#settled for the snakebites

[climbing-starrs]

"ape." "princess."

[tfwbluu]

PAIRING — ni-ki + f!reader + jungwon

WARNINGS — 8th member!reader, hints of reader having smth with all of them, some mentions of reader’s appearance but i tried to keep it friendly for everyone, heejay cameo, blindfolds and cuffs again, threesome, oral (f. rec), raw sex (stay safe!), squirting, cum eating(?), double penetration (mouth + hole), edging, pet names, praise/degradation.

WORDCOUNT — 3.3K

NOTE — this was long overdue but it’s here! not beta read so sorry if it’s a bit wonky (not intentional). lots of warnings on this one so lmk if i missed anything !

It was another day of recording, this time for one of your b-sides, Brought the Heat Back. The concept was intense, and all of you were adorned in scratches and faux blood to match the gritty, rebellious aesthetic. You were dressed in an off-shoulder dress shirt held up by thin white straps, a loosely draped tie wrapped around your neck, flared jeans, and black short heels—only for the shoot, of course.

Your hair had been left mostly untouched, styled as you usually wore it, with the addition of a few silver accessories glinting under the lights. Your look was completed with simple hoops in your ears and fake snakebite piercings on your lower lip, which you kept fiddling with absentmindedly as you waited for the next take.

“(Name) got some cool lip piercings over mine being scratched up,” Jay suddenly commented, drawing the camera’s attention to you.

“Hm?” You looked up before leaning toward the camera with a playful smile. “Look, everyone, I got these piercings recently!” you joked, puckering your lips for emphasis.

Jay snorted, playing along. “I got hurt while eating, so I couldn’t get those.” He gestured toward the fake scratches on his face. “And I banged my head on a door while rushing to not be late!” He nodded to himself, satisfied with his joke, while you giggled softly.

The day carried on as usual, taking shots here and there while filming for the behind-the-scenes content. The shoot wrapped up smoothly, with everyone exchanging the customary “Good jobs” and words of gratitude. You sank into the couch with a satisfied sigh, the exhaustion from the day settling in, while the others began scattering to do their own thing.

As you leaned back, you felt a lingering gaze on you. Looking up, your eyes locked with Jungwon’s. He tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable but intense. Raising an eyebrow, you silently asked what he wanted.

“Meet me in my room later,” Jungwon murmured softly as he passed by, his voice low enough that only you could hear. His words sent a ripple of curiosity and nervousness through you, but you nodded in agreement without hesitation.

Later that evening, back at the dorms, Jungwon wasted no time. The moment you entered his room, he closed the door behind you and pressed you against it, his lips capturing yours in a heated kiss.

“Mmph—Won, w-wait—” you tried to speak, your words muffled against his lips. But Jungwon simply grunted in response, his hands gripping your waist tightly as his body molded against yours.

“I can’t,” he whispered hoarsely, his lips trailing down to your jaw before returning to your mouth, his kisses growing more desperate. “I’ve been holding back for so long, watching you with those lip piercings of yours.”

His thumb brushed against your lips, as he took a moment to look at you. “Please,” he murmured, his voice soft yet pleading. His gaze was fixated on your lips, the intensity in his eyes making your heart race.

A knock on the door made both of you flinch.

“Hyung, is Noona with you in there?” Riki’s voice rang from behind the door.

“What’s up, Riki?” you responded quickly, pushing Jungwon away slightly as you tried to tidy up your appearance.

“Can I come in? Need to give you something,” Riki replied, waiting for permission.

“Go ahead, Ki,” Jungwon muttered reluctantly, turning his back to the door to hide the growing tension in his pants. His annoyance was clear, though he tried to mask it. Meanwhile, you did your best to make yourself look presentable.

Riki stepped inside, holding a handful of snacks. “Got you these, Noona. You said you’d been craving them, right?” he said, handing them to you with a small smile.

“Oh! Yeah, thanks, Riki,” you replied, beaming in gratitude.

“Also, Hyung,” Riki added with a smirk, “if you’re gonna make out with someone, at least move away from the door. It’s obvious.”

Both you and Jungwon froze, snapping your heads toward him.

“Ha-ha, don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jungwon muttered, feigning ignorance.

“Yes, you do,” Riki shot back. “It’s obvious you like Noona. I’ve seen the way you look at her.”

Jungwon’s jaw tightened, but before he could retort, Riki continued, his voice tinged with playful defiance. “I know that because I like her too, Hyung.”

Your head darted between the two of them, the tension in the room so thick it was almost suffocating. You set down the snacks Riki had brought you, your hands slightly trembling.

“Well… what now?” you asked nervously, your voice barely above a whisper. Both of their heads snapped toward you at the same time, their intense gazes locking onto you, making your cheeks flush as you quickly averted your eyes.

Perhaps it was instinct or an unspoken agreement between the two because, within moments, Jungwon pulled you into his embrace and kissed you deeply, his hands gripping your waist with firm possessiveness. Before you could fully process it, you felt a warm chest press against your back—Riki’s.

“Stop being so greedy, Hyung,” Riki grumbled, pulling you away from Jungwon with a frown.

“Just say you’re jealous I got to her first,” Jungwon taunted, a smug smirk tugging at his lips.

“You wish. You’re delusional if you think you’ve won—Noona and I kissed long before you two did, which means I’m better,” Riki shot back, his pride shining through every word.

Jungwon’s smirk faltered briefly before he proposed, “Why don’t we let her decide?”

Both of their gazes locked onto you, making your cheeks burn as you tried to hide your face behind your hands.

“You two…” you mumbled, your voice small and flustered beyond belief.

“Can’t we show you who’s better at treating you, pretty?” Riki asked, his voice soft as he gently tucked a strand of hair behind your ear.

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to, Princess,” Jungwon murmured, pulling your hands from your face to press a tender kiss on your forehead. “Don’t feel pressured. Just say the word, and we’ll stop.”

“Yeah, Noona,” Riki added, his tone gentle. “We can wait. It’s your call.”

You stayed silent for a moment, your mind racing. Being the only woman in the group had its challenges—and its perks. This wasn’t the first time you’d kissed one of your members, but this situation was entirely different. As much as you wanted to deny the offer, the slick heat between your thighs betrayed you.

“Maybe… if you treat me well,” you finally said, your voice soft as you broke the tension, agreeing to their offer.

“Of course,” Jungwon replied smoothly, his tone gentle yet firm. “But first…”

Jungwon guided the three of you into a quiet discussion, his words careful and measured. He ensured everything was clear, setting boundaries and understanding your comfort level before anything else. The conversation was brief but reassuring, leaving you with a sense of ease.

It didn’t take long for things to escalate afterward. Now, you found yourself perched on Riki’s lap at the edge of the bed, his lips pressing against yours in a fiery, hungry kiss. Meanwhile, Jungwon’s soft shuffling filled the background as he rummaged through a drawer. “Just grabbing the necessities,” he muttered with a low chuckle, amusement lacing his tone.

Breaking the kiss, Riki’s lips moved down your body, leaving feather-light kisses on your neck. “Remember, you’re in control, angel. Just tell us if anything is too much,” Riki reassured, his lips now suckling on your neck.

When he found your sensitive spot, a small moan escaped your lips. “Oh, here?” Riki teased, sucking a bit harder on your skin.

“That tickles...” you muttered, squirming slightly away. Suddenly, your vision was obstructed—a blindfold covering your eyes.

“W-what’s this...?” you asked, your voice unsteady.

Jungwon was quick to respond, his voice smooth and teasing. “Guessing game, princess. You’ll have to figure out who’s touching you, kissing you, and fucking you. Get it right, and you’ll be rewarded. Get it wrong...” he trailed off, his hands roaming slowly down your body before settling on your breasts, squeezing and kneading until a soft moan slipped from your lips. “And you don’t get to cum until you do.”

“We’ll take care of you, angel. Just relax,” Riki murmured near your ear, his warm breath sending shivers down your spine. His deft fingers began unbuttoning your shirt, and Jungwon, working in unison, slipped it off with ease before unhooking your bra. Within moments, you were left in just your bottoms. Jungwon’s hands quickly found your wrists, and before you could register what was happening, the soft click of cuffs secured your hands behind you.

“No touching, no seeing, baby. Just guess. You can do that, right?” Jungwon whispered, pulling you off Riki’s lap. He moved you to the couch in the middle of the room, propping your legs up. “Can I take them off?” his voice asked gently.

You nodded, letting out a soft, “Please.” He slid off your pants and panties in one motion, exposing your soaked core to the cool air.

The rustle of clothing in the background caught your attention as you breathed in anticipation. “Can one of you please just touch me alread—ah~!” you yelped as soft lips pressed against your folds, teasing your thighs as hands spread your legs. You couldn’t even tell who was doing it, but you were already moaning in need.

“Please, just do it already...” you whined, bucking your hips. A soft chuckle echoed before a tongue started leaving kitten licks on your wet folds. “Mhm, right there...” you sighed in relief.

They moved to suck on your clit, spreading your folds with their fingers before pushing them in. A loud scream escaped your lips, only to be muffled by a hand from behind you.

“Fuhhhghk...” you cursed against the hand, the one between your legs now curling their fingers inside your dripping pussy while teasing your clit with their tongue.

The man behind you toyed with your nipples, pinching and stroking them with one hand while keeping your sounds muffled with the other. Despite knowing the room was soundproof, you couldn’t help but wonder why he silenced you—until his fingers prodded your lips. Obediently, you opened your mouth, sucking on them as drool coated his fingers while he thrust them gently.

Wet lewd noises filled the room—the sound of your moans, your juices, and their synchronized movements blending together. The knot in your stomach tightened, making your hips buck against their tongue. The one behind you removed his fingers from your mouth, using your own drool to coat your nipples before playing with them softly.

Despite the blindfold obscuring your vision, you started piecing things together. The fingers working inside you felt slightly shorter than the ones that had been in your mouth. Leaning your head back slightly, you felt the firm outline of abs behind you, hinting at his height and build.

The sensations overwhelmed you, your moans growing louder as your release drew near. Desperate, you made a guess. “Please, Won… fuck… c-close!” you whimpered, his name falling from your lips in desperation.

“Good girl...” Jungwon’s voice confirmed your guess as he worked faster, his tongue and fingers driving you toward your peak.

“Jungwon…!” you cried out, trembling.

“I know, baby. Let go f’ me,” he murmured, watching intently as you finally let go, your body twitching uncontrollably before you squirted.

He immediately lapped up your juices, savoring the moment as he cleaned you up, leaving a soft kiss on your folds before pulling away with a satisfied hum.

“You can take a few more, right?” Riki said, his voice low and teasing as he pulled your head back for a heated kiss before slipping away from behind you, leaving you panting and trembling from the aftermath of your high.

The room was silent except for the rustling of movement and your ragged breathing. Your body trembled, overly sensitive, every nerve alight and begging for relief. Suddenly, your legs were lifted, propped against strong shoulders, the action sending a fresh wave of anticipation coursing through you.

A familiar pressure followed—a thick, hard tip tapping lightly against your clit, dragging along your slick folds in slow, teasing strokes before pausing at your entrance.

A whine escaped your lips at the unbearable sensitivity. Without warning, the head pushed in, stretching you inch by inch until they were fully seated inside. They started moving immediately, their thrusts slow and deliberate, dragging every nerve along your walls and leaving you gasping.

“Fuck… yes, yes, right there—hngh…” you babbled incoherently, the stretch filling you so perfectly it made your head spin. They weren’t especially long, but their girth was sinful, every stroke pulling you deeper into the haze.

The lack of sight amplified everything—every sound, every touch, every sensation. Your wrists strained against the cuffs, but there was no escape from the overwhelming pleasure coursing through you. Their pace picked up, hips snapping into yours, the wet sounds of skin meeting skin echoing through the room, mingling with your cries. The knot in your stomach tightened, the pressure building rapidly, but just as you teetered on the edge of release, they pulled out abruptly.

“No—please!” you cried, your voice raw and desperate as the emptiness left you shaking.

Laughter, low and teasing, sounded on either side of you. Their voices followed, disorienting you further as they whispered in unison, one voice in your left ear, the other in your right.

“You have to guess, baby,” one murmured, his tone sultry and amused.

“Guess it right, and maybe we’ll both reward you,” the other added, his voice a breathy tease.

Hands roamed your body, stroking, squeezing, teasing, but their touches were indistinguishable. The anticipation was maddening, your body twitching with every featherlight caress.

“Who was it, angel?” one asked, the whisper brushing against your ear, the heat of his breath making you shiver.

“Think carefully,” the other teased, his voice dangerously soft as his lips ghosted over your neck.

Your head spun, the sensory overload leaving you utterly at their mercy. Before you could answer, another set of hands slid up your thighs, lifting them slightly before a cock pressed back inside you, filling you in one smooth stroke. You gasped, your back arching as the rhythm began again, this time faster, more deliberate, coaxing every reaction out of you.

“Who is it?” one of them whispered, their tone deep and commanding, their lips brushing against the shell of your ear. A hand tangled in your hair, tugging gently, just enough to send a sharp spark of pleasure through you.

You opened your mouth to answer, but another voice purred against your lips before you could speak. “Careful, baby. Get it wrong, and we might have to start over.”

The stretch, the pace, the way they claimed you—it was impossible to think straight. Every sound, every movement, every word blended together, leaving you guessing, your mind a haze of desire and need.

“Take your time, princess,” one murmured, his lips grazing your jaw as the thrusts continued.

“No rush,” the other whispered, his tone dripping with amusement. “We’ve got all night.”

The overwhelming sensations made it nearly impossible to think straight. Your body trembled, teetering on the edge of delirium. Their teasing whispers, so close to your ears, blurred together, sending shivers down your spine.

‘Shit…’ you thought, barely able to focus, the lingering edge of your denied release making everything feel magnified. It didn’t help that the way they alternated, the subtle differences in their movements, forced you to pay attention to every inch of their touch.

“Ah—fuck!” you cried out suddenly as the current one inside you hit your g-spot with precision, causing your back to arch off the couch.

“Ahh, it’s right here, huh, angel?” he teased, his voice a deep growl as his lips brushed against your ear, his hips snapping harder and faster into you.

“Feels so good, doesn’t it, pretty?” the other murmured from beside you, his hand gripping your neck firmly, holding you steady as you squirmed beneath them.

The combination of sensations left you on the brink of being completely cock-drunk, your mind fuzzy and your body responding instinctively. But you forced yourself to focus, trying to distinguish between them.

The one before was a decent length, thick and stretching you with every thrust. But the one in you now? He was longer, thinner, reaching places that left you gasping for breath. You swallowed hard, forcing yourself to gather your thoughts despite the way your body was screaming for more.

“Have you decided?” one of them asked, their tone a mix of amusement and anticipation.

Taking a shaky breath, you finally spoke, your voice hoarse and trembling. Your lips parted, the answer teetering on the edge of your tongue, as another thrust sent sparks shooting through your nerves, nearly making you second-guess yourself.

“W-Won then, Ki…?” you gasped, breath hitching as his thrusts slowed before he pulled out again, leaving you whining in frustration.

“My, you seem to know us so well, angel,” Riki's voice rang clearer now, no longer whispering.

“Gonna have to treat her to something good, right, Ki?” Jungwon added, pressing a kiss to your neck. “Such a smart girl.”

“Mhm… please, ’m yours…” you murmured, breathless, as they carried you back onto the bed, your head hanging slightly over the edge.

“Blindfolds—on or off?” Jungwon asked softly, standing over you, his gaze intense as his hands stroked himself gently.

“O-on.. please,” you replied, causing Riki to comment, “What a dirty girl,” His body suddenly pushing back into you with a swift move, making you yelp. He moved quickly against you, his arms holding your knees tightly.

“Shh, you’re so loud, baby,” Jungwon said, tapping his tip near your lips, causing you to open them obediently. “Or you wanna show how much of a cockslut you are, hmm?” he teased, moving gently into your mouth, your moans muffled sending vibrations through him.

Jungwon groaned as you hummed on his dick, holding onto the back of your neck to balance you as he fucked your mouth. “Such a good cockslut for us, right Ki?”

“Mhm, such a good girl for us.” Riki replied, biting his lips as he watched himself going in and out of you.

Feeling their cocks filling you both ways had your head spinning, waves of pleasure surging through your sensitive body. Your muffled moans sent vibrations along Jungwon’s length, drawing a low groan from him as he bucked his hips, his restraint fraying with each passing moment.

Both of them began to pick up their pace, Riki’s hands gripping your hips firmly. “Your pussy’s taking me in so perfectly, angel” he growled, his hips snapping into you with a steady rhythm.

“Such a pretty girl taking us both so well,” Jungwon praised, his hand stroking your flushed cheek as his hips continued their relentless rhythm in your mouth. He gazed down at you, a hint of admiration in his voice. “Close?”

You hummed weakly, the vibration sent a shudder through him, and his voice grew more strained as his release teetered on the edge.

“Cum for us, angel.”

The next morning, it was safe to say they found themselves in a rather questionable situation. The boys assumed you were still peacefully resting in bed after the events of the previous day. But the same couldn't be said for the other two.

“I can’t believe you two,” Heeseung said, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration as the two youngest members sat awkwardly on the couch.

“Sorry—” Jungwon began, but you suddenly cut him off.

“Seung-ah, it’s fine,” you said, appearing in the doorway with a gentle smile. “Besides, I think you’re just jealous. If you want me, just say so, baby—but keep these two out of it.”

Heeseung froze for a moment, clearly trying to process your teasing words, before completely blowing a fuse. The two younger boys cried out in panic, while you giggled and walked off, ready to go back to sleep.

TAGLIST — @kikidoul @rikiives @contyynishimura @ziiao @lilmarsh-t @bxcndd @laylasbunbunny

[gay-dorito-dust]

I can't stop thinking about the batboys in a relationship and their significant other doing that trend where you call your boyfriend your husband. Like just randomly mid conversation they'd be like "my husband". I wonder how the batboys would feel about that.

I’m currently in mourning of my snakebites (they might be healed up after I took them out for one fucking day, sounds dramatic I know but I genuinely can’t get them back in) so rip to them I guess haha(laughing but crying real tears 🥲)

Dick

He acts like he knew you’d would call him husband one day but on the inside he was trying not to explode with how badly that word affected him.

Husband.

He didn’t think he would fit the mould for a perfect husband, yeah sure he’s great in many aspects when it comes down to it, but Dick still has a fear that he still didn’t measure up and that he’d end up letting you down sooner or later.

Yet hearing you call him your husband with confidence and pride only had him feeling as though he was falling for you all over again as his vision seemly became brighter, Gotham’s dark and miserable aesthetic had become a little more tolerable for Dick.

Within a blink of an eye he’s holding your face, his beautiful blue eyes shimmering like gemstones, and before you could say anything your face was being bombarded with rapid fire kisses and sweet nothings to accompany them.

‘You want to marry me? Awww you’re so definitely in love with me!’ - Dick would say teasingly.

‘Dick we’ve been dating for a while now-‘

‘Shhhh, let’s enjoy this moment sweetheart.’ Dick would cut you off as he holds you closer to his chest, pressing a lingering kiss against your forehead as he felt a warm and welcoming feeling within his chest as he could only imagine the day where you got to obviously call each other mrs/mr Grayson or spouse.

It made dick impatient for the future, but he knew he couldn’t rush perfection.

Jason

Smug prick.

That’s all I’m going to say is that the moment you call him your husband, he’s got a smirk upon his face but his eyes are soft and filled with unspoken love and affection.

He genuinely didn’t think he’d ever get to a point where he would have someone to call him own, to call his home and have something that was his and wouldn’t run away when he comes back from patrol bloody and bruised.

He didn’t think a domestic life was for him but with you, there wasn’t a day that went by where you weren’t doing something domestic like folding clothes, or doing the dishes together; it was moments where Jason is proven wrong that makes him feel more compelled to think towards the future, or more specifically a future with you where he’d one day stop being a vigilante for good and settle down.

So hearing you call him your husband has this man on cloud nine and a hell of a lot happier then he’s ever been in his entire life. Expect to be hugged tightly from behind with his faces buried deep into your neck as he just breaths you in and reminds himself that this was all real, that this wasn’t some fantasy dream he’ll wake up from; Jason will be reminded that this is his life and it’s a hell of a lot better with you in it that was for certain.

Damian

Doesn’t outwardly show his reaction but his actions afterwards will definitely show what really thinks.

He’s doing more domestic tasks with and for you without hesitation, treating you to lovely outings with Titus and Ace within the park where he’s holding you from behind and smiling at you when your eyes were occupied elsewhere.

With Damian he doesn’t verbally say he how he felt about being called your husband, he just acts like he is your husband by spoiling you rotten with gifts and quality time with him, for he soon came to realise that his time with you was few and far between for his own liking.

He does everything he can in his power to prove that he would be a reliable husband one day, he even does chores that you put on yourself in hopes that eases the long, long list of things to do you’ve already given yourself. He doesn’t like it when you’re stressed and can’t do everything within an unrealistic timeframe that you’ve set for yourself.

However there are still some things that Damian keeps up his sleeves as he’s not found of showing all of his little tricks when there’s room for him to surprise you later on down the line. He acts like your husband because he will become your husband in the distant future, one that’ll be safer than the times you are both were living in now; he just won’t tell you but he will give you hints in hopes you’d able to see them beforehand.

Tim

He stops.

Literally.

Like he has completely stopped what he’s doing and tries to piece together whether or not he did in fact heard what you had just said.

So he waits for you in hopes that you’d say it again and when you do, he’s beaming, he’s smiling as wide as he possibly can.

So once he’s done being frozen to the spot, acting as though he’s just completely shut down from the inside, his laptop would have multiple tabs open with stuff such as;

‘How to be a good husband (with pictures)’

‘Be a better husband by avoiding these 21 common mistakes.’

‘15 small ways to be a better husband, from a marriage therapist.’

And ‘25 qualities of a good husband’

He wasn’t playing when it comes to preparing in being a husband that you can be proud of and gush about to your friends, not only that but also becoming that cliche couple that might as well still be in their honeymoon phase. He just wants to be ready and prepared when the day does become reality and he might as well have folders upon folders of advice that he had stored away for future reference.

It didn’t matter whether or not you meant it when you called him your husband because Tim was more than ready to learn how to be one for the distant future, for being married to you would be a daydream for sweet Tim and he wanted your marriage to be a long and happy one.

[comfycozycrossfox]

anyway my next jewelry idea is having all of my facial jewelry different colors and only bright ass neon colors . would this look good ? im not confident bUt it sure would be striking

[rylem33]

Snakebit

Author's Note: This is not the entire story due to some images. The entire story can be found over at my blog (link on my Tumblr homepage). I hope you enjoy!

------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 1 Andrea wove through the crowd at the local fair, her hand clasped tightly in Ryan’s as she pointed out booths that caught her eye.

“Oh! Let’s stop here,” she exclaimed, tugging him toward a stall covered in temporary tattoos. Magic Millie’s Tattoos claimed the sign. The designs were intricate, shimmering under the string lights overhead.

“Really?” Ryan asked, raising an eyebrow. “You’re gonna spend ten bucks on something that washes off in two days?” “Why not?” she shot back, rolling her eyes. “It’s fun.  Don’t you think I’d look cute with a tattoo?”

She flipped through the designs, finally settling on a small black snake design. “This one,” she said, holding it up to the vendor.

Andrea pressed the tattoo onto her arm.

“Damn,” Ryan said, leaning in to inspect it. “That’s actually pretty cool.”

Andrea grinned. “Told you.”

------------------------------------------------------------------ Day 2 Andrea blinked awake. She stretched, yawning, and her gaze fell on her arm.

Her eyes widened. The snake was bigger. Its tail now extended down her bicep, and its head rested on her shoulder.

“Ryan!” she called, her voice full of panic.

He stumbled into the room, still groggy. “What’s wrong?” “Look!” She thrust her arm toward him.

He frowned, leaning in closer. “Wasn’t that…smaller yesterday?” “Obviously! And it won’t come off!” She rubbed at it furiously, but the tattoo didn’t budge.

“Maybe you should go back to that booth and ask about it,” Ryan suggested. “And say what? ‘Hi, your fake tattoo’s growing and it’s freaking me out’?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know, Andrea. But this is wrong.” ------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 3 Andrea groaned as she woke, feeling an odd weight on her body. Her eyes fluttered open, and she froze.

Her reflection in the bedroom mirror was unrecognizable. 

“Ryan!” she shouted, sitting up and staring at herself.

He walked in, a cup of coffee in hand, and stopped dead. The mug slipped from his fingers, shattering on the floor. “Holy shit,” he whispered, his eyes wide as he took her in.

Andrea turned to him, her expression a mixture of panic and anger. “What’s happening to me?!”

Ryan didn’t respond immediately, his gaze drifting from her face to her body. He swallowed hard.

“Ryan,” she snapped. “Stop staring like that.” “Sorry,” he said quickly, his face flushing. “It’s just…you look…different.”

“Different?!” she barked, standing up. “That’s an understatement. I look like a completely different person!” She gestured to her reflection, her pajamas stretched to the limits against her swollen curves.

Ryan rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding her gaze. “Yeah, I mean…you do. But…you also look…amazing.” His voice softened on the last word, and Andrea’s sharp retort faltered as she noticed the way his eyes lingered on her curves.

“Seriously?” she said, her tone incredulous. “You’re turned on right now? I’m freaking out, and all you can think about is how hot I look?” “I didn’t say that!” he protested, though his cheeks flushed deeper. “I mean, I’m worried! But also…uh, yeah, maybe a little?”

Andrea glared at him, her frustration mounting.

“Whatever,” she muttered, turning away. “I need to figure out what the hell is going on.”

------------------------------------------------------------------ Please head over to my blog to find out what happens on Day 4!

[frost-queen]

Till it bites you back // part 5 (Male!Reader x Eloise Bridgerton)

Forever tag:@missmelodramatic   , @merlin-dahlia, @alex--awesome--22  , @elllie-does-the-posts, @floatlosers   , @merlieve   , @queen-of-books  , @glimmering-darling-dolly   ,@denkisclown  , @wildieflower   ,@meyocoko    , @justanothercoco, @subjecta13-thefangirl  , @m-rae23 , @harleyquinnswifeyfrfr , @swampthing07   , @melsunshine   @panhoeofmanyfandoms  , @venomsvl , @the-uncoordinated-house-cat ,@rosecentury   ,  @imagines-by-her   ,  @evilcr0ne   , @vviolynn    , @niktwazny303   ,@avada-kedavra-bitch-187  , @markive-m , @thethreeeyed-raven , @anonymous-cat-21 , @lord-lyss , @nameless-flowerr , @hipsternerd9 , @kookietunes07 , @dd122004dd , @ryv-viv , @aquilla6077, @sauron559, @cluelessteam. @czarinera , @korane06 , @luvinyouwasred123, @snakebite-21

Summary: A sudden house call, freaks the Bridgertons out. Out for a stroll, you hope Eloise would be comfortable enough around you certainly now that you have set your mind on courting her. [Series]

Hyacinth gapsed loud, running up to the window. Coming to sit at the windowsill, glueing her face to the window. - "A carriage is stopping at our house." - she called out in excitement. Gregory rushed over to her, trying to shove her away.

Starting to bicker about it. Nudging each other in the side, a push in one's face here and there. Benedict jumped up joining them by the window. He shoved their heads aside with a giddy smile. - "That is a royal carriage." - he pointed out.

Looking over his shoulder to his mother with a smirk. Violet's eyes lit up as she glanced to her daughter sitting beside her. Her entire face lighting up as her hand went down on Eloise's knee. - "What?" - Eloise called out, slouched in the sofa with her arms crossed. - "A royal carriage my darling." - Violet clearified with a cheeky glance. Eloise looked away with a puff. - "Who says it's even him." - she responded. Benedict grinned at her, hand pressed on the window.

"Oh, it is him sister." - he said teasingly. Eloise's eyes widened. Violet stood up with fear in her eyes. - "Dear lords." - she called out in a panic. Clapping in her hands she urged Hyacinth and Gregory away from the window. They rushed away, coming to sit in the sofa. - "He's coming up the doorway." - Benedict called out as Violet let out a yelp of panic. Violet tapped Eloise hard to sit properly.

Benedict moved away from the window. Spinning around mindlessly to think of where he would position himself. Violet orchestrated to Hyacinth to stop pestering her brother and be perfectly still. Benedict settled for the fireplace, leaning against it with his arm. Gregory had taken a book pretending to read it. Violet flattened her dress. The knock on the door made her sit down quickly. The door opened as you were announced. Entering to witness a picture perfect painting.

Everyone looking curious your way, making you feel observed. Violet got up to welcome you. You bowed to her as it made her stare bewildered back. - "Welcome your royal highness." - she said with a curtsy. She cleared her throat loud as her children got up, curtsying or bowing to you. - "We are honoured to have you in our presence, your royal highness." - " she continued warmly.

Reaching back for her daughter, she took Eloise's arm, shoving her to the front. Eloise shot her mother a glare before smiling sheepishly at you. You took her hand bringing it to your lips to kiss them gently. It left Eloise flustered, making Benedict snort loud. Gregory stomped on his foot to silence him. Benedict pressing his lips together to supress a yell. - "Please be welcome, your royal highness." - Violet gestured at the sofa's.

"If you do not mind Lady Bridgerton, I would like to accompany miss Eloise for a walk on this fine day." - you proposed. Violet giggled brightly. - "What a wonderful idea your royal highness." - she answered. You offered Eloise your arm as she gladly took it. With Violet right behind you. Benedict, Hyacinth and Gregory rushed to the window once you had left the drawing room. Wanting to see the departure.

Hyacinth sighed dreamy at the window. - "I want to marry a prince." - she said dreamingly. - "If anyone even wants to marry you." - Gregory teased in a tone of mockery. It made Hyacinth punch him in the armpit. Benedict needing to pull them apart with a deep sigh. Eloise quirked her eyebrow up, looking curious around. Before her question could even be spoken appeared Claude from behind the carriage. Following in line just 6 steps behind you.

Eloise gave Claude a comforting smile as he tilted his head in return with a nod. Violet walked in pace with Claude, admiring her daughter and the prince. - "How have you been miss Eloise?" - you asked to deafen out the silence. - "Oh." - Eloise chuckled nervously out. - "Very well your royal highness." - she answered. Looking away with mockery at herself for sounding so fabricated.

When she looked back at you it was with a nervous laugh. It made you clear your throat, looking away. Something had changed the tension and you didn't like it. Ever since you proclaimed to her you'd want to court her, everything has been awkward. Sometimes you wished it was like before where she was at ease around you. Violet and Claude shared a nervous glance. Guiding Eloise on her stroll towards the park.

Wanting to get away from the streets. Having noticed several eyes focus on you, pointing and whispering. No doubt an appearance would be made in Whistledown's morning's edition. The four of you neared the park as you felt her arm tense a bit around yours. - "Are you comfortable enough? If you'd rather return home I understand." - you told her, wanting to keep her as comfortable as possible.

Eloise turned her gaze up to you. - "I am comfortable." - she replied untensing her muscles. You gestured to a bench as Eloise nodded. She let go of your arm, sitting down. You came sitting down beside her. Hands nervously rubbing over your knees. - "Miss Eloise the last thing I want to be is intimidating to you." - you said. - "Oh but you are n..." - she answered turning more towards you. You didn't let her finish as you wanted her to feel herself around you.

"Please just see me as normal Y/n. Plain Y/n who simply enjoys being outdoors with a girl he likes." - you continued as Eloise's cheeks flushed red. She looked bashful away. To set an example, you leaned back on the back. Sinking a bit down to slouch. Eloise laughed loud as it made you smile. Violet looked at Claude with a spark of hope. Exhaling deep, you gazed upon the lake. - "Magnificent." - you let out at the beautiful scenery.

"It is even more beautiful with you here." - you went on making her smile. Eloise took a deep breath, coming loose. Before you knew it she was talking to you with passion about some subject. Violet stared in horror at her for being such a waterfall with no filter. You chuckled, listening carefully as you loved that about her.

Claude cleared his throat after an hour that it was time. You got up as Eloise followed. The four of you returning to her home. By your carriage you took her hand once more to kiss it. - "I enjoyed today your royal highness." - Eloise spoke with a smile.

"As did I. Shame it has been short." - you responded. She hummed loud. - "I would've loved to hear more about you." - Eloise answered. - "How about an invitation to my home?" - you suggested as Eloise's gaze widened with a slight shock.

---------------------------------------

Read more of my fics on my Masterlists!  

[spleenthecat]

ok ive been thinking about valentin a lot lately so im just going to infodump what i have right now.

first i should say. i dont plan on giving the guy trauma. i know its a whole thing with ocs and that they always have trauma, but i really dont want to do that with valentin. and i have a reason for this. the whole reason i want stan to have a boyfriend like this in the first place is because he deserves to have some kind of stable figure in his life. someone who can comfort him and be understanding of him without their own issues also weighing down on them. valentin is in a place where he is able to be that kind of person for stan. and thats because hes mentally stable enough to do that. okay now for the actually entertaining stuff. valentin is a very gentle and nice guy despite how big and scary he is (and the fact he kills people..) and is friendly with pretty much everyone in town like stan is.

hes very big into parkour and stuff. before he moved to gravity falls it was more urban parkour, scaling buildings and such, and afterwards he got really interested in exploring the forest and climbing the trees. he sees it like a giant playground. its very fun.

him being into parkour is actually what led to him becoming a hitman. i couldn't for the life of me tell you how exactly he ended up with that job, but it made a decent living and he didn't mind it much. but whatever

he has a few piercings. he has pierced ears (which was in the concept art) and ive decided he can also have snakebites and a nose piercing too, why the hell not. he probably has a few tattoos too, but i havent put enough thought into those yet.

speaking of snakebites. he loves snakes. i think everyone deserves a favorite animal and his is snakes. stan is inexplicably terrified of snakes so whenever theres one in the shack or on the porch then valentin is the one to take care of it.

also. remember how i said "dont ask this guy where he was in the mid 80's" on the concept art? well since youre here i might as well give some clarification to that. there were like. "parties" for bears in the 80's in california. he was over there. for completely unrelated reasons. dont worry about it. dipper was one thousand percent convinced valentin was a werewolf when him and mabel first got to the shack. sure, he was really nice to them, but what if it was all a ploy so he could eat them or whatever werewolves do?? plus, he was always running off into the forest to "work out". it was suspicious.. and then he realized valentin was just really active and liked nature. boring.

mabel loovves doing valentin's hair. its so long, the possibilities are endless!! lots of times he ends up just being a model for her, doing different hairstyles or wearing different accessories. its very sweet and wholesome and cool.

soos basically has two dads now. valentin is always there to teach him stuff and give advice. compared to stan he's the voice of reason most of the time. they're very close.

dont think i forgot about wendy! he's close with wendy too! she taught him how to use axes to climb trees more efficiently and other methods of navigating the forest. he taught her how to fire guns. it's great.

and now the best for last. stan.

valentin met stan after moving to gravity falls in order to be more secluded and less likely to be hunted down by cops. this was about 7 years after stan got there, so he was already pretty settled in. they met in greasy's diner and talked for a while, hitting it off. they kept meeting there for lunch and sometimes breakfast, and after a while they grew closer and hung out more often. blah blah blah they start dating its all great. cool!

fun fact. they're unofficially married. they can't legally get married since it was like. the 90's when they started dating and even then the timeline goes up until 2012 where same sex marriage still wasn't legal. but they said "hey even if we can't sign the paperwork (which would be a headache anyways) we can still wear matching rings and live together and basically be husbands but socially instead of legally." and so they're. basically married.

i said in the concept art that valentin is kinda housewife like? yeah. he takes care of the house and stuff while stan goes out and works, and really just. likes baking. it seems out of place considering everything else but he just likes it.

when stan finishes his work day, its immediately to valentin for emotional support and cuddles. theres nothing more relaxing than just sitting back and letting val hold him close. maybe talk about how their days went. domestic bliss and all that.

shockingly valentin is very bad at flirting. but not in the way you're probably thinking. stan will say something like "damn baby youre body is soo beautiful. all of that working out is really paying off huh." and then valentin will reply like "well i think your eyes are pretty and your silver hair brings out the way they shine when you're happy" like how the hell is stan supposed to reply to that. valentin is so stupid /aff

also stan gets flustered very easily around him. no matter how badass you think he looks with his brass knuckles ready to fight, he looks like a pathetic wet cat next to valentin.

ive also had a lot of thoughts about him and ford interacting, but im gonna put that in another post because this alone is already over 900 words and thats too much. so uh. yeahh. hope you like him.

[eleanordol]

💛— warnings. none

💛— synopsis. I have no excuse for this it's just romantic sappy angst bullshit.

💛— word count. 454

: ・ෆ・┈・┈・꒰ིྀ ♡̩͙ ꒱ིྀ ・┈・┈・ෆ・ :

this is part of the Eleanor Lore Series

one.

two. (you are here!)

random thoughts post

Bruises faded from deep purple to a sickly looking yellow green.  Despite the appearance this meant they were healing.  Her body breaking down the pooled blood, reabsorbing it.

Whitney leaned over Eleanor carefully, mindful of her bruised body as he watched her face in the dim glow of her star covered ceiling. The gunmetal hoops of his snakebites caught what little light there was, drawing her to his lips. His hand came up to cradle her face with unusual gentleness, thumb ghosting over the healed scrapes and cuts on her cheekbone. She tilted her head slightly, golden eyes meeting his blue ones.

"You sure you're okay for this?" he murmured, the cool metal of his piercings barely touching her lips.

Eleanor nodded, closing her eyes and parting her lips slightly in anticipation. Her heart beating loudly in her ears.

Her hands gripped his shirt, knuckles white like if she let go he’d be gone.  Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, a squeak caught in her throat.  She tried holding it back, eventually failing to keep herself together and breaking into a sob.

He started gently, mindful that she was still quite injured despite her mood perking up in the past few days.  She’d been silently begging him for physical touch, but his fear of her evident fragility and tested mortality held him back.  He ran his tongue piercing across her bottom lip. The steel ball glided along until she caught it between her lips, a soft giggle impishly escaped her mouth.  She didn’t tug too hard, certainly not enough to harm the piercing. 

Her playfulness emboldened him, a trace of how she had been before this fucking disaster.  He met her where she was at, kissing her deeply, hungrily.  Leaning into her.

He immediately pulled back, distress evident on his face, frozen in uncertainty.

“I missed you so much,” her voice was scratchy and horse, the first words she had spoken in two weeks.  The joy of this contact overwhelmed her, flooding her brain to the point of tears.

His expression softened, an unusual vulnerability for him.  He placed a kiss on her forehead, lingering there for a moment.  Taking her in, sensations he missed while she was gone, while she was too injured to touch.  He inhaled deeply, his nose wrinkling at the antiseptic smell that covered her usual scent of vanilla and orchids.  Her hair and skin smelled like a hospital.

He lowered himself beside her on the bed, arm looping around her to pull her close, her head settling on his chest while he rubbed her back.  She was safe now; she felt safe.

"You’re tough as fuck," he murmured against the top of her head, nuzzling into her hair, “the toughest slut I know.”

[oh-surprise-its-me]

Jake knows he feels too much, he’s felt too much for years.

Hangman.

Christ. If only they knew he had lists in his notes app for allergies, likes and dislikes, favorite foods and birthdays.

Hangman.

Yeah. It’d be more fitting if he had been the one to leave the other behind. But no, he was flying with Snakebite and the asshole left Jake behind but hadn’t done the move right. So Jake pulled forward and ahead and Snake had to abort.

Hangman.

He wishes he could take the persona off, but it settles on his shoulders like a jacket. He finds some comfort in it. Jake knows that Javy can see through it, why Jake always sticks close to Javy and doesn’t ask too many questions. Has the confidence in himself when he really hasn’t had any since his father kicked him out at 15.

Hangman.

He sits outside the hard deck in the sand, he hears someone come up behind him. It’s probably Javy. The only person whose ever come to check on him in 20 years.

“You good Jake?”

Oh. Oh. That’s not Javy. That’s Bradley.

He sniffs, “yeah what’s it to you Roo.”

Bradley lands on the sand next to Jake, he sits close enough their shoulders touch. “Saw you leave. But I also saw you start crying. Figured I’d check up on you.”

Jake let’s put a wet laugh, he scrubs at his eyes. Jake, such the fucking cry baby look at you now.

“Jake come on what’s up, are you okay? Are you hurt? Should I get Javy?” Jake shakes his head, “no let him have his night. It’s stupid anyways. I’m just a bit drunk.”

Hangman.

“Can’t be that stupid if it made you cry.”

Jake falls back into the sand, it’s easier this way, he can just stare at the stars instead of looking away from Bradley.

“Nat almost drank coconut rum.”

Bradley lays back in the sand next to Jake. “Not sure I follow. But keep talking.” Jake shakes his head. “She’s allergic. No one saw but me so I reminded her. She told me to fuck off, and that if she wanted a lecture from her mom she’d call her.”

Bradley let’s out a puff of air. “Shit. I didn’t know she was allergic.”

Jake laughs again. God this day can’t end fast enough. “Not dead allergic just enough it bothers her. She mentioned once a few years ago.”

Bradley nods, “you notice things about people. You care.”

Now it’s Jakes turn to nod, “reason I came out here was I figured no one would notice I was gone. Got too loud in there.”

“I notice.”

Now Jake turns to look at Bradley, he’s not sure what he’s expecting to see but the look of, caring? God Jake might even dare to say love? In Bradley’s eyes are a startling image.

“You always let Payback have shotgun because rarely gets car sick, you let Javy have all your pickles because he loves them. You remembered Nat is allergic to coconut even though I’ve known her for years and she mentioned it to you once.”

Bradley takes a breath sitting back up. “God Jake I think I notice everything about you.”

Jake is shocked that Bradley has been apparently watching him for years. Shit maybe his crush isn’t just one sided. He sits up, twisting to face Bradley head on.

“You care?”

Bradley smiles, “please god punch me if I got this wrong Jake but I more then care.”

And then he kisses Jake.

Bradley Bradshaw is kissing Jake Seresin.

Merry fucking Christmas in July to Jake.

Jake pulls away. “I’m a lot Bradley. I feel too much. I cry when dogs die in movies. I get angry around father related holidays. I have a weirdly dependent relationship with my best friend. I get it if you want to run away.”

Bradley takes Jake’s hand, he brings it up to his mouth kissing it and then using it to drag Jake into a hug. “I like a lot Jake. I’m grabby in the mornings. I take 30 minute showers. I cook but maybe not to the best level. I go full out at any holiday but I’m insufferably overkill around Valentine’s Day. I’m not running if you aren’t.”

Jake presses a kiss into Bradley’s neck. He feels tears in his eyes but for different reasons now. “Well I guess there’s only one way for me to know about the grabby morning part huh?”

Bradley laughs, he stands in one motion, and sticks a hand out for Jake to grab. “Wanna find out?”

Jake smiles up and grabs Bradley’s hand.

He’s not letting go. And he’s going to remember every damn moment of tonight.

[silverwings22]

Starfall: Chapter 9: Snakebite

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

“I can’t reach it!” Star bounced on her feet, trying and failing to get a sheet over the top of a high backed chair. It was the roof of their pillow fort, it was movie night, and she was finally tall enough to help… except she wasn’t, it seemed.

Maria giggled. “Oh no. I’ll have to add lift to your boots.”

“I hate being the shortest.” Star sighed as Shadow came over to assist. “I feel like I’m never any help.”

“Of course you are.” Shadow took the sheet from her hand and tossed it over the chair. “Besides, I like it when you need my help. It’s cute.”

Star felt the blood rush to her cheeks and she looked down, foot cocking behind her awkwardly and body swaying side to side. “Cute?”

“Poor choice of words?” He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t want you mad at me. It’s your turn to pick the movie, and if I have to watch that Aristocats movie again-”

Star scooped up a pillow and lightly bonked him in the chest. “It’s cute!” 

“It’s unrealistic.” He shrugged. 

“Because they’re talking cats?” She scrunched her nose. “We’re hedgehogs.”

“Because nobody looks into a pair of big blue eyes and falls in love instantly. Love takes time. You have to see both their good and bad sides, and know them completely before you fall in love.”

“Cause you know so much about it.” She retreated over by Maria when he picked up a retaliatory pillow, knowing he wouldn’t knock her quills off her head with their friend so close. “Tell him, Maria. Tell him it’s sweet.” 

Maria giggled, letting Star crawl under the blanket around her shoulders. “It is sweet. And Star has eyes like sapphires, just like Duchess.”

“You have blue eyes too, Maria.” Star peeped up at her. 

“Yeah, but Shadow isn’t looking at meeeee.” She teased. 

“Mariiiiia.” Shadow groaned. 

Star squinted, but lifted up the corner of the blanket. “Snuggle? We can watch Robin Hood instead, if you want.”

Shadow climbed up under the blanket with them, he and Star laying on their stomachs while Maria sat upright with their popcorn bowl. She was tall enough to pop the selected VHS tape into the VCR without getting up. Halfway through the movie, Star had tipped over so her head was resting on Shadow’s arm. “Robin and Marian are cute too.” She whispered. 

“They knew each other since they were kids. This is more reasonable.” He whispered back, smiling when she rubbed her cheek against his shoulder affectionately. “Don’t fall asleep this time, Starshine.” 

Star cracked her eyes, shaking her head when she realized she’d fallen asleep sitting upright on the back of an airboat. Luckily, she’d released the engine throttle and come to a stop in the middle of a slow moving swamp. “Shit.” She whispered faintly, leaning back in her seat. She wasn’t sure what was more awful, the blatant wasting of her own time or the memory. 

She glanced at her phone, checking the time. She’d been dozed off for about an hour, it was lucky no other boats had come by or any large predators had tried to make a meal of a sleeping Mobian sitting still. These waters were thick with crocodiles and anaconda-

Thwap.

A wet sound on the side of the boat made her jump and she looked over, spotting a large green frog scrambling over the side. It was googly eyed, with reddish markings, and croaked at her once it settled in on the flat deck. In its mouth was a shining yellow gemstone that glittered the same color as its oversized eyeballs.

The Chaos Emerald.

Star let go of the boat controls and slowly stood, hands up where the amphibian could see them. “Hey, little guy. C’mere, let me have that rock and I’ll catch you a bug you can snack on. How’s that sound? It’s okay, I’m not gonna hurt you.” 

The frog puffed out its throat and croaked, but didn’t move as Star started inching towards her. It seemed like it was going to let her take the Emerald, but when she was close enough to touch the frog it swallowed the stone. 

“No!” Star yelped, diving to try to catch it. It hopped backwards, into the water, and started swimming towards the sludgy swamp-muck shore and mangrove root maze that he’d be hopelessly lost in once he reached. Star groaned, grabbing the side of the boat to jump into the water after the creature, when a v-shaped ripple passed under her. She blinked, watching it heading right for the frog, and paled. “Anaconda.” 

She’d done her research on the flight over, reading up about the massive heavyweight snakes that spent more time underwater than not. They were beyond dangerous… and she was a three foot tall hedgehog. A light snack, compared to the grown deer they often preyed on. Still, as the water roiled and the frog vanished into the green and yellow scaled coils, she knew she had no choice but to take it on. The Emerald was in the frog and the frog was in the snake, and no amount of conflict avoidance was going to work on a giant hungry reptile. Normally she didn’t begrudge any creature that needed to kill in order to eat. It was just nature, like the documentaries she used to watch with Maria and Shadow. But not this time. Not that frog, not right now. She was going to have to intervene.

Fuck it. 

She took a running jump off the side of the boat, landing on the snake’s back and skating up towards the head. It immediately tried to sling coils over her, seeking to drag her into the water and crush the life out of her for its next meal. Star wasn’t sure how she felt about the unending life that loomed in front of her, but she knew she didn’t want to spend any part of it being digested. 

When she got to the front of the snake, it reared its head back to strike. Star lept back, letting it slam its nose into its own ribs, before holding out a hand. “Chaos spear!” 

A flash of white-gold light crackled from her eyes and fingertips before she let fly with the energy like a javelin, striking the snake in the head. It hissed so loudly she felt it rumble under her feet, but tried to dive underwater. Star had to throw herself across its back to hang on when they went down, nose stinging from the water. She dug her claws in between the scales, cursing the slowed reaction time of being underwater when the snake managed to wrap a section of its bulk around her and twist her into the embrace. 

She couldn’t breathe, and with every heartbeat the anaconda squeezed tighter. Bubbles streamed from her mouth, vanishing upwards to the surface of the murky water. She looked up, watching them disappear and her vision gray out at the edges. 

I don’t actually think this thing can kill me. But if I do die, this isn’t how I want to go. I was stupid to think I’d ever defy fate.. All I want is to see him again. Just one more time. Shadow…

The unpleasant sound her ribcage made when something popped, and the blooming pain, were enough to drag her mind back to the present and she closed wiggled her fingers against the leather of her bag. The other emeralds were inside, and the one in the frog inside the snake were close… 

“Ch-haos….” She had so little air left, and it escaped in a mumble of bubble and desperation. The colors of the world inverted and the anaconda’s coils were ripped off of her when her prism of chaos energy surrounded her, leaving her collapsed in the bottom of the same trap she’d used on the echidna of Angel Island. She coughed, clearing her nose of water, and wheezed her way to her feet. 

She had to finish this, and quickly, so she pulled the prism upward out of the anaconda’s grip and let it dissipate, rolling into a spin dash and slamming hard into the frog-shaped bulge in its belly. It hissed and writhed, muscles clenching in reverse, and vomited up the frog before swimming off as fast as possible. Star splashed back into the water next to the frog, floating on her back as it climbed onto her stomach and croaked at her. 

“Yeah, yeah. You’re welcome.” She mumbled, awkwardly patting it. 

“Froggy!” A loud, deep voice from the shallows made her and the frog turn. A massive blue Mobian cat was waving a fishing rod and practically crying with relief. “Froggy, are you okay?!” 

Star sighed, putting a hand on the frog to keep it from jumping, and one-arm backstroke her way towards the cat. “Are you the guardian of this frog?”

“I’m Big.” He said simply, reaching down and picking her up by the belt. The frog jumped from her to his shoulder, and he set Star on her feet. 

“I see that.” She coughed. 

“You saved Froggy! Are you okay, Miss?” Big fretted over her as she coughed water out of her nose. He patted her back with a large hand. “Oh, you got squished…” 

“I’m fine.” She rasped, rubbing her chest. Everything hurt, tip to tail, and she just wanted to lay down and sleep another couple hours. If she’d had time, she would have just laid down right there in the swamp. “The frog… Froggy swallowed something. Before the snake attacked.” 

Big frowned. “Froggy! Spit that out!” 

Apparently agreeable to his friend’s command, the frog made a gagging noise and coughed up a slightly damp yellow emerald that dropped into Big’s hand. Star wrapped an arm around herself and squinted at it tiredly. “How’d it even fit inside him?” 

Big shook his head. “I dunno. But here, you saved him. So you should have this.” He placed the Emerald into her hands and gave her a smile. “If you want, I can get you some medicine for where you got squished. We’re fishing over here, and you're welcome to join us.” 

Big was nice. In another life, when she’d been someone else, she might have liked to sit down with him and listen to him tell her all about fishing. He seemed like a calming presence, and she could have settled down somewhere and leaned against his side while he talked. Eventually she’d fall asleep, postpone her plan for a little while, and maybe when she woke up her entire aching body would feel better-

No. I have to finish this.

“That sounds nice, it really does. But I have to go. I have a meeting soon, I can’t miss it.” She shook her head. “It’s someone I haven’t seen in a really long time.”

“At least take some medicine for the road?” Big offered. “That looked like it really hurt!”

“I’m okay.” She shook her head, water dripping off her quills. “Thank you, though.” 

Big patted her back again, lightly but it still made her wince. “What was your name, Miss?”

“Star.” She put the emerald in her bag and shook her head again. 

“Thank you again, then, Miss Star.” He nodded, gathering his fishing rod and flicking the line out to catch the railing of her boat. He pulled it over to them and offered her a hand up into it. She got the engine going with a little bit of kicking at it, and Big backed up when his phone started ringing. “Oh, that’s my friend Amy.” 

Star nodded. “Happy fishing.” She yanked the throttle, pulling out of the shallows before she took off at high speed across the surface back the way she’d come. She’d lost an hour and needed to make it up… but that little nap might have postponed a looming breakdown she also didn’t have time to have yet. 

Big got to a place he could hear as her engine faded. “Hi Amy!”

“Big, I’ve been trying to get ahold of you for hours.” 

“Sorry. I was looking for Froggy again, I didn’t think about my phone. Is everything okay?”

“There’s a Chaos Emerald near where you said you were going fishing. We’re trying to get to it before someone else does.”

Big frowned. “... Uh oh.”

“Uh oh?”

“Froggy swallowed it, and then he got swallowed by a snake. A nice lady saved him, and I let her take the Emerald.”

“What kind of ‘nice lady’?”

“A hedgehog girlie like you, Amy. She was black and blue, and she fought a whole big snake to save Froggy!” 

“Oh no. Her name wasn’t Star, was it?”

“How’d you know? She was really nice.”

“Biiiig! She’s collecting the Chaos Emeralds, and she beat up Sonic, Knuckles, and Rouge to get them!” Amy squawked. “Is she still there? Sonic called her cute, so I’ve got a bone to pick with her anyway.”

“No…” Big looked at the wake Star’s boat had left behind. “Are you sure she was bad? She was nice… she said thank you and everything!” 

“Is there any way you can catch her and stall?”

“I don’t think so. She had an airboat and I only have a canoe.” Big sighed. “I’m sorry Amy. I didn’t know, and she seemed really nice to me.” 

Amy let out a frustrated sigh. “That’s okay, Big. Did she say anything about what she was doing? We’re still trying to figure out what’s going on with her, and what her plan is.”

“Only that she had a meeting with someone she hadn’t seen for a long time. Does that help?”

“Maybe. It’ll at least give us something to work with. How long is your fishing trip? We might need some help with this.”

Big heaved an unhappy sigh. “I’ll come home. I think Froggy has had enough after everything today… It’s gonna be a long paddle, though.” He glanced back over at the way Star had gone. He hoped she was okay… she had saved his best friend, and been very polite. But she’d seemed so sad and worn down, it was the reason he’d invited her to come fishing with him. She looked like she needed somewhere to sit and relax, while he kept an eye on her so she’d be safe. 

Someone ought to look out for her. She’d looked awfully lonely.

“You got beaten up by a snake?! Some Ultimate Lifeform.” Ivo huffed. Star was sitting on the edge of a table, one of his robots wrapping her ribs and back. They’d heal faster than any normal Mobian, but it still was painful. 

“How well would you have fared against an anaconda?” She stared him down, dull eyed. 

“Miss Star, I have prepared pain medication for you while you heal.” The little medical bot, E-911 or Eggdoc, held out a little cup of tablets and a paper cup of water. “This will make you more comfortable for the foreseeable future. The enhanced healing factor serum is estimated to have your bones mended within three days.” 

“Don’t really have that kind of time.” She muttered as she took the pill cup. “Side effects?”

“It may make you drowsy, but you would be best served by resting anyway. I do not believe you have slept since you came to the base.”

Star set the pills back down. “Can’t deal with that. It’ll be fine for a couple days. Do we have a lock on the next emerald?”

“I’m still searching for it.” Ivo grumbled, watching her wince and pull her jacket back on. “We have a new problem. Sonic and his friends are tracking the Emeralds as well. I’ve intercepted radio transmissions between him and a few others.” 

“I handled him before.” Star zipped up her jacket. “I’m faster than him, and stronger than his echidna friend.” 

“But he’s working with Tails.” Ivo frowned. 

“Is that supposed to mean something to me?” Star cocked an eyebrow. 

“He’s brilliant. Nearly at my level, nothing to be sneezed at.” Ivo adjusted his glasses, looking annoyed. Star was wearing on his patience almost as much as he was wearing on hers, his impatience and grandiosity in opposition to her raw nerves and exhaustion. 

“You’re smarter?” Star got up off the table, straightening up and trying not to show how uncomfortable she was as she made her way towards the fridge for another energy drink. She was reasonably confident she’d consumed so much that if her blood ever did start running the same color green as the Black Arms, it was just this stuff. 

“Of course I am.”

“Then I’m not overly concerned.” She walked over to the console, examining the computer readouts. Energy spikes registered like EKG lines, a familiar enough language to Star after all the time spent by Maria’s bedside. 

“What’s that supposed to mean? You’re my minion!” Ivo screeched. “You can’t talk to me like that! My grandfather made you! You-”

“You idiot!” Star hissed, cutting him off. “Look at this. This energy spike is unstable. It’s moving.”

Ivo faltered. “... Moving?”

“Someone already has the emerald!” She snarled, chucking her now empty drink can at his head. “Eggdoc, can you fly a plane?”

“I have the basic programming, Miss Star.” The bot couldn’t really nod, egg shaped and all one piece. But it did waggle its arms. 

“Good. Come with me, I need a co-pilot. We’re going after that Emerald.” She gave Ivo a spectacularly dirty look and stormed out to the base airfield. Ivo watched her and the Badnik climb into one of his propellor planes and taxi down the runway, Star handling the controls. 

He growled under his breath, smoothing his mustache as best he could. Some minion this Ultimate Lifeform turned out to be. His grandfather’s notes said Star was supposed to be the obedient one, but she was the sassiest thing he’d ever met! If he hadn’t needed her abilities to get the Emeralds, he’d never have bothered dealing with her. Still, he wasn’t worried about her double crossing him. She’d been unfathomably loyal to his grandfather and cousin. She’d even told him she’d sacrificed herself to save Gerald and the research team. He just had to wait out this alliance, and she’d give him what he wanted. 

“We’re gonna go twice as fast this time!” Maria giggled, holding onto two jump rope handles. “This is going to be fun.”

Star stood in front of her, the other end of one of the jump ropes around her middle. Shadow, with the other around him, watched the little heel bounce she did. Maria did it too when she was excited, an adorable little sign they couldn’t both couldn’t contain themselves. He had to admit he loved it most when Star did it as he walked into a room, like she couldn’t help herself the moment she saw him. 

“Are your skates laced up all the way?” Star asked, turning back to Maria. “You almost tripped last time with just Shadow. We don’t want you to get hurt if we’re going even faster.” 

“They’re secure. I promise.” Maria nodded. “And I’ll let go if I feel like I’m going to stumble. Promise.”

“Alright.” Shadow nodded. Maria’s word, a promise, was the greatest assurance either he or Star believed in. She’d never lie to them. “If she lets go-”

“I fall back behind her and you go in front, to catch.” Star nodded. 

Shadow smiled faintly. It was… nice, to have help looking after Maria. To have an equal partner at his side, capable of everything he was and who cared as much about Maria as he did. For the first time, the responsibility for Maria’s health and safety didn’t feel like an impossible task on his shoulders. Instead, he felt reassured that Star’s watchful eye would catch anything he missed. She loved Maria as much as he did. Maybe that fact was why he was falling more and more in love with her every single day. “Ready, then?”

Star grinned and crouched beside him. “Hold on tight, Maria.” 

“I’m ready!” Maria bent her knees, holding onto the jump ropes as tightly as possible. “Grandfather won’t be out of his meeting for at least an hour, so let’s make this count!”

“Ready. Set. Go!” Shadow called out, and they took off towing Maria between them at high speed. Outside the windows of the ARK, the stars shone brightly on the sound of all three of them laughing.

The first thing Shadow saw were the stars, and for a half second he was sure he was looking out the windows of the ARK. But there was no laughter, no Maria giggling behind him or Star at his side. He was alone, lying in a field on the side of the road under the windbreak of his bike as he caught a nap before the next leg of his unnecessary journey. He wasn’t even sure what he was driving around for anyway… you couldn’t outrun ghosts. 

He groaned and rolled over on his side, curling into a ball with his hands over his head. “Stop it.” He muttered, half to the memories and half to his own brain for conjuring them up. “They’re gone. That life is gone. Leave me alone.”

No matter how far he went or how fast he ran, there was no getting away from the regrets. He hadn’t protected Maria. He hadn’t saved Star. And the time he’d had with them felt wasted, because there was so much he could and should have said that he’d never get a chance to tell them. 

[sickly-cyclic-cynicistic]

okay here's an interesting question

tattoos or piercings? or both? orrr neither?

aaand where would you get one if you wanted one?

the three of them are settled on the couch together with a pile of mail in front of them. the window is open, letting in a warm breeze.

{okay, uh, sorry for the delays yall, i have no good explanation but we're gonna try and get through the backlog for you.}

soul leans forward and grabs the bottom most envelope from the pile

{gonna try and go oldest to newest?} [makes sense]

the rip and crinkle of paper.

{oh, hm.} (oooh, thats a fun one. i think theyd be cool but idk what id like, even get. i mean, i think we all have our ears pierced? but none of us like, really wear earrings. and settling on a design would be hard for a tattoo...) [if i was going to pick one or the other it would be piercings, but i don't have strong opinions on either to be honest.] (i think we talked about this once actually, didnt you say you thought snakebites would be cool?) [yes, but they also seem inconvenient.] (it would look pretty cool though. if it didn't sound like a giant bitch to heal and like, exist with i think industrials look sick, but like, way too much work for a piercing i think.) {man... i dunno, i havent thought about it? changing how i look like thats never really been like, a priority.}

soul shrugs and sets the envelope onto the coffee table.

{i do like hair dye though...}

[generic-whumperz]

Get to Know Tag

Big thanks to @clairelsonao3 & @mj-iza-writer for tagging me! I really like getting to know everyone more, and aw shucks, y’all included me in on the fun!

Rules: Tag 10 or more people you want to get to know better

10?! That feels like a lot for me, so I’ll gently do a no-pressure tag to some homies & mutuals I interact with often (+ if you see this and would like to join, please feel free!): @whumpyourdamnpears @rainydaywhump @drawing-dinos82 @dresden-syndrome @snakebites-and-ink @whumble-beeee @little-rat-dragon

Relationship status: Married for soon-to-be six years! Surprised? Not more than me, I assure you that! (He’s not on social media and not a Tumblr Baddie, nor is he a Whumper, but he listens to my insane bullshit, so shoutout to him for being a wonderful and supportive partner and letting me be able to let my freak fly freely—try saying that three times fast.)

Favorite color: Blue. Oh, I love all the blues, from cobalt, to ultramarine, to turquoise, to navy, baby, royal, sky, azure, and indigo.

Song stuck in my head: Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You by Engelbert Humperdinck (this name sounds fake and like it would belong to a snooty banker from A Christmas Carol.) There are several versions of this song, but for some reason, this is the one that permanently invades my mind.

Last song listened to: I was listening to oldies this morning on my walk, so: It Had to Be You (Big Band and Vocals) by Harry Connick Jr.

Dream trip: Is this a trick question? You think I can pick one place? I love the tropics, but considering that I’ve already been to Hawaii & Costa Rica, I’d take a trip to the Mediterranean (yes, I’m basic and would love a trip to Italy, Spain, Greece, or even a quaint little French countryside) over the tropics without hesitation. However, I am also drawn to Peru and Ireland, New Zealand (I would love to go to the locations where LOTR was shot), and Thailand.

Last TV show/movie: (Not counting Star Trek TNG I fell asleep to last night since I know no rest without being properly lulled to sleep by a Star Fleet Captain) The Boys! I finally started watching it and downed all of season 1 yesterday like the TV addict that I am.

Spicy/sweet/savory?: I dare say spicy, although my guts can’t tolerate much of it anymore (I was a hot sauce fiend in my youth, quite literally had a bottle of Tabasco and/or Tapatio on me at all times—yes, I even went so far as to keeping bottles of it in my locker at school), so I will gladly settle on savory.

Last thing I googled: All hail the Piano Man himself

[bvnnyl0v3r]

Do you want to have a piercing some day?

that depends, as a kid I got my ears pierced for earrings and it hurt like hell so I'll never do ears again. I hate how most of them look on me so if anything I'd want smth like snake bites? My mom has a lot of piercings and so do her friends so she gave me a couple of tips incase I wanna get some :>

For now I've settled for snakebited but not actually pierced ones-

[cryptidsurveys]

Sunday, December 1st, 2024.

Do you have any plans for tomorrow? Animal shelter. Possibly from 8:00am-5:00pm, but it depends on who's there. I'm supposed to be covering for River, but if both Kristen and Liv are there, then there's not really any need for me to stay past 12:00pm.

What's the longest movie you've ever seen? The Return of the King.

What movies did you watch a lot as a kid? Watership Down (my strange obsession), The Land Before Time films, Antz, A Bug's Life, Disney films…

How many rooms are in your home? Living room, dining room, family room, kitchen, three bedrooms, master bathroom, two regular bathrooms, and a basement.

Do you ever experience imposter syndrome? At the animal shelter. I can't seem to fully convince myself that I can handle the job even though I'm basically already handling the job. :')

What was the last place you rode to in a car? I drove to / from the shelter earlier, but the last time I was a passenger was last Wednesday when my mom and I went to see Wicked.

Do you have a PayPal account? If so, how often do you use it? I don't.

Are you cold right now? My hands are cold, but the rest of me is fine.

How old will you be at your next birthday? Thirty-six. Can't wrap my brain around the fact that I'm approaching 40. I don't feel that old at all.

Before this one, when was the last time you took a survey? Not that long ago, while eating lunch. Put together a red velvet cake after that, popped it in the oven, and now I'm taking this while I wait for it to finish baking. Just a few minutes left…

Can you skip rope? Yeah.

Have you ever participated in a charity fundraising event? Yeah.

What is your hair like at the moment? It's very short. Just buzzed it recently, but I'm thinking of letting it grow out next time and going to an actual salon to get it styled. Might even decide to dye it but haven't quite settled on a color.

Do you like cucumber? Yeah.

What do you like and dislike about your job? (or your last job) Like - Spending all day with kitties. Feeling like I'm part of something bigger than myself / doing some good in the world. The job itself is pretty repetitive; not a whole lot of surprises or changes in routine. Keeps me in shape and gives me an opportunity to socialize. Snacks and coffee in the break room. Dislike - There really isn't a whole lot that I dislike about it. Sometimes cleaning can be a little gross, but you get used to it. Biggest struggles for me are navigating social situations or feeling like I don't really fit in.

Have you ever had a dream job? If so, did you give up on it, and why? Or do you happen to have that dream job? I haven't given up on it.

What's the last sitcom you watched? No idea.

What car did your parents or guardian drive when you were growing up? White Volvo, blue Celica, and a red Toyota pick-up truck.

Do you have milk in your fridge right now? What kind? There's heavy whipping cream and almond milk.

Are you left or right handed? Right-handed.

If you have your ears pierced, how old were you when you got them done? I had my ears pierced twice when I was younger, but the holes have long since closed. They just kept getting infected.

Do you have any other piercings? Snakebites. The only piercings with which I've had any luck.

What was the last thing you wrote down in the notes app on your phone? I've never used the Notes app.

Have you ever been on a winery tour? No.

When was the last time you were hungover? Idk.

Do you still have Facebook? If so, how often do you check it? No.

Are you wearing your favourite colour today? Yeah.

Would you ever want to visit South Korea? Eh. I'm not super interested in visiting. It's not a hard no, but there are places I would much rather visit instead.

How many times in your life have you been in love? Idk.

Do you like your name? Yeah.

[melissamasakari]

Confessions you didn't notice

Chapter two. Birthday mess.

Sam's birthday went according to plan. In the morning I managed to catch her on the way back from training (and I even managed to cover my ears and not go deaf from Paulie’s screams!) and gave her a gift.

“Wow! Is this a ’snakebite’?! I didn't even dream of it. You're an angel!”

“Glad you like it. Evening plans are still valid?”

“Of course. That will be me and you only. Phyllis is on duty today, but I'll take her out for lunch. And Cap,” she turned around, looking at the dust slowly settling after her boss flew past, winding another circle, “had let me go early today”.

“What a generosity!” I deliberately clasped my hands. “Are we sure we’re there will be no one else?”

“I didn’t plan it. Remy is on Patrol around the abandoned ruins, Arlo, as usual, has carloads of papers and reports for the evening. And he also was talking about a bunch of commissions for materials. Well, he probably just came up with an excuse,” she shrugged with annoyance.

“Oh... that will be mine commissions, it seems. The poor fellow will completely drive himself away at this rate.”

“Don’t worry, he’s crazy like this every autumn. Just another week and he will calm down. He’ll just become an ordinary grumbler again.”

“With some itchy feet,” I couldn’t help but add quietly. Sam burst out laughing and ran off.

We had a great time in the evening as expected, collecting a ton of tokens from Django’s. I think we even emptied his entire prize pool till next year. He looked annoyed at first, but then he expressed his joy out loud and called us walking advertisements for an arcade.

Two days later I was persistently reminded that it turned out to be my birthday. Even pa sent a postcard from somewhere in his wasteland. Just amazing! He should have dispatched it at the beginning of summer for it to arrive in time. Ginger sent me a great necklace by the mail. I don’t usually wear this type of jewelry, but she will definitely be pleased if I come to a party in it. Gust sent... what is this, an umbrella? And with my signature stamp? He is crazy or something? By now the whole city should have noticed that I really hate umbrellas! And those hats are also dumb! And just then it started to rain, how predictable!

From time to time appearing at home between trips to work, I was surprised to observe the endless flow of townspeople at my fence gate. They looked around very funny, leaving boxes and parcels at the mailbox. Many gifts were without signatures or cards, but it was not difficult to guess the giver. In the mailbox there was even a note with threats and a demand to sell my workshop and get out. Probably Higgins...or those loser scammers. Well, let's see what kind of loot I’ve got. There is food from Emily and Martha, a cool warm jacket from Carol (I've been meaning to order it for a long time!), a carpet from Gale, another carpet from Sonya, a cool pot of flowers from Alice. Oh, what else is there? The box contained exactly the same black dress as I wore on that ill-fated day. The sweepingly and beautifully signed card read: “Shine bright too! I love you. Antoine!” Wow. ‘Black glow’? That’s unheard of. Well, okay, so there will be a spare one if I screw up somehow. And this is where the boxes end. And letters, too. Oh, wait. At the bottom of the box was a letter from Petra with blueprints and congratulations. And a very official paper from the Civil Corps with an apology for the delay of my commission and hopes for patience and calm. Damn red-block-head! But at least he definitely didn’t eavesdrop.

Sam found me late at night diligently threshing punching sacks. We had a nice chat and exchanged news. She handed me a cool roomy bag with the logos of Flying pigs stitched over as decorations. Hand sewn, that’s amazing!

“Do you like it? I wasn't sure since you didn't answer my question.”

“Amazing!” I couldn’t contain my delight and hugged her tightly. “Where did You get it? There are so many pockets, you are a miracle!”

“I bought the basic one from Carol and spent a long time fiddling with the decorations. It turned out a little clumsily, but I...” She drawled guiltily.

“Are you kidding?! In fact, it’s hard for me to imagine you doing needlework and here it is! When did you found time? No one has ever bothered like this for me before. Well, mom, maybe. And it was very long time ago so I almost don’t remember her.”

“I'm glad I guessed right. Cheer up, kid, I need to run further along the route before anyone notices that I’m skiving.”

Having assured that all the urgent work was going as it should I crawled away to rest. The weather was pleasant in the morning; the mud from yesterday's downpour had even dried out. After reporting on the projects to the guild, I decided to take a leisurely jog around the pond to relieve some turmoil from my head. Relieve, however, did not happen – obsessive thoughts followed me around. We even didn’t have a proper conversation. It's a pity. Maybe I should seek him out again? Come on, that's bullshit. I have much more important things to do. Gale has generously piled me with interesting work again, so I’ll try to throw myself into it and just wait till the rest of the fall. Apparently I made the wrong wish on the Day of Memories when I was releasing a flying lantern into the sky.

Until next Friday I honestly kept my promise to immerse myself in work. I fulfilled several large orders, took inventory, went through a bunch of paperwork, and, while making another small commission, decided to beat up my training dummies.

“Are you training?” out of surprise, I jumped abruptly high in the air and in a turn stroked the visitor with my knee in the shoulder.

And Arlo didn't even wince.

“Didn’t anyone tell you that sneaking is bad? And you have to knock!”

“Somebody once told me. And I knocked. Your fence gates are always opened anyway. Great shot, by the way!” He rubbed the bruised area, shook himself off and continued. “So just how busy are you?”

“It depends on what do you need me for. Are we expected to save the world again?” Remembering the last episode with the sewer repair I asked cautiously. I really didn’t expect that he would show up in person! Finally!

“No, it’s not that bad. I just got a little carried away and broke my training dummy. Can you make me a new one?” He nodded towards my equipment for blowing off steam. “I see you already know how – you don’t even have to look for blueprints. Will you take my commission?”

“Wait a minute. I made one for you recently. What did you hit it with, a hammer or something?”

“As it turns out I need something sturdier.”

“Okay, just how urgent is it?” And why do I keep thinking that I’m missing the chance to ask questions that are of much more interest for me?

“Can you have it done before the Snowball Battle? I don't want to miss my training for so long.”

“I have one condition. No, two.”

“I'm hanging on your words!”

“You still need to have a break from your training. You have been delaying my orders for the third week a row!”

“Sorry, something happened,” he shrank guiltily.

“I know what could have happened to you!” I blurted out, shaking my fist at him. Is it just my imagination or is there someone giggling there from behind the fence?

“What is the second condition?”

“I want to challenge you to a snowball battle. I have already beaten you in land run, but in the martial arts tournament I consider it was a technical draw.”

“A draw? You knocked me out of the finals! I didn't even understand how it happened. Twice.”

“So, you remember. And then Russo almost broke all my ribs. I should have left him to you. Or at least get some proper sleep before that fight...”

“Come on?! No preparation and you just rushed to thrash the butler. And if it’s of any consolation I didn’t have a chance against Russo either. He used to be a Civil corps leader after all.”

“Don't change the subject. I still have to invent an arlo-proof dummy, you know.”

“Yes, sure. I don't usually do snowball fighting, but why not? I haven’t done anything other than work and training for a long time.”

“Well, before I forget. How did your exams go?”

“It’s better not to ask,” he immediately drooped. Was it really THAT bad? He was running around like crazy all month.

“It's a pity. Sorry. So my lucky fist-holding didn't work. Next time I'll cross my fingers for you. They say it works better,” I made an appropriate encouraging gesture.

“It’s okay, I’ll survive. Looks like I'm still not good enough.”

“Then they are all blind there if they think so.”

Putting on an air of importance he cheerfully said goodbye and disappeared again into the landscape behind my fence gate. Just like deja vu. Looking for clues for the task he had given me I decided to visit Petra. We spent all day brainstorming and finally came up with a plan. There's just a little bit left to do – I have to get everything done in a week, unless urgent problem is rushed onto me. I had to hang around in the ruins all weekend and replenish supplies of materials; if I’m lucky, I’ll be able to start testing my arlo-proof-something by Wednesday.

On Tuesday morning Arlo reappeared on his own out of the blue. Sure, I don’t usually immediately notice if someone is looming around the fence, since it's such a common thing. There is always someone running around my place as if it is some tourist attraction. And almost half of the heads usually sticking up over the fence here are all red, well, including my own. I perfectly fit into the picture here, nothing more to say.

Why is Arlo acting so strange? So very weird. He just walks back and forth in front of my fence gate but for some reason he doesn’t try to come in or knock. So I decided to hail him myself.

“Arlo? Hey, come in, don’t circle around there or you’ll trample a hole in the road!” I shouted from the height of the second floor of the assembly station. Zero reaction. What's wrong with him? “Sky to the Captain, do you copy?! Captain Arlo, confirm the operation status! Repeat: confirm the operation status, Captain!”

“I asked you not to call me so!” He pouted, but at least he restored his touch with reality. I'll save this feat for the future.

“Come in, I said. I’ll come down soon,” I pointed with my hand into the yard, “or, if you’re not in a hurry, you can wait for me in the house.”

At the second offer he somehow stretched himself out with some nervousness, shook his head negatively, and in a couple of jumps found himself near the workbench. Having finished assembling another very important thing, I went to find out what was going on felling intrigued.

“Are you’re looking for your dummy? I planned to finish it tomorrow, well, Thursday at latest. I still need to test it, at least minimally.”

“Are you going to hit it with a pickaxe?” Hinting at the obvious difference in strength, he nodded towards my rather battered punching sacks hanging near the stable. “But no. That's not what I'm after.”

“Then what's up?” I wiped my hands with a rag and inquired.

“I was thinking. Maybe we can go somewhere together? Tomorrow.”

“Are bandirates invited to this party? Or maybe an ensemble of jumping dancers? An honor guard from the city administration? We seem to have agreed on a fest on Friday.”

“The festival is still valid, of course. But I would like to do something, well, more tranquil.”

“For example? Just don’t offer to go jogging and training!” I wonder if I’m daydreaming again, or is this a date? Judging by what I know, it’s definitely not his promotion party.

“How about we go to Django's? Then we can book an arcade hall or take a walk to the beach.”

“Beach in winter? Your tastes are little specific, you know.” I pointed out slightly sarcastically as I was trying not to show my excitement.

“I would suggest a haunted cave instead, but it’s slippery there now. And also cold. The atmosphere is the best, of course. It's creepy and disgusting. You may get sick, and instead of having fun you'll end up with a full pack of new problems”.

“Fair point. So tomorrow, a restaurant. In the evening?”

“Yeah, let's go in the evening. In the morning the hall is packed. At lunchtime there are always some of the bosses present. This will be no rest either.”

“Then where do we meet and what about the dress code?”

“I can come to fetch you. By seven. Is it fine?”

“Are you ignoring the second question on purpose, or is there some hidden meaning?”

“On this matter I am only a so-so adviser. I'll leave it you. Just make sure you're warm and comfortable enough. I know you’re still not very used to the snowy winter.”

“Acknowledged. I’ll be waiting for you tomorrow,” we bumped fists in goodbye.

In joyful anticipation I cheerfully completed most of the work planned for the whole week. I even managed to go and report on everything urgent. All that was left was that arlo-proof dummy. Sam caught me finishing it the next morning.

“Wow, what a monstrosity you are building here!” Her delighted voice came from behind the fence.“Can I check it out?”

“Come in, just don’t touch anything yet. It's not really bolted. I still need to tighten it up a little more and check it. And just then it will be ready to be screwed to some fairly heavy stand. So I just drove it into the ground so far. For tests.”

“Did you call a tester?” Sam inquired busily and patted her boxing glove with her hand.

“Let the owner test it himself. I really hope that at least he won’t hurt himself in the process”.

“This thing will be moved to the headquarters?”

“Bingo! Certainly. I'm already working on the second design.”

“What a colossus!”

“Yeah, I’m very interested to see how he’s going to get this thing uphill. I have never seen any transport usable to moving up the ice slide that the ramp in the park has turned into.”

“He'll figure it out. For the sake of resuming training he will do just everything. I was surprised that he even cleared away all the papers! Has he sent you all your materials? Or was I running around for nothing?”

“As far as I remember I still need leather and fur. I managed to get some for urgent orders myself. So, I'm not worried yet. But if there’s some lying around at the headquarters, just whistle and I’d better come and pick it up. Oh, by the way. Your order is ready too, I was going to catch you tomorrow. Wait a minute. And pass me that metal thing, please.”

“Oh, great. Glad I dropped by.”

“Are you in a hurry? I could use your help.”

“Not too much. What’s what you need?”

“A trivial girly thingy. I've nothing to wear.”

“Now that is interesting. People don’t usually come to me for something like that,” she laughed.

“I’m not going to ask Antoine for help and then be unable to get away from him. He gifted me a dress, can you imagine? And even signed a postcard.”

“Come on?! Show me!”

As we entered the house together I opened the closet and invited my friend to rummage through it while I washed myself off after the dirty work.

“So how do you like my booty?” I went out in my usual home attire, preparing to inspect my scarce selection of clothes.

“Here is plenty to choose from. So what’s the occasion and plan of the event?”

“I would have liked to know the occasion myself. I've been told it will be a restaurant and a walk. The sequence is arbitrary. Also I don't want to suffer from frostbite. And I don’t want to look like an unwashed miner either. As such, everything is as usual.”

“Okay. Then let's try this out” Sam surprisingly quickly put together a cool set for me. Then another one. And another still. How come I’ve got so many clothes?

As I’ve tried out everything offered, we looked at the clock and found that lunch was almost over. So we had to finally choose and we settled on a practical classic. As result two almost identical girls, a blonde and a redhead, looked at us from the mirror, smiling provocatively. The difference was in the details and some little things. My jacket was warmer and longer still, bright blue – made of Slurpee leather. And the jeans were perfect – gray, with a lot of pockets. My only warm and non-slip boots also fit well. I’ll even wear my new necklace with these. And also I’m going to take with me my current favorite bag.

“You are my savior! Drop by on any weekend – I’ll treat you to home-cooked lunch.

“Splendid! They say you almost beat Django in the Cook off. Sorry I missed everything. Usually that competition includes a lot of my favorite dishes.”

“Let's catch up then. And here's your order.”

To pass time til the evening I decided to tinker with the paperwork that I usually do on Saturdays. However, Arlo did not appear at the appointed time. Nothing new. I was about to go “test” his order, and I even got to made a couple of test kicks when I heard noise from behind the fence.

“Look what the cat dragged in! You can arrange transportation for your new toy,” I began instead of greeting and waved my fist invitingly.

“Oh can I try it out?”

“Just without zeal. I already thought you wouldn't come at all.”

“Sorry. I was sorting out complaints from one workshop. It turns out that you are accused of stealing a pickaxe. A bronze one!”

“What kind of jerk took a risk? I have had only iron ones for a long time. You know that.”

“Yeah, well enough. That's why the investigation took so much time. I had to collect evidence in the first abandoned ruins in order to prosecute him for libel. He will be an eyesore for me until the end of the week in the jail now,” he said indignantly but rather threateningly, and made a couple of test blows at the dummy.

“It was Higgins, wasn’t it? Ugh, I'm sorry. Consider yourself forgiven. And as such you already punished yourself for being late.”

“So generous. And this toy turned outto beexcellent! I had no doubts, of course. You’re a great builder after all. But you managed to exceed all expectations.”

“Are you sure you don’t have a basement anywhere? Otherwise it might, uh, break through the floor or something.”

“Don't worry. I won’t put it on the second floor, but it’s the clinic where there is a basement, not our place. Are you ready?”

“If you are ready to give up trying to break this monstrosity. At least until Sunday.”

“Yeah, sorry. Let's go. We should practice together sometime.”

“No way.” I closed the house and checked the gate.“I won’t spar with you anymore.”

“And why is that? It was great! I enjoyed it very much!”

“Because I still plan to beat you in the tournament next summer, of course!”

“And just how will joint training interfere with this?”

“You will be ready for my surprises that way. That's not very interesting.”

“Do you have any other strange techniques up your sleeve?”

“Just you wait and see.”

“We've arrived.” Arlo opened the door, letting me in first. Well, that's nice.

Oh, a cozy little fenced-in nook. Seems like a good spot, not too close to tables intended for large groups or business meetings, but, to my sorrow, uncomfortably close to the entrance and also in a draft. That's where we headed. Why am I so nervous? Well, I only dreamed about this for almost a whole month. Cheer up, girl! So, I allowed myself to be pampered a little tint bit, and we sat down opposite each other. The distance seems to be decent. Calm down, Melissa, breathe. Nothing is happening yet.

“You said that you come here often.”

“Yeah, so what?”

“Then explain such abnormal excitement around.”

“You think so? It seems like it's always like this.”

“I don’t know how to put this. Usually when I get here, that’s either Sam who pulls me out into a noisy crowd of people or I just hang out alone at the counter and sometimes discuss new recipes with Django if he's not too busy. And now it feels like as soon as we entered the entire staff dropped what they were doing and began circling nearby.”

“If you hadn’t pointed this out I wouldn’t have noticed. For some reason such a stir happens every time I come in.”

“So it's clear. This means that in an hour at most the whole city will already be gossiping about seeing us here together.”

“And so what? Just let them say and think what they want. This doesn't bother me at all. Does it disturb you, maybe?” To my surprise he really guessed it! It’s unlikely that he’s always hanging out privately with the girls here. Otherwise Sonya would have already told everyone. Now she’ll definitely talk about this little visit of ours, oh crap.

“Not that much. Maybe on the contrary it will be beneficial and yield more orders,” I said, putting on an overly cheerful appearance. It’s also quite possible that those Nora of his will bite me in the face later. Who knows what these church apprentices are up to?

“By the way about orders. I mean what are we going to order?”

“Let me think. Will we have separate account? I'm quite happy with today's dish of the day, a couple of crepes for dessert, and some hot tart drink like tea or coffee.”

“If it’s more comfortable for you, let’s have separate.”

It is not at all surprising that Sonya was hovering somewhere nearby and instantly materialized as soon as Arlo waved his hand. We said hello again I told what I wanted and discussed the conditions. Then it was my companion’s turn and he immediately ordered a total five of his least favorite dishes. I was terribly surprised and immediately tried to talk him out from this dumb idea.

“Wait, you don’t like sweets. And you’ve said SO many times that you can’t stand steamed potato fruit. Are you sick by any chance? There are also three sweet dishes and even a dessert. Arlo, what's wrong with you?”

The waitress chuckled softly. Really, she knows better than anyone in this small town each persons preferences in food. There is nowhere else to go here to be honest.

“I was quite healthy this morning, thank you. I don't know I just wanted to try something new. Or give this food a second chance, something like that.”

“Okay, we’ll always have time to add something else.”

Sonya accepted our orders and finally left, smiling mysteriously and gracefully swaying her hips.

“So, how it is? Do you regret moving here yet?”

“No way. Apart from this cold winter and an excessively humid, rainy summer, I am quite okay. I'm not swallowing sand each time I need to go outside. And the skin does not crack if I forget to hide it from the sun. And my job is really interesting. I even have made some friends! And there is a small but pleasant bonus: my aunt can’t reach me here and has finally stopped trying to micro-manage my life.”

“How‘ s that?”

“Well, you know. She breathed down my neck all the time with her advice. Don’t talk with these people – they’ll teach you all bad things! Just tie the knot and be fixed for life. But you’re not allowed to be friends with this guy and that gal. Blah-blah-blah and stuff like that. She was so overbearing that she even distracted me from studying and working normally.”

“Understood. Sorry for asking.”

“Come on. Here I can at least breathe normally and be myself. Do what I want. Talk to everyone I like, and not with those who passed Kendra’s selection.”

“Do you think I'd pass?”

“Well, it's a good question. I didn't even think about it this way. Besides, I just don't give a fuck anymore. If she’d not like you, that would be her problem! It’s quite enough that I like you. But if you insist I can speculate what it would look like. Just for fun.”

“Try it, I’m curious, if it will not make you sad.”

“Well considering what I've heard about you from others... Hmm. I suspect she would be over the moon that I have a friend like you. Kendra would brag to all of her friends, driving away their ugly, boring momma's boys. But I just won't let this happen, okay? I only recently stopped receiving trainloads of letters from her demanding to account for every step. “

“Well, I haven’t seen something like this before, and it’s hard for me to comprehend it right now. I won't ask again, I promise.”

“Agreed. It’s like we came to have fun, not to pick at sores.”

“Exactly,” he was still noticeably saddened, even hovered a little. Somehow the conversation wasn’t going well, and I started to get even more nervous.

Our order arrived. Predictably, as Arlo never liked sweets, he turned even sourer. And he also flatly refused the offer to order something tastier or at least filling. Oh, damn it, what to do with him? I should have confessed to him near the house and found out everything! There are too many extra ears here, and it feels like they are all crowding around. I can’t ask about exams as he would have told me about work himself. In a fit of panic I fidgeted with my bag, I don’t quite understand what I was trying to find there except for keys and a set of tools. A first aid kit, maybe?

“Wow, what a cool bag do you have here. Did you do it yourself? I want one too!”

“No, it was not me. And there will be no repeat, this is a one-off.”

“Why is this?”

“It’s a present. Handmade. So it’s really hard to repeat.”

“It's a shame. Wait, a gift? From whom? Was there an occasion?”

“I won’t say from whom. But there was an occasion, yes.” I tried not to dwell on my disappointment from that day about how my “best friend” didn’t show up and didn’t even congratulate me with a postcard.

“I missed everything, right? How long ago?”

“In the fall,” Sonya came to put away the dishes, eavesdropped and tried not to giggle. I'll discuss it with her later. At least not in front of Arlo.

“Sorry. You were probably waiting, right?”

“Let’s just say, I hoped. At least that we could just meet up and chat. I definitely didn’t expect an apology for the delay of my order that arrived by mail. I missed you, by the way!” Oh, that was too loud. It seems like a couple of plates broke somewhere near, just a little short of reaching the kitchen.

“Can you pinpoint a date? I understand that I should have known this myself, but it has had totally washed out,” oh, what a guilty tone his voice has. I almost liked it.

“Not surprised. You were completely absorbed in the upcoming test. Twenty fifth.”

“Exactly. That was the last three days of preparation and run-up for the training ground. I utterly screwed up,” he hit himself on the forehead with his palm.

“Do not worry. I usually don't celebrate. This was I think the first year in the last... ten, or such that I had some festivities”.

“What kind of gifts do you like? Well, for the future,” have he perked up or something? It's nice.

“It’s hard to tell right away. I usually like something practical. The girls gave me a whole bunch of warm clothes. Now there is something to wear for work in and something fancy for special occasion. Just in case, I’ll tell you right now if you haven’t figured it out yet. I DO hate umbrellas! Anyone who dares to bring me an umbrella or any other thing that resembles it as a gift is at risk of getting it back, stuck up their ass and opened!”

I heard the door opening and the completely indecent laugh of Sonya and her group of friends three tables away. Antoine cackled louder than anyone, even the chandelier above them swayed. Well, guess who got here... I think I have problems. It's probably too late to leave. I shrank all over in my seat and tried to pretend to be a decoration on the wall, checking the situation with my peripheral vision. The laughter can still be heard, but it seems that the storm had passed. Gust walked past with a poker face and disappeared somewhere at the entrance to the arcade hall. His pig jumped funnily after him. Now it was I who had to hold back my laughter. Arlo without any reaction to Gust calmly continued:

“Do you have any wishes?”

“About gifts, or about this evening?”

“Both.”

“I’m not going to the arcade now, okay?” I nodded towards the person who came in. “I don’t want to see him with his sour face. It will ruin the whole mood for me.”

“Understood. Let's bug out then? “He winked conspiratorially and helped me to get ready to leave. Just in case I left a generous tip for my part of the order. I hope my hint will be taken.

We walked out into the refreshingly cool, clear night. The city had not yet begun to decorate for the winter festivals, it was quiet and calming. The yellow lanterns shone comfortably. I was really proud of making them! The shops had long been closed, and on the way to the Central square we didn’t even meet anyone. Sam's light wasn't on – she was most likely on duty. I was very relaxed so I didn’t even notice how we ended up at the swing near the school. But why not?

“Do you want to swing? New competition?” Arlo perked up noticeably and cheerfully sat down on the second swing nearby, as soon as I sat down on mine.

“You wanted quiet leisure time. Don't overexert - you'll fall out. Or wind will inflate your head,” I slowly began a test swinging, “I have a light form of motion sickness.”

“Then why did you do such tricks at the land run?”

“I had to quickly dust off my rusty skills. I have a complicated relationship with horses. And that stallion, moreover, was rented and too nasty. But it was fun!”

“Never DO that again. No one would even notice in time that something went sideways! You looked so confident.” I can hear rising anger in his voice. “And for your skills, we’ll come up with something if you wish.”

“Personal riding instructor? Sounds tempting. But first I will have to fix the issue with the stable and look for an opportunity to buy a horse. I need to wait until that tame filly I noticed at McDonald's grows up,” I said and then immediately imagined how ridiculous it all would look. Crap.

“Maybe you can start with something more trivial? Llamas are quite good for taming.”

“I hope this isn’t a veiled insult about my petite size. It's enough that Sam teases me about it regularly. But she's allowed to.”

“Why should I tease you? I like the way you are. And, by the way, why should Sam tease you? You two are almost of the same height.”

“It’s not really about height,” I jokingly pushed him under the elbow with my palm, slightly disturbing the balance of the swing. “We quickly befriended, and I got tired of her calling me builder. It was too formal. She called me “little fella” or “kid” one day and it stuck. Strange, because it’s not much shorter than my actual name. But I didn’t argue anymore.”

“Understood. Don't push me, or we'll get swings twisted.”

“Come on, I don’t have the strength to move you.”

“But you still managed to win a spar.”

“I’m still convinced that you gave in.”

“I wouldn’t have thought,” he got from the swing and walked around me from behind and grabbed the chains of my swing right above my hands. Satisfied, he looked down at me and offered to swing me. Starting to blush deeply, I nodded in agreement. For some time, only the rustling creaking of the rig was heard from above. I need to come back here sometime soon and oil all the bearings.

“Is it okay? Not too fast? Not frozen yet?”

“Fine. And what?”

“You look so good with such a blush on you, you know. It's getting late. Do you want me to lead you home?”

“Only if you come up for tea,” the swing gradually stopped.

“I don’t want to abuse your hospitality. Let's leave the tea for another time, okay?”

“Deal,” I got off my seat, and we headed towards the stairs.

Having climbed a few steps up, Arlo turned around, waved his hand at me and said: “See you Friday, sweetie!” and sped up the hill.

I'm looking forward to it. Wait, how did he call me? I definitely misheard!

[rvend]

character sheet.

FULL NAME. Rue Emmanuelle Fairchild. NICKNAMES. None. PRONOUNS. She/her/hers. SIZE.  5'3. AGE. 35. ZODIAC.  Virgo. SPOKEN LANGUAGES. English. French.

physical characteristics.

HAIR.  Naturally a dark brown, but Rue has dyed it black since she was 14. She's gone through a lot of styles over the years but currently it's settled on longer and layered, past her shoulders, with bangs that are growing out. EYES. Grey. SKIN TONE. Incredibly pale. She'd make Snow White jealous with how fair-skinned she is. However she is absolutely covered in tattoos. They are all eldritch horror themed and while there are gaps of skin showing, there isn't a spot on her body that isn't tattooed (save for her face). There are even tattoos on her breasts (edges from the larger pieces on her ribs or shoulders). BODY TYPE. Ectomorph. Lithe and thin, very slender. VOICE. Deeper than one might imagine a girl of her stature would have, or maybe it perfectly fits someone that's edging on adult alternative grunge-goth. DOMINANT HAND.  She's ambidextrous but primarily uses her right hand. POSTURE. She's such a sloucher. She stands more upright but not proper posture at all, and she sits like a gargoyle when she's doing graphic design work or forging. SCARS. Various scars from accidents as a child and the occasional scar from needles. Nothing substantial, however. BIRTHMARKS. A few beauty marks here and there. MOST NOTABLE FEATURES.  Tattoos and piercings galore. She has double snakebites in her bottom lip, two piercings in her right brow, one piercing in her left nostril, her tongue, a double helix piercing, conch piercing and two lobe piercings in her left ear, an industrial piercing in her right as well as one in her lobe (no gauges), a VHC and triangle piercing in her genitals and two piercings in her right nipple (in an X shape), and one in her left (standard horizontal bar).

childhood.

PLACE OF BIRTH. Marseilles, France. HOMETOWN. Chesapeake, Virginia. Manhattan, New York, New York. SIBLINGS. None. PARENTS.  Cecile Fairchild (deceased; 38). James Fairchild (deceased; 39). RAISED BY. Lenore Fairchild (45).

adult life.

OCCUPATION. Freelance graphic designer. Forger. CURRENT RESIDENCE.  Manhattan, New York, New York (verse dependent). CLOSE FRIENDS. TBA. FINANCIAL STATUS. Upper class. DRIVER'S LICENSE. Yes but she hates driving. CRIMINAL RECORD.  Minor infractions for drug offenses and alcohol. One count of breaking and entering, loitering, and assault as a juvenile. MILITARY RECORD. None. SKILLSET. She's an incredibly talented forger. The kind of menace with a computer graphic program that got notoriety as a teenager. VICES. Smoking, occasional drug use, sex addiction.

sex & romance.

SEXUAL ORIENTATION.  Heterosexual. PREFERRED EMOTIONAL ROLE.  If you ask her, none. But she needs someone whose not going to abandon her and willing to stick around and prove it. She's difficult and spiteful with a lot of walls. However she is a giver and when she does care, she cares with everything she has. PREFERRED SEXUAL ROLE.  True switch. She will be completely dominant with one partner and easily switch to total sub for the next. It depends on her partner's preference. TURN OFFS. Complete narcissism, talking too much, lawful-good personalities. TURN ON'S.  Sarcasm, a good power struggle (verbal or otherwise), someone who gives back just as much as she gives. LOVE LANGUAGE.  Acts of service. Quality time. RELATIONSHIP TENDENCIES.  She's incredibly difficult but once someone breaches her walls she gives them everything she's capable of. Despite her many thorns and spikes she is actually a very giving individual and has a lot of love ot give the right and patient one. However it's been nearly 20 years since she's been in a real relationship so she's a bit ... rusty.

miscellaneous.

HOBBIES TO PASS THE TIME. Making memes, listening to music, sex, photography. LEFT OR RIGHT BRAINED. Right brained. SELF-CONFIDENCE LEVEL. She was really eccentric in her teens and honestly has never once given a single fuck what anyone thought of her (appearance, personality) which means she is very self-confident without coming across as smug or narcissistic. EXTRA. Rue suffers from a congenital birth defect known as CIPA - Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis. In essence she physically cannot feel pain, and her body unable to tell hot or cold sensations. The anhidrosis makes her unable to sweat. She wears something akin to an iWatch that keeps track of her body temperature and has alarms that ring if she needs to adjust to be cooler or warmer. She performs self-checks multiple times a day to ensure she hasn't hurt herself in her sleep or doing any sort of activity. She's been hospitalized for injuries or illnesses before with no outward tells to what's affecting her. As such, she has a close relationship with various doctors. Much of her excellent medical care is thanks to her aunt, whose wealth and influence assured she was always cared-for.