#someone broke the toaster again

[incorrectcontrol]

Incorrect Control quotes 179

Langston: I did a thing. Arish: ...why is the fire department here? Langston: It wasn’t a good thing.

[kindaasrikal]

I like to think that sometimes the ninja have elemental accidents that makes them deal with the wrath of Wu. I also like to think that sometimes those accidents actually help them.

Kai: starts to uncontrollably shoot fire from his mouth, and in a mission where they need to light a bunch of pedestals near the same time, it really comes in handy.

Zane: can’t help but freeze things each time he touches it, and in summer best believe everyone is clinging onto him for that refreshing ice to cover their skin.

Nya: When tied up and captured with the release button behind her, Nya is awfully thankful that for the past week her hair has been incredibly heavy with water and will not dry, since now its heavy enough for her smack the button with.

Cole: keeps making rocks float in the air, and has found a new past time making them spin around someone’s head each time they get a concussion. He likes shaping them into dumb stuff too. He also specifically does it around villains, so when they realise them in their confusion he can throw the floating rocks directly at their foreheads.

Jay: becoming a lightning rod is one thing, Jay being really worried as he shakes Lloyd who is slowly dying before accidentally electrocuting him, getting yelled at for doing it, only for Lloyd to shoot up and start breathing again is another.

Lloyd: When Lloyd can’t stop glowing green, he becomes an oversized flashlight when they have to go on a mission in a deep, dark cave. Lloyd is terrified like a lil baby since he has to lead and keeps screeching each time any noise is made. No Lloyd that wasn’t your father it was a rat.

Bonus+

Wu: once kept creating things out of his hands and couldn’t stop. Mystake and the Fsm loved it since he kept making tea cups out of his hands. Mystake swears that that was the first time she had gotten so much business.

Garmadon: kept shooting destruction beams out of his hands when he was younger and would have to keep his hands as fists so the Fsm wouldn’t realise. After being sent on an errand to the town they regularly visit, he accidentally opens his hand and shoots a beam at a house. Instead of getting yelled at by the people surrounding it, the people with yellow hats turned out to be construction workers who were tasked to break down the house for a new one to be built. They were literally just complaining about how long it would take when Garmadon shot it down to dust. The Fsm got ten letters the next day asking for Garmadon’s help.

Morro: once saw someone struggling to breath and panicked, cover their mouth, and after the the past week of accidentally making the wind stronger or weaker where the training grounds was destroyed multiple times and Wu had to tie everything floatable down, Morro accidentally became an oxygen mask as he pushed and pulled the air from the person periodically. After the person began to breathe properly again, Morro burst into tears because he thought they were struggling to breathe because of him. Wu had to sit him down and explain exactly what had happened. Now, in the present, Morro likes to make people shut up by taking away their breath for a second.

Euphrasia: once couldn’t stop making everything float before she got dragged into helping people move stuff around since she made it easier. She keeps having old grandmas asking her to carry stuff around and help renovate homes. She’s gotten sick of hearing ‘a little to the left- ohhh no more to the right!’.

Sora: kept accidentally breaking things and once broke some rich guys toaster. She then proceeded to try fix it only for her powers to go haywire and make a toaster deluxe 5000 when it can fry, grill, and toast bread to perfection with added on butter. She had to block the guy five times after he kept asking for her fix his microwave.

Wyldfyre: she became super sweaty after over using her element only for Kai to realise that the only reason his fire was able to make the bottle he was holding blow up was because it was coated in sweat from Wyldfyre’s hand. They tested it out and whilst Wyldfyre’s flames and normal ones can’t make it blow (if her flames did she’d be blowing up 24/7 and normal flames aren’t strong enough), Kai is perfectly capable of making her sweat into bombs. Ghost Wu is not amused when he sees his monastery on fire.

Pixal and Arin begin to not only be sick of all the elemental accidents, but also appreciate them for their usefulness, since Arin likes to use Kai’s flaming mouth to help bake pies.

[sophiasharp]

Man I don’t think we talk enough about the fact that in the wildly accepted fanon, the ghouls were like. Creatures pulled out of a primitive society full of bloodshed and danger. These guys were just chilling in hell, fighting for their lives every day like you do, and now they’re on Earth, expected to figure out Earth manners and technology and how the fuck anything works. I’ve been thinking about it, though. Let me walk you through my thoughts

THE GHOULS TRANSITIONING TO LIFE ON EARTH

Aether

- Bull in a China shop

- Big man has gotten very good at controlling his strength over the years. That control was NOT there at first.

- Bumped into fucking everything too. Dude’s used to being in the wide open abyss the quintessence ghouls occupy. Suddenly having to learn special awareness was. A hurdle of his.

- He broke a lot of tables. And chairs. And plates. Mugs. One Sibling’s arm. He got there eventually but Omega had to walk him through how fragile everything on Earth is compared to their ghoulish strength.

- Part of his habit of jumping up and down also comes from how different Earth is to his home environment. You mean you can go up and then you’ll come down again? Automatically? What a concept! Gravity is so much fun!

- Still gets some sense of novelty out of electric lighting. Being able to just. Make the dark go away? Whenever? Amazing.

- He keeps a night light on in his room. The last person to make fun of him for it mysteriously ended up with 3rd degree burns.

Dewdrop:

- Skittish little fucker

- Kinda like that one video of those weird crabs reacting to the diver

- Dew, poking at a toaster: Friend? Friend? Friend? Big noise! Scared! Scared! Scared! Scared! … Friend? Friend?

- Fucking LOVED blankets and coats and jackets and robes and honestly just anything that will keep him warm. He was used to the cold, sure, but if he had a choice between that and being cuddled under 5 different comforters, possibly with another ghoul for extra body heat? It wasn’t even a competition.

- Still had to often be reminded to wear clothes. “We’re in a hellish commune, does anyone really care about one ghoul being naked?” “It’s not so much the nakedness as much as the being out and about without your uniform.”

- Warm food blew his Fucking mind. Coming from the frigid arctic, whatever warmth you’d get from your food’s internal temperature was short lived. Microwaves? Ovens? Tea Kettles? Marvelous. Truly a gift from the Dark One

- Got REALLY into cooking. Dude is a wizard in the kitchen. Watched so many kitchen shows once he figured out how TV’s worked and started replicating the really fancy meals they were creating on screen with whatever he could find around the Abbey and what the kitchen staff were willing to give him. Now, whenever there’s a big occasion, he’s the one asked to oversee the food.

Mountain:

- weirdly calm and placid about everything despite not knowing how literally anything worked.

- Just casually curious about everything. Was always asking questions. Not in an annoying way, but just politely inquisitive.

- There was like a 50/50 chance he was actually listening to you at any given point in time. I mean, there are so many new sights, sounds, smells to experience! Can’t expect him to be 100% there when there’s still so much new splendor all around!

- If ever he was confronted with something new but no one was around to explain what it was, he would instead try to just. Figure it out on his own using his best judgement.

- This is how he once ended up straight up eating someone’s phone. This was very early on, mind you, but it was so smooth and shiny! And the precious metals inside were so tasty! He knows better now, of course. But there are some days where he’s tempted to give his ministry-issued smartphone a nibble…

- Figured out his love of gardening pretty damn fast considering that’s what he was originally summoned for. However, aside from tending to Primo’s garden, he found himself still going out to tend to the plants even in his free time. It’s calming to him, reminds him of home. When things get overwhelming, the plants are there to let him channel his worry into something producing.

- His first personal plant was a small pot of rosemary. He kept it in the window of his room and took *such* good care of it. It’s still there to this day, nestled among the other plants he’s accumulated of the years.

Swiss

- he is so excited about everything!!!!

- He has to be touching all the new things all the time! What does it do? How is it made?? Can he eat it??? A lot of things that were small enough went straight into his mouth. Copia needed to keep a spray bottle on him at all times to make sure he didn’t hurt himself.

- Of course, when he was around the other ghouls, he played it cool. Have to make a good impression on his new (and hopefully permanent) packmates after all. He reeeaaaally didn’t want get sent back to the pit so getting in good with the rest of the band was TOP priority!

- In fact that need to be liked was bordering on unhealthy and sort of sabotaged himself a bit. Acting all suave and cocksure when the entire rest of the band was on high alert does that.

- Most of the ghouls regarded him with a hefty amount of distrust at first- being the first summon of the new boss came with a LOT of baggage -but Cumulus saw straight through him. He was just a silly little guy! She became his first real friend amongst the pack.

- The two became menaces together, exploring the abbey and messing with shit they probably shouldn’t have. Primo’s garden was a favorite of theirs, much to Mountain’s chagrin.

- Was just SOOOO fascinated by this new body he’s been put in. Unlike most the other ghouls, he didn’t have a physical body he inhabited back in hell, only being given one when he was summoned to the surface. Flesh! If feels funny! What does this thing down here do-

Cumulus:

- was honestly kinda scared at first, what with the whole mood of the pack being out of wack.

- Apparently their new boss might have killed someone? That’s the guy that summoned them? Uh oh!

- Stayed glued to Cirrus in the beginning. Being summoned together meant having a strong built-in bond with each other, always having access to what the other is feeling. Being together offered a much-needed sense of comfort to Cumulus. Getting to spend time with a really pretty girl wasn’t bad either.

- Swiss was the one to bring her out of her shell, imbuing her with confidence through his own fake bravado. They came to rely on each other in that sense. When Cumulus was scared to do the things she wanted, Swiss would convince her of her capability. When Swiss was anxious and felt like a fraud, Cumulus would remind him of his sincerity.

- Was very curious about how her magic worked on the surface versus how it did in the pit. Back home, she was used to having to beat against the constant winds of the first layer of hell. Now that she’s on Earth, her powers are much more powerful than she ever expected them to be!

- LOVED textiles. She surrounded herself in all things soft and fluffy. Her bedroom (and most nights Cirrus’s as well) is just so Fucking cozy. Blankets and pillows everywhere. Her stuffed animal collection is unmatched. Will cry if even one of them ends up on the floor.

- Dew was the one to help her start her collection. To this day they are each other’s #1 cuddle buddies.

Cirrus:

- Stone cold badass front to hide how nervous she was.

- VERY protective of Cumulus in the beginning. She could feel how scared she was and felt the need to step up and protect the both of them from any threat this new environment may have… even if the perceived threat is a bit stupid.

- She once kicked in the washing machine cause it made a sound once it was done and it startled her. Not her proudest moment.

- Was almost OVERPROTECTIVE of Cumulus at first, even, doing even the simplest of tasks for her to prevent risk of injury. That was until she watched her kick a sibling straight in the nuts for making snide remarks about Cirrus in front of her. Cirrus had never fallen in love faster.

- Took a LONG while to warm up to the others. Constantly felt like she had something to prove, like she needed to show that she wouldn’t buckle under pressure. Everyone (but Cumulus) was a threat.

- Adores weather on Earth and how it isn’t just WIND 24/7. She loves all the different shapes of the clouds, how dark they get with moisture, the gentle snowfall or the needle-like rain. Really puts her at peace to be out on a rainy day

Rain:

- S C A R E D

- Everything is new and bright and cold and heavy and loud and- and- and-

- Yeah he barely left his room for a week, didn’t talk to anyone for anything. Not shy, necessarily, but just freaked the fuck OUT. They were starting to think he was nonverbal cause man refused to use his voice. In his defense, talking outside the water feels very different when you’re used to your vocal cords wiggling in water all your life.

- In my brain the first time he did speak was to Copia after he did his lil oopsie with the rest of the pack. It’s like a day later and Copia’s tryna plan how he’s gonna make it up to the ghouls when rain cornered him in a dark hallway, made direct eye contact, and in the softest voice went “I wouldn’t go near the lake if I were you. It’s hard to hear screaming underwater.” He then left a completely stunned and freaked tf out Copia standing alone in the hall like it never happened.

- He kinda regrets letting his first words on Earth be a threat now but the rest of the pack is flattered, although they do still sometimes tease him for it.

- Really started coming out of his shell when Dew made dinner for him. Dew was in the same shoes as him once and, although his relationship with the new water ghoul was complicated, he still felt obligated to help his new packmate adjust to life on Earth.

- Bro went through the trouble of showing Rain what every little thing in the kitchen did so he wouldn’t be scared to make his own food anymore, all while making him some grade A gourmet dining. Dew didn’t know it at the time but that’s when the heart-eyes started.

[koishiro]

# - 𝐏𝐀𝐘 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ — 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄 : fluff, suggestive

masterlist | jjk masterlist | anon masterlist

𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐔 𝐆𝐎𝐉𝐎  ੈ✧̣̇˳·˖✶

When Gojo wants attention he makes it everyone’s problem. He’ll do anything in his power just to get an ounce of your time. Not to mention he’s more vocal than anything. So as you’re sat at your desk, pen in hand as you mark last week’s homework you hear the tell-tale sounds of a grown man rolling back and forth on your office floor.

“Honeyyyy”

Ignoring his continuous whining you continue on with marking your student’s hand-ins as your husband flops back and forth in an attempt at gaining your attention.

“It’s been thirty (30) minutes!! Have I done something again?”

At this point he’s given up with mindlessly rolling on your floor, instead taking it upon himself to wrap his long limbs around you - in essence caging you against your chair.

Rolling your chair back Gojo falls to his knees, moving to wrap his arms around your waist and head on your lap, “babyyyy - my sweet, sweet mochi - I’ll die without your love!”

Which led you up to now, sat on Gojo’s lap as he takes your place in your chair, his arms wrapped tightly around your mid section as he spreads an array of kisses from your neck to your shoulder and so-forth.

“See, this ‘s much better hm?”

𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐔  ੈ✧̣̇˳·˖✶

Unlike his former friend, Geto is subtle when it comes to moments like these. He doesn’t care when or where you both are, if he wants attention, he’ll get it one way or another.

If you’re paying more attention to someone else you best know he’ll stretch his arm across you

Like right now, sitting next you on your shared couch while he sports a very obvious pout but not so obvious for you to catch on - too immersed in your conversation to notice.

Stretching his arm above your head to what you thought was your boyfriend repositioning himself into a more comfortable position until you felt the quick fingers of your boyfriend snatch your phone with the speed and precision of a trained athlete.

You felt cheated; that is until his lips softly grazed your earlobe before uttering four simple words, “wan’ your attention darlin’”

And so it continues,

As you’re cooking in the kitchen, you hear the padded feet of your boyfriend nearing closer before the feeling of his bare chest hit your back, his large calloused hands kneading the fat of your tummy.

“Sleep okay?” His morning voice was a gruff whisper, barely audible even in the stillness of the room. It softened when he spoke to you, though you knew it took great effort for him to do so; meekly murmuring his words as if they were meant only for you, forming your own intimate secret within your shared space.

Humming back in a tired ‘yes’, you waited patiently for the two slices of toast to pop out. His voice broke into your silence, snapping you out of your trance, "Why'd you get up so early hm? Missed ya warmth," he went on. His gentle words carried through the kitchen and beyond, washing over you like an enveloping blanket while you watched as countless molecules of butter slowly melted down the knife you held onto tightly when at last they emerged from the toaster.

Feeling a slight pinch on the flesh of your tummy snapped you back into reality, “oi, pay attention to me princess”, he all but whined.

Feeling his hand sneak it’s way towards your own he gently placed the knife down, feebly nudging your body towards the hall that led to your shared bedroom, “come back t’bed ‘n keep me warm m’kay?”

𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐑𝐈 𝐘𝐔𝐉𝐈  ੈ✧̣̇˳·˖✶

This would affect Yuji big time, he’d have trouble computing if he doesn’t receive his daily dose of affection.

He’d often be found clinging onto you or at least somewhere in your vicinity so when he’s seen trudging around school grounds, tired after training with Gojo it’s already known that he’s on his way to your dorm.

The first thing Yuji did was face plant on your cold and unoccupied bed planning on cuddling up to you and washing away his thoughts and worries until he realises you weren’t there. Instead, you were too preoccupied at your desk to notice your own boyfriend’s arrival.

“Baby?” The sound of your boyfriend could be heard from across the room, almost a low quiet whisper, “you okay?”

The simple question made you smile, wanting nothing more than to wrap yourself in the comfort of his arms but the pressure of your current assignments due in by tomorrow held you back.

You gave a simple nod in response not wanting to tear your eyes away from the page in possibility of losing focus and getting distracted by the puppy dog eyes you know held place on his face.

You felt the weight of Yuji’s head rest against yours as he slung his arms over either side of your shoulders as he continued, “why don’t you come to bed? You can finish this in the mornin’, you got class in the afternoon don’tcha?”

“Yuji I can’t, I really have to get these done tonight” of course though, Yuji wouldn’t take this lightly, he’d lean his entire body weight on you - practically going limp as he continues his complaints,

“I’ll help you if you just come to bed, I promiseee” this didn’t exactly convince you per-se but the thought of carrying on studying until the early hours wasn’t exactly appealing.

Minutes later you were tucked under your duvet, a heap of blankets scrambled on top as you tangled your limbs with Yuji’s. His face nestled in the crook of your neck as squeezes the fat of your thigh every now and then.

“See, isn’t this much better”

𝐌𝐄𝐆𝐔𝐌𝐈 𝐅𝐔𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐎  ੈ✧̣̇˳·˖✶

Just like Geto, Megumi isn’t exactly vocal when it comes to - well, anything really. But especially not when it comes to affection or more specifically wanting attention.

He held small little give-aways like when he’d tug on the end of your shirt or hooked a finger in your belt loops if you strayed too far or how he’d play with the ends of your hair if he felt anxious or overstimulated.

Megumi’s thought process is that he doesn’t want to get too attached but he also certainly doesn’t want to chase you away by any means.

Which results in you having to make the first move half the time like right now, feeling the burning gaze of your boyfriend from the living room he’s currently sat in - not once tearing his eyes away from your figure in the open kitchen.

This was one of Megumi’s endearing traits, silently asking for your attention which usually you had no complaints about but there were times where you played along acting as if you hadn’t the faintest clue of what he wanted.

Megumi's eyes glimmered, shifting between yours and the empty space next to him on the loveseat, silently asking you to join him. His expression was earnest but restrained - he wanted you there with him but seemed too embarrassed by his own feelings to make it obvious. From across the room you could see a slight flush of pink hue across his cheeks, almost like a plea for your company without any words needing spoken between them.

He tried to contain himself as he waited, but it was visible in the way his body shifted closer and closer towards the edge of his seat, aiming to close up some of the vast space separating you. His fingers fumbled with themselves as they traced along the fabric of his sweatpants in an anxious rhythm; indicating that something was on his mind. A small lip bite only added to this eagerness until you eventually returned and took your place next to him.

Megumi shifted ever so closer to you, and you felt a dip in the couch beside you as your body moved towards his. He took the opportunity to wrap an arm around your waist while he tugged you against him, your legs entwined with no space left between you. His breath was warm in contrast to the chill of winter outside, and you could feel his heart beating steadily against yours like a lullaby soothing away any doubts; apparently, you were close enough now.

Megumi rubbed the skin of your thigh as it lay across his, “stop going too far, I want you here”

𝐓𝐎𝐉𝐈 𝐅𝐔𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐎  ੈ✧̣̇˳·˖✶

Oh you’ll know if Toji is touch starved and deprived of attention. He’ll have his large calloused hands rubbing up and down your body 25/8.

He doesn’t care where you are, if he wants you he’ll have you. Even as you’re in the farmer’s market, he’s stood tall behind you his hands rubbing you up and down keeping the heat radiating from your body.

He stood behind you in the farmer's market, his hands kneading your body through the fabric of your clothing. His heat seemed to seep inside of you and overtake every sense within reach. You could feel his desire lingering like a cloud around you; it was clear he wanted every inch of what you had to offer and no matter where you were, he would take what is rightfully his.

He’d rub and grab at anything in reach as if restoring heat into your body - letting his touch be known even through the crowds of people bustling around.

“What about tomatoes, will you eat those then?” You’ve had a hard time so far convincing Toji he needed to eat at least something healthy.

“Nah,” you clearly weren’t having much luck with the big mountain-of-a-man clinging onto you from behind while simultaneously smacking his hand if it wandered too far.

“Then what do you want to eat?” You had been wandering round the market for at least an hour in an attempt to at least find one thing your husband will eat for dinner. Toji’s been more of a man-baby as of late which included being more handsy, huffing and puffing anytime you left the room, and of course wasting time at the market just so he could get a few extra minutes clinging onto you.

It would’ve been endearing had he not been trying to cop-a-feel any chance he could get; hands sliding too far up your shirt to be socially accepted, slapping your ass every time you bent to pick something up and even nudging your head back with his hand around your neck if you so happened to ignore something he said followed by the constant innuendos.

“I’d rather eat what’s between your thighs”

𝐓𝐎𝐆𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐈  ੈ✧̣̇˳·˖✶

Toge is the most subtle out of everyone unless you’re both alone of course, since he’s not able to use speech he’ll be more physically affectionate, that includes softly wrapping his around your waist when your back’s turned, soft surprising kisses on the back of your neck if you’re too engrossed in studying and even cozying up to you, shuffling into your space as you both often lie there in silence.

That’s one of those moments, you’re lying on the couch with a book in hand - too engrossed with the words staining the page to notice a small head of white hair padding his way towards you.

Feeling a movement on the couch, you shift your eyes towards the culprit of the noise only to find two amethyst puppy-like eyes staring straight back at you as if caught in the act.

Which he technically was; one hand held your top up while his head was caught mid-dive, ready to slither his way under your shirt. This only deterred the boy for a minute, soon gaining back his composure before continuing his path under and out the top of your (his) shirt.

“Happy now?” Placing one hand on top of the white mess he calls hair, gently stroking and playing with each strand like you would a cat. Toge all but hums in contentment, now filled with warmth and the satisfaction of gaining your attention even if just for a moment as you turn your head back towards the pages of your book.

This wasn’t enough for Toge though, a quick pinch to your thigh telling you exactly that. Another quick pinch followed by a ‘hmph’ indicated he wanted more, “hm?”

Nudging his head towards the book you held in one hand, you understood what he was after, “wan’ me to read t’ you?” Quickly answered by a small nod, you did just that.

Turning your gaze back to the pages once more you started from the beginning of your chapter, a pleased and satisfied smile on both your faces.

𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐈  ੈ✧̣̇˳·˖✶

Surprising to a lot of people, Nanami is quite open with you. He doesn’t usually hold back when you’re both in the confines of your home but it’s rare,

Both being extremely busy leads to you waking up at different times, always missing the other before heading to work. Of course you’d share fleeting glances and quick kisses anytime you could, but it didn’t make up for the sheer emptiness you both held in your heart.

Being so busy often meant that you’d forgetfully leave your lunch behind, only remembering once your lunch break came up. Lately though, you had started work earlier than your husband causing you to wake up earlier than he usually would which would result in Nanami trudging into the kitchen after a routined kiss goodbye only to find your bento box sat on the middle of the counter… next to your purse.

At first Nanami would worry, thinking that you’d go without for the rest of the day knowing you never eat breakfast until a smile would lift at the corners of his lips, realising he could deliver it himself.

And that’s just what Nanami did, striding through the school’s hallways in search of your office. Knocking on your door in a rhythm kept hidden between you both, he entered through the small crack he created.

“Darling?” It was obvious you were too absorbed in your work to notice your husband’s sudden presence. Nanami stood quietly in the open space of your office, not knowing exactly what to do.

Seeing a dark coloured bento box being placed on the side of your desk out of the corner of your eye you lift your head up, surprised to see your husband stood before you, “Kento?”

The man in question made his way to your side, brushing a hand through your hair before placing a kiss on your forehead, “you forgot your bento”

“What would I do without you,” a small content smile spread its way onto his face, happy to have spent an extra few minutes with you that you normally wouldn’t have. Nanami let his hand fall from playing with your hair to the top of your arm, running his thumb soothingly up and down.

You had a sense that Kento was hesitant with leaving by the way he loitered at your side and the pressure he kept around your shoulders.

“You okay?” You ask him, swivelling your chair to face him. Nanami takes the chance to take hold of your hands,

“mhm, jus’ miss you is all” you barely heard before his lips landed on your own.

—

— 𝘒𝘰𝘪 𝘹𝘰

[anonymous-dentist]

idea were Cellbit ends up fed up with his loud neighbor and finally goes to fight him but might just got a date instead.

Nine in the morning.

Cellbit doesn’t normally fall asleep until around eight in the morning. He’s up all night working at the police station, or he’s up all night writing at home on his days off.

He’s a crime scene photographer. He wakes up at three in the afternoon, drinks coffee, showers, drinks more coffee, goes to work.

He’s a horror novelist. He still wakes up at three, and then he skips the shower and brings his entire coffee machine into his bedroom to keep by his desk as he tries to write.

But. Nine in the morning.

Nine in the morning, for the past week, has been goddamn Bluey. Loud and grating and goddamn evil and right against his bedroom’s wall- thanks, neighbor.

Cellbit is tired. He’s nocturnal, he knows this, but. Goddamn Bluey.

So, on day eight of Bluey, Cellbit swears his way out of bed and to his neighbor’s apartment door. He’s in 616, his neighbor is in 617. His old neighbor was a nice old woman who died in a horrible accident involving a toaster and her dishwasher, but he hasn’t met the new neighbor yet. They probably suck. Cellbit hates them, and they probably suck.

Cellbit pounds on the door.

Swearing from inside of the apartment, and then the door is swinging open to reveal a shirtless man wearing low-hanging sweatpants and very obvious Spider-Man boxers. With abs. And biceps.

“Um,” says Cellbit’s new neighbor, “are you good? Do I need to call someone…?”

Cellbit glances down at himself- wrinkled clothes from two days ago, coffee stain all over the front of his shirt, rumpled-up jeans. He’s been writing. No time or energy for anything but writing.

Oh, God. He looks like a zombie.

“I’m your neighbor,” he explains, only a little embarrassed. “You need to turn your tv down. I work nights, and I can’t sleep with it being so loud.”

“Oh, hi!” The neighbor grins. “Nice to finally meet you! Mx. Cucurucho- you know, the landlord- said you were probably dead. But, uh. I might be dead if I turn this shit down. Because-”

He’s interrupted by a shrill voice crying from inside the apartment, “Apa! Bluey died!”

The neighbor sighs and turns to shout, “It’s a commercial, Pepito! It’s fine!”

Oh. Oh, a child. Makes sense, but…

Hesitantly, Cellbit suggests, “Can’t you just… iPad? With headphones?”

“He accidentally dropped his iPad down the elevator shaft on our first day last week. If I would, I could, man.”

“Oh.”

Cellbit continues standing there awkwardly. He gives Richarlyson an iPad, Pac gives Richarlyson an iPad. Bagi doesn’t, but that’s because she’s “crunchy”, and Felps doesn’t because he’s broke.

Cellbit himself is borderline broke, but if it’ll get him peace…

“I’ll buy you a new one,” he blurts out. “Meet me at the Apple Store tomorrow night. Six o’clock. Bring your kid.”

The neighbor’s eyes widen, but he doesn’t protest.

He smiles wider instead.

“Okay, thanks,” he happily says. “It’s a date!”

He slams the door shut right in Cellbit’s face, and… wow.

Just. Wow. What an asshole.

Cellbit wants to see him again now.

[romamoff]

Love is for children.

Pairing: ? 😊 Warnings: none, than it being my first fic and maybe not the best! Word count: 2.5k

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peace. The assassin didn’t quite expect to feel peace in this situation. Yet she felt calmness and warmth spread through her whole being, filling every fiber of her body and every piece of her soul and mind. Where once were racing cruel thoughts,  now settled silence. Her green eyes fell back on the other redhead of the team, currently occupied with her face only inches away from the humanoid toaster. Vision had his hands on her hips. There was a time where Natasha wished that those were her hands… but it's not her place anymore to think like that. So now, as she watches Wanda’s arms snake themselves around his neck, a shallow smile spreads across her lips and she simply turns around and leaves the kitchen again, not wanting to intrude… at least that is what she tells herself.

So apparently a broken heart isn’t as bad as people make it seem all the time. Cause after all… Love is for children. It's this thought that brought a solemn calmness into the russian. But Clint's voice suddenly cuts through the silence within her mind. “Natasha? Are you okay? What happened?” A frown forms on Natasha’s forehead as though she didn’t quite understand why his blueish-green eyes watched her with sorrow and concern. He reached out and took something of her cheek. Confusion made its way onto Natasha’s expression. But as she turned away from his strange gesture and threw a quick glance back over her shoulder her confusion vanished: as she watched Wanda now smile at Vision, whatever she was trying to tell herself made no sense anymore. Love is for children. It wasn’t the thought that calmed her, it was the wishful thinking that everybody had that thought.

No. They didn’t think like that. Wanda clearly didn’t think like that. Wanda, who smiled softly at Vision with teary eyes as if he held all the stars. Wanda clearly didn’t believe that love is for children. Wanda clearly was in love. But not with her… not with Natasha… not with me. And now all the calmness and silence in her exploded into chaos. Her heart pounded against her ribcage as if it tried to punch some sense into her. She heard her blood rush through her ears and her mouth suddenly became dry. Swallowing around a huge lump in her throat, she faced away again and fixed her eyes on one of her closest friends again. Clint reached out again and this time the former spy knew what he was getting off her cheek: tears.

She tried to tell him that she was fine and that there was nothing wrong, but her body didn’t cooperate anymore. The emotions that suddenly broke through were absolutely unfamiliar to the Widow, who grew up suppressing nearly every emotion in her body. The flood of her own feelings began to drown her: her breathing became erratic and shallow at the same time. Her chest tightened and it felt like someone poured melted steel into her insides. She felt like her blood froze in her veins and her lungs were filled with cotton, leaving no room to breathe properly. Panic filled the redhead at her own state, that now was completely out of her control. A situation completely unfamiliar and strange to the disciplined and usually put together spy.

Luckily Clint seemed to understand what was going on and grabbed her. He laid her arm across his shoulders and supported her weight at her hip, to get her quickly out of there. His heart broke for Natasha. Of course he understood what was going on even without Natasha voicing it. Any person with eyes would catch on to the situation… and he wasn’t surprised. The archer had suspected for a while that his former target was madly in love with the younger witch. Love is for children… yeah sure. He had seen the way she looked at her… the way she made sure the younger woman was safe in their missions… the way her eyes stayed on Wanda just that few seconds too long. 

Clint rushed the now sobbing woman into her own room. He knew that the spy would feel safer in her secured, well known, own safe space. With efficient and precise steps the pair made it over to the bed on one of the walls. As soon as they hit the mattress to sit down, everything inside Natasha broke. Every pent up emotion. Every feeling she pushed down. Every thought she didn’t acknowledge. One of her hands shot out of reflex up to her mouth, but to no avail: heavy sobs wracked her frame and echoed through the silence. Heaving deep breaths, she tried to regulate her stuttering breathing and regain some control. But her chest felt tight and her throat closed up on itself. She looked up at Clint with a pleading look on her face. The worry was clearly etched on his face, although to Natasha it looked unfocused as her vision got blurry by her own tears, which kept flowing down her cheeks.

Without a second thought Clint gathered one of his best friends in his arms. Even his own body started to shake with the force of the redheads’ sobs and his heart broke for Natasha all over again. Carefully he guided Natasha’s head onto his shoulder and leant his cheek on the top of her head. “We will get you through this Nat.” He murmured quietly. But that just seemed impossible to Natasha right now. She was flooded with so many conflicting emotions at once, it made her head spin and she felt dizzy and sick to her stomach. Actually, she felt her stomach turning and bile rising up her throat. Too fast for Clint to follow, the widow bolted into her own bathroom and next thing he knew, he heard her retch her guts out. But before he could sprint into action, a voice by the door made him freeze on the spot. “Natasha..?”

Unbeknownst to Clint and Natasha their abrupt exit alerted Wanda and Vision. The young sokovian must’ve grown curious to know what was wrong, cause right now she is standing in Natasha’s doorway with a worried and slightly confused look on her soft features. Clint almost gave himself whiplash with how fast his head snapped from the bathroom door to the young witch. “Wanda!” he proclaimed a bit too loud as his body jolted off the mattress and towards the young woman. His only concern right now to protect Natasha… and Wanda seeing her like this was probably the opposite of what was good for Natasha.

Green, concerned eyes searched the room, before landing on the bathroom and then fixing themselves back on the archer. “Clint, what is going on? Is Nat okay?” she asked and tried to wriggle past him into the room. But the older man gently grabbed her shoulders and threw a quick glance in the direction of the bathroom as Natasha seemed to throw up again, oblivious to what was going on in her room. “uhm… uh… yes, she just went a bit too hard on training today. You know how she can be!” He tried to brush the witches' concerns off with a half hearted chuckle. But to his misfortune Wanda wasn’t having any of it and her eyebrows scrunched in worry and a bit of confusion. Yes, Natasha was known to train really hard. But she would never risk any more harm to her body, since she is dead set on the fact that it was her strongest weapon… which might be true, but that’s beside the point!

“Oh, come on… she wouldn’t risk that. Is she sick? What’s wrong?” she inquired and pressed further. Clint actually had to apply some force now to hold her back and decided to try a different approach. “Wanda, come on. You know she wouldn’t want anyone to see her like this. She would hate that!” It seemed to do the trick, cause Wanda actually faltered in her movement and looked back at him. A fleeting look of understanding ghosted over her face but - to Clint's misery – she brushed it off and her concern for Natasha won over. “Clint please… I just want to know if she’s okay.” Wanda cringed at that… obviously Natasha was not okay, but her brain was riddled with worry and this was the only sentence she came up with.

“Is my help required?” came a voice from the hallway. Clint couldn’t help the groan that broke free as his eyes landed on the humanoid robot who definitely was not helping Natasha right now. “NO!” his voice boomed and surprised everyone… including himself. He was usually not known for outbursts, but could you blame him right now? But what really perplexed him, was the reaction of the young auburn haired woman in front of him. Wanda calmly looked back at Vision, muttering a “No, thank you.” and dismissed him with a rather cold expression. But what really threw Clint off, was the fact that Vision just nodded without a visible reaction, turned and went back the way he came from. Could this be any more confusing and chaotic?

“Wha… Wanda?” Of course! A big sigh, followed by a deep inhale came from the archer as he turned around to see that Natasha had apparently finished throwing up and was now standing there with red, puffy eyes and a horrified expression on her face. He immediately let go of Wanda and positioned himself between the two women, his back facing the witch. Natasha just looked past him, mouth agape and eyes wide in embarrassment. “Do you feel better now? Man, that chicken sandwich must’ve gone really bad!” he tried his best to offer an explanation and an excuse to Natasha. “I… uhm… yea…” she stuttered out between irregular breaths and quickly averted her eyes from Wanda back to Clint, after new tears threatened to spill upon seeing the young witch she fell so deeply for.

But leave it to Wanda to stay worried and not budging a single second. She was by Clint's side in an instance and fixed the russian with a determined, piercing glance. Natasha couldn’t help but gulp at her sudden closeness. “Don’t make me read your thoughts. I’m so worried Nat! That was the third excuse he came up with… Please..?” The young witch pleaded and laid a tender hand on Natasha’s still shaking shoulder. Clint just gave up and accepted the fact that his attempts on fixing this chaos just wouldn’t help. He stood upright and offered a small smile to Natasha. “I’ll leave you some space. I’ll be in the living room if you need anything.” The Archer turned and left the room, quietly shutting the door behind him to at least offer some privacy for his best friend.

Natasha on the other hand was very tempted to just bolt after him and get the hell out of here. But the more logical part of her brain knew damn well that she couldn’t run now anymore. Wanda wouldn’t let go of this that easily and she had to face her eventually. That still didn’t help the anxiety rising inside her like a storm. Her hands grew sweaty and began to shake as she gestured towards her bed as a signal for Wanda to take a seat. The younger witch followed that immediately and sat down gently. Natasha used the second to close her eyes shut for a second and fight down the nauseous feeling that made a comeback in her stomach. Here goes nothing.

She took a deep breath and turned to sit next to the sokovian. “Wanda…” she gritted out, but didn’t get much further as her nerves took over and her voice broke on that one word. The witch reacted on instinct and grabbed a hold of Natasha’s still shaking hand. That one point of contact set up a variety of reactions inside Natasha: she felt a tingling sensation radiating from her hand and warmth spread into her whole body. A calmness settled back in her mind, but it had a bittersweet feeling to it and Natasha had to swallow a lump in her throat back down. She took a shuddering breath and angled her body, so she could face Wanda and she saw nothing but empathy and concern in her eyes. 

Natasha actually felt her cheeks heat up, probably for the first time in her life and for a second she sits dumbfounded. Worry etched itself on Wanda’s face and she mistook Natasha’s silence for unease. “Nat… it's going to be okay. Just take your time. Do you need me to leave?” the witch spoke quietly and averted her eyes again. That seemed to pull the russian out of her trance and she physically shook off her thoughts. “No!” came the abrupt reply and Wanda’s eyes snapped back up to meet green ones again. “I… I mean, no. Please don’t leave. I need… I mean… I need to talk to you about something.” She rambled on, before she took a deep breath. “говно, why is this so hard…” Natasha murmured to herself.

“Okay, here goes nothing…” Natasha fixed her gaze on Wanda’s. If she is going to do this, she is going to do it right. Wanda deserves that. “I didn’t eat something bad…” “Yeah, figured that.” The witch cut in. “Sorry… keep going.” She added a bit sheepish and Natasha couldn’t help the fleeting smile that passed her lips, but it got swallowed by her anxiety rather quickly. “I… I saw you with Vision in the kitchen earlier..” she admitted with a defeated, shallow and broken tone in her quivering voice. The younger sokovian looked genuinely confused about that statement. “Okay… so?” Wanda wasn’t sure at all how to react to that statement.

Natasha suddenly stood up frustrated at herself and paced the room in front of the witch, feeling the need to move her anxiety ridden muscles. “I was told love is for children! My whole life I believed in that!” Wanda decided to stay quiet at that and just let Natasha get whatever it was off her chest first. “Love would make me weak! Love would give others the chance to break me! But Wanda…” Natasha seemed to wrestle with herself and a deep sigh left her mouth. “Wanda… pushing it down and losing it is what truly broke me…” The younger woman watched her intently and something inside her grew curious at that. Natasha took a few seconds to gather her next words carefully. But every rational thought had left her body and she decided to just go through with it. “Wanda… I fell for you. Love is not for children…” Suddenly a flood of emotions mixed on the witches’ face: curiosity, nerves, anxiety, empathy… but… hope? … happiness?

~A/N: I really hope it wasn't too bad!! I'd love to hear from you how you liked it! 😊

[doumadono]

EMERGENCY REQUEST

So I love your stuff and ofc take your time. Im really sorry to inconvenience you with this request but I'm just very stressed.

I recently moved into a new house with my family and we have been slowly moving things in for months. Apparently the landlord left the door unlocked after he came in to make some final repairs and someone broke in and stole some stuff. Nothing huge, some tools, a toaster oven, drill bits. We didn't think they stole anything else and my family didn't see a reason to make a report till I started looking for one of my boxes I moved previously and it was gone. It had all my cross country stuff in it and I know it's not important to anyone else but CC is my LIFE. I've been running for almost 5 years So all my medals, plaques, times, banners, numbers, memorabilia from courses are gone. And I don't know what anyone would want with any of it. None of it was worth any kind of money but all of it means so much to me emotionally. I SUCKED my first year and it took so much effort to EARN everything. I'm scared they are gonna start melting down my metals or try to pawn them. I know it sounds vain and maybe it is but I was so proud of everything I've accomplished in cross country. I had a mental break down for about 30 mins to an hour and idk what to do. CC helped motivate me to recover from my Annorexia and one of those metals I won right after I got out of the hospital. Im 4'10 (I am a senior in highschool) Im already at a disadvantage considering my legs are half the size of everyone else's. I had to work so hard to be where I am now and all my reward for my work it's just gone because someone was bored? Wanted to make some extra cash?

Do you think If/when you have time you could write MHA comforting someone who's going through this? Maybe Shoji or Amajiki? Or whoever you want and think would fit. Im sorry again I know it's vain to want all of it back but it just meant so much to me.

Shoji & Amajiki with a friend who lost their CC stuff

EMERGENCY REQS MASTERLIST

Shoji

Shoji, noticing your distress, approaches quietly, acknowledging the pain without pressing for words.

With his calm demeanor, he approaches the friend, his extra limbs extending to offer a gentle, reassuring touch.

He speaks gently, "I heard what happened. I can't imagine how hard this must be for you. Take your time, but if you want to talk, I'm here."

Shoji respects your initial silence, patiently waiting for you to open up when you're ready.

He remarks, "Your achievements in cross country are a part of who you are. Losing them is like losing a piece of yourself, I bet but you still have the memories."

Shoji invites the friend to a quiet spot in the school, away from prying eyes, where they can share their feelings without judgment. "Sometimes, finding solace in silence can be more comforting than words."

Shoji suggests, "Let's work on a plan together. We'll search for your items and, if needed, involve our friends for more support. Even if the physical items are gone, your achievements and the strength you gained through cross country remain."

Amajiki

Amajiki cautiously approaches, "I heard about what happened. It's okay if you don't want to talk, but I'm here for you."

Amajiki silently sits with you, understanding that words may not be enough to express the depth of your pain.

He softly says, "Your achievements are not just medals. They're a reflection of your strength and resilience. No one can take that away."

Amajiki's gentle demeanor encourages the distressed friend to open up slowly, sharing the pain and memories associated with the lost stuff.

Amajiki softly suggests involving the authorities, realizing the emotional value of the stolen items. "I think it's important to let the authorities know. They might be able to help recover your belongings, and it's okay to ask for help."

Amajiki spends quiet moments with the distressed friend, acknowledging that sometimes, silent companionship speaks louder than words.

[diamondzoey]

More bug army incorrect quotes!

Vincent : Operation no more distractions is a go! 
*not even 10 seconds later* 
Vincent : Oh, look! A butterfly!

————————————————————————-

Duarte: Who the fuck broke the toaster?

Emerald: It was Keres.

Nash: It was Keres.

Cameron: Keres broke it.

Keres:

Keres: ...yOU PROMISED-

————————————————————————-

Amber: Why is Azren crying on the floor?

Xanthe: They're drunk.

Amber: And?

Xanthe: They saw a picture of Jemma’s spouse.

Amber: But they're Jemma’s spouse.

Xanthe: I know.

————————————————————————-

Cameron: Be careful about succumbing to these sorts of destructive... urges. Addiction can be a powerful thing.

Calamity: So am I. Bow down before your new supreme overlord, bitches.

————————————————————————-

Easton : So are you gonna explain how the hell you crashed my car?

Korey: Well we were driving and there was a deer in the road, so I said "Calix , deer!"

Chester : ...And what did Calix do?

Korey: ...They said "Yes, Honey?"

————————————————————————-

Random person : You know, sometimes I really think I can be too straight.

Lamia, covered in bi merch and sipping an iced coffee: Sucks to be you.

————————————————————————-

Cameron or Xanthe: Twilight Sparkle was the main character because she represented the element of friendship—

Hunter, tied up: PLEASE, I JUST WANT TO SEE MY FAMILY AGAIN!

Cameron or Xanthe: I'M NOT DONE!

Cameron or Xanthe: And Rainbow Dash was the sporty girl—

————————————————————————-

Korey: What's the worst thing you guys have done?

Nash : Rickrolled my teacher in 4th grade.

Calamity: I kicked Lamia in the shin-

Lamia: -So I kicked Calamity between the legs.

Also Calamity: I burned a town down.

Korey: What?!

Emerald: What the hell is wrong with you?!?

Xanthe: A lot of things.

Adriana : No shit.

————————————————————————-

The demon Victoria summoned, standing amidst the destroyed kitchen: How? How were you able to summon me?!

Victoria, flipping through a cookbook as fast as they can: I don’t know!! You were supposed to be chicken soup!

————————————————————————-

-When Sammy gets in trouble-

Azren: We are not mad. We are just disappointed.

Jemma: No, we are mad.

Azren: Yes. We are. We are livid. But we are going to let this one slide.

Jemma: No, we’re not!

Azren: I am not a mind reader, Jemma!

————————————————————————-

Lucy , looking at a selfie of Duarte ’s: I hate this photo.

Duarte : I’m cute as fuck in that photo! I’m smiling kindly.

Lucy : You’re not smiling kindly; you look like you’re up to something.

Duarte : Up to kindness.

————————————————————————-

Korey: You are an absolute fucking dork.

Calix , singing: Yeah, but I'm your dork!

Korey: *sighs* Yeah, you're my dork.

————————————————————————-

Victor: What do people in relationships even do?

Amber: Care about someone with your whole heart and dedicate your life to making them happy.

Atticus: Okay. Didn't ask.

Adriana : Asks question

Adriana : "Didn't ask"

Duarte: Thanks for the play by play, Captain Fuck.

————————————————————————-

Azren, after getting a job as a life guard: Hmm... I wonder what those things at the bottom of the pool are..

Chester: THOSE ARE PEOPLE DROWNING!

————————————————————————-

Cameron: *on the phone with Adriana * I can’t talk right now, I’m doing hot girl shit.

Adriana : You’re pulling Oreos apart and saving off the frosting to make a mega Oreo, aren’t you.

Cameron: Maybe.

————————————————————————-

Calamity: Today at 7 am, Lucy poured a Monster energy drink in their coffee, said "I'm going to die" and drank the whole thing.

Lamia: I watched Duarte brew their coffee with Monster instead of water. Three cups in two hours. I think they ascended into the astral realm.

Calamity: The survivability of the human race never fails to amaze me.

———————————————————

Bugs in this

Victor/Vincent- @littlesiren79

Duarte- @puffin-smoke

Emerald- @aspenm00n

Keres- @gatorboys22

Victoria- @headstrashdump

Nash- @lightdragon789

Amber- @astralbulldragon13

Chester/Xanthe- @not-5-rats

Korey- @rozeliyawashereyall

Easton- @itsargyle

Adrianna- @idontevenknow7878

Azren/Calamity- @strayharmony943

Calix- @pinkcocopuff-aqualoid

Atticus- @atonalasmr

Lucy- @castbracelet240

Sammy- @ccstiles

Jemma/Lamia/Cameron- @diamondzoey(me :3)

[oakswhoalista]

okay here are my thoughts on series 12 of red dwarf (as someone who is watching this series for the first time - i grew up watching red dwarf so know it like the back of my hand; it’s so nice to have a series i’ve never seen before) there will be spoilers so if you haven’t seen this series, keep scrolling :)

Cured-

I really enjoyed this. I wasn’t sure when they mentioned Hitler being in the episode because I always worry about this, but the actual episode was very funny and it was great to see the Cat have a bit more to do- I did feel he was underused in series 10 and 11 so it was nice to have him be part of the opening and ending. Strong series opener 7/10

Siliconia -

oh my god. this was brilliant. this is the episode i have most been looking forward too! i couldn’t wait to see the whole gang as mechs and it didn’t disappoint. i loved that Rimmer was the first to fully convert, as it made sense for him to no longer want to have the burden of making something of himself (also it gives them ample opportunity to use Chris Barrie’s talents as a voice actor as well). Again it was nice that Kryten was the forefront of this episode, which i’m hoping means Rimmer will get his own episode (i love this boy so any focal episodes on him is my fave) 9/10

TimeWave -

this episode was alright, definitely some strong moments and the concept was fun. I knew Rimmer would have a major part to play as he is his own and everyone else’s biggest critic and so that was a bit obvious going in (which is not a criticism). I think Lister has been a bit underused so far so I’m hoping he’ll have a bit more as we go into the latter half of the series. I loved Planet Rimmer and the lengths Rimmer was going to protect it and even Lister at the end said “What about Planet Rimmer?” so he does care😇 Yeah it was a fine episode 5/10

Mechocracy -

I had no idea what to expect going into this episode and I loved it. The opening scene with Kryten manipulating Rimmer was amazing, I love watching Chris Barrie’s facial expressions, they are just phenomenal. The plot itself was fine, it made sense eventually to get the dispensing machines back involved as they had been a big part of series 10 and 11. I loved seeing Rimmer and Cat team up, even if it only lasted the one episode- they work so well together because they are so similar yet so different. the highlight of the whole episode of course had to be the return of Talkie Toaster - I LOVE HIM 8/10

M-Corp -

Oh stop this episode made me so happy and so sad at the same time. I loved loved loved the ending, getting Lister back as he was in the first ever episode made me SO EMO 😭 the little song always brings me so much joy and the fact he reverted to following Rimmer round is incredible; leave me be whilst I revel in this. I thought Helen George was great in this episode and actually loved the storyline as well. My heart broke when Lister was practically on his own and he really cemented how lost he would be without the other 3. Craig Charles was excellent in this, he knows and loves Lister better than all of us 8.5/10

Skipper -

Oh stop this right now. An episode all about Rimmer quantum skipping the universe to find a better one? you mean, MY KIND OF EPISODE?!?! (for those who are still unsure, yes Rimmer is my favourite character). This was the best episode, and not just because of my bias, but because it bought back all of the memories! The original crew, Captain Holister, HOLLY!!! How could I not love an episode where all of the things I love and miss from the first ever series, are back in my life. It was amazing to see the old bunk room, the old grey walls (military or ocean?) and to see that in every universe, Rimmer would ask what Lister was like. I nearly cried when he said he wanted to go quantum skipping as I was afraid he wouldn’t return to the ‘boys from the dwarf’ but obviously i shouldn’t have panicked. Yeah this episode had everything for me, 10/10

And there we go, that’s my review of series 12. Only the Promised Land to go and then I am officially caught up (which makes me sad bc no new episodes to watch but also makes me happy bc I can rewatch everything again). I’ll likely put my thoughts down about the Promised Land when I watch it but I think that series 12 has been my favourite series since it came back on Dave (excluding Back to Earth bc that series holds a special place in my heart).

[tf2-oneshots]

So I know this isn't one of the ships on the request rules( which if I may suggest, you could pin that? So that it shows up at the top when someone goes to this page or refreshes) but uh Engiescout where Engie is heavily flirting, either pre-relationship or during it, because he enjoys watching the blush take over Scout's face, even if Scout doesn't (which is a lie, Scout enjoys it quite a bit)

The ships limit is pinned for me? It could be a tumblr glitch though! I’ve had it happen quite a few times lol

Onto our oneshot!

Warning: none!

Rating: general

“Scout, I need some help in the shop today.” Scout knows exactly what those words entail, but he threw himself off the couch in a heartbeat. It broke the empty bowl of chips sitting in his lap, but that’s besides the point. The shattered pieces were thrown in the trash, and Scout followed Engineer like a puppy.

Once in the shop, Scout saw a machine far too complicated for him to understand. It almost looked like a toaster was crossed with a radio. Maybe it would play music depending on how dark the bread was. Would be awesome to hear Tom Jones when the bread is nice and golden.

“Alright, I need you to hold the flashlight while I adjust the wires.” Engineer holds out a flashlight with a set of fresh batteries to make it burn bright. Scout could do that in his sleep! He takes the device, positioning it right where the Texan needs it. Metal tools Scout can’t remember the names of carefully descend into the device.

“Looking good, Scout. Them muscles look nice and big today.” Engineer keeps his eyes on the latest sapper model. He doesn’t need to look to know that Scout is flushing at his compliment. For a man that likes to brag, he’s quick to lose his cool the moment someone offers a genuine praise.

“Oh, uh, well, you know, I work out all the time with Heavy.” A half truth. Scout actually watches the man workout off to the side. The equipment the giant uses ten times what Scout can lift despite his statements saying otherwise. He saves himself the embarrassment of using a 10lbs dumbbell next to Heavy deadlifting Scout’s weight on an easy day.

“That I can tell, son. Them legs of yours are nice and strong too.” Scout squeaks, and Engineer wishes he had been recording the whole time. There’s a faint smile on his face, still not looking up at the man. He focuses on the screws and bolts inside the sapper while Scout struggles to hide himself.

“U-Uh, I run a lot! Cause-Cause I’m the Scout, and—“

“Easy there, partner. I can’t see when you move around like that.” So caught up in his words, Scout realized he had been jostling the flashlight. He goes rigid, face still ablaze while muttering an apology. Damn Engie for his experience with romance. Its not fair that he’s got over a decade of this stuff compared to Scout!

Engineer then loops around, going right behind his helper to dig through a toolbox. He’s achingly close to Scout; a mere two inches from being pressed to his back. Despite this, the Texan continues his search with ease.

“Well, I’ll be damned. Anyone ever tell you what a nice caboose you got?” Could Scout’s face get any redder? He sets the flashlight down and hides away in the palms of his hands while Engineer laughs. Don’t get Scout wrong, he absolutely adores it when his lover flirts, but he’s too good at it!

“Engie! Gosh, you’re gonna make me pass out at this rate. At least gimme a chance to flirt back.” Scout uncovers his still blushing face. He turns around to face the man, thinking of ways to get him embarrassed. He’s just too steady of a man. Simple compliments won’t be enough.

“Tell you what, I’ll give that pretty little head of yours all afternoon to think. How’s that sound, sugar?” And there he goes! Right as Scout gets the wheels in his brain turning, he completely crumbles once again. He groans, sinking to the floor. Ma always said he looked good in red, but this isn’t what she meant!

This was fun to write! -H

[fragilecapric0rnn]

“it’s okay, i couldn’t sleep anyway” for the prompt thing!! (-patheticgirlsteve)

OKAY SO this prompt is from a prompt list I rb'd in December (wowza!) and I found the writing for this prompt half finished in my WIPs folder today and decided to finish it!

This ficlet is also a look into the in-progress When Harry Met Sally-inspired AU/canon divergence fic. I've been sitting on both that fic and this snippet for far too long and have been itching to share something. So, here's the something!

(something set in the late summer of '98, in a city that doesn't bode well during heat waves)

It’s an unusually hot night in Steve’s apartment. 

It's going to be an unusually hot week in the city, actually.

Steve has gotten used to the temperate San Francisco weather in the 11 years he's been a resident. But after 11 years, he's still surprised at the random bursts of heat that creep in during these last few weeks of August. Just in time for him and his students to sit inside the toaster oven that is his classroom during the first week of school.

Thankfully, it's not a school night. The last week of his summer vacation, and he's spent most of the daylight hours dangling half of his body out of the screen-less street-facing window in his apartment, praying a breeze would whip past him. (It didn't).

After an hour of tossing and turning in bed, in nothing but a pair of boxers, the open window providing no relief, the air stale and hot and a bit sticky, he decided to move to the living room, where he will still be suffering, but at least there's a TV out there.

A movie he remembers seeing with Robin in the theater during their Oakland days is playing as soon as he flicks on the TV, reminding him of how long it's been since they've lived together, let alone in that first apartment in Oakland. Freshly 20 and 21, figuring out how to live on their own, thousands of miles from everyone and everything they knew. Figuring out how to deal with the calmness of it all.

Remembers talking about the movie again in '92, and being annoyed with all of his friends (Eddie and Nancy) who thought that Lloyd and Diane broke up in London. Wonders if they're still as cynical about love today as they were back then.

As he's counting the years back in his head, the phone rings, pulling him out of his thoughts.

“Hel-lo?” He answers, remembering that it is 2am in the middle of the word, dragging it into two syllables to make it seem like he's shocked that someone is calling him.

“What the hell are you doing awake at this hour?” Eddie quips, Steve reflexively rolls his eyes, at both the tone of his voice and the question itself.

“How do you know that you didn’t just interrupt my much needed beauty sleep?” He scoffs, flicking his head like he would if Eddie were sitting right here on the couch with him. Eddie must pick up on it, chuckling over the phone, a similar sound to the one he made when he was sitting on this couch hours ago, suffering with Steve in his apartment.

Now there's something twenty-one year old Steve would be shocked to learn. That him and Eddie became friends, at all.

“I can hear the TV.” Steve hums in response, turns the volume down a notch or two. “But, here’s a courtesy ‘I’m sorry’ for the late night call.”  

“It’s okay. I couldn’t sleep anyway.” Steve sighs as the slightest breeze rolls through the open window. He's a much better sleeper than twenty-one year old Steve, but due to recent life-changing events and this damn heat-wave, a late-night phone call with Eddie is almost routine at this point

“I miss Evie’s apartment. She had AC.” Eddie says, casually. Steve still doesn't get how he can talk about her so casually. How he can just bring her up like it's nothing. If he even thinks about -

“I still can’t believe you got your heartbroken by a trust fund baby.” He says, cutting off his own thought.

“I’m more heartbroken about that AC unit right now,” still casual, as if he is actually heartbroken about an AC and not a person.

“What’re you watching?” He asks.

“Say Anything.” 

“Channel?”

“12.” 

The scene where Lloyd is talking to Diane’s father on the prison yard. It makes him think of Eddie on the other line, sitting in his unintentional bachelor pad a few blocks away from his own. The thought must’ve made Eddie’s ears burn. 

“That’s not what visitation is actually like, ya know?” His voice is soft.

“Oh yeah?” Steve says, wanting to encourage but not pry.

“Yeah. It’s indoors, at tables, cold and gray. Feels dirty and sterile at the same time.” Eddie says.

“I always thought it happened between a plane of glass, with a telephone on either side of the glass.” Steve offers, giving him an out, a chance to change the subject if he wants to bow out.

“That’s what it’s like in county jail. Prison’s different.” Steve hums again, knows there’s no need to respond with anything else. Steve doesn’t need to ask him how he knows all of this. He knows that Eddie doesn’t expect him to ask. That’s the thing, about old friends, about them, about their whole gang. There are certain things they’ll always know about each other. 

His mind drifts to a little Eddie and a younger Wayne, walking into a room just like Eddie had described, going through the motions. It pulls at his chest a little. 

“Do you still think they broke up in London?” Steve tests.

“I don’t think they broke up in London?” Eddie says, a tad defensive. 

“Yes you do, or you did.” He remembers the conversation, he knows Eddie must remember the conversation.

“When did I say that?” 

“In San Diego, we had a whole thing about it, the five of us.” The drunk and loud debate was held stuffed into a diner booth in San Diego. Before you left.

Eddie pauses.

“I did say that, didn’t I?” 

“You sure did.” 

“Well, to answer your question, no. I don't think so. I think that they’re two weirdos who were meant for each other.” Eddie says, Steve sinks further into the couch, holds the phone up with his shoulder.

“That's exactly what I said then.” 

"Well, I think it now."

"Me too." It comes out softer than he expected. Suddenly thankful that this conversation is happening over the phone, so he can scrunch the feeling away from his face, take a deep breath and shake the feeling that just washed over his body.

“I know a thing or two about weirdos who’re meant for each other.” Eddie says playfully, that tone he uses when he's half-joking, but half-serious. Steve feels something bubble in the very depths of his stomach. 

“Oh yeah? Who?” 

“You and Robin.” Pop. He lets out a deep breath.

“Ha ha.” Steve says, toning up the sarcasm.

“Max and Lucas, Joyce and Jim, the entire gang who’s bonded by the terrors of the 80s and government NDA’s.” Steve’s laugh barks out of him, he can’t hide how surprised he is at these words coming out of Eddie’s mouth. 

“What? What’s so funny?” 

“Nothing, it’s just…” He trails off, trying to choose his next words carefully. “Not used to you talking about the past. Hasn’t really been your thing.” His mind drifts momentarily to San Diego again. Watching him hail that cab. Running away. 

“There's a lotta things that I used to do, or not do.” There’s a pause. Either of them could say something, there’s something dangling in the air between them, between their two phone lines, filling the space between their two apartments. Just as Steve opens his mouth to say something, cut the tension, snatch the feeling out of the air, Eddie beats him to it.

[ackerlag]

for @nosebleedclub's january prompts no. 16 — the grey coat with red lining.

the front door is brown. and the walls inside are a dry beige. your mother insisted that soft neutral colors look good for interior, but you never saw eye to eye with her about home aesthetics. the coat rack is thankfully black. the coat you use everyday is grey — although at the rate it's going, you won't be surprised if it's more the color of dust and the real grey of the material.

the office is half a city away and you commute everyday at five twenty, coming back just shy after nine. the grey coat is like a protective armor with a lot of history. your brother had a phase in highschool when he thought fashion was the only way of self-expression that was ever valid and bought a whole sewing machine. his first result, the fabrics from god-knows-where, is this battered grey coat. it's downright horrendous, worn and torn at the edges thanks to the amateur handicraft and the everyday use. the red lining on it clashes horribly against the base color — he said once it was a symbolism of one's immense passion rebelling against the system that forces everyone into molds and turns people into copies of robots, robots into copies of people. you've used this coat everyday for two years since you started working at the office.

your current job pays well. well enough to put food on the table. well, that's a lie. your mother puts the food on the table. your father passed away two years ago. your mother still cooks the same dishes she's always cooked, places the food atop of the same cracked ceramic plates she's always had, tells the same anecdotes of her sweet youth and your father's hardships through his life as she's always done. but you're the one who wins the bread to be cooked into toast every morning, even if your mother is the one who has to turn on the toaster and wash the dishes after you've gone off to work, even if your brother mourns and mourns and coops himself up in his room, ladden with grief, and your sister is too young to understand anything. in this sense, your current job pays well — well enough your mother doesn't have to look for another fulltime job, although she does take up knitting to sell some scarves, and well enough someone always has some time to place the dinner plate in front of your brother's door and well enough your sister can still grin a toothy smile everytime you buy her a new toy for christmas and tell her santa thinks she's a good child.

well enough for you to buy another coat.

it's hard to pinpoint why exactly you haven't bought one. on the online shopping platform you use nowadays, everything is cheaper when you know the tricks. soap and shampoo, frying oil, a new vacuum cleaners when the old one broke, canned tuna your sister maybe likes too much to be healthy, the tote bag you got for your best friend's birthday last january, the yarns for your mother. coupons, vouchers, discounts, sales, promotions — everything can be a trick utilized when you're in need or it can all also be a trick used on you, the needy. you've scrolled through dozens of coat options, all grey, without red linings and varying degrees less ugly than your current one. every time, your thumb hovers over the little cart icon and you hit the back button on your scratched phone screen.

there are other important things you could get instead. your shoulders sag with weight and your mind clears.

there are still other bills you need to pay. you go over the numbers when you wake up in the morning and once again when you're about to sleep in the night.

there are two siblings, one who still needs his time to slowly rise out of his cocoon, another one who is barely a budding sprout, a mere seed. there is one mother, smile lines visible and skin starting to dull, too old to be selling her soul to keep strangers warm in the winter.

these days, your eyes burn a lot and you wonder if you need to check it out or if it's that hard to admit that you always want to cry. the new coat can wait. the red lining is still strong, no matter how muddied the grey fabric is looking — it's not breaking anytime soon. it can hold the fort still a while longer, maybe you just need to sort out your priorities and budget a little tighter for now.

[countrymusiclover]

17 - The Auburn-hair Girl

Part 18

Family is More than Blood

@secretdreamlandmentality

3 months later

Getting out of the bed this morning I ran a hand through my hair so it wasn’t such a mess like it was when I first woke up. Klaus was already downstairs dealing with young Rapenzal and Charming who were going through the nightmare phase. Entering the spare bedroom near our master room I kept going in here seeing that someone used to have stuff in here. But it didn’t make any sense when I came across some pictures I didn’t recognize a few weeks ago after we stopped Triaid.

In the photo, a young Auburn-haired girl was standing next to Klaus and Me. I gazed at the photo deeply, getting a strange feeling from the girl as if I was connected to her.

I began to recall seeing tons of photos of the girl around our house. Which didn't make sense since I was fairly sure that we only had five children not six. But maybe my memory was going away. "Mommy, look." Henrik’s voice broke me from my thoughts seeing that he was carrying another drawing in his hands.

He handed it to me so I could see the same exact drawing like all the others. All matching the girl in the photos in the mansion. "Ah, I see what your father would call your muse. Who is she though honey?"

Henrik shook his head. “ I don't know, Mommy. I've been drawing her a lot recently."

I glanced down at the drawing tracing my fingers across it and got a familiar sensation from it. I was cut out of my thoughts by Henrik who was trying to get my attention. “Mommy, is everything okay?“ He asked.

I turned my gaze to my son, smiling at him. “ Yes, my sweet boy. Why don't you go take a shower, I'll start on breakfast."

Henrik nodded running up the stairs. “ Can you make toaster strudels?'

“That's too much sugar for you to consume in the morning.” I said.

“ Please.” He pleaded.

I signed, finally giving in to my son’s pleas. “ Alright, you can have half of it."

Henrik ran downstairs again giving me a big hug around the waist. “ Thank you, Mommy.” You’re the best."

With that, he ran back upstairs heading into his room leaving his mother to her thoughts. Vamping downstairs I found that Klaus was already in the kitchen. "So our little guy wants sugar this morning."

"Apparently yes. But we have to be quick about it. A supernatural school won't run itself. Especially today." I told him.

"Ah yes the game against the humans of this one pony town." Klaus nodded, sitting down at the kitchen table. "Who made the rule that they couldn’t use their powers?"

Tapping my fingers on the counter top I started gathering stuff to make breakfast before we went to work. "I think it was Caroline. Why?"

"I think it wouldn't be bad if we actually won a game for once don't you, Raelyn?" He sends me his devilish smile meaning he wasn’t up to good.

Nodding in agreement I finished the breakfast quickly. "Ah I'll see what I think." Grabbing my cameo jacket we arrived at the school seeing that everyone was already gathered in the main hall with the podium stand in the front of the room.

Moving up in front of it I tapped my foot on the ground getting their attention to focus on me. "Attention everyone, so as we all know today is the annual game between us and Mystic Falls High. And I know that in the past we would lose…until today that is. We will use our powers through the end of the game."

"So you’re going against my dad's wishes." Lizzie got up to her feet.

Nodding yes. "I am Lizzie. We shouldn't have to hide who we are all the time."

"Awe yes!" Kaleb got to his feet cheering. "Thank you headmistress Mikaelson."

Our group of kids headed to the field where I saw that Missy was talking with Ethan so I used my vampire hearing to eavesdrop. "Hey, so who's the new girl you were talking with earlier?"

"Uh, somebody new." He shrugs his shoulders. "She said her name is Hope Parker."

Knitting my brows together I felt uneasy hearing the name Parker on anyone. The entire Parker family was gone now so that couldn't be possible. "Hmm, that's weird. People in my moms family had that name." Missy responded back to the human boy.

"Yeah Maya has been talking with her more than me. You aren't jealous are you?" Ethan asked, chuckling.

She shook her head telling him otherwise but I knew she might be slightly lying. "Nah, E. Just curious cause I feel like I know her from somewhere."

"Rae, Josie are leading the team with Landon." Klaus came over to me with his hands behind his back standing beside me. "Jackson and Alina are going to play too. Hey are you okay?"

Shaking my head I clicked my tongue. "Uh yeah. There's apparently this new girl named Hope Parker."

"But all the parkers are gone besides you and your brother." He added into the conversation.

Putting my arms across my chest I tucked some hair behind my ear. "Yeah. It's just weird because she looks like the girl from Henrik’s drawings. I just don't recognize her though."

"We'll figure it out. Let's focus on the game." Klaus nodded before a whistle was blown signaling for the coin toss.

Missy’s pov

Shifting my gaze away from our team and to Ethan who was sitting on the side lines since he wasn’t going to play with having a scholarship and all. Standing beside my sister on the field we watched Landon tackle a girl with auburn hair where we almost got the ball. But Ethan’s sister got the ball and scored for her team. The whistle blew so I ran over with my sister seeing that Josie was off by herself focusing on Ethan. “I don’t like how she’s looking at him, Lina.”

“Are you saying you’re jealous?” She teased me but I wasn’t in the mood.

Crossing my arms over my chest MG was out on the field now about to get the ball until Ethan managed to knock the ball away from his hands. “I am not jealous, Alina. I just don’t have a good feeling about us using our powers against them is all.”

Lizzie threw the ball and Josie caught it but while she was cheering Ethan snatched the football from her hands. “Josie, what did I just tell you.”

“Hey I want to bury these guys too.” Josie snapped at her twin. “You think I did that on purpose.”

Lizzie and MG ran off the field where Alina and I stepped in their positions. Josie came back over while we saw Kaleb try and tackle my boyfriend but he dodged out of the way. Maya his sister hollered to him before I felt someone siphoning from me. “Ah Joise!” I winced seeing my cousin before she moved around my twin eyeing Ethan.

He halted about to throw the ball to his sister until I heard Josie mumble a spell. “Tenebris lapsus.” Ethan dropped the ball and held his elbow in agony.

“Oh my god.” His mother said, rushing to the field with Alaric in toe.

Whipping my head around to Josie I felt my fangs coming through where I shoved her onto the dirt field. “You son of a bitch. What the hell made you think that was okay!”

“Missy, I-“ She gets cut off when I attempt to vamp towards her while everyone is watching Ethan groaning on the field.

Alina grabs me by the back of my shirt managing to hold me back away from her. “Urgh let me go, Alina!”

“Stop it, Missy. Ethan will be okay. Go check on him.” She growled in my ear when I growled at my cousin knowing that I was right that something was going on with her today.

Shaking my head I ran over when it was becoming nightfall by the time the ambulance got there. Mom and dad come over to me where dad puts a hand on my shoulder telling me. “Go with them and compel them to forget that you give Ethan blood.” He whispered in my ear, squeezing my shoulder.

“Are we sure that’s a good idea. I mean giving him vampire blood without asking him. I mean what if something happens and he accidentally turns because of me.” I asked him searching for hesitation but he had none.

Mom came forward, taking my hands in hers. “Sweetheart it’s your choice to heal him or not. We will be here for you no matter what you choose to do.” She smiled and hugged me before I climbed in the back of the ambulance seeing that there were two medics and my boyfriend had his arm wrapped up in a black cast until we got to the hospital.

Waving my hand I quickly froze the medics leaving me alone to do whatever I chose. “Ethan, I am sorry about this. But you won’t feel anything after this…” Biting down into my wrist I drew some blood seeing him blinking his eyes.

“Missy…what are you doing?” He said in a raspy voice seeing that I was bleeding. “When did you get hurt?”

Sucking in a breath I felt the veins underneath my eyes trying to break through listening to his heart beating inside his chest. “It doesn’t matter now, E. I uh…I’m going to give you a choice. I can heal your arm or you can tell me no.”

“How can you heal me? Wait a second, do you have super powers or something?” He asked wincing when he slightly sat up on his none injured arm where I could see him smiling at me.

Lowering my bleeding arm I ran my fingers through my hair hearing the excitement in his voice rather than the terror I thought he would have if he ever found out. Leaning against the wall I gulped nervously. “Ethan, I…I told myself that I wouldn’t get you involved in all of this and then that new girl got Josie all riled up and she broke your arm.”

“Missy, woah I’m not going to freak out. So what type of superhero are you?” He asked, ignoring the fact that his arm had been broken for a few minutes.

Stepping up toward him I remembered when my father taught me another way around vampire compulsion. Where I didn’t have to make him forget everything. “Ethan, I’m going to give you some blood if you want me to heal your arm. But just so you know I am half witch and half vampire.”

“That’s cool as hell. How is that possible? Were you bitten by a radioactive bat or something else?” He began asking me with excitement until I saw the ambulance pulling up into the emergency parking lot.

Holding his shoulders I smiled making him look me in the eye panicking before I could give him any blood. “Ethan, I’m sorry but I have to go. I’ll explain everything to you at some point. Just listen to me very closely now….You won’t remember I am supernatural unless it’s just you and me alone. For your own good it has to be this way.”

“Missy, hopefully I’ll see you tomorrow.” He called my name when I jumped out of the back of the ambulance unfreezing the others with us.

Smiling at the human high school quarterback I vamped away when he was sent inside the hospital doors. “Don’t worry, E. You’ll be seeing me around.”

Raelyn’s pov

Alina, Henrik and Jackson were inside the hospital lobby waiting to hear what happened with Ethan. Klaus and I were standing outside the emergency room doors until I saw the girl with auburn hair from the game making me chase after her. “Hey, girl I need to talk to you.”

“Uh sure. I was just here to see how Ethan and Maya were doing after the game.” She responded by brushing hair from her face avoiding my gaze.

Crossing my arms over my chest I glared at the teenage girl. “I don’t normally judge someone before I know them but what exactly is Josie’s problem with you. Because she seems pretty angry when you and Landon we’re looking at each other.”

“All I can say is that he used to serve me milkshakes at the grill. I guess she’s just jealous for some reason. Hey um…I’m gonna go.” She slowly backed away from me without another word heading off into the dark parking lot.

Footsteps came up behind me. I didn't need to turn around knowing it was my husband. He stands beside me, hands in the pocket in his jacket. “Raelyn, why were you talking with that girl?”

“She’s the reason Josie broke Ethan’s arm. She’s also the girl from Henrik’s multiple drawings that he had given us. I just have an odd feeling about her.” Lifting my head up to him he tugs me into his side when I speak to him.

His eyes focused on mine before he kissed my head walking back into the hospital to look for Missy. “We’ll figure out who she is at some point, love. But we should check on the human boy. I can’t seem to find Missy in the room with him. So she must have gone back to school.”

“I’ll meet you there in a few seconds, Nik ... .who are you really Hope Parker?” Eyeing the direction she went I still felt off about the mystery girl so one way or another I would find out who she was and why I felt some odd connection towards her.

Comments really appreciated ❤️

[ittybluebell]

Itty Bitty Brains - iZombie g/t fanfic (ao3) | Chapter 2

Prev | Next

The beans that worked here were fucking weird.

It'd been a day since Atom had moved in. He'd gotten good borrowings in the night - food, building supplies, etc - and alternated between working and sleeping during the day. He was constructing a lean-to out of cardboard and a Tupperware lid when the sounds of conversation had him pausing to listen in.

"... brain's made... into some kind of astrology nut... There's just... constantly in my head... understand the world better, but at the same time, it's the greatest mystery that I can't wait to solve."

"Right, well," said another voice, one Atom hadn't heard before, "why don't you focus on solving our mystery? You know, the murdered woman whose brain you turned into a hot pocket."

"It's called a calzone, Clive. And yeah, I got it - no pondering the meaning of life as we know it and how everything is somehow connected but not at the same time and- yes, I'm completely focused. I promise."

"Good," said 'Clive.' "Because we're going to interview the widow again. She gave us what she could, but her wife was just murdered - she was barely coherent. I'm hoping that today we can get some information about the break-in. Come on - let's go."

And they were gone, leaving Atom utterly flabbergasted with his jaw hanging and his eyes bulging. She ate... no. No way. Mm-mm. Atom was not living with cannibals. That human bean did not eat-

Oh, he was going to be sick. Just thinking about- nope. Nuh-uh. He was gonna puke. No more thinking about it. Just ignore it and move on. They were not talking about eating brains because that was- that was disgusting. Nobody did that. Nobody ate people and just casually brought it up like the weather. Atom remembered the sound of food being prepared and thrown in the toaster oven. He remembered the tantalizing smell when it came out, how it made his mouth water and his stomach growl something fierce. If that was brains-

Oh, good lord.

Atom made it a few paces away from his campsite before he emptied his guts onto the floor. He heaved and coughed, shuddering as saliva and the taste of bile filled his mouth. He spat and wiped his mouth, hoping that was the end of it, when his mind flashed back to the scent of bread and cheese and fle-

"HRGH."

Oh, yeah. That was gonna fuck him up for a few days.

Night came. Atom found himself several unopened packages of needles in a drawer that was cracked open enough for him to slip inside. He broke one out of its packaging and hefted its weight. It was perfect. The bright green end fit into his palm like it belonged there. He slid the metal into a loop on his pants and the needle sat on his hip like a knight's sword. There was a hop to his stride for the rest of the night, his pride and excitement leading him to nearly skip across the linoleum. He collected other bits and baubles, but nothing compared to the needle. The weight on his hip solidified his place there, giving him some sense of belonging. The dry pasta and staples came close, but they didn't have the same oomph. He had a sword; a symbol of his independence and self-sufficiency. How could he know fear when he wielded such a weapon?

The lights flicked on.

Evidently, Atom still knew fear.

He threw himself under the desk. The pasta shell he'd been carrying clattered to the floor. He swore under his breath, trying to catch a glimpse of the intruding human bean. Pasta didn't belong in an office. If he could just scooch a liiiittle closer...

Footsteps. A sigh from a man. The examiner? 'Clive'? Someone else? Who came into a morgue this late? Wasn't there bad juju around morgues? Fear of bodies coming to life? Ghosts? Just leave! Only the dead and things that go bump in the night belong in a morgue at this hour.

Massive legs swept into Atom's vision. Oh, of course the bean was coming into the office. Of course. Why not? Go make yourself a cup of tea, while you're at it! The human stomped closer. Atom shrunk in on himself, swallowing harshly. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. The shoes stopped dead in front of him. Atom felt like breaking into tears.

Two giant fingers pinched the pasta shell and picked it up. There was another sigh from above. Atom held his breath. Something cold and paralyzing settled in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't move, could barely breathe.

"Liv," the bean said, annoyed. He rounded the desk and settled in the chair. The single piece of conchiglie made several bouncing clacks as it landed on the wood above. Atom slowly and shakily exhaled into his hand. He turned around, coming face-to-face with a pair of shoes crossed at the ankle and a chair wheel.

"Holy shit," Atom said, closer to a gust of air than words.

The bean muttered to himself as he typed on his keyboard and flipped through pages. The sounds of pen scratching paper and clothes rustling were too loud in Atom's ears, challenged only by the thud of his own heartbeat. Atom had to remind himself that no, the human bean could not possibly hear it.

Atom began to rise, only to freeze when the bean shifted. The shoes swapped places, crossing again at the ankle. Atom pushed himself the rest of the way up. He eyed the doorway. Should he risk it or stay here? The bean was doing paperwork. But he might notice something small moving in his peripherals. Beans were hunters, after all. Atom had a greater chance of going unseen if he stayed put, out of the way. Right under the giant man's nose.

"Cause of death," he heard the human bean mutter, "stab... wound... to left lung."

That gave Atom pause. Of course he was going over Jenny's medical report. There were no other recent bodies.

"Wife found her in the morning," the man said. "Window was jimmied open, money and phone were missing. Robbery gone murderous. Knife was a weapon of opportunity. Unfortunately, there were no cameras to capture the break-in. Which means it's going to be almost impossible to track the killer down without Liv's visions."

Visions? Did she have superpowers? From eat- nope, not going there.

But they were looking for the killer? Atom frowned. He remembered that evening very clearly. He could recall every detail as if watching it play out again. He'd peeked out from behind the painting, and then it happened. And he was horrified. He couldn't remain in that house, not after what he'd seen. He was near suffocating in its atmosphere. Leaving was the best option, which he still stood by. Kind of. Okay, so maybe not - the cannibalism and 'visions' bullshit was really making him regret that decision.

"But if the robber was wearing a mask, which they were unless they're an idiot..." The bean groaned and scrubbed his face. "We're back to square one."

Goddammit. Something inside of Atom ached. Something righteous that screamed 'You know! You can help!' and urged him to tell someone. He knew what happened. He saw the whole thing. But what could he do? He was a borrower. He couldn't reveal himself - purge the very idea! Could he leave a clue? But then they would wonder who and go looking for him. He couldn't help. He wouldn't risk his people, his family, his life for one measly bean and some 'righteous feeling.' He was frustrated, not suicidal.

"Get over yourself," Atom growled, combing through his hair and catching knots. He pulled at them, untangling untameable curls. He'd done it since he was a child and was unable to cull the habit. His mother discouraged it, so he learned not to do it in front of her. It was calming, in a way. It helped in the same way that playing with his sleeves or a tool cleared his head.

Atom sat. He would wait for the bean to finish up. There was no reason to put himself at unnecessary risk. He leaned against the metal leg and closed his eyes, listening to the mumbled ramblings of the human. He mostly spoke of the mystery around Jenny's death, but he did mention cures (for what?) and rats.

That gave Atom a start. There were rats here? Of course there were. Because there wasn't enough for Atom to worry about already - the universe just had to add rats.

Rats were borrowers' number one enemy. Rats killed indiscriminately, destroyed homes - families - and encouraged humans to hire exterminators. Then came the traps and poison and cages that forced borrowers to flee their homes or risk death, or worse, discovery. Atom had to move. Again. Any day now, the pest control van would roll in and they'd start spewing fumes and setting up their bone-breaking traps.

"Oh, shit, I forgot to feed you guys tonight," the bean said.

Atom watched the skyscraper of a man go off to the back room. And then he heard eager squeaking. Realization dawned on him. They're pet rats. Lab rats. Relief flooded his body. Well, that changed everything. He didn't have to move.

Atom's head shot up. I need to move. Now! While the bean was occupied. Atom scrambled to his feet and wasted no time sprinting out of the office. He craned his neck to see into the back room. The medical examiner wasn't visible, but the popping of a plastic lid was plenty enough to place him there.

Atom made it back to the safety of the walls without further issue. He melted into his sleeping bag, deflating with a massive sigh and an adrenaline-fueled laugh. That's enough excitement for tonight, he thought.

In the morning, Atom stood atop the very desk that saved his hide last night. Every instinct in his being told him this was a horrible idea and what was he thinking? But he couldn't take it. His own guilt, knowing he could help out but just stood by and did nothing, was overpowering. There was a thrill in being out in the open during the day. His nerves were shot and his hands trembled so badly that he missed his hook throw the first two times, but he couldn't deny the exhilaration that he felt. The forbidden nature gave him a rush like no other.

Atom struggled to hold the pen upright. He wrapped his arms around it in a tight embrace and used his whole body to guide the ink, dragging the pen across the page as he walked. Finished, he rolled the pen back to its original spot. He gave a satisfied nod and proceeded to climb down to the floor, but not before grabbing a paperclip and sticky note. With a sharp yank of his shoulder, the hook came loose and fell into his waiting hand. The sharp point was a hair shy of slicing open his arm. It was a serious risk, injuring yourself with your own hook - you had to know which angles were safe to catch it and which ones were best to just let it hit the floor, even at the risk of making noise. Atom didn't like to risk it, but today felt different. He felt different.

Atom wound up the rope as he jogged back to the kitchen. It was a quick in-and-out errand - go, leave the message, come back. He was riding a high, but he didn't expect it to last long. And his luck wasn't something to be tested. Not like this. He got away with too much lately - his luck was bound to come crashing down around him. And he didn't want to be out in the open when it did.

"Liv! I got the... coffees. Right, then. I'll just leave yours here! For when you get back."

Fuck.

Atom's heart dropped to his stomach. The doctor was here. Atom knew he shouldn't be out in the daytime and he went and did it anyway! What the hell did he do now? He was gonna be seen and captured and dissected and-

Hide! I need to hide. Atom whipped around, searching. Shit shit shit shit. He was stuck in the middle of the floor. But the fridge was right there. Would he make it?

He had to try.

Atom made a break for it. His breath came in great, terrified puffs. His heart pounded louder than the bean's footsteps, beating so much faster than own footfalls. His jaw clenched. Hard. Hard enough to make his teeth ache. His neck prickled furiously, instincts yelling at him to find cover. There were eyes looking for him. A human was too close. He wasn't safe.

Just a bit closer. He was almost there!

"What-" started the doctor's voice.

Atom dropped like a hot stone. He slid across the linoleum, leaving a trail in the dust under the fridge. His chest heaved, sweat damp on his face and back. He laid on his back for a few more moments, basking in the cool air that felt so good on his burning hot skin.

The bean didn't see him. He was alright. Everything was alright.

The bean was in his office. He got the note, if the phone call in the other room was any indication. Atom got away with it. But that was too close. He'd only been here for two days and already had two close encounters with the one human bean. He had to be far more careful from now on; a third save was asking too much. He needed tunnels and a proper home. With all the staples and thumbtacks and pins he'd collected, he felt confident in his ability to make a ladder to the ceiling.

After his heart stopped beating out of his chest, though. A couple more minutes here. 'Here' was nice and cool. Yeah. A nap couldn't hurt, either.

Hours later, Atom had himself a functional stairway up to the ceiling. It was precarious and he'd feel more comfortable with an elevator, but he didn't have those kinds of materials yet. There was an upstairs to this place that he wanted to explore. It was a police station, right? Who knew what sorts of goodies they kept up there. Rulers and snacks and tape and pencils... oh, it would be glorious, he could already tell. His only greater wish was for a craft store next door.

The beans knew about his note. The medical examiner told his friends about the tip that was mysteriously left in his office by someone "With just awful penmanship. I mean, it's like a six-year-old broke into my office and scribbled on my work."

Yeah, screw you, too, buddy. You try writing with a pen bigger than your body.

Liv and Clive were following up on Atom's tip. It probably wouldn't lead to anything without proof, but at least he tried. It satisfied his desire to share his knowledge and that's all that mattered. Not solving the actual murder. Why would he care about what happened to beans? He'd only lived in Jenny and Sara's home for... seven years.

Shit. Maybe he did care.

No. Humans were tyrants with no regard for others. They would kill or torture or sell borrowers if they got their giant hands on one. He couldn't be sympathetic. He couldn't afford sympathy for beans. Just like he couldn't afford sympathy for a rat or raccoon. No, he didn't care about Jenny or Sara. What a ridiculous notion. Atom shook his head as he pulled himself onto the final thumbtack, curly hair flopping around him. He climbed over a wood beam and examined the dark, dusty space that laid above the ceiling. There were cobwebs everywhere - all of them vacant and perfect for sewing and building. Atom rubbed his hands together. Yes, this would do nicely. He just needed that elevator and construction could begin.

Prev | Next

[officialleehadan]

Letter of Marque

HGE – Blackbird

+++

“So, what name are you using tonight?” Marcus asked as he claimed an ornate cracker topped by ornate garnishes. He smiled down at her, taller than she was even with her towering heels. “You look incredible by the way.”

“Thank you. You may call me Maggie, tonight,” Maggie said, very much amused by the joke she didn’t intend to share with Marcus until she was good and ready. Imperial Security had noticed that someone unauthorized was talking to her and began to converge. Maggie caught their eye and lifted her free hand to ward them off. They disappeared again. Marcus noted the gesture, but didn’t turn to see fast enough to see what happened. “Pay no mind, What in the world are you doing on Antares Base for a charity gala?”

Letter of Marque

+++

HGE - Blackbird:

Hot Pepper Blackbird

Fixing What's Broke

Smuggler's Den

Penny Zap (Subscriber Only!)

Down the Delve (Subscriber Only!)

Whisper Comment

Profanity Biscuits

Real Lady (Subscriber Only!)

Customs Check

Wine and Whispers (Subscriber Only!)

Society Talk (Subscriber Only!)

Special Delivery (Subscriber Only!)

Ostentatious Wealth

Dance Trouble

Noble Lies

Timely Rescue (Subscriber Only!)

Diva Distraction

Paid in Advance (Subscriber Only!)

For the Future

Incoming (Subscriber Only!)

Truth to Tell

Pumpkin Spice

Crossweave (Subscriber Only!)

Letter of Marque (Subscriber Only!)

In Jump (Subscriber Only!)

Vintage Toaster (Subscriber Only!) (New!)

+++

MASTERLIST

[pathologicalantiethicaldreamgirl]

Chapter 1: The beginning

Taylor's POV

My mom had always said a man looks best when he's wearing a suit and I don't think I had fully understood that phrase until that moment. Matty had been at some photoshoot earlier and was too lazy to go home and change. Although not too lazy to get some wine to Jack's studio all the way down Brooklyn. Same wine we were drinking straight from the bottle. Margaret and Jack shared one, and he and I shared another.

My eyes were fixated on his mouth while he was drinking, and I could feel his eyes at the time that he handed me the bottle when I mimicked his actions. Jack was mumbling something at the piano, hitting the Do as if he could get a song from it. Maybe he'd do it. A part of me wanted to join him but the other was being drawn to the guy with the messy hair, and surprisingly enough, I caught myself daydreaming about running my fingers through his hair drawing an imaginary line from his neck to the ink in his arms. I only came back to reality when I heard him coughing, and by the look in his eyes, I wondered if he had read my mind.

-I think I need to grab a bite so the wine doesn't get to my head-

His words seemed to be directed to me, or at least I was the only one paying attention to them, because Jack's mind had already created a world with his short melody and Margaret was dragged into it.

-Come here, if you are lucky enough, the cleaning lady might have already done the shopping, and if not, I think I can get you some toast...-

I headed into the kitchen without looking back as if I was to become a pile of salt. We entered the kitchen and I opened one of the cupboards. Just pop tarts to eat and a bag with two top slices of bread. I cracked a smile when I heard Matty's frustrated groans.

-Of course, I had to come to the flat of the worst Jewish in the city-

I took the pop-tarts and ripped them open, -I actually like the cinnamon-, I replied.

He was smirking. There was no need to look at him for me to know it. I put them in a toaster and I wondered if I should take another package for the lovebirds to have. Lost in that train of thought, I didn't realize the moment he got behind me sniffing the air.

-Surely the cinnamon doesn't smell half bad.-

I could swear his voice was lower than usual.

-Should we get them out before they get too crunchy?" His arm brushed my skin as he reached for the pastry.-

I tilted my head to see his eyes and soon I was trapped between both of his arms. I actually don't know if this thing is going to kill me.

-I'm not used to this level of processed sugar.

-Yeah, god forbid you to put anything synthetic into your organism.

-Oh, I've done that. -

His laugh made me wince. He broke the pop tart in two and took one half to my mouth. "Blow", he said. I obeyed and took a bite. I like the flavor of cinnamon but I knew the warm feeling inside of me wasn't related to it.

He took the other half of the pop tart to his mouth without letting me go and all I could do was turn my body to face him.

-How could you lie to me? Is this what you people wanted to do when you got free from the motherland?-

-Oh I'm sorry we don't have fish and chips for you.And what’s that synthetic thing you’ve put inside of you? Nevermind I don’t wanna hear it, you’re gross. -

-Nothing harder than drugs-

And there we had the laugh again. But this time I felt him and I swore something was going to happen until I heard the voices.

Phoebe danced into the room holding the guy with the funny accent whose name I can never remember because, for me, he will always be that character he played in that hulu series.

-Maggie told me you'd be here-. She said with a bright smile on her face, and Matty snorted. He was not holding me anymore, but he was really close to me, and I could see this guy's eyes taking notes in the distance.

- Don't let her hear you. She hates that nickname, or maybe she only hates it when someone other than Jack is saying it. Maybe it's their kink. Matty added

The expression of Phoebe's boyfriend slightly changed when he joked.

-Ok, but do you think it's a safe word for Jack to say if he feels that Margaret it's been too harsh on him?- Phoebe contributed

-I don't know. I wouldn't dismiss my boy so easily. Maybe Maggie is her pet name.- I was surprised by the words coming out of my mouth, but Matty always had that effect on me. Around him, I was always more careless. Freer.

-How come you came to my house uninvited to discuss my sex life? - Jack’s voice pretended to sound offended but in reality, he seemed unaffected by the comments.-but again the only one who gives me a little credit is Tay-Tay- we fist bumped.

-I also criticized your nation's taste in food.-Matty muttered, and that dude around Phoebe nodded. -Americans' taste buds have been really affected throughout the years.-

-Oh!, Paul is just sour because we have the best McDonald's - Phoebe said while hanging her arms around her boyfriend, but again Matty was the one who answered.

-I'll give you that. And some other good things too- And by the look on Jack's face and the heat on my cheeks I knew everyone in the room realized how I felt about Matty's statement.

It was evident that we were all feeling comfortable hanging around with each other, but I couldn’t help but feel a certain type of uneasiness around Phoebe’s boyfriend. And I don’t want to be misunderstood by saying this, it’s not that he wasn’t fun to be around, but I felt like he could expose this thing between Matty and I, whatever it was, I didn’t even know how to explain it myself. Jack and Margaret could pretend it wasn’t there, but how do you manage to hide it away from your boyfriend’s best friend? Did I need to worry about it at all? Was there really something to be exposed or judged between two old friends connecting again? We never truly became strangers, we barely lost touch, and it was somehow refreshing to be enjoying ourselves again. However,my relationship with Matty was everything except a random connection…