me doing CPR on a fan at a festival."

He scrunched his nose up. "That's a lot less fun than some of the ideas they were coming up with."

I grinned. "I'm sure they were creative." The lights faded off, cutting our conversation short as piercing screams sounded off around us. "That's my cue. Nice to meet you, Bill."

"You too, Maddie. Let me know if you need anything." He replied with a nod of his head.

I made my way to my box to sit on and hopped up on it, excitement bubbling in my stomach. Jolly entered the stage a few moments before Nicholas did, standing above me. They motioned for the crowd to get louder and the sound was deafening as everyone began freaking out. I smiled as I looked around the crowd, seeing all of the excited faces and cameras raised. Flashing lights started going off as they began playing the intro to Artificial Suicide and Noah came out from the side spinning in circles. I chuckled at the choice of entrance and began bobbing my head along to the beat of the song, mentally taking a note to invest in some earplugs if I was to be this close to the speakers most nights.

The set went smoothly, with me only having to hand out a couple waters. It helps that it's a colder month of the year in Ireland so even with everyone on top of each other it was still a decent temperature. By the end of it I was riding a high that I've never experienced before, knowing I am a small part of how amazing of a show this is and that I get to experience every single show they are going to do. I felt butterflies in my stomach as the boys finished throwing random items into the audience and left the stage before I hopped off the box and followed them backstage. My eyes were met with everyone stripping their shirts off and all but hulking out as the post show adrenaline rush hit them, causing me to laugh out loud.

"That was fucking amazing." I said with a wide grin, causing them to cheer and run towards me.

I screamed and turned to run but was grabbed firmly on the waist by Noah and thrown over his shoulder as the other guys circled us and began jumping up and down and cheering. I laughed as I was slung in circles still on Noah's shoulder, their cheers and excitement contagious. Noah eventually put me down and stabilized me as my head spun from him spinning me in circles, gripping his arms for something to hold onto.

"Did you have fun?" He asked me as the guys continued to cheer behind him.

"Me? Did you?" I questioned.

He nodded quickly. "So much fun. I want to go back to the house right now." He said, pupils dilated from the adrenaline and excitement.

I laughed at him. "Don't you have to go greet the fans outside?"

"Fine, but only for a few minutes and if you will come with me." He said, grabbing my arm and leading me to the side entrance without time for me to protest. He quickly threw on his hoodie he wore to the venue before pushing open the door.

The guys followed us outside and excited exclaims echoed around the pavement as the fans saw us walk out. I stood back as the guys walked up to the barricade and began talking and taking pictures and signing autographs. I watched them with a small smile on my face as they interacted with the fans. They somehow stay so genuine when having these interactions, the screams and cheers not even fazing them. After a few minutes of greeting everyone, the boys said their goodbye's and thanked the fans for coming before walking back to join my side. Noah and Folio threw their arms across my shoulders, causing me to scrunch my nose up and try to escape the sweaty trap they put me in. They chased me around the side of the building before I quickly loaded up into the van, instantly regretting it once all the sweaty bodies piled in after me. They have another show tomorrow in the same venue so they don't have to pack their stuff up this night, which means they get to get to the house a lot earlier than they normally would. Multiple different animated conversations went on around me as I tried to decide if breathing through my nose or my mouth would be better. They're all running such a high from performing that I doubt they can even smell themselves, but I couldn't help the amused laughter that bubbled up at their hyper conversations opposed to their regular relaxed ones.

We pulled up to the Airbnb a few minutes later and it took everything in me not to throw myself over the seat and crawl out first just to escape the sweat pit I was in. We made our way inside and the guys all separated to take their showers and get clean. I walked into the kitchen still laughing at them and pulled out stuff to make a sandwich bar so they could grab one quick to eat in between their celebrating. I made a few different types and set out condiments before making my way to my bedroom to change. I took a quick body shower this morning and I didn't sweat one drop so I just freshened up and went to change into some sweats when Noah's voice stopped me in my tracks.

"What do you think you're doing?" He questioned.

I turned to face him, my eyes landing on his glistening torso and an almost too small towel covering his waist as he leaned against my doorframe. "Gonna change then eat. I'm starved."

He pushed off the doorframe and slowly started walking towards me. "I'm starved too."

It was as if my stomach instantly stopped growling seeing the way he was looking at me. His eyes were so dark and pupils so dilated that his iris' looked pitch black as he gazed down at me. He brought his fingers up to slowly undo my belt, sliding it out of the loops and dropping it onto the ground. "If you still want to go get food, don't let me stop you." He said huskily.

I swallowed and unbuttoned my jeans. "Lock my door."

He smirked and walked over to the bedroom door to lock it, quickly making his way back to me. I stepped out of my jeans so the only thing on my bottom was a black thong and my fishnets. He cocked his head to the side as he watched me, lust rising in his face more and more as time went by. I held eye contact as I slowly knelt onto my knees, his eyes widening as he realized what I was planning on doing. I undid his towel and dropped it on the ground, his erection slapping his stomach once it was free.

"You don't have to if you don't want to." He said, voice deep with desire.

I grabbed him into my hand, causing a gasp to escape his lips. "I want to for the amazing performance you put on." I said before licking a strip up the shaft, placing a kiss on the head.

His eyes rolled as he tilted his head back in pleasure, causing a sly grin to appear on my face before I took him into my mouth. A deep sigh escaped him as I started bobbing my head up and down, slightly stretching my torso so I would be tall enough on my knees to take him. I hummed against him as I brought my mouth down as far as I could go, gripping the rest of him in my hand. I swallowed a gag that threatened to escape me as I pulled back to start bobbing my head again. My spit created a slick surface for me to work with as I pumped my hand in sync with my mouth. His hand tangled in my hair as I worked him, moans escaping from deep inside him.

"Fuck, you gotta stop or I'm going to cum." He groaned out, tightening his grip on my hair.

I smirked against him and pulled off, my mouth popping from the suction. I looked up at him with a smug grin as he looked back down at me. He brought his hand up to grip my throat, pulling me off my knees so he could lean down and kiss me. His tongue instantly tangled with mine, the heat of the kiss sending chills all over my body. He picked me up and quickly set me on the side of the bed, leaning away to pull my shirt and bra off my body. He went to rip my fishnets in the crotch area before I stopped him.

"These are my only pair and I plan to wear them multiple times." I said, my hand on his as my chest heaved.

"I will buy you 100 more pairs." He growled out before ripping the crotch wide open.

I gasped as he pushed me onto my back before he sunk to his knees and attached his mouth onto my clit after pushing my thong to the side, inserting two fingers inside of me. I smacked my hand over my mouth to muffle the moan that immediately escaped me, tangling my other hand into his wet hair. He shook his head side to side as he buried deeper onto my clit, fingers curling inside of me and working me towards my climax. My brows furrowed and eyes squeezed shut as my orgasm quickly climbed with how fast his movements were. His fingers sped up as I began tightening up against him, my moans getting louder despite my efforts to muffle them. I felt on the bed for my phone and picked it up to press play on my music, turning it up all the way before tossing it on the ground and throwing my head backwards as the music started echoing around us and helping with the noise. I let my hand drop from my mouth and used it to grip the covers under me as he continued to relentlessly suck and curl his fingers inside of me.

"Noah, I'm gonna cum." I whined out, the heels of my feet digging into his back where they were draped.

He moaned against me in confirmation and the vibration from it was enough to send me over the edge. I smacked my hand over my mouth again as stars clouded my vision, ecstasy taking over and my body shaking from my orgasm. He continued to work me through it as I started to come down, chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath. I looked down at him once he removed his mouth and he brought his fingers up to his mouth, a string of my arousal following while he sucked his fingers clean. I watched his mouth as he did so before he stood back up to lean over me and place his lips on mine, tangling his tongue with mine so I tasted my arousal. He lifted me up with one arm and carried me further on the bed, laying me down and leaning back to grab himself. He slid his tip up and down my slit, causing my body to jerk from sensitivity. He lined himself up and pushed all the way in with one thrust, a sharp gasp escaping me before I bit harshly on my lip to stop it. He began thrusting into me quickly and leaned down so he could kiss me, pulling my legs around his waist so they moved in sync with his hips. I gripped his hair with one hand and used the other to scratch down his back in pleasure. A moan escaped him at the feeling so I did it again, causing another moan to escape him. I smirked against his mouth once I realized I found a pleasure point of his. He slightly pulled back to nip at my bottom lip and make eye contact with me as he kept thrusting in and out of me.

"Smirking like the brat you are." He growled out, bringing a hand up to squeeze my throat.

My smirk grew at him choking me, biting my bottom lip as I watched his face. "What are you gonna do about it?" I questioned.

He growled again and squeezed my neck tighter, bringing one of my legs up and throwing it over his shoulders. My brows furrowed in pleasure at the new angle he was entering me and my mouth dropped open as my eyes rolled back.

"Look at me." He ordered, causing my eyes to pop back open and connect with his.

He pulled my leg off his shoulder and rolled me on my side, gripping my thigh and thrusting into me faster and rougher. I gripped his arm tightly as I felt another orgasm building in the pit of my stomach, the new angle perfectly hitting my g spot.

"Noah, I'm gonna cum again." I moaned out as he leaned down to kiss my shoulder.

"Cum for me." He rasped out against my skin.

My brows furrowed deeper as my nails dug into his skin, my second orgasm taking over my body and causing my body to jerk underneath him. He stilled his movements to let me come down from the high, pushing the hair off of my forehead.

"You good?" He whispered, the rough demeanor dropping for a second.

I nodded and patted his side with the hand that was underneath him. "I'm good."

He nodded and leaned up to flip me onto my back and leaned back down, sliding his arms underneath my shoulders and gripping them. He slowly began thrusting in me again, building up speed with each thrust. I grabbed the back of his neck to pulled him down to my lips, moaning into his mouth as his thrusts became harsher. A knock on my door stilled his movements and my eyes popped open to meet his, our lips still connected.

"Maddie, come take a shot with us!" Folio's voice said from behind the door.

I pulled away from Noah's mouth to see him smirk and start to thrust in me again. My eyes widened at him as his smirk grew and his thrusts sped up.

"Just a second, I'm changing!" I yelled, voice slightly wavering.

Noah snorted a laugh and I smacked my hand over his mouth, stifling a laugh of my own.

"Ok, hurry!" Folio said before the sound of his footsteps disappeared down the hallway.

I dropped my hand from Noah's mouth as a laugh escaped him. "You're a little shit." I said through my own laughter.

"Am I?" He questioned, pulling back and thrusting one harsh thrust inside of me.

I gasped and tightened my grip around his shoulders, his own hands gripping mine. "Such a shit." I said, shaking my head.

"Bet." He said before violently thrusting inside of me.

After a few sloppy thrusts he quickly pulled out and finished on my stomach, muscles tensing as his orgasm rode out. I rubbed his back to sooth the muscles there as the last of his cum dripped onto me. He dropped his forehead onto mine as our chests heaved against each other, trying to catch our breath.

"Damn Folio." He breathed out, causing me to laugh.

I leaned up to place my lips on his, holding them there for a few seconds in a lazy kiss. He brought a hand up to place on my cheek and hold me in place before pulling back and placing a chaste kiss on my forehead. He pushed off me to go grab a towel and I stretched my sore muscles as he did so, my knees popping from being bent for so long.

He chuckled as he walked back in cleaning himself off. "Sorry." He apologized as he started to clean me off.

"Worth it." I said, causing him to chuckle again.

He gently cleaned between my legs and tossed the towel into the bathroom, picking me up off the bed to walk me into the bathroom so I could pee.

I softly smiled and closed my eyes as the cold seat met my bare ass. "Is you carrying me to the toilet going to be a new ritual?"

"Like I said, after care."

[wanderinginksplot]

Gar Cyare Chapter Ten

Surprise! It's another chapter of the Alpha-17 x fem!reader fic!

Word Count: 5,400

Warnings: minor angst, distrust, Alpha being impatient, minor suspense, cosmic horror (but only kinda)

If it helps, I definitely did listen to this* creepy space ambiance while I wrote this chapter. Just so you know what kind of vibes we're working with!

(* - leads to a YouTube video: "Dark Space Ambient" by JediMaster)

Previous | Next | Masterlist

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Be'chaaj (Away)

“Do you remember what I told you?” Alpha asked, voice intense as he resecured the comlink around your wrist.

You paused, frowning. Alpha had told you a lot of things over the past week and you were fairly sure you remembered most of them, but your nod was hesitant.

“You’re osik at lying,” Alpha said, the sound of his displeasure rumbling around your bedroom like the thunder of an approaching storm.

“I’m not lying, just…” You trailed off, sighing. “I hate that you have to do this.”

Alpha’s face softened slightly, the fierce expression he was wearing easing into something resembling fondness. “I don’t like it either, neverd’ika. But this is part of my contract with the kaminii. If I don’t accept a mission every six months, they’ll take my instructor status. That would mean I’d be out in the field full-time, and then what would you do?”

“Sneak aboard your transport,” you teased. 

Alpha rolled his eyes, but there was a smile playing around his mouth. “If you could avoid getting caught by a whole transport full of troopers, the Republic would be better off with you in their place. But I would rather have you safe here where I don’t have to worry.”

“But I’ll be worried,” you told him, trying not to pout. “Just… be careful, please.”

“I will,” he promised, tapping the face of your comlink. “Remember, we can use these to keep in touch.”

“And you’re sure no one will be able to pick up the communications?” you asked. “The Kaminoans are being extra careful and the Republic is monitoring everything. The chance that someone will be able to access our conversation is higher than ever.”

“You worry too much,” Alpha told you and you couldn’t fight your answering laugh. Alpha worried more than anyone you had ever met. He wasn’t offended, though. In fact, he gave you a mischievous look. “Unless you’re planning on sending me something you don’t want anyone else seeing?”

You shook your head, grinning. Alpha was the ultimate soldier and you privately believed him to be the best trooper in the entire GAR, but sometimes, he was such an ordinary man that it made your heart hurt.

The two of you had a good sex life - a great one, if you were being fully honest. Certainly better than you had experienced with previous lovers. But sending dirty messages and images was a little further than you typically went. Not that you especially objected to the idea, but there wasn’t much need for it when you and Alpha lived on the same planet.

“Nothing like that!” you replied, sounding overly defensive even to yourself. Your smile faded as you thought about your real reasons. “If there really is an information leak, we still haven’t been able to find it. It’s unlikely, but possible that the Separatists have found a way to intercept and decode private transmissions. If that’s the case, anything we say could be accessed and used to hurt you.”

“Or you,” Alpha added, looking just as solemn.

“Or me,” you agreed, “though I’m not the one who’s on his way to a mission out in the galaxy.”

“It’s not ‘out in the galaxy’, neverd’ika,” Alpha disagreed, sounding amused and exasperated. “I’m investigating an unusual object. I’ll be a few hours from Kamino, less than a day’s travel. That’s the reason they assigned me: I’m the closest one.”

“And you’ll still have that team with you, right?” you asked, knowing he had answered the question before, but unable to keep from requesting reassurance.

“Of course,” Alpha confirmed, rolling his eyes exaggeratedly a moment later. “Karkin’ commandos. Just my luck. Good thing this is a short mission. Much more than a week with any of ‘em and I’d be court-martialed for friendly fire.”

You nodded, giving a perfunctory smile at his joke as you toyed with the comlink. Alpha stilled your fingers, sliding down until he was cradling your hands in his own. “I want to hear from you every day.”

“But- what if it’s not safe..?” Your voice was quiet, and you hated the uncertainty in it. Alpha didn’t need you to doubt everything he told you. He needed you to be strong. You lifted your chin, forcing a smile as you met his eyes. “Never mind. If you say it’s safe, it’s safe. I trust you, Alpha.”

Alpha frowned at that - the opposite of what you had wanted. “Good, but I don’t want blind faith. You’re clever and you think for yourself. You always have. If you want an explanation, all you have to do is ask for one. Hell, I’ll give you one anyway.”

With a gentle tug, Alpha directed you over to the bed. When you had sat down on the edge of it, he knelt in front of you. The height difference meant you were almost eye-level with him as he said, “I know a trooper named Ordo. He’s good with comms. Probably the best I’ve ever known, but I’d never tell him that. I asked him to modify our comlinks, give them a private connection that can’t be accessed by anyone else.”

“That’s impossible,” you told him, the rote response springing from you before you could bite it back. But you had worked for the Senate for a long time. There was no such thing as a truly private comm channel.

“Exactly what he told me,” Alpha confirmed with a nod. “But he did make it very difficult to access. By his estimate, it would take a dedicated slicer almost a week of continuous work to have access to the conversations. I want to hear from you, but we won’t be in contact that often. All the encryption does is buy time until I can get back here. Does that make you feel any better?”

You nodded, a smile spreading across your face when he started pressing kisses to each of your knuckles. “I’ll miss you, little one.”

“I’ll miss you more,” you assured him, trying to pull him closer.

“Impossible,” he decreed, letting you move him until you could give him a deep kiss. You tried to pour your feelings for him into it. You may have done too good a job - when you pulled away, you were both breathing heavy and Alpha’s eyes were dark. If you had more time, there was a good chance it would have continued into something more.

“I’ll be back before you know it, neverd’ika,” he promised, standing.

You stood, too, wrapping him the tightest hug you could manage. He squeezed you for a second, pushing the breath from your lungs with even that casual show of strength. 

And then he was gone.

After Alpha left Kamino - boarding a ship with a group of commandos who worked under the name Omega Squad - you threw yourself into work. You were still on temporary assignment with General Ti and Commander Colt, working to track down the source of the information leak. There had been no real breakthroughs, though, and you were losing any hope of finding the leak.

But that didn’t mean you were working any less hard. You had gone through all of the bounty hunters during the first week and caught no signs of suspicious behavior on the holocams. General Ti hadn’t sensed anything from the Force about anyone in particular, though she warned that it was an inexact method. If the person wasn’t planning to betray the Republic or didn’t see their actions as a betrayal, she had explained, there wouldn’t be any sign of guilt in their Force signature.

Commander Colt had been skeptical of her findings, but had reluctantly admitted that he hadn’t caught any suspicious responses from the bounty hunters, either.

Since then, you had moved on to other potential sources of information. In particular, you hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Alpha’s half-asleep suggestion that information wasn’t passing through Kamino’s communications system at all. You had brought that potential up to General Ti and Commander Colt, knowing that they would give Alpha’s opinion the weight it deserved. They had suggested that you move on to studying arrivals and departures from Kamino. 

At first, you had been ecstatic, certain that the new direction would give the answers you hadn’t found from the bounty hunters. But you were several days into studying the logs and there were no obvious sources.

You heaved a deep sigh, staring down at the list of ships that had docked at Kamino’s ports. It was an incredibly short list, made shorter by removing the vessels you had already researched. 

“Cheer up, kid,” Commander Colt urged you. “We’ll find it eventually.”

You eyed him, tempted to remind him that you were certainly older than him, but refrained. Things like that only seemed to cause arguments with the troopers.

“Do we really have that kind of time?” you asked instead. “If information is being leaked from Kamino, we need to find the source as soon as possible.”

“I did not ask for your help so you could attempt to carry the burden yourself,” General Ti said serenely. “You must remember that our attempts can only be considered failures if we lose hope of finding what we seek.”

You squinted at her, but respect kept you from replying. It did amuse you to see that Commander Colt looked just as unconvinced by her reasoning as you did. It was probably a sign of the differences in philosophy between the Jedi and the rest of the galaxy. The Jedi were trained to consider their own response to their surroundings. That was a healthy way to live, but neither you nor Commander Colt hadn’t been given that opportunity. In the majority of the galaxy, you were expected to produce results. 

“What do we do, then?” you asked.

“We continue our list,” General Ti told you, as though it had been the most obvious answer. Perhaps it had been. “If we have found nothing when we are finished, we will consider a new angle. There is little point in giving in halfway through an investigation.”

“That’s true,” you admitted, rubbing your eyes. 

“I’m gonna get some caf,” Commander Colt announced, ignoring the fact that you had started only an hour before and it was extremely early for a break. He stood from the small table and gave you a firm look. “I’ll bring one back for you.”

“Excellent idea, Commander,” General Ti praised. “Meanwhile, I am going to meditate on this matter. We shall resume our investigation in half an hour.”

You nodded silently, but they were already moving - Commander Colt in the direction of the nearest caf station and General Ti for… somewhere she could meditate. No matter how much time you spent around Jedi, you had a feeling that you would never fully understand them.

Left alone in the empty room, you sighed again and studied the list. You had analyzed and notated it days ago. The names that had been crossed out were cleared of suspicion. The ones with check marks were military vessels. That didn’t mean they were automatically innocent, but it meant that tracking down their crew members would be much easier. 

The few non-military ships mostly belonged to food and clothing vendors, a company that helped maintain the wave attenuators that generated Kamino’s power, and a handful of powerful people who had been invited to visit Kamino as part of a publicity campaign. Apparently, Dranulo’s actions in bribing Brid into having you removed from the report had echoed much further than Kamino was comfortable with. They were trying to correct their image. Unfortunately, that may have opened them up to an information breach.

You were so absorbed in calculating all the permutations of potential leaks that you didn’t pay much attention to the door opening. It was rather soon for Commander Colt to have returned with caf. The nearest station was still a considerable walk from the makeshift conference room. He would have needed to sprint to be back this soon.

And you didn’t smell caf at all.

That was enough to make you glance up, suspicion growing in your chest. Your wariness was immediately justified when your gaze locked with that of Doni Pender.

You were standing before you could remember having moved. Dimly, you recognized that your training was starting to improve your reflexes, but most of your brain was caught in a surge of adrenaline.

Pender’s eyes widened and he took a half-step back. He held his hands up, palms up to show you that he didn’t intend any harm, but you didn’t relax in the slightest. 

“If you do anything suspicious, I’ll show you everything I’ve learned in the last few weeks,” you warned, somewhat nonsensically. He didn’t know you had been taking lessons in self-defense with Zackra Trem. He also didn’t know that, unlike the last interaction you had with him, you could now both take and throw a punch. But if he pushed you, you promised yourself, he would find out. 

“Wait, I’m just here to talk,” Pender said quickly, voice pleading. “I need your help.”

“What are we supposed to be looking for?” Fi asked. 

Alpha heaved a sigh. He could answer the man, but chances were that it wouldn’t be anything close to professional. Fi was flippant to the point of irresponsibility, something that could end up being a danger to the entire squad and Alpha himself if the mission turned into a combat situation

Fortunately, the leader of Omega Squad responded before Alpha could be too tempted to reply. “An unusual object, Fi.”

Niner was a good man. Alpha heartily approved of him… though he wouldn’t tell him so. That wasn’t the kind of thing you told a trooper, at least not until you had given him a chance to prove you wrong. But Niner was the kind of man Alpha would describe as ‘steady’, someone he could trust to have his back if things went south. 

“Don’t you ever pay attention to the briefings?” Atin asked. “It’s been in every one we’ve gotten so far.”

Atin was serious and sharp. Alpha didn’t know for sure what had given him the scar that ran down his face - even if he could guess, having read that the man had been trained by Sergeant Walon Vau - but it was the kind of thing that gave a man some serious edges.

Fi snorted. “You call those briefings? I learn more from listening to civvie news networks.”

Darman, the final member of Omega Squad, shrugged. “Republic intel, Fi. What do you expect?”

Darman was one of the quietest troopers Alpha had ever come across. Normally, troopers in groups were exuberant, verging on obnoxious. Darman, on the other hand, was calm to the point of introspective. He hadn’t said more than a few words since Alpha had stepped onto the ship. Some may have been tempted to call him easy-going, but Alpha had a suspicion that the trooper’s mind was always churning. What was that old civvie phrase about still waters?

Alpha cracked his knuckles, leaning forward to peer out of the ship’s viewport. “According to the intel, we should be approaching the object now.”

“Intel says here?” Fi checked, already grinning in appreciation of his own wit. “Then where are we gonna start looking?”

Alpha fixed him with an unamused stare. “Find somewhere else to be or we’ll check the pressure regulation on that fancy armor of yours.”

Seriously, what kind of squad special-ordered black Katarn armor?

“Fi, take a walk,” Niner ordered, jerking a thumb to the back of the ship. There wasn’t enough space to get him fully out of earshot, but it was a start. 

Alpha flicked the switch that activated the ship’s high-powered radar. Maybe Omega Squad had the time to joke around and perform a leisurely search to complete the mission, but Alpha had places to be and someone to get back to.

And that wasn’t to mention that he had been fighting off a gnawing sense that something was coming. That something was wrong. 

He pulled his mind back to the task at hand, studying the radar screen with a ferocity spurred on by thoughts of how much he despised leaving you alone on Kamino. Unfortunately, the radar didn’t prove as easy to influence as a sentient being. Alpha was met with a stubborn blankness that was even less helpful than the blankness of the star-studded galaxy stretching out in front of the ship’s nose.

With an unintelligible growl, he glanced sideways at Niner. “Is Fi your tech specialist?”

“No, that would be Atin,” came the welcome answer, followed by a summoning, “Atin.”

Atin appeared just beside Alpha’s chair. “Captain?”

“Can you boost the power of this radar system?” Alpha asked.

After a moment’s hesitation, Atin said, “Do you mean the range?”

“No, I mean the power,” Alpha told him impatiently. Kriff sake, if he had meant the range, he would have said the range. “I want to see if anything nearby is suspicious.”

“That’s not… not really something a radar is capable of doing,” Atin denied. “But I can program the computer to give more detailed information about the intercepted pulses.”

“Good enough,” Alpha confirmed with a nod, watching Atin make the correct adjustments. In another life, he would have made a good ARC trooper. Alpha decided against telling Atin that. More likely than not, it would only offend the man. 

ARCs and commandos had an interesting relationship. Commandos - the early ones, at least - were trained by the Cuy’val Dar, many of whom had personal or business connections with Jango Fett. Many were Mandalorians, most were bounty hunters, and all were fierce. There were some who emphasized survival and brotherhood, like Kal Skirata, while others favored training styles that were more vicious. 

But all commandos, regardless of who had trained them, were uneasy around ARCs. 

Alpha’s personal theory was that their discomfort came from a lack of understanding. Commandos were born into their role. They had been designated for special training and assignments from the first stages of their planning. The kaminii altered genes, everyone knew that, but commandos had a different type of genes than normal troopers. 

ARCs were exactly the opposite of commandos. They were special because of what they did, not the specifics of their design. Ordinary men placed in extraordinary circumstances who thought or performed so far above their specifications that the Republic designated them as being capable of more.

Of course, commandos were the most uneasy around the Alpha ARCs. Alpha and his brothers had been trained by Jango himself, and Fett had been harsher on them than the worst member of the Cuy’val Dar. The Alpha ARCs had been trained to place the mission before anything else. It was more important than civilian casualties - hell, more than any casualties, even the men themselves. The mission came first, always. Anything less was a failure, and Fett didn’t tolerate failure. More than once, Alpha’s black and white decision-making had alienated the commandos, the Jedi, and Cuy’val Dar alike.

So, no, Alpha didn’t plan on telling Atin that he would have made a good ARC.

The radar was adjusted in short order and Alpha applied his focus to interpreting the tangled mass of results that flooded his screen. After only a moment, he glanced over at Atin, stabbing a finger at the screen. “What is this?”

Atin apparently had zero faith in Alpha’s ability to understand basic tech codes and specs, since he began an explanation of the general information. “Every section is broken down into the same pattern: distance, hardness, materials, and-”

“I know that, trooper,” Alpha bit out impatiently. He tapped his finger on the same spot in the wall of text. “But this in particular. It’s saying the radar intercepted a close, non-organic structure. It’s solid and metallic, but the only thing I see out here are asteroids.”

Abruptly, the cockpit was much more crowded. Darman stood between Niner’s chair and Atin, with Fi craning his neck in an attempt to see over both of them. 

“Where does the scan say that information was picked up, captain?” Niner asked.

When Alpha had rattled off the coordinates, Niner oriented the ship so that they were looking directly at the place in question. Clones weren’t psychic, but Alpha was willing to bet that they were all thinking the same thing: the only thing at those coordinates was a single asteroid, slowly rotating as they watched.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a lone asteroid,” Fi said. To his own shock, Alpha agreed with the statement. 

“It’s not,” Darman said suddenly, pointing past it. There was an asteroid field to the right ship’s viewport. The field was nearby, not close enough for the suspicious asteroid to belong to it. “It looks like it may have started as part of that.”

“Looks like there’s a ship on it,” Niner warned. Alpha eyed the asteroid even closer and found that the sergeant was correct. A ship was just rotating into view, a noticeable spot even on the medium-sized asteroid. “I’m not finding any signs of life onboard.”

“Should we try to hail it?” Fi asked.

“Don’t bother,” Atin told him. “Look at it. It’s an older ship and not in good repair. If there was anyone onboard when it landed, they’re dead now. We should just tell the GAR that it was a false alarm.”

Alpha agreed with Atin’s factual statement, but not his conclusion. “We’re getting a closer look.”

There was a groan from behind him that Alpha was willing to bet had come from Fi, but he ignored it. Something strange was going on, and he wasn’t stupid enough to assume everything was safe. Not when there was so much at stake.

When the ship was close enough to study the abandoned vessel, Alpha admitted to himself that Atin had been right about the lack of need to hail it. At least one of the transparisteel windows was broken, and there was a large hole in the side of the ship besides. Nothing in there was alive. By any GAR or Republic standard, they could consider their mission complete and Alpha could return to Kamino.

“Suit up, men,” he ordered tersely, using the co-pilot’s controls to land their ship beside the mysterious one. “We’re going in.”

There was a moment’s pause after the order. One of Omega Squad - Darman, Alpha was fairly sure - asked, “We’re… going to explore the abandoned ship, sir?”

“Yes.”

After delivering his single-word answer, Alpha pushed through them all to get to his own pressure- and atmospheric-regulating gear. He had no interest in waiting for them to figure out that he was serious; he was on a schedule.

The inside of the craft was just as abandoned as it had seemed from the outside. There was little dust in the vacuum of space, but Alpha could imagine the way grime would have built up on every surface if it had been somewhere planet-side. The cracked windows made even the interior feel raw, fully exposed to the uncaring void of the universe yawning just beyond the transparisteel.

They weren’t close enough to the nearest sun to get much light - and the asteroid was rotating too quickly for to estimate when that light would hit - so the troopers relied on their helmet lamps to see the ship’s interior. The beams cut through the gloom as best they could, but even five pairs could only do so much. Every man was limited to the space where his helmet was pointed.

“What exactly are we looking for?” Niner asked.

“Anything suspicious,” Alpha told him, plucking a length of cord from where it was drifting through the space in front of him. With neat, efficient motions, he wrapped it into a tight roll and stowed it on his belt. There was no use leaving perfectly good materials behind.

“This whole place is suspicious,” Atin muttered, though Alpha could still hear him clearly through the HUD’s communications channel. 

“Then find something that proves it’s an abandoned vessel and we can leave,” he replied.

Darman paused halfway through the process of inspecting the fogged-over control panel in the cockpit. “What exactly would that look like?”

“A body,” Alpha said. The silence that stretched through the comm channel was tense.

A scrap of flimsi was tucked haphazardly into a crevice between two of the jump seats and Alpha worked it free with careful fingers. When he spread it out, he frowned. “I wouldn’t get your hopes up, men. I just found a bill of sale for this ship.”

“Is there a date on it?” Niner asked. 

Alpha studied the flimsi more closely, scanning through the standard details to find what he was looking for. “About six months ago.”

When he looked up, all four members of Omega Squad were staring back at him, the blue tint of their visors showing him exactly where they were despite the black armor. He folded the paper and tucked it securely into a pouch on his belt. “Anyone up for a trip to the next level down?”

They weren’t enthused by it, but Omega dutifully tromped down the steep stairs behind him, struggling much less with the narrow stairwell than Alpha did. When they reached the bottom, Alpha found a sealed door blocking their way. 

He reported the finding through the inter-HUD channel and was met by unexpected excitement from Darman. “I can blast the door! I have some detonator tape in my kit-”

“No,” Alpha refused crankily. Switching places with a commando on an already cramped stairwell didn’t rank high on his list of enjoyable activities. 

“What are you gonna do, then-” Fi started to ask, voice full of scarcely hidden mocking.

Alpha balanced his weight on his back foot, leaned into it, and kicked the door with the other. The thin layer of durasteel bent noticeably under the blow and a single strike from his shoulder took it off completely. He was too old, too mature, and too highly ranked to throw a mocking reply back at Fi, but Alpha did allow himself to toss a single look over his shoulder.

Fi didn’t say anything else.

When he stepped through the doorway, Alpha paused. It took some time to process what he was seeing, but he managed after only a moment. He was in a decompression chamber, something no ship would ever have in the middle of two floors.

“Atin,” he barked, feeling the jolt that ran through Omega Squad. “Get up here.”

Atin appeared beside Alpha in the small chamber. Only a slight intake of breath told him that Atin was as surprised by the decomp chamber as Alpha had been.

“We need to get through that door,” Alpha said, tipping his head to indicate the pressure-locked door in front of him. “But we don’t want to risk depressurizing whatever is down here. Ideas?”

“Sometimes, certain facilities have multiple decompression chambers,” Atin said, but he sounded doubtful. “It’d be a lot easier to guess if this one does if I knew what it was.”

“We don’t have the benefit of intel here,” Alpha reminded him sharply. “That door’s not meant to hold up to this kind of pressure long-term, so we have to move quickly. What can we do?”

“In a ship this size?” Atin paused, glancing overhead like he could see through the durasteel to gauge the ship’s dimensions. “I can slice the panel and open the door, we all rush in, and then close the door and hope it holds. But there’s no guarantee-”

“We have suits,” Alpha interrupted. “I want to avoid tipping anyone off with a pressure change, but it’s more important that we find out what’s going on here than to keep a low profile. Slice the panel if you can. If you get stuck or it takes more than a minute, we’ll get Darman in here to blast it open.”

“A minute is more than enough time,” Atin said, already moving to the panel as he pulled a slicing kit from his belt. 

Alpha watched the process in silence. He and Atin had been speaking on the group’s comm channel. The rest of Omega knew what was going on and they hadn’t asked any questions. 

When Atin was in control of the panel, Alpha signaled for them to get ready to move. “I’m first through. Atin’s last so he can close the panel. Niner?”

“Me, then Fi, then Darman,” Niner instructed. “Dar and I will take the left half of the room.”

“I’ll take ahead and Fi can cover the right with backup from Atin after the panel closes,” Alpha finished. “Open it.”

The door slid open reluctantly, clearly struggling under the pressure of being the only barrier between atmosphere and the lack of it.

The moment the gap was wide enough for Alpha to fit through, he did. It was one of the times that his stature worked against him, but with some careful maneuvering, he was through. Omega Squad came through behind him, taking up their positions covering the room while Alpha studied the area straight ahead. Even as the door slid closed behind them, he reported, “Clear.”

“Clear,” every commando reported. 

Alpha stayed on guard, but his shoulders eased slightly. From those reports, there was no one in the room. No combat. No immediate threat. More importantly, the room was small, extremely basic. The only thing of note it held was a ladder, leaning against the wall.

“A storage room?” Fi guessed.

“Why would they need a ladder?” Darman asked. “They have a staircase inside of the ship and stairs built-in everywhere they might need to go.”

“And a storage room wouldn’t need a decompression chamber before you entered it,” Niner pointed out.

“This is a secondary decompression chamber,” Atin said, pointing around the room to various components. “Maybe the first one was a fail-safe, maybe it was just another set of doors to decrease the strain, but this is definitely a decomp chamber.”

Alpha watched the squad’s heart rates increase as he began stomping around the room, the boots of his armor striking the floor as hard as he could manage.

“What are you doing, Captain?” Niner asked.

“If this is a decompression chamber, that means it leads somewhere,” Alpha told him. “And since there’s a ladder, chances are that it leads up or down. We’ve already seen upstairs.”

The breath one of the men took was full of realization, but Alpha had already found what he had been looking for: a small panel in the floor. The hollow sound it had made when he stomped on it was slight, but definitely audible. When he studied it more intensely, he could see the near-invisible hinges and handle on the panel. It was the work of a moment to open it.

Omega Squad slowly and silently approached to stand beside Alpha as they all stared down at what had been revealed. There was a darkness under the panel, a hollow of empty space that still seemed to be enclosed. There had been a hiss, Alpha recollected, when he had first lifted the small piece of durasteel. A bit of pressure, too.

“We didn’t depressurize this room,” Fi mused, the hush of his voice turning the simple statement into something menacing. “The only reason that should have hissed was if the lack of atmosphere was leaking into somewhere… pressurized.”

Alpha begrudgingly made a new estimate of Fi’s intelligence. 

“Judging from the current pressure of this room,” Darman said, “whatever’s down there was either a remarkably large space or highly pressurized. The pressure and oxygen content are capable of supporting human life.”

A check of his own gauges confirmed Darman’s calculations. There had been a slight dip in pressure, but nothing bad enough to make the space uninhabitable.

“We’re on the bottom floor of the ship, though,” Atin reminded them, sounding rattled. “There shouldn’t be anything below this point.”

“The ship wasn’t lifted up on extended landing gear when we saw it, remember?” Niner prompted. “It was sitting flat against the surface of the asteroid. That’s why we thought it was a crash landing gone wrong. It seems like…”

He trailed off, visor pointed at the newly exposed gap in the floor. The rest of the group finished his hypothesis in silence: 

It seemed like this panel led directly into the asteroid itself.

---

Author's Note - I am a firm believer that sci-fi doesn't have to actually be based in real-life science, especially when said science takes place in another galaxy. However, I do want to state that there is, in fact, dust in space. It doesn't collect on satellites or the International Space Station because the equipment is moving too quickly for it to cling (or so I gathered from the articles I read), but it exists. Unfortunately, I had already written about how the abandoned ship wasn't dusty and I didn't want to fix it. Sorry if that ruins anyone's immersion!

Thank you for reading! I would love to know what you think about this new twist or what you thought of seeing Omega Squad! (For anyone who doesn't know, they are canon characters, found in the Republic Commando novels.) Have a wonderful new year!

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