#ooh she does love neon!

[austerulous]

◈   @freedomsbounty said:   ❛ The temperature changes were still something the Siberian woman was getting accustomed to. From the severe cold and biting ice to the dusty and grating sands, it was a world different. Nonetheless, the strong woman pushed on through Junkertown. She was part of a convoy delivering some supplies and had agreed to give them protection through the storms and whatever else lurked through the route. Stepping off the machine, Zarya stretched out her shoulders and arms putting up a strikingly strong silhouette for a moment's time. Her joints cracked and her bright hair had been tied back once more. It was in need of a buzz once more but her traveling made that project difficult. Her trademark canon rested inside the convoy as it was not needed out and about among the Junkers. If someone wanted to make trouble, her strength could handle that by grabbing an arm and snapping it like a twig. Zarya was not above utilizing her best attributes in a brawl after all even if she had been trained in the art of war as a soldier back home. "Now, let's see about getting this cargo where it needs to be," she uttered with an accent being thick. Grabbing a giant crate, Zarya lugged it over a shoulder and stepped off to deliver it to its proper place. ❜

It was not often that the Junker Queen graced the loading bay.  Transactions with the outside world were infrequent, supplies arriving from beyond the Wasteland’s stricken borders rare – and if the convoy managed to survive the wilds, there were grunts to run inventory, to unpack, to disseminate.  The difference was that, this time, a highly anticipated coffer huddled somewhere amidst the delivery, its contents worth every tarnished coin that had been squeezed out of the dusty fist of the royal vault, like blood from a stone.  Crowbar in hand, Odessa pried open crate after crate, searching, the threat of a snarl lying thick on her tongue.  

Bright and biting, it was a shock of pink hair that she noticed first, a colour as vibrant and unapologetic as her own cobalt blue.  It burned in the periphery of her vision, standing out against the drab backdrop of rust-eaten metal.  Odessa looked first at the woman, then at the gargantuan crate she was carrying.  Hope rekindled.

“Oi,” Odessa called, seizing attention with a rude snap of her fingers, signalling to where the container could be placed.  At the first opportunity, she opened it, the lid levered until it popped off.  Inside the gaping, splinter-lined mouth of the box, floating among a sea of protective packaging, was a clutch of pharmaceutical vials.  Pristine, intact despite the danger of their journey.  A gift.  A godsend.

The sickness had come from outside, Odessa was told.  Eradicated elsewhere in the world, it spread through the unvaccinated and isolated population of Junkertown like wildfire, devouring the young, the old, the compromised.  Even the healthy and hale had been knocked flat, and the fortified principality was reduced to a skeleton crew.  In this box lay the promise of immunisation, of lives saved.

Odessa released a breath, a look of relief painting her features.  Laughter came in the form of a coarse magpie-cackle as she clapped the woman gratefully on the arm. Maybe now the pyres would have a chance to burn themselves out.

“Thank fuck for that.”

[milunalupin]

— all-american

james potter x reader ★ 869 words

"Can you two stop giggling? People are staring."

The boys followed the tallest Marauder through the streets of muggle London, on their way to some American diner Peter had told them about. The purebloods couldn't help but 'ooh' and 'ahh' at all the unusual things they didn't have back in their world. A large neon sign came into view, the 'C' in 'Nick's Diner' flickering on and off. The loud jingle of the bell as they opened the door announced their arrival, only a few other patrons scattered around the diner. A voice from somewhere back in the kitchen called out.

"Welcome in, take a seat anywhere you'd like!"

They decided on a red leather booth near the back corner, a 'Taxi Driver' poster plastered right above the table. The black and white checkerboard flooring and jukebox made it feel like they were in that film 'Grease' their friend Lily makes them watch every other week.

"Evening boys, how's everyone doin'? My name is Y/N, can I get anyone started with a drink?"

James thinks he must've gotten hit by a muggle car crossing the street to get here because he believes he's seeing an angel in person. You just look so pretty, in your little red dress and white apron, curly hair tied up in a ponytail. Your smile. Merlin, he was going to need to get his eyes checked again after dinner because your smile was truly blinding. Were those wedding bells he was hearing?

"I think James over here is good, all that drool should last him a good week or two."

A hard slap on the back took him out of his daze. His eyebrows pinched together and he was about to say something back to Sirius when he realized he was drooling, quickly wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his sweater before turning back to you with red cheeks and a sheepish smile.

"A Coca-Cola for me, please."

You think the blushing boy before you couldn't get any cuter. You grinned and nodded, telling them you'd be back with their drinks as you strolled back to the kitchen.

Once James finally took his eyes away from your swinging ponytail, he was met with three shit-eating grins. He glares back but their smiles do not falter, causing James to scoff with furrowed eyebrows. "What."

Dinner goes by in a flash with the friends enjoying their meals and sneakily changing the music from the jukebox, wands hidden under the table. The boys notice they just so happen to have a very attentive waitress, your lovely self coming around to their table often. It was interesting that even after they'd finished eating, you would appear to fill their almost overflowing cups with water or drop off extra napkins. James did nothing but send a dopey grin your way, and he does consider talking to you but freezes the second your big brown eyes stare back at him.

Remus groaned as he watched his friend be so pathetically consumed by you, setting down his now empty mug. "Prongs, tell me. Are you going to ask her out or just sit there with your tongue out like Padfoot begging for someone to throw him a bone?"

"I do not beg!" The dog animagi sputtered, hitting the dirty blonde beside him, "Tell 'em Pete!"

"Piss off Moony, it's not that easy. She's perfect."

Your shift was over, and truthfully it could've been worse. The table of four boys really made up for the more sour customers you had earlier in the day. The disappointment on your face was obvious when you had gone to clean their table and there was no number left behind on any of the napkins.

After finishing your closing duties you walked out the back door and turned the corner to find a large eagle owl perched upon the diner's bike rack. It wasn't too common to see owls in this area, but the shine of its feathers and well maintained claws tell you it's not from around here. Taking careful steps towards the bird, you offer your hand. It expanded its wings and flapped them twice at you before butting its head against the palm of you hand. You smiled and smoothed the beautiful creature's feathers back, now realizing there was an envelope sitting between the owl's talons. Taking the envelope and opening it up, you find a letter written to who you presumed to be yourself.

Dearest Y/N,

You have me infatuated with your beautiful smile and killer table waiting skills. I'm pretty funny and can show you a good time. Not like that though, unless you wanted t

What I mean to say is, I would throw all of England's tea in the ocean again if it meant I could win the honor of taking you out. On a date that is, not like killing you. I promise to make the night magical. I'll come by the diner next week with flowers and hopefully you don't punch me in the face for being a creep.

Yours,

James Potter

Smiling to yourself, you gave the owl one last pet and a thank you before pulling your wand out and disapparating home.

[abbysbug]

streamer!abby x streamer!reader HCs

a/n: i enjoy writing streamer!ellie so much that i've decided i wanna try writing streamer!abby too :p

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

• she mostly plays call of duty or league of legends!! those are her favourite games ever.

• her setup is very clean, including her room. she has a white setup with pink/purple neon lights.

• her equipment is very expensive and she always has the newest things. she never wants to waste her old equipment tho. she always does giveaways to her viewers or friends.

• she KNOWS how hot she is and what type of chokehold she has on her viewers. she'll casually flex her arms. it makes her chat go crazy.

@abbysonlyone oh my GODDD thats my muscle mommy guys

@teddybear48 replied BACK TF OFF THTAS LITERALLY MY MUSCLE MOMMY

• "guys chill. you can all have a piece of me." she has this cocky grin on her face as she says that.

• she's positioned her camera so alice can be seen sleeping in her bed. everyone finds alice adorable and constantly ask for pictures of her.

• she typically streams alone. she feels more connected to her viewers that way, buttt she does occasionally make the exception and stream with you. her viewers love watching you both interact with each other.

• "abigail anderson, if you steal my kill one more fucking time, I'm going to break up with you."

• "ooh, so scary."

• she'd steal your kill again and look over at you with a grin on her face. you'd throw your pillow that rested in your lap at her, bonking her on the head.

• people made edits out of that. it was one of abby's most embarrassing moments. you thought it was hilarious.

• she posts gym pics on her instagram.

• she displays herself to be very confident at streamer events, but inside she's panicking and overthinking everything. you always notice when she's feeling anxious and you slip your hand into hers.

• you guys are very affectionate on stream!! at first, abby was nervous and didn't enjoy pda much, but overtime she's started to like it.

• you both like to share kisses when one of you are streaming. people think it's adorable and hot.

• she has auto caps turned on and uses 24 hour time.

@therealabbyanderson Hey guys, I'll be streaming at 21:00 tonight. It'll just be a cozy Minecraft stream.

@ynplayz replied bruh just say 9pm and why are you using such correct grammar ITS TWITTER!!

@therealabbyanderson replied Let me do what I want to do.

@ynplayz replied people are gonna think im a controlling partner omg TURN THAT SHIT OFF ABBY

• she still has not turned it off.

[spahhzy]

Unlikely pair pt. 1

-

Oh Jaune, you're going to learn. Those 'Arc Promises' of yours is gonna get yourself killed one day.

-

The group that was RWBY + Jaune walked through the desert, the city of Vacuo only miles away as air ships loomed over head. Everyone was still reeling from the events that had transpired...all except for one.

??: Are their yet? are we their yet? Are we their yet?

Jaune groaned in annoyance as he slapped his cheek. A small 'ow' could be heard from where his palm met cheek. Lifting his hand up revealed a singular neon blue eye, whiskers, and a smile.

??: That's not very nice Jaune!

Jaune: Can I get even five minutes without you being annoying C.C.

C.C: Oh, come on, this is all new to me! Can't blame me for being sooooo-

Jaune: Don't you dare finish that sentence!

C.C. : Curious!

Jaune sighed, already regretting EVERYTHING that has led up to this.

C.C.: ooooh I can't wait to meet you're friends, it's going to be one big hug-a-pa-looza!

Jaune: Hug-a-wah? No, you just stay quiet!

??: une!

C.C: But it's all so thrilling, LOOK AT ALL THE SAND!

Jaune: I hate you.

??: aune!

C.C: Love you too best buddy!

??: Jaune!

Jaune/C.C: WHAT!?

Blake flinched at the shout as Ruby put a hand on Jaune's shoulder.

Ruby: How are you holding up?

Jaune: Fine... all things considered.

Ruby: and what about your...

C.C: I am doing great, Ruby! Hey, no hard feelings, right? Ooh remind me to go apologize to that Neo girl too, bless her heart, I hope she really does find herself.

Ruby just cringed as Jaune just rolled his eyes and moved forward as suddenly Weiss walked right next to Jaune.

Weiss: Jaune, if I may ask?

Jaune: Yes?

Weiss: Why did you let the cat inhabit your body.

Jaune just sighed as he looked at the warships over the city of Vacuo.

Jaune: We'll, I guess I felt...I don't know? Sorry?

C.C.: Awww, so you doo care about me!

Jaune: I will dunk my head in water and drown both of us!

C.C: Shutting up.

Jaune: But i guess, really. It all started when we both fell into the tree.

[averageclawcodeenjoyer]

Thinking thoughts again guys.

Thinking about Ganke (42)

More SPECIFICALLY thinking about Ganke as Doc Oct. Or at least, a variant.

I MEAN COME ON!!! TRYING TO GET ACROSS DIMENSIONS?? STUDYING THAT SHIT? That may be more of a 1610 Miles thing but I like to think that both Ganke"s are REALLY interested in it too. Or at least 42 is.

I feel like with the way their world is too, 42 Ganke is more likely to get a position at Alchemax. At the very LEAST for their science and tech and ease of access to stuff for his own projects.

But like. Come on. Look at him.

I just wanted to show that picture...

Assuming we know nothing(or little) about this Ganke's parents, is it too daring to think that, perhamps, his mother is Doc Oct? Or father, if we're being different. Just A PARENT in general?

And maybe I just like projecting onto them, but also maybe like... do you see what I'm getting at. Her ass probably hates kids. And isn't easily impressed. So imagine having a kid you probably don't even want (for science? Maybe.... more angst potential..) and he grows up absolutely DESPERATE to please you and get told that you're proud of him and that he's enough. And then he gets to an age where he no longer has to rely on you (or other people, her ass did nothing to raise him), and he starts thinking for himself, and since you're all bad and evil and stuff you realize something.

This whole entire time, the past thirteen long, dreadful years of your life, you haven't been using your full potential.

You have a pawn right at your fingertips.

A young mind full of turmoil and the overwhelming need to please you.

Someone who can be easily molded.

Manipulated.

Shaped.

Formed.

You have a tool.

Just sitting on the couch right in front of you. An entire person of just wasted potential. One who was sat on his ass for his entire life and done nothing (in her opinion)

And if you're all evil and bad, what are you gonna do with that information?

You're going to use it.

"Hey son I know I haven't really talked to you since your birthday three years ago but how would you like an opportunity to get close to the very grand and very loving mother that I suddenly am?"

He's going to say yes. That's like giving a mouse a cookie.

The chance to be with his mom some more? To finally get the chance to prove to her that he is worth loving? The answer might as well be a flashing neon green sign. Capital letters. Y-E-S. Because why wouldn't he

So she starts training him, in small ways at first, going easy on him since he's still just a boy, really, but gradually working him up with harder and harder tasks and missions until he's finally earned himself a pair of his own robotic octopus arms (that he had to engineer and build himself)

And FINALLY for ONCE in his fucking LIFE he is making his mom PROUD OF HIM. He finally gets the love, the praise, the appreciation he's craved ever since he was a toddler.

Ooh, and he's doing such a good job hacking into top secret shit and files and such a good job stealing and doing his mother's dirty work and-- what's this?

There's this new kid on the block.

Apparently, the old Prowler's retired. His alliance fell through. And the new Prowler? His loyalty has completely flipped. Motives, too.

Instead of aiding them in raids and taking out enemies, he's now actively ATTACKING them and foiling their missions.

Instead of being a villain like the rest of them, he's suddenly trying to get RID of the villains?

The fuck is this guy's problem.

Who does he think he IS suddenly poking his nose into shit he DOESNT belong in?? SCREWING UP GANKE'S CHANCE WITH HIS MOM!!! The chance he's been waiting SIXTEEN YEARS FOR! Oh, he's pissed.

He overhears hears his mom talking at a meeting about a plan to try and lure and trap this kid to get him off their asses (he's a master at sneaking and eavesdropping at this point.. even just to hear his mother's voice and think up ways he can make her like him) and he decided that this is his moment. His calling. His purpose.

That very night, he decides to make the Prowler (junior, as they're calling him) his very own personal mortal enemy.

But little does he know

The guy he's constantly trying to kill every night?

His roommate.

Yeah, The Prowler Junior(™️) is his high school roommate and (soon to be) certified best friend.

Blah blah blah they fight all the time oh but now they're chill and- I just blinked why are you guys kissing and holy hell your mother found out and tells you that you don't deserve your last name and will never live up to your potential (which, she claims she knew this, which is why she gave him his father's last name and not her own. Lee.) and you're fighting with Miles again and yet oh God now you've been disowned and have to go to him for help Oh No That's Bad What.

:3

Do you see the appeal. I need to draw him. And make more of this AU. What should I call it? I'll be thinking.. also open to suggestions I'm Bad at naming stuff......

OKAY BYE

[trills-n-clicks]

Capt. Medic Ila "Bruise" Woods

Mainly going by Bruise, but Ila by close friends, she's the Medic of TF Arach, and Captain Medic to other medics in the field.

NONE OF THIS INFORMATION IS OF ACTUAL PEOPLE, SOME DETAILS ARE TAKEN FROM MYSELF BUT IT IS NOT BASED ON ME!!!

TF Arach Masterlist

DOB: October 6th, 1990. [33 years old]

Relationships: ↓

Merils Woods- Husband <alive> {She took his last name}

Janiel "Jani" Woods- Daughter <alive>

Bucky Woods- Son <dead> {miscarriage :'(}

June Morial - Mother <alive>

Simon Morial- Father <dead>

Jack ////////-Uncle (Father's side) <alive>

//////// Bensick- Uncle (Mother's side) <alive>

Alice /////////- Aunt (Mother's side) <alive>

Lucy Morial- Sister <alive>

Quinn Potis- Sister <alive> {used to be married, partner died}

Evelyn "Vely" Morial- Sister <alive>

Ben Bensick- Cousin <alive>

Harold Morial- Cousin <alive>

Lilian ////////- Goddaughter <alive>

Physical details: ↓

Head: Blonde, ear length, relatively curly (2C-3A) hair. One green(left) and one with cataracts(right), round and medium-set eyes. Snub-like nose with a visible upturn. She has thick lips with a thicker upper lip and a circular, slightly chubby face shape.

Body: Ectomorph but slightly thicker, Kite(?) shape. Large bust small hips, she's got tig ol' bitties tho 😫(I'm a sucker for women like that)

Marks (scars, birthmarks, tattoos, missing limbs, etc.): Her abdomen has a tattoo all around it with flower designs. She has no birthmarks. She's got some scarring from a poison dart on her back from trying to escape a captor(it looks like a dark fluid spreading on her back), one from her hairline to her eye from stray shrapnel, resulted in cataracts and ~25% blindness in that eye. And frostbite scars across hands and calves from an incident..(ooh~~). Her missing limbs include her left pinky and ring fingers, and her right leg (mid-thigh and lower gone) from torture while held captive. She also has a tongue piercing.

Other (height & weight stuff, skintone, nationality, etc.): Her skintone is tan, lots of freckles cover her skin. She lives in Australia but has an origin in Las Almas, her parents and other family live there, she moved to Australia. She is 5'11" (1.79m) and weighs 188lbs (85.2 kg). She tends to wear 2000s type clothes, sports bras, torn or worn cargo pants, colourful jackets, etc, and she loves her crown-like jewelry, makes her feel pretty.

Personality details: ↓

She's an open Bisexual to friends but not family, she's on the romantic or sexual spectrum as polyamorous(her and her husband are ready to add a plus-1). She is a Demi-girl and struggles with gender dysphoria very occasionally. She finds nature-like colors like forest green or mushroom brown quite pretty but will not admit that if there's a cool psychedelic neon yellow shirt, she will try it on. Outside people describe her as loud, rude and annoying. People she knows well however, describe her as still loud, but just reserved and distant, quoting something I imagine one of them saying: "she's rude when you first meet her but she warms up quickly as soon as you know her name". She is an ambivert, she uses social interaction to avoid her mental health but sometimes shuts down and can't even leave her room (Arach has a hitch that something's wrong but hasn't caught on fully yet). She's got no sensory issues that are prominent. And She does have mental disorders, including PTSD (ofc), Speration anxiety and rhotacism (she has difficulties in pronouncing the letter r).

And Military info!: ↓

She joined in 2009 at 19 years old, and was transferred to be in the SNS 3 years after joining. She has skills in basic, and advanced medical aid including field operations, Undercover missions, close range combat and some long range, and hostage rescue. But she has difficulties in keeping her emotions in check when in the field, along with using drugs (like morphine or adrenaline bc of being poisoned in the past).

Basic picture using gacha (I use it to visualize what they will look like with color)

Pls don't mind the leg next to her arm 😭 I had to get rid of it somehow

And I will insert a photo I drew below (it will not have color)

I will add the picture as soon as I draw her.

I'm sorry if it's too long, read if you want but you really don't have to, she will be basically described in the fic.

[dilemmaontwolegs]

Run These Streets {6} || Street Racer!Bucky

Summary: The group has made it to Miami! Warnings: 18+ only, NSFW WC: 1.8k

Bucky Masterlist || Part One || Part Two || Part Three || Part Four || Part Five || Part Six || Part Seven ||

Miami, Florida

Music spilled out onto the streets from the bars and restaurants that lined Ocean Drive and neon lights of all colours glowed along the street to cast a rainbow into the night. It was energetic and chaotic and you loved it. You would certainly miss it when you left in a few days.

“Cars don’t win races, drivers do.” Bucky slapped his hand on the table top enthusiastically and you tuned back into the conversation that was quickly turning into an argument.

“You can’t tell me that that car,” Sam argued as he pointed to an older Toyota Corolla, “could beat my Evo.”

Sam was a racer Bucky had befriended when you arrived in Miami last week and he had offered to show off his city. Like most of the street racers in the city, he drove a suped up import and invested more into making the car look good than run perfect. 

“Come on, babe, back me up,” Bucky said as he draped his arm over the back of your seat. 

You stopped spinning the little umbrella that had come with your cocktail and your eyebrows pinched together as you looked at the car in question. “1985- maybe -86, 1.6 litre engine. It wouldn’t be pretty afterwards and you would have to add a poor man's turbo but, yeah, it could take on an Evo.” 

“Poor man’s turbo?” Sam asked Bucky as if you hadn’t been speaking English. 

“Adding a funnel to the air intake so it ups the pressure and boosts combustion,” Bucky explained. 

“You Brooklyn folk are built differently,” Sam said with a shake of his head before roaring with laughter and slapping the table top. “If you hadn’t been whooping our asses all week I would say you are talking shit.”

The next round was on Bucky and he found Steve on the way to the bar after he had disappeared with Hannah a while ago. From the smile on his face it was easy to guess what the pair had gone to do and Steve tossed his arm over Bucky’s shoulders. “I fucking love it here!” 

You waved to Hannah as she swaggered over on unsteady legs and dropped into her seat with a slight wince that made you chuckle. 

“I haven’t seen you two race yet, or is it just your men who do the racing?” Sam asked between drinking his beer. 

“Oh no, I can’t even drive a stick,” Hannah admitted with a laugh before jutting her thumb over to you, “but she does. She’s about the only person who could possibly beat Bucky, if they ever raced each other.”

Sam’s eyebrows shot up his forehead in disbelief and he almost choked on his beer. “Now that is something I have to see!”

Bucky chose that moment to reappear with a handful of drinks and cocky grin revealing the small dimple in his chin. “How ‘bout it, doll? Up for a little friendly competition?”

You took your drink as you rose to the challenge, “No such thing as a friendly competition, and I only race for a real prize.”

A chorus of oohs and aahs broke out around the table but you only had eyes for Bucky as he leaned in closer with a smirk. “Yeah? What prize should we race for then?”

You bit your lip and looked up from under your lashes as you battered them his way. “I’m sure you can think of something you must want.”

His eyes trailed down the line of your cleavage, his pupils dilating with the thought of what lay underneath. “I already have everything I want.”

“Are they always like this?” Sam interrupted as he whispered loudly to Steve.

“Yup,” Steve said with an exasperated sigh. “Believe it or not it was worse before they got together.”

You hid your laugh in Bucky’s shoulder as the moment passed and a normal conversation resumed. You should have known Bucky wouldn’t let it go.

“Rise and shine, doll,” Bucky woke you with a sing-song trill. “One large coffee, just for you.”

It hurt to open your eyes with the curtains letting in the harsh sunlight that reflected off the Atlantic Ocean and an ungodly groan escaped your dry lips as you rolled away and pulled the covers back over you. “Go away.”

“That’s not what you were begging me last night,” he teased from the loveseat he was lounging upon, watching you with growing amusement. “Quite the opposite.”

“James,” you whined as you dragged yourself up against the headboard and tried to keep your eyes open long enough to pick up the coffee cup on the side table. “I’m not a morning person.”

“It’s four in the afternoon.” He jumped up from the couch with far too much energy and sauntered over to the bed. The sunlight hit his hair and illuminated the hint of red that almost always was hidden by the dark brown strands before he ran his fingers through the tresses. It was then that you noticed he was shirtless as his biceps bulged with the movement and the wariness of sleep evaporated. 

“Do you remember last night?” he asked as he ran his thumb over your bottom lip, freeing it from the teeth you had caught it between. 

You could feel the evidence of last night and the memory that came with it as heat began to spread across your skin. “We got a little wild.”

His dark chuckle had your toes curling beneath the sheets. “Yeah we did, but I’m not talking about when we got back here. Do you remember the challenge?”

You blinked once, then twice. The memory slowly rose to the surface and you realised he wasn’t talking about the new positions you had experimented with while intoxicated. With a groan, you placed the coffee cup back on the side and slapped your forehead. “Shit.”

“Drink up, babygirl.” He stole a kiss before laughing as he made his way to his duffle bag. “I have a race to win.”

The sun had already begun setting by the time you had showered, dressed and met up with Steve and Hannah for dinner. There was a tension in the air as they ate sedately and you looked to Bucky for an answer but he shrugged, just as confused as you were. 

“Everything okay?” Bucky asked Steve after putting his knife and fork down.

Steve looked to Hannah and took her hand, the silence heavy. With a deep breath, Steve finally spoke, “We have decided to stay down here. Permanently.”

Bucky blinked at his best friend for almost a full minute before he could even attempt a response. Even then, all that came out was a choked sound from the back of his throat.

“Wow, that’s a big move!” you said when you recovered and elbowed Bucky who was still stunned. “We’re gonna miss you guys so much.”

Bucky tore his napkin into tiny pieces and avoided eye contact with everyone. “You’re really gonna leave Brooklyn?”

Steve gave his best friend a small smile and leant over the table to punch him in the shoulder. “It will always be my home, and we’ll visit so often you won’t even know I was gone.”

The waitress appeared to remove the empty dishes and you could see her eyes darting around the group, taking in the change in the atmosphere since she had last come around. No one said a thing as she stacked the plates onto her tray and made a quick exit out the back of the restaurant.

“There’s one thing I need before you head back home,” Steve murmured, Bucky’s head snapping to attention, “to see you two finally go head to head.”

The prospect of the race brought Bucky back from the morose mood he was slipping into and he draped his arm over the back of your chair. “Way ahead of you there, Sam’s already got a race organised.”

Steve’s face split with a wide grin and he rushed to grab his wallet and toss a handful of cash on top of the bill. “There’s no way a stranger is going to coordinate the race I have waited 10 years for. Let’s go.”

Your group had only been in Miami for eight days but it was enough to be recognised the moment Bucky pulled up in the blacked out Mustang he had won in Virginia Beach. Steve pulled into the underground car park a moment later an orange Firebird he won the night they sold the Ferrari. 

Every race in Miami since had only been for cash and the boys were flush.

“How’s your girl meant to race with no car?” Sam said by way of greeting as he saw you standing with Bucky at the hood of his car.

“She can use mine,” Steve answered as he tossed the keys to you.

You caught the keys but they were swiped in an instant and Sam shook his head. “Do me the honour,” he said as he held out his keys instead. “It’s not the car that wins races right?”

“Right,” you agreed with a grin, taking the keys and scanning the busy car park for the dark blue Evo VIII. “It will only make his loss more humiliating when I spank him with an import.”

Bucky nipped your earlobe and made you jump before he whispered, “I’ll spank you.”

You turned in his arms and twirled your fingers in the longer strands of his hair at his nape. His blue eyes were practically glowing in the fluorescent lights along the ceiling and you could see the desire reflected on your face and you tiptoed to reach his lips. 

“I might just enjoy it,” you purred. Unable to resist any longer, you caught his plump bottom lip between your teeth and he groaned as his hips pressed against yours. 

A throat cleared loudly behind you and Sam shifted awkwardly as he scratched his neck. “I’m just gonna go, uh, check everything’s all set.”

You lightly slapped Bucky’s chest as you pulled away. “Stop being such a distraction.”

His laugh followed you as you went in search of the Evo and found it surrounded by admirers. They watched with a mixture of surprise and apprehension as you popped the hood and inspected the belts and hoses for any splits before plugging your laptop into the ECU and checking the readings. The car was running in optimum condition and gave you more insight into Sam than talking to him over the last week had. The man knew how to take care of his car.

“She good?” Sam asked as he stuck his head through the car window to see the graph of the running engine on your screen.

“Better than good,” you replied with a grin. “She’ll do just nicely.”

“Good,” he nodded as he reached through and clapped a hand on your shoulder with a squeeze of encouragement, “'cause it’s time.”

Click here for part seven.

Click here for part seven.

[overplannedbutunnamednpc]

Kool Kezzie, MD

They got their medical license off of a TikTok scam, but their PhD actually IS real! So are their many honorary degrees!

Anyway! So this is another character playlist (I genuinely don't make many of these. Clap for me.)

Link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1lXAtHsgY0zHjjEKZDBCZy?si=d446fa024fb540c6

Explanations below:

Noel's Lament by Ride the Cyclone Cast

For I sing songs until the break of dawn I embrace a new man every night My life's one never ending carnival A world of boozy-floozy flashing light I want to be that fucked up girl

A strong opener for Kezzie! When Kez first started adventuring, he was already a little fucked up. Adventurer life meant freedom, sure, but Kez was NOT a wilting flower back at home. They genuinely wanted a life where they could be the kind of person they wanted to be without getting judgement for it. Say what you want about the goal itself, but Kez had one, and she was FULLY into the idea of being that fucked up girl for a while. Adventure gave him the opportunity to do it, in addition to all the other things it gave him.

Hot Mess by Cobra Starship

You were a problem child Been grounded your whole life So now you running wild Playing with them good girls No, that ain't your style You think you're hot shit Ooh I love it, I love it

This one’s not all too deep. Actually, most of these songs aren’t, for the next couple! Kez is a hot mess! They love it! She’s found people who love it, too—or at least don’t mind it that much. This is a song for going out to the club with your friends or accepting that bottle from the villager you just saved and enjoying all that life has to offer you even if it does make you a hot mess.

Waking Up In Vegas by Katy Perry

Shut up and put your money where your mouth is That's what you get for waking up in Vegas Get up and shake the glitter off your clothes now That's what you get for waking up in Vegas

Also not too deep. Maybe a LITTLE more focused on the consequences, but still ultimately having fun with it. It also has the benefit of being sung to someone else—come one, get up, face the consequences with me! You had fun, and there’s fun to be had in the hangover, too! Did we get hitched last night? Let’s find out! This is Kez still a little drunk but mostly hungover pulling one of her friends out of the hotel bed they’d crashed in, WAY too much energy for how early it is and how late it was when they collapsed, flitting around and finding last night’s clothes for a proud walk of shame and find the rest of the Call. Maybe they’re just in the next rooms over! Maybe they’re across the city! We’ll see! Didn’t you want adventure?

LA Devotee by Panic! At The Disco

You got two black eyes from loving too hard And a black car that matches your blackest soul I wouldn't change ya, oh-oh Wouldn't ever try to make you leave, no-o Oh the neon coast was your sign And the Midwest wind with Pisces rising Wouldn't change ya, oh-oh Wouldn't ever try to make you leave, no-o

This one marks the end of the rose colored glasses songs. They’re not very deep, they’re very happy and poppy, they’re very flashing lights and big grins and drugs from darling strangers. Kez is—what’s that?—happy! Her ass wasn’t working through anything with adventuring. Arguably, they were running away, but what they wanted was right there in that first song. He was happy being a fucked up girl. She was adventuring because she was staying by the side of the people she’d decided to love, and because it was right and she could help, and not because she had a specific personal goal. So these songs—this one included—are perky and all about the party and the consequences, because to Kez there wasn’t anything else and didn’t need to be. And no one would be trying to make them change or leave!

Last Party by MIKA

If you could look into the future, would ya? If you could see it, would you even want to? I've got a feeling that there's bad news coming But I don't want to find it out If it's the end of the world, let's party Like it's the end of the world, let's party

Aha. Okay so. Remember the whole, no one would try to make Kez change or leave? Retirement didn’t exactly sneak up on him. She’s got a +10(?) to insight and 24 Int (don’t worry players about why Kez has specific stats). There was a scare when they first rescued Callie that, because Callie and Arthur were SO into each other, Callie would ask Arthur to stay home with her and he would agree. But he didn’t stay, Callie went with them, and Kez could relax. THEN those two got HITCHED! Which. Was fine. There was a scare right at the end of the night where— where we were trying to all get together so we could get a picture post-reception, and we couldn’t find Thorn at first (that’s fine, she’ll turn up) and then once she did Callie was pulled away by one of the nobles (understandable, she’ll extricate herself politely in a minute), and then Arthur had to go talk to Callie’s father (well, who could blame him for not wanting to stiff the man?) and then Kez had to throw up in the bushes SO quick and Break followed them out to make sure they were okay, and— the carriage came, and the happy couple had to go, and— there was never a photo of all of them together at the end of the happiest day of two of their lives. Which was fine! They came back from the honeymoon and there was a break and they started trying to have a BABY and—Arthur, you do realize Callie won’t be able to come with us if she’s pregnant or has an infant, right, when this whole god fight is over with—oh, you’re? Settling down after the god fight? Oh! Okay. Okay!—well, it’s. Well, it’s fine. It’s fine. It’s fine. Who knows how far into the future that is!

Straight Ahead by Dom Fera

When she saw the movie all about her life Well she noticed some things they didn’t get quite right Cause they added mistakes and cut her best damn nights Everybody who knew it sent a goddamn text “Did you tell them to do it so it makes more sense?”

This song and everything following is for post-retirement Kez. Specifically, it’s for the couple of years post-adventure when the world was in a frenzy for their newest heroes, the ones that had stopped gods from destroying the planar system itself. What heroics! What happiness! What tragedy! And Kez, right in the middle of it—signing off on merchandising rights, smiling for the cameras, setting up interviews, and, of course, going to the premieres of the shows about their adventures. Watching and laughing at themself Ember Island Players style hardly ever gets old. The selected lyrics really Get me for Kez, too—did you tell them to add shitty stuff you didn’t do so the story would make more sense? Kez is more than happy to be flattened into a tabloid picture, and the further the stories get from the truth the less they risk hurting to hear, but I imagine that, uh, would hurt coming from people—you make more sense when you’re portrayed worse.

Feel Bad by A Story Told

I wanna wake up at noon and not feel bad about it Like I did back when we only slept three hours When all of my friends were in one place When all of my dreams were of your face I wanna make out for days and not feel bad about it Like a wasted year drawn out by business hours When all of my friends were in one place When all of my dreams were of your face

Now we’re solidly into post retirement Kez. They want their friends back in one place! They want to do all this shit again and not be ruining their life for it! Just because everyone else involved moved on/left doesn’t mean Kez has to, or wants to, or even quite knows how to. There’s something so Kez to me about a song like this, where literally the idea behind it is “I want to feel good and have the things I used to have without having to feel bad about it.”

Beer by Reel Big Fish

She called me late last night, to say she loved me so But I guess she changed her mind Well I should have known, it wouldn't be all right But I can't live without her So I won't even try... And if I get drunk well, I'll pass out On the floor now baby You won't bother me no more

However. Never mind that last song. Check this out: you don’t have to deal with all that shit if you’re passed out or ignoring it with substances!!!! That, kids, is what is known as a LIFE HACK. This song has the BONUS of being about someone else, too—someone who left, perhaps, someone who calls and then doesn’t show up? Someone who changed their mind about loving Kez? Hm. That person could be anyone. But they don’t know Kez knows this one easy trick: it’s called liver failure and it’s awesome and everyone likes it.

Popstar by New Hollow

Your attention Give me attention I need attention I can't remember (When I had a thought of my own) I can't remember (The day I sold my soul) So I'll do just what I'm told And I'll call it rock 'n' roll Well I can't remember (The last time that I've smiled) That wasn't for a camera

This one is another for Kezzie’s fame. Kez LOVES attention and fame! One of their big things is not being forgotten for all the things they did—and their friends, too! This song is for grinning in all the tabloid photos no matter what they’ve caught you doing, because it means Kez is still alive, up to something, on everyone’s lips. What’s that? The undercurrent of the song is about how when every aspect of your personal life is advertised even your privacy starts seeming like something you need to perform in? You can’t quite trust your own smile because you’re unthinkingly checking the angle when you do? Aha. Huh?

A Little Party Never Killed Nobody by Gloria West and the Gents

A little party never killed nobody, so we gon' dance until we drop A little party never killed nobody, right here, right now's all we got Islands, diamonds, trips around the world Don't mean a thing if I ain't your girl

The OG song is bad and this cover has real trumpets which makes the whole thing better imo. This one is a what it says on the tin type song! This song is for the clubs and the house parties and the—other. Places. (Morgan is not the type to go out to many parties. This may be obvious in the fact that I am currently writing an explanation post on my dungeons and dragons blog about an oc playlist.) What could go wrong? A little party has never killed anyone at all! And Kez especially will live forever!

Euphoria by Motopony

Euphoria, Euphoria, you come at such a price Every time I get a hold of you, I know I roll the dice How far can I go from my pain before it takes my life? Perhaps in death, Euphoria, you'll be forever mine Oooo, I wanna feel good too

To quote Alex: hey btw. fuck you for putting a little party never killed nobody Right before euphoria

Which. Yeah. So this one’s a very solid interlude song. Euphoria is such a slow and pretty song. I’d say it sticks out in this particular playlist! The idea behind this is:

Kez is. Well. Kez has made a lot of mistakes, certainly, but I think if he had to pin down just one as The Worst, he’d absolutely go for this one. The consequences for the other mistakes were at least mostly only consequences for Kez. But she’s a good uncle. They were, up until this. He literally scared his Teddy bear. Which CANNOT stand.

Euphoria is a standing/living on knife’s edge song that cut other people—Kez’s nephew, the one person Kez had a chance to never hurt—way worse than it cut Kez themself. Euphoria’s a wake up song. Euphoria is a hard U-turn song. Euphoria is the anything but that again song.

I Wanna Get Better by Bleachers

So now I'm standing on the overpass screaming at the cars "Hey, I wanna get better!" I didn't know I was lonely 'til I saw your face I wanna get better, better, better, better I wanna get better I didn't know I was broken 'til I wanted to change I wanna get better, better, better, better I wanna get better

Okay NEVER MIND ALL THAT. Listen to this happy song!!!

Euphoria’s the realization that something needs to change, and I Wanna Get Better is the determination to fucking do something about it. No, that will never happen again. No, Teddy should never have to take care of her again. No, this is Kez’s life now, until it’s a life they want it to be. He wants to get better! She wants to make the people who love her proud!

Carry On (We'll Be Here When You Get Back) by Polite Fiction

You can pretend that you know it all The world - condensed, a volume on your shelf But you know, when push comes shove You'll be on your knees and crawling back How lonely it must be, sitting at the top The city lights beneath you, a temporary stop On your way to riches, fame and all the things we're not Conjure all the friends you like, 'cause they don't mean a lot

This isn’t ACTUALLY a song from other peoples’ perspectives about Kez. But it’s not NOT that. The thing about getting healthy is that in order to do so you have to confront the stuff that makes you unhealthy. And girl there’s a lot. One of those things, for sure, is that little nagging voice in your head that says that you’ve fucked everyone’s life up just by being in it. Day’s gone, Break’s gone, Thorn’s moving on, and of course Callie and Arthur have their son and lives and you’ve fucked that up too. And this song is about those people still being there when you’re back, but you’re coming back on your knees, you’re coming back because you fucked up, bad, and they know that. Everything you’ve realized, they’ve thought for years, they’ve been keeping score, you’ve been racking up strikes and haven’t even quite realized—and yes, they’re still here anyway, but it’s still deeply humbling and humiliating to have to crawl back.

Into the Wild - EP Version by LP

Oh please believe me I'm more scared than not That, whoa, this isn't the way And please be there I can barely hang on Whoa, oh, oh, I wait 'til I break Hey, eh, eh, eh… Somebody left the gate open You know we got lost on the way Come save us a runaway train gone insane How do we, how do we not fade?

Now that Kez is better, they have to confront the rest of the world, too. Despite getting better, he still wants to keep some things—the attention, for one, and the fame and wealth that comes with it. The inability to let go of the past that motivates all that isn’t gone just because Kez has put a name to it, and the willingness to let it go isn’t there either. So now the question is, how to go back to Kool Kezzie while keeping everything she’s worked for? The answer: very carefully. Very frightened. Though not from the outside.

Fluorescent Adolescent by Arctic Monkeys

You used to get it in your fishnets Now you only get it in your night dress Discarded all the naughty nights for niceness Landed in a very common crisis Everything's in order in a black hole Nothing seems as pretty as the past though That Bloody Mary's lacking in Tabasco Remember when you used to be a rascal? Oh the boy's a slag The best you ever had The best you ever had is just a memory

Kez has never claimed to be perfect or even close. But Kez is, now, careful. Kez has a tight grip on the parts of her life that need attention and monitoring. It may make them feel a little lamer, it might mean they decline the third and fourth party invites of the night, it might remind them more about the things they’ve lost and the person they used to be, but their ass is NOT slipping up.

Nights by Neon Trees

Now I'm misusing my body Now I'm lyin' all the time I keep sayin' that I'm alright But I miss you in my life I can get by the days just fine But the nights I sit alone and wonder why They say that boys don't cry 'Cause all these tears and songs about you Won't bring back the best days of our lives

This song’s all about the stuff Kez has realized he’s missing. She’s alright, she’s content, her days are good! Their nights though. Dark and lonely is the kind of night you REALLY have to watch out for—and, again, just because Kez knows he’s missing it doesn’t mean it will ever come back, and he’s not helping it along by keeping it shuffling along in biographies and merch contracts. Still, she’s at least looking at that head-on. Still, they’re getting through the days absolutely fine. (And there’s symbolism here about the nights being hard partially because of Day. But I’m not the symbolism guy so idk.)

Just One Yesterday by Fall Out Boy

If heaven's grief brings hell's rain Then I'd trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday (I know I'm bad news) For just one yesterday (I saved it all for you) I want to teach you a lesson in the worst kind of way Still I'd trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday

I’m gonna call this a healing song. Of a sort. At a certain point of wanting, it just kind of sits down and makes itself at home. Kez acknowledged it, allowed for it, and felt it all, and then had to keep living his life. We’re transitioning from downer songs (that don’t quite sound like downers) to something a little more driving. There’s a little anger in this one, too, if I can point it out! “Now I’m here to give you all my love so I can watch your face as I take it all away” being sung in a voice that isn’t the main singer’s? It’s not quite a fair song! It’s not just a missing-it song! This one has a sense that some of it was, maybe, taken!

VIP by Manic Drive

No ticket price, name's on guest list tonight Just flash your pass and walk through all the waiting lines Selected and you're destined for the spotlight Chosen and free, you're born to be Get up, like you're one in a million Get up, like a diamond, you're brilliant Get up, oh, don't stop believing You're a star tonight

Kez, back in business. Never! Mind! All! That! They are STAYING! SILLY! Once she’s gotten used to the wanting, she’s allowed to get back to the fun! And it is! It always has been! As long as Kez is careful—and they are, always always—it’s back to Kool Kezzie right and proper.

Déjà Vu by 3OH!3

Hey mister bartender, mix me a drink I really need something to tell me it's okay not to think Because I've been to all these bars and I've seen all these places I've hit on all these girls, I've heard the same conversations Cab driver, cab driver, take me away 'Cause I already know all the words that she'll say And I'll be creeping out the window at the first sight of day 'Cause every single night it seems to go the same way

It’s not bad here having fun, but it can get a little formulaic. Kez is a bit at the top of the world, a bit at the top of his game, and has stayed there for quite a while. Best wizard in the world and all. Name on a lot of Sunyth’s lips. No big. Still, everyone gets bored sometimes! Kez maybe faster than most! New people and places help! And this is still a FUN song. It’s just self-aware, too, about the every night of it.

Carry Me Home by The Ready Set

"I've got a lot on my mind and Got you a drink if you'd like to go Baby let's roll, can I come home?" Then she said: "Shut up, don't you speak You do this to me every week And I won't carry you home, carry you home"

Hi again, Day :)

Okay, so the thing here is, it’s about apologizing to an ex, and getting HARD rebuffed. And, at first, the singer doesn’t realize it! He thinks it’s a joke! He thinks that after this, he’s still going to get to come home!

Anyway so I think a LOT about the fact that. When Day did their speech, the scene was this. The two of them had argued, apologized, both taking equal shares of the blame for the fact that they hadn’t talked in so long. Then they slept together. TWICE. And THEN. The party was leaving, and Day stayed behind. And Day started apologizing again. And Day started talking so nice style about Theo and the old days. And for a couple seconds, Kez genuinely did think there was a chance that Day was telling her that he wasn’t going to walk out the door.

And then that didn’t happen. Which.

Okay, so anyway. The singer doesn’t get to come home and no one’s carrying him and the girl he’s talking to wants nothing to do with him anymore, and until he was told that explicitly he says he thought it was a joke because he’s that oblivious. That’s what this song is about!

Mr 10pm Bedtime by girli

Baby, don't tell me you're too old To have a little bit of fun sometimes Songs loud and dance awhile (Mister 10 PM bedtime) Baby, don't tell me you don't get why I need my friends and a bottle and a guy Forget the day, I love the night (Mister 10 PM bedtime)

Kez voicemail song! Oh, you want to apologize? Maybe you should think about who you’re fucking talking to. Maybe you should think just a little bit about who you used to be. Maybe you should think about all the time you spent at the clubs and in the back rooms and alleys. Maybe you should really fucking think about what you said, and what you said was wrong and bad and immature, and what you said would make people resent you and leave. (Which. Maybe that’s not what you meant, but maybe you should think about your words, too.) Maybe you should think about the friends you lost. Just maybe.

Landslide by Fleetwood Mac

Well, I've been afraid of changin' 'Cause I've built my life around you But time makes you bolder Even children get older And I'm getting older too Oh, I'm getting older too Oh-oh, take my love, take it down Oh-oh, climb a mountain and turn around And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills Well, the landslide bring it down

And while Day thinks about that. Kez will think about this. Because as much as Kez does and did hate hearing it—especially like that!—Day wasn’t wrong. And Kez is older now—51, by the way, but a young 51—and if someone who loves her can’t see that she has changed, well. Maybe they haven’t, not enough. Day may have been an asshole, but Day’s not cruel. So it needed to be said. Which means Kez needs to take it seriously.

[therealgchu]

OC mega Q&A

fun thing @silurisanguine did, and i'm joining the fun.

this is my first OC, so let's see how this goes. i love this sort of thing <3

i need to get a new pic of her. i do a lot of these posts at work, and all of my stuff is on my home computer.

ooh, long post is long! cutting this to keep from cluttering other ppl's boards.

BASICS

What’s their full name? that's an interesting question. her real name is hwa-young kim (see Little Flower). when she left the syndicate, she changed her name to myeong-hwa kim, which was her mother's name. regardless, she goes by hwa.

What does their name mean? hwa-young means little flower. myeong-hwa means bright flower.

Do they have any nicknames? i suppose technically hwa.

How old are they? 27 years old at the start of the story.

When’s their birthday? she doesn't know. she doesn't have a birth certificate or any sort of record like that.

What’s their zodiac sign/element/birthstone/etc.? Do they believe that holds any significance? nope. she neither knows, nor cares, about astrology, other than a passing familiarity with the quaint, old earth custom.

What’s their species/subspecies? human. she just started obtaining starborn powers, but hates them. she actively avoids using them as they make her feel even more of a freak than she already feels.

What “class” do they belong to (for fantasy characters)? If none, what weapon do they favor? she's a sniper and hacker. her favorite weapon is her hard target sniper rifle. she's been trained since she was 12 in special unit military tactics.

APPEARANCE

What do they look like? 4'10", slender, but very muscular. she grew up on neon (high G world), so was already strong to begin with. naturally, she just has denser bones and muscles than even an average person on neon. think gymnast build. currently, dyed blue hair, cut into a short bob. one weird thing is that she has naturally curly hair, which is unusual for koreans.

Do they have a face claim? i had to look up what this means. anyway, it's me when i was 27, but with short hair.

What’s their style like? Clothes, hair, makeup? she has style? her style is completely based on what's practical in any setting. she doesn't think much about her looks, literally and figuratively.

How do they carry themselves? What’s their default expression? with as little expression as possible. when she's by herself, she can be very child-like. but, around almost every other person, she's non-nonsense and non-emotional.

Do they have any physical ailments or disabilities? she's autistic. she had a very traumatic, violent life until she left when the story starts.

Any defining features to their character? she has the ability to completely dissociate from all emotions and compartmentalize everything. it was a coping mechanism she developed as a child. she also has a kinda shaky morality as she was raised by a criminal syndicate. she's very utilitarian in that fact.

PERSONALITY

What’s their alignment? chaotic neutral. she wants to be a good person, but isn't quite sure how to accomplish that.

Which one of the 16 Personality Types do they fit into? ooh, that myers-briggs nonsense. that has as much weight as astrology. there is neither scientific credibility, nor real life applicability for such pseudo-science.

What are their hobbies and interests? Do they have any particular “favorites” (food, books, and so on)? she's never been allowed to have any real hobbies, other than reading. she'd like to develop hobbies, but doesn't even know where to start. she loves classic books. she went through a phase in her teenage years obsessed with Lord Nelson's Navy. she loves reading about military history, but thinks marcus aurelius is a twat. she prefers sun tzu, to be trite.

What are they bad at? being human. relating to other humans. interacting with humans. understanding humans.

What kind of things do they dislike/hate? bullies, regardless of where they come from.

Do they have any vices/addictions/mental illnesses? she has a lot of things psychologically wrong with her. she resigned herself at a very young age that she was irreparably broken and will never be normal. her main goal is to get by, day-to-day.

What are their goals and motivations? that's a complex question. she hasn't really had the security to think in terms of what she wants or motivation, other than survival. ultimately, she wants to find someone to love, that will love her back, and security that she never had. but, those last two are amorphous and not really something she actively thinks about.

What are their manners like? Any habits? she doesn't have much in the way of manners. she's reserved and non-emotional. she has no patience for social niceties. she generally only tries to deal with people in a business-like manner.

What are they most afraid of? spiders. fuck spiders.

BACKGROUND

Where were they born? What was their childhood like? she was born on neon. her mother was an aurora junkie and prostitute. she had a brother 2 years her senior. her mother sold both she and her brother to the Seokguh Syndicate when she was 7 and disappeared. they never saw their mother again. like many children that are part of the syndicate, she started as a look-out. she killed her first person when she was 10. always a prolific reader, and good with technology, she came to the notice of the special ops unit of the syndicate when she was 12, and was trained to be a cyber-runner and special unit tactics. she was about to be promoted to an underboss when she decided it was either to get out now, or never leave. that's when the story starts.

What’s their family like? see above. myeong-hwa was her mother's name, and everyone said that she looked like the spitting image of her mother. so, when she left the syndicate, she went to enhance to make herself look more like her mother.

What factions or organizations are they a part of? What ranks and titles do they hold? she is technically freestar collective, but feels no loyalty to any organization. she (currently) joined the freestar rangers. she's a member of constellation.

How do they fit into their “story”? well, she's the protagonist? so, the story is about her. not sure what this is asking.

Where do they currently live? What’s their place like? she considers her ship, the razorleaf, her home. it's the first place that's truly her own. she has it decorated to her specifications. the lodge is a somewhat-home.

How do they eventually die? that remains to be seen. i know how she dies. but, that's for the future.

RELATIONSHIPS

Do they have any friends? Would they consider anyone to be their best friend? she's learning how to make friends. her best and only true friend is sam, and cora by extension. she likes barrett because he does all of the talking. previous to constellation, she never had any friends. all relationships in the syndicate are purely transactional, and developing any emotion for anyone or anything was a liability.

What’s their friend group like? What role do they play in it? she's never had a friend group. see above.

What’s their love life like? Do they have any kids? sam coe, and cora coe by extension. she's madly in love with sam, but doesn't know or how to tell him. she also doesn't know if he reciprocates her feelings. they're currently sleeping together, but she doesn't know if that means anything. prior to sam, sex had always been completely physical, and in her experience, she has no reason to think he thinks otherwise.

Who do they look up to? Who do they trust? whom do they look up to, and whom to they trust. anyway, the only person she trusts is sam, and that's kinda shaky. she doesn't really trust anyone. she doesn't know how. she doesn't look up to anyone.

Who do they hate? Do they have any enemies? whom, again. no one. she doesn't like a good number of people, but hate, no one. to spend that level of emotional energy on anyone is illogical.

Do they have any pets? nope. never even occurred to her to have one.

Are they good with kids? Animals? she actually is quite fond of children of all ages. when she was in the Syndicate, if she wasn't out on a job, she'd help take care of the children. she unreservedly loves cora like a daughter.

FACTS

Which tropes do they fit? Which archetypes? the survivor.

Do they play any instruments? Sports? nope, but she does sing. she likes showtunes and old rock songs the best.

What are some items they always carry? her sniper rifle. a lot of digipicks.

Do they collect anything? plushies. she never toys growing up, so she grabs and hordes every plushie she can find.

What position do they sleep in? tummy, mainly.

Which emoji would they use the most? she would never use emojis. she doesn't understand them.

What languages do they speak? standard.

What’s their favorite expletive? jesus fuck.

What’s their favorite candle scent? she doesn't like scents of any sort.

What songs remind you of them? to the shore and lady ice

Which animal would you say represents them? porcupine. they also mate for life.

What stereotypical high school clique would they fit into? they wouldn't fit into any. they'd generally be disliked by everyone, regardless.

What would their favorite ride at an amusement park be? roller coaster.

Do they believe in aliens? Ghosts? Reincarnation or something else? aliens are a scientific possibility. as for anything supernatural, no. she's an empiricist and a nihilist.

Do they follow any religions/gods? Do they celebrate holidays? no. and, if there is a god, that god is one sick fuck to make a little kid suffer so much. fuck that god.

Which Deadly Sin do they most correspond to? Which Heavenly Virtue? none. if anything, she's more like a buddhist ascetic.

If you had to choose one tarot card to represent them, which would it be? right now, 10 of swords.

SOCIAL

1. How does your OC feel about their full name? they have no feelings about it. it was done out of practical necessity.

2. What do strangers notice about them first? she's very short and unemotional.

3. How does their social personality differ from how they act when they’re alone? when she's alone, or with sam, she can be very child-like in her wonder of the universe. she's learning to let down he guard with sam and let herself feel anything. when she's with anyone else, she's non-emotional and totally business.

4. How do they act around a crush? she tried very hard to repress her attraction to sam. in her experience, emotions and attachments were a liability. but, she liked being around him because she thought he was funny. and she really liked to just listen to his voice. also, she already adored cora. she doesn't know how to show affection. she's very binary in that either she's very emotional or completely emotionless.

5. Do they have a “tell” for when they’re lying? no.

6. What do they smell like? like a person that bathes regularly? she doesn't like perfumes or any kind of smell like that.

7. What is their hair texture like? very coarse, very thick, curly.

8. How much jewelry do they wear, and do they have a favorite or distinguishing piece? none. jewelry is bad to wear as an opponent could grab it. rings could lead to degloving injuries.

9. Do they have a word or phrase that they tend to overuse? in her head, she is constantly not understanding social situations, so it's "i don't get it." but, generally doesn't talk to people more than strictly necessary.

10. What is a weird quality that they have (ie their hands are always cold, they’re always hungry, they snort when they laugh, etc)? she has a very high metabolism, so is always hungry and eats everything in her path. her stimming behavior is shaking her hands frenetically.

11. What color do they look strikingly good in? any jewel tones, and black. she prefers black or grey simply for practicality sake.

12. How do they show affection to someone they love? she takes care of those she loves: cooks for them, makes time, prioritizes them. she doesn't know how to really show affection, however. she is finding that she enjoys the intimacy of holding hands. she'd never held anyone's hand before sam's.

13. Do they make strong/frequent eye contact when they talk to someone? no. unless it's a power move to show dominance.

14. What attributes do they have that are inherited from their parents or shared with their siblings/other relatives? she doesn't know. her brother died when she was 10. she barely knew her mother.

15. Are their greatest flaw and their greatest strength related and in what way? (ie very caring and helpful but a doormat, or very observant and shrewd but often paranoid) she is exceptionally efficient at what she does (being a killer, mainly) and being able to compartmentalize everything. this has made her completely detach from emotions, and frequently doesn't understand even basic human interactions.

16. How has their childhood affected the way they view an aspect of their life (people, education, society, themselves, etc)? everything is shaped by her childhood and trauma.

[gothicemoowl]

Push chapter 2: Soon you'll get better.

Summary:

Title from Taylor Swifts: "Soon you'll get better."

TW: Panic/Anxiety attacks, child slavory,

more at the end to avoid spoilers. Nothing too major, but if you need family or medical related TW, read the end note first. It's right below the story.

"I know delusion when I see it in the mirror

You like the nicer nurses, you make the best of a bad deal

I just pretend it isn't real

I'll paint the kitchen neon, I'll brighten up the sky

I know I'll never get it, there's not a day that I won't try

And I'll say to you

Ooh-ah, soon you'll get better

Ooh-ah, soon you'll get better

Ooh-ah, you'll get better soon

'Cause you have to." -Taylor swift, Soon you'll get better.

{IMP, present: }

Blitzø got back to IMP after what felt like forever! Fuckin shit does Stolas love to draw things out.

“Where the hell have you been?” Blitzø heard immediately as he sat down. "We're supposed to be visiting mom in an hour, I almost left without you."

“Relax, Barb. I didn't forget.” Blitzø sighs, can’t just get a second of quiet for fucks sake. “I just had some business to tend to.” 

“Business? What kind of business?” She asks suspiciously. "What did you do?" 

Blitzø sighs. “Look, it's not a big deal…I was taken by Stolas’s guards and I had to smooth things over with him. Okay? It's not that big of a deal."

“Fucking damn it, Blitzø.” Barb says. “Again? You’re an assassin for Satan's sake! You’re supposed to be invisible!”

“Christ on a stick! I am NOT a fucking ninja!” Blitzø argues.

“Uhm. Who’s Stolas?” Loona asks, appearing in the room with Millie.

“Ooo! Is he your boooooyfriend?” Millie teases.

“He’s…no one. Okay? How about that?” Blitzø asks. “Why don’t you three mind your own business for once? I don’t pry into your stupid personal lives!”

Barbie rolls her eyes. "You do that all the time!"

“You totally do that!” Loona says.

"Come on, you kinda do that." Millie says.

Barbie grabs Blitzø's arms and grips them tightly to look at her. “Blitzø, you cannot get involved with that spoiled prince again! You know how you get around him!” She says.

“Prince?” Millie asks. “You dated a prince?!" Millie asks. 

"How is that even possible?" Loona asks.

"Okay- why is that so shocking?" Blitzø asks.

"He's a prince…" Loona says. 

"It's you." Millie says. 

"How the hell did you manage to date a fucking prince? Who is this guy?" Loona asks.

"It doesn't matter because we're not together anymore, okay?" Blitzø asks. "I wouldn't exactly call what we did dating." Blitzø mumbles.

"Just-“ Barb pulled Blitzø to look at her again. “Please tell me you didn't fuck him." 

“Ooooooo~” Millie teases again.

“Gross!” Loona complained. “I don’t want to hear about your sex life!”

"Then don’t ask me about it.” Blitzø says.

“Blitzø!” Barb shouts. 

"I didn't fuck him!" Blitzø says."We only talked. He agreed to let us use the book for work. Isn’t that great?” He asks, forcing some enthusiasm, knowing his sister well, and knowing she’s not gonna like what she’s hearing.

"And why the fuck would he do that?" Barbie asks.

"I don't know…maybe he felt bad for how things ended between us?" Blitzø suggested. 

"It's Stolas." Barbie says. "He doesn't care about anyone except himself." She says.

"He's not a monster, Barb. Just a stupid prince with his head screwed on wrong." Blitzø explains.

"Give the book back, I don't want you associating with him!" Barb says.

"I'm not going to do that, Barb. Because A, you’re not my mother, and B-" Blitzø moves Barb further away to whisper. “We’re kinda desperate in case you forgot.”

Barb crossed her arms.

“I know this sucks, but it’s nothing. I’m over him.” Blitzø says. "I promise."

His sister sighs heavily. “I know, but- it’s…it's Stolas.” Barb says.

“I know…” Blitzø says. "But, imagine what good it could do." He says. "We can help mom, we can build this place from the bottom right to the top. We have people to take care of."

“You’ll catch feelings and get yourself hurt. Just like you always do! I don’t want to see you…like that again.” She argues.

“I’ll be careful! I know it's hard but…it’s Stolas. He’s never been that serious about me….I know that now.” Blitzø says.

Barb pinches the center of her face. “Okay…I’ll trust you against my better judgment. But only because we don’t have a lot of options.” She says, taking the book from him.

Blitzø nods, he knows better… Stolas only ever saw him as a servant to do whatever he wants to…

They were never really friends…

He only wished he had realized that sooner…

{Past: Blitzo}

Stolas made good on his promise, he made a deal with Paimon. Instead of letting Blitzo rot in prison, he agreed to let the Imp work off his debt.

But, knowing everything he took, Blitzo knew to pay even a fraction of what he stole would take a million years! Imps don't get paid enough to actually pay them back.

He supposed it was better than prison though, because he at least had a friend.

But, he still had hope that his family would save him! They just didn't want to make the deal, but surely they didn't forget about Blitzo.

But, then the weeks passed.

Then months.

Blitzo learned the trade from the other servants, he was now to be Stolas’s personal slave.

Making his breakfast, cleaning his room, dusting his books, helping him get dressed.

It wasn't the worst life…but it was less than ideal.

How was he supposed to be a good performer if he can never practice? He's way too busy helping Stolas.

"Blitzo!"

"Ahh!" Blitzo dropped the tray he was holding, breaking the plates and cup that was on the tray. This is surprisingly not uncommon in the Goicia household, at parties they'd throw their glasses around like they were disposable. Blitzo had one plate at home. If he broke it…he'd just have two very small yet sharp ones. They couldn't afford to replace crockery like that.

"Oh, sorry." Stolas says, helping him pick up the broken plate and cup pieces.

Blitzø sighs. "It's fine, I got it." He says. They could get in trouble if Stolas was caught helping "What do you need?" Blitzo asks.

"I was hoping you would help me practice magic, it’s so much more fun with you there.” Stolas says.

Blitzo liked practicing with Stolas, but he had so much to do, he'd rather get it done so he didn't have to stay up so late… but he literally can't say no to Stolas, they'd probably whip him or something. “Yeah, okay.” Blitzo says. "I'll meet you out there after I get this cleaned up."

Stolas smiles. "Alright, can I help?"

"Better not, your dad or someone could see. No offense, but most of your staff are huge narks."

Stolas nods. "Oh right. I'll be outside then!" Stolas skips away.

Blitzo finished cleaning up the tray and then met Stolas outside to help him.

{Later:}

It was hours later when Stolas was satisfied with his progress. He usually spends an hour or two every day. Today, it was four hours of non-stop memorizing and casting spells.

Once Stolas felt like he had enough, him and Blitzo just laid down on the grass to look at the sky.

Technically Blitzo should have just went back to work, but he probably wouldn't be in trouble since Stolas asked him to stay for a bit.

"You sure take this magic thingy seriously." Blitzo says to him.

"Well, father says it's very important, I want to make him proud." He explains.

"Your dad doesn't seem to be around much, is that like, normal for you?" Blitzo asks

Stolas shrugs. "Well…he is very busy." He says. "Is your father around a lot."

"Kinda, he likes Fizz more though." Blitzo says. "He thinks Fizz is so much better, but I'm gonna show him someday how great a clown I really am!"

"Is Fizzarolli your brother?" Stolas asks.

"No, we're friends. I don't have any brothers, just a sister." He says.

"Well, I think you're a great clown, Blitzo." Stolas says. "You made me laugh way more than Fizzarolli did."

Blitzo smiles. "Really?"

"Absolutely." Stolas says. "Surley the rest of your family knows that. What about your mum?" He asks.

"Mom says I need to practice. But she also said Fizz, me, and Barbie are all different and we should all focus on running our own race, whatever that means."

Stolas was going to say something, but noticed Blitzo holding his arms in his hands. "What's wrong, Blitzo?"

"I miss her." He says. "I miss all of them."

"I know." Stolas says. "I'm sorry I got you into this."

"It wasn't your fault." Blitzo says. "I just wasn't sneaky enough…I need to work on that."

Stolas chuckles softly. "It will be okay, Blitzo. I'm sure they'll be back with the treasures, they probably just traded some of it and they're trying to get it back." He says.

"Yeah…maybe." Blitzo says. "I should probably get back, or Mr. Butler will get upset."

Stolas nods. "Alright, thanks for the help, Blitzo."

Blitzo nods. Once he was away from Stolas, he wiped away a quick tear and got back to work.

{Present: Blitzø}

Barb and Blitzø headed to the sloth ring, St. An's Assistant living facility.

It's the best place they could send her to where she'll actually be taken care of, but bills have been piling up like crazy.

It'll be worth it once they're able to offer her a good therapist to work with.

She has nurses and friends here, which is great, but they want her to actually heal from this, and these people can only do so much.

"Hey, mom. How's it going?" Barbie asks, greeting their mother.

Tilla looks up at Barbie and smiles, she gets up from where she was sitting and hugs her daughter tightly. "Barbie, hi sweetheart. What took you so long? I've been waiting ages."

"I know, we're a little late." Barbie says. "How are you doing? You feeling alright?"

"Never better, dear. Nurse Karen's still a bit of a sour puss, but I won't let her slow me down.' She says.

"Hey, that's great, Mom." Barbie says. "Hey, look who's here." She says.

Blitzø swallowed hard. "Hey, Mom." He says, waving a hand at her slowly.

Tilla looks him over, confused. "Cash?"

"No, ma. It's Blitzo. You remember him, right?" Barbie asked.

Blitzø stepped closer despite the intense anxiety he was feeling, he held his arms tightly. He doesn’t know of he can do this.

Tilla starts breathing heavily, something horrible snapped within her. "Blitzo? Where is he?" Tilla asks. "Where is he?" She asks.

"I'm here, mom. I'm right here." Blitzø says. "See? Everything's gonna be okay."

Tilla didn't acknowledge what he said, instead she started panicking, looking around the hospital calling out for her lost son: "Blitzo! Nonono, I have to find him!" She says as nurses gently restrain her.

The nurses try to calm her down, but Tilla is still shouting: "Where's Blitzo? Where is he? I have to find him! I have to-"

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Blitzø says.

"It's alright, but I need you both to leave." Nurse Charlotte says.

Blitzø walks backwards until he is brave enough to turn away and leave.

"Blitzø!" Barbie called out.

"Ma'am, you need to leave now." Nurse Karen says. She turns back to Tilla. "It's alright, Tilla. He's okay."

Barbie looks at her mom, seeing her cry and shout like that…it was unreal. No matter how much they try, it never gets any better.

Things look so blurry as she turns to leave, her head feels so cold, so dark. It wasn't real…

She found Blitzø right outside the building. "Blitzø? You okay?" Barbie asks.

"It never gets any easier." He says, drying his tears quickly.

"I know." Barbie says. "But, we gotta keep trying."

Blitzø shakes his head."No, I can't keep doing this, I only upset her." Blitzø says.

"Blitzø-"

"I can't keep seeing her like that, I can't!" Blitzø shouts.

"I know it's hard, but you're not alone."She says.

"We have work to do tomorrow." Blitzø says. "We should go home."

Barbie sighs, but agrees with him.

She still had hope that Tilla would be okay. ..

She has to be…

"This won't go back to normal, if it ever was

It's been years of hoping, and I keep saying it because

'Cause I have to." -Soon you'll get better, Taylor swift.

NOTES:

TW: Sick mother not being able to recognize her son, nursing home

Note: Bit of a shorter chapter, but I hope you liked it anyway. (I swear it'll get more interesting as it goes on.)

The IMP gang seem to have some troubles right now. But at least they have each other, Blitzø, Loona, Millie, Barbie...

We aren't missing anyone, are we?

Tags: @susstardust

[majicmarker]

Ooh this is for the WIP game if you’re still answering about those. I’m so curious about hush hush! Also, I love your writing! I’ve reread so many of your stories. They are so comforting to me. ❤️ thank you!

adlkfjaslfjas this is so nice tysm <3 <3

(and for the record, i'm always answering questions about writing stuff!! just not "when will this be updated," etc., bc that's rude, but anyway...)

"hush, hush (we both can't fight it)" is my eddissy a/b/o fic that i have absolutely no idea when it'll be done, meep. title taken from "animal" by neon trees bc i am clearly Very Clever //sarcasm// and also subject to change?? but i'd still rip lyrics from the same song for it, there's just a couple i've been waffling between.

it's honestly... nothing special, really? chrissy presents as an omega, doesn't like the way jason smells but she likes the way eddie smells, which works out for him bc he's liked the way she smells for Awhile and now all he has to do is steal her from her stupid boyfriend, and so it goes, u know the drill.

snippet! (incomplete snippet, more like just some of my dialogue thoughts, but!)—

For the most part, Chrissy’s friends ignore him—that’s the natural order of things, regardless of his designation, it’s not like Eddie’s ever wanted these people’s attention, anyway—but now Carla something-or-other (Beta, acts like an Alpha) raises her eyebrows. “That’s cute, Chris, did you get yourself a pet Alpha?” “She sure did,” Eddie says, easy, words just a little bit clipped.  “Cool. Does her boyfriend know?” “What Carver doesn’t know could fill the span of the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy.” “You want to say that again, freak?” “Ah—nope.” Eddie barely casts Jason a glance; he’d heard him coming, the guy stomps around with way too much fuckin’ pomp, and couldn’t care less. “Think you heard me just fine.”

[lunapaper]

Album Review: 'The Age of Pleasure' - Janelle Monaé

Janelle Monaé is apparently on that champagne shit. 

The self-proclaimed ‘free-ass motherfucker’ leaves behind the futurist dystopia to enter her The Age of Pleasure on her fourth album.  

Unapologetically Black, queer and proud in a world maniacally determined to do away with all three at the moment, Monaé is the life of the party, bringing the braggadocio of previous tracks like 2018’s ‘Django Jane’ poolside, though with a citrus zest that doesn’t quite fizz in the way it should. 

Aquatically inclined tracks like ‘Float’ (ft. Sean Kuti and Egypt 80) and ‘Water Slide’ offer simmering sensuality in the form of brassy horns and hypnotic Afrobeats, with Monaé deliciously boasting on the latter: ‘If I could fuck me right here, right now/I would do that.’  

The theme of self-love runs deep throughout The Age of Pleasure, Monaé admiring herself with the same vigour as she does everyone else. ‘A bitch look good/A bitch look haute/A bitch look pretty/A bitch look handsome,’ she purrs on ‘Haute,’ feeling young, Black and proud as she gets her Bowie on, strutting her way through a sea of drowsy island beats. ‘I'm lookin' at a thousand versions of myself/And we're all fine as fuck,’ she later marvels on ‘Phenomenal,’ while recent single ‘Lipstick Lover,’ her demands are firm: Whisper in her ear, give a little tongue, a ‘sticky hickey in a place I won't forget.’ Later, she only has eyes for 2, the singer revelling in all its wine-sipping, neck-biting glory as sensual 70s soul meets tropical temptation with a slight sci-fi edge.  

Songs pass in a sultry, slumberous haze. But the longer the party goes on, the more the energy in the room starts to wane. Even for a 32 minute album, said songs begin to feel repetitive and a little tiresome. It’s also shocking that Monaé, who’s given us such biting commentary in the past on everything from race to politics to feminism, would write material so broad, so one-dimensional, and occasionally cringy.  

‘A Dry Red’ opens with a truly corn-worthy line: ‘Hey baby, let me plant my seed.’ On ‘the Rush,’ she resorts to sappy, teenage-level mooning (‘I look into your eyes and I get that rush/Maybe ‘cos tonight, you’re gonna be my crush’), while ’Haute’ is either basic bitch parody or blatant Lizzo plagiarism (‘Rollin' around with my besties/Skin looking good 'cause we stress free’). ‘Water Slide’ is just a bunch of swimming metaphors. 

There’s nothing wrong with Monaé wanting to let loose and have a little fun. But she’s managed to find a happy balance between pop and purpose in the past. Take, for instance, ‘Dance Apocalyptic’ and its cartoonish frenzy taking the piss out of Cold War conformity, the irresistible funk of ‘Q.U.E.E.N.’ and its joyous proclamations of queer pride, and its neon-lit predecessor, ‘Make Me Feel.’ 

The Age of Pleasure is heavy on vibe but light on ideas. For an album that’s all about sex (baby), queer identity and hedonistic bliss, it’s not all that adventurous, more simpering than simmering at times as Monaé cycles through the same empty boasting and tired cliches. Padding out the album with so-called interludes also feels like cheating, especially since most of them are merely extensions of other tracks. 

There are some compelling moments – the sultry Bossa Nova groove of ‘Phenomenal,’ ‘Lipstick Lover’s elastic basslines; the Latin-tinged guitars on ‘The Rush’ and its sublime harmonies; the decadent burst of French by the icon herself Grace Jones on ‘Ooh La La.’ But compared to the highly ambitious world-building of The ArchAndroid and other releases, the album feels like quite a letdown, too self-indulgent to be a true party record with each track sounding more indistinct than the last. 

It feels like sacrilege to call a Janelle Monaé album boring, but... The Age of Pleasure is, I’m sad to say, rather boring.  

- Bianca B. 

[ratwhowrites]

The Star of the Show

Superhero au

Romero woke up to blinding lights pointed directly at his face, bright neon signs surrounding the area. He stood on a large stage, the audience empty. He could barely make out the words on the large ‘Applause’ sign above him. Everything was slightly blurry and there was the faint sound of static buzzing in the air. Was this a dream? Before he could try to figure out where he was, his thoughts were drowned out by a sudden uproar of applause from an audience that wasn’t previously there. Theme music from somewhere had began playing. It seemed as if it were all around him, the sounds overwhelming his brain.

Someone came up from behind him and gave his shoulders a squeeze in a one armed embrace. The static only increased in intensity with their approach. A woman that slightly resembled the villain Neon smiled at him.

Romero studied her appearance, her outfit was quite bizarre, a neon pink jacket that almost appeared to glow under the lights, and bright teal leggings that are cut off by her odd looking heels.

“Everyone give a big hand to our special guest, the one and only Romero Curtis, also known as our beloved hero, Orion! Give him a hand folks!” When she spoke, her voice somehow overpowered all other sounds. The applause signs lit up, signaling another wave of cheering from the blurry crowd. The host of the show then made a gesture with her hands. Then everything went silent once again, except for the distant buzzing that made Romero’s head tingle.

“I must say it is so nice to finally meet you Romero! Can you tell the audience how you’re feeling?” Romero didn’t know how she knew his name or even what he was feeling, but he felt compelled to answer, smiling at the camera he didn’t realize was there.

“Thank you Michelle, it’s great to be here. I feel a little dizzy but it’s nice to see so many fans.” The audience cheered from his response but another gesture from Michelle and they fell quiet.

“Wonderful, wonderful. How does it feel to be the most successful hero in our city, loved by all?” Romero raised an eyebrow, the odd wording raising his suspicion. That was oddly specific…

“Well I-I guess it’s nice. But how did you know I was-“

“I bet your son Julian is proud to call you his father.” An ‘Aw’ came from the audience, followed by more cheering. The sentence caused the blood to drain from Romero’s face.

“How do you know my so-“

“I bet your wife Cecelia feels bad about divorcing you now. I mean look at you, anyone would consider themselves lucky to be with such a powerful hero. And a very handsome one at that.”

The audience erupted with ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’, laughing at Michelle’s jokes and the occasional wolf whistle. How did she know his family?

“I bet she feels really stupid. Am I right folks?” The audience was eating up every word, encouraging Michelle to go on. Romero’s panic only increased with the volume of the crowd. The static was louder now, causing his head to hurt. He couldn’t take it anymore.

“Stop it! Stop it! Don’t talk about her like that! She’s not-“

“But are we wrong though? Is the audience ever wrong? Didn’t SHE leave YOU?”

Romero remained quiet. The audience cheered even more, the applause sign was flashing and the laughter increased. It was all too much. Michelle’s smile was too wide for her face as she laughed, a cruel and mocking laugh. He covered his ears but it did no good. The crowd started chanting, the words causing his ears to ache. The static was so loud, it burned. He just wanted the quiet again.

“Romero! Romero! Romero!”

It kept getting louder, and louder…

“Romero! Romero! Wake up!”

Romero jolted up on his seat, looking around frantically. He was back in the living room, but the static still remained. He turned to see the tv was still on, as well as it being the source of the static. Dallas looked worried, his hands firmly held Romero in place. The hero sighed with relief, the adrenaline wearing down and quickly replaced with exhaustion.

“Had a bad dream?” Romero could only nod, still shaken from the memory.

“Hey, you’ve been really on edge lately. Maybe you should take the day off. Me and Flynn will handle the patrol and you can stay home with Julian. Sound good?”

It took a minute for Romero to process his words and just nodded, deciding he needed a break, if only for a day.

[liopleurodean]

Season 8, Episode 3: Heartache

Blech. Jogging. I'll walk, but jogging is lame

Rip this guy

Weird

Don't try to race him

Uh oh

That's one way to put it

Werewolf?

Mm, apples

Sam.

Sure

Good question

I love farmer's markets

Multitasking!

Dean wins

Something indeed

Great

They're really throwing shade at this guy for being overweight 😭

What was that look?

Good for you, I guess

Right

Sure it does

Sam

Dean!

At least he wasn't insulted

Dean's face 😭

What?

Breaking patterns

So, where's next?

Weird

Testifying for what?

That's really helpful, actually

Sounds like some kind of spell

I don't think he's possessed

Why is he yelling

Uh oh

Is he gonna kill himself?

Yup

Really?

That's not gonna work

Dean.

He's still alive!

That could be a lead

It's definitely possible

Heart transplant?

Fair enough

HAUNTED ORGANS

Where's that haunted kidney post?

Ew, that guy

That's what I've been saying!

Whoa. Yikes

Chick hicks?

He's gonna kill her

Or vice versa!

Aw, Dean's excited

No kidding

Oh, Dean

Sam.

He's got a point, Sam

Called it

Did... did Dean just make a science joke? About neurons???? He's such a nerd I love him so much

Who?

Makes sense, I guess

Yikes

Fair enough, I guess

This is strange

Ew

Whaaat is happening

It's giving Gozer

Really? Sam watched football?

Sam. Stop talking. She doesn't want to hear it

Perfection?

That sounds about right

Dean. Think about that

Possessed?

Yikes

That sounds kind of sad

Et cetera

Right...

No one ever does

She's suspicious

What does that mean?

That's so weird

Wow, Sam

Ooh, nice!

Like chocolate?

Or corn, I guess

Oh, he wanted to go back to school

Yeah

And who knows if she'll leave early

No kidding

Yikes

Those are her clothes

Freaky, but okay

Ew, Dean!

Interesting

Ooh, hidden trophy room

Wow, that's actually awesome

Sugar Ray? Like from We Didn't Start The Fire? (For legal reasons this is a joke)

This is weird

They look similar

Who is this dude?

Well that tracks

It's not out of the question

Maybe

Similar pattern, too

It's all falling together

Yeah...

Sam.

There's Betsy

I almost feel bad for her

Wow

All that time will do that to you

And a new sport

Yeah, that's sad

It was a suicide

No, not really

It's all Randa. She's been framing everyone else

She knows. Will she tell?

Pfft. I bet Dean wants to see Angel Fire

Of course!

Maybe he hoped

Lots of neon

I guess the place wouldn't be active during the day

Dean.

Spooky

Is that a light-up stripper pole?

We?

Yikes

They're superpowered

Good for you

OH THIS SCENE

JENSEN DIRECTED THIS EPISODE

Why did he do that 😭

That's even worse

ASDFGHJKL IT KEEPS GETTING WORSE

Well mark Dean down as scared and horny

That's freaky

Ouch

Sam to the rescue!

There we go

So are they all dead now?

You okay, Dean?

Yeah

Case closed!

Really, Sam?

Hah! That's what you think

Believe it or not, so does Dean

It's not a phase, mom!

Whoa! Bright!

Doggo

Sam. What does it look like?

Okay

[cognitosclowns]

Oooo do you think you can do kissing headcanons for the whole gang 👁👁 ALSO YOUR WRITING IS SO GOOD PLS KEEP IT UP !!!

GODD YES YES YES I FUCKING CANNNNN GRRGKRKGKR <333 HYPERSPECIFIC HEADCANONS MY BELOVED. ANON I ADORE YOU FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY

SURPRISINGLY SFW??? No cocks here smndsm

IM DOIN THIS,, AS like,, a single/a few kisses instead of making out!!

Reagan

Pretty firm? She’s afraid of being Too gentle so expect some Teeth Clacking.

NOT VERY GOOD AT KISSING,,, she kisses Very Hard and doesn’t really move her lips a lot but,, GOD SHE GETS THIS LOVELY LOPSIDED SMILE AFTER <3

it’s worth it even if your lips hurt a bit after smnds.

Brett

He’s definitely more the type to give a Bunch of Small Kisses than one big kiss?? mostly bc he keeps smiling and breaking it

HE,, HAS A HABIT OF HOLDING YOUR CHEEKS?? Like his hand just,, gently cup your face?? <3

‘hi there <3′ with two little blinks when he pulls away. Grk. He’s very Sappy so expect some little comment about how nice that was <3

HE NUZZLES HIS NOSE INTO YOUR CHEEK AFTER <3

Gigi

SHE GRINS INTO THE KISS <33 especially if you're the one initiating. The little ego boost of you wanting a kiss <33 how lovely

<3 raking her nails down either, or down your neck <333

She's not rushing!! Slow, purposeful. Definitely gonna <3 giggle a couple times from how Happy and Warm she feels!!

She's constantly drinking coffee but like,, Super Sugary Lattes? So she tastes like that <333

A few,, soft kisses on the corner of your lips, your cheeks, all around before finishing on your lips <33 a happy little 'i love you <3' is gonna get sprinkled in.

Andre

Messy messy messy. He never quite gets the lips, always either the corner, bottom lip, chin. Maybe it's cause he's smiling so much <3333

‘ooh~ are we,, gonna kiss rn?’ before giving you another kiss.

his hands mostly hold your clothes? He’s definitely a pull-you-in-by-the-lapels type of kisser. Takes you by surprise!

Tastes like how Neon Colors should taste?? Sweet and caffeinated and,, smth Indescribable that feels like Electricity Itself

Glenn

CLUMSY <3 lots of nudged noses, a bit too much tongue. Very earnest though!! its so hard to kiss when you have a snout </3 pain of pains.

Surprisingly gentle?? He'd hate to accidentally nick you with one of his teeth.

Tastes like a distilled country song. Heavy smokey alcoholic flavor that makes your insides feel all warm <3

You’ll Definitely Get A Deep Giggle Outta Him if you come in for another one <333 HES NOT USED TO AFFECTION OK IT MAKES HIM KINDA SOFT <3

Alpha-Beta

Without fail he cups your neck. even if it's just a little peck, his hand is gonna slip behind <333 you'll feel his thumb fiddling on your jaw.

His lips are also,, surprisingly soft?? granted there’s not a lot there but smdnsd at least its smooth.

The slightest smirk. Not only because he's enjoying himself, but,, there's something very Gratifying about feeling you kiss back <3 SMUG BASTARD.

Essentially tasteless, save for the Barest Hint of metal.

Myc

WELL KISSING MYC IS VERY INTERESTING BC,, HE CAN'T REALLY KISS BACK??

Oh lord this man is not used to kisses. Kiss The Orb, you'll get the most Flustered noises outta him

'What the hell is that for!?'

'Oh - sorry-'

'well don't STOP, je-sus.' he's a brat but <333 no he really really really likes kisses. It isn't smth he really Does with people so <3 expect some happy sighs and shivers

its,, maybe the only time he'll shut up.

Jr

Always A Bit Of Tongue. Even if it's just a swipe on the pull away. Cheeky bastard.

THOSE SHOULDERS MELTTT <333 his head even lolls a bit to the side, it's like an off switch

His Lips Are Both Thin AND Chapped! Double whammy sndsmdn

When he pulls back he gets this Lovely Tired Smile. his eyes get all,, half-lidded and soft. You can tell he <3 feels really safe when you kiss him.

‘just one? ;)’ he’s definitely gonna lean in for another <3 he’s pretty shameless most of the time.

[howlingday]

Nerd and Jock?

Ooh! Something new! Guess we're branching out now, huh?

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Card and Nep

Neptune: You know, Cardin, sometimes I wish I was as strong as you, (Yanks toxic mushroom away from Cardin) so I wouldn't have to only rely on my wits.

Cardin: Well, sometimes I wish I was as smart as you, (Lifts massive log out of the way) since physical strength can only get you so far.

Neptune: It's a good thing we hang out together. We get the best of both worlds.

Cardin: Indeed!

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Cardin: Sometimes, I feel like I have too much doubt holding me back. I mean, if you don't believe in yourself, who will?

Neptune: I believe in you.

Cardin: Haha! Then I have nothing to fear!

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Neptune: Cardin, what are you doing?

Cardin: (Diggin' a hole) Diggin' a hole.

Neptune: Of all the things you could do in the forest, and you choose to dig a hole?

Cardin: Holes are cool!

Neptune: (Jumps down, Digs in the hole)

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Ruby: Hey, Cardin, I have a present for you. (Hands over a very spicy picture of herself) It's to inspire you~.

Cardin: W-Wow! Thanks, Ruby. (Sets down on table) I'll put it right next to this inspiring portrait Neptune made of himself.

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Cardin: Hm, this truffles looks good.

Neptune: (Disguised) Aren't you allergic to mushrooms?

Cardin: (Doesn't recognize Neptune) Uh, yeah, but how did you know that?

Neptune: Uh... I can read minds!

Cardin: Oh, yeah? What am I thinking about right now?

Neptune: Um... Dinosaurs, but they're fighter pilots?

Cardin: ...Oh, you're good. He's good!

Ruby: That's what you're thinking about on our date?

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Ruby: (Happily walking with Cardin)

Cardin: (Thinking) I've never seen her like this. It's like she's an entirely new person!

Neon: (Bumps into Cardin) Sorry!

Ruby: (Grabs Neon's tail) TOUCH HIM AGAIN AND I'LL GUT YOU.

Neon: (Skates away) Yikes!

Cardin: Well, maybe not that new.

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Neptune: Yikes! What happened to you?!

Cardin: I have been on an epic journey. I've traveled far, far beyond the borders of Beacon, braved the unforgiving wilderness, until I found exactly what I was looking for.

Neptune: And what exactly did you find?

Cardin: THIS! (Holds out a stick with a leaf) The coolest stick ever!

Neptune: You went through all that trouble for a stick?

Cardin: Well, duh! Look at it!

Neptune: ...Yeah, okay, that is a pretty cool stick.

Cardin: I told you!

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Cardin: Ruby... You look amazing!

Ruby: Aw, thank you, Cardin! It took a lot of lamb sacrifices and dark magic to get this look.

Neptune: Um...

Ruby: (Giggles) I'm just kidding! I love animals!

Cardin: Phew! For a second there, I thought-

Ruby: I only use human sacrifices!

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Ruby: Hey, Cardin?

Cardin: Hm?

Ruby: Why are you and Neptune such good friends?

Cardin: Well, it's not that complicated. It's just great to know there's someone who will always have your back and look out for you, no matter what.

Ruby: Interesting. (Scribbles in her notebook) I'll have to add this to my Cardin x Neptune fan fic!

Cardin: I thought you didn't like Neptune?

Ruby: Oh, Cardin. Fanfiction is so much more complicated than you think.

Neptune: (Looks over at them, Thinking) Looks like all's well that ends well, and I feel like Ruby is more of a friend than before. Sometimes Cardin can be clueless, though. Still, I can't help but wonder... How does it feel to have someone crush on you like that?

MEANWHILE, IN ANOTHER PLANE OF EXISTENCE...

Esdeath: (Ogling her photos of Neptune) Some day, my beloved Neptune, you will be mine and only mine~!