#oh shit i also need to go back to novae

[ashes-onthewind]

OH MY GOD !!!! I FORGOT VAINGLORIOUS EXISTED !!!!! I GOTTA GO BACJ AND READ MORE OF IT

THIS ART IS SO SICKKKKK

spent the day doing redraws of the main trio's about page pngs! really liked how they came out :]

[hotpinkstars]

GIRL DAD OR BOY DAD? - sunday, boothill x reader

- or more clearly, to what gender would they want to have more, and general headcannons of them as papas ☺️

- brainrot brainrot brainrot BRAINROT AHHH... i love these guys and i can do a part 2 for others later but godd theres absolutely not enough dad stuff for these men (especially sunday... if there is its all yandere) so never fear novas here! ahem anyways enjoy

- warnings none! pure fluff!!! wc 711

Sunday is so a girl and boy dad.

Reason why I say this is because he likely needs an heir to take over his position when he gets too old to do so, but he also wants a baby girl he can spoil as well.

Don’t worry! He loves both of his kids the same! They’re the greatest things that have probably ever happened to him and he cherishes them with his whole life. He thanks the stars above every single day for the opportunity he received to be a father to multiple beautiful children, and thanks you for granting him the chance. 

Dunno, but I could see this man wanting a handful of kids. He wants at least one girl and at least one boy, but I could see him shooting for 3-4. Will he be around to care for them? Not all the time, but he tries his hardest (and he definitely has the resources to care for that many).

Considering they’re half halovian and half human, they look pretty much just like their father! Some have your eyes, but they all have his hair. His hair and his gorgeous wings. They have your features though, such as your face, body type, etc.

His favorite part of the day is when he gets to collapse on your shared bed, his kiddos following behind him to cuddle their dad, and most of the time you all fall asleep together. Normally, you wake up just you and him because he’s good about putting them in their own bed once they fall asleep.

Once his kids get older, he’ll teach his son(s) combat and good form. He wants them to protect, and wants to raise them to be strong and independent. With his daughter(s), if they ask to be taught combat, then he won’t see much of an issue with it. He also wants to teach them independence, but in a more subtle form. 

Just expect that his children as teenagers are going to be the prettiest kids around holy shit. They’re obviously enrolled in a private school due to their fathers high status but they always come home and list the compliments they’ve received that day. Thankfully you two have raised them well enough for them to realize that it’ll be bad if all of these get to their head and stroke their ego too hard…

Supportive father asf! All I’ve gotta say here

Don’t play Boothill is SO a girl dad hello have you met the man

He’s so excited when his little girl is born ahh he’s always dreamed of being a father to a girl and his dream has officially come true!!

Obviously, if you had a boy, he’d love him the same. He just wants children of his own tbh lol

His daughter knows western culture fresh out of the womb my friend. It’s like she was born for little cowboy boots and the cutest little cowboy hat. She’s even got a western name, he brought it up and you liked it, so the name you two settled on was Cassidy.

She has his hair! It’s absolutely gorgeous once it starts coming in- a pearly white color with little black streaks stemming from the roots. She has your eyes and your face, and his slimmer body type (before he was turned into a cyborg. This isn’t canon I actually have no clue what he looked like pre cyborgification lmao).

Oh lord, your daughter is so spoiled. On every mission he goes on he’s always bringing something back for her. It could be a super fancy necklace or even just a little trinket he picked up from a street vendor, but she has a whole shelf full of the things her daddy gives her.

She thinks it’s so cool he has a metal body. She asks about it alot but she’s really fascinated with it tbh. She likes to call it “daddy’s special feature!” and he always melts to that sentence gosh

He probably teaches his daughter how to use a gun when she gets older. He, similar to Sunday, wants his daughter to learn self defense tactics and learn how to fend for herself when necessary.

She totally has his accent. Change my mind period.

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

'Hobies an ass guy!' this 'Hobies a tits guy!' that

You fools. You absolute fools.

Hobie is a tummy guy.

All tummies and I'm not joking at all in the slightest. ALL. ALL SIZES. Not just the model 'plus size' thing that magazines think is cute. THEM TOO BUT ALL OF THEM TUMMIES. He hasn't come across a tummy he doesn't like and he never will.

Belly button piercings? Lord have mercy. He can't help but stare.

He loves bellies.

That includes rolls or stretch marks or abs or ribs or C-section scars or anything really. Show him the tummy.

He likes people in crop tops or low rise jeans, running his long fingers across the skin. He likes resting his head on people's belly while they speak to him softly, hearing them breathe.

Hobie is a thigh guy.

Give him the Daisy Duke shorts. Thigh high socks for the love of god.

He'll wrap his arms around your leg and never let go. He can watch you do squats for hours (but then again who can do squats for hours 🤨)

You do indoor cycling? That pelaton shit? Hes gonna have to leave the room before he starts saying something slick because he CANNOT take it

Tones thighs in leggings. Really muscular thighs cracking a watermelon. Chubby thighs under fluffy mini skirts. Fat thighs in tight fit jeans or stockings.

'Ass or tits?' My sibling in Christ He's an ARM guy.

Fucking flex for him and he's gonna need a minute. Doesn't matter if you're as scrawny as him. Stretch your arms, he wants to see the ones that are going to deliver him a thousand hugs.

Hobie and hands. His are rough from the guitar playing but he takes his partner's and kisses the back of their hand, turning it over in his, tracing the lines or painting their nails or lacing his long fingers in theirs.

'Ass or tits' Do you know who we're talking about here

Hobie is the most body positive and inclusive person to walk these spider-earths

How dare you limit him He Cannot Be Contained he loves it all

Disabled or Abled. Trans or Cis. Inter or Endosex. Whether you dress modestly or masculinely or you're out here half naked on some Fashion Nova shit. HE LOVES IT.

Ass or Tits cannot contain the magnatude that is Hobie Brown

Oh and also He vaporizes fatphobes and ableists and chasers on sight with his 'i hate bodyshamers' superpower it comes free with the spider bite.

[rebelwrites]

Sixteen: Give Me Your Goddamn Kutte!

Charles Leclerc x Nova Teller (OC)

Till the wheels fall off masterlist

Small town meets the fast lane. What happens when two souls meet? Will it end in happiness or will they both crash and burn?

Warning; Jax loses his shit

As always reblogs and feedback is highly appreciated ❤️ if you want tagging in future parts let me know ❤️

Juice kept quiet as Jax planted his hand firmly on his shoulder, he didn’t care if he was squeezing the muscle like it was a piece of paper ready to be tossed into the trash can. The whole club pulled their weight, paying their dues each month and making sure all the businesses are fit to make as much money as possible, yet for some reason Juice decided that he could be the one to slack off.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the cutest sight, Elenor sitting on Nova’s knee whilst Charles had his arm wrapped around his sister’s shoulder and with the other hand he was helping Elenor color in whichever coloring book she had brought with her. He felt his heart flip watching the three of them together. The only thing was worried about was when Charles had to leave for the rest of the racing season, he knew it was going to not only break his sister’s heart but also his daughter’s as well.

Pushing the thoughts down, he tightened his grip on Juice’s shoulder, marching him into the kitchen. Jax was no longer playing around with the giant man baby.

This was his livelihood he was playing with now.

The moment they walked into the kitchen a heavy silence fell over the room as Juice backed himself into the corner, “you had so many fucking chances,” Jax growled, slamming his palms against the stainless steel counter, watching as Juice winced at the sound echoing around the room. “I stuck my fucking neck out on the line for you,” he paused for a moment taking in the guilty look that was taking over Juice’s expressions, “but you didn’t know that, did you?”

“No,” Juice muttered quietly, dropping his gaze down to his feet.

“The first time you fucked up Nova wanted me to kick your ass to the curb,” Jax snarled, gripping the edge of the worktop so tightly his knuckles were starting to turn white, “then the second time, I lied for you! Once again so Nova didn’t fucking chop your dick off, and this is how you repay me?”

Jax could feel his blood pressure rising, he knew his voice would be echoing around the room, no doubt everyone in the bar heard every word he was saying, but right now he couldn’t see past the rage, especially when Juice burst out laughing.

“Please tell me you aren’t fucking laughing right now?” Jax spat lunging across the room, wrapping his hand around Juice’s throat, slamming him against the stainless steel cabinets. “Look at me,” he growled, venom dripping on his every word. Juice ignored Jax’s demands, “I said fucking look at me you piece of shit. Fucking explain yourself.”

“I thought it was okay seen as Nova is suddenly swanning around with that fucking Formula One driver!” Juice snapped, narrowing his eyes at Jax.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me!” Jax roared, there was no way he was blaming his sister right now. “Nova fucking runs herself into the ground for this family and this club. If you have forgotten she was running the bar and the cafe for nearly the best part of a year. She hardly fucking slept, she lives off energy drinks and there were about three times she nearly put herself in hospital due to exhaustion and on the fourth time she ended up in the ER from the amount of caffeine she had, but we kept that quiet from you all because you didn’t need to know!” Jax paused for a moment, taking a breath, “oh, I forgot she's been the main carer for JT. So yes, I believe she is the one who deserves to have the summer off, maybe even fall in love, and I was the one to tell her to take a step back.”

Juice didn’t speak, the guilty look on his face had disappeared as quickly as it appeared, instead he was smirking. Jax couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed this before, the Puerto Rican was high right now. Without thinking he balled his fingers into a fist before raising his arm letting his knuckles collide with Juice’s jaw, “you are a fucking joke right now, showing up high and trying to bring down my sister.”

“Whatcha gonna do? Beat me?”

“I should fucking bury you!” Jax snarled, releasing his grip of Juice’s throat taking a couple of steps back, running his fingers through his hair, fixing a couple of strands of hair that had fallen out of place, “give me your goddamn kutte!”

Juice stared back at Jax in slight disbelief, but his movements were fast as he ripped off the well worn leather hanging on his shoulders, “do you know what Jackson, fuck you!” Juice snapped, launching the kutte on the tiled floor like it was a piece of litter to him. “Everything is about you and fucking Nova, neither of you fucking care about anyone else,” he seethed, narrowing his eyes at Jax, “she isn’t the only one trying to keep their head above water, running multiple businesses.”

He took a step closer to Jax, who was standing there in shock at the sudden outburst from someone Jax thought he knew, turns out he didn’t, “you are actually doing me a favor,” Juice scoffed, running his hand over his face, “I can actually work less to support myself instead of this stupid fucking club.”

“Juicy Boy.”

“Don’t fucking Juicy Boy me,” he snapped, glaring at Jax, “Nova has been looking for a reason to kick me to the curb, no one ever fucking checked on me, it was all about precious Nova! Do you know what screw you Jax and screw the club, all this means is I don’t have to keep providing everyone with weed at a heavily discounted rate meaning my goddam takings at my shop will double!” Juice was now pacing the room but suddenly stopped turning to face Jax with a wide smirk on his face, “plus I will get to keep all my own profits.”

Jax felt his expression drop, running his fingers through his hair. His stomach twisted into a tight knot as he realized that Juice was telling the truth.

“You forgot the shop was in my name, not the clubs, didn’t you?” Juice chuckled, as he made his way to the fire exit, “everyone is working themselves to the fucking bone for this club and for what? You don’t even see what's happening in front of your own eyes! Thanks for nothing, I guess, so much for the fucking brotherhood,” he spat before leaving Jax standing in the kitchen frozen to the spot.

His head was spinning, Juice had never kicked off like this before. Leaning against the stainless steel worktop Jax let out a strangled cry. This wasn’t what he needed on the day of the fundraiser but everything Juice said had struck a nerve with him, maybe he was right, maybe he was too focused on the Teller bubble to notice all the other things that were happening around him.

Did everyone feel like this towards him and Nova?

Were they all putting on a front around them?

“Fuuuuuuuuuuck!!!!” he screamed, turning towards the refrigerator letting his fist collide with the metal, not caring about the pain that seared through his knuckles, he kept punching the appliance trying to release the frustration building up in his body.

The music had been turned up to drown out the sounds of the argument of Jax and Juice but nothing could mask the painful screams that echoed through the building. Running my hands over my face I pressed a kiss against the top of Elenor’s head, “Ça vous dérange de la surveiller pendant que je m'occupe de Jax ? You mind keeping an eye on her while I take care of Jax?” I asked Charles and Pierre but keeping my gaze focused on behind the bar.

“Tout va bien ? Is everything ok?” Charles asked softly, running his fingers over the back of my neck.

“Not sure yet,” I sighed, taking a deep breath, “if you can just watch her whilst I go see if Jax is okay that would be great.”

“Of course, Sunshine,” Pierre teased, with a wide smirk on his face.

Rolling my eyes at him, I shuffled Elenor so she was now sitting on the leather sofa. “Why don’t you go show Charles and Pierre your fairy garden?” I asked softly, finally looking down at the sweet innocent girl.

“Wait, you have a fairy garden?” Charles exclaimed, making me smile. No one could doubt he was good with Elenor, “come on then, lead the way Little Bear,” he grinned, holding his hand out. My heart fluttered watching her happily take his hand along with the bright grin that appeared on her face at the sound of the nickname Charles called her.

Pulling the sleeves of Charles hoodie over my hands I slowly made my way towards the kitchen, there were no sounds of arguing anymore so that had to be a good sign right? Either Juice had left or Jax completely lost his temper and Juice’s body would be lying on the floor.

Taking a deep breath I pushed the door open, finding Jax slumped on the floor, his fingers tangled in his hair, tugging at his roots, “fuck, Jax, what happened?” I breathed, panic flooding my body, I had never seen him like this before.

In front of me sat the shell of the man I loved.

“Talk to me,” I whispered, crouching down in front of my brother.

“We fucked up Squirt,” he muttered, letting out a heavy sigh before pushing himself to his feet, storming out of the kitchen.

What the fuck was he on about?

How did we fuck up?

For once it felt like things were finally changing for the better, I was finally getting some sleep, everything felt like it was under control and I had finally met someone who made me feel so many emotions, who set my world on fire and I didn’t want to extinguish the flames. It was like always life had a funny way of kicking me to the ground, leaving me in the dirt.

Letting out a shaky breath I quickly followed my older brother, the moment I stepped through the fire escape I felt the warmth of the sun hit my skin making me rethink my choice of clothing this morning.

“Jaxy,” I hummed, dropping down to the floor joining him on the patio, “talk to me, what's going on?”

“You are gonna hate me for this,” he growled into the air, placing a cigarette between his lips before passing the packet to me, “we might have been too harsh on Juice.”

I practically choked on the first inhale of the cigarette, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Had Jax hit his head or something? “Please tell me this is some fucking joke?” I scoffed, resting my elbows on my knees, “he got in your head didn’t he?”

“Nova, just think about it. We have been so caught up with Pops, the whole messy divorce and custody battle with Tara. For the past year at least we have been fighting to keep our family from drowning,” he sighed, taking a long drag of the smoke. “We failed to notice that everyone else was working their fucking asses off for us, for the club. I think we need to hire more people, a lot more.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, Jax was willing to let random outsiders come in and work the businesses the club had worked so hard to build. I felt like I was losing control and there was nothing I could do about it.

The more I thought about it, the more appealing packing everything into a duffle bag, tossing it into the trunk of my beat up truck and hitting the road without a second glance. In the same breath I knew I was tied to this small town in the middle of nowhere, there was no way I could walk away from my family.

“We aren’t talking about this now,” I scoffed, pushing myself to my feet, “we have less than an hour before that bar is full of people wanting to take part in the annual fundraiser. So take a breath, beat the shit out of the garbage can or something but you need your game face on.”

“Nova,” Jax called out to me as tossed the cigarette butt into the metal bin.

“Not the time Jax,” I hollered over my shoulder as I moved around the building going to find Charles, Pierre and Elenor.

My head was spinning, I was happy enough to welcome Nero into the business with open arms because he was practically family but to welcome strangers in, well that was a different matter entirely. Taking a deep breath I made my way towards the one person that could drown out the voices, my worries and fears.

The warmth of the sun didn’t match the feeling that spread through my body as Charles smiled at me, I was falling hard for him. It was like I had jumped out of a plane without a parachute and the ground was coming at me faster than ever.

My stomach twisted into a tight knot the closer I got to him. Everything was suddenly clear, I was becoming addicted and my drug was Charles Leclerc.

@withmyteeth @chibsytelford @stillbreathin @danzer8705 @keyweegirlie @dragon-of-winterfell @ohthemisssery @a-distantdreamer @sgkophie @angywritesstuff @enchantedbytomandhenry @scribbuluswrites @dangerouspursepeachbear @buendiabebeta @ferrarifwendvale @theplobnrgone @charlesleclercje @queenslife @panicforspec @justme2042 @liv67 @derpinathebrave @clcspeonies @pleasantducktimetravel @raaaaabzzz @mehrmonga @sbgal @fangirl-lb @pitconfirmbutton @oslokij @tall-tanned-tattoo @bigcreatorwombatdreamer @pumpkin-spice-hate @talicat713 @band--psycho @little-diable @i-love-scott-mccall @fourthwallhateclub @theysayitscrazy @rosieposie0624 @choochoo284 @meteora-fc @beeroses @darklydeliciousdesires @the-jer-bear @extraneousred @youflickedtooharddamnit @babypink224221

[rukkako]

Yknow, back in the day of around 4??? 5 months ago??? i was playing warframe like every other day, when, upon finishing this one grineer extermination, I recieved this weird transmission. Something about a "candidate" being "ready". While I was heading to extraction I came across this one enemy marked by a red dot, so, without thinking much about it, I killed him and mercy'd him. I remember thinking "damn. My nova prime is so cool" while I looked at her absolutely demolish this random grineer's liver with her parazon. It was only when I returned to my orbiter that I was made aware of what I had just done. I had created him. Coheg Rott.

I didn't know what was happening; who was this man? Why did he have my nova's little bow on his shoulder? Why was he so unbelievably fucking stupid? I stood there, maw agape, listening to Coheg telling me about how I had "taken his arms and his legs but that was no more" and how he "lived and killed, killed and lived" and how he now had a "SECTORRRRRRRRR" and I remember thinking "oh boy. I hope this isn't that much of a problem."

Coheg then proceeded to take my fucking shit every time I went to earth. He took my money. He took my void traces. He even took my rare mods. And every. fucking. time. I had to listen to his stupid ass voice. Telling me how he "was the boss now" and how "Sectorrr… is… mine…!!!! sectorrr!!!! yes!!!!!! sectorrrrrrr!!!!!!!"

I hated Coheg. I grew to absolutely despise him. I had now a bastard, ugly, stupid child taking my lunch money every time I dared go to earth. It was devastating really. I didn't do anything about it for months, and during that time my hatred and contempt for him grew. So I started hatching a plan.

I had to take him down. I couldn't stand the idea of having created such a creature. A tyrant with the brain capacity of a goldfish. So I wised up (watched a bunch of youtube tutorials on liches) and I learnt some stuff. You have to kill his thralls. You have to keep stabbing him in the gut. You need to find out the correct mod order. You want him to have a good weapon like the Kuva Nukor or the Kuva Bramma, and not something like a Kohm.

So I started my mission. I went into his territories. I killed his slightly less ugly children (you're telling me this guy FUCKED?????) and I started stabbing him repeatedly. And getting those requiem mods, oh, it was QUITE the god damn pain, but it was worth it. All to see my bastard son Coheg retort and twist in pain and scream in fear and rage. It filled me with a satisfaction unknown to me up til then.

So I kept. on. doing it. Each time he ran away and each time I relentlessly followed him. He managed to get to sedna. During my travels, I met some kind strangers that stuck with me and helped me take my bastard son Coheg down, them also dealing with their own paternity problems.

And so the moment came. I finally stabbed Coheg three times with my pointy arm weapon and he fled to the proxima region. It. Was. Time.

I equipped my nova. She started this, she had to finish it.

He wailed and screamed and yelled. But he went down in no time.

And I was about to vanquish him… when I remembered.

"This fucking sucker has a Kuva Kohm."

And I realized that, during all that adventure, I'd started to… become used to his fucking raging stupidity. That if I killed him, I was gonna… miss him.

So I didn't.

He follows my orders now. Sector ISN'T his now. And my Coheg nightmares are over.

What's the lesson here folks? Always check out what weapon someone is gonna give you before sleeping with them. Also, I would make an absolutely dogshit abusive mother. So I guess I'm not having any children in the future.

Thanks for reading. And for the last time: Fuck you Coheg. (Affectionate)

[totally-neptune-official]

A Gimmick-Verse Story : Mars vs Grass and Family Confusion

Mars was a very well known red planet, not one of the large ones like her cousins.

Mars had sent out universe wide letters to anyone listening, talking about how she talks to herself and other gimmicks she happens to be. 

Although She stated it was a form of coping, Dromaeosaur, Sealand, JCJenson, Ursa, and Nova Scotia had advised that Mars goes outside and touch some lovely green grass. 

No Frills had drawn a picture of mars with an arrow pointing to a patch of grass. 

Asteroid Belt had also shown a picture of the word “Touch” spelled with grass as well

But no attempts had worked. 

Soon enough though, their cold distant cousin Neptune got involved.

“Mars, grass is friend” Neptune stated, smiling and showing mars a picture of a sign saying “Friend” with trees and grass in the background.

Mars decided to decline this offer from Neptune and instead gave her a gift she couldn’t ever reject “Maple Syrup”. 

“Take this maple syrup and shut up nepnep” Mars said, holding a handful of maple syrup in her arms.

This small action changed everything, within seconds Neptune was charging at Mars for the delicious thick liquid she grew to love. However, where Neptune goes, WM follows. (I didn’t mean to word “delicious thick liquid” like that my bad guys)

WM sprayed Neptune with three whole bottles of water telling her no.

“It’s a gift from family” Neptune said, huffing.

“Yea but you can’t have syrup” WM replied, poking tunes face before looking at Mars. “Please mars i’m trying to weed Tune off the maple syrup” 

Mars stood there watching the pair as Neptune had made gestures to a near trash can as to say WM’s statement “saying no to maple syrup is bullshit” 

“I will hit you with a shoe” WM says jokingly.

Neptune could be considered a syrup addict with how she responded saying “My maple syrup…give me, give me” (Side note : i got inspired by the hobbit and lord of the rings btw)

Mars had decided to sit back and watch it all unfold….that was until Goose came into the picture. Turns out goose had a pixelated one of WM’s many water bottles and also sprayed Neptune. 

“NO MAPLE SYRUP FOR ANYONE” Goose yelled out.

Mars didn’t seem to like seeing all this chaos forming so she sided with her cousin.

“Yeah, let my bro have the maple syrup!” Mars stated siding with her cousin.

“Yeah i accept the gift” Neptune said, taking the maple syrup and going back into her tower that was made by WM for safety purposes.

Goose gets ready to spray more and gets ready to yell more but is stopped by mars.

“Too much noise can’t hear ya mate, nice spray you got there though.” MArs spoke, holding more maple syrup.

Goose moved back and yelled “AHHHH GET IT AWAYYYYY” quickly throwing 10 Canadian geese at Mars.

“ATTACK!!!” Goose yelled once more pointing at Mars.

I wouldn’t say this could go wrong butttt….yeah it went wrong fast because almost immediately Mars stands tall grabbing an asteroid.

“Yeah I’m not scared of those anymore-” Mars baseball threw the asteroid and made the geese explode. 

Goose stood there shocked and devastated “MY CHILDREN!!!!!”

Neptune who watched from above in her tower was surprised to see this happen. “Oh shit man…Mars that was a little much man” Neptune spoke, drinking maple syrup with goose spraying at her tower saying no maple syrup.

“Ya think? I can’t be bothered carding for them anymore Neptune, neither should you. Anything associated with Earth is not worth it anymore” Mars said with a somewhat serious tone.

“My fiancee is from Earth, the only things i care about from Earth is them, Canada and Maple Syrup. What did Earth do to make you hate it so much?” Neptune asked, noticing the shift in tone.

“Ah, right… well i don’t hate the Earth, i just don’t want to care about it anymore. I’ve had enough, enough treading on needles, enough fights, enough faking everything just to keep “ the special planet” happy. Earth doesn’t need me, I don’t need her either. I used to be alone…I can do it again.” Mars stated.

Neptune noticed that it seemed like Mars was speaking to herself but also not at the same time? She couldn’t tell, Blue and Red, ironic colors.

Neptune nodded “That’s understandable my sibling of the solar system. Plus you have me man, red and blue you don’t need everyone.”

“Heh- our orbits are pretty fat apart mate, but thanks anyways” Mars said, more relaxed.

“Well then distant cousins and your welcome” Neptune replied, shaking mars hand after climbing down the tower.

Mars and Neptune had shook on it having a cousin bonding moment.

—---

The End

Shout outs : @the-red-planet-mars @bored-dromaeosaur @the-principality-of-sealand @truly-jcjenson @ursa-major-actually @the-province-of-nova-scotia-real @no-frills-fr @definitely-waste-management @the-official-goose-god

guys I’m sorry it’s so long i tried to break down as much as possible to make it simple.

I also only tagged the gimmicks who had a speaking role so I apologize for those I didn’t tag but who reblogged 😅

anyways hope you folks enjoyed im gone drink water and get some sleep peace out ✌️

[melonnabar]

REASONS WHY I HC BOOSTER GOLD WITH BPD

A RANT

First of all, I’ve been diagnosed with BPD so most of this is from my own experiences w BPD and projection,,

So starting off with this:

Booster Gold’s imposter syndrome without the success part!

He quite literally travelled back in time to become a superhero so he could escape the shithole of his old life + make everyone like him.

Or that he’s kind of struggled his entire life of wanting to be good enough but missing the mark so, so so many times and yet he keeps putting up superficial fronts around people he wants to seek approval from?

Also whenever I see him argue with Ted (especially in Superbuddies(??) I can’t help but feel like some of his outbursts feel reminiscent of my own splitting episodes?

Thinking about how in that comic Booster is extremely frustrated w Ted for maturing in my brain it’s because he feels like he’s being left behind,, and him saying the most underhanded shit and getting extremely offended when Ted says something equally as shitty back

Oh and also that Ted is quite literally his favorite person.

Booster dedicates a lot of time and effort to spending time with Ted or going through drastic measures to do shit for him like this

Also I rly like this panel because it’s very clear the way he views himself when he masquerades as nova for a while

These next few images are taken from my own personal listings I used to show my therapist! Yellow check mark is what I feel fits booster the most and the blue ones is just me lmao

Booster mirroring other people/beliefs/personality traits that he believes will get him the most acceptance and the constant need that he has to prove himself to people even though he doesn’t have to at all,,

And Booster being an extremely spontaneous and impulsive person!! Hence some of the utterly garbage shenanigans he somehow brainstorms up that ends up putting him and Ted in jail or has him nearly erasing himself from existence lmao

I feel like it’s important to mention his nightmares as well, like this one.

And his father being extremely abusive and abandoning Booster’s family as well. Childhood abuse/neglect is a big BIG factor in why BPD functions the way it does because distress tolerance is basically nonexistent and the responses to stress don’t really develop.

Ok that’s enough rambling for now

I would talk more about it but I’m tired and not rly in the mood to write a full fledged essay on this but remember that BPD is a spectrum and most of this is based off of my own experience w it (I left out a lot of information bc some of it is extremely personal) n that everyone may experience it differently

[kafus]

ok i've decided i want to infodump about vee and nova a little after all! because uhh not only am i impatient because autism but i also. want to dip my toes into talking about this. just days ago i was still terrified but now i am Tentatively Brave... if i can talk about it here casually like this then i should be able to write a more formal summary later some other time

i've tagged this post appropriately (at least i think i have, feel free to suggest if i should add more) but also a heads up here too before i keep talking that while i'm not going into graphic detail on anything there are STRONG themes of organized sexual abuse of a child, sexual abuse of animals, and grooming! (there are no disturbing visuals in this post, just text)

IF YOU CAN'T READ THIS POST THAT'S OKAY I STILL LOVE U

takes a deep breath alright so the deal with these two. back all the way in 2021, i decided i wanted to make "vent ocs" as in i just wanted some concrete/consistent designs i could use in vent art drawings that weren't a direct reflection of what i envision myself to look like or whatever. i was going through a lot in 2021, in december 2020 i had just gotten my first big repressed memory back and my life was in a whirlwind of change and heavily increased PTSD and DID symptoms, so i was using art a lot as an outlet. in the end i settled on this drawing, based on the design taste i would have had as a young person (god the quality is so old now LOL i've improved a lot but anyway)

i was intending for these two to be just visual designs and nothing more than that but i got attached and actually ended up giving them a whole storyline and everything, which is something i admittedly hadn't done in a long time up to that point so that's cool.

the reason i preface explaining the premise of the storyline with this is because i think it's important to acknowledge that these two are intrinsically tied with my real life and the feelings i experience as a CSA/OA survivor. not because i think someone has to go through awful things to write or draw about them necessarily, but because i am passionate about expressing myself. it's important for me to be seen in some way, to be heard after years of silence. it is not safe for me mentally to share the exact details of my abuse online rn (and please don't ask for them!) but i also don't want these two to be removed from the message that i survived something and this is me making art about that in an abstracted and magical way with a fictional universe that brings me a lot of comfort. i hope this makes sense lol

oh and also with that in mind if you think for even a second any of this is a weird sex thing for me or some shit please stop reading this post and go do something else with your time. this is my trauma expression and i don't need to be compared to the people i was abused by when i was a literal toddler thank you!

AANYWAY so! premise! gonna be point blank with it! vee (not her original name but shh) is born as a normal 100% human girl, aka without the eevee ears and tail. she is groomed from a very young age (like, toddler age) and eventually abducted by her groomers which happen to be members of... well right now it's team rocket because i haven't spent the time to worldbuild a new villainous pokemon organization yet. roll with me here. she is taken to a remote facility out in the middle of fucking nowhere and is never returned to her previous life or family.

Why? well i'm glad you asked! the org is running a bunch of different experiments in this facility and one of them happens to be trying to enable humans reproducing with pokemon. this doubles as both a money thing and a power thing. they seek out a child as the victim of these horrible experiments because children are easily malleable. way easier to control a child than an adult who already has a firm identity/self.

vee is the child they chose. surgery is forcibly done on her to give her working eevee ears and tail, and also like, fuck with her body chemistry and stuff. she's biologically part eevee now. yes this is bullshit pokemon magic science LMAO but she is kept in this facility and chronically sexually abused for a few years by pairing her with various mons and trying to get eggs to happen.

the experiment isn't working though so they hypothesize that giving her a dedicated partner, especially of the same evolutionary line, would help, and they raise nova from birth as an eevee to take on that role. eventually the two of them are paired together. despite the acts they are forced to commit on each other and the abuse they endure, they actually become inseparable very quickly cause like. they don't have anyone else. and also they just genuinely care about each other. additionally at this point nova has evolved into an espeon and has telepathic powers, so him and vee can communicate linguistically with each other, so you know that helps

generally my current focus of this story is in the early years, when vee is 12 and younger, before they start realizing that shit is fucked up and they need to escape (up until that hypothetical point they have been successfully groomed into believing everything happening to them was not abuse/was normal). i have left out a metric fuckton of detail here just to get across the basic premise. i am constantly exploring vee's psyche, nova's psyche, it's like an in depth exploration of the mind of an abused child in horrific circumstances and god it's cathartic. i love these two so fucking much

btw i guess this art has more context now huh haha after i infodumped off the plot to my sister they looked at this art again and was like. OHHH THIS IS EVEN MORE OMINOUS AND HARD TO LOOK AT WITH CONTEXT. AND I WAS LIKE YEAH!!!! YOU SEE THE VISION!!! THE SYMBOLISM!! ETC!!!!

uh yeah if you read this far thank you and i just wanna say i've been building up the courage to talk about these two for GENUINELY two years, it has been over 2 full years since that initial drawing, and i am nervous and jittery posting this but i do not want to die without having shared my work with the world and i'm willing to take the risks to get my voice out there. so you reading it is very much appreciated ur like my first step into being more confident as a survivor lol

oh and fwiw despite these guys being so correlated with my trauma it's not offensive to make headcanons or ask me questions about them or compliment darker art of them however you want, in fact i love that shit!! please i've been holding these guys back for two years i have so much to say that hasn't been said. as much as i am nervous i am EXCITED

[uservarric]

Do Rich Rider next!

1. favorite thing about them

oh i love him i love how he’s genuinely just a completely average guy - earth heroes “average guys” tend to always be super geniuses ie. peter parker. but rich is genuinely just a completely average normal dude. he flipped burgers when he wasn’t nova-ing! he barely scraped through high school (again, cause of the nova thing!). he was just a genuinely normal teenager with a complex cause of his super smart little brother. becoming nova was both the best and worst thing to ever happen to him.

2. least favorite thing about them

man is lowkey self-obsessed in the sense a depressed person is. everything is his fault, he’s pathetic, he’s wasting everyone’s time. he was like this even before he got powers - he clearly has self-worth issues that just get exacerbated the more he survives. clearly not the only person who clocked this because rich going into therapy was such a huge step!

3. favorite line

Holy shit he’s such an icon

“Let’s scream in his face anyway.” 🥺

“I pulled [Annihilus] inside out and saved the universe. What have YOU done lately, Tony?”

“Shut it, warcrimes.”

“I loved him too. You know that, right?” I’m UNWELL

“Please, Rich. I think you need to talk to someone about this.” “About the fan-sites?” “About the fact you’re dying.” he’s UNWELL

“Let’s review. Your ride is toast. I’m Nova. You’re dead. Allow me to demonstrate.” HOT.

4. brOTP

sam alexander. they’re brothers!!!

also the new warriors. that group tends to be ignored these days as a very formative time in Rich’s life - i’m due a reread, i’m part of the problem, i haven’t read that in over 12 years! but yeah, so many fond memories there <3

5. OTP

peter quill. they’ve just made so much sense forever

6. nOTP

idk if I really have one tbh? he’s not popular enough for these to form

7. random headcanon

Rich’s real superpower is that he’s actually turned into a surprisingly good cook. He finds the process quite relaxing. Which the guardians really appreciate because Pete “no patience” Quill burns everything because he gets distracted and, while they won’t admit it, they did grow accustomed to earth food while they were stuck down there.

8. unpopular opinion

Thank god he never made it into the MCU. Since 2006 has been going from strength to strength in the comics (a part from the few years when he was dead!). Since he came back in 2016/17 I don’t think anything he has been in has been bad. He either has the magic touch or he’s insanely lucky for dodging MCU synergy and having writers who clearly love him!!

9. song I associate with him

Fortress by Queens of the Stone Age

Watch me While I Bloom by Hayley Williams

10. favorite picture of them

juann cabal Rich is my little guy his big brown eyes <3

[lord-squiggletits]

Another funny thing about weird Decepticon stans trying to pretend that the Autobots were just as bad as them is that, in IDW1, the Autobots literally did not exist until Orion Pax stormed the Senate and delivered a speech claiming "Autobot" as a new label to mean "autonomous." Whereas all of the colonization during the Golden Age happened during Nova Prime's time a couple million years prior.

And during the war, the Decepticons were literally cyberforming planets they killed and had established something called the Interstellar Constellate at some point. And Megatron said in Chaos Theory that his plan for his Decepticon empire if/when he defeated the Autobots was to rebuild and cyberform planets to create a Decepticon empire where mechanical beings reign supreme.

Like, the BEST ARGUMENT you can make is that since Optimus is a Prime, he technically inherits the problematic nature of the Primacy's history of colonization, but I think that even that argument is pretty thin considering that Optimus was always pro-organic to the point of valuing their lives equally to Cybertronians, which is something that even a lot of Autobots fail to do. Compared to other members of his species, Optimus is literally a radical in terms of his stance that organic life = Cybertronian life, but go off I guess lmao.

You can even see that during the time of Sentinel's Senate, there was an engraving on the wall that said "freedom is the right of all civilized beings", showing that Optimus at some point took that phrase and changed it to underline the fact that freedom is a universal right for ALL beings.

Also, again for IDW1 specifically, a lot of anti-Optimus people clearly don't even know the timeline of events in that story. OP spent a good chunk of the story working against the Senate with things like

Storming the Senate on Megatron's behalf to deliver an angry speech against government corruption

Working with Senator Shockwave undercover to investigate Proteus being suspicious, uncovering a conspiracy to frame the Decepticons for a terrorist attack, and risking his team to prevent it

Going on the run and doing secret operations like saving hotspots from being attacked by Sentinel's forces

(For bonus points, he even saved Drift from dying either by drug overdose or being beaten to death by some thugs and called an emergency transport for him to Ratchet's clinic)

The regime change happens because Sentinel Prime is killed BY MEGATRON who at that point had already become a gladiator criminal underworld. By the time Orion is back in Iacon acting as Zeta's head of security/general/etc, Megatron is already well on the path of corruption and senseless violence doing things like arranging illegal weapon trafficking (shown in Optimus Prime) and forcing Rumble and Frenzy to get frame reformats to fit Megatron's tactical needs (Megatron Origin). Apparently Optimus doesn't deserve to have facts about his backstory and difficult contexts around his decisions be observed by this fandom though lmao.

If you take IDW1 out of context and go "OP worked for the regime!" then yeah of course it looks bad, and yes he did do that. But a lot of people also neglect to mention 1. the anti-government actions he DID take 2. the fact that by the time OP started fighting against Megatron, he had already become super evil and 3. because Megatron was super evil, Orion couldn't just desert Zeta's government and be like, "oh yeah I'll totally be able to talk Megatron out of doing terrorism and violence just on my own" especially since in this continuity they barely fuckin' knew each other before OP became a Prime. There's so much shit around OP being a cop and the ways he did or didn't succeed in trying to change the planet for the better, but none of that is addressed when people just go "oh he's a cop and the Autobots are colonizers" like ????? Stop it.

Stop taking this shit out of context and stop cherrypicking evidence to make one side look good and the other side look bad lmao.

[thelongestway]

Star Trek Prodigy, notes on the watch, ep. 1-2

Back from the jungle, time for the stars! (No, seriously, getting TWO stories you were looking forward to for years in a row is one hell of a feeling).

Lots of spoilers ahead!

Rok, you just did WHAT. Never underestimate a girl's love for cute fluffy things, ahahaha! That's going to be one of the galaxy's best xenobiologists, isn't it?

Ok, so Jankom's politeness is the result of walking into the typically like 90% awkward (I mean cool, ahem) engineering class, huh?

Dal is Dal, haha! Choosing his own targets, huh?

I really need to read up on the timelines - naturally, this is squarely after Lower Decks, and I love how they tie in to it. Of course everyone except Dal has been to the museum! And the supernova. No mention of the evacuation last season, right?

Yeah, Janeway sitting in an admiral's chair and not getting out there? Hahaha, that didn't last long.

...Also goddamn Nova Squadron? AHAHAHA!

NOUM! Tellarite mentorship arc GO!

Murf is doing an excellent job of being a gelatinous shapeshifter, haha!

CETACEAN OPS PROMINENT, HOLY SHIT!

Oh my god, poor Dal, you really didn't know how much paperwork Command works with? I am so sorry, kiddo, that's how they get you!

But also Dal is right, as always. Janeway doesn't throw words like "uniquely suited for" around.

Jankom, you're breaking my heart here.

Gods, Dal and Gwyn! Dal and the way he speaks about his crew! And she clocks him in 2 seconds flat.

Oh. Oh. Of course Dal hasn't read Temporal Mechanics 101. He's terrified.

Oh man, long distance relationships do be like that.

Fucking CLOAK.

GWYN! Also, that Trill. a) Is that the real Ascensia? b) ...wasn't she just on Janeway's bridge? Or is my facial recognition not just dead, but decaying 6ft below ground?

SOLUM. Also Gwyn. Oh no. This *is* the disastrous first contact, isn't it. And damn, are they elf-coded.

Ascensia not wasting time, good for her. Also. Oh god. Baby Ascensia.

...Her heirloom stolen? When? Never mind, she clearly has it, why not show it? Because of the Diviner? She doesn't want to incriminate him? Good choice, I think, at this point.

...Well, there goes your ride home, Gwyn.

Dal street kid skills!!

"Jeffries tubes only lead to trouble!" AHAHAHA do not let Rutherford hear you say that, Rok!

Is that a living construct? That voice. It sounds like the Diviner.

Oh Gwyn, neuroflux migraines canon, and you inherited them. T_T

Ilthuran. That's a good name. Also I am laughing out loud at my little AMV now. "Oh sing a song of Ilthuran", that fits very well. XD

RIP Adreek. :((( But maybe not quite dead yet.

Ohhh Ilthuran. :((( An astronomer on a planet that cares nothing about the stars.

Considering that the heirloom is also the connecting port for the Arcaneum, this is going to tip off security, isn't it?

...There's an adoption ceremony. Oh shit.

Interesting tidbit on the Vulcans there! ...And wow, "stay out of my head from Zero?!?!"

...Sooo they're lost in the wormhole without their xenobiologist AND security officer, and with an unknown quantity Vulcan telepath? GREAT!

Stable time loop, huh. Well, shit.

[toxiclizardwrites]

WIP - Love and Rage

The full second chapter of my OC x Delgado story is ready for release! This story has been fun to write, and I'm just as excited to see how it unfolds as you are.

Warnings: 18+, sexual content, attempted r*pe (it's not that bad, I promise), swearing Tagging: @bearlytolerant @avani-telvanni @atonalginger @eridanidreams @fangbangerghoul @lisa-and-shadow @aro-pancake ------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 2: Tension on The Key

Toxic headed through Reckoner’s core on the way to the Rook bunks, but she was stopped by Naeva. “Hey Rook, where are you headed?” 

“To go to sleep,” Toxic replied flatly. 

 “You look like shit. Something happen on Suvorov?”

“No. Nothing. Well, we found something about the Legacy but Del has the details.”

Naeva nodded, and pulled out a knife and started playfully flipping it around. She spun it in her fingers so the tip was pointed towards Toxic’s body. 

On edge and tired, Toxic instinctively jumped back. “Wow, a bit jumpy, are we?” Naeva teased. “Yeah a bit,” Toxic responded flatly, just wanting to get to bed. Naeva looked at Toxic thoughtfully, like she was trying to make a decision. “You know what? Fuck it. You need a drink. Follow me.” She said, and gave Toxic a hard shove in the direction of the Last Nova. But Toxic hesitated. “Naeva, I'm—”

“Nope, we’re going” she said before Toxic could finish. Sensing that she didn't have a choice in the matter, Toxic sighed heavily and followed Naeva’s steps to the bar on the other end of Reckoner’s core. 

Entering The Last Nova was like wandering into the arms of an ex that's bad for you, but in the best way. The smell of cigarettes and stale booze accented the old earth-style American diner decor. The place was especially packed tonight. Toxic and Naeva passed pirates that were arm wrestling, fighting, or grinding on each other on the dance floor. Toxic paid close attention to their faces, but nobody so much as glanced in their direction unless they were looking at Naeva. She didn't command the same level of respect as Delgado, but her presence also didn't go unnoticed. 

The pair made their way to the bar, where Bog nodded, his eyes moving from Naeva to Toxic thoughtfully. “What’ll it be, ladies,” he asked while wiping down the counter. Naeva ordered two pints of bog’s grog and pushed one towards Toxic, who was sitting with her head resting in her hand. 

“Drink up, Rook,” she said with a grin, and Toxic begrudgingly picked up the pint to take a swig. The alcohol was strong, and had an earthy taste mixed with paint thinner. Toxic’s face contorted a bit at the mix, even though she tried to suppress it. 

Naeva laughed. “Your first time having an adult drink, whittle baby?” She chided.

Toxic forced a smile. “It's kind of fucking gross, you have to admit”

“Oh, you're not wrong, Rook—”

Their banter was interrupted by a loud, very drunk voice. 

“Well, well well, what do we have here?” Mathis said with a slight slur in his voice. 

Toxic rubbed her hands over her face in protest of Mathis’ presence, not bothering to turn to face him. This is where it happens, she thought. This is where he tells everyone what happened on Suvorov. She expected it, of course, but not so soon. She wasn't mentally prepared. But then again, could she ever be? Her mind was racing, but she tried to act like she didn't care by burying her face into her pint. 

A hand on her shoulder and the smell of alcohol-laden breath interrupted her. “Hey everyone,” Mathis shouted. 

Toxic grabbed his arm, digging her nails into his shirt. “Don’t” she said, her voice seething with anger. 

Naeva didn't say anything but instead leaned back to watch the show unfold. She wasn't going to be an ally in this situation. 

Mathis ignored Toxic’s plea, and shouted once again, trying to get the full attention of the pirates. More faces turned to look at him, but most rolled their eyes and continued doing whatever they were doing. 

Mathis grabbed Toxic’s arm and pulled her off her chair so that she was standing. 

“Get the fuck off me, Mathis!” She yelled, pushing him hard. In his drunken state, he stumbled and fell over, drawing laughs from the crowd, Naeva included. 

In anger, he quickly got himself back up and tried to grab Toxic again, but she punched him in the face before he could regain his footing. This move pissed Mathis off so much that he resorted to drawing a knife from his belt and swiping it in Toxic’s direction. The first swipe was easy enough to dodge, but the second one grazed Toxic’s cheek, causing a small line of Crimson drops to form that trickled down her skin.

“Ok, that’s enough!” Naeva shouted, grabbing Mathis’ arm and securing the knife. “This is my Rook, Mathis, back the fuck off,” she said through clenched teeth. 

“No, no,” Mathis laughed, pointing at Toxic, “This one is Delgado’s.” He made a hollow fist with one hand and started moving one finger in and out of the hole with the other hand. 

Toxic could feel her face flush, but she tried to ignore it. Catching the gesture, Naeva turned to look at Toxic, her eyebrows raised, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she picked up Mathis by the collar and dragged him out of the bar, pushing him so that he fell face-first on the floor of Reckoner’s core. 

Taking this opportunity to leave, Toxic downed the last of her drink and quickly made her way to the exit, hoping that Naeva wasn't there. But she was, leaned up against the wall next to the door, as if she was waiting. Choosing to ignore her, Toxic opened the door, but Naeva caught it with her hand. 

“What was Mathis talking about, Rook?” She asked quizzically. 

“Nothing. I have no idea,” Toxic said hurriedly. 

But Naeva wasn't letting go. 

“Can I just fucking go please?” Toxic asked, half angry, half pleading. 

Naeva gave her a look like she wanted to know more, but Mathis had risen from the floor and was now trying to get back to the bar, which distracted her. 

“You're done for tonight, Mathis, go to your bunk,” she yelled at him as she threw open the door. 

Toxic used this opportunity to slip past Naeva and head toward the bunks. About halfway down the hallway she stopped and leaned against the wall, breathing heavily and taking in what just happened. She was tired, sweaty, and was still wearing the jumpsuit that she got on Suvorov. “I should probably shower,” she said to nobody in particular, and headed for her locker. A towel and a change of clothes in hand, she headed for one of the bathrooms just down the hallway from the bunks. The tiled floor and standup shower was all too reminiscent of the showers on Suvorov, and it caused her breath to hitch in her throat as memories of her and Delgado flooded into her mind. It all seemed to happen so fast, the interrogation, the sex, it was almost like a movie. She shoved the thoughts down in her mind and turned on the shower. The hot water was a welcome change, and she almost moaned as it warmed her skin. 

After taking entirely too long showering, Toxic quickly towel-dried her hair and threw on the clothes she brought, a pair of leggings and a t-shirt, and started walking back to her bunk. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw movment, like a shadow cast on the wall by light. But when she looked she didn't see anything. After a few more steps, there was a sudden noise, and then hands grabbing her waist. 

“What the fuck?” Toxic yelled in surprise, and the person answered. 

“There you are, you little slut,” Mathis said, sounding a bit more sober now. 

“Mathis, get the fuck off of me,” Toxic demanded, grabbing his hands and throwing them off her body. 

“So just because I'm not The Leader of the Crimson Fleet you won't fuck me?” He said angrily. “I’m twice the man Delgado is!” 

Toxic raised her hands with palms out in an effort to pacify Mathis while she backed away from him. He might not be slurring his words anymore, but he was still very drunk. 

“Look Mathis, I—”

But his hands were on her again, his tight grip on her shoulders.

“No, Mathis, stop, you don't want to do this, you're drunk,” 

But he was bigger than her, stronger. She was surprised at how tightly he grasped her shoulders. 

“Come on baby, how will you know you won't like it unless you try?”

“GET THE FUCK OFF ME!” Toxic shouted, trying to break free from his grip. “I'm not going to ask you again!”

Mathis backed away, and seemed like he was going to finally give up. Toxic breathed a sigh of relief. “Just…just go to bed, Mathis”

But Mathis wasn't done. He suddenly lunged at Toxic, throwing her to the floor and pinning her under his weight. He used his forearm to pin her down by the neck, choking her. She tried to scream, but only a small noise escaped her lips. Thankfully, the struggle between them was loud enough, because some lights flickered on. Mathis didn't stop though, and started tearing at her shirt, trying to lift it over her head with his free hand. But in his drunken state, he was having trouble. This gave Toxic the leverage she needed to free one of her arms. But just as she tried to push him away, Mathis was aggressively pulled off of her. 

Toxic pulled her shirt back down over her chest and blinked, eyes adjusting to the sudden influx of light to see who was responsible for saving her. 

Familiar amber eyes met hers. It was Delgado, and he did not look happy. He immediately turned around and grabbed Mathis, who was still on the floor, and held a pistol to his head. 

“I told you what would happen if you touched her again” he said angrily, and pulled the trigger. 

Mathis’ lifeless body twitched and blood poured out of his head, forming a puddle of red on the floor. 

Toxic gasped and hurried to her feet, eyes shifting from Mathis to Delgado.

“He had it coming” Delgado said simply. 

The commotion drew a sizeable crowd, including Naeva, who immediately took action. 

“What are all of you standing around here for? You,” she pointed at a couple of random pirates, “Take him and throw him out of the airlock. And someone grab a mop and bucket!” She ordered.

Toxic was frozen in place. A part of her felt responsible for what happened. Almost guilt. But then a hand landed on her shoulder. She flinched, but then realized it was Delgado, and her posture softened.

“Why don't you come with me,” he said, placing his other hand on Toxic’s shoulder and slowly guiding her away from the scene. 

They walked away from the bunks and into the elevator that led to the operations center. Then up the stairs to Delgado’s private lounge. The area was open, with a navigation table on one side of the room and a set of leather couches sitting a few steps down in a den area. Delgado walked over to one of the couches and sat down, motioning for Toxic to sit next to him. She did, and he leaned back a bit to take off his leather jacket, revealing a tight-fitting black t-shirt. He roughly folded the jacket and placed it on the table in front of them.

“I did what I had to do” he said, as if he had to justify his actions in any way to Toxic.

“No, I…I get it, he…he crossed a line” 

“Are you Ok, though?” 

The question came as a surprise to Toxic. Did he really care if she was ok? She hesitated a moment before answering.

“Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine.”

Delgado nodded slowly. “Good.” He said, getting up to grab some whisky off the counter. “Want some?”

“Yes” 

With two glasses in hand, Delgado returned to the couch and handed one to Toxic. She gulped it down almost immediately. 

“oh, ok then, how about another?” Delgado asked, his lips curling into a small grin. 

“Sure”

He got up and refilled her glass, and handed it to her again. This time Toxic took a regular sip and placed the drink on the table. 

Delgado sat back down with his legs spread so his knee touched hers. Then he put his hand over the back of the couch across her shoulders and took a big gulp of whisky. Toxic couldn't help but admire his body. Broad shoulders and muscular arms. She remembered what his chest looked like on Suvorov, wet and marked with a few hairs and scars. She thought about how she wanted to trace her fingers along them, how she wanted to feel his skin against her, his hands grabbing her hips and the feeling of him exploring her body. Even with what just happened, these thoughts sent ripples of pleasure through her, and she realized she was just where she wanted to be. 

Delgado moved his outstretched arm slightly so his fingers grazed her shoulders. The light touches caused Toxic’s heartbeat to quicken. She looked at him, and there was a hunger, a desire forming in his eyes. He was the Leader of the Crimson Fleet and could probably have any woman he wanted, but in this moment he wanted her.

But this time, Toxic wanted to make the first move. She downed the last of her glass of whisky in one shot, stood up, and faced Delgado. His eyes met hers and she could tell he was a bit confused as to what she was doing. She smiled and positioned herself on his lap with her legs spread on either side of him, so her chest was eye level with those amber eyes. 

Delgado looked surprised for a second, but then a grin formed on his face. Toxic leaned forward, took his face in her hands, and kissed him, slipping her tongue into his mouth, tasting the lingering whiskey. He responded by kissing her back, moving his upper body forward so her center was positioned perfectly on top of him, and putting his arms around her. His rough hands moved hungrily along her back and down to her ass as he pressed himself into her. Toxic could feel his erection through his pants, getting harder as she moved her hips more into him. He whispered something in Spanish and then moved his hands up her back, hooking the fabric of her shirt in his fingers. Quickened breaths escaped his mouth as he felt her bare skin and moved his hands toward the back of her bra. He unhooked it easily and removed it from her body, tossing it and her shirt to the floor. He took a moment to catch his breath and admire her bare breasts, then leaned forward and started aggressively kissing them, sucking the skin and giving her gentle but possessive bites. His hands continued to explore her body, moving up and down along her back and over her breasts as if he wanted to feel as much of her as possible, taking his time. His hands ended up on her hips and he guided her over himself while she leaned into every movement. Toxic moaned and could feel her body melt more and more into him, every touch building on the pleasure she felt. 

Delgado’s hips seemed to move instinctively into hers, grinding against her center. He moaned with pleasure, and then, with his hands still on her hips, he moved her back slightly. 

“Stand up” he said breathlessly. 

She did, and then he stood up as well. Toxic could see his throbbing erection through his pants. He stood in front of her, his neck at the perfect height for her to kiss and rake her teeth over. She reached up to trace the scar over his eye. He moved her back a bit and reached down, grabbing the top of her pants and underwear and pulling them below her ass. He swore under his breath at the slight of the inside of her underwear, which was soaked. 

“You're so wet for me,” he said appreciatively, sliding a hand in between her legs. Toxic let out a gasp when he slipped two fingers into her, pumping them rhythmically as she moved her hands away from his face and explored his chest. She lifted his shirt, and he pulled it up and over his head in one motion, throwing it behind him. She traced his scars, wrapped her fingers in his chest hair, and put her mouth on his nipples. The pressure in her body was building and building from the stimulation, until she reached a point of no return. Clutching his chest in ecstasy and pressing her body into his, she felt her muscles tighten and release as her slick spilled out of her.

“Fuck me” she demanded, perhaps a little too assertively. 

Delgado chuckled and said something in Spanish. Then in English he commanded, “get on the table” 

Toxic immediately obliged, leaning backward on the table, which accidentally activated some touch screen controls on the screen below her.

Delgado reached down and undid the button of his pants, letting them and his underwear fall to the floor. He stepped out of them and stroked his cock in anticipation, then grabbed it and teased his tip at her entrance, which caused Toxic’s hips to thrust forward involuntarily. Delgado’s entire length plunged inside of her, much to his surprise and pleasure. He removed himself from her and thrusted again, eliciting moans from the both of them. He continued to fuck her hard until he could feel the buildup of pleasure in his body release, emptying his entire load inside of her. 

Breathless and spent, Delgado gave her a few more kisses on the neck before slowly removing his wet cock from her body. Then he grabbed Toxic and lowered her off the table. Toxic stumbled a bit at first but he caught her before she fell.

He grabbed his pants and quickly threw them on, leaving the zipper and top button undone. “We should both get some sleep,” he said, handing Toxic her clothes. She quickly dressed and started towards the door, then hesitated. 

“Delgado?”

But he had already disappeared into his room, closing the door. 

Toxic slipped out of the lounge and made her way back to the bunks, not even noticing Naeva leaving against the wall outside with her arms crossed.

………

Delgado sat at the edge of his bed, fiddling with a lighter, watching the flame spark to life and then go out as he flipped the lid closed. He was lost in thought. 

How could he fall so hard for this Rook, this traitor? The word rang in his mind. 

Traitor.

She joined the Fleet because of Sysdef, but swore she wasn't their pawn. How could he be so sure? Why did he believe her when she said she would be loyal to him? Especially with little evidence to support it?

He lit and closed the lighter one more time before tossing it across the room in frustration. He’d never felt like this about anyone before. He used sex to interrogate her on Suvorov because he was excellent at reading people, and she wore her lust for him on her sleeve. But him? He was used to pushing his feelings down, locking them in a box in his mind to eventually rot away and disappear. But what happened on Suvorov was more than an interrogation, more than just sex. What happened tonight was more than just sex. 

He pushed the feelings that were building in his brain down into that box, trying to lock them away. But every time he opened that box to add more to it, something would spill out. There is only so much a man can hide until he’s forced to face facts.

He needed a distraction. The Legacy. It was a topic he thought of almost constantly.

But another thought popped into his head, this time an epiphany: If this Rook could bring those credits to him, it would not only prove her loyalty, but it would bring the Fleet to a level that he only dreamed about. Then he wouldn't have to hide anymore. But he'd have to be strategic about each step, carefully planning his moves like pieces on a chessboard. It also meant that he had to trust this Rook, at least to a certain degree. But her connection with Sysdef could also be an advantage, although it would be a huge risk as well…

Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. He stood up immediately and zipped up his pants and fastened the button, but didn't bother grabbing a shirt. 

“Who the fuck is bothering me at this hour?” He growled. 

“It's Naeva”

Thinking something serious must have happened, he opened the door. 

Standing there shirtless and with messy hair, he met Naeva’s eyes. 

“What’s happening?” He said, annoyed. 

Naeva hesitated for a moment, noticing the state of him, but then immediately got to the point. 

“Do you know how fucking dangerous it is, what you're doing?” She said angrily. 

Confused, Delgado threw up his hands and allowed them to fall to his side. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Oh you know what I'm talking about. You think I don't know what's going on? You’re fucking that Rook.”

Delgado shifted his weight slightly but didn't take his eyes of Naeva. 

“So what? I fuck lots of women” he said flatly.

“But never Rooks”

“It's no different”

“No, no, this is different, Delgado. This Rook. You killed Mathis for her.” 

Delgado suddenly flew into a rage. 

“Who the fuck cares, he was an annoying asshole. One of the most useless recruits we’ve had in the last while.” He paused for a second, as if he left out an important detail. “Plus, he tried to rape her! It's my job to protect members of the Fleet!”

Naeva laughed. “Protect? How many sorry fuckers have died during your little initiations on Suvorov? Died going out on missions? Hell, got shot to death by another pirate here on The Key?” she challenged. “How were you protecting them?”

“Those situations are different,” Delgado responded, turning away from her.

“Look Delgado. I told you I’d follow you and I stand by that” she said with a hint of concern in her voice. 

“But you better be sure about this Rook. Because this shit is going to spread around The Key sooner or later, and you’re going to have a hell of a time dealing with it.”

Delgado started pacing with anger. “I am sure” he said through clenched teeth. “And anyone who has a problem can speak with me personally.” 

“I'm holding you to that, Delgado” Naeva said seriously. “You better know what you're doing.”

She slammed his door shut, leaving him there to collapse, exhausted, on his bed. 

You better know what you're doing. 

The words repeated over and over again in his mind until sleep finally overtook him.

[ghost-town-story]

FebruarOC Day 2: Basil

(Warning for gun mentions here, but it's just target practice this time)

Falcon paused a few steps into the gun range. At this time of night, the place was usually empty, giving Falcon free reign to mess with the lights and hijack the speakers. But instead of the quiet darkness he’d come to expect, one corner of the room was lit up. Falcon debated leaving the other person alone, but ultimately his curiosity won out and he headed in the direction of the lights.

At the end of the room, almost hiding behind the wall partition, was a kid. Falcon slowed to a stop to watch him. He didn’t make any attempt to avoid being noticed, considering the kid was wearing headphones to protect his hearing and he was entirely focused on the target at the other end of the range.

The kid couldn’t be much older than ten, but there was a familiarity about him that nagged at Falcon despite being certain that he probably hadn’t interacted with him before. He also handled the gun with more confidence than any kid his age should have handling firearms, though Falcon was glad that he wasn’t overconfident and doing stupid shit because of it.

As he watched, the kid let out a breath and pulled the trigger.

Steady hands, Falcon noted as the sound of the shot echoed through the room. A second later, he shook his head emphatically, as if he could dislodge the thoughts that settled there. The kid was just that, a kid. It wasn’t Falcon’s place to have any say in how he was raised, but he could do his part by not dragging him deeper.

The kid breathed once, twice, then fired again, completely unbothered as the gun recoiled in his hands.

Falcon let out a long breath. Kid or not, he was already damn decent at handling a gun without freaking out or shaking.

Oh fuck it.

Falcon flipped on the lights. The kid set the gun down in a hurry and whirled around, pulling off his headphones. Falcon raised an eyebrow, waiting to see what the kid would do first.

The kid looked around as if expecting Falcon to have backup just around the corner before he met Falcon’s gaze. “I’m allowed to be here,” he said. “Kestrel gave me the whole gun safety lecture.”

“Mmhm.” Falcon didn’t let up on the judgmental look. “Acting pretty guilty. Plus, how old are you, like, ten?”

The kid’s expression settled into something like indignation, though his cheeks colored with a blush. “I’m eleven. Almost twelve. And I…” He hesitated, glancing around again. “I wanted to practice shooting,” he admitted. “But Dad thinks it’s… He thinks all I need to know are the basics.”

“What, is he expecting you to go nova and burn yourself out within a year?”

“No!” The vehemence surprised Falcon, and apparently the kid himself, because he immediately took a step back like he could reel it back into something more appropriate.

“No,” he repeated, quieter now. “He just… wants to make sure I don’t have to rely on anything or anybody to help me. Even Nova powers, if I…”

Falcon rolled his eyes. “Sure, knowing hand-to-hand is good if you get in a tight spot,” he said. “But,” He crossed the distance between them and picked up the gun the kid had been using. One glance at the kid saw him putting his headphones back on. Falcon gave him an approving nod, then activated his own hearing protection, raised the gun, and fired three shots in quick succession.

The target jolted as the bullets hit dead center.

Falcon set the gun down and turned back to the kid. He waited for the kid to remove his headphones again before finishing his sentence. “If you want to avoid getting in a tight spot in the first place, guns are gonna be your friend there.” He held out his hand. “I’m Falcon.”

The kid blinked a few times, then he reached out to take Falcon’s hand. Despite his hesitance, his grip was sure. “Basil.”

“Ah.” Familiarity clicked into place for Falcon. “Bay’s kid.”

Basil nodded.

A shame, Falcon thought to himself. Bay was notorious for being a self-reliant hardass who chafed at the mere idea of Falcon helping to cover his ass. And, apparently, he was already teaching those qualities to his kid.

But Falcon was petty, and Basil had steady hands and a fondness for guns that Bay wouldn’t approve of, so he bared his teeth in a grin. “Wanna learn to be a sniper?”

Basil blinked. “Why?”

“I’m sure Boss would appreciate having another sniper on hand if needed,” Falcon said. “And you’ve got steady hands.”

Basil looked at his hands, then back at Falcon, eyes narrowing like he was trying to solve a puzzle.

“Your choice.” Falcon shrugged. “I’m not gonna make you get Bay’s permission.”

Basil scoffed, almost involuntarily as he immediately covered his mouth with his hand.

Falcon smirked. “Yeah, that’s exactly why I don’t give a shit about his permission. Up to you.”

Basil didn’t immediately give his answer. He slowly lowered his hand from his mouth, looking down the range at the target he and Falcon had been shooting. Falcon leaned against the partition, giving the kid time to think about it.

“Do I have to decide right now?” Basil asked.

“Nah.” Falcon shook his head. “Take your time to think. I’m usually here most nights, or else you can give Kess your answer and they’ll pass the message along to me. Sound good?”

Basil nodded.

“Sweet.” Falcon gave in to the urge and ruffled Basil’s hair. The look he got in return was wavering between bemusement and indignation.

Falcon figured it was time for him to dip and let Basil figure his stuff out. “See ya around kid.” He pushed off of the partition, flashed a lazy cross between a salute and a wave, then headed for the door of the gun range.

“I—” Basil started, sounding like he was still stuck in the limbo of whether or not to be offended. “Okay.”

Falcon left the range without another look back, deciding to forgo his own target practice in favor of hunting down Kestrel and making sure the kid actually had permission to be in there by himself.

[lunesprite]

GiTM Characters - as Tom Cardy Songs

A Good Enough Tm List.

Hello and welcome to a very silly list I decided to make this morning. It is now a full 12 hours later and my vision must be shared. 

Tom Cardy is fantastic, and even without this silly list, I do think y'all should check him out! But keep in mind, a lot of these songs are suggestive/NSFW for various reasons, so maybe put in some headphones first. 

Also, I make these silly suggestions, every single one of them, out of immense love for these characters, so if one seems mean… I am ragging on them. I am pulling on their rays in the playground or whatever. 

I love each and every one of them, scouts honor. And with that out of the way….

Wonderful @/venomous-qwille's Ghost in the Machine Cast - specifically as Tom Cardy songs only.

Part 1: I Will Not Be Taking Feedback I Am Correct: 

Clip.exe: Red Flags

I love Clip.exe so so much it is unreal. He's a freak /endlessly affectionate. If i am feeling particularly silly with him, then i can offer a second for young, baby Clip: Monster Truck. Either way, I am kissing him.

Sanii: Hot Shit

He is. I would pay an inconceivable amount of money to see this. I want to see him performing this in a silly glittering red jacket to try and cheer Misuta up.

Nova: The Ballad of Smokin' Joe Rudeboy

This beautiful, perfect man. Important context: Fool is singing it, narrating our wonderful tale, and Nova is performing his ass off and having a blast. He is wearing a cowboy hat and yes, one of his rays is sticking through it. I love Nova. I am kissing him right on his face.

Noon: Artificial Intelligence

He would sing this song and you wouldn't even need to ask him to.

y/n: Repress it!

Look at that, we get a song too. :) Almost forgot to, tbh.

Part 2: I Got My Reasons:

Soleil: Read Between the Lines

Can I picture him singing it? No. I will not pretend. There are certain lines, however, I absolutely can. He very nearly falls into the 'Didn't Wanna Leave Anybody Out' category, but I just. I needed to manifest this.

Fool: Perception Check

You know, I don't think I need to explain this one.

Sunspot: My Secret Shame

Oh darling Spot, it might very well be there's another song that fits you better, but imagining this one, which is so sweet and harmless but absolutely on point for something that WOULD be his shame, made me almost break down laughing at work.

Misuta: All the Stupid Things I've Ever Done

:)

Sandman: Level Clear!

Sandy is kind of riding the line between this category and the next, but like. I give him this one because I cannot wait to see what this little man has going on, and I really wonder what his life has been like! I just know there's trauma under that hat.

Harvest: About 8 hours

There was another song here but this was a late suggestion that I realized was simply. Too correct.

Part 3: I Didn't Wanna Leave Anybody Out and By This Point I Was Invested And Too Proud to Back Down (I Will Take Cardy Suggestions Here):

This section is particularly silly. 

Ruin: Love Language

The angle. I confess: I forGOT them. I am a fake fan. But I come with a secondary song for Ruin.

Call your Mother (just links now because there is a 10 video limit woopsie): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV5HKWRMyAY

Profanity aside - and the funniness of imagining Influencer Ruin - I think this is about as accurate as this section gets.

Part 4: JK i backed down instantly

Sunflower & Sombra

I had to admit defeat with these two. I don't think there is one by Tom Cardy that fits Sunflower, but I know so little about her I... As for Sombra, I did have a joke one but later (right now) accepted I also know very little about him. I toss in my hat on these two, I have done my best. 😔

I also debated an extra song for Nova - and a particularly silly one for Sol - but I thought I should cut myself off before I lost myself completely in the sauce. I suppose it works out, since I ran out of video embeds (oops).

Thank you for attending this uh. Post? Yes.

[the-snake-and-the-statue]

"Okay.... is EVERYONE okay....?" Sammy says after a few moments. He does a headcount... yep, everyone's in there. Except, obviously, Ramona. The dragons back off, either terrified of all the people or understanding space is needed. In the distance, Mytha, Sylvia, Celio, and several other dragons flee the forest to avoid the uprooting and falling trees.

Nova continues to hug Switch and sob into Vaga's shoulder as he stares at the ground, vision blurry with tears. Achilles glances up as the lights flicker slightly... despite his silent cries, his expression remains stoic.

Odette collapses into one of the stables, willing themselves to not cry as they hold their wound... several dragons surround them, acting as something semi-soft to lay on. Samuel hands them some bandages, which they gladly accept yet only stare at.

No one else speaks for a while, as the ground continues to tremble and the sounds of destruction occur above the cave. People tend to each other's wounds, offer comfort where they can, yet it all happens terrified silence.

Finally, Samuel gets up.

"Now why the fuck are YOU here??" He jabs a finger in Slyn's direction, who's sitting against the wall and staring outside.

"What do you mean, why am I here?! It's a fucking earthquake Samuel, I'm allowed to take cover!!"

Samuel laughs angrily. "Hah- what happened to being 'above all the others, going wherever you please'? Huh? 'Cause I know DAMN well you of all people wouldn't willingly come to the 'shitty dirty stables' with all of us workers. Why don't you go back up to comfort and admire your wife, hm?"

A threatened hissing emits from Slyn's crossed arms. "You think I'm stupid?! She WILLINGLY TOOK OFF HER VEIL. I'm not getting in the way of that, you don't realize how bad it is when she lets you see under that thing, much less takes it off fully. She just.. needs to cool off."

Every word pisses Samuel off more, and he starts slowly walking towards Slyn. His palms are still caked in his own blood, covered in freshly-healed wounds where his claws sunk into his own flesh.

"You really are a FUCKING coward, you know that?"

Slyn's eyes darken.

"There's that look again. You're so fucking pathetic, I hope you know. You're only in power 'cause you broke your back riding Hexe's dick to the point she knew you'd do ANYTHING she said. You decide the best way to flaunt this power is abuse and beat the living shit out of everyone in this room for fun, MULTIPLE TIMES. But now, since you know you're probably gonna die at BEST if you spend any time around her while she throws tantrums, suddenly you're insistent you're in the same room as us. Why. 'Cause you're 'human'? You damn don't act like it."

They're inches away.

"That's fucking ENOUGH Samuel-"

"Ohhhhh no. Ohhhhhohohohohoho no, I'll decide when I'm done saying what I've been hanging onto for, what, 7-ish years? Almost 8? Something like that, whatever. ALL OF THIS IS YOUR FAULT, SLYN. ALL OF THIS-"

He motions at Mocha's broken arm, Vaga and Nova's panic, Odette's cracked torso, and more.

"- IS YOUR FUCKING FAULT! AND GUESS WHAT, NOT JUST EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM- ALSO THE ONES WE LOST!!"

He counts off his fingers.

"Icia?? GONE. Dunite?? GONE. And now Ramona? FUCKING GONE!!! I wouldn't be surprised if you were the reason Ramiro was gone too- hell maybe if you didn't fall for Hexe and actually helped us overthrow her and take her power, he'd be back here today! Then none of us would have to suffer, especially them-"

He motions furiously at Mirobelle's mirror, Alex, Switch, and Yume.

"- 'Cause you know what? THEY NEVER GOT TO EXPERIENCE THE PARADISE THIS FUCKING TORTURE CHAMBER DISGUISED AS A KINGDOM USED TO BE!! AND NOW THEY PROBABLY NEVER WILL, BECAUSE OF YOU!!!"

Slyn stands up, shoving Samuel out of his space. "THIS ISNT ALL MY FAULT!!! If your smooth fucking brain can't remember right, YOU AND VAGA SIDED WITH ME AT FIRST! AND AKLATAN, AND MOCHA!! THIS IS AS MUCH YOUR FAULT AS IT IS MINE!!"

Oh, how that was the wrong thing to say. Samuel looks like he's going to blow a gasket. Vaga covers his ears tighter.

"You realize none of us ever agreed with you, right? NONE OF US looked at you and Hexe and were like 'Oh yeah, I want to fight for a life of walking on eggshells and being punished for even looking at someone the wrong way', THAT WAS DRIVEN BY FEAR! WE WERE ALL SCARED TO DEATH OF WHAT YOU'D DO TO US!! WAS IT RIGHT?! NO, BUT WITH WHAT HEXE AND YOU DID TO ICIA AND ACHILLES IT DAMN SEEMED LIKE THE BETTER CHOICE- NONE OF US WANTED TO FIGHT FOR YOU AND HER, ABSOLUTELY NOT A SINGLE ONE OF US!!"

Blood once again drips from Samuel's palms as he tries to not beat the shit out of Slyn right then and there.

"So I say it again. You are a pathetic, pathetic man Slyn. You're a goddamn COWARD and Ramiro would be SO DISAPPOINTED IF HE SAW YOU NOW!!!"

A harsh punch suddenly lands on Samuel's face, forcing him to stumble back as red drips down his face. He stares at Slyn for moment before swinging back, the blow slamming him into the wall.

The two don't get far, before several dragons attempt to pull them apart. Slyn already has a black eye and half his snakes are almost dead crushed, ripped away from Samuel's throat (which is now littered in bite marks).

"SAMUEL, MAKE YOUR BEASTS UNHAND ME BEFORE I KILL THEM ALL!!!" Slyn screams, thrashing violently.

"You keep bucking around like that and they'll confuse the rest of your fingers for food," Samuel shoots back, throwing the crushed snakes at Slyn's feet. Before either can spit yet another insult, however, a gentle tapping sound directs their attention to Mirobelle, who's finally emerged from her mirror. She's covered in soot, dust and grime with teary eyes.

"..... the quake is over...." she whispers. "Many things are destroyed but... it all happened mostly in the throne room."

Samuel's anger subsides as he glances down... the ground is no longer shaking. The lights aren't flickering.

Everyone is safe.

"... thanks Miro.... do you know if any of... 'her' stuff is salvageable?"

"I will do my best to find something while cleaning.... there is no guarantee though. I.... I would assume it is all gone."

A heavy silence fills the room.

"What about Ramona's room?"

His braid wraps around his throat, though not tightening. As if it's a warning.

".... I mean 'her' room."

The braid eases a bit.

"I would suspect it is now barred off, but I need to check."

Sammy nods. He was expecting that.

"Thanks Miro.... now as for you." He redirects his attention to Slyn, who's staring down at the ground with a subtle look of... shame? Samuel couldn't care less.

"Get the fuck out of my stables. Traitor."

Slyn swiftly leaves, not even bothering to slam the heavy wooden doors behind him before ascending into the damaged halls.

After Slyn is gone it seems as if Samuel's rage has finally faded, as well as his energy and mental state. He looks around at everyone, looking like he's trying to hide tears that threaten to breach his eyes.

"Sorry about that.... you all can stay as long as you want, there's more medical stuff in my room and some blankets, I'm just... gonna make sure my dragons are okay."

He glances in Alexander's direction, though avoiding his eye, before walking outside and wrapping his arms around Mytha.

Sylvia trots inside and lays her head on Aklatan's lap, softly growling.

Mirobelle hugs both twins, softly singing a French lullaby to soothe them.

Achilles goes into Samuel's room and leaves with a small dagger, leaving the stables as well.

As for Odette, they continue to lie against the dragons that nuzzle close and are still rattled by the earthquake. They look around at everyone before closing their eyes, a tear falling down their face.

Achilles was right, they think bitterly. Nothing good ever stays good in this place.

[kisskissbanggang]

Jumpspace Renegade - ep. 11 ✨🚀

[5.1k words, <20 min. read - Stray Kids Multi Fic, Scifi!au, Choose Your Own Adventure - SFW/Smut in Other Chapters - Mentions of Changlix, Navigating Feelings, Unexpectedly Not as Exciting as Some Characters are Hoping, Minho is Getting Restless, Minho is Also Indeed Still Acting Weird, Rescue Missions, Prison Breaks, Hints of Motives, Crumbs of Backstory, Dumb and Unusual Punishment, Loyalty Crisis, We’re Still on the Ocean Planet, Mentions of Blood, Scifi Guns, Always Check the Tags]

[Episodes on Fridays 7pm pst, Polling closes Saturdays 7pm pst]

[Series Masterlist | Come Say Hi!]

“Do you think you’re in a place to be making demands?” Chan was pissed. The bounty was asking for a goddamn cabin?

Minho cocked his head, almost taunting the captain. “Do you want your appraiser back? Ask Nova. She’ll tell you I'm the best bet you have.”

Both men looked at you then. You took a brief, deep breath.

“Minho should be compensated. You’re having him help bring back Hyunjin, and who knows what kind of mess he’s in. Making the bounty do work for nothing is just slave labor,” you determined. Chan reeled. Minho grinned. 

“But-!” you added. 

A mutual pause struck them both. 

“Obviously,” you continued, “there should be conditions.”

“Oh really,” Chan and Minho said in unison. The captain was smug. The bounty was the one reeling now.

“Yes!” you confirmed. “Minho should be locked in and out at all times.”

He grumbled under his breath at this, gaze set hard on Chan even though you were the one coming up with this garbage. “Fine,” he sighed.

“What else?” Chan asked.

“What else?!” Minho repeated, whining.

“And–” you floundered. “And, and… and! To continue paying for this upgrade, you’re on-call for medic duty and other auxiliary crew assignments, like this.”

Chan clapped his hands together. “Yes, even better.”

Minho scoffed hard. “You’re a fucking piece of work, Captain.”

“And you’re a piece of shit!” Chan retorted. “Do you want the cabin or not?! This was your brilliant idea.”

“Yeah,” Minho huffed, “and my next brilliant idea is to put my foot up your ass.”

Chan groaned and pointed accusingly. “Holy shit you’re so annoying, I should’ve fucking shot you when you asked me to! I have half a mind to–”

“Oh my god,” you interrupted, “would both of you shut UP?”

Thankfully, this seemed to do the trick. You turned to Minho. “You want to make it to Daedalus in one piece, don’t you?”

Minho’s glare could kill. Chan paused again.

“... Interesting. You want to go to Daedalus, Lee?”

You winced in realization before turning back to face the captain.

“Uh, obviously,” you floundered. “Minho’s fiance is there, laying low until he gets back.”

Chan raised an extremely dubious eyebrow. “Fiance,” he repeated, unbelieving.

Jeongin chuckled, still lurking in the doorway of the medical office. “Fiance?” he also parroted. “It’s not Momo, is it?”

“Momo would never go back to Daedalus,” Chan shook his head. His gaze fell on you now, wondering where the hell you would get an idea as stupid as covering for Minho.

“Fine,” Minho relented. “I’ll do it.”

This seemed to pacify the captain. “Glad that’s settled,” he casually nodded as he turned to leave the med bay. “Our ground clearance expires at nightfall, so you have the whole afternoon if you need. Now get the hell out of here.”

“Well, hold on–” Minho added.

Chan paused.

“You’re asking me to go out there with no cover, and you haven’t cashed your bounty yet. Can I at least get my obfuscator back?”

The captain thought about this and shrugged. “Smartest thing you’ve said since you’ve been on this ship. Knock yourself out.” He strolled over to a locker built into the wall at the top of the spiral staircase and beeped it open. Inside was a satchel, which Chan pawed around in. He retrieved a small pendant and tossed it back to Minho.

“What’re the chances of getting my bag back before Daedalus?”

“Doubtful,” Chan shook his head. “What are my chances of you thanking me?”

“Doubtful,” Minho mocked. He pocketed the pendant and grabbed your hand before pulling you down the stairs with him.

“What about you thanking me?” you teased him.

Minho stopped dead before wheeling on you, pulling you onto the same step he stood on and herding you against the wall of the stairwell. You felt your eyes widen when he leaned in. “I’m sure my new fiance will be thrilled to hear you got me better accommodations,” he finally retorted, voice low and ominous, but still somehow reminding you of your rendezvous the other morning. 

You got over yourself. Based on everything you'd seen so far, Minho was all bark and no bite. You tiptoed up to kiss his cheek, predictably breaking his concentration. Minho wrinkled his nose and swatted you off before turning to reach the galley floor.

“I said no more of that,” he badgered back over his shoulder. “Just, ugh, don’t overdo the cover story next time.”

“Yes sir,” you complied, only slightly rolling your eyes. He did have a point.

Minho’s expression over his shoulder turned into a smirk. “Sir? I like that.”

He paused by the table in the galley, with Seungmin still peacefully passed out in the booth. 

“What’s the story here?” Minho asked, jabbing a thumb in his direction.

“Not sure,” you answered. “Changbin and Jeongin said there’d been a misunderstanding when he went to drop off the charts for his clients.”

Minho drew out a pen light, likely swiped from a drawer in the med office, and stooped down to get a better look at the navigator.

“I’d love to know what kind of misunderstanding it was,” he casually remarked. He gently ran a fingertip through a dark blue smudge on Seungmin’s glasses and rubbed it between his fingers before smelling it and ultimately tasting it, much to your horror. He reeled for a moment, face scrunched in regret. “Holy shit,” he laughed. “This is Azure. You know what that is?” 

You blankly shook your head, feeling a bit dumb and naive once again. 

“Makes sense,” Minho assured you. “It’s made of ink from a specific type of sea cucumber in the subarctic seas here, so it doesn’t go off-planet that often.”

“What is it?” you asked curiously. 

“At its most innocent? Party drug. College kids and marines on surface leave love the stuff, but I never understood the appeal,” the bounty explained. “At its worst? Well… you know.” 

“Oof,” you winced. “So with Seungmin… You don’t think–”

“Nothing nefarious,” Minho quickly reassured you. “Again, the Phaborians are largely against violence. If the guys say there was a misunderstanding, I'm guessing the navvy’s clients originally intended to tranq’ a possible threat to play it safe.”

“So he’s fine?” you implored. You tried not to sound worried. 

“Yeah, hun,” Minho nodded. “He’ll wake up with a pounder of a headache and a wicked case of minor amnesia, but he’ll be fine.”

Finally pleased with his diagnosis, Minho followed you out to the workshop. You tried to ignore a dot of Felix's blood on the floor at the top of the ramp. Instead, you let yourself be entertained by how Minho apparently knew how to access the weapons rack behind its hidden door. You were interested to see what he’d grab, and were somehow not surprised to see it was only a single blaster before he closed the rack again. He clipped on the pendant that Chan had returned to him while you ventured down the ramp together, tucking the thing into the collar of his shirt. 

“So,” you started, but stopped short. It was hard not to feel like you were being a pain despite your curiosity. You pointed at the pendant. “What exactly does that do?”

“You've never seen an obfuscator?” Minho chuckled. “That’s surprising. I bought mine in T’kaarm.”

“Don’t make me feel dumb,” you whined. More and more, you were being proven to not even be as street smart as you originally thought. Reaching the end of the ramp, you led him around to where you left the four-wheeler. 

“Calm down,” laughed Minho. “You know how most facial scanners are affected by interference or distortion maybe once every ten times?”

“Sure,” you nodded. Obviously.

He pointed at the pendant. “This thing spews out a cloud of interference, it’s like a portable data jammer–”

“That’s what that does?” came a voice unexpectedly. You both jumped and searched, quickly finding the cabin boy gingerly closing the sub-hatch door to the cargo hold. 

“Jeongin?!” you asked, still a bit startled. “What’re you doing out here?”

“Chan’s crazy if he thinks Seungmin needs watching,” he heatedly explained. “Seungmin needs sleep and Jisung still isn't back! Can you give me a ride to the market?”

You and Minho traded glances. Jeongin had a perfectly good reason to go from the sound of it, but it was pretty clear he snuck out–

“You were dropping off the payload with the navigator?” Minho asked, interrupting your deliberation. 

Jeongin nodded in response, confused. What did that have to do with anything?

Nevertheless, this was apparently the right answer. Minho waved him over with a nod while shooing you away from the seat or the four-wheeler. 

“What,” you scoffed, “you don’t trust me?”

Minho tickled your waist, the same move as earlier, to get you out of the way before he sat down at the handlebars. “There’s plenty of room for you behind me if you want. You can cuddle up real cozy.”

You swiftly punched Minho in the shoulder before sitting down on the mudguard. For wanting to curtail any fooling around, your alliance with Minho apparently did not forbid occasional flirting. 

Jeongin’s eyes awkwardly darted between you two before hopping on as well, just before Minho set off to take you back to the market. Maybe it was the new surroundings, maybe it was the events of the day, but it felt like you'd been on Phaborus for weeks. The sunlight on the water was gorgeous as it just started to set. Really, you were beginning to regret you didn't have any time to actually put your feet in the water. 

Rude as ever, Minho interrupted your sightseeing. He shot a look back at Jeongin. 

“Alright. You gotta know what happened to knock out the navvy.”

“What,” Jeongin ogled with a laugh, “you want the gossip or something?! I have no clue, dude. Changbin and I were waiting out in the lobby. Seungmin was taking his meeting solo, and suddenly we hear yelling and this bang like a blaster or something.”

“Oh shit,” Minho remarked. “You think Seungmin pulled a gun?”

“Seungmin?!” Jeongin wheezed. “He'd never. No, I assume it was a capsule gun or something, something to aim the Azure. Changbin and I barged in when we heard it.”

“And?” you asked, more intrigued now. 

Jeongin shrugged. “They were checking his charts and pockets and apologized. And then we left.”

“Oh my god,” Minho groaned. “That’s it?! You’re the most boring crew I've ever met.”

The bounty paused when he pulled you up to the market, at a similar spot to where Felix had parked that morning. He pointed past Jeongin's direction. 

“Go on,” he directed. “Get. Don't come back unless you have Jisung or a juicier story.”

Jeongin’s eyes nearly rolled out of his head. Still, he waved goodbye before venturing off into the market. Minho got your attention again. This time, he was pointing at an open air restaurant at the edge of the marketplace. 

“I went on my first date there,” he serenely explained. He didn't give you a chance to even digest that properly before he revved the engine and took off again, but it stuck with you. You tried imagining Minho as a teenager, head in the clouds instead of invested in civil uprising, maybe even bashful and shy on a date. 

You were preoccupied, feeling a little mentally exhausted when Minho pulled up to the temple. The feelings of ease and curiosity that shaded your previous trip here were replaced with wariness and paranoia. This had gone so wrong earlier that suddenly, there was no doubt in your mind that it wouldn’t get any better or easier. Minho seemed to sense this, judging by the way that he hesitated  when he got off the four-wheeler. He was, as always, surprisingly gentle with you. A mindful finger nudged under your chin brought your momentarily unfocused stare to his eyes. The setting sun reflected beautifully off the circuitry in Minho’s otherwise rich, dark gaze.

“You don’t have to do this, you know.”

You nodded in acknowledgement but pushed Minho’s hand away nonetheless. “We need to get Hyunjin back,” you reasoned.

“It’s not like you know him or anything,” Minho reminded you.

“Sure,” you nodded, “but we’re a crew. Tell me the plan.”

Minho’s normally hard expression softened a little and he let you hop off the four-wheeler. He checked the charge on his blaster. “My plan, honestly, is that we storm the place and start firing if we don’t get any answers–”

“Oh no, I don’t think so!” came a familiar voice from the temple.

The old priest was standing by the door, arms folded across her chest.

Minho was a bit caught off-guard by this. So were you, to be honest, but you weren’t the one preparing for a firefight. He gave you a dubious look before he walked over. Soon enough, Minho and the priest were having a heated discussion, both squaring off with their stances, pointing any which way, pointing at you, and nearly shouting at each other – all in Phaborian. You’d thought it earlier, but this practically confirmed Minho being modest about his abilities when you first mentioned stopping at the Hatchery. But soon, with the bickering and discussing and arguing seemingly past, the tall, elderly priest placed her hand on Minho’s head, seemingly reciting a small rite or brief blessing before sternly dismissing him, back in your direction. The whole exchange had taken minutes.

“So about your firefight…” you smirked.

“It sounded so much more grave up until now!” Minho reeled. “They did the respectful thing and dumped him. Your appraiser is in jail at the port authority.”

“Is that far?” you worried.

Minho scoffed. “Not at all. It’s on the other side of the market.”

This time, hopping on the four-wheeler, you surprised Minho by sliding onto the seat behind him, calling his earlier bluff. When he questioned it, you teased that it was for better balance. He didn’t argue when you wrapped your arms around his middle for more security. Cutting through the market this time meant Minho was patiently weaving through swaths of passerby. You nudged your chin closer to Minho’s ear, asking him if Phaborus still felt the same as when he was younger.

“As similar as it can when you’re older,” he shrugged. “Everything feels smaller, more quaint, I guess. I missed it, though. Feels like going back to a simpler time.”

“Simpler all around?” you asked. “Or simpler for you?”

“Simple for me,” Minho admitted. “I don’t think I’ve let myself have a simple notion in years.”

A blaring horn behind you alerted Minho to a coming vehicle, moving much faster than the crowd. He navigated to the side of the road as much as possible, a tall task for a crowded street, but managed to get out of the way just in time for a speedbike to come blazing through.

With Jeongin riding it.

He noticed you both, too, judging by the way he braked suddenly. Now that the bike wasn’t in motion, you recognized it as the one Jisung had been using. 

“Where are you going?” you called over.

“I’m trying to follow some leads!” Jeongin answered while Minho pulled up alongside him, yelling over the ambient cacophony of the market along with both your idling engines.

“No luck?” Minho asked him.

“Folks have seen him,” answered Jeongin. “I didn’t bring a headset with me so I’m working with a language barrier. But he’s been around, and I don’t think he’s made any positive impressions by the sound of it.”

“Finally,” Minho sighed. “Something exciting, hopefully. Come with us to the port authority. We can get your appraiser and if Jisung has been getting into trouble, they might know about it.”

“Is Hyunjin in jail?” Jeongin grinned. He laughed out loud when you nodded. “I gotta see this,” he explained. “Hyunjin is either the king of the drunk tank or dying of germ exposure.”

You traded glances with Minho again before gesturing for Jeongin to follow along. It turned out you weren’t much further to the port authority, and it was only a couple minutes more before you were able to park outside. Unlike the gorgeously amber-hued clay buildings of the Hatchery with their storm windows and alternating roofs of tin or tile, the Federation installations were all a gross combination of concrete and steel. The port authority jail wasn’t an exception, it being a sterile looking building that was probably enjoying a break from the typically unrelenting rain.

The clerk was a bored, likely conscripted Phaborian, looking through paperwork when the three of you came in. There was no greeting, no acknowledgement.

“Officer, we’re looking for a crew member,” Minho confidently began.

The young Phaborian, masculine in stature, looked up at him. “And you’re…?”

“First Mate Lee, tradeship Ambler.”

Jeongin raised an amused eyebrow at you from where you both flanked Minho. The clerk tapped into a computer.

“And you’re missing…?”

“Hwang? Hyunjin? We think we lost him during surface leave at the start of the day.”

“Found him,” the clerk boredly remarked. “Can’t release him yet, sir.”

“What?!” Minho sputtered. He leaned forward, striking up another hushed argument in Phaborian with the clerk this time. The language was difficult to parse out tone from, but whatever Minho was saying to the clerk, it involved some elaborate hand gesturing and emphatic repetition. At one point, you could’ve sworn Minho was miming a stabbing motion. The clerk finally reacted somewhat interestingly, eyes widening before he ultimately nodded. He tapped into the computer some more and pulled out some paperwork to sign before scurrying to a back office.

Minho sighed and turned around, leaning back on the desk. “This is garbage,” he whined. “I’m paying for room and board on my way to a prison sentence with this?”

“What’d you tell him?” you asked. 

You were met with a shrug from Minho. “It was an easy story. They think Hyunjin did it, and they just want him to say sorry. So I said he did it. And that he was deeply ashamed about stealing it, but he was in a sordid affair with a rich woman who betrayed him, and maybe it made him a little crazy, so he just decided to return it.”

Jeongin was failing to hold in a snicker. “He’s going to love this.”

“Why lie?” you balked.

“Too much back and forth,” Minho tiredly explained.

The clerk came back with a huge officer who ushered the three of you back into a row of holding cells. Hyunjin, unlike Jeongin’s prediction, was not king of the drunk tank or apparently dying from germ exposure. Instead, the appraiser was napping, sitting up against the wall in the first cell, sporting a bandage on his jaw that could possibly have been hiding a bruise or other small injury. A much heftier dressing adorned his hand where he’d been shot back at the temple. The officer banged on the bars, roughly rousing Hyunjin from his rest, but he quickly woke up upon seeing you all. He hopped to his feet and grabbed his bag. The officer opened the door for him and stepped aside, letting him through with ease. Hyunjin was very confused why the officer gave him a pitying look as he passed.

“Is that all you’ll be needing?” the officer asked.

“We should be fine,” you replied, feeling more like you were checking out at a hotel. You regarded your compatriots. “That’s all we needed, right?”

Everyone shrugged. You were ready to leave, until a voice rang out down the aisle.

“Nova? Guys?!”

You and the rest of your party processed this for a moment.

Jisung.

You would’ve thought you’d realized first if Jeongin didn’t run right away.

Sure enough, there was Jisung in the last holding cell. His enhanced eye had apparently been punched at some point. He clung onto the bars when you all arrived.

“When did you get here?!” Hyunjin ogled.

“When the fuck did you get here?” Jisung asked in return.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” the officer ushered you all away from the cell. “Not him.”

“Why?” asked Jeongin.

“Still doing paperwork. But he should be fine tomorrow.”

Tomorrow? Not good, you realized. Chan had told you the ground clearance would expire at nightfall.

Minho’s lips brushed your ear. “Pretend to be Jisung’s wife,” he instructed in a whisper.

You shot him an entirely involuntary but very necessary glare in refusal. “What? Why?!” you demanded. 

The bounty rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

In a stunning theatrical display, Minho reached for the bars and immediately began arguing with the officer now, really playing up something supposedly personal and emotional before the officer gave up with a sigh. He begrudgingly opened Jisung’s cell, too, and Minho dramatically collapsed inside, cradling Jisung’s confused face and kissing him full on the lips. Jisung exclaimed, muffled by Minho’s mouth before falling backwards. Minho hauled him up to his feet and profusely thanked the officer over and over and over again while pushing all of you back out to the lobby.

Minho continued to graciously thank the officer while he tried to pass the clerk’s desk with no trouble, too, but that was too good of a hope to come true. The front doors barred shut with a heavy clank. You all panicked, looking for what reason there could be to still be here… until the clerk held out a hand.

“1,200 Credits,” he boredly requested, holding out a number pad. A deathly silence fell over the lobby.

“... For what?” you finally asked.

“His–” he pointed at Hyunjin, “damage to the temple.”

“And Jisung?” Minho asked, amused.

The clerk pulled out a report. “Han, Jisung,” he read, “responsible for damage to five market stalls, one restaurant, and three civilian vehicles.”

Jeongin and Hyunjin were practically rolling on the floor with this revelation. And Minho was nearly about to launch into yet another cloying argument–

–when the lanky cabin boy simply walked up, wiping away a hysterical tear, and punched in his credit number.

The four of you: Minho, Jisung, Hyunjin, and you, all traded bewildered looks at the exchange. Afterwards, the clerk still had his hand outstretched when you finally realized. You pulled the pendant out of its pocket in your waist pack and handed it to him. He briefly marveled at it before delicately placing it into a locked drawer.

With the clerk satisfied, he waved over Hyunjin and Jisung, who had their faces scanned before the doors unlocked.

You all felt a bit dazed when you left the small jail. There were a few more questions humming around your head. What exactly did Minho tell the cop to get Jisung out of holding early? What the hell did Jisung get into that got him that heavy of a price tag to get out? Because a majority of that couldn’t have been Hyunjin. And where the fuck did Jeongin get all that money?!

“What the hell was the tortured lovers routine for?” Jeongin snorted.

Minho’s eyes rolled back in his skull. “Holy shit,” he impatiently blustered. “There’s a theme here, can’t you tell?! The Phaborians value love and relationships above anything, that’s what makes them so peaceful but also fucking terrifying if you mess with them–”

“But I didn’t get a smooch,” Hyunjin pouted. Jeongin howled another laugh beside him.

“Want one?” Minho shot back. “Come here, I’ll even – what do you think you’re doing?”

Jisung was about to get on the speedbike when Minho stopped him.

“Sorry, dear,” Jisung sardonically answered.

“Get your ass over here,” Minho demanded. “Someone has to have a juicy fucking story for me or I will lose it.”

“Yeah, I have some questions, too,” Hyunjin ribbed, sitting himself down in his same spot from the morning.

“What about us?!” you asked, gesturing to Jeongin. Jisung reluctantly sat himself across from Hyunjin.

“I dunno. Meet us there!” Minho gleefully yelled, revving his engine and speeding off.

You turned to see Jeongin patting the seat of the speedbike. “Room for two,” he grinned.

Fair enough, you reasoned. You’d hardly interacted with Jeongin at all since you’d arrived. He straddled the bike before you and waited until you settled in before he also gunned it out onto the main road. Unlike riding with Minho earlier, this proximity felt a bit more sudden. The sun on the water was gorgeous as it was setting. But now you were burning with curiosity.

“So…” you began, holding Jeongin around his middle as platonically as you could. “You’re, uhm, fucking loaded with cash?”

You could feel Jeongin laugh, the way his broad shoulders shook. “I guess so?”

“And despite this,” you continued, “you’re cool being a cabin boy?”

“As opposed to what?” Jeongin asked over his shoulder. Just like Felix, any of Jeongin’s tattoos were decorative. A small one of a creeping vine was tucked behind his ear. So far, he was the only member of the crew that you’d seen without a military brand. “I wasn’t anything before Chan, so I kind of just took what I could. If that’s as a cabin boy, then so be it.”

“Right,” you nodded blankly, “but what was before? What did you leave behind?”

“You got a hell of a lot of questions, Miss Nova,” Jeongin smirked. “But whoever, whatever I left behind was nothing of note. It wasn’t any way to live, that’s for sure.”

This struck you harder than you expected. You definitely understood leaving behind nothing of note. It just surprised you that someone with as much cash as Jeongin could feel that way. 

But it was valid.

No way to live was no way to live, no matter how you sliced it.

You lamented not being able to feel the water or the sand one more time when you met up with Minho at the workshop. Well, you were supposed to meet up with them. Weren’t you? You and Jeongin searched around the ramp and the ship, even peeking into the galley, but no sign of them, until you sighted them a few minutes later pulling into the port.

Minho looked pissed. Hyunjin looked more disgusted, but both men were unmistakably put off.

Jisung was babbling something when Minho drove up the ramp. Jeongin began retracting the bay door, equally confused as you were. Minho flapped a hand at Jisung to shut him up.

“I’m ashamed to call myself your fake husband,” Minho pointed accusingly at him. “I need to hear that you apologized tomorrow. Get the hell out of my face.”

You tried to reach for Jisung, who leaned out of the way, mumbling about needing something from his cabin. Minho turned his threatening point to you now.

“Babe, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll have no mercy on that idiot.”

All this noise apparently summoned Chan, who stalked out of the cabin by your room and donned a welding mask. He pointed his laser torch at Jeongin.

“You!” he bellowed. “What the hell are you thinking? You had me fucking worried sick. I gave you a direct order! I had no clue where you were!”

Jeongin stood quiet, like he was withstanding a scolding from a parent.

Chan pointed with his torch beyond the workshop. “You go clean the head and report back to me. You’ll love the stupid chores I’ve been saving up.”

You watched Jeongin nod affirmatively before leaving for midship, not hanging his head in shame or anything, but his eyes trained on the floor nonetheless. When you brought your focus back to the current commotion, Hyunjin was adding to Chan’s stress levels, apparently, by explaining Jisung’s absence.

“ARRESTED?” the captain shouted. He took off the welding mask to run his fingers through his hair in distress. “Why the fuck was he arrested?!”

“He can tell you all about it,” Hyunjin grumbled. “I’m sweaty, I’m gross, I have a headache – I’m taking a shower.”

“I just directed Jeongin to clean the head,” Chan argued, exasperated.

“Then he’ll either wait or close his eyes,” groaned Hyunjin, brushing past Chan on his way into the ship.

This left you and Minho. Chan took a deep, heaving, steadying breath before grandly gesturing towards the cabin he emerged from.

“I’ve prepared Sir’s stateroom during his expedition.”

“What’s with the torch?” Minho grinned, peeking into the room. 

Chan proudly gestured with his welding mask. “I sealed your stupid hatches shut, you son of a bitch.”

“Great,” deadpanned Minho. “What if there's an emergency?”

“That doesn’t sound like my problem right now,” Chan shrugged. “Now, thank you for your service, but get the hell in there.”

“Yes sir,” Minho mocked. Unexpectedly, though, he leaned over and kissed your cheek. Except, of course, his gesture catching your attention meant it was pretty much a peck on the lips. He ducked into his new room before either you or Chan had a chance to react. 

You tried to process this for a second before you caught Chan leering at you. Now you got it. You were a dumb little bartering chip between the two men. The key card Chan forgot to get back from you was burning a hole in your pocket for some reason. 

“You’re sure there's nothing going on with you and the bounty?” the captain asked while he walked back out to the workshop proper. The grease and sweat smeared on him was almost as endearing as it was gross. 

“Yes, Captain,” you teased. “I'm more worried about Felix, though.”

“Felix is doing fine,” Chan assured you. “He’s resting… in Changbin’s room.”

“Really,” you gawked. 

“Right?!” Chan laughed. “And Seungmin's resting in his room, too… If you’re wondering.”

“Why would I be wondering?” you deflected. 

Chan chuckled to himself, packing up his tools and setting the welding mask back in its compartment. “You’re cute, you know that? And you have time. There’s only one boost lane on Phaborus so we’re backed up until well into nightfall.”

“You don’t need me for anything?”

The captain looked puzzled. “No? There's such a thing as free time, love, go cherish it. Just don't leave the ship in case our time gets moved up.”

Chan left for the galley, leaving you alone in the workshop. A heavy ball of restlessness weighed you down. You wondered what should be next. If you couldn’t leave the ship, what could you do? The first thing that came to mind was Felix, checking on him and seeing how he was doing. However, there was also Jisung. Minho was fuming on your behalf. Or, you mused… you could check on Seungmin. You couldn’t deny you were worried about him, and Minho did manage to make you wonder just went so wrong in the first place.