#near the end he doesn't even try to defend himself he's just standing there and crying

[lampochkaart]

For me, the most tragic aspect of Gonta's character is that he is the one who insults himself the most. Others, of course, do not dissuade him, but still the person who tells Gonta the most of nasty things is himself. The person who treats him most cruelly is himself. No matter what happens, Gonta always blames himself. And I think it's absolutely heartbreaking💔

[gaoau]

would rather kms than make my only winbre post be about Suo's stupid ass, so it's time to talk about Nirei cause i love him. i read a post and my blood started boiling i dont fuck around so now i gotta defend him with my life. also cause im sick and tired of him not being deemed marketable enough to be included in merch and collab illusts when he's a whole—if not the most important—third of the main trio. (theres something to be said about Tsugeura too, considering they don't use him but love using Kiryuu, but that's a different conversation.)

anyway, on Nirei and the exceptionality of being ordinary.

manga spoilers btw also disclaimer im not eloquent at all i just say things.

there's something about Nirei that just simply isn't special and i think that's wonderful. not in a mean-spirited sense; Nirei is the most regular out of anyone in Furin, so much so that he had to buy an ugly shirt he didn't even like to stand out. he's just a kid with a notebook and a simple backstory trying to follow a hero's example. he's nothing extraordinary, especially seeing the people he's surrounded by. physically, he's very limited, which he knows and doesn't ignore at all, so he can't do much in fights. no one is more acutely aware of his own limits than Nirei. i was reading the first couple chapters again and it breaks my heart to hear his efforts be dismissed as "playing hero," because Nirei is the biggest hero in this whole manga.

it's true, yeah, he can't fight. he's more like another average citizen of Makochi than he is a Bofurin member sometimes. he lacks fighting abilities, his diplomacy isn't particularly the best, and he's two seconds away from going into cardiac arrest at almost all times. but it's not like he gives a shit. every single time he gets beaten into the ground, he picks himself back up immediately. he takes hit after hit, time and time again, because no matter how battered or defenseless he is, his drive to stay and protect the town is ridiculously strong. he does go down when he can't take any more (keel), but it's with improvement and training that he manages to throw his first—albeit useless—punch (noroshi or whatever this arc is called idk). improvement that, mind you, comes from recognizing his own limitations.

some have called him reckless (Suo), but i disagree, because Nirei is right. i know the kids would rather look out for him and have him uninjured by the end of a scuffle, but he doesn't need to be coddled. everybody else jumps into a brawl and gets a broken nose regardless of their fighting skills. Nirei isn't any different. he knows he's limited, he knows he can't fight, he knows he's nothing special. he risks it all anyway, because even though he wasn't built for fighting, he's more than prepared to try over and over again until his efforts are enough to make a difference. he's looked at Sakura's back and thought he couldn't match him, that Sakura gets back up even when he's almost fully tapped out, that he's not needed because Sakura's stronger and will be okay without him.

maybe he's right about this, too. i'm inclined to disagree, but i understand where he's coming from. Nirei chases, Nirei can't stop running because he'll fall behind all these phenomenal beasts that can hold their own. i'm so glad the conclusion he reached was "okay, i gotta step up my game," but i'm not really surprised. this is Nirei Akihiko we're talking about and, i think Suo put it best, he wants to become stronger more than anybody.

he's been at a disadvantage this whole time, "playing hero" rather than being an "actual" hero, but he has a goal. if he has to tear himself apart to stand next to Sakura, he will. he doesn't have to, of course, he's already more than useful the way he is, but when you're so ordinary that you get lost in the crowd, standing beside someone so exemplary makes you want more.

honestly, Nirei's fucking wild. lil bro's actually crazy. we've seen characters go apeshit, but no one in this entire manga is nearly as insane as he is. i appreciate Suo telling him to slow down and chill out, cause he was fully intending to kill himself learning how to fight with zero foundation. my guy was more than ready to actually fight Endo. he meant that. it's a good thing he's properly learning how to defend himself, considering he probably lacks the muscle to go on the offense. those are his limits and he knows that. it frustrates him, but it definitely does little to stop him, because look how big his back is. i hope somebody tells him, after all of this is over, that he's doing more than enough, more than great.

to be fair, fighting isn't even where he shines, and that's okay. he's not strong enough to beat anyone's ass and he doesn't need to be, either. he doesn't need to be a leader like Sakura or a devotee like Sugishita or mimic whatever the fuck Suo's got going on. in the words of my favorite pink curse, the real heroes are the ones who support from the back, and that's exactly what Nirei does. he's said it himself, he wants to guide Sakura all the way to the top and he can, because he thrives in being another citizen of Makochi. he's a regular person and i think that's what makes him so compelling and important.

there's something so fascinating about his simplicity. he really is nothing more than just an ordinary kid. put him in a normal high-school classroom and he'll pass his midterms with a 75. he recognizes what he's good at, of course, he knows the town inside out and it's very useful, especially to Sakura. he's amazing support. it really doesn't seem like it and people love to completely dismiss him, but i wanna be outrageous and call him the backbone of these kids. he was Sakura's first friend and he continues to be the one pushing and prodding to make sure he stands back up every single time. he's more necessary than anyone gives him credit for. i have no doubt in my mind that, if it weren't for him, Sakura wouldn't be able to do half the things he's managing. even Suo, who's out here acting like he knows the secrets of the universe, has to stop and reorganize his ideas when Nirei talks.

if Suo is the heart (debatable, but okay, whatever bro says) and brain, i'd like to think Nirei is the spirit and the soul. there's no chance the kids would work so smoothly without Nirei around—which, yes, arguably the same could be said of all of them, but i've seen Nirei be dismissed as a Zenitsu looking ass gag character and i've never had to hold back a kys so hard. idk for sure what the general consensus on him is cause i've only ever seen him used in the context of ships and never on his own, which honestly makes me a little sad. especially after seeing the popularity poll cause he didn't even make it into the top 5 with not even 1k points personal offense tbh i need a word with the voters. what i've gathered is that aint nobody gaf about his ass im devastated Suo has to fuck off (13k votes is crazy gang come on). which i don't understand. take him out of the equation and everything falls apart. Sakura's the sword, Suo's the strategy, and Nirei is the ambition, the desire, the force, the feelings.

there's much to be said about how he's treated, not only in-universe, but also by the people consuming the media and the pr team. i don't fuck with shipping, but when i'm scrolling through my timeline, Nirei only exists in the context of somebody's favorite ship. and don't fucking get me started on the mischaracterization. look me in the eye and tell me Nirei doesn't have more conviction than any of these dumbass kids. yes, he gets scared and he's fucking horrified most of the time, but motherfucker he's fighting. he's out there in the frontlines, making himself useful, biting more than he can chew and then some. i dare you to treat him like wittle baby that needs protection.

if not for his uniqueness, look at him for his regularity, because i find it endearingly wonderful. i think there's something so special about the ordinary. he deserves a lot more than what he's getting so these mfs better put him in all collab illusts cause if i have to see Kaji in his place one more time i will personally book a flight. okay thank you thats all i promise ill never come back here have day.

[seventhcallisto]

Chapter 1 — "why didn't you answer my call?"

—Deep Down.

Toc/cw; read prologue or you'll be v confused!! Touching. Nothing much except world building. Language. Heats are the omega equivalent for periods(without the bl00d). I said what I said. Heat suppressants work, they just sedate the need for a knot(#worldbuilding). Angst at the end, lots of it throughout(it gets better I swear.)

It's not a surprise when the majority of unanswered texts come from mingi. You left without warning, and to think; he thinks he was the one who sent you to the hospital. All because he simply bumped into you. You feel bad. You feel terrible. Yet you're so scared you're gonna say something and reveal what really is going on.

Your hip, ankle, shoulder, and elbow ache. Your hips for two reasons. You scratch at the bandage on your elbow.

"You want me to lie?" You mumbled into the speaker. On the other side is your manager, no, not jongsik, but the overly obsessive and pushy manager that takes care of most of the groups publicity and what can and will be said. "I don't want to lie to them, they'll figure it out" you continue, growing more upset.

"Just until your next uhm. Cycle. Then the company can break the news publicly and personally to them." Song Pilyoung. Mr. Pil. Answers, as if expecting you to say that.

It hasn't even been a day since your last heat. You're supposed to keep up with your lies and completely change demeanor and body back to your old self for a month? When you know your obvious behavior will be to coddle and preen at any affections from the alphas you so desperately missed during your heat.

Seonghwa, who knows when the slightest thing is off with you. Who can tell when you're sick based on how you act and watches you so intensely under his pretty keen eyes, even when he bites you, ever so gently, you think, compared to the aggressive chomps he does to the rest of the guys.

Yeosang, who genuinely likes to be near anything that smells like you or makes him think of you, which he shyly admitted, who ever so gently leans his head on your shoulder when he has a stressful day. Yeosang who you constantly are seen next to, brushing arms gently with.

Mingi who continously hugs and drags his long limbs across you, because you're the only member who won't complain and will put up with him, who shares his food with you, but only you because he likes the way you follow him without questioning what it is you're being fed. but it's indulgent. You like how he casts himself on you and the way he grabs your chin when he wants you to try a piece of food.

Yunho who can't help but hold your hand whenever he's next to you, because an alpha and beta can have that public privacy without being seen as dating, yet you hope he doesn't feel the quickening pulse vibrating your fingers, yunho who defends your name and includes you in any type of conversation if you're nearby.

San who, for some reason, always flirts with you the hardest, only for you to plainly respond or brush him off because you're a beta, and you tell him so - not because you know he doesn't mean what he says, right?. San who sits side by side with you and makes sure the blanket covers you when you sit at award shows, even going as far as to take his own suit jacket off and maybe cover you from prying eyes.

Wooyoung, who gatekeeps you too much when he gets the chance, who stands behind you to make sure you get up the stairs safely, and so no one peeks up at you. Who always tells you about the drama with other alphas cause he knows you don't gossip, wooyoung whos smile makes you smile, whos lips make yours want to gravitate towards them.

Jongho, who you baby yourself - but always steps up to take anything on your shoulders that seems too heavy. Even during any type of game, he'll give you the answer and never regret it. He who will share his jacket and shuffle closer when he sees you shivering. When his eyes meet yours across the room just because you assumed he was searching for something, he holds the contact until you pull away. he warms you more than the jacket he lends you whenever it seems the slightest bit cold.

Hongjoong, who lets you sleep in his bed when you have a nightmare, who people say favorites you the most. how his calming scent always drags you under and sparks fireworks within you, how you never indulged yourself to scoot closer and be wrapped up in his arms anywhere at any time whenever he looks at you. He who leaves his clothing in your room, who silents everyone immediately when he knows you have something to say.

When did you realize you felt like this? For a while, actually, you would never say that, though. Feelings are feelings, yet you'll be with these guys the rest of your life, and you don't want to ruin anything. Plus, you're just another pack member. You're genuinely sure all of those moments can be because they're protective. You highly doubt they feel the same.

"I can't promise anything" you sigh as you tell Mr. Pil. "Great, I've got a driver on his way to you already, he's picked up everything you'll need for the month."

Perfect.

You see yourself out of the idle apartment. "Bye, gorgeous!" Yuqi and shuhua wave down the hallway. Miyeon is the one to walk you down, making sure you make it out safely.

You've washed yourself of their scent as much as you can. A bag of fresh, unworn and recently bought clothes are given to you provided by miyeon after your shower. You've got to undo ever being there, so you scrub yourself free of every scent of them. A new bottle of shampoo, conditioner, body soap, and perfume is given to you. Each of the members have an assortment of things they don't use or didn't want anymore. Which is very convenient for you.

From the pile, they each pick out things beta-you would have liked. Current omega-you doesn't have the same nose beta-you had. So you have to rely on your best friends' scents and recollection to give you things you would have liked. Which is how you smell as close to as you did before. You just tweaked a bit because you gotta like at least some of your smell. The girls give in. Your new permanent scent. A smell; omega-you indulges in which you didn't before. A lingering scent of sweets and tropicals you try not to get used to under the chaotic neutral tone your old scent gave off, a love-hate feeling.

You pull the hoodie snug. Miyeons pants are a bit tight, considering she doesn't work out as much as you do. A plain black and white track suit. "This is me," you sigh as the sleek black car pulls up. Miyeon is silent, yet you wait for her to speak anyway. "You're always welcomed here, you know that, right?" She nudges your shoulder with her hand.

"I know."

"And if you need anything. Anything. you call or text." She adds. "I know." "You know we love you, new sex and all" she smiles, you laugh. "That's very reassuring, thanks, love you too." You want to hug her, but you'll know it'll undo the scent process you just spent all morning working on.

"If anyone gives you problems, tell em idles' got your back." she grins, pressing a single digit finger to your forehead. "Bye cutie pie," she ushers you off the sidewalk and towards the car.

The ride back is full of anxiety. How are you supposed to explain the reason you haven't responded to the number of messages they left? Maybe cause you were actually too busy going through a terrible, disgusting, uncomfortable heat by yourself with no relief for days on end.

You can't say that though.

"Mr. Chen, are the guys at the apartment?" You speak to the driver. He's an older omega man, one you've come to know personally. The man in the passenger seat, an alpha, doesn't seem to care when you talk to him. "No miss, they're at the stadium filming." Chen glances at you through the rear-view mirror. "Filming?" You repeat. "Yes ma'am, filming for the music video starts today.."

Right. Of course. How could you forget? You've memorized everything down to the tiniest detail in the span of two weeks before your sudden omega sex came and distracted you. But you doubt you'll be picture perfect. At least in your own eyes.

The car passes the turn to your apartment. You can see the building in the distance. "Mr Chen, are we not going to the apartment?" The man in the passenger seat sits up and turns around to look at you. His eyes hold irritation. "Listen, beta, we're going to the filming site. Yeah? Got it? Be patient. Sit back."

If you were childish enough, you would have kicked his seat. You scoff. Falling back, letting the disrespect go. You gotta let it go. Don't fist fight a random alpha with a superiority complex.

Don't do it.

As soon as chen comes to a stop at the designated location, the alpha pops open his car door. You wait for him to get between your door and his. Boom. You slam your door open on his tush.

He pulls back, glancing between you and the door. There's a flare to his nostrils. One, you know only a pissed person would showcase. And god, is it satisfying to slam the door behind you and smile like the petty person you are.

"Woops," you simply say. His pissed face urks you to stand your ground. He doesn't hesitate to walk up to you, a crazed look in his eyes. "You-"

Your name is called in the distance, and you know exactly who's calling it. Your head whips, and your heart skips a beat. Running straight towards you are the guys, emerging straight from the field to your right. They look unreal, like they popped out of a commercial.

Mingi is the first to slam into you.

"Hey, ow!" You laugh, pulling him in tighter. The alpha, whose energy dissipates, turns away as if he wasn't about to go off on you.

Mingis arms are a welcoming feeling. He twirls you around, taking on your weight like it's his own. There's a certain desperation in his tight hold. You feed into it, pulling him just as tightly by the shoulders.

"Are you okay? Why didn't you answer my calls?" He pulls away only enough to scan your face. Maybe you really shouldn't, but mingis face is picture perfect. Whatever the makeup artists have done to make him look this good, it surely is based on hard work and years of perfection. Or maybe it's just mingi.

You stutter to answer, "I'm sorry, I wasn't.. really allowed to" it's half the truth. His hands fall to your hips, silent as he takes you in. "I'm sorry," he says, pulling his lip under his teeth. He genuinely looks sorry. Your eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Mingi! No, I'm fine, completely." You pull his hands off you, missing the smell of sea salt and jasmine. You spin around. "Fine! See? Mingi.. i-"

Another pair of arms scoop you up. Silencing whatever you were saying, it's yunho this time, smiling ear to ear. And immediately after, waiting patiently next to mingi is San, his eyes flicker behind you, but as soon as you look his way, he catches your face. "Hey," he says so simply, with that sneaky grin he always has, yet you can tell he wants to say more.

"Hi," you say simply back, pulling both Yunho and San into a tighter hug. "How was it?" San asks, his voice is so sultry, something you missed, your mind goes haywire. "What?" Your face falls. "How was being away for so long? You missed us, right?" San laughs.

"Missed you? Never," you joke, pushing them both away when you catch Jongho and Yeosang jogging over. Jongho scoops you up next. His arms are tough, obviously, from working out so much lately. You take a well needed whiff of him. Fresh florals, mahogany, charred sandalwood, and laundry invade your nostrils. His head falls over yours, pulling back to let yeosang get a hug. Yeosangs arms are lean, but his hug is soft when he pulls you close, breathing you in.

Wooyoung and Seonghwa are last. Which you find surprising. Seonghwa, who usually pulls you into a half hug- full-on, brings you in. He smells like leather, dark coffee, and vanilla cream. There's so much more, but you're pulling away before you can smell him some more. Wooyoung locks you in, tilting you on your heels back and forth. He's the smiliest of the bunch. He sets his face on your shoulder, and his hands squeeze your sides comfortably. San scoots past the two of you, popping open the trunk.

The trunk, where your bag is. Full of assortments of scent blockers, heat suppressants, and the many smells the girls gave you so you can get by for the month smelling like your old self. Panic sets in, yet you try to seem as casual as you can when you twist in wooyoungs hands. "San, I got it!" You somewhat shout. San looks up, confused, pulling the shoulder strap over his shoulder. Wooyoung still has you in the tightest embrace around your waist.

"You really want to carry your own bags?" Yunho scoffs at the idea, mingi takes the other bag next to san. One you don't even remember throwing in. "I'm a big girl. I can take my own bags," you mumble. Wooyoung laughs from just over your shoulder. His lean body presses directly into your back. He's so very warm. You try not to think about it, opting to continue struggling.

"Woo, c'mon," you slump, you're not getting to that bag. It's no use, you're too exhausted to fight against him. He laughs. "It's just one bag beta, I'm sure your big girl attitude can be put aside for now," Woo loosens his hold around your waist, patting your hip with his large palm.

Seonghwa continues for him, a certain upset tone in his voice. "You just got out of the hospital. I don't know why you're here instead of resting at home."

You gulp when San slings the backpack around. "What did the hospital give you anyways?" He chuckles. You count heads, realizing hongjoong isn't here. "Where's -" the door behind you slams.

The alpha from before storms around the driver side. Everyone stops to stare. San shares a look with seonghwa. "What's his problem?" Wooyoung whispers to you, his breath fanning your ear. You scoff silently. "Egocentric alpha." You grumble.

"Got it," he laughs, he's missed you. Pulling you away. The guys all fall behind you two.

The cold of spring is fading away. It no longer nips at your nose. Soon, summer will roll around, and filming will get exhausting more than it already is. Your clothes whip around at the slight gusts of wind. Your makeup isn't caked on for once. Thankfully, you have a new makeup artist this time. Your scent still lingers. You'd have to reapply scent blockers soon. The bottle shifts between your fingertips, twisting and pulling at the lid. You subtly rub it around your scent glands. The chatter of the guys behind you cast in the background of your attention. Hongjoong is just a little bit away. You haven't seen him since you got there. Makeup and clothing took at least an hour or two.

Even though he's right there, you miss him. Hongjoong stands by the filming aquitment, speaking with the crew. You take your time walking up, having just now realized hongjoongs hair is back to the pretty brown you know suits him.

"Joong," you call, a blanket shrugged over your exposed shoulders. His shoulder straightened at your voice; his head whipped around. "Hey!" He calls, a genuine smile lighting up his features.

Hongjoongs figure is still so welcoming. The pack leader has always had that effect on you. It takes everything in you to pull away from the hug. "We missed you," he says earnestly, his hand resting on your neck where your scent gland is. "How are you feeling?"

You sigh, "I'm feeling good," it's somewhat true, although genuinely exhausted from the entire week of being poked and provoked by doctors and annoying alphas. what really got you was your first heat.

"You should be at home, not working." He huffs, reaching up to pull the blanket over you further. "I want to work," you nod, confirming it to yourself. He chuckles. "Yeah, right"

"Take it easy, kay?" You smile. "No promises"

It's the next day when the sun begins to set. You realize you're your biggest enemy. You will never be satisfied with how you contort your body to follow steps. 4,5,6. You repeat. 4,5,6. You stare as you watch yourself perform on the monitor.

There's a tension in the air, the staff can feel it, and the guys can feel it. Everyone moves around freely around you, the guys getting ready to perform the next sequence of steps. Yet you don't care if you're the one giving that tense energy off, your feet stand firm. "One more time, please," you ask the tech crew to repeat the video. A hand falls on your shoulder. Yunho calls your name softly. "Yeah?" You respond, not paying attention to what he says.

4. 5. 6. 4.5.6.

You watch as your lines loosen. This solo shot of you is cursed. Why can't you keep your movements sharp? "Beta," yunho calls firmly. You lift your head, catching his brown eyes with your own. "You're perfect." he guides your chin when you want to turn your attention back to the monitor. "No- look, my arms -" you go to point.

Yunho roughly turns you fully towards the monitor, and his hands fall by your waist. His chest presses against your back as he bends over you, and his head leans over your shoulder. "Look," he takes the word from your mouth. Pointing at your arms as you dance around on screen. "Your arms are fine." His silver hair brushes against your cheek. "There's nothing wrong with your shot. It's perfect."

And it's not because the alpha uses his firm voice to make you listen. It's the way yunho so passionately stares at you, like he believes what he says wholeheartedly. His eyes never slip from over your shoulder, even when yours keep falling back to the monitor.

"Okay," you listen. Yunhos hands fall off you, stepping away. You miss his warmth.

You're a week into the month when suspicion arises. Seonghwa is the one that finds your unopened bottle of scent blockers. "Hey," he says, twiddling the bottle in his nimble fingers. Your eyes shoot up from your phone, watching him stand in your doorway. "Are these yours? None of us had to get a refill." it's such a normal question because seonghwa doesn't think about it. All of the guys use scent blockers to perform for concerts or events.

But you're honestly choking. "I uh- I got a new bottle last week," you gulp. Quick, excuse. Excuse!. "Oh" His eyebrows furrowed. You haven't performed in about a month since the comeback is soon. "Yeah, i - that smell thing I had going on? That's what those are for." You loosely point.

"They're supposed to help," you gulp. Please take the hook. Seonghwas eyes scan you over once again, then back at the bottle. "Are they working?" He finally says. You blank.

"I don't know, can't really tell," you mumble. "Can you?" You sit up, scooting further down your bed. Seonghwa walks into your room. His scent mixes in with the smell you've had to endure all week. "Yeah, I suppose." You can see the gears behind his eyes moving.

"You suppose?" Your eyebrows furrowed. He bites on his lip, pulling at his earring. "Mm, you smell like you usually do.. but.." he thinks about it, scanning your room. His eyes finally fall on your face, urging him to continue. "Never mind."

Seonghwa exits your room without another word. You're in silence by yourself. The suspicion makes your anxiety skyrocket. He left his shirt behind on your bed.

You take it. Why not?

Hongjoong is late coming back again from the studio. He smells stressed beyond belief, even from where you sit across the apartment. He hangs his jacket up in the hallway. And you hear the slow pattern of his feet when he walks down the hallway. Your head falls on the arm of the couch, eyes focused on the TV. Hongjoong calls your name in a whisper. You look up at his tired eyes.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" He questions you. You have half the energy to laugh quietly. "Says the one in the studio at.." You check your phone. A picture of you and the girls on the lock screen. "4 am.. why aren't you?" You set your phone back down, pulling your feet up so he can take a seat on the couch without you hogging the whole thing.

He gladly takes it with a heavy sigh. His hand falls to your ankle poking out of the blanket, and you shiver slightly at the chill of his rings. "How are you feeling?" You scoot to sit up, leaning on your hand. "It always gets hectic before a comeback," he huffs a smile, turning towards you. "How are you?" His finger brushes up your calf. "I asked first," you glance back.

He smiles, a tired one, one he always has for you. "Why were you still up?" He changes the question. You take the hint. Laying back down on your pillow that's propped up against the couch. "I wanted to wait for you," you whisper.

The silence is comfortable. Hongjoongs fingers rubbing circles on your ankle. You reach down to grasp his hand, his tired eyes blink back at you. "Lay with me?" You ask, perhaps you shouldn't. But in your sleepy state, you're bold enough to ask, scooting over to make room for him. He doesn't answer but scoots up enough to take the spot next to you. Face to face. "Nightmare?" He asks, as if giving you an excuse, his eyes bore down on yours.

He's so pretty, you think. His eyes are so soft under the darkness. You question if he's one of the prettiest guys you've ever seen, an uncommon trait for alphas. You hum, taking the lie. "Yea"

Your eyelids slink as does his, the rhythmic breathing between you two casts over like a lullaby. Eventually, his arm falls over your hip. Alice In Wonderland playing in the distance, a sound you've gotten used to as you fall into the solitude of sleep.

The next morning, the comfort of the couch is something that you want to fall back into. You want your beauty rest, but the sun keeps beating on your eyelids. You turn in the grasp of the blanket, it has a tight hold, you wiggle to get comfortable.

The fan of someone's breath hits the shell of your ear. Your eye pops up, blinking at the sun coming down on you from the window. You turn to feel the body pressed against your back. Slowly turning so you don't wake them up.

Hongjoongs face is mere centimeters away. His hair falls over his face in waves. You want to reach out and push it away, kiss his eyelids, and touch his face ever so delicately. Your head lays on his arm. Hoongjoongs hoodie rid up his forearm, the scent gland on the bend of his elbow directly in front of you. Hongjoong smells.. like a ripe pear, tahitian vanilla, the heat from the sun, and sweet spices. You nuzzle deeper into his warmth, sighing gently into his chest.

Still foggy from sleep, every second that passes, you fall further into a dream state. Hongjoongs soft and quiet breathing echos in your mind.

Pictures pass in your vision, memories you haven't yet explore dance beyond the border of your sight. You dance silently, following where you lead yourself. Through doors that open without a sound and a floor that is void, your feet patter and swirl like raindrops on water. A distant noise echos. Hands reach out for yours, an assortment of them sticking out from the void and invisible walls that surround you. But you don't reach back. Your movements flow in a rhythm. When you stop to breathe, you sink into the floor. And fall continously. Echos of your struggles and inner thoughts consume you.

You wake up with a shudder, sitting up abruptly. You pat around you, you're in your bed. Hongjoong isn't here. You hope it's not because of what you said. You hope it's not because you made things awkward. You fall back into your comforters, sighing heavily. You stare at the crack in your bedroom door, watching figures pass and go. They block out the sun. The first to stop in the twenty minutes of you staring is Jongho. He pushes your door open softly. Two solid knocks hit your door.

"Want to get some breakfast?" He leans in, jongho is already dressed and ready. You hope he was waiting for you to wake up and ask you to tag along. You smile. "Yes"

The walk is brisk, just down the street to the coffee shop you visit most often in the morning. Jongho holds the door open for you, and you thank him. The smell of coffee hits you straight on. A pleasant surprise that makes your stomach grumble. Your mask stays put on your face, as does jonghos. Your arm wraps around his, a subconscious thing on your part. He doesn't pull away.

The line isn't long. A few stand around, picking and choosing their order. Many of the seats are taken. Chatter echoes in the large shop. "The usual?" Jongho nudges you, pulling your attention from the crowded strangers. He takes the lead compared to when you always do, you don't fight him about ordering like you usually would. "You know it," you smile, although you know the mask will block it. His eyes pull up, and you can tell he's smiling back.

You're compliant to the way he orders everyone's breakfast and drinks, something jongho finds strange for your behavior but boosts his ego a bit. You tell him the rest of the orders he forgets, leaning up to whisper it in his ear. He leans down and meets you halfway, so you aren't straining your still healing ankle. His hand falls to your mid back, steadying you.

"That's it, Thank you."

You lean up against the free space in the waiting area. Propping yourself up against the cold stone wall. This area is just as busy. You know the order will be a while. Jongho takes the spot next to you. Bumping shoulders. "How's your elbow?" He touches your arm gently.

You look down at it, a distant memory compared to the week you've had. "It's fine, it wasn't that bad." You shrug it off.

"If it wasn't, why were you in the hospital for a week?"

A lump forms in your throat. You advert your eyes to anything else. "I.. they wanted to run tests." That catches him off guard. "Tests? What for?" He leans on his shoulder to face you.

"Because i.." swallow the lump, don't word vomit. Please don't word vomit.

"Because I'm a -" ding! "order for Mr. Choi Jong!" Saved by the bell. God, it's so perfectly timed. Jongho stares at you for a second longer, his eyes scan you for answers. Like he's hoping you'll continue. Your mouth is glued. When he adverts his eyes, the emotion that crosses his features is like you did something terrible. He leaves to get the order when you don't look back up at him.

What are you doing? Are you crazy? Your hand falls to your forehead, rubbing the tension away. Jongho is silent the entire walk back. He takes the load of drinks and bags by himself, a few strides ahead. When you offer to help, he pulls away. "It's fine." he simply says. You flinch at his tone.

Just two more weeks.

The second week starts rocky. You haven't talked to yunho since the monitor incident. As well as jongho still being upset at you, hongjoong, avoiding you like the plague, and seonghwa not even giving you the time of day. You don't know what you did.

Your bed feels empty, as does your heart. You toss and turn all night long. Barely able to get any sleep for hours. A knock breaks you out of your tossing and turning habit. "Come in" you turn towards the door.

Mingi stands with his pillow tightly wrapped in his arms. Although childish, you find him cute. "Hey," you push yourself to sit up. He looks shy when he shifts on his feet, rolling his palm over your doorknob. "Can I sleep in here tonight?" He asks, it's mumbled, but you make out what he's asking.

Your lips poke up into a smile. You don't answer, just scooting over to the empty spot you were just upset about. You give him your warm spot instead. He giddily falls atop your spot, snuggly placing his pillow under his head.

"I sleep better in your room," he laughs, his eyes turn into cresents, and you stare at the way his face squishes into the pillow. You gently wiggle off the glasses from his nose, setting them aside on your side table. "It's because my room isn't messy," you snicker lightly.

Mingis whispering voice is just his normal voice, just less loud. You don't mind, though. You give him space. He hardly fits in your bed, yet he says he's the most comfortable in it. You can't tell if he's saying it to make you happy.

Mingi calls your name softly in the dark. "Yeah, mingi?" You whisper back, tucking your arm under your pillow. There's a few seconds of silence. It's uncommon when mingi is around. "I'm sorry again," he says so softly. You sigh. "it wasn't you mingi, you didn't do anything to hurt me that bad.." You close your eyes, excuse.

Excuse.

"...I had to get checked out because of my weird scent change thing going on." It's not true. You're feeling sick from lying so much. He hums. "So I didn't hurt you?" You laugh lightly. "No, min, you didn't hurt me." Your eyelids close. "I would never hurt you on purpose," he slurs in tired words. Your eyebrows furrow.

"I know.." You hear him shuffle closer. He reaches to grab your hand from under the pillow. His grip is soft. Your eyes stay closed.

Is this real?

"I'm here if you ever need anything." his thumb catches yours, intertwining your fingers. You sigh softly.

The amount of lying all week weighs heavy on your shoulders, mingi, who genuinely says what he means, twists your heart between his words. You try to breathe through the sudden sting of tears welling up in your eyes.

"I know." You answer with a shaky breath. You slip your hand out of his, and your world feels as if it's crumbling. Turning on your side away from him.

Just half a week. Half.

It's getting repetitive. Filming for another episode of a variety show you don't care for currently. You just miss your bed. You miss your boys. You miss being normal. You miss not having to hide. You miss being a beta.

"Your turn!" A finger points in your direction. You blink for a few seconds, gathering your wit. "i.. what am I supposed to do?" You laugh to cover the fact you weren't paying attention. The camera shines just out of view.

To keep up with performances, the majority of the boys all yell out the instructions. You get it, just a bit. San and Yeosang are at the top of the tower, having climbed all the way up with their gear.

You have to climb the tower. "Do I have to?" You bounce on your feet anxiously, looking towards the camera. Staff buckle you into your gear, the chatter getting lost whilst you get stuck in your head. You're not a big fan of heights.

You're really not a big fan of heights. You start noticing that when you shuffle across the platform to collect a red scarf. The premise of the game is to collect your color accessories, whilst also not allowed to go back if you miss any. Whatever team gets the most accessories wins. You're on Yeosang and Sans team. Paired in three.

Your rope is tied to san, whose rope is tied to yeosang. You don't think you got the strength in your arms to keep going. You power on anyway. Slipping your hand between spray painted fake rocks and clawing your way up.

Your helmet keeps slipping down your face. Surely, it's unfair that you got a helmet that doesn't even fit you. And dangerous. But mostly unfair.

"You got this!" Sans yell encourages you. You're in a particularly tough spot. You have to reach sideways to grab a pair of red sunglasses. It's the last thing you have to grab to win.

To your left, the blue team, which consists of wooyoung, yunho, and hongjoong, yells to each other. You try to drown it out and focus on your own team.

You just gotta reach over. You wedge yourself as close as you can.

Just reach. You can hear the game hosts encouraging you on, shouts of surprise.

Your fingertips just barely scrape it, almost knocking it off the ledge it's on. You shuffle, your single hand holding onto a rock is getting sweaty. You breath cautiously, reaching out again.

It's so close.

And then you grab it.

Shouts from San and yeosang make you smile. You're proud of yourself. You go to turn back, slipping from your left foot. Oh no. You're slipping, trying to get a solid hold on the rock. You slip the sunglasses on your head, hoping to be able to get your right hand free to grab the ledge.

San and yeosang are only a few feet up, not close enough for you to reach for. You've got to maneuver yourself out of the spot you're in. You don't know if you can. You wiggle and twist your waist, stretching your right arm above you.

Your fingers wiggle to get a good grip on the jagged red rock you grabbed. You're not as muscular as you thought as you try to use your right arm to pull your full body weight further up.

You strain it so, to the point where when you finally get yourself up. You have to shake off the hurt. Just two more rocks. Two more big reaches.

Two seems to appear a lot lately.

Distant shouting of all the teams catch your attention. Wooyoung is gaining speed. He's on his last accessory, a few feet behind you. When he sees you staring, he smirks like a predator, gaining speed.

Your movements are calculated but rushed. You keep pushing the helmet back on your head. The sunglasses slip down over your eyes, somewhat blocking your view. You're sweating bullets at this point.

Yeosangs hand is a saving grace. He pulls you up by your right wrist whilst san pulls your left arm. As soon as you get up, you book it to the table you have to put the accessories on.

Your team wins. Confetti cascades around you. You cheer happily, jumping around and laughing out of breath.

How it feels to be victorious.

You look to yeosang and San. They stare, shocked.

You wipe the sweat off your brow. The sweet scent hitting your nostrils.

Oh no.

You swipe the sweat away as quickly as you can, pulling the roll on bottle out of your pocket. Hurry. You try to twist the top off. Rolling the scent onto your scent glands and over your forehead as much as you can.

It's no doubt in your mind. They smelt your real scent. They know. You don't turn to look. You don't even want to know what they're thinking. Your breathing turns shallow.

Fuck.

Your world is crashing.

This time for real.

You take the emergency stairs. Ignoring the calls of yeosang and san. Stripping the gear off of you as you go. You don't care if you're ruining the victory shot. You just gotta get out of here.

You're wondering the hallways when wooyoung finds you. Hot tears stream down your face. Why are you even crying? You don't know. Maybe you're scared this will change everything. Maybe you're scared you messed up again and ruined it.

Wooyoungs hand is a soft pull to your wrist. You yank yourself out of his grip. Pain flashes his features. He says your name gently. You continue to sob. "What? What now" you huff. Wiping your tears harshly.

"Tell me what's wrong -" "Nothing!" You painfully shout, stepping away from his distressed smell. "Nothing is wrong. Nothing is ever wrong." You laugh at your situation. Wooyoungs hand clenches in the air. His hair falls over his eyes messily. He's still in the outfit he was wearing for the game, minus the gear. It's as if he came looking straight for you.

Just for you.

Wooyoungs mouth falls open and close. You dont think about whether or not he has something to say. You don't want to even look. "Just go away, please"

Wooyoung face is painted in pain. You know he doesn't know what to do. Doesn't know how to react. "Omega, please." he whispers.

Your sobs stop. Your tear stained face whips around, and your shocked face is evidence you weren't expecting that.

His tongue pokes the inside of his cheek. "We need to talk," he sighs, allowing him to walk up. He takes your wrists in his hands gently. His thumb rubs soothing circles on your wrists.

Silently, tears stream. You don't have the energy to pull away.

You ruined everything. They know.

A/n; cliff hanger bc my phone is glitching out BAD. IM SORRY! hopefully, the two chapts will make up for it. Thanks for all the support ♡.

Taglist: @lelaleleb @bratty-tingz @0325tiny @smilefordongil @atinytinaa @unripeapple7 @ja3hwa @stopeatread (thanks for your support ♡)

[average-hyperfixator]

This is probably the weirdest way to show that I'm in the Mouthwashing fandom, and like nobody is going to see this BUT

If I see ONE MORE person compare Ted to Jimmy I'm going to LOSE MY FUCKING MIND. Is this another testament to people not understanding Ted's overall role in the story and his character arc? YES, YES IT IS. RE READ THE BOOK. RE LISTEN TO THE RADIO DRAMA. GAME IS IT'S OWN CONVERSATION THAT WILL TAKE TOO LONG FOR ME TO DISECT + IT HAS IT'S OWN STORY AND THUS WILL NOT BE INCLUDED HERE.

Jimmy is a jealous man, who assaults (and unfortunately impregnates) Anya, and then tries to crash the ship so he doesn't have to deal with the consequences, and when everyone lives, they live in misery BECAUSE OF HIM. He is the co-pilot, he has more power and authority over the others, and he ACTIVELY makes things worse, and is at fault for the crash and the subsequent fallout. (this section is shorter, simply because I've been in the IHNMAIMS fandom much longer and have way more thoughts on Ted) Ted, on the other hand, is not at fault for the world ending. He is just as trapped as the other five, he's more prone to mental manipulation and THINKING he's better off, but he really isn't. He doesn't have more power of the others because he's also a victim. He is by no means a great guy, or even a good guy; They key difference is that at the end of his story, the book, he actually fucking HELPS. Rather than make his friends continue to live in misery, he puts them out of it, and rather than end his own suffering, he spends those precious few seconds he could be ramming an icicle into himself, comforting Ellen as she dies. It doesn't make up for what he's thought and said, BUT, it's something at least. It's remorse, it's letting her finally be content, it's trying to give her the empathy she showed him time and time again. And he gets turned into a horrid slug creature after, he actively suffers more than everyone else for the rest of time- he self sacrifices so his friends could be at peace. TLDR: Jimmy is objectively selfish and doesn't change much throughout the game, save for MAYBE the very end (ig putting Curly in the pod is one brownie point for him) however Ted actually shows growth by the end of the story, and makes a point to end the suffering of his friends, while ultimately sacrificing himself in the process. If I catch another person equating these two I'm just gonna start throwing hammers at them I DON'T CARE. I am THE Ted defender, and I WILL stand my ground that, while he is no where near perfect, he DOES become a better person by the end of the story and deserves to have that acknowledged. anyway this has been sick rants with me, feel free to add on in reblogs or perchance spark a FRIENDLY debate. I apologize if I come off rude here, Ted and IHNMAIMS have been a hyperfixation of mine for months and I am very easily riled up about the story and characters. adding new tag ; Jace rants 🗯️ ! For all my ranting escapades from now on.

[ghcstao3]

for @rainerestored — cowboys au

-

Wisps of sand sting Soap's eyes as he attempts to keep a steady aim on his opponent. He wishes the bastard could have chosen any other day for confrontation, any day not on the cusp of a storm—but Soap is not not going to defend himself, either, so here he has no choice but to stand and face the sheriff.

"This is the end, Johnny," Graves calls, with false amicability and a very real edge, "Your days as an outlaw are over."

Soap snorts. He's certain he's heard those exact words before, be it from Graves or someone else on the so-called right side of the law, so somehow, some way, Soap doubts that this truly is where his life stops.

But in any case. He doesn't falter even as dust clings to him like an uncomfortable second skin.

"Awfully bold assumption," Soap grumbles. He shakes his head, makes certain there's a bullet set in place. He knows he's quicker than Graves—he just needs the right moment. "Let's just make this easy, aye?"

"Stand down, then." Graves shrugs a shoulder. Soap can't wait to rid him of that smug look. Just a little longer. "That easy enough for you, partner?"

Soap scoffs. Rolls his shoulders. Readies his trigger finger. Opens his mouth to offer one last retort and—

A shot rings out, quick and brutal and loud. Soap frowns. He still stands, he still has all his bullets, and his gun certainly isn't smoking. He glances back to Graves and sees the sheriff is wide-eyed, gun forgotten at his clutches his stomach, where crimson blooms in uneven petals across his uniform.

Graves collapses. Soap doesn't allow his arm to fall to his side just yet, still uncertain of the origin of the shot.

Then a searing-hot barrel is pressed to the crown of his head, just beneath the rim of Soap's hat.

"What's your business?" A deep baritone asks, voice somehow muffled in spite of being near right in Soap's ear. It rumbles through Soap as his hands involuntarily raise in surrender.

"Was trying to save my honour," Soap rasps. "What's yours?"

Miraculously, the pressure of the barrel falls away from Soap's head. He hears the weapon be holstered, and Soap takes a deep breath.

"Doin' a shit job," the stranger mutters. He then adds, much to Soap's surprise, "John MacTavish."

Soap whirls around. "How do you—"

The words die on his tongue as soon as he's facing his saviour—and near murderer—and finds the man to be none other than The Ghost. Famed outlaw; a legend. Never captured, hardly seen, and believed by many to not even be real. Yet here he exists, clad in all black despite the heat, face half-obscured.

It's bad, Soap thinks, that his first observation is just about how nice The Ghost's eyes are.

"I know quite a bit about you, Johnny," Ghost hums.

Though Soap has hated that nickname from the mouth of many others—particularly a certain recently deceased sheriff—he feels a pleasant shiver roll up his spine at Ghost's use.

Soap cocks an eyebrow. "That so?"

Ghost nods sagely. He looks Soap up and down, assessing, before raising his chin. "I hear you're good with explosives."

"I might be." Soap says slowly, shrugging a shoulder. "What for?"

Ghost narrows his eyes. Soap can almost hear a smile in his tone as he says, "I have a job for you. If you accept, that is."

Soap tilts his head. His heart beats an erratic rhythm. "If I don't?"

There's definitely a smile now. "Then this really will be your end. Partner."

And, well. Who is Soap not to say yes to an opportunity to work with The Ghost?

[violetmuses]

Tough Days - A. Aretas ❤️‍🩹

Title: Tough Days - A. Aretas ❤️‍🩹

Fandom: “Bad Boys” Film Universe

Character: Armando Aretas

Main Storyline: Former criminal Armando Aretas and Detective Marcus Burnett try to build their unexpected relationship. 🏷 @adoresmiles

====

2024

Though facing many questions or encountering different secrets over time, famous detective Mike Lowrey would now stand up as the biological father of previous criminal Armando Aretas.

Because the Miami Police Department handled operations, even Mike's longtime partner and best friend Marcus Burnett crossed Aretas as well.

After hiding overseas and safely returning to Miami, Florida, Armando would stay at home with Mike, but continued helping the known precinct.

_____

“Are you still mad at me about the campfire thing?” Marcus leaned toward Armando from his desk.

“No, but you talk too much.” Aretas took Skittles from Marcus without looking and veiled the candy

“Hey!” Upon realization, Marcus glanced around for sweets. “Can't let me enjoy shit, just like your father.”

Tossing the candy to Mike, Armando jutted his chin and headed to the briefing room.

“Catch up with your nephew right now before I call Theresa over the junk food.” Mike arched his brow toward Marcus and even mentioned Burnett's wife Theresa.

“Really, man?” Marcus immediately defends himself while trailing everyone inside.

“Go.” Mike clenched his teeth. “You survived the heart attack, but you're still my brother.”

“I know.” Sitting down, Marcus and Mike prepared themselves for work as usual. “How's Armando doing?”

“Ask him yourself. Are you scared?” Mike nearly chuckled.

“Hell no. He just doesn't express himself.” Marcus told the truth.

Armando's still learning.” Lowrey responded back this time around, sipping coffee. “Let's focus.”

“Fine.” Marcus stopped playing around while looking forward. Captain Rita Secada stands behind the podium and heads this meeting.

Another hustle is coming up. Burnett thought.

____

“Why do y'all always put Armando near the clubs?” Marcus reviewed files of their next case.

“Even I can't go anymore.” Mike answered Marcus. “Times have changed, man.”

“So we're old now?” Marcus squinted toward his best friend.

“To be honest, yeah.” Mike shrugged. “And let's just say that Armando has a better chance of catching these fools.”

“How can Armando work better than us? We've been in the game for years, Mike.” Marcus glanced between Lowrey and Aretas, curious.

“No suspicion.” Mike cleared his throat. “If you and I step foot anywhere, folks start running before we can even question people.”

“But I still don't like what's happening.” Marcus vented. “Every time we go out like that, Armando pulls some charm and he ends up getting phone numbers.”

“Networks.” Mike nodded. “It's a distraction to reach the criminals before we swarm everything.”

“Yeah, right.” Marcus casted both eyes toward the ceiling. “You're just putting Armando outside for no reason at this point.”

“I won't leave. It's still work.”Aretas finally spoke up and chime in.

“You don't even talk to the ladies, man.” Marcus judged Aretas.

“Hey, that's none of your business” Mike warned Marcus over boundaries as usual.

“It is. We haven't met anyone.” Marcus shook his head. “I want another case. Talk to Rita.”

“Shut up, man.” Mike planned to keep going, but radio signals buzzed around the precinct.

“There's a chase, let's go.” Armando revealed slightly accented English and stood up, grabbing car keys.

Given no other option, Mike and Marcus hustled to follow Aretas.

_____

“I know damn-well that Mike never taught you how to drive!” Marcus worried from the passenger seat. “Slow down, Armando.”

“Not now. Please!” Aretas punched the gas while speeding regardless. Sirens wailed in all directions this afternoon.

“Shit!” Marcus just kept yelling. “Is this motherfucker driving the Batmobile?”

“Lamborghini.” Armando name-dropped the vehicle in pursuit.

When the Lambo turned, Armando caught this chance right away and immediately stopped driving.

“Freeze!” Marcus and Armando yelled together while the AMMO squad gathered near this big-time car.

“Don't touch me, pig!” This criminal shouted once Mike handcuffed him, but Armando lowered his gun.

“Zway?” Armando then narrowed his eyes past the Florida sun.

“Hey, help me out, man! I can hook you up right now.” Zway Rodriguez lived.

“Nah, you still get on my nerves, Zway. Take him to the station.” Armando nodded to Mike once more.

“How the hell is Zway still breathing?” Marcus stood flabbergasted. “We torched his ass!”

“No.” Armando corrected. “Zway dropped from my helicopter like Mike, but I didn't know what happened afterwards until now.”

“Damn.” Marcus returned to their car. “Do you think Zway connects our new case here?”

“We'll see.” This time, Armando started driving without trouble and headed back to the precinct.

_____

By nightfall, bright lights painted almost every corner of South Beach once more.

“All jokes aside, how are you doing?” Marcus and Armando joined the back of this limousine.

“Better, I guess.” Aretas tried. “I'm not running anymore.”

“Of course not.” Marcus then revealed more truth here. “Shit might be difficult for a while, but we got your back now.”

“Thanks.” Armando nodded, ready to handle business.

“We look good, but don't act up tonight. I'm still around.” Marcus glanced near Armando before entering the club.

Ignoring Marcus, Armando recognized security first.

“Sup, man?” One guard dapped up Aretas while standing between overhead neon lights. “What are you doing with Burnett?”

“It's another case.” Armando whispered. Even Marcus nodded, impressed.

“Damn.” That guard shook his head. “Who's the culprit now?”

“Where's Spark? I need to catch him before the drop hits.” This large-scale supply of drugs would funnel Miami soon.

“VIP waiting on our second floor. Get his ass, all right?” The guard pointed, leading directions for Armando and Marcus.

“Got it.” Aretas took charge and Marcus followed, ready.

______

“That's Spark? He's not special.” Marcus chuckled near Armando.

Spark wore this knockoff designer outfit as people gathered around the VIP section.

“The Aretas legacy is thriving. Hello…” Spark barely introduced himself before yelling woke up this venue.

“Hands up!” The AMMO squad pulled up once more, led by Mike and Rita.

_______

Sooner than later, red and blue overcasts brightened Miami.

At long last, Spark met the patrol vehicles for his crimes and another righteous bust threw down.

“Good job, Armando, but I still have a question for you.” Marcus asked.

“Yeah?” Aretas looked toward Burnett.

“Are you ever coming by the house? We don't bite.” Marcus invited Armando to see his family.

“Maybe.” Aretas shrugged and left the scene with Mike as Marcus returned home.

Progress is better than nothing.

[allycat75]

Just a reminder of why I am here, lest you think I actually believe a certain Dumb Fuck from Boston is actually reading this blog.

In case it wasn't obvious, addressing specific posts to a particular person is but a literary device (such that it is on Tumblr). This blog is a way for me to scream into a void and if you don't like what I have to say, please respectfully leave and try to refrain from misrepresenting me on other blogs. I may not be your cup of tea, but I will not be minimized.

What I am screaming into the void about:

Mr. Dumb Fuck roped us all into this by trying to convince us he is stunningly happy in a relationship when it is obvious to almost anyone he is not (and if he is, he has to be the most toxic boyfriend/hubby ever). He even tried to help his cause by doing a bad job on purpose, but that act to save himself came crashing down on those who called out the Emperor who had no clothes, hard. Because when we pointed out the many obvious inconsistencies, we were branded as crazy, stupid and jealous. Then there is the gaslighting with changing timelines, photoshopped pictures, ghost sightings/weddings, poorly acted jump scares and general mindfuckery. He can't now un-invite us to the party because he doesn't like what we are saying. We will defend ourselves from lies and manipulation and not accept the negative labels thrust upon us. Too often, women are dismissed for being irrational and this stunt highlights the incredibly antiquated and misogynist trope.

The little wifey is an awful person and by tying himself to her like this he tacitly provides his approval to her racism, antisemitism, fatshaming, arrogance, immaturity, clout-chasing and entitlement, forever. That hypocrisy cannot go unnoticed considering his former stance on these subjects and his role as the face of the insipid ASP. I am a member of a few of the groups the wifey and her crew target so no one gets to tell me I am taking this too seriously or I am being too sensitive. As Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona discussed during a recent talk on an unimportant, ego stroking website, passiveness normalizes destructive behaviors and beliefs toward marginalized communities, at a time when we in those communities feel unseen or unprotected.

The fact that he looks absolutely miserable, with no light in his eyes, and discusses his life as if it is not his own is more than a little unnerving. This is in no way to shame him, but rather out of a genuine concern for his wellbeing. If I were to encounter someone on the street acting like he did as described in the near career ending GQ article, I would be compelled to call someone to assist this man in distress. And I don't buy the excuse of "he's just tired" or "he is working hard".  He is running from who he has become and doesn't know where to go.  These posts are a way for me to work out frustration of not being able to help someone who is in clear need of it.  And yeah, maybe it is none of my business, but just as if I ran into the GQ version of him on the street, I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. 

This circus also shows how his behavior parallels the issues of the world at large and how we accept things we shouldn't. We have kept quiet about unchecked privlege, intent vs. impact, performative activism, being child-like vs. childish, ageism, greed and corruption, mental illness and wellness, self awareness, the power and weaponry of sexuality, toxic masculinity and misogyny, generational wealth, integrity, alternative facts and emotional truths, misinformation and disinformation, imbalance of power, value placed on hard work, attributes of healthy relationships, preciousness of time, and the effects we have on our fellow mortals, all of which has got us to now, on the brink of societal destruction. And we see this epitomized in the microcosm of this shitshow. I use this blog and the unlikely, fucked up muse that inspired it to think about how we all cultivate our points of view and perhaps pressure test what they really mean to us and how we express them in our daily lives. Others who find my blog may feel lost and alone, as we all do at times, in need of some comfort or inspiration. While the quotes, infographics and articles may be very pointed, they are there for everyone to enjoy and interpret. The Song of the Day, however, is purely about me and what I woke up singing or feeling. Nothing to do with BDF, but still for everyone to appreciate.

So that's about it. I hope you have more clarity about what I am trying to accomplish and again, if you wish to be negative, you can see yourself out. Thank you! 👋

[gartenofbanny]

Millie is not protective of Moxxie when it comes to Blitzo doing shit to Moxxie or getting involved with their relationship. Don't believe me? Time for me to make a list.

WARNING ⚠️⚠️: MENTIONS OF RAPE, SA, & THE R-WORD

It's established that Millie is Moxxie's knight in shining armor. Millie is Mario while Moxxie is Princess Peach. Millie is always there to protect Moxxie but only when it comes to the antagonists of the episode. Throughout the show, I've noticed that whenever Blitzo and (sometimes) Loona says or does something which aggravates Moxxie, Millie doesn't do anything to actually stop either of them. With Blitzo she mainly plays it off. Today I'm going to list the things that Blitzo and Loona have done and also I'm going to point out a few things that Millie should've done to at least help out Moxxie, but she didn't because humor.

The Pilot

Now, as always this problem can stem back all the way to the pilot. I can forgive some of the things she dismisses Blitzo of like being in their fridge, but there is a certain scene that Millie should've butted in because what Blitzo said was completely unnecessary. That being the infamous scene where Blitzo calls Moxxie the R-word. Millie doesn't say or do anything to Blitzo despite the fact that he pretty much insulted Moxxie with a very offensive word. Only after the scene, Millie decides to defend Moxxie by indirectly insulting him? Telling Loona that he wasn't easy to manage and calling Loona a "bitch" shortly afterward.

And it only gets worse because once the kid insults Moxxie pretty much calling him a spineless jackass, Millie defends him right then and there. Millie for the most part was dick-riding Blitzo throughout this entire pilot. She doesn't stand up to him for Moxxie, but only does it when Eddie or Loona insults him. You'd think they'd actually fix this throughout the series, but nah.

Murder Family

In Murder Family, Millie does not do anything when Blitzo treats him like shit (or is borderline abusive towards him). Millie doesn't do shit when Blitzo grabs Moxxie by the face, insults him, and throws him into glass or trash just five minutes in the episode. Granted, Moxxie is somewhat to blame for the fire, but Millie wasn't even there to at least stick up for Moxxie towards Blitzo.

Another scene, probably more subtle than the previous one was when Blitzo was grabbing Moxxie's face and Moxxie was trying to get out of his grasp, but to no avail. Once again, Millie doesn't do shit and just talks to Blitzo while letting him grip on Moxxie's face.

Another scene in Murder Family is when Blitzo rants to Moxxie that there is probably no innocence and insults him right after. Oddly, Millie isn't even present the majority of the time when Blitzo tries to assassinate Martha. She only makes a small appearance when she escapes out of the bushes. Literally no line was given to her, what the fuck.

The last scene in Murder Family is when Blitzo pretty much threatens Moxxie to rape him and Millie. This entire scene is a wtf moment and despite the fact that Blitzo didn't get at least punched in the face by Millie or Moxxie was surprising. Millie had no problem killing Chaz once she found out that he dated Moxxie, but she doesn't even care when Blitzo threatens Moxxie that he will force himself on him and Millie. Wow.

The only time Millie actually does snap at Blitzo in Murder Family was when Blitzo just outright says that bullets would be more effective to them, but even then she doesn't say anything to Blitzo afterward. Even though the dude had almost gotten them both killed.

And that's only the first episode with other episodes (fortunately not all of them) still containing the issue. So I'm gonna skip to Spring Broken which fortunately has only two scenes I can actually point out.

Spring Broken

Blitzo, as always insults Moxxie right beside Millie and even manhandles him a little. Millie does nothing as always.

Near the end of Spring Broken, Blitzo drops a drunken Moxxie on the ground and Millie just picks him up, once again not saying anything or doing anything to Blitzo when he physically or mentally abuses her husband in front of her. So let's move onto C.H.E.R.U.B!

C.H.E.R.U.B

Moxxie gets body shamed right in front of Millie by Loona and he also gets slapped across the wall. Millie doesn't do jack shit and just moved out of the way for Moxxie to land on the wall.

Moxxie gets crushed underneath twice, and Millie doesn't do shit to help him out. She doesn't even move a little bit of rubble to at least give him some space to breathe. This is one of the moments where Millie doesn't really help Moxxie without Blitzo causing it. Now let's move on to Harvest Moon Festival!

Harvest Moon Festival

Moxxie gets pushed aside by Blitzo so the latter can introduce himself to Millie's parents right in front of Millie. Millie does nothing about it.

This is something a bit unrelated, but when Moxxie goes onto talk about how more wars were won by technical advancement instead of brute force. Millie while watching him making the rant, tries to signal him to stop, which alongside her parents and Blitzo's reactions is what made him stop. So she won't let Moxxie be himself in front of his parents or even pretend to be interested in his speaking. Neat.

Blitzo just straight up grabs Moxxie's crotch and Millie does not do anything about it. She was so fucking pissed at Chaz for dating Moxxie before they met, but when Blitzo touches Moxxie's no-no square it's suddenly fine. Hell, Blitzo does it a second time and Millie ignores this. Definitely not sharing images of this because you all know why.

Those are all I can find within Harvest Moon Festival, so now let's move onto Ozzie's.

Ozzie's

Millie doesn't tell Blitzo off when Blitzo says that he'll join Moxxie and herself on their one year anniversary. I can somewhat understand the fact that she doesn't mind it when Blitzo stalks them, but I don't understand that Millie doesn't care if Blitzo goes with them to their anniversary dinner that Moxxie has been preparing for a while. She could've at least rejected Blitzo in a respectful way, but she doesn't say anything which led to Blitzo following them anyway.

And for my last example for this post, Millie doesn't thwack Fizzarolli on his head when both he and Asmodeus decided to make fun of Moxxie. Instead, Millie does it AFTER Fizzarolli and Asmodeus finish roasting both her husband and Blitzo which was really fucking weird.

Conclusion

When it comes to Millie's main character trait of being protective of Moxxie, it's pretty much forgotten whenever Blitzo does his shenanigans around or towards Moxxie. This could be a somewhat hidden character trait of Millie, but I honestly highly doubt it, especially after the tweet Vivziepop released regarding Millie's character. So this was as a blog listing each and every part of Millie not taking action against Blitzo at all. With Season 2 released, there are still a few moments where Millie still does this, but I'm gonna leave that for a future post cause listing all of those has made me very tired. Thank you all for reading and I hope you all have a nice day!

[xjulixred45x]

Hi hi, This is one is a doozy. May I please request for a drabble between Platonic Yandere Nanami wherein he finally gets to see/ confront his darling( Necro) after they went MIA after Shibuya. They have a pretty heated argument and Nanami finds out the truth. After his darling spirited him away to shoko, they got killed by Mahito and they were lucky their power brought them back. They left because they know the higher ups would consider them a threat and they didn't want to get hurt.

This is a little short and a little vague(, i hope it's fine.

Platonic! Yandere Nanami x Necro! Reader

First of all, when Nanami regains his consciousness of what happened in Shibuya, at first he would be quite lost, since of course, the initial shock of thinking that he "had" died, only to then feel his body almost completely burned and the lack of his eye to remember EVERYTHING.

He DID die, but Necro (ignoring his order to stay away from Shibuya) brought him back.

Now, Necro is not stupid, she knows that Nanami will be angry with her when she sees it, she mentally prepares herself to defend her point, step by step, she won't let him make her feel guilty THIS TIME, could she at least not do it? Literally she He saved his life by coming for the love of God! Him and many others! What is HIS PROBLEM!?

This obviously doesn't end well for anyone, Nanami and Necro continue fighting for a long time (if not HOURS) where Nanami tries again and again and again to be in control of the situation (and of Necro) using Gaslight and guilty tripping only to no longer having an effect on Necro, she makes it clear that she stands by her point. She WAS NOT WRONG for going to Shibuya, why can't he just accept that she is no longer a little girl? That she no longer needs his protection (which she NEVER ASKED for)?

Did Necro have any idea of the danger she was in when she was near Mahito? Or that she was in the same place where SUKUNA himself was? she could have died if it weren't for pure luck! If even someone like him could die, what makes HER think that someone like her can't? He just wants her to stop trying to swallow more than she can chew...

but on other hand....How dare she disobey him? and even worse, ACT AS IF HE WAS THE PROBLEM WHEN HE RAISED HER (after kidnapping her, isolating her, preventing her from having friends, a partner--) and so she pays him like this? with dishobedience and dissrespect? he would have better be left dead if she wasn't going to be a good daughter anymore...

(emotional manipulation there, Nanami brand)

Even Shoko has to interfere to prevent the argument from escalating or one of them taking it too far. telling Necro to go rest and that he's done enough for today.

I think Shoko could be one of the few positive influences during this arc, precisely because she understands the fact that even if Necro and Nanami's relationship is... questionable, she wanted him back, she didn't care about anything beyond that. she loved her father...

It's thanks to Shoko that Nanami knows about how exactly he came back to life, he was convinced it was Shoko's doing, but knowing that Necro did it and that he cared SO MUCH... definitely made him question a few things.

They both end up sleeping quite apart from each other for the first time in YEARS, Necro wondering if he really did something right by bringing in someone as a yandere! Nanami brought back to life, she should have made a different decision.... but it's too late for that.

while Nanami on the one hand thinks that this reaffirms everything she would have done up to this point, isolating Necro, preventing him from having more people around him and becoming his only source of affection, everything seems at first glance to be worth it, because now she knows that Necro loves him...

but as he sees that she is in a separate room, ignoring him, he wonders if he has to reconsider some rules...

(Nanami when he realized that Necro love him as a Father ↓)

Shares, reblogs and comments are very welcome

[tavshortfortavern]

Omega (+Alpha) HCs Part 2

Characters: Astarion, Gale, Karlach, Wyll, Laezel

Astarion: Has used his omega status to manipulate people and lure them into a false sense of security. He's just a 'dainty omega' what could he do? Of course they usually end up dead and drained of blood. Fully weaponizes it to his advantage. Deep down he hates having to act like this having been truly helpless before. Definitely got targeted by his old master for being a well known omega highly saught after. He hides being an omega from the party as well as his vampirism so he doesn't get left behind for being 'too soft' or useless. That or be forced into something by alphas who think they can do whatever they want (like his old master). When he meets Alpha Tav he definitely keeps his scent hidden, its easy being undead. But when that secret is discovered he's desperate enough to try and seduce them for protection, even if it disgusts him.

Of course Tav doesn't mind at all and other people in camp are omegas so he doesn't stand out. A huge wave of relief washes over him. His attempts at seduction doesn't work either as Tav has chugged their Respect Omega juice. They do stare at him, he can see the attraction in their eyes but as soon as he catches them, they turn their eyes away like some gods damn altar boy or clergyman. Once that trust is established, he'll keep pressing his flirtations, watching for reactions and wondering when they'll break. Otherwise he stays away from most alphas.

For his heats, they've been terrible experiences for him and probably won't let anyone near him during them until he's processed his trauma. But he trusts Tav more than anyone so he might let them be nearby, not touching or even being intimate but a reassurance they will be around to defend or bring him anything. His nests in the past being under Cazador have been pathetic, with only a ragged blanket and pillow, if he was even allowed those. So when Tav offers to set aside some gold for his nest he's struck with the realization he can build a comfortable nest. It's like his tent at camp, he splurges for fancy throw pillows and blankets, has some scentes candles for ambiance. Wants it somewhere with access to sunlight. It soothes some of his negative feelings during heat. But his nest isn't done yet. A true Rogue, he steals articles of clothings and trinkets from the companions he knows has their scent because it makes him feel safe. Never says anything and will let the companions wonder where certain things have gone while he snuggles in his tent, almost buried under all the items and scents of those he trusts. A far cry from his old nest.

Gale: The real stay-at-home omega. Mans was destined for that. All he wants is to be back in his tower with his cat and books. Now after meeting Tav wants to take them home and cook them something. Never hid being an omega, doesn't see why he ever would. His time with Mystra didn't leave him a lot of time to deal with physical needs and instincts so no scenting or mating bites for him. He waves it off but when he is in a relationship with Tav he's come to prize the mating bite on his neck, kinda showing it off with some outfits that have lower necklines. And look. We all heard that little 'musk' line from Gale. He's quickly getting addicted to Tav's scent. Holds himself back but wants it all over him.

Back in his tower, he had a lovely nest with silken fabrics and fluffy pillows. A perfect soft haven with tons of trinkets he treasures. Theres not much in the way of scented items, only Tara's. Mystra obviously never bothered. But in camp, while the nest isn't as luxurious or expansive, he actually might prefer it over his old one. Unlike a certain someone he asks the companions, rather awkwardly, for anything they could part with for his nest. (ITS PACK BONDING BABY) Wyll's handkerchief, Shadowheart's hair tie, one of Halsin's arm bands, even Astarion left a scarf there (without saying anything bc its too sappy). Gith don't have alphas or omegas but Laezel saw everyone do it and just handed him a dagger, he could use it anyways being a squishy wizard (she a little confused but she got the spirit!) Tav's scent is the strongest one there having spent nights cuddling.

Its the most relaxing thing to snuggle into being surrounded by scents that weren't present before in his life, now he doesn't imagine he can go back without it. During his heats, before he's always waited for them to pass, now he has Tav there and he feels nervous. He's always been a giver so he tries to focus on Tav over his own heat despite his instincts. Tav reminds him that this is about him and him alone as they set him back down in the nest. Gale discovers Tav is also quite talented with his mouth. Scent-wise like most wizards the smell of parchment and leather is there but with something citrus-y and jasmine thats unique to him.

Wyll: Either an Alpha or Beta. Also drinks his respect omega juice. A gentleman to everyone and flirts with anyone who catches his eyes no matter their status or if they have one (Laezel). He was always taught by his dad that alphas were not inherently superior but still had a responsibility to protect those being taken advantage of, everyone is vulnerable to heats/ruts. Even after he got exiled he held on to those principles. Will absolutely beat up Alphas who try to take advantage of an omega in heat or those just generally using their status to do what they want.

If Tav was an omega or alpha, it doesn't change the way he wants to court them first. Ruts are always kept private if he doesn't have access to rut blocker potions and he excuses himself to his tent. He's been saught after plenty of times from omegas and betas from noble families. Is rather wary of letting anyone near in this state. But he trusts Tav to be nearby. Still full on prince charming level of courtship. Will take the lead in a dance unless they say anything. Admires Tav not for being an alpha but for being a good leader and helping other people. He would be a good mediator as a beta for everyone in camp.

Is happy to lend his omega friends a scented item for their nests. Polite and considerate to those in their heat too. Keeps his distance since he knows omega companions might be wary/emberassed to be in heat near an alpha. Deeper in the relationship Tav is heavily scented by him, it always brings a smile to his face whenever his nose catches it. The first time Tav does help him with his rut he always checks in with them. When Tav leaves the tent its with a new mating bite. His scent is probably earthen, from all his time spent traveling, also aromatic and similar to wine. Since becoming a warlock he has hint of the hells on him.

Karlach: Alpha. Hands down. Protector of omegas. The stereotypical strong alpha type but never has the toxic or negative behaviors. Likes omegas since they rarely appear in the hells and she likes how calming they are for her fiery rages. Just a whiff of her omega companions scents sets her at ease. Her rut is a terrible experience though, since her engine kinda fucked it up and also she couldn't touch anybody. She had no one for years while in Avernus.

Pack bonds hella quick to the Tadfools. While alphas don't have nests she does love keeping scented items of her friends nearby. Its a calming effect and a reminder she's no longer in hell. Heck she has a whole world of scents to explore and familiarize again after returning. Is eager to spend her rut with Tav if they're together once her engine gets upgraded. Tries her best but ends up being somewhat rough, gets kinda feral (ten years bruh, ten years of bad lonely ruts) and leaves her partner exhausted in the mornings (if they're both not still going at it).

Sadly, does not give them a mating bite for fear she could end up dying from her engine. Doesn't want to tie them down if her death is certain. In her eyes they're the loveliest mate anyone could ask for, she doesn't want to keep them to herself. But when they go with her to Avernus she will definitely stake her claim with her scent and bite mark. Can't have these devils thinking Tav is anyone's but hers. Under that heavy smell of sulphur, smoke, and metal, her scent is fresh as the ocean, floral and fragrant woods.

Shadowheart: Beta or omega. As an omega, only hides her type when necessary if she thinks it would pose an issue. Being under Shar meant secrecy and that meant lots of scent blockers. Nobody even knew her type until later on while in the Shadow curse. Being an omega doesn't stop her from becoming a dark justiciar. Nor does she like using it to her advantage.

Smells like incense, sweet tropical flowers and something subtle. Is wary around an alpha Tav but not as much when they take the time to save her while in the Mindflayer ship. Appreciates it when they don't fuss about her being an omega or change how they think of her. That gets more respect from her than just being an alpha. Keeps a simple nest in her tent. Has the night orchid Tav gave her and once the other omegas began piling everyone's scents in their nest, she does the same

With no memories the only thing she has ties to her past is scents. She could catch the scent of something and suddenly feel a sense of deja vu. Its why she loves night orchids so much. The smell gives her a warm feeling of... Something. Has never spent her heat with anyone, always taught to keep them private and secluded. Once she leaves Shar, she discovers she likes spending it with Tav and mixing scents. Fully believes if she ever loses her memories again, Tav's sent will always be the thing she remembers.

Laezel: Gith aren't born as alphas, betas or omegas. While she's heard about these instincts she's never seen them in real life. So she's clueless to all these courting rituals and practices. Why do you need nests to be comfy? Why are these scents so important? Are you even fit to fight during a heat/rut. Can be offensive but she ends up being better later on. It's just as confusing and foreign as the rest of Faerun.

Understands the whole mating thing though. Of course you want a strong mate. Very much the let the instincts take over type. But what decides who submits or dominates is through battle, not scent. Doesn't matter if you're an omega, beat her in combat or she'll top you. When together with Tav encourages heats or ruts. She can handle all that.

While she doesn't fully understand certain behaviors, she does end up caring for her companions. Doesn't bodyguard or coddle them, they're strong and can sort any disrespectful sort by themselves. She is willing to hand them weapons if they want something with her scent. That's always useful, especially if you want to feel safe.

[whiskeyworen]

Secrets of the Obscure: Lost Commander

Playing through the first sections of Secrets of the Obscure, it got me thinking.

The Commander is lost.

Since the beginning of the game, when we take hold of them, they've had some kind of mission, some kind of goal. It started out small; help out in Shaemoor when things go bad. Or end a nasty Inquest prank/assault by destroying their cube golem. Or help put down Lord Barradine's ghost (again). Or literally defend the Dream from the psychic marring the Nightmare Court are trying to inflict on it in the hopes of spoiling the Dream into the Nightmare. Or taking part in a celebratory hunt and taking down the biggest Ice wurm to date.

From there it just snowballed for them with the Personal story, leading up to joining an Order, meeting their mentor… losing their mentor… Creating the pact and eventually bringing down Zhaitan.

And it kept going from there. One crisis after another. One war after another. Friends gained. Friends lost. Enemies found. Enemies ended. World saved, again, and again, and again.

Finally, things are falling into a nominal peace. Oh there's skirmishes and stuff. There will always be strife. But the big stuff? The world is starting to slowly move past it.

Human and Charr not only have a tenuous peace treaty; the heads behind the resistance to that treaty are GONE. Almost every main legion is headed by someone ameniable to peace, to a new way of life.

The Nightmare Court, while not gone, doesn't seem to have the violence they used to. Oh they still tempt the new sprouts to join them, to indulge in pain and decadence and rebellion… but with Faolain dead, the guiding source for their brutality is gone. Maybe they'll be trouble in the future, but not nearly to the degree Faolain turned them into.

The Inquest have lost base after base, including a Rata. It's unknown what their command structure is like now, or where other bases are, but they seem to at least be keeping their heads down. And with the Arcane Eye taken down, they don't have anyone on the inside anymore, to cover up their misdeeds.

The White Mantle are dead or badly scattered, with no real hope of reforming.

The Svanir have lost their totem beast, if not their lives. If they still linger on, they're no longer the power they tried to be.

Even Joko is finally dead. One of the biggest damned threats to the world, someone who would have killed and turned everyone if given a chance, is now Elder Dragon burps.

The Gods are gone, never to return. The one that tried to is dead.

Through all this, the Commander struggled, trying to save as many as they could. Eventually rising to become the Symbol of the desire for peace and stability.

And it finally happened.

But what do we find? The Commander is… lost. Everyone they knew is either dead, retired, has moved on to positions where they can no longer 'go on adventures'. The threats that brought them all together are gone. Now it's just the wind-down. Fix broken things, find the lives they left behind to fight their fight.

Except the Commander.

They don't have anything else. Their whole existence for the last 10 years has been nigh-constant fighting, threat, intrigue, near-dying, and ACTUAL dying.

Everyone else has moved on. But the Commander can't. What can they do?

It's so terribly sad. I listened to my Commander, Cyrus. My own self-insert. Walking around Salma district. He was relieved that things were peaceful, but you could tell he didn't feel at home. He didn't feel at home, at HOME. Because it wasn't home anymore. It was just a place he protected for a long time.

When he was trying out Taimi's new phone system (I just think of it as the smartphone system), with each call, it was clear that everyone had moved on but him. They'd all found lives to life, new purposes, new loves…. old loves…

And here you have him, standing alone in the street, unnoticed by everyone but a nosey reporter from Cantha. At a loss for what to do with himself.

Going back a step, even the triple-'date' Taimi set up to help Rama was awkward as hell. It wasn't the Commander's idea; they got hijacked into it. Even had their date pretty much picked out for them. As pleasant as it was, and as relaxed as it made them in the end, it was an oddity in their life. When was the last time they'd had a date? Before the Personal Story, somewhere? Maybe never? Was that the FIRST date the Commander had ever had?

It just kinda made me sad that, they knew they were basically going through the motions of 'normal life', because it wasn't normal to THEM. Trying to fit in to a world that no longer needed them.

If it wasn't for accidentally stumbling onto the Astral Ward, I don't think they would have been able to settle into a normal life.

But it still doesn't end there; accidentally brought into association with the Ward, they run into perhaps the ONE other person who might understand that sense of emptiness, that loss of the sense of home. Zojja.

And in her usual faintly self-centered way, you find out she blames the Commander partly for not being there when she needed someone. The one person who not only would have been there if contacted, but ALSO needed someone to confide in, to take some of the weight off them…

It hurt to hear Cyrus very slowly say "We would have come. I know I would've." There was pain there. Like 'You really thought we'd abandon you, so you immediately discounted us.'

So here's Zojja, the last of the people he knew from being the Commander who hasn't yet disappeared… and she's telling him that if she Ascends to Wizard, she'll lose memories, or they'll be come dull and unimportant. That the Zojja that comes out the other side might not even view him as a friend anymore.

And the Commander, already knowing he's probably going to lose his last friend, can only offer an understanding, painful smile and tell her that no matter what, he'll support her, even if she doesn't recognize him anymore.

They'll call him Wayfinder in the Ward… but it's just a new war front. A new rank. A new title. And he'll have to start over again.

At least he'll have R'tchikk to remind him of a past that's already starting to fade away in Tyria.

Everyone in the Ward knows of the Commander; they've been watching through their crystal balls, wondering if the Commander was a big enough threat that they'd need to quietly eliminate them. But now that the Commander is right there, the Ward is going to use them as a new weapon.

And we all know the Commander is just going to accept that this is what they're gonna have to do because… what's the alternative? At least they know how to fight.

[prettyboybuckley]

"your smile brings me so much joy." also this from the prompt list, if it sparks joy? 🥺👉👈

hi april ❤️ @lostinabuddiehaze also requested this one, hope you and kel like it. It's not totally a confession but close enough? 😌 yes i know you basically supplied the idea for the call yourself but you didn't know it was for this prompt sooo

When Buck imagined them finally talking about this, or even starting that conversation, he didn't think it'd be at a call. Perhaps that was naive of him to think, considering they spend a lot of time at work.

Christmas is nearing, which means that they get called out to a lot of calls from people trying and failing to decorate their house, and this time is no exception.

Honestly, all Buck can think about with Christmas coming close is that a year ago he was still with Taylor and Eddie left the 118. Neither of those are things he likes to think about.

"I swear I was being careful," the young woman sniffs as Eddie and Chim help her onto the stretcher. "I just wanted to put it all up before my wife came home because I knew it'd make her smile."

Said wife, who introduced herself as Andy, is standing next to them, looking fond but exasperated, with her hands on her hips.

"You'd think you'd know by now that this is a two-person job, Kate," she retorts. "And if you waited, I could have told you that the ladder wasn't reliable."

Kate—she fell from the ladder when a step cracked, and broke her leg and probably injured her back, bless her—pulls a petulant face but doesn't argue.

"I think it's sweet that you did this because you wanted to make your wife smile," Buck defends her, because he does, and he totally gets it. He'd do anything to put a smile on the face of the love of his life.

Eddie snorts, shaking his head. "Of course you do, this is exactly the kind of stupid thing you'd do."

"Yeah, well, you know your smile brings me so much joy," Buck retorts, and it's supposed to come out as a joke, but he's pretty sure that it ends up being a little too genuine.

"You almost losing your fingers while trying to fix the garbage disposal would not make me smile."

"That was one time!"

Chim, who has been watching their interaction with what seems to be rising amusement, seems to decide to put a stop to their bickering as he says: "You can squabble about that later, boys."

Buck and Eddie both roll their eyes, but they do start moving, the wife walking with them to the ambulance.

"How long have you two been together?" Kate asks, looking up at them from her position on the stretcher.

They share a look and Buck is starting to panic a little, and Eddie seems to be at a loss for words as well.

"They aren't," Hen, who has been watching it all quietly, ends up answering, "but that's because they're stupid."

She and Chim take over the stretcher, and Andy follows them and her wife into the back of the ambulance, leaving Buck and Eddie standing outside.

"So," Eddie says, smiling a little awkwardly, and Buck rocks himself back and forth on the balls of his heels, hands in his pockets. "You like to make me smile, huh?"

"Didn't think that would be news to you."

That puts a thoughtful look on Eddie's face, as if he's trying to remember something, and Buck is holding his breath. God, he's so in love that it's pathetic, and at this point Eddie has to see it, too, right?

"No, I guess not," he answers after a moment, ducking his head as if he's embarrassed about something. "I like it when you smile, too. Because of something I did. I mean, I like to make you happy, because-"

He cuts himself off, looking frustrated. Buck can hear Bobby calling for them from the engine.

"I get it, I feel the same," Buck tells him, and he hopes Eddie means what Buck thinks he means, but maybe he's reading too much into this. If that's the case, this is probably sounding a little too much like a love confession. "We can talk about it later? This feels like a conversation we shouldn't have here."

Eddie nods, and their shoulders bump as they walk back to the engine. When Buck glances to the side, their eyes meet, and Eddie smiles, small and private but with a look in his eyes that makes the hope inside Buck's chest swell ten times in size.

from the romantic confession dialog prompts

[fritz-federleicht]

Everything is good/ Corey Taylor x reader

Note: one shot is based on the video where Corey yells at Sid because of a lost camera. AND I will also post a one shot with the same plot for Sid in the near future

Words: 722

----------------------------------------------------

The concert is over. Until now you were in an extra room waiting for the end. You are on your way backstage.

Your boyfriend Corey, who still has his mask on, sits on a box and drinks from a water bottle. So far he hasn't spotted you because he's discussing something with someone.

He makes an unknowing motion with his shoulder as Sid walks around the crate and towards him.

You're so close now that you hear it's about a camera.

"FUCK OFF! I'M SO FUCKING PISSED OF YOU!" Corey yells at Sid.

"FUCK YOU!" You can hear Sid defending himself. He is about to leave again, leaving Corey alone.

Corey gets up from the box and yells after him: "FUCK YOU LITTLE FUCKING BITCH!"

You look at Sid who looks dejected as he leaves. You overcome the last few meters and walk towards your boyfriend who is now sitting on the box again. His water bottle in his hand.

He looks up when he sees you in front of him. "Hey babe." You say and put your hands on Corey's covered cheeks. He opens his legs slightly so you can get closer to him. You stand between them.

Corey puts the water bottle aside and puts his arms around your hips. By them he pulls you a little closer to him.

"Hey, honey. How are you?" Corey asks, acting like nothing just happened between him and Sid. He tries hard not to let the anger show.

You screw up your face. "I saw that with Sid." You run your thumbs along his mask. Corey's blue eyes look at you, unmasked. The black makeup emphasizes them even more than they already are. "What happened?"

Corey's head lowers and he drops it lightly against your stomach. His arms tighten around your hips.

He mumbles something against your stomach that you don't understand. "Babe." You put your hand on the back of Corey's head and play with the dreadlocks attached to the mask. "I didn't hear you."

This time he answers louder. "Sid jumped into the crowd and lost a camera." He releases his head from your stomach and looks up at you. "We lost some really good footage because of that."

You let your hands go to his cheeks. "I'm sure you have plenty of footage that's just as good."

Corey nods and runs his hands from your hips to your thighs. He runs them up and down. Like he's trying to warm you up.

"You're probably right." He nods. "But still! Why does Sid do that?" His anger is reflected in his voice. He lets his gaze roam through the backstage area.

"Come on. You all tried to get the best out of the show. And so did Sid." You put a hand under his chin and force him to look at you.

"You said that you lost good material because of this. Without Sid, this wouldn't have happened in the first place." You bend down to him. "Besides, Sid always jumps into the audience. So he didn't lose the camera on purpose." You finish your sentence and give Corey a soft kiss on his black painted lips.

Corey kisses you back in a demanding manner. His arms wrap around your hips and pull you onto his lap.

In the process, you accidentally knock over Corey's water bottle. You abruptly disengage from him. You look behind you and see the bottle lying on the floor. Fortunately, it is locked.

You feel Corey's breath on your skin. "Y/N we weren't done yet." Your boyfriend whispers in your ear.

You grin. "Let's finish this later." You wrap your arm around his neck to get a better grip.

"I won't forget this." Corey whispers back.

Mick walks pass you from one side and says: "Book a room."

Corey straightens up. "Mick! Fuck you!" He yells after him.

Mick raises his middle finger in response. He keeps walking and doesn't even look back.

"That little fucker." Says Corey so that only you can hear it. You run your hand over the back of his head and run your fingers through some dreadlocks.

"Oh how I love you." You say and give him a kiss on the temple.

[uselessidiotsquad]

Should you fight my characters? Plant Flavor!

Back at it with more!

Riaghael

Battle Music: Saltillo - A Necessary End

Should you fight Riag? Look I get it, you get it, even he gets it - he's not the most amiable person in the world. He's usually grumpy and sometimes even an asshole. He wouldn't even be mad at if you if you tried to fight him. But no one is winning from this fight. You will likely feel like crap trying to fight someone who (is trying but) cannot fight back, and guaranteed he will feel even worse. Trying to fight someone who is well aware of that they aren't what they used to be is a little mean - so please don't fight the grump.

Who initiates the battle? You would have to, he knows he can't win in fights anymore so he doesn't try to start anything.

Who would win? You would. He physically can't wield weapons anymore and mentally/psychologically is unable to deal with the stress of it. It wouldn't even be a fair fight, he would summon minions to try to defend himself but that's it. You would still be able to take him down pretty quickly.

Deiliús

Battle Music: anoice - finale

Should you fight Dei? They are the least threatening person you can encounter. ...so why on Tyria would you? The only reason I could ever see someone trying to fight them is them being a rigid 'All NMC are evil and must die' type of person. They have all the strength of wet tissue paper and are allergic to conflict. Don't fight them. You stand nothing to gain from it (besides my unwavering disapproval).

Who initiates the battle? You would HAVE to. They would expend all of their energy just trying to run from you than have to fight. Even if cornered they would try to fend off attacks but not fight back.

Who would win? There's no question that you would win. It would be like kicking a stray cat on the street that had just gotten its ass kicked from other cats. Their magic is illusion based for concealment or psychological harm (which they hated using and only did in the past because they were forced to) not for attacking. It wouldn't even really be a fight, it would be you kicking their ass.

Under the cut to save your dash!

Naechdion

Battle Music: Shadow of the Colossus OST - Silence

Should you fight Dion? No! Absolutely not! He's minding his own business in the Wychmire and is already scared of everything. Leave him be.

Who would initiate the battle? You would have to start it - but that means finding him first. He's very good at hiding.

Who would win? You would, but then you would probably have to fight me because Dion doesn't deserve to be picked on. He's bad at Guardian magic and scared of everything, he would probably be shaking in a corner as soon as you got anywhere near him.

Ruby Aenn

Battle Music: Dallas String Quartet - Firework

Should you fight Ruby? Ruby is always up for a good fair sparring session. Actual fights, she thinks can be avoided with enough discussion but sparring for practice is fun! She's game for a bit of a spat if you are!

Who would initiate the fight? 50/50! She might want to warm up before a bigger skirmish and ask you to spar with her. Or perhaps you feel like trying the Prismatic Dragon's Champion on for size.

Who would win? Ruby has some very clear strong points and weaknesses. For one, she's tiny, just at 4'9, so her center of balance makes her harder to take down. Most especially challenging is that she changes her fight strategy depending on which pet she is soulbound to. So that's tricky. However, it is easy to bait while attuned to specific animals and that makes her slip up because the animal side wins. It would be fair!

Madrúil

Battle Music: The Dali Thundering Concept - There is no Calm Before the Storm (Instrumental)

Should you fight Mad? Oh god, please kick his ass. He has made life hell for a lot of innocent people and deserves to get the shit kicked out of him. You would be making a lot of people happy.

Who would initiate the fight? Chances are Mad would since he thinks with his fists more often than his brain. Or he would be trying to abduct you for his hounds to 'play with' so you had to defend yourself.

Who would win? Tricky. Mad is good at both long range with his bow and close melee with axes, but struggles at mid-range. If you have something that can keep him just close enough to you to not be able to use his long bow but not so close you meet the axe, you can probably out last him. That is until he goes full chicken shit and gets other Blasphemy goonies to try and waylay you. He's not above being a slime ball to win.

Countess Diamhasla

Battle Music: Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56: III. Pe-loc - Andante

Should you fight Diam? PLEASE DO. Can I help? I would love to help. We can throw her down a well. She sets people up for failure, and when they are at their most vulnerable she 'saves' them, only to then hold that over their head to get what she wants. She's fragile and has poor health but I'm not above beating her leafy head in with a mallet.

Who would initiate the battle? You would, she doesn't do fighting. Usually letting her henchmen do the dirty work for her. Half of the issue of fighting her is actually getting to her, she's fairly well defended.

Who would win? She's scary good at earth magic, so the key would be to interrupt her before she can summon too many elementals or the huge earthen hands to grab you. If you can hit hard and fast, you win, easy. But if you let her get too many spells off it's looking like she will win.

Warden Captain Cálguais

Battle music: Andry Vinogradov - Chain Dance

Should you fight Cal? They're the most honorable (to the point of being insufferable) person to fight. If you asked for an honorable dual they would be happy to oblige you but in any other situations they would not. To spar for the sake of improvement (since they will be telling you the whole time where you could have done better) sure! Fight them!

Who would initiate the battle? Either you asking to spar with them or them training baby Wardens and asking you to spar as an example.

Who would win? Likely you would, but not easily. They are pretty competent at fighting but they tend to be rigid and fixed in their training they learned so they can't always adapt to new threats.

Glanaim

Battle music: Gallowstreet - Fisticuffs

Should you fight Glan? Sure, as long as you realize he treats fighting like flirting half the time. Morally he's a grey person so you don't have much to lose by fighting him. He doesn't kill people unless he's paid to do so so go for it!

Who would initiate the fight? Depends! If he's in a good mood, he'll ask you to spar with him. Otherwise you'd have to approach the topic.

Who would win? If you give him any distance at all, he will win so fast it makes your head spin. He's a sniper, and a damn good one at that. If you go after him in melee you have a very strong chance of winning, since he's not as good with pistols as he is with his rifle. (bonus there's a high chance he asks you out for a drink and then a rematch later).

Caonai

Battle Music: Skyrim OST - Tooth and Claw

Should you fight Cao? I don't recommend it. She doesn't see the point of fighting without killing - so if you challenge her one of you is going down for good. Plus she's an older lady who just is trying to care for her siblings. Sure, she may not have social skills, but she keeps to herself.

Who initiates the battle? If she thinks you are going to harm her siblings or pose a threat to the remnants of her family, she will absolutely start it. And give you no warning, you will just have a Norn sized, winter-hardened Warrior after you.

Who would win? Cao would win unless you run away mid-fight. She fights to kill, not to spar. While she is not as strong as some of my other kiddos, she is very slow and unyielding. She aims to break your defenses before going in for any major damage with her mace. If you run, she might not chase you - having tired herself out.

Caemdryn

Battle Music: LORN - ENTANGLED

Should you fight Caem? Honestly, it's up to you. While he is not a bad person, he has so much anger (mainly at Charr and the Jungle but it bleeds over) that it makes him a twat at times. Would there be any major negatives to getting rid of him? No. Any positives? Not really.

Who would initiate the battle? I think you would have to but it wouldn't take much. All it would take is a comment about Sylvari being dragon minions in any shape or form to get him defensive and then he will be after you.

Who would win? In close quarters, Caem, hands down. He hits hard and fast and has no small amount of fury/unhinged behind it. At distance he can't really attack but he can block and shield himself from most projectiles. Best bet would be to try and slow/cripple him and then get him from range so he can't close the space.

[slimeywooper]

Labmas AU - Unintended Consequences

Chapter 7 Part 2 - Work

Not missing a beat, Colress resumes, "We'll quietly make our way passed Kudari's quarters and head along the wall until we complete a rotation of the floor, arriving again at the elevator." Walking lightly, the two of you move beyond Kudari's place, and are now next to another wall. Being closer to the kennels, there were different Pokemon cries coming from the cages. Peeking in them, you notice a a few different species: Emolga, Joltik, and Venipede. They don't seem distressed, but it appears that they want attention. Colress doesn't give you time to watch them before starting again, "There are three more rooms designed for experiments here, and over in this last corner that we're currently heading to, is Nobori's room."

"Oh! Can we go say hello?" You were trying not to sound as excited as you felt.

There was a pause as Colress eyes you suspiciously, "I'm afraid I gave him orders this morning. He'll likely be gone for a few days."

Thinking aloud, you remark, "Nobori's room doesn't look anywhere near as large as Kudari's."

Colress sighs before offering a reason for the difference, "Only if there is someone to watch Kudari, does he ever leave his room. This wasn't always the case, but it is now. We have expanded it over the years with his ever increasing time spent in it, so he'll have plenty of space to move around. Nobori, on the other hand, is free to leave his room whenever he pleases." Now standing beside the aforementioned room, Colress expands on his statement, "He and Kudari used to share a room when they were growing up, but needed to be separated during their teenage years. Turns out, a Galvantula hybrid is just as territorial as its full Pokemon counterpart. I had to break up a fight between them, though I can't remember what it was about exactly. Probably something stupid. By the time I got there, Nobori had defended himself from Kudari's assault. Gave him a nasty burn, but nothing to leave any scars. Of course Kudari still wasn't letting up, so I had to… persuade him to stand down. Anyway, Nobori was pretty shaken up, so we moved him into his own space. He hasn't expressed a need or desire for anything larger, so that's where he remains to this day." Colress continues his journey and you follow.

You couldn't get a read on whether or not Colress found these specifics bothersome, or if he didn't really care. Being stuck in the same room all day must be hell, even if there's plenty of space to move around. Especially if you don't know when, or if, you're getting out. Conversely, staying in the same room for years on end without any change or room to grow, would also be frustrating. It seems like a terrible situation for both of the hybrids.

Arriving again at the elevator, Colress puts his tablet in his coat and announces, "Alright, that should be a good enough explanation." He eyes you up and down, before opining, "Many of the assistants who work here are lazy, and think they're too good to do menial work. They like to leave it all for someone else. Unfortunately for you, it's likely going to become your responsibility to clean up after them. Whereas they can argue that they're too busy helping with various experimentation, you cannot. So, for today, the simple job I have for you is… laundry. The unlaundered towels in the wash room are likely starting to pile up. Just clean and dry those and you're free for the weekend. For this task, I don't mind if you use your phone while you wait for them to finish, but don't make it a habit." Colress presses the button and enters the elevator. "Have a good weekend, (Y/N). I'll meet you on the first floor at 6 a.m. on Monday." The door closes and he's gone.

Colress hadn't given you a chance to say goodbye. Perhaps there is something important he has to do. You turn from the door and start walking to where he told you the wash room was. Luckily it wasn't by Kudari's place so you didn't have to sneak around. This door doesn't require a name badge to be scanned to open it, so after testing the knob to make sure it is unlocked, you go in. To your left you see the washing machine and dryer. Right next to them is an overflowing hamper filled with towels.

He wasn't lying when he said it would be a simple task. This would likely only take around four loads, depending on how much you wanted to shove into each one. The appliances looked like they were state-of-the-art, but you decided not to put too much in. You dreaded to think of Colress' reaction if you broke one of them. Hopefully this would not take too long. After putting the first load into the washer, you get on your phone and begin to browse the Internet. Perhaps when Nobori returns you could get his number. Just to chat every now and then. You guys were basically friends now, so it wouldn't be weird if you were in contact regularly. You would just have to keep it from Colress… and convince Nobori not to tell him as well.

Thinking of what you were going to do after this, you cannot help but marvel at the fact you have a weekend off. You haven't been off for a Saturday and Sunday together since you were in school. In your world, there would have been plenty to do, but here, you had yet to leave Plasma headquarters. No one told you that you couldn't, but if anyone found out that you weren't from this world, there might be panic. Then again, who the hell would believe you? This was another justification for getting Nobori's number. It would give you something to do. Maybe even hang out every now and then. Even if your relationship would only stay platonic. Not that you wanted more than friendship. Of course not. But he and Colress were the only two people you were properly acquainted with. And you certainly didn't want to hang out with Colress outside of work. Getting to know him personally would likely cause what charisma he was able to muster go right out the window. How hard to handle would he be if that were to happen? It wasn't worth it. Assuming of course Colress would even want to hang out with you anyway. He'd probably mention how it wouldn't be appropriate for someone of his stature to mingle with the commoners such as yourself. You were rolling your eyes at the thought.

As the towels finished drying, they were folded and put away in the cabinet. Having completed your task for the day, you return the detergent to its designated spot. Stepping out of the room, you decide to take a peak at the Pokemon again. Approaching the kennel closest to you, the first Pokemon you see are Joltik. For whatever reason, Team Plasma seem to have a bunch of them. They were held behind glass so they wouldn't have any bars to squeeze through. Though they were spiders, you didn't feel any fear of them. Their little bodies were covered in fluff, giving them the appearance more of hamsters than spiders. Having only four legs instead of eight also helped. In the next cage was a Litwick, giving off a soft, blue glow. This was the pre evolution of what Nobori is. You wondered if seeing it in a cage might bother him, or if he felt any kinship for Litwick at all. Moving further, there was a Galvantula nestled on a web in another glass case. Kudari's species. It was much creepier than the Joltik. It still only had four legs but they were much more pronounced, and you take note of the strange… arm-like appendages it has in the front. Taking out your phone, you decide to look it up. 'Pedipalps', they are called. Okay, that's enough Pokemon for one day. You decide potentially seeing more spiders isn't worth it. The time had come to head upstairs and call it a day. If Colress finds you hanging out here for no reason, he'll likely have something snarky to say. You head straight to the first floor to stash your lab coat in your locker and return to your room.

---

You were able to get plenty of rest on your time off. In fact, you spent most of it in bed watching the different shows that Unova had to offer. At one point on Saturday, you had ventured to the cafeteria and ran into Frank. He wasn't happy to see you and was actively trying to dodge your questions, but when you asked if he could send someone through the Ultra Wormhole to retrieve your video games because you were going crazy, he reluctantly agreed. Only on the condition you leave him alone from then on. Eagerly accepting his terms, you were presented with your systems and games on Sunday. You were able to play a decent amount, but even though Unova had Nintendo Switch, it didn't seem like you could use the online features on your current system. You might have to invest in another one from this world.

Getting out of bed, you do your usual routine to get ready. Remembering what Colress had said, you go to the first laboratory floor to meet him. When the elevator doors open, his back is facing you. Walking up to his right side, he looks in your direction.

"(Y/N), I'm glad you're still able to get here on time." He turns so his body is facing you. "Sometimes when our assistants get the whole weekend off, they tend to overdo it and arrive late to their following shift. Though I imagine you don't have anyone to go drinking with." He accentuated his last statement by nodding his head.

"Nope, absolutely no one." You say with a slight lilt to your voice. Getting upset this early would likely set the rest of your day on a downward spiral, so you let his comment slide off of you.

"Ha ha, of course." He seems to genuinely find your confession humorous and smiles widely. "Now then, I've retrieved your lab coat for you. Today I want you to keep an eye on the reception area. The grunt we usually have working here is currently indisposed, so we have one of our other assistants taking his place. I need you to step in for them so they can get back to the researcher they were helping before being pulled here."

"Okay. I've never done it before. Is there any training I have to do?" You ask the question to make sure there isn't any unknown element that may arise as you're working, while expecting a brash response. And you aren't disappointed.

"It's really simple… just make sure everyone that goes through this door"— he gestures towards the door and raises his eyebrows— "has a name badge. You shouldn't have trouble with that."

"Yes sir." You acknowledge. Colress gives you another smile and nod before heading through the door. This day was going to drag on and on. You must have really pissed him off with the comment about being the hybrid's DNA donor. Why else would he be asking you to do something so boring? Wondering how you were going to get through the day, you notice that just under the desk was a makeshift shelf hidden from view. The grunt that usually works here must have installed it expressly for the purpose of hiding a phone or tablet. You would have to remember to buy him lunch sometime to show your gratitude.

A few hours passed of researchers and assistants coming through. Some of them would offer greetings, others would just walk by. While you are stealthily playing on your phone, it begins to ring. The caller ID says 'unknown'. This is the first time anyone has called the phone you have from this world. Hesitantly, you answer it, "Hello?"

"(Y/N)! It's Colress. I need you to head down to the second floor. There's quite a mess in the autopsy room. Leave the reception area for now. It shouldn't cause any issues."

"Autopsy room?" You say with confusion, as your stomach falls.

"Yes, I forgot. We were interrupted on that day we were going over the second floor. To get there, after exiting the elevator, don't turn left down the hallway. Head forward halfway down and there will be a door to your left. That's the autopsy room." Colress didn't give you time to say anything else. "Remember when I said the assistants were lazy? Well, someone dropped one of the specimens meant for practice dissection. There's a small pool of embalming fluid splattered on the floor. Stop by the supply closet for a mop to clean this mess." He abruptly ends the call.

Sighing, you leave the desk and make your way downstairs and to the supply closet. There's a section specifically for cleaning supplies. Grabbing a mop and bucket, you wheel it over to a small drain in the corner. A faucet is there, which you use to fill the bucket. Adding a cleaning agent, you place the mop inside and begin to wheel it to where Colress had directed you to go. Entering the room, you see a glass partition separating half of the room from the next. You could clearly see the autopsy table on the other side. This area must be used as a type of learning aid so the assistants can watch how to dissect things before trying themselves. Opening the door to the actual autopsy room, you start mopping. There's a sense of relief in not having to pick up the corpse of the Pokemon. It only takes a few minutes to clean, so after placing the mop back in the bucket, you leave the room. Colress nearly bumps into you on the other side.

"Sorry! Didn't mean to almost run into you." The words quickly leave your mouth.

Colress shakes his head. "No worries. I'm glad you work with a sense of urgency. Now that the spill is taken care of—" The lights go out, bringing Colress to halt. You can hear the constant whirr of the laboratory shut down. "What the hell? Why aren't the back up generators kicking in?" Colress sounds a bit panicked. "…Something's wrong. I have a feeling this isn't a random occurence." His tablet screen is illuminating his face, giving his glasses a strange sheen. Addressing you, he demands, "Go to the generator room and head upstairs to the first floor. That's where everyone is to meet. Don't dawdle. I need to go to the third floor and check on Kudari. If he somehow got out of his room, there could be trouble. It'd be best if you were quick."

Nodding, you respond, "Of course. I'll head there now." Reaching into your pocket, you pull out your phone and turn on its flashlight. Colress sprints in the direction of the generator room. When you get there, you see his head disappearing down the stairwell. Something gives you pause. Stepping back, you return to the hallway.

[imagines-all-day-everyday]

Robb Stark being protective would include...

first of all, this man is one of the most loyal men in all of Westeros

like, if you are his blood this man would literally walk to the ends of the earth to protect and defend you

robb also believes that sometimes the phrase 'blood is thicker than water' doesn't necessarily always apply

like if you are loyal to him and have been there for him as a friend or confidant, you best believe this man is going to die trying to protect you, even if it's against a member of his family

but now let's talk about protective robb with someone he was in love with because... wow

if you thought he was protective over his family, friends and people of Winterfell....

.......just wait until this man is in love

it would probably first only manifest in small, subtle ways if you weren't together yet

only little things that his family members would pick up on

like when he would try to inquire about what you've been doing

or whenever you would go to walk home at night Robb would conveniently be right beside you to offer to walk you home

because who knows who or what is wondering around in the dark?

catelyn would raise her eyebrows at and jon would try and hide his amusement

that would send arya and sansa into little giggling fits

luckily you would be blissfully unaware, just grateful for Robb's kindness

overtime it would escalate

you'd keep spotting Greywind prowling around you wherever you went

it was getting to the point that you were wondering if he was following you intentionally

there was one incident when you were walking home at night and robb was away on a hunting expedition and a group of men approached you

and Greywind appeared out of no where to bite the hand off the leader before he could rip your dress

robb literally having to hold himself back from destroying his room when he found out

when you told robb what had happened and had identified the men involved, they were never seen again

you didn't ask questions

whenever there was a feast at Winterfell, Robb's eyes would always find your figure, making sure that you were safe and having fun

and if there was dancing? well you best believe that Robb would always happen to be near you to offer to be your partner, only to be polite (of course)

you always wondering why no one else would ever ask you to dance, until one day you turn around just in time to see Robb starring literal daggers at one of his men about to approach you

at first you're upset, thinking that Robb doesn't see you as good enough for any of his men

"is it my status? my looks? what have I done for you to deem me so unworthy that you will not even let your men touch me?"

"unworthy? my men are the fucking unworthy ones. they're lucky they are even allowed to look at you."

a look of pure confusion would cross your face - you were always a bit slow when it came to romance

Robb would just chuckle and shake his head, "honestly love is it not obvious? I've been in love with you since the moment I fucking met you."

once you're together, oh boy

because while he was protective before, you're his now. Not in a controlling or possessive way but in a 'this is my wife and I would die a thousand times over if it means she lives' kind of way

all of winterfell knowing that you're a protected species

a diamond to be handled with the utmost care

Greywind becoming like your second shadow

which you don't mind but sometimes all you want is some peace and quiet and to be left alone

Robb knowing you can handle yourself but struggling to give you space because he knows how fucked up Westeros can be

because he has seen horrors that he prays you will never have to witness in your lifetime

trusting you completely, but the issue is he trusts no one else (apart from his family)

him having to learn to back off - slightly

always making sure he's standing between you and a doorway just incase soldiers come barging in

a hand always touching you whenever you're within arms reach

whenever he has to go away to fight it's always an internal struggle if he should bring you with him or leave you at home

because he doesn't want to drag you towards a war, but what happens if he leaves you at winterfell and isn't there to protect you?

defending you when catelyn makes some sort of insulting remark or comment

jon becoming just as protective of you because you're his brother's soulmate and robb has always been so good to him

which is really sweet but now you have Greywind and Ghost following after you all the time

which is really unnerving for some people

"do not worry about them, they do not bite.... much"

his enemies trying to get to you to get to Robb

the closest they ever got was an assassin trying to take you out on your morning ride

robb was usually not a cruel man but the rumours of what he had done to that assassin spread like wildfire around westeros

it became legend, myth, shrouded in fear and awe

very soon not even the most infamous and fearless assassins would dare go near you, much to cersei and tywin's frustration

not even littlefinger wanted to touch you

"I am afraid even I am not game enough to conjure up a plan to ruin this one, your grace."

oh and you know tyrion would be dying to meet you - the woman that turned the naive and probably too trusting Stark boy into a protective, ruthless leader. the woman who's sparked the fear in the hearts of the most soulless cunts in westeros? yeah he was a big fan

you being the only one who can calm robb down when he gets upset or enraged when someone tries to hurt you

sometimes you don't because sex with robb in protective mode is next level

always holding hands

forehead kisses

like, so so so many forehead kisses

if you were pregnant he would literally never stop touching your belly

he can be a little overbearing sometimes, but it makes you love him more for it

because you know that this man literally worships you and just wants to keep you safe

he tries his hardest to give you independence because at the end of the day he knows you are the strongest person he has ever met and can hold your own

this man would literally die a thousand deaths to keep you out of harms way because god damn it the villains of westeros have already taken away his father and he will be damned if they take you too