#we did actually manage to kill a boss like that. my comment was ''i can't believe that actually worked''

[racke7]

Yesterday, during a dungeon where I played as a Machinist (ranged DPS), our tank disconnected.

I don't think any of us actually knew how to dismiss/reinstate a member of the party, so we uhhh... kept going?

Which meant that I ended up effectively playing the tank, because I could run away from the boss, which meant that I wasn't getting insta-gibbed.

We did finally manage to trigger the "dismiss vote", and then we had a tank and it was such a relief, but it was also not nearly as hilarious as me hauling ass around an arena as a dragon tried to murder me.

[jessica-pinkwood]

▷To those who care.

CONTENT WARNING: This story contains mentions of Sexual themes, strong language, Child SA, Child Abuse, and Murder. Proceed with caution. ---------

"Now, that's no way to talk to a lady."

I chuckle, smirking widely as I cross my legs, sitting at the other end of the integration room. I've seen many thriller movies in my life, growing up it was my favorite genre, and to think that I am now sitting in one myself is rather ironic. It's surprising how accurately the movies depicted them.

The ceiling lights flicking above me, old and rusted, one glance can tell you that it was barely looked at let alone taken care of to repair. I mean, who would look at a ceiling light for more than 5 seconds anyways? Someone who's not sane probably. The table was so cold, and the air conditioner was absolutely shit, yet somehow they still managed to throw me such cold looks as they tried to pry the information out of me.

"Who are you and how many have you killed?"

Agent… Ugh, I can never seem to get his name right despite how many times he pronounced it. Well, to be fair, the only reason I couldn't get it right was because I didn't want to put effort in actually saying it right. Despite the badge saying "Amer", I like calling him other similar names just to see the pissed look on his face.

"Why are you asking me such stupid questions? Aren't you some CIA, FBI officer, or some shit? Figure it out! Look at your database!"

My eyebrows furrowed as my eyes made direct eye contact with his, raising an eyebrow at him. Even though I never outright say something too insulting, I could already tell it poked his ego for a bit.

"Just a police officer. But we're checking, but it's best if you confess it yourself… Whoever you are."

"Oh please, I've left hints in multiple places, and yet you still can't find out something as simple as my name is? Are you sure you're qualified to even be an officer? Or did you spend your time sucking on your higher boss's di-"

"SHUT UP And answer. My damn. Question."

"…"

Silence filled the air for a moment, rolling my eyes away from him. My smile quickly turned into more of a sneer as my back hit the back of my chair, the amusement draining from my face. Seriously, does he have to be this much of a party pooper? He's so goddam tense, acting as if that would scare me into submission any time soon, more of a pathetic attempt really. My hands shot up in mock surrender, if my wrists weren't chained to this table and cuffed so damn tightly that made my pale skin turn red, I would've stood up and back handly bitch slap him across the face for even daring to speak to me in such a tone.

"Just call me Athena."

"…Like the Greek goddess?"

"No, like the cockroach under my boot."

I replied back, the sarcasm dripping off my tone as I tried to amuse myself. We've been in this room for hours, and they can never seem to get the hint that I'm no low-life snitch, especially on myself nonetheless. Amer scoffed, not pleased with the way I was speaking to him, his hands clenching and letting go repeatedly as he held back the urge to punch a hole through my head. Good.

"Very funny." Amer sighed, not finding my sarcastic comment not funny, obviously.

"Thank you." I forced a smile.

"We want your real name, 'Athena.' Just spit it out already and stop wasting our time, we're gonna find out eventually anyway." The officer said, throwing an empty threat at me. If you can even call it a threat in the first place.

"Oh, are you? Or are you just lying out of your fucking ass because you knew you wouldn't be able to find anything on me? Please, officers, your words don't scare me. Neither would they persuade me. So how about you just… Let me go, and I promise I won't slit your husband's throat tonight when he comes back home from work."

"Husband?" Amer suddenly stared at me, daggers pointing at me as if I had just said something so outrageous. In which, I did. To him at least. "And why would you assume that I have a husband?"

"I don't assume, officer. I know you do. It would be a shame if you had to be a single parent again after your divorce from your ex-wife. You wouldn't want your daughter going back to your fame-hungry ex, do you?"

I sighed deeply, acting as if I ever felt pity for some low-life aggressive officer who had shown me nothing but disrespect, and honestly, it was getting boring and tiresome. I have places to be and he has other cases to solve so why are we still here staring at each other and talking even though we hated the look on our faces? I leaned forward, placing both of my arms on the table, curling my lips into a more… Friendly and charming smile, knowing full well it was not assuring him in the slightest.

"Arthur, as much as I enjoy our little conversation, it has been hours and frankly I have gotten bored of how you design this place. Seriously, it's so boring. So how about you just…"

"The name is Amer."

He scowled, this time sounding more worried than annoyed as he added another statement, trying to hide the fact that despite how skeptical he was of me, he knew I wasn't lying or trying to bluff myself out of the situation. He was probably shitting himself but of course, he couldn't show that he was vulnerable, scared for the safety of not only himself but his family.

"You have no right to tell me what to do, you murderer."

"And the bastards I killed weren't already one?"

I scoffed, raising an eyebrow at him, my smile faltering as my mind recalled the faces and the names of those bastards. The law always claims to be fair and equal, for the people, and yet when money was involved, suddenly everyone was calling pity on those bastards. The world was cruel, but only to those with nothing to give.

Those pathetic greasy fat cunts took away the purity of children, and yet throwing a couple of million bucks in the court could grant them only a few years? And suddenly they claim to be "under the influence of alcohol". It was so fucking ironic it almost made me laugh. But I couldn't. Cause those bitches were walking free, probably shoving a hand up some minor's skirt and sticking their nasty tongue down places that shouldn't even be touched on children.

That's why people were gagging, some with weak stomachs were vomiting their guts out when they saw the tongues of those bastards shoved up their own asses, and some were shoved down the tip of their disgusting dicks. It's always how I'm the scary one, the cruel and violent one when in reality I was serving them what needed to come to them sooner. My name might not be the Law of Justice but god fucking dammit justice will be fucking served!

"But with your sets of skills and your abilities you could-"

"Gather evidence? Get them thrown in jail for a couple of years just for them to waste a few million dollars and get out scott-free? Oh please! Stop making me laugh officer!!"

A few heavy, breathy laughs escaped my throat as I try my best to keep my temper cool. It was really annoying how he kept saying that the law will bring them justice! Kiss my fucking ass.

"I suggest you don't make me laugh officer…" I lowered my voice into a soft whisper, my hands clenching tightly as I felt my blood beginning to boil in my veins, slowly cooking my organs alive if it could.

"And why is that?"

"Because you were careless to not keep an eye on your keys, officer."

[tsutsumi-kaina]

Theory: AFO Gave Tomura Decay (Part 2)

Continued from this post (link!)

Warning: This post has spoilers for both the most recent chapters of MHA (up to ch. 316) as well as spoilers for Vigilantes (up to ch. 109).

Straight to the point:

5. Tomura’s eyes and hair change color with the activation of Decay

It’s easy to write this one off as the anime making questionable choices about Tomura’s color scheme yet again (five years of baby blue hair ya’ll)— but just for giggles, let’s just assume that Horikoshi did intend for Tenko's natural eye color to be black, just like Nana and Kotaro. 

Now, there's a theory that Decay's activation destroyed all of Tomura's melanin, which is a theory I enjoy because it totally tracks (albinos lack pigmentation and they have "red eyes" because we're seeing their blood vessels rather than the actual color of their irises). I also like the “his hair went white from the trauma” and “he straight up went super saiyan” theories, because I’m a sucker that kind of specifically anime bullshit. 

But what if none of those theories are right? What if there was another reason why Tomura's hair and eyes change color? What if the change was meant to foreshadow something just a bit more... sinister?

Presented Without Comment

Through Dabi/Touya’s story we know that quirk factors do have an effect on things like hair color, and can even change a person's hair color upon activation— when Rei’s quirk factor becomes “dominant,” we see that Touya's hair gradually begins to turn white as his body changes to become more suited to an ice quirk despite his own quirk being fire-based.

That sound familiar?

So, Tomura's change to red eyes and white hair specifically  starts to look more than a little insidious if we assume that A) AFO has always  planned to turn Tenko into a new vessel, and B) Tenko actually got his first “dose” of AFO in the form of Decay + a pseudo-vestige, and his body has been gradually changing to become more hospitable for AFO's quirk factor. Exposure to AFO’s quirk factor (and it raging around inside of him like a damn virus) may be the true cause of Tomura’s palette swap.

6. Tenko is 5 when decay manifests, even though it’s been repeatedly stated that age 4 is the latest age that quirks manifest.

This point has also been discussed to death, with people arguing that Tomura simply had to amass enough hatred for Decay to fully manifest (see point 2 on why this “explanation” was most likely just AFO being a gigantic fucking troll). I’ll instead encourage folks to evaluate this point from a narrative standpoint— Hori drew attention to Tenko’s age and his quirklessness for a reason.

“Will he like me if I get my quirk!?”  Uhhh....

And Tenko likely having been born quirkless leads to the next point:

7. Tenko, The Quirkless Wonder (or: how having a quirkless vessel is an integral part of AFO’s plan to snatch OFA and not straight up fucking die in the process)

Tenko being born quirkless makes him a perfect candidate to tolerate the simultaneous burden of both OFA/AFO without his lifespan getting completely drained in the process-- the nomufication surgery was more likely just a measure that was taken to make sure Tomura's body was strong enough to make use of both quirks right away.

8. You know what? *beats the dead horse anyway*

Man, isn’t there a sale at Men’s Warehouse you’re late to???

I know I said I wouldn’t touch on this point but come the fuck on, mister twenty-four-seven biz cas isn’t even trying to hide it 

Bonus Points:

Machia's sense of smell - Machia tracks others through scent, and is somehow able to locate Tomura after the LOV has hidden themselves deep within the mountains. This is in spite the fact that they've never met before (Machia literally asks Tomura "Are you the one who succeeded AFO?"-- so we can assume he was not secretly tracking or observing Tomura from afar).  We know that if Machia's never met a person before, he obviously can't track them via scent-- we see this when he has to stop and literally ask Mina for directions during a flashback. But he still manages to track down the LOV when not even the police/heroes had any inkling of their location. So. If Machia and Tomura have never met before, how was Machia able to find him? As funny as it is to imagine AFO rubbing a pair of dirty sneakers in Machia's face like he's an overgrown bloodhound, I'll put forth the following theory-- Machia was sniffing out Decay's quirk factor rather than Tomura himself. If Decay was formerly in the possession of AFO, and/or if a part of AFO’s quirk factor already exists inside Tomura, then tracking him down is a cinch for Machia.

AFO's pasttime is villain creation - There's a whole scene in Vigilantes where AFO discusses the true nature of a "villain," then brags about being able to create villains by causing imbalances in one's quirk + giving people unsuitable quirks + stimulating quirks with a "violent will" and forcing them to go haywire. It's, uh. Fairly damning, to say the least.

AFO may have used Decay to kill Nana - This one is more conspiracy theory than actual theory, and it may seem like a huge stretch, but hear me out! In its untrained form, we see that Decay reduces people to chunks instead of dusting them-- but it leaves their hands perfectly intact. It feels far too coincidental that AFO just so happened  to leave Nana’s hand intact after killing her, and apparently decided to preserve that hand for 30 years on a total whim— and then, wouldn’tcha know it, Tenko just so happens to manifest a quirk that pulps everything but miraculously leaves the hands of those victims perfectly intact. And AFO being sick enough to give a little boy who wants to be a hero the same quirk that killed his hero grandma is a given at this point.

 - - - - - - - - -

Anyway, I get that a lot of folks dislike this theory because it takes away a lot of Tomura’s agency-- but honestly, his entire character arc has been about him trying to rediscover his true self and reclaiming his agency after a lifetime of having his identity abused out of him by pretty much everyone he’s ever met. AFO was always going to be the final boss of that character arc, which has been less about “becoming the greatest villain” (and hoo boy people on twitter are reeeeally hung up on this particular misconception about Tomura’s arc) and more about discovering his true convictions and “becoming his own person”-- Just as Izuku’s character arc is about becoming his own person and learning to actually value himself, rather than him just becoming All Might 2.0 who acts as a hero at the complete expense of his own personhood.

I don’t feel that Decay being an implant from AFO harms Tomura’s character arc in any way-- rather, confronting the lie that he was somehow “born evil” and exists as a slave to Decay’s destructive impulse feels like the next hurdle Tomura needs to overcome before he can truly reclaim his agency. 

[brideofcthulhu10]

The Lost Boys Find Out Their Fem!S/O is Pregnant [4/4]

SUBJECT WARNING: PHYSICAL AGRESSION, SEXUAL THEMES AND A WHOLE LOT OF SWEARING. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED!

Alrighty then, my lovely fang babes! Here we are, we have the last of the first edition of the pregnancy saga! Worry not, dearest readers, for there is hope! I plan on doing a separate series about going through the pregnancy, and maybe even going through the childbirth with how the boys are as new dads. Let me know in the comments if you'd like to see more, and by tomorrow night we'll have a whole new set to love!

It was such a blast writing Paul's, I'm not gonna lie I got lost in the magic! We have a cute little character cameo for all you 80s movie nerds, lemme know if you can figure out what it is! So, without any more delays; here he is. The gorgeous, the goofy, the one, the only:

PAUL

Today had been an unexpected challenge. You barely got through your shift at the record store, every time you were in light it made you dizzy. Hangovers had nothing on this! Did you drink too much the night before? No, now that you thought about it any attempts to drink had you hugging a toilet. Not to mention your period was late as hell! Well, not the cramps, go figure. Just no blood. None at all. 

You never let on to your beau, Paul, though. The party boy vampire would become overly worried if you told him you were sick, and you weren't about to spoil a good time with a bit of nausea. So here you were, stumbling about the day into the late afternoon absolutely miserable. Your manager Iona offered you some crackers and ginger ale during your lunch break. No dice, within an hour you were running to the bathroom again. 

"Gosh hon, I dunno what ta tell ya. Maybe you ate something nasty, I told you that boardwalk food was fishy," Iona sighed, poking at her own lunch with a fork. Currently your coworker Andie was watching the front until you were feeling better.

"Kill me now, Iona," you groaned, chin resting on the table with your arms laid over your head. Then there was a smell. The greatest, most flavorful, mouthwatering scent you've ever experienced. Like a honey baked ham and a New York sirloin had a glorious new baby drizzled in ecstasy. Glancing over, your stomach growled at whatever it could be. If this were a cartoon you'd be flying to what it was.

Oddly enough, it was coming from Iona. Well, whatever black stuff was in her little plastic tupperware dish. Who cares what it was, it smelled incredible.

"Hey uh..," you asked, leaning over towards the sticky, mysterious delicacy calling your name. "You wouldn't mind if I had a bite, would ya?"

"You sure, hon? This isn't exactly your average dish, it's kinda weird," she tried to explain. God you couldn't take your eyes off it! Finally, your merciful manager pushed it your way, and you couldn't resist any longer. 

"I don't even care, this is the first thing in the past two days that hasn't made me nauseous," you muffled between cosmic bites.

Oh shit, this was heaven! It had to be some sort of meat, it reminded her of a nice spicy kielbasa, a slow roasted brisket, every second it changed to some new world of food you had never tried. What it was didn't matter by this point.

"Wooow. I've never met someone who liked black pudding that much."

Pudding? "I thought it was meat or something? It doesn't taste anything like pudding," you insisted, polishing off the very last specs of it. "Got any more?"

"No, no, not like chocolate pudding or stuff like that, kiddo. black pudding. It's this dish from the UK my new boyfriend made me. It's congealed pig's and cow blood mixed with spices."

You made a face. Blood? Like, blood blood? The cow equivalent of what Paul drank on a daily basis? Yet this was the first time you didn't puke, in fact, you kinda wanted more. Even knowing what is was made of.. for some reason you craved more. Meanwhile Iona continued to talk on and on, until one phrase caught your ears. "Yea, ya know my mom was so into for the longest time. Said she craved it her whole pregnancy, I never got a taste for it honestly."

A single thought popped into your head. A dangerous, foreboding thought that your intuition said was very much a possibility. In a flash you jumped up, nearly slamming your hands on the table. "I gotta go. Oh shit, I gotta go! I'll be right back, I swear, I'm so sorry, I swear to god I'll be right back," you shouted as you bolted out of the store.

"Wait what-?!"

You'd make it up to her once you got back. You had to know! You had to be sure..! Please just let it be paranoia! Please let it be anything, anything at all besides what you thought it was!

Once you reached the nearest CVS you made a B-line to the women's health section. Your hair clung to your face, your lungs stung like crazy but all you could think about was getting answers. And cue the disapproving glare of some old bat picking out a box of pads. Alright being 17 in front of the pregnancy tests looked bad. You weren't just a high schooler, you looked it too. "What're you looking at, " you snarl. Immediately she clutched her pearls, startled by this abrasive youngin' in no mood for dirty looks. God why'd there have to be so many options? Pink boxes, purple ones, bright yellow insisting it worked the fastest. The heavy fluorescent lights were no help at all, it made your head spin. You had no time for this crap. In a sweeping motion you grabbed three different brands and threw them into your basket, all you needed was….where was your wallet? Shit... Glancing around you checked for any nearby cameras or staff. Karma be damned, it was an emergency! Five finger discount it was. 

Once again you made a mad dash back to the record store as the sun finally set. All three boxes were crumpled in your hand, your boots running so fast it you hit a rock that'd be it.

But getting back to the record store was your best bet. You weren't about to pee in some dirty, old, nasty pharmacy bathroo- oh fuck. There was something that finally slowed your steps, nearly making you trip in the process. Four bikes parked right outside. Three of which were occupied by by Dwayne, David and Marko all talking amongst themselves.

Shiiiit, shit, shit! All you could do was swear repeatedly. Before they could spot you, you practically dove into the alleyway behind the store, rapidly disabling the alarm. If that went off it'd be a dead giveaway. Quickly you looked left and right before you slammed the door shut behind you still trying to catch air.

But there, right past the door to the employees lounge, over by the counter you could see a mass of blonde hair chatting away with Iona about Led Zeppelin's best album to date. Paul, gorgeous as every, laughing. It made your heart flutter, but then it sank. What if it was a-... He was never the type to run away from a challenge. But then again, a kid wasn't a challenge, it was a massive ordeal. It would take a huge chunk of his life- well, afterlife! Boozing and cruising would be switched out with drowsy days and busy nights. You weren't sure if you wanted him to know if you were, it would take all that from him. Unfortunately, he must've smelled you or sonething, because immediately he turned around like a puppy being called.

"Babe," he cheered with delight, rushing over to hug you. Rather squeeze you by your hips and lift you four feet off the ground. Quickly you stuffed the skinny boxes into your back pocket, now smushed up against his chest. "Where were you? Ion's said you just bolted mid-shift, we were worried sick! Well, I mean, I was more worried though, cuz I can't stand you bein' gone, kitten."

"Well, yeah uh, I forgot something I had to get at the store, and I forgot what time I got off," you hesitated, still antsy to escape to the bathroom. Truthfully you didn't actually want to, you had to! If you could, you'd just kiss him and ride off into the night to raise some hell like you always did. But this was too big to ignore.

Paul raised a brow. You weren't known for being this jumpy. You wouldn't look him in the eyes, they just kept darting towards the bathroom. Boy, you really did look sick, though. Pale, almost greenish with dark circles under your eyes. You even felt colder than usual. "Am I uh, interrupting something, babe?"

You managed to work out if his arms, giggling nervously. "Actually I-I had some of Iona's lunch earlier, and I just, gotta- be right back!"

With that, you bolted into the bathroom and slammed the door behind you. Again, weird. Paul just shrugged, maybe you had some bad Mexican.

 Iona wasn't convinced. Little miss jumpy-pants skipping out on her, you owed her an explanation. While Paul perused the albums she sunk over to the bathroom, rapidly tapping on the door. "Y/N! Psst! You good in there, hon?"

You were most certainly NOT good! Your hand shook, the third test finally finished. Not like it mattered! They all said the same thing. Every fucking one of them.

Positive. Positive. Positive.

No, no, no!

"Shit," you hissed. "Shit! Oh shit, oh fuck! Fuck-fuckity shit fuck fuck! Dammit." That's all you could do! You swore over, and over, and over, rapidly kicking the wall in front of you. Stupid pink plus! Why? Why did it have to be a plus?? Immediately you threw it in the trash and scooped up the other two. Maybe they were all flukes? Maybe only a doctor could tell you! You had to get home. Like now. Right now, you just had to rush home, make an appointment at the doctors, maybe hide in shame for a few days just until you could figure out what the hell to do with all this! Once again you wedged the tests in your back pocket and nearly tripped, cracking open the door to face your boss. "Iona, I gotta get home."

"Seriously, Y/N?? Why? What is with you?"

"Please, I swear I will make it up to you, I'll take a double shift, I'll wash your damn car-"

"Oh no, nuh-uh. Not until you tell me why you're being such a spaz," she practically shouted in a hissing whisper, absolutely exasperated. You teens and your drama, when she always said she wanted to fell young again this is NOT what she meant!  

"Listen i-... iyay amyay egnantpray," you whispered. Pig latin. It was a little code you two usually reserved for secrets. Well, that and talking smack about snotty customers. But wow was this a big ol' secret. 

Iona covered her mouth. Oh, you little idiot! You poor little idiot. Looking over at the unsuspecting boyfriend she sighed, looking you in the eyes. She wanted to just tell you to come clean to your man. The boy hung around you constantly, you two were the ultimate it-couple, there wasn't even sparks it was like watching supernovas. Something this big.. it shouldn't be left in the dark!

But that pitiful expression on your face just begged her to keep quiet, and frankly it wasn't her place to tell you what to do- well, at least in this regard. "Alright, alright. This saturday you're taking my night time shift, there's a big concert I wanna go to. And you gotta wax my car, it's gettin' nasty. And you better write the best damn apology note in the history of apology notes, sweetie. This is huge, you better come clean to him eventually, or I'll kick your little butt you hear me?"

"Yes. Absolutely, fine, deal. Just please, please keep him busy, I'm not ready to tell him," you whined, clutching the door. Frankly it sounded like a piss poor plan, but it couldn't be helped, not right now at least. You didn't have the strength to confront the situation head on, you were barely keeping it together. You wanted to cry all over, jump into his arms and come clean now, but this was neither the time or place.

As soon as Iona went to go over to Paul you stuffed the tests into your purse and bolted out the back door, only this time stealth was not on your side. Right at the mouth of the alleyway, just as you were about to be home free- you ran smack dab into a particularly lithe blonde that felt like a brick wall. You went flying onto the ground, your purse crashing onto concrete with a hundred pieces of your privacy going every direction. In a panic you began to rapidly stuff it all back, barely able to hide the first two tests as you threw some half baked apology Marko's way. Honestly he deserved a better one than that, but you were too frazzled to be fair at the moment.

"Oh shit, Y/N," Marko exclaimed, immediately kneeling down to help you gather the scattered remains of your purse. "Sorry, I didn't even see you, I was coming back for a smoke. Big Ed is such a douche, can you believe theres no smoking on the-..." His words trailed off, and you shortly saw why. Grasped between his pointer finger and thumb was the little pink strip, and a look of complete disbelief. All you could do was snatch it from him, a heavy moment of silence magically muffling the wild noise and shouts of the busy boardwalk. 

"Do...D-Don't worry about it. Look, I gotta get home, I'll see you arou-," you started, trying to jump up, maybe catch him off guard and make a run for it. Not this time. 

You hadn't even noticed he grabbed your wrist, it was such a blur. He stayed silent, standing up and looking right into your eyes with hidden malcontent. You swore if you answered wrong this mischievous cat would tear your throat out. After all, you were his best friend's girl. If you did anything, ANYTHING, to hurt him... Well, let's just say a pregnancy would be the least of your worries. "Why are you running, Y/N? What the hell is this thing," he asked quietly, eyes flickering between red and blue. "Did you…?"

"Oh don't fuckin' even," You snapped, smacking his arm, yanking your hand out of his grasp. "Of course not! You butt! God, are you serious? What do you take me for- No! I- fuck I just- no!" You kick the tin trash can beside you, watching a plethora of trash fly into the air. "I am freaking out! Of course it's Paul's. Oh fucking god, it's Paul's and I don't know what to do!"

Marko's expression softened, placing a hand on your shoulder. "Hey, I didn't mean to make it sound like that, Y/N. Paul's my friend, I just had to be sure you weren't sneaking around, you know?"

You sighed, pushing back your mess of a hair with misty eyes. This was perfect, a real big screw up from start to finish. All you could do was look over at Marko with pleading eyes. "You can't tell him yet. Please, just please please PLEASE, Marko, don't tell Paul yet!"

"Tell me what, babe?"

Shit. Shit on a stick. You looked behind to see Paul halfway out the back door with a look of concern, one that he rarely carried. You and your dumb mouth, go figure.

The blonde pushed through and let the door close behind him, looking over at his best bud standing alone with his girlfriend who was begging him to keep something secret, from him no less.

 "Marko?"

"Nah, nah, don't look at me man, this is all on you guys," he sighed, hands up in a shielding motion. "Good luck buddy. Gotta go, Y/N." with that the young vampire excused himself from this melting pot of drama, hands stuffed in his pockets. 

You just stood there, keeping the little strip tightly grasped behind your back. Paul was silent, but glancing at his hands you saw they were balled so tight his knuckles were white. "P-paul…," you hesitated, biting down on your bottom lip. "I should really… get home.."

Paul only raised a brow, glancing at your arms still tucked behind you. This wasn't like you to hide from him, and that alone frightened him. Nothing had ever frightened him before. And he didn't like the taste of it one bit. "What's behind your back, babe?"

"What?"

Again his spoke, this time his voice lowered into a low growl. "What... do you have... behind your back, babe?" The way he said it was so firm, it made you shake a little. You didn't like stern Paul. They way he hissed the word "babe", practically spoken through clenched teeth

Your throat ached, eyes darting across the ground struggling to think up a good excuse. Anything. A book, your purse, a surprise for him! Anything!

"N-nothing." Apparently, you failed to find any excuses. Great.

Paul's knuckles began to crack, jumping forward to try and snatch it from behind you. When you dodged him, he grew even more furious. You both began to struggle, pushing him away, insisting he just stop and let you leave. But every attempt to reject him only upset him further. Why were you hiding things from him?! How could you just ditch him at the record store when he was worried sick about you??

The struggle built up until finally he had enough. His eyes turned white with rings of fire, brow looming heavily over his eyes and fangs jutting out where his incisors once were. In a flash he grabbed you by you wrists, pinning you so hard to the wall it shook. You still tried to struggle. Thrash, kick, squirm! Steel wished it could be so strong, your muscles ached. This probably wasn't even his full strength, but it dwarfed you in comparison. This terrifying side of Paul you had certainly seen before, but never had you been on the receiving end. It was in all sense of the word, predatorial. He'd never try to kill you, but you still felt that horror build up inside. Rapid, sharp breaths made your chest heave, too afraid to look up at those red eyes still fixated on whatever you kept hidden from him. He continued to pry your stubborn fingers open, ignoring your shaking whimpers. He squoze your wrist, the tendons aching and contracting until your fingertips began to lift up. Any resistance was pretty much useless at this point, but dammit you still tried everything to worm out of his grip. But he had finally had it, you weren't gonna be keeping secrets from him. Now your last finger was pushed off, and he could see what was so damn important that you physically fought him to keep it secret. It was almost slow motion the way the strip spun to the ground, clattering down and landing beside his mud caked boots. He froze, slowly looking down at it. That's it? That's all you-...

You could barely read his face, so many different emotions flashing across it all at once. Occasionally he'd look back up at you, then back down at it. To the point you almost got annoyed that you were still being stuck to a wall while the reality set in. After all, it didn't take a rocket scientist to know what that was, just put you down already!

Paul looked at you still pinned beneath him, horrified at how he lost his temper and immediately released you. Still rubbing away the pain across your wrists, you watched him pick it up. A wave of guilt swarmed your body, you didn't know whether to hug him or punt him in the chest.

Hell, a massive tidal wave of guilt overflowed him too. It'd been such a long time since he got that angry.. but worst of all he'd never been like that with you. Never grabbed you so forcefully and ignored your pleas, it was a dark side of him he never wanted to display in front of you. Glancing at the little pink plus at the end of the stick, his mind swirled with a plethora of questions. But slowly he stood up, looking down at you still really trying to process everything that had happened in the past few minutes. "I don't… I don't understand.."

"You- You are such an ass," you shouted out of nowhere, enough that it made him jump. There you were. That's the fiery girl he knew, not the one he exactly wanted to be on the opposing side of at the moment, though.

Paul wasn't surprised you were pissed, but he definitely didn't expect you to start punching his arm. Again. Then again, and again you just kept hiting his arms, his chest, pushing and crying, you were so mad you wanted to chuck him in the ocean! It didn't really hurt that much, but he felt awful he drove you to that point.

Tears blurred your vision as you lashed out on him. All you could do was yell names between sobs, even whack him with your purse. "Paul, you absolute jerk! Butt! Jackass! You smarmy, half wit, blood-sucking tool! You said you were packing blanks, you absolute liar! I was gonna tell yo-! I mean, I know I shouldn't have run-! But you just couldn't wait- and then Marko- and you! You ! Jerk ! Butthead !"

"Hey, ow! Ow! Ow, dammit! I know, I know I went to far-ow not the hair dammit," he demanded, grabbing your arms before you could lay another mighty blow. "Babe! Babe, stop! I thought I was! I swear I didn't know- I-..I never thought that I could get you...." His hands slowly released your shoulders, moving to your hips. "I'm so sorry, baby. I swear, I didn't know.. I'm so sorry."

The way his voice softened only made you want to cry more. This whole day was a mess. You didn't mean to try and run.. You never should've tried to in the first place. God, you were so tired. All this running around, all this secrecy, the fighting, it was exhausting. Paul was the last person you wanted to fight. Sure you had spats and a few heated arguments. Every couple did, even vampires. But this, it was just so.m draining. With a firm thud you plopped your forehead on his sternum, your fingers tightly clinging to the upper sleeves of his jacket. "Wh-what am I supposed to do-… what are we supposed to do now..?"

Paul pondered his options with a solemn face, but there was only one that made him happy. Only one that sat right in his heart. What else could he possibly do, there was only ever going to be one answer even if you told him right away. Most of all, he couldn't stand the sorrow in your eyes. A frown never suited such a beautiful face. He never expected there to be anything to come from your heavy sexcapades, it never seemed like there was any risks in it. He'd never seen a vampire munchkin, least of all he'd never even heard of a vamp conceiving with a human. All he knew now is you, crying in his arms, terrified of what you were carrying. What it could mean. In that moment, he steeled his resolve and came to a final decision.

Silently he tilted your chin up, using his thumb to brush away all those tears staining your cheeks. Those blue eyes, you could get lost in them. Swallowed up by the sea. It wasn't hard to read his mind when he held onto your hip with one hand, while the other that pushed away salty droplets now cupped your cheek. Within moments you crashed your mouth into his, wrapping your arms around the back of his neck.

Warm. A surge of heat filled your body. It was the first time you felt truly alive all day. You could feel your chest heave against his, you didn't want any space between the two of you and only pressed tighter until there wasn't anything left. Each kiss gave momentary breath before you dove in for more. Neither of you could stop. You didn't want to pull away, not even for a split second. The way he smelled, the way he tasted, the way he touched you, the way he felt beneath your fingers; it made your head spin. His hands began to wander, you clutched at anything you could get a hold of. Your body burned, so sweet and long. In those moments the world stopped, it just melted away in streams of light. No one was there but you two. 

It was over too soon, both of you rapidly panting for breath still intertwined. Oh, how you could stare into his eyes forever.

That frown was long gone, replaced by a tender smile. The one he had come to cherish. Paul chuckled softly, breathlessly nuzzling against your collar bone. Slowly he leaned in close to your ear, his disheveled blonde hair brushing up against your cheeks. Lips trailed up flesh, reavhing just beneath your ear. And then you heard those three forbidden words. Such sweet, tender words, you hadn't expected him to say. Although he whispered them so softly they might have gotten lost in the wind, to you they were as clear as the moon on a cloudless night.

"Y/N.... I love you."

It made your heart throb, you thought you might even faint. A lifetime of struggles led up to this beautiful moment. You never expected it to be a half-undressed heavy make out session with your vampire lover, the father of your unborn spawn, in the back alley of a record store on the Santa Carla Boardwalk. But here you were, nestled between him and an old brick wall. Paul loved you, he had said it, he finally said those words that could destroy any doubt you had. And more than anything in the whole wide world, you knew once and for all, you loved Paul.

[returnn-of-the-mac]

FO4 Romanced Companions (+Maxson) React: SS saying "I can't do this" before having a breakdown over something that seems so small.

I’m sorry this took so long! I honestly had some pretty bad writer’s block. I’ve been working on this on and off for several weeks. I was finally able to finish the last few companions though, so we’re golden! Please enjoy!

FO4 (❤️) Companions (+Nick, Deacon, & Maxson) React: Sole Having a Breakdown

Preston:

After walking in an uncomfortable silence for several hours, Preston decided to address it. He turned around to see Sole lagging behind.

“Babe, is everything alright?” the Colonel asked, concerned, “You haven’t been yourself today.”

Sole frowned and looked at the ground.

“[Name]?”

Sole lugged themself over to their lover and collapsed in his arms. Preston was surprised, but immediately composed himself.

“Shh, it’s okay,” he cooed, “Let it out.”

“I can’t do this!” Sole sobbed.

Preston held Sole and let them cry. A part of them wondered if he had overwhelmed them by asking them to help so many settlements back-to-back.

“[Name], I love you. And if you’re ever feeling down or overwhelmed, just know that I’m always going to be here for you.”

Sole mustered a smile and Preston gave them a gentle peck on the cheek.

“I’m glad to see you’re feeling better.”

Piper:

“Hey slowpoke! Hurry up,” the reporter teased, “I don’t have all day!”

Sole frowned and ignored the comment. They were too busy trying contain themselves. Unfortunately, the lack of an answer concerned Piper.

“Blue? Why so quiet? You always have a killer clapback.”

Sole— who could no longer hold back their tears— looked at the ground.

“I can’t do it.”

“Oh, Blue. Do what?” Piper asked, “Come here.”

The reporter wrapped her arms around her lover and held them close.

“It must be exhausting running around the Commonwealth 24/7. You need a break.”

Sole grunted and Piper shook her head.

“You’re not changing my mind. You need a break. Why don’t we do something fun? We can shop around Diamond City for a bit and then get some dinner?”

Sole eventually complied and the reporter beamed.

“Great! Oh man, this is so exciting! I don’t think I’ve ever been on an actual date with you, Blue!”

Cait:

Cait noticed the absence of her partner and turned around.

“Darlin?”

Sole had crumbled to the ground, tears streaming down their face.

“Ah, don’t ye start blubberin on me,” Cait whined.

Sole‘s face twisted.

“What’s the matter?”

“I can’t do this!” Sole burst, causing the redhead to shift uncomfortably.

Cait thought about what Sole had been doing lately, and immediately realized that Sole’s breakdown was stress-induced. The concerned redhead pulled her lover into her arms.

“Well, I have to give ye credit; I couldn’t even imagine runnin mission after mission. I’m sure it wears ye down.”

Sole nodded and Cait continued to hold them.

“I know I’m gonna sound like a damn hypocrite for sayin this, but you should focus on takin care of yerself. I love ye, and I’d hate to see ye run yerself into the ground.”

MacCready:

“Didn’t realize we’d be walking at turtle speed today,” MacCready called, “Maybe if you didn’t pick up every teddy bear you saw—”

He turned to see Sole looking down, shoulders slumped.

“[Name]?” The merc asked, concerned, “Are you…crying?”

Sole turned away from him.

“Aw come on, I was just teasing you,” MacCready reassured, wrapping an arm around their shoulder and pulling them close, “I don’t actually mind carrying your bears. I’ve got four on me as we speak.”

Sole looked at him, tears streaming down their face.

“I can’t do this!”

“Do what?”

Sole didn’t answer.

“Come on, I’m going to need some context here,” the merc pled, “Tell me what’s wrong, beautiful. I want to help you.”

Sole collapsed into their lover’s arms and began sobbing into his shoulder. MacCready held Sole, and it dawned on him that they might be having a stress-induced breakdown.

“[Name], you’ve been through so much. You need to take a break.”

Sole stared at their lover for a few moments before nodding in agreement.

“Why don’t we head back to Goodneighbor for a little while? We can get some drinks at the Third Rail and hang out with Hancock. I’m sure he’d be glad to see you.”

Sole, managing to crack a small smile, agreed, and the pair made their way toward the city.

Gage:

“Boss, why’re ya draggin your feet? Ya good?”

Sole didn’t answer. They weren’t sure they could speak without breaking down.

“Boss?”

Gage approached his lover cautiously, unable to figure out what was wrong.

“You can tell me if there’s somethin botherin you. I promise I won’t pick on ya like I do Mason because, yanno, I actually like you.”

With that, Sole threw themself into the Raider’s arms. He awkwardly held them as they cried into his chest.

“Hey, what’s the deal? Did someone mess with you? Do I gotta go kill somebody?”

Sole shook their head.

“I can’t do this!”

Gage cocked his head to the side, trying to figure out what Sole meant. After a few seconds, he finally spoke again.

“You stressed, babe,” he asked softly.

Sole nodded and to their surprise, Gage held them tighter.

“Yeah, I feel. It can be rough. But ya know what? You’re doin a hell of a good job. And I’m proud of ya. No shit.”

Sole looked up at him, and the Raider smirked.

“Now enough of this…er…mushiness. Let’s get back to business, yeah?”

Deacon:

Deacon noticed his partner’s absence and looked around. He spotted them a little ways out and and cupped his hands.

“Hey [name]! Why’re you moving so slow? Did you stub your toe or something?”

Sole looked up, but they weren’t smiling. Deacon knew something was wrong.

“C’mooon!” he pressed, approaching his lover and loosely throwing an arm around them, “Turn that frown upside down!”

Sole immediately started bawling and threw themself into their lover’s arms. The Railroad agent jumped a bit.

“Woah! Hey, are you alright? Was it something I said?”

Sole shook their head.

“I can’t do this!”

“[Name], it’s going to be okay,” Deacon stated, genuinely concerned, “You can talk to me, you know. I’m here for you!”

Sole continued to cry and Deacon stayed by their side the entire time, sympathetically rubbing their back.

“C’mon, you can get through this,” he reassured, “Are you stressed? Is that what the problem is?”

Sole nodded and Deacon thought for a moment.

“Well. Then how about we take a few days off? We can’t have you burning out!”

Sole looked at the ground.

“The world won’t burn to the ground if you relax for, like, 72 hours. Besides! We should do something fun. I think a date night is well overdue, babycakes.”

Sole rolled their eyes at the nickname, but liked the idea of having a fun little vacation with their lover.

Nick:

“Are you feeling alright, [name]? There’s something…off.”

Sole shook their head and Nick chuckled.

“Dear, I think you’re forgetting I’m a detective. I read body language for a living. Now please— if you’re comfortable, of course— would you mind telling me why you’ve been so quiet? Is there any way I can help you?”

Sole made eye contact with their lover and tears immediately began streaming down their cheeks.

“Honey?”

Sole sniffled and the detective opened his arms. Accepting the gesture, Sole latched onto their lover and cried into his jacket.

“I can’t do this.”

Nick gently rubbed Sole’s back and kissed the top of their head.

“Shh, it’s alright. Deep breaths, okay? Let’s try to calm down.”

Sole obeyed and tried to control their breathing.

“You’re obviously…stressed. Beyond that, even,” he commented, concerned, “Dear, you need to take care of yourself. Everyone needs a break, including you.”

Sole loomed up at their lover and he brushed aside strands of hair that were matted to their tear-soaked face.

“Why don’t we head back to Diamond City and have a relaxing little break, alright? We can stay at the agency. I’m sure Ellie will be delighted to see you again.”

Sole nodded and Nick looked relieved.

“Glad to see you’re onboard with this. Now how does Power Noodles for dinner tonight sound?”

Sole beamed and the detective gave them a quick kiss.

“Alright then. Lead the way.”

Curie:

“My love? Are you alright,” Curie called, backtracking toward Sole, “Are you fatigued?”

Sole shook their head, but Curie still looked concerned.

“Please, my dear, eef zomething is wrong I want to ‘elp you,” She stated, wrapping her arms around Sole, “‘ugging ees biologically good for ze mind, body, and zoul! Did you know?”

Sole immediately broke down and their lover held them tighter.

“Shhhh…” the synth soothed, rubbing Sole’s back, “Oh, [Madame/Moniessier]. I knew you were noyt yourzelf today.”

“I can’t do this.”

“Ah. You must be zo ztressed. I can’t even imagine.”

Sole continued to cry as their lover held them.

“But my dear. I ‘ave a zurprise for you.”

Sole let go of theirlover as she fished through her bag. After a few moments, she pulled out a flakey golden pastry with a red filling.

“You zaid you ‘ave a sweet tooth, [Madame/Moniessier], and I knew you were veeling down. Zo

I managed to make zome yummy tarberry tarts zis morning bevore you woke up!”

Sole looked down at the dessert, and then at their lover who was beaming. The tears of sadness quickly turned into tears of gratitude as they pulled Curie into a tight embrace.

“I’m pleased to zee zat you’re mood ‘as improved, my dear,” Curie exclaime, planting a kiss on Sole’s cheek, “I love you zo much!”

Hancock:

“Ya still back there, hot stuff?” Hancock chuckled, looking over his shoulder at his lover who was lagging behind.

Sole nodded and picked up their speed a bit. When the finally caught up to the ghoul they smiled, but their lover could tell something was off.

“You good, gorgeous?”

Sole nodded.

“You sure? I sense some pain behind those eyes.”

Sole knew the gig was up, and they immediately dropped the facade. They fell into Hancocks arms and bawled into his jacket.

“I can’t do this.”

Hancock frowned and held his lover close, rocking them slightly.

“It’s gonna be okay. You’ve just gotta...chill out a bit. Take a break. Relax.”

Sole looked up and the ghoul wiped away some stray tears. He then smiled.

“How about we head back to Goodneighbor, yeah? We can just chill out, do some chems, have a good time. You dig?”

Sole nodded and Hancock smirked.

“Excellent! That’s what I like do hear.”

Danse:

“…And at this pace we should reach our next checkpoint by 19:00.”

Danse turned around and noticed Sole lagging far behind. This was unusual.

“[Name]? Are you alright?”

Sole nodded and tried to force a smile, but their face immediately fell as tears cascaded down their face.

“I can’t do this!”

Danse felt an immediate pang of guilt.

“I’m sorry. Did I push you too hard?”

Sole shook their head and Danse frowned. He approached his lover and pulled them into a tight hug, rubbing their back to soothe them.

“You haven’t taken a break since you destroyed the Institute, have you?”

Sole muffled a ‘yes, I have’ into their lover’s chest, and Danse immediately pulled away.

He looked at Sole sternly.

“Don’t lie to me, soldier.”

Sole sighed in defeat; they knew they’d been caught. Danse frowned and enveloped them again.

“The checkpoint can wait until tomorrow. We can bivouac here for the night,” he stated, “You need to take a break.”

Sole looked up at him, as if about to argue, and he gave them a gentle peck on the nose.

“That’s an order.”

Maxson:

“How’re you holding up back there, Sentinel,” the Elder asked, concerned, “You have a distinct lack of energy today. I’m a bit worried.”

Sole tried to deny that anything was wrong, but their words got caught in their throat.

“If there’s anything I can do to make you feel better, please let me know.”

At that moment, Sole threw themselves into Maxson’s arms and started sobbing.

“Sent— [name]! What’s the matter? Why are you so upset?”

“I can’t do this!”

Maxson firmly held Sole’s shoulders and crouched to make direct eye contact with them.

“Whatever’s troubling you, [name], please let me know. I want to help you.”

Sole sniffled, but Maxson held their gaze.

“Is it stress-related?”

Sole nodded and Maxson closed his eyes. He pulled his lover into a firm embrace.

“I’m sorry. For making you do assignment after assignment. I understand you’re long overdue for some R&R, and I can respect that. Please take a rest. It’s painful to see a [man/woman] as strong as yourself fall apart.”

[angelmavmurdock]

Hey guys! I haven’t been active in a while but I’m back with a new series! This is the description and the first chapter! Enjoy! 🦋💓

-

Collette Bright (preferably known as Cole) is a trained sports therapist but hasn't enjoyed her job at all, so...she quit. But on a frantic hunt for a new job, she comes across an opening for Tom Holland's new assistant. She applies and gets it. Now, on a private plane to Berlin, who knows what this new life will bring her, success, love...or heartbreak?

-

My phone's ringtone pierced through my ears as a call came in from beside me. I groaned, reaching over to my bedside table and blindly attempting to grab my phone. Instead of picking it up, I swiped it off and onto the ground. I cursed in frustration and hung of the side of my bed, looking for the glow of my phone. Finally, I manage to find it and pick it up just in time.

"Hello?" I sigh into the phone as I sit back on my bed. I don't even know what time it is.

"Miss Bright?" A woman spoke through the phone softly.

"Yes? Who's speaking?"

"This is Tom Holland's publicist, I was told to contact you to inform you that you got the job of his assistant!" She spoke excitedly into the phone.

I sharply sat up in my bed and switched my light on next to me.

"I- I got the job?" I repeated quietly, in shock of what she just said.

"Yes! Well done, sweetie. You will need to come to Berlin right away, though I will let you know about that tomorrow."

"Will I need to buy a plane ticket or-"

"Oh no, hunny! Don't be silly, we'll get you a private plane to come over in! If you are planning on taking a significant other or a friend or even a pet, please let me know so I can sort it all out." She explained kindly.

"Great, I'll let you know tomorrow. Thank you so much!" I beamed through the phone.

"No problem. I'll call you around midday tomorrow - your time - and let you know the details, alright?"

"Perfect."

"Good stuff, I'll talk to you tomorrow!"

"Bye, thank you!"

Three beeps ended the call and I finally saw the time: 04:34am.

I was going to work for Tom Holland.

I'm getting a private plane.

I'm moving.

Holy shit.

***

"Wait what?! You're working for Tom fucking Holland now?" Oona asked, dumbfounded.

I nodded, bringing my phone and breakfast over to our table and sat down opposite her. She was dressed for her fancy fashion job and was scrolling through her phone to kill time.

"I can't believe this. Why didn't you tell me you applied?" She questioned, sitting her phone down and looking at me with her enchanting green eyes.

Oona was the type of girl you wanted to be. Long blonde hair, big green eyes, perfect skin, amazing fashion sense, a great body, an extremely attractive boyfriend, a cool job and money. She had it all. Why she still lives with me is beyond me. I couldn't even tell you how we became friends. It just...happened. But since whenever that was, I've always been the ugly one. I'm not actually ugly...I just look ugly next to her.

"I didn't think I was going to get it! It just sort of happened." I shrugged.

"I can't believe you're moving out." She pouted her plump, pink lips.

I rolled my eyes, "It means your boyfriend can come over and you can make as much noise as you like."

She scoffed a laugh and kicked me under the table.

"What! I still don't know why you aren't living with him yet." I giggled.

She sighed, "I don't know."

"Well he's hot and he treats you good. Unlike other." I widened my eyes.

"Shut up, you haven't even been in a relationship, Cole." She retorted, standing up and clicking in her heels to grab her bag.

"Wow, I've never heard that one before!" I laughed.

She shook her head with a smile, "I hate you." She said before striding to the door of our apartment.

"Bye!" I called.

"Bye!" She shouted back before closing the door.

I went onto my phone and began scrolling though on instagram. A post by Tom came up.

tomholland2013: {shirtless photo}

Workin' hard or hardly workin'?

Oh wow.

I signed for this job 2 months ago and forgot how gorgeous he was. Oh man. I liked the picture and skimmed through the comments. Jake Gyllenhaal, Zendaya and his brother had all commented. I forget how famous he actually is. I mean he's a year older than me and he has nearly 40 million followers and is extremely successful. I continued with my scrolling through insta and tried to forget that shirtless photo that was probably now engrained in my head.

He's my new boss.

My boss.

Shirtless.

I find my new boss hot.

Shirtless.

I couldn't stop thinking about it. I went back onto the photo and admired it.

This is creepy, stop Cole.

But I couldn't stop. He had gotten so much fitter for his new movie Uncharted and he looked amazing. He was my new boss...

I slowly started to zoom up on a certain area but the notification I got stopped me in my tracks.

tomholland2013 started following you.

What the fuck...

Does he know who I am? He must if he hired me. But he didn't really hire me, his team did. Oh god does he know I was stalking him?

A million thoughts ran through my head in a matter of seconds before they were cleared by more notifications.

tomholland2013 liked your post.

tomholland2013 liked your post.

Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! This can't be happening...

tomholland2013 wants to send you a message.

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

I gulped and went to my DM requests. I slowly clicked on his and it popped up on my screen.

tomholland2013: Hey, you're my new assistant aren't you? If not then I've just made a fool of myself 😅