#squad 6 is jerks

[troius]

Hey, you know who's not being a jerk though? Soi Fon! It's a remarkable development, her giving credit to others and supporting her lieutenant. So much so that Renji (again somewhat rudely...she's right there) points it out.

Rukia's reaction is kind of hilarious though. Like, we know Soi Fon has not always been nice. So has Rukia just not been paying attention? Even assuming she never ran into her as a member of the Squad 13 rank-and-file, she still had three years of being a lieutenant, where she'd presumable get the gossip on her.

Which I suppose means that Soi Fon has been personally nice enough to Rukia to make up for that. Here are my theories as to how that could have happened:

Rukia and Soi Fon get along at Shinigami Women's Association meetings. They are both all about business and getting things done, except when each has the chance to indulge in a passion for their favorite animal character. Somehow this has led to amiability rather than rivalry.

Rukia and Soi Fon get along socially at nobility functions. Rukia is a rukon orphan who was adopted into the Kuchiki household somewhat scandalously, while Soi Fon is from a servant clan to the Shihoin but has taken on some of the traditional Shihoin positions because of the youth of the current clan head. Both of them are invited to all the fancy dinners, neither of them is a hot commodity at these dinners because they have a limited capability to confer status on others. Perhaps they bonded there.

Soi Fon had an entirely-in-her-own-head rivalry with Byakuya when Yoruichi was mentoring both of them. When Yoruichi left Soul Society, Soi Fon at first took a bitter pleasure in her also leaving Byakuya behind, but as she became more and more resentful towards Yoruichi for leaving, she found herself relating more and more to Byakuya, and started requesting to work with Squad 6. Byakuya was oblivious to all of this, but was flattered by Soi Fon's seeming appreciation of his obvious talents and impressed by her competence and professionalism. He has expressed to Rukia that Captain Fon is the sort of officer the Court Guards could use more of, which Rukia recognizes is the closest her brother comes to expressing fondness for his co-workers.

[desceros]

For infinite singularity, I was wondering, after Donnie takes reader out of the office through the portal…

What happens to the..crime scene and our psycho coworker? Especially what did the rest of the brothers do?

(Btw love ur work, ur a total inspiration! ✨💞drink water, steal sum sustenance, take care of yourself 💗)

As soon as you and Donnie are through the portal, Leo gets to work. 

Mikey’s in charge of keeping your coworker from doing anything stupid. A task he enjoys greatly, as it means he gets to sit and giggle on the guy’s chest and pretend he can’t hear him wheezing for breath where Donnie nearly choked him. Meanwhile, Raph is sent off to take care of getting the power back on. He’s no Donnie with tech and never will be, but he’s getting decent at stuff like this. They don’t need it, but it’ll make it easier when the cops finally show up to wipe up the mess.

“So, what exactly was the plan here, huh?” Leo asks your coworker. “You get kicks out of roughing up pretty girls?”

“She’s not some random girl. She’s my soulmate,” your coworker spits, vile descriptions of the things he planned on doing to you cut off when Leo gets a foot on the clown’s broken forearm. 

“Wow, that’s so weird. Here I thought she was my brother’s soulmate,” Leo says, waving his hand in the air and watching the rage purple your coworker’s face. “What with the whole can’t stand to be apart and gazing sappily into each other’s eyes thing they have going on.”

“My pure little dove wouldn’t fuck a monster. He’s forcing her.”

“Buddy, I can promise you, first hand account, she did. Also, kind of ironic considering I’m pretty sure you got caught with your hand in one hell of a cookie jar, don’t you think?”

Raph comes back. “Power’s on,” he says, his word the only indication that’s the case since he left the lights off. Better for them, just in case. 

“Good job. One last thing,” Leo says, putting more of his weight on your coworker’s arm and feeling the bones splinter beneath his heel. “What’s TCRI doing sending out hit squads? Last I checked, business wasn’t supposed to be this cut-throat.”

Between heaving breaths of agony, your coworker groans in wretched agony before he just starts to laugh and laugh and laugh. “You’re a funny guy.”

“Right? Everyone keeps saying it’s my brother, but man, I’m telling you, my lines are killer,” Leo says, a grin that’s all teeth slashing onto his face as he grinds his heel into shattered bone. 

“He ain’t gonna talk,” Raph says after a minute more of your coworker just laughing each time he stops gritting his teeth in pain. 

“I can make him do it,” Mikey says cheerfully, a smile that doesn’t match his eyes pulling into place. 

“…Raph’s right. We’re not going to get anything out of him,” Leo says, pulling his foot off your coworker’s arm. “Knock him out and call it in.”

“I’ll find her again,” your coworker grits through his teeth. “She’ll never be able to hide from me. I’ll haunt her forever. Even if it’s like this, it’ll only ever be me she thinks about. Forever and ever and—”

“Ohh, my god, shut up,” Mikey groans, and with a thwack, your coworker goes silent. He then looks up at Leo, tilting his head. “…I didn’t know you believed in soulmates, too, Leo!”

“…Of course I don’t,” Leo brushes off, turning to inspect the security camera, putting his shell to his brother’s gaze.

“Cops’re on the way,” Raph says, and the two watch as Mikey gets your coworker trussed like a turkey. 

“We’ll have Donnie send them the security footage. Doesn’t look like he tampered with the cameras,” Leo says. Cutting a portal, he jerks his head. “Come on. Let’s go home.”

Reappearing in the lair, Leo pulls up his phone.

neon leon (6:11 p.m.) hey hermano. everything okay over there? how she doing

neon leon (6:12 p.m.) bud? you good?

neon leon (6:15 p.m.) nerd says whaaaat

Narrowing his eyes, Leo starts to tap out the next message—dude if you don’t answer in two minutes i’m coming over and—before he freezes in place, thinks for a moment, then groans in disgust. 

“Did you get a hold of Donnie?” Raph asks, tilting his head in confusion when Leo brushes past with a wrinkled beak.

“Let’s give ‘em an hour then try again. Fuckin’ rabbits.”

“…Rabbits?”

Mikey pets Raph’s shell consolingly. “You’ll understand when you’re older.”

“Wh—B—I’m the oldest?!”

[sofasoap]

Love at first sight - Epilogue

Pairing: Rodolfo “Rudy” Parra x F!reader ( aka Mini MacTavish)

Summary: Two love birds finally got together. To the relief of everyone.

Part I, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4,Part 5,Part 6

Warning: E Rating. Smutty smut. inaccuracies to medical and military related. discussion of injury.

A/N: @siilvan , thank you for being a wonderful Beta-reader *hug* @jynxmirage for giving me daily encouragements of sending me picture of delicious Bayardo De Murguia to keep me going :) Thanks to @okayyadriana  and @saltofmercury helping me with Spanish words :) if there are any mistakes. Please blame me not them.

“masterlist” 

You stayed on with the Los Vaqueros In Las Almas after Rudy was cleared to be discharged from the hospital. 

Approaching Price a few days after in private, you were nervous as you put in a request to stay on for a bit longer while the rest of the team moved on to another mission back in Europe soon.

“I know this is a very selfish request, Captain..” You look down at your boot, feeling guilty abandoning your team while they need you. But you can’t walk away from him this time. Rudy still needs you to look after him, or so you try to justify it. More like you need him to heal your guilty conscience. 

Price observed you in silence for a few minutes, brows furrowed. At last he jerks his head towards the outside, indicating to you to follow him. 

The sun is slowly setting, a few soldiers returning from their patrols and training. Everything seems so tranquil and peaceful compared to the near death mission the squad was sent to a few weeks ago.

Taking out a cigar he stashed away in his vest pocket, he lit it up, and took a slow drag before turning to you.

“You've been burying yourself in work non-stop for the last few months Mini. Is this why?” He didn’t point out what exactly he was asking about.

But, you know what he is implying. 

Kicking a bit of dirt on the ground and swiping the little gravel away for no reason, you let out a little grunt, acknowledging his question. 

“Stay as long as you want. You have trained your team well, Dr. MacTavish.” He chuckled as you pouted like a child, he knows you don’t like to address you with the title. “I’m sure they can handle the boys without you.” He pats you on the shoulder. “Take a good break, but I don’t know how much rest you are going to have fussing over him.” 

“I’ll try to behave…” You replied sincerely, finally feeling a bit of weight lift off your shoulders. “Thank you, Captain. It means a lot to me.”

Patting you on the shoulder with a fatherly smile, “Go chase your happiness, Mini. You deserve it.” 

Leaning back against the wall, you close your eyes and listen to the faint sound of music and singing that could be heard from the mess hall from a distance away, as the Task force and Los Vaqueros soldiers celebrate another successful mission under their belt after months of hard work. 

A shadow appears in front of you. Looking up, you saw Rudy standing in front of you, eyebrows raised, silently asking for permission. 

Patting the ground beside you and inviting him to sit down, you share the brief silence. 

This is probably the only time the two of you have spent time alone in the last few months, without anyone else hovering about. 

To Rudy’s dismay, Alejandro forced his second in command to take an extensive break after his return from hospital.

“Rest. You nearly died in my arms, hermano. I am sure your mother will be happy to have you at home for more than one day in a few weeks.” He commented. Alejandro turned towards you and patted you on the shoulder, “I’ll get Dr. MacTavish here to check up on you, so don’t you worry about your injury.” 

Mama Parra was ecstatic to see you return along with her son. You were quite touched by how the whole family welcomed your return. Camila gave you a knowing look after giving you a hug.

“Thank you for saving my brother. And, please, look after him from now on.” 

The tender look he gives you everytime you go over to change his bandages, and the desire he couldn’t keep hidden sipping through when you glide your hands, deliberately across his well defined ab. You linger your hand around his pelvis area, boldly caressing the slight bit of hair showing above his pants. Oh how his eyes darken as you flash him a sly smile, teasing him. 

If only he wasn’t still recovering from his near fatal wound. If only there weren’t people always out and about in the house.

Both of you would have given in to the desire, right there and then. 

But his mother would always poke her head into the room every time, fussing about and pulling you out to feed you with delicious meals, trying to show you the family photos, and with your rudimentary understanding of Spanish language, along with Rudy and Camila’s translation, Mama Parra loved telling you all the family history and childhood stories of Rudy and his siblings, and all the havoc him and Alejandro caused when they were young. 

You often catch Alejandro looking at the two of you, rolling his eyes while shaking his head, exasperated that the two of you are behaving like love sick puppies yet again. 

“Are you two going to make a move on each other or not?” Alejandro asked you once, when you were dropping off the health assessment reports in his office. “You know there is a betting pool happening amongst the team to see when…”

You ran out of the office in a flash, not even waiting for his sentence to finish, utterly mortified. 

Rudy breaks the silence first as he softly calls out your name. Turning slightly to face him.

“Cariño. Mi vida.” The tips of your ears burn as he addresses you in such an intimate manner. How would it feel if he called out like that when he was buried inside you…? “What are you thinking?” He whispered, his beautiful brown orbs filled with sadness. “Are you… are you thinking of leaving again?” Your heart clenched with pain as he looked at you with the same nervousness and distress you saw the night at the hospital.  You realise the two of you haven’t sat down and discussed the future, where to move on from here. No wonder the poor man is feeling so insecure. 

“Oh love.. no.. no don’t think that.” Gently cupping his face, you pull him down towards you to lean against his forehead. “I am not leaving you. Ever again. No matter what happens. I am sorry I haven’t been clearer.” You apologised as you leaned close to give him a gentle kiss on the cheek. “...well, barring from getting sent out for missions…” You added hastily. 

You feel tension dissipate from him as you give him your words of reassurance. Taking one of his hands, you put it over your heart.

“This will be yours from now on. And this,” You put your hand over his rapid beating heart, “I hope I have the honour for this to be mine.” You drop down to a whisper, suddenly timid. 

“From the moment I laid my eyes on you, I had already devoted my heart to you. I never expected you to return my feelings. I was happy to watch you from afar, assist you whenever I could; seeing that bright smile appear on your face is all that matters to me. I never expected anything in return.”

You were taken aback by his comment. You knew he had feelings for you quite early on, but from the moment you arrived at Las Almas? You didn’t quite expect that. Silently pining for you, doing what he does the best, assisting you in the background. You realise everytime the medical team has requested something, it would be done right away in the next few days. You got a complaint? Rudy would sort it out straight away. 

“All done, as per your request.” You remember his soft smile and his shyness everytime he reported back to you. 

It was all for you. 

“Rudy… oh, Rudy…” You lamented. The guilt is hitting you again.You couldn’t stop the tears streaming down your face now. “I am so sorry… so sorry…”

“Cariño, it’s not your fault. You did what you thought was right at the time, and I don’t blame you for that.” He pulls you into his embrace, kissing you lightly on your head. “I admit, I was quite heartbroken, but I do understand. Duty over heart. And the distance would have made it hard.” Closing his eyes, he chuckled slightly. “I buried myself in work, trying to put it all behind me. That accidental phone call? It reignited my hope. Brought back the ache again.” 

Resting your head in the crook of his neck, you enjoy the closeness, his scent, as he lightly rocks you back and forth to the music in the distance, slowly processing his words. 

“I love you, mi vida. I love you so much.” He whispered into your ears. “You are so beautiful. So strong, so fierce, so loyal…” He pulled himself away slightly to face you as he took in a deep breath.

“Would it be too much to ask, for you to be mine?” He pleaded, desperately searching for an answer in your eyes. 

You wrap your arms around his neck with a soft smile, “You already have my heart,” You whispered as you tipped your head up to give him a gentle kiss on his lips. “And you have my permission to take my body as yours, too.” 

With that reply, he leaned down towards you for another kiss, pouring all his emotion and heart into it. You can feel both of your bodies heating up as you nudge his lips open with your tongue, teasing him.

Abruptly, he pulls you away, panting, and jerks his head towards the main building. “My room. Not here.” That was all he could get out with his mind semi-frazzled from the kiss. You nodded your head frantically as both of you made your way towards the said destination.

As the two of you passed through the mess hall towards the officer’s quarters, you thought you saw Alejandro’s quick wave and smirk. Must be your imagination?

You couldn’t help but circle your arm around his waist as he shakily tried to open the door to his resting quarters. Hands meander around his body, teasing him a little, feeling his broad muscles, his back, and coming to a stop as you palm his semi hard package underneath his trousers. As soon as the door opens, he turns around and pulls you in, and kicks the door closed. You pull him down by his collar for another kiss, desperate to show him how much you want him, to soothe his worries and doubt. 

You push him to sit down on the bed, both of you still catching your breath from the heated kiss and dash.

“Please, mi amor… please, show me how you like it. Where you want me to touch…” He looks up at you, hands roaming up and down your body, voice dropping into a husky and lustful whisper.

You lower yourself to straddle him, feeling his hardness through the fabric. Rolling your hips slightly, you hear his breath catching slightly, holding back a groan. 

You move one of his hands to grab your ass, and the other to slide under your top, towards your breast. “Anywhere you like, love,” You swallow thickly, body filled with want. You want him. Anywhere. Everywhere. “Just show me what your deft fingers can do.” You purred as you looked at him through half hooded eyes. . 

You always wondered what it would feel like to have his hands on you after seeing him playing the guitar that night. The beautiful nimble fingers gliding up and down the fretboard, plucking away on the strings.

Standing up again to let him have better access to your lower region, he fumbles slightly as he unbuttons your pants and glides in between your pants and underwear. You let out an unrestrained moan as you feel his finger skate over your clit, before it reaches your already soaking opening.

“That’s it, my love..more… I want to feel more of you there…” You gasped and demanded as you rolled your hips with his moment. Another finger followed without hesitation, and another, until you feel stretched full of him pumping slowly in and out of you. 

His thumb languidly circles your clit as you dig your nails into his shoulder, back arched and screaming his name, not caring if the whole barracks hears you enjoying the first orgasm your lover has given you.

You look down at him with your watery orbs, breathing still short and fast as you come down from the blissful high he has just given you. He pulled his fingers out of you and slipped them in his mouth.

“I want to taste more of you.” He hummed as he slowly licked his fingers, cleaning up the cum juice you drenched him with. “My mouth against your beautiful soaking wet cunt, making you happy…”

Oh, you have definitely flipped a switch on. Gone is the shy Rudy, now Rodolfo Parra, the same confidence and passion shining through his eyes that you saw from him that night playing his guitar, is requesting to please you once again. Or, is that a thinly veiled demand?

Either way, you welcome the change.

Leaning down to pull him into an open mouthed kiss, you speak against his lips.

“You will have a lot more chances for that later on, my love.” You smirked as you pushed his shoulder, making him fall back onto the bed. You kneel on the bed, legs on each side of his body. “Now, it’s my turn to give you some pleasure, as you have just given me.” You position yourself comfortably sitting on his thighs, before you start to unbutton his shirt. 

Peppering kisses on his chest, your eyes soften as your hand carrases over the healed scar from months ago. That pain in your heart is still as fresh as the day you barely pulled him back from death’s door step.

“Still hurting?” You murmured as you traced your fingers over the most critical spot. “Occasional phantom pain, but I am alright now. Thanks to you.” He reassures you as he runs his hand up and down your arm.

Continuing down his body, your hands shake with excitement like a child opening a present on Christmas day, eager to see what is hiding underneath. 

Your smile broadens as you pull his pants down, his impressive girth finally appearing. You heard him groaning as you gently grabbed his length, pumping it a few times before taking it with your mouth.

Rudy gasps and moans as you work away, teasing him with your tongue, sucking the tip and kneading his balls lightly. He grasps the bed sheet hard as he blabbers away in Spanish, too fast for you to follow. He took you by surprise as he let out an almost half whimper-half sob before you felt the hot cum coating the inside your mouth. You lapped it all up and swallowed keenly as he rode out the rest of his orgasm.

“I… I am sorry, mi amor. I couldn’t hold it in any longer...” He apologised profusely, clearly embarrassed. You climb back up towards him. “I am glad I have that effect on you, Cariño.” You hushed him as you showered him with kisses on his face and patted his chest. 

His eyes glitter as you use the endearment in his mother tongue. “I should feel honoured that I can make you come so quickly. Now,” You stripped the rest of your clothing off. “Show me what you can do with that impressive thing inside me.”

Rudy claimed shyly he isn’t as experienced as you, but oh boy. His attentiveness, his eagerness, how much he wanted to give you a good time, all made up for it. 

His hands couldn’t stop touching you, caressing you as he slowly thrusted in and out of your aching core, stretching it open, making you quiver and moan out no matter what angle and position he went for. As if the two of you were made for each other, meant to be. Your soulmate. 

The two of you finally drifted to sleep, round after round of pleasure and orgasms, with his arm around you, holding you close to his chest. Afraid to let go, afraid for you to disappear again.  

The whole mess hall erupted into cheers and whistles as both you and Rudy walked in, taking both of you by surprise. 

You hid your face in Rudy’s shoulder, abashed by the sudden attention both of you were getting. 

Rudy, calm as always, ignored all the teases as he gently took your hand, which incited another round of cheers as he led you to the back table where Alejandro and your team was sitting at the moment for breakfast. He sat you down first before murmuring into your ear and pressing a soft kiss to your cheek, heading towards the serving area to grab food for both of you.

“I hope you two had a good time last night.” Alejandro smiled as he pushed the jar of sugar towards you. 

“HOW–” You nearly spilled out the coffee that you were pouring into the mug. 

“Why did you think the officer’s quarters were so quiet last night?” Alejandro smirked with a knowing look. 

Blistering hell, he knew. He ordered people to stay away from the sleeping quarters. You wondered why the usually busy hallway was void of people as the two of you dashed towards his bedroom. 

Another soldier sitting across from you laughed. " Ah, don't be so shy. We were all rooting for you and our Sergeant Major. And, you know what they say?? Tell her, mi hermanos, mi hermanas!!"

“Save a horse, ride a Vaquero!” The whole mess hall shouted in unison. 

You just want to dig a hole in the ground and hide.

“...Captain.” You mumbled at Price. “Have you got Nikolai’s contact? Please ask him to take me away from this horrible embarrassment.” You buried your face in your hands. Now how are you going to face all of them?

“Might be a good idea, so we don’t have to hear your screams every night.” Soap mumbled as he took a sip of his coffee. 

OH great, now your brother is talking about your sex life. Something just snapped inside you. Stuff this. If they are so interested in your life, you might as well…. 

Slamming your mug onto the table, you stood up on the bench, whistling to catch everyone’s attention. 

“Since all of you are so interested in our love life, yes, the Sergeant Major and I finally shagged last night.” You heard your brother spitting out his coffee while Ghost thumped his back, Gaz laughing his head off. “And, ladies, his fingers are just as good, if not better than all of you imagined.” Gasps and giggles could be heard amongst the crowd. Out of the corner of your eyes, Rudy froze mid-motion while picking up some toast from the toaster, soldiers around him slapping his back and elbowing him, teasing him. 

“Mini…” You heard Price trying to interject, but you held out your hand towards your captain, stopping him. 

“Last, but not least, I love him, and he is off the market people! Take this as a warning, no one touches MY MAN!” 

Jumping down from your bench, you walk down the aisle between the refectory tables, as if doing a victory walk between the cheering and clapping soldiers, towards Rudy, who’s now blushing from head to toe, hearing your public declaration. 

“There. I think that will stop anyone from gossiping about us.” You stop in front of your lover, as he leans into the crook of your neck, feeling the heat radiating off his skin.

“Ah, querida… What am I going to do with you.” He asked, followed by a sigh.  

“Well, one thing for sure, you aren’t going to get rid of me, because I am going to stick around for quite a long time.” You replied as you wrapped your arm around his torso.

“Good.” He put his plates down to the side and proceeded to lift you up high. “Because you are mine forever, mi hermosa.” 

“... how much did you bet on them?” 

“A hundred pounds, But that’s because I had insider information.” 

“Mierda.” 

Tag list:

@jynxmirage, @kaplerrr, @captainpriceslover,@homicidal-slvt,@floral-force,@a-small-writer-in-a-big-world,@iwannabeinthesequalmrghostface,@okayyadriana,@random-thot-generator,@siilvan,@crazymela,@preciouslittlecreature,@glitterypirateduck,@cumikering,@devcica,@nrdmssgs,@random0lover

@nightingal3-tales, @deakyspuff, @abbeyrjm-blog, @alypink,@liyanahelena, @loppyc

@deadbranch

[candycandy00]

Finding Love in a Zombie Apocalypse - A JJK Interactive Romance Fanfic Round 7 (Final)

Read the details about this event here!

Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6

During a zombie apocalypse, you meet a group of seven handsome men. Which one will you choose to be your survival/romantic partner?

And the winner is Gojo! Please enjoy this smutty chapter!

Smut. 18+. Fem Reader. Minors do not interact!

Dividers by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more!

You’re not sure what you expected to see when the door of the bunker fully opened. Perhaps a squad of well built soldiers filing out in formation, guns drawn. 

Instead, a measly three men walk out, casual clothes hanging limply from their thin bodies, guns in their hands but hanging at their sides. The weapons almost look too heavy for them to carry. They remind you of scarecrows, with their shaggy, unkempt hair and dark, hollow eyes. 

All three men look at you, not as a fellow human being but as an object of entertainment, the way they might look at a shiny new gaming console. They don’t speak to you, instead addressing Gojo. 

“Bring the other bags,” one of them says. His voice is familiar, the same voice that spoke through the speaker. He’s the tallest of the three, with oily hair pulled into a low ponytail at his neck. If he bathed, shaved, and dressed well, he might be handsome. But currently he looks tired, starved, and dirty. 

Gojo and Geto remain where they are. Gojo is still loosely holding your arm behind you. He gives a light laugh and says, “That wouldn’t be very fair. If we drag out all the food, what’s to stop you guys from taking it all? You’re the only ones armed.”

The men glance at each other, then the familiar voiced man gives a signal. Two more men walk out, carrying guns. 

“You’re right,” he says, “we are the only ones armed. So bring the rest of the bags out and we’ll check them over. If you’re telling the truth, you’ll get your guns.”

Gojo looks over at Geto, who shrugs. “I’ll bring a few more out, then we can discuss this further. How does that sound?”

The soldiers remain quiet, waiting for the man that’s been talking to make the decision. He must be the leader. He stares at Geto, then his eyes drift over to you. “Fine. Bring some more out. Sit them on the ground and unzip them, then step away.”

Geto nods, then heads back to the trailer. 

Gojo is smiling. “So how long have you guys been here?” he asks, as if he’s just making friendly conversation. You’re looking back and forth between the men, pretending to be stunned and terrified, occasionally giving a fake jerk against Gojo’s weak grip on your arm. 

One of the other soldiers, short with a baby face that makes him look too young to be in the military, answers, “Since this all started.”

The leader gives him a sharp look, but says nothing. 

“Wow, that long?” Gojo asks. “Have any of you guys even killed a zombie?”

This time no one answers, which is an answer in itself. 

The awkward silence is broken when Geto reappears, carrying three more duffel bags. He sits them on the ground in front of the soldiers and then unzips them and takes a few steps back. 

The leader motions toward the bags and two of the other soldiers scurry forward to look through them. Their eyes seem to light up at the sight of all that food, their hands raking through the contents. One man pulls out a candy bar, rips off the wrapper, and shoves the entire thing into his mouth. He sighs as he chews. 

Right now, Sukuna should have climbed out of the trailer that Geto left open, going around the outskirts of the bunker so that he can emerge behind the men. Nanami and Higuruma should both be out of the trailer, coming up toward the front while the soldiers are distracted. 

The leader steps closer to you, then leans down to get a good look, his eyes moving to your chest and then back to your face. “You can hand her over now,” he says. 

“No!” you cry out, wiggling around. 

Gojo’s grip on your arm tightens slightly. “So far you guys haven’t given us anything. Why would I hand over our most valuable item?”

The leader frowns. “Because we have the guns. We won’t take her inside until the trade is done, but I want her in our hands.”

He reaches out toward you, his hand nearly touching your shoulder. You shudder and try to back away, but Gojo is behind you, unmoving. Just before the man’s fingertips can brush the fabric of your shirt, Gojo suddenly grabs his wrist. 

The man looks up at him, seeming confused. But before he can react any further, Gojo releases you, stepping around your body and yanking the man by the arm so that he falls face-first to the ground. At the same time, Gojo jerks the gun free of the bewildered man’s hand. 

The other soldiers look up from the bags of food, but before they can even aim their weapons, the others in your group have disarmed them and knocked them out. 

Wow, you can’t believe it was that easy. 

Gojo and Geto gather up guns while Nanami and Higuruma tie up the soldiers. Sukuna has already went inside the bunker, apparently not caring that there are still five more men in there, possibly armed. 

“You can stay out here until we’re done if you want,” Gojo tells you, checking one of the guns for ammo. 

You hear gunfire coming from inside. “Okay, yeah, I think I’ll do that,” you say. Your heart is still beating fast. 

Gojo grins and pats you playfully on the back. “You’re a pretty good actress,” he says. Then he lowers his voice. “But all that squirming around you did got me riled up.”

Your eyes widen and your face flushes with heat, but you can’t think of a witty retort. Instead you’re left to stare after him as he winks and heads into the bunker. 

While waiting outside, you realize you’re going to have to decide soon if you want to take him up on his offer. You’re certainly attracted to Gojo, and you have no real hang ups to speak of. Your only concern is that you’ll fall for him, and even if he did end up returning your feelings, the two of you are living in a zombie apocalypse. Either one of you could die at any moment. Why put yourself through the heartache? 

But he’s so fucking charming, and he is really strong. Especially with the relative safety of the bunker, it seems unlikely that either of you will die anytime soon. So why not go for it? If you are living out your last days, why not enjoy them? 

Within an hour, the soldiers have been rounded up, disarmed, and restrained. There were only nine of them now, one having died after the defector left. You wonder what your group plans to do with them. Will they murder them? Simply leave them alone out here to fend for themselves? You’re not sure if you’re comfortable with either of those options, even though the leader clearly had ominous plans for you. 

Geto and Nanami usher all of the men but one into the back of the now empty trailer, their arms still tied behind their backs. The last remaining soldier is the baby faced guy who spoke earlier. Gojo cuts him free and hands him the knife. 

“Take one bag of supplies, that one by your feet, and drive this truck away from here,” Gojo tells him. “I suggest driving until daylight, then you can stop and untie them. If we ever catch you guys near here, we’ll kill you all. Understand?”

The young soldier nods, his face sweaty and red, his eyes frantic. “C-can I have just one gun?” 

Gojo shakes his head and pat’s the guy’s back. “You don’t want a gun, trust me. All they do is draw a crowd of zombies. Too loud. Knives are quiet. Zombies can be scary, but they’re slow and weak. Don’t fight unless you’re cornered. Wear thick fabric on your extremities to protect from bites. Don’t be out in the open at night. Watch out for yourself.”

The soldier nods to all of that, then Geto hands him the keys to the truck. He climbs in and starts the engine, then he’s gone. 

Gojo throws his arm around you. “Now that all the unpleasant stuff is out of the way, let’s go tour our new home!”

You smile, relieved that no one died tonight, on either side. You let Gojo lead you into the bunker and show you around. 

There’s a living area, far more spacious than you imagined, with two couches and three recliners. There’s a pool table off to one side, a tv with a large screen, and a shelf stacked messily with books and magazines. The lighting in here, and everywhere else in the bunker, is quite dim. They’re probably using the last of their fuel for the generator. 

The kitchen is very small, with barely enough room for the round table and four chairs between rows of cabinets, a sink, small stove, and microwave. There’s a short, squat refrigerator in the corner. 

There are three separate sleeping areas, all quite large and holding six narrow beds in each. There’s also two bathrooms, though only one contains a shower. 

You don’t ask, or even hint, but the men all agree to let you use the shower first. You like that they’re considerate, but you feel a little guilty as you strip off your well-worn clothes and step into the shower. 

It’s the first shower you’ve had in weeks, and it feels incredible. The water is actually warm! Your tense muscles begin to relax under the firm pressure, your sinuses clearing from the steam. They even have soap and shampoo! Nothing fancy like you used at home, but it smells nice and clean. 

Just as you’re finishing rinsing off your body, you hear the door to the bathroom open. You freeze up. The door had no lock, but you assumed none of these guys would walk in on you. Through the frosted glass of the shower door, you can see a tall blurry figure. 

“Hey.”  Gojo’s voice. “If I’m being too forward, tell me to fuck off and I will. But do you mind if I join you?”

Join you? In this cramped shower stall?! You’ve already decided to sleep with him, but things are moving a little more quickly than you expected. Still, he’s right there. So close. The idea of seeing him dripping wet, hair in his eyes, towering over you in this small, steamy space… it’s doing things to you. 

“Okay, sure,” you tell him, and you watch through the glass as he peels off his clothes. You can’t make out any details, just his vague shape as more and more of his creamy skin is exposed. Then, he opens the shower door. 

The two of you stare at each other for a moment, each taking the opportunity to drink the other in. He’s built like a god, all taut, lean muscle. He looked thinner when dressed, but this is the best kind of surprise. 

He smiles, clearly aware of how good looking he is, his crystalline eyes shamelessly moving over your body. In return, your own eyes fall to below his waist. 

Oh. Oh wow. So he’s hung like a fucking horse. 

“So? Do you think I’ll fit?”

You look up suddenly. “What?”

He’s grinning. “The shower. It’s pretty small. Do you think I’ll fit in there with you?”

“Oh, uh, I think so,” you stammer, stepping to the side to give him room. 

He slides in beside you, his bare body brushing against yours. This is probably the first shower he’s had in a while too, but you’d never know it. He looks and smells inexplicably clean already, but he lathers up his hair and body regardless. 

This was his idea, so it’s okay to watch, right? You stand back as far as you can while he cleans himself, giving you an eyeful and not seeming the least bit shy. Of course, he’s getting an eyeful too, and it’s difficult to ignore the way his cock is hardening the longer he looks at you. 

By the time he rinses off, he’s fully hard, and you’re drenched in a way that has nothing to do with the water pouring down over your body. He faces you, and in a split second his arms are around you, his mouth on yours. 

He kisses the way he fights, fiercely, like he’s eager to lose himself in it, like he’s been holding back for a while and something has snapped inside him. 

You’ve never been kissed so passionately before, your back pressed against the glass door, his tall frame hovering over you. Heat is seeping into your skin, from the water or his body, you’re not sure. 

He suddenly turns you around to face away from him, then pushes your upper half against the glass door, slightly bending you at the waist. His hand slides down your back, along your spine, rubbing over your ass before his fingers slip between your legs from behind. 

You automatically spread your feet wider apart, wanting to give him more access. His fingers dip into your slick folds, finding your clit with the sort of ease only a man who has pleasured many women could do. You gasp as he rubs circles on the sensitive little nub, your hands pressed into the glass to keep you stable. When he rubs just a little harder, you moan out loud and your legs begin to tremble. 

“There we go,” he says, his voice a little lower than usual. “It’s probably been a while, huh? Just relax and enjoy it.”

You sigh, letting more of your upper half lean against the glass. It has been a while. Even if you had the privacy and time to masturbate, you hadn’t been in the right mindset for it since all this started. But now, with at least a semblance of safety and a gorgeous naked man playing with your clit, all the pent up stress is melting away, leaving only raw hormones. 

So you let yourself melt into the pleasure. Your legs quiver, your breaths quicken, as you focus on the heat, on the feeling of his fingers sliding inside you. The orgasm washes over you in waves, rippling over your body, spreading out from your core to the tips of your toes and fingers. 

You almost collapse. If not for Gojo’s arm around your waist, you would have. He holds you snugly between himself and the shower door, his fingers still stroking you, until your body stops shaking. 

A second later, you feel his hands move to grip your waist, and then all at once he’s plunging into you, making you cry out in surprise. Your hands fly to the glass again, needing something to grip as he begins thrusting impossibly deep. 

“Sorry,” he says into your ear. “It’s been a while for me too.”

“We’re gonna break this door,” you tell him, feeling it give a little, as if it’s going to bust off its frame. 

“I don’t care,” he grunts out, picking up his pace. 

“The others are gonna hear us,” you say, your voice shaking as he pounds into you. 

“I extra don’t care,” he says, one hand slipping around to squeeze your breast. 

Your breath hitches when he hits that sweet, tender spot inside you that drives you mad, making you clench him tightly. 

He must have noticed your reaction, because he hammers that spot like it’s a loose nail. Seconds later, you’re cumming for the second time, clamping down on his cock, wanting to milk it dry. 

“Fuck, you feel so good,” he mutters, his grip on you tightening. “And as much as I’d love to fill this pussy full… we can’t risk it.”

With that, he pulls out, and you feel something warm and thick land on your lower back, dripping down onto your ass. 

You wanted to feel him cum inside you, but you agree that it would be a terrible idea. An unplanned pregnancy in this world would be disastrous. You make a mental note to look for condoms later. 

Wait, later? You’re not even sure if there’ll be a later with Gojo. Maybe this is just a one-time thing. It’s not like the two of you are in a relationship. You have to keep reminding yourself of that. He’s practically a stranger to you. 

After the two of you finish showering and get dressed, you both walk out of the bathroom, which is directly beside the living area. The rest of the guys are sitting around on the couches and recliners, all of them staring at the two of you with unamused faces. 

Nanami stands up. “You two do realize the rest of us have to shower in there after you,” he says, looking like a stern teacher who just caught you smoking in the bathroom. 

You look at the floor, your face heating up. 

Gojo laughs. “Don’t worry, we cleaned up after ourselves!”

Geto sighs. “Did you have to be so loud? We could hear you all over the bunker.”

Gojo throws an arm around you. “Well you guys better get used to it.”

The others blanch and you look up at him in surprise. Does that mean he’s counting on this being a regular thing? 

He grins down at you. “Wanna bunk with me?”

You blink, then smile. “Yeah, I’d like that,” you tell him, walking with him to one of the sleeping areas. Maybe the zombie apocalypse wasn’t so bad, if it led you to meeting Gojo. Maybe you could even have a life, and have love, in this crazy new world. 

Tag List:

@tadabzzzbee @babysoo-meu @atomicweaselpaperapricot

[bobbydagen24]

If you could make any changes you wanted to the finale what would they be?

Personally I'd remove the years long time jump and have the show at most jump ahead maybe 6 months or a single year

Just to the point where the immediate aftermath of the final battle has gone by but not to the point where these may as well be different characters

Given the amount of implied development they've undergone off screen that the show is basically teasing us that we'll never actually see ( because the writers chose to use what screen time they did have to show us other stuff instead )

and just end the show with the characters going to school showing them just living the normal mundane lives as regular kids aka what the hex squad was fighting for.

maybe show them all attending Grom together and that way we still get the big party to show all the characters saying goodbye

But the writers didn't need to ruin the ending for the sake of jerking off to fancy new character designs fanart is its own thing separate from the actual works someone higher up really needed to tell the owl crew that ffs.

Also I'd probably also give Hunter a final scene with Belos as ending their relationship on thanks to them just leaves a sour taste in my mouth tbh.

I wouldn't want Hunter to actually kill Belos or even witness his death as that would just be even more angst for him

But I would probably have him show up just as Belos is depowered and he's trying his little possessed by dark magic lie to Luz

maybe he tries to get Hunter to back him up saying that that he saw what the curse did to him and how it "" made him do bad things "" but same as Luz Hunter's just having none of it

and he turns around and walks away while Belos is calling his name maybe at first he's pleadingly calling after him only for him to eventually get angrier and shout his name but it makes no difference

and after he's left the rest of the scene plays out the same I just feel after the sad ending of thanks to them Hunter should have gotten a final chance to defy Belos and stand up to him.

and the final change I'd make is that I'd just have the Collector stick around in the end as I just feel it makes more sense for him and everyone else.

he's a god like being who still currently has the emotional intelligence of a kid and who has been manipulated and used by bad people in the past

keeping him around so they can continue to teach him right from wrong and help him grow just makes more sense to me than him going off on his own especially when he was terrified of ending up alone again like he was in the other realm so like why would he leave just as he was starting to find people he could actually trust?

anyway what changes would you make if given the chance?

[homiesondaweb]

This is my theory piece on astv Hobie's Backstory.

Despite the whole Punk lifestyle, living on a repurposed canal boat, minor rock star status, and having active warrants out for both his civilian and Spidey persona thing he's got going on. Hobie had a pretty normal childhood for a bit. 

His Pa managed the local radio stations and his Ma was a lead writer for the newspaper. Hobie found himself the baby out of 5 siblings and their 4 bedroom flat was just a bit too small for the 7 people family but it was great. 

The neighborhood was always lively with community get-togethers, music rattled the bricks and the air was always savory with smell of jerk. Hobie used to eat himself sick with coconut candy and orange cake every weekend. He liked going to 'school' which meant being crammed into Ms. Ngozi and Ms. Freedman's flat with the other neighborhood kids then being taught from books Ms. Freedman had smuggled in when she partnered with Ms. Ngozi. Reading, writing, history, debate, arithmetic, ethics, journalism, all kinds of science but Ngozi loved when Hobie would take a machine apart and remake it. 

His eldest siblings by about 12 years, twin brothers Hudson and Hector ran the 'Shop'. If you needed something fixed within their 6 block neighborhood you took it there. Cars, big appliances, medical equipment, radios, tvs, his brothers could fix it all. They'd fix it good, cheap or free and in a timely manner. (And they greatly encouraged their Little Bart brother to tinker) 

Next was is other older brother, Henry. He was only 9 years older than him. A photographer and worked under their mother getting dynamic shots for any article she posted. He introduced Hobie to a lot of artists and taught him how to observe the world around him. How to sneak in and out of it.

Then there was his only sister, Harley. She was closest in age to him, only 5 years older. She was a badass on the guitar and even slicker at the mouth. She debated anyone under a table and had a right hook to back it up. You never would have pegged her to be the one to run the community garden. Not with her self-done piercings, bleach painted jackets, head fully of bantu knots and black lipstick. But she did, she taught Hobie everything to know about growing orchids and tomatoes.

Life was good. Despite the rising police violence, cost of living, and the fumes of Oscorp rising. 11 year old Hobie didn't know it to be anything else. 

Then, he turns 12. Ma and Henry don't come home.

He's 12 and the Ngozi-Freedman homeschool is raided. He never sees them again but Harley fills her stage trunk with their books and records.

He's 12. Someone reported the shop and President Osborne new "certificate enforcement" squad torches the building. Hudson gets away but the Symbiotes bail out Hector to them and he only has one arm. 

He's 12. The government has taken over the radio station, firing Pa. The house becomes cramped with the equipment Pa had smuggled out. Hudson shows back up and he's as ghost as Hector.

He's 12 and half his friends are just faces on murals and the other half is sick from the water. The garden is sabotaged and the city fines Harley (how the fuck do you fine a 17 year old?) 

And there's a protest. Pa has taken over the radios in the city and rallies the people, he repeats Ma articles over and over informing the people about the propaganda, the contamination, the disappeared people, the injustice. He repeats them and repeated them as the twins litter the city with flyers using Henry's photos of the truth. 

And there's a protest. 

There's hundred of protests of all sizes, all over.

There's a riot. 

There's riots.

There's fire and panic and Symbiotes spill into the neighborhood like oil and-

Hobie turns 13, it's just him and Harley. 

Hobie turns 14, it's just him and Harley's guitar.

Hobie is 15, he's just some punk kid bit by a radioactive spider while trying to find shelter from a Symbiote raid. He uses this to his advantage. 

He turns 16 and instead of blowing out birthday candles he's smashing Harley's guitar through a fascist dictator head with his fellow super powered punks. (He can't think of a better wish)

He's 17 and Miguel makes a mistake in showing up to his dimension with an offer to join his 'society'. 

[felassan]

Some more info on the Mass Effect board game, from co-designer Calvin:

"Hi all, Calvin here, co-designer of the game. I've gathered all the frequently asked questions on social media and bgg and gathered them into some answers for you. Feel free to ask more questions if yours is not answered, and if I can answer it I will. I will be updating this as more information about the game becomes available. Release info - The release date is (hopefully) November depending on the gods of shipping - Price is confirmed, the game will be $50/£40 - The team is currently working on translation deals for 9 or so languages. More details soon. - For info on pre-orders go to https://www.modiphius.net/pages/mass-effect-signup - There are currently no plans for a collector’s edition vs standard edition - It is not crowdfunded, the game is direct to retail - "If you'd like to support the game right now, there's nothing better than going into your local FLGS and asking them if they'll stock the game when it comes out. With the vast amount of great games coming out every week, retailers rely on fans asking about the game. This helps them gauge how much to buy, the more people ask, the more buzz they know there is, the more confident they are to buy enough and the more likely there's one waiting for you on the shelf when you go in :-) That feeds up the chain; the more retailers ask their sales reps at Asmodee, the more Asmodee goes, "Oh wait, let's order more, so we have enough for all the shops". Plot - The game is set on the planet Hagalaz, early during the events of Mass Effect 3 - The players are tasked with investigating a crashed Cerberus research cruiser which could have info that contributes to War Readiness and could help stop the Reapers - The game is designed so people who have never played Mass Effect can still enjoy it. Eric hasn't played the games as much as I did so he got to do what he calls “the meathead test” on all the theming and story. - We worked with Bioware on all the plot and theming. - Yes you can do calibrations in this game Basic game info - Co-operative squad tactics - 1-4 players - Included are six 32mm minis, masc Shep, fem Shep, Liara, Garrus, Tali, and Wrex - Not many other components to keep price and complexity low - 45 minute missions - 3-5 missions per campaign - Branching paragon/renegade choices + sidequests - Enough missions to replay the campaign several times without repeats - Solo play is really fun, in fact I like all the player counts equally, which is something I’m very proud that we were able to achieve in this game - Solo play is basically multi-handing, you control more than one character. - There is no legacy aspect, the game is fully resettable - There will be new original art"

[character limit text break]

"Gameplay info - Low rules complexity, but with lots of tactical depth. We aimed for an audience of Mass Effect fans who might not know anything about board games. Board gamers should still find something to enjoy if they’re into co-op tactics. - A group that just wants to turn their brain off and blast through the game should have an easy time - But a group who wants to get the best endings, complete all the sidequests, get all the level ups will have to min-max pretty heavily - The game has relatively low randomness. Planning, prediction, and preparation are very important to avoid bad outcomes - but there’s still enough randomness to avoid AP as players try to plan out perfect turns. - Important gameplay elements include positioning and combo-ing abilities with other players. - There is a tactical map. - Players will level up their characters by performing in game actions and learn new abilities. - We got all 6 Shepard classes in there. It is one of the things I am very proud of doing. - Re: alpha gamers, Eric and I do not believe it is the designer’s job to solve for jerks at your gaming table. Obviously we have designed the game so that every player has something to contribute and there’s plenty of info so that it’s hard to track. But we also recommend having adult conversations with your table partners. Interviews/Behind The Scenes Beyond Solitaire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-nLGDt97i4 Topics: how we designed the game and implemented the narrative UKGE promo copy https://twitter.com/Modiphius/status/1796844231018811782/" Post last updated August 8th

[source]

New original art 👀

[neoarchipelago]

Madripoor High (part 6)

A/N: this was supposed to be some miniseries but i feel like it's turning into a slow burn again... also, this is an emotional rollercosater. I gave Y/N a backstory, tragic, similar to Ghost's one.

Warnings: TRAUMA ABUSE DEATH READ UNTIL (_-_-_-_) TO AVOID IT THEN START AGAIN AT (_-_-_-_) IF YOU WANT TO AVOID IT

+ SEXUAL CONTENT

You walked through the base, the warm sun barely helping with the cold wind. Two months. You were working on this contract for two months. You were more than frustrated. You were starting to think you simply couldn't find Echo because they didn't exist at all. 

The obvious side eyes and murmuring made you want to chuckle. Not only word of the punishments from the Lieutenant spread like wildfire. The fact that you showered alone under his close watch also spread. You were aware of the little whispers. 'the lieutenant's temptation' , 'the lieutenant's bitch' or 'whore'. You probably heard 'the forbidden pussy' at some point. You could end all of these fuckers careers with a simple search of their background, the worst skeletons in their closet unburied but you honestly couldn't care less. It was a funny change from the usuals 'criminal' 'terrorist'. 

For some reason it almost made you giddy. Of course, Ghost was entirely unaware of all of this. The cadets were way too terrified to even mumble if he was in the surrounding 20 feet. You also tried to keep it to yourself, the next punishment being way more harmful for the boys than for you. Walking up to the barracks you felt surrounded. You stopped in the middle of the hallway. Looking at the boys surrounding you. 

"Well well, little ducklings away from their mommies." You smirked. 

"How about we call you mommy huh?" You heard from one. 

"Oh sorry. I have daddy issues, not mommy ones." You teased again.

"You got a big mouth for a little thing." Someone rang.

"Not only this little thing could end your reputation, your careers and your families in a blink of an eye. But I'm not at all worried. I walk through this base with no fear." You stated. 

"Maybe that's your problem. You're FUCKING full of yourself." A man spat. 

You looked at the cadet who spoke. Of course. You were perfectly prepared for such a thing. You had an excellent memory. 

"Cadet Davis. 25 years old, divorced parents both remarried, two biological brothers, one half sister and a baby half brother on the way." The boy frowned slowly paling. "You enlisted because of your bad civilian behavior, last resort to get straight in life after not only dropping out of high school for misconduct but also out of interest per your therapist's notes." You smirked, the boys eyeing each other. "Now, I know that you and your squad sneak out every Thursday you're not on duty to play cards in one of the barracks near the east wall." Now the group paled. "I know about the phones on which you watch porn while you guys jerk off all together." You said again. 

"I know. Everything. Ending you is almost boring." You finally spat. 

"What's going on here?" You heard. 

You turned to the voice smiling at Soap and Gaz as they appeared into view. The cadets stood to attention as soon as they saw them. 

"We're bonding." You teased. Soap snickered as Gaz frowned. You crossed your arms, smirking towards the cadets. "They're such adorable boys." 

"Alright. Yeah. No doubt." Gaz said, not believing it for one second. 

"Come on, let's go. Stop giving the kids attention. They'll become soft." Soap added. 

You chuckled, shaking your head before walking to them. You threw a last glare towards the squad before climbing up with the two Sergeants. Once inside you sighed, heading for the kitchen. 

"Are you alright?" You heard Gaz ask from behind.

"I'm fine." You sighed. 

"If they're giving you a hard time you have to tell us." Soap said. 

You were going to answer when a voice rose from the couch. 

"Who's giving you a hard time?" 

You froze. The sergeant's heads snapped towards the couch. You didn't need to turn. The voice. That voice that made you want to simply fall to your knees sometimes and others want to fight him. 

"No one!" You said, walking to the fridge. 

"Soap? Gaz?" He asked, standing from the couch. The two tried to look away, one rubbing the back of his head. 

"No. One." You repeated. 

Soap grinned, heading for the fridge as well. He stood next to you, eyes roaming the inside.

"I think you should tell him." He whispered, hidden by the open door of the fridge. 

"It's fine. I'm not in any danger. And he's annoying…" you whispered back. 

He snickered, making you bite your lip. You grabbed a small juice box, turning around to sit at the counter. Soap decided he wanted juice as well, but the last one being in your hand, he closed the fridge, running behind you to steal the precious liquid. 

"Hey!" You yelped. 

He laughed running out of the room. 

"JOHNNY!" You yelled. 

Gaz smirked. 

"Just get another one…" Ghost mumbled. 

"It was the last one!" You told him, clear annoyance on your face. 

Gaz laughed softly, shaking his head as he walked out of the kitchen. You groaned, turning back to the lieutenant who didn't take his eyes off of you. 

"What?" You let out. 

He simply stared intensely at you. You started to feel that little tingle in the back of the neck, that feeling of being watched by a predator. It could work. Could. If only he knew that it wasn't fear that it elicited in you. But burning fucking need. 

That, had been a brand new problem to you. Since the shower incident, you felt yourself melt a tiny bit more under his gaze. Felt yourself shiver at his raspy voice. Felt the dangerous warmth in the pit of your stomach when you heard him scold a recruit. You didn't even want to remember how you felt when you saw him spare. His strength, his body, his eyes… oh god. 

You looked away, walking to the couch. You wanted to avoid his gaze, the way it made you feel, but also wanted to hide it from him.  Hide the way he made you feel. It didn't matter much if he knew. Two things could happen. He would like it and you'd have a wonderful night, or perhaps various ones. Or he would feel uncomfortable about it and you'd simply take a step back. No. What mattered was a certain someone could not know. 

"Muñeca.." 

You looked up at the voice. Her. She couldn't know. If she did, you'd never hear the end of it. You smiled at her, Price and Alejandro right behind her. You pat the couch next to you, beckoning her to sit down. Price called the rest of the squad as you let your head fall back. 

Soap walked in, sending you a teasing smile as you shook your head. You pat the couch on the other side, the boy not hesitating to run and jump next to you. 

"God's sake Johnny…" you chuckled. 

Price had a warm smile on his face as he witnessed the scene. The room had filled up, you started to feel the obvious important news arriving. 

"Alright. Here's the brief." Price started. 

You let your head fall on Soap's shoulder, his hand rising to playful pat and or gently slap your cheek. You pushed his hand away, trying to listen to the captain. 

"Thanks to Tracker's latest Intel, we have eyes on a cartel.  Squad 141 will be heading out tomorrow for a recon mission." You frowned but didn't say anything. "It should be a few days. Until then, Laswell will be here to help you, colonel Vargas and Rudy will also remain here with the Prisoner. " 

"Cabron." She spat. 

You chuckled, playfully slapping her arm. Price chuckled as well, a darker tone to it as he eyed Valeria. Price continued, falling into more detailed information about their mission. You zoned out. For as much as you tried to avoid thinking of it, you couldn't stop. The skull face kept showing up again and again in your brain. You wondered how his hands would feel on your skin. How it would feel to trace his faded tattoos. Did he have more? You were sure he did. You wanted to search for them. His blond lashes flashed in your brain. Was his hair also blond? Was his happy trail-

"Tracker?!" Valeria snapped her fingers in front of your face. You snapped out of your very spicy daydream as you frowned. You looked up at her. 

"Are you ok muñeca?" She asked, a little frown on her face. Soap immediately jumped as well to look at you. 

"I'm… fine!" You stammered. It obviously didn't help your case, now the room was looking at you. You felt yourself blush and heat up under the scrutinizing gazes. 

"Are you sure, you look a bit red…" soap added with a worried look. You wanted to scream and hide. He wasn't helping at all. 

"I'm fine!" You said again. 

Ghost stepped closer, your heart jumping in your chest at the sight of the object of all your nasty thoughts eyeing you again. A hand touched your cheek, Soap testing your body warmth with the back of his hand. 

"Your pupils are dilated… and your heartbeat is a bit fast." He stated..

"Oh god please shut up…" you finally whined, embarrassment washing over you. "I'm fine, really, maybe got a bit sick overnight it's nothing really…" you lied. 

"Perhaps you should go over to the infirmary." Price said with a little worry in his eyes too. 

"No it's ok… thank you. I'll rest a bit." You finished with a smile. God if he knew it was simply you fantasizing about his Lieutenant. 

You avoided eye contact with everyone for the rest of the briefing, scurrying off discreetly to your room as soon as it was over.  

—

You could finally take a deep breath once the wooden door shut itself. You barely had time to take a step forward before the door opened again. You turned, falling eye to eye with deep brown orbs. You frowned, swallowing hard before turning back towards your bed. 

"Yes lieutenant ?" You asked. He stared. "You have a staring problem, Ghost." You stated. 

He crossed his arms leaning back against the door. The t-shirt he was wearing showed his arms perfectly. The sleeved tattoo almost plastered for everyone to see. 

"Now you're the one staring." 

You snapped out of the day dream. You were in fact staring. You snickered, turning back to your bed where you let yourself fall upon. You groaned into your pillow. You felt a wave of frustration splash onto a shore of exhaustion. You felt like the heavy weight you weren't aware of, finally fell on you. You turned your head to the side, staring at the wall. Should you glance at him? Was he still staring? 

The sound of the lock echoed. Heavy boots stomped on the floor, the sound growing closer before it stopped next to the bed. Your body tensed. What..

Shock filled you as you felt two arms turn you around. You laid on your back, watching the man kneel on the bed, letting himself down as well, his head on your chest. Your heart was threatening to jump out of your chest. 

"What… are you?" You questioned. 

His body flexed as the shock in your voice. You anticipated him trying to stand back up. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders, one on his head. Not a word was said. You let yourself enjoy the moment. The heaviness of his body on you was making you sleepy. He had relaxed, his body reacting to the soft caresses on his head and back. 

"Who's giving you a hard time?" You heard. 

"No one…" you mumbled through sleepiness. 

He groaned a bit but didn't move. His hands caressed the skin of your waist under your shirt, slow circles that gave you goosebumps. You sighed in content. You felt the heat. The breaths. It was a blink of an eye. And he was on top of you, his head in your neck, biting and sucking softly at the skin, one hand over your breast underneath your clothes, pressing his hard cock against you. 

The feeling of him, so close yet so far, was unbearable. He teased you, clothes keeping any real contact from each other. You wanted to rip your own pants and panties off to finally let him thrust into you. 

"Simon.." you moaned. 

A low chuckle answered your whines, only making you more and more desperate. 

"So needy. Have you been craving this? Thinking about how my hands would feel against your soft skin? Have you been fantasizing about my mouth biting and marking you? Shit…" he chuckled darkly again. "You've been imagining my cock stretching your pretty little pussy, haven't you?" 

You wanted to say no. Throw some snarky comments but you couldn't. Like some spell had hit you, making you unable to be anything but submissive. 

"Of course you have… look at you. You're thinking about it right now." You frowned at his words. "You're dreaming of it…" 

Your eyes flashed open, the white ceiling staring back at you. Your heart was racing, the silence and darkness of the room enveloping you, bringing you back to reality. So now, you were having wet dreams of that asshole?! You grabbed a pillow throwing it over your face to muffle an annoyed loud groan. The fluffy thing was quickly discarded with rage. What happened? What exactly made things turn out this way? The way he had looked at you in the showers while he was manhandling some perv who had been watching you? 

The fury in his eyes, the way he barked his orders at the boys, anger obviously biting through the air. The way he had effortlessly grabbed you by the waist to pull you up and make you sit on top of the little wall. He had wanted to punish you. He had been nothing but correct with you yet you felt like some Victorian man who's been shown ankles. 

Perhaps a warm drink would help. Some tea. You threw the covers away, standing up to escape your room towards the kitchen. You tiptoed your way through the hallway, the silence and shadows only remembering you that the team was sleeping at this hour. You flipped the light switch, blinding light burning your eyes for a split second. You decided against it, only turning on the soft lamps over the kitchen counter. 

Putting some water to boil in the kettle, you browsed through the various teas the team had. One good thing about so many British men. You picked out something that sounded pretty classic with still a tint of originality. Time ticked, waiting for the water so you could make your tea, you stretched your neck, rubbing the back. Flashbacks of the night at the hotel rushed through your mind. His hand around your throat, the fear and panic in his eyes once he realized what he was doing. The flinch when you tried to pull him to you. 

Something made you wonder what happened. What was it that made him, Ghost, crumble in the past? If he had even crumbled. The kettle clicked, notifying you that it was ready. You poured the hot liquid in your mug before heading to the counter and sitting in one of the high chairs. 

Sexually tortured. Lots of things came to mind. Every single one of them sent a disgusting taste to the back of your brain. Madripoor wasn't a stranger to these things. Human trafficking and other things were unfortunately part of the world you lived in. You were clearly against it, refusing contracts from cartel's and bosses. Making sure to bombard their plans and send a message to the high table. At least, in Madripoor, it wasn't allowed. 

But him? Curiosity made you want to peek at his file. It would be easy but… a part of you didn't want to break his trust. Or at least the tiny piece of trust if he had any towards you. It was fascinating to you how this mountain of a man, a beast, a hunter on the field, could have been so close to being broken. Obviously it hadn't fully worked, and he had built himself a reputation that the high table itself was aware of. 

All of these thoughts to avoid asking yourself the real question. Why was he constantly in your mind? What was with him… that since the first encounter, when he had chased you through the warehouse and trapped you, he simply attracted you. You were worried about what this might mean, as you watched the swirl of the liquid in your cup. 

"What did that mug do to you?" 

You jumped, turning to the doorway. 

"God sake! Please put a bell around your neck…" you scolded. 

He shook his head walking to you.

"Why are you up? Not feeling good?" He asked, nodding towards the tea. 

Ah yes. You were supposed to be feeling 'sick'. You smirked, looking back at your mug. 

"I'm fine. Just couldn't sleep." You stated. "There's hot water if you want some tea." You offered after a heartbeat. He couldn't sleep either. It was obvious. Was it his nightmares?

He moved towards the kettle, grabbing a mug in the process. You watched his movements, his muscles flexing with his movements as he made himself a cup of tea. You kept your eyes on him as he walked back to sit on the chair next to you. 

"You have a staring problem." He teased, staring back at you. 

"You're the one staring at me…" you whispered. 

His eyes faltered, slight twitch of his brows. You were blatantly staring at him, a little focused look on your face as if you were trying to figure out some riddle he had dropped. He had tensed again. 

"Simon.." you started in a whisper. 

His head tilted, questioning the reasons of his name on your lips. 

"I… what happened…?" You asked. 

He blinked, once, twice, before the dreadful realization fell on him. 

"None of your fucking business." He snarked.

You sighed. 

"I know. I'm sorry… I didn't mean to intrude. You don't have to tell me anything." You let out, turning back to your mug. 

The clock on the wall ticked, filling the silence with even more tension. You sipped on your wall beverage, closing your eyes as the liquid slid down your throat. 

"Why." He asked. You turned to him, confused. "Why are you asking this? Right now." He asked again, eyes boring into your very soul. "Did… did I… was I not correct towards you?" 

You felt a cold shower rush through the fibers of every muscle in your body. 

"What? No! No." You shook your head. "Simon. You've been… very correct with me. You haven't overstepped, or made me uncomfortable. It's fine." You reassured him. 

He took a deep breath, his broad shoulders rising before slumping back. 

"Why are you so worried that you'll overstep?" You asked in a low voice. 

He watched you carefully. He didn't trust you enough to say that. Not enough to tell you the truth. And you understood that. 

"You haven't." You caught his attention again, giving up on finding answers. "You've been a gentleman, apart from being annoying." You chuckled with a teasing smile. "And I… promise that if I ever feel uncomfortable, I'll be honest with you and give you a heads up." You finished with a soft smile. 

He nodded after a second of pondering. 

"You call Soap Johnny." He let out. 

You rolled your eyes with a little chuckle. 

"Are you jealous?" You teased. 

"No. But he doesn't let just anyone call him that." He explained. 

You were surprised by the revelation. Slightly taken aback by the confession that Soap had let you be a special person to him. 

"He reminds me… of my little brother." You whispered, looking at the wall. 

Ghost remained quiet. He sipped on his tea, waiting for you to either keep talking and explain or simply change the subject. 

"You're not going to ask…?" You questioned. 

"I haven't answered any of your questions. I don't deserve asking you some." He explained in a soft tone. 

"You deserve to ask them. It is, however, up to me to answer them, or not, like you did." You smiled at him. 

"I'm not really into… family talk." He answered honestly as he winced. 

"Don't worry." You whispered, his head turning towards you. "Me neither…" you said, trying to hide the sting of pain from being too obvious. 

But he noticed. Of course he did. He nodded, his hand raising to pat your head softly before turning back to his tea. It made you huff a laugh. You sipped your tea again before turning back to him. 

"How did you become Ghost?" You asked. He closed his eyes, groaning. "Too close…?" You asked. He didn't answer. "Sorry. I think I'll just shut up." You chuckled. 

"How did you become Tracker?"

You froze as the cup was barely inches from your lips. It hit close too. Way too close for comfort. Did you want to tell him? The amount of people who knew the truth could be counted on the fingers of a single hand. 

"Too close?" He asked. 

You took a deep breath, putting down the cup on the counter, eyes staring at it, as if it'd help you through the dilemma. Telling him the truth. Do you trust him? Yes. Enough to talk about it? Perhaps it would help him unravel himself to you. He had started saying something when you cut him. 

(_-_-_-_)

"My father was the type of man who loved the bottle more than his kids." You started. Simon immediately remained quiet, watching you. 

Deciding on avoiding his gaze, you let yourself get lost in the brown liquid of the mug as the flashbacks and memories rushed back in. "It was always hard. The abuse. I tried my best to stand in the middle of him and my mother and siblings. I mostly managed." 

You snickered to yourself bittersweetly. 

"But things didn't get better. I was almost 17. I was out with some friends. He had been out for two days, we had no news. I didn't know." 

"Y/N-" he started. But it was as if you couldn't hear him anymore. Words overspilling. 

"He had decided that he wasn't happy. And that if he couldn't be happy, no one else could. I got home, probably… twenty minutes after he did. And, he had enough time to.." 

You frowned, feelings bubbling up in your throat the more you spoke. Simon scooted closer with his high chair, legs spread as your chair rested in between. You still avoided his gaze. 

"He had killed them all. My mother, my sister and her husband. Their two kids. My little brother…" Your voice lowered. Tears swelling at the corner of your eyes. "He tried to kill me on sight. While I was in shock of seeing my family murdered on the living room floor. Blood everywhere. So… long story short. The neighbors had already called the cops, they arrived as we were fighting outside in the lawn. I ended up stabbing him repeatedly." You took a long sip from the tea, trying to calm the raging burn in your throat from holding back the tears. 

"On that night, at the police station, the social workers arrived and talked to the cops. I overheard them talking. How I was already old and almost an adult. That no foster homes would want a kid who killed someone. That I needed psychiatric help. And families would still refuse to take me in." 

You finally turned to him, trying a small smile. You felt your heart skip a beat as he eyed you intensely. It was hard to understand what his eyes conveyed. 

"So, I ran off. I used the moment where the window was unattended. They were too busy. So I hopped out and ran. Managed to get into my house in the upstairs bedroom even while the cops were there. Took some stuff, my laptop mostly. And I ran." You sighed. "This story is taking forever…" you laughed a bit, trying to lie to yourself that these emotions, this trauma wasn't affecting you anymore.

(_-_-_-_ bad childhood daddy issues, family dead) 

"So, I stayed in the streets for a few months, coffee shops would give me wifi and I already had some basis on hacking. Made sure to steal money from bank accounts to buy food and stuff like that. Some cartel boss eventually heard of me and offered me a deal. I accepted, became known over the years as I got better and better. The high table of Madripoor decided to bring me on their side once my… talent was widely known." You smacked your lips together, looking away. 

"There it is. The story of Tracker…" you whispered in a sarcastic, tasteless voice. 

He leaned forward as you turned to him, his forehead touching yours as your eyes opened wide. A little soothing gesture. 

"You did good." He whispered.

It was three simple words. No special tone, no actual praise. But it made the tears fall. You tried to catch your breath as he froze. You shook your head, cracking a smile as you closed your eyes. 

"I'm ok… I'm ok." You sniffled, leaning back. 

You opened your eyes, brushing away the tears with your fingers. 

"It's ok." He said. 

You smiled even more, nodding softly. His hand had someone ended up on the small of your back, his thumb drawing slow circles. You closed your eyes at the sensation. It was reassuring. Calming. When you opened your eyes, he tilted his head, eyeing you with curiosity. 

"You ok?" He asked. 

"Yeah… just… your fingers-" 

He stilled. Realizing his action. His hand flew off like your skin was a scorching braze. 

"Shit… sorry…" he was ready to stand when you put your hand on his chest. 

"Simon. It's fine. It was a soft gesture. I saw no harm in it. Breathe…" you reassured. 

His eyes stuck to yours, he tried to even his breath. 

"You look… so ok. With my touch." He said. 

"Hmm…" you started. "Well. Your touch is nothing inappropriate. It's soothing so I don't mind." You explained. "I mean… you've had me naked in your arms" you teased. 

He straightened his neck at the thought, making the heat rush to your cheeks. 

"It's fine Simon…" you repeated. 

"You wouldn't be fine if you knew the whole truth… you wouldn't want me to touch you." He hissed, anger biting at himself more than you. 

You sighed, scooting your chair even closer, forcing him to spread his legs even wider. His eyes were fixating on you, burning through your skin, his body as stiff as stone. You let your head slowly fall to his chest, forcing him to straighten himself and hold you so you wouldn't slip and fall off your chair. You could hear his heart stammering against his rib cage. 

"Maybe. But right now. After knowing you for a few months, I trust you. And I don't mind your touch at all." You whispered. 

"You're insane…" he whispered back. 

"Without a single doubt…" you chuckled under your breath. 

You remained like this for a little while. You could feel his heart calming down. You were falling asleep at the sound of his steady heartbeat. He realized it as your body felt slightly heavier in his arms. He shifted quickly, picking you up bridal style. Your eyes snapped open at the sudden shift. Looking at him. 

"You're ok." He simply said. 

You sighed, letting your head against his shoulder. He walked to your door, opening it before walking in, heading to your bed. He slowly dropped you down, letting you settle in bed comfortably. The way he watched you, standing over the bed, it made you feel… surprisingly secure. You threw him a sleepy smile as he softly brushed a hair strand away from your face. After a long minute, he walked away, closing the door softly behind him. 

Your eyes were closing on their own, the image of him lulling you to sleep. 

—

The next morning, you woke up to silence. You opened your eyes, fighting the need to keep them close as the light shone through the window. You sighed, getting up and throwing some sweatpants and a t-shirt on before stepping out into the hallway. The eerie feeling of the empty place felt heavy on you. You walked to the kitchen, looking around. No one. You sat at the counter, noticing a small paper. 

'out on mission, be back soon, Alejandro and Rudy are still on base if you need anything! -squad 141' 

You smiled. It was obviously soap's handwriting, and the thought warmed your heart. You frowned. You felt… lonely. It wasn't something unusual for you. Even in Madripoor, walking through town or resting on the large couch in your living room, you felt lonely. This kind of loneliness however. You hadn't felt it in a while. The one you felt on that night. You shook your head. It was silly. Nonsense. Something however, screamed in the back of your mind, that the relationship you were creating with this team was getting concerning. Dangerous… it wouldn't end well. 

Getting attached to them, it could be a terrible mistake. And you could feel it. That it was getting way too close for comfort. Lying to yourself, however, sounded like a much better solution. 

You took a deep breath, looking up at the kitchen counters. Breakfast. And then. Work. 

—

It was late. Around four in the morning. You rubbed your eyes as they started to get blurry from the screen light in the dark conference room. You stretched, checking the time a last time, settling your mind on packing your things and going back to the barracks to get some sleep. 

The base seemed to be asleep, the few soldiers patrolling around being the only noise you could hear. You walked through the hallways, your backpack on your back, already dreaming about the warmth of your bed. The tingling feeling at the back of your neck however, warned you that someone… was clearly watching you. It was becoming even clearer that they were following you. You sighed, taking sharper turns into darker alleys. You tiptoed your way into a warehouse, jumping on some iron ladder to make your way up to the first balcony on top. You slowly made your way to a little hideout, perfect for you to see, without being seen. You waited, watching the entrance. 

Three shadows made their way in, looking around. You easily recognized three of the men from squad 8. You shook your head slowly. Idiots. Observing the three as they looked for you, you let your head fall against the wall behind you. You were tired. You didn't need this right now. A part of your brain kept watch over the boys as they walked back to the entrance, the other was drowning in sleepy thoughts. Finally alone in the warehouse, you remained sitting on the ground, against the wall. You waited to make sure they were gone. But your eyelids keep closing themselves, as you battled and battled but allowed them to remain closed a little while longer each time. 

—

It was the rough sound of the warehouse door being rolled open that made you jolt awake. Your heart pounding, you took in your surroundings. A team had walked in, taking their gear as they were briefing each other on the next training. You looked around, noticing how the sun was already shining through the door. 

"Shit.." you mumbled. 

You rose to your feet, feeling the ache in your body from the very uncomfortable sleepy spot. You groaned, making your way to the ladder. You climbed down, jumping down the last few steps, the sound of your shoes echoing. The attention of the team was brought upon you as you simply nodded their way with a 'good morning'. You walked out into the sun. The warmth of it did nothing to help the exhaustion from your body. 

Unfortunately, the same thing occured again and again. You found yourself having to avoid certain spots, certain people. At some point after a few nights, you realized that they weren't afraid to enter the barracks, making your own room unsafe. You had to find a way to sleep somewhere, in different spots every night. You decided to keep it to yourself, not wanting to bother Alejandro and Rudy who probably had a lot to deal with already. Frustration was starting to grow to an impossible level. The bad sleep, it kept you on edge. 

It had been almost two weeks when you decided that enough was enough. You decided that if they wanted to act like idiots, and come after you, then you'd treat them like that. You spent a full day preparing a little forgotten room, adding the perfect illegal things in it. It was used as some 'throw everything in' room. It was therefore quite easy to drop some things. Drugs, confidential files you had… found… laying around. 

That night, you made sure to stay extra late, working on your laptop before making your way to the room, the boys obviously following you. You grinned, stepping into the room before quickly running to your hiding spot. As the three boys walked in behind you, you immediately texted Laswell. 

You waited. Patiently, watching the three search around the various crates, boxes and old furniture, coating their hands in the various substances you had flung around the room. When Laswell arrived she was closely followed by Alejandro and a few men. You didn't exactly pay attention to what was going on as they interrogated the recruits, or when they were dragged out. You sighed, swiftly getting out of your hiding place to walk out the door. You made sure to be far enough from the big group, walking away. 

It was a good start. It wouldn't make them stop. But it'd help. You let yourself lean back against a humvee, crossing your arms. You waited, until you saw his frame. 

"Colonel…" you greeted. 

"Tracker." He greeted back. 

He looked at you, frowning. Even under the dim light of the courtyard, it was clear to see how tired you were. You had been in a worse state. But this wasn't that kind of mission. 

"Everything alright princesa?" 

You smiled at the nickname. 

"I'm… tired." You answered honestly. 

He frowned, taking a few seconds to think before he looked at you. 

"This… was you?" He asked. You nodded. "Why?". You didn't have time to answer. "They bothered you? Pendejos." 

You smirked to yourself. It was incredibly obvious how similar Valeria was to him. 

"I'm fine. It was just slightly annoying. They've been distracting me from my work…" you said. 

"Come on. You'll sleep with us tonight." 

He nodded towards a building before starting to walk, leaving no room for discussion. 

—

You were glad to be able to sleep near the vaqueros. Valeria was in a cell nearby. You had spent a very calm night, waking up quite late. Rudy had very kindly offered you his room. Unfortunately, you couldn't just spend the entire time in Rudy's room. You talked to them, including Laswell, offering for them to move into the squad's barracks. They were skeptical, especially towards letting Valeria into anything else than a cell. You assured them that Valeria wouldn't be a problem, warning her that if she didn't behave, you'd hunt her down yourself. 

She had pouted, angrily cursing at the vaqueros. Eventually, they had moved into the barracks, and you were glad to be back to your little room. You could finally rest a bit, without constantly having to watch your six. On the other side you felt like you missed the team. You missed hearing Soap and Gaz laughing together, Price talking and the smell of his cigars. But you also missed him. All of that combined with the fact that you seemed stuck in your current search was starting to feel like too much. 

You sat on the ground, the laptop on the coffee table looking at you mockingly. 

"What's wrong muñeca?" Valeria asked. 

"I'm… frustrated. I can't find anything about 'snake'. Obviously that guy is keeping Echo's identity secret like some kind of fucking bodyguard. I can't find anything that could identify it. Nowhere, in all of the underground, can I find a single clue on 'snake'..." You vented. 

You groaned, letting your head fall into your hands. Rudy sat nearby, the poor boy on babysitting duty as Alejandro was with Laswell for the day. You heard some commotion, looking up. 

"VALERIA!" You yelled. 

The woman had knocked out the poor man, hovering over his unconscious body. 

"Calm down… he's sleeping." 

"Why did you do that?!" You scolded. 

"I wanted to offer you tequila. He wouldn't have agreed." She shrugged, walking to one of the cupboards. 

"You didn't even try asking him!" You angrily said. 

She shrugged again, grabbing a bottle of tequila from the cupboard before walking to you. She closed the laptop, putting it aside as she opened the bottle. 

"You need to breathe a bit" she teased with a wink. 

You shook your head, bewildered. It was an obvious Valeria move. You watched as she stood again grabbing a chair before lifting Rudy to sit on it. She then handcuffed him, making sure that he wouldn't escape. 

"Valeria…" you scolded. 

"He's fine! Come on." She sat back next to you after grabbing two cups. 

You watched as she poured the liquid into them. Maybe… you did need to relax a bit. 

But as per habit. Every Valeria move would end up in some kind of chaos.

-----

tags:

@thychuvaluswife  @emily-roberts  @warrior-of-justice  @gh0stedddd  @ladyelissarose

@kiruoris  @kaeyamain-zonglilover  @salsa-reads-stuff  @coacaiyne @hufflepuff-hugz 

[mynameismckenziemae]

Intimate History Part III

(previous part here)

Hidden feelings are brought to light, another night is shared.

A/n: this is the ending. I’ve got a few more smutty ideas between the three which I’ll probably write shortly, but it won’t be apart of this series.

Warnings: smut, feelings, oral (m and f receiving), ass play, anal (m receiving), reader is a switch, dom/sub dynamics, polyamory, a hint of ‘sir’ kink, facesitting, lmk if I missed anything.

There’s more light filtering through the curtains the next time you open your eyes. Jake’s at your back, his breath still slow. Bradley’s tucked in front of you, snoring softly. Your hand traces his 6-pack contentedly.

You can tell he’s starting to rouse as his snoring fades. Your touch dips a little lower and brushes against his growing erection. He sucks in a breath and flexes his hips, seeking your touch. You smile at his back, and dip your hand down the front of his briefs, wrapping your fingers around him, jerking him lazily.

Soon, there’s another hardness growing, pressing at your back, along with a line of kisses from your neck to your shoulder. Jake’s hand reaches along yours, making a tighter fist around Bradley together, using his precum as a lubricant.

Bradley groans sleepily. You feel Jake rubbing one out behind you now too. “You two look so good together” he murmurs against your neck. Those butterflies in your stomach are back, mixing slightly with guilt.

Your hand eventually leaves Bradley’s cock while Jake continues jerking him off, traveling upwards to circle a nipple.

“Jake asked me before you sailed out if I’d peg him…and fuck, do I want to,” you whisper in his ear, nipping and sucking a line down his shoulder. “But, I’ve never done it before. Will you show me, Bradley?” You tug on his nipple. “Can you teach me how to fuck his pretty ass?”

“Jesus. Yes, sweetheart” he groans, painting his chest and your hand white. Jake’s not far behind him, finishing on your back.

Jake guides you onto your stomach in a vain attempt to save the sheets while he grabs a washcloth, but you feel Bradley’s at your back, cleaning up Jake’s spend with his tongue. You shivered. “You mean it? You want me to show you?” He asks quietly.

You nod as you hear a plop of the washcloth hitting the floor. “Goddamn, that’s hot,” Jake swears by the door, picking up the rag he dropped and tossing it to Bradley to finish cleaning you both up.

___________________________________________

A mutual decision was made. Food and meet up later with the squad at the beach.

After grabbing breakfast at a nearby cafe, Bradley departed with a promise he’d meet up at the beach; he just needed to unpack and grab his swim trunks.

You stroll hand in hand back home with Jake, he nudges your shoulder as you turn into your house walkway. “What’s going on, babe? I can hear you thinking”.

“I—Last night was incredible. So much better than I expected. I just…I don’t know” you say, panicking. “I think I have a…crush? On Roo? Maybe it’s more. I don’t know. I’ve always thought he was cute and charming, but last night was so intense. I feel horrible, but I’m sure it’ll go away with time, I’m sorry. I didn’t expect this and we never have to do it again, I love you so much and—“ Jake silences you with a kiss.

“It’s okay. I feel it and I think Bradley does too” he says, forehead to yours. “I love you too. Don’t worry, everything will work out, it always does.” You nod, kissing him again, deeper this time though, with more intent.

You two make love unhurriedly on your unmade bed (the three of you made quite a mess). Tears spilled from your eyes as Jake praised you through your orgasm, telling you everything he loves about you.

___________________________________________

“Need help?” Jake asks a few hours later, wiggling his eyebrows at you while you slather on sunscreen. You laugh. “Sure, I’ll need help with my back in a minute”.

“K. I got you. Hey, have you seen my suits?” Jake asks from your shared closet.

“Yeah, they’re next to mine in the--“ you trail off as you turn to look at him. His back is to you, red marks from your nails stark, even against his bronzed skin. Bradley’s handprints are still visible on the paler skin of his ass too.

“If Bradley’s handprints are still that vivid 12 hours later, what he could do to your sensitive skin.” You wonder as you shiver and your pussy throbs. As much as he liked you taking control, you could tell he liked taking the reins too. “I bet he’d make you count AND thank him for each spank. 1, thank you, sir…”

“In the?” Jake continues for you, interrupting your naughty daydream as he turns and catches you staring. He shifts to look at your line of sight in the mirror, and his cock twitches. He likes the marks too.

“In the bottom left drawer,” you finish. Snapping out of it. “Stop. Or you’ll be late” you remind yourself.

Jake comes up behind you, tying his shorts. He holds out his hand to allow you to squirt some sunscreen in to apply to your back. “I was thinking of inviting Rooster back here tonight, if you’re okay with it? I do have one condition though”.

“Yeah that sounds good,” your voice steadier than you feel, full of unease and excitement. “What’s the condition though?”

“You tell me what you were whispering in this ear this morning that made him blow,” Jake replies, sliding his hands under your bikini top, lightly pinching your nipples.

“Yeah, I’ll tell you. And if all goes to plan, I’ll show you tonight”.

___________________________________________

You two were only 30 minutes late.

“Holy shit, what happened to your back, man?! Did you get in a fight with a bear?” You hear Javy ask pointedly, teasing you as Jake whips off his shirt. A blush stained your cheeks. Normally you were more careful, and the beach was decided this morning.

“Something got Bradshaw too”. Your head whips around and sure enough, there’s a trio of hickies on Bradley’s shoulder. “No one knows where he was last night. No one knows they’re from you” you remind yourself as you pop open a beer, taking a long pull.

___________________________________________

Not a group to sit and relax, you’re suckered into a game of dogfight football.

Catching a pass from Nat, you fly past Jake with a squeal as he dives just a second too late, only catching your ankle. You stumble and Bradley takes the opportunity and grab you around the waist to take you to the ground.

He lands on top of you with an oomph. “You feel so good under me, I can’t stop thinking about you” Bradley breathes, slowly pulling himself up.

Stealing a glance to gauge where the rest of the group is (thankfully they’re several yards away, celebrating Bob's apparent touchdown), you grab his dog tags, pulling him down for a quick kiss, “Same” you whisper, smiling shyly up at him.

“Alright you two, save some for later,” Jake says in a low voice as he walks up, giving Bradley a hand up, then you.

“Let’s eat!” You hear Mav yell from the deck.

Tossing Bradley the ball, you run ahead to chat with Nat, giving Jake a chance to invite Bradley over. Again.

A few minutes later at dinner, Jake meets your eye and nods. Invite accepted.

___________________________________________

“How is this cooler heavier after we finish the majority of the drinks?” Bradley muses “I swear it was lighter when I walked here earlier.”

“Throw it in Jake’s truck and we can drop it and you off?” You offered, seizing the perfect opening to not raise any questions on why Bradley was leaving with you and Jake.

“Yeah, sure if you guys don’t mind” he agrees, catching on.

You say your goodbyes and head to Jake’s truck, stealing the back middle seat before Bradley can insist you take shotgun.

Stopping at Bradley’s rental to drop off the cooler and pick up an overnight bag, it’s quiet in the cab as Bradley’s inside. “Love you,” you say, running your fingers through his hair. “Love you more,” he replies, catching your hands and placing a kiss on your palm as Bradley opens the door.

The anticipation is overwhelming you. You took your wet swimsuit off earlier, rinsing off the saltwater and sand in Penny’s outdoor shower, not bothering to put underwear on under your dress.

You whimper as you rub your thighs together. “You alright back there?” Jake asks.

“No” you reply, setting a foot on each of their seats. “I can’t wait until we get home” you whine, letting the dress slide down your legs to pool at your hips. Your hand goes between your legs and makes an obscene squelching as you slide 2 fingers inside, drawing them out to rub tight circles around your clit. Jake tenses, eyes catching yours in the rearview, while Bradley turns to look at you.

“Eyes on the road, boys” You tsk, using your wet fingers to turn Bradley’s head forward. He gulps but nods.

You get back to work, the sounds coming from your mouth and pussy nearly pornographic, so wet from your arousal and the multiple loads you’d taken in the past 24 hours. “I can’t wait to have you inside me, both of you. You’ll fill me up so good” you whimper, your orgasm closing in. “Fuck, Jake, Bradley…it’s so good” You cry, rocking your hips against your hand, riding out the last waves.

Jake’s shoulders are scrunched and tensed—his hands white-knuckling the steering wheel. Bradley’s breathing heavily, eyes closed and tilted towards heaven.

“Oh! We’re home.” You say, dropping your dress and reaching for the handle.

___________________________________________

The boys watch as you traipse up the sidewalk.

“She’s something else. You’re a lucky man, Jake” Bradley sighs.

You wave them over from the door, impatient to get inside.

Jake chuckles. “Let’s go get our girl”.

___________________________________________

You and Bradley undress Jake first, laying him down on the bed to watch you tease, nip, and suck Bradley next, pulling his clothes off slowly.

You slip your dress off as you walk over to your bedside table to find the bottle of lube and toss it to Bradley.

Bradley climbs over Jake, capturing his lips in a deep kiss, grinding their hard ons against each other.

Bradley kisses a line down Jake’s throat to his chest, stopping to suck his nipple, biting it harshly before moving on to the other. Jake reaches out to you and you oblige, kissing him. He groans deeply against your lips as Bradley sucks his cock in his mouth, shouldering Jake’s knees open. You hear the click of the lube open, and Jake keens as Bradley starts circling his rim with a finger.

You pull off Jake’s lips to watch Bradley work. He’s working a finger in now, still bobbing his head. Even though you two had played with toys and fingers, you knew he’d need some time to be able to take Bradley. Your pussy clenched at the thought, in addition to the delicious sounds Bradley was pulling from Jake.

You needed something to take the edge off. “Can I sit on your face while Roo stretches you?” You ask. Jake nods, already unable to form words

You swing a leg over to straddle Jake, facing Bradley, hovering slightly so as not to suffocate him. That only lasts seconds before Jake pulls you down completely. “Baby, but you can’t breathe” you moan as he fucks his tongue into you. He groans, shaking his head, obviously not caring.

Bradley releases Jake’s cock from his mouth and grips your chin with his clean hand to meet your lips with his, while he guides a second finger into Jake. The groan that leaves Jake is downright sinful.

Your hand goes between Bradley and Jake, stroking and teasing but pulling away before they can start a rhythm. Jake’s a mess underneath you, rolling his hips, and whimpering, too focused on Bradley’s ministrations in his ass than getting you off, not that you blame him.

Ending Bradley’s kiss with a nip, you reach both hands under Jake, spreading him open for Bradley to add the third and final finger, you swallow Jake down, deep-throating him. Jake yelps but starts eating you out with renewed vigor. Bradley’s free hand slaps Jake’s ass lightly before weaving into your hair to guide your head. “As soon as you get her off, I’ll fuck your ass princess, I think you’re almost ready”.

Jake whines and pulls your hips tighter against his face, encouraging you to grind your clit against his chin. You mewl and swallow around Jake. Bradley could tell you were getting close and knew Jake would cum if you didn’t stop blowing him.

He tugs sharply on your hair to pull you off Jake and pulls it back to make eye contact. “Naughty girl, it’s my call tonight and he’s not cumming until I’m balls deep in his ass.” And that’s enough to set you off. Your eyes drift close as the waves of pleasure hit you, but Bradley’s grip in your hair tightens. “No. Eyes on me”.

“Yes sir” you nod, looking into his hooded eyes.

“Fuck!” Bradley groans, eyes widening as his free hand leaves your hair to grip the base of his erection, staving off his orgasm.

“Someone’s got a sir kink,” you think, smiling to yourself, tucking that information away for another time.

________________________________________

You lay on your side by Jake, as Bradley turns him onto his stomach, inhaling sharply at his handprints from the night prior. “You know I love your ass princess, but it’s even prettier marked up.”

A blush rises to Jake’s cheeks as he turns his face into the sheets, embarrassed. You turn his head back towards you and give him a kiss “None of that, we all know you like it”. Jake smirks.

Bradley opens the lube again, coating himself. He taps Jake’s ass, “On your elbows and knees, princess.” Jake obliges him.

Bradley climbs onto the bed, kneeling behind him. “Ready?” Jake nods

Bradley lines up and slowly presses in, checking in with every inch until he’s balls deep. Both men’s chests are heaving. “Christ, your ass is so tight” Bradley groans.

Bradley slowly pulls out and pushes back in, still giving him time to adjust. Jake groans, “Unhh, so good. I’m so full.”

They ease into a slow and steady pace, Bradley nods at you, telling you he’s ready.

You lift Jake’s head, kissing him while maneuvering under his arms. You grab his cock and line it up with your pussy.

“What are you doi—oh” Jake whimpers as he enters you when Bradley thrusts. “Fuckfuckfuck”. Jake’s arms are trembling already.

“Jesus Christ. I can feel him clenching, he’s gripping me so tight sweetheart” Bradley grits out, head tilted back, unable to look at either of you, he’s too close.

Your eyes roll back at the force they’re both fucking into you, pushing your g-spot with more force than Jake can on his own. You tilt your hips so Jake’s pubic bone is rubbing your clit justtttt right and you explode. Your vision goes white, you can’t hear, and all you feel is pleasure.

Bradley shifts and starts pounding against Jake’s prostate, and Jake follows after a few thrusts, crying out as he tucks his head into your neck.

Bradley’s next, unable to hold on any longer with Jake squeezing around him, and the look on your pretty face as you orgasm. Groaning and shuddering, he empties into Jake.

Bradley pulls out gently, and rolls both of them to the side, holding him and whispering praises in his ear. Your heart clenches as you reach out to stroke Bradley’s face, down his arm to link your fingers in his, kissing your joined fingers.

________________________________________

After you get some water and a few bites of a granola bar in Jake, you three take a shower. There was no sex involved, but it was just as intimate.

You took a few minutes to dry your hair before turning off the light and heading to the bedroom. Those darn butterflies were back when you took on the sight of the two of them. Jake tucked into Bradley, both asleep. As you pull back the covers, Bradley rouses. “Oh shit, sorry. Here I’ll mov—“.

“Don’t you dare” you whisper, snuggling into his back, not letting him go anywhere.

________________________________________

The following Monday:

Jake: Hey babe, sorry to bother you at work. I know I should wait until you’re home to talk about this, but Bradley just told me his lease is up in a month and he’s not sure if he should renew it or look for a different place. We do have 2 extra bedrooms…

You: 2 extra bedrooms for what? You know he’ll be sleeping in with us every night.

Jake: Call me on your lunch break.

_______________________________________________

“Were you serious? “ Jake asks when you call, not bothering to say hello.

“Yeah, I want to see where this could go. If he does too, of course. The three of us will have to have a serious discussion, but I can’t not try. I can’t get him out of my head, and I know there’s still something there between you two. No one will suspect a thing since his lease is up either.”

________________________________________

Several months later, the three of you made the decision to make your relationship public. To your pleasant surprise, there was no judgment, only curiosity, and some (inappropriate) questions.

You were also mostly right. No one suspected a thing, with the exception of Bob. Bob apparently knew since the day on the beach, but said it wasn’t his news to share.

[daisychains111]

live "tweet" books with me (via the Goodreads progress bar) pt. 6 A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

SHAMELESS PLUG: The rest of the books are on my page as pt 4/4.5 and pt 5 hehe

Nesta laughing at the cauldron is so badass oml.....she was really pissing me off in frost and starlight so this book better redeem her"

you're reading my mind cassian...man up and knock

is he gonna call her nes the whole book YES PEASE

 Nesta "You're not my high lord" Archeron back in action

hahahaha rhys is scared of nesta (for good reason but it's still funny)

I still say that Nesta and Mor are gonna be besties.... it's just a matter of time

HAHAHA self insert smut book shaming

damn Cass brutal as hell

I am beyond excited to watch these two losers lust after each other for the next 700 pages...my favorite annoyances to lovers....plus Cass drooling over Nesta in pants is HILARIOUS

cassian comparing his reactions to things that happened to Nesta to Rhys' reaction to feyre and Tamlin cracks me up....just patiently waiting for their mating bond to kick in

Eris is right, they need him...but 1 he doesn't need to be a dick about it, and 2. I'm not excited for Mor to find out

Nesta making fun of her celibate bat boy "making fun of my smut books? I raise you making fun of you having to jerk off yourself" ICON

how Az isn't laughing his ass off rn I will never know...he's stronger than me that's for sure

hmmmmmm....Nesta dear, that sounds suspiciously like a mating bond

these mf have dirty ass minds....they're really just horny af

cassian don't be a creeper

yes Cassian be very bashful about what the sentient house can see...ya nasty

I would choose to read books with a romantic subplot over just a plain romance book literally every day but sometimes I'm really just like "fuck your war go kiss"

hehe Nesta and Gwen bestie prediction

I love the house so much...such an instigator

OMG JUST KISS ALREADY WTF

choosing to ignore the length of Cassian's hair bc long hair is an ick

AHHHH HIM TELLING HER TO KEEP REACHING OUT HER HAND JUST LIKE MOR TOLD HIM TO DO WITH HER IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL...IM SOBBING

I'm really ready for the Archeron sisters to be on one team...this 2 vs 1 bullshit is stupid...like clearly you love each other

YYAAAYYY KISSIINNGGG

YAYA RHYS AND FEYRE BABY!!! I saw that coming from a millleeeeee away

that is gonna be the most spoiled child known to man

reading this in the library at school is an interesting choice

"Just sex," my ass

azrial is the worst chaperone in all of existence... but he's also clearly the biggest Cassian/Nesta shipper in existence, so it's fine... Also, the way he just knowingly ate at the table after what they did is BOLD

awwww smutty book club

the older sister disapproval is real...also Nesta calling Rhys Rhysand is hilarious

I love Emerie and Gwyn so much omg

Emerie and Gwyn giggling at the sword inuendos is peak bestie vibe energy

every once in a while the Archeron sisters will say something very "human girl in her 20s" and it cracks me up to no end to watch their centuries-old faerie boyfriends look at them as if they're speaking tongues

just admit you're in love with each other..." just sex" is just hurting both of you

that is just about the hottest thing I've ever read

ewwww what does Tamlin want

Nesta needs a pin that says "bitch and proud" bc she really owns that shit like no other

"your my friend" my absolute ass

I love dancer!Nesta

bc I haven't read in like 5 days I can't remember what plan Cassian is ruining rn but I'm glad he's doing it...go dance with your girl pookie

HE HAD MOR GIVE HIM DANCE LESSONS??!!?!? YOU SHUT UP RIGHT NOW

Rhys is good at his job bc he can have feyre AND Cassian freaking out at him in his head and still hold a conversation....live laugh love feyre and Cassian as the Nesta Archeron protection squad

ha ha az...can't hide that you are in love with Elain from Nesta, she sees all

Az getting Nesta a gift is the cutest thing ever

FUCKING FINALLY JESUS CHRIST 🤦🏽‍♀️

Cassian has the confidence of an actual doormat...sometimes it's sweet, sometimes it's annoying as hell

YAY THEY'RE MATES....BOOO THEY'RE STUPID

I love Gwen so much...that's all

THEY'RE GONNA WIN THE WHOLE THING I JUST KNOW

hehe her mate taught her 😊

there is a little too much plot happening right now for a book that only has 30 pages left

cracking jokes after you almost just died...Cassian I love you

OH GOOD GOD FEYRE

death pacts make me want to kill the people who made them

miracle magic objects are gonna miracle magic object now and bc Nesta's a badass everyone's gonna live...the end

YAY NESTA AND RHYS ARE GONNA BE BESTIESSS

awwwwww nyx

if I die never knowing what happened with Eris and Mor I'll kill Sarah myself (I never got to know)

(Afterthought in post-production: this could've been two books bc the way the plot was resolved in the last 30 pages of a 750-page book is WILD)

I'm also not gonna be reading fantasy for a while just bc that's not what's next on the tbr, so it might be a while before I do the next part cause these are harder to make for contemporary novels tehe

[writebackatya]

DuckTales Team Ideas:

You know what love about DuckTales?! A lot of things. But more specifically the found family aspect of the show and all of its characters!! I love that within this found family are groups/teams built up from this group of badass adventurers. You got your Team Science, Webby and her friends, the Duck Boys, the Original Three, etc. But you know what? We can make even more teams out of these fun characters! So here’s a list of team up ideas that I think would be fun! Post-canon stuff up ahead so beware of spoilers:

Rules for teams:

1. Must consist of at least three people, cause Disney loves their trios

2. Must have a team name

3. A third rule, cause trios

The Moon Crew: Della, Selene, and Penumbra

I made a post about this team up before but I’ll post it again. We need Della to go on adventure with her badass Amazon girlfriends. It’d be fun. Personally I think the adventure should be a fish out of water story in Duckburg. I mean think about it, one’s a goddess, one’s a moon lander, and the final member hasn’t been on earth for an entire decade. Imagine the shenanigans! Well I can, I’m working on a story about that. Well not about that particularly but it’s an aspect of the story. Anyway moving on

Team Webby: Dewey, Lena, and Violet

Do you know what I’d like to see? Webby’s best friends (yeah I don’t care what Scrooge said, Dewey can be Webby’s family and best friend) team-up to save Webby from Magica. I think it’d make for a fun adventure.

(Also at one point Dewey needs to say Bippity Boppity Dew! Like at the moment the group stops Magica and her evil plan)

SEA-Nior Junior Woodchucks: Fethry, Huey, and Violet (Also Launchpad and BOYD, but I’m picking main threes here cause trios)

Who doesn’t love these three? Jerks! That’s who! We need more Fethry! Huey is great! Violet is underrated! They’re all Junior Woodchucks! And they need to go on a sea related adventure! Also they’re all…

Bad Bit Rebel Squad: Gandra, Gosalyn, and Lena

Stop me if you heard this one before: a good natured loving hero gets paired up with a snarky street smart loner. Anyway. What if we put all that sass together in one killer trio? No villain would be able to stand up to that much sass

Bad Bitches would be a group that consists of Della, Gandra, Gosalyn, Lena, Penumbra, and Goldie. And you know what? Throw Louie in there as well

Spy Team: Dewey, Gandra, and Webby

So…anybody else think it would’ve been so great to see these three team-up? They all have a spy background! Webby’s granny is a spy, Gandra is a spy, Dewey dew-geared Double O Duck with Launchpad*. It would be cool to see Webby and Gandra fight on the same side. Plus I think Dewey and Gandra has great comedic potential [shameful fanfic plug] Also you Beakley and Launchpad could also be a part of that team. Now the question is: Would the Beakley and Gandra dynamic be more Beakley and Lena 2.0 or Beakley and Della 2.0? Only you can decide!

The Yahoo Community: Della, Gyro, Huey, and Manny

Larry, all these actors were on DuckTales and Season 6 of Community

SIX SEASONS AND A MOVIE!

Clone McDucks: May, June, and Webby

Yeah, we needed to see these three get in their own adventure together. It would’ve been great. I think they’d embrace the fact that they’re clones but they’re own person. Also Clone McDuck sounds similar to Clan McDuck. I thought it was cute. Also I really just want to drive the point home that they’re clones just to irk those reading this who didn’t care for the final twist. I mean I thought it was cool and I loved rewatching the entire series a second time while knowing the twist. It gave me a whole new perspective on the series and they really foreshadowed in parts I didn’t notice on my first watch through but hey everyone is entitled to their own opinion

The Justice Ducks: Darkwing Duck, Gizmoduck, Storkules, Penumbra

Any fan of the original Darkwing Duck should be familiar with the Justice Ducks. Well I always thought if that team were to ever be brought into the DuckTales 2017 universe that both Storkules and Penumbra would fit in perfectly with that group. Both Penumbra and Storkules are warriors that fought for their people and have struggled to fit in with the world, so why not have a job that involves doing what they do best? Fighting for those they care about

The Tremendous Triplets: Huey, Dewey, June, Louie, May, and Webby

It’s twice the amount of triplets! The six of them would be unstoppable!! This show needed more than three seasons damn it!!!

Anyway I hope you enjoyed this rambling! If you have any team ideas please share them! They don’t all have to be trios and if you can come up with a name too, that would be great! Also if you come up with a better name for any of the groups I made up, please share them! I know The Tremendous Trios isn’t that great. I just love alliteration and thought it would be cool if their name had 3 T’s cause…trios.

[theunbonded]

6

Any celebratory feelings from passing the Gauntlet disappeared as we progressed through Presentation. 

I was always told it would be a feeling, an attraction that connected you with the dragon you were meant to bond with. When my father walked this path on his own Presentation day, he knew immediately which dragon would be his. 

But as I walked past the colorful array of red and blue and green dragons, I felt nothing. 

For the first time since entering Basgiath, an inkling of doubt creeped at the back of my brain.

Immediately, I shoved that feeling to the back of my head and locked it in a mental drawer. I would not show weakness in front of the dragons. Besides, today was for them to inspect us, not the other way around. At Threshing we would find our bonded pair. 

Was I really supposed to know my dragon after one look at them?

I survived Presentation, which is more than some of my squadmates could say, and ventured back out onto the flight field. Instead of listening to the rest of them talk about which dragons had caught their attention, since I guess they got a feeling, I searched for Garrick’s tall form amongst the riders. 

He was right where we had left him, giving out instructions on what to do during Presentation to a squad from Third Wing. He looked down his nose at a first-year, who must have asked him a stupid question, since Garrick’s response made the cadet turn red in the face. The squad left and I approached before he had to give out instructions to the next group. 

“Can you meet me tonight?” I asked him, forgoing pleasantries. We had never used them before so why start now.

“Finally decided to admit your feelings for me?” He didn’t even look up from the parchment he held, crossing off the name of the squad that just went up.

“I need a release.”

Garrick jerked his head up. “I was kidding, Capplynger.”

“On the mat, Tavis. I need to let off some energy with someone who can keep up. Are you free or not?”

His eyes wandered up and down my body. Each spot his gaze touched burned. “Are you sure? You just went up the Gauntlet, and you should let your body-”

“I can ask Riorson if you’re just going to baby me. Heard that the cut on your face was from him. Does he always win when you fight?” I cocked my head at him to see if he would take the bait.

He glowered at me. “I’ll be there.”

⤧⤧⤧

A thick glob of blood sat in the back of my throat, and I spat it onto the mat. It shined like a ruby in the dim lighting, a puddle of the deepest red. 

“Stop holding back, Tavis. Hit me like you mean it.” I ran my tongue across my teeth, hoping that they hadn’t been stained red. It was hard work keeping them pearly white and intact as a rider.

Garrick looked at me incredulously. “We go any harder, you’re going to pass out.”

“I can take it,” I snarled. 

Time had blurred together since after Presentation. We still had some of our afternoon classes, then dinner, and then squad training. All the while, a deep rage had brewed inside of me. Everyone talked about the dragons that they had seen and felt a connection with. How did the other first-years, who couldn’t keep up with me in the classroom or on the mat, already have an inkling of who they would bond with? That should be me. I was the best in our year. I should be the one talking about my dragon.

I didn't know how long Garrick and I had been sparring. It could have been hours or minutes. My body ached all over, like it was one giant bruise, and sweat filled every crevice. I was swaying on my feet, but I was still angry. That meant I needed to stay on the mat. Needed to get it out of my system until I was whittled down to nothing. Only then could I start to rebuild again.

“What happened, Capplynger? You’re normally not this stupid.”

Red filled my vision, and I charged, forgetting years of training and the fact he was almost twice my size. 

Garrick twisted out of my assault, grabbing my arm while sticking his leg out to trip me onto the floor. He fell with me, and his palm covered the back of my head to protect it from hitting the ground. He had me pinned underneath him, and when I raised my arms to try and do something, anything, he quickly grabbed them and trapped them above my head. 

“You of all people know better than to act on emotion, Capplynger. You know how important it is to keep your body in good shape, especially with Threshing coming up. Yet we ended up here. What happened?” In close proximity, I could smell the faint remnant of eucalyptus on his skin, sharp and herbal. 

“Get off me.” I tried to buck my hips, but he didn’t budge.

“Not until you tell me why I’m here tonight.” His voice was low, softer than he’s ever used with me. “

“The dragons,” I said as an explanation. This close, it seemed like there were three Garricks in front of me, six hazel eyes trying to dig into the trenches of my soul. I blinked to clear my head.

“What about the dragons, Capplynger?” Patience was a virtue Garrick Tavis seemed to have plenty of. 

“I didn’t feel a connection with any of them.” 

He paused at my confession, and then laughed. “That’s what upset you? That you didn’t know your dragon after Presentation?”

The pit of anger inside me had been given fuel. “Get off me, Tavis.”

“No one knows their dragon after Presentation. Why are you getting so upset over something so trivial?”

I began in earnest to get out from underneath him. Wriggling and squirming, I attempted to dislodge myself from his grip. He was right though; I was at a disadvantage with someone his size. My chest tightened. I was stuck in the same problem I had come to Garrick with in the first place.

If someone got me in this position, there would be no escape. 

“Let me out!” I yelled, and Garrick got up immediately. He scanned my face as he offered a hand to help me up, but I ignored it, choosing to stand on my own. My head felt separate from my body, and I staggered a couple of steps before I was able to right myself. 

“You don’t understand,” I spat at him. “I’m the best in my year. I should have walked in and known exactly which dragon I will be bonded with. That is who I am. I should not be worrying about Threshing, or that others know while I do not!”

He shook his head at me. I was starting to get really pissed when he did that. “Why is that even important? Most people are happy that they even survived up until this point.”

“Because I am the best!” I shouted. “There is no second-guessing for people like me!”

“People like you?” He took a menacing step towards me. “Do you mean people so obsessed with themselves and made-up titles that they focus on the wrong things?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Have you made a single ally here?” He yelled, his composure slipping. “I don’t even mean friend, since it seems like that word is foreign to you. You don’t have a single person in your corner to help you if something happens. Becoming the best has meant pushing everyone to the side for your own personal gain. That’s not what you’re supposed to be doing here.”

“And what am I supposed to be doing here?” I cocked my head at him.

“Finding people to have your back, because out there,” he jabbed a finger towards the window. “You can’t face them all on your own. That’s why we’re split into fucking squads, which you would know if you ever talked to yours.”

I took a step towards him, close enough where if he lost his temper again his spit would land on my face. “If you were as good as me, you would realize that spending time with those below you is a waste of time and energy.” I let myself look him up-and-down leisurely, and he clenched his fists when I reached his eyes with a smirk. “But I don’t think you’ll ever understand. A certain shadow wielder seems to always be one step ahead of you, Tavis.”

“Spoken like a true Capplynger.” He took a step back. “Go back to your bunk, Cadet, before I report you for breaking curfew.”

I gaped at him, and when I realized he had truly dismissed me, I stormed off the mat without a backwards glance. My anger was the only thing keeping me on my feet as I grabbed my belongings and exited the gym. 

The audacity of that man. How dare he speak to me like that. Sure, I wasn’t as close to my squad as they seemed to be with each other, but we were cordial. I didn’t need them to look after me; I was perfectly capable of handling myself. I knew my weaknesses and my strengths and how to keep myself from getting hurt. Garrick could go fuck himself for all I cared.

So engrossed in my thoughts, I didn’t notice the figure lurking in the shadows until a flash of silver passed my head, nicking my ear, and buried itself into the wall behind me. 

“Beatrice Capplynger.” The figure stepped out of the shadows, pulling two more daggers out of her sheafs. 

“Who the fuck are you?” 

She spat at me, and I recognized her as another first-year from Claw section. She was tall, lithe, and mediocre in classes, but she had won a fair share of her challenges. 

“It doesn’t matter. Get ready to say your goodbyes.” The girl threw another one of her dagger, rushing at me as I barely dodged it.

I grabbed my knife from my thigh and parried her attack. With the bottom of my boot, I kicked her stomach, sending her stumbling down the hall. 

This wasn’t Emetterio’s class. Weapons were in play, and she fully intended to kill me. 

I wasn’t going to let that happen.

I just wish I hadn’t exhausted myself. As she resumed her assault, I found my mind and body in disconnect, my limbs sluggish and moving a second after I needed them to. Although I was able to disarm her, she landed a nasty punch to my face. My head snapped to the side and she used the distraction to slam me into the wall. 

She ripped the knife out of my hand and attempted to jam it through my eye socket. I rolled away and the knife got stuck within the cracks of the stone. In her confusion I grabbed the back of her skull and smashed her forehead into the wall.

Blood splattered across the gray stone, and I slammed her once more for good measure before letting her body fall to the ground. Bending over her limp form, my fingers searched for a pulse and found a slight flutter at the base of her throat.

Footsteps echoed through the hall, and Garrick came running around the corner just as I was pulling my knife out of the wall. He quickly assessed the scene in front of him. 

“She’s not dead,” I said gruffly. “Guess I didn’t need those friends you were talking about.”

I walked out of the hall, trying to ignore the limp in my leg, the swelling that had started on my face, the blood slowly rolling down my ear. The tightness in my chest stayed well into the night, and I woke up with my hand still on the dagger underneath my pillowcase.

--

Masterlist

[foolishfoolsgold]

LORE💥💥💥

So I’m looking to get my fic printed when its done (and maybe but on a site too but we’ll see) and I have a big ass world building guide in there because I can’t be normal about anything! Here’s the section about common cell types that show up, all in black and white bc ooo official fancy. ID, mostly copy-pasted image text, under the cut

[Start ID: first image showcases red blood cells and neutrophils alongside their real-life counterparts, reading “Red everything: cars, uniforms, markings, even their flagella are red more often than not. Membrane comes in shades of red or salmon. One of the two cell types not to have humanlike skin tones, the other being neutrophils. Red blood cells, also called erythrocytes (err-ITH-row-sites), are plentiful in the blood and function to exchange gases (02 and CO2) throughout the body. Then there’s an asterisk leading to: in the story, RBCs can be seen delivering nutrients as well, but it's not really in their job description. In real life, nutrients are just free in the blood plasma -which is nonexistent in the CaW world- and RBCs play no part in its distribution.” Reb blood cells have tails with two lobes at the end, long non frilled ears and their usual uniforms. For neutrophils, it says: “Black scleras. Handheld knives are their weapon of choice. Membrane can come in muted shades of blue or purple, but may be paper-white. Neutrophils are the most common type of white blood cell, taking up as much as 70% of immune cells in the blood. They will destroy bacteria or infected cells without selectivity.” Neutrophils also have their usual white uniforms and basic ears, but have skinnier tails with dorsal lobes.

The next image has killer T cells and neutrophils. Killer ts are anatomically similar to neutrophils but lack dorsal tail lobes. Text reads: “-Skinny tails with a pair of retractable stingers that can inject deadly perforin into victims. Markings are brown, black, or dark navy blue. Generally don't fight with weapons, prefer to use their tails or knee-jerk punches. Take their orders from helper T cells, who act as commanders. "Pack hunters" who form close bonds with their squadrons of about 6-10 cells, each led by an experienced squad leader. Killer Ts are lymphocytes born in the bone marrow and matured in the Thymus, where they face a rigorous selection process that primes them for targeted destruction of infected cells, cancer cells, and sometimes bacteria.” Eosinophils are also similar to neutrophils: “Wield two-pronged spears, the heads of which grow as proteins on the tips of their tails until they're ready to be changed out, keeping the weapon sharp and shiny. Pink uniforms and purple markings. Eyes have no scleras- the eye color, usually shades of purple, takes up the whole eye minus the pupils. Eosinophils aren't as swift as other non-selective WBCs with bacteria or viruses. They do, however, come into play during inflammation, allergic responses and parasitic infections.” The third image has B cells and macrophages. For B cells: “Fight using handheld bazookas or machine guns. Tons of bird inspiration because B cells were first discovered in chickens. Can't actually fly. B cells are especially important when it comes to known pathogens. During or after an infection, they're able to make antibodies to help speed up future encounters.” For macrophages, which have no legs and look a bit like Ursula body-plan wise, “Cephalopod-like body plan with long tentacles for snaring pathogens. Fight with giant cleavers and other heavy-duty melee weapons. Macrophages are one of the largest and most powerful non-selective immune cells and are very versatile. Along with nghting infections, they also help keep the body clean.” Next up are natural killer cells and dendritic cells. For NKs: “Four legs in a centauroid body plan. Green camo-style patterns. Have the most freedom of any immune cell when it comes to weapon choice. NK cells are "lone wolf" hunters who, like killer Ts, also use perforin stingers to take down all sorts of pathogens. They're not as supervised as killer Ts and act on their own judgement.” The bottom half of NK cells are clothed unlike traditional centaurs, and the top piece covers both the chest and front legs. For dendritic cells, “Also sport green markings. Generally calm and collected in the face of crisis. Often described as treelike, hence the plant features. Dendritic cells act as coordinators on the front lines of an infection. They also manage antigens (basically tangible memories of an attack that can set off a planned response in the future).” Lastly are enterocytes. Unlike in canon, they wear a scrub-like uniform with gloves and shoe bags. Also unlike previous cells, they have big frilled ears. Text reads: “Huge tails covered in microvilli. Enterocytes of the small intestine have bigger tails and pink patterns, while those of the large intestine have lighter tails and blue markings. Work in warehouses along the digestive canal. Usually have thick NYC accents. Also called intestinal epithelial cells, enterocytes work to extract raw nutrients from digested food and make it available to cells across the body.” End ID.]

[xenodile]

Goddess of Victory: Nikke - Story Recap

Chapter 6: Pilgrim - Part 2

Counters travels along the slope of a mountain, following Ludmilla's map to the first checkpoint. According to her intel, the Pilgrim in White should be passing by sometime today, so with luck, they'll be able to find her and make contact.

From here, the team has an excellent vantage point, and Rapi is about to suggest the team lie low and wait, when Neon points to something out in the snowfield below them. There, in the middle of the white expanse, a single humanoid figure stands, their back facing the team. Anis cautiously asks if that's the Pilgrim they're looking for, and Neon optimistically says it might. Even so, Anis is skeptical wondering aloud if they got lucky. The Commander can disagree, saying they deserve some good luck for once, or agree, saying that this feels too easy.

Anis asks if the Commander wants to call out to the figure, but Rapi cuts her off, asking for permission to open fire. Neon grins and welcomes Rapi to the Path of Firepower, but discourages her from shooting at people indiscriminately. Rapi interrupts her to point out there are no tracks around the distant, mysterious figure. Neon is a bit confused at first, but Anis concurs, noting that figure would have to have been trudging through deep snow but has left no footprints.

The Commander can rightly point out that this is clearly a trap...or suggest their mysterious Pilgrim might be a ghost, scaring Neon. Anis asks how a ghost could show up in broad daylight, and Neon says there's nothing saying ghosts can't show up during the day, which Anis cannot refute.

In either case, Rapi states that the situation is unsettling to say the least, and they should investigate and tread cautiously rather than charge in guns blazing.

No sooner does she that however, the distant figure explodes, a deafening crash resounding through the snowy valley, and snow around the squad begins to tumble and fall down the mountain. Another avalanche. Rapi immediately grabs the Commander's hand and shouts for everyone to run to cover. Anis complains about getting caught in an avalanche two days in a row, but Neon remains optimistic, since they stand a good chance of avoiding it this time. Rapi tells the Commander to hold her tight, swearing she won't fail them this time.

Suddenly Rapi's arm is jerked away, punctuated with a vicious snapping sound as her grip loosens and her arm falls limp. The Commander loses their balance and tumbles down the slope, struggling to get to their feet as snow begins crashing down the mountainside toward them.

More ominous than that, however, is the blasphemous silhouette barrelling down the mountain ahead of the avalanche, greeting Counters with its familiar, hideous grin.

Chatterbox briefly says how happy it is to see everyone again as it overtakes the Commander, and they lose consciousness...

When the Commander wakes up, they're freezing, they have a pounding headache, and Chatterbox's grotesque smile is inches from their face.

Chatterbox laments how disappointing it is the Commander didn't figure out its trap sooner, as it reckons Counters would've actually had a decent chance of beating it if they had, but as the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20.

The Commander coldly asks if Chatterbox wants something, and it says it wants plenty. They then say they're not interested and Chatterbox laughs, remarks that works out just fine, because just as the Commander hates Raptures, it hates humans. Commander asks Chatterbox to shut up and get to the point already.

Chatterbox says it has a few questions for the Commander, and it hopes they will answer honestly. The Commander asks what it wants to know, and it starts by asking if the "fake humans" the Commander works with have been "enhanced" in some way. The Commander lies, and says they don't know, but Chatterbox responds by breaking one of their fingers with its massive hands.

Chatterbox scolds the Commander, reminding them that it wants honest answers, and on top of that, it's just the two of them. No one is coming to save them. It then repeats is question, and the Commander concedes that yes, they have.

Next, it asks where the Commander is from, and they say the Ark. Third, it asks if they were ever hospitalized as a child. The Commander says they think they were, incredulous as to how Chatterbox could know that when they barely remember it themselves.

Chatterbox thinks on the Commander's answer, then chuckles approvingly. It then "invites" the Commander to come with it. They ask where to, but Chatterbox just says they don't need to know, just to hold on because it'll be a bumpy ride. Chatterbox picks the Commander up, then carries them further off into the snowfield.

As they go, Commander calls out and asks if Chatterbox will answer one of their questions. Chatterbox mutters that the Commander is too nosy for their own good, and if they speak out of turn again, it will use its knowledge of human anatomy to make them wish they hadn't. Commander threatens to blow themselves up if Chatterbox won't answer their questions. Chatterbox laughs, saying they're a human, not a machine, so that's an empty threat. The Commander nonchalantly responds that it's a trivial matter to implant an explosive inside the human body.

Chatterbox goes quiet, then mumbles that the Commander is bluffing. They press, saying that Chatterbox clearly wants them alive for something, otherwise it would have already killed them. It responds that the Commander is making a pretty bold assumption, and asks if they're willing to gamble their life. Not to mention that it has ways of making sure the Commander can't hurt themselves, so they couldn't blow themselves up even if they wanted to. The Commander dryly counters that Chatterbox is talking out its ass, because it has no idea how the bomb is detonated.

Chatterbox stops running, giving the Commander its full attention. It says they get one question, and one question only. The Commander demands two. Chatterbox grimaces and agrees, if only to get the Commander to cooperate.

The Commander feels a surge of elation that their bluff worked. They need to buy as much time as they can, they just have a hunch that things will work out if they can just stall Chatterbox for as long possible.

They ask if Chatterbox was behind the research base being hacked but left untouched, allowing them access to the Pilgrim map. It answers yes, clearly pleased with itself. It knew they were looking for the Pilgrims from the start, and it was all to easy to set the bait. If anything, it's disappointed its trap worked so well.

The Commander then asks if it has a mole inside the Ark. It very quietly answers yes, and the Commander immediately asks Chatterbox who it is. Not the mole, but Chatterbox itself, what IS it? Chatterbox scolds the Commander, saying they agreed to two questions only, and it's not answering any more. The Commander panics and threatens to blow themselves up, but desperation betrays their bluff, and Chatterbox tells them to shut it. It reminds them that there are no reinforcements, no fake humans on the way to save them.

It tells them to give up the act. Or better yet, blow themselves up, see if it cares. Chatterbox says that even the Commander has to understand that the only way everything ends is with the extinction of humanity, so there's no point dragging things out. Commander announces they're going to blow themselves up now, leaving Chatterbox incredulous at their stubbornness.

Just then, a shot rings out, and a hole rips through Chatterbox's body, sending them reeling as they drop the Commander. The Pilgrim in White asks what it will take to kill Chatterbox with some irritation, remarking it's not going to get away this time.

Chatterbox falls back, trying to find cover to put between itself and the heavily armed Pilgrim. She runs to the Commander's side and asks if they're alright. They ask if she's "Snow White" and she pauses, before saying it's been a long time since anyone called her that. She asks if they need any help, and the Commander readily accepts her offer, but she says they'll need to forget what they're about to see. The world isn't ready for the return of the Pilgrims yet, not until their missions is complete.

Chatterbox howls obscenities as Snow White, calling the Pilgrims a bunch of obsolete relics. Snow White tells it to be quiet, for it is a blasphemous mockery of life that should not exist.

To call what follows a battle is inaccurate. It is brutality. Before Snow White, Chatterbox is helpless. Its speed and strength are ineffective before the vicious efficiency with which she wields her expansive arsenal, Seven Dwarves. Rockets harry its every step, and its regeneration cannot keep up with the terrible damage she inflicts with every shot of her anti-ship rifle. By bringing the Commander out into the open snowfield, Chatterbox has sacrificed its ability to hide and avoid Snow White's attacks, and sealed its own fate.

In less than a minute, Chatterbox is incapacitated. Its regeneration struggling to keep it alive as it coughs, choking on black ichor, as it collapses and writhes in pain. Snow White tells the Commander to back off, as she needs a word with her "friend". She approaches Chatterbox, standing over it, and remarks that it took quite a while to finally catch it, but now she wants answers. It gurgles out a strained cry for help. Snow White ignores it, having no interest in its attempts to garner sympathy, and asks where it came from. What vile force brought such a monster in being?

Chatterbox continues begging for help, pleading to be spared. Snow White glares at the Rapture in disgust, but startles she realizes it's not pleading to her. It's pleading to an unseen force, something it calls..."My Queen".

The sky brightens and the clouds part, as something terrible descends from on high in a pillar of light.

It is undeniably a Rapture, a twisted, mechanized parody of the human form. The Commander shudders. It is cruelty and malice given form. It hates them. Hates them. The monstrous figure radiates pure, undisguised, visceral hatred toward the entire human race.

Even more disconcerting is the giant Rapture's chest opens and a woman emerges. She's a Nikke but...wrong. She bears cybernetic wings and secondary mechanical limbs fused directly into her flesh, like some kind of terrible fusion of Rapture and Nikke.

The Rapture-Nikke descends to the ground beside Chatterbox, and chides that it is truly pitiful. But it needn't worry, because she will save it. She turns her attention to Snow White, cordial tone and gentle smile belying the seething rage that can be felt emanating from her, and asks if Snow White is responsible for hurting her friend.

Snow White doesn't answer, only identifying the stranger as a Heretic, one who answers to the Queen, traitor to mankind. A Nikke that chose to serve the Raptures. The Heretic merely responds that all the titles are unnecessary, calling her Modernia is more than enough.

Snow White growls that she's lucky. Bagging Chatterbox and luring out a Heretic means she's one step closer to finding the Rapture's Queen. Modernia scowls and says she ought to kill Snow White where she stands but for the sake of her friend, they'll have to call it a day, but she won't forget Snow White's face. Snow White snarls out that she won't let Modernia or Chatterbox escape, but a number of flying Lord-class Raptures descend, interposing themselves between Snow White and Modernia.

Snow White readies her weapons and moves to engage, intending to blast through the chaff to pursue her targets...

[no-thoughts-only-soup]

Recreyo has become my hyperfixation (again) and I can’t stop thinking about the SCP eps. So enjoy some writing!

Edit: FUCKING DAMMIT I SCREWED UP HIS NAME

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11

——————

Curt started asking questions after the second test.

Truth to be told, he’d been having odd feelings about the whole thing from the beginning, but he’d kinda brushed them off. Chilly not being in the cell with the others was something he couldn’t brush off though. The others told him one of the scientists, accompanied by a bunch of guards, had asked her to come with them. Christian had a bad feeling and tried telling them to fuck off, but they reassured them nothing would happen to her.

The biggest reason it was so odd though, is that he hadn’t been informed about any of this.

He had been in charge of the chaotic group for two tests and he had known them for much longer. That they had chosen not to tell him was… kind of weird.

Which is why he flagged down an A-Class personnel.

“Oi, I just heard Chilly was moved elsewhere. What happened?”

The man in front of him raised an eyebrow. Curt sighed.

“Chilly Panda, girl with the panda hat, pretty dumb and loud, you know, the girl I’ve been in charge of?”

“Oh, miss Panda. I had assumed you’d been informed.”

“Well clearly I haven’t. Where is she?”

For a moment, the man was silent. Finally, he clasped his hands behind his back. On the name tag, Curt could read: ‘Jonathan Snee’.

“New evidence has brought to light that miss Panda couldn’t possibly be responsible for the c-18 incident. As such, she was found innocent by the court, and as we only employ death row inmates as D-Class personnel - and we do have morals, unlike what some people might say - we gave her the choice to either continue working for us as C-Class Personnel or leave the Foundation entirely. Evidently, she choose the latter.”

Those words felt like a slap across the face. Or a punch to the gut.

“She… left us?”

Sure, Chilly could be an asshole sometimes, just like all of them, and at first glance abandoning them to save her own skin would be in line with her.

Except.

“She didn’t even come to say goodbye…”

Chilly would have informed them. Maybe come back to the cell, mocking them. At the very least send them a letter or call. To just disappear on them felt… wrong.

“I’m sorry Richy, but that is what she choose.”

Curt ran a hand through his hair, underneath his cap, suddenly finding it hard to breathe.

“N-no, she wouldn’t. She’s a jerk but she wouldn’t…”

Snee interrupted him harshly. “Then I guess you didn’t know her as well as you thought.”

That stung, although stung was an understatement. It felt like getting stabbed by Den.

“Now then, are there any more questions you have for me?” Snee asked.

With a deep breath, Curt tried his best to swallow the feelings of betrayal down and looked at Snee.

“Yes, sir. I was wondering… why are my only assignments related to my fr- squad D-45?”

Snee cocked his head slightly. “You have no other tasks?”

“I-I do, but they’re all… paperwork that literally could be done by any C-Class Personnel. I’m B-Class, shouldn’t I be having more responsibilities? Why don’t I get to lead more squads or tests, why—“

He cut himself off upon seeing the dark look in Snee’s eyes. It was accompanied by a threatening, powerful aura, that pressed down on him like a large rock.

“Mr Richy.” Snee began, tone coated with warning. “You should do best to remember that a B-Class Personnel is to take orders from A-Class Personnel without question. A-Class is not obligated to disclose all information, and you should trust that it isn’t without a good reason. Some things are better left unknown, especially in this facility, where even knowledge can be dangerous to your health. Please trust that we know what we are doing and are doing it to protect both humans and SCPs.”

He took a step forward, and Curt had to use every nerve in his body to avoid stepping backwards. Thankfully, Snee’s glare became less harsh.

“You are a valued member of B-Class personnel, Richy. And I’d like to keep it that way. Now, are there any questions left you want to ask?”

The unspoken was clear.

“N-no Sir.”

“Good.” Snee nodded, then took a folder from his jacket, handing it to him. “I have a new assignment from you. Be careful, this assignment involves SCP-173. Be sure to evacuate to your designated area in case of containment breach.”

Curt took the file, flipping through it, noting that it involved his friends again.

“Yes sir.”

Snee almost turned around there and then, but stopped himself.

“Oh, one more thing. I have taken the liberty to replace one of your squad members. Her name is Kristine. Be sure to treat her like you treat the other D-Class in your squad.”

Frowning, Curt flipped a little further to see a photo of a girl with flowers in her hair.

“What’s she in for?” He couldn’t help but ask.

“An incident we believe is related to the C-18 case.”

The tone in Snee’s voice indicated he wasn’t going to reveal much more on the subject, so Curt merely nodded and closed the folder, putting it under his arm. “I will gather a few guards and D-45 and head to the assignment immediately, sir.”

Snee gave a nod. “Excellent. You are doing very well, Richy. I hope the rest of A-Class notices your efforts too and give you a raise.” He complimented, but for whatever reason, it felt empty.

“Thank you, sir.” Curt managed to get out.

Snee turned around and walked away, leaving Curt with his thought. He took a deep breath and headed the other way. Dawdling wouldn’t help him right now. He would deal with this later.

[silverskull]

Forget and Forgive

Chenford Week 2023 Day 6: Get Creative Day Chenford + Why Lucy didn't tell Tim about the detective's exam (5x19)

Disclaimer - this was originally going to be my free day fic, but I much prefer the other one I wrote, so I'm leaving it for the end. This fic fought me a bit, so I'm looking forward to tomorrow a bit more. But it will also be the end of ChenfordWeek and I don't know how I'm gonna cope...

(Also! If you're looking for Tim's Metro plot from this epsiode, I highly recommend checking out quesera's I had a feeling so peculiar to fill in the gaps!)

Full fic below the cut, or here on AO3.

.

.

Nyla had the uncanny stealth of a snow leopard.

“You thinking of taking the detectives exam?”

Lucy nearly leapt out of her chair, her hand jerking the mouse so fast that she accidentally closed all her tabs.

She was sitting at a desk in the bullpen, ostensibly creating suspect profiles for a case she was working with Aaron, but then her email had dinged, luring her in with the subject line, and she’d ended up blithely tripping down a rabbit hole of test questions and interview advice and completely forgetting where she was. She turned to Nyla with a sheepish smile.

“I mean, I guess. I know it’s a bit far ahead of me yet - when I’m not even P3-”

“Don’t knock yourself down, Chen.” Nyla grabbed a nearby chair with her foot, dropping into it and rolling over to Lucy. “There’s plenty less-eligible candidates than you applying. Why not give them a run for their money?” She grinned, still cat-like, and Lucy felt a small shiver of pride.

“You really think I should do it?” she asked, turning to the monitor and clicking open her email again.

“What does it matter what I think? You’re damn capable, and there’s no one here with experience like yours. You know what you bring to the table.” Nyla swivelled from side to side in her chair, her face serene, but a bite to her words. She was analysing Lucy, gaging her response with a steady eye. It gave Lucy courage. She nodded firmly and clicked the ‘Reply’ button.

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.” The form was just an expression of interest. If she wasn’t qualified, she’d find out soon enough. Besides, she knew she was a good cop. Tim Bradford, of all people, had admitted as much.

“I know what I bring to the table.”

She’d muttered the last words under her breath, and she was soon lost in the details of the form, missing Nyla’s satisfied nod as she slid out of the chair and went on her way.

Lucy couldn’t wait to tell Tim.

***

“Chen! Hey, Chen!”

Lucy spun in place, not recognising the voice in the corridor at first.

Tim had just left for another meeting with his squad, squeezing her arm gently as they parted ways, and her mind was still daydreaming of the meal he’d promised her if they caught the guy - sushi at the marina, followed by ice-cream and cotton candy on the pier. It felt as if that candy had coated her brain, sugar-pink strands hazing her focus, and it took a second for her to recognise Carradine, waving for her attention from the other end of the hall.

“Oh, Detective! Sorry, I was… I…” She raised her coffee cup in greeting, coming up with no more plausible excuse in the moment. “I needed my caffeine hit. Sorry.”

Carradine snorted, shaking his own empty tumbler in his fist. “The price of the job, I’m afraid.” He gestured for her to follow him back into the break-room, making a beeline for the coffee maker. “This new machine is the business though. Pure rocket fuel.”

There was a moment of silence while the machine whirred and hissed into life, coffee-scented steam wafting enticingly through the room. Lucy shifted on her feet, waiting impatiently while Carradine sniffed and sipped his drink slowly, closing his eyes and savouring the first mouthful.

“So, ah… Is there something I can do for you, sir?” she asked, reluctant to intrude on his peace, but anxious to know what he wanted.

“Ah, yes, right.” Carradine twisted the lid tightly onto his mug, snapping the cover closed and looking at Lucy appraisingly. “You applied to be considered for the detective’s exam.”

She responded slowly, her eyes glancing nervously around the room. “I did, yes, sir.”

Carradine nodded thoughtfully, inspecting the top of his mug before he answered.

“You’ve got an impressive UC portfolio under your belt. Bradford gave you the highest marks I’ve ever seen from one of his rookies. Grey is forever singing your praises.” He looked back up at her suddenly, his gaze steady. “I think you should go for it. Consider this your tap.”

He nodded once more, then strode briskly past her and out of the room.

Lucy blinked, momentarily surprised, and then a slow smile spread across her face.

Tim was going to be impressed.

***

“Hey!” Angela’s voice was singsong, and she skipped merrily past the line of waiting customers to join Lucy at the front of the burrito queue. Lucy rolled her eyes, about to apologise to the people behind her, but Nyla appeared too, glaring any critics into silent submission before they even began.

“I was gonna order for them anyway,” Lucy offered to the man behind her, to assuage her own guilt.

“Never mind that - I just heard the news!” Angela interrupted, smiling conspiratorially.

“The news?” Lucy asked, her mind still focused on the grumpy line of customers behind them and thinking of a case she’d worked recently to intercept an all out brawl when a superstore checkout line had been too slow to move.

“The news, Chen, the news!” Nyla muttered, waggling her eyebrows at Lucy.

“Oh. Oh!” Lucy suddenly twigged, her neck getting hot with all the attention focused on her. “Right, the detective’s exam. I mean - that’s what you meant, right?”

“Duh.” Angela stuck out her tongue, pushing Lucy to the side as Nyla called out their order to the assistant at the window. “Carradine mentioned it to us at our morning meeting. Look at you, girl, getting all grown up and professional.” She grinned mischievously, and Lucy felt herself blush.

“Well, it’s just an expression of interest. Doesn’t mean anything yet.”

“Nu-uh.” Nyla was finished ordering and pulled both women to the second window of the truck. “It’s far more than that, don’t downplay this. Carradine gave you the tap.” Nyla smiled, and somehow Lucy could read pride in it.

“I mean, yeah. But there are still a lot of hurdles. I’ve got to talk to Tim, I need the backing of some active detectives, and there’s still the actual exam-”

“Pshhh.” Angela made a shushing gesture with her hand, tapping Lucy lightly on the shoulder. “Tim would promote you himself if he could, you’re gonna ace the exam, and you’ve got two top-notch, kickass, girl-power detectives on your side right here.” She stabbed her thumbs at herself and Nyla, exchanging a smirk with her partner and waiting for Lucy to respond.

“Are you… Are you serious?” Lucy asked after a moment, pleasantly surprised at the offer. “You’d back me, both of you?”

“Course we would. I mean, you already practically work for us and your track record speaks for itself.” Nyla paused for a moment, looking Lucy up and down while Angela collected their three burritos. “Besides, what are friends for?”

Nyla and Angela grinned at her, and Lucy felt a rush of love for both women overcome her, dipping her head and following as they walked in companionable silence to a picnic bench for their lunch.

He’d probably deny it, but Lucy could already see Tim’s proud smile in her mind’s eye, his shoulders straightening smugly as he lapped up their compliments to her, his fingers tapping gently against her thigh to let her know he heard.

***

“Officer Chen!”

Grey’s voice was never loud, but it soared above the chatter in the bullpen, drawing Lucy’s attention immediately. He was standing at his door, beckoning her over with one finger. Lucy dropped her files into the nearest tray, hurrying around the maze of desks and into the Watch Commander’s office. She stood to attention, waiting in front of his desk with her hands behind her back while Grey rustled at some papers in a shelf at the back of the room.

“Sir?”

Grey didn’t turn around, pulling out a sheaf of papers and dropping them on his desk.

“I hear you got the tap from Carradine.”

Lucy swallowed, nodding once, even though he couldn’t see her.

“Yes sir. I know I have a ways to go yet, but I think-”

“I think it’s the right move,” Grey interrupted, turning around at last and looking her in the eye. “You’re a damn good cop, Chen, but you’re meant for bigger things than patrol.”

Lucy felt a swell of pride within her, and she bit her lip to keep from smiling too obviously.

“Thank you, sir. I’ve learned from the best.” She returned his gaze, feeling suddenly overwhelmed and unusually lost for words.

“You have. That’s true.” Grey gave a small smile as he dropped into his chair, lacing his fingers across his chest. “But it doesn’t diminish what you’ve accomplished by yourself. You’re one of the finest officers in this station. Keep putting in the work like you have done, and you’ll reap the rewards you deserve.”

Lucy nodded mutely, too overcome to respond in words.

“In the meantime,” Grey unclasped his hands, leaning forward and shoving the little pile of books and papers he’d gathered across the desk to her. “Some reading material. Study up, and you’ll be ready for anything the exam throws at you.”

She stepped forward, gathering the papers into her arms and searching for the right words.

“Thank you, sir. It means so much to hear you say that. I won’t let you down.” She pulled the books tightly against her chest, stepping back and meeting Grey’s eyes again.

“I know you won’t, Lucy. The detectives don’t know how lucky they are to get you.”

She couldn’t help it - Lucy beamed.

Grey gave a small smile, nodding and dismissing her with a wave of his hand, and Lucy hurried out of his office, excited to get stuck into her research.

Tim was going to laugh. 

If she already knew all there was to know for the Sergeant’s exam, what could the Detective’s exam possibly throw at her? Well, she’d show him. 

It had frequently taken all her self-control not to turn his audiobooks into something far more racy, all those years ago. Wait until he saw what she could do with - she glanced down at the top two research journals on Grey’s pile: ‘Seduction of the Shadows’ and ‘A Lust for Larceny’.

Oh boy.

***

“Hey you!”

Lucy almost missed Nolan, her head bent and her tongue poked out as she struggled with the wrapper on her protein bar. She stopped in front of him, smiling. “Hey! How are you?”

“I’m good, I’m good. I was looking for you.” Nolan was back in his own regular clothes, heading from the locker room to the parking lot outside. “I heard the big news.”

Lucy dropped the protein bar to her side, pride and pity warring for prominence on her face.

“Yeah, I’m… The detective’s exam. I think it’s time.” She reached out, tapping his arm gently. “But look, I know it’s what you really wanted, and I-”

“Lucy, stop.” Nolan cut her off, smiling as he dropped his bag onto the edge of the planter nearby. “Yeah, sure, back in the day, it’s what I thought would be right for me. But that was all ego talking. Being a TO?” He paused in unzipping his bag, gazing absentmindedly into the distance. “It’s what I chose. It’s what I want now. I could have gone anywhere with that golden ticket, but the FTO programme… I love being able to give back. To be out there on the streets. Helping ordinary folk, and helping cops.”

He seemed to realise he’d gone off on a soliloquy when he looked back at Lucy and she was smiling fondly - patiently - as she waited for him to remember why he’d stopped her.

“But anyway, look - the point is, you’re gonna make an excellent detective. I have no doubt.” He smiled at her, pulling a bundle of books from his rucksack and handing them to her.

Lucy took them, turning them around so she could read the titles. “What are these?”

Nolan zipped up his bag again, tapping the top book on the pile. “I bought them back when I thought I still wanted to be a detective. Study material for the exam. They’re yours now.”

“Nolan…” Lucy was pleased, but she knew the price of revision books, and to take them without protest felt wrong.

“I don’t wanna hear it. Go kick ass in the exam. I know you will.” Nolan shifted his bag back onto his shoulder, smiling and reaching out to squeeze her hand once before he left, and Lucy felt another small surge of pride. 

Whatever Tim thought of Grey’s reading material, he was definitely not going to have time for Nolan’s books. She could hear his dismissive tone in her head already, tossing each title onto the rug as she passed them to him, and insisting that she already knew far more than Nolan could ever teach her.

Maybe. But a few extra hours curled up on the couch together sounded really good about now, and she was sure Tim wouldn’t actually care who’d supplied the books when it was her voice reading to him.

***

“What's all this?” Tim’s tired eyes peered over her paperwork scattered across the counter, his coffee mug abandoned as he trailed his fingers slowly along her arm.

“What? I'm studying for the detective's exam!” She slapped him gently on his good shoulder, half amused, half worried that his exhaustion was getting the better of him and he was now forgetting even basic facts about her life. 

“Since when?” His question was genuine, his confusion apparent, and she had the sudden sinking realisation that she’d missed seeing him so much, she’d only imagined talking to him about her plan.

“I didn't tell you?” Her mind flashed back to study sessions on the couch, lunches grilling Angela and Nyla, chatting to Carradine in the corridors of the station - Tim hadn’t actually been there for any of it.

“I... no, I don't think so.” He covered well, but she could hear the upset in his voice and she hurried to give him an explanation.

“If I'm gonna work undercover, the best move is to become a detective in some division, like intelligence or narcotics, right?”

“Right. So you got the tap?” His lips quirked up, his eyes brightening, and he tightened his grip on her hand in his lap.

“Harper and Lopez are backing me.” She felt her own smile broaden as he nodded confidently, and she continued on, “All I have to do is score in the top 12, which-” 

“Which you will.” He cut her off, and her momentary apprehension disappeared at the utter confidence in his expression and in his voice. He leaned forward and she gave a soft sigh, melting into his kiss contentedly, his skin still sleep-warm and his beard scratchy against her lips. He kissed her again, squeezing her hand tightly in his own and Lucy kept her eyes closed, memorising this feeling of being close to him; of being supported by him; of being loved by him.

It would change their lives, without question, but that was the nature of their job, and neither of them had gotten into this life - this career; this relationship - without expecting change.

***

By the end of the day, reality had come crashing in, cold and hard and riddled with bullets; Juarez with her formative years thrown into chaos and Tim under investigation by IA. A simple exam or a disgruntled interviewer didn’t seem like such a big deal any more, and Lucy was just happy to catch up with Tim in the corridor of the station, linking her arm into the crook of his elbow and running through the post-shooting playbook with him as her worried mind replayed his last words at the abduction house: Suspect down. Send an RA.

He brushed her off, reminded her that it wasn’t his first time, but she needed him to know that it was different now. It was different because he had her. His life affected her, just as much as hers affected his, and she wanted to be there, by his side, to work through whatever he needed to deal with.

At last, Tim seemed to get it, stopping to gently clasp her arm and thank her for her concern. 

And when he switched the topic back to her exam, offered to study with her, she couldn’t help remembering her daydreams - curled up on the couch, or in bed, reading her books to him with indecent inflections - and it seemed like it might be the perfect distraction to take him out of his own head.

Their future was never certain - he’d said as much himself - but in this moment, on this night, she could look forward with hope.

And as long as they had each other? 

Anything was possible.