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whumpty-dumpty-doo · 2 months ago

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We Are TroubleD – “Try to Forget Him” (Pre-capture)

Written as a part of whumperofworlds' WoW's Birthday Whump Event! 2024

Day 7 and 12 (my chosen prompts are bolded) - Bloodied knuckles / Wounded / "Is that blood?!", Magic exhaustion / Collapsed / "So tired..." / Alternate prompt: Poison

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Event page | My event participation masterpost | “We Are TroubleD” Masterpost | Previous | Next

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Content warnings: Alcohol, blood, drinking, emotional whump, heartache from breakups, injuries, jealousy, off-screen homophobia mention, pining after unrequited love, self-loathing, smoking, swearing

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Tonight was going to be hard. There was no other choice though, Tristan had to do it. Only about a week had passed since his latest boyfriend, Spencer, had broken up with him, and Tristan needed help to move on. When Darius had first suggested the night out at Dorothy’s, Tristan wasn’t too sure… he hadn’t visited the LGBTQ+ nightclub in months, but Darius insisted that getting back out into the scene would be healthy and good for him.

“It’ll bolster your confidence!” Darius had said. “You need to be reminded that you’re one hot son of a bitch. One stupid boy can’t take that away from you.”

“And what if no one there wants me?”

“Then you’ll still have a great night hanging out with me, and that’s worth something, right?”

Tristan had mulled it over a bit, but Darius was right; he normally had pretty good intuition about these things. What was the worst that could happen? Maybe there was someone new and better out there for him. Either way, he was relieved that Darius committed to go with him. Tristan felt fragile, emotional, and raw, and having his best friend by his side would surely help to ease his aching heart.

The night of the outing arrived, and Tristan found himself fretting over his outfit in his bedroom mirror. He was sporting a teal Hawaiian shirt with a tasteful tropical leaf pattern on it, chartreuse shorts, and brightly colored socks sticking out of red high-top converse. He wasn’t going to win a “best dressed” competition by any means, but for him it was a lot of effort.

He had never been a super fashionable guy—that was definitely Darius’ realm— but he hoped that he looked alright for the evening. It was as much peacocking as he could bring himself to do. The outfit hopefully said “Hey, I’m a fun guy! Super chill and laid back, just like someone on a tropical beach vacation! Please talk to me!”.

The trick was figuring out how risqué he wanted to be. For him, such a decision came in the form of an obscenely scandalous choice of either buttoning up the top button of his shirt or leaving it open to expose some of his chest. He did and undid the thing several times, but simply couldn’t decide on the look. With a sigh, he gave up. It’s not like it’d make much of a difference, anyway.

Tristan glanced down at his watch and made a noise of discontentment; it was later than he wanted it to be. Hastily he decided on leaving the shirt buttoned, then headed off down the hall toward their bathroom to collect Darius.

Something small, circular, and black startled him on the floor, and he flinched back in surprise thinking that it was a spider. Quickly he realized that it was nothing more than one of Darius’ many elastic hair ties. Once his heart stopped racing, Tristan bent down and scooped it up. He figured he’d just toss it into the drawer by the bathroom sink, but something stopped him.

He twirled the little band between his fingers and was reminded of the time that he had come back from class completely exhausted and down in the dumps. Things really hadn’t gone his way that day- he had multiple projects due that week, one of his professors had added onto that heap by giving him yet another tough assignment, and things in his personal life… weren’t great.

He had flopped down on the living room couch and given up on the world for the night when something small hit and bounced off his shoulder- a hair tie. Across the room was Darius, leaning against the doorframe trying to play it cool and appear innocent.

“You looked sad.” Darius observed. Tristan vented the situation to him, and Darius patiently listened, but after the fact he shot another hair tie at him. And another. And another. Apparently, he had squirreled away an entire handful.

At first Tristan was irritated, and he almost snapped at Darius until he saw the playful smirk creeping across his friend’s face. Darius was playing with him, trying to get him to loosen up a bit and blow off steam. Tristan relented… Laughter was pretty good medicine.

It wasn’t long before they were engaged in a full-on war in their apartment, complete with furniture flipped over to hide behind as shields as they flung elastic hair ties and rubber bands at each other. It was stupid, but it was fun, and it did in fact melt away Tristan’s stress, making it easier for him to later focus and buckle down to get through that hellish week of work.

He needed that now- extra strength to get through the night. It sucked to be on your own again. It’s not like he had dated Spencer for long, and he wasn’t really vibing with him much anyway, but it was the thought of being alone that scared Tristan. He wanted that safety. That stress relief. That companionship…

Tristan slipped the hair tie around his wrist and quietly decided that it was a good luck charm for the night… A simple reminder that it was okay to let loose and have fun, even when things seemed hard. He was glad that Darius took the time to assure him of things like that.

… Plus, Darius had a million hair ties anyway. He wouldn’t miss this one. Tristan could probably collect a whole sleeve of them if he picked up every one he randomly found around their house.

The bathroom door was still shut. Really? Darius was still getting ready? They were going to the club, not the Met Gala. Tristan knocked.

“Almost done!” Darius called.

“Hurry up!” Tristan barked.

The door lazily creaked open, revealing Darius messing with his eyeliner in the mirror.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day, you know. Being beautiful takes time.”

Tristan cocked his head to the side. Darius was hopeless. “The universe has given you all the time you needed and then some.” he said, and he meant it, especially when Darius turned around with a flattered twinkle in his eye.

“Awww, thanks!” he chirped. He probably thought that Tristan was just being nice, but really, truly, Tristan thought that Darius Astor was one of the most beautiful boys he had ever laid eyes on.

Tonight Darius looked like he would fit in at any goth-themed event in town, which really wasn’t too far from his normal MO aside from looking a little more rave-ready. He wore a cropped black tanktop that hugged his chest in all the right ways and showed off where defined abs would be if he exercised more. Fishnet sleeves trailed down his arms and ended at his black-painted nails. Tripp pants made for a striking silhouette that Darius didn’t often flaunt (he tended to be a skinny jeans guy most of the time), especially with all the bits and bobs dangling down. Those pants always cracked Tristan up- they were so over the top with their straps and chains. On the bright side, with all the resulting jingling, Darius would be hard to lose in a crowd.

Darius really had nailed the look, right down to his accessories- a matching studded belt and bracelet, a spiked choker, a face full of tastefully spooky makeup, and of course his signature platform leather boots.

As per usual, he was a vision. A gorgeous sight to behold. Every inch of him was flawless.

Tristan stared. Man, maybe his stiffest competition for the night would be Darius. With looks like that, everyone would fall for him. After all, he certainly had Tristan’s attention.

… Wait— O-oh… no… No. Not like that.

No.

Not again…

Tristan tossed his head, physically shaking the thought away as if he hadn’t considered it a million times before. Fuck. No. He shouldn’t think about Darius that way. He shouldn’t.

Luckily he was interrupted by Darius studying his look.

“Ooh, tropical? That’s fun.” he said. “I love it, but why so conservative?”

“Huh?”

Darius tapped at his sternum, indicating the top button of Tristan’s shirt.

Tristan shifted. “I wasn’t sure if I should open it or not. What do you think?”

“Definitely unbutton it. Show off a little!”

There really wasn’t much to show off, but Tristan didn’t need to be told twice. If Darius thought that was the better style, he’d listen. He undid his top, and the two were off.

***

Even before getting inside, Tristan could tell that Dorothy’s was hopping. It was to be expected though, as almost any club on a Saturday night would be bustling. All the same, it really had been a while since Tristan had been there… he had forgotten just how crazy the crowds could be. Thankfully he knew that soon things would settle down as the masses split up either to sit and watch the drag show downstairs, or to head up to the club’s second story to dance. He and Darius hadn’t even gotten to the front door when he heard someone calling their names.

“Tristan! Darius! Hey!!” he perked up at the sound of the familiar voice. Was that—?

A girl about Darius’ age bounded up to them, and the boys recognized her immediately: Cici, one of their closest friends, and Darius’ ex-girlfriend. Her long brilliant red hair popped against her sparkly lavender crop top and y2k-chic denim bellbottoms adorned with a stenciled-on star pattern.

“Oh hey!” Darius’ eyes lit up at the sight of her and he reached out and pulled her into a hello hug, then kissed her on the cheek in greeting. It was just a quick little peck, but all the same, Tristan pretended not to notice. Despite the two having broken up from their romantic relationship not too long ago, Darius and Cici were still close. Very close. That was fine… But like… did he have to kiss her?

Cici didn’t seem to mind. She laughed and gave Darius a gentle shove back in response.

“Careful,” she warned, though her tone was sarcastic and playful. “If you act like that then people will think we’re still together... Or worse: straight.”

Darius flashed a cheeky grin, a mischievous look that could get him into trouble just as easily as it could get him out of it.

“That’s bi-erasure.” he joked, and Cici shook her head fondly. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

“Same as you, Lover Boy.” Cici replied. “I’m looking for my rebound. You can’t distract me. I’m the pan with a plan.” They both snickered.

“Me? Looking for a rebound?” Darius scoffed. “Babe, there’s simply no replacing you.”

Ah. They were flirting. They were broken up, yet they were still flirting with each other…

Tristan instantly felt like a third wheel. His shoulders sank and he stared at the two of them, though he didn’t mean to watch so intently.

Cici was a beautiful, loving girl, and he never was surprised that Darius had fallen so hard for her. She had only been a positive influence on him, and Lord did Darius need that when she first came into their lives. By some miracle, she had managed to mostly calm him down from his rebellious streak and really bring him out of his shell in a way that Tristan had never fully been able to. She was a bright light in Darius’ weird—and at the time, morose—world, and undoubtedly she had changed him for the better.

Their relationship had been solid for ages, but over time cracks began to form. Small issues compounded, and after a while it became clear that they both had aspects of themselves that they wanted to improve upon or explore. Darius still didn’t fully have a handle on some of his self-destructive habits, and Cici began to realize just how much she was attracted to other women.

There was no falling out or blowup that ended things, the two just decided that it was best to go at it alone for a while as they figured themselves out and grew up a bit. Maybe once they had lived a little more, they would find their way back together, but only time would tell.

Despite the split being mutual, it wound up being a lot harder on Darius than he anticipated. Cici had been his longest romantic partner to date, lasting a few years. He missed her company in that respect but was thankful to still have her friendship and support. It was a relief that they were still so close, because Tristan figured that things would get super weird and awkward in the friend group if one or both of them suddenly decided to leave. Cici had been the one to bring them together in the first place; it wouldn’t be right to have her or Darius duck out over personal issues.

…

But again, did he have to kiss her?

Tristan’s ears felt hot, and he finally came to his senses enough to realize that he was still looking at the pair. He snapped back to reality just in time, because Cici turned her attention to him and stepped around Darius to give Tristan a hug as well. She always wanted to make sure that everyone felt welcome and seen.

As he hugged her back and said his hellos, he prayed that she missed how flustered he was. And like… why? It made no sense for him to be so out of sorts, especially around her, but tonight he felt caught off guard by her presence. He really hoped it would just be him and Darius, but… the more the merrier he supposed…?

The three of them headed inside, and it wasn’t long before they decided to go upstairs to check out the bar and dance area. Cici came and went, occasionally striking up chats with lonely-looking girls, but she and Darius kept meeting back up and getting lost in conversation. It was bugging Tristan, and he couldn’t figure out why. Maybe it was how he felt like he disappeared when the two started talking, as if the wall swallowed him up and he was nothing more than a decoration in the background- ever present, but ultimately ignored. He really didn’t need that tonight.

Eventually he gave up, resigned to the fact that Darius had been lost to the land of the ex. Whatever, they could catch up if they wanted to. Tristan had nothing against Cici, but he had his own priorities tonight and really didn’t feel like hanging around her. He hoped he wasn’t being rude when he excused himself to go grab a drink from the bar.

“What would you like?” The bartender asked him.

“A White Russian.” Tristan said bitterly, and the irony wasn’t lost on him. Frankly he also would have enjoyed Sex on the Beach.

Stop it, Tris. Stop it.

The server slid his drink over. Maybe Tristan was going a little hard right out of the gate, but he didn’t care.

As he sipped the cocktail, he scoped out the other clubgoers. There were plenty of cute guys around, but no one really struck his fancy or seemed like they were open to talking. To be honest, Tristan didn’t really know if he was, either.

His vision kept finding its way back over to Cici and Darius, who were standing close together by the stairwell. Cici beamed and played with her hair while Darius busted up laughing at whatever she had just said.

Tristan had seen them like that a thousand times before. Afterall, they had been together for years. Why, why, why then was it simply eating him alive tonight? It was so much easier to keep his feelings in check when Darius and Cici were dating, but Darius didn’t belong to her anymore.

He didn’t belong to anybody.

That was the problem.

A song started playing from the DJ booth- something with an industrial sound as heavy as the thoughts pounding in Tristan’s mind.

I don't wanna share this space I don't wanna force a smile This one girl taps my insecurities Don't know if it's real or if I'm spiraling

Charlie XCX. Great music, great album. Horrible time for that particular song to play. Tristan forced himself to tear away his gaze and took a large swig of his drink. He needed to forget it. All of it. He needed to forget about the relationship that he so desperately wanted. He needed to forget how lonely he was. He really needed to forget—

“Hey bud, how you doing?”

Darius. While Tristan was lost in thought, he must have come over. The boy hopped up on the stool beside him, his eyes gleaming with that mischievous sparkle that implied that he had just said something cheeky and maybe a pinch irreverent. He must have sent Cici off with some smart aleck remark or groan-worthy pun. He was alone now, though.

Tristan couldn’t look at him. “I’m fine.” he replied, not peering up from the glass in his hand.

“Are you?” God, Darius was good. It was hard to hide anything from him. That was to be expected from your best friend, though, especially when Tristan was so horrible at masking. Darius leaned in a bit, studying him a little more intensely.

Tristan ran his hand down his face hoping to wipe his expression clear of any sort of outward turmoil, then turned to look at him finally.

“Yeah, I just…” he wasn’t quite sure where he was going with that sentence, trailing off and ending it with a sigh.

Darius softened and gave him an understanding look. “Hey, I’m sorry.”

What was he apologizing for? There was no way he could know that Tristan was thinking about—

“But screw Spencer. You don’t need him.”

Right… Spencer… That was who Tristan was supposed to be upset about tonight. That was who he was supposed to be mourning. That was who he was supposed to want. It was so stupid and fake. So disingenuous…

He took another sip of his drink, then nodded halfheartedly.

“You’re right.” Tristan said “I don’t need him. I don’t— I dunno what I need.”

'Cause I couldn't even be her if I tried I'm opposite, I'm on the other side I feel all these feelings I can't control Oh no, don't know why

Darius reached out and lightly tapped the back of his knuckle against Tristan’s free hand, sending a tingling spark through him.

“You can start with a friend.” Darius said, a gentle smile touching his lips.

Fuck that smile. Fuck that confidence. Fuck that tenderness. It just made Tristan want him more.

All this sympathy is just a knife Why I can't even grit my teeth and lie? I feel all these feelings I can't control Oh no, don't know

Tristan was transfixed by Darius’ gaze. Those warm chocolate eyes held him captive, silently telling him that everything was going to be okay… or at least that’s what Tristan wanted to believe.

“Y-yeah.” Tristan said at last, breaking eye contact. “Thanks.” he chugged the rest of his drink and set the glass down on the counter with a clink.

“Any time, Tris. I’m here for you.”

The two sat in silence for a minute or two, Darius peoplewatching and Tristan waiting for some sort of buzz. The song switched to something bouncier and fun, and Tristan noticed Darius nodding along to it absentmindedly.

Fuck it. He’d shoot his shot.

“Do you wanna dance?” Tristan asked timidly.

Darius swiveled back around and regarded him fondly. He wasn’t much one for dancing on his own, but he’d indulge almost any of Tristan’s requests if he asked. He’d do a lot of things for Tristan that he wouldn’t do for anyone else.

“You coming with me?” he asked.

“Of course!” Tristan hopped up from his seat and reached out for Darius. His friend took hold of his hands and slid down after him, then they made their way over to the dance floor.

The crowd’s energy was vivacious and undeniably electric- beautiful people were throwing their arms up in the air and shaking their cares away. It would be impossible to be sad in such company.

The boys squeezed through the sea of dancers and made their way back to a corner of the room near the video screens. Tristan had intentionally led Darius away from the view of the bar and lounge area, so they’d be relatively hidden and hard to spot.

Every thump of the bass from the speakers shook Tristan right through his chest, consuming his very being. It didn’t take long at all for him to lose himself in the beat, and his other senses were quickly hijacked as well between the lights spinning dizzyingly overhead, the fog machines, the blinking colors on the ground, the videos on the wall, the disco ball hanging from the ceiling…

It was overwhelming. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t process anything. He couldn’t feel.

It was perfect. Maybe he didn’t need that drink after all. Maybe he just needed to be here.

A blast of the delicately scented fog belched from one of the machines and momentarily swallowed Tristan’s vision. The rest of the club disappeared entirely aside from the flashing colors in the mist. He was alone, but only for a second. Darius emerged, positioned right before him. He grinned as he shimmied back and forth to the music, an expectant look on his face waiting for Tristan to join him.

Together they jumped, rocked, and hopped from side-to-side to the club classics being spun. During a more trancey song Darius closed his eyes and blissfully brought his head back, clearly enchanted by the rhythm. He was fully relaxed, something he rarely tended to ever be in public spaces. It was a lovely, dreamy scene.

Another puff of fog hissed from the machine, enveloping the area where the boys were dancing. Once more the rest of the crowd faded away as a song that Tristan recognized came on. He had heard it once before and remembered liking it enough to Shazam it. He tried to recall the title. “Jenny” by… gosh, what was the band… “Studio Killers” or something?

Jenny darling, you’re my best friend But there’s a few things that you don’t know of Why I borrow your lipstick so often I’m using your shirt as a pillowcase

Darius had opened his eyes and was peering at Tristan now, swaying back and forth and bobbing his shoulders up and down to the beat. Did he know the song, too? Their vision connected, and Darius took that as an invitation to move closer. He danced his way up to Tristan with a goofy expression clearly meant to make him laugh, especially when paired with his silly, exaggerated dance moves. It worked, Tristan cracked up during the chorus, entirely missing the words as he twirled in a circle and made his own wacky motions, trying to get Darius to laugh back.

Jenny, darling, you're my best friend I've been doing bad things that you don't know about Stealing your stuff now and then Nothing you'd miss, but it means the world to me

During the second verse they were so wrapped up in their lighthearted dance battle that neither was fully aware of just how close they were getting. Before they knew it, they were touching each other. It started with Darius making a very serious expression, grabbing Tristan’s hand and lacing his fingers through his, bringing it up, and staring deeply into his eyes.

“Dance with me, Lyubimyy.” he purred in a deep, overly dramatic tone. In the blink of an eye Darius’ other hand was on the small of Tristan’s back, and he dipped him backwards like they were entangled in a passionate tango. Tristan yelped in surprise but trusted that Darius wouldn’t drop him. They both were laughing as Darius hauled him back up. The boy was ridiculous.

Another blast of fog hid the rest of the club from view. It was just the two of them again, or so it seemed. Tristan and Darius. The only two people in the club. The only two people in the entire world.

Tristan answered Darius’ moves by grabbing his hips and pulling him in close. Darius’ face lit up with a playful glee, and he took the hint, wrapping his arms around the back of Tristan’s neck. They swayed and grinded against each other as the chorus played once again.

I wanna ruin our friendship We should be lovers instead I don’t know how to say this ‘Cause you’re really my dearest friend

Tristan heard the words that time, and his eyes went wide. Oh shit. That was why he remembered liking this song. Darius didn’t seem to notice his panic though- his eyes slipped shut and he pressed his forehead against Tristan’s to catch his breath, knowing that he wouldn’t mind.

Darius was hot and sweaty, but he was right; Tristan didn’t mind. Not one bit.

Gingerly Tristan raised a hand up and cupped the side of Darius’ face in a gentle action that he could have easily played off as a caring caress to comfort his winded friend. Darius leaned into the touch with a pleasant grin.

The blonde held his breath. He wanted to kiss him so badly.

Jenny, take my hand 'Cause we are more than friends I will follow you until the end Jenny, take my hand I cannot pretend Why I never like your new boyfriends Oh, your love for them won’t last long

Darius’ arms had returned to his sides, and Tristan grabbed one of his hands, then brought it up to spin Darius out and away from him. Darius followed the motion, fully into their continued masquerade game.

Forget those amigos Oh, your love for them won't last long

Darius wound himself back in and spun into Tristan’s embrace.

Forget those amigos Forget those amigos

The beat picked up again and Tristan let go, then the two fully broke apart and gave each other some space again, jumping and going all out for the end of the song.

I wanna ruin our friendship We should be lovers instead I don't know how to say this 'Cause you're really my dearest friend Oh, your love for them won't last long We should be lovers instead Oh, your love for them won't last long 'Cause you really are my dearest friend

The song faded out and blended into Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!”, a welcome break from the higher BPM stuff the DJ had been blasting for the last 10 or 15 minutes. Darius fanned himself with his palms and took a step back, that wonderful blissful look still plastered on his face.

“Phew! Thanks Tris, that was fun! I think I need a breather, though.” He pulled a water bottle from one of his deep cargo pockets and guzzled it down, then checked his text messages. “Cici’s outside. I’m gonna join her to cool off. You wanna come?”

Of course she was. Of course he’d be going to see her. Back to reality.

“You go ahead, I’ll be there in a bit.” Tristan answered. “I’ve just gotta…” he pointed to the bathroom, and Darius nodded in understanding and gave him a friendly pat on the back.

“Okay man, see you out there.”

Darius turned and made his way to the stairs and once again Tristan caught himself staring, watching him leave as if he hadn’t seen him walk away a thousand times before.

You can kiss a hundred boys in bars Shoot another shot, try to stop the feeling You can say it's just the way you are Make a new excuse, another stupid reason

There was a pang in his heart, and he felt like such a damn fool. He hated himself. He really did. He finally broke from his trance and made his way to the bathroom, silently cursing the Midwest Princess’ words as he blinked hard, trying to force back the tears that were welling up in his eyes. He couldn’t keep doing this. Something eventually had to give.

Good luck, babe (well, good luck), well, good luck, babe (well, good luck) You'd have to stop the world just to stop the feeling

***

Tristan descended the staircase down to the main floor and shuffled outside, figuring that Darius and Cici were most likely on the patio. As he rounded the corner, he spotted them, Darius lounging on one of the railings and Cici seated beside him at a table.

The two were engaged in a conversation with one of the club’s drag performers, Steeple Towers- a very tall queen decked out in a gorgeous sparkly hot pink number, complete with a comically oversized bow on the back of her dress. Her cotton candy-esque wig was so poofy and enormous that it probably should have had a blinking light on top to warn airplanes to steer clear.

For a second, Tristan was too shy to approach. He had met several of the local drag performers before when they were their normal selves. Darius knew some of them from school and had even invited them over for dinner a time or two. They were all very kind, sweet guys and loved trading makeup tips and tricks. But man, when they put on their drag personas it was like they were different people. Fierce, confident, scary… not frightening, just scary in how incredible and otherworldly they were. It blew Tristan away how someone could be so well put together and perfect that they were intimidating.

How cool it would be to have even a shred of that fun, unapologetically outgoing personality…

He took a step forward but spotted something that he really didn’t like- between Darius’ fingers was a lit cigarette. With utter disdain, Tristan watched as the smoke curled up toward the sky. Ugh. Darius hadn’t indulged in that vice for quite a while.

Cici had an equally disapproving look on her face, watching judgmentally as Darius took a long drag of it. She had been the one to spearhead the campaign to make him quit, and all of their friends had joined in the journey to help him along the path.

Darius saw her staring and grinned innocently with the stupid object between his teeth.

“I love you!” He tried, but Cici shook her head. He withdrew the cigarette and blew the smoke straight up into the air like a chimney, then snuffed the thing out on the railing without it even being half spent. “Fine, fine. Don’t give me that look…”

Cici’s face melted into a satisfied expression, but she turned to Steeple and crossed her arms.

“I told you not to enable him, damnit!” she chided. Steeple threw her hands up as if being accosted by a cop, but she was still playing her saucy character.

“Arrest me then, officer! I’m only guilty of giving this cutie pie what he wants.”

It was a funny scene. Tristan should have wanted to join in and play along. He should have wanted to take a seat and chat with them in the nice evening air. He should have been enjoying himself tonight… but he couldn’t get up the nerve to go over.

He felt that same pang in his heart and tried to figure out why. Was it the pain of seeing Darius hurt himself again by smoking? Or was it once again seeing him with her…?

‘I love you!’ Darius had said in that cutesy voice that begged “Don’t be mad at me!”. He said stuff like that all the time to get out of trouble.

But he had said it to Cici, and once, he did love her.

… God, was he ever gonna stop?

Tristan clenched his fists. This wasn’t healthy. He shouldn’t be thinking about Cici like that, like she was “the other woman” or something. Competition. She wasn’t.

No… he wasn’t.

There wasn’t a contest. He wasn’t in the running. He never had been in the running. Darius had been hers for years. Tristan had been fine with it then. Why was it now that he was suddenly so…

So…

… so fucking jealous?

With a frustrated noise in the back of his throat he spun on his heel, turning and making his way back inside. He had to get out of there. He didn’t want to hate Cici. He didn’t hate her. He couldn’t. He hated himself. He hated himself and his stupid fucking crush and how he couldn’t ever, ever let it go. Why was it flaring up so badly tonight?! Jesus!!

As he reentered the building, he heard that “Mr. Brightside” was playing. Of course it was. Tristan wished that it all would fucking end.

If Darius could indulge in one of his unhealthy vices, Tristan would, too. He plopped down at the bar and ordered two Skittle shots. At least that was one surefire way to taste the rainbow tonight. He slammed the drinks back and shuddered at the vodka's sting, then took a long deep inhale through his nose and buried his face in his hands, trying to get a grip on himself.

“Boyfriend trouble, eh?”

Tristan peeked out and over to where the voice came from, a little way down the bar. A man sat there, a big burly guy jacked to all smithereens with close cropped salt-and-pepper hair and a sort of military look going: a tank top, camo pants, and big heavy combat boots. Man, what did this random older guy care? … But Tristan supposed he could chat with a stranger for a bit anyway. Maybe it’d help him calm down.

“Something like that.” Tristan said miserably. “He’s not my boyfriend, though, just—” he sighed and lowered his head again, eyeing the menu on the table in search of his next drink selection.

“Ya wish he was.” The man said knowingly.

Tristan sat silently, now staring at nothing, but eventually he nodded smally.

“Hey, it’s rough.” The man said. He had a country drawl that somehow disarmed Tristan. The guy could be spewing pure bullshit, but with an accent like that, it was hard to believe that he would be capable of saying anything unkind. “Some guys ain’t worth the heartache.”

“I feel like he is.” Tristan picked at the hair tie on his wrist. “It’s stupid, but I’d go to the ends of the Earth for him if he needed me to.” He took a beat, his dewy-eyed expression dissolving back into full on sorrow. “Love is stupid. It’s so fucking stupid and unfair. I hate it.”

“You should stay away from him.”

“What?” Tristan couldn’t help but look back up at the guy. That advice felt like it came out of left field.

“You're only gonna get hurt if ya don’t.” The man said.

Tristan frowned. “He wouldn’t do that intentionally.”

“Of course not. But is he tryin' to hurt you now?”

“… Well, no…”

“And are ya feelin' hurt anyway?”

Tristan dropped his gaze.

“Trust me kid, cut ties now for your own good. It’ll be a lot easier on you that way when he’s not around anymore.”

‘When he’s not around anymore’? Geez, that was pessimistic. The drawl didn’t cover up bleak sounding things after all. This dude must have seriously been burned by past relationships to instantly assume that someone would leave, not could. Darius wouldn’t just up and disappear someday… right? Their friendship was solid. Even if things got awkward, they could work it out.

Perhaps the guy meant something else though… Darius not being around in the future… it hurt to think about, but they were nearing the end of college. Despite both being from the same town, they probably would have to part ways eventually for their careers. That didn’t mean the friendship needed to end, but things weren’t going to be the same once they moved out and were no longer roommates.

‘When he’s not around anymore’… Ugh… How would Tristan handle that? It would be a sad goodbye, that’s for sure. He hoped that they’d keep in touch and maybe see each other a few times a year if they were lucky.

Tristan scrunched up his nose, not wanting to think about it anymore. Hopefully that was a long way off in the future still… No need to dwell on it now. Darius wasn’t going anywhere any time soon. They’d just have to make the most of whatever time they had left together… to live it up while they still could.

The man seemed to notice Tristan wrestling with that idea; his face gave it away.

“Look, you're an innocent, nice fella.” The guy said. “You don’t deserve to be hurt.”

Tristan lightly chuckled at that. This stranger didn’t know him at all, but it was nice that he still wanted the best for him.

“Thanks.” Tristan said quietly. He had no intention of cutting Darius out of his life, but hey, free advice was free advice, even if he wasn’t going to follow it. The guy only seemed to mean well.

The man tipped his head and went back to nursing his beer. Tristan sat quietly and stewed in thought.

Suddenly there was a commotion from outside: a high-pitched shriek, a loud and angry yell, the sound of a scuffle, then more shouting and screaming. Tristan sat up and craned his neck to get a look, moving to hop off the barstool when Darius stormed through the front door clutching his face with one hand and waving Cici and Steeple off dismissively with the other.

“Are you fucking insane?!” Steeple shrieked, her heels clicking loudly against the wood floor as she followed him. “You could’ve been killed!”

“I got your fucking bow back, didn’t I?!” Darius snapped.

“He was an asshole, Dair! Just some fucking loser! I much rather would have preferred for him to walk off with it than for you to get hurt! How could you be so stupid?!”

Cici ran over to the counter and frantically asked the bartender for a first aid kit.

“What’s going on?!” Tristan exclaimed. Cici turned and relief flooded her face when she noticed him.

“Tris! Oh, thank God! Darius, he… Stupid idiot! There was this guy—”

“Is that blood?!” Darius had finally gotten close enough for Tristan to see him in the dim light. His roommate blew past on the way to the bathroom, too distracted to see him.

“Some jerk on the street was harassing us… Darius went after him and there was a fight, and, and—” Cici was tearing up, the fright suddenly catching up to her. “I didn’t know what to do! It all happened so fast, I—”

Tristan caressed her upper arms and tried to calm her down.

“Hey, shh, hey, it’s okay. It’s gonna be okay, Cici. I’ll go help him.”

Cici threw her arms around him, and Tristan felt like a complete idiot. All night he had been vilifying her and feeling horribly jealous as if she wasn’t like a sister to him. She loved and trusted him, and now she was vulnerable and scared and chose to come to him for comfort.

How could he have been so heartless?

She was trembling. Tristan returned her embrace and gently rubbed her back, lingering in the hug for longer than he originally intended, hoping that she’d feel better. She needed this. Maybe he did, too.

Cici straightened with a sniffle and handed him the first aid kit that the bartender had slid over.

“Thanks Tris… You know how he is… I just—”

She worried. So did he. They had this conversation before as two of the people who knew Darius the best. The guy could be bullheaded and impulsive, rushing into almost anything—even something dangerous—to help someone that he thought needed it. A self-sacrificing dumbass who occasionally leaped before he looked.

Again, Tristan felt so foolish. He had shared many late nights with Cici where they had deep, heartfelt talks, even without Darius around. She was one of his closest friends, too; that was how he knew exactly what she was feeling and thinking in the moment. Boy did he feel terrible.

“It has to be you. I can’t go in there.” Cici sobbed. Almost on cue, Darius shut the men’s room door behind him.

Tristan stood and the world swayed. Fuck, the shots! Not now… not now! What a horrible time for them to kick in! He steadied himself against the barstool and flashed Cici as confident of a smile as he could muster, praying that he looked sober enough that she wouldn’t worry. He focused extra hard on walking straight and hoped that he was nailing it.

In the bathroom Darius sat on the sink counter looking pissed off and ill-tempered as Steeple patted at his wounds with a wet paper towel. Darius shoved her hand away.

“Knock it off! I’m fine. You’re gonna get blood on your outfit.” he complained.

“I don’t give a shit, Darius. Shut up and let me help you.” she pulled the bloody paper towel away and tossed it in the trashcan.

“I’ve got a first aid kit.” Tristan announced, holding up the supplies. Steeple gave him the same look of relief that Cici had. Darius must have been giving her a rough time.

“Oh, thank God! I think it looks worse than it actually is, but still, let’s get him cleaned up.” Long manicured nails be damned, the queen dug into the box and ripped open a hand wipe, then reached for Darius’ face again, dabbing at a cut. Darius flinched away.

“Fucking stop it! That hurts!”

Steeple looked exasperated and opened her mouth to snap back at him, but her thought was cut off by a tinkling melodic alarm.

“Shit!” She reached between her fake bosoms and pulled out a cellphone, then shut off the alarm and checked the time.

“The show’s about to start. I’ve gotta run… will you be okay?”

Darius looked terrifying with the streams of red trickling down his face, even more so when he fixed Steeple with a deathly serious stare.

“Get out there and be fabulous.” It was a threat. An encouraging one, but hostile all the same. “Do it for me.”

Tristan gave the queen a proper answer. “I’ve got him. Thanks Steeple.”

“Thank you Tristan.” Steeple turned and punched Darius lightly in the arm. “Don’t. be. stupid! And don’t be mean to this nice boy! He loves you just as much as I do! We’re your friends, you dick!” She rinsed her hands and grabbed her bow.

Tristan’s throat bobbed. Just as much as Steeple loved him? Oh, no. No. Tristan loved him more. Far, far more.

“Good luck. He’s still riled up.” Steeple whispered to Tristan, then set off to head backstage.

Once she was gone, Darius deflated and bent forward, his defensive walls tumbling down. It was just him and Tristan now. He didn’t have to act tough and put up a brave front anymore.

“Motherfucker…” he groaned. “Fuck, that hurt.”

Tristan put a comforting hand on Darius’ knee.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly.

Darius peered up at Tristan, his face ragged and tired, though he forced a wry smile.

“You should see the other guy.” He laughed darkly.

Tristan scoffed, then took a moment to assess Darius’ condition. He was pretty roughed up. Blood trickled down his face and cemented clumps of his flowing black mane to his temple. Gently Tristan swept those out of the way, but the strands flopped back down again.

“Here,” Tristan said, slipping the hair tie from his wrist. “put your hair up.”

“My friend the Boy Scout.” Darius teased, taking the elastic and pulling his hair into a ponytail. “Always prepared…”

“Shut up.” Tristan lifted a towelette, then carefully reached up to go over the cuts on Darius’ face and hands. Judging by the injuries, it seemed like he had been forced to the ground either from being pushed or punched.

“What happened anyway?” Tristan asked.

“We were sitting outside talking and some homophobic asshole came by and started slinging slurs.” Darius sucked in a sharp hiss with the sting of the wipe, but didn’t pull away. “He ripped Steeple’s bow off and started running, and I went after him. I don’t know who threw the first punch. It’s kind of a blur…”

Tristan finished cleaning Darius’ wounds and pulled out a few band-aids. Luckily Steeple had been right: he wasn’t as bad as he looked, head wounds just tended to bleed a lot and look really dramatic.

Darius watched Tristan studying him when he took a step back.

“Is it bad?” Darius asked warily.

Tristan tsked, his voice gentle.

“I think you’ll live, idiot.”

‘Idiot’. He didn’t have to say anything more. The corners of Darius’ mouth pulled up slightly in a tiny, knowing smile. That one word expressed everything that Tristan was feeling regarding the whole situation. Darius knew him well enough to figure that out. ‘Idiot’, meaning something more along the lines of ‘How could you be so reckless? You care too much. You shouldn’t have put yourself in harm’s way, even if it was the noble thing to do for a friend.’

Tristan was slow with bandaging up Darius’ hands, his movements a little unsteady. Darius took notice, especially when Tristan started swaying.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I just… alcohol…” Tristan admitted. The multiple drinks were finally fully hitting him.

Darius’ thick dark brows pulled into a frown. “How much more did you have?”

“Two more shots… I’m fine…”

“Yeah, okay. Come up here and have a seat with me.”

The blonde finished dressing the wounds and sloppily tucked the remaining supplies back into the first aid kit. Clumsily he hopped onto the countertop next to Darius.

“Thanks Tris.” Darius said, a pinch of embarrassment in his otherwise grateful tone.

Tristan nodded heavily. “I agree with Steeple.” he replied. “Don’t be stupid.”

Darius chuckled. “I try not to be as a general rule.” but they both knew that wasn’t always the case.

Without looking at him, Darius leaned over wearily and rested his head on Tristan’s shoulder in an appreciative gesture. He must have been crashing from the adrenaline rush. Tristan tried to keep cool and bite his tongue, but the liquid courage in his system was making him… well, courageous.

What would he even say in a moment like this? 'I love you, don’t you ever scare me like that again!'? 'Hey, could you stop flirting with your ex? You’re kind of killing me.'? 'Please promise you won’t ever leave me.'?

Instead, he pressed his lips together and simply rested his head on top of Darius’. The two of them sat there for a moment in silence to recover from the chaos.

The moment lingered on.

And on…

It was weirdly peaceful.

“You know we can’t stay like this forever…” Darius finally mumbled.

Tristan didn’t realize that he had closed his eyes until they were open again. Had he just taken a three second nap? His heart beat faster, his half-asleep, alcohol impaired mind trying to figure out what Darius meant. They couldn’t stay like this forever? What was he saying? Darius must be about to dump him as a friend. That was the only explanation. The guy at the bar was right. Tristan was convinced. In the span of a millisecond, Tristan spiraled. It was over. Their entire friendship was over. It had to be.

“I’m not staying the night in a dirty club bathroom.”

The flurry of paranoia swirling in Tristan’s brain stopped on a dime and his panic dissolved. Darius was right, this place wasn’t fit for them to stay in at all.

“Mm…” Tristan nodded in agreement and groggily sat back up.

“I don’t know about you, but I think I’ve had enough clubbing for tonight. You wanna head home?” Darius asked.

“Uh huh.” Tristan was woozy. It was a nice buzz, and his heart wasn’t aching as badly, but he was definitely done with the evening. Darius hopped off the counter, then helped him down, supporting him until he could stand better. Tristan collected the first aid kit and they moved toward the bathroom door.

“You’ve gotta tell Cici you’re ok.” Tristan uttered. “She was really worried about you.”

Darius' face fell. “Yeah… Well, that’s partially why she left me... Too scrappy. I sure did a great job of proving her point tonight.” His tone was bitter as he reflected on his own actions. Perhaps the breakup hadn’t been as mutual as Tristan initially thought.

“You still love each other.” Tristan said. It was a statement, not a question.

“Yeah, as friends.” Darius answered.

“You mean you’re not trying to get back together?”

“No. Of course not. What makes you think—”

“Flirting.” Tristan blurted out. “You’ve been flirting with her all night.”

Darius looked perplexed. “I’ve been flirting with everyone all night. Even you.”

What little shred of sanity Tristan had left broke at those words, and temporarily he was speechless. His dumbstruck expression must have read, because Darius gave him a weird look.

Tristan wanted to ask a thousand questions- ‘How seriously were you flirting?’, ‘Was it just for fun, or are you actually romantically interested in me?’, ‘Is this a joke to you?’, ‘Are you trying to lead me on?’, ‘Do you know how badly something like that could destroy me?’ but all that came out was one simple word:

“Why?”

Darius shrugged.

“Because I love you, Tris.” he said it so nonchalantly, like it was simply a matter of fact. There was no sense of gravity to the thought. It was light. Airy. Easy.

Tristan was silent. Dead freaking silent.

As a friend. Darius didn’t say it, but somehow, Tristan knew that was what he meant. Darius loved him as a friend. Nothing more. Clearly, he was still completely clueless as to how Tristan felt. He had to be. He wouldn’t just speak that sentiment so casually otherwise.

All the same, Tristan’s insides felt warm.

“I—”

‘I want to be with you.’, ‘I need you to know just how much I care about you.’, ‘I don’t ever want to leave your side.’, ‘I wanna ruin our friendship, we should be lovers instead.’

… Careful, Tris.

“I love you, too, Dair.” Not even Tristan knew what level of intensity he was putting behind those words. He would never force something on Darius like that, no matter how badly he wanted it. It felt nice just to voice the thought out loud either way… to officially release it into the universe.

They loved each other. It didn’t matter in what capacity. At least now they both knew.

Darius beamed and wrapped an arm around Tristan’s shoulders to keep him steady.

“I’m glad. Now let’s go home.”

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Previous | Next

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Thank you as always to risahraun for beta-reading! <3

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venusandsaturnsrings · 2 years ago

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out of all of ur tarus,, who’s the most obsessed with eating ur pssy

EXCELLENT QUESTION THANK YOU!! okay, i have a firm answer on this already but i’d like to dissect the different taru pussy eating styles. that way you all can decide who you’d want most based on skills and experience!! more exciting than a regular answer me thinks… anyways!!

inceltaru: my personal most beloved taru au!! but… zero experience. could not name a single anatomical part of a pussy if a gun was to his head. knows nothing and has never even been close to eating someone out. when first meeting him, he’s the type of guy who says “girls are supposed to give head not get it. i’m not into that, shits gross,” with a grimace. his curiosity is the saving grace here plus his obsession runs deep. tries it and immediately cannot get enough though he doesn’t get you off (he’s bad at it initially). give him a couple more goes and he’s worked out what makes you sob the hardest!! inceltaru is majorly into seeing you give him the same heart eyes back and going down on your for hours gets him that so it’s a win-win situation. he’ll be between your legs the most often when he’s stressed or feeling nice for once. stress leads to him nibbling and slapping your clit while nice will have him placing sloppy kisses all over!! does expect a blow in return though.

frat taru: eugh… he’s not very good at all… almost never gives head. minimal experience and not passionate about it until he’s actually into you which may take some time. he’ll come around eventually and when he does, trust you’ll get it the most often in the back of his car. makes snide remarks about how he doesn’t want his frat bros seeing him be such a beta but it’s clear he loves it if the way he palms himself through his sweats says anything!! eventually he’ll get better at it and like it more and more but he’d prefer fucking you properly. he does finger you more often, usually in the corner of random parties or places where you don’t have much time.

foxtaru: if there was an award for most toothy head, foxtaru would get it. he’s not mean and doesn’t bite, just likes gently nibbling your pretty lips and clit!! he loves the way it feels between his canines. gives very good but cheeky head; he’s rather teasing about it most of the time. tail swishing, you’ll be pushing his head closer whenever he slows down to get a ride out of you. all tarus are sadomasochists, foxtaru included, so pinch his ears and he’ll get back to it properly. definitely gives head the most!!

puptaru: sweet boy :(( overwhelmingly passionate about eating pussy!! will whine, paw at you, and beg until you let him. sobs for “just a little taste!” until you’re pushing your panties to the side for him to shove his face in. it’ll always end up being more than a taste though. he’s grabbing your thighs and slobbering all over you with ears pressed back and his tail wagging so hard you fear he’ll hurt himself. absolutely ADORES sucking on your clit. could spend hours abusing the little bud just to make you feel good and satiate his need for mouthfuls of your delicious juices :(( cross eyed and humping whatever he can the whole time but has gotten off untouched just by eating you out before. very much enjoys sticking his tongue in you and just feeling the way you squeeze it like it’s his dick. more often than not, you’ll be pinned down and bred once he’s had his fill. eating pussy is his full time job and he’s never called in sick!!

canon taru: what would this post be without the original?? he loves to serve, a soldier in all ways including when it comes to your pleasure. he takes it the most seriously, even pulling out a timer one time just to see how fast he could get you off. he can be teasing but he’s got that winner mindset even when he’s between your legs. he gives relatively steady head when his competitive nature is set aside. likes bringing you to the edge gently before prolonging your orgasm as long as he can. it’s not worth it to him if your legs aren’t trembling when he’s done!! i could make an entire separate post about foul legacy pussy eating but just know, he’s nothing but rough when he gets like that. tongue fucks you into the next dimension, mouth covering the entirety of your cunt with ease. his tongue his about has long as his normal dick is in that form…

ahem… if you couldn’t tell, puptaru is the most obsessed with eating you out!! foxtaru is a close second though!! inceltaru and canon taru tie for third while frat taru is last place… rankings aside, he loves eating you out regardless of au!! he’s a pussy pleaser!! pussy lover!! pussy adorer!! needs four square meals a day; breakfast, lunch, dinner, and pussy!!

#cw: incel #i’m very passionate abt this if u couldn’t tell #ngl… was rubbing my legs together typing inceltarus part…#so down bad for him…#inceltaru #puptaru #foxtaru #frat taru #incel childe #incel au #childe x reader #tartaglia x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin smut #chit chats

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yaksha-lover · 2 years ago

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OH MY GOD I FINALLY FLIND YOU AGAIN! I remember finding your blog a long time ago when it was new I believe and sent a request later on

https://www.tumblr.com/yaksha-lover/691627436629213184/hi-idk-if-your-writing-rn-but-if-you-are-how-about?source=share

(this one)

I remember reading this response and was so excited and happy! I I just want to say thank you again for it ☺️🙏 (if I didn't say thank you then I'm sorry I was really nervous to send asks back then)

Request part! Can you make it the same as my last ask, but instead of the first years it being Lillia and anyone else you think will fit!

I think it'll hit harder with him since he's the one in actual power to let us go 🌝

Have a lovely day!! Make sure to drink water 💓

Haha happy you found me again! Thanks for the request, I hope you like it! Part 1

MC who believes they’re going back home (Vampire AU) - Lilia, Idia, Leona, Vil

Lilia:

You would probably try your best to avoid saying things like this around Lilia because of both the awkwardness and the fear that he’ll misinterpret things.

He’d end up overhearing you say this to others sometime and his reaction is definitely ambivalence. While Lilia does feel guilty for keeping you at the mansion, he knows the guilt is worth protecting everyone.

He wouldn’t be angry or anything at your words, he understands your reaction is completely natural. If this is at a point where the two of you have gotten closer, he may feel a bit upset that you’re so desperate to leave everyone behind, but he’s aware enough to realize it’s pretty much his fault.

Lilia would approach you to talk and explain that, while he doesn’t feel comfortable just letting you go right now, he’s willing to compromise and give you some more freedom than before, like chaperoned trips.

He’d ask what else he could do to make your life comfortable and make you happy, other than letting you go. Lilia would do anything in his power, spoiling you with gifts and luxuries. He would also try and send Silver to comfort you, because he knows you would rather be around his son than him.

He’d also be willing to promise you that one day you would be allowed to leave, even if it isn’t soon, but he hopes that you will at least come back and visit them occasionally, even though he knows you rightfully resent him.

Idia:

Idia would be pretty down whenever you bring it up, going from being normal around you (since he’s gotten used to you) to suddenly closing up sullenly when you start talking about going home.

Not many of the residents can tolerate him for too long, so he pretty much relies on you and Ortho to keep him company and not become a complete recluse.

Idia is far from delusional and, given his own experiences of feeling trapped, understands your desire to leave and live a normal life again where you have freedom.

That said, it’s hard when one of the only people who actually likes him and who he doesn’t get anxiety hanging around wants to leave.

This kind of talk, while rationally he knows has nothing to do with him, is pretty upsetting for him to hear because he feels like he’s not enough for you to stick around.

He can also be pretty blunt about it, telling you to be realistic and that it’ll be a long time (if ever) before you leave. Also isn’t afraid of weaponizing his little brother against you by telling Ortho to ask if you’ll keep playing games with them forever to guilt you.

It’ll probably be a big source of conflict between you, until you’re able to actually sit down and have a conversation about why he’s saying these things and why he feels this way.

Leona:

Leona is similar to Idia in that, while he’s smart enough to understand that your feelings are valid, he also can’t help but feel annoyed at your desperation to leave.

He thought the two of you had gotten pretty close and it feels like a bit of a slap in the face when you’re willing to talk about how happy you’d be to leave while simultaneously cuddling beside him.

When Leona is feeling rejected or hurt by your words, he’s quick to become more cold and dismissive, pushing you away when you try and touch him affectionately.

You don’t seem like you’ll miss him when you leave, so why should he allow you to touch him now?

If you keep pushing the issue, he’ll probably start mocking you, saying what a naive little herbivore you are for thinking you’ll ever escape. Unfortunately, Leona is hardly forward about his true feelings so you’ll pretty much have to be the bigger person here.

He’ll stay grumpy for a while unless you’re able to catch on to his feelings being hurt and properly comfort him by saying you’d want him to come with you or that you would be willing to stay with him.

Vil:

At this point, Vil is just getting to know you, so he doesn’t respond with the same vitriol as some of the other residents.

He’s pretty neutral about it, he understands your reasoning and thinks it’s understandable, although it does annoy him a little when you constantly bring it up, completely oblivious to the change in mood from your friends.

Vil sees how upset you make Epel when you talk about leaving, so he’s willing to have a private conversation with you about it later. He explains that while he understands, it would be nice for you to spare the feelings of others.

If you argue back, I think Vil would begin to point out that, while it definitively sucks that you can’t leave, other than that you have a good life. You don’t have to work, Lilia gets you everything you want, you get to spend endless time with people that care about you. That’s much more than other people can say.

He would just emphasize to you that while the situation isn’t ideal, all you can do is make the best of the situation and not spend all your time dwelling on leaving.

Although his words may seem harsh, they come from a place of maturity and care for both you and the others. Vil would offer to try and get you more freedom with Lilia, taking you to his filming sets when they’re nearby enough, bringing you back souvenirs, etc.

#twst x reader #twst vampire au #lilia vanrouge x reader #idia shroud x reader #leona kingscholar x reader #vil schoenheit x reader #lilia vanrouge #idia shroud #leona kingscholar #vil schoenheit #twst #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland vampire au

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financeprincess · 2 years ago

Note

It is so inspiring hearing about your weight loss :) i was wondering if you had any particular weight loss tips you’d like to share? I went through a period of weight loss myself, but have lately gained back a lot of what I’ve lost and I’d like to know if there’s anything that helped you get back on the wagon. Love your blog btw!

Don’t be too hard on yourself, its rough out here especially in the US. it’s easy to accidentally slip up and gain 15 pounds just by eating a lil extra every day.

Some things that helped me:

Intermittent fasting, only a 13 hour window though. The 16:8 was too much for me and with women it can screw with your hormones if you’re not careful.

Drinking lots of water. Like a ton. I put those hydration multiplier electrolyte packets in my water as well.

Get good quality sleep. I got some Brooklinen sheets and they are 100% worth it. Definitely improved my sleep quality. I also have a really nice down duvet and an Egyptian cotton cover for it. I also have a silk eye mask and a silk pillowcase from Slip that I love. Sleep is extremely important.

Get 10k steps a day or at least just walk as much as you can. I’m sedentary a lot for school/work/etc. so I absolutely have to get out and walk and get moving. Even if you just aim for a mile or two a day it’ll greatly help.

If you don’t want to lift weights that’s okay. It’s not for everyone. I used to be super into powerlifting and got pretty muscular but it doesn’t excite me like it used to. I do a mix now of walking, jogging, pilates, rollerblading, cycling, kickboxing, swimming, yoga, ice skating, and weightlifting. That way I’m never bored and the variety allows me to choose what I want to do.

Consistency is key. Doing 4 workouts a week at a light/medium intensity is better than doing 1-2 a week of super high intensity and burning yourself out. Every little bit helps.

I do a full body stretch every day. This is super important. Our bodies get so stiff during the day. If you don’t stretch this can lead to injuries when you try to do other things.

I love the sauna (and hot yoga too). If you can find and afford a gym that has a sauna, I would highly recommend. Sometimes I will just go and walk on the treadmill for 30-45 minutes and watch YouTube videos and then sit in the sauna. It’s the best.

Make sure you’re not deficient in anything. Take a complete multivitamin and get blood work done. I was severely deficient in vitamin D and it was making me depressed. Once I took a supplement, got more sun and got my levels up it really helped my overall health.

Cut out grains, sugar, junk food, fried foods, etc. and just eat real foods. Anything with a long ingredient list usually isn’t a good idea. It’ll take a minute to get used to it but once you start eating almost exclusively vegetables, fruits, proteins, and healthy fats you won’t miss it. I have such a big sweet tooth sometimes I’ll have to eat like five servings of berries with a few tablespoons of honey just to satisfy it, but that’s better than ice cream or candy any day.

Don’t deprive or starve yourself. I eat as healthy as I can manage 80-90% of the time. But every once and a while I will eat a huge plate of pasta, gelato, tiramisu, croissants, those types of foods that I love. It’s not helpful to punish yourself and you gotta live a little.

I got a smart scale in my bathroom, the one I got is from FitIndex. It has an app that connects to your phone and it syncs to other health apps. it shows you body fat, muscle mass, water weight, everything. Honestly super triggering at first because I felt called out lol but now I step on it once a week just to make sure I’m on the right track.

You do not need a gym membership to workout. YouTube is the best. I love Yoga with Adrienne, MadFit, Move with Nicole, Charlie Follows, Vicky Justiz, and there’s a bunch of others. Find what you like and try to stick with it as much as you can.

Rest is super important. Don’t run yourself ragged. If you’re sore don’t force yourself to workout.

MyFitnessPal is super helpful. If you have a history of disordered eating this might not be for you but it’s good to be conscious of what you’re eating. Figure out what you need to lose fat/maintain/gain muscle and then track to see where you’re at and adjust accordingly.

Eat more protein. Protein, healthy fats, and fiber keep you full. You will be starving if you eat only salads. Fruit smoothies with protein, protein oats, salmon, yogurt, eggs, etc.

Get cute workout gear. It makes it more fun for me to workout with my pink towels, my pink hydroflask, my lululemon yoga mat, I have a baby blue jumprope and pink dumbbells and pastel colored resistance bands for at home workouts. A lot of my workout clothes are from lululemon, alo yoga, free people, and aerie. I have some of those blender bottles in cute colors for preworkout, protein powder, super greens powder, electrolyte mixes, etc. Some of this stuff is pricy but I’d rather be investing in my health than paying medical bills down the road so it’s 100% worth it to me.

The only way to see permanent change is to make it a lifestyle. Unfortunately you can’t just go back to eating unhealthy foods once you hit a certain goal. Those models who say they live exclusively off of pizza and pasta and cheeseburgers are lying through their teeth. It’s perfectly healthy to have days off where you indulge or don’t exercise but most of the time you’ll have to find ways to eat healthy and exercise and prioritize your health.

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noodyl-blasstal · 1 year ago

Note

number 9 or 19 for the prompt list for taakitz if you're feeling inspired? :)

Thank you so much for this prompt which is from this list (I’m still open to requests.) Sorry the reply itself is un-prompt (I spiralled), but hopefully you'll forgive me!

Read below or on Ao3.

Man, that’s going to stain…How’s it going?/ Well, haha, (doesn’t answer)

–

Kavitz screws all his courage to his sticking point and opens his eyes. He looks at the cake. He looks at his hands. He looks at the kitchen counter. They’re all still the same; bright red, unpleasantly sticky, and mocking him. The ‘icing’ could have at least had the decency to dry slightly in the air by now, but no, he’s made some kind of sugar based slime that is intent on eating everything - especially Taako’s worktops.

Taako’s worktops… Taako definitely absolutely loves these worktops more than Kravitz. Kravitz knows this, everyone knows this, so why on earth had he decided to try his hand at baking at Taako’s house instead of his own? Maybe it was because he spent more of his non-death crime battling time here than anywhere else, he hadn’t spent a non-work night on the Astral Plane since well… hmm… and all his stuff was here, so it made sense, perfect sense. Or it would, if he hadn’t just committed a crime against baking, nature, and kitchens in general, there was no way Taako wasn’t going to notice.

He’s stuck, is the problem. He can’t operate his phone with his sugary murder hands even though it will absolutely be worth Sloane laughing at him if she can save him from this. Sadly it’s not like he can just go over there… although, no, actually, it’s exactly like he can just go over there! Kravitz reaches out his hand, and only winces slightly at the wet sound his scythe makes as it zoops into it. It’s fine. It’ll clean, and if not he can just tell people it’s blood and they’ll think he’s extra fearsome probably definitely maybe.

He cuts a very careful rift, if he can place it just right then… Kravitz leans his face gingerly into the rift and uses his nose to press the doorbell. He learned very quickly after Sloane and Hurley started dating that it was important to rift outside and wait for someone to answer the door. Sloane tugs said door open as he’s reaching his nose out to press the bell for a second time.

“Kravitz? What, and I cannot stress this enough, the fuck?” She folds her arms and gives him a look which means he’s definitely never going to hear the end of this.

“I need some help.”

Sloane raises her eyebrows.

“It’s a cake problem.”

“You didn’t!?”

“I…”

“Kravitz! After last time? And the time before… and…”

“I thought it might be different.”

“Because?”

“Taako’s good at baking.”

“And you figured cake osmosis was a thing?” Sloane’s lack of sympathy would be hurtful if she wasn’t entirely correct.

“On reflection, it wasn’t the best idea I’ve had in my life.” An understatement, but he doesn’t have time to properly catalogue this error right now. It can haunt him when he’s lying awake at 3am for the rest of his life instead.

“How bad is it?”

“It’s not sentient.” He’s remaining optimistic.

“Yet…” She mutters.

“I gave it a bit and it seems fine.”

“Uh huh.”

“I know that’s what I said last time, but I really think it’s okay.”

“If I had a gold piece for every time…” Sloane begins.

“Please just help.” Kravitz must sound pathetic enough because Sloane just rolls her eyes, and smiles fondly.

“Okay, are you coming to me or am I coming to you?”

Kravitz holds up his non-scythed hand.

“I’m coming to you,okay. Gimme a minute and a me-sized rift?”

“Thank you.” Kravitz nods and splices.

–

There’s a shuffling noise and Sloane opens the door again.

“Why do you even have a hazmat suit?” Kravitz tries not to feel offended, he doesn’t succeed.

“It’s not a hazmat, that would be overkill, it’s a tyvek.”

“And you have it because?”

“Do you wanna know?” The distinct edge to her question tells him he definitely doesn’t.

“Is it for work?”

“Yes.”

“The flower shop job?”

“Nope, and you said you don’t wanna know anything that you could be compelled to give up in a court of law so…”

“So I won’t ask any further questions and should instead be grateful that you’re coming to help save me and Taako’s worktops?”

“You got it on Taako’s worktops? Kravitz! I’m going to miss you.”

“I don’t know if he can kill me.”

“Here lies Kravitz…” Says Sloane as she steps through the rift. “... The bestest friend a gal could ask for. I’ll miss his ability to transport me without paying bus fare most of all.”

“Thanks Sloane, you always know how to make me feel better.” Kravitz says dryly.

“So you sure fucked this up, yeah?” Sloane looks around at the general devastation.

“The cake might be nice?” Kravitz points with a sticky hand.

“Mmhmm.” Says Sloane like she wants to believe him but can’t.

“But… it’s just… yeah…” He trails off.

“Have you tried anything yet?”

“Er…”

“Water?”

“I can’t touch the tap.” Kravitz brandishes his free-hand. Tries for a second time to banish his scythe, fails. Maybe he doesn’t need to mention that specific issue to Sloane yet. “It’s really sticky.”

“Right. I’ll try water first. Do you have sponges you don’t care about?”

“As opposed to the sponges I do care about?”

“Hey, Kravitz, do you remember who you live with? The man who cares about nothing more than his kitchen and nearly broke up with you when you scrubbed the cast iron? You think he doesn’t have opinions about your sponges?”

She has a point. “There’s some in the garage.” He starts to move towards the door.

“No!” Sloane grabs the back of his suit and pulls. “You stay here, we need to keep the crime scene secured. By which I mean you specifically. Don’t move.

It’s a good point. Kravitz is going to stay so still. “I can’t quite remember where they…”

Sloane’s gone before he can finish and back too quickly for him to think about in depth. There’s definitely no reason for that which relates to her ability to case a joint.

“I’m going to try cold water first in case hot water makes it harden… or, you know, go on fire.”

“That was one time!”

“One time too many, Kravitz. One time too many.”

He opens his mouth and shuts it firmly again. The ‘gift to science’ defence doesn’t really work when he still doesn’t know how he did it.

Sloane dabs gingerly at the very edge of the worktop spatter. They both lean away in anticipation. Nothing happens. “No explosions is a good start.” She says cheerfully, as she walks back to the sink. “I’ll test hot now.” She repeats the leaning, runs the hot tap directly onto the red spot on the sponge.

“Is it helping?”

“Nope.”

“Soap?”

She tries. “Nope.”

“How hard do you think it is to replace an entire kitchen and also me in… er…” Kravitz glances at the clock. “2 hours?”

“If anyone can do it’s Magnus. Well… maybe not you. You could ring your Mum?”

“She’s not my Mum.”

“Then why did I have to get my parents to call her before I was allowed to come play and why did I have to call her Mrs The Raven Queen when I came to visit?”

“That’s manners.”

“So anyway, call your Mum.”

“I’m not calling my Mum… I mean. Fuck. Sloane! Stop laughing! Can you help me ring Magnus?”

“Why can’t you…” Kravitz brandishes his hand again. “Ah. Fine. Where’s your phone?”

Kravitz swings a hip towards her.

“Nope.”

“Sloane!”

She rolls her eyes. Hard. “It’s a good job I love you, you know that?”

“Like I haven’t earned this.”

“Hey, I’ve never…”

“Don’t make me bring up The Plantcident.” Kravitz side eyes her as she reaches for his phone.

“Urgh, you’ll never let me forget that, will you? I maintain it could have happened to anyone.”

“But instead it happened to you and I had to talk the bank manager down so he didn’t press charges.”

“It’s a good thing you’re so clean cut and know all the fancy words. Now, sssh... “Sloane holds his phone up to his ear.” … it’s ringing.”

“Wait, how did you know my code?”

Sloane doesn’t answer, she just smiles unnervingly instead. Kravitz worries sometimes about how much and how little he knows her all at once.

Magnus picks up before Kravitz can ask any more ill-advised questions (because he definitely doesn’t want to know the answers to them.)

“Hello Magnus, I just had a quick…. Yes? Oh… yes… No of course I think he’s a very clever boy… No, it’s okay, you don’t have to put me on to hi… Hello Johann. Magnus says you did a very good job today. Well done… Magnus? … Magnus?... Johann, can you get Magnus?... …. … MAGNUS?” Sloane winces. Kravitz mouths a quick sorry her way. “Great! Magnus, I… No, don’t hang up, I rang because I had a question, you know the kitchen worktops? … Mmmhm, yeah, they’re incredible, how long did they take you to make?... Oh? A week? Wow… And that was quick?” Kravitz widens his eyes at Sloane, her face doesn’t give anything away. “... and if it was a rush order? Oh… it was? Wow. Yeah. Lots of intricate bits…. Mmm… yes, you’re right, it is a funny shape in here. Good point… okay, so if someone had say, for example, stained them, how would one go about getting that stain out?... No it’s not a sex thing!... Magnus!... Do you really want to know the answer to that?... I didn’t think so… Look, it’s a hypothetical question which I need the answer to please?... Yes, haha, you’re right it is a good thing it’s hypothetical, Taako would be really upset yes, but if you could just tell me… you know, for the thought exercise, yes, right… It would depend on the stain? So if something was sticky and had food dye?... Magnus please, you have to focus… Okay… Yep… Water… nail polish remover… baking powder and vinegar… toothpaste… yes we’ll try that… yes of course hypothetically… no, please don’t tell him… Because nothing has happened. Everything’s fine. Sloane can tell you.”

Kravitz gives Sloane a pleading look and she retracts the phone to speak to Magnus herself. “Hey Magnus, yep, all fine here… Ha, yeah, just playing a fun hypothetical game, you know how we do that… give my love to Julia and Johann... Yeah, thanks from both of us… Bye!”

“So water didn’t work, but we can try the nail polish remover and the toothpaste, and I’m fairly sure Taako has the baking powder and vinegar.

“Be right back.” Sloane’s gone before Kravitz can tell her where anything is.

He tries to un-summon his scythe again while he waits. Nothing happens. He tries again, double hard, it tries to leave, there’s a second where it might, but no. Stuck fast. The door creaks open slowly before he can try a third time.

“I didn’t even know it was possible to get magic stuck to you.” He sighs.

Sloane doesn’t reply.

“Sloane?”

There’s a skittering noise. No. Oh fuck no.

“SLOANE!” Kravitz yells, hoping she’ll hear him before whichever one of them it is can get themselves stuck too.

“Pss pss pss pss pss.” He keeps his arms well out of reach, and moves slowly towards the door.

It’s Tiny Taco, of course it’s Tiny Taco.

“Hello there, why don’t you go back out into the hall? You can play with your toys and your friends. It’ll be so nice out there in the rest of the house, in literally any room but this room.”

Tiny Taco struts confidently forward and rubs his head fondly against Kravitz’s legs. This is the most affection he has ever shown him. Kravitz fights the impulse to lean into it, it’s all part of the ploy. Maybe if he slowly shuffles towards the door?

“You yelled?” Sloane asks from the doorway?

Kravitz turns to look at her. It’s all the distraction Tiny Taco needs and he makes a break for it.

“No no no no no no no!” Kravitz tries to block him with his body, Taco dodges. “Sloane can you…?”

She tries, she does. She moves fast. It’s not fast enough.

Kravitz reaches out and grabs him.

“Kravitz!” Sloane thwacks her palm against her head. “You had one job and it was standing still.”

Taco’s already squirming in his hand, this is going to get ugly fast.

“Shout at me later. Help, please?”

Sloane sighs unnecessarily loudly. “I’m taking a photo.”

“What? Sloane, no.”

“Do you want my help or not?”

Kravitz knows better than to try and bargain with her. “Fine.”

“Smile!”

Kravitz is not going to smile.

“Smile or I’m not helping.”

Kravitz smiles.

“Okay, what goes best with cat? Toothpaste?”

Taco wriggles again and digs his claws sharply into Kravitz’s arm.

“Ouch! Anything, just try.”

Sloane shrugs and brandishes the Aquafresh. “Brace yourself.”

It works, eventually. Kravitz has fresh scratches, but Taco has been pasted (and slightly snipped) clean and returned to the ‘anywhere but the kitchen’ exclusionary zone with enough Dreamies to buy his silence.

“One down. Shall we try it on the worktop or your hands first?”

“The worktop’s more important.”

“Oh wait, your phone’s going.”

“Who is it?”

Sloane checks. “Taako. There’s a few missed calls too.”

Kravitz smiles as endearingly as he can manage. Surely Sloane wouldn’t stand in the way of speaking to his boyfriend, not after how much he helped when she was worried about telling Hurley. “Would you mind?”

“Fine.” Sloane holds the phone to his ear.

“Hello Taako! It’s so nice to hear from you, love, how’s your day going? … mmhm… incredible… I hope you told him off… Maybe not the words I would have used, but as you say, it’s your school… Another award? Congratulations! Very much deserved as far as I’m concerned… How am I? Oh you know, fine… My day? Nothing much, just missing you… You can’t fireball me through a phone dearest… No, actually I don’t think you should try, if anyone can it’s you..”

Sloane prods him hard and makes a ‘wind it up’ gesture.

“Ow… I mean… How is your afternoon looking?... Wonderful… Anyway, I should let you go. I know you’re busy… No no, honestly… I’ll see you later, I know you have so much on… Love you… Goodbye, Taako!”

“Gross.” Says Sloane loudly.

“Shut up, you love your girlfriend.” She doesn’t have a leg to stand on as far as Kravitz is concerned.

“Yeah, you’re not wrong… I was actually thinking of… Wait, now’s super not the time. Let’s try and fix… you know, all of this?” Sloane gestures to the whole of everything.

Kravitz nods.

The layer of toothpaste doesn’t have the same effect on the counter as it did on Taco.

“Nail polish remover?” Sloane asks.

“Yes, whatever you think.” Kravitz eyes the clock warily.

It doesn’t work either, although it does remove the toothpaste effectively.

“Vinegar explosion?” Sloane sounds more excited than he’d like her to about this option.

“Did Magnus say how much to use?”

“Nope!” She says, happily, shaking powder across the worktop.

“Maybe you should start with a test patch?”

“Uh huh.” Sloane looks him dead in the eyes as she pours vinegar over it all.

The fizzing is far more dramatic than it would be on a small scale, he’ll give her that. Especially when it turns red.

It’s unfortunate that it’s still going when they hear the door open.

“Home, I’m honey!” Taako shouts from the entrance hall.

“Hi Honey, I’m Kravitz.” Yells Kravitz, automatically.

Sloane stops watching the fizzening long enough to pretend to puke. Kravitz glares at her. He can be gross in his own home. Taako’s own home. He doesn’t live here. Obviously.

“Where are you, Kraveroo? … Oh, hey there hi hello, Taco, most precious baby angel, how’re you doing this fine d… KRAVITZ!”

“Fuck.” Say Kravitz and Sloane in tandem.

“I can’t believe he told, we gave him so many treats!” Sloane shakes her head.

“He hates me.” Says Kravitz, mournfully. “We should never have trusted him.”

“Kravitz? Where are you and why have you given the cat a shit haircut?” Taako’s voice is hovering somewhere between pissed off and amused and Kravitz would love to be able to tip it over into the latter category. He can’t deal with being in any more trouble right now.

He widens his eyes at Sloane, sadly she’s doing the same right back.

“I feel like we’ve gotta let it fizz? That’s what’s doing the cleaning, right?” Sloane hisses.

“Yes. That sounds logical, but how do I?” Kravitz holds his free hand up.

“You could poke your head out through the door?”

“What?”

“He can’t see your hands if you’re just a head at the kitchen door.”

“Of course, thanks Sloane.” Kravitz makes it all the way to the door before realising his error. “Er…”

Sloane sighs heavily and dashes over to crack the door open before retreating to the counter.

“Hello my love.” Kravitz shouts, head poking into the hall and foot firmly wedged to stop the door opening any further.

Taako careens round the corner. “Why’re you in the kitchen?” His eyes narrow dangerously.

“I’m just doing something. A surprise.”

Taako doesn’t look any less suspicious. “What’s that smell?”

“Surprise smell.” Kravitz smiles his most reassuring smile.

Apparently it’s less reassuring than he thinks because Taako disappears, and, if the “what the fuck?” From behind him is anything to go by, blinks into the kitchen.

“It’s not what it looks like!” Sloane’s hands are in the air and her head’s swivelling frantically, looking for escape.

“Cha’boy hasn’t a clue what it looks like… what the actual fuck is going on in here?”

“There may have been a slight incident.” Kravitz decides that there’s not many routes other than honesty left at this point.

“Slight?” Taako raises a single, reproachful eyebrow.

“It’s not all of the things. Just some of them.” Kravitz tries not to sound sulky, he does.

“Why’re you holding your scythe?”

“Uh…”

“Why’re you red?”

“Er…”

“Did you try to bake?”

“No.” Kravitz replies before he can remember his plan to the tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth. “I mean, yes. I did bake! The baking wasn’t the bit that went wrong. Look!” Kravitz points triumphantly at the cake.

Taako’s eyes soften for the barest moment. “It’s heart shaped.”

“It’s for you!”

“And the red stuff?”

“I had to ice it.”

“With?”

“Icing.”

“That you made from…?”

“I’m not actually entirely sure I remember.”

“Okay. Well first things first, Krav, Kraverino, beloved… you’re a skeleton. You, my guy, are made of bones. Meat you isn’t real.”

“Meat you isn’t real!” Sloane repeats. “I forgot.”

“Oh.” Kravitz unravels himself immediately and feels his scythe release into the ether, thank goodness. Not that he didn’t love it, but it’s a pain in the arse to lug around all the time, plus the drama of the reveal is always fun. “Thank you Taako.”

“Is this why you chopped Taco?”

“There was an incident.” Says Sloane. “But I toothpasted him out.”

“And he only bit me twice!” Kravitz adds.

“See, cha’boy said you he was coming round to you!” Taako sounds genuinely delighted. To be fair, it is an improvement.

“So that’s one down.” Sloane says. “Just… this to go.”

“Have you tried, you know, magic?”

“Er…” There’s a long pause. A very long pause.

“I rifted to Sloane.”

Taako pinches his fingers at the bridge of his nose. “So just to clarify, neither of you, including you, handsome man, literally made of magic. tried any kind of mending, purifying,…” he lowers his hand to glance at the mess again. “... banishing?”

“Well…” Sloane starts, as if there’s any way to get them out of this.

“We rang Magnus!” Says Kravitz quickly. He can’t leave it all to Sloane.

“Ah, well if you rang Magnus, notoriously magical Magnus! Of course he would have thought to suggest all of the best wizardly crafts, he’s always casting spells, punch, chop, harder punch, Magical Magnus, we all call him.”

“Can you get rid of it?I think the fizzing has stopped now.” Sloane points at the still definitely-more-red-than-it-should-be counter.

“Can Taako get rid of it? This lowly idiot wizard? I suppose I can maybe see my way to trying, but what good could cha’boy possibly do against something so fearsome as icing?” Taako waves his hands dramatically.

The red gets redder.

“Did… have you just made it stronger?” Sloane asks in disbelief.

“I meant to do that. It was just a warm up. Natch.” Taako’s voice doesn’t waver.

Kravitz tries very hard not to feel too smug.

“Abraca-fuck-off!”

A small chunk disappears, but the rest remains just as vibrant.

“Fuck. That was high level too. Uh. Cha’boy’s out of ideas, have you called your Bird Mom, Krav?”

“She’s not my Mu…”

Taako gives him a hard look. “Because, cha’boy’s just saying, these worktops, they’re good worktops, and it’d be a real shame if anything were to irreversibly stain them.”

“Taako, I can’t contact the god who oversees the natural order of life and death and ask her to take some time out to come fix… this.”

Taako raises an eyebrow.

Sloane gives him a look.

Kravitz snatches his phone back from her with his now blissfully un-gunked bone hands. “Fine, but I’m not communing, I’m texting.”

“She always rings you straight back anyway.” Taako says.

“Classic Mum behaviour.” Sloane adds.

Kravitz needs to spend less time with both of them, he refuses to be bullied like this.

His phone rings. “Hello M…y queen.” Kravitz glares at them both as they snicker. “We’re experiencing some issues with an, er, substance… No, not like that… No, we wouldn’t take anything that’s bad for us or the people around us… Thank you… Do you think there’s anything you can… yes. Yes, I know… I promise, this is the last time… I thought that maybe I’d be better… not just proximity… yes, okay, yes. Proximity… Thank you… I promise I won’t… I know I did, but this time I really mean it… Thank you very much… I love-you-too-bye.”

“What did your Mum say?” They chorus wearing their most pointed smiles.

“She’s going to have a look at it.” All of the fight has gone out of him. Kravitz has accepted his fate.

The counter shakes violently. Nothing happens.

It shakes again.

Nothing.

Kravitz’s phone rings.

He doesn’t want to answer. Less than anything does he want to answer, but he cannot ignore direct summons.

“Hello… yes… No… I can’t remember… I’m sorry… I don’t think… Okay. Yes. I’ll ask him…” Kravitz turns to Taako. “How attached are you to your kitchen?”

Taako narrows his eyes. “Very.”

“How would you feel if the counters had to be banished into a secure dimension?”

Taako’s mouth forms into a tight line.

“It may also not really be a question of whether you’re happy for it to happen or not because Raven checked with Istus and there’s a strand of fate which needs to be snipped right now…”

“So what you’re saying is that cha’boy’s losing a chunk of the kitchen he spent what feels like a century planning? That his best friend in the world hand crafted for him?” Taako presses his hand to his forehead and pretends to faint.

Kravitz opens his mouth and shuts it again. Guilt gnaws at him. He wants more than anything to fix this, but he doesn’t know how.

“Shall I tell Magnus you said he was your best friend?” Sloane asks.

“Take the counter.” Taako replies immediately.

“Taako, I’m so sorry.”

Taako smiles and waves his hand. “Honestly, Taako was bored of them.”

“But…”

“Magnus hasn’t really been challenged lately. I think he needs this. We’ll do it as a favour to him.”

“Are you…?”

“Honestly, Taako made the kitchen with himself in mind, but it’s not just cha’boy living here anymore, is it?” Taako waves his hand flippantly.

Kravitz pauses. “I… Taako.”

“Tell her to do it now.”

His tone leaves absolutely no room for disagreement, Kravitz gives the answer.

There’s a brief moment of nothing, enough time for Kravitz to chance a tentative look at Taako. He meets Kravitz’s eyes confidently, doesn’t even flinch as reality twists around them and there’s a gentle pop. Kravitz doesn’t need to check to know the counter is gone.

Taako smiles at him.

“I’m gonna head out. Kravitz could you…?” Sloane asks.

He cuts the rift without looking at her. “Thank you for helping.”

It seals behind her.

“I’m sorry.” Kravitz says again, because he is.

“You made me a cake.” Taako says again.

“Yes.” Kravitz replies, because he did. Regardless of everything else, he did.

“Because you wanted to fuck my kitchen up?”

“No! I, look, you made the me the pastries.”

“The date ones?”

“Yes. The ones from home. You spent weeks working at it and you didn’t even have a recipe, just me trying to explain a taste I can barely remember.”

“And cha’boy nailed it.” Taako grins smugly and Kravitz loves him in all his brash confidence.

“You did. You really did.”

“So you decided I needed cake too?”

“No one ever bakes for you.” Kravitz says quietly.

“Ango did that one time.”

“Yes, that’s true. But it’s been ages and they got set on fire, and no one else does. You deserve it. You deserve to be taken care of right back.”

“Hey, Krav. Quick question, just a teensy smidgey one. Who got the shoe organiser after cha’boy kept falling over them?”

Kravitz tilts his head, uncertain what this has to do with anything.

“Go on, don’t get shy on me, who did that?”

“Me.” Says Kravitz. He’d been sick of worrying that Taako was going to fall over and get lost in a shoe pile and need help when he wasn’t there to give it.

“And who actually puts the shoes on the shoe organiser when cha’boy forgets?”

“Me?” It’s not like he does it all the time, just now and again.

“And who got the cats those extra perches to go round the walls because I was worried they were bored?” Taako doesn’t wait for an answer. “Oh, yeah, that was you too.”

“But…”

“Bones, you care for Taako in so many different ways, so leave the baking to the professionals because so help me fantasy Jesus if you wreck any more of our house.”

“Our house?”

“Yeah. Now shut up and tell me what your perfect kitchen looks like so I can fix it.”

#Sloane and Kravitz are friends and I refuse to hear any different #Sloane #Kravitz #Taakitz #Taako #Background Magnus because nothing brings me more joy than one sided phone conversations with him #Can you guess which line made me laugh so hard I choked on my drink?#This went off piste and I had a great time #The adventure zone #TAZ #Taz balance #Tiny Taco is my favourite villain

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simon-foxx · 5 months ago

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I WATCHED GREYLOCK!!!

Just finished watching Greylock and I am shaking in my socks. Watched it on my cracked ass phone at the wee hours of the morning (I finished at 3 AM wtfff) and I genuinely started hallucinating shit out the corner of my eye. Got really immersed in everything really good series!! Imma need to look closer into everything because I definitely didn’t catch all the details. Gonna list some some of my thoughts about the series that I am still forming (Might contain some spoilers! Go watch it stinky :)

THOUGHTS

As I said before, I definitely didn’t catch everything and still am piecing together some parts in my 3 AM tired brain BUT from what I do think I know, that story is really interesting and intriguing. I love series that contain some anomaly from ages ago being uncovered and then haunting the masses. I still don’t really know about the technology stuff though I need to look deeper.

THE TENSION AND SUSPENSE IS DONE REALLY WELL!! My heart was on edge for most of the series and certain moments I find myself squinting to avoid something that might come (yes I did minimize at like 2-3 moments the scene with the “imaginary friend” had me on edge).

Kinda going along with the last point, THE VISUALS/JUMPSCARES WOOO. One of the series’ strongpoints! A part that really sticks out is the malformations of the workers because DANG those guys ain’t lookin too hot. Also the moment with Andrew (I think that’s what his name was?) in the closet. OH BOY DID THAT JUMPSCARE THE EVER HELL OUT OF ME. I HATED THAT SO MUCH BUT IN A WOW THAT SCARED ME KIND OF WAY. Also the monster at the end looked really cool and it getting closer in the tape was making me feel some ways man. I can’t end off without mentioning the crown jewel at the very end of the last episode BUT I don’t want to spoil anyone. Just know there’s something that awaits :)

I’m probably going to have horrific nightmares tonight but it’ll be so worth it

#greylock #the Greylock tapes #analog horror #horror #reaction #my thoughts

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accirax · 3 months ago

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I remembered that you did that fun prediction game when Disventure Camp: All-Stars was still coming out, and I was wondering if you had any thoughts about this new season so far? Whether that be what characters you like, who you think will win, anything really, I just think it’ll be interesting to hear your thoughts.

oh, you mean my power rankings? i'm glad you thought they were fun enough to remember them come season 4! i probably won't keep up the tradition this season (mostly just bc they took a while to write per week), but that doesn't mean i can't share a little of what i'm thinking now. especially since you asked so politely ;D

overall, i think the season looks really great so far! as has seemingly been the tradition with each season, the art has just gotten better and better, and the new crop of voice talents seem, well... talented! (i wonder if any of them will hop over to RR for future seasons, assuming there are more 👀) my sister and i both agreed that this season seems to be even more based off of modern Survivor, what with the twist at the episode's ending and the way in which they packaged everyone's beginning confessionals. as someone who's been a fan of Survivor for basically her entire life, i'm definitely looking forward to that aspect.

as for my favorite, it might have to be Anastasia so far. i love her judgments and her ambition, and the prospects of a relationship with Marissa have me intrigued. i also really liked Isabel-- "i dedicate my life to the Lord, but i dedicate my body to the algorithm" was absolutely the standout one-liner of the first episode, imo. i'm also sure that i'll be a fan of Spencer in the future provided he sticks around for long enough. i always enjoy arrogant-yet-bullyable nerds a la Miles Edgeworth or Byakuya Togami :)

as for my predictions, given that not THAT much gameplay has occurred, they're largely still the same as what i discussed in my pre-season analysis. however, i have a few updates, which i'll list here:

i've grown even more convinced that Alessio WILL be the first boot from the Blue Team, and likely the first boot of the season, given how Blue lost both of the initial quality of life challenges. if there was literally ANY challenge that Alessio could have proven his worth with, it would have been one that relied fully on visual memory, like the flag challenge. but alas, contributed nothing at all. now Alessio has no allies AND no worth in challenges. he's super dead, imo.

related, i don't think Lynda will be the first Blue boot anymore, but she could definitely still go early, given her beef with Anastasia (where Anastasia has more solid allies than she does).

meanwhile, i'm not as convinced that Amelie will be the first Red boot anymore. she seems to have the stronger positive relationship with Hannah that i initially pinned for Benji. i'm predicting that one of Amelie or Benji will be the first Red boot, but i'm much more uncertain on which one. i still think both of them may be premerge, though.

might be too early to call it, but i'm feeling a lot worse about Logan's odds in general now? idk, he just had a really quiet premiere. i had the thought that he could be eliminated early despite his athletic prowess to show someone else's strategic blindside capabilities (such as Anastasia or Lynda), and i can't get it out of my head. also, the fact that he's paired with Alessio in the intro is... not great. then again, Miriam managed to win despite being paired with Dan (who she barely had any relation to) in the intro, so who's to say?

i see the Jade vision more now. although she still hasn't exactly "shook up the game," the first episode definitely made a point to show that she's an intellectual. plus, she has an alliance with Spencer now. that Jade/Spencer/Diego trio is going to go SUPER far, i feel. Spencer winner train, let's goooooooooooo--

oh, and i was just straight up wrong about Tristan not having any natural allies. well, maybe they're not "natural" in the sense that i don't see them having too much inherently in common, but the Tristan/Ivy/Zaid alliance is totally a thing. i forgot that the three of them were posed together on the poster, and at the time i wrote that post the intro wasn't released yet. this alliance will probably carry them to midgame, at least-- although, it is a little threatening to go up against the Jade/Spencer/Diego trio on the same tribe.

hopefully that suffices! thanks for sending in the ask. it always makes me happy to hear that people think my thoughts are interesting :D

#disventure camp #disventure camp spoilers #dc4 #ask tag?????#also i was wrong about there not being a challenge in the first episode #but my point was “i don't think any of these three challenges will happen in e01 nor will anyone be eliminated” which was still correct #call it copium but i still think i was largely on the money

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stardusttshowers · 8 months ago

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been trying to watch the pokemon xy anime subbed, as ive been really into that specific iteration of pokemon as of late!!

i watched this show dubbed as a kid and loved it, and so I wanted to see it again subbed to see if there was anything i missed <3

my thoughts so far, under the cut due to it potentially getting long (no major spoilers except future character appearances because im only on episode 2 as i type this lol)

- i personally think this is one of the better pokemon anime adaptions!! i never watched too much of the anime growing up; besides the indigo league (original), xy (and a bit of xyz, idk if i saw that one all the way or not), and i vaguely remember like one episode of diamond and pearl (DP battles i think).

- ive always been more of a game-verse person, but the anime does have a special spot in my heart along with collecting the cards because they’re pretty because that’s what first introduced me to pokemon! i just like seeing how things get adapted!

- actual thoughts on the subbed version itself!! the japanese names of locales, people, etc. will definitely take some getting used to, especially with the pokemon I don’t recognize as well! but it’s super interesting to see the differences between the names I think <3

- meowth (nyarth in the subbed) has a very different voice than i expected, so his voice will take getting used to as well, it does capture that cat-like quality though i think!!

- i mainly wanted to pick up watching this because malva (pachira) is in it, but she doesn’t come until later (and idk if i saw her back then or not!) - but i did enjoy the main journey a lot and am excited to see the characters i cheered on back when i first watched it again! i always enjoy seeing team rocket too >:] so i think it’ll be worth it to watch all the episodes, hopefully i can stick with it!

- lack of an opening/ending song first two episodes makes me go 😔 but it seems like it returns in the next few episodes which is nice, it just makes the show more complete!

- there’s many things i forgot about when watching the first time all those years ago returning back to me on a second watch through which is super nice!!

#kat speaks

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britesparc · 4 months ago

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Weekend Top Ten #661

Top Ten MCU Movies 2024

To celebrate the finale of Agatha All Along on Halloween, I was always going to do something MCU-related this week. In fact, I was going to look at everything they’d made – every movie, special, show, or short – and rank them all in a decisive MCU Master List. But then I realised I haven’t actually just done a list of movies since 2018. Six years ago! Before the big Avengers double-whammy and the (temporary) most successful movie of all time! A lot has happened since then.

So, for the next two weeks, we’re going to take a trip down Marvel memory lane, as I revisit an older list and rank my current favourite MCU films; before making a new list that ranks my favourite MCU TV shows (which will include one-off specials like Werewolf By Night). And then at some point next year I’ll return once again – inevitably – to the topic to whack it all in a blender and do, as promised, a ranking of Marvel Everything.

So, with no further ado, a simple challenge: from 2008’s Iron Man up until 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, Marvel Studios have released 34 films. And here are my ten favourites. Er, eleven favourites. It’ll make sense soon.

Iron Man 3 (2013): MCU films tend to either be vast and epic or small and personal; this is definitely the latter. The best-written MCU movie, with a great cod-film-noir narration from Downey, it manages to be a meditation of trauma and Tony’s personal struggles, a mystery, a buddy cop film, and action movie, and a comedy. Great moments, great action, the best twist in the franchise, and created the best “who is that?” moment in Avengers: Endgame. I love it, and if you don’t, you’re a div.

Captain America: Civil War (2016): the Cap movies are the best, overall, that Marvel has produced. And this one is not only a personal Steve story, it’s also basically an Avengers movie too. The action is great, it’s well-written, it’s got thorny issues to deal with, all that jazz; but what I love most is how economical it is, how much character is conveyed though action, how it uses its iconic heroes to make big, swinging points. Contains my favourite scene in the entire MCU.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018) / Avengers: Endgame (2019): yes, I’m cheating, I’m sticking them both here. And, of course, these are the ultimate examples of Marvel as epic. But they’re the ultimate examples of Marvel as epic. To build a decade’s worth of films towards this point, draw in multiple characters and pay off arcs and tie up plot threads… to not only stick the landing, but also deliver just a drop-down incredible piece of action cinema… I mean, Jesus Christ. I still can’t believe they did it. Also has my second-favourite scene in the MCU.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011): yep, I love the Cap films. This is a really great, relatively simple origin story; it leans into the derring-do, almost Indiana Jones-style wartime antics. It does what it set out to do almost perfectly; but then – but then! – we add in all this phenomenal nuance and heartfelt, earnest characterisation. The flag scene! The “good man” scene! The bit about dancing! Steve Rogers is just a wholeheartedly great bloke, and this film is full of tear-dropping examples. I could watch it all day.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014): everyone else probably ranks this the highest of the three. Yeah, it’s excellent; its pseudo-seventies conspiracy thriller vibes are brill, making a big difference from Marvel’s usual action-y MO. The twisty plot and, well, huge plot twist is terrific; it gives great moments for many characters, and on top of all that delivers some of the best, crunchiest, street-level action in the MCU. Who else repeatedly watches the lift scene on YouTube?

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023): the Guardians films have always been really good but, for me, just outside the top ten (er, apart from in the very first MCU list I did). Vol 3 changed things, giving us an incredibly deep, rich, beautifully layered character study. By now we’ve fallen in love with these oddballs, their comic shenanigans making us warm to them immensely. Putting them through the ringer the way this film does really amplifies our feelings. And there are so many terrific character beats or set-pieces; and it has a great ending.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021): you could strongly argue that it’s the nostalgia talking (I almost teared up when Matt Murdock appeared) but the film also manages to be a feature-length articulation of the argument Peter espouses during Civil War; essentially, that if you can help, you have to help. The use of classic villains and heroes reinforces not only “our” Peter’s strength, but also the strength of all Spider-Men, and their relationship to loss and sacrifice. It’s great!

The Avengers (2012): in a way it feels like the film that started it all; did anyone predict it could go so big? Whedon – whatever his other faults – marshals his cast superbly, giving them all characterful moments and nice bits of action and comedy. It’s really funny, it has some tremendous action scenes, it has a really tragic character death, and it has “mewling quim”. They nailed it.

Thor: Ragnarok (2017): I had a big discussion with myself over this. Because I’m one of the three people who really loved Thor: Love and Thunder, and part of me was tempted to place it about Ragnarok. But I’ve only seen L&T once, so I’ve reverted to the mean and picked this: a barnstorming, bonkers comedy that leans into great, extravagant bits of comic lore. It’s silly in a way that makes sense, and probably hangs together better than its sequel, even if it doesn’t approach its emotional heights.

The Marvels (2023) : is it recency bias that puts this one so high? I’m not sure, but by cripes I adored it. A slimline, propulsive, good-natured and very funny action movie, with three characters just bouncing off each other in dramatic fashion. Has the best needle drop in the MCU. It feels a bit like it’s been chopped up in post, but generally speaking it’s a delight.

I’m sure there’s some minor controversy in here, especially if you’re one of the fools who hates Marvels and Iron Man 3. The first half of the list almost wrote itself, but really I could have swapped the last handful of films for anything in the next group of five – Black Panther, Ant-Man, Deadpool. What I’m saying is, Marvel have actually made a lot of good films.

#top ten #marvel #marvel movies #movies #mcu #film #disney

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whumpty-dumpty-doo · 3 months ago

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We Are TroubleD – “Try to Forget Him” (Pre-capture) - Part 1

Written as a part of @whumperofworlds' WoW's Birthday Whump Event! 2024

Day 12 (my chosen prompts are bolded) - Magic exhaustion / Collapsed / "So tired..." / Alternate prompt: Poison

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This is part one of a two-part short story! Part two is here.

Event page | My event participation masterpost | “We Are TroubleD” Masterpost | Previous | Next

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Content warnings: Alcohol, drinking, emotional whump, heartache from breakups, jealousy, pining after unrequited love, self-loathing, swearing