#not counting the characters i outright name dropped

[just-someone-online]

Ok, so I know G2 is generally looked down upon but I didn't think it was that bad, especially Adventures of the Ghoul Squad. I was... well, upset isn't the right word, to find that there was only the one set of episodes, so I decided to come up with a few of my own.

Also because I've hit a road block in the outline for my crossover fic.

Parent Trap - After realizing that Dracula might like Clawdeen's mom, Drac and Clawdeen try playing matchmaker for their parents. Meanwhile, the rest of the Ghoul Squad investigate a radio host who gives love advice to humans and monsters alike.

The New Ghoul Squad - When the Ghoul Squad all fall ill, Fangelica and Alivia take it upon themselves to track down the latest lost monster, but the duo quickly realize that the fiery new monster might be a little more than they can handle.

Night of the Unliving - A mission to find another lost monster brings the squad to an abandoned cemetery. What seems like a quick in and out job turns into a horror movie when dozens of zombies begin crawling out of the woodwork.

The Ferry Ghoul - After hearing rumors of a cloaked, scythe wielding phantom leading boats away from their doom, the Ghoul Squad decide to investigate. Meanwhile, the students of Monster High are finding unlife difficult after a dense fog falls around the area.

Caught in a Web - The Ghoul Squad investigate an abandoned warehouse to find another lost monster, but they quickly find that she isn't too keen on having new monsters in her den.

The Curious Case of Jekyll and Hyde - Clawdeen and Cleo head into a human town to track down their latest monster, but it seems that whenever they get close to him, they run into a human named Jackson Jekyll instead.

In With the Old - The Ghoul Squad meet Elle Eedee, a simulacrum living in the subways of New York. But before they can leave, Elle shows them Robecca, an old and damaged simulacrum she has been trying to repair. Frankie's skills put to the test when she volunteers to fix Robecca.

The New Moanica - After being away doing cool ghoul shit during the original set of episodes, Moanica D'Kay returns to Monster High, apparently having turned over a new leaf. The Ghoul Squad are understandably suspicious, but ever the optimist, Draculaura decides to give her a chance. Has Moanica really changed or is it all a façade?

The Rumor Mill - When nasty rumors about 'Tash' begin spreading online, Ari and the Ghoul Squad turn to the biggest gossip spreader she knows to track down the person responsible.

Fearsome Fearbook - Alivia decides to create Monster High's first fearbook. But when Toralei volunteers to help her get pictures, the werecat begins snapping as many embarrassing moments as she can.

AotGS: Howl-oween Edition - After observing the humans for class, Clawdeen discovers Halloween and convinces everybody to get into the spirit of the holiday.

[yuujispinkhair]

Hello Winter!! Love you and your writing! Here’s a thirst for you on thirsty Thursday: beautiful strong man Kuna comes home after a long day of dealing with his twin Yuji and he just wants to relax but you’re just overly excited and just keep talking and talking and he doesn’t have the heart to tell you to shut up so he just kisses you and tells you to drop to your knees so he can get his annoyance out and then he’ll listen to your sweet voice once he’s done.

Don’t KNOW WHERE THIS CAME FROM BUT NEED SUKUNA TO JUST SHUT ME UP 🥴

Aww that's so sweet of you!! I am sending you lots of love!! 💗💗 And omggg I love that thirst!!! Thank you for sharing it with me! I need him to shut me up like that, too 💗💗 I had to write a little drabble because this was too delicious ;)

Pairing: Sukuna x Reader (female) Genre: smut + fluff Word Count: 600 Warnings: 18+, smut, oral (Sukuna + Reader receiving). All characters are of age. Divider by @/benkeibear

Sukuna is a gentleman when it comes to you. He is much softer with you than he ever thought he could be. So, no, Sukuna chooses not to outright tell you to shut up. But he still knows exactly what to do to get what he wants.

Large, strong hands land on your waist and pull you onto Sukuna's lap,

"Come here, princess."

That sexy grin is on his face as he leans closer. And then his lips are on yours, moving slowly but firmly against yours while his muscular arms wrap around your body and keep you in place.

Sukuna smiles into the kiss when he feels you practically melt against him, sighing so sweetly when his tongue pushes between your lips and licks teasingly into your mouth. He knows how to kiss you right, knows exactly what to do to make you shut up.

Soon, your fingers are dancing over his undercut and running through his pink hair as you lick eagerly against his tongue, opening your sweet mouth even further for him, letting him kiss you deep and slow just like you love it.

Sukuna kisses you until you are all putty in his strong hands, moaning softly into his mouth and tugging on his hair while unconsciously grinding against the growing bulge in Sukuna's pants.

You groan when he pulls away from the kiss with one last teasing flick of his tongue. But Sukuna puts a long finger on your lips before you can complain, maroon eyes looking deeply into yours, lips lifted in an amused smirk,

"You'll get more kisses, I promise. But first, I want you to get on your knees and make out with my cock just like you made out with my tongue right now."

His cock twitches when you slip off his lap and push his muscular thighs apart to kneel between them. Yes, this is what he needs after a day like that: Your sweet lips wrapped around his cock, the only noises you make loud slurps and cute moans, your spit drooling all over his hard length, your velvety tongue tracing every throbbing vein on his dick, your soft lips making out with his swollen tip until loud groans fall from his lips and he feels his balls tightening.

Sukuna pushes your head down onto his twitching cock, soft praise falling from his lips as he busts his whole milky load into your mouth, giving you a copious amount of cum to swallow before you can talk again.

He feels so much lighter afterward, sighing contentedly as his spent cock slips out of your mouth. A smile spreads over his tattooed face as you lift your head and lick your swollen lips, getting every last drop of his cum, like the good girl that you are. Just like Sukuna makes sure to get every last drop of your cum when he pulls you back on the couch and eats your sweet pussy until you cream on his tongue and squeal his name.

It's the first thing you say since the moment he effectively shut you up with his kisses.

But now everything is perfect again. The stress has left Sukuna's body, his mind is clear again, and the headache that was threatening to take over is gone. And you look happy, too, as Sukuna pulls you into his arms, wrapping them around you and pulling you against his body so the two of you are cuddled up tightly on the couch, legs intertwined and the whole length of your bodies touching.

Sukuna presses a tender kiss to your forehead and finally asks,

"So, how was your day, princess? Tell me everything."

[gay-jesus-probably]

Seeing as the Gerudo turned on Ganon, he might not have been that much better of a ruler.

First of all, we literally have no idea, because the only ancient Gerudo that we actually get to interact with is Ganondorf himself, and he has nothing to say about his own people. The ancient Gerudo sage doesn't count btw, she doesn't have a name, we never even see her face, and she has literally nothing to say except repeating the exact same dialogue as the sages for the other races. The narrative does not treat the ancient sages as people; they are four completely interchangable weapons that are owned by the royal family.

And secondly, I don't care how Ganon ruled them; the Gerudo only get one man every century, if their king sucks, they've obviously got their own system of government to fall back on. I have no idea what kind of authority the sages had among their own people, but honestly I'd say if the four of them were in charge of their respective people, then they were just puppet rulers appointed by Rauru, given that all four of them happily agreed that to sell their entire race into servitude the second Zelda asked them. Say what you will about Ganondorf, but I fucking know that if he was told the Gerudo people existed for the sole purpose of serving the glory of Hyrule, he'd drop kick Zelda into the fucking sun.

And don't get me started on the implications of the cultural differences we see between the independent Gerudo and the annexed Gerudo. The background Gerudo characters all have their own models, and we can clearly see that the ones siding with Ganon have their own unique looks - for example, the amazing lady with the mohawk that summons the molduga swarm in that one flashback. And men are never mentioned in these flashbacks at all, which implies that the Gerudo genuinely didn't care about settling down. Ganon even speaks derisively about marriage, implying that it's very rare for Gerudo women to make serious romantic commitments with men. It implies that their culture is more along the same line as their portrayal in OOT - they are a closed culture. Men trying to force their way into their areas are arrested, and mocked for being entitled dumbasses. Outsiders are only welcome if they can prove that they respect the Gerudo as people, and aren't just there to try and pick up chicks. It's never outright said, but OOT also makes it pretty clear that the Gerudo women just aren't interested in marrying outsiders - close relationships occur with other Gerudo, Hylian men are only considered useful for making babies.

Meanwhile the Gerudo we see serving Hyrule are all trying to measure up to Hylian beauty standards, and appeal to their men. Their one goal in life is to meet a man and get married. Men are welcome in their lands, and only kept out of the town itself... and even then, there's a small army of guys trying to force their way into the town anyways, which is brushed off as just haha, boys will be boys. No men allowed isn't even about independence, it's just a silly romantic tradition.

Of course this is just a fictional culture in a game world, but it's still really fucking uncomfortable that the 'evil' Gerudo are the ones that have independence, both politically and socially, and display a unique culture that refuses to tolerate disrespect from outsiders. Meanwhile the 'good' Gerudo are the ones that canonically exist to serve a kingdom where 95% of the population is light skinned (even setting aside the unfortunate implications, just saying one race exists to serve a different one is super fucked up), they have classes on how to be more appealing to Hylian's, and their entire social structure is built around finding a Hylian man to marry, making them all inherently dependent on the goodwill of outsiders. Even their biggest value of 'women only' is treated as a joke; men trying to trespass in BOTW are just shoved back out the door, letting them keep trying all day if they want. The crowds of men plotting to force their way in are laughed off as a joke. Nobody cares that there's a guy running laps around their city walls and trying to trick women into being alone with him. I mean for fucks sake, in TOTK we find that the creepy guy trying to lure women away has taken advantage of a massive disaster to get into the town, and he's still there once things return to normal. You can't kick him out, or alert anyone to his presence. And the Gerudo just tolerate Hylians blatantly ignoring their boundaries. For fucks sake, TOTK even reveals that the seven legendary heroines they've been revering the whole time were actually completely useless and unable to achieve anything... because they needed the eighth hero, a Hylian man to teach them basic tactics and do all the heavy lifting.

TOTK does not respect the Gerudo people in the slightest. It doesn't respect anyone who isn't Hylian or Zonai.

...This got a little off track, but the point I'm trying to make is, no, I don't consider the Gerudo turning on Ganon to mean anything. The entire game does not feel like the real story of what happened, it feels like the propaganda version of history meant to make Hyrule look as good as possible. I genuinely cannot believe that we're being told the real story about the Imprisoning War, because none of it feels real, and we don't get to know any details that might have made Hyrule look even slightly imperfect. We're told that Ganondorf is evil because he hates Hyrule, and he hates Hyrule because he's evil. The Gerudo people followed Ganondorf and saw him as a hero of their people, then suddenly he was their worst enemy. Hyrule is a perfect kingdom that has strong, equal alliances with the other races, but also all of the non-Hylian races exist for the sole purpose of serving Hyrule, and their leaders are expected to swear eternal loyalty and submission to the Hylian royal family. King Rauru and Queen Sonia united all of the races in peace and equality, which is why they're sitting on the world's supply of magical nuclear missiles, and every member of the Hylian royal family is allowed to walk around wearing them as cute accessories, but everyone else only gets them at the last second, and they all need to outright swear to only use that power to benefit Rauru and his descendants.

There's just so many fucked up contradictions, and so many hints of something more nuanced going on... but the story refuses to acknowledge any of it, and just keeps aggressively pushing the narrative that Hyrule is the ultimate good and couldn't possibly do anything wrong. I don't even believe that Ganon was a bad king honestly; we never hear why his people stopped following him. We also never even see if the Gerudo people turned on him at all; all we know is the ancient Gerudo sage wanted him dead, and given that she also happily sold her people into slavery, she's not exactly the most trustworthy source of information. All we know is that Ganondorf was a hero to his people, only one of his citizens is ever shown having an issue with him (and her motives are never explained), and then he lost the war and was sealed away, leaving his people open to be conquered by Zelda and annexed into Hyrule. By the time we see any Gerudo actually opposing Ganon (apart from the ancient sage), it's been ten thousand years since the war, and all anyone knows is the Hylian version of the story.

[natureboy96]

In Support of Tamlin - characters who have done terrible things and been redeemed

Here we go with another one :p I think that Tamlin has done things that are unforgivable, mostly his abusive treatment towards Feyre. I don't think this one terrible thing makes him irredeemable, and has made effort to be better than he was at his worst, and I do dislike the thought of people/characters being judged solely by their worst actions without a chance to be better. So, in support of the idea that Tamlin deserves a redemption arc for his good deeds after his bad ones, I want to start compiling a list of characters who, like Tamlin, have done terrible things and still found a way to be better, if not good outright. And of course, SPOILERS FOR THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERS/STORIES

Feel free to add your own in response, in the comments or in reblogs!

Zuko, from Avatar: the Last Airbender - his actions: lead a chase to kidnap the avatar, physically fighting and hurting the main cast, burning a village down, threatening violence on citizens, stealing goods and food from citizens, helping overthrow an entire kingdom, betraying his Uncle who only wanted him to be the best he could be. His redemption: trains Aang to fight and defeat his abusive father, thus saving the nation he helped conquer and the world at large while helping the individual members of the main cast with personal problems, apologizes to his Uncle.

Loki, from the MCU - his actions: acts of terrorism, murder and betrayal of his family, mind controlling people to do evil against their will, multiple attempts at murdering his brother. His redemption: After the death of his mother, Loki works with Thor to avenge her death and later unite against world ending threats multiple times

Filip Nagata, from The Expanse: His actions: the son of a megalomaniac, he commits multiple murders in the name of his father and is in part responsible for dropping asteroids on earth, killing millions of people in the event and aftermath. He kidnaps his mother and physically strikes her, at his father's encouragement. His redemption: this one is ongoing, last we see. After his mother's words while she was held prisoner make him realize how much pain he inflicted, he leaves his father's ship, changes his last name to his mother's and spends the rest of his life trying to do good, knowing it won't ever make up for the harm he was a part of causing. not sure if it counts as redemption fully, but it's an attempt to do better with the life his mother helped save.

The Beast, from Beauty and the Beast: His actions: He was a cruel and selfish youth, turned away old ladies into the cold, raged and berated his servants, imprisons Belle's father then takes her prisoner in exchange, intimidates and frightens Belle with his rage, threats and destruction of property. His redemption: saves Belle from a pack of wolves, learns to be considerate of her needs and interests and how to be kind, releases her from his captivity when he realizes he has feelings for her and she needs to rescue her father

Baptiste, from Overwatch: His actions: working with an infamous mercenary which was responsible for several high profile assassinations and civilian casualties. His redemption: Leaving said mercenary group and trying to use his healing knowledge to help where he can.

Luke Castellan, from Percy Jackson Series: His actions: looking for revenge against his father, he works with the evil titan Kronos to try and overthrow the gods, rallying armies of monstrous creatures, stealing from the gods and attempting murder on his friends multiple times, nearly bringing about the end of the world. His redemption: after attempting to flee and abandon Kronos' army when it became too much for him, he ultimately stops the titan from being fully reborn by sacrificing himself, dispersing the titan's essence so he could never (hopefully) reform and be a threat again.

Alexis Rose, from Schitt's Creek: Her actions: She acts selfishly in regards to her needs/wants, lies to Ted about wanting to marry him to avoid difficult conversations and sleeps with Mutt while they were engages. Her redemption: Alexis learns to become a better, well rounded person, recognizes her mistakes and takes ownership for them by apologizing, And becomes a person willing to put another person's happiness and needs above her own, even if it means losing someone she loves.

Michael, from The Good Place: His actions: as a literal demon, he's spent innumerable years torturing humans in the afterlife, making it his goal to create new and innovative methods of torture when he creates the false Good Place. His redemption: after being forced to ally with the humans he had planned on torturing to save himself, he comes to understand human morality and becomes a deeply moral person himself, at points willing to sacrifice himself to save the humans he'd initially intended to torture and working to make the afterlife a better place for all humanity.

Ebenezer Scrooge, from A Christmas Carol: His actions: Aside from being personally stingy with his money, he is cruel to everyone he interacts with, including his employee and his nephew, giving the former barely enough to support his large family despite the work he does. His redemption: after seeing where his life went wrong, so to speak, and how his actions impact his present and his future, he decides to become kinder and more generous with his money and affection, making sure Tiny Tim receives the care needed so he lives to grow up.

[skellymom]

"Vagabonds" Chapter 24 & 25

"SEPARATION" & "THE NIGHTMARE"

Ongoing fanfic Hunter x Reader/Fem Reader/OC

Hunter meets a smuggler Nomaadi Star Woman with a powerful force sensitive teen who changes the trajectory of CF-99's lives...as they ALL try to escape from The Empire together.

To read Chapter 23 - "RETREAT"

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/763930279133970432/vagabonds-chapter-23?source=share

Word Count: 3.9K (Sorry so long. Wasn't sure WHERE to end this chapter, so I posted TWO CHAPTERS! I am hoping to wrap this series up by the end of this year!!!)

Background: What plans do The Empire have with LOVE? We meet several more NEW supporting characters. And Hunter has a helluva nightmare!

For anyone new to this series: "LOVE" is the nonbinary/genderfluid neurodivergent/nonverbal Force sensitive kid of the main OC of this series named Mad. Mad is an older single mother, close to almost 50 years of age (not many older female protaganists in stories, so I decided to make one.)

Warning: SW Canon violence, some blood, swearing, angst.

(Credit: Cool dividers by @4ngelic-Wh1spers, @plum98 @strangergraphics-archive Pinterest: Bad l3atch, f/StarWarsJediSurvivor)

He stunned the little shit, but REALLY wanted to kill her outright.  He HATED this dog with every fiber of his being. 

CX swore as he carefully pulled off his ruined faceplate.  Blood poured from the toothmarks and sharp edges of the destroyed plastoid.  Then dropped it to the floor. 

An animal of that size SHOULD’NT be able to bite through his armor.  And she SOMEHOW managed to hide or cloak herself within the confines of his ship easily.  Her mastery of stealth, ferocity of attack, along with her bite strength might be beneficial to breed into a new class of working dogs for the Empire.  Dr Hemlock might be pleased to have such a specimen to experiment with. 

And, if the doctor didn’t feel the need to use her, he could destroy her himself. 

CX applied pressure to the facial wounds with his bacta bandaged left hand that had been mauled.  He hailed his contact with his still intact right hand. 

Governor Tarkin’s likeness popped up on holocomm. 

“Did you capture the Force sensitive?” Tarkin sniffed. 

“Yes.  Aboard my ship and restrained successfully.  We are enroute.”  

“Good.  With this asset our timetable for PROJECT STARDUST is AHEAD of schedule.” Tarkin seemed pleased.  “We will expect your arrival within one standard rotation.” 

The Governer's image immediately disappeared. 

CX would contact Dr Hemlock about the dog later.   

LOVE awoke both hands tethered together and a collar around their neck.  They cautiously glanced up where they lay on the floor. 

Tiggy lay prone and unconscious nearby.  One of her back legs dangled at an odd angle.  Clearly, she was injured.  LOVE reached out to her with the Force. 

Nothing. 

LOVE was unable to feel...anything.  They couldn’t levitate, either.  And, unable to Force Manipulate physical objects. 

The fisticuffs binding their hands, looked different from anything LOVE had seen before.   

The CX Trooper in the pilot’s seat faced away from love, busily dabbing bacta on his facial wounds. 

“You can TRY.  The restraints were specifically designed for a Force Sensitive such as yourself.” 

He didn’t glance up from his wound care. 

LOVE reached out again. 

NOTHING.  No Force powers at all. 

However, LOVE could still physically move their body. 

CX swung around in his chair.  He raised his left hand and motioned to his face. 

“Your...pet is responsible for this!” 

LOVE’s eyes widened with the realization Tiggy was the culprit...smiling deviously at the Trooper. 

He snarled back at LOVE and swung his chair back around to face the pilot’s console. 

“You think this is a JOKE?  If you resist in ANY way or refuse to do what I say, I will shoot your pet dead and blow her body out the airlock.” 

He calmly fitted a new glove carefully over his bandaged hand. 

LOVE laid their head down on the metal floor and whimpered pathetically. 

It was quite the vision: Taavi’s Bar’ge Fix ‘N Go was an immense, rough looking, refurbished old barge freighter, including a multitude of modifications lit with neon.  Blocking out the stars as it slowly sailed past.  According to Sil, it served as a docking station, mechanical repair, hotel, cafeteria, bar... 

...and an illegal and VERY secretive “treat and street it” clinic. 

Uncle Taavi always came up with several streams of income.  His major one being a repair service for ships, droids, devices, and prosthetics.  He also rescued feral Tooka cats, spayed, neutered, providing them medical treatment and care.  

Taavi NEVER stopped fixing things.  Fixing things was HIS LIFE. 

The Marauder was able to pull the still barely operational Beldame from the hyperspace lane, then detach from its top.  Echo and Wrecker piloted the Havoc Marauder while Hunter and Sil slowly followed behind piloting the Dread Beldame.  Tech and Omega sat with Mad on the ‘Dame making sure she stayed medically stable.  Omega also kept her eyes glued on Hunter.  He INSISTED on helping pilot the Beldame...knife STILL buried in his thigh.  She twirled her fingers in Mad’s long mohawk tail with one hand and held Mad’s hand with the other. 

Omega ALSO worried about LOVE and Tiggy while listening to Mad’s ragged breaths. 

Mad didn’t know LOVE and Tig wasn’t with them.  She anticipated the fear and heartbreak a mother would experience when she found out... 

Tech did his best to TRY and distract her by infodumping...to no avail. 

With help of the Bar’ge ‘N Go’s tractor beam, it pulled in the hulking mass of the Dread Beldame into the landing bay of the barge.  The Batch marveled at the repair bay.  Taavi seemed to have EVERYTHING to fix ANY kind of ship, arranged neatly and cleanly.  True the equipment was much older but well-made and maintained expertly.  Odd looking, refurbished droids zoomed and whizzed back and forth inside it’s mechanical bay. 

After both ships landed.  Their respective crews emerged...to greet the man who owned this establishment: Mad’s Uncle Taavi. 

He was as tall as Echo with shaggy black hair, dark skinned, his face heavily tattooed with symbols and designs.  His eyes, pitch-black silver speckled irises, indicative of the OLD Nomaadi.  A subset of their people older than time...before the Long Purge of their numbers....and one of the reasons the Nomaadi were referred to as “The Star People.”  His patchworked but well-fitting clothing indicative of a Nomaadi with deep family ties...the pieces of snipped fabric from family and friends sewn as embellishment on his clothing.  A tapestry of memories and strength of family ties to accompany him on his Long Road: The Journey of Life.  Heavy and well-worn work boots completed the outfit. 

A small statured...child?  Walked next to Taavi with the confidence of an adult.  Her unmelanted hair braided into many long, tiny braids that trailed past her shoulders.  Her eyes: Either blue or ultraviolet, depending on the light.  Blue veins occasionally showing through her pale albino skin.   

Finally, a standard Astromech adorned in rose gold detailing, a yellow light on her dome.  She was a spiffy droid to behold.  Of course...she knew it...  Behind the astromech followed several tiny droids, and two Tooka kittens chasing after them. 

Taavi stopped.  His eyes wide in surprise. 

“Sil?  As I breathe the stale recirculated shitty air of this ship...never thought I’d see ya AGAIN!!!” 

He grabbed Sil up and hugged the teen.  Sil hugged Taavi back. 

When Taavi let go, he wiped a tear from his eye.  

Sil leaned out, grabbing Thoomie and pulling her into the hug as well.  She embraced Sil.  

Then Taavi caught sight of Mad being carried in Hunter’s arms.  She was covered in dirt and crusted blood from multiple wounds.  Her breathing loud, harsh, and labored.  She was barely conscious. 

“Ohhh FORCE NOOO!  We gotta get her into the bacta tank!  COME WITH ME!!!”  Taavi didn’t ask for introductions.  He ushered them through the ship and into a secret wing that contained a large medical lab. 

Taavi motioned to Hunter “Put ‘er in there.  We’ll clean her in that tub first, then put ‘er in the tank.” 

Hunter carefully placed Mad into the stainless steel tub.  Then stood over her and stared silently.  He seemed mentally far away... 

“Uncle...” Thoomie tapped Taavi on the arm.  “I think he’s in a state of shock.” 

Taavi did a double take at Hunter, pointing “Son...ya got a knife stickin’ out of ya there...” 

Hunter calmly glanced down at the knife and back at Taavi “Yes...” 

“Thoo, take...whatshisname...” Taavi nodded to Hunter. 

“Hunter” Hunter answered. 

“Hunter and that smart lookin’ fella...” Taavi nodded at Tech. 

“I’m Tech.” Tech added smugly. 

“With Tech and that droid guy” Taavi referred to Echo. 

Echo didn’t answer, just shook his head grimacing. 

Tech answered for Echo “Uh, that is Echo.” 

“Sure.” Taavi waved them on. “Have ‘em help you prep Hunter for surgery.  Can’t be walkin’ around MY ship with a knife stickin’ outta ya like nothin’s happenin.” Taavi shook his head.  “Mad sure can pick ‘em...” 

“Come with me” Thoomie took Hunter’s hand and led him, Tech, and Echo away. 

“Sil, stay with me.  You can catch me up while we work on your Auntie.” Then Taavi addressed Wrecker.   “Eh, big guy...Help me clean up Mad so we can plop ‘er in that bacta tank.” 

“Uh...ok.” Wrecker seemed confused about what was happening. 

Taavi recognized Wrecker’s confusion.  “You wanna get free care, ya gotta pitch in and help.  Droids will finish after we start, ok?  Besides, Mad will pitch a fit if we let them droids touch her.” 

Wrecker hesitated.   

Sil nodded to him and patted his back.  “You got this Wrecker.  Uncle Taavi will walk ya through it.” 

Wrecker nodded and did as he was told. 

CHAPTER 25 - "THE NIGHTMARE"

Thoomie handed Echo a surgical gown and bag for Hunter’s clothes.  She then handed a tub of Bacta wipes to Tech.  She instructed Hunter to sit down. 

She pulled a syringe out of a drawer, then a drug bottle from a wall unit, and began drawing up a dose.  Thoomie approached Hunter. 

Echo and Tech glanced alarmingly at each other.  Tech stepped in her way “Is it standard protocol on this ship to have CHILDREN give injectable medication?” 

Thoomie laughed.  “Forgot you’re new here.  I’m NOT a child.” 

Echo and Tech glanced at each other again...now in confusion. 

“I have a rare genetic disorder that inhibits my normal growth and development.  Will FOREVER look like a preteen or teenager...for the rest of my life.” 

Both clones stared at Thoomie stunned. 

“You’re defective???” Tech blurted out. 

Thoomie winced “Er...you COULD say that.  I prefer the term different...or unique.  PLEASE step aside and let me treat your batchmates' pain.  His condition is worsening, and I need to remove that knife as soon as possible.” 

Tech stepped back. 

“How did you know we’re clones?” Echo asked as Thoomie swabbed Hunter’s arm with a bacta wipe and injected into his vein.  Hunter winced slightly and came out of his glazed state to attempt to rub the area.  Thoomie handed him a square of sterile gauze and gently placed his hand over the area like a parent would a child.  Hunter kept quiet and held pressure on the injection site. 

“The timbre of your voices.  Subtle similarities in your facial features.  Other...tells in your mannerisms.  Hard to explain.”  She tossed the syringe in a sharp's container. 

“What would you require of us to assist you in helping Hunter.” Tech spoke up. 

“I’ll let you both undress him completely, throw the clothes in the bag, then wipe him down all over.  Don’t worry about his hair.  Put the gown on with the opening in the front.  Please drape several FRESH bacta wipe over his private parts for cleanliness and discretion.  Knock on the partition when you’re done.  I can then prep him for surgical removal of that vibroknife.”   

Then she handed a pair of medical scissors to Tech.  “Imagine you will need these to get his blacks off without further injury.  We have extra clothing on board if this is his only pair of pants.  Please be quick.  Thank you.”  She promptly left the room. 

Tech pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose “The Nomaadi NEVER cease to amaze me.” 

Echo put his hand on Hunter’s shoulder to get his attention.  He could tell the pain meds were starting to to work.  “Let’s get you ready, ok?” 

Hunter nodded sleepily...as he closed his eyes...drifting into the dark... 

They had come for him and his brothers AGAIN. 

Hunter wedged himself under the small gap beneath his lower bunk, pressing his back against the wall of their barracks.  He managed to pull Crosshair halfway under.  Only little Hunter and his skinny younger brother could manage to fit. 

Crosshairs fear was palpable as he scrambled to squeeze in with Hunter.  Tech rigged the mechanics of their bunk room door so it could only open from the INSIDE.  He hid behind the already large Wrecker who stood tall and RAGEFULLY angry, fists clenched and ready for a good fight. 

They were ONLY children. 

The Kaminoan’s and their clinical assistants routinely carried out medical experiments on them.  They rebelled against the pain, shame, and inappropriately probing hands that explored their bodies. 

This was NOT the first time the Bad Batchers had resisted. 

The Kamino medical staff learned the hard way several times to bar access to ANY sharp objects or ANYTHING at all that could be used as a weapon.  This left the Batchers room barren of any toys or enrichment.  Only to be let out for training and mess hall meals.  When it was found the defective clones had smuggled in an occasional training weapon or a table utensil from the mess hall, they were routinely patted down, scanned, and accompanied by the staff themselves. 

As the Batchers anger and resentment peaked, along with their accelerated growth, strength, and strategy, fully trained teenage Reg clones were called in to perform this duty. 

Some of these Regs sustained severe injuries, thus creating MORE resentment already present among the “Defective” Clones and the Regs.  This rivalry came to a head when Hunter’s nose was broken during a particularly violent scuffle and Tech was knocked unconscious, almost compromising his advanced mental capacity.  Wrecker and Crosshair’s retaliation was immediate and SEVERE.  One of the Regs barely survived HIS injuries. 

From that time on the Kaminoan’s ONLY sent in the most hardened adult clone troopers in armor to retrieve them.  Lama Su considered “discontinuing” their squad due to the inconvenience.  But Nala Se convinced him this sharpened their skills and made them more “elite.” 

Clearly, the child Batchers were no match for these new adversaries. 

Wrecker didn’t give a damn.  As the door was finally breached and the clone troopers spilled in he rushed them.  His screams of rage sounded familiar to Hunter... 

...like an angry dog. 

Tech begged for leniency as he was dragged away, promising to be compliant from now on... 

Hunter held tight to Crosshair... 

...who was yanked from his grasp and pulled out from under the bunk. 

Hunter attempted to call out to his brother but could make NO sound. 

“OW!  LITTLE FUCKER BIT ME!!!” As Crosshair was dropped face down on the hard white glossy floor.  Blood splattered across the polished tiles from Cross’ split lip. 

Crosshair pulled his face from the floor, yelling Hunter’s name... 

...it wasn't Crosshair’s face, but Jebith Freed. 

A green armored CX trooper grabbed the boy’s leg, dragging him away while he trailed bloody purple rose petals in his wake...SCREAMING Hunter’s name over and over...as the bunk room melted into an alien forest... 

Lightning struck the ground.  Torrential rain fell in thick sheets. 

Hunter, terrified watched from under his bunk as the ground gave way swallowing both the boy and trooper up. 

The wall behind Hunter groaned, buckled...muddy water spilled through cracks.  He attempted to scrabble away, but the remaining wall of the bunk room collapsed around him.  A wave of muddy water and debris enveloped Hunter.... 

...dragging him down into the darkness... 

Hunter awoke with a START. 

"You’re safe, Hunter.  I’m here.” Omega’s voice. 

Her face came into view. 

He felt fuzzy around the edges of his consciousness.  Hunter had gotten enough injuries in the past to recognize recovery from sedated anesthesia.   

“You’re not on Kamino anymore.  We’re on a Nomaadi sanctuary barge.” 

Omega held Hunter’s hand tightly as the realization set in.   

“How...did you know?”  

“I remember EVERYTHING you ALL went through on Kamino.”  Omega’s voice trembled “Until Shaak Ti found out and intervened...instead of the Reg troopers, they began sending ME to help gain your trust.”  Her face conveyed deep sadness.  “When you all finally complied, I was not allowed around your squad...again.” 

“How come I don’t remember?” Hunter rubbed his forehead. 

“It was traumatic.  You shut it out.  The memories are still in there...they come out in your dreams.” 

“...nightmare...definitely NOT a dream.”  Hunter swallowed.  He was overcome with emotion from the effects of the anesthesia.  His eyes welled up. 

“SO glad to have you ‘Mega.  I LOVE YOU.”  He choked.  Hunter felt this MANY times but never vocalized it. 

Omega threw herself onto Hunter, hugging his neck tightly.  “I LOVE YOU TOO HUNTER!  I was so scared of losing you!!!” 

“Take the whole galaxy to hold me back from you, ‘Mega.  Sorry I had to leave you on this mission...” He hitched as he inhaled.  A tear ran down his cheek. And Hunter squeezed his eyes shut tightly.  “If I hadn’t left you behind this time, probably never see you again...” 

He opened his eyes to see Wrecker and Echo approaching his bedside.  He could see the relief in their eyes. 

But Hunter’s post anesthetic daze wasn’t done... 

“I failed...” He mumbled to them.  “Lost LOVE, and somehow Tiggy...Jebith...this kid on that planet we ran into...” 

“Hunter...” Echo squeezed Hunters shoulder reassuringly.  “You couldn’t...” 

“NO...should have had you and Wrecker along with us...” 

Wrecker looked concerned over his brother’s uncharacteristically strong emotional outburst. 

“It was HORRIBLE!  Like losing Caleb Dume all over again!!!” Hunter worked himself up.  “I FAILED CROSSHAIR TOO!  HE WAS RIGHT...I’M NOT FIT TO LEAD...”  More tears.  “...NOT FIT TO BE A BROTHER...OR A FATHER...” 

“Now, now” Echo patted Hunter’s shoulder.  His normally gruff voice softer.  “That’s SOME kind of anesthesia he comin’ out of!” 

“Perfectly normal range of surgical recovery behavior” The old Med Droid, who had been washing Hunter’s muddy hair prior to him awakening, handed a tissue to Hunter. “Deeply held thoughts and feelings do tend to surface when the patient awakens.  Wipe your eyes, friend.  We must get some sustenance into you soon.  It will help you heal” 

“Thank you, Rusty” Omega took the tissue from the droid and dabbed at Hunter’s face.  “PLEASE don’t cry Hunter.  You did what you could.” 

Hunter sniffed and steadied his breathing. 

Wrecker leaned over and carefully hugged Hunter, then kissed him on the temple.  “Hey...let the Droid finish ‘yer hair.” 

“Yeah, you look like a wet mess.” Echo joked. 

Hunter took the tissue from Omega and blew his nose. “Yeah...a total mess...”  He started to come out of the anesthesia a bit more.  “Apologies” 

“None needed.” Echo smiled. 

Omega held Hunters hand, patting it. 

Rusty conditioned and rinsed his hair again, then dried it fully.  Hunter reached up to run his fingers through his hair.  SO SOFT!   

He mildly panicked at the absence of his bandana. 

“No worries, friend.  All of your clothing has been taken to the laundry.  We will return it to you soon, clean and pressed!” 

The droid wizzed around to Hunter’s bedside.  “Don’t YOU look HANDSOME!  Now your family will take you to see your lady.” 

Hunter attempted to pull back the blankets and get off the hover stretcher.   

“NO Hunter!” Echo pushed Hunter back down on the stretcher.  “Gotta lie still, or you’ll pull out your sutures.” 

Wrecker chuckled “And you’re only wearing that blanket.  Nothin’ else.” 

“Oh!” Hunter blushed and chuckled, now in better spirits but still feeling the effects of the drugs. 

“Relax and your family will take care of the rest.” Rusty waved goodbye as Echo wheeled Hunter down the corridor.  Omega and Wrecker waved back following behind. 

They wheeled Hunter into an adjacent room containing several bacta tanks.  Sil leaned against the tank, waiting for Mad to awaken.  Omega ran to him, and they embraced each other.  Tech infodumped animatedly with a 2-1B med droid named “Bucket.”  But paused when he spotted Hunter. 

“You appear to be recovering quite well.” He smiled brightly.  “I am extremely pleased, Hunter.” 

“That’s...SO affectionate of you, Tech.” Hunter chuckled, then turned to Taavi and Thoomie. “How is Mad?  Are the babies...” 

Thoomie answered “She’s just recovering from anesthesia.  The babies are EXTREMELY healthy...and STILL growing!  Never seen anything like it!!!  I am concerned about Mad, though.  She’s been through A LOT physically.” 

“She’ll REQUIRE quite a lot of rest and nutrition.  The accelerated growth could take a negative toll on her health as the multiple fetuses she is carrying will literally leach the nutrients from her body.”  Tech added. 

“Eh, sounds like she’s got parasites.” Wrecker shivered. 

“Technically...unborn babies ARE commensal parasites” Tech adjusted his goggles. 

Echo grimaced “Pregnancy sounds...creepy...compared to clone Growth Jars.” 

“It’s beautiful.” Hunter mused, staring at the bacta tank Mad was currently floating in.  “Imagine giving up your body for another life.  Not just during pregnancy but devoting all your energy to raising that delicate being once it’s born, grows, becomes its own person.  Loving that little life so much it almost hurts...willing to sacrifice or even die for it...heck...some people do it for others who can’t experience that themselves...”  Hunter smiled and tears welled up in his eyes. 

Thoomie was impressed “That’s...pretty deep.” 

“Yep.  That’s Hunter.” Echo grinned.  “Usually, it’s all in his head.  We’re lucky to hear it out loud right now because of the surgery drugs.” 

“He does wax poetically when inebriated as well” Tech added “When sober Hunter tends to hold a HUGE amount of emotional weight in.” 

“That’s Tech’s way of sayin’ Hunters a BIG softie.” Wrecker whispered to Taavi. 

Taavi chuckled.  “Good thing to be.  The galaxy needs more empathy, no?” 

“My apologies for the interruption” Bucket interjected “Our patient is waking up.  Vitals are within normal ranges currently.” 

“Whoa, there!”  Uncle Taavi tapped the bacta tank to get Mad’s attention. 

Mad stirred and slowly started to realize where she was.  Inside of the bacta tank she was hooked up to an IV line, a feeding tube, respirator, bacta nebulizer, and endotracheal vacuum.  The lines swayed around her as she bobbed in the bacta solution.  Mad was only clad in a medical chest binder and med panties which helped secure the lines that carried her urination and defecation waste away.  The rest of her exposed body covered in a multitude of small lacerations from the shrapnel Uncle Taavi had surgically removed. 

He could see her anxiety ramping up. 

“She gonna RIP them out.  Bet ya.”  Taavi remarked to Thoomie and Tech. 

“While I understand your concerns restraints seemed too severe an option.” Tech remarked. 

Thoomie nodded “I agree with Tech.” 

“Ah, you never seen Mad lose her SHIT!  She’s got a phobia about all of this” Taavi motioned to the whole tank, then addressed the B1.  “Sorry Bucket, best to leave outta here for now 'fore she notices you.  Or gonna be hell to pay!” 

The B1 turned to Thoomie.  She nodded “It would be best for the patient.  You can return when she is sleeping.” 

Hunter commiserated “My apologies, Bucket.”.  

The droid silently turned to leave. 

Mad eyed the med droid suspiciously, then flashed an obscene hand gesture as it left the room. 

Hunter giggled. 

Mad attempted to laugh too but erupted into a violent coughing fit. 

She choked and gagged SOMETHING up.  One of the tubes attached to her life support face mask suctioned it out of her trachea. 

Her breathing sounded slightly better and less raspy. 

Hunter put his hand up to the glass, pressing his palm flat against it.   

Mad did the same on the interior of the tank.  Eventually, she glanced further out in the room, shocked to recognize Uncle Taavi and Thoomie.  She waved excitedly to them...and scanned the room again... 

Someone was missing...Mad signed in Basic with her other hand... 

LOVE?  Tiggy... 

Hunter TRIED his very best to keep a neutral face through his post-surgical haze.  He was at a loss for words.  

Mad glanced up at the faces of all the Batchers, Sil, Taavi, Thoomie... 

Varying expressions of sadness and guilt is all she saw.  Nobody spoke. 

She hitched and cried out loudly, then choked and gagged violently again.  In her grief, she reached for the tubes attached to her in what looked like an attempt to pull them out. 

Thoomie immediately punched the sedative button on her IV line. 

Mad went still within the tank, floating quietly while the endotracheal vacuum cleared her lungs. 

“Hate to say it...I told ya so...” Taavi whispered sadly. 

Hunter covered his face with both hands and quietly sobbed. 

To read Chapter 26 - "LOVE AND HOPE"

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/765645976136564736/vagabonds-chapter-26?source=share

Please let me know if you wanted to be added to my taglist or removed! Thanks so much for your support!!!

[deanscherrypie420]

Demon Blood - Part 1

A/N : Hi! This is my first public fan fiction I've written. I hope you enjoy! (Supernatural storyline is not followed) I didn't word count but uh.. It's.. It's long :D

Characters: Dean Winchester, Reader (Y/N), Sam Winchester, Bobby, Castiel.

Pairing: Dean Winchester X Fem!Reader, Sam X Reader (Platonic) Castiel X Reader (Platonic)

Warnings: Angst, demons, blood, injuries, mild detail into injuries, cursing, arguing, physical fights, supernatural hunts, slow burn (Let me know if I missed anything :) )

Summary: You were born a demon. You never found out why, but you have demon blood in your veins. Your father left when you were young and you've lived with Bobby ever since. One day, the Winchesters come storming back into your life for a place to stay. Sour memories are brought up and you and Dean can't stop fighting..

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She woke up to commotion in the main room. She glanced around her bedroom and pushed the blankets away. Grabbing her gun from underneath her pillow, she quietly walked to her door, listening in for any context. All she heard was men laughing. Groaning slightly, she made her way out to the living room. Immediately Bobby turns to her, a weary smile on his face.

"Y/N! The Winchester boys are gonna be staying here for a bit between hunts."

She glanced at them. Sam had changed a bit, he was tall, very fit. He'd grown his hair out more and he had an awkward smile. Dean was.. Dean. She didn't need to get into more detail.

"Why? Can't they just motel surf?" She said bitterly. She glared at the older Winchester. He had a small shit-eating grin on his face and it made her sick. "Or did you miss me, De?" She said with a tight smile, sarcasm lacing her words line thorns on a rose.

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She was coloring at the dining room when two boys arrived. The older man dropping them off seemed to be in a hurry and just as quickly as he was there, he was gone. Bobby had guided the two over to her and she smiled big.

"Hi! I'm Y/N! What are your names?" She said excitedly. One of the boys was older than her, taller too. He seemed to be about twelve years old. The other one was definitely around her age, maybe just a little older. The older one glanced down at his brother and he answered, "I'm Dean. He's Sam."

This was the start of a friendship between Sam and her. They were best friends, always drawing or reading together. One time she even stole a book from a library for him. Dean on the other hand, didn't like her that much. He wasn't outright mean or anything, he just didn't spend time with her. Everything was fine until one day..

"Guess what! Look what I can do!" She giggled as she dragged Sam closer. Intrigued, Dean came over as well, glancing over his little brother's shoulder. She closed her Y/E/C eyes, and when she opened them again they were like a sea of ink. Dean grabbed Sam and pulled him back, shoving the little girl to the floor. Her eyes quickly went back to normal but they were filled with tears. "W-what's wrong?" She asked.

"You're some sort of demon freak! Stay the hell away from me and my brother!" Dean shouted at her. Bobby soon rushed into the room and went to Y/N's side. She was crying now. Bobby had to explain to the boys how she was indeed, a demon.

It was never the same after that.

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At dinner they ordered take-out from a nearby fast food restaurant. It was quiet. The air was a bit tense, just the sounds of food packages moving around occasionally and beer bottles being set down. She wasn't legally allowed to drink for another six days, but who's counting?

"So, what's it like being a demon? Bein' all grown up now I'm sure you use your bullshit in some way." Dean said casually, a smartass grin on his face. He was taunting her.

She took a deep breath before responding, "It's great, y'know. I live normally. Just like any hunter would." She took another sip of beer and gave a unamused smile.

Dean cleared his throat, taking a swig of beer himself. "Yeah well, I bet your family is scared, huh? Never knowing when you might kill them.." He said coolly. It was such a random comment. He was trying to get a reaction out of her and she knew it. It was making her blood boil.

"Good thing I've never hurt any human before, huh?" She was tense and everybody could tell. Bobby and Sam were allowing the conversation to continue, cautiously glancing at her to make sure she was alright.

She's not sure exactly when the argument escalated but it did. They were yelling at each other and she was pissed. He brought up a time when she got violent, and for some reason he was so hell bent on bringing up her family. God, it infuriated her! She screamed at him, "Good thing I don't have a family to kill! Nobody has to worry about fucking shit!" She then stormed out and sat on the porch, trying to control her breathing.

Shortly after her, Sam walked out. "Hey, you okay?" He said quietly as he sat down next to her. She scoffed and nodded. "Yeah, golden." It was quiet for a moment. "We don't have much family either. Our dad is.. who knows where, and our mom is dead." He said quietly. She glanced over at him and smiled softly, "Yeah, but you have each other. I got no one." Her voice was gentle. Sam wrapped an arm around her and sighed, "You have me."

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Bobby had taken them to a playground for her seventh birthday. He was trying to distract her from the thought of her dad. The boys had been staying with Bobby for a year now, Dean was thirteen years old and Sammy was nine. Sam and her were still okay, despite his older brother's wishes. Her, Sam and Dean were at the top of the tallest slide and she was yelling for Bobby to watch her go down.

"Bobby! Bobby! Look at me! Watch!" She squealed excitedly. She was such a bubbly kid. Bobby looked over and smiled. "Go! C'mon now." He cheered her on the best he could. She was giggling and as she was about to go down she felt the wind knock out of her. Before she knew it she was falling down to the ground, and then It went blank.

She woke up moments later to Bobby and Sam next to her, helping her up. She was crying hard. Bark and dirt covered her new "birthday dress" and she was bleeding from scrapes all over. Sam hugged her tightly as she cried while Bobby scolded Dean for pushing her.

"I got you, it's- it's okay, Y/N. I'm here." Sam said, squeezing her tighter.

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She was in the Impala with the boys on a hunting trip. The only reason she was brought along - and the only reason she agreed - was because they suspected it was demons. She was in the backseat with her earbuds in, listening to Taylor Swift to block out whatever the hell Dean was listening to.

It was night time when they arrived in Colorado. They were in a small town, a rather trashy town to say the least. They booked a motel room because, as Dean said, "We aren't gonna book two rooms and change routine just 'cause you wanna feel special, sweetheart. Suck it up."

She set her stuff down by the couch while Sam went to shower. Dean grabbed a beer and made himself comfortable on his bed. He turned on the T.V and started watching a show she couldn't care less about. She made a makeshift bed on the sofa and laid down. She was exhausted.

When Sam came out of the shower, Dean went in. She cursed him under her breath for not letting her shower first.

"Hey, earth to Y/N." Sam said, waving his hand In front of her. She snapped out of her thinking and gave an awkward laugh. "Sorry, I was just zoning out." She rubbed the back of her neck. He ruffled her hair as he walked past and smiled. "Yeah, I noticed. Take the bed, I'll sleep on the couch." She rolled her eyes at the suggestion, "No. I'm fine, Sammy." They bickered about it for a minute before Dean stepped out of the shower. "She gets the couch, Sam. End of discussion."

The room was filled with tension and she told Sam she was gonna clean up really quick. She went into the bathroom and showered. The water was cold, Dean purposefully using as much warm water as he could. When she was finished, she wrapped herself in a towel and peeked out the bathroom door. "Sammy," She said sweeter than usual, catching both the boy's attention, "Can you please grab me a shirt? I kinda forgot one." He smiled and nodded, "No problem." He reached into a bag and grabbed a t-shirt. Once he gave it to her she retreated back into the bathroom. Her face was flushed and she felt like an idiot. What the fuck was that, Sammy, can you pretty please grab me a shirt? She mocked herself, Sounded like you were trying to fuck him, Jesus.

She left the bathroom and made her way over to the couch. Dean stared at her the whole time, making her slightly uncomfortable. "Can I help you?" She said, more attitude in her tone than she intended. Dean gave a tight smile back. "You're wearing my shirt." He said calmly. For some reason, everything he did seemed to irritate her. "Oh, boo-hoo. Cry about it. It's just a shirt." She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Don't give me attitude, I'm just pointing It out." He winked at her, a grin on his face. Is this fucker serious right now? She thought to herself. "Fucking. Gross." She said as she peeled the shirt from her body, leaving herself in nothing but sweats and a bra. She tossed the shirt at him and flipped him off, "Go bang a bartender or something, don't flirt with me." She scoffed and shook her head, "I might kill you, remember?" The room went silent as she lay down on the couch, quickly falling into an uncomfortable sleep.

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"Rise and shine, doll face! We got work to do." Dean announced as he opened the curtains to the motel window, the bright sunlight causing her to cringe. She forced herself up and immediately noticed a new face.

"Who the fuck is that?" She said bluntly, staring at the man.

"I'm Castiel, the Winchesters guardian angel. Nice to meet you." He said almost robot-like as he stuck his hand out to shake hers. She just rolled her eyes and shook her head, going over to the coffee machine and pouring herself a cup. Castiel tilted his head and quirked a brow at the brothers. "Was I inappropriate?" He questioned. Sam quickly answered before Dean could, "No, she's just not a morning person." Castiel seemed to accept this answer and remained seated.

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"Fucking bitch!" She yelled out as the demon sliced her chest, throwing her to the floor. It grabbed her by her throat and squeezed, nearly crushing it before chucking her to the wall.

She got into the predicament because she was playing bait. "A demon can't kill you, so just go in there and distract him while we figure something out." Dean explained to her. She had rolled her eyes and agreed, now wishing she hadn't.

"Not so strong now, are you, little girl?" The vessel cooed, making her teeth grind. She flung herself forward and shoved it to the ground, her eyes pooled with black. She heard a gunshot as she fell to the ground with it, but she didn't care, she was determined to kill this demon.

Suddenly, after tearing it apart, she was pulled off of It. She went to attack whatever the fuck interrupted her but she was quickly soothed by Sam's voice. 'Hey, calm down. Shh.." He whispered in her ear. Her muscles relaxed and she exhaled, her eyes returning to normal. "Fuck, we didn't mean to shoot you. Dean, wheres Cas?" Sam asked urgently. She was beginning to feel lightheaded and she realized that she was the one who got shot. The bullet went in right by her hip, the soft flesh around it soaked in blood. She couldn't make out what the boys were arguing about, but before she knew it she was laying flat on the ground while Dean tried to remove the bullet from her side. Sam was above her, definitely talking to her but she couldn't hear him. Black spots formed in the corners of her eyes and soon it consumed her.

She was out.

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She woke up in the motel bed, a groan leaving her throat. Both of the brothers perked up and looked over at her. Sam rushed to your side and began rambling, asking if you were alright and such. Her headache was banging against her temples and she shut her eyes tight. "Sam, shut up. I'm fine." She said sternly, quickly silencing the younger Winchester. Dean cocked a brow, "He's just making sure you're okay. Son of a bitch shot you, be grateful he gives a damn." Dean all but nearly yelled, his tone clearly pissed off. "Dean, shut the fuck up. I'm not in a mood to bitch with you right now." She snapped back, pushing herself up out of bed. She had bruising underneath each of her eyes, it was mild but it was there. Her forehead was scratched and she had a long incision down her chest. It felt like the wounds were burning through her clothes and It just pissed her off more.

Pulling her out of her thoughts, Dean shouted at her. "I'm sick and tired of you thinking you're some sort of fucking god because you're a demon. Get off your fucking high horse and be grateful we patched your ass up!" His brows were furrowed and his fists were balled up, his knuckles white. She grit her teeth and shoved him back. "It's your fucking job." She said as he banged against the wall. "Your job is to protect people, whether it be me or Sammy. Don't give me the "be grateful" speech when you aren't appreciative of shit!" She yelled back at him.

He sprang forward, not knowing what came over him. He slapped her so hard across the face her mind shook. "Good thing you're not a person. You're a disgusting fucking demon, sweetheart!" He chuckled dryly, "We should have left you for dead."

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It's been hours since she's been back at the motel. She checked her phone and it was nearing three in the morning. 2:37 AM. Great. She laughed to herself. She was freezing, the cold wind and rain chilling her to the bone.

By the time she made it to the bus stop, there was only an hour left until it took off. She sat down on a bench, the warm heaters inside the building making her head lull back. She closed her eyes and exhaled.

"5;00 AM Bus to South Dakota Leaving In Five Minutes." The intercom said, waking her up. She hopped on the bus and made herself comfortable in a seat closer to the front. She would be back home within a few hours.

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When she returned home, her clothing was still damp and she looked pretty.. rough. She quickly made her way past Bobby, and into her bedroom. She changed into a new set of clothes and took a deep breath. She knew the boys would be home soon, so she had to figure out a way to explain the situation to-

"Are you alright?" Bobby yelled through the door, knocking quickly before opening it. She smiled at his familiarity, the comfort of being home. He quickly rushed over to her and grabbed her face. "Who in bloody hell laid a hand on my kid?" He said through gritted teeth. She just shrugged and waved his hand away, sighing. "Hunts are rough." She remarked dryly. Bobby exhaled and turned her head to the side, not caring that she waved him off. "Only a demon would hit a woman like this." He said coldly and a part of her inside smiled.

Who's the demon now, De?

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"De! De! Look at what I drew for you!" She said, wobbling around as she ran up to him with a picture in hand. It was Deans thirteenth birthday. He was waiting for his dad at the kitchen table. He was supposed to come.

The picture was in bright colors and it read "HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEDE!!" In big pink letters. There was a cake drawing on it with three candles, she explained It was for the three of them. "One is for you, the red one! See, see! The green one is for Sammy, because he really likes trees! And- and the pink one-" Dean cut her off, "I don't care! Get your stupid ass picture away from me and stop calling me that!" He shouted as he grabbed the paper and ripped it, throwing the two halves back at her in little crumpled balls. Her eyes watered and she nodded, picking up the scraps. "I'm sorry, De.." She said quietly, and he pushed her hard. "Don't fucking call me that!" He yelled.

"Do not cuss at her like that, boy!" Bobby had said when he came in, yelling at Dean. She ran to her room and cried.

She couldn't stop crying.

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When the boys got home Bobby immediately approached them. Dean was prepared for Bobby's wrath. How he would yell at him for laying a hand on her.

"You boys! I swear to God! You need to take better care of her, that evil creature got 'er good! Cut her up and slapped her hard." Bobby said with the shake of his head. Dean's eyebrows quirked in confusion, cautiously answering, "The demon slapped her?" Sam glanced down at his brother and shook his head. "Who else woulda done it, Dean? Monsters are sick people.." Bobby said before waving the boys off and walking away.

Before Sam or Dean could say anything, Y/N appeared in the doorway, mimicking Bobby's voice.

"Only a demon would hit a woman like this." She said with a smug grin. Dean's eyes darted towards her and he seethed. "Bullshit. He didn't say that." Y/N just smiled, walking over to him and placing a hand on his chest. Sam raised a brow, a bit antsy. Dean's heartbeat was racing. He cheeks grew flushed and she just chuckled softly. Her hand trailed up Dean's collar and found its way to his cheek, cupping it gently.

"Only a demon, De."

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A/N : That's the end of part one! I wrote this all in one sitting and I didn't exactly proof read, so let me know If there are any mess ups! I hope you enjoyed :)

Thank you so much for reading! If you have any rec's feel free to send them over :)

[honeybeezgobzzzzz]

☠️ Clipped Wings: Chapter Sixteen

Clipped Wings: After living a life in seclusion due to an over protective father, you sneak away to experience life as it really is. Slowly building up the woman you always wanted to be, your quiet life is interrupted when you meet a rather elastic boy and his crew. This is just the beginning of trouble and your carefully crafted life starts to crumble around you. The past never really stays in the past, and now it has come knocking. In more ways than one.  

Warnings: None.

To Note: Dracule Mihawk x Reader, NAMED!FemReader, Some physical features have been given (hair & eye color).

Word Count: ~2.7k

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The Going Merry cuts through the waters, leaving Syrup Village behind. You stand at the stern, the wind tugging at your black coat and whipping your hair around your face. The sea stretches out before you, endless and inviting, a promise of new and exciting adventures.

"Hey, Vee!" Luffy’s voice calls out from somewhere above you.

You glance up to see him perched on the figurehead, his grin as wide as ever. "What do you think of our ship?" he asks.

You look around, taking in the sturdy wooden planks, the billowing sails, and the sense of camaraderie that already fills the air. "It has character," you reply, your voice carrying over the sound of the waves. "I think I’ll shall like it here."

Zoro appears at your side, his swords clinking softly with each step. "Just don’t get too comfortable," he warns, though there's a hint of a smile in his eyes. "The Grand Line isn’t for the faint of heart."

You meet his gaze head-on. "I’ve faced worse," you say simply.

Nami approaches, her hands on her hips as she surveys the horizon. "We need to chart our course carefully," she says. "The weather can be unpredictable."

You nod, appreciating her caution. "I can help with navigation," you offer. "I've spent the last year learning to read the stars and currents. Though the Grand Line is still unpredictable at times."

Nami raises an eyebrow but doesn’t dismiss you outright. "We'll see about that."

Usopp joins the group, his eyes wide with excitement and nerves. "So, Vee," he says, trying to sound casual but failing miserably, "what’s your story?"

You turn to Usopp, a sly smile playing on your lips. "My story? Well, it’s quite simple. I was born on a small island, lived a quiet life as a seamstress and nurse. But I always wanted more, so I decided to see the world."

Usopp leans in, eyes wide with fascination. "Really? That sounds almost too normal for someone like you. You look so myserteous."

You shrug, maintaining the façade. "Appearances can be deceiving, Usopp."

You smirk, keeping your expression as nonchalant as possible. "Appearances can be deceiving, Usopp. I've seen more than you might think."

Before Usopp can respond, a deafening roar splits the air. The entire ship shakes violently, sending you all scrambling for balance.

"What the—?" Zoro growls, already reaching for his swords.

A massive ship looms on the horizon, cannons aimed directly at the Going Merry. The insignia of the Marines is unmistakable. Well this is a bother, you were trying to avoid the marines, not pick fights with them!

"Grandpa?" Luffy asks.

"Grandpa!?" The others repeat in clear surprise. You blink at them with a furrowed brow. Did they not know each other?

"Did you just call that guy Grandpa?" Zora asks asks as Luffy looks through the scope at the incoming ship. Another cannon ball os fired, this time splashing off the bow a little too close. You step aside as the splash soaks the deck. Another cannon ball fires and you are dropping before Usopp shouts,

"hit the deck!" You cover your head as the Going Merry takes the cannon ball strait to the railing. The impact jars through your bones as the Going Merry rocks violently, water splashing over the sides. A cloud of sawdust kicks up, assaulting your nose which you promptly cover with your hand.

"Everybody okay?" Luffy's voice rings out, his usual cheer replaced with urgency.

"I think so," Nami grunts, getting to her feer.

"No. Not okay. Not even close to okay," Usopp's voice trembles as he scrambles to find cover. You stare at your new crew member that had boasted about his cannon abilities only minutes prior. He was panicking.

"Usopp, fire back at them!" Luffy orders agressivly, eyes locked on the approaching Marine ship.

"Or how about we sail away as fast as we can?" Usopp suggests, eyes wide with fear.

"Run from the Marines? No. Never!" Luffy's determination is palpable, his eyes blazing with defiance.

"Someone do something or we are going to get blow to smithereens!" You call out sternly.

"Nami, trim the… the sail thing. Let’s sink their ship," Luffy shouts over the chaos while Usopp heads for the stack of small cannon balls.

"We don’t have time. They’re stealing our wind," Nami snaps back, her hands moving swiftly across the ropes and sails. You glance at Nami, appreciating her skill even in the midst of panic. "If they pull up alongside us, we’re finished," she adds, her voice steady despite the situation.

"She doesn't lie and I don't want my hair getting wet," you speak with a dry tone. Nami gives you a look that says 'not the time'. "Suggestions?"

"Zoro, sheet in and hard to port!" Nami calls out.

Zoro springs into action while Usopp fumbles with a cannonball. “You know how to load a cannon?” Luffy asks, eyes wide with excitement. Oh you knew there was something odd about him. You like how in the moment he is.

“Yeah, of course. I’ve loaded thousands of ‘em.” Usopp pauses, looking confused. “Uh, this must be a different model than I’m used to.”

“Which way is port?” Zoro asks from the lower deck..

“The left!” Nami snaps back. “Usopp, load the cannon in the barrel. Light the fuse. Then get the hell out of the way!”

"Do any of you actually know how to sail?" You question as you duck a shower of wood and metal fragments.

"We barely know each other!" Nami yells at you, stress soaked into her voice. You straightened up and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Really?" You question, genuinely surprised that revelation. "How surprising…" As you muse, Usopp fumbles with the stack of cannon balls and they begin to roll down the short flight of stairs.

You sidestep as Usopp’s stack of cannonballs clatters down the stairs, lofting your foot out the path and glancing at Usopp.

"Usopp, focus! Get that cannon loaded!" you snap, grabbing a cannonball and tossing it to him. He fumbles but catches it, eyes wide with fear.

Luffy leaps onto the rigging, his rubber limbs stretching impossibly. "We’ve got this!" he shouts, full of reckless optimism. Despite the obvious disarray of your new and very green crew, your muscles remained relaxed. No imminent threat. When you began to giggle, Nami gave you an exasperated look, guiding the Going Merry towards the thunderhead of fog. This crew was going to be an adventure. You just knew it.

You look around the deck of the Going Merry, your new crew mates bustling with a mix of urgency and excitement. The fog around you creates an eerie silence, only broken by the creak of the ship and the occasional call from Luffy.

"Did you really find that fiasco entertaining?" Nami questions, her voice cutting through the mist as she ties off a rope.

You meet her gaze, a sly smile tugging at your lips. "Entertaining? Yes. Informative? Even more so."

Zoro chuckles from his spot near the bow, his swords resting against his hip. "I like her," he says, almost to himself.

Usopp is still catching his breath, leaning against the railing. "I thought we were goners," he admits, wiping sweat from his brow.

"Yet here we are," you reply smoothly, your eyes scanning the horizon. "Survived to sail another day."

Luffy swings down from the rigging, landing with a thud beside you. "That was awesome!" he exclaims, eyes shining with excitement. "We showed those Marines!"

"We showed them how to miss every cannon shot," Nami retorts, rolling her eyes. "We need to be better prepared next time."

You nod in agreement, already thinking of ways to improve their combat readiness. "A plan wouldn’t hurt," you suggest. "We can’t rely on luck alone."

Luffy's grin widens. "That’s what makes it fun!" he says, punching the air.

"You’re incorrigible," you say with a shake of your head, but there’s a fondness in your voice that surprises even you. "Also adorable."

Luffy’s nose twitches, and he suddenly stands tall, his eyes gleaming with a newfound excitement. "You guys smell that?" he asks, sniffing the air like a hound on a scent trail.

"Smell what?" Nami responds, looking around suspiciously. "There's something on the breeze," Luffy insists, taking another deep inhale. "Smells like butter."

You raise an eyebrow, curious but skeptical. "Soy sauce," Luffy continues, sniffing again with exaggerated fervor. "And meat."

"I can't smell anything," you admit, exchanging a puzzled glance with Zoro.

Nami snorts, crossing her arms. "Think he has brain damage?"

"I think that every day," Zoro mutters, earning a snicker from Usopp.

"Look, Luffy," Nami begins, her tone laced with exasperation. "Playing follow the smell is fun and all, but we really need to get out of this fog."

"I know," Luffy replies, undeterred. "But I smell food, which means there’s someone somewhere cooking." He takes another deep sniff and points dramatically. "Five degrees starboard!"

"No! No!" he corrects himself instantly. "Three degrees back to port."

You chuckle softly, amazed at how adding food to the equation has suddenly turned Luffy into an expert navigator. You'll put that tidbit in the back of your mind for later.

"What is that?" Zoro asks as a dark shape begins to emerge through the thick fog.

Nami squints, her brows knitting together in confusion. "Can't be. There aren’t any islands anywhere near here."

As the shape grows clearer, your eyes widen in surprise. It's not land; it's something much more intriguing.

Luffy chuckles, clearly pleased with himself. "What’s a... Baratie?" he reads aloud from the sign that comes into view.

"That is a restaurant," You speak up, your eyes gazing at the massive ship shaped like a fish with an enormous forked tongue extending from its mouth as a gangplank. "They have good food, even better wine."

The Baratie comes into full view, its unique shape and design striking against the misty backdrop. The sight stirs memories of the last time you set foot on this floating restaurant. Good food. Even better wine. An atmosphere you adored.

"That's a restaurant?" Usopp exclaims, eyes wide with amazement.

"Indeed," you reply, your voice steady. "One of the finest on the seas. I am partial to their limited edition wine selections."

Luffy's eyes light up at the prospect of food, his previous excitement morphing into something akin to pure joy. "Let's eat!" he declares, already making his way toward the gangplank.

Nami rolls her eyes but doesn’t protest. "Fine, but let’s not cause any trouble," she warns.

You smirk at her comment. "With this crew? Trouble seems inevitable."

"Don't remind me," Nami grumbles back. As you disembark from the Going Merry and step onto the gangplank of the Baratie, you can feel the ship’s energy—bustling and alive with activity. It felt so much more alive now that you could sense your surroundings. The smell of sizzling meat and freshly baked bread wafts through the air, teasing your senses. Oh you missed the lovely scent the Zeff's cooking. You followed Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and Usopp into the restaurant and Luffy strides confidently up to the host.

"Welcome to Baratie, how can I help you," The host says, Luffy smiles and strides right up to him.

"Hi! Where do we eat?" Luffy replies with enthusiasm. Given his persistent nature, you wondered what he was going to do when he learned that reservations are always backed up by several weeks.

"Do you have a reservation, sir?" That would be a no…

"Do we need one?"

"We're very full today." The host explains, “I could put you on the waiting list. It's three weeks out." Luffy blinks and Usopp steps forward.

"Maybe you want to check your book again." Usopp tells him, "You wouldn't want to turn away the future King of the Pirates, would you?" That was a rather entertaining response, one you didn't anticipate. He isn't buying Usopp's words, so you step forward, your posture elegant and commanding, and place a hand gently on the book.

"Excuse me," you say, your voice smooth as silk. "Perhaps you could make an exception for us?"

The host looks at you, eyes flicking to your ornate pendant and then down to the folded Berry you had discreetly placed in front of him.

"Certainly, madam, right this way," You follow the host through the bustling restaurant, stepping down to the floor while the others follow suit. The scent of garlic and herbs mingles with the salty tang of the sea air, making your stomach rumble in anticipation. Your new crew mates trail behind you, their eyes wide with curiosity and hunger.

The host leads you to curved book table. As you sit down, you notice Luffy practically bouncing across the velvet cushions to his seat, his eyes darting around the room, taking in every detail.

"Your server will be with you shortly," He says with a bow before departing. You run your finger over the menu, mind mulling over what you want to eat this trip. Perhaps a nice rare steak? Or a fish dish… You had liked the salad you ordered your last visit.

"Hi, welcome to our shitty restaurant where the only thing worse than the ambiance is the food. My name is Sanji. What can I get for you?" The blonde waiter’s voice drips with sarcasm, but his eyes are sharp, taking in each of you with a quick scan.

Luffy grins wide, slamming his hands on the table. "One of everything, please."

Sanji raises an eyebrow, a hint of amusement curling his lips. "Any drinks? One of our signature cocktails to help you choke down your meal?"

Nami leans back in her seat, crossing her arms. "Giving us the hard sell, huh?"

Sanji's eyes flicker to her, and his expression softens. "Apologies, madam, I didn't see you there. Would you care for an apéritif to start? We have several rare Micqueot vintages in stock. Or perhaps you'd like a glass of Umeshu? You know, something sweet for someone sweet." He winks and you huff out a giggle, earning his attention.

"It's my lucky day, two lovely madams grace my presence." Nami blinks next to you while your lips curl into into a matching smile.

“Something wrong with your eye?" Nami questions.

Sanji chuckles softly. "Just blinded by your beauty," he says smoothly, clearing his throat.

"Waiter, can I get a beer and something for my friends?" Zoro cuts in.

Usopp chimes in, his tone flat. "Two beers. I usually have three, but..."

Luffy adds with a grin, "And a milk."

Sanji nods, taking mental notes. "Three beers and a milk."

"And, uh," Sanji turns to you again with a more respectful tone, "for the lovely madams? Water. Still, sparkling, mineral? With ice or without? Cubed or crushed?"

"Regular water in a regular glass," Nami replies dryly. "Thanks."

The flirty server turns to you.

"You spoke of a Micqueot vintage?" You probe with an eyebrow twitch. "I think I would like a taste if you would be so kind."

Sanji’s eyes light up at your request, and he offers a charming smile, clearly pleased by your selection. A man with a fine palate you guess. “An excellent choice, madam. I’ll bring you a glass and bottle for tasting,” he says before turning on his heel and heading back towards the kitchen.

As Sanji walks away, you feel the eyes of your new crew mates turn toward you. The curiosity is palpable, and you can sense the questions bubbling up even before they open their mouths.

"That was... interesting," Nami says, leaning forward. "You seemed to know exactly how to handle him."

You smile faintly, resting your chin on your hand. "Experience," you reply simply, lips remaining curved at the ends.

Luffy, always direct, tilts his head. "What’s a Micqueot vintage? Is it good?"

"It’s a region with vineyards,” you explain. "From Micqueot Island. Known for its refined taste and exceptional quality. I am partial to the tannins found in the local grape varieties."

Usopp raises an eyebrow. "You sure know a lot about fancy stuff."

"Old habits die hard," you say with a hint of nostalgia. "And excellent wine is one of life's pleasures."

Zoro smirks, crossing his arms over his chest. "So, you're a wine connoisseur now?"

"Something like that," you respond with a slight chuckle. "But it's more about appreciating the finer things when they come your way. Why waste my time with mediocracy? I live to live."

Date Published: 10/12/24

Last Edit: 10/12/24

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[ourdramaqueen]

Fic Tag Game

I was tagged by @suchaladyy 🌸

20 questions:

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

55, divided into fandoms as follows: Wednesday (TV 2022) (24) The Boys (TV 2019) (21) The Lord of the Rings (8) Sin City - All Media Types (1) Almost Human (TV) (1)

2. What’s your AO3 word count?

368,862

3. What fandoms do you write for?

See #1. Currently only Wednesday, though I do hope to get back into The Boys soon, and I still have some unpublished LotR WIPs that I'd like to actually finish sometime...

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Private Tutor

Kinktober Day 8: Shaving (The Boys, Butcher/Hughie)

Kinktober Day 2: See-through (The Boys, Butcher/Hughie)

Kinktober Day 18: Rough Sex (The Boys, Butcher/Hughie)

How do I passive-agressively say ‘fuck you’ in flower?

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes! I really appreciate when readers take the time to post a comment, so I always answer at least with a brief "thank you".

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Defintiely the whole Closer series (LotR, Frodo/Éomer) because it is mostly canon compliant, so it ends with Frodo going into the West. 😭My Rough Sex series (The Boys, Butcher/Hughie) is also fairly angsty by its nature as a series of mildly canon divergent gap filler fics following through the episodes of S1 and S2 (so far).

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I think pretty much anything apart from the above two series? Well, apart from the Struck by a Bolt series (The Boys, Butcher/Hughie), which has the potential to go either way.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I haven't gotten outright hate, but certainly a few rude/entitled/"clearly hasn't read the tags or the end note despite me recommending to in the a/n at the beginning" comments.

9. Do you write smut? What kind?

LOL! All kinds. Soft, kinky (probably more kinky), some a bit dark. I seem to enjoy my ships a little fucked up.

10. Do you write cross-overs?

I don't have a proper crossover on my AO3 (see #12 for the reason why I specify it like this), though I'd love to write one sometime since I love reading them. The closest I've come is Kinktober Day 15: Monster Fucking (The Boys, Butcher/Hughie), which is heavily Beauty and the Beast inspired.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! Little Brother was translating Private Tutor into Russian, though they haven't updated it in a while.

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Oh yes! In fact, the first fics I posted online were cowritten with two (originally three, but one of then dropped out shortly after we'd started) friends, though under a different pen name and in a crossover of two small fandoms (with additional ones sneaking in here and there). I haven't written for that series in at least 15 years, though I still have fairly extensive notes for a trilogy of stories centered around my OC and I'd love to get back to that eventually.

But more recently, I've cowritten Line Without a Hook with erraticallyinspired (holyfudgemonkeys), who afaik isn't on Tumblr, and An Addams Family Guide to Kidnapping with @nonamemanga. I'm currently working on something with @suchaladyy, and who knows what and who will be next? It's a lot of fun!

13. What WIP would you like to finish but doubt you ever will?

Oof! I only have unpublished WIPs which I'm not sure if I'll ever get to finish them. Mostly for LotR.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

I really can't choose. Go look at my bookmarks on AO3, LOL!

15. What are your writing strengths?

Oh boy. Um. I think I've figured out quite well how to show character through smut, as well as to distinguish characters from one another by how they behave and talk.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

Hmm... Sometimes I get bogged down in details, though I've gotten much better at catching myself now. Oh, paragraphs of really long sentences, but again, I've improved a lot there. 😆

17. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Absolutely, as long as I'm confident in the language or have someone who's a native/fluent speaker to help me with it.

18. First fandom you wrote for?

Are we talking wrote for myself, or published? Because I started as a teenager in the 80s, writing your typical Mary Sue self-inserts starring my favorite celebs, like Nick Rhodes from Duran Duran, by hand on notepads...

19. Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

Nope, still can't choose, sorry!

20. What fic would you want to rewrite one day?

There's one story from my first cowriting experience I mentioned in #12 that I would dearly love to rewrite because the constant POV changes are driving me nuts when I read it now! I don't think there's anything that's currently on my AO3 that I feel the need to rewrite.

I don't know who's been tagged or not, so if you haven't been but want to participate, consider yourself tagged!

[waterfallofspace]

Letting It In & Letting It Go (2/3)

The one in which K/azuki learns to let his feelings in, and R/ei learns to let his walls go down, at least a little. Feat. Sick R/ei, caretaker K/azuki, and heavy ship implications (cough outright statements cough), though, they aren’t in a relationship at this point.

Same description as the last one, welcome to Part Two!  (Link to part one is ~~here~~)

R/ei is still sick, but hopefully he’s feeling a bit better since the last time. I guess we’ll see, won’t we?!  (Again, welcome to ‘I have B/uddy D/addies brain rot so, to anyone who bothers to read this, thank you for your time, I hope it’s enjoyable!) (references to violence, swearing, smoking, trauma, bad coughing/wheezing, incase you don’t like any of that) ((ALSO: There are spoilers for B/uddy D/addies. Slight, but it’s still spoilers, so be warned!))  Characters: R/ei, K/azuki, Angst&Banter feat. Caretaking  Word Count: 5.9k (oh lord)

Kazuki’s eyes flutter open, and as he gets his bearings, he realizes he fell asleep at the table. Rei is still letting out congested snores from the couch, but the slight wheeze in his lungs is gone. ‘That’s a relief, at least for now’ he thinks, a yawn escaping. Stumbling to the door, Kazuki opens it to find, true to his word, Kyu had left a basket of supplies outside. The note pinned to it lists what’s in it, and what medications not to combine. ‘Thanks Kyu’. He makes another mental note to text him later with an actual thanks. He lays all the stuff out on the table, taking stock of what was brought. There are some tea bags, a few boxes of tissues, and a pharmacy worth of medications. Cough drops, cough syrups, nasal decongestants (in the form of sprays), pain relievers, and antihistamines, along with a few boxes of general cold meds. Each is unopened, and clearly listed on the note by name, type, and what not to take with it. Turning his attention back to Rei, Kazuki tries to figure out, without waking the man, what medications he should get ready. He can hear the congestion in his snores, so getting him to take the nasal spray when he wakes up would probably help. Kazuki sighs to himself, realizing that task may not be as simple as it sounds. Rei isn’t exactly someone who enjoys discomfort, so convincing him to use a spray that will help, but will feel awful at first… ‘yeah, not gonna be easy’.  Getting back to symptom management, he thinks back to yesterday. The fever was alarming, but it’s since broken, and Rei doesn’t look particularly warm anymore. He was also coughing and sneezing a lot, which he isn’t now, ‘but that’s most likely due to him, ya know, being unconscious’. After studying the list a bit more, and comparing medications and uses, Kazuki decides on a few main choices. Setting aside a nasal spray, general cold medication, an herbal brand of cough medicine, and a handful of cough drops, he packs the rest back into the basket. The tissues are set next to the medication, along with the tea, of which he picks out a nice vanilla chamomile, and gets up to start the kettle.  ~~~~~~~ Stirring on the couch knocks Kazuki out of his sleepy daze, and he looks up to see Rei raising a hand to swipe at his nose. He attempts to sit up, which apparently requires significant effort given the pace he’s going at. “Rise and shine Rei, you want some breakfast?” The low groan he gets in return is indistinguishable as an answer, and since he didn’t eat for most of yesterday, Kazuki decides Rei no longer gets a say in the matter. He starts cracking a few eggs, turning on the stovetop and fishing a frying pan out of the drawer.  “Hh’nggxt-! ehhH’NNgxt-! nnDGXXT-!uhhh”  “Bless you!” “hH’KNNGT-!hhuhh”  “And again. You want bacon with your eggs?” “Who said I want eggs?” Kazuki let out a soft sigh, flashing Rei his most charming smile with just a touch of pleading in his eyes. “You didn’t eat anything yesterday, or dinner the night before, so today you’re eating eggs. But the bacon is optional, because I’m not gonna waste perfectly good meat on you if you’re just gonna pick at it and leave it behind. It’s bacon after all.”  Rei gives a grunt in response, so Kazuki throws an extra piece of bacon on, just incase. He could always eat it himself if Rei’s uninterested. Taking note of the harsh quality of Rei’s voice, he also starts a pot of rice, something easier on the throat and stomach. While the food cooks, Kazuki takes a minute to take in Rei’s appearance. He’s normally dishevelled, but the redness around his nose and pale quality of his skin is making him look particularly rough. He looks almost bruised, the dark bags under his eyes deepening against the tired depth of them. At just the sight of him you’d think he hadn’t slept in months, but with this sickness he’d slept more in the past day than he had in weeks.  The way his teeth dig into his lip and the lines forming around his eyes read plainly of pain. His hands grip the controller a bit too tightly, the whites of his knuckles showing. His whole body is tense, like normal, but the slight trembling of his muscles suggest this stance is taking considerable effort. Kazuki picks up on these tells almost instantly, shuddering a little as he realizes just how deeply Rei must be hurting for him to be able to notice them so easily. “Hey-” Kazuki starts, not missing the way Rei flinches at the volume of his voice. He softens a little before continuing.  “-I have some medicine for you to take. Kyu dropped it off outside earlier, must have been when we were- uh, nevermind! The point is, I need you to take it, so do I need to make some airplane noises, or are you adult enough to do it yourself?”  Rei gives him a measured look, before shrugging, his eyes flashing back to the TV. ‘Not an outright no, so that’s progress!’ Kazuki thinks to himself, turning off the stove and plating the food he’s made. He piles himself a nice tall plate of eggs and bacon, with a small bowl of rice. However, he serves Rei just a single fried egg and a small pile of rice, setting the single strip of bacon next to it. Nothing too overwhelming, just something to give his system a bit of energy. “Come and get it while it’s fresh and hot!” Rei trudges over, and Kazuki doesn’t miss the wince he tries to hide when he first stands, or the way his hand flies almost on its own to his head, giving his temples a quick rub. ‘Headache then, and likely a bad one.’ Kazuki makes a mental note to add ‘pain relievers’ to the list of meds he has set out for Rei.  ~~~~~~~ They ate in relative silence, Rei picking at his food, but managing to get bits of it into his mouth. Sniffling and light coughs broke up the still air, but Kazuki just ignored them. It almost felt like feeding a stray cat. Every movement Rei made was calculated, and in return Kazuki was slow, careful not to scare him into retreating back to the couch.  “hH’KNGT-! hIH’DNNT-!uhhh”  “Bless you! ….Those sound like they hurt.” “It’s fihhhne. Hihh… hAH’GNXXT-!uhhh”  “And again.”  Kazuki can’t help but grimace at the weak groan that escapes Rei’s throat before he can suppress it. ‘Why stifle when it’s hurting your head so much, and not even stopping the tickle?’ He muses, watching as Rei ducks into his chest with another contained sneeze, this one barely even audible. The watery quality of Rei’s eyes as he slowly brings his head back up doesn’t go unnoticed, but Kazuki decides to put it on the backburner. Right now he needs to focus on getting Rei to take the medication. He reaches back into the basket, pulling out a bottle of painkillers, and adding a couple to the cup of meds he had already set out. Setting the nasal spray beside it, and pouring a spoonful of cough syrup, he meets Rei’s eyes. “Swallow these with water, then take this.” Seeing the hesitation on Rei’s face as he regards the nasal spray, Kazuki gives him a light chuckle. “You can save that one for later. You should do it eventually, but these pills will take the edge off the congestion anyways. Now hurry up before this falls off the spoon. Kyu paid for this, so I’ll make you lick it off the table if it spills.” Rei gave him a low growl, but swallowed the meds dry, ‘show off’, before taking the spoon, making a face as he put it in his mouth, but finishing it anyways. Satisfied with these results, Kazuki gestures for him to return to the couch, and Rei obliges eagerly.  Kazuki then went about clearing the table, and making a mental note to make rice again for lunch (as it was the only part of the meal Rei had actually finished). He then happened to glance back over at Rei just in time to see him crush his nose into his wrist with a harsh “hH’KNNGT-!” that left them both wincing. “Bless you. But christ Rei, just cut that out already, you’re gonna kill your head even more. It’s actually hurting me to hear you do this. I thought we went over this yesterday!” Rei shoots him a glance at that last section, as if desperately searching for any indication of the day prior that fever seems to have wiped clean. “I don’t remember much of yesterday. Just something about the tub…”  “Yeah well, not surprising. You were pretty out of it. Anyways, doesn’t matter, the point is, suppressing them like that is fine for jobs or whatever, but right now you’re just hurting yourself. Plus it’s… it’s gotta be annoying right..? It doesn’t exactly scratch the itch.” “It’s a habit.” Kazuki rolls his eyes, knowing just as well as Rei does that with this much sneezing, it’s a choice, not an instinct. And even though he does believe Rei that it’s a habit, he also knows that the sneezes aren’t gonna stop anytime soon. Keeping this up is just gonna make his headache even worse. Rei brings a hand up to crush his nose shut for another deeply unsatisfying “hH’NGXT-! heh’DXXGT-!” and when Kazuki sees the tear roll from his eyes at the pain of it, he can’t stand it anymore. He walks out of the kitchen, passing the living room and heading up to his bedroom to fetch something. The feather duster sits right where he left it in his closet.  ‘Sorry Rei, but I promise this is for the best’ he says to himself as he approaches the couch once back downstairs. Rei is giving him a measured look, obviously noticing the way he’s holding his hands behind his back. “I’m sorry it had to come to this, but I cannot listen to you doing that anymore. You’re gonna break something, either in you, or me.” “What are you ta-” He cuts Rei off with the duster right to his face. “Kahhh! Kazuki what the fuhhhhh- hUH-! What are you doing?”  “You seem set on suppressing them out of existence, and I’m putting a stop to it.” Rei tries to bring his hands up to push the duster away, but doing so just sends more dust and feather bits right at his face. Kazuki continues brushing his face with it, only stopping when Rei’s hitching turns into a desperate shaky inhale. “hhHEHH-! hH’ZZSCHH’OO-! HH’RUSHH’OO-! ESHH’OO-! hehH- RSHH’OO-TSHH’OO-! Hihhh… heH’TSHH’OO-!  Hehh! MMPFSHH’OO-! Hehh… hahh…. Hhh-!” “It’s okay Rei, let it all go. I don’t mind. You’re safe here.”  “Ahh… hehh…. hehH’MPFSHH-! Hehh! MPFSHH-!uhhh TSHHH-TSHH’OO-! hEHH! Kaaahhhhzz- haAH’ZZSCHH’OO! I can’t s- stooohh… stop-” Without thinking, Kazuki reaches over, prying away Rei’s hands that he’s stapled to his face, and pinches his nose shut. Rei lets out a soft moan as the sneezing finally dies down enough to let him catch his breath. They sit like that for a minute, until Kazuki realizes he’s still holding Rei’s nose, blushes, and lets go. “Bless you! See, isn’t that better?” Now it’s Rei’s turn to blush, taking the last of the tissues from the box next to him, and letting himself fully blow his nose before responding. “....yeah, it does feel better.” “I knew it! You should really listen to me more often, I’m quite brilliant. You people, you and Kyu, never appreciating my intelligence. You think you’re all that because you’re a tough assassin, practically perfect at it, raised by famous killers, but I’m just as smart you know! If not more so! I had to do it without all the training!” “It was effective training, but it wasn’t all good.” Kazuki pauses his victory dance, finally realizing what he had said.  “Sorry… I didn’t mean-” Rei cuts him off with a shrug, wiping his nose once more with the tissues before tossing them and picking his controller back up. Eyes still on the screen, he spoke again. “I wasn’t allowed weakness. I learned how to hide any sign of humanity, any ‘flaws’.” His tone is balanced, almost like he was reading a grocery list. Just stating facts. But there’s a pain swimming through his eyes that makes Kazuki’s mouth run dry. It’s almost like he can feel all the emotions trembling below the surface of Rei’s calmly annoyed mask, pounding on him from the inside, waiting for a crack so they can seep out. Kazuki wants to give them a way out. Give Rei a space to break down some of the walls his ‘Boss’ had built up in him. Maybe let him figure out how to show his humanity again, something that was so cruelly stolen from him. That’s what he wants, but he knows that’s not what either of them needs.  ‘What Rei needs is a space where he can keep the mask on without effort. That’s what he needs. That’s what both of us need. In this job, we can’t form attachments. We can’t let our masks slip, not even for a second. We need to be cold, collected, and calculating.’ And then, even though he tries not to, he lets his mind wander back to that same old place it always seems to end up. An umbrella floating through the street, the smell of smoke, the ringing in his ears… ‘We don’t get to have people get close to us. That just puts them in danger, and us in danger of losing them.’ “hEH’KSSHH’OO!”  A sneeze breaks him out of his spiralling thoughts, and as Kazuki’s eyes refocus, he realizes Rei is staring at him. “Heh, sorry, got a bit lost in thought there. Bless you.” “It’s fine. Thought you were gonna fall asleep standing up. Didn’t want to worry about you splitting your head open.” Kazuki laughs, and Rei lets a smile slip across his features for just a second, before the grimace of annoyance resets itself, and he turns his eyes back to his game. Kazuki feels a yawn slip out, and Rei directs a raised eyebrow at him. “Didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, I think I’m gonna take a quick catnap.” “Okay.” The answer is short, but he can see the slight flush on Rei’s cheeks as he thinks back to the reason Kazuki is so tired. “Nighty-night.” He shoots over his shoulder, heading upstairs to his room.  ~~~~~~~ The alarm goes off at twelve, just like he wanted it to, but Kazuki still fights the urge to throw the phone at the wall. Letting his head flop back against the pillow, he considers staying in bed all day, but these thoughts are quickly silenced when he hears a bout of harsh coughing from downstairs. Sighing a little, and letting a stray “hH’ISH’shiiew!” slip out as he pulls his jacket back on, Kazuki heads for the stairs, nearly falling down them at the sight waiting for him. Rei stands beside the door, putting on his shoes, holding a loose fist to his mouth as the coughs shake his whole frame.  “What in the ever-loving-fuck do you think you are doing?”  Rei jumps slightly, which is alarming in of itself since Kazuki wasn’t exactly being quiet as he came down the stairs. “Going out.” “Oh like hell you are! And just where are you planning to drag your sickly form to? Gotta go infect a supermarket? Why is it that the one time I actually want you to stay home all day, lazing around, you decide, ‘oh no, no, today is the first time in my life that I feel the unfightable urge to go outside!’ For the love of god Rei, the one time!” “I’m going to see Kyu. We dropped out of the job at the last minute because of me. He’s probably angry, and wehhh! hH’ZZCHH’OO-! we need to take a new one to make up for it.”  Kazuki blinks, staring at Rei, who for his part, is still putting his shoes on. “Bless you. I already took care of that.” “What?” “I told him that you were sick, and he brought the basket over. He said just not to let it happen again, he isn’t upset at us for bailing. Sickness isn’t exactly something you can help…”  Rei’s face was his normal calm annoyance, but something unreadable flashed in his eyes.  “Oh.” And then it hits Kazuki. This probably was new to him, the idea that being sick wasn’t a punishable offence. “Besides, with the state you’re in right now, I don’t want you in position and then blow it because you-” “heH’NNggxt-! hh’nnGT-! AH’KTNGTT-!uhhh” “-Took the words right out of my mouth. Bless you.” “I didn’t say anything.” “Shut up! You know what I mean- oh forget it. You just go lay down again, it’ll be time for more meds again soon. But for now, you should take some cough drops, that cough sounds pretty painful.”  “It’s nothing. My head is worse.” Kazuki feels his mouth drop open at the admission as Rei slowly bends down to take his shoes off again, leaving them in a pile on the floor ‘oh come on, really?’ before making his way back to the couch. Reaching over to pick up the shoes, Kazuki hears Rei sneeze again from behind him. “hH’NGT’ooo-! hEHK’TSHH’OO-!”  “Bless you!” He calls as he puts the shoes back next to the door, heading over to the basket of meds to get Rei’s next dose ready afterwards. “Snfff`- hehh.. hhH-! guhhh…”  Kazuki risks a glance over at Rei, noticing the way his hand is hovering slightly in front of his face, as if he’s waiting for one more. Reaching over into the basket, he grabs a box of tissues and tosses them onto the couch. “Blow your nose, it’ll help.” Rei obliges with an eye roll and sigh, rubbing his nose into the tissues for a moment before letting a harsh blow scrape out. Kazuki winces, making a mental note to buy more tissues next time he’s out. If- ‘okay fine, “when”’ he catches this, he’s gonna need them. “hH’ZSSCHH’OO-!” “Bless y-” “hAH’TSHH’OO-! RRSHH’OO-! heH’NNGXT-! Hehh… hH’MMTSHHH’OO-!uhhh… hhh… heHH-! Guhhh… hhH-! hhHDT-uhhhh…” “Christ, bless you again, and again. Are you al-” “HH’TSHH’OOO-! mmMPFFSHH’OO-! hEhH-uhhh…. Hhehh- hHH’ZZSCHH’OOO-!”  “Bless you! What the fuck Rei, why are you getting so much worse so fast?” Rei just gasps in response, ducking back into the tissues with a harsh triple that doesn’t even give him a breath in between. “hUH’ZSSHH-RSHHH-TSHH’OO-!” Kazuki doesn’t even give a blessing this time, his focus completely taken over by figuring out what’s going on. Even for Rei, this isn’t normal. Sneezing with a cold is one thing, sneezing with this level of viciousness for no reason is something completely different.  Racking his brain he tries to remember the last time, if ever, that he’s seen Rei this bad. Earlier he got a longer fit out of him with the duster, but even that wasn’t nearly as throat-scraping as this, and at least gave him time to collect his breath in between. “Kaahhhhzuki-! hUH’SCHHH’OO! RSHH-TSHHH-TSHHH-KSHHH’OO-! hEHH! hEH’ZZSCHH’OOO-!” Rei’s still desperately sneezing into the tissues, but the box fell off the couch during the commotion. Kazuki reaches to pick it up, and freezes at the sight staring back at him. ‘Lotion infused? Wait a second… Is Rei… Oh fuck-’  Kazuki throws the box on the floor, rushing to the bathroom and coming back with a toilet roll. Rei shoots him a frantic glance as he tears the tissues out of his hand, replacing them with a section of roll, which Rei quickly uses to blow his nose. Taking a desperate breath, letting another “hH’TSHH’OO-!” escape, and blowing his nose again, Rei finally manages to stop the fit. “You’re allergic to lotion!?” “What?” “The tissues dumbass, they’re lotion infused! Are you allergic to lotion?” “I guess so. I’m allergic to most perfumes, so I guess that would make sense.” “You’re what? You didn’t think to tell me this? That maybe I should know so, oh I don’t know, off the top of my head, so I don’t give you lotion infused tissues that nearly kill you? Maybe so that doesn’t happen!?” Rei just shrugs, burying his nose in the toilet roll again and letting another leftover sneeze scrape out of his throat. “HH’ZZSHH’OO-!uhhh” At the tired groan that follows, Kazuki manages to get a hold of himself. Taking a few deep breaths, he shoots Rei a dirty glare, before rubbing a hand down his face. “For future reference, telling me about things you’re allergic to is no longer optional.” “Okay.” Rei pauses for a minute, a harsh cough cutting him off before he can continue, and Kazuki hands him a water bottle from the coffee table. After taking a sip, and clearing his throat, Rei continues, voice noticeably softer, though not necessarily by choice. “Sorry. I didn’t think it was relevant.” The apology seems sincere, regret plainly painted across his face, so Kazuki offers him a gentle smile and playful punch to the arm. “I mean hey, it’s your nose that suffers after all.” Rei moans slightly at the reminder, lightly rubbing his nose against his palm, grumbling out, “It still itches.” Kazuki grabs the meds he was getting before, adding an antihistamine to the mix this time. “Yep. You’ll most likely be itchy for a while, but here, take these. I added an antihistamine, that should help kill the reaction a bit faster. The rest is for the cold.” A low groan is all he gets as an answer, but Rei swallows them, so he counts that as a win. “Maybe we’ll save the nasal spray for another time, I think right now it’ll just make you feel worse. They normally cause a few sneezes.” Rei’s eyes go wide as he nods, then immediately flinches at his head changing positions. “Still got a headache, hm?” This time Rei plays it safe with a verbal response. “Yeah. hAH’SHH’ooo-!”  “Bless you. At least they’re getting softer.” “Mm.”  Kazuki pauses, his mind drifting back to a time in his life that he simultaneously refuses to let himself think about, and can’t seem to ever stop. Back to holding her head in his lap, gently rubbing her neck and temples, back when she’d get migraines during pregnancy. “Do you get migraines?” “Yeah.” “I uh…” Kazuki raises a hand sheepishly to the back of his neck, turning his head slightly away from Rei’s eyes. “I might know something that could help.” He doesn’t get a response, but Rei is watching him intently, eyes studying his face. ‘Shit, he looks really cute like that- woah woah, no, what kinda thought is that?’ Quickly deciding that answering himself would be the easiest way to get Rei to stop giving him that look that seemed to set him on fire from the inside out, Kazuki heads to the kitchen. He fetches a washcloth from a drawer, running it under freezing water, ringing it out a bit, then letting himself drift down onto the couch. “It’s uh… It might be a bit awkward, but you lay your head in… uh…. In my lap, and then I just kinda-” Before he can finish, Rei has paused the game, and laid onto his back, his head resting on Kazuki’s legs. Both of them are stiff, the tension rising off of them enough to raise the heat in the room by several degrees. Without a word, Kazuki places the washcloth on the back of Rei’s neck, and lets his hands touch his hair, starting to run down towards Rei’s temples, pausing only when he flinches at the contact. “Alright?” “Yeah.” With that, he continued his gentle rub, a smile fighting through his control when Rei’s eyes snapped shut and a low moan escaped his lips. ‘His lips… they look so soft… I wonder what they taste like’ Before he knows it, Kazuki feels his own face start moving forward, longing to touch Rei’s lips with his own.  ‘Woah, okay, I’m definitely getting this illness, because I must have a fever. That’s the only explanation for why I just thought that!’ Kazuki rushes, heat starting to stain his face with a light pink tint, but thankfully for him, Rei remains none the wiser, his eyes still closed as he gently hums against the welcome touch. Slowly, he starts to drift off, until soon congested snoring fills the room once more. Kazuki lets his eyes linger on Rei’s lips just a moment longer than he should, before leaning back, and letting his own eyes flutter shut, their breathing quickly falling in sync.  ~~~~~~~ A harsh sound snaps Kazuki out of his sleep. Looking down at his lap he realizes Rei’s head isn’t there anymore, and when he turns his head he sees the man curled up on the edge of the couch, a harsh cough sputtering out of him. “Rei, are you okay?” A wheeze is all he gets in response, followed by deeper coughs that have him nearly falling off the couch. When his eyes find Rei’s, he feels the colour rush out of his face in response to the deep pale tint that Rei currently has. “Hey, okay, take it easy, shit- can you breathe?” Rei opens his mouth to reply, but the only sound that escapes is a faint whisper that seems to catch in his throat. His eyes are wide, panic practically seeping out of them, before he ducks back into his shoulder with another wet, rattling cough. The whistling sound when he tries to breathe answers the question for Kazuki. No, no he can’t. ‘Okay, fuck, don’t panic, think this through, what helps with coughing?’  Raising to his feet, Kazuki drapes Rei across his back, wincing at the way Rei tries with all the strength he has left to direct the onslaught of coughs away from him. Thanking god that the walk to the bathtub is short, Kazuki kicks the door closed behind them, setting Rei carefully on the ground. He then turns to the tub, turning the water as hot as it will go.  Rei gasps desperately, a harsh wheeze leaving tears in his eyes as he doubles over into himself with another round of harsh coughing. Kazuki can’t tell if the tears are from the rattling of the cough, or fear, and honestly he can’t decide which is worse. Finally, after a mere matter of minutes, but what felt like hours, the steam starts filling the bathroom. Rei is still coughing, but the whistling sound when he breathes is already starting to back down. ‘Or maybe that’s just wishful thinking’.  Kazuki lets the bathtub start to fill, walking over to where Rei is, and easing himself onto the ground next to him. He reaches out to rub Rei’s back, but pulls back when Rei flinches away, desperation overflowing in his eyes. They sit like that for a minute, both frozen, aside from the chesty cough still shaking Rei’s frail form, before slowly, Rei leans back into the touch, his watery eyes meeting Kazuki’s. Neither of them say anything, neither of them could if they wanted to. But they don’t need to. Kazuki looks into Rei’s eyes and knows what he means. ‘Your touch is allowed, just be gentle. I’m still learning how to feel safe with it.’ And in turn, Rei knows what the look he’s receiving means. ‘I know, I’ll be careful. Just let me help you.’  As the steam fills the room, Rei’s wheeze slowly starts to fade out, the cough loses some of its ferocity. Even so, Kazuki continues rubbing slow circles, and Rei doesn’t move away from the touch. Once the cough backs off enough for him to take a breath without any whistling, Kazuki stands, not missing the way Rei’s body trembles slightly when he removes his hand. “Come on, let's get you back to the couch, I’ll get you another dose of the cough syrup, and you should try to get some more rest. I have some work to do for a job Kyu asked me to finish up anyways, I’ll work on that while you sleep.” “Okay.” Rei’s voice is raw and harsh, and makes both of them grimace, so Kazuki reaches down and helps Rei stand, letting out a low hum as the other man winces at the movement. “Easy now, don’t go pulling anything. Carrying you is still a no from me, I’d like to keep my back intact.” There’s a faint hint of something that could be considered laughter from Rei, and given the state he’s in, and how expressive he normally is (ie. isn’t) it’s frankly impressive. Once they get back to the couch, Kazuki lets Rei lay down at his own pace, before getting him the cough syrup. Rei once again makes a face that reminds Kazuki of a child, but it’s better than not taking it. He stands and watches for a minute, making sure Rei’s able to drift off, before heading up to the office to finish the work he promised Kyu. Somewhere in his mind, a voice he shut in a box a long time ago starts screaming again, and he has to fight to ignore it. ‘This is love, you are in love!’  ~~~~~~~ “hH’SHH’UHH-!” A hoarse sneeze alerts Kazuki that his patient is awake again, pulling him out of the spiral his mind had chosen to wander down. Making his way downstairs, he’s relieved to see Rei sitting up, a lot more colour in his face. “How are you doing now? You gave me a bit of a scare. Ya know, for a smoker who seems to have remarkable tolerance to cigarettes, you sure have weak lungs!” Rei opens his mouth to answer, but all that comes out is a hoarse rush of air, followed by a deep, voiceless groan. A laugh escapes Kazuki’s lips before he can stop it, earning him a dark glare from the man sitting on the couch rubbing his throat. ‘This funny to you?’  Yet again, no words are needed for Kazuki to know exactly what Rei means. “Yes, in fact, it is pretty funny to me. You know that old saying, ‘your face will freeze that way’? Maybe this is the voice equivalent. You don’t use it enough, so it’s decided to just up and pack its bags!” Rei shoots him another glare, but this time there’s a hint of humour in it that he isn’t able to suppress. Kazuki winks at him, before checking the alarms he’d set on his phone for meds. “It’s gonna be another few hours before I can give you another dose of anything, so I think you’ll just have to put up with this for now.” “Well… at least… you’ll get… what you always… wanted… to talk without… interruption…”  The words are strained, and seem to scrape against his throat enough to make Kazuki audibly gasp. “Hey, woah, no no no. No more talking, not only is that extremely bad for you, but christ man, it sounds horrible. Don’t do that to yourself, you’re just gonna wreck something beyond repair.”  “Aren’t… you usually… on me… about not… talking enough…”  “Yeah but this is different! Seriously, it sounds painful. You should rest it, and drink some more water, try to give your throat a bit of a break.” Rei just nods this time, hand still lightly rubbing his throat, apparently done trying to fight his body on this particular matter. ‘Probably good, seeing as this is one fight he has no chance of winning. Only person skilled enough to take down Rei, is Rei’.  Kazuki sits down on the couch beside Rei, who had picked up the controller again, deciding to watch him play games for a while. Kazuki starts to feel a tickle form in his throat, and decides that denial is the best form of medication. ‘It’s probably just from hearing how bad Rei’s throat is, that’s all.’ He thinks, allowing himself to drift into the world of denial a little deeper. His thoughts are interrupted by… actually, he doesn’t know what by. There’s no actual noise, nothing has happened that should have brought him crashing back into the real world. Fully putting his gaze on Rei, Kazuki suddenly realizes what pulled him back in. “Bless you.” “heH’SHH’uhhh-!” Rei’s eyes meet his with a confused look. Kazuki just chuckles, letting himself indulge in a moment of pride for being able to read him that well. It started with a slight tremble around Rei’s eyes, followed by his nose twitching, and finally a slight gasp in his normal breathing. Patterns that Kazuki didn’t even realize he had memorized, and yet, it came so naturally to him.  While his gaze was already on Rei, he let himself look the man over. His shoulders were tight, like normal, but there was a slight shudder to them that made him reach over and drape a blanket over Rei’s legs. This time he got a low hum in response, reaffirming that he was correct on that assessment. Then there was his throat, which, while he wasn’t talking, was still slightly moving, almost as if he was swallowing constantly. Kazuki reaches over to his side of the couch where he had seen Rei place the water bottle earlier, and hands it to him, blushing a little at the look of pure confusion that met him once again. “You look like you need it… Am I wrong?” There’s no response, he didn’t expect one, but the way Rei’s hands loosen their grip on the controller after he drinks is all the answer Kazuki needs.  “Bless you.” “hH’SHH’uhhh-!”  “And again, and once more.” “hEH’SHH’uhhh-! Hehh-! hH’SHH’uhhh-!”  Rei gives him a withering look, but Kazuki just laughs it off, gently ruffling Rei’s hair, before pulling his hand back with a clearing of his throat. ‘Why did you do that?!” “So- uh- I have a bit more work to do upstairs. I’ll come back down when it-” Suddenly he pauses, a far away look glossing over his features, before snapping to the side with a-  “hih’ISHH’iew-! Tishh’iew-! hAH’ISHH’IEW-! Oh, bless me.”  Blushing slightly at the stare Rei points his direction, Kazuki gives a light shrug. “Don’t ask, I’m not sick, just a few sneezes, it can happen to anyone!” This time Rei definitely didn’t need words to convey his point, the eye roll said it all clearly.  ‘Whatever you say.’ Kazuki elects to ignore this one, settling instead for finishing his earlier sentence. “I’ll come back down when it’s time for you to take some more meds.” Rei nods, then gives Kazuki a look that nearly melts his entire being. The meaning of this one was also clear, and struck him right to his very core. ‘Thank you.’ “You’re welcome.” He whispers back, heading upstairs, and deciding he’ll attribute the fluttering in his chest to the cold. Better to admit that he’s catching an illness rather than the alternative… but the little voice inside him starts screaming once again: ‘You’re in love, you’re in love, you love him!’ 

[rxhehe]

I finished om Nightbringer yesterday and AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH. I LOVE IT! *sobbing* I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!! I HAVE SOOOOO MANY THINGS TO SAY ABOUT IT!!

*Obviously there are going to be major *Spoilers* (I finished 1 through 10, and all the extra episodes till 7, I just discovered there was hard, I wondered why hard wasn’t there and then I was like:….oh…..it is there 🤡).*

This is mainly going to be spoilers on chapter 1 (referencing events in the original game as well(Certain cards, and events till season 3)) and my analysis of it:

Okay so first off we get transported to the past by someone who met us not so long ago and we told them our name (according to them). They also said it would be considered a while ago for us (Which means they probably aren’t human and they were talking about our lifespan). Another thing was they talked about being able to see the present, future and past, which sounds like Barbatos(Barbie), but I thought it might be too obvious.

Oh yeah I went back and when you choose the option to insist on knowing his name, he tells it to us……..

Like this??? (╯ ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)╯┻━┻Like thanks, but no thanks. Did I count the letters to make sure of something? yes I did. It has to do with another event that happens later on in the game(there are too many letters for Barbie).

So we get dropped of right where we did in the first game, except this time it’s right after The Great Celestial War (I think it would be about a year after), and we get introduced to the characters all over again and stuff, right? Except this time we get an absolutely unhinged satan

So like angry Satan, but all the time(makes sense poor baby was just born and thrown here like that)

I’m concerned to say the least

It’s giving angsty teenager(same)

Levi and Ruri-chan are love at first sight, I kid you not he just heard her and went like: What’s that? I need it in my life!!)

MC literally makes Satan pass out and Diavolo was like: Ayyyyy! That’s cool! Do it agaiiiin! (Like why aren’t you concerned?????!?)

He gave us that attitude ( you might recognize it from when he got amnesia and some of the cards, like the glory days).

Yeah we got appointed as their babysitter……..

They made it very clear that they didn’t want a babysitter (Lucifer voiced it the strongest), but like Diavolo insisted, works out for us I guess¯\_(ツ)_/¯.Lucifer went out of his way to call MC for the first time and tell her that they didn’t need the help of an attendant and he’ll talk to Diavolo, so MC can just quit. Same thing in game, MC shows up and he’s all like we don’t need you (this was one of my favorite moments in the game, I’ll tell you why when I get to that part, but it was super funny).

My man WHY ARENT YOU CONCERNED????? Like MC knows about HoL, Diavolo: How? Anyways-

It’s clear Lucifer doesn’t trust MC and doesn’t want MC around his brothers( remember when he threatened MC at that party Diavolo had, and said he would get rid of them if they seemed to be a threat to his brothers or Diavolo? I think it’s the same thing, just this time add on the fact that they think MC is a demon.)

Oh yeah they think MC is a demon, I guess it’s sort of a logical response in that moment, cuz like what would a human be doing here in the middle of the Devildom right after the end of that whole war? And like this isn’t a sorcerer or witch that Diavolo is familiar with. No it’s just some kid with weird powers. I think they also came to that conclusion because of MC’s soul, many times in the game they hint or outright say that MC’s soul is weird, I think that MC’s soul is something between human, angel and demon.

And you’d be like why demon? See chapter 16 in the original game they needed all six brothers pacts(excluding Belphi) to open the door for Belphi, but MC opened it with just pacts from 5, so I think Lucifer didn’t consider the fact that one of their siblings magic would be within someone else(MC), so he just made the spell openable to any six of the siblings magic. And how? Lilith fell first then she got turned into a human by Dia, so she probably did turn into a demon first and carried the powers of both demon and angel with her soul or something of the sorts, which got passed down to MC.

The only problem with that theory would be the staircase.Lucifer clearly said that no demon would be able to go up the staircase other than him, and only a demon could see the door. I think that would make sense if the way he made the spell was if human/angel allow to go up stairs, if demon allow to see door, and not the opposite( if demon don’t allow to go upstairs, etc.) Cuz that way every part of MC would allow her to pass through a certain part. And if we take it that way it kinda enforces my theory not refutes it.

Mammon isn’t afraid of ghosts here, so something happened to make him afraid, they might tell us later…

That sounds so cute and sad at the same time knowing that his father was very strict with him🥹🥹 (He said so at the end of season 3).

That was a very good call. True MC knows them on a very personal level, but they’ve just been through a lot and to them MC is someone they just met, they probably feel like they couldn’t trust MC or talk about the things they’re going through with MC around.

I feel it was also a good call on the devs part to have MC pose as a demon(I really like the idea as well),cuz although the brothers might not hate humans right now per se (Belphi was alright with Solomon, I think he just still didn’t come to the conclusion it was the humans fault yet.), but like it would be a touchy subject considering what just happened.

Also on the website Belphi’s line is “Who deserves to be punished the most?” I think he’s referring to his eventual conclusion that it’s human, at the time it just hasn’t happened yet.

He followed us all the way here 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹, He’s the best mentor🥹🥹🥹. (Though I’m sure he would have been torn limb from limb if he didn’t come get us back lol).

I guess he isn’t completely unsuspicious of us, but just giving things their time? Like he’s interested in the weird being (MC) and thinks he’ll figure it out eventually?

He saw a chance and took it ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Ah shit, here we go again.

Yeah, I’m sure it would hurt a lot if someone you thought of as family and was incredibly close to suddenly started acting cold like they didn’t know you. Like these guys reached a point where they would literally do anything for each other and now they’re all acting like they’d be just fine or even better off without MC. Even if MC knew they didn’t mean any harm and that they weren’t the same brothers they knew I bet it would hurt. I could totally imagine MC suddenly having a full mental breakdown, cuz it’s hard and painful and hopeless. It really helps that Sol is there for them.🥹🥹

Gurl I wouldn’t do that if I were you (・_・;)

So it’s officially a year.

He always wins bullshit prizes and I’m living for it.

Dude would have been a goner if he ate that muffin

So THAT’S how it ended up in the freezer. So did it end up in the freezer for that long(until MC showed up in the original time)? Just when is this exactly in relevance to the original game? Like I’m assuming it’s very long ago, like centuries perhaps before MC was even born. I mean it is very possible that it stayed in the freezer that long, considering Mammon borrowed money from Levi like 200 years ago or something, like time to them is not something they’re super concerned about. I could totally imagine Mammon trying to find that credit card for centuries that would be absolutely hilarious.

Took the words right out of my mouth, why did he ask a demon he just met to found RAD with him?

My man believes in his intuition more than I believe in my own two eyes.

Old Luci was also softer🥹. I like to think of the old Luci as a square in jell-O of that makes sense to you.

What I get from this is that he probably doesn’t feel angel nor demon at this point. He’s kinda getting used to his current situation, and slowly accepting demons. Like we’ve seen in some cards that he used to have this perception that demons were the embodiment of evil and getting to know Dia kind of helped in changing that, but he probably still has a hard time with the balance of good and evil within demons and the sort of morals they have.

Out of all the brothers I think he’s the most stabile in terms of his new situation and being turned into a demon and stuff. Like I think Mammon has the least to regret with the war and all(He had a moment comforting Lucifer right after their fall telling him that he’s the big bro and that all his brothers are counting on him, he also said the line we all followed you for our own reasons(It was in a card, Luci had this flashback when Mammon asked him what made him like this (You know meaner and stricter Luci) and after the flashback Lucifer replied You did ¬‿¬)), but after losing the war has started to think of himself as less (I think it has to do with not being that much of a help). Lucifer on the other hand doesn’t see himself being a demon a problem he’s very sure of himself (we see him quickly accept that he’s a demon in the Lilith flashback), he’s sure of his decision for himself, he’s the sort to be wrong and still act like he’s the shit. His only regret is probably with his brothers🥹🥹😭😭, he feels like his brothers might have been better off not going through that, not falling all because of what he wanted, hence his line: “My pride hurt my brothers”.

Yeah he has it out for us

Remember where I said one of my favorite parts having to do with Luci? This is it, it’s hilarious 💀💀💀

MC managed what Satan couldn’t in centuries in like two minutes. Hahahahahahahaah, I’m sorry but this has me dying.

And like the “Awww, does wittle Wucifer need something?” has me on chokehold, I’m sorry I can’t- Like I want to say that to him again. pffhahahahaa.

This really has my getting the feels for Satan. Like I just wanna hug him so tightly. Poor thing is so lost and confused and has a lot of anger, he really doesn’t know what to do.

Lol, he used to fear Satan more than Lucifer, that’s an achievement unlocked. Like in season three both Levi’s and Mammon’s greatest fear were Lucifer, but Satan managed to overcome that, and it’s just purely hilarious to me.

I’m only allowed 30 images🤡🤡……Like excuse me I only need two more, but like it’s okay I only needed two more anyways.

Anyways remember that snake they were running from like crazy? Yeah he was running from Satan too 💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀.

And Levi took one for the snakue🥹🥹🥹🥹, and they became best friends🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹. (Took one as in faced Satan💀💀, in like the most hilarious way).

All in all after I finished the first chapter I was happy, and I wanted more. The devs clearly knew what they were doing and they did it all right. Like they gave us an incredible amount of info in just the first chapter, like it feels like a nicely condensed story, honestly they gave us more than I expected. I genuinely love this with every fiber in my being. Like to be honest throughout the original game I always thought that the brothers got here and they were accepted easily because they were incredibly high ranking angels (in the beginning I thought it might have been a bit different, however in the Glory days card Diavolo said the populace of the Devildom was excited to see Lucifer and hear his speech), so I just though that they must have been given these high ranking titles in the Devildome automatically. But the devs illustrated how things actually happened very smoothly. I’m assuming there will be an explanation of sorts of what was meant in The Glory Days.

I’m also very happy with the way they made Lucifer’s personality in this time period. I’ve always had the question “What would Lucifer be like if he wasn’t beyond imagination strong?” I thought I guess we wouldn’t know since he’s always been all powerful and stuff. But I’m so happy they made him like this. Even though he’s mostly powerless now he still has a snarky side to him and that dumb smug smile. He feels just fine standing up to Dia and telling MC they aren’t shit to him (Even though he knows MC is strong, and he literally just met them). But also doesn’t mind eating up his pride for his brothers.🥹🥹

EDIT: I also just wanted to say that I love MC’s character options, like you can see MC’s comfortability and character development.

[contrastparadoxx]

Fledgling Beginnings

Summary: Callie meets someone new Word count: 1460 Characters: Callie, Stygia ( @whispertrolls ), mentions of Poppie (whisper)

The attack went terribly.

They were expecting her. Had someone tipped them off, or had this been a set up from the start she had to wonder, as she limped through the woods, drops of lime feeling almost neon in the moonlight. Why, why, why! Why hadn’t she listened and brought one of the others? She could hear the sound of a drone getting ever closer. Only the one, but it had been unexpectedly strong, enough to throw her off balance, and a single glancing blow had left her leg badly injured. She had to keep moving keep pushing forward, there was a stream somewhat up ahead, that would hopefully provide enough time for her to at least get an sos out.

But it wasn’t to be, the sounds got louder, and she only just was able to throw herself to the ground in a roll and avoid the snapping shut of jaws that would have severely injured her, if not outright killed. As she came out of the roll she drew back, taking aim directly at the creature. She couldn’t risk not landing this shot or she would be dead, so her grip tightened slight, white wood painted green. She had to just beg and pray that someone would answer, though her hopes were not high after the heated argument she had the last time an ancestor was summoned. 

Vision already getting fuzzy black from blood loss, this wasn’t good. One shot, she had just one shot. She took a breath, adrenaline making everything slow around her. Stars above let someone answer her.

Anyone.

She felt a hand resting on hers lightly, guiding her shot. She trusted it, did she have a choice, her arrow gleaming dangerously before shooting forward, perfectly striking its target. The noise from the drone let her know it was, for the moment, disabled. Her chest heaved, no time no time just get up and go. She could barely move, but getting away from here was the most important task. “Please, thank you, I’m sorry, I don’t know” she said softly, not yet looking towards whoever was summoned, just limping away towards the stream. If she could get there, she could get to her hiding spot until Soul returned with someone. 

Turns out swimming and holding your breath is hard when bleeding heavily, but at least the shock of the cold jolted her more awake, and once she was able to slump down the wall to the ground did she look around, hoping whoever had answered her summons had followed.

And they had.

She paused, surprised. Not ever met this one before… “…You’re new”

“So are you, but worry about the introductions when you aren’t bleeding out.”

Fair enough, honestly. It didn’t take too much urging for Callie to actually show the injury on her leg. It likely wouldn’t kill her, unless left entirely untreated, but she needed to stop the bleeding in any way she could for now. Her hands were shaking as she tried, making what should be a simple task so much harder. Luckily, one major advantage to being her is it was relatively easy to let ghosts, or at least her relatives, touch her, so the current visitor was able to guide and even somewhat steady her hands once again. Only once both were sure the bleeding was stopped did the talking start again, likely to keep herself awake, she mused internally.

“Alright, I’m not bleeding out anymore, so who are you and why haven’t I seen you before? Normally the new ones are so much harder to pull here but you took… nothing. At least, nothing noticeable.”

“Well, I suppose it isn’t surprising that I was easy to call,” the ghost nodded towards the bow that Callie carried. “You’re using my bow… well… essentially. I wasn’t the first to use it.” Pointedly, they avoided the question of their name. “I’ve been elsewhere for a while, and I wasn’t listening for its echo… but regardless, where did you find it?”

“You didn’t actually answer the question of WHO you are.”

They paused for a moment, then softly sighed as their fingers began to play with their olive shawl. “…Stygia, or ‘The Catalyst’, but that title only means something to me when it’s used to spit in the face of the empire.”

Ah. Understanding clicks in Callie’s eyes “you’re my ancestor. Like… my direct ancestor.”

“Apparently so.” They glanced around, wary of any threats that may have fallen, not upon them, but upon their newfound descendant. “The fact that you know of me of me is likely a mess all on its own— One I would prefer to sort out once you’ve reached safety.”

“Well,” Callie said with a small sigh “I’m stuck here til… probably Poppie shows up. I hope it’s NOT Poppie but it will probably be Poppie and then BOY OH BOY!” Fake chipperness dripped from her tone “I sure will be getting an earful.”

“Poppie.” Stygia twitched an ear as they processed the name. They listened in silence for another moment, then nodded to the bow at Callie’s side. “Keep our bow ready by your hand, and I’ll guide your arrows. You need to stay alert for just a while longer.”

“I swear I don’t usually get this badly hurt on missions,” Callie was fully aware this was a horrible first impression to make, and gritted her teeth. “They were expecting me this time. That never happens, and frankly I’m curious about how it did.” Her grip on the bow tightened slightly, not quite enough to turn her knuckles white.

“Your usual isn’t relevant here.” Another ear twitch, this time with the energy of subtle annoyance. “Focus on right now, and holding your own until your companion arrives.”

“I’m just trying to make conversation because it’s frankly either that, pass out, or start swearing so loud I WILL attract attention” comes the snippy, annoyed reply.

“…Hm.” They emit a soft sound from the back of their throat, one that seemed almost akin to amusement. “You might feel at least marginally better talking about yourself, rather than dwelling on what went wrong.”

The living Astera let out a groan, leaning her head back against the rock behind her, eyes closed. “Aw man, that’s like, me least favorite topic to talk about. You sure you don’t want to hear about the history of reoccurring motifs in tea cup designs?” There’s a note of hopefulness in her tone, but she does not even wait for an answer before sighing. “There’s not really anything I can say you don’t already know. Being a lime fucking sucks, being an Astera doubly sucks, this whole planet is like- ass incarnate.” She pulls her hood leg up so she can hold it, pointedly avoiding looking at the ghost.

“Something we can agree on, I’ll admit.” They shifted in place, then pointed at the sky, where a winged shape could be seen against the night sky. Its wings beat in a steady, but haunting, rhythm of the night. “But, least favorite topic or not, you demanded my name without providing your own. It’s only courteous to reciprocate you know.”

“…Callie. I’m… Callie.” She looked up again, then, following the pointing. Her shoulders visibly relaxed at the familiar outline of Soul. That meant someone was close behind, help would be here soon. “Guess you won’t need to keep me awake much longer” she joked, still not making eye contact.

“I still wouldn’t recommend letting go until your condition is stable.” Stygia watched the owl fly, then glanced back at their descendant out of the corner of their eye. “Callie… hm.” They focused their gaze straight ahead once more. “I would say that it is nice to meet you, but the circumstances are less than desirable— not that it matters much. Regardless of tonight’s outcome, we’ll have time to speak.” They took a step back and slowly kneeled to grasp the bow alongside Callie’s hand. The bow began to glow softly, which enveloped Stygia’s form. Their eyes became more vibrant— more than they had been in sweeps. “And by our hands, we’re intertwined. You have me here, now, at your beck and call.”

Callie was stunned to silence, tears starting to fill her eyes. Before she could find the words to reply, the noise of someone approaching could be heard, and soon Poppie was visible. The bow had stopped glowing by then, and Callie could only stare silently at her companion, then glance at her ancestor as those words sank in. Help was here, the moment needed her, but her feeling head made that difficult.

“Get help, heal, I’ll be here when you’re ready,” the last words she heard before everything crashed in, and the world went black.

[ailendolin]

Thanktival 2022 - Day 8 - BBC Ghosts

Title: The First [Part 2 of 2, AO3]

Characters: Thomas/Nigel, the Captain, Julian, Fanny, Robin

Prompt: First Kiss

Summary: Thomas once again waits under the mistletoe and ends up getting a kiss he doesn’t want. Nigel fixes the mess Julian made.

Part 1 is here.

————

The First

Chapter 2: First Kiss

Nigel’s heart was beating wildly as he watched Thomas flee from the room.

“I was waiting for the right person,” echoed in his ears. And, “His name is Nigel.”

He felt like someone had pulled a rug out from under his feet – or thrown him into an icy lake without warning again. Never in a thousand years would he have thought that he could be the one Thomas was waiting for under the mistletoe.

Jean had tried to tell him, of course. “Just stop worrying for once and walk up to him and kiss him. What have you got to lose?”

“His friendship!” Nigel had whispered back furiously before he’d taken a deep breath. “Look at me, Jean. What could he possibly see in someone like me?”

“A kind-hearted fool who’s blind to what’s right in front of him?” Jean had helpfully suggested.

Nigel had given her a look. “Very funny. I am not going to ruin our friendship just because you want something to gossip about, so I’d appreciate it if you stopped nagging me about this and kindly shut up.”

Jean had rolled her eyes but held her tongue for the rest of the day – until Thomas had run out of the room heartbroken, that is.

“I don’t want to say I told you so but – I told you so,” she said, drawing Nigel out of his muddled thoughts.

“But why?” he asked, still helplessly staring at the door Thomas had vanished through. “I don’t understand. Why would he–?”

“You make him feel seen,” Robin said. When everyone turned to look at him, he gave a little shrug. “Is true. You listen to his poetry, walk with him in the garden, dance to his music … All with a smile. And Thomas always smiles back, even when you’re not looking. He’s happier when you’re around.”

“And calmer,” Fanny conceded, albeit reluctantly. “Less prone to his usual outbursts, thank god.”

“Quite so,” the Captain agreed.

“See?” Jean said softly, placing a hand on his arm. “Even they could see it.”

Nigel needed a moment to let that sink in, this frighteningly new reality in which Thomas Thorne was apparently in love with him and had been for quite some time. It felt a little bit like a dream to Nigel; too good to be true. Things like that just didn’t happen to him. He could count the people he had fallen in love with on one hand, and only one of them had ever kissed him back – on the very night before he’d left town to move in with his sister to help her take care of her grievously injured husband.

Nigel had never seen him again.

He’d long ago resigned himself to the fact that happily ever afters like in the stories were not meant for people like him. And yet when Thomas’s eyes had met his for a brief second after Julian’s kiss, they had been brimming with more love than Nigel had ever seen reflected at him before. It had taken his breath away, made his heart stutter and stumble with hope and left his feet longing to cross the distance between them until they were both standing under the mistletoe, closer than ever before, growing closer still until not even air separated them anymore – and Thomas was not aware of any of it.

“I have to find him,” Nigel murmured to himself. He had to make this right, had to let Thomas know–

“To do what?” Julian asked, stopping him with a hand on his chest as Nigel walked past him.

Nigel generally considered himself a calm and friendly person who got along with everyone. He tended to keep his head down instead of picking fights, preferred to retreat rather than risk outright confrontation but when he looked up into Julian’s face, all of that flew right out the window. 

“I don’t think that’s any of your business, Julian,” Nigel said. He dropped his voice even lower. “You’ve done enough harm already.”

For a brief second, Julian seemed to be taken aback by his words. Then his face smoothed out into a devilish grin as he drawled, “Jealous ‘cause I got there first?”

Fury like he’d never felt it before ran up Nigel’s spine.

“No, Julian, I’m not jealous,” he said, almost spitting out the word. “I’m disappointed that Thomas has such a shitty friend who would claim his first kiss and treat it like a joke. Now get out of my way before I forget myself and punch you in the face.”

With that, Nigel pushed past him and finally left the room, not inclined to waste any more time on Julian Fawcett and his lack of morals. He didn’t see Jean quietly cheering him on, didn’t see the guilt flash in Julian’s eyes as they followed him out of the room or the way Robin looked away at the word joke as he remembered another kiss that held no meaning, and he didn’t care. The only thing that mattered in that moment was finding Thomas and fixing the mess Julian had made.

He phased through the door and almost literally ran into Alison.

“Nigel,” she said, taking a surprised step back to avoid collision. “What’s going on? I just saw Thomas–“

“Where?” Nigel interrupted her – something he would feel guilty about later on, he knew.

Alison, looking a little taken aback, pointed behind her. “On the stairs.”

“Thank you!” Nigel breathed and flashed her a brief, grateful smile before he stepped past her and hurried upstairs.

He checked Thomas’s room first, knowing how much Thomas liked to sit by the window ever since Alison had renovated the room for him. They had spent more nights than he could count pressed into the narrow space on the windowsill and talking away the hours while looking up at the stars until the moon gave way to the sun. Nigel didn’t think he would ever get tired of seeing the way Thomas’s eyes would soften every time they watched the sunrise together. Thomas looked completely at peace in those moments, both with the world and with himself, and Nigel had felt the urge to lean forward and capture the serene smile on his lips with his own more than once on these occasions. Had he known that Thomas felt the same–

He firmly shook his head. It was no use dwelling on the past and what-ifs that couldn’t be changed. He had a chance to make things right right now – that was the only thing that mattered.  

After Thomas’s room, he went to check the other rooms upstairs, including Alison and Mike’s bedroom and bathroom. When he found all of them empty, he had only one place left to check: the attic. Even before he rounded the corner that led to the dark and desolate room, Nigel could hear the heartbreaking sound of muffled sobs filter down the hallway. Thomas’s breathing hitched painfully with every inhale and Nigel could very much imagine him sitting there with his hands pressed over his mouth, desperately trying to silence himself as he fell apart. It made Nigel wish he had actually gone through with his threat and punched Julian in the face so Julian would feel at least a fraction of the pain Thomas was in right now because of him.

Unable to bear silent witness to Thomas’s suffering any longer, Nigel took a deep, calming breath and approached the half-open door.

“Knock knock,” he said softly. The sounds of crying immediately stopped. “It’s me. Can I come in?”

He risked a glance through the door and saw Thomas hurriedly wiping his eyes on his sleeve as if he was ashamed of his emotions.

“Please don’t. I – I can’t do this right now, Nigel,” Thomas whispered. He sounded small and frail, as if he was one wrong word away from breaking completely.

“I just want to talk,” Nigel tried again.

Thomas swallowed a sob. “About what? How Julian’s made a fool of me and ruined the one meaningful relationship I have ever managed to hold onto? No, thank you.”

“Nothing’s ruined, Thomas,” Nigel said softly before Thomas could wander further down the road of self-deprecation. He stepped into the room and knelt down in front of Thomas, patiently waiting for him to look up and meet his eyes. When he did, Nigel took in that most beloved face, tear-stained and reddened as it despite Thomas’s best efforts to hold in his emotions, and smiled. “Nothing’s ruined.”

“I … I don’t understand,” Thomas said helplessly.

Nigel reached for his hands. Giving them a gentle squeeze, he finally said the words he had been holding back for far too long. “I love you.”

Thomas blinked at him in wide-eyed shock. “You … what?”

Nigel breathed out a laugh, feeling almost giddy with excitement now that he’d finally put his feelings into words. The hardest part was done, and it felt freeing. “I love you, Thomas.”

To his surprise, Thomas pulled his hands away, looking pained. “If this is your idea of a joke–“

“Never,” Nigel promised, gently reaching for his hands again. This time, he cradled them close to his chest, right where his heart was beating a mile a minute, hoping Thomas would be able to feel it. “I would never joke about this, Thomas, especially not after what happened today.”

He brought Thomas’s hands to his lips, then, and pressed a kiss against the trembling fingers. Thomas’s mouth dropped open in wonder as he exhaled softly. “But … why didn’t you meet me under the mistletoe?”

Nigel bit his lip and looked down at their hands – one pair elegant, soft and unblemished, the other rough with callouses and littered with sores.  

“Jean told me I should but to be honest I – I didn’t think you’d want me to. I mean, look at me,” he said and gestured at his simple clothes and plague-marked skin.

Nothing could have prepared him for Thomas’s next words.

“I am,” Thomas said softly, his eyes impossibly wide in the gloom of the attic. “I see kind blue eyes that remind me of becalmed seas in summer. I see lips that curve so lovingly into a smile they never fail to take my breath away. I see hands that are warm and gentle and treat me as if I’m deserving of only the gentlest of touches.” He paused to give said hands a meaningful squeeze. “I see you, Nigel, and I love what I see. I love you.”

He said those words so reverently that Nigel found his eyes suddenly stinging with tears. Not knowing what else to say and not wanting to wait any longer, he asked, “May I kiss you?”

The smile on Thomas’s face faltered. He looked down at their clasped hands in dismay. “I wanted you to be my first. But Julian–”

“That kiss doesn’t count,” Nigel said with a shake of his head. Thomas sniffed and slowly met his eyes. “There was no love in it.”

His words didn’t erase the pain Thomas felt over having had his very first kiss stolen but Nigel could tell that they managed to mellow it, managed to make it bearable, when Thomas’s face softened and he whispered, “There is love here.”

“There is,” Nigel murmured and slowly, so slowly that Thomas had every chance to turn his head away, pressed their lips together. The touch was gentle and nervous, lingering and loving, and when Thomas let go of his hands to cradle his face, Nigel relaxed and smiled into the kiss. It lasted an eternity, or as much of it that could be crammed into a few seconds, and when they pulled apart, they were both breathing heavily and staring at each other in wonder.

“I never thought it would feel like this,” Thomas whispered in awe.

Nigel reached up to touch his heated cheeks. “Like what?”

“Like seeing the sky for the first time,” Thomas breathed. “Kiss me again?”

Nigel was only too happy to oblige.

[aquietwritingcorner]

A Shot to the Chest

Title: A Shot to the Chest       Word Count: 1397   Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl Rating: T   Characters: Leonardo, Donatello   Warning:  N/A   Summary: Leo clearly remembers the moment he saw Donnie take the shot mean for Master Splinter. He can’t help but notice Don rubbing the spot the laser hit him now. A little fill-in for Season 1, Episode 26 that takes place in Season 2, Episode 1   Notes: I always wondered about this. I mean, those lasers were destroying things and sent Donnie flying into another room where he seemed to be unconscious. Shouldn’t someone have at least checked on him? AO3 || ff.net

___________________________________

A Shot to the Chest

Coming to an alien planet was a wonder that Leonardo had never thought about happening to him. Sure, he enjoyed a good science fiction show or movie as much as his brothers—they had all seen Star Trek by this point—but being able to travel to an alien world? That had never even been a consideration.

And then it had happened to them. And, despite the circumstances, Leo couldn’t help but be somewhat amazed that they were actually on an alien world.

However, even with that wonder, Leo hadn’t forgotten the circumstances that led them here. How could he, with all that had happened? Breaking into the TCRI building, finding Master Splinter, the fight that had broken out, there was no way to forget any of that. That meant that it also didn’t escape Leonardo’s notice that this was the fourth time in less than fifteen minutes that Donatello had rubbed his plastron. He doubted that Don had even noticed, deep in a conversation with Professor Honeycutt about some of this world’s technology.

Leo made it a point to keep an eye on his brothers, especially after a fight, and during one, if he could. Leo had been keeping a close eye on Don since their arrival, but he hadn’t noticed anything amiss during their arrival, their fights and escapes, or even just their trek through these alien sewers to where they were now. He wasn’t too surprised. Leo knew that Donatello could be very good at hiding things when he wanted to, and very good at compartmentalizing things away during times of need. If you wanted to learn something about Don, the best time to do it was when he was distracted and at ease enough to drop his guard—which wasn’t often.

So, Leo watched for an opportunity and counted a fifth time that Don rubbed at his chest.

It made Leo’s stomach twist. He could still remember the moment Donnie had taken that shot for Master Splinter clearly. He had seen where the shots from the out-of-control alien were going, although he was too far away to do anything about it. He shouldn’t have been surprised that his genius brother had seen the path as well and took quick action. He didn’t think he’d ever forget seeing his brother take a shot directly to the chest, a shot hard enough to send him flying through the air and into another room. That moment and the fear that followed it would live in his mind for the rest of his life.

He didn’t think that Mikey and Raph had seen it. Leo had been the only one who called out his name, his terror over what state his brother might be in giving him wings, even as he took down whatever opponent was in his way. Seeing Don sprawled on the steps of something, not moving, not making a sound had just about sent Leo into a panic then and there. He’d been half sure he was going to lose not only his father, but also a brother in that moment.

Even as his brothers had picked him up, trying desperately to move him somewhere they could protect him, Don had only barely roused, his head lolling back until the man had rushed in, yelling for them to stop. Even then, though, he had made no attempt to get up or to move on his own, staying on the ground even as his brothers had formed a protective triangle around him.

Leo suppressed a shudder. It had been terrifying, not knowing if Donnie had been badly injured, or even outright killed before he got to his side. The terror had only transformed at that point, not knowing what damage he might have sustained. Seeing Don move as quickly and as freely as he did after their arrival on this alien world had alleviated most of Leo’s fears.

But not all of them.

Leo waited until there was a break in the conversation, Raph and Mikey taking the professor’s attention for a moment. Raph caught Leo’s eye for a moment, and then glanced at Mikey. Leo knew that he wasn’t the only one who had noticed how often Don had been rubbing his chest. Taking his cue, Leo stepped closer to Don, keeping his voice pitched a bit low as to keep the conversation private.

“You okay, Don?” he asked. He nodded towards where Don’s hand was rubbing his chest again. “You took a hard hit there earlier.”

Don looked a bit startled, and then glanced down at where his hand was, quickly pulling it away. “Yeah, I’m fine, Leo. Don’t worry about me.”

Leo didn’t believe a word of it. Don was too used to downplaying his own injuries. “Don. You jumped in front of a laser to protect Master Splinter and got thrown into a completely different room from the force of it,” Leo said, making sure Don knew that he knew what had happened.

“I know,” Don said, his face turning contemplative. “Actually, I think having the freedom to move like that might have kept me from getting seriously injured. It allowed the force of the shot to lessen over time and distance, rather then all of it just pouring into me at once.”

He was trying to distract Leo from his goal of making sure Don was alright, which was a standard Donatello tactic. Leo wasn’t about to let that happen. “Don. I don’t care about the science behind it. What I care about is making sure you’re okay. You were unconscious when we got to that room. You weren’t ready to move yet when we were sent here and then we were thrust right into battle.” He turned his head slightly, looking at the place Don had been struck. He could see signs of where the laser had hit his brother, although fortunately they were nothing like the awful possibilities that had played through Leo’s mind when it happened. “I don’t want science theories. I don’t want what will make me feel better. I want to know truthfully—are you alright, Donnie?”

Don looked at him for a moment, and Leo wondered if he was going to keep up his stubborn defense even in the face of his direct questioning. But then he let his shoulders drop just a little, and Leo could see his guard drop a touch as well. “I’m a little sore,” he admitted, his hand coming back up to rub at the spot. “But it doesn’t feel like much more then someone getting a good strike in, to be honest. There’s next to no external damage, and nothing feels wrong internally. I’ll be okay, Leo. I promise.”

Don was giving him a reassuring smile, but Leo couldn’t let up just yet. “And if it starts feeling worse?” he pressed, knowing how his brother tended to act.

“Then I’ll let you know,” Don said firmly, meeting Leo’s eyes.

Leo nodded, satisfied for now that Don really was alright and that he would keep his word. Don gave him one last smile before rejoining the conversation with Professor Honeycutt, who seemed to be quite flustered at Mikey’s sci-fi level of understanding of this advanced technology.

Raph dropped back out of the conversation and caught Leo’s eye. Leo nodded at him slightly, letting him know without words that all was well, but glanced at Don just long enough to let Raph know they needed to keep an eye on him, just in case. Raph nodded back, glanced at Mikey, Donnie and the professor, and then went back to keeping an eye on their surroundings.

Leo appreciated that—both the way that Raph was going to keep an eye on their surroundings and keep an eye on Donnie. He was sure that Mikey was already keeping an eye on their brainy brother as well, using his jokes as a way to distract Donnie from overthinking this situation.

Leo’s eyes drifted back to Donatello. Even if Donatello was fine, Leo didn’t think he’d ever be able to forget that moment where he thought his brother had sacrificed himself for their father. If that meant that he was going to keep a closer eye on Donnie for now, than so be it. Leo considered it a small price to pay for at least a little peace of mind on this alien world.

[bluelockednyx]

i saw a post on Reddit mentioning that Isagi's birth flower is sakura, and my brain instantly jumped back to your post about Rin and Kenshi Yonezu's song, and it clicks lmao, this is indeed a story of them falling in love in the middle of spring

Kaneshiro has been hinting but it's all so subtle that although i was so happy and excited for these crumbs, (i still feared it might be a reach somehow...)

Yep, that's one of the birth flowers for April Fool's, but popular in JP since they're so ubiquitous with cherry blossoms and April first is the calendar hallmark of spring.

Isn't that song great?? For the uninitiated, here, complete with eng translations. And for additional context, in the second official light novel, Rin's middle school is literally named shunrai, spring thunder.

Eh, don't ever count on a mangaka to come outright and say if a ship is what they ship. They need a wide reader base for the $$, and locking in a particular ship is one of the easiest ways to kill off a subset of fans. Nagireo's a rare case, mainly because they're both side characters to the main story, and there's more leeway for Kaneshiro to ship them via extra materials, and they've been all but stamped 'made for each other'. But as I've pointed out in my meta, even beyond that initial 'heart stolen by his beautiful parabola' scene, Isagi's treatment of Rin is so astoundingly different from the way he treats others that it stands out, and insane shippers like me pick up on stuff like this to chew on.

Don't worry anon, we're going to get more from the manga for them. Isagi's rivalry with Rin isn't done yet (PXG match!!), and Kaneshiro-sensei's a wicked strategic writer who knows his target audience. He's going to drop crumbs no matter what (thank you JP audience for consistently voting for Rin and winning the character popularity polls).

[always-andromeda]

Mkay i’m gonna put my two cents into this whole nepotism baby conversation. Yes, Zoe is a nepotism baby and it is important to recognize the privilege these people in the industry have, HOWEVER, just because a person is a nepotism baby doesn’t automatically count out their talent for what they do. Now had Zoe outright said things like “Oh yeah my family has nothing to do with me getting roles AT ALL.” I could understand but (to my knowledge) she’s never said that sort of thing. I also agree with Meda that you can’t really blame someone for their grandpas’ actions. I guess you could maybe argue that Zoe should say something condemning her grandpas actions, but Zoe is a very private person who is rarely online or interviewed anymore (outside of the subject of her current films) and I don’t really see her wanting to pause that private life to apologize and condemn something she had no part in.

I also think it’s kind of weird to reduce all of Zoe’s acting credits as “the quirky girl” (or whatever anon said) because that’s kind of exactly the point of Ruby Sparks🤨 Zoe has said that Ruby is not meant to be viewed in the lens of a manic pixie dream girl and has openly challenged that trope. Zoe has also done some REALLY good more “serious” roles in things like The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Clickbait, and She Said. Of course there may be some characters she’s played that comes of as quirky but that doesn’t diminish her talent or make the performance unenjoyable. I think we need to ditch the idea that if an actor or actress plays “quirky” roles that they are not a serious or good actor/actress.

Overall I think that Zoe has proved her talent. She’s not an A-list celebrity like Kim K, but she doesn’t need to be in spite of her family name. She’s doing what she loves and is clearly very good at it. Yes, she has her foot in the door and I am sure that this grabs people’s attention, but she is also a very talented actress and an EXTREMELY good writer. She also very clearly cares a lot about issues such as women’s rights and more judging by her Twitter. She may not be a very public person but I think that is what makes her appealing. She’s the grandkid of a famous and controversial man, the partner of one of the most talented actors of their generation, and yet she keeps her life very private and is content with taking time to raise her children, write, act, and speak on certain issues without flaunting herself and her family in the the face of fame.

I didn’t intend for this to be that long but, hey, I am a Zoe apologist. No hate to that anon or anything, just giving a different perspective.

Okay, first off, anon. Please don’t ever feel bad for dropping such a comprehensive and thought out take into my inbox. It is truly such a joy whenever I get to see this kind of critical thought in action. I love love love to see it. 🥰

Because, truly, on like every front, I agree with what you have to say. I just don’t know nearly enough about her or her career for me to making super firm statements. Like the little I do know is from her work on Ruby Sparks. And I adore basically everything about Ruby Sparks. Like every interview I’ve read from her has me so convinced of her talent and her intelligence that I truly do want to see more of it.

Another point that I wanted to make to that anon but wasn’t sure would be productive in the conversation was that Paul was also heavily typecasted at the beginning of his career. And if we wanna reduce Zoe’s presence to “the quirky girl” then we have to bring that same energy to Paul. But we don’t. Zoe, just like Paul, it seems has evolved as an artist. And that’s an evolution that I can’t wait to see.

And you’re point on Zoe being a private person is also spot on. Already, I think our culture is so used to having this process for influential celebrities who have committed a social faux pas. So much so that it’s feels like these people have to perform remorse or guilt or growth in order to stay in good standings with the public. But trying to do this kind of process with Zoe is basically impossible because her presence in the media and online proves that she isn’t interested in being a part of that. She truly is just minding her own business, and hell, I think she should be allowed that.

I think that’s the appeal of both her and Paul. I mean, Paul has talked so many times about how early on he kept himself humble and avoided doing the entire move to LA to become a “real” celebrity thing. That’s how we have modern day Paul who seems so confident in his craft but still manages to stay so down to earth about it. Both Paul and Zoe have managed to cultivate these media presences that can’t really be publicized and sold in nearly the same way that any other celebrity is now and I think that is so beautiful.

[kyogre-blue]

Old horny shows

EDIT: Found this in my drafts, posting it now, but I think I watched these and wrote the list like 2+ years ago lmaooo

Sometimes I just want to set trash to play in the background. Most of these, I recognize from New Type USA, which is why I wanted to try them out. 

Sorcerer Hunters, ep26 - Complete. This is a 90s show and it, uh, feels like that. I was interested when I saw it on Crunchy because I saw a PV for it on... a Newtype preview DVD like two decades ago. It’s been a long time since I saw a main character who was characterized entirely as “walking sexual harassment.” The names are ridiculous. The main villain looks like Madara, generic fantasy version. The worldbuilding is that special frustrating thing that old school shows loved in particular, where you can tell there’s some kind of greater structure to the world and it seems very interesting, but no one ever explains it and its not explored in any concrete way. Aside from that, it’s largely just episodic stuff about magic users who misuse their powers or magic phenomenon.  

Triage X, ep10 - Complete. I started watching this years ago but couldn’t get through even one episode because of technical problems. Crunchy was going through one of its periods of just not working for whatever reason. This show is overflowing with sexual violence. Lots of rape and drugs and abuse and also stuff like making sure we get a nice shot of a girl’s boobs as she’s brutally murdered. I knew that pretty much going in tho, so I don’t really have an opinion about it. The frustrating part is that they end without resolving the main plot threads, like they thought they’d have a second season but didn’t. 

Sister Princess, ep2 - Dropped. I can deal with horniness, but I can’t deal with how meaningless and bland this is. Not only are the “sisters” totally lacking in anything, but the MC is a total potato as well.  

DearS, ep13 - Complete. A show of the specific old trope “mostly-female alien species that must have a ‘master’ to operate, no matter how mediocre or outright evil he might be,” ala Sekirei, Sora no Otoshimono, etc. DearS is certainly still fetishizing the whole thing, but it at least directly calls it slavery and has normal humans be pretty :/ about it. 

Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero, ep2 - Dropped. I wasn’t expecting anything smart from any of these shows, but this one is especially bland and leaning way too heavily on the dullest of tropes. The excessive shilling of the MC is annoying as always, but what got me is when it tries to be smart and sucks at it. No, you see, she had to be naked in the sack to cross worlds! But her hair ribbons are fiiiine, those don’t count. Bro...