#plus she got that cute little horned hood

[xmrnothingx]

Courtney from Pokemon Omega Ruby

I stopped before drawing her, but here is Courtney at long last. Really like how they developed her in Omega Ruby; I grew up with the original Ruby version so I have a soft spot for Team Magma

[ultraintrovertedgryffindor]

okayy!! i have a request for Kenny (We’re the Millers)

so instead of Melisa being Edie and Dons kid, the reader is their child and she obviously runs into the Miller family when they’re on the road and Kenny and the reader hang out all the time and they hang out at the fair (when the drug dealer gets caught by Don) and Kenny admits his feelings when he realizes he may never see her again

(and if you don’t mind it being overly long then maybe a part where they both get put into witness protection together and just go on cute dates together and just soft boy Kenny!! <33)

Oh god, I am so not good at fluff but I tried!! I love Kenny, but he's so hard to write for lmao

3.4K Words🤙🏻

~~~~~~~~~~

"Time to hop on the super dandy party motorhome! Vamanos!" You cringed as your mother's high pitched voice echoed throughout the area, severely mispronouncing the Spanish word.

"Mom, please, stop trying to pretend like you know Spanish."

"Hey," Your father cut in, "your mother is the only one who thought to bring a Spanish dictionary on the road. She definitely knows more Spanish than you, sweetheart. Last time I checked, you don't know how to ask where the bathroom is."

"Alright, alright." You pouted, crossing your arms and burying your face in your phone. You loved your parents, but they could sure be annoying sometimes. You rarely ever got to go on vacations, much less with your own parents, so you tried to make the most of it. You would feel too guilty if you acted like a spoiled brat, plus, your parents would nip that in the bud as soon as you started to show sass.

Coming up to the border to cross back into the States, you jumped when you heard your father and mother taking turns honking the vehicle's horn, making a fool out of themselves. They were waving and shouting excitedly to the next motorhome over, making motions for them to roll their window down. Because of course, they had to introduce themselves just because they had a motorhome as well.

Sighing in embarrassment as your parents called you up front to say hi to the family in the next motorhome, your heart almost skipped a beat when you saw him: a handsome, green eyed, blond haired boy, his eyes glazed over as he looked at you with the same expression that must've been on your face. He was the most gorgeous human being you ever did see. You both waved awkwardly to each other, offering up small timid smiles. But that moment was too short-lived, they pulled up in front of the motorhome and after some inspection, they were on their way down the road.

It was just a fleeting moment, but it was enough to make you think about it for the rest of the trip, but you knew you'd never see him again; that is, until you soon found their motorhome of the side of the road with smoke rising out of the hood of the engine. "Oh my, Don, look who it is!" Your mother screeched, frantically pointing her finger. "Oh, we gotta help them!"

"What seems to be the problem here, fellas?" Your father asked once he exited the motorhome.

"Uh, smoke started rising from our engine." The father of the Millers said, nervously scratching behind his head, his son looking just as awkward.

"Well, there just so happens to be a garage nearby a ways. You're in luck, we have just the tool to hook y'all up to our motorhome so we can take ya there? How's that sound?"

"T-that sounds amazing. Thank you so much!"

Your eyes widened and a rush of heat quickly came to your face as the boy you had seen before entered your motorhome, your father insisting that they ride in yours as he drove them to the garage. "Hi." The boy stuttered, wearing a nervous smile. "Uh, is that seat taken?" He pointed on the small couch you were sitting on.

"Uh, no. Go ahead." You patted the seat next to you, trying to control your rapidly beating heart. "Sorry, what was your name again?"

"Kenny." He smiled, a very beautiful smile; and you gave his yours as well. "Nice to meet you, well, I guess it would be the second time technically."

After a little bit of small talk and picking up the rest of his family, you settled into a comfortable atmosphere with Kenny, playing on each of your own separate Nintendo DS. "So, you take trips with your family often?" You asked.

"Oh no, this is the first time we've ever traveled together." His eyes quickly widened as you gave him a confused look. "In a while!" He added. "First time in a while." He chuckled nervously. "We don't get out often."

"Us either. My parents usually have to take days off of work to even go out to dinner, so I understand that."

"Well, your parents seem cool." To that you scoffed. "Are they not?"

"They can be...eccentric."

"Rather that then no parents at all, I guess." He frowned.

"They have their moments, for sure. But you know how it is, the teenager always has to be rebellious in some way. At least, that's how most teenagers are. You don't seem like the type though. I mean, you look like you'd be really nice to yours parents. Make them coffee or breakfast in bed, that type of thing." You giggled, causing Kenny to blush and cast his gaze downwards. "I didn't mean that as a bad thing, it's sweet."

Kenny shrugged. "I've been picked on too many times to know that I'd never want to treat anyone else that way, no matter what. So, I guess that's sweet."

"Yeah, me too."

"You've been picked on too? A pretty girl like you? No way."

You blushed furiously, not used to compliments from someone other than your parents. "No one else seemed to think that in school. But I was picked on for more than my looks, just my interests seemed to bother people. It was mostly nerd or geek that got thrown at me in the hallways, even in classrooms when the teacher was teaching, sometimes they'd even laugh."

Kenny frowned. "It seems like we have a lot in common." He chuckled bitterly, but it made you smile.

You and Kenny talked a lot during the ride, getting to know each other and sharing interests, which the two of you happened to share most of them. You felt a little bad that the garage was closed for the day because of how happy you felt that you'd get to spend more time with this boy. You lived a very sheltered life, your parents being the way that they are; you knew you probably didn't have a realistic idea of romance, but man, you felt like you were in one of those cheesy romance movies. The way you both blushed when you caught each other's eye, or the way sparks seemed to fly at every accidental touch. It felt magical, if that kind of thing even existed.

Pulling in to one of the campsites that wasn't too far away from the garage, you started to get nervous as you knew what came with camping with your parents. Campfire songs, making up ghost stories, Pictionary, those were the tame ones. But thankfully, it was a simple game of Pictionary.

You eagerly waited for Kenny to start his drawing, finding yourself to start actually having fun even with your parents forcing all of you to play the game. He started off by drawing thick, black lines and everyone started shouting out their guesses, but your head snapped in the direction of his mother who started shouting, "A dick! Big, black dick! Black cock!" You had to hide your look of shock, but felt even more bad once you saw Kenny's embarrassed face.

Taking your time to really analyze the drawing, it finally clicked. "A skateboard?" You spoke over Rose's obscene guesses.

Kenny looked to you with a startled but thankful expression, allowing a small timid smile to adorn his face. "Yeah. Exactly." He chuckled breathlessly.

You felt heat quickly rise to your face as you noticed everyone around you was looking at you in shock, it's like you just figured out rocket science. "I suck at drawing, obviously." Kenny sat down beside you, the game coming to an abrupt end after his parents went off to talk in private.

You gave him a sympathetic smile. "You tried your best, that's all that matters. Sorry about my parents, forcing you all to play this silly game." You chuckled.

"Oh, no, I had fun. I wish I had parents like yours. Well, uh, not that they're bad or anything. We just don't really have those family game nights too often."

"You talk like your parents are gone all the time. Rose and David seem nice enough, but I don't have to live with them, of course. So, I shouldn't say anything, sorry."

"No, it's okay! I just wouldn't take your parents for granted."

You smiled. "I don't. I just feel like I need breathing space, is all." You started to blush when Kenny didn't respond, simply looking over your face like he was trying to memorize ever detail, the soft expression making the butterflies in your stomach to flutter. You were thinking about leaning in before he spoke again.

"Well, it's getting late, isn't it?" Kenny blurted, quickly standing up and you following his actions. "Sleep is important, you know!" He giggled nervously, giving you a friendly pat on the shoulder before walking away to your motorhome, stumbling slightly.

Was it something you said?

To say you were disappointed would've been an understatement. You really thought Kenny would go for the kiss, you wanted him to so very badly. But then again, you realized he wasn't the type to just go for it and neither were you, which complicated things. Your feelings for him were clear to you, even for the very short time you had gotten to know him, but your insecurity told you that maybe he didn't feel the same. Needless to say, you didn't get much sleep that night.

It was a bit awkward when you both had to part ways the next morning. Honestly, you didn't really want to even be seen because of your embarrassment, but your mother wouldn't let you be rude. You gave polite smiles and waves to the Miller family, not making eye contact with Kenny just to spare yourself from the ache you knew you'd feel if you did.

Over the course of the next couple days, you were still stuck in this funk that you couldn't seem to shake. All your thoughts were of Kenny. You spent most of the time sulking, much to your parents' dismay. They would try to get you to sing along with them whenever they burst out into song from various musicals, saying that you'd feel better after singing a song. But you just weren't up to it, it was annoying, and you rarely could ever turn down a sing-a-long. But alas, even when you stopped at the fairgrounds one of your last stops on the road trip, you didn't feel as excited as you normally would be. That was, until, you spotted Kenny in the crowd.

You didn't really believe in fate or destiny, but you couldn't deny some sort of force wanting you two to be drawn together. You felt your face heat up quickly once he spotted you yourself, a large goofy grin plastered on his face and making his way towards you. "Y/n, wow! Didn't think I'd see you here." Kenny laughed breathlessly, the beautiful sound making your heart beat rapidly.

"I didn't think I'd see you here either. A coincidence, huh?" You replied, wearing a weak smile. You weren’t the type to be petty, but your ego was still bruised from the other night. You honestly just felt like you wanted to crawl into a hole and die. “So, what are you doing here?” You quickly noticed the gauze taped to the inside of his elbow. “Are you okay?” You asked, your concern overpowering your pettiness.

Kenny looked down at his arm with wide eyes, almost forgetting that the gauze was still even there. “Oh, that!” He chuckled nervously. “I, uh, had to go to the emergency room…���

“What? Why?”

Kenny’s face reddened, the thought of retelling the story making a coil of embarrassment tighten in his gut. But with your face so deeply etched in concern, he couldn’t not tell you. “Nothing too serious, just got bit by a spider. But I’m okay now!”

“Goodness, glad you’re okay. I hate spiders. Where were you bitten?”

Kenny waved you off quickly. “Ah, that’s not important. Anyway, I’ve got some time to kill, wanna walk around together or something?”

“You…want to hang out?”

“Only if you’re up to it!” Kenny stuttered. Man, he was so cute. The hopeful smile on his face made you forget why you were even upset with him in the first place, so of course you agreed.

And just like how you and Kenny were those couple days ago, you both easily slipped back into that comfortable awkwardness with each other, sharing nervous smiles and giggles and terrible jokes that no one else would find funny but the two of you. You both rode the various rides that the fair had to offer, admiring the way everything lit up as the sun started to descend on the horizon. You felt your phone buzz in your pocket, a text from your mother saying that you had to come back to them soon so you could watch the fireworks as a family. You frowned, your day that turned perfect as soon as Kenny found you had to come to a close when all you wanted was for it to last forever.

“What’s the matter?” Kenny asked.

“I have to go soon. The fireworks are gonna start soon and my mom wants us to watch them together. Then it’s back on the road to head home.” You sighed, tucking your phone back in your pocket. “How about we ride the Ferris wheel before I leave?”

The seats in the Ferris wheel weren’t that spacious, the seat only holding two people at a time, so you had to fight the blush when you and Kenny had to sit side by side, your knees touching each other. But thankfully, even if you were blushing, the red lights would hide it. And Kenny, he was full on blushing, but you didn’t notice. He never thought knees touching each other could be so intimate, and yet… “I really wish you didn’t have to leave after this.” He whispered, barely audible over the carnival music and wind in your ears, but you heard, and it made your heart thump violently in your chest.

“Me too.” You admitted, causing Kenny to look at you with a sad smile, all the bright colorful lights in the fair collecting in his bluish green eyes, making them shine brilliantly. God, you wanted to kiss him so badly, but the Ferris wheel stopped and you both had to leave the seat. “Walk me back?” You asked with a hopeful expression, smiling when he agreed.

“Kenny? Where’ve you been, bud?” A voice called out, quickly recognizing the man as Kenny’s father, David. “Come on, we gotta go drop off these drugs before-” His eyes widened as he only just noticed you standing behind Kenny, the rest of his family coming to stand behind David.

“Drugs?” You looked at Kenny in confusion. “What’s he talking about?”

Kenny looked back and forth between you and David, his mouth agape and unable to speak. “Okay, I’ll just spit it out. They’re not my real family. We’re drug smugglers, Y/n, I am so sorry-”

“What?” You jumped as you heard your mother screech from behind you. “You all are drug dealers?”

“No, no, no, drug smugglers. There’s a difference!”

David quickly shushed everyone. “Look, he’s just been in the hospital, he’s all loopy from whatever they gave him. He doesn’t even know what drugs are, okay?” In the middle of his rant, a tall muscular man stood behind the fake family, his expression angry and it scared you. It only took a couple seconds for him to realize you and your mother were staring behind them in shock, and they all jumped back in surprise when they finally turned around to see the scary man. “Oh, you’re not dead. Thank God.”

The large man only responded by holding up his pistol, cocking the hammer. “He’s got a gun!” Your mother cried out, holding onto you tightly. He started to point the barrel at all of you until the door to your motorhome suddenly opened, your father quickly intercepting and knocking the man unconscious. 

“Y/n, go find a police officer.” Your father ordered as he ziptied the man.

You ran off immediately, but you didn’t get very far. Another man, significantly smaller than the other one, grabbed you by the forearm, trying to twist you around but you struggled and fought against him. But his grip only tightened painfully and you froze in place as he placed his own gun to your head, “Fight or make a sound, and I’ll pump you full of lead, girl.” You could only nod silently as he brought you back to the scene, tears in your eyes as you looked to your parents in fear, glancing over to see Kenny looking at you with almost the same amount of fear.

“Please don’t hurt her.” Your father begged after he gave up the gun he took from the fallen man, and his coffee mug. To your immense relief, the man holding you pushed you away and back into the arms of your parents.And after some back and forth between the Millers and the drug dealer, the fireworks finally started. Lucky for you all, the drug dealer got distracted and allowed for David to knock the gun out of his hand. But it felt like it was all over when the man pulled out another gun, aimed straight at David and about to pull the trigger, until Kenny punched him in the face.

You stared in shock as your father immediately went to tie up the man, unable to help yourself in thinking about how impressed you were with Kenny. 

With a soft smile, Kenny walked back to you with a confident stance. “Kenny-” You were quickly interrupted as he pushed his lips against yours in a passionate kiss, very unexpected coming from sweet and timid Kenny. You made no effort to pull away, you didn’t want to, not when this was what you wanted for half a week now. He moved his lips against yours with expertise, but you didn’t even think to wonder how he learned how to kiss so well. Your eyes briefly opened in shock as he rolled his tongue against yours, you didn’t even know what he did, but you couldn’t help the quiet moan you let out as he made that pleasant move. “Oh…” You sighed as he finally pulled away, your eyes glazed over as you stared into his with admiration.

“God, I’ve wanted to do that for so long.” Kenny chuckled breathlessly.

“Why didn’t you do that sooner?” You asked.

“Didn’t think you felt the same way, and I was scared. But considering you didn’t slap me, I guess that means you do feel the same. If you want to, I’d love to take you out on a proper date. You know, without the threat of death.”

“Of course.” You smiled, leaning up to place a quick kiss on his lips. But that smile quickly left your face as you saw your father’s disapproving stare. “Dad-” He brought his hand up and gave you that parent look, making you shut your mouth.

Your father looked Kenny up and down, sizing him up before speaking. “Now,” He started, “I normally wouldn’t allow my precious daughter to date a criminal, especially a drug smuggler…but, you helped save my family and that makes you alright in my book.”

He gave you and Kenny a small smile, barely seen under his thick mustache. “But unfortunately, I’m gonna have to place you under arrest…or, you could be a witness and testify against who made you do this. You’d all have to be placed under witness protection, but better that than a jail cell, right?”

It wasn’t an ideal circumstance, but you and Kenny made it work. After a few months, you were finally allowed to see him again. He finally took you on that date like he promised, and it was almost normal, like he wasn’t under witness protection. But that didn’t matter to you. All that mattered was that you got to spend time with him. He was the perfect boyfriend, even with all his endearing quirks, but it just made you care for him even more. 

Despite the odd way the two of you met and the illegal situation, you couldn’t have been happier.

~~~~~~~~~~

kenny is baby

[wrathandgreed]

Hi! Hope you're having a good day.

For your ask game may I ask 🎨& ⚡?

Okay, so Tumblr ate my first response when I was alt-tabbing between this and Docs. Thanks, Tumblr! But thank you for the prompt, @evierena !

🎨 - Show us a WIP

From “Horn Maintenance” (short fic, fluff, Asmo x reader)

“Hey!” You boop him on the nose with the flat end of the file. “Let me work here.”

A great sigh. “But darling, you’re right here in front of me, and you’re cute enough to nibble on!”

You almost give in. But you want to see if you can bring Other Asmo back. So you settle yourself down in his lap and give him a kiss - not one of passion, but one of gentleness. Then you kiss the tip of his nose and smile right into his eyes. “Azzy, just let me just be affectionate for awhile. Let me take care of you a little.”

“Affec -“ For the briefest of moments, Asmo looks confused and it makes you really sad. You wonder if anyone’s ever asked to ‘take care of him’ without it being a sexual reference. You give him another kiss simply because you can’t stand seeing that look on his face. And then, without looking at him again, you turn back to his horn splinter and get to work.

From “The Seven Brothers Detective Agency” ( I did some googling into the “hard boiled detective” genre, and it’s fascinating. Apparently, in the early 1900s, it’s not that there was a lot of police corruption, it’s that the basic job of the police was enforcing things FOR the mob and/or politicians (basically the same thing back then). In the 1920’s, thanks to Prohibition, the mob began having so much money and power on their own that they didn’t need the cops anymore, and the alliance began to fracture. Enter, now, stories about this schism - people wanted justice, and they wanted stories about people to defend them from organized crime - AND from the cops (again, basically the same thing). So we wind up with the noir detective, usually a cop who disagreed with corruption, and is now jaded and cynical about their fall from the organization. Usually also dealing with shell-shock from WWI. )

(These are currently more like notes than full-on HCs)

Lucifer (The Boss)

Son of Old Money

Served in the Great War, very much against his father’s wishes. Men of their status do not sit in trenches and eat canned muck and get shot by German snipers.

Almost died more than once, saw some Major Shit.

Had a lot of trouble adjusting when he came home. Beds were too soft, everything glittered and sparkled and was too wide-open.

Also too boring. He spent two years facing life and death, and sitting back at his father’s desk with a cigar felt too simple.

So he decided to become a policeman. One of the **good** ones. He truly wanted to make a difference.

The day he enrolled, his father disowned him. Lucifer still had money left to him by his mother, but everything from his old man, including controlling interest in the company, was given to….someone else.

And for the first time, Lucifer felt free.

Rose in the ranks, thanks to charisma and intelligence.

Knew about the corruption, refused to participate, but felt he was too junior still to do anything about it.

By the time he was a senior detective, he’d gotten used to it. He wasn’t tempted by bribes himself, since he had more money than he would ever need. 

If he was actually going to help people, he needed to stay on the force. To stay on the force, he had to turn a blind eye.

At least until the murder.

A young Black singer, the daughter of one of his father’s servants. 

He’d grown up with her, their servant’s kids were as much his siblings as his actual sister. 

This girl was younger than him by a few years, but her voice had been heavenly. 

She sang in speakeasies, throaty voice singing the blues.

And now she was dead - brutalized and strangled for telling a rich white kid “no”.

The bastard was caught with blood quite literally on his hands. He fucking confessed.

But the boy’s father was a major contributor of the Chief’s - so her death was ruled an unsolved homicide.

Enraged, Lucifer did what he swore he would never do - he fought the system.

And lost.

And those who supported him - whatever their reasons - were kicked out of the force right alongside him.

So, with too much money on his hands, too much grief in his heart, and too many junior officers looking to him for leadership, Lucifer starts the Seven Brothers Detective Agency.

He saw his juniors - his friends, his **brothers** - and realized that, for most of them, they hadn’t just lost a job, they’d lost a reason to get up in the morning. So he gave them one.

He’ll never admit that he needed a reason to get up even more than they did.

At this point, he’s low key a functioning alcoholic.

He uses big-money cases in order to fund helping the disenfranchised.

Will always help people in real trouble, even if they can’t pay at all.

He spends most of his time on paperwork in the office, and occasionally bailing his juniors out of jail. 

Or paying off their mob debts.

Kind of the same thing, anyway.

When he does go out into the field, though, he’s formidable. 

He seems to have this otherworldly charm, and people find themselves talking to him, telling him things they maybe shouldn’t.

He’s an expert at questioning someone around in circles until they don’t even know what they’re saying.

He’s also an expert at asking such direct questions that people become uncomfortable. You can learn a lot from someone’s discomfort.

⚡️ - Biggest fear

What really scares me is uncertainty and insecurity. I grew up pretty poor. Not like super poverty, but the type of poor where you start working off the books at 11 and you eat dinner at your grandparents house for a few weeks because your own parents can’t afford groceries because something happened that sucked up available funds. Also, my mom was sick most of my childhood, so I wound up being her caretaker and between that and the whole getting-a-job-at-11 thing, I didn’t really have a childhood or teenage-hood. I’m a lot older now, and I’m in a pretty secure financial place, but I’m still desperately afraid of that one accident or emergency that will send me back into eating at other people’s houses or having to borrow money from my parents to afford to fix my car.

I’ve also got some of my mom’s conditions - plus a few mental illnesses - so part of my fear of uncertainty is what’s going to happen to me in the future. By the time she was my age, my mom was going blind and suffering mini-strokes. I’ve managed to avoid all of that, but for how long? We survive on my salary, so if I become unable to work, we’re screwed. Not to mention I can only be as healthy as I am because my job provides top-tier health insurance. What happens if I lose it? I’m not having children, so how will I be looked after if I actually live to be old?

So, short answer, I guess, is just “the future” - I’m always afraid of things taking a sharp downturn, because my childhood was nothing BUT thinking things were fine and then everything exploding in your face.

[chayacat]

Devil’s Sweet Star (3)

Fandom: Dead by Daylight

Ghostface x Female Reader  

Rated M for Violence, Language and Smut  

***

“Welcome to the Nebula! Where our pastries came from outer space! How can I help you?”

You smile as you look at the room full of people. You didn't imagine you had so many people for your grand opening, maybe a few curious. You can thank Jed for doing this article. How are you going to thank him after that? He didn't have to, and yet he did. The sign you ordered the day you received your coffee beans was in harmony with the rest and by far it wasn’t hard to spot you. You were lucky to find an artist who could make you such a sign in a short time. And he was graciously paid for his work.

“Have you made your choice Miss?” you said smiling.

“I hesitate between a slice of Neptune’s pie and your UFO Brownies... they look so delicious!” said the young girl switching her eyes between the two pastries.

“They are! it's an alien chef who gave me the recipe, you'll see in one bite you'll leave ... in a space travel of flavour!” you say jokingly.

“Ha ha that’s really funny! Well, I’ll take two brownies and a slice of Neptune’s pie then! And an espresso with a cloud of milk.”

You prepare the order of the girl, who pays before taking the bag where the two brownies are, the slice of blueberry pie and the espresso. She gave you a big smile before going to a table to enjoy her sweets freely.  

You'll still have to consider hiring someone to give you a boost, because you have to admit, that you'll have a little trouble dealing with it all. Especially if more and more people come over time. While you were writing all this down in your diary, so you wouldn't forget it, you hear another customer coming in and you turn again to the counter ready to serve him.

“Welcome to The Nebula! You said “Oh hey, It's you Jed!”  

Jed gives you a sweet smile while heading to the counter.  

"Well, my little finger tells me that your grand opening seems to be a great success." he said with a laugh.

“Good deduction, Jed Holmes. Thanks for your article, I didn't think I had so many people sincerely. I don't even know how to thank you.” you said embarrassed  

“No need. All pleasure was for me. And then if it can allow Roseville to energize a little ... Why not? With a pretty face like yours, this trade can only hold up well.”

You blush a little in front of his words which made him laugh. Definitely this boy has everything to please. How could his parents have considered him as a mistake? If they saw him today, they'd see that he's succeeding in his life.  

You've only known each other for a few days and you don't know why, but the runner went very well between the two of you, we'd think you'd be friends who've known each other since high school. You see two young girls looking at him and talking to each other.

“Well, well, my little finger tells me that you’ve attracted the attention of these two ladies. What a charmer you are.” you said with a wink.

“What?” he replied before looking towards the two young girls who turned around looking like nothing before sneering when he faced you again, cheeks slightly pink. “I... I know I'm not ugly, but I'm not a beauty cannon either. I'm just... Me. A little journalist, a little nerd on the edges.”

Hey don't say that! If you knew how cute you are... Don't lower yourself to the lower than you really are."

Jed smiles while Danny smiles widely. So innocent... And besides you confirm his incredible beauty. He knows how handsome he is, a real charmer when he wants to. But as Jed he has to hide it, playing the little nerd who doesn't know how attractive he is.  

“So, can I take your order?” you said.

“A long cup of coffee, with cream and sugar. And I’ll take a slice of your March cake please.” he responds putting his glasses back in place.

“Coming right up at the speed of light!”

You gathered his order and give it quickly and when he pulled out money to pay you, you gently give it back to him.

“Well... I didn't get yelled at yet...”

“it’s on the house. It's my way of thanking you for that.” you said with a sweet smile.

“I can’t, here take it” he replied.

“Jed.” you started taking softly his hand to put the money in it. “What you did was the nicest thing on earth that anyone I know has ever do for me. And we barely know each other. Friends I've known since kindergarten would never have done it for me. You can always pay next time. But not today.”

Jed blinked several times before putting his money in his wallet. Then he took his cup in his hand to lift it up in the air.

“To the Nebula. Hoping that he succeeds and brings a little joy to our city so bruised by the current events. Cheers.”

“Cheers” you said lifting up your bottle of ice tea to toast with him before each drinking a sip.

“Excuse me miss can I have a refill? And another slice of your blueberry pie?” said a young woman working on her computer.  

“Sure!” you answer. “Sorry I have to get back to work. But you can take a sit if you want! Unless you’ve still got some work to do?”  

“Well, I'm on a break. I would say that this time I took my time because I am often criticized for not resting. But don't tell anyone.”  

You smile at him and take a pot of coffee to refill the woman’s cup. Jed took a seat not far from the counter and discreetly look at you. For Jed, doing all this on your own must be difficult and he really wanted to help you, but for Danny it's a blessed bread to know that you’re alone. No one could help you if he wanted to pay you a courtesy visit.He’s not going to kill you right away, oh no... He's going to get to know you. To the smallest detail.  

While you served again other customers in coffee and pastries, another entered. And you could say that he was not an ordinary person in view of his clothes and his way of being, he could be defined as a snobbish but influential person. If even a snob like him comes into your business... That can only be a good thing, right?

“Welcome to the Nebula sir! How can I help you?”

“Do you have imperial tea or Vintage Narcissus tea?”

“Uhm...Sorry sir this kind of tea is rare to find and very expensive. I only have red fruit tea at the moment and green tea. I should receive more soon.”

“Tss. Give me a Latte Macchiato in this case.”

You force yourself to smile and start preparing his order. But you feel his gaze on you as if he was stabbing you in the back. Jed gave you a reassuring smile as you returned him and once the Latte was ready, you lay it on the counter.

“Will it be all sir?” you said with a forcing smile

“Your... cakes there... Are they industrial or homemade?” he said haughtily.

“homemade Sir! with only natural products for better taste and quality!”

“I doubt it very much.”

“Excuse me?”  

“I doubt that a girl like you can get "natural" products as easily and cheaply. Or you take the big game out of them. It won't surprise me when you see such a decoration, it's like a junkie club.”

“Who are you?” you said with a nervous laugh

“What ??”

“I said: Who are you? Where do you know me for talking to me in that tone? Just because you have money doesn't mean you can do all you want. Plus, you insult me as a whore.”

“How could you...This is not a way to treat your customers! You can't even handle orders from your customers!”

“Sir... If I am not mistaken, I didn’t force you into my establishment, you came on your own. In addition, you adopt a behaviour that, in another place, you will have been worth an immediate exit with, if the person wanted, a kick in the ass or even more. So, are you going to take something extra or just pay for your coffee?” you replied with an Olympian calm.

Vexed, the man took the cup and spilled his content on the ground before throwing the cup in your face. But for all that, you do not react and you are quite right, with a man like him, better not to blame yourself.

“You don't lose anything to wait, little bitch. I'm sure I'll find something that will make you close your slum.” he said before leaving.  

You take a deep breath, throw the cup in the trash and take the bucket and mop to clean up the still-hot coffee on the floor. You expected to have rough customers but like him and from day one... Not really. But you did the right thing, not to react, stay calm in all circumstances.  

“What a son of bitch. he's never had his mouth broken this dirty asshole rich.” you grunt as you finish wiping the floor.

“Unfortunately, not... and with the influence he has, it's hard to do anything to him.”

You startle slightly when you hear Jed's voice behind you, who had witnessed the whole scene.

“Who's that bastard? How can you let a guy like that treat people like shit honestly??”

“You know men like him... can easily afford to do everything when they can afford it. All they have to do is bribe some people and they're safe. They feel untouchable and only live that way. They know that most people have financial worries and they take advantage of them.” said Jed.  

“What a coward. Money can't save him forever.” you replied.

While you were tidying up the bucket and mop, some customers came to tip while supporting you, facing what had just happened. Some of them swore on this guy making fun of him openly which made you smile. The rest of the day passed quietly; Jed had gone back to work in the meantime wishing you good luck. You check several times that all the doors were closed before closing your café and heading to your apartment.

You suddenly feel someone following you and you turn around discreetly for a guy in a hood. You walk a little faster and you hear the man's footsteps go faster as well. As you feel it approaching to the point of touching you, a horn startled you both and when you turn your head, you recognize a familiar vehicle.

“Hey! Have you ever been taught to not attack a woman? I wonder what we're going to learn about you if I call the cops. Get in. I’ll take you home.” Said Jed opening the door while Danny discreetly shot your assailant with his eyes.  

Once you got on, you closed the door and Danny went back on the road. You're lucky that Danny finishes his job earlier taking advantage of his extra free time to stalk you without getting noticed. This allowed him to study the situation a little more and he now knows that you check everything several times before leaving. And you may do it more often and longer after his visit as Ghostface.

“Thanks. if you hadn't arrived he would surely have...”  

“Don't say anything. I'd rather not think about it. You don't have to thank me. Between neighbours it's normal to help each other, right? You would have done the same for me.” He responds without looking away from the road.

“I'm sure it was these bastard rich that hired him to scare me. I should have beat him like that, he would have gotten the message out to him.”

“And then he would have used his influence to sue you and make you lose your coffee. It's a technique as old as the world.���  

“He loses nothing to wait.”

Jed nods as a bad smile appears on Danny's face. Oh no he loses nothing to wait for sure. Thanks to you, involuntarily, you found a new victim for Danny. But not right away. You have to study your prey before you kill it.

***

(Phew! Finally finished! I'll hope you’ll enjoyed it! if I'm not often distracted, I’ll try to post a new chapter every Friday! This will give time for new readers to read the previous chapters! See ya !  )  

[trashcatsnark]

I’ve decided Scout would mostly wear a mask, in an attempt to be taken seriously within the commonwealth, so people don’t underestimate her for the baby face. So, have some mask + outfit combos; plus an unmasked down time pic. 

All mods shown are listed and linked beneath the cut; it’s a long list, cause I’m a mod fiend, thanks to all who’ve shared their beautiful creations without them I probably would have thrown the game out five seconds in. 

Black Widow Armor and Pipboy by DeserterX  with Bodyslide Conversion by SilencedSkies: I love this mask so much no joke, the mask with the armor is pictured in image 7

Cross_2077 by Niero: specifically the headset; while not it’s intended purpose, this helped fix an issue with the black widow hood making her neck invisible when paired with another outfit, it looks natural, despite some clipping issues and with the holo mask enabled it adds a red oni overlay with devil horns that I’m into. 

Premium Pip-Boy Black HD by JackWall: now what kind of edgelord bean would Scout be if her pipboy wasn’t a slick black color? Jk, I’m the edgelord who likes the color black too much. This is so slick and cool; especially when you pair it with red text to live the ultimate Shadow The Hedgehog fantasy.

Overboss Outfit by DeserterX  with Bodyslide Conversion by docteure: I love love love the aesthetic of this outfit so much, it’s just so nice and I love the jacket and just throwing it over any other outfit. 

Eli's Armour Compendium by Elianora: another set I just fell in love with; you can see that Scout is in Ellie’s shop within the screenshots, image number four is the road fury outfit, my personal fave, and image five is the skimpy raider armor cause I’m a whore. 

Femshepping and SootDirt's Female Wanderer Fashion Collection by...well you read it: There’s two images of the armored shorts set, the second and sixth image, and one of the wandering sniper set, image eight; I fell in love with these outfits the second I saw them, they’re just way too cool. I adore them. 

The Wandering Scavver Collection by guidethisonekalaheria; one of the alt looks I believe is pictured in image three, I’m a whore for two very crucial looks on characters; leather jackets and flannels. You fucking offer me an open flannel over a crop top, I’m jumping on it, that’s facts. 

tschutschi's wardrobe II - cbbe - bodyslide: The Toothless outfit is in image nine and god I fell hard for that outfit when i saw it, just chefs kiss. 

Usable Cigarettes by Wenderer: how i got the shot in the last image, I love characters who smoke, why? I don’t know, but here we are with like all but one of my ocs being a smoker, and the one who isn’t a smoker...dates a smoker. 

Dlx Clothes Pack by darklynxxx; lots of cute seperates in this, I used one of the tops in this for the final image. 

Vtaw Wardrobe 6 by well Vtaw; the shorts in the final image, very cute and while a lot of their outfits are a little uh hit and miss for me, there’s always some quality pieces that are worth the download. 

Asian Face Enhanced by alan81512: Used to get Scout’s baby face

Ponytail Hairstyles by Azar: Scout has one of the short hairstyles in this package, the one that I believe??? is meant to be like Chloe’s hair from LiS which is hella nice cause I love that blue haired lesbean and she’s had way too much influence on my ocs so why not. 

Caliente's Beautiful Bodies Enhancer

Bodyslide and Outfit Studio: Along with CBBE these are basically required if you don’t want the standard vanilla body. Scout has a custom bod , tbh I’m still on the fence about if her current bod will stay as a part of me still feels it’s too uhhhhhhhhh unrealistic? Her boobs always seem way to big compared to her waist to me cause I’m bad at doing anything

Daylight’s End by Deku78: finally the last mod seen in these images, I thiiiink???, it’s the background and where she is in some of these pics. I really like this little new settlement and quickly decided it’s not really a settlement but Scout’s home away from Sanctuary where she doesn’t have to worry about Preston giving her more work (she loves him, but sometimes she needs a nap) or Marcy bitching at her. She’s free to drink and smoke in her underwear with only Dogmeat and her five other adopted dogs there to judge her. 

[zukuthehero]

Bakugo’s Secret Collection

I did a commission for @everythingbaku​ Hope you like it <3

OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO

Ren laughed at Kirishima’s story as they walked through the mall.

“And then Mina skidded across the ground and slammed into the wall, haha, instead of- ha, instead of doing the flip- snicker- like she wanted.” He was laughing so hard he barely got the story out.

“You’re so mean!” Mina whined, shoving him gently, but she was grinning too.

“Oh!” Kaminari said excitedly. “Look! It’s Midoriya!”

Ren moved over to see. Kaminari had rushed to a store window, looks like one of the hero merchandise stores.

He lit up.

Looking in the window, Ren could see that there was a figure of Midoriya, mid-kick, just sitting in the window. The outfit was even fairly accurate, getting the arm braces right along and the hood flapping from behind, even the shade of green was almost exactly like Midoriya’s. Beside it was one of Uraraka, floating on a rock, hands out.

“Oh!” Ren beamed, “There are figures of our classmates? Do they have the rest of you? Hang on let’s go in.”

Ren hurried into the store with Mina, moving to the figurine section and finding the Midoriya (Deku?) figurine. Mina cooed when she found one with him holding Eri, when they fought Overhaul.

“These are adorable!”

“He looks so fierce!” Ren said, admiring the one of him mid-kick.

“Totally manly,” Kirishima added from behind them.

“Let me see if there are others!” Ren said, starting to dig through the other figurines, “I’m gonna try to find the whole class.”

“This is dumb, why would you want figures of those extras anyways?”

Ren just sent Bakugo a quick smile, not fazed by his normal grumbles.

Ren managed to find one of Tsu, her tongue out and in a fighting pose.

“It’s so cool, they’re even pretty accurate!”

“Yeah,” Kirishima agreed. “Especially for bootlegs.”

“Are they all bootleg?” Ren asked, picking up a figure of Mashirao. “This one looks official.”

“I think the figures are official,” Mina said. “But the jackets and hats and stuff don’t seem to be.”

“I just can’t believe we have figures while we’re still at school,” Sero muttered, picking up a figurine of Momo.

“Ooh,” Ren said. “Can I have that? I need to get one for everyone in the class now, or everyone that they have.”

“Yeah sure.” Sero passed it over to Ren, who put it in the basket he grabbed. He would get figures of everyone, and maybe something extra for a few.

“Oh my god,” Mina called. “There’s a Red Riot hat.”

“What!? Kirishima called, darting over. “Oh, that’s so manly!”

Ren moved over to see too, finding Mina shoving on a red hat, with a top styled like Kirishima’s hair.

“Oh, I love that!” He agreed, reaching for one of his own and noticing a few other hats, like an Ingenium one, and a Shoto one with two colored sides.

There was even one for Bakugo! It looked based on his mask additions.

“I need all of these,” Ren muttered.

“There’s a lot more merchandise for us than I expected.” Kirishima said. “I mean, we’re still students. Most full-time heroes don’t even get that much merchandise, not if they’re not high on the charts or popular locally.”

“Yeah! It’s really cool,” Sero agreed.

“They have a jacket based on Midoriya too! Oh, and one based on Uraraka, that’s cute I’d wear that.” Mina held up a stylish pink, black, and white jacket.

“You’d look good in it,” Ren said cheerfully.

Mina flashed him a grin, “Thanks. What are you gonna get?”

Ren hummed, “A little bit from everyone if I can find them all.”

“Ugh, we’re gonna be here all day.” Bakugo grumbled.

“Oh, cheer up, it’s great that we have merchandise! Don’t you want to get something?”

“No.”

“Well, you don’t have to get anything,” Ren said. “But it’s really cool to learn that they have merchandise for us. I didn’t know that.”

Bakugo just grumbled, sulking along behind them as they kept rummaging through the aisles.

“Oh! Here’s one for Mr. Aizawa.”

“Wait seriously? I’ve never been able to find merchandise for him.” Ren rushed over to Sero.

And indeed, there was a Mr. Aizawa figure, mid jump with red eyes, hair up, and capture scarf whirling around him.

“That’s amazing!”

“It’s so realistic, haha, I almost expect my quirk to be gone,” Kirishima laughed.

“Ugh, I don’t know if I brought enough money to get all of it,” Ren muttered.

He dug out his wallet and checked the cash he brought.

“I guess I could use my card, but I try to limit that.”

“You can borrow some from me if you want,” Mina offered. “Just pay me back later.”

“Really,” Ren beamed at her. “That would be great!”

“Or you could just not waste your money on stuff for these extras.” Bakugo huffed.

Ren rolled his eyes, “It’s stuff for me though.”

“It’s stuff of the extras,” Bakugo pointed out. “Just for you. Why would you waste money on them?”

“Because they’re my classmates and friends,” Ren laughed, sending Bakugo a teasing smile. “Come on Bakugo, just cause you’re the best of the best doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate everyone else too.”

He rolled his eyes, “Whatever. It’s your money to waste if you want.”

“Thank you, I will.”

Bakugo huffed.

“Ooh, look!” Mina chirped. “They have tape! Based on Sero’s tape!”

“Isn’t that just normal tape?” Bakugo grumbled.

“Oh! The dispenser looks like his arms!” Ren chirped, “That’s awesome.”

“That’s so cool, I need that for my room!” Kirishima cheered, snagging it. “Totally getting this.”

“You guys are ridiculous,” Sero said, but he was smiling.

“We should make these the official class tape dispensers,” Mina grinned.

“Don’t you da-“

“Why would we do that?” Ren asked sweetly. “We have Sero already.”

“You suck,” Sero laughed.

“Okay but if they have Sero tape dispensers, do they have other things too?”

“Obviously, you guys have been looking at it all this whole time.” Bakugo pointed out.

“No, I mean daily stuff!” Kirishima insisted. “Like, uh, blankets, or um, soap or something.”

“Soap or something,” Bakugo said flatly.

“Oh come on, it’s manly!”

“Alarm clocks?” Mina offered.

“Yeah!”

“Speaking of,” Kaminari said. “I found alarm clocks.”

“Hahaha, that’s Koji, Oh, my gosh I love that.” Ren rushed over. “What sound does it make?”

Kaminari pressed the button.

It started tweeting like birds.

“Ooh, there are different settings! Looks like it has roars, bird tweets, growls, and… cicadas? What are cicadas?”

“They make really obnoxious noises at night,” Ren said. “Really loud, they’re pretty big too.”

“Huh, weird,” Sero said.

Ren looked through the shelves in this area of the store. There were a lot of actual hero merch, stuff for ranked heroes, but they also had a decent amount of merch for students.

There were some things from the third-year students too, a Le Million, a Suneater, and a Nejire-Chan.

The things that held Ren’s attention were the things for his year.

There was I Can’t Stop Twinkling glitter packs, Sugar Rush weights, Pinky Shampoos, and even Bakugo Bath Bombs.

Honestly Ren didn’t even know that there was merch for heroes like that.

“I want so much of this,” He mumbled. “I guess I’ll stick to one thing per class member.” Maybe.

He carefully picked out the Cellophane tape dispenser for Sero.

He spent a few minutes debating over getting a pinky figure for Mina, or the shampoo. Both were cool, and oh, there are hair pins styled like her horns!

Hmm…

He ended up grabbing the figure. He’ll get the other two later.

Next up, a Red Riot hat, a Red Riot rock collection, or a Red Riot figurine.

The rock collection would be hilarious, but Ren settled on the hat. He could wear that around to support Kirishima, or just to mess with him. Both works.

Looking through the Charge Bolt merch he found, oh haha, there’s a plug outlet styled like Kaminari. That’s hilarious. He definitely needs that. The figurine is cool but being able to use Kaminari as a plug is way cooler.

Ren dropped that in the basket.

Alright then, obviously getting the Deku figurine (he picked the one of Midoriya with Eri, it just seems so much more like Midoriya that he couldn’t not get it), and he did love the jacket for Uravity, a short debate with himself settled it and he shoved that into the basket next.

He was just looking at the Froppy merch when Kirishima called him over.

He moved over and flushed when he realized it was a figurine of him.

“Look, Ren, it’s you!” Mina looked so pleased.

It was him in his chimera form, ready to battle with his blue fur and hair. He looked a bit fierce.

Bakugo was leaning over too, “They actually managed to get your looks right, not a bad figurine.”

Ren stifled his blush, shooting Bakugo a smile, “Aww, thanks. And I’m honored you think I look good.”

Bakugo scoffed, “I didn’t say that.”

Mina laughed, “I think you look great, Ren. They really captured your fierceness.”

Ren grinned at her, “Thanks Mina.”

“Okay but like, guys,” Kirishima gushed. “I think they have at least two things for every person in the class. I found a jacket for Ren too. And headphones for Jiro-“

“Headphones for Jiro? Where!?” Ren asked excitedly, he needed a new pair of headphones anyways.

Kirishima laughed and passed him a pair to put in his basket.

“Yeah, like I was saying. They’ve got figurines for everyone that I’ve been able to find, and like, there are Ingenium shoes, our Iida Ingenium shoes, not his older brother. Though I guess they’re basically the same…”

“Oh! I’ve been needing new shoes. Where are those?” Ren asked, peering at Kirishima in excitement.

“Dude do you have the money for all this?” Kaminari asked, peering into Ren’s basket.

“Of course I do!” Ren said with a huff.

He mentally went through how much money he has, plus Mina said she would lend some…

Yeah, he should be good.

“I’ll help pay if he needs it, and I think this is great. We can have something of our friends with us. It’s super sweet!” Mina beamed at them.

“Mina is right,” Kirishima said. “It’s super manly to support your classmates.”

Bakugo was rolling his eyes majorly as he leaned against the shelf where the figurine of Ren was.

“Whatever.”

Ren rolled his eyes fondly but moved on to finding more stuff for the class.

He found some Animan animal treats that were cute, he could feed some of Mr. Aizawa’s cats!

Speaking of Mr. Aizawa, he snagged the figurine of his grumpy teacher.

He grabbed a Froppy figurine as well (the Froppy themed wash clothes were cool but he didn’t have need of them).

He hummed and studied the sugar rush stuff, either the weights, the figurine, or the candy pack.

…

He grabbed the candy pack (with eight different kinds of candy!).

He found a soft Dark Shadow blanket, and a cool pair of gloves styled like Invisible Girl (soft and warm, they’ll be good for winter). He found a cool soft scarf for Tail Man too.

He debated over the stuff for Momo, there was a cool figurine, but there was also a cool periodic table set, which would be helpful in chemistry, and it was themed off of her…

He bought the periodic table set after Bakugo shoved it into his hands, grumbling that he was taking too long.

He grabbed a mug for Shoto, it was a plain black that apparently turns white when cold and red when hot. Which he may be really excited to try back at the dorm.

He laughed at the reaching tool for Dupli-Arms. He was definitely buying that, it’s so funny.

He tossed the shoes that Kirishima mentioned earlier into his basket, the Ingenium shoes. They’re basically the same as the one’s Iida’s older brother had, but they’re still cool.

And finally, he found a cool figurine of Bakugo.

“Well,” Ren said, studying his haul. “That looks like everyone.”

“What about Mineta?” Sero asked.

“Whosa?”

“… Nevermind.”

“Why don’t we pay and go get lunch?” Mina chirped.

“Sounds good to me,” Ren agreed, heading to the front to pay.

“Oh!” Kirishima said. “You forgot yourself.”

Ren laughed, “I’m not gonna pay for a figurine of myself.”

“But it’s awesome,” Kaminari insisted.

“I don’t have the money to spare to get a figurine of me too, guys.”

Mina giggled, “Show yourself some love! It’s super cool that we all have figures.”

“Are you guys buying figures of yourselves?” Ren asked as he got in line, Mina beside him.

“No,” She said. “But I might get one of me later! It’s fun, and it would be cool to commemorate it.”

“Yeah, makes sense.”

“Yo, did you guys see where Bakubro went?” Kirishima asked.

“No, did he wander off?”

“He disappeared a few minutes ago.”

“Strange, I’m sure he’ll turn up. Maybe he saw something interesting.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Ren reached the front and flashed the helper a smile as they started scanning his purchases. A few minutes later he handed over his cash (all of it) and Mina added her’s to pay the rest (thankfully not nearly as much as he feared. He had enough to cover most of the purchase).

The two grabbed their bags (and Ren might have changed his arms to gorilla arms to handle them all, there was a lot) and headed out, finding Bakugo outside with his backpack dangling from one shoulder.

“You done now?”

“Yeah yeah Mr. Grumpy Pants. Let’s grab lunch now.”

“Finally,” He muttered.

“Oh hush,” Kirishima laughed. “You didn’t have to wait that long.”

“You guys just wouldn’t leave. The merchandise isn’t that interesting.”

“I think it’s super cool!” Mina said.

“Yeah, you mentioned. Once or a dozen times.”

“Oh, be nice,” Ren leveled a look at him. “There’s nothing wrong with having fun looking at merch for our class. I’m sure even you were excited about merch for yourself.”

Bakugo scoffed, his cheeks a faint pink. “Was not.”

“Are we getting food or what?” Sero and Kaminari were standing ahead, looking at us expectantly.

“Coming, coming,” Ren said, moving after them.

OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO

Ren stretched where he was sitting in one of the study rooms in the dorm.

The Bakusquad was supposed to be studying together but Bakugo hadn’t shown up yet.

“Should someone go get him?” Kaminari asked.

Ren huffed, “I’ll go. Maybe he just started studying on his own and lost track of time.”

Kirishima laughed, “That sounds like him.

Ren stood up, “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“Good luck!” Mina called.

“Bring back snacks,” requested Sero.

“Yeah, yeah, sure.”

Ren moved out of the room and to the elevator hitting the up button with a sigh.

He patiently waited for the elevator before getting in and hitting Bakugo’s floor.

A minute later he was walking down the hallway to Bakugo’s room.

He paused at the door, knocking loudly.

“Hey, Bakugo,” He called as he pushed the door open. “We were meeting to stu-“

Ren faltered at seeing Bakugo throwing a package to the side, just a second too late to stop Ren from seeing it.

It was from the store earlier in the day, the one with all the bootleg (and official figurine) hero merchandise.

The box had a figure in blue on it, a familiar figure in blue.

Ren stared at the picture of him on the box, before turning to look at Bakugo who was bright red.

“Don’t you know to wait until someone says you can come in!?” He snapped, trying to move to block Ren’s view.

But it was too late, Ren had already caught a glimpse behind him.

There, on the shelf that normally had a poster hanging from the one above it, covering up what was on the shelf, was a collection of figures and a few assorted additions.

His face went red.

There was a figurine of Ren in his Chimera: Beast Mode form, looking mid strike, one in his Chimera: Water Mode form with stylized waves around him, A Chimera Land mode figure mid run, one just him in his hero outfit, blue mask striking with the hood over it, and even on of him in his school uniform, mid-fight (he thinks it’s based on that time they got attacked during a non-hero related field trip).

There was also a little reading-light shaped like him, a fluffy scarf that looked like his blue hair, a shampoo bottle shaded blue like his hair, and a stuffed animal version of him. There were some pictures behind it as well, pictures of him fighting as a hero in one of the many disasters that the class kept getting in, and a few group shots of the group, plus one of just Bakugo and him hanging out.

“Bakugo,” Ren murmured.

“Shut up,” He scrambled to put his poster in front of it again. “We’re never talking about this again.”

“Bakugo that’s so sweet!”

“No.”

“I had no idea you admired me so much,” Ren continued, grinning widely now.

“Shut up.”

“Why, you even have a stuffed animal of me! It looks soft, is it soft?”

“No, go away, let’s go study.”

“But you were just putting up that new figure,” Ren leveled a pout at him, shooting a look to the figure laying on the bed. Another Chimera: Land form figure, but with different animals.

Bakugo growled at him.

“I don’t want to get in the way of your shrine-“

“It’s not a shrine!”

“It’s so well done, you clearly put a lot of work into it.”

“Oh shove off.”

“I’m very touched, it warms my heart to know you care so much.”

“Do not.”

“I mean, you were so flustered earlier, what with us buying figures, I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize you collected them, I’ll make sure to send you links to more!”

“No.”

“Did you get those posters custom made? I didn’t see any in the store.”

“I hate you.”

“Really! It’s the sweetest thing, I’m touched. Where did you get them?”

Ren had a shit eating grin on his face at this point, Bakugo’s hands sparking as his face stayed a bright red.

“You’re horrible, let’s go study.”

“But I am studying! I’m studying your amazing shrine to me.”

“It’s not a shrine! And we will never speak of this again, got it?” Bakugo leveled his best glare at Ren, who finally stopped.

The smile not leaving his face he nodded solemnly, “Oh course, another word of it won’t leave my lips.”

“Good.”

OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO

Bakugo’s phone pinged two days later when he was returning from his morning run.

He glanced down and saw it was from Ren.

He smiled and clicked the link, then scowled.

“REN!”

He bolted towards Ren’s room, phone with a link to merchandise for Ren open on the screen clutched in his hand.

[mika3451]

Macaroons and Babybones

Summary:

When monsters were freed from the underground there was a large backlash of magic that had been stored up for thousands of years, turning mages to monsters. These Changelings now live side by side with monster yet they are different.

Notes:

This idea has been bugging me ever since I saw Papyrus Enthusiast's comic on tumblr. Let me know what you think, I'm not really sure on the plot so any idea's would be great! Thanks for reading!!

Chapter one: Meeting

Annoyance that is the only thing that fills my soul at this point in time. That feeling that makes you regret climbing out of your cozy bed all because you woke up on a saturday with a craving for some Macarons. Oh but these aren't just any Macarons, these are made by that little spider monster that was freed with all the other undergrounders from Mount Ebott. And Damn if Echo flower Macarons and a cup of black tea wasn’t my souls weakness. Plus Muffet was one of the cutest damn things to walk this side of the city. It also helped that she had a one of us changelings working for her. ‘Changeling, I think snorting at the ridiculous name, what a way for humans to call us mages that suffered from the release of all that pent up magic when the undergrounders were set free. All mages were turned into monsters or gained some kind of monster aspect. Hell even that kid Frisk was changed. The kid now sports horns and looks more like their adopted mother and father. Yet out of all the Mages I knew none of their changes were as extreme as mine.’

Shaking those thoughts free I force my way through crowds of people, ignoring their loud voices, both human, and monster alike, as they swarm around me going on their merry way. The dark gray hood of my Sherpa Cloak covers my head keeping my face concealed. Scanning the room I find the giant plastic map, hurrying over to it I find the golden star that says ‘you are here’. A happy smile pulls at the corners of my mouth, looking over the list of shops I find Muffet’s.

“Aha!” I smile as my eyes find that the shop is not to far from where I stand, making a plan of action I turn only for a small body to run into my legs. A crimson red stocking hat tilts back away from my legs to reveal a small skeleton face. Their little Skull is round and chubby with holes where a humans cheeks would be, straight white teeth and large ovale sockets look up at me. A lime green and emerald striped shirt covers the baby bones small, so very small shoulders. I feel my eyes glow and widen, illuminating my face to the small child before the glow vanishes. The babybones looks away from my face over their shoulder, their fear covers their body in a way I am all too familiar with. The sound of hustling footsteps and cursing reach me through the sounds of the crowd.

The little one lets go of my pants, their body shifts in a way, signaling that they are going to run off. In an instant my black leather gloved covered hands land on their shoulders causing them to look up in confusion as two large humans come to a stop in front of me. The shadow formed by the hood of my cloak keeps my face hidden as my eyes run over the humans, disgusting creatures. They look like the stereotypical thugs in their torn jeans and dark shirts that cling to their bodies, old and beaten boats cover their feet. Both of them stand at around 5’10” to 6’ around my height of 5’8”. The one with the ugliest mug that Only a mother could love with a bald head and beady eyes glares at me then looks down to the babybones with a look that has my Soul rolling in an uncomfortable way.

‘Fucker one.’ I think glancing away from him to look at his friend. He looks close to the same only difference is if he didn't have a face so full of hate you could call him “attractive” by human standards with blonde hair and green eyes.

‘Dipshit’

“Hand over the brat!” Fucker one says in a voice that irritates my senses. Moving slightly forward I put the little one behind me as I keep one hand on their shoulder while the other rests at my hip ready to defend myself and the kid if need be.

“Yeah, Not Going to Happen.” I say as the little one grabs my pant leg, their sockets black as night look up at my shadowed face before looking back at the two thugs. A protectiveness that I haven't felt in so very, very long fills my entire being awakening parts of myself that I didn’t know fell asleep.

“You got some Major balls picking on a kid, let alone a monster one!” I chuckle out only for the ugly ones face to turn an interesting shade of red as he takes a step forward trying to be threatening.

“Listen girly, I can tell your not from around here-” Fucker one starts making my body tense up, ready for a fight.

“No shit, Sherlock.” I growl back unable to keep my teeth shut, only for Fucker one to grow redder. Dipshit reaches out and stops Fucker from taking another step forward, a smart move on his part.

“And in this city little freaks” Dipshit cuts in nodding his head in the kids direction, anger fills my chest as I feel their little body flench under my hand. Moving my hip and body just right I shield them from these disgusting creatures eyes. The humans look up from my waist to my shadowed face ignoring the signs of danger.

“Need to learn to stay out of our neighborhood and go back to that hole they crawled out of!” Fucker finishes for dipshit. Their rank breath fans across my face filling my sensitive nasal cavity as they take another step closer to me.

“Now I’ll just take-” Fucker starts to say reaching out to the babybones only for my free hand to lock around their wrist in a crushing grip that has him gasping in pain.

“Now see here is what I don’t understand.” I growl causing both humans to look up at my shadowed face.

“You obviously don’t know who you are fucking with.” I start holding fast as the man tries to pull his arm free of my hold.

“Because if you did you would have Fucked off the moment you had my attention. But I guess stupidity is to be expected from a couple of shitheads like yourselves.” Tugging on the man's arm fast and hard he crashes into my rib cage knocking my hood off of my skull exposing my scared face to the world. The two men flench back once they get a look at my face. My teeth are mostly flat except for my canines which are sharp enough to rind flesh from bone. My sockets are perfectly round almost cartoonish with wide white lights that float like lanterns in their black depths. My skull is a nice round shape with a large scar that runs from the left corner of my mouth to my jaw. I have four scars that run from the back of my skull down to the top of my right eye socket, with another one that runs across my nasal bone. All in all I looked like I’d seen some major shit, and survived.

“After all attacking a monster in such a crowded place, with all these people. You are REALLY special aren't cha.”

“Your a monster!!” The other human yells as I let go of his friend and push him away with one hand. Stumbling over his own feet, his ass falls with a heavy thud against the cold, hard, tile floor of the mall drawing the eyes and cell phone cameras of all the people around us.

“Oh sweetheart,” I say in a sickening sweet voice that has me cringing.

“You have no idea.” I laugh out only for fucker one to stand up and take a swing at me. Reacting faster than I have in years I give the kid a gentle push back before spinning around and smaking his right hand away with my open palm on my left. Spinning in a small half circle I get my right foot in behind his, with a sharp tug I knock his feet out from under him sending him onto the floor. Looking up my eye lights meet Dipshits own angry ones. With a yell he rushes me with his fist pulled back. Reaching out I grab his arm and pull, twisting my hips and sticking my thigh into his center of gravity, lifting my leg and pulling the man forward his chest twists over my back before his back lands on the floor next to his friend. Both with the air knocked out of their lungs.

“Next time you pick on a child, you better plan on someone betting your ass.” I growl as my eyes glow a deep violet. Standing up I walk over to the small child as security and other shoppers all surround the two thugs and yell at them for attacking a child. The child’s sockets are full of wide white lights that glow in their excitement.

“That was so cool!” They whisper in awe, a soft chuckle pushes out of my chest while my cheek bones light up in a soft glow of violet. Crouching down to their height in front of them a genuine smile pulls at my teeth.

“You think so huh?” I chuckle, reaching out I ruffle their crimson stocking cap. My eye lights brighten as they reach up and knock my hand away straightening their hat, a cute pouting face makes my non existent heart melt.

“Well, what do you say about finding your family?” I ask tilting my skull to the left keeping my smile in place only for their pout to fall as a sad look over takes their face.

“I’m with my nanny right now.” They whisper out looking away.

“And she didn’t notice you take off or the thugs chasing you?” I ask feeling something dark start to crawl through my chest. Shaking their head no they wipe at their eye sockets.

“Those guys had someone distract my nanny.” They whisper looking away from me, feeling my sockets narrow I reach out and pick them up by their waist. Placing them on my shoulder, I keep on hand around their Tibia and fibula to make sure they don’t fall. Looking up at their face I watch as a cute green blush covers their little cheek bones.

“Well sugar what do you say about finding your Nanny then we get some sweets huh?” I ask watching them decide before nodding in agreement. Pushing through the crowd that gathered I start to head in the direction the kid came running from. Feeling them shift their weight on my shoulder I look up at them to see that their smile pulled down in confusion.

“I noticed you ran from this direction so i figured that your Nanny was “lost” in this direction.” I answer their unspoken question.

“I’m gonna guess that they are human.” I state only for them to nod again.

“Can you tell me what they are wearing? It will make it easier for me to find them.” I state scanning the crowd looking anyone who looks like they misplaced a child.

“She is wearing a white button up shirt and a knee length yellow skirt.” The kid mumbles out.

“You don’t like them much do you?” I ask looking for this human while keeping a close eye on the little one.

“It’s not that I don’t like her, I just hate how she looks at my PaPa.” They mutter crossing their arms.

“That's normal sugar. No kid wants to share their parent.” I say looking up at them with a warm smile and a chuckle.

“Go ahead and ask sugar. I know you have a lot of questions.”

“What's your name?” They ask first, their Papa must have taught them some manners.

“Calibri, what’s yours?”

“Charakterny.” They say with pride.

“That's a cute name.  Espilly for such a cute babybones.” I chuckle

“I’m not a babybone!” They growl out crossing their arms in a pout, a full belly laugh bubbles out for my mouth as I reach up with a free hand to wipe away a tear.

“Sure you are sugar. At least to me, I’m around 35 years old by now.” I feel them shift on my shoulder as they look down at me.

“You don’t look that old. I bet my PaPa, uncle Sans, or the others are older than you.” They say causing me to smile.

“Doubt that. Is that your nanny over there?” I ask pointing to a young female human who is talking to a security guard frantically.

“Yeah that's her.” Charakterny says holding tightly to my cloaks shoulder.

“Well let's go calm her down before she has a heart attack or scares your PaPa.” I say in an easy voice walking closer catching the tail end of the conversation.

“Ma’am, I will try to help you find this monster kid but you have to understand-” The man says trying to calm the woman down, his hands rest on her arms only for her to smack them away.

“I’ll lose my job if we don’t find her!” The lady shreeks causing Charakterny to flench on my shoulder. Looking up at the kid I look back over to the two.

“Well let's get this over with.” walking over to the two I clear my non existent throat causing the two humans to look over my way.

“CHARA!” The woman shouts running over to us she reaches up to take the child off my shoulder only for my hand to wrap around her wrist. Her honey brown eyes look over to my dark sockets. I watch as her face darkens from joyful to something that reminds me of times I’d like to forget.

“And who is this? Why are you keeping me from taking my charge.” She huffs in anger.

“Didn’t look like you where watching your charge very well to me, Friend .” I growl out feeling Charakterny shift on my shoulder.

“Sounds like you were more worried about your job then the kid to me. Plus I promised to buy them some sweets at Muffets.” I shrug bouncing the kid around on my shoulder causing them to giggle.

“Well you can’t! We don’t even know you. Besides Chara is my-” They start only for me to cut her off by looking up at the kid.

“We know each other don’t we Charakterny?” They node their little skull up and down with a wide smile, looking back at the woman I see her eye twitch in irritation only for her to try to jerk her arm out of my hold.

“Let go of me and Put her down now!” She all but screams, releasing her wrist like it burn me I look up at Chara.

“Do you want down, Charakterny? You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I don’t mind.” I watch closely to every little twitch of their body, the fading of their eyelights gives me my answer. Sighing heavily I reach up and grab them around the waist before sitting them on their feet on the tile floor. Huffing the Nanny steps forward and grabs the kids hand roughly.

“Lets go Chara.” They say pulling them away from me.

“But I wanted to get some sweets with Calibri.” Charakterny says pulling on the Nannies hand with a cute pout on their face. Seeing the exasperated look on the Nannies face I decide to be the bigger person and take pity on her. Walking forward I squatted down in front of Charakterny, tapping them on the shoulder I wait as they turn their skull to face me.

“Listen Charakterny, you need to Listen to your Nanny. She’s had a very rough day with you disappearing and a strange monster that looks like they just came from a bar fight showing back up with you in tow.” I say watching as their smile falls.

“Tell you what how about I give you my number and next time you, your Nanny and I can get some sweets and drinks. Does that sound good to you?” I ask watching as they nod their skull.

“Can we get sweets with my PaPa?” They ask with such a cute face I can’t help the light blush of color to my cheek bones or the loud laugh that bursts past my teeth. Reaching out I rest my hand on top of their hat.

“Of course sweetheart.” My eyelights soften pulling my hand back I Pull out a piece of paper and a pin out of thin air and write my name and number on it. Handing it over I don’t miss how they cradle it in their little hand before tucking it away in their own pocket. Standing up my eyelights meet the grateful eyes of the Nanny.

“Thank you Miss Calibri.” She says with a tilt of her head. Reaching up and rubbing the back of my skull I smile fighting the blush on my cheek bones.

“N-no problem Miss-”

“Ava” The nanny cutes in with a soft smile and a light pink blush on her cheeks.

“Miss Ava, Have a nice day.” I say with a nod to her and a wave goodbye to the babybones. I watch their backs as they disappear into the crowd, lingering their after they are well and gone. I snap out of my daze my phone chirps at me, grabbing it and looking down I see a question mark from Sparrow.

“Right, gotta go to Muffets. Get my tea and sweets, and maybe I can get a flight.” I chuckled to myself as I turn and head back the way I came.

[queenofthefullmoon]

An exhaustive list of Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin bosses I would or would not date

The Last Giant

Listen… The Last Giant has No Face. I like dating people who have faces. Also, his arms detach and he’s like, at least 10 meters taller than me, so I think that would be a hazard. I think he’s more in need of a friend than a romantic partner. I’d gladly sit down with him and discuss his feelings, but we are not meant to date.

The Pursuer

The Pursuer is great because he’s just so… Rotund. He’s shaped like a friend. Or maybe… More than a friend… He’s got a biggass sword that glows blue, which is great if you need to get up at night to get water or a snack, and a big shield he can use to protect you from the hot Drangleic sun when you’re on a date. You never have to worry about losing him because HE WILL FIND YOU. I think he’s a catch.

Dragonrider

He almost didn’t make it in the list of bosses I would date, but encountering him so often made me have a soft spot for him. Plus he’s a little bit round and I’ve gotta say. Rotundness is where it’s at. He’s fun to fight so I feel like you could have some fun jousts together and then chill… And go, like, I don’t know, ride dragons*? Fun couple activities.

*although dragonrider is his name I’m not sure we saw any dragonrider ride a dragon so this is a shot in the dark

Old Dragonslayer

The Old Dragonslayer has a very sexy armor, I’ll give him that, but he 1. Has a furry mask (a terrible fashion faux pas that I cannot forgive) 2. Is just sitting in the Cathedral of Blue while a DRAGON is outside, unslayed, which says something about the quality of his work. I had to kill the dragon myself, while the Old Dragonslayer was sitting around… Being old, I guess. Not for me.

Flexile Sentry

DISGUSTING AND WRONG.

Ruin Sentinel

The Ruin Sentinels are arguably the sexiest armor bosses in all of Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin. Something about these long lads and their eldritch identities and behaviors just tickles me the right way. The shape of their helmets looks a little bit like a turtle which gives them just enough cuteness while not taking away from the fact that I’m absolutely terrified of them and that they are in fact very scary (which is good). They’re also very tall which means they can carry me around and make me feel tall too. Definitely a good thing in a partner.

Belfry Gargoyles

I wouldn’t date the Belfry Gargoyles, but I’d be friends with them. I feel like they’d be fun at a sleepover. Girl’s night! Girl’s night!

Lost Sinner

I’d date the Lost Sinner. It might be a little bit controversial because yes she is a little bit nasty, I’m aware of that, but I think she just needs a little bit of company. I don’t want to change her, I love her right like she is, but if she wants me to teach her how to shower, I might just do it! I am a little bit biased because she’s got a big sword that looks really cool? Perhaps.

Executioner’s Chariot

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Skeleton Lords

I think the Skeleton Lords are neat but I don’t really see myself dating them. Firstly, I’m not a skeleton fucker, so that puts a little bit of distance between us (given that they are in fact skeletons). They also have an army of skeleton children, which I’m just not ready to raise. I’m trying to find a date, not to become a skeleton mom. I feel like we’d be great friends though, I’d probably invite them over so they can practice their standup routine at my house while they leave their 30 skeletons children with the babysitter and we can like drink wine or something.

Covetous Demon

I would not date the Covetous Demon, but I would keep him as a mean dog in my yard to discourage my enemies from entering my property.

Baneful Queen Mytha

I’d be all here for the sniddies if Mytha kept her head on her neck but alas she is headless. 

Smelter Demon

Mh… Yes. He’s big and large and he’s got horns. He could put me up on his shoulder and walk around and I’d be warm up there. Sounds like nothing but a good time.

Old Iron King

Ngghghhh….. I wanna say no but he is Ripped… Absolutely jacked! I’m also a hoe for horns and wings! What can I say. Call me out if I ever make fun of scalies again? (im gonna do that like in a few paragraphs anyway)

Scorpioness Najka

Given the fact that her own fiancé, made miserable by her, asks you to murder her, I don’t think Najka is a fine romantic partner. In addition to that, even though I was here for sniddies, scorpions are scary and gross me out, so no, I would not date Scorpioness Najka.

The Duke’s Dear Freja

She’ll remain dear to the Duke only and she is NOT invited in my yard.

Royal Rat Authority

Wouldn’t date the big rat that makes all of the rules, but similarly to the Covetous Demon, having him on my property to scare people away would be pretty neat.

Prowling Magus and The Congregation

Prowling Magus has a SICK aesthetic I can absolutely get behind (« look at my cool sorcerer boyfriend wearing his goat helmet ») and I’ve stated before I Am a Hoe for horns so we could have something going on.

The Congregation is however BANNED from this house so since they’re probably his buddies that would most likely be a point of tension. Ultimately it might be better for me to keep a platonic relationship with Prowling Magus, as I do not want hollows to crawl on my floor when he invites his friends over.

The Rotten

Oh no lol

Looking Glass Knight

NNNYES absolutely I would date the Looking Glass Knight. He’s not only really cool looking and a Very Dramatic Man (standing in the rain when you meet him… the scenery… the atmosphere… he knows how to make an entrance), but he’d also be a great person to bring with you for a night out.

Exhibit A: he’s really fucking tall and scary which would dissuade anyone from approaching you uninvited

Exhibit B : he carries a FULL BODY mirror around everywhere which means you can fix your hair and/or makeup at any time without needing a shitty pocket mirror or going to the bathroom

Exhibit C : if you need help he can summon a limitless amount of people through his mirror

Just a great partner all around.

Demon of Song

Ohhhhhh noooooo Lord nooooooooooooooo please! Please spare me

Velstadt, the Royal Aegis

Velstadt is very loyal (a real man for following Vendrick all the way to the Undead Crypt) and he’s also very tall, very large, very strong, and very stylish (see the scales cape he wears). I would’ve put him at the top of the date list, but he’s no dating material — he’s husband material. A little downside is that he might put his job before me but I get it. It’s career before everything. I will not limit my husband’s ambitions.

King Vendrick

Vendrick is taken by an eldritch entity and still very much in love with her despite the fact that she destroyed his kingdom and brought the entire civilization down and also caused him to become a war criminal and kill a pacific race of giants all on his own like a big boy so I’m not very interested in him.

Guardian Dragon & Ancient Dragon

I’m putting them together because they essentially boil down to the same thing : I’d offer them a home but I wouldn’t date them. The Guardian Dragon can stay outside and be feral with everyone else that I put in the yard, while the Ancient Dragon can have his own room and like is invited for tea sometimes, but that’s all.

Giant Lord

See Last Giant

Throne Defender & Watcher

I’m a little bit torn on this one because I’m experiencing bisexual panic. We’ve got cool large dude with a beard ; cool slender lady that jumps around everywhere ; they could both beat me up and they both look hot, help me. However, I have to say if I had to pick I’d got with the Throne Watcher because she is hot and looks slightly cooler. I’ve always wanted a very tall wife who could suplex me into the sun, which she could do in a heartbeat.

On the other hand, they do look like a power couple that I’d love to have for dinner and I’d hate to break them up while there are so many fish in the sea and they look so great with each other.

Nashandra

Human Nashandra looks pretty and soft, however anyone who witnessed my first blind playthrough of Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin will tell you that she did not have me fooled and I was very wary of her from the beginning. Anyone who has witnessed my first fight with her looking very skeletal will also tell you that I screamed « WHAT IS THAT » for at least 5 minutes, so that probably gives you an idea of if I’d date her or not.

Also, her weapon of choice is a scythe, which looks cool, but is very unpractical, and just for this fatal mistake, she becomes undatable.

Darklurker

Wings… Four arms = twice the hugs… Cool hood… Yes…

Elana the Squalid Queen

She’s nasty and told me I was undeserving of the mire, which is pretty mean of her. Even if she thinks it, she could at least be nice about it. I would not date her.

Sinh the Slumbering Dragon

Sinh is BANNED from this house because he’s not just feral, he’s RABID and POISONOUS and if I let him live in the yard he could poison my entire property and I do not want that.

Fume Knight

Alas! The Fume Knight looks really cool and has a pretty sexy armor, but tales say that he was infatuated with another woman (whether he met her when she was already an Ashen Idol or not remains a mystery but I’m no one to judge his taste in women). I respect people’s crushes so I will let him be in love with whoever he fancies and they may come over for dinner, as long as they behave.

Aava, Lud and Zallen, the King’s pet

They are very welcome to live in the yard. They may come inside the house, but they are not allowed on the couch.

Burnt Ivory King

No… He loved his wife very much… I’d invite them over for dinner and MAYBE try to seduce one of his knights (they have sexy armors, what can I say).

Aldia, Scholar of the First Sin

Aldia is a weird dude and I wouldn’t feel safe around him. I think he’d probably kidnap me while I’m asleep and go do some experiments on me in his cursed mansion. It’s a no from me chief. Not to mention the fact that he’s a… tree?

Afflicted Graverobber, Ancient Soldier Varg, and Cerah the Old Explorer

I wouldn’t date them, even though their armors are pretty sexy, simply because they seem like a good group of friends and I wouldn’t feel comfortable inserting myself in the group. I think I’d even be too shy to befriend them, but if they wanna come by my house and have a good time, they’re welcome to do so.

Blue Smelter Demon

See Smelter Demon, but with more vigor because this one is blue.

Sir Alonne

Yeah… he’s got the eldritch factor that I like in the Ruin Sentinels while also seeming more human and he’s also a pretty stylish man. I feel like he’s one of the strongest contestants in the game and he wouldn’t mind my long nose, as he’s got one himself. Pretty sexy armor and he is a man of honor. Definitely a yes.

[permets-tu-not-permettez-vous]

This Side of Paradise

Chapter One: Lost on You 

Cosette turned her key one last time, hoping against hope that her banged up Subaru would start. Nothing. Cosette let out a huff of frustration. This was just the last of a number of stunningly mediocre things that had accumulated to make it an altogether terrible day. First, she had spilled scalding coffee on her way to work, leaving large stains on her blouse that most likely wouldn’t come out. When she got to work, she found she had forgotten to bring an extra blouse from the last time it happened so she had to wear the shirt all day. There was a pep rally which meant the kids were antsy all day and her class times were shorter. And to finish it all off, they had a department meeting after school that had been not only absolutely pointless, but frustratingly boring. All she had wanted to do was head home and grade papers in bed. Well, in all honesty, she just wanted to watch some Jane Austen film in bed, but these papers needed to be graded, and so there was no way around it. Cosette rested her forehead on the steering wheel, working up the energy to call her dad, hoping that he would know what to do. Cosette had no idea where to even start with cars. She was definitely adding wine to her paper grading that night. She deserved it after this shitstorm of a day.

A knock on her window startled her so much that she accidentally hit the horn and her car beeped. Cosette blushed and looked out her window to see a dark-haired and absolutely stunning woman leaning down to peer through the window. She was wearing a leather jacket, had several piercings poking through her ears, and caramel eyes that rested under sharply defined brows. She was clearly trying not to laugh at Cosette’s embarrassment at being startled, which only grew as she saw how hot her audience was. She rolled down her window.

“Your car isn’t starting?” Her voice was deep and curling, like whiskey. Cosette nodded, unable to find her voice. The woman’s smile broke through her resolve, and it transformed her face. “Hi, I’m Eponine. I teach welding and shop. I could take a look at it for you.”

Cosette willed herself to form some coherent sentences. “Hi Eponine. I’m Cosette. It’s nice to meet you. I am also a teacher, in the English department.”

Eponine smirked. “I know,” she said as her eyes tracked over her, and Cosette felt like she was being examined. Eponine knew about her? She reminded herself not to read too much into it.

“I guess it is a pretty small school. I’m new here. Just started this year.”

“Well, welcome. Now, let me have at your car.” Cosette remembered that before Eponine showed up she was having a terrible day. Now it seemed her day was looking up. Cosette jumped into action, bustling out of her car. Standing next to Eponine, she came up to her shoulder. She tried not to let on that she was sizing Eponine up, but she was too focused on the task at hand. She got into the car, turned the key and examined the inner workings of the car, leaving the door open. Then she got out, tracked to the front and opened her hood. Cosette stood there mute, trying to think of good conversation starters, but she kept getting distracted by the focused look on Eponine’s face, a thin line appearing between her eyebrows as she pursed her lips. How had she never noticed her before?

Eponine nodded to herself, almost the way a scientist did at the conclusion of a successful experiment. She moved back around to Cosette, brushing her hands one against the other to clean them up somewhat. “You’re battery is dead. Did you leave your lights on this morning? Your light signal was on in the car.”

Cosette groaned, putting a hand over her forehead. “I must have. It was such a crazy morning. I was running late and had spilled coffee all over myself. I must have forgotten about the lights in the middle of everything. I feel so silly for forgetting.”

Eponine smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry about it. We all do it, even me, though I don’t like to brag about it as the shop teacher. It’s an easy fix. Just let me bring my car around and I’ll jump it for you.”

“Thank you so much!” Eponine shrugged off the thanks and headed across the parking lot. Cosette tapped out a quick message to her dad explaining the situation, telling him that one of her teacher friends who knew about cars was helping her so that her dad didn’t immediately get in the car and drive over himself. Cosette heard a car approaching and looked up to see Eponine driving a green pickup her way. Cosette’s lips quirked upwards. She had to say that the car fit her personality, or at least the parts of her personality that she could surmise from looking at her. But they did paint a pretty poignant picture.

Eponine hopped out, and made quick work out of the jumper cables. She had Cosette get in and turn on her car, which whirred to life under Eponine’s watchful eye. Cosette could feel a smile break out on her face. Eponine met her eyes, and it seemed that a spark passed between them. Eponine looked away quickly and Cosette guessed she must have imagined it, but her eyes lingered on her profile anyway. She came to a decision.

“Hey,” she said, practically jumping out of her car in her haste, wanting to prolong this moment, to bask in Eponine’s presence. Eponine looked up, surprised by the urgency in Cosette’s voice. “Let me buy you a drink. Goodness knows after a day like today I need one, and it looks better if I don’t drink alone. Plus, I really want to thank you for helping me out. You made what could have been a really shitty experience for me pretty bearable.”

Eponine considered it, her head cocked to the side and her eyes narrowed. Again, Eponine got the feeling that she was being observed, was being measured against some yardstick in Eponine’s head that determined the safety and interest levels that Cosette presented. Finally she nodded, tucking a flyaway dark curl behind her ear. “I’d love to. Anything to avoid you ending your night alone at a bar. The only question is what to do about your car.”

“There I defer to your expertise,” Cosette said with a laugh. She really should learn more about cars.

“Do you live close?” Eponine asked, shoving her hands in her pockets. Cosette tried to pretend that her heart didn’t flutter a little bit at the question.

“Yeah, over on Rue de Rambuteau.”

“Okay, well what if I follow you home, you drop off your car and I drive us to and from. Or if you don’t want to get into the car with a random shop teacher we can get a Lyft.” Eponine had a casual air around her that Cosette envied. Where Cosette would hem and haw and take her time getting to her point, Eponine seemed to be incredibly blunt and straightforward with an attitude that just begged for you to argue with her. Cosette wondered whether that meant their personalities would mesh well or not. She shook herself.

“Well seeing as you haven’t murdered me yet, I would be more than happy to take my first ride ever in a pickup truck from you.”

It was worth it to see the look of absolute shock tinged with horror that appeared on her face. Eponine sputtered, her mouth working without forming any thoughts. Cosette laughed; it was good to see the self-assured and practical attitude broken over a small thing like pick up trucks. “You’re joking,” Eponine said slowly, almost more of a question than a statement. Cosette nodded, laughing. “You were joking,” Eponine repeated.

“So you’ve said,” Cosette said when she caught her breath. Eponine’s disbelief morphed into a genuine laugh, a husky amber peal of laughter that was sexy as hell. Cosette sobered quickly at the sound. “So, you’ll just follow me?” Cosette asked, gesturing towards her car.

Eponine nodded, her smile still blinding, and Cosette hurried to get into her car as Eponine wound up her jumper cables and clambered into her own pickup. Cosette pealed out of her spot effortlessly and automatically headed towards home, hyperconscious of her own driving, and checking her rear view mirror much more often than she probably should. As she drove, she attempted to pull herself together. There was a knot of nerves tightening in her gut, and she felt a little hot. She rolled down the window and let the cool air rush over her face. She took some shaky breaths and tried to swallow several times but her throat stuck. What was she doing? Asking a woman out for drinks? She couldn’t even remember the last time she went on a date. Not that this was a date, she reminded herself sternly before she got too far down that train of that thought.

She pulled into her driveway, and noted that Eponine didn’t follow her; rather, she just pulled over on the street and left the car idling. Cosette ran inside to drop off some of her school stuff and change her coffee-stained blouse. She also applied a subtle layer of lipstick, checking her reflection in the mirror of the entryway. She looked somewhat frazzled, her cheeks flushed and her dark hair slightly limp. She tried pulling her hair into a bun. It accentuated her cheeks better and made her seem less red, more put together. She quickly toed on some cute heels, hoping that Eponine hadn’t gotten tired of waiting and driven off. She also hoped that Eponine didn’t notice she had dressed up for her a bit. She gave herself one last look in the mirror. “You can do this, Cosette,” she told herself sternly, like she imagined her mother might have done when she was younger. Cosette was used to being her own mother in situations like this, being both encouraging and cautious.

She hurried outside and hopped into Eponine’s car, trying not to show what an effort it was to get her shorter frame up into the pickup. Eponine grinned, making Cosette think that she hadn’t been that subtle. “Where to?” she asked.

“Just go down this street, take a right at the corner and then another left when I tell you.”

Eponine smoothly shifted gears and drove down the street. A silence descended. Eponine’s car smelled like lemons and cinnamon. Cosette wondered if that was what Eponine smelled like or if it was a car freshener. She checked the rear view mirror, finding it empty. No air freshner. Cosette wondered if that meant it was Eponine’s smell. She was still wandering down this train of thought when Eponine distracted her. “You live in a nice neighborhood. Cute house.”

“Thanks,” Cosette said, unsure where she was supposed to go with that. “I like cottages. I don’t need a big house.”

Eponine nodded. “I can see that. You seem like that type of person.” Sometimes when people made those kind of generalizations it irritated her, but from Eponine it sounded like a compliment. Or at least she hoped it was.

“Do you live close to here?”

“No, I live the other direction from school with my brother.” Cosette was taken aback. Once people reached their twenties they didn’t really choose to live with their siblings anymore. Not that Cosette really understood sibling dynamics; she had been an only child despite her longing for a larger family than just her and her father. But in the end that’s probably what made them so close - they only had each other.

“You have a brother?”

“I have a brother and a sister,” Eponine clarified. “My sister used to live with us but she went to university last year.” Her voice was tinged with melancholy.

“You must miss her,” Cosette said softly. Eponine just nodded, a tender smile touching her mouth. Cosette stared, she knew she was staring, but seeing that soft smile wreath Eponine’s face made her hands clammy and she had her heart in her throat. She tore her eyes away, looking at the road ahead. “Oh shit, we just passed it!” Cosette exclaimed, a white hot flash of embarrassment searing through her.

Eponine just laughed, and found a parking spot on the side of the road. Cosette flushed and wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans, hoping that she wasn’t being too obvious about the fact she had almost missed it because she had been staring at Eponine. The woman was gorgeous, sure, but Cosette wasn’t sure if she even swung her way. And even if she did, who's to say that she would like Cosette? They came from different worlds, had different interest. Eponine probably wanted someone who was tough and skated derby or something. Not Cosette, who knit her friends sweaters and spent her evenings baking in slippers. She shoved the thought aside and got out of the car, joining Eponine on the sidewalk.

They entered the bar, the soft mood lighting of the fairy lights illuminating glints of red in Eponine’s dark hair. Cosette swallowed. She hoped that this bar wasn’t too cutesy. Eponine looked like the kind of girl who was at home in a hole in the wall backwater bar. They found a table towards the back next to some leafy green ferns, and Eponine shrugged off her leather jacket and ordered a Bourbon on the rocks with an ease and surety that Cosette envied. She just ordered a glass of red wine and hoped that her hands weren’t visibly shaking.

Why was she so nervous around Eponine? Maybe because it had been ages since she’d been with anyone, since she’d been attracted to anyone even, or the fact that this was a new job, a new town, a new friend. Her life was in such a turmoil at the moment that she barely knew where to start with her emotions.

“So,” Eponine started as their drinks made their way to their table. “How’s it been? Tell me a little about yourself.”

Cosette laughed. “Where to start? I finished my degree a couple years ago and worked a lot of odd jobs while I tried finding a teaching position. This is my first full-time teaching position and I’m doing sophomore English. What about you? You said you do welding?”

Eponin nodded, setting her glass on the table with a clunk. “Yeah. I wasn’t able to go to the college I wanted, but I always loved doing stuff with my hands so I went to a trade school an hour away and was able to get my certification. Been teaching here almost five years.”

Cosette nodded. “And how do you like it here?”

Eponine shrugged. “It’s alright. I kind of feel like there’s a divide between us in the shop and doing vocational kind of stuff and the regular subjects like math and English and science. I mean it’s almost December and this is the first time I’ve ever seen you.” Eponine met her eyes, her gaze penetrating, and Cosette felt her heartbeat pick up. She quickly dropped her eyes, hoping she wasn’t blushing too obviously.

“And I you,” Cosette said, almost at a loss for words. The talking wandered to less work-related things, turning to music, hobbies, and favorite movies. Cosette was surprised by the amount of similarities they had. From their outward appearances, she would have guessed that they had little in common. But as she made her way through her glass of red wine and Eponine made her way through several funny shop stories, she felt herself relax in her presence.

Cosette was shocked when Eponine looked down at her phone and swore. “Shit, it’s late and I need to get dinner started for Gavroche.”

Cosette looked at her own phone and was surprised to see that two hours had flown by. She was both elated and disappointed at how well they had passed the time together. Cosette insisted on paying for the drinks since Eponine had rescued her from apparent distress earlier that day and they headed outside into the brisk chill of the night and the muted sounds of traffic. Dusk was falling, and as they strolled down the sidewalk, Cosette could see them doing this for years to come, and for just a minute, she let herself believe that they would.

Eponine drove her home, the darkness descending just as the silence in the car, both of them lost in their own thoughts. Cosette tried desperately to think of something to say. It felt so much like an awkward first date in that moment that she almost forgot it wasn’t. All too soon, they arrived at Cosette’s house.

“Thank you again so much, Eponine. You saved my ass,” Cosette said earnestly, unsure where to put her hands.

Eponine just laughed. “Anytime. Next time do me a favor and remember to turn off your lights.” Cosette nodded laughing, and Eponine held her gaze for just a beat too long. She wanted to kiss her so badly her hands trembled. To see what those full lips tasted like. Instead, she cleared her throat and hopped out of the truck.

Eponine rolled down the window. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, the right side of her mouth curling up into a smile. Cosette nodded and waved, not sure if she could trust her voice. Eponine sped away, leaving Cosette to watch her go in the twilight. She couldn’t wait until tomorrow.

AO3 Link 

[eerythingisshaka]

Wakanda Got Y’all Pt. 6

[Black Panther x Insecure Mashup]

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Word Count: 3.2k

Warnings: Some smut pops off.  This a Molly chapter, btw!

Molly sits in her office typing up a deposition for a case she is working on.  She sits back rubbing her eyes out of exhaustion from all of the meetings and paperwork she has had to thumb through this week, her vacation could not come soon enough.  Molly reaches for her phone to check her messages for the umpteenth time.  Erik hadn’t hit her back since she followed Issa’s basic advice of texting him first to make plans.  Molly knew Issa had no clue what she was talking about.  The only message she got was from Issa asking about some girls night get-together with the crew, date tbd.  That was definitely a big mood for Molly at the moment:  bougie wine and apps for half price happy hours.  

When Molly headed home that evening, she stopped by the doggy babysitter to pick up Flavor Flav.

“Hey, man!  You have a good time with your homies and girlfriends today?”  Molly smiles, petting him lovingly.

The doggysitter looks at her wearily.  “Mr. Flav is definitely a casanova to say the least.”

Molly shrugs.  “Thankfully he is neutered cuz bitches be crazy, right?”  Molly cackles to herself as the doggysitter walks away stone faced.

Molly rolls her eyes as she walks out, talking to Flavor Flav.  “Snooty ass.  Your little self lucky I get a discount here, or you’d be in the hood where the real ones at.”

As Molly walks towards her car, a person catches her peripheral across the street.  She does a double take before recognizing the gentleman.  Erik in the plain daylight with a little Boxer puppy dog in his arm walking up the street, looking too good in his classic distressed jean jacket and shades.   Molly ducks on one side of her car to avoid being spotted.  She curses under her breath as she looks through windows to track his path.   Erik looks behind him for traffic before starting to cross the street, causing Molly to unlock her doors and fly in the backseat of her car to out Flavor Flav in his carrier.   Instead of going around the car to get into the passenger door, she tries climbing over the front seats to make for a smooth getaway.  Unfortunately, her elbow landed on the horn, causing a loud honk.

“Shit!”  Molly says with her eyes closed before peeking to see Erik peering at her in her car.

“Aye, Molly!”  Erik says, flipping his shades off, grinning like they were old friends seeing each other for the first time.

Molly straightens herself up in her seat and lets the window down.  “Hey, wassup?”  she asks.

Erik leans in with his puppy.  “Nothing much right now.  I didn’t know you had a dog.”  

Molly nods, bucking her eyes.  “Yup.  He’s pretty quiet, so I can see how you may have ignored him….”  Molly lets her statement linger, hoping the underlying message is louder.

Erik peers at Molly biting his lips to fight back a smile.  “I see.  Look, I got your text but I didn’t hit you back cuz I didn’t want to come off too...thirsty.  I mean, we had fun at the diner spot and your apartment, but I couldn’t gage your signals either.”

Molly thinks back on the vodka tonics she drank with the blunt she had via Erik’s stash and it may have messed with her judgment a little.  “No, it was fun...for me.  I didn’t want it to end but you pulled some psychology shit on me that had me second guessing.”

Erik’s puppy fights his hands to get to Molly, but Erik holds it close.  “Uh huh.  And I mean that shit.  I don’t wanna fuck you up with a good time cuz you timid acting all of a sudden.”

“That’s why I texted you soooo…I’m making an appointment...”  Molly says.

Erik looks at Molly a moment too long before looking away smiling.  “Aight.  That’s what I wanna hear.  For future reference ‘hey big head’ isn’t something I respond to so...”

Molly clutches her pearls looking fake hurt.  “J’accuse me of these things?  What is the meaning of this?”

Erik reaches for his pocket.  “I can give you physical evidence if that’s necessary.  Read receipt and all.”

Molly puts her hands up to block his phone.  “Nah, nah, nah.  It ain’t gotta be like that.  You good on any MLK boulevard out here.”

“Uh huh, that’s what I thought.  So, where to Moll?”  Erik puts his puppy down on the seat as it still bucks to fly towards Molly.

Molly shrugs, petting the dog a little as it licks her hand.  “I don’t know, you puttin me on the spot.  What’s his name by the way?”

“HER name is Missy, and she my main bitch, just so you know.  And there you go pussy-footin around.  You let me pick, it might be Waffle House with Kelli and Baku again if you playin.”

“No!  Hell no, anything but that!  Kelli is a damn mess, and with him they are walking porn flick waiting to happen.

“Oh, you know what, if you ain’t got no ideas, I actually just thought of something you might like.”  Erik says, picking Missy up.

Molly perks up in curiosity.  “Whatchu thinkin?”

Erik wags a finger.  “That ain’t the deal!  You wanna know where you goin, you pick.  Otherwise, I’ll tell you when we pullin up.”

Molly rolls her eyes.  “Now, you know you can’t pull that shit today.  I still don’t know you from shit else, so you gotta at least give me some hints.”

Erik thinks about it.  “I mean I promise I won’t kill you?  But if that ain’t enough, I’ll give you three guesses.  Use em wisely.”

Molly plays with her keys in thought.  “Is it a place of business?”

Erik half nods.  “Yeah, yeah it is.”

“Ok, is it a crowded place?”

Erik bites his lip, shaking his head.

“Oh my God, Erik, if you playing me with some innuendo shit-”

Now Erik was clutching his pearls, laughing.  “Come on!  I don’t always joke about sex with you!  Chill!  Now was that a question, cuz you got one left.”

“No, uh uh!  Ummm, should I eat before?  Oh, is it like casual or formal?”

Erik looks at her disapprovingly.  “Moll, that was like three questions, you better pick one with your indecisive ass.”

“Fine!  Should I eat before?”  Molly asks.

Erik chuckles.   “Hungry ass...you could, but not heavy I’d say, just in case.”

Molly squints at him before putting her keys in the ignition.  “Ok, Erik.  When you tryna do this?”

Erik backs up off the car.  “We doin this at 8pm tomorrow night.  Don’t need your heels either, dress comfy.”

“Ha!  You answered one of my other questions, bloop!  I’m working on this project for work though, so no overnight shit unfortunately.”

Erik and Missy start down the sidewalk.  “We’ll see.  You might enjoy it that much.”

--

Next day Molly gets dressed for another night with Erik.  She took a half day from work just because she could, and to get her entire body reupholstered for the evening.  As she put her face and wig together, Molly talks to Issa on speaker.

“Awww, so you and Flavor Flav and his dog could go on playdates!”  Issa squeals excitedly.

Molly clicks at Issa.  “You know Flavor Flav is like middle aged right?  He don’t wanna be associated with no high energy child.”

“Oh! Speaking of playdates, you down for the girls night right?”

Molly sets her face.  “Yes, it’s been a minute since we all been together for a tea time, and we all got little situations and shit.”  Molly cackles as she whips her wig on.

“We still whores in Tiffany’s eyes, just to keep up humble.  But I’m not ready to call T’Challa a situation.  We just made out and watched some shows until we started yawning.  Plus now his ex is dropping hints and I don’t want that smoke.”

Molly’s eyes widen.  “Oh shit, is she threatening you or something?”

“I mean, a little bit.  She said it in riddles, but it as pretty clear she want T’Challa to stay single.”  Issa mumbles.

Molly looks herself over in the mirror.  Some cute pastel pink cuffed short shorts, a breezy blouse with a nice mid-plunge back and a long necklace with a simple circle/triangle charm.  “Listen, I know they puttin money into We Got Y’all, but there is no reason for her to dig into your personal life.  She don’t even know you like that.”

Issa snaps her fingers.  “Yo, that’s right!  She don’t know me!  I should invite her to our girls night!”

Molly looks back at her phone in shock.  “Excuse me?”

“It would be perfect!  I haven’t gotten to know her yet, this way I could show her the real me and maybe even some more details on T’Challa.”

“You lookin to have a Real Housewives reunion is what you wanna do.  I don’t want alcohol soaked bundles bitch, quit playin.”  Molly says picking her phone up to make sure Issa heard it.

Issa shushes Molly.  “No!  We are co-workers, ain’t none of that goin down, we’ll be braiding each other hair by the end.  You just worry about where dude is taking you out.  I didn’t take you for the adventurous type.”

“Pssh, I’m not, trust me.  But that’s what I’m tryna do, live a little.  I keep my head in the books too much, I ain’t let loose in a minute.  He just better act right.”

“Watch him pull you up to McDonalds for the dollar menu, haha!”  Issa cackles.

“Tsk, bada ba ba BYE BITCH!”  Molly hangs up on Issa with love in her heart for her friend.  She was thinking the same thing, but she held faith this will at least be a good dick night if anything.

A few moments later, Erik texts her that he has arrived at her place.  Molly tries to hold back her approval of his wheels as she gets in.  “Hey, you’re on time.  I didn’t know if you were gonna test me again like ‘do you really want me to come over?’ type shit or not.”

Erik scratches behind his neck flexing.  “Hell nah, I got reservations girl!”

Pulling off, Molly looks over at Erik goofily.  “Ahh, reservations huh?  Good, I’m hungry as hell!”

Erik looks Molly down.  “Shit, where the hell it all go.  You always lookin for your next meal.”

Molly puts up a finger.  “I will suppress that shade you just thrown so we are clear!  My metabolism will not be shamed tonight, kind sir.  Continue your route, this will be considered in your review.”

“Oh, so now I’m Driving Miss Daisy?”  Erik smiles, light catching his gold fronts.

Molly stifles a laugh.  “If you wanna dig into old aunty references, yeah.  Let’s go Morgan!” she says with a handclap.

The drive out was so long that Molly almost fell asleep with the lull of the ride.  She stirs when she feels Erik’s hand on her leg.  “Aye, get up, we here.”

ERik undoes his seatbelt getting out.  Molly checks her mouth for drool real quick, smoothing her hair before he opens her door.  Taking his hand she looks around the airfield.

“Nigga, is this a airport?”  Molly asks confused.

Erik chuckles looking out in the distance.  “In a way.  It’s private, so you ain’t seeing no flights come through any time soon.”

Molly chokes back a gasp, pointing at something in the distance.  “Did you really set up a table over there?  With the candles and shit?”

Erik shrugs sneakily, as he walks her over to the spot.  Rose petals covered the tablecloth with shutes of champagne surround some chocolate covered strawberries.  “I told you I had a reservation.  The maintenance crew woulda lapped these up if I had been even a minute late.”

Erik takes a glass handing it over to Molly.  

Molly sips, picking up a strawberry.  “I mean, this just isn’t what I had in mind though.  You got me speechless with this.”

Erik bites his lip, gazing into Molly’s face.  “That’s fine, we ain’t gotta talk at all honestly.”

Molly almost chokes on her berry, sipping some more champagne.  “Slow down, I mean this is nice, but did you really bring me out here to just talk and eat fruit?”  Erik makes an O face, stepping back from Molly.  “It’s nice I said!  I’m just sayin though-”

“Ok, Ms. Annalise Keating!  You need somethin to shock your system, you ain’t said nothin but a word.  Let’s get high then.”  Erik takes Molly’s drink and sets it on the table.  

Molly shakes her head.  “Uh uh, I told you I got work, Erik!”  He wraps his arm around her waist as they walk, pointing ahead of them.  “You see that bird over there?”

Molly can’t help but notice the single engine plane in the middle of the tarmac.  “Oh shit…”

Erik starts laughing.  “You remember I told you I’m a pilot, right?  You bored and everything, let me show you the city from the sky, huh?”

Molly stutters feeling herself combust with sweat.  “Erik, I’m not too good with heights.”

Erik goes to open a door, unfolding a set of stairs.  “Once you get up in the sky, you won’t even be worried about it.  You been on a plane right?  Business meetings and alldat?”

“Yeah but-”

Erik reaches a hand out to Molly.  “I’m tryna bring a little more excitement in your damn life.  I don’t know what you been goin through, but I ain’t seen that air of confidence from when I first met you.  Trust me on this, I ain’t gonna let us down, I got you.”  Erik’s voice we barely above a whispers towards the end of his sentence, but Molly took a deep breath to hype herself up before walking towards him, placing her hand in his.

Getting into the second seat behind him, Erik helped to buckle her in properly, giving her knee a pat of reassurance as he closed the door.  Getting into the front, Molly watched Erik as he buckled himself in, flipping switches and pushing buttons.

Molly starts to get nervous again.  “How long have you been flying?”

“A little over ten years now.  Started when I was at the Academy, did a little in the Navy.”  Erik says, looking over his panel as the engine starts up.

Molly grips her seat, her voice quivering.  “Oh yeah, military, that’s great.  Land of the free, home of the brave.”

Erik looks over his shoulder.  “You gonna be alright, breathe for me.”

Molly breathes out roughly and erratically.  Looking at the tarmac illuminated by little lights gave her more anxiety as the plane began to move, circling the lanes.

“Ohhh my God, oh my God!”  Molly yells out.

“Yeah, we on our way, just a while longer, you can take it.”  Erik encourages her calmly.

“Wooo, no I canNOT!  It’s too tight in here, I need air!”  Molly exclaims.  

Erik pushes the acceleration, getting ready for lift off.  “You mess with any damn latches back there, I’m throwin your ass out myself.  Don’t fuck with my shit!”  Erik says authoritatively as they achieve lift off.  Molly still woots and hollers as her stomach dips between her legs.  Locking her thighs together, she sings praises to the Lord and Savior.

“See?  Ain’t so bad.  Look at the window, Moll.”  Erik says.

Molly exhales as her head stops spinning.  “We ain’t out the woods yet, nigga.  But damn…”  Molly’s voice is taken when she sees the city lights below her.  “Damn, it’s like the stars are under our feet….oh shit, my head spinning again.”  Molly takes a break closing her eyes.  

Erik laughs.  “We ain’t that high, you good.  It’s beautiful though, right?”

“Uh huh.  It really is.”  Molly says peaking cautiously.

“This my favorite place to be.  Up in the air, it’s the best view you can ever have.  And it’s peaceful and quiet….usually.”  Erik quips.

“Ok, you gotta give me credit for even getting in this thing.  I didn’t promise to be cute and silent about it.”

“No, you didn’t.  Got me there Ms. Keating, but I wouldn’t take it back for nothin.  I finally got some realness outta you, no primpin or posh actin shit.”

Molly chuckles, wiping her brow as the high of adrenaline courses through her, stimulating her senses.  “I ain’t never been a punk, remember that.  Now I am ready to get down.  Too much excitement and champagne.”

“Oh, you ready for the ground?”  Erik starts to descend too sharply, making Molly feel it in her stomach again.  

“Shit!  Easy!”  Molly screams out.  Erik had full control of the reactions of her body with the mess he kept trying to pull from the cockpit.

“Yeah, you felt that one, huh?”  Erik does an evil laugh as he descends properly onto the tarmac.  Once they land, Erik lets Molly out of the plane down the little set of steps, looking frazzled as expected.  

“Damn!  Look at you!  Lookin like you just went 12 rounds, girl!”  Erik takes his finger, swiping it across Molly’s collarbone to dramatically measure who sweat before wiping it on his pants.  Molly was so glad to finally be on the ground she practically lept into Erik’s arms, pulling him in for a tongue heavy kiss.  Erik groaned in surprise, but quickly went with the flow as his hands traveled her back, tripping back on the set of stairs behind him.  

Molly’s hands find his belt, unfastening it and his fly to gain access to his joystick.  “Damn, you that hard al-fuckin-ready?”  Molly has breathlessly as she undoes her shorts, pulling them down.  Erik looks at her entranced, pulling his pants down further, stroking himself as she gets undressed.  “Cuz I fuckin like you?  Damn, just bring yo ass.”

Molly straddles him on the stairs, stretching herself over him as she clutches his shoulder and one side of the plane for stability.  Erik grips Molly’s ass, willing her over him completely as he begins to work a rhythm with her.  Molly shrieks with pleasure.  “That’s it, gimme that big dick daddy long stroke!!”

Erik bites his lip as works his hips towards her, pummeling her walls in response.  “Don’t fuck up my tempo, ride this shit out til I’m done!”

Molly could barely take it but did her best as she began to slouch weakly from the pleasurable contractions breaking her down to squeeze around him.  Erik pulls Molly up by her neck to look him in his face as she came.  Molly finds some residual strength to work her hips with his, licking on his mouth pleading for him to cum.  Erik smacks her ass in retaliation, snarling and straining as his end drew near.  Erik popped out of Molly, pulling Molly up to him as he jacked himself off, spilling his seed over her ass cheeks, grunting viscerally as he finished.

Erik looks up at Molly, letting out a deep breath, looking very relaxed.  “Now that’s what the fuck I’m talkin bout Molly, shit!”

Molly felt all her walls coming down as her state of arousal hangs heavy like a fog.  In a haze of bliss, Molly plays in his locs.  “I know what you mean.  You fucked the brokeness out my pussy real quick.”

Erik screws his face up.  “The hell you talkin bout?  Pussy broke?”

Molly shakes her head, trying not to ruin the moment with her and Issa’s inside joke.  “I mean, you broke this pussy up, baby!  Damn!”

Erik laughs, stroking her face.  “You still hungry?”

Part 7

Masterlist

RagTag

@hbicprettyprincess @theunsweetenedtruth

@kimianostalgia @airis-paris14

@afraiddreamingandloving

@chaneajoyyy

@myfavemarvelfanfics

@nys30

@blkintrovert

@allhailnjadaka @cutewylie @bidibidibombaclaat @muse-of-mbaku

[tharglet]

Puzzle & Dragons - Abiding Sniper Dragonbound, Myr

I ended up staring at the Eikoh prize on Mandarke again, and couldn’t resist buying this one:

Unfortunately there are a couple of scrapes on her hair, but the rest of her is OK. The plastic backdrop slots into the stand, but because it was rolled up in the box, it curls inwards. Not a big fan of it, so I’ll display her without it, but it is nicely printed if you like it - just be prepared to store it under some books for awhile to get it flattened! 

Here she is without the sheet:

I love the use of colour in this character, and she’s got lots of shiny bits! The pearly coat is a lovely colour and sheen. She has a few bows on her outfit, which helps her look fancier. 

Left side:

Here we can see her tail, done in copper and bronze, and her clawed feet. The balloon she wields in her left hand is also well done. 

Right:

Here she is, leaning forward, wielding her supersoaker. I love the way it’s a water gun, rather than gun-gun. You can also see the lovely blend of copper and could on the underside of her wing. I do rather like her outfit too. 

Back:

The lovely pearlescent finish on her coat is very much visible here, along with the detail in the coat, where she’s got ribbon parts in the gaps. I love these little additions. The wings are also striking, have a good amount of detail on the back. 

Her back:

Here you can fully admire her wings :). The paint blend is really nice, along with the shininess. Also she has her tail flicking out - I really like the tail too. 

Now for some detail shots. Let’s get a close-up of her gun:

Cute, threatening, and watery. The pump bit seems a bit bent, but that’s likely fixable. Here we notice she’s also got gold hands. 

The balloon:

Nicely painted and moulded, plus she has some quite detailed cuffs, to offset the plain fabric of her coat. She has some copper claws on these fingers. Here you can also see where the ribbons weren’t painted quite right - both sets of ribbons are painted a bit sloppily. 

Here’s a close-up of the ribbons on the right side:

I love this as a detail, shame the orange paint didn’t quite go right. 

Close-up of her foot:

Nice set of dragon feet :). Not sure if she needed a size bigger sandals, but it does mean her claws aren’t confined by the shoe. 

Back of horns:

Lovely colouring here. 

Wings:

Love the way these shine, along with the coat. Also here you can see her coat has a hood, should she wish to use it. 

Warning: pantsu. 

Here’s how the tail attaches to her backside:

That’s some precision tailoring :P. Though pretty much what I expected for a prize figure. Here you can see the nice moulding and painting that went into the tail. 

I really like this figure, and it’s a shame that there are a couple of marks on her hair. One isn’t so bad, but the other is minorly distracting. I’ll just pretend they’re both hair highlights. Well worth buying for me, even though I’m unlikely to ever play Puzzle & Dragons. 

[mirageofthedesert]

Looking out for Trouble

[thegoddamnwordsmith]

My Top Ten Marvel Legends of 2017!

10 - Colossus Starting our list off, we have the guy that a lot of people were waiting to see updated, and is he ever an update. Colossus premiers a new body mold, clocking in at eight inches of Russian organic steel. His sculpting is great, combining detailed boots and gauntlets with his classic banded arms and an otherwise smooth costumed body. His face sculpt is solid, with his alternate bearded head lending a little more character to the figure. Alas, he's not without some issues - some additional hands (for fisticuffs, or properly tossing Canadian teammates) would have gone a long way, and while I have no issue with the more recent costume choice, the paint work could be a lot sharper. But he towers with power, which is required for any good Colossus figure, giving him his slot on the list. 9 - Singularity When we first read A-Force, my wife and I fell in love with Singularity. Funny, cute, and endearingly new to the world, she was a breath of fresh air among the jaded heroes in the 'verse. We hoped, one day, that she'd get the plastic treatment... and then the A-Force boxed set did just that, and did it well. Cast in translucent blue glittery plastic, Hasbro's deco team did a great job of throwing a purple-indigo face across her body to cement the cosmic look of this living pocket dimension, with a spot of white paint to define her eyes. However, one of the most notable things about her is also left out of the figure - Singularity is almost always smiling, being a joyous character who loves life and her friends. The figure has a vaguely pleasant neutral expression, and this minor detail goes a long way to keep this figure so low on the list. But even the fact that she got made in the first place is worth celebrating, so here we are - a fantastic figure that's just a bit shy of being incredible. 8 - Lady Loki Another 'niche' character (and, thus, great for the A-Force boxed set), Lady Loki gets on the list for two reasons - one, because she's a figure that wasn't likely to be made any time soon, and two, her paint work is amazing. The dark metallic green used across her body is sharp, accented with equally-clean applications of a light green scale pattern on her arms, legs, and abdomen, with a nice fade effect between the greens. A more subtle, but just as impressive, example of paint apps would be her face paint - two-toned lipstick, metallic green eyes, and a clean fade application of green eye shadow give her a striking appearance. Topped off with a fur-lined cape, a custom loincloth, and hair outfitted with gold accent pieces and Loki's trademark horn headdress, Lady Loki is much more than one might expect from a lesser-demand character. 7 - Invisible Woman (with HERBIE) The return of the Fantastic Four to the Marvel Legends line starts with a bang. Sue's got a fantastic (d'oh) paint job, sharp black paired with a medium-dark blue, with a clean '4' chest emblem proudly displayed. While I'd prefer a full alternate invisibility arm, rather than just an alternate hand, the fade on the clear plastic is very well done, showing the barest differentiation between her costume pieces as they fade into nothingness. On top of it all, a very nice face sculpt (with spot-on paint application and a great hair piece) gives her a pleasant look, fitting for the world's most fantastic woman. Plus, a cleanly-sculpted and painted HERBIE is included, and while they could have made him a static piece, he even has a ball-jointed neck, allowing him enough poseability to express some character. And I just love the sculpted outlet in his back. 6 - Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) One of Marvel's newer best-selling characters, it was only a matter of time before Kamala joined the ranks of Legends. For being released on a body-type we've seen quite a bit (Teen Girl), she has enough unique parts to bring her above the standard rank-and-file. Of course, there's her head sculpt, which gives her a bit of a smile, but that's not where the big difference lies. It's actually the dress layer over her body (from the ab-swivel down) that sells it, changing her silhouette just enough to catch the eye and reproduce her costume from the comics without any shortcuts. On top of that, she has flared sleeve caps, her trademark scarf, and the heirloom bangle on her left wrist, to make her more unique. Hasbro didn't stop there, though, and included two alternate forearm pieces to replicate her 'embiggening' powers from the comics, and while they could be tweaked a bit better (giving them any kind of wrist articulation, for instance), the fact that they're included, and are very well-sculpted to boot, just make her all that bit more perfect. 5 - Ares The original BAF Ares was before my time as a collector, and long before I had any interest in Ares as a character. Between then and the Ragnarok wave, Ares hit my radar hard. So when I first saw the figure in person, I knew I had to get him. And I don't regret it. Despite being only slightly altered from his original 2008 release, the alterations are nothing but good for this nine-year-old (!) mold. Ares is a massive chunk of plastic, with no small amount of sculpted detail or paint apps. His metal boots and leather wraps are given a darker wash, and his altered face-up gives him a more ethereal, godly look that the original release lacks. The use of gold plastic over paint in his helm is a good choice, as the original looks a bit more slopped on, while here the black paint is nice and clean. And I'm a sucker for figures that come with big weapons, of which Ares comes with three - his original long and short swords, as well as the axe meant for him, but usually included with Thor figures instead. Given that the original Ares goes for a high price on the aftermarket, this figure does a good job of filling the god of war-shaped hole. 4 - Moon Knight I know a lot of people don't like the costume used for this iteration of Moon Knight, but it's hard to argue with the simple elegance of a high-contrast scheme, especially when so many of the pieces are molded in their color, rather than painted. The result is a nearly universally clean deco, with paint apps being limited to the hands, feet, chest emblem, and face. the individual armor pieces help break up his shape more, making him stand out from the crowd of 'heroic male build' figures just a bit, as does his iconic cape and hood. The eyes have a thin rimming of blue, helping them 'pop' a bit more from the rest of the deco. His cape stays loose due to having a short peg, but it's not as big of an issue as one might think. Marc's accessories are a mixed bag - the billy clubs should have been a proper staff, but alternate hands and multiple throwing crescents help ease that, even if some of them are small and easy to lose. However, the figure boasts one other advantage over his fellows - instead of the ubiquitous mid-calf swivel, he features a new ankle joint, allowing for an increased range of motion. Hopefully we'll see more of this type of joint going forward, because Moon Knight makes great use of it. 3 - Elsa Bloodstone Another slam-dunk character from the A-Force boxed set, Elsa makes good use of recycled parts. Aside from her head (brand new sculpt with an incredibly striking face and amazing hair) and knee pieces, Elsa is a successful combination of Misty Knight and MCU Scarlet Witch, blending pieces from both into a trenchcoated, knee-high-booted monster-hunting badass. Clean paint apps across the board (including her Bloodstone Gem choker) help polish off the look, as do her accessories - a revolver (conveniently tucked into her hip holster) and twin shotguns, the weapons of choice for Miss Bloodstone. A little bit of altered articulation would put her on another level entirely, but it's hard to argue with just how **** amazing the end result already is. 2 - The Beetle (Abner Jenkins) Sometimes, it's the little things that make a figure great. They don't necessarily need to be an all-new sculpt, or have twenty-million paint apps, or come with an arsenal of accessories. Sometimes, it's just a smart combination of details that do the job. Ol' Abner has that combination. The right number of new pieces (head which captures the classic Beetle mask, new torso and shoulders, and a new belt), accessories (reused wings from Wasp and Louise Lincoln Beetle, along with new wing-cover pieces above those), and paint choices (metallic violet and dark green, natch) come together to create an iconic villain from Marvel history in a hard-to-beat figure. Just like Eel from last year, sometimes it doesn't take a whole lot to rank high on the list. 1 - Angela On the other hand, Angela is almost the opposite. From head to toe, she features an all-new sculpt that gives her the impressive build of an Asgardian warrior (topping off at seven inches), with additional armor pieces across her body, few of which impede her articulation (which includes a fencing joint worthy of the swordswoman). Numerous paint apps cover the figure, including fine detailing on her gauntlets, shoulderpad, and face (which is crisp as hell). And, of course, she's outfitted with unique accessory pieces, including a sword, twin axe weapons, a belt (with sheath for the sword), and her iconic ribbons - all featuring detailed sculpting and/or unique paint work. All of this comes together to be the best figure for 2017, no contest whatsoever. BAF: Warlock Once again, the X-Men wave delivers with the BAF, because Warlock is fan-friggin-tastic! He's a looming giant, standing at ten inches tall, and his lanky frame makes him as striking as any bulky goliath (looking at you, Juggernaut). He's got as wide a range of articulation as he could get, even if there's a few pieces hindered by sculpted details. And that's one of the best parts - the sculpting. This sculpt is 100% Warlock - it will take a lot of retooling, new pieces, and paint to make this into anyone other than the techno-organic New Mutant. Every inch of him is covered in metalwork and circuitry detailing, given life through a fantastic gold paint wash over black plastic. His face, a less stylized interpretation of Bill Sienkiewicz' art of the character, is nonetheless spot-on and even gives the illusion of different expressions based on the angle at which it's viewed. Hell, he even comes with an alternate buzz-saw hand, a rare accessory for BAFs. He might not be perfect (the hoses can't stay connected without hampering articulation, and the joints like to be a bit loose), but he's such a standout that it really doesn't hold him back from the top slot. Honorable Mentions: Human Torch - While not much of a standout sculpt-wise, the use of translucent plastic is excellent. And while some people balk at the 'mismatched' colors across his body, I dig that they outline the details of his costume when not 'enflamed,' a trait shared by fellow FF figure Invisible Woman's translucent arm. Thor (Jane Foster) - Long awaited, Jane hits all the right notes for her debut figure, and really has no drawbacks - the paint work, sculpting, and accessories are all great. She just doesn't have the right amount of oomph to make it into the top ten. (NOTE: Only speaking of the mainline release - never got the SDCC version) Monica Rambeau - Another solid figure and a long-awaited addition, Monica has a fantastic head sculpt and a great deco, and is only hampered by minor engineering issues (she uses the arms and coat of MCU Scarlet Witch again), and the lack of any 'energy burst' accessory, which really would've gone a long way with her. Dazzler - Like Jane, she doesn't have enough to edge into the top ten, but Alison is no slouch as a figure. The pearlescent white used for her disco-era costume, the sharp apps for her stage makeup, the Farrah Fawcett hair, and the accessories (rainbow energy burst, microphone, disco ball necklace) are all tip-top. And the roller skates! Even if posing her with them can be a pain. Mary Jane Watson - We haven't picked up MJ yet, but she's getting a mention due to the sheer fact that she was made. The Legends line isn't known for getting civilians, so to see one of the most prominent ones get the plastic treatment is just an event worth celebrating. Vulture w/ Wing Pack (MCU) - While not the BAF buffet that Warlock is, Vulture is still a worthwhile figure, featuring an incredibly detailed sculpt and clean paint apps across the board, as well as being an interesting take on the BAF formula - he's an enjoyable, if basic, figure on his own, but the moment you get all the pieces for his wings, he makes a menacing display piece. I'm not looking for Hasbro to do more Build-a-Vehicle figures in the future, but as the primary villain of Homecoming, I'm glad they didn't shortchange his figure release. Disappointments: She-Hulk - We've gone for years without an update to our favorite green lady, and when we finally get one... she left a lot to be desired. I have no personal problem with the body itself, but something about this figure highlights the flaws - limbs, torso, and head are all ill-proportioned to one another. If the arms had been lengthened and the head enlarged just a tiny bit, it would have made a world of difference. Also, I'm just not a big fan of 'stoic' Jen - she's generally a lighter character, and needs a face that shows it. Until then, my Blob-wave Shulkie will continue to be the go-to. X-Men Wave - An interesting case, because while the wave has a bunch of updates or first-time Legends, so many of them have something that holds them back from greatness. Last year's wave was a strong return of the X-Men, and this year... gives us what we needed, and what we wanted, but not quite what we could've gotten. Cyclops reusing the Bucky Cap body and being covered with ill-fitting straps (would sharing Sunfire's body have been better, I wonder?). Polaris looked fantastic, but dull at the same time. Shatterstar is a great sculpt, but there's a lot of QC problems with his paint and joints, and really, no fencing joint in the wrist for the career swordsman? Sunfire is great, but he's also just kinda... there. Old Man Logan... feels tacked on, like they needed a Wolverine in the wave but didn't want to immediately turn around and release the Tiger Stripe right after the 80s costume. And honestly, none of these figures are bad, they just didn't quite live up to the expectations. Overall, this year has been an odd one for me, since while there's been a lot of good figures released, there haven't been a ton of outstanding ones. Almost all have been servicable figures, to be sure, and there's a lot of welcome faces among them, both remakes and first-time Legends. But there's not as many this year (compared to last year) that just slap you upside the head with their very existence. All that said, however, this has been a solid year, with few actual missteps, in my opinion.

[callinthelastresort]

A Strange Band of Mercenaries: Random

Another day, another job. For Random, a red-skinned tiefling in the Clasp, it was all just business as usual in the fine city of Kymal. Assassination, theft, bribery—all the usual shenanigans for an underworld enterprise. He had always hesitated calling the Clasp criminals, as if they had no organization or purpose. Besides, the brand had its perks, such as coaxing soft purrs of interest out of a pretty girl who had never seen it before. Fresh from his last job, he was on his way back to the Wishing Well casino, home sweet home, after, ahem, frittering away his off hours with said pretty girl (though, if he had to guess, he'd say prices went up recently). Upon his return, one of his fellow Clasp members met him at the door.

"Hey," the human—Tierin? Maybe? New kid, hard to remember new kids' names—said. "Arjhan's been looking for you all morning. He's pretty pissed."

"Arjhan is always pissed, kid," Random quipped, lightly as you please.

He still took his sweet time heading back to see the master of Kymal's assassins. He needed time to think, time to get prepped for whatever had Arjhan in such a mood that even the new kids knew about it. The tailless brass dragonborn wasn't exactly the cuddliest sort anyway, but Random has been with this branch of the Clasp long enough to know when Arjhan's mood seemed particularly cross. As he stalked through the hallways to the back rooms of the Wishing Well, his tail, sporting a prominent permanent kink, swished with thought. Maybe what had Arjhan in a tizzy had to do with everything that had happened in Tal'Dorei recently, all dragons and adventurers and all kinds of horrifying shit. (Glad I'm not in the Emon branch, he thought.) Or maybe it was the Myriad making more trouble than they were worth. Random reached up and absentmindedly scratched one of his horns. Whatever it was, it had be bad if the old bastard needed to call in his protégé, but, then again, maybe not bad enough that he didn't come drag him away from his lady friend last night.

Random didn't knock on the door before he let himself in, easing into the office with a light step and a calmly swishing tail. Spireling Arjhan looked up, sapphire eyes boring right into Random, his true opinion of the younger man hidden behind even-keeled annoyance. He sat forward, a dagger in his hand.

"You finally decided to show up, I see," he growled. "At least that."

"Come now, Arjhan, I couldn't just leave the lady unsatisfied."

"This is serious business, kid." Nothing you've said so far convinces me of that. Arjhan continued, "With foreigners moving in and taking away our turf, we've got to be on point. So are you ready for an assignment or what?"

Random leaned in the doorway, a cool smirk on his lips. He drew one of his own daggers from his belt and balanced it on the tip of his finger.

"Aren't I always?"

Arjhan rolled his eyes and stabbed his dagger down into the desk with a loud thunk. The wood splintered a bit, and even at this distance Random could see the dozens of similar pockmarks in the wood from previous stabbings.

"You know what I mean. Cut the shit already. This isn't a cute run-stab-run job."

"Oh, it's an ugly one?"

Despite his sarcasm, Random knew things were bad, especially when Arjhan growled under his breath. "Things" were bad enough to make Arjhan extra... Arjhan-y. He normally didn't demand Random commit to a job without details. And he certainly didn't show such open impatience with Random's bullshitting attitude.

"Refugees and vagrants've been going missing," the dragonborn said. "Some ears we got are sayin' the Myriad—" He spat the word, and a shiver of disgust chased down Random's spine at the mention of those encroachers. "—might be in the slave game here. So this job's for me. Find out where these folks're ending up. Get 'em free, and find me proof of what's going on. If you need to hire muscle, promise a hundred gold apiece to anyone helps you out."

Random's smirk and sarcasm evaporated like morning dew at the mention of slavers. His tail went still, its easy flick gone. Sure, he knew about all the darkness in Kymal's underworld. But slavery—that one cut close. He didn't remember a lot about his childhood—there were a lot of blank spots in his memory that hadn't been filled in—but he remembered chains and screaming, though it always sounded distant in his mind, like the way voices sound when heard from underwater. He straightened his shoulders, though, mustering his easy smirk and a dramatic, sweeping bow.

"It'll get done, Arjhan. You know that."

The dragonborn's face seemed to soften a bit at that, and he sighed, nodding.

"Good. It's what we've come to expect outta you."

It's what you raised me to do.

"You get a hundred-fifty for any intel you turn up, plus findin' the missin' folks," Arjhan continued. "Your best bet for muscle... eh, around town. Refugee camp's a good start for your leads."

He nodded sharply. Meeting adjourned. Random turned to leave, tossing Arjhan a jaunty two-fingered salute as he went. When he closed the door behind him, he sighed deeply and rubbed the back of his neck. It's not just slavers if he expects me to get muscle for a fact-finding errand. Discomfort tingled down his tail. He didn't like the thought that Arjhan knew more than he was letting on. He hoped that wasn't the case.

He stopped off to get the gold to pay his hirelings before leaving the casino for the refugee camp. Might as well start there; he couldn't see the sense in skulking around town for information when there was a whole camp of leads at his disposal. He whistled a tavern tune as he stepped out into daylight.

The tune faded immediately, though, as he emerged from the Wishing Well and spotted a pair of bouncers blocking a hooded figure. Random squinted at the figure. The person was shorter than he was, but the hood was pulled so far forward he couldn't tell race or even sex. Seemed like a pretty shady traveler, so yeah, good on those bouncers, but—Random spotted the traveler's staff. Holy shit. His eyes widened when he realized it was not a walking stick but a solid wood quarterstaff, complete with metal grips. What the hell did some no-account traveler need with that kind of a weapon? He stepped forward, watching closely. The bouncers were still barring the path, but the traveler made no attempt to either push past them or leave. He cleared his throat upon approach, and one of the bouncers turned, giving a start upon seeing the tiefling.

"Oh, ah, 'ey Random. This one's tryin' t'say she's got a job to ask 'bout, but... well..."

"But well what, my good man?" Random asked.

Stepping closer, Random gained a clear line of sight under the traveler's hood. Definitely a she. He stopped mid-stride when he saw her eyes: a distinct ruby red, almost glowing. Oh, damn. As far as he could tell, those sharp yet refined features indicated some kind of elf. She seemed more stoic than stuck-up, though, so she wasn't a usual elf. She was exotic, too, more so than any woman Random had ever seen before. He'd be a fool not to admit he liked exotic ladies, but this one... something feels odd about her. Red eyes, stoic demeanor, shadowy skin—oh, fuck. She was a Drow.

"But, well, she's... a Drow," said the bouncer, confirming Random's guess. The Drow woman remained silent, ruby eyes watching them closely.

Random put on his very best smirk as he lightly stepped closer to the Drow. He knew Drow were ordinarily very unfriendly, and he could safely say he had never seen one this close before. He needed to tread carefully, no matter how lovely and exotic she seemed under that hood.

"A job for what, lady fair?" he asked her.

The Drow woman gave him a long flat look.

“In case it’s not passed your bosses’ notice,” she said coolly, “there are people disappearing from their homes. Some of the more superstitious claim some wicked power has woken under the Ironseat Ridge.”

“Indeed? How intriguing.” Random crossed his arms. His tail flicked slowly, enough to be noticeable. “I am just on my way to investigate these same poor souls.”

What would attract a Drow to the exact same investigation, though? What if she was from the Myriad, only pretending to be helpful? He’d need to keep an eye on this one. Maybe both eyes, as lovely as she was.

“Then your masters have at least some sense of decency,” she said. “Do you plan on going alone?”

Her gaze swept over Random—armor, weapons, and all. He didn’t like the look in her eye. It was an expert’s air—no arrogance, just cool measurement. He didn’t like she sense that he didn’t measure up to whatever her internal standard was.

“...you may want more muscle than just myself.”

Random bristled a little. I’ve handled far worse than a few slavers, thank you kindly. Still, he knew she was right. The situation at hand was bad enough that Arjhan was extra concerned. He didn’t feel entirely comfortable with hiring a Drow, but she was clearly interested in helping, and he almost never turned down gorgeous people.

“I’m in the market for muscle, in point of fact,” he said. “May I tempt you with a hundred gold for your services?”

He withdrew five coins from his moneybag to show off, letting them glint in his red palm. The Drow sighed thinly but nodded despite no sign of being remotely impressed with Random.

“Very well, then,” she said. “How are we going to proceed?”

She turned and shooed off the bouncers, and Random smirked. He knew of Drow only by reputation, but this one intrigued him. She was nothing like Drow were known to be, at least not yet.

“I have it on good authority that we may find an answer or two at the refugee camp,” he said. “Shall we?”

He extended the five gold coins to her as the world’s smallest down payment, earning another flat stare for his trouble. She really had no sense of humor, did she?

“Very well,” said the Drow. “My name is Cami, if you care to know.”

Random swept a dramatic bow for her, grinning.

“And I am Random, both in name and description. It is an infinite pleasure to meet you, Lady Cami. Well, perhaps not infinite. Not yet. But it could be.”

His mischievous grin widened a little, though it evaporated as Cami huffed, pulled back, and delivered a full-powered punch to his jaw. Random went staggering, pain throbbing up through his jaw and into his head. He heard one of the bouncers guffaw briefly as he caught and balanced himself with his tail. Damn. An intense one, her. He was fairly certain he hadn’t deserved that, not even as payment for innuendo.

“My sincerest apologies, my lady,” he grumbled. “I only meant the slightest offense.”

Before she could punch him again, he side-stepped her, a hand still pressed to his jaw as he headed for the refugee camp. She had good spirit, at least. But, damn, she hit too hard.

Kymal faded away as they set off, a little bit of distance between them. The Wishing Well, the Dragon’s Hoard, and the Maiden’s Wish all vanished behind them as the cityscape faded to rough taverns, flophouses, and suude dens. Cami seemed to close the distance between her and Random as the city grew more sketchy, though Random hardly noticed it anymore. After a while, the stench of decay and desperate living just became another part of the blur of city life. Nothing worth blinking at.

What was worth blinking at was a massive ruckus echoing from a nearby tavern. Random couldn’t tell when it had started, but as they walked closer, a large, muscled man came flying through—not out!—the door, landing in the street almost at Random’s feet. From within the tavern came a surprisingly high-pitched roar of anger. Random and Cami both paused, Random with amusement and Cami with concern. She looked at Random and arched a brow.

“Is this normal or is it a special day?” she said, deadpan.

Random looked toward the tavern at the sound of the roar. Scream? Loud… noise?

“If it’s a holiday and no one told me, I demand overtime pay,” he sniffed.

With a flick of his tail, he turned and stepped over the fallen, groaning man and headed for the tavern. He lightly stepped through the human-sized hole in the door, Cami right behind him, and found himself staring down a bar brawl. Everyone not involved was pressed around the perimeter of the main seating area, shaking in their boots. Even the bartender had ducked behind the bar as if not sure whether to break it up or just wait for the worst to pass.

And there, in the middle, were the scoundrels to blame: two big, burly humans towering over a curly-haired gnome whose green eyes burned with rage.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Random hissed under his breath.

The gnome stared up at the humans, pacing a little, clutching a two-handed axe. Her little chest heaved.

“Right!” she bellowed. “Who else wants some?!”

Cami came up beside Random and stared blankly at the tiny, angry woman.

“What the fuck,” she breathed. Random’s eyebrows shot skyward at the sound of her swearing. Never would have pegged her for having the mouth of a sailor!

The humans were clearly already roughed up, presumably from the gnome’s fists. One had a rapidly swelling black eye; the other had cuts on his forehead and jaw. The one with the black eye spit off to the side, and the splotch of saliva was tinged with blood.

“Fine, ye lit’l madwoman, fuck me,” he grumbled. “Just a couple fuckin’ gold coins.”

The angry little gnome brandished her axe at them, tossing curly golden hair from her eyes.

“Aye, but they’re mine!” she hollered. “Fuck off then before I make you eat your teeth!”

Random whistled, low and soft. What a fighting spirit. Ooh, maybe they could actually see her fight rather than just stumbling upon the aftermath. It wouldn’t be that hard to provoke round two between the gnome and the humans. His eyes darted around the room, planning his moves. A few well-played insults… a couple sarcastic quips… then just step out of the way! He nudged Cami’s arms.

“Hey, watch this.”

But as he set off to put his plan into action, Cami grabbed him by the arm, arresting his movement and pulling him back.

“Really, is a fight what we need right now? If you want to ask for her help just say so, for gods’ sake.”

“No,” Random snorted, “I want to see her kick those guys’ asses before I ask for her help.”

“Well, they’re already going, licking their wounds.” Cami jerked her head to the retreating humans as they headed out to collect their friend. The gnome began lowering her axe the farther away the humans got. “I suggest not pissing her off, wouldn’t you agree?”

“You are no fun at all, Lady Cami.” His tail flicked with annoyance, but he saw her point. Wasting his strength on a fight here might do more harm than good. Never mind.

He stepped forward to introduce himself to the angry little gnome as she lowered her axe, but she snapped it back up when Random appeared in her line of sight.

“Oy, fuck off, mate!” she yelled.

Random spread his hands away from his sides—and his daggers.

“Never you fret, angry small person, I am not here for your money.”

He could tell she wouldn’t respond well to charm. Cami hadn’t either. But this gnome was willing to kill a man over a pittance. Why? Granted, he knew he’d do the same if he had very little coin to his name; he wondered if the gnome found herself in the same sort of way. She might respond kindly to the promise of money.

He noticed Cami sliding up behind him, quietly, gently, and she motioned to the nearest chairs. The gnome’s green eyes darted between them, reminding him of a cornered cat with wide pupils and an arching back to make itself look bigger than it was.

“How about we all sit down, have a drink,” Cami said, her voice calm and soft—clearly trying to keep the peace. “The crazy tiefling may have a business opportunity for you. And he’ll buy said drinks.”

Random almost protested but cut himself off. He couldn’t risk the gnome’s wrath by arguing who would buy the round. Her fury was only funny when aimed at burly humans. Random could do without a broken neck, so he nodded agreeably and slid into one of the chairs, leaning against the table. The gnome scowled at the tiefling and Drow before her.

“I don’t know you. Why’d I drink with you?”

“Because,” Random said, almost in a purr, “this venture of mine will make you immeasurably wealthy. A hero of the city, even.”

The gnome tilted her head.

“So, what, are you trying to persuade me?”

“...is it not working?”

The gnome gave him a flat look.

“...no. Look, are you gonna quit wasting my life or not?”

Cami sat down with the grace and ease of a dancer, entirely unflustered in the face of the gnome’s suspicion.

“I realize we’ve caught you at a bad moment,” she soothed, “but hear us out. Agreeing means enough coin to make up for whatever those fools took from you, plus extra, and perhaps a few… favors higher up in society. If not, you get a free drink.”

She shrugged noncommittally. Random watched, flabbergasted, as the gnome pursed her lips, then put down her axe and nodded.

“A’right then,” she said. “Don’t like ale. Tastes like piss and sadness.”

“A lady after my own heart,” Random forced out, covering his shock.

He shot Cami a look of “How the hell did you just do that?” as he got up to go get drinks. He glanced back to see the gnome pulling herself into a chair at the table with only a small degree of difficulty. He didn’t expect the pity that washed over him. It was hard trying to live in a world that wasn’t built for you. He understood that. He understood it every time he walked down the street and a young mother pulled her child closer to herself at the sight of the horned demon-man. He sighed and ordered three strong liquors from the still-shaking bartender, sliding an extra two gold across the bar to help make up for the damage caused by the gnome’s fury. Then again, he thought as the bartender poured the drinks, maybe if he weren’t even four feet tall, he’d be angry all the time, too.

With the drinks balanced carefully, he padded back to the table, finding Cami and the gnome making casual small talk. He still wasn’t entirely sure how Cami had managed to coax the gnome into relaxing, but he offered a smile as he set down the drinks. He saw the gnome’s eyes widen as she looked at the human-sized drink before her, but she took it in both hands and began to sip. Cami took a single sip and set the glass aside with a polite half-smile. Not her thing. I bet she prefers wine. I’ll have to remember.

“Random,” she said, “would you care to present your terms to her? Ideally more eloquently than you did for me. That would be lovely.”

“Ah, yes, quite.” He was only partially mocking her affect at this point.

Still, as politely as he was able, he explained the matter at hand and sharing with the gnome the job Arjhan had given. At the mention of people disappearing, Random noticed a light flash in the gnome’s eyes. His gut twinges to see it. Familiar for her too, huh? He didn’t consider himself particularly insightful about people, except when he had to be, but he could tell there was a lot of pain bundled up in her tiny, curly-headed frame. She didn’t look very old for a gnome, either. Little more than a teenager. He leaned forward a little, curving his hand around his glass and his tail loosely around the chair leg.

“This is something that matters to you, I can tell,” he murmured. “So, join us, and you can make it better for a lot of people.”

The gnome looked down into her drink. Her shoulders rose and fell with a sigh before she nodded.

“...fine, okay. I’ll help. Not for free, though.” She took another drink of her liquor. “...name’s Pipsqueak.”

She grimaced when she said her name, and the name so surprised Random that he had to bite his tongue hard enough to hurt so he wouldn’t burst out in involuntary laughter.

“...nice to meet you,” he said. She’s just got all the shit luck, doesn’t she?

“A… relative pleasure to meet you,” Cami added. She tilted her head to see Pipsqueak’s grimace, though. “Is there something else you would like to be called? If that name isn’t one you like...”

Pipsqueak sat back, as if surprised that someone would give a shit. She shrugged.

“It’s the only one I’ve got, so it’ll do. Besides, he’s Random.” She uttered his name with a teasing lilt.

“Rude,” Random sniffed. Cami chuckled.

“Then you may call me Cami. How about you finish your drink, and we’ll head on for the refugee camps, see what we can find.”

Pipsqueak nodded and, to Random’s surprise, promptly chugged down the rest of her human-sized drink. Random stared as she wiped her lips on her sleeve.

“...right, we’re going?”

“Yes, let’s,” said Cami, rising smoothly, collecting her staff, and heading for the door.

Pipsqueak slid down from her chair, grabbing her axe, and Random quickly knocked back the last of his drink as he got up. This was the weirdest fucking band of mercenaries he’d ever seen.

[yinyangswings]

Children Names Headcanon

Requested by anon: I love the baby headcanons you did with Credence, Newt, and Percival. They're all so lovely and sweet (i've been reading them non-stop b/c they're THAT good)! And it got me thinking, what would they name their kids? I keep thinking that Credence would probably name his daughter Cherish, or something.

I doubt you thought I would go all out Anon, but here were ones I could come up with for a good majority of the characters in Fantastic Beasts

Tags: @aislinsekhem, @elenawrit​

Credence

Boy

Christian or Ezra

Other than getting a little chuckle for using Credence’s actor name, there is an actual reason for suggesting that name. Christian’s name meaning is ‘follower of Christ’ while Ezra means ‘helper’ in Hebrew. For Credence I would think that even if he left Mary Lou’s control there would be some influence and he would choose religious types of names.

Girl

Cherish or Temperance

Cherish is means ‘treasure’ while Temperance means ‘moderation’ or ‘restraint’. Now Cherish was suggested by anon, and I love the idea since he probably would treasure any child that is his, especially a little girl. Temperance is similar to the reasons for the boy’s names of Mary Lou’s influence on him, but also as a reminder for restraint of his abilities and how he wouldn’t want to harm his child.

Percival

Boy

Lohengrin or Arthur

Now Lohengrin is a nod to the Arthurian legends that people headcanon Percival’s family for, as Lohengrin in those legends is actually the son of Knight Percival. Arthur, while also part of the Arthurian legends, has Celtic elements artos "bear" combined with viros "man" or rigos "king". I can imagine that Percival would be very proud of his son and would likely give him the name that could mean king.

Girl

Elizabeth or Lynna

Elizabeth has the  meaning "my God is an oath" or perhaps "my God is abundance" which considering that people consider Percival to be loyal to MACUSA would have some sort of name regarding to an oath. Likewise it it is very strong sounding, something that I think Percival would appreciate. Lynna is an abbreviation of Lynette, a woman from the Arthurian Legend who accompanied Sir Gareth on a knightly quest in Arthurian legend.

Newt

Boy

Leo or Robin

So I chose animal type of names for Newt for obvious reasons, due to his interest in creatures but also in the British Wizarding world, there tend to be a lot of star type names in wizarding families. Leo is a constellation as well as the latin name for lion, so that would be the reasoning behind that name. Robin is a diminutive of the name Robert, which means "bright fame", as well as the stories of Robin Hood. I would like to think that Newt would like the idea of stealing from the rich and giving to the poor as he is a very giving type of person.

Girl

Maia or Kestrel 

Maia is similar to Leo for being a constellation, however it also means  "great" in Latin something I can imagine Newt possibly name his daughter after. Also the roman goddess Maia was the goddess of spring, something very earthy and something that Newt would be all about...I think. Kestrel is from the name of the bird of prey, and I thought it it’d be cute.

Tina

Boy

Phoebus or Matthew

Phoebus means ‘bright’ or ‘pure’ in latin, something Tina would name her son because he’s pure in her eyes. Matthew was similar as the name means ‘Gift from God’. I would think for Tina, that maybe having a child, especially with her line of work that she would consider the child to be a pure being and a gift. She sees a lot of bad things in her line of work, seeing a child as a blank slate is something she would do.

Girl

Zoe or Alexandra

Zoe means "life" in Greek and from early times it was adopted by Hellenized Jews as a translation of Eve, which apparently from my research Tina and Queenie were (possibly) were Jewish, so I can see either of them using this name, but for the sake of different names, Tina would probably use that name. Alexandra is a the feminized form for Alexander, which means defender. Given Tina’s occupation, it would be a cute name for her daughter.

Queenie

Boy

Nicholas or Lucas

Nicholas means "victory of the people”. Given her and Jacob’s relationship, I could see her possibly wanting to name her son Nicholas, as he would be a victory of their relationship that is considered forbidden in her society, that even in such a forbidden romance, that they could create a child. Lucas means "light-giving" or "illumination”, meaning her son would be almost like a beacon. Given her personality, it wouldn’t be too far off base that she would give her son an uplifting name.

Girl

Kayla or Cassandra

Kayla means keeper of the keys or pure. With Queenie’s kind personality, I could see her naming her daughter a name that means pure. Also keeper of the keys could be a parody of Queenie’s ability to open and read minds, and her daughter would ‘hold the keys’ to that ability. Cassandra means "to excel, to shine". Similar to the boys names, I could imagine Queenie wanting to name her daughter as something that shines as she loves her daughter and sees her as this bright being.

Jacob

Boy

Alfred or Isaac

Alfred is derived from the Old English name Ælfræd, composed of the elements ælf "elf" and ræd "counsel". Considering that Jacob was introduced to the magic world, where elves are exist (they may not be pretty, but still they exist) I could see him doing something like that. Plus it would make his comment about liking house-elves so it’s relevant. Isaac has the  meaning "he will laugh, he will rejoice". Given Jacob’s personality, I could so imagine him having named his child after laughter or rejoicing. Also, for him and Queenie, there would be rejoicing for having a child together.

Girl

Ruth or Keren

Ruth means "friend" in Hebrew, and likewise, seeing as how Jacob was such a good friend to Newt and the others, I could see him naming his daughter after a meaning that stands for friendship. Keren means "horn" or "ray of light" in Hebrew. Similar to how Queenie would name a child after being a ray of light, I could picture Jacob doing something similar. With Queenie, it would mean how their relationship created such a miracle. For a more personal reason, I would think Jacob would name his daughter about a ray of light after going through WWI and losing his brother through that.

[silentshayshores-2]

Kids and Cars

 I was thinking about the kids from U.A. and what would happen if they were to have licenses, here was the result-

Katsuki:

Was the first to get his license because he wanted to show off

Has the absolute worst road rage in the entire class, he keeps his windows down to yell at people and honks his horn a lot

At first, he drove like a madman and left people clutching their seats, but he has gradually gotten better

He drives a manual, which took a hell of a long time to learn how to do

He actually doesn’t speed (most the time) and somewhat obeys the rules of the road

He’ll drive Deku around when he asks because Deku is useless and doesn’t have a license yet, but when anyone else asks for a ride he asks for gas money and will fight whoever brings Deku in the conversation

He’ll purposely swerve to scare (Deku) his passengers

Usually has the radio turned up loud and will smack your hand and scowl at you if you try to turn it down or change the station

Izuku:

He wasn’t planning on getting a license since he prefers to walk, but his mom insisted he get one so he did

He’ll give rides to whoever needs one, but he’s glad not many ask since the students already have their license

Izuku was the last one amongst his class to get a license

He gets really nervous when driving and tends to avoid it when possible

His driving is really stiff, sometimes he stops too fast or turns too suddenly and scares whoever is with him, which he apologizes after

He never drives at night or in the rain, he doesn’t trust himself enough

He uses his mom’s car as he didn’t want her to have to buy something he wouldn’t really use (he did however put an All Might sticker on one of the windows which his mom doesn’t mind)

He doesn’t get road rage, instead he gets extremely scared because oh god did he just scratch his mom’s car??

Iida:

He drives SO SLOW, like, 5x less than the actual speed limit

Obeys every single rule and sign, obviously, but if you’re in the car with him it will get tedious after awhile depending on your patience

Surprisingly, he gets road rage often but he isn’t as bad as Katsuki, he’ll just talk to himself or rant to whoever is (unfortunately) in the car with him

He has a soccer mom car big enough to fit 5 or more people

He’s super helpful and will pull over if he sees someone that needs assistance with their car on the side of the road

He doesn’t allow anyone eating in his car, he likes to keep it nice and clean, but he usually doesn’t buy fast food anyway because he says it’s unhealthy

Not many people ask him for rides, which he doesn't understand why and makes him slightly upset

Kirishima:

Treats his car like his baby and takes really good care of it

He drives with friends a lot, he enjoys the company and won't ask for gas money afterwards

He has a car without a hood since he likes to feel the wind in his hair, it makes him feel free, but he gets super bummed out when it rains

Of course his car is red, and of course it matches his hair

He's a pretty smooth driver and has never been in any accident

He doesn't get road rage very easily, unless someone almost crashes into his car while he has a friend with him, that's when he gets super pissed and protective as he wouldn't be able to forgive himself if someone was hurt in his car

Kaminari:

He got a car that he can start himself with his quirk

Has a hula girl hanging from the mirror as well as some other incenses

There’s a black lightning bolt on the side of his car (much like the one on his hair)

Most likely when you ask for a ride he’ll have to clean out the passenger's side since it’s probably messy with trash he hasn’t thrown away (he’s a hero he isn’t going to litter)

He decorates the outside of his car depending on the season (small reindeer antlers for Christmas, rabbit ears for easter, etc.)

His driving isn’t bad, but it’s not good either, sometimes he follows the speed limits and other times he’ll just forget.

He almost never gets road rage, he’s got plenty of patience on the road and usually brushes off small things

Uraraka:

She got her license not long after Katuski got his, and only because her parents wanted her to be able to go out on her own

She has a cute little beetle car that’s black with a white stripe down the middle, her parents picked it out for her

The windows of her car are decorated in stickers of stars and planets, one of them is a sticker of the hero 13

Her driving is pretty calm and skilled, she doesn’t speed but she also isn’t too slow, another plus is that she knows how to keep up a conversation, making rides with her really enjoyable

Her car is kept clean even though she or her friends will eat in there sometimes

Seeing road rage from her is extremely rare but also extremely terrifying

She knows how to fix her car in case it breaks down, her parents had taught her everything she needs to know