#saints and misfits

[ghostlyeris]

i didn't think k could get any cooler after that iconic fit in their character screen, only for aabria to drop the coolest thing i've ever heard

[zal-cryptid]

What are Mr and Mrs Nick opinions on Krampus' punishing people by changing them into toys? Are they okey with that? Do they even have opinions about that? Or do they treat it as his hobby/job?

... Do they advice him sometimes?

[rockfashiondoll]

Pizzazz’s version of the Mondrian dress replaces the white sections with pink, green, and lavender. The silhouette of her dress looks slightly narrower at the waist compared to the A-line shift dresses of the 1960s.

1) US Vogue Sept 1965. Piet Mondrian-inspired wool and silk jersey dresses that Yves Saint Laurent presented as part of his spring 1965 collection. Source: The Vogue Archive.

2) Example of a turtle-neck version of the style. Photographed by Christa Peters, 1965 (as cited on Pinterest, source unverified).

3) Felicity Chan’s scan of model sheet P-38 (as cited by Pranceatron) from the Jem episode "Intrigue at the Indy 500," aired Feb 1, 1987.

[ironwingedhawk]

[therockfashionbook]

Stormer wearing Asymmetrical Striped Top and Wrap Skirt

First appears in The Fan

This artwork is created as reference material to illustrate the fashion, it is for personal use only, please do not use on merchandise or in edits.

Notes: this outfit would seem to be inspired by a look from Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche 1987 collection

[maulfucker]

if you think about it (read: are insane in the exact same way as me) faroeste caboclo (the song) is kinda like anakin's life story except completely different

[kickerofelves]

Glen Lockett, the in-house producer and engineer for legendary punk label SST Records who was better known as Spot, has died, former SST co-owner Joe Carducci announced. Spot had been on oxygen after his fibrosis impaired his lung function in late 2021, and, three months ago, he was placed in a hospital following a stroke, Carducci revealed in a Facebook post. Lockett died earlier today (March 4) at a healthcare facility in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. He was 72.

As the longtime in-house producer for SST Records, Spot helmed the boards for essentially the crux of ’80s American punk rock. He produced more than 100 records, many of which are bonafide classics in the punk and hardcore world and have gone on to influence artists outside of the genre. Highlights from his body of work range from numerous Black Flag staples like Damaged, My War, and Jealous Again to Minutemen’s The Punch Line, What Makes a Man Start Fires?, and Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat. Spot also produced Descendents’ Milo Goes to College, Hüsker Dü’s Zen Arcade, Misfits’ Earth A.D. / Wolfs Blood, and Saint Vitus’ self-titled debut, along with additional records for those bands and others.

Born Glen Lockett in Los Angeles in 1951, Spot was raised by his Native American mother and African American father, the latter of whom was a Tuskegee Airman who flew British Spitfires. He grew up listening to post-bebop jazz, surf rock, Motown, and whatever music he could find on the AM radio. After learning to play guitar at age 12, Spot tried his hand at clarinet and even auditioned for Captain Beefheart. It wasn’t until years later, when he offered to help with a recording studio build, that he learned about the ins and outs of studio recording.

Before he became an integral part of the SST sound, Spot was a musician, not a producer. While waiting tables at a vegan restaurant, he met Greg Ginn, the future co-founder of Black Flag and SST Records, and the two started jamming together in his band. After witnessing a Black Flag show gone awry, Spot decided he wanted to work the board on their next record, a decision that would result in a lot of “head butting” and, eventually, 1980’s Jealous Again. The rest was history.

“[SPOT] spelled his name in all caps with a dot in the middle of the O,” Carducci wrote on Facebook. “He started in Hermosa Beach playing and recording jazz and he took the primacy of live jazz playing into recording bands against prevailing attempts to soften or industrialize a back-to-basics arts movement in sound. When approaching the mixing board SPOT would assume an Elvis-like stance and then gesturing toward all the knobs he would say in a Louis Armstrong-like voice, ‘This is going to be gelatinous!’”

In addition to his work as a producer and engineer, Spot was also a published photographer and freelance writer. He wrote record reviews for the Los Angeles weekly newspaper Easy Reader. During shows, Spot would carry his camera around to document punk bands, fans, and the burgeoning counterculture scene, and he began photographing Los Angeles skateboarding circles as well. In 2014, he released Sounds of Two Eyes Opening, a collection of his photography work from that era.

“First and foremost, I’m a musician and everything else I’ve ever done has been based on that,” Spot told Vice in 2014. “It’s really the basis of all language and if you’re serious about the experience of music, you learn to keep both sides of your brain open and rely upon instinct rather than premeditation. Y’know, using improvisation and gut feelings as frameworks for rhythm and composition. In photography, the viewfinder should not be a limitation—it’s merely one part of a larger vision.”

Several artists have shared tributes in Spot’s honor after learning of his death. “good people, we just lost my old buddy spotski, a terrible blow,” tweeted Mike Watt. “he recorded the minutemen’s first stuff, I go way back w/this man. brother matt took this shot six years ago when spotski came to visit our pedro town... man, this is a terrible blow. I love you spotski forever.”

“SPOT always encouraged free expression and experimentation, even as those recordings were made as expeditiously as possible,” Hüsker Dü’s Bob Mould wrote on Twitter. Mould added that the producer “was a wonderful soul who loved making music, documenting the scene, and unconditionally supporting all the projects that bear his name.”

[thedeadthree]

persona for Lilia / hero for Mona / voice for Kieran, please! 🧡

RHYS YOU TREASURE YOU TY <3 lila and mona and kieran my BABIES

🎸 ★ INFAMOUS MC ASKS.

🎸 ★ PERSONA: how does their day-to-day personality compare to their on-stage persona?

shes as prone to reckless behavior as any rockstar, but she spends a lot of time in her own head! muses of the past and the next and that can be the reason for the former? to escape the latter? this can especially be when shes on her own, its been a thing, a way to pass the time (she cites because of boredom but ! shes a liar!), thinking of herself and things she can do for herself is easier than facing your psyche <3. and that translates a bit to her on stage persona as well ! though shes a bit more melancholic, she plays a lot into the "in her own head" melanchilia on stage for two headed mother!

🎸 ★ HERO: what is their favourite thing about G? why is your MC such a big fan?

i think for her what was so alluring of g as an artist for mona that sold for her that he was an artist she admired was that he sought to give artists the platform to introduce their music to an audience, to be shown love and appreciation for their music the way that fans and those around g did for him. the BOTB being a way to showcase new talent and give them a platform for that is really what made mona admire g as an artist 🤍

🎸 ★ VOICE: what does their singing voice sound like? do you have voiceclaims(s) for them?

MY FAVORITE QUESTION i get to yell about the babies influences and sound AHH. i really love the voices of blood orange, steve lacy, paris texas, enumclaw (a pnw band!!!!), kevin abstract, brent faiyaz, tamino and omar apollo for kierans sound! as for his voice claim, i really love alfred enoch for a voice claim! kieran was born in england and lived there until he was about 15 when he moved to the us in the summer before he started high school, where he would meet his future bandmates in lost in london!

[valleydoli]

𐙚 Ao3 Fics I’ve read and love 𐙚

𐙚 infidelity by @tawus (completed)

gojo x fem reader

Your marriage to Gojo Satoru lost its initial excitement, since your husband spent all his time either at Jujutsu Tech or on exorcism missions across the world. To ease your loneliness, you picked up your favorite pastime from your student years — clubbing — behind his back. Too bad that on Satoru’s most recent mission he spots his wife dancing in a nightclub with a bunch of guys in the skimpiest dress he has ever seen on her…

𐙚 desert rose by @sadistic-kiss (on going)

all jjk men x fem reader 😭

Toji Fushiguro finds you during one of his hitman jobs. With no idea what to do with you he decides to bring you home to his house of misfits. They weren’t picture perfect but neither were you.

𐙚 mascara by @/softstellars (on going)

geto x fem reader

You've never been a particularly good person, you're self-aware enough to know it. It's your only flaw, and recently you've actually been working to better yourself. For example: paying for a 30-dollar Uber so you can take your friend home only for her to ditch you for some guy when it comes down to it. Although you’re pissed, you decide to try and make the best of it instead of get into a screaming match with her. It's an easy thing to do when Getou Suguru is offering you everything to do just that. Everything a party entails: liquor, weed, and sex with a perfect stranger. And Getou knows perfectly well you have a boyfriend, so it's not like he'll want anything serious.

𐙚 a pearl by @lemonlover1110 (completed and posted on tumblr!)

toji x fem reader

The Fushiguros needed a nanny, and the pay was too good to not apply, especially since your family needed financial help. You were the perfect nanny for the kids, they loved you as if you were their own mother. Slowly, you built up the perfect relationship with the family. Especially with Mr. Fushiguro. A man who would constantly visit you after dark. A man who you thought had sincere intentions but at the end of the day didn't care about you. A selfish man who just saw you as a tool to make his wife mad. A man who didn't care about you but didn't want you with anyone else. A man that took away your ability to know what a healthy relationship was. You couldn't speak up about it since all the fault would fall at your feet and would be deemed as the "homewrecker".

𐙚 you, my angel and my saint by @lemonlover1110 (completed and posted on tumblr!)

toji x fem reader

sequel to a pearl!

After having an affair with your boss, you're left to deal with the consequences, those being: two exhausting new jobs and a child. A child that he never got to know the existence of. Now all you had to do was keep her hidden, which should be an easy task, right?

𐙚 rings by @/bungeemum (on going)

toji x fem reader

you divorced the man in front of you for a reason. so why was he standing on your doorstep, guilt plastered on his face, and eyes glinting with hope?

𐙚 a dangerous game by @/anaoyuo (completed)

gojo x fem reader

geto x fem reader

Both men agreed to a game about who fucks you first, but they didn't play their cards right. Gojo and Geto changed the course of the game when they decided to keep you around for way longer than intended, making you fall for their sweet way to deprave you, and now you have to face the consequences in a gamble that they call their life.

𐙚 fate’s gamble by @/anaoyuo (on going)

gojo x fem reader

geto x fem reader

sequel to a dangerous game

缘分— a story about predestined affinity, set in a world where the intoxicating thrills of wealth intertwine with amorality.

𐙚 him & i by @pharixden (on going)

gojo x fem reader

toji x fem reader

sukuna x fem reader

A cheating husband, a widowed bodyguard and a malevolent fling of the past who owes a favour isn’t a combination for the faint of heart, but not every girl is a damsel in distress.

𐙚 changes by @lemonlover1110 (on going also on tumblr!)

gojo x fem reader

From childhood friends to lovers to mere strangers. Your love story with Satoru Gojo was one from a fairy tail, until it wasn't. When you were twenty-one, Satoru left you without an explanation. Five years later, you meet again but nothing is quite the same. Too many things need to be explained, especially the fact that there's another Gojo that Satoru has yet to meet.

𐙚 the man in apartment 381 by @lemonlover1110 (completed also on tumblr!)

toji x fem reader

Looking for a new beginning after the death of your husband, you move away from town. That's when you meet him, Toji Fushiguro, a widower with a three-year-old son. You two understand each other, which draws you close. Except you two don't realize that feelings would eventually develop, and neither of you want that. Feelings are the last thing you two want after finding out the great damage that they can cause. When you two discover this, it's too late.

𐙚 4th avenue viewing by @/softstellars (completed)

nanami x fem reader

Nanami Kento is intelligent, serious, reserved and can easily catch someone in a lie. It's his job to do just that, he's renowned for it. So when he comes to your university to offer up an internship, it's quite the opportunity. Anyone would jump at the chance, except for you. But no, you just had to be the one caught in a lie.

𐙚 forgotten souls by @/killerpoultry & @/bebobopobo (completed)

sukuna x fem reader

You and Sukuna have been married for years. Even though he is brash, mean, and sadistic, you love him more than anything. While he may not show it much, he truly loves you too. One day you get into a terrible car accident and lose all your memories. You learn to live once more while Sukuna must now get you to fall in love with him all over again.

𐙚 love kills by @/sourome (on going)

i actually don’t know 😭 i think toji x fem reader

The wealthy and successful Zenin family, well respected and seemingly perfect. But all that glitters is not gold. Toji Zenin, CEO and face of the Zenin Group acts like a gentleman but is a vile creature that has ruined many lives, such as yours. That married man dared to play with your mother’s heart many years ago, destroying her sanity and her life and ultimately killing her. Now years later and being all grown up you decide to seek revenge, he deserves to suffer that same destiny and die of love. With the help of a few friends you plan to become a part of his life and his every thought but you didn't take into account his son, that man had the potential to turn your plans upside down.

𐙚 the black swan by @uselesslydamaged (completed)

sukuna x fem reader

Loving someone is easy, but experiencing it is harder.

𐙚 bodyguard by @/succybuss (on going)

toji x fem reader

Your Grandfather, a man involved in unsavory businesses that has taken you under his wing, has informed you that you will be under the care of a full-time Bodyguard. Unhappy with your grandfather's decision, you decide to go out for a night of drinking for your last night of freedom. There, you encounter a man you planned on taking home, but life had other plans in store for you...

𐙚 violet lights by @septembersummer (completed)

gojo x fem reader

In which you're at a party that you should've skipped when you capture the attention of a boy who looks like an angel and grins like the devil. He looks beautiful in the neon lights, and maybe you just want to make your ex-boyfriend jealous, but trouble with a tongue ring does sound like fun, just for tonight. What's the worst that could happen, you know?

𐙚 starboy by @septembersummer (completed)

gojo x fem reader

sequel to violet lights

After your ex-boyfriend gets arrested on national television, you find yourself realizing that you really didn’t know much at all about Gojo Satoru. Well, he’s better known in the Yakuza as The Six Eyes, not that he ever told you that.

𐙚 sweet little lies by @/mooglepaws (on going)

toji x fem reader

Megumi Fushiguro is the perfect Fiancé. Caring, loyal, successful, devastatingly handsome and crazy in love with you. So how and why do you end up fucking his Dad? As your wedding looms and the consequences of your affair unfold, you have to make a choice between the Fushiguro men.

This is a Toji x Reader x Megumi but the smut is almost exclusively Toji x Reader focusing on their affair.

𐙚 the twist of a knife by @darkcat23 (on going)

gojo x fem reader

This world is dull, colourless in your eyes. You are just trying to keep going with your life, not bothering anyone, trying to support your mother and yourself. So what happens when you agree to help your ex one night? And what if you catch the attention of a certain white haired assassin? And he shows you just how colourful this world truly is. or, a story of a girl with a violent mind and a boy with violent tendencies, finding each other, intertwining, and feeding off one another. perhaps it is fate that has brought them together. or perhaps it's something more sinister, something more cold.

𐙚 untameable waves by @/circedemedici

(unknown i guess hopefully i can let you know)

has been taken down i dont know if it’ll come back but if it does i’ll link it! but i’m leaving it here because it was most definitely my favourite :(

please let me know any other fics you’ve read because i love reading fics with a LOT of plot and also let me know if you end up reading any and you enjoy them as much as i did! :3

i think i used every tag known to man LOL 𐙚

[goodoldfashionednerd]

Let me just copy paste my Rune propaganda from last round (I don't have time to write anything more 😭)

He starts off being like "I just want to keep my bestie/bodyguard/soulmate alive" (and their housekeeper also)

Then, he accidentally adopts a teenager

Then, he accidentally falls in love with the guy he was supposed to find (he had been kidnapped). And this guy has a brother, so he's joining the family too

Then, he claims a whole family as part of his court to keep them from being murdered by the worst guy ever, so that's another bunch of people joining the crew

And now, he has so many people he cares about!! And he works so hard to keep them safe and happy and to help the kids grow into happy accomplished adults who know how to defend themselves but also know that they have a big loving family who's always there for them!!!

Tbh the found family aspect is the one I love most in these books, and I love how open Rune ends up being to adding new people to his little court of misfits <3

Now, a few Rune quotes if you'll allow me:

"I liked my boyfriend." (this one is just so simple and so cute)

"Sun Estate belongs to the dead. It's very haunted. I don't walk into it unless I'm armed like a tank. Or if I need money for the cable bill."

"I don't know whether I should pay you handsomely, or invite you into the shower with me." / "We take checks." (the first person talking is actually the person who will end up being his boyfriend lol)

"I looked at Addam, whose jaw was set mulishly. "Please. Please, Addam. I need to know our kids are safe."" (HIS KIIIIIDS screaming crying throwing up)

"Matthias, this isn't an eighties sitcom. I can't casually accept an orphan into my house for comic relief." (he didn't know this is exactly what he's going to do)

Anyway, I love him, I voted for him and so should you <3

Character, book, and author names under the cut

Rune Saint John- The Tarot Sequence by KD Edwards

Mobei-Jun- Scum Villain's Self-Saving System/Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

[highfiveheroes]

you were fourteen.

you had rage you didn’t know how to control. you had gotten punched earlier in the day, by some guy with a lot of bravado who ended up in detention with you. you’d been told for the second time that day that your rage needed to be controlled and that violence is never the answer, except maybe it was, because these corn cuties were taking down your whole group of misfits one by one, and it seems like the world was working against you in cosmic ways you didn’t understand. (surely it was an accident. surely you were meant to succeed. right?)

you were fourteen. you were attacked by a corn gremlin, and you laid on the floor as the rest of the detention members also went down.

you were fourteen. you were the first one to die.

you didn’t die alone. you went to orc heaven—your own hell—alone, but you were brought back, and the same kid from earlier who told you violence was never the answer looked at you with disillusioned eyes and confusion. it was your first day.

you were fourteen. it was your first day, and you died.

…

you’re seventeen now.

you’ve got a house that’s a boat that’s not as cool as the van that’s a boat and you’re steering it through a storm that wants you down and a crew of dragons that wants you dead.

you’re not alone. there’s a pilot kid, but he doesn’t matter. there’s the werewolf turned guidance counselor turned best adoptive father to like, half of your party, but he doesn’t matter.

there’s a saint. she matters.

do you remember when we died?

she’s a force to contend with, a godless cleric, the saint of the goddess of mystery, the chosen one of another goddess.

she was fourteen, and it was her first day of school. you didn’t know her then, but you know her now.

i shouldn’t be up here! she cries, blood dripping from her mouth, but she’s got a manic look in her eye.

do you remember when we died?

it might happen again.

..

you were fourteen. she was the first person who showed you kindness. and hours later, you died together.

you’re seventeen. together, you’re heroes.

her clone is pregnant. may cassandra help you all.

[telugu-girl-13]

that i've only been looking at you?

first, leave if you are a ~ racist. sexist. homophobe. pedophile. shipper of pedophilia (a.k.a. wylinh ). porn promoter. sex blog. hater. etc. anyone over the age of 20 unless i interact first! + math nerds! /j :)

welcome to my blog! i vent, swear, and spoil books on here! this post is updated regularly!

credits to pinterest for photos and @/saradika-graphics for dividers!

♡ about me and rules ↷

♡ fandoms, currently reading and tbr ↷

♡ links, tags, socials, etc

hasini ♡ ~ "haa-sih-nee". she/her. minor. american-born confused desi. hindu, indian, telugoose. INTJ-T. taylor swift's birthday daughter. cabin 6. aspiring to become an author, actually just a writing tutor. expert in reminiscing childhood. gifted idiot burnout. hacynical arteeste. white girl pop glazer. fighting depression. crushing on carter kane. the purple aesthetic girl™. also @youll-be-my-favorite-mistake and @dancer-of-demeter.

♡ eastern standard time, based in the usa.

rules ♡ ~ don't argue with me about my opinions, but correct me if i am wrong. reach out to me if i offend you or put up false information. don't ask for donations, i have no money. don't ask for my age or any other personal information not already provided here. don't tag me in tag games or send chainmail or spam, i will not reply!

in my inbox ♡ ~ request content, headcannons, art, and oneshots. ask questions about introduction posts, blog themes, etc. meet my anon-but-not-really, hazel!

the reader in me ♡ ~ percy jackson and the olympians. the heroes of olympus. the trials of apollo. the kane chronicles. magnus chase and the gods of asgard. daughter of the deep. the pandava quintet. keeper of the lost cities. the gifted clans. the thousand worlds. the adventures of sik aziz. the storm runner. serwa boateng. the spirit glass. sal and gabi. princess academy. saints and misfits. love from a to z. fantasy and realistic fiction!

currently reading ♡ ~ wrath of the triple goddess! to be read ♡ ~ six of crows by leigh bardugo. drop the book recs!

the listener in me ♡ ~ taylor swift. gracie abrams. conan gray. olivia rodrigo. mckenna grace. andi. sabrina carpenter. ariana grande. taylor bickett. sid sriram. katherine li. leanna firestone. sadie jean. listening to love, k by katherine li!

the little kid in me ♡ ~ miraculous ladybug. dr. seuss. the babysitter's club.

thank you for reading!

[matchadobo]

Could you please do the fantasy section with the mermaid and pirate prompt? I think it's 3. I'm a sucker for mermaids!

KIDD; mermaid x pirate

🌷matchadobo's 500 followers event🌷

wc: 2655

dialogue: "for someone who claims to hate me, you sure can't stay out of my waters. afraid you'll miss me?"

warning/s: no nsfw, playful-snarky dynamic, mermaid!reader x pirate!kidd, mild violence (mentions of killing but very mild), afab reader

the legend that spread like an epidemic back in scotland on an ear-splitting amount usually goes as a warning to those brave enough to survey the seas. a reminder to beware of the cursed waters from the land mystical creatures thrive. a land where myths can be seen.

one of which goes in a form of stories. it's the stories kidd grew tired of. an enchantress who owns a voice that hunts her prey through the tunes that threads its way to one's senses akin to a crawling seaweed across the walls of a desolate cave as it flutter by the currents of the deep sea.

so when kidd became a pirate and led his pack of misfits across uncharted seas, he had met one of these creatures he deemed foul and cursed. it was inevitable, he'd eventually have an encounter with one of them. that's when he made the mistake of meeting you of all mermaids. much more when his greedy, bastardly group was looting your territory lavished in treasure deep in the water.

if marines hadn't came and started thrashing his ship, you would've honestly killed him. it would be easy for you. after all, the bastard can't fucking swim. and you, you were skilled in the waters and the land. you were just kind of handicapped since you were fighting from the water.

his crew fetched a few bags of golds and pearls as per his orders. you took care of them and they have not returned the surface.

kidd and you parted with threats and boring glares. he vowed to have never come back. but not a day passed where you didn't think about him. nor had he let the night end without struggling on your effect on him as he embarrassingly daydream about you during the day.

maybe it was his daring demeanor, arrogant as he rashly challenged your fortress which intimidated most humans but not him. it irritated you, how dare he? but at the same time, it amused you. the nerve, the bravery, and the eager desire to get what he wants with fear never deterring him. most of all he even faced you, went toe to toe against your territory where you have most of the advantage.

or how those cursed devil fruits impressed you for the first time. because he somehow manipulated it to overwhelm you. a human had made you panic. he was especially etched in your brain and it made you mad. whether mad means angry or crazy, he drove you in that point of ambiguity either way because he had corrupted you.

he'd be no saint either. kidd is the type to take everything as a challenge. he strives to always win. so when he struggled with you, let alone put him in a situation near death; you tickled something in him. especially when you demonstrated your might as you reign over your territory. he couldn't help but obsess over the fact that your pride made his heart beat a little faster. was it adrenaline? his sheer desire to win in the face of the strong? or something else that involved the fuzzy shit down his stomach?

with the way you control the waves, pushing him to his limits as you stand resolute before him. you held the same pride, the same confidence in your ability that you would win and overwhelm him. he saw it in your iridescent eyes that you had the sheer intent to prevail. you managed to fuck him over with your snarks and insults with the same amount of mockery he gave you. but yours hit harder, your gaze and your words, especially the melody of your voice. your might has taken over him. maybe that's why he struggled and even had to retreat.

so it fucked you up, shook you to very fiber of your scales, to see his ship come back to your territory. he stood tall by the bow of his ship, looking for your eyes. and once he met them, something in the two of you stung. like a lightning hitting through the both of you.

so you let the waves take you to a mountain of rocks near his ship where a certain amount of distance put you superior to him.

"for someone who claims to hate me, you sure can't stay out of my waters. afraid you'll miss me?"

he broke into a thunderous laughter. it was as if the skies dimmed and lighting started appearing on the grey clouds. there would be a storm. the bastard brought it here it seems.

"oh mairi (scottish name associated with the sea, it's just his nickname for you 💙)." he said with a grin, shaking his head. he shifted in his feet, jumping from the ship railings towards the rocks where you reside as he propelled himself using his devil fruit.

you somewhat felt nervous when he began sauntering towards you, dandy as he approached you. as his boots grazed by the bumpy rocks and he closed the distance between the two of you, he squatted down to your level.

"that was quite a fight, aye? were you waitin' on me since then?" he raised a brow, canines tugging on his crimson lips. his golden arrogant eyes seems to have caught your tongue as you can't find words to snark back at him.

"you've got the nerve to stand this close to me in my territory." you stood your guard, remaining unfazed at his arrogance. but your heart was about to escape your chest. "i'd like you to have a look around, pirate. my people are on guard. one word from me and the lot of you bastards will sink. heard the sea doesn't treat you well. how does that sound?" you smiled back, tilting your head as you played right into his game. that right now, made his eye twitch.

so he stood back up and kept his distance because he only went closer so he could talk to you properly.

"didn't come here with no damn threat, 'kay? lower your fuckin' weapons because we got no business with bein' at war with you. matter of fact, it's the total damn opposite." his voice was a little louder, as if he was announcing it to your people too.

"the opposite? what, you wanna be friends, pirate?" you chuckled dryly, your people followed as well. amused at his display of cordiality.

"if that's how your pretty little fins would put it, aye. i want an alliance." he got down on your level, grinning as if he ordered you to agree.

"how forward. and fucking stupid." you sucked in your teeth. "asking to team up with me after attempting to pillage my territory is on a different level of audacity. you're delusional if you think i'd get on with your plans."

"you haven't even asked what's in it for you, mairi. come on now, ain't alliances a two way street?" he probed, looking deeper into your eyes as if he already knew you'd agree if he proceeds with his response.

you crossed your arms as a reply to let him proceed, sighing as you raised a brow.

"heard the florian triangle took some of your people captive." you felt paralyzed with his words, how did he know that? even info like that doesn't reach people like him. "why's that, hm? could it be you're not strong enough?"

"that's none of your business." you look away, growing uneasy. "why are you so keen on allying anyway?"

"i'm headed there and to get past i need one of your kind to navigate because the log pose fucks up there." he started, keenly observing how you would react. "in return, we get your people back, aye? what do you say?"

you didn't want to ever go back to the florian triangle, it was a traumatic experience. but if it meant going back to get your people which could be in expense for you, you'd do it in a heartbeat.

"if i'll do it, you only got me. i don't want to bring anyone else and lose more of my people."

"fine by me. think you're plenty strong enough to handle it."

you two set sail as you bid your land farewell, they're more than competent to fend for themselves all the while keeping your territory sound. you got settled on the bow of his ship, your tail hanging off the ledge as you watched your people bid you farewell. the island soon got smaller and smaller until you only see the mist of the horizion.

"mairi-san? we've got plenty of rum if you want some." a blond man as big as that redhead but just a bit smaller approached you, holding a barrel mug with a foamy top from the overflowing liquid as an offering to you. "we're on a journey, might as well share a drink." he was cordial and you felt nice about him, different from that arrogant bastard.

"save it. i don't drink human food. if anything, it unsettles me."

"oh don't worry, mairi. we're not tryna poison you." kidd snarked, hearing it a bit as a shout because he was sat far away at the couches in the middle of the deck while you were on the other end of the ship. "loosen up a little, aye?"

you couldn't see him but you know exactly where he is, you had to one up him and splashed a shit load of water concentrated on him. his crew laughed at the display of playfulness, lightening the air around you as you showed no hesitation and fear in messing with him.

you peeked behind you subtly, looking over your shoulder to see kidd drenched. he also became a bit weak because of its effect on his powers but his glare was all the more powerful. he ran his mouth, grumbling and rambling at you but it made you giggle. and that got him slurring nonsense when he saw you smile. he stomped to his quarters, trying to resolve whatever curse you inflicted on him once more.

but as soon as he got out of his quarters, you were way ahead of him and spook the shit outta him when you greeted him by the waters by the railings beside his door.

"why'd you hide?" you tilted your head, grinning with a discerning brow raised.

"jesus- fuck! don't just go sproutin' everywhere, god." he grumbled, shutting his door loudly.

"did i scare you?"

"as if, fuckin' mairi."

"name."

"what?"

"call me name. your dumb nickname isn't needed anymore." you chuckled a little, growing somewhat comfortable at the interaction.

there was a long while of silence, as if kidd was examining you from below as he leaned by the ship railings and got closer at you. you looked up at him and tilted your head, puzzled why he's looking too long.

"like my face that much? what's got you staring?"

you didn't miss how his ears turned red before he turned his back away, grumbling curses at you. still keeping his cool composure but his ears weren't.

"don't mistake me for shit like that. if anythin', you're the one who can't take your eyes off me."

"right. you might as well buy me a drink, as you humans say, with the way your acting around me, kidd."

there was a long while of staring, memorizing how you two look up close. how your skin glistened from the water sliding on your iridescent skin, with droplets on your lashes and hair sticking beautifully on your skin. or how his fluffy crimson locks brought out his striking, golden eyes from the contrast of his snowy skin, his red lips pressing into a thin line as he examined you up close got you thinking how it felt.

either of your response were valid. in the span of the short time you two were together, the tension is quite suffocating. as if begging to be addressed that you both are fascinated with each other.

aside from the foundation of being at each other's throats, it was clear that physical attraction played a part in the adrenaline rush of your clash. now was the time that it's being cemented when the proximity is too stifling.

"only drink i've got is rum, can you handle that?"

"hmm, challenging me right off the bat?"

"aye. human stuff bores you, ain't it? bet i could change that. we've got the finest fuckin' rum in 'ere."

you oughta do a whole lot of saving but it was a long way there, almost a day's worth of travel. might as well make the most out of your time in the victoria.

nightfall peaked and you two are still busy with rum and stories on each of your walks of life.

"so this is your first time meeting a mermaid?"

"aye. reacted poorly, didn't i?"

"exceptional is more like it. most just run away, afraid to get cursed. but you, you just rush in head first." you chuckled. "after all, the sea has already cast a curse on you."

a few more shots and you were slowly losing all sense, getting more forward, clingy, and daring with him. he's got a good hold of himself to not let you go to far, but your touch almost had a drunking affect itself inflicting on him.

"that's enough." he snatched the bottle away from you, noticing how dizzy you're becoming. you were initially sat on the railings with your tail hanging as it reach the floor of the deck. "jesus, as someone who acts like she got a stick up 'er ass, you don't know your limits, huh?"

"pft, what are you on abou-" you almost fell behind to the sea, kidd caught you on reflex, as if the sea wasn't your home and you'd be perfectly fine falling in it. "just let me fall, i'll sleep fine floating." you tapped on his cheek with shut eyes and a drunken smile.

"and you drift off somehwere so damn far, huh? can't have that." he manhandled you, effortlessly carrying you bridal style as he headed to his quarters.

that's when he truly noticed how you look. how you felt cold as you snuggle closer to his chest with the mountain of body heat source that is him. how carrying you made him a little bit weak because you're born from the sea itself but it made him feel a whole lot of things as he had you in his arms. or how your skin had that certain glow that mirrored the iridiscence of your eyes. you truly were a wonder.

"never have i pegged myself to be carryin' a damn mermaid in my tub, tuckin' her pretty little fins in 'ere. ain't that romantic?" he talked to himself, chuckling as he glanced at you.

as kidd reached over to the faucet of his tub to give you a little pool of water, you got jolted awake by his frame towering over you and the first thing you did was grab him by his shirt and pull him close. so very close you could hear the rapid beat of his heart.

"hey, tell me." you looked into his eyes, your huge ones almost hypnotizing him. "why've you got your guard down around me?"

"why? you plan on doin' somethin' bad?" a smirk coated his voice, his observant, yellow eyes peering down at your frame.

"hmm, no. i can feel it very well if you're tensed, angry, or even flustered. you were tensed and angry when you first tried to rob us, but now... you're even getting comfy with me." you started. "even though you're well aware i can fucking kill you."

"don't be absurd." he leaned down closer, closing the distance between the two of you your lips could almost touch. "i'll be way ahead of you once you do. that is, if you can kill me."

hellooooo thank you so much for the first request for my event! 🌷i hope you'll like this! seeing that you're fond of the mermaid au, i hope i did this justice 🫶🧜‍♀️

writing this was soooo cool 😍if i didn't have that god-forbid anatomy exam 😩 pls excuse my snail ass pacing bc reqs are comin in hot! + college 🪦

if you guys are interested in requesting a fic for my 500 followers event, my askbox is open! click here for the main event post for more info :DD i have open slots for forced proximity, hurt to comfort, fantasy, he puts you in your place (smut), and modern aus!

[mistigrisunshine]

spuffy fic rec

part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4

Puppy Problems by SzmattyCat [6k]

Buffy and Spike just want to spend some time together. Is that too much to ask?

Ghostly by untouchable [8k]

Six months after Sunnydale collapses, a grieving Buffy is startled to find Spike, feral and without any idea who she is, in her backyard. Is he real? Or just another ghost?

Dreamless by feliciacraft [9k]

Buffy woke up the same way she always did these days, a blank alertness overtaking sleep, without the harsh interjection of an alarm clock whisking her into action, without the dying whispers of a dream urging her to stay. Neither sudden nor gradual, instead it felt inevitable — like birth; yet always decidedly out of place. What was life after death in a nutshell, if not that? (Early season 6 AU story with a canon opening and a happy Spuffy ending.)

What Remains by MrsAkers [15k]

As the lone survivors of the final battle with Glory, Buffy and Spike run away from Sunnydale. Battling with guilt and an unfulfilled death wish, Buffy finds solace in Spike's company while the vampire just does his best to keep her alive.

Falling by kally77 [30k]

After The Harsh Light of Day, Angel loses his soul and Buffy finds an unexpected ally.

East of Nevada by Blissymbolics [42k]

The answer comes to him in a spark. Relief engulfs every nerve as he realizes Buffy is safe. He can save her this time. He wasn’t smart enough before. He made so many stupid mistakes. But this time is different. He may not have magic, but he can save her in a way no one else can. Spike sires Buffy to save her life. Now comes the hard part.

A New Dawn by kally77 [42k]

Rewrite of season 5. The monks made Dawn Buffy's daughter rather than her sister.

Midway of Speech and Thought by TheHousekeeper [63k]

Six months after the Battle of Sunnydale, Buffy is trying to settle into her new life in London: patrolling, training new Slayers, and studying English Literature. But it's not great for her grades that strange demons are appearing all over the city – and it's not great for her sanity that she's suddenly dreaming about Spike. And she only dreams when it rains.

In the Dark of the Night by norik23 [138k]

Saint Petersburg. 1920s. Rupert Giles, a fallen watcher, and Spike, a cursed vampire, are an unlikely pair of conmen struggling to make ends meet in a city overrun by demons. Together, they hatch a plan to find the long-lost slayer... or at least a decent approximation. A road trip adventure love story, loosely based on the plot of Anastasia (1997). Featuring a motley crew of misfits – Buffy, Spike, and Giles – who’d much rather bicker for 2000 miles than admit they’re all a bit lonely. Good thing it’s a long way to Paris. They’ve got time to figure it out.

Death Wish by Sigyn [190k]

“World is what it is. We fight and we die. Wishing doesn't change that. You can believe in a better world. I have to live in this one.”  Anyanka’s wish was broken, but the world it created continues. Now Buffy must join forces with rebel vampires to create a world they can all stand to live in. But can Spike, Drusilla and Angel actually work with a hardened slayer, who would just as soon see them all dust?

[distinctlywhumpthing]

In League – Hold Him Still

Masterlist

Follows this piece. August has a fever and needs to be held down while the doctor cleans his wound. Painful but necessary caretaking. No one handles it well. @alittlewhump beta read.

Theo stopped at the top of the stairs, favouring the left side of the step to avoid the creak. Shadows of the banister spanned the hallway like Roman columns. Stretching onto the ceiling as though they’d been cast by flame, soot left in their wake. It lent an air of grandeur, as though he might find champions or gladiators reclined after a battle instead of a gaggle of misfits, sloshed and lucky if they made it onto a bed. Door open, closed, or ajar served little indication of the state of what lay beyond. 

There wasn’t a room in the house Theo hadn’t stayed in for some length of time over the five years since they’d had it. He was always the one to trade if there were tensions between roommates, happy to give up a room to himself if someone sick or injured needed it, and was usually the first to share with a new addition to help them settle in. Normally, that would have meant August taking the spare bed in the room at the end of the hall with him but nothing about August’s arrival had been normal. 

He started at the room next to his. Hugh would already be awake. The youngest in their ranks was the lightest sleeper and the only one who never drank as a hard and fast rule. 

“Can you come down?” He whispered, glancing over at Jack to make sure he hadn't disturbed him. Unlikely, given the fact that he smelled like a distillery. 

Hugh nodded, brow furrowing but he didn't pause to ask questions.

Finding a second recruit wasn’t as straightforward. Those on the clock would be sober but with posts all over this side of the city, it would take too long to get word to one of them. 

Theo jumped when Hugh appeared at his side, dressed and ready. And looking all too proud at his ability to sneak up on others. 

“Were you at the pub earlier?” Theo asked, keeping his voice low. “Do you know who else—”

“What going on?” Alfred came out of his room, looking irate at being disturbed even though he was fully awake. “His pacing sounds like a drum line. Did the little spy run off with all the notes from the safe?”

“We need another pair of hands to help with something downstairs.” 

“I’ll do it.” 

“We need someone sober.”

“Haven’t had a drop,” Alfred said, crossing his fingers over his heart in mock seriousness. “One of us real grown-ups—no offense, Hughey—” 

Hugh shrugged, more occupied with what exactly he’d been volunteered for. 

“—Had to stay clear-headed with Wyatt gone off the rails.” 

“Don’t I count?” 

“Thought you’d be catching up on sleep after the docks.” 

“Oh…thanks.” Theo couldn’t help but be impressed, though the reason for it was less than ideal.  

“Yeah, I’m likely to be sainted any day now. So, what are we doing?” 

Downstairs, August lay on the dining table, still dead to the world in his fevered state. Doc was setting out all manner of instruments beside him, bright and sharp. Wyatt’s fists tightened with each addition, his percussive footsteps echoing through the room. 

What with the mantle of responsibility he shouldered, Wyatt was never far when someone in the house was hurt. Be it on a job or a foolish mishap, he took pains to stick around for them to get stitched up. A hand on their shoulder, a flask ready at their side. Grim-faced and tense as though he truly shared in their pain. But every time the dining room was transformed into an operating theatre, one would think he’d never seen blood. 

Alfred crossed his arms in the doorway. “You’re not fucking serious. This is what you pulled us out of bed for?”

Wyatt stilled with his back turned. 

“Take it easy,” Theo warned. To one or both, he wasn’t certain. 

Hugh grimaced from behind Alfred, eyes darting to Theo’s.

“Unless this is to pick up where we left off—”

“Where you left off?” Wyatt grated. “If you hadn’t been so heavy-handed, he might not be this bad off.”

“I still think he got off easy.”

“Excuse me?”

As the battle lines were drawn, Hugh ducked through the doorway, seeking neutral ground beside Theo. Or, rather, just slightly behind him.

“We could have gotten a lot more out of him.” 

Wyatt whirled. “Of course it didn’t occur to you to simply ask. That all of the scars—”  He gestured to the boy in question, prone on the table, looking for all the world to be on his deathbed for how frail he was. “Not to mention the fresh wound bigger than his own hand on his side—might be an indication that he would more than happily flip on Keats.”

“I—well—”

Too slow. “Your impulsivity once again leads to unfavourable consequences. This is becoming a pattern.” 

Alfred was still floundering. This was usually the moment— 

“And you?” Alfred countered. “This isn’t the first time you’ve shown yourself more loyal to some stranger.”

—things got worse. 

Theo held up his hands. “All right, Doc’s—”

“Loyalties?” Wyatt took a step forward, rising to the bait and bringing his voice along with him. “You’re speaking to me of loyalties?” 

Alfred held his ground, matching the volume. “You can’t expect us to blindly follow your lead when you’ve been locked in your room with some stray and we don’t know what the fuck’s going on.” 

“I have done more than enough to earn your trust.”

“And not a damn thing to keep it.”

“Unbelievable. Do you refuse to see the consequences of your actions before you? In what way would this fill me with confidence? All this has shown me is that you lack any sense of discernment.”

“Fuck off,” Alfred yelled. “I was doing what any of us would have done. You’re the one hiding something! Ever since the warehouse, you’ve been different. Are you working for Keats? Is that why you came down to ‘rescue’ his man?” 

Wyatt lunged, shoving Alfred against the wall. “Accuse me of treachery one more time.” 

Alfred swallowed, suddenly more selective of his words though he didn’t concede to the threat of Wyatt’s hands so near his throat by raising his own in defence. “You ask us to trust you but you don’t extend that same trust to us,” he spat.   

Theo took a step forward. “Why don’t we—”

“Fuck off your high horse,” Alfred said at the same time Wyatt growled, “Stay out of this.” 

Theo held up his hands, retreating. Hugh grimaced, looking ready to cut and run. This was absolutely going to make matters worse but fine, let them beat the shit out of each other, see if he cared. 

Alfred fists tightened at his sides. “I think—”

“As entertaining as this is,” Doc interrupted, pausing to look at them flatly, demonstrating just how unamused he found it. “Time is of the essence. Can we begin or will we need to find another set of hands?” 

“There is no one else,” Alfred said, still glaring at Wyatt. “The boys were doing forfeits tonight.” 

Wyatt held his ground one beat longer than necessary before releasing him wordlessly and turning his back to check on August. 

Alfred fumed. 

So that’s how it was going to be. 

“Alright, let’s each of you take hold of him,” Doc instructed. Alfred, the strongest holding his hips. Hugh held his ankles. Wyatt and Theo on either shoulder and wrist. 

“Are… are you s-sure this is necessary?” Hugh asked. “He’s o-out c-cold.” 

In truth, it felt ridiculous, taking such positions around the ghost of a boy on the table, but August came to immediately, “No, no, no!” He twisted easily out of Theo’s underestimated grip. 

“Shit!” Theo narrowly avoided getting bitten trying to catch the boy’s shoulder again. 

Hugh and Alfred scrambled to regain a hold as he fought. August would have fallen off the table completely if Wyatt hadn’t caught him by the waist, keeping him still long enough for Alfred to pin his hips again. 

“Steady lads.” Doc had his trousers almost to his knees which had the benefit of restricting his movements some, though he fought all the more for what ground he lost. 

“Please!” He kicked Hugh squarely in the chest when his ankle was released for the underbreeches to be taken all the way off, sending him staggering backwards. 

But as soon as Doc finally pulled away the fabric, he fell still, eerily so. If his breath wasn’t so audibly fast and ragged, Theo would have wanted to check it was there at all. 

One by one, they released him, watching his expression closely but his eyes remained closed, limbs as limp as before they’d started. Doc covered him with a sheet, folding one side to the middle to reveal the wound. 

Alfred hissed in a breath. “That ain’t pretty.”

Theo made sure not to look. 

Wyatt was as white as the aforementioned sheet, which did not bode well. He turned away, putting one hand against the wall and covering his brow. 

“All right, Hughey?” Theo asked. 

He nodded, expression tight. His gaze was stuck on August’s sleeping face, like he was trying to figure out how someone who looked near death could put up such a fight. 

Doc pushed his rolled sleeves up and ran his thumbs under his braces. He met Theo’s gaze and then glanced at Wyatt, eyebrows lifting. “Let’s give him a minute to rest while I step out for a smoke, then we start.” 

Alfred and Hugh all but jumped to follow him. Hugh didn’t even smoke but Theo understood his desire to escape this room. He was itching for a cigarette himself but Wyatt needed him more.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t as restful a moment as prescribed. 

Every few breaths, August would whimper, tossing his head back and forth. “No more. Please, master. Please, no more.”

And each time, Wyatt would soothe, “Hush, lamb,” and place the boy’s limp hands on the bedsheets that covered him. “Nothing like that’s going to happen.” 

No sooner than August recognised himself to be swathed in the sheets, would he fall out of consciousness again. Only to come round once more, moments later and repeat the whole process. 

“August, lad, just rest.” Wyatt swept the hair off August’s forehead and the boy’s face crumpled, a sob escaping his lips. 

“Please, master,” he whimpered.

Wyatt stopped stroking his temple but the younger boy only sobbed anew at the departure, turning his head to chase the touch. 

“For Christ’s sake,” Wyatt breathed, hand hesitating in the space between them. He curled his fingers into a fist but not before Theo saw them tremble. Wyatt’s red-rimmed eyes flicked up to his and then to the door. He sat up straighter, burying his hands in his pockets.

“He’ll not remember,” Theo said, rounding the table and keeping his voice low enough that the others coming down the hall wouldn’t hear. “You’re doing right by him.” 

Silent tears started to fall steadily down August’s cheeks, his brow still creased in distress.

Theo wondered if Wyatt was going to make it through this. He would have suggested he step out for some air they were out of time. 

Doc instructed them back to their positions. “Let’s get this over with, lads.” 

“Pleasepleaseplease—no-no—” August’s eyes flew open as soon as they laid hands on him again but this time they were more prepared. 

The display of force against someone so vulnerable left a bitterness in Theo’s already-sour stomach. His fingers well overlapped the younger boy’s delicate wrist. 

“It’s imperative he remain still,” Doc reminded, raising his voice over August’s protests. “I don’t want to cause any more damage than has already been done.” 

“This gonna hurt?” Alfred asked, looking to Wyatt. 

But Wyatt only had eyes for August. 

He was sobbing, pleading only growing more pitiful. “No more, master. Please, I beg of you, I can’t—no more—” 

“Ready?” Doc asked. 

As ready as they’d ever be, which was to say not in the least. This was considerably worse than any of the times they’d held down a fellow comrade, drunk to his gills, so Doc could dig out a bullet. 

August howled when Doc’s blade met his wound. He thrashed against their hands with renewed vigour, twisting and pulling, desperate to find a point of escape. There was no question he’d have bruises for how hard he fought but Theo began to fear he’d wind up with worse, feeling the bones of his wrist twisting and grinding in his grip. 

“Fuck fuck fuck—” 

“W-why… why hsn’t he p-passed out yet?” Hugh asked, raising his voice to be heard. 

“He’s fighting it,” Doc said without looking up. 

Alfred snorted. “We’re shit out of luck if it’s as hard as he’s fighting us.” 

“Godfuckingdamnit—”

Doc paused to clean the blade and August stilled, breath ragged. He looked into their faces, one by one, as though he were looking for one he recognised. Wyatt took pains to angle his face away, gaze locked on his fingertips, white where he gripped August’s shoulder to keep him immobilised. 

August’s eyes were still glassy when they locked onto Alfred’s. “Please, please,” he begged breathlessly. “I’ll tell you anything. Just make it stop—” He screamed when Doc started again, head falling back onto the table with a thud, arching his spine and trying to twist away. “Nnngh—Make it stop!” 

“Interesting,” Alfred said, again looking to see what rise he could get out of Wyatt. “What have you got?” 

“I’ll not have you turning a medical procedure into an interrogation,” Doc said flatly. 

Alfred wouldn’t drop it. “If he’s willing to share…” 

“Please, anything you want—” August lifted his head again, gaze settling on Theo this time. “I’ll do anything!” 

“I’m sorry,” Theo told him, beginning to feel as though they’d had a hand in the original injury, torturing him so. It was grotesque. 

“I’ll make it good—Ah! Fuckk—nnnnghh—I can show you such a good time—” 

Hugh made a choked sound in his throat, drawing August’s attention.

“Don’t let them do this—” Tears started running down his face, voice straining as he held back sobs. Hugh looked to Wyatt but he wouldn’t look up. “Please, please, I can’t do this again. I can’t—” August’s words grew incoherent, mangled by cries that sounded as though they might tear his very lungs. He pinched his eyes shut, shaking his head back and forth, fingers spreading and clawing at the air with every pass of the blade.

Theo hoped he was reaching his limit, that he might finally lose consciousness, and be saved some suffering. He must ask Wyatt about the chloroform later. 

“The infection is deeper than I thought.” Doc paused again, raising his voice to be heard over August’s sobbing. “It’ll be a bit longer.”

“Please, please, sir.” He’d found Wyatt this time. Had to lift his head and crane it back, bearing his whole throat, to catch his gaze. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, rushing to speak before Doc started again. “Please. I’m yours, sir. I don’t need it. I know I’m yours, sir. I’ll never run! I promise, sir. I swear. Please—”

August slammed his head against the table when the blade found him again, his expression twisting in pain. When he opened his eyes again, they were even less focused, tears running steadily down his temples but he still looked in Wyatt’s direction. 

Wyatt stared right past him, refusing to engage. 

“You promised,” August cried hoarsely. “You can’t even look at me. You lied. You’re just like him.” Alfred had the gall to force a laugh but even that didn’t get a reaction from Wyatt. August sobbed, squeezing his eyes shut as though he couldn’t bear to look at Wyatt anymore either. 

Theo hoped he might slip into unconsciousness now but he lifted his head, cracking it down on the table.

Wyatt closed his eyes. 

August hit his head against the table again.

And again. And again. 

“You’ll need to put a stop to that,” Doc said without looking up. 

“Stop him how?” Theo asked. “If we let go—”

“Now!”

As soon as Theo let go of his shoulder, August twisted against the hold on his wrist, lifting more of his right side off the table and using the momentum to slam his head even harder against the table. For a moment he was still, seeing stars. 

“Jesus Christ, Theo. That’s definitely worse,” Alfred said. 

“Oh, piss off,” Theo snapped, pinning August’s shoulder again while he was still dazed but it was only seconds before August was beating his head against the table again. “Doc, maybe if you give him a break—”

“I’m nearly finished. Just manage it.” 

“Wyatt, can you give me a hand?” Theo released August’s wrist instead, clapping his free hand over the boy’s forehead but as soon as he did, August reached up to claw his neck and face. 

“Ow! Fuck!” The feral thing managed to draw blood and catch him in the eye. He grabbed August’s wrist again but of course the lad slammed his head into the table again as soon as Theo had let go.

Hugh started shaking his head, eyes flicking between August and Wyatt. 

“Wyatt,” Theo shouted. “Fucking do something! Anything!” 

He was a statue at August’s side. 

“Shit. I think he’s made himself bleed.” Theo leaned over and sure enough, there were splotches on the sheet. “Doc—” 

“For fuck’s sake,” Alfred groaned. “I’ll pin him so you can stop him caving his head in. Hold on—” He hooked his foot around one of the chairs and pulled it up to the table.  

And Theo had thought this couldn’t possibly get worse for August. “You can’t be serious—Hugh, you gotta hang on. We need you with us.” 

Hugh pinched his eyes shut, giving up on any reassurance from Wyatt, his shoulders up to his ears like he wanted to block out the sounds too. 

“Wyatt,” Theo tried one more time. “Please, we need you. Help us.” 

Alfred already had one knee on the table but before he could straddle August’s thighs, Wyatt caught the back of August’s neck. He took hold of the boy’s hand, bringing his arm up across his chest and using it to keep him down. 

“August, look at me. I—” Wyatt cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. I know it hurts but we have no choice.” 

“I—I don’t—I don’t believe you,” he managed to gasp, breath thin and quick now that he’d doubled his pain. 

“I know.” His voice was as hollow as his gaze but August was in no position to notice. 

The lad let his eyes fall closed, tears still streaming down his face. Wyatt held him fast and little more than a few whimpers escaped his lips as Doc finished. 

“The worst part is over,” Doc finally said. “I’ll just—”

Wyatt let go of August and walked out. 

“I—sir—” His eyes swam as he tried to look for Wyatt. 

“Unfuckingbelievable,” Alfred grumbled. 

Hugh looked even more cross than Alfred. 

“Just…hang on—” Theo gingerly released August and, once certain he was staying still, hurried after Wyatt. 

It had just begun snowing outside. A dusting of white covered the messy streets, blurring all of the roughness of the city and leaving a clean slate to glow under the street lights. 

“Wyatt!” Theo called to stop him before he disappeared into the flurry. 

He paused but didn’t turn. 

“You can’t leave, not now. Not after that.” 

Nothing. 

Theo curled his fingers into fists. “Are you so blinded by whatever hold August has on you that you can't see what's going on?” He was yelling but still Wyatt wouldn’t turn. “We’ll be lucky if we see Hugh inside a fortnight and Alfred’s ready to—”

“Go back.” Not a request, a command. 

Theo’s blood boiled. 

Wyatt pulled his collar up and started walking but paused again. “For me,” he added, half turning toward Theo for a moment. 

“This isn’t how we do things,” Theo called back but he was just shouting into the wind. 

Masterlist

@whumpy-writings @deluxewhump @no-whump-on-main @maracujatangerine @painsandconfusion

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@magziemakeswhatever @neverthelass @cakeinthevoid @inkstainsonmyhands12 @hold-him-down was already taken lol

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Edwin Slaughter is so interesting to me because he's so emblematic of my conspiracy theory that the Order of Saint George... has no idea what the fuck it's doing.

We know from the Book of Slaughter that the Order looks for children in the foster system with certain "psychological profiles" to recruit, which you can generally read as animal-torturing little demon children like Paris and Tybalt. Taking the baby serial killers and pointing them at the monsters seems like a solid strategy. And you can see how authorities might come to the conclusion that Edwin was a creepy morbid child - when his mom dies in one of the flashbacks in House of Slaughter: Scarlet, we see him putting makeup on his dead mom's face when the cops show up. Very weird and fucked up thing to be doing!

But like... is it? We know from Book of Butcher that Jace was 13 in the early 00s, and Edwin seems to be in roughly the same age cohort as him, Aaron, and Erica. Which means that Edwin's mom is presumably around the same age as my mom and my mother-in-law, and I can tell you that a LOT of women in that generation have a complex about not leaving the house without makeup. If you're outside the house and you're not wearing makeup, you're basically naked. If you're a little kid and your mom just died and you know first responders are gonna have to remove her from the house, and you're a) too young to fully process what your mom being dead means and b) too autistic to fully process what this will look like, putting your mom's makeup on for her is a very kind, loving thing to do.

Yes, Edwin Slaughter is a weird, morbid little man who likes to draw corpses because they're so much more interesting than the diagrams in medical textbooks.

He's also nice. That doesn't seem to be a trait that the Order cultivates. The main lesson Maxine's been learning in the Books of Slaughter, Butcher, and Cutter is that nobody in the Order besides black masks really have to care about slaying monsters and saving children. In House of Slaughter: The Butcher Returns, Aaron alludes to Cecilia "whipping the feelings out" of the white mask trainees - it's left unclear if that's literal or not, and most of the adults in the Order seem to be in backstabbing political hell while Nolan and many of the other azure masks are in specifically backstabbing psyop spy shit hell.

And then there's Edwin. He's pals with Bait, the misfit of the white masks (and loses horribly to this, like, ten year old at chess!). When kids approach him at the campground he's happy to show them his drawings. He laments that it's hard to parse exactly what people are asking for, but he genuinely enjoys helping them find stuff in the library. When Nolan confronts him about his suspicious biometric readings, he's not defensive or combative; he is, in fact, stoked to help solve a mystery. He's shockingly well-adjusted (...compared to everyone else at the Slaughterhouse, at least). Just a nice, friendly, helpful guy who's good with kids, even if he's a bit awkward and has morbid hobbies.

AND 👏 HE'S 👏 COMPETENT 👏 AS 👏 HELL👏. This man solo'd a whole-ass dragon! He had the completely galaxy-brained idea of dumping his supplies overboard so he could use his own fear of starvation and yucky lake water as bait for a dragon. Most of the actual hunters would have probably gotten stuck on "but but but dragons are extinct in North America dragons haven't been seen in centuries" until they got eaten. My man Edwin clocked that dragon within a couple issues, and, again, came up with an insane way to lure it out into ramming range. Give him an emerald mask immediately! We see that the scarlet head of house likes him better than Gerde, who is seething and poorly coping about this.

In one of the flashback issues of SIKTC, we see Erica ask if it's possible for baby animals to manifest monsters and Aaron tells her she's being intellectually lazy. I bet if she had had an opportunity to ask Edwin instead, they would have busted that shit wide open!!!

Erica cares so so so so much, and she tries so hard to be kind to people... and she's smarter than the Order. She figured out that a puppy could be a creator ex nihilo and she beat the woman who had presumably killed many other rogue hunters (and damn, what does it say about the Order of Saint George that this is a recurring problem?). Edwin is really nice and likes to be helpful and isn't particularly interested in conflict... and he's smarter than the Order. He recognized a dragon for what it was, kicked its ass, and is currently solving the mystery of what happened to the House of Blood. The rest of the House of Slaughter thinks they're bad at being monster hunters AND YET they are arguably the most effective hunters around. Let's not forget that Louis Boucher, second only to Erica as the North American black mask with the most kills in the field, doesn't seem terribly impressed by what the Order teaches its trainees. And Maven was on a totally different relationship wavelength with her flock of monsters than anybody else we've seen.

What I'm saying is the Order of Saint George probably isn't that good at hunting monsters and also it's smart to care about people. And also if Erica, Edwin, and Louis teamed up they would probably burn it to the ground in about ten minutes and the Order would be fucking clueless.