#vic i hope you're doing well!!

[rush-the-stars]

cielo beloved i personally would love to hear your thoughts on homewreckers yuuta and maki 🙌

you and another anon asked for yuuta and you have included maki and OF COURSE i will give my thoughts to you <333

i'll start with yuuta. first of all...yuuta huge on getting you to emotionally cheat with him smh. yuuta's your best friend. yuuta's the person you go running to when your boyfriend makes you cry. yuuta's the one there for you. and he'll always be the one there for you. he's the one that's bringing you your favorite snacks. he knows your favorite flowers. he makes your boyfriend look like a chump lol. i think yuuta also plays a little coy at first. makes comments like..."ah, well, we probably shouldn't hang out like this...wouldn't your boyfriend get mad?" or "well, if i was your boyfriend..."

he knows what he's doing. yuuta lures you into it. and really, it's all love, he just needs you to wake up to it.

i think he's also a little too possessive so i don't think he stays the other man very long, either. i do think he's patient with you, though. his love is the patient type, so he claims.

maki on the other hand...she doesn't give a fuck LMAOO. i actually think she's downright disrespectful. especially if you're dating some man she doesn't like.

answers your phone when your boyfriend calls like, "they're busy..." might even be a little out of breath over the phone, covering your mouth so no one will hear. wouldn't stop tho. doesn't care what he thinks.

always asks "you're still dating that loser?" fjdklsfj gets sorta mean about it.

defs always has to egg you on about like...how clearly he isn't satisfying you like she can...leaves obvious marks and when you scold her about it she scoffs. then tells you to break up with him then.

like megumi, i don't think she has the patience to be around your boyfriend without potentially causing a fight. possessive, too. i thinks maki finds it fun at first...also some weird pride/competitive thing in her...but eventually she'd get to a point of like...yeah okay you're done with him. and that's a command at that point LMAO.

[aimfor-theheart]

🌹 cielo beloved <3

VIC! sorry i am replying 5 hours later jfdksfj but for you...........i have some nai wip!

Later, Nai washes your bloody mouth out with water from the canteen.  He cups it in his hand and pours it into your mouth. He tells you to swish, when to spit it out. It comes out pink and thick. 

this is apart of a really long very horrible idea tbh

send me a 🌹 and i'll give you a line from a wip!

[woso-dreamzzz]

Video II

Meadema x Baby!Reader

Summary: Munchkin vs ACLs

The first week with you is perfect.

You're a fairly well-behaved baby. You're smiley and happy and you sleep through most nights. Viv's on overnight duty though, your first week with them, because she's the only one out of the two of them with working knees.

It's absolutely perfect. You settle in well and you fit so well in Viv's arms that it must be fate.

Then...She tears her ACL.

It's like you know something's wrong because you scream and cry for days on end and Beth and Viv barely have the strength to get up to attend to your needs.

Between the two of them, they manage to pull your crib into their room, leaving it at the foot of the bed for easy access. You get less time on the floor on your sensory mat because they can't bend down properly to grab you anymore.

It's like their own personal hell.

You won't settle unless one of them is holding you. You won't settle unless one of them is moving you about.

Beth cries multiple times as she tries to soothe you as you sob until you're red in the face. Viv cries too but when she's in bed and you've just fallen asleep. She sobs into Beth's chest for hours.

It's a struggle but neither she nor Beth can imagine their lives without you in it.

They keep you to themselves for the first few weeks they have you but end up bringing you with them to rehab when they start.

"Oh, look at this cutie," Vic coos as they both hobble in," Look! Look! She's smiling at me!"

"It's gas," Beth laughs.

You're completely passed out in your pram and you smack your lips together a few times in your sleep.

"I'll take her," Lia offers," If you two want to go to the physios."

"We can keep her," Beth insists," It's fine."

"You two can barely walk," Lia reminds them," Let alone push her all the way down to the physios. Let me take her."

Beth is loath to leave you. Viv doesn't want to leave either but she knows that Lia's right.

"You'll bring her back?" Beth asks and Lia shrugs.

"I don't know. This little cutie might end up coming home with me."

"Alright," Beth laughs," That's it. I don't think we're going to let you have her."

"Go!" Lia says," You'll get her back."

Beth is a little guilty as she tries to rush through the first part of the rehab session, desperately trying to hurry everyone along so she can escape to the gym where she knows you and Lia are.

Viv's not ready for the gym just yet so she's stuck in the physios for most of the day.

Beth hobbles her way to the gym as fast as she can go. The scene that greets her is one that she suspected.

Your pram is parked right by the door, completely empty save for the changing bag hanging off a handle. You're nowhere near it, held nice and snug in Lia's arms at the very centre of the group of fawning teammates.

You make happy little snuffling noises as the team coo over you.

"I hope you washed your hands," Beth says in greeting as she heads over.

"Of course!" Katie says with a grin as she tips her pretend hat," Only the best for Viv's baby."

Beth rolls her eyes. "I get that you're the president of Viv's fan club but she's my baby too."

Katie waves a dismissive hand. "Same thing."

"Well, do I get my baby back or not?"

Leah, who has somehow taken custody of you, shakes her head. "Haven't you got stretches to be doing?"

"Haven't you?"

"I'm holding this little munchkin. She's like a little angel, mate. I'm not putting her down."

"You've only got five minutes," Steph complains," Then it's my turn."

"Don't take turns on my baby!"

Leah rolls her eyes. "This is the Arsenal baby. She's all of our baby."

"I don't see you getting up in the middle of the night for a feed."

Leah ignores her, soaking up all her time with you before begrudgingly handing you over to Steph, who takes her turn happily before moving you along the line.

Beth doesn't get you back unless it's for feedings or to change you but even those two things are done with an audience of your aunties cooing over you.

"We need to keep her away from them," Beth says softly that night as she sits in bed with Viv, you tucked up on Viv's chest taking a bottle," We'll never get her back again."

Viv laughs as she mops up some of the milk that's spilt down your chin. "I don't think it's that easy."

It's not because a few weeks later Laura moves in.

She's done her ACL too and it's like pass the baby to the most depressed person in the room. With three working knees between them, it's like playing hot potato with the you and you're very rarely out of somebody's arms.

To be honest, you seem to enjoy this greatly and, when Viv finally puts her metaphorical foot down and sets you up for tummy time, you whine and cry the entire time.

"Don't, Laura," Viv says softly when Laura moves to pick you up again," Not with your knee."

Beth's the one that's been put in charge of you, sitting next to you on your mat with her leg stretched out.

You keep whining and crying and Beth has to turn a blind eye because she knows that you're meant to be having more tummy time than you're actually getting.

It's just easier if someone's holding you now that you currently have more working knees than anyone else in the house. Usually, it's Laura who ends up holding you (not that she complains) but Viv's insisted on tummy time.

You whine a bit pitifully before it peters off when you notice that no one's coming to your rescue.

"It's alright, munchkin," Beth says softly," Just a little bit longer and then you get to nap."

You end up doing that in her arms. It's easier than hobbling through the house to place you back down in your crib. You yawn softly, your mouth making the perfect 'o' as you move around a little bit.

Your eyes flutter shut and you go completely limp and relaxed in her arms.

"The bottles are done," Viv says as she limps over," Ready to be heated up when we need them."

Beth smiles. "Munchkin's asleep too."

"So is Laura."

Beth hadn't even noticed Laura asleep too, curled up on the sofa with an arm grazing the floor.

"We're so good at this. Two knees between us and we've got everything done."

Viv rolls her eyes. "I saw you finish her tummy time early, you know. She needs to do it properly later."

"Oh, come on, Viv! She was crying!"

"You're such a pushover."

[ddejavvu]

ok but my favorite criminal minds specific trope is when the team needs someone to be bait and the unsub’s type is reader, would you pls write hotch just trying so hard not to lose his professionalism when the team realizes reader has to play bait??

There's a knock on your door, and you hope it's Emily. She'd know how to untangle this dress.

"Who is it?"

"Hotch," Comes the reply from behind the door, "Can I come in?"

"Uh-" You stammer, lunging for your tank top and throwing it over your head, "...Yeah!"

Once he gets the O-K from you he turns the knob, peering into the dimly lit locker room that you've been using to change. The outfit you'd been provided is a strappy ensemble, but the strings are intertwined with each other like stray yarn, and you don't know how you're ever going to get into the garment.

"I can't figure this out," You lament, holding the dress sheepishly between two fingers, "I think this is made for wizards or something."

Hotch chuckles, reaching for the dress, "Can I try?"

"Be my guest," You nod, turning to a mirror on the inside of one of the lockers and reaching for a comb, "I'll do my hair in the meantime.

Hotch absentmindedly fumbles with the dress while keeping an eye on your work, "Pigtails?"

"Well," You grimace, tugging one of the ponytails tighter on your scalp so that it sticks up and bounces with any movement of your head, "You know what they say about pigtails."

Hotch's face takes on a similar expression of discontentment, "Right."

While you pin some of your stray hairs in place, Hotch makes a breakthrough. The dress comes untangled, hanging between his fingers like it should have on the hanger.

"Oh my god!" You marvel, "Are you a wizard?"

"I was trying to keep it a secret," He plays along, offering you the garment, "But I guess the cat's out of the bag."

"Thank you," You gush, taking the dress from his hands, "I can't- oh."

The dress warps in your fingers. It hangs limp in your hands; apparently you'd grabbed the wrong strings.

"Uh- like," Hotch reaches for it, pulling a few straps up from where they're sagging, "That."

"Oh. Right." You grab the ones he's holding instead, hyperaware of his fingers brushing your own, "Can- um, is Emily here?"

"No, she's out at the second scene," Hotch hums.

"JJ?"

"Talking to the parents of vic #3."

"Hotch," You hum cautiously, "Could, um- could you help me get this on?"

He's still for a moment, nodding slowly after he processes your words.

"Yeah," He takes the dress back from you, letting you fumble with the zipper, "Here, I'll- I'll close my eyes."

"Thanks," You breathe, watching him lower his hands until the dress is close enough to your waist for you to step into it, "So just-"

"Yeah." He nods, letting his eyes slip shut as you take a deep breath. You take your tank top off first, then your bike shorts, and brace your hands on Aaron's to get your leg high enough to step into the dress. He doesn't open his eyes, but you can tell he wasn't expecting the touch.

"Sorry," You hum, far too close to his face as you shimmy your hips into the fabric. You try finding the sleeves, mindful of the straps, and his breath hits your face when he speaks.

"You don't have to do this." He murmurs, his lips moving mere inches away from your own.

"Hm?"

"This," He jostles the dress slightly, as much as he can with it around your waist, ""If this is too much, you don't have to go undercover. It seems stressful to me."

"It is." You nod, even though he can't see it. The movement shakes your chest slightly too, and with the way Hotch is crouched, your boobs bounce just below his jaw.

You take the time that his eyes are closed to admire his face like you can't when he sees you. There's equal laugh lines and frown lines in his face, and you're glad he doesn't overdo the latter.

You slide the dress the rest of the way up your body, fitting your arms through the sleeves and securing them over your shoulders. Then you hum, 'okay', and his eyes flutter open.

They widen at the dress, a maroon garment that hugs your curves and billows out at the waist. You back away from where you'd been nearly standing on his toes, tentatively turning on your heel, "Could you zip me up?"

"Mhm," He nods once, reaching for the zipper. It puts his hands on your lower back and you barely contain a shiver, something that you'll think about long after tonight.

"There," Hotch hums, securing the clasp at the top of the zipper's track.

"You're sure you want to do this?" He asks, his breath now fanning over your mostly-bare shoulder. This time you do shiver, but you hope he doesn't notice.

"I have to," You nod, "I'll be okay, Hotch."

"Alright," He nods reluctantly, his voice soft and careful, "I'll be across the room the whole time if you need me. Just say the word and I'll be there."

You pride yourself on not collapsing at his words despite your weak knees. You nod, "Thanks." And finally turn to face him with a nervous smile.

"Ready?"

"Ready," You nod, and he steps aside to let you pass him. Despite having let you go first he reaches the door before you do, pulling it open for you and letting you lead the way out.

"Oh," Morgan crows from across the room, "Killer, baby!"

"The pigtails are a nice touch." Reid smiles kindly at you, "Did you know that-"

"Yes Reid," You put a hand up, not intent on hearing nauseating statistics, "I know."

He nods, blinking rapidly at being cut off. But he's quiet, and that's all that matters to you right now.

"Okay, Morgan, you're with me," Hotch commands, "We'll be stationed around the club just in case Y/L/N needs help. And Reid, you stay here with Rossi. JJ will be out soon. Let me know if Garcia has any updates."

"Will do," Reid nods, and Hotch gestures to the exit of the police precinct, letting Morgan fall into step beside you.

"Nervous?" He asks, elbowing you in the arm.

You take a deep breath, nodding, "Yeah, a bit. But it'll help, I'm sure."

"It will." Hotch assures you, heading for the team's SUV and pulling open the passenger door for you. He pointedly avoids looking at the hem of your dress when you climb into the seat as it rides up your thighs, and he even tucks the fabric into the car so that it doesn't get caught in the door.

"Good?" He raises his eyebrows, waiting for your confirmation. When he has it, he shuts the door, striding around the front to the other side.

"I think boss man's more affected than the unsub'll be," Morgan snickers, and you turn to glare at him while Hotch climbs into the front seat.

"Morgan," Hotch eyes him disapprovingly in the rear view mirror, "Whatever you're doing, stop."

"Told you," Morgan smirks at you, hissing at the slap you land to his forearm, "Ow! Hotch, control your work wife."

"You probably deserve it," Hotch drawls, pointedly ignoring the work wife comment, as do you. But everyone notices the slight rosy tinge to his cheeks, and as usual, Morgan doesn't know when to quit. You're happy for the excuse to check your phone, even if the text does make your face flush hot.

Derek: I know he helped you get that dress on, maybe he'll help you take it off tonight ;)

[cupidddd-d]

Sorry for the spam liking, your Vic's are truly amazing! <3

I was wondering if you could maybe make a yule ball fic with Regulus Black? Maybe how he asked her or the day of it ! 💗

no omg don't apologize for spam liking 😭 i truly don't gaf, it makes me happy to see that people are enjoying my writing :)

i hope you like it !!

heart burn

"no, that's stupid! stupid, stupid, stupid! why would she want roses? she has a pollen allergy!" regulus paced around his dorm, raking a hand through his now unruly curls.

once pristine, his anxious habits had caused his hair to become frizzy and tangled. his eyes were wide and bloodshot, his tie loosened and hanging limply down his wrinkled shirt.

"reg, who are you talking to- oh. should i come back later?" evan rosier poked his head into the room, hiding a laugh behind his hand. "why do you look like that?"

"shut up, i know!" regulus complained.

"does this have something to do with a certain girl? the yule ball's coming up-"

"you think i don't know that?!" regulus hissed frantically before clearing his throat to regain his composure. "excuse me. i was just trying to figure out a way to ask y/n out to the yule ball."

"that's easy, innit? just ask her. maybe some flowers, chocolates, i dunno. don't girls like that sort of thing?" evan shrugged. "anyway, i just wanted to come up here and tell you to shut the hell up. we can all hear you pacing around from the common room, so...."

sirius cooed at his little brother, pinching his gaunt cheeks. "my baby brother has finally come to me for advice on girls! i always knew this day would come! should i get balloons for this very special occasion?"

"don't make it weird," regulus rolled his eyes as he pushed sirius away. "it's just...a hypothetical situation, is all. how would one...not me, by the way....go about inviting someone to the yule ball? hypothetically, of course."

"well...hypothetically, what kinds of things does this person like? hypothetically, you should just center the invite around that person. i think you're overthinking this way too much, reggie."

"well, that's no help! obviously i should go for what she-- i mean...um, what this person likes. you've never had trouble with girls, so of course you wouldn't be able to offer any real advice..." regulus sulked.

sirius chuckled quietly, poking regulus' forehead. "c'mon kid, don't be like that. that's just the thing: it doesn't always have to be some big, monumental gesture. it's the quieter, more intimate stuff that they hold closer to their hearts. think love letters, buying that item they've been talking about for ages. to be loved is to be seen-- that's their favorite quote. that's why i told you to center everything around what she likes."

"you know, i don't care what everyone else says about you. you're actually pretty smart sometimes."

"thanks, reggie!" sirius beamed. "hey, wait a minute..."

"can i take you to the yule ball?" regulus blurted in the middle of your study date. "i-i mean, i had this whole plan, and sirius gave me advice and everything, but you just look so...pretty right now, so i just wanted to ask anyway. um, i'll just shut up now."

you let out a quiet laugh, the sound washing over him like warm ganache. "yes, reg. we'll go to the yule ball together."

"um...thank you." regulus cleared his throat in an attempt to appear nonchalant. "so...where were we? transfiguring candles?"

[bitches-who-write]

Haii! Can you please do the boys Reaction if their s/o asked if they could run away together away from Derry?

Here you go Anon! We hope this is what you wanted!

Let's Runaway Together

Warnings: Language

Henry

He looks at you like you're fucking stupid. 

" Where the fuck are you trying to go??"

' ....I don't know.'

" Let me just get my imaginary car and my imaginary money"

" We're poor y/n."

'Okay but-'

'"You should really think before you speak, this is why people don't take you seriously."

' Okay, but you're not really giving me a direct answer.'

He smacks you upside the head and walks away.

 ' So...I'm assuming your answer is no?'

Victor

Actually confused

" Uhh..you know...my schedule is kinda full at the moment."

' What fucking schedule? You have no life outside the gang Vic.'

" Wow, okay. Well, at least I'm not trying to run away from problems again. "

'...I AM NOT RUNNING AWAY FROM MY PROBLEMS. I'M TRYING TO BE ROMANTIC...AND WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN AGAIN??'

" Okay well..neither one of us has any money or a car. I'm pretty sure Belch won't take us that far soo.."

'...You could just yes to make me happy.'

" I don't believe in giving false hope y/n..you know this."

Belch

"You want to run away together??"

' Yes.'

" Like..right now??"

' Yes, Reggie.'

"...Well I don't think I'm technically allowed to leave without my mom's permission..cause you know..I still live with her."

' Are you serious right now?'

"...I can take you to Taco Bell?" 

' I don't want to fuckin Taco Bell Reggie. I'm trying to be romantic and you're being a buzz kill right now."

" Sorry babe, I just can't do it.."

' *sigh* Alright...'

"..You want a Baja Blast?"

' ...Yes..'

Patrick

Actually starts laughing

"Yeah okay, let go."

' Really?!'

" No don't be fucking stupid."

' You're such a dic-'

" Do you know how long I've been working on my fridge collection?? I can't just leave it."

' Not even for me??'

"Especially not for you."

' Why am I even with you??'

" We both know what will happen if you try to leave me."

' Yeah, yeah. I remember-'

" You're going in the fridge."

' I SAID I REMEMBER.'

[princess-glassred]

I was listening to Mean Girls the musical last night and I got the idea for a whole semi-cannon compliant Mean Girls IT AU so here's like every single idea had for the au last night

-Alright so obviously the Bowers gang are the titular plastics, but I have decided Richie is our Cady Heron cause I think he is the loser who could have most feasibly ended up in the bowers gang had things gone bad enough for him.

-He's lived in Los Angeles his entire life and was homeschooled growing up too, so going to a shitty small town high school obviously is something he's unfamiliar with. Much like Cady his background has informed his view on social cliques and talking to people, although unlike Cady's who's back ground makes her think of things in an athropological way, Richie's childhood of playing video games, watching movies, and growing up around showbiz types makes him see everything through the lens of the media he consumes. To him, the Bowers gang are not animals, but the big bosses at the end of a video game or every stock villain character he's ever seen in a bad family movie.

-Similarly, Eddie is our Janis (but we're going for semi cannon compliant here, so he is sadly not goth 😔)

-Eddie hates Henry a lot for essentially ruining his life when they were in middle school, they were never friends but they used to ignore each other. Until Henry noticed how close Eddie was with Bill and thought it was important for everyone to know that he was a total fag before they went on a class field trip to a waterpark. There were going to be BOYS in their BATHING SUITS. Everyone had the right to know if Eddie was going to creep on them. His mom ended up forcing him to stay home anyways (which only made the rumor worse), and after Eddie started getting bullied for it Sonia pulled him out of school until high school. When he came back he had his stupid inhaler and all his allergies and he was even weirder than before so obviously he was a total freak to everyone now. Eddie has had a bone to pick with Henry ever since.

-Every other member of the losers club kind of alternates the damian role and have various damien esque traits, Bill gives Eddie rides, Stan's pretty sassy, Bev is concerned with the event planning committee, Ben is made fun of by Henry's gang a lot, and Mike offers like the only sensible advise anyone gets in this entire  au.

-Richie is quickly scouted out by the Bowers gang just like Regina scouts Cady, but unlike Cady who is scouted for her beauty, the bowers gang sees Richie's potential as a bully. They're not too concerned with image (i mean look at how they dress) but they see him calling people weird nicknames, intentionally pissing people off, getting under Eddie Kaspbrak's skin and they want him in. They even take a liking to his shitty impressions, in the same way they laugh at Belch's weird habit of belching on people. They just think he seems funny so they wanna invite him to have lunch with them every day for the rest of the week.

-The plastic equivalents are Henry as Regina, Belch as Karen, and Vic as Gretchen. Patricks not really part of the clique but he is here, we will get to him in a bit.

-Belch: So if you're from hollywood, why are you ugly? Vic: omg, Belch you can't just ask people why they're ugly Belch: Well shouldn't he have had like a plastic surgeon out the womb or something???

-The "on wednesdays we wear pink" line stays the same due to Henry's pink leather jacke he wears in the book. Vic's got pink camo pants and Belch has a pink def leopard shirt.

-Richie is very resistant to sitting with the Bowers gang, he can tell they're bad news and awful people but Eddie eggs him on about it. He says he's just a little curious to know what they do all the time, but secretly he's hoping for some kind of big thing to happen that blows the group apart.

-Bev gets judged for hanging out in the boys bathroom like how Damian gets judged for hanging out in the girls bathroom

-Richie: Does anyone have anything in pink I can borrow? Bev: eugh, no. Eddie: I do.

-Richie gets a big gay crush on Connor Bowers, although he doesn't realize he's Henry's cousin until Vic asks if there's anyone at school he likes. Richie very calmly admits he likes a guy since he grew up in a big city full of gays but Vic hushes him about it since they're "friends" and doesn't want him to embarass himself. The fact the guy is Henry's cousin only makes Vic more insistant he keep it quiet, not just because it's taboo to be gay in places like Derry, but because "family members are off limits to friends".

-Connor doesn't seem interested in Richie at all, unless it's platonic Connor isn't interested. Part of it is his own choice, but another part of it is that he genuinely respects and values Henry's opinion. Sure, Henry isn't a saint or anything, but he's his big cousin and if he doesn't want him dating anyone for his own good than he'll listen.

-Still though, Richie will do just about anything for Connor's attention. Despite being a straight A student and generally very good at video games, he flubs both of these things on purpose in hopes Connor will try to teach him. Connor's hardly good at math, and he's definitely worse at street fighter than Richie, but it's worth it to act like he isn't. What's a few bad grades if it means he gets to spend a few minutes staring into Connors eyes or feel his hand wrap against the joystick at the same time as his?

-At Henry's house his dad offers them alcoholic drinks despite still being minors, and his justification is he'd rather kids drink in his house than at other peoples. Henry is kind of embarrassed by this and just tells his dad to go do something "parenty" and leave them alone for a minute.

-The burn book in this is a leather book that's much more understated looking thsn the actual mean girls burn book. Inside of it are most of the kids at school and some of the losers. Eddie is in there with the words "Sissy queer" scribbled all over the page. Henry notes that they haven't thought of anything good for Bill yet and Richie blurts out a quip Eddie made about Bill sounding like Elmer Fudd when he stutters. Richie instantly feels ashamed about repeating it and wonders if that was just one of those things Eddie was allowed to say but no one else, but it's too late and Henry wants him to write it down anyways.

-For halloween all the bowers gang members go as slasher villains and then Richie just goes as a ventriloquest dummy as a joke. All of the BG are confused as to why he's dressed so ridiculous and poor clueless Richie is just like "???? It's halloween???"

-At the party, Henry tells Connor that Richie has a huge crush on him and while Connor thinks it's "kind of cute" Henry immediately tells him off and tells him to shut it down NOW. This sends Richie into a jealous RAGE that gets him ready to commit to the Henry Bowers revenge scheme the rest of the losers are forming.

-Richie's mom has these kalteen bars that she's been using to gain back some weight after losing so much it's unhealthy, so Richie and the rest of the losers use this to mess with Henry. He tells him that he's "sooo scrawny, and weak, all i'm eating are these foreign protein bars that build muscle" and Henry demands he brings him a whole box.

-Also as part of their revenge they dye his hair white, just like book/90's Henry. Vic tries to make him feel better about the weight gain and the white hair by telling him it doesn't look all that bad, but henry just yells "Are you fucking kidding me Vic?! I look like i'm 65!".

-They also find out from making Vic completely crack and spill all of Henry's secrets that Henry cheats on his girlfriend Greta all the time with his friend Patrick Hockstetter. They hook up in the mascot costume in the gym storage closet on top of the sawdust bags, it's really weird. This is an especially rich development considering what he said about Eddie all those years ago proved to just be projection, same for his insistence connor stay single.

-Richie and the losers proceed to use this to their advantage in the most fucked up way possible, by essentially outing Henry to his cousin so Connor will feel betrayed and less likely to listen to him. After all, if Connor feels disillusioned with Henry once he finds out he's not only a big ol cheater but also just projecting, he might consider rebelling and going after Richie.

-Richie is definitely turning into Henry's mini me the longer time goes on, at first it was just talking about Henry all the time, even when Eddie wanted him to shut the fuck up, but things just continued to get worse and worse. Soon he started making fun of Henry behind his back for being fat, being an idiot, being poor, ect. Obviously Henry's said worse things, but Richie says all this mean shit about him while still pretending to he his friend, and he doesn't seem to care if making fun of Henry's weight or financial status hurts Ben or Bev in anyway.

-He can also feel himself becoming more image obsessed, the Bowers gang aren't too concerned with clothes or looks (aside from their lunchtable rules and just general beauty standard stuff) but Richie feels like he has to get more attractive just to make Henry feel worse about his hair and weight. He has to lose his glasses, and comb his hair, and wear cool punk clothes. Who cares if he looks totally unlike himself, Henry's insecure and everybody LOVES Richie, that's all that really matters.

The other losers seem to recognize his ever growing vanity, but Richie makes a lot for excuses for it. He pretends like it's just part of the bit but that completely ignores the fact he is actually kind of liking being hot and the center of attention.

-The sweatpants scene is really sad. Henry is stuffing his face, partly because he's hungry from a diet of nothing but candy bars but also because he's emotionally eating to cope with being outed and all his other problems. Vic and Belch coldly inform him that he's wearing sweatpants on a monday and he needs to go sit somewhere else. Henry all but begs for his friends to let it slide, but when Belch and Vic ask what the big deal is Henry has to shamefully admit he's too fat for any of his jeans anymore. They still don't give a shit though, and what's worse is Richie sits there and says nothing while Henry's life falls apart.

-Right after this Richie becomes aware od his state as the new leader of the Bowers gang when Vic and Belch start asking him advise on who they should pick on next

-The party scene is a total nightmare as to be expected. Maggie and Wentworth are going to be PISSED when they find out their son threw a rager. Part of this is Vic's fault for inviting everyone they knew though.

-Richie gets blasted drunk, vomits all over Connors shoes, chases him outside, then falls to the ground, when he gets back up Eddie and Bill are there and Eddie is furious.

-Bill is in the background riding Silver around in circles pretty aimlessly, every once in a while he'll tell Eddie that he needs to be home in like two minutes and if he doesn't give Eddie a ride home Sonia will probably murder him.

-Eds and Rich have a really disasterous fight.

-"oh my god Eddie, you know i couldn't invite you. I had to still pretend like I was part of the gang." "Buddy it's not pretend! You are part of the gang! You think you're so cool and powerful when really you're just an idiot who talks too much!" "You're the one who made me like this so you could use me for your middle school revenge fantasy!" "Oh my god- you know at least me and Henry Bowers KNOW we're mean. You try to act so fucking innocent like "Oohhh i'm just a widdle nerd, look at my buck teeth and silly voices. Watch me use my sense of humor to never take accountability for the stupid shit I say!"" "You know what Eddie? I'm not your fucking boyfriend, it's not my fault you're in love with me!".

-That was enough to make Bill stop moving his bike right in the middle of the street and just stare at Richie like :0

-Eddie is utterly incesned by this. He is enraged. The betrayal. The audacity. The drama.

-"God, that is just the thing with all of you Bowers goons, you think everyone is in love with you when actually everyone hates you. Like Connor Bowers for example, you drove a wedge between him and his cousin and guess what? HE STILL DOESN'T WANT YOU RICHIE. So why are you still messing with Henry, Richie? I'll tell you why, because you're an asshole! You're a fucking bully!"

-This is a rather pivotal moment for Richie, as it's clear Eddie (and all the other losers mind you) are deeply hurt by how far he's taken this, and it makes him seriously reconsider it all.

-Greta finally informs Henry that those Kalteen bars make you gain weight, but she does it in probably the worst way possible

-"Why are you eating a kalteen bar?" "Because i'm hungry Greta, what the fuck do you think?" "Man I hate those things, my mom's making me eat those to go up a cupsize." "... what?" "My dad sells them at the pharmacy, they're usually for underweight people who wanna gain a lot of weight quickly. My mom thinks it'll make me curvier." "..." "Are you okay, Henry?" "..."

-cue girly over the top scream

-Henry goes home and proceeds to write himself into the burn book with the words "Faggy cow" scribbled around a cut out picture of him with Richie.

-He makes copies of the pages and spreads them all around. Then heads right to the principles office and starts fake sobbing about being called the f slur.

-Ofc everyone goes nuts, Eddie's mad he's being called gay again, Bill's mad the burn book makes fun of his stutter, and everyone is 100% certain this is Richie, Belch, and Vic's fault.

-the whole assembly goes about the same as a movie, Henry says they don't have a clique problem, Vic says he's sorry everyone's so jealous of him for being smarter than everyone else, Henry says something homophobic about Eddie so he admits to all the horrible things he and Richie did to him. And you know... Henry gets hit by a bus. As per usual.

-The whole third act of the movie basically the same with just a few things changed, Richie and Eddie BOTH apologize for what they've said, Connor and Richie decide there's too much toxcicity there for them to date but they decide to be friends anyways, and Henry gets some therapy. Hooraaaaaay.

I now must leave you all with this image which I think is just perfect for this au given the emphasis on lunch tables:

[infamous-if]

Hello!! What about

"I... I think I need a hug." + Poly ??

Wish granted <3

You grip the edge of the sink, trying to stifle the tears that threaten to fall any moment now. Your phone sits on the kitchen counter, pathetically silent.

You've tried. You've tried so hard. Calling your parents has left you nothing but the taunting voice of the automated message, the dial tones, the silence. You thought you got used to it, the lack of response. Your parents are your parents. They have never tried the way you wanted them to. So why does it hurt today, of all days? Was it seeing all the people in the crowd? Was it feeling so alive on stage, wishing that you could share this with the people who should matter the most?

You suck in a sharp breath.

"[Name?]"

Victoria's voice leaks through the kitchen from the front door. G follows in after her, talking animatedly on the phone. They asked if you wanted to tag along to do an event, but you knew you'd only stain the air with your negative energy. Plus, you feel less pathetic in your misery with no eyes.

"I'm here," you manage weakly, hoping the pain doesn't reach your voice.

"We got you something," Victoria calls. You wince at the sheer excitement in her voice. "Well, I did. G was too busy trying on clothes to care."

G stops talking on the phone to whine out a childlike, "Not true."

You clench your teeth. You love them, you do, but you don't want to see them when you're like this. The topic of your family is a sensitive one, and you don't want to dump your problems on G knowing how their family is. No. You need to deal with this on your own.

You feel their presence before you see them.

"[Name]?" Victoria asks again, softer now.

You meet her eyes through the reflection of the window. G stands behind her, and you watch as they mumble something before dropping the phone to the side. Shit. Now both of them are focused solely on you.

The last thing you wanted.

"I'm fine," you say, but your voice wobbles, betraying the claim. You steel yourself a moment, squeezing your eyes, and then turn around, resting your back on the counter.

As expected, Victoria is the first one to react. She gasps, dropping the bags on the table, before speeding towards you and putting her manicured hands on your cheeks. You avert your gaze, trying to appear nonchalant when she inspects your expression.

"What happened?" Her doe-eyes are wide with worry, which makes you hate yourself a little. This is the opposite of what you wanted. You saw how she was with G, taking care of them, worrying for them. This is the last thing she needs.

Upon thinking of G, your eyes meet theirs passed Vic's shoulder. G stares at you, face unreadable.

"I'm fine," you say quickly, gently pulling her hands down. To soften the blow of your dismissal, you kiss her softly. "No need to worry."

"You're not fine," G says, brows furrowed. "Why are you lying?"

You clear your throat. You feel the salty sting of tears in your throat again. No no no no- "[Name]," Vic says softly. "Talk to us."

That opens the floodgates. One tear falls, then another, and then another.

"I... I think I need a hug."

Victoria's own face crumples and she pulls you close. Her warmth instantly soothes you, and you melt into her embrace.

Once more, you and G's eyes meet. They stand there a moment. You know it's harder for them; being so comforting. Vic is a natural at this; better than you and G combined, but still. You need them here too. You need them both.

G must see it on your face because their own softens. They come close, wrapping their arms around you as well.

"You need to stop that," G huffs, resting their head on Vic's, rubbing your back. "Bottling everything in."

You know they're not annoyed at you; those are words you told G once before too. How ironic.

Your words come out muffled against Vic's neck.

"Now." G pulls away. "Do you want to see what we got you?"

"What I got you," Victoria huffs.

You smile. "Yeah. Show me."

With Vic's excited chatter and G sending you an exasperated look, your phone and your parents are forgotten. There's better things to focus on.

[rush-the-stars]

soulmate au with nai……cielo beloved…..

vic..............what if i just.....................................................,

cw: blood, gore, violence, self cutting-? the reader nicks themselves on nai's knives. yandere nai.

***

Blood, hot and thick, splatters across your face. You jolt and swipe at it quickly, try to wipe yourself clean, but smear it across your cheek further. You feel it tacky now, still too warm.

You wish it felt grosser than it does.

You wish you could make your legs move, unstick them from their place, and run. And run. And run.

You manage to stumble a little, backwards, as tendrils of glinting silver slither towards you like a snake through the blood and the gore.

Despite knowing, you aren't scared of them.

The blunt side of his knives, cool, and still hard and painful, slip around you like a constrictor. Carefully, the razors have been flipped away from you. Around your legs, your torso, up around your arms the metal winds and twists. They're as gentle as they can be, as gentle as a knife can be. They still dig into your skin, they'll still nick and give you lovecuts criss-crossed over your body in a strange pattern of hatching and dashing.

More marks from him; your soulmate. None more damning than the first, of course.

You're lifted like a doll towards him.

Nai appraises you.

You squirm in his hold. You feel a scrape of the sharp side, feel the blood well and rush to the surface, as if eager to see him. You go still. Limp, almost. (It's how he wants you, you know. It's what he'd said in the beginning; stop moving, stop squirming, and I won't hurt you.)

His eyes are cold, flints of ice.

He tilts his head fractionally. The bodies of all the people that attempted to help you lay scattered, dismembered, at his feet. Beneath you.

You cross your arms and rest them on the metal wrapped around your chest. You lay your head on them and look at him; a little guilty. Kicked puppy. A little resentful. Scolded, agitated kitten.

"Did you think you could run?" He finally asks.

You tilt your head and let it loll against your arm; exhaustion suddenly sweeps through you. Your hand swings lazily, fingertips skimming the sharp, outside edge of his knives. Even just that touch leaves blood gushing to the surface of your sensitive finger.

You let out a defeated sigh, tears blurring suddenly in your vision. You blame the sting. You blame your soulmate. You watch the blood run down the length of your finger and into your palm, pooling against the soulmate mark that you've had your whole life.

Still, you get out;

"I had to try at least once."

"You've learned your lesson, then?"

You nod, knocking a tear free to fall over the bend of your cheek.

In an instant, he's setting you back on your feet in front of him, wobbly, like a newborn fawn. Unsteady so that when he lifts you straight from the ground and cradles you to him like a child, you are almost grateful.

You go limp, just as he always wants you.

And you won't ever try to leave again.

[randomsloredrops]

Random's Lore Drops - Cnaonfell Papayas WOOOO-

i'm running out of shit to name these you gotta give me suggestions as to what I can name these lore drops. fish lady's next so literally ANYBODY who's reading this gimme a funny name to call undyne in her post. ANYWAYS, Howdy hey fellas, name's Ran- wait no, that's my intro in my soundcloud FUCK. Anyways, name's Random, you know this, you read the fucking title, let's get to the point. BRING OUT THE PICTURE OF THE... wait... just Papyrus? He doesn't have a canon nickname? Fuck... BRING OUT PAPYRUS!

(Design by THE one and only Vic The Fella/Underfella/Underfell.) You dont understand how long it took me to get the small amount of sans out and all of the information arrows, holy SHIT. anyways cue the uhhh read more

alright time to act formal now that the curtains are down or some shit idk. Papyrus T. Skeleton, also known as Papyrus, Pap, and also... bonehead? wait am i reading this right? damn,, alright, so basically fuck the formality. alright jackasses, let's get yapping. if you know papyrus, then you should be able to tell that, well... he's a skeleton. hence the last name "skeleton". but, unlike undertale's papyrus, canonfell papyrus... is a part of the fucking royal guard. IN FACT! he's second in command, which means he's actually pretty cool and... cool. yeah, that's it. anyways, you might have noticed the weird wonky armor that just looks like an evil papyrus armor, HOWEVER, he does have official "Royal Guard" armor that he despises wearing. Unless he's on official business, such as with Asgore or Undyne, he won't wear it. Design is HERE. You're prolly wondering where Papyrus got his scar from. Well, basically, to put a long story short, his brother was about to get killed by uhhhh Asgore because he couldn't break the barrier like Gaster said they would, and so Papyrus stopped Asgore. Guess what HE gets? A position in the Royal Guard, and his eye being stabbed in by Asgore's claw. Sans gets POWERS!, thas it. Unlike most Monsters in Underfell, he feels remorse- hold on, what's that word mean? what the fuck does remorse mean, google dot com... found it. so basically, he feels regret any time he HAS to kill, and he also swears the least out of everybody. Oh, right. CHECK OUT BROTHER RELATIONSHIP HERE FUCKHEADS! k, i dont have to explain. Oh yeah, Papyrus laughs really fucking weirdly, going "HAW HAW HAW" instead of "NYEH HEH HEH". According to fella, it is a "very powerful ugly laugh". It makes him hate when people try to make him laugh. According to my sources (canonfell wiki)... Ahem... "Papyrus likes evil puns, but will not get regular ones". I am going to kill somebod- Oh YEAAAH, papayas cooks lasagna instead of spaghetti. He also cooks chimichangas, which Sans sells, and he... wants to write his own cookbook? I mean, shit, I'd buy it. Also, in terms of, like, AUs meeting AUs, Underfell Papyrus is friends with Horrortale Papyrus and "Trades" recipes. He does not accept Horror Papyrus' recipe for... obvious reasons. Papyrus is an AMAZING actor, being able to pretend that he's this menacing Royal Guard, and pretend he does the killing he's forced to do for sport. Don't forget that his voice is canonically deeper, but he can LITERALLY just raise the pitch in his voice whenever he wants and shock people. Lastly (because it's almost 2 AM)... Papyrus is Asgore's number 1 hater, and he can't do shit about it (if Papyrus is weaker than Undyne, and Undyne's weaker than Asgore... Well, obviously he won't win). Anyways, fuck you, I hope you have a wonderful rest of your week!

[scrapyardboyfriends]

Thoughts on the John Sugden of it all...

I'm still just mostly amused that they're attempting this at all. And I'm very glad my automatic reaction to it wasn't panic and dread the way it was when Ben was announced. Yay distance! Haha.

That said, I just feel like this is all going to fail spectacularly.

It's still really clear that they wanted Robert back but couldn't get Ryan. There's no way this story would be happening as it is otherwise.

I feel like people getting their hopes up that this means Robert will also return soon are probably going to get disappointed again. Never say never and all, but I don't think they would be doing this story the way they're doing it if they had Robert returning as a goal. There's just no reason.

The fact that anyone could think that the reason Robron worked was just because it was a Sugden and a Dingle is honestly just kind of comical. It worked because they were both characters with such a rich on screen history on the show and all of that respective history and the characters it created happened to mesh and clash in really interesting ways that they honestly just kind of lucked into. So much of Robron was luck and felt organic and any time they try and force a version of it, it never works the same way because it was such a fluke.

And while any love interest of Aaron's is going to have a majorly uphill battle in finding any acceptance with fans, trying to manufacture a situation like this is really not the way to go about it.

I still feel like if you want a love interest for Aaron to have a prayer of working, that character needs to come in and be well established as a character in his own right. They can't put any immediate romantic pressure on their interactions. It needs to be built as naturally as possible so you can root for it and that requires them to care about both characters in a way that they seem incapable of doing these days.

With this John stuff, you're already at a disadvantage because he's a bit of a Robert clone. I mean with this talk of Jimmy and the haulage too, I half expect John to be behind the missing deliveries or whatever and then end up working there anyway. In any case, they need to establish John as his own character in some fashion. And if they are going to go there with Aaron, which seems inevitable, they need to mention the Robert of it all in a big way. It needs to be brought up. It needs to be discussed. It needs to be a barrier to any potential relationship. Since they're really forcing it with the Sugden connection, they need to really acknowledge how much Robert meant to him and that any relationship with his long lost brother is going to be weird.

I feel like with an unconnected new love interest, they could get away with not really bringing Robert up, but in this instance with John there's no way they can get around that. Which in a way is a good thing because I don't feel like the show or the audience ever really moved on from Robron (unless you're an anti) and so it still feels strange not to bring Robert up if Aaron's going to have a new relationship on screen. It's still the most important relationship he's had and it feels disingenuous to ignore.

I also feel like, while it's very in character for Vic to be pushy about getting John to stay or pushing him at Aaron, they really need to tone that down a bit. I know they're not going to and it's going to once again make her really unlikable. I just feel like you can have her acknowledge her loneliness and isolation from her family without her being quite so over the top and obnoxious about it. Or at least acknowledge it in story that she's being too much and then scale her back. But again, that would require them understanding their characters instead of just using them for plot.

Vic also needs to acknowledge the Robert of it all both in the brother sense, along with Andy, and in the Robron sense if she does push John at Aaron.

I don't know. I feel like there's this incredibly slim chance of a version where this could all almost work if they did it properly but they absolutely won't so I expect it to be terrible. I just don't feel like I'm going to be as hurt by it as I was in the past and that's good.

[lostonehero]

PLEASE elaborate on the werewolf Elias idea omfg

That sounds so interesting

Hope you're ready for a lore dump

So Elias 7th born werewolf actually a big terrifying wolf during the full moon

Problem

Elias can not grow facial hair and has little to no body hair, which is incredibly rare, and he's thin and small, which again is abnormal for a natural born werewolf first off, so he is easily mistaken as human

Second fears are entirely separate from this supernatural side so Jonah has no fucking idea about any of it and thinks it's fake and doesn't exist because again removed from the fears or the fears have a bastardized version of the creature (ex stranger changling hunt wolf end vampire etc etc)

Jonah doesn't choose who his eyes get placed in the Beholder does (this is cannon to my fics fight me) so the whole things happens and Elias isn't dead surprise they are sharing a body. Jonah doesn't let Elias have control.

Jonah gets settled and can't marry Peter because Elias is born male. Move in together in the span of two weeks.

(Fun fact another cannon to my fics. Jonah is originally a Trans man. I just wanted to put that out there)

Elias is throwing alarm bells as it gets closer and closer to the full moon. Jonah thinks he is crazy and doesn't understand why he isn't gone yet.

Peter likes that Elias is in their, spices things up, but he does roll with the werewolf thing and uses every version of a puppy nickname.

Elias is basically trying to force himself in control and tries amd fails to get Jonah to get Peter to leave right until the moon rises

The morning after comes

Elias has control

Jonah is fucking confused and slightly scared to see everything a mess Peter has bloody bandages on.

"I told you to eat more, but noooo I'm the fucking crazy one." Elias huffs as he puts a pair of boxers on in the mess. "I'm crazy werewolves aren't real. Like here's your fucking proof asshat."

Jonah is too stunned to fight back for control, which he won't get until Elias lets him

"I haven't turned anyone since I was born and you fucking ruined that." Elias finds his phone through the mess and dials a number he knows by heart. "Hush up you damn vic- edwardian cunt." He sighs. "No, Oliver, I wasn't talking to you. Look, it's complicated. I'll text you the address, and yes, I did turn someone, but like, I'm also possessed by one Jonah Magnus.... yes, I know.... well how the fuck was I suppose to know I would get his eyes? Ok... yeah, that would be great. No, I can clean up. You don't have to help it's not as bad as I thought.... yeah that would be nice... what do I owe you? Don't give me that just because... fine, fine, you're right... thanks, man."

Time passes Peter is carried into bed and tea is placed on the bedside table and the apartment is cleaned before there is a knock.

"You got an end avatar to help us?" Jonah stares at Oliver, who answers the door.

Elias sighs heavily. "He's not just an end avatar, Jonah. Oliver is a vampire he was turned around the black death, and not one of the fear ones. Sorry, I'm still getting used to sharing a body. You can come in. I just finished cleaning, Peter is inside in bed, but he still hasn't woken up. He just got the fever yaknow."

Oliver steps in holding up two large bags. "I got all the stuff you need for yourself and him. You look like shit."

"Thanks." Elias sighs, taking a bag. "The asshole wouldn't listen when I said eat more, and I just barely started to get a bit of fat on my body too. That's gone. At least I know all his suit fittings are ruined."

Oliver sighs, but it sounds like a wheeze. "I'll look over Peter for you. Hopefully, he isn't having a bad reaction to the bite. Oh yeah, let our group know the whole deal with Jonah and sharing a body. I also got the paperwork started for Peter when he feels well enough to well you know grip what happened."

Elias nods. "Yeah, I get it."

Jonah has no idea what is going on and is freaking out

This entire conversation Jonah is freaking out and Elias is just ignoring him

[befuddled-calico-whump]

Total$hit$how: Hail Mary

in which Benji tries to make a friend

cw: referenced torture/interrogation, death mention, adult language

previous /// masterlist /// next

×~×~×

They were summoned to the briefing room instead of the training bay that morning, and Benji stumbled through the door sleepy and uneasy, stuck with a pit in his stomach that had formed the second Vic pushed play on the video. It hadn’t exactly gotten worse since, but he had a feeling it wasn’t going away anytime soon.

He was happy Sahota was safe and not-currently-being-tortured, he was, but he didn't know how to respond to the whole situation. What did you say to someone who'd just escaped a brutal interrogation session? Literally hours ago? It wasn't the kind of event they made greeting cards for.

After last night, he could kinda get why their trainer was so intense all the time. What kind of sane person went through that and then, as Kaius said, just walked it off? Vic was right. None of them were used to he and Sahota's brutal lifestyle, least of all Benji. Even after Sahota had made it back, he'd still had nightmares about that stupid video. And as much as he felt bad for the guy, he was still every bit as scary as he'd always been. Maybe scarier.

Benji hoped their trainer wouldn't be in the meeting at all, that he'd take the day off, but he knew neither of them were that lucky. And sure enough, when he stepped into the briefing room to take a seat beside Kaius, their trainer was standing at the head of the table, looking over the contents of the Important Folder, face impassive as ever despite the bruises that covered it. 

Shit, how was he standing? It wasn't even like he had to stand; there were plenty of seats. Did he just like standing that much? Or was this some kind of posturing? A ‘yeah I'm tougher than you, so what?’ type of intimidation tactic. If it was, it was working.

Still, it only seemed polite to congratulate him on the whole not-being-captured thing.

Benji cleared his throat.

“How are you feeling on this fine morning?” he asked, trying to keep his tone lighthearted. He had the feeling Sahota wouldn't appreciate something as pitiful as concern.

“Fine,” he replied flatly, and that seemed to be the end of it.

“If I were you, I would've stayed in bed,” Benji tried, and didn't know why. The guy clearly wasn't in the mood to discuss it. Maybe this really was as common an occurrence as Vic had implied. Just another Tuesday morning.

“You're not me,” Sahota replied, his eyes glued to the folder in his hands.

Okay, he'd take the hint and shut up now. If there was one person he didn't want to see pissed off, it was Sahota. Well… Sahota and Vic. As friendly as he normally was, Vic had shown he could be pretty scary when he wanted, and every threat he made was backed up by the cold hard fact that their lives actually were in his hands.

Kaius was silent beside him, and Benji wondered if he'd been similarly shut down by their trainer. Probably not. Kaius had probably read the room a little better and been quiet from the start.

Joy and Jericho were the next to enter, and he heard one of them wince in sympathy.

“Sahota…”

“Shit, dude.”

If Sahota recognized their less-than-nuanced reactions at all, he didn't address it. “Take your seats. Once Harbor arrives, we'll go over the new findings.”

Joy sat beside Benji, and when he saw her start to open her mouth, he tried to nudge her under the table in warning, but she ignored him.

“You're not looking so hot,” she said. “Maybe you should sit down.”

“I'm fine,” Sahota replied.

“Like fuck you are,” Joy said. “Isn't there a medic or something on this base? You should—”

“I'm fine,” Sahota spat. “It's not your place to tell me what I should or shouldn't do, Cavan. If I hear any more insistent comments, I'll meet you all on the sparring mats after this.”

Jericho’s face turned a shade more worried. “Now?”

“You think I can't?” When no one answered, he snapped the folder shut and tucked it under his arm. “I'll thank you all to remain on track.”

His touchiness about the subject seemed like more than just annoyance. Was he embarrassed?

Benji got that. A feeling like scraping your knee as a kid and wanting to hide your tears from your friends. Only Sahota wasn't crying. Benji wasn't even entirely sure he was capable of such a feat.

The door swung open and Vic strolled inside, Harbor on his heels. They'd been spending a decent chunk of time together. Private tutoring, or whatever. Maybe more than just that, judging by the way Harbor looked at Vic like he was made of gold. Not really his business either way. If Harbor was happy cozying up to the scary spy man, Benji wasn't gonna judge him for it.

“Good morning, everyone. Glad you could make it.”

“Wouldn't miss it for the world,” Benji said. What would happen if he did miss it? Would Sahota get in his face and threaten him again? Drag him out of bed? Would Vic coolly remind him that the alternative was prison?

“We've recently acquired new intel.” Vic crossed the room, taking the folder from Sahota and laying it in the center of the table. “Sahota will brief you, and then we'll be requiring some of your skills in order to refine it. Questions?”

A heavy silence answered him. Not even Joy raised her hand.

“Wonderful. I’ll leave you in his capable hands.” Vic clapped Sahota on the back, in a gesture that might’ve been friendly if it weren’t for the wounds Benji knew were hiding under his shirt. Their trainer stifled a yelp, his expression flickering from stony to pained, then back to stony in the blink of an eye.

“Ah, my apologies,” Vic said, though something in his voice had Benji wondering if he'd done it on purpose. Like some kind of inside joke. A little ‘gotcha’. Vic threw a smile at Sahota on his way out, closing the door behind him. Their trainer didn't acknowledge it.

Sahota moved to the table, opening the folder and fanning out its contents. It was only then that Benji saw the bandages on his right hand, carefully hidden in his jacket sleeve before now, binding three of his fingers together in a stiff white mass. When he glanced down, he saw a flash of white on his other hand, too.

Jeez.

“I’ve narrowed down our target to a single spot,” Sahota said, tapping one of the papers. “Rotorworx’s northwestern location. The Elysium Building.”

Benji swallowed down the unhelpful pang of sympathy that was attempting to shake him like a tambourine. Elysium. He knew of the place, vaguely. He wasn’t a city native, hadn’t even set foot in San Arbos before getting this bizarre excuse of a job offer, but when you’d been staging high-end robberies for over a decade, you tended to notice the shinier buildings when you wound up somewhere new.

Sahota slid a second paper from the pile. “They use a custom security program, but I managed to work out a few of the specs. Aside from that…” He pushed forward a third page. “I also compiled a list of names. Individuals who may be connected to the development of the Reality Cage.” He slid one page over to Jericho. “Davis, Cavan, I want you on security. See Vic about getting computer access.”

Jericho took the page, and Joy leaned over in her chair to peer at it over his shoulder.

Sahota passed the other paper to Kaius. “Manak, sift through the names and see if anyone listed is particularly relevant. Cross-reference with our database to find any knowns. We may be able to bribe an insider.”

Kaius’s expression darkened when Sahota added,

“Take Harbor with you.”

It was almost enough to make Benji chuckle, but not quite.

“Find out what you can,” Sahota finished. “We’ll reconvene at 1600.”

Each pair scurried off, assignments in hand, like elementary schoolers who’d just been tasked with a group project. Which left only Benji, shifting awkwardly in his chair as Sahota took the seat opposite him.

Shhhit, was he in trouble? He pored over any recent maybe-offenses, his stellar anti-confrontational brain at the ready to create an excuse or explanation or outright lie that would put him in the clear.

But… he hadn’t actually done anything, had he? Unless this was about how useless he’d been in the maze yesterday. Would Sahota even know about that?

“Um,” he began.

“Ruebin,” Sahota said at the same time, and Benji quickly shut his mouth.

“I need your skills for another task.” His hand dipped under the table, coming back with a little metal box, roughly the size of a zippo lighter. Its seam was so fine it was nearly invisible, a teeny-tiny lock on one end. A tubular cam in miniature.

“I’m guessing you want me to pop that open?” Benji said, holding out his hand. Sahota made no move to give him the box.

“Inside is a micro-USB with Elysium’s full floorplans on it. The box is titanium. Unable to be opened without the key or application of powertools. Brute force could destroy the intel within. The wrong key will destroy the lock and render it inoperable.”

Benji let out a low whistle. “That’s some real spy shit, huh?”

“I don’t currently have the finesse required to pick the lock,” Sahota continued, ignoring his comment in a way that Benji would normally consider rude, but since this was Sahota, it was pretty par for the course.

“What happened to the key?” he asked, deciding it was better to question that than Sahota’s lack of finesse. He already knew the explanation there.

“I had to destroy it.”

Benji raised an eyebrow. “And you don’t have, like, an extra one laying around here somewhere..?”

“Defeats the purpose of the real spy shit, doesn’t it?” Sahota muttered. “I need you to get it open.” At long last, he placed the box on the table and nudged it towards Benji. He picked it up, smooth metal still warm from Sahota’s palm.

“Hand tools are available for your use. Take all the time you need.” He laid a small leather booklet on the table, lockpicks the size of needles nestled within. “If you screw it up, chances are high that we lose the information inside.” His eyes met Benji’s, looking darker than usual against his bruised skin. “Don’t screw it up.”

Benji swallowed, closing the thing in his fist. “Roger that.”

It was bad enough being tasked with something that was both so critical and so easy to fuck up. It became a million times worse when Sahota made no move to leave, instead settling back in the chair across from him and sifting through the folder. 

Benji cleared his throat. “Um…”

“What?”

Benji shrugged. “I, ah, don’t usually do this for an audience,” he said. Not entirely true, but he wasn’t about to tell Sahota that he made him nervous. “My best work has always come out of solo acts, so if you wouldn’t mind…?”

“I do mind.” A paper rustled in his hand as he turned it over. “For the purpose of the mission, the contents of that box are top secret. I’m not letting it out of my sight.”

Benji let out a heavy sigh before he could stop himself, but if Sahota noticed, he didn’t seem to care. He set the box on the table and pulled the lockpicks closer. A half-diamond pick would probably be a good place to start, at least for probing. Benji twirled the tiny thing between two fingers, trying to plant his gaze on the lock itself, and not on the man across from him.

Fuck, Sahota’s presence just made him more anxious about this. Stupid or not, his brain found solace in distance, reasoning that if he did fuck up, at least he had a head start on running away. As it was, he was sitting closer to an arm’s length. Within punching distance. Hair-grabbing distance. Sahota had already done that once, and that had been for the crime of fake-surrendering. What would he do if Benji messed up some actually-critical shit?

He was almost too nervous to hold the pick right. 

Really, this was perfect. What was better than being stuck in a room with someone you were slightly terrified of? Being stuck in a room with someone you were terrified of but also kinda felt bad for, of course. If he hadn’t just watched Sahota get tortured, he might be able to sit quiet and pick the lock in an anxiety-fueled haze. If it were anyone else in his trainer’s position, he could just talk to them and make sure they were okay. But those two concepts just didn’t mix right, and the longer he sat in silence, the more the bizarre cocktail of worry and care and fear shook up inside him.

He had to say something. So far, none of them had really been conversational with their trainer, only interacting with him during the training itself. Maybe that was the root issue. Maybe a little chit-chat would make them both feel better, and kickstart Sahota’s defrost cycle.

“Crazy weather we’ve been having, huh?” Benji said, easing in the lockpick. A darting glance up told him Sahota was choosing to ignore the remark. Benji chose to ignore his ignorance.

“That was a joke,” he said. “Y’know, because I haven’t been outside in a week.”

Again, no response, but he didn’t look particularly pissed off, so Benji continued.

“Is this what your normal routine is like? 90-10, indoor-outdoor—?”

“Are you not capable of doing this quietly?”

Benji paused in his lockpicking endeavors. “Well no, not really. If I do have an audience, it’s polite to engage in conversation.” And for a lot of his sleight-of-hand tricks, it was necessary, a subtle distraction. It wasn’t like he was capable of fooling Sahota in this particular instance, but it sure made him feel more comfortable. If only he could say the same for his trainer.

“If you insist on talking, at least talk about something useful.”

“Like what?”

“Walk me through your steps. Recite fun facts. I don’t fucking know.”

“Or,” Benji said, swapping out picks, “we could get to know each other. Do you have a favorite food? Mine’s pad thai.”

He didn’t know how it was even possible, but Sahota’s glare got even more glare-y. “No.”

“No favorite food?” Were spies just quakers with guns?

“No, I don’t want to get to know you.”

Okay, ouch. “Not even a little bit? I mean I’m 20% of your prize team—”

“You’re a criminal we chose at random for your skillset and proximity,” Sahota said evenly. “You aren’t special.”

Wow. This was going so great. “And I suppose you are?”

“I’ve been doing this job for twelve years.”

Benji huffed. “Well I’ve been stealing and shit for like, ten. Can’t we agree that we’re both special in wholly unique ways?”

Sahota didn’t reply. Benji let out a heavy, exaggerated sigh, and set his attention back on the lockbox. He was almost tempted to try on the silence; the icy friend-rejecting attitude the other man wore so easily. But… in for a penny, in for a pound.

“How’d you get started on the job anyway?” he asked. “I doubt there’s many ‘help wanted’ signs out there for this gig.”

“I was recruited in the field,” Sahota answered after a pause.

“Recruited in the field,” Benji repeated. “Is that like, spy code for ‘recommended by a family member’, or..?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Were you recruited by Vic?”

“Yes.”

“So what, he just saw you in the field and was like, ‘I like the cut of your jib, kid’?”

“Yes.” 

Benji slumped forward on the table, careful not to jostle the lockpicks. “Okay. Cool.” The conversation piece was way harder to traverse than he would’ve thought. Sahota seemed hellishly determined to remain as frigid and distant as possible, but Benji had one final hail mary.

“Is the job like this a lot?”

Sahota didn’t look up. “Like what?”

He gestured vaguely at the other man. “That. Y’know, violent. Sending you home with bruises.”

The trainer’s eyes closed, the corner of his mouth tightening. “What did I say about—?”

“I’m not insisting on anything,” Benji said quickly. “Obviously you can handle it and obviously you’re fine, but… I don’t know. You’re our teacher. Part of the team, technically. Aren’t we allowed to worry a little bit?”

When Sahota didn’t answer, Benji sighed, taking up the lock again. He’d tried. So much for his supposed ‘get along with everyone’ superpower. The two of them sat in silence for a good several minutes, nothing but the tiny click of lockpicks at work and the faint, occasional rustle of a paper being turned over or tucked away.

“Chana dal,” Sahota said, and Benji looked up from his work, squinting at him in confusion.

“Huh?”

“You asked for my favorite food. Chana dal.”

“Oh.” He nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good one, that’s… the one with the lentils, right?”

“Have you never tried it?” To his surprise, Sahota actually glanced up at him with the question.

“I probably have,” Benji said. “I just don’t fully remember.” He put on as harmless an expression as he could. “Have you ever made it here? Not to shit on Vic’s cooking, but it’s kinda… bland.”

He swore that almost got a smile out of Sahota. Almost. 

“Vic does what’s necessary,” he said. “I’ve made it before. Usually comes out decent, but nowhere near as good as…” He paused, dropping his eyes back to the papers, the muscle in his jaw tensing. “I’ve had better.”

“I probably haven’t,” Benji said, carefully breezing past whatever Sahota was trying to keep down. What had he been about to say? A name? A restaurant? Something he missed, probably, maybe a family member. Benji knew that ache well enough, but Sahota’s own wasn’t his business. Not yet. 

“Maybe you could make it for the team one of these days?” he said, readjusting the lockpick. “For luck.”

“Maybe.”

Click. The tiny metallic sound rang out from the box in his palm, and Benji looked down at it in surprise. 

“Shoot. I… I think I got it.”

Sahota leaned forward. “Really?”

Benji pressed his thumb into the top half of the little box, gently pushing it open. Inside, in a felt-lined compartment that looked like it was molded to be an exact fit, a micro-USB was nestled like a sleeping puppy.

“Quicker than I'd expected.” Sahota opened his palm, and Benji set the USB in it, box and all, freely wearing a proud smile.

Look at him go, using his skills for critical work and shit. “I told you I was special, didn't I?”

Sahota's expression shifted oh-so slightly, reflecting something that Benji could almost read as impressed if he squinted.

“I guess you did.”

~~

The others filed back inside eventually; Joy and Jericho with what he described as an ‘outline of an outline’ of a plan to hack the system, and Kaius with new notes written in the margins of the list he’d been given. Harbor trudged in after him, just as quiet as he’d been the last few days. Benji could’ve sworn the guy had been louder at the start, almost like he was trying to impress the rest of them with a wannabe-punk attitude. Maybe it had just been first-day nerves.

Kaius stepped forward to lay his paper flat on the table. 

“Our findings indicate every name on this list has some level of involvement with the Reality Cage,” he began. “Interns, security, research assistants, and the like. Of this group, one individual sticks out. Rebecca Finley.”

“What's so special about her?” Benji asked.

“From what we can tell, she's the only one who overtly operates outside the law. She's a supplier for rare metals, synthetic gasses, and other materials that may have been used to craft the Reality Cage. Of the listed individuals, she'd likely have the best idea of how to destroy it, and may well be familiar with the comings and goings of the Elysium Building.”

Benji shrugged. “You got me there.”

“Do you have a plan?”

“Locate Finley. See if she'll cooperate.”

“If she doesn't?”

Kaius pressed his lips together. “We'll explore other options.”

On the far side of the room, Vic pushed himself up from the wall he was leaning on. “Finley doesn’t seem like the sort who’s willing to take a bribe.”

“She’s a direct line to Rotorworx's under-the-table technologies,” Kaius replied. “If we can’t bribe her, perhaps we can convince her in other ways.”

Vic rubbed his chin. “You could also kill her and steal whatever data she has on her person.”

Benji's mouth was suddenly dry. “Kill her? Like, kill her kill her?”

“I wasn't aware there was more than one variant,” Vic said, raising an eyebrow.

“Is… is that really necessary?”

“That method will get you answers far quicker than talking.”

Benji swallowed. “Okay, so maybe we should go after someone else?”

“Who else would you suggest, Ruebin?” Kaius asked, his eyes a level glare.

“Well, maybe no one. We've got the security info and the floorplans and the building. Isn't that enough?”

“You want to run in blind?”

“I want to not kill people.”

Kaius glanced at Vic briefly. “If that's our best option, it may be necessary. How do you plan on destroying it without insider intelligence? Hit it with a hammer?”

Something along those lines. “That usually works.”

“And just how many world-bending machines have you destroyed, Ruebin?”

“None, obviously, but I seriously don't think we need to—”

“Hey.” Joy held her hands in a time-out motion. “We can try and play it smart. Talk to Finley and figure out if she knows anything without revealing who we are”

Vic clicked his tongue. “And if she doesn't reveal anything herself, don't you think that's a waste of time?”

“I think it's worth a shot,” offered Benji, who really didn't want to have anything to do with the casual murder of someone.

Joy fixed her eyes on Kaius. “So? What's the plan? Do you have her address or something?”

“Or something,” Kaius murmured, tapping a line scrawled in pen on the paper. “A drop site. Supposedly where Finley picks up material requests from hopeful customers.”

And how exactly had Kaius figured that out? Seemed like a weird detail to find. Benji would've assumed a place of residence, or relatives, or even an officially listed job, especially if they'd had access to whatever database Sahota had promised.

“Material requests, hm?” Vic tapped at his chin. “Chances are you'd get more information from those than you'd ever be able to squeeze out of Finley.”

Kaius frowned. “I don't believe it's a literal drop site, just a meeting place.”

“Great,” Benji said through an exhale. “So let’s meet her there and talk.”

“We're on a tight schedule,” Vic said. “A fruitful interrogation is a drawn-out affair.”

“Whoa, I'm not even saying interrogate her," Benji said. "Why not just… y'know, have a conversation? Maybe she'll cooperate.”

“I can promise you, she won't,” Vic said. 

“You don't know that for sure—”

“I do. She makes a living off of dangerous deals with dangerous people.” He slid the sheet of paper away from Kaius, glancing it over. “She won't give anything up.”

“But—”

“Kill her,” Vic cut him off. “Or move on. We don't have time to waste.” He set the paper back on the table and turned his back, leaving behind a roomful of uncomfortable silence.

Benji glanced around, looking for someone to make eye contact with, someone he could pin with a silent, this is crazy, right? Kaius was looking at the paper, Harbor was looking at his hands, and Jericho and Joy seemed to have their eyes fixed on the floor, expressions undecipherable. Finally, his gaze landed on Sahota.

“We're… we aren't actually going to kill her, are we?”

“Pursuing her as a lead isn't necessary,” Sahota replied. “At the end of the day, it's up to you to decide what intel you'll need for the mission. You can disregard the list completely if it suits you.”

Kaius frowned. “You bled for it.”

“I've bled for less. There are other options.”

Joy let out a heavy sigh. “It sounds like we'd get the most from Finley. Why can't we just talk? She doesn't need to know why we want to know anything. We can just make something up. Pretend to be customers or some shit.”

“You heard Vic.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I'm not killing anyone.”

Jericho was already nodding. “What Vic doesn't know won't kill him, right?”

“You're underestimating what Vic is able to figure out,” Sahota said.

“At the end of the day, it's up to us to decide what we want, right?” Benji ventured. “You just said—”

“That doesn't mean going against orders,” Sahota shot back, moving to the table to collect the papers.

“Just let us talk to her,” Joy said.

“You think she'll listen? She'll see right through you.”

“Fine then.” Joy threw her hands up. “Maybe we will interrogate her.”

“It won't work.”

“Well you won't know that for sure if we don't try—”

“I do know for sure.” Sahota dropped the folder onto the table, looking like he was about to follow Vic out the door. “Like Vic said. You can kill her, or—”

“How do you know?” Joy stood. “You might be smart, and a ruthless operator, and all that shit, but you don't know all there is to know about us.”

Sahota stopped. “You want me to prove it?”

“Yes.”

He turned around, sweeping the room with a cool gaze. Benji wasn't sure he liked where this was going. Sometimes he wished Joy wouldn't push the envelope. They'd probably be fine if they listened to Vic and just left it alone, they didn't need need Finley, did they?

“Show me what you've got,” Sahota said. “If you can prove me wrong, I'll let you try it. If you can't, I'll kill Finley myself.”

Joy frowned. “So, what? You want me to have a conversation with you?”

“No.” He rolled his shoulders like he was warming up for something, and Benji couldn’t help but cringe at the next words that left his mouth.

 “I want you to interrogate me.”

×~×~×

tag list:

@theonewithallthefixations , @violets-whumperflies , @whump-me , @pirefyrelight , @soheavyaburden , @snakebites-and-ink , @whumpsday

[lilpotatjj]

Congratulation... Captain?

Andy x Fem!Reader

AN: next chapter will contain smut

Chapter 3

"19!Line up in the barn!" A strict voice calls. The team lines up, all in a row, so that everyone is facing each other and Andy walks imposingly through the centre of the row. "We currently hold the record for speed and thoroughness! We want to keep it that way." She walks slowly past each individual, checking their equipment, state of health and attitude. Jack watches the scene from above without anyone noticing and smiles. He is almost healthy again for work after falling on the ground.

Andy walks past you, stops for a moment and looks you in the eye.

"Excelente como siempre". (Excellent as always) You immediately look down at the floor and Andy moves on. "90 minute workout, now! 19!" Andy shouts.

"19!!!" Everyone joins in and gets to work.

Andy also trains, going through the ranks to make sure everyone reaches their full potential.

"Looks good" She comes over to you and smiles. Fancy a round of training together?"

"sure" Andy lies down and you support her knees "if you can do 30 without hesitation I'll buy you a drink in Joe's bar" You grin confidently, but you don't miss Andy's raised eyebrows. She starts right away, looking deep into your eyes, which makes your cheeks unconsciously glisten red.

After 25, she continues, but has to pant a lot more.

"I hope you can handle a lot," Andy stands up with a broad grin, discreetly out of breath and drinks some of her water.

"30…not bad" you smile as you unconsciously look at her for a long time then go into the changing room to change and take a shower. As you stand in the shower, Andy stops in front of the closed door, already showered and with her back to the door, looking up thoughtfully as she is distracted by Vic. "Is Y/N doing well? Is she fit?"

Andy goes to her locker and changes. "Yes, She's fine." As soon as everyone had finished, the first call came. You go into Car L19 together with Andy.

"so what exactly did the woman mean? A cat rummaging through her garbage in her garden?" You look outside in amusement and stifle a laugh.

"Well, maybe it's a wolf in sheep's clothing." You both have to laugh and when you arrive, the woman is already standing in front of the house.

"Dios mío, está en el jardín e incluso tiene bebés. Hay que llevarlos al refugio de animales". ("Oh my goodness, she's in the garden and even has babies. They need to be taken to the shelter!)

"ok ok, nos ocuparemos de ello" (ok ok, we'll take care of it)," Andy tries to reassure her and looks into the garden. "Fetch the cage, she says she even has kittens." You try not to let on and nod, get the cage and you both go into the garden.

"dónde se supone que está exactamente?" (where exactly is she supposed to be?) Andy asks and the woman points to some undergrowth behind the composter. As Andy approaches it, she makes a huge leap backwards, when suddenly the supposed "cat" hisses at Andy. She scrambles backwards on her butt to get some distance. You look at her in complete irritation and try to understand what is happening.

"that's…a…a…raccoon! Un condenado mapache! (damn racoon)… A fucking full-grown raccoon!" Andy freaks out completely and tries to get her breathing under control. You approach him and put the cage down. "Well, you're a sweet mama." You grab the raccoon and her kids and put them in the cage.

The two of you on the way back, absolute dead silence interrupted by your sudden laughter. "A raccoon?" Andy can't help but grin and join in with your laughter. "yup…raccoons…" Andy looks at you and can't take her eyes off you, but she notices and stops, her expression more serious, and looks out the window as she whispers. "Tu risa suena tan dulce" (your laugh sounds so sweet)

Your laughter becomes softer and you swallow, finnaly ariving at the barn.

"I'll finish the protocol then…" Andy was just about to leave when you stopped her. "Friday…we're both free. Don't you want to go for a drink?" You look at her expectantly, Andy smiles and turns around "sure" She wanted to leave when Jack suddenly comes over. “What nice ladys do we have here?” He looks at you charmingly but you just look surprised.

"well settled?" he asks you

"um…yeah, Jack right?" Andy watches slightly annoyed. "I heard you like to drink, would you like to go out with me?" He grins and before you can say anything, Andy steps in. "Ok Jack, that's enough for now, you're still on sick leave, go home!" You don't even get to say anything. "That's good Captain, it suits you Andy." He winks at her, Andy goes into her office and Jack cheekily follows her. "um…ok?" your look completely confused.

When he gets to the office, Andy is frustrated and starts to write the protocol when Jack just walks in. "Andy you've been through this before, you know the rules!" Jack tries to talk to her. "I don't know what you're talking about." Andy doesn't look at him and writes on the paper.

"If you start a relationship with her it will not only affect you but especially Y/N." Jack continues.

“Do you think I don’t know that!?” Andy throws her pen down on the page and places her hands on her forehead. "god, I don't know what's going on either….I'm done…I didn't want a relationship for…the rest of my life" a hint of seriousness can be heard. "I…I don't want this, I won't allow it. We'll just go drinking and I'll lock my feelings in the basement…" she says ironically and sits down again after walking back and forth in the room several times.

"This won't work in the long run and you know that…your feelings will eat you up…until you…have the feeling…" he comes too close and whispers in Andy's ear "that you won't be without her, for a second longer…You will touch her or feel her lips…" However, he provokes her and Andy pushes him away. "Get out Jack…go rest until you can get back to work!"

Jack leaves the office all confident while Andy kicks her desk. "Damn…"

In the evening when everyone is at the Beanery to eat, you stand at the fridge to get some orange juice. Andy looks at you but tries to avoid your gaze.

"Is everything ok Captain?" you look at her worriedly and Andy tries to act calm. “You can talk if you want,” you whisper.

"Oh, preferiría besarte de nuevo…" (Oh I'd much rather kiss you again) Robert looks at Andy in surprise.

“Qué estás esperando, hazlo?” (What are you waiting for? Go ahead) suddenly all eyes are on you including Andy's. "woow Y/N you speak Spanish? Nice to know that too" Vic jokes. “Then let’s share, what’s it about?” Travis leans with a big goofy smile forward on the kitchen island, as Andy stares at you in disbelief, with the conscience that you must have understood everything else she said too.

You were about to continue in Spanish but Andy stops you because you don't know that Robert also understands Spanish. "well…..ok I'll go to the office and take care of some documents." She goes into the office completely distraught and you call after her.

“Still writing at this time?” Warren looks irritated and Travis shrugs his shoulders. "That's what it's like when you're captain," said Vic, sipping her tea.

“You should go after her and sort this out,” Robert said quietly as he walks past you. You look strained and finally go to her, without knocking you go into the office. "Andy we need to talk…"

"Why does everyone want to talk to me today?" Andy doesn't look at you.

"Because maybe you're the captain?" you smile and approach the table. "Andy, I don't know what that is between us but you can't tell me that you don't feel anything for me…"

"I'm a captain and you're a recruit, weren't you paying attention in the academy?" she says sarcastically. "You remember the kiss…" you are silent for a moment. "There was something before, I-" Andy suddenly stands up and slams her hands on the table to support herself. "It will never be anything…the rules forbid it and I will not jeopardize my or your rank!" Andy's words sound sad and frustrated. "I'm not interested in a higher rank… I just want to try out what's behind it. Nobody has to know…" you explain.

"tch……" Andy snorts.

"So you're telling me you don't feel anything for me?" You come closer to her, grab her hand and place it on your chest, directly on your heart. "I..I…" Andy's breathing quickens, lost in the feelings she takes a big step back, against the wall and looks at the floor, the blush on her face. "You have no idea how frustrating it is, it repeats again and it wasn't planned at all!" she looks at you desperately. "Then don't resist it…I want it too…" you get closer and closer to her and are directly in front of her.

"Andy….." you whisper to her and feel Andy's way too fast breathing on your lips as she suddenly turns you around and pins you against the wall. The tension is almost unbearable and makes it difficult not to give in to all the sweet and tense feelings. "That…that's not gonna happen…" She lets both arms fall to the side of you and looks at the floor. "go…"

You hang your head in sadness and disappointment, but then look at her seriously. "I don't believe you…" with these words you walk out of the office.

It's Friday and you haven't forgotten the date with Andy, although you haven't talked about it anymore. Hoping that she'll show up, you order a beer. The doorbell rings and Andy shows up with Vic and Travis. They walk forward to you and Travis and Vic greet you.

“heeeey Y/N heard you’re spending us some beer today?” Vic pats you on the back and laughs happily. They order beer and you look at Andy who only gives you a quick glance.

"well then! cheers!" Travis holds up his beer and you all toast. The evening is quiet and fun when suddenly Vic and Travis get a call to move out. "Well then guys…I don't even have 2 beers…it's a shame"Travis said. They break away and only you and Andy stay behind. She takes a sip from the bottle, now the 4th, and then looks at you without saying anything. Your gaze doesn't leave hers and your heart literally jumps out of your chest. "say…….in your head I'm already lying naked in your bed and we're doing it all night." Andy smiles and takes a last sip from her bottle, puts money on the counter, grabs your hand and pulls you out of Joe's Bar.

[jzbnee]

Hi jezebunny 🪐 can you choose a 500 word snippet from one of your published fics or wips and give us some director's commentary / insight into what you were thinking when you wrote it?

have my unposted wip about joey going back to live with the titans in the "modern" era while reconciling post-crisis era stuff :)

i wanted to try to find a way for a like post deathstroke 2016 joey wilson to like... cope with what went down at the end of that comic (especially given slade and rose both fucked off pretty immediately while joey has been in limbo). however, i really like the elements of post-crisis joey's various disasters with the titans & the way the titans would want to support him (and still be ready just in case)? i understand that joey's various villain arcs aren't 100% character-kosher but we're trying to make it work.

i also have been thinking about how he is not shown having like. any hobbies in deathstroke 2016, as opposed to his constant hobby stuff in NTT and NT, so i wanted that to be something the other titans noticed hehe. i ALSO wanted to examine the subvocal mic that priest used to avoid friction as opposed to the titans, who all learned ASL in the wolfman run

this fic will be finished... eventually. she is 5k rn (all characters tagged are in this snippet!)

"Let me wash the dishes," he said as he noticed Donna finishing off her food.

"Oh, you're a guest, so—"

"No he ain't!" Gar laughed. "He should have dish duty!"

"You're just saying that because it's your turn." Vic nudged at Gar, who laughed and squirmed away.

"He's right, I'm not a guest. Or I'd prefer not to be treated as one, at least." Joey reached out for Donna's plate after she'd finished and took it, stacking it on top of his. He proceeded around the table, though he paused with the last one in hand.

"But first—" he cut a glance at Donna, laden with meaning, before continuing once he saw understanding in her eyes. "I want to be monitored while I'm here. I was hoping to be tracked or have restricted access to the tower."

"Why is that?" Vic asked.

He certainly knew why, but Joey understood that it was his duty to explain.

"The last time I had unrestricted access to the tower, the Titans were forced to play a game of mafia with incredibly high stakes. No one knew where I was or who I was, and it was incredibly dangerous."

"But you're better now, right?" Gar asked.

Raven reached out and placed her hand on top of Joey's. Her palm was warm and soft against his skin. Joey smiled tightly at her.

"I'd like to think so, but I'd prefer that some safeguards were in place. For my safety, too. I don't want to lose it again. And if I did, I don't want to hurt anybody. I've never wanted that, not really."

"I understand," Raven said, thumb rubbing at Joey's hand. She did, undoubtedly, given her own past. She wasn't as easy to restrict as Joey was, either. He couldn't imagine how she lived like that. He admired her strength.

"If it'll make you more comfortable..." Donna trailed off.

"I can set something up," Vic continued for her. "How about we set it to expire after a probationary period. That seems fair to me."

"I trust you," Kory said quietly. "And if something were to happen, you know we could handle it."

"Yes. But I'd rather stop it from happening in the first place." Joey flipped his hand over slowly, letting Raven's hand slide into his. He sighed tiredly, thinking of the events of the last year. "I'm not... Things haven't been going well for me lately. I don't think anything is broken, exactly, in my head, but I never notice until it's too late."

"Do you want me to look?" Raven asked, grip tightening slightly.

"Later," Joey agreed, though the thought was a little unnerving after all this time. Before, he'd known what Raven would sense from him. Now... he wasn't sure. He was a worse person now than he'd been before, even discounting his betrayals of the Titans.  His fingers curled around the plates, and he slowly pulled his other hand free of Raven's.

[hear-meout19]

Darling, I don't wish you well when you ain't with me (I want you crying)

{P.1}

ᴄ.ᴡ. ɴꜱꜰᴡ, ɪɴꜰɪᴅᴇʟɪᴛʏ, ᴀɢᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ, ᴅᴇɢʀᴀᴅᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ʜᴜᴍɪʟɪᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴏᴠᴇʀ-ꜱᴛɪᴍᴜʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴏʀᴀʟ ꜱᴇx, ᴅᴏɢɢʏ ꜱᴛʏʟᴇ, ᴘᴜʙʟɪᴄ ꜱᴇx, ᴄʟᴏᴛʜᴇᴅ ꜱᴇx, ʙʀᴇᴇᴅɪɴɢ ᴋɪɴᴋ

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

As she strolled down the bustling street, her phone clasped tightly to her ear, she chatted away with her mother, excitedly discussing her new house. Amidst the sea of strangers passing by, a face caught her eye. A face she knew all too well, a face that brought back memories of a time long gone.

Her heart raced as she recognized him, it was unmistakably Butters Stotch. It had been years since they had last seen each other. She hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do.

Should she say hello? Should she keep walking, pretending not to notice him?

But before she could make a decision, he spotted her too. Their eyes locked and the world around her faded away. She couldn't believe it was really him, standing there in front of her.

As she looks up, disbelief washes over her. 

"Butters..? Is that really you? I can't believe it's been so long!" Her gaze travels over his face, taking in the changes since high school. He's taller now, with broader shoulders, a mustache, and a more defined jawline, but those bright blue eyes are unmistakable.

As he gazes at her, a flicker of an emotion passes through his eyes that she can't decipher. However, before she can even process it, it vanishes. "I apologize, ma'am, but it seems you've confused me with someone else. The name's Vic, Vic Chaos!" He beams at her and offers his hand for a shake.

She hesitates for a moment before taking his hand, unsure. "Oh, okay.. Vic. It was good to see you." She starts to pull away, but he holds onto her hand tightly.

"Hey, wait! Don't go just yet," he says with a playful smile. “W-what have you been up to?” 

Her eyes dart down to where their hands are still joined before meeting his gaze again. "Well, I just moved back home to South Park. It's strange being back; I've been down in California since graduation."

Butters or “Vic Chaos”, nods enthusiastically, eyes trained on her, clearly very interested in her story.

“Oh wow! That’s awesome, what made you move back?” He finally drops her hand absentmindedly, like he didn’t realize he was still holding it. 

She looks away, brow furrowing slightly as she sighs. “I'm going through a.. rough patch.. in my marriage right now. He's still in California, and our counselor suggested some distance might be good for us.”

She shuts her mouth quickly, surprised at how much she's revealed. She's not sure why she's telling all of this to someone she hasn't seen in 15 years. He probably thinks she's weird for unloading all of her problems onto him.

Vic's expression softens. “Aw shucks, that's a bummer. Long-distance can be rough, but maybe it'll help you sort things out. But you know, if he can’t handle you then maybe it’s time to move on.” He says as he shrugs. 

She's taken aback by his genuine response, God she absolutely cannot get a read on this guy. She smiles at him, grateful for his kind words. "Thanks, Vic. That means a lot to me. What about you? Are you married?"

He grins and chuckles lightly. "Naw, I'm still single. Haven't found the right gal yet, I guess. Y’know, still waitin’ to get hitched!” 

She reaches out and pats his arm reassuringly. "I'm sure the right girl will come along soon.”

He glances at her hand on his arm and back up at her with a bashful smile. "Gee thanks, I hope so too! Who knows, maybe I'll find her someday," he laughs, gently patting her hand.

"How come you're here?" She gestures to his sharp suit. "Business trip?"

"Naw, I actually live here. I travel for work a whole lot though, so I'm a bit of a nomad. I'm an...investor of sorts." He flashes her a lopsided grin.

Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Really? I had no idea you were some big shot now," she chuckles.

He laughs, throwing his head back, “Yeah, I guess you could call me that”.

Before he can speak further, her phone rings, and she groans. She takes out her phone and quickly turns it off, rolling her eyes in frustration.

“Sorry about that, that was my husband calling. I should probably go.” She shoots him an apologetic smile. “It was lovely seeing you again, Victor.”

She smiles and turns around but is spun back around by his grip on her arm.

“W-wait!” He says quickly. “Wanna get dinner with me later? We’ve got a lot to catch up on!” He gives her a charismatic grin. 

She hesitates, unsure of how to respond. She hadn't seen him in years, and now he's asking her out to dinner? What would her husband think? But the way he's looking at her, with that irresistible grin and those piercing blue eyes, makes it hard to say no.

"I don't know, Victor," she says softly, biting her lip. "I don't think it's a good idea."

His expression falls slightly, but he doesn't let go of her arm. "Come on, it'll be just like old times. We'll catch up on everything and have some great food." He leans in a little closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I promise it'll be worth it."

She feels a thrill run through her at his words, but she quickly shakes it off. This is crazy, she can't go out to dinner with him. Not when she's still trying to work things out with her husband.

He chuckles as she takes a moment to process his offer. "Come on, it'll be fun. We can catch up and reminisce about old times," he adds with a playful wink.

She chews on her lower lip for a moment, mulling over the invitation before finally nodding. "Yeah, that sounds great. It'll be good to catch up with you." A twinge of guilt tugs at her conscience as she thinks about her marriage, but she dismisses the feeling with a shake of her head.

He grins widely, his blue eyes sparkling with excitement. "Great! How about that Italian place downtown? Eight o'clock?"

She nods again, smiling. "Sounds perfect."

As they part ways, she can't help but feel a flutter of excitement in her chest. Maybe this dinner with Victor would be just the distraction she needs.