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meownotgood · 2 years ago

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last act. / hayakawa aki x gn!reader, angst, hurt no comfort, bad ending, blood, aki watches you die in his arms. word count: 3.4k

The first thing Aki notices is how you've stopped moving. He can't see your blurry figure in the corner of his eye anymore, when usually, you're fighting right at his side.

With tired arms and a precise blade, he slices through the last of the devil's proxy — weaker, low rate devils that the commanding devil has taken control over — but not without his sword shattering clean in half on the final devil's armored backside. In one swift movement, Aki stabs the devil clean through the middle with the blunt remnants of his broken sword, burying the hilt so deep in the devil's stomach it'd be impossible to tug it out. Not like it matters, anyways; without the rest of the blade, the weapon is damn near unusable.

Purple-hued guts splatter all over his sneakers, the devil's body slumps, and Aki catches his breath, placing his hands on his knees, his chest heaving. His lungs feel sore, his limbs are beginning to ache. Sweat drips from his brow, and he hastily wipes it with the back of his hand, he swipes the trickle of blood that leaks from his nose with his thumb.

He feels and surely looks like a fucking mess. This mission wasn't supposed to be so draining. It was supposed to be for one weak devil, certainly easy enough for two hunters to take out, not for twenty nearly unstoppable devils. Apparently, the Nature Devil is far craftier than anyone initially anticipated. The parasitic mushrooms sprouting from the heads of the droves he slew is a clear sign of its influence.

Either way, his head is pounding too much right now for him to consider where the hell all those devils came from, nor for him to wrap his brain around why they were tough enough to nearly do him in. When you both get out of here, the first thing he's doing is finding whatever imbecile submitted the report for this so-called "easy" assignment. They'll be in this building on cleaning duty for the next week.

But he's alive. None of that matters now. The devils were all slain, he's alive, and you're —

The next thing Aki notices is your crumpled body, collapsed twenty-something feet away when he turns his head to search for you. There's something sticking out of your back, a huge twist of wood and leaves, with buds sprouting from the source; the vile aftermath of the Nature Devil, surely. It looks sharp. You must have been stabbed with it at some point in the fight when Aki was stupid enough to look away.

His eyes go wide. His breath is shallow, and it catches in his throat. He forces himself to stand, nearly stumbling when he manages to regain his footing.

There's no time for him to care about his own injuries; Aki wills his exhausted legs to move, despite how badly they threaten to buckle. He ignores the ache in his side, no doubt caused by a broken bone or a cracked rib, no matter how much it hurts. There's a sting in his ankle every time he puts weight on it, but he forgets about the pain so he can rush over to you as fast as he can, and as he falls down to his knees at your side, that's when Aki notices the blood.

So much blood, your blood, forming a deep pool around you like a casket, soaking into the fabric of your shirt to stain it a vivid shade of pure red. When Aki's eyes flicker from your wound to your face, he sees your expression contorted in pain, your nose crinkled, your eyelids fluttering. There's an empty, listless sort of look in the back of your pupils, and when your gaze meets his own, it makes Aki's heart sink into the pit of his stomach.

"Shit, shit-" Aki reaches up, fumbling to take off his suit jacket. Another swear is bitten from his tongue when his hands are too shaky to undo one of the buttons. Once they've been unbuttoned enough, he rushes to tear it from his shoulders.

With one hand he lifts your body, and with the other he snakes his jacket underneath, tying the sleeves around your back as best as he can manage. He pulls you a little closer, and he shifts so he can hold you in his arms, your head propped up. The crisp, fancy fabric of his familiar suit jacket feels smooth under his skin when he runs his hand over it, and with his palm, he presses down, applying firm pressure onto your wound, eliciting a sharp cry of pain from your mouth.

"Sorry, I'm sorry," Aki apologizes quickly, and he relieves a bit of the pressure, taking his hand away.

He shouldn't look closer, he knows he shouldn't because he isn't going to like what he sees, but in a moment he finds himself pushing the jacket out of the way anyways, pulling your blood-soaked shirt out from where it's still tucked into your slacks, and tugging it up to expose your stomach.

He takes a deep breath to prepare himself, and then he looks down. Jesus Christ. Bile rises so thickly in his throat it almost chokes him, he feels like throwing up and breaking down all at once. It doesn't look good, but it somehow manages to be even worse than he was expecting, and even more horrible than anything he thinks he's ever seen before.

Aki pulls your shirt back down, bunching up his jacket as best he can, before his hand returns to press against your wound. "It's okay," He winces, and apologizes again the second he hears you scream, his voice gentle and deep, "I'm sorry, I have to do this. Keep looking at me, don't close your eyes, alright? Can do that for me?"

You're giving it your best effort; Aki can tell by the way your eyelids flicker as you fight to keep them from closing. But you're starting to cry. From the pain or the fear, Aki doesn't know, but he watches as tears well up in your eyes until they stream from your cheeks, until you're sobbing and hiccuping, until your breath comes out in weak, meager gasps and your voice is muttered as desperate little begs of his name.

Aki… A-Aki… Aki — Stuttered and slurred, your mouth barely able to say each syllable, repeating his name like it's the only word you know. Like you need him, like you're counting on him. Your lips quiver and your chest feels like hell and blood boils in the back of your throat and fuck, Aki's trying.

"I know, I know, don't cry," He answers, and he brings his hand up for only a moment, brushing strands of messy hair from your face, and wiping your tears from your cheeks with the one spot on the back of his hand that isn't covered in blood.

Aki, it hurts.

Your voice is a little quieter, and the way you speak this time, so lifelessly and faint; it makes the hair on the back of his neck stand up, it gives his hands a distinct shake. It hurts him too.

"I know, it's okay, everything will be okay." Aki places his hand on your cheek, and this time, when he holds it tenderly, he doesn't care how his fingers and his palm smear patches of red over your skin. "Just breathe, just take deep breaths, deep breaths in and out. In, and then out, alright?"

His words cause your breathing to slow, but only just a little. Aki rests your head in his lap while he uses his free hand to feel out your pulse; he feels the unsteady beat beneath his fingertips, and he knows his heart is pounding at least ten times faster. It aches in his chest, it rattles his broken ribcage and echoes in his ears each time it thumps.

With a quiet gasp, he presses his palm into your side firmer, you immediately yelp and screw your eyes shut. Your hand flies up to grip his wrist, spreading blood onto his sleeve.

"It's okay, it's okay, shh…" Aki coos, but his voice is starting to shake, his words are getting weaker. He's beginning to sound unsure of himself without even realizing, like his reassurance is not only for you but also to keep himself sane: "I know it hurts, I'm sorry, I know, but it'll be alright, you're gonna be okay. You'll be okay, you'll… you'll…"

Aki's been here before. He knows this, the feeling of watching someone die. The smell of blood and the taste of bile in his mouth is as familiar to him as a second home. He's had this exact scene play out in the form of a nightmare, he's thought about what he'd do if he lost you when he's smoking on the balcony at the ungodly hours of the night.

His own brain and foolish emotions have put him through this experience tens, maybe hundreds of times, not only with you, but with everyone else he's come to lose. He thinks of them every time he wakes up in the morning, he feels haunted by the thought of death wherever he goes.

But now, it's happening, it's really happening, everything he feared of with you is really happening right before his eyes and Aki doesn't know what he's supposed to do about it.

Perhaps there isn't anything he can do. The two of you went on this mission alone, so there's no use calling for help. He's pressing onto your wound as firmly as he can with his trembling hand and weak fingers, but it's still bleeding, you're bleeding out in his arms and he can't do anything.

Your blood is starting to soak through his jacket. It's warm on his palm, it's caked into his skin, deep and thick and crimson. It's under his fingernails, it's pooling around his knees and drenching his slacks. You've stopped crying, and your whimpers of pain have quieted, even when Aki shoves his blood-soaked palm harder against your injury. He calls out your name once, twice, three times, but you don't answer.

Perhaps there's really nothing he can do to save you. You're slowly dying, and as much as Aki doesn't want to admit it, as much as he wants to bury it down and pretend something like this isn't happening to the only person he has left, the only one he's begged for the universe not to take away from him, deep down, he knows that it's true, and perhaps all he can do is watch.

Maybe the only thing he can do now is hold you and count the seconds until you disappear because he failed to protect you, and now there's nothing that can be done. And it's when that thought hits him, it's with this simple realization — This is what gets him to finally break.

"No, no…" Aki's voice is frail and fragile. He rocks you a little in his arms, tears prick at the corner of his eyes. "No, no, no, don't do this, you can't, you can't. Not like this."

Not like this, not here. You can't die in this horrible place, your body amongst the rotting corpses of devils, your clothes stained with their insides and your knuckles bruised from fighting them off. You can't die like this, in his arms, when Aki isn't ready to lose you, when he hasn't told you that he loves you, when there's so much he still has to do and say and when you're the only reason why he hasn't given up.

You're why he's been smoking less, you're why he's taken less contracts with devils and accepted more easy missions. You're the reason behind why he's written his resignation over and over and over again, even though he'll always crumple it and toss it in the trash without ever turning it in.

Aki knows if he quit, you'd quit too, and maybe that's the reason why he's thought of giving up on devil hunting. Because if you quit, you'll be safe, and if something happened to you, how would he live with himself?

He wouldn't, and you don't deserve this, you deserve a quiet life free from the pain and the hurt. You deserved to die a normal death, and now you're going to be just another name in the obituaries, just another life taken by the same thing that took Aki's family away from him, and your family away from you. He should have turned in that resignation paper a long, long time ago.

Aki doesn't think he deserves this, either. He's lost so much. He can't lose you. Not you.

And he's aware he's long since given up — Aki has stopped pressing on your wound in favor of bringing you closer, wrapping his arms around you and holding you like your vessel is what ties him to the ground. He knows it's over, but he still begs with a weak voice and even weaker heart: "Please, don't leave me. I-I can't lose you, please, just please."

In the end, his pleas mean nothing. You're starting to fade, your breath comes out shallower, your palm feels cold to the touch when Aki desperately grabs it. He grips your hand so tight it would hurt if you weren't already numb, your fingers curl around his knuckles weakly.

The weight on his shoulders is getting heavier, and it's growing more difficult to hold you up. The last of his strength is finally chipped away, and the few stray tears he's unable to keep in turn to hopeless sobs that shake the entirety of his frame. Aki cries into your shoulder, he feels like he can hardly breathe. The world is collapsing in on itself, and he's at the center of it all.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." It's hard to speak when his tears are choking him, but still, he continues, "It's- it's my fault. It's all my fault. What do I do, God, what am I supposed to do!?"

If he was stronger, if he had acted more quickly, if he hadn't turned his head away from you, if he'd been paying more attention, if he just did something, maybe he could have saved you. He should have saved you. It should have been him instead. If only he could trade his life for your own.

You reply with one last meager utterance of his name. It pains him to hear you say it like this, your voice so broken, so different from the way you usually call his name in a way that makes his heart skip like nothing else he's ever felt before, and like no-one else has ever done. But knowing that it might be the last time he'll ever hear it feels even worse.

Trying to memorize the sound of your dying voice choking out his own name, just so he won't end up forgetting it when you're gone is worse than a punch to the gut. It's his heart being ripped open.

Aki speaks gently through his tears: "I'm here, I'm right here. I know, please, I know it hurts so much, just," He grips your hand a little tighter, he exhales a shaky breath. He comes to terms with everything.

"It won't hurt anymore soon, okay?"

For you, it won't, but for him? This might just be what puts him in his grave.

And he's not stupid, he's never been stupid. Aki knew something like this was a possibility, he knew it even when he was letting himself grow closer to you. All the nights you spent together, all the laughter and all the times he spent falling for you. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he was telling himself that this would be the outcome.

Your hands in his and your lips on his own and your voice in his ear were all premonitions of what was to come. He supposes he was just stupid enough not to listen.

Your body feels limp, your hand is slipping away from his. Aki knows his palms are caked in your blood, his skin stained such a deep shade of crimson he doubts it will ever wash out. He holds you closer, his sobs start to quiet as he focuses on the sound of your breathing.

And even though he's not sure if you'll even hear him, or if it's even worth it, or if it's far too late for this — When he hears you take your final breath, he knows that it is, but even still, he's repeating, "I love you, I love you, I love you."

Aki holds you for longer than necessary. You're cold, so cold. He longs to give you some of his warmth. He buries his head in your chest, where the beat of your heart has ceased. He tugs you closer, and when he does, he feels something soft tickle his wrist. There's a moment of hesitation, of swallowing the lump in his throat, before he pulls away and looks down.

Flowers. Petals in shades of white and purple and pink, painted red with droplets of blood, long green stems curling out from beneath the hem of your shirt. Aki tugs your clothing up and out of the way, only to find that they're growing from your body, the roots twisted and turned through the mess of gore in your stomach, seeds sprouting from every inch of flesh; They're consuming you.

With a trembling hand, Aki rubs one of the petals between his fingers, he bites the inside of his cheek and crushes the flower into nothing. They're real, gorgeous and real and wretched, all at once. He wonders what caused them to grow so fast. Was it your blood? His tears?

He isn't given much time to think about it, because his thoughts are interrupted by a noise in the distance. When he looks up, there's a small part of him that hopes it's some sort of help, someone that's come to save him from this hell or someone who's here to tell him this is just a dream. But he knows that's too good to be true.

This noise is too foreign, it sounds like clanking chains and the scrape of metal on metal and the whisper of rustling leaves. The last of his hope is snuffed out, and his suspicions are confirmed when the shadows part, and from them, comes the looming figures of more mushroom-clad devils.

In his chest, Aki's heart beats a little faster. His gaze flickers to your sword, the blade crumbled into dust and smothered in plant life just a few inches away. Then, he looks towards his own, broken inside the body of one of the devil's spawn.

He's long since ran out of contracts to use. In one last effort, while he's still holding onto you, he makes a feeble attempt to try and move, only for the pang in his side to increase exponentially. When he lets go of you for a moment, he's able to make a bit more progress, but the second he's stood, the sharp sting in his foot forces him back down.

Aki stares down at the concrete. He breathes in, breathes out, long and shaky.

In his mind, he thinks of you, he pictures the two of you turning into nothing more than flowers and leaves, your bodies blossoming from the Nature Devil's doing. Woven together, his arms around you, and the roots winding from his heart to yours. In the end, beautiful and blissful is how you'll be found. If that's what's going to happen to him, it doesn't sound too bad.

With a quiet wince of pain, he reaches for your sword, yanking it from the mess of vines. The moment his hand closes around the hilt, the blade starts to crumble more, but his grip remains steadfast. He closes his eyes, and he presses his forehead to yours.

If there's a life after this one, maybe you'll meet there, and maybe that life will take pity on the two of you for choosing to be so cruel this time around. Or maybe you'll both fall into the abyss once again.

"This won't take long." Aki inhales one more deep breath, before he looks up. The devils are starting to get closer; the parasite makes them blind, but surely they can hear him, and they definitely smell the scent of blood.

"I'll be with you soon."

Aki holds your hand as the devils close in.

#aki hayakawa x reader #aki x reader #aki hayakawa #aki hayakawa x you #aki x you #chainsaw man x reader #csm x reader

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shirohige-pirates · 8 months ago

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Just Like Fire

CisFem Reader x Portgas D. Ace

CW: angst, language, erotic, violence, serial killer, stalking, poisoning, over-bearing controlling parents, attempted forced marriage, possible dub-con, Munchausen by proxy (aka Factitious Disorder), wildly cute and fluffy despite the warnings. 18+ only

Summary: You're Sabo's biological sister in this AU. After college you moved in with your dear brother and his two sworn brothers in order to avoid going back home. You and Sabo despise your family equally.

Tags: @fiestynatureweeb @nalleanna @airwolf92 @art3misa635 @sleepisfortheweakpooh @ghostfacefricker6969 @harahettania @mfreedomstuff

Chapter 22: 3 to 1

When you and Ace arrived at the All Blue it was still busy. You were there about ten minutes before closing and while no new customers were coming in, at least half the tables were still occupied. A severe-looking man with cropped green hair had been standing guard at the front doors, but he’d let you and Ace through.

“Zoro turns away customers for Sanji when the place gets busy to this point. Business is good, but getting your staff home at a decent hour is more important, at least to Lyn and Sanji.” Ace says as the two of you work your way through the restaurant to the bar.

The bartender that Ace had pointed out the last time gives you both a smile. “Ace, are you here to help close?” She asks and he nods.

“Sabo’s sister needed to talk to Sanji about something, so we volunteered to help free up some time for him, what can we do to help?”

“Ah, if you can get the tables and booths cleaned up that are empty, that’d help. Zoro can’t help until we can lock up, and we’re going to be a bit with the last few tables tonight.” She says, and looks toward you. “I’m Lyn.” She reaches out a hand, shaking yours.

“Quill,” you say. “Sabo’s mysterious sister.”

“Ever worked in a restaurant?” Lyn prompts, and you can tell from her grin she’s expecting you to say no before you even say it.

“Ah, no.”

Her grin breaks into a full smile. “It’s okay, there’s plenty of easy stuff to do. Our dishwasher could probably use an extra set of hands, how’re your shoes?”

“My shoes?” You question looking down. “I’ve got the sneakers I wore camping earlier on.”

“That’s good, better’n being in heels. I’ll introduce you, don’t worry, Duval’s bad at winking, but if you can help him stack trays he can get the dishes washed faster.” Lyn nods for you to follow her, lifting a section of the bar and having you come back.

The kitchen is brighter than the front of the house, and there’s almost eight other people back there. One of them is a tall man who would probably tower over Ace, with blond hair and a smile that seems a bit strained. Lyn introduced the two of you and had Duval show you how to stack trays so you could help him out.

It wasn’t difficult work, but it was more physical than you were used to. Grateful for your nap earlier and the fact that you weren’t fighting against your mother’s “medicine” anymore, you managed to be more of a help than hindrance; Duval only had to fix a couple of your trays.

Once the last of the customers are gone and the place is nearly closed up and cleaned, you, Ace, Lyn, and Sanji are sitting in a back booth while the last couple of employees finish up and leave.

“Luffy said something about you needing to ask about my brothers,” Sanji says, an apologetic look on his face. “He’s never been one for details, so I don’t know why you wanted to talk about them, but if there’s anything I can do to help you, it would be my pleasure.”

You smile, and then bite your lip a little. You make a few more gestures before Ace takes your hand in his and gives you a reassuring squeeze.

“I’m… technically, betrothed to Ichiji.” You finally manage to say and watch as both Lyn and Sanji’s eyes go wide and their jaws go slack. “Aside from the obvious fact that I don’t want to marry him, I’ve also recently learned that I am, in fact, cursed.”

Lyn’s mouth closes, but Sanji’s goes almost wider, he murmurs a swear under his breath in a foreign language and you nearly snort.

“My parents don’t know yet, and I don’t know what curse I have either,” you continue. “At least not yet, but my parents are my problem, and the details of my curse aren’t something I can control. What I need to know, what I was hoping you could tell me, was that if I tell Ichiji I’m cursed, what’s he possibly going to do?”

Sanji stares blankly for a moment, and then opens and closes his mouth a couple times before closing it and furrowing his brows. He’s quiet as he takes out a cigarette and lights it, barely inhaling before billowing smoker into the ceiling.

“Ichiji won’t marry someone who’s cursed.” He says flatly, but despite his words it doesn’t look like he’s thrilled about whatever else is on his mind. “What he’ll do in reaction is hard to say. He could lose his cool the moment you tell him, or he could decide he simply doesn’t care. The real problem would be the old man.

“Judge could make the whole thing a spectacle.” Sanji continues. “I don’t think he’d get the Celestials involved, but he could ask for heavy restitution from your family.” He pauses, shock crossing his face for a second before he takes another drag. “Er, if I can ask, how’d you learn you were cursed so late in life?”

“Oh, well… um. It seems my mother has been poisoning me most of my life,” you admit quietly. “And I think my curse saved me, but I was so weak I couldn’t do anything else with it.”

“Your mother did what?” Lyn questions before putting her hands over her mouth. “I’m sorry, I just, that’s horrible.”

“Haaa… yeah, and it’s okay. I mean, it’s not okay what she did, but I mean, you don’t have to apologize.” You clarify.

“Well, if that’s the case I can’t imagine you’ll be upset if Judge goes for your family then.” He says with a shrug. “I could be there when you meet with Ichiji, if you want? I might be disowned, but I’m not disavowed, he can’t lash out at me without any repercussions.”

You shake your head. “I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think he’s been particularly invested in any of this himself. He’s had a sense about Ace and I before I did, but even that didn’t bother him. He might be relieved, honestly.”

Sanji shakes his head. “No, relief isn’t really something he can feel. But you’re right, he might just not care.”

“The only thing that leaves then, is telling my parents.” You say, letting out a long slow breath and leaning your head on Ace’s shoulder.

“When are you meeting with Ichiji?” Sanji prompts and you look at your phone.

“Six hours? We’re supposed to meet for a brunch.” You answer.

“Ask him how far he had to travel,” Sanji says. “If he’s not in town for business and has been traveling just to meet with you, pay for that brunch yourself.” He asserts. “Even if he has been in town for business, you should still probably do that.”

“Will that help keep him calm?” You question, lifting your head off Ace’s shoulder.

Sanji nods. “Be extra polite.” He shudders. “Stoke his ego if you can manage it. He and the others are real bastards about rights versus commoners. I maintained my rights even though I didn’t want them because the Government stepped in, but with a curse… tch.”

“He’ll know that the government will bury my ties to my family.” You admit. “Yeah, I was already thinking about that. Not that it’ll make any difference if reparations are demanded.”

“You’re still royalty?” Ace questions, looking at Sanji.

Sanji shakes his head. “I sold my rights to fund this place.” He says. “But even with my rights sold my blood’s still legitimate. Ichiji and the others can’t treat me like a commoner without repercussions. Honestly, it might be the only reason the restaurant’s never been targeted.”

“But, two more months and it won’t matter.”

“Huh?” You and Ace make the same sound at the same time and Lyn and Sanji both smile.

“Germa’s only in town for another two months. With all the other islands and seas, they’ll probably never end up back on this island again.” He explains. “After that it won’t matter what my brothers think, they’ll be too far away to do anything about it.”

Ace sinks back into the booth, relaxing. “You scared me, I thought you two were going to sell the place and go elope or something.”

Lyn laughs. “We promise we’re not going to sell this place any time soon.”

“Noticing a distinct lack of promising to not elope.” You say, raising your brows a little and smiling.

Both of them flush and Sanji clears his throat. “Nami-swan and Robin-chan wouldn’t forgive us.” He insists, and Lyn nods.

“We don’t have plans to elope, but if we have to.” She lets the thought hang and you nod in understanding.

“Oh, uh, are you two busy on the fifteenth?” You question, shifting the conversation. “I figure the least I can do for all your help is invite you to enjoy delicious food with us as the 1st division celebrates my birthday. Though I suppose I could volunteer to help with closing a couple more times.”

“You’re welcome to help out here whenever you want, but it’s certainly not required. We’re both happy to have been able to help.” Lyn assures you.

“I’ll be happy to bring a large order of appetizers,” Sanji says, a bright smile on his face. “It’s been a while since I cooked for them.”

Ace puts his arms up in celebration. “I’ll let Thatch know, and he can work out the details with you.” Ace hugs you, his cheek pressed to yours. “Your first birthday here and we’re all gonna be so blessed.”

You could feel your face go hot at the exuberant display of affection, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. “You sound like Luffy.” You tease.

“Oh, we’re not going to be able to tell him about this. He’ll whine constantly for the next two weeks and then he won’t sleep the night before.” Ace sighs, nuzzling his head into the crook of your neck, not releasing his hug.

“A-Ace.” You stammer, you can feel the familiar sensation from before and you’re worried you’re going to set Sanji’s booth on fire.

Ace looks up and into your eyes and smiles as he lets go. “Oops.” He looks just about ready to lean in and kiss you, and you’re torn between wanting to let him, and not wanting to do so in front of others just yet.

“Look at you, positively smitten.” Lyn says, eyes on Ace. “If I remember correctly, you were in here just a few months ago -.”

“S-saying absolutely nothing interestin’!” Ace exclaims, giving you a little space without leaping fully to the other side of the seat.

“Ah, true. True.” She agrees with a grin. “I’m sure I have you mistaken with someone else who was ready to swear off all manner of love and dating. Dramatically convinced that there wasn’t any one in this whole wide world that was going to be able to-.”

“Lyn, mercy, please.” Ace begs.

You can feel the heat rolling off him as you turn your head, giving Ace a pointed stare while Lyn hums softly in amusement. To Ace’s credit he looked caught somewhere between embarrassed and adorable. He put his arms in front of his face to shield himself from the inquiring look you were giving him, and so you moved just a little bit closer.

“Don’t ignite.” You admonish, poking his side playfully and causing him to yelp.

“You’re in my restaurant,” Sanji starts, trying to cover the pink on his own face. “And I feel like I’m the one intruding.”

“Ah, ha ha, sorry about that.” You lean away from Ace. “With, with that we should probably get going. We’ve kept you both as it is.” You admit, scooting out of the booth.

Lyn hands you a card after she gets up. “The numbers for here, and both our personal cells.” She explains.

“If things go bad with Ichiji, let us know.” Sanji clarifies. “I can’t promise I’ll be able to do much, but I don’t want anyone in that family thinking they can do whatever they want.”

“Appreciated.” You tuck the card away, hoping that things go smoothly. You’re certain that Sabo would break the law without a second thought if Ichiji did anything, and you know Ace would too. There were too many people willing to step up for you, and considering the complications of nobility in relation to the laws, you were more worried for others than yourself.

#just like fire #portgas d ace #x reader #portgas d ace x reader #reader insert

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necroromantics · 1 year ago

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🧺 — Laundry And Taxes

chapter 2. // (masterlist)

Toby wiped his dirt-stained hands onto his jeans as he stood over the 6ft deep hole he had dug in his backyard, the dark silence of midnight encompassing him. His arms were overworked and weak, strained from endless hours of laboring at the hole. Back where he was from, digging a grave only took about four to five hours, but here in the backyard of his childhood home, he had been working until dusk.

The boy turned around from his handiwork and picked up a dead rabbit which had been rotting on the grass behind him. Grabbing it by the ears, Toby tossed the body into the grave. He stared at the carcass for a moment, devoid of any purpose, before his face scrunched in repulsion. Toby gripped the handle of the shovel, gritted his teeth, and began to cover the rabbit back up with dirt.

Once the dark skies brightened with the morning summer sun, his mother had awoken to see what her son had been doing throughout the night. She caught him sitting in the backyard smoking a cigarette staring out at the forest that wrapped around their home, graveyard dirt on his sneakers and animal blood smeared on his hands. At six in the morning, Connie rushed out and asked him what happened, and demanded he put the cigarette out at once. Her boy only looked at her in a daze, as if death had meant nothing to him. Toby shook his head, brushing his mother off as he pushed past her and headed inside. As Connie looked out at her yard, she noticed for the first time how many dirt patches there were. From that point on, it had only gotten worse as his mother insisted he start to get out more, talk to more people, do more things. Her ignorant attempt at aiding her troubled son.

A jingling melody of a bell filled the air of the corner store as Toby walked in; his attempt at going out more. He looked as he always did, tired and a mess. Feral, ruthless, diseased. He glared through his thick brow at the cashier, something of a warning sign. As he walked past aisle after aisle, the boy occasionally pocketed a chocolate bar or two. The buzzing of the fluorescent lights overhead brought him back to the times he was able to get away with nearly anything, and nobody dared to try to stop him. Without buying anything, Toby made his way out of the store, before being stopped by the man behind the counter.

“You gonna pay for those?” The cashier pestered.

Toby stopped in his tracks, shame turned into anger, and anger turned into violence.

“Pay for what?”

“Those bars you stole. Either you pay for ‘em or I call the cops.”

His jaw clenched as he felt a familiar burning sensation boiling in his chest. It was righteous, it moved him. He took one of the stolen chocolate bars out of his sweater pocket and chucked it hard at the older man.

“Have your fucking chocolate bar then.”

Toby spent his time in the world eagerly awaiting the day he were to wake up from his fever dream of a new life. It itched and clawed at him, a loud sort of desperation for what once was. He needed answers. He knew far too well that he wasn’t built for this world, and he needed to go back to the place he was made for. The world which shaped and molded him with violence into nothing but a weapon. And what is a weapon in a world with no war?

Toby stepped back, gaining momentum before kicking the basement window of the local library in. He wrapped a spare piece of cloth around his arm and pulled out the shattered frame of glass, before crawling his way into the building which was now closed for the night. If he wanted answers, he was going to get them.

The boy walked around the faintly nostalgic library, looking aimlessly for the newspaper archives which he knew to be kept in the back. Toby had been on similar trips to libraries in his days as a proxy. To get rid of evidence, or to find some. This time, he was hellbent on finding any articles that would prove he wasn’t completely alone in this strange world.

Once he found the large filing cabinet that held numerous documents and archives, he slid open the drawers for articles from 1990-2010s. The boy sat on the cold floor of the silent library, sifting through newspaper after newspaper. He skimmed over every word, looking for any evidence. The first thing he noticed was that there was no Jeffery Woods manhunt, which used to be front page on many different papers for awhile back in the late 2000s. The second, was that as he read over an article that used to contain a small segment about a recorded series titled Marble Hornets, it seemed that the entire column had never existed in the first place. The space was now replaced with retail advertisements.

There was a jingle of keys heard from down the hall, and the sound of heavy-booted footsteps, which was slowly approaching the archive room. Toby whispered cuss words to himself as he quickly shoved the documents back into the filing cabinet and snuck out of the room, utilizing his knowledge on stealth to not get caught by the security guard. To his luck, the boy managed to wriggle his way out of the open window he kicked in, and ran out into the night. All he gained was the knowledge that Toby had nothing left of the life he once lived. Or the war he once survived.

It was a constant uphill climb of a life for the boy. A Sisyphian punishment. The boy couldn’t sleep well that night, worse than the previous nights, and the next morning his mother insisted he were to get out of the house and go to the park, or the mall. Toby decided disgruntledly to visit the park, possibly he could find signs there, beyond the trees. The desire for answers consumed him, his light at the end of his tunnel vision. The boy approached the playground, eyeing his surroundings and making mental notes of all the people, and things, in the area. The tall, mighty oak trees painted the surroundings green, the sky was clear and vastly blue. A perfect summers day.

Quickly, he noticed a small group of older boys sitting on and by their bikes, one of which was mocking Toby’s strange twitches and jerks as they whispered and laughed amongst themselves. A real comedian. In that moment he was dragged, tossed, thrown, kicking and screaming, into the past he once lived. Back when he was first seventeen, back in middle school. The hunger for revenge. He may have had the body, but he wasn’t that same kid anymore, Toby wasn’t weak anymore. And he wasn’t going to let anybody mess with him ever again.

Without a second thought, Toby turned around to face the group, fire and fury in his dark eyes. He approached the boys, and like a rabid dog, he tackled the one who was making the jokes to the ground. Toby grabbed a fist full of his hair, and drilled his other fist into the boy's face repeatedly, ignoring the desperate attempts from the older to squirm out from under him, screaming. Everybody looked at the violent scene, mortified.

Back when Toby was seventeen for the first time, he drew clear lines that he wouldn’t cross. Things he wouldn’t do. But as he grew older, angrier, he crossed those lines and gained the dangerous knowledge that the world wouldn’t come to an end if he did bad things. He could hurt people and still wake up the next day. As he continued to scream at, and beat the other boy bloody, Toby could’ve sworn there was a line there once.

The drive back home with his mother after getting picked up at the police station was tediously long. Toby was trying his best to ignore Connie's disapproving silence as he glared out of the passenger window at the passing city beyond them, darkening into evening skies.

“What has gotten into you?” Connie spoke, exasperated. Toby continued to ignore her.

“Well?”

“It doesn’t matter, just drop it,” He responded, irritation growing in his tone.

As the two made their way into the house, Toby was greeted by his older sister leaning up against the kitchen counter. Toby felt words breaking in his throat, he stared at her like an angry bear. Lyra stared back frightened at his swollen eye. They saw each other with a strange surprise. The boy avoided her gaze, turning his head down to look at his feet like a bad dog as he pushed past her and made his way to his bedroom.

Soon thereafter, Toby had begun getting into petty fights with his sister, and often talked back to his mother. One particular evening, Lyra had shouted at her brother for being disrespectful towards their mom. She had made an unsettling offhanded comment about how Toby was going down a terrifyingly familiar path. A path the family had seen his father go down for years before Connie mustered up the courage to kick him out.

“You think any of that shit matters to me? None of this is real, none of it” Toby yelled back, waving his hands around and laughing to himself.

“What the hell is wrong with you? I’m real, you’re real, mom is real. And look at how you’re treating her.”

“You? You shouldn’t even fucking be here right now, you’re supposed to be dead!”

Lyra paused at the cruel words of her little brother. The boy gave her half of his orange one morning, and broke her heart in the evening. They both cross lines they shouldn’t. They’re both afraid of their rage.

“Just… Enough. I shouldn’t even be here right now. So do us both a favor and stay out of my business.” Toby lowered his voice at his sister's surrender and without another word, left again into his bedroom.

That night, as Toby laid silently in his bed, facing his bedroom window, he saw a fraction of light creep onto his wall as his door opened. A small shift of weight pressed down onto the mattress beside him.

“What happened to my sweet boy?” Connie spoke with a deep sorrow in her voice. No words could ever explain to his mother what had happened to him. Nothing he could say would ever make her, or anyone, understand the unfathomable. Toby gave her no response, and minutes had passed before Connie sighed and took her leave.

As his family had laid to rest late into the night, Toby quietly climbed out of his bed which creaked as his weight shifted. Grabbing an empty old backpack, he made his way into the darkened kitchen and began piling in canned foods, water bottles, and money from his mothers purse. He paused for a moment before entering the garage, where he knew he could find a familiar old hatchet sitting idly.

He stared at and took in all of his surroundings, and listened to the quiet ambience of the house. Toby knew that this was a home for a boy, not a killer. He had lost his innocence so early, shaped with horror from before he could remember. Toby wanted terribly to look out at the house he stood silently in and feel something good, something happy, like a distant memory that would make him smile warmly to himself when he thought back to it. But no matter how hard he tried, all he could remember was the battlefield. Constantly fighting to survive, wondering if he would ever make it out alive. Quickly, he scribbled a message onto a post-it note and left it on the fridge for his mother to find in the morning when she realized her son was no longer there.

“I’ll come back this time, mom.”

#tombwrites #tombfic #creepypasta #ticci toby #creepypasta fandom #ticci toby fanfiction #ticci toby headcanons #creepypasta headcanon #creepypasta ticci toby #ticci toby headcanon #ticci toby fanfic #ticci toby creepypasta #creepypasta art #toby rogers

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tenebraevesper · 7 months ago

Text

Sonic Cyber Revolution, Entry 47: Cream's Rough and Tumble Adventure

''Once upon a time you could be a bad guy, and you'd live to see another day. But now you'd never manage boy, you'd be brain damaged, just to think that you could get away!''

– Team Chaotix by Sonic Heroes (Team Chaotix Theme)

xXxXxXx

Touka took a deep breath, her feet aching as she, Shadow and Knuckles shared the couch in the clothes store. They were observing Rouge, Amy, Minami and Lily as they marveled over the clothes at this particular store, having been walking around for hours at a particular giant shopping mall in Sentoraru.

''I've only said that I wanted a pair of new sneakers. How did we end up like this?'' Touka muttered, sighing.

She had accepted Rouge's offer to go shopping with her, with Shadow accompanying them. Rouge then revealed that she also invited Amy, Minami, Knuckles and Lily, talking about how it would be a nice bonding time between girls, both Knuckles and Shadow pointed out how they're clearly not girls, and merely keeping their respective partners company. Rouge agreed with that, telling them how she would find some use for the two, managing to somehow rope them into carrying her bags. Touka had to admit that there was something scary about how Rouge just had to do some light teasing about how neither Knuckles nor Shadow would be able to last a shopping trip with her for the two to get fired up and tag along while also acting as the group's pack mules. It was obvious that she knew how to mess with their ego to convince them into doing whatever she wanted.

It also didn't help that, in Knuckles' situation, Lily was actually happy with this shopping trip and as her Guardian, he had to keep an eye on her. As for Touka, she was basically being dragged around by Rouge who tried to convince her to try on cute outfits, even though Touka was adamant that she didn't want to buy anything. She had already gone to the shoe store, found herself a pair of high top sneakers looking almost identical to her old ones, bought them and put them on. From her perspective, she was done, but she and, by proxy, Shadow just kept being dragged from one store to another.

''What do you guys say?'' Lily emerged from the dressing room, now wearing a red sundress and a matching cream sun hat.

''It really looks great on you!'' Rouge said, giving Lily a double thumbs up.

''It's a cute outfit!'' Amy said, with Minami nodding happily. Lily took a look in the mirror, humming.

''I don't know if it really matches my style… Knux, what do you think?'' she asked the red echidna.

''It looks quite flattering on you,'' Knuckles responded, with Lily turning back to the mirror.

''Maybe I should try on the lilac one with the star pattern,'' she said, with Rouge suddenly appearing next to her, carrying the dress in her hands.

''Here you go!'' she said. Lily then vanished back in the dressing room, with Rouge turning back to Amy.

''It's really great to have some girlfriends to go shopping with. It makes things much more fun,'' she said innocently, only to shoot a smug gaze towards Knuckles and Shadow. These two, in turn, were glaring daggers back at her, knowing full well they got set up, but were too stubborn to admit that they fell for it hook, line and sinker. Knuckles had also been planning to get revenge on Rouge for what happened the night before, but he couldn't plan anything like this.

''Oh, Touka!'' Touka suddenly got startled when Rouge appeared before her, carrying a short-sleeved tunic. ''What do you think about this? Do you want to try it on?''

''I…'' Touka glanced to the side, taking note of the annoyed look on Shadow's expression. Clearly, neither he nor Knuckles were going to protest against being dragged around because that would mean a victory for Rouge, with Touka figuring that she could allow the two a little break from this. ''Actually, I'm feeling hungry and I've been thinking if you guys want to go somewhere for lunch.''

''Well… I don't know. I'm not that hungry,'' Minami said, glancing at Amy. ''What about you Amy?''

Amy shook her head, and even Lily responded with a ''No, thanks! Maybe later!'' from the dressing room. Touka then glanced at Shadow and Knuckles. ''What about you two?''

''I wouldn't mind going for lunch,'' Shadow said in his usual business-like tone, but frankly, he was relieved to get a break from this. As for Knuckles, he was a bit torn.

''I'd like to go for lunch as well, but unfortunately, I cannot. I am Lily's Guardian, and I cannot leave her side even if it's just for lunch,'' Knuckles replied in a stoic tone, his arms folded across his chest, and his muzzle flushing red in embarrassment when he heard his stomach growl. Shadow gave him a look that just screamed 'You're wasting your opportunity'.

''You can leave if you want. I'll be with Minami, Amy and Rouge for the time being,'' Lily said, exiting the dressing room, now wearing the lilac dress. Knuckles, however, remained stubborn.

''While I trust Amy and Minami, I don't trust Rouge,'' he replied, with Shadow rolling his eyes as he heard this response. Rouge, on the other hand, giggled.

''What's the matter? Are you afraid that I'll rob this place?'' she asked, with Knuckles giving her an annoyed look. ''Don't worry, Knuckles. I have no reason for doing that since this isn't a jewelry store.''

''If it helps, Minami and I will keep an eye on Lily and Rouge,'' Amy added, giving Knuckles a sheepish smile. Knuckles remained silent for a moment, then sighed, getting up.

''Let's go then,'' he said, with Shadow and Touka following him outside. Once they were a bit further away, Touka groaned.

''Finally! I thought we'd never get a break,'' she said, only for Shadow to glare at her.

''Why did you suggest that earlier? We could've left ages ago,'' he asked in an irked tone.

''You could've also said something, but you didn't,'' Touka pointed out. ''Whether you want to admit it or not, Rouge played both of you.''

Both Shadow and Knuckles had a look of annoyance and defeat on their expressions, but still didn't want to admit that Touka was right.

''That's… an unfortunate blow. I need to learn how to read her better,'' Knuckles stated.

''So, have you two decided where should we go for lunch? If not, I actually saw a place I wanted to go to,'' Touka suddenly said, with Shadow and Knuckles exchanging glances, and then shaking their heads. ''Okay, then follow me.'' She had led the two to a rather peculiar place, which certainly didn't look like an ordinary food place. ''This is the vending machine café I saw when we passed through this part earlier. It looks like this is a self-service place where there are only vending machines with various food and drinks, as well as a dining area and no employees…''

''We're going inside,'' Shadow immediately said, with Touka letting out a soft giggle. She figured that, so long he didn't have to interact with anyone, he'd be fine, and she and Knuckles followed him inside.

''Let's see…'' Touka muttered as she looked around the café, while Shadow and Knuckles already walked ahead of her. Knuckles had found a vending machine dispensing various fruit and was currently eyeing the grapes on display. Meanwhile, Shadow beelined towards the coffee machine, selecting the black coffee option and waiting for it to brew. Touka walked over to her dark hedgehog, just as he picked up the cup of black coffee. ''I hope that you'll also buy some actual food to eat with that coffee.''

''What if I don't?'' Shadow responded in a deadpan tone. Touka huffed.

''Honestly, as your responsible older sister, I want to make sure that you eat properly,'' she responded. Shadow just gave her an irritated look, but did walk up to the food section of the café and looked at his options.

Meanwhile, Touka spotted a particular vending machine that sold cakes in a can and quickly walked over to it, picking the strawberry sponge cake option. She then started deliberating between the matcha and chocolate cake and mango and passionfruit option, when she got startled by a voice from behind.

''I hope that you'll also buy some actual food to eat with that cake.'' Touka turned around, seeing Shadow, who gave her a look of disapproval, arms folded across his chest, only for it to fade into a look of smugness. ''As your more responsible younger brother, I want to make sure that you eat properly.''

Touka, while annoyed, knew well that she had it coming, even though she had fun messing with Shadow. The two were then approached by Knuckles, who was carrying a plastic bag filled with grapes and happily munching on some. ''Is something wrong?''

''Nothing, just a bit of sibling banter,'' Touka said, turning to Shadow. ''Do you also want one?''

Shadow stepped next to her, looking at the products. ''I suppose they don't have tiramisu flavor.''

''No, but they have matcha and chocolate cake. I think you'll like that one,'' Touka said, with Shadow rising an eyebrow. Touka forced an irked smile. ''Don't worry, I'll buy myself something besides dessert so long as you get yourself something to eat as well.''

Both then just stared at each other, as if exchanging a conversation in their minds, while Knuckles was wondering what their problem was.

xXx

''Now, that was delicious!'' Touka said, leaning back in her seat, the box of hot chicken curry rice she had bought being empty. Knuckles was still eating his katsudon, having grabbed a fork since his gloves didn't exactly allow him to use chopsticks, while Shadow just finished the tonkotsu ramen, placing the plastic bowl on the table.

''It certainly was better than going to a restaurant,'' he said, glancing around. There were a few other people inside the café, either eating or ordering food from the vending machines, but nobody payed attention to them.

''What's wrong with a restaurant?'' Knuckles asked. Shadow just folded his arms, his eyes darting to the side.

''It's too noisy…'' he muttered, only to notice Touka offering him the matcha and chocolate cake in a cake she had bought for him, and took it from her. Knuckles just rose his eyebrow, but didn't think too much about it, while Shadow ate the dessert.

''From what I know, Neos City actually has a lot of restaurants for people who value their privacy. Kisaki actually took me once to an individual dining BBQ grill and hotpot restaurant,'' Touka said, opening the can with the strawberry sponge cake and took a bite. ''They did have a seating for two, and the food was also very delicious and cheap. She told me that, since she isn't at home due to work, I could go to those places to eat.''

''Do they also have an all-you-can-eat buffet?'' Knuckles asked, with Touka nodding. ''Then I'll have to ask Lily whether she'd want to go there. She had told me that she wanted to try out new things, an an all-you-can-eat buffet was on her list.'' He then placed the fork into the empty bowl. ''I wonder if she, Amy and Minami are done shopping. For all I know, Rouge could be holding them hostage.''

Touka snorted, while Shadow rolled his eyes, responding, ''I sincerely doubt that.''

''I still need to find a way to get my revenge… Do you two have any suggestions for how to approach this situation?'' Knuckles asked, giving both Touka and Shadow a serious look. ''After all, you have been teammates with Rouge for the past few days.''

''Honestly, I'd rather stay out of this situation,'' Touka replied, her and Shadow having heard what exactly happened the previous night from Rouge. Both of them were stunned by Rouge's bold move and decided that they didn't want to involve themselves with this.

''I agree. This is between you and Rouge,'' Shadow added.

''Thanks for nothing, both of you,'' Knuckles replied in an irked tone. Touka just gave him a sheepish smile, while Shadow's expression remained impassive. They were all done with their lunch and were prepared to leave, when they suddenly heard crying from outside. The booth they were sitting at had a one-way window, showing them the inside of the shopping mall inside and outside it had an advertisement for the café. All three looked to their side, seeing a security guard trying to calm down a crying rabbit ARNav.

This rabbit was small, cream-furred, with cinnamon-brown eyes, a small brown nose, and a white muzzle. She had princeton orange markings around her eyes, on her head and at the tips of her long ears. She also had one long eyelash on each eye, and a short, fluffy tail that stuck out of her dress. For attire, she wore a simple sleeveless vermilion dress with a white collar and a light blue cravat, white gloves with a gold cufflink on each cuff, white socks, and vermilion and yellow slip-on shoes with gray soles. Her ears also had pink-colored canals, and were swiveled back and flop behind her head.

Flying next to her and trying to comfort her was a little creature resembling some kind of fairy. This creature was light lapis blue and had light honey mustard yellow markings at the tip of their head, hands, feet and tail, a bulb-shaped head, a floating light honey mustard yellow ball hovering above the top of their head that changed appearance corresponding to their emotions, lapis blue eyes, two light fuchsia/magenta pink butterfly-like wings and a small circular tail. The creature also had a cherry red bow tie.

''What's going on?'' Touka asked, with her, Shadow and Knuckles getting up, wondering if the rabbit ARNav was in some kind of trouble. The security guard, meanwhile, looked rather uncomfortable as he had no clue how to comfort the young rabbit.

''I'm sorry, but the next bus is scheduled to return in two hours, not earlier, and as for the ruffians that stole your package, all we can do is to write a complaint. I cannot help you find them if they aren't at the shopping mall,'' he said.

''Is something wrong?''

The security guard, the rabbit ARNav and the blue fairy turned to Touka, Shadow and Knuckles, who gave them questioning looks, albeit the security guard did note that the dark hedgehog and red echidna glared at him, clearly thinking that he was behind the little rabbit crying.

''Do you know her?'' the security guard asked in return. Touka shook her head, with the rabbit wiping her tears and sniffling, giving her, Shadow and Knuckles a pleading look with her big eyes. She was in so much distress, and the three had no clue why they felt like this, but they immediately felt compelled to help her. Call it big sister/big brother/Guardian instinct, but all three made the decision to take action.

''My name is Touka Kageura, and these guys are Shadow and Knuckles. Could you please tell me who you are and what happened?'' Touka crouched down to be at the rabbit's height, asking her in a gentle tone. The rabbit nodded.

''M-My name is Cream and this is Cheese. We were supposed to deliver a package to my mother, but we got lost and then two bullies stole the package, and now we don't know what to do,'' Cream explained, with Cheese patting her back in order to console her.

''I'm sure that we can help you,'' Knuckles said, stepping up. ''All we need to know is who those thugs are and we'll get your package back.''

''Really?'' Cream wiped her tears off, giving them a hopeful look. ''Thank you so much for helping me out!''

''Chao, chao!'' Cheese cheered. Cream smiled, giving them a look of relief. The security guard who was with them had left, quite relieved to not have to deal with this, while Knuckles, Shadow and Touka followed Cream and Cheese outside, with Cream pointing at a particular spot.

''That's where I got attacked. Those two bullies were so mean,'' Cream said. Knuckles hummed in thought.

''There are a lot of people here, so someone must've seen what had happened,'' he said. ''Still, if we want to go search for them, we are going to need professional help. We should get Team Chaotix on the case.''

''The Chaotix are situated in Eas. Even if we leave now, it will take us some time to get there and back,'' Shadow pointed out. ''Any trail we have here might go cold by that point.''

''Well, we could use Chaos Control to warp to Eas, get the Chaotix and warp back,'' Touka suggested. Shadow went silent for a moment, glancing at Cream, who gave him an innocent and hopeful look, then narrowed his eyes. He was not going to let her down.

''We'll do that,'' he said, with the three taking note of Cream and Cheese's smile of relief. They couldn't help but feel glad to see these two so happy.

xXx

''I see, so two ARNav ruffians have stolen an important package from you and now you need to get it back,'' Vector said, then grinned. ''Don't worry, kid. The Chaotix will take care of this in no time.''

''Thank you so much!'' Cream clasped her hands, her eyes sparking in joy. Cream, Cheese, Knuckles, Shadow and Touka had warped to the Chaotix Detective Agency, giving Vector, Espio and Charmy a quick rundown on what had happened.

''Well, that's our job. We need to know how those two ruffians look like. Could you give us a description?'' Vector asked, with Charmy suddenly flying up, holding a paper and crayons.

''We could also make a sketch,'' he said. Cream nodded, instructing Charmy on what the thieves looked like, while Vector and Espio turned to the rest of the group.

''So, where did this theft take place?'' Vector asked.

''At the Supernova Shopping Mall in Sentoraru,'' Touka replied.

''We should leave as soon as possible as Charmy and Cream are done with the sketch,'' Espio said. ''If it's a place like the shopping mall, there should be witnesses we can question.''

Speaking of the sketch, Charmy and Cream walked up to them, holding two pieces of paper showing very crude drawings of two skunk ARNavs. Charmy was particularly proud of his sketch. ''There! We should find these two in no time!''

Vector and Espio felt Knuckles, Shadow and Touka's eyes on them, with Espio sighing. ''Look, we don't have the resources for a more professional drawing.''

''This should be enough. After all, how many skunk ARNavs looking like this walk around in Neos City?'' Knuckles said.

xXx

''Haha, that was amazing bro!''

''Don't mention it bro! Those weaklings had it coming!''

Two skunk ARNavs were laughing their ass off after managing to bully and scare another victim into giving the duo their hoverboard and run away in fear.

One of the skunk ARNavs was medium-sized with blue-gray and cream fur. He had a tall, cream mohawk that extended down to his back. He had cheek tuffs on the sides of his cream-colored muzzle and had a scruffy hairstyle along with a long, cream-striped tail that could extend over his own head. He beared a blue-grey V-shaped patch on his cream white-furred chest. He also beared pink canals, a black nose, and sharp teeth. His eyes were red with yellow sclera along with thick black outlines along the outer corners. For attire, he wore amber gloves with white volar surfaces and amber boots with tan volar surfaces, a red oval on the tongues and cream soles, both having red lining on the wrists and ankles, and white socks.

The other skunk ARNav was muscular and tall with cream and beige fur. His mohawk ran down his back with his cream stripes reaching the ends of the stub where his tail once was. He had quite scruffy fur, with his chest and muzzle looking connected. He had a pink nose with a triangular shape and short ears. He beared a W-shaped patch in the center of his chest and beared fangs. Around his black eyes with red sclera, he had extremely defined purple bags under his eyes. For attire, he wore two black, spiked bracelets with gold buckles on them and wore black and gray boots also with golden buckles.

Both of the skunk ARNavs intertwined their arms, grinning in malicious glee, and exclaiming in unison, ''Nobody can stand up to ROUGH AND TUMBLE! We're the best!''

''Setting up camp at Supernova Shopping Mall was a great idea. We just have to look at people and take whatever we want, and nobody can do anything to stop us,'' Rough said, grabbing the hoverboard he and his brother stole and started playing with it.

''Yeah, but I wish they had something better than just clothes or toys or hoverboards… Why doesn't anyone buy weapons? Or a tail?'' Tumble asked, giving his tail-stump a sad gaze.

''That's because they're not as smart as us. But don't cha worry, I'm sure we'll score big soon. We also got that package we nabbed from that rabbit,'' Rough said, pointing at the white box on the nearby dumpster lid. ''That kid fought like a maniac for it. It must be valuable.''

''Then why don't we just open it? Com'n, bro! I want to see what's inside!'' Tumble asked.

''Haven't ya heard of the saying 'best for last'? We should first see what else we can get and then open the box up when we're back at our lair,'' Rough replied, grinning.

''I guess that makes sense,'' Tumble said, immediately agreeing with his brother. Both of them were then looking out of their hiding spot at the crowd that was entering and leaving the shopping mall, and to their surprise, they did spot Cream and Cheese, now in the company of a crocodile, a chameleon, a bee, a hedgehog, an echidna and a human girl, all of them questioning the people around the mall, looking as if they were searching for something… or someone. Tumble rose an eyebrow. ''Hey, bro, isn't that the rabbit from earlier?''

''Yeah, and she decided to tattle,'' Rough growled. Both were observing as another kid talked the crocodile, only to feel a cold sensation when the kid pointed towards where they were hiding. The crocodile then called for the rest of the group and started walking towards the alleyway where Rough and Tumble were at.

''Uh, bro, we got discovered!'' Tumble said. But, instead of panicking, he and Rough exchanged. ''Finally, there's gonna be some action!''

Meanwhile, the Chaotix, Knuckles, Shadow, Touka got a lead, with Cream and Cheese following them with a worried look on their expression. She walked up to Shadow, giving him a slight look of guilt. ''I hope that none of you will get hurt because of me, Mr. Shadow.''

''No one will get hurt besides the bullies who stole from you, Cream,'' Shadow replied, but Cream remained concerned. ''We're all capable fighters.''

''I don't really like fighting. Mother always said that I should resolve any arguments peacefully,'' Cream replied, lowering her head, only to look up and smile. ''But, I'm happy about the support.''

''Chao!'' Cheese cheered, glad to see Cream cheering up. Shadow nodded in response, only to stop when they arrived at an alleyway between two buildings. Vector, Espio and Charmy glanced into the alleyway, spotting several stolen things lying on the ground and a dumpster positioned in the middle of the alleyway. As the group entered it, two skunk ARNavs suddenly leapt from behind the dumpster and onto it.

''Prepare to be in awe-''

''Because we're ready to rumble-''

''Meet the Skunk Bros, Rough and Tumble!''

The Chaotix, Cream, Cheese, Knuckles, Shadow and Touka were a bit baffled by this sudden entrance, with Rough and Tumble striking a pose in hopes to intimidate them. Knuckles narrowed his eyes and took a fighting pose.

''Be careful, these guys are highly coordinated,'' he said. Shadow, who was standing next to him, had his arms crossed on his chest and the most unimpressed look he could manage. Only a couple of days ago, he had defeated one of the most dangerous entities on Earth, and now he was dealing with two ruffians. They were nothing to him.

''They're not a threat to us,'' Shadow responded. Vector crackled his knuckles.

''If you're done with your introduction, then it's our turn!'' Vector fist-pumped, as he continued in a mix of sing-song tone and rap-speaking, ''Team Chaotix! We're detectives you want on your side! Team Chaotix! We have directives, tracking down your crime! Come along for the ride, truth can run but not hide! For long, the game is on now!''

''Shut up! You can't just steal our thing!'' Tumble growled, suddenly leaping in order to punch Vector, but the crocodile dodged it and swung with his heavy tail, sending Tumble flying and slamming against the dumpster. ''Grrr, not fair! You have a tail and I don't! You'll pay for that!''

''Leave them to me, bro!'' Rough now leapt in, only to be forced to dodge when Espio suddenly fired a barrage of shuriken at him. He grinned, only to cry in pain when Charmy stung him in the back. While the skunk brothers were busy with the detectives, Cream had spotted the box she was supposed to deliver on the ground and quickly ran over to it to pick it up, but before she could do that, she was grabbed by the scruff of her dress by Rough.

''Not so fast, kid! We stole that package fair and square and you ain't getting it back!'' Rough growled, with Cream trembling back in fear. He then saw Knuckles and Shadow rushing over to him, only to hold up Cream like a meat shield before him. ''If you two try anything, the kid will get hurt!'' Knuckles and Shadow shot him a glare, but didn't move as they feared for Cream's safety. ''Oi, detectives! Let my brother go!''

Vector, Espio and Charmy, who had managed to corner Tumble, turned towards Rough and Cream, and then slowly backed away. Both Rough and Tumble grinned, realizing that no one was going to do anything while they had Cream with them. As for Cream, she gave her newfound friends an apologetic look.

''I'm so sorry, this is all my fault!'' she cried out.

''Don't worry, kid, we'll get you out of there in no time! Crooks like these two won't get away so easily,'' Vector assured her. Cream gasped in surprise when Rough suddenly placed her down, keeping a tight grip on her arm.

''That's what you think, leatherhead!'' Rough replied, with Cream feeling her arm bruising. She suddenly spotted an angry Cheese shouting at the skunk brothers, clearly demanding to let go of her. But the skunk brothers just laughed at the Chao.

''Oh, and what do you think you'll do, squirt?'' Tumble asked while laughing his ass off. Cream and Cheese exchanged determined glances, with Cream exhaling in resignation.

''I really really don't like to fight but… it can't be helped,'' she said, then took a deep breath and shouted, ''Cheese, get them!''

Rough and Tumble stopped laughing when suddenly they were hit with a barrage of punches from Cheese, causing Rough to let go of Cream and allowing her to escape. ''Why is that little thing so vicious?!''

Once she stopped next to Touka, Cream turned around. ''Cheese, I'm safe!''

Cheese then flew back to her, with Rough and Tumble turning towards the group, clearly furious about this humiliating defeat. They were about to get their revenge, but their eyes widened in shock when Knuckles and Shadow suddenly appeared, punching both of them in the gut and sending them flying and hitting the ground hard.

''Ughh… What happened, bro?'' Tumble asked, still dazed from what had happened.

''I don't know, bro…'' Rough replied, rubbing his head, only for both him and Tumble to get startled when they saw Knuckles and Shadow approaching them with murderous looks on their expressions, both of them ready to beat the two skunks up. ''Uh, bro?''

''Yes, bro…'' Tumble glanced at his brother.

''Let's scramble!'' Rough suddenly shouted, with both getting up and running away, shouting, ''This wasn't the last you heard of Rough and Tumble!''

''Scramble doesn't even rhyme with Tumble,'' Knuckles said, glancing at Shadow, who looked like he was about to go after them, but decided against it. They turned back to Cream, who managed to pick up her package, while the Chaotix and Touka picked up the stuff the skunk brothers had stolen.

''We should bring these to mall security to they can return them to their owners,'' Espio said. Vector nodded, grinning in satisfaction.

''I'd say that this was another case completed,'' he said, only for his expression to fall. ''Although, I suppose we won't get payed for this.''

Espio elbowed him, with Vector giving him a sheepish look, while Charmy just laughed. Cream and Cheese approached them, both smiling happily.

''Thank you so much for helping me! If you have free time, you could come to my house for tea,'' Cream told them.

''I guess that wouldn't be a bad thing,'' Vector said, glancing at Espio and Charmy, who nodded in agreement. ''Yeah, we have free time!''

''Great!'' Cream then turned towards Knuckles, Shadow and Touka. ''You are also invited!''

The three in question also agreed. If anything, they could at least accompany Cream and Cheese back home. Touka then turned to Cream with a curious look on her expression. ''I was wondering, what's in that package?''

''You'll find out once we're back home,'' Cream told her.

xXx

Once they had arrived at Cream and Cheese's home, which was at a suburban area at the eastern side of Kita, they were greeted by another Chao, this one being brown in coloration and wearing a light blue bow tie. The Chao was then followed by Cream's mother, a tall, cream-furred anthropomorphic rabbit with a white muzzle, a small brown nose, brown eyes, and a tuft of dark orange hair on her forehead. She had brown eyelids and dark orange markings around her eyes and on the ends of her lopped ears. For attire, she wore a long lavender dress with a white trim at the bottom of the puffy sleeves and the skirt, a burgundy-fitted vest with golden buttons, a blue or orange ascot, white gloves with gold cufflinks, burgundy low-heeled shoes with a yellow detail and gray soles, and pink lipstick.

''Oh, my, Cream, Cheese; are you okay?'' Cream's mother checked on her daughter. ''You've been away for much longer than I had expected.''

''I'm sorry, Mother, but I got lost and then there were those two bullies who stole my package…'' Cream said, trailing off, but then gave her mother a confident look. ''But, my friends helped me to get it back, so I asked them to stay over for tea as a 'Thank you'.''

''That's really kind of you, sweetheart.'' Cream's mother turned to the group, giving them a kind smile. ''My name is Vanilla, and I want to thank you for helping my daughter. I hope it wasn't much of a trouble.''

''Heh, don't worry, Miss Vanilla. It was no trouble at all,'' Vector said, rubbing the back of his head and giving Vanilla a surprisingly nervous and shy look, feeling his own heart beating fast the moment he saw her. Espio and Charmy gave him a questioning look, wondering why Vector was acting so strange. ''It is our job as detectives to help people.''

''Hey, Vector, why are you so flustered?'' Charmy asked. Vector froze, suddenly turning to Charmy with an annoyed look.

''I'm not flustered,'' he hissed, with Espio sighing as Charmy remaining confused.

''Don't worry, I'll explain it to you when you're older,'' Espio told Charmy. Behind them, Touka cracked a grin, glancing at Knuckles and Shadow.

''I suppose you two can relate to Vector,'' she said, with Knuckles and Shadow giving her a puzzled look.

''What are you talking about?'' Shadow asked her, shooting her a glare. Touka snorted.

''You'll figure it out soon enough,'' she said. Vanilla then clapped her hands.

''Then, let's go prepare the table for tea,'' she said, turning to the two Chao. ''Cheese, Chocola, you can help Cream with the pie.''

''Chao, chao!'' Cheese and Chocola responded in unison, with Cream turning to her newfound friends, showing them what was inside the package.

''That's what I was supposed to deliver. Mother had sent me to get the cheesecake pie we had ordered from the bakery,'' she explained.

''Can't believe that Rough and Tumble went through all that trouble just for a pie,'' Touka said, giggling in amusement, only to hum in thought. ''Uh, is it just me or did we forget about something?''

''What do you mean?'' Shadow asked, only to get an answer from Knuckles whose eyes widened.

''We forgot about Lily, Rouge, Amy and Minami at the shopping mall!'' he said.

xXx

Rouge huffed, tapping with her foot, while she, Amy, Minami and Lily were waiting at the entrance to the shopping mall. ''How could Knuckles forget about us?''

''I guess he got caught up in something, along with Touka and Shadow,'' Lily said. Rouge just pouted, folding her arms.

''You'd think that he would put a bit more effort now that I'm back,'' she said. Lily, Minami and Amy exchanged sly glances.

''I don't think you'll have to worry about that. From what I've seen, you live in Knuckles' head rent free,'' Lily replied. Rouge grinned.

''That's a consolation I'm happy to accept.''

Links:

#Previous Chapter

#Current Chapter

#Next Chapter

#Sonic Cyber Revolution (Masterlist)

#Sonic Cyber Revolution #cream the rabbit #cheese the chao #knuckles the echidna #shadow the hedgehog #rouge the bat #amy rose #vector the crocodile #espio the chameleon #charmy bee #rough and tumble #vanilla the rabbit #chocola the chao #sonic idw #knuxouge #sonadow #vectilla #team chaotix

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narabea06 · 1 year ago

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* Peaks head around corner *

Gimme Toby HCs?

Hmmmmm I think I can do that- *pulls out giant book of headcanons* They should be under T, I believe-

Toby Headcanons Part 2!!

Here's part 1 if you want to read more of my Toby headcanons to understand my AU a bit more

TW: Implied Su!c!dal Ideation, Alcohol

Him and Nina are best friends, and have been since highschool. His disappearance was the first among the friend group before Clockwork's, and was what pushed Nina to isolate herself. They are both reunited now, and Toby believes it's his fault Nina ended up wrongfully joining Jeff, but Nina keeps telling them that it isn't.

Halloween is actually his favorite holiday.

Back when he was a proxy, him, Cody, and Clockwork were all very close. Cody often would tease Toby for having a soft spot for Clockwork, like a little brother would. Like an older brother would, Toby would hide Cody's shit as payback.

When Clockwork first met Toby, she instinctively attacked him until the other proxies ran over and told her to stop. Toby was petty about this for months until Clockwork apologized.

Toby hates himself, and has been trying to cope with that since he was 12. He doesn't believe he deserves a happy ending or good friends, or a loving partner, or a good brother and sister, but he has somewhat come to accept that he can't bear the lose everything that he has left right now, and does not want to give up what little he actually is happy about in his life for once.

He only say a few things still from when he was a kid, one of them being Lyra's old lanyard she used to hang from her belt. He now wears around his neck constantly, and hangs his apartment keys on it. Sometimes he even jingles it as a stim.

Toby hates the smell and taste of alcohol, and will actively leave a room if someone is drinking it in the same room as him.

They aren't too big on being called nicknames besides Toby, and the only two he is actually fine with are "babe" and "cinnamon", and only Clockwork is allowed to call him those.

Toby tends to bite at his nails a lot and often does not even realize when to stop since he can't feel it.

His love language is acts of service and words of affirmation.

He's the kind of person to give you an awkward thumbs up and just say "that's cool" if you came out to him.

Slenderman was actually considered an urban legend in their town, like like Bloody Mary and Sirenhead, so when Toby told people that he was seeing Slenderman everywhere, nobody believed him, other than some conspiracy theorists.

He is actually rather short (5'2"), especially in comparison to the other proxies. The only proxy who was shorter than him was Cody, and Cody is three years younger.

Toby is an Atheist.

Toby was never really a great traditional artist, but does find painting relaxing, and sometimes will paint as a form of art therapy. He even has a small portfolio full of random art pieces that make sense to nobody else but him, and he's okay with that, so those paintings weren't for anyone but him.

Cody will sometimes randomly take pictures with Toby when they least expect it using one of Skully's old cameras, or with Toby just in the background, mostly because Toby hates being in photos and will sometimes purposefully hide their face from the camera, or will take the camera beforee Cody cab take the picture.

They do not know how to tie a knot, and therefore doesn't know how to tie sneakers, even as an adult, and now they feel too embarrassed to ask for somebody to show them.

Breakfast food in general is a small comfort for them since Connie would often make him and Lyra breakfast for dinner on the nights she saw they were particularly down. Toby tries his best to recreate Connie's cooking, but keeps not making it right, and ends up having to throw it away because his food sensory issues physically won't let him eat it if it's not exactly the way she used to make it.

He doesn't have a phone, though he has been working towards getting one, but is scared that Slender will somehow track him through it or something.

He listens to cavetown.

Toby can hold his breath for a surprisingly long time, and almost even joined the swim team in highschool.

He was terrified of cats as a kid, and refused to get one or be near one. Toby has been trying to work on his fear though now that he's an adult, and even sometimes leaves food outside his window for the stray cats in the neighborhood.

Toby steals dice from every board game he plays just so he can have a tiny dice bag in his backpack to make little click-clack noises when he shakes it.

He read Percy Jackson in middle school, and sometimes studies Greek mythology.

#creepypasta #ticci toby #toby rogers #ticciwork #nina the killer #jeff the killer #x virus #lyra rogers #connie rogers #creepypasta headcanon

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beansproutsong · 6 months ago

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[Proxy] Genshin - Teywat Zoo Plush series

Official Genshin Tmall shop is adding new merchandise on Teywat Zoo series, including big size plush and the small size plush

please use my link here to check the price and the other goods line up: https://tinyurl.com/2u3mvfzz

Correction on ANTA collab price, Xiao sneaker is 21000JPY and Qiqi model is 16200JPY

DM me here or at my twitter @angelic1408 to place your order

#genshin #genshin impact #genshin goods #genshin merch #genshin impact goods #genshin impact merch #Genshin xiao #genshin wriothesley #genshin diluc #genshin tartaglia #Tartaglia #wriothesley #diluc #xiao #yae miko #wanderer #scaramouche

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colormepurplex2 · 1 year ago

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Kaleidoscope | Red

↳ Musician!Namjoon x Artist!Reader ⤜ Neighbors, Mutual Pining, Artist Muse ⤜ Rating: MA | fluff, eventual smut ⤜ WC: 873 ⚠️ Crass language, secret personal pining, intimate personal thoughts about a stranger

Next Chapter⇾ ◅ Back to series masterlist

Like the taut skin of the apple that snaps under his perfectly straight pearly teeth as he takes a bite. You try not to stare through the reflective surface of the metal wall, but it’s impossible as he brings the shiny, red fruit to his mouth to take another crisp chunk from the rounded side.

Your neighbor stands across from you in the tiny elevator that’ll take you up to the seventh floor, where your apartment door is just across from his. He’s lost in the music you can faintly hear carrying from his headphones and is oblivious to your unwavering attention.

Forbidden fruit, full of secrets that you want nothing more than to be privy to. That’s what he represents. A tantalizing, teasing morsel of the unknown that begs for your touch. At least, that’s how it is in the privacy of your own thoughts. You don’t even know his name. Just simply always think of him as Apartment A, the counterpart to your Apartment B on the seventh floor.

He moved in nearly two years ago, and you always meant to say hello, to introduce yourself. But, every time the opportunity arose, your tongue would thicken, and you’d find it impossible to form words around the offending muscle. So, it’s only been silence between the two of you with the occasional hospitable, cordial smile that everyone does to be polite when passing by strangers and unintentionally making eye contact.

Apartment A takes another bite of the apple. That’s three so far since you entered the elevator with him from the lobby of your apartment building. The steel carriage is slow, slower than it should be, but the super refuses to fix it until the thing breaks down completely. It lurches along, emitting a constant vibration under the worn soles of your ratty sneakers. They’re covered in splatters of paint, most dried, but some still shiny-wet against the black canvas from when you spent time in your studio this morning.

There is only one more floor to go. With that, you know you’ll only have a few seconds to continue admiring him before he disappears into his apartment, closing you off from learning more about who he really is and why you’re so enthralled with him.

You step closer to the elevator doors and, by proxy, closer to him. The sweet, floral scent of the apple reaches you. It’s involuntary, the way saliva pools under your tongue at the thought of taking your own bite. However, it’s not the red fruit that you imagine, but the pouty bottom lip of Apartment A.

The sudden jerk of the elevator stopping sends you stumbling forward a step, your palm instinctively catching on the button-laden wall beside the doors. Heat immediately crawls up your neck, replacing the momentary flare of self-indulgent fantasies. You throw a quick glance at him, more than sure you’re going to find his dark, quizzical eyes staring at you like you’re a spectacle.

Relief, mixed with an odd sense of disappointment, clouds into your mind when you see your stumble didn’t so much as register to him. He’s hyper-focused on the fruit in his hand, his lips silently moving as if singing along to whatever song is playing through his headphones. You might as well not exist.

As soon as the doors slide open, the squeal of the worn-out belt and pulley echoing through the small space, Apartment A steps out and continues the dozen paces to his door while you’re still trying to gather your wits against the elevator wall. The offending sound begins again as the doors try to squeeze shut before you can throw a hand out and halt them.

You scramble out, shoving the doors as they try to catch on your shoulders. “Fucking hell,” you grumble, the warmth of embarrassment quickly turning to burning irritation. It’s unlike you to get so caught up in your thoughts over Apartment A. It’s not fair. It’s all because of that damned fruit. If he weren’t eating it, the bright, ruby-colored skin practically screaming at you to pay attention, you’d not have gotten so distracted.

Red is still coloring your vision as you push into your apartment. Your shoes thud against the wall by the door as you kick them off, eyes honing in on the blank canvas waiting for you on the other side of your living room. What you do in your studio is for the eyes of the outside world, but what you create here—in the comfort of your own space—is completely and utterly for you. Which is why you let yourself indulge in him.

You know precisely what you’re going to paint. Arching strokes meet eager swipes—the gentle curve of a fruit, the solid straight lines of nimble fingers. Pouty lips and white teeth, the faintest hint of a wet tongue poised to accept the sweet nectar that waits hidden beneath the thin peel.

It’s comforting, getting lost in the process of recreating something with such intimate clarity. Channeling your emotions, whether that’s the unbidden lush fantasy of biting into Apartment A’s bottom lip or the self-critical chastisement laced with irritation for being so hung up on him, red flows across the canvas—glorious, wicked red.

Next Chapter⇾ ◅ Back to series masterlist

#kim namjoon #namjoon fanfic #namjoon fluff #namjoon smut #namjoon x reader #namjoon imagines #bts fanfic #bts namjoon #musician namjoon #bangtanwhq

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tic-toc-clock77 · 1 year ago

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10 years (Part 2)- A small TicciWork fanfic by tic-toc-clock77

Part 1; https://www.tumblr.com/tic-toc-clock77/729273961267003392/so-remember-when-toby-and-clockworks-creator?source=share

10 years is a long time, they both knew it as they sat in the kitchen of the main cabin; Clockwork seated on a stool with Toby close to her on the counter. They'd been contemplating moving out since they're first attempt at getting some time to themselves resulted in Toby nearly being murdered by a proxy of Zalgo.

Not wanting to repeat their same mistakes, they struggled to find a way to keep moving with their lives without causing harm. Clockwork clicked her tongue as she continued to sew up the old stab wound, months ago now from Zalgo's proxy. It brought a pang to both their chests to recall those horrid two weeks they'd spent terrified for each other.

"I'm sorry, Nat." Toby sighed, looking down at his sneakers. Natalie forced a laugh as she sewed the stitches together, on the final loop, the stitch held together his skin. It would last probably a couple more months before they'd have to do it up again.

"It was a mistake on both our parts." She said, grabbing the scissors and cutting the remaining thread so it wouldn't droop. After it was finished, Toby hopped down from the counter and helped her put everything away.

"What do we do now?" Natalie asked as she peered out past the dining room into the living room at everyone running around and screaming. It was draining, truly to be around so many people at once but what could they do? With Toby's status as Slender's right hand man and his important role to play, could they go anywhere at all?

Toby shrugged, as he had done many times before since they started thinking to move. The two 27 year olds reluctantly made their way out to the living room. The TV was blasting and BEN and Jeff's screaming at each other was going right into Natalie's ears.

She gritted her teeth at the sounds all around her, her nails dug into the couch's arm. Taking notice, Toby grabbed her arm and stood, he lowered his hand down to hers, his rough and bandaid covered fingers ran down her sweater's soft fabric as they grabbed each other's hand as they'd done many times before.

Despite both their hands being calloused from holding their weapons tightly for so long, they felt soft to one another. Once they exited the cabins door, they jumped the two steps off the porch and took off running, Toby's sneakers and her boots hitting the crunchy December snow.

Despite it being midday and the sun shining down on them, it was freezing. It was slightly reminiscent of the first time they'd ever met, in the early snow of September which wasn't very frequent where they'd once lived but it had happened that year. That night when they'd killed her ex boyfriend together was something, though strange, they held very dear.

Running out of breath, they halted at a random spot, it's trees were much closer together and they could probably chop enough down to make a small cabin. It was Toby's first thought as he looked around, sure they'd have to steal furniture from their victims and maybe ask Helen and Judge Angels, two workers who lived outside the main cabin and had built their own together, for help but it still seemed like they could build a small cozy cabin in the spot.

"We could use this." Clockwork thought aloud, admiring the cedar, fir and spruce trees. She broke away from Toby momentarily to feel around at them. She ran her hand along the trees. She pictured it; some hard work and dedication could make it work out fine. "You think we could manage?" He snapped her out of her daydream, placing a hand on the other side of the tree. She nodded softly.

After a moment of staring at each other, she rushed herself toward him, wrapping her arms around his back, he did the same to her. She rested her head on his chest, despite the weather, they were both warm thanks to each other. It could work, it really could, all they had to do now was ask.

Part 3, coming soon! (P.s. all parts of this will be in my Ticciwork fanfic on Wattpad)

#creepypasta #clockwork #clockwork creepypasta #natalie ouellette #ticci toby #toby rogers #tobias rogers #ticciwork #toby x clockwork #🕷️'s writing

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torashii-tk · 2 years ago

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Going out outfit from a few weeks ago. The platform sneakers are so cool and cute!!! Editing this was pretty fun too c: (using any sticker I can to hide the mess lmao)

Sweater - SUREVE + feminine (from Avail) Skirt - DearMyLove Hair ribbon (slightly slightly noticeable in the third pic) - Offbrand Bag - Offbrand (me when I realise the site I got it from dropships their items and I didn’t need a Japan proxy service ; ;) Tights - Offbrand Shoes - CHIP CLIP (from Avail)

#girly kei #casual girly #j fashion #jfashion #japanese fashion #ガーリー系 #ガーリーファッション #ガーリーコーデ #ガーリー #ガーリー系ファッション #カジュアルガーリー #mine 🗒️#my stuff 🗄️

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ptseti · 9 months ago

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PT. 1: WILL BLACK VOTERS FALL FOR TRUMP’S GOLDEN SNEAKERS?

Republican front-runner and former President Donald Trump’s $399 golden sneakers are apparently all it takes to win Black people’s confidence at election polls. These recent comments from a Fox News presenter set off a firestorm of social media posts.

African Stream’s journalists sat down to deconstruct the US mainstream perception of the Black vote, which could swing a presidential election.

Black people’s votes helped put US President Joe Biden in the White House in 2020. The 81-year-old president has not kept his promises and is now presiding over a struggling economy. Many fear his foreign policy risks starting World War III, between the Russia-Ukraine proxy war and his administration’s continued support for Israel as it bombards the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and neighbouring countries. Plus, other US-enabled conflicts, such as in Sudan and Yemen, among others, have destabilised whole regions.

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enibas22 · 2 years ago

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Why Father Ziegler From Mrs. Davis Looks So Familiar

https://www.looper.com/1264263/father-ziegler-mrs-davis-looks-familiar/

Why Father Ziegler From Mrs. Davis Looks So Familiar Peacock

BY BRANDON SHOAFF/APRIL 21, 2023

Spoilers for "Mrs. Davis" Season 1, Episode 3 "A Baby with Wings, a Sad Boy with Wings and Great Helmet"

"Mrs. Davis" proves that if a priest asks you where you got your shoes, you should probably answer. Episode 3 of "Mrs. Davis" sees Simone (Betty Gilpin) and Wiley (Jake McDorman) travel to the United Kingdom in order to continue their search for the Holy Grail, and they soon find themselves at a massive contest involving historical helmets and a giant sword in a stone. Wiley then finds himself a part of this simple endurance contest that just requires its participants to keep at least one hand placed firmly on the massive sword, much to the dismay of Simone.

As Wiley stands there for countless hours, he communicates with Simone through cans connected by a string, and at one point a mysterious priest known as Father Ziegler (Tom Wlaschiha) manages to get on the line; he then asks Wiley where he managed to get a pair of BK Knights sneakers. This pair of shoes was given to Wiley by Simone, who in turn received them from a proxy of Mrs. Davis. However, Wiley should have answered Father Ziegler, as soon another conspiracy is revealed. Of course, Father Ziegler has a unique look, and there is a very specific reason why he looks so familiar.

Wlaschiha appears in many German shows and movies before reaching English audiences with The Deep:

Tom Wlaschiha has an extensive career, with IMDb noting that he currently has over 80 acting credits. His early career consisted of several German-language television shows and movies like "Stubbe — Von Fall zu Fall," "Wolkenstein," and "Ich wunsch Dir Liebe." Following those, Wlaschiha soon started to appear as unnamed background actors in Hollywood movies like 2001's "Enemy at the Gates" where he plays a soldier, 2005's "Munich" where he is part of a news crew, and 2008's "Valkyrie" where he plays a communications officer.

His first big break when it came to English-speaking audiences, though, came in 2010 with the British miniseries "The Deep." Starring alongside Minnie Driver and James Nesbitt, this five-episode show follows a crew of deep-sea researchers investigating a mysterious new source of energy found only at abyssal depths. Wlaschiha plays the role of Arkady, a Russian survivor trapped at the bottom of the sea in a damaged advanced research and drilling station.

Though the protagonists of "The Deep" aren't quite sure what to make of Arkady, he is eventually able to prove his worth.

Wlaschiha plays a German occupier in Resistance:

Tom Wlaschiha's next endeavor was in the 2011 Welsh film "Resistance," where he played a character named Captain Albrecht Wolfram. This movie follows an alternate reality where the Germans were able to successfully invade the United Kingdom after the failure of D-Day. As such, the countryside is now filled with German soldiers and the wives of British soldiers and partisans. However, Albrecht soon becomes involved with Sarah Lewis (Andrea Riseborough), a Welsh woman whose husband went off to fight against the occupiers, and the two have a very nuanced dynamic.

Speaking with Cover Media (via Film-News) in 2011, director Amit Gupta said that Wlaschiha was absolutely perfect for the role of Albrecht, and explained, "Well, I knew that I wanted the German [parts] to be in German, so I knew I'd be casting German actors. We met quite a lot of actors and I saw Tom Wlaschiha do a couple of things and when I met him I thought, 'He's perfect for Albrecht'. He was sort of beautiful looking, but sort of tragically beautiful. I just met him and thought, 'This is a man who's carrying some history with him' — and I found that really powerful."

Wlaschiha has no name in Game of Thrones:

Though Tom Wlaschiha certainly has a history of playing foreign soldiers and individuals, the role that put him on the proverbial map, at least in the eyes of the vast majority, is from the massively popular HBO show "Game of Thrones." Originally introduced as Jaqen H'ghar in 2012's Season 2, this enigmatic figure becomes a fixture in the life of Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) when he shows her that he is actually a powerful assassin that has an assortment of magical skills.

However, Jaqen may not actually be his real name, as the character is actually part of a group called the Faceless Men. This group is essentially a religion, and they pray to the Many-Faced God, which is just another name for death. Calm and collected, Jaqen and Arya have a fascinating teacher-student relationship, and he is partly responsible for turning Arya into one of the most fearsome fighters in the world of "Game of Thrones."

During an interview with Geek Culture, Wlaschiha spoke about what he liked about his character, and he said, "The Faceless Men have this philosophical aspect that all men are equal regardless of their social status, and what they've done in life. They regard all of them as equal, and they will kill anyone for just the right price. I like this aspect."

Wlaschiha is a dangerous operative in Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan:

Dropping his magical persona and getting into the world of high-stakes espionage, the next major project for Tom Wlaschiha found him appearing in 4 episodes of 2019's "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan." Similar to his role in "Game of Thrones," Wlaschiha's character in this show is also a deadly assassin. Starring alongside John Krasinski, Wendell Pierce, and Michael Kelly, Wlaschiha is a Season 2 villain known as Max Schenkel, a dangerous German operative that gets caught up in a game of cat and mouse with Jack Ryan (Krasinski).

Speaking with The Knockturnal during a red carpet interview, Wlaschiha explained some of the background history of his character. He also mentioned that he spent an incredible amount of time running and jumping during many scenes, which he added was quite a problem at the altitude they were at because of the thin air. Wlaschiha was then asked if he did his own stunts, and he replied, "I did the stuff that I could do, but obviously I mean I wasn't allowed to do everything. I would have loved to do everything but wasn't allowed to do so. But the running was really, I mean I think I always thought I was a good runner, but at this height, it's a completely different thing."

Wlaschiha helps Jim Hopper escape a Russian prison in Stranger Things:

Besides appearing as everybody's favorite smooth-talking assassin-zealot in "Game of Thrones," Tom Wlaschiha also lent his talents to another massively popular television series, "Stranger Things." Popping up in Season 4, Wlaschiha plays Enzo/Dimitri, a Russian prison guard who is instrumental in reuniting Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) and Jim Hopper (David Harbour). However, these three soon find themselves all trying to escape from Russia once it is discovered that Dimitri has been aiding Jim in his escape attempts.

During an interview with Collider, series creator Matt Duffer mentioned that the original draft of Season 4 would have seen Dimitri die, but that particular plot point was later changed. Duffer explained, "In terms of who makes it, who lives or dies. I think there was a version where Dimitri, AKA Enzo, didn't make it. Then he ended up making it. But that's [the most] radical of a departure from the original idea versus what we ended up with."

The reason for this character change could be that "Stranger Things" managed to recruit Wlaschiha, but whatever the case may be, it seems that whenever a television show or movie needs a foreign-sounding soldier, killer, or priest, Wlaschiha is just a phone call away.

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