#it's so easy to get lost in the numbers and it's always strange because

[revasserium]

sometimes, when i write for this blog, i forget the most important thing.

yes, i wrote this for you --

but, i wrote this for me, too.

[possesseddesiress]

The Midnight Ritual. Part Two

CONTENT WARNING: This story includes themes of transformation and body control with a suggestive approach. If this type of narrative is not to your liking or you do not meet the recommended age, we suggest you do not continue. All images used (if any) belong to their respective owners. I claim no authorship over them and they are only used for illustrative purposes.

If you decide to go ahead, welcome to Possessed Desires, where mind and body are never completely under your control.

The Midnight Ritual, part one (English Version)

Part One: The Midnight Ritual I

At that point was when I lost all reasoning, I didn't even think about my friend, or the consequences of my actions, I was filled with jealousy.

I wanted something, and if I could get it, I would do it without hesitation.

I waited for Jacob to fall asleep, it was the afternoon and I knew he always took a nap at that time. I was tossing and turning in my room, until I felt it. How my consciousness was subtracted to be thrown all at once into my friend's body.

I smiled smugly, raising my arm to kiss my bicep and sniff my armpit.

- Hey... - I muttered to myself, touching my chest hard and squeezing it. My other hand went to the relief in my pants to start stroking the area insistently, squeezing as I let out loud gasps - Ugh, shit....

I sighed heavily but not giving up, I had a plan already laid out, and I would stick to it to the letter. I stood up, noticing that Jacob was wearing a sleeveless compression t-shirt, he looked so good... I flexed my arm hard, puffing out my bicep and then took a picture and sent it to my number.

- Hey buddy, do you like the way I look?

I didn't wait for him to respond. I took off my shirt to change it for a red one, but it still exposed my big, thick arms, my broad chest or even my stinky, hairy armpits. I looked amazing.

- Gosh, I look good. That's what a real man looks like, isn't it?

I smiled smugly, lifting my armpit to inhale again in total lust.

I then headed to the gym. It was the first time I had ever done that, I always tried to stay away from the gym in Jacob's body because I was worried I wouldn't know his exercises and cause him to start doing them wrong, plus it was his safe space. But what did it matter?

I walked in, exuding confidence and swagger, watched the receptionist, winking at him to go inside and head to the weights area. First of all because they were easy to operate, it was just lift, flex and lower, but there was also something very special about the area: consecutive mirrored panels that covered the entire wall, perfect for watching me.

I lifted a weight, starting to do the exercise, I had to admit I loved how the pumping felt, how my big arms would inflate and I would start sweating, permeating the area with my scent.

Once I was drenched in sweat, I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket to flex and start taking pictures, straight to my phone.

- Hey buddy, what do you think?

I was surprised I hadn't already responded to my old body, I spent most of my time looking at my phone. Was I playing video games?

I went back to working out, ready for the next step. I flexed my arms again, raising and lowering the barbell, as I began to make more effort, I began to think about something: Me.

I glimpsed my original body, my face, my hips, everything from head to toe. Even things I only knew about.

- Eric has a nice body, Eric is cute, Eric is desirable...

I mumbled lifting the weight again and again between grunts, then I felt something... how the contour between my pants started to lift, that was something unexpected but it was perfect for all that.

I slowly and calmly rubbed the area, enjoying the sensation without letting go of the weight. I continued to think about my body, imaginary scenarios... Jacob and I kissing, him slamming my slim little body against the wall.

- Eric is so... cute - I murmured - I like him, I like my best friend.

It was like feeling a strange sensation, as if I knew that what I had just done had definitely sealed something in poor Jacob.

I was about to regret it, trying to think how to fix what I had done when I felt the phone vibrate, it was me.

- Jacob, are you feeling okay?

- Yeah, bro. Great, I've only been thinking about you all afternoon, tell me something, wouldn't you like to be here with me?

And again, another picture.

I knew "I" wouldn't dare turn down this opportunity, to have the guy of his dreams, finally gay and at his feet. A perfect lottery ticket.

- Dude?

- Come on, don't complain and say you like him.

I then proceeded to throw myself on the floor, I didn't care if others saw me, I had to get this right if I wanted to perfectly realize this. If I wanted to stay only with Jacob.

"I want Eric, just him. I want him to be my boyfriend, just him, I don't want to think about other guys, him to be the only one for me. My only belonging, for him to be mine. Me only his, always obedient to whatever whims he asks of me."

I lifted my T-shirt, revealing my abs and also placing my pelvis up for the picture, and sent it back to the chat.

- Or don't you like it?

She left me on hold, it took her a while to respond. I thought she was even going to ignore me and just put me on hold.

- I love it, come to my house.

I didn't need anything else. I got to my feet as fast as I could, grabbed my stuff and ran out of the gym to the surprised looks of everyone.

I ran to my house, knocked on the door and then opened it myself.

It was strange to see me acting without me being in control, as if an android was impersonating me or I was living in an alternate reality.

- Jacob, what's wrong? - he said in a nervous tone - Yes you're kidding, I don't like how this is getting, I...

He said in a nervous tone, to which I preferred to silence him. I grabbed him from the back of his neck to kiss him intensely, sticking my new tongue hard into his mouth, he only sighed before we closed the door.

We rushed up to his room, our hands eager, him trying to touch every inch of my well sculpted skin, even inhaling my armpits with need, to which I smiled.

- What do you want?

- W-what are you talking about?

- Ask and I will.

I muttered with a stern look in my eyes though also, perfectly willing to oblige whatever came from those thin lips.

He thought awkwardly, though then said with certainty.

- Get down on the floor and lift your legs.

I obeyed him, throwing myself on the floor and bending my legs, showing off my plump, round buttocks encased in the sports lycra. My feet encased in his somewhat smelly sneakers. I stood there still, waiting for him to do something else.

He knelt down to start kissing my legs, then slapped my buttocks.

- Uh!" I grunted loudly, then he reached up to the relief to pull down my pants to swallow my manhood in one fell swoop.

I let out a deep gasp, closing my eyes, smiling; I grabbed him by the back of the neck to pull him down against the base - That... That's it, good boy.

He broke for air, then took off my shoes and placed the sole of my foot against his face, inhaling like crazy. His face full and impregnated with my new scent.

- You don't know how much I dreamed of this - murmured my old body.

- I can imagine - I smiled.

That day we ended up against each other, me slamming my body against his, my hands clutching his as I let out screams and grinned like a fool, or even let him try to shake my buttocks himself.

Although I always thought my rod was quite modest, having it inside was another sensation altogether, it had me with my tongue hanging out and my eyes unfocused for hours. We were both cuddled up in my old bed, him lying on my chest.

- Jacob... I... I love you.

He murmured.

- I love you too.

I answered

He smiled. And the final move of my plan:

- Do you want to be my boyfriend?

I asked.

I shouldn't even count that he answered.

Since then Jacob's behavior changed radically, we stopped being friends and became a couple. He was a very attentive boyfriend although sometimes very perverted, it seemed that all that had raised his libido to the sky, but I knew that he would always be mine, and that was a great advantage.

Very occasionally I can still get into his body, and I love to stay hours and hours playing with my huge pecs, although it's more fun when my original body joins in.

----

I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you liked it, don't forget to follow it and share it so more people can discover it.

I'm always open to suggestions and ideas, so if you have any fantasy or scenario in mind, let me know in the comments or in messages. See you in the next story... Who knows what body you will occupy this time?

---

[dragon-kazansky]

The Last Goodbye

I'm heartbroken. I can't believe he's gone. To those of you who have been following me a while, you'll know Val Kilmer was very dear to me. Tom Kazansky, Iceman, from Top Gun has been and still is my number one fictional man 💕

My friend @sitkafay said I should write out something to express my feelings. I responded I didn't know what to write, but then an idea came to me. There's only one way really I know how to write things: In the form of a fic. So, I hope this is okay. I hope this fic can bring us all a bit of peace in his loss.

Yes, he was a celebrity, but he was an actor who made an impact. He'll be missed dearly by all his fans.

Also, thank you to everyone who came to check on me after the news. I am truly devastated by his loss, but Tom Kazansky will always be here on my page. 💗

I dedicate this fic to my Chaos Squad!

@whiskeyswriting @breadsquash @callmemana @askmarinaandothers @faerieroyal @cycbaby @tngrace @ladylanera @bayisdying @callsignscupcake

Iceman x Dragon

When Jade arrives at the house with her husband, Ron, in tow, it's quiet. Too quiet. Never have they ever known the Kazansky house to be so silent. Any other time this house would be full of laughter and chatter. The door was always open to those dropping by. Even now the door is unlocked. They were expected to come.

Walking into the main hall, they are met with even more silence. It felt wrong. Silence didn't belong in these halls, and Jade wishes with all her being that she could change it.

But she can't.

Her husband kisses her forehead and lets her find Rachael on her own. Because right now all Dragon needed was her Whiskey, as strange as that sounds.

Jade heads upstairs, taking her time. All along the wall are framed photos of a life lived. From Polaroids to photos taken from the kids' phones as they grew up. A whole lifetime.

The bedroom door is open a crack. Jade can hear soft sniffling from inside. Her heart broke knowing her friend was suffering. She doesn't even knock. Jade enters the bedroom and within seconds the other woman is on her arms sobbing.

It's not silent anymore.

The house is full of heartbreak and loss. A broken woman who doesn't know what to do with herself anymore. What does someone do when the love of their life is gone? Jade doesn't hold the answer. Slider is still here, downstairs. Ice is not. Tom is gone and Rachael is alone.

No, not alone. She'll never be alone, but a piece of her will always be missing.

Jade lets her cry until she can't no more. She guides Rachael to the bed and they both sit down. Jade doesn't say anything. She doesn't even try and make Rachael say anything. They just hold each other until Rachael's voice is hoarse and the crying stops.

“He's gone.” Her voice sounds lost and broken.

“I know,” is all Jade can think to say, rubbing her back gently.

“It's not fair. He should still be here. He… He…” She sobs again. Jade pulls her in close. “He's gone…”

Jade isn't sure how long they both stay like that for. It feels like minutes but also hours at the same time. Time means nothing in this room.

“I can't… I can't even sleep in here.”

“No, I know.” Jade kisses the top of her head and runs her fingers through her hair. Oh, how her heart aches for her friend. This was never going to be easy.

The room fills with only sobbing again. Jade tries to comfort her friend, but there's only so much she can do. She can't take away her pain.

Eventually, Ron pokes his head around through the door. Jade looks up and smiles softly at him, but her smile doesn't reach her eyes. As soon as Rachael spots Ron she gets up and gives him a hug. It's one of those big bear hugs that make you feel safe and at home. Ron lets his own tears flow.

“God, I'm so sorry.” She whispers in his ear.

“You're sorry? I'm sorry.” He says back to her.

They hold each other in this moment of peace. Though she's surrounded by two very dear friends, there's still a hole of where someone else is supposed to be. The group of four is down to three. It feels wrong somehow.

Ron takes her hands in his. “Whatever you need, we're here.”

“Thank you."

She turns toward the bed where a box sits. At first she doesn't say anything, she just stares at it. The other two follow her gaze. “It has some of his belongings in it.” Rachael walks over to the box and pulls it forward, peering inside. Jade and Ron flank her on either side to also look in it.

His aviators sit on top of everything else. Rachael picks them up and looks at them. “These old things… he's had these since day one.”

“The original?” Ron asks.

“The original,” she nods.

She sets them aside and lifts up a photo frame. “This is the photo from his office. I thought maybe you would want it, Slider.” She hands the frame over. It's the Top Gun photo.

Ron look at it quietly and nods, “I'll keep it safe.” He holds it to his chest.

The next item that comes out of the box is a leather bound journal. Rachael runs her hand down the worn out cover. “I was hoping to give this to Pete…”

“What is it?” Jade asks.

“A diary. This one specifically is from his time in Top Gun. He wrote about pretty much everyone in that class. There's a lot of comments about Pete on it, but I think it's stuff he'd like to hear.”

“He will come,” Jade says.

“Will he?”

Ron runs a hand down his face. He has no words to offer her. He can't make Maverick show up, but he hopes the man does.

At the bottom of the box is a few more items belonging to Tom, but they're just little things Rachael wanted to give to people who were dear to him, her found family mainly.

Jade wraps her arm around her shoulder ams pulls her in close. Rachael hugs the journal to her chest and cries again. “I'm sorry.”

“Don't be. Don't ever be sorry.”

“What am I going to do without him?” She cries. “He's always just… been there… and now he's not.”

Jade wraps both her arms around her now and holds her tight. There is nothing any of them can do to make this better. The pain won't just go away overnight.

Later that evening, Ron and Jade sit in the living room of the Kazansky house. Rachael is fast asleep upstairs. It took Jade a while to calm her down enough to get her to sleep, but she managed. Rachael hadn't eaten anything. Jade didn't force her to.

Her husband had just passed away, how can anyone expect to be okay after that?

Ron wraps his arm around his wife and kisses her head softly. They can't even bring themselves to turn the TV on.

“The house is too quiet.”

“The others will be here tomorrow. She asks us here first because she needed us,” Ron says softly.

“I know, but still… It feels wrong.”

He gives her a squeeze. It does feel wrong. He can feel it. Everyone feels the same. But no one is feeling pain more than their Dragon is upstairs.

“In time, we'll be okay.”

Jade nods quietly. A moment later, her phone starts ringing on the coffee table. She gets up and answers it. Ron watches her go into the kitchen and then tilts his head back to look up at the ceiling. He sighs.

The next morning, Rachael wakes up with a pounding headache. As the world comes into focus, a gasp catches in her throat. She's in their bed… her bed now. She hadn't slept in this room since he passed. Now, she was waking up to half an empty bed and a completely broken heart.

Tears come to her eyes as she stares at his untouched pillow. He was here only a few days ago, now he's gone. She reaches out and strokes the pillow gently. It's cold to the touch, but she can almost see him lying there looking at her with his beautiful blue eyes.

A sob breaks from her lips and she buries her face in her own pillow, clutching the bed covers tight. She would never wake up beside him again.

There's a soft knock at the door. Jade doesn't wait for her answer. She pushes open the door and pokes her head in. When she sees the state of her friend her heart aches for her. Jade enters the rook and sits on the edge of the bed. She strokes Rachael's hair gently. “Come on, sweetheart. You need to get up.”

“I don't want to…”

“No one wants to do this, but he deserves the send off. Come on, let's go eat.” Jade urges her friend up out of the bed and holds her hand as they go downstairs. Ron is in the kitchen cooking up a mighty breakfast. Jade guides Rachael into a chair and pours her some juice and some coffee. Ron dishes up the food and joins the two ladies at the table. No one talks as they butter their toast and tuck into their food.

Jade keeps an eye on Rachael. She worries about her. Today was the last goodbye and she feared her friend wasn't up to it, but she had to be. Jade refused to leave her friend's side for a moment. She reaches out and grasps Rachael’s shaky hand and gives it a squeeze.

Rachael can't even get through a slice of toast without tears breaking out. Jade gets up and pulls her into another hug. “It's okay. It's going to be okay.”

As Jade calms her down there's a knock at the door. Ron gets up to answer it. When he opens the door he sees Lucky. Bailey, Ice's pride and joy. She immediately falls into his arms and cries in his chest. Ron holds her tight.

Rachael stands at the end of the hall. She knew who it was who had come and she needed to see her. Bailey freed herself from Ron's arms to run to Rachael. Dragon caught her in her arms and held her tight to her chest. Lucky cried in her mama's arms. Rachael held her close and rocked her gently.

“It's going to be okay,” she whispers. Though Rachael wasn't sure which one of them she was trying to comfort.

Lucky couldn't stop crying. Rachael had never seen her girl cry so much. Though no one had seen Dragon cry so much either. Ron and Jade give the girls a bit of alone time.

Eventually, everyone gathers around the breakfast table again. Lucky sits next to Dragon, needing her mother's comfort. They both manage to eat something. Conversation was sparse, though.

Once breakfast is over, Ron works on clearing the table. Bailey goes to help him, leaving Jade and Rachael alone again. Jade insists on helping Rachael get ready for today. As much as Rachael hates to think about it, she knows she has to do this.

The two of them go upstairs. Rachael goes into the bathroom to shower and clean up herself. She hadn't taken proper care of herself these past few days. Tom would have hated knowing that.

Jade set out Rachael's outfit on the bed. She had picked it up yesterday for her before coming to the house, as well as her own. Jade got changed while she waited for her friend. She was in the process of doing her hair when Rachael came out wrapped in a towel. Jade smiled and kissed her forehead. “For luck,” she whispered.

Rachael smiled and sat on her bed to dry her hair. The two of them spent the next hour getting ready. Mainly, getting Rachael ready. Jade sorted her hair and make-up for her. Rachael was grateful she was there. She couldn't have done this on her own.

There's a knock at the door and then Lucky enters. Rachael smiles at the sight of her. Bailey was dressed and ready to go. Rachael reaches out and takes her hands in hers. They both squeeze gently.

“You look beautiful,” Rachael whispers softly.

“So do you,” Bailey smiles back.

They hug and hold each other for a while. It's Ron who disrupts the moment by entering the room. “The cars are here.”

Rachael grabs her purse and takes a deep breath. She looks at the bed for a moment. She keeps expecting him to show up, but she knows he won't.

Bailey loops her arm with Rachael's and they leave together. Rachael and Bailey get in one car, Jade and Ron get in the other. They head to the cemetery.

The car ride is quiet. Bailey doesn't let go of Rachael's hand. Both of them look out the window the whole ride there.

When they arrive, Rachall takes a deep breath. Bailey gives her hand another squeeze. “We can do this.”

“We can,” Rachael says, looking at her. They smile at each other and then climb out of the car. Jade and Ron join them and they walk up the footpath.

Now it's all real.

Rachael struggles to hold back her tears as her eyes land on the coffin. A photo of Tom stands upright behind it. She has to cover her mouth to not sob too loudly, though no one would blame her. All eyes were on her as she approached the coffin. Bailey bursts into tears again, and Ron pulls her into his side. Jade lets Rachael go on her own to approach the coffin.

Slowly, she reaches out and brushes her fingers along the top. Her vision blurs from the amount of tears running down her face.

“I love you,” she whispers.

She could almost hear him saying it back. She nearly smiles. She turns slowly and finds everyone watching her. Her family, the Top Gun recruits, old friends.

Jade holds her hand as she guides her to her seat. The ceremony begins. Rachael can hardly focus. She can't tear her gaze from his picture. It's almost like he's right there in front of her. She half expects him to smile and hold out his hand to her. She'd take and they'd kiss and dance and just be together as it should be.

But none of that happens.

All those in uniform perform the usual send off for a Navy officer. The flag is placed over the coffin.

She's then asked to say some words.

Rachael hadn't planned anything. She had been far too upset to sit and think of what to say. How can anyone think of what to say at their soulmate's funeral?

She stands on shaky legs, Jade giving her a supportive pat on her back. Rachael approaches the stand next to the coffin. Her eyes are focused on it until she comes to a stop. She takes a deep breath and faces everyone.

“I…”

What does she say? She could go with the usual funeral speech most people use… or she could find it within her heart to be honest and share how she really feels.

Just as she opens her mouth to try and speak again, someone catches her eye. He's in uniform coming toward the ceremony.

Maverick. Pete.

He catches her eye and nods at her silently. Rachael smiles. He's here. Everyone is here, and everything will be okay.

“Tom Kazansky was a lot of things to a lot of different people. Many of you knew him as Admiral Kazansky. Others knew him since he himself was a lieutenant. I always just knew him as Tom. We met many years ago, before the Navy. Dated for a while, broke up, and then got reunited again. The universe was sending us a sign. Our relationship sparked once more and from the second we both realised we couldn't be without one another, our future was set.”

She looks at the coffin again. “Tom was many things. A determined and confident pilot. A flirty and cocky gentleman.” A few people laugh. “But he was also kind, gentle, and romantic. Tom cared for those he deemed friends, and even more so for those he considered family. It's because of Tom I have the family I do today. A found family, and I wouldn't trade a single one of you for anything.”

Rachael wipes the tears from her face and looks at everyone again. “I hope you all know how much you all meant to him.” She looks at the coffin again, “and how much he meant to me.” She places her hand over her heart. “I miss him forever and always, just as much as I love him. Tom, this is my last goodbye to you, but I hope even now you know you are mine always. I love you.”

The tears run again, but this time it isn't Jade who comforts her, it's Pete. Mav takes her in his arms and hugs her tight. She returns the hug. Everyone is silent as they watch.

“I've got you,” Pete whispers.

“Thank you,” she whispers back. “For everything.” She lifts her head and looks up at him. “I'm glad you came.”

“I wasn't even going to miss it.”

“I know, but still, I'm glad to see you.”

“You too, sweetheart.”

Pete reaches into his pocket and pulls out something, holding it out to her. Rachael takes it from his hand and holds it in her open palm.

“His dog tags,” she whispers.

“I think you should have them.”

Rachael clutches them to her chest. “Thank you.”

Pete takes them and puts them on her so she can wear them. Rachael clutches them in her hand and squeezes gently. He'll always be with her. Always.

Pete guides her back to her chair. The ceremony ends with jets flying overhead. Rachael finds herself looking at the coffin again. He still feels so close, yet so far away.

As others break away and go off to greet others, Rachael walks back to the coffin. Once more she places her hand on top of it. She feels warm, the same warmth She used to get from him.

“I'm going to miss you every day. I can't believe you left me… but… I know I'm not going to be alone.” Rachael glances behind her at the group. “I'll never be alone.” She looks back at the coffin. “I'll be visiting often. You can't escape my company, even in death,” she smiles. “I love you, Tom. Always and forever.”

The Hard Deck is open, but only for the funeral. Penny made certain no one else could come in tonight. Drinks would be discounted, and she still had to make a living, you know. She had also prepared a wonderful buffet for everyone.

Rachael entered with Pete in tow. He got her a drink and she down half of it there and then.

“Slow down, sweetheart.”

“I needed it.”

He chuckles softly and keeps his arm around your shoulders as she thanks people who come over to her. Once she's alone again she sigh. “It feels weird.”

“Yeah…” He agrees.

“I can't believe he's gone.”

“Me either.”

Rachael and Pete share a look. So many words are spoken without being said. A huge part of their lives is gone.

“You know, he loved you more than life itself,” Pete says with a gentle tone.

“Yeah,” Rachael smiles. “I know. He made sure I knew it every day.”

They both chuckle.

“Life is going to feel weird for a while, but soon enough, we'll crack on as we always do. The world is still turning and we're still here. Believe me, that house will never be empty,” Pete grins.

“It never really was,” Rachael chuckles. “I couldn't have done any of this without all of you beside me. I never want to feel lonely, I never can be with you lot.”

“And that's how it should be.”

They both raise their glasses. “To Ice,” Mav says.

“To Tom,” she replies.

They drink in his honour.

Dragon without Ice is like a jigsaw with a piece that doesn't quite fit. She'll never be complete, but she'll also always be okay. She'll miss him for the rest of her life as there was no one quite like Tom Kazansky in her life. He was unique and wonderful and everything she could have wanted.

Now he's gone.

She'll be okay in time. She has a family beside her to keep her on her feet, and whenever she's feeling sad or lonely, they'll be right there to cheer her up.

The pain will never go away, but it will get easier to handle.

Goodbye, Tom Kazansky.

Goodbye, Val.

[rosewaterandivy]

I. a strange thing, mystifying - canticle

summary: if you strip away the myth from the man

pairing: e.m./f!reader

w.c.: 2K

a/n: I would like to blame myself and @bangaveragewhitewine for this. songs referenced: where do I go - HAIR (rip Gavin Creel), what’s the buzz/strange thing mystifying - Jesus Christ Superstar

What he wouldn’t give for a stiff drink.

Nevermind, that it was a respectable ten in the morning at some studio space in Midtown. He’d arrived, promptly mind you, an hour prior and has been subjected to a myriad of vocal stylings ever since.

This is the last time he ever does anyone a favor.

He winces behind dark sunglasses as the latest hopeful ends her audition number.

“Thanks,” Robin says, suspiciously cheery after what anyone would consider to be a lackluster performance.

Mediocre by New York standards, Broadway-worthy elsewhere in the country.

“We’ll be in touch.”

The actress scurries out with a nod and a wave, lingering by the door with hopes of catching someone’s eye.

Eddie rolls his neck and revels in the satisfying crack of bones. He lets the chair legs land with a thump onto the floor, already twirling a cigarette between his fingers on his way outside.

“Five minutes!” Robin reminds him with a pointed glance in his direction, before she’s corralled into a conversation with the casting director and producer.

Lighting up, he feels an immediate relief that only nicotine can bring, letting it fill his lungs as he inhales deeply. The alley, luckily, is fairly empty. People pass by lost in their own world with nary a glance in his direction.

He’s always liked the anonymity of the city.

Someone always clocked him in LA, and he felt like he never had a moment’s peace. Constantly making an appearance at an event or party, walking a carpet or, bullied into being someone’s plus-one.

No wonder he couldn’t get any work done.

So, while Corroded Coffin was on their hiatus that wasn’t really a hiatus. Eddie figured he’d do a friend a solid and help them out with a passion project. Leave it to Robin to be vague on the details.

“It’s a fuckin’ wash anyway. I’ll be in and out in ten minutes, no harm, no foul.”

The voice carried from the studio’s entrance down the alleyway and straight into his ears.

Ashing his cigarette, Eddie turns to investigate because he swears he knows that voice.

“Yeah, yeah. Just a favor for a friend of a friend. Shame that it’s such a good concept though, and due for a revival too.”

He pauses, waiting for their response. He assumes they’re on the phone and about to walk into the studio. Maybe he can catch them before and—

“I know, a fuckin’ musician. At least LA actors are somewhat trainable for the stage, but a frontman? Gotta be kiddin’ me— too much baggage and too many bad habits.”

Hmm, well then. Maybe not.

“Right, sure. Uh huh, I’ll call ya. Byyyeeee!”

The door snickers open as he stubs the cigarette out with the toe of his boot. Well, he supposes, trudging back inside, there’s that infamous New York hospitality at least.

_

You slump into a nearby chair after checking in with the front desk. Tote bag at your side nearly sweating through your audition blacks because you’d booked it from the subway. Not that you cared, exactly. This was just a favor to Steve because he’d asked nicely and you had nothing better to do on a Tuesday.

There’s fewer people in the room than you’d anticipated, and you try to will your nerves away. It doesn’t matter how many auditions you go on or how many roles you land, it was still anxiety-inducing in the worst ways.

Taking a quick sip from your water bottle and a few deep breaths, you’re ready when the assistant director calls your name.

Dropping your tote by the door, you greet everyone politely as you hand off your music to the pianist. Robin gives you wink as the opening chords come in. And suddenly, you’re glad you opted for this song. It wasn’t as easy as breathing, signing rarely was, but it was in the comfortable part of your range and from a musical you recollected fondly.

Is there an answer in their sweet faces

That tells me why I live and die?

Two minutes is standard for an audition piece, but since this was a favor, Robin had graciously waved it off. And as you were the final audition for the day, there was no rush.

Not that you could tell from the guy lounging on the chair to her right. He’d kicked up the front legs and was balancing precariously, his boot resting against the edge of the table. Dark hair, darker sunglasses, and a devil-may-care attitude.

Lovely, positively great.

Unfettered, you continued the song. Robin softly sung the chorus portions, though you hadn’t asked. You knew she was a sweetheart from how Steve droned on about her, but you weren’t anticipating her kindness— especially for someone she’d only met in passing once or twice.

And, it’s not like you were counting on this gig. So the fact that you’re giving maybe fifty percent is a-okay.

Tell me where

Tell me why

Coming to a close on that high C, you breathe a sigh of relief. There’s a smattering of applause as you collect the sheet music from the pianist and step aside.

“Actually,” Robin begins before you can turn the handle on the door. “If you don’t have anything pressing, would you mind staying a few more minutes?”

“Uh,” you stammer, turning back to where she sat. “Yeah, sure.”

Giving you a bright smile, she turns toward the man in black whispering something.

He scoffs at whatever she’d said, and leans further back in his chair with a groan. So much so, that you’re hoping he falls.

“Ugh, fine.”

Standing up, he grabs the sheet music from Robin and stomps over to you at the piano. The pianist takes the music and gives it a quick scan.

“Who’s who then?”

You pluck the paper from his hand— didn’t even have the decency to offer it to you. Skimming the piece, you fear your heart may plummet to your gut.

“Okay!” Robin proclaims with a gleeful clap of her hands. “Ed, if you could do Jesus’ part first and then we’ll switch? I just want to see something real quick.”

Clearing your throat pointedly, you ask, “Could you take those off?” nodding toward his sunglasses.

He does so with a grimace.

Well, at least they’re not bloodshot.

“Thanks.”

It’s a shame really, because his eyes could almost be mistaken for kind— brown with flecks of amber. If only they weren’t narrowed at you as if you were a piece of gum on his shoe. Whatever, you’re a professional for chrissakes— you’ve certainly dealt with worse scene partners than him.

It seems to me a strange thing, mystifying

That a man like you can waste his time

On women of her kind

And it’s not like there’s a lack of chemistry between you if the pure contempt radiating from him is anything to go off of.

If your slate is clean, then you can throw stones

If your slate is not, then leave her alone

He clearly doesn’t want to be doing this, but then again, neither do you. And his rendition isn’t bad, his voice works for the part— that raspy snarl as it scales the notes, he’s had some training at least.

So, not totally hopeless.

“Nicely done!” Robin crows from her seat, “Okay, from the top but switching parts now.”

It’s not that I object to her profession

But she doesn’t fit in well with what you teach and say

From the corner of your eye, you can see Robin turning to her casting director and whispering. Her eyebrows are liable to disappear into her hairline with how much she’s raised them. She confers with the producer as well before turning back to face you.

I’m amazed that men like you

Can be so shallow, thick, and slow

There is not a man among you

Who knows or cares if I come or go

There’s a beat of silence that’s near deafening before Robin is scrambling from her chair, limbs akimbo, as she dashes toward the pair of you at the piano.

You may be shit with directions, and math, and a myriad of other things, but you’re gifted at reading people. Robin’s excitement is overwhelming, she’s smiling and bright-eyed as she congratulates you and—

“Eddie, this is gonna be so great!”

Assessing the situation, you’re not quite sure that’s the case. But somehow, you’re not the least bit surprised. This’ll be the last time you do Steve Harrington a favor.

He stands frigidly almost like a deer caught in headlights. If a deer could look wry instead of doe-eyed. He’s definitely annoyed, eyes flitting from you to Robin and back again.

You consider throwing him a bone, anything to alleviate the tension, but one: he’d probably glower at you if you tried, and two: you just…couldn’t.

Instead, you inquire, “What’s gonna be great?”

“The show, duh! With you two as my leads, we’ll be Broadway bound in—”

“What?!” He’s incredulous, and loud.

“Are you serious!?”

“Jeez,” she huffs, “Keep your voices down. S’not like this is a happy occasion or anything, worthy of celebration.”

Eddie stalks off without so much as a goodbye, door slamming in his wake.

“Well,” Robin clears her throat, “That went better than I expected.” She claps your shoulder, “Trust me, this’ll all work out.” And bounds off to go call Steve with the good news.

There’s an itch at the back of your throat, one that never quite clears out and is all the worse when you’re annoyed. So, you can already tell, that this guy is gonna be the biggest thorn in your side.

Grabbing your bag, you yank the service door open and step into the alley only to come face to face with Eddie, a cigarette hanging from his bottom lip. There’s a tiny furrow of his brow, eyes narrowing as you attempt a hasty exit.

“Congratulations,” you offer lamely over your shoulder, turning onto the sidewalk.

“Don’t even bother,” Eddie drawls. “Too much baggage and too many bad habits, right?”

And, despite the sounds of the city, it’s quiet.

That is until a mocking voice breaks the silence.

“Don’t flatter yourself, sweetheart. I’ve been called worse and I’ll be outta your hair in no time.”

“I dunno,” you sigh, “Think you kinda like it.”

He blinks.

“The attention that is.” You adjust the strap of your tote, “A musician of a relatively successful band headlining a guaranteed smash, it’ll be cake.”

“I think I liked you better before you opened your mouth.”

“Aww, you think about my mouth?”

A sly bend to your lips sends his guts upside down. A tilt of your mouth, jerking up in that haughty and pursed manner, one that he’d very much like to smack from your face. Kiss it clean off.

“Or maybe you just like me.”

He’s resentful and determined to control a situation he’s really never had any control over, fucking hell. And now, he has to deal with you. Your presence. Your illogical need to fuck up his day, and now his foreseeable future. Taunting him about liking the limelight, liking you, when he knows to the inside marrow of his goddamn bones that he sure as hell does not.

The sheer fucking insolence.

“Keep it cool, Romeo. Noticed you staring real hard back there.”

Heat blooms from the back of Eddie’s neck up his throat and it takes barely a second to catch the rest of him. His head is swimming when he backs you against the bricks, bracing himself above you. Irritable, flushing skin high on adrenaline as the fire in his spine ignites.

“Yeah, in my fuckin’ nightmares maybe.”

You swoop underneath his arm, stepping out into the sun.

And you’re both painfully aware that it’s only because he let you.

Neither of you find each other’s eyes, not even to glare. There’s a soft snort as you turn on your heel and leave. He watches as you slip into anonymity without looking back or saying bye.

A spark of recognition that refuses to wink itself out.

And in this moment, you know each other.

[targaryenfelikayt]

dusty attic boxes. |Bo Sinclair|

wc: 799 summary: On a quiet evening in Ambrose, you unexpectedly find Bo on the porch, and a rare moment of vulnerability between you stirs painful memories of his mother. tags/warnings: lots of small things, unhappy childhood, Bo is not a jerk, heart-to-heart talks. Notes: and this is my favorite slasher, yes, yes.

You're washing the last dish in the kitchen, the faint hiss of the radio playing some ballad, your only connection to the outside world, aside from the old TV with a couple of channels that hurt your eyes if you stare too long. The moment the tap shuts off, a strange emptiness washes over you. The chores are done for the day, and the brothers have scattered: Bo is likely holed up in the garage, Vincent is working on his wax figures, and Lester, after dinner and polite thanks, has gone off to handle the dirty work. Life in Ambrose flows in its usual rhythm: tourists, blood, calm. You're grateful that tonight it's the latter, but it's in these quiet moments that the loneliness creeps in.

Your feet carry you to the porch, just to take in the view of the dark little town. But as you open the door, you realize the eldest Sinclair brother has been sitting there all along.

“Oh, Bo, I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

Normally, he’d bark at something in return, something that would either make you swallow back hurt tears or burn with quiet anger. But tonight, there's no sharp comment. Judging by the number of beer cans and the full ashtray, he’s been here a while, making no noise, giving nothing away.

“You’re the least annoying of all the things that piss me off. You can stay, if you want.” He doesn’t even turn his head, staring off into the distance.

You hesitate at the threshold. Neither of you have ever been particularly easy around each other. Bo seems to hate everyone, including himself, so being near him was always a challenge. Still, with a soft sigh, you let your body sink onto the bench. For a long time, you sit in silence, each lost in your own thoughts, until the cold starts to creep under your skin. Bo notices the goosebumps rising along your arms, though you’ve said nothing. With a loud thud, he sets down the bottle, stands, and grabs a blanket to drape over your legs.

“Thanks. I still can’t get used to how quickly the temperature shifts here.”

“I just got tired of seeing Mama’s damn dress in my face,” he mutters, finishing the last of his beer with a bitter smile.

Your eyes glance down with a hint of disgust, taking in the floral fabric.

“Relax. She never wore it. I bought it one summer while working at the sugar factory, back before they shut it down. She thought the cut and print were ridiculous. No idea why I kept it, but you must’ve been digging really deep to find it.”

“In a box,” you cough slightly. “It was in a box up in the attic. I thought it was kind of sweet-looking… though I don’t know why they used it to cover up all the trophies and medals.”

In the dim light, a flame flares up, followed by the scent of a cigarette. The silence stretches on again, but you don’t try to break it, until he does.

“She threw them up there while she was still alive. My school stuff never meant much to her. Not like Vincent’s did. Mama only had eyes for her craft.”

A scene flashes through your mind—young Bo running a marathon, winning, bringing home a shiny trophy, only for his mother to scoff and mutter that it’s only good for holding cigarette butts. You feel sorry for him. Sorry for all of them. All because two people who should never have had children… did. You reach out for his cigarette surprisingly; he lets you take a drag.

“Why not put them back out? I’ll clear the space. One shelf for your sports stuff, Vincent’s figures, Lester’s knives. How about that?”

Sinclair grimaces, eyes drifting back to the shadows.

“What for? They belong in the attic, gathering dust like always.”

You click your tongue in disapproval, handing the cigarette back.

“Because it matters. And you say that like you're the one who must dust them. I’ll take care of it tomorrow. Your dad’s trophies are still hanging in the study, why should yours be hidden?”

You start to rise from your seat, but Bo grabs your wrist before you can leave.

“Don’t do that again.” His voice is low but not threatening, just a quiet request.

“Don’t do what?”

“Don’t smoke in that dress. You look too damn much like her.”

Your mouth opens, then closes again in a silent response. He stubs out the cigarette among four identical butts and guides you back into the house, switching off the lights on the first floor along the way. He doesn’t say another word as he ends another day in Ambrose. A day that, somehow, wasn’t quite like the others.

My magical ladies, you can always write to me who you would like to see in headcanons or separate one-shots. I do not promise that it will be quick, but I will listen to each of your messages😘

[vamp1reheart]

CACOPHONY 02

Synopsis: Your life has never been easy. Your everyday problems and constant anxiety have always made you someone people don't want to be around. But everything changes when you save a cute boy from a bully, And now he and his brothers are devoted to you. And now he and his brothers swear extreme loyalty to you, And only to you.

Notices: Violent and sexual content! Reverse harem! Bullying, depression and anxiety! Ot7 x reader! Supernatural au. I do not own BTS! This fanfic is my own! English is not my first language, so sorry for the mistakes! Yandere Themes! :)

Chapter 01, 02, 03

To say these Guys are weird is an understatement. They talk to me like they've known me forever, and they're impressed by the simplest of things.

They didn't leave my side, not even when we entered the school. They stayed behind me like three lost puppies.

"Shouldn't you guys go to your rooms?"

When I say this they seem to finally realize what they are doing.

"That's right, but... we don't know our room"

Taehyung says in a somewhat embarrassed tone.

"What? What do you mean you don't know?"

"We recently changed schools, this is our first day here."

Jimin quickly defends his brother, but when my eyes meet his he lowers his head.

Oh no, I must have been too hard on them.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have spoken to you like that. Look, I can show you to the room."

They quickly raise their heads, their eyes shining in a strange but cute way.

"Yes please!"

They hand me the paper with their room numbers and I quickly guide them through the hallways.

"Here, Taehyung's room is this one and Jimin's is right next door. Now Jungkook and I need to go to our room, we're late!"

I say, already getting nervous about the delay, already thinking of good excuses for my teacher.

"Wait!"

It's Taehyung, before I can leave he grabbed my hand. I must have looked at him really rudely, because he lowers his head again, but doesn't let go of my hand.

"Can we meet you at lunch?"

I hate feeling guilty, but it's inevitable. They're so cute, but so weird.

"It is clear."

That was enough for him to let go of my hand and give me a big, square smile. I don't have much more time to admire, I just know I need to get to class now.

Now Jungkook and I were on our way to our classroom, which unfortunately, is quite far away.

Jungkook was walking right next to me, he didn't say a word. The first time I saw him he didn't seem so shy. I'll never be able to get that bunny smile out of my head.

"Can I hold your hand?"

"what?!"

"It's just that Taehyung hyung held your hand, and I wanted to hold it too."

He looks nervous, but he's very cute.

"It is clear"

He smiles that cute bunny smile again and takes my hand.

I admit that I hadn't thought that arriving in the classroom, late and holding a boy's hand could generate stares.

"You're late Miss ___!"

I didn't even have time to breathe properly and my teacher was already preparing his breath to finish me off.

"Sorry sir, I had some setbacks today."

"You arrive late, holding hands with that boy and I guarantee you didn't do the activities I sent you yesterday. This is unacceptable, you have to stop wasting your time with sex and be useful for once!"

I expected him to yell at me, but I didn't expect it to hurt so much.

I feel Jungkook squeeze my hand.

"Have a seat. And Jungkook, welcome to the class, you can choose your seat."

Even though I knew he didn't know anyone in the class, I didn't expect him to sit next to me, not when so many people were looking at him like he was a rare jewel.

But he sits down next to me, and stares at me. It's the same look he had in the alley.God, I don't know what's going on.

___ third person pov

Jimin was sitting in his class at the back of the room. He was aware of the stares he had received when he entered, he was aware that he was a handsome man, but still he couldn't look at him. But still he doesn't look into her eyes.

It's not that he's shy. No, Jimin is anything but shy.But just one look from her made his whole body shiver.

It was delicious.

The feeling of being close to you. Of finally having the chance to feel your warmth.

But he made you feel guilty. And he loved it.

You had such a good heart, And he would love to corrupt it.

Jimin felt the chills running through his body again. All of this because he remembered you.

He was sure Taehyung felt that way too. Taehyung was a serious man, who didn't let his guard down, but next to you Taehyung seemed like a puppy ready to satisfy your greatest desires.

He would find it hilarious if he didn't feel the same way.

He was very eager to get you to his hyungs.

Your destiny is already written, all that remains is to accept it.

Continued...

[thgfanfictionlibrary]

M Rated Fics Masterlist (86)

Part 1 - Part 79 / Part 80 / Part 81 / Part 82 / Part 83 / Part 84 / Part 85 / 

Created: August 24th, 2024

Last Checked:------

Always-TheHungerGamesIreland (ff.net) Summary: 'This was at least the tenth time that he had practice-proposed in the last two weeks, and after about the third time, I started to long for him to be doing it for real. But it was not real. Just pretend. Because he had a better option somewhere else; an option that I had made available to him. And I hated myself for it.' Modern Day AU. Another Day Another Dollar-therebelliondies (ao3) Summary: AU. Katniss is living in an over populated area of Chicago called the Seam. Join her as she traverses the hazards of living in industrial North America circa 1900 as she tries to protect her family. Borderlands-SouthSideStory (ao3) Summary: Maysilee never comes back from the arena, and part of Willow stays there with her. "When they were still small, Willow would lay in her yard between Maysilee and Lissabeth. She remembers the tickle of cut grass on the back of her neck and bare arms, the green smell of the freshly mown lawn. Loud Maysie and quiet Lissa, framing her like the ballerina bookends in Daddy’s office. And that makes sense, really, because without both dancers the books all fall down." Breadcrumbs In the Ashes-typewriter_in_galaxy (ao3) Summary: Katniss comes to help me, her footsteps deathly quiet. Or maybe my grief is too loud. I catch a glimpse of her guilt-stricken face—at having left me alone to face the ruins of my family, at her own portion of blame for her orphaned lover, I don't know—before I collapse in her arms, clinging onto her for dear life as always. She grips me just as fiercely and we hold each other to the point of pain. In which Peeta holds on to Katniss at the end of the Quarter Quell, and they make it through the war together. By The Light Of the Halloween Moon-TwilightCakes (ao3) Summary: Katniss is reluctant to let her friends drag her out to a house party on Halloween. She prefers to spend her nights studying in the library to keep her college scholarship. When she meets a mysterious masked super hero, she finds herself wishing she hadn't spent so many nights lost in the library. Is it the full moon or just the pull of a sexy masked stranger? She's not sure.

Come Away With Me-titania522 (ao3) Summary: Come Away With Me An alternate Growing Back Together Story Cruel Summer-TwilightCakes (ao3) Summary: When Katniss signs up to be a camp counselor at Camp Panem for her summer home from college, she doesn't know what to expect. What she gets is a summer of archery lessons gone awry, cheesy songs by the campfire, and a certain blonde haired, blue eyed counselor she wants to take behind the cabin and get to know better. However, she decides it's best to keep the summer romance a secret. Rated M for language and sexual content. Fishers of Men-SouthSideStory (ao3) Summary: Long before his Games begin, twelve-year-old Finnick has trouble following the rules. He learns the hard way that the road from home to the arena is not an easy one. Fortunate-teetorini (ao3) Summary: Katniss is worried by the number of strange disappearances around District 12... yet Peeta doesn't seem to be too concerned about it. Happy Anniversary-softlikethesunset12 (ao3) Summary: Katniss and Peeta celebrating their anniversaries. Just some Everlark cuteness for you guys :)

[shuubah]

Semblances of Leon in Kazuki Kato and His Songs

If I had a nickel every time lyrics sung by Kazuki Kato matched perfectly with Leon Dompteur's story, I'd have 3 nickels — which isn't a lot. But it's weird that it has happened thrice.

I really got into Kazuki Kato and started checking out his works lately as he's the voice actor of my beloved Leon. And the more I look into him, the more I feel like he really is like Leon, be it in terms of looks or personality. After all, it was his final appearance in Sora's Senpai Club where Sora called him 100% ikémen that captured my heart. He's a cool, level-headed, kind and non-judgemental guy. On top of that, he'd respectfully ask to know his partner's wish as to whether she wants to stay with him or prefers some other guy he saw her getting intimate with!? Hmm, doesn't it sound like someone 2D I know and fangirl over?

Sure, one could easily lie in an interview, but not even as an audience could I imagine being calm in that cheating scenario Sora flung on him suddenly. I've watched many clips of Kazuki's other shows and videos as well, and he always seems to exude this charisma and appeal, and his actions are bold and confident, much like our lion boy. His hair, especially in the earlier days, can also be seen rather long and messy, like a lion's mane.

Then there's his voice. My goodness! I mean, yeah, that's where it all started for me thanks to Leon, but I didn't expect Kazuki Kato to be a full-fledged artist. Alongside his solo songs, he sang covers, as a member of the band JOKER, as a cast of theatrical plays, and as the voice actor of Kento Aizome from B Project group THRIVE. Compared to his long career, the number of his songs I've listened to is meager. But his singing truly is amazing. His voice sounds so, so beautiful in Love Union, I keep listening to his lines over and over again and get overwhelmed with emotions, mostly because of Leon — which I'll get back to shortly.

At any rate, I don't know how Kazuki managed to be this good at singing when he decided to become a singer only after he felt lost in the entertainment industry. What do you mean he wasn't always aiming to be a singer!? Or an actor or a voice actor for that matter!? Because that man really aces whatever he does! Life really is strange and unpredictable, and I'm glad that fate somehow brought him to the world of entertainment. It's like he was born to be the Kazuki Kato we know.

Yes yes, I'm gushing over him. There's nothing to hide at this point. At first, it was so easy for me to see Leon in him. Boy, I should've known what I was getting myself into when I imagined the voice actor as the real life version of my current most favorite fictional man! I've dug a hole for myself deep enough that now I don't even need the semblance of his character to be into him. But when I listen to his songs, original solo or otherwise, there are times when I grasp the lyrics and I feel surprised because they go with Leon impeccably.

Long ramble finished, now I'm gonna do what I originally set out to do — put together all the lyrics sung by Kazuki Kato that I associate with Leon, translated by none other than me. Because either the translations I found had mistakes or there wasn't any translation to begin with. I'm feeling tempted to actually go and fully translate his songs. For now, it's only these lines for my dear lion boy! Beware of hints of events from Leon's main route.

"Caressing your hair, in the end your wiped away tears gleam like orion"

— Love Union (Kento Aizome from THRIVE)

"What do you see in the sky you look up at?"

"Who do you see in the sky you look up at?"

— Faith (solo)

"Embrace me in the endless rain

If you're hiding the answer

Please whisper to me with your unchanging voice

At least envelop my broken heart"

— Jougen no Tsuki (cover)

[aquak1ra]

□■□■□■□■■□■□■□■□■

Chapter 11

★★★THE PULVERIZER★★★

■□■□■□■□■■□■□■□■□■

Leaping through the buildings with her intense skills. Y/n was now the crimson soldier. People needed her even though it went against her master's teachings. Being a kunoichi was what her mom wanted her to be. But she became what she needed to be.

Her head pounded loudly as she once again heard Splinter's words of disappointment. The young girl was almost tired as her body was poisoned with stress. Landing was not easy as her breath hitched behind her throat. A vivid memory reached her mind. Her mother's pleas to do what was right.

Closing her eyes only made it worse, she needed something to calm down. Or rather someone... Raphael was what her heart craved. The peace of mind his sarcastic remarks gave her made the teenager question her sanity. Shaking away her thoughts she sat near the border of a building.

Looking at her T-phone she scanned Raphael's contact number. Hesitating she pressed the dial button scanning her surroundings. Waiting for him to answer felt like an eternity.

"Hello?" His gruff voice made her heart sing.

"Raph, um are you busy? " the girl's voice sounded a bit giddy.

"Not, really dummy. Where you at? " he smirked through the phone. "You playing robin hood again?"

"More like I am playing theif again" she grumbles.

"Hey, don't ya go pessimistic again. Send me your coordinates. Or you wanna play hide and seek again crimson?"

After sending her coordinates she sat there looking at the sky. It wasn't a beautiful site because of all the light contamination but that is all she had. Y/n was used to moving a lot because of her mom. The girl saw a lot of good sceneries in her time. She was set on showing those sceneries to her friends.

Smiling underneath her mask she imagined the guys traveling with her. Of course, they had to defeat Shredder first. But she believed Kamisama was on their side. The young kunoichi felt Raphael's presence in the dark. Smirking she pointed her katana at his shadow.

"You still trying to scare me turtle boy?" her crimson soldier voice chimed through in a way to taunt him.

"Gosh, here I thought the wannabe ninja was distracted" he rolled his emerald eyes.

"You know me I am always on high alert" staring at his eyes she gets lost again.

"What you looking at?" He asked confused as the teen girl looked straight into his soul. "You trying to intimidate me idiot?"

"Um, no I well argh" shaking her head repeatedly. "I was just staring at your eyes dude. They are a shade of emerald green which I haven't seen"

"It all comes down to being a mutant" he stated with a defeated sigh.

"Now you are the pessimistic turtle" she comments. "I already told you I don't care if you're mutant. You are my best friend" looking around she takes of her mask to breath.

"Thanks I guess" sitting next to her wasn't easy as he felt a strange vibe around them. "Enough with this sappy stuff. Did Master Splinter scold you again?'

"Yeah, perks of being a dishoner to my unexisting clan" she said imaging her mother's word. "I just can't stop helping the people who need it the most"

"So? Are you going to let other's decide for you?" Crossing his arms he looks ahead of the buildings.

"I...well I don't know I have to much in my plate. I kinda feel stressed." Laying dramatically on the floor her body makes a small thud. "Whenever I get scolded my heart feels in a dilemma. Almost as my clan is trying to scold me"

"What's your clan name again?" He asked puzzled.

"The Ryuuzaki clan" she states. "I don't know much only the meaning of their name. Which means dragon blossom"

"That's rad!" He exclaimed looking at her. "So that's why you carry weapons themed with the dragon?" He puts the pieces together.

"Yeah, my mom didn't tell me much about them only gave me their meaning. Showed me the weapon collection she had then never spoke of it again." Sighing she stares at the lights in the sky.

"Seems to me your mother was hiding something." He stated as he layed next to her friend. The concrete wasn't comfortable but being close to Y/n was all he needed.

Clenching his fists he cursed under his breath. Going unnoticed by the girl he bit the inside of his cheek. He had to stop relying on her, his tough exterior was being demolished by her presence.

"She hid a lot...I still question everything she did. How she knew the foot clan, my clan and why she trained me.." Her voice wavered.

"Whatever her reason was I am sure you can ask her when we save her" they both sat in comfortable silence after that.

Leo, Raph, Mikey and Y/n are in the subway tunnels.

"Ugh, what's taking so long? Donnie knows I have a short atten... Ooh, gum!"

Raph whacks Mikey's hand away before he could eat it.

"Man, this better be worth it."

Y/n was punching and kicking the air in the corner. She had missed training due to school. The guys tried not to disturb her but the girl said it was fine for her to go with them. Looking at Mikey with a face of disgust she wipes away her sweat.

"Mikey this is a sewage remember" she said recalling the day he learned about the poop in the water.

"So?" he retorts confused.

Before she could answer the subway bus arrives.

"Never mind that, this is totally worth it!"

"So?" Donatello replied smugly.

"You turned Leatherhead's old subway car into this?" Leonardo asked.

"Donnie, have I ever told you how awesome you are?" the red bandana turtle said amazed.

"No, you haven't."

"Well, I'm seriously considering it."

"Dude, You never fail to amaze us" she high fives him. "You used the old gadgets  I gave you?"

"Yeah, thanks for the extra help crimson"

"No problemo" she smiles happily thinking about her mom. "Can't wait for my mom to see this." the turtles grinned nodding in agreement.

Mikey went over and hugs it.

"What do you call this thing?"

"Well, it's a transaxled, multi-armored, electromagnetic..."

"The Shellraiser." the young turtle swiftly inputs.

"What?"

"The Shellraiser. It's the perfect name."

"That is the perfect name." Leonardo agrees.

"Of course it is, bro. You guys always underestimate me. Ooh, gum!"

"Mikey, what the hell?!" Y/n looks at him with disbelief.

They enter inside and activate the power button.

"Now, I've assigned everyone to a station based on your individual skill sets. I can't drive because my station's in the back, so,.."

"Driver!" They all yell in unison even Y/n.

Everyone started fighting.

"Leo drives."

"Why?" They all ask disappointed.

"He's least likely to hit something just for fun."

"True." The turtles agree and Y/n rolls her eyes.

"What about me?" She crosses her arms exasperated.

"I am older than you" the oldest of the bunch stated.

"By one year" the young teen felt it was a little unfair. I mean she was a kunoichi at a young age.

"Don't worry Y/n I made you a sit next to Raphael since you guys fight along each other a lot" Donatello stated trying to ease up the tension.

"Fine" she forces a smile sitting next to her buddy. Earning a pat from Mikey to try to console her.

Everyone gets into their seats

"So, how do we get this baby going?"

"Okay, just ease the throttle forward ever so sli-"

Leo moves the throttle, causing the shellraiser to lurch.

"What is powering this thing?" The red bandana turtle asked.

"The Kraang power cell we got from Leatherhead."

"I thought you said that was dangerous, like the Kraang could track it."

"That's why I put it under a lead glass shield. Now I can regulate the output and prevent the Kraang from detecting its signal."

"I hate to interrupt, but dead end!" Mikey yelled frightened

"Uh, Donnie, how do I stop this thing?" He asked nervously.

"Don't!"

"What?!"

"Trust me!"

The guys scream as Y/n braces for impact. She was scared for her life but she was too focused on keeping her cool.

Donnie pressed a button, opening up the ramp and the shellraiser comes out of the street.

"Donnie, you're awesome!" Raphael exclaimed earning a chuckle from Y/n.

"Wish I could've gotten that recorded" she yells adrenaline coursing through her veins.

"Does this thing have a stereo?"

"What good would this thing be without some tunes?" He puts classical piano music.

"Are you serious?"

"Check out the second movement."

Heavy music began to play. Leo moves the shellraiser forward as everyone cheered.

"Leo, pull over!

Leo stopped the van, Looking on the screen, they saw the Purple Dragons.

"Purple Dragons? He laughs "Oh, this night keeps getting better and better."

"Oh, yeah, it's like candy for my knuckles. And tonight's Halloween."

"Make sure to save me the best candy then" Y/n puts her mask on as her voice became hoarse.

"Oh, wait a minute. Who's that?"

On the screen appears to be a man wearing a turtle costume.

"Excuse me, boys. I think you forgot to pay for that. But don't worry. I accept cash, check, or teeth."

"Huh. That was a pretty good line."

"What are you gonna do? There's one of you and three of us." Fong asked as he dropped the box he stole.

"Oh, you want to call a couple friends, make it even?"

"Pff, you don't look like the Crimson Soldier so stop yapping!" He retorts.

"Oh, please the crimson soldier is my mentor"

He jumps down from the dumpster.

"This guy's got guts. He even knows how to lie"

"It's time to face the wrath of the Pulverizer!"

"This is gonna be great."

But instead, he wasn’t skilled and was a fighter. He is trying to beat them with pathetic punches and kicks.

"Hyah! Judo! Punch, punch! Hyah!"

"Or not."

The thugs smirked and started beating the heck out of him. Everyone winced.

"Ooh."

"Oh, the Pulverizer's getting just.. Well, I don't know the word, but we gotta help him."

The guy was completely beaten down as they stood over him.

"How do you like the odds now, Fong?"

"Whoa, the turtles! Holy cow, it's also the crimson soldier! " He screamed in shock.

"I guess I wasn't a great master" she mocked him crossing her arms causing a nervous chuckle out of the impersonator.

"How does he know who we-"

Donnie gets punched by Sid. He dodged and kicked alongside. Timothy then punched him in the stomach.

"Oh, nice combo! High five."

Sid throws the guy onto Donnie. Fong gets up and starts to grab the stuff.

"Fong's getting away!"

"Oh, no, he don't."

"I got him."

He chases after him but Mikey got him trapped and falls.

"Oh, dang, almost had him."

"Not cool, man."

"Cops! We gotta go!"

"Oh, hey, uh, great teamwork, guys!"

"Look, I don't know who you think you are, or what you think you're doing, but don't." Raphael stated in a serious tone.

"I swear to Kamisama if you keep using my name for those stunts. I'll knock some sense into your brain" Crimson said glaring at him.

"Yeah, maybe sometime we can get together and." He gets stuck. "Oh, hey, I think I- whoa! Yahhh! Whawhoa!"

The shellraiser drives off with him stuck.

"You guys hear something?"

At the sewer,

"We got a problem"

Donnie walks over to Tim as the others peek outside.

"What the-"

"Are you okay?" Donnie asked concerned.

"Uh, sure." He groans in cue. "You can survive with just one kidney, right?"

"Great, first this doofus gets in the way of a good Purple dragon stomping, and now he knows where our lair is." The short tempered turtle said pissed off.

"Oh, no problem. I blacked out most of the way here."

"How do you even know we exist?"

"Oh, I saw you months ago."

A flashback in which he saw the Turtles fighting Stockman. He started to describe of how amazing the turtles did.

"You were like, "let's finish this!" Oh, and you were, like, all, "you're going down!" And then you were, like, all, "bees!" Oh, and you were, like.... You were, like, the strong, silent type."

"Then I saw crimson dealing with the purple dragons and saving a homeless person. Which by the way inspired me more!" He exclaimed.

"You think I do it for fun idiot?!" Y/n yells scaring the guys.

"Dudes, we have a stalker."

"You inspired me to become a hero. I saw you guys, and I thought, what have they got that I haven't got?"

"Years of training under a grand Master of ninjutsu?" Donatello retorts.

"No, an awesome costume. Where'd you get yours, by the way?" He looks at the guys.

"Uh, we are not wearing costumes. We're mutants. Well except Crimson he is a just skilled ninja"

"Right. Cool. How do I do that?"

"You, stop talking." He orders Donatello "We gotta get him out of here."

Timothy is in the lair.

"Whoa, this place is amazing! What's with all the pizza boxes?"

"Hey, don't touch that."

"Hey, what's this?" picks up the tech but Donnie swipes it away "That looks like the stuff those guys were stealing."

"That's impossible. It's Kraang tech."

"What's a Kraang?"

"If we told you, we'd have to kill you. You see, the Kraang are aliens from another dimension." Raphael kept on talking Y/n tried her hardest not laugh.

"Wait, why would the Purple dimwits want Kraang robotics? It's not like they'd know what to do with it. Unless they're stealing it for someone else." The leader of the bunch questioned.

"Well, who do we know that would be interested in stolen evil robot parts?"

"Baxter Stockman."

"Donatello" the turtles blink "Baxter Stockman."

"We'll check it out. Donnie, fix the Shellraiser, and take Captain "Rubber Pants" home."

"What? Wait! Why do I have to-"

"Because you are older than me" Y/n stated as she left with the guys. She clearly wanted to avoid passing time with the impersonator.

Leo, Raph,Mikey and Y/n arrive at the lab.

"Baxter Stockman, whatever you're up to with those robotic parts, it ends now."

"You want to see what I'm working on? Well, here it comes." stockman exclaimed.

A fish appears with his new robot legs. Upon seeing him, the turtles laugh.

Everyone started laughing Y/n looked at the animal with curiosity. She traveled along the world and having her knowledge was useful. Trying to connect the dots she focused on the new enemy.

"Look! Sushi that delivers itself."

Offended, the villain punches and kicks a toolbox at them which they quickly dodge.

"Dude, Fishface is a little sensitive."

"You're calling him Fishface?" Leonardo asked

"Well, it was that or Robo-carp. Fishface knocks him out "Pretty good, pretty good."

"Important safety tip: avoid the legs."

Raph starts to go after him but Fishface dodges and easily kicks him to the wall. Again, Raph dodged and managed to pin his feet. Y/n tries to get near them in panic.

"Raphael don't go near him!" She spoke trying to help him but Fishface uses his tail to block her.

"Relax crimson, What does he got besides legs?" Fishface bits Raph on the shoulder and lets go. "Teeth.. I think they're... poison."

Raph collapses to the ground. Leo starts to go after Fishface while Mikey helps him up.

"Raphael, are you okay?" Y/n asked full of regret. "I am sorry I didn't say it sooner"

Raph's eyes are now colorful like. Grabbing her shoulders he stares at her with a big dumb smile.

"Huh? Sure. Yeah.."

Sid starts to go after him, But Mikey used his chain and whipped him away.

"I'm fine. I love you." He told Y/n which made her blush out of nowhere.

"He's not fine! Quick guys do something! He is being delusional"

"Quick Mikey call Donnie. Tell him we need an antidote!" He exclaimed embarrassed with Raphael's actions.

Donnie answers the phone

"Donatello." He answered them as Y/n was trying to make Raphael feel better after she "rejected him".

"Donnie! We need help! Raph's been bitten by a giant poisonous robotic fish!"

"That's not possible. If he was bitten, it's venom, not poison."

"Interesting, interesting. Get over here!"

"Hurry Raphael's not taking what I said lightly!" Raphael was crying  leaving trail marks flowing like rivers.

Donnie starts to prepare to leave with some medical supplies. Letting Timothy drive was a nightmare.

"Just try to hold it steady, okay? I gotta mix this antidote for Raph." He speaks to Mikey. "What are his symptoms?"

"He keeps telling me I'm the smartest guy he knows and to help him with Crimson"

"Okay. Okay, he's delusional. How's his color?"

"Green, man, and I mean way more than usual."

Donnie slides across the vehicle as Tim drives.

"Does he have any nausea?"

Stockman shrugs as Mikey continues to speak.

"Nah, he doesn't have any…." sees Raph retching. "No, check that. AH, what the? I knew you ate my pizza! You liar!"

"Um, Mikey is it too late to say I stole some too" Y/n breaths heavily trying not to puke.

Leo gets tossed and then punched down by Fishface.

"Donnie, get here now!"

"Almost there."

Fishface kicks Mikey down until the shellraiser breaks through. Fishface roars, and gets hit with a garbage ball.

"Agh! Ugh!"

Donnie and Timothy jumped out and headed over the dazed red turtle. Unaware by this, the Shellraiser started to spark.

"Raph, you still with us, buddy?"

"Donnie?"

"Yeah, Raph?"

"Why are there fingers on my feet? Does that make me unattractive to Y/n?"

"Hang in there, buddy. You'll be okay."

Donnie injected the serum into his body.

"Uh, thanks, magical unicorn."

"That was awesome! We saved him!"

""We" saved him? You wanted to stop and sell ice cream. If I hadn't jumped and smashed through that wall-" He answered angrily glaring at Timothy.

"Uh, Donnie, is the Shellraiser supposed to do that?" Mikey said worried.

Donnie looked and saw the glass was cracked.

"It's cracked. Oh, this is bad. The Kraang can detect that energy signature. We gotta get back underground before they come looking for the power cell."

They began to drive away until the Kraang followed them. They start to fire lasers at them.

"Hold her steady, Leo. I'll take care of these jokers." Raphael was now on his right mind but Y/n wasn't. Thinking about what he said when he was delusional made her heart wince. Staring at him was all she could do as she was still in shock.

Raph activates the cannon. On the screen, the Kraang climbed onto the roof.

"Guys, the Kraang are on the roof."

Donnie, Mikey and Y/n climb onto the roof and notice that the Kraang have jetpacks.

"Leo, Kraang can fly! Kraang can fly! Agh!" Mikey yells as Y/n stops her daze to help them.

Mikey gets tossed at the edge as Donnie whacks the winged Kraang out. Y/n manages to dodge the lasers feeling a strange aura around her. Grabbing dragon shaped kunais she tosses them with anger. Helping her friend up she is then grabbed by a flying Kraang making her fly away from the shell raiser.

"Crimson!" Everyone yells scared for her life.

"I am fine focus on the other issue!" Y/n grunts in pain as her pulse raises due to the high altitude.

"Wow, no one told me they were robot aliens!"

"Why would we tell you?"

Leo activates the claws and crushes the Kraang. Suddenly, an incoming car made them swerve and crash. Leo then emerged from the shellraiser and stabbed through, the others exit with him. Timothy is in the shellraiser as a Kraang pulls the power cell out. Timothy tried to stop it but it escaped.

"Oh, no, you don't!"

"He's got the cell!"

"I'll stop him!"

"Pulverizer, no!"

"I can do this!"

"You really can't!"

He slides down and tries to knock it down. The robot throws him aside.

"Hey! That's my power source, slime bot!"

He goes after him but sees Timothy in trouble.

Y/n managed to climb the Kraangs back making it move slowly above the ground as she used her mother's katana to slice the components of the jetpack. Letting the Kraang go, the jetpack quickly caught itself on fire.

"Jackpot!" She yelled as she descended near the guys.

"Ow! Donnie!"

"Oh, the power cell. Ah, crud."

With no choice, he throws the staff at him and defeats the aliens.

"Ah, man. It looks like I mucked everything up, didn't I?"

"Hey, bro, it's not your fault."

"Um, actually, Mikey, it is."

"Oh, yeah."

"Not completely. I'm the one who sent the Shellraiser through the wall, and that's what cracked the power cell."

"Uh, so, you think we could pick up our training again sometime?"

"No."

"Fine. But I'll be practicing and I'll be back. And wherever crime may roam, wherever help is-"

"Nah, you should leave being vigilante to the crimson soldier" Y/n said as she rolled down on the ground getting in a fighting stance as she swiftly got up.

They guys look at her amazed as her attire was now full of ashes. Timothy had a new goal now be as cool as the Crimson Soldier. The guys quickly went to hug her after he left.

"You scared us dummy" Raphael said oblivious of what his hugs meant for her now.

"I am glad you are safe but now we gotta figure out how we're getting that power cell back." Donatello said patting Y/n's back.

"Which raises the question, how are we going to get the Shellraiser home?"

Later, Leo, Mikey, Raph, and Y/n are forced to push the shellraiser through the sewers. Donnie is inside.

"Are you sure the parking break isn't on?"

"For the hundredth time, yes!" Oh, wait. He released the brake. "Sorry, guys!" door chimes. "Uh, try it now."

"Donnie! Donatello!"

"On second thought this Modern Robin Hood needs a vacation" she takes off her mask breathing heavily as she pushed the vehicle.

Hey guys, as you see I am trying to make you part of the series. I tried my best to make you your own character. Also this episode ignited Y/n's thoughts on Raphael, hope you liked it.

[sergeantgoggles]

Would you be willing to do a 💙 drunken kiss / tipsy for Cody/Tech????

Dearest Anon, do I know you? Because drunk kisses in bars/night clubs are my favorite trope.

.

Not often does the opportunity come up to go drinking on Coruscant with Commander Cody, so when the boys of Clone Force 99 found themselves in that exact position, they certainly weren’t going to turn it down. Honestly, it was only happenstance that brought them there. They had been commissioned by Commander Fox to run a covert operation under the radar. Now that it was completed, and they weren’t due back on Kamino for another two rotations, they decided to celebrate another successful mission. Mission number 79 to be exact. Ironic, since that was the name of the clone bar that they’d ended up at.

Of course, the clones there weren’t entirely receptive of them. They were “The Bad Batch” after all, defective, but effective, as Wrecker liked to say. As it were, Tech rather liked Commander Cody’s definition, “defective clones with desirable mutations.” It made him feel like, in some strange capacity, that he was desired by the Marshal Commander.

It was no secret among his squad that he’d developed something of a crush on Cody over the years. According to him, however, it was only logical that he admired him as a strong, forthright soldier with good morals and strategy. He’d never treated them any differently, and Tech could appreciate a man that didn’t mind getting a little dirty. In fact, he’d heard Cody complain once that as the Marshal Commander, he didn’t get to see a a lot of action on the battlefield, and he was always itching for some excitement. It was information that Tech stored away for no obvious reason.

When Cody caught sight of them from his seat at the bar, he kindly waved them over and immediately ordered them a round of shots. Wrecker wasn’t for drinking, always complaining that it made his head hurt (and despite Tech telling him repeatedly that he would feel better if he drank water in between shots, Wrecker continued to drink like a man dying of thirst, and then wondered why he needed two hypos and a medpatch the next morning). Hunter and Crosshair were glad to take it easy and fell into lively conversation with the Commander, well, as lively of a conversationalist as Crosshair was, at any rate. Cody was one of the only Regs that he tolerated, maybe even liked.

Tech, on the other hand, though he accepted the drink, was happy to simply listen to the three of them go back and forth, accepting drinks as he was given them. Before long, he was pleasantly fuzzy, and he couldn’t help the smile that kept creeping onto his face every time Cody spoke. Cody’s voice was like velvet, soft and elegant, belonging to only the most royal of beings. He didn’t bother to correct the strange comparison, blaming it on the slight inebriation. Besides, it was true. Cody was handsome and wise. He should have been a prince instead of a soldier of the Republic. After all, Cody was the closest to being a complete carbon copy of Jango Fett with a 92 percent compatibility. That alone had earned him the title of Marshal Commander of the Third Systems Army, never mind how battle savvy, intelligent, and compassionate he was.

Tech had been known to zone out here and there when working on a project that required a lot of thought and attention to detail, but it was rare for him to get lost in his own head while they were out. So, when Crosshair had poked his goggles and Hunter started snickering behind a gloved hand at his expense, he flushed deeply and frowned. Cody was also chuckling, though he couldn’t discern whether that was necessarily a good thing or not. One thing was for certain, the heat of embarrassment crawled up his neck and made his stomach flutter. He would later blame it on the number of shots he’d had, six, if his count was still accurate.

“What’s wrong?” Crosshair teased. “Tooka caught your tongue?”

“I do not know what you are talking about,” Tech defended, but he giggled immediately after, not helping his case.

Crosshair smirked, then leaned into Tech’s space to whisper in his ear. “You’ve been gawking at Cody all night. Do something about it.”

Tech tried to look indignant, but the edges of his vision were fuzzy, and the alcohol was sitting heavy on his tongue as he glared. “Nah uh.”

Hunter laughed harder, leaning against Cody’s shoulder, who was also trying to hide an amused smile. “Sounds like you have your work cut out for you, Commander.”

Cody chuckled with a shrug. His eyes raked over Tech’s body, looking at him up and down, and Tech felt himself shiver despite the heat. “Crosshair…what did I miss?”

His brother took some pity on him and patted his shoulder apologetically. “You really don’t realize what you’re doing half of the time, do you?”

Tech’s eyes widened. “What—”

“You talk to yourself,” Crosshair said as though that wasn’t a common occurrence, “…and you just told Commander Cody you think he’s a perfect specimen.”

Tech needed to leave. Right now. He tried to stand, and he managed, but his weight distribution was entirely off, and his equilibrium sent him tumbling off the stool and right into Commander Cody’s chest. Strong arms caught him easily, and as he tried to right himself, caught a whiff of the cologne Cody was wearing tonight. It was musky, a little floral, and maybe something akin to what a day filled with Sunshine was smelled like. He giggled again, his wit slowly leaving him as the alcohol caught up with him, and he thought that distantly he heard Hunter and Crosshair sneaking off, but he couldn’t hear or feel anything beside the light of Cody’s smile being cast upon him.

“Easy, trooper,” Cody said with an authority that went right through Tech.

“S-Sorry,” Tech apologized, but the giggles just didn’t seem to stop. Being this close to Cody should have had him panicking, but the alcohol was doing wonders for his nerves, or rather, they were absolutely giving him a false sense of hope that anything would come of his little crush. He’d expected Cody to right him and let him go, but his hands were firmly on his hips, keeping him close, nearly flush to the line of his body, and Tech bit his lip coyly.

“Something on your mind?” Cody purred, or, Tech thought he purred. It sounded like a purr.

“I think…I would like to kiss you,” Tech admitted forwardly, emboldened by booze.

Cody laughed outright that time, but there was no hint of resentment or disgust. Rather, Cody took Tech’s chin in his fingers and drew him closer. “So, if I kissed you…like this…”

Their lips brushed, soft, tender, not at all what Tech expected from a drunken kiss. It was over before Tech could blink. That should have been enough. Commander Cody kissed him, publicly, in front of hundreds of other clones. He should take this one victory and say that it was sufficient and run as far away as possible to process what the hell had just happened.

“I am drunk, not a blushing virgin,” Tech stated boldly. “Kiss me like you mean it, Commander.”

Above all else, Tech hoped that he wouldn’t wake up in the morning with a court marshal with his name on it for sexually harassing a Commander. He tried to gauge Cody’s reaction as his eyes darkened, and his smile turned into something more predatory.

“Like this?”

Cody didn’t wait for Tech to be ready. He slotted their lips together, guiding him into open mouthed kisses, clacking teeth, dragging his tongue along Tech’s, and tasting him. Tech melted in his arms, slowly wrapping his arms around his neck, and drawing him deeper. A few others whispered in shock, but they certainly drew attention when people started whistling and telling them to get a room. Perhaps, in the morning, Tech would care about such a lewd and public display, but right now, pleasantly tipsy, and more intoxicated from Cody’s lips than the alcohol at this point, he couldn’t care less what a few Regs thought of him.

When Cody finally let him breathe, he kept Tech close, keeping him steady and grounded despite the rush pulsing through his veins. Cody was incredible, and if possible, even more beautiful with kiss-flushed cheeks and panting for breath.

“I…would say that was more than sufficient,” Tech answered quietly.

His reply earned him another heart-warming smile, and Cody kissed his cheek. “Let’s take this somewhere a little more private. No pressure, whatever happens, happens…but I think we both know where we want this to go.”

Tech grinned and bit his lip coyly. “I will follow your lead, Commander.”

[kinghijinx22]

Top 5 queer ships from video games

HELLO my fellow queers! Just in time for the end of Pride Month I have decided to write about my top 5 queer canon ships from video games because I thought it would be a cool thing to do for the occasion, because I play the video games and am obviously very queer myself. This is also sort of a post to go along with the top 5 pansexual characters that I did last year as well. So to begin our list at number 5-

5. Alex Chen and Steph Gingrich, Chengrich from Life is Strange True Colors- Starting off with a ship not from a game I've played myself but I've seen plenty of lets plays of which is something I can say about the whole Life is Strange series, Alex Chen and Steph Gingrich from True Colors are a couple of dorky sapphics with a really cute relationship. The best in Life is Strange in my opinion, while the series has always been known for having good queer representation, I personally was not as impressed as others with the vagueness and burying of gays that LiS 1 and Before the Storm did, and while LiS 2 is better with Sean and Finn in it's explicitness, they make Finn such an asshole. Canon bisexual protagonist Alex Chen of True Colors is the most likeable protagonist in the series in my opinion, and Steph Gingrich who is lesbian, is easily the best love interest. Better then Ryan from the same game in my opinion, Alex and Steph's relationship is well developed throughout the game and the 2 of them have some really heart warming moments, especially that kiss when Alex goes upstairs to see Steph during that town event. Alex seeing the blue emotions around Steph before they kiss because she's worried about Alex not kissing her, and then she does and they explode with the yellow light of happiness. And then in the endings, Steph either settles down with Alex or Alex who is also a musician joins Steph's band and they go on tour together which is very romantic as well. Best LiS couple easy for me.

4. Bayonetta and Jeanne, BayoJeanne from Bayonetta- So now we jump into games that I have played myself with BayoJeanne from Bayonetta, specifically their relationship from Bayonetta 1 and 2 because Bayonetta 3 fucked it to ship Bayo with that loser Luka instead. Bayonetta and Jeanne though were badass power couple of witches in the first 2 game. Childhood friends, to lovers, to rivals, to lovers again, what a wild ride for a relationship to go through as well but they end up being so sweet together. To explain, in Bayonetta 1 Bayo has lost her memories and Jeanne is brainwashed by Bayo's evil sage father Balder so Jeanne as another powerful witch is Bayo's rival throughout the game and it is heartbreaking, fighting your lover who you don't even remember. They both get their memories back by the end of the game though, and Jeanne rescues her girlfriend Bayo from the goddess Jubileus so she can punch her into the sun. Bayonetta 1 has some strong BayoJeanne moments but Bayonetta 2 goes all in with their relationship, with Bayo going on a romantic rescue mission to save her girlfriend from the demon Alarune, journeying through literal heaven and hell to do so. That file that you can pick up in Bayonetta 2 that talks about someone going through hell to find their lover, and then that scene where Bayo wakes up Jeanne after rescuing her from Alarune is great. "What do you need a wake up kiss or something?" referencing some developer art that shows their homelife, where Bayo has to wake up Jeanne for work. Love this badass witchy power couple, the sapphic aunts who always spoil the nephews with Christmas gifts.

3. Jala and Tyler, Jyler? from Thirsty Suitors- who I don't believe have an actual ship name until I just made one up because Thirsty Suitors is so underrated that it's fandom is almost nonexistent? Seriously this game is really good and I wish Tumblr had more fan art for it, especially Jala and Tyler fan art because they very quickly have become one of my all time favorite couples in anything. The most recent addition to this list for me, I only just played Thirsty Suitors for Pride Month and while protagonist and biggest bisexual disaster I've even seen Jala has 7 exes in total, 6 of which you need to confront throughout the game, Tyler has been the most important person in Jala's life. Her childhood friend who she has been on and off with romantically, but the girl who was always by her side and who she would always come back to. I also want to say that, it's mentioned that Jala was also by Tyler's side and helped her while she was transitioning which is really beautiful and I think it's cool that a trans girl is the main love interest of this story. Jala and Tyler have a very messy but special relationship, and after Jala is able to reconcile with Tyler after how much she had let her down in the past, it's implied that they do end up back together and in a fully committed relationship by the end of the story through some art depicting their future together which is good. I just need to mention that Thirsty Suitors is a super charming and delightfully queer game that handles it's characters and themes very well and I highly recommend it. It's a game that celebrates queerness while also allowing it's characters to be heavily flawed and their relationships very messy, as seen with even Jala and Tyler.

2. Susie and Noelle, Suselle from Deltarune- Toby Fox has been a very supportive queer ally and with Undertale and Deltrune, his games have plenty of great queer representation. But while Undyne and Alphys from Undertale are ok, I honestly don't really like Alphys specifically and personally think Susie and Noelle from Deltarune are the much superior sapphic ship. Because both Susie and Noelle are both great characters and absolute cuties who deserve to be happy together! A super adorable story of blossoming young love and self discovery, dorky lesbian deer girl Noelle is head over hooves in love with the cool dinosaur girl from her school Susie. And while Susie does start off as a bully in chapter 1, it becomes clear that she has a lot of her own personal stuff that she's working through that is heavily implied to be from her home life but by the end of chapter 1 she makes some good friends in Kris, Ralsei and Lancer who actually understand her and she grows as a person. While she doesn't really interact Noelle with chapter 1, you do find out as Kris that Noelle has feelings for Susie when she asks them for more information on her. And it's chapter 2 that REALLY develops Susie and Noelle's relationship and gives them a lot of cute moments together, because Noelle actually joins Susie and Kris in going to the Dark World on their adventures this time. And through chapter 2, Susie and Noelle's relationship is developed incredibly well with all of Noelle's adorable blushing and freaking out around the girl that she loves, until the beautiful scene where Susie gets to rescue Noelle from being captured by Queen and they escape on a heart covered Ferris wheel of all things which gives them an incredibly sweet moment together that always makes me cry. Just seeing them these adorable young queer girls being awkward and falling in love for the first time is just so adorable and funny in the best way. And then afterwards, the thing that actually gives Noelle her courage to stand up to Queen is saving the love of her life Susie! AAAAAH I LOVE THEM AND THEY ARE PERFECT FOR EACHOTHER!!!! The only caveat is that Deltarune isn't finished yet and Susie and Noelle technically aren't together yet? But it's very obvious that their relationship is something that is being built towards and I am very excited to see how it develops in future chapters, what we've gotten already has been great though and has given us so many cute moments for Suselle.

Gregg and Angus, Grangus from Night in the Woods- The only MLM ship on this list because there is a distressing lack of MLM relationships in video games compared to there actually being a decent amount of WLW, especially with main characters. But Gregg and Angus are my overall favorite romantic relationship in all of video games. Night in the Woods is another game with some great queer representation, including it's main character Mae who is canonically pansexual which delighted me to find out as someone who is pan and she made it to the top of my Pan characters list from last year. But she doesn't get much of a romance besides meeting a girl that she has feelings for at a party that doesn't lead to much. Her best friend Gregg and his boyfriend Angus though, are also both main characters and their relationship actually gets a lot attention and development and it's handled beautifully. Their experiences accurately represent what it's like living as an openly gay couple in a small and not so understanding small town. Especially as they were the only queer people living there while Mae was away at college. A small town that also doesn't really have much going on, and they both want to move away where they can live a happy life together in a town where they will be supported and accepted more, where they can maybe meet other queer friends. It's an incredibly sweet and relatable story, and the 2 boys work their butts off at their jobs to make their dream of living that life together a reality. Which is why Mae's coming back home and bringing out the chaotic side of her best friend Gregg does bring some tension to their relationship, but she eventually realizes her mistakes and learns that she has to let them go. Gregg and Angus's relationship becomes even more sweet when you learn more about how they met, how Angus had a horrible upbringing with violently homophobic parents who didn't accept him, but then Gregg came into his life and saved him. And then also that scene where Mae talks to Gregg and he's worried that he isn't good enough for his boyfriend and Mae has to give him and uplifting talk. They just mean so much to eachother and they really bring the best out of eachother as well, with Gregg helping his shy boyfriend to come out of his shell a bit more, and Angus helping reel in his hyperactive boyfriend from getting a bit too wild. Gregg and Angus are so sweet and supportive of eachother, a beautifully written queer couple and my favorite ship from any video game.

But anyway, I hope all my fellow queers had a safe and happy Pride Month! And also that you enjoyed reading my list, I would recommend all the games that these ships are from to people. Thank you for reading and remember to stay proud of who you are all year round because no matter your sexuality, gender, what pronouns you go by, whether your closeted or not, you deserve all the love and respect and fuck any bigot who thinks they can tell you otherwise.

[kuroshitsuji-igurisshu]

Illustration of Rich Black

𖤐Hello everyone Kuronians𖤐

Today I would like to tell you about the illustration Yanuzza did for the 15th anniversary of the series. The illustration in question was presented as the official visual of the Rich Black or the magnificent exhibition that perfectly summed up every facet of the work.Being a very complex illustration, that is probably why it was simplified in the G-fantasy magazine while still bringing the same atmosphere.In addition, the illustration we see in the magazine was the first idea she sketched, whereas, the Rich Black illustration she came up with by modifying the initial idea several times.

Dwelling on Rich Black's illustration, we are immediately catapulted into a gloomy and cold atmosphere, where the figures of birds flying away certainly do not help to make this illustration more welcoming.We can say that the scene takes place on a chessboard where we notice the two protagonists in the foreground. Sebastian, and especially 'Ciel', are wearing very peculiar clothes, so peculiar that our attention lingers only on them.

Apparently Sebastian's tailcoat looks like the usual garment he always wears, but when seen up close, one can see that behind the back it has a black lace embroidery depicting a horned skull crowned with beautiful lilies. Just above the swallowtails one can see another lace decoration containing two buttons.The trousers, seemingly innocuous, have a side band with lace encrustations forming the Roman characters XV or the number fifteen.

If Sebastian's look amazed you with its elegance, that of 'Ciel' is undoubtedly on another level. Starting from the jacket, you can see some very peculiar brooches, in fact each of them represents an arc from the manga. They are all placed on the jacket, except for one, namely the brooch that specularly represents two identical skulls. This brooch represents the Blue Memory arc and happens to be placed on the shoe. At first glance it might look like an anti-brother gesture, but in fact it is anything but, because in non-verbal communication it is the feet that are the most truthful body part. If we do not like someone unconsciously when they come towards us to talk to us we will not tilt our foot towards them, symbolising a kind of 'non-acceptance' rather we will turn away or something. Perhaps with this gesture Yanuzza wanted to emphasise the relationship he had, and has, with his brother, because despite everything he will always remain a part of him.As with the butler, we have the same skull motif with lace lilies on the jacket of the human puppy. The illustration, or rather, the clothes are so well-rendered and detailed that it is easy to get lost in the details, such as the dark train of 'Ciel' ending in skulls.

Nevertheless, this is not the real message of the illustration, because the interesting part is behind it. It will not be very easy to explain this also because the illustration is so complex that it is not really easy to see the pawns. Yes, the pawns. Behind Sebastian and 'Ciel' there are several white pawns, not random pawns, this because we saw them in Emerald Witch where Yanuzza associated the colour white with the enemy.

White pawns

Bishop = Joker

Knight = Undertaker

Pawn = Doll

Queen = Victory

In between Sebastian and 'Ciel' we can see a strange pawn, this because it is missing a piece. The pawn in question is actually that of Undertaker, the horse, whose head they 'decapitated'.On either side we can see the pawns associated with Joker and Ciel in a strange pairing... Joker is on 'Ciel's side, while Ciel on Sebastian's side. Indeed, our count has exterminated the Noah's Ark Circus and surely Joker (perhaps Polaris) will want revenge. As for Sebastian, well... he's the cause of Ciel's death and I don't think there's anything more to add. Behind the human cub is the queen's pawn, obviously associated with Victoria, but unlike the side pawns, it seems to be going the way of the horse, since it's in an unsteady position that suggests an imminent crash. Even its position does not seem coincidental, considering the great power Victoria has over 'Ciel'.

The scenario of this illustration almost seems to announce a battle, a battle that 'Ciel' will face head-on and with confidence given the way it is drawn. For the first time, we have a young man with his legs spread wide apart, in a commanding position of confidence, as if marking territory. Perhaps later Yanuzza will show us a new 'Ciel'? After all, he still has to take back his villa.

Even in this illustration we have two readings: the first is on the two protagonists who, with their peculiar clothing, not only distract us from everything else, but also bring attention to the essence of Kuroshitsuji, giving us a broad vision of the series.The same vision we had in Rich Black where each story arc had its own corner with exclusive panels, unpublished plates and more.The second reading is in the background and, unlike the first, here we do not have a focus on the series in general but on what could be a hypothetical future of the events of the manga.

If you are curious to see more of my posts, you can find me on IG as Kuroshitsuji_itaru 😈

[dyns33]

Wanting something

I didn't watch the series but I wanted to do something about Julian Kaye. I may do a second part, I'm not sure yet.

When Y/N had met Julian Kaye, she had initially thought he was going to ask her for money.

It was a little suspicious that a man like him would come and talk to a woman like her for no reason.

Then she had thought that he had lost a bet, or that he wanted to win a bet. A stupid, nasty bet.

Then, after several hours of talking and exchanging numbers, Y/N decided that he must just be strange, desperate, or with questionable taste.

In any case, Julian Kaye seemed to really like her, and for a month, it was bliss to be with him.

They saw each other at least four times a week, he treated her like a queen, listening to her, not rushing her, and not caring what others thought.

“Why would I care ?” he asked her. "I don't know them. They didn't know me, nor did they know you. They don't matter. I'm happy with you, that's the only thing that matters."

Y/N’s life wasn’t always easy. She wasn't very good with people, with social relationships. Her love life was quite empty. Her family was worried about her, and some of her colleagues made fun of her for it, saying that she was probably frigid.

With Julian, Y/N didn’t feel frigid. She felt loved, respected.

She wanted more.

On the evening that celebrated the first month of their meeting, she decided to do something special. She invited him to dinner at her place, cooking all day and they spent hours on the couch, talking, then kissing, until midnight.

Julian's cell phone then rang.

"Hmm. A month."

"Yes." she sneered, wanting to kiss him again. “A month exactly.”

“For more, you will have to make a new transfer.” he said politely, putting a finger to her mouth.

"… What ?"

"You paid for a month. I know, it's hard, but that's business. I'll let you think about it, you have my number."

He then left her alone on the sofa, totally lost.

In the end, Y/N had been right about one thing. Julian had approached her about money, but not her money.

She understood this when one of her colleagues, the worst of all, came to question her about the gigolo she and the others had hired to offer her a good time and unwind her.

According to her, it was a charitable act. He had to act like her boyfriend for a month, and Y/N might be less annoying after getting fucked good.

"I still bet it was wasted money, because you're so stuck up that you weren't going to jump on him, even if he got naked in front of you, his legs spread apart, with whipped cream on his chests. Was I right ? Did you have sex or not ?"

Y/N had never been so ashamed in her life. She locked herself in the toilet of the office to cry.

Julian's number was deleted. She didn't plan to see him again, ever.

It was by chance that they met in a bar. He had the nerve to smile at her as he raised his glass, which made her blood boil. Maybe the three drinks she had already had didn't help.

Instead of going home to save what little dignity she had left, she went to see him, hesitating between slapping him and insulting him.

"Good evening darling."

“I’m not your darling, you fucker.”

"…Excuse me ? Look, I'm sorry but the rules were clear. I have schedules to respect, I'm a professional. If you come and tell me that you're not satisfied, you told me that you chose the pace, so I followed. And if you fell in love or something stupid like that, I warned you about that too."

"Warned ? Warned ?! My lovely colleagues didn't give me the rules when they hired you, sorry ! You should be ashamed ! I thought… I should have known it was too good to be true… "

"… Wait. You didn't know ?"

He had been annoyed at first that she was angry with him, but Julian immediately calmed down when he realized that Y/N hadn't hired her. He thought she had hired her, he too had been somehow trapped.

He would never have accepted this contract if he had known.

"I sometimes get weird requests, from clients who want me to play a role. This request was simple, a romantic meeting, to play perfect boyfriend, don't talk about my job if you don't talk about it directly… Shit. Oh, Y/N, shit, I’m sorry. Really. Who are the bitches who did this ?”

Like a gentleman, he offered her a handkerchief, and he listened to her again, about her colleagues, about her relationships, gently stroking her arm to comfort her.

“Sorry…” she sobbed when she saw the time. "It's late. You have to work, I… I'll leave you be."

"No, it's okay. One day without. And a good lesson for me, I'll check my clients better the next time. I only make ladies cry if they ask me to."

This made her laugh. During their month together, Julian had made her laugh a lot. He was truly a charming man. Y/N tried not to think about it too much, telling her heart to shut up, because none of it had been true.

She did her best to forget, as the weeks passed normally. The work was painful, the others making fun of her even more than before. Their murmurs and laughter followed her everywhere. She was thinking of resigning soon.

One day at lunchtime the whispers continued, but they seemed different. She heard someone approach, putting a hand on her shoulder. Y/N sighed before turning around, expecting a colleague.

“… Julian ?”

"Hello darling." he replied, kissing her. “I came to kidnap you, we’re eating together today.”

"… Eh ?" was the smartest thing she could say.

A bit lost, she let Julian take her hand and lead her outside, to a small Italian restaurant, as if everything was perfectly normal.

He chuckled when he saw her look full of questions. He had thought a lot about what had happened, he hadn't liked that she was so hurt at all, and he wanted to teach her colleagues a little lesson.

"They think you're not good enough to seduce a guy like me ? Well, they're wrong."

“They’ll think I’m paying you.”

"Sweetheart. To pay for my services for more than a day, you must be rich or very in debt. I inquired, they contributed fourteen to pay my month's salary, it is impossible for me to be there because you give me money.”

The little game seemed to work. When Y/N returned to work, her colleagues were totally disturbed because they had seen it. They were even more disturbed when Julian came to pick her up in the evening, and when he returned again and again several times during the week.

It was a bit fun, she was willing to admit, but also difficult. Y/N tried to forget him, and that wasn't possible seeing him almost every day.

The worst part was that he also came to see her when she wasn't working, which seemed pointless. Her colleagues couldn't see them at her place. But Julien arrived with his flowers and his huge smile, taking a place on her sofa and asking her how her day was.

Y/N thought that maybe he didn't have many relationships outside of work. No friends. Nobod. Perhaps it did him good to talk with someone who didn't pay him and therefore didn't see him as a piece of meat or a product.

He told her about himself. About his past, his beginnings very young, much too young, in the industry. He talked about prison. He didn't hide anything from her, and Y/N felt that it was important, because he shouldn't talk about it often, if he ever talked about it.

It might sound crazy, but he loved his job. He would have been capable of doing anything else, but he liked to please, he liked to give pleasure to women, he liked to have a lot of money while lying by a swimming pool. He wasn't ashamed of it.

This continued for months. Y/N quit, considering when more of her horrible coworkers she could find a better job.

Julien continued to come. At her new job and at home. He also invited her to his place, where it was clear that he never invited anyone.

As they shared a bottle of champagne in front of a movie, Y/N leaned against him, a little drunk. He put his hand across her, his head against hers.

“We look like an old couple.” she joked.

"Hmm."

"It's nice. I wonder if I'll ever get that… I mean, for real."

Julian's head left hers, although his hand remained on her shoulder. Y/N felt that he was tense, that she had said something stupid, and the best thing to do would have been to say nothing, but she had been drinking, and she didn't think.

"I mean… Romantically. I'm not your type, it's okay. We're friends. It's great. I try to remember that we're just friends."

“Why do you say you’re not my type ?”

"Please…"

“You also think you’re not good enough to seduce a guy like me ?”

"I am not stupid."

“Well, you clearly kinda are.”

There were times in life when people forgot how to breathe. All that was left was the sound of their hearts pounding in their ears, and the feeling that something important was happening.

It took a little while for Y/N to remember how to breathe, and for her to slowly turn to Julian, who was still watching the movie.

“Julian…”

"No. Don't say anything. I know what you're going to say."

“What am I going to say ?”

"That you like me. But that my job is too weird for us to be together. I'm just a whore, very handsome, very nice, with money, but above all with a rotten past, a crappy apartment, the…"

"I love you."

"Stop."

Julian was not ashamed of his job, but he was aware that it closed certain doors to him, like love. A family life, a normal life. No one would want to date a gigolo. No one could talk about what he was doing. No one could trust him or be proud of him.

“Julian.” Y/N insisted. "I don't care about your work. Maybe it will be difficult, but I don't care. I love you. You told me how you started, you told me why you keep going, you're careful, you're professional. You… It doesn't matter if you don't like me, we can just be friends. But I love you, I really love you, I don't care about others. Remember ? I I don't care about anyone else."

She wasn't sure if he had meant that when he told her, but he looked at her intently, before kissing her.

When he told Lorenzo that he had found someone and wanted to change his schedule, his boss asked him if he had forgotten the rules.

But Y/N had technically never been one of his clients, not offering him a penny, so Julian declared that no, he had been very lucky to find love, someone who accepted him as he was. he was, this made his friend sigh.

“We’ll see how long this lasts.”

"Yes, we will see." Julian replied before hanging up to take Y/N in his arms, looking at her like the first day, like a man who wanted something.

He seemed satisfied when she pressed her lips against his.

[esuemmanuel]

No seré famoso, jamás lo seré, y no he querido ni he buscado serlo, ése tipo de ambición no me define. De hecho, un sueño que tuve desde pequeño fue publicar un libro y, bueno, ya lo cumplí. Me siento agradecido conmigo mismo por haber trabajado en ello y dejárselo al mundo. Igual a nadie le importa esto que estoy diciendo aquí, pero es algo que, de repente, me dieron ganas de expresar. Escribir ha sido un sueño para mí, una labor mágica y exquisita llena de hermosas satisfacciones y uno que otro dolor de cabeza y corazón, pues no siempre es fácil hacerlo (la hoja blanca es exigente y muy voluble). Sin embargo, y a pesar de algunas lamentables experiencias en las que no voy a ahondar, he amado tanto escribir que me ha dolido el alma en su más íntima raíz. He estado a nada de dejarlo cuando me he dejado abrumar por la voz de la ambición que no tengo, pero que veo en los demás escritores. Todos (o la gran mayoría) hacen lo imposible por lograr estar en un pedestal, trabajan por el éxito y por los números que anhelan que les lluevan en la cartera. Todo eso me causa un extraño malestar y me orilla a cuestionarme la verdadera razón que lleva a un ser humano a tomar la pluma y escribir… ¿Qué nos hace escribir? ¿Qué nos motiva? ¿Qué nos mueve? ¿La fama, la fortuna, el éxito o el simple amor al arte? Y si bien sé que la vida cuesta, que nada es gratis y que, si deseamos algo, debemos pagar por ello, también sé que el arte debe hacerse con el alma no buscando alardear o presumir por ser “bueno” o “letrado” o “intelectual”, y es que es tan fácil perderse en este camino que se puede caer en los extremos. En fin, estoy divagando… A veces es bueno divagar así. Me doy cuenta de lo que quiero y lo que no quiero… y no quiero ser un escritor que se llena de números y de una fama por demás ilusoria. Quiero mantener mi alma enfocada en la belleza y en la riqueza del arte, el cual es esperanzador por sí mismo.

I will never be famous, and I have never wanted or sought to be famous, that kind of ambition does not define me. In fact, a dream I had since I was a child was to publish a book and, well, I've fulfilled it. I feel grateful to myself for having worked on it and let the world know about it. Maybe nobody cares about what I'm saying here, but it's something that I suddenly felt like expressing. Writing has been a dream for me, a magical and exquisite work full of beautiful satisfactions and one or two headaches and heartaches, because it is not always easy to do it (the white page is demanding and very fickle). However, and in spite of some unfortunate experiences that I will not delve into, I have loved writing so much that it has hurt my soul in its most intimate roots. I have come close to quitting when I have let myself be overwhelmed by the voice of ambition that I do not have, but that I see in other writers. They all (or the vast majority) go to great lengths to be on a pedestal, they work for success and for the numbers they yearn to have raining down on their wallets. All this causes me a strange discomfort and makes me question the real reason that leads a human being to pick up the pen and write... What makes us write? What motivates us? What moves us? Fame, fortune, success or the simple love of art? And while I know that life costs, that nothing is free and that, if we want something, we must pay for it, I also know that art must be done with the soul, not seeking to boast or brag about being "good" or "literate" or "intellectual", and it is so easy to get lost on this path that one can fall into extremes. Anyway, I'm rambling... Sometimes it's good to ramble like this. I realize what I want and what I don't want... and I don't want to be a writer who is filled with numbers and an otherwise illusory fame. I want to keep my soul focused on the beauty and richness of art, which is hopeful in and of itself.

[quibble-auk]

@thebrokenmechanicalpencil

Oh no. I wrote smth for the Horns and Razors AU. What ever will I do.

Previous

Next

(I’m so sorry this is also the only place that I’ve actually made it easy to explore Dropmix’s relationship with Theremin because you know this sucker is repressed and would rather die than talk about his feelings in canon. And I also don’t have him interacting with the others in my prewar plot)

So… um… who wants some territorial Dropmix and tired dad Cometeater content? Oh and we get to learn why Theremin doesn’t ask questions in the first thing.

WARNINGS!!!! Mentions of child abuse? Child injury? the government sucks. Slavery. All that jazz.

—

Cometeater checked the room number one last time before knocking on Theremin’s door. His eyes scanned the hallway nervously as he clutched his cub close to his chest. He had never been in this part of the Pits before, for the most part it was off limits for gladiators. But Theremin had given him the proper code to unlock the doors for this arena when he had told Comet where to go if he needed any help. Well, when Sunrazor needed help.

The golden sparkling had developed a new fear of the medical station recently, making it far more difficult for Theremin to heal her. She would cry and thrash, her words dissolving into nothing but unintelligible static. Any of Cometeaters attempts to soothe and calm her down were unsuccessful. After a few more failed visits Theremin had offered to meet in his personal room instead.

The medic was always ready to help Cometeater with Sunrazor, he had even watched her a couple of times when Comet had to go out for a match. The pretender had thought it was a coincidence at first that Theremin was always the medic helping him with the sparkling. He had since learned that the other medical staff refused to take her as a patient, she was a lost cause to them. Some had even claimed that they were forbidden from helping them.

Regardless of the rules, Theremin had agreed to help. Which was a good thing as it would turn out, Sunrazor got hurt more often than he was happy with. Theremin would argue that it was just because she was a clumsy sparkling that was still adjusting to her frame size, but Comet knew there was another reason. The twins refused to watch her. On days when Theremin was busy he was forced to leave her unattended while he was in a match.

No one had answered the door yet, Comet knocked again, a little louder this time.

Such was the incident today. Sunrazor had managed to get out of the room and had started looking for him, she had gotten pretty close too. Unfortunately, she ran into a couple of very young gladiator mechs itching for a fight before she had made her way to Comet. If he hadn’t stepped in when he heard the commotion she probably would have been killed by them.

Cometeater shifted his weight, tail flicking as he checked the room number again. It was the one Theremin had given him. Was the medic elsewhere? Would he have to come back later? It was already pretty late at night, Cometeater’s match had a late one. He had originally been planning on taking Sunrazor to Theremin in the morning when he knew the medic was free, but some of her injuries had yet to stop bleeding.

Most mechs would be asleep by now. If Theremin was too, would he wake up for Sunrazor? He didn’t gain anything from this after all. Would he turn them away so he could continue to rest?

Comet looked down at Sunrazor, who was smiling contently despite her injuries. There was a strange rumbling noise, most likely her attempting to replicate a purr. The yellow sparkling’s eyes were closed tightly, burying her face into his plating with a small sigh. She was seemingly oblivious to the energon that caked her plating and dripped down from her multitude of wounds.

Or Sunrazor was so happy that Comet was there that she decided she didn’t care about the pain.

After what felt like hours the door finally opened to reveal a dimly lit room and a very groggy looking Theremin. The medic stretched slightly, his plating trembling as he blinked blearily at his visitors. It took a few moments before recognition finally seemed to hit him, “Oh, Cometeater, do you need something?”

The gladiator resisted the urge to sigh in relief. Theremin was here. He was willing to help. Sunrazor would be alright. He nodded quickly, “Sunrazor got hurt and I was going to wait until morning but-”

Theremin cut him off with a dismissive wave, shrugging slightly, “You don’t need to be sorry for waking me up, I told you that you could drop by any time. I’ll be fine,” he moved to the side and opened the door further, “Come on in.”

Cometeater did, he gave a final glance into the hallway before stepping into the room and letting Theremin close it behind him. The living space felt simple but far more comfortable than the gladiator quarters. A desk sat to the side, lined with bookshelves, and a small seating area held a couch and a few chairs. Beyond that, an open walkway led directly into the bedroom—no door, just a threshold, leaving the sleeping space in full view from the rest of the room.

“You can go ahead and make yourself comfortable,” Theremin began, turning on a couple of lights and looking through a small dresser, collecting tools. “We’ll probably use the bed if that's alright with you, it’ll be the most comfortable. I can get a clean sheet over it for you in just a moment.”

The large berth in question was already occupied by a behemoth.

Comet had almost not seen the titan, their dark body blending in well with the dimly lit room. He unconsciously held Sunrazor a little bit tighter, the sparkling had finally stirred and looked up at him. Comet couldn’t immediately recognize who that was. He hadn’t expected anyone else in here, this was Theremin’s private room. He shouldn't have to share with anyone, let alone share a bed! Not even the twins had to share a berth with each other!

The gladiator didn’t move, watching the mysterious figure with an intense gaze as he tried to puzzle out what they were doing here. Theremin seemed to notice and looked at the berth with a confused glance before it shifted to something more exasperated. The medic huffed and muttered to himself as he walked over to the bed, what he had been collecting forgotten on the nearby desk. He flicked on the lights for the bedroom, the mech sleeping didn’t stir.

Theremin’s eyes narrowed as he crawled onto the bed, “Dropmix, move–”

Wait, Dropmix was here? Immediately Comet felt himself step back, his posture stiffening and he bared his teeth in a half snarl. Dropmix would not be coming anywhere near Sunrazor.

The medic shoved the larger form harshly and with enough force that the mech, Dropmix, was pushed off the side of the berth. They let out a short startled cry as they woke up and not so gracefully fell onto the floor with a loud Thud! Dropmix scrambled to sit up right, arms and legs caught in the blanket.

“I’m up–” the larger gladiator began but paused when he looked over to see Comet staring blankly at him. The gladiator’s body tensed. Dropmix seemed just as surprised to see Comet as he was to see Dropmix here. What was the gladiator doing in the medical staff’s personal rooms? He should have one for himself.

The dark mech bared his own fangs, and growled low and deep, his plating flaring. Theremin looked down at the other and something akin to dread crossed his expression.

Dropmix lunged, claws ready to strike.

Comet’s eyes widened at the uncharacteristic reaction. Dropmix, though ruthless in the arena, had always been a quiet observer. The green gladiator held Sunrazor closer and growled, he wouldn’t be able to get away from the larger mech with such little space around. He braced for the inevitable impact.

It never came. Theremin had barely reacted in time, frantically lunging forward and wrapping an arm around Dropmix’s neck. The medic yanked the gladiator back, throwing the other’s balance off and ripping him backwards. Dropmix’s head collided with the bedframe harshly and Theremin let out a small startled cry wincing slightly at the noise that was made when the gladiator's head hit the metal frame. “Slag! Dropmix are you–”

Dropmix didn’t seem to notice, large hand immediately raising to pry Theremin’s grip off of him. He was still growling loudly, eyes fixed on Cometeater. Just as his claws were about to make contact with Theremin he shuddered, hissing in pain. Theremin didn’t let go of him, keeping him pinned as the medic looked apologetically down at the gladiator.

“I’m sorry—I’m sorry. I should have told you– I let them in. You don’t need to—I’m sorry,” Theremin whispered to the other, watching as Dropmix tensed up a few other times, whining painfully before allowing himself to fall limp in the other’s arms. Cautiously, Theremin released his hold on the other, and started examining the other’s head.

“I told Comet that he could come over any time– I don’t think I told you that. I forgot that you’d–” he didn’t get to finish, sighing instead. “Are you alright now?”

Dropmix looked up at the other, blinking a few times, “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Cometeater watched the two intensely, still ready to react if the other gladiator moved again. He kept his grip tight on Sunrazor. She had grown quiet, her previous contentment replaced with unease as she peeked over at Dropmix. Comet could feel her starting to squirm to be released.

Theremin ran a hand down his face, exhaustion evident in his movements. He muttered, shaking his head. "That could've gone better."

Dropmix sat on the floor, rubbing the back of his head where he had struck the bed frame as he sat up. He cast a sideways glance at Cometeater, then at Sunrazor, "Why is he here?" His voice was rough, still tinged with something unsteady.

"Because Sunrazor's hurt, and Cometeater needed my help," Theremin answered simply, getting up and moving to grab his abandoned tools. “Can you clear the bed? I’m gonna use it.”

He didn’t wait for a response, getting back to work immediately. The two gladiators looked at eachother, sizing each other up from across the room.

Comet had seen it enough times to know what just happened. Dropmix had his behavioral compliance programs used on him. The twins had always told Cometeater how lucky he was to not have any, they were painful. They had always seemed that way to him at least, and from what the twins told him about it, he was right. The programs were built to hurt. Most mechs didn’t have access to the programs, gladiators knew their own codes but not how to use them. Medics, however, had access to gladiators BCP, though the code they used was only supposed to work when in the medical station. Cometeater glanced over at where the medic was gathering supplies.

Theremin had Dropmix’s personal codes.

Which meant that either Theremin was in good graces with the arena master, he was actually Dropmix’s handler, he actually owned Dropmix, or the most likely possibility, Dropmix had told it to him. Not even Comet knew his brother's codes, not that he could do anything with it, but it was personal. Extremely personal. Kinda like sharing a personal berth and room levels of personal… There was something going on between the two. Comet was sure of it.

The tension in the room still hung thick, but Theremin carried on like nothing had happened, methodically preparing to treat Sunrazor. Dropmix had gotten up from his place on the floor and had started preparing the bed, stripping it of its old sheets and replacing them with new ones.

Cometeater didn’t move, he watched Dropmix’s every movement. His posture was stiff and still ready so spring into action. It didn’t matter if Theremin could use the codes again, Dropmix was hostile, he could hurt Sunrazor. Said sparkling whined softly, her little frame shifting uncomfortably in his arms. That was enough to bring him back to the present. He looked down at her.

Sunrazor had her eyes set on Dropmix intently, squirming to get loose from Comet’s grip. She was shaking slightly, plating gently vibrating. Cometeater wished he knew what that meant, he thought he had learned to understand Cybertronian body language pretty well. Then Sunrazor had stumbled into his life and things got less clear, she wasn’t a Gladiator, she was a Guardian. Comet had only begun to figure her out.

She seemed angry though, something meant to mimic a growl humming from her tiny engine. Her jaw set and eyes fiery with determination. Cometeater forced himself to take a slow breath, releasing the tension from his shoulders. She could feel his tension and sense his unease and was reacting in the way her programming told her she should. As endearing as it was, she shouldn’t feel like it was her job to protect him. Cometeater was the one that was supposed to be protecting, not Sunrazor. His tail flicked once, then went still.

Across the room, Dropmix had finished changing the sheets and stepped back. His eyes flicked to Cometeater again, but his expression was unreadable now, his posture more controlled. Cometeater still didn’t trust him, but he could recognize that Dropmix was also trying to push down whatever had caused that violent reaction.

It was Theremin who broke the silence first, setting the last of his supplies in order and gesturing toward the berth. "Alright, Comet, bring her over. Let’s see what she got herself into," His voice was calm but firm, the same way it always was when he was working. Like the last few minutes hadn’t happened at all.

Cometeater hesitated for a fraction of a second. His eyes flickered toward Dropmix, who hadn’t moved from where he stood to the side, arms crossed. The larger gladiator’s gaze was still heavy on him, but there was something different now—less aggression, more calculation. It was a familiar look for the gladiator, looming in the shadows and watching with mild interest.

Sunrazor should be nowhere near him.

Theremin seemed to pick up on this, looking between the two gladiators for a moment before groaning slightly, “Oh for the love of– Dropmix leave.” The medic pointed to the door impatiently, “Go wait in the hallway.”

Dropmix startled and looked at the other, offended, “I didn’t–”

“Nope!” Theremin cut the other off, clearly frustrated, and looked at the larger mech. “Get out.”

For reasons beyond Comets' understanding, Dropmix actually listened. Maybe an underlying fear the BCP would be used again? Was Dropmix afraid of him? Whatever the reason, the hulking gladiator huffed and said nothing more and walked to the door. He paused as he opened it to look back at the remaining three mechs. His gaze lingered on Cometeater before he turned around and shut the door behind him.

As soon as the door clicked shut behind Dropmix, the room felt quieter, but the tension still lingered in Cometeater’s shoulders. He watched the closed door for a moment longer before exhaling sharply and finally stepping forward.

Theremin didn’t comment on his hesitation. He just pulled up a chair and got to work, methodically arranging his tools before gently reaching out. "Alright, let’s see the damage."

Cometeater paused for only a moment before loosening his hold, allowing Theremin to take Sunrazor. She squirmed at first, her small hands gripping at Comet’s plating, but after a few soft reassurances from him, she relented, allowing herself to be transferred into the medic’s hands.

The white mech murmured something quiet, soothing, his own plating rattling just slightly in a way that seemed almost… instinctual. It was a different kind of communication, something more subtle than words, and Sunrazor responded in kind—a smaller, weaker vibration in return. Cometeater frowned, watching the exchange. He still hadn’t quite figured out what that meant, the twins had never done that with him.

Theremin gently sat Sunrazor down on the bed and began to look her over, gently moving damaged plating and examining her stressed frame. His face was unreadable as he worked, scanning over the injuries. Some of the deeper gashes still leaked energon sluggishly, staining her plating and matting the golden shimmer of her frame with dark streaks. He exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing as he took in each wound.

“She’s tougher than she looks,” Theremin muttered, half to himself as he reached for a cloth and started cleaning around the worst of the cuts. “Took a beating but nothing too critical, probably thanks to her thick plating. Perks of being a guardian I suppose.”

Comet didn’t want it to be that way. She shouldn’t have to know how to take a beating. Her armor shouldn’t need to be thick, Sunrazor was a sparkling, a cub. She was not meant to fight or protect yet, thick armor and aggressive programs should come later in life.

Theremin worked with careful precision, his hands steady despite his obvious exhaustion. He was muttering softly to Sunrazor, his words a mixture of medical reassurances and something softer—something bordering on parental. Cometeater stood stiffly beside the berth, watching his every move.

After a moment, Theremin spoke, voice quieter than it had been. “I don’t mind, you know. Helping.” He glanced at Cometeater briefly before focusing on his work again.

“You act like I’m doing some great favor, but I’m not. I told you before—don’t let Dropmix scare you off—you come see me if something happens,” He dipped a cloth into a cleaning solution before carefully pressing it against one of Sunrazor’s wounds. She flinched, whining softly, but didn’t fight him. “I meant it.”

Cometeater frowned, “Why?”

Theremin let out a slow sigh. “Why not?”

“Because no one else does,” The words came out sharper than he intended, his thoughts lingering on his brother. “No one else wants to.”

Theremin paused for just a second before resuming his work, “It’s not everyday you see a gladiator pick up a defective sparkling and decide that it’s theirs,” the medic began with fondness in his tone, “I’ll be honest with you, Cometeater, I want to know why she was the one to catch your attention among all of the other sparklings you’ve seen here. It usually takes a while for Gladiators to get attached like this, but not you, not with her.”

The white mech looked at Cometeater, “You both are something special and I’ll be damned if I just sit and watch as you two go off and change peoples minds.”

Cometeater clenched his jaw, looking away again. That wasn’t much of an answer. Or maybe it was. Maybe he just didn’t like it. It wasn’t satisfying. Theremin should want something from this, there should be something to gain with how much he had gone out of his way to help them.

Silence settled between them again, the only sounds in the room the soft hum of machinery and the quiet, rhythmic clicking from Sunrazor. It wasn’t until Theremin started treating the last of her injuries that he spoke again, voice softer this time.

“You know Dropmix,” he said carefully, not looking up. It wasn’t a question.

Cometeater’s plating bristled instinctively, his tail flicking behind him. “I know of him.”

Theremin hummed, as if he expected that answer. “He’s not usually like that.”

The gladiator didn’t say anything, he looked at the medic with a black expression. Cometeater had seen Dropmix a few times around the Pits, and he had heard of him from others. He fell into a different classification that Comet did, he never really had to worry about facing him in the arena. From what he had seen, Dropmix was quiet and observant, too observant for his own liking. However, from what Comet had heard about him, he was merciless in combat.

Theremin gave him a tired look. “I mean it. He doesn’t usually react like that. It’s… complicated.”

“That's easy for you to say,” Cometeater finally spoke, his voice thick with venom, “You have his codes.”

Theremin stilled for just a second, his eyes flickering toward Cometeater with something unreadable in his expression. Then, he exhaled slowly and returned to his work, wrapping Sunrazor’s wound in careful practiced motions.

“I do,” he admitted simply. He didn’t try to deny it, didn’t try to argue. He just… acknowledged it.

Cometeater didn’t know what to do with that. He expected an excuse, an explanation, something more than just acceptance. His plating flared, the sharp edges of his frame clicking as they shifted uncomfortably.

Theremin’s tone remained calm, steady. “I have them because he gave them to me, I don’t own him, he’s free to leave if he wants.”

Comet didn’t know what to say to that. Another moment passed before Theremin pulled back, wiping his hands clean and nodding to himself. “Alright, that should do for now. Just keep an eye on her, make sure nothing reopens overnight.”

The gladiator nodded, carefully reaching for Sunrazor. The sparkling eagerly reached for him and made that mock purring sound when settling against his chest. She clung to him tightly, burning her face in his plating again.

Theremin stood, stretching with a soft groan. “You should probably head back. I’ll check on her again tomorrow.”

Cometeater hesitated, glancing toward the door. He could still feel Dropmix’s presence lingering on the other side, waiting. His plating shivered involuntarily.

Theremin must’ve caught it, because he sighed, rubbing his face. “I’ll walk you out.”

The Pretender wanted to protest, he opened his mouth to reply and shut it quickly upon looking at the medic. The look Theremin gave him said it wasn’t up for debate. Begrudgingly, he nodded, pulling Sunrazor a bit closer.

Theremin moved past him, opening the door with a quiet hiss. Dropmix was still there, leaning against the opposite wall with his arms crossed. His eyes flickered up when the door opened, landing on Cometeater immediately.

Theremin stepped between them before anything could be said. “Let’s go to bed, Dropmix.”

The large gladiator didn’t say anything in response, quietly shifting off of the wall and walking back into the room, Theremin followed after a moment.

[hyenahunt]

Saga: Rivals - 24

Writer: Akira

Season: Winter

Characters: Hokuto

Proofreading: moricchiichan (JP) & Peace (ENG)

Translation: kotofucius

Hokuto: We’ve crossed over a mountain of corpses, walking ahead of them. When it comes to DreamFest, we're more experienced.

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Location: Reverse Live Stage

Time: A few hours later

Hokuto: (Alright, so far so good.)

(And this isn’t a surprise. It's just as I expected — besides Rain-bows and Ba-barrier…)

(And Yumenosaki Academy’s units in general, the other competitors aren’t catching up well with the DreamFest system.)

(That’s natural. This is a strange system, applying a system designed for competitive sports to idol activities.)

(It doesn’t matter that it was explained to them beforehand. It takes time to understand… to get a feel for it.)

(I was confused too last year, at the start.)

(It was completely different from the normal idol work I’d learned from watching my father. It’s incredibly simplified, easy to understand, and yet at the same time, punishing.)

(Normally, idol work is something you take more slowly, at your own pace.)

(A huge mistake doesn’t mean a huge blow to your career… Because your friends and fans would be there to encourage and support you.)

(The profit and loss you caused would be recorded, of course; but the success or failure of each stage, whether you won or lost against your costar, would typically be more vague.)

(Even if the results were terrible, you’d still have dreams and hopes to hold onto.)

Hokuto: (But DreamFest is a competition for votes. The fans vote for us idols and decide our worth in comparison to one another, recorded as hard numbers.)

(Just by seeing and comparing these numbers, even without watching the concert…)

(You’d start feeling like you know which was the better idol.)

(When this becomes the norm, you’ll end up with a situation like Yumenosaki back in the spring.)

(The difference in levels become recognized, solidified, and eventually irreversible. No… People lose hope for any chance of turning the tables.)

(In Yumenosaki, watching and judging concerts affects our grades, so everyone eventually votes only for the undefeated without thinking.)

(Because it was the most efficient and easy thing to do.)

(At first, the system was probably imposed to increase the idols’ motivation, by contesting them against each other. At least, as far as the official stance went.)

(Of course, it must’ve also been part of the Student President’s plan in leading the revolution last year to success.)

(They created an evaluation method that was originally blurry, establishing rules that worked to their advantage.)

(Gambling is done so the bookmaker can make a killing. That’s what they were doing.)

(That system is still being utilized now, even while going through several small adjustments such as the addition of a new level, S3.)

(But are things really fine as they are right now?)

(According to my father, CosPro’s Special Student system gradually gathered opposition and gave birth to people who bore hatred towards idols.)

(I think their system was at first designed to select potential super idols and raise them dearly.)

(It’s a replica of what the idol industry has done all this time. Only a select few can achieve glory… and the rest become slaves that serve them.)

(Even so, it must’ve worked long ago. Both my father and Sagami-sensei managed to rule over the entire industry, like kings that reaped tax and governed their people.)

Hokuto: (But that era is over now.)

(Historically, nobody has ever invented an ideal system that lasts forever.)

(We must never accept things as they are, always allow room for skepticism, and start a revolution if necessary… But as long as a system is viable, we'll still use it to our advantage.)

(DreamFest is war. For better or worse, we’ve gotten used to it.)

(But other Mentor-Disciple units who joined Project-Saga halfway haven't; this isn’t what normal idol activities are like.)

(They live in a world without war. And I do find that enviable. The idol I first admired…)

(My father lived in a peaceful paradise where he loved and was loved.)

(That’s how a normal idol should be. But in Yumenosaki Academy, it’s different.)

(Our determination and experiences are different. We’ve just made a preemptive attack on our defenseless, unarmed opponents.)

(I hope you guys won’t think we're being unfair. This is what’s normal to us.)

(Not having the slightest clue that they’d face an attack, they became overwhelmed by the breach we made. Now they shirk and run away, unable to release their full potential.)

(They panicked, thinking, What? This isn’t how it’s supposed to go!)

(Of course, those with quick wits grasped the situation at once, making a late comeback.)

(But they won’t make it in time. We’ve crossed over a mountain of corpses, walking ahead of them. When it comes to DreamFest, we're more experienced.)

(Reverse Live has a simple rule.)

(As if to conclude Project Saga’s long journey, nearly all the concerned units are participating to compete to be the best.)

(At its core, I think it’s close to the preliminary battles of Starfes back then. We choose our own opponent, and fight a one-on-one battle onstage.)

(The result of our performance battle is decided by the votes of our audiences.)

(The votes we gained become ours when we win, but will be subtracted from the score we’ve accumulated when we lose.)

(That’s what’s unique about it. Good if we can win, but the risk we must shoulder when we lose is pretty huge.)

(Especially if we had a close battle with a worthy opponent — )

(Since our score is deducted from the votes the audiences gave us, that means…)

(The better performance we give, the more cost we must pay when we lose.)

(This is just like a gamble.)

(If you keep gambling, thinking you have it all under control, you’re eventually going to shoot yourself in the foot. You need to make bets only when victory is sure… and stop at the right time.)

(Doing a close battle with an opponent you don’t know you can win against will bankrupt you when you lose.)

(The important thing is to keep a calm mind and win the battles we can win for sure.)

(An overwhelming victory means we can obtain a large number of votes, too.)

Hokuto: (So the weak are targeted like easy marks until their scores hit zero, forcing them off of the stage — )

(They’ll lose their participation right in due course. The way things are, the weak will be weeded out.)

(We Rain-bows are a step ahead of the rest thanks to having been active longer.)

(But normally, anyone would be too scared to do a match.)

(Yet, because the rule dictates that you can’t reject a challenge, the concert never comes to a standstill.)

(It’s a detestable design beneficial only to the strong, squeezing those unused to DreamFests dry.)

(I’m not going to protest, as this setup gives us an advantage, but…)

(It’s strange how losing with a huge gap would damage us less.)

(Why make that kind of rule…? Who decided the contents of Reverse Live?)

(Father spoke like it wasn’t his business, but it felt like an act. I think it’s his doing…)

Hokuto: (Father is a terrible actor when compared to Mother. I should be able to see through his lies if I actually scrutinize his words.)

(I’ve seen and gone through enough to be capable of that much… Father.)

[ ☆ ]

✦✦✦✦✦

← prev ✦ all ✦ next →