#theres almost never a “true” black

[hordemama]

some common colors and patterns!

most space rabbits are these neutral, earthy colors with at least Some Faint Sort of Pattern (usually that which are leftover from childhood). In my next post ill show some uncommon coats as well!

[where-does-the-heart-lie]

Is it so hard to ask that sabo follow his dream he had when he was a kid? IS IT??????

Also, his boat was commissioned from Franky! And he did a great job :)

Design talk:

Im gonna start with just sharing his canon designs

Colors:

Something i want to call attention to is the blue and black in his design.

When he was young, Sabo wore his heart on his sleeve. He had a dream for himself and was taking steps to complete it. Likewise, that blue on his coat is on full display its bright and vibrant and saturated. But also theres that dark blue, almost black, thats underneath it thats being hidden by that coat, the pants, and his tattered cravat. Likewise again, Sabo is hiding his darker side. He has secrets he doesn’t want his brothers to know of and he lets his aspirations and relationships he has with them outshine his past.

In his present design, that blue that was representative of his dreams, is now the one being hidden. Its covered by a complete black coat, a representative of the darkness in his life that now is drives him. This color switch up is symbolic for how he’s put off his dreams and kept it locked up (belt), while choosing instead to pursue a life of darkness for the greater good.

Also, these pictures of young sabo and young adult sabo, you can visually see how less saturated it is. The blue is duller of the coat/undershirt and even more-so with the pants. You can see how he’s much less vibrant than how he was.

In my Post-Story idea, what happens leading up to it is that Sabo succeeds in taking down the world government and after he’s sure the world can move on without him, he goes sailing alone as a pirate to write a book about the world, like he’s always wanted to do. Also, Luffy returns his straw hat to shanks.

So in my design, sabo wears a vibrant blue coat again. He’s living his dream and has nothing holding him back from doing it. The black is still used, and its not being covered, but its on his pants and his gloves. He still has that darkness, but he doesn’t use it as protection or as something to hide, rather as something he moves forwards and progresses with. He will never forget what pain and hardship he went through and he’s not trying to. However, whats underneath all the layers is not darkness or dreams, and its not necessarily being hidden either, its light. Not BRIGHT, but light. Mellow and calm. The settled true nature of a healed man.

I took more colors from his child design than i did with his young adult (YA) one, too. I wanted to show how he’s reconnecting with his younger self by bringing them through to his Post-Story look!

Also, since his journal is his dream, it is blue, as well.

———

Items of Clothing:

In both of his canon designs, there is a sense of properness. A top hat, cravat, tailcoat, etc etc.. Its all properness. But more than that, its the idea of responsibility.

Whether he acts responsible or not isn’t what matters in his case, instead its that he wants to look responsible. He wants this because a) he was a little kid who wanted to grow up too fast and be taken seriously, and b) because he has an incredible amount of responsibility being the second in command of the revolutionary army.

To further prove that, I would like to point out his silly little cravat. I love his cravat. But how the hell is that practical for his line of work? Sabo is concerned with being practical, hence his baggy/movable pants and leather gloves. Additionally, just the waist/trench coat, belt, top hat combo would suffice for a proper looking person, but it’s taken excessively with the cravat. The cravat is purely for appearances.

Further symbolism with his cravat, i think, is that this appearance is visually choking him. Its wrapped tightly around his neck when he was a child and when he was most under control of a much higher power. However, when he’s a YA, it’s a lot looser. He’s got some agency, but he’s still being suffocated by responsibilities.

On with my design.

I took away his cravat. Im sorry but it is SYMBOLIC!!!!!!! He is not worried anymore with appearances, he is Free.

I took away his top hat but not his goggles, too. I think that after Luffy gives back the straw hat, Sabo forgoes his hat as well. In solidarity, maybe. If you think about it, the top hat isnt what makes his hat so special, its the goggles. So i got rid of the hat and kept The Goggs. Although it is sad that they are no longer Hatted, as that is one of the beautiful appeals of ASL, they are no longer ASL.

I wanted to keep aspects of his YA design, since even though it is very perforative, its still a style that he’s stuck with since childhood, so he’s gotta like it in some capacity. I just tried to make everything look a lot looser/open on him.

Lastly, i gave him a bit of a beard cuz i think he deserves it.

———

Alright! If you got this far, thanks so much for reading my insane ramblings!!!! I fr feel like this rn 👇

Visually, sabo’s design is not too complex, at least not when you look at him next to Ace, but theres a lot of depth to it. I didnt even think of half of these notes before i started typing this up, its just the more time i look at it, the more i noticed!

[with-my-calamitous-love]

I’LL SPEND FOREVER WONDERIN’ IF YOU KNEW…

touya todoroki x reader

you first met touya in winter. similarly, you fell in love and said goodbye in winter. now when the snow falls, he thinks of you.

part 1/2

inspired by enchanted

there he was again, early morning. sekoto peak on a brisk, winter evening. just shy of 8 years old, with fire blazing valiantly.

around others, he’s used to forcing laughter and faking his smiles. he hides that inter turmoil well, determined to carry the mantel of endeavour’s firstborn son. but just because he carries it well, doesn’t mean it isn’t heavy.

he’s in this same old tired, lonely place. the trees act as walls on insincerity, isolating him on this hill. his flames are controlled, ignoring that slight pain he feels in his palms when the red and oranges shoot out from his hands. the winter chill helps to keep him cool. he doesn’t need a jacket, anyway.

the snow drowns out most noises, as do most winter days. but he still catches the sound of soft, padding footsteps crunching in the snow.

all of what he’s feeling vanishes when he sees your face.

its rare, seeing someone his age. two kids, shy and precocious in the middle of winter. he’s the first to speak.

“…what are you doing out here?”

“i could ask you the same thing.”

kids are brats.

he huffs, his breath visible in the contrast to the cool air. “well, i asked you first.”

“going for a walk.” you hum, moving closer to him. you take not of the several burns on the trees, black and withered.

you can’t help but notice his lack of a jacket, though he seems unbothered by it. you’re here, mittens, jacket and scarf keeping you warm, while he’s in nothing but a thin sweater. “aren’t you… y’know, cold?”

he smiles, proud. “no. i have my fire.”

and he’s proud to have it, even if it will inevitably kill him.

but you two are kids, and neither of you know that. in your childhood brains, the only thing that matters is whats in front or you. so you spend the rest of the day chatting, walking around the seemingly enchanted forest. snowball fights turn into snowmen, and eventually graduates into laying in the snow, making snow angels.

“i like winter.” you hum, staring up at the snow tricking onto your face. “most people hate it. they think its cold, and wet, and dark.”

touya stopped moving for a second. he hummed and considered your words. he had heard people he knew in the past speak like that, namely his younger siblings that craved warmth.

"maybe they just don’t like snow." he says quietly, shrugging while drawing random lines in the snow. "you like it, though?"

you nod.

“for all its coldness, theres tenderness in winter to. the sky is light and pink when it snows at night. its quiet, and still.”

theres a certain secrecy to this moment that he feels when he hears your words. childhood friendship is a precious thing, something you never get back. the heroes and the villains of the world don’t matter, and anything important is reserved for a later time. right now, blanketed by snow, touya made one true friend. how enchanted he was to meet you.

✧.* ⋆.˚ ☾ .⭒˚ ✧.* ✧.* ⋆.˚ ☾ .⭒˚ ✧.* ✧.* ⋆.˚ ☾ .⭒˚ ✧.* ✧.* ⋆.˚

years pass, and you and touya are thrust into adolescence. his hair has changed, now a frosted white that matches the current season. you’re walking home from school together, though he’s got his hands shoved in his pocket like a little kid. not because he’s cold, but because he’s frustrated.

he’s taking his time, pacing back and forth. he almost doesn’t want to return home. thinking about it makes him clench his fists, the annoyance he felt quickly morphing into anger. when he’d come home, he’d be met with all that pain, all over again. the thought of his father focusing all his energy and attention on his little brother, all because touya wasn’t "good enough" to be his successor, was haunting. its what kept him up at night.

“it’s just not fair.” he mutters, and you instantly know what he’s referring to. “all that work… for what? he doesn’t even know i exist.”

words fail at times like this. you could tell him that its not true, but it is. you could tell him not to care, but he still will. you could tell him that you love him… but would he listen?

so instead, you opt to hold his hand. your fingers are cold against his naturally warm ones. you pretend not to notice the rough texture of his palms, evidence of his training.

the snow begins to trickle down again, falling like a crown on your head. tonight, you’re sparkling, and he doesn’t want to let you go. turquoise eyes look at you, wonderstruck as your nose begins to turn that winterish shade of pink. he almost blushes when he sees you tightening your scarf, forgetting he’s supposed to take you home.

“i just,” you sigh, taking both his hands in yours so you can both see the damage beginning to fester on his skin. “i don’t know. i don’t want you training too hard. it’s hurting you, i can tell.”

“i-its not.” he lies, breath visible in the winter air. he tries his best to hide the wince in his eye when you rub your thumbs up and down the burns on his hands.

“i just… i don’t wanna lose you.” you say.

he doesn’t wanna lose this either. you, and him, standing in the winter. he prays that this is the first page, that this is only the first of many winters he hopes to have with you.

“you won’t.” he smiles. “i promise.”

✧.* ⋆.˚ ☾ .⭒˚ ✧.* ✧.* ⋆.˚ ☾ .⭒˚ ✧.* ✧.* ⋆.˚ ☾ .⭒˚ ✧.* ✧.* ⋆.˚

you learn about the accident not through the news, or through his family, but rather through seeing the eruption of blue flames on the hill where you two met.

at first, you cried every day. you prayed that he’d wake up, that this isn’t where the story line ends. seeing him laying there, as the years go on, and as the snow falls inevitably, felt unreal.

its been a lonely 3 years without his sassy remarks and his warm hands. you can still feel that warmth, even in his coma. you hold his hands as his body lays there, the only indicator of his survival the beeps of the heart monitor.

his burns are so much more apparent now almost purple against his pale, snowy skin. he doesn’t know it, but you’ve visited him everyday since he first arrived. through every summer, spring, autumn through every god damn winter, you’ve been here.

you’d whisper things he’d never hear, eyes occasionally wandering to the snow falling outside the winter. its a reminder of how much time has passed, how much you’ve lost without him.

and though you don’t know it, he’s mourning it as well. he’s forced to hold back his words, like he’s leaving too soon.

selfishly, he hopes that in these three years, you haven’t fallen in love with someone else. that you don’t have someone else waiting on you when you leave.

its the opposite, actually. you don’t have anyone waiting on you, when you’re waiting on touya to come back.

normally, you’re alone in his room. so you almost don’t catch when the door opens and closes behind you. at first, you think its just a nurse checking in. but the silence makes you turn your head.

shes got the same hair as touya, snowy white. but her eyes are this grey color that you can tell once sparkled. shes just as confused as you are, even when you stand up from your chair but still continue to hold touya’s hand.

“i-i.. sorry. i’m just visiting.” you say, like you’ve committed a crime. you haven’t done anything wrong.

she shakes her head, taking a few steps closer and assuring you its okay. the fact that you’re so close to her son, holding his hand isn’t lost on her.

theres words she wants to say as well, words that fall on deaf ears. you wonder why its only her visiting.

“i’m sorry, dear.. who are you?” she brakes the silence, realizing she isn’t actually sure who you are. how would she know anyway?

“i’m his friend.” you say, quietly. “[y/n].”

she nods, though she wonders how she didn’t know that. her first son, the first love of her life, had a friend close enough to visit and hold his hand even through this period of winter.

if anything, she’s grateful for it.

theres a few more beats of silence, before she speaks again. her voice is quiet, but her pain speaks volumes.

“i tried to stop him.” she says, staring at her son. “i… i didn’t want this.”

its enough to bring tears to your eyes, nodding understandably. “me too.”

and theres that moment of understanding between the two of you. like snowflakes falling onto the same patch of ground, you both knew that this was inevitable. eventually, touya’s fire would consume him. eventually, he’d burn too.

theres nothing you two can say to make this better. so you sit there in comfort, winter silence before eventually saying goodnight.

you leave, quietly accepting that you’ll be all alone.

and the next day, he wakes up.

[akixa]

could you write something about Yamazaki shingen can be anything

Sure! 🎀

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

Shingen Yamazaki

First to end of it.

You and Shingen were in high-school students. You are his first love before it went downfall.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

Here you are, standing outside of his classroom, waiting on him. You were stomping on your left foot impatiently for him to get out of that room.

"Ugh, it's been 30 minutes and he is still not coming out?! hmp…”

You look through the mirror door and see him still studying on his desk all by himself. The school bell rang an hour ago, and everyone had already left the school except you two still in school. You barge into his classroom and sit in front of him.

"When will you be done?” You ask him as he looks up from his book to you now. His eyes are full of black, empty, and shallow of darkness, looking to you. He put down his book and spoke at you with boredom through his voice.

"Why are you still here?”

“Waiting on you, dummy.”

“who said you can wait for me?”

“Me and you can't do anything about it.”

He let out a sigh and started gathering his things into his bag while you stood there, smirking at him. You loved teasing him, knowing it would make him angry, but he could never do anything about it since you were a girl and he couldn't hit you. In fact, Shingen was always at the top of his class, and you were always second, making the two of you look like a power couple, even though you were just colleagues and friends.

Together, you often found yourselves in friendly competition, pushing each other to be better. You both shared a passion for literature, often exchanging books and discussing your favorite authors. Your debates about the themes and characters in the novels you read were intense but always ended with mutual respect and a deeper understanding of each other's perspectives.

Despite this, you couldn't help but wonder if he ever thought about the possibility of something more between you two. You certainly did. Every shared glance, every playful argument, and every moment spent together made you hope that maybe, just maybe, he felt the same way. The bond you shared over your interests only deepened your connection, making you wish that your friendship could blossom into something more.

You always see him as a ruthless prince in your imagination and you remember that time that you almost fell down the stairs because the floor was so slippery with no sign to say it. Before you even meet the floor a hand grab your waist and pull you up with other hand on your legs. You look up just to see him carrying you like a bride. Blushing mess as he carry you to the clinic to check if theres any injury on you.

Enough with the past. You always bottle up your feelings for him because you know it would be dangerous for both of you. As the son of Shinji Yamazaki, the formidable head of the Yamazaki clan, he is constantly under scrutiny. Being with Shingen has already caused him trouble, just by being near him and teasing him.

Every time you meet, there's a spark in his eyes that he tries to hide. When you tease him, he pretends to be annoyed, but you can see the faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He often finds excuses to be near you, whether it's helping you with a task or just sitting quietly beside you.

Little did you know, he also harbored feelings for you. In his position, he had to hide everything, including you. To him, you were something special, someone he cherished deeply. He wanted to hate you for your own safety, but why do you keep coming back?

There were moments when his guard would slip, and he'd let his true feelings show. A lingering touch on your hand, a protective arm around your shoulder when danger seemed near, or the way his eyes softened when he looked at you. These small interactions spoke volumes about his hidden emotions.

Despite the risks, you couldn't stay away. The bond between you was too strong, and every interaction only deepened your connection. You were something else for him, someone he couldn't bear to lose. He wanted to hate you for your safety, but your unwavering presence made it impossible.

Finally, you both step out of the school, with him next to you, carrying both his bag and yours. The silence between you is comfortable, and you watch the sun slowly setting together. In the golden light, you glance at him and see the warmth on his face, reminding you of the sun—how you feel about him, yet you can’t be too close.

You try to approach him, using your pinkie to touch his arm slightly. Your cheeks flush with redness when suddenly you feel his finger wrap around your pinkie, pulling you closer. A warmth lingers on your skin from his touch, reminding you of the sun because of how he melts you with just a simple touch.

When you finally arrive at your place, he places your bag next to you, but neither of you lets go. You’re both scared that the cold will replace the warmth in your arms. As the sun’s rays fade, you watch him walk away, his figure slowly vanishing from your sight.

Maybe tomorrow you see him again like always.

“?!?”

“Be my date.”

What…

Did you hear that right or is the delusional just messing you up? Coffee does bad to your health. You snap out your thoughts and ask what he said again.

“Are you deaf? I said be my date.”

“ You should at least brought me flower with it to make it more romantic”

“... On second thought, never mind.” walking off leaving you behind.

You chuckle as you notice a red tint forming on his ears. But you nod to him agreeing to be his date while catching up to him.

Is it really a good idea? Think about it—nothing bad has happened since you first met him. From the very beginning, you felt an undeniable connection and fell for him. Every moment spent with him makes you feel secure and cherished. You find comfort in his presence, and the thought of being without him is something you can’t bear. You hope that this feeling of safety and love will last forever, and that you’ll never have to part ways.

As you keep catching up to him, he looks at you with such affection that it makes your face glow brightly. The warmth of his gaze feels like a gentle caress, sending a pleasant shiver down your spine. He holds out his arm, inviting you to hold him. As you slip your hand into his, you feel the comforting strength of his grip. Together, you walk home, the cool evening air brushing against your skin, the soft rustle of leaves underfoot. The silence between you is filled with the unspoken words of two new love birds, each step syncing your heartbeats, creating a rhythm of newfound love.

People would say everything in the end can be happily ever after with your loved one, but how come yours ended so soon? Laying down on your pile of blood.

A second ago, you were walking alone on the street, a sudden ambush from behind catches you off guard. A sharp object violently pierces through your back, tearing through to your chest. You gasp, blood spurting from your mouth as you collapse to the ground. Your breaths become shallow, your vision blurs, and an overwhelming darkness engulfs you.

As your vision blurred and darkness began to take over, you caught a glimpse of Shingen rushing towards you, his face streaked with tears. It was a sight you never expected to see—Shingen, always the pillar of strength, now crumbling. The raw emotion on his face was startling, yet it brought a strange sense of peace. In your final moments, you found solace in the fact that even the strongest boy in the school hearts can break.

With your last breath, you longed to tell him to live happily and brightly, to watch over him like a star that fades away with the dawn but remains ever-present. Yet you can't… Now, you lie cold and still in his trembling hands. He clutches you tightly, tears streaming down his face, whispering desperately for you to wake up and speak, please. The room is filled with the haunting silence of unspoken words and shattered dreams.

🌧️

[boozenboze]

Hello! I'm unsure if requests are open, if not please do forgive me! I've never done this before- Do reject this if you desire! >.< I wanted to know if you can possibly do- Task 141 x Male! Ghostface Reader, where he's almost identical to the original GF but with a twist, very snarky with his funny remarks despite seemingly being cruel and cold. He's an actual sweetheart when he's comfy around them? Mysterious as they have never seen a photo or proper description of him, as it's either n/a or classified- You can base him off the Danny Johnson Ghostface

An idea for this could be that he's a target from Laswell after various high-status politics suddenly disappear and she orders them to detain him and perhaps even acquire him as a potential ally only for the boys to get to the location and see him absolutely wreaking havoc, almost like a saw movie with how gorey and aggressive he can be? Then he just turns around and just makes a nonchalant comment on how cute they are for being so late? He's partially playful and monotonous with his raspy voice which turns out not to be a device but his actual one- Doing small pranks on the boys as they chase him around the establishment, clearly having the time of his life? Then when they manage to corner him, he's just passive- and he somehow manages to slip away with the promise of 'playing' with them again.

Hyped up on Spooky boys and I love your writing style!!! This has also inspired me to make a Ghostface COD Oc- LEMME STOP LOL -GhostyFaceAnon 👻

Whats Your FavoriteScary Movie~?

Tf!141 x Ghostface!Male reader

Females, She/Her and She/They DNI

A good horror story is made from true events.Luckily thats how M/n’s stories went and thats what made them terrifying.All of his stories would make others uncomfortable,unsettled and to top it off it would captivate the eyes of others.Though there was one part of the story M/n enjoyed the most

The climax

“So your telling me that these politics just disappeared with no trace?”Price asked Laswell,peering over her shoulder.

“Yeah, theres only a little footage of each disappearance. I was editing it and I was able to catch something.”Laswell said as she slowed the video down and pausing it when the figure in black showed up.They were now able to see the Ghostface mask the person wore.

“What the hell?”Soap muttered out, trying to comprehend what he was looking at.The male was sneaking up on one of the many politics that had gone missing before striking a pole across the mans neck.The man fell too the ground and that was the last thing they saw before the footage cut out.

“Do you know who could be doing this.”Gaz asked as he eyed the file that Laswell had been holding.

“I’ve tried but.”Laswell placed the file on the table before opening it.“everything on his file is either scratched out or theres just nothing there.”Laswell said as Priced pulled the file towards him.The only information that was given was the mans code name.Ironically it was S.C.R.E.A.M in all caps.

“This guy is the new Ghostface now or what?”Ghost asked as Soap chuckled.

“Well looks like you two are made for one another, both of ya are Ghosts.”Soap joked as Ghost glared at him in response.Gaz looked at Laswell for a moment before speaking up.

“Where are they hiding these people exactly?”Gaz asked as Laswell showed them a picture of a building.It looked old but it was oddly clean despite the moss that was forming on the front of it.

“I had someone get this for me since all the disappearances happened around this area.Its a crowded area but it has a high rate for people going missing.”Laswell said as Price hummed in response.

The building had moss all over it, and the screams of people could be heard from inside.One had passed out from shock and the others were whimpering or trying to get out of the chair that they were tied to.The room was covered in blood, there were weapons all over the walls, it was just a mess.

“Y-you know we can get pass all of this-w-we won’t tell a soul if you let us go!”One of them yelled out, only to be met with cold metal hitting their throat.

“What makes you think I’d believe you?”A disorientated voice spoke out while running a knife across his neck.The man was shaking now as he felt the tip of the knife be pulled away by the perpetrator.The man in the mask sighed while stomping his feet on the ground like a toddler.

“I’m so bored~!Oh!I have an idea lets play a trivia game!”The male said in excitement as some began whimpering in their chairs, shaking uncontrollably.The masked man made his way to the wall and scanned all of the weapons then smiled once his mic came into view.

“I have a question, whats your favorite scary movie?”SCREAM asked as he put the mic in one of their faces.

“T-the Babadook.”The woman muttered as the male who questioned her grunted in disapproval.

“The Babadook, seriously?Honestly what are peoples taste in horror nowadays”SCREAM said as he moved on to another.

“What about you, whats your favorite scary movie?”The question moved to the man tied next to the woman.

“Holloween you bastard.”The man spat out but was met with a whack to the head.

“No profanity jackass, what about you good sir.Whats your favorite scary movie?”He asked once more with a monotone voice, now eying the man who was still passed out.

“Friday the 13.”He kept his answer short, afraid of what would happen if he said more.The male began to chuckle under his mask as he approached the male who was passed out, still tied to his chair.He lifted the man up and dragrd his chair beneath a dim light that was hanging from the ceiling.

“Time for a trivia~!Answer 3 questions, answer one wrong your little friend dies.”SCREAM said threatening the others with enthusiasm.The man was about to explain the rules until the passed out man woke up and began screaming.The e/c eyes behind the mask looked unamused at the mans cries.

“Please don’t do th-.”The woman was cut off.

“Catagorey:Holloween, who was the killer in the Holloween movie.Come on now one of you have to answer!”SCREAM taunted as the other man blurted out.

“Micheal Myers!It was Micheal you sick fucker!”The man yelled as SCREAM gave him a round of applause.

“Good job....question 2 different Category: Friday the 13th.Who was the original killer of Friday the 13th.”

“Jason Voorhees!”The woman cried out as SCREAM sighed in disappointment.

“Darn, I’m afraid your incorrect.”SCREAM said in faux remorse.The womans eyes widened.

“N-no that is correct I’ve watched that movie to many times to know-“

“If you did watch it as much as you claim you’d know that the original killer is Mrs.Voorhees.”He explained.“Jason didn’t arrive until the sequel.”He continued as the woman shook her head in disbelief.

“Ah...I’m sorry but, seems like your buddy has to go!”SCREAM turned off the light that was hanging over the politician, and the sound of something ripping open could be heard as well as well as a scream.The light was turned back on and Scream was no where to be seen, although the only thing there was the politician, stomach ripped open eith his intestines spilling over his lap.SCREAM moved the males chair away from the light before grabbing the woman who was tied up.She began screaming at him, telling him that “he didn’t have to do this”, he didn’t care it was his job anyway.

“Come on now, the games have to continue!”The disorientated voice said as a smile crept upon his features.

The taskforce made it to the building, weapons loaded and all.The fact that this was just one guy they were dealing with, and they needed all of them together to detain him.

“Just how dangerous is this guy?”Gaz asked himself aloud as Ghost glanced at him.He himself was wondering what they were dealing with.This man kidnapped 4 politicians on his own without being caught, and weeks after their disappearances they’ve just now have gotten a lead on where they were.They began to walk inside but were immediately stopped by the piercing screams that echoed throughout the building.

“Ah shit, I think we may be to late.”Soap said as they approached the room that the scream came from.Price eyed them all as they all nodded in approval, ready to see what was going on behind the door.Price kicked the door down and held his gun up, but almost dropped it once he saw the gorey situation.The others came into the room and Gaz had to cover his noise, the metallic scent of blood and chemicals was prominent and would’ve given anyone a headache.All of the politics were dead, well, besides two.

SCREAM was sawing off the politicans legs off as the other one screamed at him through a gag.He was choking on his own blood due to being stabbed in the stomach multiple times, and was suffocating behind the gag.

SCREAM whipped his head around due too the click of a gun.

“Oh well you all came late how cute~.SCREAM said teasingly as he swiftly pulled out a gun and shot the man whose leg was being chopped off in the head. “Welp gotta go handsomes~!”He continued as he made his way past them all.

The politicians body slumped, already alerting them that he was dead.The team was stunned so the s/c skinned male made a run for it, and Ghost was the first one to snap out of the state of shock.

“He’s running down stairs!”Ghost yelled out as he ran after him.The male being chased slipped while running down the stairs and groaned when he hit the floor.

“Agh-Fucking SHIT!”The male yelled in pain as his ankle throbbed.He suspected he may have twisted his ankle but got up when the other male wearing a Ghost mask footsteps got louder.He stood up and limped away but his adrenaline was high so he started to run again but was immediately stopped by Price who turned the corner.Knowing that he couldn’t turn around he threw one of his knives at Price who dodges it, but it gave him a chance to run pass him,in which he did.He kept running but what do you know, Soap tackled him and they rolled across the concrete floor.M/n got up just as quick as Soap did.The Scot pointed a gun at the mask wearing male who crossed his arms.The others showed up shortly after finding their teammate.

“Hehe...hello?”The man said awkwardly as he backed away from the men who now had him cornered.His eyes scanned the area for an escape which none was there, besides the oh so conveniently placed window that had been opened for some odd reason.Ghost eyed the man up and down, taking note of the dark wear the male was wearing.His outfit had a lot of chains, some of them in which he tied the politicians with.

“Drop your weapons and come with us, don’t make things harder than what it is.”Price said calmly as SCREAM shifted in place.He had been inching closer the the open window and was stopped by Gaz who had noticed the males advances.

“Where are you trying to go hm?”The brown skinned male asked as SCREAM eyed him through his mask.Now that Gaz was upclose, he could see the soft e/c eyes that hidden behind the mask.His heart would’ve melted if he hadn’t known this was the guy that killed those politics.Important politics at that.

“Well I will go where I want if you’d get your pretty ass out my face.”SCREAM said jokingly as Gaz glared at him, blush beginning yo cover his cheeks at the word ‘pretty’.

“How about y’all let me go, and we go our separate ways eh?I mean we don’t want anyone getting hurt do we?”SCREAM asked threateningly as Ghost grunted.

“Can’t we just take him already.”Ghost asked gruffly as Soap looked up at him.

“If he co-operates this could be over with.”Soap said while looking back at the man in black.SCREAM eyed Gaz for a moment before pulling the males hat down to where he couldn’t see.

He then ran towards Price who was ready to pin him down but was startled when the male rolled between his separted legs and grabbing his hat.Once the hat was in his grasp he wrapped it around the man neck before running off.Soap and Ghost started running after him once more and SCREAM made the dumb decision to throw a bar of soap at Soap.The male groaned at the sudden pain on his forehead and stopped to rub his forehead that was now beginning to bruise.

Ghost was hot on SCREAMS tail as they were almost at the exit of the building.Ghost reached out to grab the males mask but stopped in his tracks when the male pulled a bookshelf down, blocking his way.

“Hey!”A monotone voice called out to the lieutenant who glared at him through his mask.He began to step over the bookshelf until the voice was heard again.

“Your shoes untied.”SCREAM said and Ghost looked down to see that his shoe was untied,but was quickly met with a kick to the balls.Out of pure reaction he retracted his movements to bend down and almost curl up.

“Sorry buddy.....I HOPE TO PLAY WITH YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS AGAIN SOON!”SCREAM yelled out as he left the building where the team was now left in bewilderment.The guy that had tortured and killed those politics thought this whole thing was some sort of game.Well luckily for him

THEY WERE GOING TO BE PLAYING ANOTHER TYPE OF GAME NEXT TIME😏

Pt.2

[riseatlantisss]

Lost and Found

Pairing : Chishiya Shuntarō x gn!reader, post-Borderland 

- AIB season 2 spoilers - 

Just fluff and cuddles. In bed. Thats it thats the plot. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  I’m not even gonna pretend theres anything more to it than that.  

♡ ♢ ♤ ♧  ♡ ♢ ♤ ♧  ♡ ♢ ♤ ♧  ♡ ♢ ♤ ♧  ♡ ♢ ♤ ♧  ♡ ♢ ♤ ♧  

Lying awake beside you, Chishiya is listening to you breathe, analyzing your heart rate. In, out... steady and calm. He could almost count the exact number of beats per minute, but he’s too busy thinking about how lucky he is to have you beside him to care about precision. He finds infinite comfort in the repeated rise and fall of your chest. It proves to him that you are alive, safe and here, right next to him. 

You are indeed. And you feel utterly and completely content, in bed, curled up against him. There’s nowhere else in the world you’d rather be.

You lift one hand from where it has been resting on his shoulder and run it through his messy blond hair, sending a shiver of pleasure down his spine. He looks tousled and sleepy and soft, eyes bright and hair wild, and all around adorable in the faint light that’s falling through the curtains of your bedroom. You continue running your fingers through his hair and down his neck as he lets out a long sigh of joy and relief, like all the tensions in his body were released, all at once. 

“You’re secretly a cat, aren’t you?” You chuckle softly next to his ear. “I’m just waiting for you to start purring!” 

Chishiya grins and makes a noise that he wanted disdainful, but comes out as a low rumble, not that far from a purr actually. You laugh. Not because you’re mocking him but because you’re happy. You both had been through so much. The meteorite took pieces from the both of you. Borderland did too, and you thought you’d never be whole. But you made it through. In each other’s arms, you found those pieces again. Now you’ve got him, and he’s got you. The past does not matter. 

Chishiya’s arms tighten around you and he shifts slightly to kiss the top of your head, then your forehead, then your top lip, your bottom lip and both at once. His kisses are sometimes somber and serious, but mostly they’re playful, and delighted - and they’re all the time peaceful, uncomplicated, and calm. His kisses are all you need. He had kissed you before, innumerable times and in innumerable ways, but still, you’ll never get enough of him. He breaks off and looks at you with with unhurried, adoring black eyes and a sleepy smile. You smile back and you both relish in this quiet moment together. You love him so much it’s almost pathetic. You yearn for him constantly. All of him. His smug smile, his soft laugh, the sharpness of his mind, his bewitching dark eyes, his messy hair in the morning, his comforting warmth at night. Pathetic. You’ll never tell him that. 

(he already knows)

It’s strangely easy for you to be tired in his arms. Maybe because he makes you feel so safe. You close your eyes and roll onto your side to face away from him while you slowly drift into sleep. Chishiya keeps his arms around you and presses his body against your back, tangling your legs together and pulling you tighter against him. As he presses one last sleepy kiss on the top of your head, you wonder if this really is true happiness. You decide that if it’s not, it must be the closest you’ve ever been to it.

[arpicityandneed]

congrats on 100! 🎉

has anyone suggested a #14 from the prompt list with loki and a gn!reader? 👀

Thank you for the clarification!! Cause damn I wanted to write this BAD I need this blog to be queer and taboo and smutty in that order ♡ and you're so welcome I always want to try and stay true to the vision of the ask if I can and I'm comfy with it

Loki (#14 library sex + Dark academia vibes)

18+ gn!reader. Intercrural sex. Biting. Loki in disguise as a mortal. Cum kink.

Loki was supposed to have just come to Midgard for some fun while he waited to meet up with Thor. But you were a distraction worth spending some time on. He'd found you in a library of all places, with high windows and narrow walkways between bookshelves.

He'd found it fascinating how humans could be so unqiue from one another. Loki had been visiting this realm for centuries and he was sure he'd never seen anyone like you before.

It wasn't even about your body, which he could admit had been the first thing to catch his eye. Your ass in particular had made him stop dead in his tracks for a better look. Your collar bones were delicate and the nape of your neck was begging for his teeth. But it was also the amused glint in your eyes as you read your book. The way you met the eyes of anyone you spoke to without a hint of shyness or timidity. He wanted your eyes on him.

So he made his way over to you, asked the title of the book you'd been reading. "I'm frightfully behind on my reading you see, and I need a good excuse to read something new before classes begin again."

"Oh so you're a student too?" You'd smiled at him, your eyes trailing over his chosen form (a simple pair of slacks and a black button down shirt, round glasses on the end of his nose and his long hair slicked back) with enough interest he knew the attraction was mutual.

So you had both ended up here, far back in the stacks of the library where no one would come looking for you.

"We don't have much time, so why don't we try Oxford style?" Loki purred in your ear and you nodded so fast he thought your head would fall off, your loose pants were shoved down your thighs and he groaned. His hands ached to spank the generous fat of your ass but the echo would've been too loud. Another time then.

Instead he spread your ass open with both of his massive hands, making your face burn as his gaze took you in. "Stop staring and do something!" You whined as you heard his zipper and the shakey exhale of breath as he palmed himself.

"Bossy." He teased as he adjusted the angle of his hips and slipped his cock between your thighs, the silky hardness of his bare cock dragging against your most intimate parts until you had to cover your mouth. The moans were barely muffled but it was something at least when you were losing your mind.

Each grind of his hips against yours, the stickiness of his tip as it dragged against your belly, imagining just how much better it would feel when he was inside you was driving you closer and closer to the edge.

"Fuck, so soft for me aren't you? Just here." He murmured huskily, and as his cock throbbed you knew he was close too. Loki wanted nothing more than to see you coming undone on his cock for real. Just the thought made him want to return to the library, see if he could get even further into your good graces.

When you were sure you wouldn't moan out loud you removed your hand, whispering raggedly "Cum on me. Do it, I dare you."

Loki thought he might be in love.

"A dare? Sweet thing theres no way I'd ever pass that up." His hands on your hips grew firm as he rutted against you harder, his breath hitching a second before you felt him pull back and splatter his seed over your ass.

There was so much of it you almost came just from knowing how filthy you were, your hand sneaking down to get yourself off swiftly. It was easy after all the teasing, just a few touches and you were flying.

You slumped against the chair you'd been bent over, felt his cum leak down your thighs as you glanced at him over your shoulder lazily.

"We should do that again."

[ofc-vi-writes-too]

a continuation of things that i think happen in my favorite fucked up silly little city (gotham)

• In hosptials in Gotham there’s another wing dedicated to super villain attacks Like how theres the ED, NICU, L&D, ICU, etc., theres another branch called Excessive Villain Attack Department (for) Emergencies. Also known as EVADE for short. it’s a brag to say you work in EVADE for doctors/nurses because A. the pay is ridiculously good, and B. how much extra stuff you had to learn to work there. People who work in EVADE have to go through weekly psych evaluations as well as physical testing to make sure they are still fit for duty.

• there are EVADE pop ups all around gotham so it’s citizens ares never more than 5 minutes away from medical attention. You have to work at a pop up before you’re allowed to work in EVADE in a real hosptial. People say working the pop ups is a lot harder and a lot nore stressfull, because people can come to you in really any condition out there.

• Similar to how kids in some areas cant wear certain colors like red or blue to school because of gang affiliation, gothamite students cannot wear anything superhero, vigilante or villain adjacent. No birds, bats, clowns, etc. Its a way for schools to try and stop kids from being targetted by their peers/ crazy adults who will attack them for supporting a specific person or party. Hero or otherwise.

• A lot of mom and pop diners/townie bars have foods named after vigilantes and specialty drinks named after villains. Some examples are:

Red Hoods Hot Chicken and Mac: bufallo mac and chicken with house hot sauce, so hot and tasty it will bring tears to your eyes! (this is true. jason tried it and he literally couldn’t feel his face. He couldn’t tell if he was blinking or not. Dick swears up and down he wasn’t.)

Nightwings: boneless chicken wings with a honey barbecue dry rub, with bleu cheese dipping sauce and chips and a blue corn dip. Dick can and will order 4 and eat them all by himself in one sitting.

Robins Eggs Breakfast combo: 2 sunny side up eggs, strawberry french toast, vegetarian sausage, house salad and an OJ. They tried to make it vegan but no one in Gotham wants breakfast without eggs. Robin said he appreciates the thought anyway. He is very smug and protective of his meal and the restaurant that made it. When he has the day shft he stops by there for breakfast, which isn’t often but still.

Signal soup: a classic squash soup, house focaccia and a garden salad. Its a seasonal meal that comes around every fall, and sells out almost every day for the entire season.

The Scarecrow: literally a long island iced tea with black liqueur in a martini glass with 3 olives. It tastes fucking horrible but will get you beyond hammered

Poison Ivy: shot of pochteca lime liqueur and pink whitney. Very tasty.

Regulator: its a blue margarita with coconut milk in it. Its a little sweet but its yummy. It’s common to black out on these because you cant taste the alch and by the time it hits you its too late and its the next morning and your naked in a strangers bed. Darn those regulators for a night you wont remember! at least the guy is handsome…

• See also the Condiment King challenge: A pint size glass of equal parts ketchup, mustard, pickle relish, mayonnaise, hot sauce, soy sauce, honey mustard, sweet and sour, bbq, salsa, fish sauce, vinegar, ranch, and wasabi. Hell in a cup! If you can drink it within 10 minutes without throwing up, you eat free at the dinner for a month and you get a t shirt that says “I completed the Condiment King challenge at Jimbo’s Dinner!” With a poorly drawn picture of condiment king on it. There has only been one winner: Timothy Drake. Jason dared him to try it after he hadnt slept in 3 days. Tim didnt puke, but Jason did. There were threats of violence if Tim ever told anyone that. Tim didn’t believe him, told Dick and magically ended up with a broken finger. “No AlfredI have NOOOOOO idea how it happened! Must’ve had a bad fall on patrol :3”

• taxes in gotham are shit-your-pants-when-you-see-it-the-first-time high. Gotham has to be able to pay for all the damages somehow, despite Bruce Wayne paying for about 15% of those damages out of pocket, its still not enough to stop prices from skyrocketing. To try and combat this, there is a Gala held anually for the top 10% of Gotham to fundraise for emergency city repairs. It helps a lot but doesn’t solve the problem.

[kindaasrikal]

“This, is a soul stone.”

“A…soul stone?”

“Yes. Once a soul leaves its physical form they create a soul stone to keep their…ghost-like form intact. This soul stone is surrounded by the actual projection of ourselves, similar to how a heart is encased inside the body. It cannot be taken out easily. In fact, the only ones who can remove anyones soul stone from their physical projection is the First spinjitzu master, Sensei Wu, Sensei Garmadon, and the consciousnesses of the two realms of the dead. Other then them, not even the person whose soul stone it is can remove it from it’s home, and its no easy task for the ones who can either.”

“…If all of that is true, then how are we both looking at your soul stone?”

“….Unfortunately, my soul stone had faced extreme abuse years ago, leaving it fractured and….weak.”

“Is that why it has pieces floating around it? It looks almost like a planet, surrounded by its moons…”

“An interesting comparison.”

“Ahm…that’s besides the point. Why are you showing me this? If its so delicate that it can almost never be removed from its home, then why would it help us in our mission?”

“…the merge, has shown to create unique consequences over the years. One of such, being the slow return of the Preeminent.”

“What.”

“I can’t explain in too much depth to what had happened, we don’t nearly have that much time and I need to use it sparingly.”

“What are you talking about?!-”

“A soul stone is indeed delicate, Lloyd. So delicate, so precious, that the very existence of a soul relies on it.”

“The..what?..”

“If my soul stone gets into the wrong hands, if it faces too much harm, I will no longer be able to keep it connected and in ‘one piece’ as I have so far. I will be erased from existence, and so will all the knowledge I have so painstakingly collected.”

“…Where are you planning to go, Morro?”

“…A place I should’ve visited years ago.”

——————

Will there be a fanfic of this? Probably not, since i can’t stick to finishing stories.

Anyways, take Morro from an AU i created in my head, theres no other content of it other then half completed stories in my notes/word documents and this post.

If anyone rlly wants me to, i can go more into depth of this AU and give it a name. But for now, all you need to know is that its mainly canon compliant, just with a few changes to the story of Morro and then the actual canon divergence starts during the merge. Some things before that will also be changed to fit ideas i have and things i like, such as the issue with Lloyds age.

Oh, alsooo! Morro in this drawing is still a ghost, but in this AU to differentiate departed ghosts from cursed, cursed ghosts look like how they did in the show and Morro’s og design, but departed ghosts tend to look more like how they did when they were alive (with some differences and yknow, being see- through)

So Morro in this looks like how his Departed ghost form would in this AU

I also realised that the gi itself looks a lot like Cole’s because of the black and orange. Pretend the orange is grey/green/yellow, pls and thank you.

AND MY FAVOURITE LITTLE DETAIL. Look at Morro’s gi and how its folded, see what i did there??

I had fun drawing this with another newly acquired art style, this is also one of my first few times drawing Morro and being happy with it. Turns out i am very picky when drawing characters i like over literally anything else.

[astronautbeans]

Ok so I have this plotted in my head (thebyter here btw sorry I dont wanna use my main Helpp) With how lkke. The ceremony is planned out but I KEPT THINKING HOW THE OTHER INVIS PLAYERS REACT TO SEEING THAT ONE GUY WHO THEYRE ALL TOLD TO KILL ON SIGHT. BEING THE ONE WHOSE THE CEREMONY FOR. In my head this is Ash doing such a massive show of power "The guy who is trying to take me down is now wrapped around my finger" And spoke has no option like ash said. He lost his knights (mapicc and leo) He has nothing to go back to and it feels so nice to be praised and such And Just OHJY GODODDD IM SIRRY I M STILL GUSHING OVER THE ENTIRE FIC ITS MAKINGME GO INSNEEEE!!!

The fact that the only people who can pseak during the ceremony would be ash an d spoke but Spoke wouldnt mutter a word , maybe out of habit now. the Mafia changed him ,he probably denies it but he knows its true and Fuck FUKC MY LIFEEEE Aaah aaaAaaaahAAAAH Theres also this wntire thing tht I have inmy brainwhich in parrot's newest uu video he taunts parrot with a diamond player by his side (spoiler warning) !!! after dean's death and whn the diamond player brings himto ash what If In the fic Its Spoke who is by ashs side. He brings himto whereever he goes Its almost like showing off. a trophy Ok Im gonna Shut the fcuk up and Go cry in a little hole and never speak to anyone ever again Im not ok Shaking and crying and screaming

Would it be kinda crazy if ash had a chess board set up next to his desire board and after the ceremony the black queen changes to white Like H.HhhHh Aah AaaAaaAaaaah inthe chess analogy would jamato be the king piece? but slightly off the board. Not knocked over but behind the spaces. Planet would be a bishop and both the knights and 1 bishop are off the board , knocked down. I might genuinely pull up some chess set up to draw this and Spoke whil ewalking to like the main hall or dining hall for the ceremony sees the chess board and after all of that he notices the change in the queen and just stares at it

ok sorry My brain kicked into overdrive instead of asking I just ramblwd I mgith do more cuz Iv e been thinkignaboutthis fic for like almost 24 hours LOL! I NEEDHEPP

dghfsgkfdshghjfds hey man :D

yeah gosh i honestly haven't really thought of how the ceremony would go but Spoke absolutely would be terrified out of his mind, with minimal armour and the faceless, diamond-rank players staring at him like he's their next kill. the only reason he'd feel safe is because Ash would have to give the word to kill him. he'd be forced to trust Ash isn't that just evil of me <3

ALSO YEAH GOSH THE MAFIA CHANGED HIM. he'd rather keep his mouth shut because it feels more natural now gfdjhksdf

oh my dayssssssssss if Spoke was the diamond player there, torn between his loyalty to Ash and jumping down to comfort Parrot who's so stricken with grief,,, BUT YEAH HE'S PRETTY MUCH ASH'S THROPHY OF COURSE ASH IS GONNA SHOW HIM AROUND BECAUSE DANGIT HE MANAGED TO SWAY SPOKE WHO HATED HIM THE MOST ough yeah i'm normal

that chess analogy is great btw gfdskhsjdf he's switching sides and he's no longer got a say in it teehee bishop Planet oh my days AND IF YOU DO MAKE ART SEND IT TO ME GDFHSKDS

don't be sorry man i'm glad you enjoyed it this much!!! target audience reached >:3

[gerbymoo]

I think theres obviously a more in depth reason as to why Abbacchio has such a beef with Giorno (that honestly I think never got resolved) aside from the whole, who tf is this noobie and why is he challenging our status quo.

One, Giorno represents a lot of things to a lot of the characters individually and I think without a doubt, this sense of justice and doing the right thing (by any means.) Abbacchio’s back story is based off of an immature sense of justice that becomes broken once he sees that the system never worked in black and white. This leads to his demise from working in law enforcement and having to resort to work for the actual mob, almost opposite extremes. Abbacchio has such a hard time walking the middle path, the gray areas of life where, I assume, he determined he can’t actually ever provide true justice because he is a mafia member, and the whole sulk along party starts.

Giorno is such a fucking dynamic character and he works as everyone’s catalyst for moving forward and seeing that it all doesn’t have to be this way, challenging the status quo which is seemingly impossible to Abbacchio. I can see him hate the fact that Giorno reminds him of his younger idealistic self but the fact that he actually DOES something about it.

That’s why i FUCKEN lose it when his cop friend does the whole, “You did good Abbacchio :)”

FFFFFFF-

[oceanwithouthermoon]

ok putting my saiki k pony ideas here, mostly so i can maybe draw them someday, but also i put so much thought into these ideas and i want everyone to see them

tried to do EVERY character

kusuo- alicorn, no cutie mark

hides his wings under clothes and pretends he doesnt have them, would rather hide his horn but cant and just pretends he doesnt have much magic instead

why does he not have a cutie mark, you may ask?? because he hasnt accepted his quirks+powers as a part of himself.. his special talent is probably helping people but he thinks he only does that because the magic he has makes him basically obligated (its not true ur just a good person!!)

nobody really calls him out on constantly wearing clothes with so much coverage because they think hes just insecure about being a blank flank so late in life (kinda true, but it defeats the point if everyone KNOWS..)

will he ever get his cutie mark?? um.. i dont know.. maybe ?? definitely not in his high school years

chiyo- unicorn, baking cutie mark but idk what specifically, maybe a heart shaped chocolate like the one she made for kaido

specialty magic for tracking, she was a late bloomer with her cutie mark because she discovered her tracking talent really young and thought that had to do with her special talent for a longgg time

shun- pegasus, black feathers cutie mark

underdeveloped wings (like scootaloo obvi)

convinced hes just a late bloomer but hes almost an adult and still cant fly (never will but he doesnt know that)

gets these cool wing extensions that allow him to glide but still not fly

tells people his cutie mark is his "jet black wings" but its actually writing quills

riki- earth pony, heart shaped ramen bowl cutie mark ?? idfk what his special talent is i just think he has a lotta love in him..

HUGE stallion.. HUGE..

aren- a kirin..

has a huge scar where a cutie mark would be on a pony in the shape of an exclamation point

used to let his anger free when he was a delinquent and when he transferred, he was pretty self deprecating about his control of himself but he actually has a crazy amount of self control..

chisato- pegasus, hammer cutie mark maybe ?

almost made her an earth pony cuz of the brute strength thing but i like this better

got her cutie mark REALLY late because she was absolutely convinced her special talent had to do with food, and when she got it while doing a job she was like "WORKING IS MY SPECIAL TALENT??" but it wasnt about the job, shes just really strong, hardworking, and adaptable

kokomi- zebra, golden heart cutie mark

couldnt decide if she was a crystal pony or a zebra, decided on zebra

her mark LITERALLY seems to glow golden light, it doesnt actually but.. it really seems that way

ik her being a zebra may not sound like it makes sense because zecora got a bunch of NEGATIVE attention, but HEAR me out okok.. this pony au would be in a modern setting with more diversity and people would focus less on her being a zebra and more on her being beautiful and having such a unique pattern..

zecora is the only zebra we see in mlp so theres no reason to think other zebras couldnt have blue hair, esp in the era of saikis mind control (idk how that would tie into this universe cuz ponies already have crazy colors but shhh) so her hair is prob blue with dark and light stripey highlights

mikoto- griffon

ik she might make more sense as a unicorn but her fortune telling strikes me as more of an.. outside magic ?? like.. she was born with the ability, but its not a physical magical power, its like pinkies pinkie sense!!

so yea i like her as a griffon, its unique and i like the idea of her feathers having a unique pattern around her eyes thats akin to gyaru makeup (see: gilda but make it gyaru esque)

and yes she can still be colorful, we see colorful griffons in the late seasons of mlp

metori- a crystal pony, diamond ring cutie mark

tells people thats his cutie mark because its expensive and hes rich as hell but his special talent is actually MAKING jewelry..

i like the idea of him lying about his special talent so i had to think of something that he could say its cuz hes rich.. i kinda wanted his talent to be baking for some reason but i couldnt think of how that would work

reita- earth pony, cutie mark is like a cartoon-like ghost surrounded by a scary purple and black aura

was gonna make his mark something more meaningful but i think its funny if people see it and are immediately scared of him but literally all it means is like he SPEAKS to ghosts, like in the most normal way possible

and same thing as miko, he doesnt need to be a unicorn cuz his powers are different from unicorn magic..

touma- unicorn, magnifying glass over a thought bubble cutie mark

the mark is hard to explain but tell me u get me when i say its because hes got stupidly good detective skills and can tell what people are thinking

jokes around and manages to convince people he has crazy magic and his cutie mark actually means he can read minds but he actually isnt very good at unicorn magic at all

kineshi- is a changeling..

why ?? because he just is!! doesnt it make sense for him to be a creature that feeds off of making other people feel happiness and love ? it totally makes sense

honorable mentions 😛

saikis parents are both earth ponies, and i have no idea what their cutie marks would be but heres some silly ideas: kurumi has a cradle cutie mark (meant to be a mama😋) and kuniharu has a boot and he tells people that it's symbolism for like hard work but people know hes lying and think it means hes a boot licker METAPHORICALLY, which is almost right but.. it means literally

kusuke is an earth pony and his telepathy canceler is probably shaped like a unicorn horn in this universe hehe, and his cutie mark is maybe like a microscope or something ? hes just a mad scientist idk

btw chono in this au would def be like trixie lulamoon if u know what im saying.. he would be a unicorn but his special talent is STAGE magic and his horn doesnt do anything☠️

satou prob has that little hourglass cutie mark thats really common in background characters for animation purposes, idk what his special talent is but that would be really funny

[quitealotofsodapop]

Double anon answer cus similar ideas.

I can imagine that the immediate reaction from the Red Sons, is to cast fireball at the "imposter" DBK just in case its SWK playing a really complicated prank (he did turn himself into DBK in Jttw).

After a lightning round Q&A - including the infamous "When was the exact hour Red Son was born?", both families determine that they are in fact alternate versions of one another.

Princess Iron Fan is the first to notice something very off about her Au self.

Canon!PIF: "You look... exhausted." Au!PIF, smiling excitedly: "I am!" Canon! Ironbull, like a psychic lightbulb moment: *simultaneous gasp!!!* Canon!DBK, uber hyped-up: "LET US SEE THE CHILD!" *cue both pairs of the Ironbull parents charging off towards the Demon Bull palace's nursery*

The Second Son/"Black Boy"/Huoshan is about to have a bunch of confusing wake-up kisses.

The spicynoodles reaction to one another depends on whether or not spicynoodles has already occurred in the canon verse. Otherwise, if we're strictly canon; then this the first time Canon Red and MK have considered eachother anything but shaky powerful allies.

Canon!Red, at seeing their parents run off: "What was that about?" Au!Red: "Probably about my little brother Huoshan. He was a long time coming." Canon!Red, trying to hide his own excitement: "A baby brother!? How dare you not be overjoyed on our parents behalf!" Au!Red: "Normally I'd be running off with them too, but I too am exhausted. The twins have been running me ragged." Canon!Red, blue-screen-error: "wut?" (°∀°) Au!Red, too tired to wonder what the issue is: "Yeah the girls have been keeping Me and MK up at all hours. Monkey plus bull genes equals loud chirping calves." Canon!Red, blush covering face: "..." Au!Red: "Of course there was the whole debacle with Uncle True Compliant sabotaging mother and father's plans for more children, and trying to kill MK. That really stressed the situation." Canon!Red, hair starts steaming: "....!?!" Au!Red: "And thank buddha that jiā gōng [father-in-law] gave mother that vase from Guanyin. Would have never gotten rid of that curse from grandmother otherwise." Canon!Red, mouth agape: "!!!!!!" *making sound of a boiling kettle* Au!Red: "Thankfully me and my sunflower get a lot of help from-" *notices the look on Canon!Red's face* "Are you ok? You look like you've seen a ghost." Canon!Red: *hair flooms up like a pink wildfire* Au!Red, realizing: "AH. You uh... haven't gotten to those parts yet I bet?" Canon!Red: *nods head slowly* *the two MKs walk into the room* Canon!MK: "Hey Red Sons! Other me was just showing me the baby bull photos! The twin girls are super cute! Are they this Red's sisters or-" Canon!Red, flames growing higher: "AAAAaaaaaa...!" Au!MK, looking disappointed at his Red: "You told him the twins were ours, didn't you?" Canon!MK, interrupting before Au!Red can reply: "THEY ARE!?! OH MY BUDDHA! No wonder they have little monkey face patterns!" *starts squeeing loudly* *Canon spicynoodles are both screaming, and theres now a large fire in the Demon Bull palace entrance hall* Au! Spicynoodles: "Could have gone worse, right?" "I mean, the Nezhas had a little more flames."

The Canon MK & Red are in near shock for the rest of the visit, and refusing to meet eachothers gaze. Mostly cus they keep getting reminded by the Au!DBK about his "PERFECT GRANDDAUGHTERS!" (currently being babysat by their other grandparents), and by the baby photos plastered almost everywhere. A small fight does break out between the Bull Families at supertime though.

Canon!DBK: "So did your son release you from under the mountain as well?" Au!DBK, spoon-feeding little Huoshan: "Yes, in a sense. My body was trapped under the mountain for sometime until my Red and the little thief lifted the staff. Canon!DBK: "Ah. Much the same." Au!DBK: "Ingenious how he was able to contact me in the astral plane in the meantime though. Brother Pigsy and Sandy really helped Red bring out the best in himself." Canon!DBK: "...excuse me? The swine and the boatman!?" Au!PIF: "You seem shocked. We've known Chef Zhu and Sandy almost ever since I brought Red home from the Southern Ocean. Save for the whole, underworld and the staff fiasco, we've been nothing but amicable." Canon!PIF: "The Southern Ocean? But I brought Red Son home with me over... how long has your Bull been out of the mountain?" Au!PIF: "Physically? Only a few years. It's a bit of a long story. His physical body couldn't be released with the staff still in the mountain, but my genius little boy honed his mediatation skill enough so we could at least have some family time in the astral plane." Canon Ironbull: "...what." "WHY DIDN'T YOU DO THAT!?" Canon!Red: "Hey! I don't know if I can do that! This is an entirely different universe father!" Canon!MK: "Yeah! And at least thank him for making the gauntlet in the first place. If he never made that, you would probably still be a bull skull underground." Canon!DBK: "Not another word little thief. I am still wondering why you and your simian counterpart are even here." Au!MK, already peeved at Canon!Ironbull: "Cus me and my Red are married!" *Table is quiet, esp on the Canon end* Canon!Ironbull: "What." Au!MK, realises that he shouldn't have said that: "Hehehe, yeah... married. Where do you think the twins came from? Hehe" *nervous laughter* Canon!Ironbull: "..." Canon!DBK, turns seriously to his Red: "Son... WHY HAVEN'T YOU MARRIED THE LITTLE THIEF AND GIVEN US PERFECT GRANDCALVES?!" Canon!Red, hair flooming up blush-pink: "Father! You just don't say that!!!"

So yeah, most of the Canon and Au crossover is Canon Ironbull getting dunked on + Canon Red Son dying of embarassment at learning that the Noodle Boy becomes his Noddle Boy in marriage in the alternate timeline. Canon PIF & DBK might have reservations on Red being with MK, but the thought of beautiful grandkids (and Red's confirmations that there's hope for more Ironbull children) really makes a compelling argument.

[aceoflove]

Right where we Belong - Part 1 | Bob Floyd x Reader

When tragedy strikes the Floyd family, Lieutenant Robert "Bob" Floyd finds himself back home, taking a break from Navy life to help heal his broken family.

But maybe theres another way to mend his broken heart...

masterlist | next chapter

He’s gone. The man who raised him, who loved him, taught him everything, died.

The call from his mother plays on repeat in his brain as he clutches the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white as he tries to block out the pain.

Robert Floyd, WSO, a smart kid and overall gentleman, was raised in a farmhouse, growing up with two sisters, his mother and his pops, Michael Floyd.

Michael was a proud man, a strong leader and a loving father to his children. There was something about him, and as Bob grew up, he knew he wanted to be like him. He was kind, strong, and caring for everybody around him.

He was so strong, and healthy that the call came as a shock.

It was after training, a long day of listening to Maverick ramble and hearing Hangman and Rooster bickering over coms while in the air. The Hard Deck was bustling with activity as always, barely an empty seat in sight as everyone was letting lose, not caring about the hangover they will experience the next day, which was normal on a Friday night. He was playing pool against Fanboy when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, distracting him from his shot. He misses, looking away from the game, and down at his screen. Bob excused himself from the game the moment he saw “Mom” pop up on screen, walking swiftly out the back and standing on the little deck overlooking the beach.

The rest of the night was a blur. He couldn’t believe what he had heard. It couldn’t be true, there is no way he was gone. A single tear slipped down his cheek as his mother’s broken sob echoes in his ear, one of his sisters (he was too distraught to remember which one), took over the phone call, begging him to come home.

“Mom needs you.”

He was the man of the family now. That thought didn’t fully sink in until he was loading is suitcase into his truck, Nat and Mickey making sure he was well prepared for the long road trip ahead. After finding out about the death, he talked to Rear-Admiral Warlock about getting paid leave so he could head home, to his family. He had no idea how long he would be gone, but he got approval, and left that night.

Monday evening never seemed so dull. He always hated Mondays. Even though he didn’t hate school, the loss of freedom always seemed so dull. But with the sun is setting on the horizon as he hugs his two friends, it was almost painful. The world felt as if it was in black and white. Both of his friends kept fussing over him, making sure he had eaten before he hit the road, and Fanboy even offered to make the trip with him, but he felt like a burden, so just hopped in his truck after saying his goodbyes, putting his foot steadily on the gas, driving off into the night.

The coast faded from his view, the rest of the world fading into view, the little bubble of his North Island dream bursting as he doesn’t look away from the windscreen.

Stopping at a red light, he fiddled with the radio, trying to connect to his phone like normal. Most days, he is able to do it, no issues at all, but on this night, he struggles, his hands shaking a heavy sigh escaping his lips.

Maybe it was the shock still resonating, his heart not believing it could be true.

He finally gets the phone to connect, right as the light turns green again. He drives off, his favourite playlist playing quietly in the background. The music becomes white noise in his mind, the normally uplifting songs feeling sombre, a neutral expression still on his face.

All the landscape becomes a blur in his vision as he drives by, the highway empty so late at night. His mind is numb, hiding away his feelings from the world.

~

 Familiar roads finally fade into view, as he drove all night just to get home.

But is it even home anymore when his dads no longer there?

The country roads feel familiar, but the town feels empty compared to last time he was there. But that was to be expected as the sun slowly began to rise above the rusted rooves of the houses, the stores all shut at such an early hour of the morning.

While driving by each place, memories began to flood back, tainted with the loss of his father. Everywhere he looked he could see his smiling face, a proud chuckle leaving his lips as his wrinkled face made him smile too.  

Places like the cozy bookshop on the corner of main street with the lovely older lady who always lit up when they came into the store, or the little café ran by the teacher’s wife who always knew his order.

Nostalgia was a powerful thing, but sometimes it turns into sorrow.

Winding, dusty roads lead him out of the town, taking him past paddocks and fields of crops and animals, different driveways leading off to different farms, and he could name all of the owners by heart.

In the back of his mind he counts, 1, 3, 5, making sure he turns down the correct driveway, but he really didn’t need to. The roads in this town were carved into his heart, and he could get anywhere without a second thought.

His once steady breathing starts to shake as he takes the next turn, his heart aches when he sees the mailbox. Five coloured handprints surrounded the name ‘Floyd’, his fathers front and centre.

Denial was still strong in him as he pulls in, trying to be quiet as not to wake up his family. Removing the keys from the ignition, he sighs. Once he walks through the door, he knows life will change, that the once joyful house will be filled with sorrow and mourning for a man who made such a big impact to their family.

Wiping his hands on his jeans, trying to ground himself into reality, to not spin the whole world out of control.

Bob was always an anxious boy when he was younger, always more of a bookish type compared to most of the other boys in town, leading to having severe anxiety. Maybe he got it from his mom, who also had it. But either way, his thoughts played tricks on his mind, spinning the world out of control at any single moment, which made it almost impossible to navigate high school.

He got help with that as an adult, medication and different grounding methods helped him calm down, made him the reasonable and level-headed WSO that he has become.

But at times the thoughts come back, making his heart ache as he spirals into anxiety and pain.

Inhale, exhale.

He repeats this over and over in his mind, trying to remind himself how death is natural, heck, he has been close to death before, but that never fazed him. Maybe he still saw his dad as some kind of superhero, like every kid did. Looking back on his life, maybe he didn’t fully grow out of the adoration he had for his father, because he was his hero.

There was nothing the Michael Floyd would not do for any of his kids. His family was his world, and he made sure that he did everything in his power to make sure they knew this.

A faint knock on the car window took him out of his thoughts, blinking a few times as he gripped his jeans, grounding himself back to the present.

Confusion crosses his face as he looks out the window, and he doesn’t see anyone there. With a shaky breath he opens the door, a soft smile gracing his face for the first time in a few days when he sees the big blue eyes of his niece, Ava, starring up at him, her arms outstretched for her uncle.

“What are you doing up at this hour Bubs?”

Hopping out of his truck for the first time in hours, he picks up the small girl, stretching a little as he does. He puts on a brave face with a chuckle as she cuddles against him.

“Momma heard you pull in. She said I could come and get you.” “Oh did she now? And what’s your mother doing up at this time?”

His hold on the kid tightens as he shifts her to one side in his arms, grabbing his bag in the other before shutting the door, heading towards the gate, which Ava clearly forgot to shut in the excitement of seeing her Uncle Bobby.

“Nanna was crying again this mornin’, so most of us were up.” It sounded so casual coming from the 6-year-olds mouth, but it hit him in the heart. His dad’s death took a toll on all of them, but a part of him feels extremely guilty for not being there for the rest of his family earlier, which was nearly impossible, but a voice in the back of his mind was nagging him, tearing him apart from the inside out.

~

The light was drained from the house, and he knew it from the second he walked in. It was dull, the bubble of the perfect home had burst as he sees his sisters sitting at the counter, both with a coffee mug in hand, clearly tired.

He places his bag down on the floor in the entryway, three sets of eyes turned to look at him, a glimmer of recognition and hope in all of them. Ava wiggles in his arms, desperate to be put down on the floor again, barely able to stay still, and as he does that, his older sister, Ava’s mother, Megan walks his way, wrapping her arms around her little brother in an embrace. No words were spoken, they weren’t necessary as they held each other in grief. Right behind Megan was Amanda, his youngest sister, hugging him as well. It was gentle compared to all the times before this, as they always seemed to roughhouse together, but now, they were both fragile, like one piece of wind would break them.

“Robby.”

“Mandy.”

They both laugh with a sad smile on their face as his mother comes over to him, slow and weak, maybe from age, or her grief. For the first time since he found out what happened he breaks. Her arms were wrapped around him as she sadly says his name, and he can’t help but cry, knowing he is in a safe space in his home.

Angela Floyd, formerly Angela Jenson, was a strong-willed woman, who wouldn’t take anyone’s shit, not even her own husbands. She kept the house running like clockwork, helping out on the farm, no matter how many times Michael told her he was okay on his own. She is a provider, and she couldn’t be prouder of her boy.

~

It took him a while to settle into his old room. Not much has changed as his family was sentimental, keeping rooms pretty much the same, freezing them in time forever. His old posters were slowly peeling off the wall, and the few books he left behind were still there, untouched from his last visit.

He got to catch up with his brother-in-law, Ryan, who had been out that morning, running the farm in place of his dad, but Ryan was glad when Bob volunteered to help out while he was in town.

The day went too quickly for his liking as the hours ticked by, and he felt lost. He’s being overwhelmed by grief, memories rushing back, ones that he didn’t previously remember.

A little skipping figure came up to him, tugging on his sleeve.

“Will you take me to the library? They’re doing a story time today, and Nanna doesn’t feel well enough to take me.”

He could never say no to that little face.

~

The building looked the same as he had remembered it, the sandy coloured walls still standing, but the paint looks fresh.

The eager child pulls him inside, taking him to the front desk so they could sign in for story time.

The air inside was tense. He could feel people’s eyes glancing at him, most in sorrow, some feeling sorry for the WSO. In a small town, news spread like wildfire, and he couldn’t get the thought out of his mind about the fact that some of these people may have known about his father’s death before he did.

Ava once again grabbed onto him, pulling him over to the large children’s section, which had grown a lot since he was a kid. His fingers trace over the familiar spines of some of the novels, his name inside the book on the library borrowing card.

“Come sit here Uncle Bob!”

Ava pats the seat on the floor next to her with enthusiasm, clearly wanting him to stay with her, while the other adults sat at the back of the room.

The kids gathered around, some shoving each other, others trying to see over another kid’s head. But they fell silent as they looked over to the left, watching as a woman walks in.

His gaze slowly turns to this woman, his own heart stopping for a moment as she sat down, two books on her lap and a smile so bright it could warm the coldest of hearts.

Their eyes meet for a moment, right before she starts speaking, and a blush spreads across his cheeks. In one look he was putty in her hands.

Maybe he found a library angel.

[unhingedscreaming]

Just finished I Saw the TV Glow, and I must say it has quickly become my favorite movie I've ever had the honor to watch.

There's so much beauty in it in so many different ways. It is a compassionate and raw perspective on transness and mental illness and feeling empty and nostalgia and isolation. Not only was the writing excellent my god the acting and the cinematography had me in tears. Some things I loved about the movie.

1. The writing (obviously)

The way this movie is a metaphor for so many different things that seem separate but are all intertwined is breathtaking. Something I found fascinating is at the end I didn't even really sit there trying to decide if it was all a psychotic break or it they really were from a tv show because it didn't matter. Because at the end of the day, it was still about being too afraid to be yourself. About holding it all in until you break. About life moving too fast but being too slow and monotonous. It was about fearing who you are and never taking the dive because it sounds crazy and you can't. It's about regret. It's about soulmates, about that on person who you never have to lie to. In the end, it would still be about those things whether or not there really was a tv show or not.

2. Cinematic Decisions

The filming decisions in this film made it what it was. One of the things I found fascinating was the lack of a true soundtrack. There wasnt particularly a lot of background noise excpet for chatter on the TV. All of the conversations and days are smothered in this thick heavy silence. The silence is so prominent it feels like its own character. The graininess and static making it feel like an actual tv show. The colors, the sickening neon glow from everywhere all the time. The unsteady camera and wide shots.

3. The relationships

While Maddy and Owen are amazing on their own, their relationship is the most compelling part of the story. Both feel alone and broken and like theres something wrong with themselves but not as much around each other. We see Owen isn't really talkative or open with his mom, that he barely says anything at all to her, but with Maddy almost immediately, he feels a connection to her. He seeks her out again and again. Owen doesn't have anything resembling a relationship with anyone else. He barely has dialogue with other characters. In the scene where his dad is holding him under the shower, he doesn't say a word, doesn't even look at him honestly. He says near the end he has a family, but we don't even see them. But with Maddy, he is close to her. They're intertwined, and around each other, they admit truths and secrets it doesnt feel like they've ever said outloud before. Even when Owen is freaked out by Maddy, even when he pushes her away and runs, there's till love there. It's not rejection as much as fear, and maddy doesn't blame him.

4. Parallels and Callbacks

One of the main cinematic choices I found myself noticing over and over again was the colors surrounding Maddy and Owen. in the first scene they sit across from each other as Owen leans against a oink vending machine and maddy a black. Owen has a pink sleeping bag and a pink shirt and a pink dress. Maddy is more often seen in black and white. Some great callbacks are the scene where we find out Owen doesn't have a heart, and Maddy reminds him of the bleavhers where he said he was afraid someone would dig up his insides and find there is nothing there. Seeing the chalk on the road clearly for the first time and it being the ghosts and "there's still time".

My personal favorite scene is the scene where Owen watches the finale, and then his dad comes in to find him with his head on the TV, screaming and crying. To me, this scene is very reminiscent of an attempt. He's finally been pushed to the edge and flung off of it. he's been holding everything in for so long and he can't take it anymore. Its heartbreaking in every way.

All in all this is a fantastic movie I highly recommend. All my love to the writers producers and directors.

[fishylipsblubblub]

The Silent Observer, Chapter 1

When you get hired at El Michoacano, you quickly discover that not all is as it seems...

A/N: This one has been marinating in my google docs for a long ass time because i wasn’t really sure how i felt about the beginning, but i kinda just realized theres no point in writing fanfic if im not gonna post it, so here y’all go. btw i’m planning for this one to be long AF

Pulling out of the McDonalds drive through, I turned onto the road. I tried for a second to open the lid of my coffee, but decided it was a bad idea and set it in the cup holder. I exhaled and gripped the wheel until my knuckles were white. Rain drops pummeled the windshield as I drove onward. The weather was uncharacteristically rainy for New Mexico, but the rain was a welcome sight. The constant heat got on my nerves all the time since I’d came here.  

“Hi, my name is y/n l/n,” I practiced. “I’m here for the interview. Yes, I would like some water, thank you. My biggest weakness? I’m too hard working. No, wait, that’s cliche. And not even true. No, my biggest weakness is.. I usually wake up after 12, and employers don’t generally like that.” I heaved an exasperated sigh. “They’re never going to hire me.”

My intention was to collapse my head into the steering wheel dramatically, but instead I hit the horn with my forehead and scared myself. I sat up straight immediately, and timidly waved an apology at the driver next to me who was now giving me a dirty look. 

I reached over to the cup holder to grab my coffee without taking my eyes off the road. The rain was unceasing, and I didn’t want to run the risk. Instead of grabbing the coffee, I hit it with my hand and knocked the entire contents onto the back seat and all over my phone. I looked back just in time to see it light up one last time, the screen glitching and malfunctioning. Then, it turned to black, dead. 

“Oh, no! Come on, there’s no way.” My lip quivered threateningly, but I took a very deep breath, stopping any tears that might have come. Looking back to the road, I realized I was drifting into the other lane. Without a thought, I swerved, but lost control on the wet road and went straight into the ditch.

My chest slammed into the steering wheel. I sat in the car for a moment, just waiting. I knew there was nothing I could do, and that what’s done is done, but I still waited. Finally, I got out of the car. I was right in front of a small Mexican restaurant called El Michoacano. Maybe I can use their phone, I thought.

When I entered the restaurant, it was almost completely empty. There were three men sitting in the dining room, each at different tables. Two of them looked like gangster types, and one looked like he could possibly be a chef, with his apron. I walked past them and toward the counter. Another man was back in the kitchen, and it looked like he was cooking something but he had stopped when I came in.

The man was tall. His hair was black, with a single streak of silver. He was dressed in the least conspicuous clothing imaginable. A silk button down with some of those pointy leather shoes.

“Excuse me,” I choked, realizing that there were tears falling down my cheeks. He came over and leaned on the counter.

“Are you okay?”

“I don’t know. I just ran my car into the ditch outside. Do you think I could use your phone to call a mechanic or something?”

“It’s just back here, in the kitchen. Here, this way,” he said, leading me into the kitchen. When I got to the phone, it was one of those old fashioned wall-mounted things. As I dialed the number, I turned back to lean on the wall. With a full view of the dining room, I saw the gangster’s heads both whip around so that they weren’t looking at me.

With a tow truck on the way, I sighed and wiped the mascara off my cheeks.

“I’m sorry about your car,” the man said. 

“It’s okay. Nothing I can do now. Thanks for the phone.” 

“Hey, take a seat. I just finished some tacos, you want one?” He asked. 

“Yeah, thanks.” I sat down, and he followed with two plates and sat down across from me.

“Rough day? I get it. Eat your taco, it’s getting cold,” he said gesturing at the food in front of you.

“So much for my interview,” I said, swallowing a bite of the taco. “Sorry, ignore me. I haven’t had such a good couple of days. Oh, my name is y/n, by the way.”

“My name is Eduardo. Did you say you were looking for a job?”

“Yes, why?” I asked, looking up from my food.

“I’m looking for a server. You think you might be up for it?” He got up and went over to the kitchen, coming back with a paper.

“Fill this out, and bring it back to me,” he said, giving me the application.

“I don’t know what to say. Thank you, Eduardo.”

“Please, call me Lalo.”

“Thank you, Lalo.”

The moment was almost shattered by a contemptuous gaze that one of the men in the dining room was giving Lalo. He pretended like he didn’t see, and continued.

“I think that’s your truck pulling up.”

***************

It was sort of a plain dress. Black, short sleeved. The skirt went down maybe halfway to my knee. Of course, a small “El Michoacano” was printed over the breast. I flattened the front of my uniform and checked my bag. Yep, I have everything, I thought. Then, I was out the door, down the street, and at the bus stop. My car was taken to the junkyard when I couldn’t pay for the repairs.

“Hey, you made it,” shouted Lalo from the kitchen over the wafting sound of Mexican music. He tossed a towel over his shoulder on his way over to me and turned down the music slightly.

“You excited?”

His enthusiasm was contagious, and I grinned a smile in response.

“Of course I am.”

“Alright, let’s get to it. That guy over there,” he said, pointing at the middle-aged man sitting at a table in the corner. “He’s the chef around here, and honestly, should be training you. But, he doesn’t speak too much english. So, you’re stuck with me.”

“So what should I start with?” I asked, looking around the dining room. It was empty today, excluding the man in the corner.

“I was thinking we’d take a look in the kitchen, see where things are kept. Then, you and I will have a chat about the rules here. You know, it doesn’t usually get too busy around here, so there isn’t much for you to worry about.”

Lalo walked back into the kitchen and showed me the cupboards. He listed off what they contained, and opened some of them to show me.

“The plates and bowls go here,” he said, opening one of them. “Make sure you stack the little bowls on the little bowls and the big ones on the big ones. Don’t mix them.”

“Okay, got it. And the cups..?”

“-Go right here,” he finished swinging another cupboard open. “I don’t expect you to remember all of this. It’s gonna take some time. Don’t hesitate to ask me a question.” He started toward the door to the dining room, tapping my elbow as he passed to tell me to follow. I complied. On the way out, I looked back at the cupboards and silently quizzed myself. Bowls, plates, cups.

“Have a seat,” Lalo said, gesturing toward a chair. I sat down and looked up at him as he sat across from me. 

“So you really weren’t lying when you said that it doesn’t get busy in here,” I said looking around at the nearly empty dining room. The man in the corner seemed to be completely in his own world as he read a week-old Mexican newspaper.

“Nah, not really. The guys that were in here last week? They’ll be back in…” he checked his watch. “About an hour or so.”

“What, are they regulars or something?” I asked, remembering the odd way they seemed to be together but sat at different tables.

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. So, you’ll notice people coming in and out of here a bit. You’ll know what I mean when you see it. There’s not many rules here, but the one you need to remember is this.” he leaned in closer as he continued. “Don’t worry about them. You don’t even need to take their order. Just stay back and leave them alone.”

He said it all in a calm, even tone. His eyes were fixed on mine the whole time, and they didn’t move.

“Who are they?”

“Friends.” The tension in the air as he said those words was so tight you could have cut it with a knife. His expression was so deadly serious, and he had this way of perfectly controlling the emotions of his words as he said them.

 “The tough looking guy sitting in the back yesterday? His name is Nacho. You’ll get to know him eventually, but he’s a little shy. The other one is Domingo. I’m sure he’ll introduce himself when he gets here.” 

Suddenly, Lalo leaned back and broke the tension in half with a smile.

“That’s my little lecture. Bored yet?”

“Not yet.”

“You don’t talk much, do you?”

“Really? You think I don’t talk much?” As I said that, I realized my mouth was sort of dry. “Usually people tell me I’m a chatterbox.”

“I’ll have to see that to believe it,” he laughed. “It’s about noon. You hungry? Another perk of this job. Free food.”

Without even waiting for my affirmation, he was back in the kitchen and the music was turned up again. Determined to make myself useful, I followed.

“Want help?” I called over the music.

He turned around from the tomatoes he was chopping, surprised.

“Yeah, you can do this,” he said, pointing to the chopping board. “There’s some lettuce over there, and the steak will need to be chopped too. I have to cook the meat first, so I’ll give it to you once I’m done.”

I got going, messily dicing the tomatoes. I tried my hardest to make them all at least even shapes and sizes, and I did decently okay for someone who has absolutely to idea what they’re doing. With the blade of the knife, I slid the tomatoes to the side of the board and took up the lettuce. 

Lalo was, to say the least, enthusiastic about his cooking. He was loudly singing along to the music on the radio, and his excitement was spreading to me. Even if I didn’t know the words, I was singing along with him. It was impossible not to.

As Lalo warmed the tortillas on the frying pan, he was passing them to me and I was building the tacos. 

“This is something I need to do again,” I said as we carried the plates out into the dining room.

“I can show you a thing or two about cooking, if you want. Like I said, there’s not a whole lot that needs to be done around here. You’re gonna have a lot of free time.”

The door to El Michoacano swung open, and in walked one of the men I saw yesterday. Lalo walked up to him and clapped him on the back.

“Ocho loco, you remember this girl from last week?” He looked at me and smiled slightly.

“Hi, I’m Domingo,” he said, shaking my hand.

“Y/n,” I responded. Lalo handed him the plate in his hand.

“Here, this is for you, made especially by y/n,” Lalo said with a cheeky smile in my direction.

“Oh come on, I barely helped.”

“Thanks, y/n,” said Domingo, walking over to the table he was sitting at the other day.

“Does he always sit there?” I whispered to Lalo as we sat down at the table closest to the counter.

“Yeah. Remember what I said earlier? About leaving them alone? That goes for Domingo too.”

“So, you want to me to like, ignore him when he comes in?”

He laughed and said “No, nothing like that. Just don’t go up and bother him while he’s working. And don’t eavesdrop. Especially don’t eavesdrop.”

I sat in silence and ate my taco, mulling over what he’d said. ‘Don’t eavesdrop’? What was that supposed to mean? What could Domingo and the other guy, Nacho, was it? What could they be doing that was so secretive?

I jolted my head up when I heard the door swing open again, this time with more force.

“What’s up Nacho,” Domingo greeted the man walking in.

He didn’t even look in my direction. He walked straight to the table he was at last time I saw him and sat down.

“He’s like that,” Lalo whispered to me. “Nachito, come say hi to the new waitress,” he said, raising his tone.

Nacho turned his head toward me and simply said “Hi.” I could tell he already didn’t like me, but I couldn’t tell why. Suddenly, I remembered the look he gave to Lalo when he offered me the application. 

“Why don’t you sweep the kitchen floor? The broom is back there,” he said, waving his hand toward the kitchen but not looking away from Nacho.

I followed his orders, but the strongest sense of suspicion guided me toward the kitchen.

This is when I broke my first rule. I stood as close as I could to the door so I could hear what they were saying. Lalo’s eyes followed me toward the kitchen and watched me carefully before he got up and sat directly next to Nacho and started speaking very quickly and quietly in Spanish.

I risked a look up at the pair, trying to figure out what they were saying from their expressions. Nacho was sitting cross-armed and looking up at Lalo with a quirked eyebrow. Words were exchanged, but the only ones I could pick out were “quieres” and “tienes”, “you want” and “you have” respectively. Unsurprisingly, these were some of the only Spanish words I knew. 

Lalo was leaned forward on the table, his gaze fixated on the man across from him. 

“Compredes?” He said at last. “Understand?”

“Sí, Lalo,” Nacho responded. I leaned my broom against the wall and came back into the dining room. Domingo was just sitting still, staring directly at the wall. He had the look of someone who had just sat through a very uncomfortable conversation. Lalo sighed and patted Nacho rather aggressively on the shoulder. Then I heard tires on the pavement outside, and a giant truck pulled up outside the restaurant.

“Y/N, you can do some stocking in the cupboards. There’s not much work for you out here.” 

I had the distinct impression that this was going to be one of those times in which I should not be eavesdropping. I disappeared into the pantry behind the kitchen and tried to ignore the man walking in as much as possible. 

That was the rest of the day. I hid in the back while men came in and out of the restaurant, from time to time Lalo would ask how I was or what I was getting up to. No customers came in. Not one. The bus ride home felt so much longer than the one there. My mind was racing with ideas as to what could be going on there.  

No matter what I thought of, the same thought kept returning to me. Something dark must be going on, and somehow I had gotten caught up in it. 

***************

“Why don’t you sweep the kitchen floor? The broom is back there,” I said. I studied Nacho carefully. Out of my peripheral, I saw her hesitate and then turn around. I turned to watch her leave, double checking to see that she was out of earshot before snapping my head back toward Nacho.

“You know exactly why I hired her,” I hissed softly in Spanish.

“I meant you should hire someone connected, not an outsider! Someone’s daughter or niece. You don’t even know this girl, she could be an FBI agent,” Nacho retorted, wrinkling his nose in distaste. The corners of my lips twitched upward.

“I’ve been following her since she first stepped foot in this building. Believe me, she isn’t FBI. I didn’t choose her at random. The look of pure desperation on her face told me she needed money, fast. She’d do anything for it. She won’t tell, believe me.” Nacho raised an eyebrow at me, a frown forming on his face.

“I’m just saying that you shouldn’t put your trust into someone who you don’t even know. She has no reason to be loyal to us. She could turn at any minute.”

“I have a plan,” I said simply, looking back at the girl. She was staring very decidedly at the floor where she was sweeping.

“What’s that, then?”

“All in good time, Nachito,” I smiled at him. “But now, you must be civil to her. I don’t care if you don’t like her, you must be polite, comprendes?”

Nacho sighed and responded “Sí, Lalo.”