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#ya a great bunch of beans who will go far!
kth1 · 3 years
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new game for you 🕹️😚 tag seven mutuals that remind you of the bts members and why
i'm going to take your request and raise you a reaction meme with each member too! i'll try to make connective ideas and make it make sense - if i can. however, i kinda have a preset of lovely beans who i associate to the members because i slowly adapted to this way.
below the cut for the cuties:
@jinsgalaxy // kim seokjin - sarvi is the jin to my tae. even though her and i have fallen out of daily communication, i still support the heck outta her and know she will do wonders! she works hard in school and even harder for her family. she gives me the general "responsible" adulting vibes that i admire. and a bashful but confident stride. such a sweet gal and deserves everything!
reaction meme that represents sarvi for me:
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@out-of-jams // min yoongi - rea. sparkling star that dislikes cheesy and abrasive things yet enjoys the praise and love of the people that support her. her and i tend to have vastly different opinions, yet somehow vibe really well with another. her constant push while i provide the shove. big brains and talented in her own ways, she's a spicy gal you wouldn't want to cross the wrong way. radiates the most yoongi vibes i have ever been seen.
reaction meme that represents rea for me:
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@kooseokss // jung hoseok - smol lil betty bean. a treasure to have and one of the most soft, adorable and sweetest of hearts comes from her. will fight for any of her friends and lay down the law of justice when need to. nothing but comfort and a magical garden full of the brightest butterflies is exactly what betty radiates. excited and supportive, she is one of the best people to talk to when you need someone to lift you up.
reaction meme that represents betty for me:
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@joontopia // kim namjoon - jess is the joon i need in my life. her energy is equivalent to the energy of namjoon breaking things. the way she plays off her "im fines" when chaos - she has created - gets outta hand is exactly the look of when namjoon's eyes go wide from something silly he said/did. she has a strong logical side to her which i appreciate, and more importantly i thank the amount of times she has heard me rant on endless amounts of nonsense. completely versatile and quick to adjust to new settings, she's that perfect mix of ambivert!
reaction meme that represents jess for me:
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@ppersonna // park jimin - she is without a doubt, a strong jimin complex. open, bubbly, and sociable on the highest power. the amount of affection and love lindy provides to everyone is something you should never take for granted. probably one of the most active and supporting people i have had the honor of meeting. in my eyes, she is selfless, considerate, reliable, and in her own way a perfectionist with no shame whatsoever. legit like a soulmate, she is the jimin to my tae.
reaction meme that represents lindy for me:
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@baepsaesbae // kim taehyung - nikki, the young and brave. such an adventurous and compassionate soul. she give off taehyung vibes to me because of the creativity and elaborate changes she pursues. a dork at heart, she is soft and kind. always with a modest temperament and honestly an intuitive and deep thinker - much like taehyung (imo). she is always down to have fun times and accepts the silly sides of everyone around!
reaction meme that represents nikki for me:
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@jeonsweetpea // jeon jungkook - dawn. the sweet, kind, and excitable dawn! multitalented, always wanting to keep moving forward, and creating memories are just some of dawn's strong suits. she really is the cute bean that takes care of the ones she holds close and makes sure you will know your worth. always willing to hear you out and super ambitious, i believe dawn is a wonderful form of jeon that i need!
raction meme that represents dawn for me:
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Text
Every step.
When - right before the gang goes to Alexandria. Time jump again, whoo! For more parts to the story, check out the list.
Perspective - 3rd person Daryl’s POV, followed by 2nd person POV (*decided to merge the two parts into one because it made more sense*)
Relationships - Daryl x reader. The gang is there, as always, but they’re in the barn while you and the guy who’s afraid of peanut butter are chilling outside.
Genre - a little bit of everything. Angsty and fluffy.
Pronouns - she/her (part of the female story line starting with the story called The Interview)
TWs - some language, self-loathing (it’s Daryl, y’all), heavier themes.
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“You good?”
“...Y-yeah.”
Nah, he wasn’t buying it. She’d frozen up and put a hand on her stomach, what was going on?
He sits up. “C’mon, what’s wrong? There any pain?”
“No, no pain, there’s n-nothin’, it’s all fine, it’s just, um,” she shakes her head and keeps looking down at her stomach.
She was too damned thin now. Everyone was, sure, but it was different with her. Not that she would be showing much by now, but shit, she needed to eat and sleep.
Hold up, what’d she just mumble? Something about earlier and expected?
“Hm?”
What’s that look on her face? Happy? Sad? “Sometimes women feel them movin’ way earlier than expected,” she repeats softly. “Lori felt Judith early, too.”
Wait. Already? Was that even possible? “You just felt it move?”
She looks him in the eyes with a dazed smile and shrugs. “I just felt them move. Yeah.”
Her expression is calm as she as she settles her gaze back to the fields through the treeline. Gentle.
Goddamn, it’d been too long since he’d seen her look so…peaceful?
Before he thinks about what he’s asking, he says “Can I feel?”
Alright, he wasn’t so sure what that new expression she had for a second was, but it was gone now. “Others won’t be able to feel them until later,” she hesitates.
He bows his head. He shouldn’t have jumped to anything. Especially since it was his fault that this had happened to her. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Just had some applesauce like I been craving, I’m great.”
Well, she was one to keep things light. And yeah, she’d made that guy Aaron eat a whole bunch of the applesauce he’d brought to prove that it wasn’t poisoned, so Rick had filled him in. Whatever, he was relieved; she hadn’t been able to stomach the dog meat they’d had a week or so back, so that she had finally eaten something substantial was what mattered. She likes squirrel, but they’ve been few and far between. Plus with the nausea...
“Too bad we ain’t found no playdough for ya, too” he tries to tease. She’d been joking about craving that as well. Those and peanut shells. She needed more some damned vitamins, tell you what.
Wait, there was that expression was again, but just as fast it was gone again. And to his relief, she then smiles. A real one.
“Mm, a basket of playdough and hushpuppies sounds real good. Maybe some modeling clay for dessert.” She chuckles. “And we’ll find you some pig’s feet to snack on, too, don’t you worry.”
“Shit yeah, get you a peanut butter tomato sandwich, me some barbecue beans, grill up a squirrel, toss in some butter puff corn and peanut shells on the side. Maybe some sketti if we're feeling fancy,” he teased. Her accent was more hick than his own.
“Gotdang, but are we classy or what?” she drawls extra-hard.
“Only if we drink watered-down orange powerade and lukewarm root beer out of a dixie cup.”
She makes a face in response (she thinks root beer is too sweet, can you believe it?) and snorts back “That there’s some fine dining. We'll have us some knock-off ambrosia for dessert.”
The invisible string in his chest makes a small tug toward her.
They sit in silence as they were before and listen to the breeze and the birds singing while the gentle murmur from the others talking over in the barn makes its way out to them. She’d joined him out here a while ago. She didn’t like leaving him alone, not since she found him, um…when he did that thing to his hand with the cigarette. He doesn’t know why he did that. He just did.
She makes a tiny, sharp inhale. “They’re doin’ it again.”
He felt that little twinge in his chest when she said that. And all he can do next is just look at her. Even if shocked, she looks…happy somehow. That’s all that mattered right now.
“Hey man, I got somethin’ on my face or what?”
Shit, she’d caught him staring. God, he was a stupid asshole.
“No — honey, please don’t give me that look,” she mutters. “Everybody’s been givin’ me that look, man.”
He knew the look. He didn’t like it either. “M’sorry.”
Then she makes what almost sounds like a whimper. “And now you’re doing that thing, Daryl—” Her breath hitches and she swallows. Shit, was she about to cry? Her voice is rough when she finally speaks. “It ain’t your damned fault. You hear me? None of what happened to any of us is your fault.”
He doesn’t know what to say to that. He doesn’t know what the fuck to do about any of this. And yes, it was his damned fault. For every life at the prison that hadn’t made it out, that shit was on him. For Hershel. Beth. Tyreese. Bob. And for what happened to her. It was all on him because his stupid, worthless ass couldn’t track down the governor.
Just like he couldn’t track down his own brother. Just like he couldn’t track down Sophia. God damn him, and one of the last things that she’d said to Beth before they were separated was “Stay with him! He’ll keep you safe!”
Yeah, look how that turned out. And then to top it off, he’d tagged along with the same men who’d ra—fuck, he didn’t want to think about that shit. Bottom line, every goddamned thing was his f—
“—May I see your hand, please?” she softly requests, and his mind goes quiet.
He holds out both for her, unsure of what to do or what this meant. She looks nervous when she reaches for the one he’d burned and takes it into hers. She gently rubs her thumb along his and stares at the gauze she’d wrapped around it. Mumbling, she tells him “Thank you for lettin’ me bandage it.”
He wants to kiss it. He wants to kiss her hand and tell her that he’ll be there every step of the way. There’s so much shit he wished he’d been able to say to her before it all happened. And so much he wants to tell her now but can’t. So he doesn’t.
The only thing he’s able to do is muster the courage to look her in the eyes again. She notices and returns his gaze, frowning slightly.
But then she makes this little laugh, of all things. “Oh Moses, here I am givin’ you that same look I hate getting, ain’t I?” She sighs. “C’mon, while they’re movin’, tell me if you feel anything, okay?” And just like that, she places his hand on her stomach and presses down on his fingers, away from the bandage so that she wouldn’t hurt him. 
He almost forgets all about the feelings in his own stomach as he holds his breath. But…he doesn’t feel any movement or nothing. Not that he thought he would actually feel something this early on, but…
“Hey. Where’d you go, lazy punk?” she whispers to herself, back in that happy/unsure daze. Another sigh and a shrug, and she lets go of his hand.
When he finds his voice, he asks her “What’s it feel like?”
“Sort of like a muscle twitch, but…” A smile. “Tiny wiggles.” She then blinks as if waking herself up and further explains “S-some women describe it as little bubbles or flutters at first.” A pause. “You should might feel ’em in three months or so.”
Three months or so. Okay. Damn but if doesn’t want to wait that long. Did that make him an asshole? A horrible person? “What determines all that stuff?”
“It, um, it depends on some things,” she replies. “The weight, body shape, and body composition of the mother,” she starts, gesturing to herself. “Then the, um, their own positioning, too,” she goes on, pointing to her stomach before she rests her hand upon it again, and they resume their silence. 
The breeze feels nice.
“You tired?” he asks.
She waves her hand. “Eh, ain’t we all, Dary-bear?”  Oh man, it’d been a while since she’d used that one. She did it to bug him or whatever, just like Carol did with “pookie,” but he didn’t mind it. Them doing that made him feel like he was wanted, if that makes sense. 
Now she’s adjusting that big, old watch she still wore that had belonged to Dale. Goddamn if that didn’t feel like a fucking lifetime ago. Still wore her big brother’s chain, too. Kept one of T-Dog’s shirts. Lori’s belt. One of Beth’s bracelets. Used Tyrese's hammer. Hershel's stethoscope. Andrea's pistol. Had a broken mug that used to be Jacqui’s. Hell, they all still had (and used) those little walkie-talkies that she’d given to Amy.
“Daryl, are you worried about goin’ to that place, too?” 
She mean the place that Aaron was taking them? Of course he was worried. But he didn’t want to make her any more stressed than she already was. “Nah.”
“I call bull.”
He didn’t mean to grumble in response, but old habits, right? And as he expects, she mimics his grumbling and that makes him smile. She was good at making him smile. “I don’t trust it,” he concedes. “But I ain’t scared.”
She makes a little snort. “I don’t doubt that. You even scared of anythin’ other than chupacabras?”
Fuck’s sake, he loved her so goddamned much. “Ain’t never said I was scared of ’em, just that I saw one.”
“Mmhm — oh wait, I remember! You’re scared of peanut butter,” she razzes, giggling.
Shit, but her laugh is fantastic. He loves it when she makes stupid jokes and cracks herself up. And he hasn’t heard her do it that freely in, fuck, how long? He isn’t sure if it was a few days or a few weeks. Hell, even if it was a few hours, that was too long. He couldn’t get enough of that sound, especially now.
Making fun of her back, he grunts “Comin’ from the one who swam in socks ’cause she was convinced there was a quarry monster.”
“Hey. Socks and a t-shirt and shorts, don’t you be leaving that part out, mangy hick.”
“Watch your mouth, troublemakin’ slowpoke,” he taunted back.
He loved her so much. So, so damned much.
Maybe that’s why he was able to find it in himself to reach for her hand. Slowly and carefully; he didn’t want to scare her or anything. He just wanted to hold it for a second. Just long enough to make sure she knew that “We’re all gonna be there with ya. Every step.” 
And when he lets go of her hand and faces forwards again, holy shit his heart is pounding. Did he overstep or whatever? Did he scare her?
“I know,” she nods politely, arms crossed. “We’re a family, right?”
I’m gonna be with you every step. I’m gonna be there for that kid every step. I love you, okay? I love you so damn much. But instead of saying any of this (because he can’t. He just can’t.), he thinks of what she would do. What might at least make her smile.
So, he nudges her in the shoulder. And she nudges him back. He lightly nudges her again and calls her name – and before he can second guess it and shut himself down and hide away again, he says “I’m gonna be there. Every step. W-whatever you need. Okay?”
She doesn’t respond, though, except to bite her lip and nod.
“M’serious. Every damned step. For both of ya.”
There’s a pause. “I know,” she repeats, her tone of voice softer. “Thank you.” Then she elbows him again, of course. His heartbeat might still be racing a mile a minute, but he feels lighter. Hopeful almost, he guesses. And quiet settles between them again, but in a good way.
When he peeks over at her once more, her eyes are closed and she’s leaning her head back against the tree.
Is she…snoring?
“You fallin’ asleep?”
Her eyes open with a jolt and she flinches, but as soon as she comes to, she raises her eyebrows and chuckles at herself. Stretching, she admits “Mm, might could be.”
“You wanna stay here or head back to the barn?”
She opens her mouth to answer – but before she can make a sound, Michonne’s voice interrupts and calls out their names from the barn. They want everyone back inside to discuss something.
“Reckon that answers that, hm?” she half-jokes.
Yup.
He stands up first and extends his hand down to help her. And just as he’s about to let her hand go, he stops. Squeezes it once.
“Every step,” he mumbles into her ear. “I promise.”
_______________________________________________________
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What? Are you dreaming?
“You good?” you hear him ask.
I don’t know! Holy shit, man!  “Y-yeah.”
In your peripheral vision, you can see him sit up. “C’mon, what’s wrong?” More urgently, he questions “There any pain?”
No, but I think I’m hallucinating or something I don’t know! “No, no pain, there’s n-nothin’, it’s all fine, it’s just, um…” You have to shake your head. That little wiggly/twitchy sensation is still going on.
Not that it was impossible; it most certainly was possible. It was simply (definitely) on the uncommon side. You’d just felt them move.
“I’m just a little surprised,” you manage to get out. “They’re movin’ earlier than expected.”
Lord above, you can scarcely believe those words are coming out of your mouth. And then, as if hearing you, the sensation stops.
He doesn’t respond right away. When he does, all it is is a “Hm?”
“Sometimes women feel them movin’ way earlier than expected,” you repeat softly. “Lori felt Judith early, too.”
“You just felt it move?”
Looking him in the eyes, you shrug. “I just felt them move.” Now you’re smiling. “Yeah.”
Somehow, you feel calm now. At peace. Happy, even. Somehow.
You send up a quick prayer and close your eyes to listen to the breeze.
“Can I feel?” he appears to blurt out.
Damn it. Why did he have to sound so gentle and – and eager when he asked that?
You aren’t in any place for that confusing shit, not now. And God save you, you care about him so much. So damned much it hurts. But to hear that genuine care and softness in his voice is confusing. You aren’t in a good place to deal with that right now. And that makes you feel worse.
“Others won’t be able to feel them until later,” you try to respond in a normal way.
It didn’t work. When you subtly glance over, he’s biting his lip and has his head down.
Of all the people walking on eggshells around you, his doing so pained you the most. How to explain it, um…well, see, Rick blamed himself for what happened, too. But Rick hadn’t been beaten down and spat on his whole life. Daryl, on the other hand…
“You sure you’re okay?” he checks quietly.
Keep it light, help him relax again. For both your sakes. “Just had some applesauce like I been craving, I’m great.”
He makes a little hum. “Too bad we ain’t found no playdough for ya, too.”
Of course he’s trying to cheer you up, too. You close your eyes again and remind yourself that you’re just hormonal, which is fine. You love him because he’s family and a very good friend. Right? You love everyone in your family. You’d simply been attracted to him and close, which is why you are upset right now when you consider that before all this happened, there might’ve been more.
God save you, you love him so much.
And like, fuck, what do you want? You still flinch when some of the men catch you off guard, even little Noah. When they manage to catch you off guard; you were so on edge all the time.
You’re hormonal and exhausted now because you’re pregnant and have gone through some shit, and that’s okay. Things will get better, and you have support. But it’s wise to guard your heart.
And yes, you definitely can smile about how you’ve been quite literally drooling over the idea of eating some playdough. Ooh, or that art clay that comes in those little strips! Mm, and peanut shells.
Oh Moses, you need some more vitamins.
“Mm, a basket of playdough and hushpuppies sounds real good. Maybe some modeling clay for dessert,” you joke. Cracking up, you add “And we’ll find you some pig’s feet to snack on, too, don’t you worry.”
“Shit yeah, get you a peanut butter tomato sandwich, me some barbecue beans, grill up a squirrel, toss in some butter puff corn and peanut shells on the side. Maybe some sketti if we're feeling fancy,” he teases. It is pretty funny how you talk more hick than he does.
You rev up the accent to really commit to the bit. “Gotdang, but are we classy or what?”
“Only if we drink watered down orange powerade and lukewarm root beer out of a dixie cup.”
The string in your chest tugs toward him.
He knows that you aren’t the biggest fan of root beer, but it sure as heck went nicely with Southern Comfort that one time, tell you what.
You make a face, then snort “That there’s some fine dining. We'll have us some knock-off ambrosia for dessert.”
A natural quiet settles between you two. You listen to the breeze and the twittering of the birds and thank God that no sounds of walkers were interrupting this moment. Hard to believe that that storm had been so bad just some days ago. But now, everything seems okay, minus that Aaron guy. No migraine, no one is sick, Judith’s belly is full, Noah’s ankle hasn’t worsened, and all seems calm, at least out here.
The others are in the barn right now probably discussing what Aaron was proposing.
Being outside is preferable.
What’s more is that, even if that wasn’t how Bob had been kidnapped, leaving Daryl alone isn’t something you feel comfortable with doing right now. Not since you’d caught him burning his hand with a cigarette.
You have personal experience with being in so dark a place; you don’t want him to be left alone for too long. Who knows what other actions he might take against himself?
It could turn out like that time you’d left Andrea with Beth – shoot, why did you have to go and dredge up their memories when your emotions were already running so high? Shoot, now you’re thinking about Dr. Jenner and Jacqui, too, and you’re fixing to spiral down, shit, shit, shit, not now, please not now —
—But just like that, you snap out of it upon feeling that twitching sensation again. The reason you’d kept living. As fucked up as it sounded, they are what helped you climb out of that dark place you’d been in. Them and Carl. And now you could feel them. “They’re doin’ it again.”
You feel his eyes on you after saying this. And when you turn your head, he’s staring.
What’s that about then? What’s with that look he’s got?
“Hey man, I got somethin’ on my face or what?”
And as soon as you say it, his expression changes into that same damned look that everyone has been giving you. That pitiful stare.
“No, honey — please don’t give me that look,” you rasp. “Everybody’s been givin’ me that look, man.” You know that it’s coming from a good place, but for fuck’s sake, you’re so tired and scared and you just wish that everyone would cheer up and stop dragging you back down with that godforsaken, defeated, pitiful, guilty stare!
“M’sorry,” he mumbles back.
Shit, but now he’s doing that other thing! That thing where it’s as if he’s expecting to be slapped across the face or screamed at. You hate how he sounds so fucking broken and beaten down, and that ends up being enough to break the dam you’d been trying so hard to keep in.
“And now you’re doing that thing, Daryl—" Shoot, please don’t cry. Don’t cry. Swallow and try to breathe slowly. Now tell him. Remind him that it’s not his fault. “It ain’t your damned fault. You hear me? None of what happened to any of us is your fault.”
Not for Hershel, not for any of the souls lost at the prison, not for Bob, not for Tyreese, and still no, not for Beth, and still no, not for what happened to you. He is not to blame. That “governor” was and those “Claimers” were, end of story.
The tightness in your throat eases, and you ask him softly “May I see your hand, please?”
He holds them out and you nervously reach for the one he’d burned. Daryl is safe and won’t hurt you. None of your family will. You find yourself rubbing your thumb along his as you check to see if he needs fresh gauze yet. He’s been that close to giving himself third degree burns. “Thank you for lettin’ me bandage it.”
He says nothing, but you feel his eyes on you again and are brave enough to return his gaze. Your poor, broken friend who you loved so, so much. Is it unhealthy that you have the urge to kiss his hand? That you hope it would help him not want to hurt himself again?
Oh heck, now you’re giving him the look, aren’t you? And like a weirdo, you’re now laughing at yourself. Aaand, the wiggling sensation is back.
“Oh Moses, here I am givin’ you that same look I hate getting, ain’t I?” First, you have to just sigh and shake your head. And next, hand to God, you’re even brave enough to place his hand on your stomach.
“C’mon. While they’re movin’, tell me if you feel anything, okay?” And with that, you press down on his fingers in the spot you feel movement, mindful to not touch his bandage.
And yes, okay, maybe it’s not like Daryl’s gonna feel them moving since at the moment who’s in there is too small to be felt from the outside. It just feels right to do.
Oh. Rude.
Daryl wouldn’t be able to feel even if you were further along, considering that the wiggling has stopped. “Hey. Where’d you go, lazy punk?” you mutter.
Voice deep and curious, he wonders “What’s it feel like?”
“Sort of like a muscle twitch, but…” You smile. “Tiny wiggles.” Oops, you’re staring into space. Dang but you’re tired and still in a daze about all this. “S-some women describe it as little bubbles or flutters at first.” And considering the normal gestation time for palpable movement to occur… “You should might feel ’em in three months or so.”
He turns his body towards you. “What determines all that stuff?”
“It, um, it depends on some things. The weight, body shape, and body composition of the mother. Then the, um,” and you gesture to your stomach. “Their own positioning, too.”
You sit back again. It’s probably a good time to rewind your watch. The little piece of Dale that you still had. You wish he were here. Would he have survived the prison’s falling and Terminus, you wonder? And what would he think about Aaron? What would your brother have, for that matter?
As you twist the little dial on the watch, you feel troubled.
“Daryl, are you worried about goin’ to that place, too?”
He’s hesitating before he answers, you can tell. “Nah.”
Um, you call bull. “I call bull.”
Yay, and you’re rewarded with one of his signature grumbles! Only one appropriate response to that: grumbling back. Usually makes him smile, too. And sure enough, you watch as his eyes crinkle and he relaxes.
“I don’t trust it,” he acknowledges. “But I ain’t scared.”
“I don’t doubt that. You even scared of anythin’ other than chupacabras?” That man didn’t seem to get frightened by anything.
“Ain’t never said I was scared of ’em, just that I saw one,” he corrects you, lightly nudging you with his foot.
“Mmhm,” you sass back. Oh wait, you remember! “Oh wait, I remember! You’re scared of peanut butter!” you snicker. How wild that he doesn’t like peanut butter, right?
He holds in his laugh until after he grunts “Comin’ from the one who swam in socks ’cause she was convinced there was a quarry monster.”
“Hey. Socks and a t-shirt and shorts, don’t you be leaving that part out, mangy hick.”
“Watch your mouth, troublemakin’ slowpoke,” he taunts back.
You’d missed this. You care about him so much. You love him. So, so damned much.
But you still feel a chill surge through you when you watch him reach his hand over and - clasp yours. He did it slowly and carefully which offered you time to withdraw, at least, but…what the fuck is he doing? Why is he holding your hand? Daryl doesn’t do things like that. And why would he be doing it now?
He swallows. “We’re all gonna be there with ya. Every step.”
Then he lets go and quickly faces forward as if nothing happened. Your pulse is having a damned field day. You’re safe. He is safe to be around.
Staring dead ahead and nodding, you do your best to keep your voice level when you reply “I know. We’re a family, right?”
And he told you the truth, of course your family will be there with you. Heck, you’re surprised that another one of them wasn’t hawking around you right now.
Your arms are crossed as you try to remind yourself that you’re hormonal and very tired, which is why you’re conflicted and confused.
Then out of the blue, he elbows you. Which is something dumb that you would do, and it makes you smile. And naturally you bump back into him. He then lightly nudges you again and calls your name — and without looking at you, says “I’m gonna be there. Every step. W-whatever you need. Okay?”
Okay. Okay. However, this word doesn’t make its way to your mouth, so all you can do is nod your head.
“M’serious,” he whispers, insistent. “Every damned step. For both of ya.”
And with that, your scared feeling melts away and all you feel is calm again. Safe. Every step. And you know he will, for the both of you, that’s the thing.
Putting up another quick prayer, you repeat softly to him “I know.” And you mean it. “Thank you.”
Then you elbow him again, of course, you’ve got a reputation to maintain, after all. And the quiet that settles itself between you two again is easy, comfortable.
You rest your head back against the tree once more. For whatever reason it is that you’re still at peace, you ain’t about to argue with it. And heck no are you gonna argue with that nice, heavy, relaxed feeling spreading over your limbs and eyelids…
And the next thing you know, you’re awaking with a jolt upon hearing “You fallin’ asleep?”
Hot damn, you actually were asleep, weren’t you? And probably snoring. With a self-aware grin, you admit “Mm, might could be.”
One corner of his mouth turns up and he checks “You wanna stay here or head back to the barn?”
To be honest? You’re completely down for closing your eyes and nodding off again right here. So exhausted. But as you open your mouth to let him know, Michonne’s voice interrupts and calls out your names.
They want everyone back inside the barn.
“Reckon that answers that, hm?” you half-joke.
Within seconds, he’s on his feet and extends his hand down to help you. But just when you would expect him to let go of it, he stops. Squeezes it once. And when he leans over just close enough to murmur into your ear, you don’t feel unsafe.
And what he says, you trust.
“Every step. I promise.”
75 notes · View notes
theanoninyourinbox · 3 years
Text
Longstar AU Three to Tango part 2
Sorry this bit took longer, had some personal issues to deal with, but we’re all good now.  I also realized I added a plot point too early, and removed it.  Alright back to cats!
While out hunting, Cinderpaw falls from a tree, injuring her hind leg.  Lionpaw carries her back to camp, and brings back a strange stick as well, saying he just thought it was neat.  Fireheart is worried that due to her being a reincarnation of a crippled warrior, that she might have similar leg problems.  Lionpaw butts in, saying that she’s not the same cat; even if her spirit resides in Cinderpaw, Cinderpelt is a far different cat.  Darkmoon is touched by this wisdom, but then looks at Lionpaw to see him staring off into space, with the AOL dialup tone playing.  Canon continues until...
Riverclan!  They proclaim their camp is unusable, and Jaypaw sneaks over to see a bunch of twoleg kits running around.  Unfortunately he’s caught, but it’s Uncle Hawkfrost, who just sends him home with a stern warning.  A few nights later, Lionpaw has a strange dream about tunnels, and an orange-and-white tomcat, and a nearly hairless elder.  Canon continues until...
The Windclan kits go missing, and the Three join Breezepaw and Heatherpaw to look for them.  They find the kits in the tunnels, but the water begins to rise.  Lionpaw, remembering his dream, tosses the kits on his back and leads everyone to safety.  Canon continues until...
The Tribe!  It goes mostly as canon, but with the Three bonding with their father, trying to get him to bond with  Breezepaw somewhat successfully, and immediately adopting Purdy as their “Gramps”.  Crowfeather, Tawnypelt, Foxflight, and Stormfur rekindle their friendship, with Tawnypelt apologizing to Foxflight about Brambleclaw, and all four reuniting with Feathertail.  While watching battle training, Lionpaw asks Feathertail what works best for her back, determined to gather new knowledge for any future injuries.  Canon continues until...
After the fight with the intruding cats ends, Hollypaw is covered in blood and little cuts, but shows her brothers a brand new scar on her belly that should have been a fatal wound, but instead healed up.  Lionpaw tells her that he can tell it doesn’t hurt because he would feel it.  Hollypaw says what?  Lionpaw says what?  Jaypaw, remembering the dream-sharing he did with Lionpaw that one time, decides Starclan is involved and didn’t tell them.  Starclan you beTTER EXPLAIN SO HELP ME I’LL GET GRAN-GRAN INVOLVED!!!!
Gran-gran Yellowfang yeets down from Starclan to kiss and holler at all her descendants, and gives them the Prophecy, explaining that their parents didn’t tell them because they were unsure who it involved, and she refuses to keep it a secret anymore, citing that the last time she kept a secret Brokenstar happened, giving a short explanation.  The Three agree to not be mad at their family, because that makes sense.
Storm and Brook decide to stay with the Tribe, and after a tearful farewell, the Clan Cats leave.  When Hollypaw gets back to camp, she has another dream about Tigerstar and Brambleclaw, now insisting they can train her to be the best warrior ever.  When she wakes up, she grabs her siblings, parents (Crowfeather and Swiftpool are having a sleepover), aunt and uncles, and her grandparents and great-uncle and the beans get spilled about the Prophecy and the Creepy Cat Dreams.  Everyone panics!  But they unpanic when Sandstorm, who was woken by the ruckus, points out that maybe the panic was the point?  Maybe if we stay calm and ignore them, they’ll either stop or make a move.  Everyone agrees, but this plants the seeds of doubt and anxiety in Hollypaw.  Did they pick her because she’s weak?  Canon continues until...
Windclan and Thunderclan both start finding each other’s prey on their land.  Mudstar and Longstar both agree someone is trying to start a fight, which happens when some younger warriors from both sides start a tussle.  Mudstar says until they figure out who’s doing this the clans should stay apart.  This leads to Swiftpool and Crowfeather being separated for a time.  A little while later, Berrynose, one of the troublemakers, says he saw a lion walking around camp, no it wasn’t Lionpaw I swear!  A little later, Fireheart, Darkmoon, and Lionpaw are gathering herbs, and discussing when Fireheart should retire, when Sol strolls up, say oop sun’s gonna go out, and yoinks out of ther before Darkmoon can grab him.  Canon continues until...
The free for all, triggered by some idiot in Windclan, starts, and the Eclipse happens.  Everyone except for Jaypaw and Longstar panics, and Sol strolls off to Shadowclan, with a ghostly Yellowfang throwing cat-cuss words at his back.  He still convinces Blackstar to forsake Starclan.
Back at Thunderclan, Hollypaw, Jaypaw, and Cinderpaw are promoted to Hollywish (for her great-grandmother and grandmother, and her hopes for the future), Jaywhisker (for his alternative senses and long whiskers), and Cinderheart.  The clan cheers them on, with Swiftpool at the front, and Lionpaw at her side, comforting her because his father can’t be there.  Flyshadow cheers from the nursery because she’s pregnant!! Canon continues until...
The Three sneak onto Shadowclan territory, and see poor Littlecloud get grounded by Blackstar.  On their way back, Tawnypelt catches up to them, with her kits Emberpaw (Flamepaw), Goldenpaw (Tigerpaw), and Dawnpaw in tow.  They want no part of a Starless Clan.  Longstar welcomes them to Thunderclan as long as they need shelter.  Canon continues until...
Millie and her daughter Briarkit become ill, and the illness begins to spread.  Lionpaw has a visit from Raggedstar and Runningnose, and grabs his siblings and the Shadowclan apprentices, hoping a plan can be hatched.  Jaywhisker and Flamepaw come up with the tree plan, and are as surprised as everyone else when actual Starclan ghosts show up to holler at the Shadowclan cats.  Blackstar is convinced, and throws Sol out with a Goofy Ya-ha-ha-hooie!  Canon continues until...
Longstar loses a life to the Greencough in camp, and Lionpaw asks Jaywhisker to dreamwalk Kestrelpaw, the Windclan Medicine apprentice, to find out where the catmint is.  After locating it, Lionpaw goes to get it, and is spotted by Breezepaw, who looks a bit happier?  Lionpaw is delighted his half-sib is doing well, and Breeze paw admits that he and Crowfeather hashed things out a bit, then tells Lionpaw to get on and go.  Lionpaw returns to camp with the medicine, and at the next half-moon, is named Lionblossom (for his “blooming spirit” and he gets petals stuck in his fur) by a proud Darkmoon.  When he goes to sleep the next night, he has a dream about tunnels and tribe cats, and a pretty molly named Half-moon.  Canon continues until...
The Fire Scene!!!  Foxflight gets stuck on the other side of a flaming wall with her niece and nephews, and makes a daring leap to grab a branch.  As she maneuvers it across the fire, a shadowy figure approaches.  In a flash, a dirty grey tabby leaps on the branch, blocking her way back!! Oh whatever will she do?!? She tackles him, knocking the tom head over tail into the fire, and saves her family.  Lionblossom has to be carried out, as he’s writhing in agony, feeling the pain of burns from the mysterious stranger.  He recovers shortly after, and no body is found in camp.  However, right before the next Gathering, a Thunderclan patrol finds a burnt corpse by the lakeside.  Flamewish, part of the patrol, thinks he looks familiar, but Graystripe is behind her, too horrified to speak.  He manages to sputter out that he recognizes the scarred pelt when Longstar approaches, and immediately identifies him as Darkstripe?!?!?  Wait what!???!!!  That night, Hollywish is visited by her Least Favorite Ghosts, but behind them is a smoky tom, both in pelt and in stench, and her doubt increases...Canon continues until...
Bluestar yells at Yellowfang for telling her descendants the prophecy.  It was supposed to be a secret, yells Bluestar.  Well so was Brokenstar and look where that got us, Yellowfang hollers back.  The two glare at each other for a while until Runningnose and Redtail break them up.
Back at Thunderclan camp, the cats are discussing how Darkstripe survived his throat being shredded, when the newly promoted Breezepelt and Heathertail enter camp.  They spotted Sol on Windclan land carrying a Thunderclan bird, and watched him plant it on Windclan territory, explaining the prey problem.  Longstar sends a patrol out to look for him, and the bring him and this other hanger-on that refused to leave him.  The Three grab their Gramps Purdy and escort him to the elder’s den, are you comfy Gramps, oh here let me introduce you to Mousefur.  Canon continues until...
Briarkit is attacked by the snake.  Honeyfern leaps in the way, getting struck in the eye, and Lionblossom makes the painful split-second decision to to an eye-ectomy on the spot.  Luckily, Fireheart heard the screaming and was rushing over to help, and finds both Honeyfern and Lionblossom on the ground writhing in pain.  Honeyfern is rushed to the Medicine Den, where she makes a miracle recovery - her eye and the hearing in that ear, and her ability to have kits are gone, and she’ll most likely be wobbly for life.  Honeyfern and Berrynose mourn their lack of future kits, but Poppyfrost insists she’ll carry kits for them, and the three can raise them together.  In the forest nearby, a seething ghostly Mapleshade confronts a shimmering Frecklewish, but both stalk off without a fight.  At some point around here, Coldlight confesses his feelings to Sandstorm, who tells him she needs to think about her feelings.  He respects her wishes because he’s sensible, and needs to emotionally recover from his love confession, because Coldlight’s drained by feelings. Canon continues until...
At next Gathering, Mudstar and Blackstar both want a piece of Sol.  Longstar counters that holding him prisoner keeps him from doing more harm, and Mudstar agrees, ending the cross-clan conflict - Crowfeather promises his kits he’ll visit shortly.  Back at Thunderclan later, Hollywish thinks she’s talking to her father and confesses her fears and anxieties.  The shadowy cat tells her of course she’s evil, and no one actually loves you.  A teary Hollywish rushes off, past her brothers, and into the tunnels, and they collapse behind her.  Crowfeather pins Sol to the ground, and he laughs evily.
Meanwhile, Whitewing’s kits and Flyshadow’s kit sleep peacefully.
Dun Dun Dun!  And that’s all for now!
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gar-trek · 3 years
Note
no i care about ur tng s1 opinions !!
Well anon since you asked..... (imagine we are hiking together, lol :)
Alright... season one of TNG... well... it wasn’t great. In fact, if it was not a Star Trek show, I’m not sure I would have gotten through it at all. Now I'm not saying that I hated it, in fact there was plenty that i did actually like. But overall it just kinda boring and it was hard to really get into it. Sometimes mediocracy is a worse then just being flat out bad, ya know? To keep things comprehensive, since half of this was written in an RV and the other half is written whilst im on 3 hours of sleep, lets put my review into a nice list of things i did not like, and things i did about season one of TNG
The bad:
-I have talked about this before, but I think my main issue with TNG so far is the extremely awkward vibe it has. Shots linger way too long after characters are done talking. the jokes do not hit most the time. the dialogue is often stilted and awkward. The characters just do not feel real to me at all. It's just very very strange. I don't know if its a problem with the writing, the directing or the producing, or maybe just all three, but overall shit is just awkward all the time. I wish the charecters felt more real. Like yeah, maybe we didn't see much of Sulu in TOS, but they still managed to make him a guy you could imagine yourself meeting at a bar or whatever. what am i gonna go have some drinks with fuckin season 1 William Riker?? Nah, wtf is that bitches motivations and aspirations ?? that he wants to be captain and has blue eyes ?? what i am trying to say is that nothing feels real and no smart ass not because its a fictional sci-fi show, but because the characters all act super weird or literally just do nothing.
-Picard. I’m kind of turning the corner here but like... he just doesn’t do it for me as captain. I feel like since he’s the captain that makes him the “””””main character”””” and yet... what does Picard do? He’s just kinda boring. Like the man doesn’t even always bean down to the planet or whatever. And you guys already know my thoughts on his relationship with Wes... yeah :/ so no, I don’t hate Picard, I just kinda hate that he’s the captain.
-Where is the action ? Am I an old white male boomer for wishing TNG had a little more tits out violence like TOS did. I mean where is the punching? Where is the redshirt deaths and photon torpedos and shit. I need more violence, and I know that’s like, opposite of the message of Star Trek but dammit... more violence!
-Every single thing that happened to Tasha Yar in Skin of evil. I know you know :/ we all know. :/ and mini rant but in the beginning of that episode Worf and Tasha had a cute little moment and I actually thought “wow they would make a good couple actually or at least best buds” but.. well you know :/ too bad. Also I feel like they spent a lot of time trying to set up Tashas backstory and she actually had something interesting going on so like.... again too bad I guess :/
*cough cough*
anyway, here is what i did like:
-despite their awkwardness i do think some of the characters are neat. Geordi has to be my favorite, he just brings such a good vibe to the crew and I think the whole concept of his character is really interesting. I like Worf but I still feel like we don’t get enough Worf time and of course I like Data, tbh I never disliked him but he definitely grew on me more as I watched. Data does have the tendency to make me cringe... but like in the way your weird lovable friends do. And of course Wes, who deserves so much better then all the dumb ass situations they write for him.
-I think they do a good job of making it feel like the Star Trek universe without just copying everything they did in TOS. like its super different from TOS in a lot of ways, but still it feels like the same universe, and maybe even a little more true to the universe. like the prime directive thing is taken a lot more seriously, same with the federation not wanting to resort to violence right away, all that star trek jazz. its still there, its still trek.
-they don't do a bunch of annoying pandering. i feel like nowadays when they come out with remakes or spin-offs or whatever they always have to have a million callbacks like "hey remember this thing you loved?? here it is again exactly the same" because like yeah that is easy and it more fail-proof. like they could have just stuck a vulcan in the main cast, don't tell me you wouldn't have gotten Spock brain and just ate that shit up, but they were like nah and tried new stuff instead. and i respect that. because the callback episode they did do (naked now) kinda fuckin sucked. so good for them for trying to forge their own path.
okay anyway those are my general thoughts. More specifically, here are the epsidoes i think were the very worst
- Encounter at Fairpoint (literally the first episode and i kept checking my watch wondering when it would be over. it should not have been a 2 parter that was way too long. Q was annoying as hell. the main plot was not that interesting. )
- Where No One Has Gone Before (very tedious and hard to sit through. "oh we traveled too far into space.... oh we did it again! haha lol!" boring. did not like that Traveler guy sus as hell.... hated that Picard only made Wes and Ensign after the Traveler said Wes was important.)
-Skin of Evil (dumb stupid dumb)
-The Nuteral Zone ( i dont even want to get into this. i actually think this one stunk the worst and it was the last episode. so many things wrong)
annnnddd the episodes i liked!
- The Last Outpost (Ferengi Ferengi Ferengi Ferengi )
-Haven (how can you not love Lwaxana Troi this episode made me genuinely laugh so many times. lots of very good character moments here)
-Angle One (i really liked the concept of male wife girl boss society i thought it was funny and interesting)
-Conspiracy (i felt like this one actually kept me on my toes. also liked when that dude's head exploded)
annndddd that about sums it up people! was that a comprehensible review? no. was it long? yes. feel free to disagree with me or fight it out in the comments. what are your least favorite episodes from season one? do you agree with my takes here? let me know
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snowe-zolynn-rogers · 3 years
Text
Pairings: None
Word Count: 1,937 Words
Summary: Katsuki, stop being a stubborn kid.
Warnings: Child Abuse Mention, Eating Disorder Mention, Food Mention, Forced Eating Disorder Mention, let me know if I should tag anything else.
Usernames: Existence Is A Prison Aizawa: feral cat dad, Aoyama: gay salt, Hagakure: ranch flavored jello, Tokoyami: foil-mecha, Shinsou: farmer toshi, Kuroiro: life is a nightmare, Shiozaki: saviour, Tsunotori: schrodinger better run, Honenuki: pure, Monoma: nat20, Yamada: President Megaphone, Bakugou: deku-deck-you
Notes: I’ve changed Shinsou’s birthday to April 20th because I can.
Aizawa, We Agreed No More Cats: Chapter 6
5:28 AM
Existence Is A Prison
feral cat dad: I swear to god, if you say you're going out for a run, Katsuki.
deku deck-you: ...
deku deck-you: I'm totally not going out for a run.
feral cat dad: Kid, you don't need permission or even to tell us. You're allowed around school grounds, to leave, to the school, ya know. As long as you have your pass for the door, you're good, nothing's stopping you.
deku deck-you: I don't need to tell you where I am?
feral cat dad: No, what you do is your own business. Me and UA are just here to house and teach you. Your actions are your own, you don't have to tell us them.
deku deck-you: Oh.
feral cat dad: It's okay if you want to, but you never have to feel obligated to tell me or anyone else, either.
deku deck-you: It's just my mom made me tell her what I was doing every time I left the house.
feral cat dad: Well, I mean, I obviously know what you're doing every morning at 5:30. So, even if I'm worried, I know what you were doing. I'm also not your mom, I don't want to know where you are every second because you're a kid being a kid, you deserve some privacy. God knows you need privacy after not seeming to have it for fifteen years.
deku deck-you: Thank you, Mr. Aizawa.
feral cat dad: You can call me Dad if you want.
deku deck-you: Dad.
farmer toshi: Child-hoarding Dad.
feral cat dad: You're not wrong.
5:33 AM
Existence Is A Prison
farmer toshi: @deku deck-you, I'm coming, Kats. Wait up.
deku deck-you: Come on then, hurry up.
deku deck-you: You get those wires off today, right?
farmer toshi: Yup. Recovery Girl's fixing me today.
1:16 PM
Existence Is A Prison
farmer toshi: It's official. I can menace once again.
feral cat dad: If you're terrorizing villagers, please don't bring them back armed with pitchforks, I don't like fire.
5:25 AM
Existence Is A Prison
farmer toshi: Kats, where are you, I don't see you.
farmer toshi: @deku deck-you Did you get up early or something?
farmer toshi: Hey, @foil-mecha, Tokoyami, you're in room 9. Have you heard anything in his room?
foil-mecha: His phone pinged when you @ed him. And I swear I heard him moving around a bit earlier.
farmer toshi: Do you think he's okay? Maybe he's sleeping again?
foil-mecha: No, usually he's up for the day once he's up.
feral cat dad: God, did he push himself too much to recover quickly?
President Megaphone: I'm in early, I'm coming over and checking on him since you're in not position to help him if he's hurt, Shouta.
feral cat dad: Fine.
6:35 AM
Existence Is A Prison
foil-mecha: Is Katsuki okay?
farmer toshi: He fine, just malnourished. He passed out after he woke up, ended up hitting his head a little on the ground, and getting a minor concussion.
gay salt: How!?
deku deck-you: I thought our parents were the ones that paid for our groceries but my parents have told me they won't do it.
feral cat dad: Don't worry about him and his stubbornness, I'll be bringing him to the store later once he feels better and making him pick up foods.
ranch flavored jello: Katsuki! The card you got! The barcode! You just scan the barcode! UA pays for your food while you're in the dorms!
deku deck-you: I know that now, Toru. I thought our family or parents paid for our food.
4:16 PM
Existence Is A Prison
feral cat dad: Okay, get dressed and get a list if you want, kid. What foods do you like?
deku deck-you: Well, I'm allergic to shellfish.
feral cat dad: You've been eating with us all week and you didn't tell us you were allergic to something?
deku deck-you: I avoided things that had shellfish in them.
feral cat dad: Katsuki.
deku deck-you: You act like my mother didn't practically force me to have allergic reactions when she was tired of me.
feral cat dad: You're right, I do act like that because that's not okay. It's abuse, Katsuki, and I want you to be safe and happy. So please, tell me if you can't or even don't want to eat something.
deku deck-you: Alright.
feral cat dad; Okay, anything else you're allergic to?
deku deck-you: No, just shellfish.
feral cat dad; Anything you particularly like?
deku deck-you: Mackerel with spinach, mushrooms, and chili oil.
feral cat dad: Then we'll grab the stuff for you.
President Megaphone: I'll spoil you, kid, I'm your uncle now.
deku deck-you: If you plan on spoiling me, get me those sausages that look like octopi. I love them but I haven't been allowed to buy them for around five years.
President Megaphone: I swear, Shouta, this nephew will get all the sausages. UA is willing to buy.
feral cat dad: I know, but don't go all 'grab it all' at the store, Hizashi, the kid can grab his own food at his own pace. You can pick him up extra ones whenever. We're letting him pick up his own groceries probably for the first time in his life. Don't overwhelm him.
foil-mecha: Can you pick me up boiled octopus and baby sardines, Mr. Aizawa?
feral cat dad: Sure, I'll grab you a bunch of fish, kid.
foil-mecha: Much appreciated.
deku deck-you: Is there a limit I can use?
feral cat dad: No, there isn't. UA is full of future heroes who will likely need to build muscle to save others, to do that, you need to eat well, Nezu's rule for us dorm kids has always been to make sure we eat, he doesn't care how much it costs as long as you're healthy.
deku deck-you: Wow, that's actually. Just wow.
farmer toshi: Your shitty parents put you on a budget, huh?
deku deck-you: Usually I had to cost less than 1,000¥ per week. It was hard, especially building muscle to be a hero. I ate rice and eggs a lot so I wasn't completely starving but it was always hard living with them.
ranch flavored jello: Aren't your parents like famous or something? Why did they want you to be on a budget?
deku deck-you: They didn't like dealing with me besides to scream at me. I think it was to keep me from leaving them. They'd hand me exactly 1,000¥ every week I had to use my money for food because they wouldn't buy food for me after I turned 5. Then they'd still tell me what I couldn't buy.
foil-mecha: I feel great rage toward your parents and I hope they have a horrible life now without you.
deku deck-you: I do too, don't worry.
4:30 PM
Existence Is A Prison
deku deck-you has started a video call
Hey, Kats, how's your shopping going? -foil-mecha
Are you upside down, Tokoyami? Why are you...? -deku deck-you
I'm on the couch. I refuse to sit correctly. -foil-mecha
Dad and Uncle Zashi are off getting dinner for tonight because Dad's getting a little souped out. So they're picking up some stuff for that and I didn't want to feel alone. -deku deck-you
Hey, little bro. -farmer toshi
I turn 16 tomorrow for your information. Call me 'little bro'. I'm probably the oldest of us kids in the dorms right now. -deku deck-you
I turn 16 tomorrow. -farmer toshi
Oh my god, I practically have twin sons now. -feral cat dad
Deal with it, Dad. -farmer toshi
Looks like I'm going over to the cake section and picking up two cakes. - President Megaphone
Strawberry. -farmer toshi
You don't have to. -deku deck-you
No, I don't have to, but I'm going to. -President Megaphone
Anything. -deku deck-you
You're getting your own cake, Katsuki. I'm not just gonna pick you up anything. What's your favorite cake flavor?  C'mon, little listener.-President Megaphone
I don't know. I've never had cake before. -deku deck-you
So a variety cake. I can work with that. -President Megaphone
Hey, Kats, can you grab those meat buns and red bean buns in the red bag to your right for me? -nat20
Yeah, okay. -deku deck-you
You're amazing. -nat20
What have you picked out so far, Kats? -ranch flavored jello
Uh, mushrooms, spinach, bean sprouts, eggs, mackerel, and Seiko's bun thing. I'm in the meat section so I'll probably pick up two of those...-deku deck-you
Two of what? -saviour
I got em. Those octopus sausages. I found them. I'm getting two of them.  Are you guys sure I'm not spending too much? -deku deck-you
Pick up anything you will either eat or give to someone else who will eat it. -feral cat dad
As long as you're sure. -deku deck-you
What'd you pick up, twinsie? -farmer toshi
Boiled octopus, bacon, ham, chicken, another two sets of the buns. -deku deck-you
Are you picking up things to eat with rice and eggs out of habit, Kats? -foil-mecha
I wanna buy what I know I like first before I buy things I won't eat. I already hate spending money as it is. -deku deck-you
Reasonable. Just make sure you pick up snacks for yourself since training for a Sports Festival takes a lot out of you. -feral cat dad
I am. Ooh, yoghurt. -deku deck-you
I'm right here, Katsuki. -feral cat dad
Hi, Dad. Alright, I'm ending this. Y'all text me if you want something else. -deku deck-you
Bye, twinsie. -farmer toshi
deku deck-you has ended the video call
5:30 PM
Existence Is A Prison
President Megaphone: I'm getting started on dinner. Should be done by 7.
deku deck-you: Can I eat my ice cream?
feral cat dad: You're allowed to eat whatever and whenever.
deku deck-you: I know, I just worry. It'll go away, I hope. I just get worried.
feral cat dad: Getting worried is normal. I was too when I was in your position.
deku deck-you: You were in my position?
feral cat dad: Kind of. Back then, fifteen years ago, there was no teacher or other students in the dorms, just me and Nezu. I was fresh from nine years in a foster home that would spend the money meant to support me on their own son.
feral cat dad: For the first month, I didn't buy myself food. I'd eat breakfast and lunch on school days and skip dinner and meals on weekends because I was scared of spending UA's money.
feral cat dad: After almost a month with no financial transactions on my account and the Sports Festival coming up, Nezu did a surprise inspection and flipped out when there was no food in the kitchen. He forced me to the store and made me buy dinner for us two because he wouldn't allow a student under his roof to not have food for themselves.
feral cat dad: Nezu sat me down and told me the same thing I told you and, after the Sports Festival, I actually bought myself and four friends dinner at a nice restaurant to celebrate me and my friend's winning tie and I paid the bill without even thinking about it.
gay salt: Wait, there was a tie at the sports festival?
feral cat dad: The first year rounds fifteen years ago, the only winning tie because we refused to fight again.
gay salt: I'll have to watch that and see my badass teacher fighting.
feral cat dad: The sports festivals are all free to watch on your televisions in your rooms, no need to pay to watch on YouTube.
Taglist: @everythingisstardust 
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stinkfacestories · 4 years
Text
Strange Similarities
Tumblr media
Bull and you sat on some rough pillows in a huge leather tent. They were alone for now. Bull was daydreaming. Looking out a tear in the tent.
"Think I can get one of those axes?" He said. 
"Bull, I don't like being here, I don't really want to stick around longer to go shopping" You say back.
"Come on, Kadan." Bull said turning to you. "The Orcinar are strong, and so far neutral. If we can get even a few of them on our side well be kicking so much ass.."
The tent flap flew open and the Orcinar Delegater entered. He was nigh on twelve feet tall. All muscles. His skin a sallow tan and green. His retinue was somehow even bigger. They held axes that were so large you were sure Bull would be thinking of them for the next few rounds of sex with you. The masks they wore were made of dark blue cloth and hid their faces, all save for their mouths. Twin, or quad tusks jutted out from them. A thin river of drool running down them constantly.
"Welcome Inquisition." The Delegater said. "Let us commence trade negotiations.."
The negotiations went on for what seemed like hours. Topics ranged from food sharing, to Intel swapping. Bull was bored near to tears. Half way through someone brought in clay mugs and some sort of bean paste with bread and cheese and that seemed to perk up his spirits, but once the talking resumed he started to doze off. He wasn't the only one. You noticed the Delegaters guards also occasionally drifting off to sleep, only to snap back to attention when they realized what happened.
"It is settled then we will begin trade on the next —"
The silence was broken by a sound. A deep, almost far off sound. It was a low wet drone that seemed to grow in intensity. You and Bull looked around confused, but the Delegater knew exactly what it was. He looked back to his guards. One was trying to hold back a laugh, distancing him from the Delegater scowls. The other was Half asleep, leaning on a support post. You immediately realize what was going on with the hot and foul odor hit you: the slumbering orcinar guard had dozed off and farted.
The Delegater growled, throwing one of the clay cups at the guard. 
"You fool! You dishonor these talks!" He shouted. Big ropy gobs of spit flying through the air.
"Fuuuuuuuuck" Bull says with a laugh. "That was epic. Legendary even. I thought it was a low flying dragon"
The Delegater turned and arched his brow.
"I hope this does not befoul our talks" he said to you.
Before you could respond Bull put a hand in your shoulder and squeezed you into a hug. "Oh it's foul alright, but I think that just sealed the deal"
"Bull I can—"
"Kadan here fucking loves that kinda stuff." He tussled your hair. "What was it you said when we were walking to the tent?"
You blushed a little, giving the Delegater a coy smile.
"Oh wait I remember. You spotted that big brute, the one in the Kilt and told me: Imagine being under there when a big fucking orc like that decided to rip some thunder. Fucking steam tent ya"
"Bull that's not what I said." You correct him. All eyes were on you. There was too much at stake to try and play it cool. "What I said was: I wouldn't mind being trapped under there when he ripped some thunder—like a steam tent" You turn to look at the Delegater and give a weak smile. This had gone from great to worse.
The tension was thick in the air. No one was saying anything. The masks didn't help. The Delegater’s head starts to bob. Up and down up and down. Slowly, but surely his deep and dark, low and slow laugh comes through. His guards joined in. Bull joined in. You laughed too, mostly because you had no idea what was going to happen.
“You two are funny ones.” He said. “Truth be told We are not this formal” He motioned to the drinks, the nice clothing, the general set up of the tent. “The Orcinar are a humble people; who many would consider disgusting. It seems we have more in common than we first thought”
“Thank fuck for that” Bull let out a sigh of relief. He shifted in his seat and dropped a small grenade of a fart into the cushion he was sitting on. Nothing compared to what the Orcinar guard had done, but respectfully impressive. He punched you on the shoulder. “Sorry Kadan, I wasn't thinking, I should have asked if you wanted that one. Don't worry, thanks to that bean paste they’ll be plenty more on the ride home for you to enjoy”
The Delegator got off his sitting pillow and fluffed it up. “Well,” he looked back at his guard “Either of you grunts have one in the chamber so we can give our guest a little aromatherapy?” The second guard timidly raised his hand. “Good lad, get over here” The Delegator bade you to lay down on the pillow he had just fluffed up, facing upward. You did. To your surprise Bull joined your side. “I didn't think you were much on the receiving end of things, Bull” You say.
“Normally no, but to go through it with you Kadan, that will be special. Plus look at the guy, he must be fifteen feet tall and weigh as much as 9 Aurochs. This thing is going to be epic,” he said.
The guard lumbered over to you. He set aside his axe. He placed one green foot beside your head and the other beside Bull. You were looking straight up his long kilt. The light was dim but you could tell he was not wearing anything under it. “See Kadan, plenty of room for both of us,” Bull said. “Plus look at the size of those balls. Don't you just want to bounce your head off them?”  You can't help but laugh at Bull. He always had a way with pointing things out.
The Orc lowered himself to his knees. His big legs falling to either side of you. You were locked in now. They were like large fleshy tree trunks, slightly oily, thick, and near immovable. His kilt draped over you and you were put into near darkness. From the light coming in through the fabric you could make out the shape of his round yet muscular ass descending upon you. He wasn't trying to crush you-- though you feel like if he slipped he could-- but he wanted to lower himself just enough so that you could enjoy the sensation of being pressed into his flesh. His massive, hairy filled ass crack as right between you and Bull. you turned to face him. He was already looking at you. 
“Having fun Bull?” You say
“These talks just got a hell of a lot better if you ask me” He said. The heat was rising. The tent of the kilt was filled with the musky odor of the orcs undercarriage. You were sweating. Bull was sweating. The Orc was sweating; large drops of salty sweat cascading down his back through the hair of his ass. One drop landed on Bulls face causing him to blink. He licked at his lips and made an interesting face. “Well, now I can say I know what Orc-ass tastes like,” He spat. You laughed. “Think that's funny Kadan?” With a great effort Bull freed his arm and dragged it through the fleshy crack. His fingers found your mouth and he rubbed the wet digits inside it. “You know you're right,” he smiled. “It is funny to see someone drink liquid orc-ass” You'd be tasting that one for weeks.
The Orc shifted, and his guts growled. He leaned forward ever so slightly before letting out a slow and moaning roar from between his ass. The temperature in the kilt-tent shot up. The rough woven fabric was thick enough to keep the thick and humid stink inside. It was a deep and reverberating-sloppy blast. The ground thrummed under your back. Your nose burned with each breath, and to try to use your mouth to breathe was to taste the foul wind. It went on for near on a full minuet. Bull was trying to say something, but the deafening roar was all you could hear in your ears. It sputtered to an end. You felt tired. You felt as if you had just marched for three days straight. All you could smell was Orcine farts. You were drenched in sweat. You huffed for air. You were still being pressed beneath the gigantic ass. You turned to Bull. He looked a little worse for wear. “Bull. You. Are you alive?” Bull was huffing and puffing as well. “Kadan. I have never. Felt. More alive”
The Orc kept you pinned long enough to enjoy the fruits of his bowels. You couldn't tell if he was enjoying it, but he at least seemed practice in the art of making people suffer his farts. When he did get up you were not in any position to leap to your feet. You and Bull just lay there in the depression in the pillow. The Orc looked happy. Impressed even. When he went back to the other guard they locked fists triumphantly.
The Delegater loomed over you. “Well then it is settled. We shall engage in trade, and I shall send one or two of our biggest, and gassiest of Orcs to be stationed at Skyhold with you. Shall that suffice?” You looked at Bull, then back to the Delegater. “We can find room for two of them” “We had prepared a bed for you in our barracks, but I'm sure you won't want to spend the night with a bunch of rowdy Orcine warriors, so I shall have them prepare your cart for your journey home immediately.” “Well” You said, standing up. “I figure you went to the trouble of preparing the bed. It would be rude to say no.” “Excellent! Then let us seal the deal in proper Orc fashion” The Delegater hoarked back and spat a massive wad of snot into his hand. He held it out for you to shake. You looked a bit hesitant. “Nasty” you heard Bull say, clearly impressed. You reached out to shake. Your hand fully submerging in the warm slime. “Mind if I get in on this?” Bull said. The Delegater nodded. Bull, more eagerly reached out and joined your hand in the snot. The Delegater closed his fist and shook both of your hands. “Now we are bound. We are allies” “Fucking Gross” Bull said as he watched the snot ooze out of the fist. “I fucking love these guys.”
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starry-pierrot · 3 years
Text
Sleepy Nightguards
Okay! So this is a big one.  Hope you all like it!
@jelly-belly-fish
Jelly was nervous as they clocked in for their third nightshift, they had just started their new security job at Freddy’s Pizzaplex and while all their friends were jealous they were working at the place that basically ruled their childhood; they were this close to being tired of it. Not because the job was horrible or anything but because of the long nights. Jelly wasn’t used to staying up till six in the morning and it was obvious the young adult was having some issues staying awake all night. 
But not tonight! The night before was a nightmare when Montgomery woke them up with a Halloween mask from storage. If it wasn’t for Freddy and the others they were sure they would have had a heart attack right there and then. But tonight they would make it through the night without falling asleep if it was going to kill them and to make sure it didn’t happen they brought a bunch of sugary snacks and soda along with some coffee. Their heart might stop but at least they’d be awake.
Jelly stepped out into the Pizzaplex with flashlight in hand, they were sure the bots were out and about by now mingling with each other. They still weren’t used to them, anxiety taking over before they could have a real conversation besides ‘Hello’ and ‘ Gotta do the job.’ But they continued on as they walked throughout the building. 
Like usual there wasn’t anything different about the building, no kids hiding, no burglars making their way in through the window and no random fires breaking out in the kitchen. They did see the counter was a little sticky with some soda, a day employee probably forgot to clean that but they continued on.
That was pretty much all they needed to do, the place is locked up for the night and no one would be getting in without the animatronics knowing about it. That meant one thing. Or it would if someone hadn’t snuck up on them.  “ Hello,Jelly.”  “ A-aha!” They jumped when a deep voice came from behind them, turning around to reveal it to be Freddy. “ Oh-uh-Hi..” It took a moment for their nerves to calm down. The bear gave a kind but apologetic smile, “ I see you are doing your rounds. Everything good?”  “ Yes. Uh-yeah no nothing weird going on..” They looked off to the side then back to the bear hoping that he wouldn’t stick around too long even if they did like the sound of his voice.  “ Good. I just wanted to check in. I know you’ve been having some trouble staying awake but that should pass eventually.”  “ Yeah it should-look uh I gotta go man the monitors. See ya Freddy!” Jelly sidestepped the bear giving him a small wave before taking off towards the security room. They weren’t ever sure if they were going to get used to the animatronics actually talking to them. When MJ introduced them they were not sure what to think but at least most of them were nice. But the gator and the twins can be shoved in a closet. 
The night continued on as Jelly watched the monitors, eating their candy and drinking their coffee to stay awake as they played on their phone. Sometimes she would catch the animatronics on screen, Roxane coaxing Montgomery into some arcade games while Chica cheered them on. Freddy was seen fixing up the plate placements in the party room while the twins mostly stayed in the playground area. Jelly didn’t realize it but they were getting tired, their head started to bob before jerking awake. A yawn slipping out here and there, maybe they were starting to rest their head against their arms as some YouTube video played on their phone.  What were they watching? The sound faded out- “ Jelly?” Freddy asked as he peaked his head into the security room, it had been a while since the guard had done their last round and while management didn’t make them keep a time card for it (the tech would be an extra 100 to put in the system) Freddy liked to make sure they at least did the bare minimum for their job. But he paused when he saw all the candy wrappers and empty soda and coffee bottles that littered the desk and floor. The bear shook his head and quietly walked in noting that the guard was fast asleep.  Quietly picking up the garbage and throwing it in the bin didn’t take long and when he was done he looked to the guard, they didn’t look very comfortable. The chair was a little too far back and he was sure if they slipped just a little further they’d fall right on their face.  “ It’s always the young ones.” Shaking his head with an amused smile he gently scooped up the guard off the chair, Jelly not making a peep in this process. The guards had dragged in some big bean bag chairs a while back and they were perfect for this sort of thing, walking over Freddy gently put the guard on one of the chairs making sure they were in a comfortable position. He left for a moment only to come back and tuck in a blanket from his room around them, a few of the others had followed him and poked their heads in but he held up his finger to tell them to be quiet.  “Let them sleep.”  ------- @the-pun-sexual-nerd The first hour had gone by quickly as MJ had done their rounds around the complex, the flashlight twirling in their hand as they walked about. Monty and Roxane had decided to go kart racing with Freddy being the mediator, Mj would have joined them but they were feeling like doing something else that was a bit more quiet than a racetrack.  Heading back to the security room they quickly turned on the monitors giving them a quick look over before they set up their phone, clicking on the streaming service they watch Lucifer on. They had recently gotten into the show and were trying to binge watch all four seasons within the week, it was a hyperfixation. Pulling out their snacks they leaned back in the chair as the episode started, it was a few episodes before the finale in season one.  As Mj watched the show they took quick looks from the monitors to the show from time to time and for a while it was all quiet. So quiet in fact they didn’t realize they had another member in the room. 
“ What are you watchin’, sugar?”  The guard squeaked and dropped their chips as they jumped, spinning the chair around only to find Chica standing there looking a little surprised. “ Chica! Jeez you scared me!”  “ Oh-opps.” The chicken laughed, giving an apologetic smile for the scare. Even if these guys were nice they really needed to quit it with being so quiet. Maybe they should get them all bells to put around their necks. “ Sorry about that, hun. I guess I don’t know just how quiet I can be.”  “ It’s okay just...don’t do that again. Please.”  “ I promise! Now what are you watching?” The larger animatronic leaned in to the now slightly moved phone on the desk. Mj quickly righted it and snagged their bag from the floor, luckily the snacks didn’t all fall out and there was still a good chunk of them left. 
“ Lucifer. It’s a tv show about Lucifer who’s a fallen angel and he doesn't like his life anymore so he leaves hell. And he ends up movin’ to Los Angeles and everything is good and great until someone gets killed outside his nightclub and that starts some- “ Dear I don’t mean to be rude but I have no idea what you just said.” 
Mj stopped for a moment realizing they went on another word bender with someone who probably isn’t even programmed to know about any of the themes within the television show. “ Oh-oops. Um-do you just want to watch it with me? We can start from the beginnin’.”
 “ I’d love to!” 
Hours later the two were sitting on the bean bag chairs, the phone sitting on a chair they had pulled over and propped up with a Freddy plushie. Mj had eaten all their snacks and was currently starting to nod off besides Chica.
“ Sweetheart I think you’re falling asleep there.” 
“ No I’m not! I’m awake!” 
Chica laughed and reached over to the phone to pause it, “ I know a sleepy human when I see one. Come on you got another two hours before your shift ends. You can take a nap.” 
Mj seemed to consider it for a moment before they sighed and laid back on the bean bag chair, “ Okay...I am a bit sleepy.” 
“ It’s all that junk food you ate. Makes you all sluggish.” 
“ But soda has caffeine in it. “ 
“ And humans can get caffeine crashes. Next time I’ll bring you a little something that's a bit more healthy okay?” Chica stood up moving the blanket closer to the human and tucking them in much like she would do to a child. 
“ Now get some sleep. I’ll let the others know to leave you alone, okay?” 
“Okay! Night, Chica.” Mj adjusted themselves for a moment before they finally settled down and closed their eyes. 
“ Night, darlin’.” 
-------
“ Zoey we need you to work tonight!”
“What!?” It was currently a Saturday in the afternoon, about four, it was the busiest time of the day. Her and Twigs were already up to their necks in kids trading tickets and stocking at quickly as they could at the prize counter. 
“ Katsu called out, she’s got something going on so I need you to fill in.” The manager didn’t even look up when he addressed her.
“ There isn’t anyone else? You know that's going to be like a fifteen hour work day right?” She’s been here since one and she doesn't get off until closing. That’s nine hours plus the twelve to six? 
“ It’s fine. I already cleared it with Jamie you need to come in tonight. “ Her manager then quickly left giving her no chance to reject the extra shift. 
“ Well shit.” Zoey sighed, it wasn’t that she didn’t like the night shift. No she loved it! But working so many hours was going to be a pain in the ass and she was sure she was going to get a major migraine in the morning. At least she would get to go home and eat before coming back. 
Well there was nothing she could do about it now as she needed the money and she wasn’t about to quit when there were literal talking animatronics at this job. Rolling her eyes she went back to stocking the plushies on the shelf. 
It was eleven fifty five as she clocked in ready to start this ridiculously long shift, at least she would be among friends who would make things fun. But first she had to handle some of her duties such as checking the facilities before turning on the monitors, though it didn’t take long for her to finish. 
“ Hey Zoey! You wanna go play some Mini Golf? I bet we can beat gator boy over there.” Roxanne walked into the security office with Monty hot on her heels. 
“ Oh no you won’t! You wanna start something wolfy?” And they were already starting with a little rivalry, this was fine. Zoey could play. 
“ What, Monty? Are you scared you’re gonna lose?” Zoey shot back with a smile feeling some energy awake inside her. 
“ Oh-ho! Someone is ready to kick some tail! “ Roxanne grabbed Zoey’s hand and began to tug her towards the door, “ Come on, Montgomery! Hurry up or we’ll leave you behind!” 
“ I bet I’ll get there first!” Without much warning the gator sped forward passing the two towards his section of the Pizzaplex, Roxane not wanting to lose scooped up Zoey and threw her over her shoulder before running after the other animatronic. 
“ Whoa-Hey!” 
The run to the golf course was surprisingly smooth considering she was on Roxanne's shoulder, she was gently deposited on the ground when the two arrived just behind Monty. The gator gloated a little but she was quickly given her own club before being tugged out onto the field.
 The three played for a bit all the while Monty and Roxanne shot words at each other, Zoey would say something here and there but she was realizing that the energy she had earlier was starting to give out. Her shots were getting worse too as they continued playing.
It was around hole fourteen that she stopped listening to the two playfully bicker and talk about whatever it was that they talked about. Soon her head was drooping, jerking awake and she tried to pay attention to the conversation. 
“You think their parents would make sure their kid cleans their hand before they touch my mohawk.” 
“ I had kids stick gum in my tail. But hey still gotta love them.” Zoey began to zone out again, this time her head falling forward before she jerked awake yet again. However this time Montgomery noticed. 
“ Hey, you doing okay there, missy?” He asked. 
“ What? Yeah just...a little tired. This is my second shift today and it was busy as hell.” Rubbing at her eyes she gave a yawn. 
“ Swear jar.” Roxanne piped in. 
“ I’m okay, I'm just tired. We can still play.” Zoey picked up her club and began walking to the next hole, the two animatronics looked at each other before following her. Deciding to keep an extra eye on her. 
But it soon became apparent that the human was just too tired to play, Zoey wasn’t the best player at mini golf but her shots were just terrible. 
“ Okay. That’s it.” Suddenly a tail wrapped around Zoey’s waist pulling her closer. Looking back she saw Montgomery giving her a look that said ‘Time to go’. 
“ You can’t be falling asleep on the golf course now. You’ll ruin the grass and your shots suck worse than usual.” 
“Gee thanks.” 
“ Come on I’ll take you back to my room.” 
This made Zoey freeze for a moment before she tried to pull away from his tail, “ Uh-no it’s fine I can just go sleep in the secr-” another yawn, “security room.” 
“ The green rooms are closer. Come on.” Without missing a beat the larger animatronic reached over and scooped her up into one of his arms. Zoey squeaked as her face went red but she didn’t fight it. 
How could she fight someone that was ten times stronger than her and wouldn’t take no for an answer?
Well-that was until she noticed Roxanne smiling at her. Suddenly her embarrassment was even stronger.
“ Okay-uh-Monty come on I can walk! “ 
“ You’re falling asleep on your feet.” 
“ Yeah Zoey. Just let him carry you.” Oh she was going to get smacked later for this she knew what she was doing! Zoey glared back at Roxanne watching her as she stayed behind. 
“ Monty put me down.” Zoey tried one last time. 
“ No.” 
The human sighed and gave in letting the animatronic carry her to the green rooms, not that she had a choice to begin with. It wasn’t a long walk and the room smelled of pizza and some type of air freshener. Monty walked over to the couch and dropped her on it before he tossed a blanket at her. 
“ There you go. Now go to bed, we'll play another round when you won't ruin my grass by falling asleep on it.” Montgomery walked over to the lights and flipped them off turning the room into a dark enough space that would be easy to sleep in. 
“ Okay fine...just wake me up before six okay?” Looking back over at him while she pulled the pillows closer she saw him pause and look back. 
“ Yeah don’t worry.. Good night, little missy.” 
With that he walked out leaving Zoey alone in his room, she could feel her heart beating a little quicker than normal and she wanted to bury her face into the pillow and die. 
But something caught her eye, it was a Montgomery plush. Zoey would later refuse to admit that she had been cuddling with it. 
----
@trollartistry
Today was not a good day.
Nemi yawned as he clocked into his nightshift, irritated and grumpy. The day had been a long one, first he couldn’t get enough sleep as his body just didn’t want to cooperate with him. He was sure he didn’t fall asleep till about three hours before his nightshift which was not enough time for him to be fully rested. Then his drier broke and he was forced to dry his uniform with a blow dryer taking up the time he would usually use to make a decent meal for himself. All he had was some toast and yogurt before he had rushed to his car so he wouldn’t be late. 
He didn’t need management getting on his ass tonight. 
The male gave out half-assed greetings to the animatronics and any other guards stationed with him tonight as he started his rounds, checking the bathrooms, the arcade and making sure no kids were hiding somewhere in the ball pit. It all seemed well and good until there was a sudden commotion just irritating enough to get on his last nerve. Quickly heading to the party hall he found that Moondrop was being berated by one of the other guards, Zoey. Once he took another look around he found that Roxane was yelling at the other animatronic while her tail was slightly colored pink, being held back by Freddy while Monty and Chica were off to the side. 
“ You can’t just dye her fur! You know management would-”
“ It was just a joke!” “ No one messes with my fur and gets away with it!” 
“ Now will you all calm down? There is no reason to-” 
“ENOUGH!”
The room was suddenly very quiet as all their heads snapped to Nemi, the man glaring at them with a scowl on his face. Nemi walked forward, “ I’m not dealing with this tonight. Zoey keep that creep of yours under control. Roxane go wash your tail out before it stains your fur. And everyone else keep it fucking quiet!” The others were clearly unsettled by his attitude as usually he’d be nothing more than a sweetheart but clearly something had irritated the man. 
But before anyone could say anything he stormed off towards the security room, why were they all so chaotic? And it had to be on a night where he was already having a bad day. Angrily sitting down at the security rooms table he let out a long winded sigh and held his head in his hands. At least now it was quiet. 
“ Nemi?” 
Oh for fucks sake. “ What, Freddy?” 
The animatronic bear stepped in the room and walked over standing next to the irritated guard, “ Are you alright? You seem to be upset about something.” 
“ Oh no. No I’m not upset. It’s not like there isn’t some dumb mess I have to clean up that I didn’t make. Or that my dryer broke and I barely ate anything or that-that, I couldn’t take a nap and I’m tired as all hell-shit.” Nemi could feel tears coming to his eyes, quickly wiping them away before they could fall. Why did Freddy have to come in now? 
“...Would you like to take a nap in my room?” 
The question caught the guard off guard, Nemi snapping his head towards the bear in surprise. “ What?” 
“ My room. It’s quiet and the others will stay out of the room. I’m sure Zoey can handle the duties for tonight.” 
“ No.” The bear’s ears roasted upwards as his eyebrows rose, seemingly confused at the rejection. “ No-it’s fine I’ll just-” 
“ Nemi you clearly need to rest.” Freddy tried to argue. 
“ No I’m fine. Just go back out and leave me alone for a while okay?” The man sighed and turned around thinking the bear would do what he asked. He wasn’t about to go sleep in Freddy’s room of all places. 
“ I see we will be doing this the hard way.” 
“ What?” Suddenly Nemi was being picked up. No correct that he was suddenly being bridal carried by Freddy. Nemi felt all his anger and his face flush red all at one. “ Put me down! Freddy!” 
“ Don’t squirm now. You need to rest and if I have to give you a little tough love then so be it.” The bear’s grip was like iron as Nemi tried to get out of it. 
“ Freddy seriously! Put me down right now!” But the bear ignored him as he carried Nemi out of the security room and towards the greenrooms. Nemi just hoped to god that none of the others would see him in this embarrassing state. It didn’t take too long for them to enter Freddy’s room and by the time they entered Nemi had stopped squirming so aggressively having grown tired from his already low energy. 
“ Here we are.” Freddy walked over to the couch and gently set the man on it, but before he could make a dash for the door Freddy had him wrapped up in a blanket like some kind of burrito. Nemi knew this was the type of wrapping they used when there was an obviously overstimulated kid that needed to calm down. 
“ Freddy unwrap me right now! “ 
“ No I don’t think I will. Nemi you need to rest.” The bear was pulling pillows over into a small pile before he gently knocked the man over so he could lay down. 
“ I am not a child!” 
“ No you certainly are not, but you are acting like one.” Freddy knelt down besides him, “ Nemi. I am only doing this because I care-we all care about you.” The bear looked away for a moment, “ I just want you to take care of yourself. You’re stressed.” 
Nemi’s anger suddenly deteriorated as he saw the care in Freddy’s eyes, he could feel his cheeks getting hot with the bear this close to him and if this kept up any longer he was going to say something stupid. “ Fine. I’ll take a stupid nap.” 
Freddy beamed at the confirmation, “ Good. And when you wake up I want you to apologize to the others.” 
The man grumbled but nodded as he finally settled into the couch, Freddy stood up ruffling the man's hair before walking over to the wall and lowering the lights. 
“ Have a good night, Nemi. I’ll wake you up an hour before your shift ends.” 
The man said nothing but Freddy didn’t seem to mind as he walked out quietly closing the door. Nemi Laid there on the couch still frustrated that he was carried like a child and told to go to bed as if Freddy was his parent. 
Wait. 
He was carried by Freddy. 
Like a groom.
No one heard the embarrassed groan that came from the man. 
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feverinfeveroutfic · 3 years
Text
chapter thirty two: last christmas in new york
Sam never had her meeting with Bill at any given time during that following week. The whole entire time she had expected him to linger there over her shoulder as she drew up with pencils, colored and pure graphite otherwise, while in class. While she was relieved that he never did once show up, she still wondered what he had in mind for that summer and the months following.
There came a point in which she hoped that it would only be for that single summer and not the rest of the year. She knew that it was ridiculous to assume such a thing, and yet she still managed to think ahead. She had hope in Anthrax's new album for that coming year and that she and Joey could in fact take things to the next level. So much more that she needed to figure out with him in particular.
Even with the arrival of late October and the first freezing rains of the season, Sam couldn't help but feel that it would be her last autumn in New York, and ultimately her last Halloween there: all the spooky decorations and the fleeting scent of cinnamon in the air made her wish for those first days in the city again, even when she still lived in the Bronx. The smell of cinnamon made her think of Cliff as well. The smell of Christmas and home.
If it really was that significant of a task for her to carry out, then she knew that she would have to spend a great deal of time out there. And yet, the more thought she put into it, the more it felt so ludicrous to her. But then again, home called her with each passing day. Even with the midst of October, the days of the term seemed to drag by, not just for her but for Marla as well, who had come home every day from school looking as though she had run a mile at some point during the day.
Hardly enough time to relish in the rest of her time with one of her best friends, or in New York City. All both young women could do following their work was have dinner and then curl up under the covers with a book to read or with Genie curled up next to them. The very thing they had worked for and the very thing that made both of them head out to school had found its way into the realm of tedium. Sam lay in bed with her eye on her art journals and she wondered where it was all going wrong. A time away from the journals and the art desk, and she could return with a fresh approach.
Of course!
That was also the day she finally found that little bit of curiosity for some insight into it all, given Bill never showed up one time during her classes. Add to this, she thought of something else she had to figure out with Marla in particular. It was right after school and Marla herself had come home early in order to work on her own senior project. Sam knocked on her door and she peered over her shoulder at her. She nudged the door open and stepped inside.
“Hey,” Marla called to her; she swiveled around on her stool and in turn showed Sam the trio of drawings on her desk as well as the look of exhaustion on her face.
“Hey,” Sam replied back to her.
“What's happening?”
“I'm just curious about your own senior project—I also have to confess something. And I don't know who else to say this to—I mean, I haven't spoken to Aurora since Alex's birthday party last month, and we barely spoke to.”
“Yeah, and she made it about herself, too.”
“Right! Add to this, Bel's still at school and the boys are over in Europe right now. So you are literally the only person I can talk to about any this at the moment.”
“Go ahead,” said Marla with a shake of her head.
“Well,” Sam began, and she cleared her throat as well, “I'm not a liar, I'm not gonna lie to you, Marla, but... I'm kind of tired of this whole thing.”
Marla sighed through her nose and she tapped the eraser of her pencil on the inclined desk surface for a bit, and then she nodded her head. She let her eyes wander over to the desk next to her. Those drawings, those bare drawings that seemed to taunt both of them. Those drawings without any sort of feeling to them: they looked as though they hadn't been crafted by a human woman but by a machine.
“You wanna know something—I am, too,” she said in a low voice. She then turned her head back to Sam. “Hey, at least you get a trip out to California and you get to go see your parents again. I don't have a clue what I'm gonna do next year. At least Bel has an idea what she'll be doing: she's gonna be working in a glass shop up in Albany, but I have no idea about myself, though.”
“You and Genie, too,” Sam added.
“Right!”
Sam folded her arms across her chest. “Bel's going up to Albany, really?”
“Oh, yeah. She told me this—today actually—once school is out for the both of us, she's packing it up and bouncing up there. My best friend is actually going to move away from me.”
“Well, at least she's just going up the road, though,” Sam pointed out. “You know, she's not going—clear across the country.”
Marla sighed through her nose. One of their own was about to leave sooner than Sam, and then she would have to leave; Marla's eyes swept back over the pages on the desk next to her. If art brought her hands to that of a machine, then therein lay a dead end for her, and Sam had the impulse to call up Bill and tell him about it. But then again, they were a year apart. Whatever Marla had to do for herself was far different from that which awaited her the next summer.
“Can I at least see what it's supposed to encapsulate?” she asked her at one point. Marla then gave her cherry red hair a light toss back with a flick of her head.
“Yeah—Mrs. Robinson gave me what to do like the first day of school—which really makes me wonder what Bill has in store for you if he's telling you about it now. I have to fill out this journal—” She set her hand on a brown hard cover journal to the left of her. “—plus make a whole series of drawings, three of them erotic and three of them far more chaste. She told me she wants it to be in the realm of 'yin' and 'yang', like opposites of each other. The meeting of sexuality without it. She described it as like the human experience. Neither side understands the point of the other, although I'm not sure as to how to bring the chaste side to life, you know without being too on the nose with it.”
“Right, right.” Sam paused for a second as she thought about her encounters with Joey; even though Marla couldn't hardly relate to the chaste side of life, she definitely could. “So—is that it?”
“Oh, wait, hang on—she gave me this note before I came home earlier.” She picked up a little sheet of paper stuck onto the corner of the desk. “It says 'Miss Taylor, be sure to tell Miss Grimes to write up letters of recommendation for the pending masters and doctorates.'” She waved the paper about as if it meant nothing. “Yeah, another part of the whole thing is Bel and I have to write up letters of recommendation for a few of our classmates who are going onto to get their master's or doctorate degrees.”
Marla then turned to Sam with her eyebrows raised. “Hey, there's an idea for you. Get your master's. He'll have to take you back home at some point because of that. The only drawback I see with that is everything I've heard about both levels of degree are a lot of work. And I mean, a lot of work. You think we're burnt out right now? That's a whole other can of beans—at least from what I'm told about it.”
“Well, if that's just what a senior project is supposed to be, then it kind of makes me wonder exactly awaits me out in California.”
“I have no clue what he's supposed to give you,” Marla confessed to her with a shake of her head. The cherry red roots of her hair began to fade away in their boldness and into her original plain brown color.
“Hey, look at that—it's time to dye your hair again,” Sam pointed out with a nod of her head.
“Yeah, I know.” Marla patted the crown of her head. “I just haven't decided on what color I want next.”
“I'm telling ya: different colors, like a bunch of stripes.”
Marla chuckled at that. “Stripes, like one is black and the next is a muted tone and then a glossy neon one?”
“Yeah!”
“I dunno, Sam,” she confessed with a shake of her head, “—that's a lot of work. Like, that is a lot of work. Remember that metallic sheen I had that one time, you know the one where it looked as though my hair was changing colors? That took like a whole afternoon to do because it was hard on my neck and there was a lot of layering involved, too. I mean, just one color takes a whole couple of hours to do. I'm still surprised Charlie was able to keep it neat—like he didn't make this huge mess in the bathroom.”
“Well, there's always doing a single stripe,” Sam pointed out. “Like you can dye your hair solid black and then add a tiny sliver near the crown of your head.”
“Kind of like Alex's hair?”
“Yeah! Except you should make your stripe like bright pink or blue instead of gray.”
“Like neon colored?” Marla smiled.
“Yeah! I can help you with that, too.”
“It's not hard. Yeah, it's one of those things where it's not hard but it's just—time consuming. You don't just dye your hair willy nilly: you have to set time aside to do it. And it also takes work to pull off right because it can just make a mess or not show up at all. One of the things I learned about dyeing dark hair a weird color like blue or pink or even blonde is you have to bleach it before hand and I remember the first time that happened, too. The first time I bleached my hair and I thought 'I'm never doing that again.' Like right after that, I dyed my hair that bright tangerine orange and with those streaks on the side of my head. Remember that?”
“The first time we met each other!” Sam exclaimed. “I liked you with orange hair.”
“I liked it, too. And I liked those little streaks I had, too, because they were odd. And everyone knew me not as 'Charlie's girl' but as 'the girl with the bitchin' hair.'”
“I liked you with purple hair, too.”
“Bel really liked the purple, and so did Danny Lilker. During the Stormtroopers of Death tour, the first time he saw the purple hair on me, it was like one of those cartoon wolves when they see a foxy girl.”
“Did he howl?” Sam laughed.
“He may as well have!”
“But ever since then, you just layered the colors on top of each other.”
“Yeah. This cherry tomato color was done right on top of that metallic hairdo I had, so because of that, it's due for a redo anyways. Which means if I'm going to a weird color again like blue or pink, even if it's just a little Alex Skolnick or Dale Bozzio type streak at the front of my head, I have to bleach it no matter. And you gotta help me with it, too. The first time I did it Charlie helped me and I'm glad he did, too.”
“Well—where are you right now with your senior project?” Sam asked her.
“I've been wanting a break,” she confessed. “And it's still early, too.” She then nibbled on her bottom lip. “I'm gonna have to go out and get hair dye, though.”
“You can go blonde for a little bit, though,” Sam pointed out.
“I don't look right with blonde hair,” Marla told her. “It's too sharp of a contrast with my eyes. I'll show you what I mean once we get it. And the first time around it itched like crazy, even when I had washed it all out and tried to make it all nice. I can see people confusing me for Bel, too.” She paused for a minute and then she snapped her fingers. “Tell you what. We can bleach my hair and then I can wash it out real good, and while I'm in the shower, you can run on down the block here and get some black and bright blue hair dye for me.”
“You want blue?”
“Yeah. I think that's a good color to work with now. Either that or green, like bright green. I know I've changed hair colors before school terms ended, but I'm feeling it right now. I'm due for dyeing. I'm ready to dye.”
Without another word, Sam and Marla headed into the bathroom with a bottle of powder bleach, some toner, and a shower cap: there was a pair of rubber gloves in the drawer. Marla held still as Sam mixed the powder and toner in the container right next to her. She would pour the bleach over her head while she lay her neck across in the edge of the bathtub: it was either that or lay down in the sink.
“Charlie suggested that, too,” Marla recalled before she lay down, “and I was like, 'I think that's going to make a huge mess, though, Char.' So kudos to you for helping me lay down in the tub.”
“So once it's mixed together, I just work it into your hair?”
“Yeah, you start from the tips and then work your way up to the top of my head—”
Sam leaned forward for the first piece of hair down in the tub and scrubbed the bleach mixture in. It took some time, but she eventually reached Marla's scalp. She had closed her eyes once Sam reached the crown of her head: the entirety of her hair had been laced with something that made Sam think of bubble bath. Meanwhile, pieces of cherry red hair dye bled off of her hair, such that it resembled to blood.
“How're you feeling?” she asked her.
“Okay. Kinda itchy, though.”
“Ooh—damn.”
“It's okay. It's part of the process, getting rid of the color in the keratin. So now—where are you?”
“I'm at the top of your head.”
Marla then opened her eyes.
“You got the shower cap on hand?”
“Right here.” Sam gestured to the shower cap on the edge of the tub next to her. She hesitated to pick it up for her given the bleach concoction on the gloves; thus Marla slipped it under her hair.
“Help me out here—”
Sam stuck stray strands of hair into the cap so they all would stay in place on Marla's head. Within a matter of seconds, Marla herself had the cap upon her head.
“So I just let it sit for a bit and then I wash it out under the shower. And then we can color it in with the black and blue hair dye.”
Sam then took off the gloves and washed her hands, and headed out for two bottles of hair dye, one black and one neon blue. All the while, she pictured Alex with that same hair color scheme, that beautiful bright neon blue in lieu of the gray over his brow. She thought about the way he would dye his hair, with that rich jet black hair dye as it blanketed over that little cluster of gray hairs. The more she thought about it, the more hilarious it seemed to her, in how he could cover up a small piece of his hair with black dye. It was an odd little part of him, something that aged him even as he still stayed young, and thus he seemed so timeless to her.
His trademark.
And Joey had those deep black curls piled atop his head and the dark venom that made up his brown eyes.
Within time, she returned to the apartment right as Marla stuck her head under the shower head and washed out the bleach powder from her hair. Sam took her seat on the arm of the couch right next to Genie, who had curled up in her usual spot at the top. She could hear the water dripping from the shower down the hall, but soon enough, the pipes fell quiet and Marla rung out her hair. More silence, and then she surfaced from the bathroom with a towel on her head.
“Here, let me show you what I meant by that,” she told her, and she unfurled the towel from her wet hair. Bleached and pale yellow, such that it made her eyes appear deeper and more voluminous than before, and it washed out her already milky complexion to an even more pale color.
“Wow—you look—possessed,” Sam sputtered out. “Like you're about to take me down to the depths of hell.
“Charlie told me I looked like Johnny Winter when we first did it, but 'possessed' is more like it, though. Anyways, you got the dye?”
“Yup! Right here.”
Sam handed Marla the bottles of black and neon blue hair dye, and she joined her once again for a bit of help. Once again, Marla let the dye sit in her hair for a bit before she washed it out under the shower's head. Come dinner time, she had a head of jet black hair accompanied with an electric blue streak at the top of her head.
“Stylin',” Sam remarked as she disposed of the shower cap; she thought of the mysterious man in her dreams and the ever changing streak in his hair. It was right then that Lars burst into her mind: maybe it was the sight of Marla's eyes having been far more prominent than before she colored her hair blonde for a bit, or maybe it was her helping out Marla with the hair dye, but she thought about how he encouraged her to be more assertive, especially with the boys not around. A break away from the tedium and she was able to find something within herself that could prove to be helpful; or maybe it came from living on her own for a few years that helped her be more of that nature.
Indeed, the next day at school, everyone in the hallways flashed Marla a thumbs up or an eager nod at her new black hair. Before they headed into their drawing class for the morning, Sam heard someone calling her name right behind her. She turned her head and there was Bill running towards her.
“Miss Shelley? A word?”
She returned to Marla.
“I'll meet up with you in a second,” she told her.
A part of her wanted to ask him, “what took you so long?” but alas, she stopped herself in her tracks and they hung off to the side next to the classroom door.
“What's going on?” she asked him.
“I should tell you that it has been confirmed now. You are coming with me out to California for your senior project.”
“I have a couple of questions about that,” she started as Lars returned to her mind once again.
“Go ahead.”
“First off, what am I going to do out there? Second, what if I wanted to get my master's degree?”
“Well, what I am going to give you for it won't be available until we get out there. And next, our master's program here works by way of signing up for it and beginning on your dissertation over the summer.”
“Oh, I see.” Her heart sank at that. “So—when do we go?”
“We head on out to the Golden State on the thirty first of July, and you begin your project on the fourth of August. I'm going to need you to sign some paperwork at some point so it's confirmed that you are in fact with me there.”
He stuck out his hand for her to shake, and even though she took it, an uneasy feeling emerged in the pit of her stomach and inside of her chest. Her fate was sealed right then. In two months' time, she had to relish every second she had with Joey over Christmas break. Their last one together.
She had to give him what she couldn't give to Cliff in their final Christmas together in the two years before. Two years ago she and Cliff spent Christmas at her parents' house! Two Christmases without him. After class, she told Marla about it, who almost fainted when she learned of the exact date of it all. She then told Belinda, who cupped her hands to her mouth to keep herself from doing anything drastic, and then she threw her arms around Sam.
“It's okay, Bel,” she sputtered from her tight grip, “—it's not like I'm leaving right now or even next week. It's the middle of next summer. It's still a ways off.”
“But you're still leaving us, though!” Belinda exclaimed with a break in her voice.
“She's leaving me, especially,” Marla joined in as she brushed away some tears.
“I just wonder how Aurora's gonna react to this,” Sam confessed. “I haven't spoken to her since Alex's birthday.”
“I saw her just yesterday, actually,” Belinda told her. “She and Emile were shopping for baby clothes. She's not showing, though, so part of me feels like she's faking it.”
“Understand, she's barely two months along, Bel,” Marla pointed out. “She will be eventually, though.”
Sam kept her eye on the look of disappointment on Marla's face as she said that, and she was disappointed, too. Aurora had gotten married and let it all go straight to her head: she could shake her head at Joey's antics to Alex all she wanted, but it was Aurora who hadn't thanked Alex for being in her wedding, and she made his special day all about herself. At the same time, she had no other means of coming in touch with Aurora, either. She had moved clear over to Long Island with Emile and with her packed schedule in school, there simply was no way for Sam to clear the air with her, her initial best friend.
As the days grew darker, and the rain froze over into ice followed by sleet and snow, so too did her wish to leave start a fresh new chapter in life. Granted, her move to New York proved to be a new chapter in and of itself, but the more she thought about it, the more she felt her travels out to California could serve as the next one. She was about to leave home for home again, but she had to finish the first arc before she moved onto the next one, and that was spending one good Christmas with Joey.
Winter came with a firm, vengeful grip on the Northeast come finals week and the middle of December, such that the snows blanketed everything to where it felt like they could bury everyone there alive. By the last day of school, Sam had signed the paperwork that Bill had left for her and thus, her fate had been sealed for the next summer. So caught up between both sides but the whole thing was inevitable.
She sat down on the edge of her bed, right next to Genie, with a cup of Mexican hot chocolate in hand, complete with the little marshmallows. Perhaps, even though it would be the summer time, she could teach her mother how to make Mexican hot chocolate, just like the kind she made for Cliff that morning.
She glanced down at Genie and that soft black fur. Careful not to wake her, she petted her head and her back. Genie never moved; instead, she gave her a soft purr. She hoped that she could take another photograph, that one of Genie for her parents to see for themselves when she got to see them again.
She sipped on her hot chocolate when there was a knock on the door.
“I'll get it,” Marla called out.
Another sip and then—
“Hey, Joey!”
“Mm, Joey's here?”
“Yeah! Frankie is, too!”
Her two best friends, back to her for one more Christmas in New York. Sam set down the cup on her desk and then she headed back into the front room.
Joey's eyes never looked so brighter than they had before then, even with the look of fatigue upon his face. His black curls stood on every which end atop his head.
“Holy fuck, that was a long flight,” he declared as part of his greeting; the fatigue in his voice meant it had been a grueling stint of the tour. Meanwhile, Frank stumbled into the apartment as well. He let out a long low whistle and then he spotted Sam in the hallway.
“There's our girl!” he proclaimed with his arms outstretched for her. Sam lunged for Frank first. If anything, he was her best friend. Her first real best friend there in New York, and she knew he would be in that position no matter where she went in the world. How she missed the soft musk on the side of his neck and the softest part of his lush black hair.
She then turned to Joey for an embrace as well, and he followed it up with a kiss on the side of her neck. He then held back and gazed right into her eyes.
As brown as the earth, but strangely liquid, as if he was about to burst into tears.
“How is everything?” Marla asked them as she rubbed her hands together.
“Yeah, how was the tour?” Sam joined in.
“Oh, my god, I wish you girls were with us,” Frank confessed. “Those European crowds are—crazy. Just insane. You thought the crowd in Boston was nuts—the crowd in Boston was like a graveyard compared to the people in Germany and Switzerland.”
“They are so passionate, though,” Joey added. “Like Frankie and I met some people before a few of the shows and they're just obsessed with the music.”
“The girls, too!” Frank declared.
“Oh, yeah, they were just ape shit about the Cherry Suicides, too. I think we were in Ireland? They did that song 'Dead Witches' where Zelda just goes crazy on the drums.”
“Yeah, it was Northern Ireland, Joey,” Frank said. “I remember 'cause that was Halloween night. They stretched the song to like twenty minutes, like Minerva just unleashed this huge solo.”
“They played it for like twenty minutes in Oslo and Sweden, too,” Joey added. “Like Minerva was wearin' this little Viking helmet as she did it, too, it was just the coolest thing. Hardcore punk rock made by a black Viking, dare I say.”
“Oh, and the guys loved them,” Frank recalled.
“Who, the Swedes or the Norwegians?”
“Both. Both crowds were just in awe of those girls.” He cleared his throat; he, too, had his fill of touring for the time being.
“Yeah, the Irish weren't too sure of them at first, but they warmed up to 'em pretty well, though. The Scandinavians, it was like instant love there. Kinda makes you wonder what's going on up there.”
“And I'm surprised Zelda doesn't have like giant tree trunks for calves,” Frank joked. “She basically hasn't taken off those duct tape boots Chuck gave her.”
“Although we also performed a few dates here in the States,” Joey continued, “there was just no way we could come in contact with you girls 'cause we were like manically hoppin' around the place. We finished up in Dallas just yesterday, and I am just bushed right now.”
“Wow,” Sam breathed out, “where is Zelda, by the way?”
“Oh, they went back to Rhode Island already,” Frank told her. “Although Joey has sump'n for ya in his car downstairs.”
“Yeah.” Joey showed her that crooked smile and Sam followed him outside, to the cold gray blanket overhead and the thick layer of pure white snow all around them.
His car parked there at the curb, and Sam could make out the sight of something in the back seat.
“So for the last few dates of the tour,” he began over the noise of the street, “I realized that—this is gonna be our last holiday break together.”
“And it's confirmed now,” she told him as they stood before the side of the car.
“It's confirmed!” he exclaimed and he gaped at her.
“It's confirmed. I leave July thirty first.”
Joey swallowed, and Sam could see the tears in his eyes.
“I should tell you this then,” he started as he tucked his hands into his coat pockets.
“What?”
He lingered closer to her body. “I cherish every moment I have with you, Sam,” Joey told her. “I know I can lose you.”
She peered up to the sky, at the first little flurries of snow as it fluttered down from the gray overhead. She brought her gaze down to the right side of the street, at all the twinkling Christmas lights as they decorated the trees along the sides of the street. Her last Christmas in New York with Joey. The snow was about to bury them both if they didn't act right then and there.
“I cherish every moment I have with you,” he repeated; and he leaned in for an embrace upon her lips. Sweet and soft, like molten dark chocolate; warm and silken, like the cup of Mexican hot chocolate that she had made for Cliff that one morning. For the first time in a year, everything reminded her of Cliff, but at the same time, it reminded her of Joey. Something new, something unique, something completely different than what she had known before.
He held back and gazed right into her face.
“I wish you didn't have to leave,” he told her.
“I wish I didn't, either,” she confessed, and she couldn't resist the tears in her eyes. “What do you want to give me, by the way?”
“Just that,” he whispered to her. “The only thing in the car here is my guitar. And yeah—it's officially my guitar now.”
She brought her lips to his again. They didn't need any mistletoe to believe it between them.
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vindicatedvirgil · 4 years
Text
what are you, a middle school librarian?
me: actually studying to be a librarian roman: accuses janus of being a middle school librarian me: i can fix this just gimme a blank document and some lofi and a cup of warm tea and a few hours
anyways in a discord server i’m in we were coming up with kahoot questions and i see the words middle school librarian and janus and i thought: i could make a fic out of this.
...so here ya go. a roceit fic. uber romantic. enjoy. also a very small mention of intrulogical (so small that you might miss it tbh). 
TW: mentions of chronic illness (i think that’s it)
[masterlist]
---
Being a middle school librarian was, frankly, exhausting. Janus shooed the final kid out the door and locked it behind them, wanting to slump against the door and shut off all of the lights so that his migraine had a chance of escaping. Except he had to meet with the English faculty soon. He swore there wasn’t enough tea in the world for dealing with Roman Prince, the cockiest of the bunch.
It wasn’t that Roman was a bad teacher. Janus actually held him in the highest regards in that manner; he was excellent at promoting diverse, new materials and he kept his students engaged through acting exercises and relevant references. No, it was just that Roman was insufferably handsome and was absolutely aware of it. And Roman knew that Janus felt this way and preyed upon the librarian every single time they were in the same room.
The other faculty were none the wiser as Roman slid his hand along Janus’ bicep, the cardigan doing nothing to hide the grip of the English teacher. Janus wanted to smack him or kiss him (or maybe both), but instead he opted to sit at the head of the table, chin in his hand as he eyed the packet of materials he wanted to share with the faculty about new books and research strategies.
As far as meetings go, it was a short one, and the other teachers filed out quickly as it was, indeed, a Friday afternoon and they likely all had better things to do. Janus packed up his things quickly, ready to go home and make a fresh pot of tea and curl up with the mystery he had started at lunch time, his cat at his feet. When he looked up from one of his many book bags, Roman prince was leaning over the counter, a smirk on his face.
“Mr. Prince, if you don’t mind, I need to get going now,” he said, trying not to seem too frazzled about the fact that they were alone together in an empty library. Roman pursed his lips in thought and reached his hand out to take one of Janus’, before pressing his lips to the knuckles.
“Would you like to go to dinner with me tonight, Janus?” His voice was smooth and it reverberated throughout Janus’ whole body, and he tried to not appear flustered or blush at the interaction but it had been so long since anyone had openly flirted with the librarian that he was definitely aching for attention. “No strings. I just want to get to know you a bit better. Outside of the library and school, that is.”
“Roman,” Janus tried to keep the tone of his voice level as he pulled his hand away from Roman’s lips, instantly missing the feeling of having them on his skin. “You know the rules as well as I do, that the faculty of this school are not meant to have… extraneous relationships.”
“Relationships, no. But a friendship, yes. That is not frowned upon,” Roman said thoughtfully, as though he had refreshed his memory by reading the employee handbook earlier that day (he definitely had). “Unless you’re concerned that we wouldn't be able to remain just friends.”
Janus stammered over his thoughts. “I- No, that’s…” he trailed off, then finally nodded in agreement. “Alright, Roman. One dinner. And then I’ll decide if we can be friends.”
-
Janus was thankful that Roman didn’t choose some fancy, expensive restaurant for their night out. Not that two men who worked for a middle school could afford it anyways, but he didn’t think that his yellow cardigan, black button-up, and black slacks would cut it in a fancy setting. Except Roman… Janus’ eyes swept over the man. The teacher somehow always looked elegant, even in white jeans and a red shirt. Maybe it was the way that his curly hair swept over his forehead or the thin veneer of makeup that was always perfectly present on his face, but… Roman was always extra. And it was aggravating.
The librarian leaned his hand on his chin once he had settled into the booth. The diner was near the school and was a favorite stop of many students and faculty, and given that it was a Friday evening, it was rather busy. Several students that Janus recognized stared at the pair when they walked in, and Roman waved them off fancifully (leaving Janus to wonder if Roman ever did anything without that hint of theatricality). 
An awkward silence had settled over the pair as they pored over their menus. Janus ran a hand through his hair almost fitfully before deciding it would be in his way and he threw it into a messy bun off the back of his head. When he glanced up, Roman’s eyes were fixed upon his hair, his face, and Janus wanted to run. He was always self-conscious working around kids who were brutally honest; but he could accept their blatancy when they pointed out the scars on the left side of his body. Adults were more sneaky about their glances, and he could always tell that they were feeling sympathy for him.
“Please do not stare at me,” Janus mumbled, meeting Roman’s eyes. The teacher stammered, looking back down at his menu, but not before Janus noticed a faint blush covering his counterpart’s cheeks. 
“Sorry, I just… you put your hair up in that bun so effortlessly and it turned out beautiful,” Roman explained, and now Janus was the one who had to hide his blush. He said nothing though, and soon the waiter came over to take their drink orders.
“Can I get a cup of coffee, please? Bring over some milk and sugar with it, please,” Roman said, flashing a dazzling smile at them. “And a glass of water, if you don’t mind.” The waiter nodded at this, then looked over at Janus, who was thrown off by how polite Roman was to them.
“Uh, just water with lemon, please. Thank you,” Janus said, and the waiter walked off, leaving the two in quiet again. Janus glanced up at Roman, though, then decided to start up a conversation. “What did you do before you were an English teacher?”
“Well…” Roman set down his menu, resting his chin on his hand. “I went to school for theater, and did a lot of community theater while working in diners and at coffee shops. It was great, but… I couldn’t bear the hours of those jobs anymore. So… I went back to school to become a teacher. And during the summer I run a theater camp. Sometimes I’ll still do community shows.” Janus nodded at this, pursing his lips in thought. 
“I was a theater major for my undergraduate,” he said, and Roman raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Yeah, I know. Surprising, right?” He sighed, “I was really focused on musical theory and directing. And then… I realized it wouldn’t be enough to support me. So I started working in a local library to help pay the bills, and from there I decided to go on to get a degree in library science so I could become a librarian. I shadowed a librarian at a middle school in my old town for a bit and decided that was my path forward,” he explained, and Roman nodded. “I miss theater, though. I miss the nerves before a show and the costumes. I miss a lot of it.”
“You could help out with theater camp next summer,” Roman suggested. Janus wanted to shake his head but he nodded instead, smiling faintly. It wasn’t a commitment, anyways. It was just a nod. “I wanted to be on Broadway someday, you know? See my name in the lights. Instead, I just see my name under students’ names on their properly formatted papers.”
“It’s not too late for you,” Janus’ words fell out before he could stop them, and he resisted the urge to reach out and take Roman’s hand in comfort. “What’s stopping you from flying off to New York right this second?”
“I…” Roman started, but faded away as the waiter brought back their drinks. The waiter asked for their meal orders. “Can I get the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and green beans? Thanks.” Janus watched as Roman’s demeanor shifted from open and kind to more closed off, and tried to fight off the frown that he knew was trying to press through to his lips.
“I’ll have the soup and salad combo, with the broccoli cheddar soup and a cobb salad. Thank you,” he said, and the pair handed their menus off, then sat in silence once again. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that.”
“I was about to leave for New York, once,” Roman said quietly, and Janus watched him intently. “I had a flight booked and a place to stay. But then… my brother got sick. He needed someone to take care of him so I… dropped everything. Picked up a second job so he didn’t need to work and I resigned myself to community theater.” Roman sighed, carding a hand through his curls. “He got better, thankfully, and now he’s married to this astronomer and they’re about to adopt a kid, and I’m so happy for him, but…”
“But you skipped out on your dreams for him,” Janus finished the sentence, knowing that Roman couldn’t, and the teacher nodded. “You deserve to have your dreams come true, Roman. I see you with those kids, you instill hope and passion in them. More than anyone else, you deserve to see your name in the lights.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Roman said thoughtfully, glancing out the window at the setting sun. “But I don’t know if that’s my dream anymore. I think… I would rather see one of those kids’ names up there and know that I’m the one that pushed them to reach for the sky.”
“That’s… incredibly selfless of you, Roman,” Janus said, and he was surprised at the truth of that sentence. Roman was a selfless man, risking his potential career as a Broadway star to take care of his brother, giving his all to make sure his students understand and are successful. It startled Janus, the depth that was behind Roman’s brown eyes, and he felt bad for resigning the man to his appearances.
The rest of the evening passed without much excitement, and as Janus drove away from the diner and towards his small apartment filled with books and cat hair and tea, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he would be unable to simply maintain a friendship with Roman Prince.
-
“So I was thinking brunch,” Roman had stepped into the library soon after the final child had left for the day, startling Janus out of his alphabetization of books to reshelve. He glanced up at the teacher, a bewildered look probably masking his joy at seeing Roman.
“What?” He asked incredulously, not understanding what the other was getting at.
“For our next friendship outing. I know this great place that serves delicious crepes and they have a plethora of tea options, you’d love it,” Roman was babbling and Janus couldn’t help but stare at his glossed lips. He shook his head, trying to regain his sense of reality.
“Uh, Roman, I don’t know…” It wasn’t that Janus didn’t want to spend more time with Roman. He did. Desperately. It was all he could think about at night, in the shower, on his drive to work. Roman filled his every available moment of peace and it was too much because Janus couldn’t bear to just be friends with him.
“Not a fan of crepes? They have other stuff, too,” Roman started, not realizing what Janus was unsure of. “Or we could go to see a movie—”
“It’s not that. I just…” Janus took a deep breath, lifting his eyes to meet Roman’s. “I don’t know if I can be friends with you, Roman.” He watched as the teacher visibly deflated, as if all of the oxygen from his lungs had been forced out by that one sentence. “I like you a lot. Too much, I think. And I don’t think I could bear to just be coworkers and friends. I’d always… want more.”
“Oh,” Roman didn’t look up from staring at his hands. He appeared physically upset, and Janus just wanted to get up and hug him and comfort him but… it would be too much and not enough all at once. “You’re right. I just… you’re the first person I’ve known in a long time that I’ve connected with on a level this magnitude and… it sucks that we can’t explore that more.”
Janus glanced at the sentence he had just written down on a sticky note in front of him as he was going through his emails. A job opening at the public library. It paid better, had better benefits, and he was considering it greatly. He brushed his fingers against the bright yellow paper and then smiled, looking up at Roman.
“We may not be coworkers for much longer, though,” he said, watching as Roman’s eyes snapped up again to meet his. “There’s a job opening at the public library and I’ve been thinking about applying for it.”
“You should,” Roman breathed out, and Janus worried that he had instilled hope in the other; what if he didn’t get the job, and they would remain coworkers and remain unable to move forward from this? It was worth a shot, though, if they wanted to see what happiness could lay ahead of them. 
-
Janus was pacing in front of the checkout counter. The last kid had left for the day and tomorrow was the last day before summer vacation. It had been a few weeks since his interview, and he just heard back.
Roman came in, his messenger bag in tow. The two had been avoiding each other in person so as to not risk anything but were texting constantly, and Janus had messaged him to come into the library after he had finished in his classroom for the day. Janus wanted to fling himself into Roman’s arms but he held himself back, instead waiting to watch as he sat on top of one of the tables.
“What’s up, Janus?” He asked calmly, though Janus noticed the twitch in the teacher’s fingers as he sat there. “Did you hear back from the job?”
“Uh, yeah, I did,” he responded, not meeting Roman’s eyes. “They offered me the job.” 
And then it was as if the world froze in time, Roman’s face was lit up with joy and admiration as he scooped Janus up into a warm hug, their embrace filling almost every need they’d both had for the past few weeks. 
“I need to put in my notice, but… after that, um, do you want to go on a date with me, Roman?” Janus asked, stepping back because the touch was too much and if they stood that close any longer he’d be unable to resist the urge to connect their lips. And not that he didn’t think the middle school library wasn’t romantic, but… he wanted their first kiss to be more special than this. Roman nodded emphatically, then left as quickly as he came, allowing Janus to finish packing his bag for the day.
-
One week later, the pair sat on Janus’ couch after he made Roman dinner, their heads leaning against each other as a movie played on the television. But neither of them were paying it any attention, instead their eyes were locked on the way their fingers were intertwined between their laps, on the slow breathing of the other.
“Janus, I’d really love to kiss you, now,” Roman said quietly, and Janus hesitated. He had wished they had done something more romantic for their first date and now his cat was twining itself between their legs but Roman’s hand was at the base of his neck and then lips were on his and it was magical and wonderful and worth the wait. They’d have the chance for a million more romantic kisses and brunches and outings, and in that moment, Janus knew that this was something that would span his entire lifetime.
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keziha-writes · 4 years
Text
Coffee College And Skeleton Roomies 4/31
Previous
Next
Chapter 1
Chapter-list
Chapter 4: The Roomies
Your first day of classes is over but that didn't mean your day was over in fact the most daunting part of the day was right in front of you, as you stand in front of the dorm building you'll be calling home for the next few years, mustering up the courage to walk in and meet your new dorm mates.
You take a deep breath before stepping through the door, dragging your suitcase along with you. 
This dorm just so happened to be the cheapest one available mostly for the simple reason that it didn't include any furniture in the rooms, other than a little built in wardrobe, so your little old bed and bean bag you'd brought with you were waiting in your car with a box of your things, which of course you'd take up with you once you knew exactly which room was yours. 
You pass a group of friends hanging around the entrance, pick up your keys at the desk and head into the elevator. 
Floor four dorm one… that was where you were gonna be living.
You step out of the elevator on floor four. The floor was split into two sections, one door each side of you… the door you needed was on the right so you step up to it… if you were remembering the layout plan right then behind this door was the living room shared between you and your eight dorm mates… although you have a key you should probably knock this time right?
So you give the door a little knock…
You hold your breath as you wait a moment, before the door opens. Behind the door… is yet another skeleton, how? You wonder, is there just that many of them here or what? This one looked a bit like Blue, a little taller maybe and not quite as excited looking, in fact he looks tired, maybe they were related just like how Rus and Stretch are kinda cousins. 
“Hey...” He says, his voice is deeper than Blue’s. “You the new girl?”
“Um, yeah, that’s me...” you reply sheepishly, “uh… is this my new dorm?”
“Yeah come on in, the names Sans, Sans the skeleton.”
“Hey vanilia who's there!?” You hear a gruff even deeper voice yell.
“Just the new roomie.” Sans replies back.
You step in and Sans leads you around the corner into the living area, oh and kitchen this was more open plan then you thought. There was a corner sofa with its back facing the door with more skeletons sat on it...
“Ya didn't tell us we got a new roomie! What's with that! What's he-” The one yelling turns around looking over the back of the sofa, “Oh...” he lets out a little chuckle. “Hey there Sweetheart.”
He gives you a little wave as his bright Red eyelights look you up and down... you notice he’s round like Sans and Blue but has pointed teeth like Rus and a gold tooth and a crack in his socket too, just his is more jagged.
“The name’s Red, nice to meet ya doll.” 
The other skulls look up from laptops, books and phones to see you, out of the four you see three familiar faces who simultaneously chime out your name in a confused and surprised tone. What were they doing here? Were they gonna be your new dorm mates?
The taller one you didn't recognise came over quickly and shook your hand.
“I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS!! NICE TO MEET YOU! I’M SURE WE WILL ALL BE GREAT FRIENDS, NYEH HEH HEH HEH.”
“I hope so.” You chime back, Papyrus is very friendly and chipper.
 “WHAT’S ALL THE RUCKUS ABOUT!!?” 
You jump as a tall skeleton, taller than the rest barges in from the door you think goes to some of the bedrooms. He looks sharp and mean, dressed in red and black.
“MY QUESTION EXACTLY! WHY ARE YOU ALL SO LOUD!!?” A smaller but just as pointy and mean looking skeleton, in purple pushes past the other.
“I’M TRYING TO WORK!!” They both yell at the same time before they turn to scowl at each other. 
“Meet our new roomie.” Sans says as he pushes you towards them a little.
 “Um.. hi I’m-”
“WHAT!? A NEW PERSON STAYING HERE? WHY WASN'T I INCLUDED IN THIS DECISION!?” The smaller one asks in a raised voice.
“I WON'T ALLOW IT!!!” The taller exclaimes.
“Guess I forgot.” Sans shrugs.
“I DON’T LIKE THIS!!”
“No point protestin’ boss what's done ‘s done.” Red chips in sending you a wink.
“I DON’T LIKE THIS EITHER!” the smaller one folds his arms under his purple bandana.
You look between them in confusion and concern as they all argue about the fact Sans didn’t even tell anyone else you were coming… you didn’t like this, you don’t want people arguing and fighting because of you, not again…
“Just introduce yourselves.”
“YOU CAN’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!”
“What you scared of a kid?”
“YOU’D BE SURPRISED WHAT A HUMAN CHILD CAN DO!” 
“Heh you're scared of them.”
“I AM NOT!!!”
Just as you think you can’t take much more shouting, Rus is at your side, he puts his hand on your shoulder, when did he even get there?
“Hey…!” he said barely above the others but they all go quiet mostly out of shock by the looks on their skulls.
“So....” Rus laughs slightly nervously. “You all gotta know she’s cool, ain't a threat and is nice.”
“HOW DO YOU KNOW HER?” The one in purple asks.
“She’s a classmate.”
“SHE BETTER JUST BE A CLASSMATE.”
“She is, I met her today jus like you.”
“THEN HOW DO YOU KNOW SHE’S SO GREAT?”
“Cuz i gave her a chance, could you all just do the same?”
“FINE, BUT JUST SO YOU KNOW HUMAN, ONE WRONG STEP, IF I FEEL LIKE YOU’RE A THREAT TO ME OR MY BROTHER.” He moves his finger across his neck, and you get the point. 
You swallow the lump in your throat and nod. 
“GOOD! WELL THEN LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF I AM THE MALEVOLENT BLACK. DON’T FORGET IT!! MWAH HAHA! NOW IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME I HAVE LOTS OF WORK TO DO!!” At that he turns away and leaves...
“Come on boss your turn don't let Black show you up.” Red adds.
“FINE!” He huffs. “HUMAN! IF YOU DON’T KNOW ME ALREADY THEN YOU’VE PROBABLY BEEN LIVING UNDER A ROCK. BUT SINCE THAT IS A SAD WAY TO LIVE I’LL SHOW YOU PITY, FOR I AM THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE EDGE! FEARED AND ADMIRED BY ALL. NYAH HAHAHA!!”
This is where you're supposed to introduce yourself right? 
“Oh um… it’s nice to meet you? My name is-”
“I REALLY DON’T CARE AND I ALSO HAVE MUCH WORK TO DO, YOU’VE TAKEN FAR TOO MUCH OF MY PRECIOUS TIME.” He turns away flicking his cape like scarf behind him as he leaves…
The room goes quiet for a second. 
“Before you ask… yeah it’s usually like this…” Sans sighs…
“But ya get used to it.” Red adds.
Blue bounds over. “WELL THEN HOW ABOUT WE GET YOU SETTLED IN?”
“Your room is this one.” Sans turns you around and points you in the direction of Your room… “You got your key right?”
“Yeah here.” 
You open the door to an empty room, it's a cozy size, the far wall has a good sized window and the wardrobe, the left of the door is your bathroom.
“IT'S A BIT DUSTY IN HERE ISN'T IT? FEAR NOT, THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL HAVE IT SPARKLING FOR YOU IN NO TIME!” He goes and fetches a bunch of cleaning gear.
“YOU HAVE MORE THINGS RIGHT? WE WILL HELP YOU BRING THEM UP.” Blue chimes volunteering the rest of them.
“Are you sure? I don’t have much to bring up.” You really don't want to be a burden for these guys.
“IT NO PROBLEM IS IT?” Blue asks Stretch, giving him a nudge.
“Yeah, no problem, we can help.” Stretch shrugs.
“You guys are so sweet.”
“JUST LEAD THE WAY!”
So you head out, Blue drags the others out and you, Stretch, Rus, Sans and Red have an ever so slightly awkward trip down the elevator while Blue races down the stairs. He greets you when the elevator opens… did he just race down four flights of stairs? Faster than the elevator, without breaking a sweat?!?! Ok…
You lead them over to your car while you hold idle chatter. 
They don’t make any comment about the cheap little car you have but when you open the trunk…
“You weren't joking, you’ve not got much at all, have you?” Rus comments.
“IS THIS IT?” Blue queres.
“Yeah this is it...”
“Quit complainin’ will ya? Makes our job easier.” Red huffs as he… somehow makes the headboard of your bed glow blue? and float? He floats it out of the car.
“How?” you mumble...
“RED STOP SHOWING OFF.” Blue rolls his eyelights as he makes the rest of the bed frame float, yeets your bean bag chair at Stretch and picks up the rolled mattress in one hand.
“Yer the one whos showin’ off li’l Blue.”
“How are you guys doing that?” You ask.
“It’s magic, kid.” Sans tells you as he uses said magic to grab your box of things. 
You’ve never seen monster magic at work before, “It’s so cool.”
There is nothing left in the car for you to carry…
“Um.. guys can I carry anything?”
“WE HAVE THIS!”
“Maybe you could just open the doors for us hun?”
“I can do that.”
The boys take your things to your room, Blue gets Red and Sans to start building your bed as he helps Papyrus with cleaning. 
You feel a little out of place… and a little bad that they are doing so much for you who is practically a stranger. 
“Hey hun?” Stretch calls. “We're getting pizza, you want any?” 
“Oh… um” you think about it… do you have enough money for that? the scholarship you were oh so lucky to grab only just managed to cover most of this… and you’ve not got much to live on… you already treated yourself to lunch... you should probably save up, you could just eat that bread you brought.
“We’ll all pitch in and pay for yours.” Sans says from pretty much under your bed as he builds it. 
“No I wouldn't want you to do that for me.”
“It won’t be much if all of us split” Sans says.
“I can tell ya my bro won’t be too happy if he notices.” Red chuckles. “And I usually only pay for food if it's a date. But I’ll live.”
“Way to inspire confidence.” Stretch says.
“Are you guys sure?”
“We’ll take care of you darlin’, we wanna make you feel at home.”
“YES! I AGREE, LET US TREAT YOU.”
What’s with these guys? They are way too helpful and super nice, usually you’d find it a little suspicious but for some reason you feel a sort of connection to these skeletons even the scary, angry two. Seems like moving here was a good choice.
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denimjacketkisses · 5 years
Text
90′s Baby
Description: A series of glances into Bucky and the new Agent’s (whose got him wrapped around his finger) life.
Warning: Fluff, Mentions of Abuse, Blood?
A/N: I told you I would be back once I got access to a laptop. I’ve been writing this through my phone for months now, so hopefully, y’all enjoy. I have somewhat checked for spelling/grammar errors and it’s too long for me to actually look at it, so apologies in advance. 
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He’d been used to being up at all hours of the night, the nightmares didn’t plague him as much anymore but he enjoyed the quiet. He didn’t think that a 3am drive would mean listening to you (the agent Fury assigned to Sam and him) blaring the lyrics of some song that he didn’t know. 
(Sam did though, since he kept making the same hand motion as you every time the chorus came back around.)
Bucky sighed, his head hitting the back of the passenger seat. 
“When you punch Baron ZERO in the face, can I play this song in the background?!” You laughed, yelling the chorus again, Sam and you making the hand motion once again. His eyes lulled to the side, watching your face to see if you were serious - he couldn’t tell (he never could tell with you), so he in turn replied, a hard “No”.
“But Buuuuuuuckyyyyyy” you whined. “N*Sync is a great band and ‘Bye, Bye, Bye’ is a BOP” the ‘p’ enunciated with a pop. “And you’d look great! Fist flying!! Your knuckle coming in contact with his dumb Hydra face!! Telling him to shut the FUCK up -“
“That’s MY line, sweet stuff.” Sam butted in. “I’m tired of listening to that lima bean’s recordings of his plans and how he is going to ‘reboot’ Scrap Metal over here into a killing machine.”
Bucky squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head. “I don’t need theme music, y/n and as much as I’m over listening to Zemo’s ridiculous plan, I’d rather you not interrupt me smashing his face in with you telling him to shut up, Bird Brain.” 
Y/N sighed, “You are no fun, James.” Bucky’s eyebrow raising at the change in name, it makes his skin crawl slightly. “Just keep driving, I would like to get to the lookout before sunrise. Ya know, ‘cause we’re undercover.” Y/n rolls her eyes her foot pressing down on the gas, speeding up a bit more, “Whatever you say, Captain.” 
“Hey! Last time I checked, I’m the Captain around here!” Sam screeched, throwing himself between the front seats of the Super Soldier and the young agent.
—————
You could feel the burns covering your skin. The smell of slightly burning flesh and cigarette smoke filled the air and you were becoming nauseous. Your eyes lazily scanning the room again, all your previous exits had been blocked off. He’d covered them in plywood, well enough that no one could see you but not well enough that you couldn’t tell if it was day, or night. You were tired. You wanted to rest. Maybe he’d actually stand by his promises of letting you go, if you behaved well enough for him.
Nothing was ever “well enough”.
 The sun had risen, a new day, a new form of tourtue. You thought once the state took you from your abusive home that you could have a fresh start. Fresh start meant a new level of abuse. Life was cruel and it taunted you. You swallowed, trying to quench your thirst for some kind of liquid. You’d honestly drink sewage water at this point. The thought making your stomach turn once again. 
You could hear him, he was giving himself a pep talk. You closed your eyes, brushing your legs together, the feeling of cold metal rubbed against your ankles and you wondered if there was any skin left. A deep breath, holding back tears and a small sigh. You were preparing yourself for whatever was to come.
“Y/n?” You felt a soft hand on your shoulder. Your eyes were open, and you didn’t see him, so who was touching you?
“Come on, Y/n. You can break out of this. Just listen to my voice…” whoever was speaking, felt so far away and your mind felt as if it was short circuiting. You were in that house, with him, but he wasn’t talking to you and he still hadn’t left his room. You closed your eyes, trying to zoom in on the voice. That voice that sounded so familiar yet so far…
“One more deep breath, hold it. One, two, three, four -“ your head whipped to the side, your eyes shot open and in your full line of vision was Sam and Bucky. You let out the breath you don’t necessarily remember holding and let your eyes scan the room. You were on a stakeout. In Rome. With Sam and Bucky. You were - safe.
“You alright, kid?” Sam asked, his eyes filled with worry, scanning your face for any lingering signs of the trama your brain has decided to put you through. You sat up, slowly (as Sam had always advised after having a -trip-), resting your hands on your knees. 
“Yeah, I’ve been better, I’m alright though. I guess I zoned out?” You questioned, not remembering how it all happened and the last conscious decision you had made prior to your brain being hijacked was a blur.
Sam smiled softly, Bucky nodded as an answer to your question. He placed his left hand on the back of your neck, the cooling sensation allowing your body to slowly come further back into reality. 
“You were having a full conversation with us. Something about churros and how you were upset I’d never had one. Promised that when we went back home, you’d buy me a whooooole bunch.” Bucky chuckled softly at the thought. “Then you just, left us.” His thumb running up and down the base of your neck, fingers squeezing just slightly, relieving the tightness you could feel building.
Your eyes dropped, you hadn’t had an episode in awhile, you were getting better. It ate at you. How were you supposed to be a good agent if you didn’t even know your triggers? You sighed, hands wringing together.
“Sorry guys. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just - I, I don’t know what caused it.” A hand was placed on your knee and your eyes moved up to meet Sam’s. “No sorry’s. It happens. We’re just glad we could pull you out. Wanna talk about it?”
“No.” You shook your head, breathing in deeply and staring at the two men in front of you. “Is it okay if I just lay here for a bit? I feel like I’ve just tried to beat Buck over here in a marathon.” Bucky laughed, while simultaneously helping you lay down, his hand never leaving the back of your neck. 
“You rest. Bird brain and I got this.” His fingers slowly dragged themselves from underneath you, the cold sensation leaving your skin. You closed your eyes and rolled onto your side. Maybe you could get a little bit of rest before you three let hellfire rain on the goons of Hydra. 
——————-
“Last time I checked, that isn’t how you get a ladies attention.” Your fist coming into contact with the nameless man’s face. Once Hydra Goon #1 was out, it was off to find Bird Boy and Beer Can. Rounding your way around the eerily lit hallway, you found a number of bodies scattered on the floor. Separating probably wasn’t your best option, especially once you found out .2 seconds in that the lovely allies of Hydra had made the building communication proof - but too late now.
Hopscotching around the downed men you finally spotted your favourite Super Soldier, snipper at his side, and the small strands of hair that were still a bit long (thanks to his impromptu haircut) sticking at the base of his neck. “Howdy aluminum foil.”
Bucky turned to face you, a small gash covering the right side of his cheek. He raised an eyebrow as he watched your face contort itself into a pout. “You got hurt, Jaime. Which dumbass did it. I’ll kick their shins.” 
You watched as he rolled his eyes and flicked his sniper softly so it pointed to the man behind him, with a perfect bullet hole through the chest. “I don’t think kicking him in the shins is going to be necessary, dollface.” He leaned in closer to you, his flesh hand coming in contact with your left eye, “Besides, if anyone needs’ta be kicked in the shins it’s whoever left my fav agent with a shiner the size of Kentucky.”
“First off: Kentucky ISN’T that large and neither is this bruise. Secondly: I punched him in the face afterwards, his nose might now be located between his eyes.”
Bucky laughed, his hand moving off your face to fall onto your shoulder. “If you say so, kid. Come on, let’s go find the Central Park Pigeon before he loses a feather.”
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norafike · 4 years
Text
Despite all this, I still love you 19
That day replayed on loop in her head often and she would usually find herself trembling with the frightening flashes of light from shooting guns and the gruesome sight of that headless horseman would appear before her eyes. At first, she thought that it had been Kieran like Micah told but after more thinking she realised that it didn't look like the boy at all.
She was curious on how Micah managed to convince the majority of the gang's members that this was their missing campmate, but they weren't the brightest group of individuals and she deemed that a valid excuse in itself.
Perhaps the events of that night were only coming back to her now for a reason? One she wanted the answers to sooner to save herself from inevitable nightmares to come. That's how they usually started and her repressing them proved to be dangerous later on, otherwise she probably wouldn't still be suffering after those events a whole year after.
“How are ya?” Cripps greeted her fondly, taken to standing in the clearing just outside of the trees with a lit cigarette in hand. She had no answer for him because she did not want to confess her concerns so soon but eventually somebody would need to be trusted so she wouldn't end up plagued by it. So she lied, at least for now. “Fine.”
“Well, that is good to hear.” He shook the embers out and dropped the butt to the ground once he had finished smoking, but the smoke lingered over them, almost choking. It felt thicker than what it should be but perhaps she was only being dramatic. “Listen, I got a job for you.”
“There's always a job, isn't there?” Her attitude irked Cripps. “Now you ain't done shit for us in day's, I figured that while you been hanging around here that you would like something to do.”
“I'm exhausted, can't you send one of the boy's out on it?” She waved back at camp and the older male simply stood firm with his arms crossed. “Lem's going with you, as are James an' Harry.”
“I feel like you're just tryin' to get us out of camp.” Nora intended it as a joke but Cripps failed to see it that way, immediately choosing to turn defensive and dismiss the claim. It earned that suspicious look in Nora's eye and eventually she let out a quiet sigh, nodding as she accepted whatever Cripps had in mind. “What is it?”
Cripps gave her a wicked grin before explaining just what it was he had in mind.
...
“Cripps has really sent us out on this?” Harry could not believe it, huddled together in a group all armed with rifles as they waited for an eastern turkey to scurry by.
Whenever they wanted to go hunting the lands were sparse and not even a wild horse would gallop past and it came as no surprise that the animals seemed to appear when they were not needed. There was only so much patient the group had together, from Harry and James' despise towards Lem and how little care she had left in her brother's attitudes towards the individual she had called a friend.’ So when they were all forced together as a group to undergo the most patient job ever sent on, well, the troubles started to build up behind bitten tongues and the want to take their frustrations out on the other became strong.
“I swear we should move to find them damn turkeys, are you even sure that they come this way?” Harry bitterly said.
“Positive now shut the hell up or they'll runoff.”
Her brother simply rolled his eyes at the comment. James would soon tap his shoulder and gently motion for him to follow, sneaking away from the bushes they hid in after growing tired for waiting around too long. They thought they were being sneaky but Nora knew very well by the scraping of twigs against branches and the snapping of twigs beneath their feet that they were leaving and she smirked because unbeknownst to them it was what she planned.
Curiously, Lem would watch them ride away with cheers as they thought they got away with it and gave Nora a quizzical look to question her letting them do that and she replied with a small shrug at first before going into further explanation. “They'd get tired eventually and would leave us alone, it cleared the air of tension a bit and they're probably gonna go and hunt us a turkey now on their own to prove just how better they are.”
“So what are we gonna do then?”
“Well we're gonna collect that wagon because we were never told to make a trade, fella's already got what he needs and more and so Cripps was able to convince him into handin' it over.”
He found himself impressed by the antics and followed her out of the brambles and leaves to the small clearing where their horses waited and during their walk, he praised her for the idea, but never admitting how grateful he was that she got rid of her brothers. Any longer and he felt that they would have killed him then and there. “So where is the wagon then?”
“Just a little south, near Flat Iron lake.”
“You ain't worried t-that they're gonna head down there?”
She shook her head. “With any luck they'll have some sense knocked into them, if they do and besides, Harry'll probably take James towards Cumberland Forest.”
It felt ridiculous hearing it over but the boys weren't the brightest of the bunch so he believed it, but then again, neither was he.
“Can't believe that worked... I don't d-doubt you at all but somethin' that simple tricked 'em?”
“Surprisingly, but ain't you lived here for… twenty-eight years and still get lost in most places?”
Quickly the male shook his head but did appear to be embarrassed with Nora's statement and she gently gave his shoulder a gentle pat. “I still get lost sometimes, too. Ain't nothin' wrong in going the wrong way.”
As they came close to Flat Iron lake he had been first to spot the wagon, sitting just off of the path near a makeshift camp set up for this other trader Cripps mentioned. He greeted the two fondly and even handed over a small can of beans to be polite and they accepted it with a bright smile and many words of thanks before moving out with the wagon Cripps wanted them to gather.
Sticking to the roads, while tediously long, was the best route to go and Lem had even taken to whistling old tunes from his younger days that Nora seemed familiar with. She would nod along but never joined it, just that bit embarrassed to accidentally make a fool of herself and be teased about it for years to come. “Maggie's asked if you're still any good playin' instruments.” After a while, he decided that it was time to initiate conversation.
“Why?”
“I don't know... but she asked and a-all I could say was that I'd have to ask ya.”
She pressed her lips into a thin line before nodding slowly, despite having not played for a while she would probably remember something good enough to play at Fike's request. “Guess I am.”
“Great. I think she'll be glad hearin' it.”
The corner of Nora's mouth turned up into a slight smirk before she kicked back into focusing on their journey home, with Lem back to whistling and tapping his knuckles against the bench.
...
“Good work, with this we should have a full supply soon.”
“Does this mean I can leave now?”
Cripps quickly revealed a letter, handing it over but held a concerned expression on his face. “This was left for you.”
“Off?”
“Feller didn't give a name, but seemed to know ya.”
She gently looked at Lem before tearing the envelope apart. The paper inside was old and the ink had bled considerably, the writing almost impossible to read but with Lem's help they were able to decipher the introduction and the task she had been asked to do.
“Whoever dropped this off needs me to meet 'em near Riggs Station and to go alone.” She said, the instructions sounded suspicious straight away. “You ain't gonna go, are you?”
“I am, Fike.” He didn't take too kindly to her answer, his brows knitting together before she even had a chance to explain. “I ain't b-bright but I know that, that l-letter has danger scribbled all over it.”
“I'll be fine.”
“I don't trust you going, Nora.”
“Look, you can't make me do shit, I'm going and that's final. But even I know that this don't seem right, ‘go alone’ has suspect written all over. Just, ride out a few hours after me and you'll know if somethin' happens, if something does.”
“Why the hell are you bein' so goddamn stubborn.”
“Whatever.”
She grabbed her bolt-action from the weapon locker and with one, forced smile, left camp much to his protests of distrust in the writing.
“Why is she a-always like this, JB?”
“I don't know, son. I don't know.”
...
Just as instructed she rode down towards the train station and continued further down the trail, eventually coming to a small clearing where a man shrouded in a dark coat was stood. He had his back turned but knew she was there, cleared his throat as a manner of introduction as he rose from his stool.
“Nora Morgan?” He asked and she noticed the strong Irish accent immediately. She didn't want to jump to conclusions too soon, but most folk around the area who dressed in black and came from Ireland were notoriously members of the O'Driscoll's.
“I am. You are?”
“That don't matter.” She heard the rustling in bushes around, her hand moving to hover over the holster ready to draw her revolver and very quickly someone else, dressed in that similar fashion had leapt out in front of her. She was quick to draw her gun but had it knocked from her grasp when someone managed to grab her arm and force it out. Her bad arm being twisted uncomfortably and forcing out a cry of pain soon after.
“And he said that it wouldn't be easy takin' you down. Look at you, pathetic little thing.” She tried struggling against them but whoever had her apprehended was far more stronger than she was. “Walk her away, Colm will be pleased to see her.”
She struggled a little more, managing to put up a good enough fight so that they couldn't walk far with her but unfortunately they had taken to more of a drastic approach, taking the butt of her gun and hitting her head with it; enough to make her dazed and fall to the ground. He stood over her, this sinister grin on her face before connected her boot with her head.
The last thing she heard before falling unconscious was his laughter. The last thing she saw, was Lem's expression of worry and then there was nothing.
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alanna-artroid · 5 years
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Cookies I Have From Cookie Run So Far! (And My Thoughts On Them)
Alright, I’ve gotten pretty far in Cookie Run: Oven Break, and I felt the need to share my thoughts on all the adorable cookies I’ve unlocked so far. So far, I have 50/100, so I’d say I’m making good progress. On to the list!
GingerBrave: The bravest boy. If this was a show, he’d clearly be the main character. I recently got him a little suit, so now he’s a gentleman! 
GingerBright: Sweet little lady. She looks like she’d be nice to get a coffee with or help you with homework. I definitely ship her with Brave, no doubt about it.
Strawberry Cookie: Precious baby! She’s super shy and I am compelled to protect her at all costs. Her pet is also a Tamagotchi, so she must be a gamer! Sweet!
Skater Cookie: HE WAS A SK8TER BOI! SHE SAID SEE YA LATER BOI! 
Zombie Cookie: This is one of the fastest zombies I’ve ever seen. They seem like a nice guy overall though.
Princess Cookie: Heck yes, a mischievous princess! Those are the best! I love her dress and hair bows. I bet she just pretends to get kidnapped for the lols.
Pilot Cookie: Is it just me, or is this little old man smaller than most of the other cookies? Whatever, he’s got a cute mustache and he’s adorable. Go and fly!
Vampire Cookie: As a vampire nerd, I immediately adored this guy. I will gladly give him grape juice and chill with him under the light of the moon. 
Gumball Cookie: Is this was Splatoon is like? This boi has a lot of chaotic energy and I like him.
Pistachio Cookie: I love this warrior woman so dang much. Look at that minty green hair! Her power is also SUPER helpful. She a speedy knight!
Pancake Cookie: HE’S A FLYING SQUIRREL! HE’S TOO CUTE I CAN’T EVEN! LET ME HUG THIS TINY CHILD!!!
Peppermint Cookie: Sweet baby. Good baby. My mom would probably adore this baby. (She loves mint and she’s not even a big sweets person.)
Muscle Cookie: As a lesbian, I’m not into big abs and muscles, but he’d probably be a good gym partner. Don’t mess with him is all I can say.
Cherry Cookie: Little Red Riding Hood got some bombs! I hope she and Gumball can go cause chaos on the weekends.
Hero Cookie: Precious nerdy boi with science! I saw his Island of Memories intro and his bond with Jellyco Cube is just the sweetest thing! Follow your superhero dreams, my baby!
Fairy Cookie: I didn’t know Tinkerbell was in this game! Also, I got her a bee costume and that looks super cute on her. Love her hair bun.
Werewolf Cookie: ULTIMATE FLOOF! Doggo here has a lot of angst and I worry for him. Maybe Vampire Cookie can teach him to chill? That’d be nice.
Rockstar Cookie: Oh, the songs I could sing right here. High tier rocker boy. Loving that flowing white hair. Rock on, buddy!
Soda Cookie: Go-to starter for my Breakout runs. I love him very much, he’s super cute! Let me go to the beach with this righteous dude! 
Dark Enchantress Cookie: Oooooh, she is GORGEOUS!!! I love her design~! I’ll be sure to invite her to any fancy balls I might have, as to avoid any Maleficent scenarios with this savage woman.
Moon Rabbit Cookie: My spirit animal! I love how she constantly munches while she runs. This girl is such a mood for me. Cute little bunny ears~!
Space Doughnut: Awww, look at this alien dork! Their design is very cute, and I love how their expression of >:3.
Macaron Cookie: Such a sweetie pie! Why must they all be so adorable?! She’s a little drummer girl! That is too precious! Look at her dress and hat!!!
Pink Choco Cookie: She reminds me of a show I watched when I was younger. It was about a space girl, does anyone remember it? This girl will save the day, I can tell! 
Avocado Cookie: Strong girl on the loose! My pun-loving friends would adore this cookie. And she’s a blacksmith, which is always cool.
Whipped Cream Cookie: Elegant ballerino!! He’s definitely one of my favorites! Such a beautiful boi~! I love his design so much, and he’s very useful. <3 <3 <3
Blackberry Cookie: Yeeees! Gothic girl for the win! She is SO dang pretty! I am WEAK for gothic lolitas, and she even has ghost buddies! I bet she’ll love spooky games like Luigi’s Mansion and Hollow Knight.
Lemon Cookie: Edgy boi is trying way too hard to be Shadow the Hedgehog. I mean, can you SMILE for once dude? It’ll take me a while to bond with this guy.
Salt Cookie: He strikes me as a wise old man you’d find meditating at the top of a mountain, or in his case on a boat in the ocean. I bet he has lots of knowledge to share.
Squid Ink Cookie: AWWWWW, SWEET BABY SQUID!!! Guys, I think they might be my favorite! They’re so squishy and mighty, and they need all my love and huggles!!! Don’t be sad baby, I’ll be your friend! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Lime Cookie: Beach girl! She’s like Lemon Cookie, but slightly nicer! I really like her hair and beach ball. Very cool girl.
Ninja Cookie: FINALLY! SOMEONE WITH MORE THAN TWO JUMPS!!! I went kind of crazy with his jumping powers at first. He’s super cool. Not sure why his pet is a ghost though.
Pomegranate Cookie: Oooh, I love Asian fashion~! Look how fancy and elegant she is! Her story concerns me, and I’m worried about her.
Angel Cookie: Good cookie, sweet cookie. Wouldn’t hurt a fly. It looks like they trust the devil boy, which is beyond kind of them. I love it when angels get along with demons. Defy angle roles!!!
Devil Cookie: Speaking of, they’re a cute little bean too! I love the naughty demon trope, and this cutie is so mischievous! Call Angel your “rival” all you want, I’m still shipping you dorks.
Roll Cake Cookie: Imagine, if you will, the world’s biggest game of Whack-A-Mole! With that hammer, this boy would win without question.
Popcorn Cookie: I’d be happy to go with this girl to the movie theater! Also, I love how she had popcorn for hair buns. She seems like she’d be up for a fun time!
Carrot Cookie: Oh my lordy, her ponytails are carrots. The artists for this game are so clever. Strong but tiny farmer, I approve.
Ion Cookie Robot: Yes! A robot! I love robots, and this cookie is no exception! Definitely one of my favorites, up there with Whipped Cream Cookie. They’re super powerful too, and REALLY useful in Breakout and Trophy runs.
Dino-Sour Cookie: Gee Dino-Sour, how come Devsisters let you have two pets? Very cool punk boy. I can see him going to Rockstar Cookie’s concert.
Plum Cookie: Aren’t plums purple though? This boy is one tough cookie! Look at his karate moves! Honestly, I thought he was a girl at first. Why must these boys be so pretty?!
Yogurt Cream Cookie: PRINCE ALI! FABULOUS HE! ALI ABABWUA~!
Alchemist Cookie: Look, it’s Twilight Sparkle! Apparently, Vampire boy is her brother? I really like her hair braids(?), I just wish she’d loosen up a bit. She seems like a nice girl.
Roguefort Cookie: Aaaah yeah, elegant thief! This cookie is the coolest! I love this aesthetic so much~! Blue cheese has never been so fancy. Just look at this charmer, stealing hearts!
Pitaya Dragon Cookie: OOOOOhohoho! THIS is what I’m TALKING about! Look at this beast, they’re GLORIOUS! They’ve probably killed a bunch of people, but They’re crazy powerful and I adore them.
Knight Cookie: This guy is SO much fun to play as! He just won’t stop, he’s too fast!!! I couldn’t stop laughing once I found out just how fast this knight could go! Somehow he controls better than Pistachio? I don’t know, I love him!
Birthday Cake Cookie: TOO PRECIOUS FOR WORDS! SHE’S SO DANG CUTE!!! Also, her “Bonus Time” changes to “Happy B Day” and I... I just can’t! She’s the sweetest thing!!! <3 <3 <3
Cocoa Cookie: Awww, look at this sweet baby! I wanna snuggle her! Her design looks so warm and comfy. I have plenty of hot chocolate to give her. <3
Raspberry Mousse Cookie: Ah yes, the pretty boy that got me into this game in the first place. Along with Squid Ink, he’s probably my favorite. There’s a reason he has the highest affection so far with me. I just adore his design, and he’s very powerful! I will ALWAYS have him ready for Breakout and Trophy Runs. Well worth all the hype. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Rose Cookie: Finally, we have this lovely lady. Everyone is shipping her with Raspberry, and rightfully so. She is a high-quality woman that makes gay men straight and straight girls lesbian. Look at that outfit! And those dance moves!
Aaaand that’s everybody for now! I’ll update this once I get more Cookies. So far, I like most of them a lot. Anybody got some favorites they’d like to share? I’m still new to this game, but I’m happy to hear what others have to say!
UPDATE 1: 
I went back and fixed all the gender mistakes I made. (I’m so sorry! D:) Also, I got a few more cookies! So here we go!
Walnut Cookie: Precious detective baby! The newest update is only making her cuter! Probably the shortest of the bunch, and I adore her design~! <3
Cinnamon Cookie: Super useful power so far, and they have a really cool cape! Those cards are very handy! (I promise I’ll pay attention to the genders of these cookies from now on! I don’t want to misgender anyone again!)
Sparkling Cookie: Oooh, a sparkling cider cookie! That’s honestly the only boozy thing I enjoy drinking. He is super classy and seems like the life of the party. He strikes me as a Great Gatsby kind of host.
Moonlight Cookie: OOOOOOOH~! LOOK at this GODDESS! I love the nighttime/dreamy aesthetic. This girl has Luna’s hair and a wizard’s outfit, high tier cookie!
White Choco Cookie: This game sure likes it’s knights, huh? This girl is a fine lady and apparently, she attracts all the lesbians. Can’t say I blame those girls, I do love that hairstyle. 
Spinach Cookie: Aaand the newest cookie to hit the scene, this girl! I have never met someone so dedicated to vegetables, so I have to applaud that. She’s a super sweet girl, and I hope we find who stole her precious vegetables!!!
UPDATE 2:
More Cookies! It’s been a while since I’ve updated this, so I have quite a bit to share. On to the new ones!
Mustard Cookie: Look at this punk girl! Street artist on the loose in the streets! I always admire people and characters in this style, so I’m supporting this rebel all the way!
Herb Cookie: Now THIS guy is everywhere! It seems the fandom really likes him, and I can see why. He seems like a very nice boy, with a sweet plant baby. I like the leaf hair, very cool.
Sea Fairy Cookie: I love how everything on her flows. Her hair, her dress, she’s so beautiful~! I will say though, Legendaries are SO DANG HARD to level up and get affection with! WHY?!
Cream Puff Cookie: Awwww, look at this precious baby girl~! Look at her soft hair and little dress! I almost feel bad running with the super cute ones, I don’t want them to get hurt! 
Matcha Cookie: Oooooh, all these ancient-looking cookies have the coolest designs! She’s probably insane, darkness will do that to ya, but she seems harmless so I like her!
Ice Candy Cookie: This chick could crush me like a grape and I don’t know how to feel about that. Hopefully, she’s only savage on the ice rink. I do NOT want to mess with this girl.
Cherry Blossom Cookie: Awww, look how pretty she is~! Cherry blossoms are always so lovely, and this girl embodies that. She has a PARASOL for crying out loud, I CAN’T EVEN!!
Grapefruit Cookie: This game sure likes sports, huh? She seems really cool, I love her colors! Do you think she’d play Skate 3? Hopefully, she’d get a laugh out of that game.
Pirate Cookie: This guy has been a long time coming. I’ve been curious about him since the Breakout episode. He’s pretty neat, I appreciate how he naturally comes with an extra revive.
Kumiho Cookie: Cool! A Kitsune! I love the spin on the concept of cookies. Let this marshmallow fox live out her reverse-furry dream! I’m loving her design too, look at that hair! 
Marshmallow Cookie: Oh cute! Another marching band cookie! According to her story, she and Macaron had a falling out. I hope they can reconcile and be friends again. :(
Dark Choco Cookie: WE’VE REACHED MAXIMUM EDGE! WITH OREO SHOULDER PADS!!! Interesting how he’s still trying to be a hero, which is a nice spin on the “I have evil powers so now I’m evil” trope. Here’s hoping he stays strong.
Fire Spirit Cookie: Ah yes, the classic lord of fire. A staple for any fantasy story that includes the elements. Again, it’s impossible to get the affection for these guys.
Mala Sauce Cookie: Yay! I got Pitaya’s girlfriend! I always love it when there’s a tribe/society of warriors and the WOMAN is the strongest one there. Heck yes! This warrior lady is a badass!
Firecracker Cookie: I didn’t know I was invited to a rave party! Love the neon colors on this cookie, that’s something this game really excels at.
UPDATE 3:
I’ve reached 90 cookies! I’m on the homestretch!!!
Cheesecake Cookie: OH MY LORDY LOOK HOW FANCY SHE IS! I adore her already! Fancy ladies are the best ladies!
Kiwi Cookie: This game REALLY likes sports. He looks cool, can’t complain.
Yoga Cookie: Awww, a pretzel is trying to be loose! I’ve done yoga a few times, and it is very good for your body. Nice colors, simple design, nice.
Dr. Wasabi Cookie: I’d reference some mad scientist, but I know a lot of them so we’d be here for a while. Her combi generator has been very helpful.
Tiger Lily Cookie: IT’S THE EYE OF THE TIGER IT’S THE THRILL OF THE NIGHT, RISING UP TO THE CHALLENGE OF OUR RIVALS!
Chili Pepper Cookie: Uh oh, this one’s a troublemaker! I really like her hair, it’s very bright. Secure your pockets around this chick, that’s for sure.
Millennial Tree Cookie: These cookies are too pretty, I keep thinking they’re girls! This guy is so beautiful~ truly a being of nature!
DJ Cookie: Ooooh, I love her design~. Rainbow colors will win me over every time. And look! She’s wearing a Bi Pride shirt! This girl is awesome! I like how her special power is basically tiny Guitar Hero.
Snow Sugar Cookie: Soft baby, sweet baby. Looks very cuddly. Their level was very helpful during Sandwich Cookie’s event in getting frozen jellies. Those blue bears aren’t easy to come by!
Fig Cookie: CENTAUR! I wasn’t expecting one of those here! She’s such a sweetie pie~. Since everything and anything is allowed in this game, can we get mermaids or harpies next?
Cotton Candy Cookie: PRECIOUS BABY! She’s so gosh darn cute, I can’t take it! I personally can relate to falling in love with things so easily. And there are official plushies of her now! ONE DAY I WILL BRING HER HOME!
Purple Yam Cookie: Bro needs a chill pill. Not ONCE have I seen this guy smile yet. And I thought Lemon needed to lighten up. Milk seems to care about him though, so I guess he can’t be that bad.
Milk Cookie: The softest of warriors! Look how cute he is~! I adore him! Plus he really shines in the stories. I can only assume Yam is his boyfriend or something. Am I wrong about that?
Cyborg Cookie: Hey! I saw the storybook for this one! I’m surprised I haven’t unlocked this “Aloe Cookie” yet. Are they still in this game? I can’t find them on the chart. Anyway, Cyborg is cool. Very nice design.
Mango Cookie: Newest baby! I love him, and would love to learn all about the islands from him! I’m gonna say it, I already ship him with Ananas Cookie, no questions asked.
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ladymelissaduthe · 4 years
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Challenge #1.75
Aka The Greenhouse RP with Jackson (Day Mode)
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a/n: this is by far my fav fic so far JKDSNKDJK also I really just want this out because,,, reasons YEETHAW 
Thank you Bri @jackson-graham​ for this RP and Jackson, the sweetest bean around. (I love him, okay????) Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this one as much as I’ve enjoyed writing this one. (3696 words) 
I really love plants, most especially flowers.
Plants always brightened up a room whenever you placed them by a windowsill.
All they ask is a little tender love and care, some water, and some sunlight.
Plants also didn’t typically weren’t around secret passageways in full blown dark mode.
It was safe to say that after getting trapped in that one secret hallway in the palace, I was going to avoid the library for a little while to make sure I didn’t end up in another precarious situation, only this time with no one to really help me.
That’s probably why I liked the palace’s greenhouse among all the places here, more than the palace gardens themselves.
It was bright, but not too hot. The surrounding greenery kept the greenhouse cool enough to lounge around in. It reminded me of my own garden back in Orleans, except it was probably twenty times larger. My favorite part about it was that no one else frequented it. I guess people preferred the palace air conditioning.
It was nice to walk around the greenhouse and be one with the greens, maybe soak in the sunlight just for a while and feel it warm my skin. Vegans have to photosynthesize somehow.
As usual the main entrance was open. The light hum of some watering system the palace filling the room. The west side of the greenhouse was full of vegetables and easy to grow fruits: tomatoes, eggplants, raspberries…
Sometimes I was tempted to pick some from their stems and sneak some of the flowering citrus plants here. Angeles was hot enough to grow those kinds of fruits, just like Orleans really.
The east side was mostly flowering plants aside from a bit of extra aesthetic weeds. I had a feeling that the gardeners here grew some of the flowers here before moving them to other spots in the main garden. There were occasionally patches of flowers that would be empty the next day, probably relocated to somewhere else on the grounds.
My eyes scan through the kinds of flowers. They kept a lot of flowers I was familiar with, actually. Floral arrangements were a regular aspect of my job back home, if not something I loved to do.
I got secondhand butterflies every time a bride asked me to help piece together her bouquet, or whenever I would go to my flower supplier and see the fields and varieties of flowers they have got. The options were always lovely, no matter the season.
A lot of flowers grew around these parts. Roses, veronicas, lavender, dahlias, daisies, hydrangeas. I wonder if the palace kept sunflowers.
Oh, a chunk of the gardenias were gone. I wonder where they were moved.
I could barely make it out, but there was some movement close to the dahlias.
Maybe it was a gardener who could help me figure out where the gardenias had moved.
I walk towards the dahlia section to investigate, stopping right in my tracks when I get a better view.
“Oh, well good afternoon.” I say before I feel my foot go behind mine in a quick dip.
The other person pops up from where they were half hidden by a couple of taller plants.
Dark hair, nice eyebrows, and a warm smile.
Jackson Graham…. with a couple of flowers in his gloved hand.
“Good afternoon, Missy.”
“Hello, Jackson.” I smile at him, still eyeing the flowers in his hand.
Dahlias. Lisianthus, and Roses. Boy’s got some good taste.
I gesture to the bunch.
“Pretty bunch of flowers you’ve got over there.” I lift an eyebrow. “Special Occasion? A date?”
A short laugh comes from Jackson.
“No. No, not a date.” He holds up the flowers in his gloved hands, “My mom’s birthday.”
Wow. You don’t typically see a boy making a bouquet from scratch. I feel a smile creeping on my lips.  
“Oh, that’s so sweet.” I look over the flowers in his hands, curling my lips in. They were all focal flowers. I hope he wasn’t going to pick another huge flower to add to it, that would be a shame. He needed some greenery, some lines, some verticals to fill in the gaps.
“If that’s the case, mind if I make a suggestion?” I ask, impulsively wanting to help piece a bouquet together. It was one of those little things I missed about my job back at home.
“Um,” he looks down at the flowers for a second before looking up. “Sure. Why not?”
GREAT. I saw some line flowers close to the lavenders. I put my hands behind my back, looking for some nice line flowers.
I couldn’t help it, a part of me was itching to do something I used to do back home; and well, it looked like planning a wedding wasn’t exactly on the list. Floral arrangements, well—that was something close enough.
“I’m not being too intrusive, am I?”  
He shakes his head. I really hope he didn’t mind me wanting to help.
“Not at all. I think if anyone knows about bouquets, it’s you.” A smile seems to grow on his face.
I laugh lightly, shaking my own head.
“Actually, most of the time, I don’t pick the bouquets.” I lift a shoulder up. “I just make… friendly suggestions.”
Friendly suggestions. Mama taught me to use that word when brides were two steps away from making some tacky choice. Thankfully, the clients I had usually asked me what I thought looked great or what was in style for the season. Friendly suggestions.
“Right, friendly suggestions.” Jackson chuckles softly before raising a brow, “I’m guessing they always take them.”
I consider it for a bit, bobbling my head still determined to find the perfect line flower.
“They do, but you’ll be surprised by the number of brides that still want their perfect Pinterest board weddings.” I muse before laughing ever so slightly at a few memories of how great a wedding they wanted on a specific budget.
“Happiest day of their lives is almost a paradox.” He says, and I catch him smiling to himself before he looks away.
“It’s my job to make them feel like they’re not stressed out,” I lift a shoulder, looking around the greenhouse before I catch the perfect addition by my feet.
“Aha! Found you.” I crouch down, making sure not to topple over in my platforms, inspecting the patch if they were fully grown. “Astilbe.”
False goat’s beard. Not the prettiest alternative name, but the flower was perfect to compliment the dahlias in Jackson’s hand. It also helped give some fullness to the bouquet.
I feel Jackson peek over my shoulder, “Looks nice.”
“They’re just filler flowers.” I look to him, holding a hand out for the scissors he was holding in his other hand. “You’ve picked out some real nice focal flowers though, just needs a little…” I wave a hand in the air, “jzhusing up to really make it pop.”
“Jzhushing?” I see the corner of his mouth tilt up as he offers me the scissors.
“Yes. Jzhushing. The difference of something that’s good and something that’s great.” I explain, giving him the explanation my Grammy used on me when I was a kid. That little something you add to make it extra special.
I snip at the stems, making sure not to destroy them, then standing up to hand it to Jackson to add to the bunch. “Jzhushing up.”
Jackson’s smile suddenly widens as I give him the stems. I hope he thought they were a good addition and smiling for the sake of just being nice.
“Any more suggestions on how to give my mom the best for her birthday?”
Well, he sounded genuine….
I place a hand on my chin, tapping it lightly. How else could I make this look even better?
“Dahlia, lisianthus, and roses are the focal, astilbe for the filler,” I blink, trying to figure the kind of flowers I could still help add. “You just need a line flower and some greenery, and you’re good to go.”
Jackson’s head turns slightly, giving me a half squinting side glance.
“Line flower.” He looks a bit amused. “You lost me.”
My smile tilts, right… it sounds kind of crazy without the explanations. “A tall flower, it’s meant to dictate the shape and height of the arrangement… or something like that.” My hand rises up slightly to make a gesture of height.
He seems to understand the term now. “The more extravagant for my mom, the better.” The amused look on his face doesn’t leave as he starts to arrange the Astilbes I gave him into the bunch.
“I’ll make sure that your mom’s bouquet turns out great.” I assure him, looking around the greenhouse for any line flowers and making my way around. I was determined to give him something pretty for his mom. I still thought that this was a sweet gesture. “Jumping off the effort you’re putting into this, I suppose you two are close?”
I hear his footsteps from behind me as he answers, “More or less. I still like to give her what I can regardless of that. What about you?”
“Me and my mother?” I bobble my head, my eyes still scanning the greenhouse. The answer way too easy. “She’s like my best friend.” I laugh. “It’s kind of weird for most people, but,” a giggle escapes me. “That’s what happens when you see her at work almost every single day.”
In all honesty, my mother didn’t feel like my mother. She had me when she was 17, and being pretty young… well… it felt like the two of us grew up around the same ages. At least Grammy was the mother figure we both needed.
“Family business.” There’s a half smile on his face. “Did it start with your mother?”
I shake my head at that. Knowing the humble beginnings of Duthé Debuts and Weddings. “Grandmother, actually. Grammy started it when my mom and dad got married.”  
Grammy loved the idea of planning my parent’s wedding, young as they were. “First wedding she ever planned was in her very own backyard.”
My parent’s wedding.
“Quite the origin.” His focus shifts to one of the flower stems, picking at a small dead leaf. “Did you always want to follow in their footsteps?”
The answer to this was easy.
“For as long as I could remember.” I laugh. “I mean it’s all I’ve ever really know, ya know? Baking’s fun and all but it’s more of my dad’s thing, and well—someone needed to take over the business eventually.”
Oh wow, that sounded like I didn’t have a choice into this. In all honesty, Grammy and Mama wouldn’t have minded if I didn’t join the family business. It just so happened that I loved it anyway. Who couldn’t say no to planning weddings without having to actually getting married?
“No complaints though, I love my job.” I glance back to him, clarifying how happy my job actually made me.
He looks back up to me, giving me a curious look. “What’s your favorite part of the job?”
Another easy question.
“When the groom sees the bride for the first time in her wedding dress, hands down, no question.” I raise both of my hands to make a point. There was no arguing about that one single moment. “That part makes me cry inside a little every time.” I laugh at the memories of me holding one of my fellow coordinator’s hands whenever that moment happens, again: secondhand butterflies.
“What about you?” I ask, blinking for a second. Oh gosh, I think I forgot what exactly Jackson did. “Uh, I’m sorry… I… forgot your job.” I think I just wanted to dive into a bunch of plants from the embarrassment, but I settled for covering part of my face instead. I know we talked about this before in the kitchen. I know it was happy… it had something to do with animals.
He chuckles, shaking his head. Okay he didn’t look offended, thank God.
“It’s alright.” He clears his throat. “I work at an animal shelter. I start veterinary school in the fall.”
“Oh right, the just as happy job choice!” I chuckle to myself, “Saving little critters and treating them. I’m sorry, it’s hard remembering everything about everyone I’ve met here so far.” Sometimes I felt overwhelmed by it all, but that was a welcomed problem. To be surrounded by so many interesting people.
I blink once, bringing myself back to my conversation with Jackson. “So are you taking up any specializations in vet school?”
“You know, I’m still undecided actually.” He hums for a bit. “You’re the first person who’s asked me that in a while.” A breathy chuckle escapes him before he looks down at the flowers again.
“Well, it’s something to always keep in mind.” I bobble my head. “You still have a lot of time to decide, no rush amirite?”
“Not at all.” Jackson looks back up at me. “How’s the first couple weeks been?”
My eyes still try to search the greenhouse for the right line flowers, when he asks that.
“I don’t really have the right words to describe it.” I turn to look to him. “Exciting but also nerve-wracking? Informative but also a bit of an overload?” I feel myself curl my lips in. “Comfortable but also not?”
To be honest, living in the palace as Selected… was a paradox. I did quite like being called Lady Melissa Duthé, had a nice ring to it.
But oh boy, the whole living in the public eye, just waiting for Prince Arin to take me out on a date… that didn’t feel… nice.
Only adds to the amount of people I needed to keep on impressing.
“I think you’ve perfectly encapsulated what it’s like to be a royal.” I laugh at that. He smiles briefly before taking a seat on a nearby ledge. “Not that I would know completely. Mostly observed.”
“Have you and Arin really been friends since you were kids?” I ask, multitasking as a particular patch of greens catch my eye, making myself crouch down to get a better look.
“Pretty much. Though it’s Safiya who I was always a bit closer to when she could be torn away from my sister.” He seems to speak fondly about them, before he blinks and stands up straighter than he was a while ago.
“Your sister and the princess seem… close too.” I reach up and tuck some of my hair behind my ear. The princess and Felicity seemed close indeed based on our etiquette lesson from day 1 here in the palace.
My eyes catch a patch of Veronicas and I shuffle over to the nearby patch, and look up to Jackson. “Do you think these would do? These are Veronicas if I’m not mistaken.”
He looks over to the patch and nods quickly. “Yes. They look nice.” He reaches up to rub his nape before glancing away.
Why… was he… acting like that? Was it because of Felicity?
“I can imagine it might be odd. What with… Felicity.” Jackson then adds quietly.
I shrug, “Oh please, engagements are broken all the time.”
I take the pair of scissors and start snipping at the Veronicas, my hand then moving over to a nearby patch of silver dollars.
Engagements are broken all the time? Great observation, Melissa.
“Better to break it off earlier than,” I continue with a snip of veronicas and silver dollars, “after you’ve married someone. Now that’s messy.” I snip again at the flowers. Divorce. That indeed was the messier circumstance.
“I suppose that line of thinking is… efficient.”
“Well, being in the wedding industry makes you realize certain things.” I lift a shoulder, thinking about it. “If I had a bride or groom express doubts about marriage, typical action is to make sure that they’re still committed.”
God forbid that I have to see another bride walk down the aisle and watch a groom leave her standing alone at the altar. Never again.
I stand and hand over the new bunch of greens and flowers to Jackson.
Jackson’s eyebrows raise, taking the flowers. “Does that happen often?”
“Not too often,” I meet his eyes, “it just happens and I’d rather help make sure that there isn’t much long term damage.”  If I were interested in the long term damage, I would have studied to become a Divorce lawyer. Now that would be ironic.
I click my tongue, the conversation topic digging a pit in my stomach. I didn’t want to talk about this anymore, or think about it.
“Most of the time, people reach the altar on my watch.” I point to the bouquet. “Does this look good enough for your mom?”
It just needed to be arranged a little more. Maybe I could convince him to let me just.. make… some adjustments.
Jackson lifts the bunch up, and higher to his nose to smell them. He flashes me one of those sincere smiles. “They’re beautiful. Thank you, it’s greatly appreciated.”
He glances around for a few moments, and walking over to a nearby bush of flowers, ones I didn’t quick recognize. I watch him as he bends to gently pluck one and walk back and hold it out to me.
“I know you gave me flowers, so here’s one for you. As a thanks.”
For a moment, I just stand there and look at the flower. It was definitely different from the ones he gave me. It was pretty.
I smile, taking the flower. “That’s mighty gentlemanly of you.” I laugh. “I just gave you a bunch of glorified decorative weeds.”
He laughs deeply, his eyes closing for a moment. “What my mother doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”
It was quite the adorable look on his face.
“Well,” I tilt my head and look away, not sure why I did before looking back to him and use the flower in my hand to point at the bouquet in his hand, I’ve outdone myself with this one. “at least it’s pretty. I hope she likes it.”
Jackson smiles before saying, “I’ll send you a thank you note if she does. If not, well, maybe you’ll get a weed.”
I shake my head at that, “No need to send me a thank you note, ooooor,” I lift a brow, “a weed.”
I look at it for a quick second before adding, “This was more your work than mine really. You might wanna wrap the bouquet in some paper and ribbon. Might help with the final presentation.” I give him a bright smile.
He nods his head once before starting to tug off his gloves and setting them on a table filled with other things. He then turns to me with knit brows.
“I think I forgot to ask why you came here.”
“I come here whenever I can.” I explain, my eyes scanning through the greenhouse. “I used to garden a lot back in Orleans and well, this greenhouse definitely is a lot better than what I had before back home. It’s a nice place to breathe and get out of that Women’s Room they usually ask us to stay in.”
“Do you actually garden here? Or is it more of sit and observe activity?” He asks, as I watch him take some string to tie all the stems together.
A part of me wishes I could garden in a place like this.
“Sit and observe, mostly. Can’t quite get my hands dirty over here, or well dresses like this.” I gesture to my dress, a light yellow number for today, before continuing. “Sometimes I’d find flowers that have fallen and press them into some old books. It’s a nice little routine.”
I don’t think I’ve told anyone that before.
“If you haven’t seen it already, I recommended a bench near the east corner.” Jackson gestures to the east side of the greenhouse. “Near the hydrangeas. Pretty secluded view of the gardens, especially near the sunset. I think you’ll enjoy it.” A small smile appears on his face, shifting to hold the bouquet with both of his hands.
“Thank you.” I look over to the east corner of the greenhouse, feeling myself smile while my hands fiddled with the flower Jackson gave me. I think I knew the spot he meant.
“I’ll take your word on that.” I add before my eyes fall back on Jackson and the bouquet, one of the pieces was sticking out and hanging dangerously. My hand reaches out to help fix it for him.
Jackson doesn’t look down immediately, looking slightly confused before a sheepish look ghosts his features. “I guess I should be more careful.”
“Wouldn’t want that to fall.” I can’t help but laugh before pulling my hand away. “It’d be a shame if it fell off while you were moving.” I put my hands behind my back, still fiddling with the flower Jackson gave me. I look around, the daylight having already started to fade.
It must be close to dinner time. I needed to retouch my make up, I needed to maybe change my dress. I must have gotten a bit of it slightly dirty.
“I guess it’s time for me to take my leave. I have to fix myself up for dinner.” I say before lifting up the flower, “Thank you again for this.”
“Sure.” A crooked smile forms on his face. “I um, I should be leaving for home. I have a delivery, thanks to you.”
“Be safe going home. It was nice talking to you again.” I remark, giving him a small wave with my free hand. I then take my leave towards the exit of the greenhouse, adding while I leave, “Give your mom my regards!”
“I will.” I hear Jackson say, catching him wave, a smile on his face from the corner of my eye.
As I walk back to my room, my eyes look down on the flower Jackson gave me.
I raise it up to my nose and smile.
I loved flowers.
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spacegaywritings · 4 years
Text
Hello, we are the Neighbours -  2 (final) “Starry Night”
 Summary: Virgil uses she/her and he/him. Remy uses he/him. Emile uses they/fae. Logan uses they/them Tags: a LOT of swearwords, edginess, Teenagers scare the living shit out of me, edibles, mentions of getting high, marijuana (implied), questionable living conditions, stress, insomnia/sleeplessness, crappy parents, (depression?) SOFT SIBLING MOMENT (analogical)
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Story under the cut:
Virgil hugged his stupid friend closer, his face buried in the mess of Remy’s pastel purple sweater.
 She was basically wearing nothing but a big army jacket and boxers, herself. The pinkish scars on her chest were fainting with time but still showing after all these months.
 Remy was at least in a skirt longer than usual - this one actually covered his ass completely. Instead of big boots, he had white summer slippers one. He almost looked like a ballerina with his long legs, small-ish statue and flawless skin.
 The sun slowly sunk down the horizon while the two cuddled.
 “You know, you are almost out of there, anyway. It does not matte. You got so far, Virgil. You will get through this too, with or without me.”
 She shook her head ever so slightly, her pumpkin hair curling over his shoulder. He had recently dyed it again.
Every now and then Virgil was forced into self-care. That meant Remy would drag him over to his place, give him a little bit of wellness time such as doing face masks and painting his nails. Of course, he would also give her a dye-job when necessary or just wanted. Remy was rather good at it after all. Without him, Virgil would not take such care of himself. It was all Remy’s doing.
 “Nu. I will strike. I am not gonna do shit without you. I don’ wanna.”
 She mumbled silently, gently hugging Remy closer. He carefully held the feral bastard close.
 “You have to. You can do it. If I don’t get in, I will find work where you live and we can move in together and I will clean for you, so you and Logan don’t die.”
 The smaller one curled up, his knees pressing against his chest as he put his weight against Remy in ever-persistent patience. A little snort escaped her after all.
When he was not an anxious mess, he got to be more than just the calming friend but also the braincell of the group. He was rational and got things together. No wonder he applied for studies in mechanics.
 “You would do that..?”
 Virgil pulled back a bit, yet still remained in her little ball of limbs. He was barely covered with his short pants in their plaid pattern. The big jacket was so drastically oversized, Virgil was sitting on it since its length clearly exceeded his height. It was supposed to be worn by someone else so it would not cover them down to their thighs.
 Remy gently brushed over his shoulder.
 “I would do whatever to be with your sorry ass. If you live on your own and gotta take care of another living being, you will probably just die, like, instantly. You are so fucking oblivious and sensitive after all.”
 He gently nudged her.
 “Be my wife.”
 Remy felt heat rise in his chest. He vehemently shook his head, his stomach fuzzy all of a sudden. Thousands of little feathers tickled him from inside and his cheeks reddened to match his heated blood.
If he did not know better, he would have said that he had done no more but choked on his spit.
 “Virgil!”
 The illegal little potion of bitter rage hugged him against the playful struggles and shoves from his side.
 “Shut up-”, he demanded squeakily, “I am not gonna be anyone’s fucking wife, I am a qUeEN.”
 His voice broke at the last word, delicately proving his point in being true royalty of great manners and high levels of taste.
Remy was a true piece of art and he was, as he often repeated, “a luxury few could afford.”
 A pair of headlights glanced onto their backs, lighting up the scene when the whole sky was turning dark. Their shadows were drawn out before them, making Remy shrink in on himself and look back to check who or what was approaching them.
The running car engine they could hear made it evident that this was a person rolling around in a vehicle.
 Who?
 Virgil pushed Remy down onto their blanket, carefully trapping him below her.
 “Hey, Em, come in and hurry, we can sacrifice him right now while he is still a virgin!”
 Remy threw his hands into Virgil’s face. Ungodly screeches escaped his throat as he pushed and grabbed and tore at the untouchable bastard of humankind.
 “You fucking wish! Stop projecting your assless life onto me!”
 Finally, Remy pushed his knees into Virgil’s guts and pushed the idiot off his shoulders. Emile had finally gotten out of the car, basket under their arm and a blanket pressed against heir chest.
 “Hey, save some dumbassery for me!”, fae complained as they plopped down between the two. Honestly, they felt like those kind of people everyone would comment on about how much they behaved like an old, married couple.
Not that they were wrong.
 “I am not duuuumb!”, Remy whined.
 He sat up again, shoulders quickly pressing against Emile’s who got comfortable. That bastard was really out there, fucking wearing a leather-like jacket with spikes and shit. He could see the colours on the dark material and could only assume faem to have customised the article.
They were the only one to have covered legs. Black ripped-jeans hugged their endlessly long walking sticks and their feet were covered in worn-out sneakers. Void of any big brand names or associations, of course.
 Probably all of this was either made by private businesses, friends, faerself or smaller companies barely anyone knew about.
 “Emile, put some sense into her! He is being a real bitch again”
 Virgil blew raspberries to the complainer and immediately threw his legs over Emile’s inviting lap.
 “If you got an issue with cuddles, you better go and sit on his side”, she challenged silently. Emile did not budge, much to his delight.
“Good bean.”
 The newby commented with a little chuckle, gently drawing Emile in by putting one arm around him.
 “I got ya two cuties some drinks on the way here. Who wants the coffee and who wants the cotton candy pink whatever capitalism-victim? You two definitely need something to suck on.”
 Virgil waved his arms around, stimmy hands flapping like birds’ wings. His long sleeves smacked themselves due to them exceeding his fingers. Her heart was fluttering in sudden excitement. He was aflame like a bunch of dry grass set on fire.
 “YES! Gimme gimmeee gimmeeeee!! I want the caffeine!”
She pointed at the basket and reached for it but Remy quickly smacked their sleeves away.
 “You are not getting any fucking caffeine, you half-dead junkie zombie, you”, Remy cursed. In a flare of problem-solving skills, he pulled the basket closer, just out of reach from the slightly shorter idiot. He grabbed the caffeine-packed cup of ice-cold sin.
 Fae blinked, unimpressed, “Just hand me the chocolate one. Pink unicorn is for our rainbow bunny, then.”
 Remy’s smile grew even wider.
 Did they say... bunny...?
 Virgil pouted in return, her reaction less than ideal. Instead of complaining, his legs pulled them closer by their lap and rested there, snuggled up against the pal with the colourful hair. Not even a beanie this time.
 “I am not a bunny”
 He slurped up some of the pinkish drink from hell.
It was tasty.
Such a bitch.
How dare it be tasty when he tried to be angry with Emile for giving him free stuff and falsely calling him a bunny when he was clearly a unicorn! Like the drink!
 Remy nodded sagely, sensing a bit of mood at this moment.
 “Virgil thinks he is a unicorn despite looking like a bunny but that is okay. We still love him.”
 His hand sneaked over to her, gently patting her shoulder and indirectly bringing himself closer to Emile in the process.
Not that anyone was complaining.
He was simply slurping his iced coffee in gratitude. It calmed down his hot face and fidgety fingers. Holding the cool cup gave his fingers something to do at least.
 For a moment, Emile’s forest eyes looked into his soul. Fae blinked and nodded before turning back to Virgil.
 “Virgil, do you feel like a unicorn? Do you identify as one?”
 Emile looked at her, carefully brushing over her legs as they attempted to keep eye contact. Virgil looked away, face fully averted.
Fae patiently squeezed his leg.
 “If you want me to call you unicorn, I will. I just liked the nickname bunny for you because you jump a lot and are very active.”
 Remy smiled. He did not notice but he leaned against Emile’s patient shoulder with his own head.
Fae minded the contact with a little blink and one of faer unoccupied hands moving to take Remy’s.
 The pouting smalls still looked away, stubbornly staring at the sky instead of facing the other two idiots.
 “You know, I really hate littering, too.”
 Virgil cleared her throat, gently hugging her flat stomach a bit. It was not exactly colder than before but maybe by now his open jacket and exposing outfit proved to be impractical for stargazing together.
 “If you call me bunny and nobody else, I am okay. And if you mean it as a nice name. Remy too. Even though Remy was a butt about it because I know I am a unicorn, even with ears!”
 His voice got a bit louder. Then she nodded in self-assurance to end the sentence and prove a point. He pulled a phone up with him on it, hood over his head, the bunny ears flailing around from the impact of being so harshly moved around.
The small friend snuggled up to Emile and reached out to hold Remy’s hand too.
 “You are dumb but you are both okay. You two can call me bunny but I will stab anyone else who tried to do that.”
 She huffed softly.
 Remy squeezed their hands together and put Virgil’s and Emile’s soft hands together.
 “You are our little bunny, then.”
 The tallest of the three hummed in thought, their eyes slipping close.
 “You guys wanna get high now or later? Because I am ready.”
 Virgil shook his head.
 “Can’t. I will die.”
 Remy nudged Emile so much, it pushed them all against Virgil and had her nearly topple over. She hissed at Remy and angrily glared at him.
 “You gotta take a chill pill. I will bring you home with me and the day after. We came in one car anyway.”
 Emile looked between them.
 “What is the issue? Do you have to go home later?”
 Their voice was so smooth and innocent, it felt like talking to a child for just a moment. They both knew there was more than enough wit between these words to take down a whole system.
 “I gotta take care of my baby sibling. They are tiny baby and need someone to look out for them.”
 Remy shook his head adamantly.
 “Logan is, like, 13 and would love to be home alone from your exhausted ass. If you wanna, I will babysit them with Emile. You mind that at all?”
 The addressed pal stole a quick glance from Remy for just a moment before looking into the dark night sky.
 “It is settled. Virgil, we are officially kidnapping your hot butt and putting you on high duty of being dummy idiotic and free of responsibilities for a few hours. We will take a look at your sibling, too. Promise.”
 Virgil let out a whine.
Her hand pushed the now empty cup into the abandoned basket Emile had brought along.
He laid down all over Remy’s and Emile’s long legs in the dramatic flair of imitating death or at least heavy defeat.
 “Mmm... will you give me ice cream?”
 Emile nodded, gently brushing through her hair.
 “I got ice cream at home but we can also buy some just for you if you don’t wanna depend on that.”
 The third in their group yipped out a happy sound of agreement.
 “We can ask Logan to sleep at a friend’s place or be there with us and wait until they sleep. They go to sleep super early anyway, that nerd.”
 The laying swan .. bunny.. uh... unicorn? Shrugged.
 “ ‘s kinda cute.. they care about school n all. They are so good. They are too good.”
 It sounded like a lament rather than a praise. There was so much pain in these words.
 “That sounds nice, bunny. Sounds like your sibling learned a lot of nice things from you. I am sure that must be a lot.”
 She took a deep breath.
 Remy gave a meaningful nod towards Emile who, in turn, licked faer lips.
 “I am proud of you but it is important to rest. Will you let us give you ice cream and take care of you?”
 For a moment, the only answer was the bright light coming from the moon. Pale white illuminated the meadow. The stars were shining as always but their light was so far away, it barely reached them. From them, it seemed as if they were not bright at all because the moon was reflecting the light so prettily, it overpowered them all.
 “Only if you get dumb with me and we do funny things?”
 Remy squeezed their hands together, his second joining the pile of fingers.
 “Of course. Now, text your baby sibling.”
 The smaller one pulled out his phone and sloppily pulled out a phone.
 “Jus do?”
 The three got together, packing up their things and obviously taking their things with them.
 “What is this?”
 Remy followed Emile’s finger pointing at a bag of trash. He shrugged in return.
 “We collected trash because Virgil really hates littering, you know?”
 The mentioned bean shook his head and shrugged.
 “Fuck pollution”, she defended herself as the taller one lead her to the car they shared, “see you in a bit?”
 Remy texted Logan with Virgil’s phone and sent an address to their chat with Emile.
 “Yo, I sent you the place we are going to drive to. You got that?”
 Fae shrugged.
 “I can literally just follow you guys like the little shadow I am. Just don’t drive like speeding dicks and I will be fine.”
 Remy nodded. Virgil mumbled in agreement and pushed the trashbag into the car’s trunk. It was his car after all. Remy did not have an own car yet. It was more of a shared thing.
 Together, they drove over to Virgil. On the way, Logan texted them how they would stay with a friend called Patton. Since Virgil knew Patton more than enough, she did not freak out but instead shrugged it off, told Remy and agreed under the condition of driving Logan there with the others.
Logan.. did not seem to mind.
Did they know Emile would join in?
 Whether they did, the three arrived.
Virgil already munched on the space brownies, happily nibbling at the dark chocolatey delight of deep, sweet-bitter taste.
It was an experience.
 At least there were no nuts in this.
Well... walnuts would probably be fine..
 The three got out, one by one. Virgil first and Emile last.
She patiently took faer and then his hand before leading them over to the small apartment complex with the many little doors. It was a humble little location, the flats looked like miniature versions of actual living spaces for human beings but it was just enough for the modest taste of the tired middle pal of the trio.
 He nudged the others towards the building and climbed the stairs.
 “The brownies are tasty, Em. You are a real baker genius or.. like, something like that.”
She blinked at the intense lights. One of the white lights was flickering every now and then and it was somewhat bothersome to the eye.
 “You ate them already?”
 A bit of surprise tinged Emile’s voice. Remy held back a laughter.
 “Yeah, Virgil is a thirsty and hungry hoe, no wonder he did that.”
 Something in his words screamed “get used to it”. Fae did not know what to feel about this but took it with the humour of a baby adult.
 “Not to take advantage of that but I don’t hate that.”
 Virgil giggled.
 “Shhhh, wait until Logan is gooohne,, They is a really clever baby sib thing, you know.”
 More chuckled filled the air and made the stairway echo in giggles and delight from the trio.
 They got up eventually, settling on the 7th level where Virgil unlocked apartment C and pushed the door open.
 “Yo, I am back! Don’t cook meth, the neighbours will get jealous.”
 He dropped the key in a little bowl on a shelf that leaned against the wall for support. The hallway welcomed the trio with faded colours and old, creaking wood planks as ground.
Emile blinked at the floor with a frown.
 “Do you want us to keep our shoes on?”
 Remy shook his head, his mouth opening to answer but a sound interrupted them.
A voice, more specifically.
 “Virgil, please refrain from making comments of such kind. It is highly unlikely for anyone around here to cook methane, let alone you or me.”
 A composed voice, stone-faced according to Emile’s feelings, replied to Virgil’s dismissive words and lazy greeting.
 The trash was still in Remy’s hands.
 “Fuck, I forgot this shit. You mind?”
 Logan appeared. Well, it had to be Logan unless Emile had missed about another person living with her - and Logan.
The sibling was younger than Virgil, their face more tan yet somewhat soft and void of the exhaustion the life of emerging adulthood had already put on Virgil’s dark eyes. Especially evident were how there were no bags under Logan’s eyes while Virgil seemed to have never slept in his entire life, perhaps.
 Maybe she did not sleep so everyone else could sleep? Like a sandman.
 Logan was dressed in something reminding Remy of a suit. It was this undershirt-kinda thing Emile identified as waist coat. It was dark and hugged their slender figure. Blue? It looked pretty much like rather dark blue. They seemed a bit taller than Virgil, around as tall as Remy, almost - not quite. Their shirt was white and looked so ironed out, Emile could not even find a single wrinkle.
They were not wearing shoes but only white socks and long black pants. The waistcoat had a single chain or metal leading to a little pocket.
 “Hello Remy, a pleasure to see you again. Do not worry about the bag. I will take it with me on the way down - “
 Virgil piped up.
 “WE! You are not going alone! It is dark and scary and I am your big shit and am telling you that you gotta hold my hand and be driven to your friend.”
 Logan rolled their eyes, dark orbs behind black frames seemingly shrinking in something like annoyance.
However, there was a fond smile on their lips despite it being small. It was still there and when Virgil approached the sibling for a good old hug, they received it and even returned it, even if it was not as passionate.
 Something warm pumped through Emile’s face and chest.
Seeing the two siblings cuddle made fae feel all giddy and comfortable.
 “Of course. I agreed to your conditions after all.”
 Only now Emile realised Logan was wearing a tie. They adjusted it despite it being in perfect position. Nothing was wrong with it..
It..
It had a pattern like constellations on it. Yes, clearly. Fae could see Leo right under their neck.
 “Hello, you must be Virgil’s new friend. I am Logan.”
 The, the small baby sibling was before faem, hand stretched out and dark eyes looking into faem as if it was a challenge to look serious and convincing.
It was more than effective, to be frank.
 “Yeah, I am Emile. Fae/faer, please. You use anything but they/them?” They nodded a bit, their facial features softening somewhat.
 “Thank you”
 The words came out like a whisper. Emile smiled.
 “Virgil, I am fucking adopting this kid, you have to marry me or some shit. This is now my bastard child!”
 A hysterical fit of giggles could be heard while Logan was silently rolling his eyes so hard, Remy swore they moved a bit out of his face’s centre.
Remy pouted audibly.
 “Ya get rights on my sibling, I don’t make the rules. Logan, you are loved by these dummies! It is the law, we are your personal protection squad!”
 Remy blew out some air but nodded.
 “Yeppers, we will do the illegal shit with you to keep you safe. We are gotta fake your a voting ID so you can change the world already.”
 The tallest of the pals sucked in a breath.
 “I know how to fake a voting ID! I made myself one, too! Hold on!”
 Logan turned towards the new person, this Emile guy. The sound of giggles was still around and surely coming closer.
 “Hey, hey, make sure to have it be a good fake. Can’t have the good kiddo fuck up a great lifeeee”, she argued, “They will be super fine because they are a great and lovely person. LOGAN I LOVE YOU!”
 They closed their eyes instead of rolling them. Their lips curled further into a more than evident smile and a small hint of pink tinted their pale cheeks.
 “I l-love you too, Virgil. Please calm down, it is quite alright. I am just me.”
 Virgil was back by now, a little box in his hands.
 “Shut up, be proud of yourself. You have amazing grades, super engagement in different projects and activities and you are a bright person with great competences. You are trying and working a lot to get this far and I am proud of you. You should be, too. I barely finished school with my shitty grades. It was mostly pity”
 Virgil blinked softly. Her hand gently brushed over their cheek and carefully patted its side. Emile and Remy moved out of the way to give the siblings some space. They obviously had a moment going on.
 “I don’t care what you make of yourself. I just want you to be happy and proud of what you do. We all know we were not born to be perfect and yet you are here and doing this.. this fucking badassery of ace-ing all ya exams and life shit and all.”
 She scooted closer.
 “I know Patton likes quiche I make, so I packed some for you two to share. I put money in, too. Get snacks and order something if you two need it, alright? I love you, kiddo. I really do.”
 He snuggled up to them and gave their pale cheeks a soft smooch. The elder sibling mumbled softly.
 “If you complain about the money, I will bite your nose. Just take it. Financial worries are mine, not yours.”
 Logan looked at Virgil, a shadow darkening their pale features. It was like a tree branch in the night, throwing a scary shadow into the room of a young and gullible child.
They abandoned the doubt and shook it off with a new sense of hardness in their eyes. It was sparkling determination.
 “Have fun with your friends, please. I want you to take care of yourself, too. You and I both know that a good social life helps your mental health which, in turn, positively affects your overall well-being.”
 Virgil blinked, happy beams radiating from her old orbs.
 “You are the best sibling I could have ever wished for, Lo.”
She cleared her throat, wiping over her wet eyes.
“Time to fucking get ya to you friend! Ree will drive you and I will have ice-cream like a real champ!”
 “REEEE, EEEEEM! Let us gOOOO!”
 The middle man came back in, Emile right on his ass.
 “You finished your drama? You won’t stab us if we come back in?”
 Virgil giggled under the scolding look from his sibling. She shrugged dismissively.
 “I am ready to go. I will wait in the car.”
 They got pushed the little container into their backpack and put it over their shoulders before grabbing the trash and retrieving the keys from his sibling.
 “Nuu, you are a baby and we gotta go with you. Reeeemileeey~ Come with me~”
 The two got ready and joined as requested.
 “DId you fuse our names?!”
 There was an unusual amount of excitement in Emile’s voice. Not that they were not usually excited and happy but this was on a whole new level. There was a sense of knowledge and expectation in faer tone of voice.
It was difficult for Virgil to put her finger on it, considering she started feeling a bit more of an effect from the edibles she had consumed. Remy noted the excitement with his own piece of interest.
 “I fuuuused your names and they fit together sooo well!”
 As Virgil giggled, Emile’s eyes seemed to double in size, more so the black pools in the middle of these wild orbs.
Remy blinked at this change, his own curiosity swinging into the direction of excitement as well.
 He wanted to know about the things that got Emile to bounce on faer feet like the most adorable danger stick in the whole history of humankind.
Something glowed in these mysterious eyes and Remy wanted to know more about it.
 Well, for know it was time to take responsibility and drive them all to Patton.
He still wanted to know about it, so he took a chance when they had arrived and the three remained in the car alone, Virgil cuddled up to Emile and holding hands with glowing cheeks and a free heart.
Logan waved goodbye one last time and disappeared into the warm home of a loving family. A whole family.
 “Em, what is so exciting about fusions? Do you like those kinda things?”
 For a moment, his mind wandered as he tapped his foot down onto the pedals and started driving again in first gear before shifting higher.
He did not have the opportunity to glance into the rear-view mirror and see their face light up like a burning candle. Certainly, if he knew about how much he had missed, he would have cursed his own care about safe driving.
 “I L-O-V-E fusions!”
 A giggled followed faer sudden spray of words. The excitement pitched their voice into a higher vocal range.
Unexpected but lovely in a way it made Remy’s heart throb with just as much energy as Emile offered him. He let himself giggle a bit while Virgil was nothing but a puddle of chuckles and snickers. The half-naked pal hugged Emile close, seemingly absorbing their enthusiasm.
 “Why do you like fusions so much, lovely?”
 Remy licked his lips, tasting the delicious energy in the air. He relished in just a quick glance into the rear-view mirror in which he saw Virgil and Emile bonking the sides of their heads together, the latter bouncing a bit in faer seat.
 His heart was blooming.
These two were the summer of his life.
 “Th.-they !! Do y-you know of-of S-Steve Un-Univ-verse?”
 Their hands were everywhere, Remy noticed. Virgil put himself on high-five duty whenever these hands moved places and suddenly appeared next to him or in front of his nose or behind Remy’s head.
To her, it was as if these hands appeared out of nowhere while Emile fawned his happy juices into every direction of this car.
 Remy readily took in everything he could with a smile on his lips and promises in his chest. Sadly, he still had to shake his head but he prompted them.
 “Enlighten us, would you?”
 Fae continued, hands still moving in a somewhat erratic manner.
 “S-So in - I .. I mean, y-you know”, they started, then stopped, then started again just to take a short pause.
Faer face fell into a statute-like aesthetic as fae deliberated what to say. The happy glows in their orbs were forever-persistent.
 “Mw, Em.. Emiiiiile”, Virgil cooed softly, patting their hair, “You are wonderful.. your.. y... sEt.. pf.. ph-... STEVEN is your FRIEND and really wonderpoof too.”
 She nodded, a sense of importance surrounding her. It gave her an expression of wisdom and some sort of... safe space. There was acceptance in his features.
Even when he mispronounced and misunderstood everything going on.
Virgil eagerly patted Emile’s poofy hair while nodding more, her happy curls jumping up and down the sides of her face like excited monkeys.
 “So-sO! Steven is-is a human a-and he is part of the-the cry-c..c-crystal gems who are basically alien stones with magic. Oh, and they have weird adventures t-t-together and ev-everything is soft and ni-nice!”
 Fae bounced in the back seat and Virgil enthusiastically moved along without even having a single clue of what was happening at the moment.
They clapped and she mimicked the movements with confused nods and delayed yaps.
 “Magic Stpehen.. ph..phatven...”
 Virgil looked at his hands, confusion spinning in their lost eyes. Maybe staring into her fingers could answer her the question of how it came that “Steven” was so difficult to pronounce.
They did not, if you wondered, too.
 Emile smiled, gently brushing through his hair.
The most gentle of all smiles adorned their face as they soothed Virgil ever so patiently. The flapping piece of oversized jacket and mad boxers eventually nestled in faer lap and hugged these legs calmly. Every now and then, Emile would receive a loving pat to their skin because Virgil forgot what they felt like. Or because she was curious about what skin did when being touched and moved and shoved or patted.
 They patiently stroked his hair further while Remy had a hard time keeping his gay together and himself focused.
Luckily, they arrived and got back up, Virgil insistently patting and hugging every door, pole and wall they did not pull him away from.
 She was a really excited person in this state.
 When they got into the apartment, Remy lead them to the couch, considering Virgil was a bit less in the position to know where anything or anyone was.
They snuggled up again, this time Virgil was in the middle and fidgeting with a magic cube.. rubrix.. thingy.. hihi, it felt funny!
 “Remy, loook!”
 She pushed the cube into his hands and hugged Emile close.
 “Magical cube”, Virgil explained, voice mimicking the tone of a captivating conspiracy video.
 “Very magical, cube”, fae agreed.
 Remy nodded.
 “Magical like these rad fucking shits you made. We are gonna see more than stars, we will see an entire galaxy!”
 His words were purring in amusement.
 Virgil lazily blinked at Remy, then slowly turned to Emile and just.. dropped their head to the side, completely overdoing the “tilting your head” business.
 “Sooo.. are we.. a fusion?”
 A clank could be heard and suddenly, Virgil whined and hugged the two close.
 “The magical cube disappeared! I...m-..magic!”
His voice dropped into the sounds of scary camp fire horror stories once more.
“...m a g i c.”
 The tallest of the three pushed another biscuit to Remy who gladly consumed the sweet, spacey treat.
 “You are magic, you two fusers”, Emile purred back in reply and gently snuggled back, carefully pecking Virgil. This time, a whine arouse from Remy’s throat.
Emile shook faer head, a wild grin decorating this precious face.
 Was that a little scar on their cheekbone? Oh, those cheekbones...
 Remy got so lost in Emile’s pretty face, he barely noticed it coming close, Emile’s eyes closing sensually, slowly...
Then, their lips brushed against one another. Lonely mouth and alluring goal meeting and pressing together, closing around one another like embracing lovers after a long period of distancing.
 “waHOOOO, G A Y!!”
 Virgil cheered for them, leaving the youngest of the three to pull away from Remy, skin like cherry blossoms in the heat of spring.
Fae simply let him, innocently commenting with nothing but a whipping of faer eyelashes towards the shy one.
 “Is that new for you, Virgil?”
 The playful breeze of something like a rivalry returned, nestling between the moody couple of different extremes. The trio’s shortest and longest member looked at each other, a special dynamic reigning between them and drawing them closer.
 “New that he gets the kisses first”, Virgil answered in unabashed honesty.
 Instead of hiding behind witty remarks and sarcastic or snarky comments, she off-handedly pronounced the issue and pulled Emile in, gently pulling at the leather collar of this damn self-improved jacket.
It was surprisingly soft, compared to last time, at least.
 Their lips were raspberries squeezing together ever so slightly, merely touching more than for a fleeting moment.
 Virgil was the one to pull away.
It was Emile’s turn to be flustered at this moment. Fae slowly backed up, settling into faer space on the couch and taking another one of the beaked treats. They nibbled on them, hiding their face while Virgil pushed her legs onto faer lap and rested her head on Remy’s happy thighs. His skirt was rolled up a little so he got to feel his hair.
 “You two taste so sweet...”
 Remy shrugged, face still ablaze without his knowledge. He suspected it, though.
 “Hey, Em. You going to college when the holidays are over?”
 The taller one took the moment to appreciate Remy’s timing and tasteful change of topics while Virgil delightfully brushed over his exposed stomach in mild interest.
 “I am just here for a summer job, I guess I told you guys”, fae mumbled softly as faer fingers moved to catch up to Virgil’s tracing fingerpads.
“After that I am going to Yban University further up the north. What about you guys?”
 Virgil was chuckling and squirming when Emile started stroking his exposed skin.
He was ticklish, Remy remembered fondly.
 “Virgil is gonna go up there too, but for working. So you can hang out with Logan if you want to!”
 Remy winked and Emile stuck out their tongue at him.
 “Don’t fuck the baby sibling.”
 The small anger dwarf flailed and gasped.
 “Nu, fuck me instead!”
 Emile fucking starting to cough up during a weird mix of laughing and choking on his own mind and his partners’ words.
 “Not na- now!”, fae gasped out, wiggling a bit but staying in place, more or less.
 “Man”, Remy started, softly offering his hand for Emile to hold while his other was still carding through Virgil’s hair, “I will go up and study. It is surreal.”
 He blinked.
 “Holy fuckening, we are going to the same spot! I will move in with Virgil, like, fucking literally. As soon as I get my acceptance email and letter.. I .. I am.. gonna.. I will fuck your landlord.”
 Emile was playing with their hair while stroking over these exposed legs.
 “You two.. wanna hang out if we all end up in the same spot? That would be cool.”
 Remy patted the spot close to him and gestured towards Emile, then back to the spot as he started to lay down. They got the message and followed suit.
Together, the three cuddled up, now laying and still high off their butts.
 “It is perfect”, Em yawned, gently kissing the back of Remy’s hand.
 Virgil nodded softly and pushed her nose against the other two pals’ noses.
 “If you guys are with me, I can do all. I will get all done. I can do it.”
 At least he tried saying that. His words came out as a jumble of weird sounds.
Laughter erupted and Virgil snuggled up, eyes closed and gently smooching the two before drifting off to sleep while the others whisper-screamed whatever thing seemed absolutely hilarious at the moment.
 If they would stay together, she knew they would all be fine. They would all make it.
 He was certain of it.
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titansandothersrp · 4 years
Text
Beauty in the Strange
(This is a compiled roleplay between my Beast Boy muse and the Raven muse of @azarathian . This is a very old roleplay we wrote under different usernames, but I labeled our writing with our current usernames.)
azarathian (Raven): “I vote tacos!” bellowed the tall man strolling merrily beside her. “Ehhh, not really in the mood for—” The exuberant red-head cut right through their leader as her own ideas swarmed. “Ooooh, I would be most favourable towards the Bee of Apples!” “But guys, that new burger joint has an offer on that ends today!” the masked boy exclaimed. Raven stared off ahead of her, nonchalant to the bustle of her team’s suggestions. Wherever they ate would be fine with her, as long as they didn’t spend the next hour trying to choose somewhere (which she feared they would, knowing them).
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Despite the squabble, it was honestly nice to just be outdoors. When Starfire had suggested they all treat themselves to a meal out for dinner, Raven entirely approved. The days leading up to the outing had been spent tirelessly working through chores in the tower, combat practice, crime-fighting, more chores. To say the least, it had been a hectic and less than enjoyable week so far. Now the weekend was here, their leader had finally opted to give them a break. So, dinner out with her friends it was. In truth, she wouldn’t have even minded if the evening led to somewhere else after dinner; a movie, bowling… anything but karaoke. titansandothers (Beast Boy): “A meat free bean burrito sounds good. I vote tacos.” Beast Boy said, getting a high five from Cyborg. “But I don’t feel like-” The leader started, only to be cut off by the green teen. “Too bad! Majority rules!” “But Raven has not voted.” Starfire commented. “Please, do you not wish to visit the Bee of Apples?” “C’mon, Raven. You know you want tacos~” Cyborg added, grinning as Beast Boy nudged her. azarathian (Raven): Exasperated from the endless gabble, she sighed. “As long as we pick somewhere, I really don’t care.” “That counts as a taco vote!” Cyborg chimed, flinging one arm triumphantly around the girl’s shoulders whilst the other sported a giant thumbs up to the sky. “But-” Robin rose a finger in protest, but was once again overruled by his boisterous companion. “Ah ah ah, did ya not hear the guy?!” he tutted, prodding the boy’s forehead as he fizzled in anger. “MAJORITY RULES!” With their point made, both Cyborg and Beast Boy paraded ahead of the three, intent for the Mexican goodness that awaited down the block. A bitter Robin huffed with crossed arms as he begrudgingly followed on, Starfire floating patiently beside him. “Oh, the Bees shall have to wait…” she pouted in defeat. “Nightmare,” Raven muttered to herself before following in the others’ path. titansandothers (Beast Boy):
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“Yes! Bean burritos, here I come!” The others ultimately caught up to the two excited teens and they made their way to the restaurant. Starfire sat next to Robin, as to be expected, and Beast Boy sat between Raven and Cyborg. “I hope they have Dr. Pepper! I hate it when places only have Mr. Pibb. Why can’t Coke and Pepsi be served in the same building?” The green teen talked to no one in particular. azarathian (Raven):
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“Life’s mysteries,” she remarked, reaching across the table to pick up a menu. As the titans browsed over their choices, a particularly chatty group of girls entered the premises behind their table. Being an individual as intolerant of noise as she was, she couldn’t help but glance behind her as they gaudily strode past. Her brow twitched a tad at the commotion; they were talking amongst themselves as if they wished for the whole street to hear what they had to say. Because of this, Raven wasn’t the only one in the diner to send a glare the girls’ way, but she was the one to let it linger when they didn’t take the hint. “He did not say that!” one squealed aloud. “He did, I’m telling you!” another shrieked, voice like a seagull. “He did NOT!” “I think he did,” Raven mumbled out of ear-shot to the rest of her own table. titansandothers (Beast Boy): “Ckkkppphhhthhh!” Beast Boy tried to stifle laughter, as did the rest of the team. The chatty clique sat at their table, continuing to squawk about nonsense. One caught a glimpse of Raven and nudged her friends. “Hey, look at that creepy girl.” The other girls tittered. “Where does she buy her clothes; Dracula’s castle?” The group laughed obnoxiously. “Careful! She might suck your blood!” “I don’t know about blood, but she sure does suck!” In the past, Beast Boy might have laughed at their jokes, but not today. He darted over to their table, scowling fiercely.
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“You do not talk about my friend like that!” He was furious. He knew that it hurt Raven to be called creepy, even if she didn’t show it. And they just had to pile on the insults. “You don’t know her!” azarathian (Raven): The instant a ‘creepy girl’ was mentioned, her shoulders stiffened. Nonetheless, despite the taunt, composure had become an easy thing for Raven to preserve in such situations; she’d been an outsider her whole life, the jeers of a few immature school girls weren’t about to get to her any time soon. Citizens were citizens. They weren’t villains. And yet she secretly relished in the knowledge she could send them flying off the nearest coast if they were. Propping her elbow up on the table, then her cheek on her palm, she merely scrunched her lips and waited for the mocking to subside. Surely they’d come up with some more pointless blather any second. To get angry over it was too much of a risk, not to mention futile. Some people were just born to be jerks. Her head tilted to her left when she heard the movement of the chair, and at once her eyes grew large and head rose when the boy beside her stood and walked away.
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“Beast Boy? What are y–” In seconds he was over to the posse’s table, and it was all Raven - all the other titans - could do but to watch him with mouths agape. “Who asked you?” the girls proceeded to taunt, clearly remorseless. “Are all your friends goth freaks or is she special?” titansandothers (Beast Boy): “When you talk so loud that people in Gotham can hear you, I can only assume you did!” One girl scoffed. “We’re not loud; your ears are just too big!” He ignored them. Usually, he would retort that chicks dig the ears, but he had more important things to address. “She’s not a freak, but she is special. And that’s more than I can say for you.” “Pssh. Yeah, you two are special all right.”
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“I’m sorry. I guess my big ears didn’t quite catch that. Care to repeat it?” He morphed into the beast, silently daring them to say another word.
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azarathian (Raven): By now the entire diner seemed to have their eyes hooked on the unfolding scene, a certain indigo pair holding the most shock in its stare. Behind her, the three teens ogled along with the crowd, mouths ajar. As the shapeshifter morphed, suddenly leering over the girls with his threatening fangs, shrill squeals erupted from below and in a frantic rush the group was fleeing the site. Before Raven could blink, the slamming of hands flat upon the table behind her shattered the air. Her head flung back to see a furious Robin, shoulders high and mask pointed down to the bridge of his nose. His eyes were like needles, piercing the green figure from across the room. “We’ll be going now,” Robin said lowly to a fearful waiter stood beside him, glare not breaking from his teammate. Raven merely watched on, entirely unsure of what to do, and only moving to stand when the rest of the group did. Robin led their exit from the building as the many sets of eyes followed the four teens. Raven turned back to Beast Boy before passing through the door, offering an unsettled look to her friend that urged him to follow suit. Once outside, the interrogation began. “What the HELL, man?” came Cyborg’s voice. “So much for that burrito!” “Beast Boy.” Their leader’s voice was a lot less forgiving, stern and blunt as he walked towards the boy. “What was that?” titansandothers (Beast Boy): Beast Boy hadn’t really thought about the fact he would scare the whole restaurant. He just wanted those girls to stop insulting his friend. Mission accomplished, sort of. Hearing the slam on the table behind him, the beast turned around… and immediately reverted to human form. His ears drooped as he looked at their leader, feeling both afraid and guilty. He sulked out of the restaurant to be berated by his teammates. So much for a nice day out. Raven was insulted, he’d scared a restaurant full of people, and now his teammates were mad at him. He avoided eye contact with anyone, opting to hang his head instead. “I just wanted them to leave Raven alone…”
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azarathian (Raven):
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She looked to him, both perplexed and grateful. It was unlike anything he’d done before, and especially in a setting as public as the restaurant they’d been in. Truth be told, it was incredibly seldom such a situation would arise in the heroine’s day-to-day life, yet somehow she doubted he would’ve reacted in such a way to the same scene a few months ago. This was Beast Boy, and though his friends meant the world to him, it was a great rarity for his temper to show - and especially towards a bunch of moronic members of the public. What had he been thinking? “Raven can take care of herself,” Robin asserted. It was clear he was trying to take hold of the situation without creating too much of an atmosphere. This was meant to be their night-off, after all, yet as their leader he undeniably felt the need to set his peer’s unsuitable behavior straight. “I know those girls were out of order, Beast Boy, but you can’t go turning on people like that. You’re a titan. It’s not how we handle things.” As the masked boy delivered his lecture, Raven watched the expression in the younger’s face. For the moment, she let Robin speak, for he was right - they couldn’t just enter a place and proceed to threaten the guests with their powers. Not even for a few callow insults thrown her way. titansandothers (Beast Boy): Though the changeling knew Raven could take care of herself, he also knew that she wouldn’t. He knew the others wouldn’t either. That’s why he did it. If he could have resolved the situation through words alone, he would have. Unfortunately, he was not the most intelligent or well spoken person in the world. He couldn’t just sit there and do nothing, so, intimidation it was. He didn’t respond to the scolding, opting to react only by nodding his head solemnly. Despite the scolding, he couldn’t say he fully regretted it. In the end, the girls left her alone and Raven knew that he wouldn’t stand for anyone insulting her. With the way Raven wouldn’t let him insult himself, even after she had been insulting him for years, he wasn’t going to let anyone insult her either. azarathian (Raven): With the menial response, Robin deemed his point made. It didn’t please the leader to see his teammate shot down for trying to do the right thing, and so with one last steely frown, he turned to proceed down the street. “Guess Applebee’s it is,” he grunted in his step. Starfire would’ve rejoiced, had she not been glancing worriedly at her friend. After a moment, though, she followed Robin, meeting his pace and floating beside him. The metal man was the first to attempt to salvage the situation, disturbing the tension with a forced smile and a joke. “Probably best not to mix BB and beans anyway,” he snickered to himself, giving a nudge to his friend as his way of saying ‘forget about it B, Rob’s just being Rob’. Once the three were ahead, Raven made a point to walk slower behind, Beast Boy at her side. “You didn’t have to do that.” titansandothers (Beast Boy): “Better than car exhaust,” he managed to joke back, giving a slight smile. The smile faded once the others were ahead of him. Upon hearing Raven’s words, Beast Boy turned to face her. “Yes, I did. I know you hide your emotions. I know you can be hurt. I know you won’t tell anyone you’re hurt. So, I took care of it.” He spoke quietly, not wanting to alert the others. “You’re not creepy. You’re different. You’re special. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” He knew he was guilty of the same thing in the past and he regretted it. “Even me.” azarathian (Raven): His words sank into her. As of the past month, she’d been seeing several subtle changes in Beast Boy, each becoming more notable than the last. And it wasn’t that she disapproved; if anything, it was oddly refreshing to see the boy’s disparate and intricate qualities showing through that ever-present grin, one by one. It was as if his comedic veneer he so stubbornly adorned was slowly giving way to a more involved, more illegible soul within. But the thought plagued her: what was the cause of these unique and obscure displays of emotion, seemingly emerging from nowhere? Anguish, panic, guidance, patience, embarrassment, defence, anger; they’d all seemed to make an appearance before the girl at some point or another in the weeks passed. And in many ways, she felt privileged to witness such rare displays from the usually unflappable changeling. And now, he’d succumbed to anger, for her sake. To defend her feelings. She couldn’t bring herself to judge him at this time, but only look on at him and eventually let the smile tugging at her lips flourish. “… Thanks,” she returned, a strange but welcomed lightness in her stomach. titansandothers (Beast Boy): Despite how he was feeling moments earlier, he was elated now. He’d made Raven smile and he knew he made her feel better. It was a welcomed change of pace to believing himself nothing but an annoyance to the girl. He gave her his usual toothy grin. “No problem. If this happens again, I’ll try not to get us kicked out of anything.” He gave a nervous chuckle. “Yo!” Cyborg called back to the two when he realized they were behind. “Could you two stop chewing the scenery so we can start chewing some food?” azarathian (Raven): There it was; that same, signature laugh that could only come from the boy she knew as Beast Boy. Through her nose, she exhaled a certain tension she hadn’t known had been there, smile lingering even as their hungry friend called out from ahead to move them along. Her eyes darted to the man, catching the quick movement of Beast Boy running along past her to catch up with their friends. For a moment, she found herself fixed where she stood. Her subconscious told her to question it all; why he’d chosen now to stick up for her, why she’d been the one to see him exposed in his grief, why he’d sought her out in his distress, why she was saying no less and less. Why things were feeling… different. But she didn’t. For her thoughts were adrift, unable to fully focus on anything besides the familiar figure jogging ahead of her. It wasn’t until second later, when her senses returned that she realised the simper still etched upon her face. With a start, she shook her daze to the wind and was once more tailing along with the rest of the group. titansandothers (Beast Boy): The five ultimately made their way to the restaurant and had a pleasant and (mostly) uneventful dinner. (Cucumber slices are not monocles, Beast Boy.) Afterwards, the five discussed what to do next. “A movie?” Cyborg suggested. “Dude, we just ate! I don’t have room for soda and popcorn!” Beast Boy argued. “Oh, you are such a lightweight!” “Hey, not everyone can have an iron stomach!” “Friends!” Starfire interjected. “There is a showing of fireworks at the park tonight in celebration of the new hall of town. Perhaps we can partake?” “Mm. I dunno. I know Raven’s game.” Beast Boy gestured with his thumb. “Loud noises and bright colors are her two favorite things, after all.” azarathian (Raven): Through the meal, Raven kept quite quiet. Thankfully, the others had enough liveliness to lift the ambience and keep conversation thriving as she fiddled with her food. Her thoughts weren’t present, but instead meandering in random succession amidst the restaurant’s bustle. Even so, she was aware of all exchanges her friends made around her, and would look up now and then to affirm her attention to the group. She couldn’t quite place the cause for her sudden reflections, but wasn’t all too bothered by them either. Eventually, their plates were empty and bill was paid. Once outside and standing again, Raven became more alert to the current chatter. “Kind of you to notice,” she bounced back at the jokester, inflection satirical as ever. It didn’t take much discussion for the team to agree upon Starfire’s suggestion. Raven had noticed when pacing the streets earlier that the event was advertised on a few posters and billboards. Seemed like quite a big deal, so she imagined it was worth going. By the time the titans reached the park, twilight was dying the sky a lavish shade of teal. It was deep and rich in its hue, foretelling a clear, obsidian night was upon them. Clearly, news of the event had spread as masses of Jump City’s citizens cluttered the grassy verge. Raven inwardly winced at the number of people, hoping the group would be able to find a quieter spot before darkness fell and the show began. Instinctively, her hands rose to lift her hood around her face. “Over there!” Starfire pointed, having sought out a more sparse area for them to settle. Raven followed her finger and spotted the turf, breathing a sigh of relief.
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titansandothers (Beast Boy): The changeling simply responded with a cheeky grin. Upon reaching the park, he turned to Raven. “And crowds; your third favorite thing.” Fortunately, they seemed to find a slightly less crowded area. Starfire looked at the sky. “Though the show has not started, the sky is already beautiful.” “Just like you.” Robin added and wrapped an arm around her, eliciting a giggle from the Tamaranean. Beast Boy rolled his eyes and Cyborg commented. “I guess those mozzarella sticks weren’t enough cheesiness for one day.” azarathian (Raven): Raven completely respected the couple’s occasional displays of romance, but even she had to admit, it was both a culmination of awkward and amusing when the masked wonder spouted such cliches to his girlfriend in front of them. The three third-wheels exchanged their own glances, a snort begging to escape the hooded girl. “Come on.” She was the first to offer a mature approach, though still secretly entertained by the sight. “Let’s give them some space.” Motioning to the two boys, she put some distance between herself and the love-birds, finding a spot not too far that they’d lose each other into the show but still far enough to grant Robin and Starfire their own privacy. A few other groups of people were scattered between. “She’s got him wrapped ‘round her finger, huh?” Raven smirked at her friends, hand on hip. titansandothers (Beast Boy): The two boys followed after her. “Like a yo-yo.” Beast Boy agreed, nodding. “Took ‘em long enough.” Cyborg added. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pair so obvious take so long to get together.” The changeling looked to the sky. “Gotta say though, he picked a good time to be romantic. Just look at that sky… Bet you can’t get that in Gotham!” Cyborg looked up and whistled. “Sure can’t!” azarathian (Raven): As Raven joined the two in admiring the view, a sudden scent crept into the surrounding space, followed by a loud, strident shout. “HOT DOGS! GET YOUR HOT DOGS, HERE!” She didn’t even have to look to sense the wide eyes plastered on the metal man beside her. Any second, she was certain he’d be running over to the man behind the stall, a wad of cash in hand to fill his supposedly empty belly. “Well, all right!” She’d assumed right. “Anyone who’s not a vegan,” he squinted his eyes at the younger boy, “want one?!” “We just ate,” Raven remarked. “Suit yourself, more for me!” Cyborg beamed down at the two before taking off in haste towards the hot dog queue, elated as a child at Christmas. She watched him disappear off into the crowd, knowing he’d be back in a few minutes with stacks of snacks piled in each hand. And suddenly, she was all too aware of the last remaining presence to her right. “…” Her gaze wandered around, as if seeking something but for what, she didn’t know. titansandothers (Beast Boy): Beast Boy scrunched his nose at the scent and cringed at the voice. Hot dogs; ick. He stuck his tongue out in disgust as Cyborg made for the stand. Once they were alone, the green teen looked at the empath, forgetting his distaste for meat. Their conversation kind of got cut off earlier. Maybe he could take the few minutes they had alone, well, as alone as you can get in a crowd, to continue it. “So… I never got to ask. Are you okay? Y’know, after what happened at the taco place?” azarathian (Raven): “Hm?” She’d almost not heard his voice peek out from above the throng, but looked to him once she did. The mention of what had ensued earlier sent a tremble through her ribs, and only then she realised she’d spent all the time since mulling it over in the sanctum of her own mind. Surprisingly though, it had not been the words of the girls that occupied her, but the words of her defender. It had only been at the distraction of Robin and Starfire that the thoughts abandoned her, and now all at once she was brooding again. “Oh. Yeah, it was nothing,” she surmised, attempting to brush off the incident as if she hadn’t been dwelling on it for the past hour. titansandothers (Beast Boy):
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“Are you sure?” He looked concerned. thinking she looked a little uncomfortable. “If you’re upset, you can tell me. I’ll keep quiet.” It was a bit ironic that he would say that, given he was half shouting so she could hear him. There’s also the fact that he’d had issues keeping her privacy in the past. Even so, he was telling the truth. “You have no problem letting me know when you’re angry.” He half joked. “So, don’t have a problem letting me know when you’re hurt.”
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azarathian (Raven): He wasn’t naive. Obviously the boy had picked up on her repose since the event; though Raven was a woman of few words anyway, it was evident she’d been more talkative beforehand. Still, how was she meant to tell him that her behaviour was evoked not by her taunters back at the restaurant but by his own response to them? The passing comments of some ignorant girls was to be expected; Beast Boy’s defiance was certainly not. Raven ultimately opted to appease her inquisitor, even if it meant lying. She wasn’t willing to divulge the truth of her quietude, for even she didn’t quite understand the meaning behind it. “Well, it wasn’t the best start to the evening.” At least that part was truthful. “I’m fine, though. Some people aren’t worth dwelling on.” titansandothers (Beast Boy): He gave her a nod. “Well, if you won’t dwell on it, I won’t either.” He continued to smile. “I was only mad because I thought they upset you. I didn’t really care about the ears comment. Chicks dig the ears, after all.”
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He thought for a moment. “Then again. They didn’t dig the ears.” He shrugged. “Eh. I like them. They make me me.” He smiled and gave them a wiggle.
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azarathian (Raven): She gave a half-smile teamed with a brow-raise at his gibbering, slightly bemused by his confidence in the anomalies that were his ears. It was almost endearing. With his smile, her gaze wandered from him to the grass beneath her feet. Though her voice carried a certain rumination, it was undetectable; neither poignant nor pleasant. Merely stating what she considered a fact. “Can’t get hung up on people just pointing out the obvious, anyway, I guess.” titansandothers (Beast Boy): “You’re not cree-” He slapped a hand to his face, realizing lying won’t help. She is creepy, but that doesn’t make her bad. How could he show her that?
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He looked down in thought, spotting something in the grass. Was that-? Perfect! He knelt down and ushered the little spider onto his gloved hand. Keeping the little critter cupped in his hands, he approached Raven. “Okay. Maybe you are creepy. But who says that’s a bad thing?” He opened his hands to reveal the little spider, fuzzy with colored fangs. “Spiders are no doubt creepy, but they’re awesome! This is a jumping spider. They can jump distances several times their body size. And even though they’re creepy, I think they’re kind of cute. Look at the colors!”
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“If spiders can be creepy and awesome, so can you!” He smiled at her. azarathian (Raven): Her gaze descended to the spider cupped in his hands; something most would look upon and scream, fleeing in fear. She’d always found the concept rather foolish. The creature before her, though unsightly to some, was ultimately harmless. Even those with the potential to harm had little to no intention of doing so, unless threatened. And yet people still deemed them something to be avoided; gruesome, awful… creepy. Beast Boy made a very good point. She watched as the spider scuttled across his glove, so small in the curve of his palm. And with a slight hesitance, she raised her own hand, cupping it in the same manner his was as it hovered below, awaiting the insect to crawl or jump - whichever it chose. “Hm. Didn’t know you were a philosopher,” she said blithely, eyes flitting up at his before landing back on the spider. titansandothers (Beast Boy): “I’m as surprised as you are.” He chuckled. It wasn’t often he felt smart, but he had his moments. It felt nice. He watched as Raven offered her hand to the spider. The spider opted against jumping down and instead continued crawling on his hand. “Aw, c’mon, little guy~ Raven won’t hurt ya~” He lowered his hand to be touching Raven’s, making a little slope for the spider to crawl down. This time, the little spider left his hand and walked on Raven’s. “There ya go~” He pulled his hand back. azarathian (Raven): When the tips of Beast Boy’s fingers lowered onto hers, she made a point to keep her own still and welcoming to the potential guest, careful not to frighten it away. Ironic, really. The thing so many saw as threatening was merely existing, and yet could easily become the one to be threatened by doing so much as wandering into the wrong path. Something so vulnerable and small. Why did people fear it? Because of its appearance? She suddenly felt rather fond of the creature, especially so as it gently darted along to her own open palm, offering her its trust.
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Her smile was reflective as she looked down at the aphid scampering across her skin, her hand tilting slightly to accommodate its quick and aimless movements. Perhaps creepy wasn’t always bad after all… She silently let it wander, exploring the back of her hand now as it bustled across the mount of her gem. “He’s not shy, is he?” she mused aloud, tilting her hand again as it moved back to the dip of her palm.  She flinched when the creature suddenly decided to jump into the air, and in a blink was gone, leaving her hand empty. Her eyes lingered on her vacant palm for a second before bringing her arm back to her side. titansandothers (Beast Boy): “Aw…” His ears drooped a bit as the critter hopped away. “Oh well. Was fun while it lasted. At least we won’t be distracted from the show now.” He looked up at the sky, which now had a purple tint, signaling the arrival of nighttime. Shifting his gaze to the side, the changeling realized the magus still had her hood up. Why she felt the need to wear a hood when it was already getting dark out was beyond him.
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“Are you going to leave your hood up the whole time? You should take it down for a better view. C’mon. It’s pretty out~” azarathian (Raven): “Yeah.” Her eyes wandered past the crowds to see Cyborg almost at the front of the hot-dog queue. Night was falling upon the city quickly, an inky tint melting over the remaining wash of light just across the horizon. She turned to the boy addressing her, considering his words. She’d only raised her hood in the first place to shield her ears from the noise and calm her senses. But as they’d settled into a quieter spot, the crowd now an indistinct muffle, she felt it fair to unveil her face from the shadows. And so her hands held onto the sides, letting the fabric fall to her shoulders as she breathed a “fine” to the boy. A cool breeze caressed her exposed cheeks whilst her gaze ascended to the sky, now almost entirely swallowed by darkness. titansandothers (Beast Boy): He smiled when she lowered her hood, glad she was letting her guard down a bit. It wasn’t long after that the sky had darkened enough for the show to start. As the first firework screeched into the air, Beast Boy looked up in anticipation.
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With a boom, there was an eruption of color and light. “Coooool~” He uttered in awe. Glancing to the side to see how Raven was enjoying the show, he found his gaze stuck to her.
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It hit him all at once that he had yet to realize something about Raven. All the years he’d known her, he’d never noticed. But now, as the fireworks illuminated her, highlighting her features in colorful lights and causing her eyes to shine, he realized… Raven was… really pretty. azarathian (Raven): Raven winced at the first blare as it rocketed up, but quickly adjusted to the roaring sound. The crowd cooed in awe, all eyes clung to the sky as it boomed and fizzled with striking iridescence. The blackness was ablaze in colour and sound as shimmering flames pierced the dark and danced in the air. The magus, too, was captivated; it wasn’t often she got to see fireworks, and sometimes it was easy to forget the beauty of something when deprived of it for too long. This night was proving to be a stunning reminder. Her lips parted as she drank in the sight, cloak sweeping around her frame in the gentle wind. For what felt like ages but could’ve been mere minutes, she stood gazing to the sky, wordlessly, until with a blink she caught eyes upon her to her side. Naturally, her senses cast her own sight away from the fireworks to acknowledge the presence upon her. “What?” she asked, face glowing beneath the lights. titansandothers (Beast Boy):
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He hadn’t noticed he was gawking or that he was starting to smile… Until she spoke to him. “Gah!” His eyes widened as he realized he’d been staring and she’d noticed.
Was he just ogling her? He was ogling her! What the heck, dude! You don’t ogle your teammates! Get it together! Your teammate is pretty; big deal!
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“Um… what what?” Playing dumb was something he could do pretty convincingly, he thought. Despite the efforts he had been making to make Raven feel better today, he doubted telling her she was pretty would go over well. Plus, how dumb would he look saying it took him four years to realize she was attractive? azarathian (Raven): A little confused, she eyed the boy as he seemed to start from a daze. As the sky continued to boom above them, her brow rose a tad to better seize his attentions.
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“You were just–” “Aw maaan, did I miss the start?!” A dejected Cyborg abruptly hindered her speech with a rowdy whine as he returned to the scene, several hot-dogs piled in his hands. Nonetheless, with another eager bite, he was munching away and let his despondency slide, almost instantly grinning again and regarding the display. “Now that is a sight worth seein’.” titansandothers (Beast Boy): He let out a sigh of relief when their metal friend returned. He’d never been so happy to see Cyborg. “Yeah, dude! If you weren’t so busy stuffing your face, you wouldn’t have missed it!” Beast Boy was quick to take the opportunity to change the subject. Cyborg merely scoffed as the three resumed watching the fireworks. Even with the rocky start, today turned out pretty well. {FIN}
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