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celestialmancer · 6 months ago
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🌨️ // tbd ;
Low filters kind of, i think.
Been thinking about last night, about. Personal vulnerability stuff again that I… I guess I allowed myself some last night. Honestly though the only reason for that probably is because… idk, I’m not sure where i’m at mentally but something around my filters feels lower lately for some reason? That, as well as the fact that I felt myself starting to get emotional/choked up while talking about things w/ Kaletu, because I realized I guess that some of that still. Hurts to share every now & then. Not always, most the time I can talk about him fine & talk more in depth about the things between him & Ishtar fine, but other days it… I do feel myself hurting a bit when I share the in depths of their stuff, because of the fact that the… things between Kaletu & Ishtar both that happened are. Rooted in personal things I faced, I guess.
I always refer to Kaletu as an amalgamation of some of my trauma—with it… Especially being of my trauma with… M…
& Also with the ex I had at the time (NOT my ex fiance), in person/irl, who was for some fucking reason /just/ as heinous as M was? Or close to at least… M I guess still is worse seeing as he was full on planning to do things to me in person once he got me on the flight he planned for me (which, fortunately, never happened)…
Kaletu is… Rooted in my own personal pains I faced from them both, mixed into one person, I guess. Which makes sense, considering the fact that I was literally dealing with /both/ of them at the same time (M to a lesser extent as I only was in contact with him for about a year).
& It’s just. Being openly vulnerable about the extent of the things Kaletu did w/ Ishtar, always sorta digs into that vulnerability I suppose.
I always feel weird about said vulnerability though because… trust & vulnerability issues… But I guess we’re sort of. Making progress? On that?
Who knows. It’s always this sort of fear though whenever I talk about these things because… I know that those subjects in Ishtar’s story & in Kaletu’s dissertation I’ma get into are. Trigger heavy as hell. Some details of which I still omit/don’t mention because of that. & Even in spaces I do feel I can talk about this sorta thing it’s always… worrisome, because I’m always just “oh no is x person gonna judge me for writing these things/exploring these things” basically. But, least we’re sorta learning to push past that.
Sorta. Not fully there. But sorta.
& It’s def something I’ma talk about on main art/oc accts one day (well, I’ve talked about it on my oc ramblings acct, so I mean. ‘S all chill there. But that’s a small corner that barely anyone follows me on so this kinda vulnerability through my work shit ain’t so scary when its a tiny set of ppl lmfao). Ik I aim to bring this up on my accts though eventually, but we’ll get there slowly but surely. Tho def not beating around the bush that Ishtar is a sx.a survivor, so (obvs in areas I can’t bring it up I won’t cause that’s just outta respect but, my own accts? Yeah.)
But… just. Thinking a lot about this I guess.
…Also been thinking about… certain past relationship stuff. I guess, realizations & vulnerability around ex fiance & just… mulling over things that hurt from that but. Working through it.
Mostly just the idea of getting a tattoo, specifically over the area on my body where my ex fiance manipulated me into cutting his initials onto, on my skin. Been seeing that the area has healed a lot & the scar has p much… Faded (& at least it was small anyway), & been trying to think about tattoo concepts to paste over that to sorta symbolize breaking free from him & from that foul relationship for good. I’ve been conceptualizing some stuff to do maybe, though since its on one sideof the body i might to a symmetrical thing do it on the other side too? Will see. But I like the idea of adding some symbolism to it to attribute to sorta managing to come away from that & now be able to sorta slowly heal that past (along w just healing in general, so symbolism of healing) & continuing to thrive in some way after
Space themes for sure… will play around w stuff later, perhaps… but yeah
Its a thought that’s come to me, amidst memories that hit but also the. Reminder that that’s all over & I’m. No longer around him to keep hurting me now. So…
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azucanela · 4 years ago
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ack anon with the dress hcs here- tysvm for those!! my heart~ ok so another random idea i just needed to share but bakugou/deku/todoroki first frenchie kiss with their s.o. and neither of them have much experience 😖 lots of fluffy awkwardness y'know? idk. again go ahead and add on but don't stress yourself!
FRENCH KISSES WITH THEIR S/O [GN!HEADCANNONS]
[ft. bakugo katsuki, izuku midoriya, todoroki shouto]
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SUMMARY: someone decides to bring of french kissing and as expected; its chaotic.
WORD COUNT: french kissing? nothing explicit, very mildly suggestive
WARNINGS: kissing, maybe second hand embarrassment but i doubt it, awkward situations
A/N: my search history is “how to french kiss now” which is the main reason i held off on doing this one ajkshdkjah also this is my first time writing for our boy deku so uhhhh be kind to me, also anon you are now dress anon also i tried something new because i couldn’t bring myself to write full scenarios also i can’t write for midoriya i TRIED BUT I THINK HIS IS BAD
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BAKUGO KATSUKI
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HEADCANNONS + MINI SCENARIO
lol this is funny
THIS
this is peak comedy right here
hes gonna be so embarrassed but hes gonna try to act like hes completely unaffected by everything that is going on
i feel like he knows what french kissing is and has definitely thought about french kisses with you but he would never bring it up because it embarrassing for him
he might just randomly try it and place you in a complete state of shock, like y’all are just making out and— whoops would you look at that somehow you two are now french kissing! wonder how that happened... 
if you ask him he will flat out deny you the first time around because he is embarrassed, but keep trying!! after a few attempts he’s gonna claim to be annoyed but it’s actually because he wants to
“Hey Katuski, you know what we should do—”
Bakugou slams the textbook that laid on his lap shut, a sound reverberating through the library the two had gone two, which earned him a strict glare from the librarian seated at the front desk. His eyes narrowed as they look to Y/N, “if you say French kissing, I swear I will break up with you right now.”
Despite his harsh words, Y/N can see the pink blush that dusts his cheeks as they lean forward on their arm, tilting their head at him innocently as they reply, “actually, I was thinking we could go see a movie later.” Their words only worsen the blush on Bakugou’s cheeks, causing him to snap his head away in an attempt to salvage some of his reputation, “but that works too.” 
“Shut up you damn nerd.” The boy grumbles, brows furrowing as he leans back in his seat, looking away as he says, “if it’ll get you to stop asking then I guess we can try it.” Y/N is about to open their mouth to reply but Bakugou quickly adds, “only once though! Damn nerd...”
A grin finds its way onto Y/N’s face and they nod slowly, “great.”
“I hate you.”
honestly i feel like he would lowkey be bad at it the first time around and bakugou is the type of person where if he tries something and isn’t good at it immediately he either avoids this activity entirely or tirelessly works to improve his skill
luckily for you this happens to be a skill that bakugou wants to improve, alot because for some reason you wanted to try this and if he’s not good at it then whats the point
regardless the first time around is like a solid 6.75/10 sorry bakugou oops, you tried, but i feel like he’s already a really like aggressive and like harsh kisser so this is just gonna make things a mess
he can be soft sometimes tho i swear
i feel like he would get good at it after some ~practice~ but even then its a rare occurrence to french kiss with bakugou, its really intimate and he saves it for special occasions or when hes bored lol
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IZUKU MIDORIYA
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HEADCANNONS + MINI SCENARIO
THIS ONE
OH YOU ARE GOING TO KILL HIM WHY DID YOU HAVE TO GO AND DO THIS like apologize, apologize rn for the stress you are about to cause him
if you try to initiate a french kiss with izuku here, you NEED to tell him ahead of time or else things will go south very very fast. he’s going to panic because this is new and he does not understand what is happened oh my-
give him a heads up whenever you want to try something new, so when you pull this while kissing him he’s going to pull away like what a r e you d o i n g 
once you tell him he’s gonna be like let’s do this tomorrow, and then will spend the rest of the day RESEARCHING how to french kiss properly, like he’s on wikihow and everything this boy wants to treat you right and is going to make sure you enjoy it
which is when when y’all finally french kiss he is going to be good at it okay, he’ll learn every strategy possible and then he will be a PRO like you’re probably going to be shocked for a hot minute because wait when did he have the time to get good at this—
you’re definitely his first partner and he had no experience prior to you but he trained himself because going into any anything blind and without a plan places him in a state of distress
this was a PLANNED EVENT it was like a date except without all the date stuff just french kissing, like he texts you “hey lets try that thing you wanted to try...” all shy and stuff like he literally took five minutes to actually send the text, and you are trying to figure out what that thing is because deku do you mean like the coffee shop ?? what ??
you make him specify and he nearly dies but its fine its fine, when he finally gets his point across you’re like okay! cool!
overall its a pretty nice experience, i feel like he would be really gentle with you per usual but it was also probably really awkward like homeboy fr sat you down on the bed and just stared at you with bright red cheeks for like
a really hot minute
Y/N brow raised as they stared at Izuku, who’s eyes had pierced into their head since they’d sat down. Oddly enough, Y/N found his meticulous planning of this to just make the situation more awkward, it had done nothing to relieve the burning sensation in their cheeks. But Y/N had a feeling that only one of them could flustered about this or else everything would fall apart rather quickly. It had also been their idea in the first place so, there was that factor too.
“Are you alright, Izuku—”
“FINE. I—I’m fine, I mean.” He cleared his throat as he sat across from them, his cheeks a bright red color as Y/N tilted their head at his antics.
A small laugh escaped them, “If you don’t want to do this Izuku, we don’t have to.” He’d always been easily flustered, so Y/N couldn’t say his reaction came as a shock, but he’d agreed to it nonetheless just yesterday.
This seemed to bring the boy back to reality as he shook his head, “no... I want to.” He straightened in his seat, looking away from Y/N as he tried to collect himself.
A grin spread across Y/N’s face as they leaned closer to Izuku, “fantastic.” Their words only served to fluster Izuku further, though Y/N could feel their cheeks warming as well. 
“Right.”
french kissing will not be a regular occurrence, izuku feels embarrassed whenever it happens, he gets shy, all around a very rare thing for him that will only occur if you initiate it, but PLEASE let him know ahead of time, he needs to mentally prepare himself
he enjoys it though 
hehe
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TODOROKI SHOUTO
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HEADCANNONS + MINI SCENARIO
why am i laughing rn
okay but like shouto probably discovers it online entirely by accident or like hears kaminari talking about it and decides he should educate himself because hes fluent in french and knows alot about the culture of france because of all the tutors his father hired so why doesn’t he know what this elusive french kissing his? 
shouto is also fluent in kissing he honestly just really enjoys kissing you, he doesn’t know why but its probably because hes touch starved and just likes intimacy like that but he never really knew how much he liked physical touch until he actually experience it [in a positive way] and also you are SOFT :D
regardless shouto is the one who brings it up and honestly you are gonna be shocked because how did this clueless bb find out about that??? sir??? who is teaching you these things?
“You want to do what?” 
Y/N couldn’t help the shock that flooded them as they stared at their boyfriend, Shouto Todoroki, who sat with his legs crossed before them on the bed as he replied, “French kissing.” The boy in question repeated, tilting his head at them as he watched her reaction.
Y/N shook their head in an attempt to clear their thoughts as they looked back up at him, meeting his eyes, “who taught you about that?” In the past, Y/N had been forced to explain... certain subjects to Shouto because of things he’d overheard in conversations or seen online. Sometimes it was entirely innocent and other times, well it wasn’t. This time around, it seemed Shouto had took it upon himself to learn, rather than asking Y/N. 
“I don’t see how that’s relevant.” Come his response, brows furrowing at her question, “however, if its not something you’re interested in then—”
“I didn’t say that!” And Y/N couldn’t help how their cheeks warmed at how quickly they cut him off, hands coming to their face in embarrassment.
the internet and unintentionally kaminari, or maybe intentionally 
he doesn’t do any research in fact, he might not even bring it up, next time he sees you in a private space, he’s just gonna start kissing you and you’re probably gonna be like aight bet thats chill this is normal
UNTIL he just grabs your thigh and in the shock your mouth gapes open and SHOUTO STRIKES
honestly i feel like he would be ridiculously good at french kissing for no reason, i don’t know why, i have no explanation, he’s just good at it 
its a talent
of all the boys he is the least embarrassed he has no shame, its just natural curiosity right? whatever happens happens. it is literally so annoying how UNFAZED HE IS
probably really liked it because hes a touchy kinda guy, so this will become a more frequent thing when you two are in private, he just enjoys it 
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TAGLISTS[lmk if you wanna be added or removed via asks or replies]
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wiypt-writes · 4 years ago
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Murder, He Wrote
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Part 4 Co-Written with @southerngracela​
Summary: Ransom shows you a softer side, but when the table flips he leaves you with no doubt that he’s still just as dangerous as he has always been…
Warnings: Bad language words. MATURE (NSFW 18+) NON-CON situation, kidnap, violence. DO NOT READ IF ANY OF THOSE TRIGGER… READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!
Pairing: DARK! Ransom Drysdale x Reader
A/N:  So this is Part 4 to our submission for @jtargaryen18​ ‘s Haunted House 2020  Challenge. My writing partner @southerngracela​ is currently on an indefinite hiatus from Tumblr, and I’ve sadly no idea when she will be back. However, this chapter was pretty much finished before she took her break and the rest of the series is also planned out to finish, so as per her blessing before she took time out, I’m intending on finishing what we started.
READ THE WARNINGS!!!! This is a DARK Series… don’t @ us if you can’t follow simple instructions and end up with butt-hurt. And if you’re under 18…get off my blog.
Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and by writing it does NOT mean I agree with or condone the acts contained within. This fiction is classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar reader and any other OCs that may or may not be mentioned. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.
Murder, He Wrote Masterlist // Main Masterlist.
Part 3
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True to his word, Ransom had let you spend the day with him after Blanc's visit. It was a day interestingly enough your mind wandered back to, if not for the change in scenery, but for the change in his demeanour. A couple of weeks had since passed from then, but the memory was burned in your brain. And since, you'd spent far more than just a day above the confines of your room. Almost every morning since he’d ‘allowed’ you to make breakfast and most mornings, unless he was heading out to wherever he went, he then let you stay upstairs with him whilst he plugged away at the book he was writing. That in and of itself had come as a shock to you, to learn he was an aspiring author for sure, but you had simply nodded and encouraged him when he had told you. And you had quickly realised that when he was busy writing, you could get busy reading one of the many books or writing in your journal while sat in the large study and he left you pretty much alone.
Which is where you were currently sat now, curled up on the leather sofa as he sat at his desk, tapping away at his laptop, your journal open in your lap and a leather bound copy of ‘Great Expectations’ lay next to you, the page marked waiting for you to pick up from where you had left off the previous evening. As you thumbed the pages of your journal to find the next blank page, you had to smile at the little doodle of a Christmas tree that caught your eye in the top right hand corner of a page you’d written a few days back, the day you’d convinced Ransom that he should at least get one Christmas Tree. He’d obliged, had one; only the one, delivered and permitted you to decorate it how you’d wanted to and even managed a little smile when you stepped back and proudly showed the finished product to him. Then, of course, quid-pro-quo, he had had expected something in return which you’d given, because let’s face it, he’d have taken it anyway.
You’d seen a softer side to him that day, and not for the first time either. Granted, non-asshole Ransom wasn’t an everyday feature by any stretch of the imagination, but you’d seen it twice now. You paused, and then thumbed back a few pages to the day you were now remembering, the day you’d first been confronted with a very different Ransom to the one you were used to dealing with. One that came out of nowhere.
It was a wet day, an early winter storm passing through New England. You were sure it could have snowed but instead, it was just wet and cold. He'd come down with breakfast, instead of inviting you up. He'd brought you warm oatmeal with cream and cinnamon, a small bowl of blueberries on the side and a pinch dish of raisins, having forgotten how you took your oatmeal. A cup of coffee, steaming on the tray. He'd set up your breakfast on the table and sat across from you, not eating. He hadn't even brought coffee for himself. 
You'd assessed his mood as morose, distant even. You didn't press, but rather waited for him to out himself and his particular mood. You'd come to recognize when he was thinking and this morning, he was all thought and no presence. 
"I'll be gone most of the day," he finally came clean, just as you'd finished your oatmeal. 
"Okay," you replied. He hadn't ever really announced his plans to you before. He'd just come and go at all times as he'd liked, never leaving you home alone without the doors locked. This willingness to let you in on his plans for the day fielded a small red flag in your mind and if you were honest with yourself, you felt like this was a test. He said nothing else, just picked up your breakfast dishes and left. 
In the time he was gone, you'd managed to shower, nap, write and read. You were growing hungry for dinner, having had to skip lunch in his absence. Then you heard it, the tell-tale signs of his return. The clicks of doors and sounds of boots on the floor above you. The jingle of keys, and a few failed attempts at unlocking your door. A 'fuck' and a 'God damn it' before the door opened and there he stood. Soaked to the bone, dressed in all black from his coat to his toes. Was that ice on the tips of his hair? Was he drunk or just having a moment? Fingers frozen from the cold. 
'Jesus Christ, you're soaked.'  You said as you took him in. His lips looked a little discolored, his skin more alabaster than ivory. Throwing caution to the wind, you grabbed your throw from the chair as you passed it by. 'Get that coat off,' you pulled at its thick woolen collar. The heavy fabric peeled away from his broad shoulders and you let it fall to the floor. You heaved the throw over him and pulled it closed around his thick chest. 'You're not getting sick and leaving me here to rot.'
You moved to give him some space and guide himself further into the room, but ice cold fingers wrapped around your wrist and you stopped dead in your tracks. Your eyes moved upwards from where his hand swallowed you're wrist, along the wet fabric of his black sweater, water droplet covered neck, to eyes that were lost and distant, just as they were that morning, but much worse. 
You were nearly as frozen as his fingers were, not sure what to say or do. Worried about consequence. So you just stared back. 
'Thank you', it was barely audible as the words poured from his lips. 
'Of course.' You weren't sure what he was thankful for but you replied anyway. Cautiously, you continued, 'Will you come sit down? Do you want something warm to drink?' You wanted to ask where he'd been but that was a slippery slope. 
'Not here,' he replied. 
'Upstairs then, in the lounge,' you suggested. He nodded and turned on his heel, a glance over his shoulder to see if you were coming. You followed, pulling your cardigan around you tightly as the chill from the basement filtered through you, or was it coming away from him, you weren't sure. 
You'd thought the lounge was where you were headed but instead, he'd headed for the kitchen, taking a seat at the table there. When he didn't provide instruction or conversation, you inhaled deeply and thought of something to warm you both from the inside-out. You felt his eyes on you as you gathered the ingredients you needed, cocoa, chocolate chips, milk. The cinnamon sticks from the cupboard. You were careful not to make too much of a clatter as you pulled the sauce pan from under the counter. 
In minutes, fresh hot chocolate was in two steaming mugs with whipped cream and freshly grated cinnamon. You handed him a mug and then sat across from him, your mug between your fingers. You watched as he sipped from his mug, blowing a little on the liquid before his lips touched it. His eyes closed as if he was stuck in a memory, his expression softening. 
His eyes opened and he sighed, 'I can't remember the last time I had something like this. I was just a kid, my nana was still alive. It amazes me how they turned out from the two of them.'
'Money changes people,' you commented. You assumed 'they' meant his family, or at least more specifically, his mother and her two brothers, one of which had been gone for years. 
He scoffed, 'fuck my family.'
Throwing caution to the wind, you asked, 'is that where you were?' You couldn't have guessed, given he was usually extremely angry and frustrated when he'd spent time with anyone in the Thrombey-Drysdale family tree. 
He frowned and nodded. 
'What happened?' You couldn't resist.
'Harlan's memorial.'
'Oh' . You said unable to think of anything else to respond with, because really what else could you say. He’d attended a memorial for the grandfather that would still be alive had it not been for him. 
'Oh, indeed,' he mused, long fingers flexing around the mug. 'Surely, you’ve figured out I wasn’t particularly welcome.' 
You couldn't say more, he wasn't wrong. You bit the inside of your lip and swallowed hard. He needed comfort. But would you give it to him? Was he deserving of that? Hell no, but your heart ached for him a little. It couldn't have been easy. But maybe this was his punishment for avoiding the ultimate consequence.
'Go on, say it.'
'Say what?' 
'That I deserve it.' He looked at you, 'I know that’s what you’re thinking.' He leaned back, 'maybe you’re right.' 
Well, that threw you. 'I don't know what I'm thinking, to be honest.' You leaned forward, intending to slip the mug from his hands and take them in yours, but you caught yourself and stopped. That was a step that you weren’t quite ready for, or willing as might be more accurate, to take. 'But, I can tell you're hurting and despite what happened, how it happened, you deserve to say goodbye without the rage and selfishness that got you here.'
'Well,' he leaned back and took another sip from his mug, 'that’s certainly not what they thought. Meg assured me I'm still the stuck up prick without my trust fund.'
A small smirk played over your lips, barely noticeable, 'fuck your family.' 
'Careful, Sweetheart,' he smirked, but there was no threat in his words, not this time. He was genuinely amused.
You managed a slight shrug, 'If there’s one thing I learned from writing about you and your ridiculously entitled family tree, it's that each and every one of you is all about everyone for themselves.' You took a deep breath, waiting for the repercussions to fall. 'What happened, happened. Now, this is what you have, so own it.' 
You flinched a little as his hand reached to scrub at his clean shaven chin, finger tracing his bottom lip as he studied you for a second before he took a deep breath and reached back for his mug. 'I think you need to make this for me more often.' He stated simply, and just like that, the deep foray into his emotions and psyche was over, and the barriers were closed once more.  
'Sure.' You nodded. 'Whatever you want.' 
At that he gave a little scoff. 'Sure, whatever I want.' 
Silence filled the room again, your mind not sure what to make of that last comment, and his was clearly working overtime, you could tell by the way his eyes were still glazed as he simply stared down at the mug in his hand. The rest of the time you sat by the table was quiet, and you were surprised to find yourself a little disappointed. This was the first real meaningful conversation you’d had with him since arriving here. Sure you’d talked, but never once had you got any insight into what exactly made him tick. You’d learned more in the last ten minutes or so than you had in the entire six weeks you’d been his captive.
His captive. 
The words echoed in your mind and you swallowed as you remembered exactly what it was you were doing here. This wasn’t by choice, this man wasn’t your friend or your lover, he was your captor, keeping you for his own entertainment, which he was no doubt going to be seeking from you again tonight.
'I think I need a shower,' he leaned forward, disturbing your thoughts.
'Okay,' You replied. 'I'll, uh, well you know where to find me when you're ready for me. Anything in particular you'd like me to wear tonight?' 
'No, not tonight,' he answered with assurance, his voice carrying a low yet soft tone. 'You can go read or whatever it is you do when I'm gone.' You blinked, temporarily dumfounded and he looked at you, snorting a little. 'What? You want me to come and have my way with you?' 
'Is that a trick question?' You blurted out before you could stop yourself, before you swallowed and waited for the admonishing, but it never came. Instead he chuckled and shook his head.  
'Didn’t think so.' With that he rose from his chair, reaching for your empty mug as he passed. His fingers lightly brushed yours and you were jolted by the sudden sparks that flew up your arm and you took a little breath as he passed, depositing your mugs in the sink. Without another word he breezed from the kitchen for the first time, leaving you alone in the room.
It left you perplexed. Completely and utterly perplexed. He never left you alone, even the weeks on your cycle he’d found other ways for you to satisfy him, with your mouth or your hand for instance, but tonight…
Taking a deep breath, you headed back to your room. You didn’t even look at the main door to the house, there was no point. It was always locked and you knew what the consequences would be if you left. Besides, you wouldn’t get far. Not to mention you had no idea where you actually where and the thought of being outside alone in the dark, frankly scared you to death. No, you were better here. At least you knew it was warm, and familiar.
You headed down the stairs��and got ready for bed. You settled in with your book, and after a while your ears pricked up as you heard footsteps outside your room. You swallowed, clearly he had changed his mind. But, as you set your book aside, it wasn’t the sound of the door opening followed by his feet padding down the stairs that you heard, it was the lock clicking as he shut you in for the night.
The sound of the doorbell jerked you away from your memory. Ransom frowned and looked up from the screen of his laptop before his eyes caught yours and he gave a little smirk.
“Expecting someone?”
You rolled your eyes at his asshole joke and he chuckled to himself, grabbing his phone. As he saw who it was at the door his good humour slipped from his face and without another word he rose from his chair. He paused in the doorway and turned to you. “No funny business, remember…” 
 “Yes, I know.” You replied quietly. “You know where my family are.”
He hesitated, almost as if he was about to say something else, but he didn’t. Instead he turned and left the room to answer the door. 
The study wasn't far from the lounge merely the next room down, and the lounge was closest to the door so you tuned your focus to the voice speaking with Ransom. You recognized it and suddenly found yourself adjusting your tee and duster, making sure the cuffs on your jeans were even. You could hear the distress in his tone, the guest was unwanted and you hadn't realized you were now in the hall beside him. You noticed he took a step back towards you, as if he knew you were there. 
Linda Thrombey's eyes raked over you, in shock and disbelief. “What the hell is she doing here?” 
As she glared, you shifted uncomfortably, your hands pulling on the sleeves of the duster sweater you wore as you swallowed.
“She’s with me.” Ransom replied, his tone even.
“With you as in 'with you'?” Linda turned her eyes back to him, distaste evident on her face.
“Is that a problem, Mother, because you know where the door is.”
It was a problem, you could see it in her face as she once more looked at you, but instead of sniping back she simply took a deep breath and cleared her throat.
"No, I just wasn't aware you'd have company." Her eyes flicked back to Ransom who simply shrugged.
"Since when did you know anything about what I do on a daily basis, Mother?"
"Don't start, Ransom. I'm not in the mood and I didn't come here for a fight."
 "Then pray do tell, to what do I owe this pleasure?"
"Can you stop being such a sarcastic little shit for once in your life?" she snapped.
You stilled a little, your eyes flicking to Ransom and you were surprised to find that instead of the usual anger you expected, his face remained passive on the whole, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes, something that, well had it been anyone else you'd have sworn was concern. But Hugh Ransom Drysdale wasn't concerned about anyone but himself...
“What’s happened?” he asked, his voice still gruff but there was a softer note to his voice. Linda took a deep breath and she shook her head.
"I felt a call to tell you wasn't appropriate and this needed to be handled in person." She fixed him with a look. “It’s your Greatnanna Wanetta. She died last night, Ransom.”
You froze, hearing the news leave his mother's mouth and you suddenly felt sorry for him. Ransom, stood there stoic, his eyes fixated on his mother.
“Was it peaceful?” he eventually asked, his voice measured.
“In her sleep.” Linda replied, her tone soft.
Ransom stayed silent for a moment, his chest rising and falling slowly as he took deep breaths. His expression was unreadable as he simply looked at his Mother, before he raised his eyebrows inhaling slowly.
“Was there anything else?” He exhaled, and Linda simply shook her head at him, a huff of annoyed laughter escaping her.
“That’s all you have to say?” She asked, incredulously, as Ransom shrugged with a petulantly nonchalant air, and you saw Linda’s face redden as she exploded "Oh for God's sakes, Ransom, you really are such a selfish little bastard, aren't you?”
“What do you want me to say?” He asked, his tone measured. “You said it was peaceful and she didn’t suffer.”
“No, I said she went in her sleep.” Linda corrected him. “I imagine she did suffer, how could she not after everything that happened, huh? Hell, she probably died of a broken heart”.
At that you saw Ransom’ nostril’s flare as his eyes burned into Linda’s face, a flush of red rising up his neck.
"Get out," he deadpanned. When Linda made no attempt to move, Ransom stepped forward yanked open the front door of the house, gesturing with his arm. “I’m not gonna ask again. Go.”
"Ransom..." Linda tried to strong arm her way to stay.
"Are you deaf or just fucking stupid?" Ransom replied, his voice didn't even raise in volume but something about it made you shiver. He was positively frightening when he was in this frame of mind.
You watched as Linda gave him a final glare and stepped outside without so much as a glance back, the slam of the door behind her making you jump.
Ransom saw his mother out but didn't return to the study, in fact he ignored Y/N's presence in the hall entirely. Instead, he sulkingly moved towards the wet bar in the lounge. He didn't even bother with the glass, he picked up the first bottle he could wrap his fingers around and white knuckled the neck, spinning the cap off, it clinking to the floor. He downed a long pull, the amber liquid burning sinfully as it coated his throat, his eyes stinging but not from the booze. 
“Are you okay?” Y/N’s soft voice startled him as he hadn’t heard her enter the lounge. Taking a deep breath, he wiped his hand over his face, and turned to look at her, his jaw clenching.
“Did I say you could leave the study? Did I say you could join the conversation with Linda?” His voice was steely, flat, but he knew full well that she understood that to mean he was pissed and she visibly recoiled in the doorway, her eyes widening. When she didn’t answer immediately he slammed the bottle he was holding down on the bar top, and when he spoke again his voice was louder as he demanded an answer. “Did I?”
“No.” She answered with a quiver, “But I…”
“But I…” he mocked, sneering before he scoffed. “You know considering how smart you’re supposed to be, at times you’re really fucking stupid.”
Y/N blinked a little, and opened her mouth to talk but she fumbled over her words as she frantically began to apologise, which simply served to irritate him even more. With a frustrated growl he reached out and grabbed her chin, forcing her head up to look at his.
"You do as I say, when I say it. That rule has NEVER changed," his voice was filled with venom. “I didn’t ask for your sympathy. And I certainly don’t need your pity.”
“That’s not...” she whimpered slightly, and the grip he had on her face tightened causing her to cry out. “Hugh, please!”
And there it was, that fucking name.
You immediately realised your mistake as his face burned red and his lips curled up into an ugly sneer.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t…you were hurting me and…”
“You think I give a shit?” He spat, and the hand suddenly released your face only to wrap painfully in your hair. Without so much as another word he began pulling you from the room, ignoring your shouts of pain and protest as you wrapped both your hands around his wrists, desperately trying to get him to release you. But it was no good, the more you struggled, the tighter his grip became.
Before you knew what had happened he’d dragged you to the door that led to your room and down the stairs, your feet slipping slightly, causing you to stumble, harshly banging your knee on the bottom few steps where he finally released you, shoving you harshly. Your balance already gone, you stumbled and collided harshly with the side of the vanity table, the pain in your cheekbone causing you to yell out once more as the stars exploded in front of your eyes.
It took you a moment to shake off the daze, and when you finally did you looked up to see his retreating back heading up the stairs, slamming the door behind him. With a gasp you slumped down, your back against the wood of the dressing unit, your hand reaching up to your tender face. From somewhere upstairs in the house you heard another door slam, then a moment or so later there was a roar of an engine, which was followed by nothing but eerie silence.
Hugging your knees to your chest you let out a sob as the tears streaming as uncontrollably down your face.
***** All he could see was rage. Red, hot, firey rage. He slammed the basement door and didn't miss the bar cart on his way out, a full bottle of top shelf scotch in his hand, coat and keys in the other. He drove for miles, no destination in his conscious mind but a rather interesting one in his subconscious.
Headstones came into view until his SUV stopped at the end of the grassy knoll where the mausoleum stood surrounded by trees. He climbed out of the car, bottle clutched in his hand and shut the door behind him, simply leaning against the dark metal of his vehicle. For a long while, he didn't move, he simply stared at the entry, gulping large pulls of the scotch as he stared. His thoughts raced and raced, almost making him dizzy. It was that or the fast burn of the booze.
It felt like a flash of his life replaying in his mind. His great-nana, his grandparents, his parents, a life of entitlement growing up, parties, recreational drugs, booze, women, his fight with Harlan, his sudden plot to commit murder and then the crime, his arrest, and then the visions came to a halt with a mind bending pain and at the end of that pain was Y/N.
Her face, her scent, her voice. The way she felt beneath him, around him…those breathy, little moans, sighs. They’d connected recently, Ransom was sure of it, ever since he’d invited her upstairs and let her do something as mundane as cook. They talked more, engaged more, he no longer fucked her and left, instead he’d dress and hang around for a while, and he liked it. But then, today, after his Mother’s visit, those eyes which had mesmerised him from the moment he’d met her had once more reflected fear and confusion.
And Ransom didn’t like it.
Where that fear had, at one point, given him a buzz, now it simply served to remind him exactly how things had been when he had first taken her, and he didn’t like that one bit. He’d grown to crave the other things, like the way she would touch his arm or squeeze his hand. The way she smiled and spoke. The way she made him feel human, not some ghastly, beastly monster capable of killing someone. But he hurt her, more times than he wanted to admit. He hurt her and did things to her, he was vile and despicable. He WAS those things everyone said. 
He was a fucking monster.
He felt the upheaval of emotions begin to collapse around him and he fell to his knees. The sting started and he couldn't stop it. An outpouring of emotions, years, decades even of built up anger, resentment, unhappiness, disgust, fear, pain all erupted in a strangled cry as his chest heaved and his heart raced. Salty steaks of tears wet his cheeks.
And all Ransom Drysdale felt in that moment in time was utter defeat.
His Greatnanna, the only other member of his family who truly ever cared about him, that remained on his side or remotely understood him other than Harlan was now gone and the realization of loneliness hit him like a ton of bricks. His body shook, his chest ached, his mind grew numb and all he could do was cry.��
What the fuck had he become, WHO had he become? What did he do? Why did he do it? This was all his fault, Harlan didn't deserve to be cold in the ground. He did this, all of this. Again, but why?
He had absolutely no answer other than because he could. 
It grew cold, dark, and late. The scotch was gone, his eyes burned and he couldn't breathe through his nose. At this point he didn't care if he made it back in one piece. He was a piece of shit and deserved everything that came to him by way of a tragedy. He climbed into his SUV and tried to collect enough sobriety to drive towards home. Towards her.
******
You had no idea how long you sat on the floor, but by the time you finished crying and had mustered enough about you to move; you were cold, stiff and aching from sitting in the same position for so long. Your face hurt from the blow you’d taken against the dresser, your knee hurt from where you’d banged it but all that paled into insignificance to the pain that was going on inside your chest.
You didn’t understand why Ransom had flipped like he had. For a few weeks now, things had been okay between you, good even. He’d been reasonably amenable to most of your requests and dare you say it, almost happier in himself. But all this served to remind you what lay underneath that façade. A dangerous narcissist with the ability to swap his face and mood at the click of a finger.
Or, in this case, a visit from his mother.
You wiped at your face, hissing as your fingers brushed your tender cheekbone and with a slight whimper of pain you pushed yourself up off the floor and stumbled over to your bed where you lay down and curled up, hugging your pillow to your chest.
You must have dozed off, because the next thing you recall it was dark and you were still cold. Whilst the basement was equipped with heaters, you couldn’t shake the chill from your bones so you decided that your best option to warm up, and ease your aches and pains was a nice, hot bath. Stretching out slightly, you gave yourself a moment before you pushed yourself up, flicking on the lamp on the nightstand before you got up and headed into the bathroom, flicking on the light. 
You paused at the basin unit, glancing at your reflection and you swallowed at the sight of the bruise that was already forming around your right eye and cheek socket. Swallowing the emotion you felt at seeing your face marked once more in such a way, you turned your attention to the bath and the suddenly remembered that the other night Ransom had presented you with a bag from a Boutique you liked that sold home-made soaps and bath bombs, clearly having been in one of his good moods that day. You had yet to unpack it all and put it in the bathroom, so, deciding that you were going to use one tonight, you turned to head back and grab the bag, but as you emerged into the main part of your room, you were stopped short as a thick chest, covered in a ribbed white tee, a hint of a cardigan peeking out as broad shoulders kept warm by a camel coloured coat blocked your path.
You gasped and felt your belly drop out. Your body immediately began quaking in fear as he stood so close to you. You cowered away, taking a half step back but it wasn't enough to put space between you as his hand gently grabbed your upper arm and pulled you into his chest, a shriek emitting from your voice. 
"Don't," his voice cracked. "Don't scream, I'm not gonna..." his words trailed off and he just shook his head. 
He held you against him. You were sure he could feel you trembling as his large hands pressed against your back. You inhaled a deep, shaky breath through your nose and was met with his scent. He smelled so good, like an expensive aftershave with hints of amber and sandalwood, cedar and vanilla but there was an underlying, distinct aroma of alcohol, scotch you suspected, unless you were mistaken.  
You felt his face press into your hair as he took a large, shaky deep breath, as if he was inhaling your scent, which he exhaled before he pulled away, his hands cupping your face. He tilted your face slightly so he could examine your left cheek and you saw him swallow as he took in your bruising. Something stirred behind his eyes, a sad melancholy that you’d seen only once before crossed his arrogantly handsome features, and his head dropped slowly to yours. He held your jaw in his big hands, his lips on yours. You didn’t fight, fighting was futile, but as the kiss continued it soon became clear that this wasn’t like any of the times he had kissed you in the past. No, this one was soft, like a need to just feel you pressed against him. His plump lips pulling yours in and holding you there and you realised, from the lingering taste of something sweet yet ever so slightly tinged with sour, that your suspicions were correct.
Despite your earlier fear, you willed yourself to relax into the relative comfort. It was like he was back to how he had been before his mother had visited and whilst he was in that frame of mine, you knew you were safe, so keeping him there was in your best interests. Your fingers moved from your sides to his chest, the ribbed tee rough against your skin. You continued your movements as his mouth pulled you in just a little more until he traced his tongue over your bottom lip. Your fingers moved out to and up the lapels of his coat, the soft texture like a cottony suede under your fingertips, before settling on the back of his neck, his smooth skin and hairline a definitive juxtaposition to feel. He didn't balk or pull away as he had done previously when you’d tried to show him affection, and you continued to respond to his kiss, your touch seeming to be a comfort for him and in the back of your mind you wondered what had changed to make him act this way. He broke away and rubbed his nose along yours, almost as if he were touching a butterfly, soft and unsure. 
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." He continued to whisper, over and over. A soft, barely there kiss to your bruises and broken skin and more words, "Let me take care of you."
You were scared to admit that this felt good, the way he was being gentle, apologetic even. Pain radiated from his body once again, like it had just a few weeks ago, his eyes telling you everything he was feeling. The outpouring of emotions there were hard to ignore. You weren't sure if forgiveness was in your repertoire, but compartmentalization was. You looked back at him, and with a slow blink, almost hypnotized, you nod in reply to his request. 
Long fingers reached out and tucked a tendril of hair behind your ear, the other hand simply cradling your jaw. You swallowed hard as he bent down and placed his lips on your neck. Your body shivered at the feel of his mouth warm against your skin. His breath hot on your ear, “do you trust me?”
"I don't know," your voice was breathy as you replied. 
“Let me fix this," his voice wavered. It was a question, not a demand. He nipped at your skin and you shivered again from a combination of desire and disgust at the way this asshole could make you feel, how traitorous your damned body was. 
Ransom felt her breath hitch against his touch. She wasn't fighting him, she wasn't combative, she was...receptive. The thought nearly made him crow for, in that moment, he could feel her trust in him coming in, even if she couldn't verbalize it. He was debating on his lips devouring hers but he was... oh God, he was actually afraid of losing her in the moment. Of her closing herself off. No, he thought, it's best to wait. Ignoring the throw blanket on the floor and the mugs of cocoa on the table, Ransom held her face in her hands. "Do you trust me?" He asked again. She swallowed hard and blinked again, slowly. It was as fair if a reply as he'd get. He could see the war in her eyes, her mind battling with her feelings, her heart. "Stay here."
He left her standing there while he started the hot water. He could feel her eyes on him, watching his every move. He felt different, better even, from the moment he sought her attention when he'd come home. He started the tub faucet and as he brushed past her again, he shucked his coat, tossing it on her bed. He took a small bag he'd brought her earlier in the week and carried it with him. He emptied the contents of a small vile like bottle and watched a moment as bubbles began to firm in the hot but tolerable water. With the bath filling, he sighed to himself and turned to face her.
He peeled his own dusty blue cardigan over his shoulders and let it set over the basin unit. He pushed the sleeves of his white thermal up his forearms and held his hand out to her. She hesitated but slowly slipped her hand in his. He pulled her close and his hands gathered the lapels of her cardigan and peeled it away from her. Underneath her cardigan, Y/N sported a firm fitting white tee and jeans that looked well fitted for her hips and ass, toned legs, bare feet curling into the tiled floor. Ransom salivated as her nipples hardened through the material. He realized she had no bra on under her tee and his hand gently slipped under her rib cage, his thumb padding over her pert nipple. He lifted the thin white tee away from her body and tossed it to the floor. He was half hard just at the thought of her naked under her clothes and now he was solid. Discomfort growing by the second. 
A hooked knuckle traced down her sternum, between her breasts and along the center of her taught stomach. He watched as goose flesh covered her exposed skin. As his knuckle reached the waistline of her jeans, he took to his knees, pressing soft, open mouthed kisses to her belly, just above her flies. With just his fingers, he undid the button, unzipped the zipper and the peeled the material away from her legs, all the while deep blue eyes peered up at her. He wasn't disappointed to find she'd still worn panties under the rough material, in fact he was delighted. His eyes roved down to her black, lace panties and he reached out, fingers gently tracing long the detailed waistband. Those came down next and as she stepped out of the material, Ransom's hands traced patterns up her leg, faint kisses to her thigh, her hip, her belly. He stood and admired Y/N, completely bare, with less than a foot of space between them.
Ransom hummed, his right hand reaching out, pads of his fingers again trailing a path down the valley of her heaving breasts to her navel. He paused as her breathing hitched and with a smirk his hand dropped lower still, over the faint tuft of hair he insisted she kept groomed, his fingers slipping into her folds. She gave a soft gasp, eyes widening as he continued to tease her, her hands reaching to up to grasp at his biceps as he played with her. She was wet, so wet from just this little bit of play and with a sharp flick of his wrist, he pushed two fingers inside of her. 
He leaned forward, mouth brushing the shell of her ear, “Just say the words and I’ll make you feel so damned good, Sweetheart, like you’ve never felt before.” Ransom pulled away, removing his fingers from where they’d been, his hand curling on her hip, sticky with her essence. He backed her toward the tub's edge, his forehead pressed into hers. All motion stopped the second the back of her legs touched the tub. "Get in," he whispered. 
You sunk down into the water, the aromatic smell of calming lavender swallowing your senses. Bubbles covered your body, to the point they tickled your collar bone. You eyed him kneeling as he reached over you, grabbing the natural sea sponge loofah and dipping it into the water before he squeezed it over your skin, gently scrubbing. Your face once more met his and you carefully watched him as he exhibited a patience you had never seen from him before. Those blue orbs bore into you, but still he made no move to take you.
And it was unnerving.
But then, as you stared into those deep, icy blue pools something suddenly clicked in your mind. He wanted you to want him. That was what this was about. He’d spent his entire life with people who regarded him as unworthy of love or any kindness and he was seeking validation. Whilst you could see he was genuinely hurting, you also still knew this man was violent, angry, had taken you without your permission, taken what he wanted from you and when. You knew he would take what he wanted tonight too, regardless of what your answer was, the moment for you to back out had been and gone.
But something felt so good about his touch that you were shivering in anticipation of more rather than in fear and the feeling of enjoyment on your mind started to overpower the feeling of disgust in your belly as your core tightened with each breath you felt against your skin. You blinked, your head a whirl, as you were shamefully turned on despite the depraved nature of this entire situation. You broke from your thoughtful trance as a hand cupped your face, a thumb pad tilting you chin upward just a pinch to look at him,
"What?" You whispered. 
"Let me in?" He asked, his tone a bit contrite and hopeful. 
When she nodded in a slow reply, Ransom felt his stomach drop out from under him. Butterflies grew to take flight like an albatross deep in his gut. He dropped the sponge in the water and stood tall, towering over the tub. He reached behind his neck, between his shoulder blades and pulled the thermal over his head, his hair catching slightly on the fabric. He ran a hand through it to straighten it back up and tossed the garment to the floor. He watched as her eyes grew noticeably wide as they roamed over his taught, well-formed abs, his bare chest. He flexed a little, his muscles twitching as he focused on the buckle and flies of his pants. He'd kicked his boots off as he'd undone his belt, the clank an ignored sound as all he could do was watch her and she him. Ransom allowed the material to fall between them, his pants hitting his ankles and he was quick to slip out of his pants and socks. He palmed his hard cock through his boxer briefs as she watched him touch himself.
He could see the change in her, the look of desire and lust in her eyes. The way she was admiring him now, rather than cowering at him. She was appreciating what was before her. His pale skin, his sculpted body, his naked form. He’s seen her, stripped her bare. But normally he's pulled his dick out and just fucked her. This was uncharted territory, this was new. And he liked it. He liked the way she was looking at him, feeding his ego and willingly participating. This, yes, this was something fun for him. And oh yeah, she wanted this, he could see it all over her.
One foot, then the other, Ransom stepped into the tub and sat opposite of her, careful to avoid the faucet. The water felt inviting, the company even more so. Her one leg nestled between his legs while the other just to the outside of them. She slid her left foot up close to his thigh, bending her leg at the knee. At this new comfortable position, his fingers started drawing intricate circles along her shin and calf. He watched her inhale deeply and tilt her head towards her shoulder, observing him. 
As you watched him, carefully, you saw him swallow, the hollow of this throat constricting a little before he took a deep breath, his touch on your leg still feather light. You wanted to lose yourself, give into the desire that you were feeling whether it be wrong or right, at that point in time you were past caring. You were in this position, nothing was going to change that, so was it really wrong to want to feel something more than fear? It was like there was a game of chess being played between your mind and heart, your gut and will.
And then, Checkmate, the idea came to you. You had a chance here to keep Ransom satisfied but on your terms. You had the power. And as long as you kept it that way you could control his temper and his actions, and get what you now shamefully admitted to yourself that you wanted.  And the realisation that you had the winning move here was almost liberating.
Ransom shifted a little, the water sloshing around him as he sat up, his chest poking a little further out of the water as he studied your face, and you waited to see what he would do. His tongue poked the inside of his cheek, he was clearly going through a mental battle himself and eventually he licked his lips, his gaze dropping to your breasts which were just under the water line and he swallowed once more before his hand on your leg stilled and he squeezed your calf muscle gently before he moved, leaning forward, his large hand once more resting against your cheek as he drew you in for another deep, gentle kiss.
You leaned into him, letting his lips works softly against yours as your hand dropped under the water and grasped his solid cock, giving him a gentle stroke. The kiss stuttered immediately, and he let out a choked groan as his eyes flew open, locking onto yours.
“Sit back.” You encouraged, and he did just that, his back once more resting against the top as you followed him, your hand remaining soft but firm enough to keep drawing those noises of satisfaction from his throat. His head tipped back as he let you take control, his Adams apple bobbing, eyes closing as no words left his lips, no dirty talk, no hissed little demands about what depraved position he wanted you to adopt, nothing. You held the power, and that turned you on in a way it really shouldn’t.
He gave a strangled hiss as you gripped him tighter and then you shifted, letting go to allow yourself to move your right knee to his left side, following with your other, his eyes flying open, a look of surprise on his face as you lined yourself up and his hands reached up, surprisingly gentle as they rest against your hips. There wasn’t much room, but it was doable, and you sank down onto him, his eyes flying to your hips as you both gave a little whimper as he filled you completely.
His fingers flexed against your skin, blunt nails biting ever so slightly, as you remained still, your hands sliding up his chest, curling over his shoulders. He was tense, coiled like a spring, clearly fighting back the urge to slam up into you and you began to work at a little of that tension, fingers rubbing up and down his neck, the index on your right trailing that vein that was bulging along his throat. His eyes never left yours until you softly began to knead at the strained muscles along his shoulders and neck, massaging deeply as you worked at the knots, his hands still resting on your hips, contracting every so often as you found a particularly knotty spot.
Every so often, he would make the slightest of movements, simply because he was relaxed and you could feel your walls fluttering sporadically, just from being full and stretched to your fill. But, still he made no move to take over, until at one point you hit a particularly knotty area at the point his neck met his collar bone and he gave a little jolt which caused you to groan and he opened his eyes, searching almost for permission. When he found no objection, his hands gently started rocking you.
The pressure and friction on your clit was boiling. It was slow and burned in a way that was so delightful it was almost painful. And, before you could stop yourself you were rolling into him as he kept that same delectably slow rhythm, rocking you back and forth slowly, deeply, before one hand left your hips and grasped the back of your neck, pulling you down for a deep kiss.
Ransom pulled away from her, breathless, his forehead against hers. The words were barely heard, but he knew he said, "I want you..."
"You have me," she replied in a soft whisper. 
"Not here," he shook his head, their foreheads rubbing. He glided his nose against hers. 
He missed the way she felt around him the second she managed to stand and slip out of the tub. Ransom was quickly behind her, following, bubbles and water dripping to the floor from them both be damned. He followed her to the bed where she stood at its edge, her eyes inviting him. He took a seat, bare ass and thighs soaking the comforter, knees bent over the edge. His eyes roamed her body, taking her all in. His own deep appreciation for her firm an awakening in his soul.
Slowly, just like she had in the tub, one knee slipped passed a hip, the other following. His lips were on her breasts, inhaling the scent of the oils and bubbles clinging to her skin as his tongue traced a hardened nipple and then the other. As he did so, she sunk back down his shaft again, a guttural groan escaping them both. She was ready, the thick vein of his cock giving a seductive friction against her wall.
Ransom ran his hands up and down her back, long index finger tracing up and down her spine as hot open mouth, needy kisses covered as much skin as he could. His hands splayed over her shoulder blades as his hips met her grind, catching her as Y/N arched into his movements. Her head tipped back, sheer wanton pleasure radiated from her with a heat he could almost feel. His mouth moved to the spot he knew drove her wild on her neck under her ear and the little whimper she made was nothing short of delectable. 
As he began to lean back towards the mattress, he rolled her body against his, bringing her down with him. He planted his heels against the comforter and scooted them both to the center of the bed, still buried deep inside her. With a hand back to her hip, a gentle grip keeping his own pace with her rhythm, the other tangled in her messy hair as his tongue dove deep into her mouth, savoring each pass her own tongue made against his. He could feel her body flutter against him, sweet kisses her walls made against his solid cock. Her hands braced herself against his broad chest as she sat up, riding him with fluid, long rolls of her hips and he shivered, despite the searing fire between them. He was no longer fighting that desire to take control, he was more than happy to let her take the lead and respond accordingly, dare he say he was enjoying it. The slowness and sheer intimacy was something he never knew he’d craved until now and as she gave a particularly desperate roll of her hips he groaned, "Fuck yeah, Baby, just...like...that..."
A gasp and a shudder ran through you, your walls clenching down on him as a rush of power surged through your entire body. You rolled your hips deeper against him, the friction against your clit nearly too much. You brought your eyes down and looked down at his face, strong jaw, piercing eyes, his thick bottom lip sucked between his teeth. You had full control over him, beneath you he was as powerless as you had been made to feel. "Oh, God," you’re ready to sing a song of pure ecstasy as your body coils and tightens under your own volition. The signs of orgasm were just...right...there.
As you felt a deep thrust from his hips, hitting your sensitive and perfect spot within, your head lulled back and you felt his name roll off of your tongue, "Ransom...."
At the sound of his name spilling from her mouth Ransom gave a groan. It wasn’t Hugh, or Drysdale, it was Ransom. The one thing she had refused to say from day one and she had finally let herself go enough to give in to what he knew she wanted. His chest swelled, a warm feeling flooding from his toes right to his head and he surged up, his lips on hers, the kiss sloppy as with an easy movement he flipped them both so she was underneath him, all semblance of self-control now lost as her voice echoed round his mind, the soft, sultry way in which she’d cried his name repeating like a prayer. 
"Gimme one more, baby, just one more..." his hips were thrusting hard, but not painfully so."Say it again, please," his voice was laced with fire and emotion, a whimper or sob nearly on his lips.
"Ransom...." she replied coming again and his fingers gripped into her skin, holding her in place as his seed shot deep into her, filling her, his entire body shaking, no nearly convusling as he came.
Breathlessly, they laid there, his body gently caging her in, her fingers curling around his neck and into the nape of his hair.
“Thank you.” He whispered, and you blinked, not quite sure you’d heard him right.
“What for?” You asked, your breath still punctuated by your gasps as you came down from your high.”
“For trusting me.” His nose nudged yours and you looked into his eyes, “for forgiving me.”
“I’m not sure I have.” You replied honestly, and a frown furrowed his brown before he sighed and closed his eyes, his head hanging a little.
“That’s fair, I suppose.” He looked back at you before he moved, pulling out of you and immediately you missed his presence, the heat of his body gone as he rolled to his side. You waited for him to rise and dress as he usually did but he made no effort to move. Instead he lay still, looking up at the ceiling before he turned onto his side, his fingers gently trailing down your bruised cheek as it brushed the soft pillow when you turned to look at him.
“Can I stay?” He asked.
It was a pointless question. Because, let’s face it, you didn’t have a choice. If he didn’t want to go he wasn’t going to, and it wasn’t like you could leave. But, nevertheless, the fact he had bothered to ask you in the first place was another first. And you found yourself suddenly believing that if you did say no, he would leave.
Instead you nodded, and he gave you a small smile, not a sneer or a smirk, a genuine smile that lit up his handsome face as he leaned over and pressed his lips tenderly to yours.
Together you managed to get yourself under the duvet before you reached up for the lamp and clicked it off before settling on your side, facing away from him.
“My err, my cheek hurts.” You said quietly, offering him an explanation as to why you’d turned your back on him. He gave a small sigh and one of his arms snaked under your neck, the other curled round your bare body, resting just underneath your breasts. He gave your shoulder a gentle kiss, another unspoken apology before you felt him tug you back into him, your back pressing against the hard wall of his chest.
He was the first to fall asleep, his body spent as was yours but you laid there still feeling the electricity roll through your muscles, tiredness settling into your bones. You had given him what he wanted but kept your ground and done it on your terms. It's what he'd needed this entire time, to hear his name from your lips, to be wanted to be cared about, to be "loved". You internally scoffed. To be loved... you doubted he had any idea what that actually meant, to be loved unconditionally. But as you’d questioned the other day over hot chocolate, was that really his fault?
This situation was fucked up. What you were doing was fucked up, but, if giving him what he wanted and what he needed kept you in the driving seat, so to speak, you could work with it.
**** Part 5
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ladywinterwitch · 3 years ago
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Run Away (Ten - Strangers)
Pairing: Steve Rogers x Avenger! Reader
Summary: You and Steve complete each other. Your love is that strong and devoted kind of love that pushes people to things like marriage, making a family. You couldn't imagine that a baby would be something you really wished, until the possibility wasn't your choice anymore.
Warnings: pregnancy talk, fluff, A N G S T, I think that's it??
Words Count: 3739
A/n: Next chapter is longer and INTENSE
Series masterlist , main masterlist
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(GIF not mine)
Y/n and Steve ended up falling asleep, which was a bit embarassing especially on his part. In the end tho they woke up around two in the afternoon and were starving. You also thought about the fact that Helen must've already set in by now. After cleaning up a bit and getting redressed the two actually went to separate directions, Steve to the gym because he had a bunch of new recruits to train by three sharp, while Y/n was heading to the kitchen.
-FRIDAY, would you call up ms Simon for me?- she found Tony, Vision and Thor in the common room so she quickly greeted them.
-Hey guys, taking a break?- she smiled when Thor got up to greet her properly. He was such a physical and affectionate person. He reminded her of a golden retriever; huge, with long hair and a heart of gold. Your smile widened when he bent down to press his ear to her belly.
-Well yes darling, do you forget that aside from kicking some ass every now and then we're basically jobless?- Tony joked. Both he and Vision were looking at you two.
-How is your pregnancy going, Y/n?- Vision asked in his posh and polite manner. She tilted her head to the side. Thor still touching the smooth and round surface. She didn't mind at all.
-It's going smoothly, thank you. Tho if I have to be honest I can't wait to at least give birth. I love my belly but it's so complicated to live with. I also miss actually moving around and exiting the tower. I don't think I've ever been so still and babyed in my life.-
-If it was an easy job, God wouldn't have gave it to women.- they all turn around when you hear an unfamiliar voice, which they soon found out to be Helen's. Thor stands straight in all his tallness and gets in front of her protectively.
-Who are you?- he asks suspiciously. She put a hand on his arm to calm him down.
-It's okay, Thor. This is Helen Simon, she's my new midwife. The one me and Steve hired this morning.- her head turns quickly to Tony then back to Helen. Tony stands up, fixing the invisible fold in his tracksuit pants and smugly walks to the older woman.
-Stark. Tony Stark. I actually hired you, but I'll let the happy couple have the glory.- he joked and you shook your head amused. They shook hands and then Vision introduced himself as well. Thor just acknowleged her with a nod. It's not like the God of Thunder had to introduce himself.
-Okay guys, see you later. I'm starving so.- you decided to cut it, but obviously Tony had to sneak in a joke. Had to.
-I'm sure cap worn you out.- Thor, which didn't know what timing was, bless his heart, decided to burst out laughing. You rolled your eyes not looking back.
-Jealousy doesn't match with your shoes Anthony.- you clapped back, still hearing Thor laugh and Tony calling him out.
A few feet down the corridor there was the kitchen, and when Y/n finally tought that her and Helen could have a minute alone, they found Wanda intently reading a book while she mover her finger around to spin the teaspoon in a mug. She looked up when they entered the room. Her finger stopped working and so did the spoon, the faint magenta colored aura disappearing.
-Hello?- she said, tentatively. Y/n ignored her cold stare and walked to the fridge taking out the leftover chicken and some salad to mix.
-She's Helen, the midwife me and Steve talked about.- there was a subtle warning in Y/n's voice. She thought 'Be nice' in her mind, and when Wanda sighed she knew she read her mind.
-Nice to meet you. If you'll excuse m- - Wanda was about to get up from the stool but the old woman's voice stopped her.
-You aren't eating that chicken cold are you? How old is it?- she walked closer, grabbing the plastic box from her hands. Both her and Wanda were a little taken aback by her bluntness, and shared a look.
-Uh..Yeah? I was actually going to put it in the salad. And it's..I'm not sure, a couple of days old? Still perfectly fresh and untouched.- she answered trying to reassure her, but she wasn't having it at all.
-This isn't eating healthy. If you want a healthy baby you need to eat properly. I'll take care of your meals from now on. - she stated, putting the box aside. - The non pregnant teammates can risk getting sick with that chicken. - Wanda's gaze darkened and her eyes took a light shade of red.
-What's that supposed to mean, old lady? - Y/n saw her fingers starting to move around with the corner of her eye and put her own hand on hers.
-Helen didn't mean anything, Wanda. She just meant that I have to be extra careful in comparison to the rest of you, ok? Don't you have to be somewhere right now?- she asked in the most calm way. The last hting she needed was Wanda yeeting Helen out of the tower on the first day. Wanda closed and picked up her book and mug, walking towards the exit of the kitchen.
-I mean, I'd like to go to the terrace to chill, but I can't.- Y/n frowned while sitting on a stool. Meanwhile Helen had already started to inspect their whole frige.
-I can feel Bucky and his girl going at it so yeah, I did not plan to watch a live performance.- she choked on water and the old lady turned around with a rather disgusted face. Wanda just shrugged and left them. The girl turned towards the older woman with an awkward smile.
-Welcome I guess.- the short fake laugh was over as soon as Helen sat in front of her, her hands conjoined in front of her.
-This isn't good.- the girl shifted uncomfortably, then uncosciously starting to rub her belly as a sign of comfort.
-What isn't?- the lady sighed. -First off, there are way too many people here. This place is chaotic, the people aren't giving you the peace that you need. This isn't a baby-space. At all. I just looked into your frigde and there isn't a single thing ready or 100% healthy probably except vegetables. Y/n if you want to be a good mother and be healthy for your baby you need to change a few things.- her words at first irritated her, setting off her protectiveness towards the people she called family, but then as she went on, she made her feel little. Like a little girl who wasn't good enough. She sighed silently.
-What would you have me do then?- she asked. Helen shrugged, still mantaining her perfect posture.
-I'm not gonna suggest you to buy a new place, because where you'll live after the baby is born is your business, but..- she paused, -I can offer you to come live at my place for these last two months or so. I have a nice, peaceful place a little outside New York. I already had eight of my patients do this, it's not so absurd.- she explained like it was the most normal thing in the world. Y/n was listening, but she wasn't convinced. She decided that she had to think about it first. She had to know for sure that she was professional and competent.
-I don't know, Helen. I'll admit that it isn't the most tranquil place to live, but...these people are my family. They have always been by my side, pregnant or not. And what about Steve? The father of my firstborn?- she marked the last phrase, tilting her head to the side. A little habit she probably took from Wanda.
-Because they care about you. But in truth, tell me, aren't you feeling like a burden? Like you get into their business?- she mirrored the young woman's expression. Y/n didn't answer at first.
-You're really not going soft on this are you?- Helen released a dry laugh. Shook her head and paused before talking.
-Yes. I began working as a nurse unofficially when I was 13 years old, during the Prague Spring reforms in '68. The hospital was in short of nurses so.- she explained, -That time wasn't easy. Not that the one before it and after it wasn't, that is. You either grow a thick skin or you don't survive.- Y/n felt for her, as she had a very similar destiny. First she doesn't know how she ended up in an orphanage, and then when she was fifteen and nobody took her, they kicked her out. She was homeless for a year until SHIELD recruited her, and the rest is history.
The older woman got up and took some vegetables, washed them and then placed them down to slice them. Y/n got up as well and started helping. She eyed the fresh eggs, so she guessed that Helen wanted to make a quick frittata.
-How did you end up in America? As midwife, nonetheless.- she asked.
-Why most foreign people come to America? Certainly not the food.- The woman responded with a slight hint of irony. The girl chuckled.
-Touché.-
-In any case, I've been here more than half of my live, moved many states mainly for my own choice. Being a private midwife pays decently.- she paused to dump the sliced vegetables into a pan with a little oil and salt.
-I became one because I was fascinated by the whole process that the woman's body goes through both before, during and after birth. I assisted two of my older sisters, and in the end ended up doing it as a job.- Y/n nodded, listening.
-That's actually amazing. But if I can ask, you do not have kids yourself?-
-No. Didn't have the possibility at first. Then decided that just it was my profession but not my future. No regrets.- she answered even tho the girl could sense that something was off. She decided not to intrude.
Silence fell between them while they were cooking, and the younger woman took the popularity to think about what she said. The woman was practical, a bit harsh maybe. But she also had a lot of experience. She didn't like the thought of leaving her family, but she had to admit that she often felt like a burden lately. More than once someone stayed behind to look after her, and even tho they didn't seem to mind at all, she did. She wasn't used to being so pampered and looked after, and sometimes she almost felt suffocated. Guess that spending many years of your life having to take care of yourself takes a toll on you.
She didn't want to decide anything without talking it out with Steve first. And it wouldn't be permanent, just for the last couple months or so, until she had the baby. If she really thought about it maybe she needed some time to reconnect with herself, to learn how to take care of her baby in the best way possible. Even the stupidest thing like cold chicken could potentially make her sick, and it was such a small thing. But that doesn't change the fact that she didn't knew. She wasn't one of those moms who surrounded herself with books teaching her every do's and don'ts, but at this point insecurity was kicking in. The last thing she would ever want was to be a bad mother even before actually becoming one.
-
Between a baby shop and another, and a whole new diet including an embarrassing amount of tea, Y/n finished her eight month of pregnancy. She was feeling as tired and as big as ever. Helen actually helped a lot both with the cooking, the health tips and with the shopping. She actually sobbed when they bought the crib. Both because she was emotional, a bit because hormones and also because Steve was again away on a mission. The whole team was actually. They had new leads in the Hungarian case and another completely different mission in South Korea, a tough one. So it required the whole team split up. That was the fist time Y/n was left alone since she knew she were pregnant. It all went smoothly, the tower actually felt quiet for once.
Y/n and Helen had found a nice dynamic, and most of the time spent time in a comfortable silence, each doing their thing. A downside that she wasn't realizing was the distance that was slowly creeping from her to the team. They didn't really like the midwife that much, Wanda, Thor and Bucky especially didn't like her at all. But Y/n felt for her, she felt like she knew her better than them so she often took her side, which hurt them back.
Steve on the other hand wasn't realizing it almost at all. All he cared about was his wife being healthy and that she got along with the midwife. They didn't sleep together often anymore, due to the fact that he was often away and she was constantly tired. Bruce did warn her at the beggining that this 'enhanced' baby would've probably tired her out, and it did at first but then she was feeling very well. She and Helen both blamed it on the tiredness of the pregnancy as a whole.
The last straw was when some of the guys, specifically Sam, Thor and Peter, whom didn't live at the tower and was rarely involved in missions because of Tony, went to see them and in some way, nobody actually know how, they made a whole ass hole in the floor above the library. Fate wanted that Y/n and Helen were reading just a few feet away. If they were just a bit closer to the door, they would've been hit by the pavement pieces.
Helen gasped and jumped out of her seat, book still in her hand by the corner. The younger woman on the other hand was more mad than anything.
She rose from the armchair, struggling a bit and marched towards the now destroyed door. The damage wasn't so bad, but it was still damage and it could've been way worse. She was fuming.
-Y/n! Shit are you okay? - Sam yelled from above. The three guys looking down from the hole they created.
-I'm so sorry it wasn't me! It was Thor! - Peter joined in and caused the God to respond, and from that a whole lot of mess arose.
The people who weren't on a mission, which were Wanda, Bucky and Tony, came running.
Y/n didn't know where to look and all of a sudden started felling a bit suffocated. She brought a hand to her forehead, distubed by the chaos arouns her.
-Stop! Fucking stop it! - she yelled, groaning from frustration. Everyone stopped talking while the girl started to feel her eyes prickle with tears of frustration.
-Why is never, ever a single day if peace in here? There's always someone around, making a mess, making noise, complaining- - she almost stumbled on a piece of ceiling that had fallen, but Bucky and Tony were right behind her and helped her stabilize herself, but she shoved them off.
-Leave me be!- she exclaimed frustrated. She huffed, trying to take a deep breath. -I'm moving out.- a chorus of 'What' arose. Bucky stepped forward and grabbed her wrist gently.
-What are you talking about?- his eyes showed confusion and panic.
-And when would have you decided this stupid thing?- Tony crossed his arms and went straight up 'Tony Stark' on her. Y/n rolled her eyes, ignoring both questions and walked out of the now damaged library. Helen followed suit.
-At least wait for Steve to return!- Wanda said. Thor jumped down, through the new hole in the ceiling and followed her like the others.
-Y/n, we're sorry! Look, I'm gonna fix the ceiling myself okay? Please don't go- Y/n's ached to see them upset, but she was tired. Too tired. She was afraid that if she had stayed more than she could withstand, their relationships could've been ruined. That was the last thing she wanted. She didn't knew exactly what was that overwhelmed her so much. She felt constantly tired and in pain, all the noise, number of people..it had become just too much. She needed to finish this pregnancy alone, or at least in a more quiet place.
She stopped in her tracks and exhaled silently. Her eyes passed through everyone in the room. Even in that moment, they were decimated because of the mission, yet there were still eight people in the room. When normally it would've been around 15. That's too many people.
-It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault, specifically. I just.. I feel overwhelmed. There's too much going on here at the tower. And for me it's like seeing life go on without being able to do anything. I need some space, okay? It won't be forever. Hell, if everything goes well it's gonna be a month, at best. But I really, really need a break. I am going to pack and leave by afternoon, when Steve returns, just send him to the address that I'll leave for him. Okay? I love you guys, you're my family and I wouldn't be where I am today without you. Its just temporary.- she smiled softly, trying not to get emotional. Wanda was visibly upset, on the verge of crying. The others just looked sad, maybe disappointed. But nobody said anything, so she turned her heels and went straight to her room.
-
By five pm she and Helen were already gone. The older woman called them a cab, the driver took care of their stuff and then they were gone. Y/n was silent during most of the trip, both because of the extreme tiredness and sadness. She never changed home since she moved to the tower. She also thought about what she would tell Steve. She knew she couldn't contact him, so she didn't. They had left two days prior, so it was a bit early to know when he'll be coming home. But she knew a hundred percent that he would've gotten to her even before going home.
The two women were headed to the older one's house, which was in Avalon, New Jersey. Helen had told her about her beach house, quite far from the city. Y/n did actually fall asleep after the first hour or so, they had around three in total so she didn't worry about not waking up. By her surprise though, she did sleep throughout the whole trip, and yet, she was still tired. In those days her head gave her particular discomfort, so any noise at all really disturbed her.
Helen woke her up gently when they arrived, the she helped her get out of the car. Meanwhile the driver, which was a quite young man, probably around her age, which was 27, with curly black hair, stubble and dark green eyes, took their luggage off of the trunk.
-That's all. Have a nice stay.- he smiled slightly. Y/n frowned, what about the money?
-How much do we owe you?- she asked sweetly. He waved his hand dismissively, going back in the driver's seat.
-The lady already paid me, I'm ok. Bye.- he waved goodbye and drove off. Y/n and Helen dragged the luggage insider her villa, by which the girl definitely was taken aback.
-You didn't tell me that you live in a Villa?-
-Maybe, but I did tell you that being a private midwife pays well. I also need space if I want to take people living with me.- she explained. The first thing that you could see was the huge open space which showed a not exaggeratedly large living room with a window door on the right, on the left there was the kitchen and in the middle a staircase.
It wasn't very decorated, but the light palette of the whole place defines had a calming effect. Y/n was so used to the high rise and high technology of the Avengers tower that she had almost forgot how nice and intimate a normal house could be.
Helen showed y/n around a little, then ended up in the spare room, which had a large bed, a balcony and some essential forniture pieces such as a wardrobe, a vanity, a full length mirror, an armchair.
-This is really nice, Helen.- she smiled tiredly, caressing her big belly while she walked around. But as she was walking towards the balcony, she had a slight attack of vertigo, and her knees buckle for a second. The woman was at her side in a few seconds, helping her onto the bed. Y/n huffed, the back of her hand on her eyes.
-Why am I so shitty? I was pretty good until a few months ago.- she whined, and Helen shook her head while she stroked her arm.
-Every pregnancy is different, Y/n. You're just tired, from the car and that chaotic place.- the disdain in her voice didn't really pleased Y/n, but she didn't say anything. She didn't have the strength and besides, it's not like she was particularly liked at the tower anyway.
-I'll get you a tea, be right back.- Y/n chuckled.
-I drank more of your Hungarian tea than water in the last months.- Helen pulled a tight smile.
-Well, it is a traditional recipe for pregnant women. Not that you seem to mind it either.- the girl relaxed her eyes and discarded her sneakers to the ground.
-No, it has a peculiar taste but not bad.-
-Good.- and with that she left the girl alone. Helen went down the stairs, and turned on the stove to warm some water. She then opened a drawer, forcing the wood layer to come up by using her fingernails, pulling out an old fashioned phone.
She went to the contacts and dialed the only one there was. She waited a few minutes, when someone picked up.
-Igen?-
-Közeledünk. Készülj fel.- she said, hanging up.
************
Translation from Hungarian: ‘Yes?’ ‘We’re close. Get ready.’
Hiii, this is quite a short chapter but I wanted to end it with ✨ suspense ✨ the next one tho is gonna be way longer. Lastly, friendly reminder that my taglist and my ask inbox are open!
***********
Taglist : @polarcrystall @a--1--1--3  @jessyballet​
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mochiiwrites · 4 years ago
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🍁✨Autumn Troupe Headcanons!✨🍁
Hooray for more uncensored swearing! Sorry, this took so long! It’s hard to think of things for the Autumn Troupe since I don’t know them super well!
🍁🧡Banri Settsu🧡🍁
Whenever it's time for practice, Banri begins by smacking the back of Juza's head! (Not super hard, but enough for it to piss him off)
Diluc main, that is all. Before he got Diluc he was an Amber main, and somehow was good. Still uses her every once in a while!
Slightly intimidated by languages sometimes, I dunno how to explain it, so hopefully the dialogue does!
“Banri, come here for a second.”
“Hell no, I’m in the middle of a match right now.”
“Banri.”
“Sit your ass down and wait, Chikage! I’m busy!”
"Halika dito! Huwag kang humintay na papatayin kita at iwanan kitang dumugo sa lansangan! Inumin ng mga aso ang iyong dugo at kukunin ng mga uwak ang iyong laman. Gusto mo yan?!" ("Come here! Don't wait for me to kill you and leave you bleeding in the street! Dogs will drink your blood and crows will take your flesh. Do you want that ?!" ) I'm unsure of the translation, since the filipino was from Irumaaaaa_saaaaamaaaaa's comment on my Ao3! I just put it into google translate
“Damn! Fine, fine, I’m comin! Chill out!”
His older sister gave him a leopard plushie when he was a kid, which is why he’s fucking obsessed with animal prints!
Plays drums and almost broke the coffee table because he “jammed too hard” on it!
Constantly messing up Taichi’s hair, or he’s drumming to songs on his head.
*boom boom bap boom boom bap*
“Buddy, you're a boy, make a big noise, playing in the street, gonna be a big man someday! You got mud on your face, you big disgrace! Kicking your can all over the place, singin'-”
“We will, we will rock you!”
“Haha! Hell yeah!”
🍁💜Juza Hyodo💜🍁
Likes carrying Muku or Kumon on his shoulders! Sometimes they still parade around!
“Are you sure about this, Ju-chan?”
“Yeah, you’re real light, y’know.”
“What the hell are you doing, Hyodo? Practice is soon.”
Chews on things a lot when he’s nervous! He always has gum or a lollipop to avoid chewing on his shirt, his nails and other inedible things!
Uses shorter Mankai members as an armrest, but only the ones who are okay with it! He’s polite like that.
On nights where he just can’t sleep, he’ll go on walks or drive around on his motorcycle!
Terrible with eye contact and looking like he’s paying attention. Sakyo has to snap his fingers at him to make sure he’s listening!
Y’know the awkward sibling hug from Gravity Falls, he and Kumon have done that...a lot. It’s not actually awkward though, they just liked the show!
“Awkward sibling hug?”
“...Awkward sibling hug.”
*embrace*
“...pat, pat.”
....
“Hyodos, what the hell?”
🍁💖Taichi Nanao💖🍁
Cried twice when he got his piercings, the first time was because he was very, very afraid, the second time was because he was so happy that he looked good with them!
Has Heelys! One time, he tried to 'heely' into the rehearsal room, but he immediately fell over!
Plays the ukulele! He wanted to play guitar because he saw someone serenading their partner with it at school! He borrowed Masumi's guitar but bar chords suck and his hands are kinda small, so he settled for the uke!
"Aghhh! How do you play that! That hurts my fingies!"
"I have bigger hands and more experience."
"But you're only like an inch taller than me!"
"Height doesn’t really have anything to do with this."
Has a Tiktok! He doesn't post often, it's more for looking at memes or sick outfits. (He does the dances though! He's pretty good at them but they're all in his drafts since he's not super confident in them!)
Y’know how kids crawl up the stairs really fast. He does that. Constantly. Kazunari joins in, sometimes. It pisses Sakyo off a lot, but he gave up on trying to get them to stop.
"Taicchan, what are you doing?"
"Kazu-kun! I got the zoomies!"
"Nice! Can I join ya?"
"For sure!"
*Rapid thumping up the stairs*
"Aren't you gonna stop them, Sakyo?"
"...If I had that ability, they would've stopped a long time ago. Those idiots don't listen."
He LOVES Sk8 The Infinity! Langa's his favourite character! He's also probably a Reki kinnie!
🍁💙Omi Fushimi💙🍁
(It's blue like his regular shirt and Tumblr doesn't have any other colours ;-;)
Despite being tone-deaf, he hums a lot when he cooks! No one seems to mind it!
Enjoys scrapbooking! He kind of prefers scrapbooks to albums, since scrapbooks have a more homemade vibe, you know?
Gives the best hugs, and tends to hold hands with the younger members when they cross the street!
Regularly has this conversation!
“Banri, have you eaten?”
“I dunno Omi, have YOU eaten?”
“...I have. But that's not what I’m concerned about.”
“...I had a granola bar like, an hour ago.”
“...I’m making you something.”
When he first joined the company, he took notes on what everyone liked and didn't like to eat, plus if they had allergies! He still has it, he just doesn't need to use it anymore!
I feel like something like this has happened once!
“Ah, Omi! Can you help me grab something?”
“Oh, sure. What do you need, Sakuya?”
“Homare asked me to get some of that tea, but I can’t rea-”
*lifts Sakuya like Simba*
“Ah! Omi, haha! What are you doing?”
“Sorry, I couldn’t help it! Do you want me to stop?”
“Oh, no, it’s fine! It’s kinda fun actually.”
🍁💛Sakyo Furuichi💛🍁
Absolutely blind without his glasses, like it’s really bad. He walked into a doorframe without his glasses. Thankfully, no one noticed (he thinks).
He has a bit of bubble-wrap in his a pocket all the time and sometimes he uses it as a threat! (Hopefully that made sense...)
“Settsu, move over.”
“I literally can’t! Your fat ass is taking too much space!”
*pop*
“Just scoot your lazy ass over.”
*pop*
“I can’t I already-”
*pop*
“...Alright, I get it! I’ll shut up! Jeez, how is that so threatening...”
“...Asshole.”
*pop*
“...Sorry.”
Definitely told Azami that Santa wasn’t real when he was like 6.
Sakoda got him a mug that said #1 Dad but he crossed it out and replaced ‘Dad’ with ‘Aniki’! Sakyo still drinks out of it, sometimes!
Azami also made him a friendship bracelet when he was a lot younger. Sakyo doesn’t wear it (because it doesn’t fit him anymore) but he still has it! He likes rubbing the beads between his fingers.
Good at trivia! Like, really good. He somewhat enjoys Trivia Murder Party. (I just watched a play through and skipped to a random question, I have no idea if it’s actually hard lol.)
“Which body of water connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean?”
“Wh- How are we supposed to know that?!”
*Sakyo answers ‘The Strait of Gibraltar’ and is the only one who answers correctly*
“Fuck, my thumb slipped.”
“That shouldn’t be allowed. Sakyo’s shitty and old, he shouldn’t be able to know and remember things.”
“Oi, brat. I’m not that old. You’re not the one who got the answer right.”
“You’re not the one who literally never learned this!”
🍁❤️Azami Izumida❤️🍁
Has smacked too many cans/cups out of Itaru and Tsuzuru’s hands!
“Wh-”
“Drink actual water. And jeez, go take a nap or something. Your skin is even worse than I thought it could get. Aren’t you supposed to be the responsible one in the Spring Troupe?”
“Ah... I guess, you are right. Thanks for looking out for me.”
“W-well! W-we can’t have you on stage looking like a raisin! S-so!”
Often criticizes Izumi’s eyeliner and ends up just doing it for her. N-not that he minds or anything!
Played Love Nikki at some point, I do not take that much criticism.
Because I think the troupe/play themes are canon, he definitely helped with Shake the Shape and wrote some of RESPAWN!
Always has extra hair ties on him, even though most of the others don’t really need them. Most of the time, the hair ties end up being used for...other purposes.
“Ready.”
“What?”
“Aim.”
“Azami, I swear to whatever god is listening, if you fire that elasti-”
“Fire.”
“...You shitty brat-”
“Oh shi-”
Part of the ‘wears nail polish’ squad! He hates stickers. (Most of the time they somehow fall off) His go-to is an alternating pattern of black and red.
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fandomsonrequests · 4 years ago
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tv trope
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fandom: be more chill
characters: michael mell
reader: gn! 
word count: 1.5k+
summary:  To him, you were the walking definition of those television tropes of the denim-clad, badass person who practically oozes confidence. The people wanted to date or be with you when they got to know you. And he was whipped. Like so whipped, not even Jeremy’s pining over Christine matched up to it. And that alone is saying something. 
a/n: AHHHHH i love Michael mell (and george salazar cos why the hell not) so much ;^; he’s such a dork i just wanna hug him
Michael Mell always thought you were so cool— like The Matrix kind of cool. You weren’t really popular but you had a reputation around the school for being this tough kid who always stood up for themselves and didn’t take any shit being thrown at them. And, when circumstances permit it, you rode your freaking motorcycle to school. Not only that, you didn’t really flaunt anything off and spoke up when you needed to.
To him, you were the walking definition of those television tropes of the denim-clad, badass person who practically oozes confidence. The people wanted to date or be with you when they got to know you. 
And he was whipped. Like so whipped, not even Jeremy’s pining over Christine matched up to it. And that alone is saying something. 
But at the same time, he was scared. He wanted to talk to you so badly, to get to know you past the television trope he saw you as. He wanted to get to know you for you. And he probably would’ve done so already if all his insecurities and anxious thoughts wouldn’t come crashing down against him like a violent wave. 
For example, in Chemistry class. You were situated in the seat right in front of him and when Mrs. Clarke requested the students to pick a partner for the lab activity, Michael hesitated in reaching out towards you. His heart was all in for it but his head was telling him otherwise. 
What if they could smell the weed on you? What if they find your Pac-Man pin collection on your bag childish? What if they think you’re weird? What if they don’t like you? 
The poor boy would retract his hand and shrivel away as he watches you get whisked away by one of his other classmates. Now he understood what Jeremy felt before he got with Christine— talking to your crush was much easier said than done. 
And the cycle repeats daily. He works up the courage, getting some hype from his best bud, which slowly crumbles the second he comes within a five feet radius from you. He turns on his heel and runs away back to his locker, scolding himself for chickening out.
But fate was getting tired of this beating around the bush and decided to take matters in its own hands. 
Michael decided to go to the library to pick up some books he needed for school while he waited for Christine and Jeremy to finish up with drama. So imagine his surprise when he saw you in the corner of the library in the “reading nook”, a very familiar comic in your hands. His favorite video game had released a few issues of their new comic, a spin-off to the main plot in the game. Of course, he bought all of them— out of impulse— and was already halfway through the first half of the series. So when he spotted the bright cover of the comic amongst the warm, monotone colors of the library, he couldn’t help but be intrigued. 
Before he knew it, his feet were dragging him towards you. He took note of the faded Mötley Crüe shirt you wore along with a pair of acid-washed ripped jeans and your scuffed sneakers. A pair of earbuds were plugged into your ears, your head bopping along to whatever music you were listening to as you read your comic. 
He fiddles with the frayed sleeves of his red hoodie covered in those iron-on patches, thoughts of what he was going to say to you running through his head. He eventually ended up just backing out and settling with pining for you from afar but his movement had caught your attention, making you look up from your comic book.
Michael freezes up as his nerves took over him- eyes wide behind his dark-rimmed glasses. You quirk a curious brow, plucking out one of your earbuds before offering a small smile. “Hey Mell,” You greet cooly. “What’s up?”
You knew his name??? 
“Wh- wha- wait you know me??” The boy stammers as he nervously meets your gaze. 
You let out a soft chuckle and he couldn’t help but fall in love with the sound. “Yeah, you’re in a few of my classes. Of course I’d know you.” You uncross your legs and close your comic book to entertain him. 
“Oh, wow.. Uhm, it just seems l-like, uhm,” Michael continued, voice shaky while his hands grew clammy. “It, I mean you, you just s-seem like the type to not r-really know others.” 
You nod in understanding at his defense. “It’s the vibes I give off isn’t it?” You sigh and shake your head. You look up at him again and scoot over to the other side of the couch situated in the reading nook to offer him some space to sit on. “Well, I hope you believe me when I say that I’m not really scary.” 
He looks over to space you had made from him and back to you before going back to the space. It goes on for a couple of moments before he decides to sit down- but on the opposite side of the couch. You two say nothing for a while, just observing one another before you speak up again.
“Anyway, is there anything you need?” You tilt your head curiously, the small smile returning to your lips. 
“Ah, no not really,” Michael admitted and scratches the back of his head. “I just saw that you were reading Apocalypse of The Damned: The Laboratorium and I kinda just… gravitated towards you.”
Your smile morphs into a bright grin and the speckled boy decided right there and then, there was nothing brighter than that rare, million-dollar-smile of yours. “You know Apocalypse of The Damned?” You ask excitedly and clutch the comic book to your chest. 
“Like the back of my hand,” He replies as confidence starts to flood his system. “I practically bought the whole series.” 
Your hands fly to your mouth to muffle your excitement, shifting in your spot to look at him properly. “Have you finished it?”
“Halfway through it. But don’t worry, I’ll try not to give out any spoilers.” 
You let out some kind of excited squawk, red coating your cheeks at how stupid you sounded. This was definitely something Michael hadn’t expected. He expected you to be cold, aloof, maybe even a bit grouchy like Jade from Victorious but your personality was quite the opposite. And he couldn’t help but grow more enamored by that. 
“I wish I had friends that geeked out with me about these kinds of things,” You huff after your small laughing fit. “They always make fun of me for it.”
“What?? Are they crazy? They’re assholes for doing that to you.” 
“No, no. They aren’t really mean but they think it’s too dorky.”
“Well,” He motioned to you. “They’re clearly missing out on things.”
You couldn’t help but laugh at that, bashfully looking down at your hands while toying with the loose end of your earbuds. You nibble at the inside of your cheek before piping up again. “You’re pretty cool, Mell. We should hang out more often.”
Michael’s jaw almost drops at that. Not only did you invite him to hang out with you, but you had actually found him interesting. That you didn’t find him or any of his quirks weird. It was such an elating feeling, one that spurred his confidence even more.
“Does this weekend sound okay for you? We could go out, grab some sushi and maybe binge read the comics together at the old drive-in.” He offers, a bit sheepish, and you nod beaming from ear to ear. 
“Sounds great,” You fish out your phone and hand it over to him. “If you don’t mind, can I get your number? So we can coordinate this whole… I guess date later in the week.” 
Michael’s face turns a deep shade of red and you couldn’t help but giggle at that, your own cheeks flushing the same color. He was so damn adorable, you wondered why you hadn’t spoken to him sooner. He types in his number and hands you back your phone, smiling uncontrollably at what was happening. 
You glance down at the time on your device, seeing that you had to go home soon. “Well, I better head out. Keep in touch will you?”
“Y-yeah, roger that.” 
You stood up and gathered your things, turning back to him as you flashed him one last smile. “I’ll see you around, Mell.” 
He waved goodbye as you walked to the exit for the library, the lovestruck expression never leaving his face. He sighs dreamily, knowing full well that if his friends saw him now they’d tease him for being so whipped for you. He didn’t mind though because at least, he had something to look forward to this weekend.
Michael gave himself a mental pat on the shoulder for working up the courage to get to know the real you as he picked up the textbooks he needed. At least he knew now that you weren’t some tv trope but someone so much more. 
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lilymoonstars · 2 years ago
Text
How do I love Thee?
Chapter 2 - New Gal about Town
Note: This story will be centred around female parker and male Cas. This will also contain spoilers so please proceed with caution!
Suitable for teen audiences and up
With a gratifying thud you dropped the last box on the floor in the living room which was currently doing an incredibly good impression of a junkyard. A sea of boxes and pieces of furniture now filled every space, it was a hoarder’s paradise. It didn’t seem possible for two people to have so many possessions, much less that it had fit in the old apartment.
“Mum?” you called walking back through the house, taking care not to bump anything. No answer. She wasn’t in the kitchen anymore either. Nothing had been unpacked but an open box of baby photos and a trail of Styrofoam peanuts scattered up the stairs were useful clues. Sure enough when you got to her room, she was sat on the floor encircled by photos.
“Really? I turn my back for one second and you’re trying to commune with the seventh circle of hell?”
Her sniffling grew louder as she handed over a photo. “I j-just can’t b-believe it. How can m-my b-baby be starting her s-senior year? Your bum u-used to fit in the p-palm of my hand a-as I r-rocked you to s-sleep. N-now your bum doesn’t fit in my palm anymore and you’re all grown up and soon you won’t need me anymore!” She broke off suddenly dissolving into wails.
The photo was of you at 6 months old, wrapped up warm against the Boston winter chill. Try as she might to get your attention, she failed miserably but had the biggest smile on her face as she pointed at the camera. Her eyes shining with pure love and happiness. Both of you together like always.
“Mum, this is exactly why I gave you kitchen duty,” you sighed.
She looked up from the floor with her best puppy dog eyes on full display. Damnit.
“Come on. We both need some fresh air and it’s about time we went exploring too. Plus, I seem to remember someone promising me a shopping spree!”
“I guess I did,” she laughed. “Phew, moment over! Let’s go get my baby some new threads!”
Your insides curdled in embarrassment. “For both of our sakes, please never say that again.”
***
Arms laden with bags filled to the brim with school supplies, you headed to the small boutique next to the library. Crimson Beech was much larger than it had appeared the other night, the past two hours had been spent exploring the main promenade of town. A small bell tinkled overhead as the door opened. The shop was small but had modern furnishings. Sunlight poured through the glass storefront illuminating the pure white décor inside. Clothes filled the shelves inside, offering a lot more choice than you expected. Squeezing past two girls in the centre aisle, you headed to a pair of faded blue ripped jeans.
“They would go great with these!” A girl said enthusiastically at your side. In one hand she held a deep red crop top that crossed over at the bottom. In the other was a quilted black leather jacket embossed with gold studs. “The red will compliment your hair beautifully,” she promised, “trust me, I know what I’m talking about.”
It was a little more daring than your usual choices. The over-sized white jumper and faded jeans you had on paling in comparison. However, the whole point of this move was for a change and maybe this was a good first step. It definitely screamed ass-kicking confidence.
“I’m Phoebe by the way,” she introduced herself.
“I’m Parker, I’m new around here,” you offered with a small, awkward wave.
“Trust me sweetie, we don’t get new blood round here often. Everyone in town knows who you are.”
Heat flooded your cheeks at her words. Any hopes of you had of blending in unnoticed disappeared.
“Parker! What do you think about this?” Your mum asked holding a purple dress and long, knitted cream cardigan. It looked very cosy, perfect for the autumnal weather outside. Taking it from her, you headed towards the changing rooms. A few minutes later you walked back over to your mum with a twirl.
“What do you think?”
“You look stunning Parker! Very pretty and smart. Go get changed and we’ll pick up some food.”
“Wait! I have one more outfit I want to show you!”
Locking the door, you were pulling on the outfit Phoebe had helped put together when there was a knock at the door.
“Just a second!”
“Parker, I’m sorry. I just had a call from my boss, he wants me to come in for a de-brief on one of my cases.” A credit card slid beneath the door. “Take my card, my treat. Love you!” She shouted, her footsteps receding down the corridor.
Pocketing her card, you went to the larger mirror at the end of the changing rooms, hoping Phoebe would be around for a second opinion. Pulling self consciously at the bottom of the top you worried if it was a little too much. Your red curls cascaded past your shoulders as you freed them from under the jacket collar. It was a little wild but taming it was a losing battle. Phoebe had been right though; it did go well together.
A low whistle sounded from further in the store as you made eye contact with the boy in the mirror. A wolfish grin covered his face as he stalked towards you. He was completely unashamed as his eyes roved over you from head to toe. “Much better, this one is my favourite.”
Your face burned. How long had he been there?
“Not too long,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.
That had been out loud!? If there was ever a time for the ground to open and swallow someone whole, this was it. He looked at you like a predator with their prey as he took his lower lip into his mouth. He prowled ever closer, his black combat boots thudding against the wooden floor. He dressed in black head to toe save for the white shirt that stretched across his chest under a black leather jacket. The only colour on this was his silver-lilac hair, pairing well with the silver piercings in his left eyebrow and ear.
“If you stare any longer, I’ll have to charge you. My eyes are up here New Girl,” he drawled. His voice filled with smug satisfaction.
Over his shoulder, you spotted the two girls from earlier whispering and giggling behind their hands and anger sparked inside you. “So are mine but that didn’t stop you.”
His grin stretched even wider. “So, she does speak,” he murmured inching closer to your face, “I was worried that I’d stunned you so thoroughly with my beauty that you’d never recover.”
“No, you almost suffocated me with your overwhelming ego, but I think I’ll make a full recovery.”
A bark of laughter burst from him, ringing through the store. “Oh, New Girl, I like you. Something tells me we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.
“Cassius, turn your you-ness down a few notches,” Phoebe warned.
His face soured. “I’ve told you not to call me that.” He spit at Phoebe before focusing back on you. “Get the outfit New Girl,” he said, twirling one of your curls around his finger, “It suits you.”
A little dazed, you didn’t notice him leave.
“Don’t mind Cas, he just likes messing with people. In a few weeks he’ll move onto someone else.”
Blankly nodding at her, you bought your outfits and headed to the hospital. The whole way trying to convince yourself you’d be happy if he did.
***
Like everything else in this town Crimson Beech hospital seemed much bigger than a town this size needed, the outside showed that it spread over several floors. Glass doors opened with an exhale leading to a skylit covered atrium. The smell of bleach hung heavy in the air as porters bustled patients back and forth, trolley wheels squeaking across the linoleum. A large, stone staircase led to the open balconies above. To its left was a reception area with plush leather seating, making up a generous waiting area. The staff looked rushed of their feet. There was already someone in the waiting area and you sank into one of the leather seats opposite.
“Umm excuse me, can you help me? I’m a little lost.” A friendly smile lit up his face, so unlike Cas’s earlier.
“Sure, where abouts do you need to be?”
“I’m not sure to be honest! My mum’s the new medical examiner, I’m trying to find her office.”
“You must be Parker! I’m Gabe, nice to meet you!”
Blinking in surprise you weren’t sure if it would ever stop feeling unsettling that everyone knew who you were. After his initial excitement, he must have registered your look of surprise.
“.. That was a weird thing to say when we haven’t met wasn’t it? Let me start again, I’m Gabe. I volunteer for Dr Lewyn on the children’s ward. He’s your mum’s new boss. He said that you’d both be arriving soon.”
There was something endearing in his awkwardness. He exuded a warmth that immediately put you at ease.
“The medical examiners’ office is om the 3rd floor, I’ll take you there.” He said leading you to the elevators. “What do you think to Crimson Beech so far?”
“It’s taking some time to adjust; I’m not used to strangers knowing who I am. The town seems very charming though it’s like something out of a fairy-tale.
“Just wait until you hear some of the stories of the towns founding. Legend has it that Crimson Beech was discovered by vampire hunters. Honestly!” He insisted at the look of disbelief on your face.
The elevator doors slid open into another lobby as Gabe led you down another corridor. “How about you? Have you always lived here?”
“Born and bred. My ancestors go all the way back to when the town was founded.” He stopped outside a door half-way down the corridor. “This is your mum’s office.”
“Thanks Gabe.”
“Wait,” he called, causing you to turn back around. “You’ll need someone to show you around on your first day. If I get your number, maybe we can arrange to meet?”
Giving a mock gasp, you placed a hand to your chest, “Gabriel! Was this all a ploy to get my number?!”
His mouth open and closed comically for a second until he finished lamely, “I’m senior class president, it’s my job.”
Taking pity on him, you called yourself from his phone before handing it back over. “I’m expecting one hell of a tour,” you teased before disappearing inside.
“Speak of the devil, here she is! Lewyn this is my daughter Parker,” she introduced as you shook his hand. He looked to be about your mum’s age but there was something about his piercing blue eyes that seemed ancient. A coldness that eclipsed Gabe’s earlier warmth.
“I’ll leave you to it Terri, I’ve already taken up too much of your time already. Thank you again for coming on such short notice. These animal attacks are becoming concerningly frequent and with losing our last examiner so unexpectedly, we were really in need of some help. Nice to meet you, Parker.” With a slight nod he turned and left the office.
“So? What do you think?!” She squealed, spinning in her chair, “I can’t believe it’s all mine!”
“I’m really proud of you mum.” you told her honestly.
“And you heard what Lewyn said! There’s been a series of mysterious attacks that need investigating!”
“That’s funny, I heard animal attacks.” A warning tone colouring your voice as she waved your concerns away. “Mum, no. Don’t start this again. This is what happened last time and why we’re here now.”
“I know, I know, I’m sorry!” She said as she enveloped you in a hug. “I’m just excited to be working cases again. I promise it won’t be like last time, ok? Now let’s go get some take out and watch a rubbish movie, yeah?”
As she gathered her things and ushered you to the door, you really wanted to believe her and if it hasn’t been for the case files that peeked over the top of her bag as she locked the door, you may have.
Note: Thank you all so much for your likes and comments on the stories so far! It's lovely to hear that you're enjoying the story so far!
As always, you can also follow the story on my Ao3 account: How do I Love Thee? - Chapter 1 - MemphisBelle - Choices: Immortal Desires (Visual Novel) [Archive of Our Own]
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tardistimes · 4 years ago
Text
Perplexing Presents
Summary: There was a box underneath the wrapping and you pulled the lid off. Nestled inside was a pendant made of polish stone, looped around a fine gold chain. Dangling it from the end of your finger, you admired the way it caught the light, setting off shades of blue which painted your skin. “This is beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it. Where did you get it?” The Master wasn’t ready to disclose that type of information yet, so O carefully answered, “Covent Garden.”
For @imthedoctorlove's birthday. Sorry it's a bit belated!
Series: The Master's Maniacal Misadventures Part 5
Word Count: 6365
AO3 link here.
“What’s this?” You asked curiously, looking at the box before you – wrapped in violet paper and tied with lilac coloured ribbon.
“A present.” O stated sardonically. “You open it.”
Rolling your eyes, you assured him you were familiar with the concept. “But it’s not my birthday or anything. So what’s the occasion?”
“Just saw it and thought of you.” He shrugged.
Intrigue building, you tugged at the ribbon and prised apart the paper. You were slightly bewildered O had got you anything, it was only over the last month you had started to consider him a friend. Until C had partnered you on a job, you’d only seen each other at briefings or around the department. He seemed like most analysts. Cautious, intelligent and prone to bouts of smugness. There was something more to O, however. What, you weren’t sure yet, however you couldn’t deny how pleased you were with the current arrangement. He made for an interesting partner.
His gift left you hopeful that your interest was reciprocated.
You were careful not to rip the wrapping, finding the colour too beautiful to tear.
O tutted at you impatiently. “Open it!”
“I’m saving the paper.” You retorted, going even slower just for badness.
There was a box underneath the wrapping and you pulled the lid off. Nestled inside was a pendant made of polish stone, looped around a fine gold chain. Dangling it from the end of your finger, you admired the way it caught the light, setting off shades of blue which painted your skin.
“This is beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it. Where did you get it?”
The Master wasn’t ready to disclose that type of information yet, so O carefully answered, “Covent Garden.”
Grinning up at him, you offered it over. Frowning, he accepted the piece – thinking you were rejecting it – until you turned on your toes and pulled your hair up.
Stepping close, O looped the chain around your neck and secured the clasp, his fingers brushing gently against you. The pendant settled just below the hollow of your throat, a chill from the metal inlay offering a pleasant weight against your suddenly warm skin.
“Thank you.” You said, ducking your head as you moved away.
“You’re welcome.” O smirked. He noticed the slight blush on the nape of your neck before your hair dropped back in place and was happy to secure his desired outcome. “I hope you like it.”
You assured him, “I love it. I can’t believe you found it at Covent Garden. It’s so unusual. Thank you so much.”
“It was nothing. I’m just glad you liked it.”
Looking up at his innocent expression, you had to take a deep breath before redirecting your attention to the work at hand. C had personally requested the report you were both working on, and you didn’t dare keep him waiting. Luckily, O thought along the same lines.
“Come on. I booked one of the conference rooms so we can spread out while we work.”
Following him, you waited until his back was turned to lift your hand to the pendant again.
* * *
On his last day at MI6, you found another present in your office. It was wrapped in the same shades of purple but, unlike the first time, O wasn’t waiting eagerly by your side to see your reaction to his gift. You hesitated, wondering if you should wait for him before opening it.
Heading into the bullpen, you asked one of your colleagues, “Have you seen O anywhere?”
E dropped her voice conspiratorially, “I heard C had him clear out his desk this morning.”
You felt the bottom drop from your stomach.
“What?” You exclaimed, certain you had misheard.
“I know. Apparently, he and C had an argument this morning.”
“Has he left already?”
“G said he saw security accompany O out the building.” She caught sight of your distressed expression and added, “Sorry.”
“That’s… that’s okay. I’m just surprised is all.”
“Right.”
Returning to your office, you shut the door and picked up the gift O had left you. Did he know it was his last day, was that why he gave it to you? Or was it a spontaneous act, like the pendant? The one you wore every day. When O had noted it, you shrugged, making up some excuse that it was the only piece you owned suitable for work. In reality, you never took it off; not even at home. It gave hope to the blooming crush you didn’t like to acknowledge and certainly didn’t want him to know about, which is why you tried to act nonchalant whenever he mentioned the gift.
Unwrapping the present, you found another box; slightly larger than the first one he had given you. Expecting another piece of jewellery, you were surprised to find a pair of gloves. They were made with beautifully quilted plum velvet, lined with black fur. They would replace your lost pair perfectly – the ones you had bemoaned to O about last week – and you eagerly slipped them on. If he were with you, you would have clapped your hands happily but, on your own, the gloves were quickly tugged off.
Tracing your fingers over the pair, you were once again touched by the offering. Unlike the first time, however, you couldn’t use it to bolster your affection for O. He had left without a word and, after fruitlessly rooting through the wrapping, you saw there was no note to get in touch. Your friendship was confined to the walls of the office and, with that bond broken, there was no way to get in touch with him. You didn’t even know his real name.
Slumping in your office chair, you reached up to twist the pendant between your fingers. For a split second, you were tempted to pull it off and sever the bond from both ends. The memory of O placing it around your neck however made you keep it on.
You might never see him again, but at least you had something to remember him by.
* * *
The jump with O made your head spin and stomach convulse so violently that, for a split second, you thought you might vomit, but then a strong hand pushed you into a chair and everything settled.
“What the…”
“Vortex Manipulator.” He huffed. “Primitive but effective. If you’re going to vomit, do it in the sink.”
You glanced up at him with bleary eyes.
“I was going to say what the fuck.”
He smiled back, a wide manic grin, unlike anything you had seen before. Part of you wanted to cower at the sight yet it was impossible not to see O in his features.
O wouldn’t hurt you.
“You know the Doctor?”
“I’m her best enemy.” He restated. “Keep up. You’re usually better than this.”
“Excuse me for being somewhat blindsided.” You complained, the events of the last two days cycling rapidly through your mind. After a normal morning at work, the Doctor crashed through your office, talking rapidly to the group accompanying her about an old friend only known as O. She became excited as you revealed your shared connection to the man, interrogating you on your past work together and what you knew of his current activities. The next thing you knew you were in a box that was larger on the inside, hurtling through space and arriving in the middle of nowhere, only to find O waiting for you.
Except he wasn’t O.
“What did you say your name was again?”
“The Master.”
“No, but seriously.” You implored, “Who are you?”
Spreading his arms, he gestured towards the TARDIS console which had materialised amidst his shack since your last visit. “You really need me to spell it out? I thought you were better.”
Not caring for his derisive tone, you bit back. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m having trouble accepting the fact that my former colleague, who – call me crazy for thinking so – I’d always presumed was human, is, in fact, an alien. Who, like the Doctor, can travel through space. Something I only found out was possible two days ago…”
“I told you about the Doctor before.”
Letting out an exasperated breath, you didn’t acknowledge his remark.
“…And now, on top of that insanity, you just killed four people.”
He grinned enthusiastically. “Impressed?”
“No!”
His amusement was not diminished.
“You’ll come around. Besides, the Doctor’s not dead. Not yet at least. She’s with the Kasaavins.”
“What are you planning to do? I guess you’re not done.”
“We’ve barely begun. Now,” O clapped his hands together, “I have a meeting. Stay in your room, I don’t need you getting in my way. And try not to get lost.”
“How would I get lost? You only have three rooms and I’ve been in them all already.”
Somehow his grin widened, teeth bared and sharp.
Backing away, bewildered by the man before you and eager to be nowhere near him, you retreated from the main room. Opening a door that should have led into the only bedroom, you instead found a dauntingly long corridor. Its walls were coated in unrelenting metal from which the harsh lights above gleamed over the edges.
You glanced over your shoulder at the homey shack and the Master whose eyes bored into yours.
“Fourth door on your right.” He instructed before turning back to the central console.
Doors of different varieties broke up the space at random intervals, and you counted them out as you hesitantly walked along the hall. The first was tall and grandeur, the second barely reached your knee, and the third was etched in strange symbols you couldn’t comprehend. The fourth was somehow strangest, looking the most normal. It was proportioned like those on Earth, the kind you would find in any home, although the design was more intricate with floral inlay highlighted in greens and purples. Settling your hand on the door handle, a glass knob that appeared to contain dried flowers, you almost pushed your way forward.
Suddenly dreading what lay on the other side, you paused where you were. You had never been scared of O but that wasn’t the man who directed you. The Master was a different beast, an entirely unpredictable one and your heart hammered at the thought. He had killed the Doctor’s friends with no hint of remorse, consigned his oldest enemy to another dimension, and now – what was he going to do with you? Did your time with O mean anything to the Master or was it all a game? What lay on the other side of the door? Was it a means to your demise or a room like he said?
Your only other option was to return to the Master, a choice which did not appeal. Not while you still saw O; longed to go over to him, hug him close and then slap him for leaving without a goodbye.
Opening the door you were met by a large bedroom. It was mostly dominated by the bed, though there was space for a fireplace, couch and a well-stocked bookcase. The room had two doors leading off it, one taking you into a wardrobe and the second into a rather opulent bathroom. The total floor size was bigger than your apartment back home, and the external appearance of O’s shack.
Sitting heavily on the foot of the bed, the two men clashed in your mind. All the feelings you had for O were real, yet he was not. He was only an illusion, conjured by the Master solely to trick the Doctor. Your feelings were inconsequential. The only reason he had brought you aboard his TARDIS was to likely torment the Doctor further if she somehow escaped the Kasaavins, although her friends would have been more effective bait.
You hoped she would escape. You didn’t like being here; seeing the Master caused far too much confusion. If the Doctor was trapped though, so were you. Until the Master realised there was no point keeping you around. Then, after seeing the manic glint in his eye – having no place on O’s face – he would kill you.
The feeling of hopelessness and confusion felt foreign in your body. You were a trained MI6 agent, there had to be something you could do. Even in the face of aliens.
Beneath you, the bed was soft, covered with soft linen which felt cool beneath your hands. There was a temptation to lay back, enjoy comfort while you waited for the next act to start. Prompted either by the Doctor’s return or the Master’s impatience. Waiting wasn’t part of your nature, however.
Heading into the wardrobe, you found some trainers to replace the heels worn to Barton’s party. They were your size and, checking the label, one of the brands you used to wear to work during assignments.
Confusion doubled, unsure whether to feel like a goldfish in a bowl or to swim in the emotions O used to inspire, you left the room. Surely there had to be another exit and you were determined to find it. Creeping along the hall, you headed for the corner up above.
It only led to another intimidatingly long corridor.
You started trying doors, but several of them wouldn’t budge. The ones that did led, in order, to a kitchen, swimming pool, sauna, sitting room, library, artefact room – filled with bizarre statues and large paintings depicting bloody battles – a second library, cinema and ballroom. The last door on the corridor led to an observation deck, the sight of which put an end to your hopes of escape.
Stepping inside, which you hadn’t for any of the preceding rooms – despite the appeal of several – the door behind you slid shut. To maximise the view, the room was kept dimly lit leaving your eye nowhere to turn except the vast expanse of space looming behind the wall-length window.
Feeling your jaw slackening, you moved closer to the sight. You’d never seen anything like it. The Doctor’s TARDIS had taken you from London to the Australian Outback. It was your first time off the planet.
Unsure whether to feel awed or dwarfed by the enormity before you, you stared back at it, losing all track of time. Before you, stars shined, galaxies gleamed, and your existence expanded. Everything seemed insignificant. Everything seemed magnificent. And you, you, were privy to it.
“Beautiful view, isn’t it?” The Master asked, silently coming up from behind.
You caught his reflection in the glass and cringed away from his proximity. If he noticed, he didn’t mention it.
“We’re in the Obsidian system. We’ll return to that rubbish heap you call a planet soon, but we have time. I presume the Doctor explained that a TARDIS travels through both space and time?”
You turned to stare at him blankly.
He sighed. “Of course.”
“You travel through time?”
Wiggling his eyebrows, he asked again: “Impressed?”
You were, but you refused to admit it.
Turning back to the view, which was easier to look at than O’s face with the Master’s sharp smile, you tried a different question.
“Where are you from?”
“Gallifrey.”
“Is the Doctor from there too?”
“Yes.”
You knew he said about returning to Earth, but – feeling curious about their home world – you asked, “Are we going there?”
He shook his head, a gleam flashing across his eyes. “Can’t now. It’s gone. Destroyed.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
His abrupt laughter made you jump.
“Let it burn.”
“Fine. Why do you need to go to Earth then?”
Deliberating as he looked at you, the Master tried to decide what he was ready to say. He couldn’t give away too much yet, or it could scare you off. Instead, he stayed cautious and answered vaguely.
“Loose ends to tie up with the Kasaavins. You’ll stay here while I go to meet them. Keep wandering if you like, the TARDIS will keep an eye on you.”
“Can’t I go with you?”
“Not the best plan. To a Kasaavin you’re nothing more than a light snack. You’ll be safer here.”
“Why do you care about keeping me safe?” You asked, thinking about the Doctor’s friends – who O befriended and the Master ruthlessly murdered.
Not answering, he wandered closer, and you kept your ground. Wondering what he was going to do, you were surprised when he lifted the pendant between his fingers.
“You kept it?”
“Didn’t see the point of wasting decent jewellery. Even if it was giving to me by a murderous psychopath.”
A flicker of annoyance crossed his expression, but it went no further.
“Good. I would have hated for it to be a wasted trip.”
Frowning, you said, “I thought you got it at Covent Garden?”
“Oh, love,” The Master chuckled, letting go of your necklace. “You haven’t gotten the hang of this yet, have you? I went all the way to Yinope for that. You won’t find a stone like that on this side of the universe.”
“You shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble.” You said acerbically.
He shrugged. “I have a TARDIS.”
It didn’t mean anything then.
“Do you like your room?”
“It’s fine.”
“I had the TARDIS make it for you. You could be more grateful.”
Giving him the most sarcastic smile you could muster, you replied saccharinely, “Thank you.”
The Master’s returning grin was genuine. “You’re welcome, human. Now stay here. I’ll come and get you later.”
Turning on his heel, he walked determinedly from the room leaving you with your view of space and infinitely more confused than when he first rescued you from the doomed plane.
You were there as leverage, and yet he seemed to have prepared for your arrival by preparing a room just for you. It could be an act, though you couldn’t help but hope it wasn’t. Not when O’s eyes focused on you; he was all you could see.
Determined to learn the difference between the two, the Doctor’s friends still fresh in your memory, you refocused on the landscape before you and waited for the Master to return.
* * *
After the Doctor found you aboard the TARDIS, followed by Ada and Noor, you were brought back home. There you saw the Master again – a few hours for you, seventy-seven unaged years for him – before he was exiled to the Kasaavin dimension. You watched the drama unfold, stood behind Graham where the Master’s eyes occasionally flickered over to you.
There seemed to be a distance between you and reality; watching numbly as he tried to annihilate your species and, by default you. He had duped you so easily and so you watched with detachment as the Doctor ensured his banishment. She brought you back to London once it was done, leaving you there after a short and awkward goodbye since she needed to get everyone else home. The Doctor had blown your world apart, yet, for her, it was nothing new. You watched her leave, knowing nothing would ever be the same.
After the events at MI6, it hadn’t been difficult to persuade your department for a short leave of absence. You spent a few days out of town, before returning to your apartment. The whole time, you kept the pendant O had given you on. If someone asked, you weren’t sure you could explain why it felt wrong to take it off, but it did. In a sense, it felt as though O had died. The Master was so entirely different from the man who was your colleague, partner and friend.
Your apartment was evidence of that. It was littered with all the other small tokens O had given you. A book on chaos theory sat on your mantle, copies of his alien files waiting on your dining table, a scarf hanging beside your front door which he had loaned you months before he left. You should gather them up, discard anything the Master gave you.
With a sigh, you hung up your coat and walked into the kitchen to get some water. It took a moment to see the door which shouldn’t be there.
Instinctively stepping back, you stared at it disbelieving. For a split second, you doubted your own memory, but it definitely wasn’t there before. It was new. A new door – how was that possible?
“What are you looking at?” A voice came from over your shoulder, sending you half a foot in the air as you jumped away in shock.
The Master frowned at you as you settled down, a hand pressed heavily over your hammering heart.
“What,” you cleared your throat, voice too high, and tried again. “What are you doing here? How did you get in?”
Rolling his eyes good-naturedly, he pointed to the door. “The Doctor didn’t do much of a job hiding my TARDIS. You’d think she’d know me better by now, but she continues to underestimate. And when you have a TARDIS it’s more a case of where you can’t go.”
“Okay.” You intoned. “But why are you here?”
“I wanted to see you.”
“How long has it been for you?” You asked cautiously.
“In the Kasaavin dimension? Barely a day.”
Since you’d last spoken, however, it had been seventy-seven years – for him. It was hard to wrap your head around, still dazed from your discovery that time travel was really possible.
“You?”
“Erm,” you did the maths in your head, “I’ve been back home for four days.”
“Since we were in the hangar?”
“The same. Four days.”
A scornful expression crossed his face. “She just brought you back home? They didn’t ask you to go with them?”
“Should they have done?”
“Would you have said yes?”
It was an interesting question. You’d certainly felt abandoned when you were dropped back home; so much had happened and the only people you could possibly talk to it about had left at the first opportunity. They all had each other while you had no one. In the aftermath, you’d focused on the goodbye rather than the potential of further travel.
There was so much more left to learn. Answers to find the questions for. Yet, you didn’t know the Doctor. Could you trust someone that much to take you from the safety of your own time and planet, under the assumption they would one day bring you back?
Uncertainly, you shook your head. “I don’t like hypotheticals.”
“Fair enough.” The Master mused. He looked at you curiously. “Shall we try a practical scenario?”
“What do you mean?”
“Travel with me.”
Staring at him blankly, you couldn’t believe what he just said.
“You’re asking me to go with you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He leaned in. “Why? Don’t you want to see the universe? Travel through time and space?”
Put that way, it was easy to answer: “Sure. Sounds great.”
“But?” He asked, noticing your lacklustre tone.
“You’re the one asking.”
“So you would say yes to the Doctor?” He demanded, getting angry.
“No. I don’t know anything about her. Just like I don’t know anything about you. Except that you tried to kill my entire species four days ago; which doesn’t really help your case.”
Tusking impatiently, the Master insisted, “It wouldn’t have worked on you. I encrypted your phone.”
“I suppose I only have your word for that. For all I know, wanting me to go with you is just another one of your schemes. Like pretending to be O or taking me hostage, all to one-up the Doctor.”
“I didn’t take you hostage, I saved your life.”
“You spared me. From something you started.”
“Come on, love. You know me. I worked at MI6 for years. I was there when you first joined. We were partners. Friends, even.”
“That wasn’t you.” You lamented, wishing the Master were O and not the other way around. “It was all an act. I don’t know you.”
“Yes, you do.”
“No, I don’t.” You asserted.
“You’re still wearing the necklace.” He observed.
Placing your hand over the pendant, shielding it from his stare, you tried to act casual. “I told you before. I don’t see the point of wasting good jewellery. No matter who it came from.”
“Oh love,” he grinned cheekily, “you like me.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Yes, you do.”
“No, I don’t!”
“Yelling only shows that you care.” He snickered.
Biting your tongue, you tried to come up with a way to effectively express your dislike and banish him from your apartment. The thought of succeeding sent an unexpected pang to your heart.
It was O you didn’t want to lose. You really had to learn the distinction.
“We’re not too different.” The Master commented. You wondered if he had somehow read your mind or if your expression was that transparent. “We were both driven, and I know you could tell he had a temper, even if it was hidden under a gag-inducing amount of sincerity. I admit I don’t go to any length to hide it – or my madness – but since when did honesty count against a person? I showed you my ‘research’ on aliens. Once or twice I even tried to drop clues that I was one, especially when I saw you shared a similar interest.”
He nodded his heads towards O’s files still sitting on your dining table. “I thought it was good to expose you to the idea; I wasn’t going to stay as O indefinitely. Only until I had got the Doctor where I went her. I planned to come back.”
“Why?” You said, unsure if you believed a single word out of his mouth. “Why do you want me to go with you?”
Unusually serious, he told you.
“I’m not completely sure. I don’t often tolerate stragglers. No matter the species, but especially a human. You interest me though. You have since C partnered us together. I could see you were more open-minded than our colleagues, and you showed a particular relish for dangerous assignments. You saw me better than most too. It’s unusual I find something which piques my interest; I find such things hard to let go of. That’s why I want you with me. I need time to figure you out.”
Worrying your lip between your teeth, you admitted: “I don’t know.” Could you really go running off with a man who had proved and described himself as an unstable lunatic?
“A trial run then?” He countered. “Come on, love. When is an opportunity like this going to come knocking on your door again? We can go anywhere you want. For you, I’ll even trudge through Earth’s past or future. No strings attached. Think of it as a gift, for the time we worked together.”
You glanced at the door leading to his TARDIS. It was a tempting offer, but you needed to clarify.
“And you’re going to bring me home afterwards?”
“Cross my hearts.”
“You’re not going to kill me or dump me on some planet and leave me there.”
“Would I ever do such a thing?”
You answered with absolute certainty: “Yes.”
Coming closer, he booped the end of your nose. “See? You get me. That’s why I want you to tag along.”
Rolling your eyes, you pointed out that wasn’t a good way to incentivise someone.
“Live a little.” The Master told you, scanning your eyes in search of an answer. When he found it, he lit up.
Clapping his hands, he beckoned you after him. “Excellent. You don’t need to bring anything, the TARDIS has plenty of clothes and the kitchen’s stocked. Come along.”
Sighing, you were certain you’d just made a terrible mistake and yet you couldn’t force yourself away. It really was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Besides, perhaps spending time with the Master might finally help you divide him from O. Then you could move on with your life.
As you followed him into the TARDIS, your mind finally caught up on a small detail.
“Wait, did you say hearts? Plural?”
The Master’s laughter echoed around you as the door slammed shut.
* * *
“You remember that time I made you promise not to kill me?” You panted, leaning heavily against the TARDIS door.
From beside you, the Master good-naturedly tsked. “It’s not my fault you’re so slow. You should be more careful, or I’ll lose you one of these days.”
“Well, you managed to find me today.” For which you were grateful. While searching for the cargo hold, you’d gotten lost in the labyrinth of corridors surrounding it when the device given to guide you had shorted out. If the Master hadn’t found you when he had, the guards would have killed you.
“I don’t know how you found me though. I had no clue where I was.”
“Time Lords have a superior sense of direction.”
The TARDIS hummed, evidently in communication as the Master sent her an annoyed look.
“Lucky for me.” You shrugged, unconcerned. She was probably bitter about having been left alone for several days while you both integrated with the ship’s passengers. “I’m going to go get changed. That blaster singed my sleeve.”
The Master spared you a glance from his silent conversation with the TARDIS. “It didn’t injure you, did it?”
“No, I’m fine.”
Heading down the corridor without looking back, you ducked into the bathroom for a quick shower before changing into some comfier clothes. The reason for breaking into the ship was to acquire parts to repair the TARDIS, which the Master was always pushing to its breaking point. So you were confident you’d be aboard the TARDIS for a while, and you wanted to relax after several days playing the part of the Master’s lackey.
Pulling your hair back into a ponytail, you felt something slither from around your neck and drop heavily to the floor. With an exclamation of dismay, you realised the fine chain on your necklace had broken. At least it happened in the safety in your room; it would have been difficult to retrieve from your latest crime scene.
To keep it safe until you got a replacement you placed it on top of your dresser. Either the Master would have a spare lying around, or you could pick something up the next time you visited a planet.
Heading back to the console room – to politely offer to help with the repairs, knowing full well said offer would be refused – you found the room empty. Unconcerned, you turned on your heel to head to the library, where the Master was probably holed up, but a blinking screen on the central console stopped you in your tracks. It stopped blinking once you stood in front of it; suggesting the TARDIS wanted your attention.
There was a map on the monitor, but it took several moments to recognise it as the TARDIS. It was centred on the console room and, given the arrows pointing at several components in the room, it seemed to show where repairs were required. The only odd thing was one flashing dot set away from the main room, off the first corridor. You counted the doors before finally realising it was on your room.
“That’s weird.” You said to yourself. Was the TARDIS trying to tell you to go back there?
“Is he in a bad mood?” You asked the machine conspiratorially.
“Are you talking about me again?” The Master grumbled as he came in, holding a box of parts to start his repairs.
“Why is there a flashing dot over my room?”
He frowned at you, not noticing for a second what you were looking at. As always, he quickly pieced things together when he saw the screen.
“Where’s your necklace?”
Confused, you placed a hand over the empty spot around your neck.
“Oh, I had to take it off. The chain broke.”
Pointing to the screen, you restated your question. “What’s the dot mean?”
“It’s your necklace.” The Master stated. “It’s a Yinopean mineral which emits low-level radiation. The TARDIS can pick it up.”
“Where are you going with this?” You asked, confused. “It’s radioactive?”
“No. Why do humans hear radiation and devolve into the mindset of spooked cattle? Most things contain some form of radiation. It’s harmless.”
Ignoring his statement, you said: “Why did you give me radioactive jewellery? Please tell me this isn’t a slow and unnecessarily elaborate way of killing me?”
He gave you an unimpressed look; the sort he shot at you every day.
“I gave it to you as a token of affection.”
It was almost enough to distract you, but when the TARDIS console blinked again you remembered.
“And why is my necklace showing up on the screen?”
“While the radiation is harmless, it gives off a unique signature which makes it easy to trace. When I couldn’t find you aboard the Nott I came here to locate it.”
“You…” frowning, you realised, “you gave me a tracking device?”
“Yes.”
Flabbergasted into silence, it took several moments for the incoherent noises escaping your mouth to become fully-fledged words.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
The Master was unruffled by your explosive accusation.
“When you have something of value, it is important you don’t lose it.”
How did he keep rendering you speechless?
Stepping around you, the Master switched the screen on the console off before starting a quiet argument with the TARDIS. Something about the box pushing its luck.
Eventually, he walked away, seizing up his box of parts to start work on the repairs.
“I’ll get you a replacement chain before we go anywhere else. Can’t have you running off.” He said offhandedly, taking the stairs beneath the central console and leaving you alone on the upper level.
You walked to the library, taking a seat beside the fire and picking up the first book you came across. With no idea what was in your hands, you flipped it open to a random page and stared blankly at the text as your brain whirred on overtime.
It had been almost a year since you’d come aboard the TARDIS. While the Master treated you better than anyone else you came across – protecting your from harm while showing you the universe – it was still hard to accept his pleasantries as genuine affection. His actions were kind, but any affection was always on your terms.
Whenever you thought he felt something more toward you, it was dismissed as residual feelings from his time as O. It was easy to admit how you felt about O; a kind human with who you could have shared a life. The Master was entirely different. It was astonishing he even tolerated you as a travelling companion, and yet he said he valued and had affection for you. Enough to put a tracking device on you, which seemed morally dubious, but you supposed it came from a good place. Just like reading that ridiculous book on caring for human beings.
You didn’t see the Master again for several hours, not until you wandered into the kitchen for a snack. Without looking at you, he offered up a fine gold chain for your pendant. Except, something was already hanging from it.
“What’s this?” You asked, taking the proffered item.
“A key.” He sighed. “You use it to open things.”
“I can see it’s a key. What’s it for?”
“It unlocks the TARDIS.”
“You’re giving me a key to the TARDIS?” You said disbelievingly. He’d never let you so much as borrow his key when you wanted to grab something from the ship, and now he was giving you your own. “What’s the occasion?”
The Master glanced your way, saw the emotion shimmering in your eyes, and refocused on the cup of tea he was making.
“It seemed sensible. In case we get split up on an excursion. You can come back here, instead of looking for me.”
Sliding it off the end of the chain, you held the key in your palm. There was a warmth to the metal, and it seemed to emit a slight glow against your skin.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, human.” The Master replied, picking up his cup and returning to the console room.
Pocketing the key, you went to your bedroom and added the pendant to the chain. You were about to place it around your neck when you paused; a better idea springing to mind.
Walking slowly to the console room, your feet took you to the Master where he sat on the floor reattaching wires to a command panel. Your shadow fell over him, but he didn’t acknowledge you. Not until the necklace dangled before his face.
“Is something the matter?” He asked, looking up.
“Will you put it on for me?” You replied, trying to sound indifferent while your heart thrummed.
The Master stood, taking the necklace. Eyes locking for a split second, you turned away and lifted your hair aside. With a light brush of his fingers over the nape of your neck, you could feel your body break out in goosebumps, but he showed no sign of noticing. He secured it in place, the stone settling heavily against your sensitive skin.
Letting your hair drop, it brushed against the hands which remained on your shoulders, as the Master seemed as loathe to let you go as you were to part from this rare contact.
“Thank you, Master.” You breathed.
“You’re welcome, pet.” He said, pulling away.
“For the chain too.”
“You don’t mind about the stone then?”
Shaking your head, you assured him you didn’t as you moved to face him. “It seemed sensible once you explained it. I’d hate to get lost.”
I’d hate to lose you seemed to echo around your mind, but the Master’s lips didn’t move so he couldn’t have said it.
“Go rest up.” He told you. “I’m taking us to Itradus once I’ve finished recalibrating the computer. You’ll like it.”
“I always do.” You said, fully meaning it.
You might have come aboard the TARDIS to see the stars but, you had to admit, nothing seemed to hold an appeal unless you were seeing it with the Master beside you. You just hoped he felt the same way.
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lady-z-writes · 3 years ago
Text
Chapter 2 of my Heisenberg x Reader fic is finally out!
Smut below the cut:
The large door slams behind [Y/N], blocking out the cold air. Brushing passed Heisenberg, she tosses the logs down on the fire, urging it to roar back to life.
He’s staring when she glances over her shoulder. When he’s caught, he looks away bashfully, pretends to really be focusing on the pictures on her wall.
“Take your coat off,” [Y/N] demands as she stands.
“What?”
“Your coat. Take it off.”
Heisenberg narrows his eyes, grips at his hammer. “What are you playing at?”
She smirks. “Cute. I don’t plan to undress you, despite what Serena’s pheromones might be convincing you.”
“They have no power over me,” he denies, setting his hammer down.
[Y/N] merely raises an eyebrow at him, extends her hand for his jacket.
The thought of being undressed makes his gut flip for some reason so he busies himself by removing the coat and handing it to her. His hands are shaking so he clenches and unclenches his gloved fist to try to warm up his fingers.
She disappears into another room for a moment before returning with a glass and a whiskey bottle. His coat is placed on a nearby rack, moved closer to the fire to dry it off.
“To warm you up,” she suggests, handing him the whiskey and glass. “I’ll run you a hot bath.”
“N-no, that won’t be necessary,” but his body is chilled through and he’s pulling a chair closer to the fireplace in order to warm up.
[Y/N] leaves once more, ignoring him completely.
“Ignorant bitch.” Opening the bottle, he pours himself some whiskey, takes a sip. “Good booze, though.”
Heisenberg wants to inspect the books on a nearby shelf, but the warmth of the fire is too enticing. He realizes that he’s still feeling a little dazed after the incident with the tree-lady. There’s still a heaviness in his gut, a vague need that he doesn’t want to acknowledge right now – and he’s sure it has everything to do with those pheromones.
[Y/N] returns at the worst moment; right as he’s flashing back to the incident in the snow – his hands tracing over skin…he hasn’t touched someone like that in…-
“Bath’s ready,” [Y/N] announces. “If you are.”
Forearms pressing to his thighs, he leans forward, hoping he can cover himself until it’s safe to stand up.
He tries distracting himself with chatter, but he’s struggling on where to begin. He has so many questions.
“How many Cadou experiments live here?” he decides to start there.
[Y/N] sits on the chair nearest him. “Well…the ones that aren’t failures?”
“Failures?” he repeats.
“I mean, I guess we all kind of are. Miranda’s island of misfit toys – those of us that didn’t have influential families; those that had powers that just didn’t make the cut to exist in the main village.” The conversation is very distracting for his current predicament. “You have…-Lycans, aren’t they?” he nods. “Think of our Wendigo in a similar manner.”
Heisenberg gets it now. “And the rest?”
“Like I said: there’s no ruler, if that’s what you’re insinuating.”
“And Miranda?” he drones.
[Y/N] goes still now. “I think your bath will get cold.”
Heisenberg stands in an instant, uses his free hand to grip at her throat. He crouches.
“You’ll answer me. Now.”
[Y/N] nods against his hand, her gaze drifting from his eyes to his lips. “She’s always monitoring – even when we think she isn’t.”
“Are they devout?” he nods toward the door, asking about the other villagers.
“Not entirely,” [Y/N] chokes out.
“Are you?”
“Are you?” she retorts.
With a huff, Heisenberg lets go of her throat, stands, cusses.
It’s not that he wants a bath, but it surely would warm him up. Plus, they’re at a standstill; one of them has to make a move in order to progress. But if he admits his disdain for Miranda, will she tattle? Can he trust her?
She’s left him alone upstairs so naturally he’s scoping out the place. Nothing fancy: two bedrooms and a bathroom. She’s got crystals strewn about in odd places, candles lit, all the curtains drawn. It’s quaint.
The door doesn’t lock, which is unfortunate. Heisenberg grumbles the entire time he’s undressing, but the steam from the hot water is making him feel better already. It’s…inviting. He’d never admit it aloud.
Feeling foolish, he settles into the steaming tub with a sigh – not realizing how chilled he actually was, how sore he’d been. The small table beside the tub makes a convenient place to put down his whiskey, right beside the soaps. He imagines [Y/N] placed the table in here for a similar reason; that or reading in the tub.
He has plenty on his mind – many more questions he needs to ask [Y/N] but he can’t – not until he knows whose side she’s on.
Despite his best efforts, his mind still drifts. [Y/N] isn’t…unattractive by any means. He’s sure his wandering mind has everything to do with those pheromones from that tree-lady, but the way [Y/N] was looking up at him when he had his hand around her neck…
“Fuck,” he hisses as he looks down through the clear water.
Hard. Again.
Shifting deeper into the tub, he tries to ignore it, enjoy the warmth, heat up…but he can’t shake the need in him.
Agitated, he decides to clean up a bit, surprised she didn’t leave him with flowery-scented soaps.
Fighting instinct, Heisenberg refuses to relax any longer – lest he falls asleep in this tub. His hard cock is still distracting. Well, it’s this or be disjointed all night; let his eyes travel all over her body instead of focusing on the answers he desires.
Her skin felt so soft…it felt so good to touch someone in that way.
His closed fist is moving around his cock before he even realizes he’s doing it; the slight whooshing of the water too loud for his taste. Right now, the thought of [Y/N]’s laughter as she sees him like this – teases him for being needy. It’s downright insulting.
Embarrassing to be masturbating in some stranger’s home; shameful, yet…sort of…erotic?
Thumb gliding over his tip, he arches and bites back a moan. He lets the water glide around him while he exhales through his nostrils.
Close. Too close.
He hears the whistling wind outside, decides to swallow down the remainder of the whiskey before he gets serious with his intention. There’s a nagging feeling that he needs to get this out of his system in order to really focus on what he’s doing here. Damn that temptress.
Heisenberg steps out of the tub, wraps himself in the soft towel [Y/N] left for him, and starts stroking his cock again as the water drains.
Closing his eyes, he lets himself fantasize…images of Serena, of [Y/N], his scarred hand on her soft skin, the way she looked at his half-chub, how she felt pressed against him. How long had it been since he’d let himself fantasize? Longer, still, since he’d touched anyone in a remotely sexual manner.
And there was a reason for that.
Because he couldn’t stop himself.
It’d been so long that he knew it would be the floodgates opening – a total fucking disaster for whatever poor soul gets his attention. He’d start and not want to let go. Heisenberg had shrouded himself away from his animalistic desires for so long, he’s almost nervous to see who he’ll become if the levee broke.
Well, he’s about to find out.
Fist pumping around his cock, he lets himself feel this pleasure. It isn’t long before he’s biting back grunts as he spills into the draining water, frantically chasing that release.
It’s enough to take the edge off, but it also isn’t nearly what he truly desires.
Dressing, he cracks his neck and takes a second to refocus, button up, shove down what he just unburied.
Right.
His goal is to learn this village, know what [Y/N] knew, maybe make an ally – a useful ally, might he add.
If only he could get passed that mouth of hers.
•••
[Y/N] is in the kitchen when he comes down – whiskey bottle a little lighter, clearly, she’s been drinking too. It smells amazing in the house and he realizes she’s mixing a pot of soup.
“I hope you’ll have some…and then I think it’s best if you leave.”
“Leave?” he repeats her. “Oh, no, I’ve got questions and you’ve got answers. I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart.”
The name wasn’t endearment but she still heats up anyway. A Lord calling her this? Unreal.
“I just…I really think it’s best for you,” she ladles soup into a bowl for him, places it on the kitchen table.
“What, you turn into a Lycan at midnight?”
“Nothing like that,” she dismisses.
“Then what?” he puts himself in her personal space, towers over her, likes the stirring in his chest. “I’m not moving until you tell me why.”
She looks contemplative – frustrated.
“It’s because of Mother Miranda, okay?”
He cocks his eyebrow at her. “S’that so?”
“I answered you, can you move?”
He raises his hands, side-steps, turns toward her as she takes a few steps back.
“You and Miranda talk much?”
She’s silent again, places her own bowl on the table. “Eat before it gets cold.”
“Rather powerless to be making these kinds of demands,” he teases.
“And in my presence, so are you.”
The menacing look he gives her makes her freeze. In an instant, she’s pushed up against the wall; his forearm against her neck, body pressing harshly against hers.
His gaze flicks down to her lips as she lets out a shaky – almost erotic – breath.
He doesn’t even say anything, simply presses his thigh between her legs just to hear that sound again. She bites her lip to muffle it, but it’s there, and he can feel a jolt in his abdomen. The excitement that blooms in him is surprising.
“So, I’m still having a reaction from that bitch’s pheromones – what’s your excuse?”
She’s embarrassed, called out, and it looks cute on her. He shifts his thigh just slightly but enough to earn a startled look.
“H-Heisenberg, I’m sorry.”
He hums a, “don’t be” before ducking to kiss her.
She kisses him back, meeting tentatively until his fingers knot in her hair and pull. It’s like he’s awakened something in her too, the way she’s hungry for more. Her hands drape over his shoulders as he removes his forearm from her throat. Hair still damp, he’s hatless and she thinks it’s handsome.
“You should eat,” she finally manages between heated kissing.
“Mmmm, yeah, I should…”
The innuendo makes her heated, pawing at his shirt yet almost trying to push him away.
“You don’t know what you’re doing, sir. It’s Serena’s power still.”
“And how, exactly, do I stop it?”
“This’ll just feed into it more,” she says this, but her eyes are taking in every inch of him that she can see – the crush she’s developed starting to make itself known. “It’ll wear off in time, but…” his fingers trail down her neck, lower until he cups a breast. “You aren’t exactly helping speed up the process.”
“May as well have fun with it, right?”
[Y/N] inhales sharply as his lips meet hers again in a hurried kiss. She doesn’t pull back right away, but lets him linger there before her better judgement kicks in.
“You shouldn’t be here,” she tries to sound demanding, harsh, but her voice waivers.
“Says who?”
“Says Miranda.”
Talk about a boner-killer. Heisenberg takes a step back, watches [Y/N] try to right herself. He narrows his eyes, sits down at the table.
“So, you do talk to her?”
[Y/N] shakes her head, sitting too. “When she sent me away to live here, she told me to stay away from the village – from you all.”
They’re silent during the time it takes them to eat their soup; him trying to focus on her words but still finding his mind drifting to more physical things, and her crossing her legs while barely tensing them just to try and get some stimulation.
She’s flustered, he can see that, but he’s sure it’s from the confession she just made.
“How ‘bout another drink?” he grabs the bottle and [Y/N] jumps up to get him a new glass, following orders.
He’s another half glass in by the time she gets the guts to say, “For the record, I’m not devout.”
At her words, he remains silent and she doesn’t know if that’s a good or bad thing. He could turn her into Miranda for that – clue her in that one of her creations isn’t praying to her every day. She’d wondered about the others – how the Lords took to Miranda’s demands and regulations.
“Really now?” he finally replies.
“Figure I’ve got a target on my back anyway. What’s the point in keeping it from you?”
He quirks a brow at her. “And what’s your plan if I tell her that?”
She shrugs. “I’m sure it won’t make much difference in the long run.”
The hollow look in her eyes is telling.
He leans back, finishes off his drink. “Noted, dollface.”
She deadpans at him, ignoring the nickname. “You’re not gonna scurry off and tell her any of that?”
“Why? Should I?”
“I mean, no.”
“Well, then?” he laughs at the stunned look on her face. “Look, I want the bitch dead more than anyone else. We just gotta play the game for now. And her finding out about those of us that aren’t devoted to her? Not a good game plan.” She wants to respond, but she looks shocked. “Ah, what, surprised?”
“You…want to kill…Miranda?”
“Yeah,” he says it so nonchalant, like it’s nothing.
It’s subtle, but she lifts her glass and clinks it with his in a sort of toast.
So, they’re in agreement then?
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allbrainrot · 4 years ago
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hello!!! sobs i hope its ok to come by and request smth for a male reader 👉👈 id like 🖤 for felix, please? thank you if you do it!!!
Yes, I will do my best!! I am a raging wlw I must support the mlm homies 😭🖤 You are also an epic swag fellow kinnie shoutout to you- if you couldn’t tell by my profile I kin Marianne LMFAO and I’m actually named after another main kin Allister SWSH or Alli for short 😏✌🏻
Felix:
- He definitely wouldn’t ever directly mention the ball or anything about it because that’s way too close to getting vulnerable around people, gross! That doesn't mean that he hasn’t thought about it though, Felix treats this shit like preparing for battle and he’s constantly on his toes figuring out what to wear, how to do his hair, what he’s going to say to you etc. 
- If you're like.. low-key about your sexuality or haven't really officially told everyone at the monastery, he will definitely have at least 3 days of inconspicuously eavesdropping on you and your friends until he hears you say something about men and he's like thank the goddess LMAO I think it’s kind of a universal experience for same gender attracted people who don’t know their crush’s sexuality to have that OH SHIT WHAT IF THEY'RE NOT GAY moment 💀
- Most of the Blue Lions have decided to visit the training grounds today, where Felix is naturally located and acting like none of you are there (but he’s definitely like..secretly trying to impress you). That’s where the fateful conversation occurs where a couple other people on the sideline engage you in a conversation about the ball and you drop the info that you’re just not going.
- RIP Felix my man almost drops his sword but luckily for him, he’s already located in the ideal place to relieve his stress! Oh boy if someone was sparring with Felix I wish them luck 😭
- Cue Felix alone in his room screaming into a pillow. Now he still has to try to ask you out but he doesn’t have the cover of the ball to help him! On one hand, he’s relieved that he can stop stressing out about being prepared for it, but on the other hand, have you seen Felix’s S support?? I hope you’re better at interpreting tone/social cues than me because you basically have to translate everything Felix says to what he really means. But if you like Felix and he likes you too then I’m sure you’ve already established a good understanding of each other and you're good at communicating with him!
- On the night that it actually happens and you're just chilling in your room, Felix knows that he really has no other option than to knock on your door. So he just ends up pacing next to your door for like 30 minutes because he has no idea what he’s going to do next. 
- At some point you go out to get yourself water or something so you open the door and you're just like wtf Felix how long have you been here and what the hell are you doing??? SIGH he’s going to get defensive because you caught him off guard and he's embarrassed and nervous AF. And Felix deals with these things by lashing out at people, but if you've been around him a lot it becomes evident where his outburst is actually coming from. Like I said. Felix translation.
- Oh boy this one has been pent up for a looooong time and this particular emotion is one that Felix is the worst at dealing with, so he’s probably gonna say some REALLY mean shit like ‘I felt compelled to check on your lonely ass from the pity of our classmates. But I understand why you're here, there's not a single person in that room who would want to court you’ LIKE HOLY SHIT FELIX YOU FUCKING KILLED HIM 😭😭 but it came out of absolutely nowhere so the real ones know that there’s something going on 😎 
- SO let’s dissect some Felix language, shall we? 1.) Ok no one asked him to come here just admit that you care Felix!! 2.) Hmmmm Felix it’s awfully interesting that you felt the need to specify that you're the only one who understands (Y/N), and it’s REALLY interesting that you've decided to cut off all competition in one sentence sir! 3.) It’s also awfully suspicious that you felt the need to specify that no one at the ball wants to court you, but of course that doesn’t include the one person who isn't there..? 🤔 Yeah ok Felix, we know that you’re just trying to ask out (Y/N) we’re on to you..
- So as someone who has been able to get close enough to Felix to gain his affections, reader sees right through him lol that insult was just a little too oddly specific. Please just put Felix out of his misery and say you like him too LMAO. TOTALLY catches Felix so off guard that it takes a minute to even realize what you had just done, he was fully prepared for yelling. WAIT YOU JUST SAID- BUT HOW DID YOU EVEN KNOW- Felix machine malfunctioning. Literally almost falls over but you're there to catch the poor man lmao. 
- Uhhh what does one do with a very flustered Felix in a state of shock??? Just bring him inside I guess??? 😭 Will probably just conk out on your bed if you set him on it mans was in fight or flight mode he's drained + sleeping is an efficient way to escape embarrassment! Exhausted Felix has just kind of accepted that this is his fate and gone tf to sleep..I guess Felix is staying in your room tonight! If you wake up in the middle of the night there will absolutely be an asleep Felix clinging to you there is no space between you anymore..
I hope that was decent!! 😭 When I brainstorm for these things while doing stuff during the day I naturally just insert myself, so I tried my absolute best to just use my sga experiences and view them through a male’s POV! But it’s totally not a bother at all, you all are welcome to request male or enby readers! Otherwise I usually tend to write femme leaning.. ;-; Some fics do have pronouns in them and I typically use they/them to keep it somewhat neutral but feel free to ask for your pronouns! Obviously others are always welcome to read the posted fic and swap in their own pronouns mentally! 
-Tired Allister
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dangan-meme-palace · 4 years ago
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Do you find Saihara's characterization weird in chapter 6? Because I do :( He's become super confident, optimistic, and leader-like too fast, especially if you compare to ch5 and before...I understand that in the last chapter all protags get pumped up to end the killing game but...he's quoting Momota and he also developed a 'hunch' like him...even Harukawa says 'sometimes you're so much like Kaito' pls no I like Saihara the way he is, meaning, not like Momota :( but that's just my opinion! ^^
Shuichi's characterization is all over the place. It's not even like... "he's inconsistent because humans are inconsistent" or whatever, it's literally just that his personality changes whenever the narrative needs it to without anything but loose, barely-there excuses to try and justify why it happens.
Chapter 1:
No problems with believing in his detective work, he's actually quite shockingly confident in them for how much he downplays them.
His actual problem is not thinking his skills are where they should be according to professional standards, which is an accurate assessment if the rest of the game is anything to go by actually.
Calls Kaito a reckless idiot for doing something reckless and idiotic. This is the only time he does this.
Learns a lesson?? I guess?? The lesson was apparently supposed to be "don't be afraid to reach for the truth" but it came off more like "you shouldn't let everyone die just because you liked Kaede the most, picking favorites and having bias is bad because you have a duty to remain unbiased so everyone doesnt die"
Then everyone conveniently forgets that he was willing to let them die.
Chapter 1 was the best for his characterization except for the trial. I wish he had acted like this throughout the entire game.
Let him investigate. Dear god why doesn't the detective investigate, or even cast doubt?
Chapter 2:
Kaito is starting to become his Bro now. He's not super biased like in later chapters, but you can start to see it happening.
This is the chapter where he tells everyone not to let their biases get in the way of logic, which is funny considering what he's like in other chapters.
Big sad about Kaede, but a few of the characters (Ryoma, Tenko) comfort him so he's choosing to turn this tragedy into a growth moment. I guess it's kinda like what Chihiro did, except a girl had to die for it and he didn't get brained with a dumbbell at the end.
He's the nicest to everyone in this chapter. Don't worry, it won't last long :)
If he had kept the weird sort of optimism he had during this chapter plus the logical thinking instead of leaning into the angst he might've actually developed and Kaede's death might've been worth a damn.
Chapter 3
Maki gets the spotlight so there's not much to say except for the fact that he's gotten super awkward and is getting progressively dumber.
Honestly Maki is kind of right when she keeps calling him a dumbass for asking questions with very obvious answers.
Literally how the fuck did he ever solve infidelity cases when he can't even figure out shit that's this basic.
Smh.
Oh yeah, the odd hopefulness is gone now. It's buried next to my hope of him turning out to be an interesting character.
Put your hat back on if you're gonna angst again emo boy.
Investigation? Dont know her. I only know the Grind 💯 and hanging out with the Bros 😤👊
Chapter 4:
One of his worst chapters. I fucking hate this chapter.
Everyone patted him on the back before the trial and it felt shoehorned in. I'm not even sure why they did it honestly?
Kokichi = Evil
Kaito & Maki = Good
But dont worry guys, he's totally not biased or anything! (/s)
He's mega biased.
During the trial he has a lot of confidence, like the good kind he had back in Chapter 2. Especially when he lied and when he stood his ground against Kaito. He'll be punished by the narrative for going against Kaito, but for now I'll enjoy his limp-dicked rebellion.
Apparently he cares for Gonta except he never once talked to him during the main story and even insulted Gonta in his head during their FTEs. When did he start to care about Gonta? He didn't, but now he does I guess.
Chapter 5:
Another bad chapter. Hate this too
Officially graduated from Kaito's Bro to Kaito's Simp.
Also his confidence is entirely dependent on Kaito. When Kaito wants him to do something, he's sure Kaito's plan will work and gives him all of his support. If Kaito expresses displeasure, he's ashamed of himself and has no confidence. I-... y'know sometimes I genuinely worry about their dynamic.
Kokichi = Evil ×2 combo
No detective work or reasoning. Why would the gofer project want a cosplayer to go to space and preserve humanity? Or an ex murderer? Or an assassin? Or a detective? Are they going to be solving space crimes? Shuichi should have been so god damn suspicious- the MOST suspicious, even- but he's practically braindead at this point in the story.
Investigation skills, when will you return from the war?
Goes from suicidal to "uwu I'm a hopeful student of Hope's Peak Academy" way too quickly for someone with supposed confidence issues.
Seriously, how did he go from "the world has been destroyed and I cant fix it so I might as well die" to "yeah! we will definitely fix it! we dont know how yet, but we'll totally do it because we're Ultimates even though in Chapter 1 I didnt even think I deserved to be an Ultimate but shhhh" so quickly?
Kiibo and Shuichi kinda sounded like Kaede when they saw the Hope's Peak Flashback and it's so fucking weird because there's no justification for it
Chapter 6:
Literally what was this chapter
Why did it take Kiibo threatening to blow up the school to get him to investigate the mastermind again? 9 people have died since Chapter 1, but he acted as though he couldn't do anything about it. He even says he "can only help after people die", but Chapter 1 disproved that because he literally almost caught the mastermind without anyone dying so-
At least he investigated, I guess. It's sad that a detective investigating is considered a miracle, but here we are.
During the trial he's rapidly switching from hopeful to suicidal to hopeful again and it gives me so much whiplash, like god damn. Chill out a bit, buddy.
Much like the now-late Kaito, Shuichi tries to convince everyone to die with him to make some sort of stand against TDR. Somehow this worked and they also somehow didn't die and we aren't given justification for either.
The confidence came from the fact that the narrative needed him to be confident. That's it. There's literally no justification for this. There's no justification for anything, honestly.
What even was that ending, like what the fuck was that? None of their arcs got wrapped up at all...
So basically
Shuichi is confident but he's not but only when Kaito believes in him but he can stand against Kaito when he needs to and also he's not actually confident and Kaito needs to baby him. Shuichi is also not biased because he learned a lesson about that, unless your name is Kaito, Maki, or Kokichi, in which case he is incredibly biased to the point of putting the lives of other people on the line, but he wants everyone to survive because he learned a lesson about that. He's also incredibly dismissive of most of the cast in his head, to the point of being cold, but it should be noted that Shuichi really cares about his friends and is really nice and supportive of others. He's a big doormat except for when he doesn't want to be, unless it involves Kaito, because then he is always a sidekick except for when he isn't.
Hope that cleared things up! As you can see Shuichi is a very consistent character :) (/s)
-tech
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rpgmgames · 5 years ago
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May’s Featured Game: Verloren
DEVELOPER(S): Choko ENGINE: RPG Maker VX Ace GENRE: Horror, Adventure WARNINGS: Flashing images, loud sounds, sudden sounds/images, full list (contains spoilers). SUMMARY: Chris Winter, find himself alone and lost in a black void filled with nothing but coldness. The only warmth you feel comes from your breath. In this void the young boy sees a door filled with light, trying to reach the door only leads to the boy to fall deep into a world filled with nothing but nonsense. Only when you find the key, then you’ll be able to leave.
Download the demo here! Our Interview With The Dev Team Below The Cut!
Introduce yourself! *Choko: Hello, I'm Choko! I'm the developer, artist, and writer for Verloren. I've been messing around with rpg maker since 2013 but finished my first finished game in 2016 which is Desolate Village. I've also made other games since then. Those being Demon Tea, Friend Hunt, and Star Detective. So Verloren isn't my first rodeo in the whole game development stuff, but it is the biggest project I've ever work on so far. Besides game dev stuff, I'm a huge rpg maker games, horror games, rhythm games, and just games with a interesting style to them.
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What is your project about? What inspired you to create this game initially? *Choko: Verloren is a horror adventure game that focuses on Chris Winter, a young boy who finds himself alone and far away from home because of this he won't stop for anything to find a way home and learn why did he arrive here. During the course of the game Chris would meet others who have their own goals. What inspired me to make Verloren is a bit hard to say from what I first started to work on it back in 2017, I was mostly trying to work on another project after finishing Desolate Village. It could have been something else but I really forgot. But since I took a huge hiatus year break during 2018, I would personally say the time I actually initially started to work on Verloren was in February of 2019. Since everything was rework with a fresh outlook on everything, so the whole head space with Verloren is totally different from 2017-2018. What inspired me when I went back to rebuild/fix the game was friends, since their support made me feel I could go back to work on the game. During 2018 I would say I wasn't in the best mood while working on the game, so the support my friends gave me really helped a lot and encouraged me.
How long did you work on your project? *Choko: I've been working on Verloren for three years now. But will say 2019 to now is when actually development started/actually got going. 2018 I took the whole year off to cool down/chill. So the Verloren of 2017-2018 is very different from the Verloren of 2019 to now. If that makes sense....
Did any other games or media influence aspects of your project? *Choko: Oh boy, this section might be very long since there's a lot of games and media which inspired/ influences Verloren, though for many different reasons. Will say the two rpg maker games that inspire me a whole lot when it comes to everything they do is Mare and Akademia (I know it's just a demo still at the time writing but it's very good. Good demo, like the characters are great!! Everything is very nice!) Other rpg maker games do inspire me, mainly friend stuff but Mare and Akademia are two games I really love and wish I can make Verloren a game which has characters which feel realistic in a way they do. Like please go play them. Besides rpg maker games will say that NieR Automata, Okage: Shadow King, RE 1/RE 0, Deemo, Rule of Rose, Smile For Me, and the Kirby series are games that just really inspire me with Verloren, there's just certain aspects of them which I hope I can capture in Verloren. Other than video games, I do get a bunch of inspiration from artist I follow, comics/manga, and anime though if I mention all of them it would just lead me to ramble away, but will say Pandora Hearts and Death Parade are two series I really love and both. I just enjoy series that shows character interaction and bonds, because that's a main part in Verloren. I really just get inspire by character development if you couldn't tell..... ^^;
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Have you come across any challenges during development? How did you overcome or work around them? *Choko: Besides the 2018 thing I mention earlier. There has been tiny bits of challenges, like with creating maps, since it takes me a while to get into the mood to make them, but wouldn't really call it a challenge. Since all the time I just have to take time away from the map to gain motivation to make them. Another challenge I guess would be writing cut scenes which I love, though it's a whole process of making sure the characters aren't just rambling or going off-topic since when I write I tend to get in character, as in voice act the lines or try to think how they would. Though the process isn't really a bad challenge since it just takes a while until I get it right.
Have any aspects of your project changed over time? How does your current project differ from your initial concept? *Choko: There's been soooooo many changes to this game. The biggest change I would say is the characters, they had a lot of design changes and personality/motivation changes. But other than that, I would say the mood of the game change a lot, also how scenes play it, originally it just felt like stuff happen to happen. Now it makes a lot more sense and isn't just some random thing I added. Sadly I can't list everything that change because that's spoilers but trust me everything change for the better.
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What was your team like at the beginning? How did people join the team? If you don’t have a team, do you wish you had one or do you prefer working alone? *Choko: At the beginning there wasn't a team, since I wanted to do everything solo. I mostly enjoy doing art, writing, and eventing the game. Though currently now there is a team, mostly with people I know, it's more so just a critique/feedback team + voice actors. Currently there are only two VAs since I didn't want to focus on voice acting before I had most of the game done, in the far future I may make a post about it. But so far the whole team is more so just a chilling area then anything else and I enjoy all the fun talk that happen there.
What is the best part of developing a game? *Choko: The best part of creating a game is to see the characters you created come to life. I just really enjoy seeing everything come together. Idk I just find it cool that when making a game all starts out as concepts/ ideas and then after days/weeks/months of work it becomes a actually thing you can look at and show others. Most cutscenes in Verloren I get super happy when I finish them up, because I can see them as a real thing rather than a bunch of ideas of "this is what I'm going to do". Also the joke/shitpost memes....they are also the best part of making a game.
Do you find yourself playing other RPG Maker games to see what you can do with the engine, or do you prefer to do your own thing? *Choko: Yep!!! I play a lot of rpg maker games, I really enjoy seeing what other people do. I just find it cool that anyone can pick up the engine and learn how to use it. Also it's a fun way to find inspiration, just seeing other rpg maker games and being like ">:O I didn't know you can do that!!!".
Which character in your game do you relate to the most and why? (Alternatively: Who is your favorite character and why?) *Choko: This question is very hard, mainly because I relate to because a lot of characters in the game I relate to in tiny levels. For my favorite character it's Vladimir....I do like every other character in game. Chris is my second favorite I have to say (kinda a lie since ties with another character) but Vladimir number one, he's just soo much fun to write. He's maybe the one character who has a lot of scenes which gets a huge smile from me.
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Looking back now, is there anything that regret/wish you had done differently? *Choko: Not really, mainly since I was lucky to be able to take a huge hiatus which help me in 2019 to rework everything. So every problem I had with the game I fixed.
Do you plan to explore the game’s universe and characters further in subsequent projects, or leave it as-is? *Choko: I would just leave the game alone after I finish Verloren, it's a game that doesn't need any follow ups because I feel it would just take away from the impact when you get to the end. There really isn't anything I would need to explore, since Verloren is meant to be a single game and that's it.
What do you most look forward to upon finishing the game? *Choko: I look forward seeing how people react to the full game, I am low key shock on how people are reacting towards the demo and all the tiny predictions/speculations. Also the warm positive feedback towards Vladimir is shocking, since I thought no one would like him because of all those jokes/puns. I hope the final game has the same positive reaction, also that other characters get a warm positive feedback towards them.
Was there something you were afraid of concerning the development or the release of your game? *Choko: The only thing that worries me is that if I mess up and people can't understand reasons why x character did that. Since one of the main things with Verloren is that characters have their own way if viewing stuff. Like morality is pretty gray because I don't want to write a black and white story.
Do you have any advice for upcoming devs? *Choko: Main advice I'll give out is placeholders are your friend. Don't spend time making assets for a system you didn't test and you test it and it doesn't work. Just have a placeholder graphic which helps you test it and when it's done you can always slap on the asset. Following up with this, create a debug room. It would come in handy to test systems/ events than having to play through your game to test it and learn you need to fix it.
Question from last month's featured dev @cheesesteak-horror: Do you have creative processes you practice before starting development? *Choko: No, not really. I often just jump right into development and go from there. Most of my practice come from when I work on small stuff or just when I'm bored I often just mess around with things.
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We mods would like to thank Choko for agreeing to our interview! We believe that featuring the developer and their creative process is just as important as featuring the final product. Hopefully this Q&A segment has been an entertaining and insightful experience for everyone involved!
Remember to check out Verloren if you haven’t already! See you next month! 
- Mods Gold & Platinum
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forestwater87 · 4 years ago
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Every episode of Camp Camp ranked: A very (non)objective list
It's well past the time of year when Season 5 of Camp Camp would've dropped. I fully understand and support it not coming out; the crew's health and safety are much more important than a comfort show.
However . . . man, would it be nice to have some comfort right now.
So I'm reliving the entire series! I've been known to share with the world a whole bunch of Spicy Hot Takes, but I've never really sat down and talked about my feelings about the show as a whole. 
And what's the best way to do that? Well, just ask Jenny Nicholson: a numbered list! That is, here's the series ranked from worst episode to best, because I want to get the negativity out of the way early and focus on everything I love (and because people enjoy complaining, so let’s frontload all that). 
The takes will be hot. The feelings will be intense. The post, I'm assuming, will be largely unread.
Let's do it!
Oh and duh, there are spoilers. I tried to keep it pretty chill, but you’ll want to have watched the whole show or just not care about spoilers before going forward.
Also slashes in the middle of “naughty words” are meant to prevent this from being kept out of the main tags. Who knows if it’ll work? I don’t.
60. Who Peed the Lake? (Season 4, epis/sode 3)
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Ah, good ol' Pi/ss Lake (or as @hopefullypessimistic84​ calls it because she's funnier than any of us will ever be, “Pis/s Fe/tish Dot Com”). Terrible, one of the few I’d consider nigh unwatchable. I actually kind of love this episode for being such great shorthand for "the absolute worst one."
Who signed off on an entire episode centered around Sherlock Holmes meets a bad om/o joke? Give me names and addresses: I just want to talk.
59. Reigny Day (Season 1, episode 6)
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And nobody was surprised.
I'll admit I'm more willing to defend this episode than many people, but it's not . . . like, good. It seemed okay when there were only 11 other episodes to compare it to, but now that there have been so many bangers, this comes across as extremely weak. 
And let’s just say the Na/zi jokes hit a lot differently in 2020 than they did in the summer of 2016.
I’m overall happy with the direction the showrunners have moved Dolph’s character in, and I can’t totally blame them for using a kind of humor that was fairly common in the pre-Trump era, but yikes, this has aged like milk. And it wasn’t even very funny at the time, so it aged like milk that was already pretty bad to begin with.
58. Squirrel Camp (Season 4, episode 10)
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This is a dumb one.
Not much else to say; it’s just kinda stupid and lame.
57. Fashion Victims (Season 4, episode 13)
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I love Sasha, but this is filler. Which isn’t in itself a bad thing -- I have a couple episodes near the top that could reasonably be called filler, and a valid argument could easily be made that “filler episodes” don’t actually exist in a show with no plot -- but as much as I adore the Flower Scouts and enjoy the handful of good moments we get in this episode . . . who cares? Does anyone really give a sh/it about anything that happens here? Does anyone get their life from this one?
I didn’t think so.
56. Foreign Exchange Campers (Season 3, episode 3)
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I know, I know, your Russian waifu came from this episode. Why do you think it’s so low on this list?
Okay, for real: this is . . . fine. It’s fine. It’s fine? I’m not mad at it, it just feels tonally incongruous and not very memorable beyond the fact that the fandom got really weird and kinda gross about Vera. But the episode itself? There’s some cute stuff with Neil and Nikki being jealous, but for the most part it’s a big hunk of white bread with some super mild white cheese that’s kinda soggy from sitting in a bag for too long and getting all condensation-y. 
That is to say: it’s fine.
ETA: Space Kid does say “fu/ck.” I can’t decide if that’s a point in the episode’s favor or against it.
This is the last of what I’d call the “bad” episodes. Everything after this ranges from mediocre to mind-blowingly amazing. But whatever our failing tier of Camp Camp episodes is, it stops right about here. 
Onto the good stuff!
55. Night of the Living Ill (Season 2 Halloween episode)
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I keep switching this with “Eggs Benefits,” which probably means they should be tied. But whatever, this is my list and I am in charge and I’ve finally decided, after like 5 changes, that I like this one a little bit less.
It’s a fun Romero parody with nothing I’d call bad. Really this one’s only so low on the list because I think it’s kinda icky, and looking at those green snotty faces makes me queasy. If you think this is a bad reason to put it near the bottom of the list, then make your own post.
54. Cameron Campbell Can't Handle the Truth Serum (Season 4, episode 11)
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I . . . don’t remember this at all. I initially had it a bit higher because I tend to love things with Campbell in them, but then I realized that nothing about this episode stuck in my brain even a little bit. 
Oh, this is the “Dolph has autism” episode that made everyone either extremely happy or really mad? Okay. I guess that’s the most remarkable thing about it. Neato.
Cam, I love you, but this was just not the best use of your sleazy charm.
53. Eggs Benefits (Season 2, episode 9)
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This is one of those episodes with enough cute moments and good ideas to save it from being totally unmemorable, and I mostly enjoy rewatching. Platypus being a mom is a fabulous idea, and pairing the campers the way they did was mostly really interesting and fun.
The Preston-Nurf stuff takes it down several pretty significant notches, though. It’s what the kids would call problematic, and while I normally enjoy how the show doesn’t skew away from darker themes and jokes, it didn’t really fit either of their characters and just . . . isn’t fun to watch. It’s not especially funny, it’s not especially tragic, it’s just uncomfortable.
52. Camp Campbell Wants YOU! (Season 1, episode 0)
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Honestly, this would be a lot higher if it was a full-length episode. It’s funny.
The next 5 or so episodes fall under the “cute but not very memorable” umbrella:
51. Nikki's Last Day on Earth (Season 3, episode 4)
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I love the ensemble episodes, so this was always going to score higher than any of the single-character “meh” eps. I didn’t see the twist coming, though I know a lot of other fans did. Textbook example of “cute but not very memorable” -- the Platonic ideal of that concept.
50. The Candy Kingpin (Season 3, episode 9)
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A clever idea that plays on Max’s worst characteristics and then calls him out for them, while also giving Dolph some much-needed character development. Unfortunately, I don’t feel like it really picks up until the last third of the episode, leaving the rest just kind of sitting there.
49. Campfire Tales (Season 4, episode 13)
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Who doesn’t love campfire stories?
That’s all I got. They’re campfire stories.
ETA: OH SH/IT THIS ONE HAS THAT REALLY SCARY STORY! Where David’s all like . . . Slenderman’d. Fu/ck, I didn’t remember that until I was writing out my thoughts for #35 or so. That definitely elevates it, but I’m too tired to try and re-decide where this should go, so just tie it with “New Adventure!”
48. New Adventure! (Season 4, episode 4)
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New trio! Focusing on these 3 was a definite risk, and I think it really paid off. While the “plot” itself isn’t anything special, there are a handful of really great side gags (hi, Dirty Kevin!!!!) and it’s fun to see these three interact. They all get some nice character beats. It’s a good time.
47. Something Fishy (Season 3, episode 8)
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This might’ve hit me harder if I’d actually seen The Shape of Water, but the send-up works fine without having more than the seen-the-trailer level of understanding. Gwen dresses pretty, which I love; Max sucks, which I also love. What drags this one down is mostly feeling like the surreal aspects of the comedy go a bit too far into the “what the fu/ck am I looking at?” territory without really . . . making an actual joke beyond “look! Wacky!"
Why is David at the opera with a bird? Why??
46. City Survival (Season 3, episode 11)
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Literally do not remember a single thing about this episode except David getting mugged and being called a “homeless twi/nk.” That should probably rank it lower on the list, but David being a fluttery mother hen saves it for me -- as does the fact that it leads directly into one of my favorite episodes, and the single best story arc of the series.
Next set of episodes is what I’m going to arbitrarily call “okay! but like the good kind of okay, not the bad kind.”
45. Bonjour Bonquisha (Season 2, episode 7)
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Max and Sasha masterminding a scheme is really fun; their dynamic is great (though it won’t be fully realized until Season 4), and heartbroken David is so tragically cute it actually makes my heart explode out of my chest.
Also I can’t resist a good “3 kids in a trench coat” gag.
44. Anti-Social Network (Season 2, episode 2)
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Neil is very relatable and I don’t have much else to say about this one. It’s fun to see an episode that more heavily focuses on our nerdy science boy, and Max and Neil teaming up to save Nikki was really charming and sweet and set my Makkiel ship out to sea.
43. A Camp Camp Christmas, or Whatever (Season 2 holiday episode)
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Why does this episode have a musical number? It’s not good.
Okay, that was mean. This is fun and cute and Gwen wears a pretty purple sweatshirt and Space Kid gives her a present and it’s really sweet. But that musical number is an instant fast-forward for me, sorry.
42. Preston Goodplay's Good Play (Season 4, episode 7)
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We get some Preston character development! Awesome!
It’s done in a really trippy and surreal way that totally fits his character and heightens the drama of the episode! Awesome!
David has an apparently-tragic history of being a French mime! Not a good call! 
Next tier: Some good sh/it! (Tbh, these could all be put in just about any order; they might as well be one massive tie.)
41. Cookin' Cookies (Season 2, episode 11)
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I love the Flower Scouts. I love Dirty Kevin. I love the idea of accidentally starting a dru/g empire. Another weird, borderline experimental one focusing on side characters, and I think it works better than “New Adventure!” because the scale of the melodrama is just so over-the-top.
The fact that this is in the bottom 20 but I have nothing but good things to say about it illustrates how dang good this show is. It’s only getting better from here, folks!
40. Romeo & Juliet II: Love Resurrected (Season 1, episode 7)
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Preston is a terrible playwright. This makes sense, because he’s like 11, but he’s the kind of hilariously bad I wish I’d been as a preteen, because his play is absolutely bonkers. Max fucking with David is great, Tabii vs. Bonquisha is great, Bonquisha in general is a giant amazonian goddess and I want to be swept up into her giant arms. Neil is . . . a robot, for some reason?
So much fun!
39. Camp Cool Kidz (Season 1, episode 4)
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I don’t love Ered’s characterization in this one, but there are a lot of wacky hijinks in this episode that I think make it really enjoyable. Max’s wide-eyed revolutionary naïveté is a fun change from his usual dour pessimism, and Nikki’s loyalty to Ered is both very gay and very charming. Plus we get to learn a bit more about how the camp operates (and fails to operate), and it’s a nice way to better establish the campsite as its own setting.
(Definitely think “Cool” should’ve been spelled with a K though. But whatever, I don’t write for the show.)
38. Scout's Dishonor (Season 1, episode 3)
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The birth of Neeancy! The introduction of the Flower and Wood Scouts! Neil saying “cu/nt” -- one of the first and only truly shocking uses of profanity in the entire show! ZUKO!
I don’t know if my fondness for this one is rooted mostly in nostalgia or if it was actually really fun, but I enjoyed the he/ll out of it. Not as highly-rated as some other episodes mostly because it doesn’t really do anything, character or story-wise, but not every episode needs to be a massive game-changer that drowns us in feels. Sometimes it’s enough to have a fun romp, and this is very that.
37. Ered Gets Her Cool Back (Season 3, episode 2)
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Awww, Ered. I have a soft spot for her, because I love the archetype of a spoiled bit/ch clearly still figuring out how to be a person and have friends. You really get the sense of her as a teenager trying to sort her shi/t out in this episode, which I would love to see more of. Her interactions with Nerris are top-tier, and I like that it’s a continuation of how her character’s been softening since Season 1 into this kind of big-sister figure.
Also, all the female campers in this show are lesbians. I do not make the rules.
36. Attack of the Nurfs (Season 4, episode 2)
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I feel like this is a pretty underrated episode. But then again, I feel like Nurf is a pretty underrated character, so maybe that’s just my own personal bias.
I really enjoyed all the different iterations of Nurf, and I think Blaine did a killer job giving each one its own personality and life. It’s a fun episode that plays hard with cartoon physics (a 3D printer printing people! I love it!) and has a surprisingly moving ending.
At least, that’s what I think. Most other people seem to find this one pretty forgettable. Again: make your own da/mn list. I liked it.
35. Mascot (Season 1, episode 2)
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This entire episode is memorable for so many things, but a few of my favorites:
David is established as kind of a di/ck.
Platypus arrives and kicks all the as/s.
Quartermaster is the best.
Nerris, Harrison, and Space Kid all get little moments to show off how cute they are.
Neil and Nikki bonding.
This:
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34. Quest to Sleepy Peak Peak (Season 2, episode 3)
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I love watching Nerris and Harrison bicker, and Neil and Nikki fit really well into their group. It reminds me of being a kid, and of playing Dungeons & Dragons (as an adult, because I’m so cool), and of summer . . . which is a really good thing for this show. There are a lot of funny one-liners, and it’s just a good dang time.
33. Quartermaster Appreciation Day (Season 2, episode 6)
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I don’t think this one is all that well-loved, but I thought it was funny. There are literally zero important plot or character moments, but it made me laugh a lot, and that’s all I need a Camp Camp episode to do. 
I love QM, and the more we learn about him, the more confused and disturbed we end up being. What a fu/cking champion.
32. Arrival of the Torso Takers (Season 3 Halloween episode)
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I lowkey hated this one when it came out, because I knew the Daniel stans were going to be exhausting. And they kind of were? But looking back, it’s a great way to reintroduce this motherfu/cker. He’s a lot scarier than he was the last time around -- but also less competent, which is a great way to kick him in the proverbial ba/lls -- and while I wish it had a lot more Gwen in it, it’s a clever and creative Halloween episode. 
31. Operation: Charlie Tango Foxtrot (Season 3, episode 10)
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Charlie . . . Tango . . . Foxtrot . . . CTF . . . OH! Capture the Flag! I never got that before. Oh, that’s neat. I love this show.
Listen, every time the writers decide to take a risk and do something bizarre and creative, I’m going to be here for it at least a little bit. An entire episode told from the POV of the Woodscouts, explaining how hard they failed in all directions? A great gag where everyone in Petrol’s story talks in grunts? The return of Jermy Fartz?! Fantastic. 
30. Panicked Room (Season 4, episode 16)
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Listen. I’m a sucker for my trash grandpa; anything Campbell-centric is probably going to be pretty good (except #54), because he’s just one of the most consistently funny and engaging characters. Good times are had whenever this terrible man is on the screen, and giving him a romantic backstory? A tragic romantic backstory full of mistakes and emotional damage?? One where he waited 17 YEARS for the love of his life???
We have no choice but to stan.
29. Party Pooper (Season 4, episode 15)
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I’m so predictable. If you put Gwen in something, I will be happy. If you make an entire episode about how Gwen is under-appreciated and overworked and just trying to do her best despite the circumstances, I will dedicate my firstborn child to you.
Anyway, this episode is really sweet, and I liked the unexpected direction the writers took her relationship with her dad. He seems like a nice guy, they seem like they have a nice relationship, and . . . well, an episode about how hard it is to be an adult millennial hit pretty hard. Plus this was just a really pretty episode -- and not just because Gwen was in so much of it! Seriously, that night sky was a thing of beauty.
Also if you say a fuc/king word about Max and that godda/mn dog I will choke you out with your own intestines. Few things are more hilariously, annoyingly ironic than the fact that the entire fandom ignored and failed to appreciate Gwen . . . in the episode all about how everyone ignores and fails to appreciate Gwen.
28. Culture Day (Season 3 holiday episode)
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Now, would it be arrogant to point out that I had the idea for a Culture/Heritage Day back in September 2018? Yes, especially since I don’t think the writers ever read fanfiction and it has literally nothing to do with this episode. Will that stop me? He/ll no it will not! I am a creature of ego! Read my stuff! 
Anyway, this is a really fun look at Neil’s background, personality, and relationships. Max looking out for him is just . . . oh my god, I cannot, I’ve written like 30 of these and my brain is starting to melt, but these two are so cute. I love arrogant Neil, and I love protective Max, and I love QM and Gwen fuc/king over the Flower Scouts to save the day. Everything about this episode is lovely.
27. Cameron Campbell the Camp Campbell Camper (Season 3, episode 7)
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This should not be ranked so high (even if these are all essentially tied). This is a dumb episode based on a really, really dumb premise. 
But . . . I don’t know what to tell you. “Samboy Kidwell,” Max realizing he and Campbell are disturbingly similar and not liking what his future could look like, David’s “I’m not mad, I’m disappointed” face . . . this episode happens to hit all of my favorite things. It had a really good balance of heavy-handed moralizing and goofs, it was part of the most graceful lead-up into a finale the show has ever had, and I’m just all about it. 
Excellent job, Samboy. Count Olaf would be proud of your disguise.
There ends the “some good sh/it” tier. We’re starting to get into the really excellent stuff now!
26. Parents' Day (Season 2, episode 12)
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I know. You want this to be higher. I hear you.
Honestly I’m kind of shocked it’s this high; it’s my least favorite of the season finales so far, and I had to push past a lot of prejudice to actually rank this where I think it deserves to be, as opposed to somewhere in the like mid-40s. Mostly because it gave fuel to the raging inferno of “Max has terrible parents and David should adopt him” headcanons, which I’ve detailed my problems with extensively in the past (in a post that, statistically speaking, none of you have read).
But, trying to be objective: is this episode actually any good?
Well . . . yeah, it really is.
So much work was put into giving each of the campers families that make sense with their characters and bounce absurdly well off of them, ranging from wholesome and adorable (Nerris’s family) to quietly tragic (Harrison’s parents), and they’re all designed so well; they’re fun to look at and fun to watch interact with the kids and each other. (The only exception is Dolph’s dad, who is both kinda lame and misattributes the cause of the weird Na/zi thing because it did not come from Germany, I assure you. But things with Dolph are always a little off, and I don’t really know how you would give him a backstory that actually works with the character, so they were caught between a rock and a hard place there.)
The drama of David having to choose between the man he considers his father and the camp he considers his home is really touching, and him and Gwen choosing to take a sad camper out to get pizza instead of covering for their boss’s a/ss is such a beautiful moment for both of them that I can’t really blame the fandom for losing their mind over it. Campbell’s arrest leading into the arcs of the next two seasons was great as well, and the finale left us all with this weird sense of foreboding because we didn’t know what was going to happen next; it was the only finale that actually ended on something close to a cliffhanger, while still being satisfying enough to keep us all from melting down.
Plus, it’s funny. Carl and Candy are really funny and the idea of Neil and Nikki’s parents boning is funny in a horrible way. The joke about Quartersister is funny. It’s a good episode.
Should this be higher? Maybe, but I can’t bring myself to put it above the rest of these episodes. Again: make your own list.
25. Mind Freakers (Season 1, episode 10)
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The episode that launched a thousand ships. Assuming those ships are all Harrison/Neil, anyway.
It’s hard to talk about these Season 1 episodes because they feel so classic. Like, what is there to say? You’ve all seen it a couple dozen times; I’ve seen it a couple dozen times. Harrison is a di/ck, Neil is possibly an even bigger di/ck, and magic may or may not be real. (Though spoilers for literally every season: yes, magic is definitely real.) It’s so much fun watching these two smug as/sholes snipe at each other in an almost literal playground hair-pulling way that could very easily be read as flirtation. 
And the fandom did most certainly read it that way, at least for a little while.
24. Gwen Gets a Job (Season 2, episode 8)
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It’s Gwen. What, was I supposed to not put it this high?
This was the first Gwen-centric episode, and it absolutely slaps. She’s pushed to the breaking point and responds by being a cold-hearted BAMF, and it got her some pretty significant hate from fans but I don’t give a fu/ck, I loved it. We got to see her all dolled up, and then we got to see her all disheveled, and both of those looks were gorgeous. David gives her a tiny fragment of the love and validation she deserves (I don’t know if this is when gwenvid started taking off -- I think it wasn’t really until “Parents’ Day,” or even Season 3 -- but I ate that s/hit up).
Also, again: job hunting post-2008. It’s a bad time, y’all. Camp Camp gets it.
23. Follow the Leader (Season 4, episode 6)
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Yeah, I was kind of surprised at how high this landed, too. I guess I’m just a sucker for unlikely companionships, and these three have a great chemistry. The combination of competitiveness, sass, and reluctant admiration make their interactions a lot of fun. Their motivation of doing petty errands for Campbell for the sake of getting at the Box of Illegal Contraband is a great framework too, with high enough stakes to justify all sorts of wacky shenanigans without causing actual anxiety.
I want to see these characters forced to spend more time together. Please, RT, make that happen.
22. Escape from Camp Campbell (Season 1, episode 1)
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In terms of numbers, this feels so low, but considering everything from about #45 on is ranked as at least decent, this is actually a pretty high rating. There are 21 episodes I’d call better than this, but these decisions were all pretty painful.
This introduces us to everyone! The main trio, the counselors, Mr. Campbell; we get a snapshot of the major personalities running around the camp, the major points of conflict (Max vs. David, primarily), the major building blocks of future episodes, setting, and relationships . . . 
Again, I don’t know how much of my love for this episode is nostalgia -- there’s a lot of squeeing at familiar faces and gags; this is the first time David gets hit by a bus!!! -- but it was a fun and funny introduction to a series that’s ended up being so important to me, and I’m so grateful this wonderful, quirky little show with its wonderful and quirky little premiere. 
Of all the episodes, I really can’t look at this one objectively. It’s too important.
21. The Fun-Raiser (Season 3, episode 1)
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David and Gwen scheming is my ki/nk. They very rarely scheme together, but every single time their teamwork makes the dream work (or, more frequently, makes the dream fail horribly and have disastrous consequences) my soul flies out of my body and takes to the stars, where I write another 500 first chapters to gwenvid fanfics I’ll probably never finish.
This is a great follow-up to “Parents’ Day,” where we immediately see the consequences of the previous season finale and what happens when the one adult in the camp disappears. Mr. Campbell was a terrible adult, true, but at least he was smart enough not to steal QM’s hook. Like . . . whose plan was this? It was so bad. These two are hilariously incompetent sometimes -- often when their bad ideas are feeding off of each other, actually, a la this and “Space Camp Was a Hoax” -- and watching them frantically try and keep all their balls in the air is so great. 
The ending is satisfying, too; a bit graphic, in keeping with a show that tends to keep the violence limited to periodic spurts of bloodshed 1-2 times a season and mostly pretty mild the rest of the time, but between Max stepping up and fixing everything while still being his shi/tty self to our dear dumba/ss counselors getting their dumb as/ses handed to them (deservedly so, if we’re being honest) . . . it’s such a great note to begin a new season on.
20. Journey to Spooky Island (Season 1, episode 5)
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A classic.
We get to meet our spooky boy Jasper, we get to watch the comedy trio play off each other and continue to sketch out the general contours of their friendship, and we get to see the Quartermaster with a big purple dil/do for a hand. What’s not to love?
19. The Butterfinger Effect (Season 4, episode 17)
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CONTROVERSIAL HOT TAKES! GET YOUR CONTROVERSIAL HOT TAKES HERE!
I’ve already gone into some pretty intense detail about why I think this one is actually really good and carries the theme of embracing change that everything about Season 4 was centered around, but none of y’all read that so here it is in short: this episode is super funny, almost all of the campers’ transformations work really well as extensions of their characters while still being strange and surprising, and the fact that Nurf creates all of these problems by trying to solve them is deliciously fun to watch in a karmic sort of way.
Or maybe it’s just because any Nurf-centric episode is going to rank pretty highly for me. That is also possible.
18. Space Camp Was a Hoax (Season 2, episode 10)
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Our camp counselors being bad people: it’s my drug of choice.
We get Space Kid tripping balls in what might be one of the funniest sequences in the show, the entire camp coming together to try and pull off the stupidest, most impossible task (and kinda maybe almost nailing it???), and once again the fun of watching Gwen and David scramble to keep from getting caught in their boss’s shit/ty lies is so great. And Lindsay’s voice acting is absolutely killer, even more so than usual. 
17. Jermy Fartz (Season 2, episode 4)
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I get the sense this might be a somewhat controversial one. 
I’ve written before about why I think this episode is a lot of fun, but it mostly boils down to two things: watching the campers try (and fail) to be nice to the most bully-able person on the entire planet, and the essential likeableness of Jermy. 
No, really.
I think a lot of people were put off by Jermy’s general grossness, because . . . my god is he disgusting, but he’s also polite and good-natured, and seems totally self aware of how difficult he is to be around, without letting it make him depressed. He’s cheerful in a weirdly downbeat way that’s impossible to understand until you see him in action. He’s so matter-of-fact about his own awfulness in a way that I found entirely endearing. I don’t think I’d want him at my camp, either, but get that kid to a good dermatologist and gastroenterologist, teach him some basic hygiene and social skills, and you’ll have quite a little gentleman there.
I do however find it hilarious that apparently David got the type of tree wrong when making fun of Jermy. Not only is that a great moment for reveling in David being an as/shole, but he didn’t even have the right wood. F/ucking idiot. I love him so much.
These last ones are my favorites! (Well, duh, that’s how this whole ranking thing works.) Maybe not perfect, but just really good and with limitless rewatch value.
16. St. Campbell's Day (Season 4 holiday episode)
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They Grinch’d Camp Camp. Those brilliant bast/ards, they really pulled it off.
Ignoring the fact that David is truly frightening-looking for most of the episode, this is a great bookend to Season 4, following up on the theme established in the first episode about how David is a flawed and selfish human being despite trying his best not to be.
This is another one I was surprised to find so high on the list, but the more I thought about it the more I realizes how good it is. David being a jerk is always one of my favorite storylines, and the fact that the trouble comes from him trusting Mr. Campbell too little instead of too much is a nice twist on the usual formula. Gwen coming to help him out despite a blistering hangover gave me aggressive shipping feels, yes, obviously. 
Between a lot of really funny little gags like QM’s failed satanic ritual and the genuinely touching moral about the importance of spending time with the people you love, it’s just a really lovely episode that gets just the right amount of maudlin for the holiday season. 
15. Jasper Dies at the End (Season 2, episode 5)
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I kept switching this and “Dial M for Jasper”; it was a really difficult decision to make, figuring out where these two belonged. I think in the end, while the John Dies at the End reference was very, very good, this one loses me a little bit by being told from David’s perspective. Now, normally the more David is in an episode the more I’ll be likely to love it (see my #1 for proof of that), but his blinders when it comes to the camp and Mr. Campbell result in a really funny story, but one without the same emotional heft as hearing about what happened from Jasper’s point of view.
That doesn’t mean it’s not perfect for what it needs to be: each Jasper episode builds on the previous ones, and having the same intensity of “Dial M for Jasper,” where we learn how he died and how his relationship with David fell apart, would be weird and heavy at this point. In Season 1 we just found out he’s a ghost (and eagle-eyed viewers realized he’d been a camper with David); in Season 2 we find out how David views their friendship and time at camp; and in Season 3 we get Jasper’s perspective. It’s an absolutely wonderful raising of the stakes (for lack of a better term), but the one that packs more of an emotional punch is going to rank a bit higher than the one that’s mostly just for laughs.
That being said: there are plenty of laughs in this one. Everyone -- Griffin, Miles, Travis, the animators -- nailed this one, and it gets funnier every time I watch it.
14. Camporee (Season 1, episode 11)
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AKA the episode where Forest realized she was in love with Gwen. 
What a great idea for an episode, seriously. Every coming-of-age story has a talent show or a competition or a big game -- something where the kiddos can show off their improved skills and teamwork to beat their bullies or whatever. And this show has both kinds of bullies: the popular girly girls and the violent muscleheads. What a great moment to pull everyone together and show how friendship can help us accomplish anything!
Except . . . of course that’s not what happens. Of course they’re absolute garbage, and of course teamwork isn’t the answer. Gwen is the perfect foil for David here, being the anti-teamwork, anti-Camp-Campbell adult who can perfectly and effortlessly undermine David’s relentless optimism. David wants so badly for his campers to live in the same coming-of-age summer movie he did as a child, and their staunch refusal to do that leads to a really heartbreaking closer to the episode, as well as lead into the next one. Everything about this, from the challenges to the setup to Gwen shouting “we are winning this FUC/KING trophy!” is just gold.
13. David Gets Hard (Season 1, episode 9)
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We have David. We have Nurf. We have Gwen. We have Max trying to be helpful in the shi/ttiest way possible.
We have all the makings of a da/mn good episode. And they deliver. Not a very emotionally intense or moving one, but so, so funny.
12. Dial M for Jasper (Season 3, episode 5)
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This isn’t the fate any of us expected for Jasper, and it’s not the fate of a lot of people wanted. But godda/mn it, it worked. The constant bait-and-switch the episode keeps playing with, where you keep waiting for something really dramatic and tragic to happen . . . and then the reality is that Jasper died because Mr. Campbell was stupid and careless, and it was all just a horribly sad accident.
It’s anticlimactic, but in a way that suits the series, both as a comedic counterpoint to all the hype throughout the episode and as a way to establish that Cameron Campbell is a bad man first and foremost through selfishness and laziness, not Daniel-esque sinister evil. Jasper’s death was totally avoidable and totally Campbell’s fault, and while that’s sad, it also adds a weird sort of lightness to the episode. David didn’t do something terrible to kill his best friend, Jasper didn’t kill himself, and without having actively chosen to murder a child (well, not this time), the door remains open for fans accepting Campbell’s later pseudo-redemption. It was just an accident, and Jasper was “haunting” David to tell him that he was sorry for how their friendship ended. That’s really sweet, actually.
I think it’s the best way this reveal could’ve gone, and I’m so impressed with how they pulled it all off.
11. Into Town (Season 1, episode 8)
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This might actually be the only flawless episode in the entire show. I mean, I call a lot of them flawless, and I mean that on an emotional level -- “I love this so much I cannot see anything wrong with it” -- but this one is a masterpiece of storytelling. All the technical jumbo I’m bad at, like planting and payoff and tension and all of that, is just perfect.
I feel like this is the kind of claim that needs to be backed up with a long-as/s essay full of citations and video clips and references to, like, Joseph Campbell or something, but this is my 49th entry in the list so I am not going to be doing that. Besides, I don’t think my English degree qualifies me to critique film/animation; I don’t even entirely know half the terms I’ve used to compliment this episode. Someone else please explain why this is such a good one.
10. The Quarter-Moon Convergence (Season 4, episode 5)
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I’ve mentioned in other entries that the weird, surreal humor sometimes doesn’t work; it feels too much like being odd for its own sake, and sometimes gets so distracted in being surreal that it forgets to include anything funny or meaningful. 
This . . . is not one of those.
Putting Harrison and QM together is a stroke of genius; the two of them are literally the most magical beings in the entire show, and using them as the conveyance for this great Lovecraftian horror-comedy was such a good idea. I don’t know if we’ll ever see these two interact in another episode -- honestly, this felt a bit like lightning in a bottle, and I have a hard time imagining what could possibly bring them together again -- but if this is the only episode we get, it is such a fantastic one.
Harrison makes a really good everyman, despite his powers; he’s just the right amount of confident and insecure to pull off that wide-eyed apprentice to QM’s grizzled wise mentor. (The fact that QM is objectively a terrible mentor is beside the point.) I still don’t entirely know what the two of them accomplished, but it feels baffling and momentous, with the perfect amount of gravity to make things extremely tense all the way through to the end.
Also, I guess God is an octopus? That’s kinda cool. I like octopuses.
9. Camp Corp. (Season 3, episode 12)
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Another unpopular opinion? Oh ho ho, I am so contrary! I am Not Like Other Fans! I am the Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way, refusing to have the same opinions of all you prepz.
I know this wasn’t the most well-loved episode, but I think it did a really great job tying together story threads woven throughout Season 3: Max’s selfishness leading to him hurting other people, his growing realization that he cares about his friends and the camp itself, the parallels between him and Mr. Campbell (and the fact that they both get this redemption moment in the finale). 
This is the most Max-centric season, focusing on his flaws and character growth, and they pulled it off in a really organic way that felt faithful to his character, touching without being too maudlin. The fact that his feelings about the camp are echoed in Gwen, Neil and Nikki, the other campers, and even Mr. Campbell drives home how important the camp -- and David -- are to this strange little family. 
Each season, Max reluctantly becomes a better person, without changing the fundamental core of who he is. That’s a really hard putt for the writers and Michael, and I’m blown away every finale by how they so consistently nail it.
8. Time Crapsules (Season 4, episode 18)
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Gwen-centric? Check.
Max learning how to be a better person while still being the bratty kid we know and love? Check.
Looks at one of the most under-appreciated character dynamics in the entire show (i.e., Max and Gwen)? Checkity check-check-check.
I don’t really have much to say about this one, which I should: it was considered a pretty serious letdown to a lot of fans, and I’m not sure how to explain why I loved it so much. 
Comparing Max from “The Order of the Sparrow” to Max from this episode is wild. It’s not like 2 different characters: they’re still very obviously the same cynical, self-absorbed 10-year-old trying to survive summer camp. But he’s become a more considerate friend and decent version of that kid, and it’s great to watch. The moment where he and Gwen go too far and immediately regret snapping at each other is still painful (on my god, the VAs in this show, they’re so talented), Nikki and Neil both get nice subplots about how they’re also growing up, and the ending is fuc/king hilarious, perfectly breaking the tension from Campbell’s speech, which is both beautifully done and important to hear, especially if you’re in a period of uncomfortable transition (like, say, in your late 20s, or living through about 5 different national and global catastrophes).
And okay, I found that speech on the wiki for this episode and it made me deeply emotional, so here:
Here's the thing: you've got to take your failures and make something out of them. Take Camp Campbell for instance: a lot of poor decisions went into making this place what it is today. Sure, somewhere along the line it maybe strayed from its path, not living up to the camp it wanted to be. At some point, the camp realized that the camp would never reach the end of its path until it was ready or until it gave up. So, if the camp wanted to keep embezzling money and dealing with foreign powers, so be it! But, at some point, it didn't anymore. I never saw this coming, but I'm starting to think this camp is the best it's ever been.
If this is the last episode of Camp Camp we ever get -- and for at least a little while, it looks like it’s going to be -- I can’t think of a sweeter, funnier, and more lovely bittersweet note for this show to go out on.
7. The Lake Lilac Summer Social (Season 3, episode 6)
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And again: No one was surprised. 
This is the longest non-finale episode of the show, and it uses that time perfectly. Rather than having some big emotional moments and character arcs -- which are great, don’t get me wrong -- the writers use the extended time to build a series of shenanigans as complicated as Gwen’s matchmaking web, and watching her try to set up a series of dominos (with David, for once, being the responsible, level-headed one) is almost as satisfying as the catastrophic results. 
Neil and Snake steal this episode, even from someone as in love with Gwen as I am, and for an episode that’s largely about making fun of shippers, there hasn’t been one that launched nearly as many ships as this. Neil/Snake? Tabii/Erin? Max/Nikki? GWENVID?! It’s all here, and I am here for it.
It was also fun to get a traditional episode setup in a very non-traditional show. I assume this means the beach and/or hot springs episode is forthcoming. (No, Pis/s Lake doesn’t count. Obviously it doesn’t count.)
6. Keep the Change (Season 4, episode 1)
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Again, this is an episode I’ve said a lot about in the past -- and I was pretty uncharitable toward Season 3, which in retrospect was very unse/xy of me -- but I stand by a lot of my opinions then: this is a fu/cking great episode.
David is an as/shole, Max is an as/shole, Campbell is an as/shole. No one escapes the as/sholery. David schemes, Max catches him in the scheme, Campbell gets drunk and kind of gay . . . I’m 54 entries into this list and I don’t have much to say anymore: it’s just really good and fun and I love it.
5. Camp Loser Says What? (Season 4, episode 9)
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This is another one I kind of hated when it came out, and again for fandom-related and personal-grudge reasons.
Fu/cking Daniel. That motherfu/cker. He shows up for 12 minutes and Tumblr bursts into flames. Every single time.
However, it’s really hard not to love this one. Daniel-as-Trump is a clever but subtle -- I mean, for this show’s definition of subtle -- allegory, and it’s amazing how much this slimy freak and the Woodscouts slot into it. David is a bise/xual disaster with the absolute worst taste in men, Dirty Kevin and Daniel are onscreen together for all of 2.5 seconds and the kevdan shippers lost their minds, and Xemug looks like Megamind for some weird reason.
My only minor complaint is that the ending is a bit anticlimactic, but it plays on Daniel’s stupidity and the value of teamwork, so it’s a very small nitpick in an episode that mostly works like gangbusters.
4. Cult Camp (Season 2, episode 1)
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Duh. There’s a really good song and we’re introduced to a charismatic, sinister, and totally dumba/ss villain. What’s not to like?
I don’t think I even need to say anything about this episode. Season 2 started off the summer by throwing a lit firecracker directly at the viewer’s face, and ignoring the fact that we as a fandom proceeded to eat each other, it’s impossible not to get caught up in the episode’s wild energy.
And dude, that song. Fabulous. Fu/ck Daniel, but thank god he’s around to be such a prickly little pri/ck.
Now for the top 3: Literally perfect, wouldn’t change a single solitary thing.
3. After Hours (Season 4, episode 8)
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I’m not sure anyone loved this episode as much as me. But this is my list, and I will put this up at the top if I want to and you cannot stop me.
It’s much easier in a lot of ways to talk about the episodes I hated than the ones I love this much. What do I say besides “literally everything about this fills me with joy and my life is better because it exists”? I don’t know. The counselors are my favorite characters, and between Gwen and QM having the weirdest bonding experience, Gwen getting to meet up with people who care about her silly fanfiction, Mr. Campbell being the trash grandpa of my dreams, David getting in way over his head . . . it’s the episode I always wanted, and they made it work so well.
Also, I just discovered that “Gwen Isn’t Your Mother So Stop Asking Her to Rinse Your Dishes” is an actual song and I am overwhelmed with delight. Here, I’m embedding it as well as linking because it’s so good:
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God. This show. What the fu/ck even is up with this amazing, weird-as/s show.
2. The Order of the Sparrow (Season 1, episode 12)
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Duh.
The entire first season is a great time (except “Reigny Day”), but it’s a pretty low-stakes kind of great time. There isn’t much in terms of emotional depth until the very end of “Camporee,” despite some hints at darker themes in one-off jokes and quick asides, so this episode comes a bit out of left field, tonally speaking.
But that’s not a bug, it’s a feature; if the show had been this overtly emotional from the outset, this finale wouldn’t hit as hard, and the rest of the season wouldn’t be as funny. 
This manages to serve as a capstone to the conflict of the first season, building on episodes like “Into Town” and “Escape from Camp Campbell” in a way that feels totally natural for both David and Max’s characters while revealing new sides of them. It works because it’s so unexpected, but it doesn’t come across as incongruous with their personalities. It’s the first and only time David swears in all 4 seasons, and that line -- I don’t even need to say it, you know exactly what I’m talking about -- still gives me chills.
Also, Gwen sings the camp theme song. Impossible not to cherish.
1. The Forest (Season 4, episode 12)
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I’m not sure if this one is a surprise or not. It might be the obvious first place, or it might be a bit of an oddball for some people.
I had a really hard time choosing between this and “The Order of the Sparrow”; I switched their places half a dozen times, and the difference in quality between the two is razor-thin. I think part of that is because it accomplishes a lot of what “Order of the Sparrow” does: puts David in a situation where he’s pushed to his absolute emotional and physical capacity, crushes every shred of hope he has left, and sees what he’s actually made of when you strip everything away. It’s much more dramatic this time around, but it’s the same basic concept.
And just like in the Season 1 finale, what we see is a man who’s determined to do good even when he isn’t rewarded for it, even when he’s actively punished for it. Who wants to love nature, and life, and make the world a better place -- despite his faults, his selfishness and thoughtlessness and anger, David proves that he is fundamentally kind. He’s not nearly as deludedly optimistic as he seems; he just refuses to stop trying.
Because somebody fuc/king has to.
I’ll admit, some of what puts this one in first place is that I’m a sucker for whump, and David really goes through the ringer. However, I also think it’s important to acknowledge the risk Joe Nicolosi took with writing this episode: it’s all centered around a single character, it’s darker and more viscerally bloody than any other episode in the show’s history, the art is focused on these grand sweeping backgrounds that must’ve taken forever to paint, and there’s very little talking in a show that runs 99% on clever dialogue. This could have so easily backfired -- and for some fans it did -- but it was brave and beautiful and breathtaking.
I’ve actually only watched this in full once. It’s really hard to get through; it’s just so intense and even disturbing. But if there’s one episode I'll remember for the rest of my life, even when I’m 80 years old and haven’t seen the show in years, it’ll be “The Forest.”
It’s funny how such a sharp departure from the format and style of the rest of the show somehow manages to perfectly capture the heart of it. Talk about a fuc/king achievement.
So what have we learned?
I don’t entirely know what the purpose of this whole exercise was. I think it was mostly to get myself a nice Camp Camp fix that came from something other than slogging through 20 different fanfic WIPs, and to remind myself of what a strange and fun ride the last 4 summers have been. 
I also wanted to take a moment to acknowledge what Camp Camp means to me. This show has been hugely important to me on a personal level: I met two of my best friends through this fandom, and I’ve never been more connected to a community or readers than I have with CC. I know I bi/tch about this fandom a lot, but it’s a big extended internet family, and I’m so happy to be a part of it. Going through all these episodes, getting the chance to ramble about the things I liked and the things I didn’t, was a great way to reconnect with a series and community that I love.
So . . . what have we learned?
1. Season 4 was all over the place.
Some of this has to be due to the sheer volume of episodes, but when I sat down and organized everything into tiers:
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There isn’t a single category Season 4 doesn’t have at least one episode in. I was surprised to see how high a lot of them ended up; it really was the best and worst of the show so far.
For the fun of it, I decided to give a number to each placement -- 60 points for the #1 episode, 59 for #2, etc. -- and see how each season broke down. Because that’s that kind of thing I think is worthwhile, apparently. And . . .
2. Seasons 1 and 4 are really good, actually.
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Well, I don’t think anyone’s surprised to see how well Season 1 stacked up; it was amazing. But I was surprised to see how much I ended up enjoying Seasons 3 and 4, when if you’d asked me before this little project, I would’ve said they were the most underwhelming. Maybe I messed up the numbers a bit -- I’m no mathmagician -- but not only are they all really close, but Season 4 was one of my favorites.
3. This entire show is really good, actually.
One thing that really struck me when I put it all together visually is how most of the episodes sit in the “good,” “really good,” or “amazing” categories. The amount of episodes that are memorable, fun, and/or emotionally resonant is crazy. I don’t now how many other tiny cult-hit web series can say the same, honestly, and all of the writers, animators, directors/producers/other people whose jobs I don’t really understand, and voice actors should be commended for their outstanding talent and hard work.
4. Thank you, Camp Camp.
It was a real pleasure to relive all of these episodes again and think about what they meant to me. It won’t be the last time I sit down and watch this show -- and it certainly won’t be the end of my being a shrieking fangirl over it -- but with this break, where we have to get through a blazing, extremely difficult summer without a new season to fawn over, it’s nice to stop and appreciate what a precious gem of a show this is.
I hope everyone involved with Rooster Teeth is taking a much-deserved rest and prioritizing their health and well-being. Thank you for creating something truly special, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
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thewhizzyhead · 4 years ago
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you very much Should Keep going (if you’d like) I’m reading your tags like 👀👀👀 I wanna know More!!!
dude believe me i only just thought up 90% 9f this while doing my math homework last night so yea this is very barebones and this is very very new have very little to offer but um imma try to explain a bit more fjdjdc SO ANYWAYS GRADE 11
Warning: this is very long and I am very sorry aaAAAA also i only just thought of this last night and a while ago while attending class so um yea it's chaotic.
the songs i've mentioned so far in the tag ramble aren't um consecutive so yeah there are a lot of blank spaces in between fjsjsj and yea I haven't figured out the other leads and their arcs yet (probably 5-6 leads). for now um the planned songs feature 3 of the leads:
Kate - basically answers the question of What If Eva Sanchez Was The Protagonist and What If Eva Sanchez Saw The Hell That Is Don't Even (in this show, this song is called "Anakpota?" or "The Fuck?"); she's a transferee and is having a bit of a hard time adjusting to the new school environment; her reasons for transferring run a bit deeper than just "humanities is a lot more interesting than stem or business shits"; i guess her main character themes are burnout, the want for childlike wonder again and overcoming the fear that comes with chasing what you really want and no i am definitely not self projecting what are you guys talking about smh rhhdhs /hj (altho i admit that this is loosely based on my own experience with deciding to transfer schools) and yea she's a very closeted lesbian that slowly starts to comes out to others and to herself more throughout the course of the show. and also she gets a girlfriend YAY
Noel - rn i don't have that much planned out for him cause u know barebones plot but so far um i guess he's the chill dude, overall good guy, rantaro amami from danganronpa v3 vibes, and he's initially framed as the "love interest" for Kate esp in the song "Ikaw Ba Ay..." or "Are You..." (i wanted that to be a play on the typical Filipino Teen Hetero Romance CAUSE THAT SHIT IS IN EVERYWHERE JFJSJD I AM GONNA MAKE A WHOLEASS RANT ON THAT SOON AND NOBODY CAN STOP ME) but surprise motherfucker BOTH OF THEM ARE GAY AND BOTH BOND OVER IT AND BECOME BEST FRIENDS YAY WOOOO i kinda want him to be like the typical "Filipino Teen Heartthrob" star student with the twist being that he's gay and not make that a throwaway joke cause um yea that's a throwaway joke here that someone who is real catch for the heteros but is actually gay is "sayang" or "worthless" here.
Ella - ngl she is probably gonna end up as the main lead here fjdjd i'd say she has riley+chess vibes aka The School's Hotshot Achiever and Student Leader That Is Very Intimidating But Is Actually Really Freaking Kind and i guess with a dash of Kate Dalton-ish snark. Like i said the plot is barebones rn so i dunno anything but i do imagine them being the one that drives the plot forward due to her outspokenness. I also imagine her to be the one (along with Noel) that makes Kate a lil bit more comfortable with her sexuality and yup you guessed it Ella is gay too (bi to be specific oh and she uses she/they pronouns) and altho still a bit closeted, they're a bit more comfy with it. also they become Kate's gf yay!
those are the leads that i have kinda planned out so far but yea i still gotta expound kna lot of atuff and make up more leads for this but then again i just started conceptualizing this last night so ANYWAYS HERE ARE THE OTHERS SONGS THAT I LITERALLY JUST THOUGHT UP LAST NIGHT (aside from the ones already mentioned)
+ "Nakakapanibago" or "Well This Is New" - Ella and Kate work together on a school project aaand gay panic ensues. both of them take turns in addressing the audience and panicking over each other in um er an "Oh My God She's Very Fucking Cute What The Fuck" way. it kinda has What Is This Feeling from Wicked vibes if you remove the aggression and antagonization jdjsd and i kinda emphasize on how overwhelmed they are cause for Kate, everything - from the school to the subjects to the people - is new and her attraction to Ella is like a cherry bomb on top of a chaos cake while for Ella, who has studied in the school since kindergarten which is why nothing about the school fazes her anymore, Kate is a literal breath of fresh air and the spontaneity scares them and excites them at the same time. The number is comedic (and is chance for me to add a shit ton of wordplay cause yAY WORDPLAY) but i guess also hints at their fears which will definitely come into play later.
+ "Mabuting Laban" or "Good Fight" - a group number led by Ella, this is the first song in the musical that isn't mostly comedic. like um the musical so far (before this song) is mostly somewhat of a parody-just-for-laughs-don't-take-this-seriously piece but with this, the show finally hints to something a lot more serious and insightful. so basically ella tells kate (this scene comes right after the Nakakapanibago sequence) that they have noticed that the latter is um very very shocked at the blatant show of LGBTQ+ stuff. Kate mentions that altho many students have since then spoke up for LGBTQ+ acceptance, things were a lot more conservative back in her former school (once again wooo definitely not self projection /hj) so like seeing all this is very new to her. Ella then mentions that things weren't always like that - a lot of fighting had to be done in order to get to that point. and because most of the students already were branded with a rebellious reputation (for a lot of delinquent behavior), they really didn't give a fuck anymore if they were being controversial or not. What mattered was that they would make the school environment a lot more welcoming for themselves and for others. That sentiment is also shared by other leads singing along as they go out of their way to ensure a much better environment for everyone (in terms of lgbtq+ rights, undoing the stigmatization of mental health matters, student activism yadda yadda)
(oh and also this kinda serves as something that bridges the prejudices between the two schools since Ella's school is famous for a lot of student delinquency while Kate's former school is famous for being known as the "Best School In The Region With The Best Students" (which is why Ella understands why the students in Kate's school are a bit more hesitant to speak up because Kate's former schoolmates got way too much to lose) and the rivalry those schools have with each other cause students from ella's school think those from kate's school are pompous little shits while those from kate's school think that ella's schoolmates are delinquents and yes this is commentary on the dynamic my former school'scstudents and my current school's students share) (i should probably give this its own song)
+ "Ayoko" or " I Don't Want It" - (this does not come right after Mabuting Laban fjsjd i honestly dunno where to put this) this comes right after a conversation regarding her reputation in her former school and yea this is Kate poking fun at the "I Want" song musical trope. Like um she addresses the audience saying something along the lines of "oooohh wow complicated backstory exposition! you are probably expecting a song rn ala "How Far I'll Go" from Moana but guess what bitches fuck you all cause i'm gonna sing a song about the things I don't want just to fucking annoy you." it starts off as incredibly satirical and um Kate Dalton-vibes all throughout the scene with lots of pettiness which will then gradually transition to her singing about how she threw all the opportunities presented to her by the former school just because she really didn't want to do them and was tired of saying "yes" just to be enough for them. She then starts singing about her taking control of her own narrative by finally leaving the school. She still laments about those lost opportunities and admits that she still kinda wants to pursue those, but if she has to sacrifice rest for greatness, then she doesn't want it. The song ends with a verse akin to most I Want songs as she finally admits what she really wants the most: rest and wonder.
also here's a verse i made up just a while ago
Diyos ko, sabihin mo, ano pa ang kailangan kong gawin/upang mabawi ang mga ninakaw sa akin/upang maibalik ang pag-asang nawala/upang sa wakas ako'y makakapagpahinga/sapagkat hindi na ako nagnanais ng kadakilaan/ang hinihingi ko lamang ay ang aking kabataan
translation (i'll try my best to make it rhyme): My God, tell me, what else do i have to do/so I can take back all that they have taken from me/so that I can bring back the hope I've long so been deprived of/so that for once in my life, I'll be able to breathe/ cause I no longer want all the greatness that you say I could've had/ I only want to wonder, I only want my childhood back
+ "Halos Lagi Nalang"or "Almost Always The Same" - if this sounds familiar yes i rambled about this before gjdjdjd I started conceptualizing this song even before i even started conceptualizing the musical. So yea this is in Act 2 the song starts with mentioning the exhaustion that comes with being an LGBTQ+ teen in the philippines cause yup same old conservative religious bullshit same old same old shit and despite many a lot of people advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, nothing ever changes around here because well conservative religious bullshit. so yea this is kind of an extension of "Good Fight" but make it more about the burnout felt by a lot of teens that want something better than whatever we have right now. Then it will also apply to the other causes that the leads fight for (activism,destigmatization of mental health stuffs, etc). I'd say it's a combination of Before the Breakdown + Move On musically speaking (yea PMA has influenced me by a LOT). eventually this becomes one of the star numbers fo the show cause yea all the leads will do a shit ton of singing and harmonizing (but for here i'd say Noel and Kate have a tiny bit more of the spotlight since for now they are the ones with the very LGBTQ+ based plotlines). I really REEAAALLY want this song to work aaaa i've been playing around with the melody a lot recently and if i can't write the whole musical, then i'll be content with at the very least writing this song
+ "Try Lang Natin" or "Let's Try It Out" - this is a very barebones sequence atm but basically it's a scene where both Kate and Ella come to terms with their fears related to uncertainty and go "fuck it we don't know jackshit about the future anyway so why not ondulge a bit and ejoy what we have today" and decide to start going out with each other YAYYYYY and also this is like one of the few scenes here were Ella is much more visibly nervous compared to everyone else in the scene so yay for helping each other come to terms with their own vulnerabilities WOOOOO (also paige i remember you saying once that kate and eva could've had a Forever reprise duet right? And correct me if i'm wrong but i think u said it could be about eva assuring kate that she won't go anywhere? WELP I'M STEALING THAT JFJSJJDF /lh /hj AND YUP KATE AND ELLA ARE BASICALLY UM KINDA KATEVA IF YOU SQUINT SO THANK YOU PAIGE FOR THAT IDEAAAA)
AND THAT'S IT SO FAR WOO THIS TOOK ME 5 HOURS TO TYPE IT ALL OUT FJDJSJFF i'm kinda impressed with this ngl considering that i literally started making this up last night and i hope that i can make something out of it woo
And if you guys somehow reached the end of the post and have read every single thing, I'm sending you a lot of hugs and a lot of milkshakes
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mermaidcashton · 4 years ago
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i hate to admit it
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author: claire (@mermaidcashton) ship: michael clifford/reader prompt/AU: this is a gift for the wonderful @h0tsos who wanted soft, subby Michael in an enemies to lovers capacity (and i snuck some coffee shop!au in there as well, and some weebness because, well, it’s Steff and Michael) wordcount: 4k+ warnings: swearing, alcohol mentions, explicit sexual content a/n: • written for @maluminspace & @h0tsos ‘s 5sos fic writers collab (which was a gift exchange this time around) • i do not give permission for this (or any of my writing) to be reposted, by anyone, on this or any other website. please don’t do it! • title from ‘this means war’ by mariana’s trench • ‘my hero academia’ is a manga/anime series. there are references to it and a few of the characters in this but you don’t need to know anything about it to understand what’s going on.
i hate to admit it *** “So, they’re like...superheroes?” 
Luke sipped on his glass of rosé, nodding like he understood whilst making a face that showed he absolutely did not.
“Yeah, dude, pretty much!” Michael nodded along with your co-worker with so much enthusiasm he looked like one of those dogs people put on their dashboards. Except less cute. Wait, no - not cute. Definitely not cute at all. Good save, you. Couldn’t have your own internal monologue thinking you felt anything for the moron you were forced to work with 3 times a week was anything more than an annoyance you had to endure. With a butt that wouldn’t quit. Dammit, self! 
Michael took advantage of Luke showing an interest in his (and yours) favourite anime, and began bombarding him with half baked theories, predictable favourite scenes and shitty character analysis. He nearly knocked his own hat off as he flailed his hands around in an attempt at explaining the dynamics of a battle from the second season. Luke smiled politely. 
You snorted into your drink as you drained the last of it; you were definitely going to need another. If Michael started fanboying over Deku again, you were going to scream.
As you placed the empty bottle onto the wood of the coffee table, you took another glance around the apartment you were in. You’d never been up here before, despite spending a minimum of 20 hours a week in the coffee shop downstairs. But after this evening’s staff meeting tackling such issues as ‘who forgot that milk needs to be kept in the fridge overnight’ (Luke), ‘who is putting too much whipped cream on hot chocolates’ (Michael), and ‘who wrote ‘THIS COFFEE IS HOT, BUT U R HOTTER ❤ ) on a customers caramel macchiato’ (Luke again), Ashton had invited you all upstairs for a ‘employee chill’. You had been surprised a week or so into your employment when you had found out that the manager was also the owner who lived in the apartment above Screamin’ Beans; he was only in his mid twenties, but the more you’d experienced his drive and determination, the more your surprise had dwindled. Ashton really was a great guy, with one big flaw; Michael. They had been best friends for years, hence him moving into the apartment when he came back into town and the job Ashton had given him; which in your humble opinion was the equivalent of setting a monkey loose on the milk frother.   
Michael had sealed his fate with you the same day he’d started work. He arrived 10 minutes late (from upstairs), sleepy eyed and shy smiled. His fluffy blonde hair was spilling out of his beanie, and he kept biting his very pink lip bottom with sharp little teeth. The way he pronounced your name was adorable. You’d burned your hand on the espresso machine. Strike one. Things unravelled quickly after that. He was ‘too shy’ to take orders and work the register so you were stuck there all day talking to goddamn customers about why it wasn’t a good idea to have 3 pumps of every syrup while he hid behind silver machinery and dirtied way more jugs than you deemed necessary. Strike two. And then he’d dropped a latté into that ladies bag - sorry, very expensive bag. Michael had let out a ‘uuuhhh’ sound like a malfunctioning robot without moving for so long that the furious customer had stopped trying to yell at him and focused her rage on you instead. When he had eventually come to whatever passed for his senses, Michael had power walked into the employee bathroom and didn’t return until Calum arrived to join the shift and assured him the woman had left, twenty minute later. You were beyond strikes. You’d been so sure you could talk Ashton into scheduling you together as little as possible. There was no reason to put you down to work nearly every shift together, especially shifts where only two staff were on! Except, apparently there was because he kept fucking doing it. Every time you pressed Ashton on it, he’d say something about how he needed Michael ‘trained by the best’, or ‘matching availabilities’, or he thought their ‘energies combined well; auras are meshing, y’know?’ The one might have been on you for catching him as he was returning from his Vibe Check Yoga class at the studio down the street. 
He’d also emphasised that Michael needed more friends now he was back in the city, and you two had loads in common! You both liked pop punk! You’d rolled your eyes. And Italian food! A ‘tch noise. And anime! Okay, you’d bite. 
The next time you’d gone into work, you’d engaged Michael in a conversation about ‘Tokyo Ghoul’ and recommended ‘Demon Slayer’; things started to pick up. You didn’t fantasise about locking Michael in the walk-in fridge the whole shift. And then…
“You watch ‘My Hero Academia’, right?” “Uh, yeah! I love it.” “Me too! I just ordered a Todoroki tee yesterday. And another Deku one, of course; gotta rep my main man!” “Oh..cool! He’s your favourite?” Of course Michael was a basic bitch. But hey, that’s fine. Deku was fine. He was the main character, after all. And he’s a little less whiny in the recent manga issues, you guess. And the way Michael’s face was right now - open, comfortable, lit up like the 4th of July? That was good, too. His eyes were so green.  “Yeah! Who’s your favourite character?” “Well, I would die for a bunch of ‘em, but I’m a Bakugou girl at heart.” You laid a palm flat on your chest, choosing to ignore the feel of your heart beating faster than it had been five minutes ago beneath it.  Michael wrinkled his nose. “Bakugou? But he’s like...he’s so mean! And angry!”
Oh no. You’d had this conversation before. You locked eyes with Michael, hoping he could see the warning in your eyes. Don’t do it, ho.
“Like, he’d probably make a better villain than hero!”
“You okay, boo?” Calum slid into the space on the couch beside you, holding out a fresh beer for you to take. “You look deep in thought.”
You hummed and accepted the bottle from him, letting go of your train of thought as you caught sight of Luke trying to prove he could get his overly long leg behind his head. Michael and Ashley F. were both actively trying to avoid getting kicked in the face with a sparkly boot, whilst Ashton was just monitoring the situation very intently; you’re not entirely sure when he last blinked. 
You snorted again as Luke’s foot slotted into place in a position you were 85% sure he would not be able to get out of again without assistance, possibly from the emergency services.
“I’m fine. Gotta be one of us capable of thinking here, y’know.” You teased, looking sidelong at Calum. He laughed, rubbing a hand over his freshly shaved hair; he’d always been as easy to get along with as he was obnoxiously handsome. “Hey! You’re lucky I know you’re talking about the human pretzel over there! And I guess, your boyf-” Big brown eyes glittered at you over the hand you’d slapped over his mouth. “-fwendth.” Narrowing your own eyes at your friend, you hissed. “Shut up! I would rather die.” Calum waggled his eyebrows incessantly at you until you relented and dropped your hand. “You knew who I was talking about, though.” Ugh. Smug was not a good look on Calum. “You know, smug is not a good lo-oh fuck, is that the time?” The clock behind Calum’s head showed 8:58; your auction ended at 9:00. You fumbled into your bag for your phone, unlocking it and flicking straight to the app you needed. Phew - still the top bid. “Whatcha doin’?” Calum hooked his chin over your shoulder, blowing your hair out of his face before settling down. 
“Bidded on a really cool, limited edition figure. One of my all time favourite anime characters. The auction is about to end.” You explained,  making sure Calum could hear you other the cacophony of sounds associated with Luke trying to get his other leg behind his head. You both watched the seconds tick down, your username sitting securely by the words ‘Winning Bid’. At two seconds to nine, the page refreshed, then refreshed again; it was over.
‘Winning Bid: BIGRED69’ “Uh...what happened? That’s not you, right?” Calum asked, tilting his head to look at your face, and the rage it contained. BIGRED69. He’d done it again. 
“Uh oh, Y/N - what’s wrong?” Ashton’s voice pulled you out of your internal screaming, and you looked up at him. 
“She’s losing her weeb shit at a heavy eBay loss” Calum answered for you, nodding solemnly as he pulled away from you, giving you room to bonk him with a cushion. “Oh! That’s too bad, but that’s another thing you and Mikey have in common!” Ashton beamed. “Mikey!” Oh no. Oh no, no.
“Yeah?” Michael sloped over, getting his black boot caught on the corner of the leopard print rug as he did. Ashton caught him with an ease you suspected (knew) came from practice. “Why don’t you take Y/N to see your anime dolls? She collects them, too!” Ashton looked so pleased with himself and his suggestion for further ‘bonding’ for you and Michael, and Michael looked like he’d been force fed raw lemon at the phrase ‘anime dolls’, so you let it go on your own behalf. Except now Michael was waiting expectantly for you to follow him to his room and Calum was shoving you off of the couch to get you moving. Fuck your life. You sighed as you got up and started walking. “Fine, let’s go; you can show me your Todoroki body pillow and then we can get on with our lives.” Michael let out a small hiss like an angry kitten, his cheeks colouring a pretty pink. He spared a glance at everyone left in your wake. “I, um, don’t have a body pillow, you guys.” “Suuuuure!” You rolled your eyes, waiting for Michael to enter his bedroom so you could follow. The blonde flicked the light on and moved slightly further in so you could pass him, before shutting the door with a small ‘click’. You decided not to comment on this action, looking around at the posters on the walls and figurines on the shelves instead. You were undecided on whether or not you were going to comment on how cool a lot of Michael’s shit was. A ‘Full Metal Alchemist’ poster over his bed, a full shelf of Funko Pops from movies you loved, framed prints of album artwork by Waterparks and The Maine. Fuck. You were really aware of Michael staring at you with an almost hopeful (?) look on his face as you let your eyes travel around his room before he could show you his ‘anime dolls’. Fuck. Your stomach felt fluttery, and you thought you might have a serious problem here, before you caught sight of a very different problem on Michael’s desk. 
A rare Kirishima Eijirou statue - box signed by the voice actor - you’d been outbid on last month. By BIGRED69. What were the chances a different one was sitting by Michael’s laptop?
“So,” You said, trying to keep your voice neutral and non-murderous. “Where do you get your collectibles from?” “Forbidden Planet, Tokyo Toys, eBay…” Michael rattled off, until you interrupted him. “Where did you get that one? Looks rare - it must have been difficult!” 
“Oh! eBay! It was, but I have an app for it, so…” Michael grinned, looking pleased with himself. An app? “An automatic bidding app? You sniped me?! That’s cheating!” You squeaked; you could not believe this. It was unbelievable.
Michael blinked at you, head empty. “BIGRED69?!” You managed to make the world’s stupidest screen name sound like a terrible accusation. Which it was.
Comprehension dawned on his stupid, beautiful face all at once. “Oh my God! That was you that I’ve been fighting for this stuff? No way! But you didn’t know it was me?”
“Why the hell would I know it was you!” You threw your hands up, and Michael just stared dopily back at you.
“‘Bigred69?! Obviously I assumed you were 12!” Michael let out a squawk of protest, before folding his arms defensively across his chest.
“Clifford!” “What?” Michael’s tone became more insistent. “My last name! Clifford!” You pulled an exaggerated ‘so?!’ face, throwing your hand in the air again. 
Michael had the unmitigated gall to huff, like you were the biggest idiot in the room; like he wasn’t always the biggest idiot in every room, all rooms, ever, in the history of rooms. “Clifford the Big Red Dog!” He said, insistence heavy in the words.
You often swore you could almost hear the old internet dial up tone trilling inside Michael’s brain when customers at the coffee shop asked him such difficult questions as “What dairy alternative milks do you carry?”, “Where is the bathroom?”, and even once - you swear - “What’s your name?”. In Michael’s defence, that last one had been asked in more flirtatious-than-not tone by a brunette who clearly had some kind of vision problem (he’d been dressed more horrendously than usual that day beneath his uniform apron; was that a utility vest?!), but had fluttered her eyelashes at your idiot colleague so hard, for so long, you’d been concerned she’d be leaving without what little vision she’d arrived with. But still. Idiot. Michael, not you. And yet, now it was you with your brain puttering through the information you had with the shrill electronic sound of the 90’s in your head. “Clifford the- are you for fucking real?” This could not be real life.
“It’s totally clever!” Michael asserted, continuing in earnest once you scoffed in reply. “No, listen! Because of Clifford, and also, I had red hair when I made it, and 69 is funny - it is! - and, well-” His face flushed slightly before he puffed his chest out a little, apparently deciding to commit to his defence of his screen name. “I’m big, so it works on like, loads of levels!” 
This could not be happening to you. You were decidedly not standing in the bedroom of a coworker you simultaneously couldn’t stand and also couldn’t stop thinking about kissing as you restocked the counter fridges in the evenings, as he explained that his auction site handle was a combination of a previous dye job, an insinuation about his dick and a massive fucking dog. You could not let Michael have the upper hand here, but you were floundering. So you fell into more familiar, more pathetic territory. 
“If you were called something like ‘deku-loving-loser’, then, sure - I would have known it was you!” “Who’s 12 now?!” “Uh, still you!” Okay, so this wasn’t your finest moment, but you were in it now. And you’d really wanted the Kaminari figure tonight. Michael didn’t even like him that much!
“The point is, you totally sniped me! And you get stuff about basic canon wrong! And your understanding of the characters is one dimensional! And, and...your hat is stupid!” Well, shit. In your defence, Michael’s hat was stupid. You could feel how hot your face was, and Michael’s eyes looking right at it was only making it worse. You couldn’t read his expression at all; he looked like he was searching for something, and you didn’t know what it was, or if he’d find it. You could only assume he had when he took the most decisive steps you’d ever seen him take, reaching you in two huge steps and cupping your face with both hands. Michael kissed in a way he didn’t do anything else; he felt sure and certain as he pressed his lips to yours, moving them with intent. Your brain became overtaken with television static almost immediately as you moved your mouth in time with his, opening your mouth immediately at the questioning press of his tongue. You had enough of yourself left aware to yank his stupid fucking hat off his head as you tangled your fingers in his blonde hair, Michael’s hands sliding down to clutch at your waist as you swayed with the kiss. As Michael pulled back ever so slightly, you took the opportunity to press your teeth into his plush bottom lip, the way you’d thought of doing in afternoon slumps on shift. The whine that came from deep in Michael’s throat made a split second decision for you. 
You pulled back further from Michael, yanking your top off in one go and starting in on the buttons of his black shirt before he fully registered the sight of your bra and the top of your full breasts.  
“Shit, Y/N, are you…” Michael trailed off as you pulled his sleeves down his arms, and the shirt off this body. Your eyes met his as you popped the button on his black jeans and placed your hand on his zipper. “Do you really want me to overthink this, Michael?” A moment’s pause, then he shook his head vigorously, leaning down to pull his boots off once you’d yanked his jeans to his knees. By the time he was left in his (funnily enough, black) boxer briefs, you’d discarded your own jeans and were knelt at the foot of his bed in your soft, lilac underwear. Michael’s breath hitched as his gaze drifted down your body, taking it all in under the artificial light of the room. “Get over here, Clifford…” You teased, trying not to second guess what was happening. Michael broke out of his trance and more or less threw himself onto the bed, settling his head on the pillows and pulling you on top of him for another kiss, and then another, and another. By the time you pulled back to catch your breath, your head was spinning. You braced yourself on your forearms on the bed, taking the time to admire Michael’s body beneath you. 
You’d seen the tattoos on his pale, strong arms before, but they looked different in this context; the contrast between the milky skin and dark ink made your stomach swoop. The blonde hair on his head is also a contradiction; to the dark hair on his chest and the hair trailing down his stomach and disappearing under his waistband. Your mouth felt very dry as you let your gaze continue downward, to the straining bulge beneath the fabric.
You flicked your eyes back to meet Michael’s in question, your fingers suddenly resting on the waistband of his underwear. Michael swallowed thickly, and then nodded once before fixing you with a gaze of pure anticipation. 
No use waiting around. You propped yourself up onto your knees over him and pulled on the fabric decisively, not stopping your motion until his underwear bunched up at his ankles. Holy shit.
You always knew Michael had to have at least one redeeming quality, and you’d finally found it. His cock was huge, hanging heavy and hard between his fuzzy thighs. The head was flushed the darkest pink you could ever remember seeing, and the slit was already shiny with precum. 
If a voice in your head that sounded unfortunately like Calum pressed that Michael had lots of qualities you secretly found redeeming, you ignored it in favour of getting straight to business.
“FUCK! FUCKIN-” 
Apparently, Michael hadn’t been prepared for you to take half of his impressive length into your mouth in one go. You sucked with intent, casting your eyes up to take in the sight of him. His pupils were already starting to blow, and you’d barely done anything. God, that was so sweet.
But then Michael threaded his fingers through your hair, his hand pressing ever so slightly into your scalp. The blonde wasn’t pushing down, but his grip was firm. You could feel the weight of his hand on the top of your head as you held his cock in your mouth, and that shit? Would not stand.
You grab the wrist brushing your hair a second before your other hand finds his idle one, fingers twisted loosely in the sheets. Once you’ve captured both wrists, you guide both to the same point above Michael’s hips, before slamming both into the mattress with purpose. 
If you’d had time to think about it, you’re not sure how you would have expected Michael to react. He didn’t really put out the energy of a man who’d properly fight you for control, either in a domineering way or with more of an air of fragile masculinity. Perhaps a bit of questioning but ultimately compliant as long as he got his dick sucked. But the wanton moan that kicked out of Michael’s chest as you settled into a tight grip on his wrists where you had them pinned on the sheets with intent? That was unexpected. That was interesting.   
Your mouth had remained still on his cock whilst you got his wrists pinned down, more cockwarming him than blowing him. But now you had him so pliant and under your control, it was go time. You pulled back up his cock, wrapping your lips tightly around the head of Michael’s cock, and sucked with gusto. Another groan from above you. You worked your tongue all the way around the head before pulling back enough to flick it into Michael’s sensitive slit. “Oh my fuuu- Y/N, God, I-” Michael was starting to writhe, his hairy legs rubbing into the sheets beneath you. You could feel his wrists moving along with the rest of his body, but you knew you’d made it clear you’d wanted him pinned, and he made no move to get his hand free. Good boy. You sank steadily back down Michael’s length, at least to the six inch mark, before pulling back up, hollowing your cheeks as you went. Back down a little further, then up, back to teasing the head, using your tongue. Michael couldn’t predict what you were going to do next, and it was clearly pushing all of his buttons. You could taste the precum that his cock kept kicking out into your mouth and throat, and see the flush spreading down his neck. By the time you’d pulled, drool beginning to build at the sides of your mouth, Michael was a mess, moaning as much as he was breathing. This could get addictive, you thought to yourself as you let your mouth drop to his balls, and your thumbs press into the pulse points on his wrists. You hummed before you released his left ball from your mouth with a wet pop, and that’s when Michael started begging. “Please, please, Y/N, I wanna-” he panted, cutting himself off over and over. “You’re so beautiful, lemme- God, fuck, it feels so amazing, you’re- I’ve been good, I’ll do anything, please…”
You pretend to consider his pleas as you dragged your tongue over his right ball, dipping into all the creases and leaving them wet behind you. Drawing back up onto your knees, you released one of his wrists so you could push his sweaty blonde bangs back from where it was plastered to his forehead, drinking in the vision before you. His green eyes were nearly completely black, blown out with arousal. The sheen on the skin of his face and body made him glow. His lips were chapped from his teeth tugging on them, and the pink of the matched the flush spread from his cheeks down his chest. And the wrist you were no longer restraining hadn’t moved a centimeter, still pressed firmly to the mattress. Michael was a good boy. And you knew how to treat good boys. With no preamble, you took Michael back into the wet heat of your mouth, relaxing your throat and not stopping until your nose was buried in the soft thatch of trimmed hair on his crotch. You took a moment to situate yourself and enjoy the deep whines bursting out of Michael’s throat into the quiet of his bedroom, before you began to move again, swallowing around his cock. You saw his thighs begin to tremble to the side of you before you heard him speak. “Fuck, fuck, Y/N, please, I’m gonna-” You hummed as hard as you could, pushing Michael’s wrists with that little bit more force into the bed as you did. Michael let out his loudest whine yet - bordering on a sob- as he came, shooting down your throat as he writhed beneath you. 
You swallowed everything he gave you, and when you were sure he was finished, you pulled off slowly, and gently, releasing his wrists as you stood back up on your knees.
Michael looked blissed out, staring dreamily up at you with bright, adoring eyes. He still was yet to move his hands. “Hey.” “Hi.” You smirked down at him. “I believe I heard something about you’d ‘do anything’?” You shot a quick glance at the figurine on his desk, and down at yourself. “I had some ideas…” 
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sincerelyreidburke · 5 years ago
Text
Boy Scout Dex drabble time!!!!!! (S/o @bitsfordays for talking this through with me like 10 days ago and creating this concept in my head)
Anyway, CCU, Nursey goes home with Dex for senior-year Thanksgiving, let’s have a field day.
//
It’s not that Derek is scared of Will’s parents.
After all, he’s met them before. He’s pretty sure the first time he met them, at least distantly, was Family Weekend freshman year. They know who he is, and they’ve always been nice to him. When he first met Will, he was sure that he came from the type of family who would cast judgement on him without knowing anything about him, based only on the way he looks. He’s known plenty of those types of people— at Andover, back home in New York, even at Samwell. It’s a part of life. He was sure that Will came from that type of environment.
But he was wrong. Three years later, it turns out, there are a lot of things about Will he was wrong about.
And so here he is, spending Thanksgiving with the Poindexters in Maine.
He should be okay. He shouldn’t be intimidated. After all, he isn’t scared of them. They’re kind people, and he knows it full well. They were the ones who extended the invitation, who wanted him here, to share their family holiday with them.
It’s just… the way they invited him, as Will’s friend, and what he actually is to Will, these days, are two different things.
It’s okay, though. Derek knows how to stay firmly closeted around people who can’t know. This is nothing new. It doesn’t make it easy, but at least he knows how to do it.
The point is: he’s not afraid of Will’s parents. But he does sort of care an awful lot about what they think of him.
Not that he’d admit it. At least, not to them, or to Will, or to anyone, really— except maybe Chowder, a few drinks in at a kegster, spouting off anything and everything about all of his love for Will and hope for their future. But he’s not so sure that telling Will he’s been anxious for days about making the right impression on his potential future in-laws (God, he hopes) would be the best idea. He’ll tell him later, maybe.
He has to get through this Thanksgiving break first.
So when Mrs. Poindexter is giving him the tour of the house upon his first arrival, he’s on high alert.
Chill Mode is a hundred percent activated; it’s in overdrive, in fact. He trails her, a short lady with strawberry blond hair who he’s pretty sure is simultaneously the sweetest thing ever and also the most likely person to kick somebody’s ass given the opportunity. She brings him to the bedroom he’ll be staying in, to drop his stuff— Will’s room, the one he used to share with his brother; there are still two beds, Mrs. Poindexter explains, because Drew only moved out a few years ago, which works out just great for you two, doesn’t it?
(Ha. Derek wonders if he can get away with some funny business once the bedroom door is shut tonight. He’s not sure he wants to test the waters with Will’s parents, but then again, if he was extra careful to keep Will quiet…)
Not the point, not the point. Derek is chill. He’s doing the tour of Will’s childhood home, the space he grew up in, trying to see all the imprints of his memory in the worn floorboards and the old furniture. “You have a lovely home,” he tells Mrs. Poindexter in the living room. She smiles at him like this is the best thing he could’ve said.
“Well, thank you, Derek,” she replies, gracious and kind. “It’s nothing all too fancy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Derek shrugs, flashing an effortless smile, and replies, “Fancy is overrated.”
Mrs. Poindexter chuckles. Over his mother’s shoulder, Derek watches Will as his face washes with relief. Derek knows what he’s thinking. This is going well.
Derek hunts for more things to compliment, and his eyes land on a series of photos on the wall next to the fireplace. “Oh!” he says, with a smile, as he steps towards them. One of the pictures features Will in a cap and gown, in what Derek recognizes as the front yard of this very house. “Will, was this your graduation?”
Will nods, and so does Mrs. Poindexter. “It was a beautiful day,” she remarks. “And look at the weigela in bloom right behind him; aren’t they nice?”
Derek nods like he has any idea what plant she’s talking about. There’s a big pink bush over Graduation Will’s left shoulder, so he’s guessing it’s that. “They’re great.”
“We’ll need another one soon,” Mrs. Poindexter hums, with a smile, and then puts her hands up in a frame shape like she’s imagining just where it’ll go on her wall. “When you boys finish this year.”
“God, Ma,” Will mumbles, with a smile that might be real or might be forced. “Not so fast. We’ve still got over half a year.”
Mrs. Poindexter laughs. “I know,” she replies. “I’m just teasing. But it’s gone by so fast, hasn’t it?”
Derek catches Will’s eye, and answers for both of them. “Quicker than anything.” He pauses, smiles at him. “But it’s been a good run.”
Will smiles back, just a tiny bit, and then looks back at the pictures as if they aren’t on the wall in his own living room in the house he lives in. Derek follows suit, and this time, he catches sight of one below the graduation one, of Will with just his parents in some kind of banquet hall.
Derek squints at the picture. He does a double take.
What is Will wearing?
It’s…… he’s in some kind of a sailor outfit. It’s white on the top and bottom, with a hat and a dark necktie and a bunch of pins or maybe patches near the collar. His parents are in regular dressed-up clothes, his dad in a suit and his mom in a dress, and they both look as proud as can be.
Derek looks between picture-Dex and the Dex next to him, who is in distinctly non-sailor clothing, just a trademark flannel and jeans. Dex looks younger in the photo, but not that young. It’s from high school, for sure.
“Will,” he says slowly. “Is there a story behind this picture?”
Will looks where he’s looking, and then pauses to look right at Derek, like he’s trying to figure out if Derek is about to make fun of him. During his silence, Mrs. Poindexter chimes in. “Oh, that one!” She smiles huge, the trademark of a proud mother. “That was his Quartermaster ceremony.”
Derek looks back at the picture. Steadily, the joy of this fascinating new discovery about the man he’s been in love with for 2+ years starts to register. There is a story behind this picture. And he thinks he’s about to hear it. “Quartermaster?”
Will lets out a gentle sigh, tucking his hands into his pockets, and says, kind of unceremoniously, “I was a Boy Scout.”
This, Derek was aware of. Will occasionally makes cracks about being prepared or lets an offhanded comment loose about his scouting days. But Derek hasn’t ever heard a word about quartermasters, whatever they are. And he definitely hasn’t seen this sailor outfit.
He looks at the picture. Will looks cute. Cute enough that he’s feeling some type of way about it. His hair is a little long— at least, long for Dex; it’s still short in general— and it’s sideswept a little under his hat, from which his ears stick out underneath. His necktie is just a little crooked to one side. Even his shoes are white.
He looks like some kind of old-timey boat guy. And Derek is kind of thinking he needs to show the group chat immediately.
“I feel like you should tell me more,” he replies, grinning up at Will.
Mrs. Poindexter nudges Will from the other side. “Oh, darling, you should,” she says. “You’ve never told Derek about scouting?”
“Oh, I’ve told him,” Will replies, but his tone is fully conscious of the fact that she’s going to have him tell Derek again, and Derek has literally never been more pleased with a situation.
He pulls out his phone, snaps a picture of the picture, and saves it for later.
For now, he’s going to hear this story.
BONUS:
Samwell Men’s Hockey 2017-18
Nursey sent a photo to the group
Nursey: everybody
Nursey: PLEASE look at my boyfriend
Nursey: i am a.) dying, and b.) also in love
Dex disliked a photo
Dex: Stop being corny on main
Chowder loved a photo
Chowder: omg!!!!!!!!!!!
Chowder: dex where is that from!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ford loved a photo
Ford: DEX WERE YOU IN ANYTHING GOES?
Dex: Looooool, no. Sea Scouts.
Dex: Like Boy Scouts but w/ sailing.
Tango emphasized a photo
Tango: tahts so cool???
Chowder: dex how come i never knew this!!!!!!!!!!!
Nursey: to be fair i also didn’t know this until like 20 minutes ago
Nursey: lol
Hops: Omg you look like sailor moon!
Dex: I wish I knew what that meant
Nursey: hops you’re my hero
Hops: Thanks nursey!
Hops: :D
Nursey: guys i can’t even
Nursey: he looks so cute
Ford: This is the greatest thing I’ve ever seen.
Bully: nothing but respect for MY captain
Nursey: OH CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN
Chowder: sailor dex sailor dex sailor dex!!!!!!!!!
Ford: Brb changing group chat photo
Nursey: ily ford
Chowder: we should put this on shirts!!!!
Louis: Dexy the sailor man
Dex: Derek, Im going to blcok you
Nursey: love you bby
Dex: GROSS
Rhodey: is group chat flirting a fine
Bully: It should be
129 notes · View notes