#like it takes some time to recall shit and it is messy and uncertain

[chemicalcarousel]

having a therapist who's not specialised in DID or trauma in general try to treat your DID is extremely fucking frustrating. she'd ask us how we felt about something like 4 months ago and we'd say "i don't remember" and she'd say "yes you do" like bro.... you yourself has said we have fucking DID like do you know what that means 💀

[bisluthq]

Could you explain to me why Dress has gay connotations? I just don’t see it, and it’s been years now.

Yes I can, because that was the song that lead me down this path of sin and insanity. The year was 2017. With more marbles and brain cells and far less COVID, I sat down to listen to the album Reputation. Perhaps I poured a glass of wine first. I don’t recall. I was but a more or less normal, very casual fan who had for many years enjoyed mocking Taylor for her messy ass personal life, supposed hyperconfessionalism and regular PR kerfuffles. One of my best friends and then roommate used to, as I’ve told y’all before, blast Blank Space as a chaos anthem every time we went out. Fundamentally, though I was too cool for Taylor Swift. I was listening for like... general pop culture knowledge because my brain is a treasure trove of entertainment tidbits and gossip. I got through almost the whole album and then I heard the song Dress and I said, “what the fuck did I just listen to?” And I replayed it and I went, “Damn Blank Space. That was gay.”

And that was the fateful day I came to believe in 2+ muses, Gaylor and, I guess, Kaylor as well because my (albeit surface level but even if I’d dug) Googling brought me mostly to supermodel Karlie Kloss’s door.

So why is this song so gay? I’m not even gonna give y’all the Kaylor reading today we’re literally gonna time capsule to 2017 before I knew any of this shit and when the only thing I knew was THIS SONG WAS GAY.

Our secret moments

In a crowded room

They got no idea

About me and you

Okay so they’re out and about. What secret moments? Like looks and stuff? I mean bold of her to assume nobody knows it’s pretty easy to convince people hets are fucking especially if they’re giving each other meaningful looks and shit. Idk like people whisper and gossip about hets just looking at one another all the time. This seems like she’s a bit overconfident in their sneakiness.

There is an indentation

In the shape of you

Made your mark on me

A golden tattoo

Right so whatever is happening between the speaker and the subject of the song has had an impact on her. This isn’t a thirst anthem. Like the secret moments aren’t because they’re just... looking at one another respectfully and kinda doing that “your place or mine” telepathic conversation. No, Tay’s body has a mark, an indentation from the shape of her lover’s body and the whole thing is a golden tattoo - temporary and removable, presumably, shiny and glittery, but visible to the naked eye. So shit’s already gone down. Friends with benefits maybe?

All of this silence and patience, pining and anticipation

My hands are shaking from holding back from you (ah, ah, ah)

All of this silence and patience, pining and desperately waiting

My hands are shaking from all this (ha, ha, ha, ha)

Nah, not simply friends with benefits. This is forbidden, right? Taylor can’t touch her lover. All they have are these secret stolen looks in the crowded room that absolutely nobody can tell mean anything. That... sounds like “gal pals” to lil gay me. Like she can’t touch her lover because it’ll be too obvious but as long as they don’t touch it won’t seem sexual at all. It’s not just that they’re friends and nobody knows there’s more going on, because why can’t they be friendly then? Why are they sharing secret moments but they can’t come close to the point where her hands are literally shaking from staying away? Why can’t she do that good old link arms with her good guy friend especially if they’re out and tipsy? And then it ends off with orgasm noises because... it’s this song so of course it does.

Say my name and everything just stops

I don't want you like a best friend

Only bought this dress so you could take it off, take it off (ha, ha, ha)

More nails in the coffin of “friends with benefits” and people just don’t know. This person saying her name makes her world stop. This ties into the forbidden vibe but it’s also so innocuous that it does fuck with the “we’re just friends with benefits but I want more” interpretation that a hetsplanation would require. Like this is clearly a lot more. It’s already a lot more. It’s not that she just wants more, this girlie is gone.

And then we get to my gayest line: “I don’t want you like a best friend.” Now I get saying you don’t want to be “just friends” with a guy. I also do get being best friends with a guy. One of my irl besties is Blank Space Chaos Anthem girlie and the other is a (mostly) straight dude. I also have other straight dude friends like my mate who I was trying to rescue from accidentally having to marry a converting girl a few years back. I’m like a (woke) straight dude whisperer tbh because being friends with me is a big win for their woke credibility and let’s be real I’m 1) irreverent and great fun and 2) give great advice on girls.

Now I can guarantee you my proposition to fucking any of my dude friends from besties to casuals would not be “I don’t want you like a best friend.” They’d be like, “my bitch wut? Are you with Pothead YouTube Ex again? Tell her BE GONE WITCH!” And sure, maybe that’s just me. But if was already fucking a dude I can guarantee you the words “I don’t want you like a best friend” would not exit my mouth. It’s not “I don’t want to be friends” or “I don’t only want to be friends” she says “I don’t want you like a best friend.” The implication is there’s an appropriate way to “want” a friend and the way she wants the person she’s speaking to is not like that. It’s a similie, she’s comparing the subject of the song to a best friend and saying this is not like that. Now, explain to me why that level of clarification is important in a fwb setup? You’re trying to make it more serious, I get it. You don’t want to be “just” friends with benefits (and we know they’re already fucking) I get that too. But why the similie?

Why would a dude you’re fucking ever misunderstand and think you want him like a best friend?

Carve your name into my bedpost

Cause I don't want you like a best friend

Only bought this dress so you could take it off, take it off (ha, ha, ha)

I mean again, if we needed clarity on why this is a sex anthem it’s the first line of this song. And she’s saying “have sex with me because I don’t want you like a best friend” again, they’ve already fucked that was established in the first verse. Why would this be stuff you clarify with a dude? Why would a man who is fucking you get the wrong impression and assume you want to be best friends? Not friends. Best friends. Why would he think that?

And then we get the dress line. Now, I know some people are like “I dress up for my boyfriend!” and sure. But let’s all be honest. 85%+ of the time girls of any sexual orientation wear outfits out - and we established this is an out type situation - it’s for other girls to notice their fashion. Come on, you’re not expecting your dude friend to be like, “nice dress, where’d you buy it?” “Oh, this? Hahaha it’s just Zara, they were having a sale. If you hurry you might get one too!” Like there’s something inherently sapphic/feminine about discussions of buying clothing. And come on, fellow queer ladies, clothes is a great way to get a chat going.

In this song, Taylor draws attention to this feminine article of clothing she bought to wear on the night in question and instead of saying “it’s Zara” she goes “I only bought it so you could take it off” - I’m doing an eyebrow wiggle but you can’t see because I’m just text on your screen. Why would you say that to a guy? Like if you did, if you’re that girl why are you holding back from him? Y’all are fucking and you have a massive thing for him. Surely he should know by now? Why is this dress even featuring in the conversation? Like I say bringing up a dress you bought in a conversation about sex feels pretty fucking gay. It’s either a really bizarre and kinda desperate flex which doesn’t really match the sexiness of the song or... it’s gay.

Inescapable

I'm not even going to try

Girl you’ve fucked why is there a point of trying at this stage? Unless you... can’t do this or it feels in some way wrong?

And if I get burned, at least we were electrified

Why the I/we split? Like why is only one of them burned if they were electrified? Sure maybe it’s a fwb thing and he can turn her down for more than sex and friendship but it sounds more like - given the best friends - this is her female friend and she’s maybe uncertain of the other woman’s feelings. This feels - and again we’re not doing a Tay’s personal life reading here - like one of them can be fully destroyed by this but despite that reality they are both lit up and hurt in the process.

I'm spilling wine in the bathtub

You kiss my face and we're both drunk

I mean this isn’t inherently gay it’s just sexy, get it Tay. This sounds hot.

Everyone thinks that they know us

But they know nothing about

All of this silence and patience, pining and anticipation

What do they know about you? Like again we’re not doing the Tay reading thing but like what’s the sekrit? She’s fucking her friend? Why don’t they know anything about this? Surely they can imagine it’s a possibility? Like however unlikely, why does nobody know anything about this?

The next chorus is the same as the one above and I still have no hetsplanation for it. Like especially in the broader context of this, again, very gay song.

Then we get a very straight bridge. It’s like it’s from a different song or was written much later:

Flashback when you met me

Your buzz cut and my hair bleached

Even in my worst times, you could see the best of me

Flashback to my mistakes

My rebounds, my earthquakes

Even in my worst lies, you saw the truth in me

And I woke up just in time

Now I wake up by your side

My one and only, my lifeline

I woke up just in time

Now I wake up by your side

My hands shake, I can't explain this

Aha, ha, ha, ha

Okay but this is a completely different vibe to the... entire song. The rest of the song was about the other person not being sure and that being the issue. “I don’t want you like a best friend.” So why: “I woke up just in time”? Like “if I get burned at least we were electrified” but then... “I woke up just in time” - is the rest of the song like a weird nightmare? That’s not, to me, enough of an explanation. She spends the whole song in sexy anxiety pining after someone who cares about where and why she bought her dress and then she’s like “you’re everything to me” - it doesn’t make sense.

The rest of the song is the chorus again. As I’ve said, I don’t see a hetsplanation for it.

This is a gay song. The bridge isn’t and the line about the bathtub isn’t inherently. But the rest of this song is gay af.

[spookyceph]

Peace Offering, a Shigadabi Fanfic

The first in a series of Shigadabi fics. Because why not?

WARNINGS for mention of destructive/depressive thoughts, language, and unabashed self-indulgence.

Rating: Teen and Up

Words: 3,378

Also, find it on my Ao3 account @ CarlyChameleon.

For someone who hated to drink, Tomura spent a lot of time sitting at the hideout’s bar. He couldn’t have done it if the place were still in business—some unlucky server would’ve had several drunk assholes to mop up off the floor before the night ended. But with it sealed off from the outside world the atmosphere suited him fine. It was quiet. Clean. Both adjectives that applied to his room upstairs, but locking himself in there too long gave him the urge to start climbing the walls. Even he needed to get out of his own head once in a while, whether that involved speaking with Sensei or just watching Kurogiri dust the glasses.

The open space of the bar never threatened to close in and suffocate him. All the different sizes and shapes of the bottles occupying the shelves, glinting in the low lighting, gave him something to look at while he thought besides a glowing screen or blank ceiling as he laid in bed. Or, like now, he could simply trace the swirling grain of the bar top with one finger and think nothing. Or what passed for nothing in his case—his mind churned and surged as relentlessly as the sea grinding away the edges of the land. He’d only learned how to roll back the tide enough to allow for some sleep or brief breaks that kept him from throwing himself off the roof and quieting his brain for good.

The Internet had fished up terms like rumination and obsessive compulsive and thought loops when he’d done a search once. Psychobabble for being his own worst enemy, in other words. Tracing patterns in fabric or wood or pictures or whatever did help sometimes like a few of the articles had suggested, though. Listing colors or items in his surroundings too when he became overwhelmed and started to flounder. (Breathing exercises, however, could fuck right off—all those did was cause him to hyperventilate as he counted each inhale and exhale faster and faster.) The tricks allowed him to hit reset and go back to a previous save point, in a way. The level didn’t get any easier when he returned to it, but the momentary respite allowed him to regroup and adjust his tactics.

He’d been doing an awful fucking lot of both ever since Giran’s first two finds had moved in. Tomura’s nail scraped against polished wood, digging in while his mind replayed the conversation with Kurogiri the evening before, clear as a cutscene.

We cannot further our ends without skilled support, Shigaraki Tomura.

I know, damn it. He couldn’t have even said what his party was fighting on-screen. He’d just kept selecting Attack each round. That doesn’t mean we have to take in every stray Giran drags in from the gutter.

True…yet please recall why we hired the man in the first place: to scout for promising candidates. He wouldn’t present us with anyone he considered beneath our notice. Each point had been spoken with the polite but unwavering logic that had won him the job as Tomura’s handler to begin with. Drifting over to the computer desk, Kurogiri had warped two manila folders onto it. At least skim their profiles before declaring your ultimate decision.

So, Tomura had. And he’d seen beyond a doubt that the fucking walking Rorschach test had been right, as usual. The description of the brat’s quirk had been particularly surprising. Tomura’s mind had roiled with all the possible uses for her. The smartass’s, on the other hand, didn’t boast as much versatility, but it did promise the kind of ranged and wide-area attacks needed to control a battle.

Giran had brought him an illusionist assassin and a black mage. With them, he’d have a better chance at clearing higher level quests. He hated the facts, but that didn’t change them, as he’d been taught in no uncertain terms during the little excursion to UA’s training facility.

Thus, Toga Himiko and Dabi, whoever he really was, had been granted permission to move what worldly goods they possessed into rooms of their choosing upstairs. Tomura hadn’t bothered to learn which. He figured he’d reduce the chances of murdering them in their sleep if he didn’t know.

His hand left the bar and relocated to his throat. The fingers didn’t scratch, but they flexed in the familiar pattern. Letting those two move in might have been a mistake—yet another in a growing string of them. He shouldn’t have given in to Kurogiri so easily because of rattled confidence. He should have insisted all recruits stay somewhere else until they proved their worth and loyalty. To hell with Giran’s professional instincts. What if they were spies for some hero agency? The Toga brat especially, with a quirk like hers. Barring that, they still hadn’t made it past basic introductions without trying to kill each other. How could they be expected to follow orders or not botch a mission because of their own petty goals? And anyway, both of them were just fucking weird.

A sound barged into Tomura’s thoughts from the outer world. Only the small, metallic click of a door handle turning, but it made his head snap in the direction of the hallway. Kurogiri never used the door. He didn’t need to.

Sure enough, there slouched a tall, ragged figure. The zombie. The one name wonder. Dabi.

The skin of Tomura’s throat stung as his nails finally found purchase. Of course the last person on Earth he wanted to see would show up at that very moment. Of course. Because the universe fucking hated him and the feeling was very much mutual.

For a minute, Dabi just filled up the space in the doorway, watching and being watched. When Tomura didn’t move to attack, he finally stepped into the room. His ugly boots clomped on the floorboards as he approached. Still wary, still keeping an eye on where Tomura’s hands rested, he paused at the far corner of the bar. Kurogiri must have had a chat with both newcomers, oh yes. Now they had to be aware of just how close they’d come to never annoying the shit out of anyone ever again.

“So.” Dabi nodded toward the shelves. “We gotta pay for booze or is it included in our membership?”

Even while asking a simple question he couldn’t sound anything less than full of contempt. Putting on an air of boredom despite the knot of tension between his shoulder blades, Tomura shrugged. “Knock yourself out. None of this shit comes out of my pocket.”

No further invitation was required. Dabi strode behind the bar and started examining labels, back turned. Tomura’s fingers twitched. Patchwork asshole. Like he’d fall for a trap that obvious.

Dabi settled on a dark blue bottle with a foreign label. Turning around, he grabbed a glass from beneath the bar, twisted the cap open, and poured without restraint. Fumes wafted over, crinkling Tomura’s nose. Great. Wonder-fucking-ful. The reek of alcohol made his stomach tie itself in knots just as much as it had after his first and final hangover.

He’d thought that drinking the toxic shit might help shut his brain up. And, after choking down an acidic gulp—he’d chosen something a deep gold because he’d just liked the color—it had, sort of. His thoughts had softened, stretching out and slowing with a new elasticity. So, even though his chest and nostrils had still been full of napalm he’d knocked back another swallow. The volume of his mental chatter had faded with the third. By the fifth it became benign background noise. The alcohol’s chemical burn had faded away on the seventh. Memories slid into blank blackness sometime after the tenth.

Kurogiri must have warped him to bed that night because when Tomura woke, sweaty, shaking, sicker than a lab rat, the man already had a bucket at the ready. He spoke not a word while letting Tomura puke his guts up. Or when he brought miso broth, umeboshi, and tea after the dry heaves stopped. He didn’t have to. Tomura hadn’t drunk a drop since.

“You look like you swallowed a bug.”

Tomura’s gaze leapt up from the bar to find Dabi staring at him over the rim of the now empty glass. A little riff of unease jangled his nerves. He’d never seen eyes such a deep blue. They caught and glinted in the low lighting the same way the selected bottle did. The patches of ruined skin sagging beneath just made them more striking.

“Must be the company.” His tongue moved too sluggishly to be sharp, turning the comeback into little more than a mumble. Another jolt of realization lanced through Tomura: Father wasn’t shielding his own face. There wouldn’t be much to see with his hair hanging in a messy curtain…but he still had to repress the urge to fidget on the stool and shift away.

Dabi smirked. Tomura couldn’t tear his stare away from how the smooth skin of his upper cheeks and the trauma-purple scar tissue of his jaw pulled in opposite directions against the surgical staples—the fuckmothering staples—binding them at the seams. The smirk only grew under the attention.

“Yeah, about that…” Dabi reached into his raggedy jacket and Tomura tensed. Then mentally cursed when not a weapon but a small jar was produced. Dark glass, unlabeled, it looked utterly boring in the other man’s palm (also stapled, also intensely weird) as he offered it across the bar. “For you.”

“What…what’s in it?”

“A gesture of goodwill.”

The scarred corner of Tomura’s upper lip peeled back just enough to show a glimmer of teeth. “You couldn’t have given me one in the first place by introducing yourself properly?”

Those disquieting eyes almost glowed. “Sure. But then I wouldn’t have seen who you are. People always show their real selves when they’re pissed.”

A fine tremor infected Tomura’s hands. One swift, short lunge. That’s all it would take to disintegrate Frankendick’s face for good. There would be no Kurogiri to play referee either… “So, what? That was just part of some elaborate test? You going to amaze me with an in-depth character analysis now?”

“Nope. I’m not feeling that generous.”

Right. That did it for his quota of fucks to give for the day. If he stuck around for another thirty seconds there really would be a murder in progress. Tomura turned away from the bar with a scoff.

“Hurts, huh? The stuff around your eyes.”

He froze with one foot on the floor, one still hooked on the bottom of the stool.

“Itches like a sonuvabitch too when it’s humid probably,” Dabi continued, sensing the hook had set. “What’s in the jar helps with that kind of thing.”

“Nothing helps.” The words hissed out of Tomura like a jet of steam.

“This will. I make it. Look how good it works on me.”

For the next solid minute, Tomura could do nothing except grapple with the question of how this staple-faced fucker could even be for real.

Dabi, for his part, let his smirk soften into something that almost resembled an actual smile. Unscrewing the jar’s lid, he set it down on the bar and dipped two fingers into the contents. When he reached forward, Tomura’s hand shot up and captured him around the wrist. Only his index finger didn’t touch, pointed at the ceiling and ready to clamp down in an instant.

On the verge of being reduced to bloody slush staining the floor, Dabi just cocked his head. “Jumpy, are we?”

“The hell do you think you’re doing?” It came out entirely too high and strained to spare Tomura’s dignity.

“I told you. Showing goodwill.” A pause. “Are you touch averse?”

“Am I what?”

“You know. Like, being touched gets you nervous or grosses you out. That sort of thing.”

“The fuck would I know? It’s not like I ever let anyone try!”

Okay. That hadn’t come out quite as intended. Tomura dug his fingers into Dabi’s wrist, deep enough to leave marks even through the sleeve of a jacket, daring the bastard to laugh or make a crude quip. Instead, said bastard quit smiling. His strange, stained-glass eyes only observed, absorbing details while giving none away. Contrary to the lack of mockery, hot blood rushed straight up Tomura’s neck and flooded his face.

All he had to do was flex one finger and Dabi would be dead. Every scenario that played out in inside his mind showed him having the clear advantage at such a close range. So why, why, why had the pulse in his chest and temples kicked into hyper mode?

“Think of this another way,” Dabi said, as if reading his thoughts and causing another spike in blood pressure. “As a show of trust.”

“T-trust?” The word tripped up Tomura’s tongue like it came from an alien language. “We tried to kill each other yesterday.”

The response was a shrug. “That’s yesterday. Like I said, you showed me what I wanted to know. Now I’m returning the favor. That’s why you were so pissed, wasn’t it? When I didn’t make an introduction? You wanted to see if you could trust me. Well, here I am, close enough for you to use your quirk on without much chance to dodge. Still not gonna tell you my name, though.”

All valid points. And having Dabi at his mercy did make for a strong show of dominance. It still didn’t explain why Tomura was the one on the edge of his seat. He eyed the pale goop coating Dabi’s fingers. Sensei had educated him on a wide variety of poisons used for killing or incapacitating victims, but he held few suspicions from that angle. Another crackpot personality test sounded more plausible. For cowardice? To see if he’d flinch if confronted? The only thing Tomura knew for sure was that he couldn’t back down without proving both. He could do nothing except follow the limited dialog and action choices to see what ending he got.

Gathering his will, he eased his fingers from Dabi’s wrist. “Fine. I accept.” A little forethought went a long way; the words came across as gracious rather than sullen.

Dabi continued to study him for a few more heartbeats. When he caught no hint of a trick he reached out and closed the gap.

The warmth came as a shock. It radiated off his fingers just before they made contact with Tomura’s cheek. Against skin they bordered on searing. Despite the extensive training in muscle control and pain tolerance Sensei had drilled into him, a twitch from his jaw betrayed him.

Raising his eyebrows a fraction, Dabi pulled away a few centimeters. “All right?”

Mismatched ass rag. He’d probably raised his body temperature with his fire quirk to provoke a reaction. Rather than Decay his hand and snap it off at the wrist, Tomura said through a snarl, “I’m fine.”

Dabi’s hooded stare declared his doubts on that, but he reached out again. Tomura didn’t falter a second time. The ointment, whatever it was made of, glided onto his cracked skin hot, clingy, and stinging. The fingertips applying it, though, did so with gentle strokes. After a minute or so the sting fizzled into tingling and the heat turned tolerable. It seeped into Tomura’s skull, his jaw and neck. The pinched muscles of his face slowly relaxed. Not so terrible after all. Weird to the nth degree, and he had no clue what he’d do if Kurogiri warped in on them, but not awful. Maybe he’d order Dabi to do this again in the near future. See how much the fucker smirked when his plan worked too well.

Fingers sliding into his hair scattered all petty plans of revenge. Tomura jumped and jerked his head away, blinking, startled.

Dabi’s skin pulled at the seams slightly from a small smile. “Your hair’s covering the other side of your face.”

“Oh.” The only way he could have sounded stupider was if he’d fried his brain like the UA kid with the electricity quirk. A possibility, given how his cheeks and neck were burning up. How the hell had he wound up on the defensive—again? This was why he liked games: whenever a dialog option or approval interaction went wrong he could backtrack and do it over until he got the desired result.

He should kill Dabi where he stood. Eliminate such a major factor of uncertainty. The League needed members to grow, yes, but it also needed stability. Kurogiri would come to see that eventually. Even if he didn’t there wasn’t shit he could do about it in the end. Tomura’s fingers curled on his thighs, ready to leap up and grab any bit of exposed flesh.

A gentle, stitched up hand beat him to it. Dabi brushed aside Tomura’s hair, tucking it back behind his ear. The tickle of the messy strands and strokes from warm fingertips sent fireworks sizzling and popping along the bundles of nerves in his neck and shoulders. Instead of going in for an easy kill his fingers dug into his legs. He barely managed to swallow what would definitely have been a humiliating noise in his surprise. He didn’t even want to consider what his expression had betrayed in that instant.

Was this why people hugged and held hands and all that? Because contact gave them a high? Somehow, Tomura doubted it. Novelty and his inexperience were probably heightening the sensations. Every touch he could remember had been a threat, either given or received. This would turn out no different. He raised his eyes from the bar, intent on finding some shred of evidence to support the suspicion.

Instead, he caught Dabi watching him. Not focused on rubbing the salve in. Not gauging reactions. Just…staring straight at him, irises as bright as the hearts of candleflames. Brain upended, Tomura shrunk in on himself a bit. Seriously, what the blazing fuck did this guy want? Why not spit it out already? The game didn’t have a point without a clear objective.

Tiny sparks spat across the network of nerves in Tomura’s scalp as fingers slipped into his hair again, combing through it. The sharp, involuntary breath he sucked in had nothing to do with the few strands that got caught and pulled by staples. Dabi took his hand away only to let it settle against the curve of Tomura’s cheek. The mildly calloused pad of his thumb caressed soothing heat into the peeling skin.

“There. Better?” His voice was almost as soft as his touch.

Against his will, Tomura realized it was. Not just his face either. For several glorious seconds, his thoughts stayed silent, at rest. There was nothing but warmth and blue eyes and strange feelings he had no names for.

Then the last possibility he would have considered for the whole bizarre encounter breached the calm surface of his mind, churning it back into chaos.

The stool tipped precariously under Tomura as he lurched back from Dabi’s reach. He latched onto the bar’s edge in the nick of time, keeping a finger on each hand away purely by the grace of reflex.

“You really are jumpy. Like a damn stray cat.”

If looks could Decay, he would have given Kurogiri something to sigh about in the form of sixty-eight kilograms’ worth of dust sprayed all over the immaculate shelves and cabinets.

Willfully oblivious, Dabi pushed the little jar across the bar top. “Here. Keep it. Should last awhile.” The smirk returned to his mismatched face as if it had never left. “Don’t expect me to share my chapstick, though. You’re on your own with that one, creep.”

Nothing but a strangled sound of outrage managed to escape Tomura’s constricted throat while the unbelievable bastard grabbed his chosen bottle and sauntered away. He considered flinging the empty glass after him. Using his quirk to bring the entire building crashing down on everyone inside. Crawling into the nearest hole and never coming out too. By the time Dabi was halfway across the room, Tomura had made his decision.

Slowly, his hand went to the jar. One finger touched the lid.

Dabi stopped in front of the door.

A second finger touched the dark glass.

The handle turned.

Three points of contact now.

Faint light spilled in from the hallway.

Tomura’s thumb wrapped around the jar in fourth place.

The door swung shut behind Dabi just as Shigaraki Tomura made his gesture of goodwill disappear, not in his grip but into his pocket.

[cherrylimebabe]

Does It Change The Way You Think Of Me? (Billy Hargrove x Reader)

(billy x reader)

word count: 2,144

warnings: alcohol use, drug use, heavily implied sex

notes: This is the first fanfic I have ever written so I hope it’s okay!! Also that song is such a Billy vibe lol

Monday, an evening in late June. the air is dry, and the Hawkins community pool is still. As he leaves the changing room, Billy lights up a Marlboro, feeling relief as he takes a drag, exhaling some of the stress from his work day. Tonight, he decided, he was going to let loose. Tossing his half smoked cigarette onto the asphalt, he stamps it out and walks to his car, flopping into the driver’s seat and tossing his bag in the back. Pulling out of his parking spot with haste, he begins making his way to your house.

The sun is hanging low, and Drive by The Cars plays on the radio as you organize your vanity, placing your scattered jewelry in a small chest sitting atop it. Just as you’re almost finished up, you hear a car horn blare from below. A familiar sound, and you have more than an educated guess of who it is.

“(Y/N)!”

“I’ll be down in a sec!” you shouted, shutting off the radio and quickly leaving your room, coming downstairs. Approaching the door, you felt your stomach flutter. Billy taking an interest in you had caught you by surprise, and even though you two had only been hanging out for the past two months, you felt exhilarated every time you were together. You hadn’t really been friends with someone as wild as him, and the outings he took you on always kept you on your toes.

“you just gonna leave me out here, sweetness?”

you had been lost in thought, swiftly unlocking the door and swinging it open to billy standing at the door, pulling on his necklace.

“of course not, dumbass,” you teased in a light tone. Billy gave a small chuckle, looking you in the eyes. you felt your cheeks warming, and quickly darted your eyes to his worn boots.

“so, you wanna go for a ride?” he asked, leaning against the door frame.

“with you? always,” you said sarcastically sweet, looking back up to him. your teasing always teetering on affectionate, yet you weren’t sure if Billy caught onto it.

“Well, grab what you need and let’s get outta here,”

he paused.

“the night is just beginning.” He said with a smile.

You tied up your sneakers, grabbed a jacket off the coat rack, locked the front door, and hopped into your crushes car. Not knowing exactly what you were getting yourself into, but excited nonetheless.

You two had driven around your neighborhood for a good hour just talking about work, and listening to whatever came on the radio. There wasn’t much Billy liked about his job, besides ogling the women that came to tan, and on most days he wasn’t actually doing much. His days were much better when you came to the pool. He would actually have someone to talk to when it wasn’t busy, and he didn’t mind the view of you in a bikini either. You on the other hand, were quite content with your job at Scoops Ahoy in the mall, your coworkers Steve and Robin always giving you a good laugh. The work itself was a breeze, although the uniform did make you feel a bit goofy.

After talking for a while, Billy turned and looked at you slyly, leaving you a bit confused.

“What’s up?” you asked him.

“How about we go to lover’s lake and unwind? take our minds off of work,” he said motioning to the six pack of bud lights and bottle of fireball sitting in the backseats.

“That sounds great, actually,” you said in a cheerful tone.

“Someone’s a little eager, huh?” Billy laughed, you rolled your eyes, trying to hide your grin. Lover’s lake…just a nice setting to drink and smoke right?

You arrived at the lake, a few other cars parked nearby with music lightly emitting from one. it was dark, with only the moon and various headlights illuminating the area. Unannounced, Billy reaches over to pop the glove box, his arm considerably close to touching your waist. He pulls out a joint, resting it between two fingers and using the same hand to close it back up.

“Didn’t you come to my house straight from the pool? hold up-did you roll that at work?” you panickedly questioned. Billy just looking your way and laughing.

“Billy! Jesus-” you were interrupted.

“It wasn’t even busy today! Shit gets boring, why not prepare?” he retorted while lighting the blunt between his lips. You side eyed him with a crooked smile, and couldn’t help but laugh.

“You are quite the case, Hargrove,” you teased.

“But I keep you around, don’t I?” he quipped, exhaling smoke. You grabbed the bottle of fireball and cracked the seal, taking a swig, the alcohol leaving a familiar burn. Billy and you traded vices periodically until you both felt hazy.

Some time had passed, and now the two of you were leaning on the hood of his car, enjoying the buzz and the stillness of the lake, as the other teenagers had left earlier. You had gone through all the drinks and had finished off the joint, leaving you feel warm, and everything a little blurry. Blue Monday by New Order played faintly from the car stereo, and you felt your inhibitions fizzle.

“You’re fucking stunning, you know that?”

Billy caught you off guard, and you looked up at him, seeing that he had a rather serious look on his face, with his eyelids hanging low.

“Billy…um thank you, that’s very flat-” he cut you off

“I’m not teasing either, I know we joke around but I mean it,”

You felt your skin flush at his words.

“Billy you’re really tipsy right now-”

“No!” he stopped you,

“don’t try to brush it off, like you always do. I mean it, I can’t keep my eyes off of you.”

He inched closer to you, and you could feel his breath on your face. He looked at you intently, placing his hand on top of yours where it rested on the hood of his car.

“I want you” he spoke softly, if a little slurred.

You felt a bit shocked by his proclamation still doubtful of the authenticity due to his state of drunkenness.

“Billy, I…” you tried to hold back, but the smoke and drinks were getting to your head.

“I-I want you too,” you confessed. And with that, Billy began to trail his fingertips up from your wrist, dragging them slowly up your arm to your shoulder, and eventually your cheek where he wrapped them around to the back of your neck, and pulled you into a deep kiss. He held you there for a moment, his other hand holding your waist. Your whole body shivered at the sensation of his lips and hands against you, and he pulled away looking into your dilated eyes, breathing heavily.

“Let me take you home,”

You frantically unlock the door and swing it open, Billy kissing the back of your neck with his arms wrapped around you. You feel yourself losing focus and pull on his wrist, signaling him to follow you inside. You lazily push off your sneakers and close the door, looking up at Billy with who is shamelessly eyeing you head to toe. You give him a half smile and grab his hand, walking up the stairs with him close behind. Opening your bedroom door, you let go of his hand, he enters first, and as you go to close the door, Billy grabs you from behind and tosses you on the bed roughly, which sends jolts up your spine. He quickly crawls up until he’s hovering over you and his glossy eyes are filled with desire.

He quickly plants a rough kiss on your lips and you tangle your fingers in his hair, which still smelled of chlorine. Soon shirts come off and onto the floor, and as Billy is about to unzip your jeans you look down at him.

“Wait,” you slur.

“You know, I-I normally don’t…do this sort of thing.”

You paused, as he stared at you, listening intently, his chin resting on your hip. Billy wouldn’t be the first, but this was different. You weren’t together. You had thought about being with Billy, but part of you knew that things would change if you crossed that line.

“Will this…change th-the way you think of me?”

You stared at him, everything still a little blurry.

An uncertain look flooded his face, and he looked away for a moment. You felt indifferent to his reaction. You wanted him now, regardless of the consequences.

“We’ll talk in the morning baby,” he mumbled, planting messy kisses against your stomach. You felt the heat inside you grow as he ran his hands all over your torso, thinking of all the lingering stares, the accidental touches, the way he would always surprise you. All this time waiting, and now you had him in your room. “The night is just beginning,” you thought…

You wake up with a pounding headache greeting you, your mouth dry, and nothing but an old t-shirt on. The last thing you can recall from last night was the image of Billy Hargrove kissing your thighs. Yet, he wasn’t in your room. You look out the window, and check your clock: 12:18 pm. Suddenly a wave of guilt and frustration washes over you. Of course this was how it would turn out. It didn’t matter if you had been friends before. As soon as you gave in to your emotions, you were just a hookup. Right? It’s not like you were unaware that this was his typical behavior. But part of you thought it would be different; That maybe it could’ve been more. Your anger only flourishes when you remember you have to be at work by 1:00. You quickly hop in the shower, blow dry your hair, put on some mascara, and throw on your Scoops uniform. You grab a bottle of water and quickly pace to the door, going to grab your jacket when you notice it’s gone.

“shit, must’ve lost it last night,” you mumbled.

You get into your sedan and haul ass to the Starcourt mall.

An hour into your shift and you’re already dying to go home, with Robin noticing your annoyance. She doesn’t want to pry, but her curiosity trumps her silence.

“You okay (Y/N)? You seem down,” she asks, also noticing how tired you look, but careful not to mention it.

“Oh um, I just had a rough night,” you say gingerly.

she quirks her brow, noticing your bluff, though she knows not to push, and goes back to restocking the cones. You see some customers approaching, and put on a bright smile.

“Hi there! Welcome to Scoops Ahoy!”

As you finish up the last girl in the group’s order, you notice a familiar face approaching the store. You feel your stomach flip. You’re hoping that what happened the night before wasn’t a mistake, but Billy coming to your work to likely mess with you wasn’t an ideal way of getting that confirmation.

As the group of girls left, Billy approached the counter, sporting a plum colored button up, baring most of his chest. It catches your attention, but you quickly look up to him, staring right at him.

“Hi! Welcome to Scoops Ahoy! What can I get for you today?”

Billy smiles at your customer service persona, biting the corner of his lip.

“How about a date? This Friday?”

You have to catch your breath. Was this a joke?

“Billy, are you gonna buy something or-”

“Im not teasing you, I…I can’t remember a whole lot of last night, but I know that when I kissed you, I meant it,”

You were shocked, but you knew how to play your cards, he wasn’t going to win that easily.

“We’ll talk about it later,” You smirked.

He gave a knowing shrug and smiled at you.

“I’ll be here when you get off,”

before you could respond he turned and began walking out of the store with a beat in his step. Just as he was almost out he loudly reminded you,

“You left your jacket in my car, by the way!”

You felt yourself become red as you yelled back

“Asshole!”

You shook your head and turned to see Robin wide eyed with her mouth half open

“(Y/N) I’m not even gonna ask,”

You held your head in your hand and laughed.

tags: @siwiecola

[legendofzeldaalinktothepast]

Opalescent Tides - Chapter 9

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter 

Pearl’s heart pounded in her chest as she made her way down the hallway. ’Oh goodness… What have I gotten myself into?’ she thought with a sigh. Not only did she have to worry about Amethyst being discovered, but she always felt a little flustered whenever Bismuth was involved… Wondering how she’d keep her composure, she drew in a deep breath and puffed out her chest. 

"Good evening!” Pearl greeted in a slightly shaky tone, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. ”Did you ladies have a fun night out?” 

"Yep! You’re still free to join us for our little sleepover, by the way." Bismuth grinned. With one hand in the pocket of her overalls, she spun her keys around in her free hand.

Pearl blushed; any other day she would have immediately jumped on that offer... “Oh, I’ll have to pass; my friend Amethyst actually decided to spend the night here!” she said. “Not that I mind or anything, since this is Garnet’s apartment too, but -- weren’t you two going to stay at your house?”

"Yep, and we still are! We just stopped by because she forgot her toothbrush.” Bismuth gestured towards Garnet, who was now walking towards the bathroom.

Pearl tensed; of course she'd forget something that was in the bathroom. "Oh, right! Toothbrushes are very important. Cavities are no laughing matter!" Pearl laughed nervously, reaching for Garnet’s hand before she could get any further. "S-shall I grab it for you?”

Garnet gave her a confused look. "Um… That's alright, I can get it.”

"W-well, actually…” Pearl cleared her throat so she had more time to figure out what she’d say. “My friend Amethyst is taking a shower right now, so... Perhaps I should go in and get it? Just for the sake of her comfort, that’s all…”

"Oh, alright then." Garnet said; though her expression looked uncertain, because she couldn't hear the shower running.

’Idiot. Why didn’t you just say bath?’ Pearl turned and darted down the hallway at full speed. Damn, was she terrible at lying... But at least Garnet and Bismuth weren't being too nosy that night. Pearl grabbed Garnet's toothbrush from the colorful cup on the sink -- and a couple floss picks, because she knew she’d forget to floss otherwise -- and slipped them into a little ziploc bag.

"Everything okay?" Amethyst whispered, peering out from behind the curtains.

"I sure hope so.” Pearl said.

She then hurried out of the bathroom and back to the living room. "Here you go!" Pearl said as she handed the bag to Garnet, slightly out of breath. "Anything else you need?"

"Not... really. Thank you, though." Garnet said, stuffing the bag into her purse.

“Anyway, I hope you two have fun!” Pearl urged, tugging the door open and gesturing towards the staircase. “Do some face masks, maybe bake some cookies, and other sorts of sleepover-type activities!”

"Same to you, Pearlie girlie.” Bismuth said with a wink. Garnet chuckled, and pulled the door shut behind herself as they left.

Pearl listened closely as they walked down the stairs; once they were gone, she locked the door and let out a sigh of relief. 'Goodness gracious.' Then, she turned and hurried back towards the bathroom.

“So… We in the clear?” Amethyst asked.

“Yes.” Pearl said, tugging the shower curtain aside. “That said, I’m almost positive they think we’re having sex.”

Amethyst burst into laughter. “Oh, damn. I’m so sorry.”

"It's fine; it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve brought a woman home with me, so it’s no surprise to anyone." Pearl shrugged, sitting down on the floor. “If anything, I should be apologizing to you.”

“Oh?” Amethyst rested her elbows on the side of the tub. “So you are into girls?”

Pearl snorted. “Of course I am. Haven’t you noticed the double venus pin on my purse?”

“Dunno what that is, but if it means I like girls, then I want one.”

Pearl chuckled. “Ah, right. I forgot you’re still learning about these sorts of things… It’s nothing important.”

“Alrighty then.” Amethyst shifted her position, slouching back down into the tub with a contented sigh. Her gills opened and closed, taking in the fresh, warm water… As she relaxed, she watched as Pearl, too, did the same -- or at least the human equivalent. The human took a long breath in, her chest puffing out... held it for a moment... and released it slowly.

From this angle, as she watched and observed her breathing, Amethyst couldn’t help noticing how pretty Pearl's face was... Long and narrow, with a tall and curved nose... A slender body with smooth, light tan skin... When Pearl glanced her way, though, her expression fell. "Is something wrong?"

Amethyst tilted her head. "Nah. Nothing at all. You're just really pretty right now.”

Pearl only looked more confused at that response; Amethyst wondered if she'd violated some kind of human social cue... So she averted her gaze and slipped down into the water. "Sorry if that was weird.”

"No, it's not weird." Pearl responded, turning back to face Amethyst. "Well, staring at me like a fool was a little bit weird of you. But... Thank you for calling me pretty. Coming from a mermaid with shimmering purple hair and a sparkling tail, that probably means something."

Amethyst smiled awkwardly. "Oh? What's it mean?"

Pearl burst into laughter. "It means I'm calling you pretty, you airhead."

"Oh." Amethyst blushed and slouched down even further. "Well, thanks.” she responded after a few moments, her voice slightly muffled by the water.

Pear giggled. "By the way… Would you like me to brush your hair? It’s a little messy, and I wouldn’t want it getting tangled when it dries.”

Amethyst wasn’t sure why that mattered, but for whatever reason, Pearl seemed eager… So she had no reason to tell her no. "Sure, knock yourself out.”

Pearl rose to her feet and approached a cabinet near the sink, taking out her hair brush. After plucking out a few strands of her orange hair, she seated herself on the edge of the tub, and Amethyst shifted her position so she could reach.

She ran the brush through that silky hair, tangling the knots as gently as she could; but every now and then, Amethyst let out a little yelp.

“Sorry.” Pearl said, picking out a couple bits of seaweed. “I’m being as careful as I can.”

“I believe ya. I don’t really ‘brush’ my hair that much, so it’s probably a lot to deal with, heh.” Amethyst chuckled.

Pearl had assumed that was the case; but despite the knotty-ness of it all, it still shimmered in the dim bathroom lighting, and carried a faint, yet pleasant scent of seawater.

“There we go…” Pearl announced after what felt like an hour, but in reality, was probably closer to ten minutes. “I got most of the knots out, anyway.” Pearl yawned and cupped a hand over her mouth.

“Thanks, Pearlie.” Amethyst said, running her fingers through her smooth hair. “You wanna go to bed? For a minute, I forgot humans normally go to sleep around now…”

"I'm a bit tired, but.." Pearl yawned again. "I want to make sure you fall asleep first.”

"Well, if you wanna stay up with me, you're in for a long night." Amethyst winked. “I’m nocturnal, baby.”

"Really?" Pearl tilted her head. "That’s interesting… But I’d feel horrible leaving you alone all night. I don’t have to work tomorrow, so… I’ll at least stay up as long as I can. If I were in your shoes -- excuse me, fins -- I’d want to have someone to keep me company.”

“Well, that’s real sweet of ya, Pearlie…” Amethyst said.

Pearl turned her gaze towards Amethyst again, running a hand through her hair and tucking it behind her ears. “Your eyes are so… strange, you know?” Pearl said. “In an intriguing way. The shape of your pupils and the way they reflect light… It reminds me of a cat’s, or a raccoon’s, even.”

“Well, they are nighttime critters like me.” Amethyst said.

“That’s true.” Pearl smiled a little. Her expression changed. “Now that I think of it… they’re a little bit similar to Rose’s. Her eyes are dark, though, so it’s a bit more subtle… But I swear I’ve noticed that her pupils were more… slit-like than Greg’s, for example…”

Amethyst’s heart sank. ’Shit.’ she thought, raking her claws against the tub. This was what Rose must’ve meant when she said Pearl would make the connection…

As Pearl pondered, with that curious, charming look in her blue eyes, Amethyst tried to think of some way to distract her before she could think about it any further… So in an act of bravery, she leaned forward and brought their lips together in a kiss.

At first, Pearl’s eyes widened; but her body showed no sign of protest, and her shoulders soon fell downward, her eyes shutting… She gripped Amethyst’s shoulders tight.

What started out as an impulsive act to distract Pearl ended up sending shivers down Amethyst’s spine. Staying mindful of her claws, Amethyst slipped her hands around Pearl’s waist and tugged her closer -- and with no consideration of the consequences, pulled her into the bathtub with a splash.

Only then did Pearl pull away from the kiss, her eyes wide. But her expression softened quickly, and she couldn’t help but giggle. “Goodness, haven’t you gotten my clothes wet enough for one day?” she teased.

“Sorry.” Amethyst blushed, rubbing the back of her neck. “It was just some weird impulse thing.”

“Well, I’m already in here, so I might as well stay.” Pearl whispered, pressing her foreheads together. Amethyst shuddered; she could smell something fruity and sweet on Pearl’s glistening lips, and tasted a trace of it on her own. Lip gloss, she vaguely recalled.

“...Do you want more?” Pearl asked, breaking the silence.

Her heart fluttering, Amethyst brought their lips together again. She grabbed Pearl by the waist, pulling her close until their torsos touched. She pulled away just long enough to purr, “Does that answer your question?” before kissing her yet again.

Pearl dragged her fingers through Amethyst’s hair with one hand, and stroked her fin with the other. The smooth, scaly texture felt lovely on her fingertips… As she moved her hand back upward, she felt the scales that went up Amethyst’s torso, lightly scattering her tummy and fading into her soft, beautiful skin.

“Goodness…” Pearl whispered against Amethyst’s neck, trailing kisses all the way down to her shoulders. She stopped at her collarbone, just above the edge of Amethyst’s tank top, and gazed up into her eyes once more.

Amethyst ran her fingers across Pearl’s spine, causing her to let out a little whimper. “You’re so pretty…” she whispered. “You know, even if we never figure out what’s going on with us… I wanna do this again.”

“I’d love that.” Pearl said, burying her face into Amethyst’s shoulder.

A comfortable silence fell between the two; Pearl lay comfortably at Amethyst’s side, taking in her comfortable, earthy scent… Amethyst wrapped an arm around her waist and held her tight. Soon enough, Pearl had begun to doze off; and despite her nocturnal instincts, Amethyst couldn’t help but do the same. 

* 

Pearl’s eyes slowly adjusted to the morning light. With a groan, she sat upright and flinched upon realizing that not only was she surrounded by water… But she’d fallen asleep in the bathtub, and Amethyst was laying right beside her.

As her gaze traveled downwards, her heart raced once she saw a pair of legs -- fully unclothed at that. Wanting to respect her privacy, Pearl stood upright and climbed out of the tub, pulling the curtain shut.

And just like that, Pearl’s heart sank down to her stomach. ’But what if…’ A cold sweat covered her body as doubt began to set in, wondering if the previous night had all been in her head…

Pearl removed her damp clothes and grabbed a bathrobe. ’It’s fine.’ she thought, attempting to shake it off. ’Don’t obsess over it. You can ask her about it when she wakes up.’

As she made her way out of the bathroom, her bare foot met something hard and sharp. Hissing in pain, she balanced on the wall with one arm, peeling the offending object off from her heel and examining it.

A shimmering purple scale.

Pearl let out a long sigh of relief, clutching the scale tight in her palms as she slid down the wall and onto the floor. It was real. Everything that happened last night… The transformation, the kiss… All of it. Just like that, her fear dissolved, and the butterflies in her chest began to take over.

“Can I borrow a skirt?”

Pearl let out a rather embarrassing yelp. Ironically, she’d forgotten Amethyst was still there; she spun around and glanced at Amethyst’s sleepy face peering out from behind the curtains, and laughed nervously. “Yes, of course!” she finally said once she recollected herself. “Let me just…”

Pearl hurried out of the bathroom and towards her bedroom. After sticking the scale into a little jewelry box and properly drying herself off -- geez, was her skin wrinkly from soaking all night -- she slipped into a fresh pair of jeans and a tank top. Then, she made her way towards Garnet’s room; none of her own clothes had a chance of fitting Amethyst, and while Garnet was tall, she was also a bit heavier… So maybe one of her shorter skirts would work?

Pearl rummaged through Garnet’s dresser, eventually retrieving a stretchy, light blue skirt. It reached Garnet’s knees when she wore it, so it’d almost reach the ankles on Amethyst. She’d probably want something to replace her wet tank top, too, so she grabbed a big tee shirt as well, bringing them back to the bathroom. “Here you go!”

“Thanks, Pearlie.” Amethyst said. She stood upright, stretching her arms and her newly formed legs for a moment. Blushing, Pearl glanced the other way.

Amethyst gave her a confused expression for a moment; then, she remembered humans had some sort of taboo about nudity… So she shrugged it off, drying herself off with a towel and slipping into the clothes Pearl had brought her.

“Alrighty, you can look now.” Amethyst said. “I mean, you never had to look away, but ya know.”

“Oh, alright. I just didn’t want to make you uncomfortable...” Pearl blushed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Did you… sleep alright?”

“Actually, I did. Which is weird, considering now’s about the time I usually go to bed.” Amethyst snorted, smoothing her hair out with her fingers. “Man, Rose is really gonna kick my ass when I get home. I snuck out and lost her skirt when I transformed… I should probably get my own clothes soon, now that I think of it. I’m always borrowing something from someone, and I hate having to be responsible for it.”

Pearl chuckled. “Well, you don’t have to head home just yet… You can stay here a bit longer if you’d like.”

“You sure?” Amethyst said, stepping out onto the bath mat. “I don’t wanna be a pain in your ass, I mean, I already--”

Pearl stroked Amethyst’s chin, causing her to tense up. The latter gazed up into that blue-eyed gaze and immediately relaxed. “It’s alright.” she reassured. “You’re not a pain in the ass. I… Admittedly, I’m still not sure how to feel about all of this, but… One thing I know for certain is that I like you, Amethyst.”

Amethyst blushed. “I… I really like you too… Can we, uh…” She leaned up on her toes as if to cue that she wanted to kiss again. Pearl chuckled. “Not until I’ve brushed my teeth.”

“Oh, right.” Amethyst blushed. “Speaking of that, can I borrow a tooth brushing thing? Wasn’t prepared for a sleepover, so…”

“You can’t borrow one, but you can have one.” Pearl winked. She grabbed a toothbrush from the cabinet and tossed it over to Amethyst.

Amethyst laughed. “Right, right. Mouth germs and all that.” she said, though she wasn’t sure how that was any different from kissing… Regardless, she squirted some of that tooth-cleaning substance into her toothbrush and began to brush her teeth.

Once their mouths were both clean, Pearl smoothed her hair out with her comb. Amethyst couldn’t help but envy her; with such short hair, brushing it only took a few seconds… Meanwhile, her hair was so long that taking care of it was a whole ordeal.

“Do you like coffee?” Pearl asked, turning and heading down the stairs. “Or tea?”

“I’m fine with either.” Amethyst responded. She followed close behind, shoving her hands into the skirt pockets.

“Tea it is, then.” Pearl said. She filled a kettle up with some water and placed it on the stove.

As Pearl went about her business, Amethyst seated herself at the table and fidgeted anxiously with the tablecloth as she waited. Part of her wanted to make conversation just to fill the awkward silence; but every time she opened her mouth to speak, she closed it right back up. ’Geez, I’m never shy like this…’ she thought shamefully.

Thankfully, it didn’t last too long; before she knew it, Pearl had brought two steaming cups over to the table, and had seated herself in the chair beside Amethyst.

“Now…” Pearl began, reaching for Amethyst’s chin. “Do you still want a kiss? Or has that window passed?”

And just like that, Amethyst perked right up. “Take a wild guess.” she teased, leaning in and closing the gap between their lips.

This kiss was much shorter, however, because they heard the front door creak open, and Pearl immediately pulled away. Her cheeks flushing, she grabbed her cup of tea and took a sip -- only to hiss as she burned herself.

“Good morning.” Garnet said.

“Hey there.” Amethyst said, still recovering from the whiplash of how quickly Pearl’s mood had shifted. Whatever her reason for not wanting Garnet to see them kissing, Amethyst didn’t quite know, but decided to shrug it off for the time being.

“Did you two have a fun night?” Garnet added with a wink.

Pearl immediately took another sip of her tea. Amethyst couldn’t help but snort; as smooth as Pearl had been last night, she sure turned into an awkward mess when anyone else was involved.

“Yeah, it was pretty chill.” Amethyst said, grabbing a packet of sugar from a bowl in the middle of the table. She ripped it open and poured it into her cup of tea, stirring it around with her finger.

“That’s good to hear. Bismuth and I had a lot of fun, too..” Garnet said, setting her backpack on the couch.

Pearl, on the other hand, refused to speak, and merely busied herself with drinking her tea -- or at least pretending to. Amethyst wasn’t quite sure.

“Well… I’ll be in my room, then.” Garnet said, beginning to realize her presence was making Pearl uneasy. Her expression slightly concerned, she turned and made her way down the hallway.

Once she was out of the room, Pearl finally set down her cup of tea. “Ouch.” she said, rubbing her throat.

Amethyst burst into laughter. “Man, isn’t she your roommate? Why are you so afraid of her now?”

“I’m not afraid of her, I just...” Pearl blushed. “Wasn’t expecting her to come home so early. I have a feeling she’ll ask me about last night, and I’m… still processing it myself, I suppose. And I’ll have to continue lying -- at least about the mermaid part -- which I’m terrible at. I already made a fool of myself last night, trying to keep you from being discovered.”

“Ohh…” Amethyst said, taking a hesitant sip of her tea. “I’m… sorry about all this.”

“It isn’t your fault.” Pearl reassured, placing a hand on Amethyst’s shoulder. “Well, perhaps a little bit, but…” She slid her hand down Amethyst’s arm and reached for her hand. “I’m glad this happened.”

Amethyst leaned her head against Pearl’s shoulder. “I am, too…” she said. Gazing up into her eyes, she added, “I can’t fix everything, or make the whole situation any less awkward, but… Did you burn your mouth?”

“I did.” Pearl shuddered.

“Do you want me to kiss it better?” Amethyst winked.

Pearl chuckled. “Yes, I think that would help quite a bit.” she said, and the two of them kissed once more.

[spydcrwoman]

who we’ve been || solo

Summary: Jessica runs into trouble while investigating a HYDRA base. Warnings: Violence, blood, hospitals

The war in New York was over. The Syndicate had been wiped out completely, the Strike Force had been dismantled, and they had won. The arguing was a thing of the past; heroes registered and unregistered alike suddenly got along like friends again, the civilians all trusted them regardless of which side of the disagreement they’d been on, and they could all focus on bigger issues, like super villains and street crime.

Yeah. That would’ve been nice.

The thing about war, the thing that the history books and the generals and the people in charge would never tell you, was that it was never really over. More often than not, even after the fighting stopped, the ideas and arguments that had lead to it still remained. Wars could never really be won; the second a disagreement progressed to the point of all out fighting, both sides had already lost.

What Jessica and the other heroes were dealing with now wasn’t just general ‘more of the same’ type crime. It was the aftermath. It was all the things that they hadn’t had time to focus on during the Strike Force’s reign, all the things they’d had to put in the back burner to focus on the Syndicate’s murders coming back to bite them in the ass with a vengeance. The aftermath was always messy, sometimes even messier than the war itself.

She’d like to be out going after the aliens who’d apparently been running the show in the Panel, would have loved to be giving them a piece of her mind, but she was fresh out of leads on that front. Instead, she figured it was time to get back to the basics, back to her roots, if only to ease her back into the world without the Syndicate’s presence in the forefront of her mind.

Finding the HYDRA cell wasn’t hard. It never was, not for Jess. After all, HYDRA had made her who she was. In the words of Madame Hydra herself, the organization was her ‘home.’ She’d always find her way back to them in the end.

Of course, what HYDRA’s leader refused to accept was that these days, Jess found her way back to them in order to tear them apart brick by brick. Tonight, she wanted nothing more.

Going in alone was never a good idea, Jess knew; better people than her had been caught and killed for trying it, and it was arrogance that drove her to believe she’d be more successful than them. If she were smarter, she’d call someone for help. Nat, maybe, or Bobbi. There was nothing stopping her.

But HYDRA was personal for Jess, personal in a way that it wasn’t for anyone else. Natasha had the Red Room, Barton had the circus, and Jessica had HYDRA. They’d pulled the wool over her eyes for years, made her hurt people, made her kill people, and for that, she owed them. She’d always been pretty big on paying back what she owed, and she’d always worked better alone.

For a moment, she stood outside the warehouse, staring up at it like a monster looming over her. She knew what waited inside. There were men with guns, there were experiments, there were weapons, there were secrets, there were a million things she needed gone so that she could move on a little bit further with her life. Sighing, she took out her phone and sent a quick text to Bobbi. It was to the point; her location, what she was doing, and a note that, if she didn’t hear from her in the morning, she was probably dead. Bobbi, she knew, would take care of this cell for her if it remained tomorrow.

With that done, Jess tucked her phone into her pocket and pulled her gun from its holster before slipping through the warehouse door and into the building that awaited her.

The moment she closed the door behind her, she knew something was wrong. Her footsteps echoed a little too loudly, the air tasted a little too stale, and there were no sounds coming from within the darkness. No soft whirring of machinery, no hushed whispers of conversation, no tapping of keys on a computer. Nothing.

There was no one here.

Jess cursed softly, understanding that her intel must have been old. Whoever had been here before had moved on, and it was time for her to do the same. She turned back towards the door, ready to open it and make her exit, when the soft click of a gun’s safety turning off echoed through the silent warehouse.

Quickly, Jess whirled back around, unsurprised to find herself face to face with the barrel of a gun. She looked up at its owner, stiffening when she made eye contact.

He was barely a kid, she realized. His eyes were wide and frightened, his hands were trembling slightly, and the expression on his face was one she knew she herself had worn once upon a time. The first time HYDRA made her kill for them, she figured she’d looked something like this kid; uncertain, all alone, and shit scared.

It was because of this experience that Jess didn’t shoot him on the spot. He didn’t want to kill her, she knew. He didn’t want to squeeze that trigger, didn’t want to watch her bleed out on the warehouse floor. She could talk him out of it.

(It was yet another arrogant mistake; Jess assumed that her experiences were universal. In reality, they were anything but.)

She opened her mouth to speak to him, ready to talk him down. It wasn’t often that she resorted to conversation before violence, but god, she saw so much of herself in this kid. If she had ever deserved the second chance Fury gave her, she owed it to him to offer the same thing.

Before she could speak, a shot rang out. The sound seemed far louder than it should have been, seeming to echo endlessly through the empty warehouse. For a fraction of a second, Jess didn’t feel any pain. She looked down and saw the blood on her shirt, saw the liquid spilling from her gut, but she didn’t feel anything. And then, it hit her. It was like a hurricane, sweeping her off her feet before she knew she was falling. She gripped the wound tightly, the part of her brain still able to focus on anything but the pain reminding her to slow the bleeding.

For a moment, she forgot about the kid. She forgot about HYDRA, forgot about the Panel and the Syndicate and the city and everything in the world save for the pain radiating through her body. It came back to her when she saw shoes walking towards her, remembered that she wasn’t alone, recalled that someone had shot her and he was still here.

Frantically, she reached for her gun, but her movements were sloppy and uncoordinated. One of the feet kicked the weapon from her grasp. Jess tried desperately to summon up a spider-bite, but they took energy, and at the moment, that was something she simply didn’t have.

The boy knelt down, getting close to her. The terrified expression he’d worn before was gone now, replaced by some mixture of satisfaction and sick curiosity. Maybe he was going to let her bleed out here while he watched, she thought. He reached his hand towards her, and Jess slapped at it weakly, leaving smears of blood on his arm. If he noticed her efforts at all, he made no mention of them. Instead, he slipped his hand into her pocket and pulled out her phone.

No calling for help now, Drew, she thought, swallowing dryly. You really fucked up now. Killed by a lone agent because you were too stupid to shoot first.

She waited for him to smash her phone, waited for him to throw it out of reach alongside her gun, waited for him to do something terrible. Instead, he unlocked the screen, dialed a number, and held it to his ear. He kept his gaze trained on her as it rung.

Enhanced hearing allowed her to hear the tinny voice on the other end give the standard greeting of, “911, what’s your emergency?”

“A woman’s been shot,” the man exclaimed in a terrified, frantic voice that didn’t match his cool, collected expression in the slightest. “Oh my god, she’s bleeding out! You have to come quick!” Before any questions could be asked, he rattled off the address and hung up. He set the phone down next to Jessica, close enough for her to reach if she’d had the strength.

He sat there a moment longer, studying her until the sound of sirens poured in from the distance. Tilting his head, the man smiled and stood. “He loves us,” the man said gently, as if to comfort her. “He loves us so much.”

Without another word, he walked passed her, opened the door to the warehouse, and disappeared out into the blinding sunlight.

(Maybe it was just the blood loss talking, but Jess could have sworn she saw a flash of green in his face before the pain became too much and consciousness left her.)

Everything came in flashes. Paramedics’ faces swimming over her, the transfer from concrete to stretcher, the roof of an ambulance, the doors of the hospital, the sterile scent of a hallway. The only string connecting these brief moments of awareness was pain. It was intense, like a fire burning inside of her, and Jessica knew she was dying.

It bothered her more than she thought it would. While she didn’t actively want to die, she’d never been afraid of it. Back when HYDRA had shaped her mind into what they wanted it to be, she’d been more than willing to die for them. When she left them, she’d felt as though death was what she deserved. Then came SHIELD, and Jess figured that if she died saving the world, it wouldn’t be the worst way to go out. That feeling had stuck with her as Spider-Woman.

She’d never been afraid of dying until now.

Now that it was real, the thought suddenly terrified her. She didn’t want to die, didn’t want to fade away into nothingness. She’d never believed in an afterlife, and the thought that she’d simply cease to exist was nauseating.

The pain faded slowly, indicating that the medication she’d been administered was steadily beginning to take effect. She wondered if they were still going to try to save her or if they’d give her up as a lost cause.

Slowly, a woman’s face swum before her vision. A doctor, her mind supplied.

“Ms. Drew,” the woman asked, voice distorted at first. “Ms. Drew, are you with us?” Slowly, painfully, Jess nodded her head. The woman smiled and continued. “You were shot in the stomach earlier this evening. We’ve managed to stop the bleeding, but the bullet is lodged inside your abdomen. We’ll need to perform a surgery to remove it, and since you’re conscious now we need your consent.”

For a moment, Jess thought of all the times in her life she’d almost died. She thought of bullets whizzing past her ears, of needles in her skin, of stab wounds and gunshots and all the things that should have killed her and failed. This was the first time she’d been given a choice. This was the first time anyone had ever asked her if she wanted to live.

Swallowing around the thickness in her throat, Jess nodded again. “Do it,” she said hoarsely. “Get this bitch out of me, and don’t let me fucking die.” The woman smiled faintly at that, nodding towards someone behind her. A mask was put over Jess’s face and her bed was rolled farther down the hall.

“I want you to start counting backwards from ten,” the woman said above her. Jess let out a breath, closed her eyes, and started counting.

10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5…

Her vision blurred and, slowly, the world faded to black around her.

The doctors stood still for a moment over the unconscious woman, exchanging glanced. When they were sure she was truly out, the woman who’d spoken before removed the surgical mask from her face. Her features morphed, human skin melting away into green, chin going from soft and pointed to square and defined. She looked down at the unconscious patient with a brow quirked before glancing up to a darkened corner of the operating room.

“What should we do with her, my queen?” She asked, voice tighter and more unsure than it had been when speaking to Jessica before.

“Remove the bullet,” a voice commanded from the shadows. “We may have use for her yet.” Slowly, the voice’s owner stepped into the light. Her hair was dark, her eyes sharp, and her features identical to the unconscious patient on the gurney. The imposter looked down on Jess for a moment, considering her before turning back to the room full of now green skinned doctors and nurses. Smiling, the Skrull made her way towards the operating room’s door and rested a hand on the knob.

Before leaving, she turned back towards her fellow Skrulls once more. “You’ve all done wonderfully today,” she praised them with a smile. “We won’t have to hide in the shadows much longer. We’ll settle to this world completely before humanity even realizes we’ve taken it.” Turning the knob, she opened the door and took a breath, stepping into the hallway. “He loves us,” she reminded them. “We are right, and he loves us.”

[bangtanbombimagines]

Number 9+5 with jungkook please:))))))

Prompt request: “Will you be quiet!?” + “I made my baby cry!”

Pairing: Jungkook/Reader

Genre: Hurt/Comfort + Fluff

Summary: Usually, Jungkook finds your loudness an endearing and cute quality. But today is not one of those days. After crashing at Jungkook’s apartment, you wake up to find him studying. Despite trying your best not to disturb him, you still can’t manage to keep quiet.

Word count: 1.5k words

Stretching your arms across the soft fabric of Jungkook’s sheets, you yawned and roused slowly. Last night, you had been studying with your boyfriend when a rainstorm made it too difficult to get home. Graciously, Jungkook had offered you his bed while he slept on the couch–you had only just begun dating and didn’t want to make it awkward.

Still, as you rose from the bed dressed in one of Jungkook’s old t-shirts, you couldn’t help but feel a little too domestic for a budding romance.

As you crept forwards, you landed on a floorboard that creaked loudly, cutting through the peaceful silence of the room. Wincing, you continued on quickly. You opened the door and stepped into the hallway, jumping as the sound of the door ricochetting off the walk echoed through Jungkook’s flat.

“Y/N?” Jungkook called out from somewhere, unseen. “Are you up?”

“Yep!” you chirped, emerging from the hallway. Jungkook was sitting on the couch, laptop perched on top of his thighs and textbooks scattered around him. His hair was messy, ruffled from sleep. You walked up behind Jungkook and pecked the top of his head. “Still studying?”

Jungkook nodded soundlessly, fingers typing furiously as his eyes scanned his textbook at a rapid speed.

Smiling to yourself, you detached yourself from your boyfriend and made your way into the kitchen. “I’m just going to eat something before I head out,” you said as you walked away.

“Sure,” Jungkook responded, sounding preoccupied. Understandably so–midterms were rapidly approaching.

Standing on the tips of your toes, you searched through Jungkook’s cabinets, trying to locate the utensils you needed. The dishes clanked as you retrieved a bowl that was stored higher on the shelves. Next, you rooted through the drawers, trying to find a spoon.

“Sorry, Y/N,” Jungkook began a little apologetically, craning his head to look at you from the living room. “You’re kinda loud, and I just need to focus right now.”

“Oh, of course!” you responded. You placed a finger over your lips. “I’ll be quiet.”

A box of cereal was on the countertop already, pressed flush against the backsplash. It was one of those bland, fibrous ones that was actually healthy. Figures Jungkook would eat that kind of thing. Opening the fridge, you grabbed a carton of milk and poured it into your bowl of cereal. There wasn’t enough milk, so the majority of the cereal remained dry.

Whatever, you weren’t picky.

You tossed the empty carton into the recycling bin, and it collided with the contents already inside. A few cans tumbled to the bottom of the bin, clanging loudly as they went.

“Sorry!” you squeaked, your arms outstretched towards the offending cans uselessly.

“It’s fine,” Jungkook said with a quiet laugh.

You slipped into a seat in front of Jungkook’s small kitchen table. For a shabby apartment–Jungkook was a poor university student–the kitchen was quite nice. The table was nestled into a corner, adjacent to a large window that let in plenty of light. Basking in the morning sun, the sky filled with full, fluffy clouds following the storm, you began to eat your cereal.

Due to the lack of milk, the cereal was quite dry. You munched on the dry grains absentmindedly, staring at the expanse of blue sky in front of you, lined with concrete structures and towering skyscrapers.

You couldn’t hear the sound of Jungkook’s frustrated sighs over your loud crunching.

Eventually, you finished the tasteless bowl of cereal. As you stood up to wash your dishes, your momentum caused the chair to slide backwards. It scraped loudly against the tile floors. Sighing inwardly at yourself, you made your way to the sink.

You turned on the taps and poured soap into the bowl. Scrubbing diligently, you began to hum a song that had been stuck in your head for the past few days, swaying gently to the light melody.

“Will you be quiet!?” Jungkook finally snapped, eyes glaring up from his laptop, gaze piercing into your back.

Your eyes widened, and you turned to face Jungkook. Hurt radiated through you, making your heart sting. “O-oh, sorry,” you replied with a watery smile. “I didn’t notice. Sorry.”

Turning back to the sink, you turned the taps and stopped the flow of water. Biting your lip, you felt hot tears begin to well in your eyes. With your head ducked down, you hurried out the kitchen and back in the direction of the bedroom.

“Y/N…,’ Jungkook called after you, a bit regretfully.

You didn’t hear whatever else Jungkook had to say. Shutting the bedroom door quietly behind you, a few stray tears trailed down your cheeks. Hastily, you wiped them away, cursing at your oversensitivity.

You tried to rationalize with yourself. You knew Jungkook was feeling really stressed lately. Naturally, you were a noisy person, and it was insensitive of you to be so loud while he was studying. Plus, he had been nice enough to let you crash at his apartment even when he was so busy. It made sense for him to be frustrated with you. Still, it didn’t make his words or his tone hurt any less.

The clothes you had worn previously were folded neatly on the foot of the bed. You quickly changed into them, laying Jungkook’s shirt down carefully. As you were attempting to put on your socks, you fell onto the soft bed.

Sitting motionless for a bit, you sniffled quietly and tried to collect yourself.

From behind you, you heard the sound of the doorknob turning. The door creaked as it opened slowly. Jungkook slipped into the room, padding across the floor soundlessly. You lowered your head, avoiding his gaze. You clasped your hands in your lap, opting to look at them instead.

Beside you, the bed dipped as Jungkook sat down tentatively.

“Y/N, I’m sorry,” Jungkook sighed, rubbing his arm nervously. “I didn’t mean to say it like that. I’m just really stressed and I took it out on you.”

You didn’t respond. Biting your lip, you fought back another fresh wave of years.

“Y/N?” Jungkook asked. He slid a hand underneath the curtain of hair that had fallen around your face. Cupping the side of your jaw gently, he raised your head to face him. His mouth opened in surprise when he took in your appearance, forming a small “o.”

Your eyes were ringed with red, framed by wet eyelashes. Your lips were red and swollen from biting, and your chin quivered slightly.

“I made my baby cry!” Jungkook gasped, his eyebrows furrowed. He wiped away a single tear with his thumb. “Y/N, I’m so, so sorry. I’m such an asshole, shit.”

He pulled you into a tight embrace, pressing your face into the crook of his neck protectively. Rubbing gentle circles into your back, he mumbled apologies into the crown of your head.

“I didn’t mean it, okay?” he asked helplessly, taken aback by your uncharacteristic silence. “It was my fault. Sometimes I have a bad temper, but it’s no excuse to make you hurt like this.”

You pulled back, still refusing to meet Jungkook’s gaze. “It’s okay,” you whispered, voice hoarse. “I know I’m too loud.”

“You’re loud, but that’s fine,” Jungkook insisted, holding your hands in his. “You’re super noisy, and you’re always doing something. But it’s cute, and it’s one of the reasons why I love you so much. Without you, my life would be quiet and boring. Being loud isn’t something you should be sorry for.”

“You mean it?” you asked, incredulous. Your eyes widened, finally peering up to meet Jungkook’s.

“What?” Jungkook asked, tilting his head with confusion written all over his face. “Yeah, it’s cute.”

“No, after that,” you said, unable to bite back the smile tugging at your lips.

A furious blush bloomed over Jungkook’s cheeks as he recalled what he said. “U-uh, yeah,” he stuttered, his voice uncertain. This time, it was he who glanced away. “That’s okay, right?”

“Say it again,” you demanded cheekily, grinning fully now. Any hurt had been washed away by Jungkook’s confession.

“I love you,” Jungkook repeated, his blush spreading to his ears. Still, his voice was steady this time, and he looked you in the eye. “So much.”

You laughed joyously, launching yourself into Jungkook’s arms. The both of you fell onto the bed, the mattress creaking underneath you. Jungkook laughed too, arms wrapping around your waist instinctively. Jungkook pressed gentle kisses against your lips, then down your jaw, and finally settled at the bottom of your neck.

Weaving your fingers through Jungkook’s soft hair, you smiled at the boy wrapped around you.

“Now that you’ve said it, you can’t take it back,” you warned Jungkook. “I won’t ever shut up now.”

“Good,” Jungkook grinned, detaching himself from your neck to look at you. He pressed his forehead against yours, eyes fluttering shut. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

- Girl in Luv

It’s 3 AM right now. I have to be up in a few hours. But I’d do anything for fluff. Hope you enjoyed this imagine. Send us some more requests! You can check out our prompts page for inspiration. Happy reading~ 

[anangelcalledinquisitor]

Pride

(AKA, space elf lesbians because why not?  So I’ve got Pharony (Doll Chateau Dolores) and Rio (Soom Nephilim) and they’ve been an unofficial couple since I put them on the shelf together about a year ago.  I’ve been reworking Lord and Lady for some time, and it’s making more and more sense that it should be Rio and Pharony, and some of the story elements that haven’t been clicking started to click.  Also, I entered @therealdeanwinchester13‘s little flash-fiction contest, and this is my entry.  I had to reword the prompt a little bit, but I kept the intention of the prompt.)

(Pharony is nonbinary and uses she/her/they/them, Rio is female and uses she/her.  Both are elves, though different classifications/species of elf.  Set in a space station, because space elf lesbians.  No sexiness, sorry.  Mentions of past trauma, though I don’t elaborate because that’s going to be in the full story which I have to finish writing first.  Abrutio is an asshole.  He did and does many bad things, just not in this flash-fic)

(Last thing, no, Pharony calling Rio “Ro” is not a typo--her full name is Rowan Lenore Maximillian, but adopted the name Rio after a stay on another planet where the natives called her Rio.)

Pharony didn't know what to expect when she knocked on Rio's door.  They had dropped her off at the agent's station three months ago, despite her pleading and struggling, and they had gotten back on their ship and flew away.  It had taken everything Pharony had to do that, keeping that stony expression as they turned their back and walked away.  Pharony never met her gaze, blue-gold eyes looking up at them with that pleading expression, simply handed her over to their raging commander and left.

It had been a mercy, Pharony told herself.  Pharony's master had grown suspicious, and he had made it clear in no uncertain terms that if Pharony was harboring Rio, that her master wouldn't protect them from Abrutio.

And Pharony wouldn't let that happen to the one she loved.

So she had done the only thing she could do to protect Rio, pushing her away and burying the hurt as they flew away.

But now, with thing changed and the world no longer being safe, even with her master's protection, and knowing that Abrutio was on the hunt again for Rio, Pharony refused to stand by.  As soon as they got word that Abrutio was closing in on the elusive agent that had not only escaped his collection, but also had made off with a prized possession, Pharony knew there was no time—they had to get Rio out of there.

Pharony didn't expect Rio to answer the door, draped in something soft and gauzy that did nothing to hide anything as she leaned against the doorway.  There it was, the hurt in those eyes as Rio squared her jaw and scowled.

“What do you want?”

Swallowing quickly, Pharony bowed slightly, a measure of respect.  It also helped her to discretely look the agent over.  She was pale, though she'd always been pale. Her hair was a tangle of wild curls and waves, the buzzed sides shaggy with growth.  The markings on her face, lines that said secrecy and honor and danger followed the curve of her cheekbones, over her lips and chin.  Pharony wanted to trace the ones under her eyes, the ones that made her look fierce and wild, but kept their hands at their sides.  Straightening up, Pharony said calmly, “Abrutio is looking for you.”

Her eyes, with their almost metallic sheen, caught the light from the hallway as they rolled with a scoff. “What else is new?”

“He knows you're here,” the guardian added, trying to keep their voice low.

“So what?” Rio asked, yawning. “Let him find me.  Not like I'm worth anything anymore...  What's he going to do to me that he hasn't done already?”

Pharony was at a loss for words for a long time.  This wasn't the same agent she'd been forced to leave behind.  Pharony flinched behind their mask, instinctively reaching up to ensure it was still in place.  It wouldn't do for Rio to be able to so easily read her again.  “He's coming to kill you...”

“Oh.”  That was all Rio said.  A cold, flat “oh”.  Sighing, she shrugged.  “Thanks for the heads up,” she said as she started to turn away, letting the door close behind her.

Pharony's gloved hand shot out, stopping the door before it closed, stepping inside.  “Oh?  What do you mean 'oh'?!”  Anger rose in their throat and Pharony wanted to scream as the door slid shut behind them.  Rio was turning back, but before she could even start to be indignant, Pharony was crossing the foyer, “He has been waiting months for this chance!  It's the entire reason that I had to-”

Pharony's rant was cut short as one boot caught the edge of a rug on the cold, metal floor, the fabric sliding as they tried to catch themselves, and, before they could decide to just let themselves fall, they collided with Rio, taking her down with them.  Instincts took over, and Pharony braced for the fall with their forearms, eyes closing for the impact.  

The tumble to the metal floor was jarring, bodies colliding hard as they landed in a tangle of limbs.  Rio grunted, rubbing her head as she grumbled.  For a moment their eyes met, and there was only hurt in Rio's eyes, glinting with tears in the low light from the candles around the room.  Pharony was only a breath away from her, taking in the way her hair fell around her face in messy curls, looking like she'd been lying in bed instead of being half-tackled to the floor. Her lips looked soft, inviting, and Pharony realized how much she wanted to kiss that hurt away, to make the agent—the elf, she reminded herself—smile again and see joy return to those bright eyes.  A flash of memory had her heart twinging as she remembered Rio, lying on a bed, surrounded by candlelight, waiting for Pharony.

“Let me up,” was all Rio said, and the moment was gone.  Pharony almost flinched again, simply glancing away before rising to her feet and holding out a hand for the disheveled elf.

“Please, just let me explain,” Pharony tried again as Rio tucked the gauzy thing around her again, trying hard not to let her gaze wander again.

“All right,” Rio said, her voice bitter.  “Explain to me why you would just dump me on a station where I have no job, no money, no ties, and no way to fend for myself.  Explain to me why, after I told you... after I had begged you not to abandon me, that's all you did, after swearing you would not.”

Pharony did flinch this time, looking away.  Had it really been that same day?  She had been an idiot, recalling the way Rio had looked, tiny and defenseless and utterly alone, how she'd clung to Pharony when she returned from meeting with her master.  So much had happened, she didn't even think...

Swallowing heavily, Pharony said, “I wanted... to protect you...”

“Bullshit!”

“It's true!” the guardian said, head lifting and meeting Rio's gaze.  “I was given one ultimatum—let you go, or my master was going to turn us both over to Abrutio!”

Rio's anger stilled, though it was clear she was still fuming.  There was a long silence before Pharony said, “You should have told me.  I could have worked something out!”

“I couldn't take that risk!” Pharony said, shaking their head, raven hair falling around their face.  “I had to throw him off the trail, or else he was going to...”  Their voice trailed off as mismatched eyes closed, trying not to fuel that fear, that anxiety.  The very thought of Abrutio being close enough to touch Rio...  “I had to know you were safe...” Pharony said at last, tears welling up behind closed eyes, burning their face as they fell beneath their mask.  “I couldn't risk your safety, not for my foolish pride...”

“It's still my safety... So it's my choice...” Rio said, voice softening, but still hard, like velvet-wrapped steel. Sighing, Rio ran a hand through her hair, wincing as the tangles caught her fingers before turning with a yawn.  “Might as well come inside, seeing as how you already invited yourself in...”

For the first time, Pharony took a look around, seeing the cans piled up here and there—not beer cans, but paint cans, varnish and thinner, a couple tins of kerosene in one corner, and machine parts everywhere.  Gears and cogs took up most of the space, ranging from a pile of ones no bigger than Pharony's pinky nail, to a few haphazard stacks a foot and a half across.  The guardian followed Rio deeper into her quarters, frowning slightly.  “Holy shit, Ro,” she murmured, looking around carefully as they picked their way through the debris of what had to be at least two small pods.  “Your place is a wreck...”

Rio simply scoffed, rolling her eyes as she started to dress, pulling on the nano-fiber suit without even bothering with the smallclothes she usually wore beneath, hunting for her leggings as the tunic fell t a tantalizing length just above the curve of her backside.  “Had I known I was going to have guests at three in the goddamn morning, I might've bothered to clean up.”  Pants located, she started to tug them into place before realizing that Pharony was staring.  Not saying anything, she simply quirked an eyebrow and yanked the pants on.

“Well,” Pharony said, sighing, though she wouldn't admit that it was because she'd enjoyed getting to see more of the lithe elf, “at least you won't have to worry about that now...”

Her musings were interrupted by an angry-sounding chirp from her communicator.  Flicking the print-pad, she growled into the microphone, “What?”

“Sorry to interrupt, captain,” the almost-nasally voice of her ship's AI said, drawing Rio's attention as she tugged on plated footwraps.  “I thought you might want to know that His Lordship's... errr... ship... has docked at the station, four ports down.”

Pharony's blood ran cold as Rio scrambled to wind the ties quickly—it didn't need to look good, it just needed to save her tender feet from any sharp edges between here and the guardian's ship.  She knew who His Lordship was, and all bravado was gone as she scrambled to gather the few necessary items from her room—medication, blaster (left on the charger), and her own communicator, slapping it on as she grabbed her long coat and black helmet with it's full-face visor.  If she didn't speak, she could look like any other merc on this rock.  With a quick swipe to blacken the visor just enough that it would hide her markings, she tugged it on, wincing as the padding caught one ear.  She didn't have time to fix it, they needed to be gone.

She almost slid her hand into Pharony's as they turned to leave, opening the door to the brightly-lit hallway, deciding not to at the last second.  Rio collided with Pharony for the second time, realizing that the guardian stood in the doorway, almost blocking her from view of the tall, white-haired figure that gazed down at them with cold, dead eyes.

“Lord Abrutio,” Pharony said, voice calm despite the panic that rose in her chest.  “What a pleasant surprise.”

[lalka-laski]

How far away is the person you miss? I miss quite a lot of people recently thanks to this whole quarantine thing... Life is weird right now. Do you find the opposite sex confusing? Not to generalize but I find them pretty one dimensional. However I do find their overall stupidity and lack of sense confusing as all hell.  Has a heavy shampoo bottle ever fell on your foot while you were taking a shower? THE WORST. And why is it the LOUDEST sound known to man?!  If you were to die today would your life be complete? It would not. Do you know anyone with the same middle name as you? My mom and my grandmother, for starters!  What is on your wrist right now? Not a thing What does your hair look like right now? It’s clipped up in a messy bun/wannabe beehive type of style.  Your phone rings, what do you say? Hello?  Can you speak another language? I’m decent at Polish and I might be able to recall some of the French I learned from 6 years at school. Both languages need a dusting up, maybe that’ll be one of my quarantine activities  How are you feeling? Uncertain about everything right now Will your next kiss be a mistake? Absolutely not  Will you be in a relationship next month? Seeing as he just officially moved into my apartment yesterday, yeah I hope so. Ha! Are you wearing any clothing that doesn't belong to you? Well the sweatshirt I’m wearing came from Plato’s Closet so it technically belonged to someone else first  You're thinking about someone, aren't you? Well NOW I am Do you have a reason to smile right now? I struggle to recognize the positives of this situation. Things are just shitty right now, and it’s ok to say so.  Has anyone said they loved you today? Yes, multiple times What are you thinking about right now? I just cracked a window and the fresh, crisp air feels so refreshing so I’m just taking a minute to savor it.  Are you tired? I just fell asleep not even seconds after finishing my dinner lol. But I forced myself to get up. I’m trying to maintain somewhat of a sleep schedule despite all that’s going on  Have you ever woke up next to someone and freaked out? Yes, but not necessarily for the reason you may think.  Anything you'd like to say to anyone? Grrrr......  Have you ever told your mom/dad you were in love? They know I am now. I previously kept all my romantic relationships private though, until this one. Have you ever fallen asleep in someone's arms? Yes. It’s a sweet feeling but I’m also an overheated and restless sleeper SO it’s not the most ideal for me ha! Has anyone ever told you they want to spend the rest of their life with you? Glenn. And I plan on it! What is the last thing you got in trouble for with your parents? I’m 27  Do you act differently around the person you like? I actually realized the other day that I’m my most candid and genuine self around Glenn. I’ve always heard people say “I can completely be myself around (my SO)” and never understood it. I was under the impression that I was my true self around anyone. But I now realize there were details about myself, however minuscule, that I dimmed in the presence of others.  How is the weather right now? It’s chilly and gray, which is actually my ideal. And everything smells so FRESH!  Is it easy to make you cry? You don’t even know...  Why do you think so many people cheat on their bf/gf? I couldn’t tell ya Are you afraid of getting cheated on? In my relationship now, absolutely not.  Do you know anyone that drinks? Nope, not a single person. *Sips Riesling*  If you could go back in time and change things, would you? At this point, no.  What's your opinion on pot? It should 100% be legalized and any and all persons incarcerated for related crimes should be freed. And compensated for their time.

Where is your ex right now? My most recent ex is probably at his mother’s house where he will be for the rest of his life.  Is your current hair color mostly your natural hair color? Pretty much. I’m a natural blonde, I just dye it a slightly ashier/cooler tone. I’m going for that snow princess look! Will this weekend be a good one? There really is no telling what any day will be like these next few weeks... I’m trying to keep hope alive but the anxiety overpowers.  What would your name be with the first three letters? Eli  Are you someone who worries too often? DO YOU KNOW ME Would you ever donate blood? I do frequently. I find it’s one of the simplest acts of charity. And you usually get a free tee shirt or at least a juicebox out of it. How could you pass that up? Do you care if people hate you for no reason? I would be devastated by that Do you prefer sweet or sour candy? SOUR! Give me all the sour gummies!!

Have you ever hugged someone named Joe? Mhm  Have you ever been kissed in a bedroom? Where do you think majority of kisses in the history of mankind have happened...?  Is there someone you will never forget? Many, many people Do you like somebody right now? A little :P Do you think somebody likes the same person you do? He’s a well-liked guy! Are you a morning person or a night person? I don’t really know. I’m inclined to say I’m a morning person but my current job has me up at 5:30 every morning and that shit is for the birds. LITERALLY. Ha! I didn’t even do that on purpose but now I’m cracking myself up...  Tears are falling from your eyes, what's the reason? It could be anything, literally anything. I’m a major crier.  Who sits in front of you in math class? I’m not in school  Do you like to cuddle? Love it. Well, when I’m in the mood.  When's the last time you laughed really hard? Yesterday or today, though I can’t remember at what Last reason for going on youtube? I looked up tips for a recipe I was following Where was the last place you fell asleep other than your bed? Like I said above, I just fell asleep immediately after finishing my dinner. We were eating at the coffee table and I started nodding off.  Do you own a pair of skinny jeans? That’s ALL I own. Skinny jeans or jeggings. How many times have you dyed your hair? I’ve lost track now Last song you listened to? Whatever song is in the background of the video game Glenn’s playing  Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance? Maybe not everyone, but in most cases I’d be inclined to offer a second chance  What are you looking forward to tomorrow? I hope to check another category off my cleaning list. Yes, I have a categorized cleaning list. AND it’s color-coded  Do you think you can last for an hour without talking? Probably Do you love your friends? Of course! They keep me sane Do you think people dwell on the past too much? @ me next time  What college did/do you want to go to? I graduated from SUNY Brockport  Have you ever slept on the floor with someone you liked? Mhm  Do you still talk to the person you fell the hardest for? I’m with him currently  Are you friends with any of your ex boyfriend/girlfriends? We’re friendly and we keep in touch, but I wouldn’t consider myself “friends” with any of them Were you anyone's first love? Yes If the year consisted of only one season, which would you choose? Spring maybe When's the next time you'll be kissed? Probably in a few minutes Do you like the sound of a piano? I do. I’d LOVE to learn how to play, but I’m not sure I have the dexterity  Do you own any pets? Not currently  When's the last time you were at the grocery store? Yesterday  Do you have any siblings? 2 sisters Are you a sensitive person? To the extreme Would you ever want to go to Minnesota? For what reason...? How many times a day do you shower? I shower every 1-2 days. Are your parents still together? Yep  Do you know anyone who has been adopted? Mhm  Do you enjoy just sitting outside for no reason? Love it! Preferably with a drink in my hand Would you rather live in a big or little town? Hmm...  Describe your ex in two words: No thanks When was the last time you had coffee? Few days ago  What was the last thing you bought? Groceries  What's the closest thing to you that's yellow? There’s a little snowman figurine on the table to my left and it’d holding an assortment of balloons, one of which is yellow.  Last time you had someone cook for you? I stayed at my sister’s the other night and she made me pancakes in the morning!  Last thing you drank? Sipping a (cheap ass) Riesling as I sit here  Would you like to learn to play the drums? It wouldn’t be my first choice for an instrument  Are you ticklish? EXTREMELY. To the point I refuse to be tickled. I don’t find it fun, I find it maddening! Last time you had a Krispy Kreme doughnut? Years ago!  What are you doing later tonight? This is pretty much the extent of my night. Drinking wine, scrolling social media, maybe reading a bit  How late did you stay up last night? 11-12ish. I don’t fully remember falling asleep  Have you dated someone longer than a year? Mhm