#the air of sadness just makes him hotter actually

[silverselfshippingchaos]

I feel a little bad for thirsting as much as I do over him since he's literally always going through The Horrors, but GOODNESS...

[sleepymarimo]

𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭, 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐫.

summary: law might hate bread, might hate sweets, but if eating them is the only way to show you how much he cares, then so be it. pairing: law x fem!reader cw: none! fluff, awkward law. some descriptions of food and textures if you're sensitive to that! wc: ~3.5k (wow!!)

an: this is for my amazing friend @guilty-sugar ! i recall you saying that you were good at baking, but sad that law probably wouldn't eat any. so, we're gonna make him >:)

i have not posted in soooo long so pls forgive me 🥲 i hope you all enjoy law and making him suffer by eating bread!!

the air is getting warm again, he can feel it. it grows so stuffy that he shrugs off his top layer, leaving him in that buttoned shirt he couldn't stop wearing after the one time you told him it looked good.

his eyes scan the medical papers in front of him, but his mind is annoyingly slow today.

law does a grand job of pretending that he doesn't know your schedule, doesn't know the tell tale signs that point to only one conclusion. the air grows hotter, the crew buzzes with poorly repressed excitement and the sound of clinking metal bowls echoes throughout the entire submarine.

it's baking day.

he's been preparing for this. he's finally going to face his biggest enemy yet, a foe that seemed much more intimidating than any warlord or emperor of the sea.

today, granted the ocean didn't swallow him whole, law was going to try some of the baked goods that you were known for making, including the bread.

the thought alone makes his skin crawl, but it pales in comparison to how small he feels in your presence. it irritates him, especially since your intentions have been nothing short of well meaning.

that's what he thinks, anyway.

law runs his tattooed fingers through the black strands of his hair, deciding to forget about whatever paper he's reading about in a bid to feel a semblance of control. he's overthinking, looking too much into things.

do you really smile at him more than everyone else? do you ask about his coin collection because you actually care or are you being polite?

within the upper quadrants of the polar tang, he can just barely hear the others hound you with questions about what you'll be making. no matter what it was, it was sure to be gone in a snap.

a dull thump shakes the sub, but he doesn't think much of it.

bepo, he thinks, probably slipped trying to gather ingredients for you. his suspicion is confirmed when the laughs of penguin and shachi follow shortly after, but the sound doesn't begin to compare to the one that flows out of your lips.

he represses a groan, his way of ignoring how his heartbeat momentarily diverts from it's usual rhythm.

his knuckles grip the sides of his chair, using it as leverage to push himself into a standing position before grabbing his hat and making his way to the kitchen. the air is almost uncomfortably warm now, but he can't find it in himself to be upset with you.

the submarine had been navigating the undersea currents for a while now. a visit to the surface was just about due.

it's not like he planned it like that. no, of course not!

he didn't even think about how the crew would be eager to hop off the vessel, didn't think about how you'd stay behind to bake while he took on the task of keeping you company.

he steps into the kitchen with curiosity, though his expression gives nothing away. it's that same almost neutral face, his brows slightly furrowed and lips teetering on a frown.

bepo is sitting on the floor of the kitchen, the flour dusting his form barely noticeable against his plush white fur. the bear is half-apologetic and half-embarrassed, the former directed toward you while the latter stemmed from the laughter going his way.

"sorry." he grumbles again, thought it looks like you couldn’t care less. bepo seems to have enough of his crew mates, tackling the other two men and making sure to get them covered with flour.

their complaints mesh with your amused laughs, a soundtrack that the polar tang's captain knows well.

law is blind to the scene before him, everything becoming out of focus as he spots you mixing some ingredients into a bowl. you're laughing, nose crinkling and mouth stretching into a grin that almost makes his stoic expression crumble.

the corner of his lips waver, just a little bit, your joy infectious in a way that makes him believe it's an actual disease.

however, he has work to do and baked goods to stomach.

"and what are you all up to?" he asks, arms crossing as he forces his gaze away from you.

it's almost comical how the four of you straighten up, abandoning whatever you're doing to raise a hand to your foreheads in a mock solute. the "hello captain!" that echoes across the room is practically in perfect sync, or at least enough to make him shake his head.

he sighs, telling you guys to quit it. "that doesn't answer my question."

penguin brings a hand down on bepo's back, a cloud of flour puffing into the air as he does so. "sweets day, cap!"

you affirm penguin's statement, tilting your head with a smile as you give a rundown of what's on the menu for today. some cupcakes, a few cookies and a loaf of sourdough.

just the mention of the bread is enough to make him tense.

bepo laxly nods in agreement with you, his black nose twitching as he catches the scent of vanilla extract. his head is in the clouds, not so much on his captain, so he decides to join you at the counter to mix some ingredients together in a bowl.

at the doorway, law gives penguin and shachi a deadpan look.

shachi chimes in with a grin, nodding his head in your direction. his words are meant to be sly, directed toward the captain, but he's unable to hide his amusement. "sweets day with the sweetest member of the crew, don't you think cap-"

"shut up." law interjects, brows pinching together as he takes in the poorly concealed smugness written all over shachi's face. it's on penguin's too now, while bepo has long since abandoned the conversation to help you instead.

it's only because they've known law for so long that the duo know how much he likes you. no amount of scolding or scoffs can make them think otherwise.

the captain can tell by their smiles that they think they have the upper hand, but he ignores them. law speaks before they have a chance to open their mouths again.

"get the sub ready to surface." he orders, cocking his head in the direction of the control room. "we're stopping at the next island."

that seems to get their attention, their heads perking up at the thought of getting out of the cramped submarine. the duo give law their best salute, scrambling away to make preparations for the sub's surfacing.

law shakes his head and lets out a sigh, taking some strong steps toward you and bepo. your dynamic with the bear is one that melts his heart more than he'd ever admit. the way you can shift from witty and bright to determined and caring makes him want to explore every side of you.

he snaps out of his thoughts when you lightly reprimand bepo for stirring the batter too aggressively, a chuckle threatening to leave him.

an announcement is made throughout the sub to prepare the crew for what's to come.

reluctantly, law makes his leave. he'll have time, he'll have you, but he has to take a couple minutes to brace himself for what will happen once the rest of the crew leaves the submarine.

another half hour passes before the sub's hatch is opened.

the fresh air is much needed, the cool breeze like a balm that quells the unease in law's chest. a series of footsteps echo throughout the submarine as crew members make their way to the exit, smiles plastered on their faces.

this island seems lively, welcoming. the sun casts a bright glow over the town in the distance, a plethora of shops and eateries nestled side by side.

even though law is staying aboard, staying with you, there's a sense of proudness that rushes through him as he takes note of the relief plastered onto the faces of his crew. he doesn't let it show, but clearly their happiness affects him.

he lets them run loose, trusting them enough not to cause too much trouble.

his eyes do narrow at penguin and shachi though, the two men snickering a tad as they walk off with bepo in tow. it's like they see through his plot, his ulterior motive, and the captain gives them a look that serves as a warning.

as the blurb of orange jumpsuits fades out of view, law is left with the sound of crashing waves and a light breeze.

his grip tightens on kikoku's hilt, a gesture that he hopes makes what he's about to do a little more easy.

the scent of baked goods wafts out the door, overpowering the salty sea breeze without issue. he can hear you humming along to some random tune, talking to yourself as you navigate through the kitchen.

he follows the trail like a ship to a lighthouse, drawn in by the warmth and splash of color you add to his life.

upon walking into the kitchen, he takes note of how your back is turned to him. you're washing some dishes, the spoils of your work organized neatly on the counter. just the sight of all the sweets is enough to make his stomach ache, but he persists.

you call out to him first, catching him in those all too common moments when he gets lost in his head. "captain? i thought you were gonna head out with the others."

turning off the sink, you dry your hands off with a towel and focus your attention on him. he doesn't miss the slight tilting of your head, how your eyes glimmer with curiosity.

oh, he was horrible at this. no matter how many times he practiced the script in his head, you found a way to unintentionally mess with his psyche. maybe it was your hair, your eyes, everything.

"needed to finish some work here." he lies, so smooth with his words that you don't even think to question it.

with a nod, you give him that smile, the one that pops up in his head while he's reading and makes him lose focus. "if you finish up, maybe you can meet the others in town. or you can keep me company here."

he takes your words in with a hum of acknowledgement, watching you navigate through the kitchen with a natural ease. for a second, he allows the comfortable silence to stretch. he summons all of his courage, swallowing his pride and nodding toward the delicacies on the table.

"can i…" his jaw tenses, the temperature in the room feeling as though it's rising with every tick of the clock. he squeezes the hilt of his weapon more firmly, his throat feeling dry as he looks between your confused face and the frosted treats.

he gets it together, not asking, but declaring. "i want to try what you made."

your brows rise at his words. it's not like your captain to try your baked goods. you'd never taken offense to his reluctance, as you were well aware of his eating habits, but this is completely out of left field.

one could hear a pin drop, his request lingering in the air.

"you… want to try them?" you echo back, unable to hide your skepticism. your eyes browse the array of treats, including the loaf of bread that was still cooling on its rack. "are you sure? which one?"

law doesn't mean to sound so snappy with his response, but internally he's freaking out. your doubt, the subtle concern in your voice, makes him want to prove himself even more.

"i'm sure." he insists, taking some steps toward you until he's at your side. his eyes scan the table, each morsel seeming to laugh in the face of his uncertainty. "i want to try each one."

your eyes follow his, the table sporting a variety of treats ranging from cookies to cupcakes to the star of the show, your fresh sourdough bread. in your head you prepare for disaster, creating a scene that's as comical as it is mildly concerning.

"if you lost a bet to penguin and shachi…" you start, giving him an apologetic glance.

he's quick to cut your accusation short. there are no bets, no pressure from anyone but himself. "no."

when he looks back at you, expectantly, as if he doesn't know how to approach this hurdle, you grab a plate and start to load it up. there was no way you were going to give him a full serving of anything, so you chop off a piece of each dessert and make what you think is a perfect sampler.

he takes the plate from you with a degree of reluctance, but the brushing of your fingers against his acts as a reminder as to why he's doing this. words aren't his specialty. hell, it's hard for him to show how much he cares in general, but he can do this. for you.

his tattooed fingers pick up a piece of… something. it looks sweet, like something he'd hand off to bepo. those black brows of his furrow a tad, as if he's trying to break down the pastry to an atomic level.

taking note of how he seems to be losing himself in his own thoughts, you speak up with confidence and snatch the remaining portion for yourself. "it's just a chocolate chip cookie." you explain, taking a bite of it yourself to show him how it's done. "flour, sugar, eggs…"

"understood." law sighs, trying and failing to act even remotely excited about what was to come.

his teeth sink into the cookie, only a small quarter piece, and he has to keep from making too much of a reaction. from the chocolate clinging to his tongue to the sweetness practically making his gums ache, he finds each chew to be a struggle.

but when his eyes lift to meet yours, seeing the look of anticipation on your face, he finds that the cookie isn't so hard to swallow.

his tongue peeks out to catch any remaining crumbs, shuddering as the sugary sweet taste lingers in his mouth.

he takes a step toward you, a small one, nodding his head and hoping you can't see the hints of pink starting to form on his cheeks. "it's good." he states, even though from your angle it had looked like he was trying to swallow glass. "what's the next one?"

it seems like eons have passed, perhaps the longest ten minutes law has ever lived through.

he swears his stomach is starting to hurt from the amount of sugar settling in there, and the smile you give him, the appreciation you show, doesn't make it feel any better. your presence makes him more jittery than any dessert, that much was certain.

while you were hesitant at first, not wanting him to strain himself, you can't deny that your sweets-averse captain willingly trying your concoctions was flattering, meaningful.

"okay, last one." you clap your hands together, glancing at the last piece of food on his sampling plate. it's a small chunk, not even worthy of being served as an appetizer, but to law, it might as well have been a death sentence. "the sourdough bread."

hearing the word alone makes law's jaw clench, his eyes narrowing as if he had a personal vendetta against the bread. even when he's picking it up, he can't help but scrutinize it.

"yeah, last one." he echoes back, his eyes finding yours in a sort of stubborn inquiry for support.

understanding what he needs, as usual, you grab a piece of the bread for yourself and hold it up. the nod you give him, allowing him to dictate the pace, seems to give him the confidence he needs to conquer this molehill he's made a mountain of.

after a playful countdown from you, he chucks the bread into his mouth and forces his teeth to bite down on it.

the first taste of it almost has him freezing up, his chest rising and falling slowly in an attempt to not let his nose wrinkle. the texture of the bread is killing him, the roughness of it seeming to scrape against his tongue in a way he's not particularly fond of.

hearing you hum in content, clearly pleased with the taste of your own creation, is almost like a slap to his pride- in a good way. he chews a bit more, it's almost damn painful, but he does it.

finally, when the last few chunks of bread are swallowed, law feels like he can breathe a sigh of relief.

"well, that's everything, captain." you smile, taking the plate from him and lightly placing into the sink. you're aware that this wasn't exactly easy for him, yet you're happy that he tried them. "what do you think? good enough for the crew?"

the answer should be obvious, as your treats were usually devoured within only a couple days of being made. law was confident that you could place ice in a bowl and the crew would eat it up without question.

"it's… good. everything was good." he replies, eyes following your every move. his heart feels a little more heavy in his chest, the lump in his throat harder to swallow than the goods he'd just tried. "the crew is lucky to have you."

i'm lucky to have you.

he inwardly curses himself for being so inexperienced with these matters and he places his hat on a nearby counter so he could run a hand through his hair. law is so caught up with his own inner turmoil that he doesn't notice how you grow a little bashful, how the laugh you give is more nervous than playful.

"thanks, captain." comes your response, the sound of clinking drawers filling the air as you started to properly store some of the goods for later. "that's sweet of you to say."

he hums, his way of telling you that he hears you. at the moment, he doesn't quite trust himself with speaking, his brows furrowing ever so slightly.

there is a comfortable silence for a few minutes, but it's not entirely suffocating. it's comfortable, almost welcoming. there are few people law was content to simply exist with, and you were one of them.

his mouth opens, your head tilting toward him as he states the obvious. "i hate bread."

it seems like a no brainer, your arms crossing while you change your position to face him better. "yeah, i know. what about it?"

law looks at you like he was looking at the desserts earlier. intense, almost scrutinizing, as if he would rather peer into your brain instead of hold a conversation.

"i hate bread." he repeats, the tension in his frame melting away a tad. "but i like it more when it's yours."

you're not sure how to respond to his admission, your jaw tense in a bid to keep it from falling to the floor. your captain is red faced, trying oh so hard not to just blurt out what he's been thinking for the past few months. it would be easy to get it out with a scoff, acting like it's not a big deal, but he knows you deserve better.

"everything has been better since… since you joined." the confession is heavy, the implication clear. this was no simple talk between a captain and their crew member.

while his cheeks get hotter, his brows furrow, his gaze doesn't waver from yours. he's watching for every reaction, anything that he can pick up on to confirm or deny his hopes, hopes which he rarely grants himself to believe to be possible.

your smile is a balm, the relieved laugh you give making him release a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"i can never tell what's going on in your head." your shoulders rise and fall with each chuckle, your chest buzzing at his words, at what can, will, come from this. "you didn't have to try all the food. especially the bread. you know that, right?"

his lips tug upward into a small smirk, his confidence growing upon seeing how you're reacting to him. it's enough to make him take a few steps forward until he's right before you.

"thought it would be a good way to show you that i mean what i'm saying." he answers, the taste and feel of the treats now long forgotten. "besides, i see how disappointed you get when i don't try them."

the way your eyes avert, the small tilt in your head, only highlights your guilt. "yeah, okay, maybe a little, but i wasn't gonna force you to eat bread. and all those sweets…"

"i'll have to get used to it." his shoulders shrug, his expression going back into that more nonchalant one that you're used to seeing on him.

the words have your brows furrowing in confusion. "what do you mean? are you going to start joining us for baking day?"

"no. i'm not eating bread ever again, so consider yourself lucky for being the only one to see it happen." he casually states, silently reveling in how you react, before he allows his smirk to grow a little more wide. "i just have a feeling that you're sweeter, and i'm not planning on giving you up any time soon."

[charmixpower]

what are your hc's when it comes to the specialists hobbies? (+Nabu)

i'm kinda sad we don't really know a lot about them.

YEAH!!! Or if we know their hobbies, WE NEVER GET TO SEE THEM ENJOY THEM??? Unless ur Helia. Pretty people privilege

Sky

Listen, I need you to look at Erendor and Samara and tell me if Sky has a life or any real time for hobbies. The answer is no he does not

Listen dragon equestrian is a thing that exists in the magic dimension and he loves it do not argue with me this man loves it. Riding a dragon and doing tricks, what more could you want out of a sport???

He also spends so much time teaching Lady tricks you'd think he was entering her into a competition. He's not, he is simply having fun

Sky really likes running, and walking. With or without Lady, he is content to run around with this thoughts. It's his favorite form of exercise

I think Sky would enjoy at least some of the royalty approved activities pushed on him, like riding horses and dragons obviously, but also dancing. (Though he would hate learning how to play an instrument or something that required sitting without movement)

I think he'd like the fake duel's and mock battles like fencing over real combat but that's just my version of Sky that lives in my head talking

I don't think Sky is really snobby about anything that isn't tea. Does he argue with other people about which tea tastes the best? Maybe. It's like part because he and Diaspro have opposite tastes in tea and they will argue about anything, part because tea was the only meal he wasn't being hovered over because it's supposed to be a bit more informal than a real meal, half because magix doesn't have all that good tea options

Brandon

He suffers from has no life syndrome too but worse actually bc he's had a government job at 17!!!

Does crafting and maintaining an Instagram presence count as a hobby? I mean I do this as a hobby so I'm gonna say it counts. Making thinking your hot into a hobby, I wish I were him

I have no clue if Brandon genuinely enjoys weightlifting or gymnastics or if he does it because it's literally required of him but I DO think he'd enjoy exercise in general. Like?? He's getting hotter, better able to handle situations, AND it makes him feel great. 10/10 he loves it

I think Brandon would enjoy calligraphy. I have like multiple friends who are on their handwriting bullshit and Brandon would absolutely be one of these people. He'd write exclusively in fancy capital letters while pretending to be Sky, but he also like genuinely knows calligraphy and enjoys it. No one knows cept Sky until Stella wants to write something formally and he writes it for her

Brandon is way too chill of a person, and while I think he's like naturally good at controlling his emotions I also think he does SOMETHING for mindfulness. Reads self help books, does meditation, something that helps him stay so fucking chill all the time

On that topic I also think Brandon likes psychology, like the "why do people act the way they do?" side. Just a little bit, he gets along with way too many insane people to not have at least a little idea

Timmy

He's the least interesting specialist to me in canon so he's where I'm on my bullshit. Listen man we don't need TWO computer wizs, we can have one computer genius and an engineering nerd. For the sake of everyone around Tecna not being the exact same as her AND for my enrichment

Timmy is obsessed with their air crafts. He can talk for HOURS about types of planes, the Owl assigned to their squad is literally his fucking baby and Riven is NOT allowed to pilot it EVER. He lost his mind just a little bit when he's got to pilot a Hawk with Helia, he was so excited. This is definitely his main hobby and why he's in the RF air force track instead of the engineering track, he WILL fly and nothing will stop him

If Legos exist in the magical dimension he's obsessed with them and makes the most insane builds and you know I'm right

Riven absolutely gets Timmy into lock picking. Lock picking is just a logic puzzle that also has a real life application and they spend so much time trying to pick difficult locks when they need a no think thing to do

And speed running, all the specialists have a tendency to just watch him play a video game stupid fast and it's group bonding

Shooting is a sport and one that Timmy enjoys immensely

Riven

Reading. No I'm so serious he's the character shown holding a book the most often. This man reads. Tbh he's probably reading about types of magical animals that specialists are called in to deal with, and their behaviors. That and like lists of forgeable plants

Riven also sews and makes his own clothes! Like it's a restoration thing but also Riven just likes fashion and has very specific ideas for clothes so he just makes them himself.

Riven is the most passionate about sword play and combat. Like it's genuinely fun for him, I think if everyone was set loose they'd drift away from being in the military except Riven. This is his passion. Survivalist stuff is also a huge passion of his. It's his concentration at RF I will never shut up about that hc. His dream job is dealing with magical animal threats in the wilderness, everyone thinks he's just a little insane

That and podcasts. Oh my god the podcasts Riven would have listened to in middle school, cringe worthy, they're EXACTLY what your thinking and it's terrible. Thankfully he listens to calming podcasts and like educational podcasts now, and the occasional true crime one

I'm not sure if lock picking is a hobby for him or if it's just something he HAD to learn, but he takes a lot of pride in it so I'm assuming it's a hobby. Riven likes logic puzzles and that's what lock picking is

Does Riven have an interest in photography or did he print off pictures from Musa's Instagram, the world may never know

Helia

We know the most about his hobbies. Painting, origami, and poetry. Helia is well and truly vibing, and by that I mean I bet you he spends hours agonizing about every detail <3

He probably also has a bullet journal, it's the vibes, do you understand where I'm coming from?

I think Helia would be super into general DIY in every area and at one point he gets Timmy into helping refurbish a chair he found, sometimes he just wants to work on something and that something is a chair he picked up off the curb

Helia definitely picked up how to use his string gloves for fun and to have a body active hobby and he loves it? I think Helia would really enjoy doing things that challenge him and he has the most esoteric weapon so it fits

I also think Helia's glove string weapon is as much of a weapon as it can be used for string art? I think he'd like string art

Helia can parkour and that's on wanting to get the PERFECT angle for his reference piece and know he's 40 ft in the air, Saladin slowly lost his mind when he adopted Helia after his parents died because the kid would not stop climbing on RF

Helia is also a chronic people watcher. At least 70% time when he's people watching he's also drawing them but sometimes he's too tired for that XD

Nabu

Learning about his hyper fixation magic. Listen this man will DEMOLISH a library in a week to learn about the intricacies of runic magic, he is vibrating in his shoes

Okay I know Timmy is the one who you'd assume would like this the most, but I think if you put a ttrpg in front of Nabu he'd fucking love it??? He would either spend 2 million hours world building as the DM or get way into role playing

I think Nabu spends a lot more time fucking around and having fun with his magic than most magic users. Like learning how to make small intricate beautiful things with his magic. I definitely think there would be an art form based around magic that Nabu would be super into that

Nabu absolutely is a history buff too. Like knows about ancient techniques for making things off the top of his head can list most major developments in each century when prompted history buff and I love him

He probably also has a rock collection, this man is autistic and we have rock collections. Sometimes the rocks are magically and that's always exciting

Nabu and Flora spending hours researching a random ass specific phenomenon and having the time of their lives

[chishiyaisasnack]

Click

Is anyone up for some toxic manipulating Chishiya? I know I am. I wrote part of this a long time ago so you might have seen it in an ask on another blog, but I changed it up a bit and turned it more into ”is Chishiya toxic or actually nice?” and the answer is yes he’s toxic. It’s in both the readers and Chishiyas pov. When ———— shows up it means that the pov changes. Just a silly little sfw one shot where Chishiya is nothing like I see him in the show.

The setting is the scene where all the executives (and Arisu) finds out that the Hatter is dead and they have to vote for a new leader.

Disclaimer! This contains mentioning of violence, the same that was in that scene in the show. I’m not describing anything, just mentioning that it happend. I also mention lasers and hints at what they do.

*click*

Chishiya raised his eyes from the table and up towards Niragis face just to be met by the most intense image he’d ever seen. Held by a steady hand, the tip of a handgun was touching the side of his head, just next to his temple. A finger on the trigger. A pair of eyes filled with nothing and a depth emotions Chishiya couldn’t understand, all at the same time. Your face gave away nothing. You didn’t look angry, you didn’t look sad. Even Chishiya couldn’t read you. How the fuck was this the hottest thing he’d ever seen?

”Do that one more time and you’ll be the one on the table.” Your low voice sent chills down Chishiyas spine, as if you’ve whispered it straight into his own ear. It was exhillerating. Not that he wanted anyone to be shot, although if someone had to be then Niragi would be his first choice. It was the way you held yourself and they way you spoke as if there was nothing out there that could stop you. Like the only thing that mattered to you was the space between the gun and Niragis head and wether or not it would be filled by a bullet. It was nothing like how you presented yourself to others, but Chishiya had wanted to see this side of you show itself. He’d seen glimpses of it before when he really pushed you. Not that you’d been anywhere close to this intense, but enough to make him aware that you were so much more than you led on. It was as if he was finally seeing the real you in front of him, the raw and ugly part that you didn’t show anyone. It was captivating.

Chishiya didn’t realise that his fingers had gone numb from how hard he was pressing them into fists in his pockets. If it wasn’t for the way he followed every breath you took he would’ve forgot to breathe himself. He almost wished that he was the one you were pointing the gun at, that he was the one getting that attention from you, that he was the one who brought out this primal part that he’d been begging to see for weeks now. How could someone look so composed, so intense, yet so empty all at once? Those lips that usually told him to go to hell were now sucking him in with every slow breath of air passing through them. He couldn’t wait to bring this side of you out again.

————

No one in the room as much as blinked. Every pair of eyes were focused on you. You could feel their gaze burn into your skin, but the heat from the anger burning inside you was still hotter. You watched Niragis reaction carefully. You watched as he slowly retracted his rifle and let it fall to his side, watched his throat move when he swallowed down the words he wanted to say but knew he shouldn’t. His eyes were directed straight forward and you could see a glint of fear in them. How funny, the only thing he was scared of in this place was you. ’I guess I’m just as fucked up as the rest of them after all. Oh, well.’

You took a slow breath and lowered the gun without wavering your eyes from Niragis face. With another click you put the safety back into action and turned around on your heels. You took three slow steps, stopped right in front of Aguni and then shoved the gun flat into his stomach to signal him to take it from you. He took it without hesitating but you could tell that he didn’t like it. He refused to look at you. Not that you expected him to, but some response would be nice. Then, before you walked away, you leaned in right next to him, face away from the rest of the group, and whispered ”Get yourself together, for fucks sake” with a sterness that you didn’t even know you had.

You fled to the roof of the hotel as soon as you had walked out of that meeting room. Seeing your friend laying dead on the table while your other friend let that walking piece of shit beat the crap out of him was more than enough to make you snap. The way Aguni looked at the Hatter on that table, completely dead inside, made you instantly aware that he was the one who killed him. Something must have gone seriously wrong, but you were not interrested in finding out what. Instead you ran away so that you didn’t have to see the mess that was about to unfold.

You had found a way to the roof of the building several weeks ago when you once again tried to get away from the ”utopia” that this place was supposed to be. Being there at night was your favourite past time. You could see the city spread out in front of you while the night sky was so full of stars that you could barely make out the black sky between them. If there was one thing you could miss about this twisted version of the world, it would be how peaceful the nights were. The noise from below was drowned out by the beauty of the landscape around you. You even brought a blanket and a pillow that you permanently had laying up there now. It was your place and it was the only peace that you were able to find in this awful world.

You sat down by some sort of large pipe running along the middle of the roof and leaned back against it. Knees pulled up towards your chest and the blanket pulled up as far as you could. The music blasting from the pool area was still there but the small breeze in the air cancelled it out for you. And just as you finally started to relax you heard footsteps coming towards you.

”I want to be alone” you said to the figure coming towards you. You knew who it was even without looking. He had a talent of sneaking up on you, so much that you had gotten used to it by now. You kept staring into the sky and just waited to hear what he wanted. Then you could tell him to fuck off. It was less rude that way, or so you told yourself. It wasn’t because you were curious, of course not. That was also what you told yourself.

”That was something else.” Chishiya sounded amused when he sat down a few meters away from you. He knew that if he came too close you would leave. You wanted your space and he graciously gave it to you. Why did he always show up when you wanted him there the least? Maybe he put a tracker on you. It wouldn’t be suprising.

”Aguni gave the gun to me several weeks ago, just in case.” You didn’t look at him while answering but you just knew that his eyes were glued on your face. ”It wasn’t loaded anyway. I emptied it right away when I got it.” You twirled the number tag on your wrist around a bit as you spoke. Why were you even explaining this to him? You came here to be quiet, to not think about this. ”I didn’t want it in the first place but Aguni wanted me to protect myself from the militants. I guess it worked.”

”I thought you were serious.” Chishiya said with a touch of honesty in his voice that you hadn’t heard from him before. You couldn’t stop yourself from looking over at him. He looked peaceful, just sitting on the roof looking up at the night sky that stretched above the two of you. His legs crossed in front on him, hands in his pockets. His hair was flowing a bit back and forth in the breeze. ”You had this look on your face… like you finally had enough. It was thrilling.”

”You have a strange taste in amusement, you know that right?” you told him, rolling your eyes.

Chishiya didn’t answer but he gave you a side eyed glance and a smile before he went back to looking back up. You’d be afraid that you’d hurt his feelings if it wasn’t for him being… him.

You two just stayed like that for a while, just looking at the stars and they way the city stretched in front of you. You didn’t know why Chishiya was there next to you but you didn’t have the will or the energy to find out either. You just went with him maybe being a nice person for once and tried offering you some condolences in his own way. Who knew, maybe he was? You knew that there had to be a side of him that cared about people. Somewhere in there.

”It’s almost midnight” Chishiya woke you up from your thoughts. ”Here.” You turned your eyes over to him and saw that he was reaching out his hand to you. In it was a simple lighter.

”I don’t smoke” you answered confused, but you still accepted the lighter and took it in your hand. ”And what does this have to do with it being midnight?”

”I know that you don’t like the lasers. So I thought that you could look at the flame instead. It’s better than closing your eyes, right? I’ll tell you when it’s over.” Chishiya didn’t look at you when he said it but the sincerity in his voice was there. He did care. You didn’t know how to react to that.

”Thank you.” You didn’t want to make a big deal out of his actions so you left it at that. How did he know that closing your eyes would just bring up the images of people dying from lasers in previous games? Maybe he get those images too. Maybe it was just simple psychology, seeing traumatic images when the sound from them was all around you. You chose to not think further into it and let your eyes wander to the yellow lighter in your hand. With a quick flick of your thumb it lit up and a small flame danced in the air. You kept watching it as the sound of the lasers went off all around you. You kept your eyes peeled on the flame, following its movements, analyzing its colour, letting it occupy your mind.

”It’s over” Chishiya said and woke you up from your trance. Before you had chance to say anything, he got back on his feet and started to walk away from you, going towards the exit.

”Wait.” The flame in your hand died out, leaving the space around you in darkness and suddenly you had felt a surge in your stomach. You didn’t want to be alone. You wanted him to stay, you wanted his company. With pleading eyes you saw him turn around to look at you, probably just as confused as you were to why you stopped him. ”Stay. Please.”

Chishiya didn’t answer, but still walked back to where he had been sitting previously, hands still deep in his pockets and a calm look on his face. When he sat down he leaned his head back, raising his gaze towards the sky, before turning his eyes to you with a smirk.

————

Chishiya barely believed his ears when he heard you calling out for him. You had fallen head first into his traps this time. Maybe you had let your guard down after your performance back in the office. Chishiya wasn’t sure, but that didn’t matter now. You were broken. He had slipped in through the cracks. The hardest game he’d ever played was over. You were finally his to play with. He had won.

[orlaogden]

Mchart week: The Road Trip

They are both unusually quiet in the morning. As if they are afraid to break the peaceful silence and ruin everything, so they let their bodies speak for their tongues. Kurt fries bacon and eggs, Diane warms up bagels and makes coffee.

A light brush of hands, short timid smiles. She adverts her eyes, and he feels a sudden pang in the chest. His arms snake around her waist, he just can't help it, his lips kiss the side of her head above the right ear. Despite the short glimpse of sadness he felt radiating from her just a moment ago, she leans in his embrace readily, caresses his back, kisses his shoulder. They're bathing in morning sunlight, in the warmth of their embrace and in the smell of the coffee.

"Kurt. Let's get away from the city for a while?" Diane blurts out.

"You mean, go to the country?"

"No... Go on a trip. Spend some time in nature." She knows he would love it. She knows that she will enjoy it too and they need it.

Kurt's eyebrows go up. Diane and nature: a beautiful combination but a rare one.

"Why?"

"To make a room," she pauses and finds his left hand with hers. "To clear more space for... love. Just be simply Diane and Kurt for a while."

Kurt is almost ready to laugh. He thinks that he is always himself and that being in love with her is his default state of being. But he gets it, so he just squeezes her hand and kisses her cheek instead.

"Do you have something particular in mind?"

"Nope. We can make arrangements today and go tomorrow."

"It's a deal then." He smiles into her hair.

The silence between them sparks with anticipation of something exciting as they eat.

***

Eventually they decide to go to Starved Rock. It's not too far from Chicago and it's beautiful.

Kurt's driving the car. Lyle Lovett doesn't provoke a sudden wave of longing anymore. The car doesn't reek of incense. Everything falls right into place. They're not going to meditate, they're going to walk and see the waterfalls, although Diane doesn't even mind watching him fishing for the whole day, breathing in the fresh air and the closeness of the most important person in her life she missed so much and desperately tried to forget in the fear of no future.

"You know what. We should try an axe throwing next."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah. I'll show you my moves." She adds with a cheeky smile. 

"I always thought it's a pity that you had got over it before we could try it together." 

"Maybe you'll find that the axes are actually hotter than guns."

"I know for sure that you'd  look hot as hell with an axe. As for the technical side… Maybe I am a simple guy, but I like complicated things, you know."

"Oh, I know. You wouldn't marry me if you haven't." Diane sighs. "There are actually so many things we haven't tried doing together…"

The majority of the trip they discuss their plans for future activities they want to try, building a bridge to their life together in DC. Diane thinks that maybe her cowboy is not an artsy person but he sure knows how to have fun and make her feel warm inside. 

The playful talk only dies out when they stop at a parking lot near a gas station to buy some coffee. Somehow coffee gets forgotten pretty quick as they indulge in a not exactly silent make out session.

***

“There is something humbling about the ancient rocks. We try to be important, be heroes, make a difference, while they’re just standing here and will outlive us all…”

“You’ll be able to make a difference again when you’re back in a courtroom. Real difference for real people.” 

And you will feel better, his tender green eyes tell her. She already feels better. The earth, the rustle of leaves, water and his steady presence ground her. Baby steps are not so frustrating anymore. Finally she knows what she needs to do: go back to what she does best. Leading a law firm, fighting for clients she actually cares about. Finally she doesn’t feel so painfully alone.

She looks down at the calm water surface and muses. 

This is crazy how you start to think that a person you have mutual interests with understands you on a truly deep level, seeking his advice because you feel like drowning, only to realize later that he doesn't know you at all. And it makes sense, because he really doesn't.

And this is crazy how a person, you have so little in common with on a surface level, gets you better than anyone else in the world. It doesn't make sense at all, but it feels so right when you don't overthink it.

***

"Ouch!" Diane stumbles and almost falls but Kurt's strong hand supports her in time.  

"Are you alright, hon?" he asks gently caressing her side. Diane takes a deep breath trying to not lean too much onto him.

"I think I've twisted my ankle. I'll be alright in a minute."

"You need to sit down and rest for a bit…" Kurt looks around trying to find something suitable. Sadly, they are out in the wild and there are no benches. "What do you think about this nice looking rock?" 

Kurt helps Diane to reach the big flat rock he spotted and sit down. Then he takes three steps back, checks her out affectionately and pulls the smartphone out of his pocket. 

"You look like a princess who got lost in the woods."

"Yeah, seventy years old princess in leather pants", Diane answers sarcastically. 

"Princess SexyPantsass", Kurt says lightheartedly and gets a perfect shot of her laughing. This will be a nice addition to his growing collections of Diane's photos. 

When Kurt helps Diane to stand up again, his stomach grumbles loudly. 

"I think we should head to the picnic area. Maybe this place has a dark history, but I don't want my galant knight to starve!"

***

Kurt gives Diane a plate with a hot aromatic grilled cheese sandwich and two sausages on the side while she spoonfeeds him a pasta salad she made this morning. He feeds her grapes. She wipes her hands with a napkin and pats his knee. They clunk two beers and toast their trip. The silence they've immersed into now is comforting in all its cozyness. 

A gust of wind ruffles Kurt's hair, and Diane's fingertips tingle. He is relaxed, almost serene. He looks at her with such tenderness that her lips start tingling too. She brushes breadcrumbs from his mustache, lightly touching the upper lip with her pinkie. He smiles and kisses her fingers. She can't restrain herself anymore. One hand goes up his cheek and disappears in the thick silver hair. The other hand goes up his chest, then his neck. And they are kissing, and kissing, and kissing. Bottles fall clinking against each other. Diane silently prays for the bottles to be empty, but when they end the kiss she looks only at him. 

"Now I'm starved for something else", Kurt breathlessly murmurs in her ear, sending a tingling sensation down her spine. Diane is half turned on, half hyper-aware that they're in a public space. 

"I'm afraid we have to starve for this much longer, my love", she whispers, moving away from him. The look on his face when she says the last two words almost makes her cry. 

“Thank you for coming back to me.” She literally breathes the sentence out. Her guilty look adds: Despite me hurting your feelings again and again.

It is both an apology for how she had left things and gratitude for him finally being here for her, not on the phone with a despicable organization, not somewhere else.

“Thank you for choosing us again.” Kurt answers simply, his voice is breaking in the middle. 

Her brows form two slanting lines, her lips tremble. As though they both could go a different way. They almost did, but no, she couldn't, they couldn’t.

She just hugs him then. If she could melt into his soft flannel shirt, she would. His hands clutch so tightly on her back as if he is afraid she would disappear. 

The next moment an angry kid passes them muttering something about "gross adults". They break their embrace and laugh, probably making the kid even angrier. The unexpressed thought makes them laugh even louder. 

On the way back to the car they see a double rainbow. 

"Everything is gonna be alright", Diane thinks. Kurt opens a car door for her. Going back home doesn't seem so depressing anymore. 

_______________

The song in the edit: Love Will Keep Us Alive by Scorpions. 

Thank you @rexlockhart for organizing such a wonderful fandom event! 💗💗💗

[absolutebl]

Kpop end of 2022 shows

In which I mostly slam 4th gen boy groups, so if you’re a stan skip this post or go in prepared to be offended. I am aware that this is off brand for this blog. But I’m also aware that I have a number of followers who are as deeply into Kpop as me, and...

who probably will unfollow me after reading this. Oh well, I’m gonna do it anyway. This is my tiny corner of the internet. MINE I tell you!  

Look, there was no Between Us airing today, and so nothing for me to get my watch-along snark out on except for the 2 Kpop shows that Viki popped into my feed. So skip this post if that’s not your thing. 

2022 Gayo Daejeon (stadium event) 

OMG! Either mic them properly or don’t mic them at all! This is a music concert, right? Why can’t Korea ever fucking get the sound right in these goddamn bonanza shows? I had this problem with Kingdom (arguably more of an issue since that was supposedly made for TV) but it’s 100 times worse with this show. It’s so frustrating. 

For example, with NCT, why is Johnny’s the only hot mic in the group? Sound tech on stuff out of Korea is mind numbingly confusing and ear wrenchingly annoying. I am reminded why I never watch the live shows and never go to Kpop concerts.

And now, here’s some offensive thoughts and unpopular opinions:

Yeonjun of TXT is one of the best 4th gen dancers ever fielded, and one of the better all rounders. But Kpop stylists gotta learn how to dress a dancer so that they can be properly watched, ya know, WHEN THEY ARE DANCING. No puffer vests, you brainless fashionista numb-nuts. Poor thing kept having to do wardrobe adjustments. Honestly, this plus their red carpet looks this year? 

TXT desperately needs a new stylist.

Stray Kids

As a group? They really can’t sing very well or consistently, their strength is in their performance and rapping. And their rappers MUST to be micced hot for live - just KILL 3racha's backup recording, okay? They can handle it. Otherwise please just let them all lip-synch so we can watch them perform. It’s a much better experience.

NCT

Yuta has more charisma in his little finger than Taeyong has in his whole entire body. Doyoung is an incredibly underrated vocalist. Their’s was some of the worst miccing and sound of the night (which is saying a lot considering how terrible it was the whole time). Fantastic use of the stage tho. One the best stadium performance I’ve seen since GOT7. Also, 2 Baddies is an objectively terrible song - which is probably why it’s so popular.

The Boyz

Definitely the prettiest, how are they consistently so glorious on their visuals? Sunwoo keeps getting hotter, it’s patently unfair. But, oh my god, if you are going to have a group sing ballads, then bring 2nd (Highlight) or 3rd (BTOB) gens up there don’t use The Boyz (or SK for that matter). No one wants to hear unstable vocals, even if it’s a CNBLUE cover. Is it weird that The Boyz make me miss Seventeen? Same vibe... better syncopation. 17 is not as pretty tho.

Who is? 

Well, UNIQ of course. But I don’t wanna talk about that. 

Ateez

Jongho is the only 4th gen idol in existence who doesn’t need a mic even in a goddamn stadium. He is insane. But there is a reason the boy likes a handheld mic, because he takes his vocals seriously. And still the sound tech didn’t trust him enough to leave that mic hot? Frankly, it’s a crime that Jongho’s voice is wasted on a performance group. (Yes, I said it.) But Ateez did give the best stage of the night. They really are one of the industry’s hardest working groups at the moment. I’m a little worried they’re being pushed too much.

Enhyphen

Actually singing for a change *gasp* what will they do without auto tune? Ooof, I’m hella mean tonight. And... they seem to have been practicing their vocals since last time. Honestly? They lack the stage presence of some of the more experienced 4th gens. NCT fucking EATS up a stadium. Enhyphen looked a little sad up there by comparison.

MBC 2022 (New Year's showcase) 

Much better sound (mostly lip-synching) and most groups handle a showcase stage better than a stadium. 

The MC team was better on this one. 

Any time the Boyz and Ateez would like to dance together, I will be happy to watch it happen.

I’m not particularly interested in either of them, but Tempest and Kepler covering Pretty U was pretty damn cute. But younger boy groups + younger girl groups intermixing on stage always comes off as awkward. Dancers should be dancing together when they share a stage together. It’s weird when they are clearly afraid to touch each other. 

Hanbin is such sunshine, so pleased to see a Vietnamese idol at last.

As expected the bands doing live Krock had the best music performances. Well and the opera singers, of course. 

NCT’s Jungwoo is Taemin’s little brother, they look too much alike, you cannot persuade me otherwise. 

It’s a sin that Jeahyun hasn’t has a break away acting role yet. No babies, he really isn’t going to do us a BL. 

It’s always great when the surfeit of music shows at the end of the year forces a group like NCT to divide and conquer, because we get to see some of the lesser publicized members do some killer performing. 

NCT’s choreographer is phenomenal. Best in the biz? 

A sexy cover of Love Killa is fine but if you can’t go hard on Monsta X’s raps then why bother? This only made me want to go watch the original. Which I did. 

I’d like to see SK cover Monsta X but that’s about it. Maybe P1H.

Speaking of MX. Why did they cover a song where Kihyun (one of the most consistent voices in Kpop) mostly has to sing falsetto? What a damn waste. 

Fun to see IM getting more confident in his vocals but I’d still rather see the MX maknae line rap. 

And… thank you for doing an end of year stage Monsta X! Holding onto my beloved 3rd gens by the skin of my teeth here. Look I just love them, okay? Even down 2 members Monsta X goes harder than other groups, but effortlessly. They gave the best performance of my whole night, both shows, 6 hours of content and I’m just left wanting to watch MX comeback stages.  

Am I 3rd gen biased? 

Probably. 

Bite me. But only if you can do it as hard as Monsta X would. 

[purple-plum-petals]

Hello! Please forgive me. If its alright with you, can I get a romantic fnaf security breach matchup? I want to change some matchup details

My pronouns are she/her and I am an introvert. I am straight and prefer guys but if that doesn't count than you can ignore. I don't really like revealing much about myself so you can say that I'm shy and mysterious. My hobbies include dancing (especially ballet and sometimes kpop) and video games like Street Fighter and Mobile Legends. My talent is fitting into kids clothes because of slender my body is. I am a little pale and I get cold very easily, and I guess a little fragile (my bones pop often). My expression tends to look very distant and sad. I cannot emphasize enough how much I want to look like a Ball Jointed Doll, so I try to get as many sweet lolita dresses as possible. I love candy (especially strawberry flavoured ones), but I love tea and coffee more. I also like wearing (and buying) anything pink. I don't like heavy or gourmet meals (or food in general). If I were to be an animatronic, I'd be a cat.

Thank you so much! Feel free to ignore this!

Thank you for sending in a match-up; I think that either Sun or Glamrock Freddy would be good matches for you! I also incorporated the love languages you had mentioned in one of the other asks you had sent me.

Sun is nearly the complete opposite of you personality-wise, but I think that could be something that could benefit both of you in different ways; he could help brighten up your day while your more reserved nature reminds Sun to hold back a little when it comes to his own outgoing (and occasionally overwhelming) personality. Sun loves seeing you smile, so he'd do whatever he can to turn your usual resting frown upside down. Sun also enjoys dancing much like you do, and he would love to watch you dance or even dance with you if you were alright with that! He may look scrawny, but he's actually very strong and could lift you up into the air with no problem. Sun also tends to run on the hotter side so, if you ever needed to warm yourself up, he'd be happy to be your personal heater. I feel like Sun would adore your sense of style as well, always excited to see what cutesy and frilly outfit you put together; he'd be your #1 cheerleader and would be sure to hype you up whenever he had the chance! You and Sun also have very similar love languages (physical touch, words of affirmation, and gift-giving), so you'd both be able to express and receive what you need out of the relationship easily.

Freddy is a very understanding and caring individual who will always be there if you want to talk or need any kind of support; this animatronic is the king of affirmation. While not being very light on his feet (or paws, in this case), Freddy would still want to dance with you if you ever wanted to show him first-hand your love of dance; when not dancing with you, though, he'd be happy to play some music for you and simply watch you from the sidelines. Despite not being that great when it comes to video games, he'd be happy just being able to spend time with you playing the games you like while you most likely completely destroy him in Street Fighter; he's a great loser, though, and always makes sure to compliment you on your amazing wins. Freddy would also keep a stash of candy on his person at all times just in case you got a sudden craving for sweet treats, always making sure he's stocked up with strawberry-flavored candies as they’re your favorite. Freddy also makes sure to compliment your outfits every time he sees you, almost in awe of your style; he doesn't have the opportunity to change much about his appearance, so he loves seeing what outfits you manage to put together whenever he sees you.

[mwolf0epsilon]

The Umbaran Pathogen - Day 4: Betrayal

Summary: After Fives, Jesse and a severely injured Hardcase end up in the brig for using the pilfered Umbaran support ships in battle, Sponge finally loses patience with Rex for submitting so easily to Krell's intimidation. Furious and with no one else to take it out on, they try their best to push Rex into proving he's not a traitor by inaction.

Warning: Explicit language (lets just say Sponge resorts to some VERY colorful language when they're mad).

Prev / Next

[In which the events on Umbara are worsened by an unknown pathogen taking hold of both the 501st and 212th. These series of drabbles will follow a non-linear timeline based on the AI-less Whumptober prompt list for 2023.]

THIS STORY IS ALSO ON AO3

---

Primum non nocere. The oath of all medics. The golden rule. A promise to (in accordance to their better judgement) prescribe only beneficial treatments. To refrain from causing harm or hurt to their patients. To live an exemplary personal and professional life. The pledge that rang in Sponge's mind as a warning, whenever they stared at the back of General Krell's thick-skulled head for too long...

All personal opinions aside, they readily admitted that they were not the easiest of clones to get along with. Knew very well that their temperament was often quite difficult to deal with, in comparison to literally any other member of the 501st. But (cantankerous disposition or not), no matter how much they griped about it, they were ultimately not the sort to actually refuse anyone medical treatment if they needed it.

No matter how absurdly aggravating the means of acquiring the injury might have been...

So to be forced to retreat when still-living vode lay there injured, reaching out to in a desperate plea for help? To be ordered to turn their back on those who needed them so greatly at that moment, rendered helpless to merely watch as their siblings were snuffed out by callous indifference?

It filled them with something that they didn't feel very often. Actual seething rage. Absolute hatred for another life. All directed at the brutish Besalisk that marched onward with an air of arrogance, and blatant disgust towards the dead and dying clones he was currently commanding towards imminent doom.

Could the bastard even have a claim to the title of Jedi, when he so clearly did not see value in life? When his actions were so very unlike the serene kindness he'd seen in both General Kenobi and Commander Tano, and that he sometimes glimpsed within General Skywalker as well?

Yes, even the 501st's own Jedi General (pigheaded as he might be) was more akin to what Sponge learned the Order valued in a person than Krell demonstrated. A little unorthodox, perhaps, but not outwardly malicious in any way shape or form. Perhaps just ignorant in his absolute obliviousness to the limitations of others who did not have the Force at their beck and call.

And yes, the situation was truly grim if they were capable of singing karking Skywalker's praise on anything...

"We've lost too many brothers already..." They hissed out between gritted teeth, trying to keep their fury contained as best they could to no avail. There was no keeping their composure, not after everything they'd gone through already. "More than half of who remain are sick with some mystery illness, and patient zero is currently MIA..."

Rex watched them with those infinitely sad eyes of his. Barely able to hide the toll that all of these losses was taking on him. It only served to make Sponge's blood boil hotter. Molten lead coursing through their veins.

They didn't want this pitiful sight before them, this whimpering shell of a man that hunched in on himself all dignity forgotten. They wanted. No, they needed the proud Captain of the 501st to get mad and actually take charge of the situation. To make the right choice instead of retreating with his tail between his legs whenever Krell intimidated him. All of this was beyond unacceptable at this point...

"Kix is coming undone from all the stress, and you're making him do something that goes against his very nature! Pitch and Twitch are barely on their feet from pure exhaustion, trying to save as many of the sick and dying that we have pilling up in this base's medbay! Coric has been running around making sure everyone is accounted for while on a limp for days now!" They snarled, teeth bared at their superior officer in a clear challenge. "Krell is sending us on suicide missions, and ignoring what viable options we have for a swifter less costly success! He's is KILLING us, and your response is to roll over and show him your belly like a dog?!"

"I have tried time and time again to reason with the General..." Rex finally responded, eyes remaining glued to the base's floor. Unable to meet their gaze and face the consequences of his neglect. "He won't listen to reason... Sponge, I've begged him! Begged him to spare their lives"

"Have you now? And what did he say about that Captain...?" Starting to lose patience, they began to hit where it hurt. Hoping for anything but this disgustingly submissive behavior of his. They wanted Rex's fighting spark to flare up, not to bare witness to CT-7567's good obedience track record. "What a good bitch you are?"

"Sponge, you're out of line..." Coric warned, placing a hand on their shoulder which they shrugged off immediately. They didn't care if they were out line. They didn't care if this got them a court-martial. What they wanted was for this gods damned nightmare to end so that their vode could be rescued off this shadowy shithole and get some proper medical treatment. If that meant being nasty towards the Captain to provoke him into taking drastic actions? So be it!

"What else did you do Captain? Get on your knees for him? Suck his big fat Besalisk cock like the little bitch you are?!" They shoved at the blond clone, hard. Becoming even more infuriated by the fact he wouldn't meet their gaze or fight back. How he accepted what they were saying without contest. "Did he promise you a big promotion for tossing Fives, Hardcase and Jesse into the brig? Are you getting off on Hardcase suffering in that cell without medical treatment because your ego got bruised?! Must be so much easier to set up a firing squad when you don't have to account for the third target or pull the trigger, uh?!"

"Sponge! Stop it vod'ika!" Coric tried to pull them back, but they fought against his grip. The pauldron he'd grabbed slipping lose enough that it allowed them to get right up into the Captain's personal space

"Admit it, you're nothing but a sniveling coward who'd rather save his own skin than do the right thing by his vode!" Sponge shoved Rex again, this time sending him crashing to the ground with a loud clatter of plastoid on duracrete. "You cock-sucking aruetii! Go to hell you hut'uun! You're just as bad as that demagolka, if not worse!"

"SPONGE! STOP!" Coric's grip at last held, or rather, Sponge's back-plate remained firmly on. Offering the older medic a sturdy hand-hold which they used to pull them away from Rex. And, as good as it felt to yell and to push at the distraught Captain, they let themselves be pulled back by their ori'vod.

Because ultimately, throwing a tantrum wasn't going to fix things. It certainly didn't seem to rouse Rex out of whatever stupor he was in... They were just so very tired... And worried sick too.

Whatever was infecting the troopers was spreading fast and causing them a lot of grief on top of the per-existing threat that the enemy already posed. This mystery sickness making the men despondent and unfocused. Getting them killed faster and faster because they seemed so out of it and unable to perceive the constant danger they were in.

Sponge was sure that if they didn't wrap things up soon, that there would be none of the 501st left to return to Coruscant. Thad they'd all be completely wiped out before the troopers that had remained on the Venators took notice.

Bitterly, they wondered what General Skywalker would think of that...

Would he blame the Chancellor for calling him away on such a dire time for something that could only be trivial at best? Leaving behind a substitute General that hadn't made an effort to preserve someone else's battalion?

Would he blame Rex for shutting down upon being faced with a Jedi who, in true natborn fashion, regarded them as simple tools to be used and discarded once they were too broken to function? That didn't think they were people?

Would he blame himself for not being there for them when they needed him most? That he'd chosen to heed the Chancellor's call instead of trusting his instinct to stay and help take Umbara?

Would he mourn their losses before getting a shiny new battalion to lead towards new kinds of inglorious death? Would they be just a footnote in whatever tragedy tale the Media decided to tell and then be forgotten in favour of a freshly deployed and bright-eyed legion?

Sponge did not know the answer to any of those questions. All they knew was that this entire campaign felt like a never-ending nightmare. One that, if Rex didn't get his shit straight, Jesse, Hardcase and Fives most definitely wouldn't wake up from. There had to be something they could do for them. Otherwise what were they doing besides betraying the brothers they had vowed to protect? Betraying the oath all medics took? The one that still rang in their mind as they let Coric drag them away to cool down?

"We can't just follow orders blindly..."

"I know vod'ika..." Coric whispered while still keeping a firm grip on them. "And you know Rex knows it too."

"Could have fooled me..." They bitterly huffed, glancing back to see the Captain still sitting where he'd been left. Head bowed in both shame and resignation. "Krell's got a tight hold on him..."

"For now, yes. He's trying to mediate... But there's no mediating that shabuir..." Coric sighed. "Give him time to think... I think we could all need a breather. We have 30 minutes until we're expected to..."

"To show up with the body bags?" Sponge offered.

"Lets just... Lets just check up on Twitch and the sickly vode, and then we'll see how it goes." Coric shook his head, continuing to pull them along. "I know it's hard, but please have faith vod'ika. Hope should be the last thing to die..."

Have faith... Tsh. Somehow Sponge doubted that would help them. If anything, they'd need a miracle to survive this. Hopefully Twitch had better news for them than the inevitability of their demise. The kih'vod had been studying the strange symptoms their patients had turned up with, surely he must have discovered something new?

[5sosfanfictioncatalogue]

Muke Smut Masterlist

30,000 Feet in the Air (ao3) - antisocialhood E, 3k

Summary: Luke teases and Michael strikes back.

Baby, Show Me What It’s Like (ao3) - FayeHunter E, 5k

Summary: Luke shouldn’t be trusted at parties. Luckily, he has Michael

Can’t Blame a Boy for Trying (ao3) - orphan_account M, 2k

Summary: “I’m great at driving. You just have to be good at riding.” Or the one where Michael practically makes Luke his bitch. (superdom!michael and wimp!luke)

Don’t need candles and cake, just need your body (ao3) - antisocialhood E, 5k

Summary: It’s Luke’s birthday and Michael just wants to make him smile, just wants to see Luke squirming under him with needy gasps and tiny sounds, just wants to stop playing around his feelings.

Eat Me (ao3) - notonguexwithbutt M, 14k

Summary: “Michael’s bottle green eyes are absolutely shining and Luke has to take a second to appreciate the beauty before him. Luke convinces himself it’s not weird to think things like that because it’s so obviously a fact. Michael is a beautiful boy, the prettiest Luke’s ever seen, and it makes Luke’s heart pound to think that he’s his best friend. How did he get so lucky?”

Michael is upset that none of his bandmates want to take him to a deserted island and eat him so Luke makes him feel better. In doing so, he discovers the feelings he has for his best friend are a little stronger than he ever intended.

Eyeliner (ao3) - Nerd_Cake E, 1k

Summary: Luke wears eyeliner during the show and once their backstage after and he takes off that ridiculous wig Michael's feeling even hotter seeing the gorgeous, sweaty boy in black eyeliner.

Grind On Me (ao3) - flowercrownmikey T, 3k

Summary: Hotel Room Smut where Muke discover themselves.

Hearts Pounding (ao3) - notonguexwithbutt M, 7k

Summary: “Michael realizes he’s blatantly staring at his friend’s mouth so he finally tears his gaze away and returns it to Luke’s eyes. When they meet, Luke is staring right back at him and something in Michael’s stomach tightens and flips. He clenches his jaw, smart enough to know that that’s not a normal feeling to get for your best friend. That’s the feeling he got in high school when a girl he liked actually felt the same and kissed him after school one day.

It’s not a feeling he should have about his best friend.”

Luke feels sad in the middle of the night so he goes to Michael for comfort and decides to finally take a chance.

I Wanna Get Off, With You. (ao3) - notexactlylegal N/R, 1k

Summary: The two of them are watching a movie. Michael wants attention. Luke is actually enjoying the movie. Michael has a plan on how to get his attention.

jealous (ao3) - Shutuplashton N/R, 2k

Summary: In which Luke is jealous of Michael and wants him all to himself.

Jumping before the Gunshot has Gone Off (ao3) - tigerlily_sunshine E, 128k

Summary: (In which Michael’s hated Luke since they met, and Luke’s hated him back—except, somehow, they can’t stop having sex with one another. To make matters worse, Luke is dumb enough to go and fall in love with the man who hates him.)

Nothing Personal (ao3) - thieves M, 28k

Summary: Luke's the new kid who doesn't want any trouble, and Michael is edgy and generally hates everyone. Yes, he hates Luke, too.

Or, a High School AU in which Luke gets assigned to be Michael's tutor.

ready like i am ready (ao3) - hemmingshoodie M, 3k

Summary: michael returns luke a favour.

something of you (ao3) - theonlyreason M, 5k

Summary: Out of all the three, Luke had always considered Michael the closest to him. He never felt uncomfortable about the way Michael flicks his ear randomly, pushes him a bit too hard in interviews, headlocks him on their way to the stage where most of the time, he could swear he felt a muscle tear, stuff like that. It was a playful manner. Luke had always seen that in Michael, and for some ironic reason, he felt safe with it. But things start to get weird after Luke had the most erotic dream involving Michael, and he enjoyed it himself.

stay quiet (ao3) - babyboylukey M, 1k

Summary: "what...what are you doing michael?"

after finally getting his pants off he says, "gonna put that annoying mouth of yours to good use."

that's when luke goes quiet. honestly he just can't refuse. he may or may not have dreams about things like this. with michael too.

this night's almost over (ao3) - loafers E, 19k

Summary: london 2012, luke takes up residence in michael's bed. it gets complicated.

[winderlylandchime]

2/2*points to the art* YOU SEE THAT?? IM LIKE 89% SURE IS BRIAN! That’s right BRIAN! His BOYFRIEND! Who I’m sure will be here any minute now! WHY ARE YOU GIVING HIM FREE ART? FOR A SONG?!?! Justin, i will personally give you a performance of Row your Boat just stop talking to him, NO JUSTIN! NO YOU WILL NOT GO TO HIS APARTMENT’ ‘Debbie, I swear to God, you better be fucking nice about Ben because otherwise I’m jumping through this tv and turning this show into an episode of CSI’ He is so over this episode that I swear I can see smoke coming out of him. He has no clue what’s coming. ‘My man who are you trying to impress? Your grandpa is somewhere calling you a bitch right now. *mock Ethan in a childish voice* not even your rich successful boyfriend.. THATS CAUSE HIS BOYFRIEND KNOWS THAT ART IS AN ESCAPE YOU LITTLE PRETENTIOUS FUCK. Your jealousy is showing, we get it you got your couch off a street and you wish you were Brian. Oh he had a boyfriend? You’re telling me someone actually willingly spent time with him? Correction: youre telling me that he somehow had a boyfriend that sounds just like Brian? bitch who the fuck are you trying to play right now? justin and I are smarter than this, we see right through the bullsh-i hope that picnic gives you diarrhea’ ‘HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL FOR THREE DAYS? THREE WHOLE FUCKING DAYS?! AND HIS MAN IS NOW ON SOME OTHER MANS FLOOR EATING CHEESE? AND JUSTIN STILL DOESNT KNOW HE VISITED EVERY DAY?! IM ABOUT TO FUCKING BURN THIS PLACE DOWN TO THE GROUND. THREE FUCKING DAYS! fuck this whole fuck- your man is dying and you still wanna kiss Brian? If i was Ben, id die just to make him feel bad.’ ‘Oh so Justin spent a day with that cello fucker and now he’s coming to Brian with inspiration..i have a feeling this won’t end good or maybe it will gotta stay positive! HELL YEAH BRIAN! Eat and fuck on the floor and make him forget that little weirdo. Oh damn it, was it because he said romantic? THEYRE CUTE! WHY ARE THEY RUINING THINGS…Justin, no offense but 31 is not too old to fuck around. I should know. He’s acting like he should be in retirement home already. *looks at me sad* this is the beginning of the end isn’t it? Please tell me, that next episode that little shit disappears mysteriously.’ He is bouncing his leg so much that the entire couch is shaking. ‘DEB! AND BEN! Debbie, please be nice, ive been so disappointed already. Is this..is this the beginning of something nice between them?’ He is very happy that Emmett didn’t accept the check and he keeps saying that Pickle Guy is smiling at him right now. *jumps in the air* ‘ow. DEBBIE AND BEN LOOK AT THEM! FUCKING FINALLY! Thank god something good happened, i was losing my mind. Okay so basically for her to be nice to you, you almost gotta die..noted’ And he once again groaned so loudly that Im sure the neighbor heard him ‘WHY IS HE BACK! JUSTIN WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU HERE?! Asshole neighbors? My dude, youre the asshole. JUSTIN STOP LYING. You never even liked violin music?! Who are you and what have you done with the Justin from season 1 and 2 because this is bullshit. he came for his song? Justin, just put a cd on in BRIANS LOFT! Romantic?! Justin…for fucks sake what the hell. I wanna puke. I don’t have enough pills to watch this. What is he doing? justin sit your ass back the fuck dow- JUSTIN NO JUSTIN NO JUSTIN NOOOOOOOOO YOU FUCKING CHEATING ASS BITCH! YOU MADE THE RULE! YOU BROKE IT ONCE YOU BROKE IT TWICE! WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS FUCKING SHIT? I’ve never been more grossed out by a kiss before. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK JUSTIN?! i am actually really fucking sad right now. I hate this fucking shit. He’s actually CHEATING. This is cheating. This is… i can pretend that nerd kiss was him doing him a favor but this? He’s been toeing the line for the whole episode. HE CHEATED BC OF A VIOLIN. BRIAN PLAYED GUITAR IN THAT ONE EPISODE and no offense to cello players everywhere, guitar is way hotter! Man, fuck this shit and fuck him too’ He then proceeded to call our mom and the only thing i heard him say was ‘please don’t hang up, i will actually cry’

Um, I really need to go back and watch these episode again because:

YOU SEE THAT?? IM LIKE 89% SURE IS BRIAN! That’s right BRIAN! His BOYFRIEND! <- Very likely but I never paid close attention. Holy shit.

hope that picnic gives you diarrhea I AM DYING

HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL FOR THREE DAYS? THREE WHOLE FUCKING DAYS?! AND HIS MAN IS NOW ON SOME OTHER MANS FLOOR EATING CHEESE? AND JUSTIN STILL DOESNT KNOW HE VISITED EVERY DAY?! IM ABOUT TO FUCKING BURN THIS PLACE DOWN TO THE GROUND. THREE FUCKING DAYS! Oh look it is the song of our people, the anthem of the fandom. THREE FUCKING DAYS

H'e actually cheating - oh brother anon, oh brother anon.

He called your mom... oh sweet child.

[ecargmura]

Grandpa And Grandma Turn Young Again Episode 10 Review - Grandparents' Daily Lives

Like what the title of this episode says, this episode doesn’t have one consistent plot and it’s more of vignettes of the grandparents’ daily lives. Because of that I’ll be giving my thoughts on each of the little storylines shown in this episode.

The first is the grandparents’ experiencing their first Halloween. Mino tells them about how adults wear costumes these days and on the day of the holiday, she goes to their house with Shouta and gets shocked with how detailed their costumes are. Ine dresses as a ghost and Shouzou dresses as a Namahage, a fantasy creature that kidnaps bad children; I’m a bit familiar with them as they were mentioned often in My New Boss Is Goofy. I did like how the grandparents went all out for their costumes. They wanted to slay so hard and they did. I always like how Mino is such a great granddaughter and always tries to get her grandparents to have some excitement in their lives in their new youthful forms.

The second story revolves around recent thievery and burglary in the neighborhood these days. Apparently, there’s a rumor that a crazy kei truck chases after said thieves. The rumors are true as the driver of said crazy kei truck is none other than Shouzou who patrols the orchard at night to prevent robbery and litter. The whole drifting segment with the robber and Shouzou is actually an Initial D reference. They even casted Tomokazu Seki for the blond driver; Shouzou’s voice actor Shinichiro Miki voices the protagonist of Initial D, so it’s hilarious how they casted two people who were in the show and made a parody!

The third story revolves around teaching the elderly how to use air guns just in case of thievery. It turns out that the elderly ladies are all proficient after Shouzou teaches them how to do so and they even look badass! It was so cute.

The fourth story is a bit of a long one as it revolves around Mino and Shouta taking shelter at the shrine during a heavy downpour and then after a moment to themselves, they see an illusion of Mino’s grandparents from their younger days and…they start getting frisky to the point that Mino covers Shouta’s eyes. Damn, that must be a wild experience. Also, Ine was the one pinning down Shouzou and banging him. She’s surprisingly a go-getter. Once Mino and Shouta go to the former’s grandparents’ house to get their clothes dried, they talk about what happened. They were going to have a more intimate moment until the grandparents ruin it. Dang, they must be that horny to want to hear the granddaughter’s intimacy.

The fifth story is about how the train Ine uses has very little passengers and that the conductor was getting old himself. She decides to bring in her old lady friends and help the conductor with his job. That was really sweet of her to do so as it would be unfortunate if his job ends with no one riding the train.

The sixth story takes place in winter in a bad snowstorm. The grandparents get stuck in traffic, but seeing how the lead car is struggling in the snow, Grandpa, being the S-tier driver that he is, helps him through the snow. The grandparents are such kind people.

The seventh and final story of the episode revolves around Ine using an ice pick to remove the ice patches. However, as she’s getting younger, she feels hotter whenever she uses her body, so she takes off three layers of clothes to reveal herself in a black undershirt and makes her look very cool. Shouzou was blushing heavily. It was cute to see Ine’s cooler side and that Shouzou loves even the cool, ikeonna part of her.

Seeing how there’s only 11 episodes means that this is the penultimate one. What will the finale be like? Will it be sad? Happy? I’m afraid of finding out. What are your thoughts on this episode?

[pills-dolls-and-kittycats]

Part 3 - Death Path

While I recall when I first started to consider Sam a friend rather than a client, I'm never quite clear on when it began to feel like more. Perhaps it was when I went to see him on the first weekend in March, right after he told me that his girlfriend passed away. Other times I think it was just after his mother's funeral, which was the first time we had sex. The trail of death paved the way for us, in many more ways that I initially realized.

It must have been March 3rd. Harlow, Adela, Zilka, and I were having afternoon tea at an upscale tea house on the outskirts of the city in celebration of Harlow’s birthday. It was one of those late winter days when the sun was shining through a curtain of falling snow. We were seated in a round glass room surrounded by gardens, which were just naked branches at this point in the year. The tea room was busy, but the shining white flakes falling against the curvature of the glass walls made it feel serene, like being inside a snow globe. 

I felt a sense of joy and wonder. Spring was around the corner, school was nearly done, I was spending quality time with my three oldest and dearest friends, and there was scandal and drama in the air. My friends were there for it.

“I think I might be having an affair with a former client” I announced.

“So is he also in a relationship?” Asked Harlow.

“Apparently not anymore, his girlfriend died last week. I guess he’s just my side piece now”. 

I admitted that I found him embarrassing but somehow couldn't explain the odd attraction I developed for him. The tea got hotter when we brought up Zilka’s one night involvement with him years prior.

“What’s he like?” inquired Adela, turning to Zilka.

“To be honest, I thought he was mentally delayed when I met him, and actually considered the question of consent about going home with him. Ultimately, I decided I was being extra progressive by overlooking it, but we didn’t click. I didn’t see him again.”

“He is very awkwards and strange.” I agreed. “But I think it has to do with all the drugs he does. Honestly I’ve never seen anyone consume as many drugs and all at the same time. He may not be long for this world either.”

Adela continued with her inquiry, “So how did his girlfriend die?”

“No idea, I don't feel comfortable asking, I'll let you know if I find out”.

We drank tea, ate pastries, gossiped and giggled for hours. I was having tremendous fun, but couldn't help looking forward to evening time when I'd get to see Sam. In part because I wanted more gossip to report back to my ladies.

While Harlow disapproved of my choices she was curious. “So do you have feelings for him?”

"Not really, not in a romantic sense. I think of him as a really good friend.”

"So if things just ended tomorrow how would you feel?”

"Honestly, I would be sad at a loss of a good friend, but I wouldn't be heartbroken.”

Adela interjected, “Arguably the loss of friendship is far worse, isn't it?”

"It really can be.” We all agreed.

As I entered Sam’s apartment I handed him a bottle of fine tequila and offered my condolences 

"It’s fine. Don't worry, I'm not emo about it or anything.”

“It’s okay to feel sad Sam, I'm here if you want to talk about it.”

“I’ve mentioned Alice to you before, haven't I?”

"No actually, not until you texted me about her death.”

"I’m sure I have, you probably don’t remember.”

I had no idea what to think of this exchange.

“Anyways” he continued, “She's the one who taught me to make martinis the proper way, she was a bartender. I met her though Meena actually, they used to be friends.”

I noticed there was a lit candle in his living room. He fixed us a couple of martinis, Alice style, and brought out a plate of cocaine.

"She wasn't texting me back the whole time I was in BC, I sent her the song Ghosts, thinking she was ghosting me.” That when I heard his voice crack a little, it's the first (and possibly the last) time he seemed genuinely sad. He quickly shook it off and continued with his story.

"She left her health card here. When I couldn't reach her, I went by her condo to leave it at the front desk, and the cops were there.”

“Did you get questioned?”

"Not really. They probably went through her phone already. I think they knew I was out of town.”

I got no closer to finding out what happened, except now I was left even more curious. 

Crash

Completely frozen

Rainbow circle spins for days

Everything is lost

The next day, my computer crashed beyond repair . I lost everything, and finals were fast approaching. After stupidly attempting to reboot it on my own for a couple of days, I wrote a haiku about it for creative writing class and finally took it to the shop to have the hard drive replaced. The data was not salvageable. 

That day I had my first breakdown of the week, at which point I smashed my phone repeatedly into the back of a bus seat while yelling obscenities at the driver. Now, I was no longer able to even access my online class material. I was writing my final poli-sci paper mostly by hand (through tears), but also on my tablet (between fuming fits of rage). I couldn't see full pages, I couldn't open multiple tabs, I didn't know what I was writing or what I already wrote. I was stressed and running out of study aids which I needed now more than ever before. 

Two days later my phone got repaired. I had a second breakdown around this time - though no electronics were hurt. Upon starting up my phone for the first time in days, I texted Sam in a state of panic. He responded with, “can't meet now. I'm at the hospital with my mommy’s remains.” 

I could not in good conscience follow up with my own concerns. Shortly after he texted me again with details for his mother's funeral. I think this was Friday, the funeral was on Monday and Tuesday, my final paper was DUE. 

In addition to my school anxiety, I was very uncomfortable with the idea of going to the funeral. 

“Isn’t this the person that made all those soups for you?” enquired Adela.

“Yes”.

“I think you have to go.”

"I just can't tell, like doesn't he have closer friends than me? And won’t relatives wonder who the fuck I am?”

"He’s reaching out to you in his time of need.”

"Yeah, I kinda can't believe the amount of tragedy this person is facing. I guess I don't have a choice.”

Beyond a sense of obligation, if I was being perfectly honest, I was curious. I wanted to know what his weird life actually was like, and I always enjoyed an excuse to wear a sharp pants suit. 

That Saturday night I received notice that my computer was fixed but I couldn't get to the shop in time. I tried to pick it up on Sunday but the shop was closed. I managed to get it back by weeping hysterically into the phone until the shop owner came in on his day off to allow me to retrieve it. I begin to type! I got halfway through to learn that the paper was actually coherent and only required a bit of tightening on the paragraphs to make some semblance of sense. I got to the halfway point and I discovered madness!!! It’s all abject borders and bio politics and do I really need Agamben in this???? And how did Derrida make his way in here??? It did not seem to contain a single complete sentence! What was I trying to say??? It’s 2 am, my eyes were burning, nothing made sense anymore and I had to be up for the funeral at 9 am. I gave up. 

The morning of the funeral started off dramatically. Sam put me in touch with his neighbour Erik so we could grab a ride together. The night before we agreed to touch base at 10 am and meet in front of the buildings at 10:15 in order to get to the funeral for 11. 

I called at 10, no response. I began to make my way down stairs when I realized I called the wrong number. I called the right number by 10:15, Erik answered “YES?”

"Oh hi, are you still waiting outside the buildings?”

"No! I left already. I couldn't just wait around not knowing if you slept in or whatever”.

"I'm sorry, I called the wrong number initially, but we did plan to meet at 10:15 and it's 10:15 now.”

"Um no. It's 11. You might want to get that checked.” He immediatly hung up.

I was panic stricken. 11?! My phone gave every indication it was 10. I called a taxi and the driver confirmed it was not yet 11. I started to worry that I got it all wrong. What if the funeral was in fact at 10 and I'm arriving an hour late? What if I'm headed to the wrong temple? Erik had the address.

I arrived at Heather Bloomberg's funeral with a good 20 minutes to spare. 

The service was moving. I learned that his father was a retired government official, his mother, a professor, his sister I already knew made documentaries and her husband, a symphony composer. They were all so upstanding and lovely. I was beyond shocked and baffled as to what the fuck was wrong with Sam specifically. I ended up journaling about it for my creative writing class: 

IT WAS A SHIT SHOW OF EPIC PROPORTIONS. 

The funeral was lovely, but it turns out that my usually very tolerable drinking buddy is extremely bad at grief. He managed to pick a fight with his family’s Rabbi, the Cantor, and his parents’ really nice friends who organized the Shiva sitting for them in their condo party room. It was now up to his drunk ass friends (including myself) to wrangle him repeatedly in order to keep him from causing more damage or getting himself badly hurt. After a few drinks and as the pathological problem-solver that I am, I was running back and forth attempting to mediate every situation (no one asked me to mediate), for people I have never met before (it was not good).

We eventually veered away from the civilized adults to end up in his friend’s recording studio in the middle of the night. I was now in a nightmare scenario which included a community of middle-aged, washed-up rock musicians and their accompanying, middle-aged groupies, all thoroughly still living in the 70s and 80s and behaving in a manner fitting those times. I suddenly recalled why my generation put a hard stop to ALL OF THAT. I was suddenly feeling like a very aggressive fly on the wall of some 1960’s rock parody. Drunkenly, I spent the whole night attempting to rescue all the glammed-up women from their turbulent lives of too many men and not enough self-esteem. All the while the women very adamantly demanded way too much explicit and objectifying male attention, and were lamenting their unfulfilling lives. I (even more drunkenly) gave them all my phone number believing there would be a consciousness-raising session to come. Many regrets there. 

On the positive side, those creepy dandy geezers still party like some freakish miracles of modern medicine. At least it seemed like the positive side at the time, less so the next morning when I woke up with the horrific sense of WTF just happened? Really, I barely recalled. I was dizzy, noxious and craving violence with a final paper to complete.

The next day I managed to complete my final paper through a painful hangover and absolutely no drugs. The previous night was the first time I'd seen Sam in public and I couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that he was suddenly a completely different person. My usually sweet, flirty, soft spoken friend was crass, angry, loud and entitled - a complete embarrassment. Still, I chucked it up to grief. Many people show their worse sides in situations of extreme stress. And Sam had so much to grieve about. 

Miraculously I completed and submitted my paper exactly on time and I felt like celebrating. I grabbed a bottle of brandy from my liquor cabinet and headed over to Sam's. He was about to watch The Tragedy of McBeth and suggested we drop acid. Sam has offered me acid many times before, but with my school workload it was always too much of a time commitment. This time I accepted.

When we started to feel really high we moved to the bedroom. We went under the covers and I allowed him to penetrate me for the first time. Our bodies were right up against each other and it was very intense, but not like making love, more like something dark and mystical. I would at moments forget the boundaries between our bodies as I fell in and out an ocean of senses and visions. When I started to come down I decided to go home. It was nearly morning and I had trouble staying asleep between snippets of fevered dreams. I was overwhelmed with the smell of my aunt's pajamas - a memory scent lingering from childhood. I changed my sweaty sleep shirt several times and when I finally fell asleep I had a weird dream. I was in a graveyard and Sam was standing by a tombstone mouthing something intently though no sounds exited his lips. The tombstone had numbers scrolling fast across its surface like code on a computer monitor. Everything was dark, and visible mainly in shades of grey.

I was starting to suspect that he was putting a spell on me.

Alice's Martini

Though I'm sure this technique isn't unique, it is truly worth a mention.

Swish dry vermouth in a chilled martini glass than pour it out. 

Pour in about 2 oz of frozen vodka. 

Rub a little lemon rind around the rim of the glass and finish it off with a lemon twist.

[knybits]

A Murder of One

Chapter:

28

Summary:

The Pillars vs. Upper One ft. Akiko

Previous Chapter | Origin | Next Chapter

“Hey Akiko, how powerful are your eyes?” 

Akiko looks left to her new friend and mother figure, Miyuki. The two are lounging on the engawa, the day a bit hotter than most. The small twinkling of the wind chime sings in the air, and Chiyo is holding Ayame to Akiko’s right. 

The two had come to visit, with Chiyo bringing Ayame in for a third check up this month (“She’s like… Drooling more than usual???”) and Miyuki tagging along just because (“I don’t want to be left out. What if you guys forget I exist?!”) 

With no patients in her ward (for once in a blue moon) Akiko has decided to entertain the girls with something from over seas. 

“It’s called a popsicle. Dad taught me how to make some and shipped over a special cooling machine,” Akiko explained as she handed out the icy treats. 

So now the girls lounge in silence, listening to the wind chime and the birds tweet and Ayame’s baby babble. 

Until Miyuki’s question. 

“I dunno. How cold’s your ice?” Akiko shoots back. Miyuki rolls her eyes, “No but like. You see stuff-” 

“So do you-” 

“Quit it.”

Akiko quits it. Chiyo laughs. Ayame startles. 

The two girls look between them at the younger one, her eyes closed as she gives it some thought. 

“Well my nichirin tools are clear, and I can still see them. I have to clean the sharps myself now though, or the girls will cut themselves on accident. I dunno though, is that what you meant?” 

Miyuki shrugs, “I guess. Genya mentioned something about how you took his measurements without a measuring tape or thermometer and stuff. And that you knew how many demons he ate, which, by the way, don’t tell Sanemi.” 

Akiko rolls her eyes, “I don’t have a death wish. Also, doctor-patient confidentiality, blah blah blah.” 

“Akiko, you tell me what’s wrong with Giyuu all the time.” 

“Not out of kindness. I’m hoping you drop him when you realize how messed up he is. I don’t know what you see in him Chiyo,” Akiko says and Chiyo nudges her shoulder. Akiko holds her hands up in defeat, muttering a half assed apology that all three girls know is in no way genuine. 

They’re silent again for a moment, but Miyuki suddenly jumps up, her eyes sparkling like a snowflake under the sun. 

“Y’know what’d be really cool?! If you could see the future!!” 

Chiyo and Akiko stare up at her listlessly, both wondering how that would even work. 

“I don’t think that’s what my eyes are for.” 

“Ok but you say that a person dies when you see one crow-” 

“Because they do-” 

“So isn’t that the same thing?” 

“She kinda has a point,” Chiyo comments, shrugging her shoulders at the concrete evidence. Akiko shakes her head in disagreement. 

“But wouldn’t it be so cool though?!” Miyuki keeps going, a smile on her face as she finishes off her popsicle. 

Akiko scoffs, “What would I even use it for? Seeing which demon slayer is about to come through my door and with what injuries- wait… that actually sounds really nice…” 

“See?!!!” 

“It’d be great for fighting,” Chiyo comments, flexing her arm in thought as Ayame holds on like a monkey. “Then I could predict a demon’s blood art or their next moves.” 

“That wouldn’t help me though. I can’t fight,” Akiko says. Chiyo and Miyuki nod their heads, knowing how sad Akiko’s physical abilities are. Her talents lie elsewhere. 

“Oh! What if you like… I dunno, tell us how to fight or something? Like if you’re on the sidelines and giving us guidance.” 

“Chiyo, that has to do with fighting still. Besides, I don’t think I should be on the field with an active fight.” 

Miyuki grins, placing a hand on Akiko’s shoulder, “Don’t worry, we got your back! We’ll make sure a demon doesn’t touch you!” 

Again, Akiko scoffs, “You guys barely listen to me though. Sanemi wouldn’t listen to me for sure. Muichirou would probably look around like ‘Who said that?’ and Iguro would rather get hurt just to glare at me for giving him an order than listen to said order.” 

Miyuki and Chiyo share a look before then both ruffle Akiko’s short and slightly curly locks. 

“Trust us.” 

“We’ll listen to you.” 

“MOVE!!!” 

All four Pillars immediately jump back, just as Genya fires a shot with his newly formed demon gun. Muichirou’s sword is still embedded through the chest of Upper Moon One, but he’s abandoned it upon hearing Akiko’s scream. 

The bullets burst and pierce through various parts of Upper One’s body, and roots immediately begin to grow up and out. It keeps him in place, and the Pillars all see their opening. 

“DEFEND!!” Akiko commands them again, and they do so immediately. 

They almost didn’t hear her over One’s monstrous roar, but Himejima’s chain whip around everyone so as to protect them, and Miyuki shoves Muichirou behind her since he has nothing to protect himself with. Akiko yanks Genya behind the wall they were hiding behind, and he throws his body over her and onto the floor to protect them from the various blades that shoot overhead. 

Akiko hears a strangled scream, and her eyes quickly dart around Genya’s body to see Miyuki, crouched on the floor with her right foot missing. Sanemi grabs her by the haori and Muichirou jumps over Miyuki, rushing forward to grab ahold of his katana to give the two a second of time. 

Miyuki is flung back, Genya catching her in his arms and setting her beside Akiko, who rips one of her arm sleeves off to act as a bandage. Genya runs into battle, blasting off another round from his gun, and Akiko has done all she can for Miyuki’s missing foot. 

“Told you we’d listen,” Miyuki smiles painfully. Akiko nods her head, her throat choked up and tears blurring her vision. 

“You can’t die,” Akiko squeaks, actually squeaks. She hates herself for worrying Miyuki at a time like this, but Akiko doesn’t know what would have happened if everyone didn’t move when she told them to. They looked like they were about to jump right in too, and Upper One still looked like he had another trick up his sleeve, and Akiko didn’t want anyone to find out what it was first hand. 

“Course I won’t. I’m the damn Ice Pillar,” Miyuki ruffles Akiko’s hair, and the two hear a loud clang. They look up to see Himejima’s weapon has come down on Upper One from the bottom and top of his neck, and Miyuki makes eye contact with Sanemi. 

She rushes off in an instant, and the two Pillars slam their katanas down together, delivering the final blow that rips Upper One’s head off. His neck gushes out blood with the force of a waterfall, but Akiko knows that he isn’t done. His blood coagulates at one, and the bleeding stops. 

“Keep going!” she cries out, “He’s not dead!” 

So the five press him. Genya with his gun, Muichirou digging his blade further up his chest, Sanemi and Miyuki working as a flawless pair with attacks similar to an ice storm, and Himejima’s own weapon flying around with enough force to break pillars and walls. 

Akiko watches as he tries to regenerate his head, looking like a deformed arachnid with tusks. His body is pelted with relentless attacks, each more delivered with more desperation than the next, but then his body stops. It stops regenerating, and it begins to crumble. 

Everyone stops in their tracks, weapons raised in caution, chests heaving as they try to catch their breaths. But he really does stop. 

Akiko starts to cry, and her cry of relief is what startles everyone back to reality. 

They’re alive.

They’re all alive. 

Miyuki tackles Akiko first, then Muichirou falls into the two, then Genya pulls Sanemi with him, and Himejia offers the group a small smile. 

Akiko can hear the crows caw their victory. 

“UPPER MOON ONE IS DEFEATED! THERE ARE NO CASUALTIES! ALL FOUR PILLARS ARE ALIVE!!!” 

Her heart soars, and she can physically feel the spirit of the demon slayers lift. Miyuki is bawling her eyes out into Akiko’s ruined shirt, and Akiko wails too. Genya wipes his own tears away and Sanemi runs his hand through his brother’s hair, truly smiling for the first time. Akiko has a feeling that the brothers will be ok. 

“We must hurry,” Himejima’s voice grounds the group, and they sober up quickly. Goto has made his way back into the room, and he helps Akiko patch up the Pillars. 

Akiko is halfway through stitching Himejima’s face when her sight comes across a nightmare. 

“Tell them to stop.” 

“Huh?” 

“TELL THE DEMON SLAYERS TO STOP!” Akiko looks up at a crow in the corner. “THEY MUST RETREAT!! MUZAN IS ALIVE!” 

Miruna soars out of the room immediately, and Akiko can see that he’s come across the first group of demon slayers. He caws his orders and they freeze in terror, but Miruna doesn’t stick around to make sure they listen. 

He continues to soar, through rooms and corridors, warning team three and five to retreat. 

But team one and two aren’t so lucky. About half of each team had begun to retreat on Akiko and Kiriya’s orders, but they weren’t fast enough to escape Muzan.

Akiko watches with horror and he slices bodies left and right, flying off walls and floors and devouring every demon slayer in sight. The few people that retreated without a second thought are no match for Muzan, and he catches them in an instant. 

Akiko can feel the bile climb up her throat, the blood drain from her face. She can see Tamayo’s head in his clutches, his claw digging into her head, a thumb through her eye. She’s crying, the last of her face crumbling away. Then, in an instant, Muzan crushes her head.

Blood spurts everywhere, and Akiko finally hurls. 

Muzan has revived. 

And he’s bringing everyone to him. 

“We have to go,” Akiko mumbles, wiping the bile from her mouth. Kiriya just gave the green light for all Pillars to regroup and kill Muzan. And she intends to follow this order. 

She finds the strength in her legs to stand, though wobbly, and Himejima picks the girl up. He carries her in one arm, his weapon clutched tightly in the other, and Akiko starts to lead them through the maze. Miyuki has an arm over Sanemi’s shoulder as he helps her run, Miyuki still trying to get used to only having one foot. They’re all silent, listening closely to Akiko’s orders of left, right, up, down. 

“Work with me here, Yushiro,” she mumbles, but she knows that he’s too far driven by rage to focus on anything but destroying the monster in front of him. They’ll have to take the long way, unfortunately, and Akiko worries that there is no time. 

She watches as Giyuu and Tanjirou run in to fight. Muzan’s razor sharp arms flying around, delivering deep cuts to the two. She watches as Yushiro continues to manipulate the Fortress demon’s mind, and she sees past the illusion where Kanroji and Iguro have died. 

They pick up more demon slayers along the way, team three and five grateful to be alive. 

And even though Akiko knows that Kanao, Zenitsu and Inosuke are alive, it doesn’t stop her from crying out in relief at the sight of them. 

“Akikooooo!!!” Zenitsu cries out, reaching out to her. She bats his hand away, and grabs ahold of Kanao’s instead. The girl tears up at the sight of Akiko, and they two share a look of understanding, being the only two tsuguko of the now deceased Butterfly Pillar. 

Akiko blinks her tears away quickly as the building begins to shake, and she can see that Yushiro is beginning to drive the Fortress up. 

“Listen closely everyone,” Akiko says, drawing more of Yushiro’s demon papers from pockets of her hakama. 

“I have a plan.” 

its almost over... can you feel it?

[chloe--bug]

aaaaa

I wished that there was a world in which the things he said to me were true. I wished for longer fingernails, too, and I wished for rainier days and a different voice and I wished and I wished and I wished, and then I got still and quiet for a while, and it was nice. I found that that neglected, hungry yearning to be filled and shaped and made whole was leaving me perennially thirsty for more than any one’s cup could hold. That time I spent asking for nothing and hoping for nothing and letting myself be whatever and pretending like life wasn’t real was new for me. That contentedness hums within you, and it keeps you warm. I am, at the core, too much of a lover girl to let that last forever, though. 

I’ve always been magic. It sparkles on my skin and I feel it breathe inside of me. I create things from thin air, and my words are always so cardinal, and I just know things. I knew when I met him that I would like him for a long time, that he would love me for longer. The natural warmth of my mind has always impressed me, for it can so easily ignite into something hotter, this burning, mystical tool that I just started using on accident one day. My magic frightens me sometimes, though; I feel like every word that leaves my mouth grows roots in my days and grows into something oh so real, so often so tangible I’m convinced I’m practicing some sort of witchcraft. I say I’d like to have something and it’s in my lap before I even finished talking. I realize through this that I often don’t actually know what I want. 

I accidentally asked the universe to remind me of someone I was beginning to forget. I hadn’t thought about him in a while, now I miss him like I am a baby missing her blanket. It is not that I have yet to love another, but rather it is that no other will be the first to open me up and look through my insides as he did. Even at my most heartsick, I loved every inch of him; I looked up at him as though he was a saint in between my legs. All I felt was devotion; it swelled inside of me and ate me alive and drowned me again and again. I once believed that when I shed my mortal form, my devotion would dissipate out of me and crawl into him, finally free of the vessel creating the borders between it and him. No longer aching to hold him or make him belong to me, only mirthful in his skin.

Love for another hurts, it just hurts no matter what. The ache of yearning is alive and well and wonderful inside of me and everyone I know. There will always be a friction between two people, two lovers, an irreconcilable difference flickering. Where we meet the parts of each other that are strange and confusing and we either give up on them or get past them or swallow them. I find that others are often chuckling at me or looking at me a little sideways, amused maybe, but never really kindred to the person I am. I’m so drawn to someone that can get my mind, the strange parts and the smart ones and the sad ones. Love is to see the eternal flame that burns within its differences, maybe. I can’t remember the last time someone saw me like that, other than him, that’s the thing. 

I cried to my mother on the phone today, I hate holding this sadness in the same hands I held it in when I was sixteen, I hate how heavy it is and I hate how familiar it is. There is a magnet within me that wants to be near him. It pulls and hauls me like a rag baby being contended for by a circle of hungry dogs. Oh, I’m so humiliated.

[ghstdoll]

truth be told she knew nothing about religion or how it worked, or why people were so committed to a bunch of rules given to them to get into some special place after you died. it seemed silly, and a bit cult-y for regulus to be so scared of just being a teenage boy because at every turn he could do something wrong. no sex, no drinking and apparently no dating who you wanted to date. "I've never actually been in a church so...and according to your girlfriend I'd probably burn alive if I ever stepped into one." daphne never directly said it, she liked to appear to be too kind for that but things she did say implied it, or the way she looked at salem with her nose in the air as well.

it seemed he still didn't get it, which is aggressively adorable but also kind of stressful because salem was being kind of forward with her intentions. "you do understand that I'm trying to hear it right? I wanna know what you think about me...im not scared of sin." what kind of god tells you that you're not allowed to have pleasure? she didn't get it and she's not sure she wants tom she had a mother who traumatized her enough growing up. she gets it's wrong to not only go after a man who was taken not only that but someone who made a promise to not have sex, what she's doing is wrong and probably makes her the bad guy in all of this but it's also not like he says no, if anything he's encouraging her behavior, begging to touch her as his green eyes stare at her breasts instead of the road. "you could even taste them if you wanted to." she purrs. almost wanting to act surprised he was even agreeing to this as easily as he was, it makes it hotter, was he really that repressed? blue eyes glance down at his lap and she can see he's hard and she's just gotten started. "maybe I'll even teach you how to fuck them...or do we have to wait till you're married to daphne." she jokes again, implying she would still want him even if he was married, she'd want him not matter who he belonged to or what he believed in, she wants him so bad it makes her feel like she's going insane.

she smirks a little, feeling his phone getting warm between her thighs, knowing the blonde is probably already listening to sad taylor swift songs on repeat as she waits for him to send her that one text, just one to make her feel safe. yet he wasn't going to do that, at least not now. he was busy and ready to have someone far more deserving. "you have no idea the power you hold do you sweet boy?" she purrs. "it's enough to drive a woman crazy like enough to lie about being drunk so I can get you alone." she traces against his leg, looking down at his hard cock under his fabric as she inches her fingers a little closer, waiting on a reaction to see how he responds.

regulus asks salem if she would beg for him and she can't help but smirk. "maybe...I think I would look pretty cute on my knees begging for you to fuck my throat. don't you?" she teases. "but to answer your question yeah, I mean I literally planned this whole night to get you here...daphne doesn't appreciate what she has, she doesn't get you the way I do." she's only known him a week but she understands there's so much more to him, he's too good for the world he's in, too good for the girl he's with.

she moves her hand closer, mouth watering at the idea of releasing him from his pants and taking him, finally claiming him. she looks up into his eyes, biting down on her bottom lip as he tells her he's thought about it, but that he thought about it even more with her. It was like giving her the greenlight, making her him as she undoes her seat belt. "do you wanna know what it feels like then? to have a warm mouth around your dick?" she hums, letting her palm brush against his bulge now. "you don't even have to pull over."she sits on her knees in the passenger side, facing him as she tugs down from the top of her shirt and tugging it down until it's under her breasts. "do you want me church boy?'

he laughs at her words, already easing up in her presence. she’s likeable too, on top of being the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen. he wonders what it would have been like, if he was set up with someone like salem and not daphne; someone he at least enjoyed talking to, at the very least. “i haven’t watched that movie, but no, jesus doesn’t work like an urban legend. you would think so, considering what catholic mass looks like.” he pauses thoughtfully. “our priest might be able to pass as slenderman, in the right lighting.”

she seems like she’s flirting with him, which makes his heart race, trying to focus on the road. “you looked up the meaning of my name?” he asks softly, a little surprised. he didn’t realize her interest ran that deep. “my father gave it to me… it’s a family thing. we’ve always had celestial names.” he can’t help but feel lighter, knowing that she finds him attractive. she’s looking at him now, her eyes moving over his body and distracting him even more. he knows it’s wrong to think about this, and in a way he’s already unfaithful because he definitely wants salem to touch him again. “i would say the same about how you dressed, but you’re always beautiful,” he says honestly, ignoring that guilt. it’s just the truth, isn’t it? that she’s perfect to look at and he likes to look at her, even if he’s not checking out her body and it’s just her pretty face. besides, he’s just complimenting her back, right?

he knows immediately that he’s trying to make excuses for himself, because when she turns her body towards him his green eyes stray over to her again, looking at her perfect curves and all of that skin exposed in her tight little outfit. he almost doesn’t hear her words because he’s so hard, already aching for her and he’s only just looking. there’s something sexy about her confidence, so different from anyone he’s ever met. he’s unable to stop glancing over at her, especially when she runs her fingers across her tits, smoothing the tight fabric of her top. it draws his attention to her nipples poking through, making him salivate because he’s picturing what they look like outside of the top. he flushes, knowing she can probably see his erection because he hasn’t been able to adjust himself, his hands on the wheel. her commentary about god’s flood is amusing, even if it isn’t relevant. “yeah, that’s now how it works…” there’s a resigned tone to his voice, as if he fully realizes how ridiculous abstienence seems to people who aren’t raised catholic.

“i don’t know if you want to hear about these particular sins,” he replies when she offers to listen, wondering if she would feel objectified or think of him differently because of the thoughts he’s had about her. it wouldn’t be respectul of him to share them, would it? not just to salem, but to daphne, too. but he already feels like he’s cheated, with his dick so hard that it’s already throbbing for her, and he almost went off the road on a bend because he was looking at her perfect cleavage. he can’t get it out of his head how sexy she looked with her fingers dragging down her top, touching her own tits like she wanted him to look.

she explains her confidence and he listens intently, both because he finds her genuinely interesting and because he thinks she’s right. there’s no reason why she shouldn’t be proud of her beautiful body– shouldn’t they all be appreciating the positives about themselves and other people? why was it wrong for him to admire her? but he knows it goes deeper than that, from both his relationship to the complicated way that sin works. all he knows is he wants her and he can’t deny it; not anymore. she looks too perfect, sitting in the seat next to him and calling him sexy. her compliment makes his heart race, a faint smile tugging on his lips. he’s never felt like this before– this electric feeling, like if she touched him he would die because it was too intense to handle. he glances down at her breasts again, a small shiver passing through his frame. it feels different now, because she said she likes him looking. she even said he can do more than look, which makes his mouth water again. “will you let me touch them?” he speaks quietly, not even recognizing himself as he asks. “c-can i see them?” he already has a fantasy in his head of what it would be like if she pulled her top down now. he wonders how beautiful they are, and how good he would feel just looking at them.

her question about daphne is a little sobering, puling him out of his fantasy where he gets to see her perfect chest right here in his car. daphne feels far away now, lost behind the passion and lust he has for salem, wanting her so much that he’s aching. “because i wanted to see you instead,” he admits quietly, green eyes looking her up and down.

her hand is on his thigh and it’s hard to breathe, a shaky sigh leaving him as he looks down at her perfect fingers. she confesses she’s sober but he doesn’t care; he just wants her, and his nerves are on fire because she’s touching him at all. she calls him a sweetheart again, making his breathing change, so turned on that he didn’t know it was possible to feel this way. but then she says that it should be a sin daphne isn’begging for him and he has to make an effort not to take his focus completely off the road, his heart leaping in his chest. “you would beg for me?” he asks softly, trying to picture what that would sound like. 

he’s so horny that it feels like he could cum without being touched at this point, a flush in his body as he tries to answer her next question. he’s seen porn before, but he went to confession and never watched it again, trying his best not to think of what he’d seen and how he wonders what it feels like. but he’s thought about it again recently, wondering what it would feel like with someone as pretty as salem. “a few times… more often now, since you moved here,” he admits, voice thick with desire, unable to stop the words from leaving his mouth.

[marcspectorstannie]

𖧷Kiss confession𖧷(engineer!mark x reader)

Summary: Mark tries to admit his feelings for you but fails

Warnings: none that i remember, didn't really proofread

An: dropping this while I continue the Yancy oneshot

Being stuck on a large spaceship with Mark wasn't something you had thought of. But it gave you the chance to make a new friend that could keep your company in the odd silent moments of the ship. He knew how to make you laugh when you were sad, make you question your friendship, even your sanity. You've been holding on for a few months, but the past few days... Mark had been acting different.

"Hey, Capt- Y/n, you said to not call you captain. I was wondering if you could help me with something? It shouldn't take long" You nodded and followed him to the warp core hallway. He didn't open the door to the warp core, he kinda just, stood there? You watched his fingers pick at the material on his gloves as he avoided eye contact with you. Why was he so nervous? "So, what's up? " you asked in hopes he would finally say something. After what felt like ages, Mark finally looked at you. "Right um, I actually didn't need anything. I just wanted to say hi,that's all." He awkwardly chuckled. This wasn't like him. Usually he'd get straight to the point and drag on for 15 minutes about another topic. "Alright what's wrong, I've known you for almost half a year.Just say it,whatever it is won't change my perspective of you." He sighed and looked back at the floor and his boots. He could feel his face getting hotter just thinking about it. What if you didn't think of him the same way and ruin your friendship? Even worse, what if you completely hate him after this? Suddenly you grabbed his hand after see him pick the leather to death. "Mark" , he looked at you with the most lovestruck eyes. It was obvious at this point. "What's wrong? You can tell me, ok?"

Mark only focused on your face and your hand on his. As much he wanted to get out of this situation, he didn't want this moment to end. "You have really nice eyes-uh, I didn't mean to say that, I meant that you're really pretty-not pretty like- not that you aren't pretty your gorgeous! What I meant was that I think your--" He hadn't even noticed you got closer to him. And you kissed him. It was quick but he got the point. His eyes looked the most relaxed they've even been ever since boarding the ship. A giant wave of confidence came over him and pulled you back into a longer kiss. His hand traveled to your waist, not wanting you to move away. Mark cursed his need for air and pulled away after what felt like hours.

"So, what was it you needed to tell me? " You teased him, knowing he was still shaken up. "I think you know, Captain"