#usually the having to pay to get more content has always annoyed the living crap out of me
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ishikawayukis · 2 years ago
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maybe this is an unpopular opinion but i’m sick and tired of all the private messaging apps and making all the content something you have to pay for, i know that the number one goal for companies is to make money but i’m so sick and tired of them if i see one more random pm app i’ll burn something
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cinnamonest · 4 months ago
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holy crap, that tohru fic. Pleaseeeee I MUST know what happens next. Incel misogynist is actually peak content idek anymore what can top that for me. And your writing is so great. When Tohru warned reader he was about to ask a question she could get the wrong idea about, I was like "yeah, it can't be that bad, since he's being apologetic and all," and then he hit her with it 😭 i was like help 💀. I'm also very curious to know how he got fixated on her. Like he was so quick to go, "im gonna kill u because ur not nice enough," but we all know what those small greetings and smiles from darling did for him
To be fair, the more attached guys get, the more volatile they are towards rejection — it's that if I can't have you, no one can type of mentality, and he has it to a very intense degree.
One of the most interesting and captivating parts of Adachi’s character imo is how in the official P4 anthology manga it shows how he's just so bitter and mad that even when he spends a day with the Dojimas and they're actually so nice to him and appreciate him, he goes home and reflects on the day, and ends up getting mad and throwing things and tearing his apartment up — he's one of those people who just can't be happy, can't accept kindness because he's just that bitter.
There's no winning. He'd get angry if he's rejected or reprimanded, but he also can't emotionally handle kindness and love and will push back against it as a defensive measure.
That's why living with him is such a nightmare — you can't appease or placate him. Once he's “mask-off” towards you, you learn he's incredibly pessimistic and interprets everything with bitterness and paranoia. So even if you go out of your way to try to make him happy, his eyes just narrow, he tilts his head and draws the most negative conclusions—
Oh, you're trying to get me to let my guard down, huh?
—or—
You're being awfully nice today. What did you do that you don't want me finding out about…?
—or—
You think I'll just forget about earlier if you're all sweet now, is that it?
Everything, everything you do is automatically viewed through such lenses of negativity. And when he suspects that you're doing something with deceitful intent, he gets mad, and when he gets mad, he gets violent. Holding you by your throat or hair and manhandling you around like a ragdoll.
So you're punished if you're bad, but you're also punished if you're good. But don't think you can escape by trying to stay quiet and neutral — then he gets pissed off because you're being boring and that's annoying, or he interprets it as you avoiding him, giving him a cold shoulder and silent treatment on purpose. And that is probably the worst thing you could do — as always, he's so incredibly sensitive to any form of perceived rejection.
So there really is no winning. You have to give him attention, but if you do, you're trying to deceive him somehow, and if you say you're not then you're lying and that's especially bad. To say it wears on your psyche is an understatement.
Not that he doesn't have his vulnerable moments, in particular when he has bad days at work — he comes home and takes all the frustration out on you, either making you listen to his whining and complaining the whole night, reaming your holes raw and sore, or, usually, both. And in those moments, you sometimes do get a feeling of tenderness, where you physically feel him lose that near-constant feeling of tension in his body as he melts into your touch, lets you rub your hands through his hair and down his back for a few precious, soft moments… but after a bit too long, of course, he snaps back to self-awareness and embarrassment over the momentary vulnerability, and now you have to pay for making him like that.
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mercurytrinemoon · 4 years ago
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Another post on Moon signs you can drag me for
Before we get into the actual thing, I'd like to say this post initially started as something else but ultimately, what I tried to put across is, sometimes Moon signs aren’t that easy to decipher. It’s easy to grasp overall characteristics of the signs and then learn how to identify their specific traits. But what people seem to forget it that Moon represents the deepest side of us & our inner world - it’s uncommon to really see someone’s side of it unless you really pay attention. Sometimes I’m surprised to see what someone’s Moon sign is even if I know this person well. Meaning, people usually hide that part of them - or they just simply process it internally and others can’t see their emotional reactions. It’s also uncommon for folks these days to fully express their emotional needs so it gets even trickier to pin-point their Moon characteristics. I don't think I have to mention this but, of course, your entire chart should be taken into account, as well as house placement, aspects. Personally, I like to also look at Moon's dispositor.
Let’s start from my friends, Gemini Moons, who, I feel, get a bad rep for not showing their feelings and scanning every emotion like an AI. Nah-ah. I know this one Gemini Moon whose immediate emotional reactions aren’t very cerebral in the sense of processing everything in the mind and intellectualizing it aka, what people like to label as being un-emotional. Instead her reactions are often fast (air energy) but physically expressed through Mercury (Gemini Moon’s dispositor) and Sun (overall identity) – she has them both in Aries. She’s a crybaby who can burst into tears in a matter of seconds. So she’s not something that would stereotypically be assigned to a Gemini Moon. But what I did notice is that all Gemini Moons tend to have this weird look on their face when they’re processing stuff. As if they were about to have a brain malfunction; they stop and have that specific worried look. They also like to either gossip or tell stories (either real or made up lol); they’re great with words - they can talk for hours if they feel comfortable with you. They just crave interaction and mental stimulation. Their quick reactions tend to make them effortlessly witty. Even if they’re a withdrawn Gemini type, they make up for it through social media and technology or just a quiet exploration. My shy Cancer pal with Moon in Gemini is now a brand/website designer and an instagram queen who travels the world. This is great energy for content creators in general. And don’t forget that Geminis need to have their fingers in many pies. It’s because they always have a backup plan… and they get bored easily so they need that chaos around them to feel at home. They like to have options in everything, which is kind of funny cause it’s hard for them to make up their minds and actually choose something. And they store a lot of information in their brains… I feel like it must be exhausting, no? 
On the other side of the axis, whenever I see someone with a Sagittarius Moon, I can immediately say “yup, a Sag Moon indeed” (probably thanks to my Sag stellium), meaning, they all seem the same to me. Sag Moons often find comfort in exploration - best if it’s literal travel. They always seem to need to free themselves from their surroundings, family, roots or their own culture to discover something new and exciting, even if it’s only in the imaginary words - through books, movies and other medias. Their happiness always lies somewhere else from where they currently are. Like, I think all Sagittarius Moons that I know have left their parents and went their own paths early on. And they have this yolo attitude. Just like Sagittarius Suns, they’re massive dorks, probably also obnoxious… sometimes in a REALLY annoying way. They’re either a) very wise and curious b) lil preachy and stuck up c) just plain dumb clowns with no filter. But they’re all funny. And they take things lightly, with a natural ease. This means sometimes they may offend other people just because they assume everyone’s as chill as they are; „relax! I was just kidding!” - that’s a phrase you’ll hear from them often… I mean, unless you’re a jokester yourself and you’re unmoved by their sarcastic or teasing words. They have somewhat spiritual or philosophical nature so besides making you laugh, be prepared for deep monologues. They want to believe everything will eventually fall into place. It’s also hard to bring them down - or I should say, it’s hard to make them acknowledge that they're feeling down - they always try to distract or cover it up with a joke, usually a self-depricating one. If Sagittarius Moon (or Sagittarius in general tbh) is telling you that they’re unhappy, then it’s serious.
I’ve noticed there comes a point in life for a Libra Moon where they just have enough. They’re too nice for everyone and one day they wake up and yell about how they have to do everything for everyone and everyone wants something from them and bLah bLah. Makes me think of when Bieber was this overly nice kid and then he was like “I’M NOT TAKING PICTURES WITH FANS ANYMOREEEE AAGhJFJFUWIUq”. Yup, a Libra Moon, everyone. They know how to charm and appeal to people, I think overall they’re easily liked by others. Sometimes it’s simply because they like to kiss people’s ass just to avoid being rejected. That’d be a Libra Moon’s nightmare. They like other people’s company too much. And they thrive in relationships and in a big circle of friends. What they hate is confrontations (like every other Libra placement omg). They may be good mediators when it comes to other people but if they’re involved in an argument they get sooooo passive aggressive. They just don’t know how to handle conflicts - it’s as if their nervous system wasn’t designed for emotional outbursts (because, you know, everything needs to be peaceful and harmonious Venus-style). A fussy or angry Libra Moon will suddenly get loud as they blame someone for something… and then they’ll leave the room cause they’re scared to even hear the other side of the argument. Or, alternatively, they’ll make a doormat out of themselves just to stay quiet and avoid causing any rift. And making decisions? I think it’s common for them to have two different romantic interests and feeling so dramatically torned between them *Alexa play Agony from Into the Woods*. Then when they decide, they have problems breaking the bad news to one of them.
On the other end we have Aries Moons. *deep breath* Listen, I think I’ve said enough about having Moon in Aries (or rather purely dissing it) but last time it made a bit of controversy so why not wreak even more havoc. I have a good description for this one: I will punch you but be gentle with me cause it’s easy to break my fragile heart. So basically, imagine putting Buttercup and Bubbles into one person. And honestly, I need to say this, women with this placement are just hot badasses, look at friggin Angelina Jolie. The queen of badass. The queen of hot. People say because Aries folks move quickly (literally and figuratively lol), they often get bored with whatever got them excited last week... or yesterday. Ha, yeah, right. You get their heart to open up and they’re going to have their eyes for you ONLY, like a lil puppy. Give us treats and we’ll build our world around you. But NOT in a clingy way by any means, we need our space and independence after all. My lil niece is an Aries Moon and ever since I started playing guitar with her, she became my #1 fan or something. That’s the energy. But we get easily bored with day-to-day stuff so yeah, there’s that. Innocent and clumsy yet raw in their emotions - so there’s potential to make mistakes sometimes (or a lot of times) or having this tunnel vision, like „I want this and I don’t care about anything else!”. And then excusing it with some „but the heart wants what it wants” crap (looking @ ya, Selena Gomez). They experience constant inner movement and turbulence that needs a physical outlet in order to feel satisfied. WE NEED PASSION IN OUR LIVES, OKAY?!?!?? now leave me alone
Aquarius Moons aren’t as cold as you might think. People like to describe them as if their Moons actually disappeared from their charts: dEtaCheD, uNeMotiOnaL, tHey fEeL nOtHinG. It’s just they don’t sit and dwell on things, they find solutions to the problems. If something doesn’t make them feel right, they just leave that situation. They do care about other people’s well-being, they’re very sensitive in that regard, they’re humanitarians after all. Yeah, they detach, but from their own emotions - in order to make sense of them. They may seem like snow queens sometimes (and this comes from an Aqua rising) but they’re really friendly and if you pique Aqua Moon’s interest, they’re going to be curious about you. They like new exciting things so if you’re cool enough, you have their attention. Usually they’re pretty progressive as well and can’t stand injustice. That’s why you’ll see them standing up for those who are in need. Uranian energy gives them a specific type of sharp intuition and wit. Idk they’re just cute in a quirky way. But this buzzing, fast energy is a great recipe for anxiety, over-thinking and frequent changes of heart. Similarly to Sadges, they need constant exploration and stimuli. Intelligent, people-oriented (but not people-pleasing! Look to Libras for that), individualistic. They definitely need their own space and independence. Their decision-making is fast and it’s easy for them to just say „screw it, I’m doing this”. My Aquarius Moon friend just casually decided that she’s moving to Turkey cause nothing in our city (or even country) seems interesting or helping her expand… So she was like, see ya suckers, I’m leaving.
Leo Moons shine from within. You’ll spot them from a mile away even if they’re on the shyer side. They’re all lil stars no matter their profession. Very expressive people & easily excitable. Art galleries, live shows, theater - they love a creative environment even if they don’t pursue that lifestyle themselves... One of my Leo Moon friends is an art junkie – suggest taking her to an obscure play at the local bar, a music festival, a weird museum – she’ll say yes in the blink of an eye. And she loves discussing these things. A Leo Moon may not see themselves as artistically inclined, but usually sooner or later they at least try dipping their toes in music, arts, acting, dancing... you name it. They’ll learn a simple 3-chord song on a ukulele and then play it to you in excitement. Imagine a lil kid making you a puff piece and being super proud of it. Sometimes they just need some encouragement. Remember, Leos feed off of praise, that’s their fuel. Doesn’t mean they’re all proud, egotistical people but what it does mean is that they need a lil assurance to gain their self-confidence. I lived with a Leo Sun/Moon for almost 15 years (who’s a musician btw so yeah, a classic creative Leo type) - he did have some issues lol but ego wasn’t one of them. Drama followed him everywhere but I’m pretty sure he disliked it himself. BUT, with that being said, I feel like Leo Moons tend to dramatize themselves internally. People say it’s something Virgos or Geminis would do - because of their tendency to overthink, but Leos can just go straight to a worst-case scenario in their heads simply because they exaggerate everything. So don’t be surprised to see a Leo Moon feeling down and anxious. On the bright side, be their cheerleader and they’ll give that to you in return. They need sparks and dullness kills their upbeat spirit. They need to feel their own heartbeat so the feeling of excitement is crucial for their well-being. Romantic, giving and kind. They’re fixed fire so once they’re set on something or someone, they give their all and are rather loyal.
I feel like my chart low-key tells me I should dislike Taurus Moons but I just want to melt in their arms and just stay there? Like, forever? Low maintenance but a bit slow-moving and stubborn. They won’t settle easily, at least not officially, so you need to have a lot of patience with them. They need 3 things to feel secure and at peace: physical stimuli, time and a stable place they know they can always come back to. And it’s not like all of them are total lazy homebodies, they may be active spirits & travellers but they are going to have a reallyyyyy nice cosy flat somewhere near their childhood place (gotta be be close to their moms, you know). Not necessary materialistic but they may have one thing that they collect throughout their entire life and they won’t. ever. get. rid. of. it. There needs to be at least one constant in their life - like you know when Elton John decided to go to therapy but one thing he stuck to was shopaholism? Very Taurus Moon of him. Also, they’re very affectionate. In fact, may have issues differentiating between affection and passion - this is actually something Taurus Moon and Aries Moon have in common. Pro tip - and this is in regard to all Taurus placements - don’t smell bad when you’re around them (I mean, don't smell bad in general, no one likes stinky people lol). They have a sensitive smell. Doesn’t help that they like to smell everything. EVERYTHING. I swear, Taurus, stop sticking your nose in every single thing!!! You don't need to know how that piece of utensil smells like. Jeez.
Scorpio Moon (shoutout to those who remember me accidentally calling them sporpio last time I made a post on Moons lol). I honestly don’t know what to tell you... I feel like all you hear about Scorpio Moon is 100% true, there’s nothing to debunk here. It’s the Moon of extremes. Prone to jealousy and surpressing emotions; severe trust issues; they’re instigators. I was low-key bullied by a few Scorpio Moons when I was in school so there’s that. Very secretive and private. Scorpio Moon will be like “I’m in control of the situation!!!!” and you’ll just look at them and think, yeah, right, looks like the situation is controlling you. But keep being in denial, sure. Like, don’t get me wrong, Scorpios in general can be TOTAL SWEETHEARTS OMG but ya’ll have issues. Even celebrities who have this placements... Think Beyonce or Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus... I feel like they have issues lol, especially with control and the need for everything to be perfectly the way they want it to be. To be fair, that’s probably why they’re all so influential and high status: it’s either their way or highway. They need constant reinvention; they’re the ones to wake up one day and decide they’re going through a spiritual awakening blah blah. They also like to talk about dark and shocking topics while having casual lunch with you... So like, be warned that you may end up with a depressed mood after talking to them for 10 minutes. And their mood swings... don’t even get me started on that.
I don't know where to start with Virgo Moons... I feel like they're very calculated and nit-picky but they're a lot warmer than Virgo Suns. I think I called them softies in my last Moon post. Very sweet people but prone to anxiety. You gotta experience seeing them having a heart attack over someone mixing bananas with milk or messing with their stuff that’s been put in a perfect arrangement. I saw a Virgo Moon once literally squealing shouting "YOU'RE GONNA RUIN YOUR LAPTOP WITH THAT SUPERGLUE!!!" Highly entertaining to watch, not gonna lie. Gordon Ramsay has his Moon in Virgo - it’s conjunct Uranus and Pluto so that’s an extreme but I think him being fed up with people over small inconsistencies in their food prep is a perfect example of this energy (btw his chart is hilarious, it literally explains EVERYTHING). They're VERY picky with their food as well, just as Virgo Suns tend to be. Like, they’ll only have a specific type of single origin coffee or they’ll be vegan or something. Self-critical over their work, which is a plus... except for when finishing a simple task takes them a few hours because they want to make it perfect. They take everything seriously. This of course doesn't mean they're total bores - on the contrary, Mercurial energy gives them witty approach and a talent for choosing the right words at the right time. Tho they can be a bit awkward or shy with it. Can be as bubbly as Gemini but the grounded earthy energy gives them more practical and almost nurturing nature - earth signs are providers after all and Virgo is the sign of service - helping others is like their second nature. I’ve noticed they often find comfort in devoting themselves to a choosen task - this is why if they pursue something, they’re really good at it. They’re also very likely to dissect their emotions.
I’m not a fan of water Moons in general but Pisces Moon is the best water Moon in my opinion. Maybe because I like Pisces overall. I think it’s like a tweaked Sagittarius Moon - just more internalized, withdrawn & gloomy. But unlike Sag, who has a tendency to be an adventurous optimist, Pisces likes to focus on the negatives instead. Obviously, they can be very upbeat, they’re Jupiter-ruled after all, but there’s somehing whiny about them lol. Just like Sadges, they dream big and have their standards put up sooo high but if there's not much active energy in their charts, they’re often too passive to actually fullfill any of that - or I should say, they’re stuck daydreaming about it, believing it’ll just magically manifest for them... OR they do everything with an apathetic approach. What I do like about them is that they’re funny. And really chill - sometimes to the point of coming off as confused or hazy. I feel like a lot of them would just love to sleep all day... or sit by the lake and just think about the world. Most of them are also compassionate folks - again, maybe a bit too much. Hey Pisces, you don’t have to take everything to heart, it’s okay. On the bright side, they have big imagination and the ability to disconnect and just create. I have a few Pisces Moons in the family: one’s that sleepy artistic type with grand visions, one is an asshole-ish but funny entrepreneur with a questionable work ethic and one is a witty IT guy who’s actually a workaholic and likes to shut in his own world of computers and numbers or whatever he does there... So there’s this factor of tunnel vision, escapism and, on the more negative side, being kinda iffy and almost addicted to the way they want things to be. Once they set their eyes on something it’s done deal…
My issue with Capricorn Moons is that they're often trying to be sooooo mature omg, like, loosen up a bit. It usually starts when they're in their later teens... They can be the most rebellious kid that likes to have fun and suddenly they'll be like "I'm too old for this ugh grow up" *judgmental stare*. My 18-year old niece once literally roasted my sister that she's in her 30s and still doesn't have her own place (well so do I so I guess she also indirectly roasted me as well???). And she was SO deadpan with it. Because she herself wants to be independent and start a family before turning 25. This is classic Capricorn Moon energy. They suck out joy out of everything lol. Of course, OF COURSE, it depends on the whole chart but I feel like worst-case scenario is that at one point in their life (or maybe even a few times throughout it) they go through a massive shake-up that makes them change their attitude and re-evaluate their structures. There's this multi-instrumentalist Yvette Young - she's a sweet, funny Cancer/Leo mix but her Moon is in Capricorn. She used to be a competitive pianist but the pressure that was put on her has led her to severe health issues. Like yes, she’s now an extremely talented musician - thanks to family’s expectations & a rigid schooling system (Saturn) but it did cost her a lot. She has recovered since then but I think it's a perfect example of this energy. It’s very ambitious and hardworking but emotionally demanding in the sense that you have to actually put your emotions aside in order to deal with the rest. Another thing, because Moon can be associated with family, there's often a weird dynamic surrounding this topic. I don't think I've met a Capricorn Moon that had a completely healthy and happy relationship with their fam or one of the family members. Or, alternatively, there can be a strong bond between one of them but usually created in the atmosphere of hardships.
Last but not least, Cancer Moons. I had three school friends with this placement and all of them made this sad, whiny face as they said „oh I don’t knoooow anymoreee”  when they were feeling torned or frustrated. To be fair, two of them are water Suns so for them, it added to the mushyness. All Cancer Moons I know are family people or better yet, baby people. One of those school friends is now a guidance counsellor, working with kids; the other turned her instagram into a gallery of her own child after she gave birth. So much kid content, omg. There’s also something very indecisive about them… or I should say, hesitant. They’re not very fast at making decisions. Also, what’s interesting, they’re kind of like walking libraries, they remember a lot – so they store a lot of information in their brains just like air signs but they process it in a completely different way – emotional, obviously. I think this also makes them hold grudges a lot. For them it’s more of a question of „how does it make me feel?” rather than „how valid is it?”. There’s certain stubborness in them in that regard because they don’t keep their minds open. It’s also hard for them to walk away from people and situations, like a crab pinching you with its claws – it won’t let go. Sensitive but not easy to open up; very protective of themselves and their loved ones & they tend to shut down in their crab shells. But they may crave connection and the feeling of belonging. Also very caring and with a big imagination. They’re very receptive of their environment so mood swings are a thing for them.
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scarlettriot · 3 years ago
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For All The Uterus Owners
What the MHA boys do to make you feel better during that time of the month when you are in absolute PAIN!
Warning: 18+ content below the cut. Mentions of sexy times. And period things, obviously. Mild cursing. 18 and under DNI
A/N: Yes, I am projecting. No, I don't care a single bit.
Midoriya
. This man knows your cycle better than you do!
. It might seem annoying but Midoriya just uses all the knowledge he's gathered to make it this time as comfortable as it possibly can be.
. During the days leading up to your period, he will stock up on all your favorite snacks, make sure the heating pad is easily accessible and he buys pain meds in bulk!
. Throughout your period, Midoriya will do little things to make your day easier.
. He'll always make sure you have a glass of water because hydration is important.
. He will throw your towel in the dryer while you shower so it's warm when you're done.
. Absent minded massages for your shoulders, feet, legs, chest. Things like that.
. "I just want you to be as comfortable as you can, doll."
. He knows when your worst days are and will do whatever he can to make them less painful. If you're irritable and want him to fuck off, he will. If you want cuddled until you're sick of him, he'll do that too!
. Hero work will come up but he does his best to check in with you in case you need him to bring anything home.
. The one thing he hasn't ever been too comfortable with is sex during this time. He's tried, poor man really has but he just cannot.
. But, he knows how much it can help SO! Whatever toys you want, he'll get them. You want dirty talk or phone sex, he'll be at the top of his game! Anything to help you, during this time, he doesn't give a single crap about his own pleasure.
. He will pounce on you the moment it's over though and I hope you didn't plan on walking anywhere in the days that follow.
Bakugo
. He might seem like he doesn't pay attention to these things but the man knows.
. He doesn't think about picking up pain meds or putting new batteries in the heating pad but without fail, you can find your favorite snack well stocked just before you're due to start.
. It might have taken him some getting used to but Bakugo has come to the decision (begrudgingly) that while you're on your period YOU are the one who gets to be full of sass and attitude.
. He does try his best to temper his anger around you during this time. He has his slip-ups but he's trying to not make you more irritable than you already are.
. That doesn't mean he lets you get away with shit though.
. You're still drinking that water he's brought you.
. You have to eat something other than sweats and salty treats.
. You're also are not allowed to miss that meeting for work.
. If you're cuddling, he will pop off tiny little explosions to heat his palms and rest them over your lower abdomen, your back, or your chest. Whatever is aching.
. If you suggest a little sexy time might help relieve a certain ache he'll be more than happy to aid you. But, HE will only suggest it if you're being particularly sassy, complaining too much.
. "Cramps bothering you? Bet I can make you forget about 'em."
. Bakugo will take it as a personal challenge to make you forget about the pain your damn uterus is causing you. The only one allowed to make you feel sore is him, damn it!
Todoroki
. This poor guy...
. Todoroki obviously knew what periods were, he has a sister but he didn't KNOW about them until he lived in the dorms of UA. (I headcanon that Ochaco had very, very bad cramps one day and missed training and when he asked Midoriya why she didn't go to Recovery Girl to fix it they decided it was time for an educational meeting).
. They're still a mystery to him for the most part. He knows they hurt you, make you double over in pain sometimes and it's not the kind of pain that can be healed through a quirk.
. He knows you like certain foods and that snuggling against his warm side makes you feel better.
. With his father's credit card, he will buy you whatever food you like. Tell you to book a day at the spa or whatever it is that will make you feel better.
. He's shocked you don't usually accept his offer and would rather just stay in, cuddling against him instead. Not that he minds after a long day of hero work.
. Todoroki will regulate his heat until you are comfortable, you practically pulling his leg across you and using him as your personal heating pad.
. "This can't be comfortable for you. Please, let me just get you something that's meant to help you."
. He has a hard time understanding that he is your favorite and that this actually is comfortable.
. You'll have to explain to him there are other things only he could do to help you too...you'll really have to explain it to him too.
. He's willing to give you what you need though as long as it gets rid of some of your pain.
. He is going to suggest doing it in the shower though, hoping to avoid making too much of a mess.
Kaminari
. Yeah, I think Kaminari is too scatterbrained to actually remember when your time of the month is. He picks up on the subtle changes in your mood quickly though when it's coming.
. When he does realize though, he's at the store that very day throwing literally EVERYTHING and ANYTHING in the cart that even has the possibility of making you feel better.
. From food to medication, to stuffed animals, to video games, to board games... it's all going in the cart.
. This is how you ended up with the life-sized teddy bear that now sits in the corner of your room...
. Take-out happens every single night. He'd try and cook if you asked him but you know that's probably safer to just let him be generous and order in.
. Big time promoter of snuggles!
. Big time promoter of period sex!
. "It helps! Or, that's what I've been told... I'm just sayin' we could give it a shot!"
. And it did help. Because of that, it is now one of the first things he suggests doing when you are even just a smidge irritable.
. You can chuck the life-sized bear at him. He won't take it personally.
. It might come off as annoying but, he does everything he can to get you feeling wonderful again. Expending all his efforts on you. Doing everything he can to be a buzzy distraction and get you to smile.
Kirishima
. Not nearly as detailed as Midoriya is but also not as aloof as Bakugo. Kirishima cares about you and your health and he sure as hell isn't afraid to show it.
. He'll take a peak where he knows you store your feminine products a few days before you're due to start and then go out to the store to pick up anything you might be running low on. You seriously haven't had to buy anything for yourself. He learned after like two months of dating.
. While there, he will also make sure you have plenty of snacks as well as actual food for meals because keeping your energy up is just as important as making sure you're comfortable.
. When he isn't off being the sturdy hero he is, he's your comfort hero at home.
. Wrapping you both up in the heated blanket, he has to stick a leg out so he doesn't overheat but he'll be damned if he gives up cuddles just because he's a little warm.
. During this time, Kirishima will do everything he can to make sure you aren't lifting a finger! He's had cramps before, in his legs and arms from working out and his several growth spurts, he can't imagine how you deal with them month after month!
. He'll offer to do just about anything for you normally but that goes double when it's your time of the month.
. Massages are his favorite way to help you though. They usually always turn into something more not that either of you complains.
. He will let you take the lead every single time.
. "Just tell me what I can do to help. Whatever you need, pebble, just tell me."
. That statement is always said multiple times over the course of your period but with different contexts.
. Going to the store, running you a bath, getting medicine from the pantry, dicking you down until you're speechless... you know, whatever you need.
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ootahime · 3 years ago
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analyzing every gojohime moment in the manga >:) pt. 3
more and more paragraphs ahead.  BE PREPARED!
i’m also writing this at 3 am so please bear with the horrendous grammar and punctuation.
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chapter 63
i know he’s probably like this with everyone but i love how excited he is bragging about his students to her.  he’s like a child telling his mother about an amazing adventure he had with his friends, making sure he mentions every detail.  in the anime, their conversation lasted for 3:41 :3 backwards 341 is 143 which means i love you.  
1 letter = i
4 letters = love
3 letters = you
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chapter 63
i love her fit!  i also like how both of them like to wear baggy clothing that accentuates their collarbones `w` it’s like they’re matching in a way.  even if she did tell him to cut the crap, she still let him run his mouth to his content LOL i feel like if he didn’t compliment himself at the end, she would have said something different.  UGH HE LOOKS SO HAPPY CALLING HER
 ah, let me translate the conversation just in case anyone needs it.
utahime: you wanted to talk about the investigation, right?
gojo: well, got any idea who?
utahime: i have no idea.  no one seems suspicious.  what do we do now?  should we ask the students for help?
gojo: yeah, that’s fine.  i’m busy so asking the kids would be okay.  keep looking.  i’m counting on you.
I THINK THAT’S WHAT THEY’RE TRYING TO SAY.
OR it could mean that she’s asking if they should start investigating the students.  it would make sense either way because gojo says in the next panel that he doesn’t want to assume that the mole is a student, and in chapter 79, gojo sends the trio to utahime to help her.  
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chapter 63
these two love their students to death.  neither of them wanted to assume that the mole was a student.  in chapter 79, when utahime is talking to the trio about the mole, nobara points out to the group that the traitor must be from kyoto because utahime is the one who’s reaching out to the tokyo side.  utahime has a dismal look on her face, almost like she’s saying, “i didn’t want it to turn out this way -- for this to be true.”  after mechamaru says his farewells to miwa on the train, mai tries to talk about what he did to which utahime says, “it doesn’t matter, he’s dead, after all,” with a similar sunken expression.  i just love how her care for the students is one of the biggest aspects of her personality that’s been showcased so far.  it’s also cool how it ties together with gojo’s belief that no child’s youth should be taken away.  i truly think these two have the capacity to understand each other to a deep level, down to the core.  seeing as utahime is also a teacher, it’s safe to assume that she also wants to raise the next generation of sorcerers to be strong.  utahime and gojo’s similarities and contrasting elements are so interwined, i really wonder if it’s intentional.  like am i looking too much into this?  are utahime and gojo really meant to be this connected?  think about it.  similar motivations, care of the kids, contrasting palettes, the bickering, long history.  IT’S JUST TOO MUCH. 
also can we mention how their phone calls and meetings must be heavily planned out?  this means they’ve talked and interacted with each other A LOT behind the scenes.  she doesn’t answer his call with “what do you want?  don’t bother me on my day off.”  she knows exactly why he’s calling her and they even speak in code.  she probably meets up with him and tells him to call her on a specific day and at a specific time.  they must know each other’s schedules very well in order to execute this investigation in complete secrecy.  when he says, “we can never be too sure who is listening in around utahime” it implies that they find calling a risk, so in order to guarantee that there is no one around, they have to meet up in person.  see where i’m getting at?  they talk A LOTTT and most likely are aware of each other’s daily lives.  
the fact that gojo is her main source of stress when he’s literally a 3 hour train ride away from her is hilarious LMAOOOO.  you know what that means, right?  he must call and text her constantly about random things to annoy her.  
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chapter 65
ah yes, my favorite moment by far.  look at that smile on his face.  
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chapter 65
he loves saying her name.  he probably rushed over with the sole purpose of doing something like this to her LMAOOOO like i mean, mei was in there with her so technically they both needed to be helped but judging from his words and expression, he only wanted to help utahime.  notice how mei’s not there in the debris.  could she possibly have suspected gojo’s presence or an outside force?  or was she fast enough to avoid being in the debris?  either way, her lack of presence in this scene helps highlight the fact that this is a special interaction between utahime and gojo.  he refers to her in a very familiar sense.  the most formal way to address someone is by their last name followed by the honorific, -san.  in gojo’s case, he should be calling her iori-san if they weren’t acquainted.  he doesn’t even bother to call her utahime-senpai.  granted, gojo is not the most respectful and socially competent person out there because geto points this out to him.  he isn’t even aware that she finds him annoying because he views her bad attitude toward him as her just playing along with him.  he probably thinks she’s flirting back LOLOL
since he asks her “you cryin?” that definitely means that gojo witnessed her crying on one occasion or maybe multiple.  who knows, the old utahime could have been a very emotional person.  while this is happening, mei is close to gojo, she then asks him if he would console her if she were to cry in a flirtatious manner.  gojo dismisses her attempt at flirting with him and says she won’t cry because she’s strong.  now normally, you’re supposed to face the person you’re talking to, GOJO.  he KEEPS his eyes on her even when more people come to join the conversation.  
now, we can all agree that geto, mei, and shoko are better at picking up social cues than gojo.  they probably knew the vibe of the conversation and decided to play along with gojo’s antics.  
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chapter 65
WE were worried about you.
pay attention to the order of the characters that show up.  gojo makes his appearance first, then geto, followed by shoko.  based on utahime’s reaction to seeing shoko, it’s evident that these two share a close bond.  shouldn’t shoko be the one to arrive on the scene first?  she’s the closest to utahime and would therefore be more concerned about her condition, right?  i know shoko’s technique doesn’t really allow her to do anything other than treat the wounds of others, but if you heard your friend was missing, you would definitely rush to the scene.  
look at geto’s reaction when mei says, “you’re the one who’s picking on her, geto.  you don’t even know it.”  i think it’s mei who’s saying this because gojo calls geto “suguru”.  but anyway, mei is aware that they’re picking on her.  i don’t think she’s the type to legitimately bully someone for their strength.  her reaction to all of this is very playful and her “heh heh heh” is proof of that.  when geto shows up and swallows the curse before it gets to utahime, he says, “satoru.  it’s not nice to pick on the weak.”  by saying this, he pisses utahime off because he too, is joining in on gojo’s joke.  i believe he’s unaware that he’s making fun of utahime because his reaction is “gah!” with a sweatdrop.  he probably thought gojo was making fun of weak people in general.  
geto’s usually a gentleman seeing as it is canon that he is more popular with girls than gojo.  BUT WHO KNOWS...you gotta be a specific type of person to be best friends with gojo.  maybe he ain’t shit too...  okay, my point is that everyone is just playing along.  when shoko shows up, utahime is relieved to see her because shoko doesn’t tease her like this.  since utahime tells shoko to not become like those two, this implies that geto teases her as well (probably not as much as gojo).  we all know geto is really big on looking out for the weak so he probably wouldn’t have insulted her for real.  
verdict: utahime being weak is just a joke.  i’ve mentioned this so many times, sorry if it’s getting annoying and repetitive hehehehehe...
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chapter 65
these three aren’t irresponsible.  geto and gojo are a troublesome duo for sure, but they’re dependable.  seems unlike them to forget something so simple and essential to pretty much every mission.   
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chapter 65
here’s my headcanon.  they were hanging outside or in the car when their assistant manager got a call.  the assistant was informed that two days have elapsed since mei and utahime went on their mission (or last contacted someone).  
gojo: that’s weird.  mei’s with her so they should have finished exorcising the spirit sooner.
geto: you think something happened to them?  maybe it’s a strong special grade.
gojo: utahime probably dragged mei down with her.  poor mei-san~  
gojo gets up 
geto: where are you going?  
gojo: going to save utahime!  it’s fine i’ll put up a curtain!
manager: gojo wait!!!!!!!!!!!
geto sighs
shoko: that idiot’s always running off without us.
they pin the blame on gojo for saying that he’ll put up a curtain and leaving the assistant manager behind.  you know what this means?  he ran and the manager couldn’t catch up HEHE... why the rush, gojo?  were you actually concerned about her?  
tbh i don’t see gojo ever running to something unless it’s urgent.  the fact that he ran to save her says a lot.  
----
let me know if you have any thoughts or questions!  i forgot to add this but gojo had a more serious expression when he was explaining how they must’ve been trapped in a barrier that messes with time.  he then states, “we thought it was weird even though you’re here, mei.”  i know he was probably worried sick because if mei couldn’t be contacted then that means something must’ve happened to utahime too.  okay that’s it for now.  i’ll be bringing up this little detail i’ve noticed about utahime in the manga next :3
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etherrealoblivion · 4 years ago
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A Broken System
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MASTERLIST
Summary: At her birthday celebration, Y/N is out on the town enjoying herself when she runs into a cute FBI agent who she’d love to take home and do terrible things to. Normally, someone meeting an FBI agent at a bar wouldn’t be that big of a deal. There’s just one, miniscule, microscopic, meager, problem... Y/N is only twenty.
tags: Large Age Difference, power imbalance, choking, Dom/sub, safe sex, vaginal penetration, dirty talk, cliffhanger.
A/N: this just made so much more sense in third person. i tried replacing it with second person, but trust me it did not work. hope you enjoy! gif by @toyboxboy​
Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader
Rating: Explicit
Words: 5,930
~
Spencer Reid never really thought he was attractive.
Probably had something to do with his perpetually messy hair, gangly stature, and his tendency to ramble on and on and on and. . .
Yeah. Like that.
Another factor definitely was the fact that he was in his 30’s and had never really had a stable relationship. Sure, he’d had relationships with a few women. Well, two women. The first being a girl he’d met in college with whom he had a brief fling. Spencer didn’t really count it as a stable relationship due to the fact they barely even kissed. And the other woman, the only woman he’d ever really loved, died tragically several years ago. 
Maeve.
Maeve was the real reason Spencer didn’t like going to bars with Morgan or being set up on dates by Penelope. She was the reason that Spencer wasn’t interested in anyone anymore. Who could possibly compare to Maeve?
Damn it. That was the other reason he wasn’t looking to date. He knew how the mind worked and there was no doubt that if any new person came into his life, she’d be unconsciously compared to Maeve. He couldn’t put anyone through that. 
So, Spencer Reid stayed single. Which, for him, was relatively easy. Whenever someone started to get a little too close with him, he’d blabber and spout facts until they ran off. Morgan would ask what happened and Reid would just put on a slight frown, mumbling how she had to go. 
The charade got more effortless the more they went out. Morgan, almost always going home on the arm of some woman and Spencer content to get a cab back to his own place, have a quick efficient orgasm, and fall asleep.
He had a system. And no one was going to break it.
~
Y/N hated the summertime. 
Well, she didn’t usually. Anywhere else on the planet it would be mildly enjoyable. The beach, ice cream, staying up all night. All that fun crap. In Washington D.C, however, summer was hell.
But! When one was accepted into Georgetown and their parents offered to pay FULL tuition plus housing, how can one say no?
Seriously, she wanted to know.
After two whole years in this armpit of a town, Y/N had finally gotten used to the sweltering heat that plagued the city during the summer. Whatever. She just stayed in the comfortable A.C. all day anyway.
But, the summer before her third year was almost over, and the only thing she could think about now was graduating with a major in Journalism. She didn’t really like most of the courses, but it’s what she needed to do to become a full-time editor.
Living in a rent-free apartment was heaven. No roommates meant no worrying about, well, anything. The only problem was, her parents could hold it over her head every time they called. Which is why she never answered their calls.
Today, however, answering was unavoidable.
Because not only was it the day before her first class, today was her twentieth birthday.
Y/N was in the middle of getting dressed to go out with her friends when her phone vibrated from the kitchen table.
“Hello?”
She tried so hard to suppress the cringe at her mom’s voice.
“Sweetie! How are you? Are you eating?”
“Yes, mom.”
Oh boy. Strong start, mom. 
“You look skinny in the pictures on Facebook!”
Yeah, she was definitely going to be late.
Surprisingly, it only took five minutes to push her mom off the phone, insisting that her friends were on their way and she had to keep getting ready. 
A sharp rap on the door saved her.
“Come on!! It’s almost ten!” Y/N’s friend, Mina, said, annoyed. “All the old people leave the bars at ten and if we don’t get there soon, the bouncers won’t let us in!”
Y/N didn’t really understand the logic there. Hot girls always got into bars. Especially late at night. How were there not more crimes committed in clubs? Maybe she’d find out in her first class tomorrow.
“Hey!” Mina snapped her out of it, “Come on! Let’s go.”
They arrived outside a dinky little club a few minutes later. It had taken Y/N a while to get accustomed to how close everything was together in this town. Before college, she had been a small-town girl. Promise ring and everything. That, uh. That didn’t last long.
Before they got in line, Mina took a long satin sash out of her purse and secured it across Y/N’s torso.
“What the hell’s this?”
The sash was white with large pink flowy letters that poignantly spelled out: Birthday Bitch.
“It’s a sash.”
Three of Mina’s friends strode up, quickly exchanging hugs and wishing Y/N a happy birthday.
“I see that it’s a sash, but why am I wearing it?”
Mina confidently strode up to the bouncer, Y/N at her side, fake ID at the ready. Technically, it was the right birthdate, the year was just a little off.
“Go through. Happy Birthday,” the guy said, barely sparing the ID a glance, more focused on the huge sash. It made sense. She didn’t look her age. No one would think she was only in college by taking a glance at her.
“Oh, thank you.”
“Look,” Mina pulled her aside just before they entered, “this makes every single guy in there want to buy you a drink. So, go enjoy a free Shirley Temple, on me.”
Y/N scoffed and entered the club, immediately overwhelmed by the booming of the music.
Jesus Christ. How did people not die from this? It felt like her heart was beating out of her chest.
Sure, she’d been in a bar before. But not a real, proper club. She was pretty sure she saw some people wearing neon. Oh my god, there was a DJ.
Suppressing a laugh, she headed to the bar. At least there was a bar. There were so many people gathered around though that she couldn’t get much access to the one bartender on staff.
Luckily, he spotted her sash that seemed to shine under the blacklights.
“Hey, make some room for the birthday girl!” 
And the crowd parted like the red sea, every man’s head turned towards her, and she cautiously approached the bartender who gave her a quick wink.
“Scotch. Neat.”
A dark man with a silver nose ring slid onto the stool next to her.
“It’s on me,” he addressed the bartender, staring at her the whole time. “So. Birthday girl. How old are you turning?”
She smiled softly. The sash was working great, but now she had to come up with a way to answer his question without explicitly lying. 
“Who wants to know?”
Maybe flirting would be distracting enough.
He smiled, glancing down for a moment, then holding out his hand. Ha. Men.
“I’m Jon.”
Ugh. She hated handshakes. But for this man, she might be able to make an exception.
“Y/N.”
Five minutes later, she wished with all her heart she could take the handshake back. Y/N should have known better than to talk to a guy at a club. They were all sleazebags. But! She did manage to get a couple of drinks out of it.
“If you’ll excuse me,” she said after his fifth time mentioning Outback Steakhouse.
But before she could leave the bar discreetly, a hand wrapped around her arm, yanking her back.
“Hey, what’s the matter? I thought we were talking?”
Y/N may have been a small-town girl, but that didn’t stop her from grabbing his shoulders and driving her knee up into his crotch, stomping off toward the exit.
Only when she got outside did she realize how fast her heart was beating. She leaned over, hands on her knees to catch her breath.
A soft hand on her shoulder made her snap around, grab the hand and twist it around the stranger’s back, shoving him up against the alley wall.
“I’m sorry!” the man squawked shrilly. “I’m sorry!” It wasn’t Jon.
“What were you doing?” she demanded, not releasing him yet.
“I saw you lean over. I just wanted to see if you were ok!”
She finally drank in the man’s appearance. He was wearing a soft purple sweater vest over a grey button-down, slacks, and worn black converse on his feet.
Confident that he wasn’t a threat, she released him and took a step back.
The man rubbed his elbow softly, glancing at her chest. Before she could tell him off for staring at her rack, he pointed to the sash.
“Is it your birthday?”
She looked down. Oh, he’d been looking at the sash of course. Then why did she feel … disappointed?
“Oh, yeah. Some guy bought me a drink and got a little, er, touchy.”
Suddenly, the man’s face went dark.
“Who is he? Where is he?”
He started to walk back into the club but she stopped him, reaching out and gently grabbing his arm.
“Hey! It’s fine. I kicked him in the crotch.”
The man’s eyes switched from anger to surprise in a flash. He flustered for a moment, before shoving his hands in his pockets and walking back into the alley.
Y/N now took a closer look at his face. He had deep, wise brown eyes, a small five-o-clock shadow gracing his jaw, and very full lips, the latter of which he was biting profusely. Aw. He was nervous. But why?
Maybe because he was in an alley with a random girl who had just been groped at a club and he didn’t know what to do.
She chuckled, attempting to diffuse the tension.
“Um. I didn’t get your name?”
He smiled brightly, thankful for the change in topic.
“Oh! Of course, sorry. I’m Spencer!”
And Y/N braced herself for the telltale outstretching of the hand.
But none came. He simply stood there, one hand in his pocket and the other waving at her, a dopey smile on his face.
Her face lit up. 
“You didn’t try to shake my hand,” she muttered, awed.
The man, Spencer, got an embarrassed look on his face, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.
“Sorry, I, uh. I’m a bit of a germaphobe. But, really, everyone should be! The amount of germs passed in a handshake is staggering. They really should be abolished altogether.”
“Right! People should just bow their heads or, or, wave!” she said excitedly, gesturing to his hand. “I mean a handshake is like a hug with a part of you that comes in contact with everything! Might as well go up to someone and start making out with them.”
As she spoke, his face lit up in wonder.
“Right? It’s crazy! But the thing is, some people actually do that! I was in that club for fifteen minutes and I swear I saw three couples leave together that definitely didn’t go in together.”
“I know!” she said, starting to pace in the cramped alley. “I mean, who goes home with someone that you just met! They could be a serial killer for all you know!”
She looked at Spencer and was delighted to see a joyful expression on his face. It suddenly occurred to her that she hadn’t introduced herself.
“I’m Y/N. Sorry for blabbering,” she waved, chuckling slightly.
Spencer smiled even wider.
“Don’t be sorry! Usually, I’m the one who has to apologize.”
“Apologize for what?”
“Blabbering,” he said sheepishly, hands back in his pockets. When he was talking, they had been moving about wildly. It was kind of endearing.
“I don’t know,” Y/N said, considering. “Blabbering is underrated. One could argue it’s the best way to learn useless information.”
“Well, I’d agree but no information is really useless.”
Y/N held up a finger.
“‘Information is useless if it is not applied to something important or if you will forget it before you have a chance to apply it.’”
Spencer’s mouth fell open.
“Timothy Harris?”
She nodded. “The 4-Hour Workweek. Outdated, but still applies.”
When she noticed his expression, it nearly knocked her breath away. He was looking at her like no one ever had before. Like he’d just realized the most important thing in the universe.
Before her cowardice could catch up, she took a step forward, closing the distance between them. His face went blank, shocked by the sudden approach. He nearly gasped when she spoke.
“It’s totally ridiculous to go home with someone you just met, right?”
Spencer’s eyes widened.
“Totally.”
“Why were you out tonight in the first place? You don’t exactly seem like the club-going type.”
He smiled softly.
“I, uh, just got a promotion last week. My friend Morgan wanted to take me out to celebrate. It was either this or karaoke.”
She chuckled softly, their faces so close he must have felt her breath.
“I don’t know, I’d have liked to see your rendition of Bad Romance. Has anyone ever told you you’ve got a whole Lady Gaga vibe?”
“You should see my Beyonce.” And he did a little mime of the Single Ladies dance, sending Y/N into a fit of giggles. Without thinking — probably due to the trace amounts of alcohol in her system, not enough to be drunk, but enough to be tipsy — she reached up her arms around his shoulders, clasping them together behind his neck like a teen slow-dancing at prom.
Spencer seemed startled by the sudden physical contact. He froze, hands unmoving at his sides.
Y/N pulled her arms back, stepping away from him, discouraged and embarrassed.
“Sorry,” she said, collecting herself and walking back towards the club door. “It was nice meeting you.”
“Wait!” he called before she could reenter the club. A tiny part of her let out a breath in relief. She turned around to see him with a hand outstretched toward her, frozen with the uncertainty of what to do next.
He recovered quickly, a blush visible on his cheeks in the lamplight of the alley.
“If you’re leaving, would you, um. Could I walk you home?”
She had no idea what possessed her in that moment but just as he spoke, she walked up to Spencer, threaded her fingers through his hair, and pulled him down into a passionate kiss.
To her surprise, he responded immediately, running his arms around her waist and pulling her flush against him, eagerly returning the kiss.
His lips were so warm. He tasted very faintly of alcohol and maybe a breath mint? Y/N let herself fall into the sensation.
Suddenly, her back was pressed up against the wall of the alley, Spencer’s hands lighting a trail of fire down her body. He hesitated, pulling back briefly to make sure she was ok.
A glint in her eye, she yanked him back down, tongues clashing together in a blaze of glory. He hiked her leg up around his hips, pressing them closer together. Y/N could feel the hardness in his pants pressing into her stomach, sending a wave of heat down to her core.
She pulled back. If they went any further, she didn’t know if she’d be able to leave the alley.
Y/N tried to hide the smile on her face but it was no use. She beamed at Spencer, linking her arm through his elbow.
“Lead the way. Wait, that doesn’t make sense, you’re taking me home. I’ll lead the way!”
And so they walked, arm in arm down the busy D.C. streets, silently enjoying each other’s company.
They arrived outside her apartment fifteen minutes later, Y/N clumsily unlocking the door, nervous from the thought of what was about to happen. They hadn’t explicitly said anything in particular. Was he going to come in? Would she invite him?
Spencer, it seemed, was also daunted, standing awkwardly on the threshold of her place, hands buried in his pockets.
An idea sprung into Y/N’s brain.
She approached him, wrapping her hands around his neck again only this time, his hands rested lightly on her waist.
“Still think going home with a stranger is a bad idea?”
Spencer chuckled softly, stroking the exposed skin of her waist from where her top had ridden up.
“I’m still debating it.”
“Oh?”
He slid his hand around the sash, fingers hovering above her chest.
“I never asked, how old did you turn?”
She smiled. For some reason, she felt she could trust this man. The worst that could happen was he calls the cops on her for having a fake ID. She could deal with that. Destroy the evidence, bat her eyes. Easy. Besides, he looked barely of age himself. She quickly wondered what he did for a living? He did say he got a promotion.
It would be easiest to just tell him the truth.
“I don’t know if I should tell you this…”
He chuckled lowly in her ear, moving his lips gently across her neck.
“I can handle it.”
She gasped at the sensation, legs clamping together.
“Officially, it’s my twenty-third. At least, that’s what it says on my ID. One of them.”
Spencer froze, waiting for her to go on.
Y/N quickly backtracked.
“It’s okay! I’m twenty! Not a minor, no worries.”
But Spencer pulled away, an extremely worried look on his face despite her assurance.
“What?” she asked.
“You’re underage.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Yeah? Come on, by one year. What, you never had a fake ID?”
“No!” he said shrilly, running a hand through his hair.
“Spencer, it’s ok! It’s not like I’m gonna get caught. I look much older and when are there cops at a place like that?”
He reached into his pocket and fished out a folded wallet. Snapping it open, Y/N’s jaw dropped at the FBI badge with his picture in the corner.
She floundered for a moment, unable to truly comprehend what was happening.
“You’re . . .”
“Yep,” he said shortly, pocketing the badge.
“Fuck.”
“Yeah, that’s pretty much my reaction too,” he said, sighing. “I should arrest you.”
Y/N took a step back, incredulous.
“Arrest me?”
“You have a fake ID. You’re clearly drunk.”
She scoffed, crossing her arms.
“Great idea, Spencer. Book me. Take me down to the FBI and tell them exactly what happened to lead to you finding out I’m only twenty. I’m sure they’ll need very specific details.”
A look of realization flitted across Spencer’s face and he buried his head in his hands, groaning.
“How old are you anyway?!” she demanded, upset at him for being upset.
“Thirty-four!” he shouted, throwing his arms up in the air.
Oh shit.
This was bad.
He was fourteen years older than her, in the FBI, and probably was seconds away from arresting her.
“There’s no way you’re thirty-four. I mean, look at you!”
He rolled his eyes, snorting, and beginning to pace the small hallway.
“This is exactly what I get. I meet a girl I really like for the first time in years and she’s decades younger than me. And a criminal!”
“Hey!” she said, shoving his shoulder. “Not decades. I’m not a criminal. And how the hell do you think I feel?  I’m out trying to have fun on my birthday, some guy gropes me leading me to run into the perfect man, take him back to my apartment thinking I’m gonna get lucky only to find out he’s a cop who’s gonna arrest me. Best birthday ever.”
Spencer eyed her carefully.
“Get lucky?”
Y/N’s eyes went wide. Shit. She hadn’t meant to reveal that part. Even though it was pretty obvious, something about it not being said added to the excitement.
“Did you really . . . I mean were you…. Um.” Spencer seemed to lose all authoritative tone suddenly, stammering nervously. It was such a 180, it shocked Y/N. 
“Was I going to let you fuck me?”
He cringed at the bluntness but nodded sheepishly.
“Yeah, Spencer. I was.” She scoffed. “Honestly, I still would. But I understand if I’m more than you can handle,” she said coyly, trying to keep a straight face. “Just please don’t arrest me, Sir.”
His expression darkened at her words. Something deep and lustful behind it. Feeling bold, she went with it.
“Or is it Agent?” she cocked her head, holding a finger to her lips in thought. “How do I address you properly, sir?”
A small groan left Spencer’s mouth and he stepped forward, brushing a hand over her hair.
“We shouldn’t do this, Y/N…”
Slowly, she backed up into her apartment, pulling him with her.
“We shouldn’t.” She gently led him to her bedroom, sitting down on the edge of the bed, him towering over her. “To be fair, you’re the one with handcuffs.”
He groaned again, wiping a hand down his face.
“This is a bad idea.”
But he crouched down in front of her, pressing his forehead to her exposed knee, breathing deeply.
“Spencer,” it was barely a whisper but he met her eyes instantly. She smiled gently, reaching out to him and coaxing him up from the floor so he was hovering above her, mouths inches apart. “Listen, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” she assured him. “But I want this.”
She leaned back, pulling him with her so he was lying atop her, an obvious bulge pressing against her through their clothing.
“I want this, Spencer.”
Y/N hoped that he knew he could leave if he wanted. She didn’t want to pressure him into anything. Despite the age difference, she seemed to be the one more in control.
Spencer lowered his head, sighing.
“Fuck,” he moaned, lightly thrusting against her, a moan escaping her mouth at the contact.
That seemed to be the last straw.
He sat up, ripping his sweater vest off along with his button-down, quickly moving back over her, lips latching to her neck and chest.
Oh thank god. She wasn’t sure if she’d have been able to stand it if he’d left. But from the way he was touching her, hands moving up and down her sides, gently pulling her skirt down, looking up at her every now and then to make sure it was alright, he wasn’t going anywhere.
She just spurred him on, stripping off her top and bra, now only wearing her panties.
Spencer groaned at the sight, a hand reaching up, hovering over her breast. She arched her back up into his hand, letting out a gasp as he started to fondle her. 
God, his hands were huge. And nimble. Oh, so nimble.
She reached for his belt, quickly unbuckling it and tossing it across the room, pushing his pants down faster than possible.
He groaned again, a magical sound, reaching a hand down to stroke her through her panties, coaxing a gasp from her beautiful lips.
In a flash, Spencer had pulled down her panties and buried his head between her legs.
Y/N gasped, hand flying to the back of his head, edging him on.
He slipped two fingers into her, his tongue flicking against her clit wildly, making her writhe and moan on the bed, gasping his name.
“Spencer, Spencer.” It took all the resolve she had to pull his head away from her. “I need you to fuck me.”
Spencer looked at her, trying to read her expression.
“Y/N . . . are you sure?”
Rather than answer, she yanked him up, crashing their mouths together, one hand quickly pushing down his boxers, his erection springing free.
Good god.
Wow.
How the hell was she supposed to fit that inside her?
She looked up at him, impressed, only to see a slight blush on his cheeks.
“Well,” she said, kicking off the panties pooled around her ankles, laid bare underneath the stranger on top of her. “This night gets better by the second.”
His size was a little daunting, but the thought of him slowly filling her up, probably not being able to fit all the way in, only added to her desire.
He dipped his head down, stealing a quick yet passionate kiss.
“Do you have . . ?”
“Yeah, in the drawer.”
He reached over, grabbed a condom, and rolled it on. It looked extremely tight on him. Y/N unconsciously licked her lips. Spencer chuckled.
“Maybe next time. I need to be inside you.”
And with that, he flung her legs around his hips, positioning his cock at her entrance, slowly running it up and down, moistening the condom with her juices.
God. The feeling of him being so close and yet so far was almost enough to push her over the edge right there. He had been a god with his tongue and she was desperate for more friction.
Reaching down, she lightly circled her clit, moaning at the instant pleasure.
Before she could enjoy it much, hands gripped her wrists, pinning them above her on the bed, Spencer staring at her with a dark look.
“If you wanna touch yourself, you have to ask permission. Understood?”
Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck.
Words escaped her so she settled for a small nod.
“Use your words.”
His tone was so commanding the word left her mouth the moment he finished speaking.
“Yes.”
He lightly placed his hand around her neck, not applying any pressure, just hovering.
“Yes, what?”
Fuck. She wondered if it was possible to come just from being talked to.
“Yes, sir.”
And with that, he slid inside her, slowly filling her up with his length, moaning roughly at the sensation.
Y/N’s eyes snapped open, watching as Spencer’s face tightened, jawline even sharper, and a dark look in his eye. He carefully applied a bit more pressure to her throat, quickly releasing his hand afterward.
They were both still as she adjusted to the size of him inside her.
“Is this ok?” his voice sounded so different than it had a moment ago. He had shifted back to the geeky guy she’d met in the alley.
She nodded gently at him, running a hand over his cheek in a way that was surely far too personal for a one night stand. 
“My safeword is apple.”
He froze for a moment, shocked. Apparently she was kinkier than he’d expected. 
Tired of not being fucked by this man, she dug her heels into his back, directing him to move.
He did without hesitation, groaning at the sensation of slowly pulling out and thrusting back in. 
The feeling overwhelmed both of them, a litany of curses and moans falling from their mouths. Spencer’s hand moved back to her throat, squeezing much harder now that he knew what to listen for if she wanted to stop.
The sound of her moaning was enough to make him come right there and then. That, with the feeling of her around him and the fact that his hand was around her throat, totally in control.
“Fuck, you’re so fucking tight.”
Oh my god, where was this coming from? Her nails scraped down his back, leaving a trail of marks.
“You like feeling me fuck you?” he wrapped a hand around her leg, pulling it higher to try to hit the magical spot inside of her. “You like when I wrap my hand around your pretty little neck? Showing you how in control I am of you.”
She nodded ecstatically, legs tightening around him. She was definitely close to coming.
“What were you thinking? Going to a bar when you’re underage. Then leading a stranger to your home, intending to let him fuck you silly. Finding out I’m ages older than you and still practically begging me to bend you over and pound you till you can’t see straight. Is the age difference what gets you off, Y/N?”
At the sound of her name, she let out a raucous moan, no doubt waking up the other tenants of the building.
Spencer smiled, drilling harder and tightening his grip on her throat.
“Oh, you like it when I say your name? You like when I shove my big cock in you and moan your name in your ear?”
She practically screamed as his hand started to circle her clit, the stimulation practically knocking the air out of her.
He was hitting her g-spot with every thrust, pushing her closer and closer to the edge. She was so close. She just needed….
“You gonna come for me, Y/N?” he punctuated it with a particularly hard thrust, feeling her begin to clench around him, orgasm washing over her.
Her walls tightening around his cock was enough to send him barreling over the edge, grunting as he thrust in her four more times before feeling his balls tighten up and spill his seed deep inside her.
“Fuck,” he grunted, using his forearms to stay above her, both of them completely out of breath.
Slowly, he pulled out with a sigh, discarding the condom in the trash by her bed.
Y/N was seeing stars. This man had just given her her first penetrative orgasm. And, possibly the best sex she’d ever had.
‘Fuck’, was right.
Spencer flopped down next to her, still naked, trying to catch his breath.
Y/N turned to him, placing a hand on his chest.
It was strange. Even though they’d just had some of the best sex Y/N had ever had, she didn’t even know this man. And yet, somehow, she felt like she did. Did that happen a lot once you had sex with someone?
Her eyes refocused from where they’d been staring off into space to see a concerned Spencer looking at her.
“What?” she asked.
He studied her for another moment before speaking.
“You were biting your lip.”
A blush crept up her cheek.
“Yeah sorry. Helps me think.”
He let out a sharp breath, a sort of soft laugh.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing,” he said as he retrieved his underwear, slipping them back on and starting to button up his shirt.
Oh. Was he going to leave? Of course he was! That’s all this was, anyway. A one night stand. You had sex. That was the point.
Then why did it feel like hell?
“You okay?”
Her thoughts had drifted into space again. Spencer had laid back down, now on his side facing her, holding her hand, looking at her intensely. His gaze was practically burning.
“Yeah.”
“I, uh, I don’t normally do . . . that.”
She chuckled. It was rather obvious he wasn’t the hookup type. Despite the dirty things that had come from his mouth.
“Me either.”
He softly stroked her cheek. 
“Are you going to stay?” she blurted.
His face fell.
“Oh, no I wasn’t going to impose if you-”
“NO! I mean,” she took a breath. “I want you to . . . I mean, if you want . . . I'd . . . I’d like you to stay. If you want?”
God. She sounded like a teenager asking their crush to prom. This was no stuttering sophomore she could kick in the crotch if he said no. He was a man. Although, he did tend to stutter. Maybe it wasn’t all that different.
He lit up, a wide smile brightening his features and he began to stroke her hand.
“I’d like that too.”
Wondering if it was possible for cheeks to sprain from smiling, she pulled up the covers, cuddling up against him, falling asleep almost immediately.
~
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
Ugh. The stupid alarm. She had been right in the middle of a wonderful dream involving Spencer’s hands and her bruised throat.
What time was it anyway?
The red clock radio proudly displayed: 7:00.
Right, it was the first day of classes. Maybe she’d just ditch and stay in with Spencer. He had been so warm she was sure he had a sun where a heart should be. College didn’t matter anyway, right? Ugh.
A shiver ran through her. She reached out for Spencer, only to find the cold other half of the bed.
Sitting up in bed, she stared at the empty spot.
Had he really walked out on her in the middle of the night? No…. No? Fuck. How could she be so stupid. Of course he didn’t want to-
Oh, he’d left a note.
In a fast yet tidy scrawl, Spencer had left the following message on a little notecard.
Good morning! I am truly sorry to walk out like this, but I have a class at 7:30 and I have to stop by my place and get ready. I’ll be back at the bar tonight, 10:30. I’d love to see you there.
-Spencer. X
Her heart melted into an ocean at the sentiment behind each individual letter. The man she’d just had a dirty one night stand with wanted to see her again.
Wait, he’d said a class? He hadn’t told her he was a student! To be fair, neither had she. That’s another thing they had in common apparently. It made sense why he didn’t tell her. A lot of people were ashamed of going back to college later in life. She thought that was ridiculous. Good for him.
Maybe she could look him up in the student registry. Actually, he may not even go to Georgetown. There were plenty of colleges nearby. She couldn’t have looked him up anyway. She didn’t even know his last name.
It was probably a good thing he left, because she, too, had a class at 7:30.
It only took her twenty minutes to shower, get dressed, and walk the very short distance to campus.
She arrived in the lecture hall with exactly one minute to spare, finding a seat next to a brightly dressed redhead holding a fuzzy pen.
“Hi! I’m Allie.”
“Y/N,” she said, suppressing the cringe as Allie reached out to shake her hand.
“Nice to meet you! What’s your major?”
Oh god. The inevitable college question.
“Journalism. You?”
“English,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Super boring I know, but it lets me take fun classes like this one. Why are you taking this class?”
“Oh, um. It looked fun, I guess. My dad was a lawyer and he kind of piqued my interest in the criminal justice system.”
Allie sighed.
“Thank god. You know half the girls are here just because the Professor is a hottie,” she said with air quotes, rolling her eyes again.
“Really?” Y/N asked, glancing around at the seats noticing the vast majority of the population were women. “Wait, I thought Ms. Merklins was the teacher? Did something change?”
“You didn’t get the email? It just went out the other day, Ms. Merklins had to retire. Something about a club foot. Anyway, the new teacher is supposedly super overqualified. Plus, he’s cute.”
“Huh.”
“Yep. I talked to this one girl in the hall, she actually said she’d sleep with him! Can you imagine?”
Y/N laughed.
“Nooooo. I cannot and I don’t want to. I’m just here to learn, I promise.”
“Same here. Although, if I start getting C’s, all bets are off.”
Y/N laughed and politely chatted with Allie while they waited.
The Professor’s office door swung open and Y/N reached into her bag to get her laptop.
“Hello, class.”
“Hello,” the class echoed.
“Welcome to Criminology. I am Professor Reid and I-.”
Y/N looked up over her screen as he stopped talking, making sudden eye-contact with the Professor.
She froze in her seat, blood running cold.
No way. No fucking way.
Spencer?
~
TAGLIST
~
@whollytaciturn​ @101donuts​ @thegingerfairchild @safertokiss @happyiidiot @cielo1984 @thupidalethea @darkacademiacherry @matthewreid @aloha-ashley-taylor @justchiara-02 @spnobsessedmemes @sweet-darlin @matthewreid
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specialmindz · 4 years ago
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“PAPYRUS! PAPYRUS WHERE ARE YOU?”
BUBBH!           
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“PAPYRUS!”
Sans poked the baby bones currently playing the bathtub. “hey uh, bro? i think dad wants you…”
“PAH-PYRUS!”
SPLASH SPLASH!
“WHAT YOU WANT STINK DADDY? I’S MAKING MOOSIC OVER HERE!”
The infant continued splashing in the tub, the bubbles floating gently through the air with each slap the water received. “UNDER DA’ SEA! UNDER DA’ SEEEA! DOWN HERE IT WETTER, DOWN HERE IT BETTER, TAKE IT FROM BAY-A-BEEEEE!”
CAP CAP CAP!
CA-THINK, WHAM!
“ugh! dad, you don’t have to slam open the door like that-”
“WHERE’S MY KEYBOARD, YOU LITTLE SHIT?”
SPLASH SPLASH!
“I don’t know what you’s talkin’ bout’. What is dis ‘key-board’ you speak of? Is a board game?”
“YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS! YOU USE IT WHEN YOU’RE USING MY COMPUTER! TELL ME WHERE IT IS THIS INSTANT!”
SPLASH!
Papyrus stopped. “Why you need it so bad? You’s a scientist, not a moosician! I’S the only one with musical talent round’ here! Listen to mah jams!”
SPLASH SPLASH!
“UNDER DA’ SEA-”
“THAT’S THE WRONG KIND OF KEYBOARD!”
“uh oh,” said Sans, studying the water. The surface of it was almost completely obscured by bubbles, but he had a good idea of what lay beneath. Papyrus normally didn’t even like bubbles, as they got in his eye sockets and made it hard to see where he was swimming, but today he actually asked for extra suds in order to create “special effects” for a “concert” he was performing.
It looked like Gaster had the same idea too, as a trademarked sigh of unmistakable misery escaped him.
Heh heh, it’s like watching a balloon slowly lose its will to live…
SPLASH SPLASH, SPLASH SPLASH!
“It’s under the water isn’t it?”
“Nyeh?”
“My keyboard. It’s underwater.”
Papyrus looked down at the water and then back up at his father. “I do bad Daddy?”
“Yes Papyrus, you’ve made a mistake...”
“I fuk up yo’ life?”
“Yes Papyrus, you’ve ‘fucked up my life,’ now give me my keyboard so I can repair it.”
“Mmm…no. No, I’s gonna fix it. I already has an idea, in fact! I can still make dis work.” Papyrus licked the water. “Yep. Daz the problem. That’s the problem right there. I got the suds, but the water not be salty enough. SNAS!”
“AHH! wh-what? what do ya’ want pap?” asked Sans, putting a hand against his skull.
“Well FIRST, I’d like you to pay attention,” said the baby. “We gots a situation over here and you’s dreaming bout’ eating Sabastian!” The infant pointed to a dead crab floating in the bath near his feet. It had CLEARLY been eaten a long time ago by someone else, probably a human seeing as Papyrus got all his stuff from the Dump, but apparently the shell was all he needed to play pretend.
“I needs you to search the Powder Place and finds the salt,” said Papyrus, now pointing at the bathroom cabinet.
The bathroom cabinet was where the family keep their cleaning supplies. Heavy-duty powder that was used to clean up serious messes regular soap couldn’t handle, pest control bottles that sprayed foul-smelling chemicals, and copious amounts of baby powder lined the floor of the cabinet. Some of the bottles and boxes were neatly arranged, but most of the supplies had been knocked over, their contents scattered everywhere due to a combination of missing lids and an unsupervised baby…at least that’s what Papyrus said.
His little brother didn’t like the Powder Place very much, and at one point he even tried to do something about it, admitting fully that he had once purposely spilled the contents of the baby powder in order to make the area smell like an infant rather than Catty’s litterbox room. It was Papyrus’s argument that cleaning supplies should never smell like fresh fruit.
“Be careful Snas, it may smell delicious in there, but erything be poison. Big people’s use it as a trick to kill off fat babies.”
“Don’t be absurd! That’s not even close to being correct.”
“Yes it is. Big people’s like their monies and a fat baby is a baby that eats alllll the time. Food costs money, so they buy poison that smell like food to get rid of the baby without legal con-see-quences.”
“That’s not true, who TOLD you that?”
“Dirt-Butt.”
“*Sigh*”
Of COURSE it was Dirt-Butt.
“Dirt-Butt” was ALWAYS saying nonsense, though it really didn’t bother Gaster as much as every other source of knowledge the infant found. He was usually relieved in fact. Papyrus was used to getting stereotypical info from the media, but the things Dirt-Butt told him more often than not, actually kept him out of trouble.
If only headaches weren’t still the norm…
 “NO DADDY, DON’T USE DA’ LECTRICAL HOLE! DIRT-BUTT SAY PICHU LIVE IN THERE!”
“…What?”
“dirt-butt told pappy that pikachus were electric mice who made their homes in electrical outlets,” explained Sans, playing a game on his phone.
“IS TOO! PIKACHU’S BABIES LIVE IN THERE! YOU’S GONNA POKE EM’ IN THE BUTT!” Papyrus covered the holes of the outlet with his hands, Determined to save his fellow infants. “Dirt-Butt says only big people can get poked in the butt, he also say-”
“Pikachus do NOT live or make their nests in electrical outlets.” Interrupted the scientist. “No one does.”
“Yes they do! Dat’s why the tricity gets used up. Pichu eat da’ power so they can gets big, is their nutrients!”  
Gaster shook his head. “No. The reason you don’t want to stick things in here is because you’ll be electrocuted. Dirt-Butt lied. You need to pay more attention to people when they’re talking Papyru-”
“You gets elly-cuted cause’ you piss off Pikachu.”
“Did you not hear me?”
“If you poke the babies, you gets zapped.”
“Papyrus.”
“I KNOWS MAH ANIMALS DADDY!”  
“SNAS, MORE SALT!”
“NO, do NOT put salt in your brother’s bathwater, it’s terrible for bones,” said Gaster reaching into the cabinet. He pulled out the salt, but was immediately met with a wet keyboard to the face.
CACK!
“PAPYRUS!”
“GIMME MAH SALT STINK DADDY! IS MINE!”
“No, it is NOT yours-”
“GIMME MY SALT OR I’S GONNA TELL UPON YOUUU!”
“You do that.”
“I WILL! I’ll tell upon you and you’s gonna get in trouble! I tells em’ you taked the salt and tried to make a baby stew…” said Papyrus smiling.
“Wh-”
“I’ll tell eryone you putted salt and carrots in mah bath and eryone will hate you. They’ll go ‘poor baby Pappy, he has such a bad wife, his daddy try to cook him for supper! We should ah-rest that bad guy and donate lossa monies to that baby’s fundraiser so their family can eats!”
“…What fundraiser?” asked the father, sensing trouble. He immediately regretted saying anything. In fact, he regretted it before the second word even came out of his mouth, but by then it was already too late.
“MY fundraiser. Baby Pappy’s Happy Nappies for Crap Bs!” Papyrus grinned and spread his arms out wide as if in celebration.
“’Crap B’s…?”
“Crap babies. Babies who not geniuses like me. Snas say, other baes not as fortunate as us, so I should be nice and share mah toys.”
“…”
“I don’t wanna do that, so instead I makes a fundraiser to get the inferior infants nappies!”
“Papyrus-”
“Nappies is diapers.”
“I know what nappies are,” said Gaster, already annoyed. Though the fundraiser’s name was enough to prove to Asgore that he wasn’t responsible for whatever came from his youngest’s latest money-making scheme, he still had to put an end to it. If he didn’t, he’d have the king’s citizens knocking at his door, and things were already getting bad in that regard.
More and more monsters had fallen ill from Hotland’s toxic fumes due to the fact that the Underground’s air filter lacked the power to operate and the more…unreasonable, individuals were getting upset. With the Lab being the closest medical building, the sick were often brought in and placed into the renovated Medical Ward. What was once mostly a living room was now a warehouse of beds, stretching almost from one end of the room to the other and lined with monsters of every variety.
Not that he was running out of room or anything.
The monsters there weren’t being cured, but rather drained of their magic to create magic crystals, a brilliant, if cold-hearted idea to be sure. This however, was necessary, though it had a severe consequence as it resulted in an increase of the Fallen; monsters who had lost too much magic and so had fallen into a comatose state. If the comatose had a chance of waking, he wouldn’t have dozens of family members banging on his door and flooding his email with questions, but sadly that wasn’t the case. Those that fell, fell to dust. There was no waking them…at least he didn’t THINK so…Gaster admittedly hadn’t bothered to experiment with that kind of thing yet.
I’m raising two children, keeping the oil reservoir under control AND a secret, trying to come up with a permanent solution to our power problem, logging the names and the number of incoming patients, making magic crystals, recording Papyrus’s progress, AND fixing HIS messes; I don’t have the TIME to meddle in monster mortality.
“uh, dad? papyrus just ran out the door giggling.”
“Wh-what?” Gaster looked about the bathroom to find that it was, indeed, missing a baby. “Why didn’t you stop him?!”
“he ran right past you, so i figured it was okay.”
“Papyrus by himself is NEVER okay, you should know that! Where did he go?” He poked his head out of the doorway and looked down the hall. A wet trail of baby tracks led into the darkness and he could just faintly hear the clacking sound of tiny bone feet getting farther and farther away.
“he said something about ‘customer satisfaction’ or…whatever. i wasn’t really paying attention-”
“GET OFF YOUR PHONE AND GO GET YOUR BROTHER!”
“*siiiiigh* FINE. PAPPY? WHERE YOU AT BABY BRO?”
“I SAID ‘GET’ NOT ‘YELL’ SANS!”
Lazy little…
“uuuughh!” Rolling his eyes, Sans shoved his phone back into the pocket of his hoodie and walked out the door. “PAPPYYYY! HEEERE PAPPY!”
“NYEH HEE HEE HEE!”
Wiping off his ruined keyboard, Gaster tucked it under his arm and followed his oldest.
He already knew where the little bastard was headed.
Earlier in the week, while he was sweeping dust off the beds, he had found a little white diaper under the covers. ALL of the beds that once held the Fallen, had them in fact. It was obvious that Papyrus was putting diapers on the comatose patients, but until today, he never knew why.
“…those aren’t babies pappy,” said Sans from far off.
“Course they are! Daz why they sweep so much. Cwap babies don’t do much Snas, they just eat, sweep, and doody in their diapies. Some of them pay wit toys, but-”
“PAPYRUS GET OUT OF THE MEDICAL WARD!”
Papyrus turned his head to look down the hall, then, waving at his daddy, he turned back around.
“PAPYRUS!”
“Shoosh, stink Daddy! You wake da’ babies!” The tiny skeleton looked at the fluffy, unconscious dog-monster. “So tell us, doody-dog…how satisfied are you wit mah pro-duct? From one to a hundred?”
“…”
Papyrus lifted the dog’s head, “Eleventy-six!” exclaimed the baby bones, “I’d definitely wear another! Mah only complaint is the lack of hole for my stupid dog tail-”
“*pfft!* pap-”
“THERE SHOULDN’T BE ANY COM-PAINTS!” yelled Papyrus into the dog’s face. “DIS A FUNDRAISER, YOU BE GATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU GET, SUCK-BABY!”      
“…”
“he’s not answering you bro.”
“Cwap babies not talk much Snas, but the result be clear. They satisfied…and now I must expand mah business!” cried Papyrus, raising a finger in the air. “TO WATERFALL!”
“huh?”
Using his wingdings, Papyrus picked himself up and placed his little body atop his brother’s skull, apparently expecting Sans to take him to his destination with haste.
He didn’t.
“pap, i don’t know what EXACTLY you’re trying to do, but it’s probably not a good idea; you’re naked and dad was-”
“TO WATERFALL SNAS!!” repeated the baby, louder this time. “TIME BE MONEY, HONEY!”
“don’t call me that.”
SPL-SPLASH!
Teleporting to Waterfall, the two brothers fell into the water near the docks, Papyrus slipping from his sibling’s head almost at once.  
“NYEHHHHAAH! WHY YOU PUT US IN DA’ WATER SNAS? THE FISHIES SEE MAH BUTT!” The infant covered his rear end with a tiny hand, using the other to grab hold of Sans’ hoodie.
“then you shoulda listened to me huh?” replied Sans, CLEARLY not sorry at all. “besides, you know i can’t control exactly where i show up!”
Just the area in general…
“DON’T LOOK AT MAH BUTT CWEEP FISH!”
TAP!
A strange tapping sound drew the older boy’s attention, and Sans turned his head to see old man Gerson walking along the docks, cane in hand, while the baby batted at the curious fish.
“What’s all the commotion over here?” asked the turtle, scratching under his chin. He looked a lot more ancient when he was in full view. Sans usually only saw him in his shop, as did everyone else. It was rare to find him wandering around, as Undyne had a habit of taking it upon herself to scavenge for supplies at the Dump and present it to him to selling. Because of her, he never really HAD to leave anymore.  
TAP, SHIFF!
The old man got closer and peered down at the two in the water, holding a magnifying glass to his eye. “Wahhaha, of course, of course it’s you, Papyrus. Giving your brother trouble I see!”
Does he bring that everywhere with him?
“it-it wasn’t pappy’s fault, i made a mistake,” said Sans quietly.
“Is that so? Well you two shouldn’t be bathing in the same place we water folk get our food, might get a taste for skeletons! Wahhahaha!” He laughed again, but the little Horror wasn’t as amused.
“DON’T EAT DA’ BABY!”
“we weren’t bathing…i just…took a wrong turn or something…”
“You weren’t? Then where are your brother’s clothes?”
“CTHULHU TOOK EM’! I seens it, wit my own widdle eyes, Wrinkle-Man!” said Papyrus, splashing in the water.
“Really? Well that’s just awful! Isn’t that awful Sans?”
“please don’t encourage him.”
“They must be pretty mean to do something like that; picking on a poor little cherub like you.”
“Yep, I’s a sad cher-chero-cherrio. A very sad cheerio Wrinkle-Man, baby’s don’t gots lots of monies ya’ know? How I supposed to buy new jammies wit no monies?”
“That IS an issue,” said Gerson warily, sensing an approaching problem. He turned to Sans, but the child only glared at him, his expression giving the answer to the old man’s unsaid plea.
You started this, now YOU can deal with it.
I’m not helping you.
“Ya’ know what would make this little cheerio happy again Wrinkle-Man?”
“cherub, pappy.”
“*Sigh*…What’s that?”
“If you would accept dis diapie.” The baby bones held up a soaked diaper, possibly getting it from out of Sans’ pocket.
“oh, that’s right, i didn’t check my pockets today.” He looked down at his clothes sadly. Whatever was in there today was probably ruined now by the water.
Papyrus tended to hide things in his brother’s hoodie.
Every once in a while, the kid comedian would reach into his pocket to find crayons, candy, a kaleidoscope, bouncy balls, a yo-yo, and sometimes even makeup in his pocket. They were fun little surprises that he enjoyed, like tiny gifts. They obviously belonged to his sibling, but liked Papyrus liked to say “what’s mine is yours,” so he considered them gifts.
The big treasures were his favorite, as they were rare and akin to getting surprise packages in the mail. He’d wake up in the morning and go to the place on the floor near the dresser where he always threw his hoodie and be excited to find a big lump covered by his clothing. A sign that his brother had hidden something neat.
You’d think he’d quit hiding things with it by now. He’s gotta know I’m stealing em’…
One time, Sans even found a skateboard hidden under it. He played with it a lot, and got pretty good, but when he started doing tricks, Papyrus became…unhappy. He remembered his baby brother screaming in terror and crying when he showed him a kickflip for the first and last time. He remembered feeling super guilty about it too. He only had 1 HP after all; if he fell, it was bye-bye big bro.
The skateboard now sat in a corner collecting dust, a sad reminder of what could have been.
“I don’t need a diaper yet kiddo!” said Gerson, slightly insulted.
“Sure, you do! All old peoples need diapies and all we asks in ass-change is dat you gives us a small donation.”  
“A small donation’ hm?”
“Yep, for just thirty-twelve G, you could have this super absorbent, long-lasting diaper. Yo’ donations go to the Happy Nappies Fundraiser where we will buy MORE diapies and gives them to the less fortunate.”
“…It sounds like you’re selling diapers for 3,012g, FAR more than they’re worth. That’s thirty-twelve right? 3,012g?”
“Correct. We uses the extra monies to buy more nappies.”
“That’s not a fundraiser young’un’, you’re supposed to be raising money for charity. If you’re selling these to the babies here in the Underground-”
“I not sell to babies, I GIVE to da’ baes!”
“…But their parents pay for them.”
“Yes.”
“That’s not a fundraiser, you’re ‘hustling’ as the kids say.”
“No! I not hustle, I BUSTLE! The fundraiser be for babies, THEY gets the diapies for free, not the big peoples.”
“you’re either not understanding bro, or you’re trying to cheat people.”
Probably the latter.  
“Daz not too. I buys diapies for the peoples who needs em’ and I use the rest to buy stuffs dat I need...like my jammies. Erybody wins.”
Papyrus attempted to climb out of the water and then, realizing his arms weren’t strong enough to pull him up onto the dock, he summoned his wingdings and placed himself onto the planks.
RATTLE RATTLE RATTLE!
“ugh, pap!” Sans covered his face as his tiny and inconsiderate sibling shook his body back and forth like the dogs in Snowdin, attempting to rid himself of the water.
“Wahahaha!”
SQISH!
THAP THAP THAP!
The infant squeezed the diaper in his hands and whipped it in the air, sending beads of water every which way. He knew it would probably not be the most absorbent product he ever sold, but perhaps the old monster would still want it for catching doodies…?
“bro, that diaper’s ruined, you’re not going to be able to sell it. look, it’s torn…”
“Nyeh?” Papyrus looked at the nappy in his hand. It seemed fine just a minute ago, but now it was all stretched out and worse yet, the sticky parts that were meant to hold the diaper in place wouldn’t stick anymore. He tried several times to get them to, but the front kept falling open.
Sans was right.
His product was ruined.
“NYEHHHHHAAHHHH! SNAAAAAAAS!”
“*sigh*”
“MY DIAPIE BE BOKEN SNAS! NYEH-HAAAHHHH!!!”
Sans got out of the water and picked up his baby brother. “don’t cry pappy,” he said, bouncing him up and down in his arms. “it’ll be okay.” He patted him on the back, but the baby bones refused to stop crying, still clutching the diaper in his little hand.
“Oh dear…hmm…tell you what,” said Gerson, pulling a wallet out of his shirt pocket. “I’ll buy your nappy at 2,000g, since it’s damaged. A young’un’ needs a pair of clothes, right?”
“our dad didn’t sell his clothes if that’s what you’re-”
“Shu up Snas, YES PWEASE MR. WRINKLE-GUY!” yelled Papyrus, suddenly all smiles. “I WOULD VERY MUCH AH-PEA-CIATE THAT!”
“PAPYRUS!”
“WAHHAHAHAHA!” laughing loudly, the tortoise-monster gave him the money. “Looks like this old man’s been outmaneuvered in marketing! I better watch out!”
“Nyeh hee hee hee!”
“…”
“Oh, don’t look so glum, my boy. Your brother needs this practice in order to protect you in the future! He’s gonna be quite the young warrior, isn’t that right Papyrus?”
“…There will be war.”
“WAHHAHAHAHA!” Mr. Gerson laughed again and walked back towards his shop. He tended to laugh a lot when Papyrus was present, though seeing him also made the elderly monster a bit sad too.  
Sometimes I miss the old days when a lot of these little guys were around…
Maybe one day, nature will fix our past mistakes. I just hope it doesn’t need help…or that it’s not too late.
TAP, SHIFF!
TAP, SHIFF!
“…that wasn’t very nice bro.”
“The business world is a harsh one, Snas,” said Papyrus, counting his G. “You needs to pactice too big Buther. One day, you’s gonna need to help da’ baby, ya’ know? Is sad dat you has no monies of your own. Just cause’ you gots 1 hp, don’t mean you’s useless. You gots a brilliant mind, put it to good use.”
“i don’t need life advice from a crook.”
“Kay’ when you gets a life, come see da’ baby.”
“i HAVE a life, you little asshole! it’s just isn’t a life of crime.”
“No crime no dime, big Buther. Sometimes you gots to break the rules to get da’ jewels! Tell Daddy he either pay you for help, or he pay fines for child labor.”
“that’s blackmail.”
“Is genius is what it is.”
Sans chuckled and put the money in his hoodie. “why would you need my help bro? unemployed monsters down here are a dime-a-dozen!”
“…”
“all jewel need to do is lie and they’ll help you out. i don’t need to do anything, heh heh…”    
“…You needs to pactice yo’ font too.”
“fine-”
“SOMEWHERE AWAY FROM DA’ BABY!” yelled Papyrus, kicking his legs.
“i can’t leave you here, child abandonment is a crime-”
“DAZ NOT EVEN A PUN!”
“besides, crawling all the way home would be a bit labor-ious, wouldn’t it?”
“IIIII HATE CHUUUUUU!!”
CAP, CAP!
CAP, CAP!
Oh crap, someone else is coming. I need to get Pappy back in some clothes or-
“HEY! NO BATHING IN THE FOOD SUPPLY, IT’S ILLEGAL!” cried a shrill voice Sans knew all too well. Startled, he dropped his brother in surprise, but luckily the infant didn’t seem to care.
“HELLWOE FISH-LADY!” Papyrus threw up his arm in greeting. “DA’ WRINKLE-MAN JUST LEFT!” The baby pointed towards Snowdin.
“He was just here?”
“yeah, he headed back to his stall a few seconds ago,” replied Sans, glaring at his brother. “while you were…underwater. why were you underwater? this is the breeding area…”
“Right, I was talking to the fish. Gotta make sure no one’s stealing them, so everyone can keep eating-”
“Fish Lady’s growing an army to fight the homos!” said Papyrus excitedly.
“SSHH!! Shut the fuck up Papyrus!” whispered Undyne harshly.
“homosapiens baby bro, you have to say the whole thing or…you know what? just say humans, kay’?”
“Homo humans!”
“…not better. also, are you talking about actual fish, undyne or water monsters?”
“WHO CARES?” yelled the young girl. “THE MORE SOLDIERS THE BETTER!” She grinned proudly, her hands on her hips. No one would expect an attack from the water AND the land, the next war against humans was as good as won.
That is, if no adults found out about it. They didn’t appreciate Undyne’s ingenious war strategies like Papyrus did.
No matter how helpful or cool they were, adults always seemed to have a problem with her ideas, and unfortunately, Sans and Gaster were no different. For most of them to work, she needed science nerds, but they saw her plans the same way they saw Papyrus’s, terrible and “asinine.”
The Royal Scientist’s words, not hers.
She didn’t know what “asinine” meant, but it had the word “ass” in it, so she assumed their father was calling her ideas booty.
My ideas aren’t ass!
My ideas are GREAT!
Stupid, crappy, science dweeb, is just lazy. How hard can it be to build a giant robot? Isn’t there already someone asking him to do that already?
“…A giant robot can destroy entire towns, I saw it in a movie.”
“what are you talking about? are you still on about that robot army?” Sans sighed, a trademark sign of his that meant he thought she was being stupid. Undyne had heard it many times before.
“IT’S A GOOD IDEA!!” she screamed. “AND IT WASN’T AN ARMY, IT WAS JUST O-”  
“for the last time, if you saw something already done in a movie undyne, the humans know how to COUNTER it; they make the friggen’ things!”
Undyne’s so dumb…
“Yeah, but the movies are old, Sans! They’re in the Dump, because no one watches them anymore! We’ll have the element of surprise.”
“I wish to pilot a Gundam, big Buther.”
“SEE?! Papyrus wants it!” she said, pointing at the baby bones. “You want to blow up a town widdle Pappy?”
The infant smiled and bounced up and down on his rear end excitedly. “Yeah yeah yeah!” he said, ignoring his sibling’s frown. “I’s Middle Eastern ya’ know…is mah calling.”
“still don’t know what middle ease is, pap.”
“Middle East Snas! It mean I comes from da’ center of the earth…only is a liiiittle East.” The infant pinched his fingers together, squinting with one eye to make sure there was space between them, hoping he had solved the mystery.
“The center of the earth…?” Undyne looked confused. “You mean Hell?”
“i’d believe that.”
“Noooo! I’s on the WOOF of Hell…cept’ is a liiittle East.”
“Yeast…isn’t that the stuff bread is made from?”
“he’s saying east, undyne. it’s a direction.” Sans pointed towards where he knew the Lab was located.
“…That’s left, Sans-I MEAN RIGHT! That’s your right.”
“NYEH HEE HEE HEE!”
“SHUT UP PAPYRUS, I WASN’T WRONG!”
“you are.”
“YOU SHUT UP TOO!!”    
“how old are you?”
“YOU CAN’T ASK ME THAT! I’M A WOMAN, IT’S ILLEGAL!”
“Is you a baby like me, Fish Lady? If so, I gots a great product for you…”
“I’m NOT a baby, I’M GROWN!” Undyne stomped her foot angrily on the planks of the pier, scaring Sans a little. He had no idea how long those timbers had been there, but he knew people walked on them every day. Eventually, they would break and need to be replaced…probably by the pines in Snowdin.
There are some people who use them for firewood too though, I know Grillby does. What if we run out? How long does it take a pine tree to grow?
Who planted them there to begin with?
“Nyeh? You spacing again, big Buther?”
It was something he thought of often whenever he was bored, and he highly doubted it was the monsters doing.
“Come back down from space, Snas!”
No one knew what the inside of Mt. Ebott was like, which is why everyone in the beginning not only scrambled for a home as soon as possible, but also refused to leave it behind for something better. It didn’t make sense to begin with for the monsters to carry saplings with them into a mountain with little to no sunlight. Even if the sunlamps in Snowdin had been immediately installed, it would’ve taken time. Could the trees survive that long without the sun? Why were they all pine trees to begin with? If the monsters came from different environments all over the world, wouldn’t some have brought cacti, palm trees, and other tropical plants?
It’s like someone made preparations for us to live here…
“EARTH TO THE SNAS!”
“AH!”
“Stop daydreaming and tell da’ Fish Lady how great mah fundraiser be! She doesn’t want to buy my diapies…” said Papyrus quietly.
“Why are you naked?”
“s-sorry bro, i was thinking about the trees. how come there’s only pine trees and fruit trees in the underground?”
“Nyeh?”
Why was his brother always thinking about trees?
“There’s a fern in the Resort Area,” said Undyne, hoping to change the subject. She’d rather talk about plants than diapers.
“why though? who was the guy who went ‘hey, yeah, i know i’m being ushered out of my home with little to no warning and should prooobably pack everything i think will be needed to maintain my survival-”
“But this fern doh…” The young girl laughed, imagining the scenario. “I gotta take this fern, man!”
“*pfft!* c’mon undyne, for real-”
“FERNS BEFORE FOOD! FERNS BEFORE FAMILY!”
“NYEH HEE HEE HEE HEE!”  
“AND THESE FLOWERS, DUDE! I NEED THESE GOLDEN FLOWERS IN MY LIFE!”
Sans laughed in spite of himself as his baby brother let out a high-pitched screech of delight. As curious as he and it was, the comedian had to admit it was also pretty funny.
I guess back then, people didn’t have to worry so much about survival as they do now. They probably weren’t expecting things to be so hard down here.
It’s good that kids like us don’t have to worry about that sort of thing…most of us anyway.
Dad’s a douche, but our generation depends on him and he’s doing his best to deliver. Without him, the Underground would be doomed.
He didn’t want to admit it, but he was one of the worrying kids. The future frightened him; his father frightened him.
One of the perks of being invisible, aside from whenever the Royal Scientist needed him, was that Sans could go anywhere and do anything he pleased when off the clock. He knew about the Fallen and what his father was doing before Flowey even appeared to tell him, and he was willing to bet his brother did too.
Papyrus didn’t mess with the draining machine.
Sans noticed he didn’t talk about it either. There were no questions, no threats, no mentions whatsoever. In fact, these days Papyrus seemed to mellow out a bit in general, his pranks becoming fewer and fewer in number until the labs horrendous reputation began to fade. The baby bones had even gone out to recruit other bright minds to help in the lab, no doubt sensing his father’s incoming mental collapse.
Despite how serious their power problem was, the truth remained that they HAD oil. It was dangerous to use, but it was a choice Gaster had other than draining that he didn’t favor. He CHOSE murder, their father CHOSE to drain sick monsters who came to him for help, and showed absolutely no remorse or concern for his actions.
Not good.        
“Does Onion-chan gots ferns?”
“huh?”
“It’s Onionsan, Pappy. You’re spelling it wrong, and yes, those are ferns.”
“oh, you’re still talking about ferns…who’s onionsan?” asked Sans. He didn’t know much about the monsters that lived underwater, but apparently no citizen was safe from his little bro. He hoped he hadn’t caused too much trouble…
“Onionsan-chan be a monster from Japan, man!” replied the infant, enjoying his tongue twister. “I doesn’t know how he got here dough…”
“OnionSAN, Papyrus-”
“They too big for mah diapies, so we not visit the tentacles today.”
“what?”
“Onionsan is a monster that looks like an octopus. I’ve never heard of Japan though.”
“Is where the woah-bots come from, Fish Lady! Da’ Vocaloid and the Gundams and the aira-planes…”
“airplanes aren’t robot birds baby bro,” said Sans smiling.
“Nyeh? No bird? Tsundereplane lie…?”
“huh?”
This alarmed Sans. Papyrus was behaving himself more in the lab, but that meant he was spending most of his time outside where it was dangerous.
Who’s Tsundereplane? How many people is he talking to?!
“you know what? it doesn’t matter. stop talking to strangers papyrus, it’s dang-PAPYRUS!”
BEEP BEEP!
Taking Sans’ phone out of his pocket via wingdings, Papyrus called his “friend” on speed dial.
“Hellwoe?”
“papyrus, stop!”
Who the hell gave him their number?! How long has that been in my phone?!  
“Yep, is da’ baby…”
“hang up, papyrus. whoever gave you their number isn’t a sane person-”
“Snas say you’s not a whoa-bot bird Tsundereplane. Why you lie to cute widdle me?”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“WELL SCU YOU TOO, STINK ARROW-PLANE! I BEAT YO’ ASS!”  
BEEP!
“…”
“…Tsundereplane not my friend no more.”
“Aww…poor Pappy…” Undyne patted the infant’s skull.
“don’t feel sorry for him! that’s what he gets for talking to strangers, maybe next time he’ll think before putting numbers in MY phone!”
“Yep, woe is me Fish Lady…”
“are you even listening to me?”
“…First they steals mah jammies and now they lie and call me an idiot-face. I am the saddest of cheerios…”
“THEY STOLE YOUR CLOTHES?!”
“you little shit.”
“STEALING’S ILLEGAL! Don’t worry Pappy, THE UNSTOPPABLE UNDYNE WILL GET YOUR CLOTHES BACK!”
“he’s lying undyne-”
Sans reached out to stop her, but Undyne was already off towards Hotland.
Damnit!
There’s no way he’d catch her, he didn’t even know who or where Tsundereplane was.
I don’t even know what they LOOK like…an airplane probably, but…
“Nyeh hee hee hee!”
“*humph!* i bet you’re pretty proud of yourself, huh baby bro?”
“Yes.”
“you think you did the right thing?”
“Yes.”
“what do you think’s gonna happen when undyne finds out you were lying?”
“She gonna come back and do the accu-sa-tions and Imma say ‘they throw my jammies in da’ lava?’ then I’s gonna cry reeeal loud, and she gonna feel sorry for me.”
“…”
“She’ll say, ‘aww, I didn’t think of that! Poor baby Pappy…I should go out and buy you NEW jammies!’ and then I say, ‘no, no, you’s done enough.”
“…is that right?”
“Yep. I say, “Just gives me some monies and I go gets em’. Shopping be boring.’ Then she gonna go ‘you’s right! Shopping IS boring. Here are some monies…and a widdle extra for the accu-sa-tions.”
“…”
“That’s when I be reeeal nice and say ‘keep da’ extra, you deserves it for being a good friend to da’ baby.’ Then I buys candy and I eats it, then we all live happy ever after.”
“…i’m calling undyne.”
“WHY YOU GOTS TO DESTROY MY HAPPY AFTER?”
BEEP BEEP BEEP!
“I’M NOT SELLING YOU NOTHIIIIINN’!!!” screamed Papyrus, “NYEH!” Snatching his brother’s phone, the baby bones took off running towards Snowdin.
“PAPYRUS! PAPYRUS, NO!”
“NYEH HEE HEE HEE HEE!”
“DO NOT GO INTO TOWN NAKED, PAPYRUS!”
Friggin’ dumbass! There’re dogs everywhere there, he can’t be showing that many bones, he’ll get eaten!
Or they would.
Probably the dogs.
Either way, Sans knew who would ultimately be blamed.
“GOOD LUCK FINDING ME IN DA’ SNOW BIG BUTHER!”
“ugh, shit!”
POOF!
With an enthusiastic smile, Papyrus leapt into a snow poff as soon as his sibling lost sight of him. There was no way Sans would find a tiny white skeleton in a snowfield. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack…whatever a haystack was.
Finally, his Michael Jackson syndrome was paying off.
“Nyeh? *sniff sniff*”
That was odd. The snow poff he was in smelled like doody. Well, actually, the whole town smelled like a barnyard, but this was especially bad…
“*huff puff* pa-papyrus…”
“…”
“papyrus, i know you’re in there, your tracks lead right to the snow poff field!”
“…Those could be anybody’s tracks, there’s no baby here, skelly-man.”
“really? heh heh, well that’s weird. most people who live in snowdin avoid the snow poffs.”
“…I had to move cause’ I missed my rent. This my home now.”
Sans laughed; his brother had no idea. “woooow, that sucks. i’d personally hate to live in a poop-igloo, but you do you man, ha ha ha!”
“What?” Papyrus poked his head out of the snow poff and looked down.
“yep. the reason the snow is built up in this area and nowhere else, is because this is where people dump their chamber pots.”
“…”
“the snow tends to build on top of the droppings and that’s what makes these little mounds, cool huh?”
“…”
“asgore is trying to get plumbing up and running, but it’ll be a while before THAT happens, what with the power issue and all. personally? i don’t see it happening. people make money gathering these snow poffs up to sell for fertilizer.”
Without saying a word, Papyrus climbed out of the snow poff and walked towards the Ruins. It was the longest route to a river, but at least it didn’t cut through town.
“papyrus?”
“Shut up.”
“aww, what’s wrong pappy? paaappyyyy-”
SPLASH!
The baby bones jumped into the river, using his wingdings to hold himself steady in order to keep from being swept away by the current.
“…”
“oh no, pappy! you can’t just hop into the river, the fishies will see your butt!”
“…”
“you know what you need to catch those doodies? what every baby needs?”
“Choke on bread.”
“a dia-”
SPLASH!  
“heh.”
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amelink66world · 4 years ago
Text
Love of my Life
Heyyy guys!! Checks out the new chapter! Kinda steamy ;)
Patience...or not?
It's been exactly 2 weeks since their date. They had gone on four more dates each one ending just like the first one, though the feeling of need only intensified with the next. Even the slightest touch ignited a fire inside them.
This going slow thing is too much!! I can't bear it anymore. I have to talk to her! I mean, she's killing me here. Ughh but I need to wait. This is what she wants and I can do anything for her. Sooo, suck it up, Atticus Lincoln. He groaned thinking why in the world did he agree to take things slow when he knew it would be too hard to control himself in her presence, especially when she looked sooo sexy all the time! It's like she was doing it on purpose!!! He walked towards the coffee cart, waiting for Amelia as usual. He chuckled, she's always late.
Meredith and Maggie tried their level best to mind their own business but Amelia was making it really very hard. This whole past week, she was in a pretty bad mood. You could hear her soft groans and grunts from time to time. Some head banging on the table was involved too. One time, Meredith had to cover Bailey's ear when his dearest Aunty Amelia came down the stairs cursing. Of course, she hadn't noticed the child in the living room before muttering those horrendous words not suitable for a child to hear.
Maggie probed and prodded her occasionally but she just wouldn't budge. Meredith finally snapped. "WHAT?!" They were carpooling to the hospital, as usual. Amelia looked up from her usual seat at the back, astonished. She was continuously sighing which annoyed the crap out of Meredith. Amelia asked, " What? What did I do? "
" Obviously something's bothering you, Amelia. We can't see you like this anymore. What is it? Just spit it out now! ," Meredith said indignantly.
" It's nothing," she muttered.
Maggie sighed. Curiosity was turning into exasperation. " You know, you can talk to us, right? We're here for you," she smiled. Amelia returned her smile and told her genuinely, " I'm just not ready to tell y'all about it. I'll tell you two at the right time. Don't worry about me." Meredith seemed convinced with her answer too and nodded before continuing driving.
SHIT! I'm late again. Link must be waiting for me. Ugghh, she groans way too loudly. Amelia rushed to the attendings' lounge and quickly changed into her scrubs. She hurried towards the coffee cart and could not spot Link anywhere. He didn't wait for me?! Oh yeah right,who am I kidding? I'm 20 minutes late! He can't wait for me forever. He has patients to see, Amelia thought sadly. Dejectedly she stood in line which was moving way too slow adding to her frustration.
What she didn't know was that Link had noticed her almost dashing towards the coffee cart and wanted to tease her a little bit. He just moved a few steps back and his behind a tree until she got in the line. This was his favourite pastime now, to rile Amelia up so much that she would be forced to break that "going slow" deal and crack under the pressure. He would always pull away just in the nick of time before things got too far, making her mad. He just loved it when she got mad. Her cheeks flushed deep red and her eyes burned with such fire and desire when she got angry that he had a hard time keeping himself in check. Obviously what he was trying to do had consequences too. He always had to adjust his clothing to get rid of the sudden tightness he felt after such nuances.
Amelia suddenly felt the oh so familiar fingers sliding up her arm and her back being pressed to a sturdy chest. " You like to make me wait, don't you?", he breathed in her ear. The obvious innuendo was not lost on her. She shivered. Okay. That's enough! Do I really need to hold on for soooo long?! I'll jump him RIGHT NOW! Uggghhh...but he turned it into a competition now. No backing out now, Amelia Shepherd.
Link very well knew what effect he had on her. He wanted her to know the ridiculousness of the deal. Deciding to play dirty, he started peppering her exposed neck with feather light kisses driving her mad. They were in the middle of the park, for crying out loud!! Amelia clutched his arms wrapped around her waist for support. She was trying so hard not to moan that it seemed to physically hurt her. Her nails dug into his skin but he didn't seem to mind. Finally satisfied with his work, he pulled back before softly kissing her cheek from her behind.
Breathless, Amelia opened her eyes and smiled at his goofy face. She then mock glared at him and whispered fiercely, " You'll pay for this, mister."
His face gleamed with a dazzling smile, "Oh, that's the whole plan all along. I'll definitely wait for it." He winked at her. She blushed deep red and hit his arm. Both of them laughed. They engaged in a deep conversation about their surgeries for the day and planned to watch movies together after their shifts.
As usual, Link ordered her coffee and paid. Amelia didn't even bother to protest, he just never listened.
Their hands were constantly bumping while walking towards the hospital. Neither of them noticed who held whose hand first. It just kept happening again and again. It became like a routine. Meeting each other first thing in the morning after reaching the hospital, walking back together, having lunch in the cafeteria, making out in the on-call room for several moments between surgeries and then occasionally him dropping her off to Mer's place after their shifts. This became like a routine. THEIR routine.
The elevator was partly empty by the time they entered. They were standing next to each other with his hand on her back when suddenly a large group of people entered the elevator together. It had suddenly become very crowded. To shield Amelia from the occasional bumping, he pulled her behind him at the back of the elevator and stood stoically in front of her. She stared at him with adoration for several long moments. She was utterly grateful for this man in her life. He is so damn thoughtful! I've never had someone thinking so selflessly about me. God, I love him.
Link always wanted to protect her from everything in the world. He had decided he would always be her shield and keep her away from ever getting hurt. She could always lean on him and find him in her corner. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt her soft fingers gently wrapped around his waist from behind and she hugged him. Link felt his heart burst with emotion and a gleeful smile framed his face. He slightly leaned back to reciprocate the hug and caressed her fingers with one hand.
They were locked into a tight embrace till the elevator cleared out and they reached the Neuro floor. Link pulled her from behind him and towards his body. He kissed her deeply before whispering, "Have a great day." Amelia sighed with delight and kissed his cheek before pulling back. "You too!" She then playfully ordered after getting out, "Miss mee!!" She heard his laughter as the doors closed. She was highly enjoying the hospital nowadays.
Four hours and two craniotomies later, Amelia was starving. She missed Link terribly and had texted him immediately after her surgery but there was no reply. Maybe he's in surgery. Pcchhhh. She wanted to meet Link. She loved having him around. She loved their conversations, their silences, their routine. She was content and didn't want to lose all of this. She knew it was too soon to feel like this, yet she had never felt like this in her entire life! This was not irrational and impulsive Tumor Amelia. This was new. Wait, love? Is it really love? It's too soon. Nope.
She went to the cafeteria and suddenly found her eyes wandering aimlessly. Where IS everybody?! Suddenly quite surprisingly there was no one in this freaking hospital for her to talk to. There was always someone. ALWAYS. People never seemed to mind their own business here. Everyone knew about everyone and everything. Privacy actually is a thing of the past here. Groaning she grabbed a cookie and went to the pit to look for some interesting. A surgery always helps, doesn't it?
Going to the pit proved to be fruitful. Well not like thaaat, if you know what I mean. Not that I want people to have injuries. Her patient needed an ortho consult stat before going into surgery. Luckily, Nico took over for him in the OR and he came for the consult. Amelia was really glad.
Accustomed with Link's plan of action, she had already ordered an MRI. She was trying to read the scans in the room when Link suddenly brushed past her moving to the screen just next to hers. Obviously, it was intentional. Amelia hid her smile and acted nonchalant. In reality, her skin was tingling where his skin brushed hers. A devious plan popped up in her head and she smirked. No one messed with Amelia Shepherd.
Acting serious, she deliberately brushed past his body and moved to his left. Link worked an eyebrow and looked down at where her skin touched his. He shrugged and concentrated on the scans. This happened again. And again. He smirked and tilted his head towards her. " What are you doing, Amelia? Is this your weird version of Tit for Tat, huh?," he asked with amusement.
Amelia feigned offence, " Hey! First of all, it's not weird. Second, what are you talking about?," she asked with innocence and blinked. He just squinted his eyes accusingly and looked down at her, trying to break her facade but she just shrugged and moved. AGAIN. This time, the scan Link was looking at suddenly interested her too much.
Unabashedly she moved to stand right in front of him and leaned back slightly. Link's breath hitched and his hand involuntarily moved towards her. But he stopped them just in time. He wanted to see how far she'd go even if that meant taking a very cold shower in the lounge afterwards. He could practically see her smirk from the back of her head! Oh this woman will be the death of me! She knows what she does to me. Everytime. He held in a breath.
Feigning interest in the upper part of the scan, she stood her tip toes and leaned back furthermore to trace her finger on the scan. This movement pushed her ass right into his groin. Notwithstanding any of this anymore, Link groaned and grabbed her waist tightly. He pulled her body snug towards him and breathed down her neck. " Well played, Amelia," he whispered seductively. Before he could start kissing down her neck, Amelia rotated her hips once before turning in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pushing her body towards him which he gladly accepted. She kissed along his jaw and moved to his neck before brushing her lips with his.
Wanting to dominate the kiss, Link deepened the kiss and softly bit her bottom lip. Several moments later, she pulled back and moved towards his neck. Her kisses ignited a fire inside his body and he pulled her towards him even more. His fingers played with the hem of her top. She slided her fingers to his hair and gently tugging his hair. He groaned and moved his hand inside her top. She sighed loudly and bit his earlobe before seductively whispering, "The ball was always in my court, mister." She tugged his hair once last time before completely pulling back, leaving him shocked and equally frustrated.
She was grinning triumphantly whilst adjusting her top, all the while maintaining eye contact with him. Link groaned in frustration, " Ameliaaaaa...nooo. You cannot do this to meee! ", he whined. Amelia only laughed and blew a kiss at him while moving towards the door. " Tit for Tat, baby. I...have surgery. And you obviously need to take care of...that," she pointed towards his lower half. Link looked down horrified and completely missed her disappearing in the hallway.
Her laugh echoed making him laugh at her feistiness. God, I love that woman. I promise, one day I'll marry her. This was what he totally loved about her, she never backed down from a challenge. He shook his head at her antics with a loving smile on his face and stared at the door for few long seconds and moved to look at the scans, all the while adjusting his pants which was almost impossible in the condition she left him in.
Amelia's surgery finished early and she decided to wait for Link. She had texted Link. She even texted Meredith informing her that she would arrive home late. Upon receiving double question marks from her, she texted her that she would explain later. Maggie was the only person apart from Jo who knew about them. People were getting to know about them but the word hadn't spread much. For that she was grateful. All of the hospital gossip was now directed towards Jackson which she did not mind. That's the least he can go through for dumping my sister the way that he did, she puffed her cheeks and rolled her eyes.
In the attendings' lounge, about twenty minutes later, Link came running. She looked up from her instagram and chuckled at his disheveled appearance, " I will never get how you can run so much." She shook her head. Link laughed and leaned close to her face, whispering hoarsely, " Got to keep myself in shape," he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Amelia stopped chucking and looked deep into his eyes.
Link pulled back and removed his scrub too right in front of her face, his torso directly in her immediate lone of vision. Amelia's eyes darkened at the sight and she gulped. She suddenly found herself drooling and wanted so badly to touch those damn sexy abs. Her eyes patiently roamed his bare figure before meeting his eyes. He was enjoying it thoroughly. He was observing her face the whole time and smirked proudly. Her hungry, dark orbs met his playful, blue ones. They stared at each other for several long moments. His smirk grew even more and he flexed his pecks once before breaking eye contact and moving towards his cubby.
Amelia gulped and tried to calm her nerves. When did it get so hot in here?! She wanted to fan her face at the sight of his bare back but caught ahold of herself. She was ogling him shamelessly and she was painfully cognizant that he was aware of this fact. But she didn't care. That man is beautiful! It would be a shame not to stare at such a gorgeously sculpted man. But only I can stare! No one else. And why is he taking so long to change?!
" What?!," she shouted pointedly. She looked at him accusingly. Link turned around with pure innocence, " What?," he blinked like a child.
" Do it fast !"
" Do what fast?," he prompted feigning confusion. But he could not trick her.
" We're getting late. Change faster, Link!," she was getting really aroused and could not trust herself any longer. She even pointed her finger at him for extra measure. Link hid his smile and raised his arms in surrender. Suddenly he possessed the speed of lightning and was ready to leave in no time. He smirked and shrugged proudly.
Amelia shook her head and rolled her eyes at his petulance, " Couldn't you have done that sooner? " Link only laughed in response and took her hand in his.
They silently left the hospital and drove in Link's car. They were each telling how their day was when he pulled the car to a movie rental store. It was already late so they figured that they would rent a movie and watch at his place with pizza and popcorn. Each selected a movie of their choice, Amelia a rom-com and Link a superhero movie. Both of them laughed at the cliche an proceeded to get the pizza.
Amelia had spent the night at his place before so she already had extra clothes there. Link changed into his boxers and a loose tshirt while Amelia was in the washroom, freshening up. He laid put her pajamas on the bed before going to the kitchen to warm the pizza. He even prepared the popcorn and proceeded to keep the food on the on the sofa. He got comfortable by the time she arrived. He turned his head in her direction and felt the wind knocked out of his chest.
She had never looked sexier to him. She was wearing nothing but his old Mariners tshirt which was triple her size and hanged loosely on her body. It didn't even reach mid-thigh !! Her long, slim legs were completely bare and he had a hard time trying to concentrate on something other than her legs. Amelia dressed in his clothes made her ten times sexier. God, this woman surprises me every time! How does she expect me hold back when she's dressed like that?! Ugghh, Ameliaaaa. He silently groaned when she nonchalantly sat close to him and stretched her legs on the table in front. His eyes just could not leave her legs!
She snatched the remote from his lap and showed him a 'V' sign. She grinned and played her movie. Link stared at her, mesmerised. How can a person be so beautiful, both in and out?! She is the cutest human being on the planet. Wanting to feel her close to him, he pulled her close. He wrapped arm around her and she laid her head comfortably on his shoulder. They had their pizza while watching the movie. Well, Amelia watched the movie whereas Link watched her. He admired her completely and placed an impromptu kiss on her head.
Suddenly he reached into the pizza box only to find that one slice was left. Amelia had reached for a slice at the same time and their hands bumped. Both of them looked at each other with determination willing the other to back out. Amelia was quick to react though. She snatched the box and took off running. Link was both amused and determined to win at the same time. He followed her in the whole apartment and their laughter could be heard from a mile away.
Link was amazed. For such a petite person, she sure could run very fast. Her lack of clothing did not help his case either. His arousal was increasing by the minute. He followed her into the kitchen and it was now his turn to think quicker. He successfully trapped her between the kitchen counter and his body. Amelia tried to wiggle away but her efforts went in vain. He squinted his eyes and mock threatened her, " Give me the box, Amelia."
Defiance ran in her veins. " Nope. The slice is mine." She moved to open the box but before she could do that, Link pinned her hand behind her. The atmosphere in the room rapidly changed. Suddenly highly aware of their proximity, Amelia looked into his eyes only to find them dark with desire. Amelia wanted to melt at the hungry look he was giving her. I just don't want to wait anymore!
Link pushed himself closer to her to gauge her reaction. But she was visibly panting thereby encouraging him. He pried the pizza box from her hand and place it behind her on the counter, never once breaking the eye contact. His eyes fluttered closed and he inched his face closer but when he was only centimeters away from her lips, she whispered, " Link..."
Thinking she's asking him to stop so that they could take things slow, Link pulled back slightly but didn't remove his hands from her body. He desperately whined, " Please don't ask me to stop, Amelia. Screw 'taking this slow'. I don't want to take things slow with you, Amelia. I'm all in. Do you hear me? All in. And I really, really like you. So let's just please forget about that. I really wanna feel you close to me. It's been too long, Amelia and I miss you! Also, how do you even expect me control myself while you waltz in the room wearing nothing but MY tshirt looking so damn sexy that I couldn't remove my eyes from you! You're killing me here, woman," he groaned.
Amelia stopped his rant by putting a finger to his lips. She then cupped his cheeks and made him look into her eyes. She smiled widely at him and whispered seductively, " Shut up, Link and just kiss me already! " Link looked at her with astonishment before grinning mischievously and picking her up in his arms. He placed her on the counter. He pried her legs open and stood between them.
The tshirt rode way up exposing her creamy thighs. Link ran his hands up her thighs and groaned, " God, you're sooo sexy, Amelia." She moaned and pulled him in by his tshirt for a bruising kiss. It had been too long. There was no stopping them now.
Their tongues were battling for dominance. Link wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled body close to his. Amelia played with the hem of his tshirt and pulled it above his head, momentarily breaking the kiss. Link used this opportunity to his advantage and completely dominated the kiss this time. He was hungrily kissing, biting, nipping and licking her lips. Amelia desperately groaned and held onto his shoulders with dear life. That kiss was single handedly capable of making her cum!
He moved down to her neck and pulled his tshirt down to fully expose her left shoulder. Amelia tilted her head to give him more access which he gladly accepted. He slid her right hand up her body and grabbed her breast. She moaned loudly and tugged his hair with her fingers. She bucked her hips forward in desperate need of friction. He was palming her breast through the tshirt. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him even more towards her.
He pulled back slightly only to remove her, rather, his tshirt from her body. He blatantly stared at her, taking her in, mesmerized. She was not wearing a bra underneath!! She definitely wanted to kill me tonight! She had given him enough time to start at her body and couldn't wait any longer. She pulled him down and kissed him fiercely. She ran her hand down his torso along his strong abs. Oh, I wanted to touch them for soooo long! Wanting to completely devour her, he picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist whilst he carried her towards the bedroom, never once breaking the kiss.
He sat on the edge of the bed with her sitting on his lap. He squeezed her cheeks pulling her further towards him. Both of them groaned. Amelia pushed him down on the bed and straddled him. She leaned down to whisper in his ear, " No more of this 'taking things slow' crap. I'm all in, too. And just by the way... I like you a lot too, Atticus Lincoln." She grinned down at him. Her words pulled at his heart strings and he quickly changed their positions. He pinned her arms above her head and smirked down at her, "That's good, Amelia Shepherd. That's the nicest thing I've ever heard," before diving in.
Author's Note:
Heyyy guysss!!! Sorry for being AWOL for soooo long. I don't even know what came over me when I took such a long break. Huuhh, writing again is so refreshing! I missed all of my readers!
This is a brand new chapter for you. I hope you really, really it ;))) Again, I apologize for the delay in updating this story. ( please don't hit me, guys 😅🙈 )
Anyway, don't forget to vote and do drop some comments! I just looovee reading your comments. They encourage me so freaking much! Thank you guys for all the love!❤ I surely don't deserve so much. Next chapter will be up in a few days. Until then.
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coeursetcolores · 4 years ago
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What I Would Add/Change About: Dead or Alive 6
Hello internet! As you probably know, I love video games and I would talk about my feelings for the ones I’ve played for hours. Unfortunately, I don’t pay too much attention to the various gameplay and added content mechanics, so I don’t feel as though I’m qualified to give full-on reviews; my focus is usually on the story and characters, but I am learning to keep a more open eye. So, I’ve decided to start this series! On the anniversary of a game I’ve played’s release, I will talk about what I think a game could have included to improve certain elements or what I think they should have just changed all together about something in it. I will make sure to include what I liked about it as well to keep these from getting too negative. 
This is all just my own personal opinion and if you disagree with me, that’s perfectly okay! If you’d like to talk about a point I made, please let me know, but please try to respect my opinion as I respect yours.
Fair warning, I won’t talk about online stuff. I’m not an online gamer, that’s just not me.
Well, with out further ado, let’s get started!
Today is March 1st. Two years ago in 2019, Dead or Alive 6 was released. Bet you guys didn’t know I was fan, did you?
Yes. Yes I am. And there is one thing I love more than that entire series all together.
Kasumi.
I love that woman.
I have yet to see any other woman that I would even consider loving as much as her.
Amazing main, best girl, gripping protagonist, top-tier waifu.
But back to the subject!
Almost seven years since Dead or Alive 5 was released and left it’s audience wanting more, today we ask: Did it live up to seven years of expectations?
For me...
YES! 
...Mostly.
I had a real fun time playing when I could (I didn’t have constant access to the console I played it on, don’t ask) but even with how polished the series has gotten, there were a few things that left a sour taste in my mouth. 
Let’s go over them, shall we?
SPOILERS AHEAD!
To keep a positive spin on this criticism, I’m going to talk first about all the things I absolutely LOVED about the game:
IT’S. STUNNING. The graphics look amazing, and the slow-motion and visible injuries along with DOA5′s sweat and dirt gives the fights such a weight, it’s brutally gorgeous and I love that video games have reached that level of detail. 
Voice acting is good, and I’d have to give best performance to Karen Strassman’s Helena just for her after fight in Kokoro’s story mode because. My gosh. The way she begs Kokoro not to leave her is just heartbreaking, and to do all that while doing an accent is just amazing.
Funniest part of the game was definitely when Zack told Tina she couldn’t be governor. I love how he just shot her down in a whole series of her dad failing to drag her away from her wild dreams through fighting, Zack accomplishes it just by reminding her how the law works.
Kasumi is safe! ...Apart from all the evil clones sent after her. But Ayane is finally leaving her alone!
Helena in the ending. My gosh, the way she just shuts NiCO down and calls her out on failing to move on healthily is a good message about properly dealing with grief and really shows how much she’s grown in the series from the vengeance seeker she started as.
I genuinely liked the addition of Marie Rose. She had a cool design and her character was really charming. The team could easily have made her super annoying, but she was pretty solid, and I appreciate that.
Kokoro’s dress with the beret. It’s just too cute!
I still love kicking opponents off the stage.
Still glad the series hasn’t decided to sink into hyperrealism.
COLORS! ...Those are dying in video games. :( 
The story for the most part is interesting and every character gets to shine in their own special way.
Diego was really cool, I always love the addition of an untrained street fighter keeping up with these professional martial artists, it really goes to show that in a fight anything can happen.
I really loved watching Tina and Bass become a tag team, aww! Tina does love her daddy!
The costumes, as always, are awesome.
Vibrant backgrounds, as expected.
The fact that it happened! I was worried I’d never see my sweet Kasumi again!
Alright! Now that we got all the things I unquestionably loved about the game down, here are some things I feel the game was missing.
ADD:
MORE KASUMI! If she’s your heroine, give her more screen time! (What do you mean I’m biased?!)
Have some more time with Kasumi, Ayane and Hayate, show just how conflicted they are by their tragic circumstances when they have to work together when they all know that they will never be able to go back home together. That ending scene was bittersweet, but I feel like they could have done more.
Bring Bayman into the alliance? I mean, he does want revenge on Phase 4. I get that he kinda works with them, I just think they could use him more.
Have Kasumi have a fight with the main Phase 4? I think it’d be interesting to have this clone weapon, who hates that she hurts people, face off against the original who’s now accepted the brutality of the world and will show no mercy to those who stand in her way. I feel like it’d give Kasumi some introspection and see just how much she’s changed; in a way, Phase 4 is a lot like how Kasumi started: she didn’t want to hurt anyone and make enemies, but she couldn’t do anything about it. The difference is Kasumi became the way she is because of her own choice and beliefs while Phase 4 literally can’t stop herself.
Have Lisa explain herself, geez! What is up with this woman?! What are her goals exactly?! Wait...how is she still alive?! Woman straight up had a building fall on her! Why are we just letting her walk away?! LISA!! GET BACK HERE!! WHAT’S YOUR DEAL WOMAN?!!!
So...I guess we still don’t get to beat the crap out of Donovan? Sigh...guess they’re saving that for 7. Hopefully.
And that’s all I think they could have added. And now, here’s everything I think they should have thought about twice.
CHANGE:
Really? You’re just going to bring Raidou back for the final boss? Really?  Why not use prime Phase 4, that would have been interesting, a final boss who doesn’t WANT to be the final boss? Come on DOA, you’re better than this! You had seven years to make a final boss! If you couldn’t think of one, just go DOA2 and pull something random out! There’s even another tengu you could have used! Who even remembered Raidou at that point?!
LESS. HONOKA. My gosh, she’s annoying! I’m sorry, I’m sure she has fans, but she just irritated me! Not only was she shoehorned into the plot, but she’s also a total Mary Sue! And that voice, AAAAGGGGHHHH! This is not a knock on Kira Buckland, she’s cool and great at her job, but AAAGGGHHHH! With so many three-dimensional and interesting characters, she just falls flat (metaphorically, of course).
Was Nyotengu actually necessary? I get that the tournament itself is just a distraction now, but she honestly bored me.
Why does Helena’s mother need to come back to life? Seriously, what did M.I.S.T. see in reviving one of the mistresses/mothers of their rival? Is this supposed to like torture Helena or something? This was just unnecessary, there was no reason for this. Sorry Maria.
Oh, so Rig’s mind controlled now? Would have been great if they had foreshadowed that in 5. You know, so it wouldn’t have come out of nowhere and helped explain his whole 180 when he was introduced!
Does Jann Lee really need another rival? Just focus on Lei Fang, she’s awesome!
Bit more meta, but did Rig and Christie really need new voice actors? The new ones are fine, but it just seemed unnecessary.
I’m really mixed about how story mode is laid out in modern DOA. On the one hand, putting everyone’s stories in one playthrough really makes it hard to really get attached to one, which I think is a very important aspect of fighting games. On the other, doing it in this style really helps keep the general plot coherent and easier to follow. I think a good way to handle this would be to make different story modes; a campaign to follow the whole vs. Donovan storyline and a different one that has each character’s individual story outside of the main plot.
Alternatively, divide the story between the tournament and the fight against Donovan; ‘cause I don’t think the Mugen Tenshin clan and their allies are going to be in any tournaments anytime soon.
BRING BACK UNLOCKABLE OUTFITS! Outfits may be understandable for DLC, but it’s just so much easier to unlock them all! I’m not made of money!
Even with all these negatives, I still had a great time playing! It was great to see the cast I loved so much (with one in particular) come back and beat the crap out of each other and I can’t wait for the next one!
...In five years.
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lucy-sky · 5 years ago
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Headcanon meme - Ezra (Prospect, 2018)
Um… This has been in my drafts for like... a week already. Ages ago I reblogged this Headcanon meme but I got zero asks. So, being in the mood for headcanons and slightly obsessed with Prospect I just started randomly writing them about Ezra. Somehow I ended up writing the whole meme. Not sure if anyone would be interested to read these, but since I finally got to clean up my drafts, here we go. 
No warnings, gif by me (credit if use please)
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☾ - sleep headcanon
With his tough life Ezra doesn’t often have a luxury to sleep in a comfortable bed, but he’s got this superpower to sleep anywhere, anytime, in any position. He doesn’t have problems with getting up early, but he’s still usually a bit grumpy in the mornings.
★ - sad headcanon
Ezra does not often allow sad and depressive thoughts to consume him. In fact, his incredible optimism and confidence that it’ll work out somehow and everything will be okay in the end, even if you have to go through a lot of crap before it happens, always helped him to survive even the most dangerous situations. But of course he’s only human, and he can be gloomy too. He has regrets as well, but he refuses to focus on sad stuff, because he knows very well - in the world he lives, there’s no time for whining. Once you give up - you’re dead. 
☆ - happy headcanon
When Ezra is happy, he smiles a lot. Yes, he is mostly talkative, but sometimes he’s just quiet and has this soft and content smile on his face with a lot of warmth behind it. These are rare occasions, that’s why they’re always so precious.
☠ - angry/violent headcanon
He’s not naturally violent. If there’s a possibility to settle the matter peacefully, he’d rather try it. But if someone threatens him or his loved ones - he will fight back without hesitation.
Ezra is never violent just for the sake of violence, he doesn’t find joy in it. Unfortunately sometimes he has no choice.
Ezra is capable for murder. He happened to kill, but he’s not proud of that. It’s more like a burden he has to live with, but he accepted it, because… That’s just life. Basically his life motto is what’s done is done, so what’s the point in torturing yourself about something that cannot be changed.
Generally Ezra is very reasonable, but when he’s angry he may become poisonous and say things that can hurt, or be brutally honest and tell someone the truth they don’t really want to hear. 
✿ - Sex headcanon
I mean… this guy is full of big dick energy, so yeah… Sex with him is mostly rough and passionate. Sloppy kisses, kneading and biting, sex against the wall - all this is about him. On the other hand, he can be gentle too. You’d be surprised how tender he actually can be in contrast with his tough guy appearance and demeanor. He’s not selfish in bed, and if he’s got real feelings for someone, he becomes pretty soft and caring, making sure you’re comfortable and feel good. He doesn’t often have much time to enjoy the intimacy without hurry, but when he does, he uses this time to the fullest. 
Ezra is quite experienced - he’s an attractive man and has a charm, so it’s not that hard for him to get a girl into bed. For sure he had just casual sex not once and not even twice… Mostly when he was a bit younger though. But when it comes to love and affection - it’s way more complicated. That’s why he really appreciates it. So even if your encounter was rough, you can always count on a soft kiss or cuddle afterwards. There are times when all he wants is just to hold you and feel your warmth.
■ -  Bedroom/house/living quarters headcanon
He’s mostly on the road and seldom has an opportunity to settle for a while. Once he does, his living quarters are quite messy. He usually doesn’t bother himself with folding his clothes or making the bed. Thankfully he doesn’t have many belongings, they all fit into his backpack so he has no problems finding what he needs. 
♡ - romantic headcanon
In the world where Ezra lives, not many people have the luxury of being romantic. Even a simple trust is a gift which is not that easy to gain. Ezra appreciates this gift though, he’s been lonely for quite a while, even without completely realizing it, even among people. So, even more than being with his love interest physically, he cherishes emotional closeness. 
Yes, there’s no time and place for romance in this world, but Ezra always finds ways to show his affection, either it’s holding hands, soft looks and touches during the rare moments of intimacy, or being protective of his loved one.
♥ - family headcanon
Ezra’s life is a constant fight and one adventure after another. Deep inside this tough guy really needs to care for someone, but he never seriously thought about settling down and starting a family of his own.
☮ - friendship headcanon
To be honest, real friendship is not a very common thing in Ezra’s surroundings. It’s not always safe to trust people here. There are some people Ezra can work/deal with, but as for the REAL friends - he doesn’t have many. And maybe that’s why he cherishes them. As well as with his love interest, with his friends Ezra is loyal and protective.
♦ - quirks/hobbies headcanon
Secretly, Ezra really likes to read. He’d certainly do that more often if he had time.
Sometimes when he teams up with a few people for work, he doesn’t mind playing cards with them. He’s really good at bluffing.
☯ - likes/dislikes headcanon
Ezra likes smart people. Physical beauty is attractive for sure, but this kind of attraction doesn’t last that long. Yep, brains and wit are really important for this man. If you’re arguing with him, he may look not very pleased, but secretly he loves that too. If the partner agrees with his every word it, he can get bored pretty soon.
Ezra likes to talk, especially after he’s been alone for quite a while. It can even be a bit annoying at times.
Ezra likes it when you run your fingers through his hair. This soft intimate gesture makes him melt.
Ezra is mostly a man of his word, so he dislikes it when people fail to keep their promises.
▼ - childhood headcanon
For some reason Ezra doesn’t remember his childhood very well. His parents were far from being wealthy, and they were mostly occupied with how to earn money to pay the debts rather than paying attention to him. He lost them in his teens when they went for another risky job. He used to hang out with some shady guys and even was involved into some stuff. He learnt lots of survival lessons at quite a young age, but he doesn’t complain. In the end it only made him stronger.
∇ - old age/aging headcanon
Oh that’s funny. For some reason I seldom think about my favorite characters getting old. But I think Ezra could be a really funny grandpa. I think he’s got these protective instincts that would make him a good dad, so I think it’s possible for him to have children in the future, and then grandchildren. And I’m pretty sure they would adore listening to the stories about the adventures of his past :)
♒ - cooking/food headcanon
Ezra is absolutely not picky about what he eats. Food is just fuel for him. So, snacks, protein/chocolate bars and so on. If he lived in our realities, he’d be a fast food kind of person for sure. I’m also not sure if there’s coffee in Ezra’s world, but if there was - he’d totally drink a lot of it.
☼ - appearance headcanon
He doesn’t care much about appearance, mostly because he just has no time for it. But if he fell for you and wants to make good impression, he could trim his beard or even shave though :)
Ezra is not sure where he got this blond streak of his hair; he thinks it’s either some kind of a natural mutation, or something happened to him when he was a kid. Anyway, he has it from quite an early age.  
ൠ - random headcanon
When he was young, about 18 years old, Ezra got into jail for some… Not very legal business he was doing with a bunch of “friends”. He was the youngest and the less experienced among them, so they managed to get away with it, and he didn’t. In jail, there was one older man, and Ezra really admired his way of speaking. When some bold dudes tried to bully him, he could say something so fancy in reply sometimes that they just stared at him in confusion, trying to figure out if he offended them or not. Ezra found it hilarious. From this man he learnt that words can also be a weapon or just a really helpful tool to achieve what you want.
This was my headcanon about where Ezra got his unusual manner of speech :)
◉ - Any other question of your choosing
Ezra has a habit to give nickmames to people he hangs out with. He can often call you “sweetheart”, “little bird”, “darlin’” or something like that. He does this somehow so naturally that even if you’re not a fan of pet names it sounds cute. 
***
Thanks for reading! 
I might write one more fic about this character but only after I’m done with 2 Rockwell characters fics I’m currently working on :’)
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yourdeepestfathoms · 5 years ago
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Flavors of Poison (part one)
[Sweet Shop AU]
TW: Alcohol, Pot, Discussion of sexual assault
———————
Cockatrice Kiss
The barn smells of sweet alfalfa and wet hay, a pleasant, earthy aroma to contrast the sugary one of Sweet Thrills. Bessie paws around on the wall before finding the light switch and flips it on, watching the weaving of rainbow fairy lights along the ceiling flicker to life and cast their soft colorful glow across the wooden building.
Even though it’s been two years since the barn was made, she still can’t help but be proud of it when she goes in each time.
It took several paychecks to make the structure, with Aragon paying some of the expenses to cover a few tools or planks of wood Bessie just couldn’t afford. After four months of endless work in the London rain and cold and several WikiHow searches on how to build a stable (with pictures), it was finally finished: the perfect, twenty foot by fifteen foot barn.
When you first enter, you get a view of the wide space behind a short fence and gate: a haven of soft hay that sprinkles the dirt like golden snow. A wide wooden box is situated in the far left corner with two heat lamps sitting atop a grate covering the carved holes in the top. Beside it is the large, oval-shaped watering tin, which contents are murky and need to be cleaned out soon, and the long feed trough, where the remnants of a grainy breakfast remain. A ball sits quietly in the center, waiting to be played with again. Its usual user is dozing in the right corner, but it’s sort of hard to tell if she’s asleep or not because of her long bangs.
“Hyde?” Bessie called softly.
She noticed the creature’s big, fuzzy ears flick upwards and the highland heifer rises to her feet.
Her coat is a beautiful orange-red color, apart from her bangs, which fade to a silver dun shade. The locks are stringy, like ribbons of steel that blanket over her dark eyes. Horns, still not fully grown, curve upwards, menacing despite their short length.
The young heifer, Hyde, bounds up to the gate, lowing loudly, which makes Bessie giggle. She stamps her hooves into the dirt, throwing up dust into the air, watching as Bessie goes to the tack area and gets her feed. She nearly knocks the girl down when she’s walking into the pen.
“Hey!” Bessie yelped when Hyde’s snout pokes into her belly, “I know you’re hungry, just hang on a moment!”
Hyde moos again, lashing her tail as she watches and reluctantly allows Bessie to do her job. Once the oats are poured into the trough, she dives in, munching happily on her dinner.
“Chubby,” Bessie said, poking the heifer’s stomach.
As if she understood (Bessie liked to think she could), Hyde lows in between chews and flicked Bessie with her long, furry tail.
“My apologies, madam!” Bessie giggled, rubbing her hand down Hyde’s spine. “Sorry I’m so late. Will you ever forgive me?”
Hyde made a muffled cow noise and Bessie smiled.
“Sleep well, beautiful. I’ll see you in the morning.”
With that, she gathered her bag, which she had left at the door, and walked out.
The trek to the house wasn’t long- she was soon unlocking the front door and stepping into the warmth of the home.
It was dark, as she expected. It was ten at night, after all, and Cathy had school the next day. Bessie couldn’t help but smile fondly at the memory of the time she and the twelve-year-old stayed up all night building on a Minecraft world together (yeah, it’s a little childish for her to partake in at her age, but she couldn’t say no to Cathy, and a “quick build” quickly turned into a giant kingdom fit for a queen- and a dragon named Hroar.)
Bessie walks past the kitchen, not bothering with dinner despite being hungry. She didn’t want to make too much noise and wake anyone up, so she just made a beeline for her downstairs bedroom-
However, she was stopped by a sharp voice.
“Dinner’s in the fridge.”
Bessie froze, slightly startled. She turned slowly to find Aragon sitting on the couch in the living room, her legs crossed neatly over one another and her hands resting in her lap. Her facial features are calm, smooth, and her eyebrows are raised, but Bessie can’t help but think the woman is annoyed with her.
“Hey, Catalina,” The girl whispered, hunching her shoulders around her neck.
“Hello, Elizabeth.” Aragon replied, “Have you eaten dinner yet?”
“I picked something up,” Bessie lied.
Aragon’s eyebrows arched higher.
“No...” Bessie sighed.
“I’ve told you not to lie to me,” Aragon said. She stands up and walks to the kitchen, and Bessie follows with her head lowered.
“I’m sorry...” Bessie whispered.
Aragon pulls a platter of casserole out of the fridge and put it in the microwave, then turned to Bessie. Her eyes soften when she saw how pitiful the girl looked.
“It’s quite alright, dear,” She said. “I just worry about you. You need to eat.”
“I do!” Bessie said, then quickly lowered her voice. “I’m just- I’m tired.”
“Were you too tired to eat yesterday, too?” Aragon said, then added before Bessie could counter, “And the day before that?”
Bessie shut her mouth and lowered her head, finding the floor much more interesting. She hears a soft clucking sound and her chin is being lifted.
“I’m not doing this to be rude,” Aragon said, “I love you very much, my special girl.”
“I love you, too,” Bessie whispered. Her bottom lip quivers slightly, not because of what was said, but rather because of the amount of love this woman has for her, despite knowing what she has done.
Before either of them can say anything else, a tiny voice sounds from behind them.
“Mama?”
Aragon and Bessie turn around to see Cathy standing by the steps, rubbing her eyes with her fist, which is hooded by her pajama sleeve. Her hair is in complete disarray, making it look like the wild mane of a lion.
“I’m right here, baby,” Aragon walks to her goddaughter. “Are you alright? What’s wrong?”
“I just woke up because I heard voices,” Cathy said, then peeks around Aragon. “Bessie’s home!”
“Hey, Cat,” Bessie waved slightly, allowing a small smile to ghost across her lips.
“You need to get back to bed,” Aragon said, then looked at Bessie. “Elizabeth, please eat, alright?”
“I will.” Bessie assured her. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
“Night, Bessie!”
Once the two of them retreat upstairs, Bessie takes the plate of casserole out of the microwave, takes four bites, then throws the rest away, hiding it beneath other pieces of rubbish.
———
“EEUCK!!” Anne spit loudly, “You smell like a barn!”
Bessie wrinkled her nose in her coworker’s direction, slightly miffed by her dramatic reaction to the scent of cow clinging to her body.
“I didn’t have time to shower after taking care of Hyde because SOMEONE signed me up for the morning shift.” Bessie said, shooting another accusing look at Anne.
“I had already signed up for this shift and I don’t really like any of the other workers, so I didn’t want to work it with someone I couldn’t get along with!” Anne said.
“How selfless of you,” Bessie said dryly. As she’s watering Herman after switching the ‘CLOSED’ sign to ‘OPEN’ she notices Anne perk up, beaming about something.
“What?” Bessie looked at her curiously.
“There’s a party this evening,” Anne explained, “One of the frats at the college is hosting it.”
“Ah.” Bessie nodded, preparing to leave it at that, but Anne goes on.
“We gotta go!”
“No way.” Bessie immediately said.
“Come on, B, you haven’t been to a single party yet. You have to go at least once!” Anne said.
“Anne-”
“Please!” Anne was begging at this point. “Please, B! I won’t leave you alone, I promise! And if it isn’t fun or it things go bad or you get uncomfortable, then we can leave immediately! I swear it!”
Bessie looked at her coworker, who was pleading like a puppy. She’s always had a hard time saying no to people...
She sighed.
“Fine.”
“YES!!” Anne threw her arms up into the air, then hugged Bessie tightly, “Oh, thank you, B! Thank you! You won’t regret this!”
Somehow, Bessie thinks she will.
———
She expected it to play out like the same old story you read about or hear about on TV: Girl with a wild streak and some issues goes to her first legal frat party, gets drunk, and winds up in bed with a guy who ditches her and posts pictures of them doing it on the school's website. Girl is shattered, her reputation ruined and possibly ends up with a baby to sour the deal more.
So, Bessie kept a sharp eye on Anne that night, to protect her from even the slightest chance of that happening. Sure, Anne was much bigger and tougher than her, but the issues could linger and Anne was awfully fascinated by the alcoholic drinks on display.
“Just one wine cooler each, maybe two,” Bessie said, her eyes darting around everywhere. “Don't drink the punch, keep an eye on your food and drink, don't talk to anyone slurring-”
“Honey, you need to loosen up. The old Anne might have gotten herself into some deep crap, but the new Anne will be just fine. Trust me.”
Bessie didn’t know much about “old Anne” and what exactly she had gotten herself into in the past, as the two of them hadn’t known each other in high school (Anne said was living in France, but moved to London for college), but she decided to try to trust her friend.
However, it does not ease her fears.
“But-”
“Don't worry, I'll stick by you the whole night. For your sake, of course.” Anne smiled at Bessie, squeezing her shoulder comfortingly. “Come on!”
Pushing their way through the dancing bodies, Anne and Bessie ventured deeper into the party house. The smell of weed, alcohol, and mixed vapes was overbearing. A girl who was dressed in a lacy, but tight black dress pushed past Bessie, her perfume almost gagging her when she pressed against her on accident. Stepping back, Bessie dodged her friends as they hurried after her, calling out a mixture of profanities as they spilled their drinks. 
“Bessie!” Someone yelled across the party. Bessie whipped around, trying to pick out whoever called her name. Suddenly a sort of-friend from chemistry appeared at her elbow, shoving a drink into her hand. He smiled at her.
“I didn’t think you would come, girl, it’s cool that you did!”
Bessie smiled awkwardly, wiping the sweat gathering on her brow. The house was twice the temperature as outside, the multiple hot bodies dancing around the small building only serving to amplify the humidity that built up. 
“I figured I better come at least once, or else you guys will never forgive me,” Bessie said before cautiously sipping from her glass. The burning of alcohol was unfamiliar. Still, it warmed her chest- she kind of enjoyed the bite. 
“Do you wanna smoke?” Her kinda-friend asked, waggling a joint in front of her eyes.
“No, I’m- I’m okay.” She stammered.
“Come on!”
“No, really, I’m okay.”
Her kinda-friend frowned, taking a drag himself before speaking, “Whatever dude, if you hated pot smokers you should have said.”
Bessie felt guilt build as she opened her mouth to explain, but instead her kinda-friend disappeared into the mass of dancing bodies. The music was turned up, causing the bass to thump loudly in her ears, and she completely missed Anne saying something to her, so the young woman had to shake her elbow to get her attention.
“Do not smoke.” Anne said, as if she were Bessie’s mum. Bessie couldn’t help but smile at her sternness.
“Aye, aye,”
Anne smiled, then immediately whipped around afterwards, tugging excitedly on Bessie’s arm. She points to a table that several people are gathered at.
“Let’s go take shots!”
Bessie allowed Anne to lead her to the table, where the college kids were passing out shots of UV and vodka and tequila. Bessie grabbed one as it was shoved into her hands, her last glass disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. 
Several shots later, Bessie was pleasantly buzzed, leaning towards drunk. Her system wasn’t used to processing alcohol- it made her a lightweight. She laughed at one of the girls as she started to hack at the burn of the alcohol, while Anne bounced at her side, still hanging onto her arm, this time with both hands, as she chortled.
“Bessie?”
Through the music, Bessie heard a familiar, warm voice, and turned around to see none other than Anna.
The young woman was dressed in a red and black flannel and jeans and she was holding a glass of beer. The lights of the house cast a slight glow over her dark skin, neatly combed black hair, and friendly smile.
“Anna!” Bessie lit up. She pats Anne’s hands, causing her coworker to let go, and she hurries over to Anna.
“I didn’t know you went to parties.” Anna said.
“I usually don’t,” Bessie replied, then hiccuped. A blush flames red on her cheeks and she quickly covered her mouth. Above her, Anna laughed.
“I can tell,” She said. “You’re adorable.”
Bessie went to say something else, but just hiccuped again. She clenched her fingers tighter around her jaw, her blush creeping up to her ears and making them as hot as the rest of her body thanks to the heat inside of the house.
“You poor thing,” Anna cooed sympathetically. “First time drinking?”
Bessie nodded, not risking speaking again.
“Ah,” Anna nodded. “That explains it.” She wrapped an arm around Bessie’s shoulders and frowned. “Darling, you’re so hot... How long have you been here? Have you drank water at all?”
Bessie shrugged, then squeaks out through her fingers, “An hour? And...ah...no.”
“Let’s go get you some,” Anna decided.
After Bessie tells Anne where she’s going, she lets Anna lead her to the kitchen, which is surprisingly probably the least crowded room in the whole house, since the drink and snack stands were set up in other areas.
Anna gently presses Bessie into a chair at the dining room table and swaps her glass of tequila for a red plastic cup of water. It soothes her burning throat, washing away the sting of strong alcohol, which she is really starting to feel the effects of.
(Is is called “Fireball” because it makes it feel like a fireball is burning in your stomach?)
Bessie doesn’t register the cool fingers brushing her flushed, clammy cheek for a moment, but she’s leaning into them before she even notices they’re touching her. She pried open her eyelids to see Anna kneeling in front of her, an amused, but concerned look on her face.
“Someone isn’t handling her alcohol too well,” The dark-skinned woman teased lightheartedly.
Bessie replied with a “Mmmm” then a hiccup. Anna laughed.
“Honey, I think you should stick to water for the rest of the night.” Anna said, brushing a sweaty lock of hair out of Bessie’s damp face. “Wanna take your jacket off? You might be a little cooler.”
Bessie nodded and set her cup of water down so she could remove her jacket (with Anna’s help, of course. Her fingers were a little clumsy).
As they did so, a voice piped up.
“Elizabeth Blount?”
Bessie and Anna both look up to see a man with unruly brown hair and shrewd hazel eyes looking at them from the kitchen island. Bessie recognizes him as Thomas Cromwell, a kid who used to go to high school with her. They didn’t end up going to the same college, so he must have been invited or the party was open to students from other campuses, too.
“Well, I’ll be damned! Elizabeth Blount!” Thomas laughed, “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again. Especially with all your clothes on!”
Bessie’s blood runs cold. At her side, Anna’s brows knit together in concern. The older woman stands up protectively.
“Who are you?” She demands.
“Thomas Cromwell,” Thomas answers openly, “Who are you? Someone new Elizabeth has tied to her bed?”
Rage flashes in Anna’s eyes.
“Don’t you fucking talk about her like that.” She seethed.
Thomas is unfazed by her anger.
“You don’t know, do you?” He tilted his head, “Elizabeth hasn’t told you? Better yet: You didn’t hear? You must not be around here. The Whore of London was big talk for everyone when we were in high school.” He leaned in, not one bit wry of Anna’s clenched, readied fists. “Just a fair warning: Don’t go to the bathroom. She’ll try to molest you.”
Bessie leapt up and raced through the crowd of people. She heard yelling behind her- she thinks it’s Anne because Anna had to be preoccupied with Thomas to go after her.
But why would she? Anna must think she’s disgusting now.
That revelation brings tears to Bessie’s eyes. She was going to lose Anna- she didn’t want to lose Anna. She liked Anna a lot. She made her smile and laugh and made the world feel good again.
She needed Anna.
But Anna doesn’t need her. Not anymore. She’s not going to visit her ever again.
Tears flow fast from Bessie’s eyes as she shoves through all the people. Some stare at her in annoyance for being pushed, others are curious as to why she’s crying, and a handful are genuinely concerned. Right as she gets to the door, a cup is thrust into her hands and she just takes it.
Cool night air stings against her burning skin, like dry ice on bare flesh.
Bessie ran away from the frat house until her legs screamed in pain and she finally had to slow down. She took a few deep breaths and sipped from the cup she was holding. Whatever its contents were burned her mouth intensely, searing down her throat as if she was swallowing molten lava, and she nearly spit it back up. However, she forced herself to choke it down and drink it all.
She’s left sputtering and frothing liquor at the lips, but she desperately needed the relief it’ll cause. Alcohol was a depressant, after all. Bessie didn’t think it was possible for her to get even more depressed, but here she was.
It was going to be a long walk home.
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paulieshore · 5 years ago
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The Dynamic Duo
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Characters: MC, Gavin, Minor, Victor (Mentions: Anna and Willow)
Words: 1903
Warnings: Minor threats
 Part Three: Respect
Parting from the boys just moments ago, you didn’t know what to expect … Being honest to yourself you knew you had to get it over with. Gavin and Minor gave you a pep talk before entering the building, telling you to keep your cool and call them later. Grateful was the very least you felt for those two guys, especially Minor lately. He was really stepping up in and around the company. 
You entered the elevator of LFG, every time you’ve ever been in here seemed like a life time to get to where you needed, tonight though felt the fastest its ever gone. All but dragging your feet towards Victors office, scarcely anyone was left in the enterprise... Checking your watch, nearly 9pm. Gosh, usually you were home in your pyjamas by now, instead you’re standing infront of Victors door. Holding your breath, you knock...
tap - tap - tap
“Come in”
Pressing down the handle you enter slowly, Victor still staring at the file in hand waves you forward. You approach cautiously, considering how things were earlier you decided to wait until he spoke to you.
Just standing there… 
Minutes went by before Victor set down his file, looking to you, “Well, I suppose if you’re not going to talk then ill start. Today’s events were chaotic, unacceptable, and unprofessional. For that, I’m Sorry.”
It hadn’t quite registered with you yet, blankly staring at Victor.
He raises his brow, “It seems perhaps an apology isn’t enough to excuse myself for earlier, I’ll buy dinner. Have you eaten? Right before i forget, your subordinate, what’s his name? The one who clearly doesn’t care if he still has a job tomorrow?” Victor asks nonchalantly.
Speechless, you just sort of shook your head at him. You envisioned this conversation to go quite the opposite direction, this moment of reprieve swelled up something from deep within.
“You’re angry with me, right? I jumped to conclusions and…”
“Stop.” Finally speaking… “I don’t want your apology.”
Victor’s eyes widened.
“You ridiculed me in-front of my staff and guests, you didn’t even try to understand the situation I was in. I came here terrified of what was going to unfold but none the less ready for it… And y-you act as if nothing has happened? I don’t want dinner with you, what I want is ……. I want respect.” The tears that threatened you today were back again, this time falling down your face.
It was obvious seeing you cry unsettled Victor; he rose from his chair and in the very same moment you took a step back. Silence engulfed his office, all of today's emotions began exploding inside of you. You choked back desperately not to sob in-front of your boss, bringing your head down, you turned and started to leave.
“Mc...” The moment Victor opened his mouth, your feet took off on their own accord. 
You managed to get inside the elevator moments before he did, doors closing on the sight of him reaching out to you. “Wait!?”
.
After the doors shut, you immediately pull out your phone and sent a text to Victor - Please excuse me, I’m exhausted, lets reschedule - *Thinking, I was just demanding respect then ran away like a child. *
Stopping the elevator couple floors from the lobby, taking the stairs the rest of the way down, the objective was to avoid Victor. You were NOT ready for this, you felt compromised with emotions. Peaking around the corner, it seemed safe and you made quick steps to the exit. 
.
.
Meanwhile, Victor just stared at the text he received. Sitting on the floor of the second elevator, seeing you cry was like a blow to his heart. Once today you teared up in front of him, he took it too far then before your employee stepped in …
Perhaps that’s why…
It was rare for Victor to feel remorseful.
.
.
Gavin was just picking up take out when he got the call from you. Instantly taking to air when he heard your shaky voice, when he landed again it was only couple yards from where you stood. He could see that you were crying, “Didn’t go so well did it?” Wiping the remanent of what tears that still stained your cheeks.
“I didn’t stay calm Gavin, maybe I am not cut out to do this.” Avoiding eye contact, you stared at your feet. You called him to talk, not expecting him minutes later to be right there. Typical Gavin you thought, smiling inwards at the thought.
In that moment you were embraced into warm arms and a solid chest, “I don’t know a thing about producing but your amazing Mc, truly. You’ve never been a quitter, so don’t give up now.” His voice was soft like faux fur.
Your senses were heightened, you felt extremely warm, and smelled - noodles?? This caused your stomach to growl loudly. Staring doe eyed at Gavin when he released you.
Laughing, “Hungry huh? Good thing I always pick up food for two then.” Showing you the take out bag.
.
.
Next day, you woke up and started getting ready. This afternoon you had a meeting scheduled with Barner Wors heads, trying to figure out compensation for both sides during this halt. Gavin was going to continue his investigation with Minor, today Minor was off. You asked Minor last night to assist him, which he was more then thrilled to help ‘his boy’ on his day off.
.
.
When Gavin awoke from his little cat nap (sleep was something he barely got these days) he was receiving a call from the department. The call was brief, files were being emailed to him whilst he took the call, turns out his intuition was paying off. Just as he was reading through Nicole Kissman’s file, his phone began to ring again - Minor. He wanted to decline the call but considering that you seemed at peace with Minor helping him, he notioned; keeping Minor close may help in some way.
“Hey”
“GAVVVVVVVV- BRO, Chris – The lead for the show is in hospital! I just got a text from my friend, whose cousin texted her, whose roommate called him, that apparently spotted Mr. Heartthrob being taken in by ambulance!” Minor screaming into Gavin’s ear.
“And??”
“AND!! I decided to come to the hospital to check myself, AND INDEED HE’S HERE! Now I came incognito and decided to snoop around, there saying food poisoning. Now I’m no expert but! I did some digging on Chris; he’s a vegan, man don’t eat no meat, however! I was able to get hold of his papers by the desk and get this, his co star the one and only Madam Kissman stated after eating a hamburger he just got sick. Now correct me if I’m wrong but, he’s a vegan and food poisoning doesn’t take affect that quickly!” Minor was practically gasping for air after that explanation.
Silence followed, the only thing heard was Minor dying on one end and Gavin letting out a slight hmmm on the other.
“Nice one Minor, get out of there and meet me out front.” Gavin hung up the phone, the plot was thickening. If his police training and investigation films taught him anything, it was actors will sometimes do whatever it takes to shine.
.
.
You were just entering your company doors when Anna frantically came running to you with news, about the actor Chris.
 Food poisoning, oh dear… 
This joint production really was becoming a series of unfortunate events, you thought. Then Anna handed you a letter, normally you had a team that look after this sort of stuff. After examining the front of the envelop you knew why. In big black bold letters ‘TO BE HANDLED BY MC’, okay? You made your way to your office quickly running Anna up to speed of everything and having her make notes for preparations of this afternoons meeting. Sitting in your desk mid-sentence; you froze, you had opened the envelope and glanced at the contents inside…
Images of your outside apartment caught you off guard. Anna noticed something the matter so she peaks over and was too shocked by the findings. Your hands began to shake as you flipped through the photos, one photo in particular had writing on the back of it.
It read….
We know where you live. If you love your job, and do not want more ‘unfortunate’ things to happen and ruin your ‘reputation’ - drop the case.
Or else.
The picture after the note was an image of your company, completely scribbled out. So much that the pen used left deep in-grooves and in some areas punctured right through. A shiver went straight up your spine, Anna spoke up, “this isn’t just a coincidence anymore. Someone is playing seriously dirty...”
All you could do is nod your head…
What do you do?
You stared at Anna, neither of you spoke, till Willow burst through the doors.
“Victor is downstairs!!!”
The day was just beginning and already you wanted to go home. You sent Gavin a quick text ‘SOS office ASAP’ and stood up. Fixing your skirt, you took a deep breath; tucking the photos away in your top drawer.  You raised your chin up, and made your way to meet Victor. Considering your demand for respect yesterday, you had to be respectful.
You had a lot of crap on your plate, and Victor was one of them.
.
.
Gavin arrived at the hospital and seen Minor, oh dear god is that what he meant by ‘incognito’ he wondered.
Minor stood at the bottom of the entrance stairs leaning against the rail. He was wearing a backwards pink hat and dark sunglasses. If that wasn’t enough, he had on the biggest yellow sweater I swear he could find; that read ‘Bronies’ on the front of it. The tightest white jeans known to man, and a tooth pick sticking out of his mouth. Gavin was stunned stupid; Minor was one to easily annoy him back in school, and even now he still had that gift.
“Minor…. You have about three seconds to sort yourself out, before I knock you out!”
Minor didn’t notice when Gavin appeared, nearly falling over at his aggressive demeaner. “Bro, respect! It’s my disguise yo, can’t have people snitchin’ who I am. Don’t need boss stressin’ even more if my covers blown yo!”
Gavin rubbed his temples, reminding himself, ‘don’t hit him, don’t hit him’ before speaking. “First off, I’m not your ‘bro’. Secondly, stop talking like that. Third, you look like a walking highlighter. You’re not blending in; you stick out like a sore thumb. If I didn’t know you, and I saw someone dressed like you; snooping round my hospital.. Attention is exactly what you’re going to get and not in the good way!”
“Alright, alright, alright…. Man can’t a bro catch a break, I’m trying here!” Minor takes off the sunglasses and fixes the hat.
“Minor, the more you try the worse you get. Just relax, or it’ll be you next; checking in.” Gavin signals Minor to walk with him as he enters the hospital doors. Before pointing out, “and for the record, stealing other people’s information in the hospital is invasion of privacy. That’s breaking the law, you could be done for that.”
Minor grins at Gavin, “Yea but, I was incognito. No one knows it was me!”
It took everything in Gavin not to knock him out at this point, they’re both trying to help MC he repeated again and again...
To Be Continued 
Master-list for Parts
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askovertherainbowblog · 6 years ago
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Hi munchkins, winged monkeys, et. al! Welcome to the madness; intro below.
Accepting your identity typically happens in stages. I speedran them all, sort of accidentally, almost a decade ago. I was introduced to a slammin’ redhead at a bar through a mutual friend, and thought to myself, “Oh… I like women too.” It was a few months before I remembered to mention it to anyone. There wasn’t much of a reaction.
How did I achieve this Nirvana of placid social comfort? I want to say it was because the burgeoning information age paved the way for a new era of progress and acceptance. And it did! I’m definitely happy not to live in fear of being burned at the stake for witchcraft if I’m caught kissing a woman (that does sound kinky, though). But almost every other queer person I’ve ever met (We Are Legion) has had a harder go of it than me. My situation is a bit of an exception.
I binged the queer literature early on. I got the “Haranguing strangers on the bus to acknowledge the toxic heteropatriarchy” stage out of my system. But I never went to queer communities in search of kinship, because I never felt that I lacked it to begin with. So I never realized how divisive identity politics could be even within marginalized groups.
Are you “colonizing queer spaces” if you’re a “straight-passing” bisexual woman in a relationship with a cisgender man? Or is that bisexual erasure?
Are you performing “white feminism” if you foreground trivial issues like “manspreading” in your activism? Or is it appropriation to speak on intersectional discrimination faced by women of color?
Is proudly labeling your sexuality a key part of achieving a sense of belonging and identity that no one should be denied? Or is it contributing to discrimination by propagating the idea that queer youth should be “othered” by default through their coming-out?
Fuck me.
The straight men who heard of “a blog run by two bi chicks” and expected totally different content have already stopped reading, so I’ll admit something: I find these topics annoying and a huge turnoff and I generally avoid them. That, among many other things, is a sign of how fortunate I’ve been in life (I’m trying to avoid typing the word “privilege,” but there it is). Not everyone gets to just opt out of debates on identity, because their identities are politicized against their will.
It wasn’t until recently, when I started talking to a few friends about sexual identity more in depth, that I realized how easy I’ve had it. I slowly stopped muting online threads about identity politics, like a groundhog peeking its head above the surface the see what’s been going on. What I saw was a discourse whose landscape has become so fraught (or maybe it’s always been that way) that it’s almost impossible to enter the conversation without stepping on a landmine. Someone is bound to call you out for something, no matter how good your intentions.
Upon some reflection, my goal here is mainly to inject a bit of levity into the conversation. I believe there is no greater catharsis than humor. To that end, let me start off with total transparency, by enumerating the myriad ways I’ve “failed” as a bisexual advocate:
I love threesomes. Boy, do I love them. If we get along and you ask me to have a threesome with you, I’ll probably already be going down on your girlfriend… Men: DO NOT assume a woman wants a threesome if she tells you she’s bisexual. This is generally understood to be annoying, entitled, and so tacky. I should probably address that disclaimer to all humans, but everyone will know its intended audience is male anyway.
I’m in an open relationship, because I’d be too sad if I had to give up sexual freedom and restrict myself to one gender… But hey, listen. Bisexual people aren’t more likely to cheat, stray, leave you for the opposite gender, or any of that trite crap. You know who’s likely to cheat and/or break up, according to all statistics ever? Everybody. Talk to your partner and find out what they want instead of assuming you can’t be enough for them because they’re bi. Be enough for yourself.
I’m a cisgender woman in a long term, committed relationship with a cis man. I’m told bisexual women are more likely to settle into this dynamic because of the social advantages it affords, but last night I paid for dinner, so what do the haters know anyway? Seriously though, don’t assume a bisexual person has gotten over their experimental phase and moved on to a “straight lifestyle” because they’re with an opposite gender partner. Are straight people asexual while they’re single? No (at least I don’t think so).
I call myself “gay” all the time. Usually when I’m feeling particularly gay. Is this offensive to lesbians? I don’t get invited to the weekly lesbian board meeting, so I have no idea; they don’t even cc me on the emails. I’d like to think not, because the intent is clearly lighthearted. But I may look back in five years and realize what an insensitive monster I’ve been.
I don’t go to Pride… I get crap for this all the time. Why wouldn’t I want to celebrate love and acceptance? We’ve all got to do our part! It’s fun and there’s so much glitter! Usually, I don’t go because I have to work. I like paying my rent on time. But I also think there are more effective ways to commemorate Marsha P. Johnson than marching through rural Canada, wearing a feather boa, to the sound of polite cheers. More on that later.
I’ll probably commit more cardinal sins over the course of this blog’s history, wherever it may lead us. Experience is the best teacher. I hope to hear from as many people who think differently than I do as possible. I also hope to hear from Kristen Stewart, who can DM me any time of day or night. Please.
xoxo Toto
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youngjusticeslut · 6 years ago
Text
And They Were Roommates (Chapter 7)
Fandom: Young Justice Links: FF.net // AO3 Characters:  Artemis Crock, Dick Grayson, Lian Harper, Roy Will Harper, Jade Nguyen Ships: RedCat Summary: Artemis’ recovery is still slow going. Rating: T Word Count: 3,187 Disclaimer: I don’t own any of these characters.
Before Artemis had realized, she’d been living with Jade and Roy for two weeks.
It was odd, how quickly time passed when she had a schedule to keep her occupied. Her days started before the sun was up, woken by Lian’s cries. She’d lie in bed and listen to Jade and Roy attempt to get Lian back to sleep. Some nights, Roy would sing. Others, Jade would tell a story. Not that her sister knew any stories; usually it was a less-violent recount of a Cheshire outing that Roy tiredly attempted to sanitize. Usually, these attempts worked. On the days that it didn’t, Roy would take Lian out for a walk on the beach, and Jade would do her exercises in the living room. Afternoons were spent on the beach or running errands, avoiding any of her own responsibilities and instead helping Roy and Jade with theirs. Evenings were abnormally domestic, dinner and watching Lian play while a movie played in the background; at some point, Artemis would turn her back and the married couple would be gone, leaving her to babysit.
There was a part of her that wished her sister and Roy never rekindled their relationship. The selfish, very tired part who was sick of being locked out of the apartment at odd hours of the day. Some days, the two of them were like animals in heat; one glance was all it would take.
Still, Artemis couldn’t deny that it was nice to see them happy. Their own version of happy, anyway.
The awkward silences at mealtimes had all but disappeared. Instead, there were forced conversations, made all the more uncomfortable by Jade’s lack of regard for anyone’s emotions but her own. A couple of times now, Artemis had seen Roy smile, which was unsettling, to say the least. On three different occasions, Jade attempted to cook. Each attempt was worse than the last; Even Lian wouldn’t stomach whatever concoctions her mother had managed to produce, and she ate almost everything.
For the most part, though, living with her sister wasn’t the worst thing in the world. It definitely beat living on her own, spending her days on the couch with nobody but Brucely to keep her company. Or living with her ever-hovering mother, who would pity her and make her tea. No, there was definitely no pity at the Nguyen-Harper household. Artemis was held to the same standard as any other member, and for that, she was almost grateful.
It was easy to ignore most of her own problems; especially when she turned her phone off and hid it under her pillow. Her lunch date with Dick was easily avoided, blown off with a text saying she couldn’t make it. When she’d made the plans with him, she couldn’t imagine anything better than catching up over pizza. But as it grew closer, and closer, her mind wandered. Her stomach clenched in an awful nausea that prevented her from thinking of anything other than Wally. After a night of tossing and turning, she called it off.
The more time she spent with her sister’s family, the less she spent with her’s. Calls from M’gann were left unanswered, Zatanna’s texts ignored. Kaldur had written her fifteen emails, and she left them all unread. Artemis wasn’t dumb, of course; she knew that sooner or later they were bound to catch up with her. But for the meantime, she was more than content to watch toddler shows with Lian and live off a diet of goldfish and organic apple juice.
“You know the whole organic thing is a myth,” Artemis pointed out, waving a carrot stick in Roy’s direction. The redhead pretended he didn’t hear her, instead screwing the cap of Lian’s sippy cup back on. “Regular apple juice is perfectly fine for a toddler.”
“I keep telling him that. We survived on the crap from the dollar store, and look how attractive we turned out,” Jade said, leaning against the fridge and blocking her husband from putting the juice back. He raised a brow, waiting for her to move away. Artemis could see the gears working in both their heads, so she stepped between them, shoving her sister out of the way to return it.
“Idiots,” she muttered.
Roy blushed, his neck burning as he handed the sippy cup to his daughter. “Here you go,” he said softly before looking at Artemis. “We didn’t do anything. You’re jumping to conclusions,” he tried to defend, resting a hand on his daughter’s hair.
Lian nodded, grabbing her sippy cup with two pudgy hands. “Sex.”
As guilty as Artemis was that her niece had learned that from her, the flush of embarrassment and shame on Roy’s face made it all worth it. Jade snickered, sauntering over and trailing her fingernail across his shoulders. “It’s genetics,” she purred.
“You have got to stop saying that.” Roy ducked away from her, starting to clean up the juice he’d spilled on the counter. “And for the record, organic is not a myth.”
Artemis rolled her eyes. “Have to side with Jade here. Dollar store apple juice is just as satisfactory.”
“I can’t believe you’re saying I should buy Lian juice from the dollar store.”
“I’m not saying you should, I’m saying that it’s ridiculous that you spend six dollars on that organic shit when it’s a hoax,” she explained, picking up an apple from the bag on top of the fridge. “You’re too uptight.”
“She’s already at risk with my clone genetics, I’m not taking any more chances.” Jade and Artemis both turned to look at him after he spoke. The room fell quiet, and the sisters exchanged a glance.
“Red,” Jade said, her voice soft. When he didn’t respond, she stood and rested a hand on his shoulder, lifting a finger to his chin and tilting upwards. Artemis lowered her eyes, growing uncomfortable at the intimacy of the simple gesture. She couldn’t shake the feeling that this was something she wasn’t meant to see. Instead, she took Lian’s hand, shaking it so the baby smiled.
“We gotta get you some real sugar, Babe. No more pretend shit,” she teased under her breath, low enough so only Lian would hear. In return, Lian grabbed a fistful of her hair, tugging hard. Artemis grimaced, trying and failing to get her to let go.
After a few, tense minutes, Roy came over and picked Lian up. “We’re going to go on a walk,” he said, voice even as if nothing had happened. “Maybe build a sandcastle.”
“Sounds fun,” Artemis said, glancing at her sister. “You going with?”
“Pass. I hate sand.” Jade watched her husband leave with their daughter, waiting until they were out of earshot before resting her hands on her hips. “You’ve been awfully housebound as of late.”
“We live in an apartment.”
Jade smirked. “The college girl still has her wits about her. Dad would be so proud.”
“Fuck off, Jade. What do you want?”
The older girl tucked some of her hair behind her ear before stretching her arms behind her back. “Nothing, really. Just wondering where all those annoying little friends of yours are. Not one of them has been by to pay you a visit. I’m hurt,” she said with a pout. “I baked brownies and everything.”
This was the side of her sister that always set Artemis on edge. The very essence of Jade, forever taunting and toying around, just like a cat. It was unnerving how quickly she could shift between her personas. “Tales of your cooking have spread. They’d rather leave me hanging than risk trying anything you made.”
“Fair enough. We’ll both leave the cooking to Roy then,” she countered. “Then why don’t you go see them?”
“Getting tired of me already? Wasn’t aware I was that bad of a roommate.”
Jade leaned closer, raising a brow. “You’re ignoring messages, shutting your phone off… I wasn’t going to say anything until you blew off the little birdie,” she continued. “Surely you have better things to do than watch baby cartoons all day.”
Artemis shouldn’t have been surprised that Jade knew the goings-on of her life. If anything, she was mildly annoyed. “Shouldn’t you be happy? I’m a free babysitter for your niece.”
“She doesn’t need a babysitter every day. You need a life, Sis. Stop running errands with my husband and go play with that little team of yours.”
“Wow, what a pep talk. Now who’s making Dad proud?”
Jade narrowed her eyes, pushing herself off the table and picking up Lian’s discarded sippy cup. “Fat chance. I’m nothing like that bastard.”
“Hey.” Artemis tossed the untouched apple in her sister’s direction. Jade caught it without breaking a sweat, looking almost amused at the simplicity of the task. “You don’t have to worry about me.”
“Who said I was worried? I’m just tired of seeing your moping around the place.”
Artemis made a noise through her teeth, but she knew this was probably the best she was going to get from her sister. For now, it was good enough.  
--
If Artemis were a decent person, she would have followed her sister’s lead and started contacting her friends again. She would have replied to every message, apologized, and set up appointments to see all of them.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t exactly a decent person.
Instead of doing that, she took Brucely for a run. Artemis had never been fond of running; it brought back memories of endless drills, sprinting for all she was worth in an effort to please her father. Once in a while though, she liked the feeling of being breathless. It grounded her, reminded her that she was here, that she was still alive.
When Jade left the house, she slid into athletic shorts, laced up her sneakers and went running along the beach. Brucely, the lazy fatass that he was, wasn’t very happy with her, but he chugged along, shooting her a look every so often in begging her to stop. After an hour, she took pity on him and finally collapsed against the sand, breathing hard. Adrenaline pulsed through her system, and her heart pounded loudly against her chest, making her giddy. At least she hadn’t gone completely out of shape.
Brucely padded up against her, his tongue lolling about pathetically. Artemis stroked his head, trying not to laugh. “You never did like running, did you?” she teased, earning a ‘hmph’ in return. She knew he wasn’t very happy with her right now. No matter how hard her or Wally had tried in keeping him active, he didn’t like anything more than his regular walks.
Her heart ached when she conjured the memory. If she thought hard enough, Artemis could hear his voice, the way he cooed and coddled their dog. Brucely had been her Christmas gift, a third member of their little family. Wally had adored Brucely, always spoiling him far more than he had to. The dog never forgot, either. When she still lived in the duplex, he would wait by the door for his other owner. Sometimes, Artemis would wait with him.
Ultimately, they were both left disappointed.
“What do you think of pizza for dinner?” Artemis asked, ruffling Brucely’s head. “I don’t think I can even look at another one of Jade’s attempts.” The dog didn’t respond, which was expected, but she laughed anyway. “Yeah, let’s do pizza. Lian will love it,” she said, standing up again. Roy would appreciate not having to cook.
On the way back to the apartment, she pulled out her phone, turning it on and idly scrolling through the messages. Three from today, which was two less than the previous day. If she didn’t answer, at some point somebody would show up on Jade’s doorstep. The problem was, she wouldn’t even know where to start. Kaldur was her default, but he was going through his own struggles as it was. M’gann had Conner, and Dick had tons of family to fall back on. Surely they’d be fine for a few more weeks, just enough for her to keep laying low and work on her own sanity.
When she stepped through the front door of the apartment, giant box of pizza in her hands, Brucely tugged forward and made her drop the leash. In an instant, he headed for Lian, who was playing on the floor of the living room. The girl squealed, throwing her arms up in the air and toppling over when the dog attacked her. Roy picked her up, shooting a look to Artemis. She shrugged in apology, setting the pizza down on the table.
“I’d appreciate it if you kept a better handle on your dog,” he grumbled, waiting for him to calm down before setting Lian down again.
Artemis tugged her jacket off and tossed it to the side. “I’ll forward your feedback to my supervisor. Hungry?”
“I could eat.”
“I brought pizza.”
Roy settled back on the floor, turning his gaze to Lian. “Jade’s not home. So don’t worry about waiting for her.”
“I never worry about Jade. How were the sandcastles?” she asked, opening the pizza box and taking a slice.
“Sandy.” Roy held Lian’s hands as the baby bounced on unsteady feet. “But Lian liked it, so I guess that’s what counts. Bring me a slice?”
“You got it.” She took another slice out and handed it over before sitting on the floor with him. “Hey Li. You having fun there?” she asked, grinning when her niece babbled something at her.
Roy took a bite out of his pizza, making a face at Lian. “She’s always having fun. It’s… incredible how happy she is. Considering her genetics.”
“Ever heard of nature versus nurture? She’s happy because you guys are happy. In your own weird, uncomfortable way.” He grunted, mulling it over before tearing off a piece of his pizza for Lian. Artemis watched her niece gobble it up, unable to help but smile. “You are happy… aren’t you?”
“I’m getting there.” Roy smiled to himself, supporting Lian as she bounced a bit harder. “She makes me happy. And Jade, too.”
Artemis smirked. “I’m sure. All the sex must be helping.”
“Sex!” Lian exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.
Roy groaned, setting Lian down on her bottom before running a hand down his face. “Maybe Jade’s right about the genetics. We’re all so fucked,” he said warily, pushing himself to his feet.
Lian watched him go until Artemis took his place, holding her hands so she could stand again. To her surprise, her niece didn’t grip on as tightly as she usually did, instead holding herself on her own two feet. “We were fucked either way. At least this way we’ll get a laugh out of it.”
“I’m glad you find my daughter so amusing,” he called from the kitchen. “By the way, you’re in trouble.”
“For what?”
He returned to the living room, bringing some napkins and a bottle of water with him. “Kaldur called me.”
Artemis sighed, letting go of Lian’s hands once she was sure she could hold herself up. “Of course he did.”
“Why aren’t you returning his emails?” he asked, lowering the volume on the television. Artemis recognized the cartoon. Kim Possible, or something. She remembered watching it with Jade when they were just kids. Must be a retro rerun, or something.
“I don’t want to talk to anyone. Not yet, anyway.”
“You can’t sulk here forever,” Roy said gently. “I would know.” This earned him a smile, and a playful nudge.
“I’m not… sulking,” she sighed, picking up one of Lian’s toys and turning it around in her hands. “I just don’t really want to talk to anyone yet. Being here is nice, you know? You guys don’t treat me as the girl who just lost her boyfriend.”
“And they will? You’re not giving them enough credit.”
“Maybe I’m not.”
“Just talk to them, Artemis. I’m the first person to admit that it’s easier to push everyone away. But I… we need people,” he said, looking at his daughter and giving her a smile. “It’s never going to get better if we keep everyone at arm's length.”
As much as she hated to admit it, Roy was right. Her phone was burning a hole in her shorts, even now. Artemis smiled, looking at Lian who was standing pretty confidently on her own two feet. “Never thought I’d ever be getting advice from you.”
“Well, first time for everything,” Roy said, almost chuckling. “I’m not saying you need to reply to every message, but… just let them know you’re okay. Maybe schedule a meeting, or go to the Watchtower. Baby steps.”
“Baby steps, huh?” she asked, tossing him Lian’s toy. Roy scoffed, tossing it back at her. This went on for a while until Lian squealed angrily. Roy smiled apologetically, holding out the toy for her to take. Only, instead of taking it, Lian grunted and hesitantly took a step forward.
Artemis and Roy immediately exchanged a look, wondering if they’d both really just witnessed Lian taking her first steps. Roy pulled the toy backwards, and Lian took another wobbly step, looking at her dad for reassurance.
“Oh my god, she’s walking. Shit, she’s walking,” Roy stammered out, a smile lighting up his face. “Lian, you’re walking!” he exclaimed. Artemis couldn’t believe what she was seeing and immediately pulled  out her phone to record, the two of them cheering Lian at the top of her lungs.
Lian finally made her way over to her dad, collapsing into his waiting arms. Roy held her tight, kissing her head before lifting her up in the air. “You did it, baby girl! You took your first steps. Holy shit…” he said, his face falling after. “Jade missed it.”
Artemis held up her phone. “Got it on film. Can’t wait to show everyone how much of a sap you really are,” she taunted.  
Roy rolled his eyes, kissing Lian’s head again. “Whatever. Even you can’t sour this for me. She’s finally walking.”
“You know what that means, don’t you?” Artemis asked with a knowing smirk. Roy raised a brow, urging her to continue as Lian babbled and tugged at his hair. “Hope you and Jade hid your weapons well. Now she can walk right to them.”
He grimaced, realizing just how much work he had left to do. “Right. Baby steps.”
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amethyst-noir · 6 years ago
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Prompt(maybe?): Tony putting in a butterfly garden for Stephen since they follow him so much and was worrying about them.
I love it,it’s so cute and tender. It’s also my apology for the one before. No fear, nopain, no broken hearts. Pure happy fluffy fluff without a hint of pain andmisery. We all deserve it. Enjoy! 🤗 (Theremight be a sequel since I’ve still got one of the fluffy prompts left and it’skind of the perfect continuation. But, you know, fickle as the moon, bla bla. Somethingelse has my attention now but I will come back to it.)
AnInvite to Eternity
“Welcome back. It’s okay, it’s darkoutside.”
Stephen smiled even before he opened hiseyes and saw Tony sitting before him, watching him patiently. The lights weredown to almost nothing so that most of the illumination came from the fewcandles scattered around the room. As usual he’d lost all sense of time whilemeditating. He hadn’t even noticed Tony’s arrival, whenever it had been.
A tiny blue butterfly found its way intoexistence and fluttered from Stephen to Tony who held out his hand to let itland. Tony smiled at the little thing and let it crawl all over his arm.
It was a charming picture and it helped toground him in reality. “How long?” he tried to ask but his voicefailed him and a hoarse cough was all that came out of his mouth. Tonyunderstood anyway and, even better, held out a bottle of water. He didn’t lookat Stephen as he tried to drink - too long in the same position, without foodor water, made the shaking in his hands worse than usual - and Tony knew thathe didn’t want to be watched during this period of weakness.
“A long time. I hope you’re hungrybecause Wong has been waiting for you to wake up and let me tell you - the guyis seriously scary when he’s not fed on time.”
Stephen laughed. “You’ve spoilt himand now you have to live with the consequences. Serves you right.” He heldout both hands. “Help me up.”
“Sir is getting old if he can’t standup on his own.” But Tony got up and grabbed his wrists carefully to pullhim up. He didn’t let Stephen out of his hold even when they were bothstanding. “Do you have time tomorrow?”
“I should have. For what?”Stephen’s thoughts were occupied with the necessities - he was hungry, yes, butfirst he needed the bathroom, immediately. And he wanted a shower. Tony’scompany during that would be appreciated but not essential.
“It’s a surprise. Just come over tothe beach house before it gets dark outside. Lunch date?” By now thebutterfly had reached Tony’s shoulder and Stephen’s attention was on it so ittook him a moment to react.
“That sounds lovely.”
“Great, it’s a date.” Tonygrinned at his own words and Stephen just smiled. “I’ve got to go now butI’ll call you later, okay?”
“So you just came here to deliverfood to Wong and give me a bottle of water?” Stephen had expectedsomething more. At least a shared meal, if not a shared night.
Tony’s good mood darkened considerably.“Basically, yes. There’s something I have to do but I just wanted to seeyou for a moment.” He finally let go of Stephen’s hands, but only to touchhis face instead. “Sorry. Gotta go.” He kissed Stephen gently on thelips and caressed his cheek for a moment. “Love you. See you tomorrow.Bye!”
He was already gone by the time Stephenhad fully understood the words, long before he had a chance to kiss Tony back.“Bye,” he whispered in the direction of the door Tony and thebutterfly had vanished through. “Love you, too.” He touched his lipsand smiled. Life with Tony Stark as his partner was many things but neverboring.
*
Curiosity was one of his character flawsand right now it made him impatient and bitchy with himself, since there wereno other people around he could annoy. When he caught himself looking at the watchyet again while touring the Sanctum he decided that enough was enough. He hadbarely begun to conjure a portal to Tony’s house in Malibu when the Cloak camearound the corner, just as eager to leave as its master.
Stephen made sure that it and the rest ofhis robes were impeccable before leaving. No matter in which state Tony hadseen him so far, he wanted to look as good as possible for his surprise. Heliked nice things, another character flaw he hadn’t been able to leave behind,and Tony indulged him as far as Stephen let him. Given the chance Tony wouldgive him everything the world had to offer and Stephen would give Tony anythingfrom anywhere else if permitted. It was hard for both of them to reign in theirtendencies to show their affection through material things but they tried. Tonyhad money and Stephen had magic to conjure the craziest things. It was aconstant battle against themselves.
Which meant that whenever one giftedsomething to the other it was thought out and really important. Stephen wasalmost vibrating with anticipation.
Today there was no trace of yesterday’stension. Instead Tony greeted him with a happy smile and a long, drawn-outkiss. “I’ve missed you,” Tony finally said, his arms around Stephenand his head on Stephen’s shoulder. Tony’s love for just holding on and beingheld in return had been a surprise when they’d gotten together and had beenunfamiliar at first but in time Stephen had learned to love it.
He had no idea what happened but he sensedthat Tony didn’t want to talk about it. Resisting the temptation to ask himanyway he just tightened his hold and tried to communicate his willingness tolisten through touch alone.
Tony seemed to read his thoughts.“It’s nothing.” He finally let go of Stephen. “Just politicalcrap that doesn’t concern you and after yesterday I’ve washed my hands off it,too.” He appeared to be exhausted but not depressed so Stephen decided tolet it go. Another thing he’d learned the hard way. Tony squeezed him for amoment in a silent thank you before he moved away. “I’ve gotsomething for you.” Tony looked at the new butterfly that had appearedwhile they’d been hugging. This time it was yellow and a bright spark onStephen’s dark clothes. “And for you, too,” he said to the butterfly.“Come here.” It took the invitation and moved to the palm of Tony’s hand.
And just like that Stephen’s anticipationwas back. He’d tried to guess what it might be, of course, but even afterwracking his brain for half the night he didn’t have a clue. But now… somethingwith butterflies? No, still no idea.
Tony took his hand and led him out to thespacious garden behind the house. The last time Stephen had been here therehadn’t been a garden, just a big stretch of land until the ocean started. Nowit was filled with flowers, bushes and trees. The smell was almostoverwhelming, as was the chaos of colors.
“Wow,” Stephen breathed afterhe’d taken the view in. “It’s beautiful.”
He watched with growing awe as Tony lefthim to deposit their yellow companion on the nearest available surface - a bigleaf. Stephen didn’t know what kind of plant but it looked nice. The littlebutterfly seemed to like it too and now that Stephen knew what to look for hesaw some of its brethren. The little blue one, over at the big tree, wasn’tthat the one from yesterday?
“Tony, are you collecting mybutterflies?” They were a harmless byproduct of his magic, released intothe world when he felt strong emotions or did unfamiliar spells and slipped inhis attention. While they looked like butterflies they weren’t really alive andsome of them faded after a few hours while others could exist for days or evenweeks.
“The oldest one is about six monthsold.” Sometimes Tony seemed to be almost telepathic or was Stephen reallythat transparent? Six months ago they’d gotten together and his magic hadproduced a purple, rather big butterfly. As if called it came into their view,slowly making its way to Stephen who held out his arm so that it could land onit. It was as beautiful as it had been on that first day it showed no signs offading.
Stephen swallowed. It wasn’t often thathis magic was that strong but remembering that day? From fear and anger tocontentment and absolute joy? It was no wonder it still existed. It couldprobably last years. “Hello, little one,” he whispered. Tonyjust looked at them both, not even trying to hide his affection.
“I thought they deserved a nicehome,” he finally said, looking out at the garden himself. “Theystarted to kind of follow me home and as nice as that was… the tower’s not theplace for them. Here they might even get non-magical company.” Tony smiledas an orange butterfly settled on his shoulder. It was a real one, not one ofStephen’s accidental creations. “They like it here. I don’t think thateven one of them vanished after I got them settled here, three days ago. And Ihoped that we could do that too. Settle here I mean. Not forever and notalways. But I want us to be here more often, to relax and escape from theworld. What do you say?”
Tony was asking him to move in with him.Tony wanted to share his whole life with him, not just a few hours here, astolen night there every few days. The world tilted on its axis and Stephen wassuddenly sure that he’d slipped into some other, parallel universe while hehadn’t been paying attention. No matter which timeline, he’d never seen thiscoming.
“Tony,” he said, helplessly. Hewanted to say yes, he wanted to go down on his knees and ask Tony to spend therest of their days together. He could almost see their future together,without the help of the Eye of Agamotto. He wanted, even though he knewthat he shouldn’t.
It was Tony who came to him, took his handonce again and led him over to a conveniently placed bench just a few stepsaway. “Stephen,” he said in the exact same tone of voice. He stilllooked at Stephen as if he was the center of his universe and there was anincredible gentleness in his touch and words. “I know. But you’vestill got a life outside the Sanctum and being a Sorcerer. You still have theright to have this. Us. We have a right to be together.”
When they first met Tony had been theharsh, dismissive one and Stephen had tried to get through to his emotionalcore. As soon as he managed to do that the tables had turned. When Tong gotemotionally invested he was 101 percent in and Stephen was left drowning in anocean of love and attention while he tried to keep himself at a distance andsafe. But Tony hadn’t listened to his clear but not really honest back-offsignals and over the months had worn his defenses down. Half a year ago Stephenhad finally capitulated under the onslaught and surrendered to the inevitable.Despite everything he hadn’t regretted it for even a second so far and hecouldn’t imagine to ever do so.
To be honest Stephen had rather likedbeing courted.
We have a right to be together.
The words echoed in Stephen’s mind anddespite his constant mantra of it’s not about you and what you want hehad to admit that yes, they had.
Tony seemed to sense his shifting moodbecause he smiled again. “Just a timeout, once in a while. You’re not theonly Sorcerer on earth, we can have this.”
“Okay.” Stephen finally gave in,resigned to logic, Tony’s tenacity and his own desires. He was rewarded withTony’s joy and a feeling of happiness that he hadn’t felt in years. The bothleaned in at the same time for a kiss, sealing the promise.
The purple butterfly, still sitting on hisshoulder, suddenly had the company of another, bright red and gold one. It toowas rather big and took a moment to show off its beautiful wings before it tookflight to settle somewhere in the butterfly garden, already at home.
💫
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pjbehindthesun · 6 years ago
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chapter 24: slow thaws and cold showers
Sunday, November 4th, 1990
“Think you can make it, or do you want me to carry you over the threshold?”
“I got it, thanks,” I mutter to Alex’s stupid smirking face as I drag myself past him and into our apartment, unable to catch my breath to save my own life.
“You sure? You said that at mile two, too, right before you dry-heaved into the Sound…”
“Guess I’m just out of shape.” I ease my shoes off and pour myself into a gross, sweaty puddle on the couch.
“No shit, Sherlock, I guess you need me to leave you in my dust a little more often, give you something to aspire to.” He flexes his arms, where muscles would be if he wasn’t such a string bean, and I’ve officially hit my limit for his smart-ass commentary.
“God, okay, you know what? Just shut the fuck up, you’re not helping.” Alex stops cackling in a hurry at my tone, fixing me with an icy stare.
“What crawled up your ass, Cora? It was just a joke.”
Jokes aren’t funny if you’re the only one laughing, you self-involved asshole. But I know his ego’s not going to accept that for an answer, and I don’t have the energy for a fight right now. “Ugh, I’m sorry, I guess… I don’t know, maybe I’m just coming down with something.”
His expression relaxes a little, although he’s still peering at me. “Yeah, you look pretty pale. Like, more than usual. Want me to get you anything?”
“I’m good, I think I just need to sit here for a second.” You know, until the room stops spinning and my lungs stop burning. What the hell’s wrong with me?
“Okay, you hold down the couch, I’m gonna go shower. Unless you’re up for joining me,” he adds, his voice thick with ironic seduction. He sidles over and strokes my upper arm with his fingertips, and my body shivers with revulsion. Or maybe it was just a chill.
“Thanks but no thanks,” I mumble through gritted teeth.
I close my eyes and sink deeper into the couch, not opening them again until I hear the bathroom door shut and the shower turn on. The first thing they land upon is the phone, sitting innocently on the end table at my feet. I should really call Patch. I miss him, and I want him to tell me what to do about Alex. Well, not really tell me what to do… it’s not his responsibility. But I’ve just had this lingering feeling since he left that I need to make sure he’s really going to be alright with it if I end things with Alex. Somehow it’s like I need to make sure he said his goodbyes when he was here, because I feel so guilty creating a situation where he has to choose a side. I don’t think I can do this unless I know what he thinks.
But Alex is a quick showerer, and that conversation needs a lot more time. What about Lucy? Maybe I can call her and see if I can drop by this afternoon to get away… oh, shit, no, she and Jeff were “painting” today, you couldn’t pay me enough to interrupt that… and anyway, the person I should really call is Stone. I should see if he’s okay by himself or if he needs someone to check in on him.
...Alright, cut the bullshit, you just really want to hear his voice again. His stupid annoying nasal mosquito voice, his stupid cute breathy cackle, that stupid lower register of his voice that always catches me off guard. Fucking asshole, why does everything he does have to be so goddamn endearing… why do I miss him so much… I really just hate how we left things, and I hate how I acted at Cyclops, and I hate that I feel so fucking weird now about just picking up the phone and calling him, I should just do it, call him, just call him, it’s your fucking life, what are you so afraid of…
And like clockwork, Alex switches off the faucet, signaling that I’ve missed my window. God, I hate this, I hate feeling like a prisoner, my life was fucking great when he was gone for a week, what kind of person does that make me? Christ, I don’t even really need to hear it from Patch, this is pathetic, it’s obvious that I need to break up with Alex, I just need better timing…
“Hey, Stinky, your turn!” he booms from the hallway, not even bothering to look around the corner. Christ, what a simple-minded jerk, how did I ever think those kinds of put-downs were cute? Maybe I should just do it now… but ugh, I’m so fucking exhausted, and I have so much work to get done this afternoon… Resigned that it’s going to take a little longer to find the right moment, I haul myself up and toward the shower.
*
“'K, babe, I’m going over to Brian’s for a while, you need anything before I go?”
I lift my forehead up from where it’s been resting on my palm, aware that I’ve probably got a giant handprint from staring at my textbook for so long in one position, and turn to glare at his back as he roots through the fridge for some beer to take to his free-loading friend. “I mean, it’d be swell if you did the dinner dishes or something, I’m gonna be pulling an all-nighter with this problem set.”
“Ha, dishes. Good one.” He closes the fridge, places a rough kiss on the top of my head, and bounds toward the door. “Nice handprint by the way, you look like a fuckin’ Orc. Good luck studying!”
And with that, he heads out the door, rushing right past the disgusting running shoes he’d borrowed from his friend. Weirdly, having those shoes in my house is the closest I’ve ever come to meeting this Brian guy. For all I know, he’s not even real, he could be some made-up excuse Alex has… for all I know, he could be anywhere when he says he’s at “Brian’s,” I mean, Stone could be totally right about Alex cheating, and how would I even know?
Stone. Oh, right.
Well, now that I’ve let my train of thought run careening off these particular tracks, I’m not going to make much headway on marine biogeochemical cycling. And I’m still so… fucking… tired from that run. I gather up my study materials in a haphazard pile and shuffle into my bedroom, where I drop them at the foot of my bed in an unceremonious heap. I circle back to the living room to grab the phone and unloop the phone cord, allowing it to reach down the hall and into my room. Sitting cross-legged on my bed, I stare at the phone like I expect it to make the first move. Come on, what are you so afraid of? It’s just Stone.
I’m thoroughly relieved when I get his answering machine, though. Disappointed, maybe, but relieved. Okay, so I can leave him a short message, nothing rambly, just letting him know I hope he’s doing okay. Casual, right? Friends do that kind of thing, right? That’s not awkward, it’s just considerate, and… oh, crap, the beep…
“Hey, Stone? Uh…” my voice comes out way quieter than I intended. So much for not making it awkward. But before I can get another word out, I hear the apartment door swing open and Alex call my name. Gasping in surprise like a total fucking idiot, I hang up the phone in a panic.
“In here!”
He pokes his head around the door frame. “Wow, going to bed already, huh? Party animal. Anyway, I forgot Brian’s shoes.” He holds up the evidence by the laces before frowning at the phone on our bed. “What’s the deal with that?”
“Oh, uhm…” I search my brain for a lie he’ll believe, because I don’t want to hear another earful about how much he hates the person I was actually calling, “I was just gonna take a study break to call Patch, see how he’s doing in Portland.”
He groans in annoyance, but at least that means he bought it. “Ugh, leave the kid alone, will you? Don’t smother him.”
“Bye, Alex,” my words are daggers, and he chuckles before disappearing.
This time, I wait for him to be well and truly gone. I hear the door close, I count several Mississippis, I leave my room to check the window and make sure his Jeep’s really driving out of the parking lot, and then I settle back down on my bed, prepared to redial and leave Stone an actual message with actual human speech. Except that when I pick up the phone, I’ve lost my nerve. A different number springs to mind, one that was left on my answering machine a few days ago, and I punch it in immediately.
“Hey hey, who’s this?”
“Dorothy’s Mortuary, you kill ‘em we chill ‘em,” I can barely get the words out even before Patch’s bright laughter ruins any chance I have of keeping a straight face.
“Ceeeeeee!” He drawls my nickname out. “Where the fuck have you been? What year is it? This is how long it takes you to return a call, you filthy ingrate?”
“Sorry, kiddo, it's been a week. How are you?”
“Uhm, I'm FINE, what do you MEAN it's been a week? Is there drama?”
“Who, me?”
“Yes, you…”
“Not for me. I’m a good girl, I am.” I change the subject to drown out his derisive snort. “So how's the new place? Where are you even staying now?”
“Good, good, my buddy Ethan, you remember him?”
“Mmm, no, don't think so…”
“Oh come on, little gap-toothed kid, couple years between us in school, kinda looks like a gopher…”
“Oh right, Gopher Kid! Ugh, you realize we’re both going to hell, right?”
“Eternal damnation’s kind of our brand, C. Anyway, he moved out here after graduation. And he just happened to be in need of a new roommate when I called, because the universe is pretty great like that.”
“Jesus, with all that sunshine coming out of your ass, you sound like Lucy. How are we even related?”
“You mock me? Tell me with a straight face that there’s no cosmic plan that led me to reunite with an old friend the day after his roommate went to rehab and left him with an extra Judas Priest ticket.”
“Oh, right, there it is. Definitely related.”
“Told you so, smartass. And I even found one of those job things. It’s this little salon called Curl up and Dye and not a single person in the place has a hair on their head in a color that occurs in nature. This place is perfect, C.”
I relax and listen to my little brother fill me in on the life he’s quickly establishing for himself in Portland, content to let him dominate the conversation with the people he’s met, the social scene, the personalities at his new job. I don’t know how he does it, but he’s always been able to fall into a situation and endear himself to absolutely everyone right away, and it’s like everywhere he’s ever been, he’s home. It’s another reason I sometimes feel like it’s impossible that we’re actually related, if I didn’t know better. It’s just pure dumb luck that I met Lucy when I did, or Chris, or Stone… what if I’d never met any of them? What if it had just been me and Alex this entire year? God, what a thought...
“Hey chatterbox, shut up for a minute and let me get a word in edgewise, will you?” he quips after a silence, and I realize how poorly I’ve been holding up my end of the call. A glance at the clock on my nightstand tells me it’s been an hour and a half already.
“Sorry, kiddo, you were on a tear, I didn’t want to break your momentum.”
“That, or you’re trying to blend into the wallpaper again. What’s up?”
“A preposition.”
“I hate you.”
“I love you too.”
“Seriously, Cora, what’s going on?”
“I don’t know,” I sigh, flopping backward on my bed, “things aren’t going so great with Alex. I think… I might end it… that is, if you…”
“GLORY FUCKING BE, MARK THE DAY AND TIME!!!”
His thunderous response makes me jerk the phone away from my ear. “Are… you serious?”
“What the fuck did I tell you, Cora? You deserve to be happy, and you’ve turned into fucking Eeyore since you moved up there. Don’t tell me that’s seasonal affective disorder, either, your solar power hypothesis is total bullshit.”
“Okay, it’s NOT bullshit, but moving on…”
“...which YOU should have done months ago, but that’s just me…”
“Huh?”
“Look, I told you, maybe it’s just easier for someone who hasn’t seen you in a while to pick up on it. It probably all feels normal to you, but trust me, it’s fucking brutal to see you this unhappy. It was clear the whole time I was staying with you, C, you’re miserable. Sometimes it takes a big shake-up to really be able to see how broken shit was beforehand. You’re gonna look back on this last year and wonder what the fuck took you so long, I promise.”
“Oh...kay…” my brain feels like it’s stuck in low gear. I expected my little brother to be supportive, but I wasn���t prepared for this avalanche of candor. I’m at a loss for words.
“And you know what, another thing,” he rants on, “you have this thing about not leaving, but guess what? You fucking left Carolina, and it was the best thing you ever did, and I know that because I finally got to do it too. Thanks to you, I might add.”
“Well, to be fair, Alex bought your ticket, and he sent you that check, and…”
“Fuck that, okay. Don’t think I’m not grateful, but if you can’t see that check stunt as blatant manipulation then you’re not the smart one in the family after all. I lit the check on fire, C, I lit a joint with it.”
“But… you and Alex are friends…”
“Yeah, and it’s a cute party trick to be able to hold opposing ideas in one’s head at the same time without spontaneously combusting. I can like the guy and still think that since the last time he and I really hung out, he’s started to treat my sister like shit.”
“Okay, okay, you made your point, I concede defeat. Now why the fuck are you so far away? I need a hug.”
A chorus of voices starts to crowd into his end of the line. “Promise me you’ll cut him loose, Cora.”
“I… yeah.”
“K. I gotta go, the night is young.”
“That is such eighteen year old bullshit.”
“Love you.”
“Love you more.”
After hanging up the phone, I can’t help but stare at it in disbelief for several seconds. Until it rings.
“Hello?”
***
“Hey, Stone? Uh…”
I’m a stunned, frozen lump after listening to her message. She called me? What the hell for? If there was any takeaway from last night’s run-in at Cyclops, it’s that she wants to pretend the whole thing never happened! I mean, I’m not thrilled with the whole revisionist history thing, but I figured she needed some space, which I was totally willing to give, and anyway it’s not like I’m in any condition to go beating down anyone’s door, even if that was my style. Chris is right, she and I have a good thing, and it’ll still be there when this fight blows over. I just need to trust that and let it do what it naturally does, which is knit itself back together into something even better after we’ve had some time to cool off. So why is she calling me?  Is this a fever dream? Am I still running a temperature? No, my forehead feels normal…
Whatever it is, I’m not going to let an opportunity get away. I grab the phone and dial her back, but the line’s busy. Fuck. Okay, okay, patience. Grabbing the mandolin from my bedroom, I park myself on the couch next to the phone to pass a little time until she’s done with whatever call she’s on. Actually, the mandolin and I are slowly becoming friends. The more I mess with this thing, the less punishingly complex it seems. It’s actually not that hard to work out a couple of the Mother Love Bone songs this way, come to think of it…
The music makes for a good distraction. The next time I look at the clock, over an hour has gone by. But it’s still only like 9:00, so it’s not too late to call, right?
To my shock, she picks up before the first ring is even done. “Hello?”
At the sound of her voice, I jump up off the couch and start pacing like a grade schooler calling his crush for the first time.
“H-eughhh-” oh, excellent, open with a coughing fit, that really ups the cool factor, “-hey, uh, it’s me, it’s Stone.”
“Oh.” She sounds startled, or maybe it’s that I’m hacking up a lung right in her ear.
“Yeah. Hi.”
“Hey.”
Well, I don't know what I expected. One word answers sound about right given how we left things. “So, uhm… you called me?”
“Uh, yeah… a while ago… were you trying long?”
“No,” I lie shamelessly. “Is this a bad time?”
“No, not at all, I just got off the phone with Patch.” 
“Oh! How’s he doing?”
“He’s good. Uhm, I was just wondering if you were trying to get through the whole time, or…”
“No, honestly, I just tried. Cornell was over here for a while and I missed your call. What's up?”
“Oh, uh, nothing, I just wanted to see if you were doing okay.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, well, you looked terrible the other day, I just… I don't know, I remembered your parents were out of town and I felt kinda bad thinking about you being sick all by yourself.”
“Aww, really? You were worried about me?”
“Don't get carried away, Stone,  I just didn't want it on my conscience if your parents came back from vacation and found your decomposing body. Too much paperwork.”
A smile spreads across my face at her irritated words. “I’ve honestly never felt so loved.”
She groans. “Well, since we’ve established that you’re not dead, I should probably let you go --”
“No! Hey, it’s been kinda lonely here in quarantine, it’s good to talk to someone. That is, if you can stick around… I don’t wanna keep you…”
After a beat, she mutters in a barely audible tone, “you’re not keeping me.”
“Yeah?” My grin takes on a life of its own as I pick up the phone and walk through my apartment, stretching out on the bed. “We’re back on speaking terms, then?”
“Oh, grow up, we were never not on speaking terms, I just said I wanted to move past it and pretend it never happened.”
“Yeah, and on account of my whole bubonic plague situation, I never got to register my dissatisfaction with that strategy. I still very much want to pretend it did happen.”
“Well,” she equivocates, “it sounds like you’re still plague-adjacent, so now’s hardly the time to duke it out over what did or did not take place…”
Ha! victory! I can hear her fighting off her own smile as I settle into the pillows, savoring the normalcy of bantering with Cora.
“No, you’re right, I’m not really in any shape for another one of our battles. Can I interest you in a temporary ceasefire?”
“With no mention of the things that definitely never happened until some later, as-yet-undetermined summit date?”
“Scout's honor.”
She snorts. “Like hell you were a Boy Scout, Stoner.”
“Stonerrr.” That's it, I can't possibly smile any wider or my face is going to crack. I close my eyes and let her word echo.
“...what?”
“Mmm, I just really missed hearing you call me that.”
“You freak, it's been like, two days.”
“Three, I'll have you know.”
“Oh, because that makes such a huge difference.”
“Long three days, Red.”
“Yeah,” she agrees with a heavy sigh.
Neither of us has anything to say for a little while, but that's never bothered us before. I'm sure as hell not going to say this out loud and get my head bitten off again, but one of my favorite things about her is how comfortable it is to shut up and just… be with her. I can't explain it, and I've definitely never felt that way around any of my other girlfriends, or… well, shit, she's not my girlfriend… I don’t know what she is, but, uh, other girls I've… or people I’ve felt so…
“Were you really a Boy Scout?”
“Child, you cut me to the quick! I’m offended that you don’t believe me.”
“I just can't believe I never knew that! How long did you do it for?”
“Oh, Jesus, I washed out after Cub Scouts. When my troop got to the Webelos stage, it all started seeming kinda fascist.”
“Excuse me, weeb-what now's?”
“Webelos? 'We'll be loyal scouts’?”
“Eeeesh. I see why you ditched.”
“Yeah. Plus, I was an artsy fartsy little kid, uniforms weren't really my style. The only bright side is, it does get kids out into nature a lot and teach them about stewardship.”
“Aww, there's my treehugger.”
I have to chew my tongue to avoid saying anything stupid about how I'll be whatever she wants as long as she keeps calling me hers. “What about you? Did you do the whole scouting thing? Sash, knee socks, cookie sales?”
“I may have failed to impress upon you how backwoods my upbringing really was, Stone. Who would I sell cookies to? The crawdads in the creek behind our house?”
“Crawdads? I'm going to assume this is hillbilly speak for crawfish?” My laughter conflicts with the overwhelming need to sniffle, and I end up choking on my own cough.
“Karma’s a bitch, snot otter.”
“...wh…”
She chuckles. “Snot otter. It's what we grew up calling a particular kind of salamander. But I think it pulls double duty, in your case.”
“I don't know whether I'm flattered or revolted.”
“Definitely revolted. Their other name is hellbender, and they can grow to be like two foot long. They're disgusting. In kind of a beautiful way, though. But it’s sorta sad... a lot of people have misconceptions that they’re poisonous or that they eat trout eggs or whatever, so people kill ‘em all the time. But it’s awful for the species because they’re super sensitive to environmental changes, pollution, people fucking up their habitats, shit like that… not where I grew up, though. Our place basically backed up to the park, so they were pretty easy to find.”
She’d never admit it, but her accent thickens ever so slightly when she talks about growing up. And I’d never admit it, but it’s incredibly hot.
“This is a pretty idyllic image you’re painting, here, Red. I’m picturing you and Patch, two dirty-faced feral rugrats hunting for salamanders out in the hollers.”
“Pretty much, yeah. Not a lot of supervision.”
“Which park?”
“Great Smoky Mountains.”
“Whoa, cool. I’ve never been.”
“Yeah, but you’re spoiled, growing up out here with these huge, violent mountains. You’d probably think mine are pretty boring.”
“Fat chance. Let’s go sometime.”
“Oh, sure, yeah, just let me get my coat.”
“I mean it. I don’t know, in the highly likely scenario that the band takes off and we actually get to go around the country, you should take me there.”
She snorts. “Long as we steer clear of Beaverdam, you got a deal.”
“Be… beaver dam?”
“Alright, yes, that’s the name of my hometown, laugh it up, Gossard.”
“Beaverdam! Jesus Christ, your childhood’s a comedic goldmine, how come you never --” my hysterical laughter does battle with the gunk in my chest and loses, and the resulting sound effect makes Cora startle.
“Ugh, loveyou.”
“Huh, what’d you say?” I manage to wheeze out, my laughter stopping abruptly.
“Lovely!” she squeaks. “I said, ‘lovely!’ The fucking sounds you’re making, uh, they’re just lovely…”
“Riiight,” I mumble, dangerously close to invalidating our ceasefire. “What else should I know about your childhood? Any other gems?”
“Nuh-uh, it’s your turn, I’ve already said too much.”
“I’m an open book, what do you want to know?”
“Hmm. Something really embarrassing. Your first kiss?”
“Starting out with the first kiss? You don’t mess around, huh?”
“Hey, you already know about mine, we’re on an uneven battlefield.”
“True, true. Okay, well, I was 12…”
“Early bloomer!”
“By your standards, everyone’s an early bloomer. Anyway,” I breeze on past her muttered “rude” and continue with my voluntary humiliation in the name of love, “your embarrassment radar’s right on target, it was an icebreaker party at the start of 7th grade. And this one girl, Evie, she took the whole icebreaker concept to heart. Dragged me into a closet for an awkward makeout session. I was totally terrified, but definitely along for the ride. She stuck her tongue in my mouth, and I was so shocked I actually tripped and fell backward into a pile of coats. So obviously losing my balance and falling on my ass when a pretty girl kisses me is a recurring theme.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she manages through her laughter.
“Right, right, the ceasefire. Okay, your turn… uh, favorite Halloween candy?”
“You’re a slow learner, Stone. Who was I gonna trick or treat from, the snot otters?”
“You poor, deprived child. You’ve got to have a favorite candy, though, you’re only human.”
“Well, yeah… M&Ms… but only if eaten correctly.”
“How does one eat M&Ms incorrectly?”
“Let me guess, you probably just scoop up handfuls and eat them indiscriminately, right? Uncultured swine. You have to eat them in the right order.”
“They… all taste the same, Cora, it’s just food coloring… Jesus, you actually eat them in an order?”
My curiosity and horror is enough to make me sit up in bed. Also, being vertical helps with the inevitable oncoming coughing fit as she unpacks whatever ridiculousness led her to this compulsion.
“I swear they taste different!”
“You’re insane! Wait, what's the order?”
“Light to dark, obviously. Yellow, orange, green, red, light brown, dark brown.”
“Okay, (a), in no universe is that light to dark, you need to get your eyesight checked. And (b), like, what happens if you get a bag of M&Ms at the movies and you can’t see what color you’re eating??”
“That’s why only amateurs order M&Ms at the movies, Stone. I’m a Whoppers girl.”
“Wrong again! You get popcorn at the movies, idiot. Jesus, I never realized you were so damaged. What is your childhood trauma? Who hurt you, baby?”
We go back and forth like this for what feels like hours, trading blows and sharing silly, insignificant details of our lives, and it’s almost like nothing had ever happened between us. Almost. I’m still in this bed, trying not to think too much about how good it felt to have her wrapped around me under these covers just a few nights ago, trying not to think about every little curve of her body and how obscenely good she looked in my ratty old clothes, how badly I want her to come over so we can finally hash our shit out and admit to one another that we need to give this thing a try for real. And another secret truth of my life surfaces, one that she doesn’t need to hear about tonight when we’re still on such thin ice: that being sick with a cold or the flu always, always brings with it the rather odd side effect of being more easily aroused. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s boredom from being at home too much, or wanting to be taken care of during a time of vulnerability, or whatever, but suddenly every thought of Cora, and her every word, however mundane, is making me feel extra amorous. Luckily, our conversation hit a bit of a lull as we ran out of facts to trade. Now she’s tried to multitask and work on her homework, which gives me the opportunity to shift around in bed and try to force my body out of caveman mode. Until she speaks again.
“You know what’s really hard?”
Shit! How did she…! God, calm yourself, you dirtbag, there’s no way she’s talking about you, get your mind out of the gutter. “...uh, what’s that?”
“The oceanic carbon cycle. I give up. I’m too stupid to science.”
“Oh, yeah, that.” I clear my throat and take a mental cold shower. “Well, I don’t know anything about it, but I know you’re not stupid. It’s just really late, your brain's protesting the working conditions.”
“I should probably let you get some rest, huh?”
“Nah, you’re fine, I basically slept all day, I could keep going with you all night.” What. the fuck. is wrong. with me. “Talking, I mean… obviously… talking all night...”
“And I’m obviously not being productive over here. Ha, maybe I should just come over, we could waste time together --”
“Yes.” I slap my forehead after cutting her off mid-word. Smooth.
“Whoa, hey there, quickdraw,” she chuckles. Okayyy, maybe I’m not the only one with my mind in the gutter…
“I promise, that’s not a recurring theme.”
“Gross, Stone,” but she’s still laughing, “do you really want me to come over?”
Yes. “I mean, no, I know it’s late, it’s a school night, and I don’t want you coming down with whatever disease this is.”
“You’re probably right. Alex will probably be back soon anyway.”
Well good news, I’ve officially found the world’s most effective boner-killer, it’s hearing the girl of your dreams talk about her boyfriend.
“Right. Hey, at the risk of endangering the ceasefire, uhm, how’s… how’s all that going?”
“Alex?” I can hear the scowl. “Uhm. Truthfully?”
“Of course.”
“Been better. A lot better, actually.”
“Really. Care to elaborate?”
“I'm not sure how much elaboration the topic deserves. How much can I really milk out of, 'I'm trying to find the right time to tell my only boyfriend ever that I want to break up’?”
It’s a struggle to keep my voice casual even though it feels an octave higher. “Huh… break up, huh?”
“Yup. I've known it's the right thing to do for a while, I guess, even before our whole… you know…”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Anyway, I'm chickenshit, I have no idea what I'm doing. How does one even initiate a conversation like that?”
“Is that a rhetorical question or are you asking for advice? Just checking before I accidentally step on a landmine…”
“No, I'm really asking. You had to break up with at least a few of that long string of girlfriends, right?”
“That's right.”
“What's it like?”
“Uhm, it really depends on the person, on the relationship. Sometimes it's hard, sometimes it's liberating.”
“But… like… how? Sorry, I know I'm embarrassingly stupid on the topic, I just…”
“Nah, you're not stupid, it's your first break-up. Everybody has it sooner or later. I don't know, though. I've always been able to turn on the Spock side of my brain when I need to have a hard conversation with someone, you know, remove the emotion from the situation and just help them see what's going on, that it's nothing personal and that the person is still important to you, but that it's just not working for either of you anymore. That sometimes it's just better for everyone if you part as friends.”
“Wow… can I hire you to break up with Alex for me?”
“And deprive you of this important developmental milestone? Nah. You got this.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, although I'm pretty sure it's misplaced. There's literally no such thing as the right time to have that conversation.”
“No, of course not. And in your defense, I’ve never dumped someone after being with them for so long. Five years is a really long time.”
“Thanks, Stone, helpful,” she jeers.
“That’s what I’m here for. Just don't… don't put it off forever. Like you said, it's never going to feel 'right,’ but the longer you wait to actually break up with someone, the more you just simmer in your bad feelings, and the more resentful and emotional you get about it.”
That, and the sooner you can move on to someone new who actually cares about your happiness, although I keep that thought-grenade to myself.
“Thanks, Stone.”
“Don't mention it.”
“Well, I've made this conversation sufficiently weird, and I feel about as good as day-old roadkill, so I think it's time to make my exit. Anyway, you do need to get some sleep, no matter what you say.”
Roadkill, huh? Hope she's not getting the same bug I have. “It was good to talk to you, Cora. I miss this.”
“Don't tell anyone, but me too.”
“Our secret. Goodnight.”
“Night, Stoner.”
It takes a long time staring up into space after we’ve hung up for me to process what just happened. Our slow thaw, the precarious ceasefire, her slip of the tongue, breaking up with Cletus… just when I think I have her figured out, she confuses the shit out of me all over again, and I don't think I'm ever going to get tired of it. Feeling both exhausted and hopeful, I settle myself under the covers and hug my spare pillow to my chest, fading fast.
***
Monday, November 5th, 1990
“Cora, table 6 looks ready for the check, are you alive over there or what?”
Colleen shoots me a nasty sideways glance as she edges behind where I'm leaning on my elbows on the bar. Ugh. Easy for her to be a colossal bitch about it, she doesn't know I feel so fucking weak that I almost fainted in lab this afternoon and that I can barely stay upright during my shift. And why's it so cold in this fucking restaurant all of a sudden? Yeah, I'll get those drunk fuckers their check, if you turn up the fucking heat… ordinarily, I’d be pining for my shift to end so I can go home and sleep off whatever this ridiculous exhaustion is, except that I swore to myself that tonight’s the night I’d finally rip off the bandaid and break up with Alex. And I’m in no huge hurry to have that conversation, no matter how simple Stone made it sound.
Just as I've wrapped up the table, the door chime signals a new customer, and I'm about to start a fresh internal tirade of self-pity when I recognize a familiar face under the black hat, sunglasses, and curtains of dark hair. My bad mood evaporates.
“Cready!”
“Hey, Cora, what's up?”
“My temper, so thanks for being the first non-idiot customer I've had all shift long.”
“No promises,” he gives me his usual affable grin. “Can I trouble you for a beer?”
“You got it. Anything for dinner? You look pretty wiped out.”
“Yeah, look who’s talking,” he air-traces what are probably vicious dark circles on my face.
“Okay, okay, so we both look like a hundred bucks,” I grin. “Whatcha having?”
“You guys still doing breakfast? I need pancakes.”
“Mike, it’s like 8:30 at night.”
“The heart wants what it wants,” he pouts, making me shield my eyes from the kitteny cuteness.
“Okay, alright, put the big guns away. I know a guy in the back.”
“You’re a very pale angel.”
“You’re a very hungover idiot.”
The crowd’s thinned out, which gives me a chance to socialize with Mike for a while without incurring more hassling from Colleen. It’s nice, just getting to catch up with him without the entire Mookie herd, even when he looks like he’s about to drop dead.
“So what’s got you so tired, dude?”
“Selene,” he pronounces around a mouthful of illicit pancake.
I try to wolf-whistle, but I’ve always sucked at whistling. “So someone had a good weekend.”
“I’m a shell of my former self. Write something nice on my headstone, this woman’s killing me.”
“Do I detect a complaint?”
“Not in the slightest. She’s nuts, she knocks on my door at the craziest hours, I never know when she’s gonna show up, and it’s always a little like...” he mimes an explosion with his hands, making the accompanying bomb noise, “warfare.”
“Wow, hey, I’m good with the PG-13 version, okay?”
With a sly grin, he asks, “speaking of warfare, how’s shit with you and Stone?”
I shift my weight to my other hip, narrowing my eyes. “We’re pretty much the same. We called a temporary truce while he’s sick as a dog. Didn’t seem fair.”
“Yeah, well, you guys need to hurry up and figure your shit out, the whole world feels wobbly when you fight.”
I reach over the counter to lightly chuck his chin. “Aww, don’t worry, Sport, it’s not your fault, and we both still love you very much and we promise to take you to Disneyworld on Saturdays, okay?”
But Mike’s undeterred. “Seriously, Cora, you guys are ridiculous. I know he pissed you off somehow, he pisses everyone off, but whatever he did, you know his heart was in the right place. Can’t fault a guy for being good-hearted and wrong.”
“Yeah… okay.” In bemused silence, I watch him inhale the last scraps of his pancake and swig the rest of his beer, clap too much money on the table, and unsteadily get to his feet.
“Be good, okay?” he calls over his shoulder, waving on his way out the door. What a deeply weird, troubling, sweet individual.
Colleen sneaks up on me again as I’m wiping the counter after clearing Mike’s dishes, making me jump back from her beady stare and the chubby finger she’s got aimed at my nose.
“You… you look like absolute hell. You getting sick?”
“Uhm, no, I think it’s just been a long day, and…”
“Yeah, okay, and the pope doesn’t shit in his hat.”
“...is that a saying?”
“You’re all clammy and sweaty. Get the hell out of my restaurant before you get us shut down for health code violations.”
“Are you firing me?”
Colleen rolls her eyes just before she turns her back to me on her way to the kitchen. “No, you tiny little fool, you’re my best waitress, just go sleep it off. Somewhere else!”
I stand with my feet glued to the floor and my shoulders in a slump, working hard to summon the energy needed to collect my things and walk home. Maybe she’s right, maybe I am coming down with something… oh, fuck, it better not be whatever Stone had… oh, I’ll kill him if I survive this…
Sure enough, I’m barely able to drag my way up the stairs to the fourth floor, and I’m feeling feverish and nauseous by the time I push the door open. And that’s before I hear the sounds. Coming from the bathroom. Either I’ve progressed to full-on hallucinations, or those are the unmistakable sounds of two people having loud sex in the shower. Blinking, dazed, out-of-body, someone who looks like me but definitely isn’t me marches to the kitchen and turns the dishwasher on. Hot.
The girl who isn’t me stands here in my boots, impassively absorbing the panicked yelps coming from the now-freezing people under the showerhead. I wish this girl who isn’t me would move, would go somewhere else, would cover her eyes, would do anything other than witness what’s happening: Alex, clambering out of the bathroom in a towel, and an unfamiliar blonde woman hastily tugging on her dress over her soaking body. She’s taller than me. And thinner. Bigger boobs. I wish I didn’t know any of this.
“Cora! Wha… you’re early, I thought your shift was done at 11!” Alex glances at the clock, the whites of his eyes showing as he struggles to wrap the towel in place. Suddenly, the girl who isn’t me vacates my body, and I find my own voice. And despite my aching throat, it’s loud.
“Oh, I’m sorry, did you want me to come back later when you’re finished???”
“No, fuck, no, I’m so sorry, I had no idea you were… I can explain, this is --”
My head starts to pound. I don’t need the explanation. “I don’t care.”
“-- Cindy, uh, she’s --”
“Hey, Cindy,” I wave acidly to the woman who’s yanking on one of her high-heeled boots and straightening her dress, as if there’s any dignity left to be had for any of us.
“-- babe, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean for you to find out like this, it’s just…”
“Find out??” I repeat. “How… how long have you…”
“Alex, who the FUCK is this?” Oh. Cindy speaks. How nice. She sounds like a dog’s squeeze toy.
“I was his girlfriend, until about three minutes ago,” I answer her, while keeping my stare fixed on the man I thought I knew, who’s staring back at me in desperation so exaggerated it belongs in a cartoon. “I live here. He doesn’t live here anymore.”
“Babe, no, calm down, we can fix this, we --”
But Cindy does the heavy lifting for me, shrieking like a dental drill. “You have a GIRLFRIEND? Have you been with her the whole time?” Please don’t tell me how long the whole time was. Please don’t tell me how long the whole time was. But she shrieks on, “all fucking year?? You BASTARD!”
Her other boot flies through the air and clocks Alex on the shoulder. He shoots a frenzied glance from Cindy to me and back again, as if he expects quarter from either of us, stammering madly.
“I -- I meant to tell you, I --” Jesus, he doesn’t even know which of us to apologize to first. My fever’s raging and I’ve seen enough. I need this goddamn circus out of my house. I close my eyes and say the only words that remain to be said.
“I need you to go.”
“My fucking pleasure,” Cindy collects her boot and crookedly flounces out of my apartment and slams the door behind her, and even with my eyes shut tight, I know that Alex is still here, staring pleadingly at me. I force myself to look at him.
“You too. Just go. Stay somewhere else. You can get your things tomorrow,” I explain calmly, like he’s a survivor of a flood or a house fire.
“Where the fuck am I supposed to go, exactly??” he shouts, waving his hands in panic and almost losing the towel.
“Go to Brian’s,” I sigh with boredom, “you’ve practically been living there all year anyway, what difference should one more night make.”
“I… I can’t.” He swallows hard.
That’s it, my temper’s finally back. “And why the fuck not?”
“Uhm, Cindy’s his… she’s his fiancée.”
“Perfect. Just perfect. I don’t care where the fuck you go, you’re not staying here.”
Feeling suddenly faint, I ease myself down to the couch and clench my teeth as I wrap the afghan around my shoulders.
“Christ, babe, you look awful, are you coming down with something? Don’t kick me out, let me stay, let me help you…” he inches closer, but my glare and final word stops him.
“Out.”
His face contracts, he nods, he slinks back to what used to be our bedroom to put on some clothing and pack a spare overnight bag. Without another word or another attempt at eye contact, he scuttles out. The breeze from the door closing sends me into an uncontrollable shiver, the only sign of life left in the apartment.
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